Category: TV

Three Pines – season 1

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

It’s very good. One of my favourite TV series of 2022.

Of course there are many things that fans of the books will criticize, especially the cast.

Too few francophones for a village in Quebec.

Most miscast was Tamara Brown as Myrna Landers.  Myrna should be bigger, happier, and older. 

Initially, I was disappointed in British-American actor Alfred Molina as Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. Too anglo. And he doesn’t look how I picture Gamache — BUT I was wrong.

Molina really does convey the unique philosophical approach to solving murders that we read in the books. Warmth and gravitas.

As many agree, Sarah Booth as Yvette Nichol is BETTER on screen than the character in the books. Comic relief.

Yes this TV series has absurd, ridiculous plot lines. There are no grizzly bears in Quebec — but that’s my main complaint with the books, as well. The book plots are absurd. The show consistent with that.

If you are generous, you could say there are traces of magic realism.

Of the many insights I’ve seen into the horrors of the Canadian Indian residential school crimes, this was the one that moved me most.

Of 150,000 children placed in those by the Canadian government over 100 years, estimates range from 3200 to over 30,000 who died there.

Many more lived having been abused. During a penitential pilgrimage to Canada in July 2022, Pope Francis reiterated the apologies of the Catholic Church who administered many of them, including the fictional one in Three Pines, Quebec.

First Nations Canadians are still suffering from that evil legacy. And that’s spelled out in this show.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

The Capture – season 2

On By Rick McIn TVLeave a comment

The Capture is a British mystery crime-drama staring Holliday Grainger.

Perhaps my favourite TV series of 2022.

The ending is superb, something rare to see in television.

Holliday played Robin Ellacott in Strike, another excellent recent British TV series.

If you are worried about deep fake video, this show will terrify. The hackers seem to be able to change whatever they like, whenever they like.

Paapa Essiedu is excellent as Isaac Turner.

Ron Perlman is superb too.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Strike – BBC TV season 4

On By Rick McIn books, TVLeave a comment

Both books and TV series are excellent.

Season 4 is based on the book Lethal White.

Robin Ellacott (Holliday Grainger) finally leaves her husband. Thank God.

Her one-legged partner, detective Cormoran Strike, doesn’t know how to react. He’s hopeless.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Shantaram – season 1

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Breaking – ‘Shantaram’ Canceled By Apple TV+ After One Season

When I first read Shantaram in 2007, I felt it was my favourite book ever.

The book sequel was poor.

Still — I was psyched to watch a streaming TV adaptation on Apple TV+.

I’ve been waiting for this since 2006. Russell Crowe, Joel Edgerton, and Johnny Depp were all lined up at one time or another to play Lin. 

Actually, I feel they did a very good job in adapting the novel. Though the book is better than the TV series, for sure.

Charlie Hunnam was good casting as the lead.

My favourite character in the book is Prabhu. And actor Shubham Saraf does convey the joy of that character.

Vincent Perez is good as Didier. Antonia Desplat very good as Karla Saaranen

Reviews have been mixed.

Some concede it is an ambitious mess.

I would say it was a little too slow for me.

I was sad to hear there will be no season 2.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Slow Horses – book & season 1 TV

On By Rick McIn books, TV1 Comment

Fantastic. 95% on Rotten Tomatoes.

It’s based on the book Slow Horses (2010) by Mick Herron, which I read, as well.

The TV show has already been green-lit for 3 more seasons.

Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb, the head of Slough House, is one of the most interesting characters on TV.

Slovenly, farting and apparently drunk most of the time. There’s a super experienced intelligence officer under the rumpled facade — with a lot of baggage.

Slow Horses is a spy thriller television series based on the “Slough House” series of novels by Mick Herron.  …

Slough House is an administrative purgatory for MI5 service rejects who have bungled their job but somehow have not been outright fired.

Those consigned there are known as “Slow Horses”.

They are expected to endure dull, paper pushing tasks, along with occasional mental abuse from their miserable boss, Jackson Lamb, who expects them to quit out of boredom or frustration. …

Wikipedia

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

11.22.63 – TV miniseries

On By Rick McIn books, TVLeave a comment

I wasn’t much of a fan of the book.

And I’m generally dubious about anything involving time travel.

However, I did get through the TV series, charmed by Jake Epping (James Franco) and Sadie Dunhill (Sarah Gadon).

Daniel Webber was certainly crazy enough to be Lee Harvey Oswald.

The book is too long. The miniseries too long. Both would have been improved by more editing.

Still. I recommend the TV show 11.22.63.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

The Peripheral – season 1

On By Rick McIn books, TVLeave a comment

Some very cool ideas.

However — as with all time travel fiction — it’s difficult to make sense of the story.

AND aside from time travel, the rest of the plot itself was not nearly clear enough for me.

… loosely based on the 2014 book of the same name written by William Gibson. …

Set roughly a decade in the future, with some new technology that has changed society in subtle ways, a VR gamer is delivered a connection to an alternate reality, as well as a dark future of her own. …

I did like the cast. All good.

Especially Chloë Grace Moretz as Flynne Fisher.

76% on Rotten Tomatoes sounds about right.

There will probably be a season 2.

I’ll probably end up watching it.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Rick Mercer – an Autobiography

On By Rick McIn books, gymnastics, humour, TV1 Comment

Talking to Canadians: A Memoir was published Nov 2021.

It’s recommended. Very funny.

One of the best lines (by Greg Thomey) …

Heavy is the head that wears the lampshade.

I’d rank Rick Mercer the funniest Canadian of my lifetime.

He is best known for his work on the CBC Television comedy shows This Hour Has 22 Minutes and Rick Mercer Report … which ended 2018 after 15 seasons.

Mercer’s two-minute “rants”, in which he would speak directly to the camera about a current political issue are what I remember best.

Like many of Canada’s best comedians, Rick is from Newfoundland. Understand?

I downloaded the audio book from the library — ideal, as Rick is the narrator.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Rick interviewed Kyle Shewfelt. Funny.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Ink Black Heart by … Robert Galbraith

On By Rick McIn books, ethics, human rights, TV1 Comment

Meh.

The Ink Black Heart is a crime fiction novel by the English author J. K. Rowling, written under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. 

It is the 6th novel in the Cormoran Strike series. …

Of the six, for me this was worst. Too long. Too slow paced. And WAY too much hateful back-and-forth text messaging.

Skip it — and hope for better with .

As a Kirkus reviews put it, by the time you get to page 1462 you no longer care who murdered who.

I made it about half way through before giving up.

Foolishly, the billionaire author engaged in online debate on the topic of transgender people and related civil rights. These have been criticised as transphobic by LGBT rights organisations and some feminists, but have received support from other feminists and individuals.

As a person of wealth and power, Rowling’s inevitably punching down when she engages with critics.

Rowling does a lot of charity work. Is a good person. And should simply stay quiet online — like MacKenzie Scott.

As a big fan of Rowling’s books, this one wastes too much time describing the good and bad of online fandom. Not enough on the painful but entertaining relationship between lovely Robin Ellacott and gruff, unlovable Cormoran Strike.

My best guess is that her mind was not on Robin & Cormoran while writing — but on personal grievance.

And after all this — I still don’t understand her position on those few individuals (0.1% to 0.6% of the population) born with gender identity or gender expression that does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth.

Personally, I don’t care if you are trans, from Transylvania, or choose to medically transition to another sex.

Everyone should have equal opportunity.

OF COURSE when it comes to what sport to play there should be rules. And each sport should set those to be as fair as possible to all participants.

The TV series Strike has 4 seasons as I post. It’s quite good.

Severance – season 1

On By Rick McIn TVLeave a comment

I’m sure film students will be studying this TV series for decades to come.

Cinematography and design original.

The weirdly slow pace is still compelling. Literally no work actually gets done at work.

But is it worth watching?

Critics love it. Awards have been heaped on the show.

Rotten Tomatoes: “Audacious, mysterious, and bringing fresh insight into the perils of corporate drudgery.”

The cast is fantastic.

Best of the best might be Tramell Tillman as Seth Milchick.

Talk about getting creeped out by someone trying to be perfectly normal! He’s uncanny valley.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Count me in. I’ll be there for season 2.