Category: TV

Cruel and Unusual (1993) by Patricia Cornwell.

On By Rick McIn books, TVLeave a comment

Amazingly, I’ve never read Patricia Cornwell. She’s the American crime novelist widely credited with pioneering the modern forensic thriller genre.

Cruel and Unusual (1993) is 4th in the long Kay Scarpetta series. I’ll be reading more.

But most interesting character is her niece Lucy, who’s in town visiting for Christmas holidays. A brilliant tech genius, computer hacker, and argumentative teenager.

Scarpetta is called in to autopsy the body of convicted murderer Ronnie Waddell after his execution.

Several days after the execution, a young boy is discovered murdered in the fashion of Waddell’s earlier killings, with Waddell’s prints near the body.

Scarpetta, along with FBI Agent Benton Wesley and Detective Pete Marino, try to discover how a dead inmate could have possibly committed another murder after his death.

As the story progresses she seeks the assistance of her 17-year-old niece, Lucy, after she discovers a strange folder on her computer.

Kay Scarpetta is Chief Medical Examiner in Virginia. Nicole Kidman plays her in the TV adaptation. I couldn’t get through the 1st episode.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.






Your Friends & Neighbors – season 1

On By Rick McIn TVLeave a comment

Quite good.

I’m no particular fan of Jon Hamm, but he’s perfect for this role.

Cast is great, in fact.

The season follows Andrew “Coop” Cooper (Jon Hamm), a former hedge fund manager in the wealthy enclave of Westmont Village who turns to burglarizing his affluent neighbors to maintain his lifestyle after losing his job and his marriage.

Things look really, really bad for Coop. Yet the ending is upbeat. The best part, I thought.

In general, I hate books, TV, and movies where rich, privileged people do incredibly stupid things. Like this show.

But — I’ll probably watch season 2.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Ted Lasso – season 4

On By Rick McIn TVLeave a comment

Essential viewing.

What I love about this season

It was brilliant not to reveal the score of the final game. Sport is really not all that important in this show.

It’s a philosophical look at life.

Great CAST.

Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso, of course. A role model for us all as human beings.

Over the 4 seasons, Hannah Waddingham has become a superstar. It’s been fun to watch.

Brett Goldstein as Roy Kent  has certainly mellowed over the years. I enjoyed him most this season.

Coach Chilton, played by Tanya Reynolds, was the perfect addition.

Season 4 really features Mae Green played by Annette Badland — superfan passionate owner of The Crown & Anchor pub. An excellent role.

What I did NOT like

I’ve always felt the writing is crap.

You or I could write a better episode easily with this talented cast.

Profanity is part of a good vocabulary. But this show has always overused swearing. It’s lazy & disappointing.

I felt Tracey Ullman was wasted. Her whole storyline was stupid.

I AM looking forward to season 5.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Neagley – Season 1

On By Rick McIn books, TVLeave a comment

Recommended.

A spin-off of the hit series Reacher, starring Maria Ste as a bad ass Chicago-based private investigator Frances Neagley.

Neagley’s my favourite secondary character in the Reacher books. His most trusted friend.

In the TV show — original script taking nothing from the books — I like the relationship she has with Greyston Holt as Detective Hudson Riley.

Yes, they probably made too much of Neagley’s haphephobia. It might have been better to leave that a mystery, as it is in the Reacher books.

And there’s too much shooting, car chases, violence than I’d like.

But it’s definitely worth watching.

The cast is great.

Soundtrack is quirky and endearing.

Australian actor, Damon Herriman, played notorious cult leader Charles Manson in both Netflix’s Mindhunter and Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, is good again as the prophet who runs Echo Canyon Farm. A cult.

The debut season follows Frances Neagley, a Chicago-based private investigator and former member of Jack Reacher’s 110th Special Investigations Unit.

When her childhood friend Tommy Crane dies in what police label an accident, Neagley steps in to find the truth.

Her investigation leads her into a dangerous corporate conspiracy involving Echo Canyon Farm (a cult-like commune) and Invection Pharmaceuticals, a black-market medical ring.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Reacher – season 4

On By Rick McIn books, TVLeave a comment

Love the books. Mixed feelings about the TV adaptation.

Most people like it.

Too much Hollywood gunfire, for me. Bad guys rarely able to shoot anyone. Not enough Reacher using his brawn and brains to defeat the bad guys.

Season 4 follows Reacher, a former major in the United States Army Military Police Corps, who has an encounter with a troubled woman named Anna Merrick on a train that takes a dangerous turn, and finds himself caught up in a complex and deadly conspiracy involving a missing USB drive, and enemies at the highest rank of power.

Sydelle Noel as Tamara Green is good.

And I kinda like Chris Marquette as everyman Jacob Merrick.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I moved immediately over to the new spin-off ➙ Neagley.

She’s my favourite secondary character in the Reacher books.

Confess by Colleen Hoover

On By Rick McIn books, TVLeave a comment

Colleen Hoover primarily writes novels in the romance and young adult fiction genres.

She’s super popular. But Confess is the first of her novels I’ve read. It won the Goodreads Choice Awards for Romance 2015.

A compelling plot.

It follows 21-year-old Auburn Reed and a mysterious, talented artist named Owen Gentry as they navigate a relationship built on buried truths.

Auburn’s Struggle: At age twenty-one, Auburn has already lost everything important to her—including her first love—and moves to Dallas to rebuild her life.
The Art Studio: While searching for a job, she walks into a local art studio and meets the enigmatic painter, Owen Gentry. 
The Unique Art Style: Owen’s artwork is uniquely inspired by anonymous confessions left by random people on slips of paper. 
The Secret: Just as Auburn lets her guard down, she learns Owen is hiding a massive secret from his past that threatens to destroy everything she is fighting for.

Recommended, even if you don’t read Romance.

The 2017 TV adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel Confess received mixed to generally unfavorable reviews, praised for staying true to the core romance but heavily criticized for low-budget production values and uneven acting.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Sugar – seasons 1 & 2

On By Rick McIn TVLeave a comment

Worth watching.

Sugar is an American neo-noir mystery drama television on Apple TV+.

It stars Colin Farrell who’s excellent.

Season 1

Described as “a genre-bending contemporary take on the private detective story set in Los Angeles”, it follows John Sugar, a private investigator recruited by a wealthy movie producer to investigate the disappearance of his granddaughter.

Much influenced by black and white films of the 1940s and 50s.

BIG surprise by the end of season.

Season 2

Reviews were even better for season 2. It’s a more straight forward story.

But I much preferred the originality and surprises of season 1.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Widow’s Bay – season 1

On By Rick McIn TVLeave a comment

Definitely worth watching.

Season 1 of Widow’s Bay is a 10-episode comedy-horror television series.

Something like a Stephen King horror, but more fun.

Surprisingly, it works.

Stephen Root is excellent as Wyck Crawford, the ranting, superstitious local sea dog.

Kate O’Flynn should win awards as Patricia, Tom’s awkward, cynical, and fan-favourite assistant.

I appreciate that the cast actually look like normal people, not movie stars.

The Positives: Viewers have fallen in love with the atmospheric New England setting and the quirky, deeply-layered side characters—especially the dry assistant, Patricia (Kate O’Flynn). Fans on Reddit and social media heavily praised the background clues and overarching puzzle box mystery.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Citadel – season 2

On By Rick McIn TVLeave a comment

One of the most expensive TV shows ever made. 

I enjoyed the brainless escapism of season 1, so made sure to click through for season 2.

Season 2 is not as good. But worth watching for the ACTION, not the plot.

Ignore the plot.

The unlikely team must stop Joana Malvern (Merle Dandridge) from assassinating the Russian President at the G8 Summit.

Priyanka Chopra as Nadia Sinh is not the most believable super spy.  

Richard Madden as Mason Kane is a very believable action star, however.

Jack Reynor as Hutch is probably my favourite.

Stanley Tucci as Stanley Tucci 😀 is always great.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Eleventh Hour (2006 British TV series)

On By Rick McIn TVLeave a comment

I watched Eleventh Hour — not to be confused with the 2008 American remake — because it starred Patrick Stewart.

He’s great.

The concept is great.

The execution terrible. Cinematography worse, even by 2006 production standards.

Patrick Stewart is a Special Science Advisor, who troubleshoots threats stemming from or targeting “scientific endeavour.”

He is joined by Rachel Young, played by Ashley Jensen, a Special Branch operative who acts primarily as his bodyguard, as Hood has made powerful enemies through his work.