Acceptance: Chicago Fire " This Isn't Charity"

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It's Herrmann's first day as Lieutenant at 51. Will he be good? Here's a recap!

It's Herrmann's first day as the engine's Lieutenant. It doesn't go as well. He gets a beef with one of the firefighters who's not pulling his task and making jokes.  Herrmann comes to Boden for advice and tells him to do what he thinks is best, which is to get that guy's transfer papers ready.

Mouch gets a visit from Ritter and learns he decided to leave the firehouse. Mouch asks Ritter to come on to 51. Herrmann and Mouch begged Ritter to join; they told him why they thought he was a firefighter who got back up and kept going. He accepted.

Severide meets Stella's blast from the past friend, who feels he may not be over her. After Severide tells her what he thinks, we see it too. After she turns down his offer to go to a party at his cabin, he comes over to look for her to change her mind.

Casey and the team deal with grenades going off in the city. They learn that the widow of a Vietnam soldier had kept them; they tried to sell them, thinking that they were just toys. They were the real thing. Searching around the neighborhood, Casey gets a sighting of kids playing with grenades for a movie they're filming. Just as he gets there, the kid pulls the pin. Just as he lets go, Casey, in a split second, throws it in the pond.

And Brett sees what Foster is capable of.  They get a call of an accident at a gym where they know a girl who has broken a part of her shoulder.  Foster thinks that the kid is taking PEDs. She thinks the mother is the one doing it. Foster asks the doctor to run a drug test, but he disagrees. Brett tries to help Foster move on, but she won't. Foster gets a call from the mother and finds that she's on PEDs. Foster and Brett headed to the gym to confront the coach, who admitted he did even though he called them vitamins. Brett apologizes to Foster for not backing her up and mentions that her former partner would jump through hoops, too. 

"This Isn't Charity" was an excellent episode with good character development for Foster, Herrmann, and Stella. The grenade storyline was a thrilling plot, but also I think the bigger storyline was watching Brett and Foster's partnership grow and Stella and Severide's relationship takes an awkward turn. I don't think it's over with that guy. He'll be back.

Overall, I give this episode an 8.5/10.

You can catch Chicago Fire on Wednesdays at 9/8c on NBC.

Scary Reality: Fresh Off The Boat "Workin The 'Ween"

It's another Halloween episode, will Fresh Off the Boat top it off this season? Here's a recap!

"Workin the 'Ween" is basically what the episode stands for, the Huangs working on Halloween one way or another.  Louis was hoping for him and Jessica to go out on Halloween but instead she accepted Honey and Marvin's request to babysit their daughter, Maria. Kind of devastated, Louis makes the best of it and dresses up while babysitting from Mario to Sylvester the cat.

Honey gave Jessica a list to follow to work with the baby, but Jessica and Louis believes they know how to parent a baby; but it turns out they are totally wrong. They come clean about their past parenting with Eddie and Emery with their pacifier. Jessica thought Eddie was weened off of it. But Louis confronts that it was he that gave him the pacifier back and weened him off a few months later.  And it was the complete opposite for Emery as Jessica paid her mother. But Evan didn't need any help as he's was the perfect child.

But after they couldn't get the Maria to calm down; they dressed up like Honey and Marvin as soon as Honey and Marvin got back from their date. Jessica apologizes for what had happen, but Honey was okay with it and didn't revoke Louis and Jessica's godparent status.

Meanwhile, Eddie is working at a mattress store with his boss (George Wendt). He works on Halloween and his friend Trent comes over that night, basically scared to go to the cemetery alone. And with Louis and Jessica babysitting, Emery and Evan handle the trick or treaters at home as Mulder and Scully. They come upon a girl who's trying to take more than one candy.  When the fourth time came, Evan had had it and slap Emery to sense and denied the girl: but turns out that she was one of quadruplets and got the house all egged up.

This was a very funny episode that had some hilarious moments and some that didn't quite work out. The ones that did were Jessica and Louis babysitting. It was a real strong character development for their characters I thought. Also Emery and Evan as Mulder and Scully was funny watching them debating one another about this tick or treater that keeps coming for more candy. Perfect choice for a show that was so popular at that time.

I really didn't care for Eddie and Trent's storyline as it was okay. It did show some of those elements of past Halloween movies of being scared and that was coming from Trent. It just didn't work out for me.

Overall, I give this episode a 8/10.

You can catch Fresh Off the Boat Fridays at 8/7c on ABC.

A Weird Goodbye: Superstore "Toxic Workplace"

It becomes a question whether Cloud 9 is a toxic workplace plus someone decides to transfer. Here's a recap.

When Amy and Jonah try to keep relationship hidden from their co-workers, Kelly has informed Glenn that she wants to transfer to another store. This gets Glenn to try to fix it by given Kelly the golden vest and employee of the month.

Kelly opens up and when she tells Glenn that she thinks that this place isn't a health work environment. But seeing that his employees are fighting each other, he calls for a staff meeting to fix it. Glenn tries to get everyone to learn but all that happen was Kelly got made fun of while everyone was doing impressions and Sandra losing her boyfriend to Carol because he was with her first. 

Kelly and Jonah talked after that open mic meeting and he helps her get Glenn to sign her transfer papers. And later as Jonah and Amy headed to the car, it was hard for Amy to stop arguing with him. You just can't turn it off.

"Toxic Workplace" was a fantastic episode. There were so many moments from Amy and Jonah carpool karaoke discussion to the employees doing impressions of Kelly, which I think Dina did the best one. But the one scene winner goes to when Dina interferes and stands up with Amy to Jonah calling him a rejected American Girl doll and telling him that she use to masturbate to him...everyday.
But this was Kelly Stables last episode and it was sure one to remember as they say goodbye the way Superstore can. It was basically a goodbye episode for that character if you look at it again, again and again.

Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

You can catch Superstore Thursdays at 8/7c on NBC. 

The Gut Reaction: The Good Place "Chapter 31: Jeremy Bearimy"

This week's episode of The Good Place was by far the best episode of the season.

Whether it's confusing or not, "Jeremy Bearimy" was an outstanding episode. When Eleanor and the group learning about Michael and Janet plan for them to get into The Good Place. But now that there's no chance, the group decides to do whatever they want; but they do make the best of it.

From Eleanor, who wants to do what she wants to do and break the rules, does a good thing by returning a wallet and a few things to a person.  Tahani and Jason give money to charity and to strangers. But she also decides to give some of her money to Jason. But the bank wouldn't allow it unless they got married; which they did.  Michael and Janet write up the manifesto of their operation of what went wrong and hand it to the judge.

But it was Chidi who had the best reaction after Michael taught them about the Jeremy Bearimy timeline in the afterworld.  From freaking out a drug dealer to making marshmallow M&M chili in front of the students while telling them that the world is empty. When Eleanor pays a visit to him and getting him back with Michael and the rest of the gang; she's got an idea that might help others instead of themselves.  It was right after everyone agreed to Eleanor's idea, a visit from Tahani's ex-fiance comes by ready for his or her trip. 

This episode was by far the best episode of the season and yet probably of the year. Megan Amram should deserve an Emmy Nomination for this episode. Not to mention that Amram was the violin player when Jason drops money in her violin case, was very good.  I felt like some of the characters reacting to the afterlife timeline at times. There were strong character developments in this episode.  Even though the cast did an outstanding performance; it was William Jackson Harper who steals the episode with his performance as Chidi and I wouldn't count out an Emmy nomination either.


Overall, I give this episode a 10/10.

You can catch The Good Place Thursdays at 8:30/7:30c on NBC.

Tough Desicion: Chicago PD "Ride Along"

Will one cop listen to her sergeant or a new ally when a ride-along goes wrong in a shootout?

"Ride Along" was a well-written, character-developing episode. When Burgess gives a ride-along to a kid, it doesn't go well when a shooting occurs. There, Burgess rescues a civilian who's hurt and moves him away from his arms way. She sees the shooter and tries to take him down but returns to the squad car to find the kid gone.

With Burgess upset about losing the kid, she goes to the parent's home to inform them and finds her there unarmed. But it wouldn't be the last time they would me as she would be a key witness in identifying the suspect. 

But when Burgess gets interviewed from the Tower, she doesn't listen to Voight's advice but to Brennan about leaving out the part of leaving a kid behind in the squad car. It drives Burgess to a point where she's not the Burgess we know to love, like putting Brennan's relationship over Voight's. 

Voight learns about what's happening with Burgess and gets Platt to help, too. Even though they got their suspect and Burgess almost let him suffer from a drug overdose, she saves him. Burgess apologized to Voight, but he gave it to her straight.

It might have been one intense episode, but the ending left with not only some warming moments but also some worried ones. After a rough few days, Platt takes Burgess out for coffee and kind of reminds her that she's got to choose who to listen to: Brennan or Voight. The worried moment comes off when Antonio is seen popping pain pills and asking his doctor for more. 

This episode was powerful, intense, and character-driven. It was Marina Squerciati's best performance. She's my pick for "performance of the week." With the fierce and drama, there were a few funny moments, like Ruzek jumping on Antonio's balls about getting old and all. Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

You can catch Chicago PD on Wednesday at 10/9c on NBC.

You Have to Do It: Chicago Med "Backed Against the Wall"

Sometimes there are things that we don't want to do, but we have to do them anyway.

"Backed Against the Wall" plays with that motto throughout the episode.  Ethan and McNeal dealing with a lawyer who's been battling back pain asked for a prescription for painkillers. After learning that she gave a false name, they confront her about it, but she won't take no for an answer and demands to see their boss, Lanik.

Natalie deals with a mother, who's diagnosis with primary myelofibrosis (rare blood cancer), needs stem cell donation from a relative. But when her brother won't help at first because of his illegal immigration status,  he decides to help. But he gets arrested by ICE; thanks to Ethan's patient who told Lanik and Gwen about it. Natalie and Goodwin weren't too please and the only thing they could do is give a list of immigration lawyers to help.

The Conner and Ava relationship takes another twisted turn. When Conner is trying to save a young kid's heart; he needs the bypass machine to do repair a major part of the heart. But Ava advises him to bring the patient up to the OR with the machine ready. But when Conner thinks that he can lead the OR team; think again as Ava fooled him and took over as the lead for Conner's patient. Mad, Conner understands what she had to do and thinks of bringing a bypass machine to his hybrid OR.

Halstead probably balances the motto more in this episode than any other storyline. When he treats a patient, who's been dealing with symptoms that get worst and worst. With all test showing nothing abnormal, Halstead goes with his diagnosis of teratoma of the ovary. But after diagnosing his patient, Will comes to terms with being a CI for Voight and the intelligence to take down Ray Burke.

This was a very good episode, and at times very intense at times. Probably the only thing that wasn't too intense was Ethan meeting Emily's boyfriend and the baby's father Bernie. Not to mention Ethan working out in the first ten seconds of the episodes looking ripped. Nick Gehlfuss, Torrey DeVitto, and Colby Lewis did a solid performance in this episode with Lewis pretty much stealing the episode. Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

You can catch Chicago Med Wednesdays at 8/7c on NBC.

Big Brother's Job: This Is Us "Vietnam"

This week's episode of This Is Us was a for sure a powerful one to remember.

In the beginning of the episode we see Jack finding Nicky at one moment; then we move back from present to past and back to present. We see Jack in charge of an army unit; then it was back to when Jack learns that Nicky was in trouble and decides that he has to go. But we learn a big development  at that point that Jack has a heart condition,; but it didn't stop him from going to war to protect his brother.

Jumping a few years back to when the draft was being announced and Nicky thin

ks that they are going to call on him. With Jack giving him hope that they wouldn't call on his number, they did.  Trying to leave for Canada, Nicky leaves Jack with a message that he must go.

Then we jump back to where Jack and Nicky were less than 10 years old. We see Nicky worried about his glasses busted and how his father would react. Jack gives him courage about he's superman. Later that night when their father is yelling at their mother, Nicky confronts him to stop and just before their dad moves on Nicky, Jack steps in and he leaves.

Then we jump to when the birth of Nicky and we literally see how Jack's father was so nice and not much of a dink. But when Jack's grandfather comes, we kind of see maybe where Jack's father gets to be the idiot we see later in their life. Whether or not Nicky was going to be born on Oct. 18, he did and the midwife called him lucky.  And we see Jack and his father showing him Nicky and telling him that his only job is to protect him.

"Vietnam" could be one of those episodes that would be remember for a lot of this but just watching how we see Jack have a love and protection for his brother, Nicky. It depicts the Vietnam with not too much but just enough that it didn't over go over on it. We come to realize that Jack and Nicky are two different kind of people, one who sees the glass full and the other half empty. Michael Angarano's performance in this episode really set a tone for the character and really on Jack's character development.

Overall, I give this episode a 9.5/10,

You can catch This Is Us Tuesdays at 9/8c on NBC.