Welcome. I finally rolled out enough shows to make this list a bit more interesting. So, six shows enter, only one can win. Two were season finales, with one potentially suspected as a series finale. We shall see.

1) The Orville (Hulu)

English Audio Description?: Yes

in Twice in A Lifetime we saw a device that allowed time travel, which instantly let us all know… this will be a thing. it ended up sending Gordon 400 years back in the past, and gave us a frustrating but very interesting concept of time travel, and whether or not things are how they were always supposed to be. i don’t know if this series went the way I wanted it to, but even if you were with the argument that everything was predetermined, then the ending, even if you disagreed with that choice, had long since been decided. But if you believe nothing is predetermined, then everyone had a valid point. I love when television can make people ask big questions, and do so by connecting us with characters we are invested in. It’s often how tv shows can tackle topics that movies have a hard time laying out in just 90 minutes. I stand by the fact that The Orville is actually the best thing Seth macfarlane has ever done, and I hope he finds a way to continue somehow.

Episode Grade: A

2) Westworld (HBo/HBo MAX)

English Audio Description?: Yes

After what could best be described as the worst third season of television in history, the fourth season seemed to want to fix all the problems of the third season, while also not coping out and pretending it never happened. What we got was, still not the best season of Westworld, but an improved work that moved toward a goal. That goal could leave us exactly where this episode ended. We don’t need every question answered in a finale, and unlike the Season 3 finale of the umbrella Academy which is begging resolution, the Season 4 finale of Westworld could very well work as a bleak yet optimistic series finale. it also sits in an interesting position, where I believe there could be one more story to tell. Whether this season is its last, or next season, i can at least appreciate where this episode leaves us, feeling much better than we did after Season 3.

Episode Grade: A-

3) Heartstopper (Netflix)

English Audio Description?: Yes

In the season finale, Charlie and Nick chose love. And finally, Nick opened up to his mom, and everything really seemed to be OK. I was worried for a minute that this series was about to go dark, but considering I started off lukewarm with the pilot, I was eventually glad I had gone on this journey with Charlie and nick, and I’m anxious to know what Season 2 holds.

Episode Grade: A-

4) The Terminal List (Amazon)

English Audio Description?: Yes

There are parts of this show that are quite good, and it’s possible that I might look back on these earlier episodes when is all said and done and admit I didn’t give the earlier episodes enough credit. But, I feel like every episode asks me to make at least one leap of logic. The third episode does a better job of showing us who we are led to believe is our core villain, but maybe he’s not. After the last episode, when Ben revealed that “brother” was meant more in a friend status than actual brother, I’ve wondered if the casting there won’t lead to something, as well as using Jeanne Tripplehorn in a role of someone who seems nice… but is she? I’m not convinced of anything, and that’s due to our unreliable narrator. That’s a hard thing to pull off, and Chris Pratt in that role is doing a hell of a job for a guy best known for dropping jokes into his action films. It’s not reacher, but it wants to be.

Episode Grade: B+

5) Virgin River (Netflix)

English Audio Description?: Yes

I don’t even really feel like grading Virgin River against other programs. It should be on its own list, but for now, I’m just going to keep throwing it here, at about this grade. Level every time I watch an episode. It’s never going to be perfect, win an Emmy, or be full of excellent acting and writing. But I watch it anyway. Go figure.

Episode Grade: B

6) rap Shit (HBo MAX)

English Audio Description?: Yes

I gave the pilot deathly low marks. In the second episode, allowing for a bit more time, the girls start to explore differences in their personalities. Truthfully, I don’t see myself finishing the season. I know its crazy to say Issa Rae is not as good as whoever wrote Queens, but this show just makes me miss that one a lot. I loved Queens, and I think it’s a much better version of what this show wants to do… just in a more comedic take.

Episode Grade: C