NEW SHOWS
Reservation Dogs
“Fuckin’ Rez Dogs” (B+) / series premiere
“NDN Clinic” (A)
One of the strongest debuts of the year. This is a show with a deep sense of place, its own sense of humor and actors who truly seem to know their characters.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
“The Good Ones” (B-) / season premiere
“The Lake House” (A)
The premiere is so heavy-handed in its attempts to overcorrect after years of letting the audience think the crew at the 99 are the “good ones.” But its Holt-Amy story is sincere in the right way. The follow-up is a classic, as Jake tries to Parent Trap Holt and Kevin.
Ted Lasso – “Carol of the Bells” (A)
I knew I was being pandered to the entire time, but I didn’t care. This was exactly what a Christmas episode should be.
BINGEING
The Pursuit of Love (B+)
This limited series got mostly bad reviews from American press, but I’m not sure what more they could have wanted. This is a frothy adaptation with enough emotional grounding to keep us caring about our main pair. And yes, Emily Mortimer’s directorial style nicks from Wes Anderson and Sofia Coppola, but what style!