Written by Tristan Lueck
Photo courtesy of Creative Commons
So, as my column falls on Sundays at 8 p.m., my TV week officially starts with “Once Upon a Time.” This week the creators took quite a bit of liberty with one of my childhood favorites: they turned Little Bo Peep into a crime lord. She had henchmen and curse words and, oh, she also had a magical shepherd’s hook that she used to capture people for her “flock.” They made her into the butcher of Storybrooke.
Meanwhile “Gotham” is definitely fall TV’s rising star. It perfectly captures the grittiness of the Batman universe with a vaguely noir-looking production and costume design. Young James Gordon, played by Ben Mackenzie of “The O.C.” fame, is the epitome of a good man in bad world. It is also absurdly creepy. This week’s villain, the Balloonman, sends people to their deaths tied to a weather balloon. I’m serious, death by balloon. It surpasses plain campy and becomes something that would be seen in a B movie horror. The only true villain in the series seems to garner some strange sort of sympathy from audience, or at least from me. Poor Penguin and his lack of sandwich money and his double popped collars, I want to hug him but I’m afraid he would stab me.
Monday and Wednesday are the days where TV hits its high mark from me. “Scorpion” is quickly becoming one of my favorite shows on television and it’s almost worth the start of the week to watch another episode. The chemistry of the cast is something that’s almost tangible through the screen. And the tension between Walter and Paige (Elyes Gabel and Katharine McPhee) heats up in every new episode. I ship them. If you don’t know what ship means then you should watch more TV, or go on Tumblr. And Wednesday brings “Criminal Minds,” which is perhaps one of my favorite shows of all time. I’m still iffy about the addition of Jennifer Love Hewitt but I feel like she’ll fit in fine after a few more episodes.
This Wednesday also one of the four major premieres of the week. “Arrow” started its third season with a bang, literally. Oliver and Felicity finally go on a date and what happens? They get blown up! They’re fine but this of course sets back any relationship Oliver could’ve hoped for. He’s all guilt ridden and mopey and angry. All the same, they did kiss and it was glorious. The episode ended with Barry Allen calling Arrow and in a set up for “The Flash” and “Arrow” tie in that is to come.
Television seems to be overrun with comic book characters this year. So far, they all seem to be doing really well and I doubt “The Flash” will be an exception. In Tuesday’s premiere, Grant Gustin embraced the lengthy Flash legacy and made the character his own. The writers didn’t try to mask his insecurities or make the audience forget that, though he is now superhero, he is still incredibly young. The scene between him and his imprisoned father was immensely powerful and showcased Gustin’s acting chops.
Tuesday also brought the return of “Supernatural.” I have yet to watch the season premiere, mostly because I’m still in denial from the end of last season. That finale was so heavy, I’m not sure I want to know what happens next. But who am I kidding? I won’t hold out for long. I’ll to cave before next Tuesday’s episode.
“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D” was amazing this week, as per usual. The interaction between Skye and Ward just gets more and more intense. I know that he’s bad, but I still want them to be together. Also, Simmons isn’t really evil she’s just undercover, which everyone knew about except for Fitz.
“Forever” also hit a high this week. I would say that Tuesday’s episode was one of the best so far. We delve more into Henry’s past and get a glimpse at the devastating effects immortality can really cause. The costumes in the show are absolutely amazing. Every era is perfectly detailed. The glittering ballrooms of the 1950s are no less authentic then the bloody camps of World War II.
Stay tuned next week for more TV obsessing.
