My Top Ten List of 2018

This has been another dark year for the entertainment industry. Not as bad as last year when it comes to scandals, though we did have more than our share, but there have been a lot of deaths, a lot of departures, and a lot of chaos. A lot of great series left the air, and it’s hard to tell where their replacements shall come from. And a lot more of last year’s great series spent 2018 on hiatus.

It doesn’t change the fact that, if you knew where to find it, there was still magnificent television to be found everywhere. From networks to cable, from streaming to platforms, even as great series depart, there are still fine shows everywhere more than willing to fill the gap. When the book comes to be written on the 2010s, there’s going to be a lot of contention for great TV series of all time among these shows.

So let us begin:

10. GLOW (Netflix)

This is one of the rarest of things for Netflix – a dramedy from Jenji Kohan that I absolutely worship, and I think was underrepresented by the Emmys this year. The fictionalized story of how the women’s wrestling league that for a brief moment was a spark on syndicated television is one of the funniest series on TV today. Not only does it work as a period piece, it also demonstrates just how far we haven’t come as a society. One will never forget the memorable scene where Ruth escapes harassment by a network executive, and when she confides in her friend, gets a harsh lesson in how the industry ‘works’. It’s also remarkable that in a case filled with brilliant actresses, Marc Maron remains the series greatest asset. I can’t wait to see what happens in Season 3.

9. Billions (Showtime)

With the possible exception of FX, Showtime is by far the most daring source of original programming in any platform today. And by far it’s most astounding project is this series about the rivalry between hedge fund manager Bobby Axelrod (Damian Lewis) and District Attorney Chuck Rhoades (Paul Giamatti). Their struggle for dominance nearly ended in Mutually Assured Destruction, and the season that followed ended in a climax that may have put the two leads in a position we never even considered – allies. The series has one of the best casts working today, and it’s perhaps most astonishing that Asia Kate Dillon, the first non-binary gender actor on TV anywhere is so good as Taylor that the writers have created someone who can not only hold their own against these powerhouse, but is one of the most vividly drawn characters I’ve seen anywhere. The fact that we are now approaching rocky financial times should make for more exciting drama in Season 4.

8. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (CW)

I may have to wait until this series and Jane the Virgin come to a conclusion next year before I deliver a verdict on which of these series belongs on the list of greatest series of the decade. What I do know is that this series remains by far the most original and most enjoyable of any series I’ve seen in a very long time. As Rebecca Bunche finally manages to evolve in a way that characters on television (especially on the networks) usually don’t, we see character growth that is usually reserved for the anti-heroes that populate so many TV series. What’s more, almost every other character on the series is demonstrating remarkable emotional change. And oh yes, the series is a musical, and still produces some of the most wonderful and satirical numbers you’ll ever hear anywhere. I don’t know if Rebecca will ever find true love, but she has found inner peace, and that’s even more remarkable. As a side note, could we get Rachel Bloom to host every award show from now until the end of time?

7. The Good Place (NBC)

I didn’t think it was possible, but the most original comedy on network television got even better this year. With the characters back on Earth trying to better themselves,  Michael and Janet trying desperately to make the world a better place, and with it becoming more and more obvious that the system of determining what makes a person ‘good’ is horribly broken, the series continues to become more and more imaginative. The mid-season finale episode ‘Janets’ in which the four human found themselves all being played by D’Arcy Carden is one of the most visually stunning works of TV I’ve seen anywhere in years. I don’t know of any other series that can make philosophy accessible and entertaining. And in the best news of all, both the Golden Globes and the Broadcast Critics are starting to give the series the recognition it deserves. Could Emmys for Ted Danson and Kirsten Bell be far behind? That would be the best forking news I’ve had in awhile.

6. Better Call Saul (AMC)

We’ve now passed the point on this series where this is more the best origin series for anything on TV. It is becoming increasingly clear that this series is coming close to reaching the levels that Breaking Bad did. It’s sad to see Jimmy (Bob Odenkirk) finally letting go of his moral compass and becoming more and more the slippery attorney that will be doomed to a life of hiding in Omaha. And it’s equally sad to see Kim (Rhea Seehorn, in a performance that deserves a nomination from the Emmys) the one person who truly believed in him finally beginning to break away from the man she loves, even though he’s not worthy of her. And it’s always fascinating to watch the origin story of so many of the characters – we see the scope of Gus Fring’s revenge on Hector Salamanca begin, as well his plans for the future. And watching as Mike finally converts to the side he will occupy was nearly as big a blow as Jimmy’s lie to the board. Try not to take so long getting to Season 4, Vince.

5. The Assassination of Gianni Versace (FX)

Let’s clear this up outright – the second edition of American Crime Story wasn’t anywhere as good as the first. But it’s hard to argue that’s it wasn’t as relevant as The People V. O.J. Simpson, and in its own way, it was more successful. By airing in reverse order, we saw the construction of Andrew Cunanan (an incredible Darren Criss) as a serial killer and the web of lies that he constructed, bit by bit.  This edition also did a far superior job at showing who the true victims of the crimes were (something the previous edition failed at), and just how living in the world of lies surrounding homosexuality in the ‘90s – not nearly removed enough from the today – could allow a monster like Cunanan to thrive. All of the performances, from Edgar Ramirez to Judith Light were all flawless, showing that in a bizarre way Versace and Cunanan were not different at their core – Cunanan just never had the resources. It’s horrifying to think that we live in a world where indifference allowed Cunanan to get as far as he did – and the sad part is, we haven’t come as far as we’d like to think.

4. The Good Fight (CBS All Access)

In just its sophomore season, this series set in the same universe as the incredible The Good Wife, has already demonstrated that it is already playing at its origin series high level. Watching Diane (Christine Baranski, why do the Emmys ignore thee?) begin a slow-motion process of spiraling out in relation to the insanity that surrounds much of the modern day world was both sad and hysterical. Freed from the central plot that took up a little too much of last season, the supporting characters (particularly Sarah Steele and Cush Jumbo) have begun to shine in ways that were even more daring last season, and the series continues to introduce more memorable recurring characters into its universe. (An entire article could be written on the in-jokes this show keeps slipping in – including the Schoolhouse Rock segment on impeachment we never knew we needed). About the only real question that needs answering is – why are the Emmy voters ignoring this series? It’s got the swear-words and sex and its on streaming, which seemed to be the only reason The Good Wife was ignored season after season. This series is going to be here awhile. Don’t ignore it just cause its not on Netflix.

3. This is Us (NBC)

We learned how Jack died. We learned that his baby brother didn’t. In between was some of the greatest television that any show has done in awhile. Just when we thought all our questions were answered about the Pearsons, we got to see Jack’s story in Vietnam, and how much of his life was affected by the loss of his brother. We also got to see the first flash-forwards of the Pearsons final chapters (please don’t let it come to it soon) , Kate’s wedding, her struggle for a child, Kevin’s trying to build a relationship, and Randall’s struggles with his father’s legacy – which may be causing damage to the one relationship in this series we thought could not break. Milo Ventimiglia continues to astonish, and the rest of the cast remains at a supreme level. Yes, this series has a great gift at making us weep. But it wouldn’t be so good if we didn’t care so much. This is one of the most joyous experiences I’ve seen on TV in awhile

2. Atlanta (FX)

The world had to wait more than a year to see the further adventures of Donald Glover’s incredible series.  We definitely got our money’s worth. If anything, Glover went into even more radical directions than he tried in the ultra-ambitious first season. We saw Paperboi take a journey into the woods on the run, we saw Earn breakup with his girlfriend, and his girlfriend so on a surreal journey involving Instagram. We saw the sage of a $100 bill, and we saw just how deadly trying to have a fake shirt could be when you were in middle school. And that’s all without having to deal with the incredible journey of ‘Teddy Perkins’, one of the most incredible episodes of television of the year. Atlanta is a brilliant story on race, class and growing up poor in America disguised as a comedy. It is one of the most incredible accomplishment television has ever aired, and every episode makes you wonder: how can Donald Glover and company top this? Season 2 was subtitled Robbin’ Season but the biggest robbery was that the cast and crew didn’t get nearly enough Emmy love. (I liked Marvelous Mrs. Maisel too, but still?) I don’t know how long we’ll have to wait for Season 3, but it will be worth it.

1.      The Americans (FX)

All year long, I wondered how  The Americans would  end. It didn’t end with a bang or a whimper, but that didn’t make it any less perfect. The Jennings’ spent most of the seasons working against each other. Philip learned he was a failure as a travel agent. Elizabeth finally began to buckle under the pressure. Stan finally began to realize who his neighbor were. When the revelation finally came as to who the Jennings were, it led to a finale that was one of the greatest episodes not only of this year, but of all time. The final confrontation between Stan, Philip, Elizabeth and Paige was one of the greatest scenes I’ve ever seen as everything was laid bare. No guns were fired, no blood was shed, but it was as powerful a scene then any you’ll see anywhere – and had a conclusion that no one saw coming. The Jennings got away, but their children stayed behind. Stan can probably never trust his wife. And the Cold War ended – but we all know how that turned out. There were no winners in the end – except for the viewers. This is one of the greatest show in television history, deserving to be mentioned in the same breath as Breaking Bad and The Wire. The Emmys were even willing to give it some much deserved trophies, and I expect there will be more in the next month. Bravo, FX. Dos vadanya.

Better Late Than Never: Homecoming

Sam Esmail’s Mr. Robot is one of the great accomplishments of the New Golden Age. Incredibly well-written, superbly shot, and brilliantly acted, the series has been one of the most consistent and timely performers in the last five years. Esmail has managed to leap into the paranoia that has marked the internet these days, grasped on to the fascination of  shadowy organizations that The X-Files at it’s peak was able to play on, and had some of the most daring visual tricks that so far only Vince Gilligan and his merry band have been able to lay claim too. 

Amazon’s Homecoming plays so much like an Esmail project, it’s rather stunning to learn that he is only acting as the series director, and that the show was adapted from a critically acclaimed podcast from a couple of years back. It’s true that a lot of the series is audio-based – so much of it is based on conversations, therapy sessions, long telephone calls – yet in the three episodes I’ve watched so far, it’s impossible to imagine in it working in any other medium but visual. The brilliant cuts between wide-screen for the present and narrow for the future, the constant moving of the camera as it follows the character’s down staircases and through hallways, the startling visual cues – in the third episode, there a shot where a government investigator is looking through an endless warehouse of boxes, each marked with a Post-it with an X on it, waving his hand over an unseen source as a sole light fixture keeps going out. It reminded me of the shots that one sees in a Coen Brothers movie.

Of course, the main reason that everybody is fascinated with Amazon’s reimagining of this podcast is that it features Julia Roberts in her first series. She plays Heidi Bregmann, a therapist who in 2018 begins working for a corporation known as Homecoming. They seem to have the purpose of taking troops that have returned from oversea deployment, and reintegrating them to society. But there’s something just too plastic about everything we see, the smiles on the worker’s a little too sincere. Heidi seems to be legitimate, and her conversations with a soldier named Victor Cruz (Golden-Globe nominee Stephan James) seem to be trying to help him. But Victor’s closest friend, Shrier (Jeremy Allan White, a revelation to those who only know him from Shameless) thinks that things are wrong. He’s not convinced they’re even in Florida. And the conversations Heidi keeps having with her superior Colin (Bobby Cannavale) keep get more and more unsettling.

But it’s not until four years later that we know for certain something is rotten in Denmark. The investigator (Shea Whigham, demonstrating again why he is one of the most undervalued character actors today) comes to question Heidi, who is now working as a waitress in Tampa. When he brings up Homecoming, she can’t remember working there, and even though she’s had countless therapy sessions with Victor, she doesn’t remember him at all.

Amazon has done some remarkable piece of television since going into the original series business just six years ago. They’ve more than demonstrated that they are capable of turning out great and groundbreaking comedy (Transparent and Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.) Homecoming is by far their first great drama series.  It’s still not entirely perfect (it hasn’t found a real use for Sissy Spacek or Marianne Jean-Baptiste), but all of the actors are doing incredible work, especially Roberts, who reveals an inner darkness that all those years of romantic comedies never even seemed to hint at. (I feel there’s some kind of in-joke by having her ex-boyfriend portrayed by Dermot Mulroney; maybe this is what would have happened if My Best Friend’s Wedding had gone horribly wrong.). Every indication is that it’s going to be a player at this year’s Emmys, and it certainly deserves to be. It’s been renewed for Season2 already, but we may be in for a wait; Esmail is being trying to make sure the final season of Mr. Robot, due to come out in 2019 turns out just right. I’m more than willing to give him time. Esmail is clearly one of the new discoveries of this Golden Age, and you want him to make great TV. I just hope I remember this season by the time the next one comes out.

My score: 4.75 stars.

Homicide Episode Guide: Homicide The Movie

Written by James Yoshimura, Eric Overmeyer & Tom Fontana

Directed by Jean De Segonzac

When the seventh season wrapped, for all intents and purposes, that should have been the final say. Even if Fontana and company had more stories to tell, there were no more options. And the idea of getting any movie to wrap things up should have been a pipe dream. This was 1999. The concept of the reboot was unheard of, and even if it had been, there’s no reason that a series that had barely been a cult classic should’ve managed to get by the NBC executives who had never much cared for the series in the first place.

But maybe there were enough people who had never gotten a chance to say good-bye. Or maybe the executives at NBC figured that they owed to Fontana and the others. Whatever the reason, in February of 2000, Homicide: The Movie aired on NBC. Even then, the networks seemed to be doing their best to keep it away from viewers. It aired on a Sunday night, which HBO, and not long after, the rest of cable was about to turn from a vast wasteland into the most viewed night on television. The Sopranos, which was about to aim for the mantle of greatest television show in history, was in its second season. And The X-Files, though no longer the phenomena it had been, aired that same night the final chapter in the abduction of Samantha Mulder, which had been the backbone of that series the same way Adena Watson had been in the center of Homicide. And in this pre-streaming, pre-DVR world, a lot of fans may have chosen to ignore it for these more popular series.

I was just turning twenty-one when the movie aired. I remember being so thrilled that a lifelong dream was being fulfilled. I remember wondering whether Howard and Bolander would come back, and what had happened to the Waterfront. I forewent a lot of other series that I was involved in, including The X-Files and The Practice, to see the movie. But as Oscar Wilde said, there are two horrible things in the world: not getting what you want and gett9ing it.

Homicide had always been a series that flouted the conventions of network television. Part of that was by design; part of it was by necessity. Homicide: The Movie, unfortunately, plays like a more conventional reunion TV movie. Admittedly, they do it in the darkest possible way. What’s the one thing that would unite the squad? A murder, or maybe a red ball, probably of someone they care about. And what was the one constant in the entire history of the series? Al Giardello. So, in the opening teaser, Al Giardello, now a candidate for Mayor of Baltimore is shot down.

And slowly, the entire squad trickles in. Falsone and Lewis are investigating the murder of a drug dealer, where Officer Mike Giardello is standing over the body. The rest of the squad gets the news in a piecemeal fashion. The squad (now headed by Gharty, of all people) learns about it. Howard, who is still working at fugitive, gets from a radio car. Kellerman hears it on the news. Munch, who by now has relocated to New York, in Law & Order: SVU, gets a phone call. Bolander, who seems to be drinking a beer with breakfast, sees it on TV. Bayliss, who has been AWOL since the last episode, gets a call in the wilderness. And Frank Pembleton, who seems to have now become a teacher at a Catholic high school, hears it from a priest.

In the most realistic vein of the movie, Mike spends almost the entire length of it in the hospital. In his one season, he was always the picture of equilibrium, but he is angry from the moment he gets there, and seems determined to direct at everybody possible. He pushes a reporter into the bushes. He rails at Barnfather and the nurses, and he screams at just about anyone who’ll listen. In fairness, he does have a fair reason to be upset. No one seems willing to telling him, and about halfway through his father’s emergency surgery, a man in a surgical mask comes in, and starts firing on the OR. QRT searches the hospital (no doubt an excuse to have Gary D’Addrio make a cameo) but comes up with nothing. And when Mike finally has an idea as to whom shot his father – a plausible one that has to do with the people who murdered his cousin two years ago – he handles it by acting like a deranged maniac.

Unfortunately, this episode is permeated by bits of unreality that don’t seem to quite gel. I know why they wanted to have Megan Russert here, but last I heard she was in Paris. There’s no way she could’ve gotten to Baltimore in the timeline the movie is operating under. Brodie shows up, apparently busy from a DC film festival, and that’s a little more viable, but it seems unrealistic that Juliana Cox, who left Baltimore for parts unknown in Season 6, could get here that fast. We’re willing to accept this though, because there are bits that work better. Brodie shows up with a giraffe, much like the one Lewis gave to Felton after he was shot. And the discussion between Cox and Griscom about the nature of Al’s wounds is both clinical and very funny, as they try to act like they want to dig out the evidence. It’s also interesting, when we finally have a St. Elsewhere cameo, where Ed Begley, Jr. recreates his role as Victor Ehrlich (though he’s never identified. When Mike unloads on him as to just how badly he’s been treating, Ehrlich returns the rage is spades. Having seen St. Elsewhere since then, it seems that Ehrlich has not only become Mark Craig, he’s passed him.

The actual investigation into Gee’s shooting should be the more interesting sequence. But despite all the good parts in it, there are just two many bits and pieces that seem off. Pembleton and Bayliss were the bedrock of the series for almost all of Homicide’s time on the air, so it seems logical that the writers would put them at the focus. But Bayliss is clearly uneasy from the moment he comes back to the squad. We can guess why, but he managed to subsume it for most of the movie. Fortunately, Pembleton is as ornery as ever. He bitches about the paint job the squad got, and the incredibly low clearance rate of his colleagues, and immediately goes after Bobby Hall, the detective who seems the primary. (Why Jason Priestley is here is anybody’s guess, but I understand he was a big fan of the show) The Pembleton-Bayliss interrogation of the homeless man should feel like coming home for fans, but it just seems off, mainly because it just doesn’t seem like something Homicide the series would ever have done. Similarly, when Gaffney comes into the squad room to castigate Gharty for pulling Hall off the interrogation, and first mocks everybody for showing up, and then yanks Pembleton from the investigation, it seems like its being done arbitrarily. And the fact that Pembleton pulls Bayliss to work the street to find Gee’s shooter also seems very wrong – Gee himself probably would never have gone for it. We don’t care about most of it because we just want to see Braugher and Secor together again, and the writers do seem to realize what they’re doing, by having Bayliss say something sentimental to Frank and having him, in typical Pembleton fashion, not being able to deal with it.

It is telling that the other major reunion of Homicide – that of Munch and Bolander – comes across much better. Munch was always lost as a detective after Ned Beatty left the show, and to see that Bolander hasn’t mellowed with retirement is very refreshing, as is the fact that he still has no patience for his partner’s bullshit. In their few scenes, they bicker like always, and when Stanley finally encounters Billie Lou and Munch asks him whether or not he’s cut out for domestic life, Bolander’s words: “Guys like you and Me. Work is where we shine.” (Fontana also has a cheeky pierce at a ridiculous plot point Dick Wolf made to explain why Munch left Baltimore for New York. Supposedly, Billie Lou cheated on him with a fellow detective the night of their honeymoon, and he vowed to never set foot in Baltimore again. Here, he freely admits he just made it up.)

The actual investigation does, for all intents in purposes, proceed like that of a typical Homicide case. All of the possible leads of old enemies – the wife of Raymond Dessassy, the African Revival Movement, The Aryan Brotherhood – all prove to be dead ends, as does Bayliss and Pembleton’s investigation into the possible suspect. (Even though David Simon isn’t credited as a writer, you can see his influence on Gee’s campaign. The major part of his platform involved the legalization of drugs, and the dealers are openly hostile to it.) Bayliss and Pembleton even encounter a dealer they accidentally locked up in Season 6 back on the street. And after all of the looking is done, solid policework catches Gee’s shooter. The slugs from Gee were found in the murder of the dealer at the beginning of the movie. The footage gives shot of a cameraman, who didn’t report, and who was at the hospital just before the doctor got shot. And they find the man responsible (Eamonn Walker does a memorable stint in his five minutes on screen) because his son OD’d and he wanted to get the people he thought were responsible. The weapon is taped to his camera.

It is telling also that the best moments of the movie are the last half-hour. The killer being caught, Bayliss and Pembleton go to the roof and Tim finally gets to the subject he’s been trying to broach all day – as we suspected in the last scene, he killed Luke Ryland. There’s no evidence linking him to the crime, but he can not carry the guilt. It’s why he left the squad, and it’s why he needs to confess to the man he cares about it. And Frank clearly hates him for it. Even though Tim admits he can’t be a cop anymore, and that he might eat his gun, Frank doesn’t want to accept it. And when Tim asks if Frank absolves him, Pembleton says that he can’t. Yet despite all this, there’s still ambiguity. When Ryland’s name is written up on the board in blue, the man doing so is clearly Bayliss. Did Frank turn him in? We never know.

The last ten minutes are also excellent. Everybody in the squad is celebrating the arrest of Gee’s shooter and Bayliss and Pembleton as heroes. The entire squad, past and present is at the Waterfront, celebrating in a way they never did on the show. (At the opening, Lewis wanted Falsone the buy into the bar, because Munch and Bayliss had opted out; at the end, Falsone considers buying Munch’s third.) But then Brodie walks in, and tells them that Gee died in the hospital of an aneurysm. The bar goes death-still, and Lewis looks out at the squad. Mike Giardello goes to his father’s office. For the first and only time, Frank and Mike shake hands. Mike asks Frank if he misses the job, and he says he couldn’t avoid it. “Death goes on and on,” Frank says. “Because life goes on and on.” Says Mike. They walk out of the squadroom.

And then the series enters the afterlife. Gee walks past them as they go in, and we can see the squad is filled with cops from all different eras. But the main reason we know we’re in the afterlife is because a ten-year old African-American girl skips by happily. Gee says one word: “Adena?” And there in the coffee room are Beau Felton and Steve Crosetti, smoking, playing poker, and looking exactly the same as they did when they died. Al gets nervous when he sees a fourth chair, and instantly worries his son will take. Felton and Crosetti try to reassure him that now everything he went through was over with. “Rest in peace. Means what it says.” And Gee sits down for a hand of cards, even though he’s not in heaven.

This really should’ve been the ending of the movie, but for reasons which defy understanding, Fontana and Yoshimura end the film with a montage of Gee and the squad room in some of the few ‘happier’ moments with upbeat music. (They really had to parse the footage to find them, too.) It’s if they’re trying to either remind us of happier times, or more likely trying to focus on Gee’s memories for the few good times he had. Either way, it just doesn’t play. It seems like it belongs on a more traditional series or movie.

Not surprisingly, most of the better parts of Homicide: The Movie are the smaller moments. In addition to the ones I’ve discussed, there’s Lewis reaction to the passing of Allan Funt, Bolander’s frustration as to how bland life is without salt, and after Bayliss comments on a motivational speech, Pembleton’s simple reaction of “Kiss my ass.” And many of little simple conversations are good ones. It’s just that the movie, for all the strong performances is less than the sum of its parts. Don’t get me wrong. I’m still glad it got made. I just wish that the writers could’ve held true to what the fans liked about the show rather than what the fans got from the film. There are Easter eggs to delight all the fans of the series, but Homicide was never about pleasing the fans. Homicide the show marched to its own drum. Homicide: The Movie marched to a traditional one. It’s a good movie, but it’s not I hoped would be made.

My Score: 3.25 stars

Homicide Episode Guide: Forgive Us Our Tresspasses

Written by Tom Fontana

Directed by Alan Taylor

It has always been difficult to know with any degree of certainty, when Fontana and company knew that Season 7 was going to be the last one. I have always held the belief that they had been informed, due to the continually shrinking ratings and the fact that support for the series, which had always been borderline, was diminishing at the executive level. Even now, though, they seem to hold that they were preparing for a Season 8 regardless. As someone who had been a long time viewer, though, I had always made the supposition that Homicide was on its last legs by the spring of 1999, and that the writers were finishing up accordingly.

Admittedly, Forgive Us Our Trespasses doesn’t play like the typical series finale, but let’s be honest, Homicide never played by the rules when it came to anything else, so why should they do so when they were writing their last chapter? And to be perfectly honest, there are a lot of things in this episode that seem like Fontana is saying goodbye to the show he basically created. (There’s no final scene of a young boy looking at the squadroom through a snow globe, but I think even Fontana knew you could only ring that bell once.) So, let’s consider this as if were the end.

Bayliss and Sheppard are seen going to the court repeatedly to try and see Luke Ryland brought to justice for the murders he committed a few months back. No courtroom is available the first time, the defendant isn’t brought from pre-trial detention, and the last time, Danvers isn’t there. Russom (proving again he’ll represent anybody) brings up a loophole in the law, and Ryland walks through it. Bayliss and Sheppard confront Danvers angrily on this, and in a rare show of frustration, Ed complains openly at just how unfair the Baltimore prosecutor’s office is.  But Bayliss, who is usually so equitable about this, snarls at him, and when Danvers snarls back, Tim assaults him, a move which shocks even Sheppard.

Meanwhile, Giardello is, believe it or not, finally being promoted to Captain – a move that somehow brings Theresa, the only Giardello child we haven’t met yet in from out of town. (Multiple Tony winner Audra McDonald makes one of her earliest TV appearances as Theresa.) Gee is feeling equal parts reminiscent and uneasy. He calls Tim into his office, and relates how he got the nickname ‘Gee’ – and despite everything we’ve assumed during the life of the series, it’s not because of a simple shortening of his first name. When he waxes back to his rookie days, and tries to convince Bayliss to apologize to Danvers, Tim refuses. We don’t know why Tim is taking this particular murder skirting justice so seriously – he’s seen far worse happen over the course of the series. – but the implication seems to be that he misses Frank. Sheppard picks up on this very quickly, and whereas she mocked Pembleton the first time, now she diagnoses that Tim, who has been all over the place this season, is rudderless without Pembleton influence. Bayliss admits that he thought that Frank’s resignation last year was for show (and considering that’s what happened the first time he resigned, he has every reason to hold to that), and its very clear he’s still holding on to this.

With all this, there’s actually a murder to be solved going on, and Lewis and Falsone are investigating. In a throwback to early days, the victim is a drug dealer named Joanna McQueen, who looks ten years older than her date of birth. Unable to locate her husband to ID the body – at his home, they speak through the door to a woman who claims to be holding a shotgun on them, and when they bust the door open, it’s a woman in a wheelchair with a golf club – they end up tracking down her sister. When they find her sister, they are stunned to learn that she is a woman of the cloth, who has spent the last year believing Joanna has been married to an architect. Falsone doesn’t want to tell her the truth, but Lewis knows he has too. They don’t, however, until they arrest her murderer after he’s caught killing the man Joanna was sleeping with.

All of these stories are, in true Homicide tradition, running concurrently. The first to resolve is Al’s who, now that the promotion he’s longed for is his, can’t find it in himself to take. In that sense, Al is an outlier for a series that held itself to realism. When you get a promotion in any department, you take it. Al’s ultimate refusal may be fitting in with the character we’ve come to know, but it still seems wrong somehow. Mike’s saying that he’s proud of his father doesn’t make any less false.

Another element comes when Meldrick and Bayliss have a faceoff after he takes another opportunity to bring up Sheppard’s beat down. Bayliss tells Lewis he’s never been able to let anything go, and Lewis (who’s always had issues with him) tells him that Tim has always taking every murder, ever since Adena Watson, far too personally.

While all of this is going on, Munch’s wedding day to Billie Lou has arrived, and compared to all the drama going on everywhere else, this one actually goes with less trauma. Munch brings up his usual conspiracy theories about the Vatican, when he announces he’s marrying her in the church, and Lewis seems a little grateful not to be in the wedding party, saying that you have a better chance of survive a nuclear holocaust than having a happy marriage. At the time, we assume he’s talking about himself and Falsone, but it turns out he has Munch’s number.

The ceremony however goes on fine. It’s the wedding night that’s the problem. Munch shows up in the Waterfront late at night, and eventually tells Lewis that the vow of celibacy that he bitched about two episodes ago really backfired. He got into bed, and in his words: “World series, bottom of the ninth… I swing before she pitches the ball.”

The last ten minutes seem to cover a lot of ground.  Joanna’s sister upon learning the truth feels heartbroken, but wants to meet her brother-in-law ‘to offer her forgiveness’ Meldrick is so stunned by this that when Falsone tells him to consider it for Sheppard, he seems to take it seriously

Mike and Al have another conversation about Mike’s future now that he’s quit the Bureau. As a domestic disturbance unfolds around them, Mike says that as his father belongs to the streets, so does he. He doesn’t know how he’s going to get back there, and neither do we, but we eventually find out.

Bayliss has a confrontation with Ryland telling him they will get him. Ryland remains unrepentant, saying he’s heading to New Orleans, where he intends to continue his killing. And then, sometime later, Bayliss shows up at the Waterfront, and has a conversation with his partner where he brings up Gordon Pratt, who shot Felton, Howard and Bolander in Season3, never was charged, and ended up dead. Munch tells Bayliss that he believed Pratt should’ve died, and that his murder should have gone unsolved. Bayliss tells him about all of the drama he’s gone through this year, and that when he shot Larry Moss, he knows what it means to be a killer, like whoever killed Adena Watson. He then says Frank said he would never be a good murder police because he didn’t have a killer’s mind, something that even now still galls him. And then, he casually tells Munch that he always thought he killed Gordon Pratt. When Munch gets pissed (but gives nothing away) and asks why he bringing up Gordon Pratt, Tim draws back and says. “Just thinking about it”

Bayliss wraps up his night, by telling Danvers: “I want you to know I’m sorry. Truly sorry, for what I’ve done.” We know there’s a darker implication there, but Danvers accepts his apology. And when he tells him we’ll get Ryland. Bayliss says he knows. And that as a murder police, he knows that Justice is a bitch.

The next day seems like a typical day. Gharty and Stivers separately announce they’re going on vacation, which leads Falsone to start flirting with Ballard again. (Ick.) Lewis gets a call, and asks Sheppard to partner with him. Bayliss is seen cleaning up, saying he’s just ‘getting rid of some things he doesn’t need anymore’. He finishes up with his name plate. And the last three minutes of the episode are what make me certain Fontana was wrapping up the show. Bayliss walks through the squadroom the same way he was walking through it in the pilot. He goes to the door, and in a series of flashes, the editors seems to show at least one scene from every episode of the series it about a minute. You’ll have to play the DVD frame by frame to be sure but it always seemed that way to be, with the editors pausing on certain dramatic moments – the shooting of Bolander, Felton and Howard, Bayliss shattering the box window, Frank’s stroke, Luther Mahoney being shot, the squadroom being shot up, and Bayliss taking a bullet. And then, over his idealistic speech to Giardello, about Homicide always being where he wanted to be, he leaves.

The scene shows Sheppard and Lewis looking over the body of Luke Ryland. It seems to be a stone cold killing, with no clues or witness. When Sheppard says whoever it is knew what he was doing, Meldrick says “He or she.” Then Lewis says: “If I could just find this thing, I could go.” Sheppard: “You won’t find it. It’s a mystery. “Lewis: “What?” Sheppard: “Life. It’s a mystery.” Meldrick: “That’s what’s wrong with this job. It’s got nothing to do with life.” Word for word (albeit with Lewis saying Crosetti’s lines and Sheppard saying Lewis’) those are the lines from the first scene of the show. And as Meldrick and Renee look over a darkened crime scene with flashlight, the camera pulls up on an alley, and the credits roll

In that sense, this last scene seems like a goodbye. We’ve come full circle; even though it’s hard argue that anything has really changed in one way or another in Baltimore. The characters have grown, some in a bad way, some not. And while the implication is that Bayliss has killed Ryland and has left the squad because he can’t handle the guilt, the ambiguity that has been so much a part of Homicide all these years is still. Maybe Bayliss killed Ryland. Maybe Munch killed Gordon Pratt. Without evidence or witnesses, there’s no way to know. If this had really been Homicide’s final statement, I think I would still have been satisfied by it.

So why doesn’t Forgive Us Our Trespasses not achieve perfection? Well, basically because it wasn’t the end. All of the performances are excellent; especially Secor and Kotto, and the writing and cinematography are excellent. I realize that a bunch of people might have been upset that they didn’t get closure on a lot, but Homicide has never been about giving us closure. The last scene proves that – the circle is closed, but nothing has ended. That the fans wanted an ending is great. That the network gave them one… well, we’ll get to that.

My score: 4.5 stars.

Critics Choice Nominees Reaction, Part 3: TV Movie/Limited Series

Though the movies aren’t as much of a factor, one must give credit to critics for recognizing two  nominees that worked on the stage Jesus Christ Superstar and Anna Deavere Smith’s Notes from the Field. The category is, as per usual, dominated by HBO, but I’m glad to see The Tale getting more recognition than it did from the Emmys.

BEST LIMITED SERIES

No argument for Assassination of Gianni Versace, Escape at Dannemora, or Sharp Objects. One can hardly fault them for recognizing A Very English Scandal (which now I have to see). And given that everybody now recognizes what American Vandal was trying to do, it’s hard to ignore it. I would have preferred Patrick Melrose over Genius:Picasso, but at least they didn’t nominate The Alienist.

BEST ACTOR, MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES

Darren Criss continues his hot streak. Paul Dano and Benicio Del Toro finally got the recognition the Hollywood Foreign Press denied them. And I can see the logic in nominated Hugh Grant and Antonio Banderas. But where is Benedict Cumberbatch? I have no problem with John Legend getting nominated in principal, but at the expense of Cumberbatch’s superb performance, I do have an objection. Well, this is how it works sometimes.

BEST ACTRESS IN A TV MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES

Just as with the Golden Globes, I really don’t have an objection to any of the nominees in this category. Adams, Arquette, Britton and Dern were among the best performers of the years. Carrie Coon more than deserves to be her for her superb work as the cult leader in The Sinner. And considering just how all-encompassing Anna Deavere Smith’s work was in Notes From The Field, I’m glad she was honored, even if it was at the expense of Regina King.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A TV MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES

As always, an interested mix.  Ben Whishaw was nominated for the Golden Globes, so it makes sense he’s here. Brandon Victor Dixon received an Emmy nomination for his work as Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar, so that makes sense. Eric Lange is a pleasant surprise as the cuckolded, buffoon of a husband in Escape at Dannemora. And I’m glad to see Finn Wittrock here for Gianni Versace, even if they couldn’t nominate Edgar Martinez.

Peter Sarsgaard is a strange choice for The Looming Tower – one wonders why they chose to select him rather than Jeff Daniels. And if you’re going to nominate one actor for Picasso, one might as well nominate both, which is probably why Alex Rich got nominated. It would’ve been nice to see Chris Messina or Jason Ritter, but you can’t have everything, even here.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A TV MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES

Another interesting group. One expected to see Penelope Cruz and Patricia Clarkson here for their fine work in Giannia Versace and Sharp Objects, respectively. It’s slightly surprising to see Judith Light here for the former (though considering she got an Emmy nod, not that much of one), and more surprising to see Elizabeth Perkins for the boozy friend of the family as the latter. It’s not that she wasn’t great, just a little bit of a shock.

Ellen Burstyn more than deserved to be nominated for an Emmy for her fine work as Laura Dern’s mother in The Tale. I didn’t realize that Julia Garner had been so busy this year, even though I knew she was playing one of the daughters in Dirty John. Still, it is a little strange that of all the great actors and actress, she’s the one who double-dips. Not bad, necessarily, just strange.

I’ll be back later as I try to make my best guesses as to who will win.

Make The Critics Choice Your Choice: Part 2, The Comedies

BEST COMEDY SERIES

Atlanta is one of the best series of the year. So is The Good Place. Barry continues its remarkable run, and I have little doubt the second season of Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is as wondrous as the first. And really, The Middle is one of those shows that a few years from now, the Emmys is going to look really foolish for having ignored.

One Day At a Time has been incredibly well received, even among Netflix series, and though I still think GLOW would’ve been a better choice, The Kominsky Method has deserved high praise. I’m not entirely sure if Schitt’s Creek is as funny as everyone says it is, but that’s why I like the Critic’s Choice.

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY

Donald Glover more than deserves to be here. So do Ted Danson and Bill Hader. This is probably a valedictory nomination for Jim Parsons, and frankly, Andy Samberg has been getting robbed by the Emmys ever since Brooklyn Nine-Nine came on the air.

Michael Douglas – still a questionable choice, but if the Golden Globes are going to nominate him, I can’t really argue with. Hank Azaria has a very loyal fan base, but seriously Brockmire isn’t even the best comedy series on IFC. Couldn’t they nominate John C. McGinley for Stan Against Evil? Okay, we’ll let it go.

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

Well, two of the killer B’s are here, and both Rachel’s Bloom and Brosnahan have more than earned their spots. Ditto Allison Janney, and I’m glad to see Issa Rae is here.

I still have questions about Debra Messing getting nominated for Will & Grace, but she had some good moments. Now, I’m always liked Justina Machado, as far back as Six Feet Under, and I’m glad they nominated her. But couldn’t they have found room for Tracee Ellis Ross or Alison Brie or Kirsten Bell? Seriously. They have six nominees for Comedy Actress but seven for Actor? Get the balance right, critics.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY

Its about forking time William Jackson Harper got recognized for his work on The Good Place. I have no problem with Tony Shalhoub, Henry Winkler, or Bryan Tyree Henry.

I’m glad Superstore was nominated for something, considering that its been a little comedy gem for three years with very few people noticing. And I can’t even really raise an objection to Sean Hayes, considering how much pull he’s had with awards voters in the past. Would I have liked to see Marc Maron here? Of course. But you can’t have everything.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

The most interesting conversation of the night is where will Laurie Metcalf sit? With her nominated group at The Conners, or with her daughter Zoe Perry at the Young Sheldon table? Considering Perry is essentially playing a younger version of her, full marks. And I’m glad to see Annie Potts, one of my favorites, back in the awards hunt.

I have no problem with Alex Borstein or Betty Gilpin, especially after last season. Rita Moreno remains a force of nature, and I’m glad to see her still in this category. I’m still not sure why Miriam Shor is here – if you’re going to nominate someone for Younger, why not Sutton Foster? You’ve done it before. I’d still rather have seen Eden Shor of Mayim Bialik back for one last possible taster.

We wrap it up with movies and limited series tomorrow.

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Critics Choice Should Be Yours Too: Part 1, Dramas

Less than a week after  the Hollywood Foreign Press delivered some fascinating first looks as to some of the best TV, the Broadcast Critics have announced their annual nominees in film and TV. And for those few but faithful among us who have following them ever since they began broadcasting their awards in 2011,  we know that the Broadcast Critics can often shine an interesting light among series that the Emmys either should acknowledge or (more likely) have chosen to ignore. Sometimes, their ultimate selections presage the Emmys (they picked Breaking Bad, Homeland, and Game of Thrones before the Emmys did) , and often they shine a light on series that the Emmys should be considering (The Americans, Orange is the New Black, Mr. Robot,). And almost always, the nominations themselves will recognize series and actors that never quite get their just deserts (Walon Goggins, Mayim Bialik, and John Noble have been frequent guests at this ceremony even though the Emmys have never given them their due.)

The actual awards can often be far more entertaining than so many others (though last year, when they cut their three hour ceremony to two for the CW was horrible to watch). When it officially airs January 13, they’ve blocked 3 hours for it, though hopefully they’ll also have a more engaging host than the usually reliable Olivia Munn.

In any case, here are my reactions to this year’s nominees in television. As always, I will begin with the dramas.

BEST DRAMA

It’s hardly a surprise The Americans is the leader; the Broadcast Critics have always thought more favorably of this show than the Emmys. Killing Eve and Homecoming aren’t exactly shocks either, giving the high reviews for both. Neither is Better Call Saul, which remains one of the best shows on the air. The Good Fight more than deserves to be here; I’m just disappointed that there were no acting nods this year. And My Brilliant Friend given the immense critical reception for it, also deserves to be acknowledged. Even Pose isn’t much of a shock, considering that the Globes looked favorably on it last season.

The only real stunner is Succession, the HBO freshman drama about a billionaire family fighting over a media empire. Personally, I’d prefer Billions or This is Us to be here, but then again, they didn’t put Bodyguard or Handmaid’s Tale, either. It’s just an odd choice.

BEST ACTOR, DRAMA SERIES

Matthew Rhys, hardly a shock. I really hope he wins this season. But Bob Odenkirk will offer formidable competition, considering he’s already won twice in this category. I’m intrigued that the Critics thought that Milo Ventimiglia’s performance on This is Us was more worthy than Sterling Brown, but it’s not a bad choice.  Freddie Highmore isn’t a shock, either (critical response to Good Doctor aside, the Broadcast Critics loved his work in Bates Motel). I raised my objections to Billy Porter and Richard Madden in the Golden Globes last week, but I may now need to reassess it.

The bigger shock is Diego Luna for Netflix’s critically acclaimed Narcos series. He’s not a bad choice over all, but I still would’ve preferred to see Brown or Paul Giamatti for Billions. But nominations like this are why I like the Broadcast Critics.

BEST ACTRESS, DRAMA

Keri Russell deserves to be here. So do Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer for Killing Eve. Julia Roberts in Homecoming is a strong series. And I’m delighted that someone saw enough of The Deuce to give Maggie Gyllenhaal a nomination for her fine work. I’m even willing to give credit to Elisabeth Moss for her still fine work on Handmaid’s Tale.

Elizabeth Olsen in Sorry for Your Loss,  a series that aired on the Facebook’s venture into original series, is just the kind of nomination the Broadcast Critics will give. You wonder if anybody else actually saw it. Frankly, Claire Danes or Mandy Moore deserved it far more.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA

This is where things get fun, and often, there are a lot of pleasant surprises. I was overjoyed to see Noah Emmerich recognized for his superb work on The Americans – his confrontation scene with the Jennings alone should’ve gotten him something from the Emmys, and I’m glad they made up for it here. Justin Hartley was also ignobly shunned for his superb work on This is Us, and I’m glad the Broadcast Critics remembered him. Asia Kate Dillon is one of biggest talents working on TV today, and I’m glad Billions didn’t forget them (gender assignment aside) And Shea Whigham has been a favorite actor of mine since the early days of Boardwalk Empire, so I’m glad he got recognized for his performance as the government agent on Homecoming. I’m even willing to give a certain amount of latitude for Richard Schiff as the elder statesmen in The Good Doctor, because I’ve always liked his work.

The other two – Richard Cabral’s recognition for Mayans M.C. strikes me as a little arbitrary. The Critics have always had a fascination with Sons of Anarchy, and they may be carrying it over into the spinoff. And Matthew MacFayden while a good actor, seems to be something of a random choice, even for Succession – is he any better than Kieran Culkin, who the Globes nominated last week? Maybe I’m just bitter because neither Jonathan Banks or Delroy Lindo is here.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA

Interesting mix here, too. Thandie Newton ahs more than earned her spot. Holly Taylor was shunted aside so often on The Americans, I’m glad the Critics remembered her as a farewell. I’m hoping Rhea Seehorn, who’s been overdue an Emmy nod for her superb work on Better Call Saul for at least two years, will be able to use her nomination her as a springboard. And Dina Shihabi’s work on Jack Ryan was a new chapter in how female Muslims should be portrayed.

I have the same objection to Yvonne Strahovski’s nomination for The Handmaid’s Tale as I did at the Globes –  there are so many great female candidates in this category, why Strahovski in particular? Julia Garner as the daughter is an interesting choice from Ozark – hell, if you can steal scenes from Laura Linney and Jason Bateman, you deserve a nomination. Still, considering every other category had room for seven, couldn’t we have found room for some of the superb ladies in The Good Fight?

Tomorrow, the comedies.

Homicide Episode Guide: Identity Crisis

Teleplay by Willie Reale; Story by Tom Fontana & Eric Overmeyer

Directed by Joe Berlinger

For all of the problems with scheduling (this episode was supposed to be the penultimate one, it ended up airing fourth from the last) Identity Crisis is one of the better episodes of the series, and continues to demonstrate that once again, Homicide was firing on all cylinders. There’s a perfect mix of three equally compelling stories, there’s a lot of humor that has been noticeably absent for the last two weeks, and there are some major plot points revealed.

The major story of the episode is Lewis and Falsone’s case. They’re called into investigate the murder of a barbecuing man who has two bullets in his head, and his nose has been bitten off, something that actually unnerves these hardened detectives. The case begins to pick up steam when while interviewing a neighbor of the deceased, Falsone begins to pick up a vibe about her that Meldrick doesn’t. It’s not until they interrogate her husband ‘Selwyn Weatherbee’ that it solidifies. Because of the way ‘Weatherbee’ gestures and the phrases he uses, Falsone suspects that he is Italian, trying to pass himself off as a WASP from New Hampshire. (The fact that the family is ostensibly from Grover’s Corners, the city at the center of Our Town, should also be a clue, but no one picks up on this) When Falsone relates these gestures to Gee, he naturally intends to agree, and Paul then goes on to postulate that the husband is involved in witness protection. Al asks him to see if Mike has any connections that might tell them if there is a mob informant in Baltimore, and Mike makes contact about a mob trial in Philadelphia.

Unfortunately, things very quickly spiral from here. When Meldrick and Falsone return to the couples house, the FBI is preparing to whisk them away, and it is only because of the most brazen of bluffs that they are able to get Weatherbee into the squadroom. Mike immediately butts heads with the ASAC in charge, who tells him that Weatherbee needs to testify in the trial, but that he won’t skate for it. Then Mike goes to see Gail Ingram from the Bureau, and learns the truth – Weatherbee is going to thirty years, all but three suspended, and Mike has been compromised by the same ASAC.

The relationship between Mike and the rest of the squad has been shaky ever since the McBride case, but now he sees that he has been completely compromised, and resigns from the Bureau before he is transferred out. Mike is very bitter about what has happened, and has decided that the FBI, which he considered part of his identity, no longer belongs to him.

If it were just for this storyline, this would be a compelling episode. But the other two plots are nearly as good. The episode involves the ME’s going through what has been ‘a typical Saturday night in Baltimore’, and Grissom cheerfully orders them to clean the freezer out. They do a spectacular job doing so – and then Grissom learns that there is an extra body with no paperwork. (His initial reaction “No reservation, no service’ is one of the great lines in Homicide history.

He calls Bayliss and Munch in for help, and they initially offer almost none, telling him to call them back when Grissom has a crime scene. A few hours later, he does – it’s one of the freezers. (“If nothing else, you have to give credit for its efficiency.) The victim, a bullyboy named Mack came in last night to identify his uncle. In the course of their interview, they find that the late uncle was wearing an expensive Rolex which is now missing. Then they find out that another Mack cousin came in earlier to identify the body. Munch and Bayliss interview the cousin, who cheerfully gives every detail of how he tussled with him, and then stabbed him in a fight over the watch. The cousin is in fact befuddled to learn his relative is dead – “I cut that peckerwood a dozen times, and he never died on me before.” The case is closed (though for some reason it’s never written in black) even though Grissom admits they never answered the question “how in God’s name someone in the Mack family could afford a $1200 watch?”

Austin Pendleton gives one of the great performances in his time on Homicide. Of the many regrets about the show not going on is the fact that we never got any more work of this cheerful character. In a series that put the ME’s front and center, he was by far the most entertaining, and it would’ve been great to see him continue in whatever basis he could.

And we’re still not done. Ballard and Gharty get called into investigation a robbery-murder at a strip club, where they find a bloody footprint from a ‘do-me pump’ (we all know there’s no censor at NBC that would dare let them say the real phrase). The two detectives look into armed robberies and find a robber who, if anything, is even dumber than the Mack family. He stepped up to rob the bank teller with a note that was written on the back of a check. A personal check. Apparently, he asked for it before returning dressed in drag. He left fingerprints and a heel mark. Gharty: “The criminal mind.” Ballard: “If you can call it that.” When they bring the robber in, he confesses very quickly. He’s a junkie, and unlike most of the ones on this show, he’s a methhead, who killed the victim because he got nervous.

The episode also wraps up one last recurring storyline for the seventh season. Gharty seems to think that he was in the bar where the robbery took place, but can’t remember clearly. He clearly has a couple of drinks before he finishes his initial interviews. After a conversation with Ballard, and probably from seeing the robber here, he goes to the Waterfront… and tells Billie Lou he’s going to start drying out. Billie Lou’s forgiven him enough to invite him to the wedding, but he politely declines. The series, however, doesn’t forget the moment.

Identity Crisis really does make you question whether Fontana and company really knew whether or not they were coming back next year. It plays as one of the best Homicide’s in tone and in character. There’s even a wonderful in-joke, when Lewis asks Falsone if anyone knows someone in Witness Protection. Falsone says they just exist – “They’re like Nielsen families.” One last poke at the bête noire of the series. In an episode that’s about identity and its masking, one more jab at the think that says how TV defines them – and how this series has established one for lack of them.

My score: 4.5 stars

Golden Globe TV Nominations Part 2: Electric Boogaloo

BEST TELEVISION LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE

Assassination of Gianni Versace, Sharp Objects, and Escape at Dannemora  were all almost certain to be here, with the latter two likely to dominate the Emmys next year. A Very English Scandal is a slight surprise, but not much of one considering how favorably it was reviewed. The Alienist is something of a shock, even though it was short-listed among last seasons Emmys nominees. Having seen it, I still think Patrick Melrose was superior.

BEST ACTOR, LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE

Darren Criss and Benedict Cumberbatch were certainties for this category. Antonio Banderas for Genius: Picasso is mildly surprising, but considering his work and the Emmy recognition, not a great one. The same can be said for Hugh Grant. The big shock is Daniel Bruhl for The Alienist.  By comparison, Eric Bana in Dirty John and either Benicio Del Toro or Paul Dano in Escape were far more layered performances. This is why the Globes can be… weird.

BEST ACTRESS, LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE

No real shocks here at all. Adams, Arquette, Britton, and Dern have all given among the finest performances by any actresses this year. The surprise isn’t that Regina King wasn’t recognized, but that she was, considering that the Globes haven’t exactly been favorable to her in the past. This may be a sea change, considering that she was recognized twice this year. Will the Globes shock as the Emmys did? We’ll see.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR,  SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE

The supporting categories for the Globes can always be hard to interpret, given how wide a net they cast. I still think at the very least they should give separate awards for series and TV movies, but it doesn’t look like that’s ever going to happen. Anyway…

Edgar Ramirez more than deserved his nomination, as did Henry Winkler. Alan Arkin has a good history with the Globes, so it’s not that much of a shock. Ben Whishaw is a mild surprise, but not nearly as shocking as the appearance of Kieran Culkin for his work in Succession, a series that has been mostly ignored by the awards so far, even though its well received and on HBO. I still think Jeffrey Wright or Ed Harris would’ve been more deserving , but I don’t work for the HFPA.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, SERIES, LIMITED SERIES, OR TV MOVIE

This category is less surprising than the male counterpart. Alex Borstein and Thandie Newton, both of whom won for their superb work in Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Westworld  respectively, more than deserve to be here. So does Patricia Clarkson for her mother of a performance in Sharp Objects, and Penelope Cruz, who was robbed of an Emmy for her superb work in Gianni Versace.

The major surprise is Yvonne Strahovski for her work in The Handmaid’s Tale. Yes, she was nominated by the Emmys, but the series was ignored, and considering the incredibly level of supporting female talent in that show, it’s a little odd that she’s here, and not say Alexis Bleidel. I’d obviously have liked to see Chrissy Metz or Margo Martindale, but generally this is a good mix.

See you next week at the Critic’s Choice Nominations.

Award Season Begins: Reactions to the Golden Globe Nominations, Part 1

Last year I praised to the skies how great a job the Golden Globes did in recognizing the best in television. This year, well… they returned to where they usually are, which is the more eccentric of all the awards series.

That isn’t to say there weren’t a lot of good choices, as well as some pleasant surprises. Considering that Stranger Things, The Crown, and Game of Thrones were ineligible, they did a generally good job in the drama category. And considering the overall tendency to remakes and reboots, they did fine when it came to comedies as well. Still, one wonders if the HFPA’s tendency to always honor new faces hasn’t work against them. It’s better than the Emmys which have the tendency to nominate the same faces year after year, but last year the Globes had managed perfect balance. This year, not so much. And its worth noting there are a lot of old faces in with the new.

But let’s go through the nominees.

 

BEST DRAMA

Excuse me. YES! YES! They finally nominated The Americans for Best Drama! And it’s actually the leader in nominations of Dramas! Best Day Ever! Ahem. In all seriousness, it’s hard to disguise my utter delight that one of the greatest series of all time finally got recognition from an organization that basically shut it out.

The other series are a mixed bag. Killing Eve was so well regarded by so many people that’s it earned its slot. And Homecoming had such good press it would’ve been hard to ignore it. But Pose? It was a good series, but not even the second best drama on its network. And I’m pretty sure Bodyguard was a limited series, though that may depend on ITV or Netflix. Still, couldn’t they have nominated Better Call Saul or This is Us?

BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA

Matthew Rhys would’ve been hard pressed not to get nominated. Jason Bateman in Ozark earned his Emmy nod, so I’m glad he repeated. I can understand why they nominated Richard Madden for Body guard and possibly Stephen James. But really, Billy Porter for Pose? Couldn’t we have nominated  Sterling Brown or Bob Odenkirk or Ed Harris or any of a dozen other good choices?

            BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA

            I don’t have any real problem with any of the nominees in this category. Russell, Oh and Roberts all earned it, Elisabeth Moss is one of my favorites, and Caitriona Balfe has earned her place here. I’d have liked to see Mandy Moore or Christine Baranski, but I gets that wishful thinking.

            BEST COMEDY

            I’m nearly as thrilled by The Good Place being here as I was that The Americans was for Best Drama. I’m also really glad they recognized Kidding for all its low ratings. Marvelous Mrs. Maisel has already received ecstatic reviews, so I’m glad it’s here. And I really have to start watching Barry.

I’m a little uncertain amount The Kominsky Method. Great cast, decent reviews, I’m just not sure it’s at the level of Atlanta. And I’m pretty sure a lot of other people will feel the same way.

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY

Donald Glover more than deserves to be here. I’m glad to see Jim Carrey here as well. He might actually have a chance at winning. Bill Hader was inevitable, and not a bad choice.

I have issues with the other two. Michael Douglas is a great actor, but even given his rich portrayals in the past, it’s hard to see him at their level. And I’m not sure whether Who is America is actually a comedy series in the traditional sense of the term, therefore I have questions about the legitimacy of Sasha Baron Cohen’s nomination. Or maybe I’m just angry Anthony Anderson and Ted Danson were ignored.

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

The Killer B’s assembled. Last year, I advocated for nominations for Kristen Bell, Allison Brie, Rachel Brosnahan and Rachel Bloom. Well, three of them are here. I really question Candice Bergen’s presence here, particularly since Murphy Brown the reboot was neither critically nor publicly enjoyed, but she has a history with the Golden Globes that is hard to ignore. As for Debra Messing’s nod, the Golden Globes have always had a thing for Will & Grace, and I guess they still do. Couldn’t they have nominated Tracee Ellis Ross or Issa Rae? Maybe I’m just shooting my mouth off.

To be continued…

Homicide Episode Guide: The Why Chromosome

Written by Anya Epstein

Directed by Kyle Secor

The second episode postponed because of the shootings at Columbine, and for an equally justifiable reason. This story deals with the shooting deaths of not one but two teenage girls, deals with gang violence in every imaginable way, and shows some of the most brutal criminals ever shown in Homicide’s run. Still, it’s a shame The Why Chromosome ended up being the penultimate episode aired of the series (though even then the producers weren’t sure) because it meshes old and new school Homicide in a way that the series almost never did.

In Homicide’s entire run, two female detectives had never gone out on a case together. This was hardly unusual because we didn’t have two female detectives on the squad until halfway through Season 4, and Russert didn’t stay around that long. It is a little strange, considering that there were three female detectives in the unit this season that Fontana and company didn’t even consider it, given all the other changes that were in the mix. Perhaps its fitting that Anya Epstein, one of the unsung heroines of the writing staff, chose in her final script for the series to not only put two of the female detectives at the forefront, but also make this one of the most female driven episodes the series would ever do.

Ballard and Sheppard are called out to investigate the murder of Jackie ‘Destiny’ Keib, a fifteen year girl found shot at a high school. It becomes clear very quickly that she was part of a gang, which is something that the series hasn’t dealt with in a very long time. What makes it more unusual is that the we look at this from the perspective of a female gang, mainly through her older sister Crystal. We’ve seen some stone cold teens and pre-teens on the series before, so it’s kind of amazing that the show still has the capacity to shock by showing us Crystal, a sixteen year old girl, who seems to be as hard as the boys. Ballard spends most of the episode thinking that Crystal and the other Terrace girls are just posturing, but its very clear that Crystal, at least, is not. In perhaps the most stunning scene of the entire seventh season, Crystal reveals that she was nearly died from a stab wound to the heart, kicked a pregnant teen so hard she lost her child, and was burned by her father as an infant. Sandra Brown, a woman who David Simon would utilize in several of his HBO series, gives another in a long line of young adult performances in this series, not showing any humanity until the end, and even then it’s a flicker.

From the beginning, it’s clear that the girls in gangs are trying to be as tough as boys, to the point of being boys in one of the more stunning final scenes. Ballard doesn’t want to accept, and from the few scenes we see of the male detectives, they think its unlikely as well. Epstein also makes it very clear that the sexism that permeates much of the real world also fills that of the criminal underbelly. When they interview their main suspect Casper (JD Williams, halfway through his stunning stint on Oz and just a few years away from beginning an unforgettable stint on The Wire), makes it clear when Sheppard and Ballard pull him in for interrogation that thinks little of women, even when they have the power to put him prison. He openly mocks Sheppard’s idea of rough stuff, talks with no trouble about the idea of getting ‘rolled into a gang’ (you roll dice, and sleep with one of the male gang members) uses his baby mama as an alibi even though he was out screwing another woman at the time, and finishes up with a misogynistic rant about what women’s roles in the world is. He actually seems hurt by Sheppard’s suggestion that his girlfriend murdered Destiny (even though that’s exactly what happened).

The brutal cycle of gang violence ends up playing out the same for girls as it does for boys. Denise Raeburn learned that Destiny had sex with ‘her man’, dressed up a guy to throw suspicion off, and shot her. Crystal finds out about this, and kills out of revenge, and is caught by Sheppard and Ballard before she tries to run. Danvers will make a deal for manslaughter in this case, but Crystal seems just as certain she will end up dead in prison as on the street. And when it’s all over Ballard admits that she didn’t want to believe that women could be as brutal as men.

In addition to its many other virtues, this episode gives the most accurate look as to what gangs are like on Baltimore than we’ve had in the series in a very long time. The female juveniles are just as dismissive of the police as the boys are. There’s a lot of tags in the series, one commemorate Destiny’s death, the other saying that Crystal is done on the street. And the shots of children laying flowers as the pictures of another dead teenager is an image we have become all too familiar with these past few years.

Callie Thorne gives one of her best performances in quite sometime, and Michael Michelle, who has been noticeably absent the last few weeks, demonstrates that she has real presence in this series. (Also of note is Sarita Choudhury, one of the new additions to the medical examiners, who has done more than capable work all season.)

If there are flaws in The Why Chromosome, it’s the lack of decent support we get from most of the male detectives. Lewis and Falsone, who are working a case together, start acting like children over the virtue of New Jersey over Maryland, and openly seem to doubt that Ballard and Sheppard can handle actual gangbangers. And the storyline with Munch, who is now on the verge of his wedding to Billie Lou, and for some reason has agreed to a vow of celibacy until the wedding, seems amateurish, as is the story where he tries to talk to her neighbor for beating on his girl. Yet I think there’s a method to this childishness, as Epstein probably trying to show the comic side of testosterone in the workplace. And the final moments, where it shows that Lewis still has problems when Sheppard even considers making overtures to him about their feud, does seem to play into that idea as well.

All in all, this episode reveals that there are still new ideas to be mined from Homicide even this late into the series run, which makes you feel all the more regretful that the end was fast approaching. One would like to see more cases where the two female detectives weren’t Cagney and Lacey.

My score:4.75 stars.