American Horror Story: Coven 3.09 Review: Witch Hunters

Anyone that has yet to watch Wednesday night’s episode of American Horror Story: Coven, entitled ‘Head’, then you’re taking longer to watch it than I am to review it, I suggest you do that now. This is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! You’ve been warned.

So, three episodes left until the season finale, in which this series of characters wrap themselves up. With that in mind, I’m not sure the progression of this story is being done quite as well as the first season was. This whole dedicating flashbacks to Hank business this week was a tad boring, and wasn’t really necessary to complete his story. So, basically there’s an entire company dedicated to taking witch-kind down, and yet they supposedly have very few left? It seems a little ludicrous to me. Also, the fact that Hank was merely “placed” in the coven as eyes, when it was made to look like he took the initiative to get into bed with Marie Laveau in order to take these witches down. Sloppy writing right there if you ask me.

Basically, what I found is that this week’s episode was terribly slow. We were back to horribly done camera angles. I’m sorry, it’s not artsy, it’s nauseating; please stop it so I can enjoy this program. They go through all of this struggle with Kyle and stuff, only to have Fiona swoop in and fix him to the best of her abilities. And yet, he’s still not fully there; he’s just around as an attack dog. I have to say, of all the characters this season, I’m most disappointed with Kyle. I’d thought by now he’d at least be mostly back to who he was, but now he’s apparently just their attack dog? What? It made sense that he’d kill his mother, but that other dog? Also, what was this whole business of having the council members cut up? I’d understand Myrtle’s desire for revenge, but that seemed a bit over the top if you ask me.

All in all, while I was happy to have Cordelia get her sight back, as well as watching Marie Laveau go crawling to the witches, I’m not sure this season is shaping up to be anywhere near as good as I’d hoped it would be. The villains of the season seem pretty pathetic when you look at it, and it appears as if there is no overarching story developing at all this season. This really is a mess of a season, and I don’t see how it thinks it could get any better. That’s two disappointing seasons in a row; if next year isn’t better, I’ll probably be done.  The writing is just nowhere near as tight and well-developed as it really should be, and it makes me incredibly disappointed in the showrunner for this season. Sure, that song was beautiful at the end, but about half of each episode could be cut out and it would still be enjoyable. It’s dissatisfying.

My rating: 6.5 out of 10 (and that .5 is merely for the last five minutes).

Best Lines:

“No, bitch, she’s clairvoyant.” – Madison states.

“You’re one stubborn old lady head, you know?” – Queenie remarks.

Okay, my apologies for the lateness of this, but I’ve just had a long couple of days. I have a few more reviews to catch up on, but probably won’t get to those tonight. Maybe The Crazy Ones, but I’m not sure yet. So check back later to see.

Revenge 3.09 Review: On the Precipice

For any of those that have yet to watch last night’s episode of Revenge, titled ‘Surrender’, now would be the time to go and do that. This is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! Proceed at your own discretion.

Well, that was a much better winter penultimate episode than Once Upon A Time’s. I almost feel bad for Daniel and Sarah, because of Emily’s scheming the two lovebirds obviously cannot be with each other, but then I remember than Daniel knows all about what was done to David Clarke, and I get over it.

While I do feel like Daniel’s acting in the beginning of the episode demonstrated so transparently that he was in love with Sarah and his feelings for Emily were less strong, that turned around about halfway through the episode. Just that confrontation between Daniel and Victoria helped to cement that he had some love-based feelings for Emily. The amount of passion he exhibited were phenomenally well done, so much so that it’s hard to believe that Joshua Bowman is tired of playing this back and forth role – although I do agree his character has been the least consistent throughout this series. Again, these are the emotions that I love to see, anything with passion thrown behind it.

Now, up until the point where Daniel made his decision – and come on, we all knew he would choose Emily – his back and forth with Sarah before she knew, I definitely agreed with the way she told him she would not be the other woman. That was definitely a ‘Go Sarah!’ kind of moment. Also, afterwards, I unequivocally believe that the way Charlotte spoke to her mother was undoubtedly fitting for the situation. I am so glad that Charlotte was able to come to her senses and see that Daniel and Emily needed one another. That moment where she tries to reason with her mother, and tells her she’s done meddling was wonderfully mature – something not adamant in Victoria’s own actions.

A couple other things to note, one being that Lydia looked really good, despite how disappointed I am by the way she came back. I expected a little more than just her getting back into bed with Conrad, but I suppose she isn’t quite done with Emily. The other thing was how beautiful a moment that was between Emily – or really, Amanda Clarke – and Aiden. That was such a beautiful proposal, regardless of the fact that I still kind of wish Emily would be with Jack. But then, with this moment between the two actually engaged couple, I am beginning to see how much they do fit together. But who knows how this series will end up?

All in all, this was a pretty good episode. It had lots of drama, which I love, and had a decent amount of emotion and passion behind the characters. This is most assuredly the Charlotte that I love as a character, and Daniel even managed to have his moments. Hell, even Emily had her time with Aiden near the end that actually made me enjoy her character’s emotional arc for once. Basically, this was a good episode, but certainly not great.

My rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Best Lines:

“I’ve had handbags bigger than that room.” – Lydia speaks of the motel room Margaux had put her up in.

“And now he’s marrying that charlatan.” – Victoria remarks, regarding Daniel and Emily’s approaching nuptials.

“Probably. Just not as well.” – Margaux comments, referencing Jack and her phone call.

“What every pretty blonde that comes to the Hamptons wants: revenge.” – Nolan informs Aiden of Lydia’s intentions.

“I don’t know whether to be impressed, or terrified.” – Nolan remarks, concerning Jack.

“I’d be dead if it weren’t for your wife’s momentary lapse of evil.” – Lydia explains to Conrad.

“This family is so predictable. When threatened, each Grayson has their own retreat, like a turtle shell.” – Charlotte remarks.

“I guess I’m going to have to get a new hobby. (Pause) What are your thoughts on spelunking?” – Nolan asks Emily.

All right, folks, that’ll be all for tonight. Check back in tomorrow for more reviews of Almost Human and Sleepy Hollow.

Once Upon A Time 3.09 Review: Everything For Henry

All those that have yet to watch last night’s episode of Once Upon A Time, titled ‘Save Henry’, now would be a good time to go and do that. For this is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! You’ve been warned.

Well, I have to say that I am not at all happy with the direction that this series is going in. This series – aside from the Emma and Hook moments, and a few fleeting Emma and Neal moments – has gotten so terribly bad. Not only have these last nine episodes only expanded across a handful of days, but when it finally comes to a somewhat conclusion of the, not Pan story but, Neverland story it’s so beyond easy that it is ridiculous. Honestly, is that all it took to defeat Pan’s attempts at stealing Henry’s heart? Regina just takes it out of his chest? Did Pan really not see that coming?

They really appear to be trying to redeem Regina somewhat and make her a morally gray person. She’s not what appears to be the villain of the piece, and that’s really detracted from this series. I get trying to bring fairytale stories to the real world in a realistic way, but sometimes a villain is a villain, and giving them heart just because their actress is good doesn’t always work in the best interest of the overall piece. Maybe no one is wholly good, or wholly evil, but people do veer towards each end of the spectrum, and not everyone is redeemable.

This episode really could have been so good. Unfortunately, the writing just didn’t click, and the acting was half-assed at best. Even someone as strongly favouring of Emma as a character as myself thought that her “mothering” the lost boys, and that dreadfully written speech, just came across as near pathetic. It needed so much more passion behind it, and that’s just not something I felt. For a mother that was coming close to losing her son, she didn’t seem too embroiled about saving him. She certainly wasn’t anywhere near as impassioned as Regina was this week at trying to save Henry. Honestly, Regina was about the closest thing to being a strong point this week – for the most part.

Overall, I don’t think I’ll stop watching this series any time soon – because I really need to see where it’s going with Hook, Emma, and Neal – but I do feel like it’s lost its heart. It just doesn’t have that freshness it came to have during the first season, and even parts of the second season. The closest it’s had this year to greatness were fleeting moments that likely don’t even encompass one full episode. And don’t even get me started on this whole Henry centric season, or the fact that he is in no way capable of encompassing how bad ass Pan has been this season – up until last week’s reveal that he is Rumplestiltskin’s father. Anyways, until next week with this series. Please let it be good.

My rating: 5.5 out of 10.

There were no favourable lines this week.

Okay, by this coming out, I hope you get the hint that I will not be posting a review for Dracula this week. Unfortunately, it just has not caught my attention in four episodes, and I will likely be falling behind now until I feel the need to catch up. Which could very well not happen for a great deal of time, so no more reviews likely of this series in its future – however short that may be. Anyways, check back in tomorrow for reviews of How I Met Your Mother, Almost Human, and The Blacklist.