57 Channels and Only This Is On: May 2, 2021

 

The Nevers:  I have been pretty “meh” on this show, but that fight on the river was one of the most innovative fights I have seen in a while.  Unfortunately later in the episode there was the dumb sequence where the guy with the hand gun was able to gun down the singer but could only manage to nick the cop running at him.  I was assuming there would end up being a Touched that could reanimate the dead, but the previews suggest there is a burial.

 

Fear the Walking Dead:  Umm, so what really happened.  We clearly heard Daniel tell Grace to go to the fishing shed.  The main show just did an unreliable narrator episode making this extra annoying.  And it also split up the group into four different settlements just like this show now has.  Meh.  So did Daniel actually take the guns.  And just how does one man take all those guns while everyone is with him in a meeting? And why did not one bother to ask how Strand got his gun?  Was that gun part of Daniel’s delusion too?  Way too many unanswered questions about this episode.

 

Mare of Easttown:  Well that was a pretty surprising ending.  Now, I am really bad at names and I thought the friend was referring to the dead son being the father.  While researching the math trying to figure out how old the son was, I realize the Sheehan she was talking to was Mare’s ex-husband, which is even creepier.  It also puts a bigger spotlight on that conversation they had about the girl in the middle of the episode.  Yet, didn’t he have that engagement party all night?  Granted old people parties do not last as long as teenaged ones so I guess that party ended by midnight(ish) when the last people say the dead girl.  But the best scene was when Mare just went full spite in arresting the girlfriend in her parent’s restaurant while a befuddled Ralph Bohner looked on.

 

City on a Hill:  Well this season turned on a dime.  After going after each other for four episodes, Jackie is now willing to hunt down who shot Siobhan.  Decoursey is smart not to trust him, but I have a feeling he is going to ask for Jackie’s help eventually.  Then we will get to see what exactly Jackie’s game is because no wat he is altruistic, he is going to need a favor in return.  I would not be surprised if it involves taking down Jackie’s boss so he can stay in Boston.  I really cannot see him going somewhere else.

 

Debris:  Well that is an interesting take on Groundhog’s Day, one where the person chooses to reset the time when they do not have to.  And I think this may be the first time they attempted to be funny with the montage of the different partners.  But I do not understand why they shoved the scene with the divorce in it,

 

Cruel Summer:  I found it interesting that Jeanette and Kate mothers had a reverse relationship with each other back in high school.  At least according to Jeanette’s mom, I believe her as much as I believe her daughter.  As much as I have like these first couple episodes, I do not see how this set up could go very long.  I wonder if they are setting up a future season with the mothers back in high school in the seventies.

 

The mystery of the show seems to be who is telling the truth and Jeanette turned out to be a huge liar this week.  She said she flushed the weed when she did not and she had been going into the house a lot without telling anyone.  But did she see Kate?  That is still the big question. 

 

Supergirl:  There is plenty of competition, but this may have been the single worst episode in the history of the show.  And it is a two part-er.  Meh.  Maybe not center a whole episode or two on the two worst characters on the show.  I hope the blue aliens just put them into their zoo never to be seen again.

 

Big Sky:  So the daughter staged a suicide and is still blackmailing her other brother?  She moved the body.  And how did Ronnie get out of the house with a dead body without anyone noticing?  And why did the sister even open the door if she knew who he really was?  And if the PI’s are not answering the phone, how about calling the police?  So stupid.

 

The Handmaid’s Tale:  What really drug down the second and third season of the show was that they just rehashed the first season, the only changes being they amped up how tortured the handmaids were.  What gave me hope going into the fourth season was it seemed like they blew up the show.  The Waterford’s were in custody in Canada, and June became a fugitive that no doubt were be hung if she were caught for rescuing all those children.  And then June was captured by the end of the second episode.  Meh.

 

But then she escapes again at the end of the very next episode.  And it was pretty gratuitous to murder all those handmaids that way.  First off, why was the guard shooting at them?  If you did not hang them in the first place because you need more babymakers to replace all the kids you lost, maybe do not murder them.  Maybe at least fire a couple warning shots.  And how was June the last one out of the van by a while, yet was the only one to outrun the trail besides Janine?  Are the other girls really that slow?  And speaking of June running, what was with the weird, rom-com scene of her running back to Nick to kiss him. 

 

And one more question, just who is Serena’s baby daddy?  It has been two years, so my recollection is fuzzy.  But I do remember Fred was shooting blanks; that is why June had to hook up with Nick.  So did she hook up with the American dude?  Could Fred really be the father?  If he actually was not shooting blanks, doesn’t that throw into question of who the father of Nicole is?

 

The Challenge: All-Stars:  Oh that TJ twist was cruel.  And I loved it.  I was pretty suspicious why Kendal did not go to vote if she did not have the Life Saver.  Instead of the Life Saver she was instead safe from elimination.  Although hopefully the duos get sent in together in future weeks because getting to pick your partner seems like an unfair advantage.  But double eliminations from here on out will speed things up.  Thankfully, the main show drags on when you eliminate twenty-two players mostly one week at a time.  With only sixteen players left there will probably only are four or five episodes until the final.  But TJ did say he definitely will see Beth and Cyrus again, hopefully that is a good sign we will be getting more seasons of The Senior Tour.

 

Manifest:  One of my running jokes is question just how the blind chick on In the Dark always has straight from a shampoo commercial hairstyle and I thought of that when Mick was doing that raid.  Seriously, why the long glorious hair that can easily blow into your face why going into a raid.  How about a ponytail or a bun?  But anyway.  At least we are done with the three shadowy figures; none of them were particularly strong actors. But kind of silly that Olive was able to decipher that they would all perish if they did not all pass their trials.  At least I got a good laugh at how stupid that scene was.  But was this all a set up that all the 828’ers have to pass trails for all of them to survive their death dates?

 

The Blacklist:  I feel like I missed something.  I remember the last episode ended with Red’s hook up breaking her skull on the end table as Red tended to her while Lizzie still has the gun.  Lizzie just let Red leave.  And at what point between when the hook up found out Red was a wanted man and dying did she have time to tell her daughter to go into hiding.  But I finally figured out what is going to end this death feud between Red and Lizzie.  She is finally going to realize how bad her new partner is, maybe even find out he was really the secret Russian asset, and go back to the FBI and Red to stop him.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: April 25, 2021

  

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist:  The show was on a string of great episodes since I came back from hiatus but this felt like one of those pre-hiatus episodes.  My problem with those episodes is there seemed too much screen time without Zoey.  I did not care about Maggie’s business and I do not care about what seems to be a new gambling problem.  Just fast forward to where Zoey helps her.  Though Zoey seems to be having a problem with helping lately, this week I just kept getting annoyed with her trying to get Emily to talk when clearly Emily just wanted to blow off some steam.  Let get get her dance on, then talk it out later.

 

The Nevers:  Why exactly are most of the Touched ladies?  So all we met is the doctor and the three eyed raven?  Maybe the singer will expose more.  But if the three eyed raven followed the electricity lady, did he just let her get captured? Then his mother is evil?  And just what did she do to the Italian chick?

 

Fear the Walking Dead:  So last week John is ready to die but decides he wants to live only to be shot.  Then this week, Ginny is ready to die, get a reprieve, only to be shot.  Way to recycle plot.  But why didn’t Ginny get in the car with her hostages?  Did she want to stay in the middle of v shootout where people wanted to kill her?  And where did those mask people come from and how were they able to find Morgan?  And how did Morgan escape on foot.  And how did everyone find his hidden compound so easily?  They had the entire pandemic to write these episodes and yet they seem sloppier than usual.

 

Good Girls:  Getting caught robbing a jewelry store so the Secret Service will pay you seems like a really bad plan.  But is grandma the real boss or was that just a term of endearment?  Or both?

 

Mare of Eastown:  This was one of the first times I remember they actually gave an episode to a victim on one of these dead girl shows.  That actually got me to care that she is now dead.  But it seems almost obvious that Guy Peirce did it.  Not that anyone I assume did it after one episode ever turns out to be correct.

 

City on a Hill:   I wonder Siobhan knows her client is very guilty.  I guess it helps us as the viewer tthat we know for sure.  But sometimes lawyers do not care either way.  If only Decourcy could get a confession.  But he could not even get the chick that killed Jimmy to turn informant when she was the one that actually pulled the trigger.

 

Cruel Summer:  From the trailer I thought this show was going to be a mystery show about who adducted Kate but then they answered that question by the end of this first episode.  So then I thought the mystery was going to be who was lying, Kate or Jeanette.  But then Kate admits she was lying about something in the chatroom.  Now I guess the mystery is just what exactly is Kate lying about, and if she is lying about Jeanette, just how did she get the necklace?  I do have a sinking suspicious the old friend is involved somehow.

 

But man, did this show move at a breakneck speed.  Those two closing shots to each of the episodes were just epic.  I just hope they do not move too fast and just run out of plot like the first season of Homeland.  Or turn into The Affair and constantly give us multiple points of view of the same scenes.  But after two episodes I am definitely hooked.  This show is also doing a very good job scratching that nineties nostalgia itch.

 

Debris:  Um, what happened to the chick from the beginning?  They just found her and then were back to look for daddy.  But I do not sure happened to the dude that was helping them, he was clearly shot point blank in the check, but when they got to the car, he was bleeding from the neck.

 

Supergirl:  What a shameless rip-off of Ghostbusters.  I am deeply offended by that.

 

Big Sky:  What is wrong with family, first the mother bites her daughter over drugs.  Then one brother goes all Cain over the other one.  But at the show did not make us wait to figure up what the now dead son and his father were cryptically talking about.

 

The Challenge: Double Agents:  I cannot remember a time when a musical supervisor buried someone like they buried Fessy this episode.  First they play Boys Don’t Cry while he pouting on a rock.  TJ guilts him to help his partner then disqualifies them after he eats more bull testicles. Then the music supervisor twists the knife by playing Karma Chameleon for the guy who kept dragging his female partners all season only to lose because he was pouting like a little boy, refusing to complete a checkpoint.  I do not know how Fessy comes back from that (though, unfortunately he is rumored to be on the next season).  CT wearing Johnny like a backpack is still the greatest Challenge moment of all time, but this montage may make it into the top five.  Oh yeah, and speaking of CT, he won again.  Meh.  And what was with that end credits scene?  What challenge was TJ activating twenty-four hours later?  Was that supposed to be a teaser for the Senior Tour?  Does that mean they are continuing the spy theme into the next challenge?  It was just confusing.

 

The Challenge: All-Stars:  When the trailer came up with TJ telling someone, “Hope to see you never” I thought for sure that he was talking to Beth.  Well, I was close; Beth was in the Crater when Arissa decided to go off on everyone.   But another pretty entertaining daily challenge, even the elimination looked interesting, why do all the ones on the original show look so boring or overdone?

 

Manifest:  I always wondered how the doctor was able to cover up a murder.  I think this was the first time they mentioned he knew.  I guess he was the one that got the garbage truck to pick the body up.

 

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier:  People have been saying Sharon was the power Broker since she showed up but I never bought into that theory because it never really made much sense.  She was so strong in her convictions she was willing to become a traitor in her country’s eyes just to do the right thing but now she is funding actual terrorist?  Well that turned out to be the case and everything she did makes no sense.  Unless another popular theory is true: who we are seeing is not the real Sharon but a Skrull and this is setting up the upcoming Secret Invasion show.  Maybe her pulling off the face was a huge Easter Egg.

 

The Blacklist:  So Lizzie rams Red’s girlfriend’s car and all of the sudden they are share a cabin close?  And why not set her up in the cabin and lure Red there?  And why is Red’s girlfriend fighting an armed assailant? Considering Lizzie has been gone for so long, I was expecting more in her return.  But there she is with Red an easy target, and I am sure they will figure some stupid reason why she does not kill him.

 

57 Channels and Only This Is On: April 18, 2021

 

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist:  For the third week in a row I have to say this episode is now the best episode of the season.  Since last season’s glitch was the best of the first season, they really need to figure more ways to make Zoey’s powers glitch.  It was a pretty big missed opportunity earlier this season when Zoey got high but only sang the one song.

 

I thought for sure that it was the physic that was the one that was supposed to be singing Max’s really sad song.  Simon was the first thought but there was no reason for him to be that sad, even if Zoey canceled on him.  But she also blew off Emily that should have been the big tip off. 

 

But as great as everyone singing someone else’s songs and trying to figure out which song went to which person, I kind of want to see how that songs should have gone.  Like the programmers doing the Anything song to each other.  Or Rose singing a song about drinking to a server instead of some kiss off song.  Also a shame they could not work her having a naughty word being cut off by the title card.  But I guess that is the price to pay to hear Simon sing the stupid Fox song.  I have not laughed that hard in a long time.

 

The Nevers:  Something felt off with this show, and not because the writer/director/creator got canceled.  Actually it seems more like it did not feel like one of his shows more.  The show was missing his usual witty banter.  Hopefully things pick up and soon.  But some of these powers seem pretty lame.  They are like the D-List X-Women so far.

 

Shameless:  So they actually went and killed off Frank.  I was actually expecting that after they shut the door on the cremation, Frank was going to start knocking on the door.  Instead they went for he was filled with too much alcohol to light on fire gag.  I guess he will not be back for the inevitable reboot… unless Frank had a twin brother no one knew about.  Frank did not know about that daughter that showed up for a season or two before disappearing without anyone noticing and did not even get a mention in the letter. 

 

It was a little surprising how the rest of the storylines ended kind of vaguely.  Lip and Kev had offers but neither sold the house or bar by the end credits.  Debbie got an offer to go to El Paso but did not commit.  Then it was weird the chick who raped Carl popped up last week pregnant, claimed it was not his but who knows if she was telling the truth, and was not brought up again. As finale as Frank’s storyline was, I do wonder if this was all left vague for the possibly of a reboot.

 

Fear the Walking Dead:  Wait, so Dakota is just as evil as her sister now?  That escalated quickly.  I still do not understand why she shot the dude.  He is no longer a ranger, he was not planning on going with her, what exactly did she think he would do?  And for someone who wanted to die, he sure held on for a while.  So does Morgan just turn Dakota over to her sister now as a punishment?

 

Good Girls:  Just how many evil businesses does Rio have?  And if he has a boss, how many Rio’s does the big boss have and how many evil businesses are they running?

 

City on a Hill:  Wait, did they not only recast Kevin Bacon’s daughter but also the husband?  It has been so long, I forgot if he was arrested or killed.  But at least the daughter almost looked the same.  This dude looked about a decade or two older, bigger, and had a shaved head.  Maybe they should have killed him off if this was the best replacement they could find.  Yet, they kill off the brother-in-law at the end of this episode.  Certainly did not see that coming.  Will the person the brother-in-law owes money to come after her now?  But I did like that speech Decourcy gave Jackie when Jackie confronted him.

 

Debris:  Watching the lame powers on The Never made me realize just how stupid this show is, all these different things the debris do are pretty stupid.  Did the aliens have plans for Earth?  Is this there plan?  Where there even aliens flying the ship?  Was the ship sentient?

 

But this episode featured one of the worst tropes.  Some evil person with mind control power has a bunch of people kill themselves except for no apparent reason they let the main character go unharmed.  The the one dude was apparently the first person to think; maybe I should just fight the urge to kill themselves.  Then out of nowhere his young niece just brutally murders him.  Alrighty.

 

Supergirl:  So the married gay vampire had three roommates?  Was the husband the breadwinner of the family?  Do gay vampires have harems that they call roommates?  I actually do not remember much else from this episode other than the gay vampire’s living situation.

 

Big Sky:  So this loner trucker who has to resort to kidnapping women for human contact was able to get a live in girlfriend who does not notice he is wearing a bad wig within three month.  But I do like this new family, they are weird.  Hopefully this case is more entertaining than the first one. 

 

The Challenge: Double Agents:  What a horrible place to put a cliffhanger.  Does it really matter that much who they choose?  And is it not obvious that they pick Kam and Corey who were in second place?  But the “Next Time On” pretty much spoils that Fessy and Casey are the ones eliminated as they are the only ones that are not featured in scenes past the eating contest.  Granted not much a spoiler than a confirmation of what everyone assumed after Casey heard a pop and Fessy refusing to eat.

 

But that could not have happened to a better team.  Fessy has been whining all season about his partners weighing him down even though he has not brought anything to his team.  Then finally gets the partner he wanted only to push her too hard and makes her get injured.  Then being the punk he is, gives up in the eating challenge even though the last person who won the checkpoint was able to pick a new partner.  Hopefully TJ views this as quitting and treats Fessy according and put him on the ban list.

 

The Challenge: All-Stars:  One of the things that has drug down the parent show (besides recruiting too many boring or annoying people) is that the actual challenges are not as fun.  The melt a block of ice with your body is one of the most iconic challenges ever and it took way too long for them to bring it back.  Unfortunately TJ just gave up halfway through and just gave everyone hammers.  But TJ makes up for that with just randomly pulling out a bag of peppers at elimination.  You knew those peppers were rough when TJ had to put on gloves just to handle them.

 

Manifest:  So now the 828ers are inadvertently helping the meth heads now?  So stupid.  As stupid as the cliffhanger.  Of course they are showing him the reconstructed plane.  They already showed us that in the trailer, why play coy now?

 

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier:  The introduction of Elaine was pretty cool.  It would have been cooler if I had a forking clue who that character was.  But she has to be the Power Broker, right?  So the only question is just what is Sharon up to.  Is she trying to get back at the American government for branding her a terrorist?  Is she just deep undercover?  Hopefully it is the latter because evil Sharon just does not feel right.

Previewing City on a Hill: Season Two

City on a Hill is a show I desperately needed a lengthy “previously on” for a new season.  The first season finale before anyone had even heard the term COVID way back in August of 2019.  I vaguely remember Kevin Bacon being a dirty cop (which turned out to be an FBI agent), Aldis Hodge as the District Attorney (actually got that right), and two brothers who rob bank, one a snitch and the other one  cannot remember if ended up dead or in jail (still fuzzy on that last one, but since the actor is the lead on Debris now, I am nor expected he pops up either way).  But when watching the first episode I was quickly reminded that the show does not do proper “previously on” but a couple title cards before the show.  Hopefully nothing happened last season was that important.

 

The first time we see Kevin Bacon this season, he is drinking out of a flask while driving and a woman is snorting blow off him.  So if you forgot Bacon was a shady law enforcement agent, you are quickly reminded of such.  And I just noticed that his license played is Rohr, his character’s last name.  Yep, he is also a grade A masshole turned up to eleven.   His wife is still extremely depressed being married to such a douchebag.  He does have a new daughter in a recasting who has a completely new outlook on life after almost dying of a drug overdose last season (sort of remembered that).  He also has a new superior who tells Bacon in their first meeting, “You retire or I will make your life hell.”  Apparently she forgot much of the first season too, because Bacon is able to weasel out of every situation

 

While the snitch and his sister-in-law still get some screen time, the big case that takes up much of the two leads’ time involves a Valentine’s Day shootout that resulted in a stray bullet killing a young girl in the projects of Boston.  The project’s manager and community organizer play a big role in the story along with her two sons who do some things their mother is completely aware of.  So at least we will not have to remember much of the first season to enjoy the second.  All you need to know it is another cat and mouse game between two alpha males like the other Showtime series Billions.   Hopefully unlike Billions, one of these two do not have to take five plus seasons to win.

  

City on a Hill airs Sundays at 10:00 on Showtime.

  

57 Channels and Only This Is On: August 25, 2019

Veronica Mars: Episode 7: An episode later than me, but Mars Investigations finally zeroed in on the Pizza Delivery Guy as the mass bomber. Being that there is one episode left, I guess he did not actually do it. Plus he does not really come off as criminal mastermind. I still think someone in his cold case group could be involved. Just how far away is Clark Duke? He does give off skivvy vibes. Certainly whoever did it is certainly playing to them.

But how disappointing that Ronnie hooking up with Deputy Special Agent Leo was just a dream sequence. It was almost as disappoint as it was weird as Ronnie using that as an excuse to accept Logan’s proposal. Um, yeah, I do not see them ending the season in marital bliss. So I predict either Logan dies in the finale or gets caught in bed with Madison Sinclair. Which could explain all the whining I have heard about how the season ends. But really, that is the ending I am rooting for.

Episode 8: Holy Parker sighting! Sure, not as random as Mac’s boyfriend earlier this season. At least Jake Kane buying a school he could put his name on makes sense. And I was right that someone in the murder club was the bomber and was on the right track that there was something fishy with Clark Duke but I was fooled by pizza boy like everyone else. Granted Patton Oswalt is no Keyser Söze and his heel turn did not really work in my book.

Still I am glad the show returned and hope we get a season five, and hopefully the wait is not very long like in between seasons or the movie. I am actually glad they killed Logan because I always found his relationship with Ronnie weird. I mean the guy provides the roofies that got her raped, slept with Madison Sinclair days after they broke up, beat the living shirt out her boyfriend to the point he had to go to the hospital, and was someone she even described as the obligatory psychotic jackash. And really, he was kind o a complete wet blanket in season four so good riddance, please stay dead. #TeamDeputyLeo.
You can watch Veronica Mars on Hulu.

City on a Hill: The written “previously on” was an interesting way of doing that, but here is where it fails. When I read that Jackie interfered in the bust last week, I do not remember what exactly he did. Had they shown us, obviously I would have remembered. Visuals are just always better. Remember when Ray Rice told the commissioner he hit his girlfriend? He just got suspended two games. But when we all saw it on video, he never played again.

And did Jimmy really get blanket immunity? That is kind of dumb. I am no legal scholar but just last week on The Handmaid’s Tale, they gave Serena immunity for some things but when Fred accused her of others, that is how she got arrested. Give Jimmy immunity for the bark robbery, I do not see how that also allows him to get away with murder. But I wonder if we will see him or his brother next season or if it will just be the DA vs. Kevin Bacon all season. I would much rather watch the latter. Shows always fail when the antagonist sticks around too long.

Fear the Walking Dead: So why is everyone splitting up? I feel like I missed that. And why did we not get the black dude from last week first? I kind of forgot about him until he showed up on the “Next time on…” That kind of seemed more interesting than what we ended up getting this week. And was Red Jacket Guy living there among the zombies? Did the zombies break in and that it when things went bad for him? Was he juts alone this whole time? I did not need a big flashback but they could have explained that better.
You can download Fear the Walking Dead on iTunes.

Harlots: After Charlotte died in episode three and Theon died in episode five, I was wondering who would die in the seventh episode. No one, but creepy dude did task Quigley in finding a new girl to kill. So maybe there will be a body count in the finale. I also think that the Pincher dude will let his brother’s murder go unchecked (even though him killing Charlotte led to his brother’s death). Could he find out that Nancy actually pulled the trigger or maybe go after Lucy as the lone Wells left in Britain in retribution? And are we even sure Margaret actually left for the U.S.?
You can watch Harlots on Hulu.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: August 18, 2019

Veronica Mars: Episode 5: So after episode three, I predicted that J.K. Simmons was the bomber and became a suspect for Mars Investigations in episode four. Then in episode four I started to suspect the bar owner who the Mars Clan started to suspect in episode five. Let’s see if that trend continues for the next episode when I start pointing the finger at the Pizza Guy. Or at the very least I think he wrote the letter because obviously the bomber dis not because there was still another bomb later. I think Pizza Guy was more excited that someone realized that he planted a lot of Dickisms that the chick found out.

Episode 6: Holy Clarence Weedman sighting! I joked a couple episodes ago they are bringing back all the actors they could not reasonably explain showing up in the movie, but maybe I was on to something after CW, the Fighting Fitzpatricks, the guys in Chino, and Mac’s college boyfriend. Who is going to show up in the final two episodes: Chip Diller? Hannah Griffith? Troy Vandergraf? Shelley Pomroy? But anyway. It was kind of shocking that we learned who the bomber was in the antepenultimate episode. Well, at the very least Big Dick admitted to setting off the first bomb, he conspicuously did not mention any guilt over the other bombs killing people. So who was inspired from that first bombing and why?
You can watch Veronica Mars on Hulu.

Claws: Well that was a clusterfork of a finale. And what are they going to do next season? Really, everyone should go on the run since they could all be implicated in the killing a vicious, high ranking gang member. I mean, assuming (dude’s not escaping from a burning casino, locked in a room with no windows. Oh wait, the show started with Roller being shot, point blank, drowned, stuffed in a body bag, dumped in a swamp, and still managed to survive.
You can download Claws on iTunes.

City on a Hill: Ow wow, Jimmy actually likes a great song. I really have trashed his music so far, but Know the Ledge is a great one. The world needs an Eric B. and Rakim resurgence. Now that the show has been officially renewed, and they got the brothers dead to rights, it looks like season two will be Decourcey vs. Kevin Bacon. At least hopefully the charges stick. But I do wonder if Jimmy will get a sweet deal for being an informant for Kevin Bacon.

Fear the Walking Dead: So they are not even going to mention that Alicia got sprayed with radioactive zombie blood last episode? Maybe she should be checking her lymph nodes like the scientist.
You can download Fear the Walking Dead on iTunes.

The Loudest Voice: It is weird the amount of times Megyn Kelly’s name came up during the episode but we never see her. I guess we will have to wait until the movie to get her side.

The Handmaid’s Tale: I actually thought for a second that opening scene was sometime in the future, it was not until the crazy eye chick showed up less crazy and with both eyes before realizing it was the past. But I do not see how Ofjoseph gets out of stealing a bunch of children. She was basically playing with house money this season in Commander Lawrence’s house and the Waterford’s needed her for visual reasons to get their kid back, but with the Waterford’s detained, there is nothing stopping her being severely punished. Speaking of being punished, are they really going to lock up Serena over the word of Fred? Can they even hold Fred if Serena stops talking because they locked her up? And then does Serena get set free because he does not testify? Locking Serena up just seems like a foolish move.
You can watch The The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu.

Harlots: Oh wow, they really did kill off Theon Greyjoy already just two episodes after killing off Charlotte. There was a lot of blood and he was shot at short range but I still thought he might survive because why bring on Theon for just five episodes especially after just killing off the lead actor. So both Charlotte and Theon are dead shortly after they started forking and basically died because they kept that a secret.
You can watch Harlots on Hulu.

Krpton: With a title like “The Alpha and the Omega” I should have suspected there would be Darkseid reference, but it did not hit me until the clone lady saw the Omega sign. Yippie, more villains next season when they have not bothered to totally dispatch the ones they already have. Well that is if there is a next season.
You can download Krypton on iTunes.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: August 11, 2019

Veronica Mars: Episode 4: Finally a Vinnie Van Lowe appearance. I really hope the show is successful enough that both he and Dick get a spin-off. We also finally got a Deputy Special Agent Leo sighting. And let us not forget the triumphant return of Lucky. Um, alright. Really it is like the show was just trying to get in everyone who could not reasonable write into the movie. Lucky, the Hearst Rapist, Max, then there was Liam Fitzpatrick from earlier this season. Come to think of it, why have they not gone back to investigate him? Then you had Hayley Dunfey as the token random celebrity cameo of the episode which seems to be a theme after the chick from Future Man, the dude from the Chicken Fries commercials, and the dude from Hot Tub Time Machine. Although back to the mystery I am starting to think the bar owner with the attitude may be involved somehow. Two people she kicked out of her club for being pervy ended up dead via bombing.
You can watch Veronica Mars on Hulu.

Claws: Finally the group has come together and called Desna on her on her overreaching that has led to a lot of pain and death. Still I never expected them to actually kill Melba. All that trouble just to have her gets hit by a bus. Alrighty. I also did not initially think that the boytoy was going to confess at actual Confession, I just assumed he was going to confess to Roller. Turns out we were both wrong, he told the cops. How exactly does Roller get out of that? I am assuming him being handcuffed will be the big season cliffhanger.
You can download Claws on iTunes.

City on a Hill: I have talked about the show’s soundtrack is too heavily influenced by Kevin Bacon’s classic rock leaning finally we got to hear what Decoursey listens to and it did not disappoint, when you are in the early nineties, you cannot go wrong with a little A Tribe Called Quest. But then they end the episode with another oldie. As for the actual plot, it was the tale of two informants. Bacon has one that is outed to his law enforcement buddies and then kills the other. Which begs the question, which will come back to haunt him more?

The Loudest Voice: There are very few things I need less in my life than to see Roger Ailes get a prostate exam.

The Handmaid’s Tale: After wondering what Serena was up to all season, we finally got out answer. But I wonder when she decided to turn against Fred. Did it date back to having her finger cut off? Was it really all about the child which she left June take from her house? Does she really think some warped way that it is kind of hers? Did she come up with this plan with Luke and the other dude when she visited before? I would kind wish she had given some lengthy Bond-villain type speech while explaining herself to Fred. Unless it was really, just simply about the kid.

Back in Giliad, Offjoseph’s plan really hit a bump in the road with the Commander’s wife kind of spoiling everything and then killing herself. But then again, the death could be an opportunity. Offjoseph’s new baby mama’s husband just died. It seems reasonable that the newly single Commander Lawrence could wed her and have June’s kid move in with them. I will be kind of shocked if that is not season four unless something earth shattering happens in the finale.
You can watch The The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu.

Harlots: Wait, is Theon Greyjoy dead now too? One of the reasons why I thought they could kill off the lead of the show was because they had Liv Tyler and Theon but now he ends an episode in the pool of his own blood just like Charlotte just two episode ago. Now I am not sure how effective bullets made centuries ago were so I guess he could survive, but the juxtaposition of him lying in his blood and then Charlotte’s blood makes me think he may be dead too. But hey, at least Quigley will not be blamed for Charlotte’s death after Emily Lacey came clean. Granted she has her own murder she actually committed she needs to clear her name of.
You can watch Harlots on Hulu.

Krpton: A melancholy happy trails to Kem. Okay, I do not really care. Really there is no one on the show they could kill off and I would be too upset about. But the problem with Kem was that he was the closest thing to comic relief they had on the show. I guess Lobo could also be this but he is a bit more annoying than funny.
You can download Krypton on iTunes.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: August 4, 2019

Veronica Mars: Episode 2: Oh my, they really were trolling with that opening scene. Now we do not really know how well the show is doing, but I really hope that’s it is successful enough to warrant a Dick Casablancas: struggling actor spin off.

Episode 3: Well there goes my prediction that the hotel owner set the bomb for the insurance money to give to his kid. But my second suspect was Clyde, but then Ronnie named him as a suspect which makes me wonder if she would correctly finger the perp this early in the season. I am beginning to think it may be Ronnie’s half-brother that she discovers in the first Veronica Mars book that was released after the movie who is just trying to get the attention of his half-sister who has seemed to completely forget about. Maybe he teamed up with Lily Kane (Duncan and Meg’s daughter, another completely forgotten characher).
You can watch Veronica Mars on Hulu.

Claws: So no one except everyone closely involved noticed that the lesbian lover of the sister a senate candidate just went missing right after getting outed by the candidate? Real life press would have a field day with that. And the Triads have the cops on the payroll? Just high up does that go because someone has to get suspicious when lady cop does not show up for work. You can hold off Quiet Ann for a while but the Commissioner has to get suspicious unless he is on the Triad payroll too.
You can download Claws on iTunes.

City on a Hill: When I first reviewed the show I complained that despite being set in the nineties, there was a classic rock soundtrack. But all is right in the world now that we got Vanilla Ice this week. Oh goodness. And then we end the episode with a little Metallica. Now if only we can get some Wu-Tang.

The Loudest Voice: The frustrating part of watching shows based on real people is trying to figure out what actually happened and what was poetic license. Now I can completely believe that Roger Ailes had a bomb shelter under his house but did he really have a tunnel to the base too? That had to cost a pretty penny.

The Handmaid’s Tale: Last week I wondered where Serena’s loyalties lie and I am even more confused an episode later. She did seem shocked when the Canadians rolled up but on the other hand, it does seem like she really needed to be in the know for a plan like that to work. Really that discussion about where they would be had Giliad had never happened seemed like she was thinking about leaving. But then she invited Fred into her bed. Oh, and then I watched the trailer for next week and not it seems pretty clear her role in the capture.

And somehow that was not the biggest shocker of the week. No, that goes to Offjoseph smashing in the head of her kid’s new father. Can she get away with it? Just how good are those Martha’s at cleaning? Was New Daddy covert enough when he when to Jezebel’s that no one will suspect his whereabouts? And didn’t he move to Washington? Is there now only one house of ill repute left in Gilliad?
You can watch The The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu.

Harlots: Oh wow, they really did kill off Charlotte. It was even more shocking because she was kind of the face of the show up to this point. Sure they did add Liv Tyler last season and Reek this season who are arguable bigger names, but always pretty shocking when the topliner leaves the show and there was not even an announcement before the season (which as a viewer is much preferable, nothing worse than the long goodbye of waiting around for Rick Grimes to die… only for him not to). Then poor Quigley, she just gets out of the nuthouse and now it looks like she is going to have a murder pinned on her.
You can watch Harlots on Hulu.

Krpton: When Lyta got her throat cut it was painfully obvious she would be back at some time because he had to birth General Zod. The only question was how she would be back. Seeming how her son already time traveled, that seemed like the most obvious answer. Nope, the dead Lyta was just a clone.But I do wonder if Lyta ever kills herself so General Zod never exists.
You can download Krypton on iTunes.

Swamp Thing: You know what, if I am in a sinking cop car, I am not using my cell phone as a light, I might use my cell phone as, you know, an actual phone. But I am guessing that had there been a second season, Swamp Thing would have save her or maybe the swamp would have turn her into something else. But not surprisingly when you save off three episode and cancel the show, the ending felt a bit rushed, which is a shame because it was a really strong show up until the last episode. But with the show was canceled, it is weird they still went with an end credits scene teasing a season two villain. But hey, maybe some of the characters will so up on the CW Crisis crossover since the actors are not really busy.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Um, I think I missed something. So Sarge was evil? Sure he stabbed May and kicked her through the portal but he kicked her into a place where you cannot die which made me think he was anti-Izel. But when the rest of SHIELD showed up he seemed to be fighting with her. So did Sarge not know that May would not die in the other world? And just how did the portal shut? Did it just automatically shut when Izel died? That was just all confusing.

Also confusing was the ending. So the Cromicons want to invade Earth to set up their own civilization here and want to wipe out SHIELD because they are their only obstacle for conquering the planet. Um, I know I have not seen the last two Avengers movies but did every Avenger died in those movies or at last all the Earth bound ones? And if the Cromicons are trying to conquer Earth now, why did SHEILD go back to when the Empire State Building was the tallest in the world. Also if this is just an excuse to get Peggy Carter back on our screens, I am all for it (there was a picture featuring the name of one of Agent Carter’s actors on the set). Really, here is hoping we get an Agent Carter reboot on Disney+, or at least Hulu.
You can download Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on iTunes.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: July 28, 2019

Veronica Mars: Episode 1: I really do not like when television shows drop all at once. As soon as Veronica Mars was erased there were though pieces on the shocking finale when I had not even gotten though one episode. And I am not entirely sure what Hulu is doing with their release schedule, sometimes it is weekly, and sometimes it is all at once. The Handmaid’s Tale and Harlots are currently being released weekly, and then Veronica Mars, Light as a Feather, and Four Weddings and a Funeral coming Friday are all at once. Then the Wu-Tang show is weekly. Then they just announced all their fall shows, Looking for Alaska, Dollface, Reprisal, and Runaways will be all at once. I guess I can understand the teen skewing shows going all at once, but shouldn’t the adult shows be weekly? I really hate asking people what episode they are on in hope of discussing what I just watch.

I also like talking about shows, dissecting every episode. When these seasons are release all at once, I usually post about them once and that it is. But I really like talking about Veronica Mars so I do plan about talking about what I watch that week (probably one or two episodes, I want to savor instead of binging and then probably forgetting I even watch the next week. As I did above, I will clearly state what episodes I am talking about.

The start of the season was a bit slow for me. Ronnie in love is usually boring and in-between season Logan somehow went from the obligatory psychotic jackass to kind of a wet blanket. Of course I have always been team DeputyDetective Leo. At least it picked up with the bombing. Here is my prediction: the hotel owner did it so his daughter could get the insurance money.
You can watch Veronica Mars on Hulu.

Big Little Lies: Well that was a weird season. I spend the whole time we were heading to a big showdown between Reece’s husbands but they do not even run into each other for the past two episodes. And after Adam Scott gets propositioned, he wants to renew his vows. And then we end the season (series?) with the Monterey Five walking arm and arm into the police station presumably all willing to admit to perjury. At least we got an epic courtroom scene to start off the episode. But yes, I would definitely watch a potential third season.

Claws: Oh wow, they killed the lady cop. But does that not just prove everything the candidate said? He talks about his gay sister and then exposes the governor’s Asian mob ties and a day later the girlfriend gets murdered. Even if she just “disappears” that looks bad. The national media would descend on that more than if a senate candidate got caught hanging out with teenage girls.
You can download Claws on iTunes.

City on a Hill: The worst part of these season long mystery shows, there always seems to be an episode where one of the cops takes an entire episode looking for their kid. Thankfully we just got an abridged version her. But what was that all about? Was the snitch intentionally trying to let Kevin Bacon he can get to him too, or just doing it to hurt him?

Fear the Walking Dead: So the zombies exposed to radiation may not be as deadly as the scientist lead everyone to believe? Alrighty. Maybe the actress is in a contract dispute and they are getting to sign a low ball deal, if not her character dis a slow and painful death..
You can download Fear the Walking Dead on iTunes.

The Handmaid’s Tale: Well, it has been a while since June has been ritualistically raped. At least they did not show it this time. But I am still wondering what Serena is up to. Is she really trying to get “her” baby back or does she have an alternative motive. She ended last season getting her finger cut off and letting June leave with the baby. Does she regret letting her go or is she still bitter for the finger and is going to screw Fred and Gilliad as a whole by the end of the season?
You can watch The The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu.

Harlots: Wait, did they really just kill off Charlotte Wells? She is kind of the biggest name on the show. I know television characters have survived much worse but there is not much people in England a couple of centuries could do when you crack open your skull and have that much blood start to pool.
You can watch Harlots on Hulu.

Krpton: Did we really need a Doomsday origin story? Probably not. But I am a bit surprised they have not resurrected Lyta yet.
You can download Krypton on iTunes.

Swamp Thing: Okay, I am not entirely sure what is going on with the Blue Devil. It does not help that all his killing happen off screen. But I am not entirely sure what his power is. Does he just burn people with his touch?

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: So they really are going to turn Not-Coulsen into Kind Of Now Coulsen by the end of the season? Yeah that whole thing is kind of confusing.
You can download Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on iTunes.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: July 21, 2019

Big Little Lies: When I saw the title, “The Bad Mother,” I thought to myself, well that could be just about everyone on the show. But I guess the title was supposed to be about Nicole Kidman who got raked through the coals during her trail. But with one episode left, the question is if they are going to do anything big or are they going to wrap this p. If we are going to get season three, clearly someone is going to break, the obvious being Zoe Kravitz, but Shailene Woodley’s co-worker mention the first person that crack will get off easy. But I was a bit disappointed there were no scenes between Reece’s huisbands this week, because up to this point I thought maybe one would kill the other.

Claws: Wait, Dean dumped Virginia? Did not see that one coming. But the best part of the episode was When Jenn walked in on Virginia. Just the indignity that Jenn felt when Virginia admitted that she does not subscribe to Jenn’s Instagram and them Jenn just ended the argument by hoping Virginia gets her herpes. Oh snap.
You can download Claws on iTunes.

City on a Hill: Oh yeah, this whole thing started with that snitch whose buddy killed that cop. I think this was the first time we have seen him since the first episode. And now he is hanging with Kevin Bacon’s daughter. That is probably not end well for someone.

Fear the Walking Dead: So Alicia got splattered with radiation blood. So I wonder if hert organs will melt from the inside, someone will mercy kill her first, or if hot scientist will somehow know how to cure her. Or simply that was not one of the meltdown zombies.
You can download Fear the Walking Dead on iTunes.

The Handmaid’s Tale: Good for Crazy Handmaid to point out how different Ofjoseph had become. The scene last week where she just had the weird smile during the shooting spree was just not a good look for her. Neither was rummaging through the medical waste. Maybe she is normal now. Well except for her new kidnapping scheme.
You can watch The The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu.

Krpton: Well Lyta is still dead. Kind of expected to see her alive somehow by the end of the episode. But since General Zod has not been Marty McFly’d out of existence, you have to assume she will be back by the end of the season.
You can download Krypton on iTunes.

Swamp Thing: So the evil origination that Avery feared so much he killed a reporter goes all the way up to the CDC. And now they presumably have Swamp Thing himself. So just how is he getting back to the swamp?

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: I knew it was weird pilot dude passed out at the party. But now I wonder why if he was being possessed by bat lady. No one else passed afterwards out because of it. She literally knocked Mac out so he could not do anything after she left his body. But we did learn what was up with Not-Coulsen and, um, it was complicated.
You can download Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on iTunes.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: July 14, 2019

Big Little Lies: The random, bizarre interactions between Reece’s husbands have been the best part of this season. One of them has to die, right? There seems to be an increasing amount of shots of that bridge, I am beginning to think something has to happen there. A car accident? Someone jumps off (Zoey Kravitz has to be the leading candidate there). But back to weird scenes, we finally got someone of a payoff from the weirdest part of the season premiere where the chick stops Adam Scott to talk about her boob job. Clearly she wanted to get back at her husband, but then we get to see the husband watching his wife hit on Adam Scott. If that his penitence to his wife, he has to watch his wife have sex with the husband of the girl he cheated on with? This show is its most entertaining when it gets pretty weird.

Claws: Oh yeah, Desna and Dean have a father. I do not even remember him being referenced before, just their time in foster care. But the power struggle between the casino and Desna just is becoming cumbersome. Didn’t she inherit a bunch of other properties from the Jamaican? I do not know, if someone almost kills me and my loved ones and have other properties to fall back on, I would go ahead be a silent partner like they want.
You can download Claws on iTunes.

City on a Hill: I did not even realize that there was not a “previously On…” montage before, instead the show opts for a couple title cards to remind people what is going on. I do think actual moving images and voices helps reminding what happened better.

Fear the Walking Dead: I fell as I missed something. There was just a disconnect of having two episodes end with the Lord of the Flies. Then we got what Al has been up to for the last couple weeks ending with her finding Morgan. Then without explanation, Lord of the Flies kids start off the episode just chilling. It just seems like I missed an episode or three. But I did love the absurdity of the episode ending with the giant beer hot air balloon.
You can download Fear the Walking Dead on iTunes.

Legion: Um, so this kind of just like Intersteller but without the Wormhole?
You can download Legion on iTunes.

The Handmaid’s Tale: So Aunt Lydia became the horrible person she is today because she got blue balled? Alrighty. But I do wonder if the mother is around somewhere now. You know Gilliad is in need of child bearing women. And I do wish they would do more flashbacks, Lydia’s was long overdue, but as they struggle where to go after the books, maybe going backwards and show how we got to the book could be more interesting. Talking about present day, what is Ofjoseph doing? I understand she feels untouchable because they need her to get her daughter back to Gilliad, but what happens if that happens? She just might het her tongue cut out.
You can watch The The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu.

Krpton: Oh wow, so Lyta died. Of course I have watched way too much television to believe she is dead. Or at the very least she will stay dead. She has not even given birth to or gotten strangled by her son. I cannot remember the show, but I vaguely remember a character getting their throat cut and then the next week, they were like, oh, it was not that deep (Hannibal I think). So it could be that. Could be a hologram. She could just be resurrected. All I know is I just do not believe we have seen the last of Lyta alive and breathing.
You can download Krypton on iTunes.

Swamp Thing: Just when you thought Avery being Matt’s daddy was going to be the biggest shocker of the episode, it was a plot between both of Avery’s lover to kill him. The least shocking moment was the reveal that Avery is not dead yet. But the big question now is has the swamp changed him much like Swamp Thing?

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: So May shot not-Coiusen after all that. But since he is alien, I guess it is possible that he can survive human bullets. But it is weird that May shot first and did not bother to even ask questions. Maybe she knows something we do not yet. And there were some cryptic things between weird bat lady and not-Coulsen. Something about remembering her name and now she will help him remember his. There was also something about new skin. Could that really be Coulsen and the alien took a recently dead person’s body when he transported to this world and may still have some of Coulsen’s memory deep down? Speaking of weird bat lady, just where did she go? I thought for sure she did something to the pilot when he passed out, he just stayed passed out and no one seemed to be at all worried. Maybe nothing really happened to him and he just cannot hold his alcohol very well.
You can download Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on iTunes.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: June 30, 2019

Big Little Lies: Okay, I wonder if this is going to be an every other week thing because this week was much more entertaining than the last. Though I am missing what is Meryl Steep’s deal. She does not want to believe her son is an adulterer let alone a rapist, but then starts stocking Ziggy. SAeems like deep down she knows but does not want to admit it. Something dark had to have happened with her other son.

Claws: Gee, when I see a dead body, my first thought is call the police. Who would think Polly has a guy to help get rid of a body? But just when you thought the show could not get any weirder, Virginia starts talking to a pig.
You can download Claws on iTunes.

City on a Hill: So the bother is an informant for money? Couldn’t he make more money robbing armored trucks? Or is he just doing this because his brother would only let him do that one job. If the last job only netted $15,000 each, and Kevin Bacon is offering a $20,000 reward. But where exactly is Kevin Bacon getting this money? Does the FBI really pay that well to informants are does Bacon use the money he steals from bookies and the like to get all his money so he can close more cases?

Fear the Walking Dead: So we are not going to get a what Daniel was doing since we last saw him episode? Meh. But the using a cat to distract walkers so you can kill them easier was kind of brilliant. but that had to be one of the more gruesome ideas with the plan on either show. Now how many seasons until we see Daniel again?
You can download Fear the Walking Dead on iTunes.

Legion: Um, where was the “previous on” reminder? I vaguely remember that not much actually happens on the show. Afterwards I went to YouTube to find the official recap and… um, that was not much help. Maybe it is not something that is meant to be understood.
You can download Legion on iTunes.

The Handmaid’s Tale: Wait, was that was June’s kid’s place in DC? But aren’t they in Boston? But June has seen her daughter multiple times. Did they move? And if Rory Gilmore and the crazy Handmaid had to be brought back from the colonies because a lack of Handmaids, why were there so many on the Mall at the end? Seems like there are plenty.
You can watch The The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu.

Krpton: So they were able to remove Brainiac who looks like the old Brainiac. This makes no sense.
You can download Krypton on iTunes.

Swamp Thing: So we finally learned what happened to Shauna, they did shock me that Abby was at fault… until it turned out to be just a red herring and something drug Shauna down. So now that we got that answered, now the question is, who, or what, actually did that? If Swamp Thing could see what happen, shouldn’t he be able to know what pulled Shauna down?

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: So not-Coulson is over a hundred years old? Well that kind of hurts my multi-verse theory. So just how do the two look-a-likes have matching DNA?
You can download Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on iTunes.

Previewing City on a Hill

There was a time in my life when I though the children were our future, just teach them well and let them lead the way. But whenever I spend any amount of time with the youth today I et increasingly depressed. The last interaction with a trio of teenagers, no of them had heard of the Beastie Boys, thought Eminem was old school, and have never played or even heard of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. For instance Aldis Hodge was Voodoo Tatum in Friday Night Lights with Connie Britton who was on Spin City with Michael J. Fox who was in Back to Future 2 with Elisabeth Shue who was in Hollow Man with, you guessed it, Kevin Bacon.

Although after next week those Hodge and Bacon will have no degrees of separation as they are both starring in City on a Hill. The new show is set in early nineties Boston (O.P.P. on the radio!) and follows a pompous FBI agent (Bacon) who has a great arrest record mostly thanks to illicit means and a new Assistant District Attorney who has to do everything by the books because all eyes are on him because the color of his skin. I sometime wonder if the proliferation of period pieces is solely the excuse for writers to be racist as they want under the guise of historical accuracy. Women are not portrayed much better, there is one actress who shows up in both of the first two episodes but only manages to spend less than ten percent of her time on screen actually clothed.

With the two lawmen, they need a crime to be solved. That comes way of Johnathan Tucker (whose one of his first acting gig was with Bacon in Sleepers) who despite runs a market, still finds time to knock over armored trucks. Although I am not entirely sure why someone with a full time job is risking everything for a $15,000 take. Especially considering what happens in a robbery that goes wrong that draws the attention of the Feds in the first episode. He does have three small children and a full time screw up little brother (a douchebag Bostonian who listens to Marky Mark in the early nineties is a bit on the nose) who wants in on the next score.

The thing about City on a Hill is the story as described in the press package sound much better that the clichéd period crime show that show up at the very least in the first couple episode. The press materials describe the early nineties setting as the height of violent crime and corruption in the city. Then the show starts at the dawn of the turnaround. I would like to watch that show as Bacon and Hodge route out corruption, instead it just comes off as a The Town retread with a couple more bushy mustaches (director of that movie, Ben Afleck is a producer on the show). Future seasons of City on a Hill may end up being compelling, but I feel like I have seen the first season way too many times at this point.

City on a Hill airs Sundays at 9:00 on Showtime.