Quick Thoughts: BEING HUMAN, "Ruh-Roh"

After such a strong season, I was expecting Being Human to have a stronger finale than the one we got. Now, I didn't think that "Ruh-Roh" was a bad episode, but it kind of felt like the show having its cake and eating it too because in some ways everyone was back to normal... with a catch.

Aidan's always been the most problematic character on the show because I find it hard to care about him. This season was able to make me like him more, but he quickly got saddled with old trappings like extensive flashbacks that felt pointless up until the final second and him dealing with being a "father." I think we all knew he was going to let Henry, Jr. live and that decision's going to come back to bite him, so it all came off as anti-climactic.

Thankfully, the rest of the gang kept things from getting too familiar, and I thought that the Liam arc came to a decent conclusion although I did like him as the main antagonist of the season. Maybe Being Human will pull a Vampire Diaries/Supernatural and figure out a way to bring him back from the dead. I even thought the twist at the end, having Josh be stuck in his wolf state, was a nice way to liven things up. As for Sally, she's back to being a ghost and dragged to some underworld, but like with Aidan, I found her storyline mixed this time around.

Admittedly, I'm probably nit-picking at this point because there was a lot to like about Season 3 and about this finale in particular, but it wasn't flawless. Maybe I shouldn't have had my expectations so high, but Being Human kind of forced me to with such a strong string of episodes. Regardless, it was fun watching and I can't wait for Season 4.

Quick Thoughts: BEING HUMAN, "Always a Bridesmaid, Never Alive"

With only a few handful of episodes left, Being Human kicked things up a notch with "Always a Bridesmaid, Never Alive" which might end up being the best hour of the season.

The key to this show has always been the core three, so putting them on a mission to save Sally's soul was bound to be my favorite episode ever. Not only was there an interesting hook, but it had emotion and humor, and was all around pretty great. I don't know if we needed to watch Sally die all over again this season, but there was so much to like about this episode that I'm cool with the journey she went on.

Unless the finale completely shanks, Season 3 of Being Human will go down as one of my favorite installments of television over the last couple of years. Yup, it's been that good.

Quick Thoughts: BEING HUMAN, "If I Only Had a Raw Brain"

"If I Only Had a Raw Brain" had me splitting hairs once again because it had some good moments but was far from an all-time great.

I'm kind of over the Aidan and Kenny stuff, but I have to admit that I'm intrigued by the fact that Aidan's bite might do more harm than good. Elsewhere, I've been mostly lukewarm on Sally and Max, so I'm glad that they're over and excited that we're getting back to the witch and Ray's reanimated corpse. I could've done without her taking a bite out of Adian though. And I'm usually a fan of whatever Josh gets into, so I liked his spats with his sister and Aidan.

In the end, "If I Only Had a Raw Brain" was good enough but could have been better, and that's fine by me.

Quick Thoughts: BEING HUMAN, "For Those About to Rot"

"For Those About to Rot" was one of those Being Human episodes that had me torn. On one hand, most of the Josh and Sally stuff worked, but then there was too many Aidan flashbacks which have been largely problematic this season.

I've slowly gotten on board with Sally's zombie arc this year, and one reason why I warmed to it was the additions of Nick and Stevie. By bringing those two in, it gave Sally more notes to play and Meaghan Rath has yet to disappoint. On top of it all, we got some great moments between Sally and Josh, which have felt few and far between, and the cold truth that the entire supernatural world rests on his shoulders. The only part of Josh's story that I didn't care for was the vampires feeding on Pete, but that's mostly because I started to like the hippie wolf. At least it's bound to cause even more friction between Josh, Nora, and Aidan.

As for Aidan, I'm growing tired of all of the flashbacks even though they do shed some more light on his character. I guess I just don't care about his old life at the expense of his current one. Also, I'm not quite sure I understand his whole blackout episodes just yet, but I'm sure they'll all make sense sooner or later. Honestly though, he's far more interesting when he's fighting off Liam than dealing with old ghosts.

I cannot say that I loved "Rot" because of some of the slower parts, but I'll gladly accept any episode that gives us good scenes between the roommates, and the Josh/Sally ones were top notch this time around.

Quick Thoughts: BEING HUMAN, "Of Mice and Wolfmen"

Being Human kept chugging along with another solid episode that had me liking Sally's season-long arc for the first time in a while.

For most of the season, I've felt that Sally's reincarnation has been another aimless story that she was stuck in, but I did start warming up to the idea of her as a sentient zombie but I don't know why exactly. I suppose part of it has to do with the fact that characters like Zoe, Nick, and Stevie are being brought back into the fold. Usually, I'm for less characters taking up valuable screen time, but I'm hoping that they'll add some extra layers to what Sally's going through.

While, I liked Sally's story more than I have in the past, Aidan's ongoing feud with Liam once again was the highlight even though it was a little clunky at times. As soon as Aidan was infected, the question of how the writers were going to get themselves out of this corner popped into my head, and for a second I thought they were really going to kill him off which would've been bold. Instead, we got the magically wolf's blood immunization, which felt like a cheat but I was ultimately OK with it. Thankfully, Josh and Nora did most of the heavy lifting, and while I'm glad she made up with Aidan, I liked the idea of him vs. her for the run of the season. And then there was Pete, who could be a nice addition assuming they don't make him a bad guy in the end (resurrected Ray?).

So, "Of Mice and Wolfmen" was not as flawless as previous episodes, but there were enough twists to keep me entertained and it kept the season humming along, so it's all good in the end.

Quick Thoughts: BEING HUMAN, "Your Body is a Condemned Wonderland"

Boy, does this season of Being Human keep click or what? Except for the usual missteps involving Sally, "Your Body is a Condemned Wonderland" took things to the next level awfully quickly and I honestly have no idea what's up next at this point.

Obviously, the episode's best moments had to do with Aidan getting picked up by Liam and Josh doing whatever he could to save his best friend's life. Now, I can't say that I was too shocked that Liam had Aidan chained up and tortured him, but what did surprise me was how Aidan refused to give up Nora, and how Josh got scratched by Liam's wolf. Honestly, we all knew that Josh wasn't going to be human forever, but I was expecting him to voluntarily turn himself back into a wolf to save either Nora or Aidan, and I guess that's what happened... but by accident. Regardless, I was floored by what transpired.

On the flipside, the show's still wasting Sally with this half-baked zombie arc that's yet to pay any dividends at all. I guess it was nice to see her cozy up to Max, but he's probably out of the picture now that he knows his girlfriend's literally falling apart. That said, I kind of like the idea of her limbo buddies finally getting in on the action, and that final scene between the three roommates was top notch, so I cannot fully turn on Sally. I mean, how could I?

So, "Wonderland" was chock full of twists and turns, WTF moments, and the trio doing what they do best. All in all, a pretty good episode of Being Human.

Quick Thoughts: BEING HUMAN, "One Is Silver and the Other Pagan"

While I still believe that Being Human's one of the better shows on the air right now, I have to admit that I didn't love "One Is Silver and the Other Pagan."

I'm still loving how Liam's manipulating those around Josh, and I was a little shocked that they killed off Erin so early in the run, but this arc's made me really hate Nora. Sure, putting her at odds with Aidan's not going to make her come off as the most likable of characters, but she's not even sympathetic at this point because of how she's reacting to what's going on. Either way, the tug of war between Josh's girlfriend and best friend's still the best thing going today. It's just too bad that Aidan was saddled with Henry, Jr. and some random vampire this week.

As for Sally, why cannot she get a good storyline? For one, I didn't understand why she felt the need to expose herself Bridget but that's probably because I forgot that she even existed. The wicca group didn't help either, and neither did that twist ending where she started losing her hair. Nothing's really working when it comes to Sally, and that's a damn shame.

So a small bump in the road, but I'm sure things will get back on track soon.

Quick Thoughts: BEING HUMAN, "What's Blood Got to Do With It?"

Whoa.

I'm usually pretty good at seeing plot twists coming, but I was blindsided by Erin turning on Aidan and Josh like that. I knew Liam was up to no good and the showdown between him and Josh was inevitable, but I didn't think he'd turn Erin and possibly Nora against him. I cannot wait to see what happens next.

As for Sally, she's still floundering a bit and I didn't think pairing her up with Max started off as strongly as it could because his jealousy over her being able to talk to Aidan and Josh felt a bit premature. Oddly enough, losing her soul was probably the best thing to happen to her because at least now she has some direction as she plots a way to get out of her deal with the witch.

Another solid episode, and I have to admit that Being Human might have become my new favorite TV show.

Quick Thoughts: BEING HUMAN, "Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Mouth"

Even though I still have some hesitations about this season of Being Human, it's still been a strong start and I've been enjoying pretty much everything that's been thrown our way.

Let's just get the negatives out of the way, if I should even call them that. I still don't see the benefit of human Sally just yet. Sure, we get some adorable scenes involving Meaghan Rath like her eating waffles, but I still think she was more effective as a ghost than in her corporal form. Maybe it's because I'm not loving the ghost whisperiness of her arc, that or I found her story involving the awkward morgue guy... awkward, but I'm not completely on board just yet, which is a shame because I do love Sally.

Thankfully, everything else in this episode worked. I still find Aidan's struggle with living in this new world interesting, and I even liked the bit involving him and the kid's blood, but I could've done without the hot ghosts. Add to that the fact that Liam's manipulating Nora and Josh into killing Aidan, and you have one solid hour of television, especially when it comes to the point where Josh has to pick between his best friend and his girlfriend. I knew Liam was going to be trouble, but I didn't see this twist coming.

So, once Being Human convinces me to care about Human Sally like I did about Ghost Sally, then everything will fall into place and this season could rank up there in the pantheon of great genre television. We'll just have to wait and see.

Quick Thoughts: BEING HUMAN, "I'm So Lonesome I Could Die"

While I still think Season 3 of Being Human has gotten off on the right foot, I do have to admit that "I'm So Lonesome I Could Die" had me torn for the first time.

For example, I'm glad to see that Josh and Nora have created a life outside of Aidan and Sally, and I'm actually liking the addition of Erin for now, but giving her stereotypical family issues didn't resonate and it felt like a cheap shortcut that way too many shows utilize nowadays. I'm always up for getting more backstory, but retreading the same old stuff isn't enough to get me on board. Same goes for Erin running away.

As for Aidan and Sally, I'm still intrigued by how they're adjusting to their new situations, and I'm happy that the writers found a way to keep her in Boston while finally putting her firmly in the morgue guy's orbit (because we knew both events were going to happen). Aidan's guilt trip may have been a tad over-dramatic, but he needed to give Sally an excuse to straddle him while holding a phallic shaped object right before he showed her where his heart was. Seriously, the idea of these two together gets me all upset.

So, we got some good stuff along with some contrived, clichéd stuff, which combined for a decent enough episode but not one that trancended the one before it. Instead of a step forward or backward, "Lonesone" was a solid shuffle step, which isn't the end of the world.

Quick Thoughts: BEING HUMAN, "The Teens They Are A Changin"

Being Human continued to have a great start to its fourth season as some of the bigger questions I had started to get answered.

I had some hesitations with the decision to make Sally human because I found her far more interesting as a ghost than as a human, but it looks like her new role will be some kind of medium/ghost whisper type which could add some depth to the character. The same could be said about Josh and Nora now that they're starting their own pack which will inevitably clash with Liam, but I still wonder what's going to happen to Josh. Can he survive this world as a mortal? Will he need to return to his wolfy ways? Who knows?

Aidan and Henry's road to redemption still intrigues me, and I'm still more invested in them now that they're struggling to survive instead of dealing with spoiled, undead socialites, and I was genuinely sad when Henry walked away. He's obviously on borrowed time, but I hope that's not the last we see of him because that goodbye was kind of anti-climactic.

Keep up the good work, Being Human.

Quick Thoughts: BEING HUMAN, "(Dead) Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"

I wasn't quite sure if I wanted both Josh and Sally to be human so early on in the show's run, but it's starting to look like the decision will pay off in the short term. As for Aidan, I'm still intrigued by watching him and Henry living in world with tainted blood.

Let's dive into the latter part first. I think there is something inherently interesting about seeing those in power now struggling to make ends meet, and even though we didn't get to see too much of the supernatural hierarchy in Boston aside form the standard "vamps are at the top and wolves are at the bottom" trope that's permeated pop culture, this new world order could lead to some strong stories and make Aidan and Henry sympathetic for once. Speaking of those two, I also think that their relationship should be more captivating than it is, but I blame that on last year's weak arc, and I hope the writers are able to course correct.

Now onto the more problematic aspects of the season. I'm happy that Josh is finally human and that Sally's gotten a second chance at life, but I still wonder how long it's all going to last and if things are going to be reset to the status quo. I for one think that Josh's story could be elevated if he remains human, but I don't know if the same can be said about Sally. Sure, it's fun to see her in the flesh and indulge in human needs, but so far Human Sally's not as charming or interesting as Ghost Sally. I don't think she needs to die again, but something needs to be done. The one thing that doesn't need to happen is the Sally/Aidan hook-up that was hinted at. No, just no.

So far, I'm liking the new direction that Being Human's going in even though I cannot figure out where it's going, but I suppose that's half of the fun.

Quick Thoughts: BEING HUMAN, "It's a Shame About Ray"

I'll admit that I never expected to like the North American version of Being Human as much as I do, and even though I felt that Season 2 was a step down from Season 1, I'm still on board and excited to see what's to come in Season 3.

For the longest time, Aidan's been the weak link which is problematic since he's probably the lead of the show, and last year's debacle involving Suren, Henry, and Mother didn't quite work me. I did think his emergence into a new world where vampires are dying off because of a human flu strain has potential, and hopefully we're done with vampire politics for now, and for the first time ever I can say that I care about his journey.

While Josh and Sally are still leads, they've always taken a backseat to Aidan, and I think that this show would be much better if they did the majority of the heavy lifting because they're people I actually care about. I don't know how far they can keep Josh as a human, but it's a bold move that I hope pays off in the end. Ditto for Sally now that it looks like she's been raised from the dead.

"It's a Shame About Ray" did its job. It was able to tie up some loose ends from Season 2 while getting us ready for Season 3, and it's going to be a vastly different from where we left off last year. Can't wait to see what's in store.

TV Report Card: Week of April 8, 2012

Here is this week's TV Report Card. It's a little incomplete, so I apologize but I wanted to get it out in a sensible amount of time.


Monday
How I Met Your Mother: "Trilogy Time"

What Worked: I'm not hating Quinn, so I was glad that the writers are keeping her around for a little while longer, but I think that has something to do with the fact that I'm so anti-Robin and Barney. While I'm sure that other couple will be end-game, I like the diversion for now.

What Didn't Work: My tolerance for this show's so diminished that I didn't really care for this episode even though I should have. The whole flash-forward joke got old extremely fast, and I found most of the jokes to be either too broad or flat. Heck, even the patented schmaltzy HIMYM fake-out ending irked me more than anything because it was more of the same bullshit.

GRADE: D

Being Human: "It's My Party and I'll Die if I Want To"

What Worked: Apparently, I like it when this show goes really dark and depressing because the sight of Sally shredding herself and Aidan being buried alive really stuck with me. These moments, along with the Mexican standoff between Nora and Ray were standard cliffhanger tricks, but I am genuinely excited to see how these three characters are brought back together.

What Didn't Work: All of the new characters were largely misses in my opinion, so I didn't care much when Suren was staked by Mother (one of the worst villains ever) or when Henry was hanging from a hook in a basement. While I understand the roles they played throughout the season, they just didn't make an impact on me. Let's hope we're done with them for good, but oh how I doubt that.

GRADE: B-

Smash: "Understudy"

What Worked: I actually liked the moment between Karen and Derek in her apartment because Kat McPhee has more chemistry with Jack Davenport than she has with anyone else. I'm sure we're in for a Karen/Derek pairing, and I wouldn't really mind it because these two could be good for one another. I also didn't mind watching Eileen struggle to find investors (except for the bar tender's pile of cash under the bar).

What Didn't Work: This episode had so many thing to dislike about it like: the music, Ivy's "Marilyn" hair, Ivy's scheme to oust Karen, Dev being all jealous and insecure, Julia's estranged marriage, pretty much everything about Julia, Leo, the extremely forced love triangle between Tom and the two other guys, the caty chorus members, Uma Thurman, and so many other things that I'm probably forgetting about. Man, I love to hate this show.

GRADE: D

Tuesday
Glee: "Big Brother"

What Worked: For the first time in a while, I didn't hate everything that Sue gave us. Sure, I'm still not a fan of her pregnancy arc, but I liked most of the beats she played during this episode, and I'm not immediately disliking her helping out New Directions and her possible change in attitude. Also, Matt Bomer was the best thing to happen to Glee because I loved Cooper Anderson and the sheer absurdity he brought to Lima.

What Didn't Work: Since I was in the "Quinn Hast to Die" camp, I was a little irked that the writers decided to put her in a wheelchair instead of knocking her off because it felt like a cop out. Ditto for the fact that they're still going to give her the chance to walk by season's end. Just commit already! I didn't really care for this week's music either, but that's a minor complaint.

GRADE: B-

Cougar Town: "You Can Still Change Your Mind"

What Worked: Like most episodes of Cougar Town, I found myself only caring about the stories that involved the guys. While the end of Bobby's relationship with Sarah Chalke was inevitable, and a little bit cliched, it was still nice seeing him grow as a character. I even liked watching Grayson regress to his modeling days thanks to the 90's drawer, but nothing beat the shot of them doing a triple-heel tap in Zubaz.

What Didn't Work: Everything involving the women. I've realized that no matter how many chances I give this show, I will always hate Jules with every fiber of my being, and I'll never be able to get passed it. The shot of Travis eating yogurt off of her fingers literally made me cringe and was too much for me to handle. I might actually have to stop watching this show altogether because of that one joke. I hate it that much. Ellie tricking Laurie with the Simon wasn't as bad, but not really funny either.

GRADE: D

New Girl: "Normal"

What Worked: This show works best when it focuses less on the love lives of the characters and just let's them hang out. I loved all of the True American scenes, and I was glad that they tried something new with Nick, Schmidt and Winston. Speaking of the latter, I don't think the show got enough mileage out of him as a nanny, and I'm going to miss seeing him hanging out with the little kid, but the split was inevitable.

What Didn't Work: Even though watching Russell trying to hang with Jess' friends and their mini-fight were amusing, those moments paled in comparison to everything else that was going on. And like I mentioned earlier, I'm not finding their love lives as interesting as all of their friendships, so it needs to focus more on silly drinking games and less on romantic angst.

GRADE: B

Justified: "Slaughterhouse"

What Worked: Raylan had some interesting things to do during this episode as he hunted down the person who was responsible for killing Trooper Tom, but he was probably the only real standout of the season finale. Admittedly, he got some good scenes with Limehouse, Quarles, Boyd, Arlo and Winona, but the rest of the episode was a little anti-climactic.

What Didn't Work: Honestly, I was a little annoyed with how the season ended. After weeks of building up to this epic showdown between Raylan and Quarles, the bad guy ended up being taken out by Limehouse and one of his lackeys. Don't get me started on his arm getting hacked off. Having Quarles' end in that fashion didn't do his character any favors, and I felt like the whole season was a giant tease which is odd since I really didn't care for him in the first place.

GRADE: C+

Wednesday
Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23: "Pilot"

What Worked: I've said over and over again on "The Small Screen Podcast" that I'm a fan of actors making fun of themselves, so I pretty much love everything James Van Der Beek brings to Apartment 23. While the rest of the pilot was decent, he really took things to another level, and I'll be watching because of him alone (although I do like what Krysten Ritter's bringing).

What Didn't Work: I think I would've liked this show more if it had premiered at the start of the season so it didn't feel like a rip-off of New Girl and 2 Broke Girls, but that's not the show's fault. As of right now, I don't really care much about Dreama Walker's character, but I'm willing to give her time.

GRADE: B-

Thursday
Community: "Origins of Vampire Mythology"

What Worked: I really enjoyed watching Britta go crazy over the return of her carney ex-boyfriend and how that affected her relationship with Annie. Speaking of relationships, I'm glad they brought back the idea of a possible Britta and Troy pairing.

What Didn't Work: Pierce and Chang were a waste of time, but at least they didn't take up too much of it. For the most part, Jeff's sub-plot was serviceable, but I was a little bummed that it made him regress as a character. I did love watching him interact with Shirley though.

GRADE: B

Friday
Grimm: "Love Sick"

What Worked: I'm still loving Rosalie's addition to the team, so I really enjoyed it every time we got to see her and Monroe work together. The only complaint I had about these two, had more to do with Nick. It seems like every time he needs help from them, he kinda acts like a jerk and I end up not liking him which works against the show. Luckily, Eddie and Rosalie don't let it bother them, but this could be a problem down the road.

What Didn't Work: Like I mentioned before, the whole Hank and Adalind arc really hasn't been working for me as much as I would've thought, so I'm glad that it finally came to an end. I don't think we're done with Adalind by a long shot based on how her story ended, and I can see her joining forces with Nick before the series is up. Also, I'm still not feeling Juliette, and unfortunately she still needs to go.

GRADE: B

As you can see, I did not include Modern Family or 30 Rock because I haven't had the chance to watch them this week. I might add them later if I ever get around to watching them. Check back if you'd like.

Quick Thoughts: BEING HUMAN, "It's My Party and I'll Die If I Want To"

Overall, I'd have to say that Season 2 of Being Human was not as strong as its freshman outing, but its had its share of decent episodes. On a whole, I don't know if "It's My Party and I'll Die If I Want To" qualifies as one of those episodes, but it was decent. It was kinds of like a microcosm of the entire season.

Honestly, most of the new characters that were introduced this year did not resonate with me as a viewer. I really didn't care for Suren, Mother or Henry which was one of the reason why I found myself bored by Aidan's arc this season. I appreciated how everything came together during "It's My Party," but I didn't care when Suren was staked or when Henry was strung up by Mother. What I did care about was Aidan being buried alive at the end of the episode, and I can't help but wonder how he's going to get himself out of this one.

Another decent ending for one of the main characters was Sally's. Maybe I have some deep issues, but Being Human works best when its uber-dark, especially when the main characters are utilized well. While most of Sally's arc this season was disjointed, it did find its groove towards the end, so I found myself loving her all over again which meant watching her shred herself was both heartbreaking and awesome.

Josh's mission to kill Ray in order to save Nora was good, but I couldn't help but feel like something was missing. While I understand his motivations, it's clear that he's being rash and there's something that Nora's keeping from him in regards to the curse, it all felt very rushed and underdeveloped. Now, I'm positive that we're going to be getting more next season, but I just wish this final stretch of the story line had been fleshed out a little better.

So, Being Human Season 2 is done and gone, and while it wasn't up there with Season 1, I did like how "It's My Party" set up next year. How's Aidan going to get out of the coffin? Where did Sally go? Who shot whom? Interesting questions, and I can't wait to get the answers.

TV Report Card: Week of April 1, 2012

I'm kinda scrambling to put together this edition of the TV Report Card, so please pardon the mess:

Monday
Being Human: "Partial Eclipse of the Heart"

What Worked: Pretty much everything. While, I won't say that this was the best episode of Being Human ever, it did have enough good things going for it like all of the down endings. I'm glad that Josh was finally able to tell Julia the truth, but it was too bad that he was still too late. Watching Sally come to terms with what she did to Nick and how it affected Zoe was also heartbreaking, especially when Nick lied to Zoe about limbo. Pretty gut-wrenching stuff.

What Didn't Work: I'm being nit-picky now because for the most part Aidan's sub-plot was fine, it sucked how Suren gave it and returned to Mother, but it didn't have as much gravitas as the other stories. Plus, Henry's really starting to irk me, and I'm wondering what his role is, but like I said ... nit-picking.

GRADE: B+

Smash: "Hell on Earth"

What Worked: Honestly, I cannot remember what, if anything, worked during this episode. I'll go out on a limb and say that I didn't hate everything that Derek did, but that's probably not true.

What Didn't Work: I've realized that Smash is the show that I love to hate because while I think it's trash, I have to watch it week after week because knocking it gives me some inane pleasure. It's a dick move, I know. Let me just list the stuff that I remember not liking: Ellis, Ivy in her angel costume, Karen in her Ivy's sunglasses, Ivy and Karen singing in Times Square, everything Julia said and did, Frank punching Michael, the son, etc. I'm sure there was more, but I can't waste any more time trying to think of stuff.

GRADE: D-

Castle: "The Limey"

What Worked: Not a damn thing.

What Didn't Work: Everything, including: more Caskett wheel-spinning, an Aussie trying to play a Brit, said Brit getting in between Kate and Rick for no apparent reason, Lanie pushing Kate to no avail, Rickhead, stupid flight attendants who ended up helping on a stupid case, shoe-horning in Rwanda, not enough Ryan and Esposito, not enough Martha and Alexis. Oh, and did I mention to totally frustrating wheel-spinning. Honestly, the fact that Andrew Marlowe continues to muck around with the hook of his show is beyond maddening at this point. Get on with it already!

GRADE: D-

Tuesday
New Girl: "Secrets"

What Worked: A lot. I'm glad that Cece and Schmidt are finally out in the open because having them sneak around would have gotten old fast. At least now, their "relationship" can give the rest of the characters some joke fodder which is always good. Strong episode for Winston and Nick as well, and I like watching the boys just hang out and rag one each other.

What Didn't Work: Jess and Cece's fight didn't make a ton of sense, and I felt that the resolution came out of nowhere. The fact that it also came off as very by-the-books didn't help either, but I did appreciate how it elaborated a bit on their friendship as a whole, so I can't be too upset by it all.

GRADE: B+

Justified: "Coalition"

What Worked: It looks like we're finally done with Dickie Bennett and his mother's money, and good riddance. For the most part, I liked the fact that some of the most outlandish characters were toned down without making them boring, and the twists and turns made for a pretty wild ride. It's also fun watching low-lives trying to outsmart one another.

What Didn't Work: Boyd made some pretty colossal screw-ups which didn't match up with his reputation as a criminal mastermind, which in turn made it obvious meant that character was sacrificed for plot and the stitches were revealed. I also couldn't care less about Arlo's heath issues because they're so tacked on at this point.

GRADE: B

Wednesday
Happy Endings: "Four Weddings and a Funeral (Minus Three Weddings and One Funeral)"

What Worked: Derrick's become one of this show's most annoying supporting characters to one of its best, so everything about his wedding was golden, especially Mandonna. Seriously, watching Max perform in an all-male Madonna cover band is worth a few grade points. Also, I don't hate the possible love triangle between Penny, Dave and Alex, so I generally enjoyed those moments.

What Didn't Work: Having Brad lose his job gave this episode some oddly serious undertones that didn't mesh as well with the zany antics as I would've liked. I'm not opposed to giving these characters some real-world problems, but when the episodes rely so heavily on non-stop jokes, taking time out to worry about Brad and Jane's financial situation brought things down a notch for me.

GRADE: B

Thursday
Community: "Pillows and Blankets"

What Worked: Pretty much everything. I loved how Community was ballsy enough to keep the right between Troy and Abed going since they're clearly the heart of the show. Riffing on Ken Burns The Civil War was also a brilliant move that I felt worked within the context of this show and this episode in particular. I also appreciated how Jeff grew a little bit but not drastically.

What Didn't Work: Once again, if I have to nit-pick, I'd have to say that the resolution between Troy and Abed came by awfully quickly, but I'm sure we're not done with this arc, and I still hope that the show takes a risk by fundamentally changing their friendship.

GRADE: A-

30 Rock: "Nothing Left to Lose"

What Worked: I guess Pete and Jack's sub-plot was okay but nothing memorable.

What Didn't Work: The rest of the episode. I couldn't muster any emotion over Jenna being duped by the writers, especially because we got way too much Lutz who's one of my least favorite characters on this show. The fact that the Tracy/Liz plot was lifted from The Simpsons hurt it in my opinion (which in turn was a riff on Flowers for Algernon), not because it was a spoof but because it tried too hard to be its own joke, and yet it didn't really bring anything new to the bit.

GRADE: C-

Friday
Grimm: "The Thing with Feathers"

What Worked: This had to be the show's creepiest episode to date, the cat-like creature force feeding a bird-like one so it can take a golden growth from its neck was the most bizarre thing this show has ever tried, which made it work in an odd way. Plus, we got some lighter and sweet moments thanks to Monroe and Rosalie.

What Didn't Work: I'm getting bored with the Hank/Adalind arc, so I found myself tuning out whenever we switched to them, and I hate (actually, I don't) to say it but Juliette has to go. I can see her being killed off during the season finale just as Nick's about to tell her the truth, and he'll use it as motivation next year because if she doesn't then I have no idea why they kept her around for so long.

GRADE: C+

So, there you have it. Another TV Report Card is in the books, and next week's is probably going to be packed since a lot of shows we be new, so make sure you come back to check it out.

Quick Thoughts: BEING HUMAN, "Partial Eclipse of the Heart"

As much crap as I've given this season of Being Human, I have to admit that it's ending on a somewhat high note. While I won't say that "Partial Eclipse of the Heart" was as good as say "Dream Reaper," it was still wildly entertaining mostly due to how sad it ended on a down note.

Now, I've been pretty upfront about how I haven't really cared all that much about Julia, Suren, Henry and Zoe (to a lesser extent) but one of the reasons why "Partial Eclipse" worked was because it made them relevant in my eyes as they were the sources of pain for our main characters. It was gut-wrenching to see Josh finally come clean to Julia just to find out that he was talking to her ghost since she died after getting hit by a car. After buying in to the Aidan/Suren relationship, seeing her skulk back to mother was heart-breaking, and don't get me started on that scene between Zoe and Nick where he told her that he's in a better place since being shredded when Sally and we all know that's a lie. Dramatic stuff.

My biggest question after "Partial Eclipse" is where does the show go from here. This episode had an almost finale feel to it, and I have no idea how next week's is going to wrap everything up. I suppose we're going to get some closure between Aidan and Suren (with Henry playing a role in it all), and we still need to figure out whether Josh is going to kill Ray and the return of Nora, so I guess there's still some stories to tell, but they seem like they're going to be tacked on to what could have been a satisfying ending. We'll have to wait and see.

After some wheel-spinning, Being Human's been able to re-establish itself with some really strong episodes about the people we care about. Yes, we're still being pummeled over the head with outlying characters that don't carry as much weight with me as a viewer, but at least they're being utilized in effective ways, and I no longer feel like I'm wasting time while watching them. Let's just hope the finale can keep the momentum going.

TV Report Card: Week of March 25, 2012

So, this week's TV Report Card started off strong, but I ran out of steam towards the end so I apologize in advance. Without any further excuses, here's the TV Report Card for the week of March 25, 2012:

Monday
Being Human: "Don't Fear the Scott"

What Worked: For the first time in a long time, I actually liked Aidan's story. While I still don't care about Boston vampire hierarchies, or what Mother's going to do to him and Suren, I did like seeing them run away together, and their double date with Josh and Julia was a lot of fun. Aidan saying goodbye to his friends was another solid moment.

What Didn't Work: I find myself disinterested when I think about Josh's love life. I was really on board with him and Nora, but she's doing more interesting things without him (she was far better with Sally than with him this time around), and I'm really not feeling his relationship with Julia. We all know how it's going to end up, which actually works against it because it's starting to seem like the show's stalling.

GRADE: B

Smash: "The Coup"

What Worked: The plot about Derrick going behind Tom and Julia's back could have worked with some better dialogue because it was another glimpse at the creative process, but of course it turned into a mess involving the personal lives of people that I don't care about. Dev's friend at the New York Times was also very pretty and displayed more personality than Karen has over eight episodes.

What Didn't Work: Where to begin: Ellis, Michael and Julia, Eileen's daughter, everything involving Julia and her family, Brooklyn Bowl, Ellis, Dev's political career, "Touch Me," Karen saying she's sorry, Julia's stupid sunglasses. Pretty much everything that happened throughout the entire episode, but at least I had a good time mocking this episode.

GRADE: D-

Castle: "47 Seconds"

What Worked: While the idea of someone bombing an Occupy Wall Street demonstration was a bit heavy-handed, I did appreciate the narrative and visual styles that were used during this episode. They turned what could have been a by-the-books case and turned it into something more.

What Didn't Work: I thought that the opening shoots were too bleak, and I'm not a huge fan of the more serious episodes of Castle (at least not the ones where a main character's not in danger). For some reason, having Alexis working with Lanie hasn't gelled for me, but by far the worst offender was the Caskett tease. Honestly, I think I've reached my limit and don't care if they ever get together. I'm tired of being strung along by Andrew Marlowe, and the wheel-spinning has become maddening.

GRADE: C+

Tuesday
New Girl: "Fancyman Pt. 2"

What Worked: This was another solid episode for Nick, and watching him and Martin Starr trolling for college girls was brilliant. I'm always a fan of CeCe and Schmidt, so I was glad to see their relationship progress. Ditto for Winston and his lady friend. Pretty good stuff from the supporting players.

What Didn't Work: I wasn't as much of a fan of the Jess/Russell plot. It's not that it wasn't good, but it all had a very familiar feel to it. I'm also still not feeling Mulroney's character, but I did appreciate the fact that he has some confidence issues because it makes him seem more fleshed out instead of just a hottie with a body.

GRADE: B

Justified: "Measures"

What Worked: I absolutely loved the moments between Raylan and Art because they fleshed out their relationship. It was nice seeing how Art doesn't see Raylan just as one of his deputies but as someone he cares about and wants to see be safe. The episode may have played the surrogate father card a little too strongly, but it was still amazing to watch.

What Didn't Work: I still cannot get on board with some of these characters. Quarles, Dickie and Limehouse are still way too over-the-top to be taken seriously, I find myself being taken out of the episode when I'm forced to watch them. I don't necessarily mind what they're doing; it's how they're doing it that's not working in my opinion.

GRADE: B

Wednesday
Happy Endings: "Big White Lies"

What Worked: I pretty much enjoyed most of the episode. Penny's web of lies that entangled everyone shouldn't have worked as well as it did, but the cast really sold it. All of the Three's Company riffs and shout-outs were a little too sitcomy, which was the point, but I can watch Alex and Max play around for hours.

What Didn't Work: My only gripe was Jane, not because she wasn't funny, but it didn't seem like she was in character. For someone who goes to great lengths to lie to her husband, her telling Penny to be honest with Daphne rang false. Ditto for her need to be liked by Daphne when it's been established that she'd rather be feared than liked. I know I'm nit-picking, and I usually don't care all that much about consistency, but for some reason these moments bugged me.

GRADE: B

Thursday
Community: "Digital Exploration of Interior Design"

What Worked: Plenty to like here. By far the best moments belonged to Troy and Abed as they fought over blanket forts and pillow forts, but there's so much else going on there that I'm hooked. I also thought that Britta pining after a guy named Subway was fun, and I'm also in favor of the Jeff and Annie tension to be addressed.

What Didn't Work: If I had to pick something that I didn't care for, it'd have to be Pierce drinking ink. It was just one of those jokes that wasn't funny to me, so the fact that it became a running joke was a bit of drag. Luckily, everything else he did was relatively on point.

GRADE: B+

30 Rock: "The Shower Principle"

What Worked: I loved the fact that 30 Rock poked fun at itself by pointing out how nothing really changes on the set of TGS. It's this kind of meta commentary that makes this show special, and I'm always a fan of shows mocking themselves. Adding a decent Liz and Jack plot made things even better.

What Didn't Work: I'm still not a fan of Hazel, and there was way too much of her this time around. This episode also had my least favorite versions of Jenna, Tracy and Kenneth, so there were too many grating aspects for me to get past.

GRADE: B-

The Vampire Diaries: "The Murder of One"

What Worked: Any time Rebekah and Damon are paired up, I'm going to give the episode a pass because they're so good together. He just needs to ditch Elena once and for all because she turns him into a bore. I'm also going to give any episode that gives Caroline something to do some leeway as well. It's just too bad that she had to carry Alaric during this one.

What Didn't Work: I'm still not loving this whole "Alaric had split personalities because of a ring" arc, but I have a feeling that his days are numbered. As always, I could have cared less about Bonnie, and I still cannot remember why Stefan's fighting with Klaus. The Originals need to go (except for Rebekah of course) soon.

GRADE: B

Friday
Nikita: "Power"

What Worked: Some of the flashbacks involving Nikita and Amanda were interesting, but Percy once again stole the show as he finally got Division back. Seriously, I could watch a show just about him, and I'm hoping that his return to power will make this show interesting again because Amanda as the boss was kind of a bust.

What Didn't Work: Speaking of Amanda, I still don't care about her fling with the Gogol guy, but at least it made sense once Percy took back control of Division. Also, I still cannot buy into Alex's arc this season, so seeing her parade around as Alexandra Udinov just annoys me.

GRADE: B-

Grimm: "Island of Dreams"

What Worked: I'm all in favor of the world of Grimm being expanded, so I liked the fact that we got to see some of the dingier side of the fairy tale world even though the case-of-the-week was pretty straightforward. Introducing Rosalee was a smart move too, and I hope we get to see her and Monroe a little more down the line. It was nice having Adalind back as well.

What Didn't Work: This week's monsters weren't very captivating, but they were just a reason for us to meet Rosalee, so I guess I cannot complain too much. There was also a moment there when I wanted to see Nick and Rosalee have a little spark because Juliette's role has run its course, and we need a new love interest to liven things up. In the end, I'm OK with her getting closed to Monroe just as long as she doesn't get in between him and Nick since they're the primary couple of the show.

GRADE: B-

Spartacus: Vengeance: "Wrath of the Gods"

What Worked: Pretty much everything. The season 2 finale had its fair share of action, betrayal, intrigue, twists, turns and death. It was pretty much one of the best season finales in a long time because it wrapped up this chapter of the story while keeping us excited for the next one. Sure, we lost some great characters, but overall their deaths made sense.

What Didn't Work: While I understood why Ilithyia had to die, I was sad to see her go because she's by far one of my favorite characters, and I wanted to see her live on, but the way she went out almost made up for the fact that she had to die. The one death that didn't make sense to me was Mira's because it was too telegraphed at the beginning of the episode, and she still could have contributed to the show in a meaningful way. I swear Sparty's junk's cursed.

GRADE: A

The Small Screen Podcast, Episode 24: BEING MAD

"The Small Screen Podcast" is back for Episode 24. Since it was such a short turn around, Kristal and I didn't have a ton of news to talk about, but we did discuss Jimmy Kimmel being named Emmys host, Syfy's original movies, and another online preview of a debuting show. We also chatted about the season premiere of Mad Men, what we think of this season of Being Human, and of course what we're looking forward to. Check out the breakdown for more detail.

Episode Breakdown:

Intros: Start - 1:08

TV News: 1:09 - 14:34

• Jimmy Kimmel named host of 2012 Emmys: 1:09 - 6:09
• Syfy Original Movies Line-up: 6:10 - 9:00
• Don't Trust the B---- in Apt. 23 Preview: 9:01 - 14:34

What We're Watching: 14:35 - 36:40

• Mad Men: 14:35 - 31:29
• Being Human: 31:30 - 36:40

What We're Looking Forward To: 36:41 - 38:43

• Spartacus: Vengeance: 36:41 - 37:25
• Game of Thrones: 37:26 - 38:43

Closing: 38:44 - End

Check out the episode below, or download it over at iTunes:

For more, follow us on Twitter:
Kristal: @kristal_bailey
Marcos: @poppas2cents
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Quick Thoughts: BEING HUMAN, "Don't Fear the Scott"

I know that I've been pretty hard on Being Human during its second season, but last week's episode was one of the series' best, and I was glad that "Don't Fear the Scott" was a solid follow-up.

So far, I haven't hidden the utter boredom that comes along with the Boston vampire family arc that Aidan's been stuck in, and I was expecting to dislike this episode when I saw Suren show up, but I have to admit that I actually found myself enjoying his story this time around. I think part of it had to do with that hilarious double date that he and Josh orchestrated (which Sally naturally eased drop on), and I was once again reminded how funny this show can be. Between this scene and the one last week when Aidan was high off of Josh's blood, I was rolling. Aidan just didn't bring the laughs because I truly believed that he loves Suren (even though that's developed faster than I would've liked), and watching him say goodbye to his roommates and friends was the right mix of sad and sweet. It's just too bad that it's probably going to be negated when Suren's killed because she ran off with him. At least where I see this ending up.

I was not as fond of the new love triangle between Josh, Julia and Nora because it felt like the same old thing. It was clear that Nora was not going to be taken out of the picture just yet, so it was only a matter of time until she showed back up in order to conflict him. I will say that it was nice surprise seeing him pick Julia over Nora since being with her would be the more complicated option, but much like Suren, I don't see this relationship lasting much longer. Whether he goes back to Nora could be interesting story telling if the writers can pull it off.

Rather than focusing on Nora's interactions with Josh, I thought that the start of her redemption arc by helping Sally make amends with the woman she possessed was a nice re-introduction. It's sometimes easy to forget that all of these people were humans at one point, and that the show's based on them reclaiming their humanity, so the scenes involving these two were a nice refresher. Despite a solid episode last week, I'm still on the fence about the Reaper (aka Scott) because I still cannot see the end game, and I'm already a little weary about Sally's arc since it's been all over the place this season. I am excited to see what happens though.

So, even though I haven't loved every episode of Season 2, Being Human's still an enjoyable way to spend an hour because I like these characters and care about what happens to them. Taking them out of the more complicated scenarios and placing them in mundane situations like double dates make this show work, and I'm happy that we had a chance to see these three be human for a change. See what I did there?