NEW SHOWS
Documentary Now! – “Any Given Saturday Afternoon” (A-) / season finale
This is what was missing from “Long Gone.” This episode, about three former bowling champions competing for one last tournament has all the gags and all the pathos. Bobby Moynihan, Tim Robinson and Michael C. Hall all score at previously unknown levels of comedy. But it’s Kevin Dunn as the beleaguered network producer trying to juice some drama out of this boring pastime that steals the show. There’s also a treasure trove of little details, especially in the names of the sponsors, including that the league was bought in 2003 by Pets.com.
A.P. Bio – “Toledo’s Top 100” (B+)
Patton Oswalt throws 100mph in a rare episode that focuses on him, as he’s named into the top 10 most eligible bachelors in Toledo, while Jack is all the way down at 86. There’s also a thwarted student-teacher romance subplot that skates right up to the edge of the line, but reels it back in. It helped that the kids were already awkward and uncomfortable.
CURRENT SHOWS
A.P. Bio – “Wednesday Morning, 8 A.M.” (A-)
The show switches up its structure for a near-real time exploration of Jack’s attempts to get his special chair back from the hot lady in accounts payable. In doing so, the show delivers its best episode to date, setting up a potential romantic interest for Jack that actually could work.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine – “The Therapist” (B+)
David Paymer is excellent as the killer shrink, as is Cameron Esposito as Rosa’s new girlfriend. Terry being insecure about pleasing his wife in bed feels a little out of character, but at least it gives us some primo Hitchcock and Scully content.
Documentary Now! – “Long Gone” (B)
The show went political and absurd when it should have gone melancholy. Well-executed stylistically but its not that funny when it clearly wanted to be.
This Is Us – “Don’t Take My Sunshine Away” (B+)
The show explores the dichotomy between simple childhood relationships and extremely difficult adult relationships. Pulling Randall and Beth apart is certainly not a storyline I enjoy, but its raw emotions – and the performances of Sterling K. Brown and Susan Kelechi Watson – make it engrossing.