After a seemingly never-ending hiatus, we are finally back to the regular TV season, and oh boy, is the Fall 2015 TV season absolutely packed with spectacular things! With TV shows broadening their horizons and breaking through several past norms, the television industry has been becoming more and more diverse and dynamic. To celebrate this ever-evolving and incredible world of television, we, at Talk Nerdy, have decided to start our very own Talk Nerdy With Us Weekly TV Superlative Awards! At the end of every TV week, we will share our handpicked list of superlatives awarded to TV show episodes from that week.
And, without further ado, here’s this week’s
Talk Nerdy With Us Weekly TV Superlative Awards:
Best One-Liner: Supernatural
“I’m sorry Agent Pathetic-Has-Been-Rock-Star, did I offend your delicate sensibilities?”
Crowley, oh, Crowley. Any episode of Supernatural that features our longest-running villain, played by the wonderful Mark Sheppard, can be sure to be chock-full of clever quips delivered with charming brilliance. Naturally, “Form and Void” was no different. In fact, there were so many wonderful one-liners by Crowley that I really had to struggle to pick one. Ultimately though, when Dean calls the King of Hell, Crowley, out for his cover story of being a priest to gain access to a supposedly possessed baby, Crowley’s sarcastic quip reminding Dean of most of his own cover stories of federal agents named after past rock stars definitely won the cake this week.
Honorable Mention: The Flash (Cisco Ramon – “Yo are you about to pull a Zeus right now?”)
Most Badass Character: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Melinda May
Anyone who has ever watched Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is well aware of Agent Melinda May’s verified badass status. Love her or hate her, you can’t deny that the woman is a ninja and kicks some serious ass. However, since the tail-end of last season and through the premiere for this season, Agent May had been pretty dormant, so it was with thrilled glee that viewers welcomed her badassery back this week. After three big goons ganged up on May as she was watching Hunter fight for his ticket into HYDRA, she went off to the side with them and managed to, in a very May-like manner, take down all three of them in a beautifully choreographed fight sequence. So, yeah. Agent Amy was most definitely the badass of the week.
Honorable Mentions: Once Upon a Time (Prince Charming) and Supernatural (Sam Winchester)
MOST LOVABLE Character: Arrow
Felicity Smoak
Felicity has been a fan-favorite since Emily Bett Rickards guest-starred for the very first time in the Season 1 episode “Lone Gunmen.” Her ever-cheerful personality coupled with her adorable quips and unintentional innuendos made her the accidental breakout star of the show. Felicity’s character suffered some blowback last season when her angst-filled romance with Oliver left her hurt and somber for most of the season. However, Felicity’s old and sparkly self picked right back up at the beginning of this season now that things in her personal and professional life are a little more stable. Felicity was one of the most stand-out characters in this week’s episode as she not only helped Team Arrow take down this week’s villain, but also fought to keep her employees at Palmer Tech from losing their jobs by standing up to the surly Board of Directors. The return of Felicity’s light and charming quips and adorable smile did wonders for the mood of the show.
Biggest Jerk: Finding Carter
Gabe Medeiros
There are many ways of landing yourself on the ‘Biggest Jerk’ list. Getting your friend fired after acting like a drunken fool at her work? That definitely gets you a spot at the top of the list. On this week’s episode, Gabe and Ben pay Carter a visit to her new job at a bar and get ragingly drunk. But on top of that, after Carter tries to take Gabe’s drinks away, he takes the tray from her and drops it on the ground and creates even more of a ruckus by attempting to balance a beer bottle on his hand and failing. This ordeal gets him kicked out of the bar and gets poor Carter fired from her new job.
Bad Guy of the Week: The Flash
Sand Demon
The DC TV Universe has had its share of interesting bad guys over the past couple of seasons, and this week’s bad guy on The Flash was no different. Zapped in from an alternative timeline by Dr. Zoom to take down the Flash, Eddie Slick has the ability to turn himself into what appears to the naked eye as sand. Impressive, huh? I mean how do you fight a guy that, in Barry’s words, can slip right through your fingers? Sand Demon was a long-time nemesis of Earth-2’s Flash, Jay Garrick, and held up his own against Team flash until the two speedsters put their heads together and figured out a way to defeat him. As weekly villains go, Sand Demon was a pretty memorable one.
Most Shady Character: Once Upon a Time
King Arthur
For a family show based on happy endings and fairytales, Once Upon a Time has had shady characters a-plenty. One of the important themes of the show is that no characters are strictly good or bad, and everyone has a grey side. So, it was not unusual to find that our valiant King Arthur who has had a few interesting moments of shadiness so far, went into full-on shady land this week when he betrayed our heroes (more specifically, Charming) in not only the current timeline but also the flashbacks. In the flashbacks, Arthur took Prince Charming on a quest to the Forest of Eternal Night to locate the Crimson Crown in order to be able to communicate with Merlin. After Charming goes through many dangers to procure the toadstool, Arthur steals it from him and lets him believe that it has been lost. In the present timeline, Arthur has convinced his squire to steal from the reliquary and later convinced him into drinking poison so that Arthur’s part in the plan would remain secret. And there’s also the fact of Lancelot, Arthur’s ex-best friend calling him a villain in his conversation with Snow. So, yeah, I present to you Shady McShade King Arthur.
Best Kiss: Reign
Lola and Narcisse
CW’s historical drama, Reign, is known for its fast paced story lines and ever evolving romances. The romance plot in this wonderful show is so incredulous that I am pretty sure almost every single character has romanced every other character on the show by now. Same goes for Lola. After many romantic entanglements and a royal baby, Lola has once again found her heart beating to the drum of another beat: Narcisse. And while the couple may have sounded ridiculously unlikely at Narcisse’s first introduction, they have developed incredibly over the past season. After Lola complains that public knowledge of their relationship is putting her and her son at danger, Narcisse surprises her with a beautiful and secluded picnic in the woods. And oh my goodness, is the kiss that follows romantic or what. Mirroring an earlier kiss between Francis and Mary in season 1 when Mary was engaged to another, this kiss had the tenderness and steaminess only a passionate and forbidden encounter could provide. And, of course there is the wonderful chemistry that Anna Popplewell and Craig Parker share.
Best Dressed: Scream Queens
The Chanels
Fox’s new drama, Scream Queens, has been quite a debatable subject. With some people absolutely loving it and others completely hating it, it has caused quite a stir. Still, the one thing no one can really argue is the show’s spectacular wardrobe. The show’s Queen Bee Chanel, played by the lovely Emma Roberts, has had outfits to die for episode after episode. Chanel’s minions, referred to as “The Chanels,” have also been blessed with beautiful outfits. This week was no different as Chanel prepared for her Halloween celebration with a beautiful Jackie Kennedy costume along with several other gorgeous ensembles.
Honorable Mention: Arrow (Felicity Smoak)
Most Swoon-Worthy Scene: Jane the Virgin
Rafael holding baby Mateo
What is it with hot guys holding babies? I don’t know but it seems to cause swooning every time. And this week’s Jane the Virgin was no different as we saw the shirtless (!!!!) new dad, Rafael, holding his baby after the kidnapped baby finally made his way home. Sigh. Just look at them!
Honorable Mention: Supernatural (Dean Winchester also holding a very cute but also possessed baby Amara)
Biggest OTP Moment: Arrow
Oliver gets Felicity a fern and packs her lunch for her first day at the office
After the emotional train wreck that Oliver and Felicity’s relationship was put through last season, it is only fair that they get their season of stable happiness. And so far, the Arrow creators have delivered wonderfully on their promise of a happy Olicity relationship. While the episode was filled with adorable moments and exchanges between the two, this scene in particular takes the cake for maximum cuteness. After a night of kicking ass and taking names, Oliver comes back to the lair to give Felicity a good-luck fern and a packed lunch bag for her first day at the office as the CEO of Palmer Tech. Aw!
Most Emotional Scene: Grey’s Anatomy
Meredith tells the interns how to tell a patient their loved one is gone
In a week that has been filled with emotional and heartbreaking moments, Meredith’s speech from Grey’s Anatomy definitely topped the emotional meter. When she lectures her interns on the importance of delivering bad news to a patient’s family correctly, it is hard not to get teary-eyed. She describes just how much this one instant is going to change the other person’s life and how important it is to take this moment seriously and consider the emotional impact it will have. She talks about how in this moment the other person can go from instantly from being a wife to a wide, which is nod to Meredith’s own experience of losing her husband recently.
Most Terrifying Scene: Supernatural
Baby Amara is telekinetic and asks to be fed souls
Although Supernatural started out as a horror-fantasy show, it has always been more of a drama with comedy, tragedy, and occasional procedural episodes thrown in. This season, however, the show has turned the horror vibe up by several notches and returned to its roots. The whole season storyline and vibe has been very creepy and dark and has been beautifully handled. Consequently, it was no surprise that the entire episode was sifting through my mind when I was looking at this category. While the whole episode had its very creepy moment,s I think the one that sticks out the most is when we finally discover exactly what is up with baby Amara and her tiny Mark of Cain. Not only is she telekinetic but she also eats people’s souls! Yikes! Jenna and her grandma come upstairs to find Amara throwing things around the room and spelling out “Feed Me” on the wall with letter blocks. Yeah, it was pretty terrifying.
Most Heartbreaking Moment: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
FitzSimmons finally go on their overdue dinner date
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has seen more than its fair share of heartbreak over the seasons. Whether it be Ward’s betrayal, Daisy’s parental issues, or Fitz almost dying, the show has left us pretty heartbroken and sad. But this week’s look at Jemma’s PTSD after her time on an alien planet was one of the most heartbreaking things to watch. To top it off, when Fitz finally takes Jemma to their forever-ago planned dinner date, Jemma breaks down into tears, and you would have to be pretty coldhearted not to cry with her. The poor girl has been through so much over the past couple of years!
Honorable Mention: Once Upon a Time (Killian tells Dark Emma he “loved” her) and (David admits that he feels paralyzed being unable to help Emma)
Most Heartwarming Moment: Chicago Fire
Dawson tells Casey she’s pregnant
This week’s heartwarming moment comes from Chicago Fire. After spending the episode in a not-so-great head space, Casey comes across Gabby’s badly burnt uniform and decides to patch things up with his ex-fiancee. The heartfelt confession by Matt itself would have been heartwarming enough, but it is Gabby’s confession that really tops it off. After he tells her that it makes sense to stay with her and he will never leave her, Gabby tells him the news of her pregnancy and the two share an emotional embrace. Aw!
BIGGEST NERD MOMENT: THE FLASH
RecrEation of the comic cover of “Flash of Two Worlds”
The Flash is known for its not-so-subtle easter eggs from the comics that can be found in almost every episode, so, it isn’t to surprising that for our first ever “Biggest Nerd Moment” award, The Flash bags the title. This episode’s biggest easter egg was most definitely when the TV show recreated on-screen the cover of the “Flash of Two Worlds” comic, on which the episode’s name was based. The moment happened when the injured officer, Patty Spivot, calls out “Flash!” and both the Flashes, Barry and Jay, respond at the same time.
WEIRDEST MOMENT: REIGN
Francis convinces Charles to wed Mary
Reign has had its fair share of weird moments over the seasons. I mean, what other show can claim that their King threw a mistress out a window while having sex with her, among many, many other things. The strangest moment from this particular episode came from a surprisingly sensible decision made by the King of France: to convince his younger brother, Charles, to marry Francis’ current wife, Queen Mary, after Francis’ impending death. Yeah. And of course, what adds even more to the weirdness of the moment is that Charles is barely twelve at the time this request is made. We’re dangling dangerously close to Game of Thrones territory here.
CUTEST MOMENT: REIGN
Leith offers to sit with Claude until she falls asleep
I promise I didn’t intend to fill this list with Reign scenes, this episode was just too full of memorable moments to not have it on here this many times. Among Reign’s many romance subplots is its new evolving relationship between Princess Claude and Leith. The two have been sharing scenes since last season when Queen Mother Catherine placed Leith among Claude’s guards and asked him to keep a close eye on her. But it wasn’t till recently that the relationship seemed to be evolving after Greer firmly denied Leith’s request to marry him. Leith’s adorable bickering and great chemistry has been setting up a nice premise for an eventual romance. After Claude loses her beloved blanket that helps her sleep, Leith comes to Claude’s room and offers to stay with her until she falls asleep. Claude walks over to Leith and sits down, wanting to talk with him instead. This scene was easily the cutest scene standing out intensely against the otherwise heartbreaking week of television.
Funniest Scene: iZombie
Ravi waking up with makeup and FART written across his forehead
Among CW’s newer and branched out programming is its sophomore drama iZombie. With a storyline involving a zombie coroner’s assistant who eats brains of murder victims, there’s bound to be some humor around. This week’s hilarious scene comes from when Liv returns from a frat party to find Ravi sleeping on the sofa in his office at the morgue, and decides to leave him a nice surprise. Her Bro Brains made it just too enticing to leave Ravi alone, and he is NOT happy when he wakes up a blushing beauty with ‘FART’ written across his forehead.
Best Buddy Moment: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Daisy and Jemma’s long overdue conversation
Daisy (Skye) and Jemma of S.H.I.E.L.D. have always enjoyed a nice camaraderie, but their friendship was put to the test last season when Daisy developed powers and Jemma became wary of the alien DNA. However, the two have since patched up their friendship. This week’s episode dealt a lot with Jemma’s return and subsequent PTSD from her time at the alien planet, and it was very exciting to see Jemma and Daisy’s relationship be awarded the focus it has been lacking. Daisy brings Jemma a pot of daisies to check on her and they proceed to have a little heart-to-heart that Jemma has desperately needed.
Best Action Scene: Arrow
Opening sequence (or really any of the fight scenes from the episode)
CW’s Arrow has always been lauded for its incredible fight sequences, and it has not shied away from them this season. As the superhero roster grows with the addition of Speedy and Black Canary, Arrow continues to deliver enthralling fight scenes. This week’s episode was no less with its beautiful opening sequence that showed all four street-members of Team Arrow fighting against the “ghosts” while trying to locate a bomb. The coordinated team effort was well choreographed and wonderfully shot. And honestly, that wasn’t the only fight scene worthy of this title. The subsequent fight scenes of Oliver vs. Thea and then Oliver and Thea vs. Lonnie Mackin were just as incredible.
Best Plot-twist: Reign
Lord Narcisse planted the rat in Lola’s bath to get her to marry him
As discussed earlier, Reign is no stranger to intricate plots and ever-evolving romances. So, while Lola and Narcisse’s kiss in the woods was an exciting scene to watch, the jaw-dropping revelation that it is Narcisse who has been placing rats in Lola’s bath to scare her into agreeing to a marriage with him made the romance plot even more interesting. Retrospectively, it is not uncharacteristic of Narcisse to make a ploy like this. After all, he is known for his brilliant strategies.
Don’t forget to leave your thoughts in the comments and let us know if we missed anything or if there are any categories you would like us to add! Remember to check back next sunday for the upcoming week’s Talk Nerdy With Us Weekly TV Superlative Awards!