God what a good show this is. Who cares who killed who?

It’s an honest, unflinching look at dating, relationships and life, told from a refreshing and hilarious perspective.

Marriage and its trials and tribulations emerge as something of its own character as the show presses on.

The producers and creator Jeremy Carver have deftly retrofitted a familiar film for the small screen with smart present-day touches and solid performances.

It’s a charming and quirky romantic tale with an overarching twist thanks to the notion that the world may indeed be ending, and it’s pulled of by two completely watchable leads.

At the outset the pilot is a fun and adventurous romp without ever feeling campy or overdone. ... Where the plot gets bogged down is in the overall mysteries introduced in the pilot, namely those surrounding the Lucy character.

Westworld gives you a lot to consider, and immerses you so completely in its manufactured reality that you’re never distracted from its complicated questions. The best thing I can say about it is that after seeing the first four episodes, I’m very eager for more.

Bunbury is a star in the making as the leading character. ... Gosselaar is unrecognizable thanks to some newly acquired facial hair. As a result viewers will pay more attention to his equally strong performance and interactions with Bunbury throughout the hour. Mo McRae, Ali Larter and Tim Jo round out the solid cast, making for a pretty entertaining hour.

[Minne Driver] jumps into it headfirst which helps the original sale, but as she settles into the role she will have to adjust the tone in order to toe the line between endearing and annoying. ... The real story here though is breakout star Fowler. For a kid who has minimal dialogue he has loads of star power thanks to fantastic facial expressions and giggle-worthy reaction shots.

It’s a unique blend with four very distinct but compelling stories, proving there’s plenty of drama to be mined from real life. It doesn’t hurt that each of the actors is perfectly cast in his or her role, driving home the beautifully written scenes that often pose pertinent and universally relatable questions.

Creator Michael Schur (“Parks and Recreation”) must be commended for not only playing to Bell and Danson’s strengths but much like he did with his previous NBC hit, Schur creates a place for lesser-known cast members to truly shine.

Ultimately, this meandering, often brilliant show is held together by Glover, whose charming, sensitive presence is akin to the way Atlanta bops along on its own bemused frequency.

From one episode to the next, it’s always a bit of a surprise which character will become the story’s central figure, the writers seemingly able to make any of its dramatic players utterly gripping.

It sounds gimmicky and completely set up, but with this bunch it works.

The show’s centerpiece remains Malek’s mesmerizing turn as Elliot, as well as his chemistry with Slater‘s Mr. Robot. Excavating that much emotion from deadpan narration is a tough gig, but Malek continues to find new shades of neutral both in voiceover and in his scenes.

The Night Of doesn’t break new ground so much as it showcases a group of actors, writers and directors working at an exceptionally high level, merging potentially familiar genres into a thoroughly absorbing study of disparate characters brought together by a murder whose perpetrator remains a mystery.

What makes Jenny and Lola so likable is that they are resilient, brave and fully realized in ways the teenage girls in the nearly three-decade-old original were not.

Simmons pushed back on Barkley’s rankings, as only a true fan can. It’s this informed jousting, the back and forth between devotees of sports that could make Any Given Wednesday appointment viewing for sports fans. ... It’s classic Bill Simmons, a man with questions and answers, with a new forum where he can drop the mic and let others do the same.

Season 4 is so rich and dense with characters, backstories and subplots that some of its more interesting new additions remain mere teases. As always, the flashbacks remain the strongest aspects of the series.

The pacing in the early episodes can be uneven, and some plot points you see coming from a long way off. But BrainDead is promisingly original, a deft combination of the tropes of a horror movie, the pace of a forensic drama and the barbs of a political satire that’s thoroughly of the moment.

OJ: Made in America lays out of all the evidence patiently, giving all sides their due. It is eminently fair.

Roots is at once a more intimate and explicit document than was its forerunner and no less compelling, if you can endure the harshness of the spectacle that accompanies it.

Jay Roach‘s smart direction and the brilliant script by Robert Schenkkan (adapted from his Tony-winning play) are essential to capturing the dynamics of an era and its principal players. Likewise, Bill Corso’s impressive make-up is indispensable to getting these historical characterizations just right. But the acting’s the thing, and there’s not a disappointing performance in this stellar ensemble cast.

At times Famuyiwa is so concerned with including the myriad supporting players that the film can be more of a competent procedural than a riveting, insightful exploration of a crucial moment in American politics. But those worries are mostly tempered by the slow reveal of the film’s true agenda.

In its seventh season, Archer remains as reliably funny and lovably immature as ever.

When stacked up against a series like “The Leftovers,” which also examines a cult, it feels flat at first. But once the story does finally get rolling, the intersecting elements begin to build towards a compelling story with more complexity than first meets the eye.

It’s heightened reality at its finest as Vaughan and her associates (Elvy Yost, Jay Hayden and Rollins) proceed to track down the con artists who hacked them and stop them before too much damage is done.

There are lots of juicy twists and some melodramatic intrigue, and Kerrigan and Seimetz execute them with nicely chilly precision. But The Girlfriend Experience is at its best when it puts aside plot machinations to deliver a sympathetic but clear-eyed portrait of a woman discovering herself.

This is a television show at the very peak of its powers, confident and controlled. The cast and crew have done their part--your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is simply to tune in. You won’t regret it.

Underground celebrates the small, exceptional group of black and white heroes who risked it all for the sake of freedom. And it’s that story, the amazing cast and the historically accurate writing behind the drama that make this series worth the investment.

While Frank may not be as wily as he once was, he’s still not someone you want to cross. Departing showrunner Beau Willimon is proving that while he’s leaving the show after this season, he’s leaving with a bang.

The show’s half-hour format does a lot to recommend itself to viewers and not seem too daunting an investment of both time and brain-space. It all feels inherently easily digestible, and the hopscotching through topics keeps things fun and effervescent.

Later episodes get bogged down in subplots that feel like busywork meant to keep our characters apart, and perhaps there aren’t any major revelations to this show’s look at dating in your 30s. But Love’s modest, hesitant misadventures are charming in their own right. Maybe it’s not quite love, but it’s definitely like.

At times there seems to be too much going on in the pilot, between Richie running away from gun-wielding lunatics, attempting to sign new talent, working to keep his existing roster, finagling a deal to sell his company and balancing his precarious home life. But it’s no greater a flaw than most pilots attempting to set up the scheme of things face, and the action never seems bogged down or tied up in specifics.

While the characters sometimes border on cartoonish, they also manage to showcase an underdog quality that will have the audiences rooting for them anyway, and they’re somewhat grounded by the rest of the cast, including librarian Abbey Logan (Maria Thayer).

She’s an experienced stand-up comedian with a quick wit and a sharp tongue to go with it. Not Safe proves she’s ready to topline a show.

With Full Frontal, TBS truly has a comedy show that’s sure to become part of the cultural conversation and possibly fill the void felt by Jon Stewart‘s departure. There’s so much scathing, insightful, intelligent funny packed into Full Frontal and Bee’s ability to land a joke is beyond impressive.

With Horace and Pete, [Louis C.K.'s] ambitions can sometimes outrace his execution, but the commitment of his cast to a consciously old-fashioned kind of drama reminiscent of Arthur Miller and Eugene O’Neill makes the pilot exciting even when it’s a bit stilted.

The production managed to capture the overall cheesy tone present in the original while moving through the many numbers with lightning speed. The three hours flew by quicker than expected at the outset thanks to giggle-worthy moments and fun numbers, with things really picking up in terms of overall entertainment and production value at the two-hour mark.

Sweeping and complex with a large cast of characters to delve into, The Outsiders isn’t necessarily new or gripping television, but it’s structured drama that delivers results thanks to the likes of Peter Tolan and Paul Giamatti at the helm as executive producers.

The FX limited-run series is every bit as watchable as the insanely watchable trial.

This sitcom’s battering ram of madcap inanity can run aground when a particular episode doesn’t have an especially memorable storyline, and perhaps Angie Tribeca caters too much to an audience in thrall to the old “Airplane!” style of so-broad-it-hurts humor. From the 1980s’ “Sledge Hammer!” to the more recent “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” smart-aleck cop comedies are nothing new. But in its minute-to-minute pleasures, Angie Tribeca is one big goofy grin of a sitcom. Season 2 can’t come quickly enough.

Subplots surrounding Green’s southern belle daughters, espionage and PTSD do little to move the series along and would’ve been better shortened or left on the cutting-room floor. That said, such distractions do little to dilute Mercy Street as the imperative Civil War narrative it truly is.

Although there’s nothing new here, per se, it’s still a solid hour of watchable drama that often plays out more like a movie than a television series.

We’ve all seen this world mined before in movies and TV programs alike. What makes Teachers stand out is the way in which all of these humorous Katies handle the trouble their offbeat and sometimes lewd and rude characters have made.

By the end of the first hour you’re not entirely sure what happened or who is to blame, but you’re left with an unsettling feeling that even when the truth does surface the story won’t be tied up with a neat little bow as it would be in so many other crime dramas on television.

Writer and creator Julian Fellowes provides a sweet parting gift, indulging fans with closure on so many dangling storylines, while offering fiery and long-overdue exchanges between some of the most popular characters.... His ensemble of actors is equally generous, each giving such steadfast performances in these last episodes of the award-winning series.

Instead of being nags or props, the female costars on this series are just as fleshed out and funny as their male counterparts, and the comedy is all the better for it.

It’s hard to hit pause on Making a Murderer once it’s rolling through the queue.

Smart, sincere and punctuated by four-letter obscenities in the way Burr’s stand-up routine is.

Longoria remains radiant. Whether a sitcom spoofing soap opera is still relevant in 2015 remains to be seen--but this one is certainly a worthy addition to your weekly viewing.

In the end, those hate-watchers had little to complain about other than occasional uneven camera angles, a missing Toto (he disappeared after the first scene) and the long three-hour running time; strong performances, fun dialogue and dazzling numbers rounded out an overall solid outing this time around.

Girlfriend’s Guide to Divorce is worth watching this season because Marti Noxon and company are moving beyond Abby’s first taste of sexual freedom and addressing more of the harsh realities divorce entails. The guest casting alone makes the show watchable and Lisa Edelstein’s Abby continues to be an engaging, appealing catalyst for the show’s stories.

Season 2 is bolder, stronger, and more audacious because now, actions have consequences.... For a TV show, the stakes don’t get much higher and Soloway nails it all with ease.

This big-box comedy is stocked full of broad and easy laughs familiar though they may be.

A compulsively compelling series that grows richer and more emotionally nuanced as it gains momentum, The Man in the High Castle milks its provocative what-if premise for plenty of smart suspense and subtle shading.

It’s a complex protagonist, the kind we don’t see enough of on television or in studio films.... This series feels like the first superhero show really just for grown-ups--and it totally works.

Into the Badlands may not have a ton of smarts, but so far it’s a twisty, agreeable distraction.

Defined from the outset as a cheater, [Jean] comes across as pensive brat whose hot, supportive wife isn’t enough to keep him satisfied. Aside from his skills with bleach and a Q-tip, there’s very little so far that compels one to root for this hero to succeed. But that’s hardly a reason to dismiss the show entirely. There are some inventive twists and well-placed comic moments.

Despite the 17 years that have passed since the end of “Mr. Show,” the format still works and the guys are still funny, despite not doing much to get with the times.

Master of None is more articulate than any other show at putting under a microscope that generation’s neuroses, desires, and ambivalence. The series also happens to be sexy, hilarious, and very moving, a tribute to Ansari’s observational powers and ability to pinpoint the zeitgeist.

Another season of fast-paced, dramatic antics with plenty of twists and turns to keep “Chapter Twenty-Three” on par with any of season 1’s installments.

Writer and executive producer Noah Hawley upped the game with a sharp, well-developed story involving multiple moving parts. It’s smart, thought out and full of watchable characters with convincing enough motives to create the perfect amount of viewer sympathy. The end result isn’t just a “Fargo” 2.0 (or 3.0 depending on your love of film), but an evolved story that takes television to a whole new level.

It’s a visual, visceral romp into what is being set up to be another haphazard foray into the world of horror, as imagined by Murphy and his writing counterpart Brad Falchuk. The show has rarely made sense in terms of story, and this is no exception.

Iif the path is well-worn, Casual mostly transcends predictability thanks to a finely calibrated tenor that mixes gentle laughs with a wistful, resigned air.

That we never really know the people whom we love is a powerful, popular theme that fits snugly into the thriller and horror genres (think of “Rosemary’s Baby” and all those early ’90s erotic thrillers) but to see it rendered so artfully and crisply and unsentimentally as a weekly drama is to understand why we are so often informed that we live in a golden age of TV.

Few current shows on TV approach The Leftovers level of contemplation and as a result, the show stays with you long after an episode ends. Though it’s sobering to watch, it’s also very moving and beautifully acted.

With Daniel Chun penning a quick-witted script, Grandfathered subverts every hokey cliche that it nearly crashes into by maintaining a savvy self-awareness.... The brand of humor will remind viewers of “The Mindy Project” and the short-lived “Ben and Kate” with one-liners delivered so quick you could almost miss them. The supporting--are largely believable and charming.

[A] very funny new sitcom.... Lowe and Savage have a crackling energy together.

He looked like he was enjoying himself throughout the half hour--a key quality in today’s late-night landscape. But most of all, he looked like a guy who might have the audacity to try to replace Jon Stewart. And that he just might pull it off.

There is a lot to love about Masterpiece: Indian Summers on PBS. The nine-part historical drama is beautifully shot and costumed, culturally inclusive and sensual. But the best part about the soapy series is star Julie Walters.

With the wattage of star-power turned so far up in the first episode alone (read: a lot of cameos we can’t tell you about) the struggle for control of Empire can fuel the plot further, but it’s Cookie’s steady stream of hilarious one-liners and the show’s character transformations--if they happen at all--that could add nuance and depth to the show.

The plotting is pretty perfunctory, but McDorman wears the show’s hyperbolic intensity lightly, as if playfully mocking the hard-boiled self-seriousness around him. But he also brings pathos to Brian’s gnawing sense of failure.

The show moves quickly to establish not only Jane’s superior physicality, but also her hard-wired do-gooder tendencies and willingness to join the fray. At the same time, Blindspot creators seed their story with memory flashbacks intended to suspend the tension surrounding the character.

The jokes were mostly solid, but anodyne. Colbert projected enthusiasm, but it felt like he was in a hurry to get through the segment and to the desk.... The guest interviews were not great... For the premiere of the new Late Show to be a success, Colbert, like those guys, needed to convince us that he was having fun. And like the other Stephen Colbert did for so long, he needed to make us have fun watching him. Mission accomplished.

Finding out how Escobar rose in power and status to become a murderous megalomaniacal drug lord is as fascinating as it is frightening. This is due in large part to the masterful performance Brazilian actor Wagner Moura delivers as Escobar. Menacing but never melodramatic, Moura is exceptionally convincing and subtle.... Murphy is a man who wants to “do good” and nearly ruins the series because it. Compounding the issue, Murphy’s voice-over commentary is excessive, occasionally states the obvious and at its worse, takes you out of the moment.

Even if subtlety isn’t going to be part of the equation, Burns makes up for it with his wiseguy humor, rapid-fire dialogue and a high volume of plot.

Stewart and Scarborough make Blunt Talk worth watching, as they’re an offbeat co-dependent pair who clearly have great affection and respect for each other, and watching Stewart embrace Walter’s often loony behavior is a treat.

Fear the Walking Dead pulls off a great feat in prequel land: using that nagging sense of inevitability to its advantage. It shouldn’t work, but it totally does.

For the most part, Show Me a Hero revels in small, telling moments that say as much about human nature as how the American people perceive politics and politicians.

Documentary Now! is so wonderfully silly it may take viewers a moment to recognize just how smart it is, too.

The 8-episode series (only six episodes were made available to critics) mostly succeeds by sheer force of will. The viewers are so bombarded by jokes that something is bound to tickle you eventually-–though truth be told it may take awhile.

It’s a wonder Spike didn’t position Tut as an angst-filled teen drama. Kingsley steps in to ensure that doesn’t happen despite the production’s occasional seemingly period-inappropriate detail--jarring neon hair extensions and the like.

In season three, it’s clear the complex web of relationships will deepen and tangle even further. The show’s writers continue to craft the story with expert care, giving each character moments to shine. Masters of Sex continues to be a Sunday TV must.

The brilliance of Showtime’s Ray Donovan expresses itself not only through the impactful intelligence of star Liev Schreiber, but through nuanced moments in its literary-quality storytelling--written and visual.

The season five premiere of Key & Peele finds the duo returning to their sharply observed sketch show in fine form, their keen eyes focused on recent news and social events.

Molly’s extraterrestrial and emotional challenges threaten to overwhelm both the character and the actress, but Berry rallies in the second half of the premiere, seeming to finally embrace the absurdity of the space-invader plot with a “if we’re doing this, let’s do this” determination.

While a subplot involving a John Brown-type Synth liberator, Leo (“Merlin’s” Colin Morgan), is a heavy-handed distraction, Humans holds up as a slightly humorous, thought-provoking, creepy piece of sci-fi filled with sympathetic performances and solid writing.

Luxe environments mixed with bitchy teen entitlement and karmic vengeance drive Scream beyond its slasher-exploitation film genesis to a stylish metaphor about a new generation’s excesses and mean-girl cruelty.

Overall, Ballers is good bro-down TV in the same vein as “Entourage.” Dwayne Johnson does a solid job of leading the ensemble, and he’s totally believable as a guy who’s best buds with athletes.

The dialogue is smart, biting and sporadically funny as it convincingly argues that its strange fiction is truth and turns the wartime stuff of our nightmares into the blackest of comedy.

Despite the lack of A-list Hollywood star power, the mysterious show boasts strong characters and compelling actors bringing them to life. And though the story sometimes meanders about like a child at play in a schoolyard, the premise holds enough intrigue to call viewers back to experience more.

Despite the audience-building challenges Fuller sometimes throws in the path of his monster--“Il Monstro,” the Italians call him--it’s hard to hate him; Hannibal Lecter is one of the most interesting characters you hope to never meet.

It’s moody, strange and a bit surreal, while still pulling you into its world and making you believe in it.

By episode three, Tomlin and Fonda find their comedic voices and cement Grace and Frankie as the candid and humorous series it truly is.

Happish is impressive as it convincingly drives themes of selling, selling out, anger, whoredom, mortality and the true meaning of happiness--and whether it’s even attainable--drawing upon established talents such as Ellen Barkin, Carrie Preston, Molly Price and Andre Royo. They provide Coogan, Hahn and Whitford with great foils and sounding boards for both the mundane and serious matters addressed.

The Messengers is an appealing and entertaining cross between “Heroes” and “Supernatural” and has the potential to be just the hit The CW needs and viewers deserve.

If Biblical-style fantasy is your bag, then its for you, but audiences who have feminist leanings will find the number of times the women are--as with too many Bible tales--called whores and prostitutes extremely grating.