Worth Watching: ‘Orville’ Returns, ‘Escape’ Ends, an ‘Outlander’ Reunion
A critical checklist of notable weekend TV:
The Orville (Sunday, 8/7c, Fox): Let’s hope in season 2 that Seth MacFarlane’s lavish space odyssey can find a more confident balance between sci-fi homage and genre parody. The special post-football premiere — followed by a second episode Thursday in its regular 9/8c time period — picks up with Captain Ed (MacFarlane) trying to overcome jealousy when he learns his ex, and right-hand mate Commander Kelly (Adrianne Palicki), has started dating again.
Escape at Dannemora (Sunday, 9/8c, Showtime): After last week’s exceptional, and unexpected, flashback detour into the principal characters’ backstories, the finale of this gripping docuseries catches up with escapees Richard Matt (Benecio Del Toro) and David Sweat (Paul Dano) as they taste uneasy freedom. With the manhunt intensifying, the inmates prove to be less than ideal partners in crime. And their accomplice, Tilly (Patricia Arquette), unsuccessfully tries not to break under pressure. The rest, as they say, is tabloid history.
Outlander (Sunday, 8/7c, Starz): A meeting we’ve long awaited: Jamie (Sam Heughan) finally comes face to ginger face with his offspring Brianna (Sophie Skelton) when the 20th-century lass joins her gobsmacked birth father and mother Claire (Caitriona Balfe) in 18th-century Wilmington. As father and daughter get to know each other, Claire intuits there’s something troubling Bree. If she only knew.
Dirty John (Sunday, 10/9c, Bravo): “He spit on my birth certificate!” Is there no end to dirty John’s (Eric Bana) spite? Apparently not, as another juicy episode shifts between his earlier dirty deeds a decade earlier in Dayton, when his first wife (Sprague Grayden) turns to a local detective (Damon Gupton) for help, and his current malfeasance in Orange County. Alan Ruck (Succession) and Jeff Perry (Scandal) join the series’ impressive roster of guest stars as lawyers enlisted by Debra (Connie Britton) to help her disengage from her sociopathic mate. Easier said than litigated.
Inside Weekend TV: Christmas is over, so Hallmark is turning its rom-com attention to New Year’s Eve with the movie A Midnight Kiss (Saturday, 8/7c), starring Adelaide Kane as a party planner who bonds with her business partner’s college buddy (Carlos PenaVega) while organizing a New Year’s bash for her new client… With three Emmys, and now courting Oscar buzz for her role in If Beale Street Could Talk, Regina King opens up on ABC’s The Alec Baldwin Show (Saturday, 10/9c). Baldwin also chats with feminist/activist lawyer Gloria Allred, who has much to say about the #MeToo movement… Turner Movie Classics serves up a punny “Double Bogie” in Sunday prime time with two of Humphrey Bogart’s greatest: as Sam Spade in 1941’s The Maltese Falcon (8/7c) and as Rick opposite Ingrid Bergman’s Ilsa in 1942’s timeless Casablanca (10/9c).
Conversation19 Comments
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With the "10 Must-See 'Twilight Zone' Episodes From SyFy's New Year's Marathon" article on this site...
Once my DVR gobbles these up...I can NOW, also, DELETE...(without fear and without "guilt")...ALL my backed-up episodes of The Kids Are Alright, Room 104 and The Guest Book...
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I didn't think The Guest Book was quite as good this season as it was last season (the change of setting and loss of some characters had something to do with it), but it was still very entertaining.
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I agree...but...but...when looking for a half hour show to watch...once I have 10 Twilight Zone episodes (and 10 Angie Tribeca episodes)...I'd never choose to watch ANY of the backed-up The Guest Book episodes...
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G
I might watch the rerun of "Mickey Mouse's 90th Birthday" tonight...
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Did you watch it the first time it was on?
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No, that's why I may see it when it comes on.
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C
Oh, ok. I thought maybe you liked it so much you wanted to see it again.
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Angie Tribeca...5 episodes Sat. plus 5 episodes Sun...WOW!!!
Once my DVR gobbles these up...I can DELETE...(without fear and without "guilt")...ALL my backed-up episodes of Murphy Brown, Single Parents and Last Man Standing...
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C
I've missed most of Angie because I never notice what's on TBS, but the few episodes I've seen were hilarious.
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C
If I'm home Saturday evening, I might watch the Angie Tribeca shows. (Funny he didn't mention that TBS is running the whole new 4th season on Saturday and Sunday.)
Otherwise, it looks like the only new shows for me are going to be The Orville and Deadly Class on Sunday.
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Hey Don...Thanx for the Alert on Deadly Class...(I've seen NO mention of it on TVInsider)…
Having seen its promotions on Syfy...it, certainly, seems worth checking out for the first couple episodes...
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The listings and their website say it's a "special preview," but I'm betting it's actually the first episode which will repeat again on the 16th.
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Is The Orville any good? I've never seen it, mainly because I'm not a fan of Seth MacFarlane.
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I've seen bolder and more advanced Sci-fi shows...and have seen more humorous Comedies...but the combination of the 2 is quite interesting/intriguing...
And...Seth MacFarlane does NOT really come across as "Seth MacFarlane" in The Orville...
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I really like it.
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It's supposed to be a light parody of the original Star Trek, and it succeeds at that. I was thrown off at first because I expected it to be more of a comedy, but once I got used to the idea it wasn't supposed to be a laugh a minute type show, I was fine with it.
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I think you watched The Alienist, correct? There's an article here on this site, and brief interview with main actor, talking about Season 2.
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C
Are there no supernatural elements, magic, or super powers in the series? It seemed just like ordinary people in an unusual setting.
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Yeah, I pretty much got the idea of what you said about the plot from the premier, but I thought being a comic there'd be something supernatural about it...or at least a vampire, zombie, or something. I like what I've seen so far though.
There weren't any characters with special powers in the original Colorado Kid? Who knew!
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