Dear TV Gods...

A plea for The Walking Dead's return to greatness following a sloppy sixth season

On Friday, The Walking Dead debuted its trailer for the eagerly-awaited seventh season at Comic-Con to hoards of fans, both in real life at the convention and online. Since the polarizing sixth season finale, I have seen many gushing unwavering loyalty to the show and fanboys continually guessing who met the receiving end of Negan's bat. However, it appears I am in the minority with my feelings of distrust an disinterest for the shocking cliffhanger ending of Season 6, and the newly-released trailer only cements those feelings surrounding the ever-growing mystery of "Negan's victim". 

The trailer, while not terrible, makes the mistake of relying on the anticipation from the egregious cliffhanger to carry it and make it interesting. By starting the trailer with an angsty montage of the possible victims, it is clear that everything not pertaining to Negan's victim, (such as Carol and Morgan with the new group, or Tara and Heath finding serious trouble on the road), is an after-thought. And this is the problem with the series as a whole at this point: the writers- for whatever reason- no longer have faith in their audience to stay tuned-in to the show unless each episode is filled with gimmicks and shocking moments. Evidence of this can be found in the fact that nearly every single episode of Season 6 ended with a pseudo-cliffhanger, but is, of course, perfectly exemplified by the final moments of Season 6 with the purposeful anonymity of Negan's victim.

You'll see many people quip that fans who are irritated by the finale are just "whiners". However, the true problem with this show is not the cliffhanger, the issue is that what was once a thought-provoking, dark drama now appears to be a gossipy ploy to get ratings. The cliffhanger itself is not what bothers myself and many others; what the cliffhanger represents from a writing and production viewpoint is what is so upsetting. However, looking to the elements from the trailer that didn't involve Negan's bloody bat, we can see that The Walking Dead has the potential to return to it's former artistic glory. Carol and Morgan, (who are both incredibly complex and interesting characters), are taken-in by a strange new group, led by a captivating leader and his pet tiger. The survivors of Alexandria continue to struggle with their poor choices and horrific events that have plagued them. Tara and Heath- who I have great fear for, considering that Beth was given the similar "post-credits" section of the Season 5 trailer- appear to be stranded and fighting for their lives. Each of these elements are character-driven, thought-provoking, and genuinely interesting, and I beg the writers of TWD to focus on those moments, rather than explosions and cliffhangers. If TWD can trust their audience again and return to the level of storytelling that was evident in seasons 4 and earlier- a level of storytelling that would be easy to achieve with the extremely talented cast and the current, complex plot the show has at its service- the disappointment of Season 6 can be forgiven and forgotten.

Here's hoping Season 7 is an improvement on a truly captivating show, which premieres October

23 on AMC.

Amen!

Dear TV Gods...

All the prayers in the world couldn't thank you enough for the outstanding recognition of this year's Emmy nominees!

Every year, all the happy people of the world join together to sing songs of joy, eat delicious treats, feel the warmth of a united community, and sometimes, lament frustration. No, this isn't Christmas or New Year's I'm talking about, I'm talking about the EMMY'S! TV's biggest night of the year is celebrated (or sometimes boycotted) by rabid fans like yours truly, and this year is certainly a celebration. To make things simpler, this review of the nominations will only be in the Blessings/Afflictions format- and surprisingly, it's mostly blessings!

(Here's a list of the nominees in case you haven't perused it yet, courtesy of my favorite news site, TVLine: Emmy Nominations 2016)

Blessings and Afflictions

• Blessing: All the love for The Americans. Best Drama, Best Actor for Matthew Rhys, and Best Actress for Keri Russell?? Somebody pinch me, I surely must be dreaming! The Americans is one of the few TV shows I've watched that not only remains stunning, but consistently improves, every season that it's on- and that's surely worthy of Emmy noms. 
• Blessing/Affliction: This is 100% a blessing... but slightly an affliction only because now I have no idea who to root for on awards night! Tatiana Maslany has been mesmerizing myself and others viewers in Orphan Black's cult following for years and seeing her be rightfully nominated for the second year is just as joyous as when Helena returned to save Sarah in season 2. Sadly, she competes against Keri Russell for The Americans- a show and actress that has been woefully ignored for three years. As much as I love Keri and her breathtaking performance, Tatiana portrays at least five different characters in any given episode, making me lean slightly toward Maslany for the win.
• Blessing: A dark, twisty, and genuine family drama starring a powerhouse cast? Count me in. While Bloodline may not have mass appeal for its slow-burn drama, it has a passionate fan base who are overjoyed to see Kyle Chandler and Ben Mendelsohn nominated once again for the dark-horse thriller.
• Blessing: The entire Best Actress in a Comedy nomination category. Julia Louis-Dreyfuss was hilarious as ever in Veep this year, Lily Tomlin explored humorous new depths with Grace and Frankie, and any love for the poignant-yet-hysterical black-ish- especially for leading lady Tracee Ellis Ross- is commendable. Am I wishing Constance Wu from Fresh Off the Boat was also on this list? Totally, but I'll take what Emmy has graciously given.
• Blessing/Affliction: What's that Harry Potter quote? "Neither can live while the other survives." It might be a tad dramatic for a TV awards show, but I feel like that's the supremely theatrical reaction Jacqueline Voorhes would have to see her portrayer, Jane Krakowski, not nominated for Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's amazing second season. However, Ellie Kemper is finally given the recognition she deserves for her work- and personally, I'm rooting for Kemper to win Best Actress in a Comedy. But why couldn't we just get both lovely ladies on this list at the same time? Truly dramatic indeed...
• Affliction: My first post on this blog, and my first major disappointment of the Emmy noms. No love for Orange is the New Black? Not a single nomination for any major category? I'm unsure if this year's nominations cover season 3 or season 4 of OITNB, but if season 4 was overlooked for Emmy love, then you might as well send me to Shu because I would rather be in a grimy, terrifying cell than be in a world where Uzo Aduba, Danielle Brooks, and the entire show is left without Emmy recognition.
• Affliction: More than Orange is the New Black's erroneous snubs, or Kimmy Schmidt's saddening switcheroo, the affliction that hurts me the most is Bates Motel's nonexistence on the nomination list. What began as a brooding, slightly-boring drama filled with bizarre and conflicted characters came to it's epic climax this season and deserves nothing but praise. Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore, especially, deserve statues for their insane skills in the penultimate season of a show that has evolved from a gothy look at a creepy mother-son relationship into a riveting, terrifying, and heartbreaking drama.

This year's nominations are arguably the most surprising in recent years, and for someone like me who has a wide and diverse range of favorite TV shows, that makes this the most exciting Emmy's in a long time. However, no nomination list is ever perfect, and we will have to patch our Bates Motel and OITNB-shaped wounds. But with love for The Americans, black-ish, Tatiana Maslany, and Bloodline, those wounds don't hurt so bad.

Which shows are you happy to see on this year's list? What snubs irked you the most? Comment below your opinions on the nominations, and check out the Primetime Emmy Awards on ABC, September 18!