Pros & Cons: 4 Fall Shows You Need to Check Out

Believe it or not, it's fall. And when the leaves start to change from a vibrant green to crunchy orange, you know your favorite summer junkie TV shows are wrapping up.

The fall TV season can be overwhelming with the big three networks unleashing a myriad of comedies and dramas. If you add cable networks to the list, then good luck to the average viewer; it's nearly impossible to sort through all the flops (there are plenty we're looking at you "The Mysteries of Laura") to find the gems. But at EDGE, we did the sifting for you, coming up with five fall programs we're excited to watch and hope you check out.

But even with the best shows, we still have to be a little weary. So with each selection, we've listed some pros and the cons. Check them out below, and happy fall TV-watching!

"American Horror Story: Freak Show" (FX) Wednesday (Oct. 8) 10 p.m.

Premise: The fourth season of the anthology series is set in Jupiter, Fla., in the early 50s. A group of "freaks" arrives in the town, "coinciding with the strange emergence of a dark entity that savagely threatens the lives of townsfolk and freaks alike." The major stars of "AHS" return, with Jessica Lange as an ex-pat from Germany who leads the troupe, Sarah Paulson as conjoined twins Bette and Dot, Evan Peters as Jimmy Darling and Kathy Bats as his mother, Ethel Darling, the bearded woman. Several newcomers join the show too, including Michael Chiklis as Evans' father, Dell Toledo, the world's strongest man.

Pros: The "Freak Show" teasers have been promising, getting fans pumped up for the primer. The clips are packed with creepy contortionists, killer clowns, sinister dudes who swallow swords and people with more than the correct number of limbs.

The trailer, which came out earlier this week, adds more fuel to the fire: the set designs and costumes look impeccable and Twisty the Clown Killer (presumably making an appearance at the end of the clip) looks absolutely frightening. It also stresses that this season will mirror a lot of the 1932 classic, Todd Browning's "Freaks," with Peters screaming "DON'T CALL US FREAKS." Also, "Freak Show" stars Jyoti Amge - the world's smallest woman. Awesome.

Cons: A lot is on the line in the fourth season of "AHS." Coming off the mediocre mess (not in a fun way) that was "AHS: Coven," "Freak Show" has a lot to prove. This is probably the make-it-or-break-it season for the series but it's also a chance for the program's show runner, Ryan Murphy, to push the envelope.

There's a lot that can go wrong with "Freak Show" so I wouldn't be surprised if things went south really fast. Stylistically, "AHS" beats out almost any other show currently on TV, but it often loses its footing in either being too campy or not campy enough; bringing down what the show is series is trying to say as a whole. Hopefully, Murphy won't borrow too much from "Freaks," otherwise "Freak Show" could come off as an uninspired knockoff.

"Gotham" (Fox) Mondays, 8 p.m.

Premise: "Gotham" sets the scene of how Bruce Wayne became Batman, starting the day Wayne's parents were infamously murdered in an alleyway. The show centers around detectives James Gordon (Ben McKenzie ), you probably know him as Commissioner Gordon, and Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue), who navigate around the ultra corrupt Gotham as we learn how the villains of the Batman franchise became the evil twisted bad guys and gals we know today.

Pros: "Gotham" is dark, sleek and visually keen. It's a throwback while being completely modern: the detectives wear fedoras and looking like they raided Dick Tracy's closet; but they use iPhones. The cars look like they drove out of the 40s but have a millennial sheen. If you like hard boiled cops who talk too fast and are easily pissed off and you love that Batman franchise, then this show is for you!

Cons: There have been only two episodes of "Gotham," the slow and, somewhat boring, premiere and the much more compelling second episode. The show's leads often fade into the background as their costars vibrantly shine, like the stellar Jada Pinkett Smith as Fish Mooney, a mob leader with a side you don't want to cross, or Robin Lord Taylor as the sociopathic Oswald "Penguin" Cobblepot, who is commanding in every scene in which he appears.

"Gotham" had a rocky start and can be stale, leaving a lot more to be desired. It's up to show runner Bruno Heller's direction to bring "Gotham" to life or down a path of tropey comic-bad-guys-meet-"True Detective."

"How to Get Away With Murder" (ABC) Thursdays 10 p.m.

Premise: "How to Get Away With Murder" stars the dynamic Viola Davis as Annalise Keating, a unique law professor, giving her ambitious students a sneak peak into the world of defense law. But things take an unexpected turn from the get go when a group of students and Keating get involved in a twisted murder plot.

Pros: Viola Davis. Even on a trash ABC show, she rules, playing a strong female lead to a tee. She's brash, commanding, sly and intelligent, not taking shit from anyone. She makes the show: when she's in a scene you can't help but wonder which student she's chewing out or what she's plotting.

Another pro: there is lots of sex - gay sex. For an ABC drama, this is pushing it. I've never been into a Shonda Rhimes show but she's pulled the most gratifying elements of trashy television and rolled it into "HTGAWM."

Cons: Sure there's going to be lots of gay sex this season, huge fights and murder, but at times "HTGAWM" feels like it's operating on the lowest common dominator, only appealing to our basic instincts. The series is only two episodes in, but I'm not sure if it has anything to say. Sure, its fun TV but at times I wish there was a little substance to go along with it. Maybe I'm asking for too much.

"Transparent" (Amazon)

Premise: A well-to-do family from Los Angeles deals with each other's issues and secrets, namely their older father, who comes out as transgender.

Pros: I'll preface this with saying I've only seen the pilot. But it was enough to have me hooked. Everyone in this show is great - Jeffrey Tambor as Maura Pfefferman and Gabby Hoffman, Amy Landecker and Jay Duplass as her children. It's gotten rave reviews from critics and is certainly one of the most touching and special shows of its time.

Cons: It's only available to watch on Amazon Prime, which is about $100 a year. The pilot, however, is up for free. And while the show is fantastic and being lauded, I'm not sure I can justify forking over the dough to watch a 10-episode dramedy.