Have you ever been at a loss as to what to watch? Too many shows to pick from? We’re here to give you our opinions on what we feel is worth watching. Check it out and then let us know in the comments below what you’re choosing for tonight!
Kyle’s Choice
Tonight, Syfy officially launches the new series Deadly Class, which is based on Rick Remender’s hit comic book series of the same name. Set in the 1980s, the series follows Marcus (Benjamin Wadsworth, Teen Wolf), who was orphaned as a young boy when his parents were killed by a person with mental issues. He blames Ronald Reagan and his budget cuts for his parents’ untimely death. Marcus was sent to a boys’ home, where the living conditions were horrible. He literally burned the place to the ground when he left, killing dozens of children. Now he lives on the street, eating out of trash cans and avoiding the cops. One day Marcus is approached by a group of teenagers, who abduct him and bring him to see Master Lin (Benedict Wong, Doctor Strange, Marco Polo). Master Lin tells him about King’s Dominion, a secret school for assassins, founded by his grandfather, where Marcus could learn to harness his hate and master the deadly arts.
And so Marcus now finds himself in this strange and deadly new world, taking classes like AP Black Arts, Hand-to-Hand Combat, and Poison Lab. He learns of the various gangs and cliques on campus and meets some of his fellow students – the mysterious Saya (Lana Condor, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before), who has goals of being valedictorian and is the person Master Lin sent to close the deal with Marcus; the unstable and wild Maria (Maria Gabriela de Faria, Yo Soy Franky), who causes Marcus to be the target of the cartel on his first day of class; skater punk misfit Billy (Liam James, The Way, Way Back, Psych), the son of a corrupt cop; and would-be gangster Willie (Luke Tennie, Vengeance), whose L.A. gang leader mother sent him to the school to toughen him up.
I really enjoyed tonight’s premiere, which sets up this elaborate and interesting world that feels both fresh but also familiar in some ways – King’s Dominion is like Hogwarts or Brakebills but for assassins rather than magicians. The episode also introduces viewers to a wide variety of characters, each with a unique background and reason for being at the school. The series has a bit of a darker, more mature tone, as it explores the angst of high school – just at a very unusual and more deadly one than most of us attended. The 1980s setting works well for the series, as these students live in a world that isn’t flooded with social media and phone cameras to catch them doing their homework assignments—the first of which involves finding and killing someone who deserves it! Plus there’s a lot of great 80s rock/punk music in the show’s soundtrack. This show looks and feels like a feature film, and I can’t wait to see where this story goes next and what lies ahead for these characters.
At this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, I got the chance to speak with some of the cast and creators of the series. Check out my press room videos at NoReruns.net.
On tonight’s premiere, “Reagan Youth,†a disillusioned teen finds purpose and fights for survival at an elite academy for the Deadly Arts.
If you want to check out the episode early, for free, you can find it on iTunes, Vudu, and possibly On Demand.
I’ll also be watching/recording The Goldbergs, Schooled, Modern Family, Single Parents, Match Game, The Masked Singer, Schitt’s Creek, MythBusters Jr., and I’m Sorry.
Jump with us to see else we think you should watch.
Jenny’s Choice
Oh my gosh. Haley’s having TWINS on Modern Family! That’s what we learned last week, when she and Dylan went to their ultrasound appointment – better late than never, I suppose… They’d had Claire and Phil over to their apartment to show it off…which didn’t go well. Not only is it TINY (as in a semi-converted garage), but there’s a hole in the roof where a skylight should go, but it’s right under the airport AND every time the garage door opens, anything on the wall that isn’t tied down falls off and breaks, like the weird ceramic pineapple Phil got them. Claire wasn’t handling Haley’s pregnancy well, and that nearly put her controlling personality over the top…but when she saw Haley’s ultrasound and how scared her daughter was, suddenly it all became clear and she calmed down, promising to be there to help them. It was a sweet scene. Of course, Phil then looked freaked out when he learned that Haley and Dylan would be having twins and moving back in with them.
Elsewhere, Pam got out of prison early, even though Mitchell never actually sent in the letter he promised both Cam and Pam he would. He thought no one would know because it was confidential. Unfortunately for him, Pam had an inside person and knew…and decided to threaten and mentally torture him. In the end, she apologized and admitted she was scared. Cam and Mitchell offered to let her and Cal stay in their rental apartment so they could help her with Cal. And then at Jay and Gloria’s, Gloria was upset about how Manny’s girlfriend Sherry was pushing him around (getting him to wear short pants, etc), and she pushed Jay into talking to Manny about it. Unfortunately, Sherry pointed out to Jay how Gloria did the same to him.
On tonight’s episode, “Blasts from the Past,†Phil and Claire decide to take a cycling tour through Italy before they become grandparents, and Dylan introduces them to his mom, who has an interesting past. Meanwhile, Cameron and Mitchell discover some interesting reading material in Lily’s room and decide to confront her about it, while Gloria and Jay discover their respective great uncles may have fought on opposing sides of a war.
Meet Dylan’s mom tonight on ABC at 9/8c.
I’ll also be watching/DVRing Chicago Med, The Goldbergs, Schooled, Chicago Fire, Guy’s Grocery Games, Single Parents, Chicago PD, & Match Game.
Phoebe’s Choice
Last week’s season premiere for You’re the Worst started off a bit confusing, in a video rental store in 1996 following the lives of clerks Jake & Ziggy. Soon we saw a lovely young woman named Gemma renting from the “Jake’s Picks†shelf, and they instantly bonded over a mutual interest in the films recommended by a French professor, Prof. Souflout. He asked her on a date, and she agreed only if he could find them a copy of the alleged snuff film on the list, “The Intransigence of Love.†This led to a crazy funny 90s “cyberspace†scene wherein Ziggy helped hack the professor’s computer to retrieve back to America a VHS tape with the film on it.
A year later, they randomly met again at a Princess Diana memorial. She was there with her douchey boyfriend. Jake told her he got the movie and showed some promise as a film director when he let her film on his cam. At this point, we were nowhere near the characters or timeline that this show is about, and while this was sort of a cute dark romcom, this wasn’t You’re the Worst. One night later on, she got into a fight with her bf, so she came to the video store. Jake was alone, and they slept together without watching the film. The douche eventually showed up, and she left with him – also stealing the camera. This was when the veil was dropped and we saw that Jimmy had been telling this story to wedding planners that he and Gretchen were in a meeting with. Ah ha. Gretchen was pissed that Jimmy had “her,†the woman in the story, abandon him rather than vice versa as it happened in their real lives. So she took over the tale.
She fast forwarded the yarn to Y2K Eve, when they randomly met again at a party. They were so clearly in love, which was aided by the fact Jimmy & Gretchen were in the roles now, not Jake & Gemma. Jimmy confided that he had never watched the movie without her. They left with the dates they came with though, both sad as shit. FFwd again to 2005 French Film Festival, with Gretchen on stage at a press conference talking about the awards she’d just won. Jimmy interrupted the event and asked how much her first camera cost. She rushed to him, admitting she stole it from him. They kissed. Princess Diana appeared, claiming to have never died. A party erupted. For some reason there was a goat. It was all very silly but funny. Back in modern reality, the wedding planners were stunned and did not know how to react.
Jimmy and Gretchen questioned why they kept lying to all the wedding planners they were interviewing. They mused that the ugly difficult beauty of their love was still true in all the stories, and they were just prone to such whimsy. All in all it was a masterful inauguration of the last season of this amazing show. So sad it’s got to end, but at least it will be this smart throughout.
On tonight’s episode, “The Pin in My Grenade,†Jimmy and Gretchen reveal that they’re forgoing a traditional wedding, opting instead for a Courthouse elopement.
Find out how everyone reacts to the news tonight on FXX at 10/9c.
I’ll also be watching Vikings.
Megan’s Choice
All American really took us for an emotional roller coaster before the winter break, and we were left with a lot of feels. First the truth about Layla and Spencer kissing came out, and it caused a lot of drama. It ended well though, with Layla and Spencer being able to be together. Sadly Shawn was shot during this episode, which was a huge blow to both Spencer and Coop. Very sad because Shawn had just got himself out of the gang life and was going to make a better life for him and his daughter. I’m sure we are going to see all kinds of ripple effects throughout the group because of this loss.
On tonight’s episode, “Keep Ya Head Up,” Spencer should be on top of the world – his football team is headed to the playoffs and he can finally be with Layla – but he can’t shake a major tragedy that occurred, causing him to question everything. Meanwhile, Coop learns some disturbing information about a friend, and Jordan is worried about the results of a drug test that could end his football career for good.
To see if Jordan can escape his bad decision, tune in to The CW at 9/8c.
I’ll also be watching Chicago PD, Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, Gordon Ramsay’s 24 Hours to Hell and Back, Single Parents, and Match Game.
