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If We Controlled Your Remote… 10/26/18

Posted on October 26, 2018 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

Early this morning, Netflix released the first season of the new series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, which is based on the iconic comic book characters. Set in the small town of Greendale, where it seems like Halloween every day, the series centers around the life of teenage half-witch Sabrina Spellman (Kiernan Shipka, Mad Men). After her parents died in an accident, Sabrina was raised by her witch aunts – the bubbly and nurturing Hilda (Lucy Davis, The Office (UK)), and her stricter, more serious sister Zelda (Miranda Otto, 24: Legacy) – who run a mortuary along with Sabrina’s cousin Ambrose (Chance Perdomo), a necromancer who’s been under house arrest and unable to leave the property for the past 75 years.

Sabrina seems like your average teenager – she enjoys hanging out with her boyfriend Harvey (Ross Lynch, Austin & Ally) and best friends Roz (Jaz Sinclair, Paper Towns) and Susie (Lachlan Watson, Nashville). But she has magical abilities, which she often uses to secretly help her friends – such as to teach the misogynistic high school principal (Bronson Pinchot, Perfect Strangers) a lesson when he refuses to stop Susie from getting bullied. As her 16th birthday approaches, Sabrina has an important decision to make – she must choose between the Path of Night or the Path of Light. If she undergoes her dark baptism to become a full-fledged witch, she will need to leave her human life and friends behind and head off to the Academy of Unseen Arts. However, if she doesn’t get baptized, she will grow old and eventually lose her powers. There also seems to be some other unknown ramifications to this decision that Sabrina isn’t aware of. A mysterious witch (Michelle Gomez, Doctor Who) arrives to town, disguising herself as one of the Baxter High faculty members, and uses her powers to try to influence Sabrina into embracing her darker side, trying to steer her toward her baptism. Meanwhile, the three Weird Sisters – Prudence (Tati Gabrielle, The 100), Agatha (Adeline Rudolph), & Dorcas (Abigail F. Cowen, The Fosters) – who are students at the Academy, don’t want a half-blood joining their ranks and try to dissuade Sabrina from taking her oath. To help her make an informed decision, Sabrina’s aunts seek the assistance of high priest Father Blackwood (Richard Coyle, Coupling), but he also seems to be hiding something and has ulterior motives. And to make matters worse, there may be someone in town hunting witches.

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is a fun mix of teenage drama and supernatural thriller, with a healthy dose of humor thrown in to keep it from getting too dark. Originally the character of Sabrina was supposed to show up on Riverdale, but they decided instead to spin her off into her own series, which is a much wiser choice. While this series has a similar overall tone to Riverdale, the supernatural elements would have felt odd and out of place in that show’s more grounded reality. The cast of this show is excellent. Kiernan Shipka is delightful as Sabrina – though it’s a little strange to see her all grown up because I’ll always think of her as the young Sally Draper from Mad Men. Plus it’s always great to see Michelle Gomez in another deliciously evil role! I look forward to seeing how this season plays out, and with a second season already ordered, there’s plenty more adventures to come!

Check out the complete first season now on Netflix!

I’ll also be watching/recording Child Support.
 
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If We Controlled Your Remote… 10/25/18

Posted on October 25, 2018 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

A few years ago, Sundance TV aired the series Deutschland 83, a German-American spy drama set during the Cold War in 1983, which ended up being one of my favorite shows of 2015. Late night tonight, the sequel, Deutschland 86, finally premieres. In the first series, 24-year-old East German Martin (Jonas Nay) was recruited by his Aunt Lenora (Maria Schrader) to become an undercover spy for the HVA, the intelligence branch of the Stasi. He was sent into West Germany posing as a soldier and aide to the Major General to gather military intelligence. By the end of the season, Martin had to reveal the truth about his actions to both the East and West German governments in order to prevent a nuclear war from breaking out, but this also put him in danger in the process, leaving him a wanted man by both sides of the country. Meanwhile, Annett (Sonja Gerhardt), Martin’s former fiancée and mother of his child, was also recruited to work for the Stasi. It was revealed in the finale that Walter Schweppenstette (Sylvester Groth), Lenora’s boss, was Martin’s father.

Tonight, the new series, Deutschland 86 picks up 3 years later (as is evident by the title). Things are getting rough in East Germany, which is running out of food and money. Lenora has a plan to raise money by selling weapons in South Africa. So she once again recruits her nephew, who had been banished “for his own safety” to an orphanage in Angola, where he’s been teaching the children German for the past three years. Needless to say, he’s not thrilled to see his aunt but is willing to go along with her plan as long as it means he can return home and see the child he hasn’t seen in ages. Joining Lenora and Martin in their mission is tough undercover agent Rose (Florence Kasumba). Meanwhile, Annett and Walter are working on their own way to raise money, involving some questionable West German drug trials for a pharmaceutical company in the West. It looks like this series should be another fun and exciting show. Though, I won’t be trying to watch/read subtitles at midnight, so this will be one for the DVR to watch the next day.

On tonight’s premiere, “Tar Baby,” banished for his sins in 1983, Martin wallows in limbo until his Aunt Lenora conscripts him into her plan to drum up hard currency abroad.

Check out the second season premiere tonight on Sundance at 3:01AM/2:01AMc.

I’ll also be watching/recording Grey’s Anatomy, The Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon, Superstore, The Good Place, Will & Grace, I Feel Bad, and Legacies.
 
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If We Controlled Your Remote… 10/24/18

Posted on October 24, 2018 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

The Goldbergs is still one of my favorite comedies. I love, love, love all the 80s references and episode themes. Last week took me right back to school, when my mom would chaperone field trips. Adam and his class were taking a field trip to Hersheypark, and after his friends told him they’d banned their parents from being chaperones, Adam laid down the law with Beverly. She got him, though, by giving him one of her famous “guilt letters.” When the other parents found out about them, they begged her to teach them, and she did, although she told them to write their own, not just copy hers. Each of Adam’s friends got a letter, so suddenly all of them had a parent chaperoning the trip, Adam included. Unfortunately for Beverly, none of the parents took her direction and just copied her letters, and Adam and his friends compared them, quickly realizing they’d been played. In the end, it was another heartwarming moment, where Beverly and Adam came to an agreement: She would stop chaperoning and he would take the time for actual conversations with her – such as when she asked him about his day after school. That’s actually a very similar conversation I had with my own son when he was still in school, so it was weird & fun seeing it play out screen!

Also on that episode, it was Career Night at school, and Geoff finally admitted that he not only was grossed out by eyeballs but didn’t want to become an eye doctor, no matter how hard his father the eye doctor was pushing him toward it. Instead, he chose to “intern” with Murray at the furniture store. While it was obvious that wasn’t what he wanted to do for the rest of his life, it did allow him to work things out with his dad. Barry, on the other hand, had a blast and actually learned a lot interning for Geoff’s dad. We know from way back in the series that Barry did indeed go on to become a doctor in real life, but I don’t know if he became an eye doctor or not. It’s funny regardless!

On tonight’s episode, “Mister Knifey-Hands,” despite Beverly’s wishes, Jackie’s parents allow Adam to watch A Nightmare on Elm Street (which is the exact reason I picked this episode to recommend!) and a disagreement between the families ensues. But Beverly dreams of facing off with horror icon Freddy Krueger (guest star Robert Englund), which teaches her an important lesson about her son’s relationship with Jackie. Meanwhile, Erica realizes she’s not as popular as she once was when she starts hanging out at William Penn Academy, despite the fact she’s no longer a student there.

See how Adam handles Freddy tonight on ABC at 8/7c.

I’ll also be watching/DVRing Chicago Med, American Housewife, Chicago Fire, Guy’s Grocery Games, Modern Family, SEAL Team, Single Parents, Chicago PD, & Criminal Minds.
 
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If We Controlled Your Remote… 10/23/18

Posted on October 23, 2018 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, TBS’s comedic anthology series The Guest Book returns for a second season, with a reboot of sorts. As the second season opens, we learn that the ever-scheming Vivian (Carly Jibson, One Mississippi) lost her bar and has decided to make a fresh start to her life, leaving Mount Trace for a warmer climate. She is joined by food delivery guy Eddie (Eddie Steeples, My Name Is Earl), and the two end up in the small oceanside community of Mabel Beach. Vivian gets a job at the local diner, Emmy Lou’s Grill, which is run by Tommy (Dan Beirne, Fargo) and his pregnant fiancee Nikki (Kimiko Glenn, Orange Is the New Black). Tommy’s mother also owns a local vacation property, the Barefeet Retreat. Meanwhile, Eddie is back to delivering food but sleeps on the beach, which is where he befriends local handyman Bodhi (Jimmy Tatro, American Vandal). Each episode features new guests checking into the Barefeet Retreat and recounting their adventure in the property’s guest book. The series also follows the continuing story involving those who run and work at the diner and vacation home.

I wasn’t aware that the series was going to change to a new town and feature new regular characters each season, so I was a bit surprised and disappointed to not see Garret Dillahunt in tonight’s premiere. However, I really enjoyed the new characters and new setting. The series is just as fun as the first season, and I look forward to seeing what crazy guests and odd situations will arise this year. The series has an amazing lineup of guest stars for season two: Pete Davidson (SNL), Will Arnett (Arrested Development), Michael Kenneth Williams (The Wire), Matt Walsh (Veep), Lisa Rinna (The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills), Martha Plimpton (The Real O’Neals, Raising Hope), Nat Faxon (Friends from College), Michael Rapaport (Atypical), Steve Zissis (Togetherness), Allison Tolman (Fargo), Oliver Hudson (Splitting Up Together), Sufe Bradshaw (Veep), Nadine Velazquez (My Name is Earl), Darrell Britt-Gibson (Barry), Adhir Kalyan (I Love Dick), Joey “Coco” Diaz (I’m Dying Up Here), Matthew Moy (2 Broke Girls), Michael Cassidy (People of Earth), Kether Donohue (You’re the Worst), Lexi Ainsworth (General Hospital), and Jon Bass (Miracle Workers), plus some of the regulars from first season will return!

On the first half of tonight’s two-episode premiere, “Finding Reality,” Tara and Derek rent Barefeet Retreat in an attempt to improve their marriage, which has been complicated by Derek’s addiction to VR. Guest stars for the premiere include Joey Diaz, Kether Donohue, & Nat Faxon. Then in “Under Cover,” Rob and Shelley rent Barefeet Retreat to lure in their next mark, a woman named Angel who is abusing every substance that can be abused; Vivian develops a crush on Bodhi; Nikki goes into labor. Guest stars for episode two include Martha Plimpton, Sufe Bradshaw, & Will Arnett.

Take a retreat of your own tonight on TBS starting at 10/9c.

I’ll also be watching/recording The Kids Are Alright, black-ish, The Rookie, This Is Us, The Flash, Mayans M.C., and The Purge.
 
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If We Controlled Your Remote… 10/22/18

Posted on October 22, 2018 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!

Phoebe’s Choice

The “Arrowverse’s” epic return continues tonight when DC’s Legends of Tomorrow comes back.

This is another show that ended on a crazy cliff hanger last year, which left us some hint of what this year’s season 4 might be about. In last spring’s finale, Damien Darhk sacrificed himself to become the demon Malice instead of his daughter, Nora. (Why are Darhk & Flash’s daughters named the same??!?!) Mya and Ray meanwhile took some shaman drug to commune with the ancestral totem bearers to learn how to use the totems to defeat the demon.

The team was hiding out in temporal anomalous zone: Salvation Montana in the 1860s. They met up with Johna Hex once again & also got to see Jefferson Jackson, who used to be Firestorm. Jefferson had aged five years since they last saw him, and he had a wife & child now. Unfortunately undead armies of Roman soldiers, pirates, & vikings showed up soon enough, representing Malice’s agenda. In the “High Noon” battle with the undead legions, they at first defeated them all, but Malice just reanimated them again. So the Legends had to pool the powers of the totems to become the champion that could defeat the demon. They formed into a giant “Bebo” stuffed doll and promptly kicked Malice’s butt!

In the celebrations that followed, though, mystic warrior John Constantine showed up and told them that by destroying Malice, they had cause massive repercussions through the world of the supernatural. That set the tone for what we have to look forward to in this next year. Also Mya returned to her own timeline, and she and Ray broke up, but we knew that was coming. She only was on the waverider to complete this totem arc. We know that Legends will not be part of the Elseworlds crossover that The Flash, Arrow, & Supergirl will be doing (a crossover which will launch the upcoming CW show Batwoman!!!). But looks like they will be teaming up with Constantine. This show is always funny and has so much heart. Here’s to hoping for four more years!

On tonight’s episode, “The Virgin Gary,” after the Legends defeated Mallus and wiped the final anachronism from time, they find themselves in unfamiliar territory with the Time Bureau. All that changes when Constantine informs Sara of a new magical threat that leads the team to Woodstock. Constantine thinks he knows how to defeat the new threat but will need the help of the team and their special klepto talents to help with his spell. Meanwhile, Nate and Rory go on an adventure, leaving Nate facing someone from his past.

Find out what threat leads the team to Woodstock tonight on The CW at 9/8c.

I’ll also be watching Arrow.
 
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