NEW SHOWS
Crashing – “The Christian Tour” (B)
The stuff on the tour is great, but the break-up and subsequent roasting by a quartet of female comedians feels a little tacked on.
This Is Us – “The Graduates” (B-)
A towering performance from Mandy Moore is undercut by the show repeating dramatic plotlines. We’ve already been through Kevin’s drinking and Kate’s pregnancy risks and Randall’s insistence that his political ambitions are more important than Beth’s dreams. Running this all back feels like lazy, panicked writing. Hopefully we’ll get some emotional breakthroughs before the season is out. Spinning its wheels for four more episodes sounds like a drag.
Documentary Now! – “Waiting for the Artist” (A)
Cate Blanchett shines as a parody of performance artist Marina Abramovic. It’s one of the show’s most hilarious and detailed episodes, and also is the rare one to have a genuine emotional core.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine – “The Golden Child” (B+)
Plenty of great antics from everyone, but while Lin-Manuel Miranda is positioned as the scene-stealer, as usual, he’s so great he makes someone else shine, in this case Melissa Fumero, showing tremendous range after her dramatic outing last week.
A.P. Bio – “Happiness” (B) / season premiere
Funny to be sure, but lacks the, eh, urgency(?) of the first season. It’s sweet, but a little predictable. But Paula Pell and Patton Oswalt make a great duo. If any show gets dropped because of the absolutely insane amount of shows in April, this will be it.