Velma- Season 2

NOTE: This review doesn't spoil anything this season, but there are a couple sentences that are kinda a spoiler for last season.

6.5/10

In season two, Velma (voiced by The Office/The Mindy Project's Mindy Kaling) tries to catch a serial killer targeting men.

There does seem to be an effort by the writers not to be quite as aggressive with the material that turned off viewers, however it does feel like just a 10% reduction. You've still got Velma being judgey and mean and political/social and hip modern commentary that does feel like it's being thrown aggressively at the screen, but, still it does feel more natural this time. 

I especially think a lot of the characters are more likable this time around. I felt that Fred (Always Sunny in Philadelphia's Glenn Howerton) is funnier and feels more like a character than an over-the-top popular kid/man child. The season manages to expand the characters of Fred's dad William (voiced by original voice of Scooby-Doo's Fred Frank Welker) and Velma's mom  Diya (voiced by The Unicorn's Sarayu Blue). William who was mostly a disapproving father with limited screentime gets fleshed out a little, and he's more fun to be around (though, yeah, there are a lot of rich guy jokes with him). At first, Welker's approach, which was a raspyish, older version of the original Fred voice, didn't work on me, but it's grown. It does have a unique quality. Diya, who's role was more story-driven last time and didn't have time to breath. Here, she turns out to be as ridiculous and fun as most of the other parents.

I also felt the jokes were funnier this time around. Some may complain about the pop jokes, but I felt there were some solid bits.

Though many hate this, I do give the show credit for having a very unique feel that is character-centric, but also high energy weird and wacky. I liked the storyline this season better as the show goes to some pretty weird and unexpected places. (They really go all in on the brains in jars with them just hanging out as regular high school students.) Got to give the show this, it's not boring. One could fault it for repeating the hallucinations storyline, but with Norville (Veep's Sam Richardson) having them this time instead of Velma. However, this part does pay off in the end.

I'd have to say that the strongest part of last season was that the mystery itself was solid. You couldn't figure it out too far ahead of time, and it felt like everything and added up and paid off. This season does this but even stronger. Again, this show knows how to surprise you and there are many twists and turns.

The animation is still strong, continuing with a unique visual style and color scheme, and it's so much more fluid than you'd imagine for a comedy.

Kinda recommended. If you didn't like the first one, it hasn't course-corrected enough to draw you back. I concede that the humor is a mixed-bag, however, but I still had fun. The show is so unpredictable, and the writers do feel like they're enjoying themselves.

Night Court (2023- )- Season 2

7/10

Season 2 of the Night Court reboot continues to have Judge Abby Stone (played by Big Bang Theory's Melissa Rauch), the daughter of the original show's judge Harry Stone, preside over Night Court and its array of wacky defendants, lawyers, and staff.

This season tries to be more like the original Night Court by focusing more on the defendants and making them wackier. I think I liked the humor better here; it feels like the writers are having more fun. However, if you don't like comedies that are too silly and not grounded, you may not like this much. (There is an episode focusing on British aristocracy that is so painfully one-dimensional. We are regularly exposed to British television these days. We know that's not remotely how they act!)

There are also not as many occasional serious/heartfelt moments (particularly the moments between Abby and defense lawyer Dan Fielding (the original's John Laroquette)) as there were, which I missed.

Laroquette is still the best performance, continuing the character he built up over the years. His uncle-niece-type rapport with Abby remains the load-bearing pillar of the show. I think that the character of Abby still feels a little too much like a try-hard at being a nice person (in comparison to her father who seemed to be nice naturally), however, you can't deny Rauch's enthusiasm in her role.

India de Beaufort as driven but somewhat socially awkward prosecutor Olivia Wilde continues to be the best of the new cast, though I do think they gave her less material to work with this season. Beaufort has this "presence" with her delivery.

They've written sad sack clerk Neil out of the show. I'm not particularly affected by his absence. His actor Kapil Talwalker did a good job, but the character never felt essential and his crush on his superior felt a bit forced and awkward.

Recommended. Not saying NC is the funniest or best written comedy out right now, especially if you don't want your comedy too network simple/broad, but it definitely makes for a fun time-waster with a decent cast.

Girls5Eva- Season 3

8.5/10

In season 3, the band Girls5eva  go on tour.

This season is a drastic change as the band members have left their home of New York and each episode takes place in a different location. It is an interesting change that does reinvigorate things a bit. However, I think this might be slightly weaker than the last two seasons. I feel the free-floating structure doesn't give rise to as many strong show business jokes as before. Also, Dawn's goofy, straight-laced husband Scott (played by Billions' Daniel Breaker) is back at home, so he's barely in this and his absence is definitely felt. But, the jokes are still really funny, satirical, and creative. The funny thing about this show is that they'll go for an odd subject of a joke or draw a bit out, and they mostly, surprisingly work. (Though there is one British joke that feels too stereotypically broad for my tastes. I guess jokes that are monarchy/upper-crust accent-based have started to get on my nerves, and Tina Fey created/produced shows are one of the greatest perpetrators. These jokes feel like they were written in the 90's and not-topical. We have so much access to British television that we know they have so many accents and kinda what it's actually like there.)

Unfortunately, the episode-length was cut from an already meager eight episodes to six, leaving one wanting more. (I understand having American dramas reduce their length as they prevent the stories from being drawn out/worn out, but I think all half-episode comedies where the individual episodes are more self-contained should be at least 10 episodes long.)

Though we still haven't gotten a song that is as funny as the fear song from season 1, this season's still got a pretty solid lineup of funny songs with some well written lyrics. 

The four leads remain entertaining. Sara Bareilles, writer and singer of Love Song, gives great delivery as Dawn the most sensible but awkward one, Dawson's Creek's/Cougar Town's Busy Phillips as Summer, the kinda emotionally stunted one, gives the best vocal and nonverbal delivery of the bunch, and Hamilton's Renee Elis Goldsbury continues to be pure, wacky diva as Wickie. I felt Gloria's subplot of her sowing her wild oats and sleeping around was a bit of a nothing burger that wasn't worth it's time. However, former SNL writer Paula Pell is great in everything else as she does as the one who often has to be the voice of reason or in reaction to the others' weirdness or self-destructiveness.

Though we are lacking Scott, his loss is lessened by having Paul (writer/actor John Lutz), who had a small role last season, given much more focus as the band's driver/assistant. Yeah, he's basically doing the awkward character he did in 30 Rock, but he does it so well, and he's given the chance to play it a little weirder. He's especially funny in scenes where he's driving as he does such unexpected stuff.

Highly recommended. The show is still very funny.

The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy- Season 1

8/10

In this new animated comedy on Amazon Prime, alien doctors Klak (Nope's Keke Palmer) and Sleech (Everything Everywhere all at Once's Stephanie Hsu), known for breaking the rules, try to find a cure for anxiety.

This is a very creative show. With animation as a medium, you can go much farther with bringing imagination to life. There are so many bizarre, unique aliens in this. (If you have a low weird tolerance, this isn't for you.) The show doesn't really have any humans in this, which makes it a nice change from sci-fi comedies like Tripping the Rift or Futurama. There's no asking yourself why you hear so many topical human references being made by everyone including aliens but not a lot of references to other cultures. The world of SBHitG may have similarities to us but never feels like the writers are copying humans verbatim. 

The jokes are fairly funny (there's also a solid mix of dark and light humor), but I wouldn't say the greatest. It's the stories and overreaching plot points that make this entertaining. The character's lives and the situations they find themselves in is what makes this show. The cast may be wacky but they all have solid flaws, fears, dreams, etc.

I was on the fence for the first episode; too much introduced too quickly. I recommend you stick till the third episode before passing judgment. 

The animation is one those recent adult animation types like you find on Max that kinda look like they were out of an adult indie comic. It hasn't worn out itself out yet and makes a nice relief from super-simplified character designs. The world is very colorful, detailed and distinct.

Palmer is known for usually playing confident characters, so it's nice to see her show her range by doing the opposite and giving a very believable portrayal as a person suffering from anxiety. You know who also surprised me in their performance? Maya Rudolph as Dr. Vlam, an intern and centuries old robot. She gives a completely different and slightly more grounded portrayal than anything she's ever done before. I didn't know it was her until I looked it up.

Recommended. This might be a little too odd for some, but this is a compelling work.

The Irrational- Season 1

6.5/10

In this new NBC show based on the nonfiction book Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely, behavioral psychology professor Alec Mercer (played by Law & Order/The Flash's Jesse L. Martin) uses his knowledge of irrational behavior to help the authorities solve crime.

This starts off weak. The first couple episodes or so have some troubled dialogue. The last line of the first episode feels like a parody of network television mysteries. The writers do find their voice but even then it is still an average show of its type in regards to writing and characterization.

The best part is the info dumps about human behavior. They're interesting (and the only well written section of the first episode is the introduction to the irrationality of man). The individual stories aren't too shabby and the show is pretty flexible in the cases Mercer takes on, they're not all murder mysteries. There is an overarching storyline about a tragedy in Alec's past. It doesn't break the network television storyline mode, but it is a competently told and decently paced narrative with a respectable resolution. 

Martin's trademark smooth attitude works for making Mercer feel authoritative. However, this is one of Martin's weaker roles. Mercer as a character is low-key and does not give the actor the opportunity to bring the charisma he has been known. Mercer also has a burn scar on his cheek and the makeup doesn't look great.

Kinda recommended. It's your basic network fare but makes for decent time-wasting, and I do like the look at how irrational people are.

Hazbin Hotel- Season 1

7.5/10

In Hazbin Hotel on Amazon Prime, the forces of Heaven, fearing the great numbers of sinners in Hell, hold an extermination once a year where they kill a lot of souls. (In this world, all dead people either become demons or angels.) Idealistic Charlie Morningstar (voiced by Erika Henningsen, who was the original lead in Broadway's Mean Girls the Musical), is tired of this, so she decides to create a hotel that specializes in redeeming any who stay there so that they can get into heaven.

The pilot for this came out four years ago (this was an indie animation that had to first be picked up, plus animating takes time), and I've been waiting, genuinely curious as to the final outcome, and yeah, this doesn't disappoint. Characters are well defined, there's great world building, and the show manages to hit the funny bits pretty well. One is engrossed with the story as it develops and whether Charlie will achieve her dream. This is kinda like The Good Place in that it questions the concept of eternal damnation for people that were lousy or made poor decisions but weren't evil, evil.

Be forewarned that this is very adult. Very, very adult. Maybe more sexed up than the Rocky Horror Picture Show and more foul-mouthed than South Park (I've heard the words b**** and holes, as in orifices and not in the ground, more times than I ever have.) And this, show can be pretty bipolar when it comes to its content. Hazbin Hotel can have a funny part and then something dark may happen. Unlike Bojack Horseman, which was known for balancing lighter and darker humor, I don't know if this finds the balance. The creator Vivienne Medrano is definitely a talent, but she's like those two guys who created the Venture Brothers, they're definitely creative, but you're truly worried about their state of mind. Medrano's original pilot and her web cartoon Helluva Boss, which didn't have to censor for streaming, are a LOT. Things can get uncomfortable with her. The subplot of hotel occupant and porn star Angel Dust (Blake Roman) gets DAAAARRRKKKK. It is front and center in episode four and their is a reason why it is rated 18+ while all the others are 16+.

Also understand that this season is only eight episodes long. The show has a lot of characters and ideas, but they don't all have their equal time to shine. There's so much plot being revealed that it's easy to remember what's going on this season but so hard to remember what was the main story of each individual episode.

The voice cast is good. This show is a musical, and I'm happy to say everyone they cast are good singers. Henningsen really manages to sell Charlie's sheer unbridled optimism. (A big part of her character is how pure she is despite living in a terrible place with awful people.) The other star of the show is Alastor, the Radio Demon (Amir Talai), who sounds like he's speaking over an old-timey radio. He's a very powerful demon that's sponsoring the hotel not because he believes in it, but because it amuses him. He's the "aren't-you-glad-I'm-on-your-side"-type, equally charming and funny and a terrifying fellow when you cross him.

People have already pointed out that Charlie's girlfriend Vaggy (Reno 911/Encanto's Stephanie Beatriz) sounds like and is kinda similar to Poison Ivy in the Harley Quinn show. But in fairness, the pilot came out before HQ. Credit to be given to the show for how the lovers' relationship is made clear through showing without having to explain.

The animation feels like a Deviantart artist's page come to life with a distinct type of character design. It's a very unique depiction of the afterlife. The animation is colorful, and the quality itself is really fluid and detailed. 

The songs are pretty good; there are weaker entries but no bad ones. I particularly like the variety; none of the songs feel like parodies/homages of existing songs like I've seen in many other musical TV shows.

Kinda recommended. This is definitely not for everyone. If you don't like M-rated stuff, stay away. And I do not fault anyone for episode four being too much. However, if you're okay with all of that, you may very well like this creative, well produced work. (You might want to see the pilot on Youtube first. The first episode does explain the premise, but the pilot explains stuff more.)

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters- Season 1

8/10

In this television spin-off of the Godzilla/King Kong theatrical Monsterverse on Apple+, Cate Randa (played by  Anna Sawai) travels to Japan to uncover questions about her missing father where she is drawn into a mystery involving Monarch, the agency that deals with giant monsters.

The plot does start a little tepid. Story is initially decent but doesn't feel like it is excelling. However, things really pick up during the second half. The plot becomes far more intricate and surprising and the character relationships really develop. (There's a lot you can't predict from the outset.) A lot of this also looks at the history of how Monarch first came to be (this doesn't do a half bad version of keeping steady with the movies' continuity) and it's pretty good and planned out.

Also, this is for you if you're looking for something for the whole family. The show maintains the audience level of the movies.

The monster effects are practically movie quality. This is still television, so they are always in short bursts, but you never get an episode without a monster.

Cast is good and the characters are distinct. I liked the main actors but to be honest I think the best performances are probably Joe Tippett as the likable everyman member of Monarch and Hell on Wheels' Christopher Heyerdahl as a general.

Be aware that this takes place approximately after the first Godzilla movie but before the second one. The show could've done a better job of making that clearer from the onset. I first thought it took place currently in the franchise. There a couple other nitpicks: one brief antagonist that is just too caustic and there is one plot point here that doesn't line up with what happened in Godzilla vs. Kong.

Highly recommended. This a popcorn movie made into TV form without feeling overextended.

Reacher- Season 2

8/10

In this second season, based on Bad Luck and Trouble, the eleventh book in the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child, Reacher (played by Ritchson, a guy who looks like a full brick wall magically came to life), former MP and current vagabond, teams up with his old Special Investigations Unit when one of their members is murdered.

This season feels like it moves quicker. Instead of Reacher mostly being stuck in one town, he gets to travel around and keeps things more varied. There is a lot more focus on action this time (and the show was already pretty action heavy). Violence is more creative. Though I do miss Reacher's rapport with his team mates last time (the whole point of Reacher is he is a lone traveler who doesn't have a constant team), the new guys are a pretty likable bunch.

Understand that this is blatant escapism. If you prefer a more grounded affair, don't expect any real world legal restrictions on Reacher's path of revenge. If you just want a tale of good guys with guns defeating the wicked then this is for you. (As with all Reacher stories, the villains are all super evil and killey). Reacher does feel a little too cocky, and it can get annoying. Also, this season the guy is a straight up executioner who doesn't only act in defense or to save people. He doesn't just want to beat the bad guys, he wants them DEAD. It gets a little weird. (Say what you will about the material, but one can't question Ritchon's soft-spoken self-assured portrayal).

Recommended. A fun, action-packed time, and Ritchson is very watchable.

Fargo- Season 5

9.5/10

In season 5 of the FX anthology series, housewife Dot Lyon (Ted Lasso's Juno Temple) finds her life and family under threat when a shadow from the past pursues her.

The last couple seasons haven't been as strong as the first two, so I'm proud to say that 5 is a real return to form. It both feels like the classic Fargo formula while also reinventing itself. (I especially appreciate that this has more of the main character's family life, which I felt really helped make seasons 1 and 2 work and juxtaposes well against the crueler aspects of the world of Fargo.) What ensues is a pretty well written look at the American political divide and the nature of debt coupled by an interesting story and characters. Creator Noah Hawley's gift for excellently crafted dialogue and monologues is at full speed here. The last three episodes may have been the most engrossing cap off to a season of Fargo there's been, and the very last scene of the entire show may be one of the best moments on television I've ever seen.

Going in though, understand that this is also the darkest season of Fargo (and that's saying something.) Sure, the show's always been about violent crime, but this one focuses on a pretty sensitive subject that may not be for everyone and DOES NOT shy away from the matter.

Visually, the show is also still top knotch with some film-quality shots. Plus, there's some of the best use of music the show's ever done.

I'm glad Temple's work on Ted Lasso really helped jump start her career in America. (Unlike the rest of the British cast on that show she'd already been working regularly in the US, but a lot of her films were flops or limited release.) She brings such a humanity and determination to her character (all with a pretty fun midwestern accent.) Rest of the cast is also great. Jennifer Jason Leigh excels as Dot's sarcastic, cold-blooded billionaire mother-in-law Lorraine Lyon, who inexplicably has an outdated transatlantic accent.

Mad Men's Jon Hamm is antagonist Roy Tillman, a constitutional sherriff and rancher from a line of sheriffs who rules his county like a fiefdom. He's different from previous Fargo villains. Most of them are the love to hate types. Tillman, however, is designed simply to be hated. Hamm is really pulling off the loathsome. (Most villains are honest with themselves in their criminality whereas Tillman clearly feels he's the hero of his story.) You don't watch because of fascination of the character, you want to see if he'll get his just deserts or not. But don't worry, the show still has its interesting villain. Ole Munch (Sam Spruell, who was the main baddie in Jodie Whittaker's last season of Doctor Who) is this season's contract criminal. The tall, kilt-wearing Danish man is a fascinatingly eccentric fellow who doesn't have a personal stake in the matters at hand and brings his own personal philosophy into the events.

Unfortunately, there are so many characters that some of them don't get enough screentime. Kids in the Hall/Newsradio's Dave Foley gets to be Lorraine's one-eyed lawyer/fix-it man Danish Graves who's got a flair about him. New Girl's Lamorne Morris gives the best performance I've ever seen him do as a kind-hearted cop caught in Dot's story. Both of them you truly wish you got more of. 

Highly recommended. This is peak golden age television.

Doctor Who- 60th anniversary special trilogy and Christmas special

9/10

For the start of Doctor Who's move to Disney+, we get a trilogy of specials for the 60th anniversary of the show and a Christmas special. In the trilogy, the Doctor has surprisingly not regenerated into a new form but into a previous one, his Tenth (played by David Tennant). He ends up running into his old companion Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) which places her in danger again. The two end up going against three threats. Then, we get the debut of the new 15th Doctor (Sex Education's Ncuti Gatwa) who will be helming DW's upcoming season. In his Xmas special, The Church on Ruby Road the Doctor goes up against baby-napping goblins.

Russell T. Davies, the creator of the recent DW and show runner of the first four seasons is back. When he originally left, I was okay with it and ready to give the next guy a chance. Davies could be silly/childish, maybe have the Doctor be a little too emotional at times, and throw too many ideas into one episode. However, I realized I took Davies for granted and didn't appreciate what I had with him. Davies understood this was a show for the young and old and though death always follows the Doctor, this is a show about hope. The other show runners forgot that and could forget the human element or go too dark and/or nihilistic. 

The human element definitely feels back here. Donna's married now, and it's been so long that we've seen her that she's now got a daughter Rose (Heartstopper's Yasmin Finney). It used to bug me that every companion had to have a full family attached, but I realized this keeps them grounded, and I missed the feeling of family that Davies effortlessly brought. I particularly realized how much I missed the Noble family in general. Tate hasn't missed a beat as the sharp-tongued Donna, and Jacqueline King as her mother Sylvia is very watchable when you see her in her protective mode and her sheer dislike of putting up with another of the Doctor's adventures. The Doctor generally cared for Donna and her grandfather, and his reactions to reuniting with the Nobles feels really pure here. Tennant and Tate have still got it and they work off of each other so well.

Though the specials of the new Who are a resetting of the tone, Davies doesn't brush aside previous show runners' decisions (including those two very controversial decisions from last season) under the rug and does a surprisingly good job of running with them. The whole crux of these specials is Tennant's Doctor dealing with his baggage in a surprisingly meaningful and emotional way. 

The humor of the early years is back and it is infectious.

As for the three specials themselves: The first is just a fun adventure in Davies' vein of DW. The second is one of the "ominous threat" style of episodes. If you love those, you'll like this as it's very well done. The second is a big finale and is an excellent combo of heart, grandeur, and scares. Not to mention that this has one of the best villains/villain performances in the entire show. That third episode is simply one of the most satisfying finales in the history of DW.

Now to the Xmas special. Only one episode in and I'm already liking Ncuti. He's more of an openly high energy life-loving/good-natured style of Doctor. His new companion is Ruby Sunday (Coronation Street's Millie Gibson). I do fear we may have some companion fatigue as her persona does feel a little derivative of previous companions. That having been said, Gibson does ain't too shabby in the part, especially when she's being enthusiastic.

The special isn't as fun as the last three, but it still makes for a solid episode. The goblins make for silly but still threatening foes.

What all four specials have in common are improved special effects due to the show's deal with Disney+. Yeah, the recent seasons have been looking pretty good for British television budgets, but the effects are at another level here. There is a whimsical splendor to some of the sets/digital backgrounds here.

Highly recommended. The 60th specials in particular are must see and the third may be one of the best in the show's history. If you once loved DW but lost interest after Davies left, you may want to return, because what you originally loved about the show is back.

Hamster and Gretel- Season 1

8.5/10

In this new Disney Channel cartoon from Phineas and Ferb co-creator Dan Povenmire, elementary school-aged girl Gretel (voiced by Povenmire's daughter Melissa) and her hamster Hamster (SNL alumni Beck Bennett) are granted superpowers by aliens and become superheroes. Meanwhile, Gretel's brother Kevin (Love, Victor's Michael Cimino), who was standing right there and got diddly squat, ends up in the thankless job of being the guy in the chair and trying to coral his young and impetuous sister.

If you've seen P&F or Milo Murphy's Law, it's the same kind of humor. Stuff that's clever enough for adults and goofy enough for children. What we get is a bunch of varied and enjoyable villains of the week, who are a fun bunch with goofy gimmicks. Though the episodes are mostly self-contained, the show does a decent job of building the world upon existing characters (I thought the villain Professor Exclamation (MadTV veteran and prolific voice actor Phil LaMarr) was a little one note at first, but he and his single-minded inability to be chill and get over his tragic origin (which is kinda silly) got sorta interesting to watch.)

The three main characters make the show. Kevin is a solid straight man/fall guy who has to deal with helping his sister amongst the various insanity thrown at her There's something about Gretel that's just so darn contagiously optimistic. At first I thought Melissa's casting was just a case of nepotism, but her voice really grew on me. It's got a unique quality. Funniest character hands down is Hamster. He's the one who's surprisingly cool and laid back. Bennet's naturally deep tone is accentuated here and he manages to make delivery that is always in the same tone be consistently funny. Originally the writers had him as a guy of few word like P&F's Ferb, but I think they quickly realized what a personality expert one-liner they had on their hands.

Highly recommended. Show is just fun. On the Povenmire scale, it's below P&F and above Milo Murphy's Law.

Goosebumps- Season 1

7.5/10

In this the second show to be based on the popular children's horror series by R.L. Stine, a group of teens accidentally open a secret room unleashing a collection of cursed objects upon their town.

I give the creators credit for doing something other than the same ol' with the Goosebumps style. Instead of the more colorfully shot tales like with the original stories and the films that star children, this has the leads being teens and the story being told with bleaker lighting and somewhat more grounded writing. The show has more weight and story than your regular Goosebumps. I rather liked the whole backstory of the secret behind the accursed objects and other forces. This took a few risks for a Disney+/Hulu family program. However, the show still manages to be macabre and scary without crossing content lines. (Parents be forewarned that the very last episode is more violent than the entirety of the rest of the show.)

Though a more serious Goosebumps, the writers are having fun. There's a decent amount of humor to balance the tone.

The main teens though maybe not the most standout characters, are all good enough. This is another one of those "teens with parental problems" shows. The show doesn't do much new with the formula. I'm so tired of every series/movie starring teens having emotional trauma issues. I get it, a lot of people in this world don't have super parents, but seeing this done ALL the time is exhausting and kinda depressing. Can't we just have teens going on an adventure that focuses on just the adventure and not their problems? At least the parental issues in this aren't as strong as they would have been if this was more of a teen/adult show.

Standout in this is Justin Long (who'd have guessed at the start of his career that he'd become so associated with horror?) as the teens' teacher Mr. Bratt. He gives a pretty lively, offbeat performance. Childrens Hospital's Rob Huebel (who I'm surprised isn't in more things as he's good with drama or humor) is also pretty watchable as a semi-ineffectual school counselor.

Recommended. Goosebumps purists may not love the somewhat radical changes, but this managed to deliver something new without feeling like its completely discarded the elements of the books.

Villains of Valleyview- Season 2

6.5/10

The second season of the Disney Channel sitcom continues the misadventures of the Maddens, a retired supervillain family, as they live in modern suburbia.

Best part of this continues to be the friendship of the polar opposites bad girl Amy Madden/Havoc (played by Isabella Pappas) and the sunny Hartley (Kayden Muller-Jansen). They work so well off of each other. The rest of the cast remains strong, the humor is still decent and something kids will probably enjoy, and I like the effort they put into the costumes.

Though the family loves each other, the writers lean in even more on the insult humor between each other even more this season. Parents may not love the example it sets, and besides that, it gets a little tiresome.

Youngest child Colby/Flashform (Stuck in the Middle's Malachi Barton) continues to feel unnecessary. Don't get me wrong, Barton delivers his A-game, but as the youngest the writers always feel at a loss as to where to put him. He doesn't get to associate with many his own age and is mostly relegated to B-plots where he interacts with his parents.

The show started with the characters trying to change their ways and seeing the value of good, but this season went in a weird place. The way they portray villains as being mostly lineages has resulted in them being shown  a little as a mistreated class, which seems to disregard the importance of moral choices. A little weird for my tastes and again not a great message for kids.

Kinda recommended. I think your kids will really like it. As a show by itself, it's got a lot of good things going for it, but it's also hampered by its weaknesses. 'Course I might be giving a Disney Channel show too much thought.

Doom Patrol- Season 4 (Final)

9/10

In the final season of Doom Patrol on Max (which took forever to release the second half of the show due to the big shakeup in Warner Bros.' regime change), the ill-fated members of the titular Doom Patrol find themselves the targets of a sinister undertaking.

Though I'm sad to see this wonderfully weird and well-characterized and -acted show end, I felt it left at the right point (they were stretching the group's trauma a bit thin by this point; they have to completely grow eventually). The ending, though it may not be what everyone wants is a very emotional affair with the characters we've all grown to love (those that actually watch this criminally underrated show anyway). I especially like how natural the journey of Crazy Jane (Encanto's Diane Guerrero) has been. Out of all the cast, her progression has been the most natural, relying less and less on her other personalities. (If you were disappointed that they really weren't using Crazy Jane's special abilities that come with each personality anymore, prepare to be equally disappointed here. To play devil's advocate, it both conceptually makes sense and showrunner Eric Carver (the American version of Being Human and seasons 8-11 of Supernatural) probably had pressure from the producers to cut down on special effects). Both Robotman/Cliff Steele (played by Riley Shanahan and voiced by Brendan Frasier) and Elasti-Woman/Rita Farr (April Bowlby) have some great moments, but the show continues its nasty habit of leaning too hard on their negative characteristics: Robotman making too many dumb decisions and Elasti-Woman hindered too often by her vanity and stubbornness. The latter's journey feels particularly choppy as her character sorta goes back-and-forth throughout.   

Again, the show earns it's title as the most bonkers superhero show out there. The various scenarios the gang are thrown into are unique and entertaining. I admire how the writers were able to squeeze in most of the  the remaining villains from the original 60's run. One of the more recent Doom Patrol members Casey Brinke/Space Case (Madeline Zima) finally makes it to the show. If you liked the character, you probably won't be disappointed here. She has this pep to her that other cast members don't have. 

Course for a show where the writers throw out one crazy idea after another, don't expect everything to stick. Once again, I felt there was too much emphasis on the amoral government agency The Bureau of Normalcy, which has really worn out its welcome. Remember the killer butts? Well, they're back. Yeah, yeah, it's a funny concept, but again they've worn out their concept (I think the butts are the one part of the show that got TOO weird), and the writers feel way too enamored of their creation. 

Doesn't help that it feels like the writers had trouble fitting in the butt subplot. There's so much going on that things may feel rushed and that not every concept may get its due. Also, be prepared that some of the supporting characters you've grown to know may not get as much time as they should. The writers focus on the main cast almost to a fault.

Recommended. Yeah, they definitely could've cut down on the characters feeling bad about themselves, but this remains a truly unique experience and deserved send off for the show. I shall miss it, but I'll remember the good times. 

Loki- Season 2 (Final?)

9.5/10

In the second and probably final season of Loki on Disney+, Norse god Loki (played by Tom Hiddleston) tries to save the fate of the TVA (The Time Variance Authority).

I mostly liked the first season, which was pretty inventive and the look to the headquarters of the whole TVA was so unique, but I had my criticisms. The story felt a little dragged out, there was too much organizational shadowiness, and though it was fun to see the narcissistic Loki in a situation he didn't have control over, it became exhausting to see him be under the foot of one constant bad situation after another. This season though, it has all the strengths of season one but none of the weak points. (Also, if you were disappointed with the cliffhanger for season 1, it pays off a lot better than you'd suspect.)

This is nothing but great sci-fi creativity, excellent set design (I love the window shots of the massive retro-futuristic world of the TVA so much), and wonderful characterization. The human drama and stakes are so well done here. The finale with the exception of Avengers: Endgame is the best ending in the entire MCU.

Loki continues to be the main strength to this show. Here, the writers have worked most of the redemption stuff out of the way, and for all of those who saw potential for good in Loki, this really paid off. Hiddleston delivers a fantastic performance as a focused and serious-minded Loki trying to do the right thing despite all the odds. His relationship with TVA agent Moebius (Luke Wilson) continues to result in one of the best duos in television history. Wilson delivers one of his best performances, and Moebius' everyday ability to be congenial even alongside someone like Loki works so well. 

The writers seemed to like TVA desk jockey Casey (Eugene Cordero, who's one of those comic actors who's popping up more and more) enough that they upped the role, and he works well when given more serious material to work with. There was always something a little suspicious about Miss Minutes (voiced by prolific voice actress Tara Strong), the TVA's holographic AI in the form of a 1950/60's cartoon clock (brilliant idea by the way), who started to seem a bit suspicious as to her motivations last year. Here we understand what makes her tick as she's become an antagonist and makes for a rather interesting character (although they don't spend much time with her.) I also felt they did a better job with the characterization of rogue TVA judge Ravonna Renslayer (Belle's Gugu Mbatha-Raw) and her motivations.

We get a couple new characters. Ke Huy Quan, whose stock has really risen since Everything Everywhere all at Once, is the TVA's science guy Ouroboros. Quan brings his trademark likableness as the guy who is way too easy going with what's going on.  Jonathan Majors plays yet another variant of the multidmensional warlord Kang, scientist Victor Timely. You're curious as to what role he will play in everything as you're sort of charmed by the smart but awkward man, but know that he has the potential of going bad.

The only weak point to this is that sometimes, especially with the last episode, the writers are trying to be a little too clever with the time travel laws. It can be a little confusing.

Highly recommended, this is one of the best recent MCU entries and one of THE best period. This is just six hours of pure entertainment and superb storytelling.

Star Trek: Lower Decks- Season 4

8/10

The lower decks gang from the U.S.S. Cerritos face new chapters in their lives and a mysterious new threat and welcome new crew member Vulcan T'Lyn (voiced by Crazy Ex-Girlfriend's Gabrielle Ruiz).

The show remains consistently entertaining as the episodes remain varied and distinct, and the writers continue doing a great job making use of and paying  homage to Star Trek lore. What I like about this show is that the characters don't remain stagnant and there is actual growth. (They finally tackle a couple plot points that arguably the writers may have been putting off for a little too long.) I especially appreciate the growth in the case of Mariner (Space Force's Tawny Newsome). She was too controlling at the beginning and destructive, but the show has acknowledged she's on a journey and she's gone through so much development. There's a continuing subplot is a mystery. It keeps you guessing as to what's going on and the explanation pays off pretty well.

The character of T'Lynn, who's a bit of a rebel/goes-with-the-gut-type by Vulcan standards was first introduced in season 2. It was hinted she was going to join the crew since then, and it's finally happened. The execution meets expectations. For a new addition, she fits in flawlessly. She's sort of the straight man to the rest, but she's also understanding enough of the characters that she gets along with them pretty well.

Animation remains strong. It continues to be colorful and the action is really fluid this year.

The main voice cast remains great. Newsome is really on her a-game this season. All her lines sound so natural.

Highly recommended. It's another funny season that's a real treat for Star Trek aficionados.

South Park: Joining the Panderverse

8/10

In this new South Park special on Paramount+, the South Park boys face the threat of their universe merging into one where are all the cast are multicultural women. 

This may be one of the show's cleverest satires in the last few years.  It pokes fun at both Disney movie pandering and those who get upset at anything the slightest bit "woke" at the same time and how a lot of franchises are taking advantage of the multiverse craze. Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, much how they expressed their dislike of Family Guy and its reliance on cut-away jokes, deliver some probably honestly held beliefs of theirs about the overextension of multiverses through the South Park boys' dialogue. I appreciate that they are nuanced and not 100% one-sided when addressing the topics.

The writers were clearly having fun with the "woke" South Park universe idea. It's particularly funny seeing all the kids being played by adults who speak the exact same way the kids would. Stuntwoman Janeshia Adams-Ginyard, who also plays one of the Dora Milaje in the Black Panther movies, voices Diverse Cartman. Her delivery of Cartman's lines is pretty funny. She's not mimicking his unique cranky voice, but she gets all the nuance of his selfishness down flat. Kenny's muffled voice usually hides the fact that his dialogue is the dirtiest of the main quartet. Diverse Kenny (Diana Lauren Jones) has no coat covering her mouth, and seeing a woman sincerely delivering all of Kenny's dirty, hormonal boy dialogue makes for a fun time. Montana Jacobowitz completely nails Butters' gullibility and anxiety. Cartman (Parker) is sorta the main lead and again one of the funniest aspects of the show. He's best when he's his most paranoid and obsessive. Cartman's crazed, racist over-the-top fears of being replaced by diverse women are pretty entertaining as we see how increasingly desperate he gets.

The only downside to this is that the show really should've dipped its toe into the whole multiverse thing a lot more, and it felt like a lot of jokes and potential was left on the table. Thing is there's a B-plot. (It's not really mentioned in the promotional material, so I won't spoil the surprise of what it's about.) The satire of it is sound but just isn't as funny as the a-plot. It could've been its own half-hour episode. Plus, it stars Stan's dad Randy (Trey Parker), who I feel is really overexposed recently.

Recommended. Another prime example of the show's satire and both-sides, Libertarian-esque humor.

The Fall of the House of Usher

9/10

In Mike Flanagan's third limited Netflix horror series based on a popular house-based work of fiction (and probably his last since he has signed a deal with Amazon), we get an adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's short story The Fall of the House of Usher as well as several other of the author's other works. After suffering a great tragedy, CEO of the powerful pharmaceuticals company Fortunato Roderick Usher (played by Thirteen Days' Bruce Greenwood) invites his nemesis district attorney Auguste Dupin (Alias' Carl Lumbly), who's been trying to get him charged for various criminal activities for decades, for a confession. In it, Usher recounts what befell him and his family and why.

This is an interesting departure from the last two house shows. Whereas those were more typical haunting shows with low body counts, this one's rather different. Body count's high here and the show is far more violent. (Perhaps this is Flanagan's reaction to criticisms about his previous show The Haunting of Bly Manor which is more psychological and the least with straight scares.) There is one kill in particular that is EXTREME and not for everyone.

Whereas the previous shows were about basically good people in bad situations, the Usher family, which are obvious parallels for the Sackler family, the ones responsible for the opioid epidemic, are mostly the opposite. This is one of those morality tales where bad people have things happen to them that are equivalent to their trespasses. Flanagan has always been big on characterization, and he does a solid job of making ourselves understand how the Ushers turned out the way they are. The two major strengths to FotH are getting to know the rich, diverse cast of characters and predicting how the next over-the-top death will happen.  One may argue that it's a bit lazy of Flanagan to focus most of the episodes around specific Poe stories, but he does a superb job of updating them to modern times.

Most of the dialogue works in this. However, there are a few speeches given by characters where it does not feel natural and is just Flanagan trying to too hard to get a message across.

As with most Flanagan productions, we get a great cast, including many of the the director's regulars. Originally, Frank Langella was cast to play the Usher Patriarch but got fired for repeated inappropriate comments. I won't lie that I would've liked to see what could've been with Langella's trademark bold voice and performance. (Not to defend him. He was warned to stop, and he still kept on.) However, Greenwood is a veteran actor and he does an awards-worthy performance as a complex, nuanced character. The man's expressions can say so much with so little effort. One of the best parts of this show is the framing device of Greenwood's conversation with Lumbly: two talented men working off of each.

Best performance probably goes to Carla Gugino as the mysterious woman involved with the Ushers' misfortunes. She utilizes multiple disguises in this and its impressive how the actress slips into various personalities.

A surprise casting for this was Mark Hamill as the Ushers' lawyer/fixer Arthur Pym. The actor has been popping up in live-action more often these days, but it still feels like the movie/TV world often still doesn't know how to properly utilize the guy. I think this will be considered alongside The Big Red as one of his best works outside Star Wars. He plays the guy who knows where the bodies are buried; the one employee the spoiled Usher children know you don't mess with. Hamill brings to life a no-nonsense, smart character but who also has a bit of humor and personality to when he is faced with the unexpected. There's a discussion in this that is arguably one of the best performances he has ever given.

Highly recommended. I'd say this is the second best of the trilogy. Hill House has the better scares but the difference between the quality of these two is not by much.

Scavengers Reign- Season 1- Episode 1

6.5/10

In the first episode of this adult animated show on Max, the crew of a damaged spaceship become marooned on a planet full of strange animals and plants.

First off, I've got to give Max credit for giving this a shot. There are so few adult animated shows and films out there that aren't comedy. Scavengers Reign shows the value of telling serious stories through animation. You'd never be able to depict such a visually ambitious alien world with a live-action budget.

The best thing about this is the animation and sheer creativity to the planet. The creator or creators have hatched such a unique environment featuring ideas I'd never think of. What I saw in the first episode isn't leaving my brain any time soon. Designs are colorful but definitely alien. I don't think I've ever seen an alien world depicted on screen that is just so different from our own. As beautiful as the planet can be, it can also be unsettling or straight up macabre. The whole show feels like a European comic.

Credit should be given to Max for taking the risk on telling such a weird and unarguably adult and sometimes dark tale. Going back to comparing this to a comic, this felt like one of those stories that would've been toned down in order to make them more audience friendly if they had been adapted to screen, but no, the show is allowed to be as weird and adult as it likes.

Thing is that I'm not planning on continuing to watch this. I know I spent several paragraphs saying I admire the gutsiness of the project, but that's just it. I admire the endeavor but not the final project. The whole affair was just too slow-paced for my tastes, and I don't think I could push myself through eleven more episodes.

The alien world is creative but just a little too off-beat for my taste. Also, the dialogue felt a little stale/unnatural. 

There is some fine voice acting in this including from Loki/Lovecraft Country's Mosaku as crew member Azi and Arrested Development/Search Party's Alia Shawkat as her robot companion Levi. However, some delivery feels stilted including from Bob Stephenson as crew member Sam. (In fairness to Stephenson, it may not be his fault. His audio felt off when compared to the others, like they recorded his audio remotely because he couldn't make it to the studio and the quality wasn't up to par.)

Kinda recommended. Some people will be put off by the pacing and general content, while I see others being really into this. Though I'm not returning, I don't regret giving this a shot.

The Continental: From the world of John Wick

8.5/10

In three movie-length episodes, this Peacock television spin-off/prequel of the John Wick movies (couldn't tell if it is supposed to be a season 1 or just a mini-series) is about how Winston Scott (played here by Colin Woodell) became the manager of The Continental, the hotel for assassins and other criminals, as a young man back in the 1970's. The movie starts with businessman Winston being forced by crime boss and current Continental manager McCormac O'Connor (Mel Gibson) to find his brother Frankie (Animal Kingdom's Ben Robson) who has stolen a valuable item.

What works about this is that the show doesn't feel like a cookie cutter plot of the traditional JW formula. Don't get it wrong, there is plenty of action (more about that later), but there's a lot more focus on characters and plot. This is doing a strong job of being a 70's crime story and the battles/cooperation between various characters make things interesting.

The action isn't the pure gun-fu from JW, but the show is action-packed. Some may be disappointed that the second episode doesn't have that much fighting, but they're saving it all for the finale. Rarely have I seen the final episode of a season so rewarding. Almost the entirety of it is a pure violence and choreography lover's dream.

The protagonists are decent. I wouldn't say they're all stand-outs, but they all work well. A particularly strong performance is Ayomede Adugin as the young version of Winston's right hand Charon (Ayomide Adegun), who's currently Cormac's right hand at this point. The actor perfectly captures Lance Reddick's charm and professionalism. At first, Cormac doesn't seem that interesting as he feels like a basic mobster. However as  his situation becomes more and more desperate (he's got superiors who don't want failure) the character becomes more and more intriguingly disturbed. 

The villains who really stand out here are the silent assassin twins Hansel (actor and stuntman Mark Musachi) and Gretel (Marina Mazepi, who's specialized in playing monsters in the past). Yeah, the whole silent twins thing has been done before but what make this different is that these two psychos aren't identical in their mannerisms or fighting styles. They make for ideal real threats and are fascinatingly weird. They might actually be my favorite antagonists in the whole JohWicki-iverse.

If you're a fan of the films, you might be disappointed with how the rules of the world are handled. The characters in the movies take the rules of the criminal underground very seriously with major repercussions if you cross them. However, there is a lot of rule breaking or bending in this show and not as much enforcement. In fairness, since this takes place in the past the answer could simply be that the organization played more fast and loose back then. Maybe the rules became more strictly enforced as time went on. If that is true, they didn't make it clear, though.

If you liked that the JW films had plenty of stylish deaths but no civilian deaths, so you don't feel guilty or bummed out, The Continental doesn't follow this format. In the 70's it's dangerous to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Recommended, this was a surprisingly entertaining crime show.