NEW SHOWS
Brooklyn Nine-Nine – “The Fugitive” (B+)
Sometimes I miss NBC’s “super-sized” episodes that weren’t quite double-length. That would have been perfect for this episode. Its subplots are superfluous, but its main story of hunting down escaped convicts with the help of Doug Judy (returning guest star Craig Robinson) is aces as usual. But I am all in on Terry using reading glasses and a shawl while eating Cream of Wheat. It’s just too bad the show’s going on hiatus until the spring.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia – “The Gang Turns Black” (A+)
I don’t like to be hyperbolic, but it’s possible this is the greatest episode the show has ever done. It’s certainly in the top 10. A musical episode that’s also a body-swap comedy/Quantum Leap homage (complete with Scott Bakula cameo!), the gang switches places with African-American people who look nothing like them, then learn a horrifying lesson that they promptly un-learn, because this is Sunny we’re talking about. It’s an early front-runner for episode of the year.
The Good Place – “Chidi’s Choice” (A)
Throws a good half-dozen twists at the audience, but in a way that each one feels completely organic. My friend has a theory that one of the things the show will challenge is the idea of soulmates. I think we’re clearly seeing that in a way that, like the show, has zero cynicism.