'The Vampire Diaries' Plays Dead (Or Alive?) - Plus, More

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The deadly twist sent social media and “The Vampire Diaries” fans into a flurry. Will it actually stick? Given the series’ history, instinct says “no.” Though if it does last, it would be the boldest game-changing move in “The Vampire Diaries” history. 
 

“Fargo” Makes a Great Escape 

Lorne Malvo managed to escape police custody without even breaking a sweat. He simply employed the tactic of assuming another person’s identity, and it worked. In a glorious scene of cat-and-mouse psychology, Billy Bob Thornton reminded viewers of his gift for the transformative and wowed in the process.

“The Blacklist” has the BEST Guest Star

Anytime the phenomenal John Glover (TV’s Greatest Villain from “Smallville”) makes a television appearance, it is a show stopper, and his turn in “Berlin” was no exception. Now a network needs to wise up and offer him the leading role he deserves.

Best Season Finale Goes to “Bates Motel” 

Bringing a sensational season to a close in a slow boil, “Bates Motel” bid farewell to viewers with an emotionally gratifying and climactic finale. After the previous episode’s surprising twist, there was skepticism about how it could play out. The series didn’t waste time settling the matter, brilliantly resolving it in a way that cements it into the fabric of Norman’s psychosis and exonerated other characters from being guilty of abetting him.

As he decided to take drastic action to prevent further heartache, Norman’s true colors took center stage and proved why he would always be impossible to completely write off. While the ensnarement of his soul in darkness is a painful inevitability, it is also the series’ underlying tragedy. 

One of the best moments of “The Immutable Truth” came in Norma’s reconciliation with Dylan, one of the series’ rare moments of radiant happiness. Not surprisingly, the cast rose to the occasion for a stellar final bow. The downside to a show being this outstanding is enduring the year-long wait for the next installment.

The Penultimate “Arrow”

Setting the stage for an epic battle was all the rage on this week’s “Arrow.” Fortunately,y amidst the chaos, there was time for a father/daughter reunion and sister/sister pep-talk. The episode’s highlight came with Felicity’s rousing speech of encouragement to Oliver. Only to have him…look over her shoulder, breaking eye contact and ruining the moment. 

“The Tomorrow People,” Says Bittersweet Goodbye

The season/series finale of the CW’s spectacular sci-fi series closed with a magnificent finale that tied up many loose ends and opened a Pandora’s box of possibilities. Unfortunately, they will never get a chance to be explored because the ax was lowered on the freshman drama following its finale. Creatively superb, the series signed off with a gripping farewell that established the characters on a different course than when they began their journey.

The final shot of a re-powered John working side-by-side with Jedekiah was an exciting way to end things. Wondering what would have happened if things had continued was even more exciting. Showrunner Phil Klemmer gave The CW one of the best new series they have had in years, and I am grateful for the ride.

“Bold and the Beautiful” has Daytime Performance of the Week

Ashlyn Pearce rocked “The Bold and the Beautiful” to its core with her performance as Aly Forrester during last week’s Cliffhanger Friday. During Aly’s electrifying verbal smackdown of Taylor, Pearce transmitted Aly’s years of equally pent-up rage and sadness with a powerful zeal that walked a knife’s edge between lucidity and the harrowing madness from unburdening major truths. 

Tyrion Withdrawals Hit “Game of Thrones” 

Where was Tyrion? “First of His Name” consisted of a lot of walking and talking without the best chatterer on the show.

“Revenge” has Villainous Undoing 

After three seasons, Emily Thorne finally succeeded in nailing one-half of her “revengda”, so why did it ring so hollow? Mostly because the ruination of the sinisterly charming duo that is Victoria and Conrad fails to be all that gratifying. In Emily’s latest scheme, she could not even go toe-to-toe with them. Emily relied on her sister as the Trojan horse for her psychopathic “justice” confection. 

As bizarre as it may seem, she comes across far more crazed than the Graysons could ever hope to be. Rooting for a character that can’t accept her father’s total responsibility for his own fate and using innocent people to carry out her revenge is simply not appealing. The main thing that keeps “Revenge” interesting is wondering how Victoria and Conrad will get out of their latest predicament so they can reign again.

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