Your TV analysis for the week of May 11, 2015.

“I’M AFRAID, IT IS WITH DEEP REGRET…”

Welcome to The Breakdown. This is a slimmer week, but we have the juggernaut that is Game of Thrones. Alongside that, we have—in my opinion—the best comedy’s best episode in Veep. iZombie is doing well, and we can’t get enough of it here at YouNerded. Enjoy our weekly TV tidbits and definitely let us know if there are any other shows we should add. Let’s break it down.

Additional breakdowns by Michael Spring

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

Game of Thrones: “Kill the Boy”

by Michael Spring

So, there was no King’s Landing at all (which is very rare), no Dorne and no Arya. I kind of appreciate this format at the moment. It gives us a longer look at certain characters in one episode instead of stretching out small pieces over the course of a couple. There was actually a similar approach in the book series, with several characters and plots having a whole book dedicated to them, with the next book following all of the other character’s events that ran parallel to the previous book. The big risk with this approach for the TV show is keeping people engaged if they’re watching an episode where none of their favorite characters appear. On a show of this quality, though, I’m sure it’s not that big of a problem. The War for the North is starting to heat up a little, even as winter fast approaches. Jon is venturing out into the wilds of the north once again, while Dany faces up to life without one of her top advisors. I’m sure we’ll be catching up with a whole host of characters in the next installment.

83/100 – Great

Veep: “Convention”

by Montel Allen

“Convention” was the best episode of Veep. As a comedy, it’s hard to forget that stakes are high seeing as this is a political show. What Veep does so incredibly well is translate all of that drama into diamond-level comedy. That level was reached in what most likely will be the scene that wins Anna Chlumsky an Emmy. Amy completely lost it and told Selina the barebones truth about herself and her political persona. While also doing this, she drilled the useless right-hand woman that is Karen Collins (Lennon Parham) aka “blah blah blah b***h.” After the comedic climax of Amy’s rant, Selina remained hard-pressed to find a running mate. At last enters Tom James, played by Hugh Lowry. I’m really excited to see the comedic duo of Selina and Tom, and as Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s comedic side combines with Hugh Lowry’s dramatic side. “Convention was a treat, and I hope to see it get some recognition at the Emmys.

100/100 – STELLAR

iZombie: “Patriot Brains”

by Michael Spring

iZombie’s strongest episode yet delivered on all fronts. There was plenty of the show’s trademark wit and charm on display, but this was joined by a real emotional punch right at the end that will have huge ramifications for everyone. Lowell’s death is sure to send Liv reeling, and she’ll be out to put a stop to Blaine as soon as possible. Major is now Blaine’s number one target, and it seems like only a matter of time before he gets let in on the bigger picture. I didn’t even get to talk about Ravi in amongst all of the other chaos. Thankfully, it looks like his zombie rat bite isn’t going to turn him into a zombie anytime soon, which is a good turn of events, as Liv is going to need her closest ally’s full attention right now.

95/100 – Superb

Arrow: “My Name Is Oliver Queen”

by Michael Spring

Season 3 wasn’t Arrow’s strongest effort, but it still managed to set us up for a very interesting Season 4. Damien Darhk is almost guaranteed to be one of the main players, and everything should tie in nicely with Diggle’s search for the truth about his brother’s death. The flashback also set up the intriguing possibility of Ollie spending time very close to home. Team Arrow continues to grow, and we’ll get to see Thea in action more as “Speedy.” That explosion in Ray’s lab at the end hints at Mr. Palmer unlocking some of the ATOM’s more super abilities, while we also have the build-up to the Legends of Tomorrow spin-off to look forward to. And freaking Malcolm Merlyn is the new Ra’s Al Ghul! Even though I was slightly let down by the finale, there’s still a ton of stuff to get excited for for next season. The big question will be how Ollie and Felicity will get drawn back into the firing line. Will they feel like something is missing from their lives without the Arrow, or will something a lot worse happen to make Ollie suit up again. It’s going to be a long wait to find out.

70/100 – Good

Supernatural: “The Prisoner”

by Michael Spring

Charlie’s tragic death has really set events in motion for the season finale. Dean went full “Man on Fire” mode here and killed an entire ancient family of sewn together douchebags. I don’t think he’s gone fully passed the point of no return yet, but he did shoot a freaking kid in the face and beat the holy hell out of Cas. It’s going to take something special to turn this around. Add into all of this that Sam tried to kill Crowley, and he only succeeded in making the King of Hell remember who he really is. With Sam and Cas scrambling to stop a near unstoppable Dean, and a vengeful Crowley out to kill his mother, we’re set up for one hell of a great finale.

80/100 – Great

Was that a good way to end ‘Arrow’? Was “Convention” the best episode of ‘Veep’? Tweet us @YouNerded.

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