TV Shows Watched: From: S2E9 (MGM Plus) with audio description, Building The Band: S1E6 (Netflix) with audio description, Too Much: S1E3 (Netflix) with audio description, Drag Race All Stars: S10E11 (Paramount Plus) with audio description, We Were Liars: S1E8 (Amazon) with audio description, Mindhunter: S1E5 (Netflix) with audio description, Ballard: S1E1 (Amazon) with audio description

From- What on earth is happening in this show? I’m trying to follow the logic, but it seems like no matter which way you slice it, it seems like they aren’t making sense. Either Boyd or Jim just pissed off the natural order by either going too deep into the forest, killing a monster, or building the radio tower. Initially the dreams and nightmares seemed limited to the people who were part of the monster killing, but now it is just anyone, and they can’t fall asleep. Except, even when they don’t fall asleep, they’re now being attacked at random by… something. I’m intrigued by a show that never answers questions anyway inherently throwing out a non-existent rule book. Basically, all they knew was “bad things happen at night:”, and they found some talisman’s. Now, it’s like their world isn’t content by playing by those rules anymore, which is so weird, because clearly Victor has been here… a long time. The audio description was great. There’s a bloody mess to clean up in one scene, and some cool stuff happening with locusts.

Building The Band- LOL. I knew that girl was trouble. Cut back a few diaries, and you’ll see me talk about how a certain someone has way too much screentime. More than the others in her band. Well, turns out she’s hooking up with one of the boys in one of the bands, Connor, and his band mates aren’t happy with his constant lethargic approach. I completely agree with them, Connor is dead weight. I never understand the people wh go on competition reality shows, and forget why they are there. this isn’t a dating show, Connor. Can’t wait to see this catastrophe in the making. I so totally called it. Anyway, some nice audio description is woven in where it can. It isn’t a series that allows for a lot, but we get meaningful description when we can.

Too Much- this show is delightfully frank at times. They talk about why a woman needs to use the bathroom after sex in very frank, graphic detail. I’m noticing, like how Lena Dunham usually is, this show is unafraid of boundaries. While I haven’t had a problem with the descritpion yet, I’m starting to notice more and more that this show is pulling in a more mature direction, and the description feels like its lagging a bit, maybe a bit too safe. This whole episode is basically them just in bed together. They have sex, and the description was more than adequate by any standard. they just happen to be on a show that is decidedly not standard. I’ve still got 7 episodes to go, but Dunham has 7 episodes to continue to make me question my life choices.

Drag Race All stars- I already know who wins. I’m an episode behind, and instead of the actual point of the episode, I appreciated them taking the time to have a frank conversation about what the public discourse on transgenderism has done to affect them, and general attitudes toward drag queens.This show is owned by the same company that just kicked Colbert to the curve, so if they’re politically motivated, don’t think this Emmy winning series isn’t on the chopping block. That being said, it would be picked up in a heartbeat by another streamer,just like right now someone is figuring how what to do with Stephen Colbert the moment he’s free.

We Were Liars- Done. I never need to discuss this show again. It does leave itself open for a second season, I’m not sure I’d watch. The ending is really dumb, as we see the kids think the best way to stick it to their parents is to apparently burn down the house. these kids suck, and beyond the audio description, there just are better shows.

Mindhunter- There’s just something about the voice of this AD track that is too flat for me. It comes across as AI adjacent. There’s a darkness in Mindhunter that could be brought out, and in this episode, the main duo are looking into this sensitive boyfriend of a girl who was murdered, and wondering if he was capable of the crime.

Ballard- Remember how The closer was just your basic procedural, but somehow Kyra Sedgwick made it better? So people fell for that show, and it became a hit? Then, Sedgwick exited the series, and they wanted to keep it going, so they kept some of the cast and called it Major Crimes? but, it wasn’t as popular, because the thing that made the original work isn’t there? That’s Ballard. Ballard has the same uphill battle Major crimes had, which is having been established briefly in the world of Bosch, and now being tasked with leading her own series, that has its own vibe, and new supporting cast. It’s asking the Bosch audience to fall in love with someone new. The complicated thing here is finding the balance. Some spinoffs do well because they evolve in a new direction. The Good Wife’s spinoffs have done well because they have singular identity. They aren’t trying to copy or recreate the feeling of what was. Elzabeth’s tone is wildly different than the Good Wife. Right now, Ballard seems stuck in the “if it ain’t broke” world, where her show is going to follow the Bosch beats, but without any of his cast. So, if you liked Bosch, you might like this, or you might just be disappointed that she’s not Harry Bosch. Maggie Q is an interesting choice, having done shows like this before, and roles like this. I would think, by now, that the reason to go with Maggie Q is maybe she can do some of her own stunts that Titus welliver’s aged Harry Bosch didn’t make sense doing. If I were Amazon, I’d be looking to find out why people should watch Ballard, regardless of where she came from. Don’t be afraid to break the mold and give her purpose other than an extension and paycheck for Michael Connelly. The audio description is exactly what you would have gotten if this was a new season of Bosch.