Three shows that you should be watching (Editorial)
The 2013-2014 year has been an interesting one in television: some shows debuted with strong potential, while other series have returned with a resurgence. There are three television series in particular, though, that everyone should be watching:
Scandal
Thursdays at 10 p.m. on ABC.
Starring: Kerry Washington, Columbus Short, Darby Stanchfield, Katie Lowes, Guillermo Diaz, Jeff Perry, Joshua Malina, Bellamy Young, Scott Foley, and Tony Goldwyn.
Try it if you like: House of Cards, The Newsroom, or The West Wing.
Scandal is a drama that revolves around professional crisis manager, Olivia Pope (Washington) and the staff of her crisis management firm. Pope works to defend the public images of others while engaging in a secret affair with the President of the United States, Fitzgerald Grant (Goldwyn).
Each episode focuses on a specific case that Pope’s firm must solve; cases include presidential campaigns, murder trials, and the cover-ups of the American government. In its current season (season three), however, Scandal has strayed away from its case-of-the-week format and is more serialized, detailing the events of the White House and the presidential staff.
Part of what makes the series so intriguing is its unpredictability and the twists in the storylines. The episodes are fast-paced and the dialogue is intensely captivating. Each character reacts differently to situations and Washington’s performance as Pope is prolific: unlike some characters seen throughout television, Pope is intelligent and outspoken.
“Scandal is the perfect culmination of romance, drama, mystery and political intrigue,” Amira Williams, Carlisle High School senior, said. “Once you start watching, it’s impossible to stop.”
The show has become a phenomenon for ABC and due to the immense popularity, the creator of the show, Shonda Rhimes, said that “every day [on Scandal] is like Christmas.”
In addition to Rhimes’ love for the series, the network is pleased with Scandal‘s success, as well.
According to Tvbythenumbers.com, the Apr. 3 episode of Scandal was number one in the 10 o’clock hour, averaging nearly nine million viewers, outranking CBS’s Elementary and NBC’s Parenthood.
As the third season draws to a close, the presidential election is near and Pope is working for Grant’s campaign. Pope’s mother, Maya (Alexander) is a terrorist and conspires to plant a bomb that will explode during one of Grant’s speeches. The clandestine government organization, B613, ran by Jake Ballard (Foley) has been shut down by Pope’s firm, landing Pope on B613’s radar, and Quinn Perkins (Lowes) continues to plummet down her path of self-destruction.
The season finale of Scandal will premiere on Thursday, Apr. 17.
The Blacklist
Mondays at 10 p.m. on NBC.
Starring: James Spader, Megan Boone, Ryan Eggold, Diego Klattenhoff, Harry Lennix, Parminder Nagra, and Hisham Tawfiq.
Try it if you like: Criminal Minds, Homeland, or NCIS.
Debuting in Sept. 2013 on NBC, The Blacklist is a crime drama that is centered on the FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. The premise focuses on Raymond “Red” Reddington (Spader) who surrenders to the FBI on one condition: that he will only cooperate with Elizabeth Keen (Boone), a rookie special agent.
Each episode targets a certain criminal on the blacklist, and the FBI must apprehend them. Typically, the criminals conspire to kill innocent people with dangerous schemes and weapons. There are almost always car chases, fight scenes, and explosions.
In an article about the series, Us Magazine said that “[The Blacklist] is an hour of emotional warfare and satisfying twists.”
James Spader’s performance on The Blacklist is one of the show’s best features.
“Reddington is so clever and smart that it’s funny; he is a really devious guy,” said junior Taylor Wiley.
Recently, a shocking revelation on the show is that Keen’s husband, Tom (Eggold) is working against the FBI and that she is his target.
Viewers constantly wonder what Reddington’s intentions are, and why he acts like a paternal figure to Keen. They also are curious to uncover the identity of Keen’s husband.
One thing is for certain, though: The Blacklist keeps people guessing.
The Blacklist returns Apr. 21 with four new episodes, culminating with its season finale on May 12.
Once Upon a Time
Sundays at 8 p.m. on ABC.
Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Morrison, Lana Parilla, Josh Dallas, Jared Gilmore, Robert Carlyle, Meghan Ory, Emilie de Ravin, and Colin O’Donoghue.
Try it if you like: Game of Thrones, Grimm, or Lost.
The series is set in the fictional town of Storybrooke, Maine, where fairytale characters come to life. The Evil Queen Regina Mills (Parilla) cast a curse on the characters of the Enchanted Forest, sending them to Storybrooke, where they have forgotten their true identities and become modern-day counterparts.
Arguably, the most fascinating element to the series is the format of the episodes. Each episode focuses on a certain character and delves deeply into their lives through flashbacks.
For example, the Mar. 23 episode introduced the viewers to Rapunzel (Alexandra Metz) and her origin. It is explained that Prince Charming saved her from her tower, which is where the Wicked Witch of the West held her captive. Each character of the series has a twist that is not in the original fairytale (i.e. Rapunzel is of African descent and has black hair).
However, not every episode establishes new characters; some reflect on characters like the Evil Queen or Prince Charming and define them as people.
The characters of the series are one of the most exciting parts of the show, and how the writers characterize them is praised.
“I like the fairytale aspect [of the show], especially how they all are connected,” said senior Gabrielle Miskovsky. “Regina is one of my favorites because she is different from all the villains; she has the capability to feel.”
Characters like Ariel, Lumiere, Peter Pan, and the Wicked Witch of the West have been introduced this year.
During this season, the residents of Storybrooke must contend with its newest villain, the Wicked Witch of the West (Rebecca Mader), who is out to kidnap Prince Charming (Dallas) and Snow White’s (Goodwin) unborn child. The Wicked Witch has captured Rumpelstiltskin (Carlyle) and his girlfriend, Belle (de Ravin), searches for him. A pivotal character has died and Emma Swan (Morrison) desperately tries to stop evil once and for all.
New episodes of Once Upon a Time air weekly on Sundays, and the series will conclude its third season with a two-hour finale on May 11.
All three of these shows are different, yet incredibly compelling. Make sure to start watching or catch up on Netflix before season’s end!
Three shows that you should be watching (Editorial)
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This is Spencer Pechart's first year on the Periscope staff. He is the Periscope copyeditor, and he writes for the A&E section. He is an avid fan...
