One of these shows had a trigger warning. Find out which one below! It’ll be a fun mystery until you get there.
1) The Sandman (Netflix)
English Audio Description?: Yes
We are getting into the meat of the show. Rose has some real power, as shown in this episode. Dream is becoming a problematic protagonist as you don’t always root for him, because his life choices are largely out of touch. So, Rose has taken over, and she’s going to get her brother back. But that seems to be a challenge, as the Corinthian has taken him to a serial killer convention. Great place for a kid. I think it’s ranked right below Six Flags, and right above Chuck E Cheese.
Episode Grade: A
2) For All Mankind (Apple Plus)
English Audio Description?: Yes
Honestly? This should be on top. It was a brilliant almost 90 minute episode that allowed me to believe that someone could actually be strapped to the exterior of a rocket and launched into space. I literally suspended my disbelief for this show. I loved nearly every single moment, as everything came full circle or to a close. I even accepted the loss of Karen, who was not on my “likely to die list”. But as the show continues to make time jumps, the original cast becomes more and more problematic to have in the show. Next season apparently is in 2003, so the original cast likely won’t be around for the season after that, especially since Margot has grey hair. no, my #2 spot, behind the penultimate season 1 episode of The sandman wasn’t because Sandman was so much better, it was for taking the blind character, making her the hero, and then killing her off screen. Molly deserved so much better as a character. i legit thought she was going to be rehired and become the new Margot. Nope. She came back to die. It was emotional, but it should have happened on camera.
Episode Grade: A
3) Beavis and Butthead (Paramount Plus)
English Audio Description?: Yes
Really, i could at any point put this on top, because no comedy that I’m currently watching gets this many laughs from me. Beavis and Butthead getting stuck in the glue trap with the raccoons and being sprayed with bear repellant had me laughing my ass off.
Episode Grade: A
4) The Good Fight (Paramount Plus)
English Audio Description?: Yes
I’m so confused as to why we’re pushing this Diane wanting to cheat on her husband storyline in the final season. It’s so unnecessary. I know Gary Cole is on NCIS, but he’s always been recurring, and it’s the final season. She can’t finish out the show without wanting to screw around with John Slattery? Meanwhile, that bombshell that we found out at the end of the episode was terrific. To find out that her father was the guy from the story, was perfection. I thought how Marissa closed out the episode was very nice, and very timely. And, this was the show with the trigger warning about brain matter. That’s a first. Generally, you can just throw a graphic violence warning, but as soon as I knew it was brain matter, I kept looking for someone to get shot in the head, or to kill themselves. It was too specific, and ruined the surprise of that moment.
Episode Grade: A-
5) Saturday Night Live (NBC/Peacock)
English Audio Description?: No
While I don’t always think of Miles Teller as being hilarious, he was really game for this. Self deprecating, allowing some real life footage from his youth to be played, and top lining some terrific sketches. The season opener was hilarious. I also loved the part about the charmin bears. For the most part, the sketch about sending a non-creepy DM was fun, but the guy doing Adam Levine was terrible. Also, the cast member during weekend update we got introduced to when he was talking about Sydney Sweeney was so awkward. It was like he didn’t now he would be doing that, and his delivery was off. I can’t believe I’m reviewing SNL. I’m such an Eli Manning.
Episode Grade: B+
6) Echoes (Netflix)
English Audio Description?: Yes
Now we get into some new product. Echoes is a new show about twins that switched lives every year, until one of them goes missing. Despite having a stellar cast, the acting here is weak. The writing is weak. The direction is weak. I enjoy the cast as people, and there’s a possibility that this could get better. of the three shows I started today, this has the best chance of getting me to watch a second episode, only to find out more. The pacing wasn’t terrible, something I can’t say about the other shows.
Episode Grade: C+
7) Reasonable Doubt (Hulu)
English Audio Description?: Yes
This legal drama, which i hesitate to call it, is something special. Kerry Washington directed the pilot, and produces, and I don’t think she did anyone favors by directing here. The pilot felt like it was moving at a snails pace without any direction for the show. There’s a lot going on, several characters are jammed into introductions, she’s working multiple cases, and also has multiple affairs. It’s like someone running through the grocery store on supermarket sweep and being more concerned about time than whether or not the things they grab are food, or will make food. Jax is not a great lead, as she is all over the place. Aside from having too much on her plate, she seems to be attracted to bad boys, like that’s a plot element. Then we have things like the best friend who got dumped, and even she has a cousin? Are those characters necessary? Who the hell was Paul? There were so many characters in this episode, i honestly do not know what it wants to be, where it’s headed, or who its for. It has aspects of it that suggest it will have a season long mystery, but like that Katherine Heigl series that got axed a few seasons back, this one has no idea what to do around that. Her husband is creepy, she’s got an ex who just gets magically released from jail by admitting guilt to a crime, and her bodyguard just carries ADD medication around for his “anxiety”. I love legal dramas, but I’m not actually sure this is one, nor am I confident enough that it will get any better under Washington’s direction.
Episode Grade: D+
8) Bad Sisters (Apple Plus)
English Audio Description?: Yes
It was brutally long. The comedy elements didn’t work. This should be a half hour dark comedy if that is what it wants to be. It’s hard to tell. This show was dull, featured a plot I didn’t care about, and introduced sisters that were hard for me to distinguish vocally when they’re all talking, just making it harder to follow. Some people might like this, but I’m giving this show a pass as well.
Episode Grade: D+
A warning for brain matter…that’s a new one for me also. It sounds like they did a good job bringing back Beavis & Butthead. Glad you are still enjoying Sandman – the serial killer convention is wild.
Other than one episode (5 I believe), I’ve enjoyed The Sandman. And yes, Mike Judge is in rare form. It kind of makes me want to see a King of The hill reboot now.