No Reason To Be Insecure

One of the more undervalued players to come out of HBO last year was Insecure, a really edgy comedy based on an Internet series by series star/showrunner Issa Rae. Rae plays Issa Dee, an African-American substitute teacher in Los Angeles, trying to build a life for herself along with her best friend Molly (Yvonne Orji)  and her lazy boyfriend Lawrence  (Jay Ellis) A season of frustration eventually built to quitting her job, cheating on Lawrence who broke up with her in the first season finale.

Issa is trying to start from scratch in Season 2, working at an educational-based company trying to help underprivileged children, and trying to go out on dates. But nothing is going particularly well for her either professionally or personally. Students don't exactly seem to be jumping at the opportunities she's offering, and the teachers seem to be dealing with a more overt brand of racism than we usually get even on cable. Her dates just seem to be one bad experience after another, and its pretty clear she's still trying to get back together with Lawrence, to the point of throwing a party for that sole purpose. When Lawrence ends up showing up the next night, they end up having a bizarre sexual encounter than neither is able to read that well, and which seems to end with Lawrence getting ready to move forward. Sort of.

Things are not going that well for Molly. Though she seems to be trying to press forward on the partnership track at her job, she is very irked to learn that one of her white colleagues is making more money. In an attempt to try and build her social standing, she ends up going to a luxury box at a hockey game, which goes about as well as you'd expect. She's recently started therapy as well, but doesn't seem quite able to admit even to herself the issues that she has to deal with.

One could certainly read this is as one of the more traditional HBO series - the African-American equivalent of Girls, for example. But there's a lot less navel gazing, and its a lot funnier. Issa has the habit of going into bizarre rap fantasies that actually give her a much clearer picture into her psyche than you'd think. She's a much more solid personality than Lena Dunham every was, and in my opinion, far more talented.

It's not as riotously funny as some of the shows on HBO can be, but its definitely a lot more daring, and has a much clearer grasp of the social world. Of all the comic actresses that they could've nominated, its very clear that Issa Rae would've been a much better choice than Julia-Louis Dreyfus. One can only hope that next year, the Emmys - which certainly didn't have a problem with diversity this year - won't make the same mistake.

My score: 4 stars.

Better Late Than Never: Grace and Frankie Season 3

Netflix has been one of the most consistent performers on any service in such a short time that the world has developed a certain snobbery about it. It's easy to get excited about series like Stranger Things or Master of None, because they have a level of genius that you can't imagine any other service providing. Whereas there are some series on the server that make you wonder why here? I still can't imagine why anyone would want to binge watch Fuller House, for example.

Falling under the latter is Grace and Frankie, a show that has managed to make it into its third season without the same kind of critical mass that powers so many other Netflix series. The argument could be made that this is the kind of show that could appear, if not on network TV, then certainly one of the lesser basic cable series. But the sad fact, with every network on the planet trying to aim towards younger demographic, no one wants to go after the plus-50 crowd. As tremendous talents as Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Sam Waterston and Martin Sheen are, one would could only see them in supporting roles on TV, much less casting all four as leads. And certainly no one would be willing to give a series of recurring roles to senior performers such as Marsha Mason, Ernie Hudson, etc.

Of course, you could cut through all the ageism nonsense, and just like the series for the fact that is very funny. It makes me laugh louder and more consistently then some of the 'hipper' comedies currently on the air, and I'm nowhere near the age of the demographic the showrunners are probably aiming for. And there's a genuine humanity to all of these characters that is severely lacking in so many other series on the air today. One cares about the relationship between Grace and Frankie, as they try to find themselves making a new business venture, or as Sol and Robert try to find a new life together, whether it is heading towards retirement or trying out for community theater. The series also moves at a more measured pace which gives the funnier lines more time to resonate than they do, say, in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

And maybe I'm seeing things that aren't there, but there's also a certain level of subversiveness that I don't think the other series are picking up on.  When Grace and Frankie try to get a loan for their business, the fact that no one is willing to grant it because they think there's a very good chance they'll die before they can pay it back, or the way Sol gets angry at Robert about now lying to a bunch newly gay friends that he spent most of his life straight, has a certain depth to realism that I really don't think that a lot of other critics are picking up. And in a recent episode, in order to reassure Frankie about their safety after a burglary, they go to a senior crime prevention class, and are told the safest thing they can do is soil themselves, there's a ferocity that is expressed very subtly and then moved on from. It's also likely that the series, after three seasons may finally be picking up confidence in itself that it didn't have in its at first two years.

It's not too fine a point, though. This is a series that basically has the common sense to let legends like Fonda and Tomlin get out of their own way, and deliver these lines with some of the flair that they deserve. It's an enjoyable comedy, and if certain ideas like that of senior citizens masturbating make you uncomfortable, well, that's nothing new for a Netflix comedy either.

My score: 4 stars.

Homicide Episode Guide: Map of the Heart

Written by Michael Whaley and  James Yoshimura

Directed by Clark Johnson

        Homicide was, despite the occasional flourishes of quirkiness, a very realistic drama. When the show began to depreciate in quality (particularly in the last season) was when it tried to be sensational. We have seen examples of  this in episodes such as ‘Thrill of the Kill’ and ‘Sniper’. But those episodes were at least straight forward. ‘Map of the Heart’ misses stride because it overcomplicates things. This isn’t bad, murder can be complicated sometimes. But this level of complication comes when it elevates a run-of-the-mill murder into what seems to be a government plot.

          It doesn’t start out that way. At first it seems a routine call for Bayliss and Pembleton —a rich, old  lawyer dying of  a heart attack in his swimming pool. Then  a cartographer named Richard Laumer shows at the squad room, says that  the man was murdered, that he was his biological father and then proceeds to give the detectives a videotape will which provides a definite motive for Laumer to have killed this man.

          This is fairly convoluted stuff but very soon things become positively Byzantine.  A woman from the NSA appears in the squad with  Captain Gaffney demanding information on the investigation and unilaterally telling Bayliss and Pembleton that Richard Laumer had nothing to do  with the investigation and that continued pursuit might be detrimental to them. Tim and Frank, true to themselves do not buckle under but things become increasingly more complicated as the detectives get deeper into the investigation.

Then the most unlikely thing to happen in real life happens on the show. A man comes off the street and confesses to the killing for no apparent reason. Tim and Frank are outraged but calm down because they realized that in this case their hands are tied.

All of this seems a little extreme for a man who draws maps for the NSA. It seems unnecessarily complicated and over the top. The veiled threats, fake names, shadowy figures, clandestine meetings and the constant sensation of manipulation seems like something that would be more suited to  the X-Files than Homicide. It might make more sense if the case involved conspiracy theorist Munch but Bayliss and Pembleton seem unlikely subjects for such a thing. The two have  some very good moments in the episode, particularly in the last scene at the Waterfront where the two detectives rail on Laumer, but mostly things seem out of their league. The episode should be credited fro a well-shot scene at the Baltimore aquarium (though it seems very unlikely that it would be as empty as it was).

The episode is a not a total loss because of what’s going on in the background with Munch, Kellerman and Brodie. (Lewis isn’t around because Clark Johnson is busy behind the camera). For the first time we see the workout room in the squad and some funny scenes when Kellerman tries to teach Brodie how to throw a punch (which leads to one of the funnier moments where Brodie ‘practices’ being a cop by using clichés that Homicide would never touch. Munch and Kellerman get involved in a long series of events over a stolen VCR that Mike has sold to John --- which leads to a surreal, purposely badly shot scene where they have a conversation (with shades of David Mamet) that never happened over a topic they know nothing about. The most  promising bit comes when Kellerman is victimized by the ‘Lunch Bandit’ , someone who has been stealing the squads lunches for two years without any detection. Kellerman gets so outraged by this that he makes it his personal mission to capture and unmask the culprit. It seems a little odd that  a squad full of the best detectives in the city couldn’t figure this out, but that seems more real than most of what’s happening.

‘Map of the Heart’ is something of a disappointment coming from James Yoshimura, one of Homicide’ s best writers. There are some amusing sequences and some good dramatic sequences but they are outnumbered by the convolutions. Fortunately, the writers learned from their mistakes and nothing of this level of confusion would be tried for quite some time.

My score:6  

X-Files Episode Guide: Release

Teleplay by David Amann ; Story by John Shiban & David Amann

Directed by Kim Manners

With the series down to its final three episodes, one could wonder whether it made sense to try and spend another one trying to resolve the mystery of the death of Doggett's son. Considering that we've learned so little about in the two years we've known him, it would seem like a waste of energy. And given the X-Files' history of offering closure to any particular storyline - William Mulder's fate last week just being the most obvious example - it's hard to imagine this ending particularly well.

I've never been so happy to be proven wrong. And most of this is due to the character of Doggett. The X-Files has made a lot of mistakes in the last two years - starting with the idea that they should've existed at all - but none of them have been the fault of the character of Doggett. And its a tribute to how well the series has managed to handle the death of Luke Doggett that we've been getting the details in very small dribs and drabs. Indeed, we don't even find out how Luke was kidnapped and murdered until this episode. This is testimony to how subtle the series has been in dealing with this storyline - something that no one could accuse the series writers to even come close to mastering.

The most obvious delineation comes between how they handled Samantha Mulder's disappearance and the murder of Luke Doggett. Samantha was many things to the series, but mostly, she was a source of angst to Mulder, something to play with at least once a season  Doggett, however, has kept the death of his son as a very private pain, mostly through other characters. It's a testament that this seems far more realistic now than what we got with Mulder. And even if you're one of the handful of X-philes who believe that the resolution that we got to Samantha's story was acceptable, even the most loyal of them would have to admit it was contrived. Release is anything but. If anything, the answer is painfully simple. Luke Doggett was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. A mob hitman saw him after he was kidnapped by a pedophile, and killed him without a second thought. That something this cold and simple could destroy a man's life and end his marriage is horrible and bluntly realistic.

Indeed, perhaps Release's greatest strength is that its not really an X-File at all. An FBI cadet named Rudolph Hayes makes the kind of insights that you would not expect a rookie to make. The reasoning and deduction that he follows leads Doggett and Reyes to a man that Doggett eventually comes to believe is connected with his son's death. The fact that this cadet is actually a schizophrenic who discharged himself from an institution doesn't change the fact that he seems to know what has happened to Doggett's son. And slowly, the truth comes out. There's no attempt at all to give the story a supernatural slant. We don't have any of the ideas of evil passing like a spirit like we got in Empodecles, there's no alien conspiracy, there's no disappearing to starlight. This is dignified and brilliant. It's hard to imagine any of the many procedurals that would follow this series, much less the X-Files itself, resolving this case as simply or without mawkishness as this.

It's particularly remarkable considering that this is coming from David Amann, who has written little more than half a dozen scripts for the X-Files, and most of them being ridiculously contrived. In Release, however, he does everything right. He writes the characters with subtle emotion, and makes the very real pain seem simple. He divides the story in a concise way that even as the series ends, features things we've never seen before. It's elegant and precise and it makes you realize Amann may have been the better writer in the series last days.

Robert Patrick gives arguably his best performance on the series. He's always been good at exercising restraint when it comes to Doggett, and in this episode, he manages to spend most of it holding back the entire time. We realize that this is a man who would rather suffer in silence than express emotion, that this has destroyed his marriage and stopped him from any kind of future with Monica. And most of this is done almost entirely through his face. Anyone who thinks he was stonefaced through most of his career doesn't give him enough credit for his work in Release. He's aided by exceptional performances from his guest cast. Jared Poe gives a superb performance as the mentally ill cadet, who seems insightful and yet watching his every move. The idea of profiling being a mental illness has been taken in many series prior and after this one, but rarely has it been made more clear here. Barbara Patrick in her few scenes as Doggett's ex-wife manages to see things with a clarity that her husband never could. The affection is expressive consider she is his actual wife. And Cary Elwes, who has spent his brief stint as Follmer basically playing the old cards of being an untrustworthy FBI superior, finally gets a few moments where he's given some actual character to work with. To see that his story with the series ends with a real mark of redemption rather than some kind of pointless death is something you really wish the series would've tried to do with the rest of its regulars.

Release is truly a great moment in the X-Files history. It's so good that the only complaint may come in retrospect. Did they have to wait all the way to the end of the series to gives its characters real resolution?  It may have been about preserving ambiguity, but episodes like this prove that there can be power in the simplest of solution.

My score: 5 stars.

Homicide Episode Guide: Stakeout

Written by Noel Behn; story by Tom Fontana and Noel Behn

Directed by John McNaughton

     In Homicide’s early seasons  (particularly in season 1’s ‘Night of the Dead Living’) we learned something very important about the show: police work can be dull. It’s not car cases and gun pulling, a lot of it is dull paperwork and drudgery routine. Even when you are involved in a case to arrest a man who has committed ten murders, there is a lot of hard, meaningless work.

     A prime example of this occurs in ‘Stakeout’. In the space of twenty four hours we  find the identity of a serial killer from one of the thickest criminals on the show. Arrested for narcotic possession and stolen property, he confesses that he was involved with ten murders. Her thinks that because he didn’t actually kill any of the victims he is less liable which proves as Bayliss puts it ‘Crime makes you stupid” The killer is en route from a trip back to Baltimore, so the Homicide unit sets up a stakeout in the house next door.

     So two detectives go there. And they wait.

     Three hours later the shift changes.

     And they wait.

     Every three hours, they change partners until twenty-four hours later when the killer is arrested in his driveway without incident. During the course of that time, they identify several of the dead bodies, arrest an accomplice who agrees to testify against the killer and build-up an air-tight case. So the investigation is actually the least interesting part of the show.

     What makes ‘Stakeout’ one of the highlights of the season is the emotional baggage that some of the detectives are carrying and that they unload while they try to  pass the time. Part of this is expressed very well in the characters of George and Cathy Buxton, the people who own the house the detectives are using for surveillance. During the stakeout, the Buxtons argue, the husband storms out to get drunk, make love and return to normal. It becomes very clear  that this marriage is  built on  a very shaky foundation and that their lives are barely hanging together. Every few hours, when the detectives shift, the Buxton keep reciting and recounting previous events to tell them what they have missed. In other words, their marriage unfolds like something on television. In a similar matter, the detectives past unfolds before us.  (It's also interesting noting who the actors are: Jim True, so early in his career, he has not hyphenated his name the way he would when he would when he joined The Wire, and Kate Walsh, with a blond hairdo, nearly a decade before she would join the world of Shonda Rhimes as Addison Montgomery.)

     This is impressive because Homicide demonstrates, unlike many TV shows that it has a long memory. The characters aren’t reinvented every episode, they have a past and some of them are still living with it.  Some of the scars are minor. Kellerman is upset that he is still regarded on his shift as ‘the new guy’. Russert is bothered by her double demotion. Munch is upset that Bolander has not made any effort to make contact with his former partner since his suspension began.

     Others are more serious. Lewis, for example, is still aching over  Crosetti killing  himself two years ago. That his partner took his own lie without even trying to ask for help pains him. Giardello is upset because he may miss his flight to his daughter Charisse’s wedding. However, it becomes clear that he is more upset about the fact that his daughter made a decision to marry a man and fly off to San Francisco without asking for his permission or his blessing. Eventually when he does finally decide to go, he finds out that his flight has been delayed by fog. It is stunning to see the pillar of the Homicide unit paralyzed and afraid of what should be a joyful experience.

     But, as is usually the case, Bayliss is in the most pain. For the first time, he is talking openly about quitting Homicide. Nor is this just a case of burnout which would be understandable. As we find out, Risley Tucker, the lead suspect in the Adena Watson murder three years ago has died and Tim is trying to face the fact that this case will now forever be in red. He is tired of having to give the news to a grieving relative  that someone they love is dead. He is tired of Frank’s treating him like he was a doormat. And he is tired of having spent three years in the squad but still barely knowing any of the people he works with him.

     Frank is disturbed by this but as is almost always the case he brings him back. Homicide is like a family--- not the Cleavers or the Osmonds, but a real family—opinionated, troubled, challenging each other. They speak for those who can no longer speak for themselves and Tim is going to find it anywhere else. This doesn’t resolves all of Bayliss’ problems, of course, but it is enough to make him rethink leaving the squad.

     ‘Stakeout’ is an impressive hour of television. A near perfect mixture of the old and the new, it is ideal for introducing a new viewer to the show’s charms, revisiting the great strengths and flaws of the characters and showing how Homicide can really, really sing sometimes. It remains one of my favorite episodes.

My score: 5 stars.

X-Files Episode Guide: William

Teleplay by Chris Carter ; Written by David Duchovny, Frank Spotnitz & Chris Carter

Directed by David Duchovny

There are as many problems with this episode as there were with Jump The Shark, but with the exception of the teaser, most of them don't arrive until the last five minutes.. They're ghastly problems, one that seriously wonder how committed Carter is to the series by this point, but until the episode comes to an end, they're almost forgivable. The key word being 'almost'.

The episode sets itself up to be a failure. Much like Trust No 1, it sets itself being an episode about Mulder, and Mulder isn't here. But unlike that episode, the game at least seems fair; Duchovny has written and directed the episode and this time, 'Mulder' actually seems to be there. We can tell from the moment that 'Mulder' shows up that this isn't Duchovny, but we can see how this might be Carter's way of getting around it. And in that sense,  the episode works better than anything the mythology has tried in more than a year.  Anderson's performance has  a fair amount of weepiness that has characterized far too much of Season 9, but at least there's a real anger to it as she finally gets to demand the questions that we the audience have been trying to get a handle on for the entire season. If at times we find that Doggett and Reyes are doing the same thing, it actually seems believable in a way that the rest of the mythos hasn't.

The reason this works so well is because the Mulder we see is so hideously disfigured. The audience reaction is basically the same as the characters; we want to finally believe that this is how Ten-Thirteen is going to resolve the issue, that this is how we're going to see an old friend - and yet, any other resolution, even Mulder's death would somehow be better than what we see.  It helps too, that this is - almost unbelievably - one of the few times in the entire series that we have seen a victim of the hideous experimentations that the Syndicate and the aliens have done to a person. Seeing this finally crystallizes in a way that horrors that we have been hearing about over the years, but frankly have become old hat for the series.

And the episode plays mostly fair with the writing. 'Miller' never says that he is Mulder, never pretends to be me as such, everything is done in the base of assumption and winning the trust of our heroes in the only way that he possibly could. And for one of the only times in the series run, the X-Files manages to get mileage out of the cliche of bringing a previously thought dead character back to life.  Chris Owens was a far more gifted actor than he was allowed to portray as Jeffrey Spender (one can clearly see how he brought some of his work as the Great Mutato into his work) and his work is one of the finest performances by any actor in Season 9. Yes, it stumbles both in a scientific sense (half-brothers would never have the same DNA), and in a logical sense (Jeffrey was never told by anyone that Mulder and he were related) but the reason that it resonates far more than it should is because that Jeffrey was never given credit by anybody at the FBI. His character was mostly misunderstood, and given little authority by his father. Now, literally crawling to the end of his life, he's finally given a chance to exert power, and finally given a chance to something meaningful in a way he never was during the series.

All of this would make for a good episode. The big problem is, that it's a smokescreen for Scully to give up her child. Now, the Scully pregnancy story has always been the biggest obstacle of the last two seasons of the show. It was blundered throughout Season 8 by having her lie about half the year, and then bring up threats that ultimately seemed not to be true when she gave birth. This year, they doubled down, and tried to take already foundering mythology and put it all on the weight of a baby, something which completely wrecked Anderson's character.

Now, Scully is being told that her child is 'normal'.  And let's break that down. The savior of mankind has been rendered into a normal child by a single injection. Even by stretching the very elastic nature of the mythos, this is pretty hard to believe, particularly considering the source. And now that same source is telling Scully that the conspiracy will never give up trying to hunt down her son. And Scully takes Jeffrey Spender at his word.  For a character whose skepticism was  at times the most irritating trait about her sometimes, this is too hard to believe. She was willing to hunt down a UFO cult to get her baby back. And the son of the Cigarette-Smoking Man, someone who spent the entire episode lying to her, she takes his threat seriously. And says, I'm leaving my child with strangers who can obviously do a much better job protecting him than an FBI agent.

Scully has spent the latter half of the series trying to become a mother. It may not have been the wisest character path to take her down, but they did it. And now, she's willing to give it all up. It just doesn't seem believable, and Anderson, as great an actress as she is just can't sell it. It seems even worse now that her son is normal. She was willing to try and protect a child whose paranormal ability she was in denial about, but the minute he doesn't have them any more she's willing to give him up. This is the real reason we don't let Duchovny anywhere near the mythology.

William just seems like another path the writers are taking as they close the series down. Last episode, they killed off the Lone Gunmen. This episode, they're taking William out of play. (Admittedly, there's a chance we'll revisit that storyline again, but I'm not wild about that either.) The big question is, why? He's already rendered the show uninhabitable. One gets the feeling that they did to get rid of a storyline that the writers finally knew wasn't working. But again, this seems like worst way to do it. They may have also done it because, well, this is the X-Files, and pain and suffering is what we put our viewers through - at least these last few seasons.  And one gets the feeling that its badly done - both from the perspective of the fans and the parents out there.

My score: 2.75 stars.

Better Late Than Never: Atlanta

Donald Glover has always had the capacity to being one of the great talents of whatever medium he said his mind to: as a  staff writer on 30 Rock,  as the lead talent on the cult hit Community, and stealing scenes in The Martian. Halfway through his turn on Community, though, he attempted to launch a career as a rap star under the name Childish Gambino. Meeting with only a mixed level of success, in the fall of 2016 he turned that experience into the making of Atlanta, a  comedy that received some of the most extraordinary reviews of any series in 2016. To date, it has been one of the biggest award recipients of any show in the 2016-2017, winning the Golden Globe for Best Comedy,  a Peabody award, and winning Glover awards for acting, directing and writing from the Broadcast Critics to the NAACP.  I wish I had a better excuse for taking nearly a year to getting around to see it, other than being too fricking busy, but I had a feeling based on the descriptions, that I was the complete opposite of the audience FX and Glover were aiming for.

Atlanta is the story of Glover as Earn Marks, a thirty-ish African American living in the title city. Actually, the better term would be 'surviving'. He is a salesmen trying to get by on commission. He has a girlfriend, Van, who he has a very messy relationship, and seems to be staying with mainly for the stability of their baby daughter. His parents won't lend him any more money. In a desperate attempt to try and emerge from the fate he seems doomed to, he tries to help a local rapper/drug dealer Alfred Miles (Brian Tyree Henry) get his most recent single 'Paperboy' on  a local radio station. Even though he manages to succeed, his career to launch him as a rapper seems to make his future worse. In the pilot, he tries to prevent his talent from getting shot outside a nightclub, only to end up getting arrested himself, then having to endure a nightmarish day in jail when his girlfriend spends an entire day before posting bail for him. He tries to buy a kids meal at a fast food joint and is thwarted by a harpie manager. He tries to take Van out to a nice dinner, gets bamboozled by the waitress into ordering an expensive meal, and ends up broke by the end. He has to pawn his phone for money, gets involved in an elaborate deal in buying a samurai sword, and then finds out he won't get paid till September.

Life isn't much better for Alfred either. Though he becomes a local celebrity, with no real income from his rap, he has to maintain his career as a drug dealer, not aided by his co-runner Darius, (Lakeith Stanfield), a man who remarkably manages to have stayed alive for his level of incompetence. (During a drug deal, he handcuffs a suitcase to his wrist, and forgets the keys.) Alfred and Darius witness a near shooting, and Alfred is still trying to get over that when he finds himself being trolled on the internet by a follower of indeterminate race and income named Zan.

Atlanta is a funny series, but it has the kind of queasy comedy that is associated with so many of the best comedies on FX, such as You're The Worst or Louie. The comedy is surrounded in humiliation, only because of the dark history associating with much of the situation, there's a dark focus to it, that one would expect to see on The Wire. Indeed, considering the level of profanity and N-words used, the comparison is a good one. And yet, through the pain you can see some very funny jokes, mostly shown through Darius, who shows the Peter Principle apparently doesn't apply to drug dealers. (In one sequence, he says that no black man knows who Steve McQueen is. When we go to a pawn shop with a poster for 'The Sand Pebbles' and Earn asks the owner about it, he tells them any time a black man shows up and asks about McQueen, he knows its an excuse for him to rob him.).

Much like Transparent or the recently cancelled Carmichael Show, one gets the feeling that Atlanta is only considered a comedy in that sense. It looks at social issues in a painful and funny way that only David Simon and his ilk were capable of doing at times. It's definitely not going to be for everyone's taste, but it definitely deserved the nine Emmy nominations it got, and well deserves to be considered for the grand prize,

My score:4.25 stars.

Homicide Episode Guide: Justice, Part 2

Written by David Simon; story by Tom Fontana and Henry Bromell

Directed by Peter Medak

     Nothing new is talked about in ‘Justice, Part Two’ Indeed, stripped to its essential  the episode is a bit of a cliché. After the father of a detective is killed and his murderer acquitted the cop killer is himself dispatched, as it turns out, by the victims son. What makes the show work, as is usually the case, the attention to detail in  character.

     The center of the story comes down to a contrast between the old-school police (such as Jake Rodzinski) ad the new order (represented by Mike Kellerman) After Jake’s arrest, Giardello recalls an incident of the old days in which the police meted out vigilante style justice on those who killed cops and another detective who did not share those feelings. It is not a particularly pretty story (Gee seems ambivalent about it) but is it any worse than today when the police are burdened by rules that favor the cop killer? Had Jake killed Kenny Damon twenty years earlier, no one would have raised an objection. Does this make Jake’s decision and actions wrong?

     Depends on who you ask. Lieutenant Giardello, as you will recall in  ‘Black and Blue” took great offense at the idea of investigating cops  as if they were common criminals. However, he seems alright with having Kellerman investigate Jake and his partner and keeping Lewis (Jake’s friend) out of the loop. Meldrick doesn’t like the idea of investigating Jake and isn’t above using his discretion to let killers walk but fundamentally he believes in doing the right thing. And of course, Pembleton (a very minor player in this whole story) sees a murder as a murder no matter who the victim or the killer is. (AS we will eventually see in two years, this gusto will lead to his estrangement and resignation from the force)

     But at the center of the episode is Kellerman. Out of state when the investigation into Edgar Rodzinski’s murder took place and with no relationship with Jake in any way he still doesn’t relish the idea of going after other cops. He knows that he could probably let Jake walk after a preliminary investigation but he is too good a cop to just let this slide. He doesn’t feel good  about doing it (it makes him feel like taking a shower) but he is still young enough to believe it should be done. Of particular note is Kellerman’s reaction when Jake’s partner agrees to testify against him. Though this is exactly what he wanted to have happen he is still very angry that the man would give up his partner so easily. Kellerman believes deeply in loyalty to ones fellow officers which is why, next season when he is accused  taking bribes he  will be enraged  that his fellow cops will do the same thing to him.

 (But more on that later)

     Strangely enough Jake Rodzinski himself in much less of a figure than he was in the previous episode. At first like he can’t adjust to Damon’s acquittal. Then he seems a little to close to normal when he comes back to work. His anger seems to reach the point of fury when after  weeks of taking care of his fathers dog (who has not stopped barking since his master was killed) he gets really pissed and shoots him. Strangely he seems to reach a catharsis after this; when Melrdrick and Munch come to arrest him he doesn’t even bother to put up resistance. In his own way he is  reached his kind of peace.

     If you’ve been wondering where Bayliss and Pembleton are in the middle of this, they are almost completely absent from the investigation. Rather they are involved in a private and rather amusing war which begins when Frank gets lunch for the squad but neglects to buy Tim a grilled-cheese sandwich. Tim bristles at what he thinks is  a personal snub and retaliates by theatrically bringing  pastries to everyone except Frank. His attitude gets more and more ridiculous until Frank brings a peace offering--- dozens o grilled-cheese sandwiched scattered liberally throughout Tim’s workspace. Perhaps the funniest thing is watching Frank’s reaction --- which is a complete and absolute blank. No smile, no wink, he just smokes a cigarette.

     ALL things considered this is an impressive return by David Simon to Homicide as a staff writer. He plays attention to details that others would overlook (including general lack of knowledge of ballistics on the part of police who work in check fraud) and in his reference to the old school- police and the new breed.’ Justice, Part Two’ is far from a perfect episode (it has trouble getting past most of the clichés that seem more characteristic of NYPD Blue) but it is above average and a fitting conclusion to the first episode. Plus it shows that the series can function without its central figures which doesn’t happen much more often.

My score: 4 stars.

My Thoughts On This Years Emmys, Part 3

And now, as an added bonus, my opinion on the Best Limited Series, along with some of the acting nominees in TV Movie/Limited Series

BEST LIMITED SERIES

First of all, I still don't know why they have limited this to five nominees when every other category has six. As for the actual nominees, Big Little Lies and The Night of, no problem. Fargo, great series. Feud: Bette & Joan  more than deserved consideration.

But Genius: Einstein over American Crime. Now maybe more people watched one than the other, but American Crime was almost universally considered one of the best shows of the year. Genius barely registered. I'm grateful they didn't go with The Young Pope or American Horror Story, but it would've been more logical to see them than Genius. Is there some obsession with National Geographic series that I don't know?

BEST ACTOR, TV MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES

This is almost perfect. Ahmed and Turturro deserved it. So did Cumberbatch. DeNiro was a real prize. And I wouldn't be shocked if McGregor ended up winning the whole thing. But Geoffrey Rush over Timothy Hutton? That I can't play. The wrong Oscar winner was considered this time, and Hutton will probably never get another chance with a role this good.

BEST ACTRESS, TV MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES

No objections at all. How could I? All six nominees were ones I wanted picked. I do think it's a little bit of a digression not to consider Shailene Woodley one of the leads in Big Little Lies, but if I had to guess, she probably picked that out herself. So I won't bitch.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, TV MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES

This is a little trickier. I am grateful that they went for my wild card of Bill Camp for The Night Of - I honestly thought he'd get overshadowed by showier roles. Michael K. Williams, more than deserved to be here. Alexander Skarsgaard, great choice. David Thewlis, perfect. Stanley Tucci, good choice. And I really can't argue with Alfred Molina that much.

My main problem is that none of the brilliant actors who had any roles of note in American Crime were considered. Admittedly, it probably was tougher to deliberate which was a lead and which was supporting this season. It would've also been nice to see Martin Freeman nominated, but he's won an Emmy already for this role.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, TV MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES

This is the category I have the most trouble with. Laura Dern deserved to be here. We can argue about Shailene Woodley being a lead or a supporting, but in the last analysis, I'm just glad she got nominated. Regina King is a tower of strength, and I really hope she makes it a three-peat. I'm glad to see Michelle Pfeiffer back in the running as well.

Admittedly, my choices for Feud may have been more ambivalent than any of the others. There were a lot of great female performers in the cast. Judy Davis and Jackie Hoffman are at least at that level. My bigger gripe is that Mary Elizabeth Winstead was ignored for Fargo, and that Lili Taylor was shut out on American Crime. It's a shame, but I can live with it.

That's it for my reactions to the nominations. Stay tuned for further comments as we get closer to September 17th.

X-Files Episode Guide: Jump The Shark

Written by Vince Gilligan, John Shiban & Frank Spotnitz

Directed by Cliff Bole

All right, let's get this out of the way. If you're an X-File fan, you either hate or love the Lone Gunmen. Personally, I was always indifferent to them. I thought that they could occasionally be entertaining, and sometimes even helping get the plot moving, but I never felt that, as a unit, they were worthy of much praise or damnation. As I've made clear repeatedly, I'm not sure they ever had the prowess to carry an episode by themselves, much less an entire series. So I wasn't particularly overjoyed when they finally got a spinoff series in 2001. And judging by the ratings and reviews, I was clearly not alone.

Now, I understand - at least in theory - why the X-Files decided to do a crossover with Millennium in Season 7. It may have been a mistake, but the series was a fairly intriguing one, and there was an argument made to try and give its fans closure. (The episode failed because it didn't remotely do that.) To try and do a similar thing to The Lone Gunmen  is another matter altogether. The Gunmen have been here for the final season, albeit appearing only in particularly ghastly mythology episodes. So to try and do a follow up episode to give closure to the fans of the show seems not only self-indulgent, but considering that the parent show is planning to wrap up in just a few weeks, a waste of much needed time. Theoretically, I could see why it might make sense to try and give some closure to those fans who thought the characters deserved some kind of resolution. For better or for worse Byers, Langley and Frohike are about the only recurring characters who have survived the entire length of the series. If nothing else, they deserve some kind of acknowledgement for that.

But Jump the Shark doesn't do either. Having never seen any of the episodes of the spinoff series, I'm clearly in no position to judge whether this qualifies has an episode in that style.  But if we're going to view it on the merits of what the series tried to be, then this episode is clearly a failure. In the past couple of episodes, the writers have clearly regained some of the self-confidence, and made some very funny episodes. But this episode doesn't have a laugh to be found. Indeed, its very telling that the few entertaining moments that come out of this episode come from Michael McKean recreating his wonderful character of Morris Fletcher. And even then, the story seems incredibly entrenched in the horrible mythology that the X-Files has gotten bogged down in. To try and call in Yves Adele Harlow as a supersoldier seems insane, and just an excuse to try and laugh at where the mythology is now. Instead, we get dragged into a laborious terrorism plot that seems to involve a horrible villain who isn't seen or even named in the episode. Even Mulder and Scully would have a hard time believing in it.

That's another bad thing about the episode. Mulder and Scully have always been the link to the Gunmen. But with no Duchovny and Anderson held absent to the last scene (believe me, we'll get there), it doesn't have any sparks there. Instead, they call in Doggett and Reyes who've never had any particular rapport with the Gunmen and don't now. It just seems like another reason to imply that, like the X-Files, the Gunmen have outlived their use to the series. That's a recurring theme throughout the episode. We learn the Gunmen haven't published an issue of their paper since their series was cancelled. They bring in Jimmy Bond to justify that they've spent all their money trying to find Yves. And it becomes clear that the Gunmen are finally becoming disillusioned with fighting the good fight. So clearly what the episode should do is give them a spark, a reason to keep moving, and give them hope going forward.

But this is the X-Files  A series which will, with the exception of its leads, believe every journey can only end one way. So they decide to gas the Gunmen to death. What?

There's no spark here, and not even logic by the X-Files standard. Even if you want to make the argument that the terrorist needed to be stopped, there is no reason one of them couldn't have pulled the lever shutting the fire doors while the other two escaped to safety.  And its not as if this sacrifice even has the spark of the kind of heroism you would see when even minor characters did it a few years later on 24. No, the only reason they did it was because the X-Files was closing up shop, and they wanted one more moment of angst.  Was burying the Gunmen at Arlington supposed to be the symbol of glory? I just don't see how. It doesn't go anywhere near the kind of that the Gunmen would've wanted for themselves - Langley in particular would be appalled. And the po-faced eulogies that we get from the characters at the end of the episode, particularly from Scully, just seem like that they could be for anybody. No matter what you thought of the Gunmen, this is probably the worst kind of fate they could've endured. (My God, they've already been making hallucinatory appearance in future episodes, so its not like this has any more significance than anyone else)

Jump the Shark is a wretched mess. As a wrap-up to Lone Gunmen the series, it makes you wonder why anyone would've wanted to watch the series. As a wrap-up to The Lone Gunmen the characters, its even worse because there's no truth to any bit of it at all. And as an episode of The X-Files, particularly one written by three writers who had penned two slightly better Gunmen-centric episodes, it doesn't even work as entertainment. Congratulations guys, you did something I didn't think would be possible, even at this stage in the series. You wrote an episode that has something to piss off everyone.

My score: 1 star.

Thoughts On This Year's Emmy Nods, Part 2

On to the comedies, which frankly, are a bit lazier than the dramas.

BEST COMEDY

black-ish is one of the great comedies of our time. Atlanta is a phenomenon, and has to be considered the favorite. Master of None is an experience unlike very few on any service. Silicon Valley is a pleasure. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt definitely has real talent.

Bu why is there still so much obsession about Veep, which frankly had a lesser season this year. And the obsession with Modern Family will never be truly remarkable, considering it is now, at best, the fourth best comedy on its network. Couldn't they have acknowledged Transparent or, dare I say it, Jane the Virgin?

BEST ACTOR, COMEDY

I really can't argue that much with any of the choices here. I publicly argued for five of them, and at least four are extraordinary performances? I think at this point, I have to give Baskets more consideration than I've been doing, particularly considering who potent Zach Galifianakis as a comic force is.

BEST ACTRESS, COMEDY

Tracee Ellis Ross should be considered as the favorite in this category. I'm very grateful that Jane Fonda was acknowledged for her work on Grace and Frankie, as she's often been overshadowed by Lily Tomlin, who deservedly was nominated. I'm a little surprised that Allison Janney was finally promoted to a lead, which she really is on Mom. Elle Kemper is very good. And Pamela Adlon was a nice surprise.

I'm really getting frustrated with the Emmys obsession with Julia-Louis Dreyfus. She's a great actress, and Veep was a great series. Emphasis on was. If she had any sense, she'd do something Selina Meyer would never do, and take herself out of consideration.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, COMEDY

This is where we start getting slippery. Tony Hale, like I said in my articles, I have no problems with his nomination. Titus Burgess, still very funny. Louie Anderson, won last year, it would be odd if he wasn't considered this year. Ty Burrell, it's getting a little repetitive, but he's still the funniest thing about that show.

Alec Baldwin - I'm of two minds. Yes, he appeared in practically every episode of SNL last year, but still it was as one character for five minutes. Is that really worthy of being Supporting Actor? At best, its a guest star like Tina Fey, when she did Sarah Palin? I fear he'll win, even though this is major mismanagement. I'm equally dismayed by Matt Walsh repeating - he's not even the funniest supporting actor on his series - Kevin Dunn or Gary Cole were much better on Veep this season.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, COMEDY

This is where I call bullshit. Yes, I argued in favor of SNL getting a nominee in this category. One nominee. But three actresses? Even they'd probably have to admit its overkill. Kate McKinnon, I can see her being nominated again. It would've been wrong for them not to. Leslie Jones has a certain gusto in her Weekend Update segments that can be appealing. But Vanessa Bayer? She's been on the series for five years, and I still don't know what she does. Can we finally decide that sketch comedy deserves its own acting category?

Judith Light and Kathryn Hahn were excellent choices for Transparent, especially Hahn. But Anna Chlumsky's pick demonstrates a laziness I don't like. Jane Krakowski or Mayim Bialik would've been a better choice.

EPHEMERA

Nominating SNL hosts as Guest actors is really starting be excessive. Though I'm a big fan of Dave Chapelle, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Tom Hanks, only Miranda's performance was really worthy of a nomination. Hugh Laurie, though, deserved to get nominated for his performance on Veep. And Melissa McCarthy more than earned her nominated, as her portrayals of Sean Spicer were among the high points of SNL's season. Wanda Sykes is great on Blackish, and it's bittersweet to see the late Carrie Fisher nominated for Catastrophe.

Reaction To This Year's Emmy Nods: Part 1, Dramas

I knew that this year, if only because several series were going to be absent by default, the Emmy Nominations were going to be of a better quality than they have been in the past. They made vast improvements last year, but with Game of Thrones gone, and Downton Abbey gone, it looked like things were beginning to look up.

And, lo and behold, things continue to improve with the nominations this year. We have the first nominated Best Drama from a broadcast network in six years, and its the right one. HBO, while still leading by a margin in total nominations, was vastly undercut by Netflix, and having seen the majority of the series on that service, I can't really argue with most of the choices. And right now, it seems that there is a major shift in power among the streaming: Amazon is (mostly) out, and Hulu is in. (I haven't seen Handmaid's Tale yet, but believe me, I'll catch up on it in future weeks.) And though FX didn't have as nearly as good a year as last year, they are still a considerable force.

Now, I'm still really irked in the comedy category. Most of the series I picked were shut out. And though I can't deny that Saturday Night Live had its biggest season in years, 22 nominations: that still seems a little excessive. (Even my mom agrees.) Maybe this will cause some reevaluations with this series that are, frankly, a decade overdue.

And seriously, it  now seems like the Emmys will honor any thing other than the CW.  I know, technically Rachel Bloom was nominated, but they're really reaching with some of their other picks.

But, mostly, I am very pleased with how the Emmys is handling things. They continue to demonstrate that they are far more relevant than they were even five years ago. This is clearly a good sign. To the specifics.

BEST DRAMA

The Crown and Stranger Things more than deserved their nominations, I said as much. Better Call Saul continues to improve with each season. This is Us - whee . I'm a little irked that Westworld made it instead of Leftovers, but not really surprised.  I didn't see Handmaid's Tale, but the noise about it was pretty high.

I'm a little surprised and disappointed that House of Cards nudged out The Americans. Frankly, I'm a little shocked that enough people saw it under the deadline. But I'm not that disappointed - as the leads categories are encouraging enough.

BEST ACTOR, DRAMA

I didn't think the Emmys would regulate the characters in This is Us to leads. So really, I'm glad that Milo Ventimiglia and Sterling Brown were nominated for this year, even if I'm a little surprised. Matthew Rhys -- yes, yes, yes!. Bob Odenkirk more than deserved to repeated. Kevin Spacey - not really that shocking. Anthony Hopkins - Westworld sweep, but considering all of the secrets his character kept during the series, he earned it.

What is with the Emmy obsession with Liev Schreiber? I'm a little less pissed than I was in the past, because Ray Donavan was basically shut out. Still, in a category that found room for seven nominees, they couldn't have nominated Billy Bob Thornton?

BEST ACTRESS, DRAMA

Claire Foy - perfect choice. Evan Rachel Wood - fan of her for fifteen years. Keri Russell - deserving. Even without seeing Handmaid's Tale, I'll celebrate Elisabeth Moss, because she's one of TV's great actresses  Viola Davis - I can live with her.

I'm more than a little irked that Robin Wright pushed out Winona Ryder, but considering everything Claire Underwood had to go through to get there, I'll let it go. Besides, there's always next year.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, DRAMA

Admittedly, I was seriously thrown off when two of my supporting nominees were nominated as leads. So let's reassess.

Jonathan Banks - superb choice, even though Esposito and McKean were at least as good. John Lithgow - great. Ron Cephas Jones - well, he was superb, and he would've been my third choice in that category. David Harbour for Stranger Things - honestly didn't consider him as a factor, but his performance was at least as good as Ryder's. Jeffrey Wright - admired him as an actor for awhile, and I have to admit, his performance in Westworld was arguably the best. Michael Kelly - always admired his work on this series.

Now, I admit Mandy Patinkin is always one of the best things about Homeland. And he's been ignobly ignored the last two seasons. But even though he was good, Rupert Friend was outstanding. It's sad that his last chance fell under Patinkin's.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, DRAMA

This was more of a mixed bag. Granted, there were bound to be a lot of new nominees considering Game of Thrones was ineligible, but I didn't expect every nominee to be a new one. Well... almost.

Chrissy Metz, great choice. Millie Bobby Brown - I will very surprised if she isn't the favorite in this category. Uzo Aduba - well, she gives a great performance, though Orange is the New Black  was not as powerful. Thandie Newton, arguably a clear favorite.

I'm not as sure about the two nominations for Handmaid's Tale - I'll have to see the series first. But Ann Dowd is a great actress. Still, they could've found room for Mandy Moore or Maura Tierney.

And now, a brief word on a category I ignored before  Guest Actors. It's always a mixed bag here, but it did my soul good to see BD Wong deserved nomination as White Rose, and Gerald McRaney getting his first (how is this possible!) nomination for his superb work on This is Us as well as Denis O'Hare. And the Guest Actress choices we even better. They finally nominated Alexis Beidel for something! And she might even win. And Alison Wright was deservedly recognized for her work as the duped secretary turned Russian exile on The Americans. And there was justice for Barb! Or at least an Emmy nomination for Barb which is nearly as good.  Leftovers was nominated for Ann Dowd (though she had to die for it). All and all, a good group. 

Broadchurch Final Season Review

When Broadchurch premiered on BBC America in the summer of 2013, millions of Americans were captivated by a stunning portrayal of a small British town rocked by the murder of thirteen-year old Daniel Latimer, particularly by the extraordinary performance of David Tennant as Alec Hardy, a D.I from Britain demoted after the failure of a major case. One of the most exceptional series, it was adapted for Fox the following season with Tennant again cast as the lead. But  Gracepoint was a shell of itself, and the American version never caught on.

The first season was so well done, you wouldn't think that there would be much of a need to do anymore. But the second season, which followed up on the trial of the perpetrator, and its ramifications throughout Broadchurch was nearly as good. Now, as the final season begins, three years after the events in the first, we can see yet again why British TV is so much superior to ours in so many ways.

Hardy is working again with Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman, one of the great actresses of our time) on the brutal rape of Trish Harper, a middle-aged worker in the Broadchurch area. Already it is clear that this is going to be another difficult case. The assault took place at a party in a manor house where nearly sixty guests were presents. Its now very clear that the assault was planned. And the victim has not exactly gone out of her way to be helpful - she waited nearly two days before reporting the assault, and it wasn't until the second episode that she revealed she had sex the day of the attack, and with someone whose identity she is refusing to reveal.

Just as in the previous seasons, Broadchurch continues to look at a town that has not recovered from the murder of Danny Latimer. The local reporter, whose has been working for the town for nearly thirty years, has just learned that her branch of the paper is about to be closed down. The local minister (Arthur Darvil) has been trying to be helpful, but attendance at the church has been falling ever since Danny Latimer died. And the Latimer parents have still never fully recovered: Beth has moved on, and has recently taken a job as the advocate for sexual assault victims, but Mark has truly never recovered from the loss of his son, and is still angry that after the murderer's acquittal, the town exiled the criminal. He has been talking about vengeance, and this being the final season, there may be resolution.

 Broadchurch remains a singular accomplishment, even for British television. The fact that an American remake came and went demonstrates perhaps better than anything else the difference between the typical American audience and the ones for these kinds of series. Our procedurals (with few exceptions) are all about the criminals; theirs are all about the human element. Tennant and Coleman have already demonstrated that they are talents in other series, but this is arguably their finest hour.

My score: 4.5 stars.

Homicide Episode Guide: Justice, Part 1

Written by David Rupel, Story by Tom Fontana and Henry Bromell

Directed by Michael Radford

    About the only positive thing of the demotion of Megan Russert back to detective was that it gave the long wandering in the  wilderness John Munch a partner for the first time in a few months. It is still clear that Munch really misses Bolander (he doesn’t like it that Russert had usurped his desk) and it’s clear Russert isn’t thrilled being teamed with this layabout. With all this tension between them and their obvious social and political differences we finally have two detectives NOT working as a well oiled  machine. This leads to some interesting  sparks when the two of them investigate their first big case in ‘Justice’, the murder of  retired Baltimore cop Edgar Rodzinski.

     To add to the tension they are under intense scrutiny from Gee, concerned as always about his police family and the bosses. More than  that Rodzinski’s son is also on the police force and a personal friend of Meldrick Lewis,  both of whom are more than a little pissed when the investigations putters around with no real leads.

     Considering Lewis and Jake’s relationship, another cop show might have the two of them working together to catch his father’s killer. This is still Homicide, however and Jake’s effort to ‘help’  only lead to him being suspended and arrested. Watching Meldrick’s interaction with Jake we get even more of a look at Lewis as a person. With Kellerman out of state attending a wedding, Johnson lets us in a little more into the past of this underused detective.

     Also  very notable is the work of Bruce Campbell as Jake Rodzinski. Best known for his work with Sam Raimi in the Evil Dead movies and Hercules and Xena TV franchises Campbell is basically known for slapstick bordering on camp. This is one of the few ‘straight’ roles that he has done and he shows that he is more than up to the psychological drama of Homicide.

     After a lot of ‘sensational’ cases the investigation of Rodzinski’s murder is comparatively low-key. There are, however, melodramatic flourishes, a couple of chase scenes and more than one occasion when the detectives draw their guns. We also have the investigation come to a dead halt, the finding and arrest of a suspect and then  his trial in less than a week’s time. Some would say that this unrealistically fast but considering some of the other occasions where Homicide  has screwed around with the calendar (last year’s shooting of the three detectives comes to mind) it’s hard to  raise real objections.

     For the first time in a very long time (the crossover with Law and Order excluded) Homicide  goes to trial. The case against the killer Kenny Damon seems relatively strong. They have a clear indication of motive and opportunity, his fingerprints are found on Rodzinski’s car, and the murder weapon (with DNA evidence on it) is in the trunk. However a good lawyer could  poke holes in this and Darin Russom (proving again he will represent anybody) does so—pointing out that one of the witnesses did not come forward with critical evidence until a cash reward was offered, that Detective Lewis found some of the evidence, and that a lot of the evidence was circumstantial. We then get to see a real sign of frustration as Jake and the others wait for a verdict, adding an unusual level of edginess.

     The kicker comes, however, when the verdict comes back ‘not guilty’. Jake corners a juror in the hall and begs to know why they found Damon innocent.  The reason is pretty simple— the jurors were basically indifferent and they all wanted to get home for the weekend.

The look of devastation on Jake’s face when he hears this is absolutely shattering.  A technicality ca be understood, if not accepted, but this--- this is heart wrenching stuff. This almost (but not quite) makes his  later actions understandable, if not excusable.

     There are more than a few melodramatic flourishes to   ‘Justice, Part One’ not the least of which are two unrealistic (if dramatically effective) scenes where Jake Rodzinski confronts his father’s killer before and after his trial and acquittal. But for the most part the episode is more realistic and believable than some of the more hyped up episodes earlier in the season. This one really does make you want to see the next episode in a hurry.

My score: 4 stars.

X-Files Episode Guide: Scary Monsters

Written by Thomas Schnauz

Directed by Dwight Little

You would think, given the limited time the X-Files has to wrap things up, that to do another episode featuring a guest character from last season is a waste of time. Leyla Harrison was a really charming character when she appeared in Alone, but at the time, it was an episode that seemed to be focused on nostalgia, and the last moments of our two leads. Indeed, considering how much of Season 9 has suffered with the disappearance of Mulder and the wasting of Scully, to do an episode that focuses on a character dwelling in the past would seem commentary that the series really doesn't need.

But, in another surprise, Thomas Schnauz proves us wrong. Indeed, part of the charm that comes out of Scary Monsters is the fact that it actually works better than the original. Alone was a charming episode, but didn't have much in the way of a plot. This episode, in contrast, is all about imagination, who has it, and who doesn't. The series focuses on Tommy Conlon, an eight-year old boy whose imagination is so powerful, it has forced his father to hide in the foothills of Pennsylvania in an effort to try and keep people from being harmed. When Agent Harrison, perhaps seeing an X-File where there isn't one, causes Doggett and Reyes to drive up there and sees that something is horribly amiss, they abruptly become stranded with no ability to drive out and no phone service. And very soon they realize that they are at the mercy of these bizarre creatures that don't seem to die.

Now you don't have to be Agent Harrison to see the echoes of previous episodes in this case. A child with the possibility to cause carnage around itself has gone back as far as Born Again, and our heroes being stranded with no possibility of escape stretches all the way back to Ice. Even the central idea of a child basically holding everybody hostage isn't even an original idea to the X-Files - 'It's A Good Life' the classic Twilight Zone episode is key here. But what ultimately gives Scary Monsters a solidity and a character all its own is that it balances the comedy and the scares incredibly well, and ultimately proves that this is the kind of episode that Doggett and Reyes would be better suited for than Mulder and Scully ever would.

Indeed, the self-referential nature of the episode comes to a key moment more than halfway in when Tommy shows a picture he's drawn, and says "I made this." The childish declaration has been said over the Ten-Thirteen  screen for every dark, terrifying episode of serial killers, alien abductions and monsters of the week for nearly a decade. By now, the viewer has taken it almost as an article of faith along with all of the gruesome murders and mayhem that an episode where a child's imagination is ultimately responsible for the death of his mother is considered almost charming by this point.

The episode comes down to a certain level of imagination and what it means. Reyes and Harrison have open minds, so it actually makes sense that they would fall victim to Tommy's carnage. Doggett can't bring himself to believe in it, and that saves him, as well as everybody else. When Harrison tries to clumsily say that Doggett's lack of imagination was all that saved them, its played for laugh, but there's a certain truth to it. Doggett's determination to stick to the facts has become a critical part of the X-Files now, and its hard to imagine that Mulder could've managed to get away unscathed.

This episode also has more than its share of laughs. Jolie Jenkins once again gives a charming performance as Leyla Harrison, the X-Files groupie so in awe of her idols, she can't help but ruin Scully's lunch or harass Doggett into driving up to Philadelphia. Anderson also gives a charming performance, as  a put-upon Scully, forced to do an autopsy on a cat wearing an apron, and trying very gently not to be annoyed by the friend of Harrison who delivers a dead animal to Scully in the hope of getting into Leyla's pants. And despite all the gore, there's something very delightful about Doggett's determination to stay solid despite the fact that he's punched a man in the stomach and nothing but goo comes out - and then trying to put everything on the line by scaring Tommy to death.

It's not altogether perfect. Jenkins is more restrained in her effusive praise of Mulder and Scully, but just as in Alone, there's a little too much of Schnauz trying to evoke our two favorite agents over and over. It's funny most of the time, but its also quite a bit distracting from  a story that is far stronger than Alone. And the final moments when its revealed that the stopgap measure to kill Tommy's imagination is forcing him to do nothing but watch TV for hours seems a little extreme. Now, I know that the leading problem today is that most kids do spend far too much time watching TV, which may be at the cause at a lot of youth problems. But maybe it's my experience as a fanfiction writer, but I know that constantly watching TV can bring about moments of great imagination. (The actual Leyla Harrison would certainly second that emotion.) But these are really minor nitpicks in an episode that for the first time in a very long time manages to merge gore and laughs in a way that very few TV shows could. It seems now that The X-Files is about to say goodbye, they seem determined to leave us on a high note. For now, anyway.

My score: 4 stars.

My Picks For This Years Emmys: Final

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES

This category may be even harder to parse than the actress category, considering that a lot of the nominees may be directed from Actress to Supporting because of Big Little Lies. (Not that won't have its own problems). But there are a lot of good possibilities in this category, some of whom may be among the great actresses of our time, some coming into their own.

Laura Dern, Big Little Lies

She deserves recognition for playing the legendary Diane in the revival in Twin Peaks. But her performance as the working mom whose anger and frustration, first from having her daughter attacked, then by the general hostilities that come as a consequence of the feud between her and Madeline was at least at the level of any of the three leads in this miniseries. This is going to be a difficult category, but her work definitely stands out, and is a reminder why she is one of the great actresses of our time.

Regina King, American Crime

All right, let's be honest. King deserves to be considered in the lead actress category. Her continuously overwhelmed social worker, trying to save a few people while unable to become pregnant was as much a lead in this category as Huffman was. But she has been regulated to the Supporting cast before, and I see no reason why the same thing might not happen this year, considering that's she was the deserving victor the last two years. It's going to be very difficult for her to make it three years in a row, but it would be the crowning achievement of a magnificent actress in a great series.

Michelle Pfeiffer, The Wizard of Lies

We've seen so little of this formidable actress in recent years that's it tempting to say that she'll get nominated just for resurface. And considering that Liz Madoff was essentially a co-lead means that regulating her to the supporting category borders on ludicrous. But it was another one of her great performances, and as we can already see just how hard I had to negotiate just to get seven nominees in the lead actress category makes me certain that she'll be listed in the supporting category.

Lili Taylor, American Crime

One of the undervalued actress in any medium has never quite been given the recognition that she deserved, even though she deservedly got a Best Actress nomination last year. And her work as the set-upon wife, mother to a child that her husband doesn't seem to care for, determined to be social to her Hatian au pair - to a level that reached a kind of darkness even great for this series - was one of the more stirring performances in this often great series. I know her odds of being recognized are less than Taylor, but she was no less exceptional in her work.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Fargo

Playing the parolee determined to win legitimacy in professional bridge playing, it would have been easy for this series to regulate Nikki Swango to another one of the femme fatale cliches. But Fargo doesn't do anything remotely like 'easy'. And as the series progress, she went from determined blackmailer to someone who seemed just as ruthless as the criminal world determined to destroy her. The fact that her ultimate fate actually seem tragic given all the crimes she committed just credits how great the writing was and how good the performance was.

Catherine Zeta-Jones, Feud: Bette & Joan

This is typically the spot that would go to Sarah Paulson or Kathy Bates for American Horror Story, and it might end up going there anyway. But for her portrayal of the still living legend Olivia De Haviland (a portrayal that royally irked the actress) this already remarkable actress demonstrated - after a while away from acting in general - why she is one of our most valued actors. And while there were a lot of good female supporting leads in this category, Zeta Jones has enough of a link to acting royalty to make it stick.

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Kelly Bishop, Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life

Yes, yet again I'm going out on a limb for this series. But Emily Gilmore was just as great a creation as any of the other characters on this treasured series.  And seeing her deal in the oddest way with her husband's death (Emily in jeans!) was one of the funniest and most touching portrayals in all this year. And its wrong that this great actress never received any recognition for any of her great TV work. If they lead, I will follow.

See you next week.

My Picks For This Year's Emmys: Best Supporting Actor, Movie/Limited Series

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A TV MOVIE/LIMITED SERIES

As always, there are more than their fair share of veteran contenders eligible this year. One could definitely imagine a lot of players from HBO and FX dominating the category. But, as always, I'm going to try and measure it in a more fair and balanced scale than the Emmy judges tend to, even though there have been a lot of good ones in each.

Martin Freeman, Sherlock

It's hard considering that this brilliant thespian is really a supporting actor in this category (but then Doyle always had Watson as the lesser of the two). But he's more than had to deal with his share of some of the more heartrending moments in this series. The birth of his child, the death of his wife, his estrangement with Sherlock, and the unfortunate final problem - and that was in three episodes. He'll probably get one last turn in a role that he's made as iconic as Cumberbatch has made his.

Benito Martinez, American Crime

Honestly, for the first half of the season, I would have considered Martinez's determined immigrant, trying to find out the fate of his son, the lead character. And while it was daring of the series to have his character depart after Episode 4, it still left one of the most memorable stories. But it doesn't change the fact that Martinez's work, mostly subtitled, was among the most extraordinary of a great season. Add to this the fact that he's  been one of America's most undervalued character actors since The Shield, and you have a role crying out for a nomination.

Alexander Skarsgaard, Big Little Lies

Lost under the towering female performances in this great series was the fact that there were several great turns by a lot of great actors. Indeed, I wouldn't object if Adam Scott or Jeffrey Nordling got picked. But by far the most incredible turn was that of Skarsgaard as Perry, the initially perfect husband and father who, with each successive episode, reveals himself to be a truly horrible monster. By the time the final revelations come, you actually find yourself hoping what eventually turns out to be true. In an era where villainy and antiheroes reign supreme, Skarsgaard deserves consideration for creating one of the most subtle portrayals of evil I've seen in a while.

David Thewlis, Fargo

Fargo has never been shy when it came to creating truly menacing villains - they've already created the memorable creations of Lorne Malvo and Mike Milligan. But few villains have ever been as truly unsettling as Thewlis' portrayal of corporate raider V.P. Varga. Never directly saying what he plans to do, never personally getting his hands dirty, never seeming - until the very end - unnerved by anything that any of the other characters tried to do to him. It was unfair that his character managed to walk away virtually unscathed from the events that happened, but if there's ever been a character crying out for an encore, I'd be more than willing to see him back.

Stanley Tucci, Feud: Bette & Joan

One of the great character actors in the history of any medium, Tucci managed to recreated one of the most legendary forces behind old Hollywood, Jack Warner. Watching him maneuver to create a situation where two of the biggest stars in Hollywood are basically at each other's throats on the same set makes you glad that we've finally moved past this era in Hollywood. Seeing how he see things also made you realize how much we need forces like him.

Michael K. Williams, The Night Of

As the lifer serving time in the facility where Naz turns out, as the man who eventually takes the innocent college student, and turns him into a hardened criminal, Williams gave  another one of the masterful character portrayals we have come to associate with him ever since The Wire. He has been one of the great actors of our time, and has been associated with more than his share of Emmy-nominated HBO projects. Yet criminally, he has been shutout by the Emmys. This may not even have been his greatest work this season, but he more than deserves a shot at the Emmys.

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Bill Camp, The Night Of

Lost in so many of the great acting classes we saw in this fantastic series was the performance of the 'Subtle Beast'  Detective Box. A police officer on the verge of retirement, he does his best to try and convict Naz, and hold firm to his decision even as his career ends, and his own doubts begin to gather. It's been nearly a year since this series debuted, and its likely to get buried over the other great performances. But his superb work is just as worthy of a nod as Turturro or Ahmed.