17 posts tagged “heroes”
I took a bit of a break over the summer, when there wasn't much TV anyway, but I'm back!
Next week is jam-packed with season premieres, and in honor of that (and also because I'm trying to entertain myself while I watch 5 hours of political documentary for class), I present what I thought were the 10 best hours of TV last season. I'm sure I've neglected something fantastic, and please take into account that I haven't caught up on every great show yet (sorry, Friday Night Lights!) This is just one humble person's opinion based on the TV I happen to be watching.
*WARNING: SPOILERS WITHIN. Proceed with caution.*
10. The O.C. "The End's Not Near, It's Here" - This is more of an honorable mention (there were probably even better episodes of the O.C. this year), but belongs on this list as a wrapup to four seasons (two great, two okay) in the world of these characters. The last 10 minutes or so brought the series full-circle in a lovely and satisfactory way. And for those of us who adored the show's stellar first season, meh-ed the second, and were disappointed in the third, the turnaround back to fun, fresh TV in the fourth season was a welcome surprise.
9. Bones "Aliens in a Spaceship" - Who'd have thunk I'd put a forensics show on this list? Certainly not me. But Bones is surprisingly engaging, with lovable, fully-formed characters, and this episode was a standout last season. Two beloved characters in mortal peril plus a fantastic performance by David Boreanaz (whose acting I've certainly ridiculed in the past - hellooo, worst Irish accent ever) made this a solidly great hour of TV.
8. Gilmore Girls "Bon Voyage" - A touching sendoff for the Lorelais. After seven seasons of fast talking and copious junk food, Lorelai and the town send Rory off into adulthood, complete with a solid hour of tears. If you watched and didn't cry, you have no heart. For real.
7. Battlestar Galactica "Exodus Part II" - Season 3 of this consistently stellar show got off to an INCREDIBLE start, and this episode, where Galactica finally charges in to help the people of New Caprica, is a standout.
6. Ugly Betty "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" - For a show that has definite elements of the telenovela about it, Ugly Betty managed to pull out some very realistic and moving moments in its first season. This episode, in which the lovably bitchy, flamboyant Marc finally comes out to his mother, dealt with serious issues in a way that managed to be funny, smart and ultimately touching.
5. Doctor Who "Doomsday" - I was all set to hate Rose when I first starting Netflixing Doctor Who - a blond shopgirl played by a former British pop star? Psh! - but Billie Piper made the character lovable, real and a perfect foil for the Doctor's (slight) insanity. She even managed to transfer her chemistry from Nine to Ten, and when they finally said goodbye (at Bad Wolf Bay, fittingly), she had transformed into a confident, radiant hero. (Daleks vs. Cybermen was pretty cool, too.)
4. Lost "Through the Looking Glass" - The show took a lot of flack last season for moving too slowly, but by the end of season 3 things were looking up. The finale gave us a heroic death for a character who had moved into the background, a few kick-ass fights (Sayid broke someone's neck with his LEGS, people), and, um, a FLASH-FORWARD.
3. Heroes "Five Years Gone" - Heroes was a freshman hit, leaving it with a lot to live up to in the coming season. But if "Five Years Gone" is any indication, there's a whole lot of awesome up their sleeves. A look at a dark, creepy "what-if" future, this episode may have had an element of X-Men about it (mutant/hero = different = WRONG), but it managed to be surprising and give us a chilling look at what could be. Plus, Peter looked totally hot with a scar. (Kidding! Kind of.)
2. Veronica Mars "Spit and Eggs" - In a season that was admittedly a bit uneven, after a second season finale that drew mixed reviews, "Spit and Eggs" was proof that Veronica Mars still had it. With a couple of truly chilling moments - Parker's courage in the face of her rapist, Veronica's drugging, Logan's purposeful jailing - this episode was a perfect example of why Veronica's fans were (and still are) so devoted.
1. Supernatural "What is and What Should Never be" - Supernatural isn't often held up as the pinnacle of critically-acclaimed TV, but "What Is", well, should be. Jensen Ackles delivered a spot-on, moving performance, and the poignant look at what Dean's life could have been was an emotional punch to the gut.
Here's hoping for a great new season of shows!
With finals finally over, it's time to concentrate on what's really important in May: season (and in some cases series) finales. So here's my wishlist for some of this month's season-enders (air dates in parentheses):
Gilmore Girls (May 15, aka tonight) - Having just gotten into this show last summer, I'm not quite caught up with this season, but I will be glued to my couch tonight for this one. They've given us seven (mostly) great, witty and heartwarming years, and there are only a few things I ask: some sweet Lorelai/Rory moments, some good moments with Emily and Richard, love for all the wacky Stars Hollow townsfolk, and, oh yeah, some Luke/Lorelai lovin'. Because they are MEANT TO BE, people.
Bones (May 16) - We're getting a Hodgins/Angela wedding, so I'm just hoping for some good Booth/Brennan chemistry. Which they never fail to deliver, but let's keep that up, okay?
Ugly Betty (May 17) - Ummm, can Betty and Henry please just get together already? Oh, and as much Marc and Amanda as possible, because they (and of course Justin) are totally my favorite part of this adorable show.
Grey's Anatomy (May 17) - I've been less than impressed with this season, so I think almost anything would be an improvement. If they could stop force-feeding us the George/Izzie thing and make Derek less of a jerk, that would be great. Oh, and more Alex. Always more Alex.
Supernatural (May 17) - I'm not quite caught up with Season Two so I don't know what to ask for exactly... but I'd settle for some shirtless Winchester boys. Pretty please?
Heroes (May 21) - Continued awesomeness. And not killing Peter, Claire, HRG, Hiro, Ando, Micah, or any of my other favorites.
Veronica Mars (May 22) - Let's finish up the Pizonica already and bring back the LoVe - especially since there's a good chance this could be the series finale. My ultimate wish here would be for a fourth season - c'mon, CW, you know you want to!
Lost (May 23) - I've LOVED some of the recent string of episodes, so my wishes for this one just include more answers, more intrigue, and more Sawyer.
There are several other shows I could mention - Numb3rs, Desperate Housewives, House, American Idol - but those are my main wishes for this May. So if the networks could just go ahead and adjust their finales accordingly, that'd be great. Thanks.
Since FOX has already cancelled Drive (boo!), it's good to know that I still have something to watch on Monday nights. Heroes was fantastic last night, jumping five years into the future in what was possibly the best episode so far.
We found out there IS a genetic link with the powers, since Future(kindaEvil)Matt's baby is also "special," and that Peter is the bomb - literally. (He's also pretty damn hot with that scar). Personally I'm concerned with this development, as, based on the visions we've seen of the explosion so far, it could very easily lead to the death of one of the Petrelli brothers, both of whom I love very much.
We also found out that if Hiro doesn't succeed in saving the world, a whole bunch of people are going to die, including Ando, Micah and apparently Nathan (although Sylar could become Nathan if things turn out how they were in this ep).
I'm still reeling from everything - this episode might need a second viewing. But generally, I'm just super-excited for the last few episodes of the season.
Apparently Josh Holloway could very possibly be playing Gambit in the next X-Men movie (this is probably old news to some, but apparently I'm not quite caught up).
Um, superswoon.
That kind of news needs to keep coming if I'm going to keep from going crazy in the next month and a half having to wait for new Heroes and Veronica Mars. Stupid TV schedules.
At least I finally have Lost back, and in my opinion, it's getting better and better each week. And if the previews are any indication, we're FINALLY going to find out how Locke ended up in that damn wheelchair soon. It only took them three seasons...
Tonight gave us an episode of Heroes that was pretty much great, even though it broke my poor Peter/Claire shipping heart. I was willing to ignore the ambiguous age difference, but related by blood is just way too skeezy. After Peter's lovely little speech about Claire, I was really hoping that my guess that Nathan was her father was wrong, but... oh, well. It seems to fit Nathan's character and it fits with the hero genes seeming to have some genetic basis, so I'll go with it and try to ignore the now-tainted chemistry.
In the supercreepy realm, Sylar talked his way into Mrs. Bennet's heart, right up until his talk about Claire got too weird even for her seemingly naieve mind. Too bad she won't remember any of it. And too bad Sylar is now back out in the world, and if the previews are any indication, jumping right back into the evil game. With Jessica now on the loose, owing Linderman a pretty big favor (and Niki locked in alterego-mirror land), the world is looking more and more dangerous for the good guys.
Hiro's plot, with the awesome George Takei stepping in as his father, was predictable, but well done. I'd kind of hoped for more, but I enjoyed what we got. And Ando's crush on Hiro's sister was damn adorable.
Meanwhile, as Claire reconnected with her SuperBiologicalFireMom, Peter played Luke Skywalker to Claude the Invisible Man's Yoda, with mixed results. I'm not sure I agree with Claude's methods - trying to get Peter to cut attachments to family and friends out of his life and pushing him off a 30-story building - but I'm definitely interested in where this story is going, and in whether Claude will be the force that will keep Peter from blowing up New York. I kind of like the guy - I'd rather not see him turn into a mass-murdering bomb.
Classes just had to go and ruin this great week of TV premieres by starting, but we'll ignore that for now in favor of the awesomeness that began last night.
Before I go into the TV, though, I just have to say how thrilled I am that adorable Abigail Breslin got an Oscar nom for Little Miss Sunshine. She is just such a genuinely cute kid and held her own in a movie full of great actors, and I, for one, was so freakin' excited for her when I heard that she's nominated. I was kinda sad that Borat didn't get more recognition (and the nod it did get seemed odd, considering the movie - "Best Adapted Screenplay"? Hmm.), but Abigail's nomination totally made me happy.
Now, back to TV:
Prison Break and Heroes both came back last night, with some pretty kickass results. The odd triangle of Linc, Michael and Kellerman is making for pretty good times (except for that whole part where their plan shot himself in the head), and considering Mahone's rogue actions I wouldn't be surprised to see him on their side at some point, too. Or maybe he'll just continue to be a genius psychopath against them, which will probably be equally as fun.
Also worth mentioning on Prison Break: T-Bag just gets creepier and creepier. His attempts to be a "family" with the woman he'd been hunting were just downright disturbing, and it doesn't look like things are going to get any better for his poor hostages. Eep. Also, something happened with C-Note, and Bellick is soooo in trouble at Fox River.
Heroes brought us in two weeks after the last episode, with Peter still in a confusing dream-riddled coma and Hiro, Ando and Isaac back in New York. Best part of the night? When Hiro recognized Nathan Petrelli at Isaac's apartment excitedly as "Flying man!!!" Hiro = awesome, constantly. Even when he's stealing ancient swords that turn out to be fakes.
There was so much going on in this episode, and all of it was good. Mohinder is starting to push forward with trying to find the people on his father's list, and that can only lead to very good TV. Claire, feeling very alone, decided to repeat history (aka remake her "suicide" tape) to win back her memory-erased friend. And Niki/Jessica, in a very awesome performance by Ali Larter, fought for control in a series of weird "talking to my other personality" moments. Plus, she broke a guard's stick in half. Seemingly as Niki and not Jessica. Superstrength, perhaps?
Tonight: Veronica Mars returns from hiatus! Superyay!
Last night's Heroes was so. damn. good., and then they had to go and remind me that it's the last episode until Jan. 22. Meaning a pretty good majority of my shows have disappeared into the sad time of year called holiday TV hiatus. Because the networks all decided that while we actually have time off (aka time to really watch TV), it would be the perfect time not to show new episodes of their best shows.
Sigh.
But back to Heroes. We got more insane Peter/Claire chemistry, and if the online reaction is any indication, I'm definitely not the only one seeing it. Hiro and Ando finally met up with Isaac in person, and he drew Hiro fighting a... dinosaur? Dragon? Claire found out her dad is a little more sinister than she previously thought (who mindwipes their own family?!). Eden pulled a heroic move and killed herself before Sylar couldn't steal her power. Matt got a nosebleed, and had a cool moment when he tried to read Peter's mind and there was some weird feedback (since Peter was picking up his power, of course). EvilNiki (I still can't call her Jessica, it sounds so Sweet Valley High) wounded DL and almost seriously hurt Micah, causing Niki to take over and turn herself in to the cops.
And Peter had a vision of himself blowing up in the middle of New York, surrounded by the other heroes. And then stopped breathing.
I pretty much did too, and while I'm fairly certain Peter's not going to die, I have a feeling I'm going to be jittery about it until January. Damn Heroes cliffhangers.
The best thing about last night? A shoutout to the oh-so-awesome Alamo Drafthouse on Heroes. As an Austinite, that totally made the episode for me.
Not to say that the episode wasn't good - because it was. We got some backstory on several of the heroes, including getting to see how Claire became a cheerleader, Eden's bad-girl past, and the wreck that put Nathan in a wheelchair. We also finally got a good look at the formerly nerdy Sylar, former watch-fixer turned brain-stealing villian. Unfortunately, we also found out that Hiro wasn't able to save Charlie. And even if he had been able to, she probably would have been dead soon anyway from a blood clot in her brain. Which is supersad, because she was pretty cool, and had one of the neatest powers so far.
Prison Break also had a fabulous episode, sending themselves into hiatus with a (literal) bang. Just when it looked like Michael and Linc might be completely screwed, Kellerman turned on the conspiracy, shot Mahone and declared his intentions to take down the president. Now that's just cool.
In the other two million plots interweaving on this show, T-Bag killed a few more people to get to his ultimate target - the woman who turned him down by turning him in - and Bellick ended up back in Fox River, hilariously rooming with Avocado, who fans of the first season will remember as Tweener's creepy roommate. That's called karma, Brad. (Honestly I'm having a little trouble believing this plotline, what with the lack of forensic evidence and the fact that Bellick was pretty obviously in the hospital when Geary was killed, but... whatever. It's kinda fun.)
Tonight - the first mystery finale of Veronica Mars! I'm way too excited.
Well, if you've been watching Heroes at all, you know the rest.
Last night was the big "Save the cheerleader" episode, and for the most part it didn't disappoint. Hiro may have been conspicuously absent, but as promised, some of the heroes finally started to meet up - Peter headed to Texas to save Claire, although both he and Sylar mistook another cheerleader for her first, and it looks like he succeeded - even if he did get arrested in the process. We also finally got a glimpse of Sylar's face, and since Eden used her apparently very strong telepathy to capture him at the end, it looks like we may get to see more of him soon.
Peter was especially fantastic in this episode, going to Texas even though he knew from Isaac's painting it would lead to his death, and facing Sylar pretty fearlessly. And was I the only one who thought Claire and Peter had some great chemistry? I know that's kind of, well, illegal... so maybe we'll just call it friend chemistry.
Over on Prison Break, Sara kicked all kinds of ass, worming her way out of drowning, burning Kellerman in the chest with an iron, jumping out of a window and sewing up her own wounds. It's nice to see a smart, tough girl on this show, which is usually so male-centric (not that I normally mind...).
The really big stuff came at the end, though, as Michael's call to Sara was intercepted by Mahone and a gun, and Sucre's plane to Mexico seemed to be about to run into trouble. This show just leaves me hanging every week - I don't know how I'm going to bear the hiatus.
I know, I know, it's still a week until Thanksgiving, but I don't think it's too early of a list of things I'm thankful for - especially when it was triggered by the FABULOUSNESS of #1.
1. According to E's TV Diva Kristin, Veronica Mars has been picked up for another 7 episodes! EEEEEE!!!! So, okay, that's only 20 eps and not a full-season 22, but I'll take what I can get, and more Veronica is definitely something to be thankful for.
2. The continuing awesomeness of Ugly Betty - I love these characters so very, very much. Justin continues to be hilariously flamboyant (athletic cup turned Phantom mask? Awesome.), Marc and Amanda are hilariously bitchy (and, last night, hilariously drunk while performing musical numbers in couture dresses), and even Daniel and his man-whore ways are making me smile these days.
3. Izzie and Alex on Grey's Anatomy. These two have so much chemistry, even just as friends, that the rest of the show just seems inconsequential. Alex has been the highlight of every episode this season for me, and pairing him with Izzie again just made everything that much more awesome.
4. The OC, in it's fourth episode of the new season, is... still good. Meaning that the first three solid, funny, moving episodes were potentially not a fluke. In fact, could it be getting better and better? Seth and Summer are sizzling again, Kirsten and Sandy aren't having a stupid fight, and even Ryan and Taylor found some pretty hot chemistry. I never thought I would say those words, but... that kiss was pretty damn sexy.
5. Pie. Because everything remotely connected to Thanksgiving should end with pie.
So, really, those are just things that I'm thankful for from the last 24 hours, because I never really got around to mentioning how much I ADORED this week's Bones - how much I love Angela and Hodgins together, and how my little fangirl heart squealed with joy when a freaked-out Booth raced over to dig Bones out of the dirt. I also could have included my excitement over next week's fantastic-looking Heroes, or how psyched I am that all those shows that seemed to be having bad seasons last year are stepping it up this year (Desperate Housewives and the already-mentioned OC, for example). Or Wentworth Miller's continuing hotness. But if I really put down ALL the TV things I'm thankful for this year, well, this list would just get ridiculous.
