Today, picking number one meant I could easily have chosen any one of three shows. Each one deserved it for different reasons. Only one gets my top spot.

1) The Sandman (Netflix)

English Audio Description?: Yes

while last episode I found the questionable existence of Johanna Constantine perplexing, i did have a good laugh when Lucifer Morningstar was uttered. And to know that once again mazekin is at his side… or wait! Lucifer is a woman? Anyway, as a fan of that show, and being fully aware that Lucifer came after Sandman, I just found it unintentionally hilarious. But what really got me was that super fucking cool battle that Dream had against Lucifer where they just kept naming things that would kill the other thing. Of course, just when it looks like Dream s about to die, Patton Oswald comes in with just enough motivation for us to hear “hope”. And with all the fans online currently worried about a second season, hope is really all they need right now.

Episode Grade: A

2) Blackbird (Apple Plus)

English Audio Description Available?: Yes

Something has come along for each of the three episodes so far that has kept Blackbird out of the top spot, and I feel bad for it. This was a really well done chess piece episode, with it not being so obvious that people are being positioned. We learned more about this particular prison, Ray Liotta got a lot more screentime, and two men had an incredibly disturbing conversation about sex while in a boiler room. No… not sex. Something worse. This show must be taken seriously at next years Emmy’s if anyone can remember it.

Episode Grade: A

3) Trying (Apple Plus)

English Audio Description Available?: Yes

This is just like the happy version of Breeders. Where one show deals with the dark lack of optimism, Trying deals with feel great moments that melt even the coldest of hearts. If a new dad bursting into his new son’s classroom in a hazmat suit to rescue his son from presenting a magic rock for show and tell, you might just be lacking a heart.

Episode Grade: A

4) Evil (Paramount Plus)

English Audio Description?: Yes

I do believe that this was the highest rating I’ve given Evil all season. What really worked for me was the exchange at the end of the episode, when even I believed Ben was in some kind of danger, he just calmly walks out covered in blood, and when his friends ask what just happened after trying to rescue him, his answer is basically “religion”. Add to that, Evil is clearly building to the finale, and setting up a big swing, but who will end up on the chopping block?

Episode Grade: A-

5) The Lincoln Lawyer (Netflix)

English Audio Description?: Yes

Trevor just had to take the damn stand. One more episode this season for Mickey to pull off a miracle.

Episode Grade: A-

6) Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Paramount Plus)

English Audio Description?: Yes

My favorite episode of this series so far featured space pirates, and the underestimation of a Vulcan. I’m sure, I’ll feel back to normal next week. We can’t have space pirates every episode. or can we?

Episode Grade: B+

7) Man Vs Bee (Netflix)

English Audio Description?: Yes

Rowan Atkinson continued his battle against the bee, which I do believe ends up on his face at the end of episode 3. This show is fine. Rowan is such a physical comedian, it’s hard to translate what he does perfectly into audio description.

Episode Grade: B

8) Resident Evil (Netflix)

English Audio Description?: Yes

I was one episode away from finishing what is now the only season of Resident Evil. After all of that, i have to say taht the show is very uneven. I know it has fans, and I’ll admit this show had its moments. But it was wildly all over the map in terms of quality, and had a cast of actors that was assembled by one of the worst casting teams I think I’ve ever seen, and then handed to a writers room full of people who likely got fired when Syfy stopped making movies about different creatures combining into the monster of the week. I don’t know if the crocodile is canon, but that was a dumb way to end the season, and now the series. Still, I feel like after all those films, and now this series, we’ve never gotten a director who can actually make a good Resident Evil film. Is it impossible? It can’t be. Maybe we should try something crazy like letting the people behind the video games direct the film. I don’t know, but I didn’t shed a tear when this show was axed.

Episode Grade: B-

9) A League of their Own (Amazon)

English Audio Description?: Yes

I have never cared less for a lesbian relationship than I do from the leads of this show. not only does their need to devote screentime to these characters take away from building an ensemble cast, or playing baseball, they don’t actually have chemistry. Don’t get me wrong, if this was at the end of the season, after we had marinated with these two ladies all season long and watched their relationship blossom, I’d likely be saying something different. But the show’s insistence to start it in episode 1 almost makes it seem like Carson left her family not for baseball, but to be gay. i ahven’t really latched on to any of these women, and this is the third episode. Ten minutes into the movie, and I was emotionally invested in two sisters from the middle of nowhere. I really don’t know what’s happening in the writers room, but there are people who need to not come back for a second season, and likely should have never been there. While I appreciate that nick Offerman’s character is not Tom hanks, he seems to be interested enough in this sport or job, while also not when the plot requires it. He’ll proudly stand next to a girl and talk her up like she’s the next all-star, but then gets accused by Carson of dereliction of duty. The only reason to watch this show right now is Max. Her character is written better, she’s given a better storyline, and even the supporting characters around her are actually starting to get more fleshed out than half the girls on the team. It’s like watching two entirely different shows. one has a writers room that is focused on the Peaches, but doesn’t know what baseball is, probably cast actresses that can’t play, and really only seems invested in pushing two storylines, whether they work or not. the other are the black writers who were given an opportunity to write for this show, and have made some other thing altogether that is quickly becoming more interesting than the show itself. I’m three episodes in, and if all the Peaches died in an accident, and I had to finish the season watching Max trying to work her ass off, I’d love the hell out of that show.

Episode Grade: C+