Comedy
‘Shrinking’ Is Effortlessly Brilliant In Season 2, Episode 3
Shrinking consistently amazes me. Only rarely does a show come along that is so able to juggle multiple three-dimensional characters and thoughtful, interlocking plot strands; that...
Times Are Changing In ‘Poppa’s House’ Episode 1
Damon Wayans is sitcom royalty, so Poppa’s House feels like it’s about more than just an aging DJ trying to deal with a changing world....
‘The Franchise’ Goes Feminist In Episode 3
Nobody said The Franchise is a documentary, but Episode 3, “Scene 54: The Lilac Ghost”, has an ear to the ground of the biggest problem...
Rhiannon Gets A Taste For Killing In ‘Sweetpea’ Episode 2
After the premiere of Sweetpea, I made a pretty long list of Rhiannon’s potential victims. For now, that list may still be accurate, and there are...
‘Agatha All Along’ Delves Into Billy’s Backstory In Episode 6
Having dropped the bombshell reveal that Teen is really Wanda Maximoff’s son, Billy – otherwise known as Wiccan in various Marvel ephemera – there were...
‘Are you Smarter than a Celebrity?’ Is A Throwback Family-Fun Game Show
Fans of the iconic game show series Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? are in for a treat with Are You Smarter Than a...
‘Shrinking’ Hasn’t Lost A Step In Its Season 2 Premiere
Shrinking is a fantastic comedy that is sometimes so funny its depth sneaks up on you. This was true in Season 1 and it’s immediately true...
‘Rachel Bloom: Death, Let Me Do My Special’ Is A Remarkable Work Of Art
There’s nothing stand-up comedy connoisseurs like less than experimental specials that challenge the idea of what stand-up comedy can be, so I fear the discourse...
‘English Teacher’ Sticks The Landing In A Superb Finale
It was only right that English Teacher, a truly excellent sitcom, had a really good ending, and Episode 8, “Birthday”, caps off Season 1 in fine...
The Point of ‘The Franchise’ Becomes Clear In Episode 2
I wish I knew more about Tecto, the hero of the inevitably doomed superhero flick at the heart of The Franchise. There’s no way this...
‘A Virtuous Business’ Episode 2 Implies A Dramatic Pivot Is Coming
It’s early days yet, but I suppose it’s worthwhile asking where A Virtuous Business might be going. There aren’t exactly an abundance of empowering female-driven...
‘The Franchise’ Has A Needlessly Good Premiere
There’s a joke at the end of The Franchise’s premiere that sums the whole thing up. In it, Himesh Patel’s Daniel, the first AD of...
‘A Virtuous Business’ Episode 1 Establishes A Solid Premise
The comedic hook of A Virtuous Business is fairly straightforward – the clash of conservative Korea and sexual openness. Lots of K-Dramas are sexy, of...
Rhiannon’s Likeliest Victims After ‘Sweetpea’ Episode 1
The premiere of Sweetpea, “Sorry for Your Loss”, has a pretty simple mandate – justify why Rhiannon Lewis would stab a man to death for...
‘Agatha All Along’ Drops Its Bombshell Teen Reveal in Episode 5
I have been relatively positive about Agatha All Along since the beginning, but Episode 5, “Darkest Hour / Wake Thy Power”, feels like the moment...
‘Slow Horses’ Season 4 Has A Bleak Ending, But It’s Expertly Crafted
Slow Horses Season 4 doesn’t have a happy ending. It’s actually rather bleak. No justice is done. Painful sacrifices are made. There really seems to be...
‘Bad Monkey’ Ends Conclusively, But There’s Still Room For More Yancy
Bravo to Bad Monkey, because it’s the rare streaming show with a proper ending. Episode 10, “We’re in the Memory-Making Business”, brings all of the key...
Recap: ‘English Teacher’ Episode 7 Questions If Teaching Is A Dying Profession
Just like the field trip earlier in the season, the aptly-titled “Convention” gets the teachers out of the classroom. But even though Evan thinks that...
Recap: Aubrey Plaza Steals The Show In ‘Agatha All Along’ Episode 4
I keep hearing that Agatha All Along is the gayest thing Marvel has done. I’m not sure what this means, or how this can be...
Recap: ‘Slow Horses’ Season 4, Episode 5 Is Firing On All Cylinders
Slow Horses operates at such a consistently high level that it didn’t occur to me until midway through Episode 5 of Season 4, “Grave Danger”,...