Your TV analysis for the week of May 3, 2015.

“I. AM. GRODD.”

Welcome to The Breakdown. We got Game of Thrones as usual. Below, you can also see how we felt about the finale of Gotham and New Girl. iZombie is still going strong, and The Flash and Arrow are nearing the end of their seasons. Let’s break it down.

Additional breakdowns by Michael Spring and Max Mielecki

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Note: The following breakdowns go into detail about their episodes. SPOILER ALERT!

Game of Thrones: “Sons of the Harpy”

by Michael Spring

A surprising and bloody episode of Game of Thrones came to a close with two important characters lying in a pool of their own blood. It seems like at least one of them is dead, and it also highlights just how perilous Dany’s situation is in Meereen. Perhaps this will pave way for Jorah and Tyrion to stand by her side, although they’re still a long way away from her. Cersei made her first proper move against the new queen, while Jaime and Bronn landed in Dorne on their mission to rescue Myrcella. There’s still a hell of a lot going on at the moment, with some characters getting a single scene per episode while others get none. It may be packed, but things are just starting to take a little bit more of a shape now.

90/100 – Superb

Silicon Valley: “The Lady”

by Max Mielecki

“The Lady” might be one of the most significant episodes Silicon Valley has done, and not because it hugely advances the plot. With Pied Piper in hiring mode, it allowed not only for a pretty good Richard/Erlich plot, but the introduction of new engineer, Carla. This introduction does a ton to address not only the low number of ladies on the show, but makes great strides in also addressing the portrayal of women in shows like it. “The Lady” wisely sidesteps the predictable “woman breaking up the boys’ club” story that could have been played out here, and instead immediately has Carla pranking Dinesh and Gilfoyle, hilariously confusing the hyper-politically correct Jared. By allowing Carla to play on the same level as everyone else, Silicon Valley makes her feel not like the stereotypical “geek girl,” but like a three-dimensional person and a meaningful part of the show.

90/100 – Superb

Veep: “Tehran”

by Montel Allen

“Tehran” greatly combined the impeccable comedic writing of Veep with some slapstick humor. The great writing fell on the scenes with Selina (of course), Ben and rescued journalist hostage, Leon West. Dan and Amy also got some great dialogue. Dan and Amy’s scenes are always fun to watch, as they are both equally matched, with both seeming to love and hate each other equally. The slapstick humor came from Gary and Mike getting left behind in Tehran. I had to let out a huge laugh when Gary’s bag of small liquor bottles gave way, spilling loads of alcohol on the floor of an airport in a dry country. Veep is doing great work now, and I’m glad to see the show balancing plot and the ever-impressive comedy week to week.

90/100 – Superb

Gotham: “All Happy Families Are Alike”

by Michael Spring

Thus ends Gotham’s first season. It’s been a bumpy ride to say the least, with every good point matched by a frustration counterpoint. Still, though, there are some things to look forward to going into the next season. Penguin in charge could be fun, and it’ll be interesting to see how he manages to control the city. Crazy Barbara could be pretty cool if they handle her correctly, and there’s even a Harley Quinn-esque vibe from her. Closing out the season with Bruce’s discovery of a secret cave could end up having a big payoff. I don’t believe we’ll see anything remotely close to Batman on the show yet, but that cave could hold a lot of secrets about what his father had been up to before his death. I’d like to see the Court of Owls make an appearance, given they have the makings of a decent mystery here. There’s the makings of a decent show in Gotham, they’ve just got to pull it all together next season and trim away the fat.

60/100 – Okay

Community: “Grifting 101”

by Max Mielecki

Community went for another concept episode this week in “Grifting 101,” which saw a new grifting professor, played by guest star Matt Barry, getting into a rivalry of sorts with Jeff. From the old-timey paintings that divided the episode into heist-movie worthy chapters, to the constant use of the Entertainer, “Grifting 101” certainly felt it was aspiring to be a genre send-up ala “Pillows and Blankets.” It didn’t quite commit to the theme in the way that those episodes did, and feels like it could’ve taken the concept much further. However, a few hilarious set pieces and a solid Jeff story underpinning it all helped to keep “Grifting 101” from being a missed opportunity.

80/100 – Great

The Flash: “Grodd Lives”

by Max Mielecki

The latest episode of The Flash certainly lived up to its name, with Eobard Thawne unleashing classic Flash antagonist Gorilla Grodd to keep the team busy while he prepared for his endgame. Grodd has been teased throughout the season, and while a telepathic ape is a tough pill to swallow, The Flash was able to make Grodd both an intriguing, imposing threat and a believable part of the world. There was also a few great scenes that fleshed out more of Eobard’s backstory, and with only two episodes left, the looming Flash/Reverse-Flash showdown looks to be one for the record books.

90/100 – Superb

iZombie: “Dead Air”

by Michael Spring

The case this week wasn’t all that interesting, but the cases have been one of the least important aspects of iZombie so far. Strong character interactions and intersecting storylines are really driving this show forward, and making it a fun hour of TV every single week. We were left with several cliffhangers, with the possibility of Blaine and Liv coming face to face again and Ravi potentially facing “life” as a zombie. Everything is coming together nicely, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for us next week.

88/100 – Great

New Girl: “Clean Break”

by Montel Allen

New Girl ended its fourth season with a bit of heart. Coach returned to the show and provided some great laughs, but the show will be without him now—as a regular at least. I’m always glad to see plot progression in comedies, and a good balance was struck here. This entire season really dragged the whole Cece and Schmidt rekindling up until the end, so it was nice to finally witness the culmination in “Clean Break.” While I did expect them to get back together at some point in Season 4, I was surprised by the marriage proposal. A second round of Jess and Nick was teased with the “sex mug,” so I do hope their relationship isn’t going to be a season-long tease akin to the aforementioned Cece/Smiedt schtick. I’m excited to see what direction New Girl takes on in Season 5, and I’m hoping for something fresh.

85/100 – Great

Arrow: “This is Your Sword”

by Michael Spring

All that was left in the episode was for Ollie to allow his friends to die and marry Nyssa, which is exactly what appeared to have happened! As cliffhanger endings go, it was a particularly good one, but of course there’s no way in hell that Ollie allowed his friends to get exposed to the Alpha/Omega virus. My guess is that he has somehow already vaccinated them, or he simply switched around the vials. “This is Your Sword” featured some strong moments of action and some even stronger drama between Ollie and his teammates. I’m wondering if there’s any way he can fully earn their trust back in the short time we have left this season.

80/100 – Great

Supernatural: “Dark Dynasty”

by Michael Spring

Yet again, one of the Winchesters’s lies seems to have had devastating consequences. Time and time again we’ve seen the boys lie to each other, and it very rarely ends well. Hell, that exact point was even made by several characters this week. Charlie seems to have paid the ultimate price for it, but as we’ve seen over and over on Supernatural, death isn’t always the end for a character. I’m hopeful that we haven’t seen the last of Felicia Day on the show, but if this is to be her last appearance, it’ll be an effectively tragic one. The villainous Styne’s have now been elevated to the number one target on the show, and Dean is sure to be out for some Mark of Cain-powered vengeance next week.

85/100 – Great

Louie: “Untitled”

by Max Mielecki

Louie has always been an experimental show, casting off the usual shackles of the sitcom format to tell both one-and-done tales and serialized epics. But as the show is now over five years old, Louis C.K. has made that experimental style the norm, and with that shift, the show hasn’t felt quite as bold as it once did. “Untitled” may be proof that C.K is aware of this, crafting a surreal story where Louie keeps having hilariously elaborate nightmares that bleed into one another like an offbeat comedy version of “Inception.” While it’s unclear exactly how much of “Untitled” actually happened, what is clear is that Louie can definitely break the mold when it wants to.

88/100 – Great

Are you glad to see more ladies on ‘Silicon Valley’? What other shows do you want to see in ‘The Breakdown’? Tweet us @YouNerded.

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That’s it for this week. Be sure to return every Saturday for your weekly TV breakdown.