Fans of How I Met Your Mother had circled “The Slutty Pumpkin Returns” on their calendar ever since word of the episode broke over the summer. A promise of a callback to any episode let alone one of the show’s first great ones comes with the caveat of exceedingly high expectations, easily the highest since 2009’s “Slapsgiving 2: Revenge of the Slap.”
Up to this point I have kept my suspicions about the potential upcoming plot twist in the sixth season of Dexter quiet, mostly because I myself hate spoilers. I never really understood people that actively seek to ruin or at the very least diminish their viewing experience by finding out the shocking moments weeks or months before they’re set to happen, but they do exist, and in this particular case I hit the internet to confirm to myself that I wasn’t, in fact, crazy. This entire paragraph should serve as a warning to anyone that doesn’t want to even have the possibility of a spoiler coming their way – this is entirely speculation, but there is mounting evidence to suggest that my and many other people’s shared theory is true.
Though it wasn’t quite down to the
eleventh hour, things sure came close, as the new carriage agreement
between DirecTV and Fox wasn’t finalized until the afternoon before
the satellite provider’s midnight cutoff. Apparently ending earlier
than expected so the execs could take their children trick or
treating, the new deal means DirecTV will continue to carry all of
Fox’s cable networks, including FX and the regional sports stations.
Fox Broadcasting’s local affiliates, whose contract was up at the end
of this year, are also in the clear.
There was no information released on
the agreement’s numbers, but an insider has claimed Fox walked away
with a double digit percentage increase to their license-fee. Before
the deal was brokered, DirecTV claimed that Fox was after a 40% jump
in fees, but Fox dismissed the claim, declaring they were only asking
for an amount consistent with what other providers were being asked
to pay.
The Walking Dead has been
stepping up its game this season, producing episodes, that while not
flawless, have shown marked improvement over their predecessors.
That trend continued with “Save the Last One,” an episode that
was filled with just about everything that’s been missing from this
series; including a healthy dose of good ol’ fashioned zombie
killing. Interestingly enough, while this episode’s subplots shined,
it was the source of those storylines itself in which most of the
problems lay.
It may sound odd, but it’s actually
nice to see some characters fighting for their lives; especially
since Hershel’s farm is starting to seem like a magical oasis from
the undead, fully equipped with hot showers. We have seen a few
zombies bite the dust this season, but it hasn’t been since last year
that the show has given us a true, do-or-die struggle with a couple
hundred “walkers” and it was overdue.
It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the majority of Supernatural fans would likely agree that the show used to be better than it is right now. The seventh season, much like the sixth before it, has had extremely good episodes in combination with weaker ones (last week’s “Shut Up, Dr. Phil” being a prime example of the lower end of the quality spectrum) whereas seasons one through five, if you are a fan, were largely excellent throughout. There were downfalls, this isn’t the greatest show ever made, but relative to the present, the past was a winner. With that in mind we come to Friday’s “Slash Fiction.”
Up to now the involvement of the Leviathan in the season has been somewhat on the back-burner since their introduction in the premiere. It has been fairly obvious since then that things weren’t going to stay that way, but how the super-monsters truly featured into the Supernatural universe hadn’t come close to being defined. What we know of them so far is that they are just about the closest that something could come to being invincible, they have the ability to shape-shift, and they’re not at all bothered about getting blood on their hands if it will help them get what they want. So far they’ve immersed themselves into powerful positions in society and their endgame is unclear.
Person of Interest delivered a solid sixth episode, a fitting celebration of the show earning a full-season order from CBS. “The Fix” saw a terrific guest-starring role from Paige Turco as Zoe Morgan, a hot-shot NYC fixer who has found herself in a little trouble after doing a favor for a big pharmaceutical company.
The Office has fairly strong
history of Halloween episodes, especially when the holiday isn’t
relegated to just the opening scene. “Spooked” might not have
been the best in that long line, but it was one of the better
episodes we’ve received so far this season, and certainly didn’t mar
the show’s reputation when it comes to celebrating All Hallows’ Eve.
A long overdue resolution to Andy and Erin’s relationship provided
the main storyline, but it was outshone by the episode’s subplots.
One of the most surprising things about
this episode was how much entertainment Pam and Jim were providing
with their storyline. The pair have been long past their prime as
the charmingly cute couple, and the humor they’ve provided has often
been just as sour. However, in “Spooked” the Halperts were
bringing their A-game, with a storyline that was earning laughs as
soon as it began.
