Worth Watching: ‘Shadows’ Finale, ‘Hot Zone’ Climax, ‘Archer’ in Space

Matt Roush
15 Comments
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Russ Martin/FX

A selective critical checklist of notable Wednesday TV:

What We Do in the Shadows (10/9c, FX): The uproarious vampire comedy puts a stake in its first season with Guillermo (Harvey Guillen) inadvertently opening a hornet’s nest when he tests the DNA of his master, Nandor (Kayvan Novak), uncovering one of his 200,000 descendants living nearby. If that weren’t enough, Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) reawakens the reincarnation of her many-times-dead lover, Gregor (now in the body of Jake McDorman), who escapes from a mental ward to be reunited with his one and only. Naturally, comical mayhem ensues.

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The Hot Zone (9/8c, National Geographic Channel): The docudrama’s final two hours are the most chilling, as the team goes to work inside the primate facility to euthanize the infected monkeys, elevating the tension to horror-movie level. When Nancy Jaax (Julianna Margulies) is temporarily blocked from joining her crew for personal reasons, her ire is almost as terrifying as the mystery virus. The series conclusion is followed by an hourlong special, Going Viral: Beyond the Hot Zone (11/10c), which updates current efforts of those fighting against Ebola on the front lines in Africa.

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Archer: 1999 (10/9c, FXX): Apparently in space, everyone knows it when you fart. That’s the level of sophomoric humor on display as the rollicking animated comedy reinvents itself yet again in its 10th season as a deep-space sci-fi parody. Archer (voice of H. Jon Benjamin) and crew are now working aboard the Seamus, a commercial salvage vehicle that gets caught in an interstellar battle when answering a distress beacon.

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The InBetween (10/9c, NBC): Pretty much defining the summer-season burn-off, this pale imitation of the much superior Medium stars bland Harriet Dyer as Cassie, a Seattle bartender who sees, what else, dead people. Her mystifying and sometimes horrifying visions come in handy in helping her adoptive detective dad (Paul Blackthorne) solve crimes. Poppa’s new partner (Justin Cornwell) isn’t as convinced. Yet. Yawn.

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Inside Wednesday TV: The off-season of network reality competitions gets in full swing, with a 10th-season premiere of Fox’s MasterChef (8/7c), introducing 36 home cooks who are vying for a spot in the top 20… NBC’s American Ninja Warrior (8/7c) kicks off its 11th season with a qualifying round in Los Angeles featuring two new obstacles: Walk the Plank and Spring Forward. The two fastest finishers tackle the new Power Tower for a chance to advance straight to the National Finals in Las Vegas… NCIS may be over until fall, but Rocky Carroll returns to host the real-life counterpart: NCIS: The Cases They Can’t Forget (9/8c). The third season (formerly titled 48 Hours: NCIS) opens with two hourlong cases back to back, handled by the actual Naval Criminal Investigative Service… HGTV headliners Jonathan and Drew Scott are back with a new show, the Property Brothers (9/8c), in which they help families renovate homes they have no intention of leaving. In the opener, they help a couple reshape their Las Vegas domicile in advance of the birth of a third child.

ArcherThe Hot ZoneThe InBetweenWhat We Do in the Shadows (2019)



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  1. R

    RedQuill

    Happy! Finale...episode #10 !!??!!

    (At least that is 2 more than Killing Eve...which only had 8 episodes !!??!!)

    1. C

      CyanCoathanger

      The first season of Happy! was only 8 episodes. Be thankful for the extra 2 this year. 😉

      2

    2. G

      GoldSubmarine

      Lots of cable shows have airing much shorter seasons. HBO's Games of Thrones is a prime example.

  2. R

    RedCupcake

    Wow. For the first time in ages, there's nothing new tonight for me to watch. I know I'll be watching reruns of The Librarians on an (obscure) cable channel, but no new show.

    Also, I'm enjoying Blood & Treasure. Not sure what peoples' problem with it is. It's not high-brow or flawless, but it's interesting and fun. Just as good as any other "summer popcorn" show.

    BTW, for those who are watching, how is The Hot Zone? From the ads I saw for it, I had thought I might watch, but reading the blurb about it here, I changed my mind. Is it good? Also, is anyone watching L.A.'s Finest? I believe it's original programming on Spectrum. I watched the first two episodes of The Name of the Rose. I like it, but it can be very difficult to follow. Sometimes I can barely understand what the characters are saying. (Why is it that some shows seem to think that the more esoteric and cryptic a show is--that is, unclear and confusing--the more popular and 'arty' they think it is? And viewers must agree since sometimes these shows are quite popular.)

    1. G

      GoldSubmarine

      CBS recently announced that they will be airing The Good Fight -first season (spin-off of The Good Wife) starting June 16th. That seems like a worthy summer show for you.

      1. R

        RedCupcake

        Interesting, I hadn't heard that. I did like The Good Wife, maybe I'll check out The Good Fight, we'll see.

        1. G

          GoldSubmarine

          Matt sure likes The Good Fight. My mom is excited to watch it because she doesn't have CBS ALL ACCESS. CBS should also air initial seasons of the new Star Trek and other premium shows during the summer. It might lure more people to subscribe. And make CBS broadcast viewers happy while still profiting from the ads.

          Win-Win scenario to me.

          2

    2. G

      GoldSubmarine

      I watched the 3rd episode of Blood & Treasure. I won't go into the flaws. I will accentuate the positive. Good acting, impressive production values (especially for a summer show), great background scenery, some witty and clever lines.....

      It was cute when one of the characters mentioned that he isn't Magnum P.I.

      I guess I have a new summer show!

  3. C

    CyanCoathanger

    Looks like a new season of MasterChef, Amazing Race, InBetween, and the finales of Happy!, The Hot Zone, and In the Shadows!

    1. G

      GoldSubmarine

      Despite Matt's negative review, I'll give The InBetween a try also. There have been multiple shows that I enjoyed that Matt disliked. and vice-versa.

      1. C

        CyanCoathanger

        I probably won't get to watch it tonight. Too many must see shows on at 10:00!

        1. G

          GoldSubmarine

          Most people complain that there isn't enough worthy programing in the summer. But you prove them wrong.

          1. C

            CyanCoathanger

            However...3 of my shows are season finales! On the other hand, there are some new shows coming on for the summer...so it sort of balances out.

            1. G

              GoldSubmarine

              Did you ever watch The Good Wife on CBS? The spin-off The Good Fight will be airing this summer on CBS starting June 16th. The reviews are stellar.

              1. C

                CyanCoathanger

                No, I saw maybe one episode of Good Wife when it first came on and didn't care for it enough to add it to my schedule.