American Gothic (1995) s01e16 “Doctor Death Takes a Holiday” [1996] D: Doug Lefler. S: Gary Cole, Lucas Black, Paige Turco, Brenda Bakke, Nick Searcy, Jake Weber, John Mese. While Cole is trying to corrupt judge Will Leskin against Weber, guest star Veronica Cartwright is trying to egg Weber into killing Cole. She tells him Cole’s the next Hitler. It’s nice to see Tina Lifford back (for a scene) and Mese and Bakke are cute together, but the script and direction are big whiffs. Probably the worst episode.

The Big Door Prize (2023) s02e09 “Un-Selfploration” [2024] D: Declan Lowney. S: Chris O’Dowd, Gabrielle Dennis, Ally Maki, Josh Segarra, Damon Gupton, Sammy Fourlas, Djouliet Amara. Segarra, Mary Holland, and (especially) Aaron Roman Weiner are all-stars for this episode, the penultimate in the season. Weiner’s got the episode’s best arc (by far), and Segarra and Holland are always on. Dennis realizes O’Dowd’s a condescending prick, and O’Dowd realizes he wants the other woman. The show presents them as equal realizations. There is no PRIZE.

The Big Door Prize (2023) s02e07 “Rehearsals” [2024] D: Satya Bhabha. S: Chris O’Dowd, Gabrielle Dennis, Josh Segarra, Sammy Fourlas, Djouliet Amara, Crystal R. Fox, Melissa Ponzio. No longer satisfied with O’Dowd being the only unlikable one, the episode goes out of its way to put Dennis in the same boat. O’Dowd is a terrible dad to Amara, trying to get her to co-sign his affair, and Dennis tries to ruin mom Fox’s first date with Ponzio. Fun stuff. At least Segarra keeps it together.

The Big Door Prize (2023) s02e08 “Our Town” [2024] D: Satya Bhabha. S: Chris O’Dowd, Gabrielle Dennis, Ally Maki, Josh Segarra, Damon Gupton, Sammy Fourlas, Djouliet Amara. The show’s reached a point where it’s either desperately course-correcting because O’Dowd’s “is he or isn’t he” philandering husband arc is a bust or just poorly perturbing the plot. For no reason, Segarra gets tasked with saving the episode, which also unfairly leverages Fourlas, Amara, and Gupton with crowd-pleasing but thin arcs to compensate for O’Dowd.

Doctor Who (2005) s14e06 “Rogue” [2024] D: Ben Chessell. S: Ncuti Gatwa, Millie Gibson, Michelle Greenidge, Jonathan Groff, Indira Varma, Paul Forman, Camilla Aiko. Gatwa and Gibson head to BRIDGERTON times for some time tourism only to discover a fetching bounty hunter (Groff) already there on a mission: stop a killer alien shapeshifter. Gatwa and Groff spend the episode flirting and bantering while Gibson hangs out around the manor. It’s often very cute (and eventually a Gatwa episode), with a strong finish.

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (2014) s11e14 “June 9, 2024: Deep-Sea Mining” [2024] D: Paul Pennolino. S: John Oliver. The feature is all about seabed mining and the Bond villain at the center of it. Bureaucracy and capitalism are behind it all, with the mining company able to exploit an already exploited small island nation to get it done. It’s an informative, interesting piece but not really a call to action. The postscript is then is top tier.

Ren Faire (2024) s01e01 “Daddy’s Dyin’, Who’s Got the Will?” D: Lance Oppenheim. S: Jeffrey Baldwin, George Coulam, Louie Migliaccio. Captivating look at the behind-the-scenes of a power struggle for the future of Texas’s (and the United States’s) largest renaissance fair. Baldwin and Migliaccio both think they deserve the (literal) crown of founder Coulam. Beautiful editing and computer color grading–it looks like a narrative drama–make for a fascinating, bewildering, disturbed experience. Good stuff.

Ren Faire (2024) s01e02 “Make Big Choices” D: Lance Oppenheim. S: Jeffrey Baldwin, Darla Smith, George Coulam, Louie Migliaccio. The machinations continue as Migliaccio tries to put together the financing to purchase the festival from Coulam. Meanwhile, we get to see Coulam’s pursuit for romance (with a woman sixty years his junior). And then we also meet Smith, who’s the more capable version of Baldwin (who’s freaking at the sale news). It remains compelling and beautifully produced.

Ren Faire (2024) s01e03 “We’re Done!” D: Lance Oppenheim. S: Jeffrey Baldwin, Darla Smith, George Coulam, Louie Migliaccio. The grand finale does not disappoint, with Coulam–not unsurprisingly, but not to this degree–turning out to really hate women. In particular, his new general manager, Smith. The filmmakers back off too long. When the fair’s trying to find another buyer, they rush it too fast. But still real good; one stranger than fiction moment after another.

World of Giants (1959) s01e03 “Teeth of the Watch Dog” D: Monroe P. Askins. S: Marshall Thompson, Arthur Franz, Carol Kelly, John Gallaudet, Charles Maxwell. The bad guys get the upper hand on Franz, and–as usual–only six-inch tall Thompson can save the day. Some wild special effects, along with Kelly getting the inglorious distinction of being the first lady on the program. Thompson thinks girls are silly! The story’s real, real dumb so the elaborate giant-size sets help.

World of Giants (1959) s01e02 “Time Bomb” D: Otto Lang. S: Marshall Thompson, Arthur Franz. Mostly real-time action episode has Thompson trying to prevent a time bomb from taking out he and partner Franz’s apartment building. The problem? Thompson’s six inches tall and has to go get Franz from the garage. Decently ambitious effects work keeps things going for most of it, especially since the finale’s a snoozer. Also… animal cruelty. Yuck.