A Briefing With Michael

Merrin Dungey, Finn Wolfhard.

Definitely not as strong as earlier episodes. First third fell into the nostalgia trap. Bringing loads of characters back. Great to see them. But in many cases there was nothing funny for them to contribute.

In contrast, the stuff with Stevie's family was great.

And when focus shifted back to Hal, Malcolm, Reese, etc. it got funny again.

The big Malcolm-Lois confrontation was very good.

And Hal's big scene with Reese and everyone else was good, too. (In a different way.)

The big disaster at the end was funny. Perfect way to leave this family if we never see them again.

Not quite as strong as previous episodes this season. It's about the eternal battle between medical and surgical. Of course, it's also about conflict between Turk and JD. One being a family man with a lot of commitments, and one being completely alone in the world.

4 episodes in and the new cast have grown on me. Not as quickly as the season 9 cast did. That cast was awesome. Eliza Coupe! Michael Mosley! Dave Franco! (I miss them.)

There are 2 elements at play here. A gimmick and a story.

The gimmick is that we are watching a documentary. And the story concerns a (very large) living creature turned into a weapon of war.

At first, the gimmick got in the way of the story, but as the minutes ticked by this happened less and less. By the end, we were totally invested and had been taken on an emotional journey.

The script also raised some questions about blindly following orders.

This season, the show is really being brave and trying things. I wonder, what's next?

The directing--by Sharon Lewis--was noteworthy. These shots looked nothing like the show normally does. Some of those close-ups were spectacular. Part of me wishes the show did that all the time, but I understand why they don't.

Performances were stellar.

The women on this show are the most beautiful group of women ever assembled for a TV series. Every one of them. Don't believe me? Watch this episode.

Wil Wheaton, Ronny Cox.

Driven by a great guest performance, this was absolutely superb. Wesley Crusher giving "Doctor Who" vibes!! So much fun.

And the creatures chasing them are terrifying.

Great moments for Janeway--her list to Admiral Jellico--and Gwyn--her momentary contemplation of suicide to save her friends.

This was flawless.

Another story where the captain takes her boyfriend along on a big mission. They even stop in the middle of it to talk feelings and stuff! I can't get behind these self-centred, unprofessional characters.

The heist aspects here were okay, but delivered at leaden pace. Far too many scenes of the politicians talking about the mission. Instead of, you know, showing the mission. I really don't care what Federation President Rillak has to say!

Some big (and outlandish) twists in this episode. Very much in-character for the show, frankly. And I'm here for it.

Absolutely loving the direction they are taking the Jacob Monroe character. This was what I hoped would happen. This was his best episode.

Loving the Peter-Adam partnership. Also oved the logistics of the surveillance on Isabel.

Great scenes with Chelsea and her dumbass boyfriend, and also with the assassin and the kid.

A lot changed in this episode, and it ended with very exciting action. What more could you want?

Another episode that doesn't really advance the story arc, but is still very good.

I'm invested in the case and I wish they would move it along.

But the courtroom battles were riveting, and the developments with Legal (Elliott Gould) were heartbreaking. And beautifully done.

MVPs: Scott Lawrence and Constance Zimmer.

Marsha Warfield, Eden Sher.

2 typical sitcom plots, with very predictable endings.

It's fine. A few chuckles dotted throughout.

FWIW, I thought the Madison storyline was stronger.

The action sequences are absolutely stunning, the black-and-white visuals are genuinely beautiful, and the story is smart and compelling. If the mystery didn't pull you in, then it wouldn't be as much fun. But I really want to see where this is going.

This is great TV. Plain and simple.

I love Karen Rodriguez as Janet.

And the couple (Sofia Melián and Garrett Bales) that Ben interrupted were hilarious. Particularly the wife.

A bit better than the first episode.

The casting is the best thing about this show. Both Lyric Ross and Alden Ehrenreich are great additions to the show.

The heist was a lot of fun, but it didn't get enough screentime in the episode. (It felt underexplained.) I'm loving the gang of thieves. Great characters all.

Joe Pantoliano.

We find out Trevor's motivation and who he is working for.

Ben Kingsley is absolutely wonderful in this.

Love these two characters, the friendship that is developing between them, and the mystery surrounding Simon.

Leland Orser, Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

4th superb episode in a row!

Temporal Agent Daniels (Matt Winston), from the 31st Century, sends Archer and T'Pol to Earth in 2004 to locate and stop three Xindi from constructing a bioweapon!

Smart script.

I love the way this one was filmed. Michael Vejar really puts the camera in the middle of action, moving it rapidly around to cover as much of what's happening as possible. The interrogation scene is probably the best example.