Welcome to my Monday newsletter! This week I am looking at the second season of Your Friends & Neighbors, the season finales of Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat and Paradise and the latest episodes of Shrinking and The Pitt. Plus, I am counting down my Top 10 shows starting with I and taking a look at the Emmy races in the Comedy Supporting categories.
WHAT'S NEW
The Jon Hamm dramedy Your Friends & Neighbors is back for a second season. I was lukewarm at best on the first season. I like Hamm in pretty much anything he is in, but the show ultimately left me a little cold despite the promising premise. It did just enough to make me want to check out the second season premiere and I ended the premiere feeling mostly the same but not quite ready to give up on the show. The main reason is now they've added James Marsden to the mix and I'm often high on both Hamm and Marsden and I like the idea of them sort of coming to blows if that is where the season is headed. I liked the Jay Gatsby type role that Marsden is playing even if the series as a whole continues to underwhelm me to some degree. I'm not sure I'll watch the entire second season but I'll give it at least another episode or two to see if there's enough there for me to stick with the whole season.
LAST WEEK ON...
Jury Duty's second season came to an end this week with its final three episodes, including the all-important "reveal" episode. I had some minor qualms with this season but after watching the whole thing, I have two overarching thoughts that are anything but qualms. First, the amount of precision to pull this off is incredible. Such a unique feat in TV and it obviously got its due in the first season with lots of attention and Emmy nominations. But the fact that they pulled it off yet again on a bigger scale with far more possibilities of things going wrong is commendable. Second, and most important, this show really believes in humanity. In a cynical world with a lot of cynical TV and Movies to go along with it, this show is a beacon of light and perhaps even in a more pure way than a fully scripted optimistic show like Parks and Recreation or Ted Lasso. The show has now TWICE found pure human goodness in the form of their "hero" - Ronald the first season and Anthony this season. Now I know they take a long time to make sure they have the right person but it's just such a beautiful look at humanity. What Anthony did in the penultimate episode was probably more than the producers could have ever hoped for. Look at the faces of the actors in the reveal - there were tears in many of their eyes. They were changed by this experience and by Anthony's kindness and goodness. There are Anthonys and Ronalds everywhere and I think it's good to have shows like this to remind us of that. I was skeptical of a second season but now I'm hoping for a third.
Paradise (Season Finale)
It seems like people have been enjoying this season of Paradise for the most part. It's still a complete mess for me. As I mentioned with the season premiere, it does just enough to get me to keep watching even though it frustrates me so much. And that happened again with the finale, which was eyerolling most of the time for me but also a tinge of "oh, that's interesting." The twist ending tying into the real life conspiracy theory about the Denver Airport elicited the same eyeroll/intrigue that defines this show for me. I am also onboard for a third season if Julianne Nicholson has left the show (which who knows, because no better ever seems certain to be dead on this show). I have liked Nicholson in other things but not this. The third season is rumored to be the last. If that gets confirmed before it premiere, I'll probably hate watch my way through it. But I don't think I'm going to stick with it if it goes longer than that. And also... that Paradise theme music. It's a pretty song but it has been used WAY too much in the series.
Shrinking
The penultimate episode of Shrinking set things up for a lot of characters to go away during the upcoming hiatus between seasons and I'm sure some of that will play into how this season ends and the next one begins. I am most curious to see what they do with the Harrison Ford character. I really doubt Ford is leaving the show so I'm curious to see what brings him back to the fold since storyline-wise, his departure feels the most permanent. The other part I really liked about this episode was how the show seemed to be setting things up for Alice to be disappointed by her grandpa (Jeff Daniels, who has been great in a guest starring role) not coming for graduation just like Jimmy predicted. While a lesser comedy would have probably had a heartfelt moment of Grandpa changing his mind and showing up, Shrinking didn't go there and in fact, the show chose to prove Grandpa right with Alice not actually caring that much about him not attending. What an interesting character development choice for Jimmy and I'm impressed when the show chooses to zag in unexpected ways.
The Pitt
I'm already feeling sad about two favorites (Shrinking and The Pitt) ending their seasons in the next couple weeks. With a couple weeks left, this past week saw the night shift come in with the day shift starting to wrap things up. I was impressed by how the cast of the night shift seemed so much more fresh than the day shift, it felt very believable and I think a lot of that is due to the direction and the work of the cast. I also think the show was very effective at displaying Robby's very broken psyche in a totally different way than last season. There was another great showdown between Noah Wyle and Katherine LaNasa. The only thing I'll say is I don't know how they can keep making logical reasons for the day shift to stick around for three extra hours each season. I love the 15 episode seasons but maybe they should do 12 episode seasons (and also give us 12 of a Night Shift spinoff like so many have suggested).
THE BEST TV ALPHABETICALLY: LETTER I
In honor of 2026, I am looking at the 26 letters of the alphabet and listing my Top 10 TV Shows of All Time that start with that letter (no "The" or "A" don't count as the first letter of a show). This week, I am looking at letter I:
I is a tough letter because many of these wouldn't even make it on most other lists. In fact, I'm starting with a show I've never even seen but it's on my list and I think I'd really like it - the short-lived, critically acclaimed early 90s drama I'll Fly Away.
9. I'm With Her (ABC, 2003-2004)
Honestly, I don't remember this show that much but, as I said, I is a tough letter. What I remember most about this show is watching it between 8 Simple Rules and According to Jim and that the theme song was the Sugar Ray cover of "Is She Really Going Out with Him?"
8. I Love LA (HBO, 2025-Present)
I Love LA has a long way to go to being a great comedy but there's a few bones there in its first season that make me think it has some promise. We'll see if it can get more of the way there in its second season.
7. I've Got a Secret (Various, 1952-1967; 1972-1973; 1976; 2000-2001; 2006)
This wasn't a game show that I really watched much but I like the idea (though I think I preferred What's My Line, which is similar). I have seen some clips of the old 50s version and definitely watched a bit of the more recent incarnations. It's not unentertaining.
6. Instinct (CBS, 2018-2019)
This lighthearted procedural starring Alan Cumming feels like it might have fit in better nowadays with shows like Elsbeth and others. It wasn't ultimately forgettable but Cumming was strong and the cases were mostly entertaining.
5. Inside the Actor's Studio (Bravo, 1994-2019)
This may be best known by my generation for the SNL parodies of it but my parents watched a fair amount of it and I watched sometimes. With no frills, it was a great way to get celebrities to really open up and dive in dee to their craft and careers.
4. I Love... (VH1, 2002-2014)
This long-running series started with I Love the 80s and then looked at other decades and eventually some other topics. The original ones with the 80s then 70s then 90s were the best and I very much enjoyed watching them back in the day. It's been forever since I've seen them but I would definitely watch again.
3. Inside the NFL (HBO/Showtime/Paramount+/The CW/X, 1977-Present)
This show has been around for a very long time and has jumped around platforms. I've only watched it sporadically over the years but I always enjoy the high quality NFL Films footage that accompany the game recaps. That's what separates it from any other NFL show.
2. I Dream of Jeannie (NBC, 1965-1970)
A classic that I've loved since my Nick at Nite days in the mid 90s. I always wonder if I would like Jeannie as much if it wasn't part of my original Nick at Nite lineup but oh well. It was and therefore I do love it. It's goofy and silly for sure but also charming and easy to escape into.
1. I Love Lucy (CBS, 1951-1957)
Well, there's a huge gap between #1 and everything else for this particular letter. I struggled to even put together the bottom half of this list but I Love Lucy is forever etched in #1 here. I don't need to get into everything I love about this classic among classics so I'll just say that I think it sometimes gets taken for granted because of what's come since. But it's the precursor to everything and to still be so fresh and so funny 75 years later is unparalleled.
AWARDS CORNER
Unlike in Drama Series, there are more potential returning nominees in both of these categories, including last year's winner for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Hannah Einbinder for Hacks. There are four other potential returnees from last year in that category and another five in the Actor category (though not last year's surprise winner, Jeff Hiller for Somebody Somewhere). Since making the Limited Series post a couple weeks ago, Wonder Man was renewed and moved over to Comedy Series but it's a more competitive genre here so it seems likely to hurt the show. Here are my current forecasts for the two races:
Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
1. Harrison Ford, Shrinking
2. Michael Urie, Shrinking
3. Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear
4. Paul W. Downs, Hacks
5. Tyler James Williams, Abbott Elementary
6. Andrew Scott, The Comeback
7. Nick Offerman, Margo's Got Money Troubles
Just Missing: Marcello Hernandez, Saturday Night Live
Also in the Mix:
Bryan Cranston, Malcolm in the Middle
Bowen Yang, Saturday Night Live
Colman Domingo, The Four Seasons
Ben Kingsley, Wonder Man
Timothy Simons, Nobody Wants This
Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
1. Hannah Einbinder, Hacks
2. Jessica Williams, Shrinking
3. Janelle James, Abbott Elementary
4. Sheryl Lee Ralph, Abbott Elementary
5. Michelle Pfeiffer, Margo's Got Money Troubles
6. Liza Colon-Zayas, The Bear
7. Ashley Padilla, Saturday Night Live
Just Missing: Carol Burnett, Palm Royale
Also in the Mix:
Jane Kaczmarek, Malcolm in the Middle
Justine Lupe, Nobody Wants This
Allison Janney, Palm Royale
Christa Miller, Shrinking
Danielle Deadwyler, Rooster
COMING UP
It's a busy week for premieres after a couple quiet weeks. On Wednesday, Prime Video has the fifth and final season premiere of The Boys. While the show is past its peak with attention, it's still a strong performer for Prime Video. Also premiering on Wednesday is The Testaments on Hulu. The series is a spinoff of The Handmaid's Tale, which ended after six seasons last year. Handmaid's lost its buzz a lot by the end of its run so I don't see the buzz coming back for this sequel. Thursday has another fifth and final season premiere with Hacks on HBO Max. The acclaimed comedy continues to be an awards darling and will hopefully go out on a high note. Also premiering Thursday is the new Dan Levy comedy Big Mistakes on Netflix. Schitt's Creek was a huge player on Netflix so we'll see if this new show, which also features Taylor Ortega and Laurie Metcalf, can find an audience. Also premiering Thursday is The Miniature Wife on Peacock, a strange looking dramedy starring Elizabeth Banks and Matthew Mcfadyen. On Friday, Hulu drops the four episode revival run of Malcolm in the Middle, bringing back the original cast. In success, there could be more episodes. The original was a huge hit for FOX in the early 2000s. Finally on Sunday, HBO has the return of Euphoria, which feels like it's been off the air for as long as Malcolm in the Middle. The show, which actually last aired in 2022, will feature a time jump for what could be its final season. Also premiering on Sunday is The Audacity on AMC. The Silicon Valley drama seems to have some buzz among critics but we'll see when reviews come out.
If you are looking for my Pilot Re-Reviews that have been in this newsletter before, I am now a contributor to The TV Ratings Guide and posting them there on Tuesdays!
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