I definitely watched a really nice chunk of shows. not everything was perfect, but the overall quality was solid.
1) Outer Range (Amazon)
English Audio Description: Yes
I had a really hard time picking the top spot because so many shows were on fire. Outer Range though, with all its twists and turns continued to amaze me. Whether it be Royal’s rather destructive treatment of Autumn, or her ultimate path toward revenge (and that phone call! Who is funding her?), to the smaller moments between a brother who made a choice thinking it was the right call, but not knowing how that choice effects others. Outer Range has consistently exceeded my expectations with every episode. If Amazon doesn’t give this masterpiece a second season, it should be considered a war crime.
Final Grade: A
2) The umbrella Academy (Netflix)
English Audio Description Available?: Yes
Not only did i have Outer Range blowing my mind, but the 3rd episode of the new season of umbrella was doing it too. Whether a small moment, like the one between Klaus and Hargreaves that reveals he’s not as powerful in this timeline, and his kids are dominating him, to that end sequence when we learn just who that mystery man is, and a sliver of the ramifications for his presence. Friend or foe? We will have to find out in the next episode.
Episode Grade: A
3) The Old Man (FX/Hulu)
English Audio Description Available?: YES!
i was shocked to find out that an FX show had audio description. SHOCKED. But, this hot new Jeff Bridges thriller manages to exceed my expectations in multiple ways. David and Carol quickly have become my favorite dogs on television. And for a show already picked up for Season 2, I’m so excited to see where this old man’s Jason Bourne is headed.
Episode Grade: A
4) Killing It (Peacock)
English Audio Description?: Yes
The 9th episode of the season featured someone getting shot, but you’ll have to wait to find out who. The episode flashes back and ties everything together, eventually putting our main characters all in one place at the same time, and revealing what seems like a laundry list of betrayal, only to have Condom Carl come out of nowhere. It’s in that moment that I reminded you… this is a sitcom. A very good one.
Episode Grade: A
5) Barry (HBo/HBo MAX)
English Audio Description Available?: Yes
This might be my least favorite season of Barry so far, but what this episode had was the funniest singular scene, between a studio representative and an agent trying to figure out just what exactly our girl was supposed to bring to a TV show featuring three Medusas living in New York. Also, the biker gang was hilariously stupid, and Stephen Root and Henry Winkler’s performances were on point, with the latter of the two pretty much demanding an Emmy nomination this season.
Episode Grade: A-
6) Queer As Folk (Peacock)
English Audio description Available?: Yes
A Ruthie centric episode ended up giving Queer As Folk the right amount of magic it has so very much needed all season. A true exploration and introduction to a character who has felt rather supporting until now, we followed Ruthie on her trans journey, going through all these stages as a youth opposite Brody, first clearly toying with the idea that they were simply gay, and slowly and finally coming to the realization that they were female. The episode went out of its way to bleep out Ruthie’s old name, so we only ever know her as Ruthie, the person she was and always has been. The episode injures itself by making this episode that is about Ruthie, primarily, which shows how Brody hasn’t really ever made the best choices or been entirely self/less with his realization that Noah and Daddius were together, and putting that long overdue confrontation into the same episode, except Noah thinks he’s mad at him for sleeping with his brother… it’s a conversation that needed to happen at some point, but in an episode centered around Ruthie and the trans experience, it very quickly sucked that right away and made it all about our most dysfunctional male lead, who this show always seems to make everything about, despite this being an ensemble cast. In every episode, characters make choices largely because of what he wants, or how he feels, and it felt nice to see that shifting away for once. Then suddenly, we’re right back to a show about one dude.
episode Grade: B+
7) Life and Beth (Hulu)
English Audio description Available?: Yes
This episode was the strongest yet, even though it centered around a simple MRI, it allowed Beth to reflect on some major moments in her life. I was just relieved this was an episode where she wasn’t trying to hook up with the least interesting male romantic lead, quite possibly ever.
Episode Grade: B+
