Only three shows today. However, despite the fact I’ve talked previously to a handful of people “in the know”, none of them knew what I knew that came true yesterday. Showtime is now fully integrated as an add on to Paramount Plus, meaning you don’t need two different apps. This bodes well for audio description, which I will be complaining about post haste, as Yellowjackets at least (which is known to have existing description recorded) had none.

1) The Orville (Hulu)

English Audio Description?: Yes

I had no idea where we were going with this episode. Honestly, I didn’t know if any of the new visitors were going to cause a problem, but it seems like everything worked out. Claire even got to experience a few moments of what it would be like to be loved by a sentient AI. But, what she realized, even if he didn’t, was that his willingness to have his memory wiped to keep the emotional upgrade forever in the interest of making Claire happy was the biggest show of his actual love, even if he doesn’t realize it. Very well done.

Episode Grade: A

2) Only Murders In The Building (Hulu)

English Audio Description?: Yes

Might it be a serial killer? One that has been haunting 6th street… well… 7th, 8th, but not 3rd street. Sometimes Broadway. pretty much all of New York? The best part of this episode was the beginning which was super meta and had some of the ensemble talking about how enthralled they either are or are not with the newest season of Only Murders In The Building… the podcast. Proving that sometimes, the humor doesn’t always need our main trio. This is just that well written.

Episode Grade: A

3) The Terminal List (Amazon)

English Audio Description?: Yes

So, The Terminal List hasn’t been a perfect show, but damn if I still don’t want to see all the chips on the table. Some new guy assigned to track these murders seems gung ho on getting Reese, though he knows next to nothing. What I didn’t like about the episode, other than the somewhat subdued pacing through the middle part of the episode, was Reese, our protagonist, gutting someone while still alive, pulling their entrails out, and affixing them to the wall above their head. That’s a bit much. I totally relate to the idea of him needing revenge, but at the same time, he’s also a well decorated war hero… and I’m not really sure what this says about that, or what we expect from our heroes. I know this shit started a long time ago in movies, but to think of Chris Pratt ripping out entrails just didn’t sit right, and based on the audio description, it didn’t sit right with Taylor Kitsch either.

Episode Grade: B+