Mid-Season Finales aka I Still Watch Too Much TV

I began writing this post weeks ago. Weeks and weeks. Then it got lost in my drafts.
BUT THEN I watched the Pretty Little Liars, Ravenswood, and NCIS mid-season premieres last night and I got all giddy and excited to finish this post.
Giddy and excited.

As you all know (i hope) right before the winter holidays many shows air their Mid-Season Finale.
Basically it's an annoying episode that typically sets up an interesting storyline or reveals something that will push the show going into the 2nd half of the season.
I say it's "annoying" but really I mean I usually love it. It's only annoying because there are always weeks and weeks before the show comes back and it's frustrating because i havetoknowrightthissecondwhathappens.

Anyway, let's talk shows---->

NCIS
Oh man, this show has giving me a headache this season. First the great Ziva debacle. Ugh. After her character left the show, things just felt.. weird. It was like the show was really struggling to find a rhythm without one of their main characters. I also felt like they were using that opportunity to "grow" some of their other characters. Good in theory, not so good in execution. THEN they announced they were bringing on a new female series regular. Before she was even in an episode I had decided I was going to hate her. No one could replace Ziva and I didn't want them trying to bring in another new love interest for Tony and basically I was just super annoyed. So, then I watched the new episodes that she was in and I didn't hate her. In fact, ugh, I kind of liked her. I was determined not to like her, but damnit, I do.

She adds something interesting to the show and I'm so ridiculously happy that they aren't trying to make her a love interest for Tony! In fact, she's married. So maybe she was the breath of fresh air that the show needed to finish out the season strong. Last night's new episode ended with "To Be Continued.." so I have good feelings about it. Well, not actual good feelings because bad things were happening, but it terms of the show, it seemed like it was heading in the right direction.

NCIS:LA
Oh. My. God. For as horrible as this season has been for NCIS it's just the exact opposite for it's spin-off. This has been NCIS:LA's best season ever so far. First of all, DENSI. If you watch the show then you know that obviously this has been the season of Densi. And it's been done WELL. So well! NCIS:LA had a main character that was pregnant (had her baby at the end of december) and obviously she had to be written out of the show, right? 

Except you'd be wrong. And no, they didn't write her pregnancy into the show either. Instead they used clothing and other camera tricks to keep her in the show as her normal self as long as possible and then they wrote her going on a secret mission. BUT she's still going to be in every single episode the producer has promised. I'm so very happy about this it's ridiculous. NCIS:LA has really knocked it out of the park this season and I really hope that continues through the 2nd half!! I can't say enough good things!

The Vampire Diaries vs. The Originals
Here's the big, big problem I have - The Original family were the main villains on TVD for multiple seasons. Then the writers decided to give them their own show, completely taking them away from Mystic Falls and off of TVD. And right there is the reason The Originals show is succeeding and The Vampire Diaries show is not so far this season.
The Original family needed their own TV show because there was just so much story involved with their characters. It felt at times that they were the main characters on TVD and not Elena, Damon, and Stefan (i'm exaggerating a little). So I fully supported them leaving TVD and having their spin-off. It's a great show and one of my favorites! I didn't love the Pilot episode, but since then it's been gold! There are so many twists and interesting things and every episode you learn a little bit more about a character you thought you knew all about! You aren't sure who the good guys are and who the bad guys are most of the time and that makes for interesting plots and drama! Oh, and the love interests are so new and fresh and exciting!

Which brings me to The Vampire Diaries.. After the Original family left, they needed to create a new villain. They started with Silas, who despite the brilliant (and i do think it was truly, wonderfully brilliant) acting by Paul Wesley, was a dud. I disliked that storyline so incredibly much that it became hard to even watch the full episode occasionally. Then they rather aburtly, but also not soon enough, ended that storyline completely. Then that villain was replaced with the Augustine mess. I'm mostly angry with TVD because there is SUCH potential there, but they aren't doing it justice. I'm also disappointed because I feel like the TVD writers are having trouble weaving all of the characters' storylines together. Right now all of our favorite characters are off doing their own things, so there have been time this season that a main character (Damon) is barely in the episode or in the episode as filler. OR times where we introduce a major drama with a character and then we don't see him for 3 episodes (Matt). It is starting to really tick me off.

my favorite bromance-y scene this season! i love it so much! more of this!!!!

But let's talk about someone who needs a damn Emmy - Nina Dobrev! 

It blows my mind that she can play 2 totally different characters on 1 TV show and when that character walks into frame you immediately know which one it is. Even though they look identical, because it's the same damn actress. Also I love that the first couple seasons you HATED Katherine and LOVED Elena.. and now? Well now I sort of think Katherine rocks and Elena.. Well, she doesn't. Katherine is at least way more interesting right now than Elena. Whom I want to punt like a football.


Supernatural

Oh holy hell. I just laughed out loud at the joke I just made, but if you don't watch the show, you won't get it. Anyway, Supernatural fans, here's what we do know -We know that our instincts are always right and that you shouldn't trust random angels who come around and want to possess your brother. You just totally shouldn't. Dean, I'm talkin to you. We trust one angel and his name is Cas. And sometimes he screws up too and we can't trust him either. Actually, now that I think about it, Supernatural causes us to always question everyone. Trust no one, sometimes not even yourself. Also, I wish fans would remember that the show is good/great because of the relationship between the brothers! That is what the show is about! That is what holds the show together! 

I have some theories for the rest of the season - Crowley is going to get dumb-butt angelface out of Sammy. Dean and Cas are going to "owe" Crowley. Ugh. Kevin isn't dead. I refuse to believe it, so let's just pretend it was all fake or something. Our girl Charlie is going to come back and probably save the day, because duh. Okay, scratch all of that. Because even when I think I might know what's going to happen on Supernatural, I'm wrong. Except for that time I thought we shouldn't trust the random angel who wanted to posses our fragile Sammy. Dean, if I didn't love you so darn much you'd be on my shit list.
There is one thing I'm certain of - at the end of the season it'll still be the two brothers against the world. Period.

Grey's Anatomy
Okay, helloooooo Dr. Avery! Can I just say "it's about time"?! Except he probably could have chosen a better time to confess his love. At her wedding in front of everyone might not have been the best choice, but I'm just pumped that it actually happened. Also, thank you baby Jesus that Meredith and Cristina have kind of made up. Their little spat has been my least favorite thing all season. I love Grey's Anatomy for lots of reasons (hot doctors, obviously) but I really loved it because of that friendship right there. It made the show. I know Sandra Oh is leaving the show, aka Cristina is leaving the show, but I was really disappointed that it seemed like they were going to destroy one of my favorite female friendships on her way out. Really disappointed. Also, Bailey is annoying the crap out of me right now. Her whole storyline just seems like filler and it's driving me up the wall. But Karev and Jo?! LOVE that storyline. Now I'm interested in Derek Sheperd's story. A call from the POTUS?! Very interesting.. Also I see marriage troubles in his future.

Criminal Minds
Eh.. If I was grading this season, it'd get a solid C+. It hasn't been anything great, but it hasn't been bad. It's kinda of just been traveling in the middle of the pack. The season finale for last season didn't set up any kind of storyline or anything for this season, so I didn't really expect much. Maybe that's what they were trying to do? Keep my expectations low? The episodes have been good, with decently good and interesting cases, but nothing else. I'm hoping that the 2nd half of the season picks up, especially with this potential storyline between J.J. and the new Unit Chief..

The Fosters
Okay, I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I watched the first half of this show. It's just that.. Shows about family and siblings and such totally suck me in. Always. And after I watched the first episode, I obviously felt like I needed to see where they were going to take the show. It's just that.. Think of a social issue in our society right now. Any social issue. Got it? It's in the show. No matter which issue you were thinking of, I'd almost bet it's in the show.

The concept of the show is great and very interesting and I don't personally have any problems with the social issues that are in the show. However, it's exhausting. The show is trying to make a statement, which isn't surprising since it's on ABC Family and they're always trying to make statements, but every single episode is just so exhausting to sit through. It just feels like they're trying to do too much and because of that none of the issues they're touching on really make a huge impact. I'm going to watch the mid-season premiere next Monday and we'll see how it goes. I just don't know if it's a show I want to keep watching. Like I said, we'll see.

Pretty Little Liars vs. Ravenswood
...I don't even know. I've already written a post about this, but it deserves another one. Probably a post all of it's own. Yep, definitely a post all of it's own, because I'll never be able to squeeze all of my thoughts onto this already long blog post.
Coming tomorrow, PLL and RWood. So you have an extra night to get caught up!!

Breaking Bad
So on the mid-season finale of Breaking Bad.. Oh wait.. It's over. Ugh, I miss it. 

Now that I've bored half of you.. Here are the shows I'm going to add to my extensive list.
Because sleeping more than 5 hours a night is over-rated.

• Chicago PD (brand new, so pumped. my sister and i have had it on our calendars for months. and no, we don't watch Chicago Fire)
• Arrow (i have to find a way to get caught up first)
• Scandal (i have to get caught up first)
• Parenthood (maybe. my sister wants me to watch it, but i'm not totally sold on the idea)

Usually that is how I start watching tv shows. Either my sister, my mom, my brother, or my aunt watch a show and tell me I "need" to watch it. Which is why my tv show tastes seem all over the place! I watch them all with a different person!

Anyway, happy tv watching!