Since I'm out of town at the moment, this edition of the TV Report Card may be a bit lacking in terms of the shows that I actually watched and my thoughts on the episodes listed. Once again, I apologize in advance.
Monday
Being Human: "All Out of Blood"
Being Human is a better show when it just focuses on the three main characters as they try to navigate their lots in life. When the writers start throwing in things like vampire politics, things can quickly fly off the rails. This time around, I really liked just watching Aidan, Josh and Sally interact with one another without worrying about the other Boston vampires. That being said, having Aidan's lady friend be Josh's ex seemed a little contrived, and I'm still not sure how I feel about Sally's plan to be reincarnated, but I'm willing to let things develop at this point.
GRADE: B
Lost Girl: "Oh Kappa, My Kappa" aka "Sorority"
Maybe it was because this episode was set on a college campus or the whole P.I. gimmick, but
Lost Girl really felt a lot like
Buffy and/or
Angel with this one, but this formula's proven to be successful before, so I shouldn't be too surprised. I was a little upset that they had Dyson turn out to be a jerk because I was hoping that this show was going to be a little different when it came to their main couple, but at least he can claim that he was forced to do what he did to Bo. Overall, "Oh Kappa, My Kappa" was fun, but nothing spectacular.
GRADE: B-
Tuesday
Glee: "Michael"
I'll be the first to admit that
Glee's tribute episode to Michael Jackson should not have been as good as it was. Much like some of the previous homages that Ryan Murphy's been insistent on cramming down fans' throats, "Michael" relied too much on the songs and recreating music videos and not enough on story or character development, but the moments of plot that connected the musical moments worked better than the ones in "Britney/Brittany," so at least there was some improvement. To be fair, there were some things to like about "Michael" like the Warblers becoming the new Vocal Adrenaline and Sebastian becoming the new baddie of the show. While "Michael" was no "The Power of Madonna," it was still a fun episode of
Glee.
GRADE: B-
New Girl: "Jess and Julia"
While I don't want to claim that "Jess and Julia" was the show's way of addressing some of its detractors, it did do a pretty good job at pinpointing why some people do not like Jess and making her more of a human being than just a manic pixie (I can't believe i used that term since I hate it so much). While I don't think the character will fundamentally change (that would take away the charm of the show), it's at least encouraging that the show runner's seems somewhat aware of the backlash. Plus, we got another episode with Lizzy Caplan, so I was happy. Also, Schmidt's B-plot about his high maintenance ways was also a strong moment for the character and the show.
GRADE: B+
Justified: "Harlan Roulette"
One of my minor quibbles about Season 3 of
Justified has been the fact that the show's been throwing way too many bad guys at us in an attempt to replace Mags Bennett. Some work and some don't, but we were once again introduced to new criminals in the form of Fogle and his henchmen, but luckily they were not long for this world. Thankfully we did get some more information about Boyd and Limehouse, but I do wish we didn't have to keep track of so many characters even though I'm all for expanding Harlan and it's criminal elements.
GRADE: B+
Thursday
30 Rock: "Today You Are a Man"
I've never hidden the fact that I cannot stand Kenneth (or Jenna), so I was surprised that I did not hate "Today Your Are a Man." Then again, I don't think the reason I liked the episode had anything to do with Kenneth because I could've done without his story, although him leaving the page program does have potential. I also didn't care about Tracy and Jenna's involvement in a bar mitzvah, but I do hope their growth sticks. Honestly, the only reason I liked this episode was the continued evolution of the Liz and Jack dynamic. Having her use his own negotiating tactics against him, and the whole "Jack-off" was pure gold. They seriously just need to make this show about the two of them if it comes back for a seventh season.
GRADE: B
The Vampire Diaries: "Bringing Out the Dead"
At this point, I think the only reason I keep watching
The Vampire Diaries is for Caroline. I really loved her storyline during this episode because it was so emotional, and I actually cared about her and her family. It's just too bad that I couldn't say the same about the rest of the episode. I tuned out every time that Bonnie and her mother showed up on screen, but I suppose the sit-down between the Salvatores and the Originals wasn't all that bad. The big twist at the end though further complicates and already twisty series, so the jury's still out.
GRADE: C+
Archer: "The Limited"
So far Season 3 of
Archer has been pretty good, and "The Limited" was a decent addition but not the show's best effort. For the record, I enjoyed everything that had to do with Archer, Lana, Cyril and the Canadian terrorist because it incorporated some iconic action movie stunts/tropes, and it's these moments that make this show work. Oh, and Archer's obsession with the ocelot was pretty priceless. On the other hand, I really did not see the point of having everyone else from ISIS because they really didn't add too much to the overall story, but I did enjoy some of the racist/elitist jokes that were made at Malory's expense. So while I didn't think "The Limited" was the show's best, it was still pretty great.
GRADE: B+
Friday
Nikita: "Clean Sweep"
The last couple of episodes have been building towards "Clean Sweep" as Percy finally broke out of Division which in turn completely changed the game. Not only do we have Division going up against Percy and Nikita, but it looks like our heroes are now going to be getting support from the same government that ruin their lives. How's that for a twist? As always, Percy was great as the villain, and while Amanda can hold her own, there's just something about him that makes him a twinge more menacing, so I'm glad to have him back in the fold. Now, we'll have to see how everything shakes out since everyone's gunning for everyone else.
GRADE: B
Grimm: "Organ Grinder"
The last new episode of
Grimm was a miss because it focused too much on an uninteresting fairy tale creature and case, and there was not enough Nick and Monroe, so thankfully things were righted with "Organ Grinder." First off, I was glad that they were able to tell the Hansel and Gretel story in a way that was not typical (having the siblings being human and not creatures), and it gave the girlfriend character something substantial to do this time around. Plus, there was the amazing scene between Nick and Eddie where they came off as a bickering couple, and while I'm not into slash fiction it's always fun watching these two in these kinds of situations.
GRADE: B-
Spartacus: Vengeance: "A Place in This World"
This week's
Spartacus did a good job at letting the viewers get a better understanding of the show's characters. Whether it was getting an Oenomaus backstory, or watching Glaber and Ilithyia transitioning to their lives in Capua, or seeing how freedom could be a curse just as much of a blessing, "A Place in This World" focused on the people who inhabit this world instead of on blood and boobs which made it one of the show's better offerings.
GRADE: B+
Now that sweeps are going on, I'm sure the next installment of the TV Report Card will be meatier, so stay tuned.
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