Hirst transports us to a fascinating and brutal world, combining fact with fast-paced fiction into a show, the likes of which come around all too infrequently. As Ragnar does, so too does Season Three of Vikings expand its worldview beyond the inlet at Kattegat and into Medieval Europe, promising battles, glory, and adventures not to be missed.

There is enough going on in The Slap without the addition of the narration, which is reminiscent of the voice over on Pushing Daisies and sounds like it's describing a comedy. Get rid of that smug, knowing narrator, The Slap can speak for itself.

Even without Walter White or Jesse Pinkman, Saul--with his bizarre acquaintances, his oily courtroom performances, his willingness to throw people under the bus to save himself, his me-first attitude, and his incredible potential for bad situations--makes for some darn good television.

Man Seeking Woman is a rare and unique comedy, but raises the bar so high with its initial episodes that it will have to work extra hard to keep up this pace.

The past is suddenly malleable. This removes all the stakes, but also downgrades 12 Monkeys from fatalistic sci-fi dystopia to a predictable genre piece. Not horrible by SyFy, or even cable thriller standards, but still disappointing.

Heigl's serviceable, and the show's writing is fun enough that, as long as audiences don't expect the next great political thriller, State of Affairs could be a worthwhile way to spend the concluding hours of a Monday night.

Not only does it promise scares, but it looks good, moves quickly, and uses effects well and wisely. In a market that's rapidly growing, Constantine does a commendable job distinguishing itself.

It doesn't stretch itself too thin working for laughs, but rather earns them genuinely.

It is hard to find a suitable middle ground, when neither protagonist wants to implicate him/herself. That--this puzzle of what really happened--might be the genius of the show, but it's also frequently its great frustration. If audiences aren't fully engaged while watching Noah's point of view, then having to rewatch everything a second time around from Alison's perspective will be painful.

Freak Show starts off strong, offering more than just a taste of the spooky, bloody, quirky season to come.

Feldman and Milioti are inherently likeable actors, though as Andrew and Zelda, even their allures wane, stretched too thin by underwhelming writing and a disappointing lack of both humor and creativity.

The show tries (too) hard for laughs ... Walsh does what she can with the material, but by the twelfth time she utters the word "dude," her efforts fall flat.

A smart and enthralling D.C. drama that resurrects its predecessor's outlook, but still takes on a life of its own.

Gordon and the graft permeating the GCPD can be compelling enough to sustain a Gotham story in which Batman doesn't yet exist. However, without the foil of Batman, the villains run the risk of appearing cartoonish.

Mulaney often feels inauthentic and forced. However, one gets a feeling that like his smart stand-up material, Mulaney is aware of the awkwardness of his chosen format and is using it to his advantage. [Sep/Oct 2014, p.83]

The Flash continues the CW's streak with the perfect mix of humor and gravity intrinsic to The Flash comics. [Sep/Oct 2014, p.83]

Limp and gratuitous dialogue often borders on melodrama, and none of the characters are particularly compelling or interesting. [Sep/Oct 2014, p.83]

The story serves as little more than set pieces to the real conflict here, which is Clara's relationship with The Doctor.

The premise provides an interesting hook for a period drama, but the show straddles too many lines, as far as tone and genre go. If it committed more fully to any one direction, it would be exponentially stronger. As it is, it feels too concerned with casting as wide a net as possible and could fail to catch many return viewers.

Under this gorgeous dressing, The Knick feels curiously hollow.

While the pilot sets the series off to a rather slow start, once you warm to the unique pace and rhythms of their comic delivery, Garfunkel and Oates makes for an endearing half hour experience.

For fans craving the next dark, disturbing weekly watch in the spirit of The Walking Dead, The Strain will prove too cheeky and eye-roll inducing. Those that appreciate late '90s B-horror flicks such as The Faculty might enjoy The Strain for the kind of creepy, often goofy ride it is, even though it never gets too deep.

One has to be both in the know, as well as acclimated to the gory violence and corpses that frequently appear on camera in order to follow along. As long as Cross and Ruiz's renewed partnership seems necessary, season one fans should welcome the return of The Bridge.

There's enough intrigue driving the premise to set The Leftovers up as a promising series; whether the show can maintain its momentum or succumbs to the weight of the myriad, potentially frustrating mysteries behind it remains to be seen.

O'Quinn doesn't have nearly the command he did on Lost, even if he is in charge. Any scenes with the gang members' families are just plain cringe-worthy.

Maron is at its greatest when the comedian plays into the abrasiveness that lands him in trouble with others.

Overall, it took Once Upon a Time a season to fall flat; Penny Dreadful does that immediately.

With several seasons under their belt, they effortlessly inhabit the hundreds of characters that populate their vision of Portland. That vision is simultaneously expanding and tightening.