Billie's Best of 2017

Happy new year!

And lucky me. I always get to go last, after reading everyone else's "Best of." Unsurprisingly, I concur with a lot of what the other Agents of Doux have already listed, particularly when it comes to what was good on television this year.

JRS' Best Of 2017

What was the best of 2017 for me?

2017 was a challenging year; I’m working on my dissertation, have started a new job, and am still writing as much as I can. Several waves lifted me above my work. The five below are waves I wanted to share.

The Handmaid's Tale: Faithful

“It should be with someone that we trust.”

Faithfulness is to be steadfast in affection or allegiance; loyal. But loyalty is a rare commodity in a society based so heavily on distrust.

The Crown: Mystery Man

Queen Elizabeth: “Do you know, I’ve been Queen barely ten years. And in that time I’ve had three Prime Ministers. All of them ambitious men, clever men, brilliant men. Not one has lasted the course.”

The second season ends with a photographic portrait of much of Queen Elizabeth’s family, giving us a last look at these actors, who will be replaced by older actors in the next season. Unfortunately much of the episode is a series of still shots as well.

The Handmaid's Tale: Nolite Te Bastardes Carborundorum

"Just look meek."

After the unrelieved horror of "Late," I thought this episode featured the tiniest bit of hope, along with the possibility of sisterhood.

Mark's Best of 2017

I really never know what to write here. I aim for funny and insightful, but it often just come across as rambling. So this year I'm not even going to bother and just go straight to the list.

Doctor Who: Twice Upon a Time

"Time to leave the battlefield."

Ah, brilliant.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Rewind

"The odds, my friend, are not in your favor."
"Are they ever?"

There was a lot of hype building up to this episode. A Fitz-centric outing after four almost completely Fitz-less episodes. An hour that promised to answer some of the questions that have been piling up since the beginning of the season. An episode written by Craig Titley and directed by Jesse Bochco, the same folks behind the brilliant, Simmons-centric "4,722 Hours." Did it live up to the expectations? The answer to that question is a resounding "yes."

The Crown: Paterfamilias

Lord Mountbatten: “You may hate him now, but one day, God willing, you will be a father yourself. And you will fall short, as all parents do. And be hated. And you will know what it is to pray for the forgiveness of your own son.”

Prince Charles goes to boarding school, a school we know he’ll hate, but we also see young Prince Philip (then a Greek prince, not a British prince) at that school.

The Flash: Elongated Journey Into Night

"Good people don't destroy lives and call it noble."

This week's episode took a darker turn. We had a murderous mayor's run for re-election, a corrupt cop turned inscrutable investigator, and a brazen breacher demand the death of his daughter's devoted (sorry, I couldn't help myself). Why did this episode feel like it was doing its best Arrow impression?

Mallena's Best of 2017

Since I only saw a few movies, this last year, I’ll do an all television review. Nowadays, there are so many great shows and so many great ways to watch them, that I don’t even have to leave the house. I don’t have to pay big bucks for a tub of popcorn and an over-sized drink, either. Anyway, let’s begin, shall we?

The Crown: Dear Mrs. Kennedy

Queen Elizabeth: “But as head of the Commonwealth cannot I be permitted just once to defend it?”

An entertaining episode, as two of the most formidable women of the twentieth century meet.

Gotham: Harvey Dent

"Hello! I'm Bruce Wayne."
"Hello! I'm your Kryptonite."

At last, we have arrived at the first step of the greatest comic book romance of all time.

The Expanse: Season One Review (or Why You Should Be Watching This Show)

I discovered The Expanse a couple of weeks ago and it hooked me from the first episode. It's a well written sci-fi thriller, complete with good twists and fascinating world building.

Gotham: Queen Takes Knight

Things Happen.

Lamounier's 2017 In Review

Hello, Doux readers!

2017 was another year with many great TV shows and not enough time to watch them. Will the number keep growing endlessly? It's hard to keep up with all that's new (and all that's ongoing or classic, and also great), but I'm glad with the shows I ended up watching. Let's talk a little bit about them now, shall we?

The Handmaid's Tale: Late

When they slaughtered Congress, we didn't wake up. When they blamed terrorists and suspended the Constitution, we didn't wake up then, either. They said it would be temporary. Nothing changes instantaneously. In a gradually heating bathtub you'd be boiled to death before you know it.

In a very traumatic episode we witness what happens to Ofglen, learn more about the past, and see how a late period – and a child – can change the life of a Handmaid.

Fangirl's Best of 2017

There were a lot of really, really great movies and television this year, wasn't there? Don't get me wrong, I watched more than my fair share of horrible movies, but that's because I trawl the horror section of Netflix. I'm going to leave far too many wonderful things off my list, but these were the really memorable things worthy of recognition.

The Handmaid's Tale: Birth Day

I liked this one more than the pilot. Maybe it was the Scrabble.

The Crown: Matrimonium

Queen Elizabeth: “But you’re not breaking away. Because you won’t give up your title, your rank, your privileges, for one simple reason. You enjoy it all too much. The palaces, the privileges, the deference.”

The episode in which Princess Margaret decides to get married.

The Crown: Vergangenheit

Philip: “You protected your country and you protected the reputation of your family, not to mention successfully banishing Satan from entering the Garden of Eden.”

An incredibly powerful episode, mixing the threads of forgiveness and dealing with major sins of the past.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: A Life Earned

"Perhaps you are more than a fairy tale."

YES!

The Flash: Luck Be a Lady

"How much worse can it get?"

What is the nature of luck? Is there such a thing as a winning streak? Can you be jinxed or cursed? Or do we attribute good or bad luck to coincidences based on whether they help or harm us? Well, if you are looking for an in-depth exploration of this you've come to the wrong show. What we had in this episode was pure fun. Until it wasn't.

The X-Files: Sunshine Days

Case: The Brady Bunch returns.

Destination: California, Washington, DC

“I mean, I’ve been working this unit for nine years now. I’ve investigated nearly 200 paranormal cases. We are due for some incontrovertible proof. I want vindication – for Mulder and for all of us.”

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

“This isn’t going to go, the way you think.”

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a movie that defied my expectations as much as this one, in a good way.

This review will be as spoiler free as possible.

The Handmaid's Tale: Offred

"This will become ordinary."

In the warm darkness of the Maine wilderness, a car filled with very tense people veers off the road in isolated woodland. A man gets out, gets a woman and child – a young girl – to leave the car and tells them to run. In the woods where they're pursued by soldiers with guns, which they hear discharge. The man is likely dead, and we see a haunted dimness and desperation hit the eyes of the woman. The soldiers pursue, catch up, take the child. The woman is knocked unconscious as her child screams. The two are taken.

The Crown: Marionettes

Robin Day: “She’s our head of state, loved respected and admired throughout the world – so why do you hate her so very much?”

A fascinating episode, in which Queen Elizabeth’s relevance is challenged by a journalist.

Juliette's Best of 2017

Happy Holidays everyone! I'm here to kick off our annual set of Review of the Year posts. This post contains a minor spoilery detail about Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, but for the most part I've avoided talking about it as not everyone will have seen it yet!

Legends of Tomorrow: Beebo the God of War

"Beebo loves you!"

Now that's how you execute a mid-episode pivot from lighthearted romp to something much more serious and darker.  Or should I say Darhker.

The Crown: Beryl

“People like you don’t get to insult people like me. You get to be eternally grateful.”

Some reflections on marriage in general – the episode opens with a wedding – and a lot about Princess Margaret and her less-than-happy situation.

Lucifer: The Sin Bin

Review by An Honest Fangirl

"You may as well pour me one too."

I think that I'm about to do something that I really don't want to do: write a mostly negative review of Lucifer. Buckle up. This is a long one.

The Gifted: eXploited

Review by An Honest Fangirl

"Time to go, boys and girls. The fun's just starting."

Wait, what? What? Did that just? What?

Okay, I'm sending up the flare. You got until January 1st to catch up. Now's the time to do it.

Mr. Robot: shutdown -r

"History is finally coming for you."

This season really just came and went, didn't it?

The Crown: Lisbon

“There is no room for mistakes. There is no room for scandal. There is no room for humanity.”

In this episode of The Crown we finally finish the conversation begun in the very first episode of this season. Philip and Elizabeth meet in Lisbon to discuss their marriage and come up with an interesting solution.

The Crown: A Company of Men

What happens on tour, stays on tour.

In the last episode, we saw Elizabeth’s loneliness as Philip was away on tour. In this installment, we get the other half, and see the sunshine and the sea of the Duke of Edinburgh’s tour – mostly down under. Philip, although surrounded by many men, still seems very alone – especially emphasized by the beautiful shots of the Britannia surrounded by a vast ocean.

The X-Files: Release

It's okay, this arm belongs to no one important.

Case: John Doggett gets closure on the death of his son.

Destination: Minnesota and New England

“If I sit with them for a long time, very quietly – they tell me things. It’s how I see what I see.”

The Punisher: Memento Mori

"Me and you, Frankie, we're the same."

Pretty much the perfect finale to an excellent first season.

The Walking Dead: How It's Gotta Be

"You lose. It's over."

If you loved this episode, maybe you'd better skip this review.

The Punisher: Home

David: “You don’t have to do this.”

This was an amazing episode, but also an incredibly hard one to watch.

Arrow: Irreconcilable Differences

"No trust, no team."

Well, that was unexpected.

After five years in hell we've grown to expect the mid-season finale to be, well, hell (come on, it had to be done). This was more of a slow burn.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: A Life Spent

"I've earned a night in my own bed."

Well, Deke is a dick, isn't he? Maybe that's even how the writers picked his name.

The X-Files: William

Case: A mysterious, very scarred man breaks into the FBI to steal some X-Files.

Destination: Washington, D. C.

"Sweet dreams, baby boy."

Mr. Robot: eps3.8_stage3.torrent

"I just hope it doesn't come back to haunt us."

Time to plan a counter-attack.

The Crown: Misadventure

"The option which is open to everyone else—"
"—divorce—"
"—divorce, yes—is not open to us. Ever."

The Elizabeth of The Crown’s season two is much better prepared to deal with unpleasant matters than the Elizabeth of season one. Unfortunately, unpleasant matters abound.

Lucifer: The Sinnerman

Review by An Honest Fangirl

"Come on! Look at me!"

Hmm, I wonder what this episode could possibly be about?

The Punisher: Danger Close

"We rattled. Let's see what shakes loose."

The title of this episode may be about danger but the real theme of the night is betrayal – both real and perceived. But the question remains what are our "heroes" going to do about it.

The Punisher: Virtue of the Vicious

“Patriotism is a virtue of the vicious.”

All of our characters collide when Lewis goes after Senator Ori, and Madani faces up to several truths. Also, Karen is repeatedly awesome.

Supernatural: The Bad Place

"Where the hell are we?"

Don't get me wrong. (And don't you hate reviews that begin, "Don't get me wrong"?)

The Gifted: outfoX

Review by An Honest Fangirl

"We have to rescue those people!"
"Have to? You're pretty new here to be telling people what they have to do."

I knew that I was right to distrust Esme.

Supergirl: Reign

“This is your purpose. To fight the Devil.”

An episode in which a nemesis of Supergirl – in fact a nemesis of all of Krypton – starts making her presence known on Earth and especially in National City.