Like last year I will be giving letter grades to each season. I regret not having get around to the Netflix exclusive series, Daredevil that has been lighting up the Internet buzz since it debuted last month, but hopefully I will start it up sometime this summer. I also heard good things about the latest on Agents of SHIELD, but I gave up on that show after a weak initial few episodes in its first season. Enough on that though, let us get on to what I have seen in the last year.
The main star of this season though is newly transferred detective, Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) as he works his way up the ranks through the Gotham Police Department through a flood of corruption and rampant crime. His partner is detective Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue), and I really like how it took several episodes for ambitious do-gooder Gordon to win over the part-rugged, part-corrupt and part drunk Bullock. The two have a really good chemistry on screen, and I thought they play off each other well through most of the season. This could not be a Batman-themed show without villains, and Gotham has plenty of them as we see the rise of the Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor) and the season-long transformation of the Riddler (Cory Michael Smith) throughout this season. Gotham crime lords Falcone (John Doman), Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith) and Maroni (John Doman) are also constantly at each other’s throats for territorial dominance of Gotham.
Mooney’s character also has a far-fetched side story that transpired for several episodes where she is taken hostage in a way you just have to see play out for yourself to see how ridiculous it is, and whenever that side story reared its head it took me out of an episode. Finally, Gordon’s girlfriend Barbara (Erin Richards) has quite the fluctuating story arc throughout the season. There were a couple points where it seemed like they were pulling random plot points for her out of a bucket for shock value sake alone, but by the end of the season I somehow accepted her as an unpredictable psychopath and am intrigued where they go with her for the next season. Not an all-star season by any means, but Gotham hits more than it misses, and I am glad they are keeping up with the dark, gritty tone in the same vein as the Dark Knight trilogy and I will definitely stay on board for season 2. Gotham Season 1 Grade – B+
The Flash has a strong team at his side with his fellow STAR Labs scientists Caitlin (Danielle Panabaker) and Cisco (Carlos Valdes) to lend him some fancy new tech and gadgetry to combat his latest villain. I love the cheesy nature on each episode on how Cisco loves coming up with pun-cringing nicknames of the weekly villain as the perfect cover to stay true to their comic book origins. Barry’s adopted father, Joe West (Jesse L. Martin) steals the show with an awesome supporting performance as a badass detective always by Barry’s side to lean on with some fatherly advice or to assist in the field in taking down the bad guy. By the end of the season, I was surprised I did not mind the weekly villains as much, and I was also surprised out of the amount of special effects and CG they were able to pull off on this weekly network show.
Agent Carter - Here is the final new comic book themed TV show I watched this year. Agent Carter picks up a year after the first Captain America film left off. It is a year after Captain America vanished into a glacier in 1946, and while Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) may have been his high-ranking CO during World War II, she winds up demoted to secretary duties for the SSR (Strategic Scientific Reserve, a precursor to SHIELD). Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper) also guest stars on this show, as he is accused of treason right off the bat and so it becomes Peggy’s duty to clear his name throughout this abbreviated season.
Unfortunately, Agent Carter gets bogged down by network television regulations that took me out of the show. Too many times the show strayed that fine line of being preachy with some of its messages. I get and respect that, and I understand it is part of the setting, but Agent Carter gets a little heavy handed with it throughout the season. I see that it makes sense as a theme given the setting, but a few episodes in it got grating as I already got the message wherein Peggy does a far better job getting the message across rather bluntly in The First Avenger film, and it is just too heavy handed here. Another nitpick is I watched a little too much Mad Men to where I got use to everyone, and I mean nearly the entire cast smoking in period pieces before 1960. Not a single character smokes in Agent Carter, and while I get not wanting main characters to not smoke for positive influence, it was another minor nitpick I had that gnawed away at me throughout the season that there was not even a smoky haze in the background to establish a realistic setting. Later, I learned there are FCC regulations on network shows that prohibit the use of smoking all together, and that Mad Men has it because it is a cable show and not major network television. Again, this is more on me for being a bit of a nut when it comes to little things like this, but combine this with a few other factors and it all combines in a disappointing debut season. Agent Carter Season 1 Grade: C
Chad has many hits and misses for his career transpire throughout the season that are fascinating to watch develop as he aspires for a pro-level job so he can afford to spend more time with his kid that lives across the country. Joel is a hoot to watch, as like Kevin who played Bango the Buck from the first season, he is living the dream and seeing him stay as passionate as he does about maintaining his mascot records through a new child and a Giants’ playoff run is a joy to endure. Navey is the first woman mascot on the show, and that brings a whole new dynamic to the show as she competed in mascot competitions and went through the indescribable journey that is senior year. Chris was a unique case since he is autistic and watching him succumb and overcome his autism was both difficult and joyous to watch, especially since he has a strong family supporting his mascot endeavors throughout his very emotional highs and lows. I think I will give the slight nod to the first season’s cast, but the second season of Behind the Mask was still an entertaining watch. Behind the Mask Season 2 Grade: B
Laettner’s career as one of the best college basketball players is incredibly in depth and filled with interviews from many coaches, teammates and rivals. Part of me wished they detailed his NBA career a little more instead of just giving it a couple minutes at the end as more of a prologue than anything, but his high school and Duke coverage that makes up a vast majority of the feature is absolute gold. Requiem for the Big East is a thorough look at the rise and fall of the Big East conference in basketball. Also make sure to check out one of the newest 30 for 30s that hit Netflix called Of Miracles and Men, which is all about the Russian perspective of the historic 1980 Olympic hockey championship game. We are all use to the feel good USA side of the story, especially through the classic sports film, Miracle, but Of Miracles and Men brings a fresh perspective this time around from the losing side of the ice…which happened to belong to a Communist superpower at the time that resulted in quite the documentary. ESPN 30 for 30 2014-15 Season Grade: A+
It was cool seeing some old faces brought back, but they just were not as effective as the illusive Joe Carroll (James Purefoy) from the first two seasons. Carroll has a smaller role this time around as he is on death row waiting to atone for his crimes, but he does have one last ace up his sleeve that resulted in my favorite episode of the season. This third season of The Following attempts to establish a new villain as the primary antagonist in the form of Theo (Michael Ealy). He proves to be one not to mess around with and the show goes to great lengths to establish him as a legit threat as he easily surpasses the twins from the second season, and almost but not quite hits the levels of Carroll as the ultimate bad guy.
Ok, I have rambled on about my television viewing habits from the past year long enough. Props if you have made it this far! I want to hear your thoughts and recommendations from past year of television please comment below or send me a tweet @Gruel.
Previous TV/Web Series Blogs
2013-14 TV Season Recap
Angry Videogame Nerd Vol 7
Mortal Kombat: Legacy - Season 1
Seinfeld Final Season
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