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.

The Wheel of Time – season 1

I went back to Wheel of Time — planning to follow the story this time. It’s the kind of television I should like.

Sadly — It’s no Game of Thrones.

Mixed reviews.

The main character that appealed to me is Daniel Henney as al’Lan Mandragoran, Moiraine’s Warder and companion. A nuanced prerformance.

Casting seems a bit uninspired. Interactions between characters not convincing.

Actually, Abdul Salis as Eamon Valda is a very believable bad guy.

And Loial portrayed by Hammed Animashaun is charming.

BUT … production values are surprisingly poor at times.  The wolf attack in episode 5 was like bad TV from the 1970s. 

This was one of the most expensive TV series of all time. Yet many of the special effects look fake.

The battle / birthing scene at the beginning of episode 7 is EPIC, however. Worthy of the film 300.

I’ll probably watch season 2. I hear it gets better.

The scenery is fantastic. Czech Republic, Slovenia, and South Africa are locations.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Hacks – season 2

I really liked season 1.

And season 2 is even BETTER.

Deborah Vance, a legendary Las Vegas stand-up comedy diva, needs to re-invent her aging act to avoid losing her residency at the Palmetto Casino.

Ava is a young comedy writer who is unable to find work due to an insensitive tweet and her reputation for being self-centered and arrogant.

When Ava’s manager sends her to work as Deborah’s new head writer, the two slowly bond as Ava pushes her new boss to take more risks and Deborah, in turn, helps Ava start to work through her personal problems.

Fantastic comic dialogue.

Interesting video editing.

Great cast.

I’m now a big fan of Canadian comedian Mae Martin.

Of course Hannah Einbinder is great. She’s so natural in this show.

Stealing many scenes is Megan Stalter as Kayla.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. The lesbian cruise episode is funny.

I was also looking forward to The Flight Attendant – season 2. But quit when Cassie Bowden started drinking again. Too depressing.

Redshirts by John Scalzi

Unless you are a Star Trek nut, I can’t recommend the book Redshirts.

It did win the 2013 Hugo Award, so SciFi fans do like it.

As usual with Scalzi, the plot is ingenious.

In a TV series like Star Trek — called the Intrepid — the fictional universe is actually real. Characters from the TV show travel back in time (like Star Trek) and try to get the show cancelled.

Once there, they meet their actor doubles and realize that they are exact doppelgängers.

It’s complicated.

This book didn’t win me over in any way.

Of course a “redshirt” is a stock character in fiction who dies soon after being introduced. The term originates from the original Star Trek (NBC, 1966–69) in which the red-shirted security personnel frequently die during episodes.

Cody Hoyt / Cassie Dewell novels

A big fan of the Joe Pickett novels by C.J. Box, I ASSuMEd I’d enjoy another of his series based on a rogue, a brilliant cop named Cody Hoyt, an alcoholic.

But for me they are too blood thirsty and violent.

I didn’t like either Hoyt or his protege, Cassie Dewell.

Back of Beyond is the first book. It’s set in Yellowstone National Park.

#2 is The Highway, somehow astonishingly connected to the bloodbath in Yellowstone.

Serial killers are picking up prostitutes at long haul trucking service stations.

Somebody liked the book. ABC turned it into a big budget TV show. It’s already had 3 seasons as I post. Mixed reviews.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.