TV Reviews4/11/21Apr 11SaveTV Reviews4/11/21DTV ReviewsIt’s a real shame Shameless went out this wayMyles McNutt167The opening scene of the Shameless series finale has the entire Gallagher family gathered around a barely alive…
TV Reviews4/4/21Apr 4SaveTV Reviews4/4/21D+TV ReviewsLip Gallagher deserved better than this, ShamelessMyles McNutt104When Shameless first introduced us to Phillip Gallagher, he was a genius. If Fiona was working to escape her…
TV Reviews3/28/21Mar 28SaveTV Reviews3/28/21C+TV ReviewsShameless’ end-of-life storytelling continues to disappoint, not that we expected otherwiseMyles McNutt36While it’s touch-and-go when it comes to the canonicity of Shameless’ mid-credits sequences, “DNR” begins with the…
TV Reviews3/21/21Mar 211TV Reviews3/21/21C+TV ReviewsWon’t someone please think of Liam, who even Shameless occasionally forgets exists?Myles McNutt33When Shameless divided up its characters for the “Hall of Shame” episodes, they lumped Carl, Debbie, and Liam…
TV Reviews3/14/21Mar 141TV Reviews3/14/21C+TV ReviewsDaddy issues transition Shameless into the third act of its final seasonMyles McNutt11Once Shameless made the decision to have Liam’s stray bullet paralyze—rather than kill—Terry Milkovich, I knew there…
TV Reviews3/7/21Mar 71TV Reviews3/7/21B-TV ReviewsShameless continues to stumble toward its finale, but at least there's a fun Gallavich storylineMyles McNutt24If you’ve been reading these reviews for a while, you know that I have many thoughts about the tension between Shamel…
TV Reviews2/14/21Feb 141TV Reviews2/14/21BTV ReviewsA diagnosis and a decision finally signal Shameless knows it’s in its final seasonMyles McNutt30For most of its final season, Shameless hasn’t really been acting like it’s in its final season. This isn’t…
TV Reviews1/31/21Jan 31SaveTV Reviews1/31/21CTV ReviewsIf only wonky scheduling was the sole problem with Shameless' final seasonMyles McNutt20As with every episode of Shameless, “Slaughter” opens with a meta “Previously On” segment introduced by one of our…
TV Reviews1/10/21Jan 10SaveTV Reviews1/10/21C+TV ReviewsThe arrival of real villains on Shameless highlights the messy heroism of the GallaghersMyles McNutt24One of the central tenets of Shameless is the fact that our “heroes,” as it were, often act in ways that would…
TV Reviews12/28/20Dec 282TV Reviews12/28/20B-TV ReviewsAn improved second season of His Dark Materials stumbles a bit at the finish lineMyles McNutt109In the opening scenes of “Æsahættr,” we reunite with Ruta Skadi, who wakes up on a random cliffside and overhears a…
TV Reviews12/21/20Dec 21SaveTV Reviews12/21/20BTV ReviewsAfter elevating its storytelling, His Dark Materials has a bit of a letdown in the season's penultimate hourMyles McNutt32The last two episodes of His Dark Materials have been the strongest thus far because they have isolated story…
TV Reviews12/20/20Dec 20SaveTV Reviews12/20/20B-TV ReviewsLook, we're also shocked Frank is the most interesting part of this week's ShamelessMyles McNutt21For the first few episodes of Shameless’ final season, I’ve been waiting for the show to start acting like it’s…
TV Reviews12/14/20Dec 14SaveTV Reviews12/14/20A-TV ReviewsHis Dark Materials cuts a new window into Coulter's worldview in another standout episodeMyles McNutt48“The Scholar” is, from a plot perspective, an important turning point in the journey of our three heroes who seem…
Best Of12/14/20Dec 143Best Of12/14/20Best OfThe 25 best TV shows of 2020Danette Chavez, Erik Adams, Patrick Gomez, and 12 more226In a year that saw many of us relegated to our homes for much of its duration, TV was an ever more powerful medium…
TV Reviews12/13/20Dec 13SaveTV Reviews12/13/20C+TV ReviewsShameless continues to test the viability of a no-stakes final seasonMyles McNutt23On a macro level, the absence of stakes is one of the (many) problems plaguing Shameless entering its final season.…
TV Reviews12/7/20Dec 7SaveTV Reviews12/7/20A-TV ReviewsThe introduction of the Subtle Knife is His Dark Materials' finest hour so farMyles McNutt75The Golden Compass, the 2007 film that failed to turn His Dark Materials into a fantasy film franchise, was clearly…
TV Reviews12/6/20Dec 6SaveTV Reviews12/6/20CTV ReviewsA pandemic-fueled premiere suggests Shameless is still content to limp to the finish line in its final seasonMyles McNutt33The opening scene of the Shameless pilot, which debuted almost a decade ago in 2011, introduces us to the Gallagher…
TV Reviews11/30/20Nov 30SaveTV Reviews11/30/20BTV ReviewsDaddy issues multiply in His Dark Materials’ land of daemons and dustMyles McNutt61NOTE: While The A.V. Club’s coverage of His Dark Materials looked at the first season from both Expert and Newbie …
TV Reviews11/23/20Nov 232TV Reviews11/23/20B-TV ReviewsA muddled Magisterium raises doubts about His Dark Materials’ commitment to its source materialMyles McNutt41NOTE: While The A.V. Club’s coverage of His Dark Materials looked at the first season from both Expert and Newbie…
TV Reviews11/16/20Nov 16SaveTV Reviews11/16/20BTV ReviewsHis Dark Materials follows its characters into a new world, but the story's much the same (for better or worse)Myles McNutt49By the time a television adaptation of a book series reaches its second season, it needs to feel as though it can…