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THERE WERE SO MANY WTF MOMENTS… I JUST CAN’T! THIS EPISODE I’M DISCUSSING ALL THE NITTY GRITTY.
Can you believe it’s already that time of year? The winter finales keep rolling in and boy have they left me with looks and thoughts of confusion, wonder, excitement and anxiety. The one thing I love the most about television is that it’s always changing! Even when you think you know where the story is going the writers add that one detail you didn’t see coming.
I mean, can you blame them? They’ve got to keep us on our toes and on our toes did they leave us. Before you dive head first into this discussion make sure to listen to my 2018 Fall TV Preview episode, because that’s totes essential.
Are you ready to get into some of the most shocking moments from this season so far? Let’s get to it.
9-1-1, CAN SOMEONE PLEASE REMOVE MY HEART?
I adored the first season of 9-1-1 and thought the format was refreshing. Like with all Ryan Murphy shows I watch I went into this second season a little cautious. I had a few things I definitely didn’t want to see:
- Buck hooking up with the new dispatcher
- A lot of unnecessary relationship drama
For the most part, the first half of this season steered clear of this. I chuckle on the inside every time I read that line about Buck and the new dispatcher because… hello, she’s his sister! What we did get was emotion on overdrive; literally. It started with our new firefighter Eddie and his ridiculously adorable disabled son Christopher. I mean, come on people! My heart could not handle that much cuteness.
This lead to an entire episode about Hen. I mean, I have my thoughts on how filler-y that episode felt but I do love good character development. Our new dispatcher has her own domestic abuse story line happening and I know I’m not the only one having major feels for this Chimney and Maddie pairing.
Which leads me to what I was most looking forward to seeing, that Bobby and Athena relationship development. Who doesn’t love a spontaneous proposal during the holidays? 9-1-1 you took my heart, pumped it full of sappy emotions and now I want my cold stone black heart back. K, thanks!
Don’t fret, our icy hearts will have plenty of time to revert back because 9-1-1 returns March 18.
MANIFESTING ALL TYPES OF WEIRD ISH
There were a few new shows on my list for this season and Manifest was the one I was most excited about watching. It started off weird and murky and that’s pretty much how they left us in the finale. We go in having no clue what is going on and we leave the exact same way. I will say, this show knows how to draw you in and keep you watching.
I’ve talked about my feelings on weird, creepy kids and Cal is no exception. I do feel like they can double the creep factor on him a teensy bit. There is no way I can discuss this show without mentioning how distractedly attractive Josh Dallas is. He’s one of those people who are so attractive that you genuinely can’t be upset about it.
It looks like the writers are going to put us out of our misery and finally let Michaela and Jared lock lips at some point in a future episode. Also, definitely not surprised at how things played out between Ben and Grace. Overall, the entire situation is just weird. As much as you want some of these characters to be in the wrong, you can’t blame them due to what their reality was. It’s just too much.
I did say going into this that the only thing I didn’t want to see was this drag out for the sole purpose of creating new seasons. While the jury is still out on this, I do need the writers to start answering some questions when we return January 7.
THIS IS US + NICKY
We’re now three seasons deep and I can actually say that I haven’t shed one tear this season so far. Don’t get me wrong, the writers for sure threw in obvious emotional story drivers but they just weren’t enough to make this unmovable soul cry. We knew quite a bit going into this season what we could look forward to and I have to say my favorite moments have been the early Jack and Rebecca days.
We jumped feet first into Jack’s time in Vietnam which meant we got to learn a little bit about his brother Nicky. Nicky, the brother that we’re all to believe died during the war. Spoiler alert – he is very much alive. I mean, I can honestly say that I saw this coming because some things just weren’t adding up. This plus how the promo for the winter finale was edited just eluded to Nicky not being dead.
Outside of Nicky, we got to watch Kevin and Zoe dig up Jack’s past which meant actually going to Vietnam. Kate and Toby are finally having a baby! I’m hoping we see this baby through because I can’t handle another miscarriage people. I’m also glad that Toby wasn’t depressed for the entire first half of this season. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s an important story to tell but this show has so many emotionally heightened story lines that the length of this one worked. That’s not to say we won’t revisit in a future episode because depression is an ongoing battle for sure.
Tess gets a coming out story that I definitely didn’t see coming but appreciated how it was done. Randall and Beth are about to go through some stuff and I’m not looking forward to that at all. Finally, we got a small peak into Miguel’s side of the family and they can keep the entire side because I don’t want it.
It looks like we may be losing the matriarch of the family in the future. So many questions to answer when we return January 15.
THE GOOD DOCTOR IS… OUT?
Not going to lie, it was a slight struggle getting through this season so far. I’ve previously discussed my feelings on medical shows and it’s my own personal battle that I shall endure. With that being said, I continue to watch because I’m genuinely invested in these characters and I just adore Freddie Highmore. There were a couple of things I didn’t want to see this season:
- A mean, non compassionate Morgan
- A Claire and Melendez hookup
While we still have some grit to Morgan (which I do appreciate) she hasn’t been unbearable. I feel like Melendez has sexual energy with everyone and that makes this even more confusing to watch. They could be setting us up for a Lim death which would be unfortunate but would explain the random Melendez-Lim hookup.
I still think Lea is selfish but we’ll see where her character goes in future episodes. It will also be interesting to see how Shaun deals with Glassman’s news that his cancer is back. This finale episode was by far the best of the season. So many uncertainties and of course they leave us with so many cliffhangers. We’ll just have to wait to see what happens in part two when we return January 14.
EMPIRE PLUS ONE AND MINUS ONE
After a two year jump Empire dived right into the drama and boy was there drama. Hakeem and Tiana are still recovering from the aftermath of the shooting. We get a lot of Hakeem trying to fix his problems with guns and alcohol. I do appreciate that we come full circle with Bella being the catalyst to get everyone together. The gun thing was getting out of hand but I believe having Bella pick up the gun showed a real world consequence of what could’ve happened. I do want to see more of Blake but without the drama because I feel like Hakeem needs genuine friends because he currently has a lot of yes men. This amicable break between Hakeem and Tiana should last for a good minute. While I do like them together the back and forth is getting a bit annoying.
Andre has found a new purpose after his stint in jail. He steps in to help free a wrongfully accused boy while also developing a close relationship with the boy’s mother. I actually like that Luscious was the one to push him toward pursuing that relationship. Luscious has definitely come a long way since season one. It does look like Andre is the one who might be in the casket during the flash forwards. I’m not surprised by this but if he really does die this will forever change the Lyons family dynamic.
I was happy for Jamal and this new relationship with Kai. Kai seems like a good fit for him but it looks like we’re falling into one of the things I said I didn’t want to see this season. Kai just might leave Jamal because he challenged his journalistic morals. If this is the case then we’ll most likely get a different Jamal when we return and I’m just not here for depressed Jamal. We shall see, but hopefully they can make it work.
Luscious and Cookie have been through it since losing Empire. They’ve lost pretty much everything but that’s not the real threat this season. They come face to face with a new foe in the name of Kingsley. Kingsley has been an interesting antagonist this season because you can understand why he’s upset but I do feel like it’s a little misdirected. No one knew about his existence, regardless of what part Luscious played in hooking his mom on drugs. Now that it’s all out in the open we’ll have to see how the Lyons deal with this moving forward. I just don’t feel like Kingsley is ever going to come to a peaceful resolution.
I have to talk about Cookie a little because I feel like she dealt with a lot emotionally. That entire situation with her sister, I’m sorry but I have to side with Cookie on this one. I get it that’s her son but if you’re in danger your first reaction is to call for help. I did yell a little at the screen when Cookie sold that condo. The way things have historically played out and even with what’s happened this season so far, she definitely should have kept the condo as a fall back. So much drama still to unpack and Empire doesn’t return until the spring.
What finale are you still reeling from? Let me know in the comments below!
Time Marks:
9-1-1 – 5:42
Manifest – 17:50
This Is Us – 28:12
The Good Doctor – 38:25
Empire – 48
As always, expect spoilers! Be sure to follow on Twitter & Instagram.
Currently Binging is a biweekly podcast hosted by Eva London. Each episode she discusses her thoughts on the many television shows and movies she’s currently watching. Whether it’s an episode about a show she’s recently binged or the latest installment in one of her favorite movie franchises; expect to hear her honest, witty and sometimes insightful opinion.
