Tune In / Tune Out

November 27, 2014

And For This, We Are Thankful: 2014 Edition

Happy Thanksgiving! Or happy random day if you do not celebrate Thanksgiving. May it be full of food and family members you love. We created a list of what we are thankful for, and hopefully it brings a smile to your face as it has ours. May your day be filled with joy.

Stephen Amell

We Sinceriously love you, Stephen Amell.

I’m thankful for him for too many reasons to count.- Kerry

 

Brooklyn 99

Still the best comedy on TV, it’s always dependably hilarious for 22 minutes straight. -Kerry

Bob’s Burgers

 I defy you to find a more supportive and loving family than the Belchers. – Kerry

Chris Pratt

You deserve all the success, Chris Pratt.

 Congrats on your blockbuster hits, Andy Dwyer. – Kerry

Charlotte Ross

 It’s almost like the Arrow writers created Charlotte Ross specifically to play Felicity’s mother. Even our wildest dreamcasts couldn’t have come close. -Kerry

Elementary

 Still my favorite drama on TV.

Playing House

If anything could possibly fill the void that was left by the cancellation of Trophy Wife, it’s Playing House. We need more Bocephus and Jandana immediately. – Kerry

I am thankful for the way some of our favorite shows are choosing to depict romances because it is nice to finally see couples who respect each other enough to love each the way they are. (e.g. Leslie/Ben (Parks and Recreation), Diggle/Lyla (Arrow), Robbie Lewis/Dr. Laura Hobson (Inspector Lewis)) -Brittany

Jane the Virgin

This new series has brought a big smile to my face. -Becca

Yahoo Screen

For giving Community a sixth season. #sixseasonsandamovie – Becca

John Cho

Who can seriously resist a man when he looks like this? – Becca

 

April 6, 2014

Tune In/Tune Out: March 30-April 6, 2014

Welp. I’m watching something now that’s pretty fun, but it’ll have to wait till next week’s installment. In the meantime, anger about a certain series finale aside, there was actually a lot to watch this week. Onto the picks! (For some reason, I wanted to put ‘tally ho’ just now, but I’m going to ignore that urge.)

TUNE IN

 

The Walking Dead: The finale was amazing, and kept the audience at the end of their seats. It is great to see about 84 percent of the group coming back together, but it still leaves so many questions to be answered in season five. I can’t wait to see what stuff and things happen in season five.  – Becca

NCIS: The second half of the backdoor pilot for the bayou-flavored spin-off could have fallen completely flat, but it managed to do two important things in the space of an hour. It successfully built a world for the spin-off to inhabit, and it set forth an interesting ongoing mystery to give the real pilot (presumably next fall) something to draw from when it gets going. – Moff

The Mindy Project: It’s back in a big way, and it’s better than ever. Next week also promises two new episodes, so catch up while you still can! –Kerry

Grimm: SO MANY THINGS ARE HAPPENING. It’s terribly tempting to draw comparisons between this show and ABC’s own fairytale-inspired Once Upon a Time, but it’s ultimately unfair. NBC’s show has successfully built a reputation for compelling storytelling, moments of jump-in-your-seat, and awkward humor, and this week’s episode managed to set up a breakneck race to the season finale. – Moff

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: The show gave me a pretty good idea on what would be happening with Captain America: Winter Soldier when I watched it. The episode was intense, and left you constantly questioning who you could trust. – Becca

 

TUNE OUT

How I Met Your Mother: This is probably unfair, since I literally tuned out of the series finale, but it effectively ruined the mythology of the entire show. It deserved a better ending than that. –Kerry

 

March 31, 2014

Tune In/Tune Out: March 23-30, 2014

I need a new word for ‘oops’ because that word? It’s not cutting it, but here we are at the end of another week, and as the self-appointed person doing these posts, I am back on schedule. On the other hand, one of my mad compatriots here has lost her mind – but, y’know what? I’ll let her tell y’all about it, below in the lists!

TUNE IN

Marathon of The Walking Dead: Due to me being susceptible to ships, I fell down the rabbit hole this past week with Daryl Dixon and Beth Greene, and I am now obsessed with this show. It is great to marathon, especially since the finale of season four is upon us. The character development is amazing. – Becca

Psych: The series finale was perfect. Everything was perfect. I’m only sad that it’s over, but I’m definitely not sad about how it ended. –Kerry

Brooklyn 99: I’m sad this show has wrapped its first season so early, but I’m curious now the next season will open now that Jake’s been fired from the NYPD. His confession to Amy was glorious. –Kerry

NCIS: I don’t know whether it was the addition of Scott Bakula or that the production trucked out to Nawlins for the actual filming, but I was actually really into this episode as a back-door pilot for a spin-off of this long-running crime procedural. – Moff

TUNE OUT

Arrow: It pains me to do this, and I hope this show never lands on the “Tune Out” list again, but this week’s episode had odd beats, an odd placement, and inconsistent characterization. Hopefully they recover next week. –Kerry

March 9, 2014

Tune In/Tune Out: March 2-9, 2014

Geez. OK, well so much for the rerun hinterlands of March. ABC has been packing in a string of high-profile episodes and premiering several new series, while other networks have been slipping in new episodes, considering they no longer have to contend with the Winter Olympics. And, as Kerry said earlier today, “so many duds, so many great ones.” Let’s cut to the chase, shall we?

TUNE IN

NCIS: I’m a fan of Robert Wagner’s portrayal of Anthony DiNozzo, Sr., mainly because he often serves as comic relief. But I especially liked his guest spot in this week’s episode because his reason for being in town put his son’s new-found enlightenment to the test. – Moff

Brooklyn Nine Nine: I love when this show gets to be action-y, and the tactical village was a really cool way to see the characters in a true police setting. Jake seemed primed to take a big step forward with Amy, only to be beaten to the punch, while Rosa finally found out the true reason Boyle didn’t invite her to his wedding. I never thought I’d say this about this show, but it looks like we’re ramping up for an emotional conclusion to the season! (And congrats to this show and <i>The Mindy Project</i> on their renewals!) –Kerry

Trophy Wife: Two words: Bert Day. It’s as amazing as it sounds. –Kerry

Joe Punjsd

You know the rhyme.

Community: Visually, it was weird, and the story was a lot more depressing than it seemed on the surface, but it was still a fantastic episode. It left me really excited to see where the rest of the season is going. – Moff

Lereyo

How have we never had an ‘Andy = Kool-Aid guy’ joke before now?

Parks and Recreation: Ron Swanson hangs out with his newborn son for the entire episode, a swarm of bees attacks mostly Eagletonians, and everyone is insanely quotable. (“Hey Ron, cool baby.”) –Kerry

Elementary Gifed

So many dirty jokes, so little time.

Elementary: If you don’t tune in just to see roosters hanging out in the Brownstone, then maybe the case of the week, which is twisty with a weird conclusion, will appeal to you. Ears to you! –Kerry

Sherlocked Mind Palace

Arrow: Comes for the abs, stay for the acting

Arrow: Slade Wilson hangs out at the Queen mansion, freaking out Oliver as he charms his mother and sister, while back on the island, Oliver goes and lets the bad guy monologue. Never let the bad guy monologue! But it still made for a seriously good hour of television. –Kerry

Multiprises

And this drawing is actually *less* creepy.

Grimm: We got a little bit of the larger, Royal-related arc, and we got a creepy new creature. And Sgt. Wu finally got a first name and some back story! Of course, it didn’t end particularly well for him, but it’s been a long time coming. – Moff

TUNE OUT

How I Met Your Mother: this week’s episode made me regret recommending this show to everyone who would listen. Even if the show ends with a miraculous (spoiler), the entire narrative of the show has been cheapened. My instinct is to tune out the show for the rest of the series, but curiosity may get the better of me. –Kerry

Suits: The stakes have never been more… the same as ever. Louis re-realized Mike was a fraud, Rachel walked around two apartments in lingerie, and Harvey bickered with Scotty over her contract and buy-in at Pearson Specter. The episode <i>is</i> worth the precious few scenes we get of Donna and Jessica (they both get two separate scenes, each) but since it amounts to about seven minutes of screentime, just skip this one. Maybe tune in next week, though it’s possible nothing will happen then, either. –Kerry

About a Boy: I really wanted to like this show, because the premise is right up my alley. The kid is unbelievably cute and hits all his marks like a veteran, but there’s still something missing from the show as a whole. While the pilot was fine, I didn’t expect the second episode to be so formulaic (guy doesn’t want to watch kid, kid really likes guy, guy has to watch kid, guy takes kid to grown-up party, guy neglects kid, guy learns exact same lesson he just learned in the pilot) and the whole thing ended up feeling flat to me. Hopefully the third episode’s the charm! –Kerry

March 2, 2014

Tune In/Tune Out: Feb. 23 – March 2, 2014

Wow. So, that was an awfully long week, wasn’t it? (Why, yes, I am pretending to ignore the rules of space and time. Thanks for noticing!)

While not all our shows are back yet – and we’re heading into the hinterland of March reruns, which means I’ve queued up a bunch of IFC movies from the last two years – but there were some real stand-outs this week. And a couple stinkers, too. But lets not dally any longer, shall we?

TUNE IN

 

Person of Interest: This week’s ‘number’ wasn’t part of a larger arc, but it was still poignant, tensely paced and gripping: All the things POI does best and has done since the latter part of season one. – Moff

Brooklyn Nine Nine: – Did you know Jake and Gina have known each other since grade school? Neither did we until this week’s episode! Their storyline gave the department some surprising depth, while the self-evaluations held by Holt and Jeffords were downright hilarious. Poor Santiago. –Kerry

image

Arrow: The ensembles on Arrow were amazing in this episode. The Diggle and Felicity friendship gives me constant feels, and I hope this was the beginning of a wonderful friendship between Felicity and Sara – Becca

Community: I’ve liked Britta for a long time, even when she was The Worst. As much as this episode was about Abed finding his footing post-Troy, and Jeff and Ian Duncan’s friendship, Gillian Jacobs shone in this episode, fleshing out Britta’s character in bits and pieces. – Moff

 

Grimm: It’s fun when a show has finally established enough of its world that it can spend time character building, which this week’s second-half of the pre-Winter Olympics cliffhanger did. But it also managed to add new elements to Adalind’s pregnancy arc, and the resolution of Monroe’s falling out with his father even hinted at what the season’s remaining episodes will bring. – Moff

Psych: – This show really is firing on all cylinders as it heads into its last block of episodes. If seeing everyone in sixties costumes doesn’t appeal to you (notably Tim Omundson and Dule Hill, with Maggie Lawson as my favorite) then the last scene between Lassiter and Juliet is sure to tug your heartstrings. (What are we going to do without this show?) –Kerry

TUNE OUT

NCIS:LA: It’s difficult not to feel like the writers were simply scraping the bottom of the barrel as they tried to prolong the ‘Kensi in Afghanistan’ storyline. While it was an unexpected – and clever – way of throwing a wrench into the Kensi/Deeks partnership, it’s starting to feel confusing and unnecessary at this point. After all, the writers aren’t taking the same tact as they did with Tony/Ziva on NCIS, so why continue to keep Kensi and Deeks apart? – Moff

Saturday Night Live: Admittedly, I only tuned in to catch Weekend Update, as I was excited to see Cecily Strong anchor the desk on her own. But, in the grand tradition of SNL setting high expectations and then failing to meet them spectacularly, Strong is now partnered with a newer member of the cast, who I have spent the last 12 hours referring to as ‘Generic White Dude.’ Strong was clearly picked to take over from Seth Myers because she had the chops, and I’m disappointed the show isn’t going to let her show it. – Moff

February 2, 2014

Tune In / Tune Out: Jan. 26 – Feb. 2, 2014

I’d be lying if I said we three of WWFTP weren’t spending some portion of this Sunday watching the Seattle Seahawks take on the Denver Broncos at MetLife Stadium in Jersey City, New Jersey. I grew up in Seattle (Well, in one of the suburbs, anyway.) and Kerry has a familial connection to Washington state, so interpret our allegiances as you will. Still, a week of TV can’t be watched in a day, so here are our picks for the shows that ran for the end zone this week, and the ones that came up short.

TUNE IN

How I Met Your Mother: Finally, an episode worth watching! The story of “How Your Mother Met Me” was so reminiscent of the first three seasons of this once-great show that one has to wonder why she didn’t get more material in this final season. In only 22 minutes, she managed to capture our hearts with her cheeriness, grief, and perfect-for-Ted quirkiness (she made her breakfast food sing showtunes!) Here’s hoping we see more of her before the finale! — Kerry

Bones: Sometimes, introducing a heretofore secret sibling is a desperate attempt to reignite interest. Just think of all the times characters had babies on sitcoms because the existing kids were aging out of their cute/funny or high school years. But this episode was heart-breaking and sweet, and the introduction of Hodgin’s brother gave all the characters a chance to show their best selves. – Moff

Enlisted: Keith David continues to steal all of his scenes, and we got to see more of the squadron as they faced off against the Marines in a flag football game. The brothers share a very sweet storyline about surprise homecomings between fathers and sons, and Pete runs around in a ridiculous half-shirt for most of the episode. –Kerry

Community: A slightly weird structure aside, there were so many things to love about this episode. And who doesn’t love a chance to Fat Dog for Mid-terms? – Moff

Elementary: I really liked how the non-case part of this episode focused on Sherlock being a sponsor, and seeing him deal with that. – Becca

TUNE OUT

Nothing from us this week. There were episodes that were only so-so, and there were an awful lot of reruns this week, but nothing that felt like a complete waste of time. And the second quarter started a couple minutes ago, so excuse me while I go pay more attention to football than I do the rest of the year. (GO SEAHAWKS! LOUDER!)

January 26, 2014

Tune In/Tune Out: Jan. 19-26, 2014

OK. So, it’s cold. It doesn’t matter if you live north of the Mason-Dixon, like Becca and I do, or to the south, like Kerry. It’s varying degrees of cold, and ‘freezing’ has both a scientific and relative definitions, but I’ve spent most of the week unable to feel my toes properly. When it’s awful outside, cold like it is here or rainy, there’s not much to do but hunker down in front of one screen or another and escape to someplace, anyplace, else. With that in mind, here are our picks for what swept us away, and what merely swept us off our feet before dumping us in a cold puddle of disappointment.

TUNE IN

Shut Up and Bounce

Y’all didn’t think we were going to put a GIF of *that* scene in here, right?

The Mindy Project: It was a big episode, and hopefully it’s enough to hold us over until April. Thanks a lot, Fox. –Kerry

Courtesy of Julieta Colas. All Rights Reserved.

You guys, you know I never cry.

Community: What is there to say about “Geothermal Escapism”? (Other than what Becca said, that is.) It was a brilliant action episode, up there with “Modern Warfare,” “A Fistful of Paintballs/For a Few Paintballs More,” and “Pillows and Blankets.” But more importantly, it was the send-off Troy, and Donald Glover, deserved. – Moff

Bonjour Clarice

So, clearly I missed the memo that I even *had* a time. Bummer.

Enlisted: After last week’s stumble, this show recovered nicely with a brother-centric episode that shed light on Pete’s difficulties with adjusting to civilian life. The scene that Geoff Stults and Keith David shared was unexpectedly touching, and if this show has more moments like that mixed in with the absurdities of the oddball squadron, this show might actually stand a chance in the vast wasteland of Friday night scheduling. –Kerry

Frankenreich

Ichabod Crane: Human-size anachronistic puppy.

Sleepy Hollow: It was a hell of a ride for the two-hour finale, and I can’t quite fathom having to wait till the autumn to find out what happens next. – Moff

TUNE OUT

Parks & Recreation: Ann spent her penultimate episode complaining about her boyfriend/baby daddy to a bunch of former coworkers who didn’t care about her First World Pregnancy Problems. It’s been weeks since we’ve seen her interact with Leslie, and watching her spend this episode screeching to everyone except her best friend was very frustrating. (Ron and his noise-cancelling headphones marginally picked up this storyline, as did Donna with her Cuban cigar and yellowfin sushi.) –Kerry

 

January 19, 2014

Tune In / Tune Out: Jan. 12-19, 2014

Welp. Here we are: Another week, another batch of episodes behind us. As I put together our picks for ‘Most Likely to be Rewatched’ and ‘Most Likely to be Forgotten Until We See It Listed On the DVD,’ I’m watching the NFC Championship game, and holding out hope my hometown team will come back from their slow start and finish strong. (Typing with crossed fingers is tough, folks, but it’s worth it if the Seahawks make it to the Super Bowl.) And so, without further ado, here are our thoughts on the week just ended.

TUNE IN

Natalie Morales

Trophy Wife: Jackie and Pete had to work together in order to spend a day with Bert, while Kate finally had to learn how to be a parent capable of discipline. It’s so great to watch these characters evolve. –Kerry

[h/t to our Trophy Wife guest blogger, Mary, for the GIF and for saving me from the #trophy wife tag on Tumblr. Geez. – M]

 

Brooklyn Nine Nine: I’m only a casual fan of Jake/Amy, but I think I can turn into a real fan if they use this episode as an endpoint to the “children on a playground” trope. Boyle’s one scene with Rosa was great, but my favorite was Captain Holt, who couldn’t seem to stop putting his foot in his mouth. –Kerry

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: I love that this episode took us back to Jemma’s and Fitz’s academy, and having Bucky Barnes’ name on the memorial wall was icing on the cake. – Becca

Psych: We got some great character growth for Lassiter! It came at the cost of dealing with an annoying police chief, but at least this sets up a good arc for the former head detective. Here’s hoping we’ll be rid of Trout soon… I miss Chief Vick. –Kerry

Downton Abbey: After a plodding season premiere (episodes 1 and 2), the third episode had the more familiar pacing of earlier seasons. Of course, it also had an emotional wallop that I’m still unsure was necessary, though it certainly made for a couple compelling performances on the part of Joanne Froggatt and Phyllis Logan. – Moff

Modern Family: I mostly watch this show out of habit, late on Wednesday nights after I’ve watched all my other shows, but I was surprised and pleased at the storyline for Alex in this week’s episode. Her character is frequently pigeonholed as a straight-man foil to the antics of her siblings and cousins, so it was nice to see that she has her own set of issues, and that when she’s on her own, she’s actually an appealing character to watch. –Kerry

The Crazy Ones: I haven’t been watching this freshman series as regularly as I might have – and I’m not happy CBS has seen fit to bump it a half-hour later this week for another helping of, ahem, a certain “sitcom” – but both the A- and B-plots were strong this week, with a clever means of tying them together and another sweet father-daughter moment between Robin Williams’ and Sarah Michelle Gellar’s characters. Plus, Josh Groban with a quasi-mullet and an office/dressing room in a grungy men’s room: What more do I need? – Moff

TUNE OUT

How I Met Your Mother: If you don’t find the blatant stereotyping to be offensive, then you’ll definitely be offended by the lack of payoff… and the lack of storyline… and the lack of anything compelling happening at all. It was all-around the worst episode of the series. Way to besmirch the fourth slap, writers. –Kerry

Person of Interest: As lovely as the denouement was, bringing Mr. Finch and Mr. Reese back together to continue their work, I’ve seen the ‘protect the young tech wizard who’s invented a world-changing Internet thing’ story done better on other shows – and with a more interesting young tech wizard. – Moff

 

January 12, 2014

Tune In/Tune Out: Jan. 5-12, 2014

Ah, it’s a new year, and that means some changes here at WWFTP. As you will have noticed, Kerry is once again gracing us with her fabulous, amazing Community picspams. We’re using our Twitter account for more than simply a feed for new posts. And our weekly list of picks-and-pans on the small screen, Tune In/Tune Out, is moving from Friday to Sunday to accommodate delayed DVR and/or online watching of shows that air earlier in the week.

But enough about the nuts and bolts of things. Let’s get on with the things we loved, and the things no one could pay us to watch again.

TUNE IN

TV Addicted

Quality TV is when it’s funny even if it’s out of context.

The Mindy Project: Danny Castellano was Mindy’s personal trainer, and the results were hilarious and sweet. The last scene stole my heart. – Kerry

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Clark Gregg was amazing, and we finally got a part of Coulson’s resurrection solved. – Becca

Helix: I don’t know if it’s the tense pacing, the claustrophic shots of the massive under-the-ice research facility, or the cheery bossa nova tunes, but this new SyFy series was terrifying and fun. And with Javier Grillo-Marxuach, of The Middleman, co-executive producing, I’m sure there will be equal parts terror and humor in future episodes. – Moff

Enlisted: It’s about as rocky as a pilot gets (a lot of storytelling crammed into 22 minutes results in odd jumps and weird character moments) but the heart is there, and the humor is great. This show has a lot of potential now that the premise has been established, and I’m looking forward to the next episode. – Kerry

Confidentiality Spice

Sounds reasonable.

Community: Man, where do you even start? The show is back, it’s firing on all cylinders, and THEY’RE JUST FRIENDS, OK? It’s platonic shoulder holding, geez. – Moff

Psych: The premiere was everything I wanted and more. From Gus’s obsession with Harry Potter to a Vinnie Jones guest appearance. As always, Cary Elwes was perfection. – Becca

Grimm: As much as this week was another by-the-books crime of the week, it tackled the issue of what happens when a totally regular person confronts someone they know and trust about their Wesen state, with interesting results. However, it was an episode for Bitsie Tulloch to shine: Her Juliette kicked some ass and then delivered an emotional one-two punch no less than 30 seconds later. – Moff

Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Craig Robinson made a memorable appearance as the Pontiac Bandit, but it was the partnership between Rosa and Jake that made the episode for me. – Kerry

TUNE OUT

Castle: This show hasn’t taken a real risk since killing off Captain Montgomery, so the audience knew that Ryan and Esposito weren’t in any real danger. All of the deep, emotional scenes that Stana Katic had to deliver were undercut by the knowledge that the guys were going to get rescued and be just fine. The episode worked for a lot of people, but I think Castle has just lost its charm for me. – Kerry

Intelligence: I watched the pilot because I am a fan of the actors. However, the characters were so stoic, and the show felt flat. I think one of the problems was it lacked heart. – Becca

Downton Abbey: I had such high hopes for season four, but the two hour premiere on PBS was plodding and lacked the West Wing-esque pacing and plot twists. Here’s to higher hopes for next week. (Full disclosure: I’m watching the new episode as I’m putting this in to post, and OH MY GOD. A better episode, but OH MY GOD.) – Moff

People’s Choice Awards: Only a few select winners got the proper amount of recognition. The only highlights for me was seeing Stephen Amell’s face and Robert Downey Jr.’s acceptance speech. – Becca

December 30, 2013

Favorites of 2013: Miscellaneous Movies

Whew, it’s been a whirlwind holiday week, hasn’t it? Time flies when you’re reflecting on your favorite shows and movies of the year! We’re wrapping up our Favorites of 2013 with our miscellaneous movie categories: Shorts/Horror/Foreign Language and Scores.

Shorts/Horror/Foreign Language Films

The Intouchables

{Gaumont}

foreign_intouchables

I will never claim to be a person who watches the critically acclaimed movies. The foreign movies I watch are usually limited to a few British films. However, The Intouchables trailer appealed to me, and it was an enjoyable film to watch. –Becca

Scores {Instrumental/Popular}

Warm Bodies

{Marco Beltrami, Buck Sanders}

score_warmbodies

This movie chose an eclectic group of songs, and this is the reason why I love it. I love variance. —Becca

Iron Man 3

{Brian Tyler}

score_im3
Even though there was no AC/DC to be found on the soundtrack for this Iron Man, the majority of the music was what I have been listening to this year. I’m also having some sort of affair with this version of “Jingle Bells.” —Becca

The World’s End

{Steven Price}

score_worldsend
The soundtrack will bring back nostalgic feelings, and I have been feeling nostalgic all year. —Becca

That’s it for us! We’re looking forward to 2014 and all of the new favorites it is sure to bring us. We here at We Watch For The Plot wish you a safe and happy new year!