I forgot to mention, Hulu dropped Night Bitch on Friday without audio description. I’ve already seen it without audio description, as a screener was provided to me. I’m not clicking on this title daily, but they need to fix this recurring problem of day and dating audio description on launch.
TV Shows Watched: Squid Game: S2E2 (Netflix) with audio description, What If: S3E7 (Disney Plus) with audio description, Secret Level: S1E2 (Amazon) with audio description, Cross: S1E7 (Amazon) with audio description, Bookie: S2E1 (MAX) with audio description, Are you Smarter Than A celebrity: S1E8 (Amazon) with audio description, Virgin River: S6E2 (Netflix) with audio description, and Elzabeth: 2E? (Paramount Plus) with audio description.
Movies: Dogman (Apple Store) with audio description, 2073 (screener) no audio description, The Last Of The Sea Women (Apple plus) no audio description>?!?, High Tide (screener) no audio description, and Sabbath Queen (screener) no audio description.
Best Episode: Squid Game- I’ve heard some people don’t like this season, but I’m loving these first two eps. I know it is only a 7 episode season, and we haven’t gotten to any actual games yet, but I’m not worried. it can’t just be the same thing.
Runner Up: Elzabeth- Watching her uncover a fake TV detective for her crime was amusing, but I’m loving the steady presence of a new recurring player.
Bonus Runner Ups: Bookie and What If: I almost picked Bookie, but What If also got bonus points for including Storm.
Best Performance: Someone from Squid Game- This is going to be a recurring thing, but as I’m getting audio description of the actual actor, with audio that is a full dub of a different actor, I’m just blanket recognizing that based on content, the best performance was here. For sure.
Runner Up: Michael Emerson (Elzabeth)- I told you I was excited to see someone recur, and seeing that Emerson is playing a villainous judge has me excited. he’s so great at playing the bad guys, and his schedule freed up when Evil ended.
Bonus Runner Up: Storm- I don’t know if this is the original X-Men Animated Series/X-Men 97 actress, but it sure as hell sounded like it. It gave me chills.I loved it. She was, is, and always will be my Storm (sorry, Halle).
Best Audio Description- Squid Game- Just accept that this is going to be on top a lot. Let that wash over you. Netflix wasn’t going to let their new baby have anything less than perfection.
runner Up: What If- Just based on level of difficulty. There were plenty of things here that have no basis in reality, and require description to understand them. A very visual show with a consistently strong audio description track.
Best Moment Of Audio Description: Bookie- One of the things this show did in Season 1, was have celebrities (notably Charlie Sheen) play themselves. So, when Brad Garrett shows up as himself, I appreciated that the description was there to distinguish that he is playing himself, and not doing a cameo as a new character. He has such a recognizable voice, that audiences might have not gotten the joke otherwise.
Runner Up: Squid Game: Supporting the actors is really important, since the voiceover is a different person. Specifically, Gillen makes a phone call to his daughter, and he doesn’t speak. He just silently sobs, and that is such a strong representation of how audio description gives me what the original actor is doing. that’s how I’m able to piece everything together. A beautiful moment, totally non-violent, but captured so well.
Worst Audio Description- I hate Apple for not putting an English Audio Description track on The last Of The Sea Women, their second documentary this year to fail to have accessibility. They win. Hands down.
Worst Episode: While Secret Level isn’t doing much for me, just because I’ve watched 7 episodes of Cross, doesn’t mean I like it. the show has already been renewed for a second season, and in case they get better writers, I’m optimistically positioning myself with an understanding of the characters going into a hopefully better second season. I really want a good Alex Cross show. This is not it.
Worst Performance: This is more like worst casting, but they found Ultron this week, and much like how a few episodes ago I mentioned they recast Zeus with someone who didn’t sound like Russell Crowe, this was also definitely not James Spader. Never underestimate great voice talent, who can mimic original performers. Rick and Morty is still alive because of that. When Hugo Weaving refused to return to the MCU, Ross Marquand took over as Red Skull, and he does excellent impersonations. Lake Bell has been doing a solid job of sounding a little like Scarlett Johansson on What If. if it is so cool for you to be bringing in most of the original voice talent, then it is certainly ruined when you cast someone who doesn’t sound anything like the original actor. Pick a lane.
