Be a Good Boy. Come for Grandma.

Queenie continues to be the mother bear of the house as the others flit about her. In typical Gallagher fashion, the kids all try to make a break for it at breakfast when they don’t want to deal with her nonsense. She locks them down like only a mother can, which was impressive. She’s really a ray of sunlight in that house, it seems like nothing can bring her down (we”re all waiting for the Frank bomb to go off). She’s given more (positive) support to Debbie than anyone and this week she got Lip sorted with a rather shocking method.

Speaking of Lip, this has got to be the end of Mrs. Robinson. We’re through denial, anger, pathetic bargaining, depression and with the end credits scene a rousing bit of acceptance. Mrs. Robinson has kept him away from the family and I’m ready for awesome Lip to come back.

Debbie had the freak of the week b-side story. Saw that creeper coming from a mile away. Glad she hit the ground running and we can move on to the next step (7 months pregnant!).

Ian’s still on a good path. The kid needs purpose and I’m glad he’s found it. A bump in the road exposing their skeletons in the closet, but I think it’s a great sign of maturity and respect. Don’t see that much on Shameless.

Who didn’t see Frank’s part in taking over Carl’s job in the gang? That whole segment wrote itself. There’s no way we don’t see him next week in traction. Or hiding in a dumpster. It’d be pretty lazy if they let Carl get away with bringing in Frank, but they probably will.

Sean to the rescue! Not sure how many people on Earth would stick their neck out like that to get Carl out of the business. Carl’s going to be working that diner sink for years to pay him back. Far and away the best part of this episode was the scene with Fiona and Carl in his bedroom. That was a long time coming and another highlight for Emmy Rossum’s reel. This episode probably had Ethan Cutkosky’s best work too. Carl being distraught about Nick and the world he got himself into really came through

And then the Gallagher F train comes rolling through. Will finds one of Carl’s guns and Sean (rightfully freaks out). It’s interesting to see Fiona try to “sorry” her way out of it and make an attempt to minimize what happened. Crazy stuff like that is more or less part of her life, so she’s kinda used to it. That isn’t normal and she didn’t consider what would happen if/when Sean’s ex-wife finds out. While she really could do nothing but apologize, she’s got to learn to take responsibility. She said similar stuff (I’ll just explain what happened, they’ll understand, I didn’t mean it, it was an accident) when Liam got into the drugs. Because it was an accident she felt it wasn’t her fault. That doesn’t fly when it comes to the law.

Fiona pulling out Carl’s corn rows closes another chapter for the season. With four episodes left, here’s what I’m thinking. Lip should be more prominent in the family again. Debbie’s pregnancy will most likely be the focal point, I don’t think they’ll do any more solo “adventures” with her. If Frank is actually walking around, there’s no way he can’t be hiding. I’ll be really disappointed if the writers just let him off, he screwed with people who know where he lives who don’t let that stuff fly. Sean and Carl might have gotten off OK, but Frank cost them more than money. There’s gotta be some fall out from Will finding that gun and it will most likely end his relationship with Fiona. There are no happy endings in Shameless, but I’m not too sure how hard they’re going to bring this one down. Sean would still in the show but it’s another relationship Fiona tanked.

“We’re all villains in Nassau…”

Light on action this week but there was more than enough killer dialog to make up for it. The themes of this episode: history and sympathy.

Rackham is locked up and has to wait for the world to move around him.

The Flint/Vane project goes into motion with a sneaky trip to the island. This is Madi’s first mission with a ton at stake and she succeeds but Silver had a harder time on his end. He did manage to make his point when pushed, though. Too bad Rogers managed to curb that maneuver with Max. Great scene with Flint and Rogers, I love conversations between two sides of the same coin. Another great scene is The Maroon Queen laying it down on Flint when they’re making plans to go to Nassau after Flint comes back with only Vane. She recognizes flints recklessness and slows him down.The guy needs to be put in place from time to time. It’s a good thing Vane is involved because he pretty much saved this mission by finding Anne first. Great ending setting up the all or nothing snatch and grab mission.

By far the most interesting piece of this episode is the Max, Rogers, and Eleanor triangle. Max and Eleanor have that touchy past (to put it mildly) and Rogers is like the third wheel, but he’s the one steering. Eleanor is a traitor to everyone on Nassau, having burned every single bridge. More than enough was said to make sure everyone knew it, all the way up to England hearing it. Rogers reluctantly had to take her along for the ride because she is valuable. Stabbing everyone in the back wasn’t in her character. She had to and it eats her up every day since it happened. Rogers and her fall for each other (I believe she really has) but he can’t ignore her past and tells her so. That scene is fantastically written and performed. I haven’t felt any sympathy for Eleanor in awhile and that bit hit me (brilliant idea from the writers using the grippe illness as a parallel).

Now the Eleanor and Max relationship. This whole ordeal has twisted in on Max in ways she never imagined. First it forces her to have to work with Eleanor and it ends up putting Max in a very similar position that Eleanor was in. Max now knows what Eleanor went through, the hard decisions she had to make and why she had to make them. Max again feels sympathy for a person she was sure she would hate for the rest of her life.

I like Rogers a lot, they gave him a  lot of layers and this Nassau boondoggle is digging into him more every day. He’s a good guy trying to do honest work in a pirates world. He believes in what his country wants to do, restore order and make a contributing society. He does everything he can to keep people from getting hurt, no matter what side they are on and obstacles keep getting thrown in his way. As he said to Flint, if it comes down to it, if you choose to try and steal this all away again, he will do what he has to do. No more offers or talks, it’s war. Rogers is being forced down a path he doesn’t want to take, just like Eleanor was.

Some neat stuff went down this week.

Silver is basically sidelined this week, I admire his tenacity despite it being so bullheadedly stupid. Good thing he managed to get Madi on his good side so quickly. Mr. Scott is fading fast but a smart man always passes down his wisdom. Even though Madi’s been groomed predominantly by her mother, it looks like her father is going to fill in some missing pieces she’s going to need for when she takes over.

I was right about Rackham’s idea being really stupid but I didn’t see him taking that stupidity and making a stand with it. If he’s going to get rolled over, he’s not going out without making a name for himself. He did want a clear name, after all, telling Anne that that’s about all he had and cared for. The people of Nassau will speak his name one way or another.

Vane throws Blackbeard under the boat again. A man’s home is hard to throw away I guess. Coupled with that knowledge he got on the boat last episode, I’m sure Vane feels like he’s got a workable plan he can do with Flint and I’m inclined to agree with him.

It’s fantastic to see the independent arms of the pirates come together to put the squeeze on England (without them even knowing it). They’ve been apart for so long, but Nassau brings them together. Woodes Rogers is getting squeezed from every single side, Eleanore is basically seen as floating garbage by everyone and Max is doing everything she can do to hang on (interesting seeing her share the same boat as Rackham, but being on the opposite side of it). I really like where this is going, ingenious way to take the Spanish treasure everyone has been after for so long, remix it, and turn it into another treasure hunt with huge stakes. Sucks to be Anne right now, practically all of known civilization is after her.

Pimp’s Paradise

The title refers to Frank and Carl, but by the end of the episode Frank has a lot to celebrate and Carl can’t keep fronting to everyone who walks by him. Losing Nick has devastated him.

Carl tries to keep his spirits (and his image) up by throwing a house party. Fiona puts an end to that the second she comes home and Carl leaves, pouting like a child. Sean manages to actually talk to him which is some kind of win considering how shut down Carl’s been since he watched Nick lose it to his madness. The one scene with Dominique was a great touch.

Frank on the other hand, won over Queenie to stay. He wined, dined, smothered her in attention, stood up for Chuckie (full effect Shameless!) and laid it on thick when Debbie came back. Gotta give it to Frank, the only other creature on Earth that knows how to burrow as well as he does is a tick.

This maneuvering by Frank ended up turning around the power structure of the house. Fiona’s absence from the house completely eroded her standing. No one over the age of 4 listens to her. She’s at odds with Debbie over the pregnancy, Lip is circling his own stupid drain of being thrown under the love bus and Ian is off making what could actually be his first positive relationship. Fiona’s name is on the paper work for the house, but it’s Carl’s money paying for it and Queenie moving in means there is a mother figure taking over her place. Fiona is literally getting pushed out with Debbie getting the attention she wants (just in time too as she was seconds away from hitting Erica’s landing strip) and Frank is finally getting one over on her. She has zero backup from any family member (how Liam wanted to stick around with kale on his plate is beyond me). Without Sean I’m sure she would have put up a fight, but with his place to fall back on, she relents quickly.

Queenie seems like a positive influence so she could be good in the end, but there’s little chance Frank is not going to maul that relationship again and Debbie is going to spiral into Fiona’s arms when the baby comes. Debbie has started to show so I’m sure the last bit of the season will be mostly about Debbie’s pregnancy. Time will probably move fast to do the birth in birth in the season finale or maybe in episode 11.

Half way through the season!

The gears of the wheelers and dealers did a lot of spinning this week. With Vane and Blackbeard through the English barricade, then run into a Spanish ship and decided to pirate it up. Upon taking it over, they find that the big thing the ship was carrying is sensitive information about Nassau. Vane may have a way back and unbeknownst to him…

Flint pulls off another miracle oration to the Queen of his captures. With Silver’s attempts finding no purchase they needed a hail mary. Mr. Scott’s injury in the beaches of Nassau turns out to be that hail mary. With the king brought home, that gives Flint the in he needs and Mr. Scott gives him the go ahead to talk to his wife about their insured future. With Nassau lost, the island of refugees with a fallen king, their survival is at stake. Flint, Silver and the remaining pirates could keep them afloat for awhile by going out for supplies. But the ever clever Flint finds a much better thread to pull on, a much more promising, long-term plan. Revolution by pirate and slaves holding steadfast together against the English. Take back Nassau and use it as a base to draw others toward the cause and long-term prosperity. Flint and Vane are headed back together and they don’t even know it.

While Flint has taken the lion’s share of motivational speaking, Max proves herself to be no slouch again (her business acumen is really impressive). With Eleanore bringing Rogers around, Max’s status on Nassau turned precarious. Not one to be pushed to the side, she comes up with a plan and a pitch that Rogers had to take notice of. She wants to buy her way into this new society and be a full partner with a seat at the table. Moving that share of the Spanish treasure turned out to be a smart idea…until her spot gets blown up by the info that the Spanish know part of the gold stash was washed and she doesn’t have all of it.

Enter Rackham and Anne, on foot with their share, when Rackham has a mid-name crisis. He’s not down with having to change his name in order to use the money, much to Anne’s chagrin and normal common sense. A man must have his standards, though, so Rackham decides to turn back to try and sneak in a pardon in order to shake some heat and come back. There is no way that’s going to work out for him.

4 and 3 and 2 and 1, 1! I’ve said it before and I’ll set it again, Broad City is the best comedy show airing right now.

Season 3 starts off with Two Chainz and it had me screaming in delight. The real life friendship of Abbi and Ilana make this show effortlessly funny. They aren’t acting, it’s 100% legit chemistry that lights them up through every hilarious moment.

From the cold open of the split screen bathroom shot montage to the final gag of Abbi helping Ilana out of her chain belt the laughter never let up. The premise of this episode is bizarrely simple but weird, clever and makes for a complex series of events. Abbi and Ilana meet for brunch where Ilana drops her bike lock key into a storm drain. Abbi’s shirt gets ruined when she tries to fish it out (“What was that? A train?!”) and needs to get a new shirt before going to a friends gallery show. That’s the start of both of their problems and it’s all downhill from there.

This episode has it all. The moment to moment side jokes (just about every conversational bit of dialog from Ilana. She’s far and away my favorite comedic character and actor right now). The elaborate set ups and amazing payoffs (the bits with Ilana’s chain belt and pretty much the entire art gallery scene). The banter from bit characters (“Oh, don’t judge me! You’re the one who’s wearing he stolen shirt!” …. “Nice ass!” “I KNOW!”), I think there is a joke at least every 30 seconds.

They’re off to a killer start, I can’t wait for more.

The theme of this episode was breaking out. Both sides of our story are feeling the pinch. Flint, Silver, and that crew are captured on the island with seemingly no way out. Silver tries to work on the daughter of the leader, but Mom is as hard as they come. The crew is thinning out and they don’t have much time left.

Back on Nassau, control has basically been lost. The deal that went down at the end of the last episode proved to be too much and everyone is against Vane and he’s got to get off the island as England’s grip starts to strengthen. This band is breaking up (for now at least).

This show pulls off another major set piece with dazzling special effects. The plot to break through England’s barricade is cool enough, but watching it unfold is something else. Some really great CG work and practical effects involving crazy amounts of fire. Kudos to compositing all of that together believably. These are some ambitious scripts and they somehow manage to keep knocking it out of the park.

NSFW

Half way through the season!

Another solid episode that had more heartbreak than you can shake a stick at.

Lip. Wake up, dummy. It’s over and there is nothing you can do about it. It was a fling that was never going to turn into anything no matter how much you wished it to be otherwise.

Debbie. Her story had some ups and downs and as usual, her family bounces because whatever is going on in their life is more important than hers. Not sure if she’s going to be able to stick around with her “new family.” The best and worst was Frank in full con mode trying to convince Debbie to seduce Erika (they did name Tyler’s wife) instead of Tyler. An in is an in to Frank Gallagher.

Ian. The progress I thought was going to happen is in motion. So far so good.

Chuckie. The poor kid (literally and figuratively). Grandma to the rescue and who’s there to meet his old fling? Frank. The opportunities this guy gets are unreal.

Fiona. One more nab at the house and Gus gives her the big boot! Hard to watch, but I do side with Gus. Not sure if I would have done the same thing, but I understand it. Chalk that one up to a life lesson Fiona. She went through with the abortion which I wasn’t sure was going to happen. Now there is some complication foreshadowing which might lead to her not being able to have children when she chooses to. Hmmm.

Carl. His face when he’s standing outside the house when they arresting Nick! This was brutal for me. I really liked the Carl and Nick dynamic and seeing it explode like this is so sad. Brings Carl back into the fold after coming in from seeing Gus and he throws his cash down for her. I wanted him to say “It’s time we bring everyone back together,” but watching him walk out without letting her protest was powerful too. I assume this is the end of his corn rows, but I don’t know what he’s going to do now.

As much as people complain about “slow” Walking Dead episodes, they’re done for a good reason. Half the show is build up and that takes people down roads they would never go down themselves. The urge to go pedal to the metal in a zombie show never lets up. Walking Dead ended episode 8 in the jowls of the dad to take off for more than two months. So that brings us to this week where everyone is ready for their Walker fix and the show has to basically come back with a second season premiere. Everything paid off on Sunday.

I think every plotline they built out in the first half came to fruition in this one episode and it was insane. I mean this thing kicked off on a nail-biter into a fist pumping triumph that cartwheeled into the opening credits. Then it came back to Alexandria with the simmer that was left from the previous episode only to boil over for the next 45 minutes. People got munched, people got hurt and the band is back together.

Awesome pacing, awesome payoffs and some deaths that were pretty surprising (and much needed). I can sing the praises of this episode looking like a full cinematic experience, but I’ll lay it out like this: No Way Out was a major turning point for the show. All that set up for Morgan (and Carol) is through the net now and fascinating. Traumatic experiences that changes everyone in the group. Growth from those that would not leave their shells. I’m really interested in where Carl goes from this. The introduction and pushback of that Saviors group promises to bring horror that only the living know how to do. A major battle was one surviving the herd, but the spring has been set for the next big thing and we’re going to get it by the end of the season. No one is ever safe on this show, but everyone watching is on pins and needles now. I think this is the most exciting time for The Walking Dead.