Tread Perilously The Satellite Show

Tread Perilously flips the paradigm for June with a month of Tread Safely. And to start: the curious episode of Psych called "Dual Spires."
Shawn and Gus receive an invitation to enjoy the Dual Spire Cinnamon Festival, but a day in the woods somewhere north of Santa Barbara feasting on hot cider and cinnamon pie turns into a mystery when young Paula Merral is found dead. Wrapped in plastic. Soon, it becomes clear all is not as it appears as town secrets are exposed, Shawn keeps his relationship with Juliet quiet, and everything in Dual Spires feels strangely familiar.
Erik and Justin delight in all the Twin Peaks references. Justin reveals his history with the show. For Erik, it's only his second episode. The pair once again wonder why Dana Ashbrook never got another high profile series. See also: guest star Sheryl Lee. The monkey bread conspiracy is exposed. The riff on the theme song is examined, as is Gus's reaction to the citizens of Dual Spires. The presence of Robin Lively is welcome, even if Justin wishes another Twin Peaks was on screen. Justin reveals the time he ran for school office on the "Sex Dwarf" ticket and that he's still mad at Shawn for one Psych plot point.

Tread Perilously's Failed Prestige month takes an unscheduled trip on Pan Am for the episode called "We'll Always Have Paris."
Kate's first trip to Paris is filled with excitement and terror as her mother decides to book a seat on the flight. Also, her CIA handler wants her to deliver a package to a courier in the city. Meanwhile, Laura has reasons of her own to avoid her mother, Dean continues his search for Bridget while maybe starting something with Colette, and Maggie's choice to defend herself leads to Ted trying -- and failing -- to be her white knight.
Erik uses the wrong microphone and discovers the scheduled show for the week, Vinyl, is currently unavailable. Justin finds the spy plot to be the most laughable and declares that Pan Am fails in a very special way. The pair try to find a better role for star Kelli Garner. Christina Ricci remains a Tread Perilously favorite, though. Margot Robbie also proves a welcome presence even if she fails the "zoo" vocal test. The male cast, however, prompts many notes and replacement suggestions. "Can you sell Pan Am to China?" becomes the new philosophical question of the age and the cynical edge of the show becomes a key point of discussion.

Tread Perilously's month of failed prestige TV continues with the pilot episode of Manhattan: "You Always Hurt The Ones You Love."
When Charlie accepts a blind offer to work at a government facility in New Mexico, he is shocked to discover he will be helping to design an atomic bomb. His wife, Abby, adjusts to the strange way of life out on the plains as no one can grow crops in the local soil and all the wives build a society of their own. Meanwhile, renegade scientist Frank Winter must prove his theory to Oppenheimer to save his group from being shut down.
Erik and Justin end up having a spirited discussion about history, historical inaccuracies, and the Super Soldier Program. Erik gets distracted by star Rachel Brosnahan in 1940s outfits while Justin can't completely wash away co-star Ashely Zuckerman's resemblance to The Office's B.J. Novak. John Benjamin Hickey's strengths as Frank are also called into question. The filmography of episode director Thomas Schlamme leads into the weeds. A wild Katja Herbers appears. Harry Lloyd britians things up as well. Justin tries to offer an opinion based on watching the whole series and Walter White becomes strangely important.

Tread Perilously's Failed Prestige month continues with the second episode of Hap and Leonard, "The Bottoms."
Hap is still trying to find the bridge from his childhood that will lead to the river that, in turn, will lead to the money Howard hired him to find. Leonard is less sure as Howard's goons are both dumb and dangerous. He also gets a phone call that will force him to leave town. Later, Hap finds himself in a show of bravado with Howard and facing renewed affections from his ex-wife, Trudy. Will it turn out she's been withholding the real location of the river?
Erik is thrilled to see James Purefoy in a series, but is unsure about the episode as a discrete segment of story. The rest of the cast, which includes Michael Kenneth Williams as Leonard, Christina Hendricks as Trudy, and an almost unrecognizable Neil Sandilands as one of Howard's goons are also welcome even as the plot flounders. Howard's actor, however, ends up being the one Erik and Justin want to recast. Justin tries to recall if he finished Hap and Leonard's first season. Erik's opinion of Ahsoka slides a little bit. A wild Jimmi Simpson appears and the pair debate whether or not connective tissue episodes work.

Tread Perilously's Failed Prestige month continues with the Terriers episode called "Dog and Pony."
When Hank's $30,000 check becomes evidence in the case against his client, he tries to drum up business to cover the deposit he still owes on the house. He soon finds a $5,000 bounty on a man wanted in connection with a liquor store heist. He and Britt encounter him only to find he's taller and stronger than the bounty notice let on. Their next step: scare his half-brother into doing something. But when that uncovers a further crime, will Hank and Britt turn it to their advantage?
Erik and Justin once again get lost in the Geography Corner of a show set (again) in San Diego County. The presence of The Shield's Shawn Ryan in the creative team proves to be a positive. Star Donal Logue's corrupt cop aura also lends itself well to Hank -- so much so, Erik refuses to call him anything but "Donal Logue." Magneto goes to law school. Hulk start to worry about heart health. The pair try to determine a better name for the show than Terriers as it proves to be a huge barrier to entry. Rockmond Dunbar ends up the supporting MVP and Studio 54 becomes a surprisingly important location to the discussion.

Tread Perilously begins a month of would-be prestige TV series that failed to connect with the debut episode of John from Cincinnati -- "His Visit: Day One."
Retired surfer Mitch Yost is spotted on the water by an ambitious promoter and a mysterious man who repeats what he hears called John. Back in town, Mitch's son, Butchie -- also a retired pro surfer -- is anxious to score, but discovers his heroin has been cut so much, it might as well be nothing. Meanwhile, Butchie's son, Shaun, is looking to participate in his first surfing competition and maybe get a sponsorship from the promoter hounding Mitch. Do any of these things matter? And why does Mitch spontaneously hover two feet in the air?
Erik and Justin confront one of the most infamous examples of failed prestige: John From Cincinnati. They laud a deep cast which includes Rebecca De Mornay and Bruce Greenwood, but are unsure about some of the less-seasoned actors, including the person who plays John. Geography Corner gets into detail about the Interstate 5 freeway between the Mexico border and Huntington Beach. The pair also theorize why Butchie is banned from that particular part of the coast. The show's credit sequence gets analyzed and the cadence of Deadwood dialogue trips up Justin. Also, an attempt is made to recast the title character and Erik introduces his appropriate nemesis.