The Walking Dead: Silence the Whisperers (10x04)

This was a good episode, but it's one that reinforces my desire for the show to end. Let me explain.

Cons:

There were so many good things about this episode, so many moments I enjoyed, interesting themes and character beats. But it's all in service to a story that has overstayed its welcome in a pretty major way. We have Ezekiel and Michonne sharing a moment, and that was nice in isolation, but it's just another story about a leader having problems leading in this crazy world. We've seen it. We've seen it with Michonne and Ezekiel in the past, in fact. We've got characters dealing with PTSD (Siddiq) and we've got a community turning even further against Lydia and Negan, setting up a cautionary tale against mob mentality. We've seen this before. We've got Aaron voting to execute Negan, as a formerly generous and kind man is turned hard by grief. Seen it. A kid wanting to be more useful, and a parent starting to accept their child's role in the world. We did this with Carl. Now it's Judith's turn.

And I could go on. So even as I praise many aspects of this episode, there's still the inevitable pull of ennui, as we retread over plot points that have been explored in earlier seasons. It doesn't mean it's bad now, it just means it's not fresh.

Grey's Anatomy: Breathe Again (16x05)

This episode... hmm... it's hard to pin down exactly how I feel about it, actually.

Cons:

This episode continues the story about Jo's mental health. There was so much I adored about this, truly. But Carly, one of Jo's therapists from her time in the facility was... a lot. She was too quirky and perfect and was just too annoying for me to take seriously as a character. I really, really liked watching Jo work through her issues, and I thought the resolution, where we find out that her "Capital-T Trauma" has to do with her being abandoned as a baby, was actually very fitting. They didn't make it out like it was a magical solution to all of her problems, and it didn't feel trite. All of that should really be in the "Pros" section, I know, but what I'm getting at is that I liked the substance of Jo's story a lot. But I found the personality of the therapist herself to be grating. She was very... Grey's Anatomy-ish. And I love this show, but there's a way that the characters have of talking, a certain quirk to their dialogue, that can come across as too whimsical in some cases. That's how I felt about the character of Carly.

So we have this weird subplot where Richard's friend Gemma takes him out for breakfast and then tries to hit on him, and even kisses him, while Richard is saying no. It's... really strange. Because Gemma points out Richard's dating history. He's been a cheater in the past, and Gemma is basically playing on that to say that she's available, since he and Catherine are in a bad place. And it's just not fun to watch? Or interesting? Am I supposed to think Richard is kind of a horrible person for the way he's behaved in his past relationships? Because honestly yeah I do feel that way, especially when the show decides to remind me about it. I'm no fan of Catherine Fox, but I hope Richard doesn't cheat on her. That would be a not-fun thing to happen.

The Good Place: Employee of the Bearimy (4x05)

So much fun! As always!

Cons:

Derek is a really funny character, and I'm genuinely amused by his antics. But with that said, I'll admit that I don't really get what his purpose is, in the larger scheme of things. If he's just there to be comic relief, I guess that's fine, but he kind of feels superfluous to the story that's being told. I'm prepared to eat my words. This show has certainly surprised me in the past. But right now, he's kind of just shrug-worthy for me.

Pros:

I've been complaining about Tahani not having much to do, and then we get this episode, where we discover that the character herself is having some anxiety about her usefulness! Great timing. While the others are all planning big things to proceed with the mission, Tahani is basically tasked with babysitting the humans and being a party planner. She's insecure about the fact that this is all she seems to be good for. But Eleanor, in a very Eleanor-ish style, tells her to suck it up. She reminds Tahani that cultivating an environment for these humans to bond and form friendship is literally what is going to save all of humanity. Tahani has lived a life of privilege, and she's never had to fight very hard for what she wanted. But now, she's realizing that she wants to do something more "worthy" with her time. I loved this element of Tahani's characterization, because on the one hand, it's great that she wants to expand her horizons. And on the other hand, Eleanor is sure to point out to her that her current skills aren't worthless. There's real skill and knowledge required to host events like Tahani does, and that shouldn't be dismissed out of hand.

Supernatural: The Rupture (15x03)

Well... damn?

Cons:

In the first two reviews of this season, I talked a lot about how this season was going to lean really hard into the nostalgia. I had high hopes about the return of some of these characters, and while I did really like this episode, I'm getting a bit concerned. Last week, Kevin showed up only to immediately leave again. This week, after Ketch's close call last week, he's killed off, Rowena dies, and then Belphegor also bites the dust. So a lot of stuff that was just getting set up is suddenly off the table. On the one hand, I like it when things are unpredictable and move at a quick pace. On the other hand, this feels a bit too familiar to me. Supernatural has a pattern. The first three episodes are all A-plot focused, and then we've got to ratchet back the tension so we can do some monster-of-the-week stuff. That's fine, that's expected. But we've already rushed through so many of the things I thought this season was going to focus on, and I have a feeling that the tension and drama is going to drop off. We've only got seventeen precious episodes left! I don't know if it was Rowena or Belphegor or even Ketch's time to go just yet.

Yo... Dean wicked needs to apologize to Cas. That was rough stuff. I loved the angst, don't get me wrong, but I hope Dean is held responsible for his actions. I hope we get a real in-depth look at Dean's anger issues and he realizes that he's the one in the wrong here. This isn't so much a problem with the episode as it is a worry for the future - I hope they do this plot thread justice.

And for my one and only petty complaint - it bothers me that they insist on sticking to their guns with the stupid idea of spelling Castiel's name "Cass." Like... stop. It's wrong. We all know it's wrong.

Arrow: Welcome to Hong Kong (8x02)

Tatsu! China White! Lyla! The nostalgia continues.

Cons:

You know what this episode doesn't have? An explanation as to why Oliver needs to stay away from Felicity. I understand that the actress left the show. I understand that she's staying in the safe house with baby Mia or whatever. But Oliver is back in his own world. Are you telling me there's no way he could go and check in on her and on his kids? The excuse feels very flimsy, and I wish I understood the reasoning more firmly.

The flash-forward stuff isn't all awful, but it still just doesn't compel me as much as the main story-line. If they were to try and spin off William, Mia, and the others into their own show, I don't think I'd be checking it out. The drama between JJ and Connor should be really compelling, and the actors are really giving it their all... but I still don't really understand Connor's role in events. This drama with the family, John and Lyla prioritizing Connor over JJ... we're hearing about it here, but we didn't get to see it, and the drama doesn't really land for me. Also, are John and Lyla dead? If they're dead, why don't they just say that?

The Walking Dead: Ghosts (10x03)

A lot of stuff happened in this episode, technically speaking, but so much of it was annoying to me, and so little progress was made, that it feels a bit like treading water. Can we please pick up the pace?

Cons:

In theory, the idea of Carol having these hallucinations could have been interesting or frightening. But most of them fell flat. I thought the moment where she was hanging up-side-down and fighting off the Walkers was bound to be a hallucination, but that turned out to be real? I guess it's effective in that it subverted my expectations, but what a truly bizarre action scene. The thing is, Carol is clearly in a bad way here, and it makes no real sense that Daryl and Michonne would let her come to meet the Whisperers, or let her stay up on watch by herself. They seriously dropped the ball, and I wish we could have an explanation for that.

I'll talk in a minute about the Aaron and Negan stuff, and what I liked about it, but I did think it was kind of stupid that Aaron went temporarily blind. That felt like an extra contrived circumstance, basically only there so that Negan could save Aaron and prove himself to be trustworthy.

I'm glad that Eugene realizes that his pursuit of Rosita is creepy and wrong, but I hate that this plot thread is still centering on the experience of Eugene. He realizes that Rosita is never going to change her mind and fall in love with him - something she's been telling him over and over again - and he is crushed by the realization that their entire relationship is based on a false premise. Like... sorry, dude, but Rosita is the one who deserves to feel hurt, here. You've just confessed that you don't value her friendship in and of itself, and only wanted to be with her romantically. She is the one who should feel betrayed, here.

Grey's Anatomy: It's Raining Men (16x04)

Jeez what a dark episode title, given what happens in this hour of TV!

Cons:

What the heck is this show trying to do with the character of Tom Koracick? It makes no sense. I have been so staunch in defending him over Owen, but it's like they made a decision that Owen is going to be the good guy now, so they have to make Tom a ridiculous jerk in order to compensate for that. It's not funny, it's not clever, it's frustrating in the extreme! Setting aside the love triangle of it all, Tom was a multi-faceted character whose love for Teddy was actually quite sweet and charming. And now he's pretty much a villain and everyone hates him. He antagonizes Owen, and tries to prey on a scared family in order to drum up good publicity for the hospital. There's a moment of nuance when Schmitt calls Jackson to task, but for the most part Tom is just an unimaginable asshole here. I don't like the direction they are taking this character at all.

Also, Bailey's pregnant now too? I feel like they've run out of ways to add drama to the lives of these characters, so they're just giving everyone a baby story-line. Please don't let Maggie or Meredith or Jo get pregnant, I seriously couldn't take it right now.

The Good Place: Tinker, Tailor, Demon, Spy (4x04)

I laughed a lot at this episode and I also had feels. So great!

Cons:

I don't really root for Janet and Jason as a couple, so I'm not sure how I feel about the revelation that it was Bad Place Janet who broke up with Jason. I liked the exploration of Janet having a romantic relationship, as a theory, but I've never bought completely in to the reality. So this is sort of a wait-and-see situation. They could always do something interesting with it, but it remains to be seen if I'll enjoy it or not.

Pros:

Eleanor and Chidi are giving me all the feels. I loved their conversation over nachos, and how Eleanor can be there for Chidi and help him with his anxiety and doubt. It's so nice to see her as a good person, who is confident and willing to be there for the people she loves. It's also so fascinating to see this version of Chidi, who is slowly being made a better person, and yet who doesn't remember Eleanor. You can see a connection between them, but there's distance there because of Eleanor's role as "The Architect." For obvious reasons, Chidi isn't going to think of Eleanor as a romantic prospect. It's just so tragic but also lovely to see them being there for each other in the only way they are currently able.

Supernatural: Raising Hell (15x02)

I swear, every time I see Buckleming's names attached to an episode of Supernatural, I try to keep an open mind. I try to believe that they'll pull out a decent episode, which on occasion, they have managed to do. But this one... Gosh. I don't even know where to start.

Cons:

So crowded! Always with the so, so crowded! There are so many things going on in this one episode that it's like I can't even catch my breath. And I do not mean that in a good way. We've got Rowena, we've got Kevin, we've got Ketch, Amara... all of these reappearances should have been really fun to see, but instead they are all so jumbled up and very few of the moments actually have the impact they should.

A main example of this is Kevin. What a lackluster return for such a beloved character! He's there, the boys are glad to see him, he depressingly leaves because apparently he can't get into Heaven since he's been in Hell this whole time. So that's... sad, and pointless. We find out in this episode that all this time, when we thought Kevin was at peace in Heaven, he's actually been in Hell because... Chuck is a dick, I guess? There's no explanation given for why God put Kevin in Hell. And now he's here, he's used as bait, and he decides to leave and wander the earth as a ghost because it's better than going back to Hell. Why would you bring back a fan favorite just to make his ending much sadder?

Modern Family: Pool Party (11x04)

It was certainly fun to hear Lizzo. And there were a few cute things here.

Cons:

If this show makes one more stupid joke about young people being "triggered" I am seriously going to blow a gasket. And yes, I'm aware of the irony. I hate that Modern Family has decided to repeatedly mock the idea of people trying to be more accepting and understanding. It's such a cheap shot.

Same thing with the repeated references to Gloria's tough life back in Columbia. There's some gag in here about how she worked for someone as a shake-down artist and as a reward, her cousin got to keep one ear. It's just like... come on. Is this what we're doing? Really?

I didn't hate Claire's plot thread with Alex and Haley, but I didn't like the specifics of what they chose for the workplace catastrophe. Apparently the company's "Smart Closets" have been taking videos of people without their consent, while they are undressed. This feels like a bit too sensitive of a topic to really be tackled in such a casual way... it feels like the writers realized that privacy concerns in a digital age are a thing, and then thought that just putting in a reference would be enough to "comment" on it. You actually need to have something to say.

Arrow: Starling City (8x01)

Tommy! This show knows how to hook me, and really there's only one reliable way nowadays: Tommy Merlyn.

Cons:

Going in to this season, I was feeling pretty skeptical about my level of interest. And while I greatly enjoyed this premiere, a few of my fears did indeed prove to be founded. For one, I do not watch any of the other shows in the Arrowverse, and I honestly don't think I'm going to. There's this whole "Crisis" thing that all the shows are building to for their big crossover event, and I just refuse to get looped in. I'm sure it's cool for those who also watch Flash and Supergirl and Batwoman and whatever else, but for me, the looming crossover just detracts from the stuff happening in this specific show, with these specific characters.

Also, we see Oliver's journey from where we left him at the end of last season, and we also see the future stuff, with Mia, William, et. al. All of last season, I kept waiting for things to snap into place so that I could enjoy this future of Star City. All the time, I thought the point was to prevent such a dark future, but instead we're just... there now. And there's nothing really interesting or compelling about it. See, I like Mia and William well enough. But I really don't know anything about these other characters. It's probably my fault for not paying enough attention last season, but there were so many moments where I couldn't remember why certain characters were behaving the way they were. Why is J.J. evil? And Connor is his... brother? Are they both John and Lyla's sons? Was this explained last season and I was just watching with glazed-over eyes and missed it? Where is John Diggle in the future? Did we ever get a firm answer on that? It's annoying to still not be clear on the circumstances of this world.

The Walking Dead: We Are the End of the World (10x02)

I suppose this episode wasn't bad, but it just wasn't all that entertaining for me personally. Let's dive in.

Cons:

We spend the whole episode with the Whisperers, as we learn what they're up to in the present day, and also see a flashback of how Alpha and Lydia first met Beta and began the Whisperers. I remember in the earlier seasons, the episodes that focused very narrowly on one character or one story-line were kind of... "prestige" episodes. They were these special events and were the Emmy-bate episodes. But honestly, if we're being real about this, I think they kind of drag. There have been some good ones over the years, but for my money they are always momentum killers. Why couldn't we see Alpha's flash-back stuff and also cut between this story and what our leads are up to? When you mix and match the plot elements, everything moves faster and we're not stuck in the mud with just one character.

I also feel like we don't learn enough new information from this episode. We see Alpha and Beta meet, sure, and maybe that's kind of interesting. We learn that Beta knew the man whose face he now wears as a mask. That's creepy. But we don't really get anything new out of how Alpha operates, the ideology of the Whisperers, her troubled relationship with Lydia... this was stuff we've already been told, or stuff we could have inferred, from what we saw last season.

Grey's Anatomy: Reunited (16x03)

I'm going to try and rapid-fire this review... there is always so much to talk about!

Cons:

Maggie continues to make everything about her. There's a moment when she's lamenting to her octogenarian patient that love isn't worth all of the backstabbing and pain, and it's like... Maggie, honey. This isn't about you. This is about an old man reminiscing about his life. Calm the heck down. I like Jackson and his new girlfriend fine, but mixing in the drama with Maggie is unnecessary.

I have been a Tom Koracick fan for a long while, but now he's acting like a whiny little baby. I don't really get his game here. When he was meeting Teddy's baby, he was totally sweet to her and said he'd wait for her when Teddy and Owen's relationship fell apart. But now he's behaving in such a way that it's hard to imagine Teddy taking him back, no matter what. The restraining order thing is mostly being played for laughs, but that doesn't really work. It's absurd.

I'm always glad to see Schmitt get some material, but this week he messed up something simple in a surgery and DeLuca had to swoop in and save the day. DeLuca is acting like a bit of a dick also. He's mad at Bailey for effectively benching him, because he believes it's on account of his relationship with Meredith. But he's coming across really condescending to his peers. I don't care if he is better than all of them. The way he behaved with Helm and now with Schmitt is not painting him in a very good light.

The Good Place: Chillaxing (4x03)

Yay, Tahani and Jason had stuff to do! Joy of joys!

Cons:

I missed Simone this week! And while I like that we learned more about John and his journey towards improvement, it feels disjointed to not be checking in with all four humans each week. That might just be a consequence of the season's overall pacing... I should probably be patient and wait for more of the story to unfold.

Pros:

In order to get Chidi to start improving himself and others, he needs to be tortured and put into a stressful situation. Eleanor takes to this task with a little too much relish, and Chidi does indeed start falling apart after they make Jason pretend once again to be a monk, and then reveal his secret to Chidi and beg for his help. However, Eleanor then has a breakdown about the pain she's putting Chidi through, and reveals to Michael that she is feeling irrationally angry with Chidi for leaving her, even though obviously he made a great sacrifice for the sake of them all.

Supernatural: Back and to the Future (15x01)

We're back! Man, this show. Say what you will about it, but you have to admit it's an institution. I'm already pretty emotional about the fact that this is going to be our last season. And it looks like the showrunners are going to be leaning hard into the nostalgia factor. I for one am super okay with that.

Cons:

I know it's mandatory that everyone who dies in this show gets brought back, and that every actor gets to play different characters. And I can't even be that mad about Jack's body being possessed by some random demon, because Alex Calvert is clearly having so much fun. But I want to take this opportunity to express some healthy skepticism about this Belphegor character. Hopefully I'll like where this is going, but for now it just seems like a shoe-horned excuse to keep Calvert around, and a convenient work-around for any insurmountable problems that Team Free Will faces. If they don't know what to do next, convenient demon buddy happens to know just the spell to help. I can see that getting really old, really fast, even if the character seems like a lot of fun.

Pros:

And... yeah, the character does seem like a lot of fun. He's quippy but in his own unique way, he self-describes himself as a clock-puncher from Hell. He's not some super-powered mega-monster. At least, as far as we know. He's just part of the fabric of Hell, and he wants things back the way they were before Chuck screwed everything up. He's flirty with Dean, which is hilariously uncomfortable, and he's picking up hard on the lover's spat between Dean and Cas, which is just so much fun to watch. I could definitely be convinced to spend some more time around this character, as long as his ultimate purpose makes sense and isn't completely contrived.

Modern Family: Perfect Pairs (11x03)

I doubt I'm ever going to watch another episode of this show that actually excites me ever again, but that doesn't mean there's absolutely nothing of merit here.

Cons:

It really skeeves me out that Luke is still dating this much older woman, and the show is doing nothing to comment on that. It's such a gross running gag and it's the only character trait Luke has left, and it really bothers me.

Alex similarly has nothing to do. Apparently she's applying for a job at NASA? If this show were better, I would say I was interested to see where this is going. But let's be real - it's going absolutely nowhere.

I don't strictly hate Claire's story this week, or Gloria's, but both just bored me, for the most part. I feel like we're seeing nothing new, nothing insightful, nothing memorable. Claire is overly ambitious, and wacky hijinks ensue. Gloria is mistrustful and conniving, and ends up misinterpreting a situation. Even Jay's story is just about him making friends with a landscaper/gardener dude to prove to Manny that he's not snobby about money. The whole thing is slightly in poor taste, and there really isn't a single good laugh in the whole plot thread.

The Walking Dead: Lines We Cross (10x01)

I did not actively dislike watching this, which is about as good as it gets for me when it comes to The Walking Dead. Objectively, this was a pretty good premiere!

Cons:

I do not blame the child actor for this, but the little boy they have playing RJ is... bad. I know some people who say Chandler Riggs was bad as Carl, but I always thought he did a serviceable job, even in the early seasons when he was just a little kid. But RJ is just wow. Distracting. Every line delivery stilted and strange. Especially when he's compared with the girl playing Judith, who actually does a pretty good job.

I have a theory about the Carol/Daryl situation. At the end of last season, they signaled romance between the two of them very hard. But in this premiere, they seem to be splitting the difference, trying to cater both to the shippers, and to those who see them as only friends. There was an almost sibling-like banter to Carol and Daryl for a lot of this episode, as Carol makes fun of Daryl for calling her his "best friend." But then the language shifts to them talking about "running away together," which is pretty romantic, no matter which way you look at it. I feel like they're trying to have the best of both worlds, falling into the classic TV trap of "will they, won't they" to keep audiences on the hook. This is Season Ten. It's time to stop messing around with long drawn out character arcs that make so little progress you can barely see them moving.

Grey's Anatomy: Back in the Saddle (16x02)

Lots of stuff going on, as always!

Cons:

Someone hitting Maggie's car with a scooter and then nearly dying and then Owen accidentally shocking Tom in the balls was all... a lot of weirdness. This plot thread was about people being torn up and conflicted about my least favorite romance stories in the show. Maggie is pissed at Jackson for an insensitive social media post about how he's "free" now. And Owen and Tom are having a pissing contest over Teddy, who was conspicuous by her absence this week. You all know I'm team Tom Koracick, and I actually don't mind that he's being a bit of a dick right now. The guy has feelings and he's having trouble processing them. But watching him and Owen have this fight was just... so uninteresting to me. And now Tom is getting a restraining order against Owen? I'm annoyed because the writing and the framing here are meant to make Owen the reasonable one, and Tom the bitter crazy one. But Owen sucks. Yeah, Tom, is acting like a dick, but Owen sucks. I'm just so annoyed.

Maggie's rant to her patient's girlfriend about moving on from a bad relationship was just so annoying. Once again, Maggie makes every little thing about her. Her and Jackson somewhat smooth things over later in the elevator, but Maggie is still feeling mighty bitter. It's just... I don't like either of them when they're with each other. I need them to step back and have other story-lines with other characters for a while, please.

The Good Place: A Girl from Arizona" (Part 2) (4x02)

Kristen Bell is a talented actress.

Cons:

Not much to say, other than that I wish Tahani had more to do. She's been very underutilized these first two episodes, but hopefully we'll see that turn around soon.

Pros:

Jason made me laugh more than anything this week. He's never been my favorite character, but the line delivery and comedy from this guy is often a delight. The breakup with Janet worked for me because I don't really like them as a couple, but also because we get to see Jason exploring some emotional hardship and coming to terms with what that means for his future. Also, the poor boy got some bad news about his favorite sports team...

I really liked Tahani comforting Jason. I feel like their friendship is one of the unexplored gems of this show. If we could get the two of them to spend more screen-time together, I would be quite happy.

Modern Family: Snapped (11x02)

So... um. This was mostly bad.

Cons:

Let's start with the worst of the plots. Phil tries to push Gloria in class because he thinks she has an innate talent as a realtor. But he then worries he's pushed too far and that she's "snapped" by hitting another top student with her car. There's one joke here, and it's bad. It gets even worse when Luke and Phil start to wonder if Gloria really is who she says she is, maybe she's crazy and a liar! It's an uncomfortable moment, when Luke immediately says he's always been suspicious of this "exotic stranger" who came into their lives. He then says that everyone has their breaking point, and says the other family member they might have something to fear from is Lily. Can you think of anything about Lily and Gloria that differentiate them from all of the other characters on the show?? Hmm, could it be that they are people of color? Yeesh, Modern Family. Get your act together.

Claire's plot thread was inoffensive but boring. She has an interview with a magazine about being a female CEO, and she contrives to get all of her kids out of the house so they don't embarrass her. The kids keep barging in, so Claire pretends to be sick, and sends them away. Again, there's only one joke here, and it's just that Claire has to lie to the interviewers and to her children. It comes to a head when the kids all catch Claire in the lie, but then Claire says that she's allowed to be embarrassed by her kids just this once, because of all the times they've all been embarrassed by her. Nothing really comes of it. I was bored.