Regardless, here are my thoughts on the past month of shows.
Past Purges
Halt and Catch Fire "Adventure"
Everyone is on different footing than normal this week but finds there was back to normal. Cameron is finally enjoying the perks of being employed and being able to take vacations. This doesn't last long as she returns to find that with her OS done they've hired an army of software engineers and demoted her to being just another programmer. This seems like an odd move, slightly because we are constantly hearing about how broke the company is before this. It resolves itself though when she uses some of Joe's dad's advice and takes over the department and shrinks her workforce down to only who is required. Gordon is still trying to get the hardware working and finds his drinking getting in the way of making a deal with the Japanese for screens. From the moment the meeting begins, it was a countdown to how he'd mess up, so that wasn't a surprise. What I didn't fully expect is that Gordon, not Joe managed to fix the mess. That is the first time that's happened and it was a dose of humbling Joe badly needed. Between that and avoiding his father, the writers humanized Joe a lot. They are pushing the Steve Jobs comparisons hard now, this week going after how easy it is to be the idea man, not the one who actually makes the device.
Halt and Catch Fire "Landfall"
A storm is coming is too easy of a metaphor this week. Maybe calling this a Eureka moment is more appropriate. Cameron begins the episode with the idea of a more user-friendly interface for the computer. Gordon shuts it down as far too difficult a whimsy to give in to. Joe stays neutral until he can think it through. So begins the tug-o-war over how to program the machine. We haven't seen much of Gordon and Cameron working together yet for very specific reasons. That even fooled me into thinking they'd get along. Stupid me. Two difficult geniuses are going to have to butt heads on occasion. Joe gets a chance to do some character rehab with Donna while Gordon fights death to get a Cabbage Patch Kid. I'm so glad that Donna recognizes that Gordon would forget about the doll and has come to terms with it. Joe does surprisingly well with the Gordon and Donna's kids. He has an a-ha moment when the girls name their storm zappers, mirroring exactly what Cameron told him earlier in the episode. While that is happening, Gordon has his own big moment. I'm not sure what we are supposed to take away from him seeing that body in the rain, but I get the feeling that he's on board for Cameron's plan now too. Meanwhile, Cameron gets some good bonding time with Bosworth that allows her to explain why she is pushing her new idea so hard. Bosworth has become much more interesting than he was in the pilot. He began as an adversary and has transitioned into the father of the team. He certainly doesn't grasp what they are doing with this project but he wants to and understands that he better embrace it. My interest in this show is definitely on the rise now and I'm glad, because there's nothing else on [in my cable package].
Girl Meets World "Girl Meets Boy"
This is definitely a Disney show first and a throwback second. That is what it needs to be a success, so I'm not complaining. The central plot is one that I haven't seen before. Mr. Matthews (nope, it's Corey. I'm never trying that again) challenges his class to exist without their phones. This forces Riley and Lucas to actually talk to one another which goes well. Maya and Farkle bond a little as well with Maya revealing her sketching skills. I sure hope it moves away from random adults giving Riley advice about the world (the lady on the subways in the pilot and this week, the librarian). I'm waiting for Topanga to get something to do. So far, she's delivering quips from the dinner table and little else. This week firmly establishes that the driving force of the season if not series will be Riley and Lucas getting together. I'm not sure either character is established enough for that yet for me to care. I'll give it time.
The Bridge "Yankee"
The season recap reminded me how much of the first season I'd forgotten about. I spent most of the premiere trying to figure out what I already knew. The writers appear to assume that's what many people are doing because not a lot happened to start the season. It's all about establishing where we are now. Marco is nearly taken out during a drug bust. I didn't catch if I should know why at this point. He's divorced and Sonya still feels close enough to visit him. Diana Kruger got to play Sonya as a character more than the beginning of season one. That's the difference between he Aspergher's being a personality train (Now) versus being her entire personality (Season One). She's honestly concerned for her sister's killer. I predict that will play more as a means to meeting his brother than anything of significance in and of itself. Lt. Wade has been keeping Eva safe as long as he can. Apparently, the Warez police are onto him and he sends her away with a rather unsavory dude. Daniel and Adriana are still a moderately functioning team. She has a girlfriend. He has an over-his-head AA sponsor (played by Brian Baumgatner). The most important new story looks to me the introduction of Eleanor is the season's immediate antagonist. They've effectively setup her imposingness. Now I'm waiting to see if they can make her interesting.
Halt and Catch Fire "Giant"
I think Joe broke Gordon and doesn't even realize it. Each episode this season can roughly be divided into what part of the process they are on (the OS, getting funding, programming the software). This week has the least exciting part yet: the case. I wouldn't've even thought that's something they'd need to choose third party. Is it really so hard to design? I'm not a 1980s computer manufacturer, so what do I know. D.B. Woodside's Simon shows up and throws off everyone. The changed dimensions of the case (even if they could work better, according to Donna) throw Gordon into a talespin with Joe too distracted to appreciate just how badly he is breaking Gordon. I assume next episode is when we find out that Gordon had an outright mental breakdown after the last computer project fell apart because he is insane this week. Donna is looking for comfort elsewhere, succumbing to the unintentional advances of
The Strain "Night Zero"
I won't spend too long on this precisely because I'm not sure if this is a show I'm going to keep up with. One super-sized premiere in and I'm more confused than intrigued. I'll have no trouble following Corey Stoll as the lead or a supporting cast with the likes of Sean Astin and David Bradley. The show looks pretty great too. I doubt every episode will look this good but I expect them to maintain something close to it. Whatever the story is with what was transported on that plane and the people (I'm avoiding the word "survivors") on it is, it can't be a good thing. Right now, I'm as likely to stop watching next week as I am to finish the season.
[Update: I stopped after the pilot. Sorry]
Married "Pilot"
It's a good thing that I'm watching this show to support Judy Greer and Nat Faxon because that was a rather unlikable premiere. Greer is a one-dimensional, sex-denying wife and Faxon is a hapless, useless husband. There's small moments in the episode that suggest a more loving relationship between them and I'm told that this Hall Pass scenario is dropped after the pilot. Because of that and the equally likable supporting cast, I'm willing to stick with it for a while longer. And there's a puppy. I'd have to be dead inside to not like that.
You're the Worst "Pilot"
Here we have a show that, in the pilot, wants to be a lot worse than it is. With a title like that, I was at least expected a couple cringe-worthy moments or to say "I can't believe he did that" at least once. This episode does a good job of establishing Jimmy. He's the House-type, a guy who has always been an asshole and has veered into it rather than pretend he's not, challenging people to still like him. Almost like a defense mechanism. Gretchen I'm more confused by. She has her life together enough to have a good job. The things that make her the worst feel more like checking off boxes though. She got a DUI because of course she did. I'm not sure why she stole the gift from the wedding at all beyond it establishing her as not a good person. There's some promise here. I just hope they deliver on that title eventually.
The Bridge "Ghost of a Flea"
If last week's episode was about catching us up, this week is about setting up the season. Most importantly, we find out how they are bringing Marco and Sonya back together, because when they are apart, the show isn't nearly as good. Last season it was murder on the bridge that brought them together. This season is a much larger case with the cartel. Marco has to deal with his whole department being corrupt and Sonya has to deal with a dick measuring contest with the DEA. Eleanor is the most direct and realistic target for now. I wasn't terribly impressed with how they used her this week. I get that she's supposed to be creepy and all but her level of control over that kid (the stupidest teenager alive, which is saying something) is completely implausible. I get what they are trying to establish though, so one week of it is fine. If this becomes a pattern I'll be very disappointed. I have to be honest, I have no idea what Daniel and Adriana are investigating. It's something with the cartel and on the fringes of what Sonya and Marco are involved in. I assume it will become more significant as the season progresses. For now, enjoying how Matthew Lillard and Emily Rios play off one another is enough, as they are the closest thing to comic relief in this series.
Girl Meets World "Girl Meets Sneak Attack"
The lesson of this episode got muddled. That's for sure. The central story of Riley getting jealous of all the attention Missy was giving to Lucas is a standard one. Getting detention of purpose is such a standard trope that I have to believe it happened in Boy Meets World as well, although I can't remember an episode in which it happened. I'm confused about Lucas asking everyone to the movies at the end of the episode. I don't want to side with Missy on this, but it did sound like she and Lucas had a date. He's changing things up on her. Then there's Corey teaching the lesson about Pearl Harbor the whole time. That barely fits this thematically. This is one of those episodes where the beats dictate the story far more than anything anyone is saying. The ending works because we know we have reached the "awwww" moment, not because anything happened to justify it. I'm burying the lead completely though. The real development here is that Farkle is apparently in their group of friend (?). I assumed he was a "constant irritation" or "member of the group they can't shake". He's outright showing up to the apartment with Maya, being let into Riley's room, and getting an invite to go to the movies. If this isn't a one-episode fluke, then this is a development I did not see coming.
Halt and Catch Fire "The 214s"
Up to this point, Halt has been a show about a visionary business man manipulating his way to creating the product he wants to sell and how he has affect the lives of the people he works with to accomplish this. This week, that changes. Now, it's a caper. It's a strange transition.
The episode beings with Gordon trying his best to keep calm and Joe trying his best to ruin that. Then, Bosworth gets arrested, we get confirmation that Cameron has been up to no good, and the entire company is shut down. Meanwhile, Donna is rightfully at her wits end and
*Breaking into an FBI crime scene isn't all that smart. I wonder if that will ever come back on him.
The Bridge "Sorrowsworn"
The focus of this week is trying to find Kyle and hoping it leads to Eleanor. Kyle, of course, is already in the process of being Walter White-d out of existence. I'm glad there's no false tension about if Marco, Sonya, and the gang can save him. Most of the season so far has relied on what Eleanor is up to. We know now that she's a fallen Mennonite and somehow worked her way into a high position in the cartel. I have no idea what she is does currently. They have established her ability to find and exploit the weakest men. There's more questions than answers with her. Why did she leave Kyle's friend alive? Did she mean to lead the police to where Kyle is? What is she doing in the first place? Meanwhile, I'm still not completely sure what Adriana and Daniel are investigating, Ray and Charlotte are trying to not get killed by the cartel, and Linder finally shows up in time to both be nice to Eva and beat the crap out of the compound's prisoner.
Married "The Shower"
This is definitely an improvement from the pilot. Obviously, the core relationship of this show is the one between Russ and Lina and they seem much more like people who like each other in this episode. The interesting thing is that while the episode begins with them together (Russ' two failed shower attempts and showing up to the party in the middle), it's not until they split up that they have fun. AJ guilts Russ into spending the night at his old house with prostitutes. Lina goes out for drinks with Jess where she has to take Jess' coworker's wingman. In neither case does it feel like the night will end in any other way than with Lina and Russ back together though. Russ is nursing a beer and keeping a distance from the escorts. He's clearly more concerned for AJ there and is happy to leave and get her daughter from the sleepover. Lina's adventure is more about establishing her and Jess as friends. One thing that bothered me in the pilot was that Russ had three friends introduced and Lina had none. This was a good balance. I still wouldn't call this show funny or engaging, but the second episode did improve.
You're the Worst "Insouciance"
I don't feel like Jimmy and Gretchen are the worst. My impression of the show for the title and previews was that it was about a couple who date because no one else will have them and make a day of being a awful as they can. In reality, this is much more subdued. Jimmy and Gretchen are two troubled people who do know how seriously they are taking their relationship. If Jimmy was really the worst, I doubt he would've agreed to the date that Edgar setup and wouldn't've felt bad that Gretchen didn't take his dismissiveness about her period well. The only "worst" thing Gretchen does this episode is taking advantage of the free samples at the yogurt (?) place. It's their explosiveness that I enjoy the most about them so far. It doesn't take much to get an earful from them, especially when they are together. Once I get a better idea of what tone they are aiming for in this show, I can see myself really enjoying this.
Girl Meets World "Girl Meets Father"
This is the first episode to capture the Boy Meets World feel. The A story is about Corey being worried that he is losing Riley and the B story is Maya worried that she'll lose the Matthews. I'd say the degree to which Corey looked forward to Cyclone day was a little ham-handed, but I'm pretty sure I remember Mr. Matthews watching videos of Corey as a kid at one point. Instead, we'll call it par for the course. It was a sweet, predictable way to resolve it. The story that got to me was Maya's. They are building her as the Shawn pretty hard. She apparently has a very absent family. I'm not sure if they're "pack up the RV to go searching for her mom" absent, but the Matthews are clearly he safety net. Her reaction to failing the test was a bit much and out of nowhere but the sentiment was right. I quite loved that they had her fail the test because she was trying too hard, not for some other reason. As soon as they asked her to read her answers, I assumed it would be something like dyslexia or, even worse, not knowing how to read. What they opted for was better. On the student side of things, I wouldn't've predicted at the beginning of the series that I'd like the decisions made about Farkle and hate the ones about Lucas. Farkle is over the top and they do rely on him for the broadest and least over-18 demo friendly moments. Then again, they've made it clear that he's a friend and not a stalker. They give him a dance each without much protest and it wouldn't even be the most ridiculous thought to pair him and Maya off. Meanwhile, Lucas is a big collection of farm jokes. If he wasn't so enjoyable when bothering Maya, I'd be outright annoyed by him. That was about three times the amount I intended to say about the show. This is easily my favorite episode so far and if this is what the show is going to be like, I can happily continue watching.
Halt and Catch Fire "Up Helly Aa"
This was the best for of the story a week structure, where it goes from good times, to crisis, to sustaining.Things start off well for the Cardiff team. Gordon shrewdly concocts s plan to get a room. Cameron finds a clever and completely fitting her way to create interest in the giant. Joe buys them some time to fix the demo thanks to some showmanship. It's not until
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