Alison Herman

Alice and Catherine don’t quite rise to the level of great hunter-and-quarry pairs like Hannibal and Clarice or Eve and Villanelle, but “Furious” still delivers a compelling study of female victimhood and what happens when women break our culture’s limited scripts for it.

“President Curtis” delivers more on dependability than strict innovation, though that may be what both viewers and a parent corporation looking to beef up its IP reserves on the cusp of a potential merger want.

The constant change endemic to “Stuart Fails” means sacrificing some of the comforting sameness of a “Big Bang”-style hangout. But the comic chemistry among the main players provides just enough — and besides, the thrilling potential of a constantly wiped slate is worth the trade.

Ferrell’s first time at the top of a scripted TV comedy’s call sheet, is a major disappointment.

Dull. .... “The Westies” suffers most from a severe lack of compelling protagonists. .... It’s just a crime show about an uninteresting group of criminals whose dying lifestyle there’s no reason to mourn.

Once “The Five-Star Weekend” gets rolling, the momentum fuels arguments that feel like the kind of deep, tough-because-they’re-true reckonings you only get with long-term ties.

This is a show that’s quite comfortable working from its inspiration, and much less so when it’s attempting to forge its own path. That last part isn’t quite in the Elle Woods spirit, but “Elle” gets close enough.

A strong hour of material performed with practiced expertise. .... The contrast between puerile bits about pissing and resonant reflections on slow-motion death is an effective one, enhancing the impact of each tactic in turn.

The show continues to lean on its preferred crutches: catchphrases like Mikey’s old adage “let it rip,” clichés about the redemptive power of feeding others and a cloying sentimentality that started to grate once the spell wore off. But for those who’ve stuck with “The Bear” through its low point — and anecdotally, I know many one-time fans who have not — these final episodes may cement a memory of the show that’s more than its worst moments.

“Curb Your Enthusiasm” always excelled when sweating the small stuff. “Life, Larry” is no different, even though it has the potential for far larger stakes than its antecedent. Those stakes are best deployed for clarifying contrast, as when David’s James Buchanan is more concerned with introducing the newfangled concept of passed apps than addressing the brewing secession crisis.