I am so not linking to the stream.

What started as a fascinating, ambitious extension of R. Kelly's vocal inspiration, crackpot wit and gift for narrative is now sluggish shuck'n'jive introduced by an IFC nebbish who seems utterly charmed to be sitting next to a real live crazy black person. All energy is lost over three chapters of nonmusical prattle in a diner (with only a shot of a helicopter and one of the narrator enjoying a meal to pass for inspired entertainment), but its the argument between a cartoon pimp and a cartoon priest (both played by Kelly) in Chapter 19 that truly signifies Trapped's jumping the shark. Remember, "jumping the shark" isn't when a show is no longer of high quality, or when an artist becomes a parody of themselves. "Jumping the shark," if it's to mean anything, is a term that should be saved for when the audience is presented with something that has absolutely nothing to do with what originally had us paying attention. I'm sure there was plenty of mediocrity on Happy Days before this legendary moment, but I assume it still involved nostalgiac humor about '50s small town teenage life. This doesn't:



So that it doesn't get confused with worthwhile evolution (like, I dunno, Revolver), it's also key that a "shark jump" moment sucks. Hard. I'd be disappointed if anyone said the new Trapped chapters didn't qualify.