I’m about to reveal that I’ve been catching up on some shows. I always admit I’m a bit behind… but one of these shows started back in November.
1) The Walking Dead (AMC)
English Audio Description Available?: No
This show, now in its 11th and final season, is one of my favorite shows of all time. For the time I’ve been blind, which has been for a handful of seasons now, I have to go out of my way to navigate a way to watch this show. I used to watch this show with a group of friends on XBOX, and for the few years since I lost my sight, I’ve actually been slowly meeting once a week, except for weeks one of us needs to miss, to watch these episodes, so I can get his reactions. I also have to read recaps online in advance so I know what’s about to happen, and completely spoil the episode, because I can’t expect him to narrate the whole thing. These are the kinds of things we end up doing because someone makes a choice that audio description isn’t important enough. The Walking Dead has been, and always will be a huge part of my life. And for a show that considers itself inclusive through its casting of deaf and hearing impaired actors, you would think they’d be more sympathetic and go for the audio description. They’re also one of the biggest shows and franchises ever on television, so financially that can’t be the excuse either. This was Season 11, Episode 15 for me, and I loved it. One more left until the final eight episodes drop in the fall. Even though this show is a pain in the ass to find a way to watch and comprehend, I’ll still miss it.
Episode Grade: A
2) Gaslit (Starz)
English Audio Description Available?: No
There’s a trend here, I know. The besst shows I seemed to watch yesterday all featured no audio description. Gaslit is an interesting limited series based on the Watergate break in and subsequent fallout, and stars Julia Roberts. And I watch this one with my mom, so i also get a little bit of running commentary. It’s not the same as well crafted audio description, but for those of us who share spaces, I’m sure you watch things for the other people in your household. However, I am actually loving this, and I wish Starz would offer AD.
Episode Grade: A
3) Yellowstone (Paramount Network/ Peeacock)
English Audio Description Available?: No
Yet another one of the biggest shows of all time on cable, and also no audio description. Again, I watch this with my mom, and we actually started all the way back at square one over the summer when they ran a marathon and I put the whole thing on my DVR (before I had Peacock, or it was on streaming), so I’ve been pulling these episodes directly off of cable, and this is a great tV show, and the voices are actually pretty easy to follow now after so many seasons. But I still get the running commentary and experience from watching this with my mom. But, ass much as I love Kevin Costner, Kelly Reilly steals this show as Beth Dutton, though my mom is a fan of Rip (Cole Hauser). I’m one more episode away from being caught up.
Episode Grade: A
4) The Flight Attendant (HBOMAX)
English Audio Description?: Yes
I’m enjoying Season 2 more, though I still think her superpowers of being able to talk to herself in some other dimension is weird, now that she doesn’t drink. This was Season 2, Episode 3 for me, and it got this high up on the list because those were some true cliffhangers.
Episode Grade: A-
5) We Crashed (Apple Plus)
English Audio Description: Yes
I’m starting to believe that Jared Leto will not choose a role that doesn’t afford him the opportunity to create an outlandish character very different from himself. I’d love to see him do something rather straight forward, just to see if he can do it. But, here he is again with an accent, and I’m sure a very competent makeup team. It’s a good performance, But the first episode feels like a movie almost, like it’s dragging us along to the second act, and then the final act. Not everything in the world needs to be a limited series, and this might be part of that oversaturation, despite having Leto and Anne Hathaway.
Episode Grade: B+
6) The Boys Presents: Diabolical (Amazon)
English Audio Description: Yes
Interestingly, the episode with the most connection to the actual series was also the least favorite of mine. And it’s also the season finale. Weird. But, this was the season finale, and my vote would be to keep doing these shorts. They gave other filmmakers the opportunity to tell a story inside the universe of The Boys, and while it created a varied experience, it was never boring. It just meant that probably everyone who watched this show ended up with a diffferent favorite episode. I don’t love it enough to be angry if it never comes back, but at the same time, it’s creative enough to deserve more time on the air.
Episode Grade: B, Season 1 Grade: B+
7) Saturday Night Live (NBC/Hulu/Peacock)
English Audio Description Available?: Wouldn’t that be fun/
Audio description for this show would be interesting considering how much taking there actually is. I’m assuming we wouldn’t get much, but maybe even just a little could improve the experience. This was not a good week. There were a few slightly funny sketches, but for the most part, I didn’t care. That Bratz sketch felt old for 2022, and Old Enough was amusing but there were better moments. Favorite moments of the episode would have to be the very beginning when they list all of the horrible news stories they could be covering, yet they head to cover the Johnny Depp and Amber heard trial. Then, Sarah Sherman’s back and forth with Colin Jost was great. There are rumblings about that mass exodus of cast members finally happening this season, though some of the people who were previously tied up are not anymore. Airy Bryant and Kenan Thompson’s shows both got the axe, and it’s unsure if Cecily Strong is getting a second season of Schmigadoon. Will they leave anyway? Also strongly rumored to be looking for the exit are Michael CHe, Colin Jost, Pete Davidson, Kate McKinnon,and I also wouldn’t be surprised if there were others. Beck Bennett was a surprise last year, so who knows this year.
Episode Grade: B-
