Whether microscopic or massive, below you’ll find some of the things that seem noteworthy from the latest season. Sure, there are probably more, but there is always time!
Off the top of your head, what triumphs or blunders have you noticed about the new fall season?
The Good Doctor Scores
The Good Doctor premiered higher than anyone expected, overshadowing poor critics’ reviews and becoming one of the first series to score a full season order even though Freddie Highmore is only slightly different than his far superior role on Bates Motel that never got the audience attention it deserved.
Military’s Meh
None of the three military shows broke free from the pack to become a sensation. The writing for David Boreanaz is lacking, the audience for The Brave isn’t watching and Valor, well, it’s The CW and they’re not a military bunch no matter how you slice it. Unless they’re currently siding with superheroes.
Riverdale Remains Riveting
Riverdale Season 2 went darker than Riverdale Season 1, Fred Andrews survived, and the ratings went through the roof on a competitive night anchoring the Dynasty reboot. The young, talented cast cares about their work environment and the world, and they’re being rewarded for their hard work.
Star Trek: Discovery Soars
Despite production delays and concern over review embargoes, Star Trek: Discovery makes a terrific landing scoring CBS a record number of sign-ups after the premiere. Whether they’ll continue to pay for the service after the 15 episode run remains to be seen.
American Horror Story: Cult-ivates a Creepy Look in the Mirror
American Horror Story: Cult held up a mirror to society in what turns out to be one of the most frightening seasons since Murder House, but the audience turned away at the thought it was going to be talking too much about the election and current political events. Or maybe viewers were too afraid to see the darkest parts of themselves splayed open like a rotting corpse by Ryan Murphy’s sharp dialogue?
Slasher Stalls
Slasher Season 2 appeared on Netflix without an ounce of fanfare. The ease with which the big bad killer was identified – if viewers are in tune with popular culture – was disappointing, and the story didn’t have the depth that shined through the slashing when Season 1 aired on Chiller Network.
Ten Days in the Valley is Nine Days Too Many
Even Kyra Sedgwick couldn’t save Ten Days in the Valley. The less concerned her character appeared to be about her daughter the more difficult it became to watch an actress as revered as Sedgwick try to make it comfortable. No amount of mystery can pull the ratings up after such a shaking start.
Blue Bloods Blindsides
Fans were blindsided when Blue Bloods killed off beloved character Linda Regan, at the same time murdering the last stable relationship on the series. For a show about family, ending the last marriage seemed over the top and Linda’s death taking place off screen didn’t give fans time to grieve for the character.
Kevin Can Wait Should Have Waited
Kevin Can Wait didn’t fare much better when it came to killing off a spouse. Even though the announcement was made well in advance of the premiere, a decent number of viewers tuned in to see how her death was handled (a quick word over junk mail in her name) and nearly 50% didn’t return for Episode 2. This has NOTHING to do with lack of love for Leah Remini, either, whose Scientology show on A&E continues to impress and gain viewers. It’s about respecting viewers. Go figure!
The Eleven Explores and Investigates
The Eleven on A&E explores the retracted confession of convicted murderer Edward Harold Bell for some of the 11 murders in and around Galveston County, Texas, in the 1970s. The contrast of the life of young teen girls then and now is part of the attraction of the series, as is the hope for news and information on the 45-year old murders.
Supernatural Tantalizes both Cas AND Lucifer Fans!
Lucifer’s son, Jack, looking so much like Castiel had to be a surprise to everyone on Supernatural Season 13. First, Jack showed up looking for his dad, and he named Castiel. Then, his personality and his very genetic code screamed Cas. Being the son of Lucifer and displaying the characteristics of Castiel is a welcome surprise, only befuddling the Winchesters as they attempt to raise the Nephilim.
Marvel’s Inhumans is Practically Inhumane
Marvel’s Inhumans solved their Medusa problem by whacking off her hair. That’s a disappointment wrapped in a surprise. The series is doomed, as was expected, and why not lay it all on the shoulders of Medusa’s missing hair?
SWAT Torments with Late Debut
SWAT should have started earlier in the season. With blinders on due to football, this must have been held because of Thursday night games on CBS. As the best pilot on CBS this fall, the wait has been torturous, especially when Thursdays are so full of serialized programming. Fingers crossed Shemar Moore and friends pull in the viewers.
Reboot News Continues to Roll In to (my) Utter Annoyance
The news of upcoming reboots keeps coming. Make it stop! When will the trend ever end? If you live long enough, you’ve already seen everything on television because you’ve already seen everything on television. Upcoming disasters include Heathers, The Jetsons, Miami Vice, The Munsters, and Dynasty. Roseanne, Will & Grace, and Tremors don’t count right now because they’re revivals. Same cast, they get to come back. Hey, our rules!
Outlander’s Dismal Portrait of Claire
Outlander needs to paint a brighter picture of Claire. Her lack of love for her first practically adopted child, Fergus, and her inability to love outside of what she has available for Jamie is painful. Sometimes, it’s hard to allow her Jamie’s love when she doesn’t seem to deserve it. (Ducks and covers!)
Horror at the Cecil Hotel Will Increase Business for Stay on Main (look it up!)
Horror at the Cecil Hotel on Investigation Discovery is a docu-series about whether a hotel was evil. If it was, it probably still is, with a new name and under new management. The Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles was the inspiration for American Horror Story: Hotel, housed two serial killers, the Black Dahlia reportedly had drinks in the bar shortly before her death and the place had a reputation overall for murders and suicides, all of which will be explored on the new series. It’s required viewing for horror/reality fans!
Berlin Station Re-recruits Hector DeJean
Rhys Ifans return to Berlin Station Season 2 as Hector DeJean was delightful from start to finish. It was unclear how he could make his way back after Hector made such a mess of things during the freshman season, but it went perfectly.
Halloween WithOUT Ash vs Evil Dead is One Party Short
That we’re not ringing in Halloween with new episodes of Ash vs. Evil Dead on Starz is wrong. There wasn’t an official explanation the new season was delayed to 2018, but it’s not October without Ash, Pablo, Kelly, and Ruby. BOO indeed.
No Competition or Enthusiastic Imitations of This Is Us
It’s disappointing that This Is Us was one of the biggest surprises of 2016-17, and while we got three military shows bursting onto the scene for fall 2017, there isn’t a single family show trying to compete with This Is Us. Is it tremendously difficult to write about the one thing we all have? There has been news aplenty of DACA driven programming coming our way, but no new family-centric programming focusing on family first. What gives?
