This is tremendously late but for one it was not Orphan Black's fault but Halt and Catch Fire's. As always, there are spoilers.
6. Orphan Black: "By Means Which Have Never Yet Been Tried" (Season 2 Episode 10)
So, it is official. The second season of Orphan Black has been quite disastrous. The finale was heavily flawed but had a perfect moment. I'm talking about the dancing, of course. If Grey's Anatomy has taught has anything (it has taught us a lot, actually) is that a finale is always better when the characters dance it out. For a split second I thought that this was going to be the end of the episode and that I was going to be happy. But no, oh no. Following a pattern that no tv show should follow and that I always associate to True Blood, the finale had two parts clearly divided. In the first, the season is somehow tied up and in the second, the following season is set up. I don't like this pattern because it rushes closure and in rushing it, almost cancels it. We'll have time to see what is going to happen next year, don't worry. That being said, I understand the need for a cliffhanger (rewatching Friends, I discovered that it had the most brutal season cliffhangers ever). But a cliffhanger is a five-minute thing, not a half episode deal. Here, we had a lot of yabba-yabba with Sarah and Rachel. Cal reappears and all is right in the world. Cosima seems to die but no luck because Kira has the Book of the Magic Answers and finally we get to the cliffhanger which is actually two-fold. First, project Leda is going on with a little girl who is also a clone, sadly, not played by Maslany, (she should have painted on freckles, borrow Mrs. S. braids and stand on her knees). This I'm ok with because it involves Michelle Forbes and she is very cool. But then, we have the second cliffhanger of the night when we discover that on top of Project Leda, there was a Project Castor (someone is really smug about their mythology course on freshman year) so we have a pack of male clones. Porny-face clones. Sad trumpets and see you next year.
MVP: Tatiana Maslany dancing with herself.
5. Louie: "Pamela Part 2" (Season 4 Episode 13)
I don't like Pamela. She is always unnecessarily mean towards Louie and she acts like a five-year-old most of the time. In fact, this episode begins terribly thanks to her influence. I feel that Louie has always been a show that has understood the importance of art even if it had to mock its protagonist for not getting it (it comes to mind one of my favorite moments in the show when Jane is playing the violin, Louie tells her to stop and she replies "But it's beautiful!"). But the beginning of this episode is basically saying: "contemporary art is so stoopid, LOL". And it's because Pamela is a cynic. And her cynicism poisons the show. I think there is a ray of light when at the end of the show (as pictured) they seem to feel something. And also, when Pamela finally embraces being with Louie after the very romantic picnic thing. But I hope that, if this is going to go over to the next season, Pamela's jadedness is smoothed out considerably. This is not a cynic show and it does not suit it.
4. Penny Dreadful: "What Death Can Join Together" (Season 1 Episode 6)
First, a diclaimer: I paid very little attention to this episode because we watched it right after the Game of Thrones finale and I was still shaking. And, honestly, I cannot remember it all that well. Vanessa and Dorian have super savage sex but she leaves halfway through. Caliban kills Van Helsing because he really wants a lady Frankenstein. And Sir Malcolm and Mr. Chandler do something but I have no clue what could it be. Honestly, I should rewatch this.
MVP: Eva Green is the best in general.
3. Louie: "Pamela Part 3" (Season 4 Episode 14)
Pamela, my favorite character Pamela (I hate her, actually), decides in the beginning of this episode that it would be hilarious or something to get rid of all the furniture in Louie's home and force him to buy it all again. Seriously, if this kind of people exist, I never want to meet them. Then, she is put into an awkward situation when asked to drop the kids at her mother's and is just her annoying self. And then, while watching Louie, someone she supposedly cares about, perform she does not even smile while he's on stage. I hate her very much but this episode was funny thanks to her incapability to function as a sentient human being and the final notes in the bathtub were really sweet. But, God, don't bring her back next year.
MVP: Again, Louie, for putting up with her.
2. Halt and Catch Fire: "High Plains Hardware" (Season 1 Episode 3)
I'm still not up to date with this show but having seen the first half of the season, I can say that it is quite a good one. It still suffers from some things like bad lighting (maybe it's intentional since the 80s must have been terrible to look at?) and a protagonist that is the least compelling character but it's getting there. And the best move this episode does is bringing Donna up front. She'll have more to do in the next episode but it's here where the writers realise they can play with our sexist expectations and to have the smartest character be the one that, so far, has been the wife and mother. It's her idea to layer the motherboard and it's thanks to her influence that Gordon can grow a pair and fire Mr. Moustache. Meanwhile, Lee Pace kisses a man. Because not to have a bisexual leading man is so first half of 2014, right Penny Dreadful? Most likely than not, Joe only seduces a man to piss off said man's wife. But we'll take what we can. Oh, and Cameron is having trouble and trying to figure out code writing with lipstick on a hotel mirror while a pack of punks dance around in their underwear. The 80s, amirite?
MVP: Kerry Bishé starts showing in this episode that she plays the most interesting character on the show.
1. Game of Thrones: "The Children" (Season 4 Episode 10)
I'm still not up to date with this show but having seen the first half of the season, I can say that it is quite a good one. It still suffers from some things like bad lighting (maybe it's intentional since the 80s must have been terrible to look at?) and a protagonist that is the least compelling character but it's getting there. And the best move this episode does is bringing Donna up front. She'll have more to do in the next episode but it's here where the writers realise they can play with our sexist expectations and to have the smartest character be the one that, so far, has been the wife and mother. It's her idea to layer the motherboard and it's thanks to her influence that Gordon can grow a pair and fire Mr. Moustache. Meanwhile, Lee Pace kisses a man. Because not to have a bisexual leading man is so first half of 2014, right Penny Dreadful? Most likely than not, Joe only seduces a man to piss off said man's wife. But we'll take what we can. Oh, and Cameron is having trouble and trying to figure out code writing with lipstick on a hotel mirror while a pack of punks dance around in their underwear. The 80s, amirite?
MVP: Kerry Bishé starts showing in this episode that she plays the most interesting character on the show.
1. Game of Thrones: "The Children" (Season 4 Episode 10)
So, Orphan Black... This is how you make a season finale, actually. I still cannot think about this episode and not tremble a little but here we go. First, up north, LoveActuallyandBrightStarBoy dies to help Bran get to the magical tree. Down South (or in the East, well, somewhere), the Hound dies too. At Brienne's hands no less. And Arya refuses to go with her (not knowing that she'd probably reunite with Sansa) and gets on a ship to the land of money (I'm awesome remembering names!). Daenerys has to lock up her dragons (the two she has managed to get a hold on) after a wonderfully set up scene where we find out that they are not into eating sheep anymore. And, in King's Landing, Jaime and Varys release Tyrion who ends up killing both Shae and Tywin. I love how these scenes are not played in a "Yay, revenge is great!" tone but in a very sad and almost solemn way showing that Tyrion is hurting while doing the only thing he can do. It helps that Dinklage is amazing. I cannot believe that we have to wait another year for more Westeros. It seems it has been a week since this season started! Oh, and this episode was also great for avoiding the whole Lady Stoneheart bullshit.
MVP: Peter Dinklage as Tyrion. And still he should choose the trial for Emmy consideration.
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