Necrotongue

I really missed Francis and Claire Underwood, and they hooked me immediately upon their return. This season looks like it's going to be another great one. The election campaign is in full swing, and the intrigue and manipulation are at their peak. Claire and Frank once again proved they are masters of chilling finales.

When I started watching the series, I was secretly hoping that this medical show would come up with something original, but it didn't. The character of Shaun Murphy was interesting and the flashbacks into his childhood were initially quite entertaining. It's just that the creators used these flashbacks so often that I got tired of them by the third episode. I wasn't too happy with the rest of the cast, either. There were way too many beautiful soap opera faces for me to take. I think what hurt the series the most was the wasted potential of the main character and the melodrama. At the end of the day, it was just another easy watch for a weekday afternoon. Dr. House has a Vicodin addiction, Dr. Murphy is autistic, otherwise, the two shows are pretty much the same.

Well, I originally thought it was a stroke. Once again, they made full use of Shaun Murphy's character — I loved his obsession with the tumor, and his search for the scalpel had me in stitches. It's a pity they included scenes meant to be touching, as they unnecessarily spoiled the overall impression.

A significant improvement over the last episode. The girl without a smile was perfect ("I'm laughing on the inside."). The creators clearly remembered Shaun, who was quite sidelined in the previous episode, and I enjoyed the nice callback to episode six.

The episode had a relatively weak storyline. The plot involving the man in the wheelchair would have been good if it hadn’t quickly devolved into just his relationship with his wife. The subplot with the implants didn’t interest me at all — I can’t stand people who keep getting surgeries and then complain about having the same facial expressions as Mickey Rourke.

A bit of a letdown. I added a third star solely for the excellent Dr. Park, who managed to stock the fridge with organs for practically every transplant department in no time. Seriously, who told that kid he was getting the liver of a seven-time murderer, and why? A child psychologist? The sentimental ending didn’t quite land for me either, so I’m giving this one 3*-.

This episode was much like the last one — standard fare without any added value to elevate it. I wasn’t thrilled with the introduction of the new character, Dr. Morgan Reznick, who fits the cliché of an arrogant, calculating bitch. Is this show really turning into a typical soap opera?

After two promising episodes, the series returned to its usual standard. Not terrible, but not great either. The focus was back on the relationships between the doctors, and I was once again reminded of how soap opera-like some of the characters feel.

The creators seamlessly continued the storyline from the previous episode. I have to commend them again for not turning the twelfth episode into an absolute tear-jerker. Despite the noticeable drop in humor, I still enjoyed it.

Both storylines had their moments, and I appreciate that the creators didn't overdo the emotional scenes with the conjoined twins. The road trip was funny from start to finish, so I’m giving it four stars.