Written by Tristan Lueck
Graphic by Gabby Manotoc
The most important thing that happened in TV this week, at least to me, was the season 2 premiere of WB’s “The 100.” I fell in love with the show last season and have been a powerful advocate of it since. It is truly one of the best science fiction shows on TV now, “Orphan Black” still being number one. It’s about a post-apocalyptic world permeated with radiation. The last of humanity lives in a slowly dying space station. The station cannot maintain the amount of people living on it and, in an effort to extend the life of the station and see if the Earth is livable, the leaders send 100 juvenile delinquents down to Earth.
The second season starts directly after the end of the first season and, without giving anything away, I will tell you it was a great season opener. And that Bellamy lives, which means Bellarke still lives! The episode, titled “The 48,” set the scene for an action- and intrigue-packed season. With new villains and added characters, this season could easily be better than the first. I honestly don’t know how I will be able to wait for Wednesday each week. The anticipation might kill me. I guess I could reread the book, but I won’t because it was awful. This is one of those strange times where the TV show is better than the book.
The second most important thing this week: ABC has canceled “Manhattan Love Story.” I am aghast, disgusted and sad. I don’t like comedies but I loved this one! It was funny and quirky and romantic and I really liked it. Why are all my favorite shows canceled before their time? Plus side to all of this, though, is that in this age of Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime, there is a slim possibility that “Manhattan Love Story” could air again.
One of my top guilty pleasure shows is “America’s Next Top Model,” and this week’s episode was pretty great. I can’t have been the only one who knew Chantelle was going to come back. I hate to break it to the boys, but “America’s Next Top Model” has always been, and always will be, a girl’s game. I am team Lennox all the way! I also want a pair of those gloves. I don’t know where I would wear those fringe gloves but I would definitely find a place.
The other shows on TV this week were big on the action and, in some cases, shock value. On “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” this week, we finally got to spend some quality time with Skye’s father. He’s some kind of monster, but we still don’t know what kind. And I kind of feel sorry for him; he just wants to know his daughter. Of course, he’s going about it in all the wrong ways. Joining Hydra is generally always a bad idea, and offering them an extremely powerful alien artifact is even worse. I feel like this decision will lead to even more interesting ones from Agent Coulson. Perhaps the decision to let Ward out to protect Skye. We shall see.
“Criminal Minds” was very heavy on the shock value. And bugs — lots of bugs. One was up this guy’s nose and it was beyond nasty. I hate bugs, especially roaches. And then what does this psychopath pour on some poor victim? Roaches, lots and lots of roaches, he was covered in super gross and crawly roaches. Not one of my favorite episodes, for sure.
“Stalker” went along the same lines, except with snakes. I feel the same way about snakes as roaches. But the concept of the show this week was fascinating. There was some good character development and I love the relationship between Beth and her friend Tracy. I just wish Beth would open up more. I want to know what happened to her! All in all, a very interesting type of serial stalker, but I doubt I will be okay around snakes for a while. In the famous words of Indiana Jones, “Why does it always have to be snakes?”
