Ms. Taco's TV Time Travel: Character Deaths

*Disclaimer: This post will contain spoilers about Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Everwood, 24, Lost, and The Wire*

With the plethora of good shows on this season, I've fallen a bit behind on the new episodes. So, I've only recently seen the October 13th episode of The Secret Circle ("Slither") which showcased the shocking death of Nick, one of the main members of the circle. This got me thinking about other shocking character deaths in television seasons past.

Tara McLay, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, "Seeing Red"
When you are a show about a town overrun by vampires, you are bound to leave a few casualties along the way. With Tara coming on the scene mid-season four in "Hush", we really didn't know what to make of her, and I don't think anyone expected her to make it to season 6. She didn't fit in well initially, she came between the much loved Willow/Oz pairing, and she was harboring a secret. But somewhere along the way, this socially awkward witch made her way into our (and the Scoobies) hearts. Much like Joyce's death was non-demon/vampire/monster related so was Tara's as a stray shot from Warren's gun hit her right in the heart, and likely hit many fans, myself included, with a punch in the stomach. Watching Tara and Willow make their way back to each other, only to see their reunion cut so short by her death, was truly painful, but that meant that the show had done an amazing job of creating a character and a couple that fans were really invested in. With her death the ultimately controversial final episodes of the season were set-up and the "Big Bad" revealed. Season 6 will forever be the season of BTVS that polarized fans and Tara's death was a major part of that.

Colin Hart, Everwood, "The Last of Summer"
I still consider this one of the most shocking deaths ever on television, even though it occurred off screen. I guess with all the factors (beloved town hero, exceptional surgeon, quirky small town) his death just took me off guard. Tricked by the scene in the beginning as we saw what could have been had Colin survived his brain surgery, we were quickly snapped to reality as we were shown the memorial service for him at the high school. As we watched, Colin's words to Dr. Brown at the end of season 1 echoed in our minds ("When they put me out tomorrow, if I don't wake up the way I'm supposed to, if I'm not me again, I don't want to be. Don't bring me back."). His death had such a profound effect on the characters, especially Amy who spun out into depression and anger (Emily Van Camp doing some of her best work) and Dr. Brown who held guilt square on his shoulders.
 
 Teri Baur, 24, "Day 1: 11:00 P.M.-12:00 A.M."
It wasn't just that on top of everything else that day, Jack had to deal with the death of his wife at the hands of traitor and former mistress Nina Myers, it was that we had actually spent a lot of that day with Teri, becoming invested in her story as well. They spent the entire season apart, so we desperately wanted them to have that happy reunion at the end. But, hey, this is 24. Happy endings for Jack Bauer are hard to come by. Teri's death spoke volumes to that point. The hole her death left in his life not only by her being gone, but by the estrangement from his daughter that it led to, had a major impact on Jack for the remainder of the series.

Ana Lucia and Libby, Lost, "Two For The Road"
I was so behind on Lost during season 2 that I didn't watch this episode until about six months after it aired when I knew full well what was coming at the end. Despite this, I sat in shock with my mouth hanging open as I watched Michael shoot first Ana-Lucia and then Libby in his misguided attempt to get Walt back from The Others by freeing Ben (then known as Henry Gale). Not that I was ever the hugest fan of Michael, but I could not look at him the same way after this. Their deaths were all the more controversial because they came not long after Michelle Rodriguez (Ana-Lucia) and Cynthia Watros (Libby) were both charged with DUIs leading to fan speculation that they were killed off of the show because of this.

Wallace, The Wire, "Cleaning Up" and Omar Little, The Wire, "Clarifications"
I couldn't choose between these two because they were both equally shocking for different reasons. Gunned down in season 1 by his childhood friends, Bodie and Poot, on the orders of Stringer Bell, Wallace, like many of The Wire's characters, was a complex character who couldn't see a life for himself beyond the corners. He was our first piece of evidence that the corner boys were just “little bitches on the chessboard”. His death led to the unraveling and eventual death of D'Angelo in season 2. Omar was the stick-up boy we somehow found ourselves rooting for, maybe because he had a code. In some ways, Omar was the center of The Wire popping up when necessary and always being the constant on the street when so many characters came and went either through death or imprisonment. His death was shocking not only because he often seemed like the least vulnerable character but also because he was taken down by the young Kenard. Neither Omar nor any of us could have seen that one coming.

Ms. Taco Wonders About The Other Bride On 'Mother'

*Disclaimer: This post will contain spoilers about the current season of How I Met Your Mother*


I realize that I am neglecting some other shows as I write my second blog post on How I Met Your Mother, but after the lackluster and anticlimactic "The Slutty Pumpkin Returns", I felt that that way the show bounced back in "Disaster Averted" warranted some attention, not to mention the awesome final scene that may or may not hint at what's to come. Also, I'm just a little bit obsessed with this show right now.

Disaster Averted" is classic HIMYM in the way that it bounces back and forth between the present and the not so distance past that we originally weren't privy to. I'd put this episode right up there with "Ducky Tie" as one of the best of the season. Considering that the show is set in NYC, it was a nice touch to take a look at the gang the night that Hurricane Irene hit. It was also nice to see each of the characters act true to form in their reactions with Ted going all boy scout (complete with purple boots, perhaps a wink at the red boots we saw him wearing earlier in the series?), Robin making the Canada comparison, Barney seeing an opportunity to party, and Lily and Marshall going with the flow.

My favorite moments came at the end of the episode, the first of which was seeing the group rejoice in their conquering of Irene. This scene took me back to the final scene of "The Leap", still my favorite scene of the entire series so far. For me the show's strength is in the relationships between the characters, and scenes like this accentuate how tight knit a group they really are.

Of course the Barney/Robin moments at the end were the real payoff, despite their stirring some mixed feelings. Being a supporter of Barney and Robin as a couple, Bobin, if you will, more than the kiss at the end, Barney's assertion to Robin that "when I let a day go by without talking to you, um, that day's just no good" really meant something because it reminded us of the genuine care that these two have for each other.

But on to the kiss! What does it all mean? For weeks now, Victoria's judgement that "that doesn't work" and Future Ted's confirmation that "it didn't work, we just didn't realize it yet" has left me wondering what will come of the Ted/Robin/Barney triangle/friendship. Being that Future Ted has mentioned "Aunt Robin" and "Uncle Barney" to his kids, we have it on good authority that Ted remains friends with them. Does it not working meant that Barney and Robin will eventually work as a couple as opposed to just friends? Is Robin the bride who wants to speak to Ted at Barney's wedding? Of course them both currently being in relationships does complicate things a bit.

I realize that I, like the show itself, have strayed a bit from questioning who the mother is to questioning who Barney's bride is, which I know has been frustrating to many fans. But I, like Future Ted, would argue that this is all part of the story, especially considering that we now know that Ted meets the mother at Barney's wedding. And, as I mentioned in a previous post, this show has really become an ensemble where each of the characters' stories are  just as important as Ted's. In any event, it's still fairly early in the season, so I expect to show to drag this out a bit in order to lead us into the finale. However, recent news indicates that some light may be shed on this whole scenario pretty soon. I will definitely be tuning in to find out! Or, knowing this show, to not find out!   

Ms. Taco Makes A Pit Stop At The 'Race'

*Disclaimer: This post will contain spoilers for the current season of The Amazing Race.

This season of The Amazing Race has been an up and down road for me. Some of the challenges they have faced have been, let's just say, less than amazing (feeding catfish? most of the tasks in the first episode?), but it has still been fun to watch the teams visit various countries all along being part of some of the cultural traditions. And of course, most of all for me, it's been fun to watch each team reveal their personalities and their relationship strengths and pitfalls, even though the teams are not grabbing me in the ways they have in previous seasons. Last night was a tough episode for me as we said goodbye to one of my favorites (more on them later), but since we are about halfway through the race, I thought I'd take a look at each of the remaining teams (and also last night's elimination).

AMANI AND MARCUS
I really like these two as a couple and as a team. They've already had several frustrating moments throughout the race, but always manage to deal with it in a very calm manner, which I think is a testament to the strength of their relationship. I might be wrong, but in my opinion, they are the only team who may be able to take down Andy and Tommy in the final if they make it that far. At this point, they are definitely the team that I am most rooting for.

BILL AND CATHI
I just love these two and was so proud of them for making a second place finish this week very close behind Armani and Marcus. They have such a good spirit ("We're gonna die soon, so it's okay"~~Cathi) and really seem to be enjoying themselves, which I think helps a lot when running the race. I don't see them winning, but I do hope they make it a bit further.

ERNIE AND CINDY
I think their difference in personalities is a strength for them. Cindy is a bit of a perfectionist, which makes her great at doing tasks, but can also be a weakness when she gets herself too stressed, which is where Ernie's laid back personality serves the team well. Ernie's insecurities about his abilities, which we saw a lot of this past week may prove to work against them as the race becomes more stressful. Can Cindy even survive an elimination with all the pressure she's put on herself? I guess we'll wait and see.

JUSTIN AND JENNIFER
To be honest, with all their bickering, I'm really surprised these two are still around, but somehow they are making it work. Their constant intense arguing was getting a bit awkward and annoying, so I was glad to see them working together better on this last leg. I do want to know more about their relationship, but I'm not sure we'll ever get there on the race. Can we just have them be eliminated and then get their own reality show?

ANDY AND TOMMY
I like these two, but I have to say that it was nice to see them knocked off their first place pedestal the other night. Watching them run away with three first place finishes was getting a little boring. The last episode reminded us that in the race, anything can happen. You can be way ahead of the pack and still make a mistake that knocks you pretty close to the bottom. That is what makes the race such a nail biter. I still think these two might run away with the whole thing, but at least they are in a bit of a fight for it now.

LAURENCE AND ZAC
The race may be starting to wear on them a bit as they seemed to really have a breakdown in communication over the spirit house challenge. In the beginning I thought these two would be front runners, but I'm not so sure anymore. They do still have the advantage of working together with Andy and Tommy, but with them slipping a bit this week as well, it might be anyone's game. I liked these two in the beginning, but at this point, I'd be okay if we had to say goodbye to them.

JEREMY AND SANDY
Are these two really still in the race? I'm not joking when I say that every week I literally forget they are even part of the show. They seem like nice people but are just so generic, that I'm surprised they even were picked to be on the show. Last night's elimination of Liz and Marie hurt even more knowing that they were beat out by Jeremy and Sandy. We finally got to see a little more emotion from them when they thought they were going to be eliminated, but it still wasn't enough to draw me into them as a team.

LIZ AND MARIE
They were the saddest elimination so far this season for me. By this point, we are really starting to get to know these teams really well and hear a bit about what brought them to the race. Knowing that Liz and Marie were racing for their dad who just passed away in December as well as watching them overcome so many pitfalls on this leg really made their elimination hard. But in true Amazing Race fashion, they walked away in good spirits having learned something along the way and experienced something they may never experience again.

So, the race goes on. Who will be eliminated next??

Ms. Taco Is Still Clueless About The 'Mother'

*Disclaimer: This post will contain spoilers for season 6 of How I Met Your Mother*

“She’s on her way, Ted. And she’s getting here as fast as she can.”

As I sat down to write my thoughts on season 6 of How I Met Your Mother (which I recently watched for the first time on DVD) 'As Fast As She Can' from season 4 happened to be showing on TV, where Stella uttered the above quote to Ted. It seemed kind of apropos to start this post with that quote since, as the show has just begun it’s 7^th (who knew it would make it this long?!) season, we still know very little about the mother aside from: she owns a yellow umbrella, she took Economics 101, and Ted went on one date with her roommate. Not much to go on and it’s crazy to think that most of Mother’s viewers , unlike myself who devoured seasons 1-6 on DVD in a matter of months, have invested six plus years into learning the mysterious mother’s identity.

Appropriately enough, this kind of speaks to the main point I wanted to make regarding season 6 and the series as a whole. Despite the ‘I’ in the title and the voiceover by Future Ted, this really is an ensemble show with every principal character being fleshed out to the fullest extent. And, more than learning the mother’s identity, that is what keeps me tuning in season after season.  So, I wanted to take a look at where these characters are as we enter season 7 because I think ‘The Leap’ they all took at the end of season 4 means more now than ever.

TED:

With Stella leaving Ted at the altar in season 4, season 5 showed us a Ted that I’ve heard some fans were not happy with. But, I thought our hopeless romantic deserved a break considering everything that he had been through. In season 6, Ted is back in the game, but remains a changed man. Based on some of the reviews I read of season 6, it doesn't seem like there was many a fan who got swept up in the Ted/Zoey romance. I don’t think I hated her to the extent that many fans did, but she definitely would not have been my first pick for Mr. Mosby. The old Ted would have been caught up in the moment, despite all the things wrong about it, but Ted is finally at a place where he can realize (with a little help from his friends) that if it’s not right, it’s best to take a step back and re-evaluate. With him putting Zoey behind him and moving forward with designing his building, Ted continues to evolve and move one step closer to finding the Future Mother.

LILY AND MARSHALL:

With so many shows playing musical chairs with couples, it’s great to watch these two continue to grow together and prove that a television couple can stay together and still be engaging. As they met and conquered some of life’s more difficult major events (the death of a parent, trouble getting pregnant), their relationship is stronger than ever. I have complete faith in this show to successfully bring a baby into the mix. It will change things, but what is this show about if not watching these characters change in positive ways?

ROBIN:

Robin continues to be on a bit of a romantic roller coaster. She began the season fresh off her break up with Don and ended it newly interested in a potentially unavailable Barney.  In my How I Met Your Mother utopia, Robin is happily with Barney, but I have to say that I truly have no idea what the show has in store for her. I do think there is still a chance for her and Barney, but I also can see the show having other plans for her considering the hint that it was not the end between her and the guy she met at the department store and later at the bar. That being said, I really just want Robin to be happy. She’s my favorite character (probably because she reminds me of myself a bit) so it would be nice to see her find her happy medium soon, whatever that may be.  Also, of note, it was nice to see the show take a look at the Robin/Lily friendship in relation to Lily’s impending pregnancy and Robin’s abandonment issues.  Both characters had legitimate concerns and it was good to see them work it out as the awesome friends that they are.

BARNEY:

This season managed to show us the softer side of Barney without sacrificing the core of who Barney is and also brought us perhaps the biggest shock of the series: Barney gets married! Now, if you are anything like me, you are biting your nails anxiously awaiting the revelation not of who the mother is, but who Barney’s bride is. The show has set it up nicely. If Nora was a tad bit unlikable, it would be easy to be fully invested in a Barney/Robin pairing. But, she’s not the least bit unlikable and Barney seems to have completely fallen for her. Most of my excitement about the new season revolves around how this storyline plays out as I’m assuming we’ll have an answer about his bride by season’s end.

As for the mother this season, well, she’s still on her way guys, and she’s getting here as fast as she can. But, I love watching these characters keep on maturing, so, I for one am okay with that. 

Ms. Taco Checks In With The 'Girls' Of Fall V. 2.0.

While my initial thoughts on New Girl were pretty positive, the pilot wasn't love at first sight for me. Some parts felt a bit awkward, which isn't necessarily an unusual feeling for a pilot episode. But I think my main issue was the character of Coach (Damon Wayans Jr.). I've never been a fan of "screaming" characters, which explains my dislike of Ruth Fisher. I just don't get it. People don't really talk that way, so it just comes off as really annoying. With Damon Wayans Jr.'s other show Happy Endings getting renewed, New Girl was forced to either recast the character or have him leave. They chose the latter and instead had the original roommate that Jess replaced, Winston (Lamorne Morris), return. I for one am happy they opted to do this as opposed to simply recasting Coach. It's not uncommon to recast characters from a pilot so I'm wondering if the decision to have a different character all together was based on early reactions to the character of Coach. For me, he definitely was the weakest link in the pilot. In contrast to Coach, Winston is a man of fewer words, but his facial expressions do enough. I'm a less is more person, so I'm liking this change a lot. Winston gives the show a bit of a different feel and by episode 3, I found the characters really clicking and the show starting to hit its stride.

What works best about this show right from the beginning is Zooey Deschanel. Just like Dennings and Behrs are the gems of 2 Broke Girls, she is the gem of this one. Not that Jess is much different than most of the characters that Deschanel has played, but no one plays this type of character better that she does. She's the go to girl for this type of role and power to her for cornering the market on quirkiness. I've seen Fox criticized for marketing the character as "adorable" but I don't really see this as a negative. She IS adorable, but maybe not in the way we normally use that term. What's adorable about her is her tendency to break out into song about herself, her desire to wear costume teeth to a wedding just for fun, essentially her ability to be, as a friend of mine recently termed it, "un-self-aware". Characters like this are rare on TV, so she really is a breath of fresh air.

One more final thing before I bring this one to a close. The show seems to be hinting at a possible Jess/Nick pairing. Though I've said that I don't want to see Jess eventually hooking up with all of the guys, I would support this pairing. My hope is that he show will take the time to build this relationship in the right way. Both characters have recently gotten out of relationships and I would hate for them to be each other's rebounds.

Well, as you can see, I'm pretty invested in this show. I actually think it might be my favorite new show of the season. This one's on my watch list for sure. I hope it's on yours too!

Ms. Taco Checks In With The 'Girls' Of Fall Pt. 1

The buzz this fall is that female characters are taking center stage in a number of new TV shows, two of which even have 'girl' in the title. Three weeks in, much to my surprise, I'm hooked on both.

2 Broke Girls and New Girl, both recently gifted with full season pickups, follow girls on new ventures. 2 Broke Girls sees formerly rich and currently broke Caroline (Beth Behrs) taking a job as a waitress where she butts heads with Max (Kat Dennings). Both girls couldn't be more different, but by the end of the pilot they are sharing an apartment and have agreed to start a cupcake business together. Max has the baking chops and Caroline has the business smarts. The only catch is that they need about $250,000 for start-up costs. New Girl's Jess (Zooey Deschanel) is also starting fresh. After recently catching her boyfriend cheating, she ends up filling the fourth roommate spot with three single guys: Schmidt (Max Greenfield), Nick (Jake Johnson), and Winston (Lamorne Morris) (formerly Coach-more on this in a later post). Jess has a quirkiness about her that makes her unlike any girl they've met, but by the end of the pilot, Jess has settled in as their new roommate.

I don't think my initial thoughts on 2 Broke Girls were off the mark. I'm perplexed by some reviewers calling it the best new comedy of the season. The lines are flat, the supporting characters are stereotypical and one-dimensional, and many of the jokes are borderline offensive. However, something about the banter between Dennings and Behrs shines, and I'm hooked to watching them play off each other.

The show clearly needs a lot of work. The writing needs to improve. I don't know series co-creator Whitney Cummings at all, but having watched six seasons of other co-creator Michael Patrick King's Sex and the City, I'm surprised by the predictability of the jokes. One good point I read was that this show would have been better suited for HBO where it would have the freedom to be the show that it wants to be, and that may be the case. But the reality is that the show is on CBS and needs to make it work within those parameters. In my perfect world, the supporting characters would be squashed. For me they serve no real purpose except to perpetuate stereotypes that don't need to be perpetuated. However, considering the show is doing so well, I doubt they will consider making any major changes such as this. The question of offensiveness looms and is not as clear cut for me as my previous two points. Some of the show's jokes seem pretty clearly offensive, but in the spirit of South Park, if you are an equal opportunity offender are you really being offensive? Time will tell for me on this one, but considering the way I breezed through the first three episodes the other day, I'm thinking this show will be on my weekly to-do list. The show has already hinted at some deeper character development a la How I Met Your Mother, especially for Max. If they can hit the right notes on this the way Mother does, I will keep this one on my watch list for a long time.

Tune in tomorrow for my thoughts on New Girl!

Ms. Taco's Pilot Review-Ringer

Thank you CW for finally making the Ringer pilot available online! I wasn't able to catch the episode when it aired last Tuesday and have been waiting anxiously! The show stars Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy, the Vampire Slayer) as twin sisters Bridget Kelly and Siobhan Martin, who up until recently hadn't seen each other for the past six years (the reason of which has it's own mystery). After they reconnect, Siobhan appears to commit suicide, and Bridget, who has been dealing with her own demons, both physical and emotional, decides to become Siobhan, so to speak. In doing so, Bridget learns that Siobhan has her own demons to contend with.

I finally was able to check it out this morning, and while it's not the best I've ever seen, I actually think it's a pretty good show. I will say that after seeing the pilot my initial concerns are alive more than ever. Where exactly can they take this show if it were to go beyond season 1? The ruse is fun, but my wonder is not only, how long can it go on, but how long can it go on without becoming silly. My thought is that if it were to go on for several seasons, they'd have to completely revamp the show at some point, a la season 2 of Alias. As for my cancellation concerns, we'll have to see. The show debuted to good ratings but the test is always in the second airing. We'll see how it fairs tomorrow.

As I expected, Gellar shines in roles like this. She's able to play Bridget as Siobhan and have us believe that those in Siobhan's life would be fooled, while at the same time having us still see her as Bridget. As Siobhan especially in the final shot, she hearkens back to her time as Kathryn Merteuil, a role I think she played very, very well. Now, I don't think this character will get her the Emmy noms that Buffy did, oh, wait, but it's fun to watch Gellar have fun with it, which she seems to be doing here.

There's tons of mystery weaved in and out, and the good thing is that I do think it will take at least an entire season to make sense of all of it. There's the entire Bridget and Siobhan history to sort through, there's the various mysteries of Siobhan's life, which I'm guessing Bridget will uncover more of, and there's the reason behind Siobhan's disappearance, to name a few. My guess (and my hope) is that there is more than meets the eye to a lot of the things we saw in the pilot.  

The ending of the episode definitely left me wanting more. My biggest question from that is, did Gemma set her up because she knows of the affair or was it just a coincidence? I do have to admit that by the end I was pretty confused. But, that's not necessarily a bad thing. I spent six years watching Lost and being confused on a weekly basis. Now, don't get me wrong, this show is not Emmy bait and it's not the second coming of Lost. But, it's enjoyable, it's got some good mysteries, and Gellar is there. That's enough to keep me watching week after week.

Ms. Taco's Pilot Review-The Secret Circle

The Secret Circle premiered last night on the CW. It stars, most notably, Britt Robertson (Life Unexpected) as Cassie Blake a seemingly normal teenage girl who, after the mysterious death of her mother, comes to find out that she is a witch. Now that Cassie has moved to the small town her mother grew up in, five other teenage witches are counting on her to complete their "secret circle", which would render their powers unstoppable.

I think there's a lot to like in this one and definitely some interesting places it could go. First off, Robertson. She's as likable as she was in Life Unexpected, which makes her an easy protagonist to root for as she navigates the complicated web of this small town. And speaking of the small town, the creepiness factor is very nicely done here. Watching it, I kind of felt like I was watching one of those small town horror movies. I'm not sure if it's the lighting or the way it's shot or both, but I definitely was sufficiently creeped out at some points. The mysteries here are good too and their are several. What went wrong with the last "secret circle"? Why was Cassie's dad a "bad man"? What is the history between Cassie's mom and Principal Chamberlain? My theory is that since Adam's dad claims he was meant to be with Cassie's mom, that Principal Chamberlain was meant to be with Cassie's dad? What is the history between Fay and her mom, Principal Chamberlain? They both seem to be on the wrong side of the tracks, so why so much antagonism? Any while we are on the subject of antagonism, what's the deal between Fay and Diana? Is it simply a power struggle or is there more history there? Any most importantly, what do Principal Chamberlain and Charles need Cassie to do? I love a show that weaves several different mysteries together, if it's done right. This episode planted all of the seeds very nicely and I'm interested to see how they all unravel.

And of course the inevitable love triangle, set up from the very beginning. So now we know that if Cassie and Adam don't end up together, something is going to go very wrong, which is going to have us all hoping for the Cassie/Adam pairing. But, what about Diana. I was reading somewhat that this will be a hard triangle for viewers to settle on since both girls are so likable, and I think that's true. So far, Diana is a pretty likable person, which makes rooting for Cassie here pretty tough. I think it makes for an interesting triangle. Adding Nick into the mix, which I'm guessing they'll do at some point since he was staring at Cassie through her window, could be interesting, but right now it's way too early to tell. Nick is barely fleshed out so right now he's little more than a guest star to me. The same goes for Fay's friend Melissa. I realize that it was only the pilot and there was a lot to set up, but these two characters despite being part of the "circle" were barely involved. That definitely needs to change.

My biggest issue with the show is the actual witchcraft. What exactly are there powers? That ends up being my gripe with a lot of supernatural shows. I don't want to sit around watching them be able to do anything they set their minds to. There needs to be some rhyme or reason, a limit. The witchcraft aspect needs to be more well-defined, and if it's not at some point, that will be a definite turn off for me. Right now, the mysteries are definitely pulling me in and I will be checking out a lot of this one.

Ms. Taco's Pilot Review-Up All Night

Up All Night premiered last night at 10pm (though it's regular time slot will be 8pm Wednesdays) on NBC. It stars Will Arnett and Christina Applegate as Chris and Reagan, new parents trying to juggle having a new baby, maintaining careers, and keep their relationship fresh. Rounding out the cast is Maya Rudolph as Ava, Reagan's friend and talk show host boss and Nick Cannon as Calvin, who also works on the talk show.

I'll start with the positive...I love Arnett and Applegate. I think they are really well-paired as a couple. They both seem like genuinely nice people so when you watch them playing nice people as a couple, it feels real. The best scenes come when they are on screen together, particularly when they are with new baby, Amy. These scenes are endearing, while also invoking a chuckle out of you as you watch them try to navigate all of the newness in having this little person suddenly in their lives. You can see on their faces all of the emotion that comes with having a new baby and when they are sitting there staring at her, you believe they are completely in love with her and will do anything to make sure she grows up safe and happy. One thing, the scenes with Chris and Reagan going out and getting drunk felt a little jarring. It seemed like a little too much to hit home the point that they are struggling with maintaining their old lives while also raising a baby. I like these characters and I feel like this could have been shown in a less irresponsible way.

Now for some of my main issues with the episode. Since the premise of the show has Applegate's Reagan returning to work (she's a producer for her friend Ava's talk show, aptly named Ava), while Arnett takes a break from his law firm to be a stay at home dad, about half of the episode is dedicated to Reagan's work life, which mainly consists of her putting out fires and ensuring that Ava does not have a meltdown. I think these scenes will be the show's weakness. While I did find myself laughing a lot during Rudolph's scenes, I think her character most of all runs the risk of becoming a joke and not in a good way. Right now she's sort of in a one note role and I find myself wondering why Reagan and her are such good friends. Ava seems very self-absorbed, not really taking into account that her good friend now has a baby to care for. She stops by claiming to bring a gift for the baby, but as it turns out, there's not a single baby related thing in the gift basket she's brought. I realize that this may be Ava's way of reacting to the fact that her good friend has had a major life change, which would be an interesting thing to explore in future episodes if this is the case. I also realize that she may be there as a contrast to Reagan (and also as the main comic relief) but I wonder how long the novelty of this will last for me. Michael Scott always walked a fine line between being funny and being over the top, but with Michael, you always felt like he genuinely cared about the people in the office. With Rudolph's Ava, you see a hint of this in the final scene with her, Chris, and Reagan but right now it's just a hint. I'd love to see her character way more fleshed out. I'm definitely planning to continue watching this show, so I guess we'll wait and see on that.

Ms. Taco's First Impressions-Weekend Nights

Grimm
Series premiere October 21st-9pm-NBC
Once Upon A Time
Series premiere October 23rd-8pm-ABC

Interesting that we are seeing the premiere of two fairy tale based shows this fall (also interesting that they are premiering two days apart). I love the idea of having a fairy tale themed show on the schedule. Kind of makes me think of the graphic novel series Fables, which I've been meaning to check out. One of these is definitely another route to go to fill my fairy tale fix until I finally get around to reading that series. I have to say that right now, I'm kind of partial to Once Upon A Time for a few different reasons. The preview is more visually appealing to me and seems a tad more lighthearted than the preview for Grimm, which, despite the grimness (pun intended) of many fairy tales out there I think some lightheartedness is needed in a genre like this. Grimm just feels like all gloom and doom. It also doesn't hurt to see that the crew for Once Upon A Time includes writers from Lost, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Life Unexpected (all shows that are high on my list). And while Grimm is coming to us from the executive producers of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, it's just not drawing me in. One fairy tale show is enough for me this season. I'm planning to check out Once Upon A Time, and if it doesn't live up to my expectations, I might give Grimm a shot.

Also premiering this fall are A Gifted Man, premiering September 23rd at 8pm on CBS, and Pan Am, premiering September 25th at 10pm on ABC. Neither of these shows struck a real interest in me from the previews, but they might be of interest to some of you!


Ms. Taco's Returning Weekend Favorites:
Chuck/The Amazing Race

Ms. Taco's First Impressions-Thursday Nights

*Ms. Taco apologizes for the lateness of this post*

The Secret Circle
Series premiere September 15th-9pm-The CW

The CW (formerly the WB and UPN) was always known for taking care of it's own, so it's not shocking to see Brit Robertson (Life Unexpected) back on the network this season. From the preview, I feel like this show could either be really good or really awful, but I like Robertson alot and I think I'm going to give this one a shot. There's definitely a The Craft feel to it, which I'm really excited about and oddly enough, I'm having some witchcraft withdrawal. Also, being a huge fan of arc shows, I'm interested to see where they take the story of her mother's past. Either way, this is the only show on Thursday nights that has really peaked my interest, so I might as well take a look.

Person of Interest 
Series premiere September 22nd-9pm-CBS

Even though I'm probably not checking this one out, I did want to post a little blurb about it because it was initially on my radar. Created by JJ Abrams (Felicity, Alias, Lost) and starring Michael Emerson (Lost), how could it not be? But I watched the preview and despite it's novel concept, it still seems pretty generic to me. I feel like it would just be more of the same week after week. I'd be more interested if I knew that they were going to explore the pasts of the two main characters more, but I definitely don't get that impression from the preview. It just seems like too much action and not enough character development for me. If I hear otherwise, I might give it a shot.

Also premiering this fall is Prime Suspect, premiering September 22nd at 10 pm on NBC, Whitney, premiering September 22nd at 9:30 pm on NBC, How To Be A Gentleman, premiering September 29th at 8:30 pm on CBS, and Charlie's Angels, premiering September 22nd at 8pm on ABC. None of these shows struck a real interest in me, but they might be of interest to some of you!

Ms. Taco's Returning Thursday Night Favorite:
Parks and Recreation

Ms. Taco's First Impressions-Wednesday Nights

*Ms. Taco apologizes for the lateness of this post*

Up All Night
Series premiere September 14th-10pm-NBC
Regular time slot begins September 21st-8pm-NBC


I hadn't even heard of this show until recently, but I was really drawn in when viewing the preview. Will Arnet (Arrested Development) and Christina Applegate (Samantha Who?) are both really likable, so that might be part of the draw for me, but I also found myself really attracted to following this couple along for the ride of raising a new baby. I'm also loving the way this series is shot. Some of the scenes of them with the baby made me feel like I was right there with them, which contributes to the concept of following them as they raise her. I'm always kind of skeptical about comedies. It takes a lot to get to me to actually stick with one, but I really like the idea of this show so I'm hoping these characters are fleshed out enough to keep me watching week to week.


Suburgatory
Series premiere September 28th-8:30pm-ABC
Revenge
Series premiere September 21st-10pm-ABC


I really wanted to like these shows, Suburgatory because I always like a good suburbia satire and Revenge because I'm a huge Emily Van Camp (Everwood, Brothers and Sisters) fan but I actually found myself kind of bored watching these previews. I'm not quite sure they will live up to my expectations from initially hearing about them. Suburgatory seems kind of silly and I don't see one character in Revenge who would be of interest to me, even Van Camp's aptly named Emily. Maybe I'll be wrong, wouldn't be the first time. I'm putting these two on my maybe list. Final decision to come in a future blog post.


Also premiering this fall are Free Agents, premiering September 21st at 8:30pm on NBC, I Hate My Teenage Daughter, premiering at November 30th 9:30 pm on FOX, H8R, premiering September 14th at 8pm on the CW, and The X Factor, premiering September 21st at 8pm on FOX. None of these shows struck a real interest in my from their previews, but they might be of interest to some of you!


Ms. Taco's Returning Wednesday Night Favorite:
Modern Family

Miss Taco's First Impressions-Tuesday Nights

Ringer
Series premiere September 13th-9pm-The CW

The big news here is that Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy, the Vampire Slayer) is back on TV! I'm interested to see her tackle on two very different roles, which she showed herself to be adept at in one of my favorite Buffy episodes, "Who Are You?". It also doesn't hurt to see that Nestor Carbonell (Lost) and Kristoffer Polaha (Life Unexpected, Mad Men) are gonna show up. I'm so excited for this show, probably too excited since most shows don't live up to the initial hype. The preview sets up some awesome mysteries that I'm dying to know the answers to.  I'm very skeptical about getting into a show like this because you run the risk of it getting cancelled while still dangling all the mysteries in front of you.  I'm also thinking about the long term potential of this show should it get picked up for a full season and then renewed for a second. Are they going to solve all the mysteries by season's end and set up new ones or will we still be left hanging at the end of season 1? I'm not sure which scenario I'd prefer. One thing I am sure of is that I'm completely amped up to see this pilot episode. Skepticism or not, I'm all in on this one!


New Girl
Series premiere September 20th-9pm on-FOX


This one appears to be the quirky comedy I was looking for in 2 Broke Girls. Zooey Deschanel is another one of my faves, so I'm excited to see her making the rounds on the small screen. As a long term proponent of "guys and girls can be friends!", I'm interested in this set-up of a girl moving in with three guys after her break up, if it's done right. If the writers resort to having Jess hook up with all the guys at some point, I might start having some Gizzie flashbacks and need to tune out. Until then, this preview seems light and fun and makes me want to get to know Jess a little more. I'm in on this one, but why must it be on the same time as Ringer??


Unforgettable
Series premiere September 20th-10 pm-CBS


The jury's still out on whether or not I'm gonna check this one out. Cop shows are not normally my thing, but I must admit this preview has me intrigued. I like the idea of us seeing her walking inside her memories and discovering new aspects of the crime. It feels like a slightly less complex take on seeing crimes from various perspectives a la Boomtown. I have a feeling I will at least check out the pilot episode of this one, but will it intrigue me enough to lure me into procedural crime shows? Time will tell.


Also new this fall is Last Man Standing, premiering October 11th at 8pm on ABC, and Man-Up, premiering October 18th at 8:30 pm on ABC. Neither of these shows struck a real interest in me from their previews, but they might be of interest to some of you!


Ms. Taco's Returning Tuesday Night Favorite:
Glee

Ms. Taco's First Impressions-Monday Nights

2 Broke Girls

Series Premiere September 19th-9:30pm-CBS

Regular time slot begins September 26^th-8:30 pm-CBS

I was really excited when I first heard of this series because one of the main stars is Kat Dennings (Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist, Thor), whose Twitter page I am in love with. I haven’t seen Dennings in much, but I liked her enough in Nick and Nora to be excited about her doing a network show. However, after watching the preview for this one, my interest waned a bit. Dennings has never struck me as a conventional comedic actress, yet I feel like she is stuck in such a conventional comedy filled with one note, predictable jokes. Though, I must admit that after a second viewing I did find myself almost chuckling at a few moments, and I am kind of interested to see how the friendship between the two leads develops. Overall, the presence of Dennings, my interest in seeing where they take the characters, and a pick by Entertainment Weekly as one of their top 5 new shows has me thinking I will check this one out as least for a few episodes.

Hart of Dixie

Series Premiere September 26^th-9 pm-The CW

Well, I’m a sucker for shows like these, and after the demise of Life Unexpected last year, I’m still craving a CW show that brings me back to old school WB. Based on the preview, I’m not sure this show can hold a candle to my WB favorites (Everwood, Gilmore Girls, Felicity) but it does seem to have some heart. The premise of a woman doctor coming to practice in a small town and not being accepted makes it feel like a present day Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (which I must admit I was a huge fan of as evidenced by the complete series set sitting on my DVD shelf). All of this combined with Rachel Bilson (The OC) and Scott Porter (Friday Night Lights) returning to starring TV roles makes this a show I definitely will be checking out.

Also new this fall is Terra Nova, premiering September 26th at 8pm on Fox, and The Playboy Club, premiering September 19th at 10pm on NBC. Neither of these shows struck a real interest in me from their previews, but they might be of interest to some of you!

Ms. Taco’s Returning Monday Night Favorite:

How I Met Your Mother

We're almost there!

Okay, TV junkies, we are one week away from the start of the fall season! All this week I will be blogging about the new shows coming at us next week and naming my picks for the new season. Thus far, I've avoided reading any reviews (save for one), but me being me, I will be checking out all the reviews very soon! This week, I'm just posting my first impressions based on the previews that have been made available. What are you guys excited about for the fall? Tune in tomorrow for my Monday night first impressions!

Ms. Taco's TV Time Travel

With the fall season approaching and a plethora of new shows on the horizon, I thought I’d revisit some of my favorite television pilots over the last ten years.  What are your favorites?

Disclaimer: This post will contain spoilers. If there’s a show on here you plan to watch via DVD, Netflix, Itunes, etc, please read at your own risk. But, seriously, read it cause it’s good!

Everwood-“Pilot”-September 16, 2002

I don’t think there’s a show I miss more than Everwood. Four years just wasn’t enough exploring the lives of these incredible characters. This episode (narrated storybook style by one of the secondary characters) introduces us to Andy Brown, a renowned NYC neurosurgeon, who after the death of his wife moves his two children to the small town of Everwood to start a new life, open a new medical practice, and (my personal favorite) grow a new beard. The complicated relationship between Andy Brown and his son, Ephram, made this a family drama I wanted to invest in. We’re not in 7^th Heaven anymore, Toto.   

Veronica Mars-“Pilot”-September 22, 2004

A 17 year old female PI trying to solve her best friend’s murder? I’m so in. Who killed Lily Kane? We’d have to wait 22 episodes for the answer, but the pilot episode planted all of the seeds for an incredible season long mystery.

Lost-“Pilot”-September 22, 2004

The very first shot of Jack Shepherd’s eye opening (which is all the more poignant having watched the final shot of the series finale) immediately drew us into this incredible series.  This monumental episode (the most expensive pilot ever made at that time) had the feel of something suited for the big screen and certainly lived up to all the hype we’d been fed for weeks. Forever shrouded in mysteries, this episode introduced us to several, the biggest of which was uttered by Charlie, “Guys? Where are we?”. We wondered right along with him.

How I Met Your Mother-“Pilot”-September 19, 2005

This one’s kind of an odd entry for me, but it’s fresh in my mind since I just went through seasons 1-5 pretty quickly on DVD.  HIMYM kind of perked my interest back when it started not only because it marked Alyson Hannigan’s (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) return to TV, but also because it sounded like a traditional sitcom with the arc of a dramatic series.  I kind of liked the sound of that.  And the pilot episode didn’t disappoint on my initial thoughts.  We spend the entire episode watching Future Ted tell his kids the story of how he met the perfect woman, the woman he wants to marry, etc., only to find out in the very last line of the episode “that’s how I met your Aunt Robin”.  So who is the title mentioned “mother”?  Six seasons later, it’s still anyone’s guess.   The arc continues… 

Friday Night Lights-“Pilot”-October 3, 2006

I initially wrote this series off because I thought it would be too much football for me.  But, I had to give it a shot on DVD after hearing so many wonderful things about it season after season.  The pilot episode was both a shocking and heartwarming introduction to these characters and this town.  Jason Street’s dreams dashed in an instant set the stage for an amazing first season as we watched a town grieving for the star he once was, Matt Saracen having to fill his big shoes, and Coach Taylor trying to mend his team’s spirit. I get goose bumps just thinking about this one.

It's that time of year again...

Greetings TV junkies!


As the fall approaches us, I am inspired to finally start this blog, which I have been mulling for a while now. Even though the TV world has changed dramatically over the years (many new shows no longer start in the fall, TV shows are streaming on the internet, etc.), I'm still filled with excitement when the fall rolls around and I know that a large amount of new shows will be premiering as well as many favorites returning.  Over the next few weeks, I will be exploring what new viewing options are going to be coming our way and hope to provide some thoughts on what I think might be worth our time and what would have better been left on the shelf. Here's to an awesome fall TV season!


Ms. Taco