The Walking Dead may be coming to a close but the zombie apocalypse will continue in Tales of The Walking Dead, a new anthology series.
Here’s the first trailer, featuring Terry Crews and Samantha Morton. This actually dropped yesterday but, again, I was so overwhelmed by the cuteness of I am Groot that it took me 24 hours to get around to sharing it. Don’t worry, though. The Dead aren’t going anywhere.
The teaser below was actually released yesterday, at Comic-Con. I’m sharing it a day late because it’s taken 24 hours for me to get over the pure cuteness of I am Groot.
I am Groot is going to air on Disney+. It’s advertised as being five short films about everyone’s favorite talking tree. Of course, when we say talking, we mean that he repeats the same four words over and over again but those words mean something different every time.
I like Groot. Seriously, who doesn’t like Groot? It’s probably wise to limit him to five short films, though. I don’t know if you could really pull off a Groot series without the concept wearing out its welcome. But five short films, featuring different stages in the life of Groot …. that sounds great!
Here’s the teaser:
Below, you will find the third trailer for House of the Dragon, HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel! I’m not really sure if I’m ready to take on yet another show that will inevitably have a complicated mythology to try to keep straight but, on the other hand, I do like dragons.
I spent most of this week watching movies. The Emmy nomination period is over with and, as a result, so is a lot of my interest in television. I am still watching Big Brother, of course. How could I ever stop watching that? That’s the power of addiction.
The Bachelorette (Monday Night, ABC)
There’s two Bachelorettes, which is only right considering what a mess the last season of The Bachelor was. We’ll see how this plays out. To be honest, I’m suffering a bit of fatigue with this franchise. It was more fun to watch before everyone decided that they were also in on the joke. Jesse Palmer seems like he’ll be a better host than Kaitlyn and Tayshia. So, we’ll see! (Can you tell that I didn’t really pay much attention to the first episode?)
Better Call Saul (Monday Night, AMC)
Better Call Saul returned with a bang this week. For those who thought Lalo would be around for a while longer, nope. I still feel bad for Howard, who will apparently now forever be branded a drug addict. I’m also increasingly concerned about what’s going to happen to Kim because pretty soon, Walter White and his sidekick are going to show up and Kim was never seen or spoken of in Breaking Bad.
Big Brother 24 (All week, CBS and Paramount+)
My thoughts on this latest season of Big Brother can be found over at the Big Brother Blog. This big news this week was that Paloma, who was obviously a favorite of production’s, self-evicted after having what appeared to be a hypomanic episode in the House. Julie Chen Moonves made a big deal about saying that production wished the best for Paloma and that they were only concerned with her mental health but rumor has it that production actually asked Paloma to stay in the game, even after it became obvious that she was struggling. Anyway, that’s Big Brother for you! (That’s also why I would never go on that show.)
Boy Meets World (Disney Plus)
On Thursday, I was bored enough to watch an episode of this late 90s sitcom. Shawn joined a cult. Mr. Turner got into a motorcycle accident. As with most episodes of Boy Meets World, it was 50% cringey and 50% effective. This episode featured a good performance from Rider Strong but it also featured Ben Savage going totally over the top as he shouted, “This is a hug, Shawn! THIS IS A HUG!”
The Challenge (Wednesday Night, CBS)
Survivor alumni faced off against Big Brother alumni and Love Island alumni and some Bachelor alumni. To be honest, I may have had the television on but The Challenge really has yet to capture my attention.
Hawkeye (Disney Plus)
I’m still mad that Natasha sacrificed herself in Avengers: Endgame so Clint could be reunited with his family. That said, this series was enjoyable when taken on its town terms. It may be because my last name is Bowman but I’ve always liked archers. Vincent D’Onofrio seemed to be having fun as a crime lord and Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfield were believable as father and daughter.
Inspector Lewis (YouTube)
I watched another episode of Inspector Lewis on Tuesday. I watched it with a group of friends on twitter and I have to admit that the tweets were so lively that I actually didn’t may attention to the episode. Sitting here and typing this up on Saturday, I have no idea what happened but I do remember that Hathaway seemed troubled.
Loki (Disney Plus)
My God, could Tom Hiddleston be any more adorable? The plot of this show was typical Marvel nonsense but Hiddleston’s devilish performance made it fun and worth watching.
Stranger Things (Netflix)
I watched the latest season and, as you can tell from my personal Emmy nominations, I liked it. I’m going to hold off on saying anything more because I’m planning on reviewing each episode individually at some point in the near future. By the time I get around to reviewing it, everyone will probably have moved on but oh well. That’s one of the benefits of having your own site and being your own boss. You can set your own schedule.
The Emmy nominations were announced this morning. As usual, I agree with a few of the nominations and disagreed with the majority of them. I was happy to see Abbott Elementary nominated for Best Comedy. I was happy that Barry got a lot of love. You can see all the nominees over at Emmys.com.
For the most part, I think my personal nominations were better.
For Best Comedy Series, I was happy to see Abbott Elementary, Barry, Only Murders In The Building, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and What We Do In The Shadows nominated. I was not happy to see that Cobra Kai, Ghosts, and The Flight Attendant were pretty much shut out of the major categories, with the exception of Kaley Cuoco’s nomination for Best Actress. Though I’m not a huge fan of Ted Lasso, I realize that others are and I don’t think it’s bad show as much as it’s just not for me. Hacks, I am going to guess, was nominated because it was about show business. Curb Your Enthusiasm was nominated out-of-habit, as this latest season was pretty much unwatchable. I’m disappointed Atlanta wasn’t nominated but, to be honest, I kind of suspected that this season would be too surreal for the voters. Donald Glover was nominated for Best Actor but how did Atlanta not land even a single writing nomination?
For Drama Series, I actually agree with 6 of the 8 nominees, Better Call Saul, Euphoria, Severance, Squid Game, and Yellowjackets. I will be rooting for Yellowjackets, though we all know that Succession is going to win again. Succession pretty much dominated the acting nominations as well. I’ll be cheering for Severance’s Adam Scott and Christopher Walken and Yellowjackets’s Melanie Lynesky and Christina Ricci. That said, I’m fully expecting Succession to sweep. Maybe Bob Odenkirk will finally get some Emmy love and spare us from a self-congratulatory Brian Cox acceptance speech. That would be nice.
Best Limited Series, I don’t even want to talk about. I agree with one nominee, The Dropout. My other favorite miniseries — shows like Maid, Pistol, Candy, The Offer, Angelyne, 1883, Dr. Death — were shut out for stuff like Inventing Anna and Pam & Tommy. I imagine that Dopesick will sweep this category, despite not being that interesting of a show. Narratively, Dopesick was a mess but it had four good performances (Michael Keaton, Kaitlyn Dever, Peter Sarsgaard, and Will Poulter) and a villain that was easy to dislike.
As far as Best TV Movie goes, I imagine that The Survivor will win and I’m happy with that. I would have liked to have seen a nomination or two for I Want You Back and The House but The Survivor is an important film and, at a time when anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial is being normalized, it’s a film that deserves more attention. With a growing number of celebrities and influencers recently displaying their ignorance of what happened in Nazi Germany and often being openly anti-Semitic without any apparent consequences, it’s easy to see why it’s important to honor films like The Survivor.
The Amazing Race was nominated for Best Competition Show. I was happy about that.
When I started off this post, I was upset about the Emmys snubbing some of my favorite shows but, as I’ve sat here typing, I’ve calmed down. It’s just the Emmys and don’t know anyone who really takes them seriously. The winners will be announced on September 12th.
The Emmy Nominations are due to be announced tomorrow so it’s time for the Shattered Lens to play a game that should be familiar to our longtime readers, What If Lisa Marie Had All The Power.
Below, you’ll find my personal Emmy nominations. Keep in mind, these are not necessarily the shows and performers who I think will be nominated, though a few definitely will be. Instead, these are my personal picks. This is what would be nominated if I had all the power.
Now, there’s a lot of Emmy categories. I went through the Emmy submissions and I picked nominees for every single category. However, in the interest of space, I can’t list all of them in this post. Instead, below, you’ll find my picks for the major categories. If you want to see the complete list of my nominees, you can see it by clicking here!
Another thing you’ll probably notice while looking over my nominations is that I really, really liked The Amazing Race, Survivor (both the movie and the unrelated reality show), I Want You Back, The Voyeurs, The House, Barry, Atlanta, Cobra Kai, Abbott Elementary, Only Murders In The Building, Maid, Pistol, The Dropout, Candy, The Offer, Euphoria, Dexter: New Blood, The Gilded Age, Severance, Yellowstone, and Yellowjackets. I also made an effort to make sure that each of the primetime networks got a little bit of love when it came to nominating the best shows of the year. Fantasy Island and Dynasty may not be remembered by the Emmys but I enjoy both of them and I’m going to remember them!
Here are my nominees! The winners are in bold.
Programming
Outstanding Comedy Series
Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Atlanta (FX)
Barry (HBO)
Brooklyn Nine Nine (NBC)
Cobra Kai (Netflix)
The Flight Attendant (HBOMax)
Ghosts (CBS)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon Prime)
Murderville (Netflix)
Only Murders In The Building (Hulu)
Saved By The Bell (Peacock)
What We Do In The Shadows (FX)
Outstanding Drama Series
Better Call Saul (AMC)
Dexter: New Blood (Showtime)
Dynasty (The CW)
Euphoria (HBO)
Fantasy Island (Fox)
The Gilded Age (HBO)
Severance (Apple TV+)
Squid Game (Netflix)
Stranger Things (Netflix)
The Walking Dead (AMC)
Yellowjackets (Showtime)
Yellowstone (Paramount)
Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series
Angelyne (Peacock)
Candy (Hulu)
Dr. Death (Peacock)
The Dropout (Hulu)
1883 (Paramount Plus)
The Essex Serpent (Apple TV+)
Maid (Netflix)
The Offer (Paramount Plus)
Pistol (Hulu)
Slasher: Flesh & Blood (Shudder)
A Very British Scandal (Amazon Prime)
The Woman In The House Across The Street From The Girl In The Window (Netflix)
Outstanding TV Movie
Birds of Paradise (Amazon Prime)
Chip ‘N Dale: Rescue Rangers (Disney Plus)
The House (Netflix)
I Want You Back (Amazon Prime)
List of a Lifetime (Lifetime)
The Manor (Amazon Prime)
Psych 3: This is Gus (Peacock)
The Survivor (HBO)
The Valet (Hulu)
The Voyeurs (Amazon Prime)
Outstanding Variety Talk Show
Conan (TBS)
Friday Night Vibes (TBS)
Half in the Bag (YouTube)
Hart to Heart (Peacock)
E! Nightly Pop (E!)
Tha God’s Honest Truth With Charlemagne Tha God (Comedy Central)
Outstanding Variety Sketch Show
The Truth With Ed and Randall (Peacock)
Whose Line Is It Anyway? (The CW)
Outstanding Variety Special (Live)
Annie Live! (NBC)
The Oscars (ABC)
The Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show (NBC)
The 28th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (TBS)
Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)
Merry Wives (Great Performances) (PBS)
Norm McDonald: Nothing Special (Netflix)
Rita Ora at the Eiffel Tower (Streaming)
Step Into The Movies …. With Derek and Julianne Hough (ABC)
Taylor Tomlinson: Look At You (Netflix)
2022 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards (Shudder)
Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama, or Variety Series
I Think You Should Leave …. With Tim Robinson (Netflix)
State of the Union (Sundance TV)
Outstanding Short Form Non-Fiction or Reality Series
Beyond The Headlines (Lifetime)
Let’s Unpack That (People TV)
True Dating Stories (Fuse)
What Happens in Hollywood (Roku)
Outstanding Hosted Non-Fiction Series or Special
Gordon Ramsay’s Uncharted (Disney Plus)
History’s Greatest Mysteries (History)
The Last Drive-In (Shudder)
Painting With John (HBO)
Sketchbook (Disney Plus)
Talking Dead (AMC)
Outstanding Structured Reality Program
Antiques Roadshow (PBS)
Collector’s Call (MeTV)
Impractical Jokers (TruTV)
Love is Blind (Netflix)
Storage Wars (A&E)
Temptation Island (USA)
Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program
Bachelor in Paradise (ABC)
Bar Rescue (Paramount)
Cheer (Netflix)
Intervention (A&E)
Married At First Sight (Lifetime)
Selling Sunset (Netflix)
Outstanding Competition Program
The Amazing Race (CBS)
American Idol (ABC)
The Bachelor (ABC)
The Bachelorette (ABC)
Dancing With The Stars (ABC)
Hell’s Kitchen (Fox)
Making The Cut (Amazon Prime)
Survivor (CBS)
Tough as Nails (CBS)
The Ultimate Surfer (ABC)
Performers
Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series
Will Arnett in Murderville (Netflix)
Will Forte in MacGruber (Peacock)
Donald Glover in Atlanta (FX)
Bill Hader in Barry (HBO)
Ralph Macchio in Cobra Kai (Netflix)
Steve Martin in Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
Andy Samberg in Brooklyn Nine Nine (NBC)
Martin Short in Only Murders In The Building (Hulu)
Jason Sudeikis in Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)
William Zabka in Cobra Kai (Netflix)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Jason Bateman in Ozark (Netflix)
Kevin Costner in Yellowstone (Paramount)
Michael C. Hall in Dexter: New Blood (Showtime)
Tom Hiddleston in Loki (Disney Plus)
Lee Jung-jae in Squid Game (Netflix)
Bob Odenkirk in Better Call Saul (AMC)
Norman Reedus in The Walking Dead (AMC)
Adam Scott in Severance (Apple TV+)
Morgan Spector in The Gilded Age (HBO)
Billy Bob Thornton in Goliath (Amazon Prime)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series
Jon Bernthal in We Own This City (HBO)
Anson Boon in Pistol (Hulu)
David Cronenberg in Slasher: Flesh & Blood (Shudder)
Sam Elliott in 1883 (Paramount Plus)
Tom Hiddleston in The Essex Serpent (Apple TV+)
Oscar Isaac in Moon Knight (Disney Plus)
Joshua Jackson in Dr. Death (Peacock)
Samuel L. Jackson in The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey (Apple TV+)
Michael Keaton in Dopesick (Hulu)
Toby Wallace in Pistol (Hulu)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a TV Movie
Charlie Day in I Want You Back (Amazon Prime)
Eugenio Derbez in The Valet (Hulu)
Ben Foster in The Survivor (HBO)
Dule Hill in Psych 3: This is Gus (Peacock)
James Roday Rodriguez in Psych 3: This is Gus (Peacock)
Troye Sivan in Three Months (Paramount Plus)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in A Comedy Series
Andre Braugher in Brooklyn Nine Nine (NBC)
Anthony Carrigan in Barry (HBO)
Thomas Ian Griffith in Cobra Kai (Netflix)
Brian Tyree Henry in Atlanta (FX)
Martin Kove in Cobra Kai (Netflix)
Mario Lopez in Saved By The Bell (Peacock)
Richie Moriarty in Ghosts (CBS)
Chris Perfiti in Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Stephen Root in Barry (HBO)
Henry Winkler in Barry (HBO)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Clancy Brown in Dexter: New Blood (Showtime)
Patrick Fabian in Better Call Saul (AMC)
Josh Hamilton in The Walking Dead (AMC)
Cole Hauser in Yellowstone (Paramount)
Ray Liotta in Hanna (Amazon Prime)
John Turturro in Severance (Apple TV+)
Christopher Walken in Severance (Apple TV+)
Sam Waterston in Law & Order (NBC)
Owen Wilson in Loki (Disney Plus)
O Yeong-su in Squid Game (Netflix)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series
Naveen Andrews in The Dropout (Hulu)
Thomas Brodie-Sangster in Pistol (Hulu)
Stephen Fry in The Dropout (Hulu)
Matthew Goode in The Offer (Paramount Plus)
William H. Macy in The Dropout (Hulu)
Dylan Minnette in The Dropout (Hulu)
Nick Robinson in Maid (Netflix)
Alan Ruck in The Dropout (Hulu)
Christian Slater in Dr. Death (Peacock)
Sam Waterston in The Dropout (Hulu)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a TV Movie
Corbin Bernsen in Psych 3: This is Gus (Peacock)
Bruce Davison in The Manor (Amazon Prime)
Scott Eastwood in I Want You Back (Amazon Prime)
Ben Hardy in The Voyeurs (Amazon Prime)
Billy Magnussen in The Survivor (HBO)
Peter Sarsgaard in The Survivor (HBO)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Pamela Adlon in Better Things (FX)
Rachel Brosnahan in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon Prime)
Quinta Brunson in Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Miranda Cosgrove in iCarly (Peacock)
Kaley Cuoco in The Flight Attendant (HBOMax)
Natasia Demetriou in What We Do In The Shadows (FX)
Selena Gomez in Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
Rose McIver in Ghosts (CBS)
Sandra Oh in The Chair (Netflix)
Jean Smart in Hacks (HBOMax)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Carrie Coon in The Gilded Age (HBO)
Elizabeth Gillies in Dynasty (The CW)
Nicole Kidman in Nine Perfect Strangers (Hulu)
Juliette Lewis in Yellowjackets (Showtime)
Melanie Lynesky in Yellowjackets (Showtime)
Anna Paquin in Flack (Amazon Prime)
Kelly Reilly in Yellowstone (Paramount)
Winona Ryder in Stranger Things (Netflix)
Roselyn Sanchez in Fantasy Island (Fox)
Zendaya in Euphoria (HBO)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series
Kristen Bell in The Woman In The House Across The Street From The Girl In The Window (Netflix)
Jessica Biel in Candy (Hulu)
Lily Collins in Pam & Tommy (Hulu)
Claire Danes in The Essex Serpent (Apple TV+)
Elle Fanning in The Girl From Plainville (Hulu)
Claire Foy in A Very British Scandal (Amazon Prime)
Isabel May in 1883 (Paramount Plus)
Margaret Qualley in Maid (Netflix)
Emmy Rossum in Angelyne (Peacock)
Amanda Seyfried in The Dropout (Hulu)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a TV Movie
Kristine Foseth in Birds of Paradise (Amazon Prime)
Barbara Hershey in The Manor (Amazon Prime)
Kelly Hu in List of a Lifetime (Lifetime)
Diana Silvers in Birds of Paradise (Amazon Prime)
Jenny Slate in I Want You Back (Amazon Prime)
Sydney Sweeney in The Voyeurs (Amazon Prime)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Zazie Beetz in Atlanta (FX)
Hannah Einbinder in Hacks (HBOMax)
Melissa Famero in Brooklyn Nine Nine (NBC)
Sarah Goldberg in Barry (HBO)
Janelle James in Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Elizabeth Berkley Lauren in Saved By The Bell (Peacock)
Peyton List in Cobra Kai (Netflix)
Sheryl Lee Ralph in Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Kristen Schaal in What We Do In The Shadows (FX)
Rebecca Wisocky in Ghosts (CBS)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama
Patricia Arquette in Severance (Apple TV+)
Christine Baranski in The Gilded Age (HBO)
Jennifer Carpenter in Dexter: New Blood (Showtime)
Julia Garner in Ozark (Netflix)
Jung Ho-yeon in Squid Game (Netflix)
Cynthia Nixon in The Gilded Age (HBO)
Christina Ricci in Yellowjackets (Showtime)
Rhea Seehorn in Better Call Saul (AMC)
Sydney Sweeney in Euphoria (HBO)
Sophie Thatcher in Yellowjackets (Showtime)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series
Anne Archer in The Dropout (Hulu)
Kate Burton in The Dropout (Hulu)
Sydney Chandler in Pistol (Hulu)
Kaitlyn Dever in Dopesick (Hulu)
Molly Ephraim in Angelyne (Hulu)
Faith Hill in 1883 (Paramount Plus)
Camryn Mi-young Kim in The Dropout (Hulu)
Melanie Lynesky in Candy (Hulu)
Laurie Metcalf in The Dropout (Hulu)
Michaela Watkins in The Dropout (Hulu)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a TV Movie
Jacqueline Bisset in Birds of Paradise (Amazon Prime)
Natasha Liu Bordizzo in The Voyeurs (Amazon Prime)
Vicky Krieps in The Survivor (HBO)
Sylvia Kwan in List of a Lifetime (Lifetime)
Gina Rodriguez in I Want You Back (Amazon Prime)
Maddie Ziegler in The Fallout (HBOMax)
Outstanding Guest Actor On A Comedy Series
James Caverly in Only Murders in the Building “The boy From 6B” (Hulu)
David Duchovny in The Chair “Last Bus In Town” (Netflix)
Paul Walter Hauser in Cobra Kai “Party Time” (Netflix)
Nathan Lane in Only Murder In The Building “The Boy From 6B” (Hulu)
Joe Mantegna in Barry “crazytimeshitshow” (HBO)
Liam Neeson in Atlanta “New Jazz” (FX)
Craig Robinson in Brooklyn Nine Nine “PB&J” (NBC)
Miguel Sandoval in Barry “all the sauces” (HBO)
Sting in Only Murders in the Building “The Sting” (Hulu)
Matt Walsh in Ghosts “The Vault” (CBS)
Outstanding Guest Actor on Drama Series
Michael Biehn in The Walking Dead “Warlords” (AMC)
Colman Domingo in Euphoria “Ruminations: Big and Little Bullys” (HBO)
Robert Englund in Stranger Things “Chapter Four: Dear Billy” (Netflix)
Michael Gill in The Gilded Age “Face The Music” (HBO)
Richard E. Grant in Loki “Journey Into Mystery” (Disney Plus)
William Hurt in Goliath “Spilt Milk” (Amazon Prime)
Sam Neill in Invasion “The Last Day” (Apple TV+)
Tom Pelphrey in Ozark “You’re The Boss” (Netflix)
John Douglas Thompson in The Gilded Age “Let The Tournament Begin” (HBO)
Yul Vasquez in Severance “In Perpetuity” (Apple TV+)
Outstanding Guest Actress On A Comedy Series
Odessa A’zion in Ghosts “Attic Girl” (CBS)
Vanessa Bayer in Barry “710N” (HBO)
Kelly Bishop in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel “Maisel vs. Lemon: The Cut Contest” (Amazon Prime)
Tina Fey in Only Murders in The Building “The Sting” (Hulu)
Ava Grey in Atlanta “New Jazz” (FX)
Oona O’Brien in Cobra Kai “Minefields” (Netflix)
Elizabeth Perkins in Barry “crazytimeshitshow” (HBO)
Laura San Giacomo in Barry “crazytimeshitshow” (HBO)
Sharon Stone in The Flight Attendant “Brothers & Sisters” (HBOMax)
Alanna Urbach in The Flight Attendant “Drowning Woman” (HBOMax)
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Karen Aldridge in Severance “Defiant Jazz” (Apple TV+)
Ashlie Atkinson in The Gilded Age “Tucked Up In Newport” (HBO)
Linda Emond in The Gilded Age “Charity Has Two Functions” (HBO)
Jeannine Kasper in Law & Order “The Right Thing” (NBC)
Martha Kelly in Euphoria “Stand Still Like The Hummingbird” (HBO)
Amybeth McNulty in Stranger Things “Chapter One: The Hellfire Club” (Netflix)
Gabriella Pizzolo in Stranger Things “Chapter Six: The Dive” (Netflix)
Christen Sharice in Law & Order “Fault Lines” (NBC)
Jackie Weaver in Yellowstone “Winning or Learing” (Paramount)
Lee You-mi in Squid Game “Gganbu” (Netflix)
Outstanding Actor In A Short Form Comedy or Drama Series
Brendan Gleeson in State of the Union (Sundance TV)
Sean Kanan in Studio City (Amazon Prime)
Tim Robinson in I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson (Netflix)
Nick Stahl in Fear The Walking Dead: Dead in the Water (AMC+)
Outstanding Actress In A Short From Comedy or Drama Series
Natalie Burn in Studio City (Amazon Prime)
Patricia Clarkson in State of the Union (Sundance TV)
Carolyn Hennesy in Studio City (Amazon Prime)
Juliet Vega in Studio City (Amazon Prime)
The nominations will be announced tomorrow! Good luck to all the contenders!
My summer job as a Big Brother recapper started this week! So, guess what I’ve been watching a lot of? Along with the Big Brother live feeds, I’ve also been doing the last bit of work to get caught up on all of the potential Emmy nominees.
Here’s my thought on what I watched this week:
The Andy Warhol Diaries (Netflix)
I watched this Ryan Murphy-produced docuseries throughout the week. Essentially, the documentary takes a look at the last few decades of Andy Warhol’s life. Warhol kept a diary over those years and we actually hear an AI-generated voice reading Warhol’s thought in Warhol’s voice. It makes for an interesting documentary. At times, in this diary, Warhol is surprisingly open and honest. At other times, it’s obvious that he’s playing for an audience for he surely knew that his diaries would be read after his death.
The Beatles: Get Back (Disney Plus)
I watched the final two episodes of this documentary on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. Yes, it took me two days to get through two episodes. To be honest, it’s a bit of an exhausting documentary but, at the same time, its undeniably fascinating to watch The Beatles working together, working separately, love each other and hating each other at the same time. I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t a little emotional by the end of it all. The documentary both celebrated the group while also showing why the time had come for them to go their separate ways, George Harrison was my favorite at the end of the first episode. Paul McCartney was my favorite by the end of the series.
Big Brother 24 (All Week, CBS and Paramount Plus)
You can read my thoughts on Big Brother over at the Big Brother Blog!
The Challenge USA (Wednesday Night, CBS)
The Challenge comes to the USA, featuring teams made up of veterans from other reality shows. I watched the first episode on Wednesday but I have to admit that I didn’t really pay much attention to it. Maybe next week’s episode will have more success capturing my attention.
Euphoria (HBO)
I watched the second episode of Euphoria. As much as I’ve made fun of “visionary Sam Levinson” over the past two years (mostly due to Malcolm and Marie), Euphoria is a well-done show. Fortunately, it’s very well-cast. It’s impossible it working with Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi, and the rest. They somehow manage to strike the right balance so that the show works even at its most excessive.
Goliath (Amazon Prime)
I watched a few episodes of Goliath’s fourth and final season. This episode features Billy Bob Thornton as an attorney and it’s perfect casting. This season also featured Bruce Dern and you really haven’t lived until you’ve seen Thornton and Dern, two actors who have no fear when it comes to embracing eccentricity, acting opposite of each other.
Hanna (Amazon Prime)
As much as I love the original movie, I was never really been able to get into Hanna the series. The third and final season features a nicely villainous turn from Ray Liotta and it ended on a satisfying note, with Hanna hopefully finally getting to live a life of her own.
Inspector Lewis (YouTube)
Inspector Lewis and Hathaway investigated a murder that had religious overturns. Hathaway considered returning to the seminary but, perhaps realizing the show would end if he did that, he didn’t.
Invasion (Apple TV+)
The Earth is being invaded by aliens! I watched the first episode of this show on Thursday. It was a bit slow but Sam Neill gave an excellent performance as the sheriff of a small town in Oklahoma.
Nine Perfect Strangers (Hulu)
Eh. Another over-written David E. Kelley production. At least Nicole Kidman had a good role, as the somewhat enigmatic owner of a wellness resort. I have to admit that I kind of zoned out on this one.
Ozark (Netflix)
I watched the finale of Ozark. To be honest, this show has never done as much for me as it’s done for others. To me, it owes a bit too much to Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. Despite moving the action to Ozarks, it simply cannot escape the shadow of those two shows. That said, Jason Bateman and Julia Garner both gave excellent performances.
Phoenix Rising (HBO)
In this two-part documentary, Evan Rachel Wood talks about the abuse that she says she suffered at the hands of Marilyn Manson and her efforts to create and lobby for the Phoenix Act. The documentary was perhaps a bit overlong but compelling nonetheless.
Severance (Apple TV+)
An absolutely brilliant mind-bended of a show, Severance is brilliantly odd and moving. I wonder how many people heard that Ben Stiller was directing and Adam Scott was starring and assumed that this would just be another Judd Apatow-style comedy? Severance is a wonderful series about emotional and intellectual freedom, memories, and …. well, life itself. Christopher Walken and John Turturro are both such quirky actors that it’s good to have a show like this that allows them to remind audiences that they happen to be brilliant as well.
Succession (HBO)
Eh. The media’s favorite television drama has never done much for me. I watched two episodes. It’s a talented cast but I got bored fairly quickly.
Rest in Peace, Tony Sirico.
From The Sopranos, this was one of Sirico’s best performances:
Emmy voting has officially closed but I’m still catching up on this year’s contenders. I should be able to finish up over the upcoming week.
The Beatles: Get Back (Disney Plus)
This documentary, which was produced and put together by Peter Jackson, is about the recording of Let It Be and the final days of the Beatles. Featuring actual footage of the Beatles joking, arguing, and acting like a dysfunctional family, this is a fascinating but extremely long documentary. I watched the first episode on Saturday and I was exhausted by the time that it ended but I’m still looking forward to watching the remaining two episodes next week.
As far as the Beatles are concerned, I like George.
Better Things (Hulu)
I watched two episodes of the latest season of this sitcom on Tuesday. Pamela Adlon’s great but the show was a bit depressing, in the way that so many sitcoms tend to be nowadays. I guess the best way to put it is that the show has its moment but sometimes, it seemed to be trying too hard.
Bridgerton (Netflix)
I watched a bit of the second season on Thursday. I liked the costumes.
Flack (Amazon Prime)
Ann Paquin plays a self-destructive, London PR agent. I watched two episodes from the show’s second season. Paquin was great and Sam Neill appears in a few episodes but the show itself was a bit predictable. Even it’s cynicism felt a bit trendy.
The Flight Attendant (HBOMax)
Oh my God, I love this show! Kaley Cuoco gives a brilliant performance as a flight attendant who is both a recovering alcoholic and an asset for the CIA. I watched the second season this week and it wonderfully balanced comedy with action.
The Gilded Age (HBO)
This HBO series takes place in New York City in 1882 and it’s basically an American version of Downton Abbey, which is not surprising considering that it was created by Julian Fellowes. The first season followed a host of characters as they navigated their way through New York’s demanding social world. It was good but occasionally a bit uneven, largely because of the presence of Marian Brook (Louise Jacobson), who comes to New York to stay with her wealthy aunts (Christine Baranski and Cynthia Nixon). Marian is supposed to be the audience surrogate but she’s such a dull and self-righteous character and Jacobson gave such a blah performance that I soon found myself dreading any scene that involved her.
Far more interesting were the characters of robber baron George Russell (Morgan Spector) and his ambitious wife, Bertha (Carrie Coon). As long as the show focused on them and on the servants (all of whom has their own opinions on the wealthy people they served), The Gilded Age was compelling and entertaining. It’s also a gorgeous show to look at. I am looking forward to the the second season, though I hope there will be a bit less Marian drama to deal with.
Hacks (HBOMax)
I watched two episodes of the second season of this comedy. Jean Smart plays an egocentric comedian. Hannah Embinder plays her writer. Embinder and especially Smart give good performances. The rest of the show’s ensemble isn’t as interesting.
iCarly (Peacock)
Yay! Carly’s back! I binged the second season on Wednesday and this is a good example of how a show can be updated for the times without losing its charm.
Inspector Lewis (YouTube)
The Inspector and Hathaway had to solve another series of murders in Oxford. Hathaway was trying to quit smoking and he was so miserable about it that I actually cheered a little when he lit up at the end. Good for you, Hathaway! I don’t smoke and I do think that people should be happy.
The Lincoln Lawyer (Netflix)
Eh. I watched the first episode of this new legal series. I enjoyed the movie with Matthew McConaughey but the show was boring. It was David E. Kelley on autopilot.
MacGruber (Peacock)
It’s been a while since I’ve cared about SNL but I definitely remember MacGruber and I enjoyed his show on Peacock. Will Forte is so underrated.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon Prime)
I finally watched the latest season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. It’s a good show, I just hope no one’s getting too attached to Lenny Bruce.
The Squid Game (Netflix)
In this South Korean show, a group of financially destitute people are recruited to play deadly games for the amusement of the wealthy. I finally watched this show on Wednesday and Thursday and I was a bit surprised to learn that it lived up to its considerable hype. I know that some people, including the show’s creator, say that its a critique of capitalism. Myself, I feel that its a critique of authoritarianism but then again, I’m a capitalist. The most important thing is that the imagery was memorably surreal and the cast did a good job of making things feel real.
Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)
I finally watched the first two episodes of this second season of this series on Wednesday. I will probably never join the cult of Ted Lasso but I do agree with those who have praised Jason Sudeikis’s performance in the title role. If there was ever a Ted Lasso/Barry/MacGruber cross-over event, I probably wouldn’t mind.
What We Do In The Shadows (Hulu)
What We Do In The Shadows actually airs on FX but I watched the 3rd season on Hulu. It’s a funny show, sort of like The Office but with exceptionally crude vampires. The third season was both funny and surprisingly poignant, as Colin Robinson actually died. (Maybe he faked his death but then Nandor crushed his head while trying to revive him….) This season also featured the brilliant Kristine Schaal as The Guide.
Yellowstone (Peacock)
I finally watched this show, binging the entire fourth season on Monday and Tuesday and, to my surprise, I really enjoyed it. Kevin Costner plays a politically powerful rancher who has a lot of enemies. The great Kelly Reilly plays his daughter. The show was undeniably melodramatic but it was also a lot of fun, with great performances from Costner, Reilly, Wes Bentley, and Cole Hauser. I’ve never been a huge fan of Costner in the past but this show makes the best use of his somewhat flinty screen presence.
Happy Canada Day!
Today, in honor of Canada, I’ve decided to share my picks for the 20 best episode of my favorite Canadian television show, Degrassi!
Degrassi does The Breakfast Club! In fact, this episode so closely follows the plot of The Breakfast Club, one has to wonder how John Hughes would have felt about it. This episode is classic Degrassi in that it shouldn’t work but it does. Plus, it’s the start of the Ellie (Stacey Farber) and Sean (Daniel Cameron) romance! Ellie and Sean were one of the best couples in Degrassi history, I don’t care what Emma says.
This is probably best-remembered for the scene where Jimmy (Drake) gets shot in the back but the entire episode is actually a sensitive look at the school shooting phenomenon. Ephraim Ellis deserves a lot of credit for making school shooter Rick Murray both deeply creepy and, occasionally, pathetically sympathetic. Still, one has to wonder why Alex (Deanna Casaluce) was never punished for her part in the prank that drove Rick over the edge. Our beloved Spinner (Shane Kippel) and Jay (Mike Lobel) were expelled and treated like pariahs. Alex not only remained class Vice President and somehow became far more popular with all of Jimmy’s friends.
Two years after being raped by Dean, Paige (Lauren Collins, giving one of her best performances) learns that the case is finally coming to trial. At first, Paige doesn’t want to testify, saying that she doesn’t want to relive the ordeal and that it won’t make any difference anyways. With Spinner’s support, Paige finally does testify but, despite her testimony, Dean is still acquitted. Paige spirals into self-destructive behavior before finally destroying Dean’s car in one of the show’s most cathartic moments. The first time I watched this episode, I was stunned and horrified by Dean’s acquittal. Even though Paige eventually took responsibility for destroying Dean’s car, I still cheered when she did it. If only Dean had been inside of it at the time.
Ellie deals with the stress of having an alcoholic mother and a media internship by cutting herself. Degrassi was one of the first shows to deal with self-harm and it did so with a commendable sensitivity.
Due to his cancer treatments, Spinner is given medicinal marijuana and is soon wandering around the entire school stoned out of his mind. Not only did this episode feature one of Shane Kimmel’s best performances but it also featured the classic line, “I’m going to fail English! What type of idiot fails his own language!”
Emma (Miriam McDonald), who was previously the show’s token good, liberal activist, grows increasingly self-destructive in the wake of the school shooting and eventually heads into “the Ravine.” The end result is that she gets a STD from Jay but she also gets the lead role in Degrassi’s production of Dracula. This one of those Degrassi episodes that was so controversial, it almost didn’t air in the United States.
Craig Manning (Jake Epstein) asks Ashley Kerwin (Melissa McIntyre) to marry him, beats up his stepfather, trashes a hotel room, and eventually learns he’s bipolar. This was a powerful episode, one that wasn’t even harmed by a subplot about Liberty (Sarah Barrable-Tishauer) and J.T. (Ryan Cooley) working together to write the spring musical.
Also known as Degrassi Goes Hollywood!
Since the start of the series, J.T. Yorke (played by Ryan Cooley) had been one of the show’s most popular characters, a former joker who got serious. However, when Cooley decided to leave the show to go to college, Degrassi killed J.T. off in a scene that was so violent that it’s still shocking to watch to this day. Making the scene all the more powerful is that J.T. was, more or less, a random victim. He just happened to walk out to his car at the wrong time. Degrassi was a dangerous place.
Darcy (Shenae Grimes) starts posting racy pictures on her “MyRoom” page. A fat, middle-aged guy shows up at her house and introduces himself as the dude who has been sending her all of the complimentary comments and money. Along with introducing the character of Clare Edwards (Aislinn Paul), who would eventually became the show’s main character, this episode was also the start of a series of episodes in which Darcy transformed from being the somewhat boring, token Christian to being the most interesting person on the show.
Tired of being called “cute” and “adorable” and wanting to be known as “sexy,”, Manny Santos (Cassie Steele) changes her look and her attitude. In the process, she alienates her best friend Emma, picks up a host of new admirers, and causes JT to repeatedly walk into walls. This is one of the best-remembered episodes of Degrassi, largely because Manny never went back to her “old” self but instead embraced her new persona.
In the very first episode of Degrassi, Emma makes a creepy friend online and nearly gets kidnapped. Fortunately, Snake (Stefan Brogren) is there to toss the guy against the wall and threaten to snap his neck. Along with introducing almost all of the main characters of the show’s first 6 seasons, this episode also started the spark that would lead to Snake eventually becoming Emma’s stepfather.
After being diagnosed with cancer, Spinner gets a mohawk and gets out his aggression by accepting random fights. Who knew that Degrassi had a fight club?
Still being rejected by his old friends because of his role in Jimmy’s shooting, Spinner spends the weekend at the beach with the ultra-religious Friendship Club. Jay complicates things by showing up. Darcy and Spinner were an underrated couple and this is one of their key episodes.
Oh my God, JT’s selling drugs! Well, Liberty is pregnant and JT does need the money but still! This episode is remembered for the final freeze frame of JT sitting in a hospital bed and sobbing. Degrassi could be a dark show.
Craig’s back in town. Ellie and Manny are both excited but …. oh my God! Craig’s picked up an addiction to cocaine! This is best-remembered for the scene in which Craig gets a sudden nosebleed while performing during the intermission of a Taking Back Sunday show.
Manny discovers that she’s pregnant. This is the episode that was considered to be so controversial that it didn’t even air in the United States until two years after it was originally broadcast in Canada.
The later seasons were never quite as good as the first few but still, we got a few good episodes out of them. Like this episode, in which Alli (Melinda Shankar) starts the “I Hate Holly J” Facerange group. Yes, Facerange. Degrassi wasn’t going to get sued.
Ashley Kerwin’s the most popular girl in school until she takes ecstasy and ends up telling everyone what she really thinks about them. Fortunately, Ashley became a much more interesting character afterwards.
In a last hurrah for the original Degrassi gang, everyone goes on a road trip to Smithdale College. With Jay’s “help,” Manny gets into acting school. Meanwhile, Ashley reunites with Craig. Craig sings “My Window” and it was a fitting send-off to what was left of the show’s original cast.
Honorable Mentions:
Through the Shattered Lens 