Welcome to Late Night Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Wednesdays, I will be reviewing 1st and Ten, which aired in syndication from 1984 to 1991. The entire series is streaming on Tubi.
Welcome to 2013!
Episode 4.9 “Team Picture”
(Dir by Stan Lathan, originally aired on November 30th, 1988)
Weird, weird episode.
Taking place 25 years in the future, this episode features the ’88 California Bulls reuniting in 2013. Of course, since this episode was made in 1988, its version of 2013 is a bit different from the one that we all lived through. The 2013 of this episode is a dark and depressing dystopia, with militarized police and …. well, maybe it wasn’t that much different from what we lived through.
In 2013, former wide receiver Billy Cooper is a reporter who is hoping to go from the sports desk to the anchor desk.
TD Parker (OJ Simpson) is now the mayor of Los Angeles.
Zagreb is still playing in the NFL.
Doug Clayton is a Nobel prize-winning scientist.
Dr. Death works at a lumber yard.
Mad Dog owns twenty-five “sex discos.”
Bubba Kincaid is now the “King of Beer.” After his bar was shut down and demolished, he started Bubba Beer, which we are told is the “last American beer.”
And Jethro — well, no one has seen Jethro for ten years. Bubba tried to get Jethro to join him in his Bubba Beer business but Jethro refused. He went into wrestling and then he vanished. Most of his teammates are angry with him. They view him as being a crybaby who needs to man up.
In this episode, Jethro resurfaces at the Dodds Corporate Headquarters in Los Angeles. He’s got a bomb strapped to his chest and he’s threatening to blow the whole place up. TD and Billy both try to talk to him but Jethro doesn’t want to hear what they have to say. Dr. Death approaches him and encourages him to blow himself up. Finally, Bubba goes to Jethro and apologizes for abandoning him. Unfortunately, Bubba gets shot by a robot sniper and is transformed into a pile of blue ash as Jethro watches.
And that’s how the episode ends!
I appreciated the fact that this episode was so weird. It pretty much came out of nowhere and I’ll be surprised if it’s ever referenced again. Probably the most interesting thing about it is that all of the Bulls ended up becoming jerks. No one seems to really care that Jethro might die. For that matter, Jethro isn’t that upset when Bubba gets killed.
I imagine when this episode aired, it was meant to be a commentary on how uncertain the life of a pro-athlete can be once they’re no longer playing. For every success story, there’s someone else who ends up losing all of their money and being exiled to the fringes of society. Seen today, it’s hard to watch Jethro without thinking about CTE and all of the former players who have succumbed to it.
This episode was so odd that it defies a traditional “good or bad” classification. I appreciated it for trying to do something different.
Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Wednesdays, I will be reviewing the original Love Boat, which aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986! The series can be streamed on Paramount Plus!
This week, we have a two-hour episode of The Love Boat!
Episodes 8.2 and 8.3 “Vicki and the Fugitive/Lady in the Window/Stolen Years/Dutch Treat”
(Dir by Robert Scheerer, originally aired on September 29th, 1984)
This week, the crew is assigned to a European cruise! Aboard the Royal Viking Sky, the crew and their passengers sail from England to the Netherlands and back again. This is one of those episodes that was shot on location and, as always, the scenery is lovely.
The stories on the other hand….
Vicki falls for a deckhand named Peter (Patrick Cassidy). In fact, Vicki even finds herself falling in love with him. (In this episode, it’s established that Vicki is now 17. Is she old enough now to actually get paid a salary for all the work she does on the boat?) However, Peter is actually Anton, a young man who is being pursued by Interpol. The show spends a lot of time trying to make it appear as if Antono is a criminal of some sort. Actually, he’s just a royal prince who ran off because he wasn’t ready to accept his official duties. Vicki is happy to discover that Anton isn’t a criminal but unhappy that he now has to stay behind and rule a kingdom in Europe.
Captain Stubing probably could have helped Vicki during all of this but he was too busy pursing a romance with Inga Van Damme (Elke Sommer), a mysterious passenger who, much like Anton, appeared to be keeping a secret from her romantic partner. Telling Stubing that she couldn’t be with him, Inga left the ship early. Stubing wandered all over Amsterdam, searching for her. And he discovered her …. working as a madam. “It is legal here,” Inga explains. “But is it morally right?” Stubing replies.
Speaking of being morally right, Dr. Foster (Pat Harrington, Jr.) finds himself on the boat with both his wife (Eileen Brennan) and his mistress (Teri Copley)! Wow, how many times can the exact same thing happen on the Love Boat? As always with this show, the husband went back to his wife but, fortunately, his mistress met someone while leaving the boat. “Can I help you with your bags?” the charming stranger asks. “Are you married?” the former mistress replies.
Finally, Danish Lisa Anderson (Cloris Leachman) meets Erik Larsen (George Kennedy), another Dane, on the boat. (George Kennedy speaks with his normal American accent.) Erik falls in love with Lisa (Hey! That’s my name!) but Lisa is haunted by memories of her former lover (Tim Robbins) being dragged away by the Nazis during World War II. At first, it seems that Lisa is too haunted by what happened to move on. However, it is eventually revealed that her former lover is Erik Larsen! Somehow, Tim Robbins grew up to be George Kennedy. In her memories, it appears that Lisa betrayed Erik but actually, by pointing him out to the Nazis, she bought him time. While everyone else in the town square was being executed, Erik was being interrogated and, because of this, he was still alive when the Americans returned.
So, here’s the problem. Cloris Leachman, not surprisingly, gives a great performance as Lisa. And George Kennedy, once you get over the idea that he’s supposed to be Danish, gives a pretty good performance as Erik. But flashbacks of Nazi atrocities feel very much out-of-place when mixed in with scenes of Vicki dating a prince and the doctor trying to balance being on a cruise with both his wife and his mistress. Tonally, this episode is all over the place.
That said, the scenery’s lovely (am I repeating myself) and Ted McGinley fit in nicely with the rest of the crew. Pat Klous isn’t bad as Judy but, at least at this point in the season, she doesn’t have the same sort of brother/sister chemistry that Lauren Tewes had with Fred Grandy and Bernie Kopell. McGinley, of course, had the advantage that, while he was new, he still wasn’t replacing anyone. Poor Pat Klous still has to escape from the shadow of the former cruise director.
When you sit down with Jessica by The Allman Brothers Band, it’s hard not to feel an immediate sense of warmth and uplift. It’s pure joy set to music, a sonic road trip with the top down and a sunny sky above. The backstory is pretty great too—Dickey Betts wrote it for his little daughter, and you can practically hear her bouncing around the room in that playful, carefree melody. It’s an instrumental, which means the guitars have to do all the talking, and man, do they have a lot to say. The song is a masterclass in weaving intricate parts together, from the opening acoustic strums to the dual-guitar harmonies that just make you want to tap your foot.
The real magic kicks in about halfway through. The song’s structure is a journey, with themes and melodies weaving in and out. There’s a fantastic piano solo from Chuck Leavell that comes in a bit before the halfway mark, but the main event, the centerpiece guitar solo, is where Dickey Betts truly shines. His solo begins at 3:45, and it’s like he’s telling a story without words. It’s not about flashy, fast playing, but about crafting a melody that feels both conversational and powerful—just pure, expressive Southern rock.
What’s so interesting is the technique behind that sunny sound. Betts was paying tribute to the great Django Reinhardt with this tune, actually writing it to be played using only two fingers on the fretboard. That restriction somehow gave the melody its distinct, rolling quality. It’s built on a major scale with a slightly bluesy twist, giving it that upbeat yet soulful feel. He uses clean, melodic phrasing and these country-inspired double stops that just sing, making the guitar sound as natural as breathing. It’s a testament to his genius that he could create something so timeless with such a simple, almost limiting, approach.
It’s wild to think this cheerful song came out of a period of heavy loss for the band, after the deaths of Duane Allman and Berry Oakley. Instead of wallowing, they channeled that energy into this seven-and-a-half-minute celebration of life. The fact that it’s named after Betts’ daughter just adds to its personal, life-affirming feeling. For me, Jessica is the definitive proof that a guitar solo, when done right, can say more than a thousand lyrics ever could. Betts’ solo from 3:45 onward is a masterpiece of mood and melody, and it’s the reason this song has become one of the most iconic and beloved instrumentals in rock history.
101 years ago, on this date, Joseph Sargent was born in New Jersey. Sargent would go on to become one of the busiest directors of the 70s, 80s, and 90s, working in both film and television. Though he would never receive the type of critical attention as some of his contemporaries, Sargent was a skilled director who specialized in making entertaining, no-nonsense films. Though his reputation was tarnished a bit by the fourth Jaws film, it should be remembered that Sargent was also responsible for films like Colossus: The Forbin Project,Tribes, Nightmares, and The Taking of Pelham One Two Three.
1974’s The Taking of Pelham One Two Three has come to be recognized as a genre classic. It’s certainly one of my favorite films about how New Yorkers will be rude to anyone in any circumstances. You can see an example of this in today’s scene that I love. Having hijacked a train, Robert Shaw calls in his last of demands and gets a very New York response.
4 Or More Shots From 4 Or More Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking!
Today is the birthday of the one and only Paul Schrader! It’s time for….
4 Shots From 4 Paul Schrader Films
Blue Collar (1978, dir by Paul Schrader, DP: Bobby Byrne)
American Gigolo (1980, dir by Paul Schrader, DP: John Bailey)
Cat People (1982, dir by Paul Schrader, DP: John Bailey)
First Reformed (2018, dir by Paul Schrader, DP: Alexander Dynan)
With Night and Day, U2 not only provide their own spin on Cole Porter’s best-known song but they also introduced the sound that would define them throughout the 90s. This was the first song of U2’s post-Joshua Tree era.
The video was directed by the German director, Wim Wenders. U2 would subsequently provide songs for Wenders’s Until The End Of The World and Far Away So Close. Bono would also produce and provide the story for The Million Dollar Hotel, one of Wenders’s less regarded films.
Welcome to Late Night Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Tuesdays, I will be reviewing Pacific Blue, a cop show that aired from 1996 to 2000 on the USA Network! It’s currently streaming everywhere, though I’m watching it on Tubi.
This week, the entire police force is worthless.
Episode 4.11 “Broken Dreams”
(Dir by Scott Lautanen, originally aired on December 6th, 1988)
While pursuing a pure snatcher, Cory accidentally runs over the victim on her bicycle. I know that probably sounds like a joke but that’s actually how this episode begins. It turns out that the victim is deaf and couldn’t hear Cory screeching at her to get out of the way. It turns out that Monica knows sign language. When Cory demands to know why Monica knows how to sign, Monica refuses to tell her.
(And really, it’s none of Cory’s business.)
Cory and a reluctant Monica investigate a series of robberies that have targeted deaf beggars on the pier. Cory learns that there is an entire deaf community that simply wants the hearing world to leave them alone. (Cory apparently doesn’t get out much.) Monica eventually admits that her mother is deaf and Cory eventually admits that Monica can be a good cop when she tries. That’s nice of Cory to finally since that was already established during Monica’s first episode. One gets the feeling that the show’s writers weren’t really sure what to do with Monica as a character. She started out as a badass undercover cop and then was quickly transformed into an emotionally unstable, selfish bicycle cop.
While Cory and Monica learn to work together, Bobby finds himself temporarily transferred to the horse patrol. (A member of the horse patrol is also reassigned to ride a bicycle.) Why exactly anyone thought this was a good idea, I don’t know. It turns out that Bobby can’t ride a horse to save his life. His supervisor thinks that’s hilarious but you have to wonder how many crimes are being committed while all the cops are standing around and laughing at Bobby?
Bobby and TC spend most of this episode trying to catch two kids who keep shooting off a potato cannon. They never really catch them, largely because Bobby can’t control his horses. Instead, the kids knock themselves out when they blow up a watermelon. Their reign of terror is ended but it’s not really because of anything done by the members of Pacific Blue. The kids themselves just go too ambitious.
The theme of this episode was that every cop was extremely incompetent. I’ve never been a “defund the police” person but, in this case, I doubt it would make much difference. Defund Pacific Blue!
When you first hear about a band that mixes traditional Mongolian instrumentation with heavy metal, it sounds a bit like a novelty act. You might expect something that leans heavily into gimmickry, maybe a folk band that slapped some distortion on a track just for laughs. But then you actually press play on The Gereg, the 2019 debut album from The Hu, and you realize almost immediately that this is dead serious, incredibly heavy, and completely mind-blowing. The Gereg is a deeply emotional, fierce, and historic introduction to a band that has essentially invented a new subgenre they call “hunnu rock.” Instead of feeling like a patchwork quilt of mismatched ideas, the album flows with the kind of natural, organic power that makes you think these instruments were always meant to be played this loud.
Right from the opening track, The Gereg, you’re dropped into a world of thundering drums, droning strings, and that signature growling vocal style that immediately grabs your attention. The title track sets the tone perfectly: it’s epic, almost cinematic, with a sense of forward motion like you’re riding across steppes on horseback while a stadium-sized rock band backs you up. It’s not overly complicated in structure, but it doesn’t need to be—the power comes from the sheer force of the performance and the uniqueness of the sound palette. Those horse-head fiddles (morin khuur) and jaw harps (tumur khuur) might be ancient instruments, but in the hands of The Hu they sound like they were made for heavy rock all along.
Then comes Wolf Totem, arguably the song that broke The Hu internationally and the closest thing to an anthem on the record. The original version is a masterclass in building tension: it starts almost meditative, with throat singing and sparse instrumentation, then erupts into a massive, chant-driven chorus that feels like it could rally an entire army. There’s a reason this track racked up tens of millions of views on YouTube—it’s catchy, powerful, and utterly distinctive. The deluxe edition also includes a version featuring Jacoby Shaddix from Papa Roach, which leans more into a pop-punk/nu-metal vibe, but honestly, the original is the one that really captures the band’s essence. It’s the kind of song that makes you want to throw your fists in the air even if you have no idea what the lyrics mean (which, for most listeners, is probably the case).
The Great Chinggis Khaan slows things down just a touch but keeps the epic scale intact, sounding like something that could’ve fit on an early-’80s Iron Maiden record if Bruce Dickinson had studied khoomei throat singing. It’s semi-acoustic, more atmospheric, and carries a sort of reverence that matches its subject—the legendary Mongol leader Genghis Khan. There’s a dignity to this track that keeps it from feeling like a gimmick; it’s clear The Hu aren’t just playing with their heritage, they’re honoring it.
On the flip side, The Legend of Mother Swan brings a more folk-forward, almost Pogues-like energy, with a storytelling vibe that’s both haunting and melodic. It’s one of the more accessible tracks for listeners coming from a purely rock or folk background, with a structure that feels more like a traditional ballad. Meanwhile, Shoog Shoog is where the band really leans into the groove, built around a riff that wouldn’t sound out of place in an AC/DC or even a Neil Young jam. It’s fun, driving, and ridiculously catchy, with that throbbing bass and pounding drum work locking in perfectly with the twang of the tovshuur (Mongolian guitar).
Probably the most recognizable track after Wolf Totem is Yuve Yuve Yu, the song that essentially launched The Hu into viral fame back in 2018. It’s a full-throttle hunnu rock anthem with a chorus that’s impossible not to chant along to, even on first listen. Stripped of the throat singing and traditional instruments, it could easily pass as a Rammstein track—all stomping rhythm, industrial-tinged heaviness, and theatrical delivery. The deluxe version adds a remix featuring From Ashes to New that pushes it closer to nu-metal territory, but again, the original is the standout.
The Same and Shireg Shireg keep the momentum going, with the former offering a more introspective, almost bluesy take on the band’s sound and the latter doubling down on the rhythmic, almost trance-like quality that runs through much of the album. Shireg Shireg in particular has this hypnotic, circling riff that feels like it’s pulling you deeper into the album’s world. The acoustic version of this track on the deluxe edition is a nice touch, showing that these songs hold up even when stripped back to their core melodies.
Closing out the standard edition is Song of Women, a track that trades some of the aggression for a more melodic, art-rock feel that’s been compared to Peter Gabriel’s later work. It’s a bit of a curveball, with its swinging triplet rhythms and more sophisticated arrangement, but it works as a winding-down moment before the bonus tracks kick in. The deluxe version includes a remix featuring Lzzy Hale of Halestorm, which pushes it closer to modern metal, but the original’s subtlety is kind of refreshing after the bombast of the earlier tracks.
What makes The Gereg so compelling isn’t just the novelty of the fusion—it’s how well it actually works. The Hu aren’t just slapping throat singing over rock riffs and calling it a day; they’re writing genuinely strong songs that happen to feature ancient instruments and techniques. The production is clean but not over-polished, letting the raw energy of the performances shine through. And while the album is only about 40 minutes long (not counting the bonus tracks), it feels like a complete journey, moving from high-energy anthems to more reflective moments without ever losing its identity.
If I have one gripe, it’s that the album does start to blur together in the back half. Tracks like Upright Destined Mongol and Bii Biyelgee are solid, but they don’t hit with the same immediate impact as the first five songs. The formula—big riff, throat-sing verse, chant-along chorus, fiddle solo—starts to feel a little predictable by the time you reach the closing Tatar Warrior. That said, even a weaker The Hu song is still more interesting than 90% of the generic metalcore out there, and Tatar Warrior ends the album on a high note with a galloping, cinematic flourish that circles back to the opener. It’s a cohesive journey, even if it lags in the middle.
If you’re into rock, metal, folk, or just music that sounds like nothing else you’ve heard before, The Gereg is an absolute must-listen. It’s the kind of record that makes you reconsider what rock music can be, and it does it with a level of sincerity and power that’s hard to ignore. The Hu didn’t just make a debut album—they made a statement, and The Gereg still holds up as one of the most exciting and original rock records of the last few years.
Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Tuesdays, I will be reviewing Saved By The Bell: The New Class, which ran on NBC from 1993 to 2o00. The show is currently on Prime.
This week, it’s all for charity!
Episode 2.10 “A Matter of Trust”
(Dir by Don Barnhart, originally aired on October 8th, 1994)
Oh crap, it’s another country club episode.
It’s time for the annual charity event! The male employees of the club are auctioned off to various women bidders so that they can compete together in a contest. The winning team gets a hot air balloon ride. Mr. Belding makes it sound like a big deal but it’s hard not to notice that hardly anyone outside of the main group seems to take part. Apparently, this is a charity being funded exclusively by teenagers with summer jobs.
Bobby asks Megan to bid on him because he thinks it’ll make him more attractive to the woman who he hopes will buy him. Instead, Megan bids too much and she wins Bobby.
Lindsay wins her boyfriend, Tommy D. Lindsay is excited but Tommy is worried because he’s scared of heights.
Because Mr. Belding says that Screech has too many responsibilities to be auctioned off, Screech can only watch as his girlfriend, Alison, purchases Brian.
Brian’s girlfriend, Rachel, buys Hubert Dweebly (Mark David) because she feels sorry for him. That’s something that I would definitely do. Hubert then turns out to be a total perv who spends the entire competition pawing Rachel and trying to get her to kiss him. This would perhaps have been funnier if Sarah Lancaster had been older than 14 when she played Rachel.
Anyway, Screech gets jealous and tries to get Brian in trouble so that he can take Brian’s place. And Tommy doesn’t want to win so he tires to help Bobby cheat but everything gets screwed up and Tommy and Lindsay win anyways. It’s a typical Saved By The Bell episode, you can probably already guess everything that happens. Allison turns out to be very forgiving. Allison might not be that smart.
The main problem with this episode is that it asks us to believe that Allison would find needy, uberemotional, shrill-voiced Screech to be in any way attractive. During the second season, Dustin Diamond’s performance was nowhere near as obnoxious as it would eventually get. But his version of Screech was still too cartoonish to be taken seriously. His performance in this episode is …. well, it’s just bad. There’s no other way to put it. You really do find yourself thinking, “Allison and Brian actually make a lot more sense than Allison and Screech.”
It’s funny to me that the first Country Club episode was all about the importance of working hard when you have a job and we haven’t actually seen anyone doing their job since.
Through the Shattered Lens 