NEW SHOWS
Crashing – “Roast Battle” (A-) / season finale
I knew exactly where it was going from the jump, yet it was still devastating when it got there. I hope Jamie Lee returns in Season 3, because she was incredible. But this is and always has been Pete’s journey, and while he came out of his shell a little bit, he’s still got a lot of growing up to do. This was also the funniest episode of the season, with a ton of great jokes during the actual battles, especially Pete’s clean jabs (“I’ll go first. Unlike the women here, I’m OK with you following me.”)
This Is Us – “This Big, Amazing, Beautiful Life” (A)
I was already rolling my eyes when I saw the title of this episode. But that all melted away when I saw this brilliantly executed, devastating hour that revealed how Deja ended up sleeping in a car with her mom. It’s a heart-wrenching episode that gives a lot more depth to her mother and shows just how easy it can be to slip into homelessness even when you’re trying to do the right thing.
A.P. Bio – “Dating Toledoans” (B+)
Another winning, heart-warming episode that shows Jack is finally warming up to the people around him, however lame they might be.
Atlanta – “Sportin’ Waves” (B+)
Every scene in the show can is fraught with both the Robbin’ Season of this season’s subtitle, but also the casual and explicit racism the characters face on a regular basis, whether in a meeting with a white marketing executive trying to be hip, to the interview Tracy attends. We know that Tracy is a fraudulent thief who would probably be a terrible employee, but his super-white boss doesn’t. That doesn’t also mean this episode isn’t also hilarious.