The full fledged TV season ends in about 2 months, but a lot of the cable shows are right in the middle of starting and stopping.

Helix just ended on Syfy, while it has all the glory of having a Syfy TV show budget, I think it was pretty successful in it’s debut season. Enough people tuned in to the Arctic base to what the CDC duke it out with shadowy corporations to get another season next year. It’s all set up to be a much bigger global setting and I look forward to seeing what they do. Quite a few deaths and a kidnapping and a mole leave a lot in play. Face Off is getting down to the last 3 episodes and I’m shocked Niko is still in it. He finally pulled off a really great creation to save him from bottom looks when it really mattered, but I don’t know if he’s going to make it again. The others constantly put out much better work than he does. Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Challenge has started and it’s pretty cool. There’s already drama with a team who didn’t work too well together and the glimpses of future episodes show off some really cool looking creations.

The Walking Dead ends tomorrow and it’s been I think the strongest season. This last half especially. There’s been a good lack of stupid writing and with things looking up for the group with some reunions after the split, something awful is just waiting to pop off for the finale. By gut feeling is that Glen or Maggie aren’t going to make it to season 5.

Top Gear topped off a solid series with only 1 poor episode. The Burma trip continues their excellence in series “specials”. April is really big as Game of Thrones kicks off next weekend which a legion of people are waiting for. I’m in so I’m excited for it. A big shift in power and I really want to see how the dwindling Stark clan is going to stay alive. Mad Men is going to start it’s final season! Shame it’s been cut in half so the wait is going to be stretched needlessly, but I’m glad they are brining it in for a landing, feels like the right time. Orphan Black hits on the 19th on BBC America for season 2. Big fan of the first, the ads got me before it started and the show has proven to be a winner.

I also have my eye on The Stain from the mind and comic pages of Guillermo del Torro. Part plague (like Helix) /vampire outbreak that starts in NYC. That’s starting on FX in the summer I think, but coming up in April Fargo on FX. I just re-watched the great movie and the cast of the show leads me to believe that it could be really great too.

I finished season 3 and it was a great one! The war for Westeros seems to have ended just on the presapice of a new one starting. The Starks suffered some great losses, while some of the kids are scattered about, each with a large possible role in the future. With such doom and gloom being handed out almost every episode, it’s fun to watch Daenerys gaining steam in a positive way. She’s arguably the only source of light outside of the Starks and she got some really great moments this season. Tyrion gets some great lines despite getting clubbed over the head more than a few times. Can’t keep a good man down, even when they’re surrounded by lunatics.

The addition of the Tyrell family is a fun one, the politics between them and the Lannisters was something to see.

I’m all set for the next season which kicks off in less than a month. I’m left wanting more (which is why this show is such a phenom), it’s a great world to travel into. Great production values, the cast rules and the word that winter is seriously coming means a big shift is coming for everyone in Westeros.

I’ve been on a movie hiatus as my DVR has been working overtime since my last post. Last month I talked about many of my favorite shows coming back and I haven’t been disappointed from any of them yet. Walking Dead came back from mid season in good shape and continues to be interested. The group has been split up and each episode has focused on the splinters as they manage to survive. It looks like some will be able to gravitate towards each other pretty soon. It’s been a struggle, there’s some new characters added from the comic and no main cast member has eaten it (ha) since coming back.

Face Off is going strong, we’re just passed the half way point with 8 remaining. There’s some serious pruning left to do, I can see 3 easily getting the ax, but the remaining 5 guys are real strong contenders. There’s some weakness in 2 of those I’m thinking of, but a bad week could be in store for any of them. Graham got saved this week by the judges so that life preserver no longer exists. In a brilliant idea by Syfy, Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Challenge will debut at the end of this month and I’m super stoked for that. It’s focused on fabrication/puppetry over make up, the JHCS is heavily involved which means more exciting art is coming our way.

Let’s see what else? The Americans returned last week and holy animal did it hit the ground running. We were left on shaky ground at the end of last season and we join the two KGB spies not too long after. Elizabeth is back in action while Phil has been holding things down, but a drop they get forced into makes a sudden and sharp turn which puts them on full alert. They life/cover they’ve managed to build in 15 years may be compromised. They’re now afraid for their innocent kids than for themselves. It’s showing massive moral questions that no training and protocols could have prepared them for. They may not have a contingency plan for what’s coming. Incredibly intense, brilliantly written and acted. Easily one of the best shows on TV, I hope it catches on with more people soon.

I’m half way season 3 of Game of Thrones and really enjoying it. I’ll be done with it next week which will set me right up for the return in April. Really looking forward to it.

Some of my favorite TV shows are back on the air and they’ve managed to keep up the quality. First is Justified, with one of my favorite characters making a return. Dewey Crowe was off doing time, but he’s back and trying to keep his head above water as best as he can. Of course he can’t because the guy is a mark for trouble. He’s not the smartest guy on the block so he starts off being scammed for a good hunk of change by Boyd, but he did get control of the brothel so Dewey was about as happy as he could be. But then Rayland kicks up a hornets nest down in Florida which makes Dewey’s cousin, Daryl move to Kentucky to put down some new “roots”. He’s played by the awesome Michael Rapaport who is just eating up every scenes he’s been in so far. Ava Crowder is stewing in jail with Boyd trying to get her our with very little success. The end of last season looks like it’s going to come and bite Rayland as his boss is investigating what really happened. Really like what’s going on, should be another stellar season.

Face Off is back too, my favorite reality show. It’s the only reality show I watch so that says a lot. No big changes in format which I like, a good crop of talent in this crew. There seems to be more front runners 3 shows in at this point too.

Also on Syfy is the new show Helix which is about a secret research base in the Antarctic. Some kind of bio outbreak gets out in the facility and some members of the CDC go to figure things out. Of course there are a lot of shady things going on so there is a lot of mystery, intrigue and murder!

Archer is back and the ISIS team is now on the other side of the law. A big shake up for the show. Cool idea and I think they are pulling it off well. Same great characters, but they are playing on the other side of the playground now.

Community is back up and running with the original creator and it’s very funny again. So much so that I’ve just started watching the show from the start. It reminds me My Name is Earl, some incredibly witty and fast jokes.

The Following is back and I am watching it. I have a weird love/hate relationship with this one because it’s so obscured, but cults are so hard for me to wrap my head around that what happens on the show work. I like Kevin Bacon, so he certainly helps. I find it dumb cult man made it out of the season finale not only alive but unscathed, but hey, I’m still watching.

Black Sails is a new pirate show on Starz, I caught the pilot and I like what I see. No other pirate shows are out there so I think this one could be refreshing and fun for me. It could scratch that Spartacus like itch.

Shameless is back and completely awesome. Easily my favorite show on TV right now. Big changes for the family, everyone has something interesting and life changing going on. Fiona’s major drama just started (and of course it’s relationship related), Frank is hanging on somehow at his absolutely lowest, Lip is going through a reality check of epic proportions that I really like, Debbie needs to be REALLY careful about what she’s doing, Carl is helping Frank as best he can….hopefully it won’t screw him up any more. Ian is m.i.a. since popping off to boot camp, it’s hard to tell if they’re going to bring him into this season in any major capacity. The other 2 Showtime companion shows (as I like to call them), House of Lies and Episodes are going strong too (HoL especially).

Coming up soon is The Americans which I cannot wait for and Legit. Hopefully FX moving Legit to FXX won’t screw the ratings and make them do something dumb….

The whole season was a mountain climb for Jax Teller. Trying and trying to get his MC out of the gun running game left more than a few dead bodies behind. External and internal strife kept coming him and he managed to make some real progress…until the end.

I like how Jax has really become Clay, but at the same time he’s still Jax. Through it all, he’s a fiercely loyal person with a moral code. He doesn’t want to harm people, but sometimes he has to. He feels remorse, shame and regret. All to reach a peace that may never be possible.

There was a lot of drama this year (like always) and I think it was another solid season from beginning to end. The finale was massive and sets up a really weird final season. Every death in this show is really meaningful and those last two really couldn’t have been bigger in this universe. I don’t really know what this means for Gemma at large, I don’t know how she can pick up the pieces after this last stunt. And Juice? So much in the air. In Kurt Sutter we trust! I’ll leave it to his mind to follow through with his crazy set up. Next season is going to be the last one, so that makes the anticipation even greater.

Now that Sons is done, that leaves the stage open for Justified to return next month! FX continues to be my favorite network.

I can do nothing more than continue to slobber all over this show, so I’ll keep this brief. I watched it from the very start, watched each episode when it aired. I was hooked on the set up and the characters. How was Walt’s story going to come to an end? What would become of Jesse through this? Each episode built on the last, the escalation and execution of events being pulled off almost flawlessly. The scenarios this show went through every season is an exercise in brilliance. Intense, funny, shocking and most importantly, believable.

The writing, the acting, the directing, the editing! A perfect storm that came together for 5 of the best seasons on television. I really can’t think of a bad episode. A throw away time that could be excised and not missed. That’s incredibly rare. A beginning, a middle and end that I think is one of the most brilliant stories ever told. Some of the best and most memorable characters will live on for generations in Breaking Bad. Long after stuff like Lost and Dexter are lost to time, Breaking Bad will be passed down and talked about as a high mark in television.

I loved the end. All the final pieces came together. The continued display of brains and intensity coming together to one of the most satisfying conclusions in any medium. Thank you to every man and woman responsible for making Breaking Bad possible. It was a hell of a ride.

The best times of Dexter was many seasons ago. After the Trinity Killer, it was an uneven, poorly written show that managed to hang on to a series finale. While there has been some moments that proved Dexter’s entertaining value, it too often did a header into a pile of freshly shoveled dirt (the end of season 6 in particular).

The series finale is just a disappointment for me. They knew it was the end, they had plenty of time to come up with a satisfying and cohesive narrative for Dexter. The finale really felt rushed. I find it hard to believe that Showtime would be forcing them to get that last episode wrapped in 55 minutes. Dexter is basically the flagship show for the network. It was a defeatist ending too, which made it feel worse to me. There was nothing satisfying about seeing Dexter, who is a very strong character, basically give up. Plus, there are so many loose ends that force you to fill in the blanks. Stuff that is just convenient writing that ignores real world observation and common sense to get to their desired end (which has been a big problem for the show). Needless, poorly handled death and bizarre, kneejerk abandonment don’t go over well with me.

It’s a bummer to see a once great show roll over and die with very little intact of what made it so great in the beginning.

Sons of Anarchy- The drama continues to rumble down the street for the Sons. Season 5 was rough for the club, there’s a bunch in jail (oh Otto!), one who is thinking of leaving the club, some who may not be able to be trusted. Jax is basically just trying to hold things together in any way he can. His wife is in jail and doesn’t even want to see him, Clay is a huge problem sitting in jail and the ex-FBI guy is whipping things into a frenzy behind the scenes. Plus he’s trying to get some cash flow back into the club and that will probably come slamming back into his face soon enough.

There’s a lot of drama going on and we’ve been introduced to a blonde haired kid with some serious issues. He crosses the paths of a few characters as they go about their business in town and the whole time I’m wondering what’s up with him. The show ends with him walking into a school with a gun. It seems really out of left field and unnecessary, but Kurt Sutter doesn’t just throw people and situations into his story without an end game. Clearly he’s just a kid that no one is paying attention to (just like the real life shooters who are unknown and ignored until they hit the news). He’s alone and ignored in every scene he’s in, he floats from space to space until the end of the episode. It’s controversial for sure, but so much about SoA is, so that’s not exactly surprising. We can only wait and see how this unfolds, but now that the ball is rolling it’s up to Kurt to show his viewers that he has a full and well meaning story to tell through this season with this plot line.

The Adventures of Korra- It’s been more than a year and Korra is finally back on. This has to be the best looking and sounding cartoon being made today. Some of the animation is down right amazing and the action sequences are always some of the most enjoyable to watch. The colors are sumptuous and the soundtrack is epic. Book 2 starts not too long after last season. Korra still has a lot to learn (air bending apparently) and the spirits of the north pole are causing up in arms. Korra’s uncle shows up and tells her it’s her job to head north to handle the situation, she is the bridge between the spirit and physical world. Her first meet with an angry spirit doesn’t go well, she gets tossed around like an amateur until her uncle steps in with his spirit management techniques (it looks really cool). So now Korra sees that she has a lot to learn…from someone who doesn’t already call themselves her teacher. There’s a lot of push back at this, but Korra sticks to her guns and manages to turn things around in the north. Now the question is, what are her uncles true intentions? It was a nice hour introduction to new characters and events, I think we have a lot to look forward to.

The summer shows are winding down, with a few leaving the airwaves for good. So as the regular season starts to gear up, I’ll give some takes on what I’ve been watching.

I’ve been on a big BBC kick. I’m all caught up on Sherlock which is a terrific show. Each episode is just under an hour and a half so it’s really more of a movie than an episode. Really fun show, Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman are so well cast as Sherlock and Watson. Neat cases, weird villans, excellent writing. Luther is like the guy who works on the other side of London, he takes on the psychos that Sherlock doesn’t get to because he’s already busy. Luther is super smart, damaged but not so eccentric and social awkward as Sherlock. Luther has a bit more of a horror/serial killer vibe to it. He skirts around the rules all the time and gets under the skin of a lot of people, but he’s a great cop. I thought he was super obnoxious to begin with, but he grew on me and I found myself sympathizing with him. I finished the first two seasons on Netflix just in time to catch season 3 air on BBC America. They’re playing all 4 episodes in one week which is a weird way to do it, but I’m not complaining. Top Gear did it’s full series as well. Some good stuff as usual, but one episode had a ton a filler and the finale was also average at best. It was at a live Top Gear show in Australia that was a cheap and convient way to squeeze out an episode. Some good content, but not very entertaining. It was probably the weakest series I can remember.

Futurama is done! The last episode aired last night and was a beautiful finale. I’ve liked the seasons that Comedy Central has soley aired, they’ve done some edgeier stuff and have come up with some inventive and fun ideas while keeping the laughs coming. The staight to DVD stuff can be skipped, but the last two seasons are worth a watch. I can’t see any other network to step in to foot the bill for more, so I think it’s really the time this show was laid to rest. It was a fun journey with the Planet Express crew.

Network shows seem to be starting next week, with the bulk of them starting the last week of September. Cable shows a bit sooner (like Boardwalk Empire and Sons of Anarchy). I’ll have more when those get going. Dexter is almost done, 2 episodes left I think. It’s been an okay season, I was expecting more intensity in the last season, but maybe they’ll crank it up for the end. Can only hope for a satisfying end for Dexter, but with those writers who knows. Breaking Bad has continued to deliver at least. I could blather on (which I will when the show ends) but I’ll just say it’s the best show on TV and leave it at that.

I’ve been watching Under the Dome for some reason. It’s alright. I mean, it fits CBS quality. Acting that’s all over the place, some terrible dialog that either over explains things for the dummies or tries to sound dramatic and comes off corny. And the keyboard soundtrack is never far behind those dramatic turns! Dean Norris is one of the main characters and it’s really weird seeing him on another show while Breaking Bad is still stewing up juicy bits of insanity.

Now FX started it’s new channel, FXX this week and I can’t figure out why. They’ve spent 12 years or so building FX and have had some amazing success. It’s to the point where they have enough great programming to run new primetime shows year round. But with FXX, they’ve basically made another TBS. It’s all syndicated shows and FX bought movies that run all the time because they’ve moved over like 4 shows from FX for now. Why dilute your channel by moving the stuff people want to watch already? FX and FXX are like 20 channels apart on Fios and not every carrier is carrying the channel so they’re screwing fans. There must be some inside stuff I’m missing because I can’t figure it out. So Always Sunny started with The League and Kamal Bell. It was a strong start for Sunny, but I still scratch my head at this FXX idea.

Archer- Solid season from start to finish. Probably the most consistent animated show on right now despite some lulls in the season (even then it’s a good show, usually the comedy doesn’t quite hit the mark). There were a lot of great moments this year, more references than you can count or catch on a first viewing. The messed with the formula a few times (the reality cooking show and the road/train trip with Archer and Ron) to great affect. The characters are working better and better with each other. Ron Cadillac is a great third wheel to Malory’s insanity, Archer and Lana have their own great dynamic (great reveal with the pregnancy, should be interesting for Lana). Pam and Cheryl might be the funniest duo ever, the dialog they get between each other is almost always a riot. Cyril and Ray are trapped together battling Archers ego and insanity. Poor Ray too, I hope he gets his bionic legs back. Such a fun show, there’s nothing else like it on TV. To season 5!

Legit had a great first season. I’m really happy Jim Jefferies got to make such a show, it pulls a few episodes directly from his act but expands on them. There’s some really funny stuff in there, I don’t think there was a single episode I didn’t like. They managed to make some great characters to work with Jim. It makes the show more of an ensemble that really works. Jim may be a obnoxious person with offending remarks and actions but he is a good and loyal friend. The finale brought back the main event of the premiere, giving a time line to the show and filling out the universe of the show. It made for a very complete, funny and touching ending. Great idea casting DJ Qualls as Billy, he often steals the show and really gets to show off what a great actor to. Jim ain’t half bad either! He defiantly got more comfortable as the show went on. I’m happy to hear the show got picked up for another season, I just hope that people follow it to FX’s spin off channel FXX. I question the need for another channel, FX doesn’t need to dilute itself. Along with AMC, FX has turned themselves into one of the premiere cable channels. They have a growing stable of fantastic shows that allow them to have great programming year round.

This weekend saw the season finales of 3 SHO series! That leaves a drought until Dexter starts it’s last season at the end of June.

Shameless- Season 3 was a good season, but not a spectacular one. There was something missing that 1 and 2 had, but that makes it sound like I’m complaining. Still enjoyed it all and the season finale was brilliant. There were a lot of complete story arcs for many characters this year and the strings of each came together for episode 13. Potentially, we have the set up for quite a few characters leaving the show…for good or a return later is anyone’s guess. I find all of them to well thought out and plausible, something the UK version stumbles a lot on when jettisoning cast member after cast member.

“Survival of the Fittest” is an apt title for the finale. Major life events for everyone. Fiona is making strides to keep her family afloat by using Jimmy’s disappearance the best she could. The ultimate thorn in the side of the knowledge that the viewer knows way more about him leaving then she does. In fact, we really don’t know his real fate. Ian is also in a major transition, putting Mickey in his rear view by pulling the trigger on his military commitment. Considering he’s lying about his age to do so, it’s a question of how long he can go before he’s caught. No one in the family knows he’s gone so that’s another kick in the pants.

Lip is in on another plane of existence too. Done with high school, he has no idea what to do now. Thanks to his crazy (ex?) GF he has the huge opportunity of going to MIT on a full ride, he bonds with Frank with a horrible outcome. Karen is now gone with Jodi to Arizona for rehab leaving an empty nest for Sheila to handle…we’re left with a glimmer of hope for her, but there’s no telling how she’s going to cope. Carl and Debbie are growing up fast, they’re pushing more and more to be treated as adults and considering the stuff they’ve done this season, they have handled some pretty heady stuff. Kev and Veronica have a kid on the way, their circus working in the end. That should be a big component of next season.

Last but not least is Frank! Will death at his door lead to him changing his ways? “What if I don’t want to?” Is he capable of changing? He wouldn’t be Frank if he did. The scene with Carl going to the hospital at night to shave Frank’s head was brilliant from start to finish. A great call back, a great expression of love, one that seems to have touched Frank.

The writing was outstanding for the finale, just brilliant TV. Can’t wait for season 4.

House of Lies had a great ending too. There was a big build up towards Marty going out on his own and to bring the gang with him. His dealings whipped up quite a storm, how well he weathers it remains to be seen. It’s going to be a trying time for him after burning so many bridges.

Californication: The treadmill under Hank keeps moving at the same speed and inclination. Some stuff happens through the season but it always comes back to Karen. The one that he had, the one that keeps getting away, the one he can never really have again. Time to wrap this up fellas.

This passed week has seen a few of my favorite shows come to a close for the season. With many more coming within the next 2 weeks. Time for a run down.

Justified has ended it’s 5th fantastic season. It really is one of the best and most consistent shows that airs today; the writers keep coming up with new, inventive scenarios for Raylan Givens and match it with brilliant dialog. So many great characters continue to flourish (if they make it through to the end) like Boyd and Ava Crowder who I was really pulling for at the end of the season. A lot of big events went down this season setting up another promising journey for fans next year.

FX as a whole is just doing really awesome work. Archer is having a great season as is Legit. The Americans is one of my favorite new shows, love the cast and the story on that one.

FaceOff had a quality season. Coming into it, I thought the whole cast looked super strong but there were a lot of stinkers in there. Half of them were just not up to par, at times they could have done a few double eliminations to get rid of the dead weight. I had a good idea of who the final 3 were going to be and really any of the last 5 had a really good chance to win it all. There was some great designs this year, one of my absolute favorite of the whole series was from House who made this killer candy clown with a huge mouth on her stomach. The next season kicks off at the end of August, I’m looking forward to it!

The Following continues to walk the fine line of entertainment and cheese. There’s a lot of wacky stuffy going down that can be hard to swallow, namely the reach of the cult. But when you read about actual cults, the stuff they do is downright bewildering so it does make the show seem plausible. Hannibal just started and I have yet to watch it, but I’ve heard good things.

Spartacus has 2 episodes left and in typical form the show really took off at the half way point (episode 4 for me, but that’s close enough to half way for me). The last episode was a rough one, some major losses to the rebel side and the pressure on the Roman dogs has never been higher. The end seems very clear, it’s just the path and the quality of the resolution(s) that I’m anxious about.

Grimm has been a fun watch too! I came into this show late last season, but it’s quickly become one of my favorites as well as a welcome replacement for my Fringe timeslot.

Picked up on the new BBC show Orphan Black and the gears are just starting to spin on that one. The promos have given away much more than the the premiere so far, but it’s about a woman who’s made some crummy choices coming out of hiding. She witnesses a girl who looks just like her commit suicide at a subway station and decides that it’s the perfect chance to run a quick identity con for some quick and serious cash. Nothing can go wrong with that idea.

Showtime’s Sunday block ends this weekend with Shameless, House of Lies and Californication. I’ll write about those after they close, but I will say I’ve enjoyed all of them so far.

The Walking Dead finished up season 3 with record high ratings. Thankfully the stupidity has been greatly reduced over last season which gave the show it’s best season so far. There were major deaths with major character arcs that have changed people forever (looking at you, Carl). I was left disappointed at the final credit roll, expecting an epic war and got more of a quick battle. Thinking about it aftwards, it was a strong finale. A lot made sense, the prison team used the home advantage to it’s greatest advantage and came out on top as a result. They weren’t stupid, they made a strong plan to avoid brute force and it paid off. Andrea’s roll has turned into one of my favorites, she got a lot of great moments this year. Just 6 months till it starts back up again, I hope they can continue to make the show better and better.

With the Dead shuffling off, Mad Men returns this weekend! Exciting stuff, it’ll be great to get back into the 60’s.