TV: Sunday-Night Scorecard: “Downton,” “Wife,” “Newsroom,” But No “Homeland”!
Downton Abbey: The finale of the fifth season achieved a miraculous feat: it managed to turn a period drama about a society wedding into a veritable banquet of gloom. And there was true sadness: just in time for Armistice Day, the unveiling of a new war memorial, attended by Elizabeth McGovern, Maggie Smith, and Penelope Wilton (pictured). “Downton” has become too much of a repetitive soap opera. Maybe time to announce a final season. Grade: B-. The Good Wife: Things don’t look good for Cary’s court case, Alicia is still learning how to appeal to focus groups, and Kalinda is getting herself deeper into trouble with drug kingpin Bishop: since this is Kalinda’s last season, will Bishop be the one to finish her off? Grade: B+. The Newsroom: I’m thrilled to have the show back, but are they really going to cram two heavy-duty plotlines into the final six episodes? Grade: B. The Comeback: Last seen in 2005, the program benefits from our culture’s increased obsession with everything meta: “Birdman,” anyone? But as much as I love Lisa Kudrow, I still can’t get into her humiliated actress, Valerie Cherish. Grade: B-.
