Travels with Kevin Part 11: Time for a Fall Television in Harrisonburg, Virginia

After my few days in Washington DC ended I went with my friend Steven to his current residence, Harrisonburg, Virginia.  Steven works at James Madison University with Orientation and First Year Programs.  While is town I was able to do one of my favorite things, explore a college campus.  While there I was able to see a truly beautiful campus, that appears to maximize there rolling hills/mountains from the various vantage points of campus.

After exploring the few places I ran out of things to do (beyond hanging out with Steven). Harrisonburg is a small town that has absolutely no connection with popular culture (that I could find).  While Steven was at, I decided to take advantage of this down time to sit down, relax, and watch television that I missed because of work, or my vacation interrupted the chance to watch the shows.  For me spending time in this small quaint college town was the perfect chance for me to reboot, recuperate, spend time with my best friend, and not think about work.

Most of the television I was able to catch up on  was the Sunday premiere night, and here are my thoughts:

After magic was unleashed on the town of Storybrooke, Once Upon a Time returned with a reckoning.  This was a show that it took me a while to get into, but when I watched in on Netflix recently I got hooked.  As the season came to a close I was slightly concerned as to how this show would continue the story.  From the storming of the "castle" also known as Regina's house to the remnants of those characters who were left behind in the magical land.

The campaign is on, the firm is in financial trouble, and Kahlinda's husband is here! The Good Wife set a lot of stories in motion, there is a lot going on and the show focusing on some new issues and items.  Aside from Zack's run in with the law, I am excited to see Peter run for another office, although it feels been there done that (a little).  The firms financial woes was the most interesting thing to me bringing out two characters who have amazing chemistry, Josh Charles, and Christine Baranski.  I am excited to see where Kahlinda's story is going to go, but this felt disjointed, I want them to make the connection sooner than later.

Back to the Hamptons with Revenge!  Emily/Amanda is back for another summer in the Hamptons, and of course the shows first few minutes started with a cliffhanger death, making the audience believe Jack would die, although this is another bait and switch.  I think Declan is the victim.  We all knew Victoria was alive, and her return could have been handled a little better, but this is one terrific hour of pulp fun.

One of the best returns of the season belongs to Dexter.   Deb knows Dexter's secret.  This episode had me constantly on edge, watching as this new version of cat and mouse was set in motion.  Dexter kept feeding her lies, and Deb finally started to see his darkness.  After two awful seasons this show could finally get back to form.  Most of the times the flashbacks are pandering, but even in this episode they connected things well.  I am excited to see the direction of this season.

The only new show I started on Sunday was 666 Park Avenue, and it may not last long.  While the show is frightening, creepy, and gave me a small nightmare, this show feels like a toned down American Horror Story.  I often wonder how this show would sustain more than one or two seasons.

The winner of Outstanding Drama series at the Emmy Awards, Homeland, returned Sunday as well.  This show brought Carrie back into the fold of the CIA, and continued Brody's confusing journey as an anti-hero.  Homeland is a show that paces itself beautifully, and watching Danes and Lewis is like watching poetry, these two are beyond talented.

While these shows have no connection to my actual journey, Harrisonburg, Virginia provided me a great release from the everyday stress of work.  I was able to not only catch up on television, but spend time with my best friend, what a great time.