The Stop Button

The Devil’s Hour (2022) s02e01 “DI Chambers” [2024] D: Johnny Allan. S: Jessica Raine, Peter Capaldi, Nikesh Patel, Benjamin Chivers. Given season one was a timey-wimey, multiverse of madness, it’s a little weird to see season two start with a straightforward detective procedural for Raine and Patel. Things do start getting strange and Capaldi does eventually figure in, but it takes almost the entire episode to even hint at what’s coming. We’ll see what comes.

The Devil’s Hour (2022) s02e02 “Red Lines” [2024] D: Johnny Allan. S: Jessica Raine, Peter Capaldi, Nikesh Patel, Benjamin Chivers. Profoundly confusing approach has Raine living in two realities, one a direct sequel to season one, the other a sequel to last episode. Except there’s a jump ahead in both universes to allow for cheap narrative reveals. It’s a bewildering episode, and still entirely unclear what the season is going to be doing. Capaldi’s delightful as ever, obviously.

The Devil’s Hour (2022) s02e03 “Something Beginning with D” [2024] D: Shaun James Grant. S: Jessica Raine, Peter Capaldi, Nikesh Patel, Benjamin Chivers. Turns out some of the drag this season has been Patel. He’s around but far less, barely with Raine, who does better without him. Though the show’s obviously missing the inciting incident for Raine’s “awakening” to the multiverse. Chivers all of a sudden has a subplot for it. Plus Capaldi gets to be charming, which is always nice.

The Devil’s Hour (2022) s02e04 “Far Away” [2024] D: Shaun James Grant. S: Jessica Raine, Peter Capaldi, Nikesh Patel, Benjamin Chivers. Some genuine surprises–and a nice arc for Patel–often because it doesn’t seem like they’ve only got one episode left. At first, it seems like they’re going to introduce an entirely new, important character, but it’s just a red herring. In other words, it could be messier with this very messy show. Can’t wait for the finale….

The Devil’s Hour (2022) s02e05 “Birth of a Tragedy” [2024] D: Johnny Allan. S: Jessica Raine, Peter Capaldi, Nikesh Patel, Benjamin Chivers. Outstanding finale manages to fit in the teensiest bits of series mythology (for the season one into two bingers) while delivering a fine thriller. In hindsight, it ends up being a rather thankless part for Raine, who got multiple character development arcs in circles. And Patel emerges practically the protagonist. Still very messy, but a worthwhile unravel.

FROM (2022) s03e05 “The Light of Day” [2024] D: Alexandra La Roche. S: Harold Perrineau, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Eion Bailey, David Alpay, Scott McCord, Ricky He, Chloe Van Landschoot. The townsfolk are confused why Moreno’s back (and why she didn’t bring help with her); they take it out on Perrineau. Then the episode becomes an object lesson on common sense and measured planning. Meanwhile, McCloud is trying to avoid guest star Robert Joy (his dad, come to town forty years late). Nothing really happens, but it’s fine FROM.

Only Murders in the Building (2021) s04e09 “Escape from Planet Klongo” [2024] D: Jamie Babbit. S: Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Jane Lynch, Jin Ha, Molly Shannon, Paul Rudd. Penultimate–but doesn’t feel like it considering all the character development twists and turns in what was at one point a spoof of procedurals–episode features whiskey, A-list guest stars, and secrets. The trio has a series of eventually soulful awkward events, leading to a fantastic third act. Also turns out… Gomez might be playing a Pynchon protagonist.

Tulsa King (2022) s02e06 “Navigator” [2024] D: David Semel. S: Sylvester Stallone, Martin Starr, Jay Will, Max Casella, Vincent Piazza, Tatiana Zappardino, Garrett Hedlund. After threatening something finally happening maybe five times this episode, something finally happens at the cliffhanger. Sure, it’s a season and three episodes late or whatever, but something. Most of the episode involves Stallone sitting down with guest star Frank Grillo for mob talk. HEAT it ain’t. The rest is keeping the other subplots warm. Until the end, anyway.

What We Do in the Shadows (2019) s06e01 “The Return of Jerry” [2024] D: Kyle Newacheck. S: Kayvan Novak, Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou, Harvey Guillén, Mark Proksch, Kristen Schaal, Michael Patrick O’Brien. SHADOWS kicks off its last season introducing a long lost resident of the house no one ever mentioned until now, played by O’Brien. After a reunion with the vampires, O’Brien starts wondering why they aren’t trying to conquer the world anymore. A reused season one plot. And Guillén has sort of moved out. Sadly, but unsurprisingly, just okay.

What We Do in the Shadows (2019) s06e02 “Headhunting” [2024] D: Kyle Newacheck. S: Kayvan Novak, Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou, Harvey Guillén, Mark Proksch, Tim Heidecker, Andy Assaf. After promising a Berry and Proksch team-up, their plot way too quickly shuffles Berry off. It might be fine except the show’s doing a FRANKENSTEIN bit (who?), and so they’re making a monster. The monster’s not funny; sinks the episode. Demetriou and Novak messing with Guillén at his “day” job is more successful overall, just not initially hilarious.