Review Day

There are no major spoilers in these reviews.

12 Monkeys, Season Three:
This season kicks off with an incredibly ambitious first episode that clearly embraces the difficulty of gaining new viewers and doesn't look back. Every episode feels like a season finale, to the point where I finished this whole (10 episode) run in just a few days. This show also features a crazy character (the Brad Pitt role from the movie) that perfectly walks the fine line between really funny and annoying.

Final Grade: A

Flowers in the Pavement by Bliss n ESO:
This is the first album of my favourite Australian hip-hop band, released in 2004. It has a few "first-time rapper" flaws, like songs that greatly outstay their welcome with innumerable choruses and a preoccupation with describing all of the sex they're having, but it's buoyed by strong production values and interesting beats -- this is probably the only rap album that remixes Peer Gynt and the Nutcracker Suite behind their vocals.

Final Grade: B

Sneaky Pete, Season Three:
This season is better than the second but worse than the first. It throws a lot of balls into the air in the earlier episodes and drops most of them by the end. It's also hampered by a production move to California, which requires the primary cast members to have story reasons to make the cross-country trip. Pleasant enough, but by the end, I was only watching it to see how things turned out. The show was canceled after this season, and the finale wraps up sufficiently to not leave much hanging. Free on Amazon Prime.

Final Grade: C+

Superstore, Season One:
This lightweight comedy starring America Ferrera and the love child of BJ Novak and Robert Downey Jr. is harmless, mostly funny, and requires no long-term investment. In tone and execution, it reminded us of Outsourced.

Final Grade: B