Monday, May 14, 2012

What I Watched: Veep, Blue Bloods Finale, & More

Live-ish: Veep, "Chung (EP104)" - I know this show isn't particularly realistic, but I'm still really enjoying it anyway. And I did like the cynicism of this episode: when it finally got into real issues (like immigration), I thought it was clever to avoid having Selina really take sides that would potentially alienate viewers by going all the way through that issue and having her take sides for purely political reasons, rather than having her avoid espousing positions at all. Jonah is still my favorite. "You're not even your mom's favorite Jonah, Jonah!"

Live+7: Common Law, "Pilot (EP101)" - I saw a screener of this several weeks ago, so I watched the finished version of the pilot last night to refresh my memory. I'm not sure it will ever attain the level of my favorite USA shows like Burn Notice and White Collar, but it seems like it will be solid fun, and I already like it better than Suits or Necessary Roughness. (Over at TheTelevixen.com, read my feature with star Michael Ealy and our 10 reasons to watch.)

The Mentalist, "Red Rover, Red Rover (EP423)" - I usually count on this show for some mindless procedural fun, so it's always disconcerting when it goes creepy and serious as it did in this episode. That said, it was really well done, and a good reminder that Simon Baker can be more than just a pretty smirk when they actually give him something to work with. I'm still not thrilled with what they've done this season in general, but this episode definitely got me interested in seeing where they go with the finale. Oh, and I also liked the way it illustrated how Lisbon actually cares about Jane, and how that may get her in big trouble eventually.

Blue Bloods, "Mother's Day (EP222)" - This was the season finale, and gosh, I'll miss the Reagans until they come back in the fall. The "terrorist plot against the city" storylines never have all that much tension (on this show or others) because we know the good guys will actually save the day, so I liked the way they added tension with Frank's thoughts of resigning - I didn't believe they'd destroy New York, but I believed they might have him quit. I also really liked the stuff between Danny and Jamie, and I've been impressed by the way they weave in the family's grief and unresolved feelings about the mother and Joe without belaboring it or making them seem overly fixated.

On the list: Sherlock, The Borgias, The Killing, Game of Thrones, Girls

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