Category: TV

Hanna (TV series) – season 3

On By Rick McIn movies, TVLeave a comment

Quite good. Better than season 2.

LOTS of action.

But I still like season 1 and the original film (2011) best.

The 3rd and final season of Hanna finds Hanna secretly working from within the sinister Utrax organization to destroy it and secure her freedom.

She forms an alliance with her former nemesis, ex-CIA agent Marissa Wiegler, to bring down the program. Their mission involves: 

Personal Stakes: Hanna’s attempts to lead a normal life are complicated by a romantic subplot with an activist named Abbas, whose safety becomes a primary concern as the operation reaches its climax.

Internal Sabotage: Coercing high-ranking agent John Carmichael to aid their cause.

New Threats: Facing Gordon Evans (played by Ray Liotta), a powerful former military man who oversees the Utrax “Pioneer” agenda.

80% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes sounds about right to me. Worth watching if you like (silly) thrillers.

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Only Murders in the Building – season 5

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How do 2 old comedians keep it fresh? Steve is 80. Martin 76.

Why does (billionaire) Selena Gomez keep hanging out with them?

Surprisingly, season 5 is one of the best.

The season focuses on the “accidental” death of the Arconia’s long-time doorman, Lester (Teddy Coluca). Charles, Oliver, and Mabel investigate a complex web involving: 

  • Billionaire Suspects: A group of secret billionaires—Bash Steed, Camila White, and Jay Pflug—who plan to replace the Arconia with a casino.
  • Organized Crime: The trio’s investigation leads them to encounter old-school mobsters, specifically the Caccimelio family.
  • Robotic Replacements: A new automated doorman, “Robot LESTR,” is introduced to the building, which Howard Morris is tasked with training.

They make fun of billionaires, like Selena. 😀

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Season 6 shifts from New York City to London, following the murder of podcaster Cinda Canning (Tina Fey). 

Hanna (TV series) – season 2

On By Rick McIn movies, TVLeave a comment

Skillfully done, but a bit slow for me in the earlier episodes.

I liked the movie and season 1 better.

I watch this show for the ACTION.

It did end well.

That said, the acting is strong. Esme Creed-Miles as Hanna is fascinating.

Mireille Enos as Marissa Wiegler, the CIA operative put in charge of the UTRAX program, who turns from a foe to an ally and mother figure to Hanna should win awards for this performance.

Hanna season 2 received significantly stronger reviews than its first season, with many critics praising its ability to move beyond the source material of the original 2011 film. It holds a critical approval rating of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, compared to 67% for Season 1. 

I’m hoping season 3 will be ALL action.

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Wednesday – season 2

On By Rick McIn TVLeave a comment

I really liked Wednesday – season 1 … and season 2 might even be better.

It got even higher ratings on Rotten Tomatoes.

A coming-of-age supernatural comedy horror. There are parallels with Harry Potter and some of the superhero schools.

Students are  “outcasts“. The rest of the town’s citizens “normies“,

All good — but I’d say the casting is the highlight for me.

Evie Templeton as Agnes DeMille is a terrific addition.

Fred Armisen as Uncle Fester is excellent, too.

Season 2 is darker, for sure. Tim Burton is executive producer.

Wednesday SMILES in this season. She’s even spookier scary when smiling. 😀

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Dead Dance with Enid and Agnes is another memorable scene. Enid’s still my favourite of the many memorable characters.

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A nice touch was mocking Trump in this scene.

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Cross – season 2

On By Rick McIn books, TVLeave a comment

I’m still disappointed.

Excellent source books, the Alex Cross series. Excellent cast.

I’d fire the writers. This TV drama should have been much better.

Critics and most people still like this show.

I found the plot confusing. A couple of deaths unnecessary. Poor story telling.

Meh.

The ending of the season was quite good, however. Not easy to do.

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Young Sherlock (British TV 2026)

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Benedict Cumberbatch IS Sherlock Holmes.

But the 2nd best Sherlock Holmes is Robert Downey Jr. in movie hits Sherlock Holmes and its sequel, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, directed by Guy Ritchie.

When I heard Richie was doing another Holmes project ➙ Young Sherlock on Amazon Prime, I couldn’t wait.

As a 19-year-old at Oxford University, Sherlock Holmes is not yet the master detective he grows up to be. He is raw and unfiltered, and he lacks discipline.

A murder at Oxford puts Holmes’s freedom at risk, and he sets out to solve his first murder mystery that leads him to a global-level conspiracy.

Not nearly as good. But worth watching.

Dónal Finn as James Moriarty, Sherlock’s (friend?) is excellent.

Colin Firth as Sir Bucephalus Hodge, hilarious.

Zine Tseng as Princess Gulun Shou’an / Xiao Wei, a young Chinese princess, scholar, and martial artist steals many of the scenes.

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Hijack – season 2

On By Rick McIn TVLeave a comment

Season 1 was excellent.

Reviews for Season 2 of Hijack are significantly more polarizing than the acclaimed first season.

Not nearly as good, in my opinion. The plot less clear. Some episodes dragged.

I did like the very end of the finale. A smart conclusion.

Two years after the flight KA29 hijacking, Sam Nelson (Idris Elba) finds himself caught in another hostage crisis, this time on a Berlin underground U-Bahn train.

Idris Elba can do no wrong for me. He’s the main reason to watch.

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The Old Man by Thomas Perry

On By Rick McIn books, TVLeave a comment

Thomas Perry died 2025 age-78.

And that’s a shame as he’s one of my favourite authors.

The Old Man (2017) is a stand-alone thriller. Excellent, as always.

A television adaptation of the same name starring Jeff Bridges aired on FX beginning June 2022.

Former army intelligence officer Michael Kohler, … has been in hiding for most of his adult life after absconding with $20 million during a mission in Libya.

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The Night Manager – season 2

On By Rick McIn TVLeave a comment

Night Manager season 1 was excellent.

I was less impressed with season 2.

All the right pieces — but to me it seemed they tried too hard. Perhaps a bit more humour would help.

Set eight to ten years after the events of the first season, Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston) is living a quiet life as “Alex Goodwin,” a low-level MI6 surveillance officer in London. His peace is shattered by a chance encounter with a mercenary from his past, pulling him into a new mission in Colombia. 

  • The Mission: Pine must infiltrate the operation of Colombian arms dealer Teddy Dos Santos, who is smuggling weapons to train a private guerrilla army intended to overthrow the Colombian government.
  • The Twist: A major mid-season revelation confirms that Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie) is still alive, having faked his death in Egypt. He has been rebuilding his empire from Colombia and was the true mastermind behind Teddy’s operation. 

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The Stranger by Harlan Coben

On By Rick McIn books, TVLeave a comment

The Stranger (2015) is another excellent, but short, novel by the master of the intriguing plot.

A stranger shows up at a bar tells Adam Price a devastating secret about his wife, Corinne.

… But that is only the beginning of Adam’s problems.

Corinne explains that there is more to her deception than appears on the surface, and wants to meet Adam alone to discuss it. She never shows up for the meeting and seems to have disappeared.

More secrets are discovered to have been revealed or leveraged by The Stranger, threatening to not only ruin lives, but end them

The novel was made into a British television limited series of the same title that was released on Netflix in January 2020.

It looks like the TV show is very loosely based on the book.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.