What I’m Watching: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (Season Premiere)

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Season 3, Episode 1 “Josh’s Ex-Girlfriend Wants Revenge” (B+)

This was an important premiere since this show, so fantastic in its first season, took a few questionable turns in season two in its reveal that Rebecca actually does have some certifiable issues to address that have come up before. What this episode did was pick things back up to show up how everyone sees Rebecca and how she’s embracing the more positive attention that she’s getting. It’s mostly concern towards her now, since before she was operating completely on her own and lying to those around her to try to get with Josh, but now that she’s been through that and come out the other hand, she’s part of a crew with Paula, Heather, and Valencia. They realize that her big return with the fancy white dress and her new demeanor were just ways of coping with Josh having left her at the altar, and they wanted to encourage her but make sure she didn’t go too far, like when she was literally about to have sex with the actor who looked exactly like Josh. She’s getting back to a better place, in theory, but she’s still sending cupcakes inspired by “The Help” to Josh, channeling her inner crazy while putting on a saner public front. I like that Nathaniel is now trying hard to get her because she’s not showing any interest, and it appears that Scott Michael Foster has become a full-time series regular now. Darryl’s relationship with White Josh continues to get sweeter and sweeter, and I loved his eventual enthusiasm about the anteater costume, accompanied by the not-quite-right “honk honk” sound. Paula reconciling with Scott also seems to be going well, even if she had a strange moment where she wanted him to call her Tonya. I think this is going to be a good season.

Pilot Review: Mindhunter

Mindhunter (Netflix)
Premiered October 13

I try hard not to read anything about new shows since I find that going into them knowing next to nothing enhances the experience and allows them to speak for themselves in terms of premise and quality. Yet I’m constantly surprised when a debut episode doesn’t make clear specifically what a show is about, and while I was drawn in enough based on the content of the pilot as compared with something like “The Deuce,” I still had no idea that this show would be about its protagonists interviewing imprisoned serial killers to gain insight into why they committed their crimes and why others might. It makes sense as a logical next step, though the way this first episode ended, that wasn’t clear at all. I just finished “Manhunt: Unabomber,” which showed how an unconventional way of thinking helped to catch a notorious killer who went uncaught for many years, and therefore this does appeal. Yet I think that the strongest part of the entire episode was the first scene where Jonathan Groff’s Holden Ford showed up and took charge of a hostage negotiation with just the right approach, only to find his work cut short by a fatal gunshot to the man’s hand. I liked Groff a lot in his role on the second season of Starz’s short-lived “Boss,” and he seems like the right person for this part. I was very fond of Holt McCallany on FX’s one-season boxing drama “Lights Out,” and so it’s good to see him get another major role. I guess we’ll meet Anna Torv from “Fringe” in a subsequent episode. This premiere didn’t draw me in as much as I’d hope, but it piqued my interest to the point that I’ll tune in for episode two to see where it goes.

How will it work as a series? Holden and Bill seem to be on the same page even if they don’t always see eye to eye, but almost everyone they encounter wants direct results that don’t involve nearly as much introspection. Their uphill battle will be made engaging if the stories told by the killers they interview are gripping, chilling, and can be used to productive effect to glean knowledge about why others might do what they do.
How long will it last? David Fincher’s involvement in the show seems to have bolstered its buzz, earning a second season renewal way back in April. While premature pickups often backfire for non-streaming dramas, this might not actually be so bad for this well-reviewed drama that’s probably going to be considered a hit for the network.

Pilot grade: B

What I’m Watching: Transparent

Transparent: Season 4, Episode 4 “Cool Guy” (B)

It took just a few mentions of a familiar last name for Maura to learn that her father was alive and living in Israel, and it took even less time for Ali to locate him on the internet. I was surprised that he would still be alive given the fact that Jeffrey Tambor is, in real life, 73 years old. I didn’t realize that Jerry Adler is 88 years old, so I guess that makes a little more sense. As soon as they arrived, they went straight in, and it didn’t take much to convince Moshe that they were who they claimed to be. The fact that he wasn’t too confused about Maura having formerly been Mort, and that’s mainly because of the extremely crucial knowledge that he dropped at the end of the episode, which is that Gershom and Gittel, who we’ve gotten to know in flashbacks from previous episodes, were the same person, indicating a trans history in the Pfefferman family that now makes Maura feel much more accepted, despite the trauma of never having known for so many years. Back in America, Shelly is going overboard on her Italian caricature, currently to critical acclaim, while Josh isn’t accomplishing much as he’s verbalizing the damage that Rita did to him. The most engaging plotline of this episode was the dreamlike meetup between Len, Sarah, and Lila which seemed like it could lead to a threesome and then very much did. I think we’re going to have a polyamory situation on our own which will excite Len at first but will likely alienate him soon when Sarah changes her mind about what she wants.

What I’m Watching: Narcos

Narcos: Season 3, Episode 7 “Sin Salida” (B+)

Pena is making some impressive moves this season, and it’s a shame that he’s being so constantly thwarted by forces that seek only to protect the Rodriguez brothers and keep the Cali cartel very much in operation. He went out of his way to find a man he knew to be pure and whose men would be entirely uncorrupted. It’s clear that this is the time that action needs to be taken since Miguel and Pacho are set on launching an all-out war due to their dissatisfaction with the way they believe they’ve been treated, and Pena was literally inches away from getting Miguel and being one step closer to breaking apart the apparatus of this violent machine. This show has done some fakeouts in the past, but after Pena pulled open the door in the floor to find Gilberto pointing a gun at him, it made sense that, once again, he and his two agents would be drilling into the very spot where Miguel was hiding, only to be told, seconds before they revealed that he was there, that they were acting illegally because it was a private residence. Pena didn’t fight much at that point, and I don’t know if they’re going to have any more success, especially as the war escalates. Jorge remained calm under pressure, turning off the radios as subtly as he could, when he unintentionally ended up being in the wrong place when the raid was supposed to take place. His wife leaving with the kids is a big sign since David has violent impulses, and not getting caught might prove irrelevant to their ultimate fate.

What I’m Watching: Better Things

Better Things: Season 2, Episode 5 “Phil” (B)

I think I mentioned last week that this show is taking a much darker and more serious turn? That’s definitely true in this installment centered almost entirely on Sam’s mother, who usually has a supporting role but has lately been figuring more into the main narrative as she experiences loss of control of bodily functions and forgets where she parked her car. The impulse that she couldn’t control to steal the ring didn’t have much to do with age, but that doesn’t make it any less embarrassing since it probably seems to others like she’s losing her mind. Stepping into a hole and injuring herself to avoid yet another recognized instance of not being able to locate her car was an unfortunate direction, one that shows Sam, if for different reasons, that her mother needs to put into some sort of assisted-living situation. We got a quick glimpse of Kevin Pollak as her brother Marion over the phone, who didn’t understand why Sam was calling him if she didn’t want his help but was still annoyed at him for not being involved. For now, and I guess until something truly irreversible happens, Phil will remain with Sam and her daughters, since Sam isn’t ready to commit to offloading her just yet. Bringing her daughters to meet Robin was full of boundary-pushing moments that showed what troublemakers they could be when they want to led to a still relatively successful meeting, but Sam gave in to her self-destructive impulses anyway and showed up at her ex Mather Zickel’s home anyway.

What I’m Watching: Will and Grace

Will and Grace: Season 9, Episode 3 “Emergency Contact” (B)

As this show adjusts back to being on the air so many years after it went off, it’s understandably going to include callbacks to elements that are no longer part of its narrative. Grace’s cancer scare was just the opportunity needed to bring back Harry Connick Jr.’s Leo, who remains a very nice guy who argued, much to Grace’s fury, that she was more married to Will than she was to him when they were together. Her insistence on getting the last word in led to an amusing final scene for them in which they expressed their feelings for each other and Leo told Grace that she stole his heart, something that he meant very, very literally and hadn’t necessitated the emotional response she delivered. Will didn’t have much to do in this episode other than to try to console Grace, who was eating the horrific dish of strawberry ice cream with chicken satay as the dipping spoon. Jack being a teacher makes some sense, though naturally his ego will win out over everything, leading him to claim responsibility for what was very clearly some incredible natural talent. His almost-booking of a commercial didn’t pan out nearly as well, but I imagine he’ll still find some decent acting gigs this season. Karen, never one to really pick up on societal cues, had an amusing conversation with a twelve-year-old girl that served as an instance of one of this show’s specialties: addressing issues in society through the lens of Karen’s very warped and totally out-of-touch perspective.

What I’m Watching: The Good Place

The Good Place: Season 2, Episode 5 “Existential Crisis” (B+)

This show has a tall order in making its demons seem real and believable in some way when everything that they physically present suggests that they’re human, and this episode was superbly effective in showing just how it could look for a demon to realize that they might not be as immortal as they think they are. Michael’s imitation of being human was pretty absurd and funny, and when Eleanor and Chidi pushed him to think about what it would be like for him not to exist, he fell apart completely before going into full-blown midlife crisis mode. Having Janet play Janette and respond to his silly antics was fun, and I think this represents a very important step in their relationship. Vicky’s having a blast at the new one in charge, and her request for one-page memos with pictures shows that she’s ready to do things her way and isn’t going to tattle on Michael because she’s having too good a time running the show. Tahani experienced true torture by having to plan a party only to have everyone go to the other much, much better one instead, and I love that Jason, who was having a great time at the other party, realized she was sad and told her some nonsensical Jacksonville stories about 8 being a better rating than 13 to make her feel better. This show has been focused so much on Eleanor and Chidi’s eventual coupling that I didn’t even see this union coming, and what a wonderful, strange development it is. My favorite moment of the episode was Chidi’s reaction to Eleanor saying “velociraptor” instead of “valedictorian.”

What I’m Watching: Mr. Robot (Season Premiere)

Mr. Robot: Season 3, Episode 1 “eps3.0_power-saver-mode.h” (B+)

I was excited to have this show back since I still contend that it’s one of the most fascinating series on television, and I’m not sure why people seemed to drop off during what I found to be a very engaging, if still immensely puzzling, season two. This start was immediately made great due to the featuring of new cast member Bobby Cannavale, who made just as much of an impression as he did in his first scene on “Boardwalk Empire,” trying to use his free milkshake coupon during the same visit at a burger place before taking a call during which he asked, “Is he dead?” Irving is a super new addition to the cast, and his remote police car slowdown trick was pretty cool. That was one intense, powerful monologue that Elliot delivered with clips of the Trump administration and much more, talking about how it’s actually all his fault that they didn’t start a revolution. Seeing the in memoriam posters of those who lost their lives in part because of their connection to him was meaningful, and it’s good to see that he, with Darlene’s help, was able to shut the back door even if he didn’t have time to dismantle the whole system. The crucial new piece of information, which other viewers may have known but I didn’t know until now, is that Angela is firmly on team Mr. Robot, somehow convincing herself that she’s still being a good friend to Elliot while she actively works with Irving and Tyrell to make sure that Elliot and Darlene aren’t able to dismantle what they’re trying to do, something I still don’t quite understand and don’t think I ever will. This is the first major acknowledgment that someone else knows that he has a split personality and can tell which one is which. This may be the most concrete understanding I’ll ever have of what’s going on here, but I’m ready for another mind-boggling season.

What I’m Watching: You’re the Worst

You’re the Worst: Season 4, Episode 6 “Not a Great Bet” (B+)

This was a pretty hypnotic diversion from the reality we’re used to, with Gretchen going home for the birth of a new niece or nephew and avoiding responsibility in a different way than we’ve seen before. Running into an old teacher at the car rental at the airport and immediately lying about being a marine biologist while trying not to comment on him working there showed that she wasn’t going to be her same self, even though she’s actually somewhat decent as a publicist when she puts the tiniest bit of effort in. At every turn, she lies to her family and to everyone around her, which makes her pairing with Jimmy feel incongruous since he doesn’t bother lying about things and just comes right out and says whatever rude thing he’s thinking. Flipping through her yearbook and seeing the picture of her cancer-stricken friend could have been a more sentimental, sad moment, but her discovery that Heidi was in fact alive, well, and running the local roller rink led to an important reconnection with someone she thought she was close with back in high school. The casting of the usually more much comedic Zosia Mamet from “Girls” as Heidi was superb and very effective, and she wasn’t shy about breaking the news to Gretchen that they weren’t the friends that she remembered. Gretchen’s words also have more meaning when they’re said around people who aren’t as deplorable as her, as evidenced by the kid who ate a jar of cat food at record speed before Gretchen nearly got arrested for indecent exposure or something like that. And she didn’t even get to see the baby, a sign that Gretchen, like Jimmy, also runs when things get too real.

Take Three: Liar

Liar: Season 1, Episode 3 "White Rabbit" (B+)

This was an important episode, one in which we learned some crucial developments. It’s hard to read Andrew, who elicited sympathy in the middle of the episode when he realized that Dennis had in fact touched Laura but claimed that she was asking for it, something that stood in stark contrast to Andrew’s assertion of his innocence that everything they did was completely consensual. He also did exactly as Laura asked and helped out the girl who got pregnant by his son by lying to her father about what had caused her visit to the hospital. But then, as soon as Vanessa came by to tell him that he had been cleared, he proceeded to ask her to go for a drink, which hardly felt appropriate. Her response to him was perfect, and it’s good to see that she’s firmly on Laura’s side. Not only did Andrew begin pursuing a defamation suit and leave the earring in Laura’s home to taunt her, we got confirmation that he did put something into her drink, which somehow didn’t show up on any of the tests run the day after by the police to determine if she had in fact been assaulted. Why Andrew would think that he could drug someone – a teacher of his son’s – who knew him and whose world he so closely interacted with without any consequences is puzzling, but it seems to be because he believes he can do whatever he wants. Not all is clear just yet, but this show just keeps getting more interesting.

Pilot Review: Dynasty

Dynasty (CW)
Premiered October 11 at 9pm

I’ll start this review by noting that I’ve never seen the long-running original series on which this show is based, and that’s mainly because I was less than a year old when it finished its ninth and final year. I do, believe, however, that a very small percentage of this show’s audience will have seen that show, though maybe the CW can appeal to an older crowd by attracting those who want to see how their former beloved soap has been resurrected. I think that they’ll likely be pleased, since, as far as primetime soap operas go, this one’s not that bad. Every viewer tuning in should know exactly what they’re in for, which is a whole lot of sex, betrayal, scheming, and hair-pulling. I’m extremely saddened by the fact that Elizabeth Gillies was available to do this show since it serves as a miserable reminder that her breakout role on “Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll” has come to an untimely end, but, I’ll be honest – she’s perfect for this part. Many performers make the move from a great cable show to a lackluster series or film that wastes their talent, and that’s not the case at all here. Gillies is superb, and easily the best in show, facing off against an also well-cast Nathalie Kelley as Cristal. I’m realizing that I’ve been watching TV for a while, since I never would have imagined that Grant Show, who I watched on “Burn Notice” and “Swingtown,” was old enough to play the patriarch of adult children (he’s actually a good deal older than Stephen Moyer and Amy Acker, whose casting as parents on “The Gifted” had me reacting the same way). It’s also the first time in a while that I’ve seen Alan Dale, who used to run the world on shows like “24” and “Lost,” and he’s also in a part that’s good for him. The bottom line is – I wouldn’t ever really watch a show like this, but it’s actually decent fun for what it is.

How will it work as a series? Everyone is sleeping with everyone else, and now Fallon is starting a rival company to go head-to-head with her father and his new bride. There’s the potential for so many bombshells to be revealed, and on this show they won’t even seem like huge twists, just another secret to be squashed or an enemy to be crushed. This format works well for this kind of show.
How long will it last? My review is probably a bit more positive than most, which seem to be averaging out to not so great. While I can guess that people might want to watch this show, that doesn’t appear to have been the case, with this debut losing half of the audience of its “Riverdale” lead-in. I think that suggests that one season is all we’ll get for the latest revival of a popular 80s show.

Pilot grade: B-

Round Two: The Mayor

The Mayor: Season 1, Episode 2 “The Filibuster” (C+)

I think this is enough for me. This show isn’t bad, but it’s also unnecessarily repetitive and just not the kind of comedy that I feel I need to get into and watch on a regular basis. I’m sure every episode will end with Courtney learning an important lesson about how he should have known something but still managing to accomplish some version of what he needed through his unusual approach. Using his veto power rather than attending the pre-meeting and the post-meeting was a token example, since David Spade’s Ed Gunt quickly overrode his veto. I’m also not sure why Courtney came up with a great idea like taking a bit from each piece of the pie but then didn’t bother to stick around to put his creativity to use to figure out how to do it, or kill two birds with one stone by detailing in his filibuster what programs could be cut and where. Val was understandably frustrated with his inability to pay any attention to what she was saying, and she also gets to gloat occasionally about how she did in fact tell him so. That’s something I imagine will happen a lot going forward. Dina educating Jermaine about what his job really was did prove to be very roundabout, with him having no clue that all the problems he was noting were in fact his responsibility. This show might last – and it’s better than I and I imagine most expected it would be – but it’s hardly vital television.

What I’m Watching: Legends of Tomorrow (Season Premiere)

Legends of Tomorrow: Season 3, Episode 1 “Aruba-Con” (B+)

This show has really grown on me since it started, and I couldn’t be more excited for this season. It’s come far from being just a mishmash of characters from other shows, and now they feel at home here. The dinosaurs-in-2017 thing didn’t end up being too problematic since a much fancier Rip from five years in the future was back with his sleek new time bureau to clean up the mess and ensure that the timestream remains uncorrupted. Seeing the team trying to adjust to normal life was fun, and I’m glad that it only lasted the duration of this hour. Sara working at a department store was my absolute favorite, and I loved that both Nate and Mick were on the dating app with up-down swipes where Ray worked, wasting away his talents. Julius Caesar showing up on a beach in Aruba where Mick was trying to relax was great, and I enjoyed their interactions very much. Leave it to Nate to wipe Caesar’s memory before checking the history book to make sure that everything was back on track, and he personifies the legends’ motto that they’re going to mess everything up and then fix it – their way. Sara has done a superb job of adjusting to the role of the captain, and all of her crew, including Mick, respect her even if they vocally disagree with her on a regular basis. Now, they just have to grab Amaya, who is an unusual place in 1942 which finds her using her powers but expressing a far more violent sentiment than we’ve come to know from her.

What I’m Watching: This Is Us

This Is Us: Season 2, Episode 3 “Déjà Vu” (B+)

One thing that this show does do pretty well is bring in celebrity guest stars, with Ron Howard and now Sylvester Stallone playing a productive role in the background rather than seeming like an attempt to draw in ratings, something that NBC used to be notorious for about a decade or so ago with its comedies. I would never have thought of casting Stallone on this show, but it was effective to see Kate speechless to meet him before engaging in a lengthy conversation about how much her dad loved his movies and how he would have been proud of Kevin. As much as Kate isn’t able to get past the death of her father, Kevin doesn’t seem to be okay with it either, since he didn’t have the same closeness with him that Kate did or the special relationship that adopted son Randall did. Fortunately, Kevin’s harsh words to Kate don’t seem to have stuck, and now it’s just a matter of actually talking about and grieving for their father. Randall asking Debra Jo Rupp’s childcare services agent what they should do when she was leaving after dropping off Déjà was a great moment of controlled panic, and telling her about his own adoption experience after seeing how she reacted to him raising his voice of genuine concern was a great moment of parenting. Surely things won’t be all that easy, but this is a good start that doesn’t feel too glossed over and idealistic. Rebecca trying to spruce up their marriage with a romantic night out was a good effort, but Jack does appear to want to take things slow to ensure that he’s putting in the same amount of work to the relationship, which I guess is a good thing even if we know there isn’t ultimately a happy ending for this couple.

What I’m Watching: The Flash (Season Premiere)

The Flash: Season 4, Episode 1 “The Flash Reborn” (B+)

I love this show, and it’s great to see it back in the air as part of the CW’s premiere week. It didn’t seem possible that this show could continue without Barry, though Team Flash, led by Iris, who described herself as running (the show) since Barry left, was pretty productive keeping things up and ensuring that Central City is safe from all those who seek to attack it. But this show isn’t one to be very dark, especially since Iris didn’t die, and instead we got a broken-down version of Barry, described as “A Beautiful Mind” by Cisco, who only took a few scenes to get fully repaired after Iris bravely handed herself over to the samurai, somehow knowing that Barry would be drawn to come save her. I’m not familiar enough with classic Flash villains to know who the mystery man is who created the samurai and is monitoring the time stream, but I can tell this is a new kind of enemy for the team, which is good since they’ve already conquered a lot, and having a non-speed-related nemesis is probably a positive step. I’m thrilled to see Caitlin back with a more relaxed personality, but it does seem that she still has some Killer Frost issues to keep under control. I don’t pretend to understand the speed force, but if Cisco and Caitlin did manage to trick it into believing that a speedster is still inside, I’m more than happy to never hear it mentioned again.