Tag Archives: Drama Television

Scrubs: My Best Friend’s Birthday [S2:E5] – TV Review

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TL;DR – An odd episode with big moments and some awkward encounters.  

Rating: 3 out of 5.

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

JD, Turk, and Elliot look in shock.

Scrubs Review Introduction

Today we are looking at an episode that has become quite contentious in my friend circles. I have heard quite negative things about it before I sat down, and now I have watched it; well, it was fine.

So, to set the scene, it is one of those rare days where JD (Zach Braff) and Elliot (Sarah Chalke) have the day off, but the hospital is a difficult third person in any relationship. Just when you think you are free, it pulls you back in, and that is a hard sell on any relationship. Even Turk (Donald Faison) is feeling the pain when he can’t get one night by himself. But in many ways the hospital is a grand trial, some with thrive, and others will fail. 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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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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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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Reacher: Season Four – TV Review

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TL;DR – A solid season that never evolves the manual but does show why it works as well as it does.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Amazon Prime subscription that viewed this series.

Reacher looks out in concern.

Reacher Review Introduction

Another season of Reacher has come to a close, and thankfully it was a much better ride than what we got in Season Three. With that in mind, we will dive into what makes the series work as well as it does, and also what might be holding it back from really making a cultural moment.   

So, to set the scene, it is 2:18 am in Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love. Reacher (Alan Ritchson) is taking one of the last trains for the night when he notices a woman in clear distress, her hands hidden in a bag. Fearing the inevitable disaster, he tries to talk the lady down from the coming disaster. But when he lies to say he is a cop, hoping that will stop the escalation, it has the opposite result. Reacher feels like he failed the woman in her hour of need, but worse, every department in the federal government is now very interested in a suicide on an early morning train. Now, from here, we will be looking at the season as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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The Airport Chaplain: Season 1 – TV Review

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TL;DR – An interesting show with compelling characters that gets stuck in backstory rather than making the most of its central thesis.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I watched this on SBS On Demand.

Warning – Contains scenes which may cause distress.

Airport Chaplain written on the back on a vest.

The Airport Chaplain Review Introduction

When I watched God Complex, I was instantly hooked by one of the more interesting premises on television this year. How would the titular Airport Chaplain work in a system full of tension, staff and management, the frustrations of passengers, or the different requirements of different faiths? Now that I have watched the whole season, I am both impressed and a bit frustrated with how it all played out.

So, to set the scene, it is a chaotic day at Victoria Airport: planes are being delayed, a flight from Shanghai has been circling for half an hour with a dead body on board, and there is a security incident happening. It is one of those days when you need a fixer to help smooth these things over, which is a good thing: Airport Chaplain Tobias Wallace (Hugo Weaving) is on the case. Now, from here, we will be looking at the season as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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The Gentlemen: The Road To Kingdom [S2E1] – TV Review

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TL;DR – A delightfully terse and messy return to a fascinating series.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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

The Price to buy a Cash-strapped Lord.

The Gentlemen Review –

Back in 2024, when I heard that they were going to make a spiritual homage to the movie The Gentlemen on a vibes level while keeping the title, I was a touch concerned. I shouldn’t have been, because Guy Ritchie’s works tend to be interesting if nothing else. The first season was full of style, but a bit uneven; it was absolutely enough to make me want to see where they go in a second outing.

So, to set the scene, we open with Edward “Eddie” Horniman, the 13th Duke of Halstead (Theo James), having a very, very, very bad day. Three months earlier, things are looking a lot better for the Duke, as he starts his manipulations for Susie’s (Kaya Scodelario) father, Bobby (Ray Winstone). All he has to do is grease Lord Richard Hawthorne (Hugh Bonneville) to get a peerage in the House of Lords, and keep his new Italian fixer Cico (Michele Morrone) in line. What is the worst that could happen? Now from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.  

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The Airport Chaplain: God Complex [S1E1] – TV Review

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TL;DR – This premiere was a good grounding episode for all the drama, conflict, and vibes of the series.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I watched this on SBS On Demand.

Airport Chaplain written on the back on a vest.

The Airport Chaplain Review Introduction

When you hear that Hugo Weaving is popping into an SBS series all about being an eccentric airport chaplain, well, you need to see what all that is about. It is one of those odd combinations that draws you in, and I am glad that it is also interesting.

So, to set the scene, it is a chaotic day at a Melbourne airport: planes are being delayed, a flight from Shanghai has been circling for half an hour with a dead body on board, and there is a security incident happening. It is one of those days when you need a fixer to help smooth these things over, which is a good thing: Airport Chaplain Tobias Wallace (Hugo Weaving) is on the case. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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