Tag Archives: tv

12 Things That I’m Looking Forward To In September

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to the month of September!  Here are twelve things to which I am looking forward!

  1. October — Let’s just admit it.  Around these parts, the best thing about September is that it leads to October and TSL’s annual month of Horror!  It’s not just that I spend September looking forward to Halloween.  It’s also that I spend September selecting and watching all of the horror movies and reading all the books that I’m going to review in October!  There’s nothing more fun that watching all the pieces that make up the jigsaw puzzle that is October fall into place.
  2. Labor Day — How can you not be excited by our most confusing holiday?  Not only does it involve a long weekend and a chance to see family but it also officially signals the end of wearing white.  Plus, Labor Day is the official start of campaign season and this year, I’m actually paying attention to the midterms.
  3. After Ever Happy — The After saga comes to a close.  Will the world’s most boring couple manage to stick together?  Will that pretentious British dude ever stop feeling sorry for himself?  Will the American girl finally realize that she doesn’t have much of a personality beyond whoever she happens to be  dating at the moment?  And how foolish will people on Twitter act over this movie?  The previous After films all made my list for the worst films of the year in which they were released.  Will After Ever Happy keep the streak alive?
  4. Pinocchio — It’s easy to be cynical about remakes but the trailers look adorable!
  5. Blonde — Finally, after all the hype about the NC-17 rating, we’ll get to see Blonde for ourselves!  That said, it is kind of funny the Blonde was rated NC-17 but it’s going to be showing on Netflix, which anyone can watch whenever they feel like it.  Is Netflix going to be like, “Hey, if you’re not 17, stop watching right now!?”  In the streaming era, ratings feel like a left-over relic from the past.
  6. Don’t Worry, Darling — Much like Blonde, we’ll finally get to see what all the controversy is about.  Personally, I kind of suspect this film will be overshadowed by all the personal stuff involving Olivia Wilde, Harry Styles, Shia, Florence, and that Ted Lasso guy.
  7. A Jazzman’s Blues — Has Tyler Perry finally made a good film?  We’ll find out soon.
  8. The Venice and Toronto Film Festivals — The Venice festival has just begun.  Toronto will start next week.  And the Oscar picture will suddenly become much clearer.
  9. The Return of Ghosts — The second season of Ghosts begins on the 29th!
  10. The End of Big Brother — This season hasn’t been as bad as other seasons but it’s still getting a bit exhausting and I’m glad that it will be wrapping itself up in another few weeks.  I’m also looking forward to the end of The Bachelorettes but I have to admit that the show pretty much ended for me the minute that Meatball didn’t get a rose.
  11. New Seasons of Survivor and The Amazing Race — Yay!
  12. Retro Television Reviews — This is a new feature here at TSL.  I’ll be launching it tonight, around 5:30 central time.  Keep an eye out!

What are you looking forward to in September?

Scenes I Love: Have a Happy Day With The Brady Bunch

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

I came across this on YouTube yesterday.  I’m not really a fan of either Happy Days or The Brady Bunch but put them together and you have …. well, you have this performance from The Brady Bunch Variety Hour.

This is somehow so bad that it actually becomes brilliant.  And what a great way to begin the week!  These days are ours!

A few things that I noticed about this video:

Supposedly, of all the Bradys, Robert Reed was the most enthusiastic about doing the Variety Show because he always wanted to be on Broadway and this was his chance to sing and dance.  Unfortunately, Reed had no experience with either singing or dancing and it’s kind of obvious.  But, at the same time, it’s kind of sweet how much he throws himself into it.  Plus, he keeps looking at Florence Henderson for encouragement.  It makes for a nice moment.

Speaking of trying really hard, Barry Williams was apparently told that he would be the star of the show and that it would help him launch his musical career.  It didn’t work, of course.  That said, he and Maureen McCormick always seem to really throw themselves into the song.  They’re trying really hard.  Maybe a little too hard, to be honest.  Fake Jan, on the other hand, could really sing and dance.

Finally, Alice appears to be a little …. off.  Supposedly, Ann B. Davis was pretty much retired and spending all of her time working as a church secretary when she was contacted about the show.  She wasn’t particularly enthused about it but she did it as a favor to “the kids.”  My first reaction, when I saw this video, was to assume that she was drugged up before going on stage but, on second viewing, it just seems like she’s trying to get it over with as quickly as possible.

Happy days indeed, I guess.

Book Review: “My Ox is Broken!” Roadblocks, Detours, Fast Forwards and Other Great Moments from Tv’s ‘the Amazing Race’ by Adam-Troy Castro

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

I will be the first to admit that I probably watch too much reality television.

Of course, I will also defend myself by saying that I don’t watch as much as I used to.  I limit myself now.  The Bachelor, the Bachelorette, and Bachelor In Paradise are the only dating shows that I still watch and I have to admit that I find them less and less interesting with each passing season.  (Some of that, to be honest, is because I cringe whenever I see people talking about the “Bachelor Nation.”  Just because I watch the same show as you doesn’t mean that I want to come over to your house and watch you get drunk on box wine.)  I still watch Survivor but I have yet to watch any episodes of the Hulu Kardashian show.  The only reason that I recently watched Selling Sunset was because I was checking out the shows that had been submitted to the Emmys.  I haven’t really been emotionally involved with Big Brother for a while now, though I do still write about it because I love my readers.

That said, I still absolutely love The Amazing Race and I make no apologies for that.

The premise behind The Amazing Race has always been a simple one.  Teams of two are sent on a race around the world.  During each leg of the race, they have to complete tasks before they can continue on their journey.  At the end of each leg is a pit stop.  Finish first and you’ll get a prize.  Finish last and you’ll probably be eliminated from the race.  Each season has featured little tweaks to the formula but the basics have always remained the same, which is one reason why The Amazing Race‘s fans have remained loyal to it for over 22 years.

What is the appeal of The Amazing Race?  It’s more than just seeing who wins and who loses.  It’s seeing how the teams, who always start out very confident, handle being outside of their comfort zone.  I’ve lost track of how many athletic, cocky teams were eliminated from the race because they failed to properly communicate with their taxi driver.  How many teams have gone from being in first place to being dead last just because their flight was delayed?  The most recent season of the Amazing Race was actually put on hold due to COVID quarantines.  Filming stopped in 2020 and then resumed over a year later, with the remaining teams returning to their last pit stop.  The Amazing Race is unpredictable and it takes exactly the right mix of athleticism, intelligence, confidence, and luck to survive it.  The Amazing Race is about skill and communicating and seeing the world and I absolutely love it.  A good deal of the Race’s popularity is also due to host Phil Keoghan, who actually seems to be sincerely invested in the racers and their journey.  That’s quiet a contrast to most reality competition hosts.  Just as snarky Jeff Probst was the perfect host for Survivor (or, at least, he was before he decided to get all weepy and sincere these past few seasons), Phil Keoghan is the perfect host for The Amazing Race.

My Ox is Broken! is a perfect companion to The Amazing Race.  Admittedly, the book was published in 2006 and, as a result, it only covers the first 9 seasons of the Race.  But those were some truly great seasons and reading the book today is a wonderful way to relive the excitement of Rob and Amber going from dominating Survivor to nearly winning The Amazing Race, Colin and Christie narrowly losing the fifth season, and the dysfunctional couples who made up the sixth season.  Author Adam-Troy Castro takes a look at everything that made those first 9 seasons so much fun and he’s also honest about the show’s occasional missteps.  Full of recaps, interviews, and lists (you know how much I love lists!), this book is an essential for anyone who loves the Race.

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 7/24/22 — 7/30/22

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

It was a good week.  I got my car inspected, I watched a lot of Big Brother, and I worried about very little.

Here’s a few thought on my week in television:

Allo Allo (Sunday Night, PBS)

Once again, Rene and Edith found themselves in front of a firing squad.  This seemed to happen fairly frequently in Nouvion.  Of course, they were only being executed because the Communist Resistance thought they were actually Hitler and Goering.  No, it didn’t make any sense but that’s the charm of this show.

The Bachelorette (Monday Night, ABC)

Things got a bit awkward this week when it was announced that the remaining bachelors would have to decide whether or not they were there for Rachel or Gabby.  With everyone flocking to Gabby, Rachel found herself struggling to find anyone willing to take her rose.  Let’s just hope that she agrees to let Meatball come back.  Of course, even if Rachel doesn’t give Meatball a second chance to accept her rose, I imagine we’ll see him again on every future season of Bachelor in Paradise….

I can only imagine how weird those sentences read to anyone who doesn’t watch the show.

Better Call Saul (Monday Night, AMC)

Better Call Saul was brilliant this week, giving us a look at what Jimmy’s life is like now that he is “Gene” and he’s a Cinnabon manager.  On the one hand, it was nice to see that Jimmy hasn’t lost his edge.  He’s still the smartest guy in the room and he’s knows it.  On the other hand, even in triumph, Jimmy was a bit of a pathetic character.  He may have won but he couldn’t celebrate his victory.

There’s only a few episodes left.  Will they all be in black-and-white?  Will we learn Jimmy’s ultimate fate? Actually, do we want to know Jimmy’s fate?  As clever as he is, it’s hard to imagine this story ending well for him.

Big Brother 24 (Everyday, CBS and Paramount Plus)

Wow, this was actually a good week of Big Brother!  Finally, Taylor has an alliance!  Finally, we got a true blindside!  Finally, the show is no longer hiding the truly over-the-top bullying that’s been going on inside the House!  For once, the feeds are actually worth paying for and the Casuals actually got to see how terribly some of the people in the House have behaved.  (Looking at you, Daniel.)

Of course, this won’t mean anything to you if you don’t watch or like or know about Big Brother.  And that’s okay.  It’s not a show for everyone and I’m sure that CBS will find a way to screw up all the fun because that’s kind of what they do.  But for now, this season is actually entertaining and I’m actually enjoying writing about it over at the Big Brother Blog!

The Challenge (Wednesday Night, CBS)

For those of us who remember what happened during Big Brother 23, this was an interesting episode to watch.  On Big Brother, Xavier engineered Kyland’s eviction and the two of them nearly came to blows before Kyland left the House.  It was seriously one of the most awkward eviction episodes either.  (Kyland went as far as to say that Xavier’s nephew would be ashamed of the example he was setting.)  On The Challenge, Kyland (along with Alyssa) was pretty much responsible for sending Xavier (and Shan) to the challenge that resulted in Xavier being eliminated from the game.  You have to wonder what will happen when the two of them inevitably end up getting selected for the next all-star season of Big Brother.

Full House (Sunday Afternoon, MeTV)

On the first episode, Stephanie was pressure to throw the little league game.  In the second episode, Michelle kept calling Tokyo on the family’s landline and presumably costing Danny a fortune.  (I doubt Joey, Jesse, or even Becky ever bothered to help pay the bills around the Full House.)  No one really got upset about Michelle being a brat because, as far as I can tell, they were all totally terrified of Michelle.

Inspector Lewis (YouTube)

I watched another episode of Inspector Lewis on Tuesday.  Someone was using LSD and arsenic to commit murders in Oxford.  One of the unfortunate victims was named Elmo.  Among me and my friends, many Sesame Street jokes were made.

Saved By The Bell (Sunday Morning, MeTV)

The first episode I watched featured the Bayside High Class of ’92 finally graduating!  Screech stepped aside so that Jessie could be valedictorian.  The gang ruined the school’s ballet so that Zack could earn the last credit that he needed to graduate.  To top it all off, Zack got to give the graduation speech because Jessie announced that Screech was actually valedictorian and then Screech announced that no one wanted to hear from him as long as Zack was in the auditorium.  Screech was probably right but still….

This was followed by an episode set in the “future,” in which the Class of ’02 watched a videotape featuring the Class of ’92.  It was a clip episode and lazy even by the standards of the original Saved By The Bell.

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 7/17/22 — 7/23/22

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

This was a relax and get healthy sort of week for me.  I didn’t watch much but I enjoyed what I watched.

Allo Allo (Sunday Night, PBS)

I finally got a chance to check back in with Allo Allo this week, having missed the last few episodes due to my focus on the potential Emmy nominees.  To my shock, I discovered that both the Italians and the British airmen had left Nouvion.  The war continued however, with both the communist Resistance and the other Resistance trying to capture Lt. Gruber and Col. Von Strom under the impression that they were actually Hitler and Goering.  It was all a bit complicated, to be honest.  Michelle has become my favorite character because “I shall repeat this only once” is just a badass way to start a conversation.

The Bachelorette (Monday Night, ABC)

As long as the “meatball enthusiast” makes it to the end, this will be a successful season.  I don’t know, I think I liked this franchise more before everyone started talking about “Bachelor Nation” and all that nonsense.  Now that everyone’s in on the joke, it’s just not as much fun.

Better Call Saul (Monday Night, AMC)

Kim left Jimmy and Jimmy finally appears to have completed his transformation into Saul Goodman.  To be honest, this is how I always figured the final episode of Better Call Saul would go.  However, there’s still four episodes left in the series.  Now, it wouldn’t surprise me if the final episode deal with Jimmy’s life after fleeing New Mexico but what’s going to happen in the other three?

Big Brother (All week, CBS and Paramount Plus)

What a week for Big Brother fans!  Due to the Congressional hearings (which have been a bit hit on Twitter but apparently nowhere else), Thursday’s live eviction show was preempted.  At first, CBS said that Big Brother would instead air on Friday.  Then, for some reason, they decided to just do a two-hour special on Sunday.  CBS also initially announced that the feeds would be down for four days, from Thursday until after Sunday’s show.  After the people who actually pay money to have those feeds complained, CBS relented and the feeds come back on Thursday night …. which, of course, now means that everyone knows what is going to happen on Sunday.  It’s just another example of what a disorganized mess this season has been so far.

So, we all know that Pooch (yes, that was his name) was voted out of the house and that Turner (yes, that’s his name) is the new HoH.  And we know that Michael and Brittany are on the block and the plan is to backdoor Taylor.  Hey, I don’t have to watch the show on Sunday now!

Anyway, I wrote about all of this at the Big Brother Blog.  I was kind of looking forward to having four days off, to be honest with you….

The Challenge (Wednesday Night, CBS)

Go, Tyson, go!  Sorry, I’m still struggling to get into this show but Tyson’s a Survivor so I’ll cheer for him.

City Homicide (Weekday Nights, DigiTV)

This is an Australian show that I discovered on Thursday, when I came across it on DigiTV.  Basically, it’s CSI, just with Australians instead of Americans.  The episode that I watched dealt with a murder at a public school.

Full House (Sunday Afternoon, MeTV)

Having married Aunt Becky, Jesse attempted to move out of the Full House.  Michelle demanded that Jesse return so, of course, that’s what Jesse did and Becky cheerfully agreed to spend the rest of her life living in the attic and helping Danny raise his daughters.  This was followed by an episode where Michelle gave her pet goldfish a bath and KILLED it!  I’m sorry, Michelle was a little demon child.

Ghost Whisperer (Weekday Afternoons, Start TV)

I watched an episode of Ghost Whisperer on Monday.  It had been a while since I last watched this show.  As much as I love Ghost Whisperer, I was a little bit disappointed to discover that Monday’s episode was from that really weird story arc where Jim died but then possessed someone else’s body.  This particular episode ended with Jim coming back to life but I have to admit that, for the rest of the series, I was always confused as to whether or not everyone knew he was Jim or if they thought he was Sam.  That said, I still enjoyed watching the episode because it was Ghost Whisperer.

Medium (Weekday Afternoons, Start TV)

On Monday, after watching Ghost Whisperer, I watched an episode of Medium, which was basically the super serious version of Ghost Whisperer.  The medium (played by Patricia Arquette) found out that her brother had psychic powers as well!  Medium was never quite as much fun as Ghost Whisperer but Patricia Arquette and Jake Weber were an adorable couple.

The MLB All-Star Game (Tuesday Night, AMC)

I watched this very long baseball game with my sister, mostly as a way of making up for making her watch a film called Blood Game two weeks ago.  Her team won so I was happy for her, even though I wish both teams could have won.  Everyone should be a winner!

Comic-Con 2022: I Am Groot Is Coming To Disney+

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The teaser below was actually released yesterday, at Comic-Con.  I’m sharing it a day late because it’s taken 24 hours for me to get over the pure cuteness of I am Groot.

I am Groot is going to air on Disney+.  It’s advertised as being five short films about everyone’s favorite talking tree.  Of course, when we say talking, we mean that he repeats the same four words over and over again but those words mean something different every time.

I like Groot.  Seriously, who doesn’t like Groot?  It’s probably wise to limit him to five short films, though.  I don’t know if you could really pull off a Groot series without the concept wearing out its welcome.  But five short films, featuring different stages in the life of Groot …. that sounds great!

Here’s the teaser:

Lisa Marie’s Week in Television: 7/3/22 — 7/9/22

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

My summer job as a Big Brother recapper started this week!  So, guess what I’ve been watching a lot of?  Along with the Big Brother live feeds, I’ve also been doing the last bit of work to get caught up on all of the potential Emmy nominees.

Here’s my thought on what I watched this week:

The Andy Warhol Diaries (Netflix)

I watched this Ryan Murphy-produced docuseries throughout the week.  Essentially, the documentary takes a look at the last few decades of Andy Warhol’s life.  Warhol kept a diary over those years and we actually hear an AI-generated voice reading Warhol’s thought in Warhol’s voice.  It makes for an interesting documentary.  At times, in this diary, Warhol is surprisingly open and honest.  At other times, it’s obvious that he’s playing for an audience for he surely knew that his diaries would be read after his death.

The Beatles: Get Back (Disney Plus)

I watched the final two episodes of this documentary on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.  Yes, it took me two days to get through two episodes.  To be honest, it’s a bit of an exhausting documentary but, at the same time, its undeniably fascinating to watch The Beatles working together, working separately, love each other and hating each other at the same time.  I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t a little emotional by the end of it all.  The documentary both celebrated the group while also showing why the time had come for them to go their separate ways,  George Harrison was my favorite at the end of the first episode.  Paul McCartney was my favorite by the end of the series.

Big Brother 24 (All Week, CBS and Paramount Plus)

You can read my thoughts on Big Brother over at the Big Brother Blog!

The Challenge USA (Wednesday Night, CBS)

The Challenge comes to the USA, featuring teams made up of veterans from other reality shows.  I watched the first episode on Wednesday but I have to admit that I didn’t really pay much attention to it.  Maybe next week’s episode will have more success capturing my attention.

Euphoria (HBO)

I watched the second episode of Euphoria.  As much as I’ve made fun of “visionary Sam Levinson” over the past two years (mostly due to Malcolm and Marie), Euphoria is a well-done show.  Fortunately, it’s very well-cast.  It’s impossible it working with Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi, and the rest.  They somehow manage to strike the right balance so that the show works even at its most excessive.

Goliath (Amazon Prime)

I watched a few episodes of Goliath’s fourth and final season.  This episode features Billy Bob Thornton as an attorney and it’s perfect casting.  This season also featured Bruce Dern and you really haven’t lived until you’ve seen Thornton and Dern, two actors who have no fear when it comes to embracing eccentricity, acting opposite of each other.

Hanna (Amazon Prime)

As much as I love the original movie, I was never really been able to get into Hanna the series.  The third and final season features a nicely villainous turn from Ray Liotta and it ended on a satisfying note, with Hanna hopefully finally getting to live a life of her own.

Inspector Lewis (YouTube)

Inspector Lewis and Hathaway investigated a murder that had religious overturns.  Hathaway considered returning to the seminary but, perhaps realizing the show would end if he did that, he didn’t.

Invasion (Apple TV+)

The Earth is being invaded by aliens!  I watched the first episode of this show on Thursday.  It was a bit slow but Sam Neill gave an excellent performance as the sheriff of a small town in Oklahoma.

Nine Perfect Strangers (Hulu)

Eh.  Another over-written David E. Kelley production.  At least Nicole Kidman had a good role, as the somewhat enigmatic owner of a wellness resort.  I have to admit that I kind of zoned out on this one.

Ozark (Netflix)

I watched the finale of Ozark.  To be honest, this show has never done as much for me as it’s done for others.  To me, it owes a bit too much to Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.  Despite moving the action to Ozarks, it simply cannot escape the shadow of those two shows.  That said, Jason Bateman and Julia Garner both gave excellent performances.

Phoenix Rising (HBO)

In this two-part documentary, Evan Rachel Wood talks about the abuse that she says she suffered at the hands of Marilyn Manson and her efforts to create and lobby for the Phoenix Act.  The documentary was perhaps a bit overlong but compelling nonetheless.

Severance (Apple TV+)

An absolutely brilliant mind-bended of a show, Severance is brilliantly odd and moving.  I wonder how many people heard that Ben Stiller was directing and Adam Scott was starring and assumed that this would just be another Judd Apatow-style comedy?  Severance is a wonderful series about emotional and intellectual freedom, memories, and …. well, life itself.  Christopher Walken and John Turturro are both such quirky actors that it’s good to have a show like this that allows them to remind audiences that they happen to be brilliant as well.

Succession (HBO)

Eh.  The media’s favorite television drama has never done much for me.  I watched two episodes.  It’s a talented cast but I got bored fairly quickly.

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 6/25/22 — 7/2/22

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Emmy voting has officially closed but I’m still catching up on this year’s contenders.  I should be able to finish up over the upcoming week.

The Beatles: Get Back (Disney Plus)

This documentary, which was produced and put together by Peter Jackson, is about the recording of Let It Be and the final days of the Beatles.  Featuring actual footage of the Beatles joking, arguing, and acting like a dysfunctional family, this is a fascinating but extremely long documentary.  I watched the first episode on Saturday and I was exhausted by the time that it ended but I’m still looking forward to watching the remaining two episodes next week.

As far as the Beatles are concerned, I like George.

Better Things (Hulu)

I watched two episodes of the latest season of this sitcom on Tuesday.  Pamela Adlon’s great but the show was a bit depressing, in the way that so many sitcoms tend to be nowadays.  I guess the best way to put it is that the show has its moment but sometimes, it seemed to be trying too hard.

Bridgerton (Netflix)

I watched a bit of the second season on Thursday.  I liked the costumes.

Flack (Amazon Prime)

Ann Paquin plays a self-destructive, London PR agent.  I watched two episodes from the show’s second season.  Paquin was great and Sam Neill appears in a few episodes but the show itself was a bit predictable.  Even it’s cynicism felt a bit trendy.

The Flight Attendant (HBOMax)

Oh my God, I love this show!  Kaley Cuoco gives a brilliant performance as a flight attendant who is both a recovering alcoholic and an asset for the CIA.  I watched the second season this week and it wonderfully balanced comedy with action.

The Gilded Age (HBO)

This HBO series takes place in New York City in 1882 and it’s basically an American version of Downton Abbey, which is not surprising considering that it was created by Julian Fellowes.  The first season followed a host of characters as they navigated their way through New York’s demanding social world.  It was good but occasionally a bit uneven, largely because of the presence of Marian Brook (Louise Jacobson), who comes to New York to stay with her wealthy aunts (Christine Baranski and Cynthia Nixon).  Marian is supposed to be the audience surrogate but she’s such a dull and self-righteous character and Jacobson gave such a blah performance that I soon found myself dreading any scene that involved her.

Far more interesting were the characters of robber baron George Russell (Morgan Spector) and his ambitious wife, Bertha (Carrie Coon).  As long as the show focused on them and on the servants (all of whom has their own opinions on the wealthy people they served), The Gilded Age was compelling and entertaining.  It’s also a gorgeous show to look at.  I am looking forward to the the second season, though I hope there will be a bit less Marian drama to deal with.

Hacks (HBOMax)

I watched two episodes of the second season of this comedy.  Jean Smart plays an egocentric comedian.  Hannah Embinder plays her writer.  Embinder and especially Smart give good performances.  The rest of the show’s ensemble isn’t as interesting.

iCarly (Peacock)

Yay!  Carly’s back!  I binged the second season on Wednesday and this is a good example of how a show can be updated for the times without losing its charm.

Inspector Lewis (YouTube)

The Inspector and Hathaway had to solve another series of murders in Oxford.  Hathaway was trying to quit smoking and he was so miserable about it that I actually cheered a little when he lit up at the end.  Good for you, Hathaway!  I don’t smoke and I do think that people should be happy.

The Lincoln Lawyer (Netflix)

Eh.  I watched the first episode of this new legal series.  I enjoyed the movie with Matthew McConaughey but the show was boring.  It was David E. Kelley on autopilot.

MacGruber (Peacock)

It’s been a while since I’ve cared about SNL but I definitely remember MacGruber and I enjoyed his show on Peacock.  Will Forte is so underrated.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon Prime)

I finally watched the latest season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.  It’s a good show, I just hope no one’s getting too attached to Lenny Bruce.

The Squid Game (Netflix)

In this South Korean show, a group of financially destitute people are recruited to play deadly games for the amusement of the wealthy.  I finally watched this show on Wednesday and Thursday and I was a bit surprised to learn that it lived up to its considerable hype.  I know that some people, including the show’s creator, say that its a critique of capitalism.  Myself, I feel that its a critique of authoritarianism but then again, I’m a capitalist.  The most important thing is that the imagery was memorably surreal and the cast did a good job of making things feel real.

Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)

I finally watched the first two episodes of this second season of this series on Wednesday.  I will probably never join the cult of Ted Lasso but I do agree with those who have praised Jason Sudeikis’s performance in the title role.  If there was ever a Ted Lasso/Barry/MacGruber cross-over event, I probably wouldn’t mind.

What We Do In The Shadows (Hulu)

What We Do In The Shadows actually airs on FX but I watched the 3rd season on Hulu.  It’s a funny show, sort of like The Office but with exceptionally crude vampires.  The third season was both funny and surprisingly poignant, as Colin Robinson actually died.  (Maybe he faked his death but then Nandor crushed his head while trying to revive him….)  This season also featured the brilliant Kristine Schaal as The Guide.

Yellowstone (Peacock)

I finally watched this show, binging the entire fourth season on Monday and Tuesday and, to my surprise, I really enjoyed it.  Kevin Costner plays a politically powerful rancher who has a lot of enemies.  The great Kelly Reilly plays his daughter.  The show was undeniably melodramatic but it was also a lot of fun, with great performances from Costner, Reilly, Wes Bentley, and Cole Hauser.  I’ve never been a huge fan of Costner in the past but this show makes the best use of his somewhat flinty screen presence.

Miniseries Review: Moon Knight (dir by Mohamed Diab and Aaron Moorhead & Justin Benson)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

No sooner had Ryan posted his essay about whether or not comic book companies like Marvel or DC actually need readers anymore then I came over here to type up my review of Moon Knight.

Why is that relevant?  Well, Moon Knight is a 6-episode miniseries based on a character who made his debut in the pages of Marvel comics.  The character has a loyal following of readers but the Disney miniseries has introduced him to a whole new group of people, many of whom have never even held a comic book, let alone read one.  I’m one of those people.  If not for the miniseries, I wouldn’t have the slightest idea who Moon Knight is because, for the most part, I’ve never been a comic book reader.  I would have to imagine that if I was a comic book reader, it would bug the Hell out of me that people who have never read a comic book are now suddenly acting as if they’re experts on all of the various costumed characters who have been published by Marvel and DC over the past few decades.  I can remember how upset I was when everyone suddenly decided that they were an expert on Dario Argento and Italian horror just because they had read some lame article on the remake of Suspiria.  No, I wanted to say, you haven’t done the work!

Unfortunately, that’s the way of the world now.  With the current pop cultural dominance of the MCU and the DCEU, everyone’s a super hero fan regardless of whether or not they’ve ever read a comic book.  And, with the explosion of social media over the past decade, everyone is now in a position to present themselves as being an expert regardless of whether they’re tweeting their own thoughts or just plagiarizing what they’ve read on Wikipedia.  It doesn’t matter whether the topic is politics, television, history, science, religion, or comic books.  Everyone now claims to be an expert and, as the old saying goes, when everyone’s an expert, no one’s an expert.  Again, if that annoys the Hell out of you, I sympathize.

Perhaps you can take some consolation in the fact that, even though I watched all six episode of Moon Knight today, I hardly feel like an expert as far as the character is concerned.  For the most part, I enjoyed Moon Knight but I would be lying if I said that I was always able to follow what was going on.  Oscar Isaac plays Marc Spector, a mercenary who is mortally wounded in Egypt but who is revived by Khonshu (voiced by F. Murray Abraham), the Egyptian God of the Moon, who tasks Spector with protecting humanity from evil or something like that.  Sometimes, however, Spector becomes Steven Grant, a mild-mannered and neurotic Brit who works in a museum gift shop and who is haunted by strange dreams.  When Grant discovers that he’s actually Spector, this leads to him meeting Spector’s wife, Layla (May Calamawy) and also having to battle Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke), a fanatical cult leader who is trying to get his hands on ancient scarab that will …. let him do stuff, I guess.  Harrow’s evil, Moon Knight’s good, and I guess that’s all we really need to know.  Moon Knight is basically a typical MCU “let’s all fight over the artifact” story, with the main twist being that all of the Gods are Egyptian instead of Norse and the hero has dissociative identity disorder and might actually very well be a patient at psychiatric hospital.  

With all that in mind, Moon Knight is actually pretty entertaining.  It’s biggest strength, not surprisingly, is Oscar Isaac, who appears to be having a ball playing several different versions of the same character.  When he’s Marc Spector, he gets to play at being a grim and serious action hero.  When he’s Steve Grant, he gets to play a comedic bumbler who gets the chance to prove that he’s stronger and more capable than anyone gave him credit for.  Isaac does a good job with both roles and the show is at its best when it’s just Isaac arguing with himself.  Playing a villain in an MCU production is often a thankless task but Hawke’s brings the right edge of fanaticism to Arthur Harrow and F. Murray Abraham voices Khonshu with the just the right combination of righteous indignation and weary frustration.  The show makes good use of its Egyptian setting and the fourth and fifth episodes are enjoyably surreal as they delve into the corners of Spector’s mind.

Unfortunately, the show’s conclusion leaves a bit to be desired.  After all that build-up, it all pretty much leads to a standard MCU street battle and the possibility of more Moon Knight action in the future.  That said, I enjoyed the show for what it was.  Turn off your mind, relax, and float across the Duat, as the old saying goes.