When Elementary premiered on CBS back in 2012, it drew heavy comparisons to BBC's Sherlock. Sherlock's rabid fans were not too pleased that there would be another Holmes-based series on television. They bashed the premise for being a rip-off (how you can rip off an interpretation of an iconic character in literature is beyond me) and the casting choices. However after watching three seasons of Elementary, I can firmly say that it is miles better than Sherlock for a couple of reasons.
The casting is brilliant. I love that they did a gender swap for Watson and Moriarty. It really brings a different feel to show and gives it an edge over other interpretations of Sherlock Holmes in the media. Johnny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu's chemistry is just off the charts. They're so great together on screen, it leaves you wanting more after every episode is over. Miller's version of Sherlock is easily my favorite from those that I have seen. One thing that I did not care for about the BBC version is that their Sherlock almost feels like a robot. He rarely shows emotion and seems to only spout out nonsense. He can go about doing terrible things and is never called out of any of it. The CBS version actually feels like a real person. You can relate to him as viewer and feel his emotions with him. Not only that, but the other characters routinely keep him in check.
Johnny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu as Holmes and Watson | (Image via CBS)
One of the biggest criticisms I see of BBC's Sherlock is that there is little to no representation of women or any minority race. After watching it, I see those criticisms ring true. What I love about Elementary is that it takes place in New York and there is realistic representation of race and sexuality throughout the show. Two of the four main characters are not white and the show has had numerous recurring characters of different races, sexuality, and even trans representation. New York is a melting pot of culture and Elementary does a good job at showing that.
Lastly, the season length. I know ridiculously short seasons are common in the UK but I will never understand why. Sherlock only airs 3 episodes at 90 minutes per season. With Elementary, we get 22 episodes per season at 42 minutes. It really lets us see the characters grow and for that, I feel like I appreciate them more.
When this season of Survivor started, I did a write up and expressed my excitement for what was to come. I thought splitting up the tribes between white, blue, and no collar was a really fascinating idea that would make for great TV. Now? I don't know how to feel about the season. The episodes are edited great and have a lot of content which is nice because some seasons don't have that (glares at Redemption Island) But the people themselves and the outcome at tribal councils? Terrible. While the last few tribal councils have been explosive (and those are always the best tribals!) the result is always predictable. The best people are going to the jury while people like Dan and Will continue to "play the game" - a phrasing I'm using loosely for those two. We're at final 7 and there's only one likable person left in the running for the $1 million prize. The other six are nauseating. Let's take a look at them.
Will - I've disliked him since the first few episodes and I'm so glad that others are finally starting to see his awfulness. He's terrible at challenges, has no sense of the game, is basically a follower, and is an all around deplorable human being to boot. After watching him make light of Shirin's past issues with abuse, you really get a sense of his "character" (as he likes to put). However, I don't think he is going to the final 3. Normally, you would want to take the person who is least likely to win and shockingly, I don't think that's Will. I mean, Will has 0.000000001% of winning... but that's still more than Dan.
A group of terrible people on a boat | (Photo via CBS)
Dan - I... I can't even, like... what? I don't think I've ever seen anyone lack self-awareness as much has Dan this season. The four seem to be making it so obvious they're together and he still can't see it? Instead he flips on Mike at the drop of a hat. The funniest thing about this? Mike is 100% right in everything has he has told Dan. Rodney/Carolyn/Tyler/Will are a firm final four alliance. My blood was boiling during the last episode - with Dan trashing Mike for the entire reward and then cheering on Rodney in the immunity challenge. Of all the people to get the double vote twist - it had to be him, right? Despite getting two votes at the last tribal, I still don't see him being smart enough to flip back to Mike. Everyone thinks he's an idiot. Rodney and co. are using him and Mike/Shirin know the kind of nasty person he is. He's almost confirmed a spot in the final tribal council because he's almost guaranteed zero votes.
Sierra - She's in the same situation as Dan, minus the atrocious personality. I wanted to like her so much in the beginning - but she has let me down. She always talks about flipping the vote but never does. How do you NOT see you're at the bottom of the alliance? You're barely even in the alliance girl! She showed some promise wanting to vote Tyler out last round but then she goes into tribal and votes Shirin? What are you doing? This was your chance! She thinks aligning with the most unlikable people will get her a win at the end, but nobody is going to respect her lack of gameplay.
Carolyn - The good thing about the alliance of six splintering is that I don't have to hear "WE'RE SIX STRONG!" in next week's episode. I pegged her as being one of the better game players in the first few episodes - but she's incredibly overrated. What has she done? All her game moves seem to be on a personal level - taking out the people she doesn't like (i.e- turning on the white collars, voting out Max). If you really look at her game moves, she's done next to nothing. She does have an idol - and I'm hoping she gets voted out with it in her bag. Sidenote: every time I see her obnoxious smile and head-nods at tribal council, I literally want to turn off my television.
Rodney - He's way too cocky and utterly unwatchable but still not as bad as Will or Dan. It's sad when that becomes the standard? I love watching Mike get him worked up, it's hilarious. "YOU NEED TO RELAX, BRO! YOU NEED TO RELAX!" Rodney exclaims while foaming from the mouth. After Mike, he's sadly the second most deserving winner of the season.
Tyler - Oh right. I almost forgot about him while doing this write up. He definitely could win too. An invisible player winning would be a fitting end to this season. Let me just end it there.
The only acceptable winner of this season, Mike | (Photo via CBS)
Mike - Easily the most deserving winner and the best person left in the game. He made a great move during the last tribal council. I completely understand why he didn't give Shirin the idol. While it would have been absolutely great from a viewer's perspective - it would have been game suicide. Yes, they might have gotten Tyler out - but Mike would just be targeted next round and this time he wouldn't have a hidden immunity idol as a back up. He's fractured the alliance of six and now can pick up the pieces. He's in a much better spot and only a few immunity wins away from winning the entire game. On top of that, he's a stand up guy. He was the only one who stood up for Shirin when Will attacked her and that shows his true character.
and let's not forget the most recent jury member, Shirin. Shirin is one of my favorite castaways in a long time. Even in the beginning when viewers found her annoying, I liked her. She just came across as quirky but overall a genuinely nice person. Last week's episode broke my heart, when Will made her relive her past abuse. Part of me is glad that she was voted out because she finally gets a break from the abysmal people back at camp. She was bullied all season for having a fun, albeit over-the-top personality. I wish Survivor still did "Player of the Season" because there's no doubt in my mind, she would get all of my votes. I should also mention that she gave me one of my all-time favorite Survivor moments. Her denying Will his letter from home will go down in history. He thoroughly deserved it. The iconic hand raise is everything to me. I can't even think of a better way to end this post than with these gifs.
I've been watching Big Brother since it's very first season. To put that in perspective, I was in elementary school when the first season aired back in 2000. So I've seen the absolute best and worst the show has had to offer. They've had some great seasons and some absolutely duds. The duds are hard to take because until recently we only got one season per year. Now with the addition of Big Brother Canada starting in 2013, we get two! I thought it would be fun to countdown the 5 best and worst seasons of the game.
THE BEST
No. 1 - Big Brother 6 (2005)
This was the original split house season, with two opposing alliances who absolutely loathe one another battling it out. The fans did not have any problem picking a side, the sovereign six alliance is one of the most beloved groups in the show's history. This season is also home to my all-time favorite houseguest and one of the most popular houseguests in BB history, Janelle Pierzina. Because both sides hated each other so intensely, it made for really fun drama. Maybe they didn't make the greatest game moves (Kaysar letting go of the button, anyone?) but it made for a very pleasant viewing experience. There was not one alliance that completely dominated the game, the power went back and forth, making it one of the most unpredictable seasons.
No. 2 - Big Brother 10 (2008)
Another split house season. The most refreshing thing about BB10 is that is had no twist. It was simply Big Brother in its purest form. Most recently, the show has become convoluted with ridiculous over the top twists - so it's nice to look back at how great this season was without any of that. The casting was on point too. Great heroes in Keesha, Dan, and Memphis and villains in Jerry, Michelle, and April. Moments like Keesha's iconic birthday fight night and Dan's Russian Roulette veto ceremony cement this season as one of the best.
No. 3 - Big Brother Canada 2 (2014)
Easily the best season of Big Brother in recent years. This season is a true testament to how you can completely flop at the start but still play a strong game until the end. We thought we were doomed to see the First Five go to the end- but in classic Big Brother fashion the outcasts, more specifically - Jon, Neda, and Heather formed an opposing alliance and made sure that didn't happen. Plus, who can forget Ika shamelessly shredding everyone's letters from home?
No. 4 - Big Brother 7: All Stars (2006)
Who doesn't love the best of the best coming back to compete against one another? One of the things that made this season so great? Janelle's competition destruction. Four HoHs and Five PoVs in one season- she still holds the record for the most competition wins in a single season. That's my girl! Other highlights include Chilltown and James' "I AM HARMED" veto confessional. For those who like a good strategic game, this is definitely a must-watch season. Having played before, every player went in with a firm game plan and it was thrilling to watch it all play out.
No. 5 - Big Brother 2 (2001)
After a disappointing first season, season 2 would set the groundwork for the show we have come to know and love. It was the first season to introduce the Head of Household nomination format over a house/public vote. The cast were true pioneers to the game of Big Brother. Not having any reference to past seasons, they were truly on their own. Throughout the years the show has transformed into something else- this season truly felt like a social experiment which is the purpose of Big Brother.
THE WORST
(so bad that they don't deserve video clips)
No. 1 - Big Brother 16 (2014)
I have never collectively disliked an entire cast the way I did the BB16 houseguests. There was not a single truly likable person in the bunch. It was so bad that halfway through the season I found myself rooting for Nicole, simply because she was just slightly less terrible than the rest. Special shout out to Frankie who made the season absolutely unbearable to watch - always playing up to the cameras, his fake and contrived showmance with Zach, and his incredibly extra diary room sessions. On top of an abysmal cast, we were also greeted with an equally horrendous twist. For some reasons, TPTB believe that these over-the-top twists will save their show but they won't. Just look at BB10, one of the best seasons without a proper twist. The issue lies within the casting process. Stop casting wannabe actors and models and cast REAL people then we might have a good season.
No. 2 - Big Brother 12 (2010)
This is the season where Big Brother took a sharp turn in quality. The cast was filled with boring personalities and had one alliance of alpha male men who basically steamrolled themselves to the end. Looking back at this season, I blame the Brigade alliance for the lackluster seasons that followed. Everyone saw a group of guys make it to the end with ease and wanted to recreate that success. So now every season, we get stuck with a large alliance with almost every guy in the house within the first week. It's enough now.
No. 3 - Big Brother 14 (2012)
I want to know whose bright idea it was to incorporate a "coaches" twist? Last time I checked I was watching Big Brother, not The Voice. Dan and Janelle were good people to bring back, but they should have held out for a better season. Also, I will say that bringing Britney back as a gameplay mentor is ironically hilarious. The new players were easily controlled and manipulated (See: Danielle). It says something though that they only way the producers think they can get another hit season is to bring back fan favorites from when the show was actually good. They should have just cut the nonsense and did a second All Stars or a true Fans vs. Favorites season. I've been saying for YEARS they should do a Heroes vs. Villains season - bring back 10 heroes and 10 villains from past seasons. The fans would love it!
No. 4 - Big Brother 8 (2007)
I know this is an unpopular opinion. Big Brother 8 is regarded as a favorite season to many fans, but I'm sorry - I just don't get it. I found both of the Donatos to be extremely unlikable. The cast wasn't great and the twist low-key flopped. Sure, Dick and Daniele made the finals but the other enemy pairs were broken up within the first two rounds. Everyone in the house should have had an enemy in the cast, not just a few people. Also this is the season where the production manipulation became more prominent. I can't take Dick as a legitimate winner because he was saved so many time's by Production's America's Player.
No. 5 - Big Brother 15 (2013)
When I asked for Big Brother to give me some drama, I meant fun drama. While BB15 had it's moments (such as Nick's blindside in week 2), it was dragged down by racism and bullying. That is never a fun thing to watch. Candice was one of my favorite houseguests and it was awful to watch these people bully her for weeks on end. Only a few people in this cast were root-able (Candice, Elissa, Jessie, and Helen to an extent), the rest were a nightmare.
Last week during the MTV Movie Awards, the network premiered the first trailer to the upcoming television show based on the Scream film series which is set to air on June 30. My first reaction, it's pretty disappointing. I mean, I wasn't expecting much from MTV to begin with but they really gave me nothing to look forward to in this trailer. Take a look for yourself.
Annoyed you didn't see the Ghostface mask anywhere in the trailer? You're not the only one. You won't be seeing it anywhere on this show. MTV stepped in and made a "creative decision" to customize their own mask for the show, much to the dismay of fans and Wes Craven, the director of the film series. (I'm just now realizing the graphic I used for this post is very mis-leading, but it looks too nice to pass up on)
Oh and get this, none of this takes place in Woodsboro, the town from the original 1996 Scream. Nor does it have any connection to the film'sheroine Sidney Prescott. It doesn't have the mask, the location is different, and there's no ties to Sidney, Gale, or Dewey. So how is this even Scream? Short answer, it's essentially not. It only shares the same name for branding purposes. Otherwise this is a completely different story from the one we're used to. So why are we supposed to care? If the trailer was made of the best scenes they've got, than this shows absolutely no promise. I say cut this buffoonery and just give us Scream 5 with the original returning cast. Scream just isn't Scream without Ghostface or Sidney Prescott.
Shameless ended their fifth season last weekend, with more
than a few cliffhangers. Although I must say, the episode and the season as a
whole felt rather lackluster – especially compared to season four which is
absolutely spectacular, making it one of my favorite shows of 2014. While last
season we saw a different side to many characters such as Fiona, Frank, Ian,
and Lip – this season, almost every character either became unlikable or just
plain boring.
Fiona
In season 4, we saw Fiona completely break down at her
lowest point. I believed we would see redemption for her this season but we got
very little of that. Remember when Fiona was the matriarch of her family in
lieu of Monica? But this season she wasn’t even living in the house. While
under her “care” Debbie is out trying to get pregnant, Carl is sentenced to a
year in juvie, and Ian is off running around un-medicated. I was hoping after
everything that happened last season with Liam, she would take charge on the
family front and get everyone on the narrow.
But instead we got yet another season of Fiona make terrible
life decisions. Let’s marry a guy we’ve known for a week and then cheat on him
multiple times. Good going, Fiona. Gus is a pretty good guy too (and not to mention, the hottest guy Fiona's ever dated). I’m
actually really sick of the whole “Fiona cheats on her boyfriend” trope. Wasn’t
that the catalyst for all her troubles last season? Not only that, but how did sleeping with your boss work out for you last time, Fi? It’s enough. For someone
who has had a very tough upbringing, Fiona needs to grow up and be responsible
for once. Please. She used to be my favorite character on the show and one of my favorite characters on TV in general - but now, I can't help but roll my eyes during most of her scenes. Bring back Season 1 Fiona!
Frank
Oh great. Another Frank side-story that literally nobody
cares about. There were a few times in the past couple of episodes where I
found myself fast-forwarding the scenes with Frank and Bianca. Why am I
supposed to care about this? Frank used to be an integral part of the show, but
now he has become so detached from the actual plot that he’s given boring
B-plots. They need to do something with his character. Either kill him off
(which would be a pretty bold move for Shameless) or get him back into drama
with Fiona and the rest of the family. Because what they’re doing with him now,
is just not working.
Ian and Mickey
I’m probably supposed to care about this because I know this
is what most fans of the show love – Ian and Mickey. But I just… don’t? Even in
Shameless’ hey-day, Ian has always come across for me as a one-dimensional
character. I will say though that Cameron Monaghan has greatly improved his
acting chops compared to previous seasons, but I still don’t think they’re
giving him enough to work with. I feel like it’s just the same thing, over and
over. Ian doesn’t want to take his medication, he runs away, finds trouble, and
then comes running back home. This whole season he’s just been repeating that
cycle. I do like that Monica was able to make an appearance this season – but I
wish she had interacted with more Gallagher’s than just Ian.
Mickey is probably Shameless’
best example of positive character development. After re-watching a couple of episodes
from season one, it's like night and day. That's not to say that Old Mickey still isn't there - I think him attempting to torture Sammie is proof of that. But he still, he has come a long way. It'll be interesting to see how he deals with the break up and the fall out with Sammie in season six.
Sammie
Which brings me to Sammie. When did she become the most likable character on the show? I remember not caring for her at all last season - but she was a breath of fresh air this time. Yeah, she's crazy needy - especially when it comes to Frank, but don't mess with her! I do think she was a bit justified in her revenge against the Gallaghers. Fiona's reaction to Sammie turning Carl in was so eye-roll worthy. Like what do you expect? Especially after what they did to her son. Now turning Ian into the military was a dick move - but really, this is all of Fiona's fault. If she was actually at home once in a while, actually caring for her family (of which she is a legal guardian), none of this would have happened.
Debbie
Don't even get me started on how irritating Debbie has become. I get at that age we all want to come into our own - but she's just being obnoxious. However, I do think that a pregnancy story line here would be an interesting route for season six. The cliffhanger doesn't reveal if she is or not. My guess is that she is pregnant, and she instantly regretted it after seeing the positive pregnancy test.
Lip
He's at like, college or something, right? I literally can't even remember his story line before they played the whole "student sleeps with professor" trope.
Kev and V
Ve as a mom - yikes. What was the whole point of the pregnancy story line last season if she was going to turn out to be such a crummy mother? Yes, I get wanting a "satisfying" marriage but good lord, to actually be jealous of your children for stealing attention away from you is incredibly tacky. I was team Kev for a while - but the whole college girls and weed-selling fiascos turned me off.
I get that the point of the show is that they're a hood family on the fringe. But in previous seasons, there was always a likability factor for many characters. It's like they've been stripped of all redeeming characteristics, which made the season less fun to watch. If there's no attachment between a viewer and a character, then the show loses it's appeal. We also lost Sheila this year, which I'm still a little mad over. I do have faith that the show will be able to pick up where it originally left off in quality. Make me care about these characters again!
