Eclectic Pop

Opening the pilot episode of ABC’s primetime drama was the Confucius quote: “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.” It is pretty apparent to whose graves he is referring; the avenger and the avenged. Not the father of said avenger dying due to cancer and being let out to enjoy the rest of his days with his daughter after committing a cold-blooded murder.

Game of Thrones | Another slow yet far more eventful episode than the season premiere saw Cersei scheming, Tyrion drinking, Jon being elected as the new Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, Arya arriving in Braavos, Sansa turning down Brienne's protection, and Daenerys making some very difficult decisions as a leader.

With a lot of series returning from their midseason hiatuses (“Pretty Little Liars” and “Revenge” have already come back); Eclectic Pop makes some resolutions for several series’ respective seasons.


The Vampire Diaries: It’s time for Bonnie to finally return home and find some much deserved happiness (for as long as anyone can on this show). She has more than earned it as the series’ most beleaguered heroine. Sheriff Forbes needs to remain among the living. She is the only surviving parent/true adult on the show and her relationship with Caroline is one of the show's few sweet spots.

Arrow | Malcolm Merlyn came to the rescue, saving the latest episode from disaster. The suave John Barrowman’s magnetic performance as Merlyn has brought the jolt of energy the series desperately needs. Under Merlyn’s influence Thea has drastically improved within the span of two episodes and her portrayer Willa Holland has found her groove as Oliver’s toughened up sister by another mister. The only downside to all this, is that Oliver continues to pale in comparison. 

A storyline that is definitely not working is Team Arrow’s revenge for Sara arc. She killed countless people whose families probably want their own share of retribution. It’s time to stop the cycle. It bears repeating, she lived by the arrow and she died by the arrow. Move it along. PS – enough with the flashbacks!

The Vampire Diaries | While it is understandable that Elena is distraught over Damon’s “death”, the timeline of it only being 4 months later is a rather brief time for her to spend attempting to cope without taking drastic action. Especially when she's faced similar circumstances before and successfully brought loved ones back from the dead.

It was nice to hear her finally admit how long her feelings for Damon have existed though. For years viewers have been left to speculate the exact origin of her affection and now we know. The highlight of the episode was Damon and Bonnie’s banter in 1994. Their acerbic repartee has always been fun and now it’s getting a stellar showcase.

Reign | Returning to the airwaves in regal fashion, “Reign” did not miss a beat catching the waves of last season’s momentum. As the plague threatened everyone in the realm, Mary outmaneuvered a devious Catherine, Kenna and Bash lost a loved one, Greer worried over her lost love Leith’s next move and Francis made a decision about his new baby.

Mary going into full fledged Queen-mode provided the series with a defining moment for its heroine. She’s not who she once was, she’s stronger and kudos to Adelaide Kane’s subtle flinch when Mary imposed her lethal verdict. It was a stellar nuance.