There was this thing again in the middle of the day that won’t appear in my rankings of shows. That would be a weird thing to rank. And obviously, I’m talking about the Emmy nominations, which I definitely watched live. JB Smoove was not the right person for that announcement.

1) Ozark (Netflix)

English Audio Description Available?: Yes

For those wondering why I’m still watching Ozark into July, even at one episode per week, it’s because binge watching critics ruined the back half of the season by revealing the biggest character death. And this was that episode. i was dreading it, but the episode was so well done, that you could feel the tension in all the characters. I was half hoping somehow the fates would be wrong, because there is a part of me that will always be ruined by the fact that that character didn’t make it out of this show alive. The only character that might have broken me more is Jonah, and even that isn’t guaranteed. There’s something so amazing. So stunning. So beautiful about the work that Julia Garner did with her time on Ozark, and it’s why people now know who she is. She’s very much the breakout star of the show, and will forever be the best thing about this series for me. I would have traded Wendy for her any day of the week. It’s funny how another character met their demise in the same episode, but despite them being around for multiple seasons, it didn’t even register as a blip once the second death hit. I feel like in the last eight episodes of The Walking Dead, I’ll be losing some friends I’ve grown to love over the last eleven seasons. That’s the thing about TV versus film, you get more time with each character. So when they finally drop, it’s like losing a part of you, or what drew you in to that very show in the first place.

Episode Grade: A+

2) Hacks (HBO MAX)

English Audio Description Available?: Yes

There was literally only one thing that this season finale could have been beaten by, and it was that Ozark episode. What a satisfying conclusion to the season, that oddly also felt like a series finale (it’s not, the show is picked up for a third season). Just a blind side out of nowhere, and suddenly the show is a completely different thing. I was so worried Deborah was going to drop Jimmy, who literally quit his job specifically for her. What a great way to cap off the season, and I’m certain Jean Smart is headed for her second straight Emmy win.

Episode Grade: A, Season 2 Grade: A

3) The Hardy Boys (Hulu)

English Audio Description Available?: Yes

The boys have got to stop trusting JB. Seriously. Of course, Joe is so concerned with getting the eye out of Frank that he’s not seeing things clearly, which makes the end of this episode not a huge surprise. It should be interesting to see what they do with the finale next week.

Episode Grade: A-

4) Under The Banner Of Heaven (Hulu)

English Audio Description Available?: no

You know, this was episode 5 for me, and I’m only half able to follow this nonsense. Truth is, I’m about tired of shows not offering audio description, but the Emmy buzz was so strong for Garfield, I felt like I had to check it out. Even without the audio description to help me make sense of what the hell was going on, no scene was more effective than just that little moment where his character has a break to go home and see his family, only to find out they’re at someone else’s house. Even without the audio description, Garfield did such good work with so little, that you could feel the fear creeping into his home life, as his transference as to what is going on in the case, for just a second, allowed him to fear the worst had come to his family. Luckily, that’s not the truth, and even though he was still clearly uneasy, he could at least rest. I want fucking audio description for this show. I feel like, this is an A grade show, but I spend so much time lost that I can’t possibly give it an A.

Episode Grade: B+

5) Life and Beth (Hulu)

English Audio Description Available?: Yes

in the final episode of the season, which had a more serious tone (just like the last episode), it was all once again brought down by the sheer existence of the john character. He doesn’t work as a boyfriend, a love interest, or really a character at this point. Someone like Beth would never put up with his shit. He straight up ruins the show, and if that character/actor is returning for a second season, I won’t be.

Episode Grade: B-, Season 1 Grade: B

6) Becoming Elizabeth (Starz)

English Audio Description available?: No

This was a difficult watch without audio description. I won’t be coming back. There’s a decently large cast, all playing historical figures. A lot happens in the first episode, and it doesn’t all resolve itself through dialogue. I had an incredibly hard time following this pilot, and I’m not going to bother with future episodes. My guess, is that the show is better that what I’m grading it, it was just really a slog to try and get through without audio description.

Episode Grade: C