Season 2 of Witchblade reboots the series, confusing and muddling the show. With the timeline reset at the end of last season, NYPD detective Sara Pezzini rediscovers the powers of a mystical weapon known as the Witchblade (which seems to guide her and influence her) and the cult of followers that surround it. The timeline reset causes a number of continuity issues, as all the events and subplots from the first season are ignored and the Witchblade seems to have different powers than before. Some of the guest stars featured include Jeffrey Donovan, Eric Roberts, and Alexis Dziena. The stunt work is pretty good and several of the cases-of-the-week are fairly interesting. Yet while it’s entertaining, overall Season 2 of Witchblade is a mess that doesn’t seem to know what it’s doing...and thus was cancelled.
Based on the Top Cow comic, Witchblade is a supernatural police drama from TNT. Season 1 follows NYPD detective Sara Pezzini, who is chosen to wield a mystical weapon called the Witchblade, as she learns its powers, guided by a powerful businessman who has dedicated his life to the study of the blade. Unfortunately the cast is rather weak, particularly its lead Yancy Butler; who doesn’t have any charisma and comes off as angry and combative. The writing isn’t that strong either, leaving a lot of ambiguity about the characters and what the blade is and what it can do. Still, some of the cases are fairly interesting, and for a cable budget, the action scenes and special effects are well-dine. Season 1 of Witchblade struggles a bit, but it’s entertaining and shows potential.
Tales from the Darkside returns for a fourth and final season of ghoulish stories to frighten and amuse. Some of the highlights include “No Strings,” “Do Not Open This Box,” “Family Reunion,” and Stephen King’s “Sorry, Right Number.” And Debbie Harry, Bradley Whitford, Stephen McHattie, and Kim Greist guest star. To its benefit, the show cuts back on the comedy episodes a bit and focuses more on horror; thought it still has some truly awful goofball episodes, such as “Barter” and “The Yattering and Jack.” Also, the writers do a pretty good job at providing a variety of creatures; from witches and ghosts, to demon and werewolves. Additionally, the show does better at recognizing its limitations and at working within its budget than in some of the previous seasons. Yet while Season 4 of Tales from the Darkside is an improvement, the show is still kind of a mess and was cancelled, retuning man to “the sunlit world of what he believes to be reality.”
Tales from the Darkside continues its downward slide in Season 3. Featuring “I Can’t Help Saying Goodbye,” “The Geezenstacks,” “Seasons of Belief,” and “The Enormous Radio,” the season includes some of the best episodes of the series, but it also has some of the worst; making it very uneven and jarring. Additionally, the list of guest stars is rather lackluster, and the production values appear to have gone down. Season 3 of Tales from the Darkside has its moments, but overall it seems to have lost its way. “Until next time, try to enjoy the daylight.”
“The Darkside is always there, waiting for us to enter, waiting to enter us” in a second season of frights, thrills, and laughs. Featuring Penelope Ann Miller, Lisa Bonet, Jerry Stiller, Darren McGavin, Seth Green, Fritz Weaver, and Connie Stevens, the list of guest stars is quite impressive. And the show gets into the holiday spirit with special episodes for Halloween (“Halloween Candy”), Thanksgiving (“The Last Car”), and Christmas (“Monster in My Room”). However, the episodes are a little more miss than hit, and the tone is all over the place; from cheesy comedy, to supernatural horror, to family drama. Also, the cheapness of the production shows through in the sets and costumes. Yet while it’s not as good as the first season, Season 2 of Tales from the Darkside still manages to deliver some disturbing chills and some fun comedic bits.
Dexter wraps up in its eighth and final season, but it goes out with more of a whimper than a bang. As is typical in final seasons, things come full circle. During his pursuit of a serial killer called the Brian Surgeon, Dexter learns that the consultant on the case, Dr. Vogel, knew his father and helped him to create the code by which Dexter kills; meanwhile Deb spirals down a path of self-destruction trying to come to terms with what she’s had to do to protect Dexter’s secret. Unfortunately, the writing is pretty spotty and doesn’t really have the focus that’s come to be expected from the series. And, the highly controversial and emotional finale is extraordinarily unsatisfying to long-term fans that have come to be invested in the show and its characters. While there are some interesting story arcs throughout the season, overall Season 8 of Dexter is a disappointing and frustrating end to a groundbreaking television series.
Season 7 of Dexter delivers one of the most compelling story arcs of the series as Dexter and his sister Deb are set on a collision course. After discovering Dexter’s secret life of as a serial killer Deb tries to break him of his addiction to killing, but is eventually forced into choosing between accepting his killer natural or taking him down. Full of twists and turns, the episode arcs are extremely engaging. Jennifer Carpenter steps up and owns this season, delivering incredibly strong and compelling performances. And, recurring guest stars Ray Stevenson and Yvonne Strahovski create captivating characters that enrich the show’s character dynamics. Dramatic and thrilling, Dexter: Season 7 is a little unconventional but extraordinarily powerful.
Chris Carter takes back the reins in Season 3 of Millennium and tries to get back to the show’s roots…and fails miserably. After the death of his wife Frank Black moves to Virginia and becomes a consultant with the FBI, and works to expose and bring down the Millennium Group. The show does a complete 180 and makes the Millennium Group the villain. And in a move just as bad, Lance Henriksen is paired with a new co-star, Klea Scott, who has no charisma. However, there are several interesting and exciting cases-of-the-week, and the show still managers to draw a number of interesting guest stars; including Art Bell, James Marsters, Jon Polito, Keegan (Connor) Tracy, Amanda Tapping, and KISS. Plus, Terry O’Quinn continues on as a recurring character despite the shift of Millennium into the villain. Yet while it has some things going for it and delivers some thills, Millennium’s third season is clearly going in the wrong direction, and led to the show’s cancellation.
“This is who we are.” Glen Morgan and James Wong take the reins of Millennium in Season 2 and steer it in a new direction. After killing a sociopath who abducted his wife, Frank and his wife separate, meanwhile the Millennium Group begins to vet him to move up in the group and learn their true purpose. Kristen Cloke joins the cast as a recurring character and brings a great new dynamic to the show as a fellow Millennium candidate and investigative partner for Frank Black. However, Megan Gallagher, though listed in the main cast, is relegated to more of a guest star as she becomes Frank’s estranged wife. Also, the tone of the show changes as the cases turn supernatural and the Millennium Group becomes a secret society; which adds a layer of intrigue to the show that was hinted at but not really explored in the first season. Extraordinarily bold and daring, Season 2 of Millennium is incredibly thrilling and full of mystery.
From Chris Carter, creator of The X-Files, comes the dark, quasi-supernatural, crime drama Millennium. Season 1 follows former FBI agent Frank Black who moves his family to Seattle and becomes a consultant on criminal investigations as part of the Millennium Group; a group of specialists that investigate crimes of a violent or unusual nature. Starring Lance Henriksen, Megan Gallagher, and Terry O’Quinn, the show has a solid cast that delivers some good performances. And a number of interesting guest stars are featured, including CCH Pounder, Paul Dooley, Brad Dourif, and Jeffery Donovan. Additionally, Carter brings along several X-Files writers and producers, such as Frank Spotnitz, Glen Morgan, and James Wong, which gives the series an early X-Files feel; gritty and atmospheric. Going to the dark and disturbing places that most police procedures won’t, Millennium delivers a strong first season.
The X-Files gets back on track in a limited 10-episode eleventh season. Retconning the Season 10 finale as a vision, Mulder and Scully get back to work investigating paranormal cases involving doppelgangers, mind control drugs, and witchcraft. Still, there are a couple of mythology episodes about Mulder and Scully searching for their son William; believing that he’s the key to stopping the apocalyptic plague from Scully’s vision. Both David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson give strong performances, and there are some interesting guest stars, including Barbara Hershey and Haley Joel Osment. However, Duchovny and Anderson’s age is showing and the show isn’t as vibrant as it once was (recycling ideas from previous episodes). Season 11 may be the end of The X-Files (at least this iteration of it), and if so it serves as a fitting coda for the series (though not a particularly strong one).
Chris Carter firebombs The X-Files with a Season 10 miniseries that throws out the series mythology and begins anew. Fox Mulder and Dana Scully rejoin the FBI and reopen the X-Files division after an investigative journalist named Tad O'Malley exposes the Syndicate’s true agenda. However, the show quickly becomes episodic, following a monster-of-the-week format, and doesn’t really have an over-arcing storyline. In addition to David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, Mitch Pileggi, William B. Davis and a few others reprise their roles from the original series. And there are some nice homages and callbacks that help to create a familiar feel. Season 10 of The X-Files has its moments, but overall it’s a weak revival that doesn’t accomplish much.
After moving production to LA and making the leap to feature films, The X-Files starts anew in Season 6. Picking up a few months after the X-Files was shut down, Mulder and Scully are stuck doing run-of-the-mill FBI work (yet still manage to run across the paranormal); but everything changes when an Alien Resistance suddenly appears and attacks the Syndicate. Season 6 begins the slow downfall of the series. The separation of the characters continues as many of the episodes find Mulder and Scully each on their own individual adventures. And the tone has a distinct shift to the farcical, with episodes like “Dreamland” and “The Rain King.” Also, the Alien Conspiracy seems to come to a sudden, abrupt end, leaving the series without a clear over-arcing plot. Still, the series mythology takes some exciting twists and turns, and there are a few interesting cases-of-the-week involving time-loops, ghosts, and high-tech weapons. A pretty big letdown after last season, Season 6 of The X-Files is one of the show’s weakest.
The script is flipped in Season 5 of The X-Files as Mulder loses his faith and Scully finds hers. After having the “Alien” conspiracy revealed to him as a government psyop, Mulder comes to doubt everything that he thought he knew, meanwhile Scully’s battle with cancer reawakens her faith and opens her up to extreme possibilities. Additionally, Scully discovers a child that may be her daughter, Mulder goes undercover with a terrorist group, and the origins of the Lone Gunman are revealed. Unfortunately the filming of the X-Files movie takes a toll on the season, resulting in a number of episodes in which David Duchovny and/or Gillian Anderson either don’t appear or have minimal roles. And, the season is cut back to 20 episodes. Still, there’s a strong Syndicate story arc, with their goals and inner factions becoming clearer. Also, a number of interesting guest stars make appearances, including Richard Belzer, Luke Wilson, Darren McGavin, Lili Taylor, and Mimi Rogers. The first chapter of The X-Files comes to an end in Season 5 as the series makes the leap to feature film and leaves Vancouver.
The Truth has never been closer than it is in Season 4 of The X-Files. Mulder discovers the bee farms being cultivated by the Syndicate along with their experiments at creating a vaccine for the Black Oil; meanwhile Scully learns that she’s developed a life threatening illness. Additionally, the season features the notorious episode “Home” that was banned in numerous markets, and the fan favorite “Small Potatoes,” which gave Mulder/Sully shippers some red meat. Also, the Cigarette-Smoking Man’s past is revealed in “Musings of a Cigarette-Smoking Man,” and the fate of Mulder’s sister comes into question in “Paper Hearts.” Several named guest stars make appearances, such as Tom Noonan and Judie Foster, as well as a number of up and comers, like Michael Massee, Joe Spano, and Christine Cavanaugh. And, the intense and suspenseful season finale cliffhanger leaves the audience on the edge of their seats. With a clear end in sight (the coming X-Files movie, Fight the Future), Season 4 ramps up the alien conspiracy and raises the stakes for Mulder and Scully.
The paranormal gets even more strange and bizarre in Season 3 of The X-Files. After surviving an attempted assassination Mulder is hot on the heels of the Syndicate; coming ever closer to exposing their plans for colonization. But in the meantime Mulder and Scully continue to look into cases of psychics, astral projection, mass hysteria, mind control, and mythic creatures. With the success of last season’s “Humbug,” the series attempts to add more humor with the classic satiric episodes “Clyde Bookman’s Final Repose” and “Jong Chung’s From Outer Space.” Additionally, the list of guest stars is more impressive than ever; featuring Peter Boyle, R. Lee Ermey, Kurtwood Smith, Ryan Reynolds, Jack Back, Amanda Tapping, and Jesse Ventura. Fast becoming a powerhouse of the Fox network, The X-Files’ third season continues to develop rich and interesting stories and compelling characters that bring in more and more viewers week after week.
Angel’s fifth season takes the show in a new direction with more episodic adventures...and got the series canceled. After taking over the Wolfram & Hart law firm Angel and his team attempt to purge it of its evil clientele and use it for good, but when Spike shows up the meaning of the Shanshu Prophecy (promising Angel humanity) comes into question and Angel starts to doubt himself. The addition of James Marsters to the main cast brings an interesting new dynamic to the show, though it comes at the loss of Charisma Carpenter. Mercedes McNab and Adam Baldwin also join the cast and several other actors from previous seasons make return appearances. However the season is really uneven and gets off to a pretty rocky start. Yet by midseason the show finds itself and develops an impressive arc that carries on through to the finale. The series hits the 100th episode milestone this season, and was then promptly cancelled; leading to a number of subplots being cut loose or rushed. Yet show co-creator Joss Whedon is able to come up with a very fitting and powerful series finale. Season 5’s attempt to revamp Angel ended up being the show’s downfall, but it still had its moments.
Incredibly dark and provocative, Season 4 of Angel is one of the most divisive seasons of the series. After being rescued from his watery prison Angel works with his team to find Cordelia, who returns from the ethereal plain with amnesia, and then partners up with Wesley when a demon called the Beast wipes out Wolfram & Hart and blocks out the sun. While the Beast makes for an interesting villain, the real life pregnancy of Charisma Carpenter ends up taking the season in a bizarre direction and undermines (if not ruins) the Cordelia character. However, Eliza Dushku returns to the series and has a very good arc with Angelus, and the final arc with Gina Torres is also pretty strong. Additionally, the writers do an impressive job at tying a lot of loose ends, as well as stories from the previous seasons, into this season’s overall arc. But the Cordelia story is handled so poorly that it taints what is otherwise an incredible season. Yet despite some rather big, glaring problems, somehow Season 4 of Angel still manages to deliver an exciting and compelling (near epic) adventure.
Incredibly ambitious, Season 3 of Angel sets out to prove itself as Buffy moves to a new network, cutting all ties. When Darla turns up pregnant with Angel’s child the team attempts to uncover how this impossible pregnancy occurred and what it could mean; meanwhile a vampire hunter from Angel’s past is resurrected to get his long awaited revenge. The writers do an impressive job at constructing the multi-episode story arcs and at building tension and suspense. Still, there are some tonal problems when they transition from the heavy, dramatic arcs to the lighthearted case-of-the-week episodes. Amy Acker joins the main cast and makes for a great addition to the team. And, recurring guest stars Daniel Dae Kim, Keith Szarabajka, and Laurel Holloman give especially good performances and make for interesting characters that enrich the show. It’s a bit of a mess at times, but overall Angel’s third season is remarkably compelling and is full of exciting action.
Delivering an extraordinary second season, Angel comes into its own as Buffy the Vampire Slayer comes to an end (on the WB). When Wolfram & Hart resurrect Angel’s vampire sire, Darla, Angel becomes obsessed, causing him to drive away his friends and break up the team. The serial storytelling is especially well-done, developing a series of mini-arcs that lead into each other. And, the cast is beefed up with Christian Kane and Stephanie Romanov becoming series regulars (and the face of Wolfram & Hart) and Andy Hallett coming on as a new character who’s connected to the Powers That Be. Additionally, there are more crossover events with Buffy, but they feel more organic than last season. Incredibly bold and daring, Season 2 of Angel is extremely compelling and action-packed.
The vampire with a soul heads to Los Angeles to seek redemption in Season 1 of Angel, a spin-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. After moving to LA Angel is met by a half-demon named Doyle who receives visions from the Powers That Be and has been sent to help Angel on his mission to “help the helpless.” And before long they are joined by another recent LA transplant, Cordelia Chase; a friend of Angel’s from Sunnydale who has come to LA seeking fortune and fame but takes a secretarial job with Angel while waiting for her acting career to take off. The show does a surprisingly good job at both setting itself up as its own series while still connecting back to Buffy the Vampire Slayer with crossovers and interconnecting storylines featuring guest appearances by Sarah Michelle Gellar, James Marsters, Seth Green, and Eliza Dushku. Yet it’s not a Buffy clone; using a different visual aesthetic and a darker tone. Delivering a strong first season, Angel has the potential to go places and explore issues that Buffy never could.
The Originals comes to an end in its fifth and final season as the Mikaelsons come together one last time to face an enemy out of the past. When Haley goes missing the Mikaelsons return to New Orleans despite the danger of reuniting the pieces of the Hollow within them, but in doing so they set into motion a prophesy of doom. A lot of story points are recycled from previous seasons; different factions forming alliances and turning on each other, friends turning out to be enemies, being torn between one’s own desires and one’s duty to family, etc. Yet the writers still manage to make it exciting and dramatic. Additionally, Jaime Murray joins the cast as a recurring character and has an interesting story arc. However, there’s a rather blatant attempt to set up the forthcoming spin-off, Legacies, that comes off as forced. And there are also some awkward wrap-ups for a couple of character in the final episodes. Still, the final scene is amazing. Overall Season 5 of The Originals brings the series to a nice conclusion.
Cut back to 13 episodes, Season 4 marks the beginning of the end for The Originals. The Mikaelson family rallies once again to save Klaus from Marcel, but when an ancient evil called the Hollow raises and forms a mystical link with Klaus’ daughter the Mikaelsons team up with Marcel and the leader of the New Orleans witches to defeat it. While the season arc is pretty strong it’s marred by a lesbian love story involving Freya; which plays more like Stockholm syndrome, as Freya abducts and chains up her future lover, holding her hostage and treating her as such for half the season. Also, the show’s getting a little repetitive and formulaic. Yet the writers continue to do a great job at creating tension and suspense, and the fight scenes are exciting and action-packed. Season 4 of The Originals has some problems, but it’s still entertaining and full of thrills.
The Originals’ third season is full of shocking twists and thrills that will leave audiences on the edge of their seats. When a prophecy predicts that the Mikaelsons will fall (one by friend, one by foe, and one by family) the Klaus and Elijah sire clans come to New Orleans to offer their aid, but the Mikaelsons soon discover that the clans have their own agendas. It’s a very interesting expansion of the series vampire mythology and introduces a number of new characters. However, it comes at a cost, as several series regulars and cast members are written off; which can be heartbreaking at times. But as intriguing as some of the plot lines are, after three seasons the storytelling has become a bit formulaic, with the same twists and betrayals happening over and over again. Still, overall Season 3 of The Originals is incredibly compelling and explores exciting new territory.
In its second season The Originals delves deeper into the Mikaelson family and resurrects old feuds. After reclaiming control over New Orleans, Klaus discovers that his dead mother and brothers have crossed over from the Veil and are inhabiting the bodies of witches, and that it was his mother who put a death sentence on his child. At times the plot can get a bit confusing with all the body swapping, but it also allows for some interesting story arcs and adds an extra degree of mystery. Plus, it enables the show to bring in fresh new actors to play the Mikaelson characters; in particular Maisie Richardson-Sellers as Rebekah does an incredible job. Season 2 of The Originals has an ambitious vision that, while not completely pulled off, makes it extraordinarily exciting and compelling.
The Vampire Diaries spin-off, The Originals, delivers a compelling and action-packed first season. The show follows the original vampire clan, the Mikaelsons lead by the vampire/werewolf hybrid Klaus, as they move back to New Orleans to reclaim their ancestral home from a new vampire clan lead by one of their former proteges, Marcel; meanwhile the witches in the French Quarter make a deal with the Mikaelsons to protect Klaus’ unborn hybrid child in exchange for liberating them from Marcel’s oppressive rule. It’s a very rich and fascinating world that’s set up, which is separate and district from The Vampire Diaries (though there are a few crossover events). Additionally, the series does an impressive job at creating morally ambiguity, so that it’s constantly in question who’s good and who’s bad. Incredibly well-developed, Season 1 of The Originals is able to stand apart from The Vampire Diaries as its own show full of interesting characters and exciting stories.
In the final season of The Vampire Diaries the Salvatore brothers face the biggest bad of them all, the Devil himself. After falling victim to a siren Damon makes a deal with her master, Cade (aka the Devil), for him and his brother to provide Cade with souls in exchange for escaping eternal damnation; but when Cade starts making excessive demands Damon plots to kills him and destroy hell. Nathalie Kelley makes for an especially sensual and ruthless villain to kick off the season with, however Wole Parks as Cade is a little underwhelming. In fact, having a Devil and a psychic hell dimension is kind of a strange place for the series mythology to go. Still, it gives the season stakes and sets up an end game. A number of cast members from previous seasons make cameos, and the series finale does a pretty good job at tying everything up. Season 8 of The Vampire Diaries has some weaknesses, but overall it delivers an exciting adventure that’s full of thrills (and chills).
Season 7 of The Vampire Diaries delivers a new vision, post Elena, that’s a bit darker and more expansive. Picking up on the apocalyptic preview at the end of the Season 6 finale, Mystic Falls becomes a deserted town when the Salvatores are forced to make a truce with the resurrected Heretics, but secretly the Salvatores plot to kill the Heretic’s leader and reclaim their home. The tone is a lot darker than in seasons’ past, and made more so by flash-forwards to 3 years in the future; foreshadowing that things will not end well in the present day storyline. However, as much as the show tries to explore new characters and relationships, the absence of Elena is keenly felt; particularly in regard to the show’s signature love triangle, which the writers try to substitute with a lesbian romance. But this romance doesn’t work, and in fact none of the new romances have much traction. Also, there’s a real bad piece of miscasting with Leslie-Anne Huff as the season’s main villain, vampire hunter Rayna Cruz. Yet, the main cast continues to bring their A-game and the 3 year flash-forwards add a lot of mystery and intrigue to the show. Season 7 has its problems, but The Vampire Diaries remains an extremely compelling and exciting series that’s full of rich, interesting characters.
The Vampire Diaries’ sixth season delivers exciting new adventures as the show expands its mythology to include new realms and new types of supernatural beings. This season Elena and her friends struggle to adjust to living in a magic free Mystic Falls; meanwhile Damon and Bonnie find themselves stuck in a mystical prison world that’s perpetually repeating the same day (May 10, 1994) over and over again, and is home to a psychopathic witch from the Gemini Coven. Additionally, there are some interest character subplots, including Matt being torn between his friends and a new vampire hunter that’s come to town, Caroline dealing with her mother’s terminal cancer, and Enzo vowing to ruin Stefan’s life for giving up on Damon. Candice Accola and Ian Somerhalder really standout this season, and give some incredible performances. The writing is also rather good; as it deals with the show’s complicated mythologies especially well and brings several character arcs to a close. And, the season finale is quite powerful. The Vampire Diaries has come a long way in six seasons, and now stands poised to take the next step in its evolution.
Without the Originals The Vampire Diaries hemorrhages in its fifth season, but after some false starts it eventually recovers. The story arcs follow the mythology of the doppelganger; in the first half of the season Stefan’s doppelganger Silas reveals that the doppelganger lines stretch back thousands of years (created as part of a witch’s curse), and he precedes to coerce the Salvatores and Elena into helping him become mortal. And in the second half of the season, a sect of witches known as Travels attempt to end the doppelganger line and undo unnatural magic; which will bring an end to vampires and werewolves. Unfortunately these plots take a while to get any traction, and there are several subplots that don’t work out; like Elaine and Caroline going to college, and the Augustine Society. Still, the episodes are full of intrigue and introduce some exciting new characters. Additionally, the series crosses the 100th episode milestone with a powerful episode that wraps up one of the longest running story arcs of the show. Season 5 of The Vampire Diaries is a bit of a letdown, but continues to develop the characters and the mythology in interesting ways.
