The Stop Button

American Gothic (1995) s01e18 “Echo of Your Last Goodbye” [1998] D: Oz Scott. S: Gary Cole, Lucas Black, Paige Turco, Brenda Bakke, Sarah Paulson, Nick Searcy, John Mese. Ghost Paulson starts haunting deputy Searcy, hoping he’ll turn against boss Cole. Meanwhile, Cole’s got his corrupting hooks into lover Turco and is using that relationship to further turn Black towards the dark side. And Mese and Bakke have romance troubles. Weird episode, but some great acting from Paulson and Searcy throughout. Albeit with iffy special effects.

Evil (2019) s04e14 “Fear of the End” [2024] D: Robert King. S: Katja Herbers, Mike Colter, Aasif Mandvi, Michael Emerson, Andrea Martin, Kurt Fuller, John Carroll Lynch. The show takes the interesting choice to mostly setup a sequel rather than wrap up the (admittedly thin) plot strands from the last four seasons. Colter gets a little with the Vatican, Martin gets a little with the Vatican, Herbers’s kids get the main plot. Emerson gets the most resolution, while Mandvi signals his readiness to be done.

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (2014) s11e21 “August 18, 2024: Hospice Care” [2024] D: Paul Pennolino. S: John Oliver. Oliver takes a look at hospice companies, specifically the ones ripping people off or ripping off Medicare. It’s a good feature, but there seems to be frustratingly little going on to stop them, even as awareness of how these companies are behaving grows. And, of course, it’s mostly terrible white guys doing the crimes (and getting away with them).

My Lady Jane (2024) s01e01 “Who’ll Be the Next in Line?” D: Jamie Babbit. S: Emily Bader, Edward Bluemel, Anna Chancellor, Rob Brydon, Kate O’Flynn, Henry Ashton, Oliver Chris. Delightful, fantasy alternate history of Jane of the Nine Days (Bader). In this universe an intelligent, independent woman in a world unwelcome to those qualities. Also there’s magic transforming fairy people. Bader’s mom, Chancellor, is determined to marry her off to maintain her station. Fun, frustrating, and so funny. Bader’s a great lead, Chancellor’s awesome. Such good writing.

My Lady Jane (2024) s01e02 “Wild Thing” D: Jamie Babbit. S: Emily Bader, Edward Bluemel, Anna Chancellor, Rob Brydon, Kate O’Flynn, Henry Ashton, Oliver Chris. Oodles of chemistry between newlyweds Bader and Bluemel as they deny their mutual attraction to pout about their arranged marriage. Except fate has a big surprise in store for them, and it adds a whole new layer to JANE. Plus palace intrigue with Peters, Brydon, and Cooper (who’s enjoying the silliness). It’s handily fulfilling its promise.

My Lady Jane (2024) s01e03 “With a Girl Like You” D: Jamie Babbit. S: Emily Bader, Edward Bluemel, Anna Chancellor, Rob Brydon, Kate O’Flynn, Henry Ashton, Oliver Chris. (Unconsummated, don’t be gross) newlyweds Bader and Bluemel find their new normal–she spends all her time trying to save him from his were-horse curse–while the royal machinations grind on. Brydon’s imprisoned (falsely accused), and Chancellor has to find a way to get rich without Bader being able to provide it. No big reveals, just delightful turns.

My Lady Jane (2024) s01e04 “Bluebird Is Dead” D: Jamie Babbit. S: Emily Bader, Edward Bluemel, Anna Chancellor, Rob Brydon, Kate O’Flynn, Henry Ashton, Oliver Chris. The show doesn’t waste time–Bader and Bluemel get to the castle for her to be crowned (not coronated yet), Bader sniffs out Jordan Peters’s murder, gets into it with Dominic Cooper and O’Flynn (separate from them being the murderers even). Plus Brydon’s still imprisoned and Bluemel’s worried there’s not enough time spent on curing him. Packed and fantastic.