Welcome to my Monday newsletter! This week, I am taking a look at FOX's new Memory of a Killer plus the lates episodes of The Pitt and SNL. I am also taking a look back at my review of Bob's Burgers from 2011.
WHAT'S NEW
FOX debuted its new thriller Memory of a Killer after a thrilling NFC Championship Game. When I was previewing my most anticipated shows of the year, I put this on the list mostly because it seemed more ambitious than your averaged broadcast drama these days. After watching the pilot, I stand by that belief but that doesn't mean it's not real silly and melodramatic in places.
The show centers on Patrick Dempsey living a double life as a congenial copier salesman in upstate New York and a highly skilled assassin in Manhattan. And on top of that, he thinks he's showing signs of early onset Alzheimer's. So, the premise is a bit silly and the execution is too. There were a lot of frames where everything slowed down in a really ham-fisted way. There was predictable dialogue and scenes and it all feels a little unhinged. But it was also a fun watch. I'm not going to sit here and pretend I didn't have a fun time watching the pilot.
Patrick Dempsey is well cast here because he has a generally affable nature that works for this type of role. His on-screen pregnant daughter, Maria (Odeya Rush) was probably the second most interesting character and I'm sure she'll have a whole lot more to do as the season progresses. The other big name in this show is Michael Imperioli but he only sort of worked for me. I've been up and down on Imperioli. Of course I loved him on The Sopranos and I was a big fan of his work on the short-lived Detroit 1-8-7 but sometimes he doesn't quite click for me and I just don't think he has the gravitas to be the role he needs to be here. He's always better as a sidekick or quirky character than a heavy.
This isn't great TV but it is more interesting than the umpteenth legal, cop or medical drama on broadcast so I hope it does well so networks might be inclined to take more chances.
LAST WEEK ON...
There were two things I really appreciated in another great episode of The Pitt this week, which was the third hour of the shift and third hour of the season. The first was something the show did well at the beginning of last year before the mass casualty made it an impossibility. I really enjoy how there can be a shouting match happening out in the ER while there's a quiet moment between Dr. Robby and an older patient in a room right nearby. It was just emblematic of the highs and lows in terms of energy that must happen within one shift in an ER. The second thing was noticing how many little things are going on in the background: you see both regulars and extras just going about their jobs in the background of so many shots and I don't know if it's something The Pitt has gotten enough credit for how well it does that. As far as things in the forefront, I was happy to see the show starting to moderate Dr. Al-Hashimi by softening her relationship with Dr. Robby and showing her competence. They still need to work on the new interns though.
SNL
While I found it odd that Saturday Night Live chose not to address a harrowing day in America at all and had a somewhat tone-deaf cold open (The Trumps award ceremony is a funny idea that could have worked a different week but didn't feel right this weekend). However, the show does get props for me for one of the funniest bits I've seen in a while - the One Battle After Another action figures commercial. Just spot on and hilarious.
PILOT RE-REVIEW
This season, I am traveling back in time to the 2010-11 season, the first season I did this blog. I will be re-reviewing the pilots from that season, at least as many as I can find!
Original Review: Click Here!
What I Think Now: I need to start by sharing that, aside from The Flintstones and some Nicktoons from my childhood, animation is not really my thing. I've never seen a full episode of The Simpsons or Family Guy or South Park. I've seen one episode of Bob's Burgers - this one. And now I've seen it twice. So this is not my thing, but I have to say it's really not that bad. It almost made me want to check out a few more episodes. Almost. The show did a very nice job of establishing the dynamics of the characters and the general plot going forward while also having a funny contained story for the pilot. The show pretty much accomplished all the exposition it needed to accomplish in the first couple minutes and then it let the characters do the work. The voices were distinct and the plot was pretty tight. I also think the setting was established well. If this was a live action pilot, I would definitely be going back and checking out the show.
What Happened to the Show: When Blue Bloods ended in December 2024, Bob's Burgers became the last scripted show standing from the 2010-11 season. And it has been renewed through 2028-29, which will be its 19th season. Now, granted, animation is easier to keep on the air longer but it speaks to the success of the show. It's the last animated sitcom to really break through for FOX in a big way though they have tried with plenty of others since (and are still trying). Originally it seemed like it might be a second tier show, but it has joined the heavy hitters like The Simpsons and Family Guy as an all-timer for the network. A big piece of its success has been finding a huge audience on Hulu over the years as it became a top show for the streamer. The show was nominated for eleven consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding Animated Program at one point and won twice while a feature film was released in 2022 It's interesting that the 2010-11 season had very few success stories but of those few successes, several were very long-running. In addition to Burgers and Bloods, that season gave us a ten season run of Hawaii Five-0 as well as another on-going show: The Voice on the unscripted side of things.
COMING UP
There's a couple big premieres this week and a few less big ones. On Tuesday, Disney+ has the premiere of Wonder Man, one of the last projects from the glut of Marvel projects that were announced and developed in the early 2020s. It feels like a relic from another era but has actually gotten pretty good reviews. It's amazing how little buzz a new Marvel show gets these days. On Wednesday, Apple TV has the third season premiere of Shrinking. The show received several Emmy nominations including Outstanding Comedy Series for its second season so there seems to be more buzz this time around. Also premiering Wednesday is the third season of School Spirits on Paramount+, which doesn't get a lot of attention but must be doing well enough to get a third season. On Thursday, Netflix has the first half of the fourth season of Bridgerton. While the show may not get the critical and awards attention it got early on, it remains a huge hit for Netflix. The second half of the season arrives in late February. Finally on Sunday, MGM+ has the premiere of Vanished, a four episode Paris-set mystery drama starring Kaley Cuoco.
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