Absolutely superb episode. Best one this season so far.
It starts off with a midnight feast and a hidden room! Good innocent fun. But soon switches gears to deliver intelligent and compelling drama/conflict.
Loved seeing Darrell stand up to June and call her bluff at the end. June is a magnificently unlikeable antagonist. Darrell continues to be one of my favourite TV characters at this point in time.
10/10
Competent but forgettable.
Catherine and Beau are a fun team but the cold case they are working on never really catches fire.
Likewise, the ongoing stuff with Folsom. Despite the return of Detective Cross and the revelation about Detective Chavez, it never feels urgent or exciting.
My 186th TV episode of 2024. Averaging 1h24m of TV per day.
6/10
Kunal Nayyar.
This show is positively shameless in its willingness to go for the silliest possible gag at any given moment.
This episode was delightfully daft from top to tail. Highlights include: Abby’s outfit, Olivia’s outfit, the peacock’s attack, and the raid on the thrift shop at the end.
9/10
The Towering Inferno.
This episode is perfect! It delivers high-concept action and adventure, as well as a genuine powderkeg of emotion. Even the present-day b-story was good.
A major (and beautiful) story arc is seemingly concluded here, but we end on some big cliffhangers. The most intriguing one, by far, is the one taking place back in the 1970s…
10/10
Lauren Stamile returns.
They really push the Britta-Jeff thing in this one, reminding us more than once that she’s jealous of his new girlfriend.
Jim Rash has some fabulous scenes in this one. His scenes with the lovers are hilarious. Very rewatchable.
9/10
Jack Black wants to join the study group but nobody likes him. And it’s pretty great. Especially when Jeff drags him off the table at one point. Iconic moment.
Jeff’s heartfelt speech to the group at the end is lovely.
9/10
Best episode so far this season.
It’s a very sharp script which really skewers its targets and there are some very funny moments. As well as several delightful and artistic ones.
Dana Delany is perfect casting as the star of a legal procedural in its 18th season and she really brings her a-game.
9/10
This is the only show I watch where I almost always watch the full episode a second time immediately afterwards for jokes I missed the first time.
Such an irresistible bunch of characters. Very excited to see them on tour.
8/10
Allan Miller, K Callan.
There’s a lot of storylines here, all vying for attention/space. Despite some laughs and some conflict, it doesn’t work as well as most of the earlier episodes. Too crowded. An extra ten minutes would have made all the difference in the world.
7/10
Gian Sammarco.
Good balance here between light and funny stories and a very serious one about a very grim subject. It’s done so that we don’t know until the very last scene what’s really going on.
My 178th TV episode of 2024. Averaging 1h26m of TV per day.
9/10
An Abby episode.
A very good one, too, where she finally finds her kids and does some fancy manoeuvring to get them back. Satisfying.
Moving Karen into the workplace has reinvigorated the character, giving her plenty to do. Good fun here as she learns to sell cars. Much to Gary’s surprise.
9/10
All the storylines are very funny, full of great lines/moments.
Jake’s new sister (Nasim Pedrad) being a nightmare is pure sitcom, but they really nail it, getting laughs and bringing the feels.
The all-singing line-up in the pre-credits scene was wonderful.
My 176th TV episode of 2024. Averaging 1h26m of TV per day.
9/10
Romance and laughs.
Lots of story in this one. The prank storyline is nothing special, but it ties nicely back to Irene and Mam'zelle Rougier.
These early episodes are relying a bit too much on new character June being a prankster/nuisance.
The Gwen-Ron-Mary Jo story was where the real gold was. It was very funny at times, but also sweet.
8/10
Tony Shalhoub.
Another episode where the first half is flat but the second is funny.
The a-story and b-story intersect really nicely when Mike (who Kim has teased for being too predictable) convincingly lies to the gang and makes them think their elaborate revenge prank on a litigious asshole from the studio has caused his death.
First appearance for Mary Jo Smith as Denise.
7/10
Absolutely heartbreaking.
Emmy-winner Kay Lenz returns for her third and final appearance as Tina Cassidy, now dying of AIDS.
The episode is a tearjerker from start to finish. Sometimes that is clearly the intent, with scenes devoted to kittens and a children’s Christmas pageant, etc. Mostly, however, the script takes a cold, hard look at the financial practicalities of Tina’s situation.
Hard-hitting socially conscious television at its finest.
10/10
Another episode that builds very nicely. The first half is all set up, and the laugh-filled second half is where various things pay off.
Jo sees a mouse, and Larry later kills it. However, George and Robin have their own reasons for wanting to keep the mouse alive for a while. One to stave off a visiting mother-in-law, the other to increase his chances to getting into bed with Chrissy.
A sitcom plot driven by the lies of inept heroes.
8/10
Bland.
Amy must deal with someone just like her (Drew Tarver), while Jake and Boyle go after the organisers of a pyramid scheme.
No big laughs.
6/10
A pretty decent Christmas episode.
Anthony Michael Hall is the bully and there’s some conflict between Shirley and the others over religion. She’s kinda a bully, too.
8/10
Fantastic episode.
The action in the final third, as Firebase Ladybird is completely overrun by the enemy, is as intense as any ever shown in the entire series.
A regular character is killed off and guest star Kristoffer Tabori is excellent as an ambitious and obnoxious new captain. One who repeatedly ignores the grave danger they are all in.
10/10
Lilimae returns!
Having made one previous appearance back in season one, Julie Harris is (wisely) added to the show in this episode as Val’s troublemaking mother.
The b-story reminds us that Abby’s children have now been missing “over a month” and Abby isn’t coping very well.
Richard gets all the funny lines. Love that guy!
6/10
One of the very best episodes. Not just of this show, but of any show. Driven almost entirely by Spike and Lynda, the script is sharp and funny. More than that, it’s a story with heart. And the relationship feels just as real and honest as Lynda’s all-consuming fears about social gatherings. This isn’t a comedy anymore, it’s a drama with laughs. And this episode is perfect.
10/10
The b-story is the best thing here.
In the a-story we learn that Kim can’t cook. An uninspired plot idea. Her kitchen shenanigans don’t generate laughs.
Meanwhile, at work, acting-boss Gary (Chip Zien) accidentally blows up a building. Much more amusing.
6/10
Another Karen-centric episode.
Michele Lee is great. Not much happens. It’s a series of vignettes covering more than 5 weeks, showing the Fairgate family coping with grief and loss. And doing it badly.
Ginger’s baby is born.
7/10
Allison Tolman.
It’s a really out-there plot about an arsonist and clues in crossword puzzles. Best thing about it is Jake being jealous of Amy working with a hot puzzle maker (played by Melissa Fumero’s husband).
My 164th TV episode of 2024. Averaging 1h29m of TV per day.
8/10
Mixed bag.
It’s an episode almost exclusively devoted to the new students. That means we don’t get to see the characters we already know and like and have been following for three full seasons. Darrell is well integrated, but it’s a simple rethread of her previous conflict with June.
On the plus side, it’s our first proper look at Susan. And she’s a fabulous addition to the show.
7/10
Max Wright.
A big improvement over the previous episode. The storylines for Howard and Maria are fresh and compelling. It’s funny and has a terrific guest cast of well-known faces.
MVP: Shuko Akune. They give her some great material here and she runs with it. Lovely to watch.
9/10
Sharon Lawrence.
The Troy-Abed storyline is (surprisingly) the weak link here. But it ends really, really well.
The rest is gold. The Jeff-Pierce plot goes to some deep and thoughtful places, totally nails it, and is funny also.
First episode for Craig Cackowski as the security guy.
9/10
Another 10/10 gem.
It’s pretty much a great episode all the way through, with three strong/funny storylines, but it becomes really special/magical in the final minutes when all the plots peak together with a musical underscore. Way, way better than it has any right to be.
My 160th TV episode of 2024. Averaging 1h32m of TV per day.
10/10
Meditation retreat.
It starts slow but gets better in the second half, when Kim and Mike have to remain silent for 48 hours while freezing and starving.
The ending feels a bit flat, but it’s still an episode with some good chuckles along the way.
7/10
One of the key episodes.
Sarah gets the a-story, meeting a cute guy who doesn’t know she’s just written a theatre review, slating his acting. A strong and funny character piece.
Kenny’s tragic b-story is masterful. A wrong number leads to flirting with a lovely girl, and then… he loses her forever. A thing like that could haunt a guy for life.
Intermixed with all this, Linda and Spike argue their way towards their first date!
9/10
