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The State of the Union Address will be taking up most of the oxygen in the room tonight, dominating broadcast TV from 9-11 (ET). But, we persevere! The CW is offering up fresh new episodes of its superhero block, The Flash and Black Lightning (read our deep dive recaps to stay caught up), and Comedy Central is giving us the funnies with new Drunk History. Its business as usual on basic cable tonight, SOTU be damned!
Continue reading “What To Watch – Tuesday, January 30, 2018”
All eyes are on The Brave tonight as it hits its Season 1 finale in dramatic style (read our recap from last week’s episode, here). We live tweet this show every week and its a blast, you should follow us on Twitter @AdminPopCultRev. Tonight, at 11pm (ET), we’ll be joining the folks at So Many Shows to discuss the episode along with the show’s creator Dean Georgaris and several of the show’s stars!! Join us and listen in live!
Also on, a new episode of The Alienist (read our recap of Last Week’s series premiere here).
The Alienist
“The Boy on the Bridge”
January 22, 2018
What a fun (and not a little weird) show The Alienist is. There is something particularly satisfying about a well done period piece TV show that enhances the “escapism” factor that so many turn to TV for; an hour of good drama to forget about your troubles and throw yourself into someone else’s plot. Add in the anachronistic time period and your feeling of being transported away is doubled, at a minimum.
The Alienist, based on the book of the same name by Caleb Carr, and starring Luke Evans (as John Moore), Dakota Fanning (as Sara Howard), and Daniel Brühl (as the eponymous “Alienist” whose real name is Dr. Laszlo Kreizler), does the time period transformation flawlessly and its very easy to feel like you are in 1896 NYC. As a general matter, TNT does drama and story telling well, with popular hits such as The Librarians, Last Ship and Major Crimes as just some of their more recent examples, and The Alienist is at home here with amazing attention to detail, engrossing story and interesting central characters that you are left wanting to know more about.
Enough preamble, prepare your best old-timey phrases, tighten up your corset and let’s hop into the way back machine. Spoilers Ahead – you’ve been warned. The recap of The Alienist pilot episode, “The Boy on the Bridge” … after the jump!
Continue reading “TV Recap: The Alienist – The Darkest Pit of Hell”
Black Lighting
“LaWanda: The Book of Hope”
January 23, 2018
Tonight’s episode, “LaWanda: The Book of Hope”, moves us forward towards the meat of the season, Black Lightning versus Tobias. By the end of tonight, the pieces on the board are set and it’s time to start moving them around.
Which is good. Two episodes of preliminaries is enough, let’s get down to brass tacks and begin the battle of good versus evil.
Recap of “LaWanda: The Book of Hope” (spoilers warning!) … after the jump!
Continue reading “TV Recap: Black Lightning – Gifts From God”
The Magicians
“The Losses of Magic”
January 24, 2018
Episode 3 of this third Season continued moving the plot forward while throwing up new curves and questions. I talk about it below, but the character development we are seeing this season is fantastic and everyone is in on the action.
For sure, there were some real Feels this episode with some tough emotional beats but The Magicians delivers in making you feel everything, up and down, over the course of an hour and you can’t really ask for better TV than that.
Our recap (SPOILERS!) of “The Losses of Magic” … after the jump !
Continue reading “TV Recap: The Magicians – Thrimble, Dimble, Pickled Plum …”
When MacGyver isn’t on, I don’t know really what to do with myseld on Fridays. If I end up not going to the movies, I’ll be watching Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. LIVE and then the X Games. But maybe I’ll also be watching Hunger Games? Decisions!!!
The Brave
“Close to Home, Part 1”
January 22, 2018
I can’t believe we’re nearly at the end of the season; after tonight’s episode, there is only 1 hour left of The Brave …until Season 2 (renew the show already NBC dammit)!!
Tonight’s episode introduces a new villain that we’ll definitely see next week and I suspect will be a recurring creature in seasons to come (renew the show already NBC dammit). In addition, we got our first really in depth character backstory (via flashback and fantastic wigs) for Patricia for the new villain, you see, is a close figure from her past.
The Brave continues to deliver movie-quality episodes and remain predictably unpredictable; there was no real “mission of the week” this hour but rather we were given a revolving door of mind games and the kind of delicious exposition and backstory that serialization and continuity junkies crave!
On to the recap of “Close to Home, Part 1” … after the jump!
Continue reading “TV Recap: The Brave – A Record of Our Sins …”
We’re trying to get back into Supernatural after being away a few years so they get our Thursday top pick in the 8pm slot but the real Thursday draw for us is, and always be, Arrow. Its our top pick to watch tonight.
Also on our radar? X Games Aspen 2018 begins tonight, its that time of year to get into competitive Winter Sports!!
Continue reading “What To Watch – Thursday, January 25, 2018”
Wednesdays don’t get any better than magic up front and history in the back. All new The Librarians leads into new The Magicians. For a different flavor, there is now Vikings followed by new Knightfall on History Channel. Coming in from left field, the series premiere of Waco, on CMT.
Continue reading “What To Watch – Wednesday, January 24, 2018”
Black Lightning
“The Resurrection”
January 16, 2018
Kids are the worst, you guys. Let me tell you a story and if you’re a parent, you tell me if it sounds familiar.
A dad, hard working man, earns a party for his efforts. He gets to be the man of the hour but can he enjoy himself? Nooooo. Why? Cause, he’s got a kid who didn’t listen to what they were told to do and so, you, as the loving parent, bail them out of their situation. Having seen what you just went through, do you think your other child would be on their best behavior, make sure your special night is salvaged as a thank you for all you’ve done for them?!? Noooooo. Why? Cause your kids can be assholes. So, what do you do? You bail the other child out of their problem too AND, because you’re a really good guy, you don’t even let them know you’re the one that fixed their mistake.
And when dad is all said and done fixing his kids problems, does he finally get to rest? No, he has to deal with ex wife telling him to keep a cool head with his out of control children.
But you know, what the next day? You go for a run with your children and you remember how great they really are and how much you love them because obviously you love them, look at the fucked up shit you did for them just the night before trying to keep them safe.
Parents are superheroes who will do anything and everything for their children; for their well being and safety. Jefferson Pierce is a superhero by living his every day. He just happens to also be able to shoot lightning from from his body.
That’s Black Lightning in a nutshell – an exasperated dad trying to keep his shit together while the forces of evil try to do harm to the ones he loves most, namely his children and (ex) wife. But, its also so much more so read after the jump for the Pilot episode recap and my thoughts on this newest DC Superhero who has come to town …
Continue reading “TV Recap: Black Lightning – Bring the Lightning, Bring the Pain”