Worth Watching: Hulu’s Twisted ‘Act,’ Michael Bublé Swings, ‘Riverdale’ Sings, ‘SEAL Team’ Returns
A selective critical checklist of notable Wednesday TV:
The Act (streaming on Hulu): Don’t be surprised if Patricia Arquette ends up competing against herself at the Emmys this year. Following her triumph as a corrupt prison employee in Showtime’s Escape at Dannemora, she scores again as a dangerously delusional mother in this true-crime limited-series anthology. She plays Dee Dee Blanchard, who moves into a Missouri town with her daughter Gypsy (the remarkable Joey King), falsely presenting the trapped teen as a special-needs child. Their twisted relationship culminates in murder in a macabre scenario that plays like Whatever Happened to Baby Gypsy? The series opens with two episodes back to back, followed by weekly installments. If lurid intrigue is your favorite kind of act, you’ll likely be hooked instantly. It only gets more twisted as it goes.
Bublé! (10/9c, NBC): A welcome throwback to the glory days of music-variety entertainment in prime time, crooner Michael Bublé grooves with a 36-piece orchestra in his seventh NBC music special. He performs from his new Love album and covers standards including “Fly Me to the Moon” — part of an upbeat Sinatra-themed medley — and a moody version of “My Funny Valentine” that almost sounds like a James Bond movie theme. In between songs, he reflects on his charmed life and career and even mocks his limited abilities on the keyboard. As an interpreter of the American songbook, he’s hard to beat.
Riverdale (8/7c, The CW): Can Sweeney Todd be far behind for the ghoulish teens of Riverdale? Last year they tackled Carrie as their high school musical, and now it’s time for Heathers: The Musical — so much better than the failed Paramount Network series adaptation. Naturally, Cheryl (Madelaine Petsch) channels her own inner Heather as the musical’s queen bee. Typecasting?
SEAL Team (10/9c, CBS): Following two hours of Survivor (8/7c), the military drama returns from a two-month furlough in a new time period an hour later. The second season continues with Jason (David Boreanaz) and Bravo Team working with the Congolese Army on a secret mission to capture the leader of a rebel militia group. And yet Jason manages to find time to argue with daughter Emma (Kerri Medders) about college.
Inside Wednesday TV: This was inevitable. Freeform spins off one of its biggest hits in Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists (8/7c), in which Sasha Pieterse and Janel Parrish reprise their roles as Alison and Mona, heading to the Pacific Northwest enclave of Beacon Heights and its top-tier college, where secrets predictably lead to murder… Also inevitable: an assignment on ABC’s international caper Whiskey Cavalier (10/9c) that forces mismatched agents Will (Scott Foley) and Frankie (Lauren Cohan) to pretend to be married. The mission takes them to romantic Paris, so maybe some ooh-la-la is in the cards? Scrubs‘ Zach Braff directs the episode… FXX’s You’re the Worst (10/9c) keeps dropping alarming hints about the impending wedding of Gretchen (Aya Cash) and Jimmy (Chris Geere). And it’s hard not to fear the worst as the prospective bride and groom each experience significant professional setbacks mere days before the blessed event.
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I'm in the mood for some comedy tonight. So ABC all night . Whiskey is a funny show, I wouldn't dare call it a drama.
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I wouldn't call it a comedy either. Is it truly what they call a Dramedy?
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Action/Comedy with a touch of drama.
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You made that up...didn't you?
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Yup. I sampled The Fix. This belongs on cable. Doesn't feel like a broadcast show. Same situation with ABC's low rated show Ten Days in the Valley. I'll keep watching The Fix because I like the acting and want to see the twists that are on the way.
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Modern Family and Empire are my main two. Last week's Modern Family was actually really good. Reminded me of the earlier seasons quality of blending heart and humor. I hope for the same this week. While the show isn't consistently funny anymore it still has a few gems every now and then that makes it all worth it. Whiskey Cavalier's not half bad. It reminds me a little bit of the classic USA Blue Skies era I grew up loving. I LOVED Burn Notice, Psych, Monk, Royal Pains and White Collar back in the day. USA need to get their heads out of their butts and put on fun quality shows again not all that uber dark and pretentious stuff they got now lol
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I liked all those USA shows too, and I miss most of them.
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They were huge parts of my childhood and still love 'em today. I got most of Psych and Burn Notice on DVD and still need to collect the others
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"They were huge parts of my childhood"
I feel really old now...
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LOL wellll more like teenhood. I was in high school during most of those shows
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"not half bad"
I would call Whiskey Cavalier just about exactly half good. 8- ) Not a dig at you; I'm still watching it so far...
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its an acquired taste. I find it entertaining though I'm sure there are folks who would find it dumb or something like that
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Thank heavens SEAL Team is back!! I wish it was still on at 9, but I'll take it any hour I can get it. 🙂
The above description of The Act sounds absolutely awful; why would I want to watch something like that??
Also, yesterday I forgot to mention that I'd be watching Miracle Workers. Who knew that God has parents? And siblings? (but He is the youngest) Anyway, next week is the finale.
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If Hulu's The Act aired on a major broadcast network it would be DOA. But because it's only available via streaming it will likely garner awards and acclaim. And to answer your question, the subject matter sounds repulsive, especially in this politically correct world.
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Apparently The Act is based on "true crime." Why is it that just because a show or movie is based on "real events," that people want to see it? There are lots of horrible, awful, disgusting things that "happen in real life".... that doesn't mean a movie should be made about it, or that people want to actually SEE it. 😠
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If I subscribed to Hulu...(which I DON'T)...I'd definitely check out The Act...even if only for the multifaceted Joey King!!!
(Hunter King...her sister...is equally talented as Summer on The Young and The Restless.)
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God has a sister on Supernatural. Or did you skip that season? I've been intrigued by Miracle Workers but not watched it yet.
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Yeah, I saw that. But Supernatural is a whole different kettle of fish. :-p Plus, it's one thing to think of God having a sister, with no real explanation of how they came to be. But it's a different story to think of God being "born" and having parents. Especially ones who live in a normal-looking McMansion. 😮
(BTW, I still don't like what the SPN writers did, with the Chuck-is-God thing. To paraphrase a line from yet another show, I reject that reality and substitute my own!)
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"a whole different kettle of fish"
True.
I had mixed feelings about the Chuck revelation, not just that he, that character specifically, turned out to be God, but that in doing so the series doubled (or hundredfolded) down on being so ridiculously U.S.-centric. There was a caretaker character whom one or both of the brothers met in Heaven when they learned that God had abdicated his position, way back when, and I suspected at the time that he was actually God.
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Looks like all the ABC comedies are on again plus Riverdale, Gone, and the finale of Deadly Class. I might even find time to watch Whiskey Cavalier again.