Teen Titans Go! "Finally A Lesson" Review (Spoilers)

[matt_zimmer]

Also reviews for the latest episodes of The Flash, Arrow, and DC's Legends Of Tomorrow, the season finale of Lucifer, and the latest episodes of The Powerpuff Girls, Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D., Marvel's Avengers: Ultron Revolution, Once Upon A Time, The Lion Guard, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Transformers: Robots In Disguise, The Simpsons, Grimm, Bob's Burgers, American Dad, Bordertown, The Last Man On Earth, Bates Motel, Blindspot, and The Blaclist, and the season premiere of Game of Thrones.


Upcoming reviews include Doctor Who: Series 9, Avengers: Age Of Ultron (Blu-Ray), Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Season 2, Marvel's Agent Carter: Season 1, Ant-Man (Blu-Ray), The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (Blu-Ray), X-Men: Days Of Future Past: The Rogue Cut, Deadpool, The Lion Guard: Return Of The Roar (DVD), Inside Out (Blu-Ray), The Good Dinosaur (Blu-Ray), Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Blu-Ray), Lego Star Wars: Droid Tales, Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League: Cosmic Clash, Teen Titans Go!: Eat / Dance / Punch!, Justice League Vs. Teen Titans, Arrow: Season 3, The Flash: Season 1, Gotham: Season 1, iZombie: Season 1, Be Cool Scooby Doo!: Spooky Kooky Fun!, Wabbit: A Looney Tunes Prod.: Hare-Raising Tales, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: Extended Edition, The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug: Extended Edition, The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies: Extended Edition, Airplane! / Airplane II: The Sequel: Double Feature, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Beyond The Known Universe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Half-Shell Heroes: Blast To The Past, Power Rangers: Zeo: Volume 1, Power Rangers: Zeo: Volume 2, Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, Power Rangers Turbo: Volume 1, Power Rangers: Turbo: Volume 2, Power Rangers In Space Volume 1, Power Rangers In Space: Volume 2, Power Rangers Samurai: The Complete Season, Transformers: Robots In Disguise: Season 1, Heroes Reborn: The Complete Series, Avatar: The Last Airbender: Book 1: Water, Avatar: The Last Airbender: Book 2: Earth, Avatar: The Last Airbender: Book 3: Fire, Haven: Season 5 - Vol. 1, Haven: The Final Season, Under The Dome: Season 3, Sleepy Hollow: Season 2, Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Season 2, The Jurassic Park Trilogy, Jurassic World, Back To The Future: The Complete Animated Series, Tremor 5: Bloodlines, Shaun The Sheep Movie (Blu-Ray), 12 Monkeys: Season 1, Grimm: Season 4, The Wonder Years: Season 4, The Peanuts Movie, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay: Part 2, Community: Season 6, and Game Of Thrones: Season 5.



Teen Titans Go! "Finally A Lesson"

This show is focusing too much on adult problems that kids can't relate to. While the show managed to make the Pyramid Scheme episode interesting, it cannot do so with home equity loans and rent control. Cannot be done. *1/2.




The Flash "Back To Normal"

Wow, I just tried to imagine being the Flash and suddenly, you're NOT anymore. Thinking on it, speed pretty much has to be the single worst superpower to gain and then lose. I don't think I could stay sane after losing something like that. The fact that Barry seems normal is part amazing, part not credible.

I laughed at Welles saying he was going to create another particle accelerator explosion. It is pretty much the most insane idea ever, and yet, you know it's gonna work, so that's why it is funny.

Earth 2 Killer Frost dying killed me. Because now I know there is NOT a happy ending in our Caitlin's future. That just clinched it.

I've heard the name Griffin Gray before, but I don't know who he was in the comics.

Do you know what they should have done? Gotten rid of or changed the opening narration at the beginning, and gotten rid of the speed effects Act Outs for one episode. That would have sort of let us know the severity of the situation.

If Barry were never to get his powers back, I think Ray should build him an Atom suit. I kind of feel like he's earned that.

To be blunt, I wasn't crazy about the episode. I have never liked Superhero stories where the heroes lost their powers, but at least those stories usually have the hero get them back in the last act. Barry being powerless for an entire episode just took a great deal of fun out of the show. I didn't enjoy this week too much. ***.

Arrow "Canary Cry"

I think they are going to keep Laurel dead. At least I hope so after that.

Oliver outing Laurel as the Black Canary was such an elegant solution to preserve her legacy. Dinah looked very upset about it, and I'm betting we'll hear more about it next week.

I was very moved with Quentin's scenes with Oliver. Quentin has grown so much. He doesn't blame Oliver, and even leans on him for help when he breaks down. As far as I'm concerned, these two characters ARE the show.

I was a bit annoyed Oliver didn't publicly out the mayor with reporters there, but then I remembered that she probably knows everything Darhk does, and she could have outed Green Arrow. Still, I can't believe nobody else gets it. Her behavior has been openly menacing. She hasn't even TRIED to hide what a monster she is.

The Flash crossover didn't line up perfectly. That's unusual, but Barry had his powers here. I'm guessing there was a schedule change and this episode was supposed to originally air next week.

I love Oliver talking Dig down from killing the Mayor. But as many problems as John attacking her caused this episode, I kind of think there would have been fewer if he had actually gone through with it. Oliver was right that she controlled the cops and the media. But if she's dead, she doesn't control anything.

I get why Dig is blaming himself. I hate to say it, but it kind of was his fault. Darhk NEVER would have gotten the upper hand if he hadn't trusted Andy. I especially love that Dig knows that and is trying to make up for it.

Quentin being in the bargaining stage of grief with Nyssa bummed me out, but then I thought, maybe he's not wrong. Maybe the show WILL chicken out and bring Laurel back. I hope I'm wrong but I might not be. If she DOES come back, she won't need her mask anymore. Which lines up with the comics.

Great episode. ****1/2.

DC Legends Of Tomorrow "Leviathan"

I liked it. It was the first great episode in ages. So that's refreshing.

Love the Atom mecha battle. Those effects must have cost a mint. That's probably why the last few episodes have been so F/X stingy.

Vandal Savage as Hannibal Lecter: Love it. Love everything about it. It feels like this is the first episode we've gotten with ANY forward momentum, and that is needed as we head to the finale.

Snart and Cassie Savage were great together. In another life Snart was a used car salesman. Very convincing guy.

Obnoxious Stein: Grousing that heroes should have a sense of honor about interrogations. I fully agree in any real world scenario. But that was not a real-world scenario. Great Stein: Insisting they save the refugees. And he's right about that. If not, what's the point, really? He seemed less naive there and more pragmatic.

Best episode in a LOOOOOONNNG time. ****1/2.




Lucifer "Take Me Back To Hell"

I'll admit it. I was a skeptic about this show. In the very last scene, when Lucifer holds a beat before saying who escaped from Hell, I cynically thought the show made a mistake. There is no comic book character in the DC Universe that could possible live up to the anticipation of who frightened Lucifer. Well, okay, Batman. But that's it. And it's not Batman. Anyone else would be a let-down. And then he says "Mom" and I realized that the show knows what it is doing.

This hints Lucifer and Amenadiel SHARE a mother and are full brothers rather than half-brothers. I'd like to know the story for that. Who did God bang that turned out to be such a mistake (twice!) that he had to send her to Hell? There's a story there, and it is called Season 2.

Lucifer praying was excellent, but I think he took the outcome too literally. He has no proof God agreed to the deal. It could just be random coincidence. That's EVERYONE'S relationship to God, so you'd figure Lucifer, a guy who specializes in soul contracts, would know the difference. Plus, he was the one who snatched the coin from Malcolm to go back to Earth. God had nothing to do with that. Which also might describe many of the good things that happen to people that the religious attribute to prayer.

I think the thing I didn't like is that Malcolm being the Big Bad of the entire season is a huge a let-down. Next season's Big Bad is going to be God's Ex-Meat and for Year 1, we get a somewhat stupid cop with a pornstasche. To be honest, it may have been necessary because Malcolm is the only regular character (beside Danny) I actually dislike. The series would have done better to make Danny the Big Bad. Learning he was the dirty cop earlier in the season was a game-changer, and I regret that the writers refused to go through with it. After what Chloe had been through, after as crazy as he made her think she was, he really didn't deserve a redemption arc, at least not this season. If the show couldn't come up with an actual supernatural menace, Danny should have been the Big Bad.

I love that Linda thinks that Amenadiel is unethical for pretending to be a psychiatrist. And then an oblivious Lucifer makes a dirty joke, and she kind of realizes she has no high ground in lecturing somebody about therapy ethics. Do you know why I love that moment? Because Lucifer and Amendiel are so knee-deep in their petty bickering that it completely went past them. This was a moment of clarity for Linda, and she realized how pathetic she was, because she was the only person there who understood how pathetic she was.

I am beyond miffed Chloe still doesn't believe Lucifer. What more does she need?

I love that Amenadiel calls Lucifer Lucy. And he should. He's his brother. What use are formalities for that? What gets me is that Lucy doesn't have a similar shortened nickname for his brother. Especially since Lucifer rolls off the tongue already and Amenadiel doesn't.

The show tricked me in the last scene. I thought it would wind up being more disappointing that it was, but the Devil's mother and God's ex? Can Season 2 come now, please? ****1/2.




The Powerpuff Girls "Arachno-Romance"

Cute. ***1/2.




Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. "The Singularity"

First off, Fitzsimmons: Yay! That's all that needs to be said about that.

Needle in the eye: I think I speak for everyone when I say EEEYAAUUGH.

I really regret that this show is TV and on a strict budget. We couldn't see ANY of Hyrda being taken down because they couldn't have afforded the FX. Can you imagine if Captain America: The Winter Soldier didn't have the budget to show the Helicarier sinking and instead we got reaction shots from Black Widow looking at 8-bit blips on a screen? It sucks, and I hate that I understand why it happened.

Still, can you blame Malick for selling out Hydra? I kind of like that Coulson is incredulous to think Hive is so idiotic for not realizing that would be the outcome. Aliens in the Marvel Universe like to pretend they are advanced compared to humans, but in reality they are just plain dumb.

Loved Coulson and May this episode. The 'ship stuff, both romantic and non-romantic was great. May is kind of right to be ticked at Phil. He expects her to do his dirty work and keep his hands clean. And what is up with Lincoln being forced to wear a suicide vest? If Daisy is off limits for killing, why isn't Lincoln too? Seriously. I just would have benched him on the mission entirely. Now Coulson seems like such a d*ck.

May and Mack's conversation at the beginning was fun too.

I love Couslon's shield, not just because it represents the organization so perfectly, but because it is clearly cribbed from Captain America, of whom Coulson is the number 1 fanboy. I kind of feel like Coulson's hobbyist persona has taken a backseat this season .and that moment just proved it still exists.

Pretty good, but not great. ***.




Marvel's Avengers: Ultron Revolution "Into The Dark Dimension"

Liked Hulk and Thor playing around with the Halloween candy at the beginning. I also like that it was Hulk who coaxed an admission of respect from Tony to Doctor Strange. This says to me that Hulk is reasonable, especially compared to Tony. Which is fabulous.

Doctor Strange is probably going to be used in a lot more Marvel cartoons with his movie coming up (Ant-Man got more cartoon screentime for the same reason). I look forward to more. Dormommu is a cool villain. ****.




Once Upon A Time "Sisters"

Garbage. Cora should not be redeemed. Not after all she did. She shouldn't get to go to Heaven. Otherwise the series is saying that actions have no consequences if you feel bad about it. Which is not true, and a horrible moral for a family show. And while we're at it, Darth Vader doesn't deserve to be a Blue Ghost either.

The one good thing is that that idea means it's possible Zelina can be redeemed. And unlike Cora, she is not beyond redemption, and I'm actually rooting for her. Do you know how I knew her relationship with Hades was a good thing? Cora was initially opposed to it. Cora has an even worse track record at predicting things and decision making than Bill Kristol. She is insightful enough to be a Fox News pundit.

Boy, it sure would be handy if Emma had a superpower that told her when people were lying to her.

Do you want to know what I love? That Emma is grossed out by Cruella and James. Yeah, Emma's accepted Snow and David are her parents, but I don't think anything has hit that home like seeing them make out with another person. Puts things in perspective, you know?

Stupid episode. *.




The Lion Guard "Bunga And The King"

Qualitywise that sucked. That's the show. But as a Lion King fan, if they did nothing but make episodes like this, I'd tolerate it.

First off, it was sheer genius to have Simba falling into the sinkhole mirror Mufasa falling into the Wildebeest stampede. And trust me when I say, "genius" is not an adjective I will normally use to describe this show.

And while Simba is right to be offended by Bunga's informality, and the fact that the kid doesn't treat him with respect because he assumes his connection with Timon and Pumbaa will keep him from getting eaten, if Simba were truly smart, he'd recognize the actual problem immediately and plan around it. He tries to convince Bunga of things. He tries to order him to do things. What he should have seen IMMEDIATELY is that Bunga takes after Papa Timon.

Bunga is stupid. Bunga is obnoxious. Bunga is a nuisance. Which describes Timon. And how do you handle Timon? You convince him your ideas are his, and that he is responsible for the success. Simba only makes headway with Bunga when he starts to manipulate and handle him. Which is the only way to live with Timon.

Honestly, I do not know how Pumbaa puts up with those two. That warthog is a saint.

If they knew Rob Lowe couldn't sing, they should have cast somebody else. Disney needs to get it's act together on casting actors who can't sing in musicals. It's gotten better with Frozen, but this particular franchise is still plagued with it.

Technically, the episode is terrible but I loved it. I'm giving it four and a half stars and you can't stop me. ****1/2.




Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles "Earth's Last Stand"

My intitial reaction is intense dislike. I get that this show is for kids and purposefully makes the Turtles immature so kids can relate and learn along with them, but I kind of hate rooting for stupid people, and the Turtles qualify.

Leo is an idiot for suspecting Fugitoid wanted the generator for himself. And it steams me that nobody ever pointed out that the idea made no sense and didn't hold up to scrutiny. They just argue Fugitoid has saved their lives, and is trying to change, and everyone deserves a second chance. No, that isn't what proves the Fugitoid is on their side.

It's the fact that he fessed up in the first place. The end of the episode hints there may have been a larger reason for that. Maybe he thought if the Turtles hated him, his sacrifice would be easier for them. I cannot speak to his motives about that. What I CAN say is that his confession was entirely unnecessary. He didn't need to give it for the mission to work. Which shows he's sincere. He had nothing to gain by confessing that. If he was truly after the generator and didn't care about the Turtles, he WOULDN'T confess that. He specifically notes he waited because he wanted the Turtles to trust and like him first. Fugitoid's mistake is thinking the Turtles are better and more reasonable people than they actually are.

Why is Leo mad anyways? Earth has NOT been destroyed yet, and yet it came much closer than it needed to be because the Turtles had to waste time rescuing Leo. The Turtles had every advantage going into that final battle because they knew exactly what their initial mistakes were and when, and because of Leo, they totally squandered that edge. Sure, they won anyways. But it never should have been that close. Ever. Even IF the Tricerons got the Generator back. Because the Turtles knew the solution already. And now because of Leo, they only had an extra five minutes to implement it. And what if Splinter hadn't turned his head? Don't you think it would have been MUCH safer to be able to return in enough time to give him a head's up that Shredder would kill him? The worst part of the Turtles in Space arc is the fact that I knew their mission to stop the Triceratons building the weapon would ultimately fail. Because the show would OBVIOUSLY want to return to the events of the finale to see the Turtles correct their mistakes. So, in reality, Fugitoid didn't need to take them six months back in time to stop the Triceratons. That was pointless. He just needed to get them back six hours. And because of that fact, I now feel like the entire 13 episode arc is a complete waste. And that bums me out.

Was there anything I liked? Yes, actually. I was very happy that the show found a good resolution for what to do with the second pair of Turtles, Casey, and April. They solved the paradox of the resolved timeline by simply stating that just because OUR Turtles stopped the Triceratons to restore the timeline, doesn't mean the other Turtles wouldn't have to do the same thing to make it stick. And the restored timeline is cooler. And you can tell that Honeycutt knows what is going on, and that it was his plan all along. I liked that moment. Very Doc Brown at the end of Back To The Future III. But that is pretty much the only thing I liked. The Turtles are very stupid and unlikable so-called heroes. I'll be happy when things go back to normal in the next episode. *.




Transformers: Robots In Disguise "Portals"

Soundwave! This is the first REAL episode to reference Transformers Prime. We've heard Bee talk about events his "Friends" were involved with in his previous trip to Earth before, but Soundwave is the first Transformers Prime character other than Bee and Optimus to appear. Raf, Jack, and Miko get referenced for the first time ever too.

I like the explanation to how he got to Earth. He really shouldn't be there, but the show made it sound plausible (if unlikely). But it is unlikely. Because if he DID follow Megatron to Earth he probably knows Megatron disbanded the Decepticons and wants no part of that nonsense anymore. I don't see why he'd be signaling him.

Steeljaw's new friends are obviously using him. Funnily enough, I'm betting he's guessed this already. At least, I hope so. Otherwise I'll think much less of him.

Gamechanger of an episode. I would like to see some Prime Autobots next. ****1/2.




The Simpsons "Fland Canyon"

Love the Disney couch gag.

Homer thinks the Big Bad Wolf should not be punished for having a normal appetite. I kind of think he's right.

Lenny sees why people do this.

Loved the last gag that the postcard museum doesn't sell postcards in the gift-shop.

Yay! Rod and Todd can improve! Let's sit and think about it quietly.

Bart not being able to say thank you doesn't show that Marge is a bad mother, it shows that Bart is a bad person who doesn't care about anyone else's feelings. I can't blame Marge for giving birth to a sociopath. She didn't choose that.

Loved the El Barto on the Grand Canyon rock though.

Better than most flashback episodes. I usually hate those. ***1/2.




Grimm "The Taming Of The Wu"

Grimm's biggest crutch, the one that has been killing all enjoyability for me, is its overreliance on the "inopportune phone call". It drives me nuts and is simply bad writing. But for some reason, I was totally okay with it this episode. They made the terrible trope work for once. How?

By having so much going on at once. The inopportune phone call was unavoidable, and it was going to happen over and over again. But it's not because the writers don't want to tell the story and string us along. Quite the opposite. It's because the characters are having a super bad day and having to put out so many fires at once. I will let the inopportune phone call slide anytime a show is competent enough to pull that off.

Knew Zuri was Black Claw. We didn't get confirmation of my theory that they have her brother, but I'm confident that will pan out as well. Her simply being evil does not jibe with her earlier appearance.

I was seriously worried they were going to kill off Meisner at the beginning. Because apparently, I am a sap, and will believe anything. In my defense, it is what a terrible show would do. And Grimm HAS been a terrible show for about the past season and a half.

Diana scares me. And Adalind. As she should. Frankly, I think Adalind took Kelly because she knew Diana would kill Nick if she didn't. I'm going to say it: just based on what I've seen, I don't think Nick could beat Diana. They try to say Grimms are sort of "Chosen Ones" a la Vampire Slayers, but despite having heightened reflexes, Grimms don't actually have superpowers the way Slayers do. Diana does. And I think Adalind skipped, not because she was afraid Black Claw would kill Nick. They would fail. It's because Diana would. And she'd succeed.

Grimm is best when secrets are revealed, and everybody gets on the same page. There wasn't much of that in season four, because they decided to make everybody enemies, but I kind of feel like the good guys are coming together in a good way that they haven't since season 3. And that is a very good thing. ****.




Bob's Burgers "Pro-Tiki / Con-Tiki"

Let me state something: I think Bob's opinions were wrong-headed. Bob was actually wrong tonight and cared more about his vanity than he should have. I like that the show lets him off the hook because he's the hero, but the truth was, the Tiki theme was gaining him customers. Who actually cares WHY somebody enters a restaurant? Shouldn't the owner just be glad they did and serve them great food? Warren was taking a huge burden off of Bob's shaky showmanship skills, and Bob could not appreciate the golden opportunity it was.

Warren's a great guy too. It's turns out Bob was Fonz all along. And when Bob says Warren makes Fonz look like Potsie, you kind of realize the mathematic equations used to calculate Bob's actual coolness cannot be quantified. Partly because Bob is so cool, and partly because Fonzie actually isn't.

I loved the last scene of Bob refusing to let Louise watch TV. Gene got to because it was Geneland. I love when Bob screws with Louise for no reason, and he doesn't do it enough. This actually might be the first time. The amount of deliberate grief she hands him every week tells me she has definitely earned some payback. It was mad-funny too. So that helped.

I realize the show can't actually either have Bob change the theme of the restaurant, or be successful and rich without changing the entire dynamic of the show. I just wish they had actually bothered to come up with a good reason why Bob was resisting the opportunity. **1/2.




American Dad "Widow's Pique"

Let me get this straight: Francine was unaware before tonight that Stan dying would be a bad thing? She didn't know that before? I'm calling b.s.. This was not credible, and the Widows Game was the stupidest thing ever. This show IS running out of ideas.

Take Steve's plot. I hated it. Yeah, we supposedly love Principle Lewis for his horrible behavior, but that's usually because he's lovable while doing it. Here, he was just gross and nasty. If this is the new bar they are setting for the character, I guarantee my days of liking him are over.

The last act wasn't terrible though. I liked Stan's matter of fact rejection of Roger's Dentyne pitch and the fact that Roger tried to take back the meatballs. But I somehow don't think "I had the clams" is as bad@$$ a phrase as Stan thinks it is, even if he barfs up weaponomic puke.

So-so. But I'm worried this show might ruin Principle Lewis. He was pretty much a perfect character until this week. **.




Bordertown "Wildfire"

Okay, the Burrito of Shame says something: This show is racist. It doesn't make pointed racial observations, or thumb its nose at the PC Police. The writers just genuinely think racism is funny. It's not even a joke. It's just a way to disparage Mexicans. Seth MacFarlane may not be involved in the actual writing of this show, by Mark Hentemann picked up all of his worst habits, with none of his redeeming virtues. As racist as Family Guy and American Dad can be, they also offer true insights on race and why people treat each other the way they do. This is about a Cleveland Show level of cluelessness. A white person's idea of what a Latino would find funny. Cleveland Show thought that black people would love it if white writers made fun of black culture. And we saw how that went. I expect a similar fate for Bordertown, only perhaps quicker because Fox doesn't actually need this show to keep Seth MacFarlane happy.

On the positive side, I think a lot of J.J. Abram's high concept sci-fi ideas are that stupid and horrible. As obsessed as I was with Revolution over the air, it's a real downer of a premise, that sounds cooler and more fun on paper than it actually is. But that was one of the rare good jokes. The paperclip opposing abortion references because its cousin was a coat-hanger was another. But the episode (and show) otherwise sucked. 1/2.




The Last Man On Earth "Falling Slowly"

I loved that. I love that Todd is mad. He should be. To be honest, it was wrong of Todd to volunteer, and I was kind of miffed at him for that, but Todd's defining characteristic to me is that he is a people pleaser, who will do favors for people that could possibly harm him. And this one could potentially damage his relationships to Melissa and Gayle. But he does it, because he doesn't want to let Carol down. And it probably was REALLY hurtful, when Todd did pretty much the most stupidly selfless thing he ever did, that Tandy changed his mind and publicly humiliated him for it. I like that Todd was mad.

Also very interesting that as disgusted and weirded out as Gayle and Melissa were this episode, Todd won them both back completely by saying they were the only two people he answered to. That was hilarious and awesome and I love that they both cheered. I think Melissa was being overly generous last week when she said Todd's rant was "hot." That statement however, totally was.

Personally, I think Tandy picked the best ever time to tell Carol he loved her, but I AM a fan of comedy, so what do I know?

I also think the whole sex to have a baby thing was stupid. Yeah, it's probably easier than a turkey baster. But in that scenario, shouldn't you at least TRY the turkey baster for awhile first?

Mel Rodriguez look really good clean-shaven, but I think that about most men. The fact that Tandy sold him out after he shaved half his face and head tells me he is right to be furious.

What is up with that drone? Does this mean there are more survivors of the plague, possibly in a secure underground base? Will the fact that Mike hasn't come down with the virus yet mean they'll try and venture out to see if it IS safe? TBD.

That drone tells me that perhaps next season won't suck as much as I thought. ****.




Bates Motel "There's No Place Like Home"

I realized something tonight that I didn't know before. As bad as Norma is for Norman, he is equally bad for her. She had started to build a life with a person she had been honest to for the first time ever, and she immediately denounces and denies her love to spare Norman's feelings. To her eternal credit (of which I will not forget) she immediately admits she did something this stupid to Alex and tells him her reasons, as stupid as they were. The fact that she wasn't trying to juggle two lies is growth for the character, and shows that when Norman isn't around, Norma can be, well, NORMAL.

I would have been much more moved by Norman's speech about how much he cared about and needed Dr. Edwards if he hadn't just told Jordan earlier in the episode that he was smart enough to fool people into not believing he was crazy. At first glance, you should be appalled that Norman said something that mean, but Jordan has been nothing but a nuisance, and bad news for Norman. The only objectionable thing about Norman telling that brat that he was never going to get out of here is the fact that I now doubt every sincere sounding thing Norman has ever said. And he's said a LOT of sincere sounding things.

I realize that is probably the end of it with Emma's mom, but it shouldn't be. If it is, they never should have killed her off. I feel like that it is a crime VERY unlike Blair Watson and even Bradley. Because he was hurting somebody who cared about him: Emma. It is something I think he needs to answer for (for the first time ever) and since I already know the premise and outcome of the series (Norman has to kill his mother and remain a free man for "Psycho" to happen) it really bothers me that he probably never will. I think that was the one death the producers did that was really ill-advised.

Do you know the messed up thing? Dylan immediately correctly guesses the truth. It is so fudged up that his constant insightfulness into how messed up Norman is is constantly being ignored or pushed aside. I wouldn't mind Norma telling Dylan he was being overdramatic if he wasn't always right about the stuff he accused Norman of. And it feels weird that somebody this smart is constantly "proven" wrong.

Interesting week. ***1/2.




Blindspot "In The Comet Of Us"

The producers are very lucky there has not been a school shooting in the past couple of months or the episode would have been pulled. Very lucky. The audience? Not so much. Let me be clear: a school shooting is not entertaining. I'm not looking forward to watching that, and I don't enjoy it when I do. A similar premise made it so I'd never watch American Horror Story again. Tonight was about a hundredth of that, but I still was not happy. Especially since they somehow turned it into Joe Paterno, which just made it that much more depressing.

I think the one thing I liked was learning Patterson played D&D. I never play it, and even I know that sexy women that play it are hot.

But boy, this show does not know the definition of entertainment sometimes. *1/2.




The Blacklist "The Artax Network"

I love how hard Aram is taking Liz's death. How often do you get a TV character who takes a personal day after something like that? That's really cool. Although I kind of think Red was right the first time. He'd never be able to repay his debt to Aram.

Love how much Liz's grandfather hated Red. What a bum deal. He had to give Liz, er "Marcia" up, and she never even knew he existed. Brian Dennehy was great.

Famke Jansen? Haven't seen her on TV in awhile, and since she hasn't been doing too may movies other than X-Men, it's about time.

Megan Boone is still being credited. What does that mean?

Pretty good week, especially because of Aram. ***1/2.




Game Of Thrones "The Red Woman"

Better than I expected. I was frankly disgusted with the season finale, and how it treated Jon Snow. But I am relieved that they went back to it and Dolorous Edd and Davos are not taking it lying down. Alastair seems to have legit reasons why he did it, but I think underneath it all, it wasn't for the Night's Watch. It was a power grab. Full stop. And Davos reading that he planned to kill the people behind the door, hints that Alastair's claims for the good of the Watch are bogus. I really hope Davos and Edd survive. I'm not dumb enough to think they'll win. But somebody needs to take Alastair down.

Good that "Danneryse is in danger of being raped by Doth-raki" is not going to be a plot thread this year. I've had enough of that.

Sansa consenting Brienne's services was pretty much the first smart decision the character has ever made. And she got there because she previously made a dumb one that Brienne warned against. I would love it if Brienne ultimately takes down Littlefinger for what he's done. The only difference between him and Ramsay is methods. Their intents are equally sinister.

I'd feel worse for the Red Woman if it wasn't for the fact that her stupidity did incalcuable damage to everyone who knew her. Stannis deserves plenty of blame for going along with her insane plot to sacrifice his daughter. But she was the one who insisted. His mistake was trusting her. And then she cuts and runs. I hope Davos finds out the truth and kills her. I've pretty much had enough of her.

Tyrion seems to be adjusting to his new role well. I continue to like Varys on the show far more than I ever did in the books. Probably because the Varys on the show is probably a good guy and the one in the books is probably a bad guy.

Why are we still in Dorne? There's nothing interesting still going on there. Unless they plan to give us a nude scene for Indira Varma, I hope they move on.

I'll have to wait for the next free HBO preview to catch the rest of the season but the opening episode was good. ****.