Freshman Show Roundup Part 2: 'Go On,' 'The Following,' and 'Nashville'

Like myself, most new shows of the 2012-2013 TV season have finished their freshman year. I decided that in order to save time, I will write brief assessments of all of the new shows that I watched. These include the ones that I highlighted back in September (with the exception of Elementary, whose pilot didn't hook me enough to keep watching) as well as a few that I picked up along the way. To avoid information overload (and also to give my fingers a break), I will do this in two posts, each one briefly summarizing and assessing three shows. I won't include spoilers since my hope is that you might decide to watch one or more of these shows if you haven't seen them.

For Part 2 I will discuss NBC's Go On, FOX's The Following, and ABC's Nashville. You can read Part 1 here.

Go On
Summary: After his wife passes away, cocky radio sportscaster Ryan King (Matthew Perry) is ordered by his boss Steven (John Cho) to attend group therapy sessions. With the help of group leader Lauren (Laura Benanti) and the group's odd members, Ryan tries to cope with his loss as well as become a better person.
Assessment: Although not the funniest sitcom on TV, I really enjoyed Go On. Unfortunately, despite its good ratings early on, NBC canceled it after the 22-episode season ended. However, the show did have some closure in its final episode, which is always nice. While Perry was great in this role, I especially liked all of the supporting characters. Every member of the group was funny in his or her own way, and there was a good variety of personalities. My favorite character was easily the wonderfully odd and creepy Mr. K (Brett Gelman). Cho was underused in the show's early episodes, but in the second half he had a bigger role. The diverse cast is what made this show, but it was probably hurt by its writing, which wasn't always the best it could have been. That being said, had it been given a second season, I think Go On could have become a hit. This one will be missed.
Rating: 4/5

The Following
Summary: Serial killer Joe Carroll (James Purefoy) escapes from prison, and former FBI agent Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon) must consult on the case to track him down. The FBI soon learns that Carroll has gathered a cult following during his time in prison.
Assessment: Going in, I expected The Following to be a procedural show with each episode showcasing one of Carroll's followers. I was excited to learn that I was wrong and that it is, in fact, a serialized show. Bacon and Purefoy played off of each other well, and I thought Purefoy, for the most part, was great as the sadistic, manipulative, and brilliant serial killer. At some points he tried to be a bit too poetic, but I was able to overlook that. It seems that the writers tried to develop Bacon's character this season, but I don't think it worked the way they wanted it to. Hopefully they can flesh Ryan out some more in the second season. Also, I enjoyed Shawn Ashmore as young agent Mike Weston. He was given a good storyline in the second half of the season that I'm not convinced we've seen the end of. Finally, I appreciate the decision to keep the season to only 15 episodes instead of the usual 22. In fact, I think the season could have been shortened even more. The shorter season allows for a more fast-paced show (something that I think Revolution needs). Overall, there are definitely some kinks to work out next season, but I will continue watching.
Rating: 4/5

Nashville
Summary: Veteran country singer Rayna James (Connie Britton) and young sensation (think Taylor Swift) Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere) must put aside their differences--or at least pretend to--when they are forced to go on tour together. There are about a million other characters and plots but this is the main one.
Assessment: I'll be honest. I watched this pilot for two reasons: 1) it got amazing reviews, and 2) Hayden Panettiere. It was a good pilot, but I hate strongly dislike country music, so the only reason I continued watching was because my girlfriend wanted to keep watching. However, I will admit that despite the excessive drama, the acting and writing--and, yes, the music, if I must be objective--are pretty good overall. Although the drama was painful to sit through at times, the acting, especially by Panettiere, who excels as the bitchy and arrogant pop star, and Charles Esten, who was a surprise as Rayna's band leader and ex-boyfriend Deacon Claybourne, was enough to get me through it. That said, some of the plots--and maybe even some of the characters--should be cut out for the next season. If it were up to me, I probably wouldn't watch next season because it's not my cup of tea, but between my girlfriend and those darn cliffhangers in the finale, I'll most likely be tuning in.
Rating: 3.5/5

So there you have it. Those are the six new shows I watched this season. (I'm also watching Hannibal, but there's still two episodes left, so I will likely review that by itself.) As always, leave your thoughts in the comments. And if there are any other freshman shows you watched that you think I would like, by all means let me know. 

Freshman Show Roundup Part 1: 'Revolution,' 'Arrow,' and 'Last Resort'

Like myself, most new shows of the 2012-2013 TV season have finished their freshman year. I decided that in order to save time, I will write brief assessments of all of the new shows that I watched. These include the ones that I highlighted back in September (with the exception of Elementary, whose pilot didn't hook me enough to keep watching) as well as a few that I picked up along the way. To avoid information overload (and also to give my fingers a break), I will do this in two posts, each one briefly summarizing and assessing three shows. I won't include spoilers since my hope is that you might decide to watch one or more of these shows if you haven't seen them.

For my first post I will discuss NBC's Revolution, The CW's Arrow, and ABC's Last Resort.

Revolution
Brief Summary: Fifteen years after a mysterious blackout rid the world of electricity, Charlie Matheson (Tracy Spiridakos) must rescue her brother Danny (Graham Rogers) from the militia of the Monroe Republic, one of the republics that arose to replace the United States government. Along the way, Charlie learns about her family's involvement in the blackout.
Assessment: Revolution began as one of my favorite new shows, but in the middle of the first half of the season it lost some steam. Not much happened as Charlie, Miles (Billy Burke), and the rest of their gang made their way to Philadelphia to rescue Danny. The show picked up again for the midseason finale (you can read my review for that episode here), but then the second half was the same as the first. It started out strong, was a little slow in the middle, then picked up toward the end. For the most part, I really enjoyed the last few episodes, especially the season finale. The end of the finale made me very excited for the next season. It seems like they're going in a completely different direction for the second season, which I think is a smart move.
Overall Rating for the Season: 3.5/5

Arrow
Summary: (Based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow) After being stranded on an island for five years, wealthy playboy Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) returns to Starling City to right the wrongs of his father as a masked vigilante. Flashbacks reveal what happened to Oliver during his time on the island.
Assessment: As a fan of DC Comics, I was very excited for Arrow, and it did not disappoint. In fact, it quickly became my favorite new fall show. The acting and writing were both very good, and the action sequences were excellent. What made the show even better for me was the inclusion of several minor DC characters and subtle references to the comics. The island flashbacks started out somewhat weak, but they became much better once Slade Wilson (Manu Bennett) was introduced. I would recommend this show not only to fans of DC Comics but also to people who like exciting, action-packed TV shows. Because the show is on The CW, there is of course a love triangle subplot, but that is overshadowed by the rest of the show.
Rating: 5/5

Last Resort
Summary: After U.S. Navy Captain Marcus Chaplin (Andre Braugher) refuses an order to fire a nuclear missile from his submarine, he is attacked by another US sub. He and his crew, including his second-in-command Sam Kendal (Scott Speedman), take refuge on a small island.
Assessment: Power struggles and government conspiracies abound in this short-lived ABC drama. Last Resort was canceled about halfway through its 13-episode run, but fortunately that gave the writers time to craft an ending that gave some closure to those who stuck with the show. I was one of those people. I don't think it was good enough to deserve a second season, but I enjoyed the show while it lasted. Braugher and Speedman were both great in the lead roles, but there were too many minor characters to keep track of. The conspiracy plot was intriguing but also somewhat confusing. Overall, I liked the show, but I'm not sad to see it go.
Rating: 2.5/5

That's it for part one. Stay tuned for part two, where I will discuss Go On, The Following, and Nashville.

'The Office' Series Finale Review: A Perfect Goodbye

After nine seasons, NBC aired the series finale of The Office last night. What started off as a great show became somewhat mediocre in its second half. I still enjoyed it, but it wasn't as must-see as it was in its earlier seasons. Exit Steve Carell in season 7, and people wondered whether the show could survive. Carell was surely missed, but I think the show did well without him. He was just one actor in a very large, very solid cast, and that cast helped keep the show alive. Season 8 was definitely not the best of the series, but it could have been a lot worse. I know that a lot of people hated the odd, creepy Robert California (James Spader), but I, for one, thought Spader was a good addition to the cast for one season. Then, after season 8 ended, NBC and the showrunners agreed that season 9 would be the final season. I was excited because it's always nice for showrunners to go into a season knowing it will be the last so that they can end the series properly. Season 9 started off ok (it didn't feel very different from season 8), but by the second half, the writers kicked it into full gear and ended the series perfectly.

In the second half of this season, we were introduced to one of the members of the documentary crew, that is, the people behind the cameras that have been following these people around for 9 years. This was the first acknowledgement in a while of this show actually being a PBS documentary. Then the promos for the documentary aired and we realized that we're approaching the end. Throughout the series, we often forgot that these people were the subject of a documentary, so bringing that to the foreground in the final episodes brought the show full-circle. It was a very fitting way to end the series.

This episode takes place one year after the airing of the documentary as a sort of "Where are they now?" episode. It centered around two major events: a Q&A panel for the characters (i.e. the subjects of the documentary) and Dwight and Angela's wedding, with the wedding getting the primary focus. The wedding, although a little cliché, is a perfect way to bring back old characters, including, of course, our favorite Regional Manager--Michael Scott (Carell).

Carell's appearance, though not very surprising, was beautifully handled. Jim, Dwight's best man, had been pulling a series of "gutenpranks" (good pranks) to surprise Dwight. These included making excuses to PBS so that the Q&A panel fell on the same weekend as the wedding (so people like Andy and Darryl would be there), giving Dwight the chance to fire a bazooka as part of his bachelor party, giving him the opportunity to reconcile with Kevin (whom Dwight had fired), and making up a phony tradition that meant Michael would have to replace Jim as best man. This last gutenprank led to one of the best lines of the episode when Dwight sees Michael:

Dwight: I can't believe you came.
Michael: That's what she said.

This moment, Michael's final "That's what she said," was beautiful and completely captured the character of Michael Scott. What made this cameo great was that it was just that: a cameo. Carell had only a couple of lines, so he didn't steal the episode away from everyone else. But we did find out that Michael finally got the family he always wanted, which was a heartwarming revelation.

The other characters all got closure as well. Oscar is running for senate; Erin found her biological parents; Andy got a job at Cornell; Stanley is retired; Creed got arrested for a long list of things I can't even begin to recount (but not before singing an original song about friendship); and Jim and Pam, who had had marital struggles this season, sold their house and are moving to Austin where Jim will work for the company he helped start earlier this season. All of this closure is exactly what you want to see in a series finale, especially one for a show with a large cast of characters that you've grown to love.

The last ten minutes of the episode almost had me tearing up. Everyone got their last word in their final testimonials. And it all ended with Pam's perfect closing line about choosing Dunder Mifflin for a documentary: "There's a lot of beauty in ordinary things. Isn't that kinda the point?"

Although it was not a perfect series, I am very glad to have stuck with The Office through all of its ups and downs. It is and probably always will be one of my favorite sitcoms, and the finale, by highlighting all of the characters, reminded me why that is. The Office will be missed, but I can't imagine a better way to say goodbye.

'Revolution' Midseason Finale Review: A New Beginning

I haven't been writing about Revolution since the pilot because I watch each episode a day or two after it airs. Also, I haven't had very strong feelings about the show so far. It's definitely not the best show on TV, but I do enjoy it very much. That said, it still has a few kinks to work out, especially in the dialogue writing, but it has proven itself to be a success since it has gotten very strong ratings and decent critic reviews.

I did watch last night's episode live, and it was the show's midseason finale. This means we will not see the second half of the season until March. Therefore, I decided to write a review of the episode. I don't usually do this, but I am going to give a SPOILER ALERT because I want to address the episode's ending. So please, if you haven't seen the episode and would not like it to be spoiled, do not read this review until after you have watched it.

Knowing that this was the midseason finale, I was expecting an intense showdown between Miles (Billy Burke) and Monroe (David Lyons). The show has been building up to this moment ever since we found out that Miles used to be a commanding general in the Monroe militia, and the scene did not disappoint. After Miles takes out Monroe's soldiers, the two point guns at each other and have an intense face-off. In a scene of great acting by both Burke and Lyons, Monroe puts down his weapon and reminds Miles how they are like brothers and invites Miles to rejoin the militia. Miles puts down his weapon, but tells Monroe, "You're no the same person. ... We aren't brothers." He also says he's sorry he didn't kill Monroe the first time. The two then have sword fight which was great while it lasted. More soldiers come and Monroe tells them to kill Miles, but Miles is able to jump out of a window just in time. At first I was disappointed that nothing happened in the fight, but upon looking back, I realized that this was only the midseason finale, and we still have a whole half of a season for a resolution in the Miles-Monroe conflict. With that in mind, I think this scene was handled very well, and it provided a look into how each of them feels about their relationship.

Another great scene was when Charlie (Tracy Spiradakos) is reunited with her mother, Rachel (Elizabeth Mitchell), after being thrown into the same cell. There wasn't much dialogue between the two, but through her facial expressions and body language, Spiradakos was able to portray the confusion, anger, and joy that Charlie must have been experiencing all at once. Spiradakos, in my opinion, has proven herself to be the right choice for this show. She still has a little farther to go to become a great actress, but she is doing a fine job so far.

As I mentioned in my introduction to this review, the writing needs a little work. Overall, I think the writers have been doing a great job in how they are progressing the plot, but some of the dialogue has been cheesy. For example, in this episode, when Rachel is being taunted by one of Monroe's henchmen, he says something along the lines of, "That daughter of yours is quite the little peach, and I could eat peaches all day." My friends and I immediately started laughing at how ridiculous that line was, so hopefully they can work on some of the dialogue. But like I said, the plot development has been good, and I still like the flashbacks. This episode didn't have many flashbacks, but the few that it did have provided insight into the relationship between Miles and Monroe. I especially liked the flashbacks to their childhood that were placed among their scenes together in the present. Given that there are fifteen years of untold story, I hope the writers can continue to make good use of the flashbacks to tell that story.

The last thing I want to address is the ending and where the show goes from here. I am very glad that the showrunners decided to have the gang rescue Danny and Rachel. This half of the season was all about them trying to rescue Danny, and while it was a fine first half, I wouldn't have wanted to see that plot in the second half. It seems that the rest of the season will focus on Monroe using the amplifier that Rachel built to power-up his army and "flex his muscles," showing everyone who has the power. What I would like to see more of is the other republics. They have been mentioned a few times so far, but I think a whole story arc involving the interactions between republics would be very interesting. Also, I am interested in how Charlie and Danny will interact with their mother, whom they believed was dead. We have already seen Rachel kill two people, so I wonder how that will affect her relationship with her children. In any case, I look forward to the second half of the season, as there is potential for a new beginning for both the show and its characters.

As always, feel free to leave your thoughts on the episode, the show as a whole, or where you would like to see it go from here.

'Revolution' Pilot Review: Power Struggles

On Thursday I went to an advanced screening of the pilot of the the NBC show Revolution. I'll try not to spoil the episode for those who haven't seen it, but if you want to watch it before reading this, you can watch it at nbc.com/revolution.

Overall I was very impressed by the pilot. I had high hopes that it would be good but was unsure whether it would deliver. By now you probably know what the show is about, but I'll give a brief summary anyway. Fifteen years after a mysterious blackout, humans must survive without cars, batteries, and anything electronic. Firearms have been outlawed, which explains the sword fighting and crossbows seen in the promos, and militias have risen under the mysterious General Monroe.

The show is centered on Charlie Matheson (Tracy Spiridakos), daughter of Ben Matheson (Tim Guinee) who seems to know something about the blackout. Charlie's brother Danny (Graham Rogers) is taken by militia leader Tom Neville (Giancarlo Esposito) after Ben is killed. With his dying breath, Ben tells Charlie to go to Chicago to find his brother Miles (Billy Burke), who will know how to find Danny. Charlie takes on this mission, accompanied by Ben's girlfriend Maggie (Anna Lise Phillips) and  his friend Aaron (Zak Orth).

Almost all of the actors gave great performances. Both Esposito, coming off of an outstanding season of Breaking Bad, and Burke were great in their respective scenes. I look forward to seeing more of them, and hopefully they will share some scenes soon because I would love to see them face off. I was especially surprised by Spiridakos's performance. I was not expecting her to convince me as the young heroine, but she did. Hopefully she can keep it up in the episodes to come. The last performance I want to mention is that of Orth, who provides the comic relief in the show. He had some good one-liners in this episode, so I hope the writers can use him well.

I have to give credit to Jon Favreau (director of the first two Iron Man movies), who directed this episode. He did a fantastic job, but I worry that he may have set the bar too high for future directors. We'll see how they do, but I hope that Favreau comes back at some point, provided that the show continues.

Which leads to my final point: the future of the show. As most hardcore TV fans know, NBC has been struggling with getting dramas off the ground, especially high-concept ones like this. The Event was a massive failure, and Awake, though a great show in my opinion, failed to find an audience. I believe that what this show needs is great character development, something that The Event lacked. The pilot did a decent job at giving us insight into what is driving the characters, but there is still room for improvement. If the writers can make us care about the characters, while simultaneously provide us with an engrossing mystery, I believe the show will succeed.

Revolution is off to a very fine start. I look forward to the rest of the season and hopefully future seasons. There is so much story to tell and so many characters to flesh out, so the people behind the show have a lot of work ahead of them. Here's hoping they can create a show that can reel in viewers and last more than one season. If you're interested, tune in Mondays at 10/9c starting on September 17.