It’s that weird time of year when not ALL shows are ending their seasons (that would be in May), but some are ending early while other shows are STILL premiering (like Bent). Without further ado…
Alcatraz…What Happened (Spoilers obviously): After a season of wondering what in the hell is behind the warden’s precious door (the one with the mysterious three keys it takes to open it), we found out it was…nothing. Well, not nothing, but certainly not what most were expecting either. It was a room with a few outdated computers and a map of the United States that showed where all of the time traveling Alcatraz inmates have been sent, plus a time traveling scientist was in there cackling like a madman. Also, it was revealed that the warden must have played a serious part in all the shenanigans going on (although we never see him in the present day) and two of the Alcatraz inmates (one a billionaire that left the island before the “jump,” one the grandfather of the lead character) are fighting for leadership of the inmates. And Sarah Madsen got nearly stabbed to death by said grandfather. Review: As I pointed out earlier today, I don’t think this show deserves a second season as it’s essentially a standard cop procedural pretending to be original. If you’re going that route, why not watch Fringe or Awake or even Grimm? Tonight’s episode wasn’t a significant enough improvement in quality to make me change my mind, but it was better than most episodes this season. Grade for the season: C-…Grade for the finale: B-
The River…What Happened (Spoilers): They finally found the long-lost Emmet Cole but one of the crew members shot his son, and a demon possessed his body in order to resurrect him. Just when everything looks like it’ll be happier ever after, the river begins to reshuffle its territory so that the boat just keeps floating in a continuous loop. One of the crew members accurately says “It’s never going to let us go.” Review: Great stuff. I wish the show had resolved more of its mysteries (like what “The Source” is, and what exactly Kurt’s role is in all this) but a good first season ender to one of the most original shows on broadcast. Grade for the season: B+…Grade for the finale: A
Archer…What Happened: Bryan Cranston lent his voice to the role of a crazy astronaut captain trying to hijack the space–wait, the plots of Archer never matter so much as the jokes, so let’s just get to that. Review: The jokes were pretty good, and, best of all, Lana (the hottest cartoon character ever) spent most of the episode largely topless. Grade: B+
Southland…What Happened: Lucy Liu’s cop got promoted to sergeant, and her partner (the bully cop Cooper) confronted her about covering up the shooting of a kid but ultimately got to move on to a different trainee, thus putting him back in the familiar, comfortable seat of mentor/tyrant. Also, Regina King decided to keep her baby out of harm’s way by taking a temporary leave of absence, and Benjamin McKenzie’s Sherman killed a vicious pimp (maybe in self-defense, maybe not) that had taken a shot at him in the previous episode and was pimping his own daughter out before that. Review: That episode may have been loaded with major developments, but there’s no denying this has been Southland’s worst season to date. There just weren’t enough major developments or serialized movements to make much of the season interesting, and the cast has been scaled down (from ten major characters in the first season to only four now) too much. Grade for the season: B-…Grade for the finale: B+
Bent, season premier…What Happened: A laid-back, charismatic contractor gets hired to renovate the house of an uptight but equally charming single mom (the under appreciated Amanda Peet). Review: This show is charming, funny, and a real breathe of fresh air in the wake of the outbreak of glib comedies that think you have to make a joke literally every five seconds to keep people’s attention. The characters on Bent aren’t mere cartoons, and that makes them better than most comedies out there now. Grade: A-
I agree with you on all the shows I watch which is 60% of the list. :)
Which three shows?