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!