Jacqueline Cutler

Between Geena (Maya Lynne Robinson), DJ’s wife, and Darlene, the show still features wise women with acerbic wit and zero tolerance for idiocy. Yes, in some ways, Roseanne will never be replaced. But in other ways, she already has been.

Fans of the show, and they were legion, are going to be thrilled to have everyone back--a possible romance between Jim and Phyllis is a welcome story line--and that may be enough for some loyal viewers. But as great as it is to see the cast reassembled and to witness Brown’s righteous fury, the show’s rhythms are creaky and lines are stale by the time they make it to air.

Decent, scrupulous and caring, Jeff Pickles is the essence of good--a little too good. Even the mild-mannered may want to slap the sanctity out of him. But most will want to watch Carrey deliver a fine performance in a weirdly engaging series. Building a comedy around the death of a child is risky, but Carrey makes it winning.

Even as a heroin addict, Benedict Cumberbatch is riveting. ... With only the first two episodes available, and those being so different in tone and view--the second one harkens more to the nasty familial tensions and vicious verbal gymnastics of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”--it’s folly to guess how the others will unfold. Yet the pair deliver a solid promise that we are in for something very special.

The camera plods along, lingering on pretty shots of nature. A bee buzzes a flower. Snowflakes fall on a New England square. Brooks babble. It begins to feel less like a drama than a giveaway calendar. Skilled as the actors are, it’s difficult for them to rise above the creakiness.

Empire rules, bigger and badder than ever. If anyone thought Fox's breakout hit was over the top last season, the second-season premiere on Wednesday, Sept. 23, has so much murder and intrigue that it makes what's come before look as tame as C-SPAN.