This Week on My TV: April 4, 2015

Disclaimer: Consider the fact that there could be spoilers ahead. You read at your own risk!



**(Madam Secretary, S1E17 Face the Nation) Elizabeth is obviously and understandably shaken up by what happened during the attempted coup in Iran. I appreciate that they don't make her "super human." -- I liked the body guard that Henry interviewed for Jason. I loved that they made him very tall. I have no idea *why* I love it though. -- Ooo! I wonder if Mike B is going to be a regular character! I hope so. I like Kevin Rahm. -- Mike B: Pompous tools rule the world. Might as well get on their good side. -- Henry [about Elizabeth's panic attack]: Navy SEALS gets these you know. You tougher than a Navy SEAL? Elizabeth: Well, maybe a little runty one... -- I really enjoy the humanity they give Elizabeth. I like that she shows fear and weakness. I like that she struggles with separating the job from her family life. I like that she feels the weight of her choices, even when there are consequences for doing the right thing. But I never would have expected it from Russell, when he showed up and compassionately bared his personal vulnerabilities and handed her the card of a discreet psychiatrist. -- I love when Henry gets all badass in protection of Elizabeth. -- Mike B: "Exhausted" is Washington code for "complete mental freakout," you twelve year olds. -- Blake: To that rarest of Washington feats: actually doing something.

**(Once Upon a Time, S4E15 Enter the Dragon) While I am really liking Regina's nicer side, it's fun to see her villainous side again, even if it's just an act. Also, I wish I could pull of a black leather skirt like that. -- I always find it a little weird when Emma calls Mary Margaret and David "Mom and Dad." -- I am not quite sure I see how that "test" Maleficent, Cruella, and Ursula gave Regina was proof Regina has "gone hero," so much as it was self preservation. I mean, the car was parked on train tracks with a train bearing down on them. -- Young Regina was so hesitant and, despite her anger toward Snow, almost sweet. But was Maleficent a strung out junkie on some kind of magic-based drug? -- Oh, Disney. Continuity fail. Briar Rose was not Aurora's mother. Aurora was renamed Briar Rose by her three fairy godmothers in an attempt to protect her. -- That was a weird scene when Maleficent was swallowing the fire in Fairy Tale Land Past. -- I could have sworn that wasn't the same Aurora as before, but IMDB says it was. Either way, I really liked her dress in this episode. -- Ack! Rumplestiltskin impersonating Hook to trick Belle into handing over the dagger! -- August! August is back! (Probably not good news for him, but I always liked him.)

**(Once Upon a Time, S4E16 Poor Unfortunate Soul) Poseidon: Pout all you want, but I expect you home by high tide. -- Hook: Careful, mate. It's unwise to insult the size of a pirate's ship. -- Wonderland reference! -- I like that August is back. I was bummed when he was changed back into a boy. I wonder how long we have him as August? -- Emma is so thick headed when it comes to Hook/romance. -- Nice twist at the end with the book page of door *being* the actual door and the author being trapped inside.

**(Reign, S2E17 Tempting Fate) Kenna, you fool. How can you just throw Bash away because you want someone who can provide you with more prestige? He may be one of the few decent and loyal men in court. -- Mary's sneaking around with Conde and being sloppy so now Catherine has suspicions. C'mon, Mary. You know Catherine's conniving is going to make her more keen to the signs. Why aren't they using the network of secret passage ways?! -- It is really difficult to keep track of who the various spies and lords are. They all look very similar and their roles are just small enough that I keep forgetting. -- Holy crap! Bash! (I'm a little concerned where they are taking Bash's being run through by a sword. He was bleeding out of his mouth and now it looks like  "Sister" Delphine is hinting at a supernatural angle, which, meh.) -- Narcisse was the one who intercepted Mary's treasonous letter, because of course he is, but whoa with the big play, going for Catherine!!

**(Grey's Anatomy, S11E17 With or Without You) Owen's mother and John...hmmm. I think, weird as it would feel, as long as my mother was happy and John was treating her well, who cares about the age difference? I'm relieved Owen chilled out at the end, when he realized John wasn't just some kind of gold digger, playing on his mother's emotions for personal gain. -- I was totally prepared to be royally ticked off at Derek. -- Well played with the Mer-Der flashbacks. I loved seeing "flip books" of all those classic scenes. -- Totally gross, but I loved that they did the "critter up the nose" case. Vintage Grey's to have some comic relief. -- I *loved* the ending. All of it. -- Meredith [closing monologue]: When we go without certain things for long enough, it's easy to forget just how much we need them. We forget what we had once. We forget what it's like to live with a thing, not that we need, but that we want. That's why it's so important for us to remind ourselves, for us to remember. Just because we *can* live without something, it doesn't mean we have to. -- I wanted to cheer! ... Derek [after Renee kissed him]: I love my wife. I'm married. I don't want anything other than what I have with her. I have to go. Right now, I have to go. -- Derek: I am calling Post-It. Zola and Bailey and tumors on the walls and ferry boat scrub caps. I thought DC was everything and I was wrong. You. You...you're everything. I love you and I'm not going to stop loving you. Meredith, I can't live without you. I don't want to live without you and I'm gonna do everything in my power to prove it. Meredith: I *can* live without you...but I don't want to. I don't ever want to. ... Heart-splosion!

**(Scandal, S4E17 Put a Ring on It) I liked the backstory-via-flashbacks on Cy's previous weddings/marriages. I thought the Olivia-Fitz flashback scene was sweet; I've missed Fitz when he didn't act like a petulant child. I found it a refreshing change of pace to see Cyrus treating Michael with tenderness, honesty, and compassion, because these are qualities we almost never see from him. And I finding Sally's lunacy to be entertaining. Anyway, this episode didn't make me angry, which is a plus. It wasn't a *great* episode, by any stretch, but it was tolerable. It felt sort of like being in that awkward transition phase after you've fought with someone, before you've made up and you're not angry anymore, but things are still a bit tense and coolly polite. -- Olivia: It's impossible to find time to do something you don't want to do. Funny how that works.

**(The Good Wife, S6E17 Undisclosed Recipients) I wonder if Alicia will keep Marissa in her employ, now that the election is over. Because, if so, then each of the Florricks has a Gold, and I find that humorous. -- (Obligatory) Finn! -- I wonder which will happen first: One of the Florricks giving Eli a stroke or Alicia full-body shuddering after having to be in the room as Guy Redmayne. -- OMG, the emails being revealed and the chaotic aftermath. That certainly gives one...pause.

**(Once Upon a Time, S4E17 Best Laid Plans) Hook calling August "wooden boy man" because he's feeling jealous of Emma. Haaa! -- Mary Margaret: Heroes do what's right, not what's easy. ... That is so true. And now we see that the very thing Snow and Charming tried to prevent, a dark heart for their daughter, led to lies that caused Emma's heart to darken. -- Mr Gold: Pain fades...unless you feed it. -- Quite possibly one of the best speeches in the history of this show. ... August: There have been many authors throughout time. It's a job, not a person, and the one trapped in here is just the last tasked with the great responsibility to record...to witness the greatest stories of all time and record them for posterity. The job has gone back eons: From the man who watched shadows dance across cave walls and developed an entire philosophy, to playwrights who tell tales of poetry, to a man named Walt. Many have had this sacred job. Great women and men who took on the responsibility with the gravity it deserved. -- So, now we know what Snow and Charming did to Maleficent's baby, but HOLY COW, what a twist!! Her baby was young Emma's best friend!! And just when I was reeling from that, the meddling author, who was banished to entrapment in the book for getting too involved and manipulating the stories, is released and pops out and is the peddler that directed Snow and Charming to the Apprentice's cabin! What the what?? ::applauds::

**(Better Call Saul, S1E9 Pimento) Two things: I cannot *believe* Chuck sold Jimmy out to the law firm with the Sandpiper class action suit, after everything Jimmy has done to support Chuck. That was beyond low. And Mike and the pimento sandwich and not packing a gun. OMG, I laughed *so* hard!

**(2 Broke Girls, S4E16 And the Zero Tolerance) That crazy pastry bar woman named "Joedth. The D-T-H is silent." OMG. -- I wonder how long this new gig will last for Max and Caroline? Seems all their other forays and ventures last a few weeks and then collapse.

**(Mike and Molly, S5E16 Cocktails and Calamine) I hear you on the "real crab, fake people, like it better the other way around" thing, Peggy, but I like real crab. -- Molly was awful to Mike. I cannot imagine treating my husband that way. -- I'm going to have to keep an eye on T to make sure he isn't playing the booger trick on me to get me to stop talking. -- Mike: I am big. I am oafy. I like mini hamburgers. And I like talking about them even more.

**(The Middle, S6E18 Operation Infiltration) I cannot even articulate how much I loved Sue getting the best revenge *ever* on everything Axl has ever done to torment her. Dancing at the party and getting the "infinity snuggle blanket" photo. And the fact that it was a total April Fools' prank on Axl by Devin was pure gold. -- Sue [to Axl]: I'm not a bro, I'm a so. I'm a *sis*. I'm your worst nightmare. 

**(Modern Family, S6E19 Grill, Interrupted) Phil [to Claire, after she demeans his cheerleading past]: You know what a human pyramid is without hours of training? Ten obituaries. -- That was pure evil genius by Gloria to teach Luke and Manny a lesson when they stole the tequila. -- They are *killing* me with the Haley/Andy relationship! I am dying for them to get together.

**(Madam Secretary, S1E18 The Time Is at Hand) This was a heavy episode. I felt horrible for the father that came to Elizabeth for help because his daughter was involved with the doomsday cult, when he was waiting for her and she didn't return. And there were some intense moments, when Henry was in the compound, trying to negotiate with the cult leader. Mike B and Stevie's new (much older) boyfriend at least balanced the episode out with humor.

**(The Big Bang Theory, S8E19 The Skywalker Incursion) ::snort:: When Sheldon realized that "play that funky music, white boy" were actual song lyrics and then proceeded to pick apart the lyrics. -- We didn't even have to see what was the funniest moment of the episode: listening to Sheldon get tazed. The rest, George Lucas and all the stuff with the TARDIS was kind of lost on me, since I'm neither a Star Wars nor Dr Who fanatic. -- LOL: Bernadette manipulating the outcome of the ping pong game.

**(Law and Order: SVU, S16E18 Devastating Story) Blah, ripped from the headline. Clearly spun together from the Duke lacrosse rape accusations from about ten years ago and this latest campus rape article controversy from Rolling Stone magazine. Complete with barely veiled nods to America's Most Wanted and Dateline NBC (don't watch alone) (sorry, couldn't resist). -- Sometimes I can't help but feel, based on his abruptness, that Carisi is misplaced, being in SVU. -- That professor advocate woman should have been prosecuted. I wanted to scream when she said "look what it took to get anyone to care." ... Yeah, an elevated fabricated story. That's not true caring. It's manipulation and taking advantage and as a result, the legitimate case blew up from lies.

**(The Blacklist, S2E18 Vanessa Cruz) Roger Hobbs: I've been quietly lobbying on your behalf. Red: I appreciate that. Hobbs: No, you don't. You expect it. -- Hobbs: These are powerful men. They don't respond to threats. Red: No, with powerful men one must appeal to their vanity. -- Liz: I need you to put me in touch with someone who brokers shelf corporations. Red: Good. I need the Fulcrum. --Two things that consistently aggravate me: Why do they use the gloves as a grabbing device rather than putting them on when they're at a crime scene? And do characters drive without looking at the road??  -- Red: You need to run, Jasper. Run like the prairie wind, because I'm coming for you, and when I find you, I'm going to cut out that forked tongue of yours and deliver it to The Director myself. ... Moral of the story: Do *not* double cross Red. -- Vanessa Cruz was both seriously messed up, and obviously very smart, thorough, and organized, judging by her office space. And, considering Mr Kaplan's visit to her, I'm guessing we haven't seen the last of her. The question is: what does Red want with her? -- I cannot believe Tom told Liz the truth that Red hired him. I'm even more shocked that Red finally admitted it to Liz. I'm a little peeved that Liz didn't want any further explanation from Red, because *I* want one!! So, now Red has the Fulcrum in his possession and he is almost immediately the victim of a shooting. My guess is it's someone in the Group who has the most to lose by the Fulcrum's appearance. Unfortunately, when an entire show revolves around a character like Red, some of the "gasp effect" is lost, because, unless they want this show to end, neither he nor Liz are expendable.

**(Last Man Standing, S4E20 Restaurant Opening) Mike [to Kristin]: If you want Ed to take you seriously, you don't want your dad handling this for you. you wanna take charge, *take charge*. -- Ed: Baskets...a little middle of the road, but it's always safer to drive there. Mike: Actually, Ed, it's *not*. Let's get going. We've got to get on the road before Ed does. -- For once, Kristin had a legit point with Ed undermining her restaurant management, but I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Kyle put her in her place, with his "you only got this job because of your dad" remark. -- Mike: You know why I hate French doors? You can't pretend like you're not home. -- Gee, for a packed restaurant, Kriston sure spends a lot of time with her parents at their table, rather than tending to other guests.

**(Mom, S2E18 Dropped Soap and a Big Guy on a Throne) The scenes with Bonnie's injured back, along with Bonnie and Christy flirting with the hot doctor, and that pass-the-phone conversation with Marjorie, were all hilarious. I cannot believe that Bonnie is officially off the wagon, though, and indulging in pain pills. No amount of humor can counterbalance that kind of heavy.

**(Blue Bloods, S5E19 Through the Looking Glass) That opening scene, lighting that man on fire, was horrifying. -- Called it! I said Alex McBride stopped seeking answers, because he found something he didn't want to know about his mother's murder. -- When they were sitting around the family dinner table, talking about the question Nikki wanted to ask for her senior project. "What advice would you give your younger self?" After they had all discussed their answers, they turned the question back on her. She said "never forget where you come from." I found that to be a strange answer from a high school senior. How far away has she traveled from "where she came from" that she needs to remind her younger self not to forget? -- That manipulative reporter was awful. She would rather sit in prison than divulge the identity of a murderer, especially when it would prevent other deaths. For a while, I thought Frank might end up with a love interest, but now I really hope he doesn't, because she disgusts me.