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The Simpsons: Night of the Living Wage (2024)
Baffling, bizarre, and lacking any substantial bite.
Baffling, bizarre, and lacking any substantial bite. I was genuinely curious how the writers would deliver a positive outcome for the characters in this episode, given recent events in cities that have artificially raised the cost of food delivery companies by mandating increases. In mid-January of 2024 in Seattle, such an ordinance led to some drivers making half of what they were before the wage increase, due to reduced orders overall. When the costs of using the service increased, people used less of it (shocker). This hurt the drivers the most, the very people the ordinance was theoretically supposed to help.
Marge intends to raise the costs dramatically for GimmeChow, The CEO retaliates by using "robot cooks" in his ghost kitchen and drones to make the deliveries. The commentary on A. I. replacing workers is topical and almost accurately applied, but Homer has a Deus Ex Machina that wipes out all the tech in the city, allowing Marge and her union brethren to somehow all keep their jobs with all demands met. The service's consumers are portrayed as lazy and selfish, but the price of the product for consumers is never so much as mentioned as a consideration.
The economic understanding in this episode is pedestrian, woefully uninformed of current events, and it suffered as a result of it. There was an opportunity for some real biting commentary on consumption and the *actually* reckless practices of the large corporations, but the episode stopped short at "capitalism make bad billionaire. Union make justice happy people."
Best Bite in Town (2024)
Eating good, doing good.
Six restaurants are profiled within one town by three chef personalities, each scouting two locations and then choosing the best of their two. Then, the final three restaurants submit their best dish to local judges to see who wins $5,000 for their restaurant and a charity of their choice.
This series adds a competitive element to the usual food travel concept, and showcases just how appetizing lesser-known areas' cuisine can be. This series boosts tourism for often-overlooked places and helps good causes at the same time.
The third episode, set in Joplin, MO, blew me away with how good the food looked and the flavors the chefs were imparting. Just like that, a town I'd never have considered stopping by or living in now seems much more interesting. If a television show can do that for traditionally less eye-catching places, that's only a good thing in my book.
Survivor: Game of Chicken (2022)
I used to have some of the same insecurities
I used to have some of the same insecurities as Drea when I was younger, but I realized I was projecting my baggage onto others and hurting myself at the same time. Growing up in the United States as a black person, there's at the very least an aura of expectation that (effectively all) white people harbor some form of negative attitude or perception of you that will result in negative treatment in some way. It is this belief that leaves us especially vulnerable and sensitive to confirmation bias, which in turn makes us even more suspicious as our fears are seemingly validated. We start to expect racism as a matter of course, and look for it whenever something seems awry. This is an exhausting way to live, fostering a tribalistic "us vs. Them" sense of community that lives at the back or front of some of our minds.
A series of independent actions and plans, none of which involving race, led to an outcome Drea and Maryanne found worrisome at their tribal council. I can understand their paranoia, but it doesn't change the fact that they both experienced a "misfire" of these instincts, had a trauma response, racialized themselves and the jury members, and brought themselves to tears over what was in reality nothing more than an abstract concept of racial collectivism that no one but them even had in mind. From my perspective, not only was this a needless burden to hoist upon themselves, it wasn't productive to hoist it upon anyone else either. However, I respect that they played their idols in acknowledgement of the undue pressure they might've placed on the tribe to vote a certain way.
Outside of a game like Survivor, I ask myself what the risk would be If I made the assumption that someone else was operating with racial animus against me when they actually weren't. I'd be adding needless stress to myself and hindering the formation of relationships that could enrich me. The solution isn't to never consider the possibility of such a thing, but rather to find ways of insulating myself from the worst effects of such a possibility. If I know I've done the best I could do to forge a relationship or show why I actually deserve something, but it still didn't happen, I won't feel bad because I'll know there's no shame for me to bear. If there's any shame to be had, it will belong with whatever impulse the other person kept hidden or failed to reconsider.
When I see attitudes reflecting genuine anti-black sentiments or bigotry, sometimes I'm mildly frustrated, but sometimes I laugh at the absurdity of it because I know how ridiculous it is to unilaterally judge people based on their race. I don't do it, and most others don't do it. I laugh because their words (if untrue) don't change anything about me, and reveal more about them than it ever could about me. I love and look for other people, especially those of color, who have managed to come out of all the noise and find a peace with who they are that can't be given or taken away.
Survivor: A New Era (2021)
From a new fan, this was a misstep.
I started watching this show with season 45 during the last writer's strike. I proceeded to binge seasons 1-40, and 44. I love this show and I'm a new fan, but this season's going to be a uniquely rough transition that most of the existing fanbase didn't ask for.
I'm a black queer man of 27 years who lived through 2020 like the rest of these reviewers. That was a trying year in numerous ways for all of us, but this season premiere, (along with some other shows returning post-2020) have aged like milk as the years have gone on, utilizing an almost combative approach to compel viewers to change the language they use and the ideas they're assumed to have that have suddenly become outdated. It was far from unpredictable that many viewers would be put off by this approach to what are otherwise admirable intentions. Passing off hostility to your audience as virtue is unnecessary and frequently counterproductive at changing minds.
This was evident when the show offered a pre-emptive forfeiture of familiar lines in order to satisfy a particularly loud, (and itself outdated) miniscule grievance held by some previously unknown segment of the audience, only one of which was seemingly casted and agreed with this change. As a younger person who's seen this non-traversy over the common term, the typical proponents against it waffle on its usage and eventually find bigger fish to fry. That's why it's foolish to "cave" as Jeff said.
I love seeing diverse winners and it's awesome when it happens, but I don't like CBS's problematic method of increasing the odds of this. In 2020, they placed an effective ban on their reality programming casts being any more than 50% "pale", which I found disturbing when I heard the host Probst reference it on a Survivor podcast last month, and subsequently looked it up.
In my view, the people who apply to be on the show should have an otherwise equal chance of getting on, and gender (and perhaps age) should be the only filters for who is selected. Putting another finger on the scale will only serve to unfairly affect more people's chances of being selected, with some being disproportionately boosted or reduced, in regards to the rate at which different demographics actually apply to the show. It was in effect for this season and all following ones. For me, there's no such thing as "too many" or "too few" this or that, which is why my only issue with the newer cast makeups is the means by which they've been created.
I plan to finish the season. We'll see if it finds its footing.
Gogo for the Gold (2022)
Deliciously trashy
A show unabashedly for prurient interests and embracing skin appeal at a time when such things are sorely lacking from television. This is a reality competition series where men (usually gay) compete to be the last Gogo boy left standing, and it's one of the upsides of a culture where queer people are free to have our own spaces. I'd love for the straights to have their own version, but I have no idea what network would allow this program with women in our progressively conservative era.
Each week sees challenges designed to test talents, titillate, or highlight a sponsored product in an eye-catching way. The most talented and/or physically gifted contestants tend to do well.
Law & Order: On the Ledge (2024)
This episode left a bad taste in my mouth as a black viewer.
We've seen a similar defense strategy used in a 90s episode of this series, and it's certainly a topical one for the show to revive in discussions today. That is, racial trauma from repeated microaggressions and profiling being similar to PTSD, and thus a mitigating factor for those ultimately rare times when people who are black victimize someone who isn't.
This episode left a bad taste in my mouth as a black viewer when Det. Shaw suggested he had some sort of duty to people with his complexion that potentially overrode his duty not only to the public, but even the truth, due to his sympathy for the defendant.
This was especially concerning to me following the premiere of SVU which saw another black culprit target a white victim, only to have excuses made to the audience for their crime that we would never be expected to consider an acceptable motivation for anyone else, even for someone who experiences each of them. (Being stopped by police for no reason, having someone avoid sitting next to you on the metro, a teacher that doesn't believe in you, an employer who told you your hair was unprofessional, etc.)
This episode touched on the disproportionately higher rates of medical mortality for black women represented through pregnant mothers as it compounds with (presumably non-black) doctors who may not take their concerns seriously. The doctor should be liable for malpractice, regardless of whether race can be shown to be a factor in his or her judgement.
Blue Bloods: The New Normal (2021)
I appreciate the balance
Erin continues to battle what she sees as questionable bail reform, Eddie discovers some merit to counselor-assisted policing for emotionally distressed persons, and Frank calls out some police who bend to public pressure at the expense of their communities' crime rates.
I think that this episode did a good job balancing progressive and conservative ideals for criminal justice. Many mentally ill have had bad experiences and associations with officers, and learning how to compensate for the gun and uniform is an important skill for the police to master. There are times when a gentler touch can not only prevent violence, but also save the state money in unnecessary processing of individuals. However, there are also times when the mentally ill cannot be "talked down" and do present a danger to themselves or others, despite how hurtful this reality may be for their families to recognize.
This is the first time the w-word is used in the series, and I think it's as good a time as any. For Erin's storyline, some feel that the elimination of cash bail was not for the protection of communities or families, but to alter racial disparities in the rates of who was getting held and produce more politically desirable statistics on paper for certain elected officials to run on. This is where the "equity" largely comes in, and arguments of class-fairness are sometimes seen as a red herring.
The First 48: A Murder in Mobile (2017)
Glad to see it
I love seeing black detectives, especially good ones. Some say that you can't be what you can't see, so representation helps. You can tell they know these communities and have even grown up with some of the people that run afoul of the law. I admire the conviction needed to do a job even when it may be emotionally difficult.
While there are always those who are self-motivated enough to become trailblazers, others will need to see representation in order to truly know that it's a possibility for them.
Solving a homeless man's murder in under 48 hours shows what can be done when the officers really care (and there are witnesses eager to help the police)
Law & Order: Fear and Loathing (2023)
Surprisingly out-of-touch
Coming from a black man, I found this episode predictable, simplistic, and surprisingly out-of-touch with our modern media's approach to accountability. The show in the 90s (which I'm up to season 8 and currently watching for the first time) was comparatively much more aware of the political optics both for and against victims of various stripes. These optics motivate behavior in organizations, now more than ever before.
In the latest seasons, they seem to pretend that local and potentially national media wouldn't immediately side with Det. Shaw, even before any investigation had taken place. There were only two developments in the story that surprised me, but the rest was paint-by-numbers.
Still, I suppose this episode represents a sort of re-balancing from previous episodes in the season that explored more nuance that I feel better reflected our messy reality, while also making for a more compelling story.
The Rookie: Feds: To Die For (2022)
I appreciate the more grounded tone for the subject matter.
This episode felt like it was trying to be a bit more serious in tone and give us a crime that's a but heavy, as well as more grounded than the Rosalind Dyer shenanigans happening at this time on The Rookie. I watch a lot of cop shows and this felt like it was encroaching on Law and Order: Organized crime as far as putting in fewer jokes and treating the subject matter more seriously. There were also shots in this episode where it felt like Niecy is really coming into her own as an action star. Like if Sofia Vergara had wanted to be an FBI agent, this is basically that show.
As for the B plot, the idea of two FBI analyzers getting together shouldn't surprise me nearly as it does, and it was good to see another side of agent Stenson's character as she comes in focus as a more fully realized woman.
Law & Order: Camouflage (2022)
The best episode since they brought it back.
Some of the most horrifyingly disturbing scenes put to television, certainly network television, every once and awhile comes from Law and Order. I don't recall the last time I saw the disgusting and visceral reality of a mass shooting aftermath depicted on television.
No beating around the bush, they just went all out with the story. Just like 911 over on Fox doing an earthquake or wildfire disaster, Law and Order can give us the hate crime of a decade. It's a tough watch, but it sadly has happened, and can happen.
That said, where I was truly impressed was how this episode showcased racial profiling of young white men. With a vague facial profile, The first two young white men the detectives come across, they (and the audience) assume this man to be the culprit. An angsty young white man who works at a gun shop? It must be him, only it's not. Then the drug addict who was merely given a bag was being railroaded by the cops and not given the benefit of the doubt because he matched "enough" of the description, being a young white stocky male.
In an episode that, cynically speaking, could be reviled by certain political demographics, I think this was an impeccable writing choice to show racial biases at work against whites in a way that's rarely done. Not that it should matter, but as a black man I really appreciated this subtle and understated positive message in the story. It keeps it from falling into the "liberal propaganda" category in my opinion by presenting complex realities, even within a story that overall is very clear-cut.
The Orville: From Unknown Graves (2022)
Eh, why not a 10?
I thought this episode used it's length well. I laughed, I teared up, and I think the philosophy on display was important yet completely uncontroversial, making it land more easily and without muddled interpretation. Great alien makeup, and seeing how the Kaylon headshape actually has an inspiration was cool too.
The Orville: A Tale of Two Topas (2022)
Well done
I understand this topic quite well and I don't believe the issue explored in this episode is a one-for-one to current events, although some concepts may ring familiar. It's truly its own sci-fi situation that the show should be credited for creating. That said, I felt badly for Topa in this episode.
The Endgame: Pilot (2022)
Don't let the fact that it's on network tv fool you
Finally, a show where everything matters and is either a clue, or simply highlights character. I was intrigued by the promos and I wouldn't have hesitated to call this show bad if it was, but it immediately hooked me by subverting some of my expectations. So many great moments and lines in this premiere where I can breakdown what they indicate about the character. I was also left with theories afterward that I'm curious to see how they develop.
Law & Order: The Right Thing (2022)
I'm a Law and Order fan now
I didn't watch the Original Law and Order, but I've seen every episode of SVU and I'm watching Organized Crime. This episode definitely held my interest and I found the conversations and the nuanced perspectives refreshing. The writers seem to have decided that Donovan's character isn't a bad guy internally, and so his gripes are the legitimate gripes one can have with our current criminal justice climate. He's missing a perspective that Anderson's character can bring, and in this episode, it didn't feel one-sided.
I've seen this in the first two episodes that even when characters disagree on something, they make a point to highlight what they do agree on despite the divergence. This is the kind of healthy professionalism we need shown on television.
Law & Order: Impossible Dream (2022)
Lefevre returns?
I am loving the return of Law and Order and its handling of some of the actually most pressing issues of our time. We are in an era where people can weaponize victimhood to avoid scrutiny and prey on your empathy, and that's dangerous. I don't expect SVU to be able to address this, but this episode struck at the heart of how we want the world to be vs how we must accept the world to be.
Ojing-eo geim: VIPS (2021)
VIPs were lost in translation, but otherwise...
The dialogue, direction style, and plot-use of the VIPs fit with the level of cruel sadism expressed at other points in the show. I think it just stuck out as jarring and obviously bizarre because it was in English and we know what Americans are like. If they were Korean, they probably would've still been underwhelming to us, but it wouldn't have been as cringey as some feel. Still, I think the tension and dread of this game made it worth taking up most of the episode. Everyone had a fair shot at which number they chose, with no one knowing which position would be best.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: The Five Hundredth Episode (2021)
Brilliant concept for the 500th episode
I was expecting a bunch of cameos, even if shoehorned in. But what we got was incredible. Olivia has never felt more like a real person with a history before. They actually found a clever way to utilize the show's past, both in celebration of the 500th episode, but also in a way that allowed Mariska to show some new sides of Benson we haven't seen in awhile, if ever. I'm sure this episode was an Emmy submission. Even the cinematography of the episode felt like a little more effort was put into it.
The Simpsons: Bart's in Jail! (2021)
Refreshing
No b-plot, a focused story that actually feels like it's about something. The entire family (sans Maggie) on an adventure that it seems like they haven't done it before. It also goes for heart which people claim is totally lacking from the newer seasons. Way better than the musical premiere.
The Big Leap: I Want You Back (2021)
Less This Is Us, more of a Glee.
The trailers didn't accurately market this show. I'm a loyal viewer of 911 which aired before this. The marketing made it look like a This Is Us kind of show, which I'm not into. In reality, it's a little more like Glee. It was surprisingly funny, and also managed to have conversations on modern issues that weren't totally one-sided. I think the main concept is novel enough, and the show manages to be very diverse without (so far) falling into the cliched trappings most shows do where characters will awkwardly state their personal intersection followed by all the struggles their group can face in the country. This show should feel like an after-school special, but it doesn't. A show about dancing that's actually fun is quite fitting.
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars: The Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve and Talent Monologues (2021)
She should've won...
I was expecting Trinity to psych herself out, but to me, her monologue was the best. Funny, touching, well-performed. She redeemed her standup from the premiere. Her look didn't necessarily meet the theme, but it was still one of her best dresses on the show. For a bottom 2, I'd have done Rajah and Kylie.
It was dramatic all right. All those cliffhangers amounted to nothing in the end, and the episode where Eureka goes home was also meaningless. Now, instead of having a top four where each queen belongs there, and even even more competitive with Trinity having a third win going into it, we instead have a devastated Trinity voted out by everyone, a Eureka that has no chance of winning, and a competition between just two queens, Rajah and Ginger.
Rick and Morty: Rick & Morty's Thanksploitation Spectacular (2021)
This'll do.
It can't be objectively said that something is funny or unfunny. People can laugh at the same lines for entirely different reasons. It's about the avenues our brains take to interpret the joke, and at least one of those avenues might be humorous to us.
With that said, it's stunning to read that some people managed to find absolutely zero avenues through which to enjoy any of this episode's humor. I'd pay top dollar to watch this episode beside them and see them tight-lipped and sour-faced presumably the entire time.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: In the Year We All Fell Down (2021)
By modern SVU standards, this was great.
It was emotionally resonant, relevant, and a touchstone in a society wrecked by the virus, and the lives ruined along the way. 40 years from now, when hopefully, the virus is under control, episodes like these will be considered historically significant.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: One World, One People (2021)
This show was more subversive than it realizes
Detractors may hone in on some of the "woke" moments, but this show was actually very subversive in a number of ways. When Falcon says that millions will be against him putting on that uniform, he's not wrong, as some people on both the right and left don't want to see a black man representing (or believing in) America. When he says this, instead of showing some white stereotype watching the broadcast in the south, they show Isaiah, the black man wronged by his country and doesn't want to see other black people representing it.
The writers felt the need to address the unique internal conflict of a black Captain America, not as much through the bigotry of some Americans against the idea, but rather, it goes a layer deeper and explores the conflict between black people and American patriotism in a country with a less-than-stellar treatment of it's black population and other groups/minorities throughout its history. As Sam says to Isaiah in the end, "We helped build this country." It's ours just as much as anyone else's, and despite the injustices, black people deserve to feel that we have a home here, to be proud of its positive aspects, and yes, while working to foster more.
Sam's challenge isn't meeting some regressive white Americans who decry him as Captain America, although they surely exist. Instead, it's from the progressive side. When Sam meets Karli in his new uniform for the first time, she shames him for "buying into the patriotic bullsh!t" the same way any left-wing activist or a "The Mary Sue" writer would, and he claps back.
As a black man, I'm very impressed by this choice of arc and its execution, and (so far), I'm looking forward to seeing more of this Captain America.
Birdgirl (2021)
Not bad.
I enjoyed the first episode. I hadn't watched much of the original series, and I can understand why fans of that would find this cynical and unappealing. I actually thought it was fairly funny, and it subverted some of my extremely low expectations. It may turn, but it's not garbage.