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Reviews
Ghosts: Attic Girl (2022)
Great Choices
That 80's girl ghost from 1987 rocked.
If you'd been there, then, that mean girl attitude was a thing. And this actress crushed it. She was the late-80s. You could almost hear the hair bands cranking their amplifiers up to 11.
And a BTW -- That U2 concert at Red Rocks on June 5 1983 was made into a film. It is so worth checking out. Great music and crazy stuff.
Young Sheldon: Babies, Lies and a Resplendent Cannoli (2022)
Genius Level
The way this episode begins, progresses, shifts around, and ends, may be the highest point on the genius scale as televised storytelling has reached. The intricacy in how the relationships weave around is brilliant. Not just the scenes but the choices about where to end the scenes advance the plot. There's this one where Georgie says something to Mandy, and we don't see Mandy's reaction on the screen but we see it very clearly in our minds. And we all see the same thing. And the overlap in plot and subplot themes was fresh, not heavy handed as so often happens when they try that. And, at the very end, after a quick moment's look at the actor's face, the screen goes black, Chuck Lorre's name comes up, and we're done -- wow.
As an audience member I would like to point out how lovely it is to be treated as though I can think, and as though I don't need the grotesque to be entertained.
Listening to those accomplished actors read aloud from that story made me feel like I'd found my way home.
(I should make the disclaimer that I have at least a dozen Isaac Asimov books in my house -- not to mention the magazine, which is the one thing the episode failed to do.)
Bob Hearts Abishola: Tunde123 (2022)
Need to return to the beginning
When this show began, the characters were funny, and quirky, and delightfully charming. It was a welcome relief to see characters behaving as they did. We liked them.
Now the show is clearly on a trend to -- unfathomably -- turn those delightful characters into people we want nothing to do with. Including spending time watching.
The addition of Abishola's mother -- while yes, it is culturally informative -- has cast so much harshness of the episodes that you find yourself sitting on the couch cringing.
I love how this series has opened us up to another culture, but feeling like you've spent most of a episode listening to fingernails on a chalk board is too high a price to pay.
What a shame.
Bob Hearts Abishola: Fumble in the Dark (2021)
Love it love it
This episode is Bo Derek running down the beach -- it's a 10.
It's not so much a plot twist that this episode does so brilliantly as it simply takes the plot line, that we've watched unfold, in a logical but unanticipated direction. In a reasonable, expansive, refreshing direction.
Sorry, folks, but the genie is out of the bottle. We are entering a world where people will increasingly be free to express themselves as they really are, with no need for apologies or for anyone to feel threatened. This episode -- to some degree -- will help those doors open a little wider.
10.
Bob Hearts Abishola: Old Strokey (2021)
New season is really working
It's tricky bringing the new couple together with all their complicated family dynamics, but this episode made it clear that the writers know where they're going.
We can see all kinds of changes coming, all the while we're enjoying the characters more and more.
And don't you love a show that makes you exclaim in the very last moment, "Whoa! Didn't see that coming!"
Ghosts: Hello! (2021)
Lots of Fun
The characters are delightful. The concept is unique. The execution is spot on. The way they're already weaving in today's events with the stories the ghosts carry with them from their individual pasts is really fun.
And the double entendres -- outta the park.
What's really going to be entertaining is watching where the writers take this setup. There are so many different, creative ways to evolve the characters and their interactions. So if you have any interest in story structure, this show could be a dream come true.
United States of Al: Promises/Wadaha (2021)
Very well done
There's nothing political about this episode. It's about a group of people trying to deal with an intense, dire situation that concerns people they care about. It's very compelling and effective.
The history of Afghanistan is complicated in the extreme. The first Sherlock Holmes story begins with Watson talking about being in the second British-Afghan war, and this in the late 1870s. And Afghanistan has been subject to foreign invaders ever since, including the US. And we wonder why they don't have a stable government.
Bravo to this caring and intense treatment of recent developments. The decision not to use a laugh track really works. If you get the M*A*S*H dvds, you can turn off the laugh track. It becomes a very different show, the one Larry Gelbart wanted.
Bob Hearts Abishola: Dud (2021)
Always interesting
You're never bored with an episode of Bob Hearts Abishola.
This episode really presents some of the intricacies of two adults, with established families and friends, getting married and trying to bring everything together in a way that makes everyone happy. Yeah, it's impossible.
It'd seemed strange for them to have left Dele in Nigeria, but after watching this episode you realize that if the new couple had to squeeze him into their newly combined life also, it would've been too much. So -- good call.
Bob Hearts Abishola: Welcome to Lagos (2021)
Best episode yet!
Now this was fun! This is a delightful episode.
Several characters find themselves seeing situations differently than they'd anticipated, and our perspective re-shapes with theirs. They, of course, come up with plenty of wacky stuff, but along the way they expand and grow. Perhaps the most unanticipated development was the mutual understanding and even camaraderie that occurs between Bob and Tayo.
The writers knocked it out of the park. You really gotta appreciate how persuasive they were getting us to open our minds as the characters opened theirs. With lots of laughs at every step.
It'll be interesting to see how the big question last season's finale left us with -- where should Dele be raised -- will be answered. But it looks like we're in good hands for its resolution.
And Lagos -- what a beautiful city! Obviously at least some of the episode was filmed there, and we see such an enchanting, interesting place. I want to go to there!
Only Murders in the Building: True Crime (2021)
What happened?
When Steve Martin hit the scene in the 70s, his material was unique, and fresh, and hilarious. The albums, the SNL hostings, the movies. Never showed you anything you wished you hadn't seen. Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid. C'mon. Now that's how Steve Martin does a mystery.
This is derivative, and grotesque, and not at all funny, with plenty of shots you can't erase from memory but wish you could.
What happened?
Girls5eva: Pilot (2021)
It didn't work at all
Just watched it and found it painful. Cringe-worthy.
And it raised an important question -- how can Tina Fey be associated with both this AND Mister Mayor, which may now be my all-time favorite sitcom? I'm thinking it must be Robert Carlock that produces -- what I consider to be -- really great comedy.
United States of Al: Homesick/Deghyat (2021)
Love it!
I love this show and I now love Chuck Lorre. During Two and a Half Men, I felt he was lowering so many standards of society. But with Mom ( which effectively is a public service announcement for people with addiction issues), and Young Sheldon (which poignantly and subtlety explores complexities of a changing world regarding family, educational, and religious dynamics), and Bob Hearts Abishola (a powerhouse of a crowbar in closed minds), Chuck Lorre has taken the clout he's built in Hollywood and is using it for good.
With The United States of Al, Lorre and crew are saying to us all, "Look, folks, we've been in Afghanistan for 20 years, and you know nothing about it. Well that's gonna change." We need to get a clear look at the country we've poured almost $3 trillion dollars into with over 2,000 American deaths (who knows how many non-Americans) and over 20,000 American servicemembers wounded (same).
With each episode, this series is gradually and realistically presenting us with a tangible picture of what our country has been intimately impacting for two decades. It's fascinating. It's opening minds.
I send a heartfelt thanks to everyone associated with this show. Keep it coming.
The Unicorn: Out with the Old (2021)
Good, but needs to mix it up
I really love the setup, the characters, the fun. But after watching two seasons now, it's become so obvious that the writers are relying on scenes where the characters eat together to advance the plot. (Did that start with Seinfeld?) Which is getting weird. Five parents in their forties who eat dinner together all the time? And one of the problems with it is that as much as Michelle talks about having four kids, only one shows up at these dinners, and Forrest and Delia's daughter is nowhere to be found.
It worked on Seinfeld because the four characters at Monk's Diner were childless and single. This continual dinner party with less than half the kids showing up needs to change. Gonna have to think up something new, writers.
United States of Al: Repair/Tarmim (2021)
Great character development
Chuck Lorre and crew are presenting us with a setup we've never seen before. These characters represent a sizeable segment of American society, and unless you know someone who's been in the military recently -- or is related to or involved with someone who's been deployed -- you really don't know much about what that segment is experiencing. The government learned during Vietnam that to keep public opinion supportive, you can't let the news cameras go in with the troops. So most of what we know about what caused the challenges returning soldiers are facing today is by deduction only. Now here's The US of Al giving us a closer look.
In this episode, we see Al drawing out the main character and his estranged wife, and he does so in a manner that reveals the hurt while dressing the wound. It's very touching. It goes just far enough without becoming dramatic. And then the end of the episode shows us that what we've been picturing regarding Lizzie's storyline is not quite accurate. (Don't you love it when a show does that?)
I look forward to watching this series push the boundaries into new territory.
The Unicorn: Put Your Mask on First (2021)
Two Great Season Finales in a Row
Disclaimer -- I'm in the immediate afterglow of having seen this season ender, so, that said, this might be the best episode of television I've ever seen. And that's based on the science of storytelling. In this episode, the writers gave us pretty much the entire list of what you give your audience when you want them to have a totally satisfying experience. Surprises! And more surprises! And characters change. And new doors open. And things get simple. But other things get complicated.
And you, the viewer, are so glad you've been watching this series for two years, having traveled step-by-step with these good folks, to reach this place, that they shared with me tonight, where watching a season finale of a sitcom can be such a delightful joy.
Mom: Strutting Peacock and Father O'Leary (2021)
This is the real stuff
When Steve Valentine shows up on a sitcom, fasten your comedy seat belt.
Valentine and William Fichtner give us a master class in emotional sincerity and transparency without making us feel we were conned into feeling what they made us feel. It's real, it's deep. And then, in a split second, the scene calls for Valentine's character to hide his inner reveal, and he spins it on a molecule and reverts back to who he's always pretending to be.
You know that big rock star who was always doing characters, and then told us he'd stopped doing characters, but we nonetheless felt like he still was? I wonder if Steve Valentine may have extracted some inspiration from that. He clearly knows that being a rock star does not mean you're living in bliss. You might, in fact, be far from it.
Such a satisfying experience to watch this episode.
Young Sheldon: A Pager, a Club and a Cranky Bag of Wrinkles (2021)
Great Comedy Great Everything!
Truly one of the best episodes of a sitcom ever on television. There won't be any spoilers here about what actually happens. This review is more about the story structure.
The Sheldon plot line moved Sheldon into a new position for us to see him in, and we felt such genuine compassion for the little guy. Life's lessons can be tough, but that's how we learn, right?
The fun surprise twist ending in the Georgy plot line -- while not as far out there as the one in The Sixth Sense -- nonetheless made us realize with glee that we never saw that one coming. And we were delightfully happy for everyone involved.
And in the Connie plot line, guest star Reba McIntyre pulls off a feat I've only seen once before, and that was by Derek Jacobi in a Frasier episode entitled "The Show Must Go Off." Definitely a must-see.
This is comedy gold. I'll probably watch it 10 more times.
Bob Hearts Abishola: Tunde the Boy King (2021)
I love this episode!
This is about as good as it gets. Funny, moving, interesting, silly, and creative beyond belief. Whatever they're smoking, keep it a'coming.
Mr. Mayor: Dodger Day (2021)
Please - No More Jiggly Cam
Best written comedy on television today. And all I watch is comedy, so, best written on TV. The jokes -- and they hit, smack dab in the center -- come at you with a velocity that heretofore has not been seen. It's like scripted vaudevillian. You have to watch the show a couple of times to catch all the lines.
And as far as the reviewer who thought the episode had cruelty in one of the plot line, I live in a crushing anxiety that I might not have been totally nice to everyone every day, and I did not see any cruelty here. At all. Not even comedy cruelty. Just none.
But here's the problem with the series -- the filming technique. What is it with this jiggly cam? You will run your viewers away if you keep that up. We got enough going on out here to keep us feeling jiggly. We come to you for a place to run away from all that and for 27 minutes pretend it doesn't exist, never has, and never will.
I know the jiggly cam is used to keep the viewer in a somewhat agitated state of mind, but really -- give it up. You don't do it in the titles. They look great.
Fix it.
But here's something else -- like the comedy writing that's wonderful and the acting/delivery that couldn't be better and the novel assortment of characters -- that doesn't need to be fixed because it's perfect. And that's Jeff Richmond's music. Just like on 30 Rock, it brings it. This is an amazing musician.
Bob Hearts Abishola: Honest Yak Prices (2021)
Excellent episode
This episode does a great job of merging American and Nigerian cultures, highlighting both the similarities and the differences. Makes for an entertaining and interesting watch. And they bring out the go-get-'em in several characters, giving them the opportunities to move beyond previous boundaries.
And it really made me wish I could visit Abishola's church. Those scenes were brilliant.
The Unicorn: The First Supper (2021)
Actually -- It's an 11
This is one of the funniest episodes of any series I've seen in a long time. We were almost screaming we were laughing so hard.
Don't want to do any spoilers so let's go with -- Rob Corddry was so, so, so funny. Of course some great comic writers gave him the material, but he took it and crushed it. The awkwardness in the group during a party was pure comic gold -- comedy thrives on awkwardness -- and they really managed to make it all seem like something that might have happened to you.
All the while, a story about a guy trying to start a relationship on an episode on a television show that the very title of defines him as available. So we know it's not going to last, but we feel like we'll enjoy the ride just fine.
Mom: Dirty Money and a Woman Named Mike (2015)
Don't Miss This One
Possibly one of the best television shows I've ever seen. Yes, it was funny. Yes, it expanded the characters into new territory. And yes, it helped the characters deal with their problems in a unique way. But the reason this episode is so good is because it deals with Christianity in a way that I'm able to not just tolerate, but to actually get behind and applaud.
In this world where religious hypocrisy is a boastful norm -- today's New York Times has an interview with a pastor wondering how Christianity will ever recover from the blatant "heresy," as he put it, of evangelicals -- this episode showed us characters engaging in a type of faith that was sincere, honest, and benevolent. They believed it, and they lived it.
It was heaven.
The Unicorn: It's the Thought That Counts (2020)
Excellent Episode
Wade and Shannon's relationship took a fun turn I've never seen before. What do you do when it's your birthday but you've just started dating someone? The writers set this dilemma up and then worked it out in a happy and unique way. And Wade's "exit walk" was hilarious.
They also brought up a social issue regarding race that was well worth looking at through the lens of these characters' friendships. A deep issue, yet they maintained the show's lighthearted humor, and its likability, all the while introducing ideas that were well worth becoming aware of. We all want to treat our fellow citizens with as much respect and understanding as possible, and when helpful ideas are presented in such an easy way, it helps us all up our game a bit. So -- many, many thanks to the writers, producers, and cast for this one.
Keep 'em coming! This is a fun journey to take with this group of folks.
Young Sheldon: Bible Camp and a Chariot of Love (2020)
Still giving a 10, but ...
This is a great episode. The writers keep finding plot developments that get inside tricky societal issues in clever and unprecedented ways. Send Sheldon to Bible camp, and put him up against an intellectual rival, and you get a compelling metaphor for how the Bible is used in our society for reasons other than spiritual development. Very nicely done.
And, of course, whenever Paige shows up, get ready to be impressed with the subtle naturalness of her acting. And the Georgie character continues to grow, through trial and error, into the astute player we know he's eventually going to become.
So it definitely gets a 10. It's really great. The "but ..." part in the title is because of this -- in the last couple of episodes, the writers have portrayed the main character, our protagonist, in such a way as to be moving toward unlikability. You're gonna get yourself in trouble if you do much more of that.
The show is "Young Sheldon." He can have faults, but we need to like him.
Mom: Tang and a Safe Space for Everybody (2020)
Now you're talking
There's hope. After a rough first two-episode post-Christy beginning this season, episode number 3 brought it. The show was starting to look like they were leaving uplifting comedy for uncomfortable snarkiness, and then in this episode they recovered their footing.
Two reasons -- 1) They used Tammy to provide extra chemistry to the Bonnie-Adam relationship, and 2) Steve Valentine. He plays a character just enough from Bonnie's past to set up a terrific situation, the kind that has made us love this series. And he crushes it.
Steve Valentine played 3 different characters in two episodes of Hot In Cleveland and was amazingly good. The episode titles are Playmates, and I'm With The Band. They're definitely worth checking out.