Time for some TV catch up!

A Series of Unfortunate Events is by far the best show I’ve watched this month. Based closely on the book series (that I have not read) it’s much like a Roald Dahl story come to life. This story of three siblings who lose their parents and get hounded by a dreadful man named Count Olaf for their inheritance has hints of Tim Burton at the helm. It’s actually Barry Sonnenfeld behind he camera (which you will be quick to notice if you’re familiar with his work. Also, no swirly fences so that gives it away that Burton didn’t touch this). Great cast, music and the makeup on Neil Patrick Harris (Olaf) is phenomenal. I was legitimately bummed when I ran out of episodes. They better get season 2 going quick or the kids are going to look too old.

Taboo is the latest big show on FX.  Led by Tom Hardy (and the main reason why I checked it out) it’s a grimy show to be sure. I’m not sure how much I like it two episodes in. Considering I’m still engaged, that gives it an edge over Kurt Sutter’s Sons of Anarchy follow up. Hardy plays John Delaney, an adventurer in the 1800’s who comes home from Africa when his father dies. He inherits some land, snatching it away from a deal his sister made and her husband made to sell it to the Crown. John is an intimidating man, to say the least, and has quite a few rumors following him from Africa. An assassination attempt already happened so I’m going to stick around to see how things play out.

Gotham is back for a brief time and it looks like Jerome’s cult has been growing in the darkness of the city. Riddler’s plan to get revenge on Penguin is full steam ahead too. This show is so weird I love it.

The Mick can be quickly boiled down to Kaitlin Olsen’s Always Sunny character, Dee Reynolds, getting her own show away from the brothers. The kids make this show (the youngest is hilarious). It’s a perfect fit for Fox, I like what I’ve seen so far and hope it keeps up.

Workaholics burns into its final season! If you’ve ever seen it, you know what to expect and it delivers. These three shmucks are so stupid. I’m really curious to see how they finish the show.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has hit some rough patches but this season has started strong. A rather daring musical episode to start, the water park episode was great and last week had a great take on reality TV. It was a smart choice they made years ago to make short seasons, gives them more chances to make killer instead of filler.

Man Seeking Woman- I don’t know how many people watch this show but I hope it’s a lot. I love the creativity of how they present the world of dating. This season picks right up with Josh’s new relationship with Lucy and even though on the surface that’s well-worn territory the writers always find that next layer of awkwardness to explore.

Baskets needs awards just for giving Louie Anderson a killer job to do. This show is so oddly wholesome (?) and weird you need to watch it to understand. I have no idea where the (very talented) creators got the idea for Chip Baskets. I mean, they guy went to France to become a clown. Aside from Anderson as Mrs. Baskets, Martha Kelly as Martha is the breakout actor and character for me. I hope this show hooks her up career wise. The start of the season has been really good with Chip on the run, him in a road movie scenario opens him up to all sorts of scenarios and characters. Love this show with its careful tightrope act of pratfalls, awkwardness, dysfunction, and family heart.

Another one of my shows is on its last season, Grimm, I think they’re doing it at the right time too. With all the escalation that’s been going on and all the discoveries, it’s nice to know a conclusion is coming. Two episodes in, I think they’re off to a good start. The Captain going full villain and how they have to deal with him while dealing with the growing threat of the Black Claw making moves worldwide. Part cop show, spy show, and creature feature, this show has a lot to give.

Sleepy Hollow had a serious season finale last year. With a major character killed off, there was a lot to question about where this show could go. Did it lose too much? With the new location of D.C. and the new characters, this season is really a reboot of the show. It’s easy to see the explanations put in for new viewers, but they keep that stuff pretty quick for old fans of the show. It’s not bogged down and all the elements that made the show popular are still there. I like the new characters so far and the search for the new Witness and the rise of new (and old) threats are as fun as ever. So far, so good.

Coming Soon

Legion kicks off on FX on Feb. 8th. It’s their big dive into the superhero pool bringing live action Xmen to the small screen. Xmen has been on some uneven footing over the years but this project looks really promising as they’re focusing on a character that’s never really been in the mainstream spotlight before.

Black Sails kicks off in a week! It being the final season is a bummer. After such an awesome season last year, I have really high hopes for this last arc. I’m a huge fan of this show and want it to end as well as it possibly can. The show runners and writers are awesome so I’m sure it will.

Face Off is finally back this week! One of two reality shows I watch, I’m stoked to see this year’s All-Star cast compete.