What I’m Watching: Ray Donovan

Ray Donovan: Season 2, Episodes 9 and 10 “Snowflake” and “Volchek” (B+)

The aftermath of Marvin’s murder is certainly not doing good things for the Donovan family. Ray swooped in to protect Bridget as would be expected, but as his tendency, he didn’t do it in the warmest way possible, resulting in Bridget hating him and Abby being paranoid about Cookie coming to kill the witness to his crime. Cookie stopping by to pay his fake condolences to Bridget was a big misstep on his part, and let’s hope that Ray manages to get things under control before someone makes a mistake. Abby asking Jim to get rid of Cookie for her wasn’t the smartest or most realistic idea, but he seems level-headed enough not to do something truly stupid. Ronald was an easy target for Ray, and now it looks like he’s made himself an even easier mark for Mickey, so desperate for money that he’s willing to help out on a job that partners Mickey, Shorty, their prostitute friend, and unlikely muscle Terry, who I’m very worried might be the one to take the fall just as he’s planning his miraculous exodus to Ireland. It’s sad that Bunchy’s relationship was going so well and that what was meant to be an intimate gesture ruined everything. Cochrane is one of the most detestable characters this show has ever seen, and that’s saying something, telling Ray he needs Kate gone and that he might need to kill him too. The worst thing was berating Tom for thinking to ask for a promotion and then transferring him to North Dakota as revenge for giving Ray blackmail. No wonder he showed up at dinner and then killed himself, an act that triggered only annoyance on Cochrane’s face. Ray’s relationship with Kate is definitely fascinating, though it took a dark turn with the choking when Kate pressed him about his past with the priest. I liked the end of the second hour where Ray took off all his clothes and ran into the ocean to the cheers of a very unique, enthusiastic, and encouraging Steve.

What I’m Watching: Hell on Wheels

Hell on Wheels: Season 4, Episode 6 and 7 “Bear Man” and “Elam Ferguson” (C-/C)

I was talking about this show to a few people recently, and not one of them had heard of it. I mentioned its ambitious period setting and its generally dependable quality. These two hours, however, do not recommend it very well at all. The first hour, which tracked Elam’s slow and difficult recovery from his confrontation with the bear, was completely unnecessary, mostly since it ignored the rest of the story and all of the strong characters in Cheyenne. The second hour wasn’t much better, since it sidelined most of those other characters to focus on Elam’s return as a slave-selling crazy man unable to recognize the friends from his former life. What’s most disappointing about the whole thing is that two episodes have been wasted on a character who’s now permanently deceased. I didn’t expect Elam to come back after he came face-to-face with the bear at the end of last season, and now I feel like this season has derailed (no pun intended) right at the peak of its most interesting events, and that while the impact of his death on Cullen, Eva, and Psalms seems intense now, I’m sure it will soon be forgotten in favor of more relevant plotlines. After suffering a violent beating, Durant got himself back on top pretty quickly, managing to squash a potentially damaging investigation and exact his revenge in a very fulfilling way. Now he just has to make sure Cullen stays on track and that they can manage to continue to coexist with Governor Campbell.

TV with Abe Got Married!

If you've been missing your regular fill of television reviews over the past two weeks, it's because I've been in California getting married! You can head over to Movies With Abe to read about a few of the movie-related things incorporated into the wedding.

Now, I'm happy to be using JetBlue's Fly-fi on board my flight back to New York City as I catch up on everything that I've missed. Over the next few days, I'll be covering the finales of "The Killing" and "The Leftovers" and tackling recent episodes of "Hell on Wheels," "Ray Donovan," "Boardwalk Empire," "Masters of Sex," "Sons of Anarchy," "The Bridge," "Married," and "You're the Worst" two at a time. It's pilot season, so look out for plenty of reviews of brand-new shows and a handful of returning ones. Additionally, the AFT Awards are a bit behind schedule but will still be posted over the next few weeks, so stick around for a lot of excitement!

What I’m Watching: The Killing (Series Finale)

The Killing: Season 4, Episode 6 “Eden”

I didn’t expect much from this finale, mainly because I found this final shortened season to be excessively grim – even in comparison to this show’s content in its first three seasons – and far from pleasant or rewarding. I’m not sure exactly what this finale could have offered in the way of productive or fitting closure, and it tried hard to do that but didn’t succeed too well. Instead, what we got was a harsh and miserable conclusion to the big mystery of this season which had us actually see Kyle murder each member of his own family after being egged on and manipulated by his cruel classmates at school. It’s difficult to justify such disturbing material that doesn’t lead to anywhere enlightening or dramatically compelling, and I could have easily skipped this whole plotline. In a throwback to the show’s original incarnation in its first two seasons, we got a very surprising cameo from Billy Campbell as a far more bitter Darren Richmond than we’ve seen before, politically aware that ignoring Skinner’s killer status and letting Linden go free was the smart choice. After that, a trademark flashforward showed that both Linden and Holder ended up in relatively decent places that weren’t nearly as awful as the times during which we saw them on this show. Holder got in one last “Dial 1-900-Linden” quip, and Linden pulled up the car so that they could return to the place where they felt happiest in their lives. I don’t quite buy it, and I think that this show’s third or even second season finale would have been a much wiser and stronger place to end this show.

Series finale: C-
Season grade: C+
Season MVP: Joel Kinnaman as Holder
Series grade: B-
Series MVP: Joel Kinnaman
Best Season: Season 3
Best Episode: “Try”

What I’m Watching: You’re the Worst

You’re the Worst: Season 1, Episode 8 “Finish Your Milk” (B-)

I suppose there had to be a “meet the parents” episode eventually, and there were some positives to it even if the overall experience was lackluster. There’s something to be said for Gretchen feeling like she needed to pack and have Jimmy drive her to the airport only to stay in town to host her parents while they were around. The “Usual Suspects” homage moment was a bit funny but also a bit excessively dramatic in a way that felt inappropriate, and then Jimmy decided that the only thing left to do would be to insert and assert himself where he clearly wasn’t wanted. Seeing how Gretchen behaved in front of her parents was much more worthwhile than Jimmy stepping in to give a boyfriend speech, which felt odd given that they had just defined themselves as something more than non-exclusive friends with benefits. Edgar’s hunt for military-sponsored pills was a showcase for the social worker played by Tim Bagley, who I recognize from his days on “Will and Grace” and “Monk.” This wasn’t the best use of Edgar, but I did enjoy how Lindsay was utilized. After getting reamed out by Becca, Lindsay felt the need to spend more time with her husband, and what a magnificent adventure it was. It was nice to see her try to open up and enjoy his sweet if deathly boring habits and to revel in the simplicity, even if she had to drop everything and run when Gretchen needed help, thanking Paul for a truly nice day.

What I’m Watching: Married

Married: Season 1, Episode 8 “The Old Date” (C+)

This was easily this show’s least impressive installment to date, which is a shame since I’ve been enjoying it so much up until this point. I think what happened here is that one of the show’s strongest characters – Jenny Slate’s Jess – didn’t appear at all, and neither of the two storylines that were at play landed particularly well. I can’t say I was particularly pleased to see Ike Barinholtz as Russ’ old business partner Bruce, mainly because his performance as Morgan was one of the reasons that I stopped watching “The Mindy Project.” As a character, he was very weak, and Lina trying to distract him with enthusiasm and dancing so that Russ could steal back his board was not terribly creative. It is worthwhile to have Russ and Lina lament their lost excitement and obsess over nostalgia, but this is not the best way to do it. The same goes for A.J., who is hopelessly obsessed with his ex and felt it appropriate to show up at her new beau’s shiva. Making a speech was the worst part of it, and Roxanne telling him he needs help afterward has hardly a cathartic resolution. At least it’s good to know that the supporting players on this show are capable of hanging out on their own without Russ or Lina, as John Hodgman’s Bernie showed up again, dressed in scrubs, to unwittingly accompany A.J. to shiva and then to make their scheduled stop at a much more logical destination: a strip club.

What I’m Watching: The Bridge

The Bridge: Season 2, Episode 9 “Rakshasa” (A-)

This show really knows how to craft a grueling episode. Sonya’s abduction by the Chopper could have been just a filler plotline, one which involved far too much plodding and pausing on her would-be killer’s part, literally challenging her to get away, with her survival entirely assured due to her role on the show. But this killer was just like this show’s other two big bad guys, David Tate and Eleanor, who relish the ritual of killing just as much as the necessary act itself. This turned out to be a harrowing experience for Sonya, who held out and tried desperately to escape, only to not recognize Marco when he finally came to save her. This show’s walls are closing in, as Marco helping out Sebastian’s daughter led directly to Marco finding out about the hit on Sonya and rushing to her aid. I’m glad Marco didn’t hesitate to shoot the Chopper, ready to shoot first and ask questions later to ensure the safety of those important to him. Events at Red Ridge started out much more calmly despite a brutal suffocation, but they ended far more brutally than anyone could have expected. Eleanor and Cesar getting arrested by McKenzie and Hank seemed too clean, but I wasn’t prepared for the shootout that resulted in the shocking and devastating loss of one of this show’s best characters, Charlotte. Let’s hope that Hank survived, since I don’t think Sonya could bounce back from that loss, especially after coming so close to death herself.

Pilot Review: Selfie

Selfie (ABC)
Premieres September 30 at 8pm

This pilot has been available online for a few weeks, and I watched it along with “A to Z” right around when it was first offered. We still have almost a month until it airs, and I think this is an example of exactly why you don’t want to preview your show before it airs. I think expectations were already astronomically low for this series, and getting the chance to see it does no one involved with it any favors. Its title is bad enough, but there’s plenty else to dislike about this new show. Karen Gillan’s Eliza Dooley is incredibly obnoxious, and it’s not as if her demeanor makes her inherently likeable or that her starting point is inspirational because of the change and growth she can achieve. Instead, she’s just a terrible person, and hardly a worthy protagonist for a series. John Cho’s Henry Higenbottam is almost at bad, mainly because he’s so completely unbelievable as a character. He’s an anachronistic gentleman whose sheer existence and additional willingness to help Eliza become a good person might make sense within the world of a musical, but not so in a modern-day technology-infused sitcom. The supporting characters are grating, and it’s hard to decide whether they’re actually worse than the leads. No one was clamoring for a present-set remake of “My Fair Lady,” and I don’t know why ABC thought this would add anything to its comedy block. Whatever wasn’t brutally unfunny was monumentally sappy, and it’s hard to feel a good about a show whose pilot feels like an unbearable eternity.

How will it work as a series? I don’t think we’ll have to find out, but were this show to go ahead and air its produced episodes and maybe even more than that, I have no doubt that we would continue to find Eliza chewing gum, being impolite, self-centered, and constantly on her phone, while Henry encouraged her to act a bit more like a human being and we saw some goodness peeking through every once in a while. That hardly sounds like a worthwhile or fun ride to me.
How long will it last? Not long at all. This seems like the easiest and most predictable cancellation of the fall without even knowing what other shows are out there. The only reason it might survive is if ABC thinks that the online viewership during the sampling period makes it a potential success. I’m dubious, and I think this one will be gone before the end of October.

Pilot grade: F-

Pilot Review: A to Z

A to Z (NBC)
Premieres October 2 at 9:30pm

This show doesn’t start for almost a month, but it’s been available online for a few weeks. I watched the pilot almost right away when NBC put it online for viewers to sample, and now that there’s not much on TV, it’s the perfect time to review it. Finding a fresh sitcom is a tough business, and there are those shows that try hard to be formulaic and those that don’t. This is the former, the ultimate example of a concept sitcom, one whose every event and occurrence is rooted in its format. It’s no surprise, therefore, that Cristin Milioti, who broke out as the title character in “How I Met Your Mother,” should return for yet another series where she isn’t able to control her own destiny. There’s no denying her appeal, and it’s nearly impossible not to like her. That doesn’t necessarily make for great television, of course, since she doesn’t have to get viewers to come around to the idea of being sympathetic to her. Similarly, Ben Feldman, who earned an Emmy nomination for his work as sarcastic copywriter Michael Ginsberg on “Mad Men,” has a lot going for him from the start, and it’s not much of an effort to find his romantic desires and idealizations positive. It’s not that there isn’t any conflict that needs to be resolved, but I think that these two might be perfectly fabulous leads in a less confined setting, and it’s a shame that the show that’s constructed around them is excruciatingly ordinary and uninventive.

How will it work as a series? The title suggests that it goes from A to Z, which seems to predict 26 episodes. If it’s really a good show, it will get away from that format after just a few installments, but if it does stick to it, it’s going to have to work hard to be charming – and funny – enough to sustain itself.
How long will it last? The pilot will have been available for a month and a half by the time it actually airs, and the question is whether viewers will be very ready for the next episode or hopeless about its chances. I think this could be a winner, but we’ll have to see how other shows do and how this pilot performs on air.

Pilot grade: C+

What I’m Watching: Masters of Sex

Masters of Sex: Season 2, Episode 8 “Mirror, Mirror” (C-)

This episode wasn’t as bad as last week’s time-jumping mess, but I still think this show got way off track and there’s no way for it to straighten itself out and get back on course. I really should stop watching, and may well muster up the courage to do so when other shows start to return for their fall seasons in a few weeks. It seems a strange time to introduce a mystery sibling for Bill in the form of Christian Borle’s Frank, who appears intent on reasserting himself in his brother’s life due to his alleged fertility troubles. At the very least it will give Bill yet another distraction so that he can stay unfocused on his home life. I’m not sure what to make of Libby’s run-in with Robert and her newfound conscience which compels her to do the right thing and stand up for an underprivileged community. Betty has become quite the financial expert recently, very knowledgeable of what’s needed to circumvent an audit, and fortunately Virginia is more than competent at getting a board member to sign on, awkwardly confused by the police chief as Bill’s wife with Libby standing right next to the work pair. All of these sexual discussions with Betsy Brandt’s Barbara and Kevin Christy’s Lester are presented so frontally and unsubtly, and I feel like this show has lost all the finesse it used to have, no longer using subtext and layers and instead putting everything at disappointing face value, forcing explicit conversation about sex at every turn.

What I’m Watching: Ray Donovan

Ray Donovan: Season 2, Episode 8 “Sunny” (A-)

Talk about a harrowing, wrenching hour, this after last week’s already intense episode. Things escalated in a big way as Avi protested his assigned duty of tailing Abby as she met Jim at a motel, and there wasn’t much time for things to fester before they outright exploded. Ray going to Jim’s house was bold, but he didn’t actually try to intimidate him after he kicked down the door, more just asked him strongly to stop seeing his wife. In typical fashion, Ray didn’t deal with it in a particularly verbose or conversational way, instead just demanding her signature and refusing to speak to her about it. She did an excellent job of throwing his many infidelities in his face, and there’s really no way of coming back from this easily. What’s far more jarring, of course, and is sure to cast things in a new light. Bridget defying her parents was one thing, but ending up in the back of the car as Lee’s attempts to undercut Cookie failed miserably and he came to shoot both Recon and Marvin. She’ll evidently be traumatized, and rightly so, and let’s hope Ray handles it well in the middle of all this pressure. Mickey’s instant three picture deal was way too good to be true, and it’s a shame that his tussle with Alan managed to get it all cancelled so quickly. I love that he stole silverware and was so happy about it. His hopes may have been deflated, but at least he came out ahead and he’s doing a whole lot better than the rest of his family.

What I’m Watching: Hell on Wheels

Hell on Wheels: Season 4, Episode 5 “Life’s a Mystery” (B)

This was a strange episode, one which shifted focus away from regularly scheduled events in Cheyenne to make way for an unexpected visitor. The opening scene felt like a highly stylized Western, and while this show has certainly made its testaments to the genre over the past few years, this one felt the oddest and most foreign. Sydney Snow really didn’t fit in in Cheyenne, and he did just about everything he could to try to make his presence felt, which was far from advisable. Not recognizing the racial landscape he had entered was his first mistake, and not reading Cullen’s relationship with his wife was almost as poor a choice. But taking his gunfight to the local store where he decided he had to kill the witness to his accidental murder of a kid was the point of no return. I’m not convinced he would have killed Naomi, but it’s still good that Cullen arrived when he did. Durant having Campbell’s house ripped from its roots with him inside was a masterful show, but it also made him the prime suspect in the murder of Jessup and the target for Heckard’s revenge. Being told that he was Irish scum was certainly a trigger, but Mickey’s murderous temper has gotten the best of him too much recently. Gregg Henry was an interesting choice to play Brigham Young, and it’s very intriguing to learn that he knows that the Swede isn’t who he claims to be but still finds him a useful ally for some apparent vendetta he has against the most popular man in Cheyenne: Thomas Durant.

What I’m Watching: The Killing

The Killing: Season 4, Episode 5 “Truth Asunder” (C)

With just one episode left in this entire series (if it’s not resurrected yet again by some network that inexplicably thinks people wants to see more of it), it’s hard to imagine things getting any more miserable than they already are. This was a great opportunity for Holder and Linden to severely piss each other off, with Linden making the unwise choice to yell at Caroline for not aggressively helping them enough, even though she didn’t stop to ask her for help in the first place and instead just started laying into her. Carl telling Linden that Holder blabbed at an NA meeting only worsened matters, and Holder rubbing it in her face that she forgot to take her son to the airport just fueled the fire even more. Margaret was being awfully forthcoming with information in this hour, both to the police and to surprised (if unconvinced viewers). Showing up at the police station to readily admit to having an affair with Lincoln’s father was gutsy, but also seemed to be far too overconfident. It seems that Margaret isn’t nearly as innocent as she had purported, since she and Lincoln were somehow involved in the murders, not happy that Kyle is starting to remembering what happened. I’m not sure I’m on board with that particular development, but I’m fairly certain that, no matter how things turn out with both the Skinner situation and everything involving Kyle and his conspiratorial colleagues, the season/series finale won’t be terribly pleasant or satisfying.

What I’m Watching: Orange is the New Black (Season Finale)

Orange is the New Black: Season 2, Episode 13 “We Have Manners. We’re Polite” (A-)

This double-decker installment was probably the best episode this show has produced yet, mainly because it kicked things into gear in a transformative way and helped to sew up a few open plotlines. It seemed to me that the tide was finally turning on Vee, and that she might end up being killed in more than one way at the same time. Ultimately, it was a quick, violent, and unmemorable ending that was quite fitting thanks to Rosa spotting her on the side of the road and ramming in to her because she was rude. Rosa’s getaway drive, complete with flashback to her glory days before prison, was absolutely perfect. Larry and Polly’s visit to see Piper was plenty awkward, and I like that Piper used their guilt to motivate them to help send Alex back to jail for season three, which should be a blast. It’s good to see Caputo on top because he’s become a more endearing character recently, much more so than Figueroa, whose exit was far from gracious. John’s situation didn’t exactly get resolved, though Caputo knowing means that John is somewhat more protected and somewhat more vulnerable. O’Neill’s songs played to the nuns were funny, and I liked the bonding among all the varied members of Red’s family. It was a relief to see Poussey rejoin the ranks of those corrupted by Vee, and also sad to see Crazy Eyes made to doubt her sanity because of Vee’s cowardice. I would say that this second year was definitely a blast, and I eagerly look forward to the show’s third season.

Season grade: A-
Season MVP: Hard to say with so many choices - maybe Barbara Rosenblat as Rosa?

What I’m Watching: You’re the Worst

You’re the Worst: Season 1, Episode 7 “Equally Dead Inside” (B+)

What a fitting title for a fun episode, one which did stretch its believability a bit by having Jimmy go from an emotionless inconsiderate guy to full of sappy sentiment brewed from a bad relationship with his father. It’s most entertaining to watch Gretchen try to drum up sympathy and, more crucially, empathy, unsure of exactly how she can produce those foreign emotions. Her friendship with Dana evolved quite quickly into something far more seductive and difficult to come back from, and they managed to put a great show for a clearly flummoxed Jimmy. Unfortunately, his little run-in with Sandra Bernhard, in which she belittled his pre-prepared heckles, resulted in a trip home followed by a very brief moment of relief that ruined the whole thing. It was obvious that the threesome had to go wrong somehow, and the revelation that Jimmy hadn’t needed to enjoy any of it because he had shockingly quickly pleasured himself was pretty hilarious. In theory, Edgar and Lindsay are terribly annoying sidekicks, but there’s something about the way that they talk that’s so fantastically emphatic. It’s also genuinely funny that Lindsay disregards all the information she just doesn’t know and dismisses it as unimportant and that Edgar doesn’t feel like he fits into society. That they’ve been able to sustain their own subplot, even if it’s designed explicitly around not being the stars of their own stories, is a testament to the effectiveness of their characters and their ability to stand on their own.