Spoilers ahead.

Once Upon A Time (ABC) – Sundays at 8/7c

Episode 6.03 “The Other Show”

Ashley is Cinderella and her time has come for the origin story we were all hoping to get a look at in this episode. Needless to say, so far this is my favorite episode of the season. Rumple is Ella’s Fairy Godfather?! And then she bumps into Snow White at the ball?! And then the relationship dynamic between Ella and one of her step sisters is broadened significantly! Stop it, this is too just too good. I can’t even explain how much fangirling I did here. Whatever we did to deserve this, I feel like this is an early Christmas gift and I am so, so grateful and happy. I loved this. Forget everything else that happened in this episode as for me, it was all about Cinderella.

Insecure (HBO) – Sundays at 10:30pm

Series Premiere “Insecure as F**k”

Insecure follows 29 year old, Issa Dee who works for a non profit organization for underprivileged youth in urban areas and she is the token black girl on the staff. Oh Lord. I loved how this was tackled in the premiere and I can’t wait to see more of the dynamic of her in the workplace because there’s plenty more to explore here. I loved the dynamic of showing what’s expected from you as a black woman in the workplace or in a generally white society to what’s rejected from you in the dating pool by your own society of people – and the reality of the latter being shoved in Issa’s face by school children. Oh, man. Gotta love it.

Aside from work, Issa’s been dating Lawrence for five years but for four of which, Lawrence has been getting his life together and Issa is tired of it. And she won’t settle for this. So she essentially dumps him on her birthday as her first step to really taking full advantage of all that there is in life. Problem is, the guy she has in mind to date is only looking for sex. Typical. So, we find Issa and her best friend, Molly but mainly Issa, navigate life as single black women trying to make a way for themselves in the world while also not intimidating black men or settling. It’s not easy and it’s portrayed so genuinely and hilariously that I cannot wait to see what else is in store for these ladies and see what else is tackled on the show. And if you’re familiar with Issa Rae’s Awkward Black Girl, you’ll be happy to know that yes, Issa does rap on the show.

Issa Rae describes the show as a prequel to Black Girl Magic. That it definitely is. This is frighteningly relatable and I am loving every minute of it. Especially knowing that this show was created by a black woman close in age to me. Talk about inspiring. Anyway, I absolutely loved the premiere. I could dissect it, but really i just want to sit back and bask in this wonderful moment of consuming this and knowing that millions of people of all backgrounds have taken this in as well – and are embracing it. Almost brings tears to my eyes and that doesn’t come easy. Is this going to be one of my favorite new comedies of the year? It’s definitely not too early to say that yes, I think it will be.

The Voice (NBC) – Mondays & Tuesdays at 8/7c

Battle Rounds

It’s time for the Battle Rounds! Team Miley chose the legendary Joan Jett as the team advisor. Artists, Ali and Courtnie went head to head. I was rooting for Courtnie who I loved in the auditions, and then she completely impressed and knocked it out of the park here. Thankfully, Blake and Alicia turned around for the steal since Miley was so in love with Ali’s performance. Courtnie chose Team Alicia, so welcome to Team Alicia, Courtnie! Kill it on your new team! Up next were Lane and Sophia. Sophia is my favorite on Team Miley so I was rooting for her. They performed “Money” by Pink Floyd. Sophia killed it. Miley picked Sophia, as well she should have. all is well in the world. Woo!

Team Alicia chose Charlie Puth as the team advisor. The first we saw from her team to go head to head were Wé and Lauren. What a great pairing. Both were great but I loved Lauren. Alicia chose Wé because of her very individualistic sound. Lauren is a vocal coach and knows what she’s doing but that can’t be compared to Wé’s very distinct voice. Distinct voices stand out and business wise, it’s a smart decision to choose Wé. So. I get it. So, Miley didn’t hesitate to push her button to steal Lauren. But then Adam joined in as well! And now Lauren belongs to Team Miley! Wooo!!!!

First, we saw Christian and Jason go head to head singing Adele’s “Hello.” I wasn’t blown away by either of these two but I was rooting for Jason. The rehearsal wasn’t impressive but the stage performance gave me life! The harmonies, the vocal arrangement was dynamite. Loved it. And Jason was so powerful, emotionally conveyed the song beautifully, and was all around on point. I think Christian was so focused on doing his best vocally that he didn’t deliver the whole package. So. Alicia picked Christian and I was upset at first but then my sister said that she probably picked Christian so that someone could steal Jason and they both would stay. Makes sense but do that for a pair that needs to stay. Anyway, Jason is safe and on Team Adam now, so that’s all that matters. Next were Dave and Michael, both of whom I enjoyed in the Blinds. During rehearsals, Alicia was made aware that not just one but both of them play piano and guitar. so what did she have them do? Play the piano back and forth while singing. It was as epic as you’d think as they performed “Valerie.” Definitely one of my favorite “Valerie” covers ever. Thankfully, there was a steal here. Alicia chose Michael, predictably, after she fangirled over him the whole time ha ha and Adam stole Dave. So, phew! Both are safe!

Team Adam chose Sammy Hagar as the team advisor. Natasha and Riley battled to the tune of Michael Buble’s “Cry Me A River.” and I was in love with both of them, especially Natasha who I’ve been following for years on social media. The vocal arrangement was lovely and Natasha’s confidence really grew from the audition to the battle performance. Still, it wasn’t enough for Adam to choose her and Riley moved onto the live show. Next was Andrew vs. Billy singing Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror” Adam chose Billy and while Billy was better than Joey, I was rooting for Andrew since Billy was nominated for a freaking Grammy Award and I don’t believe that anyone who was nominated for a Grammy should have a place as a contestant on The Voice. You had your shot.

Team Blake chose the legend, Bette Midler as the team advisor. Dan and Sundance were the first from this team to go head to head in the battle round with Sundance winning and older, Dan being cut. Both were fine but I understand and am fine with Blake’s choice of Sundance. Next were Courtney and Ethan performing John Mayer’s “Gravity.” Courtney got off to a really rocky start and Ethan was fine all of the way through, so I was surprised when Blake picked Courtney. What did you think?

Scorpion (CBS) – Mondays at 9/8c

Episode 3.03 “It Isn’t the Fall That Kills You”

“Walter’s still alive! So we got that going for us.” – Toby

Now this is classic Scorpion. Walter’s in a rocket and accidentally gets launched in space. Space! So the team must get him back to earth before oxygen runs out. Yes, it’s just as thrilling, laugh out loud funny, and emotionally heart tugging as you’d hope for an episode of Scorpion. I loved every moment of it. Especially Walter hallucinating and Paige having to bring him back to reality but Walter not remembering him profession his love for her but Paige now knowing the truth while she’s currently in a relationship. Oh, the drama! I love it! Can’t wait to see what comes next!

The Mindy Project (Hulu) – Tuesdays

Episode 5.02 “Nurses’ Strike”

As the second episode of season five opens, Mindy must deal with the aftermath of not being with Jody – aka Jody putting the apartment he got for her up for sale. So of course instead of settling down somewhere new, Mindy likes her digs and does what she needs to do to for herself an her son, Leo to keep the place. It involves betraying the doctors a bit but hey, it’s Mindy. It fits well with her character. Speaking of character, we also learn that Mindy donated to the Trump campaign so that Leo doesn’t grow up in a world where white people are criminals (ha!)…but she never votes. Oh Mindy and her twisted logic.

Back at the office, the nurses want to start a union so that they’re protected at work but the doctors aren’t interested in paying for it so the nurses strike. And the doctors remember what it’s like to actually do more than paperwork and only the things that they specialize in and like to do at work. It’s a rude awakening and I loved it. Wish we got more of it, actually. Finally, it was great to see Nasim Pedrad (New Girl, Saturday Night Live) and Bryan Greenberg (One Tree Hill, October Road) on the show as Leo’s doctor and nurse. Hopefully, this won’t be the last time we see them because they’re a great addition to the show whether recurring or guest starring. Great episode this week, excited for next week.

The Middle (ABC) – Tuesdays at 8/7c

Season 8 Premiere “The Core Group”

The Middle returned this week with an absolutely superb season eight premiere. If you missed it, you missed out on a first rate half hour of comedy. It’s fall. Sue’s back from her summer job at Dollywood. Brick is starting high school. High school! And Axl, now a senior in college, wants Frankie and Mike to meet his girlfriend. An unforgettable dinner follows. You have to watch this one. Oh my goodness.

I love the Hecks. They never fail to disappoint. They never fail to be a mirror for The Middle and make us laugh while looking on. The season 8 premiere of The Middle was without a doubt, one of my favorite premieres of the show. Proving once again why this show is remarkable even after all of this time. – Full Review Here

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox) – Tuesdays at 8/7c

Episode 4.04 “The Night Shift”

“Jake, we’re worried about you and you look very stupid.” – Gina

The cold open in which Jake finds himself in an intervention…for the tips in his hair that were for his identity when he was in Florida but has since kept up…hilarious. Then, heading to the 99 and watching everyone suffering on the night shift… oh man. Terry getting “night sassy” with Holt? Oh my goodness. You might spit out your drink to laugh, this is so funny. Holt trying to lighten the mood (with jokes and trying to “turn up” among other strategic moves) so it will boost morale? Lord.Physical comedy thanks to Jake recuperating after Florida? Prepare to laugh throughout this entire episode. Basically. Because of all of the above.

“I’ve been researching ways to raise morale and I I found an interesting article in the Scientific Journal.” – Holt

“Oh was it from The American Journal of No One Cares?” – Terry

This is also the episode in which the Brooklyn Nine-Nine & New Girl Crossover Event has finally come. In it, Jess visits New York and finds herself helping Jake with a case when Holt is unavailable during the day to continue on due to his fatherly duties. Looks like the day shift is working out for at least one person.

Anyway, Jess doesn’t appear until a little more than halfway through the episode and she’s only in one scene, so the the anticipation is not exactly well worth the hype of the big splash of a crossover event that this could have been. While I like the way that Jess was integrated into the story line, it was such a soft “crossover” that really this felt like more of a cameo appearance. She was literally the only person from New Girl in this episode, she was only in one scene, and that scene came with just a handful of minutes left in the episode. Not much of a crossover event if you ask me. Maybe Fox should take some lessons from NBC and The CW to find out what a satisfying crossover episode is.

“I’m a nice guy, I’m in the right.” – Jake

Finally, there’s Amy who throughout essentially the entire episode is trying to figure out why Rosa keeps taking so many breaks – and long ones at that. The answer is satisfying, though if this had been a real crossover episode, this entire story line could have been cut and saved for next week. Anyway, solid episode for sure but overall extremely disappointing as a crossover event.

New Girl (Fox) – Tuesdays at 8:30/7:30c

Episode 6.04 “Homecoming”

“There’s a lot of energy after that Red Eye. I feel terrible. My eyes are all red af- ohhh, I see what they did!” – Winston

The Brooklyn Nine-Nine & New Girl crossover event continues with this episode, which gives us just a bit more crossover than the Brooklyn Nine-Nine episode. We discover that the gang went to NY because Schmidt was being “honored” by his high school. And while Cece tries to find a respectable ground with her zany mother in law, Jess must head to a local bagel shop to get Schmidt his goods after he has a bit of a meltdown. It was fun to see Jess embrace the New York state of mind and then get NY life really handed to her when Jake stops her to use the car she’s in to chase a criminal.

The crossover begins halfway through the episode but feels like it takes place sooner and we definitely get more out of this episode as Jess finds herself at the precinct, interacting with Gina and Holt…meanwhile, Nick and Winston find themselves stranded in the city subway with one idea to earn money to get back to Long Island and interacting with Boyle and his son. It’s all really fun and makes this one of the most enjoyable episodes of the season so far. Especially since it ends with the gang running into Coach in the city. Ha. Loved it. So yeah, overall great episode and while not quite the crossover event that I was expecting, this episode definitely did a better job of executing the matter.

American Housewife (ABC) – Tuesdays at 8:30/7:30c

Series Premiere

I love that American Housewife embraces a woman who knows what world she lives in but refuses to let the world dictate how she lives and how her family is run. I’d like to think that this show is The Middle with a bigger message and I am totally on board for this. In fact, I didn’t mention this in my full review but thinking about it more, it’s like if The Middle and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia had a baby in the Hamptons.

I was super nervous and very hesitant about this show before it aired but after the series premiere, I am definitely on board for the season ahead and am cheering the writers on for what’s to come. American Housewife is sharp and easily the most exceptional new ABC comedy this season. I hope it sticks around for a long time. – Full Review Here

Fresh Off the Boat (ABC) – Tuesdays at 9/8c

Season 3 Premiere “Coming From America”

Louis takes the family to Taiwan for a week to reconcile with his brother, Gene (guest star, Ken Jeong) who is getting married to a beautiful commercial actress, Margaret (Wei Ning Hsu). After this and many other revelations, Louis begins to wonder if his life is as good in Orlando as it could have been in Taiwan.

Meanwhile, Jessica takes the kids to her favorite childhood places and it doesn’t go as well as she thought it would. Looks like someone isn’t a local anymore. Talk about being homesick for your second home. Both story lines were really moving, especially for anyone who can relate to this. What a great episode on belonging and nostalgia. I loved it.

This is Us (NBC) – Tuesdays at 9/8c

Episode 1.03 “Kyle”

Wow. What a beautiful introduction. Over music, we get to see the backstory of Randall’s parents. A young William watching a young Rebecca take a baby Randall home after losing her third baby, Kyle. A young Rebecca trying to bond with her new son. Cut to present day when Rebecca and Miguel make a surprise visit on their way to New York City to see, you guessed it, Hamilton on Broadway. A one on one with Rebecca and William reveals that they made a deal in which they agreed that William would not be a part of Randall’s life. Rebecca doesn’t want William to tell Randall this or hurt Randall. Oh, I loved everything about this story line. Talk about heart tugging.

Meanwhile, Toby continues to woo and inspire Kate, who get to see perform “Time After Time.” Chrissy Metz has a lovely voice so this was great to see. But Kate still doesn’t quite know how to enjoy herself, warmly receive compliments knowing that they are genuine, and live in the moment. So she gets a rude awakening when brother, Kevin kindly fires her as his personal assistant so that she can truly focus on herself. Find her identity outside of being Kevin’s twin, find her identity outside of being what she thinks she is on the surface. Kevin is rooting for her. Toby is rooting for her. Now Kate needs to root for her. And speaking of Kevin, he’s decided to up and move to New York City so as not to talk himself out of it. I hope it works out for him. I also hope this means we’ll be getting a scene with Kevin and Randall in the same shot. Anyway, another fantastic episode delivered here. Looking forward to next week!

Modern Family (ABC) – Wednesdays at 9/8c

Episode 8.04 “Weathering Heights”

Phil gets interviewed on the news and meets his hero who happens to be his favorite local weatherman, Rainer Shine (guest star, Nathan Fillion). He quickly finds out that his hero has a thing for his daughter.

Then there’s Manny who uses the Broadway hit, Hamilton as inspiration for his video interview as part of his college admission. Like every other student who hasn’t been living under a rock in the past year.

Meanwhile, Lily got the neighbor to give her empty liquor bottles to her and she planted them as part of her plan to get rid of Cam’s football student that’s staying with them. Thankfully, she’s caught and the truth about her jealousy comes out.

They saved the best for last when Gloria sat in on her son’s speech class, so that his accent wouldn’t interfere with people understanding him, and she ended up the one doing most of the participating herself. And then speaking with the most ridiculous over-emphasized American accent ever. Oh my goodness. The struggle. This episode was great. Every story line made me laugh multiple times. Classic Modern Family hilarity. More than satisfied with this week.

Blackish (ABC) – Wednesdays at 9:30/8:30c

Episode 3.04 “Who’s Afraid of the Big Black Man?”

“Sorry I’m late. There was a little snowflake on the elevator so I had to take the stairs.” – Charlie

“Me too.” – Dre

“Careful, Dre, somebody’s out there setting traps.” – Charlie

This was so fantastic. Addressing how black men have to be so much more cautious than anybody else because the consequences of how things appear to be will be carried out. Addressing how the black perception and racial tension hasn’t gone away but may have loosened up slightly over the years. Dre joining the Homeowners Association to converse with his neighborhood and see how things have changed, if at all. I loved this so much.

Then there’s Rainbow who is trying to bond with her kids who are having none of it. Ha! Talk about a laugh out loud story line. Who can’t relate to this story line from either perspective? This was great, oh my goodness.  I think it’s safe to say that this episode was fantastic and is eaisly one of my favorites of the entire series. A definite must see!

Designated Survivor (ABC) – Wednesdays at 10/9c

Episode 1.04 “The Enemy”

When yet another white man in charge (the governor) thinks he can do his job better than the President of the United States, Tom is forced to send the national guard to back the guy off. President mic drop, right? Well, no, don’t be quick to call this one a victory. It turns out, the national guard decides to stand behind their state. But that doesn’t work too well for them because Emily actually makes herself useful in the best way possible and gets the protestors to put themselves smack dab in the middle of a showdown. Forcing the people in charge who think they can override the President’s wishes, down. Woohoo! And then Tom goes a step further and charges privileged white guy who thinks he knows everything with treason! That’ll show him!

Also, Tom made some cuts in the office which was absolutely amazing. About time, Tom. There are hundreds of people who have more political experience than Tom but Tom is the President and they need to respect that or respectfully push for someone else, not try to go above the President. It’s been fun watching Tom stand his ground and fight for the people and I can’t wait to see more. And now we know who’s responsible for the attack and Tom is ready for war. So. There’s that.

Finally, worth mentioning, Tom’s wife makes an IOU exchange with the Republican’s former Designated Survivor. That’s not going to end well. Don’t need a spoiler alert to know that. All in all, really great episode. Much more exciting than last week’s episode if my memory serves correctly. Looking forward to next week!

Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) – Thursdays at 8/7c

Episode 13.04 “Falling Slowly”

This week was light. Comedic at first and then it worked its way into a casual cool episode. April and Jackson adjust to life with a baby. Amelia asks the big philosophical questions about her relationship with Owen. Alex is still in the dog house. As he should be. Good. Ya da ya da. Solid episode. Nothing special. Patiently waiting for more developments. Does anyone that I know still watch this show because I feel like I’m the only one still hanging on, there.

Rosewood (FOX) – Thursdays at 8/7c

Episode 2.04 “Boatopsy & Booty”

This week, Rosie and Annalise solve another murder out on the sea, surprise, surprise. Solid case but really just plain boring after last week’s developments with Annalise’s dead husband. Talk about coming down from a high.

Meanwhile, Pippy is “temporarily” back, working in the lab since recording sessions are eating up her savings. Thank God. I don’t care how they have to work her back into the lab, I’m glad she’s back and out of the studio.

And finally, definitely worth mentioning, Mitchie continues to bring even more of a very much welcome comedic edge to the show. This episode could have been more captivating but overall it was solid.

Superstore (NBC) – Thursdays at 8/7c

Episode 2.05 “Spokesperson Scandal”

When the company’s spokesperson is accused of killing and eating people, the entire store has to distance itself from the spokesperson. This is by far the most hysterical story line, especially after it comes out that the spokesperson did weed and Glenn worries about drug testing the employees. Cue Dina’s reign as she handles the surprise drug test and Garrett’s trolling. Speaking of Garrett, he also made me laugh when he and Sandra were subjected to Cheyenne’s gushing about her baby. Talk about a hearty laugh out loud. I was also entertained by Mateo getting a date with the regional manager as well as Amy and Jonah giving each other dares throughout their shift. Oh, this one was a good one. Definitely worth watching again and again. So funny! Seriously, if you’re not watching this show, what are you doing?!

The Good Place (NBC) – Thursdays at 8:30/7:30c

Episode 1.06 “What We Owe To Each Other”

“There’s something so human about taking something great and ruining it a little so that you can have more of it.” – Michael

Eleanor is helping Michael figure out what’s making the neighborhood go wild…all while knowing it’s her… and people like her, since we now know that she’s not the only misplaced person in The Good Place. This would explain some of the things that we saw in the series premiere when the town went haywire and many of the things (like the giraffe) we could connect to Eleanor, but some other things seemed kind of random.

While Michael takes a day off to clear his head, at Eleanor’s suggestion, we learn from Michael that usually architects don’t live in their neighborhoods but he had a theory that transition would be easier if the architect were on sight for the first thousand or so years. So if him being on sight doesn’t work out, his boss won’t be thrilled. Interesting fun world building fact.

Anyway, after their day where Eleanor teaches Michael how to have fun, Michael realizes that the beauty in people is that they are unpredictable…which led him to realizing that it was indeed a person causing the unpredictable things happening in the neighborhood. Cue Eleanor’s freak out. And Michael coming to the conclusion that the problem is him…so he must leave the neighborhood forever. Oh my goodness! I was NOT expecting that. Surely, Eleanor will come clean now? We have to wait until the next episode. Not sure how Eleanor can spin it without giving herself away and keeping Michael there, so…

Meanwhile, Tahani invites Jianyu aka Jason to the spa and Jason asks Chidi to come with him so that he won’t spill the beans about him not being who she thinks he is. He might not have to wait long if Eleanor spills the beans soon! Great episode. I am dying for the next one!

Pitch (FOX) – Thursdays at 9/8c

Episode 1.04 “The Break”

This week, Mike suffers an injury and is mulling over what he’s going to do with his career when he can no longer play on the field. A very tough decision to make indeed. Especially when a new player is recruited to the team to the play in the position that you play…possibly setting up for him to leave the team sooner than he anticipated. Yikes.

Then there’s our main character, Ginny who is trying to balance work and family. As she gets ready to set off on a family vacation, she gets the news that she’ll be playing in the All Stars game. Which means she won’t be able to go on that vacation after all. This causes tension between her and her mother – her mother, who we learn, has been seeing the same man in secret since Ginny was a child. Aka she felt abandoned by her husband and cheated on him and kept that man in her life after he died. Whoa. A big revelation this week and really awesome drama all around. I’m very excited for what’s to come in an all new episode in two weeks!

Haters Back Off (Netflix) – All Episodes Premiered Friday, October 14th

I’ve been following Miranda Sings since a few months after her debut on YouTube. And it wasn’t grand, let me tell you that. It took me awhile to get on board the Miranda Sings train but once I did, wow. This comedy reeled me in. And I am so, so proud of what Colleen Ballinger has created and am so, so happy and relieved that the television show based on Miranda Sings translates well. I had no idea what to expect for the show and I was super nervous about Netflix, which is huge, taking a really big opportunity on a YouTuber. Thankfully, based on the first three of eight episodes that I’ve watched so far, it’s paid off.

If you’re a Miranda Sings fan, this is great and if you think you know everything there is to know about Miranda, wow, you are so wrong. If you’re not, like most quirky comedies, there’s an adjustment period but once you get into the groove of things, you’ll love it too. You’ve really got to appreciate the parody of Miranda Sings and the message of absurdity that she is presenting here to really love this. That said, this show is absolutely hysterical – and not just in the laugh out loud kind of way. This show will make you gasp, make your jaw drop, make you spit out your drink, make you cringe, make you shout, make you root for every character even though there aren’t many that are generally likable. I am so, so relieved that Miranda Sings’s crossover did not disappoint. Whew! Another win for Team Internet. Congrats, Colleen! Looking forward to watching the rest of the episodes.

Noteworthy Premieres Next Week (October 16 – 22, 2016)

Monday
9pm Jane the Virgin (The CW, Oct 17)

Wednesday
Chance (Hulu, October 19)

Friday
8pm The Vampire Diaries (The CW, Oct 21)
9pm Hamilton’s America Documentary (PBS, October 21)
Black Mirror (Netflix, October 21)

What are your thoughts on this week’s TV?