Periodically I'm going to update you on my favorite tv shows of the moment. By right now, I mean shows that are currently airing seasons or that I'm currently in the middle of watching. So as much as I love a certain time-jumping weepie (This is Us) and a crazy action series about first responders (9-1-1), both of their seasons have now concluded and thus they are disqualified. Be warned that my descriptions contain spoilers about the shows.
1. Survivor: Ghost Island: My favorite reality show for 18 years now is probably always going to make this list. Even in a just-okay season like the current one, each episode always manages to entertain me from start to finish. The Ghost Island premise is genuinely interesting: contestants find idols and other relics from previous seasons, in which former players misused them, in an attempt to "break the curse". In the process viewers are treated to flashbacks of some of the best moments from past seasons. It's a great way for the show remember past players without allowing fan-favorite Survivors to keep playing the game 3 or 4 times (the multiple All Stars and Fans vs. Favorites seasons were starting to get old). This season has taken a little longer than usual to heat up, but the last couple of episodes have really started to grab my attention, with the intensifying feud between clever Dominic and conceited Chris, and this week's satisfying blindside of jerk Bradley. The show always tends to get much better after the merge (which is coming next week), when all of the tribes come together and the game turns into an individual contest. Lately the players are really starting to step up their strategic games, and their personalities (which at first seemed rather bland) are starting to come out, so I'm expecting the season to finish strong.
2. Unreal: This is one of the most original scripted shows on tv, and its 3rd season is a welcome return to the creative highs of season 1, after a rather disappointing season 2. The show follows the behind-the-scenes manipulations of Quinn and Rachel, producers of Everlasting, a fictional reality dating show meant to mirror The Bachelor. The things that they do to generate high ratings and create viewer buzz are truly shocking, this season including publicly outing a possibly gay contestant, and giving another contestant cocaine to make him host another reality show that Quinn is planning with underling producer Jay. Season 2 tried to offer comments on racism and police shootings, but it instead ending up being a meandering mess, while season 3's shift to a female central character has proven to be refreshing. This season's plotlines reveal that sexual harassment is still widespread in America, especially in the entertainment industry (a timely story considering the current harassment scandals, and the "Me Too" and "Times Up" movements). But none of this takes any focus away from the soap opera dramatics that viewers love. It also helps that the Everlasting contestant characters are a bit more fleshed out this year. I have never been a fan of The Bachelor, but this show actually makes me care about which fictional guy will win the "bachelorette's" heart.
3. Roseanne: Although it has only aired 3 episodes so far, the reboot of Roseanne is already a massive hit for ABC, and for good reason. Most of the original actors have returned, and all of them, especially John Goodman as Dan and Laurie Metcalf as Jackie, have seamlessly slipped back into the roles that made them famous 30 years ago. The writing is as sharp as it was during the best seasons of the original, and the show's return to focusing on the struggles of working-class Americans is refreshing, after the complete derailment from these values during its "final" season 20 years ago. The new characters of Darlene's children seem to fit right into the Conner family, with the standout being Ames McNamara as gender-fluid or possibly gay Mark (named after his deceased uncle). There were calls to boycott the show after its first week after old photos of Roseanne Barr dressed as Hitler and baking cookies that resembled children resurfaced on social media (this was actually for a satirical magazine, and Barr herself is Jewish). Some controversial social media posts by Barr, which suggest a possibly anti-transgender and homophobic point of view, have also been shared. However, I'm choosing to take the show for what I'm seeing onscreen, not for what Barr has done in the past or may currently be doing outside of the show. The show's Mark plot is anything but homophobic (I take it as Barr making amends for past anti-transgender statements), and as long as the show remains sharply funny and not offensive, then I'll continue watching.
4. Scandal: Shonda Rhimes' hit, about scandal fixer Olivia Pope and D.C. political machinations, has gone through many ups and downs in its 7 seasons, but the highs have been edge-of-your-seat must-see tv. The show came alive when it shifted much of its focus away from a case-of-the-week format and more towards the Oval Office and President Fitzgerald Grant, Olivia's sometime lover. The will-they-or-won't-they chemistry between Liv and "Fitz" has rivaled some of the best romances in tv history. Even Fitz's ex Mellie, now president, is truly electrifying onscreen and more than holds her own as the new Commander in Chief. Season 6 was a true rollercoaster ride; the show experimented with its format while unraveling the mystery of President-Elect Vargas' assassination (he was shockingly killed by a sniper on live tv while giving his acceptance speech). Much of season 7, the show's final season, has been a disappointment, with Olivia taking an uncharacteristic turn towards the dark side and betraying her friends, but the past few episodes have returned the show to its former glory days, with a captivating plot about Vice President Cyrus Beene trying to take down Mellie and grab the Oval for himself. There are only a few episodes remaining, and I'm expecting (and hoping) that the presidential power moves will result in more than a few bombshells and possibly even a few major character deaths before the show wraps for good. Will Olivia and Fitz end up together, or will she settle for Chief of Staff Jake? I can't wait to find out.
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