I’m quite conflicted today, as many of these shows are quite close in the lineup.

1) Solar Opposites (Hulu)

English Audio Description?: Yes

In a world where a lot of the shows I watched today tried their hands at some different tricks, the 8th episode of Solar Opposites was wildly on brand, featuring dueling storylines between the people in the wall trying to escape, but essentially running into Morlock versions of themselves, while the main family enter this trippy reality where people are being replaced, and there’s a Hall of Betrayal. Is eating someone’s taki’s really anywhere near the level of cheating on someone? I guess to the Solar Opposites, the answer is yes.

Episode Grade: A

2) The Rings Of Power (Amazon)

English Audio Description?: Yes

While there’s a slight dip here, it has most to do with the necessary shift into a slower tone, as not every single episode can be this bombastic cinematic treat. However, in doing so, it faces the same challenges a show like this does, an expansive cast spread out, and the need to keep moving, which just accumulates more characters we feel like we should be checking on. I also didn’t quite buy Galadriel’s mic drop moment reveal near the end. It wasn’t earned, and just kinda felt like the story needed it to happen. Great, another character to follow.

Episode Grade: A-

3) Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous (Netflix)

English Audio Description?: Yes

In an episode I thought was coming much later, the squad stopped the Dino fight in Episode 3, sadly much to the ire of Kenji. So while Kenji refuses to see that his dad is evil, his friends are now locked in the cage. I would be worried if this was the second to last episode of the series, but this is episode 3 of 10 in the final season. And you can call me Sally if our main cast stays in that cage for 7 episodes. It’s not as effective as a finish for this episode as I think they might have liked.

Episode Grade: A-

4) Star Trek: Strange new Worlds (Paramount Plus)

English Audio Description?: Yes

I should have checked, but if that wasn’t the season finale… what is? Pike’s time traveling to try and save the ship from imminent danger that seems to always happen, at the hands of the Romulans, that featured not just Pike, but Spock getting pretty FUBAR, and Kirk coming in, was a little like the spark that started it all. Coming out of the alien episode, this was a punch that can only be delivered by having to wait until next season.

Episode Grade: A-

5) Harley Quinn (HBo MAX)

English Audio Description?: Yes

I said ranking these episodes was hard. Four series with the same grade, and I don’t have a great reason why Harley was on the bottom. On one hand, I really loved the more serious moments with Harley, quite unexpected for this show, where she was reminded that she once was a psychiatrist, and her desire to help the boy version of Bruce,all worked for me. But there’s the other half of me that just doesn’t buy Bruce Wayne, even this version, even if it happened in a comic book, with causing zombies to happen just so he can reunite with his parents. That’s a bit bridge too far for me.

Episode Grade: A-

6) Virgin River (Netflix)

English Audio Description?: Yes

I never thought they wouldn’t find Jack. And also, on a show that had a moment at least where we could have had someone make a passing reference to “at least he didn’t drink and drive” they never did. I’m glad we saw Christopher, because it was starting to feel like the show wanted us to forget about him. And this sister in law who just needed to talk in Clear River obviously had something to unpack, and now we have some deluded mother-in-law who wants embryos that aren’t hers. This show is nuts.

Episode Grade: B

7) The Patient (Hulu)

English Audio Description?: No

As Hulu continues their banner reputation for consistency in audio description, this series, which frequently likes to go dark and thematic with long periods of silence, is a mother fucking challenge. Hulu better be sending me an award or some shit for even trying to attempt to follow this show. Really, if this cast had almost anyone but Steve Carell, I’d be gone just on lack of audio description. And quite likely, as the plot moves forward, and the audio description lacks, I will have to stop watching this like I had to stop watching The old Man (which has two fucking great episodes). I just want Comcast to drop Hulu and push it to Disney so I can yell at Hulu like they are a 100% subsidiary of Disney, whose Disney Plus service is much more consistent.

Episode Grade: B-

8) Maggie (Hulu)

English Audio Description?: Yes

Maggie has a quandary, and while this was the least funny episode of the season, I will give it points for seemingly having a bit more Angel, which helped balance out that i didn’t care about the rich couple Maggie was reading.

Episode Grade: B-