Fall Preview: Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

The Premise

The believed to be deceased Agent Phil Coulson begins to put together a small team of superheroes that will help keep control of the increasing amount of individuals in the world that have super powers.

Clark Gregg (The Avengers, Iron Man) reprises his role as Phil Coulson.

Also starring Ming Na-Wen, Brett Dalton, Chloe Bennett, Iain De Caestecker and Elizabeth Henstridge.

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. premieres on ABC, Tuesday, September 24th at 8PM EST.

Where I Would Go With the Plot

Personally I think that this show brings two great things to the table: first it allows us to feed our "nerd need" for superheroes on a weekly basis in what we believe will be just as stellar writing as movies like The Avengers. Second it gives us a realistic way to see fan-favorite Agent Coulson again. Of course, a major part of the show will probably be about how Agent Coulson reacts to have passed into the other life and than come back. Of course, that's if he ever was alive.

I've read a fan theory out there that says Coulson never died but pretended to so that Nick Fury could assemble The Avengers judging by the portrayal of Coulson in the trailer, I really hope they don't go that way. Coulson while still himself has become darker and more determined. His knowledge is more than ever and he wants to protect the world.

We don't know practically anything about the show at the moment but I feel that the basis for this show needs to be Coulson finding a way to protect Earth with everyday human beings that assemble his "team". How humans, practical, normal, humans can be just as courageous and valiant as the Avengers. That needs to be a theme. Of course, there won't be a mass invasion, but let's take some of the villains the Avengers will never face. This is a perfect place to put them.

What I Think Will Happen

Like I said in the last paragraph we know practically nothing about what this show will entail. We've seen a trailer with Agent Coulson and some other people we don't recognize. Maria Hill will show up in the premiere. The pilot was written by the team of The Avengers. All I can promise is that this show will almost definitely live up to the hype.

My gut instinct is that the show will have a X-men like feel to it, without ever exactly referring to the X-Men to the Sony (I'm pretty sure it's Sony at least) still owning the rights to them because they keep pumping out movies. The X-Men are an essential part to the Marvel's universe so I figure this show will be the opportunity that Marvel, Disney and ABC take to re-brand the X-Men. Similar concept, different powers, not referred to as mutants. We still get that part of the universe in this story, but Sony gets to keep their pride and joy.

That put aside I trust the writers. They won't lead us on forever in this show. There will be mysteries -- things we don't understand -- villains behind the curtain that will be revealed after time. That's how these types of shows work on network television. But I believe it will be done well. And we'll have something to keep us occupied while we wait for Thor: The Dark World and Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Fall Preview: The Blacklist

Premise

Raymond "Red" Reddington, the FBI's most wanted, has come to the conclusion that he and the FBI now have the same desires and surrenders himself in person. The catch is that he is only willing to speak with a rookie profiler by the name of Elizabeth Keen who is on the job for her first day. She doubts his motives but with his help they are able to take down a terrorist involved in a kidnapping and insinuates there are more people that need to be caught. Over the past decades he has compiled a list of the most dangerous men, the men the FBI doesn't even know about. This is the Blacklist.

James Spader (Boston Legal, Stargate) stars as Raymond "Red" Reddington with Megan Boone (Step Up Revolution, Sex and the City 2) as Elizabeth Keen.

Also starring Harry Lennix, Diego Klattenhoff, Ryan Eggold and Ilfenash Hadera.

The Blacklist premieres on NBC, Monday September 23rd at 10PM EST.

Where I Would Go With the Plot

There is a very fine line that needs to be tread here. The Mentalist had to do the same thing and succeeded. Before The Mentalist a similar show already existed in Psych, but it chose to differentiate itself. The same is true here with The Blacklist. A similar show already exists; White Collar. Luckily, NBC can follow in CBS's good decisions for the most part with The Mentalist and make a success out of this show.

First off, there most be no secret family relation between Reddington and Keen. Just watching the trailer I find myself saying "Oh my gosh, if he's actually her father I'm going to be so upset." It's cliche and it just better not happen. He has obvious motives for surrendering on her first day on the job. You don't just do that for the average rookie. There's a reason he's chosen her. Make it something important -- something that he personally needs her for. Maybe the largest name of the Blacklist is someone that she knows personally (maybe her husband?). Her connection to this person will be what enables him to actually succeed in doing what he's trying to do. I say that because I do not for one minute believe he's doing this out of the goodness of his heart -- at least right now. He has an ulterior motive. This is a power play and the FBI is playing right into his hands.

Also, as much as they try to make this a "Catch a bad guy every week" drama, can they realistically do that? It's going to get old and fast. After a few names Reddington's motive is going to have to come to the forefront -- I'd make Keen find out about it first. She feels like she should turn Reddington in, but she knows that if she keeps quiet they'll be able to catch more of this unknown criminals so she starts becoming a little "less by the book" while Reddington starts to realize that a life of crime really wasn't worth it and that he enjoys making the world a safer and more legal place.

What I Think Will Happen

Other than NBC cancelling it because they've cancelled every single good show they've had since Friends and Frasier? Okay, I'm bitter, yes. NBC has had some good shows over the years that they've cancelled and some really sub-par shows that they've kept. With any luck this can be their new baby. But my guess is they'll flub it up in the beginning.

This has "buddy cop" written all over it. To start it off it's going to be a different person they're catching every week -- everyone loses faith in Reddington, including the viewer, asking themselves if this is his moment that he's going to "make a break for it". And then he'll turn up, do the valiant thing and save the day. Easy. Peasy. Done....Boring.

Let's just hope that goes out the door by Christmas and a "rival" to Reddington is introduced (similar to M in Elementary last season). He'll be discontent with Reddington selling out criminals and vow to not only hurt Reddington, but hurt his darling "Keen". He'll also insinuate that he knows who Keen truly is and that'll just make Reddington even madder. Oh gosh, I hope I'm wrong on this one.

Fall Preview: How I Met Your Mother

The Premise

Season 8 started about as happily as anyone could imagine: Marshall and Lily had their first baby, Robin was dating the stud named Nick, Barney and Quinn were freshly engaged and Ted has won back Victoria just hours before her wedding. Sadly, all these relationships would end over the few short period of a few episodes (except for Marshall and Lily of course) in what is known to the group as "The Autumn of Breakups".

After the new parents find a solid babysitter in their life in Lily's father, she takes on a job as the Captain's new art consultant, finally honing in on one of her life dreams. Meanwhile Barney and Robin begin to realize what they mean to each other, except it's not that easy. Barney has begun a relationship with Robin's co-worked, Patrice, but after Robin hears of Barney's plans to propose to Patrice, Robin discovers that it was all a facade in order for Robin to realize how she feels about Barney. Oh, and that proposal was for her. She says yes.

After the proposal Marshall's career takes a wild turn. After a victorious court case that Marshall wins for his firm bad publicity forces the firm to lose practically all of its business, resulting in Marshall doing nothing but sit around the office all day. During the time, he applies to be a judge. Lily's job however is rendering great new opportunities. After working for the Captain for a while he discloses his plans to move to Rome for a year and asks Lily to bring her family along and work for him while there. After Marshall explains to her that he'd love to go preparations are made for the Erickson Family to move to Italy; that is until he receives news while on vacation in Minnesota that he has been appointed to be a judge in the state of New York, leaving him confused at the end of the season in what to do and what he should tell Lily.

Ted's life comes clear into focus after dating a crazy girl, Jeanette and realizing that his place as the only single member in the group has made him want to "settle down". After a fight with Lily about whether Barney and Robin should get a DJ or a band for their wedding, Ted runs into Cindy, his future wife's roommate. She mentions that her roommate plays in a band and later we discover that the mother is the bass guitarist.

Right before the wedding Ted realizes that he won't be able to be around Robin and Barney after they are married, making him decide that the day after their wedding he's going to uproot and move to Chicago for a fresh start. However, as everyone heads off to the big wedding, one more person is in route that will change his plans; the mother.

Josh Radnor stars as Ted Mosby, Cobie Smulders (The Avengers) stars as Robin Scherbatsky, Neil Patrick Harris stars as Barney Stinson, Alyson Hannigan stars as Lily Aldrin and Jason Segel (Despicable Me, Forgetting Sarah Marshall) stars as Marshall Eriksen with Cristin Milioti as the Mother.

How I Met Your Mother returns on CBS, Monday September 23rd at 8:00PM EST.

Where I Would Go With the Plot

I can tell you one thing: where I would go with the plot is definitely different from what's actually going to happen. I miss the days of Ted frantically obsessing over a girl, trying to find a way for their relationship to work out. We saw it first with Robin back in season one and then Victoria again later that season. We know how both of those ended. And then there was Stella in season three -- I wasn't a fan of Stella, but that arc showed us who Ted really was -- someone who wouldn't give up and someone who would find a way to prove he was totally worth it. Since Stella it's been more of a one night stand after another, even while he was in relationships. They were just so quick and he never had to work for them.

What I would do is introduce Ted to the mother at the end of the season premiere -- letting the Stinson/Scherbatsky wedding be the episode. The wedding was exceptionally hard for Ted but right afterward he meets to most amazing woman on the train stop and later on the train to Farhampton, the bass guitarist from the wedding band. He falls in love so quickly that he cancels his plans to move to Chicago on a whim. Of course with Lily and Marshall's plans to move to Rome diminished because of his new job, Ted moves back in with them while he looks for a new place to live. The only problem is that the Mother doesn't seem to be very interested in Ted more than an occasional friend.

Throughout the season Ted and the Mother become closer and closer and egged on by Lily and Marshall eventually find that they are perfect for each other. The series would end with Ted proposing to the Mother, helped by his best friend Barney who's already proved that when it comes to proposing he can do it best. Bob Saget closes our the narration talking about their wedding and finally relieves his poor children of listening to his story.

What I Think Will Happen

According to press releases the entire season will be during the 72 hours leading up to the Stinson/Scherbatsky wedding. While I think the wedding is a great way to end the series, I have serious reservations about an entire season (usually 24 episodes) taking place in a very constrained amount of time unless the show is 24.

Issues that usually only take an episode or two to get hammered out like Robin's something old, Marshall's new job as a judge or Ted moving to Chicago will take episodes now to get resolved, dragging along plots. Either that or they'll get resolved much quicker than realistic, which is something the show has always tried to be -- realistic with the times. While I know the show plans on meeting the Mother in the finale, is it worth the sake of dragging out stories or cutting them realistically short?

I have no doubt that the moment when Ted and the Mother meet will be magical. I'm also enthralled by the fact we'll get to meet the Mother through the eyes of the rest of the cast before she and Ted actually meet. It'll be a good chance for us to get to know her, like her and crave the two of them to meet. I have a feeling the finale will be one of the most heart-wrenching to watch since the end of Friends -- bringing happiness and sadness at the same time. I'm just concerned with what will happen in the other 23 episodes.

Fall Preview: Survivor: Blood vs. Water

The Premise

Survivor tries a new twist of the game with their upcoming 27th season of the show. For the third season in a row Survivor is bringing back some of our favorite contestants to play the game again, but this time they're bringing along those dear loved ones they left back home the first time. The show also returns to the Philippines for the third straight season. Redemption Island was also used during gameplay after being put on the shelf for a few seasons. The main twist is that a loved one can switch places with their loved one if they are on Redemption Island.

The season includes some well-known people playing the game, mostly Brad Culpepper, former NFL quarterback playing along with his wife Monica. The season also features the first person to ever play Survivor after appearing on CBS's Big Brother.

Survivor: Blood vs. Water premieres on CBS, Wednesday, September 18th at 8PM EST.

Where I Would Go With It

Last year The Amazing Race upped the stakes and made it possibly for one team to win $2 million if they won the first leg and then won the race in the end. Survivor: Blood vs. Water has potential to do the same. Typically there is a final two or a final three. They need to change it this time around. They need to make a final four. The twist is that if two loved ones make it to the final four together, any votes cast for either one technically count as a "family team vote". If together they receive more votes than the other two castaways (or other family) each of them would win $1 million.

I'm also intrigued by the Redemption Island twist. I was never a huge fan of Redemption Island because it was the same thing every week and totally got rid of the sadness of having your favorite voted out. This time around I'm willing to give it a go, especially since loved ones will start out on separate tribes. It'll be interesting to see what happens.

Of course the huge debate is about whether or not Survivor is scripted. Even if it isn't, it's pretty easy to see where things will come down to; in the end there has to be at least two family members together in order to create drama. If not, the entire point of the season is moot.

What I Think Will Happen

I could easily sum it up in one simple word: drama.

Survivor is my guilty pleasure. I get nothing out of watching it. The show really gives nothing to the viewer except a desire to think that one would win in such a competition. We think in our minds that it would be so easy for us to manipulate our way through the game. Well, we're seeing everything and they aren't. But anyway, we have to remember this isn't a strategy show anymore. This is pure entertainment.

So what we'll see is simple: blindsides, connections made, connections broken, family ties broken more than likely and some family ties solidified. Hopefully, we'll even see a proposal. In fact, I'm willing to bet on it!

Fall Preview: Sleepy Hollow

The Premise

In the future in the year 2040 both Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horse awaken from a deep sleep that both of them have been in since the Revolutionary War. The Horsemen immediately begins killing again and Crane is forced to partner with new sheriff Abbie Mills. Looking through the old sheriff's old police files (he is now deceased), Mills find two occult groups that may be responsible for the Horseman's re-awakening. The Horseman must be stopped in order to prevent havoc raining on the Earth, but that will be more difficult with him choosing to use modern weaponry to his advantage. The adjustment is much more difficult for Crane who finds it odd to work with a black person, let alone a woman, both of whom had no societal standing back during the Revolutionary War. Of course, everyone considers him crazy for who he claims to be.

Tom Mision stars as Ichabod Crane and Nicole Beharie (42, The Express) stars as Abbie Mills with Richard Cetrone (The Watchmen, Underworld: Revolution) as the Headless Horseman.

Also starring Orlando Jones, Katia Winter and John Cho. The show was shot in North Carolina.

Sleepy Hollow premieres on FOX, Monday September 16th at 9PM EST.

Where I Would Go With the Plot

Judging by the trailer the story will delve into extreme occultism with an end of the world twist on it, judging by the reference to cults and the excerpt heard about the horseman from the Book of Revelation in the Bible. While I feel these plots and premises are currently being overused, there is definitely something that can be done here. First off, I would make one thing certain. The Headless Horseman cannot leave Sleepy Hollow for some reason or other, at least while Ichabod Crane is alive. And vice verse. While I know that's been done recently in a similar matter in Once Upon a Time, the series needs to be contained, at least for the first couple of seasons.

It's interesting also to note that General George Washington has a role to play in the series. He was the one who gave Crane the orders to kill the Horseman, or whomever the Horseman was known as before he became headless. I see potential with this being able to tie the founding of this country in with biblical passages pertaining to the ending of the world. While the founding fathers new it was important they were trying their best to postpone it, either out of fear or out of some knowledge they already have.

As for what I would do in the first season is simple -- focus more on Ichabod Crane and delve into his character. If we get the Headless Horseman killing someone every week it'll turn into a "buddy cop" drama where the villain is never caught. That leads to boring TV. Show Crane making a difference in his new world. Get him involved with the two occults in the area and delve into history. Also, please, please, please, give us flashbacks to the Revolutionary War.

What I Think Will Happen

This has "great for a couple of seasons" written all over it. I'm looking at this show in the same way I view Lost, Fringe and even the new Star Trek movies a little bit. The writers, directors and producers know what they're doing. They've got a great plot and some great ideas. But in the end, they're going to try and do a little too much.

So that said, I think this first season will be amazing. My guess is the the Headless Horseman will claim a new victim each week on the show and that it will lead with more clues as to what exactly is going on. Interaction between the Horseman and Crane will probably be minimal, happening only in the premiere and then again every few episodes or so. Crane will notice however that every murder connects and that the Horseman is trying to prepare for something. His time will be spent trying to put those bits together (with one of the two cults) while Sheriff Mills focuses on helplessly attempting to catch the Horseman.

I get the feeling they're trying to go and make a darker version of National Treasure in this show, just without the treasure. Secrets held from the founding fathers. A path placed for Crane to find in the future. I'm sure all in all it will be a very fun ride, at least for the first couple of seasons.