What I Watched This Week: 29 Apr 2018

NEW SHOWS
Brooklyn Nine-Nine – “Bachelor/ette Party” (A)
One of the most joyous episodes of the season, with a Die Hard-themed scavenger hunt for Jake and a drunken encounter with an old one-night stand for Amy. Plus, Drunk Holt in a Kangol hat! But wait, there’s more! Reginald VelJohnson shows up as himself! And Hitchcock and Scully cosplaying as Cookie and Lucious from Empire!

Silicon Valley – “Artificial Emotional Intelligence” (B)
Lori has proven to be a notable foil, but it’s still such a bummer that we couldn’t have seen more of the guys with Christopher Evan Welch, because the writers only have one joke to go to with Lori. So her rivalry with Richard did next to nothing for me. But I loved everything in China and Dinesh vs. Guilfoyle is always a source of pleasure.

Barry – “Listen with Your Ears, React with Your Face” (A)
Another solid episode, until the action ramps up in the last 10 minutes, and then ends in the most shocking manner possible. It just proves this show has gears we don’t even realize.

Westworld – “Reunion” (A-)
A significant improvement on the premiere, with lots of time-shifting revealing more about both Delores and Bernard, and the more sinister backstories of William and Logan. The pitch meeting is one of the best things this show has ever done.

John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City (A)
Mulaney does it yet again, with a hilarious special that mines his childhood awkwardness and overbearing father into comedy gold, while touching on the weirdness of religious rituals, CAPTCHAs and the futility of going to college.

Legion – “Chapter 13” (A-)
Another devastating episode devoted to a single character, as we explore Lenny’s tragic backstory (geez, is there anyone in this group who didn’t grow up with trauma?) and learn the disturbing fate of David’s sister Amy. (Sorry, Katie Aselton, the show’s greatest misstep is that it never quite knew what to do with you.)

The Handmaid’s Tale – “Baggage” (B+)
An intense episode that makes the most of its long running time. While its ending is intense, it feels like a step back for a season that was going in a thrilling new direction. We’ll see.

The Americans – “Rififi” (A-)
Philip’s act of defiance leads to an awkward Thanksgiving and F-bombs from him and Elizabeth. But they end the episode back together, since the FBI is onto a comrade in Chicago, and Elizabeth can’t exfiltrate him alone.

A.P. Bio – “Drenching Dallas” (A-) / season finale
A poetic ending, as Jack ends up back in Toledo, but not by choice. See, his season-long quest to bring Miles down causes his own downfall. But maybe sticking around won’t be so bad. This show’s probably not getting renewed, but I’d love to see what they do with it if they get a second season.

Atlanta – “FUBU” (B+)
This flashback episode proves a universal truth, no matter what decade it is: Kids are the absolute worst.

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