The Small Screen diaries: 07/06/26
TV Shows Watched: House Of The Dragon: S3E3 (HBO MAX) with audio description, For All Mankind: S5E10 (Apple) with audio description, Will Trent: S4E13 (Disney Plus) with audio description, Berlin: S2E4 (Netflix) with audio description, and Dutton Ranch: S1E7 (Paramount) with audio description House Of The Dragon- I’m not a giant fan of opening credits that have no credits, and are just the images being described, but damn if House Of The Dragon doesn’t make good use of its title sequence. Roy Samuelson does a lovely job bringing that section to life.The second best part is a spoiler reveal, but … Continue reading The Small Screen diaries: 07/06/26
The Lincoln Lawyer: Season 4
I’m more than happy to finally jump in and add my thoughts on The Lincoln Lawyer now that I’m on the Tomatometer. It’s a show I’ve enjoyed watching for four seasons now, and even though it’s heading into its fifth and final season, it’s remained one of Netflix’s most consistently entertaining dramas. Season 4 picks up immediately after the cliffhanger ending of Season 3, with Mickey Haller becoming the prime suspect in a murder after a body is found in the trunk of his Lincoln. That storyline dominates the entire season, forcing Mickey to defend himself against all odds, first … Continue reading The Lincoln Lawyer: Season 4
The Small Screen Diaries: 07/05/26
TV Shows Watched: Man On Fire: S1E5 (Netflix) with audio description, Margo’s Got Money Troubles: S1E6 (Apple) with audio description, The Bear: S5E3 (Disney Plus) with audio description, Scarpetta: S1E5 (Amazon) with audio description, Ted: S2E4 (Peacock) with audio description, SNL: Matt Damon (Peacock) with audio description, Running Point: S2E8 (Netflix) with audio description Man On Fire- The show is doing a really bad job at Scoot McNairy’s character, but watching Creasy check into a bunch of hotels to see who is tracking him was smart. I’m shocked this still hasn’t been picked up for a second season, as Netflix … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 07/05/26
Saw X
I watched all of the Saw films this year because a friend asked me to. This marathon was made possible by the sad truth that, finally, all of the Saw films were available with audio description on Netflix. Mind you, this franchise has been going on for quite a while. The fact that this was somehow a momentous occasion in 2026 is just another reminder of the entertainment industry’s lackadaisical approach to accessibility. Saw X, being the most recent entry in the franchise, had audio description for its theatrical release. But as someone who had previously only seen the first … Continue reading Saw X
The Small Screen Diaries: 07/04/2026
I hope y’all had a wonderful July 4th. Yes, I just typed y’all. After all that patriotic pride, y’all felt appropriate.Coming up this week, honestly, is pretty bare. Some game shows return for fans of things like Celebrity Family Feud or Press Your Luck, but the week is nearly fully dominated by Netflix’s launch of Little House On The Prarie, which drops on Thursday. The only other notable series debuting is The Five Star Weekend starring Jennifer Garner which also lands on Thursday but on Peacock. Big movies? Reminders Of Him hits Peacock on Friday. Big returning shows? Apple has … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 07/04/2026
America’s 250th: An American Tail: 40th Anniversary
Today is America’s 250th birthday, and I’ve seen entertainment websites and publications everywhere trying to figure out what the best American films are, the best movies about America, or the most patriotic films to watch on Independence Day. Of course, you could just watch the 1996 film Independence Day, which feels like the obvious choice. Honestly, I’ve watched that movie on July 4th many times. This year, I tried to crack my movie brain open and find something different. Something off the beaten path. Something I didn’t think everyone else would be talking about. I’m sure plenty of people have … Continue reading America’s 250th: An American Tail: 40th Anniversary
From: Season 4
I came to From a little later than most people, but that wasn’t my fault. It was MGM+‘s. When the series premiered, it wasn’t available with audio description, and that’s the kind of show where audio description isn’t just helpful, it’s essential. Between the relentless violence, the constantly shifting mysteries, and the sheer number of visual clues, I can’t imagine trying to follow what’s happening without it. Once MGM+ finally added audio description, I binged the first three seasons, reviewed season three, and this time I was able to experience season four the same way everyone else did, week after … Continue reading From: Season 4
The Small Screen Diaries: 07/03/26
This is always about the previous day, but when I write it on a day, it feels like I can’t just not point out that today is July 4th, and thirty years ago, Will Smith saved us from aliens. I think about that day a lot, and I understand there will be a lot of events to commemorate his heroism, and that of President James Whitmore, who gave such an inspirational speech. We’ve really bounced back and rebuilt since that time. Today, we celebrate, our Independence Day. TV Shows Watched: Silo: S3E1 (Apple) with audio description, XO Kitty: AS3E5 (Netflix) … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 07/03/26
The Small Screen Diaries: 07/02/26
TV Shows Watched: X-Men 97: S2E2 (Disney Plus) with audio description, Unchosen: S1E4 (Netflix) with audio description, Unconditional: S1E4 (Apple) with audio description, The Comeback: S1E10 (HBo MAX) with audio description, Tracker: S3E15 (PAramount) with audio description, The Audacity: S1E4 (AMC Plus) no audio description,Virgin River, Virgin River: S7E10 (Netflix) with audio description, Dutton Ranch: S1E6 (Paramount) with audio description X-Men 97- My concerns stand from the previous episode, but this one focuses primarily on a battle between X-Force and X-Factor as they aren’t on the same page about how to move forward. I think there is a missed opportunity … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 07/02/26
The Small Screen Diaries: 07/01/26
I did go to the theater yesterday, and my equipment mostly worked.It lost connection twice, and we still need to explain to Dolby that screen readers are a must for those who don’t go with sighted people, but overall it was fun. Also, Netflix picked up Nemesis for a second season.Still nothing on Man On Fire. TV Shows Watched: X-Men 97: S2E1 (Disney Plus) with audio description, Mating Season: S1E4 (Netflix) with audio description, Widow’s Bay: S1E6 (Apple) with audio description, Daemons Of The Shadow Realm: S1E5 (CrunchyRoll) with audio description, and Abbott Elementary: S5E20 (Disney Plus) with audio description … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 07/01/26
Little Brother
Dysfunctional family comedies have always had an anchor in cinema. They’re practically comfort food because almost everyone has some kind of dysfunction somewhere in the family tree. Maybe it’s an eccentric uncle, an odd cousin, or a grandparent who makes every holiday unforgettable for all the wrong reasons. Those little pockets of chaos make these movies relatable because, at the end of the day, we’re all at least a little kooky. This is why we love revisiting the Griswolds and Fockers, why the road trip in Little Miss Sunshine works, or why we’d even entertain the possibility that it is … Continue reading Little Brother
Half Man: Series Review
It would be hypocritical of me not to recommend Half Man because for all six episodes, I felt deeply uncomfortable. As of the writing of this review, my favorite film of 2026 is Blue Film, another project that made me feel deeply uncomfortable. I don’t know what it is about 2026 and this sudden excellence in making audiences squirm, but it seems to be a trend because Half Man is a weirdly exceptional series that I genuinely never want to watch again. That’s not a criticism. It’s also a difficult show to recommend because it is so bleak, so disturbing, … Continue reading Half Man: Series Review
The Bride
I maintain that if I’m going to end up watching a bad film, I would much prefer to watch a film that took risks, made bold choices, and shot the moon, as opposed to something that feels like a thousand other movies, and even in its benign state, still somehow managed to be an utter failure. If you can’t follow a formula, get out of the game. And, no, pandemic era War Of The Worlds was not taking risks. Locking Ice Cube in a room is the opposite of risk taking. What is taking a risk is whatever the hell … Continue reading The Bride
The Small Screen Diaries: 06/30/26
It’s looking good for a trip to the theater today. In the meantime, Amazon announced that Reacher is returning in August for its fourth season (it is already renewed for Season 5), followed by Neagle, the spinoff which launches immediately after Reacher’s season finale in September. TV Shows Watched: Detective Hole: S1E5 (Netflix) with audio description, Spider-Noir: S1E6 (Amazon) with audio description, The Bear: S5E2 (Disney Plus) with audio description, Star City: S1E4 (Apple) with audio description, Crutch: S1E8 (Paramount) with audio description, and Marshals: S1E8 (Paramount) with audio description Detective Hole- Still not renewed, but Netflix bothered to slap … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 06/30/26
The Small Screen Diaries: 06/29/26
TV Shows Watched: House Of The Dragon: S3E2 (HBO MAX) with audio description, Criminal Record: S2E7 (Apple) with audio description, Million Dollar Secret: S2E5 (Netflix) with audio description, Young Sherlock: S1E7 (Amazon) with audio description, DMV: S1E? (Paramount) with audio description, LAst Week Tonight: Sunday (HBO MAX) no audio description yet, and Elzabeth: S3E16 (Paramount) with audio description House Of THe Dragon- If you’re wondering what happens, our Queen kills it with her acting, and the title of the episode is Queen’s Landing. It tells you all you need to know. Two decapitations, one of a semi-major character. Roy Samuelson’s … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 06/29/26