57 Channels and Only This Is On: November 3, 2024

 

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon: The Book of Carol: Oh yeah, eye guy is still around.  And I forgot he is a good guy now after not murdering a child.  Welcome back I guess.

 

Only Murders in the Building:  “I still haven’t watched The Wire yet” is probably something I might say if someone had a gun to my head.

 

But season four made the same mistake season three did in the killer reveal was a bit too melancholy instead of laugh out loud funny like the first two seasons.  Sure I chuckled a little at the bit on the ledge and let out a laugh when they zoomed in on Jan (for a second there, I thought they might be setting up Marshall as the murder for the next season which could have been interesting halving the killer be the next victim, oh well).  But neither was so funny I had to rewind because missed what came next because I was laughing so hard like with Charles being drugged or the Killer Reveal Party.

 

It was also disappointing with all the doubles this season and with all the mentions of the plot holes in the first season that the twist was Marshall killed Sazz and disposed of her body by himself while the potholes seemingly were just Sazz trying to tighten up her script.  I wonder if the references to the potholes were just the writers winking at their mistakes or are they just toying with us and will finally let us know who wrote Jan’s note and who poisoned Winnie (who finally made her triumphant return to the show; more Winnie next season) by the final season?

 

We also got our usual set up to the next season.  Poor Lester.  But there was also the Téa Leoni cameo as the wife of “The Neck” (I guess Nina Lin’s husband being called “The Neck” back in season  two is just a coincidence and one of the writers really like calling people “The Neck”).  So here is my prediction, Lester is somehow tied into “The Neck” and Téa Leoni had him killed to get the New Three Amigos on the case. 

 

Survivor:  Oh wow, another vote out where the person leaving had a mental breakdown.  Where are they finding these people?  It is time to go back to casting regular people with regular jobs instead of these annoying superfans.  And what a horrible advantage where you have to secretly give the advantage to someone else.  And the choice made it even more lame.

 

The Challenge: Battle of the Eras:  So we are just going to bounce back and forth between alliences every week, aren’t week?  It is time for a shake up.

 

Agatha All Along:  Oof, those last two episodes were horribly paced.  First we got the unnecessary gratuitous big fight, then a way too long flashback that just killed the finale.  But it ended up being much like WandaVision, great premise that just sputtered out at the end.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: September 27, 2024

 

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon: The Book of Carol: So they killed off the big bad and the mother in the same episode.  So what now?

 

Only Murders in the Building:  Well, my prediction that Paul Rudd wanted to return so he could be the killer after being killed off last season turned out to be off… unless my evil twin theory turns out to be right because we know the writer needed help. Poor Paul Rudd, was fed rat poison, pushed down an elevator shaft, shot in the head, and suffocated.  Now I have to wonder if they will try to find a way to bring him back and kill him again next season. 

 

As for that partner, with all the clues that tie back to the beginning, it seems like the accomplice would have been around from the beginning.  Speaking of things that have been around since the beginning, the tie-dye sweatshirt was conspicuously very visible when Mabel went to talk to Bev Melon.  I still hold on to the prediction that the other big reveal of the partner will happen at the wedding… followed by a death for them to solve next season.

 

Survivor:  It is always an entertaining episode when the most delusional person finally gets voted off.

 

The Challenge: Battle of the Eras:  I guess if you have a shot to take out Johnny if you can, but when he will be going against someone the size of a pencil, maybe do not potentially give him all the power in the game.

 

Agatha All Along:  So we get confirmation that all the nerds have been saying all along, that Aubrey Plaza is playing Death.  Cool, hopefully being such a big character, she shows up in other Marvel properties.  But RIP Patti Lupone.  But I do wonder if all the fallen witches are dead-dead or if they will somehow be brought back.  And I guess the Salem Seven were not as important as I made them out to be.

 

The Old Man:  Oh joy, another season ending in a cliffhanger.  But how exactly does the ex-wife kidnap a grown man?  And if Maeby can find the couple in section, how is she not able to find a kidnapped grown man?  This will be a painful third season.  Hopefully there is not one.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: October 20, 2024

 

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon: The Book of Carol:  So to find Carol she is cozying up to the lady who kidnapped him and is searching for him.  What could possibly go wrong?

 

Only Murders in the Building:  So did Paul Rudd make a deal that they could kill him off last season as long as he could come back and be the killer the next season?  Though will two episodes left, it is likely Glen Stubbins will just be the last red herring of the season.  On the other hand, with so many doubles this season, there is bound to be an evil twin out there.  So I would not be surprised if there is an extra Stubbins and that is the one Sazz was talking about.

 

But then again, they brought up Winnie being poisoned for the second week in a row making it seem like the killer has been around since the first season.  So that is another clue that it is probably not Glen Stubbins or a potential evil twin.  Also, it sounds like we are getting a wedding this season and I am guessing there will be a high probability that it will turn into a killer reveal party with one of the guests.  Well, either that or someone will die at the wedding… or maybe both.

 

 Tell Me Lies:  It became fairly obvious as the first season went along that Drew was not at the engagement party because he was either dead or in prison.  Though, I always assumed if it were the former, that Drew killed himself.  Drew dying because Wrigley gave him too many painkillers is rough.  If Wrigley was having a hard time coping in season two, I fear for him during season three.  Granted the bartender giving the obviously underage kid alcohol has some liability too.

 

The Bree-Lucifer storyline was the weakest of the season, but at least it ended hilariously.  At east I was laughing as it was explained to Bree what was really going on.  I guess it will not take very long for her to get back Evan next season.  The biggest question for me all season was does Bree know in the future that he hooked up with Lucy and we did get than answer in dramatic fashion.  You knew something big was about to go down when the wedding string quartet started playing Mr. Brightside.

 

Now the biggest question is how did Evan and Stephen stay friends for long enough so Stephan could sabotage his wedding?  That was an extremely long and petty grudge Stephan held.  Man, it was extremely cathartic watching Leo beat Stephan to a bloody pulp.  I really hope a renewal notice is coming soon.  

 

Survivor:  That was one of the most brutal blindside in a long time.  I do not remember the last time someone got that mad at getting voted off.

 

The Challenge: Battle of the Eras:  Oh wow, it seemed like all Rachel needed was to compete by herself.  But it will be interesting how alliances fall into place now that it is an individual game, especially after two members of the vacation alliance got sent home.

 

Agatha All Along:  Sigh, Ralph Boehner is back.  And for no apparently reason, Agatha was wearing a Boehner Family Reunion shirt with the tagline: Pitch a Tent.  Sigh.

 

The Old Man:  In what was the least shocking plot twist, Maeby is not actually dead.  I think I had that.

 

57 Channels and Only This Is On: September 13, 2024

 

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon: The Book of Carol:  So those two chicks kidnapped that dude just to pump out babies?  This franchise has officially run out of ideas.  But I was thinking this week, just how exactly does Carol plan on finding Daryl now that she is in France. 

 

Only Murders in the Building:   At the end of the first season, after they solved the murder, Mabel mentioned about loose ends before grabbing some more campaigns. A new murder presents itself and those loose ends were never brought up again.  Finally, two and half seasons later, the new Three Amigos have brought up those loose ends.  This implies the killer is someone who was around from the beginning.  I think we can cross off Uma and Lester.  Was Tie-Dye guy mad he got written off?   Since the murder seems to have been carried off by multiple people; maybe he recruited all of Mabel’s forgotten love interests.  The Arconiacs have also not been seen in a while.  Then there was the serial murderer that Merv talked about during the blackout episode.   What exactly is the legal status of Teddy Dimas?

 

But one thing we were told to ask by Detective Williams was the “why now?”  Winnie gets poisoned, Jan has a note on her door, and then there is long break at the end of season two, before Sazz is shot.  So why now?  Why were there no threats from the killer with that year break in the middle?  Or were there and we just did not see them? 

 

We did not see the Westies in season but there were theoretically around.  Thankfully they revealed they were the one cashing the checks.  It was extremely obvious it was them, especially when Howard saw there were five different signatures.  Still, I do not think any of them are the killer.  He is the hall pass of one of them.  I still think this will tie back to the first season and Teddy might have shot to the top of my murder board.

 

So much going on at the end, I have not even brought up the old lady cat fight!  Oh my.

 

 Tell Me Lies:  Umm, why was the one sorority sister on the discipline board of someone who was accused of raping one of her sister?  Why would you think she would be impartial?  Except she through her sister under the bus and let the guy get off.  Oof.  So is that really why Lucy and Lydia grew apart?  Then why would Stephan say to Lucy that Lydia was excited to see her?  Does Stephen not know what went on and think they are still friends?  Grant, there is a very high probability that he was just being a troll.

 

There has been a lot focus on Drew the last couple weeks.  I wonder if he will finally make an appearance this season.   I still hold on to the prediction that he is either dead (probably by his own hand) or in prison by the time we get to the wedding.

 

Survivor:  Uh-oh, you do not make big moves this early, that one lady is in trouble.  She even broke two rules of the new era, if someone wants to make a big move early: let them, and let them be the target.  Do not make a counter big move and then become the target.  And certainly do not make a big move to keep the annoying guy because you think you can beat him.  Other people will think that two and will probably get you out first especially if you just pull off a big move.

 

The Challenge: Battle of the Eras:  Ummm, so what are they going to do with no male Era 1 players anymore?  Is Rachel in the clear or can other Eras still chose Rachel, they will just have to pick a different guy to go into the arena.  Are the two guy captains who do not win just automatically going in from here on out?

 

Agatha All Along:  Ummmm, is everyone but Scarlet Witch’s kid dead now?  Where was Rio?  Is she going to come in and save everyone?  She does not really seem like the saving people in danger kind of person.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: October 6, 2024

  

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon: The Book of Carol:  I never thought any show could have a dumber name than High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, but this may actually take the cake.  At least High School Musical was likely in on the joke of the silly name.  This is just stupid.  Also stupid: flying to France in the middle of a zombie apocalypse.  No way am I getting in that thing.

 

Only Murders in the Building:  We finally meet Dudenoff… and he is dead (seems obvious the Westies are cashing the checks).  So do we have a serial killer on our hands or just two killers who had the same idea to get rid of a body?  This makes me wonder if the power goes of randomly in any of the first three seasons.  But I guess this exonerates the Brothers Sisters.  But they never did explain why the one’s footprint was on the windowsill.  Did she visit her mentor; look out the window and just leave?  I wonder if that will come back up.  But I did get a vibe from the writer who threw the directors under the bus this week.  The guy does have 20/10 vision which would make for a good sniper shot.  Granted he did have an alibi during his episode, though he would not be the first person to fake an alibi.

 

 Tell Me Lies:  I never thought we could possibly get a Thanksgiving episode as good as Slapsgiving during How I Met Your Mother, but this may have topped that.  There was at least more slapping.  Sure, it was convoluted how they got everyone in the same place at the same time, but it was definitely worth it.

 

The Challenge: Battle of the Eras:  Sigh, another week, another Era 1 player going home.  So Rachel is just the captain every week now?  What if she goes home next week?  Can they no longer send in Era 1?

 

Joan:  Great soundtrack, the rest of the show is forgettable.  Who knew the greasy guy from Fear the Walking Dead was still working?  I cannot remember seeing him in anything since he was killed off.

 

Agatha All Along:  I am still not all that interested in the trial of week format, but Aubrey Plaza being unhinged upped the entertainment level infinitely this week.

 

The Ark: Oh wow, they made it to the planet, but not surprising some did not stay.  People gotta be on the titular ship.  So are they just going to have two storylines next season?  Not that I think there will be a next season.  With Chucky canceled, this will likely follow.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: September 29, 2024

 

Snowpiercer:  The show ends like it began, with the tailies fighting to take control of Snowpiercer.  Apropos I guess.

 

Only Murders in the Building:  More Ben Glenroy double?  If he keeps showing up, I may have to put him on my murder board.  Of course, that is if he survived the episode.  It would be funny if they killed off Paul Rudd twice.  I certainly do not think the Brothers sisters did it.  And it is not just because it is way too early to for them to find the murderer.  We still need a why and a why now.  Then there is also the how: how did they get access to both apartments.  Of course if it is not them, what about the shoes?  Are we just going to learn that it is a common sole? 

 

 Tell Me Lies:  I was skeptical that Lydia’s brother possibly raping Pippa caused their riff in the future, but now I think that just might be it.  And since he did the same thing to Diana’s sorority sister, it seems even more likely that is what he did to Pippa.   But it surprising that we are over halfway through the season and we are just at October.  I wonder if they are going to just do one semester this season.  But it was a bit disappointing with an episode entitled, Evil, Ornery, Scandalous, and Evil” and not overt Sublime reference inside of it.

 

Survivor:  Nothing like an episode entitled, “Epic Boss Girl Move” to spoil that someone in the bro alliances was going home.

 

The Challenge: Battle of the Eras:  Sigh, another week, another Era 1 player going home.  This is getting boring.

 

Agatha All Along:  The first episode was very entertaining, but many they should have stuck with a new prestige parody every week because I am not looking forward to a new Witches’ Road trial for the next month.  This week’s episode really drug along.

 

The Ark: Oh way, they really made it to an inhabitable planet.  Though, I have a feeling something might happen in the finale that will keep them on the ark even longer.  They are trying to blackmail people into blackmailing other people on the ark.  Maybe that is not the place to stay very long.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: September 22

Snowpiercer:  So not only did the big haired scientist we just met put the Earth into deep freeze, but he also turned out to be Alex’s father?  What big reveal related to him do they have in the finale?

 

Only Murders in the Building:  Whatever Paul Rudd was doing last season, it did not work for me. He just cannot do unlikeable very well. His character came off more like a SNL sketch. Now his weirdo Irish stuntman, this was hilarious. Nice to see with all the big names they brought in this season, they still held a few things back.

Ever since Mabel was kicked out of the Arconia, I have been wondering how she would get back in. I could have never guessed that it would be squatting in a killer’s apartment. Though It is pretty obvious the Portugal guy is not the killer, the killer was just taking advantage of the empty room. Could the killer be the Paramount producer? It is obviously way too early to reveal the killer and she will just be a red herring. I am guessing she had some connection to Sazz and that is why she was there. Maybe Sazz got her to be an investor. But why the gun, and why point it at the trio who she has met?

 

 Tell Me Lies:  Oh Diana, what the fork are you doing?  And why do these women keep on coving for this douchebag?  No wonder he is just walking around in the future timeline, these girls keep on giving him alibis and covering up his crimes.

 

Survivor:  There is always someone who breaks the cardinal rule of playing to hard early in the game and gets set home because of it.  Oh well.

 

The Challenge: Battle of the Eras:  Why are people still scared of CT?  The guy put on a bunch of pounds since his last season.  It was not at all surprising he lost.  It was a lot more surprising that Tina was so good at removing nails. 

 

Agatha All Along:  Okay, that was fun, though I kind of wish we had gotten more parodies of prestige television kind of like how Wandavision was a walk through the history of sitcoms.   That should have been the first season and then the witch’s road could have been the second season.

The Ark: This felt too much like the alternative universe episode from earlier this episode, just with less people.  Though it was hilarious that Garnet basically ghosted the clone after they got back. 

 

57 Channels and Only This Is On: September 15, 2024

 

 Snowpiercer:  Um… didn’t Layton spend more time outside unprotected than the guy who froze to death a couple episodes?  But are we going to get a full out battle next episode?  Might as well go out with a bang.

 

Only Murders in the Building:   Celebrities playing exaggerated version of themselves can be tricky.  I was not really feeling the new Three Amigos after the first episode.  But by the end, the Perfect Strangers montage, unhinged va Longoria, and Eugene Levy getting punched in the face were extremely hilarious.  I also did not like Howard last season.  He just seemed forced as the stage hand, though I like him much more as basically a thankless unpaid intern for the podcast.  Though, now I am wondering what happened to his boyfriend?  Probably hanging out with all of Mabel’s exes in obscurity never to be heard from again. 

 

But that was an ominous ending.  Who was that weirdo on the other end?  And could that be Melissa McCarthy?  I kind of assumed that she would be playing Jan in the movie, but being some weirdo might be the better role for her.

 

 Tell Me Lies:  I was excited to get more of the future timeline in the first season, but now it kind of feels like a momentum killer.  Especially since it was a silly duel bachelor / bachelorette party which was only done to get Lucy and Stephen in the same room at the same time.   The earlier timeline remains more interesting.   Great scene with Lucy fulfilling her promise of outing Stephen’s secret if he continues to mess with her.  But she made one crucial mistake in not telling Diana that one of her sorority sisters saw Stephen and Macy together that night.  Now the question is, what, if anything does she do with that information.  Stephen is not in prison in the future, so it seems like nothing is a good guess.

 

The Old Man:  So the old man was not hallucinated the bad guy at the end of his episode?  But I am confused how Maeby went from having a fight to the death with her father to caving hunting with each other.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: September 8, 2024

Snowpiercer:  Oh hey, Melanie is still around.  But did they just reveal that the nerdy scientist caused the deep freeze?  That is a very big twist to present this late in the show.

 

Only Murders in the Building:  I was wonder about that what happened to what Sazz wrote.  Of course Mabel knows of the forensic stuff that will show you where blood (and other bodily fluids) was.  As we learned, that was the phase that was used when they switched out Charles for Sazz.  But how actually does that help with the investigation?  Hopefully this is not another misunderstanding like the Savage-Sandwich mistake from season 2.

 

I have also said that I do not believe someone is actually dead until I see a body.  Though, I am not sure if someone seeing their ghost counts as seeing the body.  I guess the cops can do a DNA test on the ashes which should confirm or not that is Sazz (though again, until there is a flashback, I may still have a sinking suspicious that she could have planted some DNA in the ashes).  Detective William’s return in season three cannot be topped, but her coming in with a SWAT team comes close.

 

Right after season three ended, Jan was very high on my murder board; her old apartment was even on the other side of the Arconia.  Granted there does seem to be retconning of that side of the building to make them all seem like weirdos.  But at least they are very funny weirdos.  I wonder how much time we will spend over there.  We still need to meet Christmas guy, and I have to image Charles will have a run in with the person with the hall pass.  We also need to figure out what is up with the pig. 

 

But back to Jan, it does not seem like she was involved, she definitely seemed too distraught to have killed Sazz, and of course there was the whole being in jail alibi.  So, if not Jan, who?  Clearly it was someone in the creepy room.  But whose room is that and what is with the pig?  Of course there has to be something more to that because I am sure they can figure out whose room that is from the person that took over from Bunny.

 

 Tell Me Lies:  Ooo, two future scenes in the premiere, there were only two of all last season.  But there were none in the second episode, so I wonder if we will get any more scenes until the final.  I was guessing there might be and that is why they shaved off Stephen’s hideous wig, so they would not have to keep putting that ferret on his head.  But why exactly is Lydia mad at Lucy for?  Does she get her brother in trouble for maybe raping Pippa?  It did seem like whatever she is mad about, it happened more recently to have been something that happened in sophomore year.  But I did call very early that Diana was Pippa’s secret lover.  Granted, it pretty much had to be her unless it was someone we had not met yet.

 

The show was a bit vague with what happened to Wrigley’s brother.  Where is he?  Was there ever a follow up about Macy?  It seemed like every at the party last season was able to figure out that what Wrigley and his brother were talking about was about Macy.  I do wonder if we will see the brother at all this season, the actor is no longer listed in the cast.  Could they really kill him off-screen?  I have always assumed since he is not at the future wedding that he is either dead or in jail.  I am more leaning towards dead every passing episode.

 

But poor Bree, she was the only pure character at the end of last season.  Now it seems like all these heathens have finally been able to corrupt her and she might actually hook up with… Lucifer?  That is really going down a dark path.  Now the question is, has she learned that the person Evan cheats on with was Lucy by the engagement part?  If not, will it come out sometime after the party, but before the wedding?  Hopefully we do get more than future scenes this season than just the end of the season.

 

The Challenge: Battle of the Eras:  Trivia is always the best challenge, but for some reason they really try to mess it up.  Why did two people get dunked every wrong question?  Why did the person who answered wrong not get dunked?  Also Challenge trivia is not the most entertaining as it is more entertaining when they mess up fourth grade knowledge.

 

57 Channels and Only This Is On: September 1, 2024

  

Snowpiercer: I feel like I missed an episode, I do not remember what happened to Roashe at all.  But we are getting the inevitable teamup between Wilford and Layton.  I am sure that will end well.

 

Orphan Black: Echoes:  Apologies for the “Thanos was right” type statement, but is cloning the smartest people in attempt to solve climate change and other major issues at the time really that bad?  Sure, very unethical to do this without permission but it should do more good than harm.  But a bad ending to a bad show.  I audibly laughed when the bad guy killed the younger Jessica Jones only for there be another one with a bad wig.

 

Only Murders in the Building:  Backula!!!  Though, he is kind of on top of my murder board after the first episode.  But the big question is: is he a good enough shot to kill someone from across the street and through glass?  Maybe I should scroll through his IMDB to see if he has any sniper experience.  There were moments that I thought maybe Sazz did not die as my number one rule in television shows, if you do not see a body, then they are not dead (and even if you see the body, there is still a chance they are not really dead).

 

I guess the Bulgarian replacements pretty much confirm it was her, but I still go back to my number one rule on television.  Until I see a flashback, I will probably still have an inkling she somehow survived.  But then who is the body?  Could Sazz have put something in the incinerator and have spare parts to make people think she is dead?  Though the killer presumably cleaned up after themselves.  It is weird that the camera made note of Sazz writing something with her blood, but the killer then cleaned it up.  Unless some forensic equipment will be able to detect it.

 

The Challenge: Battle of the Eras:  Well, looks like Tony Time is already over.  Moron.  I usually complain whenever the peanut gallery helps one contestant, but that was just karma that everyone ganged up on Tony.

 

The Ark: Myonly take away from this episode: nerd sex.  I am kind of glad this is not on premium television.  I am not sure I wanted to see a more graphic version of that scene.

57 Challenge and Only This Is On: October 8, 2023

 

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon:  Not killing the dad is probably going to come back and bite Daryl.  He better hope the auntie is very persuasive.

 

Billions:  So Prince knows of the coup but we still have not gotten to the scene where he throws a chair through Wendy’s window.  I guess that comes when the alliance to bring him down actually does separate Prince from his billions.  So now Prince is bringing in a guy and Chuck is bringing in a guy… could they both actually be bringing in Bobby?  Bobby is clearly the guy Chuck is recruiting for their group, but why exactly would Prince trust Bobby at all?  But I predict that Chuck’s thumb drive gets exposed before the end of the season.

 

Only Murders in the Building:  On no, poor Sazz. Though I did predict that someone would kill her thinking it was Charles way back in season one. Finally got that right belatedly.

 

This finale was missing some hilarious reveal. First season had a drugged Charles, there was the Killer Reveal Party in the second season. I thought it was coming when Mabel mentioned it was too easy when they got the mom to confess. Instead it seemed like they went for a too dramatic reveal with the producer threatening to kill himself which just felt out of place on this show. It probably did not help that the producers were the worst part of this season.

 

But hey, we did finally get a full performance of Creatures of the Night. And I guess the nanny turned out to be the killer in the musical. I mentioned this last week, but I really hope they film a full production of Death Rattle Dazzle and put it out as a special as we wait for I have to assume will be a strike delayed fourth season.

 

Ashoka:  I have been saying all season: they should have found someone better than Erza. Looks like I have been proven right because the bum has up and left them. Now here Ahsoka and Sabine are, foreign to their world. Straight and composed, Thrawn's sermons they can do without. But I am sure they have found that everybody loves to love them when they're far, far away.

 

Quantum Leap:  Really, writers and actors were on strike, but this was the show that somehow managed to come back?  And they yadda yadda three years?  This is going to be a rough season.

 

Loki:  Well, that was confusing.  But at least there was more Pillboi and the new guy was funny.  Gotta love the duct tape bit.  But pretty ominous that one of the judges is Kaittlyn Stark’s creepy sister.

 

The Challenge: USA:   Oh, Michele, I told you that you chose unwisely last week.  But hilarious that the Goof is offering to go in himself next week.  I would love to see it.  But who can he beat at Hall Brawl.  But hey, at least it is not the throwing challenge from earlier this season.

57 Channel and Only This Is On: October 1, 2023

  

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon:  It did not occur to me that we could see the boyfriend again.  But it was pretty wild of him to think that he would think his former flame would know he was forking her sister.  I know I did not get that during their flashback.

 

Billions:  Wags has some weird kinks, but the new one is just gross.  But another episode without Bobby.  Is Chuck is really going to wait until the last episode or two to call in his favor?  Is Prince’s wife going to join the resistance?

 

Only Murders in the Building:  So it looks like I was right that the creepy mother poisoned Ben to sink the plane.  Now we have to wait and see if my other prediction of a second killer will be right.  But it was just nice to have the Three Amigos back together.

 

Ashoka:  So Thrawn’s plan was just to waste time?  That just made it seem like this was a waste of an episode because of it.

 

The Challenge: USA:  Oh Michele, why are you siding with the Vet’s?  Getting out Tori would have really helped your game.  But more oil wrestling challenges please.  Just do not cut to Josh during it next time.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: September 24, 2023

  

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon:  So the miracle child was born to a zombie.  Cool.  Does that explain why he is super weird?  They will probably just make him immune from zombieism.

 

The Chi:  Well, that was not the Avengers assembling that I predicted, it actually was a really embarrassing assassination attempt.  Then Emmitt tries to blame it on the gun jamming; the dude shot am missed multiple times before that.  But Victor definitely finishes him off, right?  Either Douda or Emmitt has to die next episode because Douda has to know it was Emmitt since he set up that meeting.  I guess we will have to wait awhile because the show is going on hiatus.   But I guess this ws the last we will see of Kevin, that certainly looked like a farewell.

 

Billions:  Finally, some R.E.M.  Great ending to a not so great episode. Why  was there so much about how Bobby owes Chuck when Bobby is not even in the episode?  The whole DMV thing just seemed like a forced attempted to get Chuck and Wendy at the same place and for the writers to add some forced sports references.

 

Only Murders in the Building:  Now that is how you make an entrance. Welcome back Detective Williams. Sorry you had to slum it on The Idol; hopefully she is available for the final two episodes and this was not a one off. Charles and Oliver's plan to distract her was hilarious. I did notice that they would have missed the interrogation of the first guy (though he is so insignificant I forgot his name if we ever knew it in the first place) and Bobo. I wonder if missing their interview will be important.

But maybe not because Loretta confessed. I had an inkling that it was going to happen, but thought that was going to be the cliffhanger for the penultimate episode, not this one. What pushed her over the edge was Donna talking about protecting her child at all cost which put Donna at the top of my murder board. Could she have sabotage the play to save her kid the humiliation of producing a bomb? She seemed extremely angry that the critic who wrote the bad review for the play was at the sitzprobe (I am now extremely disappointed that none of my high school musicals had sitzprobes).

So now I am thinking they pin the murder on Donna next week, but the big twist at the end is that she just poisoned Ben Glenroy and then we learn who pushed him down the elevator shaft in the final and that will be... mmm, I kind of like Tobert until he started dating Mabel. I guess I will stick with him unless someone really sticks out next week. Though, if it was him, then Detective Williams would have been wrong to say, "The killer is someone in this room." Maybe I will say Howard as a backup, he seems way too eager to be part of the podcast.

 

Ashoka:  So Erza has been hanging out with the rock people from Frozen this whole time?  Wild that him and Thrawn just let each other live in peace this whole time.

 

The Challenge: USA:  Hopefully Wes will keep his word and stay retired, but I will not hold my breath.  If only he took Johnny with him

57 Channels and Only This Is On: September 17, 2023

 

 The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon:  So they are just not going to explain why Daryl is in France?  Didn’t he literally ride off into the sunset at the end of the main series?  But the new setting is breathing some new life into the show even if the religious stuff is a little heavy handed.  Really, that kid is going to be able to bring back souls to zombies?  C’mon.

 

The Chi:  In this week’s installment of should I know who that is: the dude Keisha met at the barber shop.  I feel like I have already asked this about this character this season.  But one episode until the break.  Will we finally see a team up to bring down Douda?  It seems like they have teasing it all season.

 

Billions:  I think we all know what Chuck will call on Axe to do when the time comes.  Of course with just four episodes left, that time will come soon.  But that double turn did not make much sense.  Doesn’t the US government look like fools for letting the Russian back on our soil?

 

Only Murders in the Building: I am mildly disappointed that, with the episode entitled CoBro, we did not get to see any actual footage of the movie this week, or more Girl Cop for that matter; but that disappointment quickly went away with Mel Brooks literally phoning in a cameo. It was also nice to get Theo back (cast this guy as Superman because I did not realize that was him until he started signing). Uma was also great as usual. I may have to steal her line about three types of people: alive, dead, and dead to me.

 

There was a popular theory that Loretta was actually Ben Glenroy's mother. We did learn this week that his and Dicky's parents were Ben Glenroy's birth parents, but I wonder if Peggy was on the right track and she is Dicky's mother but thought Ben Glenroy was her kid because his parents adopted her kid, which is actually Dickie, not Ben.

 

So where exactly is Mabel now? I always assumed she would find a way to stay at the Arconia by the end of the season because it would be weird for her to investigate a murder in a building she no longer lived in. I wonder if maybe Theo is letting her squat in the empty Dimas apartment for now. But it is really sad she did not let her favorite olds she had moved. At least two of the three amigos are back together; hopefully they bring Mabel back into the fold next week too. They are much better together than apart.

 

Ashoka:  I mentioned that Daryl Dixon got a little too religious, but at least he did not get swallowed by a whale.  I figured when the map was destroyed, they would use the space whales to get to the other side of the galaxy, but I was not expecting them to travel inside them.

 

The Challenge: USA:  Why are they still trying to make Survivor vs. Big Brother a thing?  There are two Big Brother players left.  It is over, Survivor won.  Team up and get rid of the remaining vets like it seemed like to be the plan in the beginning of the season.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: September 10, 2023

  

The Chi:   I have been following Emmitt’s Chekov’s Gun all season predicting that it would be used on Douda eventually.  Well, now Douda has it, so that it probably not going to come to fruition.  But now it seems fairly obvious that the Men’s Club is going to bring down Douda one way or another.  The question is, does someone kill him, or are they all going to testify against him?  Killing Papa’s papa will likely be the last straw.

 

Billions:  I did not realize that was Connerty until he started speaking.  Now I am struggling to remember what exactly happened to him and why Kate is so scared of him.  I think he tried to bring Chuck down for being too obsessed with Axe but crossed the legal line to do so.  But I do not remember why he would be an albatross to Kate.  We also saw a return, albeit short absent of the DA kind of screwed over by getting his old job back. I was waiting to see what revenge she would do to Chuck.  Sex tape was not on the top of the list.  Shockingly Chuck did not throw his boy under the bus.

 

Only Murders in the Building:  I pegged Flobert the killer (or at least one of the attempted killers) since the season premiere. Though after this episode and hoe he gave off strong Jan vibes, I am now thinking he may end up being the final red herring of the week before we learn who the real killer(s) was.

 

As for this week's red herring, Jonathan never made a good one. Seems if you killed the star, either the show will shut down or they would bring in another star to replace the current one. I guess this begs the question, why is Oliver having someone who, I believe, was last seen in the chorus of The Lion King be his lead?

 

But I have to say all the President McKinley stuff was hilarious.

 

Ahsoka:  I liked the scene where Ahsoka was running through the wet grass, Sabine falling a step behind, both of them never tiring. I am sure that is better than Erza is doing right now.

 

The Challenge: USA:   So are the finale two Big Brother players going to finally realize that Fessy and Josh are not going to help them and finally join Survivor and get rid of the vets?

57 Channels and Only This Is On: September 3, 2023

  

The Chi:   In this week’s installment of should I know who these people are:  the gay dudes at Victor’s party?  Then is Kevin really going to leave The Chi?  How can you be on The Chi if you are not located in The Chi?  And how did his school afford such a fancy ballroom for prom?  And what kind f school lets them play uncensored songs at a school function?  Oh, and one last question, did the cops find the cashe of guns in the car?  You are not taking someone to the station for just speeding, but doubt they would let them out that night if they found that many unregistered guns.

 

Billions:  A couple episodes I wondered if the bassoon segment was a reference to Only Murders in the Building, now I wonder if The Trolley Problem is a reference to .he Good Place.  Or has the show run out random non sequitur that they have to steal other shows’.  But did they really need a lengthy morbid betting scene just to get to how Prince ties into the insurence company that would have to deal with the hurricane?

 

Only Murders in the Building:  Sazz!!! But it was strange that Joy was the red herring of the week, but she disappeared only for Sazz to do a therapy session. Though the other love interests came off as more sketchy this week. The Ben Glenroy book was creepy, especially for someone who kept having standoffs with the guy. Then by Flobert trying to incriminate Johnathan, which just made him look guiltier. But with all the talk of Charles maybe dating another killer this week, would they really have one of the other three amigos do the same? But guess this week answers the question of who did Charles tell Ben Glenroy to stay away from last season.

 

Justified: City Primeval:  So Raylan got a demotion when he shot someone who drew on him (okay he did goad that to happen) and someone wants to make him chief after shooting someone reaching for a cassette.  Poor Clement, just wanted someone to listen to his demo and no one ever wanted to.  But as lower tier Justified this revival was.  Sign me up for Raylan hunting fugitive Boyd.  But I wonder who was on the other line.  Was it Art?  Has Tim or Rachel taken over for him?

 

Ashoka:  So a human dude forks a green chick and their kid is a human with green hair?  Alrighty.  But I watched the cartoons and did not remember Sabine being a Jedi at all.  But I am sure at being a Jedi, she is better than Ezra.

 

The Challenge: USA:  Oh joy, another episode where the players whose personal backstories were featured in were the ones who were sent into elimination. How predictable. Granted they did spoil one of the players in the promo last week. Hopefully the shakeup at the end of the episode actually shakes things up.  Though I fear like the Vets might actually have the advantage.  There are six of them if you count Josh and Fessy.  On the surface there are seven Survivor and just three Big Brother.  There was a hot chick alliance, but with two of the three Big Brother members going home in two straight episodes, is that still a thing?  Will less hot alyssa want to continue to work with the Survivor chicks or work with the Big Brother guys and hope Josh and Fessy join them?   Then who gets to nominate people?  Just the winner?  The top two or three?  I just hope Survivor and Big Brother gang up on the Vets.  Someone please send Josh in.  I cannot image any of the females will want to potentially want to be teamed with him in a final.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: August 27, 2023

 

The Chi:  In this week’s installment of should I know who that is: the chick in the shower with Douda.  And did we know Quentin was an informant?  But what I am really following this season is Emmitt’s gun.  He learned his father took it this week and wants it back, but I do not think he actually got it back.  Though, if that is Chekov’s gun which will go off in the third act of the season (and I assume in Douda’s direction) does that make the bag of guns Chekov’s arsenal?

 

Billions:  Chuck had a secret meeting at the tomb of Ulysses S. Grant with… Kareem Abdul-Jabbar?  I know this show loves gratuitous cameos, but that was a bit absurd.  For a second, I thought maybe he was meeting with Axe.  Knowing this show, they probably will team up to bring down Prince, but it will probably be Wendy that facilitates that.

 

Only Murders in the Building:  It was a little annoying that they tried to hide who was calling Mabel when it was obvious that is was the person who gave the voiceover at the start of the episode. Otherwise, why else was Cinda there? But I have to say, I enjoyed wellness hippie Cinda than the murder podcaster Cinda.

 

It looks like next episode will be Joy being the red herring of the week which should be hilarious.  I cannot imagine they would make another of Charles’ girlfriend a kill no matter how funny that would be.  The whole fish thing was great.

 

Kimber as this week’s red herring was also very entertaining.  I think I would watch a Kinber trying to make it as an influencer in the New York theater type spin-off. Then the whole White Room stuff was hilarious. I just hope we get a full cast album of Death Rattle Dazzle because all these songs are bangers. But I am not sure I will be able to watch another musical without trying to find who they stuck the sing-talky song too.

 

Justified: City Primeval:  That scene in the diner really felt like the opening scene of the original series.  But instead of ending with a “Justified” killing, for the second time this season, two people trying to get Clement with two different schemes, ruined the other.

 

Ashoka:  Why are they spending so much time and energy trying to find Ezra Bridger?  There are so many Jedi out there who are better than Ezra.  And when did being stabbed in the stomach with a lightsaber stop being fatal?  It felt like a death sentence in the movies, but just a flesh wound on the television shows.

 

The Challenge: USA:  The hat trick plan has to be one of the dumbest things ever.  You just eliminated someone who was not a threat and it should be pretty obvious to all the Survivor and Big Brother people what the Vets were doing.  Of course the big question is will the Survivor and Big Brother people get back on the same page and target the Vets again.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: August 13, 2023

 

The Chi:  Are they really doing a grooming storyline with Poppa.  Sure, a two year age difference is not that gross, but it is a little icky hearing anyone ask someone when they turn eighteen.  But twice this week I had to ask myself, should I know these people?  First was the guy who found God while in prison.  I ended up using context clues to realize that was brother of the girl Kevin’s moms adopted.  Then the drug dealer’s mom was talking about her brother who was murdered.  Is that Quinten?  Did we know Quinten and the drug dealer were related?

 

Only Murders in the Building:  I was wondering how they were going to do an Only Murders in the Building podcast when the murder did not happen in the building.  Good fake out especially with Uma saying it was nice they kept the body out of the building this time only for her to see Ben Glenroy’s dead body later on.   It would have been funny had people kept trying to kill Ben Glenroy all season only to fail, but alas, it seems like he is really dead this time.

 

Though I do have a theory that whoever poisoned Ben Glenroy was not the person who pushed him down the elevator shaft.  Right now I think the brother poisoned him while the documentarian shoved him down the shaft even though they really seemed to want us to think Meryl Streep did it.

 

My other big prediction after one episode is that the “her” Charles told Ben Glenroy to stay away from is not a person but a thing.  He mentioned that Mabel did not get to know him before he died and Lucy was quickly ushered out of the theater so it does not seem like we will see much of her (and it would have been creepy anyway if Ben Glenroy needed to be told to stay away from a teenage girl).  That just leaves his girlfriend because I doubt Charles would get too attached to one of his castmates.

 

Justified: City Primeval:  Well, I was just saying how Raylan has seemed to mature during the show’s hiatus for not letting one bad guy kill another bad guy and then he goes and forks a key person in the case he is working on and get in a pissing contest with her ex-husband.  And now that key person may become a person of interest if she starts using that book to advance her career.

 

The Challenge: USA:  Ugg, the nation centric spin-offs last season year were so good without the same tired contestants from the flagship show.  Of course they had to go and ruin it just like they ruined All-Star.  Seriously, who thought it was a good idea to bring Paulie back.  And no, Paulie, people do not love to hate you, you have go away heat.  Ugg, and Josh is back and on the same team as Paulie.  Hopefully that team self-combusts and Michele is the only one who survives.   If we are lucky Johnny gets sent in and sent home, but I fear there may be a frozen envelope situation.  I like the idea of a hidden vote and random people being thrown in, but I do not trust the producers not to do some shenanigans to keep the same boring players on the show longer.

The 19th Annual Scooter Television Awards

Welcome to the 19th Annual Scooter Television Awards honoring show that aired a majority of their season between July 2022 and June 2023. Without further ado, here are the winners of the 2023 STA's:

 

Best Drama: Tell Me Lies

 

Best Comedy: Only Murders in the Building

 

Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show: Star Wars: Andor

 

Best Comic Book Adaptation: Harley Quinn

 

Best Period Show: The Great

 

Best Animated Show: Harley Quinn

 

Best Reality Show: Selena + Chef

 

Best Remake, Reboot, or (non-comic book) Adaptation: Mike Judge’s Beavis and Butt-Head

 

Best Miniseries: Flieshman Is in Trouble

 

Best Talk Show: Pardon the Interruption

 

Best New Show: Extraordinary

  

Guiltiest Guilty Pleasure: The Watchful Eye

 

Worst Show I Made Though an Entire Season Of: Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin

 

Best Hour of TV: The Bullet or the Bear (The Great)

 

Best Half Hour of TV: I Know Who Did It (Only Murders in the Building)

 

Biggest Shocker: Peter falling through the ice (The Great)

 

Best Line: “Olimabel - It’s our ship name! The Charles is silent.”  (Oliver: Only Murders in the Building)

 

Worst Idea: Letting the guy who did an unnecessary gritty version of A Christmas Carol, to do another unnecessary gritty version of a Charles Dickens novel.  

 

Worst Moment: The reveal of “A” (Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin)

 

Biggest Disappointment: The Great kept killing off Nicholas Hoult

 

Best Musical Moment: Fork tha Police (Yellowjackets)

 

Best Karaoke: Angel in Flip-Flops (Only Murders in the Building)

 

Best New Title Sequence: House of the Dragon

 

Best GIF:

 

  

Best Character: Catherine the Great (The Great)

 

Best Recurring Character: Bunny Folger (Only Murders in the Building)

 

Best Guest Appearance: Sazz Pataki (Only Murders in the Building)

 

Best Cast Addition: Harper Spiller (The White Lotus)

 

Best Duo: Lucia and Mia (The White Lotus)

 

Best Trio:  Mabel Mora, Charles Hayden Savage, and Oliver Putnum (Only Murders in the Building)

 

Most Entertaining Male Reality “Star”:  Danny McCray (The Challenge)

 

Most Entertaining Female Reality “Star”:  Selena Gomez (Selena + Chef)

 

Most Annoying Reality:  Faysal (The Challenge)

 

Most Anticipated New Show of the Next Season: The Curse

 

Most Anticipated Reboot:  Justified: City Primeval

 

Show That Should Be Brought Back: Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies

 

Biggest Question for 2023-2024: When will the writer’s (and maybe actor’s) strike end?