My Week in Tv (19/05-25/05)

Here is my ranking of the TV shows I watched last week. Quite a lot of shows have ended but I still managed to put together a top 10. Careful, there will be spoilers.

10. The Simpsons: "The Yellow Badge of Cowardge" (Season 25 Episode 22)

If this had not been a finale it might have been a decent episode but for the last episode of the season it felt a little unspecial. Homer's storyline with the fireworks was not very inspired since we have seen variations on the same thing for the past 25 years. I was also let down by the ending where Bart learns a lesson and atones himself in the eyes of Milhouse and the town. It is never a good sign when the characters of The Simpsons have to learn and hug. I'll take the non-sequitur endings every day. Things I liked were the gimmick of Lisas's narration, Maggie doing the chicken and Superintendent Chalmer's commentary on the race.

MVP: Kirk Van Houten. The crocodile joke was good.

9. Modern Family: "The Wedding (2)" (Season 5 Episode 24)

This episode worked better as a finale. Granted, it had the big event of a wedding but it played out nicely. I have to admit that I cried a little watching this (I think it's the first time this has happened in this show) when Jay offers to walk Mitchell down the aisle. In general, the episode was well-handled using the escalating problems for the wedding. Phil and Claire's hijinks were as ridiculous as usual but Claire Bowen is good and can sell the stupidity. Things I did not enjoy: Haley hitting on the nanny and Manny and Luke's old-gay-marriage dinamic. If they were still kids it might have been funnier but they are weird. Oh, and Elizabeth Banks explaining what can happen in these extreme pregnancies is golden.

MVP: Let's give it to Bowen. She is funny and understated even when confronted with Ty-HumanBlinkingMachine-Burrell.

8. Orphan Black: "To Hound Nature in Her Wanderings" (Season 2 Episode 6)

The first part of this episode was great. The bonding between sestras Sarah and Helena is awesome, Helena's adventures in the bar were great, Helena's conversation with the little religious freak was nicely done, I even liked Sarah doing research and how it somehow moved forward the plot. But then Sarah decides to leave Helena with the police and, in case you were not paying attention, Helena is the best. So Sarah finds Siobhan (how?) who is staying with Rachel adoptive father who starts to speak a lot of mumbo jumbo I cannot follow for the life of me and the episode ends and I understood nothing. I am just dying for one of the other clones to run into Sarah so she can explain everything to them and see if I can get it. In other news, Alison is bonding with Vic who is actually helping the lady cop. The gentleman cop is bonding with Felix and Cosima and Delphine are doing something resembling science and are having breakthroughs that end up meaning nothing, twenty times per episode. Am I stupid or is the show a little too convoluted?

MVP: Tatiana Maslany playing Helena, farts and all. Her joy at hitting strangers at bars is just a marvel to watch.

7. Penny Dreadful: "Séance" (Season 1 Episode 2)

Well, let's start with the sad first. The scenes with Frankenstein and the Creature were really good so I'm pissed that they killed the latter off. I hope the doctor can just put it together. In bad news, even though I liked our new hooker friend, Dorian Gray is a bore. Judging solely from this episode the casting is off, he looks like a Dorian Gray for Twilight fans, although I understand that if they want to play this for the long haul they need an actor who can age and not look like he's aging so someone younger makes sense. But he is a little bland for my taste. Maybe if he starts having gay sex as promised I will change my mind. Sir Timothy Dalton keeps looking for his daughter and somehow they end up in a séance with a medium but Eva Green is like "Bitch, please, I am more medium than Patricia Arquette and proceeds to give us the best scene of the show so far.

MVP: Eva Green, obviously.

6. Louie: "Elevator Part 3" (Season 4 Episode 6)

Ok, first, I have to admit that with all this Elevator bussiness, I am a little confused as to what happens in which episode. If I remember correctly, this is the one with Pamela in the beginning (of which I am not a huge fan and she is having an arc later in the season) and the one where Louie learns that Amia is going back to Hungary and the one where she and Jane have the violin duet in an amazing scene. Anyway, every episode is awesome.

MVP: Ellen Burstyn because she is the cutest thing translating for Amia and Louie when they decide to spend the month she has together.

5. Game of Thrones: "Mockingbird" (Season 4 Episode 7)

Can you believe that there's only three episodes left? It seems it was yesterday when we started. I'm so glad that Prince Oberyn is going to fight for Tyrion. I obviously hope he wins. Daenerys wins the internet by getting Daario naked and to compensate the next scene has Melisandre in a bathtub. Arya and the Hound keep going towards the Vale as Brienne and Pod do. Reunion by the ninth episode, pretty please? Although, I am not sure how things will be in the Vale when they arrive because Sansa is kissed by Little finger and therefore threatened by her crazy aunt. But not to worry, she is pushed by Baelish through the moon door. Make her fly!

MVP: Emilia Clarke as Daenerys. Not only she's great at showing the character's thirst for justice and good ruling, she lets us see Daario's ass (probably more important than any other reason).

4. Louie: "Elevator Part 2" (Season 4 Episode 5)

Again, if I'm not mixing up episodes, this is the one where Louie starts to know both Evanka and Amia and he has the really nice shopping trips both alone and with the latter. Oh, and of course this is the one with the wonderful explanation by Jane of why her school is boring. I like how so far, the season is shaping out to be how Louie interacts with women, whether is her daughter, her ex-wife, and old friend, a model, a fat bartender, her downstairs neighbor or her niece which is the one he prefers and the one with which the communication is easiest, even if they don't have a common language. This show is so awesome! And as, GoT, there's only three weeks until it finishes.

MVP: Ursula Parker as Jane. Her monologue was great as was her apology to the ridiculous teacher.

3. Galerías Velvet: "La Noche de la Reina" (Season 1 Episode 14)

I love when episodes take place in a short period of time and in very few sets (I'm not sure if that is the definition of a bottled episode) and this was no exception. The night before the wedding, Cristina dress is missing. Later, we'll find out that it was Rita trying to delay the marriage to help Ana but everyone gets out of bed and into production mode and finish a new one, and designed by Raúl no less, before the night is over. In a Spanish soap opera, nights are long and a lot happens in this episode. One of my favorite moments was Luisa coming clean about her abortion with the Velvet Girls. Considering what is going on in Spain with abortion issues it is good to see a TV show that would not need to be this political having an opinion on the matter. It is ironic though that the vision of a show set in the fifties is more progressive than the one in reality.

MVP: Asier Exteandía as Raúl de la Riva who plays a hilarious drunk and is one of the anchors of the show being consistently great and game.

2. Hannibal: "Mizumono" (Season 2 Episode 13)

Don't get me wrong, I thank the gods every day because Hannibal is going to have a third season but I love how this wonderful episode could also be read as a series finale. I this was the very last episode, it would be easier to come to the conclusion that basically everyone is dead and that Hannibal is loose in our world. But, taking into account that there is, in fact, going to be a third season, someone must survive, right? I'm betting on the two men making it and the two ladies dying. How awesome was the reveal that Abigail was still (for a few moments) alive? The whole bloody fight in Hannibal's house was great and so befitting for a finale. Briing it back already!

MVP: This is Dancy's and Mikkelsen's show. And they rule.

1. Mad Men: "The Strategy" (Season 7 Episode 6)

Mad Men is, in general, the best thing that has ever been seen on television but when it makes its core the relationship between Don and Peggy, it somehow manages to outdo itself. The rest of the storylines were also really good, I loved the awkward conversation between Joan and Bob (who, I think we can face it now, is not Don's son travelling from the future). I loved Pete's scenes both showing Bonnie off and longing for Trudy (hi, Alison Brie!). There is also the matter of whether to make Harry a partner or not. I am with Joan and Roger on this one. He is the worst. But the heart and the soul of the episode are Don and Peggy working together to find the perfect idea to sell hamburgers to the world. It is not about the food, it is not about the mother feeling guilty for not cooking, it is about family, something neither Don nor Peggy have. But, at least while they are dancing, they have each other.

MVP: Elisabeth Moss who should have every award in the planet for her Peggy.

My Week in TV: 05/05-11/05

Here is my ranking of the TV shows I watched last week (spoilers abound):

13. Bad Teacher: "Evaluation Day" (Season 1 Episode 3)

I have just learned that the show was cancelled after this episode. I'm not sure if they are going to air the rest of the episodes or if I'm going to watch them because this show was truly terrible. But luckily, it was short-lived. Let us hope Ari Graynor goes back to doing indie comedies and doesn't spend her career trying to happen in television. The show was unfunny, not remotely resembling any known reality and profoundly boring for a 20-minute show. Seriously, it is for the best. I cannot even remember what went on in the episode. Good riddance.

MVP: Graynor but only by default.

12. Glee: "Old Dogs, New Tricks" (Season 5 Episode 19)

If this picture shows how Santana feels, imagine how I feel. This episode was terrible. There is no going around it. Plain and simply terrible. How much of a megalomaniac can Chris Colfer be? He writes an episode that revolves entirely about how his character is always right without a hint of irony. Kurt knows best. The rest of the bunch are just idiots that cannot deal with taking care of dogs while mantaining sexless relationships or divas that are so stupid as to not know when they're blowing off the PR opportunity they themselves have set. June Squibb was adorable though.

MVP: I would give it to Santana by default but she should not have gone blonde so I'm giving this to Lea Michele only for the line "I'm doing it for the animals". I also love that she is the butt of a joke in Neighbors.

11. New Girl: "Cruise" (Season 3 Episode 23)

This was kind of a downer, specially for a season finale. The parts with the captain were funny but the Jess/Nick dinamic is getting tiresome although the montage with the couple activities was fun but, really, how longer can they sustain a show on this weird relationship. I'm not saying that they should be together or that they should not deal with the break-up. But it doesn't need to be the center of every episode. And I don't want Cece back with Smichdt. I want him dead. In a ridiculous, humilliating way.

MVP: Damon Wayans Jr, having fun with Coach's fear of boats.

10. Modern Family: "Message Received" (Season 5 Episode 22)

This was a pretty decent episode, although as my boyfriend pointed out, Mitchell and Jay arguing by the ending was weird and unnecessary. This is not a character development show, it's a situation comedy. If you want to show Jay's uncomfortable about the wedding, make it (or try to make it) funny, don't go for deep emotions. The Pritchett-Delgado household storyline was the one I enjoyed most. I also liked Cam and Mitch's story, mainly because I'll take any opportunity to show Cam as the dumb person he is. The Dunphy-Pritchett story was also ok but not as inspired as it could have been but I guess it sets up Claire's next season pregnancy. This week, the wedding arrives!

MVP: Sofía Vergara as Gloria. She was really fun and she has chemistry with Stella who is a very good acting dog.

9. Orphan Black: "Governed As It Were By Chance" (Season 2 Episode 4)

And we have the first sort-of-dull episode of the season. Alison is in rehab and Cosima coughs a little. That's how far their stories go. Well, the latter also helps Sarah researching the Leda Project and giving a half-assed mythology lesson. Can you tell I don't like Cosima? Meanwhile Helena escapes the religious freaks and finds Sarah who had been impersonating Rachel on the phone to get into her apartment. Maslany is very good playing terrified when Sarah sees Helena since she thought she was dead. In general, not a lot happened in this episode although I think Rachel's minion slash monitor is gone for good.

MVP: As good as Maslany is I'm going to give this one to Maria Doyle Kennedy because she makes Mrs. S very interesting with very little to do.

8. The Simpsons: "Brick Like Me" (Season 25 Episode 20)

Who'd have known? It took a shameless corporate sell-out to have a decent episode of The Simpsons. Granted, it borrows too much from The Lego Movie (Phil Lord et al, 2014) but since they admit so in the episode (and it's done in a funny way with the huge Emmett and Wyldstyle dolls in the background) we can give them a pass. It also reminded me of the G.I. Joe episode of Community with the blurring of the two realities. It was a very funny episode both with character-based jokes and with Lego-based jokes (I loved the creation according to Lego). I was not in love with Bart's storyline but it ties up nicely in the end. Another thing I did not like was the heavy-handed (and again, quite outdated) parody of The Hunger Games. Plus, everyone knows that the books/movies are not about love.

MVP: Homer, explaining to Lisa that parents never like to play with their kids. He would rather read the fiction in The New Yorker. The fiction!

7. Grey's Anatomy: "Everything I Try to Do, Nothing Seems to Turn Out Right" (Season 10 Episode 23)

As of the 8th of this month, the show has been confirmed to have an 11th season. And if Meredith says yes to Derek's proposal of moving to Washington D.C., the show might move with them. Would it be too much of a shark jump? I think that it's not going to happen and it is probably for the best. There are too many lovable characters in Seattle. Cristina will soon not be in Seattle (or in the show) and is looking for a replacement for head of cardio, something Owen has her do to convince her to stay. Owen, I'm with you, I want her to stay, but you have to convince Sandra Oh, not Yang. She is just following orders. April and Jackson start sharing the news about the pregnancy and Callie learns that she cannot carry another child. Stephanie takes the bullet for Miranda's arrogance (the parents were stupid, granted, but Bailey knew better than that. Or maybe she was inspired by cutting LVAD wires and whatnot) and I don't know if that means bye bye Steph, but who is leaving for sure is Leah, who is just not good enough to be a surgeon. I liked how they dealt with this scene. There were no hijinks, just the truth. Telling a likable character they are not good at the job they want to do is risky but it's what happens in real life.

MVP: Sara Ramirez who is one of the best criers in TV history. She just breaks my heart everytime she cries.

6.. Louie: "Model" (Season 4 Episode 2)

Louie is back! I love this TV show so much that it would make my top 3 of best TV shows ever. And even though the two episodes were great, I preferred the first one. This second one was hilarious too, don't get me wrong. A really hateful Jerry Seinfeld (is he ever not hateful?) asks Louie to introduce him and do stand up for ten minutes without telling him anything other than to clean up his act. The best Louie comes up when he cannot discuss jerking-off and penises is the essential dumbness of chickens. It doesn't go precisely well, something that Hateful Seinfeld takes advantage of, starting his routine making fun of Louie. Luckily, a model  that was in the audience chats him up and they end up having sex. But, she doesn't know he's extremely ticklish and she ends up almost blind. You know, Louie's life.

MVP: Louie. If I didn't have the best boyfriend in recorded history I would marry Louie without a second thought.

5. Game of Thrones: "First of His Name" (Season 4 Episode 5)

This episode, up until the end, was extremely women-centric. Every scene except the last one in the North is focused on a woman or more. And frankly, they are mostly the best characters. Cersei gives in and asks Margaery to marry her son. The recent widow pushes her luck, deliciously pondering whether to call Cersei sister or mother. Later, Cersei makes friends with Oberyn and even though she most likely wants to influence Tyrion's trial, it's a very nice bonding scene. Danaerys needs to be more than the Mother of Dragons and decides not to go to King's Landing yet but stay and rule as the queen she is. Sansa continues to have the worst luck and ends up with her crazy aunt accused of having seduced Littlefinger. Arya's scene was very exciting as she recites all the people she intends to kill and finishes up by saying "The Hound" who is lying next to her. In the north, the new Crispin Glover (best death ever, by the way) tries to rape the sister of the Love Actually boy but Bran saves the day by getting into Hodor. I really liked that moment when Hodor is obviously confused about what has happened but nevertheless helps Bran withouth question (not that he could actually pose a question).

MVP: Lena Headey as Cersei. She plays all three of her scenes beautifully.

4. Galerías Velvet: "Terciopelo Azul" (Season 1 Episode 12)

It's not great form to start by the ending, but when it's this monumental, what are you going to do? Cristina sees Ana and Alberto kissing. I think they don't see her so maybe she is going to keep the secret for a while. She finds out in the country club where she has thrown a party for Alberto (good) and where she wants to keep him for life, apparently (bad). In that party, Raúl, who has accepted to tame his vision in order to do one more collection for Velvet, not only gives Cristina a blue velvet dress but also sings "Blue Velvet" while Ana sings back-up quite adorably. Also, we have new characters: Cristina's brother (who is already making eyes at Patricia) and his wife (who is making eyes at the idea of mistreating the service). The three couples are going strong. Mateo invites Clara to be his plus one at the wedding; Pedro tells Rita that he loves her and to wait for him, but since he's screaming for a cab she doesn't really hear (Esmérate, Rita) and Max and Doña Blanca kiss. Oh and the best scene is Alberto asking Patricia to be his maid of honor. They are so cute!

MVP: Miguel Ángel Silvestre, no matter how many letters he can eat, he was really good in this episode playing the man torn between two loves and being nice to Patricia.

3. Louie: "Back" (Season 4 Episode 1)

Well, it's not easy to find Louie pictures, so let's pretend that the one I chose is from the episode (which could be, because, hello, generic). And, not to reiterate, but I love Louie and I love Louie. And I love his daughters (Dear Aids, knock it off). And I love his poker nights (you have a desk?). And I loved the conversation about cock rings. And I loved his doctor. So, in general, Louie = love.

MVP: Louie himself with the doctor being a close second.

2. Hannibal: "Ko no Mono" (Season 2 Episode 11)

This is another episode that really needs to be discussed from the end backwards. Freddie is alive. Boom. I guess they put fake teeth on a different corpse but unless Tom and Jerry are in on it, they should be fired for not noticing (I really don't like those two characters). By the way, how awesome and iconic were the images of the wheelchair in flames rolling down the parking lot and then, of the corpse posed as Shiva? Very much so. Alana, until the end twist, continues to be as silly as they come but I guess we, as an audience, were played in a very similar way as her. Margot is pregnant by Will but Mason performs an abortion and makes sure that her sister is sterile. Brotherly love, you know. Will confronts him (first, as pictured above, he checks Mason's hair not giving credit) but not as much as possible because now we know he is not cuckoo and suggests Mason should feed Hannibal to his pigs.

MVP: Hugh Dancy keeps being the best player in the show but I also enjoyed a lot the scene between Alana and Jack.

1. Mad Men: "The Monolith" (Season 7 Episode 4)

Halfway through the episode, Roger jokes about Don not having clubbed another ape in a week. By the end of the episode, Don has killed every ape, touched the monolith, gone to space and, thankfully, back. Back to working for Peggy. We know how humiliating this is and since Joan is telling Peggy all the juicy details of Don's return it could get even moreso if she decides to reach out or condescend to him. Meanwhile, a computer is being set up in the former creative lounge and Harry (who do we hate more? him or Lou?) says it's not a symbol to which Don, very cleverly, answers that it's quite literal. Roger's storyline is also very interesting. Her spoiled daughter has decided to leave her husband and toddler and move to a commune in upstate New York. The show, always ambiguous, never makes it clear who's right and leaves it to the audience to figure it out, or to figure out if it's possible to figure it out. Mona's presence is always welcome by the way. This episode was so, so good. I don't know how I'm going to survive when this half-season ends in two weeks.

MVP: Jon Hamm as Don Draper. And he does not have an Emmy yet.

My Week in TV: 28/04-04/05

This is my ranking for the TV shows I watched last week (tread carefully, spoilers abound):

11. Bad Teacher: "Daddy Issues" (Season 1 Episode 2)

                                     

It is sad that the titular character in a tv show about a "sexy, foul-mouthed divorcée who becomes a teacher to find her next husband" (according to Imdb), she has already learned two lessons in two episodes. A good sitcom can do the learning thing right such as Parks and Rec and an inoffensive sitcom can get away with the no-learning thing (Friends or Happy Endings). Why then, is Bad Teacher so bad at this? Ari Graynor is again, quite good but with such a stale script not a lot of good can come up. The secondary storyline about online dating was not only tremendously outdated but also poorly executed. Some of the actors are quite bad (I'm looking at you, Charlotte York-MacDougal-Goldenblatt) but I like some others like the student teacher whose name I'm unaware of. Still, this pretty much sucks.

MVP: Ari Graynor, but she deserves better.

10. The Simpsons: "What To Expect When Bart's Expecting" (Season 25 Episode 19)

Speaking of dated storylines, in this week's The Simpsons we have a gay horse. Will & Grace did that like fifteen years ago. And it was funnier. The first part of the episode was better with the enthusiatic art teacher and Bart's first steps in voodoo. But in general this just feels uninspired. The show is going to have at least another season but I'm not sure it's such a great idea.

MVP: The couch gag, really beautiful and witty.

9. Glee: "The Back-Up Plan" (Season 5 Episode 18)

And we have yet another Oscar winner in Glee. Shirley Maclaine plays a wealthy producer who wants to make a star out of Blaine. Suck it, Kurt! Also, how in earth do you choose a One Direction song to perform in front of someone who once did peyote with Joe Kennedy? Maclaine is not bad in the part but it is a little sad to see her slumming this hard. Meanwhile Mercedes decides to plagiarize the trailer for Begin Again and records music out of the stiffness of a studio. She wants Santana to duet with her on her album but Warwick thinks that having her completely unknown high school classmate as a hook might not be the best idea. And still it is ridiculous because Santana is the best so I'm conflicted because of Glee. Rachel meets the Dean of Greendale to test for a TV show for which she is woefully unprepared. But because she is Rachel, they are going to develop a show around her no matter what. Wouldn't it be cool if the show was called Glee and all of the characters played themselves and everything got so meta that Abed would explode? Well, Abed exploding would not be cool, because I like him. But we don't have to worry, I'm sure the idea for the show will be terrible and uninteresting.

MVP: Naya Rivera as Santana Lopez. Period.

8. Modern Family: "Sleeper" (Season 5 Episode 21)

This was not a great episode but I like Mitchell's storyline with everyone ignoring and forgetting him. Phil's antics get too much on my nerves to be enjoyable and Cam was even more irritating than usual. Gloria trying to put color on her baby  was quite weird. As was Jay entering Stella in a dog contest. And how many more times can they do the thing where a character is talking about something and it's phrased in such a way that it sounds as if they have just discovered gay sex. Are we homophobic yet? Nevertheless, Ed O'Neill sells it well but come on, enough is enough.

MVP: Jesse Tyler Ferguson who is quite funny playing the victim.

7. Orphan Black: "Mingling its Own Nature with It" (Season 2 Episode 3)

Even though this week was less crazy and the clones were apart from each other, I really liked this episode. Sarah takes Kira to her father (Daario from GoT and quite yummy, truth be told) and ends up the episode trying to kill Rachel's lapdog in a cliffhangery fashion. Helena is hilarious interacting with the religious freaks. Cosima is still boring but at least she discovers there was another (nine already?) clone but she is dead already due to the clone disease. And finally Alison is a mess. Her musical is opening and she is going to the valley of the dolls so hard that she actually falls off the stage. I would really like for all the clones to get together and kick-ass but as long as they keep the stories this interesting I'm cool with it.

MVP: Tatiana Maslany playing Alison but also Helena.

6. New Girl: "Dance" (Season 3 Episode 22)

New Girl is a weird show. Sometimes it just doesn't come quite together but when it works, it works. And this episode worked a lot. I loved Jess's enthusiasm with the dance and the whodunnit with shark-girl and also Jess and Coach being friends. I really enjoyed Cece trying to make her past look cool by sounding bad. I would love to share a salad with Nick. I liked Winston trying to prove he does not suck all the sexual tension out of every situation and succeeding since he has a Bieber-effect on prepubescent girls. I even tolerated Schmidt. Go figure...

MVP: Hanna Simone as Cece was very funny but I wish we could see her boyfriend again.

5. Galerías Velvet: "La Visita" (Season 1 Episode 11)

Well, you can start forgetting about that Nicole Kidman movie opening Cannes because Grace Kelly has already arrived and she is in Velvet. Nevermind that the actress looks or sounds nothing like the princess of Monaco, those are just pesky details. Especially because I want Raúl's collection to succeed and if that involves royal shenanigans, so be it. Luckily, Don Emilio is all right and he is not going to die although Patricia is so good in his job that he should be sick a while. Meanwhile, Luisa finds out she is pregnant. Is it her husband's or the dead-client-that-blackmailed-her-into-sleeping-with-him's? We also have two will they or won't they couples. First, Rita and Pedro which I hope end up together and then, Doña Blanca and Maximiliano, who I also wish end up pairing up. Clara dabbles in the modelling world with disastrous and hilarious results and Ana is given an opportunity to start designing her own dresses. But the most important storyline is the one concerning Alberto and Cristina. She asks him (in a wonderful naive version of Truth or Dare) why he moved to London. He says that it was because of a girl his father did not approve of and he lights up talking about her while Cristina looks in horror.

MVP: Manuela Velasco as Cristina, not only for that last daunting look but also for her line reading "We have to be one hundred per cent honest".

4. Grey's Anatomy: "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" (Season 10 Episode 22)

Apart from the ovbiously fake Zurich backgrounds, this episode was awesome, it was even named after a Taylor Swift song. I was more than a little wary when I learnt that Burke was guest-starring. I never really liked the character and these kind of stunts never pay off. But thankfully, I was wrong. It was worth it just to hear Cristina tell him that he doesn't want him. Even if that's not what he meant either. She is married to medicine, to cardio and now, to growing hearts in jars. I really don't want Sandra Oh to leave. She is in my top 4 favorite characters (Meredith, Callie and Addison complete the quartet) and she has been so good through everything. I loved the silly little plot with Callizona, I just love them when they're happy. And Jackson and April story was somehow tied up if only because he is the best man ever. I wonder which resident they're kicking out. But, you know, not too much. And I'm not sure I like Derek's sister sticking any longer. But we shall see.

MVP: Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey, nailing both the lighter stuff ("His mama took your eyebrows") and the heavier things (Her "You're Leaving" pretty much killed me).

3. Game of Thrones: "Oathkeeper" (Season 4 Episode 4)

I think I say this every week but I'm really scared about Daenerys. I don't want the former slaves to revolt against her. She is so cool. She fights injustice with justice. Duffy can keep mercy, thank you very much. I also wonder why so many important characters have died and Sam is still alive? He is insufferable. And I dislike the White Walkers too. We don't need zombies everywhere, especially if the CGI is going to be this poor. Over at King's Landing we find out that Lady O. had something to do with Joffrey dying. I don't like that she is willing to let Tyrion carry the blame. Tyrion rules. Over at Sitcom Spinoff Alert, Brienne and Pod go away from the capital to look for Sansa and keep Jamie's honor. This is going to be so much fun!

MVP: Let's give this one to Emilia Clarke who is always strong and I suspect she is going to be forgotten at the Emmys.

2. Mad Men: "Field Trip" (Season 7 Episode 3)

Betty is back! And she's being catty about a bra-less teacher, drinking cow milk and being generally terrible to her adoring son. God, I've missed her. Over in L.A. Megan seems to be going crazy and Don flies out to be with her. He ends up spilling the beans about losing the job and she calls it quits. I really hope we haven't seen the last of Megan. I love the character and Jessica Paré. After returning to New York, Don asks Roger for his job back and Roger tells him to go to the office on Monday. Roger does not let everybody know and we suffer one of the most painful scenes in ever. Don arrives at SCP and he doesn't belong. A very hateful person is occupying his office, the creative nobodies treat him like an equal and everything is terrible. In the last scene of the episode, the partners meet and a very cold Joan lists all the requirements for Don to get the job back (I love Hendricks here!). Surprisingly (for me, at least), Don says yes! He is back! Everyone is back!

MVP: January Jones as Betty. She is perfect at capturing the duality of the Betty that believes she wants to be a perfect mother and the Betty who actually does not give a fuck about the smallish people living under her roof.

1. Hannibal: "Naka-Choko" (Season 2 Episode 10)

If a couple of years ago you'd have told me that a TV show based on a character done to death was going to be the best thing since sliced bread I would not have believed you. And alas, here we are, and shit is getting real. In happy and completely bonkers and unexpected news, Will has embraced his killer instinct and is helped by Hannibal to create a work of art with a dead body. In sadder news, Will is real crazy and kills Freddie. I liked her! Sad face. But still, if her death only serves the purpose of Hannibal playfully saying to Will in the kitchen: "You slice the ginger", it will have been worth it. Michael Pitt appears and he is amazing as yet another crazy person (those abound, both in this show and in his filmography) who is training pigs to devour her sister. Said sister (whom I already love) has sex with Will while Hannibal and Alana are going at it and we get this scene where the latter two and Will are having a threesome. As my boyfriend said, it was the two men who should have kissed to drive the message home but I guess that was too much. Vincenzo Natali, never go.

MVP: Dancy and Mikkelsen. They are (short of Jon Hamm) giving the best performances by leading actors in a drama series and they are not going to be nominated at the Emmys. That is simply unfair. They are superb and their (quite homoerotic) chemistry is palpable.

My week in TV!

I'm a little late but here is my ranking of the TV episodes I watched last week (beware spoilers):

12. Glee: Tested (Season 5 Episode 16)

It turns out that putting the whole focus on New York doesn't solve Glee either. This episode was pretty much terrible. I just can't believe that Kurt and Blaine are still together. They basically hate each other. Artie's storyline was risible at best and prudish at worst. It turns out that the good girl for him is the one that does not want sex right away. Yay, abstinence! And in other abstinence news we have Mercedes, who wants to wait until she's married. In the immortal words of Samantha Jones: "Honey, before you buy the car, you take it for a test drive". I just cannot deal with this show, but I cannot wait to see what other terrible storylines we get.

MVP: Darren Criss, for keeping the aplomb through all the stupidities they make him do.

11. The Simpsons: Days of Future Future (Season 25 Episode 17)

When I was a kid I loved the episodes of the Simpsons dealing with the future, especially the one where Lisa was POTUS. But this episode was simply lackluster. We had seen most of the outcomes such as Bart's kids or Lisa ending up with Milhouse. And even though I think the beginning and the ending for Homer's story was clever, the middle was just filler with technology related jokes that might have been funny in 2005.

MVP: Ralph, the best cop of the future.

10. Scandal: The Price of Free and Fair  Election (Season 3 Episode 18)

We had been watching Scandal way too late but we decided to pick up the rythm for the finale. For most of its third season I've been thinking that maybe I don't want to watch Scandal anymore. The second season was a lot of fun and the performances were generally very good. But now everything is nonsense and the actors are starting to phone it in. Mellie screaming "It's my turn" was a relevant low point for humanity. But, when it gets crazy it's still fun, mainly when it involves the two crazy people that are Huck and Quinn or the killing of some character (I wish it had been Kate Burton's but we had to settle for Jack's son in Lost). Right now, I think I might watch the season 4 opener and then decide.

MVP: Katie Lowes seems bananas enough to go with the poorly written changes they are inflicting upon Quinn.

9. New Girl: Big News (Season 3 Episode 21)

Jess and Nick are broken up! This felt a little like a filler episode but had some fun things nevertheless, like Jess wacthing Coach watching Winston yawn. I really don't have a lot to say about this episode. It was fine but not too remarkable.

MVP: Jake Johnson. I think he is the best actor of the bunch, was consistently funny and his conversation with Tran was really good.

8. Parks and Recreation: One in 8,000 (Season 6 Episode 20)

In this episode we find out that Leslie is pregnant with triplets! Ben immediately and hilariously worries while her wife is surprisingly chill about it. But she is right, if she can handle Pawnee, triplets will be a piece of cake. Meanwhile Andy struggles to keep the secret of the pregnancy and Ron "helps" Donna see that an ex-boyfriend deserves a second chance. I love both Retta and Jim O'Heir and I am very happy that they are being featured more prominently now that Rashida Jones and Rob Lowe are gone.

MVP: Amy Poehler killing it at the auction.

7. Grey's Anatomy: Go It Alone (Season 10 Episode 20)

First things first, how weird is that picture up there? I mean, where are their (three) legs? I know they are probably sitting like indians but doesn't it seem like they are way deep into the mattress? Anyway, that's not very important (or is it?), what's important is that Callizona has decided to have another baby! (Babies everywhere!) Also April and Jackson are not on solid ground. Even if it felt we had seen this before it felt nice to see that marriage did not wash over their differences and that the silly thing about the swisuit had some reason to exist. But I like April and Jackson together. Meredith is once again the best person in the universe and shows up for the Avery awards where Cristina... loses. What? Oh my dear, is this punishment because Sandra Oh wants to quit the show? Is there any surname cooler than Oh?

MVP: Sandra Oh, having her heart broken. Not by a man, of course, but by losing a surgery award.

6. Orphan Black: Nature Under Constraint and Vexed (Season 2 Episode 1)

They're back! I think this was a great season opener, not too much has changed, there's this sense of new mission with the finding of Kira (who is she with, by the way? Was the burnt hand supposed to be a clue?Because I did not get it.) and we have Rachel as the new super-villain, also, I don't think that Mrs. S is going to be bad. Cosima is still a bit boring but Allison is my everything. She is in a musical, of course. And the best news is that Helena is not dead! Nothing can kill the animal in her.

MVP: Tatiana Maslany for the hand gestures when Sarah is pretending to be Cosima.

5. Galerías Velvet: El Gran Día (Season 1 Episode 9)

I have already seen the following episode (this happens for writing so late in the week) and I am so hooked to this TV show. Last week, everything turned around the presentation of Raúl's collection. It was a success, everyone loved it and they celebrated all night. Some celebrated too much because Alberto and Cristina had sex out of wedlock! Doña Blanca let her hair down (literally and figuratively) and it was one of the best moments ever.

MVP: Marta Hazas, whose Clara has to step in when one of the models can't make it and walks the runway like a pro.

4. Mad Men: Time Zones (Season 7 Episode 1)

Another TV show who is thankfully back! The beginning was so awesome with Freddy being so good all of a sudden and then we find out it's Don who's Cyranoing him. I don't like Lou Avery at all but I guess that's the point of the character. Joan and Peggy are still the best, thank you very much. And Don is adrift, somewhere in the air between L.A. and New York cozying up to Neve Campbell (!). God, I missed this show!

MVP: Jon Hamm makes the best Don when he's hitting rock bottom.

3. Community: Basic Sandwich (Season 5 Episode 13)

Apparently, a sixth season for Community is basically assured but if this had been the ending, it would have been a terribly good one. It did what the best episodes of the show do which is being extremely funny but also a little sad. And Jeff loves Annie! Also I want use "The sparks may be spelling out the next clue" for any situation in my life.

MVP: Alison Brie again. She is just the best.

2. Game of Thrones: The Lion and the Rose (Season 4 Episode 2)

Weddings in Westeros, always so quaint. This episode was really spectacular. I know nothing about the books so I was not anticipating that death at all and it is so interesting that the rest of  the characters aren't either, so you are feeling with them. "Is this for real? Who did this?" So, so good. I also liked the part at Dragonstone, where Melisandre and Shireen Baratheon have a good conversation. And before everything went awry it was very nice to see Tyrion and Jamie being brotherly to each other.

MVP: Peter Dinklage and Jack Gleeson who made the wedding so scene so excrutiatingly uncomfortable.

1. Hannibal: Su-zakana (Season 2 Episode 8)

Can we have Vincenzo Natali direct every episode of everything? His hand could be better seen in scenes such as the sexual encounter between Hannibal and Alana but the whole episode was touched by a like mind. This is a very happy finding indeed. I love how the show mixes beauty and horror. It is probably the most visually arresting show in the history of TV. And the scares... I nearly died when the bird flew out of the chest. Jeremy Davies was really good and the final confrontation between Will and the real killer of the episode was amazing.

MVP: Hugh Dancy, fresh out of the loony bin and bad-ass as ever. I loved how he said: "I don't want to kill you, Dr. Lecter, now that I finally find you interesting".

And that's it for the week! Remember: reading is boring, TV rules!