The X Factor Top 12 Review- Desperate For Desperado

Well, the heck if that wasn't a dramatic improvement over last week's live show. I guess all it took was getting rid of some early jitters to allow more than one of these finalists to shine vocally.

Other than the continuing annoyance of L.A. Reid desperately shoving his faux rivalry with Simon in our faces, The X Factor Top 12 was very enjoyable. Now let's get to the performances...

The Stereo Hogzz "Rhythm Nation" - Unfortunately, my positive comments don't start with this group. In fact the groups were pretty poor once again in general, but the Hogzz might have been the least successful of the three. There was just way too much focus on the choreography, and very little on the actual singing. And were those storm troopers on the stage with them?
My Score: 3/10

Chris Rene "Superstar" - Here is where the improvements began, because Chris Rene had them in spades. The artist I fell in love with during auditions was back as he combined smooth singing vocals with an original rap verse that was absolutely fantastic. When he came back with the chorus to end the thing, I thought the audience was going to fall out of their seats.
My Score: 8/10

To read the rest of my review of last night's The X Factor Top 12 live show, head over to TV Fanatic.

Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- Top Ten

It's that time again. The Quiet Pool Perspective's Bi-Monthly Power Rankings are back, and a lot has happened since early September here at the Pool. The Weekly Comedy Rankings have been working so well at helping gauge what shows are doing well on a week by week basis, that I might try to start doing the same thing with the other categories. For now, here are the November Power Rankings. Remember these take into account past and present performances, and the Honorable Mentions are not necessarily numbers 21 through 30 on my list. Enjoy.

Rank. Show (Last) red=moving down, green=moving up

10. Chuck (10) Fridays on NBC
Chuck premiered its final season last Friday, and it was pretty good. If you like Chuck, which obviously I do, then this last season is going to be fun. It's fun, it's funny, and it's easy to watch. If you've never gotten Chuck, then I just feel bad for you. That just means there's plenty more Morgan Grimes to go around for the rest of us.

9. Dexter (9) Sundays on Showtime
Some people are hating on this season of Dexter, but to me it's about the same as every other season thus far. It's just a solid show. No longer revolutionary...if I was doing power rankings immediately following its first season, Dexter would probably a Top Three show, but it still bring the thrills on a weekly basis. The religious theme of the season hasn't been a selling point for me, but hasn't really detracted from the series either.

8. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (13) Thursdays on FX
Compared to the other comedies that are airing this fall, It's Always Sunny is having a fantastic season. Is it as great as some of the early Sunny seasons? Maybe not, but I think it's a big improvement over last year. With gems like "The Gang Goes to Jersey Shore" and "Frank Reynolds' Little Beauties" this has turned out to be a great season of laughs so far.

7. Mad Men (8) Sundays on AMC
It's been a while since we left Don Draper and company, and we still have a while to go before we drop in on the crew from the 1960s. The ad men better watch their back because some of these other series are creeping up behind them.

6. Community (5) Thursdays on NBC
Community got out to a lackluster start to begin the third season this fall, but back to back classics in the alternate timeline episode and last week's Halloween episode have brought it back in the game. As long as they continue to put out hilarious eps like those every couple of weeks, Community's place in the Top Ten should be set in stone.

5. Sons of Anarchy (7) Tuesdays on FX
What a great bounce back season for the Sons. They stalled a bit in stretching out the John Teller story line over the first few weeks on the season, but the action and importance of every scene has stepped up dramatically over the past few episodes. Clay is on a rampage and I am loving every minute of it. I wouldn't be surprised if he started calling himself Hollywood Morrow and starting a new gang of bikers called the New World Order.

4. Breaking Bad (6) Sundays on AMC
For as slow and boring as the first half of the fourth season of Breaking Bad was, the second half was just as thrilling and exciting. It was basically showstopper after showstopper to end the season, finishing with a pair of absolutely fantastic episodes. As a whole it wasn't at the level of seasons two or three, but that back half of the order was as good as anything Breaking Bad has done.

3. Game of Thrones (3) Sundays on HBO
We're still waiting for the return of the Starks, Lannisters and company. I honestly don't think I can't wait that much longer.

2. Curb Your Enthusiasm (2) Sundays on HBO
Curb's most recent season wasn't its best, but it sure was good enough to keep it as the top comedy currently on television.

1. Justified (1) Wednesdays on FX
Justified is going to have a tough time competing with itself after putting forth one of the best seasons in television history last year, but I sure can't wait to see them give it their all.

Covert Affairs 211 Review- The Champagne Boom

Annie- "How do you always know it's me?"

Auggie- "Some people call it a sixth sense. I like to call it a fifth, but that's just me."

Covert Affairs returned tonight after a long hiatus, and while "The Wake-Up Bomb" introduced some new concepts for the series, it didn't disappoint those of us that were eager to welcome Annie, Auggie and the rest of the DPD back into our lives.

The first difference was that Annie no longer lives with her sister. Viewers might have as much trouble adjusting to Annie on her own as this gorgeous spy had. It was easy to tell that she enjoyed coming home to a warm reception from Danielle and her family, and it was great to watch our heroine receive that love on a semi-nightly basis.

Those days are gone. Not only has Danielle kicked Annie out, but she spent the majority of this episode acting like a complete jerk to her sister. Thankfully, by the end of the hour, Danielle caved, and actually allowed Annie to take her time removing her stuff from the guest house.

As Jane noticed, this situation took its toll on Annie. She wasn't being herself, which is understandable considering the sibling feud and mission failure.

To read the rest of my review of last night's return of Covert Affairs, head over to TV Fanatic.

Covert Affairs 211 - "The Wake-Up Bomb"
Review
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Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- 20 Through 11

It's that time again. The Quiet Pool Perspective's Bi-Monthly Power Rankings are back, and a lot has happened since early September here at the Pool. The Weekly Comedy Rankings have been working so well at helping gauge what shows are doing well on a week by week basis, that I might try to start doing the same thing with the other categories. For now, here are the November Power Rankings. Remember these take into account past and present performances, and the Honorable Mentions are not necessarily numbers 21 through 30 on my list. Enjoy.

Rank. Show (Last) red=moving down, green=moving up

20. Survivor (17) Wednesdays on CBS
The quality of scripted television severely outweighs that of reality competitions that Survivor is the only one holding it down for the latter, hanging on to the number 20 spot this time around. This season has been interesting so far. It's nice to see Coach back in the mix, I've really enjoyed the introduction of Cochran, and there a few contestants I love to hate already. All in all, it's a good mix.

19. Modern Family (15) Wednesdays on ABC
Things started out well in this third season, making me think that the second season slump was just that, a slump. Recently, though, Modern Family has reverted back to some of its season two habits that had me wondering where the first year magic had gone. Luke and Phil Dunphy are the only ones holding it down these days. They are both hilarious, but no one else really is all that great anymore.

18. Wilfred (HM) Thursdays on FX
It took the descent of a number of other comedies to move Wilfred up the rankings. Jason Gann's title character has been the funniest thing on television this season. The rest of the show had its ups and downs, but they were mostly up, which is why Wilfred makes it way into the Top 20. Not many comedies can make you laugh out loud consistently while also making you question what in the world you're doing with you life. Wilfred does.

17. Boardwalk Empire (14) Sundays on HBO
The HBO drama has been moving slowly in its second season, but it's still very interesting. Jaydon told me earlier this year that I need shows to be entertaining more than interesting. I think the combination of both makes a show fantastic. It's what Lost was best at. It's what the second half of this most recent season of Breaking Bad was great at. Boardwalk has yet to find the right balance.

16. Homeland (-) Sundays on Showtime
Talk about a great start to a series! Only five episodes have aired thus far and it is already at number 16 in the rankings! I question how well they will be able to succeed in a second season, but the ride in the early going has been one of the best I've seen in a while. Homeland is basically a trillionaire's Rubicon. Rubicon wishes that on its best day it could have been a dead homeless man's worst episode of Homeland.

15. Parenthood (19) Tuesdays on NBC
Parenthood has been on a good run as of late (yet to watch this week's episode) mostly because Haddie and Amber have had much less screen time than a year ago. When they continue to highlight Adam, Zeek, Max, and Joel, Parenthood is doing its best work.

14. Happy Endings (HM) Wednesdays on ABC
At this very moment...11:24 p.m. Tuesday, November 1, 2011...Happy Endings may be the show I most look forward to watching every week. I enjoyed it when it first aired last season to an extent, it continued to grow on me as the season went on, and by the time the second season came around I was sold. It has been between Always Sunny and Happy Endings for the best comedy of the fall thus far, and I might go with the latter by a slight margin.

13. The Vampire Diaries (18) Thursdays on The CW
Before the last episode with all the ghosts I would have been shouting from a rooftop for you to watch Vampire Diaries. Even with that most recent dud, this show is still fantastic. It's non-stop excitement, as they are never afraid to change the game or throw eight cliff hangers into one hour long episode. The addition of Joseph Morgan's Klaus has only added to the stellar cast of characters on this show.

12. The Office (4) Thursdays on NBC
When you lose the funniest character on television from last year (proven by Michael Scott's Poolie in June), you are sure to take a hit. If this was solely on current performance, The Office wouldn't make the Top 20, but being in the Top 10 for so long, and rising as high as fourth at the end of last year, will make it difficult to knock this long time favorite from its perch. Ed Helms is failing miserably in the lead role, and James Spader has brought almost nothing to the cast. Thankfully, Dwight, Jim and a number of the supporting players have kept their performances high.

11. The Walking Dead (11) Sundays on AMC
Those who complained about The Walking Dead's first season being too quick and action packed (notable critics) are probably loving this season of Walking Dead. I, on the other hand, loved the first season, and am therefore having issues with season two. It's just going at a much slower pace, with a whole lot less happening in each episode. It also doesn't help that I don't enjoy any of the characters. Give me someone to root for. Even Rick, who I want to like, does absolutely nothing for me.

Terra Nova 105- A Problem With Procedure

Taylor- "How do you kill a man with a dinosaur?"

I'm having a tough time reviewing Terra Nova because it's not the show I thought it was meant to be. I'm not even sure it knows what it is, or wants to be.

The series seemed to start out as some version of a serialized science fiction drama. Then, for a couple episodes it tried to be a family drama wrapped in a dinosaur-filled world. Then there was "The Runaway," which seemed to be some sort of spy thriller, and this week's "Bylaw" felt very much like a police procedural.

I don't watch a lot of cop shows (The Mentalist and Hawaii Five-0 are the exceptions), but it didn't seem like this was a terribly bad episode of this genre. They did a decent job at keeping the identity of the killer under wraps until the end, and the setup by Jim and Taylor was nice, but early on it was blatantly obvious that it wasn't going to be the dude who confessed.

I'm not a procedurals guy due to their structure alone. I watch the the programs above for Simon Baker and the Alex O'Laughlin/Scott Caan duo, respectively. If the overarching story isn't going to be all that compelling, I need the characters I'm watching to keep me interested. But Terra Nova is yet to exude those type of compelling, or even just humorous, individuals.

To read the rest of my review of last night's Terra Nova, head over to TV Fanatic.

Terra Nova 105 - "Bylaw"
Review
Recap
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Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- Honorable Mentions

It's that time again. The Quiet Pool Perspective's Bi-Monthly Power Rankings are back, and a lot has happened since early September here at the Pool. The Weekly Comedy Rankings have been working so well at helping gauge what shows are doing well on a week by week basis, that I might try to start doing the same thing with the other categories. For now, here are the November Power Rankings. Remember these take into account past and present performances, and the Honorable Mentions are not necessarily numbers 21 through 30 on my list. Enjoy.

Show (Last) red=moving down, green=moving up

American Horror Story (-) Wednesdays on FX
This is easily the strangest show on television, which is why I keep coming back for more. In no way is there anything redeeming from American Horror Story, but the shear disgusting, ridiculous, and weird events have me intrigued week after week. I honestly want to find out more about this haunted house.

Big Brother (16) Summers on CBS
This summer series falls out of the Top 20 and loses the top spot among reality shows for the first time in a long time. This season's cast was terrible, which didn't help, but after starting this season's Survivor immediately after Big Brother ended, it was clear which one is currently more entertaining to watch.

Bored to Death (-) Mondays on HBO
It's still nothing to go crazy over, but the third season of Bored to Death has been off to a good start. Jason Schwartzman is great if you can take his, and creator Jonathan Ames', style of humor. The other two leads are what make this show worth coming back to week in and week out. Ted Danson is fantastic, and Zach Galifianakis has done his best work outside of that Jimmy Fallon interview on this show.

Hart of Dixie (-) Mondays on The CW
From the creator of The O.C., Chuck, and Gossip Girl, Hart of Dixie is once again killing it for Josh Schwartz. It is just so easy and enjoyable to watch. Add to that, the fact that it has one of best casts on television, and you have a winner. Summer Roberts, DeShawn Hardell, a new and improved Jason Street, and Roy Martin combine for some very fun tv.

The League (12) Thursdays on FX
T-time has some very interesting ideas as why The League hasn't gotten off to a good start this third season, the one I like best being that they just hit a groove in season two. Aside from the third episode of the fall, which was good by all standards, they seem to have fallen into a habit of being lazy and relying on being dirty just for the sake of being dirty. Don't get me wrong, being dirty can work great, as The League proved last year, and Always Sunny proves time and time again, but you can't just be dirty and think it's automatically going to be funny.

New Girl (-) Tuesdays on FOX
It was a short sample there in the early going, but I loved what I saw out of Zooey Deschanel on the New Girl. Maybe my opinion will be different after the long hiatus due to baseball playoffs, but her Jess is one of the funniest females on television, and I don't see that changing any time soon. The jury is still out on some of the dudes on this show. I enjoy Schmidt so far, but Nick is heading down the wrong path as a character, and the new guy has yet to show anything.

Once Upon a Time (-) Sundays on ABC
Only two episodes in, but it is definitely the better of the two fairy tale shows this fall (Grimm was pretty, pretty boring on Friday). Sure, the acting doesn't seem all that great, and I'm not sure how the flashbacks are going to continue to be interesting as the series moves forward, but I am a sucker for anything dealing with Snow White, Jiminy Crickett, and Malificent (even if they so overtly made us know who that character was by saying her name in dialogue).

Parks and Recreation (20) Thursdays on NBC
I was early on the Parks bandwagon of being a much improved show at the beginning of season two, but I was ready to jump off as soon as Alan Sepinwall and every critic known to man started calling it the best comedy on television. For a while there it was definitely the most overrated comedy on tv, but it was still in my top 20 overall. To start this season, it just hasn't been good at all, and it falls out of the rankings. Rob Lowe saved that show at the end of season two, and most of season three, but his character has dropped off a cliff this season.

Revenge (-) Wednesdays on ABC
Like Hart of Dixie, Revenge is just so fun. I've always been a huge Emily VanCamp fan, but this character of hers takes the cake. It has been fantastic to watch the first half of this season, and I only see it getting better as the second half of this first order continues. The show seems to be becoming more serial as we move forward, which is what did wonders for Justified during its run.

Suburgatory (-) Wednesdays on ABC
Hard to tell what this show is trying to be, but it's enjoyable. Even when it's not funny, it's still a good watch. You can't say that about a lot of comedies, but Tessa and especially George are so easy to like, which is a good sign for the future. Once they get their footing on what they want to do comically, Suburgatory could go places.

Homeland 105 Review- The Razor's Edge

Estes- "Let's go close that door, Sergeant."

"Blind Spot" proved to be a wonderful piece of Homeland's first season, importantly moving around a few of pieces of the story while delving deeper into the character of someone we knew so well already - Carrie - and one we didn't, Saul.

Because it spent so much time performing the aforementioned tasks, it lost the smallest bit of the giant ball of steam it had going from its first four episodes. But were there still a couple of fantastic scenes that had me itching for more? Absolutely.

As soon as Carrie asked Brody to come into the interrogation of the terrorist, I knew we were in for something good. The way they set up the question was just so interesting to watch. Couple that with the intermittent flashbacks to what actually happened between Brody and the terrorist, and we had one awesome scene on our hands.

Do you know this man? Brody was asked. After witnessing his memory of one of the days he was tortured, I'm surprised he didn't respond with Yeah, he pissed in my face.

To read the rest of my review of last night's Homeland, head over to TV Fanatic.

Homeland 105 - "Blind Spot"
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Chuck 501 Review- Zoom Goes The Dynamite

Morgan (to Chuck): You're great even without the intersect.

There were many questions regarding the intersect heading into this final season of Chuck. How would Morgan fare as the new vessel? Would Chuck be okay without the intersect helping his spy game? Would any new intersects arise in the near future?

While "Chuck vs. The Zoom" began to answer at least a couple of those, who knew the most important question we should have been asking - well, the funniest anyway - was this: what will Morgan call it when he uses the intersect? That's right, in a very Morgan Grimes fashion, the bearded wonder has renamed Chuck's intersect flash to the Zoom!

The only thing that made Morgan's new ridiculous name for flashing funnier was the fact that Casey seemed to roll with it in stride. He uttered Morgan will zoom on squash with such calm and ease that it was almost as if he was doing it to purposefully bug Chuck.

That is what is so great about this action comedy. Chuck never takes itself seriously, which is why we will begin the fifth and final season premiere Chuck Triple Threat rundown with what else made us laugh during the hour:

To read the rest of my review of last night's Chuck season premiere, head over to TV Fanatic.

Chuck 501 - "Chuck vs. the Zoom"
Review
Recap
Quotes