Welcome back to some quick rankings and reviews of the shows I’m watching, and where they are landing on my list.As always, those without audio description will be noted.
1) The Rookie (ABC/Hulu)
English Audio Description Available?: Yes
I love the guy that does the narration for this. I don’t know who it is because what’s listed at the very beginning sound like two corporations, and not a guy. But whoever he is, he has made this season of The Rookie so entertaining. He reads everything with a level of excitement that makes you feel like you’re watching a show with your best friend, who is also giving you audio description, and enjoys the show as much as you do. So when the action kicks it up a notch, his audio description gets even more intense. It’s not a model that would work in every genre, but it works here. If this dud was narrating Nomadland with this same level of intensity, I would need to tell him to sit down and stop drinking Red Bull. I’m a fan of The Rookie, and I thought this was a great way to close out Season 4. They resolved some of the major plot lines, but left others open for next season.
Episode Grade: A, Season 4 Grade: A
2) Russian Doll (Netflix)
English Audio Description Available?: Yes
This was Season 2, Episode 3 for me. I’ve noticed that this show is compelling and propelling itself further into madness, amplified this week by the suggestion that not everything Nadia is seeing is for real. That being said, I do wonder what happened to the Season 1 cast, and if any of them will ever help her on her quest this season. It was nice to see Oatmeal, as i was reminded she has a cat. But, Natasha Lyonne needs to be in serious Emmy consideration this year.
Episode Grade: A
3) 911 Lone Star (FOX/Hulu)
English Audio Description Available?: No
This was a relatively tame season finale for this franchise, as the team worked to recover those trapped in the rubble of the explosion caused in the last episode. Judd did his best to keep those around him alive, despite a re-broken leg, but it was Owen’s journey that ended up at the emotional core, with TK bringing home the episode at the end. It was a nice way to end the season without fans having to worry about lives hanging in the balance until the next season premieres.
Episode Grade: A, Season 3 Grade: A
4) Frasier (PAramount Plus)
English Audio Description Available?:No
In what I can only assume was the 100th episode of Frasier, he and Niles spent most of the episode traversing Seattle in search of this event to commemorate Frasier’s 1,000th episode of his talk show, and being handed the key to the city, on what is now Frasier Crane day. Of course, lots of things happen, and it would seem eh universe doesn’t want them to get there. It was a nice madcap episode.
Episode Grade: A-
5) The Good Doctor (ABC/Hulu)
English Audio Description Available?: Yes
I was less impressed by the somewhat discombobulated approach to a season finale, that seemed all about finally getting Sean and Leah married. There was a really nice moment between Sean and his surrogate father/mentor that Richard Schiff really nailed, where Dr’s Murphy and Glassman finally express their love for each other, not the romantic kind, but the kind that father’s and sons have, and would express right before a son’s wedding. This was juxtaposed with Asher’s storyline where his family unexpectedly shows up, his father is dying, and they never accepted him for who he was as they are deeply religious. Asher’s friends convince him that his dad flew all this way, and that’s his way of trying to make peace, and the resistant Asher should just accept that. So while one real father and son struggle to accept each other, the parallel surrogate father son relationship that has been building for five seasons reaches it’s most simple and emotional moment. Then, the episode needed to end with a cliffhanger out of nowhere, putting a couple of doctor’s in the danger zone for survival next season. Not a perfect finale, but it had a few nice beats.
Episode Grade: B+, Season 5 Grade: A- (Salem was a terrific foil for most of the season).
6) Jeopardy (Syndication)
English Audio Description Available?: No
So, I got 24 right, but I made the same mistake as another contestant on Final and went with Salinger, which was wrong. He’s now on his third win, which is more than I thought he’d get.
Episode Grade: B+
7) Cheers (Paramount Plus)
English Audio Description Available?: No
I watch this more with my mom than anything else. This episode centered mostly around Rhea Perlman’s character. It was a nice break from Shelly Long. I don’t know what you guys saw in her back in the 80’s. I remember watching some Cheers episodes as a kid, and they all had Kirstie Alley, and I enjoyed her. Long drives me insane
7) Human Resources (Netflix)
English Audio Description?” Yes
I know this got a renewal, but I will not be returning. I just need to accept that I just don’t find the Big Mouth universe that funny anymore, and I love adult animation. This just doesn’t get me. Human Resources was better than the last season of Big Mouth I tried to sit through, but it’s still a show I don’t really like embedding in a sea of shows I do like.
Episode Grade: C-, Season 1 Grade: C
8) Welcome To Fletch (FOX/Hulu)
English Audio Description Available?: No
I called it and said I was done last week, but for some reason I thought this only had an 8 episode first season. It does not. Well, now it does, cause I’m quitting this show.
Episode Grade: C-, Season 1 Grade: C-
