Grey's Anatomy: It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (18x08)

I'm literally such a bad person but I hope they actually kill [redacted] off lol.

Cons:

Okay, let's start with this whole Link/Jo/Amelia/Kai kerfuffle. I feel like I'm going to sprain my eyeballs from rolling them so hard. This entire story is taking characters I like under different circumstances, and putting them into scenarios that just make me hate the time I'm spending with them. What a bummer! Jo's weird attraction to Link came out of nowhere, was sparked just by learning that he once had a crush on her, and seems to have made her into an instantaneously pining mess who feels conflicted about Link's impending confession to Amelia. Oh come on. Jeez. This is so stupid. I just want their friendship to be platonic, I just want these two nice people to be happy! Is that too much to ask?

On the other side of this, the whole "Link walks by just in time to see Amelia and Kai having their first kiss" thing was so goddamn stupid. I actually really like Kai and Amelia's energy together; as I've said, Amelia is a much more tolerable character to me when she's actually happy. Angst makes her insufferable. She seemed happy with Link, then they made a contrived conflict. Okay, fine. Make her happy with Kai, that works for me too. Just get it all over with and move on!

Grey's Anatomy: Today Was a Fairytale (18x07)

...Link and Jo? No.

Cons:

I want Link and Jo to be like Alex and Meredith. In each other's lives, friends forever, no hint of romance whatsoever. I do not want this to go there. It makes me cringe just thinking about it. That end scene was embarrassing to watch. While I find Kai and Amelia cute and promising, I also just think Amelia and Link's whole romantic travail this season is pointless and weird. They were good together. Amelia was fun without all the excessive angst. Just settle her with whoever you're going to settle her with, and stop messing with her. I'm exhausted, y'all.

I continue to be unimpressed with Nick and Meredith as a romance. He's bland as fuck and I don't understand their connection even a little bit.

Doctor Who: The Vanquishers (13x06)

I will say, this episode managed to make me feel the epicness in a way I wasn't expecting!

Cons:

But I will also say... nothing about this season was what I wanted it to be. It's a bummer, but there you have it. In some ways, it almost felt like the whole thing was a big-budget, convoluted, messy, unclear prologue to the kind of story I actually tune in to Doctor Who to watch. At the very end, we get this scene of Dan being invited to join the Doctor and Yaz on the TARDIS, going on fresh adventures. That's the show I wanted to watch. Instead, we'll get a couple of holiday specials with this gang, and then it's goodbye to our current regeneration and onto something new. I can't help but feel a bit disappointed.

I'll talk about the good parts of this chaos in a moment, but must first lodge my repeated complaint that this whole six-episode story has just been too crowded for me. I was happy for Vinder and Bel that they reunited, sure, but we spent quite a lot of time on these two characters, only for them to add very little in the end. We had every Doctor Who villain imaginable make a cameo, with the Sontarans and the Weeping Angels making up the biggest chunk of screen time, but then we also added in all this "end of time" nonsense, these baddies who want revenge on the Doctor for stuff she can't even remember... like I said, messy. Hard to know which pieces to focus on.

Doctor Who: Survivors of the Flux (13x05)

Hey, so I like... forgot to watch this episode while I was watching it. Mostly that's my bad, I could have forced myself to give a damn and pay attention, but I didn't, and the result is that I was spacing out and working on other things the whole time this episode was playing in the background. Should make for a fun review...

Cons:

Not to absolve myself of too much of the guilt, but one of the reasons that it's hard to give a damn is that this whole season has been a lot of setup, a lot of chaos, a lot of moving parts and new concepts, with very little character meat at the center of it all. I have said it every week and I will say it again, it's bonkers to me that Dan and the Doctor haven't gotten to properly speak to each other since he joined the show. Who's idea was it, to introduce a new companion, pair him off with Yaz, and immediately separate the Doctor from her companions? It's bad writing, in my opinion.

So in this episode, the Doctor meets... her mom? And wow, I want to care, I really do, but this whole plot, from the minute we were introduced to the idea that the Doctor was some sort of foundling and thus not necessarily from Gallifrey, has reeked of leftover Moffat-vibes for me. I don't need epic revelations about the Doctor's backstory. Not only do I not need them, I don't want them. I think they make the show actively worse!

Doctor Who: Village of the Angels (13x04)

Oh boy, taking full advantage of the angels being spooky as hell!

Cons:

Bel and Vinder are perfectly lovely characters and all, but I find myself perplexed by their continued presence. See, the way I see it, there are two possible outcomes: either they are random new characters, mostly disconnected from the rest of the story, who will loop in at a key moment and that will be that... or, they're some big twist. They're related to someone, the baby is the Doctor or Yaz's ancestor or some timey wimey thing like that... and I just don't really want it. I want the show to take a breather from twisting up the canon. Maybe I'll be impressed with what they come up with, but as it is, I can't see myself being particularly happy either way.

For all that the Weeping Angels are properly creepy at certain points of this episode, I will say that having them so ubiquitous this season does have the effect of dampening the horror at times. When they talk through Claire inside Claire's mind with the Doctor there to see it, I thought that was kind of a cool idea. But when they speak to Professor Jericho, it just got kind of hokey. A bit how the Daleks are less scary when they start having a full-on conversation with you, you know?

Grey's Anatomy: Everyday Is a Holiday (With You) (18x06)

Oh goodness... Farouk...

Cons:

I literally cannot remember Meredith's boyfriend's name. Hold on, let me Google it. Okay. I'm back. Nick. Nick is boring. Nick has nothing to do. Nick is bland and unoriginal and I'm sorry, but why have we killed off Andrew DeLuca and then pivoted away from Cormac Hayes, only to land her with some dude I don't know anything about or give a shit about? Yeesh. They really tried to make this episode click, give this guy more screen time, and they still couldn't make me root for the relationship even a little bit. I'm borrrrred.

I'm also just rolling my eyes at Link and Amelia... I should be happy that they hooked up, since I didn't want them to break up in the first place, but I just know this is going to lead to more drama and angst and I'm already so annoyed about having to experience it! If they're not going to be a thing, then just let it go and move the heck on. I'm bummed about it, I don't want to prolong the stupidity. They should have just stayed together.

I miss Maggie. I hope she's back soon!

Doctor Who: Once, Upon Time (13x03)

This episode was... enormously frustrating to me.

Cons:

Once again! I reiterate! This is a short mini-series and it's our last chance to hang out with Jodie Whittaker, and they keep separating all the main characters! Dan and the Doctor have still had zero bonding time. Conceptually I understand there's something kind of cool about this whole splintering time thing, all the mysterious and various strands tying together, but the core of this show, in my opinion, should be the Doctor's individual relationships with the people she travels with, and we've gotten so very little of that, here!

You've got this new star-crossed lovers element with Vinder and the girl he's trying to get back to, and while I honestly think it sounds like a pretty interesting story, I can't help but be frustrated by how disjointed it feels, how completely unnecessary to the core of the story. What even is the core of this story, come to think of it? The flux, I guess, and time going all wonky. But also we've got each companion and their individual concerns, and the Doctor missing a piece of her past... I don't know. It all feels like it's trying to do a bit too much.

Grey's Anatomy: Bottle Up and Explode! (18x05)

Koracick my love!

Cons:

I will continually register my complaints that the powers that be are trying to con me into watching Station 19. Not gonna happen. They could at least do a "previously on" to let me know about any characters who I care about on Grey's, so I can bridge the gap... so like, I'm sure the death of Dean Miller is a real tragedy. I do love Okieriete Onaodowan (Hercules Mulligan!), so if I watched this whole other show, maybe I'd be all caught up in the emotion and the drama. But I don't know this dude! I can't borrow emotional resonance from something I know nothing about.

I liked a lot of the stuff with Meredith in this episode, but I still find her romance very... boring? I want something stable and simple and comfortable for Meredith, I really do, but I thought Hayes could have been that for her. There's still the tension and drama of blending families with kids, both of them having lost their spouse, etc. etc. But instead we get this random pivot to someone else, who has very little in the way of personality. I just don't really feel connected to that story-line as of yet.

Doctor Who: War of the Sontarans (13x02)

Well, there's certainly a lot going on, I'll give them that!!

Cons:

I think I'm noting a fatal flaw with the whole concept of this big time war/flux story, and that's that it's trying for such a large scope we're losing out on the personal connection piece of Doctor Who. Take our new companion, Dan, for instance. I really like this guy! I do! But in the first episode we established him, and got him connected to Yaz and the Doctor. In the second episode, the three are immediately separated again, and each spend the episode on their own branches of the adventure. The Doctor and Dan have hardly said more than two words to each other. So when the Doctor asks Dan if he'd like to come along at the end of the episode, the moment is still sweet, I guess, but it lacks the weight that it would have had, if the Doctor and Dan had had a chance to bond a bit more. Instead, everyone's off doing their own thing, and there's no particular cohesion between the Doctor and her companions. That's the thing I love most about the show when it's done well, and it's been pretty sparse this season so far.

I was also getting Loki vibes from the whole time planet thing, and not in a good way. Apparently there's like... a time council and time is breaking down or whatever. It just feels very unnecessarily high-concept sci-fi in a way I don't appreciate. The episode is so crowded with all these different characters and bad guys and historical figures, etc. that none of it had proper time to breathe, in my opinion.

Doctor Who: The Halloween Apocalypse (13x01)

We're back! Knowing that this is going to be our last glimpse with the thirteenth doctor is making me feel an extra degree of fondness for her. The past seasons might not have been as strong as the Russel T. Davies era, but I enjoy the characters quite a bit. Let's dive in!

Cons:

I'm not sure how to feel about this whole "flux" idea in and of itself, that these six episodes are going to be one continuous story. Doctor Who is at its best when it's episodic. And while I liked a lot of stuff being set up here, it had the problem of perhaps being overloaded. I wanted something perhaps gentler, more contained, to introduce our new companion. That may be just a personal preference thing, though. But really, we've got meeting Dan, we've got the bad guy aliens, we've got the guy on the research ship, we've got the dog people, the weeping angels... so many different elements to introduce in a short period of time.

I'm kind of luke-warm on the idea of the "flux" right now too, in terms of the actual event... apparently it's some big energy hurricane that's going to rip through the universe. That's just... kind of generic sci-fi in a way that I don't find particularly appealing. It's not a very grounded, personal conflict for the Doctor to struggle against, and I think grounded and personal is the way to go, when at all possible.

Grey's Anatomy: With a Little Help From My Friends (18x04)

This episode felt a bit like treading water to me.

Cons:

So... is Megan like... sticking around? I find it odd that she and Owen have spent so little time together, and that we're adding this contrived thing where Farouk is sick. Give the poor kid a break, after everything else he's been through! Maybe they're setting up a Hayes/Megan thing since apparently Riggs and Megan broke up offscreen, and they're pairing Meredith with this new boring Minnesota guy? I don't know. I'm not saying I'm completely uninterested in all that, but I will admit I'm kind of confused how it fits in with everything else.

In this episode, we get Amelia explaining herself to Addison, the reason why she and Link aren't together anymore. "I hated the life that he loved." Basically, she was overwhelmed and miserable and close to relapse during the pandemic, while Link was handling it better and falling in love with domesticity. I guess I can understand this, and it does feel a bit more grounded than a lot of the earlier stuff with this dumb drama. But it still just feels super contrived. This show needs to learn how to make established couples interesting. Breaking them up at all felt like such a cheap and unnecessary move, and so all the time we're devoting to it just makes me frustrated anew every time. We don't have much time to spend with Addison, and she spends it helping Amelia with her relationship drama? What about Jo, having a new mentor? What about Meredith and the kids? So many more interesting things could have been happening here.

Grey's Anatomy: Hotter Than Hell (18x03)

Well... awww. That was kind of adorable.

Cons:

There was a moment when Link and Teddy were together and Link was lamenting all this bullshit with Amelia, and Teddy was like "trust me, I've been there" and like... bitch, what?!?! Sorry, but Teddy cheated on Owen, meanwhile Link has done nothing wrong and also Amelia was the one who was manipulative and difficult in their relationship. Not to be an Atticus Lincoln stan or anything, but Teddy, these two things are not the same. Jeez.

I found Hayes' subplot about his kid not talking to him... well, it's not that it's a problem in and of itself, but I found it to be a little one dimensional. See, there's a sixteen year old girl who ran off to meet an internet friend and got injured, and she refuses to call her parents. The guy she's with says she really hates them. Now, I know teenage angst is a thing, but if you're that seriously injured and in that much pain, surely you'd still want your parents with you. Unless, of course, your parents are seriously bad news: neglectful or abusive or in some way otherwise unsuited to parent you. The whole time this subplot was going on, I expected there to be a reveal/twist that the patient had good reason for wanting to avoid her parents, and that Hayes was allowing his own situation to cloud his judgment. But... nope! I don't know, maybe I'm being overly sensitive to this, but I feel as if this whole idea lacked nuance.

The Walking Dead: For Blood (11x08)

Well, for a midseason finale I'm a little bummed we didn't spend any time with the most interesting characters or plot threads... let's dive in.

Cons:

So like. I'm not invested in Daryl and Leah. So when Leah does her whole double-cross thing and I think we're all supposed to be like oh no, poor Daryl, I'm just like... yeah, dude, you have a family and it's not her and it never has been. We saw them sharing a life together in one episode forever ago, and it wasn't exactly a convincing portrayal of love ever after. I also thought Daryl was kind of a dumb dumb about this whole situation, like, did he really think after seeing all the fanaticism that Leah was going to just come with him? He should have run without waiting for her to cross him.

I'll also just say as a more general note that nothing is new under the sun, so even elements of the story that feel perfectly adequate, where I can't point to it and say "this is stupid and here's why", still aren't grabbing my attention in a meaningful way. Like in Alexandria, I wanted Virgil and Judith to talk more about Michonne: that's interesting, that's character-driven drama and intrigue. But instead the bulk of the story there is dealing with inclement weather and a Walker breach, so we've got all the cute kids in peril and Carol, Rosita, etc. running around trying to save the community from crumbling entirely. I get that the stakes need to be high, but sometimes the stakes are boring because we've seen them over and over again.

Grey's Anatomy: Some Kind of Tomorrow (18x02)

Okay, stuff is happening, let's dive in!

Cons:

I'm not sure I like the wishy-washy decision that we reach in the Meredith plot. So she's going to accept the huge cool new opportunity, and she doesn't have to move away from Seattle? Okay... seems kind of weird to artificially inject that drama, doesn't it? I also just find her love interest dude to be pretty bland. Not bad by any means, but also not particularly interesting.

Owen and Teddy are not compelling to me as a couple, sorry! I feel the need to keep repeating that.

The Walking Dead: Promises Broken (11x07)

This felt like a "arranging things on the chessboard" episode in that a lot happened but a lot of it felt like a ramp-up to something more down the line. That's not necessarily a bad thing, although I do have my complaints...

Cons:

At this point the whole Pope thing, with Daryl and Leah and whatnot, is just... not working for me. I like Daryl, I like seeing how he's going to be able to make it out his various scrapes, but I'm... bored and annoyed and I feel like there's nothing new to explore with this concept.

The scene where Eugene punches a guy for being rude felt so overprescribed, like, it was obvious from minute one that this performatively douchey dude was going to wind up being the son of someone important and it would mess with their chances. I had (and still have) such high hopes for this weirdly sheltered community and where the story might go from here, but that moment was such a cliché that I couldn't really get behind it.

Grey's Anatomy: Here Comes the Sun (18x01)

We're back!

Cons:

Hey, I still don't care about Teddy and Owen! The big cheesy wedding in the bar at the end does nothing for me at all, I feel nothing, I am dead inside!!! I think it's just that they've both been fundamentally so shitty to other characters, and that Teddy had an actually somewhat interesting vibe with Tom, and that a lot of the characters who have sustained me in these later seasons of the show are gone now... it's all just a little draining. It was nice to see Megan, but her and Riggs broke up? Oh come on! What's the point of that! If they're not on the show anymore, just let them stay together! They had a death defying love, for god's sake!

The guy that Meredith has dinner with is apparently someone who's been on the show before, but if you gave me a million dollars I wouldn't be able to tell you anything about him or his impact on her or the show. It's been four seasons and several other potential Meredith love interests since then. Why bring this guy back? I like the whole Cormac Hayes romance. I like the information we got here, that they'd tried to date but that Cormac's son had had a hard time with it. That's an interesting story right there. Why bring in this rando? I get this is a soap opera, but Meredith has mellowed out over the years. Give her a fundamentally peaceful, if still complex because they're both single parents with dead spouses, romance! It's sitting right there, for goodness' sake.

The Walking Dead: On the Inside (11x06)

That was legitimately quite spooky, I've got to admit!

Cons:

The problem with this show and all of its same-y storylines is that... well, I don't care enough to pay attention, and thus I have to look up characters. I didn't realize who Virgil was until halfway through the episode, because this show's ensemble cast is just too dang big! I like Virgil, I liked him and Connie and their scenes, but I wish they'd do a damn "previously on" or whatever so I could remember this stuff.

I continue to be unimpressed with the whole "Reapers" story-line. I like seeing Daryl handle it and come up with creative ideas to help his friends, but beyond that, I find "Pope" to be an obnoxious addition to our long list of villains, and all the macho posturing and hostility from the one random guy that hates Daryl... I just don't feel any interest in this whatsoever.

The Walking Dead: Out of the Ashes (11x05)

I wouldn't say this episode was some fantastic gem that made me invested again, but it did feel a little more attention-keeping than some of the others.

Cons:

While there were good things about seeing Alexandria and the kids, and seeing the impact this way of life has on people, I did think some of the Judith stuff was a little cheesy. Rosita telling Judith that everyone she loves is still with her in her heart or whatever... give me a break.

I'm a broken record on this, but Negan and Maggie just aren't keeping my attention this season. I'm not invested in this conflict, because it's not nuanced or interesting. Either Maggie kills him or she doesn't, and I don't care enough about Maggie as a character, or Negan and his redemption arc, to feel invested in this. When some of Maggie's people showed up at the rendezvous, it was clearly supposed to be a big moment of relief, but I don't know or care about any of those characters, so...

Brooklyn Nine-Nine: The Last Day (8x09/10)

I wish I felt more, I honestly felt kind of disconnected from this finale, just like I did the whole season! It wasn't bad, but it didn't really spark joy.

Cons:

This season tried to clumsily address issues of police brutality, only for the finale to have no mention of it. I'm not trying to be a party pooper here but if this season is meant to talk about the desperate need for reform, and then the finale is... well, Amy and Holt got those promotions, Terry gets a promotion, Jake's going to be a stay-at-home dad, the end? The show's status quo hasn't really shifted here at the end. It's a little bit more of the same.

It's hard to articulate, but the comedy just didn't really hit for me in a lot of the heist scenes because it was actually too convoluted to follow. Whenever we saw somebody win out over someone else, turns out there were still three or four layers of betrayal until we uncovered who actually had the lead all along. I know it's meant to be more comedy than an actual mystery to solve, but if it's this convoluted, it's not even clever anymore, it's just a lot of chaos being thrown at the screen until the episode ends.

The Walking Dead: Rendition (11x04)

Guess who gives a shit about Leah? Well, I don't know. But it's not me.

Cons:

So, the Reapers are a creepy group of religious extremists who speak in flowery, over the top language and are creatively violent with strangers? Wow, how original. I just can't give a shit about the various cults we've been introduced to over the years. The Governor, Negan, Alpha... where does it end? I can't bring myself to be invested in "Pope" and his creepy speechifying. It all just blurs together in my head.

Even when he burns one of his men, I'm just like... okay? I didn't know that guy. Do I care? It shows that he's insane, but was I really supposed to be surprised by that revelation? If anything it just makes me more bored and annoyed by Leah.

The Walking Dead: Hunted (11x03)

This episode was so much time with characters I don't care about, doing stuff that bores me because we've seen it a thousand times.

Cons:

You mean to tell me that Maggie and her gang are in danger from a group of dangerous and insane humans who want to hurt them in creative ways for some unknown reason? Wow, what a novelty! There was a death scene in this episode where I literally didn't know who the person was or what his relationship to Maggie had been. Maggie shows up and has this off-screen closeness with all these people, but we the audience don't know them, so it doesn't work to elicit any sort of emotional response!

Same with when Maggie is watching a girl get torn apart in front of her. Who was that? I don't know and I don't care. Even when she's chatting with a dude from Alexandria who used to be with Negan, I don't remember this guy or if he has a preexisting relationship with Maggie or why I should care. They leave him behind and it's supposed to be this poignant moment, but I don't give a shit! I should say that this is in large part my fault, because I could pay better attention or look this stuff up, but honestly the show hasn't made me care enough for that to seem compelling. So who are you really going to blame?

Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Renewal (8x08)

Okay I'm trying to be chill about this but I honestly think this show's treatment of police corruption is SO messy and convoluted!

Cons:

This episode features two characters grappling with their relationship to their work. Holt, who is going to retire to please his husband, but who in the end just takes a new role, because his job is important to him and Kevin respects that. And then Amy, who gets a big promotion to chief, and wonders how she's going to balance work and family.

Okay, so, this is fine, right? Except... the careers they're both talking about are careers as cops, and there's a lot of baggage in turning that into a big part of your identity. Do we praise the show for showing that Amy and Holt are both dedicated to reform, and that's why they're currently passionate about their careers? Because that hasn't exactly been a consistent factor, and we need to be honest about that.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Game of Boyles (8x07)

That was a solid installment, I will say. Probably because it stayed away from the precinct and police work and didn't make me think about all the messy ways this season has tried to grapple with serious issues.

Cons:

The fact that Jake is on suspension barely seems to register in this episode. He has a moment where he's too caught up in Charles' family drama because he misses being on the job, but other than that brief mention, this episode doesn't feel any different than any other. I want consequences to matter on this show.

I really don't understand including this late game... twist? I guess? That Charles is the product of an affair and thus not a "real" Boyle? It's the kind of thing that a better show would contemplate as an actual psychological factor in Charles' life, but here it's introduced and doesn't matter by the end of the episode. Just kind of clunky.

The Walking Dead: Acheron: Part II (11x02)

Hey so I'm sorry but I don't care about Maggie.

Cons:

This episode, much like the last one, had large stretches where Maggie, Negan, Daryl et. al. are just wandering around dealing with Walkers in the dark and there are zombie noises and it's hard to see and I just... zone out, waiting to see who, if anyone, gets hurt or dies. And in this episode, there are characters who lose their lives whose names I literally never bothered to learn. Like the guy who says "tell my kids I didn't die a coward" - who was that? I don't know and I also do not care!

I also feel like the stakes are a little hard to grasp when we haven't checked back in with Alexandria in these first two episodes. I want to be reminded of the home base they're all fighting for, so I understand what the risk and what the reward is. That's a small thing, but it's there.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine: The Set Up (8x06)

Repeating myself here, but it is a tough pill to swallow, watching this show try and muddle its way through these serious topics.

Cons:

I think one of the things that's started to rub me the wrong way more and more is how... gleeful Jake is about his job. He's excited about a bomb on a bus because it's like a movie. His whole childish delight in the potential for disaster is supposed to be an immaturity thing, and I get that, but it's also kind of gross. Because they're trying to show the corruption in the system, the fact that Jake is so eager for a "cool" case that he ends up arresting an innocent man is... well, I know the episode paints it as a problem, but for me it was hard to root for Jake at all in this episode, and I do think that's an issue.

Pros:

That said, this is probably the strongest episode of the season thus far, at least in terms of addressing corruption in a real way and also being funny. O'Sullivan is cartoonishly evil in his desires, so the moment when he's offering Jake help really shines a light on how anyone can get pulled into the corruption. I like hating this character; the delivery was excellent, I loved the repeated blackmail attempts that didn't work.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine: PB&J (8x05)

Okay... is anyone else just over it all?

Cons:

Somehow the whole Doug and Jake friendship thing is rubbing me the wrong way when you have a black criminal and a white cop and they're such good buddies but like... Jake is still taking him to prison for five years, and then he has to stop him from escaping... does anyone else get like, weird vibes from it? It's not that I hate Doug, but I kind of hate the whole cat and mouse thing when it's a comedy parody of a black man with a family desperately, frantically, trying not to get locked away for five years. I don't know.

Then there's the whole "Jake might lose his job" thing. Are they trying to set this up like that's the outcome at the end of the season? Jake and Amy and the others all quitting their jobs because being a police officer is bad? I just wish this sitcom wasn't trying to take on the whole weight of police corruption in hits final ten episode season. I want to say it's... admirable that they're addressing it? But honestly it's messy as fuck to try and do this, and I'm not convinced it's working. There's no nuance being added to the conversation, here. Do I think Doug should go to prison? Well, no, but then I'm a fan of abolishing prisons altogether for nonviolent crimes. But should he escape and just be a fugitive? Seems like an unsustainable system, to me. But in setting up these two options as a dichotomy we ignore the fact that Doug is a nice person but undeniably a thief who keeps going back to his life of crime, despite saying he's left the life. They've circled the drain with this character so many times that I don't even know what I'm supposed to think anymore.

The Walking Dead: Acheron: Part I (11x01)

Man, the degree to which I Do Not Care is kind of bumming me out. I'm trying to be excited to see what this final season of the show will bring, but I keep thinking about how this sucker is going to stretch over two years of airing and I'm already tired! Let's take a look.

Cons:

Maggie's plot thread is the one where I found myself not caring the hardest. Basically, she and Daryl and Negan and some other randos are on a mission to find food, because Alexandria is low on supplies. They have to go through a creepy tunnel full of dead bodies-slash-Walkers that keep waking up to accost them as they approach. They're silent because their throats have been slit, so that's adding a creepiness factor to the proceedings, for sure.

A lot of this plot is just silent shots of people walking, killing Walkers, being scared, the screen is so dark I can barely see what the heck is going on... I don't care... then we get a spike of interest with Negan confronting Maggie, and then that stupid cliffhanger where it looks like Negan leaves Maggie behind to die.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Balancing (8x04)

This one was just kind of "blah"' to me.

Cons:

The main conflict here is about Jake and Amy juggling between work and childcare. Things get chaotic when an outbreak of lice shuts down daycare and forces them to have Mac with them. Amy is working on a big presentation that could lead to important police reform. Jake is working on a long-running murder case with a murderer who provides fun clues and riddles that Jake loves to solve. I guess I really just noticed the triviality of it all? Especially Jake, upset that he was missing out on the "fun" murder case. Like. People are dead, though? And Amy's reform presentation was unsurprisingly vague, it was just clear that she was a good guy fighting the good fight, while her opposition was one of those bad racial profiling proponents. It all felt a little too neat to me.

The entire concept fell a little flat, too. The struggle was Jake and Amy each having to potentially give up important work moments for the sake of raising their son... but at no point did they go to the obvious solutions. When Charles is standing right there, basically it's like... Jake could take lead on the case or Charles could. Why didn't Charles offer/why didn't Jake ask, for Charles to watch the baby while Jake went? And Amy has Terry following her around as a cheerleader while she's preparing for a presentation. That she's giving alone. Terry seemed to have nothing else to do - why didn't he watch the baby? Meanwhile, Holt and Rosa's subplot is happening in the background - they certainly didn't seem busy! Why not ask one of them? The whole thing just fell apart for me.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Blue Flu (8x03)

I'm not sure how to fully articulate the level of distaste I felt at watching this episode. I don't envy the writers the task they have, at trying to keep a liberal show going under the guise of all the main characters being cops, but... this ain't it, that's all I can say.

Cons:

So, the premise of this episode is that a bunch of police officers pretend to be sick in protest for a police officer being "attacked" when he found a mouse in his burrito. They're obviously faking, so it becomes the task of the Nine-Nine to prove that it's a hoax and end the "Blue Flu" so the cops will get back to work.

Um... okay. So. Collective action is one of the most important tools our workforce has to combat unfair working conditions, right? In this story, the cops were striking for a bad reason, pretending to be victims and basically punishing the populace for all the anti-cop sentiment that has been rising up over the last couple of years. But in concept, unions are... good? And the collective power of a strike is... good? I just found it really weird that this story was: "let's stop people from striking." It felt messy to me, when in reality, if we really, really want to be honest about the police: each individual police officer isn't a "bad person", whatever that means. Pretending they're all evil and want to hurt you isn't going to do any political good. If all the "good ones" or whatever could use their collective bargaining power to demand real systemic change... that's a good thing? We should want systems in place allowing them to do that?

Brooklyn Nine-Nine: The Lake House (8x02)

Well... why did we resolve the Kevin/Holt thing so quickly? That was kind of weird!

Cons:

Maybe I just like angst too much, but I would have liked to explore Holt and Kevin's relationship issues a bit more before just saying they're going to try and get back together. Maybe we'll get to learn more about how they're doing in couples counseling? But in that case, why not just frame it that way from the beginning, instead of saying they've separated, which makes it seem way more serious? I don't know. I just thought it was all kind of abrupt.

Maybe because this was a vacation episode where the gang is away from the precinct, but I found myself missing Gina's energy. I hope she makes at least an appearance or two in this final season.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine: The Good Ones (8x01)

And we're back. This is going to be interesting, writing about this show for one final season, given... well, given 2020. Also given the knowledge that this is likely the last time I'll ever watch a procedural cop show. Not that I was ever big into them before, but... yeah, I mean, it's propaganda, it's always been propaganda, and I can't exactly see past it anymore. Anyway. Enough of that soap box, let's take a look!

Cons:

So, part of me just doesn't know who this is for??? Like, this first episode is about police brutality and Jake is painted in mostly sympathetic yet problematic light, where he's going around agreeing with ACAB actually but then in the same breath saying "not all cops! Not me!" So if this is for liberal fans of the show, it's like... do we need to see cops frowning about how hard this has been on them? No. And if it's for conservatives to try and humanize the cops and then show that there are real problems, then... well, there aren't conservatives watching this fucking show in that way, are there? I don't know. It feels messy. This is why most cop shows that touch on corruption within the cops makes the main characters the "good guys" working within the system. This is what this show has done up to now, and I can sort of appreciate them trying something a little more complex, but I also feel like I'm tangling myself up in circles trying to decide what the heck point they're trying to make.

Then again, I have to acknowledge that I don't know what the show could have done as an alternative? I suppose part of me wanted them to quit en masse and started a PI company together, like Rosa did, but that also would have felt like pandering, so... there's basically no scenario that would have pleased me and a lot of other people too, I bet.

The Handmaid's Tale: The Wilderness (4x10)

Oh boy. I don't even know what else to say. Just. Lots of stuff happening here.

Cons:

So, obviously I'm going to talk about the Fred situation, but I actually want to start by saying there was a logistical weirdness with the end of the episode that kind of troubled me. For one thing, and this is just a script decision I don't understand, why does the mailman open the mail and see the severed finger and wedding ring? Why not have Serena opening it so we get the full impact of the horror? That just felt odd to me.

And then... the ending. June comes back to say goodbye to Nichole, and says she's leaving in five minutes. My initial read on this was that she was going to go and face the consequences/get locked up for what she did to Fred. But then I realized that made no sense, and maybe she's instead going back to Gilead to get Hannah? See, the problem here is that a) I'm bored of Gilead and want to keep the story in Canada. And b) June's connections with Lawrence and Nick seem to be able to get her a lot of things... it feels like it would be a relatively simple matter to snatch Hannah and run at this point, wouldn't it? The narrative stakes feel uneven, after what we saw June was capable of orchestrating in this installment.

The Handmaid's Tale: Progress (4x09)

Wellllll.... shit.

Cons:

I've got to say, I'm just not thrilled with watching Janine have to play the part and get sucked back into the whole Gilead lifestyle thing. Poor Esther got caught up in it as well. This doesn't bode well for my continued enjoyment of the show, but I really must say that my attention starts to wander every time we're back in Gilead. I want all that juicy Canadian drama, please and thanks.

The scene where Luke says that June should go and meet Nick was... really weird? It was framed almost sinister, like Luke was blackmailing June into doing something she didn't want to do. And June was clearly very shaken by the thought of seeing Nick again, I get that, but it did feel weird that she wouldn't have brought it up herself.

Pros:

I was so mad when the episode ended and I learned that Fred Waterford was going to go free, in exchange for information on Gilead. So mad that my blood boiled. In other words, it was very effectively done. I like that we see Fred's growing frustrations as he realizes his fellow Commanders in Gilead have forsaken him. Then we just get the news dropped very casually, and Moira and Luke react with anger while June is seemingly pissed but mostly calm. Then she snaps, screaming about how Fred is a rapist. It was the perfect buildup and execution, and the idea of Fred walking around, free... it's chilling to contemplate. What's going to happen?

Grey's Anatomy: Someone Saved My Life Tonight (17x17)

I found so many, many, many things about this episode incredibly frustrating! And I'm frustrated by my own frustration, because I just wanted to have a good time and be done with it.

Cons:

Where to start? I think one of my issues with this episode was the time wasting that happened from last week's installment. Why did we have that whole little tiff between Maggie and Winston about when to get married, if they were going to arrange a quick wedding, then call it off literally during the ceremony, then just have a bigger ceremony later on? What was the point of that whole little run-around?

And even more annoying because the stakes are so much higher... why have Jo denied custody of Luna, then go through all of the drama of having Link foster Luna, and then just show that Jo won and got custody... all happening offscreen so we didn't get to see any of that juicy drama play out? Why not stretch this journey out over the past couple of episodes, and instead of showing Jo getting denied, show that there are difficulties in front of her, and that she needs to fight, then have it be framed through that lens of fighting for what she wants? The Link fostering Luna thing was so absurd and then we didn't even really see that play out at all. Link, a man who wants more children, didn't get too caught up in the fact that he's the legal guardian of a baby? Okay then...

The Handmaid's Tale: Testimony (4x08)

Well, there's certainly a lot to talk about, isn't there?

Cons:

Now that we've got June out of Gilead, I find myself fundamentally much less interested in anything still going on there. Yes, I find Commander Lawrence and Aunt Lydia both to be fascinating characters in their own right, but it's just the same ol' same ol' circling the drain with these two. I'm happy Janine is alive, but, again, what is going to be different about this from every other time a Handmaid has escaped and been apprehended, brought back into the fold? We've got the opportunity for so many fresh stories over in Canada, that the Gilead stuff just isn't as urgent for me as it should be.

Pros:

But honestly, that subplot took up so little time, and the rest of the episode kicked ass. Let's start with the Waterfords.

The moment when Fred speaks out at the hearing was so intriguing to me, because at first I was like "wow, what a dumbass" but then seeing those protesters cheering on the Waterfords at the end? Truly a chilling experience. Here I was thinking that Fred was behaving rashly, but he actually has a lot more political and social savvy than people give him credit for. I don't know that he really believes any of the religious stuff, but he's certainly using it to his advantage in this situation. It was literally hard to watch the people screaming and cheering and holding up signs praising Serena and Fred. It made me sick to my stomach! I would hope that counter-protesters would also be there on June's behalf, but we didn't get to see that this time around.

Grey's Anatomy: I'm Still Standing (17x16)

Going to rapid-fire this review!

Cons:

I don't want more Amelia and Link drama! I hope the kid thing is resolved quickly and without too much angst. Maybe the compromise is Amelia and Link continuing to be involved with Meredith's kids, so Link can be a father-like presence in the lives of a whole gaggle of children. The thing is, I've so enjoyed this lighter, more fun story for Amelia, during her relationship with Link. They bring out this really lovely, happy side in one another and I don't want to abandon that for more angst.

I hesitate to say what I'm about to say because I think people are going to yell at me!!! I've been so wobbly on Nico and Levi because I think Levi is a really fun character, and we just haven't spent as much time with Nico, and he was honestly pretty horrible to Levi, and narratively, yes, he's made amends and I'm not like... mad at the thought of them being together or whatever, but I have to admit a potentially sacrilegious truth that is becoming harder and harder to deny! The actors just don't have that much chemistry with one another! Don't get me wrong, they're perfectly fine and their scenes do the job and aren't like... painful to watch or anything, but I don't have the warm fuzzies about them the way I should when a relationship reaches a milestone like this. So that whole scene with Nico and the candles and the "I think about you all day" should have been a really squee-worthy moment and instead I kind of vaguely thought... "oh, I guess that's nice."

The Handmaid's Tale: Home (4x07)

Dang, that was an intense episode.

Cons:

I think the one portion of the episode that felt too on-the-nose for me was the grocery store moments where June is being triggered by things that remind her of Gilead. The concept is sound, but I think we could have gotten the idea just from June's behavior, instead of the actual flashes of memory from Gilead. A little too blunt, maybe. This is a nitpick!

Also, Moira's girlfriend apparently isn't out of the picture? I'm happy about this, but also we haven't gotten a real chance to get to know this character, and her status as she relates to Moira keeps shifting so I'm just not sure what to make of her yet.

Pros:

This episode doesn't make you wait for anything! June reunites with everyone we want her to reunite with. She gets to see Moira, Luke, and baby Nichole, obviously. And then also Emily, and her son, and Rita. And then in the very same episode, we also get that long-awaited first confrontation with Serena. I appreciated that this episode was full, because there was definitely some slowness in the earlier parts of the season, and now I feel like we're getting the show on the road.

Grey's Anatomy: Tradition (17x15)

Sometimes Grey's Anatomy has something really true and good to say, but they say it in a hokey sort of way. This episode had a lot going on that kinda... jumped the shark in terms of the cheese factor for me. Let's dive in.

Cons:

First of all, Jackson's last episode was kind of a letdown. It was only in seeing it that I realized how disconnected he felt from most of the remaining leads on the show. He had a personal goodbye with Jo, which I liked, and was probably the moment I felt the most connected to Jackson leaving. But when he was talking to Meredith, it occurred to me that these two haven't had any intersecting story-lines that really mattered in years. They kept showing flashbacks to Jackson in his earlier days on the show, surrounded by people who are all no longer there. He doesn't feel woven in with any of the core cast. Then, he drives away at the end, his last conversation as a regular cast member happening with Koracick of all people? I don't know. It just felt like an anticlimax to me.

And speaking of Koracick, was this his exit from the show as well? He's moving to Boston? What a bummer. I've genuinely enjoyed his character so much, and I feel like there was so much left to explore with him. Putting him in a room with any other character really enlivened a conversation. He brought such different energy from any of the other characters. What an unceremonious end, if so. If not, I hope he's a character that pops back in here and there, maybe updates us on Jackson, April, and Harriet. That could be a nice compromise.

The Handmaid's Tale: Vows (4x06)

Huh, I don't know, honestly! This was probably my least favorite episode of the season, which was a bummer because I was looking forward to it so much!

Cons:

So, first of all, the writing seemed a little bit... hokey in the flashback scenes with Luke? It was all too on the nose, and didn't ultimately tell us anything new about Luke and June's relationship, other than the fact that June was insecure about giving him a baby. I get why they did this, and how it parallels that heartbreaking scene at the end, but... something about the actual scenes themselves didn't click with me.

As I'll talk about in a minute, I'm absolutely thrilled that June is out, in Canada. It's the status quo change we desperately need at this point in the story. But this episode itself felt like a lot of stalling. June's not going to leave. Then she's leaving. Then she's willing to be turned in. Then she gets through. Then she's going to escape and go back. Then she's not. I'm not sure anything in this episode was really revelatory enough to justify the buildup. That scene with Luke in the end was "the point" of this episode, and it was a great scene. But there was just a lot of chaff to get through, before we got to that wheat.

The Handmaid's Tale: Chicago (4x05)

Oh, for fuck's sake. If Janine's dead, I'm gonna rage quit watching this show. I mean, not really, but come on. She'd better be okay. 

Cons:

This is a small thing but I thought I'd mention it: they've spent a lot of time in Canada this season, and yet didn't bother to set up why Moira would be in Chicago there at the end - I guess we'll find out later? That just seemed like an odd decision structure-wise.

I wish we understood why Janine changed her mind there at the end. See, this is part of why I'm really worried Janine is dead, because it seems like just the sort of thing this show would do. Make Janine come with June, just to die immediately so that June can feel super guilty for bringing her along. I think she's got the market cornered on survivor's guilt at this point. And it was really sweet when Janine showed up to go with her after all, but I don't get what changed her mind. Janine is her own person with her own motivations, and it would have made sense for her to stay somewhere she felt more or less secure. She made that choice, there was a sweet goodbye, and then an immediate reversal on her decision? I wanted a bit more to flesh that out.

Grey's Anatomy: Look Up Child (17x14)

Well... goodbye, Jackson Avery.

Cons:

Obviously I'm still deep in my feelings about Alex Karev's departure, so I'll probably end up comparing the two a lot... I will say that Jackson is getting a better treatment because of actor availability, and on a personal note I've always shipped Jackson and April, so I'm happy with this sort of open-ended thing of maybe they'll get back together. BUT, at the same time, we have to acknowledge how lazy and repetitive this is, right? Jackson is moving away to do what's best for him personally, and we're given this indication that maybe he can get back together with his ex. Reminds me of Arizona leaving to go be closer to her daughter, and us finding out in an off-hand aside that Callie and Penny had broken up (thus negating the whole reason why Callie had even moved away in the first place). Lazy writing.

We should also talk about Catherine. I've never liked her, as anyone who reads these reviews will know, but is she just... okay with Jackson taking over the foundation? Is there a... larger conversation to be had here? Is he ousting her from her job, or is she just nodding and accepting retirement with grace? As much as I've always felt frustrated by her character, this particular move felt out of character to the point where I feel like I need to point it out. Maybe we'll see her pushing back in the episodes to come? It looks like Jackson isn't quite gone yet...

The Handmaid's Tale: Milk (4x04)

Intense as always!

Cons:

I don't really get why Rita told Fred about Serena's pregnancy. She could have just ghosted them. It felt odd that she'd go to him and, arguably, help him in this roundabout way, all for the sake of getting herself out of the situation. Rita is a character who we haven't gotten to see much of, and I'm excited about the opportunity to explore her more. But while the conversation with Serena was fascinating and horrifying in equal measure, her motivations in going to Fred seemed obscure to me.

Just as like... a general note? This is an extremely white show, and I think it's telling that when they engage with race at all, it's done in this very side-eyeing kind of way. Like... Rita was a slave, owned by white people. And yeah, I get that there are Marthas and Handmaids of every race or whatever, but there's still a choice being made there and the show isn't really stepping up to say anything about that decision they've made. There's also the fact that we meet a new character of color in this episode and then he immediately turns around and demands sex as payment from June or Janine. What kind of message are we painting here? In a show where bad things happen to everyone and most people have committed evil acts, I'm not saying that having characters of color in those positions is automatically a problem. But when you've got a predominantly white cast and a white protagonist... I don't know. It's definitely been a problem this show has carried with it from day one, and I just wanted to name that here.

The Handmaid's Tale: The Crossing (4x03)

Too much? Yeah, maybe a tad.

Cons:

Like. We've got Handmaids dying via train. We've got Marthas pushed off buildings. We've got extreme physical and psychological torture. The thing that's brilliant about The Handmaid's Tale is how the society is structured like... a society, where people live "normal" "lives" and by that I mean they are terrified all the time, but they've also grown into routines. But by this point in the show, it seems like Gilead will do literally anything, including shooting a bunch of Handmaids as they try to flee, despite just saying that keeping them alive was the top priority. It's all over the top to the point where I think it shoots the moon, just a little. I'm horrified, yes, and I know I'm meant to be... but I'm also just drained past the point of coherent appreciation for what the show is trying to do.

The Handmaid's Tale: Nightshade (4x02)

Well dang!

Cons:

I honestly can't think of anything, other than maybe a slight lack of subtlety, which I mentioned in the last review as well. This show can get away with being in your face, but every once in a while it tips itself over the line juuuust slightly. The example I'm thinking of this week is the one where June is poisoning everybody in the brothel while music plays. Her maniacal expression as she becomes a crime boss lady... I don't know. Laying it on a little thick. Gilead makes it hard to be good. We get it.

Also just... logistically, I wish the ending of this one had been a little clearer. Are Janine and Esther and the others... dead? Taken? Nick is there, trying to protect June, but we don't know the fates of the other characters. I get it as a plot hook, but it made the ending of this specific episode a little muddied. The impact of Nick being there was lessened because I was thinking about the other characters, wondering at their fates.

The Handmaid's Tale: Pigs (4x01)

Well, we're back! I'm going to do three short reviews, one for each episode that dropped, instead of trying to cover everything at once. I haven't seen episodes 2 and 3 yet, so I'll be judging this as a stand-alone.

Cons:

I honestly thought that June calling Esther "Banana" at the end was a bit confusing. For one wild moment I thought they were implying that June that Esther was Hannah or something? It's just weird since the nickname "Banana" goes with "Hannah" specifically. I get the implication, but it was kind of odd the way they went about it, ending the episode on that note.

I'm sure we'll get this in the coming two episodes or as the season progresses, but I kept waiting for someone to explain why they were staying there and not continuing to flee to Canada. Is it just for June to recuperate? Will they be on the road now?

Grey's Anatomy: Good as Hell (17x13)

Lots of stuff happening, as always!

Cons:

I want to loop back in on the whole idea of Jo starting a new discipline. I didn't mind the stuff in this episode, about Bailey not wanting to let her go because they need her during the pandemic. But seeing it made me realize how poorly they set up the stakes earlier on. I didn't understand that that was the issue, or what was making Jo so nervous. I wish this had been paced better throughout the last several episodes.

I will repeat myself: I don't care about Teddy. Teddy's freak-out, Owen's compassionate response... I know I should care, but I do not. Please stop wasting my time with this.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: One World, One People (1x06)

Oof, okay, so I obviously enjoyed watching this, but I do have some things I would like to discuss.

Cons:

The biggest one is honestly about Isaiah. I understand that this is a superhero show, and there's some cheesiness baked into the very concept of it. I like the idea of a triumphant ending for our heroes, where amends are made and everyone is brought some measure of peace. BUT, I feel like a more nuanced, more true to reality ending here with Isaiah might have been different. Maybe he gives a tip of the hat to Sam, says he's happy he's found his peace, but he still doesn't agree with his choices. See, the thing is, some people who have been hurt by systems want that system to acknowledge its mistake, to apologize, to make amends. That's what Sam is pushing for. He believes we can do better, and all that. And that's a wonderful perspective. But other people who have been hurt by systems might not want anything to do with that system ever again. At the end, when Sam sets up the part of the museum for Isaiah, he says "now everyone will know what you did for this country," and Isaiah seemed pleased and touched by this. But I couldn't help but think... he was forced into doing those things, and then punished for doing them. If he'd decided he didn't want acknowledgment, didn't want to be linked to the idea of American heroism... I couldn't blame him for that. It might have added more nuance to the ending. Sam could have even said that it's okay if he and Isaiah don't agree on the best way forward, they still have mutual respect, or whatever.

Grey's Anatomy: Sign O' the Times (17x12)

Some heavy stuff, y'all. It's interesting how this show is addressing current events but on a delay because that's how TV works... really brings some things to the forefront of my mind that unfortunately the news isn't much focused on anymore.

Cons:

I found some of the story beats surrounding Bailey's patient to be a little clumsy. He's cartoonish and cruel to Bailey. I could buy someone not believing in COVID (believe me, I've met some of those people), but for him to literally say to his doctor's face: you're lying to me and you're making money off of scaring people? It felt a little too blunt, like this man was meant to represent every little aspect of that kind of human being. And then for him to die in the parking lot? Not exactly subtle.

I'm always talking about how I don't like Catherine Fox, and this episode actually helped me in articulating why. It's like she always traps people into providing her mic drop moments. She doesn't communicate, she dismisses people's concerns and ideas, goading them into a situation where they speak to her rudely. Then she turns around and hits them with the cold hard facts of how she was right all along. And like... Catherine is right, and has a good point, when she talks about fighting the way she knows how to fight. But why does she always have to have the last word? Why does she always have to say things in this righteous way, that doesn't allow room for anyone else's opinion?

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: Truth (1x05)

Well, okay then.

Cons:

I've complained about the uneven time given to Sam and Bucky, and while I appreciate where this episode went with everything, it did shine a further light on how little Sam has had to do all season. How his growth has been happening in the background to other things. I wish the balance could have been changed a little. 

I also continue to be less interested in the Flag Smashers than I am in anything else in the show. Not the ideology or how they function politically in this world, but the actual individual characters. Spending time getting to know them makes sense, it humanizes their struggles and what they're willing to sacrifice for their cause. But I just don't find Karli to be a particularly compelling individual, so it makes those scenes a slough to get through.

The opening fight scene between Sam, Bucky, and John Walker was good, but it wasn't great. The whole time I was watching it I kept thinking about the Tony/Steve/Bucky fight at the end of Civil War, three men fighting, the shield pinging between them. So much angst and desperation and history and weight to the whole thing. This fight should have been like that, but instead it felt a little more measured. Sam and Bucky are fighting to take the shield away from a dangerous man who has clearly lost control. It almost felt like they were just doing a job. Their connection to the shield was muted during the fight itself, which made that final beat, when Bucky throws the shield down at Sam's side and walks off, hit a little less hard.

Grey's Anatomy: Sorry Doesn't Always Make It Right (17x11)

This one is going to be quick, sorry.

Cons:

While I am glad, in theory, that Owen apologized to Teddy, I'm still... frustrated by the way Teddy's trauma has been worked into the story. Owen says he should have known that Teddy sleeping with Tom was a sign that something was wrong because it was "so out of character" for her not to be there for him, and be a good friend to him. But... he also says he'd love to hear more about Allison. Again, Teddy was cheating when she was with Allison, too. This was before the trauma that led to her having all these symptoms that cause her to betray people. So really... Teddy participating in adultery is not "out of character" at all. That's the whole point and the whole problem with how all of this is being framed!!!

A more petty complaint is that while I really like Amelia and Link, for some reason this story gave me more secondhand embarrassment than usual! I was cringing during a lot of their scenes. Especially the proposal thing. And Amelia's vocal fry was really pronounced. This is not a knock on the actor's voice, I just think she sounded like maybe she was more tired than usual? Which could have been an acting choice, I was just... really noticing it.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: The Whole World Is Watching (1x04)

Well, uh... shit. Whole review under the cut for spoilers.

The Walking Dead: Here's Negan (10x22)

So, that's the end of the season, then. Let's talk about it!

Cons:

On a bigger level, I will say that I was right, that this season built to absolutely nothing. It's almost like the Whisperers were the Season 10 A-plot, and these last few episodes after the long hiatus were about cleaning up the aftermath and setup for next season or even for spin-offs. And that's... weird. It means I can look at an individual episode and think it's perfectly interesting or even excellent, but I feel no sense of momentum. I'm reading short stories instead of a novel, you know? Different experiences. Less good, in my opinion. At least with this show.

But if we take this episode on its own merits and don't think about how it (doesn't) connect to the rest of the show... I really did enjoy it. But there were certainly some issues. The main one? Lucille has a bad case of "dying perfect wife" syndrome. She's beautiful and strong and brave and if she gets angry it's because Negan is failing to live up to her angelic standard. I wish that sad dead wife characters, learned about through flashback and dreams, could have some actual nuance. Could be someone with a personality and flaws. Lucille was too much of a Cool Wife for me to feel like she was a real person.

Grey's Anatomy: Breathe (17x10)

Well, this was stressful.

Cons:

Okay, I loved seeing Lexie and Mark in theory, but I have to be brutally honest and say that this is the first time that Meredith's dreamscape beach scenes tipped over into too saccharine for me. I think it's because Lexie and Mark both seemed like guardian angels, only there for Meredith, and they didn't really make me remember the fully developed characters. It wasn't bad by any stretch of the imagination, but it wasn't my favorite of the cameos.

When Catherine asked Jo if she was thinking about switching specialties and Jo had this weird reaction, that felt like an awkward script moment to me. Too over the top and noticeable of a reaction to such an innocuous question.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: Power Broker (1x03)

I think this is my least favorite of the three episodes thus far, but by no means did I think it was bad or unworthy of its place in the series.

Cons:

Honestly, the reason it wasn't quite as strong for me is... Sam Wilson felt like a side character. The first two episodes felt more or less evenly split between Sam and Bucky as the drivers of the action, the ones with the complicated emotional stakes. In this episode, Bucky was definitely the lead, and Sam definitely took a more supporting role. I guess, at the end of the day, I hope Sam gets an episode before the end that feels like his moment to shine.

I'm predictable in saying this, but the thing I care about the least so far is the actual plot. So the time we spend with Karli Morgenthau is not really inclined to hold my interest. Similarly, the stuff with John Walker isn't as gripping to me unless it's butting up against Sam and Bucky. Really, I want the focus to remain on those two and their relationship and the big questions they're facing moving in the world given their unique positions.

The Walking Dead: Diverged (10x21)

I don't really know about this one. I liked it, but I found myself frustrated by it as well.

Cons:

For one thing, on a big-picture scale, what the heck is this season building to? Nothing, I guess. Everything's disjointed. Next week is the finale, and it's a Negan-centric episode. We've barely checked in with Negan for weeks. Which means, unless they pull something miraculous off in the one hour they have remaining, that we're going to be going into the hiatus before the final season with all of these threads still dangling. Maggie and the new characters she brought with her? We barely know them. Princess, Ezekiel, Eugene, and Yumiko? Who knows where they're at. Carol and Daryl's growing distance? Impossible to say. There is just so much material here, and none of it is building to anything at all.

And then to narrow in on this episode specifically, I want to praise a lot about it, but I will admit that The Walking Dead has a subtlety issue, in that it's... not subtle. I think some of the moments here could have spoken for themselves, rather than having everything spelled out for us. Most specifically with Carol and Jerry's conversation at the end. 'Twas just a bit too on the nose.

Grey's Anatomy: In My Life (17x09)

Ughhhh. I don't know how to talk about this episode. I'll do my best.

Cons:

See, I don't like Teddy. This episode doesn't change my mind. There's this awesome moment that I'll talk about later, where Amelia is tearing into Owen for not respecting Teddy's trauma. And like... good for her. I don't like Owen, either. And he certainly deserves to be put in his place. But Teddy and Allison were cheating. Teddy was the other woman. Adding in this history of having this woman be the "love of her life" when their relationship was built on sneaking around and lying to their friend? And this is before the trauma that supposedly justifies Teddy's lying? I just don't really buy it as a reason to totally forgive her and sympathize with her actions. If Teddy's treatment of Owen and Koracick is a trauma response, then... well, I'm sorry, but it doesn't just make it all suddenly okay. She still has to own up to it, and it's still completely fine if Owen never forgives her.

Also just... I really don't like it when shows do the whole idyllic flashbacks to a beloved person who has died. Allison seems absolutely perfect in every way, and Teddy's love for her is very cheesy and movie-esque... but I can't get over the infidelity thing. I really can't see past the harm they're doing to another human being, who doesn't even get to appear in Teddy's catatonic dreamscape. I also feel weird about appropriating the tragedy of 9/11 for this fictional character... for some reason it's hitting me in the wrong way, perhaps because I find it so hard to sympathize with Teddy.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: The Star-Spangled Man (1x02)

Oh boy. Things are getting juicy.

Cons:

Can we be done with the joke of "wow, I'm surprised this incredibly strong fighter is a woman"? Like, at first it didn't bother me that Bucky thought the woman was a hostage, but then it turns out she's the head of the Flag-Smashers. That could be a commentary on Bucky's outdated way of thinking. But then later, during the fight, Sam says "that girl beat you up!" like a fun banter joke, and I'm just... sick of it. Sam, aren't you an Avenger? I know there's a dearth of ladies over there, but you've met Wanda, right? And Natasha? They were part of your little family unit along with Steve, weren't they? Jeez. You know there's no reason why a woman can't be a dangerous criminal just as much as a man. #feminism. (But in all seriousness, that was a disappointing joke.)

I will repeat my concerns from the first episode, about how we're positioning our good guys and our bad guys. See, the bad guys don't want to let the same people have the power, the way it all was before the snap (or the "blip", as I guess it's known). They want to redistribute power, to break down these harmful systems. And then you've got Sam, getting denied at the bank, being harassed by the cops, showing that he too is victimized in this current system. So... is the ultimate solution really supposed to be Sam-as-Captain-America, taking on the mantle of a system that has rejected and hurt him and other people like him, for as long as (and long before) there even was an America? I want them to take this to a different place, an unexpected one, but I'm nervous about the optics.

The Walking Dead: Splinter (10x20)

I keep coming back to the fact that this whole back half of the season has been a disjointed mess. What's it all building to? Anything at all?

Cons:

I want to tread lightly when talking about the character of Princess. I think the actor is doing a fantastic job, I find her compelling to watch... but on the flip side, I can't imagine that people who actually have various mental illnesses that include psychosis are thrilled with this representation. The violence, especially. I don't know. Maybe I'm treading too lightly. The episode explains that Princess isn't "crazy," that maybe her overactive imagination, her way of coping, is actually the only sane response to an insane world. But is that enough? Do I think this portrayal of a mentally ill woman in the apocalypse is being realistic about the challenges therein, or do I think some unfortunate stereotypes are being reinforced? It's unclear.

In the same way that when Maggie showed up and mentioned a new group of baddies who want to hurt everyone, this particular group of people, wearing what looks like stormtrooper armor, is already kind of exhausting to me. See, I have this glimmer of interest. The man that Princess talks to mentions paperwork, and a process, and authority, and rank, and it seems like a more legit operation than really anything our characters have come across thus far. That could be really cool! I want to find out more! But remember when Eugene said he knew how to make a cure just to get Abraham and Rosita's protection? Or remember when a helicopter took Rick away and we never saw him again? There are all these tantalizing hints of a bigger, structural, scientific next step, people with a better grip on the situation than the characters we've been focused on... and we never get to actually see it. I want to see it. I want some follow-through, please and thanks.

Grey's Anatomy: It's All Too Much (17x08)

I don't know... this one kind of just rolled right over me. Not in a bad way, not in a good.

Cons:

DeLuca's death is stupid, and the legacy of it here is still stupid. They had so much they could have done with his character, and now having everyone go through their tepid, repetitive grief routine is just tiresome. They gave most of the grieving material to Teddy, who I hate, and to Bailey, who I love, but I don't really like the response they gave her. She decides to order an autopsy and do an M&M about DeLuca's death to make sure no mistakes were made, but Richard tells her she's causing harm to the living, that no mistakes were made. It was just a tragedy. I don't know... does this seem like something Bailey would do? It felt like a more transparent excuse than usual, to have two characters standing in a room yelling at each other.                                                 

And Teddy, with that whole thing where she keeps glimpsing DeLuca all over the place? It's really annoying and why would I connect with her grief over the loss of Andrew? There are other characters who I wanted to spend more time with. This was emphasized at the end when we had the memorial and we didn't get to hear what people were actually saying about DeLuca, because honestly most of these characters didn't have a personal connection with him... and the ones who did, didn't have a lot of screen time to deal with it. Then we end with Owen carrying Teddy home at the end... and the trailer showing a Teddy-centric episode next week... gah. No THANK you. I don't LIKE you, Teddy. Sorry not sorry.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: New World Order (1x01)

Watching this show is going to be strange for me because I genuinely ship Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson with one Steve Rogers... so basically I just want to watch them sitting around being sad about him being dead the whole time. But I'm open to the possibilities, here, I really am...

Cons:

Positioning the bad guys here as... well, as communists who want a world without borders, and then making them into terrorists... let's just say I'm side-eying this pretty hard. You have that twist at the end, where the United States brings forth a new symbolic hero, a new Captain America, and my brain immediately started spinning forward as to where this is going to go. See, we've got anarchist baddies who want to destroy all the flags on one side, then we've got this pretender to the throne on the other side. But the issue won't be that there's something inherently flawed with the whole concept of a militarized heroic folk legend for Americans to idealize... it'll be about how it's the wrong man carrying the shield. At some point, in a moment of triumph, Sam will take the mantle on for himself, and then we can safely and comfortably cheer as our hero takes down the big bad commies who don't love 'Murica enough. I want to be wrong. I want them to mix things up, to challenge things, but all I can see is that the ultimate heroic conclusion is going to be "government control of Captain America is Bad, but Captain America himself, and what he stands for, specifically America, is good."

The Walking Dead: One More (10x19)

This was all in all a good installment, certainly more invigorating than the first two episodes of 2021. But that doesn't mean it was perfect, by any means.

Cons:

So this is one of those episodes that is good enough that it could have been great, if not for some relatively small aspects that could have been easily fixed. The big one is that the character of Mays comes on too strong. I don't mean in the sense that he's antagonistic and mean and has this ugly outlook on the world. I was totally caught up in it when he sat down and ate the boar meat, when it was slowly revealed that the boar and the booze had been his, that he considered Gabriel and Aaron to be interlopers. Then, the moment with the gun, shooting it through the wall, realizing that Aaron was tied up on the other side... that was chilling.

And then, after a great deal of excellently paced buildup, we get... Russian Roulette? Really? That's so unsubtle and lame and played out. We get this speechifying about how the world is bad and people are bad, and then Gabriel and Aaron being like "no, we're good actually" and it was just... incredibly on the nose. We slipped right back into some of this show's most common issues, spelling out the messaging way too obviously. There's no room for nuance when you have characters start speaking out a fully realized moral debate like they're ancient Greek students of Socrates or something.

Grey's Anatomy: Helplessly Hoping (17x07)

What the heck did I just watch with my own two eyeballs? What the ever living fuck? Spoilers ahead, ye be warned.

Cons:

Okay, I'm going to go ahead and compare Grey's Anatomy to The Walking Dead real quick. Both are long-running shows with a large ensemble cast, and the cast grows, people leave, new characters are added, and we're meant to feel emotional attachments to new characters as well as to those few originals who are still sticking around. Oh, and main characters die on a semi-regular basis, for the drama of all of it.

Now, the thing is, Grey's is actually better than The Walking Dead at getting me to give a crap about new characters as they get folded into the show. So many of my favorites today weren't originally part of the show. Jo is a good example of this. Callie wasn't an original character, neither was Arizona, and I loved them. Link is a more recent fave. The list goes on. You know one character I particularly loved?

The Walking Dead: Find Me (10x18)

Ughhhh I just don't care.

Cons:

So, this is a persistent problem on this show, where all the pretty actors are wearing clothes that fit them and they've got their eyebrows sculpted, and even if they're not wearing makeup they still look pretty damn clean. I've sort of gotten used to it. It's the "shaved armpits while stranded on an island in Lost" phenomenon, and it's just the way things are. Maybe it was because Leah was being presented to us as a love interest for Daryl, and she was just so obviously gorgeous, but it stood out to me more than it normally would have.

And speaking of the love interest thing... god, can we just not? It was such a clumsy, unconvincing love story. Leah is all angry and pointing a weapon at him, then she lets him go, and then the next time he comes back she's like "oh, thanks for bringing the dog back" and they strike up this relationship, that got serious enough that Daryl was contemplating coming to live with her, and never going back to his old family? Yeesh, what a large gaping hole in our conception of his character. I'm not saying this for shipping reasons, but I've always seen Daryl as either gay or ace or, if he does have a relationship with a woman, that relationship being with Carol. There are so many different ways Daryl could go for me, and hooking up with random lady in cabin in the woods just... does not jive with how I picture him in my head!

The Walking Dead: Home Sweet Home (10x17)

Dang, it's been a while since I've written a review!

Cons:

So, the problem is, I don't care anymore and I don't think this show is particularly good anymore. A bummer, but there it is. Everything here feels like a retread of material we've already seen done over and over again. We've got so much of this show left to go, especially if you include spin-offs (which I really don't, you couldn't pay me to watch Fear or Beyond or whatever else they've got going), and I'm just dreading the months (years!) ahead where we go over and over the same well-trod ground.

Having Maggie back really shines a spotlight on how... uncomfortable and unnecessary Negan's "redemption" is. The problem is, we didn't see his redemption. We saw a man who murdered people and took pleasure in it, then we learned he's sad because dead wife, then we flash forward and he's friends with Judith and we're supposed to be cool with that? There's no complicated redemption arc here. Maggie is right to despise him and want nothing to do with him.

Doctor Who: Revolution of the Daleks (2021 New Years Special)

I honestly really loved that! Like, a lot!

Cons:

It wasn't perfect, however. Of course. A few little nitpicky things, and one or two bigger complaints:

So, the bad guy was a little too one-note evil capitalist/politician. Some of his lines made me roll my eyes, like "this is a PR nightmare" being his reaction when he learned that the Daleks were eating liquified humans. The irony of him suddenly being hailed as a hero worked okay, but he was maybe just a touch too cartoonish for my personal preference, in an episode that mostly managed to feel really grounded.

Sometimes the Dalek stories will touch on this "race purity" thing, and the Doctor will talk about how they are beings of hate, and it really feels like we're doing a Nazi allegory, but they don't quite... go somewhere with it? Like, we've got the Prime Minster character talking about protecting borders and increasing security, and then the Daleks who are trying to stamp out "impurities," right? And there's something there, it's not exactly the most subtle of story craft, I guess I just wish it felt more intentional. The Daleks have metaphorical resonance here, and I'm not sure it was totally utilized.