Tag Archives: American Television

VisionQuest: No Strings [S1:E1] – TV Review

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Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service used to view this series.

W+V.

VisionQuest Review Introduction

While I have been keeping up with the MCU movies, over the last few years, I have fallen off the Disney+ TV shows. However, when you see Terry Matalas come in to land the Wanda trilogy, that breaks through, and you need to check it out.

So, to set the scene, since the events of WandaVision, Vision (Paul Bettany) or at least the white rebirthed version of Vision in human form, has gone into hiding in Edinburgh, where he and Wanda hid leading up to Captain America: Civil War. But Vision is not alone; he downloaded many of the old Stark AI programs, including JARVIS (James D’Arcy) and stored them in his quantum processes, where he visits each night. Working with them to become human, well, more human, human-er. But one stored program might come back to bite him: Ultron (James Spader). Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Scrubs: My Chief [S2:E4] – TV Review

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TL;DR – A lot happened in this episode, but only one thing landed its mark

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that aired this episode.

Scrubs Review Introduction

Today we are looking at an episode that is a bit of a mixed bag, because at least one of its major points landed. However, the rest of the episode was kind of fine. Nothing remarkable, but just fine.

So, to set the scene, JD (Zach Braff) is having a problem. Someone in the hospital just made a huge mistake, and a patient had to be readmitted. This is a huge financial loss for the hospital, and JD, as chief, is looking to find which idiot doctor let the person go before they were ready. Unfortunately for JD, the answer is not the one he wanted to find. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Scrubs: My Ex’s Ex [S2:E3] – TV Review

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TL;DR – An episode that brings that old-school feel before kicking you in the face.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that aired this episode.

Charlie stuck in-between JD and Carla.

Scrubs Review –

When I was reviewing Season 1 of Scrubs, or Season 10 depending on your perspective, one of my main criticisms was that it felt isolated from the older episodes because most of the supporting cast didn’t make the jump. Today is the first episode where it felt like we were finally getting back to that level.

So, to set the scene, at Sacred Heart, there are three relationships on show. JD (Zach Braff) and Charlie (Rachel Bilson) are in that first stage of romance, Carla (Judy Reyes) and Turk (Donald Faison) are working through living together after so many years of marriage, and for Elliot (Sarah Chalke), well, she is single again. Which makes it the perfect time for JD to run into Sean (Scott Foley), his ex’s ex. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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The Diplomat: Windsor [S4:E1] – TV Review

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TL;DR – Delightfully chaotic as we get to watch a masterclass in dialogue.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Netflix service that I used to view this series.

Hal and Grace look out different windows during a car trip.

The Diplomat Review Introduction

My background is in International Relations, and it does not come up here as much as I would like, other than the occasional The Hitman’s Bodyguard jaunt. Well, today, given the situation of the world, I thought I would take a chance to have some wishful thinking in a world where the right things still matter, integrity still matters, to pretend for a couple of hours that everything hasn’t just gone to shit everywhere. Which is what I wrote when I dived into Season 3 of The Diplomat, and looking out at the world today, it still applies to Season 4.

So, to set the scene, everyone at the embassy is still dealing with the fallout of the Americans stealing a nuclear device from a grounded Russian submarine in British waters, which Kate Wyler (Keri Russell) did not know about, poor form, given that her husband Hal (Rufus Sewell) was the one who planned the covert military action with President Grace Penn (Allison Janney). Especially since Grace just got out from the cloud that she set in motion the events in Season 1 that led to the explosion on the British naval vessel. A lot of stuff went down last season. As both the President and Vice President made their way back to Air Force One, protestors blocked the highway. So, there is only one thing you can do: camp out at Windsor Castle for a while. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Scrubs: My Mentee [S2:E2] – TV Review

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TL;DR – A good example of one of the sillier episodes that still sneaks some commentary under the shenanigans.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that aired this episode.

Sam with a blown up plastic glove.

Scrubs Review –

When you have a reboot series where you bring back the old cast, you can pretend that nothing has changed, or you can incorporate that time into your narratives. Today’s episode does the latter as it gets into the core of the characters.

So, to set the scene, Dr Cox’s (John C. McGinley) treatment has been going well, and he is in remission. The only problem is that each of his infusions costs $35.000. As they struggle to work out how to fix the American healthcare system, JD (Zach Braff), Turk (Donald Faison), and Elliot (Sarah Chalke) have to see their lives through the prism of their mentees. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Scrubs: My First Time in a While [S2:E1] – TV Review

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TL;DR – A surprisingly emotional episode right out of the gate.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that aired this episode.

Sasha Parking Only.

Scrubs Review –

Well, we are back for Season Two or Season 11 of Scrubs, and in a rare form these years, we did not have to wait three-odd years to get it. Scrubs is now and has always been a comfort show for me, and today we will see if that trend continues or not.

So, to set the scene, while JD (Zach Braff) is celebrating the first meaningful relationship since his divorce from Elliot (Sarah Chalke), things are not all good at Sacred Heart. That is because Dr Cox’s (John C. McGinley) treatment is not progressing as it should, putting a real strain on his kidneys. It is a problem only a super team of medical superheroes, and Todd (Robert Maschio) can fix, if at all. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Lanterns: The Jordan Boys’ Legacy [S1E7] – TV Review

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TL;DR – This is all preparation for the season finale next week, but still, it engages you at every level.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the HBO Max service used to view this series.

End Credit Scene – There is a making-of and trailer after the end credits.

Warning – Contains scenes which may cause distress.

A Navy cap.

Lanterns Review Introduction

Well, we are getting precariously close to the season/series finale next week, and I am surprised at myself that I am not quite ready to let all these characters go. Each week has been almost like a new tapestry being unveiled or a new part of a quilt being added, all building to the final picture. Today we dive deeper while muddling things around the edges in a fascinating way.

So, to set the scene, Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) dead, long live Hal Jordan, for John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) remembered a trick Hal showed him one time to etch 5% more power out of a ring. That 5% was just enough to summon the backup of Hal that Hal had stored there. Though it had not been activated in 10 years and his first sight is his dead body lying in a grave. It’s a lot to take in. John needs Hal’s voice to activate the safe he left behind, but Hal will only do it if John takes him to see Sheriff Kane (Kelly Macdonald). Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Neagley: Season 1 – TV Review

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TL;DR – While it has a slow start, it sinks its hooks in as you desperately want to see the bad guys fail before the bodies pile up too high.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Amazon Prime service used to view this series.

Warning – Contains scenes which may cause distress.

Neagley jumping through the air.

Neagley Review Introduction –

One of Amazon Prime’s most successful series in recent years has been Reacher, and given its success, it was only a matter of time before someone tried a spin-off. But if you are going to spin off such a successful series, you need to have a good hook, and I think one of the most successful supporting cast members is a good place to start. Now, we have had the chance to watch the season, and it is time to dive back in to see if it worked or not.   

So, to set the scene, it is 2 am in Chicago, and a man walks out onto the train line tracks into oncoming traffic and is killed instantly. The man, Tommy Crane (Jhaleil Swaby), was an old childhood friend of Neagley (Maria Sten), who has just finished off a successful resolution of a kidnapping case with a little help from her old boss Reacher (Alan Ritchson). While she had not seen Tommy in years, him getting so high that he would walk out onto oncoming traffic does not sound like him, and so she must investigate. Now, from here, we will be looking at the season as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – Tomorrow’s Enterprise [S4E10] & Season 4 – TV Review

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TL;DR – A heartfelt end to a very uneven season.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Paramount+ service used to view this series.

The USS Enterprise in front of a white hole.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Review Introduction

Well, we have reached the end of a very odd season of Star Trek. It almost feels like the beginning of the end, while also celebrating the series’ 60th birthday. The vibes are all over the place. Whatever the case, today we are going to take a little time to explore the series finale while also looking at the season as a whole.

So, to set the scene, the USS Enterprise is exploring a very rare phenomenon, a white hole. They are looking to see if white holes are the other end of black holes when a tractor beam strikes the ship after a signal shot out from the hole, impacting Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) the most. It’s odd, almost like she can hear things that have not happened, a temporal paradox just affecting her. She hears Scotty’s (Martin Quinn) demise, but he is still fine, and then maybe she hears a disaster from the near future. Wait, why is that white hole now a black hole? Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Lanterns: Bad Optics [S1E6] – TV Review

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TL;DR – A slow burn is a choice given the end of last week’s episode, but while we still come out swinging this week, the slower pace lets the show breathe, and the performances shine.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the HBO Max service used to view this series.

End Credit Scene – There is a making-of and trailer after the end credits.

The Green Lanterns logo in the sky.

Lanterns Review Introduction

Well, what a season of television we have had so far. In any other show, last week’s episode, Lights Out, would have been the season finale, but no, not here. Not only is it not the season finale, but it was also just a stepping stone on the way to the endgame. Oh, to have such strength in your writing, and also, oh, to back it up each week.

So, to set the scene, it is 2026, and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) has moved on to his real passion of architecture after giving up the ring, which is why he was surprised when his mother (Jasmine Cephas Jones) calls to say that not only is Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) out of jail, but that he now lives in Rushville and wants to apologise. One long drive out, and no apology later, John is at his wits’ end when he gets a call from Sheriff Kerry Kane (Kelly Macdonald). Hal is dead, murdered. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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