Exhaustive without ever being quite comprehensive, "Death" is still a solid, sane overview.

Steinfeld is good, the cast too and the show is not terrible either. What it's forgotten is that while we're all free to make Emily Dickinson into whoever we want, at least make her interesting. Emily deserves as much.

Mostly "The Morning Show" is a show in search of itself, uncertain of what to say about the #MeToo movement and workplace misconduct, or how to explore those real world parallels (Charlie Rose, Matt Lauer). This is because "The Morning Show" is often a mashup of verisimilitude with outright balderdashery.

Mirren will get an Emmy nod for this because she's Mirren. She is a great actress, and she's certainly good here. A pity she'll get that nod for so cramped a story.

Is this funny? Often, and at times, very. Is the writing sharp? Razor sharp, and in fact, there's a line later on that's draws blood it's so good, but context is important to see why. Rudd is excellent, both of them.

No, this isn't your father's (or mother's) "Watchmen," but something new, occasionally thrilling too. Just not consistently so.

Not bad but not subtle either, this is a broadly told story of overprivileged parents and their wounded offspring. You already know the sorry outcome.

The best part of the new series is that unfussy, effortless way of getting Kate's sexual orientation out of the way, and also Kate herself. She's a bantamweight crusader with lightning moves as opposed to devastating ones. ... What's less-best is the usual reliance on the sort of story that Gotham has undergone countless times before. There are no surprises left here, not even a decent dopey headline in the still-dopey, ever-credulous Gotham newspapers (which still don't have websites).

"Almost Family" is also a snooze. It sleepwalks past the issues it purports to explore, as well as the unethical, and most likely criminal, behavior involved. ... So "Almost Family" made Hutton's Bechley an almost-loveable rogue, and his offspring almost-unbothered by the almost crime he perpetrated against them and countless others. No "almost" about that. It's flat-out creepy.

Whitaker and the rest of the cast are first-rate, but what's most compelling about "Godfather" are its apparent ambitions.

Platt is mostly excellent, but he's not a comic actor, which is fine because "The Politician" is not exactly a comedy either. Never one to be bound by labels or genres anyway, Murphy has created a dramedy, satire, tragedy, romance, coming-of-age story and political parody, all of which contribute to viewer whiplash if not exactly ennui.

Well-crafted sitcom, but Goggins takes some getting used to.

Heaton nails the role because she's had so much practice at this, but "Carol's Second Act" does her — and the trope — one better, by ever-so-slightly inverting our Heaton expectations. ... Heaton is back in another "family" sitcom. As expected, a good one.

Any comedy series braided with sunny idealism as this one is needs to decide what's more important: The idealism or the comedy? "Sunnyside's" pilot comes down on the side of idealism, leaving the sitcom part in some sort of listless, half-baked limboland. ... With showrunners from "Brooklyn 911" (Mike Schur) and "Community" (Matt Murray). They should figure this out. They usually do. In the meantime, the pilot has one reason to watch. Hint: It's in the title.

"Emergence" is a "Stranger Things" thing. There's nothing wrong, necessarily, with being a "Stranger Things" thing, because "Stranger Things" was itself once the thing of a half-dozen '80s landmarks, like "The Goonies." But the tangents, or less kindly appropriations, here are inescapable. ... What's best about "Emergence," however, is the cast, including Faison. ... Decent "Stranger Things"-loving pilot.

Solid opener and Carey's theme song is a winner, too.

Formula procedural but at least a comfortable, easy-to-watch one, with a comfortable, easy-to-watch lead.

A beauty with a fully realized world which seems to know where it's going and how to get there.

"The Terror: Infamy" is so good and so cleanly told that it really doesn't require much of a primer before diving in, but a little background couldn't hurt.

The inside jokes pile up — a few of them actually funny — and there's an undeniable pleasure in revisiting this show and this cast. Except, of course, it's not the real "show" or "cast," but a bunch of actors pretending to be themselves, and probably wondering in the meantime whether the paycheck will be worth the aggravation.

Uneven start, then improves and coasts. Appealing cast, zero calories.

Moving, emotional final season that hits mostly high notes, and satisfactorily resolves a whole lot of stories.

It's Eddie Murphy, launching the season in Episode 1, who leaves the biggest impression. ... Affable entertainment and the occasional candid moment from Seinfeld and friends.

“Shangri-La” offers a look into the private world Rubin has created. It may be limited, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t fascinating.

There is no apology, though hardly no remorse. ... From there, "Right Now" becomes, in a comically inverted way, a plea for tolerance,for perspective shift, for a check-out-the-world (from where I stand) riff. ... Risky show, risky strategy and both pay off.

While "No Direction Home" can't turn the American Mastery trick of telling us what makes a cultural titan tick, it probably gets deeper inside the Dylan mystery than any such portrait is likely to. [26 Sep 2005, p.B17]

Reliable, durable and comfortable, "ST3" is what you'd expect and certainly what you want, if what you "want" is seasons 1 and 2, with a few big twists along the way.

What makes this series effective is that not-too-distant horizon. It doesn't play out 50 years from now, but next year, then a few years after that, and then a few beyond that. Viewers can see the roadmap, and by always keeping them within the realm of the plausible, the ambient anger and confusion feels plausible, or familiar. ... A compelling — and timely — new series.

Crowe is good to a point, but "The Loudest Voice" can be root canal.

"From the Earth to the Moon" is a series of one-hour movies about different aspects of the space program ... And they are masterpieces, at least the four I've seen so far. [5 Apr 1998, p.D39]

Neither slop, nor the obverse (a masterpiece), "Grand Hotel" resides squarely and benignly in the middle: A pleasant summer diversion with a good and absurdly telegenic cast .

As what you'd expect from the mind of Fred Armisen — quirky, strange, at times off-putting, at other times, engaging, and full of puckish charm.

Because "Euphoria" is so shrewdly conceived, and often so visually and sonically striking, it's easy to overlook the fact that there's no organizing principle. Characters are introduced, then dropped. Scenes begin, then meander, then end. Segues, at least here, are for suckers. You have entered the mind of a teenager.

Everything is in place, and everyone, and what's prevented this from turning into a heightened camp version of Wisteria Lane is that now-supersized superteam. ... Still fun, still addictive, still (yup) pretty much the same.

"Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too" is essentially a dystopian Disney Channel movie, or perhaps some "Very Special" episode of "Hannah Montana." ... "Striking Vipers" is better. ... The standout of the three, however, is "Smithereens." Like the most effective "Black Mirror" episodes, you're left on your own, following a story that offers no bearings, fewer clues. A gifted actor, Scott sells the episode in every scene, raging against an unseen enemy

If not much sunnier, not as relentlessly grim as the second, while June is slowly, methodically, morphing into the Robo-June we know she must become. So far, so good.

Tough to watch, but an effective — and often powerful — indictment.

A sentimental close to this journey with excellent performances and — best of all — Milch's incomparable language.

Of the two live episodes, "The Jeffersons" was easily the better, and also made the unexpected case that it was possibly the better series all along. Foxx nailed Sherman Hemsley's George, Wanda Sykes nailed Louise (originally played by Isabel Sanford), Jackée Harry nailed Diane Stockwell (Paulene Myers), Will Ferrell nailed Tom Willis (Franklin Cover) and Kerry Washington nailed Helen Willis (Roxie Roker).

Good (and good-looking) production, but without contemporary relevance, urgency or edge.

What sets “Of Mics and Men” apart from the usual music documentary is how it goes out of its way to show the context that inspired Wu-Tang Clan’s music.

A powerful testament, and TV's best miniseries since last fall's “Escape at Dannemora.”

That "The Red Line" often does as well as it does is a tribute to the cast and the overall production. But apple polish is still apple polish. ... There's a real world out there with real-world shootings of unarmed black men by the police, with horrific consequences, and a vast gulf of mistrust that separates whole communities from law enforcement. No CBS miniseries, however worthy the intentions, could probably get its head around that reality. "The Red Line" certainly tries, but falls short.

If all this seems heavy and difficult, then so be it. “Ramy” is also moving and smart and genuine. The trade-off seems reasonable to me.

It’s hard to think of a more sharply drawn or better-written cop drama on TV than this one. That’s probably because there isn’t one.

The behind-the-scenes access to “Homecoming” is important. ... However, those scenes interrupt the momentum building in the powerful concert.

More of a fan-pleaser than crowd pleaser. ... So yes — absolutely — well worth the wait.

A remarkable tour of a terrible part of our history that makes the case--a compelling one--that this history isn’t entirely in the past at all.

Fosse/Verdon is a claustrophobic series as opposed to an epic one. What's mostly missing is the thrill of opening night, the chorus line, the music, the whole glorious space of the theater. That's what made these two such vital meta-humans in the first place. ... Disappointing.

Fine reboot that gets better in two later episodes.

A joyful, wild, hilarious, insane — and darker — romp through the debasement of running for political office, as only "Veep" could imagine.

Barry gets better this season--a whole lot better.

Congenial sitcom set in the great outdoors where everything--even or especially a sitcom--seems just a little bit better.

Holmes commands the screen as if it belongs to her. She surely must have known all along that it would. Much of the footage here is of the dog-and-pony variety, once commissioned by Theranos and designed to sell the con. But it's so high-gloss--so weirdly hypnotic--that neither Gibney nor "The Inventor" can get to the real human behind the image. A shortcoming of the film? Sure, but the only one. Must watch.

Mostly solid material that yokes the old Schumer with the new.

One of the genuine pleasures of the small screen returns, better than ever.

Treacly, by-the-numbers prime-time tear-jerker that even Brooklyn and a good cast can't elevate. And viewers won't mind in the least.

Bryant's a standout, the show not so much.

Comprehensive yet still incomplete, “The Case” gets entangled in the underbrush and can’t quite seem to find its way to either a conclusion or the truth.

Desus & Mero arrived at Showtime fully baked--a talk show that knows what it is, and what it does, and how to do it. That's good, and at least so far, the Bodega boys are, too.

Leaving Neverland has justifiably drawn criticism for being one-sided. It notes Robson’s lawsuit only briefly and never mentions that Safechuck filed a suit of his own. Those are flaws, but the stories of these two men are too compelling to ignore. A riveting story of childhood sexual abuse and its devastating effects on survivors and families.

With just eight episodes as evidence, this third season appears to be flawless.

Umbrella looks, feels and sounds different [from other comic book TV adaptations]--music does much of the heavy lifting, and effectively so. It's a gorgeous-looking production that evokes another world, with both feet still firmly planted in this one.

First-rate film that succeeds in re-working the story we thought we knew into the story we should have known all along.

Some genuine charm here and Buscemi; otherwise premise, story and that joke get old--fast.

There are a whole lot of ideas here--a few thrown against the wall to see if they'll stick--but the real pleasure of this four-hour head trip are the performances. Lyonne is outstanding.

Good performances, strong start, but the pulp and cliches eventually take over.

Underwhelming open that feels underfunded too.

A fun, nostalgic, energetic re-entry that makes up for that sometimes bloated bore of a first season.

A nutty sprawl that's often amusing, occasionally interesting, sporadically informative and almost completely off the rails. A hoot.

A thin story spread over a lot of hours, but Ali is excellent and so is his support.

There was lots of life left here. If these first couple of episodes are at all representative, there still is. (But still too bad about Peretti's departure.)

"Real Housewives" meets "Temptation Island" with an unexpected, and welcome, twist--Lohan is more or less the mature presence.

No teeth, no energy, no fun, this Vanity Fair can occasionally feel like a homework assignment.

Relatable, but especially enjoyable.

Maisel doubles down on what it did best in the first season, and feels richer (and funnier) for the effort.

Another fine Le Carré adaptation but not quite as fun as 2016's "The Night Manager."

Because Kominsky is so blue and so tin-eared, when it tries to draw close to anything resembling real human emotion, it emotionally founders then sinks without a trace. ... Creaky and leaky.

Yes, Dannemora is hard and cold. The light is muted, the shadows deep, while seven hours of this could easily turn into prison time. But thanks to that cast and Stiller's masterful direction, they don't--not once, not remotely. One of the best series of the year.

You dive into the deep end of this pool and struggle to make it back to the surface, not because you have to (although in my case I did) but because you can't. That's obviously good, also occasionally frustrating because Homecoming can be parsimonious with information. ... Then, there's Roberts, who is superb (and always is).

Like Walter White, she's the antihero we love to love--conflicted, intelligent, seductive, and human-all-too-human. Claire will be done in just eight episodes. A shame because she was just getting started. Claire's turn and she makes it count.

At first these re-creations are distracting, if not comical. Then something remarkable happens: You begin to look forward to them. Each has been staged perfectly, the words phrased clearly and concisely. They begin to reveal how Watergate did in fact happen. ... Superb, but not for the casual viewer.

Smart, engaging, thoroughly updated.

Dinklage turns in a fine performance, but his passion project is otherwise a standard-issue biopic.

The Conners skillfully picks up where "Roseanne" left off and even manages to improve on the predecessor.

The Alec Baldwin Show is about Alec Baldwin. The guests are props for his observations and worldviews, or foils for stories about his brilliant career. ... Soporific.

If anyone but Fillion tossed out a line so smothered in schmaltz, you'd either laugh or groan. But Mr. Likable nails it and largely nails this comfy, corny and (yup) likable pilot, too.

It's good. Showrunner Tim Doyle, the former executive producer of "Last Man Standing," obviously knows his way around big Irish Catholic American families of the late 20th century.

Camping does have a good, energetic cast but they too never quite find their groove as fish-out-of-water in this would-be fish-out-of-water farce. Like Dunham and Konner, they all seem like they'd rather be someplace else--anyplace else would do.

His Haunting is a two-hour movie spread over 10 hours. That doesn't mean there's eight hours of padding here, but it often feels that way (I saw the first three hours and the last. Sorry, but even TV critics have only so much patience.)

"The Violet Hour" is an elegant and surprising love story, while "The Royal We" is a sour disappointment. But the best news: A Matthew Weiner show is back on TV.

As the first in what one hopes will be a long line of female doctors, Whittaker is funny, energetic and full of joy. Whovians should be pleased.

While an Emmy may not be forthcoming, Clinton acquits herself well in this fifth-season launch of a hit that wants--and occasionally has--some of that ol' "West Wing" mojo.

Over the first three episodes, I Feel Bad has largely erased that which (theoretically) made it stand out the most among fall newcomers--a comedy about culture as much as one about motherhood. The result is homogeneous and bland.

The comedy here can be broad, and is usually far from subtle, but there’s a buried message that promises better episodes ahead.

Bland, harmless, forgettable.

Setting aside a glib and emotionally manipulative launch, of all the "This Is Us" wannabes ("Manifest," "A Million Little Things," "New Amsterdam") in the 2018 fall lineup, "God Friended Me" may stand the best chance of success.

Last Man Standing is that unusual red fish in a sea crowded with blue ones, and it never lets you forget that. As always and as expected, Mike gets the best lines, the easiest put-downs and literally the last word.