Elementary
Well, this season has been a whirlwind. Starting off with Holmes and Watson being fired from the NYPD and Morland Holmes appearing back in New York to deal with his son’s mess, we’ve been on a rollercoaster. Some nefarious things involving Morland cropped up. This resulted in Holmes and Watson being reinstated with Captain Gregson, and resurrecting the cold case on the death of Morland’s sweetheart.
A bunch of crap hit the fan: we got stories about Joan’s family, Sherlock attempted a relationship with the neuro-atypical Fiona, and Joan worked hard to spy on Morland.
The yarns spun together to form a picture of Morland’s less-than-legal business dealings. We saw the return of Moriarty’s shady organization, this time helmed by Joshua Vikner. The season finale ended with an off-screen confrontation between Vikner and Morland, leaving Vikner dead and Morland the new head of the organization. Next season should see how our duo brings down Moriarty’s crew.
Faking It
In the surprise turn of events that saw this season as the series finale, MTV’s Faking It did not disappoint. Karma and Amy were a mess for the first couple of episodes. Once they made up, the sibling bond between Amy and Lauren was set on the backburner. Shane was a mess as per usual, and Liam returned to his hook-up lifestyle after a brief turn with Judaism.
The show didn’t lose its laughter, mixing seriousness and humour together to make this dramedy unique. They introduced Noah, a trans man, into the fold. This led to a quick yet helpful tale about Noah and Shane falling for each other, that should help viewers understand the trials involved.
Amy made a great speech about how labels suck (hear, hear!) and the show ended on New Year’s Eve. Amy and Sabrina got together for real (that was a dramatic pairing), and two new couples appeared that evening: Liam and Lauren (WTF), and Karma and Felix.
Fresh off the Boat
This show makes 20 minutes fly right by because of how enjoyable it is to watch. The family dynamic between the Huangs and their constant struggle to fit in while still being themselves, are the reasons people keep coming back. They tell real stories. After all, the show is based off of the real Eddie Huang’s memoir of the same name.
There is so much to relate to in this show, and the comedy consistently hits home. It also depicts diversity and critiques the underrepresentation of Asian-Americans in media. While the show is set in 1995, this critique still rings true for media today.
This season dealt with all of these issues and more: masculinity, parents projecting their own wishes onto their kids, and Santa Claus’ identity. The third season ended with the Huangs flying back to Taiwan for a wedding.
Modern Family
Most shows by the seventh season are petering out; they only seem to be watched by those who don’t know how not to keep watching. This is not the case for this hit mockumentary comedy.
Oh, so much happened this season. Haley and Andy finally got together after a few more hiccups (including a funny reunion with Haley’s ex, Dylan), Claire took over Jay’s closet business, and Cam and Mitch rented the upstairs of their home to a Christian rock band. Cam even helped replace their drummer, performing a song about how man should not lie with man.
All in all, it was another solid season, providing many laughs and a lot of relatability with its ridiculous family dynamics. The season ended with a funny miscommunication between family members, resulting in everyone leaving town and hoping the others will cover for their absences.
