As promised, I tackled Echo (Disney Plus), but just the first episode. I’m not a huge fan of the binge watch. I like to savor my shows, especially ones with only 5 episodes, and the next Marvel show is quite far off. I thought it was a strong start, but it didn’t break into the top echelon of Marvel shows for me, which really no one has ever topped WandaVision. Some critics have hailed it as what Marvel needs right now, and I say it could ahve been, if they had let Echo stand on her own in the pilot, instead of needing to bring in Daredevil. Immediately bringing in a larger hero to help your series, means you have no faith in the existing character, who is already a spinoff of another series. Moon Knight didn’t launch with the appearance of Nick Fury or someone, so why does Echo need Daredevil out of the gate? Hell, even She-Hulk didn’t meet Daredevil right away. It’s not really TV-MA, unless the audio description is awful. The first episode had rather average PG-13 violence, nothing about brains being splattered, blood spraying everywhere, organs being ripped out, faces melting off, or… whatever. A neck break does not make an R rated series, nor does basic gun violence. Sad, but true. We still live in a world where many people can be shot and stabbed in non-bloody ways, or eaten by monsters, and receive PG-13, but if you say “fuck” one too many times… Also, in terms of the AD, I would have had a note at the top for the audience needing AD that when we hear Maya speak, it is through sign language, and clarify whether or not Maya is ever actually speaking. I’m fairly certain it was all sign language, but I do believe there was some other dubbing, for other characters, so it muddies the waters a bit. Clarity. I watched another show in the same day, Billions (Paramount Plus/Showtime), that always starts with a “Previously on Billions”, which is built in narration by the series. The audio description takes time to note that those three words are not part of their description, by noting that the series has this built in narrator function. of course, it was obvious to me, but not necessarily to all. And speaking of Billions, the Game Theory episode did what I thought it would, making it look like Prince has the upper hand, but I think we all know the King will fall. He may think he’s grounding his traitors, but he didn’t see there are still 3 episodes remaining.

Scott Pilgrim Takes off (Netflix) still is trying to find Scott. It’s an interesting spin on the comic. Bookie (MAX) had a rich guy with some inside information making the guys nervous. Remember, Bookie was recently renewed for a second season. Don’t get too excited though, Bookie, as Our Flag Means Death only ever got two seasons.

The Guilded Age (MAX) just got a nomination for Best Ensemble at the SAG awards, and the episode I saw ended with money problems being solved, but perhaps not in the way Christine Baranski’s character would have preferred. And, Justified: City primeval (Hulu), is still disappointing, even if I do love that there’s some version of Timothy Olyphant’s performance that has audio description.