X-Men 97 (Disney Plus) is sort of the central point of my Wednesdays. Like, if I only got to watch one show, it would be this. Episode 7, Bright Eyes, does not disappoint. It is a very dark episode, but not disappointing. The episode was very Rogue centric, and did reveal who the villain really pulling the strings is. We also got more Cable, more Nightcrawler, and in the audio description we got the cameo of Strong Guy, as well as Thunderbolt Ross, and captain America. However, what we missed were other visible cameos, including Angel, Blob, and Multiple Man, along with the fact that Gambit’s bayou family attended his funeral. Would have been nice to know that his brother was there. Yes, in my effort to see if the fans who have vision recognized the nameless villain (they did), I also learned all the other things we missed, and while some of them would be hard to point out, others really hit hard. Like, I would have fought hard to include Gambit’s family in the description at his funeral, as an example. I’m gonna have to bring this one down now. Middle/Top tier. I’m aware not every Easter egg, and every cameo can make it, but you have to recognize when something is major or has emotional resonance.Also, the description for our secret villain was so vague, which caused me to look up and go down this rabbit hole to begin with.
I finished The Gentleman (Netflix) and it definitely felt like a quick ending. Like, the series dragged on and then Episode 8 felt like they ran out of time. Things happened at a much quicker pace, and the show just kinda ended. this was originally billed as a limited, but maybe they wanted to leave the door open for a second season? Ray winstone is always a welcome presence.My brain is currently in that “what are we mising’ mode because of X-Men, but I’ll stick with Middle/Top tier here as well.
Tokyo Vice (MAX) also wrapped for me, in an episode titled Endgame. Does that mean no more Tokyo vice? Two seasons and done? I’m not sure I need a third season, to be honest. The audio description needed multiple narrators, but at least it is balanced in a way that you can hear the voices underneath, so you can hear the character transitions. that didn’t become something I thought about until I heard mixing that didn’t do that, then I started becoming grateful of every show that does. Still, not happy about one narrator for every voice. Middle/Bottom tier.
American Rust (Amazon) is actually infinitely better in its second season. Three episodes in, and I feel like I’m watching a completely different story. Jeff Daniel’s is doing strong work, but Maura Tierney is proving yet again why she’s so damn undervalued in the industry. Whether it is in this, The Iron Claw, or The Affair, Tierney proves consistently she has the dramatic chops. The audio description Jeff Heck has written here is also really doing the job. there was a strong focus here on a lighter, that was integral to the story, and we spent a great deal paying attention to it, because we needed to. Heck highlights what is important to the story and the plot, which is why the narration works. I don’t have a current obvious best, but American Rust is flirting with that. Top Tier.
I did enjoy Palm Royale (Apple Plus), which dove further into the backstories. We learned more about the pasts of Laura Dern and Josh Lucas, and how those two were connected. Also, there was a scene where Carol Burnett had lines! I gotta give her props for just sitting there moaning her lines the rest of the time. Ricky Martin’s performance is quite nice, and Kristin Wiig is finally starting to come undone a bit and let the comic genius flow. Episode 5 started to turn a corner for me, comedically, and I hope the series keeps headed in that direction. The audio description I think kept track of everything it needed to, and I didn’t feel lost. Top tier.
And, it’s time. Abbott Elementary (Hulu), ten episodes into the season, finally had its most verbose description yet. The biggest moment you might have felt the lack is an obvious impossibility because barbara is talking, which prevents the audio description from cutting in for that reveal. However, I really appreciated how far we’ve come with this show. I’m still not crazy about this narrator choice, but it’s time to recognize that the feedback we’ve been providing online is starting to produce better audio description. There were so many moments where character entrances and exits were tracked, and that whole first scene with the lunch tray was great. Even the opening title sequence for the show had more description to it. Everything has improved. I know they don’t want to change narrators mid-stream, but I mind his voice a lot less on the Good Doctor. He’s an odd choice for a sitcom, as he was for the first episode of Hop (MAX). He’s got a very serious tone, it just contrasts with the story. But the writing is so much better. It’s officially off my shit list. Middle/Top tier.
