NEW SHOWS
This Is Us – “Kamsahamnida” (A-)
The sneaky great thing about this show is when it feels the most like traditional TV, where plot points occur just to fill time in an episode, is that there’s always a larger emotional point that’s they’re trying to make. And now that they’ve gotten more graceful in their metaphors, and the Big Three have more confidence, they almost all land now.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia – “The Gang Wins the Big Game” (B-)
As comedy, this is a disappointing episode. “The World Series Defense” this is not. But as a tribute to the other dirtbags of Philadelphia, finally getting a big win, it’s almost touching.
The Good Place – “A Fractured Inheritance” (A-)
Some have called this episode disjointed, but I’ll be damned if this episode didn’t get me choked up. I really wasn’t expecting this season to reckon with the ways we’re our parents’ children – or how much our flaws are a mix of their raising and our failure to fix them.