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couchmonkey · 4 years

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PILOT season!!

When I was young, Brandon Tartikoff was a hero of mine. I always fancied myself a closet programmer, so I love pilot season. THR published a list of the projects moving forward and as I was procrastinating, some are already on the air.

Let’s start with Stumptown. Inspired by the Oni Press graphic novels, Dex Parios (Cobie Smulders), a strong, assertive and unapologetically sharp-witted (but, let’s face it, hot mess) Army veteran working as a P.I. in Portland. Michael Ealy plays the cop because there must always be one. His boss is Camryn Manheim (yes!!), and the whole reason I heard about the show is Tantoo Cardinal, a powerful local Native American tied to Dex’s past. Oops, almost forgot the best friend, JakeJohnson of New Girl. His past is a little messy, too. He now owns a bar and employs Dex’s brother Ansel (Cole Sibus). It’s a tight cast, and Dex really is a hot mess nut she gets things done.

All Rise, it looks like, was originally pitched as Courthouse, good thing they changed the name! Simone Missick is a former DA who just became a judge and is encircled by Ruthie Ann Mills as her assistant, Lindsay Mendez as her stenographer, J. Alex Brinson as the deputy in her courtroom, and Marg Helgenberger as her mentor. I was not familiar with the first three when I started the show but they are a strong team. The 2 main lawyers are Wilson Bethel, a DA and old friend of Missick’s judge, and Jessica Camacho, a VERY determined public defender. I like the dynamics of the show, it’s very seldom a case of the week situation (even though there is one). Viewers get little snippets of most of the characters’ lives organically so, in my opinion, you enjoyed the show more the more you watch.

Evil is one of the most unique shows on the air this season. It pits science and religion, Katja Herbers plays a skeptical clinical psychologist who joins a priest-in-training (Mike Colter) and a blue-collar contractor ( Aasif Mandvi) to investigate supposed miracles, demonic possessions and other extraordinary occurrences to see if there's a scientific explanation or if something truly supernatural is at work.The give and take between science and religion is truly engaging and Michael Emerson is truly creepy and possibly playing for the other side in this battle.

Bob Hearts Abishola follows Bob (Billy Gardell) who, after having a heart attack, falls in love with his Nigerian nurse (Folake Olowofoyeku). I think I saw the pilot, the rest of the episodes are on my DVR at the moment and thanks to some of the promos and Christine Ebersole, I do plan to get to them. ETA: I’ve watched a couple. Folake Olowofoyeku is really great but because this whole thing seems to involve the progress of their relationship, it runs a little slow for me.

Carol's Second Act is also piling up on my DVR. I’ve been on bedrest because of an injury and have been mostly streaming. But, like Bob, I do plan to get to it. I do like that Patricia Heaton is the lead, a med student of all things. I have to think it’s also still on the air because it also has a strong male lead, Kyle MacLachlan, although I’ve never personally seen him do comedy. Cedric Yarbrough is a strong motivator for me as well as I saw every episode of Speechless. ETA: Well, plans change. I erased them all. I thought if I hadn’t gotten to them by now, watching them would be a chore.

The Unicorn is a sitcom I actually have been watching. I didn’t want to at first because, although I’d heard of Walton Goggins, I had never actually seen him in anything. But it’s kind of like Seinfeld in that there is such an impressively strong group playing the couples who are his friends. Omar Benson Miller (yes!!) and Maya Lynne Robinson are a couple with 4 kids and essentially a no nonsense approach and Rob Corddry and comedy goddess Michaela Watkins are the white color kid with a single kid who is well on her way to nerdhood. These four a Goggins’ lifeline after his wife passes and he becomes a single father. The whole widower thing is handled well. His wife is mentioned or remembered in a completely organic way and allows the show to stay away from a trajectory that could have become maudlin.

Prodigal Son is another fairly unique concept for this season. Tom Payne plays Malcolm Bright, the son of a notorious serial killer called The Surgeon (Michael Sheen) who understands how killers think. The criminal psychologist uses his skills to help an NYPD unit led by Lou Diamond Phillips, a cop he’s known since his youth. What is interesting for me so far is that Bright’s mom, Bellamy Young, is her own kind of nuts, and Malcolm, who started off as a little nutty (I mean consider his past), is well on his way to possibly off his rocker.

Bluff City Law is a case of the week legal drama set in Memphis. The viewer is getting smidges of the character’s private lives each week but character development seems a little slow. I like Caitlin McGee’s performance but I’d never heard of her before watching this. The anchor for the show and the law firm in it is Jimmy Smits. The supporting cast, especially Barry Sloane who’s mostly navigated a single case for the first part of the season, is just starting to get noticed. It’s not something I race to watch but I like it. ETA: It has gotten cancelled. Poor Barry Sloane.

Emergence was a show I was waiting for as it marked the return of Allison Tolman. She plays a sheriff who takes in a young child that she finds near the site of a mysterious accident who has no memory of what has happened. The investigation so far has been weird and sometimes violent and definitely is affecting her family, including father Clancy Brown and ex-husband Donald Faison. But, bless her, she is nowhere near ready to give up. The cliffhanger before Christmas break was very illuminating.

I have watched a couple of episodes of Perfect Harmony (the rest are on my DVR). I love that Bradley Whitford is doing outright comedy although his character, an Ivy League music professor, is quite cranky. But I’m not in a rush to get back to it because it doesn’t seem like there’s enough material for it to run for multiple seasons. ETA: Like Carol’s Second Act, these got dumped off my DVR.

While we’re talking about enough material, Sunnyside was one of the first casualties of the season and, I have to say, I saw it coming. The pilot was well done, Kal Penn played Garrett Shah, a disgraced former New York city councilman who finds his calling when faced with immigrants in need of his help and in search of the American Dream. I know the immigration and nationalization process in the US is a lengthy process but it just didn’t seem like there was enough to keep people coming back despite the presence of talent like Diana Maria Riva.

Almost Family revolves around Julia Beckley (Brittany Snow) having her life turned upside down when it's revealed that her father, a pioneering Nobel Prize-winning fertility doctor, used his own sperm to conceive dozens of children over the course of his career. She connects with two “sisters” in particular and I think that’s what they’ve built the show on but I had a hard time believing any of the negative effects of all this coming from Snow and chose to stop watching. I do have the Australian show it’s based on as part of my Netflix list, I think I will probably end up watching that first.

I did start watching Batwoman before my injury, it being female led and all. Ruby Rose does inspire a bit of monotony in the voiceovers that populate the show but I get it, she’s tired, she’s working hard and only making minimal progress, I understand she’s not full of pep. It is kind of weird to watch her slip into the suit and try to make it work for her and watch Camrus Johnson, the steward of the life Bruce Wayne abandoned, do his best to both avoid and become her Alfred. ETA: That got dumped off the DVR, too. There’s SOOOO much TV.

FBI: Most Wanted is a spinoff of FBI (somebody may have to stop Dick Wolf) featuring  Julian McMahon of Nip/Tuck as the head of team tasked with hunting down fugitives. Sadly, it’s been pretty run of the mill so far except for McMahon’s in-laws, which include Nathanial Arcand as his brother-in-law and a member of his squad.

The CW did reboot Nancy Drew and while I did not hate the concept, I’m still loyal to Pamela Sue Martin and chose not to watch it.

These are the shows that are on the air. Some mid-season shows are still ready to roll out. Some are already being bolstered by promos like Deputy. I am looking forward to that one and watching Stephen Dorff unexpectedly be made the sheriff of LA County. I think and really hope Yara Martinez, last seen and underutilized on Bull, will get to be a meaty part of this drama. ETA: Yara has gotten some featured episodes and done well but she’s essentially in the same boat as David Conrad on the Ghost Whisperer and Jake Weber on Medium.

Tommy is another cop show but thankfully Tommy is Abigail Thomas’ nickname and Edie Falco is front and centre as the first female chief of police for Los Angeles. She got the position as part of a court mandate after some ugliness in the department and often has to deal with the mayor, Tom Sadowski. Tommy’s assembled a pretty tight circle so far and, of course, does things her own way, so I’ve been trying to watch this live.

Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist is SOOOOOO good. I’ve missed Jane Levy so much and this has not only a lovely story but singing and dancing (with choreography by Mandy Moore). After an accident in an MRI machine, Levy’s character can hear people expressing their feelings through song. Her supporting cast is top notch. Alex Newell of Glee plays her neighbor who is trying to help Zoey figure this out, Skylar Astin of Pitch Perfect and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is her BFF, Lauren Graham is her boss, and Mary Steenburgen and Peter Gallagher are her parents. Some of the most touching scenes (and songs) have involved Levy and Gallagher, who has lost many functions, including speech and a lot of movement. Thanks to Zoey’s condition, he is able to express himself to her through song and Gallagher’s voice is so sweet.

Geniuses has become Outmatched and features Maggie Lawson and Jason Biggs as parents of 4 children, 3 of whom are geniuses. I’ve seen 3 episodes so far. Everyone except the “normal” child seems to be waiting for a rimshot. I did enjoy Tony Danza as Jason Bigg’s dad but I am not going to be busting my butt to watch it.

Uninsured has become Indebted. Adam Pally and Abby Elliott end up having to take care of Dave's parents (Fran Drescher and Steven Weber), who have mismanaged their finances and need help paying down a sizable debt. Sadly, like Outmatched, everyone seems to be waiting for a rimshot and the jokes seem really repetitive. Weber’s character, for example, is constantly talking about spending extravagant amounts of money even though he is deep in debt and I doubt they’re going after a dementia storyline with him. When the name Dan Levy popped up on the credits I did a lightning fast search on IMDB to make sure it was not, in my mind, THE Dan Levy of Schitt’s Creek, and thankfully, there are 2 of them.

Lincoln Rhyme, who was played on the big screen by Denzel Washington, is now Russell Hornsby from Grimm and Fox’s failed Proven Innocent. There’s still an Amelia Sachs, there’s still a Bone Collector, and Michael Imperioli is always a strong utility player but I’m finding it collecting on the DVR because of the plethora of good stuff available on Thursday and my need to get through that because sampling Friday’s mostly guilty pleasures.

Katy Keene has made it air. It’s a Riverdale spinoff on the CW and they are spending a lot on advertising but not enough to rope me in. Not that I think it’s not a good show, I’m just not the target audience.

Of the rest of the list, I know the planned reboots of New York Undercover and NYPD blue did not make it out of the gate.

I’m never going to get this post finished if I included all of the pilots on the list I still haven’t talked about, so I’ll go with bullet points about the ones that stood out to me:

Nana: Katey Sagal playing a grandmother. Yeah.

An untitled comedy pairing Leslie Odom Jr. and Kelly Jenrette: GREAT team, well matched I think.

The Republic of Sarah: Sarah Drew of Grey's Anatomy goes from mayor to president. So much story potential there.

Broke: Jaime Camil and Natasha Leggero plus Pauley Perrette - uh, yes please. Sounds like a very strong team to me.

Next is a vehicle for Jon Slattery of Mad Men, who I adore, but I don’t recognize much of the supporting cast, which could be a problem if none of them are able to rise to his level.

Filthy Rich features Kim Cattrall and Gerald McRaney, a very strong base but I’m wondering how the religious community will respond to a story about how imperfect true believers can be. Another plus for me, it’s supposed to be filmed in New Orleans.

Richard Lovely is a vehicle for the uber talented Thomas Lennon, who plays the disgruntled author of the best-selling children's book series, Mr. Mouse. It looks like he’ll have Wendie Malick as a frequent scene partner and I believe that to be an ideal pairing.

Council of Dads is getting a lot of advertising but will involve death. If they handle it as well as The Unicorn has, I think it might have a chance.

That’s all I’ve got. I wish I’d finished this sooner. My DVR is 63% full. I’m going to match more TV.

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justanotherdumpingground · 5 years

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Chapter Reviews: April 23-27, 2019

Wishful Thinking Chapter 3:

So far, it's mildly enjoyable. I enjoy investigating Tilly and finding out that she has kept a menagerie of animals after getting mixed up with animal traffickers. Pity I couldn't adopt her cat Jinx because I'd love to see the MC hear an animal's thoughts on a regular basis.

Still miffed at the MC's dad for doubting his daughter's capabilities. I get that he's concerned for her, but because she's an adult, he's practically hindering her from reaching her full potential. I mean, she just became junior reporter after that moment with Tilly, so he shouldn't be worried.

Anyway, let's see how Jaime reacts to the MC having the ability to read minds.

High School Story: Class Act Chapter 11:

Why didn't MC and Skye use their phones to record footage of Lorenzo and Amber talking about how they staged Lorenzo's heroic act? That would've saved them the effort to expose Lorenzo for the fraud he is. I guess they aren't crazy prepared after all.

So Danielle's back and suggesting that Rory kidnap the kitten. That's just too risky and dumb. To be honest, I consider her neutralized instead of redeemed, but then again, she had Amber fund the play just for Rory's sake. It was stupid of Rory to nearly consider that offer as well.

Honestly, how dumb is Lorenzo? Campaigning to divert all school resources to throwing parties not only shows skewed priorities in his part, but also comes across as a moot point. After all, the school staff will just nullify his platform if he wins. What made me cringe is that these students act like the student council is more powerful than the principal and teachers. Even worse is when Myra dropped out from the running after receiving a shirt from Lorenzo.

Man, it's so awesome to see Skye urging Rory and the twin to cooperate together. Seriously, I've had enough of this election drama, especially when the most popular candidate will ruin the school. Even worse is that it ruins the purpose of this reboot, which contains the words "Class Act", yet there's no focus on preparing for a play aside from Rory's campaign to strengthen the arts.

Across the Void Chapter 19:

Wow! That was an intense chapter that really captured my entire interest. Evading the Void's patrols through disguise and then destroying their ships was awesome, to say the least. Now it's just up to the MC and the Atlas crew to put a stop to the Void.

Man, Quandry is one walking nightmare. The way he behaves and tortures Zekei scares me so much. I thought he might go after Aquari because she's a minor character, but going after Deimos? Man, that's just scary. I spent diamonds to save her life, mainly because she's growing on me. Nevertheless, it's well done, and I just can't help but praise the writers for punching my guts in this scene by aiming for a character growing on me.

America's Most Eligible Chapter 15:

This is it, huh? Honestly, I'm disappointed at Pixelberry's mishandling of this story by not making relationships affect dialogue. I get that it means spending more time and resources and putting more effort, but considering Pixelberry's history of mismanagement, can't say I'm surprised.

Still miffed that I have to pay diamonds to get Eden and Kiana together. Why can't you do this on your own, Eden? As much as I like her and Kiana, their lack of free will just makes me question the credibility of the diamonds and keys system.

Picking the flirty choices during the quiz on how much I know my partner is fun, especially when Ivy complains about how my MC turns everything into a speech about how sexy and gorgeous he is. It was the only part of the story that I enjoy, though I also can't wait for this book to end.

Nightbound Chapters 1-2:

This is off to a good start so far. I cringed a little when the male MC faces were recycled from TE because they look too young for a 25 year old, but the story's setup makes up for it. I was scared when Kristin got attacked by a bloodwraith that is magnificently terrifying. And the encounter with supernatural beings like Vera got me curious on the setting even more. I like Garrus, Krom, and Ivy so far, and I hope to see more of them as the series progresses.

I picked Face 3 for Nik, and he looks good. I still find him rather fishy because of him not saying much about his job as a hunter. Anyway, let's see how this goes, and it better not disappoint me.

Passport to Romance Chapter 7:

On one hand, it's true Ahmed's coach is a jerk, but on the other hand, could he actually go to the nearest airport and fly himself and his friends to Berlin? That would've saved precious time. Honestly, this stop at Lucerne comes across as a mere ploy to add more screen time for Elliot just because the creators love giving details on him for free while paywalling others. It's a disingenuous self-fulfilling prophecy that drives all kinds of players other than the ones you're targeting away.

Speaking of Elliot, on one hand, I feel bad that he's struggling to get through the grief of losing his parents last year. Nevertheless, my opinion of him is still the same because while it explains his objection to Ahmed and Sumire making jokes at the catacombs, he still has yet to decide whether to improve or worsen, and it has to be done in a logical way. Not to mention that he has no excuse because of his status as the writer's favorite.

Honestly, what is wrong with this MC? Forgetting to ask your friends for their last names is one thing, but snooping on their private stuff without asking for their permission is a whole another level. They should've asked Elliot for permission first, but no. Let's just invade his privacy and rummage through his stuff. In the meantime, I'm amused to see that Bartholomew Chambers's face has been recycled for Elliot's brother.

Open Heart Chapter 11:

Wow! This chapter is intense. First Dr. Banerji coughs blood, a sign that his life hangs in the balance. Next, Mrs. Martinez says she wanted to travel but couldn't because of her Rhodes disease. Finally, Kyra reveals that her cancer's back and initially decides to just ditch chemo because she thought her cancer will come back anyway. I admire the MC's determination to treat their patients and do whatever it takes to get them better, and the team work their friends.

One thing that I'm still curious about is when will the investigation on the saboteur resume. Between the patients and Panacea Labs's shadiness, that might be the reason why it's on the sidelines.

I'm proud of Kyra's ultimate decision to go through chemo and not give up any hope for survival. That's the spirit. Definitely have a huge respect for her.

Ride or Die Chapter 15:

I finally caved in and spent diamonds on having my MC reconcile with her dad. Well, the dad still believed that the MC must answer for what she has done, regardless of whether I picked the premium option, but I'm still glad they have one last talk before she goes out to get back on Shaw.

The driving sequence was pretty intense, and I was nervous that the MC might end up at a disadvantage. It seemed like that at first, but I was impressed at her laying a trap for the Brotherhood with Toby and Ximena's help. Still keeping an eye on Mona and what she'll do.

For the very first time, I'm actually excited to see what will happen next. It doesn't mean I like this story, but at least it does grab my attention that I'm excited for what will happen next.

The Elementalists Chapter 7:

This story continues to be the highlight of my Saturdays (I'm more than half a day ahead from where I'm at :P). First, I'm worried for Atlas and their outbursts for anger and hope they get help as soon as possible. Second of all, the MC and Atlas attuned to all elements was a huge curveball. I thought my MC's personality will change from being like an Air-att, but it was a relief that it won't change. Third, I messed up with Alma training my MC to prevent themselves from suffocation. Kane's method of suffocating air out of people's lungs reminds me of Avatar: The Legend of Korra, specifically the third season big bad Zaheer using his airbending to kill by bending air from one's lungs.

Lake Tempetua looks so beautiful I hope to see it again in a future chapter. It was also fun to see my MC and their friends having fun during the party. Not to mention that I had my MC kiss Cyran because I'm still trying to figure out who my MC will date. Now that I finally get to encounter merfolk, I'm wondering whether there's at least one non-human race that corresponds to a certain element. I might be wrong, though.

Wood nymphs=wood

Djinn=moon

Merfolk=water

Satyr=?

The scene where the MC attacks Atlas shocked and horrified me. I was certain that the choice I picked was the mildest, only for the MC to severely injure their twin. Talking about a curveball on my part. I'm becoming even more worried at what might happen and when Kane will strike back.

#choices stories you play #chapter reviews

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