I do my weekly DVR Purges, but let's be frank: they are crap. I don't proofread them at all most weeks. They're collections of scattered thoughts that barely even make sense a week later. What I've decided to do is, with most of these shows I watch taking a break, reflect on where I stand with them, assessing what is in the show's favor (assets) and what could get it in trouble (liabilities).
Now, not every show I watch will be included. In general, I'm sticking to shows that I've kept notes (be them from Purges or otherwise) as I've watched. That means, shows like The Bridge, Looking, Sherlock, and Dexter will not be included. To get my thoughts on those, ask me. This project, supposing I stay on schedule should take all month and I hope it does a good job summing up where these shows stand. In some cases, I'm hoping to convince you to start watching. Other times, it'll be nothing more than a postmortem for a show that's gone.
I hope you enjoy.
Favorite Episode(s): "Martial Eagle"
The Leads: Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell are giving two of the finest lead performances on TV. Rhys in particular got to play a wide range of emotions after the events of "Martial Eagle". Even something like Phillip driving a pleading Anton back to the Russians was gripping as Phillip stoically looks forward and keeps driving. Russell didn't have a singular moment as good as say, Phillip with Paige's minister, but she had plenty to do, from her internal debate about whether or not she should give Leanne's letter to Jared to her reaction to the role play with "Clark". Hell, give her an award for being able to seem incredibly imposing around men twice her size as often as she does. Sadly, they are also two of the least recognized leads for their work, which is especially surprising for Russell. She's familiar, pretty, and has a decent movie career. Where is her Golden Globe!?
Spinning Plates: Going into the finale, I noted that there was simply too much going on to wrap up in a single hour of TV. I assumed it would play out like season one, where the finale didn't wrap much up and left a lot to be answered in season two. To start with, I was very wrong about how the finale played out, as it resolved almost all the story lines of that season. However, it underscores a larger point. They handled a busy season very effectively. There's the mess with Larrick. Both sides of Nina's story. Everything with Jared and the death of his parents. Paige getting suspicious and also finding god. The plot to get the stealth plans. Martha and the fake marriage. So much was going on and it never felt like too much or something wasn't being followed enough.
True to the Times: I can't be the only one who remembers Henry's examination of if The Wrath of Khan is going to be any good. That's probably the biggest nod to dramatic irony in the show. Otherwise, it has done a great job with blending actual events into the show's timeline, using a soundtrack that's authentic, not a "Best of" of that year, and keeping the stakes small enough to not change history but big enough to matter to the story. It's an excellent piece of period drama.
Nina's Fate: Annet Mahendru has been nothing short of a revelation on The Americans. She began as an annoying distraction and has become the most engaging and opaque character on the show. No one knows where she stands anymore (with the Russians, with the Americans, against both?). Seeing her slowly turn the screws on Stan was a fantastic storyline throughout the season and Mehendru is so damn good. The season ends with her being sent to Russia for trial after Stan finally decides that he's a company man first and a man in love second. That's a great end for the season, but it puts Nina in a tough place. To magically have her stay in the US would be a lazy fix, but it's hard to believe that the show would let someone as talented (and linguistically well equipped) as Mehendru leave or fall into the background.
Paige at Church: It was an interesting decision to see how Paige finding religion would disrupt her family and her parents' convictions, but by mid season, it became something for Paige to complain about more than anything. If they continue with this into the next season, I hope they have a few bigger ideas for how her new-found faith will play into things.
Martha: The longer this goes on, the harder it is to believe it is still going on. Phillip's fake marriage is a fun way to connect the Jennings' night job to Stan and I genuinely like Martha by now. She's smart enough to be poking some more holes in Clark's story by now though. The end of season two showed signs on this falling apart, with her pressuring Clark for a baby and revealing that she knows he's wearing a wig. Her new gun holds promise of something bad happening down the road. The sooner things fall apart, the better.
This is a fantastic show that no one is watching. The first thing I have to say then is that if you haven't seen it, watch it now and thank me later. In fact, I'm not sure how it isn't more popular. People know Keri Russell and I haven't heard a negative thing said about her since that hair cut a while back. People love spy shit too. Maybe it's all the Russian or people expect it to be like Sons of Anarchy or American Horror Story (fun, but little substance). I don't know. FX has affirmed their support of the show. It's not going away any time soon. Thank god for that. It's one part spy thriller and one part family drama. It tackles topics like allegiance to country, how love is built over time, and ends justifying the means, while always being completely entertaining. It is one of the finest shows on TV right now.
Previously this Offseason...
Community
Brooklyn Nine Nine
New Girl
Suburgatory
Modern Family
Parenthood
The Mindy Project
The Michael J Fox Show
The Big Bang Theory
Agents of SHIELD
The Crazy Ones
Back in the Game
Parks and Recreation
The Walking Dead
The Middle
Saturday Night Live
Cougar Town
House of Cards
Louie
How I Met Your Mother
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