I watch terrible television so you don’t have to.
New This Week
FBI (Wednesday, Paramount+)
In this Very Special Episode™ OA’s Random Girlfriend is a Problem AND OA Explains Racism To His Co-Workers. OA (Zeeko Zaki) confessed to Gemma (Comfort Clinton) that he was involved in the op that went sideways last week, resulting in her friend’s death. And also accused her of doing drugs which would be bad for his reputation. So Gemma threw him out.
Then they caught the case of a federal judge gunned down on the street and the witness identified the gunman as someone who “looked like a terrorist” meaning “an Arab”. I wish Maggie (Missy Peregrym) said something. It gets worse when they trace the gunman to an Islamic center and find an embedded FBI agent and OA has to spend the rest of the episode talking about how hard it is to be a Muslim FBI agent. OA (and Zeeko!) puts up with A Lot aka Too Much for real.
But Maggie’s bangs are growing on me.
FBI: Most Wanted (Wednesday, Paramount+)
Barnes (Roxy Sternberg) was hit with the news that her wife “met someone else” and that is legitimately the only thing I remember about the episode.
Alert Missing Persons Unit (Wednesday, Hulu)
The team has to track down a Ben Franklin re-enactor/tour guide/former mob enforcer (Teach Grant) who goes missing when he’s recognized by a current mob enforcer. It’s a semi-sweet story about dads who crime but the way more interesting parts of the episode involve introducing yet more wild connections and wacky characters to the gang.
First, there’s new forensic scientist Heather Gale (Diana Bang) who has been transferred around the departments because she’s a weirdo who tries too hard. This leads to a nice discussion of neurodivergence with Kemi (Adeola Role). Second, there’s mob boss Charlie McGannon (Ian Tracey) who we learn helped Nikki (Dania Ramirez) climb the ladder of success as a CI. In exchange, he got all his enemies arrested and even now she won’t pursue a tip that Charlie himself killed his father in order to take over. This causes a little friction with Mike (Ryan Broussard) but not Jay (Scott Caan). But Jay tells Mike to get over it because they are all in a good place at the moment. In return Mike is trying to stop Jay from getting into things that will blow up in his face but we should all expect the explosion.
Law & Order (Friday, Peacock)
DA Nicolas Baxter (Tony Goldwyn) comes out of the box swinging. He shows up at a crime scene to spook the cops. He fires some ADAs to spook the rest of them. And he starts to strip Jack’s office of anything that might remind someone of Jack, talks about abiding by political niceties unlike Jack, and ignores Nolan (Hugh Dancy) both in person and on text to spook Nolan. The result is a good episode for Nolan (finally!)
A bro who gamed the stock market and made a ton of money felt bad about it and found a “financial dominatrix” to punish him over it. The fin-dom stole 2 mil and he threatened to call the cops so she killed him. But then, plot twist, the fin-dom had an earlier arrangement with a famous actor who confessed to violently raping at least ten women. Baxter wanted Nolan to make a deal with her, he wanted to verify her story first, the judge wouldn’t give him time, so he chose to move forward with the trial instead of the rape investigation.
First of all, I’m a broken record again but why does every case include a sidestep into sex crimes now? But setting that aside, we also get a redux of every conversation between Nolan and Sam (Odelya Hlevi) this season: Sam argues for a little less black-and-white thinking and Nolan ignores her. However, this week it worked for me. This time Nolan’s inability to bend was a plot point, and presented as both a flaw and an endearing character trait (his speech to Baxter at the end was heartfelt). And their argument was about him and about them, it was personal. I finally believed they have a relationship, that they like and care for each other. Sam was still frustrated and Nolan was still stubborn but I wanted to punch him in the face with affection rather than indignation.
Law & Order: SVU (Friday, Peacock)
This was the best episode of the season so far, easy. I loved the entire Maria (Dani Montalvo) story. I loved Olivia (Mariska Hargitay) being bossy and a boss and that also being a flaw (!). I loved Curry (Aimé Donna Kelly) and her weak stomach because for real. I loved Fin (Ice-T) with Curry, moving from open hostility to care. I loved Fin with Olivia, calling her out but not in a way that undermines her authority like he did earlier in the season. Shout out to Ice-T for bringing it, everything he did was aces.
Finally, I loved the concept of the probability of doom and how it related to Olivia. It’s so relatable and it’s building on the insecurity that’s been evident this season— as if they really do have a plan! She looked through a window again, but this time she didn’t stay on the inside. The story no longer feels like it’s arcing toward her leaving (which felt fake because she wouldn’t) but rather learning to rely on people and potentially— gasp!— delegate.
And the case was good. It was horrible but it should be. Olivia and Carisi (Peter Scanavino) understood the killer was a victim, too, though the criminal justice system, at least as it currently exists, can’t bend. Pointing that out is important.
Law & Order:Organized Crime (Friday, Peacock)
This was also a tight episode, great job all around Laws and Orders!
Elliot (Christopher Meloni) is some kind of trauma magnet. Bell (Danielle Moné Truitt) is still recovering from being shot, Sam’s (Abubakr Ali) pregnant wife had to be rushed to the hospital, and Chief Bonner’s (Jennifer Ehle) whole life blew up. She was fired, her brother was revealed to be the serial killer they were looking for, leading to her killing him in the line of duty, and then it turns out her mother was also buried on the beach (so her corrupt dad is probably also a murderer).
Bonner’s story is interesting and there are clear parallels with Stabler. They were both suspended and completely ignoring it and also completely ignoring everyone who told them to stop. They are both dealing with the sins of their father. They both investigated their brother in this episode— when Meredith called Eric (Will Janowitz) her baby brother, it really drove home the nod to Joe Jr. (Michael Trotter) for me. Let’s hope it ends better!
And then this: “I feel like everything that I thought or knew isn’t real. I don’t know what’s happening.” That is at the heart of Organized Crime— Elliot piecing his life back together when nothing makes sense anymore.
One more thing— this show can be so funny. Elliot and Jet (Ainsley Sieger) are always a delight and Elliot not knowing Vargas’s first name is hilarious.
So Help Me Todd (Friday, Paramount+)
This episode (series) is a farce and it is delightful! Everything that happens is so silly and so funny. There are no legal shenanigans this week. Instead, we get a murder mystery solved by two hospitalized detectives, Todd (Skyler Astin) and Dick (Dean Winters), Allison (Madeline Wise) the ER doc, Margaret (Marcia Gay Harden) the lawyer-and-mom, and two bored old rich sisters (Jaqueline and Joyce Robbins) with assists from Lyle (Tristan J. Winger) and Susan (Inga Schlingmann). The FBI is also there but they do nothing but briefly lock up Margaret for being a Karen. Delightful!
9-1-1 (Friday, Hulu)
9-1-1 likes to start with a bang, a disaster of some kind, and this is no exception. Athena (Angela Bassett) and Bobby (Peter Krause) are on a late honeymoon cruise and the episode starts with the ship going down and them declaring their love before drowning. Then we pull back in time to see them uncover a plot that looks like a murdered wife but is actually a kidnapping turned hostage situation. As in a gang takes over the ship. And also a storm is coming. That’s the cliffhanger (excepting we also have the flashforward from the beginning).
Meanwhile, Eddie (Ryan Guzman) and Buck (Oliver Stark) co-parent Christopher (Gavin McHugh) through his 13-year-old player phase brought on by abandonment issues from the time his mom left, and then when she returned she died. And Chimney (Kenneth Choi) and Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) navigate Chimney’s insecurities about maintaining the spark in their relationship.
Also Watching
Fairly Legal, which was my introduction to Sarah Shahi even though Life came before. It’s another show about strange family dynamics and I wish it got more seasons.
Mental Illness Sidebar
Athena tells her therapist she’s afraid to go on the cruise because she saw The Poseidon Adventure as a kid and it scared her and he basically laughs at her. Like, yes, encourage her to get past it but not by making fun of her????? Athena’s therapy: C-/D+
I’m still angry at Olivia’s therapist Dr. Lentz (Tricia Paoluccio) for throwing McGrath’s daughter’s rape at her at the end of her own therapy session. But this session was better and again, showed continuity, both with the return and by connecting Maddie to Maria. I love continuity! Olivia’s therapy: B
And then there’s Elliot’s psych eval. 🤦🏼♀️ It turns out that IAB officer Warren (Malcolm Goodwin) has it out for Elliot because his mentor was Joe Sr.’s partner and he blames them for said mentor’s suicide. Which, yikes. Ayanna asked Cragen (Dann Florek) to look into it because she found the request for a psych eval suspicious in the first place. Now, I think Elliot needs therapy, but he was completely blindsided by the eval and based on Cragen’s intel, it was all a set up anyway.
They call him in for the eval with less than an hour’s notice so he is unprepared and strangely dressed and Warren sits in on it which is absurd (and Elliot did not consent to it, good job getting that on the record Elliot). It goes downhill from there. They start in on the “you’re just like your (abusive) dad” theme, which I really need people to stop saying. And then Elliot reveals that he was listening to his team on an earpiece (i.e. not taking it seriously) and he has to go help them deal with layered crises. He gives a badass statement of purpose and bolts. And is then kidnapped and almost killed by crucifixion a week after he burned his cross necklace. Please, please, get Elliot some actual appropriate therapy. Elliot’s psych eval: F
Ship of the Week
Athena and Bobby went on their first date in the 9-1-1 first season finale, married in season two, and they are still a super successful storyline now in season seven. They have to work through stuff all the time, including in this very episode. Dear SVU/OC writers, it is possible to maintain drama within a committed relationship! Progressing past “will they/won’t they” is GREAT actually!
Song of the Week
I first heard this song on Fairly Legal. I loved Kate’s Wizard of Oz inspired ringtones and was sad they dropped them after the pilot.
Show of the Week
Honestly, it’s a strong week. I’m going with SVU because I spent yesterday in NYC celebrating at Olivia Benson Plaza.
What are YOU watching?