Kristen Baldwin

The new episodes reveal a show that’s chosen narrative stasis rather than risk developing its characters and premise beyond the safe boundaries established in season 1. The saving grace is Nobody's excellent ensemble cast, which elevates the predictable material into a breezy and pleasant — if not particularly memorable — viewing experience.

Sometimes, the best thing a show can do is deliver exactly what the viewers want — nothing more, nothing less. And that’s just what CBS does with Boston Blue. .... Lena and Danny quickly settle into a comfortable rhythm — as does the show.

Fans of I Think You Should Leave, Robinson and Kanin’s cheerfully bizarre sketch-comedy series, will find The Chair Company suitably weird. Even when the show starts to drag, as one lead after another dead-ends and new questions emerge, it’s hard to drop. What keeps The Chair Company engaging are its spurts of tangential lunacy.

Hulu could have made a good show in a couple years, when Powell and Waldron had more time to devote to the project. Instead, they chose to rush Chad Powers onto the field — and now, it's too late to call an audible.

The Paper starts to find its footing around midseason. Not only does the relationship between Ned and Esmerelda become less adversarial, the supporting cast — which, like The Office, includes several writer/performers — starts to break through as their characters get more comfortable with one another.

The writing is evocative and intelligent, and season 14 delivers more laughs-per-episode than most current comedies.

Moving the action to (another) new location helps Resurrection feel a bit fresher, but even with its plot-filled premiere, the show’s first three episodes tread familiar and predictable territory. .... It feels like Phillips and his writers are just saving their efforts for episode 4, when the season gets going in earnest — courtesy of a gleefully macabre development in Dexter’s social life, and a delightful gaggle of guest stars.

The show strikes a much better balance between fan service (fun with the Faks!) and forward story momentum. The new episodes have just enough of what we want from the show.

The performances remain stellar. .... The season’s only misstep comes in the finale. .... But it’s a small quibble, and after three increasingly enjoyable seasons, perhaps it’s best to trust that Fellowes and Warfield know what they’re doing.

A handful of chuckles over 10 episodes isn't enough to put Stick on the comedy leaderboard, even in the "upbeat white guy" division.