Will & Grace Season 10 Episode 8 Review

Will & Grace & Jack & Karen are going away for a little while, but they've got one episode left for us. A Karen divorce storyline gives us a guest appearance from Minnie Driver's Lorraine, while Will goes on a date with Matt Bomer and meets Adam Rippon along the way. My review of a guest star-heavy Will & Grace awaits.

Karen is still negotiating her divorce from Stan, and due to Stan having evidence of her affair, she's in danger of getting a lot less money than expected. At a coffee shop, Will and Jack spot local news anchor McCoy Whitman, and Will wants to talk to him. Jack stops him because he thinks Will will blow it, but McCoy actually comes over to Will to talk to him, and he asks him out. Karen is upset that Stan gets to win, especially since she knows that he also cheated. She and Grace set out to get photographic evidence of Stan cheating, so they go visit the only person they can think of that may have photos: Lorraine Finster.

Will is making dinner for McCoy, but since McCoy thinks that Will is actually dumb, Jack decides to pretend to have made the dinner so Will doesn't blow his cover. Grace talks to Lorraine and requests pictures, but Lorraine figures out that Grace wants the pictures for Karen and she refuses. However, Lorraine tells Grace that if she fills in for her at the strip club she works at for one night, she'll give her the pictures. Grace resists, but McCoy shows up at "Jack's" (AKA, Will's) apartment for his date with Will.

Karen talks directly to Lorraine about the pictures, and she refuses to give them to her once again. Karen is able to steal Lorraine's phone and get the pictures, and Lorraine actually wishes her luck with the divorce, because she also hates Stan. Will's date with McCoy is being interrupted by Jack, who just won't take the hint and leave. McCoy asks Jack a legal question, and he figures out that Jack's actually the dumb one and Will is the smart one. Will tells him off for refusing to date smart guys, and for calling Jack an idiot, and McCoy rushes odd. Jack thanks Will for standing up for him, and then immediately proves that he's the idiot McCoy said he was. And we love him for it.

Wrap-Up:
I thought this was a pretty strong episode, even though Will's story was very unoriginal and felt oh-so familiar. Karen’s story was a lot of fun, especially since it brought the always-welcome Lorraine back for a hilarious guest stint. The entire plot was loads of fun, and seeing Karen bond with Lorraine after being arch-enemies for so long was a nice sight. The best part of Lorraine’s return is that it happened in a week where the attention could actually be on her, unlike last season’s appearance, which was just not the right time to bring her back. Despite its unoriginality, Will’s plot actually did have some really funny moments, nearly all of which were provided by Jack. Matt Bomer also did a good job playing McCoy, but Jack was the real star of the episode. Him trying to be smart and instead talking about Jude Law and coleslaw was wonderful. The ending to the plot was also equal parts heartwarming and hilarious, and I’m glad Will stood up for Jack. Their friendship is lovely.

I am disappointed that this is the midseason finale, though! I would have loved a holiday episode, since they always have great ones. I guess I’ll be rewatching last year’s Gay Olde Christmas, which I’ve really grown to appreciate, for my Will & Grace Christmas fix.

Score: 8.5/10
Grade: B+

Friday Cable Ratings 12/7/18: Drag Race Holi-Slay Special Does OK, Coop & Cami Ties Low

Below are the Top 25 programs on cable on Friday 12/7/18. Items of note include the RuPaul's Drag Race Holi-Slay Special on VH1, Coop & Cami Ask to World on Disney Channel, and Room 104 on HBO.
(Note: Click the name of any show with its title in purple or blue to be taken to its page in the TV Ratings Guide Cable Ratings Database.)

Show	Network	18-49 Viewers	Viewers (mil.)
NBA: Golden State v. Milwaukee	ESPN	0.75	2.02
Live PD	A&E	0.68	2.10
NBA After the Buzzer	ESPN	0.58	1.43
NBA: Philadelphia v. Detroit	ESPN	0.56	1.37
Sportscenter	ESPN	0.44	1.05
NBA Courtside	ESPN	0.4	0.88
The Rachel Maddow Show	MSNBC	0.39	3.36
Pardon the Interruption	ESPN	0.39	0.93
Sportscenter	ESPN	0.35	0.74
Around the Horn	ESPN	0.33	0.72
Highly Questionable	ESPN	0.31	0.65
Sportscenter	ESPN	0.3	0.71
Diners Drive-Ins & Dives	Food	0.29	1.00
High Noon (9AM Pacific)	ESPN	0.28	0.53
Anderson Cooper 360	CNN	0.26	1.44
The Last Word	MSNBC	0.26	2.58
Gold Rush: The Dirt	Discovery	0.26	1.23
Erin Burnett OutFront	CNN	0.26	1.22
Master of Arms	Discovery	0.25	0.83
My Lottery Dream Home	HGTV	0.25	1.69
In Plain Sight	Invest. Sight	0.24	0.88
The Situation Room	CNN	0.23	1.35
The Situation Room	CNN	0.23	1.35
NBA: The Jump	ESPN	0.23	0.45
Ridiculousness	MTV	0.23	0.56
Highlights Below the Chart:
RuPaul's Drag Race: Holi-Slay Spectacular	VH1	0.18	0.44
Z Nation	Syfy	0.13	0.47
Van Helsing	Syfy	0.12	0.38
Coop & Cami Ask the World	Disney	0.09	0.63
Room 104	HBO	0.05	0.19
Room 104	HBO	0.05	0.15

Sunday TV Ratings 12/9/18: The Flash Slips for Crossover on Special Night, The Simpsons Soars to Season High (with NFL Help)

Final numbers to come.

Time	Show	18-49 Ratings	Viewers (mil)	Channel
7 PM	NFL Overrun	6.7/26	23.71	Fox
	Football Night In America	1.7/7	6.44	NBC
	60 Minutes	0.9/4	8.81	CBS
	America's Funniest Home Videos	0.6/3	4.17	ABC
7:30 PM	The OT	6.7/25	22.83	Fox
8 PM	Football Night In America	4.4/16	15.54	NBC
	The Simpsons	2.8/11	7.54	Fox
	God Friended Me	0.8/3	7.49	CBS
	The Flash	0.6/2	1.79	The CW
	Dancing With the Stars Juniors (F)	0.6/3	4.10	ABC
8:30 PM	Sunday Night Football	5.3/24	17.18	NBC
	Bob's Burgers	1.8/7	4.37	Fox
9 PM	Family Guy	1.5/6	3.51	Fox
	NCIS: Los Angeles	0.9/4	7.45	CBS
	Shark Tank	0.7/3	3.43	ABC
	Charmed	0.3/1	0.96	The CW
9:30 PM	Rel	0.8/4	2.07	Fox
10 PM	Madam Secretary	0.6/3	5.35	CBS
	Shark Tank (R)	0.6/3	2.46	ABC

Bob’s Burgers Season 9 Episode 10 (Christmas Special) Review

It's finally here!!! It's time for the most wonderful episode of the year: the Bob's Burgers Christmas show! I look forward to these every single year and I still hold the belief that no show does Christmas better than Bob's Burgers.

A record-breaking snowstorm has hit town, and the Belcher kids are planning on doing some sledding with friends. Unfortunately, Logan and friends have taken over the hill for a snowball fight. They decide to sled there anyway, and they end up getting pelted with snowballs. Linda finds some yard in the basement, and she decides to finally take up knitting and make the kids scarves for Christmas. Louise decides to talk to Logan, but that doesn't help and she throws a snowball at him before running away. Rudy's cousin Mandy is a softball pitcher, and they ask her for some help throwing snow at Logan and his friends.

Mandy is able to defeat Logan and his friends and make them retreat, giving the Belchers and their friends free reign of the hill for their sledding. Unfortunately, this doesn't last long. Logan and friends bring Cameron, a varsity basketball star, along with them. He takes out Mandy, leaving the younger kids with no defense, and they retreat. Linda's knitting isn't going very well, because it's taken hours to make knit a few inches. Bob is able to get it done a lot quicker, though. The kids tell Bob, Linda and Teddy about their issues with Logan, and they make some suggestions. Louise gets an idea to ask Teddy to plow the hill, which would ruin the hill for Logan and his friends. That night, Teddy calls to tell Louise that he couldn't go through with the plan because he doesn't want to get in trouble. Using Teddy's old bully as inspiration, Louise is able to convince him to plow the hill.

Teddy finishes plowing and rushes off, telling Louise that he was "never" there. Linda continues to struggle at knitting, and she has a nightmare about knitting. The next morning, the town is hit with even more snow, rendering Louise's plan useless. Louise is devestated, and she decides to try to sled anyway, wearing some kitchen items as armor. Despite reservations, Gene and Tina go along with her. At the hill, Louise's plan backfired even further, learning that the plowing made the old snow turn to ice, making it way worse than normal snowballs. And to make things worse, her "armor" falls off. Not a great day to be Louise.

Mandy shows back up with the entire softball, basketball, and lacrosse teams, and they pelt Logan and his friends with so many snowballs, causing his friends to retreat. However, Logan won't leave, and he grabs Louise to use as a human shield. Linda throws out Bob's scarves because she's so discouraged about her own struggle to knit. Bob tells her that they can give his two and her one scarf, and tell them that they're all from their grandmother, so neither of them will get the credit. Logan lets Louise go, and she helps him out be giving him a head start. That doesn't stop him from being pelted, but it's still something nice Louise did. On Christmas morning, all of the kids want Linda's scarf and not Bob's, because his are too perfect. This brings Linda a little too much joy. Poor Bob.

Wrap-Up:
Despite having a much smaller focus on Christmas than the previous installments, this was still a worthy addition to the Bob's Burgers Christmas collection. The main plot of the episode was a genuine delight, perfectly utilizing recurring characers both old and new while still putting the Belcher kids (well, Louise) front and center. It didn't have much to do with Christmas, and was more of a winter theme, but it was still so very entertaining. Linda's plot was really what brought Christmas into the episode, and it was really entertaining. The nutcracker-themed dreams were really something else, and I found them absolutely wonderful. Her rivalry with Bob over scarf knitting was so funny, and the ending, which finally gave Linda a knitting-related win, was perfect. And it even made me want one of those raggedy little scarves. All in all, the lack of an overall Christmas theme keeps this episode from being on the level of Christmas In the Car, but it's something I'll certainly be watching every year anyway.

Score: 9.5/10
Grade: A

The Simpsons Season 30 Episode 10 Review

It's the holiday episode (and midseason finale) of The Simpsons! This season's been a real disappointment so far, but maybe my favorite animated TV family can still deliver some Christmas magic!

It's right after Thanksgiving, and the kids are already ready for Christmas. The only thing they want for Christmas is a new Smart TV. Marge and Homer see an ad on TV for a Black Friday sale, noting a  huge sale on the (incredibly) expensive Smart TV. Marge goes out on Black Friday morning to get the TV. She ends up giving most of her warm clothing to Gil, who is freezing. She's not worried though, because Homer's coming to relieve her any moment now. Unfortunately, Homer does not show up on time. When the store is about to open, the entire town rushes into the store. She runs towards the electronics but has to stop in order to save Gil and help him get a present for his granddaughter. In that time, the final Smart TV is taken off the shelves. And then, Gil gives up his granddaughter's present for $100. Homer finally arrives to pick up Marge, and he immediately crashes the car. And then the other car.

Marge tells the kids they aren't getting the Smart TV, and they are disappointed. Homer tells them that they have to make this Christmas special for Marge, because she's been trying so hard to make it special for them. They decide to take them on a trip to Florida, and they settle on a place they really know nothing about, because everything else is way too expensive. Marge mentions that she wants to stay home for Christmas, so they end up drugging her and knocking her out to get her on the road. They arrive at their destination, which turns out to be run-down and disgusting, with a tiny room to boot. It's also raining outside, making this Christmas trip a true disaster.

Lisa and Bart complain to the manager about the misleading advertising, but she does nothing to help. Marge tells them what an awful time she's having, and they decide to go home. Bart is able to help them get a refund by scaring the manager, and they rush off to Springfield. The car breaks down 5 miles from town, but they can walk to Moe's, where they discover that he's serving dinner to the needy and the elderly. They get to eat a nice Christmas meal, and appreciate the holiday for the first time in forever. Later on, the family gets a new Smart TV with some of the money from the hotel manager.

Wrap-Up:
I usually enjoy Simpsons holiday specials, and this one wasn't different. It was a really fun episode that felt really different from any other Christmas episode that I've seen this year. It wasn't perfect, but it was perfectly enjoyable and a big improvement on most of the episodes this season. The plot of the episode was really sweet and heartwarming, and, despite it not going as-planned, I'm glad the rest of the Simpsons wanted to give Marge a special Christmas after all that she's done for them. In addition to just being more entertaining all-around than most of this season, I thought this was the funniest episode of the season by far, especially during the scenes at the hotel. I also have to add that the opening sequence was very fun and festive, and I really loved it.

Score: 9/10
Grade: A-

Saturday TV Ratings 12/8/18: Rudolph and Frosty Top the Night, Alec Baldwin Show Remains Abysmal

Final numbers to come.

Time	Show	18-49 Ratings	Viewers (mil)	Channel
8 PM	Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (R)	1.0/5	4.08	CBS
	Remembering George HW Bush	0.5/3	3.40	NBC
	MLS Soccer Playoff	0.4/3	1.33	Fox
	The Great American Baking Show (R)	0.3/1	1.79	ABC
9 PM	Frosty the Snowman (R)	1.0/5	3.77	CBS
	Dateline NBC (R)	0.6/3	3.74	NBC
9:30 PM	Frosty Returns (R)	0.7/4	3.93	CBS
10 PM	SNL Vintage	0.8/4	3.36	NBC
	48 Hours (R)	0.6/3	3.74	CBS
	The Alec Baldwin Show	0.2/1	1.05	ABC

Speechless S3E7 Review

"F-O-- FOLLOW T-H-R-- THROUGH"

This week, between major holiday eps, the series pauses a moment to reflect and take stock of a few dropped / neglected story-lines -- and the result is my new favorite episode of s.3 so far.

It all starts with Jimmy and Maya congratulating themselves on putting up the Christmas tree early for once while they have Kenneth take the family photo (meaning he'll have to be Photoshopped in afterwards). JJ calls out his parents for not being as "together" as they think, as they still haven't finished the garage "man-cave" they had given him for his 18th birthday (s2e14 "E-I-- Eighteen"), in turn prompting Jimmy to remind Ray of the disabled-accessible inclusive-playground charity idea (s2e3 "J-J's D-R-- Dream") he had quickly abandoned, which causes Ray to accuse Dylan of never having honored any of the Christmas coupons (for hugs, chores, favors, etc.) she had made him over the past decade or so, and Dylan brings it full-circle by chiding JJ for still not preparing for college despite having been given an extra year of high school to do so (s2e13 "D-I-- DiMeo A-C-- Academy").

Kenneth goes over JJ's college-prep to-do list and decides to have him tackle learning to make coffee first (something he'll need to start every day, if he's anything like me!). Encouraged to do more things on his own because his aide won't always be there for him, JJ tries to pick up a glass carafe but drops it and then punctures his power-chair tires on the broken pieces; a plan to get some tire-sealant from a neighbor goes nowhere, and he tries to go online to find a wheelchair-repair service only to discover the Wi-Fi is down. Still, when Kenneth suggests he give up for the day, JJ refuses, even if it means lurching out of his chair onto a pile of clothes to go about the process of plugging in the router (inexplicably set up under the kitchen sink).

While "L-O-N-- London (Part 2)" found JJ wondering whether Kenneth will still want to be friends with him no matter where life after high school takes them, this ep deals head-on with the question of Kenneth's future (since at least JJ has college and possibly film-industry work to aim for). Kenneth's breakdown over still not having figured out his own plans or what he'll do without JJ was gut-wrenching, but JJ's inspiring speech to him (taken from the movie Taken) was great, and I liked the suggestion of Kenneth possibly becoming a coach.

Meanwhile, Ray gives Dylan a chance to honor her "Do something sweet for Ray" coupon by having her accompany him to City Hall, where he is directed to various offices and fills out form after form to secure a location for his playground; however, his permit is ultimately denied by the Assistant Zoning Commissioner ("My sister uses this area to play Frolf"). After seeing her brother in a deep funk over his inability to make JJ's Dream happen despite having followed all the proper procedures, Dylan later surprises him with the secured location; though she had actually just raised hell at the "permit place" to get the approval, she decides it's more important to restore Ray's shattered worldview by letting him think the snag was simply a "misplaced form" on the office's part and he deserves full credit for following the rules. As excessive as her picking on Ray can seem -- though I think he does bring it on himself sometimes, in his self-serving / pretentious / whiny moments -- I always find it refreshing to see Dylan acknowledge and respect his more positive attributes.

Saving my fave plot for last... I adore Jimya; they are so cute, and represent a true partnership in their family dynamic. But as Jimmy starts clearing out the garage for JJ, Maya reminisces over old photos from earlier in their marriage, and she fears that she has "dropped the ball" by neglecting their relationship as a couple -- something I'd say the series itself has explored all too rarely. Thankfully, instead of the show just being content to undermine Jimya's lovely reconnecting and '90s-nostalgia haze with the reveal of carbon-monoxide poisoning from a water-heater leak (well, at least their first-born kind of dodged a bullet by going all these months without his man-cave!), the pair are soon given a chance to try again, without having to wait until after the school year ends for a clear spot in their schedules...

Musical Moments: In the closing tag, when Maya surprises Jimmy with a picnic on the beach, he surprises her by singing the now-finished song that he had partially written for her back in 1997 after they had first met; in a nice call-back to the reveal in s1e14 "V-A-L-- Valentine's D-A-- Day" that they had fallen in love while she had still been engaged to his then-roomie, the catchy little ditty goes, "Hey roommate, can you spare a wife?" Also, as Ray navigates local-government bureaucracy, he has Dylan psych him up by singing the Rocky theme... which she doesn't really know, so she makes up a similarly inspiring tune.

Fun Fact: Micah Fowler (JJ) and Mason Cook (Ray) are celebrity ambassadors for the real-life inclusive-playground charity Shane's Inspiration.

Next Week: A little lie about a Christmas disaster spins out of control, and Kenneth must deal with his sisters in "J-I-- JINGLE T-H-- THON."

Grade: 10/10. Possibly one of the sweetest episodes yet; it pretty much encapsulated everything I love about this show and every one these characters.

Friday TV Ratings 12/7/18: Fresh Off the Boat Returns Down, Blue Bloods Rises

Final numbers to come.

Time	Show	18-49 Ratings	Viewers (mil)	Channel
8 PM	Last Man Standing	1.1/6	5.48	Fox
	MacGyver	0.7/4	6.39	CBS
	Fresh Off the Boat	0.6/3	2.81	ABC
	Blindspot	0.5/3	2.83	NBC
	Dynasty	0.2/1	0.59	The CW
8:30 PM	The Cool Kids	0.9/4	4.33	Fox
	Speechless	0.5/3	2.05	ABC
9 PM	Hell's Kitchen	0.9/4	2.69	Fox
	Hawaii Five-0	0.8/4	7.78	CBS
	2018 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show (R)	0.4/2	1.92	ABC
	Midnight, Texas	0.4/2	1.88	NBC
	Crazy Ex-Girlfriend	0.1/1	0.39	The CW
10 PM	Blue Bloods	0.9/4	8.77	CBS
	20/20	0.7/3	3.45	ABC
	Dateline NBC	0.5/3	2.84	NBC

CW Renew/Cancel: Legacies is Likely to be Renewed, All American Still Uncertain

Welcome to the CW Renew/Cancel Watch, and we are still watching All American and Legacies in the predictions. Here are this week's predictions.

Show	Prediction
Charmed	Certain Renewal
Dynasty	Certain Renewal
Riverdale	Certain Renewal
Supergirl	Certain Renewal
Supernatural	Certain Renewal
The Flash	Certain Renewal
Arrow	Likely Renewal
DC’s Legends of Tomorrow	Likely Renewal
Legacies	Likely Renewal
All American	Leans Renewal
Black Lightning	Leans Renewal
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend	Final Season
iZombie	Final Season
Jane the Virgin	Final Season

Legacies: This week the show rose to a 0.4, after weeks of steady 0.3 ratings in the key adults 18-49 demographic. That makes the show one of the highest rated shows on the network. This week is its week for an upgrade to "likely renewal".

All American: All American's renewal is more uncertain. It went back down to a 0.2 in the ratings, but this time, it was a strong 0.2 rather than the weak 0.2 it started out with. Unroundeds, the show started out below a 0.2. All American is still at "leans renewal", basically because in recent history, CW shows usually get renewed if the network adds extra episodes to the initial episode order. That has happened with Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and iZombie, and both got renewed. I think that the same thing will happen again.

Black Lightning: Usually, I don't say much about veteran shows, but I have a lot to say about Black Lightning. Black Lightning is an interesting case this season. Unlike the other DC shows, Black Lightning's delayed viewing numbers are terrible. Recent Live+7 ratings show that Black Lightning had very little lift in delayed viewing the past seven days (a 0.56 to be exact). The CW is primarily a delayed viewing and streaming network, and I doubt that the network will be happy with its numbers. I think the only thing that can save the show is the US+24 deal with Netflix, the same deal that Riverdale and Dynasty has. That's why I still have the show in the "leans renewal" category.

What do you think about this week's predictions? Let us know in the comments below!

Thursday Cable Ratings 12/6/18: Top Chef Ties Low in Return, Jersey Shore Family Vacation Tops the Night

Below are the Top 25 programs on cable on Thursday, 12/6/18. Items of note include the season premiere of Top Chef on Bravo, Jersey Shore: Family Vacation on MTV, and The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC.
(Note: Click the names of the shows written in purple or blue to be taken to their pages in the TV Ratings Guide Cable Database.)

Show	Network	18-49 Viewers	Viewers (mil.)
Jersey Shore Family Vacation	MTV	0.66	1.13
Thursday Night Football	NFL	0.66	1.70
Thursday Night Football	NFL	0.65	1.95
NBA: Rockets v. Jazz	TNT	0.41	1.00
Floribama Shore	MTV	0.39	0.69
PD Cam	A&E	0.36	1.24
Post-Game	NFL	0.34	0.82
NBA: Knicks v. Celtics	TNT	0.34	0.85
Pre-Kick	NFL	0.33	1.04
Live PD: Police Patrol	A&E	0.32	1.22
Live PD: Police Patrol	A&E	0.32	1.19
The Rachel Maddow Show	MSNBC	0.32	3.13
PD Cam	A&E	0.3	1.08
The Case That Haunts Me	Invest. Discovery	0.29	1.15
Impractical Jokers	Tru	0.29	0.58
Impractical Jokers	Tru	0.28	0.51
Liga MX	Univ. Deportes	0.27	0.61
Live PD: Police Patrol	A&E	0.26	0.94
Top Chef	Bravo	0.25	0.83
Tucker Carlson Tonight	Fox News	0.25	2.61
Cold Valley	Invest. Discovery	0.25	1.01
Pardon the Interruption	ESPN	0.24	0.76
Botched	E!	0.24	0.66
Sportscenter	ESPN	0.23	0.52
Beat Bobby Flay	Food	0.23	0.83
Highlights Below the Chart:
Nightflyers	Syfy	0.12	0.47