Bonding: Single Parents "Summer of Freedom" Season Premiere

In the season premiere of Single Parents, with the kids gone for summer camp, the parents try to have a fun time. Here's a recap!!

Picking up right at the end of the season finale, Will, Angie, and the gang realize that with the kids gone for the summer, they should throw a party for each of the summer months. But when Doug tries to ask Poppy out on a date, after Poppy thinks it is a disaster, it turns into Poppy and Doug not speaking for the summer. That is until she learns that Doug was suffering from a heart attack when she placed his hand on his on their date.

Meanwhile, Angie invested in emailing Graham's father, which ruined their plans between her and Will with their super fun summer plans. After Will doesn't have the fun and dum things that he had hoped with Angie, he turns away from his girlfriend to be with Angie, which leads to them singing "Cruel Summer" at a karaoke bar but also going to Doug's tiki hut party. Later, when the group bonded for one more moment of summer, Angie sent the email to Graham's dad, but they all forgot to pick up their kids, who were upset and realized that their parents couldn't do anything without them.

"Summer of Freedom" was a fun season premiere that had good character development moments, like Angie finally getting the courage to send her ex the email that she's been dreading all episodes, but also seeing her and Will having that fun planned adventure as well. It is also a perfect song choice for karaoke. Miggy was underused as only the bridge to Poppy and Doug's relationship guru. I hope we get to see Miggy shine more this season. But the enjoyment of Brad Garrett's character, Doug, keeps improving. The writing was good, as was the performance, which was very good coming from this ensemble cast. Overall, I give this episode an 8.5/10.

You can catch Single Parents Wednesdays at 9:30/8:30 on ABC.

Too Close To Home: FBI "Little Egypt" Season Premiere

The season premiere of FBI has the agency facing a bombing that hits too close to home. Here's a recap! The 

When a bombing of a restaurant hits close to home to O.A., it goes even more profound and even butting heads with the new FBI supervisor, Isobel Castille, on the issues of spreading the word that Muslim terrorists were the ones that had attacked.

After agreeing and getting the okay from Castille, O.A. tries to connect to one of the buyers, who cannot do what he's trying to do. But when he comes to visit the kid at home, the kid is no longer at home but at the park about to bomb Central Park. While Maggie stops the bomb, O.A. stops the kid and the suspect.

Meanwhile, in the episode, Kristen becomes a full agent of the FBI and gets a new partner, Agent Stuart Scola, as he helps Maggie and O.A. The two bond as unique partners, like Kristen learning that Scola did have an older brother who died on 9/11.

"Little Egypt" was an excellent episode that not only told a solid character development episode but pretty much added to what the feeling towards the characters would be this season. I very much enjoyed the tension between O.A. and Castille. But also nothing like a Law and order reunion between Sisto and Garza. I'm interested in where this season will take the characters and the stories that they'll be telling. Overall, I give this episode an 8/10.

You can catch FBI Tuesdays at

The People We Meet: This Is Us "Strangers"

The season premiere of This Is Us might have us questions some of the characters; but the ending will explain it all with its classic twist. SPOILERS! Here's a recap!

After driving back from the audition, Rebecca and Jack not only had a wonderful time; but the two tells one another that they won't be calling each other right away. Later Jack calls Rebecca and asked for another date; having dinner with her parents and parents friends. While it seems to go well, Rebecca's dad isn't too impressed with Jack and thinks that he can find her a better boyfriend than him. Oh, how he thought so wrong.

Meanwhile, we meet three different new characters, One, Cassidy Sharp, a military officer trying to hunt down an enemy, but when things don't go the way it was planned; she takes it back with her home. After a couple of days, things aren't the same at home and it leads to her separating with her family and seeking counseling.

Second, Mailk, a young father who works with his father at an auto shop. With so much responsibility his father advised him to live his life. And thrid we meet Jack, a blind musician, who after having an accident at home meets a lovely waitress, who becomes an inspiration to his music as he wrote a song and not only becomes a hit artist but marries the waitress and expecting a baby.

Now for the twist, as we see the Pearson family (present-day) celebrating Kevin, Kate and Randell's birthday; we see Cassidy talk to her group when a chair is thrown breaking the window and we see Jack's brother. Kevin gets a call to help him bail out of jail. Mailk, who goes to a party, is cooking burgers and meets Deja and soon makes an impression to her as she comes back home; where Randall and company are living in Philly. And Jack is no other than Kate and Toby's son, who we learn of his blindness; but that's not going to stop Kate from loving him. 

"Strangers" is a very good episode. It's at best not to overthink or just not think about what each character is all about because once I did that I had to rewatch over again. While the story between Rebecca and Jack was really good with a nice ending of Rebecca singing her love to Jack. The three new characters really stole the episode right out of the gate. Jennifer Morrison, Asante Blackk and Blake Stadnik are truely amazing; that bring that extra love, warmth, and mystery to the show. And not to mention that the song that Stadnik sings at the end should be considered for an Emmy.  Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

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

All Rise. "Pilot" Series Premiere

The new CBS drama has a mixed bag of seriousness and humor that's likable.

All Rise premieres Monday night, and while it may not be original, it has its moments. Combining of shows between Boston Legal meets Judging Amy. All Rise tells stories of lawyers and the first day of the newly appointed Judge Lola Charmichael (played by Simone Missick), who deals with not only trying to have a good first day but also trying to make her mark.

Lola deals with her first trial case of a soon-to-be mother for a crime she believes she never did. Lola gives the prosecutor and the defendant, Emily Lopez (played by Jessica Camacho), a day to get their evidence in order. However, the defendant receives a tip about the evidence and even the testimony from the detective on the case.

Meanwhile, Mark Callan (played by Wilson Bethel) is a bit of a hotshot lawyer and a good friend to Lola, as they have a working relationship. Mark deals with not only a defendant who is a shoo-in of being guilty of the crime that he has committed. But a judge plays along with the defendant, representing himself, just to get back at Mark for that hit during their hockey game. It had the feel of Boston Legal all over it, which wasn't to say it was wrong or even excellent, but enjoyable with a few laughs.

While the pilot wasn't as strong, it was delightful, with good character development and even good performances, mainly between Missick and Camacho. I felt that in the pilot, Marg Helgenberger was underused and was the only one to give wisdom and advice to other characters, almost like when the FBI added Sela Ward in their first season. Is this series on my must-watch list? For now, no, but I want to give the show a fair shot to see where it will go. Overall, I give the episode a 7.9/10.

You can catch all the rise—Mondays at 9/8c on CBS.

Supergirl "Event Horizon" Season Premiere Preview

Just about two weeks away till the season premiere of Supergirl. New season, new villains and even a kickass new suit! Here's a preview!

"Event Horizon"

In the season five premiere, Kara is surprised to find that CatCo has a new owner who has brought in a star reporter. New couples emerge and explore their budding relationships while J'onn J'onzz receives an unexpected visitor.

Photos:

Promo:

You can catch the season premiere of Supergirl Sunday, Oct. 6th at 9/8c on The CW.

My 2019 Primetime Emmys Predictions

The 71st Primetime Emmys are this Sunday, who'll win? Here's my prediction.

Outstanding Comedy Series: The Good Place, NBC.
Outstanding Drama Series: Game of Thornes, HBO

Outstanding Limited Series: When They See us, Netflix
Outstanding Television Movie: Deadwood: The Movie, HBO
Outstanding Variety Talk Series: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, HBO
Outstanding Variety Sketch Series: Saturday Night Live, NBC
Outstanding Competition Program American Ninja Warrior, NBC

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: Ted Danson, The Good Place, NBC.
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep, HBO
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series: Milo Ventimiglia, This Is Us, NBC
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series: Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones, HBO
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie: Jared Harris, Chernobyl, HBO
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie: Niecy Nash, When They See Us, Netflix

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Alan Arkin, The Kominksy Method, Netflix
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Anna Chlumsky, Veep, HBO
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones, HBO
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Maisie Williams, Game of Thornes, HBO
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie: Asante Blackk, When They See Us, Netflix
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie: Patricia Arquette, The Act, Hulu

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series: Amy Sherman-Palladino, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Prime Video
Outstanding Directing or a Drama Series: Adam McKay, Succession. HBO
Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special: Johan Renck, Chernobyl, HBO
Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series: Don Roy King, Saturday Night Live, NBC

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series: Josh Siegal and Dylan Morgan, The Good Place, NBC
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series: David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, Game of Thrones, HBO
Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special: Ava DuVernay and Michael Starrbury, When They See Us, Netflix
Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series, Late Night with Seth Meyers, NBC 

I'm very much excited for tomorrow night. I know that Game of Thornes could take everything, including for best comedy too. But I really think that this year's Emmys will be so hard to see who's going home with a win. Could Julia Louis-Dreyfus win for Veep one last time? Will it be Chernobyl or When They See Us take all the awards? As much as I do think Game of Thrones will win Best  Drama, don't be surprised if This Is Us wins, I think they could be the dark horse that no one believes they could win it.

You can catch the 71st Primetime Emmys Sunday, Sept. 22 at 8/7c on FOX.

ER: 25 Years Later Still a Classic

It's hard to believe that it was on this date, September 19th that television not only had changed in the medical drama but in drama in general.

It's hard to believe that it was twenty-five years ago today that ER debuted as a two-hour movie pilot; soon would take off as one of the greatest television dramas of the '90s. It was written in 1974 as a feature film scripted by the late Michael Crichton on his experience during his medical student day. But it didn't see the light of day until Crichton and Steven Spielberg was putting it together. That was until Spielberg learned of Crichton's new project, Jurassic Park, that soon stopped the process of ER and worked putting Jurassic Park.

Later that someone from Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment thought that ER would be a great television series, but getting the show on television would be more of a challenge given the current television dramas at the time. The pilot of ER was passed by the major networks twice; until NBC gave them a shot. After getting the pilot made, NBC was not too pleased with what they saw. The stories being dropped without any proper ending, the graphics of blood and the procedures and let alone the medical jargon. They didn't think the audiences would ever understand.

Well, they were proven wrong. After not only did Warner Bros. tested the pilot and learned that it tested high for any pilot; NBC did their own testing and even tested higher than the previous testing. They placed the two-hour pilot on Monday night and later made their stamp on Thursday nights and became Must See TV with Friends, Seinfeld, Frasier, and Caroline in the City.

Crichton wanted to make a real medical drama that didn't dumb down to the audience and give too many uplifting moments. Life in the ER whether it was from a doctor's perspective or the patient's perspective is always dealing with life and death decisions that will always never go the way you had thought it would. It was real and authentic was what he wanted to bring and the audience responded quickly.

And not to mention the ensemble casting that, probably only to Friends, were highly popular and recognizable. From Anthony Edwards, George Clooney, Sherry Stringfield, Noah Wyle, Eriq La Salle. And Julianna Margulies, who by the way was supposed to have died in the pilot; but she tested so well that they wanted her back on the show because of not how great she was, but her chemistry between her character and Clooney's character was. It wasn't just all Ross and Rachael that stole everyone's hearts in the '90s; it was Carol and Doug as well.

After the pilot had aired, ER ran for 15 seasons on Thursday nights from 1994 to 2009. Before DVRs and streaming services; you had to watch shows live as they happen or even tape it on your VHS. My how things have changed since those days. In 2018, the show took a resurgence when Hulu got the rights to stream all 15 seasons of the series; which was about damn time; but I got my DVDs so I'm pretty good. Since ER debut there have been shows like House and Chicago Med that carry that gene.

I was five-years-old when ER premiered; I'd watched it with my grandmother and mother. I knew when I heard the opening intro to the series I knew ER was on. I might have had some nightmares, like when Dr. Greene got attacked in season three. ER was literally one of the reasons why I love television so much; from the character-driven stories and the connection to the characters; and not to mention the high action senses that come from time to time on the show. I highly recommend watching or rewatching the pilot episode; the medical terms might be outdated, but the stories hold up so good.

You can catch the complete series of ER on Hulu, iTunes, and Google Play. You can catch ER on Pop TV Wednesdays and Thursdays at 4/3c.