Well, NBC went and fucked it all up again. Strong language, I know. Right off the bat. There’s really no other way to open with NBC repeating the same mistake. Quantum Leap has been axed again, without bringing anyone home. No finale season. They didn’t even get what LaBrea got with those handful of episodes to wrap things up. Honestly, you could probably just do a two hour Quantum Leap event, bring everyone home, including the (sorry, spoilers) two current leapers, as well as Sam. Bring everyone home. Call it a day, and never touch this franchise again. But no. NBC can’t even figure out how to not repeat the same mistake twice, after they pissed off fans 30 years ago with the crappy finale the original show got.
I did try some new shows. The Long Shadow (AMC Plus) is a new British crime drama. It also doesn’t have audio description. It isn’t dialog heavy, which makes this pretty unwatchable, as you can’t really follow this quiet of a murder mystery. I won’t be watching it again, and I won’t be covering it again. When the Captain was talking to his team about the murder, and someone tried joking about her being murdered for being a prostitute, I was hoping they’d do more with that, and shut him down. No, they just kinda slowly limp away. Honestly, I’m not sure this show is that interesting even if it were audio described.
Also, we have a new season of The Weakest Link (Peacock), and while I love Lindsay Arnold, perhaps she should have spent more time in school than in dance class.Good lord girl. The cast of Days Of Our Lives competed for charity, and the audio description here is most appreciated when they all go around and vote, since we can’t see who is voting. It’s hard to ever put something like this in the Top tier, but it does what it needs to, so Middle Tier shouldn’t be seen as negative either.
Three Body Problem (Netflix) is nuts. Episode 5 is gory, and has one of those big scenes, major set pieces that has the potential to rise above the whole series and be memorable for just what it is. Sort of like when people say “Red Wedding”. I don’t know what the internet is calling that yet, but it so very much has potential. I’m actually surprised they didn’t end the episode on that note. Though the destruction of science is a big deal, I suppose. But, Darren Polish doing the audio description for that other scene, priceless. Top Tier. For sure.
Another Netflix show, The Tourist, I’m still having to rewatch the first season, because I totally forgot this show existed. I remember 1/3rd to 1/2 of every episode. Like, a scene will be familiar, but the next not at all. The audio description for season 1 is fine. Middle/Top tier.
I’m becoming less impressed with Manhunt (Apple plus) as a series. Tansy Alexander’s description is mostly there to enhance the actors and track movement, which is a shame considering this is a period drama. Most of the acting can’t be salvaged anyway. The longer this show goes on, the more grateful I am that Tobias Menzies is here. I love Patton Oswalt, but we have to acknowledge he is so odd for this. I’m four episodes in, and I wish this limited series was shorter. Middle/Top tier.
We Were The Lucky Ones (Hulu) is still struggling to find its footing in terms of making itself different from every other project like it, and the narrator is way too upbeat. There is a scene in the second episode where a character has a gun to their head, and he was narrating it, and I felt no drama out of it, because his voice isn’t right for this show. He’s not a bad narrator choice for other shows, but I never would have picked him for this project. The written text is what keeps this out of the bottom tier, as it does a good job. It also is impressing the hell out of me now that I know that’s Logan Lerman. I generally don’t like his performances, but he’s matured a lot here. Middle tier.
Tokyo Vice (MAX) is still a TV show where a choice was made to have one narrator for everything. Even though this narrator does try to do something a little different when narrating female voices, it is still not a good choice for him to be alone. I do believe this is the same narrator from Succession. The show is OK. I do expect and want more from a drama being shepherded by Michael Mann. Middle/Bottom tier.
