The Vampire Diaries: She's Come Undone (4x21)

I don't have a lot of time, so I'll be keeping this review very brief. Basically, this episode kicked some ass. I think it was extremely powerful and important to the overall story. I will, however, start with a few weaknesses, because of course nothing is perfect...

So, Bonnie. I know I've mentioned this a few times before, but her character has made very little sense this past season. I'm not sure what her game is. It was strange to see her making deals with Katherine and hiding things from her friends. She wants to drop the veil, apparently, and that seems to be what Silas wants as well, but yet Bonnie is clearly hiding something from Silas.

And speaking of Silas, he's still a rather weak villain. I don't find him intimidating at the end, when he emerges from the shadows in Caroline's house. However, I was properly scared of him for the first time when he was pretending to be Klaus - then Matt - then Klaus again, in order to scare Caroline. So... he's a mixed bag for me. I'm reserving judgment.

But, the rest of the episode was great. Damon and Stefan are truly ruthless as they try to save Elena, resorting to extreme measures such as burning her, and even getting Katherine to try and torture some sense into her. The sunlight scene was a high point in the episode - the emotions on Stefan's face showed how conflicted he was about hurting her, and Damon's callousness was clearly all an act. Elena is truly insane without her humanity- she actually lets herself catch on fire to prove that since she's the girl they love, they'd never let anything really bad happen to her.

Grey's Anatomy: Perfect Storm (9x24)

When it comes to Grey's Anatomy, I've come to expect ridiculously dramatic finales. Finales so dramatic that if you described the plot to someone who didn't watch the show, they'd probably laugh. What makes a show like this work is that the acting and attention paid to the writing makes us invested in these people and their stories, no matter how over the top those stories might be.

I'm happy to report that the Season Nine finale fits the bill to a tee.

On the level of plot, the overarching theme to the episode was the storm. The power is out, people are trying to do surgeries in the dark, things are running out of batteries... as I mentioned in my review of the last episode, it's silly that there's a storm like this in Seattle, since it's not actually possible, but it does create a great atmosphere for drama.

So. A lot of stuff it going on in this episode, as you would expect. What I liked about this finale more than some of the others that I've seen is that it actually focused on medicine. The problems caused by the storm forced the doctors to become creative with how they did their surgeries and cared for their patients. It forced these very intelligent characters to push the limits of their intelligence and use innovative techniques.

Grey's Anatomy: Readiness Is All (9x23)

Let's go thread by thread!

The big one for me, of course, was Jo and Alex. I really adore what they are doing with these two characters, in that our expectations are being subverted. When we see Jo at the beginning with a black eye, we assume that her boyfriend, Jason, is just a complete ass who hit her all because she didn't tell him she was a foster child. Later, we find out that he did grab her, but she did a number on him before he ever hit her. It doesn't change how wrong it was for Jason to hit Jo, but it does add this whole new level to what happened: Jo is not a hapless victim, but rather an active participant in a mutually abusive moment.

The best moments here were obviously seeing Alex's concern for Jo, especially the scene at the end when she asks him why he would do that for her (killing Jason) and he says "shut up, why wouldn't I?" I also liked seeing Meredith and Christina being concerned for him, and Meredith's lecture to Jo: "I like you, but I love Alex." In all, it was stressful to watch Jo and Alex under that much pressure, but there was a happy-ish ending and I can't wait to see the two of them in the finale.

Then we have Arizona and Lauren... there's not really much to say about this one other than that they had sex. They flirted a lot the whole episode, and then at the end they had sex. Poor Callie was innocently setting up cots for her and her wife, and Arizona was nowhere to be found. I'm seriously pissed at Arizona right now, and I think the only way this will be justified to me is if Arizona and Callie have a real talk about the problems in their relationship.

Doctor Who: The Name of the Doctor (7x13)

So, before I start this review I feel I need to make a blanket statement about my feelings on Moffat-era Doctor Who. The guy is a fairly brilliant writer, as evidenced by his work in other things, in particular Sherlock. And some of my favorite Doctor Who episodes of all time, such as “Blink,” “The Silence in the Library,” etc. etc. were written by him. So, clearly, he’s a good writer. Great, even.

One of the biggest complaints I’ve heard about these past few seasons is that Moffat basically fancies himself a god – he seems to have no problem with being the one to encompass the entire history of the Doctor in his story – he’s in charge of the 50^th, and you just know it’s going to be huge… with 50 years of history, a lot of people feel that Moffat is disrespecting a lot of the writers or show-runners that have come before him by incorporating their work into his own, changing timelines, and so on.

Well.. yeah. I do think that Moffat is a bit full of himself. I would have been seriously annoyed if the Doctor’s name had been revealed in this finale, but luckily it didn’t go that route. That being said, I think Moffat makes some pretty extreme choices trying to pull this show into the public view and into something that will seriously impress the world for years to come. Sometimes, these risks fall flat, and other times they’re great.

Elementary: Risk Management (1x22)

This episode was full of tension and seemed like a wonderful build to what I already know will be an amazing final few episodes.

The case-of-the-week element was virtually nonexistent there, since the case that Sherlock was working on was all funneled through a drive for more information on Moriarty. Sherlock and Joan hardly cared about the actual case, but only wanted to know how to  get closer to the truth.

I'm only going to speak briefly about this one, mostly because I know that the end of the season has already aired and I'd like to catch up at some point. In all honesty, I think this episode was perfect for what it was trying to be: a buildup.

As such, it really only works as the first act to a three-act structure that will be continued in the last two episodes. It makes it a bit difficult for me to review it independently. However, as a first act, it was awesome!

The case was pretty simple: Moriarty tells Sherlock to investigate the death of a man, and that once he does, Moriarty will reveal more information to him. We get all sorts of twisty plot elements, such as a tracked cellphone, and dead sisters, and plots for revenge, all of which were passably interesting, but it wasn't really where the focus of the episode was.

The Office: Finale (9x24/25)

And so it ends. You know, I dedicated a lot of my life to The Office, and I can't say I regret it. Yeah, there have been some missteps in the later season, but this finale reminded me why it's a show I always want to come back to when I'm in need of a pick-me-up. This finale, if judged by an impartial critic trying to analyze what qualifies as "good" television, is not the best. But I think the point is that no one watching The Office is partial about it anymore. Nine years is a long time to grow attached to something, and as a young woman, a good portion of my teen years were spent knowing and loving these characters. The finale, while faulty in a few aspects, was still exactly what the show needed for a proper sendoff.

Here's why it worked: it was really sad to see all of the members of the office moving on and doing new things, but it was so satisfying. If we know that these characters have moved forward and are finding new ways to be happy in life, we can move forward as well. Nobody is stuck in a rut, so we don't feel like we're leaving any of these characters with unresolved plot points (that being said, the resolution of some of these plot points was a bit sloppy and/or unnecessarily sentimental, but I'll get to that in a minute.)

The most important thing was that this episode knew that it was okay to be sappy as all hell. What are we supposed to expect from the finale to a nine year long sitcom that got its humor from examining the different relationships between people?

The Office: A.A.R.M. (9x22/23)

I actually had this whole review written and then I lost it, which is beyond annoying, so you'll have to apologize for my brevity. I'm not writing all of that again.

The biggest compliment I have for this episode was that each of the plot lines were intertwined. Everything came together very nicely and it felt like the perfect penultimate episode for such a long running sitcom. Briefly, here were the main plot threads:

Jim messes with Dwight, having him select himself for the assistant to the assistant to the regional manager, effectively making him a subordinate of his own subordinate. There were funny trials as Jim and Dwight tried to find the right person for the position, and it was a great callback to earlier seasons when Jim's pranks were a big part of the show.

Doctor Who: Nightmare in Silver (7x12)

I have a lot of feelings about this episode, because to be perfectly honest there were a lot of big things about it that made little to no sense, but there was also the Doctor playing a game of chess against himself so somehow it seems like the positives outweigh the negatives. For my fan-girl brain, anyway. But if I turn on my critic brain and try to examine this episode a bit more closely, I do have some critiques.

To start with, I am really happy that they decided to do an episode with Angie and Artie. I think they're adorable and they really bring out this complex side of Clara's character. However, that being said, was it just me or did they act really strangely for little kids? They were disappointed when they first showed up at their destination. And yeah, I know they were promised a cool carnival thing, but they think they're standing on the freakin' moon and they're complaining about it. I guess it just seemed like a really dissatisfying way to start off an episode. If the companions are underwhelmed, then are we supposed to be as well?

But, I'm happy to report that things picked up very quickly from there. I always like underdog stories, and this one was just that. The entire crew was there as a punishment, the park was closed down, and everything was basically deserted. It was the perfect place for a surprising threat, so it made sense why the Doctor didn't seem too worried at the beginning, and didn't bother to have Clara take the kids home as he started to investigate. I was shouting at the Doctor through the screen, though, because I obviously knew the Cybermen were about to mess everything up... GET THOSE CHILDREN OUT OF HERE!

Supernatural: Sacrifice (8x23)

Just so you know, this review is mainly going to be me giving a ton of praise to each of the actors in this thing, because Holy Chuck, I'm impressed. I want to go through each of these actors/characters and give a really close look at why they deserve awards for their performances in this episode.

But first I want to comment on two other things: the story, and the writing. You may be thinking that these are the same thing, but they're really not. The story was absolutely astounding, but it was also the dialogue - the way in which that story was told that made this episode so amazing. Putting that script in the hands of these talented actors made for one of the most gripping hours of television I have ever experienced. This is going down in the books as an episode of Supernatural that I will come back to watch again and again.

I'd also like to say that I waited until the morning after I watched this to write the review, to let it all sink in. When I tried to write it last night, I just kept slamming the keyboard and writing fan-girlish things all over the place, and I decided to wait and see if this episode actually held up once the initial excitement wore off.

How I Met Your Mother: Something New (8x24)

Okay. Yeah. I thought this one was pretty good. It didn't really feel like a finale, though. I really thought the end of season eight was going to be Barney and Robin's wedding, and I seriously hope that the start of season nine gives us a cool wedding episode, because sitcoms usually do great stuff with weddings. But, even if it isn't exactly what I might have wanted in a finale, it still had a lot of good stuff going for it.

Let's break it down. I'll start with the stupidest part of the episode so I can just get it the hell out of the way. Ted takes Lily to his finished house, but she discovers that he intends to sell it and move to Chicago. Why, you might ask? Because apparently he is still in love with Robin and once she and Barney are married he just needs to get out of the way. Okay, no. I need to sit down and have a talk with the writers of this show. Because I am so beyond fed up with this idea that Ted is still pining after Robin for all these years. I don't know about you, but if I were Ted's wife and I was poking my head around the corner to hear my husband tell our kids this story, I'd be pretty concerned about Ted's clear obsession over Robin. I mean, for real? He's still in love with her? Hmph.

Despite the fact that I hate that premise and want to punch the writers in the face because of it, there were some really well written lines. The way that Ted describes how he feels about Robin was actually really heartbreaking. He says he would literally do anything to make her smile, and that "that's just a really suck-y way to feel about your best friend's fiance." It's actually a pretty good point, and I really did feel for Ted at this moment, even though I think it's annoying that they keep dragging out this Robin thing.

Smash: The Phenomenon (2x14)

I might be crying right now. Maybe a bit. I swear, I actually have a certain level of respect for Smash right now that I didn't really think was possible. I'd like to start by saying that I think the idea of killing off Kyle is a a bad one. Just, as an overall idea, it's bad. Kyle was really one of the only characters who had any likability or charm in this whole show, and I think it's a good thing Smash isn't getting another season, because I don't know how they'd do any more without him as a moral compass.

That being said, as I watched this episode I really started to get the sense that the writers and creators had planned this death from the very beginning. Everything was set up so perfectly, and even if the death itself seemed to come out of nowhere and be a really cheap way to create drama, the fallout from it was so perfect that I have to assume they knew this was coming all along. What do I mean by a perfect fallout? Well, let's take a look at some of the specifics of the episode.

First of all, we have Derek and Karen's "almost" night together. I am so freakin' happy that these two did not have sex. There was no reason for it to happen and I really don't see them together that way. I still think Ivy is the only girl for Derek, and I think Derek is starting to see it too, even if Ivy doesn't agree.

Once Upon a Time: Second Star to the Right (2x21)

Yes! Thank you! A good episode. I was so happy, you have no idea. After the last few weeks, I was getting nervous about how this show was going to pull off its finale, but my fears have been appeased. I'm very excited to see the ending.

So, on the plot level, things were pretty basic. Regina has been kidnapped by Greg and Tamara. Greg is trying to torture information about his father out of Regina, but she won't give in. They also steal the trigger from her (the one that will blow Storybrooke off the map).

Meanwhile, Emma, Henry, David, and Mary Margaret discover that Regina is missing. Emma still thinks it's Tamara, but when she tries to investigate, Neal catches her again. The two of them go looking along the beach. Mary Margaret and David go to Rumple, who gives them magic that will help them find Regina. Mary Margaret and David meet up with Emma and Neal, as they have all discovered where they think Regina is.

Mary Margaret and David find Regina, but Greg gets away. Neal and Emma have a run in with Tamara. Emma is temporarily incapacitated, and Neal gets shot. Tamara opens a portal and runs off, and Neal tragically falls into the portal, but not before he and Emma can exchange the long awaited "I love you."

Grey's Anatomy: Do You Believe in Magic (9x22)

Okay, this show is just constantly finding new ways to drive me crazy. I mean that in a good way, in that I never know what they're going to throw at me next, and it's always dramatic and it's always intense. I'll go through the different plot threads this week, starting with...

Arizona and Lauren. Okay, what the Hell. No. I disapprove. It sucks because Jessica Capshaw (Arizona) is such an amazing actress that I immediately sensed Arizona's connection with this Lauren woman, and I actually think it's pretty hot. But... but Callie! Callie and Arizona are my favorite couple on this entire show. They have been through so much, and I just can't understand why we would want a wrench thrown in that. The cute-meet between Arizona and Lauren was great, though. It was just so depressing to see their flirtatious behavior. The only thing that will justify/save this plot development for me is if they tie it in with some PTSD or insecurity about her missing limb or something. Like, if she's having trouble in her marriage because of her other issues, then an affair would make sense. Otherwise, it just makes Arizona seem like a bad person.

Then there's Derek and Brooks' case this week, which was hilarious. Basically a little girl needs brain surgery, and the frazzled parents are having a hard time controlling the little brother. Brooks gets smacked in the face by the little boy when she tries to play with him, and the payoff is basically that Derek tells the little boy that he gave his sister superpowers, so he better watch out. Hilariously, Brooks leads down and says: "He put a vampire in her head. I'd watch out, kid." The little boy looked so scared! It was hilarious. On a more serious note, it looks like Brooks isn't nearly as passionate about Neurosurgery as Shane is, and I wonder how that's going to play out in the future.

Supernatural: Clip Show (8x22)

So, when I watch TV, I have my computer with me and I take notes as I watch so that I can better write these reviews. When I finished this episode, the last note I wrote as the screen faded to black was "I'm dying. I'm dead. Goodbye." I literally wrote that in my notes. And you know what, it's a pretty accurate description of how I'm feeling right now. This episode just about killed me. So many feelings are coursing through me that I feel like I may explode if I don't get to watch the finale right this minute.

I should probably try to coherently review the episode, though, huh? If only for the sake of sorting through my feelings. I'll start with the plot.

Oh my God, Crowley. I want to kill you myself. I cannot believe how depressing it was to see characters from the past start getting killed off. Tommy Collins! He was from the second episode of the first season, and I remembered him fondly. (Do you think they named him after the Rent character Tom Collins, or is that just a coincidence?) It was so depressing to lose these people, especially Sarah, of course. I'm going to talk a lot more about her in a minute. Crowley's villain speech was one of the best speeches I have heard ever. On television, in film, in real life. It was seriously epic. The way he continued to be a sass master while being more genuinely terrifying than he's ever been before... I had chills the entire time he was talking.

Modern Family: Career Day (4x21)

In this episode, there were two plot threads that worked really well, and one that had some pretty major annoyances for me. Let's take them one at a a time.

Jay talks about how he used to want to write spy thrillers, but that life got in the way. Gloria, a bit insulted about being called a distraction, facilitates a day off from work for Jay so he can try and write. Turns out, he has no motivation. Luckily, Manny steps in and begins writing. However, when Gloria reads the story, she pokes holes in it, continuing to insult it until Manny finally admits that it's his in the process of angrily defending it.

This thread was my favorite one in the episode. It had a lot of jokes, and I love the Jay and Manny bonding. Some of my favorite moments from this thread: Gloria asking Jay why he hasn't written the story, and Jay saying that he's been too busy. She replies: "You had a three hour nap on Saturday." Jay: "I was tired!" Gloria: "From what? Your two hour nap on Sunday?" I also loved Manny defending his work, and then at the end he does a voice-over of one of the lines that Gloria said was too long, and Jay responds with: "She's nuts, that's fantastic!" It was funny to see Jay fail with his dream, and funny to see Manny try and step in. The plot had nothing too substantial going for it, but it was nice and fun.

Doctor Who: The Crimson Horror (7x11)

This episode had a lot of fantastic things going for it. It had a few missteps here and there, but it was basically just a good, solid, normal episode of Doctor Who, in that it didn't try to do anything too extraordinary, and it delivered an interesting story with a lot of clever moments. I found myself engaged in the story and the characters, and curious as to how it would all work out.

That being said, I'll start with the weakest elements for me. The twist at the end is basically that there's a weird parasite thing living on Mrs.Gillyflower's chest, and it's been controlling/influencing her this whole time. It sort of came out of nowhere and felt rather unnecessary. I would have been much happier had Gillyflower been working by herself. She was a menacing enough villain on her own, and I loved the idea that the enemy in this episode wasn't alien, but rather prehistoric. The physical manifestation in the form of the worm thing was really strange.

Another weak point was Strax. It makes me really sad to say that, because I think he's hilarious every other time I've seen him. But in this episode, he was entirely relegated to a comic relief role, and he got this weird sidekick in the form of a kid named Thomas Thomas, and I didn't really get it. It almost felt like they were trying to set up a spinoff, which by the way I'm totally fine with, but it came off as very strange here.

Elementary: A Landmark Story (1x21)

I'm glad that this episode was larger-mythology based, because I think that this is where this show can really shine. The set-up this week was really intriguing, and there were some great character building moments that I'm excited to see continue. 

Basically, what happens is that Moran wants to talk to Sherlock, and he tells him about Moriarty's next move. Sherlock finds another person working for Moriarty and ends up getting closer to him than ever before. At the end, we actually get a phone call from Moriarty to Sherlock!

This plot is basically an Act 1 of sorts, leading up to what I hope will be an epically awesome confrontation with Moriarty in the near future. I don't actually have a lot to say about this one because it kept such a tight focus and it knew exactly what it needed to accomplish.

The evolution of Sherlock's character has been so interesting to watch, and it seemed to really culminate in this episode as he promised Joan that he would not treat Moriarty in the same way that he treated Moran earlier. Joan is at first unconvinced, as well she should be, but Sherlock tells her that things are different now: "Quite frankly I'm surprised you have to ask. When I pursued Moran, my entire life I had made one meaningful connection and that was with Irene Adler... the thing that's different about me, empirically speaking, is you."

The Big Bang Theory: The Proton Resurgence (6x22)

I had a lot of fun watching this episode! My biggest complaint was simply that it didn't connect the two story lines at all. It's not a big deal, but there was no interaction between the Penny, Leonard, and Sheldon plot and the Raj, Howard, and Bernadette plot. I would have liked to see just a hint of a connection, such as Howard calling to ask Leonard's advice about the missing dog, or something. But I'll look at each section separately, and examine their pros and cons.

Sheldon and Leonard remember back to their childhood and their favorite TV show, starring a scientist called "Professor Proton." Apparently he's still for hire, so the two boys decide to pay him to come hang out with them, basically. Penny tags along with them as well. When Professor Proton shows up, he's being played by Bob Newhart, which is hilarious and awesome. It turns out that Professor Proton, real name Arthur, is fed up and discouraged with his life as a scientist that nobody respects. Sheldon tells him about how much his show meant to him as a kid, and Arthur is happy to hear that his work influenced Sheldon and so many others. His pace maker starts to malfunction so they have to take him to the hospital, but he's okay in the end.

There were so many jokes that I loved from this section of the episode. I loved it when Sheldon kept Leonard awake because he was so excited to meet Professor Proton, until finally Leonard just gets up and hits Sheldon.

The Office: Livin' the Dream (9x21)

So this was a double episode, which means roughly 42 minutes of material instead of the usual 21. I really liked this episode, but unfortunately due to time constraints I'm only going to write a bit about it.

The biggest plot going on in this episode was Andy's back-and-forth decisions about whether to leave and pursue acting or not. As I've mentioned in previous reviews, Andy hasn't really been interesting to me lately, but I did think that this episode had some good things about it. David Wallace shows up to fire him, but Andy quits before he can get to it. He wants to be an actor, but everyone basically tells him he won't be able to succeed.  He decides he wants to be a salesman again, but then after some thought he decides not to abandon his dream so he tries to get fired again by pooping on Wallace's car. Some of the advice that Andy was being given about how he shouldn't leave was slightly amusing, but there was nothing too special. I think my favorite was Erin's blunt admission that she was worried Andy would end up homeless and maybe even starve.

Once Upon a Time: The Evil Queen (2x20)

There were things abut this episode that I actually liked a lot. It was miles ahead of the last two episodes, but do you know what? It still wasn't great. And I'll give you one big reason for it. Ready?

There was no point to the Evil Queen back story plot. It was just another example of Regina trying to kill Snow, and Snow being all sweet and helping people, and Snow letting Regina get away with her life again, and it added nothing to our understanding of either character, nor did it push the plot forward in any meaningful way. There was literally only one part of the flashback storyline that I enjoyed, and that was when Rumple asked Regina to stop trading with King George's kingdom because he needs them to be broke. That was fantastic. Yet another example of a throw-away line having huge consequences if you actually think about it for a moment.

Overall, the fairytale land story had no purpose in terms of characterization or plot. But then there's the Storybrooke plot, which did.