Category: TV Recaps

TV Recap: Killing Eve – Nothing Good Happens In Berlin …

Killing Eve
“Don’t I Know You?” (Episode 103)
April 22, 2018

A game changing episode of Killing Eve – and when you only have 8 episodes, a game changer can come in episode 3.  The take away from tonight’s episode  is that the stakes are real, the stakes are are high, and the stakes come at a cost. Also, maybe, no one is safe in this world of spy versus assassin, prey versus predator.

Our Deep Dive Recap & Review … After The Jump! (Spoilers Ahead, Be Warned!)

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TV Recap: Killing Eve – An Unofficial Official Tap On the Shoulder …

Killing Eve
“I’ll Deal with Him Later” (Episode 102)
April 15, 2018

Lots of forward momentum on plot in this second episode as Eve settles into a new life and Villanelle … well, she is pretty much the same old Villanelle but we do get some new questions on what makes her tick and who she is killing for?!?

Photo Credit: BBC AMERICA

Our Deep Dive Recap and Review … after the jump!  (Spoilers Warning!)

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TV Recap: Black Lightning – Who’s Life Is This?

Black Lightning
“Shadow of Death: The Book of War”
April 17, 2018

Black Lightning concluded its freshman season tonight and the questions on everyone’s minds: Will Black Lightning recover from his injury last week? If so, will he recover in time to be useful in a final fight? Will Henderson discover his bestie’s secret identity? Will Whale survive and thrive? Will Proctor and the ASA? Will Lynn and Jennifer embrace that which Anissa and Jefferson already have?

Every  single one of these questions is resolved tonight so sit back, relax, and enjoy our deep dive recap & review of the Black Lightning season finale, “Shadow of Death: The Book of War” … after the jump (warning: spoilers!!)

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TV Recap: Black Lightning – Shall We Begin?

Black Lightning
“The Resurrection and
the Light: The Book of Pain”
April 10, 2018

This episode turned things on its head.  Going into next week’s season finale, things are not great for Team Pierce and the bad guys are definitely ascendant.  In a classic God giveth and God taketh away, just as Lynn and Jefferson were getting their shit together, before the hour is out, its all fallen to pieces.  We are greeted to the return of a Milli Vanilli-looking cosplayer and Tobias and Syonide make a case for their own deranged Rom Com spin-off (which, to be clear … I would totally watch).

Less talk, more action so check out our Recap & Review of Black Lightning‘s “The Resurrection and the Light: The Book of Pain” … after the jump (beware of spoilers)!

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TV Recap: Black Lightning – Can We All Just Get Along?

Black Lightning
“Black Jesus: The Book of Crucifixion”
April 3, 2018

Tonight was a rare Black Lightning episode where we end in a good place but we take a couple of shitty turns to get there.  We have a nice moment of redemption, “a good guy finally wins one” moment, and my dislike for Fowdy grows to ginormous size.

Without further delay, our (long overdue) recap and review of Black Lightning‘s episode, “Black Jesus: The Book of Crucifixion” … after the jump (beware of spoilers)!

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TV Recap: Killing Eve – Love It Or Leave It?

Killing Eve
Love It Or Leave It? Review
(Episode 101, “Nice Face”)
April 8, 2018

Killing Eve debuted last night on BBC America and just knocked my socks off.  It is funny and sexy and dangerous and most importantly, its a thinking person’s show with involved plot and character design. I want all of those things on my TV all of the time.  Love it or leave it? I loved Killing Eve. 

Led by a strong cast, but in particular, its three female leads, Eve promises to be a weekly spy adventure in the grand tradition of the good guy chasing the bad guy, EXCEPT its a good woman chasing a bad woman, and maybe the bad woman is not so black and white bad? A 2018 Twist on the spy genre to be sure but also, just as welcomed.  Television can only be benefited by having complex women on the screen that don’t wallow in traditional tropes.  Killing Eve smashes the traditional idea of the type-cast female in a thriller spy show and puts them front and center.   

Sandra Oh (Grey’s Anatomy) as the titular Eve and Jodie Comer (star of several UK shows but in America was a lead in the Starz series, The White Princess) as the assassin, Villanelle, crackle when they’re on screen and its hard to take your eyes off of them. Add in the fantastic Fiona Shaw (Americans will know her from her time on True Blood or more obviously as Aunt Petunia from the Harry Potter film series) as the legendary MI-6 operative who will seemingly play an important role in Eve’s life, and you’ve got tremendous women that are hard to ignore.  

Killing Eve is brought to TV by Phoebe Waller-Bridge (who acts as lead writer, showrunner and is an executive producer) and is based on a series of novels by Luke Jennings which focuses on the assassin, Villanelle, as well as the MI-5 agent that tracks her. I haven’t read them yet but I will because the only thing I like more than a great spy show is a great spy novel! Sold! Also important to note, Killing Eve was renewed for a Season 2 before this pilot episode even aired. BBC America believes in Eve.

There is a hole on Sunday nights at 8pm and my “Hot Take” is that you need to fill it with Killing Eve.  If you’re looking for a recap of the first episode, take a gander, after the jump (Beware of Spoilers!)

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TV Recaps: The Magicians – Ranking the Episodes of Season 3

With The Magicians having aired its season finale this week, now is the time to start looking forward to Season 4 and wondering what is going to happen. But! Before we say goodbye to Season 3, I thought it would be fun to look back on this tremendous season and rank the 13 episodes from best to still great but not best (there is NO worse in this season’s catalog).

Read my thoughts and let me know if you agree or if I messed up big time in the comments.  In every episode title, there is a link to our complete recap & review of that episode!

THE MAGICIANS — “A Life in the Day” Episode 305 — Pictured: Jason Ralph as Quentin Coldwater — (Photo by: Eric Milner/Syfy)

PopCultureReview’s Rank of Best Season 3 The Magicians Episodes begins … after the jump!

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TV Recaps: The Magicians – Of Sacrifices and Betrayals …

The Magicians
“Will You Play With Me?”
April 4, 2018

Okay kids, tonight’s the night.  The Season 3 finale of The Magicians and boy did we have an episode.  Betrayals? Check. Sacrifices? Check.  Tacos? Check. Tick throwing shade? Check. Amazing Music Montages? Check. Great Easter Eggs? Check.  Crisp dialogue, twists you can’t predict and things just make you go, the fuck is happening? Check.

Sera Gamble and John McNamara, who wrote tonight’s show (they’re also the creators, 2 of the EPs and Sera is the show runner), and Chris Fisher who directed, closed out this Season in amazing style while setting up a lot of great questions for Season 4.  Without another wasted moment, jump into our recap and review of The Magicians‘ season finale, “Will You Play With Me?” … after the jump!

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TV Recaps: The Magicians – Long Live the King …

The Magicians
“The Fillorian Candidate”
March 28, 2018

Its Fillory’s Spring Awakening, democracy-style!! But, the real star of tonight’s episode is the continued growth of Julia’s character as she embraces her ever increasing Godhood.  Elsewhere, Kady Meets 23TL Penny and Alice and Quentin continue being Alice and Quentin.  Never have two people each been the other’s Fuck, Marry AND Kill!  *sigh*

Don’t waste a second more, jump into our deep dive recap and review of “The Fillorian Candidate” (Spoilers! Last Warning) … after the jump!

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TV Recaps: The Magicians – The Return of Mothra …

The Magicians
“Twenty-Three”
March 21, 2018

This week, we take a bit of a breather after a series of emotional and impactful episodes that have really moved the plot along.  Not that tonight doesn’t have some emotional resonance, but we’re not terribly closer to solving the problem of the Fairy Realm Key after tonight’s episode.  You’ll notice this episode is very self-contained in a few familiar spots – its because tonight’s ep is a classic “Bottle Episode”; a trick of producers to save cash on new sets and props and dressing which is necessary in order to pay for larger expenditures during the rest of the season (looking at you music licensing rights for “All About Josh“). The upside of these types of episodes is that you tend to get great dialogue and character beats – very much like good stage plays because its basically characters on screen not moving around much.  Tonight doesn’t disappoint.

Let’s jump right in to Julia and Josh’s excellent adventure to another timeline, Timeline twenty-Three. Our deep Dive Recap and review (spoilers ahead!!) … after the jump!

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