57 Channels and Only This Is On: October 23, 2022

 

House of the Dragon:  So the cripple is into feet.  At least the writers finally gave some of these side characters some actually characterization.  Then you have Cristen Cole straight up murdering some random dude that we barely met with multiple people watching… and once again gets a promotion afterwards. Speaking of characters we barely met, were we really supposed to care about the twins with the same name racing against Cristen and One Eye to find Aemon?  It does not seem like much would be different on who got there first and that was the bulk of the episode.  Buy Rhenese if off to tell Rhenira about the Green’s plan, thus finally starting the Dance of the Dragons.  I guess the old head of the Kingsguard will join them.  But why exactly was he just able to leave with no problem, but they quickly stopped and hung the other dude?

 

The Walking Dead:  Oh, so the mayor wants to put all the blame on Eugene even though she knows her former lackey was the one that had the zombies released.  So I guess that is where the tension will come from.  Well that and the new climbing zombies.  But when are we going to get the fast zombies we were promised during Worlds Apart? And which variant is more frightening?  But back to the mayor and her lackey, what was going on with the kid zombie, at first I thought she was going to like the kid zombie eat the lackey, but then brought in another body to eat, so what is the lackey supposed to do?

 

Let the Right One In:  Okay, those monkeys are creepy.  But if the monkey could break its restraints, why couldn’t the brother?  But the sister was quick to learn that is was not just their blood and blood banks that were keeping the brother fed.  And who was that henchman working with and how much does the other guy know?  The father said it was just those two.  The henchman also ran into the other storyline, I wonder just how often those two storylines intercut this season.  And what will the henchman do when he learns the boss owns that car?

 

Quantum Leap:  I first though the guy who knew ben was with Al’s daughter, but why would Ben be following him?  Could there be a third team out there leaping?  But can that dude actually see Ben, or did he somehow know that the person he leaped into was not really that guy and guessed it was Sam?  And if not Al’s daughter, does that guy have a hologram following him around?  Would Ben be able to see them?  And most importantly, why no teaser of where Ben leaps next week?  But overall, seems way too early to be breaking the rules of the original and leaping to a time earlier than the leaper.  That was a big no-no in the original. 

 

La Brea:  The killed off the chick who knew how to get in the tower?  I am beginning to think this is a The Hatch situation where it takes way too long to get into.  Though, since this is a time travel show, that chick it out there somewhere.  But the Isaiah family tree is confusing.  So his mother is in 1987, who presumably will travel back in time with her husband and father, conceive Isaiah, leave her father to raise her son?  When do they go back in time?  Where exactly is 60(ish) year old mom now?  Where is dad at any age?

 

Andor: Oh wow, The Waif sure cleans up nicely.  I needed context clues to even realize that was her (though I needed someone to inform me that the Lady in Red was the shop assistant).  But my problem with the first with the first six episodes was they seemed like two district movies that did not have much to do with each other besides the lead character. You could have started on episode 4 and not be confused for the next two episode. Finally, those two blocks of episodes are coming together.  I am guessing this next block will be Bix and / or Vel (I definitely did not have to look up those names) breaking Andor out of prison.  Vel is certainly not actually going to kill him, letting him rot in prison knowing what he knows also seems risky.

 

The Handmaid’s Tale:  I was annoyed after making Serena slowly more sympathetic only for her to become pure evil again seemingly just to fill the main antagonist roll with Fred gone. But I guess the writers are trying to make Serena sympathetic again. She is beginning to feel like one of those WWE wrestlers who go back and forth being the good and bad guy every other feud they are in.  But who is the antagonist of the show now?  The family that was keeping Serena hostage?  Is Lawrence finally going to go full heel after going back and forth more often than Serena?

 

Tell Me Lies:  Well, the promo monkeys fooled me into thinking it was the brother who fell off the deck.  Instead it was Wrigley whose football career may be over.  But now that almost everything is out there, it feels like the levee is going to break in the finale and I am all for it.  Will someone have photographic proof of Stephan and Macy that night?  Was Facebook a big thing at that time?  Will we get to see what happened that night?  I am not sure I believe Stephen’s retelling, I would really like to see how that night unfolded myself.

 

Survivor:  Voting out Geo was the right move, you do not want to blindside someone who can turn around and steal your Idol, but I wished the Survivor Gods somehow willed Ryan to be voted off after one of the misguided plays of all time.  Also pretty dumb: Janine and Jesse risking their vote.  I am not sure what is dumber, losing your vote with so few people in your tribe, or losing your vote with the merge on the horizon?  So Geo is out and the other two lost their vote.  Compare that to the last time here Noelle came out of it with an Extra Vote and a secret alliance.  Do not be greedy people.  At least Janine still has her Idol, Jesse is out a vote and one of his tribe mates he was ready to vote out has every reason to join her secret alliance over him.  A lot of moving parts next week (even though no dumb turn back time this season, but the preview made it look like there will still be a dumb twist), Jesse seem like the most likely to get voted out next week.  Unless he somehow benefits from whatever the new dumb twist turns out to be.

 

The Challenge: Ride or Dies:  Ugg, I was so glad when Kacee and her loser brother were booted, why were they brought back?  I was so happy to have a season with no Josh and very little Kacee.  Plus they really need to outlaw helping people during the elimination.  It is so stupid they allow that.

 

Stargirl:  Oh yeah, I completely forgot they left the Green Lantern storyline on a cliffhanger.  I also forgot Keith David was playing a talking skull.  Cool.  Since this was just “Part 1” I guess we will continue this diversion from who killed The Gambler.  Though, at this point, it is pretty obviously Dragon King.

 

Pennyworth:  So V (of Vendetta fame) is just some aging hippy?  That is a huge letdown.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: October 16, 2022

 

House of the Dragon:  They say when you lose one of your senses; it heightens the others you have left.  I was unaware that if you lose an eye, you will increase in height so much you start towering over your older brother.  It feels like they mixed up like casting.  This Aemond looks more like the Aegon we saw last week.  But now that Viseris is dead, it feels like this show can finally start.

 

The Walking Dead:  So everything is peachy keen between everyone?  With a few episodes left, I cannot image this truce will last long.

 

Kevin Can Fork Himself:  So Kevin was an abusive douchebag this whole time.  Unfortunately that actor is not very good and still came off as goofy.  But then again, none of the actors did a very good job switching between sitcom and drama.

 

Quantum Leap:  It is kind of cool that Ernie Hudson was one of the people Sam leaped into during the original season.  If we keep meeting the people who Sam saved, that would almost make the present day interesting.  But I would still be fine if they dumped that storyline completely.

 

La Brea:  So all that in the premiere and Scott could not get into the building even though the opened the secret passage way.  Why even go back to the clearing, just steal the key yourself?  That all just seemed unnecessarily complicated.  Hopefully we actually can get into the building next week.  Also unnecessarily complicated: getting caught going out the front just so they would have to go out the back way.

 

Andor:  I am beginning to think it would be best wait until every third episode and watch that three episode block as a movie.  Those first two episodes of the block so far have been slow and plodding, but those third episodes do end up delivering.

 

The Handmaid’s Tale:  When I said Serena could find a driver who was better than Ezra, I certainly was not expecting for her better than Ezra to be June.  I guess she finally realized she was being held captive and this was her only way out of that house.  But now what?  Are she and June just going to become buddies now?  Will Serena help June save her husband if June helps her escape those people keeping her prisoner? 

 

Then back in Giliad, things certainly escalated quickly with that commander not getting even a fair trial, just shot in the middle of lunch.  But how silly that Aunt Lydia is perfectly fine with the rape ritual, but gets extremely high and mighty if the rape does not happen exactly as with tradition.  I wonder if others start telling her stories because that could lead to the death of almost every commander except for maybe Lawrence and Nick.  But what exactly will become of Esther?   Does Giliad have exceptions for rape?  Will she be placed somewhere else?  Maybe Lawrence or Nick will take her in.

 

Tell Me Lies:  I am beginning to think Lucy might just be the psychopath that Stephan is.  Making out with your boyfriend in front of his ex while she is trying to perform is some next level stuff.  But did the Next Week On really just spoil what happens with Drew?

 

Survivor:  Whenever someone does not use their Idol or gets blindsided, I sit from my couch wondering why everyone is not just constantly paranoid.  But we did see this week what happens when you are constantly paranoid and that may get you out quicker than not being paranoid.

 

The Challenge: Ride or Dies:  Kacee and Kaylah gone in the first episode?  How did we ever get so lucky?  Except they ruined that high by bring back Johnny.  And apparently Kacee can be seen in the This Season On, which makes it likely that she replaces Nany who is seen with a neckbrace.  Sigh.  Next thing you know, they will find a way to bring in Josh.  The Senior Tour cannot return soon enough.

 

Stargirl:  Finally, Shiv and Wildcat going at it after snipping verbally for the whole season.   Bet Shiv would have liked the nerd quad on her side after being outnumbered.  But how are they going to explain how her father survived death?  There are kind of an endless list of options in the DC Universe.

 

Big Sky:  So is this show procedural now?  Because this small Montana town may end up having the same murder rate as the town Jessica Fletcher lived in (R.I.P. Angela Lansbury).

 

She-Hulk:  That finally was a little too cute.  All that build up just for one big fake out. But then again, I have never been that big a fan of meta comedy.

 

Pennyworth:  It is obvious that Martha with forgive Thomas, Batman still needs to be conceived, but I wonder just how long will it take her to trust him.  There is also the question is if that is a onetime thing, or will he react that way every time her hears the song?  And was that V of V for Vendetta fame at the end?

 

A Friend of the Family:  Here is another show where the middle child seemed to have a much bigger growth spurt than the eldest child.  But what bizzaro world that someone gets sentenced for five years, but only serves fifteen days?  I understand being lenient on first time offenders, but maybe not be lenient on kidnappers, especially cutting their prison time by 99%.

 

57 Channels and Only This Is On: October 9, 2022

 

House of the Dragon:  I am not sure if it says more about me or the show that I found the kid fight the most entertaining thing this show has done so far.  But it is nice to see that Ser Cristian Cole has a line and that line is plucking out the eye of a young kid.  Then the best part of the aftermath was Daemon just hanging out in the back even though his kids were the ones that instigated the whole thing.  But I do wonder where the Sea Snake will land on the impending war between the greens and the blacks.  Both of his children were married to people who quickly married each other after becoming widows.  But they still have four grandchildren, though two bare someone else’s name and while the other two have his name, they certainly do not have his hair.  Of course the way to solve this problem is, in the grand Valerian tradition, is to just marry the cousins to each other, and then their kids would carry on the Valerian name and blood (as long as they do not become king and take the Targaryen name).  It is gross that I actually thought of this as a solution.

 

The Walking Dead:  Yippie, part 3 of the final season is upon us.  Except I vaguely remember what happened in part two.  I remember the evil dude going to Negan’s compound and killing people and that is why he is chasing them, but I forget what was going on in the city and why those people are being chased.  Worse, I do not even care to search the internet to find out why.

 

Quantum Leap: So Al’s daughter has what I assume is a hologram room somewhere, so will Ben have two people talking to him?  Will the two holograms be able to see / hear each other?  Will Al’s daughter be able to block the other chick somehow?  I say this every week and will likely continue to say it until I will it into existence, but just have Al’s daughter be the hologram and get rid of everyone else in 2022.  But it looks like Ben is already jumping into female bodies, I looked it up and this did not happen until the second season of the original, thirteenth episode overall.

 

La Brea:  The most interesting setup of the second season was Scott going into the big glass building in the middle of 10,000 BC, yet he does not show up until the end of the episode and they seemingly just yadda-yaddaed him going into the building.  They better be filling in the gap in the next episode because that building in the most interesting part of the show.  Where did it come from?  Who build it?  How did they build it?  Could they be rewarding the cave people for uncovering the stuff they are digging for?  And just how hard would it be to get into that hole in 1988?  There cannot be a barricade with police all around it, just walk until you find a gap. 

 

The Handmaid’s Tale:  So June is now back under the control of Giliad?  I know every other time she escape and was captured, she was returned with mostly a slap on the wrist, but they cannot just put her back as being a handmaid after murdering a Commander and helping so many escape with her.  Even if they do send her back to like as a handmaid, is the show really going back to season one thru three?  And Luke definably should not be spared.  Yet, I am sure both will somehow survive, and hopefully escape.  Then is Serena a prisoner now?  It seems like she is very limited as to what she can do and where she can do at that house she is living at.

 

Tell Me Lies:  Bree sure like using her hand.  At least she found someone to reciprocate.  So those two are just going to date for the next six or so years?  Will Bree ever learn how Evan confessed his love to Lucy? 

 

Survivor:  Those guys really made the wrong choice there; the time to dump Nnecka was last week.  One of them even said they made their bed now they have to lay in it.  They already burned that bridge with Noelle and the other dude (whose name I still have not bothered to learn, like most people this season), how are they supposed to trust them?  If they go back, it is 2-2, and they will stuck having to go with a 50-50 shot to correctly play the idol.  Might as well vote off Noelle this week, and then they could get rid of the guy if they go back. 

 

Stargirl:  I really hope Shiv reconsiders Mike and Jakeem’s offer because that trio could be like a bad 80’s teen comedy right there.  Maybe they can have the pink pen force her to join their sub faction.  But she will need some new allies after Wildcat found the Gambler’s laptop in he room

 

Big Sky:  Yeah, I guess it makes perfect sense the creepy psychopath is obsessed with Miley Cyrus.  But what exactly will creepy momma do with the knowledge that Cassie is on to him?  And does Cassie know he is creepy momma’s kid?

 

She-Hulk:  He was not quite Madisynn, but the Rabbit guy was fairly entertaining in his own right.  But Todd has to behind this all.  Though, it would be hilarious if it turns out to be Mephisto who is behind everything.  That kind of would be the perfect way to end the season.  With all the winking this show does, it is surprising they did not do any Mephisto teasing, but I guess they did write this long before Wandavision premiered.

 

Pennyworth:  So the last season ended with the start of a civil war and the new season starts five year later skipping over all the fighting and Britain (mostly) back to normal.  How very Hot D of them.  But Lucius has a basement full of meta-humans, I have feeling the blue guy will not be the only one escaping this season.

 

A Friend of the Family:  I have got through the first two episodes (releasing two episodes up front in mildly annoying, but four episodes is absurd, especially when you are just doing 9 total and they are all pushing a full hour).  That first episode was boring, and then the second episode was extremely weird.  I just do not know how they stretch this story out to seven more episodes.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: October 2, 2022

  

House of the Dragon:  These time jumps are just killing this show.  Alicent and Rhanera were two of the few characters I cared about and now they are being played by new actors.  Now that have five children between them that I guess I should know, but do not care enough to learn their names.  Then out of nowhere the one Strong brother kills his father and brother.  Why?  Who knows?  Hopefully the show settles down now.

 

City on a Hill:  So that is it?  Drydan avoids prison, instead is just on life support.  I highly doubt that Jackie will stay there until he can hail Drydan off to prison.  I have a feeling this case might not even be mentioned if there is a fourth season.

 

Quantum Leap:  Al’s daughter may be the only thing that could almost make this show interesting.

 

Reboot:  I have not watched a dating show since Flavor of Love, but the more they talk about Fork Buddy Mountain, the more I want to watch it.

 

La Brea: So they jumped into a portal in Seattle and somehow were transported not just in time, but space too, just a couple miles from where the La Brea sinkhole took everyone.  How convenient.  So does every sinkhole portal in the world take you to the same mile or so radius?  Does that glass building in the middle of 10,000 BC have something to do with it?  Is it drawing all the wormholes to that time and general location?  But I cannot fault the teenagers who get transported to 1988 and one of the first things they do is watch Alf.  But I can fault them for trying to get back to 10,000 B.C.  How about trying to find a way back to 2021?  Though if the glass building is drawing everyone back there, maybe going back may be the best way back to their own time.

 

The Handmaid’s Tale:  Well, it is nice to know June has not gone so completely off the rails that she was willing to kill Serena while she was still pregnant. 

 

Tell Me Lies:  So Stephan came clean and admitted he was in the car when Macy died.  Or was he?  He did not look like he was in a car crash that night.  Hard to believe that a crash that killed the driver would leave the passenger unarmed.  Though, my first though was that he was the one that was driving.  I wonder if that is it or we will actually see what happened that night later this season.  But what was bizarre is dude liked about hooking up with her roommate, was there when she died and did nothing about it, and Lucy got back with him and even one of her friends saying he was still hooking up with his ex did not sway her.  I am beginning to think Lucy deserves him if all these warning signs are not swaying her.

 

Survivor:  I cannot believe some was so dumb to open the Beware advantage right before Tribal where it is going to be a tight vote considering the Beware advantage took away your vote for the previous two seasons.  Luckily for him, the switched it up having to wait for everyone to say some dumb phrase at an Immunity Challenge to collecting beads which seems a lot easier.  Obvious the arts and craft is an easy way to do it.  We will see if anyone in the other two tribes thinks of it.  Though, not like it ended up mattering because the two girls ended up splitting their votes anyway and they did not need the third vote, making that editing just unnecessary.

 

Resident Alien: Good riddance mayor.  They should have taken the living son too.  But what do they want with him and his unborn child?  What did they even do with the alien tracker’s kid?

 

57 Channels and Only This Is On: September 25

 

House of the Dragon:  We have heard about her for a while and we finally get to meet Daemon’s wife and she did not disappoint, just mocking him, she will be a great addition to the cast… oh wait, she is already dead.  Well, fork.  Also gone really quick, the Sea Snake’s kid’s lover.  Maybe not try and blackmail a King’s Guard member.  Sign and now we are in for the largest time jump.  Shockingly the king was still in the previews for next week.  Just how long is that dud going to survive.

 

Tales of the Walking Dead:  A strong end to the season, I am always down for a haunted house (though not really down for bird murder).  Here is my official ranking of season one:

1)      Evie / Joe

2)      La Doña

3)      Blair / Gina

4)      Amy / Dr. Everett

5)      Dee

6)      Davon

 

City on a Hill:  I am actually a little surprised that the priest was the one who took a shot at Jackie.  Though, the suspect was very long.  Also surprising is that Dryden got wind of the investigation into him.  Will they be able to take him down with just one episode left this season?

 

Quantum Leap:  I have been asking for a reboot of this show ever since the reboot craze started about a decade or so ago.  Unfortunately they did not take me up on my suggestion of having Sam be the new Al.  They could not even get Scott Bakula at all.  After seeing what the show became, I am not surprised that he passed on the show.  What a flaming piece of hot garbage filled with too many people who cannot act including a scientist who thinks it is socially acceptable to show up to work in a suit fashioned like a crop top. As a whole, they just spent way too much time in 2022.  I vaguely remember one episode of the original spending one episode mostly in its present day, but was about it.  We rarely ever saw Al not in hologram form. This show needs to make a hard pivot and soon.  Have Ernie Hudson be the new Al, have Al’s daughter, who I am guessing will turn out to be doing her own rogue Quantum Leap program, and just get rid of everyone else from 2022.

 

Reboot:  Okay, I laughed way too hard at the song they played at the end of episode two.  But the Hulu executive may end up being the sneaky best part of the show, but I kind of feel bad for the actual head of comedy (but hey, they did give up this show, Only Murders in the Building, Dollface, and The Great).  And you have to wonder who at the network force the writer to cast some hot chick who cannot act, because dudes 18-34 do not care about acting skill.  The guy did create Modern Family so…

 

Andor: Call me old fashioned, but I prefer my television shows to be, you know, television shows.  While this show looked great, the performances were good, but the first three episodes felt more like a two hour movie split into three than three actual episodes of television.  But anyway.  Is that lady mechanic supposed to be Andor’s sister?

 

The Handmaid’s Tale:  So One Eyed Willie survived, but did the other one survive?  It probably would be hard to just have her trying to kill herself every week.  But the big news of the week was that Serena tried to stay in Gilliad.  Wouldn’t she have to stand trial like Fred?  Does no one know she was the reason Fred was even captured by the Canadians.  I laughed at the American dude asking why she would want to go back when she was free now… and promptly put her back in detention when she was returned to Canada.

 

Tell Me Lies:  Nothing says bad parent quite like casting Peggy Bundy.  I laughed when Lucy tried to insist she had the worse mother.  Sure she may have forked another dude while your father was dying, but it is not like she sits on the couch all day eating Bon Bon’s.  But I really missed the side characters this week.  I really came to the realization this week that Stephan and Lucy may be my two least favorite characters on the show. But Lucy finding Stephan’s drawing at Macy really made me wonder when those pictures on his computer are from.  I was thinking they were taken at college, but now I am not sure.  But if they were taken while they were still in high school, that would make her very underage at the time.

 

Survivor:  Oh wow, I do not remember the last time the most annoying person went out first.  Usually annoying people are kept around because they are easy to beat at the final Tribal.  Okay, it was actually her clothing choice that was annoying; the elevator salesman probably had the more annoying personality.  I am just glad I do not have to spend most of the season staring at that rainbow outfit after having to look at that extremely annoying ostrich shirt for most of last season.

 

Stargirl:  I have been defending Shiv’s innocence all season, but now that she is growing her father’s dragon skin, the same time of dragon skin found at the crime scene.  Though, I do wonder if maybe there is a Jekyll and Hyde thing going on.  Or maybe her dead father is somehow taking over her conscience.

 

Resident Alien: So they killed off the alien tracker right after he found his kid?  That was cruel.  So what exactly happened to the kid?  Id the reason why the aliens stopped taking the tracker to his kid because the government captured him?  But where are the aliens that had him in the first place?

 

Big Sky:  I forget what happened to the Indians and why their henchman is now with Meadow Soprano, but Reba McIntire is a massive downgrade.  But obviously she was going to turn out to be the big bad of this season; it looks like she went into her plastic surgeon and asked for The Joker.

 

57 Channels and Only This Is On: May 29, 2022

 

The Time Traveler’s Wife:  There are fewer things I need to see in this life than seeing a dude perform oral sex on himself.

 

Fear the Walking Dead:  So Strand is a good guy all of the sudden, ready to make peace just by seeing Alicia?  But then is a band guy at the end when he refused to turn off the beacon?  Make up your mind.  Even more bizarre was they just yadda-yaddaed Wes escaping a horde of zombies stuck in the bunker only to just have Strand murder him moments later.

 

The First Lady:  They seem to be hinting at lesbian all season and they just came out and explicitly showed it this week.  And yes, a Wikipedia deep dive did reveal a female reporter did move into the room next door and there were rumors a plenty.  Lesbians took front and center in Michelle’s storyline where they openly implied Michelle was behind Biden’s statement which seems like a bigger stretch.  Then in the seventies, Betty was planning Susan’s prom.  Okay, she also campaigned for the ERA.  I laughed when they mentioned Regan was courting the far right but campaigning against it.  Today’s far right would consider Regan a RINO.  And probably would think he eats babies.

 

I Love That for You:  I predicted that if (when) Patricia finds out Joanna is lying about her cancer, she would continue to milk it for ratings, but Patricia actually being diagnosed with breast cancer is making me rethink that.  Things may get rough for Joanna if Patricia starts asking for help.  Luckily for her, I believe they would be seeing different types of doctors.

 

The Challenge: All Stars: How does Darrell lose that?  He was inches away but just could not get that final push. But what was really annoying is how Wes weaseled his way out of elimination for the second straight elimination that he definitely would have lost mostly because Brad was in a position of power.

 

Survivor:  Oh no, Probst said that stupid Do or Die twist was one of his favorite new twists.  They were lucky that both times they did it; the person did not die.  But the proposition of someone eventually “dying” is bad because it would be extremely lame if there is a Tribal Council where no one actually gets voted out.  Speaking of useless new twists, the Shot in the Dark was a huge dud.  They had a one in six chance and I believe it was played six times, but not one person got lucky.  Then the Turn Back Time twist got crushed by fans and players alike.  I think the only new twist introduced in “new” Survivor was the Caught Red Handed twist which was extremely literal.  I fear what dumb twists are coming next.  But it looks like they are actually casting disabled people again.  Survivor has talked a lot about diversity, even instituting a 50% people of color casting mandate, but disabled people are severely underrepresented.  There was a time where there was a deaf woman and two amputees, but then there was a large lull.  The amputee next season is reportedly a Paralympian so she will not be a pushover.

 

Oh, yeah, and Maryanne won.  She did give a much better Final Tribal performance and had the last big move of the season getting Omar out.  Though I still think Mike had a much better season as a whole.  But it was a blowout, much like every season has become a blowout ever since they switched to this forum Final Tribal format.  Maybe it is time to go back to the Q&A format just to get some more drama back into the final reveal.

 

The Flight Attendant: Rosie Perez getting on a flight for an airline she used to work for while being a wanted fugitive seemed like a really bad idea and Suspicious Minds seems like a horrible song to play at a wedding (though, I will say that is my favorite Elvis song) but after a sophomore slump, the finale was... perfectly fine.

 

I predicted Cheryl Hines was the doppelganger after the second episode because Grace became too obvious and Hines being the big bad did make sense (though, I do not understand what that thing in Cassie's pocket was that made the alarm go off).

 

I am glad the weird AA woman was not the big bad but turned out to be someone important to the story in a different way, though maybe a reveal that should have been in the penultimate episode.  Despite the sophomore slump, I am still looking forward to a potential third season.

 

Obi Wan Kenobi:  That was nice they put up a four minute “previously on” reminding us what happening episodes 1-3.  You know, if you cut the prequels down to four minutes, they are not half bad.  I thought maybe starting with Order 66; we were going to see how Grogu escaped the massacre.  But we did get a few surprise appearance, most notably a young Princess Leia.  Oh, and Flea.  I am sure I can nit-pick, but I really enjoyed this even if the prequels in full lengths were bad.

 

The Blacklist:  So no Aram or Park next season?  Will we be getting new agents?  But it looks like we already got a new Big bad as Marvin turned that assassin against Red and left him with a list of people Red informed on.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: May 22, 2022

 

The Time Traveler’s Wife:  I remember watching the movie based on the same book, but I do not remember the movie being as bad as the show is.  I do remember the time traveler seeing his wife as a child, but I do not remember those scenes being that creepy.  HBO is known for its quality and it is quite surprising just how much this feels like a lifetime show.

 

Fear the Walking Dead:  So their big plan is to lead the zombies into the underground shelter and escape the same way Alicia did even though Alicia got trapped and bite going out that way.   Does no one want to take five seconds to realize why that was a bad idea?  Wes got caught in the bunker with all the zombies, yet shows up in the trailer for next week.  Sigh.

 

The First Lady:  Ha, Eleanor has a women reporter only press conference.  I honestly would not have guessed there were that many female reporters that long ago.  I have found the Michelle segments to be the least interesting, but snarky and fun Michele does make her segments much more entertaining.

 

The Man Who Fell to Earth:  I really did not need to see a cow being birthed.  The bee lady may have been more disturbing.  But we finally got all of the main player in the same place at the same time.  I did not see the Justin twist where she brutally killed a man, and the father of her child. 

 

I Love That for You:  Who knew you could buy condoms in bulk?  I mean, I did, but I am guessing most other people had no clue.  I am surprised that guy was not in a 90’s cover band considering they made such a deal out of the two loving the decade in the first episode.

 

The Challenge: All Stars: It does look like if you beat someone with multiple stars, you get all of them.  Maybe MJ should not be too mad at Kendall since he now has both of Cyrus’s stars.  Kendal got lucky that not one but two women left before elimination so for the second straight week no women’s elimination.  But no one gets Tina’s stars who was gifted a star from Melina without doing anything.  To make the gender’s equal, do they simply bring back Cynthia or will we get someone new?  Cyrus recently held a premiere party and I spied Laurel and someone we have not seen on television in a very long time: Tara from Northern Trail.

 

Survivor: Poor Omar, Drea just really blew up his game by outing him as the mastermind to his demise.  But will Maryanne follow him after being the mastermind to his demise?  She does have an Idol in her pocket and so does Mike so unless something goes horribly wrong, they are in the final four so they are guaranteed to at least make fire.  Johnathan has to win at five or he has no chance and if not him, Lindsay.  I have to image, which between Mike and Maryanne make it to Final Tribal will win, will be interesting who wins if both are there.  If Johnathan or Lindsey wins Immunity than fire, they might even have a chance.  Romeo is obvious a no vote getter.

 

Though Lindsey made a very fatal flaw in saying she should not play her Idol because it may go back into the game.  While played Idols do go back in play, why would she think an Idol that expires that week would go back into the game?  It would have been very interesting had she played that Idol for Omar.  That would have meant a 2-2 tie between Romeo and Johnathan.  That would mean Maryanne would have been able to cast the deciding vote in the revote assuming everyone else voted the same way.

 

The Flight Attendant: After the first episode, I was convinced Grace was the doppelganger.  After the second episode, it was so obvious that she was the doppelganger I assumed she had to be a red herring.  Then she just kind of disappeared after the third episode until she popped as the doppelganger.  And then killed herself because… um, I am not entirely sure what she rambled on about.  But apparently there is someone out there that was pulling her strings.  I guess it has to be the annoying chick from AA.

 

Under the Banner of Heaven:  Yeah, never trust a dude who wants to marry your teenaged children.  So where did those children go?

 

Made for Love:  Didn’t they say last week if they did not rescue real Hazel, she would disappear soon?  So why is Byron there six months later? 

 

Halo:  I did not realize until I listened to a podcast that John died.  So when Cortana took over she took over for good?  Then Makee is also dead I guess.  Will both show up in the Halo at some point?  And what happened to Soron?  I thought that was him flying the ship to rescue the other Spartans but apparently no one was flying that.  Okay.

 

Big Sky:  Jenny really set Travis free to find the chick Veer killed?  C’mon.  Of course she is dead.  But I am guessing the writers will probably have her sold off to the sex ring syndicate just to tie everything together.  But I guess that means the syndicate and the other Indian drug lords will be sticking around.  And just how did the son kill his father without anyone notice?  Don’t nurses rush in whenever someone flat lines?  But dude just stands there and gloats and then walks out of the hospital.  Such dumb writing.  I bet new sheriff will be owned by the sexy ring syndicate.  He kind of looks like Don-o’s more put together brother.

 

The Blacklist:  Way to spoil the show with the episode title: Marvin Gerard: Conclusion Part 1.  So you spoil that they will get Marvin but also spoil it will not be done this episode because you have to assume Part 2 is coming next week.  So when Red gets him at the airport, obvious he was going to escape.  

57 Channels and Only This Is On: May 15, 2022

 

Fear the Walking Dead:  They have been teasing people dying all season, Alicia go bit, Charli got radiation poison, and then they also revealed this week that John had radiation poisoning, but they still killed him at the end of the episode.  I wonder if his death saves the other two.  But I just do not understand Strand’s motivation.  John admits to framing Howard, but then kills his closest ally to team up with a guy who admits to betraying him who then, shocker, betrayed him again.  Then why not punish the people who stayed?  I get you need June as a nurse, but why not the other two?

 

The First Lady: I once again broke my Wikipedia rule to refresh my memory of if we have seen Lucy on the show before.   It is kind of fascinating how the affair came to public light which I will not go into in case it is covered on the show.  There is also another potential affair that his son claims happens that I wonder if the show will comment on.  This seemed like the hardship episode.  Eleanor had to deal with the affair, we see the start of Betty’s addiction, but Sasha having a very treatable ear infection does not really have the same emotional sting.

 

The Man Who Fell to Earth:  Would quantum fusion really throw the world in chaos that quickly?  Oil is so ingrained over the world; we cannot even integrated electric cars into society.  You know conspiracy theorist would keep about 20% of this country on combustible engines for decades. 

 

The Challenge: All Stars:  Ugg, Wes said he is going to ruin the show and I fear he will do just that.  Though surprising he played it safe when he had the power by going with the second to last players being sent in (granted there were five other people in on that decision) then when Jordan had the chance to replicate after putting the sabotage on him, he was fine with putting Mark in over Wes.  It seemed like everyone but Brad wanted Wes sent in yet they still let Brad save Wes.  And Wes definite is not winning that elimination.  Ugg, that guy is going to weasel his way to the finals.

 

Then we have a new twist with stvrs being added to anyone who wins elimination.  At first I thought this was kind of like the skulls they used on the main show where you are not allowed to run TJ’s final without a skull.  But it seems like you can rack up the stars, Tina now has three.  I do wonder if you beat someone with multiple stars, do you get all of them.  Now I am thinking you will get some sort of advantage in the final; the more stars, the bigger the advantage.  Another question is, will anyone volunteer for elimination just to get a star?

 

The Real World Homecoming: New Orleans:  Wait, did Julie and Jamie fork two decades ago?  Was this common knowledge?  I know my memory is not as great as it used to be. 

 

Survivor:  Yep, the Do or Die still is stupid.  But I wonder what would have happened had Lindsey chosen to sit out.  Does Johnathan win Immunity by default and there is no Do or Die?  Does Johnathan get the Do or Die by default.  I wonder if production did not think of that outcome.  Even when bribed with food, not that many people sit out.

 

It took a couple weeks but they finally got Drea and all of her advantages out.  Mike is a better actor than I would have guessed because I really thought he had been bamboozled.   The advantage is called Knowledge Is Power and that is two straight seasons where the powerful knowledge was not held with the person with the advantage but with who they told the advantage’s power to.  Way too many people in modern Survivor have loose lips.

 

The Flight Attendant:  Oh my, a very special episode of the show.  Granted, I liked Cassie much more when she was a fun drunk.

 

Under the Banner of Heaven:  Yet another hour plus episode but at least very little crazy mother this week.  I did not like that they told the story out of order just to have the plot twist that the oldest brother was in on it the whole time.  It just made this episode hard to follow.

 

Made for Love:  Only two more episodes left?  So much to figure out.  Hazel has to find a way to get back control of her body.  The scientists need to get out of the cube.  The FBI need to find the cube.  We need to figure out how the ex-wife fits in to this all.

 

Hacks:  Oh my, suing someone and keeping them in your employment is extremely cruel.  Ava may end up being an indentured servant by the end of the season.  Unless Debra grows a heart and only demands restitutions of a dollar.

 

Halo:  So Master Chief forks.  I got a kick at the incels who got mad at that.  Though maybe not hook up with an evil chick.  Granted she may no longer be evil.  She did take out her retractable laser nail.  The irony with this episode being entitled “Allegiance” was there were a lot of floating allegiances this week to point where I am not entirely sure where everyone stands with each other by the end of the episode.   

 

Big Sky:  Prediction time:  Travis teams up with Ren to take down her father and part of their agreement is she moves out of Montana.  This would be a shame because the Indian drug lords have been the only interesting part of this show.

 

The Blacklist:  So Marvin was behind this the whole time.  I guess that is better than someone we did not already know.  But when did Red figure this out?  He did not kill the lady so he must have had the inkling at some point between when he got the name from the bank and when he kidnapped her from FBI custody.