There’s been a lot of talk about how we’ve reached Peak TV in America, and it’s true, judging by what we’ve seen this year.
It’s been a long time since the music industry was portrayed so vividly, viciously, and — let’s face it — accurately in pop culture as it was in Empire’s introduction of the hip-hop dynasty at the heart of this family saga, written by creators Lee Daniels and Danny Strong. If Taraji P. Henson became an instant sensation as the musically gifted, prison-hardened, blazingly intelligent Cookie, Terrence Howard’s Lucious Lyon wasn’t far behind, purring menacingly. — Ken Tucker
(Credit: Fox)
NBC’s understated, unsung family drama gave us an achingly heartfelt series finale that was just about perfect, with the Bravermans coming together for two momentous life events: first, the wedding of Sarah and Hank, and then the death of family patriarch Zeek. But rather than a maudlin funeral scene, the series ended with the whole Braverman clan assembling on a baseball field. There they sprinkled Zeek’s ashes on the infield dirt and played a joyous game on top of him, while a series of flash-forwards reassured us that each Braverman turned out just fine. — Dave Nemetz
Ilana Glazer and Abby Jacobson bring the raunch: Abby’s bed-date with Jeremy takes an unexpected turn when he brings out a strap-on dildo for her to use. Panicked, Abby sneaks a call to Ilana, who is elated: “It’s a dream come true; thank you for sharing this with me!” All this, plus Susie Essman being transcendently rude as Ilana’s mom while the two get mani-pedis. — KT
As Stefon would say, this three-and-a-half hour special had everything: Appearances by cast members old and new, tributes from A-list celebs, big-name musical performers, and backstage intrigue. Mike Myers and Dana Carvey reprised the always-excellent “Wayne’s World,” while a slew of mega-stars paraded through a hilarious edition of “Celebrity Jeopardy.” Queens of comedy Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Jane Curtin read “Weekend Update.” Even long-estranged former cast member Eddie Murphy made an appearance (though he declined to play Bill Cosby in a sketch). It was a non-stop party with a point, reminding us just how deeply Saturday Night Live is embedded in pop culture. — Kelly Woo
This masterful Season 3 installment saw the Underwoods both tightening their grip on power, and losing their grip on reality. Frank enlisted Jackie Sharp to attack rival Heather Dunbar during the Democratic debate to make Frank look better — but then he turned around and stabbed Jackie in the back, labeling her a hypocrite for criticizing Heather. (You can’t really blame Frank, though; like Freddie the rib chef said, “It’s like blaming a snake for having fangs.”) Plus, we got a rare glimpse of vulnerability from Claire in her woozy, cryptic monologue to writer Thomas Yates while giving blood, confessing her very mixed feelings about her marriage. — DN
Writer Joshua Brand earned an Emmy nomination for this episode, one of the best examples of how the FX Cold War drama has only gotten better each year. The Season 3 installment — the title is a nod to Philip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? — finds spy marrieds Philip and Elizabeth breaking into a repair shop to bug an FBI mail machine. Elderly bookkeeper Betty picked that night to catch up on some work, and when she and Elizabeth came face-to-face, they both knew Betty was doomed. But the ensuing conversation found the women identifying with each other, while Betty also resonated with Elizabeth as a mother figure, and forced the fiercely-committed Russian spy to question (if only for a fleeting moment) whether her cause justified acts like killing a kind old lady. — KP
It’s been a long time since the music industry was portrayed so vividly, viciously, and — let’s face it — accurately in pop culture as it was in Empire’s introduction of the hip-hop dynasty at the heart of this family saga, written by creators Lee Daniels and Danny Strong. If Taraji P. Henson became an instant sensation as the musically gifted, prison-hardened, blazingly intelligent Cookie, Terrence Howard’s Lucious Lyon wasn’t far behind, purring menacingly. — Ken Tucker
(Credit: Fox)
NBC’s understated, unsung family drama gave us an achingly heartfelt series finale that was just about perfect, with the Bravermans coming together for two momentous life events: first, the wedding of Sarah and Hank, and then the death of family patriarch Zeek. But rather than a maudlin funeral scene, the series ended with the whole Braverman clan assembling on a baseball field. There they sprinkled Zeek’s ashes on the infield dirt and played a joyous game on top of him, while a series of flash-forwards reassured us that each Braverman turned out just fine. — Dave Nemetz
Ilana Glazer and Abby Jacobson bring the raunch: Abby’s bed-date with Jeremy takes an unexpected turn when he brings out a strap-on dildo for her to use. Panicked, Abby sneaks a call to Ilana, who is elated: “It’s a dream come true; thank you for sharing this with me!” All this, plus Susie Essman being transcendently rude as Ilana’s mom while the two get mani-pedis. — KT
As Stefon would say, this three-and-a-half hour special had everything: Appearances by cast members old and new, tributes from A-list celebs, big-name musical performers, and backstage intrigue. Mike Myers and Dana Carvey reprised the always-excellent “Wayne’s World,” while a slew of mega-stars paraded through a hilarious edition of “Celebrity Jeopardy.” Queens of comedy Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Jane Curtin read “Weekend Update.” Even long-estranged former cast member Eddie Murphy made an appearance (though he declined to play Bill Cosby in a sketch). It was a non-stop party with a point, reminding us just how deeply Saturday Night Live is embedded in pop culture. — Kelly Woo
This masterful Season 3 installment saw the Underwoods both tightening their grip on power, and losing their grip on reality. Frank enlisted Jackie Sharp to attack rival Heather Dunbar during the Democratic debate to make Frank look better — but then he turned around and stabbed Jackie in the back, labeling her a hypocrite for criticizing Heather. (You can’t really blame Frank, though; like Freddie the rib chef said, “It’s like blaming a snake for having fangs.”) Plus, we got a rare glimpse of vulnerability from Claire in her woozy, cryptic monologue to writer Thomas Yates while giving blood, confessing her very mixed feelings about her marriage. — DN
Writer Joshua Brand earned an Emmy nomination for this episode, one of the best examples of how the FX Cold War drama has only gotten better each year. The Season 3 installment — the title is a nod to Philip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? — finds spy marrieds Philip and Elizabeth breaking into a repair shop to bug an FBI mail machine. Elderly bookkeeper Betty picked that night to catch up on some work, and when she and Elizabeth came face-to-face, they both knew Betty was doomed. But the ensuing conversation found the women identifying with each other, while Betty also resonated with Elizabeth as a mother figure, and forced the fiercely-committed Russian spy to question (if only for a fleeting moment) whether her cause justified acts like killing a kind old lady. — KP
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