TV Shows Watched: The Handmaid’s Tale: S6E1 (Hulu) with audio description, Happy Face: S1E4 (Paramount Plus) with audio description, Dope Thief: S1E5 (Apple TV +) with audio description, American Idol: S23E? (Hulu) no audio description, Million Dollar Secret: S1E3 (Netflix) with audio description, St Dennis Medical: S1E15 (Peacock) with audio description, Surface: S2E5 (Apple TV +) with audio description,The Bondsman: S1E2 (Amazon) with audio description, and Long Bright River: S1E5 (Peacock) with audio description.
Best episode: The Handmaid’s Tale- I feel like I’ve been waiting for this and Stranger Things longer than we are supposed to wait for new seasons of shows. But, despite all that could have changed since last we were with June and Serena, it would seem as though not much really has. That’s a good thing, because this show is excellent, and the return really put some things into perspective about what June is comfortable with and not comfortable with.
Runner Ups: The Bondsman and Long Bright River- The Bondsman spent a lot of time really getting our characters used to the premise of the plot as Bacon has to go bag his first escaped demon. River just had a really great episode with Seyfried still trying to solve the crime, against a wonderfully chosen set of flashbacks that shape her past.
Best Performance: Elisabeth Moss and Yvonne Strahovski (The Handmaid’s Tale)- The Premiere is all about the dynamic between June and Serena.June really doesn’t know anyone else on the train, and she seems to no longer be a Katniss Everdeen style of inspirational propaganda. So the only person she has is Serena, because she at some point will fall asleep. And, she’s also walking around with a broken arm. Serena seems oblivious to the concept that anyone could stay mad at her, as if all she owes is a brief apology. But, she also seems eager to gain the trust of the only person who seems to have decided that today is not the day Serena will die.Moss gets bonus points for that surprising end of the episode, where we see someone we have not seen in a long time.
Runner Up: Phillip Ettinger (Happy Face), Josh Wilson (St Dennis Medical), Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Surface), Amanda Seyfried (Long Bright River)- Ettinger gets the mention for giving Melissa’s brother Shane some character depth as she visits her brother (who has an interesting house guest). Wilson is here for his pitch perfect performance as Bruce, who truly believes he’s a legendary surgeon. I’m consistently shocked he’s younger than me because vocally I would have put him in his 60’s.Mbatha-Raw makes the cut as her Surface character learned her real identity and backstory. And lastly, I can’t seem to stress enough that it is my absolute belief that Long Bright River is a career achievement for Amanda Seyfried.
Best Audio Description- The Bondsman- I think a lot of shows were really solid, but the one that stood out to me the most has to be the one that describes things that has no basis in real life. The Bondsman is a gory show, and the team has a lot to work with.
runner Up: The Handmaid’s Tale, Happy Face, Dope Thief, and Long Bright River- All virtually the same. All very strong tracks.
Best Moment Of Audio Description: Face Down On The Floor (The Bondsman)- I think I come up with really creative titles for things, that suggest to people who worked on the show, or have already seen it that I know… and also, I don’t have to spoil things. but, I don’t know that telling you out of context that this is in reference to the literal horror description around part of a face that has melted onto the floor, is a spoiler if you can’t connect it to anything.
runner Up: throw Momma From The Train (The Handmaid’s Tale)- Also the name of a film, but lets just say this is more in direct reference to people realizing who Serena really is. I loved the choice of the word feral.
Special Achievement By A reality show- Million Dollar Secret- (*spoiler warning for the third episode*- So, I just gotta hand it to the logic of the cast (not really, I think they are kind of dumb) for managing to vote off the ONLy person they were 100% sure it was not. They were told the money was going to pass away from Lauren, and she couldn’t immediately receive it again. So, they knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it wasn’t her… yet people thought because she had a strategy and lied about being the millionaire, that somehow that affronted them in a reality competition series. So instead of taking a swing at someone eligible to be the millionaire, they wasted an elimination just to kick off Lauren. This immediately put the target on just three people for the next elimination, though I’m sure they’ll figure out a way to fuck that up too.This would be akin to watching The Traitors, and Alan revealing to everyone that someone was faithful, and then the room still choosing to vote that person off. Just because.
Worst Of- American Idol needs audio description. i will keep saying it. Over and over and over. It is time.
