TV.com

show: Psych

The Bottom Line: "Superb"

The main reason I love this show so much is because the characters are so amazing.

Shawn has to be one of my favorite television show characters of all time. The thing about him is that he's actually one of those characters who is funny and doesn't even have to try to be. There are those who crack jokes constantly, trying with all their might to be hilarious all the time. Shawn doesn't need to do that; it's his own natural personality and charisma that give him his charm. Some of the things he says are just so random that they make me giggle, and his "psychic vibe" demonstrations for people are always funny. He has so many memorable quotes that I can't help but blurt them out constantly, annoying my family and friends. Basically, Shawn is just a naturally lovable character. Now, as much as I love Shawn on his own, he'd be nothing without Gus. Gus is the sort of friend who's always trying to keep the crazy one out of trouble and then they both end up getting into things way over their heads. The chemistry between Shawn and Gus is always great to see, and they totally complement each other. They're the perfect dynamic duo.

It's not just the characters that I love on this show, either. The premise of the show is very unique: a guy with an amazing photographic memory who poses as a psychic so he can help solve crimes with his partner and best friend. Not exactly a storyline you see every day. I also love the plots of each episode -- they're all interesting and keep me wondering what will happen next.

Overall, it's an amazing show. It's definitely one of my favorites.

show: The Naked Brothers Band

episode: The Song

The Bottom Line: "Great"

At the beginning of the episode, I really wasn't sure where the heck it was going. It seemed kinda...no, not kinda, VERY unlikely that two people would think of the same song at the same time without even telling each other. Through the beginning, I was thinking, "This is just another unrealistic episode...won't be too good...will just end with some corny brother-bonding conclusion."

However, as the episode progressed, I realized that it really wasn't just about Nat and Alex as brothers...instead, it was focusing on their late mother. I personally would never know what it would be like to lose my mom, and I can't possibly imagine how horrible that has to be. In this episode, the subject of losing a loved one was brought up in an unexpectedly mature way, completed with a very clever and thoughtful ending. It all made sense in the end...their mother used to sing that song, and they were remembering it. I never would've expected something this profound and amazing from The Naked Brothers Band. This also brought out a lot of character development in Nat and Alex's father...he was really acting like a concerned dad rather than just a goofy accordion-obsessed lunatic.

Of course, as with every episode of every show, it certainly had its share of downfalls. Betty's still completely unstable, which I don't like about her character. It gets annoying when the children of the show are portrayed as more mature than the adults--that's just unrealistic. It was also somewhat out-of-character for Nat to freak out so fast about the song...it seems to me like he would be busy trying to figure it out rather than screaming his head off. Freaking out about tiny little things is Alex's job, not Nat's.

All-in-all, I'm impressed with this episode. The ending was very sweet and really unexpected. And though it had a few flaws, no episode can be perfect. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised when I watched this episode.

show: Danny Phantom

episode: Phantom Planet

The Bottom Line: "Superb"

I loved this episode for so many reasons. It had an awesome plotline, some great character development, and an amazing conclusion. It was a beautifully played out ending to the amazing Danny Phantom series.

For one thing, there was the plotline. Okay, so maybe it wasn't all that realistic, but I loved the way it brought everyone--former enemies, including humans and ghosts--together to save the world. I also found it quite interesting to see Danny's take on his own powers after having them for a while. Everybody's emotions were portrayed beautifully in this episode, making everyone's feelings very believable. It wasn't too angsty or over-dramatic, either, which was nice and must have been difficult to do with such a serious plotline. There were some moments where it was good timing to be dramatic and others where it was the time to be cheerful, and I'm glad that this finale was able to identify them and tell the difference--unlike many episodes of other shows I've seen. The ending itself was wonderful and a lot better than I'd expected it to be. Danny's parents finally figured out his secret, and it was interesting to see a real reaction from them other than the temporary one we saw in Reality Trip.

I'm sure you're waiting for me to begin obsessing over the romance in the finale, huh? Well, wait no longer! The ending between Danny and Sam was simply adorable. I was actually pleasantly surprised to see Sam actually make the first move by kissing Danny on the cheek like she did, overcoming the shyness we've noticed in her in previous episodes. I also loved how Danny kissed her after that--it was so simple, yet so sweet and romantic. It seemed like he had just decided right there that he truly did like Sam as more than just a friend and decided to go for it. Not only did I love the diologue and character development involved, it was also nice to see the ring make a comeback...because we all knew it really belonged to Sam. Personally, I would've liked to see a little more of a reaction from Sam after Danny gave her the ring--don't get me wrong, I almost cried when I saw Sam tear up, it was that sweet--but it would have been nice to hear her actually admit her feelings a little more than she did instead of it just becoming this mutual, understood thing all of a sudden.

I loved this episode...why else do you think I've spent over 400 words describing it so far? Overall, it was a truly amazing episode with an awesome plotline and a wonderful ending. It was very bittersweet, seeing as it was the end to my favorite show, but at least Danny Phantom left us with an amazing series finale.

show: Zoey 101

episode: Chase's Grandma

The Bottom Line: "Superb"

From the beginning of the episode, I really wasn't expecting anything really special. I was expecting another uber-witty save from the way-too-perfect Zoey Brooks. But the ending of this episode definitely wasn't expected! For once there was a Zoey 101 episode that was actually fairly realistic and showed some real acting talent. Another thing I really liked about this episode was that it had to deal with death, a very serious and difficult problem that most regular shows wouldn't focus on. Recently I lost my grandfather, who I was really close to, and it's still hard to think about. I'm really proud of the writers for focusing on something that actually matters in life instead of getting a pimple or not having something cute to wear. It also showed some serious acting development, especially with Sean Flynn (Chase) and Christopher Massey (Michael). I was actually close to tears when I saw Chase and Zoey together like that, with Chase's head on Zoey's shoulder.

In conclusion, it was a beautifully written episode with an unexpected yet very sad ending. It's now my favorite episode.