Outlander: Muskets, Liberty, and Sauerkraut (8x04)

Lots of dramatic stuff happening here! Let's dive in.

Cons:

So, the bit where Fergus says that it's the dream of every orphan to learn that he is the son of a great man, but that he doesn't need that because he already is the son of a great man? That line is in the books and Fergus says it directly to Jamie! I get why that couldn't happen here but I was a little sad to have missed that opportunity.

There's a moment where Fanny is talking about the things Jane would say about their parents, and then later a moment when Jamie asks Ian to go to the brothel to try and learn more about Fanny and Jane's family... I hate both of these moments on principle because I hate the idea of Jamie and Claire doing research about their miraculous daughter Faith. Because it's dumb.

Grey's Anatomy: Take Me to the River (22x15)

Why do so many of these characters SUCK omg. Yuck.

Cons:

Where to start? I heard the amazing news that Owen and Teddy are leaving at the end of the season, it is BEYOND past time for that. I assume they'll depart as a couple, having decided to give it another go, and this is annoying and bad story-telling, but at this point I'm just glad they're leaving, so... fine. Whatever. This plot about Owen maybe taking another job and then never mind was just very... blah. Nothing to really talk about.

I already thought Winston was garbage but now... ohhhhh boy. Jesus. Am I supposed to think it's sweet that he broke up with his girlfriend on her birthday so he could be with Jules? The thing is, last week when he was agonizing over the ethics of the situation, I didn't even remember he'd been kinda going out with that nurse lady... so now he's a pathetic loser who doesn't have the restraint or the courage to deal with his current dating life before starting something new? I hate this man so much at this point and I don't want to, I used to like Winston. Blue giving Jules harsh advice was the best part of this story; he's right. (And Jules should be with him instead. Sigh.)

Outlander: Abies Fraseri (8x03)

This show is so weird and I like it probably more than it deserves lol.

Cons:

I really wish the actor who was playing Percy was... sexy? Like, I want him to be rakish and irresistible and he's just kind of blah. This isn't about physical appearance so much as it is about charisma, and I didn't feel the charisma I wanted from Percy.

Same complaint I've had in the past about the sex scenes, that they are all very same-y in terms of one passionate kiss, then they just lift their clothes out of the way and Jamie is in her instantly lol. I keep thinking... is she like, prepared and comfortable for this? It seems like they're both having a fulfilling experience to say the least but it just seems to lack variety and is not really... hot, to me? As a viewer? I don't know. I think I'm in the minority here, but I used to think the sex scenes in Outlander were pretty well choreographed and performed and now it kind of seems like everyone is going through the motions.

Grey's Anatomy: Wrecking Ball (22x14)

I don't actually enjoy being a hater about this show as much as it might seem that way! Sigh.

Cons:

I watched this episode with a friend (hi) so she heard my commentary about certain things and we were both in agreement that Lucas in this episode was... it was too much. Up until this point I had really praised the story-line with Katie, I thought it was sweet, and Lucas was still being annoying like he always is but it felt like his annoying-ness was built into the narrative, with Bailey trying to temper his behavior and them working through this situation together as Katie went from getting better to dying. I liked that nothing explicit had been mentioned about there being a romantic vibe between the two of them, but it was plain to see if you were paying any attention. It was all working for me.

Outlander: Prophecies (8x02)

I totally forgot about Amy and the bear... oof.

Cons:

This is maybe a silly complaint but I feel like most of the sex scenes on this show, especially in these later seasons, have been very... same-y? Like it's usually urgent and quick, no foreplay whatsoever, like... Jamie just says "I need ye" and then he's inside her. This is a complaint I have about the books too, honestly, but I don't know. If you're going to do a sex scene between this happily married couple, maybe show some variety?

I'm probably going to add a note in every episode about Fanny being Faith's daughter and just how dumb I find that. It doesn't get brought up or matter at all in this episode, which in fact proof that it's profoundly unnecessary and stupid to have included it.

Grey's Anatomy: Love the Way You Lie (22x13)

No! No Winston and Jules! Bad!

Cons:

The thing is, I don't have any objections because of age difference or power imbalance or anything like that. If I thought Jules and Winston were compelling in any way, I wouldn't be so annoyed. It's just... that scene at the end, she's looking up at him with the wettest, saddest little bambi eyes, and he's giving... nothing. There's just nothing there, the spark does not exist, and it feels like they're trying to push this romance based on absolutely nothing. Where is this coming from? Why are we bothering with it? Ugh.

I lost some respect for Dr. Wright in this episode. Her little speech to Jules about how residency is like high school and she needs everyone to rise above the petty drama... girl, this is serious. You're the one who keeps talking about how serious it is, how there's been neglect. I'm not saying believe Jules without proof, but don't brush off what she's saying like it's not important. That felt like a serious breach of leadership there.

Outlander: Soul of a Rebel (8x01)

We're back for the final season!

Cons:

The "Faith lived" story is one of the stupidest things this show has ever done. Just... profoundly, entirely unnecessary. I cannot imagine why they decided to go this route. And I'm very suspicious of the way Faith "died" by being thrown overboard on a ship... if this woman shows up in this season still alive magically, I'm going to be super annoyed and yet not at all surprised. And too many precious minutes of this episode was taken up with Claire and Jamie with their anguished faces just boohooing about it. I think it's stupid just on a logistical level because like... how, and why, would anybody have just lied to Claire's face about her daughter being stillborn? And how would a tiny infant hearing Claire sing a song to her one (1) time remember the tune and words? That's nonsense.

Grey's Anatomy: Get Lucky (22x12)

Noooooo. No no nooooo.

Cons:

Teddy and Owen whyyyy. I knew it was too good to be true. I kept waiting for the bait and switch. Imagine a world where I liked them as a couple, and was getting more and more discouraged the longer their divorce story-line continued and then they kiss and I get to celebrate. Lol. Instead it's the opposite, I was so freakin' jazzed these two were splitting up and now they're falling back into bed together right after their divorce is final.... HEAVY SIGH. This is either the beginning of their grand reconciliation or it's another bump in the road and they'll both be weird about it and we'll have to deal with their bullshit some more. I want to get off this ride, please.

Grey's Anatomy: (If You Want It) Do It Yourself (22x11)

Did I cry at the Eric Dane tribute at the end? Yes of course I did. Oof.

Cons:

I actually don't have a ton of strong negative feelings about this episode, which is the first time that's happened in a while. I maybe could have done without the Teddy and Winston conflict, as it feels a little rehashed, and I also think this show has done a weirdly large number of plot threads focusing on the humbling of Ben Warren, like, does anybody feel like he's had to learn his lesson about how to be a good doctor one too many times? But these are relatively small complaints, I was actually overall very happy with this episode.

Grey's Anatomy: Strip That Down (22x10)

I liked this episode just fine! Gonna try to keep it short.

Cons:

I think maybe part of the Jo and Link issue for me is just that I find stories about having babies to be kind of dull, so on top of not liking them as a couple, seeing them deal with new parenthood is also just like... not that gripping? Jo has taken on almost a comic relief role here, which I wasn't expecting. She's so frazzled and stressed but it's in a light, funny way, and Link is indulgent... I don't know. It's not like it makes me angry, it just makes me feel.... blah.

Grey's Anatomy: Fortunate Son (22x09)

My hatred is pure, it fuels me, I am invigorated by it in this moment.

Cons:

FUCK Nick Marsh, he SUCKS.

Grey's Anatomy: Heavy On Me (22x08)

I really really don't want them to do this Jules and Winston thing!!

Cons:

She's got little Bambi eyes and I love her and for whatever reason the idea of her and Winston just icks me out. It's not necessarily the age/power dynamic thing, like, I've obviously gotten over that in past relationships on this show, it's not even close to being a deal breaker for me. In fact, exploring romantic relationships along the axis of power differences is really fascinating for me in fiction. I just think their vibe, in specific is kinda weirdly rancid in this unspecified way. I'm bored and grossed out all at the same time. And right now we're in "Jules is jealous/pining" mode and I'm already exhausted by it.

I miss Jo Wilson. By which I mean I miss when I liked her character. She was one of my faves, genuinely! But her and Link always suck all the fun out of any room they're in together. They have like... anti-chemistry. I am so bored and annoyed. A familiar mantra, I think.

Grey's Anatomy: Skyfall (22x07)

I liked some things about this episode, I guess! I'm still tired of the same stuff though.

Cons:

It's not even that Link did anything wrong in this episode it's just that I've been so thoroughly sapped of giving a shit about him and about the Jo/Link romance that I couldn't muster up any emotional response to his distress. Like. The babies in the NICU, Jo on a vent... I'm sitting here yawning because I'm fairly sure Jo is going to wake up and be fine and then they'll give their babies sappy reference names to other characters and that'll be that. I'm also annoyed, in a distant sort of way, about Amelia's absence: giving the actor a sabbatical is great, giving the character a sabbatical is great, but when you see how harried Link is with juggling his wife and two new babies in the hospital, and then he's talking about coordinating childcare for Scout and Luna, you just go... where the fuck is Amelia? Scout's mother? They could have fixed this so easily with one sentence that says "Amelia is on a flight back to help with the kids" and then in subsequent episodes we can just say she's off-screen with Scout (and maybe Luna too). Without adding in that little detail it makes Amelia seem kind of awful, which I don't want!

Bob's Burgers: Heist Things Are Heist (16x10)

Cute!

Cons:

I felt like Linda's adventures in being bra-less could have been a little sillier, although I liked what we got just fine. Could have been more, though!

The Mighty Nein: The Zadash Job (1x08)

God damn, that was some incredible fight animation! So much going on here.

Cons:

Broken record, but yeah, now that I've seen the shape of this first season and how Essek was deployed as a character, I really would have done things differently. I kind of wish he'd been a presence this season in a way more similar to how Yasha was. Like, we see him, we get these glimpses, he shows up out of nowhere during a climactic moment to play keep-away with the beacon. Imagine if Trent saying "Essek?" was the first time we'd realized that they had a preexisting relationship. Imagine if we knew Trent had an off-screen conspirator in the Dynasty, and this was how we found out who it was. (By "we" I mean show-only watchers, of course.) This is all to say, Essek going after the beacon, failing to get it, and ending up seemingly in Trent's hands at the end of the season maybe would have worked better for me with a different arc for his character this season. I'm less frustrated than I was at some earlier points, but still not 100% sold on how they decided to do this.

The Mighty Nein: Belonging (1x07)

I really, really liked this episode, it is maybe my favorite of this season, to my surprise!

Cons:

I'm much less intrigued by the machinations of Trent Ikithon than I think they want me to be. He's just kind of a bog-standard villain in a lot of ways. Power hungry and pure evil. Whenever we spend time on him and who he's working with, who he's betraying, my eyes kind of glaze over. I think it's most interesting when we see the interplay between him and the Volstruckers, and we didn't really get that here.

Bob's Burgers: It's a Stunterful Life (16x09)

This was such a cute and fun episode!

Cons:

My least favorite of the plot threads, which was still fine but just nothing special, was Linda trying to save the Christmas trees that were destined to be made into mulch. This is a plot thread from an episode of Friends like 30 years ago. It's not that there's anything bad about it, I just saw Linda getting weirdly sentimental over dead trees and thought, yeah, yeah, I get it. I know where this is going. And there was nothing more really going on to challenge that.

The Mighty Nein: Many Gifts (1x06)

Okay, I have some Things to Say.

Cons:

At this point I just feel so... frustrated and unhappy with all the Essek stuff. I've been trying to fight this feeling, but so much of what made him interesting, structurally, in the campaign has been thrown out entirely in order to give him more of a main character arc. I think it makes him seem more sympathetic and also way more stupid. Seeing Trent influence him so easily, seeing him do his magic math on the chalkboard and then leaving that work when he leaves the room, and the Beacon, in the hands of the Volstruckers? Like, here we are in the first season, still very far away from Essek meeting the rest of the gang, and Verrat has... discovered Essek is a traitor? So, I guess the entire way Essek gets integrated into the story is completely out the window at this point. We're not going to see the Mighty Nein realize he's a traitor, as he's not going to be assigned to them by the Bright Queen. Or at least I assume not. I don't know, this feels dangerously like someone griping because they don't like change, but I promise it's not that. I'm not going to complain about the Yasha changes, for example. Big drastic changes to story can be great. But this version of Essek seems like a naive little baby who just stumbles into war crimes, and that's... not Essek Thelyss, to me. He is the weakest part of this adaptation to animated form so far, and he was one of the things I was the most excited to see.

Bob's Burgers: Les Lizárdables (16x08)

The rare Gene-centric episode, I love it!

Cons: 

To be honest, I felt a little let down by the whole subplot in this one. Linda's sister Gayle comes to visit, and brings her cats, which makes Bob's allergies act up. Also, Gayle is using Tina's room for massages, and the family thinks she's a sex worker? But then she isn't? Obviously? It felt like the setups didn't have punchlines that actually landed in any sort of significant way. I usually love a visit from Gayle, but this one just maybe didn't go hard enough.

The Mighty Nein: Little Spark (1x05)

Caleb, the epitome of a poor little meow meow. A lot of stuff in this episode hurt my feelings in the best way.

Cons:

So, I did love this episode, but in a weird way I'm coming to the conclusion that this show is suffering from comparison with the stream more than TLOVM did. By that I don't mean it's worse than the other show, but that my preexisting knowledge of stuff is getting in the way of the experience in some moments, in a way I wasn't expecting. The main way I see this function is in how the "reveals" manifest. I complained already about the Essek thing in the show so far, how the big "holy shit" moment of revealing his treachery is blunted by following along with his story. Now, here, something a little different is going on. See, since we started off with SO much information and focus on Trent Ikithon and the Volstruckers, I thought, wow, this is going to be such an intense and interesting reveal when the other members of the group find out that Caleb is a Volstrucker. When the audience finds it out. I felt like I knew how it would go down. That in a combat moment when shit was going wild, some of the bandaging on Caleb's arm would slip, and we'd see it: scars in a telltale pattern, the same as what we see on Owelia, Astrid, and Eadwulf. Everyone will gasp, as the truth washes over them in a singular moment of understanding.