‘The Americans,’ Season Finales (‘Modern Family’ and More)

Matt Roush
26 Comments
RY ELKINSON, JANE KRAKOWSKI, SOFIA VERGARA
Jane Krakowski and Sofia Vergara on 'Modern Family'

A selective critical checklist of notable Wednesday TV:

Modern Family (9/8c, ABC): The centerpiece of an all-finale sitcom lineup, Modern sends Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and Phil (Ty Burrell) in costume to a “Hero-Con” fanboy convention, dressed as their favorite “Clash of Swords” characters. What could go wrong? Back home, Gloria (Sofia Vergara) throws a dinosaur party for little Joe (Jeremy Maguire), but is upstaged by the festivities hosted next door by her arch-rival, Dr. Donna Duncan (Jane Krakowski).

Julie Bowen Gets Emotional Talking About Final Season of 'Modern Family' (VIDEO)
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Julie Bowen Gets Emotional Talking About Final Season of 'Modern Family' (VIDEO)

Inside Wednesday TV: As FX’s gripping The Americans (10/9c) races to its finale, the arms control summit gets underway — the perfect opportunity for Philip (Matthew Rhys) to deliver another bombshell to Elizabeth (Keri Russell). … The Big Bang Theory’s Johnny Galecki moonlights as host of Science Channel’s Scijinks (10/9c), a prank show with a scientific bent. … NBC News hitches a ride on the royal bandwagon with the special Inside the Royal Wedding: Harry and Meghan (10/9c), hosted by the Today team of Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb and filmed in Europe, Africa and the U.S.

Modern FamilyThe AmericansThe Handmaid's Tale



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  1. B

    Blue8Ball

    I may be losing my mind due to the Yanny/Laurel trauma, but can anyone back me up that the Handmaid's Tale description above doesn't sound like what actually transpired in today's episode? Maybe it's next week's?

    1. R

      RedQuill

      Rick...NO question WHATSOEVER...it's Yanny!!!

    2. R

      RedCupcake

      LOL, both yesterday & today I very clearly heard Laurel. But while I was eating dinner I had the news on and they played the sound bite and it sounded like some weird Yanni/Laurel hybrid. I think it really is the case that the equipment it's played (audio quality) on can make it sound like one thing or the other.

    3. R

      RedQuill

      One theory is that Yanny is in high frequencies...while Laurel is in low frequencies...

      But...I hear Yanny...and I'm old enough that I haven't heard a high frequency in at least 30 years...

    4. R

      RedCupcake

      Funny, I remember taking one of those tests in which you try to listen to different frequencies, and based on age (under 20, under 30, etc.) I couldn't hear the higher ones, but my son could. But in this case I definitely hear Laurel, as clear as day. So I do think it depends on the source of the audio.

      1

  2. R

    RedCupcake

    Season finale of SEAL Team for me, and then *sigh* the series finale of Designated Survivor.

  3. C

    CyanCoathanger

    ABC comedies, Designated Survivor, Riverdale, and Krypton. I'm really surprised he didn't mention the series finale of The Middle after championing it for years.

    1. G

      GoldSubmarine

      The series finale of The Middle is next week, no?

      Tonight it's all ABC for me. The series finale of Designated Survivor will be bitter sweet.

    2. C

      CyanCoathanger

      Oops! You're right. I was thinking The Middle was on tonight because it always used to be on Wednesdays.

      I just read another article that says Netflix is thinking of picking up DS for another season...which won't do me any good.

    3. G

      GoldSubmarine

      Funny last night during the very depressing Black-ish I thought it was Wednesday. I'm still used to it being on after Modern Family. Black-ish is by far the least enjoyable ABC comedy on right now.

    4. G

      GoldSubmarine

      Oh, I don't subscribe to Netflix either. But my nephew gave me his passcode and I have access whenever I want. If you have a close friend or relative with Netflix...

      I mean if a neighbor can give Roseanne a Wi-Fi passcode..... Lol, that was yet another hilarious episode. Don't know why ratings dropped almost every week since the huge premiere, the show doesn't get less funny every week, if anything it's getting funnier.

    5. C

      CyanCoathanger

      I didn't care much for Blackish to begin with (it's him...not the kids or her), but when they started addressing serious personal and family problems, I lost all interest in it.

    6. C

      CyanCoathanger

      I think a big drop-off after the premier was expected, but it's hard to fathom the week to week decline.

    7. C

      CyanCoathanger

      I can drive up town and get free wi-fi at any time. I see cars sitting in front of Subway after they're closed just to use their wi-fi which they leave on all the time. McDonald's has it too and so does the library. I'm sure there are other places I'm not aware of.

    8. G

      GoldSubmarine

      I checked last night's Roseanne ratings, it pretty much tied the last couple of new episodes. So hopefully it's stable now. Still a huge hit by the way.

    9. G

      GoldSubmarine

      Agreed. When Roseanne addresses serious personal and family problems, it is usually still quite funny.

    10. R

      RedCupcake

      I used to watch Black-ish more in the first season or two. Not that I watched all the time, but sometimes. For me, it's the wife I don't like. Anthony Anderson doesn't bother me, but Tracee Ross Ellis does. I remember the husband's mother from Fresh Prince (way back in the day, although I only watched it on reruns). She's rather grating, but I prefer her to the wife.

    11. R

      RedCupcake

      Hmm, we'll see what happens with the Netflix/DS thing. I hope it works out. (I don't have Netflix, but I might be able to arrange something.)

      On a related topic, my local library has ebooks, movies, and TV shows that can be streamed, like Netflix or Hulu, etc. I haven't done it yet, though. I stick with the old-fashioned paper books. 😉

    12. R

      RedQuill

      Fred...I think that you're forgetting...in the race for "least enjoyable ABC comedy"...

      The Goldbergs, Fresh Off the Boat, American Housewife and Alex, Inc.!!!

    13. G

      GoldSubmarine

      Well they are funnier to me. My favorites aren't any of these anyway.

      Roseanne and The Middle top my list. And last season Last Man Standing was up there. I'll watch that one on FOX next season.

      1

    14. R

      RedQuill

      Well Fred...I, personally, of course...find Roseanne and Last Man Standing to be rather two-dimensional and NONhumorous...but...but...I tend to side with their "political leanings"...

      If I were a "Nielsen Household"...I'd watch the first 2-3 minutes of each...to count towards their ratings...then move on to something interesting...

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    16. C

      CyanCoathanger

      Maybe they changed it. My listings showed Guy's Grocery Games on at that time.

    17. This comment was removed by its author.

    18. C

      CyanCoathanger

      I can't get over La Toya. First, she said she doesn't eat red meat. This week, she said she doesn't eat anything white and that she eats chicken legs but not the thighs. She's soooo weird! Can you believe she's 61?

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    20. C

      CyanCoathanger

      She must have.

    21. P

      PurpleCar

      I believe that Tyler has a crush on LaToya and he would have picked her to win his team no matter what she did or said. She is indeed an odd duck.

    22. C

      CyanCoathanger

      That's hard to say. She does seem to turn out pretty good food even though she supposedly couldn't cook before the show. She has a way of acting like she doesn't know what she's doing when I suspect she really does.