Category: The Mick

Ranking the top 5 moments from “The Mick” season 2 episode 11: “The Trip.”

Happy Wednesday!  After watching Fox’s The Mick season 2 episode 11 last night, I am a little hesitant to ever borrow someone’s denim jacket again without truly understanding the consequences behind what lies in the pockets.  Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch yet.  In last night’s episode, “The Trip,” Sabrina is feeling anxious and unsure about going to her Yale college interview and decides to take a “trip” to get there.  This plan backfires, however; when she finds herself trapped in a closet and calls Mickey to help get her out of there.  Meanwhile, Alba’s cousin visits her and she attempts to prove that she is still a maid living the American Dream and working hard in a “beautiful prison,” which causes her to enlist the unlikely help of Chip in the process.  My top 5 moments from The Mick season 2 episode 11 are:

5

Mickey explains the importance of going to college.

In the beginning of the episode, Sabrina explains that she is thinking about ditching her Yale interview, claiming that she is a legacy and the interview is really just a formality.  Mickey stresses the importance of going to the interview, as if she is invested in Sabrina’s future.  She then reveals her true agenda, however; admitting that shipping Sabrina off to college is the first step in her elaborate plan to get the house all to herself.  She allows Sabrina to borrow her denim jacket, hoping she will make the right decision, not realizing the consequences of this seemingly harmless gesture.

4

Alba pretends to be a maid again.

Ever since Mickey has moved in, Alba has pushed her duties as a maid aside, enjoying a life of leisure and relaxation.  This is all about to change, however; when she gets a call that her cousin from Guatemala is planning on visiting her.  Alba dusts off her maid’s uniform and attempts to prove to her cousin that she works very hard and that the American dream is not all it seems to be, desperately hoping that he won’t stay long enough to realize that this is all a lie.  Alba explains that coming to America and not working is shameful and she doesn’t want her family to disown her as a result of her new lifestyle.

3

Sabrina takes the acid she finds in Mickey’s denim jacket.

Sabrina goes on an unexpected “trip” after she takes the acid she finds in Mickey’s old denim jacket.  As a first-time user, she is having a hard time deciphering reality and locks herself in a closet in fear.  She calls Mickey in a panic, as her anxiety and self-doubt have now come screaming to the surface.  When Mickey tries to convince her to leave the closet and go out the door, Sabrina is horrified by this and says she would be going “through another door and another door without purpose,” unable to snap back into reality.  Luckily for Sabrina, Mickey is not about to abandon her in this state.

2

Alba enlists the help of Chip…and then turns the tables on him.

After Alba realizes that her cousin may see through the lie and learn that she is not a maid anymore, she comes up with a plan to have Chip give him a temporary job there and treat him poorly so he will not want to stay.  Alba forgets that her cousin’s work ethic is tremendous, however; accepting each new chore with eagerness.  Chip even begins pouring his cereal and milk all over the counter, counting down until Alba can find a bowl in time and her cousin jumps in to make the best of the situation to the surprise of Chip.  After Chip continues to go on and on about his gym story where he had to sit out because he bullied other kids, Alba sees the flaw in his story and turns the tables on him.  She calls the school, goes through his room, and finds out about the “incident in the boy’s locker room,” threatening to expose Chip’s secret that he puts a “wig on his penis.”  Chip backs down and fires Alba’s cousin in defeat, realizing that Alba is the one with all of the power after all.

1

Mickey takes acid with Sabrina to help break her out of the closet.

Once Mickey realizes that getting Sabrina out of the closet is harder than she initially anticipated, she decides that the best solution is to take acid with her so that they are both in the same state of mind.  They share an interesting escape through the empty school hallway, which erupts into chaos and confusion when the bell rings for next period, separating Mickey and Sabrina.  Mickey begins hearing voices and learns about the power of the school’s announcement system, coming up with a plan to leave a message for Sabrina so that they can meet up and find each other once again.  Just when they are about to escape, Sabrina decides to go to her Yale interview after all.  She finally comes to terms with the scary realization that she doesn’t know who she is yet but it’s the journey that is most important, now eager to take on her next adventure.  While she seems to impress the admissions representative from Yale, she does confuse him with her constant need to touch his sweater after each response.  Either way, Mickey has done her job as the “shepherd of self-revelation” and supports Sabrina through her uncertainty about the next chapter of her life.  While Mickey’s methods are unconventional, her heart is in the right place and she ultimately helps Sabrina.

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own thoughts and comments on The Mick below. Happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

Ranking the top 5 moments from “The Mick” season 2 episode 10: “The Climb.”

Happy Wednesday!  After watching Fox’s The Mick season 2 episode 10 last night, I am left with the urge to start Beverly Hills, 90210 over again…even though I literally just re-watched the entire series a few months ago.  Why, you might ask?  Keep reading to find out!  Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch yet.  In last night’s episode, “The Climb,” Sabrina is hosting a party for her socialite art-friends.  Mickey seems uninterested in “social climbing” until she bumps into a fabulous celebrity mother from our favorite zip code.  Meanwhile, Chip goes camping with Mr. Buckley to share some father and son precious moments and Ben takes matters into his own hands when he realizes that being cool isn’t everything.   My top 5 moments from The Mick season 2 episode 10 are:

5

“Being cool is very important.”

Ben has a new friend named Totsi who is very interested in new-age meditation and abhors instant coffee.  Mickey is ready to tell Ben’s new friend to take a hike, but Ben pleads with her to be nice and to do what he asks because he thinks he is cool.  Mickey tries to explain that being cool isn’t everything, but can’t come up with a compelling argument to support this and agrees that “being cool is VERY important.” 

4

“Social Climbing” via the salon.

In the beginning of the episode, Sabrina explains that she is throwing a “salon” for her art-friends and that it will be very classy and exclusive.  Mickey initially wants nothing to do with this and mistakes a salon for a hair-salon.  She quickly recovers from this naïve error, ripping on Sabrina for “social climbing.”  Mickey claims that she is above this and is content with who she is, but an unexpected new friend will quickly change her tune.

3

Chip bonds with his father.

After it is revealed that Chip has a different father from his siblings, he tracks down his biological father, Mr. Buckley, desperately looking for a sense of belonging.  In a previous episode, this goes horribly wrong when Chip takes out his sister on a date trying to keep up his cover story as an intern at Mr. Buckley’s job.  Mr. Buckley is willing to give him a second chance; however, as he takes Chip camping.  Chip tries to convince his dad that he is up to the challenge, but it is clear that Chip has never had to do anything on his own, let alone camping in the wilderness.  Just as they begin to set up the camp, Chip knocks over a stack of boats and Mr. Buckley’s leg is severely injured as a result.  Chip panics when he realizes that he has no cell-phone reception, shrieking in defeat.  Mr. Buckley attempts to talk him through sterilizing the wound, when Chip vomits all over it in response.  Just when things can’t get any worse, Mr. Buckley instructs him to pull his leg so he can snap it back into place and Chip pushes instead, making the injury even worse.  At the end of the episode, Chip is in the hospital with Mr. Buckley and his “dad” reveals that he had a DNA test completed and that he is not Chip’s real father.  Chip is disappointed to discover this and opens up a criminal file to reveal his real dad.  If he does track down his real dad, perhaps camping should be off the table as a form of bonding.

2

Ben plays “Cowboys and Indians” with Totsi.

After Ben comes to the realization that he no longer wants to play with Totsi or listen to his new-age babble, he slaps him across the face, hoping to get the message across.  Mickey scolds him and explains that there is no hitting in their house…opting to then tie him up as an alternative.  Ben takes this to an extreme, however; when he begins to shave off Totsi’s dreads, leaving even Mickey speechless about how to explain this to his celebrity mom.  While it’s important that Ben embraces who he is and learns that he doesn’t need to compromise to be cool, perhaps some ground rules need to be set.

1

Jennie Garth!

When Mickey has had enough of Totsi’s nonsense, she brings him home and the door opens to reveal his celebrity mom…Jennie freakin Garth!  My reaction mirrored that of Mickey’s and Alba’s who were thrilled to meet Jennie Garth, aka Kelly Taylor.  Sabrina, however; reveals the generation gap, claiming to not know who she is.  Alba is horrified by this and chimes in with “what a Brenda!”  Mickey and Alba begin social climbing as well, but it doesn’t really turn out the way they hope.  Alba’s goal is to get Jennie to sign her 90210 lunch box and thermos, while Mickey is looking to get the ultimate invitation to Mario Lopez’s birthday party.  After all, “he has access to all of Hollywood.”  Things don’t go as planned, however; when Jennie reveals to have the same new-age philosophy as her son, Totsi, boring Mickey.  Jennie also has trouble remembering who Mickey is, explaining that she meets so many people.  She comes up with interesting ways to remember everyone’s name.  Mickey is not so thrilled with hers:  rhyming Mick with Sick and then yelling cancer to recall her new friend.  Mickey is still focused on the goal of getting the invitation to Mario Lopez’s party so she puts her feelings aside, however; there is no coming back from Jennie walking in on Totsi being tied to a chair, missing most of his hair.  It’s safe to say that Mickey will not be joining Mario Lopez for his birthday.

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own thoughts and comments on The Mick below. Happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

My top television shows of 2017 on Local Networks: Cheers to the CW!

Greetings TV Fans!  For today, I am going to be listing my top favorite television shows that aired in 2017 on local networks.  While some shows near the top of my list were no surprise for me, there were others that were a pleasant revelation, providing just the right amount of entertainment.  There were also some shows that I used to enjoy a lot which fell short this past year and are in need of something earth-shattering to happen in 2018 to get them back to the top of the pack.  While I haven’t gotten a chance to view all shows that aired new episodes in 2017, I did get to more than I initially anticipated.  Please feel free to include some of your favorites below as well.  Once again, I will be breaking the shows into 3 categories:  the best of the best, honorable mentions, and shows that have lost some steam.  Please note some spoilers are ahead.

The Best of the Best of television shows airing on local networks for 2017 in no particular order are:

Riverdale

Supernatural

The 100

The Mick

Prison Break Revival

The CW network had some real contenders for 2017 and proved that they are not just a network holding on to a few fan favorites to survive.  It is no secret that Supernatural has been the longest running show on their network, but I was pleased to see so much content in the episodes airing in 2017.  Sam and Dean continued to keep fans hooked with their charm and humor while dealing with the British Men of Letters and understanding why their mother is back from the dead.  The boys encountered new enemies and dealt with their own inner demons along the way, reminding us that they can be just as vulnerable as we are deep down.  The 100 proved to have another addicting season, which has been the perfect mid-season show in my opinion.  Clark and the others left us with a cliff-hanger, where they end up going back into space because the world is no longer habitable.  Will they survive?  Seems likely since we should have another season premiering soon, but all bets are off.  The most pleasant introduction for me on the CW was Riverdale, based on the Archie comic series.  While the series has just the right amount of bubble gum pop providing fans with a nostalgic feel from the comic series, it takes on a life of its own.  Riverdale gives fans the perfect blend of romance and mystery, providing more depth for some of our beloved characters.  Fox also had some great shows airing in 2017, including The Mick and Prison Break Revival.  Kaitlin Olson proved that she can be a starring lady for sure, stepping out from the shadow of her stars on It’s Always Sunny to provide fans with a raw and edgy new comedy balanced with some family values in-between.  Since I am a big fan of Prison Break, I was excited to see the revival air this year, providing fans with a solution to the ending that left so many of us wondering what went wrong.  Michael and Lincoln were back with a new prison to escape from, bringing some new and old friends along for the ride.  The series still had that same amount of edge-of-your-seat action that hooked us initially, allowing us to root for the brothers once again.

Honorable mentions for television shows airing on local networks for 2017 in no particular order:

Grimm

Hawaii Five-0

Once Upon a Time

Modern Family

Grimm aired its last season in 2017 which was actually entertaining and brought everything full circle for fans.  While the series had lost some of its edge from earlier seasons, this last one proved that it would not go out without a fight.  While one fairy-tale show came to an end, Once Upon a Time started fresh introducing some new characters and story-lines along the way.  While some of our favorite characters are no longer around, it made sense to give the show a fresh chance.  Some of the newcomers have actually been quite entertaining, working nicely with fan-favorites, Regina and Hook.  Will they be able to keep the momentum going?  Time will tell.  Hawaii Five-0 and Modern Family are shows that I consistently watch that gave us just the right amount of consistent entertainment to satisfy fans.  While both shows have been on the air for a while now, they are still giving viewers what they are looking for, but may need to refresh every once in a while.

Television shows airing on local networks for 2017 that are running out of steam in no particular order are:

Arrow

Elementary

Lethal Weapon

I have watched all of the episodes from the three shows above and was somewhat disappointed overall in the seasons from 2017.  While Lethal Weapon started out promising, it has not had the same punch it initially gave us when it premiered.  Perhaps the show has run its course, but I am confident it still has a spark left to give us the action and laughs we enjoyed originally.  Elementary had very low ratings in 2017 and fans are still waiting for a new season.  While it looks like this may happen, it will have to be something so over-the-top and different to bring fans back.  Arrow has been slipping with each new year which is very disappointing for me.  While the CW has had some great success with its super-hero shows, Arrow keeps slipping and forcing story-lines.  I am still rooting for Oliver Queen, but perhaps we need to shake things up and keep a character that has been killed off actually dead.   I will keep watching, but Arrow is losing steam for sure.  Let’s make it a great 2018 for shows everywhere and hope these shows ignite a spark that will keep viewers coming back for more and more.

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post some of your favorite television shows from 2017 that aired on local networks below.  Happy viewing and the countdown to 2018 is here!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

Ranking the top 5 Binge-Watching worthy shows for the end of 2017: Filling the void of holiday reruns and specials

Happy Tuesday TV Fans!  As we approach the holidays, you may be preoccupied with your never-ending to do list, shopping, cooking, and spending some quality time at home with your family.  There is also that troublesome fear setting in that your favorite shows will be taking a break from new episodes and you will be left with a void of reruns and holiday specials.  So what’s a TV viewer to do?  Fear not, for there are plenty of binge-watching worthy shows to choose from when you may need a break from all of the holiday chaos surrounding you.  My top 5 binge-watching worthy shows to choose from for the end of 2017 are:

5) Fox’s The Mick.  I have been watching The Mick for two seasons now mostly because it stars the wonderfully funny Kaitlin Olson from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.  Since the show is on Fox, the humor is not as crude and extreme, but it is just as funny.  Olson pretty much plays a similar version of Dee from It’s Always Sunny, which is hilarious enough, but supporting characters like Alba and Jimmy steal the show.  They are laugh out loud funny.  There are a lot of sitcom-like shows that don’t make me laugh out loud and I find this is hard to come by now.  Here and there I’ll chuckle, but it’s not the same as with Friends and Seinfeld from years ago.  The Mick has the perfect balance of value, or maybe lack of family values is more accurate similar to Shameless, with over-the-top hilarious moments.  I absolutely recommend that you binge-watch this show and check out the Halloween episode from a few weeks ago which is one of my personal favorites.

4) Netflix’s Slasher.  So one of my favorite series of scary movies of all time is Scream and I was somewhat disappointed in MTV’s version of the show they produced.  Don’t get me wrong, I did watch and see it through, but there was something lacking for me.  The characters weren’t believable and there wasn’t that underlying fear gnawing at me.  Netflix got it right with two seasons of Slasher.  Each season is different, very similar to American Horror Story with familiar actors but a different premise, plot, and murderer.  There were moments I had to close my eyes because I was so scared in the first season and the main character is someone you desperately want to root for.  Having characters present that you actually want to see make it out alive does carry weight.  The second season has more of an Agatha Christie like vibe mixed with the movie, Heathers which I found to be very addicting once I got past the first few episodes filled with back story and flashbacks.  No one is safe and it provides some edge of your seat moments as a result.

3) Netflix’s The Punisher.  I am a big fan of Marvel in general and The Punisher is one of my favorite heroes or maybe anti-heroes of all time.  Usually when I say this, fans question this and say why not Wolverine or Captain America?  The Punisher is so powerful to me because he has no super powers and his quest for revenge is sympathetic and tragic.  When Netflix’s Daredevil season 2 came out, the best part of it was the introduction of The Punisher.  I was ecstatic when I heard that the character would be getting his own series.  I am happy to say that I successfully binge-watched this show over the weekend and it is everything I could have hoped for.  Jon Bernthal is so believable as Frank Castle that you would think the comic series was based off of him.  He is someone to root for and although the violence may be extreme, the enemies get what is coming to them.  I also found myself investing time and energy into the supporting cast as well which is rare for me.  The villains are also so intense and heart-breaking, as Frank Castle finds himself being betrayed left and right while he is trying to make amends and bring those who deserve it to justice.

2) Showtime’s SMILF.  There are only a few episodes that have come out so far so you have plenty of time to catch up and binge-watch this hilarious new show starring and created by the brilliant and lovable Frankie Shaw.  The show has you laughing, crying, and cheering for single mother, Bridgette who is trying to find her way and pursue her dreams while maintaining a strong bond with her son.  Bridgette is far from the perfect mother for sure, but she truly loves her son and is doing the best she can.  You find yourself truly invested in Bridgette and root for her through every moment no matter how ridiculous some of them are.

1) Netflix’s Stranger Things season 2.  This show and season is absolutely worth a binge-watch and perhaps a second or third time through.  That’s how good it is.  The music alone sparked new life into this season, the characters and friendships were bonded further, and the quest to find out where one comes from and what “home” truly means is touching and beautiful.  Once again, this season blended the perfect amount of comedy with sci-fi mystery.  New friends and characters are introduced and the adventures don’t stop.  I don’t want to give away too much in case you haven’t gotten a chance to watch yet, but remember “friends don’t lie.”  So please watch and enjoy!

 

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your thoughts and comments below.  Happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl