Category: TV

The Leftovers – season 3

On By Rick McIn TVLeave a comment

Critics love this TV series for its originality and courage.

Frontal nudity.

But I find it embarrassingly weird for weird sake at times.

In season 3 the most compelling character is Scott Glenn as Kevin Garvey, Justin Theroux‘s (Kevin Garvey) father. He’s great. Very believable.

Inexplicably, the show moves from Texas to Australia a week before the seventh anniversary of the Sudden Departure when 2% of the world’s population had disappeared without explanation.

Season 3 does have some super memorable scenes. I’ll never forget the hotel room book burning in episode four. Film students need study how that was done.

This is a show that’s impossible to end — wrapping up all the loose ends. Yet the finale was one of the best scenes of all. Well done.

Overall, however — I’d say season 3 is weakest. IF you wanted to watch this show at all, season 1 would be best.

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Dead Lions by Mick Herron

On By Rick McIn books, TVLeave a comment

Dead Lions (2013) won the Crime Writers’ Association 2013 Gold Dagger award.

It’s #2 of Mick Herron‘s Slough House series, which have been adapted for the Slow Horses TV series.

I’d say the TV show is better than the book — but they are both good.

London’s Slough House is where the washed-up MI5 spies go to while away what’s left of their failed careers.
The “slow horses,” as they’re called, have all disgraced themselves in some way to get relegated here. Maybe they messed up an op badly and can’t be trusted anymore. Maybe they got in the way of an ambitious colleague and had the rug yanked out from under them. …

Now the slow horses have a chance at redemption.

An old Cold War-era spy is found dead on a bus outside Oxford, far from his usual haunts. The despicable, irascible Jackson Lamb is convinced Dickie Bow was murdered.

As the agents dig into their fallen comrade’s circumstances, they uncover a shadowy tangle of ancient Cold War secrets that seem to lead back to a man named Alexander Popov, who is either a Soviet bogeyman or the most dangerous man in the world.

How many more people will have to die to keep those secrets buried?

Good Reads

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Son of a Critch – season 2

On By Rick McIn TVLeave a comment

An endearing Canadian sitcom based in Newfoundland.

It’s based on the school days of comedian Mark Critch who’s age-48. I’m quite a bit older but still get nostalgic over some of the news stories of the day featured in the show.

Critch plays his father (Mike Critch) in the series, while child actor Benjamin Evan Ainsworth plays the young Critch.

Malcolm McDowell is a treat as Patrick “Pop” Critch, Mark’s grandfather. Turns out he once worked running Rum for Al Capone during prohibition. 😀

I’ll be watching season 3 next year.

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Luther – season 5

On By Rick McIn movies, TVLeave a comment

We were worried the excellent TV show would end after season 4 because Idris Elba was too much in demand elsewhere.

Happily, after a long gap, season 5 dropped in 2019. I finally saw it on CBC GEM in Canada.

It’s only 4 episodes.

85% on Rotten Tomatoes.

I’d rate it even higher. Believable and entertaining dialogue.

Smart.

Psychotic killer and love interest, Alice Morgan, is back. There’s a lot of blood and gore.

Luther’s old adversary George Cornelius is the bad guy.

Dermot Crowley as DSU Martin Schenk is excellent in that role. As is new recruit DS Catherine Halliday as a bizarrely upbeat cop.

There will be no season 6. But there is a follow-up movie called Luther: The Fallen Sun, released 2023. It should end up on Netflix.

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The Leftovers – season 2

On By Rick McIn TVLeave a comment

The Leftovers is a supernatural drama TV series that aired 2014 – 2017. …

… begins three years after the “Sudden Departure“, a global event that resulted in 2% of the world’s population disappearing. …

Despite receiving average Nielsen ratings throughout its run, the series has developed a cult following. …

This show is skillfully done. It’s surprising. Never cliche.

Season 2 takes place a year after the first season, centering around the fourth anniversary of the Departure.

It’s weirder than season 1. Perhaps slightly better.

I still don’t like any of the characters aside from Reverend Matt. His belief is inspiring.

While some scenes take place in Mapleton, New York (the first season’s setting) and other locations, the majority of the season takes place in Jarden, Texas, also known as Miracle, a town from which no one departed. …

… multiple storylines, notably the ideological battle between those who believe Miracle is special and those who do not,

Kevin and Nora’s relationship being tested by Kevin’s increasingly erratic mental state, the Murphy family’s search for their missing daughter, and Matt’s attempts to prove the existence of a miracle only he witnessed. …

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Point Blanc by Anthony Horowitz

On By Rick McIn books, TVLeave a comment

Point Blanc is the second book in the Alex Rider series, written by British author Anthony Horowitz. The book was released in the United Kingdom on September 3, 2001 …

Weirdly, a teen is recruited by MI6 to infiltrate the Point Blanc Academy in the French Alps.

It’s something like a teen 007 saving the world through an incredible series of unlikely events.

It didn’t work for me.

I liked more the TV adaptation called Alex Rider. BUT didn’t get through all of season 1.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

The Leftovers – season 1

On By Rick McIn TVLeave a comment

The Leftovers is a supernatural drama TV series that aired 2014 – 2017. …

… begins three years after the “Sudden Departure”, a global event that resulted in 2% of the world’s population disappearing. …

Despite receiving average Nielsen ratings throughout its run, the series has developed a cult following. …

Following the event, mainstream religions declined, and a number of cults emerged, most notably the Guilty Remnant, a group of white-clothed, chain-smoking nihilists, …

This show is skillfully done. It’s surprising. Never cliche.

That said, there was not one character I could cheer for.

Not Justin Theroux as Kevin Garvey, Mapleton’s troubled chief of police. Theroux is just as unlikeable in a later series – The Mosquito Coast, based on the novel by his uncle Paul Theroux.

Ann Dowd is excellent, as always. A role something similar to how she played Aunt Lydia Clements in Handmaid’s Tale. Not likeable.

Liv Tyler as Megan “Meg” Abbott is beautiful. But I did not like her.

Paterson Joseph as Henry “Holy Wayne” Gilchrest is somewhat interesting as the charismatic leader of another cult. Ultimately a bad guy.

Perhaps the one character I partly related to was Christopher Eccleston as Matt Jamison, a Reverend.

I’ll probably continue with the next 2 seasons as they are considered better. In fact, Leftovers was  the highest ranked show of the 2010s by Metacritic’s aggregate.

The Unusual Suspects – season 1

On By Rick McIn TVLeave a comment

Not great. But there are some things to like in this Aussie heist comedy.

The music is good.

A 4-episode miniseries that seems not be renewed.

It’s in both English and Tagalog as the characters are Filipina and Aussie.

The target is a multi-million-dollar necklace. The thieves hilariously incompetent.

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Party Down – season 1

On By Rick McIn humour, TVLeave a comment

Party Down season 1 is an American sitcom with  Paul Rudd, Adam Scott, and Jane Lynch.

FUNNY adult humour.

… follows a group of caterers in Los Angeles as they hope to make it in Hollywood. …

Starz canceled Party Down on June 30, 2010. While the show was warmly received by critics, its Nielsen ratings were very low. …

Surprisingly, November 2021, a six-episode revival of the series was ordered by the network.  The third season premiered on February 24, 2023.

My favourite character is Lizzy Caplan as Casey Klein.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

The Last of Us – season 1

On By Rick McIn human rights, TV2 Comments

Fantastic. Original. Painful to watch, at times.

The Last of Us is the bravest TV production ever.

It should win all the awards for 2023.

The main script writer is Craig Mazin, best known for creating the HBO miniseries Chernobyl. Mazin was college roommates with Ted Cruz — whom he now despises.

Episode 3 was amazing. One of the greatest in TV in history.

Mazin watched if over 200 times — and cried every time.

I’m thinking Nick Offerman as Bill, a gay survivalist, and Murray Bartlett as Frank, the love interest, are the roles those actors will be associated with for the rest of their lives.

Murray is gay. But Nick’s wife had to talk him into doing the role. It worked.

I listened to an interview with the video editors. The goal of this TV series was to emphasize the relationship between the characters, and treat the zombie action sequences as secondary.

Bella Ramsey was a genius choice to play the critical role of Ellie. Quirky and potentially violent. Over 100 others were considered for the part. I’m sure her weirdly compelling role as 10-year-old Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones won her the job.

Episode 7 was partly shot at my alma matter – University of Calgary.

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