TV Shows Watched: The Last Of Us: S2E5 (MAX) with audio description, American Idol: S23E17 (Hulu) no audio description, Wandla: S2E3 (Apple Plus) with audio description, you: S5E4 (Netflix) with audio description, Tracker: S2E20 (Paramount Plus) with audio description,Yes cheff: S1E2 (Peacock) with audio description, Ransom Canyon: S1E6 (Netflix) with audio description, and Last Week Tonight: Most Recent (MAX) no audio description
Best Episode: Wandla- I wasn’t a huge fan of the Last Of Us this week, so this is me making that statement. Wandla was consistent with its storytelling from episode 2 to 3, and Eva wasted no time in rescuing her friends because that’s who she is.
Runner Up: Last Week Tonight- Basically an episode where John Oliver pointed out that there’s still a very concerted movement to walk back the rights and protections of the LGBTQ community beyond just transgender athletes. It felt important enough to who I am as a person to also put this about The Last Of Us.
Best Audio description- the LAst Of Us- however, the audio description is pretty consistently terrific. So many excellent beats, from the stalker sequence, to the cult in the woods, and Ellie’s decision at the end. Everything was still top notch audio description, even if the writing for the episode itself was not on par, at least the writing for the audio description was.
Runner Up: Wandla- I’ll still lean into this. It is a sci-if animated adventure with aliens and robots that need constant description as they don’t exist in real life. The scene with all the mothers was appropriately creepy and well described.
Best Performance: Bella Ramsey (the Last Of Us)- Again, just because the episode was weaker, doesn’t mean bella missed a step. They did excellent, in several moments. There was one where Ellie was clearly worried about Deena following her on this journey, her entire sequence in the stalker scene, and that final moment of revenge served quite ironically cold.
Runner Up: Justin Hartley (Tracker)- yeah, why not. colter has had this whole narrative running through Season 1 and 2 involving his father, and in what I can only assume is the season finale, he finally seems to reach a moment of conclusion of finding the missing piece of his puzzle, only to have his mind totally blown by a revelation. As he faced down a rather calm individual responsible for his father’s death, the ever clawing need for answers led him to ask why, which just caused Colter to reel. Hartley doesn’t ever have nearly the moments in Tracker that he did in This Is Us, but he did finally learn to act in that show, so on a somewhat weaker day, on an episode he actually had more to do, he’s worth mentioning.
Best Moment Of Audio Description: The Stalker Sequence (The Last Of us)- This whole thing was done really well. Lots of fast paced action and thinking from Ellie and Deena.
Runner Up: Big Brother Is watching (Wandla)- I think this show is for kids, but watching the two Eva’s escape, and al the tech around them watching and following was super creepy and well done. First, it started with all the Mother’s they passed noticing them, and then they think they finally got away from tech only to find Migos.
Worst of…- The answer is American Idol not having audio description. As interesting as it would be to say I didn’t like The LAst Of Us so much to put it at the bottom, that isn’t true. it is still a great series, I just think that was the sloppiest writing. I also raised my eyebrows at thunderstorm’s dedication on Mother’s Day to his wife… without ever mentioning if she was a mother, or how much he loves his whole family. Does he have kids? is she a mother? I can’t remember, and audio description would certainly help, but this day isn’t Women’s Day, it is Mother’s Day. And while you can absolutely praise your wife, you should at least mention her being a beast at motherhood. Otherwise, it just looks like a weird choice. Like he didn’t understand the assignment. I’ve seen other contestants thank people they aren’t related to who take on Mother roles in their lives, like teachers, but he might have just side stepped the entire concept of motherhood.