BEST COMEDY SPECIAL
Anthony Jeselnik: Bones and All (Netflix)
There was essentially no difference between this special and the show I saw at the Majestic Theatre in 2023. But it didn’t matter. This was another strong hour from the most unapologetically dark comedian in America. His refusal to play it safe for 20-plus years means he had no problem calling out his peers who spend most of their sets whining about not being able to use slurs or punch down. And he even had a stellar trans joke!
HONORABLE MENTIONS
The Boys – “Beware the Jabberwock, My Son”
This season of The Boys veered closer to reality than ever. But it also made for a bumpy ride, with the episode immediately following this marking an icky nadir for the series. Yet it could only be a letdown after an episode that packed in so much, including a deliciously nasty wrap-up to the leak subplot, a tearful farewell for a minor character, and… uh… flying, mutated sheep.
Curb Your Enthusiasm – “No Lessons Learned”
Did you expect anything else from Larry David? In this hilarious final season, he was hailed as a folk hero for violating Georgia’s (very real) electioneering laws by giving his friend a bottle of water. But of course Larry David is no hero. And this episode gave the actual Larry David a chance to revisit his controversial Seinfeld finale with an exhilarating do-over.
Monsieur Spade
If nothing else, this exquisite miniseries stayed true to Dashiell Hammett’s confusing plots. Clive Owen was magnificent as a Sam Spade who just wants to enjoy a glass of wine and a nude swim in the French countryside. But his idyllic life is disrupted when six nuns are brutally murdered at a nearby convent. The mystery will eventually come to involve a child prodigy, a missing witness, former French Resistance officers, and an old flame of Sam’s.
Pop Culture Jeopardy!
Don’t worry. The flagship is doing just fine, now under Ken Jennings’s sole leadership. But this spin-off is less for true trivia buffs and more for casual viewers. Colin Jost is quite affable as host, and the new quirks (like teams of three and the Triple Play clue) make for a delightful, if not exactly challenging, watch.
The Woman in the Wall
This BBC import had the hooks of a lot of mystery box shows. But every new revelation was gut-wrenching, and the ending was satisfying but not exactly cathartic. In a country where abuse, secrets, and shame hang over it like the cloudy weather, there are answers to be found, but you may not like them.