Over at TV Fanatic: #TheRedRoad review ~ Shades of Gray

Image courtesy of SundanceTV

There was a veritable information dump on The Red Road Season 1 Episode 1 with blink-and-you-miss-it scenes and cough-and-you-miss-them lines.

If you want to be certain you caught all of the information revealed, you can either watch it more than once or you can see if I noted something you might have missed my recap, linked to above.

It seems so cliche to use the term Romeo and Juliet story, but there was a bit of that in the premiere, as a white girl named Rachel and an American Indian boy named Junior continued a dalliance despite the greatest wishes of Rachel's mother.

Harold Jensen is former high school and college football star who broke his back and became a policeman. I'm calling him Jensen because he doesn't look like a Harold. Jensen married Jean whose brother drowned when an Indian (a story she told her girls) got him messed up on drugs, forced him to swim and just watched him die.

Jean's a recovering alcoholic with what appear to be mental issues tied to the death of her brother, meaning she's been on the edge a long time. Maybe the drinking helped taper her illness. Anyone who can stand in the yard and using a leaf rake get a foot deep hole is holding back some issues.

Not that Jean's holding anything back. She knows her daughter, Rachel, is seeing Junior and she starts threatening his mother and goes so far as to brandish her husband's police handgun at the house trying to find Rachel. She's a little out of it. In her quest to find the girl, she may have hit an Indian boy on an ATV and carried on her merry way. She never looked back to see what she it.

Phillip Kopus (we're calling him Kopus) went to high school with Jensen and Jean and had something with Jean back in the day. "They" said he may have had a hand in her brother's death. Kopus is an ex-con and a wild card. He's Junior's big brother, but they are strangers. Junior and Rachel think he's cool. He is cool, but he's also a bit dangerous.

He takes a man he knows to be a killer, Mike, with Junior and Rachel out into the woods, gets them drunk and they all go for a swim. Did he know at the time that's where Mike dumped the body and they were all swimming with the dead man at their feet? Who knows? It was a chilling scene nonetheless.

Jensen finds Rachel with that gang and scoops her up and returns home but is summoned back out by Kopus. He knows what Jean did and he wants to talk to him before he talks to anybody else about it.

Jensen shows up sporting a rifle over his shoulder, which is a clear indication of what he feels about Kopus. Kopus' easy going demeanor allows him to reminisce about old times before he reveals himself as an unlikely ally in the shitstorm that's about to his the Jensen family.

There were witnesses that saw a car matching Jean's description hit the boy and drive off, but Kopus' past with her makes him feel protective. He's willing to make sure the statements given are in her best interests. Jensen merely nods but before he leaves Kopus gives him his handgun. Where was that?

Clearly we have barely scratched the surface in the opening hour what connects these families and what makes them tick. Julianne Nicholson gives a frenetic performance as Jean. She doesn't know whether she's coming or going and it's painful to watch.

There don't seem to be any delineated good guys or bad guys right off the bat, but a lot of people who seem clueless to what's going on around them. They'll need to take their blinders off and see things for what they really are or they'll fall to the side of bad simply for not paying attention.

You have to wonder why so many of these things are only surfacing now. Was Jean repeating the story about her brother to her daughters because Rachel is dating Junior or did it really take her this long to share it with them in the first place? What are the details of her alcoholism and supposed mental illness?

Read the rest of the review at TV Fanatic

Over at TV Fanatic: Being Mary Jane Season 1 review (#BMJ)

Image courtesy of BET

In hindsight, the Being Mary Jane Season 1 was too short.

At the time I was watching (via the BET marathon yesterday -- whatever took me so long??), it felt just right.

The amazing thing about Being Mary Jane Season 1 Episode 8 was how it wrapped up both of her love interests on an emotional level without further compromising Mary Jane's innate moral compass.

Being Mary Jane airs on BET and features a predominately African American cast. It plays brilliantly to its strengths and represents the AA community without wavering.

In one story, Mary Jane, a popular host on a daytime news program, found herself forced to reveal details about a friend and colleague who was investigating racial injustice in the prison system.

The juicy flash news had no bearing on the work he was trying so desperately to get before the public and in desperation he committed suicide. Mary Jane's network, SNC ran the story and she flt responsible for the death of her friend. Their advice was to say little.

Mary Jane went out on a limb, defended his work, apologized for her part in his death and promised to carry on his fight.

She received a standing ovation from her coworkers in the studio and viewers got a better glimpse into what makes Mary Jane tick.

Mary Jane's friends and family are important aspects in her life and it's interesting how they continue to influence each other no matter their role in her life. Her niece, Niecy, is a teenager with self-esteem issues preparing to give birth to her second child out of wedlock.

Mary Jane is aghast at her decision to have a tubal ligation so early in life but the conversations between them show neither has achieved any sort of ideal regardless of their age difference.

Mary Jane's two great loves are David -- the one who got away -- and Andre, the married man who eventually leaves his wife for her. Mary Jane's an emotional roller coaster with both men. She does all of the things that if you (as a woman) haven't done, you've damn well thought about doing.

She makes you clap out loud and cringe in despair as you await her next move.

For a while, Mary Jane is so madly in love with Andre it's to the point of obsession. It's so much fun to see so much of yourself in her crazy antics. She texts Andre over and over again without response, falling asleep with the phone at her side and the first thing she does upon waking is look at her phone. Nothing. She did what every rational woman does and deleted his contact.

The next thing she did was also what every rational woman does. She panicked, called her cell provider and asked how in the hell she could get that contact info back on her phone! Mary Jane is every woman.

A close encounter with David made her realize she couldn't get into the right head space with Andre so close, so after he left his wife for her, she sent him packing. Her pleas to David made him think she was crazier than ever and, frankly, he was right.

But it really hurt to hear him say he thought she was the cute kind of crazy, but didn't anymore.

Mary Jane's friends had her back. They rode around with her as she tried to come to terms with what these two men meant to her and as she visited Andre's wife to tell her to take him back (and how to have great sex with him) and to make one more try to get David back.

In the end, she lets both men go. She has her friends, family and career to keep her busy. She's successful and vivacious. There will be other men for her to obsess over and excite her and treat her right. But something tells me David will be back. Mary Jane was right to call his girlfriend a placeholder.

Once you get a taste of Mary Jane, she's irresistible.

Read more at TV Fanatic...

Over at TV Fanatic: #Nashville review ~ Breaking Point

Image courtesy of ABC

Rayna spent the majority of Nashville Season 2 Episode 15 acting as if the death of her father meant little, even in light of her last words to him:

"As far as I'm concerned, both of my parents are dead."

It was pretty obvious that wasn't a state she was going to be able to maintain, but she put on a great show as friends and family worried over her lack of reaction.

Was it wrong that I wish the man who had walked out of Teddy's office alive had been Lamar instead of Teddy? Even when Teddy finally cracked and admitted to Megan (Teddy, can you just find an appropriate woman already?) that he had the power to save Lamar but did nothing and tears of regret streamed down his face, I still wished him ill.

One of the biggest reasons I believe Nasvhille has lost ground in the second season is due to the unnecessary political machine that runs in the background. Lamar's dead and now it's time for Teddy to hit the road. Just get out. If you take Megan with you, so be it. Buh bye!

You know who else can grab onto the bumper of Teddy's moving van as he drives off? Scarlett. Her whining has reached the pinnacle of annoyance. Poor Rayna put all of her money on Scarlett becoming a success but she's a mess both personally and professionally.

Liam is far too likable of a character to be sucked into the vortex that is Scarlett O'Connor. Please let that come to a head and let's see them torn apart. The song they cut together sounded like a cat in heat and it's not going to make a dime for Rayna so she can just cut her losses and start fresh. Too harsh? Too bad.

Deacon's need for a guitarist that turned into a trio including Avery, Gunnar on drums and Zoe singing backup was magical. Their upbeat excitement to be playing with THE Deacon Claybourne kept him from running away from a gig after he was knocked back to midnight and by staying he earned an open invitation to play as an opening act any time.

The dynamics between Avery, Gunnar and Zoe was really fun and they decided to form a band together. Remember when Avery and Gunnar couldn't stand to be in the same room together? If you stick it out long enough, great things can happen.

One of the best things to happen on Nashville has been the pairing of Avery and Juliette. They're the shining light on the series at this point and are simply delightful in every way. Their chemistry is real and they have staying power. It's terrific the way they support each other without jealousy.

The entire time Juliette was being wooed by Howie V, I kept wondering why she was so enamored with a guy who was taking her backward, to the girl she was when we met her -- a pop princess with a more grown up production value. Glenn could see it, but was afraid to rain on her parade.

Read the rest of the review and find out what I thought about Rayna's emotional breakdown when you read the rest of the review at TV Fanatic.

Over at TV Fanatic: 'Time of Death' #Arrow review ~ Worlds Collide

Image courtesy of The CW

Life on the island and in Starling City grew degrees closer on Arrow Season 2 Episode 14 as we learned a bit more about Sara's relationship with Sin and Oliver came face to face with Slade in his own living room.

It was likely a discouraging night for Olicity shippers and Laurel haters, as the relationship between Oliver and Felicity felt more than ever like a brother and sister situation and Laurel finally came to terms with what has been driving her destructive behavior.

Oddly enough, those revelations felt like breakthrough moments that will drive the course of the season in ways we hadn't come to grips with until now.

Robert Knepper was on board as William Tocker, AKA The Clock King, but he was again an underutilized bad guy who only helped set the stage for our main characters to learn an important or powerful lesson. I'm giving up on any expectations going forward that big name guest stars will make an impressive criminal impact.

Without The Clock King, however, Felicity wouldn't have had a chance to prove her value to the team.

We knew that the more people who came into the tiny Arrow Cave the more feathers would get ruffled and Felicity has been basking as the only female on the team for quite some time. It was an honor to be in her position and she had skills Oliver and Dig didn't. Enter Sara with her battle skills, battle scars and computer skills and Felicity felt like she was no longer needed.

She didn't need to prove anything to anyone but herself. It was her own self worth that was in question. She made some bad moves that she wouldn't have taken otherwise, and even donned a leather jacket in an attempt to look tough. Felicity's big moment was protecting Canary against The Clock King and taking a bullet for her. She has her own scar and she and Oliver shared a moment as a result.

Oliver: Are you alright? Diggle had mentioned that maybe you were feeling a little left out.
Felicity: What? No. I just used to being your girl. I mean, not your girl, girl. Your girl. I know it sounds like the same word, but it means something different in my head.
Oliver: Hey. You will always be my girl, Felicity.

Is it difficult to believe that she's alright with Oliver dating Sara? Not at all. Felicity is strong, if just a tad socially inept. It's entirely possible that all of her tongue tied missteps when talking to Oliver have been just that... indications of her inexperience with the opposite sex. Crushing on Oliver with his shirt off is one thing, expecting to be in a relationship is another.

Sara's fear of being in the same room with Laurel lead to a dinner disaster, and that lead to Oliver giving up on Laurel. It's exactly what she needed. A final push to the brink.

The exchange between Laurel and Sara that followed was so well played. It was emotional and felt true. Laurel realized she had spent so long holding on to anger over what happened when the Queen's Gambit went down that she didn't like the person she had become.

When Sara showed up, so strong, beautiful and full of life -- in spite of having been through hell -- Laurel hated her even more because when she looked into the mirror she finally saw herself as the opposite of her sister and knew it was all her own doing.

Laurel's process is only beginning, but making that first step by reaching out to Sara and begging her acceptance, as well as attending a meeting with Lance, might mean she's on the road to recovery.

Now that Oliver has given up on Laurel and Sara has reconnected with her and Oliver made the discovery that Slade Wilson is alive and well in Starling City and in his living room, no less, I'm back to a Sara/Shado showdown at season's end with Sara and Laurel.

My thought behind that is made with some assumptions, such as Sara and Laurel continuing to mend their relationship and growing closer. If Sara finds herself in the same spot, as strong as she is now but with her sister in Shado's place, I don't think she could live with herself or with Oliver if either of them let Slade kill Laurel.

For all of the nitpicking and backstabbing that sisters may do (and yes, dramatic license propels that to much higher proportions than what we do in real life so please remember I'm talking generally here), there is always a connection no matter how torn sisters may be at any moment. Have you ever heard "I can say that about her because she's my sister, but you can't"?

The point is that no matter how much animosity was between Sara and Laurel if either of them was faced with a life threatening situation and had a way to save the other, I don't think they'd hesitate. We'll see how it plays out, but that's my thinking.

It was certainly fortunate for Thea to send an urgent text to Oliver at the exact time Slade was at the mansion, wasn't it? All of that will play out next week in more detail. Slade pumping that fist of his and that angry handshake between the two showed how the tension had mounted very quickly.

Other bits:

• The island scenes were barely necessary this week, but did explain how Sin and Sara were acquainted. I had wondered that at one time, so it was nice to bring that back and touch upon it now that Sara is "alive" again. 
• Lance learning that Dinah has someone else was a bit heartbreaking, but I didn't expect Alex Kingston to sign on full time so it wasn't a surprise.
• The scene between Diggle and Felicity was very special. It would be nice to see them become closer as Oliver and Sara are out on missions more frequently. 
• It seems we'll get more time at Verdant now that Sara is the new bartender. That's also a great way for her to get to know Thea and for Thea to get more airtime. I like it!
• I'm hoping that all of the female characters are featured in the Birds of Prey episode because the more I see of them together, the more I like the idea of their dynamic.

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Over on TV Fanatic: #Supernatural pics up for #Thinman

Image courtesy of The CW

It looks like Sam and Dean are getting a little slow in their old age!

On Supernatural Season 9 Episode 15 - when they head to Washington to investigate the death of a teenage girl - they discover there are some other "supernaturalists" already on the case.

Ghostfacers!

Yup! Ed and Harry get there first and although the dead teen's mother doesn't know them as the Ghostfacers, the two investigatory teams meet up to find out what's behind the girl's final selfie containing what appears to be a ghost sharing the image with her.

While you wait, catch up on all the latest installments when you watch Supernatural online - and check out photos from the impending hour now by....

Heading over to TV Fanatic!

Over on TV Fanatic: Amy Brenneman all decked out for #Reign

Image Courtesy of The CW

As we reported back in November, Amy Brenneman is joining Reign. Now, we can offer a first look of her as the character of Marie de Guise.

On Reign Season 1 Episode 13, Marie will make an appearance at the castle to try to restore some order to Mary's life. 

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Brenneman alleviated some fears for history buffs by sharing that Marie de Guise will remain a fairly true interpretation of the woman herself, despite the poetic license Reign has been taking.

"She's consistent with the historical figure, which was fun and interesting for me to know," Brenneman says. "She's a very strong woman, a very unusual woman for that time. Honestly her only similar peer is Catherine de Medici (Megan Follows). In addition to the rivalry, there's also real camaraderie and understanding." 

Expect a brief moment of mother daughter emotional bonding between Marie and Mary before she's down to business. 

Marie's main concern is Queen's Catherine's decision making based on Nostradamus' prophecies, which she finds ridiculous. 

It sounds like Brennaman's de Guise will be there to stir the pot and make a little trouble while trying to smooth the waters for her daughter. We can't wait to see this badass mama in action!

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Over at TV Fanatic: 16 TV Characters Who Should Be Arrested for Scene Stealing

Image courtesy of The CW

You'll recognize their faces. You might even wonder why they're on this list. After all, a lot of them are the reason you watch your favorite shows in the first place.

But you know why? Because they're scene stealers!

They might have just signed on for one or two episodes (we're looking at you, Emily Bett Rickards) but their screen presence was so powerful their characters became a reason to watch. Who can imagine Arrow without Felicity Smoak?!?

What would The Walking Dead be without Daryl, who wasn't even in the comics on which the show was based? The character was created specifically for Norman Reedus after he auditioned for Merle! Precious Norman as crusty Merles? No way. He stole our hearts as Daryl.

Get out the handcuffs and find out who else should be taken to task for Hollywood robbery. Agree? Disagree? Hit the comments with your favorite scene thieves.

If you want the big reveal, head on over to TV Fanatic to see the other 14 in the slideshow!