The Stop Button

Agatha All Along (2024) s01e01 “Seekest Thou the Road” D: Jac Schaeffer. S: Kathryn Hahn, Joe Locke, Debra Jo Rupp, Aubrey Plaza, Emma Caulfield Ford, David Payton, David Lengel. Direct(ish) sequel to WANDAVISION has Hahn playing a prestige series detective, except her latest case starts throwing her. There’s Plaza’s FBI agent, come to help, only Hahn can’t quite remember their history. And then suspect Locke is pretty sure he knows Hahn’s secrets too. Shame she doesn’t herself. Hahn’s good, Plaza’s good, good production, but it drags.

FROM (2022) s03e01 “Shatter” [2024] D: . S: Harold Perrineau, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Eion Bailey, Hannah Cheramy, Pegah Ghafoori, Elizabeth Moy, Simon Webster. Okay season premiere has some excellent work from Perrineau. He’s trying to hold things together as the survivors run out of food (and the monsters notice). Meanwhile, Sandino Moreno is on the outside trying to figure out what to do next. Some decent mythology building, but still lots of bad acting. Bailey’s better than usual, ditto He.

Grantchester (2014) s09e04 “Episode 4” [2024] D: . S: Robson Green, Al Weaver, Tessa Peake-Jones, Kacey Ainsworth, Skye Lucia Degruttola. New vicar Nair goes to a fancy party with some racists and hot-to-trot rich ladies, but a murder spoils any subplots for him. He does get to play detective and bond–ever so briefly–with Peake-Jones. Green gets the more involved family subplot, and Weaver’s got one spinning up. It’s a solid episode.

Only Murders in the Building (2021) s04e04 “The Stunt Man” [2024] D: Chris Koch. S: Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Michael Cyril Creighton, Molly Shannon, Richard Kind, Paul Rudd. Spectacular episode has the trio solving part of the mystery just to discover there’s even more to it. And with a returning guest star (Rudd, in his series best), plus some character development for Creighton. It’s a particularly good episode for Gomez, who gets a couple breathers from the boys. But will they pull off the latest reveal….

Only Murders in the Building (2021) s04e05 “Adaptation” [2024] D: Jessica Yu. S: Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Michael Cyril Creighton, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Molly Shannon, Paul Rudd. After a lackluster, if significant, resolution to the cliffhanger, the trio figures out how to filter down an increasing suspect pool. Along the way, they pick up a sidekick (Jin Ha), who just happens to be the screenwriter. And helpful for their process. There’s some great comic stuff from Short. The slow start pays off by the finish.

Slow Horses (2022) s04e03 “Penny for Your Thoughts” [2024] D: Adam Randall. S: Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden, Jonathan Pryce. Lots of reveals this episode, along with a dynamite thrill sequence. While Lowden slowly figures out his French predicament (including angry villagers), Oldman plays with a deteriorating Pryce’s fate. Oh, and James Callis–out of nowhere with the agency, no pun–all of a sudden decides to start snooping on MI-5 corruption. Bet it figures in. Stellar stuff.

Slow Horses (2022) s04e04 “Returns” [2024] D: Adam Randall. S: Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden, Kristin Scott Thomas, Jonathan Pryce, Hugo Weaving, Saskia Reeves, James Callis. There are two unexpected uh ohs this episode. First, Weaving as the big bad. He’s a parody of a parody. And, wow, that “Yank” accent work. So that part’s concerning. Also concerning is the apparent final reveal, which doesn’t get explained just implied. It’s all of a sudden a soap opera. Thomas’s stuff’s the highlight. The rest flounders.

Tulsa King (2022) s02e02 “Kansas City Blues” [2024] D: Craig Zisk. S: Sylvester Stallone, Martin Starr, Jay Will, Max Casella, Tatiana Zappardino, Garrett Hedlund, Dana Delany. Tiring episode setting up Stallone’s court case. He’s representing himself, only he doesn’t know season villain Neal McDonough is out to get him already. And then Frank Grillo’s also planning on attacking. Meanwhile, Stallone can’t even go to his hotel because of the reporters. It’s high wire drama. The finale features a truly desperate, utterly charmless cameo slot. Groan.