Tirdad Derakhshani

A dull YA fantasy adventure that takes itself so excruciatingly seriously it invites mockery.

Angel from Hell succeeds principally because of the great energy between Lynch and Lawson. Their banter is smart, funny, and well-timed. It's not essential viewing, but it's a hell of a lot of fun.

It is hardly as revolutionary as ABC's extraordinary American Crime, which upends the crime-show genre entirely. But the terrific writing and wonderful performances in Shades make it one of the year's most promising new dramas.

American Crime returns with an equally powerful, compelling, and intelligent story.

This is the kind of story that builds over time, so it's difficult to tell--Discovery made only one episode available--whether the rest of the series will stay as compelling as the pilot. But it's a doozy of an episode.

Superstore is an unimaginative, run-of-the-mill network affair full of stock characters, flat dialogue, and too many poop references.

This season disappoints when it comes to Mary's story arc.... When Downton ends in March, it will end as it began, quietly, politely, and most certainly not with a bang or narrative flourish.

It's a demanding show that really requires your full attention--but stick with it and you will delight in its clever writing, dark humor, and wonderfully perverse depiction of the Machiavellian power struggles that make the solar system go round.

The disturbing alien plot unfurls through a wondrous, hours-long act of dramatic magic that draws together elements from ancient religions and modern science. This is heady stuff--but it's relayed with such intensity it'll sweep you along. The last act is a gut punch.

South of Hell is an easily digestible piece of horror froth that's totally enjoyable, if entirely facile.

Epic in scale, gorgeous, and beautifully acted.

With its dark edge, low-key action sequences, and dry humor, Marvel's Jessica Jones is a unique addition to TV's growing Marvel universe.

The writers fill Chicago Med with just enough character work to make the players interesting.

Yes, it's riddled with comic-book clichés. True, the dialogue is out of a Cracker Jack box, and most of its characters have less dimension than cardboard cutouts. But I'm a sucker for well-choreographed kung fu films. And Badlands--a Mad Max-ian postapocalyptic kung fu western that costars Emily Beecham as a killer beauty--has some wonderfully wigged-out fight scenes.

Spotless is great fun. Intelligent, well-written, and beautifully photographed, it has a remarkably sharp satirical edge.

You're not likely to find better sketch comedy on TV. It's a shame there are only four episodes.

This is awful stuff. Awful.

It's innovative, shockingly clever, sophisticated, sexy, and beautifully executed. In other words, it's the opposite of virtually every sitcom in prime time.

Agent X has very little that's new. It goes pretty much where every spy show has gone before, including the wry mid-1960s dramedy The Wild Wild West. I admit, Agent X offers boatloads of fun. It's a pleasant diversion filled with great eye candy.

The reinvented Legends is a maddening puzzle. It's exhausting. But also thrilling.... Somehow, at the end of each episode, the pieces fit together and make sense--only to raise new questions. Fans of spy yarns will lap up every second.

Wicked City probably is a tired genre piece. (How's that for critical certitude?) But it's just possible that in future episodes, the flirtation between Kent and Betty may yield worthwhile television.

Hardcore Evil Dead fans may find Starz's TV series disappointing. The series betrays the film's DYI legacy by using a great deal of digital animation for the fight scenes and gore. And as the CGI effects aren't particularly sophisticated, they give the action sequences a cheesy feel. Given the half-hour format, there is little space to develop the secondary characters.

The series is well made and features a fine performance by Melissa Benoist (Glee, Danny Collins) as Kara Danvers, a Kryptonian woman who drops to earth a few years after her more famous cousin, Clark Kent. But it also has a patronizing, paternalistic--if not downright reactionary--attitude to gender equality.

The Knick isn't simply a lush costume drama, a gory medical history, or a lesson in social studies. It inspires true passion.

[A] well-executed, edge-of-your-seat drama.... It reduces a unique story to a typical genre entry.... [Shaw's] characters are ruinous, emotionally stunted creatures.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend has the sort of kooky, off-kilter, off-the-wall energy of such true TV originals as Pushing Daisies and Eli Stone. The musical productions are wonderfully surreal, if slightly grotesque. But the songs themselves are merely adequate. And judging from the pilot alone--the only episode the CW made available--the characterizations are shallow and the humor far too broad. Bloom is impressive as the title character, Rebecca Bunch.

The Last Kingdom isn't in the same league as that other medievalesque literary adaptation Game of Thrones, nor does it have the epic scope of Vikings. But its breathtaking photography, glorious fight scenes, and fantastical story make it a worthwhile treat for genre fans.

The characterization and crisp writing have a biting comic edge, keeping the story from sinking into sentimental mush.