CBS just made the final call from their list of shows that required a decision for the fall 2025 season, and they have decided to cancel The Equalizer after five seasons. This is definitely a little surprising, since they also had in development a spinoff for LL Cool J, which they eventually did not move forward with either. I’m not terribly surprised, and I haven’t been paying attention to the future of Watson, but I hope they didn’t keep that god awful show in favor of this.
TV Shows Watched: The Righteous Gemstones: S4E8 (MAX) with audio description, Andor: S2E6 (Disney Plus) with audio description, Survival Of The Thickest: S2E6 (Netflix) with audio description, Top chef: S22E? (Peacock) with audio description, Ransom Canyon: S1E4 (Netflix) with audio description, The Bondsman: S1E7 (Amazon) with audio description, Deli boys: S1E9 (Hulu) with audio description, The Rehearsal: S1E1 (MAX) with audio description, Careme: S1E1 (Apple TV +) with audio description, the Masked Singer: S13: Final 4 (Hulu) no audio description, Running Point: S1E9 (Netflix) with audio description, and The Four Seasons: S1E1 (Netflix) with audio description.
Best Episode: the Righteous Gemstones- As the clan moves closer to the finale, some loose ends need to be tied up. Obviously, we have to figure out how to get Eli back to a happy place, but this episode is going to put a giant roadblock before he can get there (which ropes Baby Billy in as well). A surprisingly violent episode, but also the typical over the top brand we have come to love about the Gemstones.
Runner Up: Survival Of The Thickest- Honestly, ranking shows below first place is hard. Even coming up with a top 5, out of the 12 shows, is hard, because really I could make an argument for maybe everything except three or four shows. So in a really tight race, i gave this the edge simply because i loved Peppermint’s wedding, a lot of the sentiment behind it, and things the various cast went through in this episode, including the return of Luca.
Worth mentioning (Rounding Out The Top 5)- Deli Boys, Andor, The Bondsman- Lots of terrific TV happening, but I’m giving these three a slight edge. It is the second to last episode of the season for both Deli boys and The Bondsman, so they both built up to something, while Andor is working in these cluster blocks, designed almost like mini-movies, so it was the third act, of the “second movie”, of Andor.
Best Audio Description: Andor- I guess, legally, technically, Andor still has the edge. I can’t even really say why, except it has so much to actually describe.
runner Up: Deli Boys- I just really like this track, and Dave Wallace’s narration.
Worth Mentioning: the Bondsman, Carene, and Running Point- another Sophie’s choice. bondsman has horror themed audio description that is really good, Carene is the new Apple show set in Napoleon era France and had some lovely moments but could also lean more into the general and very likely period costuming and set design, and Running Point made a smart move to openly name check the Macaulay Culkin cameo, so i have to include it.
best Performance: Megan Mullally (The Righteous Gemstones)- Honestly, I love her addition to the cast this season, and she has a really lovely scene with the kids where she tells them each a story from their past to try and get them to help her be able to talk to Eli again. She’s balancing a lot of subtle drama which she is rarely asked to do.
runner Up: Tasha Smith (Survival Of The Thickest)- I enjoy her work as Marley pretty consistently, and she’s usually pretty straight up the manifestation of “boss ass bitch”, who unabashedly talles you exactly what she’s thinking all the time, and also isn’t afraid or ashamed of her life choices. In this episode though, building a bit off of the previous one, she’s starting to let that hard exterior down because she’s actually in love. but, she’s in love with a politician, and can this possibly end well for Marley? I feel like she’s about to be asked to give up part of herself, and it will be what makes her Marley.
Worth Mentioning: the Dub Cast Of Carene, Edi Patterson (The Righteous Gemstones), and Walton Goggins (The Righteous Gemstones)- So, definitely sending some love to the dub cast of Apple’s Carene, for doing some above average performances. Dubbing is such a wide spectrum that most film snobs reject the whole concept, but as blind people we’re basically stuck with either dubbing, or our audio description narrator reading subtitles, so i always appreciate a cast that feels like they are doing the real work. otherwise, yes, i have to keep mentioning Gemstones. Patterson’s Judy is a standout, after having a face off with BJ’s service monkey that almost killed her, she later is huddling with her brothers and telling them not to let her hug Mullally. then, Goggins as Baby Billy has to be mentioned if for no other reason than his total and full commitment to Teesus. That musical number was certainly something, and Goggins was clearly all in.
Best Moment Of Audio Description- Macaulay Culkin (Running Pointe)- i think it was a smart call, because he isn’t name checked, but he’s also recognizable enough that sighted people would have caught the cameo. That’s why I liked this choice.
Runner Up: teesus Dance (The Righteous Gemstones)- I don’t always love the audio description track, but i have to mention that entire scene was so absurd, and I appreciated all the audio description, including Eli’s unenthusiastic dancing.
Worth mentioning: Just A drop Before Espionage (Carene), Risen From The Dead (The Bondsman), Wedding Dance (Survival Of The Thickest)- The first moment is a little bit of a spoiler, but involves dropping liquid onto something. That whole scene. The second is pretty self explanatory and the last has to do with this whole dance they do at the wedding, including Jumping The broom, and a queen working it all over, with death drops and everything.
Worst Of…- the fake bullshit on The Masked Singer, where no one got eliminated, but I did enjoy knowing who Lucky Duck was the whole time. That was a surprise. Yes, i haven’t mentioned The Four Seasons anywhere. Honestly, considering the talent involved, I’m disappointed, but I’m also one episode in. it is neither funny enough or dramatic enough after one episode to mean anything, but so many people only watch one episode. Pilots matter, Tina, and I think you’re banking too much on the star power to guarantee that everyone will find you hitting your stride, and I’m not sure that is the case.