Sometimes, you just pick a really good block of shows, and then your day of watching feels very well spent. Here’s a rundown of everything I watched yesterday. (Yes, everything. I didn’t watch a film yesterday).
1) Reacher (Amazon)
English Audio Description Available?: Yes
Last week, I acknowledged I was one episode away from finishing this season, and I had to rank it in second then because it was up against a season finale. I said then that Reacher would be on top when I finished, and I kept my promise, despite putting it on the same day as the other contenders. This first season of Reacher has been delightful, and the only thing moving forward is will they be able to keep this up for many seasons? Jack Ryan started out strong too, but Amazon is abandoning that well known property after Season 4. That’s not a long time on air. Alan Ritchson also isn’t nearly as busy as John Krasinski, so it’s possible that Reacher might live on for many more seasons just for that reason alone.
Episode Grade: A, Season 1 Grade: A
Stranger Things (Netflix)
English Audio Description Available?: Yes
The mysteries of Season 4 continue to evolve in episode 2, which lays the groundwork for just how screwed our kids are right now. This thing, whatever it is, seems to be able to pick its victims at random, with no rhyme or reason. Without knowing how they get chosen, or how to stop it from happening and protect yourself, any of our Hawkins kids could be at risk. Sure, we’re seeing cannon fodder right now, but what if this thing comes for Dustin or Lucas? At least at the end of the second episode, they still have no clue, and no plan.
Episode Grade: A
3) Killing It (Peacock)
English Audio Description Available?: Yes
Where do I start with this show? It is literally turning into a laugh riot. It keeps getting more and more ridiculous, yet somehow endlessly entertaining. In this episode, Craig and Jillian save the life of a fellow snake hunter, which leads them to try and all turn in the same snake, where they learn that some guy is turning in a ton of snakes and is way ahead in the race. But… how? When Jillian is talking to the teenager and trying to use his situation as a metaphor for her own love life, and it sounds like she’s trying to get him to fly out and meet some 50 year old guy he met online, I was cracking up. This has been a very pleasant surprise for me.
Episode Grade: A
4) Better Call Saul (AMC/Netflix)
English Audio Description: Yes
Still catching up thanks to the late debut of Season 5 on Netflix, I sat through an awkward wedding, watched Jimmy/Saul navigate Lallo’s quest for bail (to which he didn’t even blink at the number), and keep wondering how all these characters will finally come to a boiling point. All these people can’t go on existing in the same space this whole time, right?
Episode Grade: A
5) Russian Doll (Netflix)
English Audio Description: Yes
In An episode that focused entirely on Nadia’s storyline, Natasha Lyonne continues to deliver a strong performance. My only qualm with the episode was the trippy way the episode ended, I had a hard time following it. I wasn’t really sure what was happening, following an episode where I wasn’t sure why Nadia wasn’t just more forceful in not getting Kruger’s back. I mean, I know she’s there with a friend, but tell that woman to shut up, and get your damn money. You time traveled for this shit. Get it done.
Episode Grade: A-
6) Full Frontal With Samantha Bee (TBS)
English Audio Description Available?: no
I guess I missed the exact date when this came back, so I’m now an episode behind. This was Episode 12 of the season, coming off their hiatus. I kind of expected Samantha to devote her entire show to the Roe V Wade thing, and was surprised at how much time her menopause segment took up. I noticed that they cut the musical act, so tehy maximized their time, and obviously they really wanted to air their previously planned segment. But I can’t help but think this episode wasn’t quite balanced in a current events way, and more so in a “we shot this segment, and we must air it” way.
Episode Grade: A-
7) Jeopardy (Syndication)
I did not do as good last night, managing only 18. But Ryan kept up his winning streak. And he was ahead by a lot too.
Episode Grade: B
8) Life and Beth (Hulu)
English Audio Description Available?: Yes
I don’t really know what to say about the episode this week, which puts Beth all over the place. We get flashbacks to her childhood when she was the only one of her friends to flash boys without her bra on, and they made fun of her afterward for it. Then she spends half the episode trying to get the attention of the weird guy from the winery, even after he feeds her rabbit liver that she spits out, and clearly is not interested in her. Then she goes out on a date with a really stupid hot guy, who is also a hoarder, and I’m just not sure what she’s shooting for here. If this is supposed to be a realistic slice of life type show, Pamela Adlon did it “Better”.
Episode Grade: B-
9) Winning Time (HBO/HBO MAX)
English Audio description Available?: Yes
I think, before Season 2 premieres, I’m going to rewatch Season 1. II’m just not sure why this show doesn’t click for me. It feels like it’s right up my alley, and this episode had this rivalry between Magic and Larry Bird that was fun to watch.
Episode Grade: B-
10) Cheers (Paramount Plus) and The Golden Girls (Hulu)
English Audio Description Available?: No
By now, you guys know that I watch random reruns of classic sitcoms. I knocked out episode 04.02 of The Golden Girls, which was Sophia centric, and what I think was the Season 2 finale of Cheers, which saw Sam and Diane have a fight. She tells him that if she leaves she’s never coming back, and I know that Shelly Long leaves the show, but two seasons feels a bit early. I just don’t think Kirstie Alley was on the show for 8 seasons.
Episode Grades: B-
