thuganomics85

And here is Daniel Dae Kim telling the rest of the cast the news: after a little bit of next level trolling! Not sure if Ozai would be impressed or offended by him toying with their emotions like that! Glad we are getting a proper conclusion. And hopefully avoiding a Stranger Things situation with the younger cast.

Guess it was about that time for another House Alumni to show up! Always great seeing Peter Jacobson and he did a reliably good job with the role, even if it was obvious that he wasn't going to change despite his "promise" to Park. To be fair, that is realistic in that it usually takes a lot for addicts to finally get help and it's even not out of the realm of possibility he could get there some day, but I can definitely see him already relapsing and I understand why Park felt betrayed after going through this risky surgery for someone who may not put his new lease on life to good use. So, we get some new team members to the surgical teams and they are unsurprisingly causing a little bit of drama and conflict (such is life on The Good Doctor!) Charlie is definitely an interesting case where Shaun is probably going to see and maybe understand how it was like to be his teacher/mentor in the past. While she isn't just a carbon copy of him since her autism makes her more of an outgoing chatterbox than he is/was and I definitely don't think he ever would have made a sterile mistake like she did, all of the awkward moments with patients, putting her foot in her mouth in general, and not knowing when to just let her boss talk instead of trying to argue? Yep, Shaun is/was no stranger to all of of that! Curious to see how this will play out. I do like that Jared is trying to help guide her, because he was there with Season One Shaun when all of that was going down, and I remember him also being more patient compared to some others. Dom seems like a likable fellow and I liked his scenes with Charlie. But the whole issue with blood and fainting will certainly have to be addressed because, to put it mildly, you will be dealing with a lot of that in the medical field! Surprised it took us this long for Ian Tracey to show up because I'm pretty sure it's a requirement for every show shot in Canada to have him in at least one episode (including Remo in Bates Motel!) The case with his character and the daughter was solid enough and certainly took on the hot button issue of sex work. Won't dive too much into that except that no matter how one views it, I'd hate for a parent to completely cut off his child like that, so I'm glad he came around at the end, even if he probably isn't completely comfortable with her doing that kind of work. While it got a few chuckles, I did think that Glassman and Lim's little games were childish and were a weird juxtaposition to everything else going on. I know this show shouldn't always be dour and there have been plenty of comedic moments and stories, but it just felt off watching these two practically goof off the entire episode while everyone else are trying not to have aneurysms with all the stress they were dealing with. The scenes with Reznick and Lea were nice. Actually liked that it was Shaun's turn to be upset with Glassman, because even if they had a moment of peace last week, he'd would still be understandably upset: especially with Glassman waiting two weeks to even see Baby Steve. But I'm glad they both seem to be willing to move forward now, because life really is too short for them to be at odds like that and not enjoy this new family they are part of.

Glad I was wrong about Princess Yue being a potential turncoat. Instead, that box with the similar sigil held a dagger that Zhao was going to use to kill the Moon God and just, you know, take out the entire moon. Yeah, this man had a few screws loose to put it mildly. I could go on, but I think Iroh's reaction to all of that pretty much said it all. Definitely spared no expense with the battle, as we got plenty of fire, ice, wind, and water mayhem, and even racked up a bodycount that we really haven't seen since the premiere. Not surprised that all the leads made it out in one piece, but I was still sad about Hahn and Yue, although at least the latter was due to a sacrifice, so something important came out of it. Oh, and it looks like Zhao is done for, although I guess since we only saw the outline of his body, it might not be a sure thing. We'll see, hopefully! Either way, Ken Leung had a ball with this role. Zuko vs. Katana: Round 2 was certainly more evenly matched. I wonder if a Round 3 is in store for the future! Did not have "Aang turning into a Water Godzilla/Kaiju" on my bingo card, but it certainly got the job done! So, Ozai never really attended for Zuko to bring him The Avatar. His sole purpose was to inspire Azula to be the true warrior he can mold into his own little killing machine. That man certainly loves his games and misdirect, huh? Took a city getting half destroyed for Pakku to come around on women being able to right, but better late than never, I guess! All in all, this was a pleasant surprise. Definitely want to check out the animated series since I'm sure it is better, but I thought this was actually a really good standalone and succeeds on its own merit. Loved the world-building, characters, and look of the show, and the cast was on all point. From the newcomers playing the young heroes (plus Zuko and Azula), all the way to the vets like Daniel Dae Kim and especially Paul Sun-Hyung Lee making the most of their screen time and moments. Even the recurring/supporting cast was stacked. I hope this does well enough to warrant more seasons, because I thought this was highly enjoyable.

Sokka's ability to make a blabbering fool out of himself in front of his crushes and they still find themselves charmed by him, might be more powerful than any actual bending power! And he certainly doesn't play it safe. First, it was a badass warrior and now it's an actual princess. Impressive! So, the gang finally get to the North Waterbenders and, well, lets just say they have a few issues. Mainly that they are a dated society who believe that no women are allowed to fight and won't even accept Katara's help despite her experience. Me thinks that is going to change once the shit goes down. Certainly helps that even though she didn't beat Pakku (good old A. Martinez!), she put up an impressive enough showing to earn herself some fans. Bonus points if this all ends with her saving his sexist ass come finale time! Questionable wig aside, loved seeing Amber Midthunder as this Princess Yue, who was also that three-tailed fox in the spirit world because she is part spirit due to being saved by the Moon god when she was a child. Curious to learn more about that. I am worried though that she said something about destiny and then later Zhao says the same thing and I think had her sigil on that box he showed Iroh. Hope she isn't a turncoat. Well, after three different Avatars tell him the same thing, Aang finally has a little bit of a lapse and tries to push Sokka and Katara away so that they won't be in danger. But, of course, they refuse to leave his aside and he accepts the truth. They aren't just friends... they're family (Vin Diesel nods his head with approval.) Azula finally has enough of her dad's little games and shows him what she is truly made of. Which apparently is having lighting powers as well? Either way, that got a nice evil smirk from Ozai, so she's his favorite now! Zhao tries to take out Zuko, but naturally fails and it looks like a disguised Zucko and Iroh are trying to work an angle. They just need a plan! I'm sure they'll figure one out! Maybe. Looks like the Fire has officially come to the Water Nation!

I was wondering if we were going to get the origin story for Zuko's face burn and now I feel like an idiot that I didn't predict that, of course, it was fucking Ozai that gave it to him as some form of "punishment." Yeah, Father of the Year right there. He'll probably never admit it out loud, but I suspect at least part of it was because he knew Zuko did have his number briefly and that alone probably pissed him off. But between what he did to Zuko and Azula getting a front row seat to it, you can see why they've become the way they are now. Zuko is desperate to get back into his good graces and has made him impulsive and ill-tempered out of desperation, while Azula sees that being cold and merciless is what daddy loves, so that's why she tries to be the good little psychopath for him. Too bad therapy probably doesn't exist in this world: both of them could use it. Ken Leung was having such a ball sliming up as Zhao and really laying into his smugness when he took Aang from Zuko and tried to get all of the credit for it. Such a smug little bastard and it was great watching it blow up in his face. Can't wait to see if he has to update the Fire Lord about this turn of events! Get another Avatar spirit with Roku, who is more light and humorous compared to Kyoshi, but still shares her fears about Aang going all out to save his friends, since he worries Aang might be forced to pick between them and what is better for the world. C.S. Lewis was a good choice for the role. Also fun seeing Francois Chau as The Great Sage. It's been a blast seeing so many recognizable faces in various roles here. Lieutenant Jee and the rest of the 41 are definitely doing a turn around now that they know they would have probably been dead had Zuko not stood up for them and even was part of the reason he was cast outside of the Fire Nation. Knew Gyasto wasn't going to be there at the end. Poor Aang. Missed Katara and Sokka a little, but I enjoyed getting more focus on Zuko and Iroh this go around. Dallas Liu and, again, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee are really doing excellent work here.

Had a feeling George Takei was going to pop up in some form here and being the voice of this Koh creature is certainly the way to go! Despite the family friendly atmosphere, he was creepily effective as a threat, and I'm curious to see how Aang will be able to thwart him. Obviously, I suspect Katara and Sokka will be saved before it's too late, but it is certainly a way to ramp up the tension! So, the gang puts a pause on their main mission (again), to try and help a group of town-folks who have been trapped in the spirit world. But going into the spirit world means you have to face "The Truth" a.k.a. relive one of your worst moments. For Katara, it was seeing her mom's death and remembering that it was to protect her, since Katara tried to use her powers and failed, so her mom pretended she was the Waterbender instead. For Sokka, it's remembering that he only passed his test to be a warrior thanks to an assist from a friend, I think (couldn't tell what the relationship was there), and that his father expressed regret and disappointment over Sokka's leadership skills in general. Yep, you can see why those two were easily taken over by the Koh! I guess it was about that time for a hot, snarky, tough bounty hunter to crash the party. Zuko is so not down with this! But, hey, she thinks Iroh is cute, so at least he's got that going for him. She's all about those former war tyrants turned food loving mentors that look like Appa from Kim's Convenience! Azula is back and even more violent now since her dad has clearly seen through her attempts at trying to sway him to back Zhao and therefore her. Ozai might be a lot of things, but he definitely strikes me as someone who would be less than impressed with her blatant attempts to curry favor. Liked seeing Gyasto again, but despite Aang's promise, I have a sad feeling they might not see each other again after-all. Aang is going into enemy territory!

At first, Bumi was a little too silly for me: felt like the first time I was seeing something that probably worked better in cartoon form than live action. But the more the episode went on, the more I came around on him, especially once the goofiness dropped and you see legit anger from him. Obviously Aang wasn't at fault for disappearing like he did, but I can see why Bumi became who he was and why seeing Aang and how optimistic/hopeful he still was (plus, still young) drove him into a form of madness. While he might not be completely wrong in that Aang will probably end up making some choices that will be hard, I do think Aang is right that he can rely on others if need be, and he has a great support system with Katara and Sukko. Ken from The Mighty Ducks franchise leading some kind of hippie dance group in the middle of a cavern is probably not the weirdest thing to happen in this universe! Aww, Zuko was willing to put aside his need to get the Avatar so that he could save his Uncle instead! The flashbacks with those two characters were good and I liked seeing the glimpse of the dark side of Iroh that has struck fear and anger in the other nations. Paul Sun-Hyung Lee is doing great work here. Katara/Sukko in the tunnel was well done and well-acted by both performers. I guess you can say the way Katara ended things with Jet was... ice cold!!!! Sorry.... Poor Cabbage Merchant. It ain't easy being the working man in this world!

Poor Katara! It always sucks when that hot freedom fighter you're crushing on ends up being a full-blown terrorist instead. So relatable! Enjoyed getting to see more of Earth Nation this go around. Omashu is a pretty impressive city and you can see why they've been able to hold off the Fire Nation for the most part. The Mechanist and Teo were good additions here. Unlike most of the previous familiar faces though, it did take me a second to get use to Daniel Pudi, because he really will always be Abed from Community at first glance, but he grew on me the more the episode went on. I liked how he was planting the idea that Sokka doesn't have to be a warrior like he thinks he is destined to be, since he clearly has a knack for engineering. Well, it was fun seeing Osric Chau for a second until he got burned alive. Hey, at least that's one way to make me Ozai, despite my never-ending Daniel Dae Kim love. You are a dick, Fire Lord! Zuko might be an impulsive hothead who is probably going to isolate himself from everyone with the way he acts, but his sister is even scarier! Azula is clearly someone who thinks she is the one who should be next in line, and clearly has the smarts to do it, thanks to this alliance with the always shifty Zhao. I'm going to guess Ozai wasn't exactly the most supportive father, considering how both of his kids turned out. Iroh using himself as a distraction and being separated from Zuko will be bad news for the latter since I don't think he really has any allies or loyalty from his subordinates. Despite not wanting the previous series, I definitely heard all about the Cabbage Vendor and the gag/meme about how the poor guy can't catch a break. Heard that the actor here is the same one who voiced the character previously, so that's a fun little Easter Egg. Actually ended this one on a legit cliffhanger!

Nothing made me laugh harder than Aang's "Dude, I'm only nine, lived in a monastery my entire life, and been frozen for a hundred years and even I can tell you have no game, buddy!" grin when Sokka turned into a stammering mess around Suki. Thought this episode was a pretty great follow-up that had a little "mission of the week" feel to it, but still plenty of world building and planting seeds for the main story. Kyoshi Island and its warriors were awesome and I hope we revisit it at some point. Great seeing Tamlyn Tomita as Yukari/the leader and the actress playing Suki was a great fit and worked well with Ian Ousley/Sokka. Also hope we get more Kyoshi because I'm all for more Yvonne Chapman! At first, I was prepared to say she is branching out a little, but once shit went down, she brought that same intensity and "you will regret crossing me!" attitude that she perfected on Kung Fu. Wouldn't have it any other way! Commander Zhao looks like he will be a fun secondary villain, who is always out for himself and can never be trusted. So, of course, Ken Leung is perfect for the role! Prince Zuko really seems to be a case of a character that has so many common tropes and personality, yet it somehow works for me. It's not like they've made him unique, but these familiar themes are used very well and is well performed. Kind of impressive. Poor Uncle Iroh probably wishes he can taste local cuisine on this trip, instead of all of this violent stuff (although, judging from Zhao's remark, there seems to be a history there.) I like how his character does seem to be guiding Zuko and wants him to accomplish his mission, but is trying to shape him in a way where he will have empathy and not just be a rage-filled killing machine. Makes me curious to see how things will play out once it really starts to ramp up. Whelp, I can definitely forgive no Daniel Dae Kim in the pilot, when he gets the grand big baddie entrance here! Sinisterly reading a note with a raging fire behind him? Yep, that's the kind of introduction deserving of his talents! Might be hard to root against Fire Lord Ozari when you've got this man playing him! I guess you can't have too many animal sidekicks: especially when one of them's main purpose is to annoy Sokka!

Man, I can't believe they made a series out of that bad M. Night Shyamalan movie years ago. They really will remake everything! (Kidding! But I am still prepared to dodge all of the stuff that is rightfully thrown in my direction.) As someone who hasn't seen the animated series (yeah, yeah, I'll add it to the list), I thought this was a pretty solid adaptation for a newbie, with out they introduced all of the characters, the world building, and set things up for the future. The gist is that there are four nations in the world; Fire, Water, Earth, Wind; that can control/bend the elements, the Fire Nation is kind of (or run by) dicks bent on world domination, and it's up to the Avatar to maintain balance. Also, Aang is now the only Airbender left due to that attack 100 years ago (although, if I were a betting man, I'd put money down on other ones showing up at some point.) Simple enough! The actors playing Aang, Katara, and Sokka were well cast and did great jobs with the material. Prince Zuko is already becoming my favorite due to hitting all of the classic angsty tropes that are usually associated with adversaries in YA/kid friendly material: right down to the dad issues! Always great seeing Paul Sun-Hyung Lee and I like the Uncle Iroh character so far. Also great seeing a few other familiar faces like Yvonne Chapman and Hiro Kanagawa pop up in roles as well. Guess we have to wait for Daniel Dae Kim though. What's the over/under that a gang from Earth Nation eventually joins the party?

Sometimes I disappoint myself when I don't see something obvious coming and in this case, I really should have known that Shaun would totally treat changing a diaper like surgery, heh. 37 seconds! Well done, Good Doctor! Glad the show is back for its final ride and I thought it was a solid enough start. Sure, I know this isn't the show that normally kills off babies (and has honestly been lax about any patient death these past few seasons), so I figured both babies were going to survive the surgery, but it still got intense enough for me. And while it did work out, I do wonder if the whole bit with Shaun pushing things to the last minute despite Lim saying they should abort, is hinting that he could be put in another situation like this in the future and things not turn out as well. Despite his claims, it does seem like being a father is going to make him act differently with cases: especially ones with kids involved. Park and Reznick trying to be this new type of couple/family is still hampered by all of the silly drama last season (mainly thanks to Park being an idiot), but this being the final season and all, I'm willing to just hand-wave most of that and be happy if they work things out. At least they seem to be having open conversations with one another. While it was refreshing that Reznick (and Park) didn't actually interfere with the debate over how the handle the initial transplant, Lim really should have put her food down and not allow them to be in the room. Love you, Lim, but you need to take a harder stance with this lot sometimes. Jordan and Jared (welcome back to regular status, Chuku Modu!)'s stuff was kind of odd, since it was all based over what happened with Perez. I know Jordan and he were a thing, but I didn't think it was strong enough to have her be this torn up over him leaving. And I don't even remember Jared bonding with him enough to be this pissed about it and be that frosty with her. Eh, whatever. They're already bonding over food truck meals now! Glad Shaun is willing to be more flexible with his "scheduling" and let Leah do what she thinks is best at times. He's lucky that she didn't send Echo flying a few blocks over and just settled with putting it on the fire escape! Baby Steve is adorable. Favorite moment was his face when Shaun was talking about story time with trauma books later. Baby Steve definitely had a "That's not necessary, dad!" look about that! Lim and Glassman both try to put up the other as interim president, so naturally the board makes them co-presidents instead. This should be fun. I know Hill Harper is off doing his political thing, but I so want Andrews to pop up after they've done this for some episodes and be like "Not so easy now, is it, guys?!" Of course, the big question I have is will we ever meet this O'Brien guy that was on the short list and terrified them to the core?! Since I usually associate that name with Miles O'Brien from Star Trek, I just pictured Colm Meaney in a doctor's outfit, terrorizing everyone around him! Glad Glassman took a slight step out of his grumpy asshole phase and getting into grandfather mode with Baby Steve. I understand why he is upset on some levels, but it would be short-sighted to let his issues with how Shaun handled his sickness ruin what he has with him, Leah, and now Baby Steve.

Well, at least they wrapped up the case and resolved the two murders? Even if there are still a lot of questions and far-fetched moments? So, Annie's death wasn't due to the mining company itself but instead.... it was the scientists this entire time! Because it turns out that they were in league with the company because the pollution was actually helping them with their mission to find the all-curing organism or whatever. Really, I'm sure a lot of that was scientific bullshit, but it's not like I'm expecting an education here. But either way, Annie finds out about it and tries to destroy their work, only for the scientists to kill her instead (or really, Clark and another one, while the rest just stood around and watched.) At least Clark did confess on tape, so what really happened to her came into light. As for the scientists, well it turns out all of the Indigenous women that have been popping up throughout the series here as background/side characters; mainly as workers for the companies; ended up discovering the hatch that led into the scientists' evil lair in the ice caves (a classic!) and after they pierced everything together (a lot of it off-screen, it feels like), they basically avenged Annie by taking justice into their own hands by kidnapping the scientists, making them strip down and run out into the cold. But as far as Danvers and Navarro are concerned, it's just a "story", and they are going to roll with their deaths being at the hands of an avalanche. That is the most popular way to go in Alaska, I assume! Peter successfully gets to Rose and disposes of his father's body, but I guess their moment was hinting that it will be something he always carries with him. Despite, you know, Hank being the worst and still pulling a gun on Danvers. But it looks like he's back home now. Still never get a full picture of what happened to Holden/Danvers' son, but it seems like she and Leah are back on good terms. Navarro ends things by finding her true name and... walking out into the ice? And no one seems to know where she is anymore, but she does pop up at the end with Danvers? Maybe I'm just too tired right now to figure that all out. Better than season two for me, but I do think the writing let it down in the end. Too many plots and not enough time/episodes to have a satisfactory ending. Felt like we should have spent more time with the Indigenous workers, Annie, and the scientists to really make their involvement here mean something more than just plot points, and the case(s) themselves just had no urgency. The characters we actually spent time on did have moments or two, but again, not enough material to be as fully as invested as I should have been. The acting was good at least, but only Jodie Foster and, at times, John Hawkes really left a mark on me (even the usually reliable Fiona Shaw was kind of just there to spout quirky shit and be "eccentric.") I'll obviously check out any future installments, but I definitely think this franchise peaked after the first one.

Get this episode early because HBO knows that it doesn't matter who the killer is: the biggest threat to True Detective would be the Superbowl if it had its normal Sunday airing! Well, it looks like Annie's case is going to to be down the obvious, but logical path, where it is going to involve this mining company and how its been polluting the water. Still wonder if that will be the cause of hallucinations and why people keep seeing odd stuff. But twist! Hank was involved as well! I guess that's on me for assuming Hank was just your run of the mill asshole. It does sound like he wasn't the actual killer, but did admit to moving her body for the company (who was planning on rewarding him by making him chief, but Connelly inadvertently blew that up by transferring Danvers.) Still have no clue how the scientists' deaths will be part of this. Honestly, that case really went to the back-burner and Annie's seems to have been the main focus this season. Anyway, Hank is totally dead though after killing Otis (for the company's boss) and was possibly going to put down Danvers as well, but Peter of all people ends up shooting down dear old dad. A fitting end for that asshole, but I will miss John Hawkes next week (baring him showing up in the finale as a corpse. Or, honestly, some kind of ghost/vision knowing this season...) Navarro and Leah bonding over how much they currently hate Danvers was funny and kind of touching in a weird way. I know that Navarro said that Connelly is involved as well, but I'm still unsure, unless he's a good actor. He comes off more like he's buried his head in the sand and cares more about his political ambitions, and it's affecting his judgement when it comes to the case. Then again, I was wrong about Hank, so I'm prepared to get more egg on my face next week. Rose definitely gives me the vibe that she would help Navarro dispose of some bodies if need be! Peter: "I got kicked out of my house." Danvers: "Oh, man! That's a bummer! This is where a normal person might reflect on the part I played by being the world's most overbearing boss, but we all know my self-awareness is nonexistent, so hey, I have a shed you can crash in for now!" Didn't realize this was only going to be six episodes and the finale will be next week. Seems like a lot has to be covered. Obviously, the two cases and seeing where the characters end up, but will we ever find out what exactly happened in the Wheeler case? Or the flashbacks with Danvers and her husband/son possibly dying in a car wreck? Or Navarro's war flashbacks? Will there be more to why Danvers got booted from Anchorage? That's a lot to fit into one episode!

I know for me personally, straight-up horror has never been my cup of tea, so while this series always had its suspense and supernatural moments, I'm not wild about the obvious jump scares and this ghost girl/spirit that keeps popping up (although, I am curious to see how she factors in and if the dead scientists had saw her as well at the end.) Figured Julia was destined for a tragic end, but it was still sad to see what happened and Navarro's reaction to it. And now she worries that their family is cursed and she is destined to have the same fate. Get some more backstory about Danvers time in Anchorage: seems like she rubbed some people the wrong way due to how she treated two officers she deemed incompetent, and that is why Connelly claims he transferred her. Hmm..., on one hand, I believe Danvers is/will be right about that, but looking at the way she treats Peter, Navarro, and others, I can see it being a case of her going overboard with it, and Connelly actually did have some merit for doing what he did. Rose actually looks good when she dresses up for Christmas! I almost felt bad for Hank. Almost. I blame it all on John Hawkes! Leah finally leaves the house. Have a feeling things might get the dicey the more she gets into the protests and other battles. Will Danvers be able to make this work? Nomad from last week has now vanished, but I guess time will tell if he's involved or a red herring. Whatever issues I might have with the season (although I'm still mainly in the "enjoying it" camp), I still think Jodie Foster is crushing it. It might sound cliche/damning with obvious/faint praise, but I do love how fearless she is at making Danvers a realistic character who can be damn near unlikable at times, but overall very humane and relatable enough to still be invested in her story.

Finally got an episode thread! So, we got our first glimpse about what caused Danvers and Navarro to initially be at odds: they were working a case with a known abuser and his victim, but they couldn't legally prevent it or haul him back to jail. Eventually, it ends in a murder suicide and Navarro feels like they could have done more. Or at least that is what Danvers said to Peter because the actual clip shows that the abuser was clearly still alive when they showed up. The most obvious answer is that Navarro kills him and Danvers covers it up, which is why she seems to be the most hostile out of the two. But I guess it's possible that Danvers did it but blames Navarro for whatever reason. Or maybe something completely different will happen! Definitely leaning into the horrible elements again, with the one (barely) survivor suddenly acting like he's possessed and telling Navarro about stuff only she would know/the afterlife. Also, Hank's huntsmen buddies seem to be randomly going on a rampage at the hospital: perhaps that is what happened to the scientists as well? Anne's death likely seems connected to all of the protests and stuff that was happening with the mine. I know they are really making us see how horrible Hank is, but I'm going to stick with him being the run of the mill asshole for now and he won't end up being involved with the actual murder. Him not telling anyone about the phone call might just be a simple case of him not caring about it and not a full-fledge cover-up. Either way, dude is a dick and he needs to be booted out of the force by the end of this. Leah is now getting involved with the protest group. Danvers is clearly not happy! Vince the Vet will probably like to just go back to only working with animals now, thank you very much!

Since Navarro seemed very familiar with Danvers' "right questions" approach that she implored with Peter for the case, it certainly looks like that they had a similar mentor/student relationship in the past before it all went to shit. Not to mention Danvers knew where Navarro (use to) puts her soup cans in the pantry. Definitely curious to see what has led to them being at odds: feels way more than simply a case of Navarro became too obsessed with Annie's case. There seems to be real anger and hostility with how Danvers treats her, so it feels like she has viewed something she did as an ultimate betrayal of some kind. The only thing more disturbing than the "Corpsicles" is how the law enforcement was only slightly uncomfortable with it. You get the sense that frozen bodies is something that is not only prepared for but expected to be run into in this line of work. Looks like we get our first suspect with this Raymond Clay guy, who was part of the team, his body wasn't with the other corpses, and he was apparently romantically involved with Annie. Which means he's totally a red herring: assuming he's still alive somehow. I know pricing can be insane in certain remote areas, but $20 Oreos? Madness! I wonder what Chips Ahoy! will run you! Hank/John Hawkes is totally getting phished/scammed with this phone girlfriend thing, right? Why did Danvers get so upset over Leah wanting to know more about her Indigenous heritage? Didn't know that Christopher Eccleston was going to be in this! Rose/Fiona Shaw can see dead people?! They certainly aren't afraid to make Danvers flawed to downright unlikable, but damn, if Jodie Foster isn't killing it in every scene.

I guess it was foolish of me to think that some of this couldn't be wrapped up in one episode. Reacher just blows through two villains and a scummy senator in less than thirty minutes! Cracked up that after the whole "I have an idea!" tease, it seems like Reacher's grand plan was just to just bank on Langston being arrogant enough to not kill him on the the spot, and give Neagley and the senator's soldiers time to swoop in and help save the day. I mean, I guess that falls in line with his ability to read people because Langston is that type of guy. But that still seemed like a huge risk. When Reacher was running towards the ascending helicopter, I sincerely wondered if we were going to see him pull a Captain America from The Winter Solider-style grab. But I guess he isn't quite that strong. But, hey, he did get to have the bit where he manages to hold onto a Dixon-strapped gurney dangling out of the plane with just one hand. There's regular strength, super strength, and Reacher strength! A.M. ends up being no kind of threat and just gets mowed down by all members of the Reacher squad instead. Heh, I did find that that a little amusing. Surprised that no one else died (although we did get confirmation Swan was killed. RIP, good sir!), and they even kept the money for themselves. Of course, Reacher got control of it and used it mainly for charity and didn't just give the members money, but used it in various ways to fund those they care for. And he did relent and buy himself a bus membership for a year. Bet that hurt! All in all, not quite as good as the first season, but I really don't expect that much out of this show besides being silly and entertaining, and it pretty much delivered. I do think the show is better when Reacher is more of a fish out of water, so hopefully next season will be back to him showing up in some new town or city, and dealing with whatever mayhem comes his way. But I can still see them working back in this cast for an episode or two. In particular, I get the sense Neagley is going to be someone who shows up each season in some form or another.

Dammit, Witt! You just had to go after Roy alone, didn't you? And be so damn noble that you try to arrest him and let him talk instead of just putting a bullet in his head as soon as he starts spouting his typical bullshit. I guess it's within the theme of this show: sometimes the purest characters end up letting their nobility be their downfall. The man just wasn't cutout for this world. At least Roy's downfall was satisfying. Dot does get her revenge, but he doesn't die from the gunshot wound. Instead of going out in a blaze of glory, he gets arrested thanks in part to his own flesh and blood turning on him. And if he thinks he's going to be the king of prison, well Lorraine made sure that wasn't going to happen! A fitting end for someone who thinks he is the king but is really just a little shit weasel in Don Draper's body! Looks like Gator is also deservingly getting locked up as well, but at least he made some form of peace with Dot. He still did horrible things and deserved this, but I can see why she would grant him that moment since he was also a victim of his dad in a lot of ways. Of course, I chalk up a lot of it to Joe Keery doing his normal thing of being so damn likable it almost carries over to his characters (remember hearing Steve was initially suppose to just be an one-note bully in Stranger Things, but it got changed once they saw more of him.) Indira really didn't get to do much at the end, but hopefully this will lead to Richa Moorjani getting even more roles going forward. Figured Munch would rear his head at the end, but I wasn't it expecting it to be him trying to get his "pound of flesh" from Dot, only to have her talk him out of it and basically make him realize he doesn't have to continue this cycle of violence or keep being the Sin Eater. All in all, I will put this safely in the middle of the pack. Not as good as season one or two (the last one in particular is one of my favorite seasons of television ever), but comfortably ahead of season three and especially four. My biggest issues were I didn't quite connect to the characters like I did in S1/S2 and it could be even more heavy-handed than norm: especially whenever it came to their messaging on gender dynamics and sexism. But I still enjoyed the ride and the cast/acting was top notch: shoutout to Juno Temple, Jon Hamm, Joe Keery, and Jennifer Jason Leigh especially. Curious to see if we get another season and see what combination of recognizable stars, familiar character actors, comedians, and out of left field castings we get this go around. First thoughts: with Barry now done, I can see Bill Hader being an interesting choice for another season. Really, any of the cast from that show. Or how about someone like Walton Goggins? Or Tatiana Maslany or Aubrey Plaza? Or maybe Sarah Snook and Matthew MacFayden can follow Kieran Culkin and be other Succession actors to appear?! The possibilities are endless!

Anthony probably set a few people off by mentioning David and D.B. considering the way the latter seasons (especially the final one) turned out. And Succession finishes it domination. They do get points for using Kendall's "I'm the eldest boy!" scene for the clip. Classic!

Well, that sketch didn't quite go over with the Steve Martin/Martin Short/Henry Winkler demographic! Yes, chef!!

Sarah Snook!!! The Roy siblings all get trophies (well, except Connor. Fitting.)

That was definitely one of the best out of the reunions. Kieran Culkin does it! Roman is on top! Pedro will have his revenge though!

Man, this was a rough year In Memoriam wise. Andre Braugher and Matthew Perry alone is hard to take, but seeing all the other greats we lost (Treat Williams, Ron Cephas Jones, Lance Reddick, hell, I could on); really is hard to accept. Damn you, 2023!

Nothing shows how diverse television can be than following the pivotal, emotional moment from Roots with Bryan Cranston in his tighty-whities!

Beef! It's whats for Emmys! (Sorry...)