NEW SHOWS
Big Little Lies – “The Bad Mother” (B+)
I’m firmly on Team Celeste after that part of the trial. Denis O’Hare gives an all-time evil lawyer performance as Mary Louise’s counsel. But all the ladies are on the verge of falling apart: Renata learns Gordon did the most cliche thing of all (slept with the nanny), Bonnie is ready to confess, Jane might also lose Ziggy to Mary Louise and Madeline might have seen her marriage slip away.
Frankenstein’s Monster’s Monster, Frankenstein (B-)
Generates more of a shrug and a “Huh?” than a lot of genuine laughs, but I’m glad someone is funding funny people’s weird ideas. Worth it for Harbour’s late-period Orson Welles impersonation.
The Handmaid’s Tale – “Heroic” (B)
A bottle episode that sends June to the brink before pulling her back. A lot of it doesn’t work, but the scene between the doctor (guest star Gil Bellows) and June, where they talk about her suicidal (not homicidal, as she insists) thoughts and actions, snapped it into place.
BINGEING
Deadwood – Season 3 (A- average)
Another tremendous season, with Gerald McRaney as the big bad. Al mostly does the right thing all season, but while it’s a bit unsatisfying since we never got a fourth season, it stands as one of the bleakest endings for any American show. After fighting against the forces of evil, making alliances with other factions, they lose. Big time.