NEW SHOWS
Saturday Night Live – “Sterling K. Brown/James Bay” (B+)
Just two years ago, he was killing it among other well-established actors in The People v. O.J. Simpson. Now, the man has two Emmys and is giving it his all on SNL. While the sketches weren’t all winners, Brown proved he’s got real comedic chops even beyond his corny dad jokes on This Is Us. But my favorite recurring characters are now officially Eric and Donald Trump, Jr.
This Is Us – “The Wedding” (A-) / season finale
Gives us both an extreme bit of fan service and an ominous flash-forward. While this season’s been an improvement on the first, I don’t know if this will ever become a truly great show. But it’s definitely got me sucked in for another season, and has proven this could run forever (or at least until the cast agrees to stop).
A.P. Bio – “Freakin’ Enamored” (B)
Still endlessly charming, even if it’s overstuffed. I hope the show gets another season to figure out the right balance.
Atlanta – “Money Bag Shawty” (B+)
Pardon me if this brings up some bad vibes, but this episode brought to mind another show that serves as the best comparison: Louis CK’s elastic dramedy Louie. At least in this episode, there’s a continual feeling that no matter what good thing may happen to Earn (and by extension, Paper Boi and Darius), the other shoe is waiting to drop in a surreal way. Even if they all end up successful, assholes are still going to see them like Jay-Z in “The Story of O.J.” or Kanye West in “All Falls Down.”