Nerd Day! A bunch of things aimed at a very specific group all dropped today. All of this, plus I managed a multiverse of madness.
1) The Umbrella Academy (Netflix)
English Audio Description Available?: Yes
Maybe it was the dance fight. No, it was definitely the dance fight, dream sequenced or not, that sent this episode to the top of my rankings chart. Really happy to have this show back for another 10 episodes. I was wondering when they were going to address the Vanya/Elliot Page need to transition the character, but not in the first episode would be that answer. So, for now at least, Vanya is still Vanya. And also, representation? I guess. Maybe I should relate to the sparrow who can’t see herself, but can create crows that see for her. What a weird power.
Episode Grade: A
2) Killing It (Peacock)
English Audio Description Available?: Yes
in the middle of Nerd Day, I managed to knock out the 7th episode in this recently renewed Peacock comedy. Craig Robinson still is hilarious, and we saw that this episode took place right around the time of the 2016 election. His brother has clearly gotten in over his head, so now it’s time to feed a dead body to a python… during a python hunt. I’m sure there won’t be any problems with that in the final episode.
Episode Grade: A
3) All Rise (OWN)
English Audio description Available?: No
in the third episode of the third season, Lola’s being investigated and it causes a rift between her and Sherry. But it was the cases this week that got me, mainly a young mother who got into a spat with her landlord, and now her kids futures are in jeopardy.
Episode Grade: A-
4) The Weakest Link (NBC/Peacock/Hulu)
English Audio Description Available?: Depending on the platform.
The main reason I enjoyed this episode seemed to be the fact that instead of petty nonsense, this group of misfits actually managed to vote off the weakest link in every round. Including the final three, where usually the strongest link is targeted. It’s nice to see the weakest link actually go home. My favorite part was when the one girl admitted that she did answer one question wrong, but thought that she should have been given more credit for the questions she got right. Then Jane asked her who she picked, and she picked someone who didn’t miss a single question. Somewhere, that lady is living her life, not making a damn bit of sense.
Final Grade: A-
5) OBi Wan (Disney Plus)
English Audio Description Available?: Yes
I have a lot of thoughts. Lot of spoilery thoughts. Let’s just say, overall I wasn’t in love with this series. It was fine. Leia gets kidnapped a bit much, and they took a character I loved in the first episode and made her grating. I never have a need to see Hayden Christensen ever again. I love Reva, and would watch a show centered around her journey. This show is a bit of a mess and mixes up continuity a bit, but what the heck, right? it was just cool to have Vader back, and james Earl jones once again as the voice. I don’t know how many more times we will be able to say that, sadly.
Episode Grade: B+, Series Grade: B+
6) Under The Banner Of Heaven (Hulu)
English Audio Description Available?: No
This show is a bit more difficult to follow than others without audio description. It’s not totally unwatchable like some shows, but I am missing chunks, and I do feel confused at times. That’s keeping me from understanding this show and it’s layered complexities. But that’s why these streaming services need to put audio description out there, because you never know when a blind film critic is going to find his audience, and then start telling this audience that this show is just OK. Do better Hulu.
Episode Grade: B
7) Miss Marvel (Disney Plus)
English Audio Description Available?: Yes
It’s hard for me to put a Marvel show at the bottom. After last weeks episode where I felt like we were building to something, with Kamala getting her first big save in, and then being saved by a mystery woman and the boy she likes, we started strong with some backstory dump, and then we sent Kamala back into her normal life again, slowing the show down. This is Episode 3. In other Marvel shows, by Episode 3, shit was nuts. Here, I’m still waiting. I’m waiting for this show to begin. It’s not pacing itself like a show that only has 6-8 episodes, instead it’s pacing itself like an Arrowverse show, where it an spend the first 10 episodes just quietly world building before finally getting around to the big bad, and eventually the really good stuff. But we don’t have 13-22 episodes here.
Episode Grade: B-
