Pretty Little Liars - Shadow Play

I surprised myself when I started seeing the advance previews of the black and white PLL episode I was instantly excited for it. I usually don’t go for gimmick episodes of shows because they can get a little silly and seem like a waste of a good episode. For instance don’t get me started on the Heroes episodes set in the future and the past which often went nowhere in the end or that Smallville episode that did it in the Noir style but made literally no sense.

Maybe that Smallville episode might have fared better if it had loyal Twitter fans getting behind the scenes pictures tweeted at them from the stars of the show but that was then and this is now, now seems to be working. The hype is one thing but how was the actual episode? Well that was pretty good too the key was that it was canon, part of the ongoing story that PLL fans have come to love and hate even if it took place mostly in Spencer’s drug addled brain.

The setting was great and this new world was easy to understand as all the essential connections were made, the nod to Emily and Paige being in the closet due to the era it is little things like that that make me love Pretty Little Liars. Mona looked amazing which is different from usual in my opinion as sometimes they seem to force too much makeup onto her.

Obviously this whole thing serves to let Spencer sort through her genius level intellect, though you might question her smarts given her recent run of depression, being committed and now hooked on prescription drugs. It is great to see a popular show do something a little different it doesn’t have to be a musical episode every single time it seems.

THREE ON THREE

This is just a quick probably one off article where I talk about 3 shows I’m watching that have let me down and 3 shows that continue to hit the heights of entertainment. If you want to learn more about popular shows you can check out Hypable you might even find a few of my articles there.

THREE SHOWS LETTING THEMSELVES DOWN

The Vampire Diaries

I love the Vampire Diaries but lately things have been getting a little lax. The Cure storyline combined with this Sire Bond nonsense is really making me re-evaluate watching this show. It used to be fun even though I wasn't huge on the Stefan, Damon and Elena shipfest the other plotlines kept me intrigued and characters like Katherine, Anna and Alaric gave me more than enough reason to watch. That thought brings me to April – WHAT THE FRACK? Come on I hate to go on about her seeming uselessness especially as perhaps the wonderful actress who plays her my think it reflects somehow on her, which it does not. It feels like the writers introduced a character to basically do a Dawn from Buffy but neglected to write in anything that might make us remotely interested in her before the big reveal. Anyway I could write an essay on this so it is time to move on.

Zero Hour

This show had absolutely no marketing campaign behind it seemingly, don’t get me wrong one thing sure to annoy the crap out of me is six months of endless promos and marketing which basically ruin the first four or five episodes in a new show or season but we all like to at least know a new show is coming  in order to foolishly draw conclusions.

The premise of the show is best understood after dropping acid but for all you drug free types out there let us go with it being a massive religious conspiracy theory with possible fantasy aspects. It is interesting to see Anthony Edwards in a lead role and as soon as he is onscreen you realise why he was so awesome on ER. Unfortunately one great actor cannot save a show or 666 Park Avenue might have managed a season with two great actors.

It managed to get itself cancelled after just two episodes partly I think because they didn’t publicise it and partly because the show is a VERY hard sell given how unique it is (what do you mean there are no hot vampires).

Revenge

2^nd Seasons can be a real bitch. That is the only thing I can chalk up as the reason Revenge went from a solid 9 to a questionable 5 almost overnight. The show used to leave me on the edge of my seat but now it seems to have run out of steam, the closest comparison I can make is to Prison Break an awesome show that just went on way too long and got progressively more ridiculous.

I really don’t know what to do with this particular show but it definitely needs to step things up or it is going to lose all the goodwill it got from the first season.

THREE SHOWS CONTINUING TO BE AWESOME

Pretty Little Liars

This show just goes from strength to strength perhaps my favourite guilty pleasure; at first glance it is easy to miss how in depth this show is how many threads run through the show over the seasons that just drop in and out almost without you noticing until the big payoff. The finale is coming up soon and I can’t wait though I have no idea how I am going to deal with the PLL withdrawal.

House Of Cards

I heard so much about this Netflix show I thought maybe it was all hype but then I watched the first episode and was totally blown away. Whoever said politics is boring needs to check this out, the show is slick and pulls you in immediately. Francis Underwood is larger than life and you can’t help but like him even though you know he is going to end up being less than scrupulous.

Cult

It is a crazy show that shouldn't work but somehow it does. At first I looked at it and thought that the show was asking too much of its viewers but I kept watching and I have a fair idea that others are doing much the same. I mean a show about a show about a cult, how does that even work. Matthew Davis is great as the lead and definitely stands out as a man searching for his brother.