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⭐ 8.5/10 This is a tournament between 6 all time Jeopardy greats, and it was a fun watch. I do think the episodes are too long, basically double episodes, but it still has the great pace. It did get tiring seeing the exact same people every episodes competing in different configurations, but that also meant you get to know a bunch of them really well. Shoutout to Paolo, who we had seen previously and both loved, and Andrew, who won our hearts. But Victoria, my goodness, I was not aware of your game! She is an absolute beast, and I was blown away watching her breadth of knowledge. Born to be a trivia genius, she dominated so many of these games. The real reason this gets a lower score is because the guy I didn't like won. Yogesh completed the title defense, but he is so uncharismatic and boring, and its annoying to see him spamming the buzzer when he is clearly to late, as if to say, I know this one too! Victoria totally choked in the final, with some Daily Double and Final Jeopard...

⭐ 9/10 Well well well, what do we have here. This show is actually good now?? I thought this season was a massive step up in every aspect. We have a new big bad villain again, but now its Adrian Brody! The stakes this season felt way higher, and they actually killed a family member! I've been begging for them to do this, and even though its the inconsequential brother it still felt like a dramatic shift for the show. Sometimes I feel like the show has plot arcs that never really lead to everything, but here everything felt connected to the families survival. The fallout from last season helped, and while everything was patched up kind of quickly I felt like the damage that was done persisted. The characters all feel changed from that moment on, and especially early, seeing Polly going through a religious psychosis and Arthur failing to adapt to peaceful living, it was just very effective. I do think the season had two golden opportunities and fumbled them both. One is in a traitor...

⭐ 10/10 A joy to see this back! All the same things as last season, a fun quiz show to watch with your partner, with a much higher probability of knowing the answers than true Jeopardy. A huge improvement here is that they went with teams of 2 instead of 3, so you still get a sense of the friend dynamics. Jess and I have been watching Jeopardy almost every night, and that show is a masterpiece, as mechanically perfected as any show could be. 20 minute episodes with skippable commercials baked in, so probably actually 18 minutes. It is down to a science, the pace is so perfect, and its so easy to just crush 3 in a row and feel like you even learned something! That's where going back to Pop Culture was difficult - these games are too long! Like 40 minutes, and Colin Jost is funny, but having to interact with 6 people, as well as little jokes between some of the questions, I was just really missing the pace. Then came the final, which they spread over 2 games, with a cumulative score...

⭐ 8.5/10 Despite my weirdly high score for the first season, I think this has been the best season so far. There are a bunch of flaws and I am constantly thinking of all my nits, but this season had a good balance of action, on-the-road hijinks, and character progression. The MVP of the season is Rhaenyra, specifically Emma D'Arcy, who I thought was fantastic. Episode 3 was the standout here, and while I always want this show to step outside the Red Keep, three was claustrophobic in all the best ways. Right down to the sound design, it made leadership feel like a heavy burden, one only complicated by her gender and what people expect from her. It's the type of episode Daenerys needed so badly. That episode coming off a two-episode battle is probably the best stretch of the season to date, even if there are parts of the battle I didn't like. My main complaint with the battles is that we have spent so little time with the important people in this battle. The woman leader in ...

⭐ 8/10 Probably the best season yet, I love that it started with a time jump. New setting, our characters have all progressed a bunch, its something that I think is important in these longer shows. No longer in the slums and living a luxurious life, that also means the villains get bigger (from mob leaders to politicians), and the stales get higher. There is a death early here that kind of propels the whole season, and I thought it was done well, even if that relationship never really worked for me. The new villain is Paddy Considine as an evil priest, which was cool, but I found his motivation and ultimate demise really lacking. That was my fear in season two, we keep just getting one season villains who have an unceremonious end. Sam Neill is missed, and I think there would have been a ton of room for him this season. The finale was exciting, definitely one of the best episodes of the series, and I thought the final note was very effective, kind of Tommy's Godfather moment, fami...

⭐ 7/10 If I had written this review a day ago it would have seemed really well timed, my praise of Sam Neill, but now it just seems like I am trying to get clicks off his death! But he is easily the best part of this season, going full villain after his heart being broken to end last season. I think he is really incredible as a villain, and it bothers me that he was only really a side character here, where my worst fears of just running back season one with a new mob boss villain came true. Actually, there are two bad mob bosses now, a Jewish one and an Italian one! Season one at least felt like it had some interesting story moments, this just felt like running it back. Grace and Inspector Campbell end last season with the sound of a gun and a cut to black. It looks like he killed her, but actually she shot him! But he's fine, just walks with a cane now. Super lame, especially because Grace does almost nothing this season. She's happy with a nice guy in New York, but then she ...

⭐ 8/10 This show is kind of everything I thought it would be, and that's a show that's quite good but not great. This plays out like a prequel to Boardwalk Empire, another show I thought was high quality but I didn't love. Its a classic tale of a mob family trying to make their way from a small player to the big leagues, much like Boardwalk Empire these guys specialize in gambling. I do love mafia stories, Sopranos and Scorsese stuff, and this felt indebted to everything that came before. One thing it has going for it is the setting. This post WWI Irish family, each with their own demons, trying to become to run their business but also protect their family. I thought the accents and everything were great, a specific period that I think is what draws people to shows like this. It's also a tight 6 episode season which I appreciated, never felt like there was any filler or any teases to be resolved next season. A complete story that had me excited to watch more. All that ...

⭐ 8.5/10 I was ready to write a review about how much better I thought this season was from the last, but I gave that a 9?! Not going to go modify that one, but we must have been in a starved of TV, because I have no good memories of that show. Production value is always there, but I thought Season 1 was a bit claustrophobic, concerned with only the politics of the Red Keep, and the changing cast was confusing and did not lead to me having any empathy for the characters. Also, create a new theme song cowards! Maybe it helps that I was not waiting a week between episodes, but I liked this season! Starts off with one of the more horrific events in the whole series. I didn't have the kids during the first season, but now those beats really land, I could hardly watch the funeral procession after. Speaking of kids, Aemond! Jace! Those boys are amazing, I thought incredible acting. Aemond in particular is so perfectly menacing, a bit of Joffrey but more powerful and adult. Best looking ...

⭐ 9/10 We were going through Pop Culture Jeopardy withdrawal and saw this on Crave. They don't have previous seasons, which we would have loved, but we settled to watch this tournament of champions, and loved it. The questions are easier, but not all pop culture like the formerly mentioned show, so you feel a lot smarter answering these. I will say some of the questions were way too easy, almost to the shock of the players, and there are some incredibly strong players here! Patton Oswalt, for example, busting out all this history knowledge. Celebrity is used loosely a bit here, no real super stars, but all pretty smart people. I was hoping Timothy Simons could come through but he had a pretty weak performance. The semi finals and finals were really incredible, with really close matches, one of which resulted in a come-from-behind win using deep Jeopardy betting logic in final jeopardy. It's really fun just answering questions, but then the competitiveness of a close game and t...

⭐8/10 Another season of Survivor and my complaints are the same as always. The ending always leaves a sour taste in my mouth because this game is pretty broken at this point. Another winner where you would have an impossible time explaining why they deserve to win to an audience that doesn't breathe Survivor.  But I won't let that get in the way of an amazing season! This was a big season bringing back popular players from the previous 50 seasons. I loved seeing all of the old players, most of which I wasn't familiar with. Lots of very fun personalities that led to great drama that only Survivor can manufacture. Again, the bones of this show are fantastic, and this season had it all. The drama, the scheming, a few meaty challenge beasts, debates over honor. I like that they aren't afraid to bring back the truly zany personalities. Mike White, Christian, Coach, Ozzy, Cirie, all legends, all fun to watch. The big twists were sometimes a lot of fun and other ti...

⭐ 9/10 I wasn't sure if Beef needed another season, and its very easy to draw some lines between analogous characters in both seasons, but this is very much a worthwhile followup to the first season. It hits on a bunch of the same themes as well, but what's wrong with more of a good thing? In this season, there are two couples. One is Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan (Llewyn Davis reunion), who run a fancy country club. The other is Cailee Spaeny and Charles Melton who work at the club. The younger couple sees the older have an explosive fight, they record it, use it as blackmail, and we are off. Melton is a revelation here! I loved him in May December, and here he is this dorky sweet jock, an unusual combo he completely nails. He is so funny, and so handsome, and so warm, I loved every scene he was in. Can't say I was an early stock holder but I'm all in now. Make this guy James Bond for all I care, I want to see him in everything. His dynamic with Spaeny is great, anot...

⭐ 4/10 Woof, what an actual dumpster fire of a final season. I've been conflicted about this show, its obsession with disgusting deaths and being as verbally raunchy as possible, but was always fascinated by this heroes as the bad guys thing, especially Anthony Starr as Homelander. He is so terrifying, or at least he was until this season. They clearly didn't know how to end this. The show always satirizes current day, but this goes beyond satire to just copying. Every hot-button thing you can think of is squeezed in here, we get it, the bad super heroes are like Republicans! And then Liberals are now "Starlighters", being thrown into internment camps for unclear reasons, just a really lazy photocopy of the polarization we see in American politics today. There is this writer in the show who writes movies, and he shows up a couple times to say meta lines about how difficult finales are, can't give everyone what they want. Give me a break, what a cop out veiled as ...

⭐ 7.5/10 The best season in recent memory, but still I show I mostly pan through. A highlight was Jost as Pete Hegseth and Aziz Ansari as Kash Patel, I love how biting and mean they have become about these idiots running the country, as they should be! Jost plays that macho frat energy so well, and if I was Pete I would lose sleep over this portrayal. There is Trump every week, which is exhausting, so their energy is a welcome change. I thought there were a ton of standout sketches, like Matt Damon as an auctioneer in a failing marriage, or the Olympic luger who is afraid of it, or Josh O'Conner with my guy Ben Marshall as sensitive male strippers. I love that Ben Marshall is part of the main cast, and while I miss the Please Don't Destroy trio their energy lives on in him. I hope he gets a bigger role going forward. Ashley Padilla is clearly the MVP here, and they use her in everything. She has this wacky crazy energy, but her facial expressions and attempt to have a calm ext...

⭐7.5/10 We went back to the early days of this show, but not toooooo early because the first seasons are pretty odd. This season is mostly normal, and I won't bore with too many details, but it's interesting to see how far it's come in the last decade.  First off, this show's main character, Paul Hollywood, is pretty different. Outside of perfecting the Hollywood look, he's also meaner in this season, more serious, harsher when it comes to criticism. He's no Gordon Ramsey, but he gives only one Hollywood Handshake all season! I've seen him give 3 handshakes in just one challenge in recent seasons! Old Hollywood has gone soft!  It was also interesting seeing how flavours and trends have changed over the years. This is all chocolate and strawberry and lemon. Not one mention of cardamom or elderflower here! I really do think the contestants are more talented and creative in recent years.  So that's it. Always a fun, comforting watch, but the for...

⭐ 9/10 The highly anticipated second season of a show my wife and I both loved! This was on par with season one, no real low spots, but it didn't take the leap the way I wanted it to. However, episode 3 was one of the funniest things I have seen in a long time, me and Jess were crying with laughter. Lots in common with the dinner party episode of The Office, kind of the same setup actually, and they crushed it, each character going through some uncomfortable or awkward situation. It was written by Stephanie Koenig, who also stars in the show, and its really cool that she got the chance to own an episode and absolutely crushed it. My favourite thing about this show is its two-sided takes on modern issue. Evan is super liberal, but teaching at a school in Texas, and his ultra-annoying fixations and stances are played well against some more apathetic teachers, or even teachers with opposing views. Its refreshing to hear genuine pushback to hot button issues of the day, without it bei...

⭐ 7/10 This is the show we turn to when we have nothing else to watch, because its not good enough to want to watch otherwise. Its sweet and has a good heart, but the characters aren't changing enough for it to be compelling. We also love another teacher-based show, so this feels like a step down every time. I do love Greg, and his Jim-ness plus how particular he is is a good combo. I hate how they always make fun of Morton, kind of like how they treat Jerry in Parks and Rec, except the joke was always that Jerry is actually really nice, and Morton here is just a sad guy they pick on, really strange choice. Similarly, Mr. Johnson the janitor is never funny. Every episode something goes missing, and wouldn't you know it, it's Mr. Johnson! They kind of always give him the Creed Bratton lines, say something unhinged or unrelated, but also lots of hints at a dark past. It all feels so played out. I think Season 3 had the bonus of bringing together the main couple, and this sea...

⭐9/10 This was the perfect show at the perfect time. It's hilarious, it's exciting, it's intense, it's smart. It really is the ultimate crowd pleaser, sure to engage pretty much anyone from the jump.  It's about Steven Yeung and Ali Wong getting into a road rage incident which sets off the craziest beef that completely spirals out of control. You become instantly invested in who gets the upper hand, and it's funny to watch because both of these characters have some admirable traits, yet they are so deeply flawed in more significant ways. Yeung is a hardworking handyman trying to support his family, but is also a completely insufferable narcacist. Wong is a successful businesswoman trying to keep it together so she can live a simple life caring for her daughter, and yet is a deranged sociopath with massive anger issues. The characters are incredibly written, so lifelike and well-realzied by their respective actors.  The plot is snappy and has a great ...

⭐ 8.5/10 This show is completely about how Hollywood romanticizes itself. Seth Rogan's character Matt becomes the head of a movie studio, a guy who loves "cinema" and wants to save it from all the slop, but ends up just being someone who fuels the slop machine. This push-pull of him trying to back projects that make money, but also please his superiors, is where a ton of the comedy comes from. In our age of streaming something that is kind of backwards looking like this is very timely. I shouldn't say backwards looking, its just interesting how people are dressed, what people drive, what the offices look like, clearly they are nostalgic for what Hollywood used to be. At the end of the day this show is funny, and that's what makes it worth watching. A couple of the episodes devolve into people losing their mind because of drugs or some other reason, and I don't find that funny at all. But a bunch of the other episodes remind me of the high-octane Bear episodes...

⭐6/10 Ah, a merciful end. I think the greatest strength of this show is that there are very few duds. This show rarely has you dying of laughter, but it also rarely swings and misses. But holy smokes, season 11 has a lot of misses. In previous seasons, you will laugh every minute or so. In this season, there will be intros that are painfully unfunny or moments that really make you cringe, and not in a good way. I'm sure there were changes with the writers or something because this is pretty clearly not the same show.  That doesn't mean this season can't still bring it! In fact, some of the bigger swings result in some classic Modern Family moments, like maybe the spa scene or the whole arc with Phil bonding with Clair's former lover in France. There are some gems, but they are fewer and further between for a show that has consistently been rock solid.  I'd say I'm sad to see this show go, but I have been in the process of letting go for honestly a ye...

⭐ 10/10 A godsend! Jess and I randomly stumbled into this one night and instantly fell in love. We both love trivia, and I used to watch tons of Jeopardy as a kid. This is basically easier Jeopardy with modern questions that we knew a ton of answers to! Hosted by Colin Jost, who is great, this is strangely 3 teams of three. Not sure why, maybe just a chance to get more people involved, but it also means tons of the questions are being answered, which makes it fun. Over the course of the tournament we both grew attached to certain teams, hated other teams, and when the playoffs began we were legit tense every Final Jeopardy! There were crazy comebacks, insane wagers, wild Daily Doubles that either propelled people to victory or completely sunk them. A very fun show, and we are sadder that it is over than I think I have ever been. Something I need answered is some of the wagering strategies. I get the general idea, but there were unexplainable bets that costed teams wins in several key ...