It’s amazing how many people out there have no problem consuming the work of the SAG and WGA but are complaining now because they think actors are little babies. While streaming residuals are a factor, since syndication and linear viewing are down, it is not the only factor. The use of AI technology is a key factor in both guilds. The writers do not want AI to be a credited screenwriter taking over their job, nor do the SAG want AI images of them used in perpetuity. The major studios and networks want to do things like scan crowd scenes and then repurpose them through AI, so day players are all but erased. They want to do more things like bringing George Reeves back as Superman, despite the fact the man committed suicide after Superman became the only role he could ever play. I stand with the SAG and WGA. (it’s not like the studios are giving me screeners anyway lol)
9) The Walking Dead: Dead City (AMC Plus)
English Audio Description?: No
Status: unknown
While there were some revelations in this episode I understood, like the Croad is still a Lieutenant for someone else, there were so many other things that I realized the audio description would have filled in. Maggie at one point doesn’t want to save Negan, “If you knew the man I knw….” But later says he’s the key? Then, she appears to be talking to the non-verbal girl… didn’t they ditch her in Episode 1? Somehow, Negan and Abernathy are surviving together and bonding, when Abernathy hurts himself and Negan has to save him again. But the real kicker was like the last 5-8 minutes of the episode are totally void of dialog. I have no idea what happened. I rarely do this for a TV series episode, but AMC Plus and the Walking Dead universe have been asking for this for a long time.
Episode Grade: unwatchable
8) Family Matters (MAX)
English Audio Description?: Yes
Status: Ended
Carl is worried about his weight and doesn’t want to attend a high school reunion. However, the ending to this is super predictable. There’s the obligatory Urkel moment, that really felt out of place this episode.
Episode Grade: B-
7) The Chase (Hulu)
English Audio Description?: No
Status: Presumably renewed.
victoria basically gave money away. And, that girl walked into the finale with 15K, but because her teammates did so much better, she left with over 100K. For her cats. She’s spending 100K on her cats.
Episode Grade: B
6) Mad Men (Amazon Or FreeVee)
English Audio Description?: No?
Status: Ended
So, i had been watching Mad Men through the Amazon app, even though Mad men S1 was on FreeVee. It has that level of integration. And, it let me use audio description (albeit, TTS). When I started season 2, I accessed it the same way, just a natural transition to the next episode, though there now isn’t audio description, and the commercials went away. Is FreeVee hosting Season 1, while Amazon Prime hosts Season 2? That’s so weird. It’s a little too early to pull the audio description from Mad Men, as even after the first season, i really only can follow about 6-7 characters, and a lot of people who work at the agency were really underdeveloped.
Episode Grade: B+
5) Class Of 09 (Hulu)
English Audio Description?: Yes
Status: limited
Brian Tyree Henry is excellent in Episode 7. From calling out one of his instructors that the final test is just one of submission, to being offered a position that would take him away from his new girlfriend. but, the best scene was how that bank’s board totally underestimated him, and he owned that room. This is a solid series about the future of AI that not many are talking about, but probably should.
Episode Grade: A-
4) Beavis and butthead (Paramount Plus)
English Audio Description?: Yes
Status: Unknown
Here, I enjoyed the first story, but the one where Beavis gets rabies wasn’t as funny as you would think. It was a bit of a play on Are You There God, It’s Me, Margaret, but it’s one of the few times I ahven’t laughed. Everything else was great though.
Episode Grade: A-
3) The Witcher (Netflix)
English Audio Description?: Yes
Status: Renewed
Thanks to the strike, I feel pretty good about my choice to rewatch the whole thing. It had been a while since Season 2, and I realized i didn’t remember anything. Rather than struggle through Season 3, which is basically what I did with Shadow and bone, I just decided to rewatch the series. I wasn’t a fan of the spinoff they had last winter with Michelle Yeoh, but the anime movie was dope. This pilot episode is still somewhat confusing, even on the second go around.
Episode Grade: A-
2) Frasier (Paramount Plus)
English Audio Description?: NoS
Status: Revival Coming Soon
A great episode. There’s this whole schtick about Niles growing a mustache, and even without audio description, by everyone’s reactions, you know it’s awful. but the real winner was guest star Christine Baranski, who plays a female therapist that Frasier seems to like and vouch for to get her on air. Then, she turns out to be a nut job. Baranski was so great in this. At first, i didn’t realize it was her, since she was a series regular on Cybill for the late 90’s, but I guess she found the time.
Episode Grade: A
1) The Other Two (MAX)
English Audio Description?: Yes
Status: Final Season
Every episode makes me happy. And when I get to put it at the top, I get even happier. This episode revolves around the family trying to give their mom one normal night at an Applebees, but it goes horribly awry. Cary also has to record a line of dialog for a show he did in which he initially never spoke, and Chase has to be a bad dude so Pam doesn’t have to live in the forest. And, no, I will not be explaining that to you.
Episode Grade: A
