Re-Emerging

House of Cards - this new season's so good (despite the lack of Baltimore background scenes). I am watching with a friend and being really disciplined waiting for the next one.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt  - the opening song gets so stuck in your head. There are some funny parts
Black Mirror got a bit too intense and creepy for me.
Food, Inc. a review of a lot of the issues with agribusiness; not much I didn't already know, but a pretty good reminder of why I'm vegan.
Fresh off the Boat - This show's still pretty funny.
Last Man on Earth - Only two episodes into this one, and it's just okay.
Top Chef - Finally got to finish out the season - it had a good, exciting finale.
Broad City - This show is so hilarious. I'm re-watching the first season, too.
The Nightly Show - I came around about Larry Wilmore. I still skip most of the panel discussions, but the first half of the show is always really solid and funny.
American Denial- A remarkable documentary about racism, particularly focusing on the social/psychological dimensions as well as some fascinating history studying those issues.
Seeking Asian Female - I heard a radio program about this, and the movie itself was good but I wish it had gotten a little more into the phenomena at the beginning before turning to the particular story.
Putin's Way - Another amazing Frontline investigative report into Russian corruption.
Good Wife - After a long break, it's back! Hooray!
Bob's Burgers - I could skip the musical one, but the other one episodes this last month have been great.
My book club picked a winner this month with Burial Rites - not something I would normally pick up, but I am really glad I read it. Can't we talk about Something More Pleasant was hard to read (and hard to get from the library). I guess I would like to stay living in denial a bit longer about the issues it confronts.

Cold, Dark Days

I spent this month going through some older things on my queue.
The Honourable Woman - I still haven't quite tied up all the pieces of this amazing show -- an intricate and involved story that captures interest.
Black Mirror - Just started these freaky shows about social media - done in the style of the Twilight Zone so each episode differs. So good, but so intense - definitely not good for binge watching, but good, twisted dystopian tales.
We Steal Secrets - I already knew a fair amount from a good Frontline, but this was a good review of it.
Nurse Jackie - This season focuses on the fall. You're still rooting for her, but you know she's got a long way down to go.
The Wire (Seasons 1-3) - I watched this in HD over the holidays but forgot to list it. I enjoyed revisiting this, I find I appreciate more of the details to it the longer I live in Baltimore.
Fresh off the Boat - A fun new sitcom with some 90s rap nostalgia! Just when I was lacking in the comedy department.
Top Chef - This comes in fits and starts on Hulu, so it's hard to stay engaged in the season but it's kept my interest into the final four.
Bob's Burgers  - It's the best! Community gardens, go-kart races, school elections, what's not to love?
The Nightly Show - I want to like this, but I can't get into the group discussion.
Being Mortal - Tough to watch, but worthwhile to think hard about final days.
SNL 40th Anniversary -  Some nice moments, but  probably not worth the time investment.
A Path Appears - Tough topics tackled by celebrities. I just couldn't hack it through all the episodes.
I finished the fantastic Fourth of July Creek - an unusual tale involving the rural midwest featuring a social worker. One of those stories that feels so true to life. It's been long enough since I saw the movie to appreciate Blue is the Warmest Color, a graphic ode to love - bittersweet and beautiful. I just began both Behind the Beautiful Forevers and The Savage Detectives while on a trip, and am not sure I will make it through either, even though they both seem really worthwhile.

Restlessness

Without John Oliver or Stephen Colbert, there's definitely a comedy void. I am looking forward to both Oliver's return as well as the premiere of Larry Wilmore's show. In the meantime, there's a few Oscar movies to watch and winter season starts, but mostly restless channel surfing moments on the couch.
Girls - I was so excited about this premiere - I watched the promo for it more than once, and it did not disappoint.
Togetherness  Seems like HBO's show for people who are too old to watch Girls (which includes me). Good pilot, but hard to say for sure whether it will stay funny or veer into sentimentality.
Evolution of a Criminal played the local film festival, but I missed it so I was really excited to see it on the Independent Lens line-up. This documentary is so well made, from a voice not commonly heard in the mainstream media - an ex-convict (but who's so much more than just that label).
Rich /Hill - This was a slow, meditative documentary on Independent Lens portraying a year in the life of kids struggling with poverty in Rich Hill, Missouri.
Gunned Down: The History of the NRA - A frustrating look at how the NRA's blocked gun control time and time again. It's interesting to learn the NRA started as a gun safety organization.
Charlie Rose - Up late one night, I caught a discussion about Islam and politics on this show and was very thankful that you can hear such thoughtful conversations in such challenging times.
Downton Abbey - I think I am only going to half-watch this season. It feels like they just keep replaying the same plot.
Bob's Burgers - I love this show so much. Tina, Jean, and Louise are awesome.
The Good Wife - Is it wrong that I kind of want Alicia to loose the election?
Without much on TV, and with cold days descending, there was a lot of time to cuddle up with good books. Lorrie Moore's so good at short stories, and Bark was really funny, interesting, and unique. I read Citizen: An American Lyric after seeing Claudia Rankine on the news. The work is raw and visceral - it's hard to read and hits a nerve, but it's worth reading because it hits a nerve that needs to be hit. I am only about a hundred pages into Fourth of July Creek, but it is really good so far as well - lots of unexpected twists even early into it.