NEW SHOWS
Crashing – “MC, Middle, Headliner” (A-)
Dov Davidoff has long been this show’s secret weapon. In this episode – where his dated, misogynistic routine gets him demoted to middle act – all the resentment and bitterness from never making it to even the level of his co-workers comes bubbling up in a disastrous set and post-show meltdown. His character is pathetic, but Davidoff’s performance is brilliant.
True Detective – “Hunters in the Dark” (B+)
Even if this episode hinges on an absolutely absurd plot contrivance – Tom conveniently overhears two detectives discussing the exact details of the case that lead him to confront his junkie brother-in-law, which leads him to make a horrifying discovery – it’s still engaging, and balancing the mystery and Wayne’s personal life.
This Is Us – “Songbird Road, Part 2” (A-)
It remains to be seen if this show can pull off Kevin’s relapse without getting repetitive. But the show really nailed the arc of discovering Nick is still alive. It hit all the emotional beats it needed to, revealing the hurt inside Kevin and Rebecca, and the faulty memories of Kate and Randall. Plus, Griffin Dunne was tremendous. Hope he gets nominated for Guest Actor in a Drama Series this year.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine – “The Crime Scene” (A-)
A subplot-free episode, Jake and Rosa team up with the CSI expert (Michael Mosley, intentionally doing a riff on David Caruso) to solve a cold case. This isn’t quite as good as “The Box,” but it’s a compelling, hilarious episode, even if we don’t get to see most of the 99.