What I’m Watching: The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Season 1, Episode 5 “Kimmy Kisses a Boy!” (B-)

This show’s quality continues to be about the same as it’s been over the course of the first four episodes, and I still find it to be entertaining enough to keep watching. Seeing another one of the Mole Women provided an important insight into how Kimmy has adjusted to society, blinded to certain truths but interested in figuring out how she can best learn as much as possible about the world. Cyndee was happy, at the very least, and seemed intent on staying in the dark about the fact that many of the things in her seemingly perfect new life were inherently fake. It didn’t take long for Kimmy to confirm Titus’ suspicions thanks to the old trick of slipping a probing question into casual conversation to prompt a spontaneous confession, and she even beat Titus to the punch. This was a good bonding experience for the two roommates, and it’s good to see that they’ve at least built a relationship on something. We didn’t see Jacqueline at all in this episode, but we did see another one of her employees, Charles, whose romance with Kimmy seemed all set to blossom. There seemed to be something strange about him sitting forward with his headphones in while calling Kimmy, and I wasn’t too thrilled by the gimmicky revelation that his conversation with a gaming buddy had been misconstrued to make Kimmy think that he wanted to take things to the new level, prompting an unfortunate admission of her love for him that came way, way too early.

What I’m Watching: House of Cards

House of Cards: Season 3, Episode 6 “Chapter 32” (B+)

I was speaking with a friend a few weeks ago and, when I told him that the episode I just watched of this show was the one with the Russian president, he laughed at me since I was obviously not aware that a great deal of this season has to do with the relationship between the U.S., Russia, and the leaders of those two great countries. This was an intimate hour that allowed four main characters to converse in pairs, giving Michael Corrigan an important spotlight. It took me a few minutes to recognize Christian Camargo, best known for his role in season one of “Dexter,” as the actor portraying Michael, who was the epitome of a martyr, not content with his own release and instead intent on making a statement. Committing suicide by hanging himself with Claire’s scarf while she was sleeping in the room was an intense way to go and a much more personal move that is sure to haunt Claire for some time to come, as evidenced by her unexpected revelation of those true events during the press conference. It was immensely awkward to watch Frank try to pull her back as things went south, and they were both equally angry on the plane when Frank told Claire that he should never have made her ambassador and she retorted that he should never had made him president. Back on U.S. soil, Gavin continues to intensify his con job while Doug has managed to make himself a crucial asset of the Dunbar campaign. The revelation to Frank’s new biographer that his first job had to do with pot was amusing, and let’s hope that very minor bombshell doesn’t ever drop.

What I’m Watching: The Red Road (Season Premiere)

The Red Road: Season 2, Episode 1 “Gifts” (B+)

I had all but forgotten about this show, which premiered on the Sundance Channel last year and aired just six episodes in its first season. I’m pleased to see that it is back again, and I like that it’s headed in a slightly different direction in its second season. Starting with the questioning by the police of Harold and Philip was great because it underlines the uncertain boundaries of good and evil on this show, as Harold and Philip are now united by their joint actions and the fact that they must keep them secret. The crucial difference is that Philip was under suspicion and Harold ended up getting a promotion out of it. It’s clear that Harold is having a tough time relaxing and acclimating to his new job, but he does deserve some credit for going with the flow and inviting his colleagues over for poker night and then agreeing immediately to the idea of going to haze the new guy. The comedy of Harold not having any clue how to play the type of poker his new buddies love and them knowing it was quickly replaced by the far more serious and disconcerting run-in with Mac as he emerged from the woods. The official recognition of the Lenape is an interesting plotline, and I’m intrigued to see where that will go. Jean continues to be an unpredictable and extremely compelling part of the show. I look forward to seeing where this season’s six-episode run will take us.

What I’m Watching: Elementary

Elementary: Season 3, Episode 18 “The View from Olympus” (B+)

This was a rather multi-faceted episode, and I liked both the case of the week and the personal element of the storyline as it related to one of Sherlock’s repeat dalliances. The increasing discord between taxi drivers and independent companies such as Uber or the fictionalized Zooss feels like a plotline ripped from the headlines in a positive way but reframed and targeted here for the purposes of creating a mystery for the show. The reasoning behind the murder of a Zooss driver turned out to have many unexpected parts to it, and it was good to see participatory efforts in the solving of the case by Sherlock, Watson, Bell, and Gregson, who do function well as a team even if we don’t usually encounter them in exactly that dynamic. On the personal side of things, Sherlock’s behavior changed dramatically when Agatha came into town, and it was interesting to see Watson express her take on it, displeased to see the sex blanket coming out but not altogether unhappy about staying in a hotel. I think this is the first time that I’ve seen Anastasia Griffith, who I know from roles on “Damages,” “Trauma,” and “Burn Notice,” use her native British accent, and it’s truly jarring since she sounds completely different. While there were some unfortunate influencers in Agatha’s proposition of having a child with her frequent lover, I do think that the two of them are a terrific match. In the end, however, it’s Watson who came through for Sherlock, even enticing him not to wallow alone without having some ice cream.

What I’m Watching: Modern Family

Modern Family: Season 6, Episode 19 “Grill, Interrupted” (C)

I don’t particularly enjoy reviewing this show since I find myself repeating a lot of the same criticism of its comedic plotlines. This episode wasn’t all that unfunny but I didn’t find myself laughing very much. Its title was probably the cleverest part about it, though it of course described one of the more unnecessarily exaggerated elements of the episode. Leave it to Phil to get Jay a present that he objectively should love but instead doesn’t care about and then have its apparent perfection get depleted incrementally with numerous explosions and other mishaps. The greater thread of Phil seeking Jay’s approval got another inconclusive answer brought to light by Mitchell feeling guilty about never paying his dad back for the loan that he gave him years earlier that led to Claire debating a similar occurrence and whether she ought to repay her father as well. The two fur coats were a bit much even for Cam, who is always over the top. I’m all for Andy and Haley becoming a real couple, but all of this dancing around everything with Andy consistently getting caught in a compromising position with Haley and then penning the romantic card for Haley on her clueless boyfriend’s behalf is far less charming. It was mildly fun to see Manny and Luke try to be bad together and instead end up making utter fools of themselves with an ice bath to get rid of the slugs inside of them, and Gloria’s excitement at catching them was entertaining too.

What I’m Watching: Justified

Justified: Season 6, Episode 11 “Fugitive Number One” (B+)

This episode reframed things in a big way, and I think it’s totally fantastic. Raylan has always followed his own set of rules, and, aside from getting transferred to Kentucky, he’s gotten away with that. But Vasquez summed things up in a relevant and disconcerting way: Raylan messed up a case beforehand because he was sleeping with Ava, and now he’s done the same thing, let his feelings for her cloud his ability to bring down Boyd. It was hard to see her betrayal of Boyd coming, but Vasquez made a good point when he noted that trigger-happy Raylan holstered his weapon for the first time when she was running off. Art telling Raylan that he would be the one coming after him if he continued to disobey orders was terrific, and now Raylan is going to be on the other side of the law even though his intentions are still good. It’s hard to find enduring loyalty these days, and mutinous actions of number twos seem to result exclusively in death. Boyd opting to reward Carl’s last-minute change of heart by killing him as a distraction was cold and unforgiving, and now there are so many different players out there with different goals, including Ava and Zachariah, who have just discovered that an important element of their plan is no longer viable. Mike deciding that Catherine couldn’t kill Wynn was a sweet final act of loyalty, and somehow Wynn, the prisoner in the situation, managed to be the only one to walk away alive. The final two episodes of this show promise to be intense and electric.

Pilot Review: Weird Loners

Weird Loners (FOX)
Premiered March 31 at 9:30pm

A title like “Weird Loners” doesn’t exactly set the bar very high. But that’s precisely what this new sitcom is about – four underachievers who, for the most part, should be successful and could well be if they didn’t insist on refusing to succumb to societal norms and do something with their lives. There are obviously different degrees of social aptitude, as both Becki Newton’s Caryn and Zachary Knighton’s Stosh could function in a social setting and Nate Torrence’s Eric and Meera Rohit Kumbhani’s Zara don’t seem as capable of carrying on a normal conversation for more than a moment. These are the freaks and geeks, the outcasts, the misfits – people you’ve seen on television before who reluctantly accept their place in life and aren’t about to do anything to change it. That’s all fine and good, but this show shouldn’t be under the illusion that it’s reinventing the wheel. There is nothing particularly original about it, and it’s not all that funny. The first and only time I laughed in the pilot was midway through Eric’s poor lip-reading when he botched every single word, and there were almost twenty minutes of actual content before that, which is hardly an inspiring statistic. I loved Newton in “Ugly Betty” and even in “Love Bites,” and while she’s easily the best one in this cast, I wish it was a better part. Knighton, just the latest member of the beloved “Happy Endings” ensemble to try to find a suitable follow-up show, is outright annoying, and I preferred him in his far more subdued roles on “Parenthood” and “Flash Forward.” Torrence was a fun part of “Hello Ladies,” and it’s clear that he’s taken the manic antics up a notch rather than down, and I don’t think that’s a good thing. Kumbhani is the new face, and while she seems somewhat comically talented, I worry that her character is just too random to be taken seriously. This show does achieve the vibe it’s going for, but I’m not impressed with this initial outing and its prospects.

How will it work as a series? Suddenly four loners of sorts have been paired up into gendered roommates and gender-mixed budding couples, and so their interactions should provide plenty of fodder for comedy and typical sitcom storylines. Moving away from what brought them together and tracking their development into slightly more bearable people is probably the way this show needs to go.

How long will it last? There are puns aplenty about these loners not making friends in the debut airing of their show, and that’s not promising. FOX has a reliable block of comedies performing well at the moment and dramas launching strongly, and there’s no reason to keep a show like this around if it just doesn’t get watched by the same numbers. I’m not even sure I’d expect it to stay on through the end of the season.

Pilot grade: C

Take Three: iZombie

iZombie: Season 1, Episode 3 “The Exterminator” (B+)

Just three episodes in, I feel like this show has both already achieved a good sense of itself and is also open to new exploration of its characters and their motivations. Liv taking on the personality traits of the murder victims whose brains she eats is extremely interesting, and in this case becoming more like the unfeeling hitman was definitely problematic and disconcerting. Her discovery of Marcy and her pause in jumping in to save Ravi from certain zombification was troubling, and it’s good to see that she forced herself to eat a fresh set of brains so that she wouldn’t hang on to what it’s like not to have emotions. Clive and Liv’s dynamic is great, as he trusts her alleged psychic abilities implicitly but isn’t content to rely on them for proof in a case, pushing her to help him get to a concrete point that is irrefutable and can be used in court. I like that he had Ravi come to the station dressed in a sanitation worker’s uniform and positioned in just the right place so that he couldn’t be identified as a fraud and the guilty party would confess to the murder Liv was certain he had committed. Incorporating Peyton into the storyline worked well too, as she interacted professionally with Liv and threatened to have her biggest case sidelined by Liv’s visions. It’s a good thing that they were able to figure out a way for her to still win and put the right man in jail. Left to his own devices, Blair continues to be creepy, and it seems like he’s going to create as many zombies as he can if only for the profit potential.

What I’m Watching: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D: Season 2, Episode 15 “One Door Closes” (B-)

At least I’m not the only one who finds this “the real S.H.I.E.L.D.” business preposterous. Coulson’s reaction to hearing that was pretty terrific, and though this fringe operation managed to take control of our team’s headquarters pretty quickly, things are surely not going to end too easily. I was pleased to see Hunter show up to meet Coulson on the beach and pledge his support. It’s nice to know one of the newbies is reliable since it’s become apparent that the other fresh faces can’t be trusted. Flashing back to the siege of the ship and the desperate attempts to take it back on the day that Hydra took over were somewhat effective, and it was a treat to see Lucy Lawless’ Izzy alive and well again. It was also a mini-reunion between Lawless and her “Battlestar Galactica” costar Edward James Olmos, though both performers were much better on that show. Though it didn’t mean much, it was satisfying to see Simmons step up and catch Bobbi, who thought she was the one being deceptive, off-guard. I’m relieved to see that Fitz and Simmons are bonding again, and they’ll need to be on the same side if they’re going to reprioritize what the greater S.H.I.E.L.D. is focused on at the moment. Skye’s creepy cabin time wasn’t all that great, and I’m glad that she’s been spirited away by Gordon to somewhere surely more interesting. It will be intriguing to see her hook up with a group of people with distinctly different perspectives on S.H.I.E.L.D. and other enhanced humans such as herself, which will undoubtedly lead to conflict as we towards the end of the season.

What I’m Watching: New Girl

New Girl: Season 4, Episode 19 “The Right Thing” (C)

Being the sitcom that it is, this show has featured a number of its characters’ parents to varying degrees of comedic effect. I would rank Schmidt’s mother towards the bottom of that group, since her Jewish mother impression was a highly uncreative one that did the entire episode a disservice. We’ve seen Schmidt shrink back into himself and cower in fear of the women he’s slept with, and now his mother makes him revert to childhood, eagerly putting on a sweater over a sweater he’s already wearing and preparing to write thank-you notes for his bar mitzvah so that he can use the money to invest with Nick in the bar. Jess sexting her date just before he died was bad enough, and going to the intimate ceremony after the funeral was plenty awkward. I liked seeing Fiona Gubelmann of “Wilfred” as the dead man’s girlfriend, who was quite oblivious to what was going on, and I think I would have enjoyed seeing more than just a glimpse of her reaction to Jess’ picture coming up on his phone. Winston bonding with his partner at the bar was fun, and I enjoyed his fast guesses as to what happened to her old partner that he suspected died and may have been shot by her. The line that had me laughing out loud was Nick’s invocation of “popsicle psychology,” or pop psychology for short. I almost wasn’t paying close enough attention later when Coach referenced the similarly but surely slightly different popcorn psychology.

What I’m Watching: The Flash

The Flash: Season 1, Episode 17 “Tricksters” (B+)

Sometimes, the showiest villains aren’t actually the greatest threats. The Trickster and his exploding balloons reminded me of one of the initial episodes of “Gotham” that I watched earlier this season, giving Central City a very Gotham City feel, appropriately campy and twisted. I would never have recognized Mark Hamill as James Jesse, and I can’t imagine I’m the only one who didn’t know who he was. While poisoning an entire building full of rich people and demanding their money as ransom was a vicious plot, it didn’t actually take Barry long to rid himself of his “Speed” device and inject everyone with the antidote, not to mention save his father from certain death at the hands of a rigged explosive. But Barry having to run through a wall in order to break free did reveal just how much Dr. Wells understands about being able to run fast, and has now solidified his guilt in Barry’s mind. The backstory was helpful, casting Matt Letscher of “Scandal” as the original Eobard Thawne, who, frustrated with being stranded in the past, took Dr. Wells’ identity to accelerate his creation of the particle accelerator. Humanizing Dr. Wells at this point is interesting but worked effectively as he becomes the show’s major villain. This was a big episode of revealed identities as Barry put it together that Wells is the Reverse Flash, and the Flash himself took off his mask for both his father and Eddie. The latter was definitely much more shocked, but hopefully he’ll now be able to help keep Iris safe and help Barry in his pursuit of the truth.

What I’m Watching: Better Call Saul

Better Call Saul: Season 1, Episode 9 “Pimento” (B+)

The way this episode started out, I would not have predicted that it would end where it did. Things were finally looking up for Jimmy, and the chance to help spirit Chuck back into public through their joint work on the case was a welcome opportunity. Going to HHM with the case was a tough enough decision, and Howard seems to have no desire to spare Jimmy any emotionless rejection since he’s delivered plenty of that already, taking down Jimmy’s self-esteem one monumental step at a time. Jimmy’s realization that it was Chuck all along who had kept him down and who resented him for getting a law degree without actually working hard for it was extremely hard to watch, and now Jimmy really is alone without any friends, with only Kim advocating for him, and risking her own reputation with Howard at that. I’d hope that Jimmy would try to hang on to the case anyway, but I’m not optimistic about his prospects. This may well be the case that turns him into Saul Goodman, but this show has plenty of time to grow. Mike taking charge when an overly chatty bodyguard showed up to do a job with him and someone who actually looked the part was pretty fantastic, and I like how Nacho was incorporated in this hour in an entirely harmless and appropriately background manner (looking actor Michael Mando up, I saw and made the connection that he played Vic on “Orphan Black,” something I hadn’t realized before). Mike talking to Price about being a good criminal was especially interesting, and I’m all about the terrific dialogue.

What I’m Watching: House of Lies

House of Lies: Season 4, Episode 11 “Everything's So Fucking Obvious, I'm Starting to Wonder Why We're Even Having This Conversation” (B+)

With just one episode to go this season, it’s reassuring to hear that this series will be back for a fifth season. This is the strongest the show has been since season one, and I’m eager to see where it all goes. Denna is making Marty’s downfall pretty miserable, staging events to embarrass him at every turn and ensure that he feels the pain of his increasing worthlessness. He won’t go down without a fight, but it’s obvious that it’s getting to him. The concurrent news of Roscoe being threatened at school was bad timing as an unfortunate distraction, and the revelation that his son was the one who sprayed the slur only makes things worse. Jeannie just can’t help finding CFO offers wherever she turns, but her discovery that Denna put her up for this as a way to knock out one of Marty’s top operators negates the excitement of its existence in the first place. His new girlfriend Kelsey was weirdly absent for the death of Clyde’s father, and the way that he went out with Clyde yelling at him is sure to haunt him for a while. I like that Kevin Pollak's hacker, who Doug wasn’t impressed by, chose to show Doug just how much he respected him by finding a picture of Sarah’s new beau and filling him on just what his soon-to-be-ex-wife was purchasing to use with him. He may not have gone to Harvard, but he certainly figured out a way to show him his skills.

What I’m Watching: Shameless

Shameless: Season 5, Episode 11 “Drugs Actually” (B+)

Preparing to review this episode, I made the unfortunate discovery that this season has just one episode to go! Fortunately, the show was renewed for a sixth season back in January, so we’ll have more Gallagher hijinks to look forward to then. This episode was actually quite promising in a lot of ways, even though there were a few troublesome developments. The most notable of them is undoubtedly Ian getting sprung from military prison at a surprisingly quick rate by the most destructive force possible: Monica. That’s almost worse than knowing that Ian is in custody without the proper medical care, and I suspect it will be hard for his family to track him down. They did a decent job of trying to deal with meting out punishment for Sammi, that is until Mickey accidentally killed her, or so he thought. His nonchalant reaction to finding her dead was pretty hilarious, and I’m sure she’s going to be back for fervent revenge once she gets to wherever she had set her box to be shipped. Lip going to a fancy party in his own neighborhood was interesting, and he seems to have found a kindred spirit in the mentor Helene set up for him. I like that Helene snuck into Lip’s dorm and brought a disguise in which to leave. It’s a relief to see Kev and Veronica back together, and what a water-soaked reunion it was! Bianca is a fantastic fit for Frank, living for the day so much that she nearly died in the middle of sex on train tracks. I’m sure their next adventure will be a wild and unfiltered blast.

What I’m Watching: The Walking Dead (Season Finale)

The Walking Dead: Season 5, Episode 16 “Conquer” (B+)

I can’t remember the last time this show had an expanded episode, and maybe that’s why this finale feels so action-packed. I couldn’t have more been excited to see Lennie James return as Morgan in the opening scene since I thought he was an excellent character in the pilot and love the fact that he’s returning after appearing only once intermittently, seemingly cured of some of his paranoia and now on the hunt for Rick and his promise of salvation. Seeing the residents of Alexandria come together to debate the merits of keeping Rick and his people as constable and neighbors, respectively, couldn’t have ended more dramatically than Rick walking in with a dead body and poor Reg getting his throat slit by someone far less skilled than Michonne in the handling of a sword. Morgan showing up at that moment only further enhanced the intensity, and this isn’t where I thought things would end up. Glenn’s battle in the woods also ended in a different place, and though the general state of affairs in Alexandria is poor, especially with Gabriel leaving the gate open and then inciting Sasha to kill him, our group is actually in a much more positive spot than at the end of last episode. I enjoyed the conversation between Eugene and Abraham at Tara’s bedside, and I’m glad to see that this show is investing some time and storylines on its supporting characters. It’s hard to recall that this season featured cannibals and Dawn, but that’s just the nature of this show, damning its characters to eternal cycles of wandering and occasional glimpses of hope along the way.

Season grade: B/B+
Season MVP: Ross Marquand as Aaron