By Amy Amatangelo, TV Gal ®
Sometimes when I break up with a show, it is dramatic and abrupt. I turned off the TV midway through an episode of the new 90210, announced “I’m never watching this stupid show again” and have never looked back. (Same thing happened with The Secret Life of the American Teenager. I announced during one of Amy’s hair-flip whines, “I can’t take this show” and immediately deleted the series from my season pass manager).
Sometimes I agonize over the decision wondering if I’ll miss something if I don’t watch. That happened last season with American Idol. I had watched the show since its inception. To actively decide not to watch anymore took a few months to come to terms with, but, once the decision had been made, I didn’t miss Ryan and the gang.
And sometimes the break up sneaks up on me and I don’t even realize that it’s happening. I think I might be breaking up with Revenge and I didn’t even know it. We’re on Day 13 of the Amy’s Not Watching Revenge Watch. I am two episodes behind but every time I sit down to watch TV, I chose something else. I can’t seem to bring myself to watch the drama. Maybe it’s because of the fast and furious but basically nonsensical plot twists (what is the Initiative and do I care?). Maybe it’s because the show doesn’t adhere to its own rules (seriously I cannot abide the lack of security on Nolan’s computer). Maybe it’s because of all the bad characters and bad acting (your names begin with D,C and FA). Maybe it’s because they changed Takedas on me without ever acknowledging it. Maybe it’s because of that insipid Neiman Marcus commercial. I don’t know. All I know is last season I enjoyed the show’s fun, soapy antics and this season, it seems like a chore to watch the series.
How about you? Are you still watching Revenge? What shows have you broken up with this season? Should I watch the two episodes of Revenge that are sitting on my TiVo taunting me? Talk about it below.
Where Have I Seen Them Before?
Joe Nieves was one of the lawyers questioning Owen on Grey’s Anatomy. He is Carl, the bartender at MacLaren’s, on How I Met Your Mother.
Chelcie Ross was Harold Pierce, the CEO who was acting crazy as his son was about to take his company public on Scandal. He was Conrad Hilton on Mad Men . He also played Avery’s grandfather, Harper Avery on Grey’s Anatomy.
Becky Ann Baker was Alma, the prosecuting attorney in the other county on The Good Wife. She plays Hannah’s mother on Girls, Karen’s mom on Smash and was Jean Weir on the wonderful Freaks & Geeks. Fun fact: Her real life husband is actor Dylan Baker, who plays the devious Colin Sweeney on The Good Wife.
Richard Gant was the lawyer at the beginning of The Mindy Project advising Mindy, Jeremy and Danny. He was Owen’s dad, Owen Thoreau Sr., on Men of a Certain Age.
Betsy Brandt was Hank’s ex-wife on Parenthood. She’s Marie on Breaking Bad. and she was also the abused woman Violet met at the airport last season on Private Practice.
Quotes of the Week
“You’re right. If those 40-year-olds on Glee can act like teenagers than so can we.” Virginia to Burt on Raising Hope.
“I told him you’re Italian so he might call you Tina,” Jack to Liz on 30 Rock.
“I’ll convert to Indianism.” Schmidt to CeCe on New Girl.
“I really love you but I can’t do this anymore.” Mark to Sarah on Parenthood. That scene hurt my heart to watch.
“We want different things. Every time we try to ignore that we end up hurting each other. We don’t work. That’s what we know and that hasn’t changed.” Owen to Cristina on Grey’s Anatomy. This one didn’t hurt my heart at all. I just can’t care about these two being together.
Exchanges of the Week
“I have been sure for a long time that this was never going to happen and I was fine with it. Ergo it couldn’t matter.” Liz to Criss about getting married on 30 Rock.
“It’s okay to be a human woman.” Criss to Liz
“No it’s not, it’s the worst.” Liz’s response
“What if he comes back?” Alicia to Kalinda about Nick on The Good Wife
“He’s not coming back.” Kalinda to Alicia.
“You sure?” Alicia to Kalinda.
“Yeah.” Kalinda’s response. So do we think Kalinda killed Nick and do we care? I”m just so happy that he’s off the show.
That’s all for today. I’m back next week to begin my favorites of 2012 lists. If you have a favorite episode or TV moment from 2012, let me know about it via my contact page. Have a great weekend.
TV Gal® 
I totally understand those same feelings! I have no idea why I am still watching this show (and many of the others I let pile up on the TiVo). For Revenge, I found myself losing interest ever since last year’s winter break. Once it came back it just wasn’t as good anymore and I can’t describe why. However I continue to watch–like you said–for fear of missing something.
I find it extremely difficult to give up on a show–I am an all or none type of person–I won’t join a show that’s several seasons in, and I either drop a show after the first episode (maybe two) or else I’m committed for the long haul. It took me well into the 4th season of Private Practice to finally call it quits–and that was a tough one–I feared I may miss some crucial Grey’s crossover plot.
I am still watching Private Practice. And now it’s so close to the end, I can’t stop.
Hi Amy! I am SO BORED with Revenge this season. This series needs a serious extreme makeover. I can’t stand Aidan(?) is that even his name? He is horrible and has no chemistry with Emily. He needs to be killed off and believe me, no one would miss him AT ALL.
That whole storyline with Jack and the thug brothers has to go. It is SO uninteresting, and has nothing to do with the core families. If the boat blows up with D, C, and FA (not the baby) and those 2 uninteresting filler characters the show would improve immensely. Wait, no. FA can live. Then Jack can find out her secret (murdering crowbar girl who is not Amanda) and dump her butt.
The whole consipracy storyline needs to be streamlined.
I actually don’t know if this show can be saved at this point. It is going to take some stellar writing, and I don’t have a lot of confidence in them after this 1/2 of the season.
If you haven’t watched the last 2 episodes by now, don’t bother. I think you will be as bored as the rest of us, sadly.
I happen to love this season of Revenge and can’t wait to see what happens with Daniel, Emily, and most of all Nolan. I like that Nolan has plans he won’t tell Emily about. I also think the storyline with Jack is a bit tired but it doesn’t take up much of the airtime so I am willing to let it slide. Watch the last two episodes … I think there is juicy stuff to come.
I agree about Revenge, but I feel conflicted in the same way about dumping it. I mean, what if it turns out to be one of those shows that has a not good sophomore season, but figures itself out by the third season? FNL’s second season was the Tyra-Landry “murder” season, but season three was sublime.
On the other hand, I’m hating this season about as much as I hated the second season of Prison Break, and that show never got its act together again.
Revenge has become a chore to watch, I just don’t care anymore. They had to perfect opportunity to get rid of the dead weight character of fake Amanda and they didn’t. And the new guy thats hanging around Emily is just blah
What I can never understand is, how some shows have outstanding writing (MadMen, Breaking Bad, Homeland, Good Wife, Nurse Jacks) to name a few. And some are just so….underwhelming. I’m looking at YOU Revenge, Last Resort, that 666 show. Clearly, there are talented, creative writers out there. I am always surprised by the disparity and how some of these shows stay on the air.
Amy, you and I may have been twins in a former life. I broke up with 90210 and Secret Life the same way. And, I have not yet watched the last two Revenge episodes . . . But I will. Revenge still has promise, and I think/hope they will get it right.
From the beginning, I had concerns about how they would sustain the plot line after the first season. Once Emily “got” the Graysons, then where would the show go? I think they made a huge mistake by trying to continue the old mystery, instead of brining in a new one. They could have wrapped up the Dad storyline and moved on to Emily’s Mom, maybe even Nolan’s Dad, something in Amanda (real Emily’s) background, anything really. There are pleny of directions they could have gone, and with characters that Emily has allegiance to and she could get behind the fight. I also think they missed an opportunity to have her remain with Daniel, maybe even marry him, and continue to try to hide her secret life. Anything but the initiative would have worked! Now I am concerned that they will try to stretch out the mystery of Emily’s father for 6-7 years (if the show lasts that long), and that would be a huge mistake.
the initiative or americon initiative is the terrorist organization that blew up flight 197, the same organization that conrad laundered money for and pinned that crime on david clarke.