What I’m Watching: We Hunt Together

We Hunt Together: Season 1, Episode 4 (B+)

Here’s where I think this show pivoted in a way that makes me much more excited to watch the last two episodes: the cops are now just as interesting as the criminals, if not more so. I enjoyed Susan calling Lola and Jackson the twins from “The Shining” because of how they were standing and waiting for her in the hallway, though that creepy enthusiasm didn’t help to convince her to keep the case open. After the two of them walked in on Jackson’s wife getting cozy with her business colleague, Lola suggested that she would camp out in front of Freddy’s flat all night, an assertion that Jackson wasn’t sure whether he should take seriously. Unfortunately, she did miss them exiting together, in part because Freddy went back up and because Jackson arrived at that precise moment, but mainly due to Lola’s crippling addiction. Jackson seemed most concerned with protocol and her not being reprimanded for reporting late upon being recalled to the station, and he quickly diagnosed her overuse of both codeine and heroin. Covering for her was a kind action, and she got to understand some of the other allowances he makes, like pretending that he doesn’t know about his wife’s affair. The boys from Freddy’s past wouldn’t mess with her and with Baba if they had any idea what either of them are capable of, but aside from one intense punch, they don’t seem to be their next target. I can’t help but instantly associate actor Kris Marshall, who plays Fitzgerald, the wheelchair-bound man who is about to pay for his abusive actions, with his far less threatening role as the idiotic and idealistic Colin in “Love Actually.”

Take Three: Lovecraft Country

Lovecraft Country: Season 1, Episode 3 “Holy Ghost” (B)

So this show is definitely horror, which is not something I like, but I do appreciate that, while it’s creepier than “The X-Files” usually was, it’s the same kind of style, where jump scenes aren’t frequently featured but instead there’s an immediate terror to what happens. I thought for a moment that this was turning into an anthology series where we saw the same actors but in different roles and contained stories, especially with the opening description of the three people going missing in the house. What was additionally clever about that setup, however, was that it wasn’t any of the Black residents but instead the three white intruders who came in with baseball bats to try to attack those peacefully living inside. Putting bricks on the car horns so that they constantly went off and erecting signs telling undesirables to go home were continued instances of cruel racism that the police fully supported and even encouraged, especially when they showed up within minutes of Letitia losing her patience and smashing all the car windows after she saw the cross burning on the lawn. I’m not so big on Ouija boards and incantation rituals, but it was definitely interesting to see Letitia refuse to give into her fear and instead take impressive control of the situation, channeling empathy for the ghosts and helping them to reach a peaceful place. This house plotline may be over, but Christina is back, and she has plenty to work on with Atticus. I’d like to see more of that mythology and fewer bloody faces in the mirror in the coming episodes.

Emmy Episodes: Modern Family

It’s always my policy to watch every Emmy-nominated episode each year, which leads me to sample a handful of shows that I don’t tune in to on a regular basis. For the fifth year in a row, I’m making a special effort to spotlight each of those installments to offer my perspective on shows that I don’t review each week.

Modern Family: Season 11, Episodes 17 and 18 “Finale, Parts 1 and 2” (B)

Technically, only the second half of this hourlong episode is nominated for its direction, but I wasn’t about to skip the first part of it, especially since I did used to watch this show regularly. Much of what happened in this episode was expected, but there’s still an element of nostalgia that works in its favor. The Dunphy house was impossibly crowded, and living in an RV in the driveway wasn’t going to be a permanent soluton for Claire and Phil. It also tracked that all three of them ended up deciding to move out at the same time, though it’s not entirely clear that Haley and Dylan will be able to subsist on their own if they miscalculated and thought that his human experiment participation had netted them a million dollars. I would have also recommended that someone else confirm that Luke did in fact get into college before just letting him fly off to a university that may or may not be in Oregon. Alex seems to be most well-prepared for independent life, even if that means embarking on a new relationship in Switzerland. The casting of Chris Geere from “You’re the Worst” as her coworker slash new boyfriend was humorous since he was never once appropriate in that role, the complete opposite of what he was playing here. Joe has become the precocious child that Lily and Manny before here were, obsessed with teaching his older brother a lesson about the dangers of the world. Cam and Mitch moving to Missouri will surely present challenges, but I’m hope that’s not the setting for a spin-off series since I think it might get old fast. The sweetest part of the episode was actually Jay secretly learning Spanish so that he could understand Gloria’s family members when he went to visit Colombia. Sampling this finale didn’t make me feel like I needed to have kept watching since I gave up back in the middle of season eight, but I didn’t mind revisiting it for this moderately emotional farewell.

Emmy Episodes: Modern Family

It’s always my policy to watch every Emmy-nominated episode each year, which leads me to sample a handful of shows that I don’t tune in to on a regular basis. For the fifth year in a row, I’m making a special effort to spotlight each of those installments to offer my perspective on shows that I don’t review each week.

Modern Family: Season 11, Episode 11 “Legacy” (C+)

It’s been three years since I last watched this show, when it was nominated for Best Comedy Series the same season that I finally decided not to watch it. That didn’t happen for its final season, but it did score two nominations. The first – for this episode – is for guest actor Fred Willard, who was last nominated for this role a decade ago. Willard died at the age of eighty-six back in May, and he also guest-starred in a few episodes of “Space Force.” He’s certainly endearing, and the fact that Frank was fully cognizant of what he was doing at the supermarket and proud of his son for taking up the family profession – keeping things light and fun – only helped with that. Their car ejector device was a bit much, as was the rest of this episode, which felt more clunky and much less original than I remember this show being in its initial years (which makes sense). Mitchell and Claire being desperate to prove their father wrong about his making them leave their family trip early was revealed to be the ultimate act of self-sacrifice, while his latest “successful project” turned out to be his son Joe. Cam and Gloria have fun together and enjoyed helping the other get rid of problematic competition by wearing them down, and Manny even managed to get a phone number from a girl we first saw in the pilot episode of this show back in 2009 (played by the same actress). I did enjoy recognizing the Westfield Century City food court in Los Angeles as the setting of most of their antics.

Emmy Episodes: A Black Lady Sketch Show

It’s always my policy to watch every Emmy-nominated episode each year, which leads me to sample a handful of shows that I don’t tune in to on a regular basis. For the fifth year in a row, I’m making a special effort to spotlight each of those installments to offer my perspective on shows that I don’t review each week.

A Black Lady Sketch Show: Season 1, Episode 1 “Angela Bassett Is the Baddest B***h” (B-)

I watched this episode, which is actually the pilot of this six-episode series that was renewed by HBO for a second round, after marathoning all of the “Saturday Night Live” episodes in contention for Emmy this year. It is refreshing in a way to see sketches that are visually higher-quality and more polished, but I still have the same issue with this kind of series, which is that I really prefer a more cohesive storyline. The continued check-ins a number of hours or minutes after “the event” did maintain a narrative, though it was more about not breaking phones or spilling secrets than the apparent end of the world that just casually came up. There was a mild violence warning when the episode started since this show seems to lean towards action-oriented sketches, with the CIA agent who’s invisible ultimately fighting herself and the opening bit with the woman running away from the monster. I was happy to recognize a few actresses who aren’t regular members of the cast in this episode, including Nicole Byer from “Nailed It,” Yvonne Orji from “Insecure,” Gina Torres from “Suits,” and Laverne Cox from “Orange is the New Black.” The reason that I watched this episode was because it’s Emmy-nominated for Angela Bassett’s brief appearance, which really didn’t astound me all that much. She did fine with the material and made the most of it, but I’m not sure I would have remembered she appeared in this episode if I hadn’t been looking for her. Overall, I think what impressed me the most was star Robin Thede’s monologue skills as the absurd teacher in the Hertep Masterclass.

Emmy Episodes: GLOW

It’s always my policy to watch every Emmy-nominated episode each year, which leads me to sample a handful of shows that I don’t tune in to on a regular basis. For the fifth year in a row, I’m making a special effort to spotlight each of those installments to offer my perspective on shows that I don’t review each week.

GLOW: Season 3, Episode 10 “A Very GLOW Christmas” (B+)

This is one show that I tend to enjoy when I watch its Emmy episodes, though only Betty Gilpin, who plays Debbie, has been nominated since season one, which means I don’t experience much of it. I obviously missed a lot since episode four of season two, like whatever hate crime occurred and the developments in all of the relationships each of the characters have with each other and their own romantic partners. As another showcase of Gilpin’s work, this episode did lean heavily on Debbie and her business interests. Being told by her boyfriend, played by Toby Huss from “Dickinson,” that she was always just going to be his girlfriend – or maybe eventually his wife – and good only for making dinners more bearable was the impetus she needed to come in and undercut him with Bash on his own deal. She seems fine with Ruth, which wasn’t always the case, but Ruth isn’t interested in what she counts as success. Carmen is in a better place than she’s been, though that also means that she’s leaving this world, something that her colleagues didn’t want to hear. There were some other positives, like Cherry’s husband talking about adoption rather than an affair, and Arthie coming out to a supportive and unfazed audience. I know that season four will be the end of this show, and I wouldn’t mind watching more of it if any of its players end up getting nominated.

Emmy Episodes: Brooklyn Nine-Nine

It’s always my policy to watch every Emmy-nominated episode each year, which leads me to sample a handful of shows that I don’t tune in to on a regular basis. For the fifth year in a row, I’m making a special effort to spotlight each of those installments to offer my perspective on shows that I don’t review each week.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Season 7, Episode 12 “Ransom” (B+)

Every time I watch this show, I think that maybe I shouldn’t have been so quick to give up on it after the first three episodes and I just wasn’t feeling it. There are still some characters I don’t love as much, like Charles and Terry, whose ill-advised bone broth business combusted rather quickly. What I do love, however, is the relationship between Jake and Holt. This, of course, is the Emmy submission for Andre Braugher, who returns to the Emmy lineup for the first time in four years. I don’t think I had the pleasure of meeting his onscreen husband before, played by scene stealer Marc Evan Jackson, who I’ve enjoyed in the past on shows like “Parks and Recreation,” “The Good Place,” and “Dead to Me.” I enjoyed all of Jake’s interactions with Kevin, including the comedic cop trying to learn how to talk like him and also questioning how a dog could love security cameras. Though this wasn’t Braugher’s best work, I did love the way that he connected a man’s watch being slow to him being a psychopath, and there’s no matching his deadpan delivery of his sunshine and umbrella line. Being unable to remember which 80s movie was based on him was the perfect torture for Jake, who immediately came to multiple definitive conclusions. I’m always happy to see Kyle Bornheimer, who I recently watched in the Emmy-nominated installment of “Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings,” and he did great as Amy’s insanely boring ex who managed to convince Rosa to try to hold on to a stroller for hours, a ridiculous challenge that I cannot imagine could be real.

Emmy Episodes: Saturday Night Live

It’s always my policy to watch every Emmy-nominated episode each year, which leads me to sample a handful of shows that I don’t tune in to on a regular basis. For the fifth year in a row, I’m making a special effort to spotlight each of those installments to offer my perspective on shows that I don’t review each week.

Saturday Night Live: Season 45, Episode 17 “SNL at Home #2” (B-)

This is one of three installments of this show produced during the pandemic, originally aired at the end of April. While being in the same room is of course valuable to variety players, this format actually shows which of them are most talented and which just can’t quite communicate their abilities as well when they’re the only ones on camera. Kate McKinnon, for instance, is fantastic, delivering tremendously as the standout of this episode in the cat sketch and also with Aidy Bryant, who did fine in the lackluster journal bit, in the supermarket commercial where they were trying to sell overstocked items that were absolutely ridiculous. Kenan Thompson chose this episode as his Emmy submission for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, and he knows how to work with the material he’s given, doing better with the Dominican lunch cooking class and as O.J. Simpson than the overlong song he sang towards the beginning of the episode. Brad Pitt is also an Emmy nominee for his very brief appearance in the cold open as Dr. Fauci, and while it’s a decent impersonation, it’s hardly worthy of that praise both for its depth and its (lack of) length. Adam Sandler was a welcome guest in Pete Davidson’s musical sketch, while it wasn’t nearly as clear why Charles Barkley or DJ Khaled needed to appear rather than one of the other cast members playing them. It was also strange to see Paul Rudd, even if he tends to usually be endearing. The forgetting-name sketch wasn’t a slam dunk by any stretch, but Kyle Mooney also demonstrated his ability to act opposite himself and others.

Emmy Episodes: Saturday Night Live

It’s always my policy to watch every Emmy-nominated episode each year, which leads me to sample a handful of shows that I don’t tune in to on a regular basis. For the fifth year in a row, I’m making a special effort to spotlight each of those installments to offer my perspective on shows that I don’t review each week.

Saturday Night Live: Season 45, Episode 15 “Host: Daniel Craig” (B)

This was the last live episode of this show produced, and the show actually took a full month off before it returned with the first of three at-home installments, one of which I’m planning to review since it features Emmy-nominated appearances from Brad Pitt and Kenan Thompson. This episode is the submission for Kate McKinnon, who earns her seventh consecutive nomination. It’s not the most impressive work she’s done, mainly because her characters aren’t as great as they’ve been in the past. Opening with her playing Laura Ingraham and then switching to dress like Elizabeth Warren while standing next to the real-life senator and former presidential candidate was fun, especially since you can tell that she’s doing a lot of work to act like Warren. Her only other real notable moment was in the “Sands of Modesto” scene where host Daniel Craig pulled a sheet of plastic wrap over her so that he wouldn’t be coming into direct contact. This episode was all about making fun of coronavirus, and while I wouldn’t say any of the humor is particularly offensive, it also hasn’t aged that well since evidently no one then had any concept of what things would be like now. Rachel Dratch playing Debbie Bowner with a N95 mask at the punishment table at a wedding talking about asymptomatic transmission was the best instance of this, though it was admittedly entertaining. Cecily Strong’s party girl who just wanted to put her hands in Michael Che’s mouth was a solid use of her talents, and it’s not easy to write an entire monologue with that many errors purposely put into it. Craig was somewhat funny in the fake Bond clip, the cooking show bit, and the Southern-accent-turned-vomiting-on-command sketch. I didn’t see the point of the “deep quote” game sketch, and ending with the revolting “overnight salad” didn’t provide the strongest finish.

Emmy Episodes: Saturday Night Live

It’s always my policy to watch every Emmy-nominated episode each year, which leads me to sample a handful of shows that I don’t tune in to on a regular basis. For the fifth year in a row, I’m making a special effort to spotlight each of those installments to offer my perspective on shows that I don’t review each week.

Saturday Night Live: Season 45, Episode 11 “Host: Adam Driver” (B)

Banner years are one of the main reasons that performers are chosen to host this show, and that was certainly the case last year for Adam Driver, who earned an Oscar nomination for “Marriage Story,” starred in “The Report,” and was seen by infinitely more people in the final chapter of the current “Star Wars” trilogy, “The Rise of Skywalker.” This isn’t his first time hosting but it’s my first time seeing him, and I was honestly surprised. He was more energetic and participatory than I had expected, combating his public persona of not liking clips being played of him and engaging with audience members to poke fun at himself. The opening sketch with Jon Lovitz as Alan Dershowitz being summoned to hell so that Kate McKinnon’s devil could meet him was cringe-worthy for its multiple awkward Jeffrey Epstein references, but things got better from there. He was game for what was required of him in the flushing conversation and the taking-it-slow bit, and I think he was best in the “Undercover Boss” parody that had him playing Kylo Ren again. I’ve been enjoying Aidy Bryant’s performance on “Shrill” and it’s clear that, like McKinnon, she’s up for just about anything and capable of plenty even if the scripts aren’t great. It’s also good to see Kenan Thompson, who earned his second Emmy nomination this year but submitted a different episode for consideration, standing out in sketches like the vengeful knight one, making the most of a concept that’s not all that hilarious.

Emmy Episodes: Saturday Night Live

It’s always my policy to watch every Emmy-nominated episode each year, which leads me to sample a handful of shows that I don’t tune in to on a regular basis. For the fifth year in a row, I’m making a special effort to spotlight each of those installments to offer my perspective on shows that I don’t review each week.

Saturday Night Live: Season 45, Episode 10 “Host: Eddie Murphy” (B+)

This episode serves as the official Emmy submission for three different players. The first is of course host Eddie Murphy, making a return to the show that made him famous thirty-four years later. Like Adam Sandler last year, he was greeted enthusiastically by many fans and had an opportunity to reprise some of his roles to much excitement and laughter from the current players. Having Tracy Morgan, Chris Rock, and Dave Chappelle all stop by helped to amplify the significance of his return to the show, and he had the chance to completely steal the Weekend Update from Colin Jost and Michael Che by appearing as Gumby. His best performance was in Mister Robinson’s Neighborhood where he educated the audience about squatter’s rights, gentrification, and how to bail out the window when an apparent offspring shows up to meet his father. Cecily Strong earned her first Emmy bid this year as a member of this ensemble, and she got the chance in this episode to play two political figures, Tulsi Gabbard and Jeanine Pirro. The latter was most impressive, reminiscent of Kate McKinnon’s RBG pouring Emergen-C powder into her mouth when she kept vomiting up wine on Colin. It wasn’t the most formidable showcase overall, but it was still fun. And then we have Maya Rudolph, who earned a nomination for this show and for “The Good Place” in the same category, and who benefits from the best possible timing of Kamala Harris being announced as Joe Biden’s running mate right before final Emmy voting begins. She is pretty terrific, and she also gets to appear in a brief spot as Eddie’s wife in a “Home for the Holidays” sketch. Overall, this episode was punctuated by funny sketches but brought down by lackluster parodies of “Nailed It!” and “The Masked Singer,” two shows that don’t necessarily need to be mocked since they’re already not all that serious.

Emmy Episodes: Saturday Night Live

It’s always my policy to watch every Emmy-nominated episode each year, which leads me to sample a handful of shows that I don’t tune in to on a regular basis. For the fifth year in a row, I’m making a special effort to spotlight each of those installments to offer my perspective on shows that I don’t review each week.

Saturday Night Live: Season 45, Episode 2 “Host: Phoebe Waller-Bridge” (B+)

I’m not always overly fond of this show but I’m definitely on board to give it a try when someone I really like is hosting. I knew that Phoebe Waller-Bridge was on the Emmy ballot for her guest spot on “Run,” which I enjoyed, but of course she ended up getting in for this show instead (unlike fellow nominee Maya Rudolph, who earned bids both for “The Good Place” and “Saturday Night Live”). I was a big fan of the first season of “Fleabag” and then didn’t get to watching season two until after it scored major Emmy bids across the board, and once again I’m late to the party after Waller-Bridge has already been nominated for another Emmy following her three victories last year. Her opening monologue was and felt very much like her brand of comedy, acknowledging the many genitals in the room, and I wasn’t sure how she’d be in sketches. There was nothing extremely funny about any of the characters she played, though she was entertaining enough in the black criminal versus white criminal news anchor battle (which aged interestingly) and the war letters sketch, which worked pretty well even if it was ridiculous. I would have nominated Waller-Bridge for “Run” instead though I’m not annoyed about her inclusion since I do like her. That closing bit where every cast member couldn’t control their laughter while they were pretending to be mad in the bar was enjoyable even if they were frequently breaking character, but that’s part of the fun of this show. Kate McKinnon impressed as usual as Elizabeth Warren making donor thank you calls during Weekend Update, and my favorite part of the episode was Mikey Day playing supercentenarian Mort Fellner, who got Colin Jost to walk into every one of his lines that ended with someone dead.

Emmy Catch-Up: Normal People

Every year, I watch the six submitted episodes of every series I don’t regularly watch that’s up for one of the Emmy series prizes. This year, I’m watching the entire season of every series nominated in the top category, as well as this one, which netted a few important nominations even if it missed the main limited series race.

Normal People: Season 1, Episode 10 (B+)

This episode completely flipped the dynamic from the previous one, with Marianne no longer devastated and miserable but Connell instead experience those feelings. Losing a friend to suicide sent Connell to a dark place, and he opened up in a way that we haven’t seen him do before to the therapist. There was such an intensity and power to the very long hug that he shared with Marianne when he saw her at the funeral, and it wasn’t even anything romantic. It’s easy to understand why Helen would be upset, though there was no way that sharing her feelings was going to go well. Connell apologizing that the funeral wasn’t fun was appropriately passive-aggressive, and he pointed out that every fight seems to turn into something about Marianne. Their relationship was never going to last, and it’s good that Connell didn’t just jump back into things with Marianne. Instead, it was extremely touching to see them communicating over Skype and have her offer to stay on with him as he went to sleep. There’s such a closeness evident even in that distance, and the way that they relate to each other is going to endure no matter who they’re dating. Marianne has had bad luck in the past with the men she’s chosen since being with Connell, and he’s never gotten the timing right. With just two episodes left, I hope that there’s still a chance of them finding happiness together. It might even be more moving if they don’t get together, but of course a happy ending would be most ideal.

Emmy Catch-Up: What We Do in the Shadows

Every year, I watch the six submitted episodes of every series I don’t regularly watch that’s up for one of the Emmy series prizes. This year, I’m watching the entire season of every series nominated in the top category.

What We Do in the Shadows: Season 2, Episode 9 “Witches” (C+)

I didn’t have any trouble recognizing actress Lucy Punch from “Ben and Kate” as Lilith, Nadja’s sworn enemy and the leader of the witches who all of a sudden decided to take Laszlo and Nandor so that they could extract their semen. That content was a bit more vulgar and explicit than I’ve come to expect on this show, which usually makes plenty of sexual references without taking them too far. Laszlo and Nadja’s marriage is also obviously very complicated since he readily admitted to having slept with a number of other women who looked vaguely or not at all like Nadja over the course of history. He also apparently slept with Nandor too, something that continued in a way at the end of this episode when the effects of his exciting captivity hadn’t quite worn off, ignored repeatedly by both Nadja and Colin. Nadja did at least try to pretend that she wasn’t offering Guillermo up to go into harm’s way even if that was exactly what she was doing. As usual, it was Guillermo who managed to save the day but got absolutely none of the credit. It makes sense that Colin would have spent a lot of time in escape rooms trying to drain his fellow participants by talking about other things, but he did seem eager to be praised for both his savvy and his sperm, which presumably is just another way of draining energy. This was the weakest installment of the season thus far, and I hope that the finale is a bit more satisfying.

Netflix Catch-Up: Orange is the New Black

Orange is the New Black: Season 7, Episode 9 “The Hidey Hole” (B+)

It was affirming to see that one released inmate, Cindy, was actually doing very well on the outside, bonding with her daughter and even securing a job at a nursing home with relative ease. Taystee’s letter undid all of that, and Cindy chose to leave rather than stick around and try to mend fences. Taystee does seem to be doing much better, and she and Caputo were very happy to see each other when he came by to get ahead of everything with Tamika. Deciding that she shouldn’t hear bad news at that moment was a risky move since now he’s vulnerable to being fired when she does find out. Shani’s secret was harrowing, and Nicky seems invested in getting closer with her, even if that means more friction in her relationship with Red and Lorna. It was heartbreaking to hear Vinnie plead for a partner in grief and see Lorna bury herself once again in fantasies, with the flashback to her first big delusion equally difficult to watch and her fate hanging in the uncertain balance. Flaca pursuing her latest scheme to bully Litvack was bad timing for Karla, who got absolutely no compassion regarding the custody hearing that she’s now going to miss. Piper and her dad got to a good place but it means that Piper’s all-out honesty with Alex isn’t being reciprocated, which can’t lead to a resounding trust between them. I’m most sad about the apparent departure of Elmer, who was given little choice by Daya and her disruptive henchwomen and has now decided that the only way to ensure the safety of his family is to abruptly leave his job.

What I’m Watching: Ted Lasso

Ted Lasso: Season 1, Episode 5 “New Underwear” (B+)

I’m not sure what I expected what come from Ted’s wife and son coming to visit, but I think it was sort of perfect in a way. He had a great time and was happy to see them, but ultimately he and his wife aren’t destined to be together, even if she likes him enough and they get along fine. His acceptance of that fact was difficult but he didn’t fight it too much, and he definitely knows what the problems are in their relationship even if he’s just as aware that he’s hopeless to fix them. His son had a blast watching him on the field, and though it was crushing to see how excited he was to see Jamie after the selfish player had just told Ted how he wasn’t going to listen to anything he said, Ted managed to get the upper hand in that situation. Running up the stands to make sure Rebecca would be okay was a smart move, though she shot herself in the foot by telling him to do it and then having to see it end up being the best decision he could have made. Benching Jamie allowed the team to come together and him to realize that he’s not all that great, and it’s clear that he doesn’t think his behavior affects anyone else, including Keeley, who couldn’t believe that he thought she’d still be interested in sleeping with him after the fundraiser. Roy isn’t moving too swiftly but that relationship is just a short distance away, and Keeley is going to be around much more now that Rebecca is forging a friendship with her and bringing her in to help improve the image of the entire team.

What I’m Watching: Hitmen

Hitmen: Season 1, Episode 4 “Dog” (B-)

This episode was another less than entirely satisfactory episode, focused more on silliness than anything else. I think part of why I liked the first two episodes better might have been that I knew the actors playing Fran and Jamie’s targets – Jason Watkins and Sian Clifford – and also that their captives didn’t escape almost right away. It may be that, while the interactions between the two of them can sometimes be sufficient, the way that they speak to their prisoners and the way that they argue back to try to come out alive is what makes this show most worth watching. Fran nearly being hung was a dark turn, and her would-be killer didn’t really get what he deserved after that and falling off the roof to crush the dog that had been terrorizing all three of them for the entire episode. It was strange to see Fran as the more compassionate one, eager to free the dog of the muzzle while Jamie seemed more keenly aware of the risks. When she did end up with a pretty severe bite, those drugs kicked in fast as she hallucinated Fran as the voice of the dog telling her to open the door and everything would be fine. Emerging in her hastily-assembled version of combat gear worked well enough, and her timing couldn’t have been any better to save Fran’s life and turn the tables just as they were about to fail yet another assignment gone horribly awry. Maybe next time they’ll screw up in a different way than letting their target run from them almost as soon as they’ve captured them.

Pilot Review: Pure

Check out my one-minute take on every new pilot, which is embedded below and you can also watch by subscribing to movieswithabe on YouTube.

Emmy Episodes: Homeland

It’s always my policy to watch every Emmy-nominated episode each year, which leads me to sample a handful of shows that I don’t tune in to on a regular basis. For the fifth year in a row, I’m making a special effort to spotlight each of those installments to offer my perspective on shows that I don’t review each week.

Homeland: Season 8, Episode 12 “Prisoners of War” (B)

I thought the first two seasons of this show were some of the best television I’ve ever seen. After that, however, things went downhill and while season four was a slight recovery, it never got anywhere near as good as it used to be. I actually made it almost halfway through the penultimate season, which aired over two years ago, and then watched two more episodes that served as the submissions that season for Mandy Patinkin and F. Murray Abraham. Now, the series finale is nominated for directing, and so I’m checking back in right at the end to see how things turned out. This episode was much less intense and fast-paced than I had expected, and only one character died, which is a relatively low body count from what I remember. Evidently, much has transpired that would have made Carrie willing to risk Saul’s life so that she could betray him and in turn save the country from unnecessarily going to war. He caught on to what she was doing quickly but not in time to stop her from injecting him, and it was surprising that the Russian operatives who were set to interrogate him just left and let him live. Carrie was obviously more emotional about the idea of tricking Saul’s sister into thinking that he was dead to manipulate her into giving her the flash drive he had left, but it worked perfectly. It didn’t seem likely that she would let go of the resentment she felt after that, but the flash-forward indicated her looking as happy as we’ve ever seen her. I actually liked the way that this episode ended, with Saul just as surprised as we were that, after writing a book about why she betrayed her country, Carrie had taken over the newly vacant spot of spying on the Russians for the United States. I don’t think this episode needed to be nominated for its directing, especially compared with much better installments from those first two seasons, but I don’t mind it being included and wouldn’t be terribly disappointed if it ended up winning. This is Lesli Linka Glatter has yet to win an Emmy despite five previous bids in this category, so this better-than-expected finish wouldn’t be a bad reason to finally give her a trophy.

Emmy Episodes: How to Get Away with Murder

It’s always my policy to watch every Emmy-nominated episode each year, which leads me to sample a handful of shows that I don’t tune in to on a regular basis. For the fifth year in a row, I’m making a special effort to spotlight each of those installments to offer my perspective on shows that I don’t review each week.

How to Get Away with Murder: Season 6, Episode 15 “Stay” (F)

I really dislike this show. I gave the pilot a D+ back in 2014, and the highest grade I’ve assigned any of the seven episodes I’ve sampled since for Emmy purposes was a C. This happens to be the series finale, and the one positive is that this is the only episode of this show I’ll be watching this year since, despite my prediction to the contrary, Viola Davis didn’t get nominated. Cicely Tyson is now ninety-five years old and this marks her fifth nomination for this role. Apparently she appeared in three episodes this season but for some reason this was her choice, since it features her only briefly and delivering no more than a few notable lines. She’s a talented actress who has been acting for decades, but this hardly seems like her best work. The episode as a whole was insufferable, and one of the things I hate most is when events are showcased in a manipulative way to create the illusion of a different outcome, as was the case here with Annalisse’s funeral many years in the future and not immediately following the trial we saw happening. The antics here in the courtroom were hard to take seriously, and it’s hard to keep track of who’s dead and who else was betrayed by someone they loved, trusted, or at least had sex with at some point. I did recognize two other notable guest stars in the form of Esai Morales from “Caprica” and “The Brink” as Jorge Castillo, whose jail sentence got cut short by a fatal stabbing, and Jamie McShane from “Sons of Anarchy” and “The Passage” as the U.S. Attorney. While there are some series I enjoy watching each year for Emmy purposes even if I wouldn’t ordinarily watch them, this one is the absolute opposite and I’m happy that it won’t be on my list again next season.

Emmy Episodes: Black Mirror

It’s always my policy to watch every Emmy-nominated episode each year, which leads me to sample a handful of shows that I don’t tune in to on a regular basis. For the fifth year in a row, I’m making a special effort to spotlight each of those installments to offer my perspective on shows that I don’t review each week.

Black Mirror: Season 5, Episode 2 “Smithereens” (B+)

This was actually my first time ever watching this show. For some reason, it’s one of the few, like “Outlander,” that I inexplicably missed when they first premiered and therefore have never seen. I didn’t do a great job of monitoring the TV movie races in previous years, and even though I am finally covering those fully this time, it just so happens that this show is competing as a drama series this round. I’m a fan of Andrew Scott and didn’t get to appreciate his unfortunate Emmy snub last year for “Fleabag” when nominations were announced since I was behind and hadn’t yet watched season two, but once I did, I couldn’t believe he was left off the list. Fortunately, the nomination he did get this year isn’t merely a makeup nomination but instead one that’s wholly deserved. It was hard to know exactly what to think of Chris from the moment that he took Jaden hostage until the very last time we saw him, when his captive was fighting desperately to prevent him from taking his own life. Scott managed to find humor in this deadly serious situation, and he conveyed a range of emotions throughout the tense standoff that somehow kept him alive until the closing moments of the episode. I thought I knew his passenger from somewhere, and that’s because Damson Idris, who stars in “Snowfall,” appeared in “Replay,” a fantastic episode of “The Twilight Zone,” a show that I had heard was similar to this one. He doesn’t seem to be getting much credit for his performance, but it was a very good turn. Topher Grace, who also appeared in a recent installment of “The Twilight Zone,” was a good fit to play the CEO who was more honest than expected but just as cocky. This seventy-minute experience was indeed immersive, and though it’s not going to make me rush to catch up on what I’ve missed thus far, I’m more than open to watching it in the future. And I’d be very happy to see Scott won an Emmy for this role.

Round Two: Dead Pixels

Dead Pixels: Season 1, Episode 2 “Tanadaal” (B+)

I’m trying to decide if this is a show I really need to watch, and then I remember that it’s only six half-hour episodes, so maybe it’s worth the investment. That was a vicious opening with Meg demanding to know from the girl at the bus stop about just how committed she is and accusing her of cultural appropriation. Somehow, that wasn’t the angriest she got during the episode, with that unmatched rage saved for the casting news of Vince Vaughn for the “Kingdom Scrolls” movie. She had a handful of terrible ideas for how to force him out of the role, which Nicky hastily made clear were not good, and what ended up happening was really pretty awful. Meg and Nicky aren’t able to hear what Alison says and how she takes what they say, but that’s the point of this show. Also, Nicky hastily putting away and destroying most of his groceries so that he could get back to the game was indicative of just how much a hold this game has on his life. While Usman’s completely inattentive parenting is always disturbing, it was Russell who really messed up in this episode when he accidentally invited a fourteen-year-old kid whose mother had just died over to his house. These people are so committed to the game but have absolutely no idea how to function in real life, and what they do grasp – like Nelson Mandela doing questionable things in a movie Meg saw – is rarely entirely accurate.

Emmy Catch-Up: Normal People

Every year, I watch the six submitted episodes of every series I don’t regularly watch that’s up for one of the Emmy series prizes. This year, I’m watching the entire season of every series nominated in the top category, as well as this one, which netted a few important nominations even if it missed the main limited series race.

Normal People: Season 1, Episode 9 (B+)

It’s been miserable watching Marianne suffer in relationships with other people than Connell over the course of the past two episodes, since there’s something that feels more secure about Connell being the one to hurt her because he might eventually do something tender to try to make up for it. Lukas wasn’t nearly as clearly toxic as Jamie, and we got clarification that she was the one who asked him to tie her up and treat her a certain way during sex, something Connell did not like being asked about at the bar. Contrasting the passionate sex between Connell and Helen to Marianne seeming bored even with that added kink showed how deeply unhappy she was, and Lukas didn’t understand at all that she was legitimately upset about him taking pictures of her while naked and tied up. I still can’t understand how Daisy Edgar-Jones hasn’t garnered exactly the same praise as Paul Mescal for this show since her performance is simply astounding. Helen did well meeting Connell’s parents but even she couldn’t help but frame the conversation around Marianne, asking how she did and then later pointing out how much she’s still a part of their relationship. The narrated e-mail conversation between Marianne and Connell was powerful, lending the snow-decorated scenery a timelessness as the two of them navigate romances that don’t initially seem problematic but ultimately place them with other people. I wasn’t sure at first why this show was twelve episodes long but now I wish there were many more installments than just three left.

Emmy Catch-Up: What We Do in the Shadows

Every year, I watch the six submitted episodes of every series I don’t regularly watch that’s up for one of the Emmy series prizes. This year, I’m watching the entire season of every series nominated in the top category.

What We Do in the Shadows: Season 2, Episode 8 “Collaboration” (B)

This is the third of the episodes of this show to be nominated for an Emmy for writing, and it was amon the more entertaining installments thus far. The vampires are so out of touch with modernity that they didn’t realize that all the songs Laszlo wrote have been turned into something else that’s become wildly popular, with the exception of Kokomo, which apparently is exactly the way that they wrote it. I’m not sure why they never seem to realize that Colin is trying to drain them when he pretends to be helpful, and he got so excited about the opportunity to unlock anger and boredom with the unbeatable recipe of old-timey music. He wasn’t happy with how the audience ultimately embraced Laszlo and Njada, and to their credit, they at least decided not to lead with lyrics like “Tell us, Mr. Hitler, what you have planned next.” The sudden return of Benjy, the now-elderly former familiar of Nandor who was left at a rest stop years earlier and regained his memories after taking Lumosity, made Guillermo feel hopeless about ever being turned into a vampire, and as a result he had a teary goodbye with the master who put on a show that he didn’t care about him at all. I just saw actress Greta Lee, who played Celeste, in an episode of “The Twilight Zone,” and she also appeared recently on “Miracle Workers” and “Russian Doll.” Her newfangled approach to being a vampire seemed too good to be true, and the return of her twelve-year-old master resulted in a brutal bloodbath. It was endearing to see Nandor come back to get Guillermo and agree reluctantly to his terms of one day off a week and better snacks than ice chips.

Netflix Catch-Up: Orange is the New Black

Orange is the New Black: Season 7, Episode 8 “Baker’s Dozen” (B+)

This show has such a large ensemble that it’s easy to forget how prominent certain characters used to be. Red was a central presence in early seasons and Kate Mulgrew earned an Emmy nomination for season one. She was also a major player in the riot season as Piscatella came for her, and since then, she’s faded a bit into the background. It was incredible to see the difference in her energy level and vivaciousness with the flashback in this episode to a moment in her history where she was much more in charge of her own fate, but still helpless to protect someone who she saw as innocent. Finding him dead in a bag in the freezer was reminiscent of a similarly chilling moment from the third season of “Boardwalk Empire,” and obviously that development haunted her enough to fill her with regret even to the present day. Now she’s going to hold it against Nicky that she made sure her letter got where it needed to but betrayed her trust in the process, and she won’t be open to any review of her mental capacity that is evidently necessary. It’s good to see Suzanne in a great place with the chickens she’s now supervising – a project that Alvarez also seems to enjoy – and that Taystee is finding purpose in tutoring an occasionally cooperative Pennsatucky. Hopper and Daya are navigating difficult situations with Aleida returning to prison, and Gloria has to be very careful not to get herself into trouble as a result of her newfound savior role. Ending this episode with Alex going all in with McCullough while Piper held back with Zelda, played by Alicia Witt from “Justified,” was intriguing, since, while there are obviously more serious matters at play right now, this show has always been about what prison does to people and affects their relationships.

What I’m Watching: Brave New World

Brave New World: Season 1, Episode 7 “Monogamy and Futility: Part 1” (C+)

I’m losing interest fast in what’s going on here, and part of that is because the main three characters aren’t interacting in a terribly enticing way anymore. Bernard continues to try to manipulate John into being his party trick despite that clearly getting old, and John’s patience is thinning as he continues to see that those around him are subservient to these manufactured levels and the behavior that’s supposed to come with that. Getting angry at the epsilons for cleaning up his mess and challenging them to step out of their station resulted in them merely imitating what he was doing without truly understanding the implications. Bernard was starting to think outside the box but now he’s using his position of power to spend time with Lenina, who’s not even enthralled enough by the idea of simulating dating to enjoy being with him. Bernard did have the upper hand in his feud with Henry when he told him he was going to see Mustafa, which itself was a mess given the way that she’s trying to deal with an experiment that’s mutated beyond her control. I now think that Helm is the most magnetic and worthwhile character, aware of what she doesn’t know and what little temptations she can give into in order to transform the world of those around her. I’m not all that enticed by the two remaining episodes but I hope that they’ll be more satisfying and worthwhile, especially since there’s still no word on a season two renewal.

Take Three: We Hunt Together

We Hunt Together: Season 1, Episode 3 (B)

I keep debating whether I should keep watching this show since I know it’s halfway done now and some parts of it are legitimately captivating. But there’s something about the pacing that doesn’t always make it feel urgent, which is even more frustrating because I feel like there a gripping moment comes around every time I’m about to say that things aren’t interesting anymore. I didn’t feel that the banter between Lola and Jackson was quite as compelling in this hour, though she was quite out of sorts when he showed unexpected at her place with his big revelation. Freddy is really playing everyone, aware that Baba is battling his inner demons and not about to let him compromise everything she’s done with the sudden emergence of a conscience. She should be much more concerned with his frequent hallucinations and the fact that he isn’t able to automatically shut them off. She managed to astound Lola and Jackson when she questioned the fanciness of the food they were serving her while questioning her, and she once again asked precisely the right questions to seem like she was paying attention but had nothing to hide. Dipping her fingers into Lola’s drink was bold, and I definitely thought that Jackson’s lightbulb had something to do with green tea erasing part of your fingertips. Knowing that she’s working with someone, who is at the very least physically larger than she is, may help get them closer to catching her, but I have a feeling she’ll continue to stay one step ahead.

Round Two: Lovecraft Country

Lovecraft Country: Season 1, Episode 2 “Whitey’s on the Moon” (B)

When I watched the pilot of this show, I wasn’t really sure what to make of it since it so easily transitioned into full-on monster horror after the more real-life historical terror of white police targeting Black people on the road and setting out to punish them for the crime of not following curfews or daring to travel through segregated areas. This episode made that separation even less distinguishable, as it became nearly impossible to tell what was real and what was a hallucination, which of course was caused deliberately to make them doubt the stability of their own minds. What’s most fascinating to me is the notion of being cognizant enough to recognize that pieces of your memory are missing and that what’s happening can’t possibly be real even if it absolutely looks that way. This show also subtly transitions into moments that could be played as jump scenes but instead are scary in a more sophisticated way, like the snake that emerged to attack Leti when Atticus pulled off his belt. Things proceeded very quickly with the ceremony that ended in a way reminiscent of “Indiana Jones” and found Samuel Braithwite turned to stone. I was trying hard to figure out who played him and now completely see that it was Tony Goldwyn from “Scandal” and “Dexter.” I was also pleased to see Michael K. Williams from “When They See Us” and “Hap and Leonard” as Montrose, who wasn’t happy at all that his family came after him. There’s so much more to unpack here but I’m not sure what else to say because it’s such a head trip, but I’ll be back for episode three to see if I can understand more of it.

Emmy Catch-Up: Normal People

Every year, I watch the six submitted episodes of every series I don’t regularly watch that’s up for one of the Emmy series prizes. This year, I’m watching the entire season of every series nominated in the top category, as well as this one, which netted a few important nominations even if it missed the main limited series race.

Normal People: Season 1, Episode 8 (B+)

We know that Connell and Marianne should be together but circumstances just never seem to work out, and though we haven’t seen too much of Helen, Connell seems somewhat happy with her. Jamie, on the other hand, is the absolute worst. When Connell showed up drunk and bloody, he was the antagonist for wrongly concluding that Jamie was talking badly of him when he was actually describing his assailant, but this time Jamie’s words and actions were all his fault. It was disturbing to see Marianne blamed by her friend for bringing this on herself since she invited Connell, and it’s hard to understand how anyone could interpret this situation as anything other than Jamie being awful. His behavior started as merely impolite and chauvinistic, but then he became downright abusive, deliberately breaking something with enormous sentimental meaning to Marianne in a way that was even more cruel than a similar incident on “This Is Us” this past season. Connell was right to storm in and make sure that she was okay, and sharing a bed was purely the best option, even if it did put them back on the path towards romance and love once again, if those feelings have ever really faded. Their conversation about the wealth disparity between them was very interesting since it framed their dynamic in a way that gave Marianne the power and advantage for once, something that rarely happens in their relationship. The honesty that comes from both of them when they speak is truly wondrous, even if it’s not always easy to hear.

Emmy Catch-Up: What We Do in the Shadows

Every year, I watch the six submitted episodes of every series I don’t regularly watch that’s up for one of the Emmy series prizes. This year, I’m watching the entire season of every series nominated in the top category.

What We Do in the Shadows: Season 2, Episode 7 “The Return” (B)

Coming into this show late, I always have to wonder if a character who appears has previously been featured. I had a feeling that Simon the Devious, played by Nick Kroll, a great comedic part of “Parks and Recreation” and “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” with a more serious and worthwhile role in the film “Olympic Dreams,” wasn’t making his first appearance, and it turns out that’s true – he was indeed in one episode of the first season. I was happy to recognize him by his voice and enjoyed his performance, which fit perfectly with the tone of the show. Nadja was very well aware that Laszlo was just having her walk ahead so that she’d be the one in danger, and he didn’t do a good job of hiding how he actually felt about Simon. He and his crew beat them back to the house by going through the sewers, which was an amusing concept, and his lengthy stay came to an end after he complained about his crew and managed to alienate them instead of rally them against our vampires. Colin getting agitated by another troll who turned out to be a literal troll was funny, and it’s good to see him doing something a little bit different for once. My favorite part of the episode was Nandor’s reaction to finding out that Guillermo killed a vampire, doing a very poor job of keeping it quiet but ultimately being supportive and protective of his familiar, who everyone acknowledged could easily have been eaten many times during the episode.

Emmy Catch-Up: The Mandalorian (Season Finale)

Every year, I watch the six submitted episodes of every series I don’t regularly watch that’s up for one of the Emmy series prizes. This year, I’m watching the entire season of every series nominated in the top category.

The Mandalorian: Season 1, Episode 8 “Chapter 8: The Redemption” (B)

The entire time that I’ve been watching this show, both when I screened the pilot on the day it premiered and during the six episodes since that I’ve watched over the past few weeks, I’ve been trying to figure out what this show is supposed to be. What I’ve concluded is that it’s meant to capture what people love about watching “Star Wars” most and replicate it as often as possible. The character of Moff Gideon, showing up to try to gun them down on his own in a TIE fighter after all the stormtroopers got taken out, was reminiscent of what we’ve seen before with Darth Vader, and of course he’d survive an explosive crash so that he can return with a vengeance to track down the bounty hunter who was bold enough to tether to his ship and ride up into the sky with him so that he could take him down. That and IG-11 self-destructing because not being captured was at the core of its programming were decently unexpected and enthralling moments in this finale that ended about where I thought it would. We also got to see the Mandalorian’s face for the first time in a predictable set-up involving the droid pointing out that he wasn’t human and therefore wouldn’t violate the Mandalorian’s code. We finally got the Mandalorian’s name, which is Din Djarin, though I’m not convinced that’s all that much easier to type. This episode features Giancarlo Esposito’s Emmy-nominated turn as Moff Gideon, and while he was good, as usual, it wasn’t quite as substantive as I had expected it to be. This show has not exceeded my expectations, and I still think it’s an unnecessary contender for Best Drama Series. I know I’m probably in the minority on that, but at least now I’ve seen it, and will probably watch season two when it begins so that I’m in the loop.

Season grade: B-
Season MVP: Pedro Pascal as the Mandalorian

Netflix Catch-Up: Orange is the New Black

Orange is the New Black: Season 7, Episode 7 “Me as Well” (B+)

I know it was only for a moment, but I appreciated the opportunity to see Lolly again, newly moved to be Frieda’s roommate and eager to talk her ear off, giving her a different incessant distraction from Cindy. Suzanne’s excitement about the chicken class, which she hoped would involve the chickens teaching them things, was enjoyable, and it’s nice to see some comedy that doesn’t have any heavy drama with it. That wasn’t the case with Pennsatucky, whose bad associations with tests clearly stem from demeaning experiences with her father, who was also dyslexic, as evidenced by his anger over a boat called “Ban Mass” that was actually “Bass Man.” Elmer seemed very excited by the discovery of her dyslexia since he firmly believes that they can use it to her advantage and work to improve her reading skills. The confrontation between Taystee and Tamika was refreshingly honest, though Taystee doesn’t seem open to her old friend trying to help her at all, even if this new information from Suzanne could change everything. Caputo’s pursuit of justice was cringe-worthy, though I appreciated the chance to see an enlightened, smoothie-making Healy again and an unapologetic, unforgiving Fischer who wasn’t open to hearing from Caputo that she was a terrible guard and only lasted as long as she did because he liked her too much. I’m glad to see Blanca making progress with Karla by sucking up to the obnoxious Litvack, and Nicky’s tryst with her new friend has now been interrupted by Red’s continually deteriorating mental state. Piper’s vibrator obsession was humorous, though her inability to find a better solution is going to make things very complicated when Alex eventually confesses that something finally happened with McCullough.

Emmy Episodes: Black-ish

It’s always my policy to watch every Emmy-nominated episode each year, which leads me to sample a handful of shows that I don’t tune in to on a regular basis. For the fifth year in a row, I’m making a special effort to spotlight each of those installments to offer my perspective on shows that I don’t review each week.

Black-ish: Season 6, Episode 23 “Love, Boat” (B)

Context is obviously necessary for this show, and I’m not sure that, even with the (approximately) twenty-two episodes of this show that I’ve seen, I know too much about the relationship between Dre’s parents. It was clear here that Dre had negative associations with it from the past, and that he doubted that his father was going to treat his mother well this time. The way that they renewed their romance was rather excessive, describing how they had secretly had sex in every part of the house and replacing a photo of them that Bow had taken down from their mantle just hours earlier with an even larger print. Whether it works or not is a question that may be answered in season seven given that this was the season six finale, but I’ll only know if it comes up in an episode that’s nominated next year. This episode is the submission for Anthony Anderson, who has actually been nominated for every season of this show, an impressive feat given that the series as a whole has only contended for the top category in half of those years. While his episodes in previous years were more dramatic in nature, last year’s was all about his startled reaction to his kids not knowing Prince. This installment is like that, seeing him freeze and shriek in horror when he walked in on his parents and then try to police their relationship despite his lack of any real power. It was fun to see Bow tell him that she was going to pretend to be supportive since she knew he wasn’t listening anyway, and she even muttered to herself that she paid for most of the down payment on the home, but he could have that one. It’s far from Anderson’s strongest submission and I don’t think there’s much buzz for him or his show this year, but it’s an entertaining choice.

Emmy Episodes: Black-ish

It’s always my policy to watch every Emmy-nominated episode each year, which leads me to sample a handful of shows that I don’t tune in to on a regular basis. For the fifth year in a row, I’m making a special effort to spotlight each of those installments to offer my perspective on shows that I don’t review each week.

Black-ish: Season 6, Episode 13 “Kid Life Crisis” (C+)

I’ve watched a good number of episodes over the show over the course of the past six years, and this year there are only two installments to screen. Tracee Ellis Ross wasn’t nominated last year but returns this time around with a fourth overall bid for playing Bow. I couldn’t remember when I started watching this episode whether it was her submission or costar Anthony Anderson’s, and the truth is that it shouldn’t have been either of theirs. There’s no big moment at which their talents, either comedic or dramatic, are readily apparent, and when they do come together to realize what’s possible and therapeutic for him, it’s a joint experience rather than one that gives Ross anything particularly memorable to do. Part of it for me also is that I watched the first few episodes of “#blackAF” since last screening this show, and while I didn’t completely love that show either, its edginess and unfiltered nature appealed to me more. The actor doing the most in this episode was Marcus Scribner, who I unexpectedly encountered in a dramatic role in the film “Farewell Amor” at Sundance, as Junior, who was the recipient of an unmistakable romantic advance from the first girl he saw on vacation but had to contend with two sick younger siblings instead of getting the chance to spend time with her. Overall, there was nothing particularly bad about this episode, it was just unremarkable and not all that entertaining, an attribute I do usually expect from this show.

Take Three: Hitmen

Hitmen: Season 1, Episode 3 “Woods” (B-)

This episode was a bit of an aimless misfire, in part because it got just as distracted by the surrounding woods as its main characters. I like the interactions between Fran and Jamie, but this all seemed a bit excessive. Once again we had a target who was intent on talking his way out of his fate, though his case wasn’t particularly compelling since he didn’t even deny what he had done, arguing instead that it shouldn’t have merited a death sentence. Jamie might indeed be a concerning choice as a mother given her tendency to neglect, say, the captives she’s about to kill, and testing out her abilities with an egg didn’t seem like the best or most effective trial. Fran, on the other hand, seemed like she was hallucinating, but instead she encountered a group of girls right out of “Troop Zero” (a very worthwhile comedy movie streaming on Amazon Prime). Somehow, things always seem to work themselves out in the nick of time with an episode-ending execution, and that was once again the case here with Fran about to tell Mr. K that they had lost him only to see him in front of them and have the opportunity to hit them with the van. In less expected news, Peacock has decided to renew this show for a second season, which is great. I’m glad I’ve continued watching and look forward to the back half of this first round, which will hopefully be a bit more like the first two episodes than this one.

Netflix Catch-Up: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Series Finale)

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Season 4, Episode 12 “Kimmy Says Bye”

It’s weird to watch this series finale knowing that there’s a TV movie reuniting all the characters that’s already been made. It’s also not as if it took all that long, like, say, the “Deadwood” movie did, but instead just over a year passed between when this episode premiered in January 2019 and the TV movie debuted in May 2020. I’ll look at that Emmy-nominated movie shortly, and will instead try to consider this as the real wrap-up to this show. Titus had the most dramatic choice of all, opting not to kill the woman he was understudying to make sure he could get the coveted role in “The Lion King” and missing Mikey’s wedding as a result. It was great to see Mikey show up to confess his feelings for Titus after earlier eating his meat pocket square, and I’m glad the two of them ended up together with adopted babies to show off on the red carpet. Kimmy’s misunderstanding of concepts like the oldest profession being dinosaur lawyer and hooking for it meaning being a pirate meant that it took her longer to achieve the success she always wanted, and there was no better way for her to realize that than by discovering that Xanthippe, whose name she had no idea how to spell, was reading and quoting from her book. Opening a theme park where people were supposed to be good was a perfect resolution for her, and a far better fate than the confusing mole woman on mole woman celebrity cam videos. Eli revealing that he was blind was a surprise and a truly weird turn, but he and Jacqueline were indeed good for each other, both professionally and personally. And Lillian surviving an explosion after meeting Artie and Roland’s ghosts resulted in her being deemed the ultimate representation of New York, resulting in her hilariously becoming the new voice of the MTA. This episode was typically strange but fun, and I guess I’m glad that there’s a little bit more of it to look forward to with the interactive special.

Series finale: B
Series grade: B
Season MVP: Ellie Kemper as Kimmy
Season grade: B
Series MVP: Ellie Kemper
Best Season: Season 3
Best Episode: “Kimmy is a Feminist!”

Emmy Catch-Up: Normal People

Every year, I watch the six submitted episodes of every series I don’t regularly watch that’s up for one of the Emmy series prizes. This year, I’m watching the entire season of every series nominated in the top category, as well as this one, which netted a few important nominations even if it missed the main limited series race.

Normal People: Season 1, Episode 7 (B+)

It can be agonizing watching Connell and Marianne interact since it’s so clear that Connell often says the wrong thing, and in this case that meant that how he conveyed something was misinterpreted and ended their relationship. That’s very unfortunate, and Marianne says so much every time she looks at him that he clearly doesn’t understand. The sight of her smoking and talking about the role play she does with her new boyfriend because they need the fantasy indicated that she’s become a different kind of person, someone who doesn’t value intimacy in the same way she did before because it’s with someone other than Connell. Telling Connell that she didn’t need that with him and would have done anything he wanted provoked a reaction less strong than it should have in him, and right now they’re both in relationships that aren’t nearly as fulfilling. Showing up drunk and bloody because he only knew Marianne’s phone number by heart was disruptive enough, and responding sharply to the way Jamie classified his assailant, not him, made his feelings about her new boyfriend very obvious. Marianne did not appreciate that, and the fact that he too was dating someone showed her once again that he’d rather she be miserable without him even if they legitimately couldn’t be together at the moment. This show is great at haunting final scenes, since the choice Connell made now is Helen and there’s little indication that Marianne will warm to the idea of rekindling their romance even when this relationship inevitably ends.

Emmy Catch-Up: What We Do in the Shadows

Every year, I watch the six submitted episodes of every series I don’t regularly watch that’s up for one of the Emmy series prizes. This year, I’m watching the entire season of every series nominated in the top category.

What We Do in the Shadows: Season 2, Episode 6 “On the Run” (B)

This episode is one of three from this show nominated for its writing, and it’s clear that Emmy voters are all about the humor that comes from vampires trying to pretend to be human and how little that gets questioned, as a mere toothpick could fool even other vampires into thinking he was human. I couldn’t peg who Jim the Vampire was, and it makes total sense that he was played by Mark Hamill who, after launching his career as Luke Skywalker, didn’t appear too widely in movies and television until recently, when he’s found a niche playing parts like this (see “Brigsby Bear” for a great example). He was having a blast here, showing up to duel Laszlo because he hadn’t ever paid him for the rental in San Diego, and that confrontation lasted just a moment before Laszlo scurried away and embedded himself as a popular bartender in Pennsylvania (because it sounds like Transylvania). I recognized Madeleine Martin from “Californication” as his loyal employee Lucy, and it was fun to see the whole town rally around him as the arriving hero and champion of their community. Jim showing up to order a “human alcohol beer” didn’t arouse suspicion and Laszlo played it cool, but he couldn’t help standing in front of a mirror to eventually out himself. Giving the fish to him and getting him to replace him as the volleyball coach was a fitting if absurd resolution, and he was welcomed home with open arms. Colin trying to drain by creating unwanted sexual tension with Nadja was typically awkward, and I more enjoyed Guillermo trying to explain to the vampires that they were not playing a game but instead fixing a very serious problem.

Emmy Catch-Up: The Mandalorian

Every year, I watch the six submitted episodes of every series I don’t regularly watch that’s up for one of the Emmy series prizes. This year, I’m watching the entire season of every series nominated in the top category.

The Mandalorian: Season 1, Episode 7 “Chapter 7: The Reckoning” (B)

Every episode of this show so far has felt like it was introducing new characters, and it was moderately satisfying to see most of them return in this installment. We also got a peek at the only actor who scored an Emmy nomination for his performance, “Better Call Saul” and “Breaking Bad” star Giancarlo Esposito, though the actual episode he submitted is the next one. Unsurprisingly, Carga is still alive, and he seemed more than ready to forgive the Mandalorian for shooting him and, for all he knew, killing him, but the Mandalorian still hasn’t caught on to the fact that almost everyone from his past wants him dead. Fortunately, it was Baby Yoda’s healing that changed Carga’s mind and convinced him to kill his associates so that they could instead try to go after the Client together. Cara is a loyal friend and partner, and she seems to work well with the team. The show’s most endearing character aside from Baby Yoda, Kuiil, was reluctant to participate in all this but happy nonetheless to do his part, and it’s a shame that he ended up paying for it with his life. He even managed to reprogram the IG-11 droid to serve rather than kill. Cara was not happy when Baby Yoda mistook her friendly arm-wrestling for a threat on the Mandalorian’s life, and let’s hope he has some more of that magic on hand for the finale. Four stormtroopers was always a stretch, but this army isn’t anything they’ll be able to defeat without some serious help.

Netflix Catch-Up: Orange is the New Black

Orange is the New Black: Season 7, Episode 6 “Trapped in an Elevator” (B+)

It’s interesting to see how different characters who we haven’t seen together before interact in a fascinating way on this show. Tamika and Fig, for instance, are an intriguing pair, since Fig has pivoted from being someone so detestable to one of the more endearing personalities, especially in comparison to Linda, Piscatella, or Hellman, for instance. Tamika is in way over her head but also wants to do good, and when she got that question that mentioned exactly how much money closing down psych would save the company, she pivoted in a perfect way that will certainly get her in trouble but might also trap Linda into using the funds for good rather than, well, evil. As Caputo tried to coach his class into reckoning with the people they had hurt, Cindy poured her heart out to her family, something that might be impacted by Taystee’s decision to ensure that her former best friend is miserable after release, though it’s not clear whether she ultimately chose to go through with it. Maria made her amends despite the crime that got her sent to prison being victimless, and she’s definitely turned into someone much more sympathetic. Caputo, on the other hand, found out about the apparent – and pretty much true – allegations of sexual misconduct against him right before he went in for his procedure, and it’s unlikely that Fig, though she also won’t be surprised by any of it, is going to just be completely fine with everything and stand by his side. I’m glad that Piper at least had the sense not to watch Alex’s illicit video during her first meeting, and given how forward McCullough is being with the shirt removals, it would be good for Piper to approve Alex’s suggested plan before something happens between them.

Netflix Catch-Up: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Penultimate Episode)

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Season 4, Episode 11 “Kimmy is Rich*!” (B-)

This episode leaned a little bit too much towards the ridiculous, but I don’t know why I expect anything different from this show. I’ve never actually seen “Cats,” and it’s funny that this episode came almost a year before the film was released that was received terribly by critics and audiences alike. This show would come up with a concept like this, and naturally Titus managed to ruin his newfound Broadway success by immediately spilling the beans to Jacqueline, who used it to her advantage to win back Greg Kinnear, a previous guest star on this show, as a client. I was excited to see Paul Walter Hauser as a guest star, and didn’t remember that he appeared in the second episode of this season. I think that’s because it aired all the way back in May 2018, which was before I knew him from anything but “I, Tonya,” and before he starred in “Late Night,” “BlacKkKlansman,” and “Richard Jewell.” Zachary Quinto from “Heroes” was the horribly chauvinistic Eli Rubin, who was eager to quash all of Jacqueline’s dreams and not ready for her very long but somehow effective catchphrase. It’s pretty incredible that Kimmy lasted at her job when she calls a website one of those “internet buying places,” and it was smart, if a bit twisted, that she managed to use her own sexual harassment complaint to blackmail Zach into helping to sell her books to kids who weren’t creeps just yet. Being evicted from their sideways tugboat was an unexpected ending, and I guess I’m curious to see how things play out in the finale.

What I’m Watching: Brave New World

Brave New World: Season 1, Episode 6 “In the Dirt” (B)

I haven’t been keeping up with watching an episode of this show each week, partly because I feel like there’s no pressure since they all premiered on one day and this is from the current season, not the one which I’ve been trying to finish related to this year’s Emmys. It also hasn’t been nearly as gripping as it was at the beginning, and I’m not sure it’s going to get there. I am still fascinated by the way in which Lenina is starting to see the world, though she seemed to experience a setback at the start of this hour which found her less than eager to push the boundaries of what she has typically known to be allowed. There was something startling about the sight of John dressed casually and Lenina with her hair up looking very fancy, boarding the Epsilon train that Lenina would never have considered taking since it just wasn’t something that people of her station do. She experienced a moment of clarity, screaming because of how held back she had been, but she was still uncomfortable with the notion of, say, picking a fresh peach off a tree and eating it. Their passionate monogamous sex was indeed memorable, but not quite as much as the attention-getting scene Bernard engineered when John finally returned home. Jealousy in not a good look on Bernard, and even the typically encouraging Helm found Bernard’s horrible storytelling to be draining and embarrassing. We’re learning more about Mustafa, whose real name is Jane, as she went to visit Elliott, the man cloned to become the face of the Epsilon who has chosen the easier route of stasis to remain alive rather than face the real new world. Indra doesn’t seem happy that Mustafa isn’t playing by the rules, though I suspect that this isn’t the last we’ll see of Mustafa despite that fast-rushing water.