Review Day

There are no major spoilers in these reviews.

Sons of Anarchy, Season Four:
This was the best season yet, and made the Irish slog in the third season worth suffering through. Plot progression is a tense swirl of dangerous chaos, with the long-term survival of any main character or the motorcycle club itself in jeopardy. Free on Amazon Prime.

Final Grade: A

The Shield, Season Two:
This was a fun season with similarities to The Wire. There's a good blend of procedural cases mixed in with the overarching storyline. The only misstep was the abrupt resolution of a storyline involving one of the more interesting villains -- it seemed like finale material but happened barely halfway through the season. Free on Amazon Prime.

Final Grade: B

Parks and Recreation, Season Six:
This might be the best season yet, despite the departure of some regular characters midseason. The season finale was amazing and pitch-perfect, and could easily have worked as a series finale. I'm almost disappointed that there's still one more season being filmed, because I can't see how they could end it any better. Free on Netflix.

Final Grade: A

Idlewild by Outkast:
This album is almost a decade old now, but I picked it up based on the song, "Call the Law". Apparently there's a movie by this same name. There are lots of catchy songs with classic Outkast stylings here, although a few too many "talky" segues between songs. I also appreciate the fact that the CD is nice and long, although it loses points for the boring 8 minute soundtrack vamp it uses as a final track.

Final Grade: B