Last week’s episode of “Jane The Virgin” found Jane and her hilarious hallucination “Bachelorette Jane” struggling to choose between her two loves: Rafael, the handsome hotelier and father to her newborn son and Michael, her former fiancé. The CW’s telenovela has successfully created a perfectly confounding love triangle with both Michael and Rafael being major contenders for Jane's heart. Normally, it’s completely lopsided, with one person being far better than the other. We all remember “Scandal’s” Jake-Olivia-Fitz federal fiasco, don’t we? (Spoiler Alert: They’re both married). Don't get me started on "Parks And Recreation's" April vs. Ann disaster.
Last week’s episode found Jane testing the waters with both Michael (Brett Dier) and Rafael and making a pretty strong case for both. Jane (Golden Globe winner Gina Rodriguez) approaches everything with logic and organization, so let’s review the pros and cons for both contenders for Jane’s very organized and imaginative heart.
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I love television dramas. I relish in the intrigue and the betrayal and glorious lives of fictional characters that live in sprawling luxurious homes or just covet them, and have twisted, dirty personal lives. As an entertainment blogger, there are never enough dramas. As a black woman, there are is a depressing scarcity of dramas starring women of color. We might be the overconfident, oversexed, sassy best friend whose only purpose to boost the self-esteem of the classically beautiful heroine or the medical examiner forever stuck in the lab doling out boring, impersonal medical facts, but rarely the muse.
Enter "Being Mary Jane"—BET’s addictive, sexy and provocative drama about a successful, complicated black woman who wants it all, starring the flawless and underrated Gabrielle Union. It's "Scandal" crossed with "The Good Wife." The new season starts on today! Here are four reasons you should watch. 1. Gabrielle Union. While we were rightfully and passionately celebrating the historic Emmy nominations ofViola Davis, Uzo Aduba, Regina King and Queen Latifah and other people of color, I was saddened by Gabrielle Union's snub. As Mary Jane Paul—a troubled but brilliant broadcaster—Union has given so much; she has turned in nuanced, candid, vulnerable performances that can be compared to Viola Davis' incendiary wig and make-up removal scene on “How To Get Away With Murder.” Her epic monologues rival any "Gladiator In A Suit" speech made on "Scandal" because they are not about lofty political ideas or the failings of society, but the everyday battle of being a (single) woman, being black and how hard it is to be one or both. 2. Her love life is worse than yours. Misery loves company, so anyone—single, married, recently dumped—can tune into “Being Mary Jane” and commiserate. Mary Jane has unknowingly slept with a married man and knowingly stalked the wife. She’s saved sperm her lover’s sperm in a desperate and misguided impregnate herself. She pushed away her niece who all but idolized her. Her relationships, platonic, familial and otherwise, are trainwrecks, and you can’t help but revel and weep at the carnage. After seeing the gorgeous men in her orbit, can we blame her?
If it has seemed like far too long since “Sleepy Hollow’s” season 2 finale, it’s been even longer for our favorite witnesses. Over a year has passed since the events of last May’s season finale in which Ichabod (Tom Mison) was forced to kill his troublesome wife, Katrina. “Sleepy Hollow” returns with new characters, new villains and new haircuts, TVLine.com reports. So long, Headless, your wickedly chiseled torso will be missed! Hello, Abbie’s (Nicole Beharie) chic new bob and Ichabod’s more modern coif.
“Sleepy Hollow’s” third season premieres tonight, and here’s what we know so far: Abbie Mills made good on her season 1 ambitions to attend Quantico. Meanwhile, Crane—attempting to figure how to exist in a modern world—visits England and at some point: jail. I am assuming Ichabod’s arrest is what brings Abbie back to town. New characters are also heading to the doomed hollow. Zach Appleman’s Joe Corbin returns as a series regular. “Twilight’s” Nikki Reed and “Mistresses” Shannyn Sossaman also join the cast as celebrated seamstress Betsy Ross and foreboding Pandora, respectively. Finally, Lance Gross will play Abbie's new boss, and possibly a new love interest? If you had issues with last season, never fear! New showrunner Clifton Campbell has heard your complaints that Abbie and Jenny (Lyndie Greenwood) were sidelined, and promises they are the focus of this season as our witnesses assemble to fight “the second tribulation” aka the newest iteration of apocalyptic evil. Don’t miss the “Sleepy Hollow” premiere on Oct. 1 at 9/8c on Fox. Until then, check out the sneak peek below! Photo Credits: TVLine.com
I am a dogged television viewer. It takes a lot to get to abandon a show mid-run, like killing off an awesome main character just for shock value—I’m looking at you, “Person of Interest”—or a nauseating abundance righteous, tone-deaf speechifying and ignorant storylines (“Bluebloods”) or jumping so many sharks that they near metaphorical extinction (“Homeland’s” third season…almost).
By the end of last season, CBS’ “Hawaii Five-0” is nearing said threshold. Luckily, I have harnessed the power of an entertainment genie, and have convinced him to give him three more wishes. Here are my wishes of a Small Screen Girl for “Hawaii Five-0” season 6. Utilize the cast. I fell in love with H50 for two reasons: the impressive cast—particularly Alex O’Loughlin, Scott Caan, and the recently added Chi McBride—and those imaginative, near-cinematic action sequences. I wish the writers knew how lucky they are to have such a capable cast that can transition from bawling to badass in a blink of an eye, and elevate the material while keeping the silly and time-wasting storylines to a minimum. Sorry, Kamekona and Jerry! More bromance! More Danno tears! More carguments! More of the team sympathizing with the plight of the victim in the case of the week! Did I mention more bromance?! Continuity, please! The main problem with last season stems from uninspired writing and major lack of continuity. A high point in season 5 was the milestone 100th episode in which Steve McGarrett was kidnapped by his archenemy Wo Fat (Matt Dacascos) and finally learned the root of their vendetta. The gut-wrenching ordeal, which included McG getting shot in the head, displayed star Alex O’Loughlin’s impressive chops and abs was never mentioned again. And it wasn’t a one-off. Later in the same season, Danny found out his rarely seen girlfriend had lied about her entire identity to escape an abusive spouse. He only discovered that information when said husband was stabbing in him the gut. The storyline, which could have been deliciously suspenseful and entertaining if better executed, ended there. I wish as hard as I can for “Hawaii Five-0” employ continuity. If you are going to go so far to torture, drug and maim the main characters, there needs to be some kind of emotional fallout. It has to have an effect. Otherwise the people we’re supposed to care about are nothing more than live-action cartoon characters falling off the cliff over and over again. Clearly, “Hawaii Five-0” is not a "True Detectives" (and no one wants it to be) but traumatic events at least need to be referenced again between explosions and helicopter chases. Limit traumatic events. I wish there were less mythology episodes. I know that sounds crazy. As a television fanatic, there’s nothing more I love than a juicy episode that shakes an episode out of the spot-the-hair doldrums of a cop procedural. However, too many character-centered catastrophes can become just as tedious, especially when there is little to no aftermath. Unfortunately, the upcoming synopsis of the season premiere hints that newlyweds Kono and Adam will spend their honeymoon tied up, and not in a good way. Everybody knows that abduction and torture is for your second anniversary! Don’t mind me, I have a genie to pummel. H50 is back on tonight at 9/8c on CBS. Until then, check out this sneak peek below! Photo Credits: CBS.com It has been a long and joyless summer without the shady shenanigans from force-of-nature, Lucious and Cookie Lyon (Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson respectively) and Co. from Fox’s juggernaut mid-season hit, “Empire.” Thankfully, I can already smell the cookies baking as the musical drama is slated to return for a second season in just a matter of hours. If you need to satiate your craving now, don’t worry, I come with spoilers! Click here for 5 spoilers you need to know for “Empire" season 2!
Photo Credit: EW.com
As I clear out my DVR of ever-improving summer shows for the start of the new TV season, I couldn’t help but wonder what I’d wish for the upcoming seasons of my favorite shows. Luckily, I happened upon a genie, who will only grant me 3 wishes for entertainment purposes only, and having a romantic dinner with Chris Pratt and Jesse Williams isn’t one of them. So I am forced to use them on one of my favorite shows, The CW's "Supernatural."
Despite its low-budget, nearly-cancelled-three-times beginnings, "Supernatural" has continued on to become the longest running sci-fi show on broadcast television, bolstered by an incredible cast of Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles and Misha Collins, risk-taking writing, and a dogged group of fans that affectionately call themselves a family. However, the lengthy and muddled Mark of Cain made for a head-scratching and frustrating season 10 that didn't quite capitalize on the dark magic of previous seasons. Here are my wishes for “Supernatural” season 11… DIVERSITY. For a show that’s taken scary through multiple dimensions, alternate universes and thwarted an apocalypse or two, it’s inexcusable that 99.9% of the regular and recurring cast is white and male. The women—who are also almost always white—have briskly entered and almost always tragically exited. The latest of which was Felicia Day’s Charlie Bradbury, who after a series of uncharacteristically stupid decisions, was slaughtered off-screen and dumped in a bathtub. I desperately wish that “Supernatural” would normalize to reflect the real world in racial and gender casting. This season, the small sci-fi show with the big cult following will face its toughest competition yet when it airs in the same timeslot as the Emmy-nominated, ratings record-breaker “Empire,” 2014’s critically-acclaimed and Emmy-nominated comedy “black-ish” and Emmy-magnet, “Modern Family”—all of which feature primarily diverse casts. Racial normalization may be a necessity if “Supernatural” wants to make it to season 12. More BAMF Sam Winchester. Many fans, including yours truly, have been frustrated with the uneven and sometimes baffling characterization of “Supernatural's” tallest cast member. The show began by telling the story of Sam, a college kid who returned to the family business of saving people, hunting things to avenge his girlfriend’s death has since turned into a show about a wayward group of thankless heroes led by Dean Winchester and his unstoppable BAMFness. I am and have always been an equal opportunity Winchester-lover, however, Sam has been long overdue for some deeper exploration and better characterization. Also, Sam's doppleganger Jared Padalecki is 6'5'', and spends time between takes flipping 500lb tractor tires. With the trials far behind him, it's time for Sam to save the puppy eyes for the ladies and kick some monster ass. Expand The Hunting Universe. It’s been nearly a decade since The Roadhouse, a popular bar for hunters to have share lore and spookily clean their guns in a shadowed corner, burned down. In the seasons since, the hunting universe has shrunk when it should have been expanded. Thanks to Sam and Dean’s affinity for making deals and kick-starting the end of days, the Winchesters already have a nefarious reputation. But after watching “Supernatural” for years, I'm often left wondering if other hunters gossip about the Winchesters? Do they text each other when Dean was turned into a demon, like "Guess who has black eyes and smells like sulfur?! LMAO!” I need answers! Thus, I wish upon the feathers of an ice-eyed angel and my TV genie that “Supernatural” will explore more of the hunting universe. After they accidentally opening the devil’s gate, freeing the devil and unleashing The Darkness, it would also be refreshing to find Sam and Dean coming to the rescue of other hunters who have unwittingly released some big nasty into the world. It would be a tsunami of cucumber water if all of said hunters weren’t white dudes. Let’s see if any of these wishes come true when “Supernatural” premieres on October 7 at 9/8c on The CW. Judging by the promo, the show will be intensely, scary and gory, which would have been by fourth wish if the genie hadn’t been so greedy. Check it out below! What are your wishes for "Supernatural's" upcoming season?" Photo Credits: cwtvsource.com |
Small Screen GirlI am an unabashed pop culture and TV-aholic with no plans to ever seek treatment. Explore this blog and see just how deep my obsession goes. Categories
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