FTW vs. WTF: The TV Week in Review (January 18–24)
Listen! You have one week to prepare for your Super Bowl party! Here's what you'll need: three bathtubs full of BBQ sauce, enough cheap beer to drown Germany, a 274-layer dip, and a poster-sized printout of shirtless Rob Gronkowski wearing a leopard-print hat and cuddling a kitten. Get on it!
What? You're not having a Super Bowl party? You're just gonna sit there and stare at your computer instead? Fine, you may as well check out what we liked and didn't like about the last seven days in television in another edition of FTW (Patriots) vs. WTF (Seahawks).
SPOILER ALERT: If you haven't finished watching this week's new episodes (of Justified, Parks and Recreation, Babylon, Helix, Black Sails, etc.), we suggest that you hold off on reading this story until you do.
FTW:
Girls goes apartment-hunting in the Midwest
Hannah is far from the Big Apple and smack dab in the middle of the Big Cornfield now that she's a grad student at the University of Iowa, and the culture shock is very real. The biggest surprise? The mansion she can occupy for what's likely a third of the rent she pays for a closet in Brooklyn. New York City may be considered a character on Girls, but the series has found new life by pulling Hannah out of her comfort zone and transporting her to a place where she doesn't have to lock up her bike. Oh, wait, turns out she has to lock up her bike in Iowa, too.
FTW:
Shameless finally cuts Kev's hair
It was a long time coming, and the world is better for it. We don't care if Vee is angry; that mess was getting ridiculous.
FTW:
The Venture Bros. returns (briefly) with a bang
It's been far too long since The Venture Bros. last graced our TV screens, so thank Sovereign (or Bowie, or whomever) for "All This and Gargantua–2." The key takeaway from the special, which served as an introduction to Season 6, is that the show will never run out steam. The episode's pop-culture references ranged from excellent lightsaber duels to Lance Burton, and when coupled with the expansive, well-developed cast and the show's willingness to put that cast through all sorts of emotional and silly hijinks, there was sheer greatness on display. "All This and Gargantua–2" was a deck-clearing romp full of villains and heroes and sacrifices, and all we want to know now is, when does Season 6 actually start?
FTW:
Chasing Life is back and it hurts so good
Chasing Life's heartwarming winter premiere picked up several months after the show's Christmas special to find April in remission and back at work, but struggling to readjust to her former life. She's having difficulty remembering things as a side effect of her chemo, but luckily she hasn't forgotten just how much she likes Leo, who survived his brain surgery (THANK GOD) but was in a coma for two months. By episode's end, he was lucid enough to talk to her, which made us feel a bit better about Dominic's painful admission that April had crushed his heart. Meanwhile, Brenna wasn't faring any better in the love department, because Greer's parents still don't approve of them dating. Ugh. This show kills us, but we wouldn't have it any other way.
FTW:
Jane the Virgin makes a statement about immigration reform
The CW's new darling hasn't made a single true mistake since it debuted in the fall, and it wasn't about to start in its first episode back after Gina Rodriguez won a Golden Globe. Not only did the show earn its highest ratings since its series premiere, it also made a bold statement on immigration issues in the United States. After being pushed down the stairs by Petra's terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad, lying garbage person of a mother in the fall finale, Alba was left comatose and facing deportation once the hospital discovered that she's an illegal immigrant. Thankfully, Michael pulled some legal strings (endearing him even more to Xo in the process) to keep her in the country. Leave it to Jane—a series that takes pride in highlighting its characters' culture—to incorporate insightful social commentary in a smart way. The show may be known for its over-the-top dramatics, but this particular storyline stands out for its real-world implications. You go, show.
FTW:
Justified does the Dewey
Oof! Boyd Crowder is obviously no stranger to knocking off his former business partners when they turn on him, but of all his late "associates," Dewey Crowe is definitely the one we'll mourn the most. The lovable idiot's moronic antics were the source of many good times. Remember when he went on a rampage after he thought he lost a kidney? Miss you already, dude.
FTW:
Parks and Recreation nailed Ron and Leslie's reconciliation
Well, that didn't take long. In the aptly titled "Ron and Leslie," Parks and Rec explained the Morningstar incident of 2015 and cleared the air between one-time friends Ron and Leslie, revealing that the reason they stopped talking was that EVERYONE DESERTED RON AND HE WAS SAD AND MISSED HIS FRIENDS WORKPLACE PROXIMITY ASSOCIATES AND HE JUST WANTED TO WORK WITH EVERYONE AGAIN AND LESLIE STOOD HIM UP FOR LUNCH BUT NOT ON PURPOSE SHE WAS JUST REALLY BUSY. *deep breath* Whew, sorry, we had a small emotional breakdown just thinking about those two. We never expected Ron Swanson, of all people, to make us cry real, non-laughter tears, but he can and he did. It was like Niagra freakin' falls over here. When Parks and Recreation goes off the air for good, the world will not only be less funny, it will also be far less beautiful and emotional. Ron and Leslie's friendship really is the backbone of the show, and it feels so good to have the balance restored in Pawnee. Plus, did you SEE Leslie's "Pawnee water torture"? And her hilarious rendition of "We Didn't Start the Fire?" Find us another show that mixes humor and the heart better than this one and we'll... tell you you're flat-out wrong.
FTW:
The Flash returns hot AND cold
Our first 2015 visit to Central City was strong all around, with a pair of great villains (and a Prison Break reunion!) in Captain Cold and Heat Wave, not to mention some progress on a number of other plots. Keep it up the good work, Flash!
FTW:
Broad City's Abbi lip-syncs to Lady Gaga exactly how one SHOULD lip-sync to Lady Gaga...
...naked and with gusto.
FTW:
Man Seeking Woman enlists the military to send a follow-up text
In a second episode that improved on Man Seeking Woman's strong pilot, Josh took the next step with Laura, the girl he met on the train, by performing one of the most nerve-racking acts that desperate single people must engage in: sending the first text message after the initial round of contact. Enter the Center for Important Emergencies, a highly organized military research group that physically embodied those in-our-head voices that drive us nuts when we're trying to pull off the most menial of tasks. The scene was totally absurd yet grounded in reality, as Josh broke through with a simple message and Colonel Tigh (guest-star Michael Hogan) incredulously exclaimed, "It's just a normal thing, like someone would say!" Of course, once the correspondence was dispatched, it was time to panic during the painstaking wait for a response. Did she not like it? Was she in the shower? Evasive maneuvers! "TEXT 'JK,' TEXT 'JK'!!!!!!"
FTW:
It's another baby for Parenthood!
The series' penultimate episode proved that some of our more measured predictions for the final season were pretty on-point: Joel and Julia are back together, Zeek and the family are steeling themselves for an incredibly difficult goodbye, and Amber has birthed a healthy child. While the show thankfully didn't resort to a scene where an old man dies just as a baby is born, the kid is adorably named Zeek, so it seems as if the (heartbreaking) writing is on the wall. The Bravermans' lives have been getting really montage-y lately, but that's to be expected; next week's series finale probably won't contain any dialogue, it'll just be the actors with misty eyes and a folk singer crooning a gravelly tune for 45 minutes. And we will love and weep through every second of it.
FTW:
Oh Babylon, we were not expecting THAT
SundanceTV's imported British cop dramedy pulled a Game of Thrones by killing off its biggest star, but it didn't even wait until Episode 9. Police Commissioner Richard Miller (James Nesbitt) made his surprise exit in Episode 3, plunging into the Thames just before an infidelity scandal broke and turning Liz's world—and the series itself—on its head. Babylon darts back and forth between witty comedy and political drama, but it's currently focused on the latter, and we don't mind at all because Richard's shocking suicide is going to be the catalyst for some major character development in the second half of this addictive and fast-paced series.
FTW:
Grimm is FINALLY doing something interesting with Juliette
She's, like, totally a Hexenbiest now, and for the first time ever, we're actually eager to find out what's next for her. Better late than never, we guess. Also: Go Team Grimm! Way to rally and save Monroe!
FTW:
Banshee stages a fight for the ages
Holy crap, Friday's showdown between Burton and Nola is already a contender for best fight sequence of 2015. We're gonna miss you, Ms. Longshadow.
FTW:
Flint and Silver team up on Black Sails
The Season 2 premiere of Starz's pirate drama was full of the show's usual ups and downs, but since this is in the FTW section, let's focus on the hour's biggest up: Captain Flint and Long John Silver were tasked with capturing a warship and proved themselves the perfect team for the job, navigating a full hull of sleeping pirates and escaping certain death with cunning, lies, and humor. There are still some pirate business meetings happening back on Nassau, but right now, Flint and Silver are the stars of the show.
FTW:
The Returned (a.k.a. Les Revenants) finally shows signs of life
The highly anticipated (well, around here anyway) French "zombie" drama has been dormant for what feels like forever, so if you've been seeking proof that it will, indeed, be back for Season 2, here it is. SO. EXCITED. If you haven't yet watched Season 1, please drop what you're doing and check it out immediately; all eight episodes are available to stream on Netflix.
FTW:
Law & Order: SVU digs into some daddy issues
This FTW entry comes to us from TV.com user @IndianaMom, who requested that we be sure to recognize this week's episode of the long-running NBC procedural. The brutal "Padre Sanduguero" was an emotional hour centered on Amaro and his father, and it featured great performances from Danny Pino and guest-star Armand Assante. Kudos to Mariska Hargitay's direction, too.
FTWTF:
The Fall Season 2 was kind of off, but at least Gibson kept putting guys in their place
After a very strong first season, The Fall's sophomore effort struggled to maintain the quality of its predecessor. There was too much Katie (seriously, the show went WAY overboard with the "dumbly enthralled teen girl" nonsense), splitting Peter from his family ended up making him feel a little adrift, and the final sequence was one of those "Really? Really?" situations. But we take solace in the fact that Gibson, after a bit of a break, started dropping truth bombs about horrible male behavior, from Jim's drunk come-on for sex that concluded with him (rightfully) ending up with a bloody nose to her refusal to see Peter as a fascinating monster. After all, she insisted, he's just a man, and any man could be Peter. Even if the season lacked a sense of momentum and subtlety, Gibson is still the best.
FTWTF:
American Horror Story: Freak Show takes its final bow
The fourth installment of Ryan Murphy's horror anthology was largely a mess, and we don't blame you one bit if you lost interest well before the end. However, both the season and the finale featured plenty of highlights. Most notably, Dandy's chilling shooting rampage and its aftermath—Bette and Dot's poisonous revenge, followed by an intimate "show" that really held water as Dandy was publicly drowned in front a popcorn-chomping audience—deserved a standing ovation.
WTF:
Pretty Little Liars phones it in, the Liars jump to conclusions
The teen drama seems to fall into a bit of a lull after each (half-)season premiere, and this week even A took the slacker route while the girls focused more on their relationship troubles than on the stealthy, blood-thirsty sociopath roaming the streets of Rosewood. Meanwhile, Caleb and Spencer (a.k.a. Hacker and the Brain) stumbled onto a cache of Mona murder evidence and a barrel they simply assumed held the body of their fallen saint. Because what else are barrels for? Also, with Paige having flown for greener, less torture-y pastures, it's been implied that Talia might try to hop into that still-rippling pool with Emily. Which is fine by us: We'll take anything that stands in the way of the radioactive dystopian wasteland that would be Emison and Talia being honestly attracted to Ezra (vurp). Although could Emily just be single for, like, a second?
WTF:
Helix hits pause on a pregnancy
We'd all been wondering why doctor Sarah was prancing around an infected island when she should've been mothering her newborn baby, and "Reunion" revealed the good/bad/corny reason: It's been 15 months since she discovered she was pregnant, and the kiddo is still inside her because it's *ahem* no longer aging due to a spinal fluid injection from immortal Julia. Okay, Helix, if that's the way you want to play it, be our guest.
What's on YOUR list of TV loves and hates this week? Larry Wilmore's late-night debut? Jimmy Kimmel guest-hosting The Bachelor? Empire's amazing ridiculousness and amazing ratings to match? A to Z's series finale? Backstrom's series premiere? The winter premieres of The Originals, Supernatural, Arrow, The 100, The Vampire Diaries, and Reign? Share your own FTWs and WTFs in the comments!
