At times, however, Hawley goes a little too heavy on the quirk, and Thornton, who last regularly appeared on TV in the John Ritter political comedy “Hearts Afire” in the early 1990s, overly indulges in that smirk. Bits between mob enforcers Mr. Numbers (Adam Goldberg) and Mr. Wrench (Russell Harvard) also wear out their welcome. The overall quality of TV's Fargo is high.

Mad Men is getting better as it goes on.

The show works because all of its actors seem so human, so likeable, despite the words coming from their mouths.

Silicon Valley often has the watch-it-all-come-together plotlines that make those shows [“Seinfeld” and “Curb Your Enthusiam”] such delightful comic puzzles.

It helps that the show is well-acted, and that everything from the fonts to the costumes to the camerawork are gorgeous. You may need a while to puzzle out what's happening on screen, but at least you can enjoy some lovely scenery.

The acting is delightful, the visuals are sumptuous, the stories couldn't be more surprising.

The show does a good job of setting up a lot of conflict in a very short time, but I'd be more invested if I got to know the characters more — and if they had more dimension..... It felt too contrived.

The exceptionally well-cast The Red Road starts well, but slips in the second episode.

My complaints about the new season revolve around that 1 percent [that is unrealistic]. The show is better as a human drama than a political procedural, thank God.

Looking is a good show. It will reward viewers who can hang on beyond the first episode and can adapt to its much slower pace and more naturalistic shooting style..... But, Looking will make you work to get there.

Despite the occasional creakiness and lapses into melodrama Downton Abbey remains a show to watch, notable for its dreamy production values and the real depth of feeling it portrays between the classes.

Nic Pizzolatto’s script and Cary Fukunaga’s direction slowly, methodically earn every big moment. And when those moments arrive in the third episode, they’re legitimately terrifying.

The attempt to ground the show in reality feels unnecessary and not fun, because nothing here is all that unbelievable.

This is silliness for its own wonderfully ridiculous sake.