• Every “Mad Men” Episode Ranked, From Good To Perfect
• Can Netflix Vault The Great Wall? Shares Soar On Report Of Talks To Enter China
• Awwwww Alert: Nina Dobrev’s Instagram Posts About Her Last “The Vampire Diaries” Episode WIll Make You Cry
• Funny Business: Amy Schumer’s Late Night Interview About Her Late Night Interview Parody
• Preview: The First Trailer For AMC’s ‘Humans’ Is Subtly Creepy
• General Hospital’s Michelle Stafford Previews ABC Soap’s Live Episodes: ‘It’s Not What You Would Expect’
• Cool Beans: ‘Rick and Morty’ meets ‘The Simpsons’ in this hilarious couch gag
• Class Act: Jon Stewart’s David Letterman tribute tugs at the heartstrings
• Promoted: Portia de Rossi Bumped To Series Regular For Next Season Of ‘Scandal’
• Post-mortem: ‘The Vampire Diaries’ Bosses, Nina Dobrev on Elena’s Emotional Exit
• Bring It: Why Apple is ripe to disrupt the TV business
• Not So Funny Business: NBC explains why its fall has only one hour of comedy
• Damn – Why Netflix Will Be The Next $100 Billion Internet Company
• Seconded: Age of the talky TV producers
• Why we should mourn CSI, a show I unabashedly loved
• Upfronts Roundup: Fall TV, Like Summer Movies, Plays the Imitation Game
• Awwwwww Alert: “Grey’s Anatomy” Fans Finally Got The Derek Shepherd Closure They Needed
• Ranked: Some Simpsons Characters Voiced By Harry Shearer
• Childhood’s End: Watch an exclusive trailer for the chilling Syfy series
• The Business of Show: Best & Worst Decisions of 2015 Upfronts
• Upfronts 2015: The Best, Worst and Weirdest Moments of TV’s Marathon Week
• You Be the Critic: Watch the first episode of Jim Gaffican’s new show here.
Archives for May 2015
Our Top 5 Takeaways From GREY’S ANATOMY Season 11
The carousel never stopped turning this season on GREY’S ANATOMY. This season brought us laughs, love, heartbreak, and a whole lot of ugly crying. It made us question why we started GREY’S in the first place, and then instantly reminded us why we not only started it, but why we stuck by it and supported it for so many years.
The flashbacks!
We’ve seen flashbacks from Meredith’s childhood and the terrible parenting style of Ellis Grey (Kate Burton) before but we’ve never seen such interesting and critical flashbacks like we saw this season.
Best Use of a Flashback: The parallels when Meredith starting going into labor with baby Ellis intertwined with flashbacks from when her mother tried to kill herself.
The music!
Revisiting the songs that shaped this show was beautiful and tragic and was so incredibly fitting. It served as the perfect subtle dialogue in the scenes that meant the most this season.
Amelia (Caterina Scorsone) having the storyline she deserved!
Amelia is brilliant and as I said in an article in the beginning of the season a character that people need to see on TV. Her storyline with Owen (Kevin McKidd) has been wonderful and a healthy relationship for both of them. I’m most excited to see what’s in store for Amelia next season.
RIP Derek “McDreamy” Shepherd.
His death was sudden and none of us were ready for it. It’s too soon to even talk about it so I won’t say too much.
The season of Meredith! (Ellen Pompeo)
Where to even begin with this complicated, extraordinary, super-human of a character. We watched Meredith go from a dark and twisty intern to strong and confident mother and surgeon. One of Meredith’s biggest struggles has been comparing herself to her mother, if we learned anything from the last few episodes it’s that she is absolutely not her mother. She has dealt with the horrible events life (Shonda Rhimes) has thrown at her and has bounced back from everything. Just like Cristina (Sandra Oh) said, Meredith is the sun.
On TV Tonight: Friday May 15, 2015
NET | 8PM | 8:30PM | 9PM | 9:30PM | 10PM | 10:30PM |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ABC | Shark Tank | Beyond the Tank | 20/20 | |||
CBS | The Amazing Race 26 | AMC Presents: Superstar Duets | ||||
CW | Whose Line Is It… | Whose Line Is It… | The Messengers | |||
FOX | Scream 2 (Movie) | |||||
NBC | Grimm | Dateline NBC | ||||
MISC | 21 Years: Richard Linklater (SHO) | Meet the Smiths (TBS) | Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO) | |||
Syfy | Bitten | Lost Girl |
We Countdown Nina Dobrev’s Top 10 THE VAMPIRE DIARIES Moments
Nina Dobrev’s time as a series regular on The Vampire Diaries has come to end (I still have hope Elena won’t die and we will see her again). When something comes to an end, it is normally a good time to reflect all that has happened. So I’ve been reflecting on how awesome Nina Dobrev has been on this show. And since she is leaving us and the show, let’s talk about Nina Dobrev’s top 10 moments on The Vampire Diaries. Fair warning, please grab some tissues now because Dobrev likes to emotionally traumatized viewers.
Katherine as human (Season 5, Episode 2)
One of my favorite storylines is Katherine as human because it allowed for Dobrev to show a comedic side. I mean, Katherine running around as human is literally the funniest thing to watch. There were many great moments to choose from but this moment is the best from Dobrev. Katherine still has her standard sassy but Dobrev is able to show Katherine still somewhat vulnerable because she needs help, like needing Matt to buy her medicine.
Jenna’s Death (Season 2, Episdoe 21)
This wasn’t the first nor the last time Elena would face death. This moment has Dobrev very early on showing her emotional depth. She goes from showing strength and standing up to Klaus to fear for Stefan and then, of course, sadness for Jenna. I honestly can’t watch this scene without tearing up when I start to hear Dobrev sob and say, “Jenna, no.” And then I completely lose when she tells Jenna to turn it off so she won’t be scared anymore. And if you thought you couldn’t cry any more just wait for Dobrev’s wail when Jenna is really gone.
Nadia’ Death (Season 5, Episode 15)
There are many more Katherine moments on this list but this one is special because it is one of the rare times where Katherine showed emotion and compassion. Katherine’s face when Nadia rambles all the horrible attributes that describe Katherine is kind of heartbreaking. What I love about it best is that the face is different than any other face we’ve seen from Dobrev. She didn’t recycle a Elena face, it’s a pure Katherine face and one that viewers have never seen before. And somehow Katherine crying is just the saddest thing ever.
Katherine as Elena pretending to care that Jeremy was kidnapped
Katherine pretending to be Elena was one of my favorite storylines ever because it was amazing to see Dobrev switch between these two characters seamlessly. This moment in particular is on list because of the eye roll after Katherine sees the photo of Jeremy. Dobrev gives the best eyeroll when acting as Katherine. Plus, how she went from giddy about Jeremy potentially dying to crying in Stefan’s arms, well it was just fantastic.
Hunter’s Curse (Season 4, Episode 6)
Watching Elena deal with the hunter’s curse ghosts one of which is her mother is almost hard to watch because it hits so close to home for Elena. When Damon pulls her out of talking to said ghost mother and she very quick give a subtle look of sadness that her mother has left her again, it’s just gold.
Elena and Katherine’s first meeting (Season 2, Episode 4)
This is the first scene where Dobrev had to play both doppelgangers in the same scene. This is the scene where Dobrev had to establish a Katherine stand/look/attitude versus a Elena stand/look/attitude. Yes, Katherine had appeared in many scenes before this but when the two characters are standing next to each other, everything is amped up. Every moment of this scene is perfect so there is nothing I can say that will even describe its epicness so just watch and enjoy. Also, how great is that smile Katherine leaves the scene on?
Elena tells Damon she loves him Season 4, Episode 23)
This scene is acted perfectly by Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder. Their speeches could have been too typical or cheeky but they weren’t. They were just perfect. The two actors played great off each other and some of the best moments are their reactions to the other’s speech. The best Dobrev moment? A tie between how she says “you’ve been a terrible person,” and her big breath/sigh before she says, “this will prove to the worst one.” Enjoy!
3 Doppelgangers (Season 5, Episode 7)
How can a scene be anything but epic when there are three doppelgangers! Dobrev again had to play different characters that were all standing directly next to each other and have the viewers know who is who. I mean, all of their voices sound different, how does Dobrev do it?! They all cry out in pain differently, how does Dobrev do it?! Watch and be amazed.
Jeremy’s “Death” (Season 4, Episode 15)
This scene has been talked about at length but it deserves every word said about it because Dobrev knocked it out of the park. Dobrev may have the best cry and cry face in the business. She completely murderers it and I can’t ever get through it without crying. Her spiral into complete despair and utter panic should be studied. I would explain more but the only way to understand this scene is by watching it.
Damon’s “Death” (Season 5, Episode 22)
More Elena cry face! I debated a lot on if this or Jeremy’s death should be #1 but I obviously concluded on this one. I love Elena’s face when Bonnie tells her that it is too late for Damon. I was sobbing at the point when Elena begs Damon not to leave. The main reason why I chose this one as the best Nina Dobrev moment is that she had to do a lot of this scene without Somerhalder in the room. She was by herself, with no one to play off of and was still able to completely empty out my tear ducts.
What are your favorite Nina Dobrev moments? Did I miss your favorite? Sound off below!
Morning Static: THE SIMPSONS, ARROW, UPFRONTS & More!
• D’OH! Harry Shearer, Voice Of Ned Flanders And Mr. Burns, Will Leave ‘The Simpsons’
• ‘Simpsons’ Producer: Harry Shearer Offered ‘Same Deal’ Rest of Cast Accepted; ‘Will Recast’ Roles
• Shots fired! Samantha Bee mocks male late-night hosts in new TBS promo
• TV Upfronts: CW Chief on ‘Vampire Diaries’ Future, DC Comics Push
• WTF! Marc Maron chats about season 3 of his IFC show, touring, and the ‘WTF’ podcast
• Must Read TV: How This Mad Men Co-Producer Made Don Draper’s Work Believable Meet the man behind the show’s ad campaigns
• Wayward Pines Boss: Uncovering the ‘Gargantuan’ Twist Is Only Half the Fun
• Spoiler Alert: DC’s Legends of Tomorrow reveals Caity Lotz’s character
• TNT and TBS are getting makeovers, and a bunch of new shows
• Let the Buzz Begin: First ‘Scream Queens’ trailer will make you shriek with delight
• We Have Liftoff! Supergirl
• Turner Ad Sales Chief: ‘Dayparts Are Dead’ Basketball stars and Billy Eichner tout dozens of shows on 8 networks
• Upfront Scorecard: CBS Takes a Flyer With ‘Supergirl’
• ‘Arrow’ Finale: Marc Guggenheim on Oliver’s Questionable Choices, Season 4 Plans
• Casting Coup: Vanessa Williams Heads to ‘Royal Pains’
• Watch: Sneak Peek of ‘Masters of Sex’ Season Three
• Mark Your Calendars: Seth MacFarlane’s ‘Blunt Talk’ & ‘Survivor’s Remorse’ Get August Premiere Date On Starz
• Jumping Ship: Peter MacNicol To Depart ‘CSI: Cyber’
• Network Upfronts Report: Six Things We Learned About the State of Broadcast TV
On TV Tonight: Thursday May 14, 2015
AMERICAN IDOL Recap: And the Winner Is…
Not since Kelly Clarkson has my favorite done so well.
Way back when this season I unveiled the Molly DeWolf Swenson Scale of favoritism. A surefire kiss of death named after my favorite contestant of all time. The scale has become a kiss of death because my favorite never wins. Never comes close. Only one favorite has ever accomplished the feat and that was the first season’s winner who appeared long before Molly DeWolf Swenson got punched in the face by Randy Jackson. She also remains the only contestant for whom I’ve ever voted.
That’s why it’s so remarkable that Clark made it all the way until the end of the show before losing. Especially after the early judges’ save he seemed destined to go out early due to a buried performance or one off week just because he was my favorite contestant this year. Amazingly, it took America the entire season to catch up with my curse and finally send him packing when there was no show left to leave.
Of course I would have preferred to see Clark take home the title, but it was never much in the cards for my AM Gold stalwart. As soon as Nick started to turn himself into a hybrid of every lead singer of ever crappy band that’s existed in the last quarter century, it was over. The cute guy with a guitar is back on top after a two year absence in the ‘Idol’ winner’s circle. It’s only fitting that the very archetype that essentially killed this show would win two days after the show’s final season was announced. Especially when he beat one of the most talented performers we’ve seen in the series’ history.
But it wasn’t all bad for Clark. It certainly wasn’t all bad for a Clark fan like me. He got to play with Michael McDonald. The king of yacht rock right there with his heir apparent. Dueling pianos to boot! Just knowing that moment got made is worth dooming Clark into the runner-up spot. That was the solid gold of which I knew Clark was capable since the very beginning.
The rest of the performances ranged from boring to atrocious. Any show that opens with Fallout Boy playing the most obnoxious song of the last decade is already trending downward and it only got worse from there amidst a sea of Pitbulls, Ricky Martins and (gulp) Chris Browns.
It’s hard to point to a bright spot outside of Clark’s duet with McDonald. There was certainly some solid unintentional comedy in whatever number of Jacksons are left trying to sing along with Tyanna and remembering that Addana Duru and Sarina-Joi Crowe once existed as living breathing contestants on this show.
There was also some puzzlement. Such as why in God’s name is Daniel Seavey singing with that band of fifty-year-old men who still refer to themselves with words like new and kids. And why would you keep Nick Fradiani from fulfilling his crap rock destiny by having him sing with crap-country artist Andy Grammer? Shouldn’t there have been a reunion of The Goo Goo Matchbox and the Blowfish?
Oh well. It’s his first taste of being a mis-managed ‘Idol’ winner. Speaking of, nice to see you, Casey Abrams! I forgot you won last year so much that I just called you Casey Abrams instead of Caleb Johnson.
Until next year. This was ‘American Idol’.
The CW Unveils Fall 2015 Primetime Schedule
Snap judgments, photos and video to come, but until then, enjoy this first look at the CW’s just announced Fall 2015 Primetime Schedule — with new shows as per usual highlighted in orange — after the jump. [Read more…]
Have The CW Anit-Heroes Gone Too Far?
This week has two season finales that are sure to be action packed. These two finales are both on The CW and both involve “anti-heroes.” Anti-heroes are those characters that seem to be in the “heroes” category but don’t actually follow any conventional hero characteristics. The two CW shows I’m talking here are ARROW and THE ORIGINALS. What these two show’s anti-heroes have in common is that they both have made some very bold and potentially unforgivable moves in the episodes leading up to the finales this week. So I ask have Klaus Mikaelson and Oliver Queen gone too far? [Read more…]
CBS Unveils Fall 2015 Primetime Schedule
Snap judgments, photos and video to come, but until then, enjoy this first look at CBS’s just announced Fall 2015 Primetime Schedule — with new shows as per usual highlighted in orange — after the jump. [Read more…]