This Week on My TV: February 27, 2016

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



**(The Good Wife, 7x15 Targets) I always wonder if Elsbeth's quirks (the physical ones, not the verbal) are written into the script or if Carrie Preston just ad libs them herself? -- Jason's exasperation with Lockhart, Agos and Lee is amusing to me. I believe he and I are on the same page when it comes to having the drama of others inflicted on our lives. -- That was some steamy office scene between Alicia and Jason. -- Return of the NSA guys! Looks like they're trying to get in appearances from all sorts of recurring characters before the show ends. Louis Canning on deck? -- So, who is the FBI actually investigating? Peter? Eli? Alicia? I'm so confused.

**(Downton Abbey, season 2) I have so many thoughts, now that I've had time to get to know all these characters! -- That was quite a transition to having the hospital run out of Downton. But I am a bit confused. From the outside, the place looks positively enormous. So...other than being a bit bratty...why were the Crawleys acting so put out that they wouldn't have enough space to go about their lives? -- I found the abrupt departure (and really his appearance all together) of the man purporting to be Patrick Crawley very jarring. -- This whole Daisy and William thing is just annoying, which makes me sad, because I liked William, but Daisy grates on my every nerve. She's whiny and has no backbone whatsoever, and really just...she can go now. -- I was so horrified for Matthew, when he was injured. I'm glad it turned out to be only a temporary paralysis, but I loved seeing Mary step up and care for him. I felt like that was a huge moment of growth for her character, especially after all that nonsense of her "not wanting him if he wasn't going to be the heir" in season one. -- Speaking of Matthew's injury, I feel bad for speaking ill of poor departed, unrequited Lavinia, but, sweet as she was, she kind of bothered me too. I don't know if it was my wanting Matthew to come around about Mary or  just how cowed Lavinia seemed by the Crawleys or what, but I just couldn't make myself like her. -- On the topic of the departed Lavinia, that Spanish Flu was (at least portrayed as) a very fickle illness. Carson looked like someone with the, well, flu. Cora looked like she was dying of Ebola. And Lavinia went from someone looking like she was hardly afflicted to dead as a door nail. I also wonder how the rest of the household managed to remain healthy, given all the contact they had with the ill. It sure didn't look like they were taking many precautions. --  I wasn't sure, initially, but I like Sybil and Branson together. -- Obviously, everyone feels this way about it, but Violet is easily the comic relief on this show. She's set in her ways and in tradition, but then she's too old to care what anyone thinks when she speaks her mind, which she does as often as possible, and just when you think she's going to go completely nuts over something, she is this forward thinking woman you never expect. Like when Robert told her about Sybil running off to marry the chauffeur and she's ready to accept it and find a way to spin the story in a favorable light for the family name. -- Oh. Right. Robert. Just *what* was that dalliance with Jane all about ? I rather like Robert, so this...straying (with Cora writhing in bed, possibly dying, no less!) rubbed me the wrong way. I'm relieved he stopped himself before it progressed further, and I hope that this isn't a recurring theme with him. I like to think that made him a bit more compassionate toward Mary, when he learned about her little secret. And now, perhaps, we can finally lay poor, scandalous Mr Pamuk to rest. And good riddance to Sir Richard as well. As Violet replied, when he informed her he doubted they would be seeing one another again, "Do you promise?" (I literally snorted with laughter at that one.) -- Anna and Mr Bates are a total emotional roller coaster for me. First, they're unable to act on their obvious feelings (sad). And then Vera Bates agrees to the divorce and they can be together now (happy). But then Vera recants (sad). And then she turns up dead and they can be married (happy and also what?). Then Mr Bates is accused of her murder and sentenced to death (devastated). But now he's been granted a life sentence instead (hopeful). All I know is that they are so sweet and kind and genuine, in a world where, no matter whether you're "upstairs" or "downstairs," very few people seem to possess any of those qualities. I just want them to have their happiness. -- Since we're talking about the schemers and manipulators. I am suspicious of O'Brien's sudden bout of conscience. The guilt, suddenly, over causing Cora to miscarry, and all this concern over Mr Bates. And then there is Thomas finding himself swindled in his new post-war business venture, worming his way back into service at Downton. Every time I start to feel the slightest sympathy for either of these characters, I'm reminded just how wicked and self-serving they've been, over and over, and I just can't. -- How is it that there is a new maid, it seems, every other episode, but they still can't find a replacement footman to fill William's vacancy? And without Thomas, they wouldn't have any? -- Mary and Matthew! Mary and Matthew! They've finally listened to all the prodding and encouragement and the "you know he/she is still in love with you"-s the elder members of the family have been giving them since they stormed away from each other in the season one finale. And that proposal, with the big, dreamy snowflakes falling, and for the first time, we see Mary openly showing emotions, and the way Matthew looks at her. ::happy sigh:: (I'm going to just keep ignoring the fact that they are related, because, even though this was the way of things and they're likely very distant relations at most, it's still just a little weird to me, the way they walk around calling each other "cousin" all the time.)

**(Grey's Anatomy, 12x09 The Sound of Silence) I cannot believe how stressful this episode was, from Meredith's perspective as a recovering patient, after that accident victim went nuts and assaulted her. The way they went silent, when she couldn't hear. How frustrated she felt trying to communicate. How devastated she was when Alex brought her kids to see her in the hospital and they were too afraid to come to her. It was like feeling all those things for her, as the viewer. What a well acted episode with a really unique perspective. -- It was very moving when she finally met with her attacker so he could apologize. When she reached out her hand in acceptance of his apology, offering forgiveness, I was stunned by how much they were able to communicate without Mer uttering a word. -- Two characters really stood out to me in this episode (outside of Mer). Alex, for really stepping up as Mer's Person. And Penny, confidently *caring* for her patient, which was a huge deal, considering it was Meredith. I think that may go a long way in how Mer feels about Penny, despite what happened with Derek. -- I'm getting to the point where I really just don't like Amelia one bit.

**(The Middle, 7x16 The Man Hunt) Sue Heck flirting. My life is complete now. (Also, I'm pretty sure that's what I look like trying to flirt as well. Maybe why it took me until I was 35 to get married?) And I love that she ended up having a good night with the campus safe driver, just being herself, after Frankie's "flirting advice" went (unsurprisingly) *badly* at the frat party. I just hope that a) maybe this kid will be someone for Sue, in the wake of calling off her engagement to Darrin, and now the disappointment that Logan is going to become a priest, and b) that all their differences don't drive a wedge in her friendship with Lexie, because I really like what Lexie brings to the as a balance for Sue. -- Axl, Hutch, Kenny, and the Winnebago. That was so. flipping. funny. Especially when Axl and Hutch realized that they had lost Kenny, and that they actually cared he was lost. But when he turned up at the Hecks' house, talking politely and having made himself useful to Frankie? I was cracking up. He's such an unexpectedly hilarious character.

**(The Big Bang Theory, 9x17 The Celebration Experimentation) Amy: Where'd he go? Penny: Wait a minute. You mention his birthday and he vanishes? Leonard: Where's that information been this whole time? -- Bernadette: What kind of cake do you like? Sheldon: My favorite is chocolate with strawberry frosting, three layers. And if there's writing on it, make sure it's not all caps. I don't need my dessert yelling at me. -- Penny [to Stuart]: Ok, sweetie, we're on the clock here. Can you hate yourself and frost at the same time? -- Howard: Really, you're ahead of Bale? The man who personified the words 'I'm Batman'? Adam West: I never had to say 'I'm Batman'. I showed up. People knew I was Batman. -- Sheldon asking Amy if she was having a stroke after the birthday suit conversation. LOL -- Amy looked very pretty with her party hair. -- I thoroughly enjoy the friendship between Penny and Sheldon. Sometimes, it seems like no one else really knows what to say to him, but she does. Kwipke...errr, Kripke ;-) is getting really grey! Sheldon [to Penny]: You know, I used to hate these hugs. Now they're just extremely irritating.

**(The Blacklist, 3x16 The Caretaker) I don't know how I feel about Liz marrying Tom. I really don't. Tom is an idiot. No wonder Red doesn't think he's good enough for Liz. -- Lizzie's rapidly growing belly makes me feel like we're watching an episode of Fringe. -- Liz: They employ me as a consultant. He employs me as an inside source. -- Dembe: She deserves to know the truth. Red: Watch the road, Dembe. ... Red knows Dembe is right. He's probably the only person who can get away with calling Red out. Not that Red will do anything he doesn't want to do. -- I think I like this Panabaker character. She pulls no shots. And I think she can actually be trusted. -- Red: Luckily for you, Harold, I poke my thumb in many pies. -- I knew Rose was in on it! I totally called that to T, by the way, when they found her in the hotel room, sitting there unharmed. -- Aram: There is one last battery connected to the green control box on the top left. Cut the wrong wire in the wrong sequence and the bomb detonates. All right, there are two wires there. Blue and red. So here's what you do: apologize to Agent Navabi. Ressler: What? Samar: Aram, we don't have time for this. We have thirty seconds. Aram: 'I'm sorry' takes less than one. -- I kinda felt bad for the Caretaker. He wasn't as sinister as a lot of the big bads on Red's list. -- Harold: I've learned the hard way, some secrets are best kept in the dark. Red: Mine certainly is. ... WHAT SECRET, RED?? -- She loves Red. She hates Red. She loves Red. She hates Red. -- I wonder who Gina was on the phone with about taking care of Tom? -- Red: If anything were to happen to me, this was to go to Elizabeth. So she'd know. Now I'm not sure I ever want her to know. ... WHAT SECRET, RED??? -- And now it's on hiatus until April 7??? Why, NBC, whyyyyyy?!