Dana Leigh Brand

inhumans excerpt Season 1, Episode 1-2 – The first two episodes of Inhumans, released in theaters in IMAX format, are so genuinely terrible that there is nothing good to say about them. Everything from the writing and characters down to the costuming and set design feels scattered and seems to lack even the barest amount of effort.

the defenders excerpt Season 1, Episode 5-8 – The back half of The Defenders employs a few slick narrative twists to keep things interesting while our four heroes continue to negotiate their relationship to each other. With more background on the Hand and the discovery of their ultimate goal, the story keeps a swift pace into a finale that’s ultimately just okay.

the defenders excerpt Season 1, Episode 1-4 – The Defenders takes its time getting Marvel’s four Netflix title characters together, allowing them to organically team-up through various alliances and environmental factors. The story’s pacing combines with the visual beauty of the series to create an appropriately thematic experience from start to finish that gives every character their own space to flourish.

Agents of SHIELD Excerpt Season 4, Episode 21 – Agents of SHIELD achieves the seemingly impossible, landing every emotional beat in their complex season plot to perfection in “The Return.” The episode expertly ties up narrative loose ends and uses them to catapult the story into its season finale with one last super-sized, super-powered conflict.

Agents of SHIELD Excerpt Season 4, Episode 20 – In “Farewell, Cruel World!” Agents of SHIELD bids adieu to its warped alternate reality but brings back psychological consequences and some dangerous antagonists. The episode provides closure in most of the placing where the plot was tiring and replaces the resolved storylines with all-new tension and stakes.

Agents of SHIELD Excerpt Season 4, Episode 19 – Agents of SHIELD reveals motivation and takes a step toward escape in “All the Madame’s Men.” One group of our friends moves closer to freedom while another searches for the reason why they’re all trapped in a virtual prison. The episode moves the story forward just enough to set up some kind of conclusion.

the expanseexcerpt Season 2, Episode 13 – The Expanse puts all of the usual suspects in personally dangerous situations rather than system-level ones in “Caliban’s War.” Utilizing everything from science to diplomacy, the second season finale delivers an excellent, suspenseful, tightly-plotted adventure that offers closure on many plot points while opening up vistas of possibility for the future like a good season finale should.

Agents of SHIELD Excerpt Season 4, Episode 18 – “No Regrets” continues this astonishing run of Agents of SHIELD, mining every aspect of the show and current affairs for its alternate universe. Our friends remain trapped in a VR nightmare while the series knows just which wounds to press and which character traits to tweak for maximum devastation.

feud excerpt Season 1, Episode 7 – Feud finally hits the right level of vindictive manipulation in “Abandoned!” allowing both Crawford and Davis to own their personal problems while underscoring the true basis of their hatred. The episode emphasizes the issues of the characters themselves, rather than trying to make a misguided point about misogyny, and the story stands up better with that more personal conflict at the core.

the expanseexcerpt Season 2, Episode 12 – The Expanse provides monsters, moral quandaries, and political intrigue in spades with “The Monster and the Rocket,” turning the tables on established power structures and examining the dilemmas of life in space. The episode takes three storylines that are connected but aiming to achieve separate goals and intertwines them seamlessly.

Agents of SHIELD Excerpt Season 4, Episode 17 – Agents of SHIELD continues to rewrite itself in “Identity and Change” by taking the best ideas from the whole series, reworking them, and forcing the characters to confront their demons. The episode knows exactly which spots to poke and which wounds to rip open for maximum effect, both painful and delightful.

feud excerpt Season 1, Episode 6 – Feud continues to bumble its way through 1960s Hollywood, hitting sporadically upon events and issues without ever pausing to examine them. “Hagsploitation” is another example of the series’ aimlessness, presenting the characters as victims of circumstance without achieving a narrative goal or even providing cheap thrills.

the expanseexcerptSeason 2, Episode 11 – The Expanse finally shows off some of its monsters in “Here There Be Dragons,” paying off one of its big mysteries in a satisfying way that leaves plenty of room for future plot development. Every character has a chance to test their integrity and to choose their own battles.

Agents of SHIELD ExcerptSeason 4, Episode 16 – Agents of SHIELD rewrites the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe in “What If…” mixing together painstaking attention to MCU detail with a little real-world politics. The differences between SHIELD regular world and the alternate reality provide tension while nothing is changed so much that you divest from the story entirely.

the expanseexcerpt Season 2, Episode 10 – The Expanse‘s “Cascade” doesn’t just balance all the Belter, Earther, and Martian plots against each other but it manages to leave enough time and space for the characters to process all of the world-changing events that are happening to them even as those events march on around them.

legion excerpt Season 1, Episode 8 – “Chapter 8” confirms that Legion is a mess but its a pretty mess so at least it has that going for it. Overall, the series has muddled plot arcs and inconsistent characterization spending the majority of its energy on artistic visuals that ultimately feel hollow without any narrative substance behind them.