Super Bowl LIX Recap:

 

Eagles 40-22 over the Chiefs: The Eagles defense showed up to shutdown QB Patrick Mahomes and company. They had 30 tackles, six sacks and eleven quarterback hits. They forced two fumbles and picked off Mahomes twice, returning one for a TD. On offense it was all QB Jalen Hurts who redeemed his team after they lost the last time. He had two passing TDs and a rushing TD. Mahomes did have three passing TDs, two that went to rookie WR Xavier Worthy.

Broadcast Spring 2025 TV Review:

CBS: 

Watson: One year after Sherlock Holmes's apparent death at the hands of his archenemy Moriarty, Dr. John Watson (played by Morris Chestnut of Rosewood; The Best Man) resumes his medical practice by opening the Holmes Clinic in Pittsburgh to treat patients with strange and unidentifiable medical issues. Soon however, Watson must face his past when evidence surfaces indicating that Moriarty is still alive.

Verdict: Cancelled. The way that CBS is cancelling quality dramas right and left isn't looking good for new shows. They are spending time pursuing spinoffs or remakes instead. It is not looking good for this new show. CBS also had done a “Sherlock Holmes” show with Elementary before which did last seven years. Chestnut has been a doctor on many shows so far and has always been believable as a medical genius solving medical mysteries. This show proves he is capable of playing Dr. Watson very well post “Sherlock Holmes”. It is a good decision story wise to start the show late right away right after Sherlock Holmes’ death so no time is wasted in helping people. It also sets up other mysteries for Watson to solve that aren’t so clear to him yet. There could be endless medical mysteries to solve if the show got renewed and for him to solve what happened to him/Holmes/their enemy. There are some character actors from other shows that people are familiar with but there are too many supporting actors in this show and their life/drama to keep track of. They have one actor playing twins and one is dating the other’s fiancé or something that 's confusing. That woman is also a Dr. that works with Watson too, so again it is hard to follow and his soon to be ex-wife works with him as well, so more drama. Plus the
the person casted to play Moriarty is played by a comedic actor who is not believable. The
supporting cast might be the thing that dooms Chestnut which stinks for him as most of the 
shows he is on gets cancelled after one or two seasons or write him off. This might be one case
too difficult for Watson to solve alone without the great Sherlock Holmes.

 NBC:

Suits LA: Ted Black, a former federal prosecutor from New York, has reinvented himself representing the most powerful clients in Los Angeles. But his firm is at a crisis point, and in order to survive, he must embrace a role he held in contempt his entire career. Ted is surrounded by a stellar group of attorneys who test their loyalties to both Ted and each other while they can't help but mix their personal and professional lives. On top of it all, Ted must come to terms with the events that years ago led him to leave behind everything and everyone he loved. 

Verdict: Renewed. There is a hole in the TV lineup for a well thought out TV show that is also clever but is about lawyers. Outside of the Law & Order universe there is no courtroom/lawyer drama on any of the broadcast networks, only law enforcement kind of shows or medical ones. Stephen Amell (of Arrow & Heels) gets another leading role on network television and is very convincing in this role as well. There are some funny moments between the characters and a good amount of serious ones as well. I also like the dynamic of betrayal and trying to fight your former law partner who has betrayed you and fighting for different clients is nice too. The flashbacks are also not distracting with other shows because it explains where he came from and what is driving his motivation to be a better lawyer. They also have a good cast of guest stars in the show as well and for fans of the original show “Suits” they will see characters from there pop up as well. The supporting cast has been good as well. Lastly there is an actual theme song which is a dying art. NBC has been promoting this show so heavily there a good chance they renew it after all the effort they put into it. But where in the lineup would it go permanently since NBC is getting the NBA and shows the NFL on Sunday nights in the fall-winter?

The Hunting Party: After a secret prison called the pit which is hidden underneath the Wyoming
countryside suffers an unexpected explosion, the nation's worst serial killers are once again at large. Former FBI profiler Bex is brought back into the fold alongside an elite team of soldiers,
spies and special agents to help track down and recapture these deadly criminals before they kill
again. Thrust into a world of intrigue and conspiracy, Bex must grapple with not only her own
complex past, but also the enduring mystery of what was happening at this prison -- and who
caused the explosion in the first place. 

Verdict: Renewed. It is finally an original idea that has been thought out. There is a clear event that happened and a purpose to how the show is structured. The government is working along with their agencies trying to figure out what happened and are hunting down these criminals. It has a good cast like Melissa Roxburgh(of Manifest; Diary of a Wimpy Kid), Nick Wechsler(of Roswell; Revenge), Patrick Sabongui (of The Flash; Stargate: Atlantis) and Josh McKenzie(of La Brea; the Twelve). For
Roxburgh her last NBC show was always on the bubble before being cancelled and picked up by
Netflix. The show has a mini theme song which is a lost art. There isn’t much drama expect for a
twist during the end of episode one between two of the main characters but it is easy enough to
move on since they are working on hunting down the criminals. NBC must have been hiding 
good one hour dramas for years, since they had so many bad shows. Maybe the pandemic or the
strikes pushed them all back but after the success of “Found”, “The Irrational” last year and this
year with “Brilliant Minds” and now this show NBC has found its groove for dramas that aren’t
Chicago or Law & Order.

Grosse Pointe Garden Society: In a wealthy suburb in Detroit Michigan, where everything appears to be perfect on the surface, four members of the local garden club get entangled in a scandalous murder. Teacher and aspiring writer Alice, real estate agent Catherine, father of two Brett and socialite Birdie come together on the night of the garden club's annual gala to bury the body in their own garden -- and get rid of the evidence. But with mysteries, drama and deceit growing like weeds in each of their personal lives; this secret may not stay undiscovered for long. 

Verdict: Cancelled. This show is all over the place. When you have flashbacks then flash- forwards you have no idea where in the timeline the main episodes are going is it in the present or the past? There are too many live triangles, affairs and potential divorces to keep up with in this show. The positives are that they keep updating you on what is going on and who these four people are with narrating the episodes. Then we know who these people are and their back-story so we aren’t lost on this aspect. The show has to be a slow buildup on who is murdered and why but also why they all went in on killing this one person. The interesting thing is that they all want to murder someone ruining their lives but the real question is who did they actually kill and why they didn’t kill someone else. NBC has already moved the show from Sundays to Friday nights after only six episodes so that is a big concern going forward as that is a night where shows go to die. From a TV fan prospective it was nice NBC had Sunday night programming but if this show has moved and they are showing a docu-series in the same block as it’s been awhile to have scripted shows Sunday Nights; but also with the NFL taking up half the TV season. The hope is NBC will try again with Sunday night shows but this show isn’t the one even with an ensemble cast of Melissa Fumero (of Brooklyn 99 & One Life to Live), Aja Naomi King (of How to Get Away with Murder & Four), Ben Rappaport of (The Good Wife & Mr. Robot) and Ann Sophia Robb (of Soul Surfer & Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) that seems to gel.

ABC: 

Shifting Gears: Tim Allen is back starring on another sitcom on ABC as Matt, a stubborn, widowed owner of a classic car restoration shop. His estranged daughter played by Kat Dennings and her kids show up unexpectedly looking to move into his house, that is when the real restoration begins. 

Verdict: Renewed. First things first ABC only has one sitcom (Abbott Elementary with the Connors ending as well). Between Fox only having one returning sitcom and NBC’s sitcom block being a mess it is only CBS with multiple quality sitcoms. One thing that will improve this show is no laugh track or forced laughter. Most people want to laugh only when they think it is funny. It has the same quick intro like the previous show he did which isn’t bad. The best part is the funny banter between Allen and Dennings who both can give it not just one person piling it on the other. He also likes to give his wisdom or advice to people like he did in the last show. He gives very good “hot-takes” which is what the quirky grandson calls them as he is doing a very good job at playing the old cranky man who hates the youth/how the world is now. One thing people need to forget is that this isn’t “Home Improvement” or “Last Man Standing”, so you shouldn’t be judging it harshly because it is hard to live up to two quality sitcoms. This show needs the time to breathe and grow going forward before making harsh judgments. It has its moments of when it is funny and moments of when it is clunky as do most first year shows have.  They need to grow out the supporting cast more as Sean William Scott(of American Pie franchise and Dude Where is My Car?) needs more scenes as he is being wasted and same for the other mechanic in the show Darryl Mitchell(of Brothers & The John Larroquette Show) since he seems to get the funny lines. 

Fox: 

Going Dutch: After going on an inappropriate rant U.S. Army Colonel Patrick Quinn(played by Dennis Leary of Rescue Me & Ice Age) is reassigned to the Netherlands, where he is punished with a command position at the least important army base in the world. After serving with distinction in every warzone of the last three decades, he now finds himself in charge of a base with no guns, no weapons and no tactical purpose. Instead, it has a Michelin-star-level commissary, a top-notch bowling alley and the best (and only) fromagerie in the U.S. Army. Surrounded by a diverse group of underdogs, the colonel tries to reinstall military discipline and professionalism with the help of the base’s previous interim leader, who just happens to be his estranged daughter. 

Verdict: Renewed. I think Fox has found another comedy gem like it did with “Animal Control”. It is rare to start laughing right away when watching a new show because sometimes the pilot episode can be clunky. It was instantly funny which is hard to do nowadays. There is no laugh track or studio audience so it helps to not be forced to laugh when they think you should. The show is a little odd/weird being about a military base where it is a comedy not a drama or a dramedy like “M*A*S*H” but it works well. Leary has this good dynamic at playing leaders very well and this whole father-daughter dynamic is pretty good banter because she’s the only one who really knows him underneath all of his military awards/career.  There are some odd background characters like the logistics officer who gets them all of their supplies and the computer guy who looks like he wouldn’t make it anywhere else in the military. The other supporting character is an executive officer who does his job very well being Leary’s second in command. He has his own version of comedy that is funny which he did very well in the previous show he was in as Danny Pudi, is very funny in his own way. Lastly there is an actual theme song with their names and everything which is a lost art. It has been awhile since Fox has had two live action sitcoms as Animal Control has been paired with cartoons and hopefully they can keep pairing these shows for a while, and only have to use the cartoons when there isn’t room for all of them on Sundays. Maybe this will open the door for more live action sitcoms on Fox so they can keep up with CBS or ABC.

Doc: After a brain injury erases the last eight years of Dr. Amy Larsen's(played by Molly Parker of Deadwood & House of Cards) life, she must navigate an unfamiliar world where she has no recollection of patients she's treated, colleagues she's crossed, the soul mate she divorced, the man she now loves or the tragedy that caused her to push everyone away. She can rely only on her estranged 17-year-old daughter, whom she remembers as a 9-year-old, and a handful of devoted friends, as she struggles to continue practicing medicine, despite having lost nearly a decade of knowledge and experience. The series is based on the Italian television series Doc – Nelle tue mani, which has been broadcast on Rai 1 since 2020.

Verdict: Canceled. It looks like a very interesting original idea until you see it has been done in Italy before and Fox is looking to recapture the magic of having a top-tier medical drama. They cancelled “The Resident” a few years ago after many years of being a bubble show. This show is nowhere near that level of writing and purpose of their work plus the cast isn’t as good either. It starts off with a surgery that gets repeated again which wasn’t necessary. There is too much drama as the lead Dr. Larsen has an office romance with a co-worker and her ex-husband also works at this hospital.  Apparently she was a dictator as Chief of Medicine that no one liked her so it is hard for them to feel sorry for her or want to help/work with her. That she is famous for having no bed-side manner and so many complaints against her it doesn’t seem realistic that she can come back as Dr. that quickly there. But also unrealistic to have a car crash with that kind of brain surgery and be back to working in a month even with her having limited access. You also add the trauma of losing her son at a young age that she has to deal with. It all adds up to much drama and not enough medical solving every episode. She has a few allies in a former medical student, her boyfriend she doesn’t remember and her closest friend but that is normal to have some people on her side. You also add someone she was close to firing is now her boss and he is trying to undermine her recovery without her knowing. It is nice that is played by Scott Wolf (of Party of Five & Nancy Drew who is a good actor known for playing good guys but not this time. She is supposedly a medical genius but she is no Dr. House or Dr. Sean Murphy so it is hard to get behind her and the story of recovering her life after this accident. This is more a movie idea than a TV show idea. Fox needs to go back to the drawing board if they want a new medical drama to compete with ABC or NBC. 

Super Bowl LIX Predictions:

 

Chiefs 32-28 over the Eagles: 

From Zero-Linkin Park Album Review:

 

Linkin Park is back with their eighth album, From Zero their first in eight years but most importantly their first without their former lead-singer Chester Bennington and drummer Rob Bourdon. Bennington passed away from suicide and Bourdon who just left. In is new lead singer Emily Armstrong (of Dead Sara) and drummer Colin Brittain(of Oh No Fiasco). The album's title has a double meaning; it is a reference to both the band's original name, Xero, and the band's new chapter with Armstrong and Brittain.

Singer-songwriter-rapper-musician-co founder Mike Shinoda who has his own solo career stated to the public on several occasions in the ensuing years that he intended for the band to continue, stating in January 2018, "I have every intention on continuing with the LP, and the guys feel the same. We have a lot of rebuilding to do, and questions to answer, so it'll take time”. Over the next three years, the band released twentieth-anniversary reissues of their first two studio albums Hybrid Theory (2000) and Meteora (2003), with both containing previously unreleased material featuring Bennington's vocals. The band also released their first greatest-hits album, entitled Papercuts on April 12, 2024.

First thing is for the die-hards/hardcore fans or the casual fans which is why make a new album or why now? There were some songs that seemed like there was no point in making like “Casualty". They are just taking turns screaming and she keeps repeating the same thing in the song “IGYEIH” where she keeps saying “I gave you everything I had” as we got it already. The opening track “From Zero” is 20 seconds of nothing and some talking to end it. Two of the final tracks have a nice feeling to it in “Stained” which might be the hidden gem of the album and “Good Things Go” which is a nice emotional song with both singers having great vocals. Then there are some okish to ehh songs that could go either way like “Overflow” because it takes forever to pick up then ends very oddly. “Cut the Bridge” sounded like their typical rap-rock sound. Then despite the fact they put the writing credits as the whole group and not individuals you can tell which songs were written by Armstrong like “Over Each Other” that sounds like an early 2000’s emo/alt-pop sound and the song “Two Faced”. The latter starts off odd but then sounds like their older sound, where Shinoda raps and it rocks out.

The remaining tracks which are singles are “Heavy is the Crown” and “The Emptiness Machine”.  They have their typical rap-rock sound that will always rock out with good lyrics and vocals with some good message. The first is a great way to start an album with emotional lyrics with a good music video. The latter does have some screamo vibes to it but it nails the duo of rapping/singing that Bennignton/Shinoda always have and Armstrong sounds a little like Bennignton more than the other songs.

In the end this “nu metal, alternative rock, stadium rock, alternative metal, pop rock, rap rock, and electronic rock hits the mark on the old school Linkin Park vibe. This can be summed up as good but not great, but there are as many misses as there are hits on this album. The questions have still not been answered on why or why now but if you are a fan of Shinoda in this group or his solo career you should be able to trust his judgment. That if Armstrong is one to replace Bennington after years of figuring out with the other members then you can either continue to listen or stop as she somewhat sounds like him. As the album is called “From Zero” you can either have been with them from day one and will be with them going further, or leave and new fans can be a part of this as a new beginning.