This week, we conclude my reviews of 31 new primetime TV shows.

Hello, this is Chris Young. Welcome to a special episode of Contemplating Life.

Back in Episode 75, I set myself the goal of writing a brief review of every new TV show that premiered from September through November this year. I accumulated a list of 31 shows.

I planned on making it one large episode, but it was too large, so I split it into two parts. This is Part B.

Unfortunately, many of the shows will receive my lowest two ratings of “Skip It” or “Worthless.” But there are some that I’m going to highly recommend.

CBS/Paramount+ brings us a new reality competition series, “The Summit.” A group of 16 people have 14 days to hike across a gorgeous New Zealand landscape and climb a mountain. Each contestant starts out with a package of thousands of dollars totaling $1 million for the group. If a contestant is eliminated for medical reasons or is eliminated for failing to meet a challenge, the money is lost to the group. But as they camp at each checkpoint along the way, the group votes out one member and splits that person’s money equally among them.

The gimmick is that if they don’t reach the summit in 14 days, NONE of them get any money. As a fan of shows like “Survivor” and “The Amazing Race,” I’m really enjoying this new take on reality competition. By the way, I never cared for “Big Brother” because it is almost 100% a social game and doesn’t require much in the way of physical challenges.

The thing that surprises me about this series is that the contestants must think they are playing “Survivor,” but they are not. They are consistently voting out players who they think are “a threat to my game.” They don’t seem to appreciate that if they don’t vote out the physically weaker players, they will ALL lose the money. This is not going to be a winner-take-all game with just one winner like “Survivor.” They need to be voting out the weakest players, guaranteeing that they can reach the summit by the deadline, and then work on voting out the people they don’t like socially.

I’ve seen about five episodes, so I don’t know what will happen, but I seriously hope they don’t meet the goal and everyone walks away with no cash. Maybe then, contestants in season 2, if there is one, will learn how to play this game.

We’re calling this one “I Really Like It.” And if you enjoy “Survivor” or “The Amazing Race,” I’m sure you will too, even if it’s just to yell at the screen to tell the contestants how stupid they are for throwing out strong players and slowing themselves down by keeping weaker players.

Now we get down to action and drama, and boy, we have some whoppers here.

Let’s start with the only questionable series in the bunch.

Apple TV+ brings us Billy Crystal, in a dramatic role in “Before.” Crystal plays child psychiatrist Eli Adler, who is grieving the recent loss of his wife to suicide. He blames himself for not seeing the signs of her depression. One evening, a young boy knocks on his door. The boy doesn’t speak, and Eli tries to find out where the boy is from and if he is in some sort of danger. The boy escapes before he can extract any information from him. The next day, a social worker tries to get him to take on a difficult case. He initially refuses because he still dealing with the grief of losing his wife. The social worker persuades him to meet the boy, and of course, it’s the same boy who showed up at his door.

The kid is troubled by bizarre visions of some evil force trying to attack him. The description of the series reveals that the “troubled young boy seems to have a haunting connection to Eli’s past.”

Although I normally like Crystal in both comedic and dramatic roles, this one was just too strange and slow-paced to grab me. I struggled through an episode, and I may go back again to see what happens when, overall, at this point, I’m going to have to say “Skip It,” even though it’s based on some pretty incomplete information. Again, I’m reluctant to commit to the show until I have a better idea of what it’s about. Based on my recent bad experience with “Grotesquerie.” The IMDB classifies it as “drama” and “thriller.” It doesn’t say “sci-fi” or “horror,” so I don’t think there is a supernatural component at work here, but I could be wrong. Proceed with extreme caution.

Next up, Amazon Prime offers us two new spy thriller series. “Citadel: Diana” and “Citadel: Honey Bunny.” These are both spinoffs from an earlier Amazon series, “Citadel.” The gimmick is that the original was produced in Britain, and the various spinoff versions are produced in other countries. Diana is an Italian series dubbed in English. Honey Bunny is from India and is also dubbed in English. I had not seen the original series, so I decided to go back and watch it first before taking on the spinoffs. I’m quite happy I did.

The opening sequence of a gunfight on a high-speed European train. It’s cinematic in its execution. It looks like something out of a James Bond movie. There is much chemistry between the male and female agents who are on board the train trying to stop the bad guys. The opening sequence ends with the destruction and derailing of the train and our two heroes barely escaping with their lives.

We fast-forward eight years to find the male agent has amnesia and doesn’t remember his life as a secret agent. When his former boss recruits him for a special mission, his wife inquires, “So what is the deal here… Are you Jason Bourne?” So, they are upfront about ripping off a plot. There are also other highly unoriginal scenarios, including a chase down a mountainside on snow skis reminiscent of James Bond in “The Spy Who Loved Me.”

Our hero eventually meets up with the female agent, who has similarly lost her memory. It turns out that they have had their memory wiped as a security precaution. There is a vile of medication that will restore his memory, but it is accidentally destroyed.

They work for an agency of good guys called Citadel. They have an archrival agency called Manticore. The whole thing feels like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. versus Hydra. The opening sequence on the train was one of several traps that Manticore set for Citadel, essentially destroying the agency. The series revolves around the efforts of the boss, played by Stanley Tucci, who is trying to revitalize the organization.

Despite all of these unoriginal plotlines, I really enjoyed this series. It had some great plot twists along the way, and the action and special effects were cinematic quality. Rate it “I Really Like It.” I highly recommend it.

After watching a couple of episodes of the Italian spinoff “Citadel: Diana,” showed some potential, but I did not find it nearly as compelling as the original. The series takes place in 2030, which is 10 years after the fall of Citadel. I’ll eventually go back and watch the rest of the series, but I was not as impressed as I was with the original. Let’s call this one a weak “I’m Watching.”

The version from India, while not as compelling as the original Citadel, is much better than the Italian spinoff. The title “Honey Bunny” actually refers to 2 married agents: Honey and her husband, Bunny. This story flashes back and forth between 2000 and 2010. In earlier flashbacks, we learn how Honey was recruited by the agency. In 2010, we find that they are married and have a young daughter. Watching Honey fight bad guys to protect her child was much more compelling than the CW series “Joan,” in which an allegedly humble single mother takes on the glamorous life of a jewel thief to regain custody of her daughter. You feel a lot more for Honey, Bunny, and their daughter than you ever do for Joan and hers.

Let’s rate this one a strong “I’m Watching.” It may not be as spectacular as the British original “Citadel,” but it still has plenty of action and drama. The kid is adorable, and you can really feel the struggles of her parents trying to maintain their secret life while protecting their daughter from the forces of evil.

My only complaint so far is that they’ve not mentioned that they work for Citadel, which leaves a nagging question: Could they possibly be working for Manticore and just believing that they are the good guys and not the bad guys? Then again, are the allegedly good guys at Citadel really good guys? I will be binge-watching the remaining episodes soon. All three series have six episodes each. The original Citadel has been renewed for a second season, which I’m really looking forward to.

Another thriller with an international flair is Peacock TV’s reimagining of “ The Day of the Jackal.” The original 1973 film based on the 1971 Frederick Forsyth novel was about an assassin hired to assassinate French President Charles de Gaulle in the 1960s. This updated version stars Freddie Redmayne, who is most known for his portrayal of Newt Scamander in the “Fantastic Beasts” franchise, and Professor Stephen Hawking in “The Theory of Everything.” It’s strange to see him playing a bad guy, but he pulls it off well. This series is as much about him as it is about a British MI6 firearms agent, Bianca Pullman, who struggles to balance her life as an agent with her home life with her husband and daughter.

In this version, Jackal assassinates a German politician, which draws attention to him because it involves the longest sniper kill in history. A group of businessmen hires him to kill the richest man in the world – a tech entrepreneur who is about to release software that will trace any banking transaction in the world, thereby exposing all of their money laundering, bribes, and other transactions they would prefer to be kept secret.

Five of the 10 episodes are available now, and I can’t wait to see the remaining episodes. I’ve heard it’s been renewed for a second season, but I can’t imagine it ends with the Jackal getting away. I’m not sure what will happen in the second season. Rate this one: “I Really Like It.”

Just for fun, I’m also re-watching the original 1973 film and, for the first time, reading the book at the same time. I highly recommend the new theories, the book, and the original film. I can’t comment on the 1997 film “The Jackal” starring Bruce Willis and Richard Gere, but I know that novelist Frederick Forsyth insisted his name be removed from the film. That’s one strike against it.

Moving along to another action drama, Amazon Prime has “Cross” about Detective Alex Cross from the novels by James Patterson. This DC homicide detective is also a trained psychologist. In the opening scene, his wife is murdered. We then skip ahead one year later, where we see him filling out forms requesting a leave of absence. His Captain and the Chief of Police have different plans. They need an African-American detective to investigate the death of a community organizer. Although the official cause of death is a drug overdose, no one believes that. Cross and his partner, John, find plenty of evidence that the deceased did not overdose.

Eventually, they begin to realize they are dealing with a serial killer who is kidnapping victims and giving them a makeover to make them look like famous serial killers. In the first episode, you will learn who the killer really is. You follow along as Detective Cross first tries to identify the killer and then, upon doing so, has to figure out how to catch him and make his case. Meanwhile, Cross, his children, and his grandmother are all being threatened by a stalker. This stalking is related to the death of his wife.

This is a very enjoyable wild ride that I highly recommend. Rate this one: “I Really Like It.”

Another procedural drama worth checking out is the new CBS spinoff NCIS: Origins. Set in 1991, it follows the opening days of agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs’s career as he joined what was then called NIS: Naval Investigation Service. We see his relationship with his old friend, Agent Mike Franks, whom we saw in the original NCIS in 20 episodes.

Mark Harmon provides a voiceover as the present-day Agent Gibbs. The narration teases that of all the stories of his past, these are the ones he has never told before. We see Gibbs still struggling with the murder of his wife and daughter. Franks recruited him even though he failed his psych evaluation.

Having only seen a couple of episodes, I can tell it’s going to be up to par with the other versions of the NCIS franchise, and for now, I’m giving it an “I’m Watching It.” However, I’m not sure if I will be able to keep up because I’m at least two or three seasons behind on the original NCIS. So maybe it’s better to describe it as “Recommended Watchable.”

Just two more to go.

Apple TV+ offers us a thriller called “Disclaimer.” Cate Blanchett plays Catherine Ravenscroft, a respected award-winning documentary journalist. Kevin Klein plays an elderly widower, Stephen Brigstocke. He is forced to take a sabbatical from his teaching job, and while puttering around the house, he discovers his late wife wrote the manuscript of a novel fictionalizing the events of their son Jonathan’s death 20 years ago.

In the novel, Jonathan is on vacation in Italy and meets an attractive young woman with whom he has an affair. We learn that the woman is Catherine. She was on vacation with her husband and five-year-old son, but the husband was called back to work. In the novel, she seduces Jonathan, and he takes a series of erotic photos of her. Stephen discovers the photos with the manuscript.

While Jonathan and the woman were having sex in a beachside cabana, the young boy drifted out into the Mediterranean in a small inflatable raft. Jonathan swims out to save the boy. Two other bystanders join him and bring the boy back safely, but Jonathan is so exhausted he cannot make it back and drowns.

Stephen decides to get revenge on Catherine. He will ruin the woman’s life as she has ruined the lives of him and his late wife. He self-publishes the novel under a pseudonym and sends a copy to Catherine, her husband, and their now 25-year-old son.

The book contains a disclaimer that reads, “Any resemblance to real people is NOT a coincidence.”

The series uses a variety of voiceover narrators. Some are of Stephen, others Catherine, and sometimes an omniscient narrator who speaks in the second person present tense, which is a bit strange but effective.

Stephen becomes so obsessed that he will stop at nothing to get his revenge. With each victory along the way, Klein delivers an evil smirk that shows Steven’s joy that his plan is working.

Although a bit slow-moving and difficult to follow at first, with multiple flashbacks and flash-forwards, this one will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the 7 episodes. There are award-worthy performances from Klein and Blanchette, as well as great supporting work by Sacha Baron Cohen as Catherine’s husband, Robert, in a rare dramatic role. Also noteworthy is Louis Partridge as Jonathan and Kodi Smit-McPhee as the adult son Nicholas.

There is a huge plot twist in the final episode that you will not see coming. But in some respects, we enter the story through Stephen’s eyes, and the twist is a surprise to him that we really feel. I was concerned it was going to end with the audience not being sure what really happened, but there is no doubt at the end as to what the truth really was.

Again, it is very slow-moving but well worth your time. Let’s rate this one “I Really Like It.” Strongly recommended.

Finally, here is the review of the last of the 31 new TV series.

CBS/Paramount+ offers us a 10-episode series, “Landman,” starring Billy Bob Thorton as Tommy Noris. He works for an oil company in the oil fields around Midland, Texas.

In the opening scene, we find him in a remote warehouse, tied to a chair with a burlap bag over his head, being guarded by some nasty-looking guys with guns. When the boss arrives, he asks, “So you are going to take our land to drill oil?” Tommy calmly explains that the man purchased the land from someone who had previously sold the mineral rights. All he is there to do is negotiate a lease for the surface rights to put in a road and set up the drills.

After some fascinating exposition, Tommy explains that the oil company is bigger than this man’s drug business. Tommy says, “We are the same. Your customers are dependent upon your product, and so are mine.” He threatens that if they don’t cooperate, he will see to it that the DEA sets up a substation on the property, and/or the oil company will hire mercenaries to eliminate them all. The company will pay them for a lease to the surface rights as well as reparations for any damage that is done to the land.

After escaping with the signed lease and his life, Tommy has a voiceover narration that explains how massive the oil industry is. He then comments, “You gotta secure the rights and lock up the surface. Then babysit the owners, babysit the crews. Then manage the police and the press when the babies refuse to be sat. That’s my job. Secure the lease, then manage the people. First part’s pretty simple. It’s the second part that can get you killed.”

Really? This guy was just tied up and about to be killed by a bunch of cartel bad guys, and that was the simple part of the job?

After two episodes, one starts to understand he was right. We see Tommy managing one crisis after another, and most of them are deadly.

The action sequences, special effects, and stunts are top-notch. They must’ve had a massive budget for the series. Thornton creates a memorable character, as always. We have memorable supporting roles: Ali Larter as Tommy’s ex-wife, Jon Hamm as the head of the oil company, and a cameo by Demi Moore as his wife.

I’m giving this one a very strong “I Really Like It.” I can’t wait for the remaining episodes. Very highly recommended.

Let’s do a brief recap of all 31 series we have reviewed in the order in which they premiered.

Fox animation “Universal Basic Guys” rated “Worthless.”

ABC police procedural “High Potential” rated “I’m Watching It.”

Disney+ Marvel series “Agatha All Along” rated ”I’m Watching It.”

HBO/Max “The Penguin” rated a strong “I Really Like It,” and after seeing all 10 episodes, I can almost upgrade this to “Must See.” Destined for multiple Emmy nominations and hopefully several wins. Again, this is a gangster movie, not a comic book movie. I think anyone would like it.

CBS/Paramount+ legal drama “Matlock” starring Kathy Bates rated “I Really Like It.”

Fox drama “Rescue Hi-Surf “ rated strong “Skip It.”

NBC medical drama “Brilliant Minds” rated very weak “Could Be Watchable.”

Fox police procedural “Murder in a Small Town” rated “Skip It.”

FX/Hulu horror series “Grotesquerie” rated “Skip It.”

ABC cruise ship romantic comedy “Doctor Odyssey” rated “Skip It.”

CBS/Paramount+ reality competition “The Summit” rated “I Really Like It.”

CW network crime drama “Joan” rated a weak “I’m Watching It” or “Could Be Watchable.”

CW game shows “Trivial Pursuit” and “Scrabble” rated “Skip It.”

Amazon Prime spy drama “Citadel” rated “I Really Like It.” Italian spinoff “Citadel: Diana” rated a weak “I’m Watching It.” East Indian spinoff “Citade: Honey Bunny” rated strong “I’m Watching It.”

Peacock horror series “Teacup” rated strong “Skip It.”

Apple TV+ revenge drama “Disclaimer” rated strong “I Really Like It.”

Max CGI animated children’s show Barney’s World rated “Recommended Watchable” for its target audience.

CBS/Paramount+ crime procedural “NCIS: Origins” rated “I’m Watching It.”

CW reality show “The Wranglers” rated “Skip It.”

Amazon Prime game show “Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity” rated “Skip It.”

CBS/Paramount+ sitcom “George and Mandy’s First Marriage” rated “Could be Watchable.”

NBC sitcom “Happy’s Place” starring Reba McIntyre, rated “Could Be Watchable.”

CBS sitcom “Poppa’s House” starring Damon Wayans, Sr. and Jr., rated “Could Be Watchable.”

Apple TV+ drama “Before” starring Billy Crystal rated “Skip It.”

Disney Channel tween sitcom “Wizards Beyond Waverley Place” rated “Recommended Watchable” for its target demographic.

Peacock thriller “Day of the Jackal” rated “I Really Like It.”

NBC/Peacock sitcom “St. Denis Medical” rated “Skip It.”

Amazon Prime crime thriller “Cross”, based on James Patterson’s novels, rated “I Really Like It.”

Finally, Paramount+ drama “Landman” starring Billy Bob Thornton rated “I Really Like It.”

So that’s it with all my reviews. I’m not sure where we go from here. It will probably be more about the aftereffects of having to quit work for health reasons and the establishment of my work-from-home software business. Then, early next year, it will be Oscar season again. There will be more prime-time shows in January, but I don’t know if I will do this again.

If you find this podcast educational, entertaining, enlightening, or even inspiring, consider sponsoring me on Patreon for just $5 per month. You will get early access to the podcast and other exclusive content. Although I have some financial struggles, I’m not really in this for money. Still, every little bit helps.

As always, my deepest thanks to my financial supporters. Your support means more to me than words can express.

Even if you cannot provide financial support. Please, please, please post the links and share this podcast on social media so that I can grow my audience. I just want more people to be able to hear my stories.

All of my back episodes are available, and I encourage you to check them out if you’re new to this podcast. If you have any comments, questions, or other feedback, please feel free to comment on any of the platforms where you found this podcast.

I will see you next time as we continue contemplating life. Until then, fly safe.

This week, we have the first part of a two-part episode in which I review more new TV shows. The final part will be available in a few days.

Hello, this is Chris Young. Welcome to a special episode of Contemplating Life.

Back in Episode 75, I set myself the goal of writing a brief review of every new TV show that premiered from September through November this year. I accumulated a list of 31 shows. I did several of them in episode 75 and intended to do a review episode every other week until I was done. But I got on a roll with writing my regular autobiographical podcast, and some of the TV shows were so good I had to binge-watch the entire season. So, I’m just now getting around to finishing up the remaining reviews. I should probably split this into two episodes, but I’m just going to make a really long one since it probably won’t come out on time. I apologize in advance for the length.

I was going to make this one big long episode, but after doing some editing I realized it was just too long. So, we are going to split this into Parts A and B. Here is Part A.

Unfortunately, many of the shows will receive my lowest two ratings of “Skip It” or “Worthless.” But there are some that I’m going to highly recommend. So, let’s get rid of a bunch of the stinkers first.

For some reason, I’ve never been a big fan of Fox’s Sunday evening animation. I’ve probably only seen one or two episodes of “The Simpsons.” I appreciate that it is highly popular. It has run for 36 seasons and earned 37 Primetime Emmy Awards, but for some reason, it never appealed to me. I know that other Fox animated series have been popular as well, most notably “Family Guy,” but I’ve never seen it. So, I’m probably not well-qualified to be objective about the newest entry in the lineup, “Universal Basic Guys.”

The premise is that a bunch of guys got laid off from work, and as severance, they were awarded guaranteed universal basic income. Other than the title and an opening sequence explaining that premise, the concept of UBI never came up in the first episode. It seems that it’s just a gimmick to explain a bunch of guys who sit around with nothing to do all day except come up with harebrained schemes. In the first episode, our lead character, Hank, tries to do his wife a favor. She is upset that the local country club does not admit women, and she wants to play golf there. He cooks up a scheme to get admitted to the club to try to get her access. It turns out that the members’ wives want to keep the club male only to keep their husbands occupied so that they can pursue more important feminist agendas. It’s not very funny. It doesn’t work as social commentary. I’m sure that other Fox animated series are more entertaining. We’re giving this one a big fat “Worthless” rating.

I’m similarly unqualified to be objective about the next entry from Fox – “Rescue: Hi-Surf.” This is a basic ripoff of “Baywatch” set in Hawaii. It follows the lives of a bunch of lifeguards who cover the beaches of the North Shore and rescue people in trouble in the high surf. While the action sequences of rescues are well done and exciting, you can’t help but feel it’s going to be the same thing week after week. How many different ways can a surfer get in trouble and be rescued? The characters are thinly drawn. The only plot is a politician who holds the pursestrings over the program insisting that his son be hired as a lifeguard. Wow. How compelling…No, not really. If you’re desperate to see beautiful people running around in bathing suits, go watch the new ABC series “Doctor Odyssey,” which we gave a bad review of last time. It’s not any good either, but it’s better than this. I’m giving this a strong “Skip It” bordering on “Worthless.”

I hate to trash Fox continually, but I also give the new procedural “Murder in a Small Town” a hard pass. The title tells you everything you need to know. I watched the opening episode about a week ago, and I’ve already forgotten what it was about. They solved the murder, so there will be a new case every week. There is nothing to see here. Again, I rate it “Skip it,” bordering on “Worthless.”

Let’s take a quick look at several new game shows. The CW network offers “Trivial Pursuit,” hosted by LeVar Burton, who was recently rejected as a possible host of “Jeopardy!” I had no problem with his ability to host the iconic game show, even though I really like Ken Jennings, who is the new permanent host. I have no problem with Burton hosting this show. But this show is extremely boring. The pace is too slow, and the questions are either trivially easy or ridiculously difficult. Rating it strong “Skip It.”

I was even less impressed by CW’s other adaptation of the board game “Scrabble.” While I enjoy playing the game, watching other people play it is incredibly boring. You’ll never find yourself saying, “They played the wrong word! They could’ve scored higher if they’d spelled something else.” Host Raven-Symoné is adequate but brings nothing interesting. Another strong rating of “Skip It.”

Only slightly less boring is Amazon Prime’s “Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity.” While I generally enjoyed the original “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader,” this spinoff, which uses adult celebrity helpers rather than fifth-grade children, lacks all of the charm of the original. It might be better if they used celebrity kids to help adult contestants rather than adult celebrities helping adult contestants. The format is identical to the original “5th Grader” game. Contestants answer questions ranging from first through fifth-grade levels. Host Travis Kelce brings nothing interesting to the effort. I doubt that his relationship with Taylor Swift will draw viewers to this show, even though she vastly increased the viewership of Kansas City Chiefs NFL games. Unless she shows up as one of the celebrity helpers, I doubt the Swiftlies will tune in. Kelce lacks the charm and humor of original “5th-grader” host Jeff Foxworthy.

Speaking of Kelce, he is a better game show host than an actor. He has a minor part in the Hulu series “Grotesquerie,” but his performance was grossly inadequate and amateurish.

So, let’s talk about “Grotesquerie.”

I’m not a huge fan of the horror genre, but this one caught my attention from the beginning, and I had high hopes for it. It stars Niecy Nash as Detective Lois Tryon, who is trying to solve a series of bizarre homicides in which the killer leaves the bodies staged in bizarre tableaus filled with religious symbolism. She is accompanied by a young nun who is a reporter for a Catholic newspaper and website. Her true crime articles about this bizarre serial killer not only increase the readership of her website but also boost attendance at local churches. This show is highly reminiscent of the NBC series “Hannibal,” which ran for 39 episodes from 2013-2015. That series covered the early days of the killing career of iconic character Dr. Hannibal Lecter, brilliantly portrayed by Mads Mikkelsen. I really enjoyed “Hannibal” and was ready to declare this a worthy successor.

This is a compelling mystery with excellently written episodes and deeply drawn characters with despicable flaws. With the exception of Travis Kelce, there are quality performances throughout.

I found “Grotesquerie” so disturbing I actually had a nightmare about it.

Throughout the first 6 1/2 episodes of the series, I wondered if there was going to be a supernatural component to this story. The series was co-created by Ryan Murphy, who is known for his excellent series “American Horror Story,” so it would not surprise me if there were a supernatural plot element. I’ve only seen 8 of the 12 seasons of “American Horror Story,” but my favorite was season 7, which contained absolutely no supernatural elements. Often, real life can be more terrifying than demons and witches.

Episode 7 of “Grotesquerie” introduces a plot twist that completely upends the entire story. By the end of the series, in episode 10, you will be totally confused. Although I think I understand “what really happened,” the entire thing was such a disappointment that it left a really bad taste in my mouth. It turns out to be another version of a horror trope that I’ve never liked in any of its other implementations, and this one did nothing to change my opinion. I won’t spoil it by telling you what trope I’m talking about.

Had I written this review prior to episode 7, I would have given it a strong “I’m watching it” rating. But all I can say at this point is that I watched it, and I’m not sure it was worth the time. Your mileage may vary. Let’s officially downgrade this to “Skip It.”

By the way, I love a good plot twist. But when the twist reveals that the story is deliberately deceiving the audience rather than just setting up a mystery or a big reveal, I cannot help but feel betrayed. While we are on the topic of betraying the audience, I want to talk briefly about the 2022 Netflix film “On the Line” starring Mel Gibson. By the way, I’ve always been able to separate the art from the artist, so no matter how I feel about him as a person, I’ve always been able to enjoy his work both as a director and actor. He gives a quality performance in this deeply flawed film.

Gibson plays a late-night radio talk show host that takes phone calls from listeners. Someone calls in, claiming to have kidnapped his wife and daughter. We eventually learn that he is holding them in the office building where the radio studio is located. Gibson and a new employee who runs the control room start searching the empty office building. Along the way, they find the bad guy has killed a security guard and a janitor.

As the show reaches its climax, there is a plot twist that will leave you extremely angry. I won’t hint at what it is. Just when you are about to forgive them for tricking you with this ridiculous twist, and you think the movie is back on track, there is another twist guaranteed to piss you off again. I tried to explain these twists away, saying that the characters in the film were heartless people who toy with each other’s emotions, but ultimately, the real victim is you, the audience, that is toyed with throughout the film.

Going back to the horror genre for a moment and back to our TV reviews, we have the Peacock TV series “Teacup.” It is described as a horror sci-fi thriller in which a group of neighbors who are trapped on a farm in rural Georgia must put aside their differences and unite in the face of a mysterious and deadly threat. It stars Yvonne Strahovski, who was recently seen as one of the villains in “A Handmaid’s Tale” and Scott Speedman, who is known for playing Dr. Nick Marsh on “Gray’s Anatomy” for 37 episodes.

Somehow, I managed to struggle through the first episode, but it took me multiple attempts. I’m hoping that because IMDb described it as sci-fi, it’s some sort of alien invasion rather than demonic possession, but I couldn’t get far enough into the show to find out even the basic premise. That description, which says these people are trapped on a farm, like a bug trapped under a teacup, presumably, only becomes apparent early in the second episode, which I couldn’t stand watching. I will be generous and rate it a solid “Skip It” rather than “Worthless” because there is the tiniest possibility it could get better. It runs just eight episodes, so maybe if you have more patience than I do, you can figure it out. But the pacing is so slow that it is unbearable, and I just couldn’t stand it.

While I enjoy reality competition shows like “Survivor” and “The Amazing Race,” I’ve never been a fan of so-called reality shows like “Real Housewives” or Kardashians. CW network has a new series described as a “Documentary charting the lives of ranch employees in Montana, navigating personal relationships and work duties at the Circle Bar Dude Ranch.” This has to be the most phony “reality” show I’ve ever seen. In case you are unaware, a “dude ranch” is where city slickers go on vacation to experience allegedly authentic cowboy life. The casts of wranglers, ranch managers, and other staff are about 60% female. While that is commendable, it could hardly be considered an authentic representation of classic cowboy life. The job of head wrangler is open so the staff is going to be competing for the new position. The previews hint that there are going to be romantic entanglements among the staff. The whole thing simply wreaks of fake situations created by the producers. Let’s call this a strong “Skip It” unless you are the kind of person who would go to a dude ranch but can’t afford it.

That wraps up most of the really bad ones. Let’s move on to something slightly more interesting. The CW network has a new series called Joan, based on the real-life exploits of British thief Joan Harrington, who was known in some circles as the “Godmother.”

It stars Sophie Turner, best known for playing Sansa Stark in “Game of Thrones,” and Frank Dillane, who played Nick Clark in 44 episodes of “Fear the Walking Dead.”

Turner plays Joan, an ordinary British housewife whose boyfriend is a small-time criminal. Fearing for her daughter’s safety, she turns the girl into Child Protective Services, telling them that she is homeless and cannot care for her daughter. She gets a job working in a jewelry store and has the opportunity to make off with a handful of diamonds. She tries to sell the diamonds to an antique dealer named Boisie, played by Dillane. They fall in love and begin working on bigger jobs.

We are supposed to sympathize with Joan, who is turning to a life of crime to establish herself financially and get her daughter back from authorities. Personally, I don’t feel that much sympathy for her. Had she made some smarter choices and stayed legitimate, she would’ve had a better chance of getting her daughter back. But now, enjoying the fruits of a life of crime seems to be more of a motivating factor than regaining custody of her daughter.

I’ve seen three of the six episodes, and so far, I’m giving it a week rating of “I’m Watching,” but I’m doing so more out of curiosity to see what happens than because it’s a compelling story, which it is not.

Let’s look at some sitcoms. Maybe we can find something to laugh about there.

NBC/PeacockTV brings us “St. Denis Medical.” I’ve never been a big fan of the “mock documentary” format in which the story is interrupted by the characters talking to an unseen interviewer. It worked for “Modern Family,” but I’ve never cared for any of the other uses of this gimmick, such as “The Office.” It’s not just the format that stinks here. Sadly, this works much better as a drama than it does a comedy. I’m not talking about the kind of mix of comedy and drama we saw in a series like “M*A*S*H,” which could get uproariously silly, but then there would be a poignant moment to reflect the dire circumstances of the setting. The show tries to be funny, but it isn’t. When it goes for poignant, it almost works, but it fails so miserably at the comedy that is not worth waiting for the touching parts. I’m giving this one a strong “Skip It.”

CBS/Paramount+ brings us “George and Mandy’s First Marriage.” It is a spinoff from “Young Sheldon,” which is, in turn, a spinoff from “The Big Bang Theory.” I never missed a single episode of BBT, and I must admit I’m about a season and a half behind on “Sheldon,” but I have been catching up. In this series, Montana Jordan reprises his role as George Cooper, big brother to Sheldon. His wife, Mandy, is played by Emily Osment, who appeared in 39 episodes of “Young Sheldon.” I don’t particularly recall her because George had lots of girlfriends in the series. And as I mentioned, I’m way behind.

My guess is that there was an episode of “Sheldon” that served as a pilot for this series. It seems to hit the ground running, assuming that you already know that the young couple is living with her parents. Mandy has such a difficult relationship with her mother that, at first, I wasn’t sure it really was her mother but perhaps a stepmom. In the opening episode, after a feud with her mom, in which her mother questions George’s intelligence, the couple moves out and tries to make it on their own. By the end of the episode, they make up and move back in with her parents.

My number one criterion for a sitcom is that it has to make me laugh. I may have chuckled once or twice, but I can’t remember at what. We will be generous and call this one “Could Be Watchable.” However, given that I am a huge fan of the parent shows from which this spinoff was created, I’m severely disappointed. I would have rather seen a spinoff series with Sheldon’s sister, Missy.

NBC is keeping Reba McIntyre busy these days. In addition to her role as a coach/mentor on “The Voice,” she returns to scripted television and a new sitcom called “Happy’s Place.” In this series, she plays Bobby, a woman who just inherited a diner from her father, who had the nickname “Happy.” As she is trying to manage the restaurant while dealing with the loss of her father, she discovers she has a half-sister she never knew about who is now co-owner of the facility.

The character McIntyre is playing has the exact same perky personality as her own, so there is no acting stretch involved here at all. I never saw her previous self-titled sitcom, so I can’t really compare this, but if you were expecting anything different, you won’t find it here.

If I laughed, I don’t recall at what, but I will be generous and give this one a weak “Could Be Watchable.” But it’s not for me.

A slightly better choice if you’re looking for a new sitcom might be “Poppa’s House.” Damon Wayans plays Damon “Poppa” Fulton, who is a radio personality. He is forced to take on a female psychologist as a new sidekick on his popular show to attract a more diverse audience. At home, he deals with his son Damon Jr., played by Damon Wayans Jr. Was the writing team so untalented that they couldn’t even come up with a fictitious first name for these characters, or were the Wayans such bad actors they couldn’t remember to refer to one another by the character names consistently? Draw your own conclusions.

That said, the show did have some laughs. Both stars have proven their comedic talents in other vehicles, and you can see them shine in this open-ended situation, which essentially lets them play themselves. I will give this one a stronger “Could Be Watchable,” but I don’t have room for it in my busy viewing schedule. You might want to check it out and see if it appeals to you.

The only other comedy that has potential is Disney Channel’s “Wizards Beyond Waverley Place.” As best I can tell, this is a spinoff of “Wizards of Waverly Place,” which ran for 106 episodes from 2007- 2012. I’ve never seen the original. David Hernie reprises his role as Justin Russo, who, in this series, has decided to give up his wizardly powers and live the normal life of a mortal. His wife and children have no idea about his magical past.

Life gets turned upside down when his sister Alex, played by Selena Gomez, brings him a young girl named Billy, who is a wizard in training. Apparently, Justin was a teacher at a wizard school in the previous series. Billy conjures up a silly monster to impress Justin’s children and then can’t figure out how to put it back from wherever it came from.

Although the kids now know that Billy is a wizard, they remain clueless about their father’s abilities, as does his wife.

This Disney Channel series is clearly aimed at a younger audience, and I think it will do well with them and fans of the original series. It shows lots of potential. Let’s call this one “Recommended Watchable,” which means if you like this kind of thing, I can highly recommend it, but personally, I will not be watching.

While we’re on the topic of watchable kid’s shows, Max streaming has a CGI animated kids’ show called “Barney’s World” featuring the iconic purple dinosaur. As I understand it, only kids can see him, and he has the ability to transport them to fantasy situations that only they can experience. The show is full of positive life lessons about being responsible, cooperative, and helpful, along with a dose of positive vibes about diversity. If you are anti-woke, then you are probably out protesting this show right now. But for reasonable parents, the show is completely harmless and quite positive. Obviously, it’s not for me, but we will call this one “Recommended Watchable” for your toddlers.

That’s going to wrap up for Part A of this two-part episode. Give me a couple of days to edit Part B, which will be coming very soon.

If you find this podcast educational, entertaining, enlightening, or even inspiring, consider sponsoring me on Patreon for just $5 per month. You will get early access to the podcast and other exclusive content. Although I have some financial struggles, I’m not really in this for money. Still, every little bit helps.

As always, my deepest thanks to my financial supporters. Your support means more to me than words can express.

Even if you cannot provide financial support. Please, please, please post the links and share this podcast on social media so that I can grow my audience. I just want more people to be able to hear my stories.

All of my back episodes are available, and I encourage you to check them out if you’re new to this podcast. If you have any comments, questions, or other feedback, please feel free to comment on any of the platforms where you found this podcast.

I will see you next time as we continue contemplating life. Until then, fly safe.

This week, we have a special episode where I review six new TV shows and one movie that have recently premiered.

Hello, this is Chris Young. Welcome to a special episode of Contemplating Life.

Years ago, I used to write an entertainment blog in which I would post non-gossip entertainment news. That is, I didn’t care who was sleeping with whom. I didn’t care who got divorced or broken up or got married or got arrested for something. I simply covered things like what new TV shows were being released, what new movies were in production, what was being canceled, who was going to guest star, etc. I also did movie and TV reviews. Obviously, I couldn’t see every new movie. I did attempt to watch at least one episode of every new TV show in the new fall and midseason to review it.

Unfortunately, I got busy, and some of my favorite web sources quit putting their content on an RSS feed. This made it hard for me to keep up with the latest news. Although the broadcast networks still release new shows in the fall and some midseason premieres, streaming services release new shows all the time, and there are just too many to keep up with. For example, I just finished binge-watching three seasons of the hit show Ted Lasso on Apple TV+, even though it was highly recommended to me by many people and won 13 Emmys. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it. It’s still streaming on Apple TV+ and is available for purchase on Blu-ray.

But that’s not why I’m here.

It’s been almost exactly two years since I last did an entertainment blog. Rather than go back to blogging reviews, I thought we would try some TV reviews for this podcast. Once again, I will attempt to watch and review every new series this fall season. I can’t promise you I will get through all of them, but we are going to give it a good attempt.

I will try to keep spoilers minimal, but I cannot make promises. I will give you a warning when I spoil.

In my old entertainment blog, I had my own system of ranking shows. Before we begin, I want to explain my system.

The worst rating was “Worthless.” Shows with this rating were so bad I didn’t even bother writing a complete review.

Only slightly better than that is a rating of “Skip It.” This is a bad show, and I will explain in detail why.

Next is “Could Be Watchable.” That means it’s not so bad that I’m telling you to skip it. On the other hand, either I wasn’t impressed or perhaps the jury was still out. I may have to watch another episode or two to decide. Some shows rated “Could Be Watchable” turned out okay, and I did add them to my viewing schedule. However, I usually drop such shows unless they get better.

Our next category is “I’m Watching.” This means the show may not be a must-see, highly recommended, wonderful show, but it’s good enough to hold my interest. Sometimes, it’s a type of guilty pleasure show that I like, even if it isn’t top-notch entertainment.

Our next category is “Recommended Watchable.” This is sort of equivalent to “I’m Watching” in that it’s good enough for me to watch but not so good that I would bump something out of my busy viewing schedule. You should consider it a mild endorsement, but I just don’t have space in my life for it. Check it out and see if it’s for you. You might like it.

Next is “I really like it.” I highly recommend it. I thoroughly enjoyed it and think you will too. It’s good for general audiences, not just sci-fi or comic book genre fans like myself. Count “Ted Lasso” in this category.

My top rating is “Must See.” This is extraordinary television that is above and beyond the average fair. It is destiny to become a classic. It works on every level. Great writing, acting, and directing make it sure to be an award winner. It is landmark television.

Now that we have that out of the way let’s get on with the reviews.

First on our agenda are a pair of spinoff shows set in comic book universes. One is set firmly in that fantasy world, while the other is quite realistic.

Let’s do fantasy first.

“Agatha All Along” is a sequel to the Marvel TV series “WandaVision” from Disney+ streaming. “WandaVision” was a surreal series about the Marvel character Wanda Maximoff, a.k.a. the Scarlet Witch. I can’t set up the premise of this new series without spoiling part of the plot “WandaVision.” I also cannot discuss this new series without spoiling something from the opening episode. Sorry about that.

In “WandaVision,” Wanda was trapped in a spell that made her believe she was a sitcom character. In each episode, she occupied a different style of sitcom ranging from a 60s black-and-white homage to shows such as “The Dick Van Dyke Show” up to more modern sitcoms.

Ultimately, we discovered that the villain in the series was an evil witch named Agatha Harkness. The big reveal in the final episode was, “It was Agatha all along.” Thus, we get the name of this new series. At the end of the previous series, Wanda steals Agatha’s powers.

In the new series, Agatha is now a woman named Agnes, who is a homicide detective in a small town. Along the way, we discover that everything is not what it seems.

This is going to spoil a plot point, but if you’re familiar with this character from the previous series, it should come as no surprise that what appears to be reality isn’t real. I mean, let’s face it: Wanda really wasn’t a character in a variety of five or six different sitcoms set over the course of five decades. She was a powerful witch living in a warped reality. It shouldn’t surprise you that Agatha/Agnes is not really a small-town detective.

Episode two sets Agatha on a quest to recruit other witches to travel something called the Witches’ Road, at the end of which you get whatever it is you desire. Naturally, Agatha desires to get her powers back.

Catherine Hahn reprises her role as Agatha. She really shows her acting range as she credibly portrays the small-town cop in the first two-thirds of the first episode and easily transitions into the over-the-top, conniving, evil witch Agatha.

Fans of the MCU, especially fans of “WandaVision,” will love this sequel, but I’m not sure it will find a wider audience. I would recommend that you watch “WandaVision” first if you’ve not seen it. If you don’t have time or inclination to do so, I think I’ve set things up well enough that you can probably jump into this series.

I’m ranking “Agatha All Along” as “I’m watching” with the caveat that it’s definitely a comic book/fantasy genre piece that might not appeal to someone who wasn’t a fan.

Our next review is another comic book piece that I can highly recommend. I will give it a ranking of “I really like it,” and you do not need to be a genre fan to appreciate it.

We are talking about the HBO/Max series “The Penguin.” It is set in the Batman/DC comics universe and is essentially a sequel to the 2022 film “The Batman,” directed by Matt Reeves and starring Robert Pattinson. In this series, Colin Farrell reprises his role as Oswald Cobb, a.k.a. The Penguin. Neither Batman nor Bruce Wayne appears in the opening episode, and I doubt that they will make an appearance in future episodes.

This series picks up immediately after the events of the film, and although it was enjoyable for me to go back and rewatch the film one more time as a refresher, this series does a great job of setting the scene without the need to watch that film.

Two crime families have controlled Gotham: the Falcone’s and the Maroni’s. In the film before this, the Maroni crime family was broken up, and its leader, Salvatore Maroni, was jailed. This leaves the Falcone family to take over the drug trade in the city. At the film’s end, Carmine Falcone is murdered, leaving his son Alberto to try to hold his father’s empire together. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have the gangster skills to do the job. Oswald sees the opportunity to get rid of Alberto and try to take over the criminal enterprise.

Falcone’s daughter Sophia, who has only recently been released from the Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane, stands in the way of his plans. Oswald must find a way to avoid Sophia while avoiding getting caught by the police or either of the city’s criminal organizations.

Farrell gives a highly nuanced performance in this well-written character. We see how his mother manipulates him to become a powerful man despite his clubfoot, which causes a severe, penguin-like waddling gait. State-of-the-art prosthetic makeup completely obliterates Colin Farrell, and if you didn’t know that he was playing the part, you might have never guessed. Even if you do know it’s him, only in the eyes can we perhaps recognize the famous character actor who has previously won Golden Globe awards and an Oscar nomination. Certainly, he will add an Emmy nomination to his resume and perhaps a win this year for this role.

Along the way, he recruits a young black man named Victor as his assistant. Initially, he was going to have a young man help him dispose of a body and then kill him. However, when Victor begs for his life, Oz decides to give the kid a chance. They both grew up in the same neighborhood. Victor’s home was destroyed by a flood caused by the Riddler at the end of the Batman film. We explore Oswald’s character through Victor’s eyes. Victor is played by actor Rhenzy Feliz, who you might recall from the Marvel TV series Runaways, which I greatly enjoyed.

Sophia is brilliantly portrayed by Cristin Milioti, who gives a chilling performance as the heir to the Falcone family, who was recently released from an asylum. She will make a worthy adversary to the Penguin.

Overall, you don’t feel like you’re watching a comic book story. These are realistically drawn characters that could’ve appeared in a mainstream gangster movie by Martin Scorsese. There is none of the over-the-top theatrics that we come to expect from comic book villains.

As I said earlier, I’m rating this one as “I really like it,” and I highly recommend you check it out. It will run for eight weekly episodes, with new episodes premiering Sunday night on HBO. It will also be available for streaming on Max.

We will take a brief look at a pair of medical shows. It was with much anticipation that I watched “Brilliant Minds” on NBC, starring Zachary Quinto. Quinto is famous for playing Mr. Spock in the 2009 JJ Abrams reboot of the Star Trek franchise. Now playing a doctor in this NBC drama, it’s difficult not to refer to him as Doctor Spock. And if you know who that is, your back hurts.

Unfortunately, I’m not sure there are any brilliant minds in the writers’ room of “Brilliant Minds.” Quinto plays Doctor Oliver Wolf, a brilliant but unorthodox neurologist. In the opening scene, he helps an Alzheimer’s patient escape from the hospital to attend his granddaughter’s wedding. Although he helps the man come out of his zombielike state and recognize his granddaughter briefly, you know that afterward, the patient won’t remember anything. While we can feel some empathy towards the patient and sympathize with the doctor’s intent to give the man a happy moment in his otherwise empty life, the fact that he took a nearly catatonic patient on an adventure by having the man right on the back of a motorcycle stretches credibility. He is fired from his position.

We see him as a reclusive man who tends to his plants and keeps his nose in a book. A friend of his recruits into a new position at Bronx General, but he declines, saying, “You know why I can’t work there.” By the time the reason is revealed in the final scene of the opening episode, I already had it figured out.

Wolf struggles with a neurological condition called “face blindness.” It makes a person unable to recognize people’s faces. In the first episode, his first patient at his new job also struggles with a cognitive condition in which she doesn’t recognize her own children and thinks that they have been kidnapped and replaced by substitutes. In finding a solution to her problem, he’s forced to confront his own condition, which he keeps secret from everyone except the colleague who got him his new job.

In the new job, he is surrounded by four interns who he is forced to supervise even though he prefers to work alone. They have varying degrees of enthusiasm about working with a brilliant yet radically unlikable boss.

There’s nothing original here. If you want to watch a show about a neuro-atypical doctor, I recommend you go watch “The Good Doctor,” which has more compelling characters than this series.

I’m rating this one as very weak: “Could Be Watchable,” leaning strongly towards “Skip It.” There are much better medical dramas available than this. It appears on Monday nights on NBC and is available to stream on Peacock TV.

Unfortunately, among those better medical dramas is not the new ABC series “Doctor Odyssey.” Picture this: Someone walks into a TV executive office with a great pitch for a new serious. Imagine it. It’s a cross between Grey’s Anatomy and The Love Boat. The executive buys it on the spot without seeing a single script. I don’t know for a fact that this happened, but it sure looks that way.

The story follows Doctor Max, a newly hired ship’s Doctor on a luxury cruise liner called “The Odyssey.” He is played by Joshua Jackson, known for his roles in “Dawson’s Creek” and “Fringe.” He works with a pair of experienced ship medical nurses. Avery Morgan, played by Philippa Soo, is an attractive young nurse practitioner. She is accompanied by Triston Silva, a hot young Latino nurse and a ladies’ man who is secretly in love with Avery.

The ship’s captain is played by an aging Don Johnson, who gives long discourses about his commitment to creating a fantasy paradise for the passengers. He tries and fails to have the same charisma and mystery as Mr. Rourke from “Fantasy Island.” Again, if you know what “Fantasy Island” is, your back hurts.

Like most medical shows, it’s populated with realistic yet undistinguishable-sounding medical jargon as they treat their patients miles from the nearest hospital in a state-of-the-art sick bay. Unfortunately, whoever advised them on the medical jargon knows nothing about tracheostomy tubes. They inserted a trach into a patient, and he was still able to talk without a speaking valve. Technically, it is possible to do so with a partially inflated cuff. There was no sign of a cuff inflation balloon on the trach prop they were using.

It’s populated by beautiful people running around in skimpy bathing suits and partying constantly.

The characters are mildly interesting in the medical situations run from a serious man overboard rescue to a more comical man with a fractured penis and some food poisoning along the way.

If you are desperate for a new medical show with eye-candy characters and light humor and romance, then you might find this a guilty pleasure, but for the most part, I will have to say, “Skip It.”

We wrap up this episode with a pair of episodes that I can recommend.

First, we have the new CBS series, “Matlock,” which stars Kathy Bates as the title character. This isn’t exactly a reimagining of the original series. In the opening scene, she explains her name.

“I’m Matty, informally. Formally, Madeline Matlock. Yes, Matlock like the old TV show, which was all I heard between 1984 and 1992. “You’re a lawyer like Matlock. You’re a lawyer like Matlock.” And every time I’d correct ’em, “No, he’s just pretending. You know, I’m a real lawyer.” But, you know, you can only protest so much before you sound like you got a big old pole up your heinie, so I just let ’em have it, and I just said, “Yeah, well, yeah, I’m a lawyer just like Matlock.”

She makes this explanation after sneaking into a partner meeting of a large, prestigious law firm. She has been trying to get a job interview, but the firm is not interested in hiring a septuagenarian lawyer who hasn’t practiced for 30 years. She explained that she had put herself in a position to overhear a conversation with a lawyer on the opposite side of one of their cases and learned that they would accept a settlement of $4 million greater than their current offer. Because she just made the firm $4 million, they agreed to hire her on a two-week probationary basis.

She is assigned to work with partner Olympia Lawrence, played by Skye P. Marshall. Olympia is unhappy having her on her team but accepts her help because it is the only way to prevent the law firm from dropping her case. She is defending a woman who was wrongly accused of a crime and framed by corrupt, racist police.

Olympia is divorcing one of the other partners, Julian, who is played by Jason Ritter. Olivia sends Matlock the impossible task of getting Julian to give up Thanksgiving weekend with the child even though it’s his turn.

Matlock has some missteps along the way that nearly cost them the case, but it’s not much of a spoiler to say that it all works out in the end.

Bates gives a memorable performance as a quirky, down-home, “awe-shucks,” 70-something-year-old lawyer.

The closing scene contains a gigantic plot twist that reveals a running plot line throughout the series that you will not see coming. I will make no attempt to hint at what it is. All I can say is that even without this new continuing plotline to keep you coming back, I think the show is worth watching. The big secret plot is just icing on the cake.

I’m rating it “I Really Like It.” I suggest you check it out. Kathy Bates should be enough to get you to watch this, and the character they’ve written for her makes full use of her talent.

Our final new series is the ABC crime procedural “High Potential,” the title of which is an appropriate description of my opinion. The show has potential, but it remains to be seen if it will live up to it.

The series stars Kaitlin Olson as Morgan Gillory, a single mom who works nights cleaning a police station. In the opening scene, she is dancing around the office, listening to music while she works, and accidentally knocking over a stack of case files. As she picks up the files, she can’t help but see some crime scene photos that catch her eye. She then walks up to the murder board, where there is a photo of the murder victim’s wife. She crosses out the word “suspect” and writes in “victim.”

The next day, when the detectives discover that the board has been changed, they review the surveillance video to find out that the cleaning lady did it. They bring her in and threaten to charge her with obstructing an investigation. They ask why she did it, and she explains her theory of the case. Her argument is so compelling they decide to pursue her theory.

As you might guess, she was right. By the end of the episode, they offer her a job as a consultant.

I’ve always been skeptical of the outside police consultant sub-genre, which traces its origins to Edgar Allen Poe’s 1841 character C. Auguste Dupin in his short story “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” 46 years before Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes.

On TV, we have had a wide variety of consulting detectives in shows such as Castle, The Mentalist, Elementary (which is a modern-day Sherlock Holmes), Psych, and Monk.

While it’s fascinating to think that there are people with such keen observation powers that they can see things that even the most highly trained detectives might miss, the entire premise of this entire genre is complete fantasy. In 2018, I wrote a review of a similar series, Carter, which I described as the worst ever such show. In that review, I expressed my dismay that the entire concept of consultant detective was a giant fiction with no basis in reality. I wish I knew someone in law enforcement who could verify for me that since things never take place.

Since then, I have spoken to at least three people who are familiar with real-life police work, and they assure me that they have never heard of a so-called “consulting detective” in their departments’ history. At best, a prosecutor might hire an expert witness to testify about evidence, but no outsiders ever participate in the actual investigations.

Along the way, we learn that Morgan is a bit of a savant with an IQ of 160. She can crunch numbers in her head faster than a calculator. So, her innate ability to observe what others have missed isn’t her only gift.

While it would be easy to dismiss this as yet another well-worn, unrealistic trope, something is compelling about these characters. If you enjoyed “Monk,” then consider this as potentially a reimagination of that series with a female hero.

I’m giving it a weak “I’m Watching It,” but it borders on “Could Be Watchable.” The jury is still out, but I liked the first episode for the same reasons I enjoyed Monk years ago. You might want to check it out and see for yourself. After a sneak preview episode, where episodes begin October 8 on ABC and streaming on Hulu.

One more quick review. If you subscribe to Apple TV+, check out the new movie, “Wolves,” starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt, who portray the guys you call when you need to dispose of a dead body and make it look like it never happened. Through a contrived set of circumstances, these lone wolves are both called in to clean up the dead body of the young man who was accidentally killed in the hotel room of a female district attorney. They are forced to work together even though they prefer working alone.

It’s everything you would want from these two actors in a quirky comedy with some pretty good action sequences along the way. Highly recommended.

There are still more TV series in the coming days, and I will have another special episode to review them.

If you find this podcast educational, entertaining, enlightening, or even inspiring, consider sponsoring me on Patreon for just $5 per month. You will get early access to the podcast and other exclusive content. Although I have some financial struggles, I’m not really in this for money. Still, every little bit helps.

As always, my deepest thanks to my financial supporters. Your support means more to me than words can express.

Even if you cannot provide financial support. Please, please, please post the links and share this podcast on social media so that I can grow my audience. I just want more people to be able to hear my stories.

All of my back episodes are available, and I encourage you to check them out if you’re new to this podcast. If you have any comments, questions, or other feedback, please feel free to comment on any of the platforms where you found this podcast.

I will see you next time as we continue contemplating life. Until then, fly safe.