We’re already at November? My God. You know, I saw a Christmas advertisement on Halloween? That’s a bit much, right? Now we’ll just leapfrog Thanksgiving, and it’s nothing but a steady barrage of holiday entertainment. SiriusXM launched all their Christmas music stations already to get the jump. Honestly, they have thousands of stations, I don’t know why they ever need to “launch” them.

7) Ms Scarlet and the Duke (PBS)

English Audio Description?: No

Wel, she got her ring back, but AT WHAT COST? Still wish this ran with audio description. I very much feel like this is a spectrum problem.

Episode Grade: B-

6) History 101 (Netflix)

English Audio Description?: Yes

This one is about the proliferation of dating websites which led to dating apps. Again, I like the episodes where I feel like I’m actually learning new things. Not, things I already know. However, there were a few interesting statistics here, so like 80% I felt I knew, 20% was new information.

Episode Grade: B

5) Archer (FX/Hulu)

English Audio Description?: No

Lots of hilarious moments, but this show is also heavy on the action, and I know I’m always missing out on something. If you look at me, and you wonder why I watch this, the answer is very simple. This is in Season 13. I haven’t been blind for 13 years. I’m not trying to give up the shows I liked simply because their producers don’t give a shit about providing audio description. Turns out, most of the things I watched didn’t bother with it.

Episode Grade: B+

4) Never Have I Ever (Netflix)

English Audio Description?: Yes

A lot happened in this episode, but really what you need to know is that Davie is falling for Dev even after that debate tournament, and meanwhile, Paxton is slowly realizing his new girlfriend might be hot, but she’s vapid and self absorbed, and also not Davie.

Episode Grade: A-

3) East New York (CBS/Paramount Plus)

English Audio Description?: WTF

The episode was Ok. It centered on capturing an escaped convict. But the audio description for this? I’m not crazy. It wasn’t the only thing I watched, and the sound for the actual episode was fine. But, the sound quality of the actual audio description was bad. Like, it had this quality of it coming off a tape recorder from the past or something. It wasn’t crisp or clear. it didn’t sound digitally recorded, and was a stark contrast to that of the episode, and this is not a problem I’ve had yet with the audio description for this show, or rather any show coming from CBS or on Paramount Plus. I don’t know who was responsible for processing the audio description, or recording/mixing, but huge fail. It was very noticeable.

Episode Grade: A-

2) Quantum Leap (NBC/Peacock)

English Audio Description?: Yes

Well, hello Roy Samuelson. Slumming it in network TV for a day I see. It was a nice change of pace, hearing someone I associate with a lot of films, coming into this Halloween themed episode that really took advantage of the day, and had Ben in the body of an Exorcist. But, Ben is a man of science, will he turn out to disprove the presence of a demon? And, the last few moments of the episode set up what should be a fun next episode.

Episode Grade: A

1) Five Days At Memorial (Apple Plus)

English Audio Description?: Yes

I’m very much not on board this Anna is the root of all evil train the show now has to push, after showing us several assholes. I did love the lady from LifeCare who came in and basically told the investigators to fuck off. She’s right. Where was the government then? It’s easy to Monday morning quarterback the situation and chastise others for making life and death decisions when left for dead. Do i think euthanasia was right? I don’t know all those patients records. Maybe it turns out some of them should have been kept alive, but then again, why weren’t they evacuated? That guy made a big show about how everyone would be out of that building by 5PM if he had to drag them out. What if he had? He obviously had no qualms about leaving those patients. So if he had physically removed the doctors, and left patients in beds, who would we be blaming then? This is very much not a cut and dry case, because we’ve seen someone from the government come in and tell them to put color bands on who has the best chance of survival. We saw a guy demand evacuation, and fail to actually evacuate as he said he would. I think there’s a reason this story is being told from this perspective. I’m not familiar with her eventual verdict, but there are several people who failed those patients long before Anna ever decided to stop their suffering. And, I still haven’t seen any scene that definitively told Anna when help would return. It turned out to be soon, like a day later, but based on the attitude of the guy on the boat, there was nothing to suggest they were coming back. This show makes me incredibly frustrated, because the dramatization based on the real life occurrences is so well done, but 7 episodes in, and I’m not ready to convict Anna. Is that the point of the show? I guess I just have to wait and see the magic trick at the end.

Episode Grade: A