Category: TV

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

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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.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

The Consultant – season 1

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An oddball horror? Black comedy?

WEIRD is what it is.

Weird and surprising enough to keep me going.

The Consultant is based on the novel of the same name by Bentley Little. …

The series follows the employees of a mobile gaming company whose leadership is taken over by a sinister consultant, played by Christoph Waltz, the Academy Award winner for playing evil villains.

In fact, without Waltz this show wouldn’t work. He can really sell evil.

He calls himself Regus Patoff — a shortened form of Registered US Patent Office.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Shrinking – season 1

On By Rick McIn humour, TVLeave a comment

Funny dialogue.

These writers must have been having a great time.

I’d give him housing in my … V or A. 😀

A therapist, Jimmy Laird, dealing with severe grief, begins to breach ethical barriers by telling his patients what he completely thinks, resulting in massive changes to his and their lives. …

Kristen Baldwin of Entertainment Weekly gave the series a B+ and described the series as “a funny, brainy grief-com about the power—and dangers—of radical honesty.” …

Writing for The Wall Street Journal, John Anderson stated, “The overall sense is a little like laughing at a funeral; the human impulses are familiar, a little perverse and somehow comforting.”

wikipedia

Harrison Ford? A comic? Who knew? 😀

I do find the show to be unnecessarily profane. In fact, I finally QUIT on episode 4. That much swearing in a TV show is simply lazy.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Strike season 5 – Troubled Blood

On By Rick McIn books, ethics, human rights, TVLeave a comment

Quite good. Better than I expected.

I’ve not yet cancelled J.K. Rowling though her legacy won’t be Harry Potter — it will be her weird transphobic attacks on transgender people.

I say weird because for most of her life Rowling has advanced philanthropic causes. The charity Lumos. She worked for Amnesty International documenting human rights issues.

In fact, 95% of her works have been for the greater good.

Why ruin that attacking transgender people?

Weird.

I’ve read some of Rowling’s complicated statements claiming she’s not attacking and harming trans people. Clearly she is ➙ Is J.K. Rowling transphobic? Let’s let her speak for herself.

I thought the book Troubled Blood was least good of the first five.

But the 6th book — Ink Black Heart — was dreadful. I didn’t finish it.

So … how is the TV adaptation of Troubled Blood?

Dark. But quite watchable, actually.

Strike is marginally less annoying. Robin is lovely, as always. Nobody can understand what she sees in Strike.

There is some good acting from the rest of the cast, many of them elderly.

Some touching moments.

The cold case murder mystery didn’t do much for me. Though the ending was well done.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Independent – Strike: Troubled Blood review – This drama should be cherished. It’s the BBC at its best

The Bone Collector by Jeffery Deaver

On By Rick McIn books, movies, TVLeave a comment

The Bone Collector is a 1997 thriller novel by Jeffery Deaver introducing Lincoln Rhyme, a quadriplegic forensic criminalist.

HOW does a quadriplegic solve crimes?

He has to be a genius.

This is an excellent book. It was fun to see how Rhyme first meets his future partner, Amelia Sachs. She’s a bit of a disaster as a NYPD Patrol Officer — but Rhyme sees potential.

The killer is well written, as always with Deaver.

And there are plenty of twists and turns to the plot.

It was adapted for Hollywood in 1999, starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

NBC had a TV adaptation, as well, that I haven’t seen. It looks even better than the film though it got low ratings. They’ve changed the book to be more entertaining. But only lasted 1 season.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Reality TV – The Climb

On By Rick McIn ethics, human rights, TV1 Comment

I’m not a fan of reality TV — but this show is good.

10 amateur climbers competing for a cash prize of $100,000 and $100,000 prAna sponsorship.

Less hype, more reality than similar shows. Plenty of respect. Not much faux outrage. No phoney drama.

No psychological warfare or sabotage.

The elimination round each episode is entertaining.

If you can only watch 1 episode, watch the last ➙ .

It’s upbeat and positive. I recommend it even for those who have no interest in rock climbing.

This show is presented for the non-climber. I learned a lot.

In fact, as I hiker my tendency is to dismiss climbers — especially mountain climbers — as egomaniac masochists. They get far more media attention than hikers.

Jason Mamoa is 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) — 250 pounds. Not really the right build. But the man loves climbing anyway. He makes celebrity appearances. And this show is Jason’s baby.

Host Chris Sharma is legend in the sport. And they brought in another legend, Meagan Martin, to assist him. Meagan’s famous for American Ninja Warrior, Pole Vault, and Climbing.

Cat Runner, one of the competitors, is small. Light is good. But short doesn’t help in climbing. Cat identifies as transgender, one reason he’s a climber — an activity where gender doesn’t matter.

I was cheering for him before finding out he was trans. I was cheering for Cat because he was shortest in a sport where it helps to have long limbs. Reach.

Cat’s from Kentucky, one of the many U.S. states where ReTrumplican politicians are proposing anti-LGBTQ and/or anti-trans legislation in an effort to prove they are more horrible human beings than their next GOP primary challenger. Intolerant A-holes all.

Cat organized the Queer Climber’s Network.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

related:

The Last Ship – season 1

On By Rick McIn TVLeave a comment

It’s pretty bad. Bad. Toxic, macho, military American jingoism.

BUT I started watching season 1 (2014) because it’s based on a global viral pandemic that has wiped out over 80% of the world’s population.

Something I feared MIGHT happen March 2020.

There’s plenty of science in this otherwise dumbass ACTION show.

The Last Ship is a 218-person crew of an unaffected U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, that has been tasked with supporting a scientist trying to develop a vaccine.

It’s a typical Michael Bay project. Cliche dialogue. Predictable, sentimental story lines.

Most of the cast look like Hollywood actors, not people. How many pretty young females crew American destroyers in real life? 😀

I do like Rhona Mitra as Dr. Rachel Scott. She’s like Lara Croft trying to save the world by inventing a vaccine.

And Charles Parnell as the Master Chief Petty Officer is terrific. Later starring in Top Gun, I’m betting he’s in high demand right now.

The show is popular — despite low ratings with critics.

Tons of action. Especially explosions.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.