After a week of big premieres, it was time to see how second episodes would hold up. Some managed to maintain the high level of the premiere, some buckled, one even improved. Check out our thoughts with this week’s Hit, Miss, or Let. Now would be a good chance to mention that a show can’t be on the Let list two weeks in a row.
Hits
Minority Report – 1×02 – “Mr. Nice Guy”
With the Minority Report pilot taking a beating among critics, there was a lot of pressure put on the second episode. Where as the pilot put us in the middle of the action and premise, the second episode took a step back and put a focus on character relationships and world building, both of which will be key to the show’s success. The killer in this week’s would be murder was predictable, but sometimes it’s about the how and not the who. One of the highlights of the series so far is how they treat today’s technology and cultural trends as antiquated and obsolete.
Black-ish – 2×02 – “Rock, Paper, Scissors, Gun”
With what seemed to be impeccable timing, last week’s episode of Black-ish dealt with guns. Black-ish took a sensitive topic and handled it with finesse. There were no surprises on who in the Johnson family would fall on which side of gun control, but the kids’ opinions and actions were a nice source of comedy. Junior even put some bass in his voice a la Wes Gibbins. And Ruby’s presence was felt even if she wasn’t there.
Rosewood – 1×02 – “Fireflies and Fidelity”
I’ll admit I was skeptical about Rosewood, but it’s making strides in finding its own. As we got a look into Rosewood’s personal life and relationships, it’s clear that this is the way to go. Seeing how Rosewood’s medical issues affects his romantic life and the tension between him and his mom balances the seemingly omniscient persona we see at his office and crime scenes. Plus, the murder of the week had a nice twist.
Sleepy Hollow – 3×01 – “I, Witness”
Sleepy Hollow returned last week and it had a pretty solid premiere. With the death of Katrina and Henry, Sleepy Hollow was able to get back to its roots and be the show we all know and love. Abbie and Ichabod are rediscovering the teamwork that allowed them to save the world a few times over. And now that Hawley is gone, Jenny now is getting the chance to shine again. Frank Irving is missed, but you can’t win them all.
How to Get Away with Murder – 2×02 – “She’s Dying”
How to Get Away with Murder started off with such a bang, it was hard to see how it could maintain that level. Yet, somehow it did. Annalise had her lovers doing her dirty work, but her lovers turned the tables on her. Wes has maintained the bass in his voice. The law kids are showing growth. Viola Davis continues to prove why she won the Emmy. And there’s another murder mystery.
Misses
Empire – 2×02 – “Without a Country”
Empire is falling apart at the seams. The number of guest stars is disorienting. The plot doesn’t make sense. Lucious recorded a track in jail in one take and released it on the radio before Hakeem could get his album out. And the characters have done a 180. Jamal has become insufferable. Cookie is making stupid decisions. Lucious doesn’t know which son he loves. And Anita is just there. Empire is imploding, and like with most major disasters we can’t look away.
Scandal – 5×02 – “Yes”
The season premiere set up what was to be a promising second episode, with the Olitz affair being exposed. But instead of tackling that head on, Scandal ran away from it. Literally. Olivia spent the entire episode running away from it. And when Fitz finally goes back to Mellie (like he always does), Olivia then decides to confirm the affair. Just another salvo to try salvage another lacking episode. Olivia has long lost her killer instinct and, like the show itself, is a shadow of her former self.
What shows do you think were hits, misses, and lets? Is there a show you think should be covered?
