NEW SHOWS
Brooklyn Nine-Nine – “The Oolong Slayer” (A)
Another winner, this time beautifully focusing on the friendship between Peralta and Holt. By both having each other’s backs, everything returns to normal for the Nine-Nine, and the best sitcom on network TV continues to crush it.
Fargo – “Before the Law” (B+)
In a way, it feels like a remix of last season’s first and second episodes, but it’s still damn good. The cast is uniformly excellent, but it’s Bokeem Woodbine as the more thoughtful Kansas City henchman and Jean Smart as the Fargo matriarch that really makes it great.
The Mindy Project – “Road Trip” (B+)
Surprisingly little Mindy, but this off-beat episode often works, stranding Danny and Morgan in Oklahoma with Danny’s illegitimate son. The show really excels at character-driven humor, but it’s really added a lot of heart this season, and that’s made a big difference.
CURRENT SHOWS
Anthony Jeselnik: Thoughts and Prayers (A-)
His relentlessly dark jokes aren’t for everyone, but they’re certainly for me. Dead baby jokes take up much of his set, but he gloriously skewers P.C. culture with a smirk. His 9/11 jokes reek of trying too hard, but the rest deliver belly laughs that will make you feel horrible for laughing.
OLD SHOWS
The Simpsons (Season 9) – “Dumbbell Indemnity” (B)
Like “The Twisted World of Marge Simpson,” this is a great two-thirds of an episode that really doesn’t have an ending. Helen Hunt is simply radiant as Renee, the florist who takes a shine to Moe’s ugly mug. She’s one of the great guest spots because her character is one of Springfield’s truly genuine people. It’s just too bad they couldn’t find a way for both of them to have a happy ending. Still, this episode gave us Hail to the Chimp and the sight of Homer rolling out of a moving car only to roll right back in as it dives off a cliff.