Author Archives: Kyle

If We Controlled Your Remote… 1/15/20

Posted on January 15, 2020 by , and

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!

Jenny’s Choice

I’m still not feeling great, but I did want to highlight the premiere of
68 Whiskey tonight on Paramount. This comes from Ron Howard’s Imagine Television Studios and follows a multicultural band of Army medics stationed in Afghanistan on a base nicknamed “The Orphanage.” Together, the medics navigate a dangerous and sometimes absurd world, relying on comradery, various vices and, occasionally, a profound sense of purpose to carry them through. I really like the cast – most especially Beth Riesgraf (Leverage, Lovestruck, Insatiable, Complications) & Derek Theler (Baby Daddy, Marvel’s New Warriors).

It also stars Sam Keeley, Jeremy Tardy (Dear White People, Marvel’s New Warriors), Gage Golightly (Red Oaks, Heartland, The End of the World As We Know It), Cristina Rodlo (Too Old to Die Young), Lamont Thompson (Hell on Earth), Nicholas Coombe (Imaginary Mary), Aaron Glenane (Snowpiercer), Artur Benson, Jade Albany (The Naked Director, The Right Stuff), Linc Hand, & Usman Ally (Lovestruck, On Becoming a God in Central Florida).

This should be a mix of intense drama and irreverent humor, which usually makes for good TV. And I like the premise of the Army medics stationed overseas. I wonder if this will be a bit like a more dramatic version of M.A.S.H. from the 70s, which was set during the Korean War. I didn’t watch that one – I was only born in 1976, and I never did watch reruns – but it was hugely popular. We’ll see if that similar premise goes over well now.

On tonight’s episode, “Buckley’s Goat,” Roback convinces Davis to join him in a get-rich-quick scheme, which lands them in serious trouble; Alvarez gets some upsetting news; Roback and Durkin continue their secret affair; Petrocelli finds a new friend in a lost goat.

Meet these new Army medics and see their temporary home of the Orphanage tonight on Paramount at 10/9c.

I’ll also be watching Chicago Med, The Goldbergs, Schooled, Chicago Fire, Criminal Minds, Guy’s Grocery Games, Modern Family, Single Parents, Chicago PD, S.W.A.T., & Stumptown.
 
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If We Controlled Your Remote… 1/9/20

Posted on January 9, 2020 by and

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, The Good Place returns to NBC to kick off its final run of episodes. Before the break, Michael and the crew had uncovered the flawed point system that was sending nearly every human to the Bad Place and presented this information to the judge. They were given the chance to perform a new experiment in order to prove that humans could learn to be good but ended up just barely failing the test. The judge then decided that best thing to do was to just reset the Earth completely and let the humans evolve all over again for billions of years (though she would miss Timothy Olyphant and Justified). Before she could press her clicker to reset the Earth, all of the Janets appeared and stole it, playing keepaway and hiding it from the judge. So the judge started going through the Janets one-by-one, marblizing them while looking for her clicker. They now had only about 30 minutes until all the Janets and then Earth itself would be gone. So Michael woke up Chidi and restored the memories from every one of his hundreds of iterations, hoping that this would help him come up with a solution.

Will Chidi and the others be able to save humanity by finding a new way to properly evaluate people in the afterlife that will also be acceptable to the demon Shawn? Or will the judge wipe out all Earthly existence as we know it? The Good Place is such a fun, smart show, and I’m going to miss it when it’s gone. I can’t wait to see how these final episodes play out and how this amazing series ultimately comes to a close.

On tonight’s winter premiere, “You’ve Changed, Man,” the group works to negotiate an afterlife plan with Shawn and the judge.

See how the group’s plan goes tonight on NBC at 8:30/7:30c.

I’ll also be watching/recording Young Sheldon, The Unicorn, Carol’s Second Act, Evil, Superstore, Will & Grace, and Perfect Harmony.
 
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If We Controlled Your Remote… 1/8/20

Posted on January 8, 2020 by , and

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, Freeform kicks off the newly reimagined Party of Five, which is similar in concept to the original 1990s FOX series but with a more modern take. Nearly 23 years ago, Javier Acosta (Bruno Bichir, Narcos) and his wife Gloria (Fernanda Urrejola, Narcos: Mexico) came to the United States illegally and set down their roots, opening a popular local restaurant and expanding their family to include five children. Their eldest son, 24-year-old Emilio (Brandon Larracuente, 13 Reasons Why) is a DACA child who now lives on his own, pursuing a career as a musician. However, when ICE raids the family restaurant, arresting the Acosta parents, taking them away to be deported to Mexico, Emilio is forced to put his own dreams on the back burner and step up to take care of his younger siblings: Lucia, Beto, Valentina, and baby Rafael. Sixteen-year-old Lucia (Emily Tosta, Mayans M.C.) was a straight-A student, but after her parents’ arrest, she starts to act out and party rather than concentrating on her grades. Meanwhile, her twin brother Beto (Niko Guardado, The Goldbergs) is also neglecting his schoolwork and sports in order to step in and try to keep the family restaurant afloat. And precocious young Valentina (Elle Paris Legaspi, Vida), who was celebrating an academic achievement with her parents at the restaurant when ICE arrived, probably misses and needs her parents the most, as she is just hitting puberty.

I had never seen the original series, but I thought tonight’s premiere was really well done. It feels like a very modern take on the same concepts of the original show – the kids weren’t left orphaned, but for all intents and purposes, it’s almost like they are. I feared that with a topic like this, the series may get too political, but in the first episode, it never felt so. It is just heartbreaking drama depicting this family being torn apart by an unfortunate situation. With no other family to turn to, the siblings are now on their own and must quickly learn how to balance their lives as children while also taking on more adult responsibilities – from making sure they keep what’s left of their family together, to desperately trying not to lose their home or the family business (their only source of income) and raising their baby brother, who may never know his parents. At the same time, they are working to try to work the legal system and reunite with their parents. I look forward to checking out more of this series to see how the story progresses.

On tonight’s series premiere, “Pilot,” when ICE deports their parents, life for the five Acosta siblings is turned upside down; oldest son Emilio puts his music career on hold to move back home and take care of his siblings.

You can check out the episode right now on Hulu and at Freeform’s website or tonight on Freeform at 9/8c.

I’ll also be watching/recording Modern Family, Single Parents, Stumptown, and Almost Family.
 
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If We Controlled Your Remote… 1/7/20

Posted on January 7, 2020 by and

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, NBC is giving viewers an early look at the new series Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, which won’t premiere in its regular Sunday timeslot until February 16. Zoey Clarke (Jane Levy, Suburgatory) works as a computer programmer at a small San Francisco tech company. Her boss, Joan (Lauren Graham, Gilmore Girls, Parenthood), is trying to decide who to promote to team lead, and while Zoey is great at her job, she’s not as vocal and take-charge as she should be. Her co-worker/best friend Max (Skylar Astin, Pitch Perfect) is very supportive of her and may even harbor feelings for Zoey. Zoey lives in apartment by herself, across the hall from rambunctious neighbor Mo (Alex Newell, Glee), who often wakes her up with her singing. Zoey also spends a lot of time back home with her parents, Maggie (Mary Steenburgen, The Last Man on Earth) and Mitch (Peter Gallagher, The O.C., Grace and Frankie). About a year earlier, her father was diagnosed with a rare and unusual disease that has been taking away his ability to move, talk, and soon eat. It is devastating for Zoey and her family to watch this once vibrant and lively man just sitting their silently and deteriorating like this, but they are determined to help him enjoy his remaining days.

As the series begins, Zoey wakes up one seemingly normal morning to discover that she can hear other people’s innermost thoughts and desires, which they express through music – belting out pop songs while performing elaborate dance numbers, pouring out their deepest feelings and issues to her. Baffled by the situation, Zoey starts to use this information to help these people in need. However, in the process she also learns some interesting things about her co-workers. Are these new “powers” a curse or a blessing?

I really enjoyed tonight’s premiere – it reminded me of Kevin Probably Saves the World meets Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. The series has a great mix of humor and heart, and I found the impromptu singing and dancing to be a lot of fun – plus the songs are ones that most people will already be familiar with. That said, Zoey isn’t really knowledgeable about pop music, so it takes her a few bars of the lyrics in order to figure out what exactly people are trying to tell her, but most viewers will probably catch on as soon as the music starts. The series has an amazing cast, filled with actors with strong musical TV, theater, and movie backgrounds, so you know the song and dance performances are going to be great!

On tonight’s series preview, “Pilot,” Zoey, an introverted computer programmer living in San Francisco, begins to hear the innermost desires of the people around her through song.
Meet Zoey and see her power develop tonight on NBC at 10:01/9:01c.

I’ll also be recording Schitt’s Creek, FBI: Most Wanted, Emergence, The Resident, Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time, mixed-ish, and black-ish.
 
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If We Controlled Your Remote… 1/6/20

Posted on January 6, 2020 by

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, Manifest finally returns to kick off its second season on NBC. In the first season, Montego Air Flight 828 left Jamaica bound for New York City and disappeared for five and a half years before suddenly returning. For those on board, it was just a normal flight and no time had passed, but their families had presumed them dead. Upon their return, the passengers started to see and hear things, which they referred to as “callings.” Brother and sister Ben and Michaela Stone were two of the passengers on board, and these callings guided them toward helping people in danger. A government agency was interested in using these returned passengers as test subjects, but over the course of the season, it seemed like the Stone family managed to put a stop to these plans. Meanwhile, Ben’s son Cal, who was also on board the plane, had a vision, which showed that the passengers had a Death Date – following their return, they would only live the same number of days that they were missing, so they only have until June 2, 2024. Also, Michaela’s callings led her to Zeke Landon, a hiker who had gotten trapped in a cave during a blizzard a year prior, and he experienced something similar to the Flight 828 passengers (could he have a much shorter Death Date as well?). As the season ended, Michaela’s partner (and former lover) Jared had shown up where she and Zeke were hiding, he fought with Zeke over a gun, and we heard it go off.

The second season picks up right where we left off, following the aftermath of the shooting, before jumping ahead 2 months. Cal gets a calling that they need to “save the passengers” –whether that means saving them from the Death Date or just saving them in general remains to be seen. While the Stones try to figure this out, it’s pretty much business as usual as they continue to seek out and educate the Flight 828 passengers about the callings and help them carry out their missions. Meanwhile, there is a tough new captain at the precinct, and she’s not going to simply accept Michaela’s constant “anonymous tip” justification to solving her cases via her callings, so this could pose quite a problem. Plus, Ben and his wife Grace must let the family know about the pregnancy and have to decide if they want to learn whether or not Ben is the father. And finally, it looks like there may another government conspiracy brewing to study and harness the powers of the passengers.

I checked out the first two episodes of the season, and it feels very much the same as the first season. The writers do a good job of providing a case-of-the-week story while also exploring larger mysteries and season-long arcs. I am really enjoying the show and happy it is back. I look forward to seeing how the events set up in tonight’s premiere play out over the course of the season.

On tonight’s second season premiere, “Fasten Your Seatbelts,” as the Stone family reels in the aftermath of a devastating shooting, it’s hit with its most foreboding calling.

Jump back in with the passengers on Flight 828 tonight on NBC at 10:01/9:01c.

I’ll also be recording All Rise.

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