‘Brockmire’ Finale, ‘Yellowstone’ Premiere, A ‘Handmaid’s’ Waiting Game
A selective critical checklist of notable Wednesday TV:
Brockmire (10/9c, IFC): Jim Brockmire (Hank Azaria) may have met his match in self-destructive behavior as he reconnects with the seriously wacked-out Elle, played to the chaotic hilt by Emmy winner Carrie Preston (The Good Wife, currently on Claws). Their encounter in the harrowing second-season finale of the super-dark comedy leads to yet another reckoning for the addiction-prone sportscaster. Where this season ends up you’ll never see coming — and the best news is that IFC has renewed this spectacularly extreme character study for two more seasons.
Yellowstone (9/8c, Paramount Network): The TV Western is still raring for a comeback, and Kevin Costner’s commanding performance as a Montana ranching mogul is another reason to watch this grim contemporary fable about the (what else) dysfunctional Dutton family, led by patriarch John. In his first series lead role, Costner channels Gary Cooper at his most stoic as this solemn businessman, at war with shady local developers who want to take his water and with local Native Americans who contrive to get their land back. John’s offspring are a conflicted lot, played by Dave Annabel, Kelly Reilly (a brazen breakout), Wes Bentley and Luke Grimes as military hero Kayce, torn between two worlds as he raises John’s sole grandson on the reservation with his Native American wife. Yellowstone is engrossing even when the downbeat trail feels awfully familiar.
The Handmaid’s Tale (streaming on Hulu): Tension mounts in the Waterford home as Offred/June’s (Elisabeth Moss) pregnancy nears its completion. Serena Joy (the excellent Yvonne Strahovski), shaken by recent reminders of her former independence and what could have been if not for Gilead, has already declared she wants the birth mother out of the house as soon as possible. The Commander (Joseph Fiennes), fed up with the willful women under his roof, has his own oppressive notions of how to regain control, which includes making a generous (within reason) gesture toward Offred that leads to one of the most emotionally wrenching sequences yet this season.
June Brides on TCM: Here come the cinematic brides in Turner Classic Movies’ two-week salute (concluding next Wednesday) to a month known for memorable nuptials. (Somehow Prince Harry and his betrothed, Meghan, missed the memo and jumped the gun a month early.) The prime-time lineup begins with 1940’s sophisticated The Philadelphia Story, featuring Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart (Oscar winner) in their prime. Bette Davis appears back to back in the 1948 comedy June Brides (10/9c) opposite Robert Montgomery, and gets more serious as a working-class mother planning A Catered Affair (midnight/11c) in Gore Vidal’s adaptation of Paddy Chayefsky’s teleplay. Stay up really late for a showing of Mike Nichols’ 1967 The Graduate (3:45/2:45c), with its memorable wedding-escape climax.
Inside Wednesday TV: The fifth and final season of Freeform sitcom Young & Hungry (8/7c) kicks off with Gabi (Emily Osment) and Josh (Jonathan Sadowski) now officially a couple, which precipitates a period of adjustment for their friends and co-workers… As The CW’s The Originals (9/8c) continues its final season, an uprising of purist vampires leads to a showdown. I know I haven’t watched this show in quite some time, but what are purist vampires?… In yet another countdown to the end, the final season of CBS’s Code Black (10/9c) finds Rox (Moon Bloodgood) joining Willis (Rob Lowe) and his brother Martin (David Clennon) to an army buddy’s funeral, where Willis decides to investigate what happened to his brother’s unit.
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C
I'm trying "Yellowstone", I miss a good western on TV, I hope this is good.
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C
I don't get that channel.
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G
Used to be Spike, right? And Spike used to be something else. I can't keep track of all of these cable channels and their name changes.
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C
Yes, and Comcast moved Spike out of the basic tier about 6 months to a year ago. I didn't care much at the time because the only show I'd watched on it a long time was Bar Rescue.
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G
Not sure if I have it either, I haven't watched anything on this channel. Didn't Spike Lee sue Paramount?
What was the name before Spike?
Paramount is a superior name anyway.
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C
Wasn't it TNN...formerly The Nashville Network?
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G
Yes! You have a great memory.
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C
Spike was supposed to be a channel for men...the masculine equivalent of Lifetime for women. Spike Lee sued saying he "owned" the name Spike. Spike Jones Jr. got involved and took the network's side. It cost them millions of dollars to finally get a court decision that Lee didn't own the name.
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G
I used to confuse TNN with CMT. Both were country music based channels
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C
Only for trivial sh*t that doesn't matter. I can't remember my own telephone or social security numbers most of the time!
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G
That's like my dad.
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C
I am NOT old enough to be your dad! Slap, slap!
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G
Never said you were!
My dad was like that when he was much younger also.
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C
I've never been able to remember numbers. I always marveled at people who could rattle off their driver license or license plate numbers. I'm pretty bad with names too, but I could remember something you told me 15 years ago almost verbatim!
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C
I only watch Reverie because there's nothing else on I like.
Although it was better this week.
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R
Looks like the ol' DVR wants to record:
Gordon Ramsay's 24 Hours...the 1st episode WAS challenging...(for him)…
Yellowstone...can't think of a reason NOT to check out, at least, the Premier...
Reverie...may be becoming a bit mundane (for me)...but will stick with it...
The Split...I've found the first 4 episodes to be QUITE engaging...
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C
I don't want to watch Ramsay yelling and swearing at people. That's why I stopped watching Hell's Kitchen. He's much nicer on MasterChef.
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R
Don...I missed the first 1-2 seasons of MasterChef...because I, too, found the "Hell's Kitchen-Ramsay" to be unlikeable...
But...when I, finally, found the "MasterChef-Ramsay" to be quite likeable...I haven't missed an episode since...
The "24 Hours-Ramsay" is the likeable Ramsey...and it was (mildly) amazing to see what he can do to COMPLETELY turn around a failing eatery in JUST 24 hours...(especially in graciously handling the owner/staff interpersonal tumult)...
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C
Oh, I assumed he'd yell and swear at them like he used to do on Kitchen Nightmares. I don't believe he does the whole new show in 24 hours. I think they spend a week setting it all up then cut it down to 24 hours for filming. The reality of all these shows is questionable.
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R
So...why not, at least, TRY tonight's episode...
10 minutes => it's questionable => turn OFF => you've "wasted" only 10 minutes of your life...
Or...you LIKE it...then you've got another show to add to your Wednesday repertoire...
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C
We'll see.
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B
A good night to read.
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G
Reverie looks good tonight.
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C
I hope it gets a little more exciting. It's been awfully tame so far.
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G
I'm ok with it. My summer standards are much lower.That's why I'll probably enjoy Take Two. But most excited for the return of Salvation.
Quantico is now my favorite scripted show on the air and if I include this past season, I would even rank it up there with Designated Survivor and The Brave (both favorites of mine).
I've been watching Seal Team reruns this summer too.
That's five scripted shows so far this summer.
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R
Any opinions on 100 Code?
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C
Just MasterChef and Reverie for me tonight.
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R
About 100 Code..... (I'm going to ask the same to Fred, I think he watches too?)
I'm a little confused, so let me see if I've got this straight: Conley came over to Sweden from NYC to find the serial killer. I think that's the guy they got to calling The Dentist? And didn't the Dentist get killed, and buried under the leaves on that farm about two episodes ago? So now the detectives are just looking for criminals who are on that Temptations website and commit horrible crimes? Is that right? Also I could totally do without the storyline about the daughter. I thought that A) she'd have a thing for Conley, and B) her father would say he had NOT asked an officer to follow her, and that would provide a twist on the story.
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C
I'm not reading your post because I haven't watched it yet.
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R
Understood.
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