Mental Post-Its

Thoughts, Notes, and General Mental Mayhem

Tag Archives: tv shows


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New (and Returning) Fall TV Favorites

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I love the break from new episodes that comes with summer. I use it as a time to catch up on shows I missed, or re-watch my classics (miss you, Bones!). I like the slower TV pace of those few months—even though I fully really this is all self-imposed. 😉 #TVaddict

But like many of you, I also eagerly await the fully-stocked buffet of fall TV. I can’t wait to see my favorites return, as well as what goodness will be premiering. So, I thought I’d share my picks with you . . . and hopefully, you’ll share yours too.

New fall favs:

  • The Brave: My favorite new show of the fall for three reasons. First, it’s a different spin on a military show than we usually see. Second, the woman is the sniper, and I love shows with strong women. And third, Mike Vogel—that’s one pretty man.

  • The Mayor: Funny premise, and the dialogue delivers in a lot of ways.

  • Kevin (Probably) Saves the World: This is just a really sweet show. It definitely has more of the “universal” spiritual aspect, but it’s far more about goodness, faith, and spirituality than we usually get to see on TV (at least that’s of high quality).

  • Ghosted: I’m honestly not 100% sold on this one, but I think it has potential with The Office and Parks and Rec family. The first season of Parks and Rec didn’t hook me either, so I’m holding out hope.

  • The Gifted: Same as above. Lots of potential, so we’ll see where it goes.

  • Ten Days in the Valley: I’ve been kind of surprised at how much I like this one. Kyra does a great job, of course, and it’s definitely gone in an unexpected direction.

  • Wisdom of the Crowd: Kind of fascinating “what if” idea on this one. Too many legal implications to be true, but it’s really interesting to think about, especially given how many of us watch cop/legal/murdery TV shows and what we might do if we had the opportunity to help in real life.

Exciting sophomore returns:

  • Stranger Things 2: Not as good as the first season, but still very entertaining. Too many new characters and subplots, I think, but they wrap it up well. Dustin and Steve’s characters and evolutions are my favorite part of the season. (And be sure to stick around after the last episode for Beyond Stranger Things for behind-the-scenes interviews.)
  • The Durrells in Corfu: I absolutely LOVED this show. I only really started watching it on Prime because it was a BBC show, and I love me some BBC. But it’s hysterical, and pretty darn clean too.

  • American Housewife: I was iffy about this for the first few episodes, but I’ve really come around to it. And I bet a lot of moms can relate to her frustrations and opinions.

  • Speechless: There are a lot of clever aspects to this show, and it’s pretty brilliant the way they’ve centered it around a real person with special needs. I’m sure it’s done a lot for the awareness and perception of people with cerebral palsy.

  • Designated Survivor: Kiefer Sutherland and a conspiracy, need I say more? This president is almost Bartlett-worthy to me.

  • Lethal Weapon: I was skeptical about this because not all movies-turned-TV shows work out well, but I like the buddy cop aspect.

  • The Tick: I think this one’s pretty funny, and I love the cleverness they included, like naming one of the villians “Overkill.”

  • Sneaky Pete: I love Giovanni Ribisi. I think he always takes on very strange and interesting characters, and this one doesn’t disappoint.

  • Riverdale: While there are some things about this show that drive me crazy, I love the spin on a classic comic, and how they’ve made it dark and intriguing. As you can tell, I love a conspiracy.
  • Timeless: We’ll have to wait until 2018 for this one, but I’m excited.

Upcoming, coming back, and anticipated:

  • The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: From the creator of the Gilmore Girls, so we know the dialogue will be fantastic.
  • Jack Ryan: It’s a big departure from our darling “Jim,” but it looks like it’ll pay off.
  • Travelers: Probably the show I’ve recommended most over the past year. I was looking forward to it, and it turned out so different than I thought, but I loved it. Very character-driven rather than relying on the SciFi, which I didn’t expect.
  • The Last Tycoon: Ugh, so heart-breaking and dark. I had to immediately watch a comedy after finishing this series. But I loved it because it was beautifully done and acted, and I need to know what happens next.
  • The Man in the High Castle: Doesn’t really belong in this post since this will be the third season, but I love it so much I had to include it! If you haven’t seen it, let me leave you with this: What if the Germans had won WWII???

And you? What would be on your list?

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How to Survive Almost Anything

If you know even just three things about me, one of those items is probably how much I love TV and movies. One of my favorite genres is anything to do with spies. Outside of that, I love action, end of the world, comedy, dramady, some SciFi, some fantasy, some romantic comedies, mostly fiction…ok, lots of different genres. (Mostly, you can just leave out Westerns, Reality and co-dependent teen vampire flicks, and I’m in.) Therefore, in my vast amount of research, I’ve been taking notes on how to survive almost anything–End Times, zombie apocalypse, kidnapping, bombings, physical attack, vampire awakening, virus outbreak, alien invasion and/or galactic invasion. And I’m here to share that knowledge with you. You’re welcome.

Learn….

  • a second language. You almost always need to be at least bilingual. This flaw is an American’s Achilles heel. I need to get back to practicing. If were are talking near future, learn Spanish. (See most stats for 2030.) Far future, Chinese. (See Firefly.)
  • to pick a lock. Despite my asking for a lock picking kit for years, I’ve yet to receive one for my birthday or Christmas. Don’t be fooled, kids. A credit card won’t work on any real door. Get yourself a set of tools and practice. And all locks were not created equal, so don’t get cocky.
  • kickboxing or another form of martial arts or higher level self defense. You must be able to defend yourself. This tactic should come in hand in almost any situation, except for evil wizards.
  • Morse Code. Old school or not, it could prove to be invaluable in a variety of situations. It’s survived itself, hasn’t it? Morse Code would work for when the power goes out, when you need to communicate without words, or even in a German submarine.
  • a warning phrase. You need to choose a phrase to communicate with your friends and loved ones in case you are in trouble. This simple exchange could communicate that you’ve been kidnapped, you’re cover has been blown or that your job won’t let you share that a meteor is headed to Earth in 19 hours. So, you may want to choose a few phrases, as well as one that says, “It’s ok. I was wrong. It was just a flock of wild geese flying backwards.” Don’t make it too obscure, though, or someone will catch on. Example: Jack and Sydney said that there was construction on the freeway.
  • to like exercise. Let’s face it. In any of the movies where your life is on the line, these people are running. It’s the awful truth. Some strength training and running will come in handy. Watch The Firm or War of the Worlds. It could be almost anything.
  • to wield a weapon. Let’s not make the mistake that there will always be a gun on hand, and that you can just point and shoot. You may want to take up an axe, bow and arrow, wooden stake or shank. It would also be helpful if you can make your own weapon, and several of the aforementioned lend themselves to that.
  • to survive on less food. If it’s End Times, don’t count on a filet every night. Practice fasting, and it wouldn’t hurt if you learned to eat things you find in nature for good measure. Panham isn’t that far away.
  • to push through your fear. Fear gets you killed. It makes you think slower. React and go. Remember, there are only two choices: fight or flight. Both involve action, though. One exception: only play dead if there is a bear nearby.
  • who you can trust. You may think it’s easiest to survive on your own. It is realistic to think that there is a Brutus around every corner willing to sell you out for their own survival, cash, power or appointment within the alien regime.  But the real truth is that you need your Ron and Hermione. Know who those people are.

Of course, there are probably a few other items that could be added to this list. What would you add? I’ve just tried to cover the basics for you. These topics will take you a while to learn, and you may discover others in the process. After you’ve mastered the above, you’re in good shape. Then you can move on, and hone other survival skills. But for now, congratulations in taking the first step. You’re well on your way. I’ll see you on the other side…

Note: even if you never have to use any of these essential skills, you’ll look way cool in front of your peers.