The Devil’s Hour – season 1

Better than a Hollywood film.

This series is an example of the golden age of streaming television.

The Devil’s Hour is a British drama thriller … on Amazon Prime Video.

The Devil’s Hour tells the story of Lucy who wakes up by terrifying visions every night at exactly 3:33 AM, in the middle of the so-called devil’s hour between 3 AM and 4 AM.

Her eight-year-old son is withdrawn and emotionless.

Her mother speaks to empty chairs.

Her house is haunted by the echoes of a life that isn’t her own.

When Lucy’s name is inexplicably connected to a string of brutal murders in the area, the answers that have evaded her all these years will finally come into focus …

Cast and acting all fantastic.

Best of the best?

Perhaps Benjamin Chivers as Isaac.

Some critics complain the story is too complicated. And too slow to be resolved. Fair points.

Personally, I’m really hoping it’s renewed for season 2.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Abbott Elementary – season 1

Abbott Elementary is an American mockumentary sitcom television series created by Quinta Brunson

It stars Brunson as a second-grade teacher at Abbott Elementary, a fictional predominantly Black school in Philadelphia. …

The ensemble cast is down to earth.

It’s simple. Easy watching. But there are some great slang pop references that I feel obliged to Google.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Chloe – season 1

Not sure I can recommend this acclaimed British TV series.

It’s 94% on Rotten Tomatoes — but I found it somewhat confusing.

To be fair, however, Erin Doherty deserves all the acting awards. This is a challenging role.

A mystery about obsession, deceit, identity, and grief

A lonely twentysomething, Becky Green, becomes obsessed with the suicide of her estranged childhood friend Chloe and assumes a new identity as Sasha to investigate how Chloe died.  

Becky starts an affair with Chloe’s widowed husband, Elliot; whereas the rest of the group including Elliot’s mother disapproves of their relationship.

Becky is a confused, unreliable narrator. Her web of lies painful to watch.

And the plot sometimes strains credulity.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Mysterious Benedict Society – season 1

If you like Wes Anderson movies, it’s worth checking out this family friendly TV show. It looks very much like it could have been done by his cinematographerRobert Yeoman..

If you like smart, quirky dialogue, this TV series is for you, as well.

The Mysterious Benedict Society stars Tony Hale as Mr. Benedict, who gathers four children to stop a global emergency.

Hale also portrays Benedict’s twin brother, Mr. Curtain, who is the founder of the school the children infiltrate. 

My favourite character is Marta Kessler as Constance Contraire. Her last name, Contraire, is appropriate for her contrary opinions and personality. 😀

I recognized the school instantly ➙ the Emily Carr University of Art + Design in Vancouver.

86% on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s won a number of awards for children’s programming.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Dopesick (miniseries)

Dopesick is based on the non-fiction book Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America by Beth Macy. …

At the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards, the series received fourteen nominations …

Dopesick focuses on “the epicenter of America’s struggle with opioid addiction” across the U.S., on how individuals and families are affected by it, on the alleged conflicts of interest involving Purdue Pharma and various government agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration and the United States Department of Justice, and finally, on the legal case against Purdue Pharma and their development, testing and marketing of the drug OxyContin. …

Michael Keaton is great as Dr. Samuel Finnix.

Rotten Tomatoes 88% approval.

It’s non-linear but — happily — not confusing as the years flip past as it switches on the timeline.

There’s no question the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma are EVIL.

House Dems, GOP Agree: Sacklers, Purdue Pharma ‘Sickening’
— “I’m not sure I’m aware of any family in America that’s more evil than yours”

Purdue / Sackers EVIL

On October 21, 2020, it was reported that Purdue had reached a settlement potentially worth $8.3 billion, admitting that it “knowingly and intentionally conspired and agreed with others to aid and abet” doctors dispensing medication “without a legitimate medical purpose.” Members of the Sackler family will additionally pay US$225 million and the company will close.

Some state attorneys general protested the plan. In March 2021, the United States House of Representatives introduced a bill that would stop the bankruptcy judge in the case from granting members of the Sackler family legal immunity during the bankruptcy proceedings.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I read half of another book on the evil Sackler clan — Empire of Pain by Patrick Keefe.

Arthur Sackler (born 1913) was an impressive person in many ways. The eldest son of Jewish grocer immigrants in New York.

“No single individual did more to shape the character of medical advertising than the multi-talented Dr. Arthur Sackler. His seminal contribution was bringing the full power of advertising and promotion to pharmaceutical marketing.”

He did many, many things. But the Sackler empire was mostly built on how Arthur popularized dozens of medicines including Betadine, Senaflax, Librium, and Valium through direct marketing to physicians during the 1960s.

The Rings of Power – season 1

The Rings of Power is set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, thousands of years before Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

84%Rotten Tomatoes feels about right. Worth watching.

On the other hand, if this is the most expensive TV series ever made / episode, I question why it isn’t much better. It’s lucky Amazon has ALL the money.

I have more respect for the direct competitor in 2022 ➙ House of the Dragon on HBO. Though it can be hard to watch, I feel Dragons justifies the cost: under US$20 million / episode, far less expensive than Games of Thrones. Far less expensive than Rings of Power.

It begins during a time of relative peace and covers all the major events of Middle-earth’s Second Age: the forging of the Rings of Power, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, the fall of the island kingdom of Númenor, and the last alliance between Elves and Men.

These events take place over thousands of years in Tolkien’s original stories but are condensed for the series. …

The final episode was disappointing. Though I did like the resolution of Meteor Man, aka the Stranger. That was original and surprising.

And I do like Morfydd Clark as Galadriel.

And Markella Kavenagh as “Nori”. The Harfoots are likeable forerunners of Hobbits.

Best of all is Ismael Cruz Córdova as Arondir.

I’ll keep watching.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Mandalorian – season 2

Worth watching, I guess.

93% on Rotten Tomatoes.

“… signature mix of violent toughness and attentive-dad sexiness …”

A cartoon Western, with real people and people in costume looking like cartoons.

Hilariously, the bad guys can never shoot straight.

I’ll bet it was fun to write and storyboard.

With Star Wars budget and video technology, nothing seems to be impossible.

Though the Mandalorian is quite a dull character, there are some scene stealing cast members.

Gina Carano as Cara Dune

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Only Murders in the Building – season 2

I loved season 1 mostly for the absurdity.

Two old comedy legends being made fun of by a hip young female star. Selena Gomez can act.

I thought season 2 might be a letdown. BUT Steve Martin made the plot much more interesting. Added a daughter to the great cast.

Shirley MacLaine, Amy Schumer.

Tina Fey is still the bad guy.

I enjoyed season 2 at least as much.

It’s still hugely popular.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie

Murder in Mesopotamia (1936) is set at an archaeological excavation in Iraq.

Hercule Poirot happens to be close when an astonishing (far-fetched) murder occurs.

It’s typical Christie. A cast of characters all of whom MIGHT be the killer. A surprise ending.

I liked best Nurse Amy Leatheran who tells the tale.

Click PLAY or watch a snippet of a TV adaptation on YouTube.

The Innocence of Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton

I finally got around to reading some of the Father Brown short stories.

53 were published between 1910 and 1936 by English novelist G. K. Chesterton.

Father Brown solves mysteries and crimes using his intuition and keen understanding of human nature.  …

In the most popular adaptation, Mark Williams plays Father Brown. That’s Arthur Weasley, to you. 😀

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.