The Last of Us — season 1 — was by far my favourite TV show of 2023.

Season 2 is not as ground breaking, but still fantastic.

Intense. Very intense.

Bella Ramsey is a genius choice to play the critical role of Ellie. Quirky and potentially violent.

Her love interest in this season is up to the role. Isabela Merced as Dina has enough gravitas to share the screen. They have chemistry.

Season 2 picks up 5 years after the events of Season 1.

Joel and Ellie’s collective past catches up to them, drawing them into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind.

They live in stable, democratic Jackson, Wyoming.

We learn of other surviving human factions, stupid enough to kill each other rather than work together to rid the earth of the infected zombi-like creatures.

For some reason the timeline jumping forward and backward works in this dystopian show.

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It was filmed in Alberta and B.C., including Nanaimo.

The Bondsman is a horror comedy. More comedy than horror.

Kevin Bacon is an undead bounty hunter.

The Devil brought him back to earth as a bounty hunter of demons.

His mother, Beth Grant as Kitty Halloran, is a church-goer and former bounty hunter. A great character in this show.

Damon Herriman as Lucky Callahan is surprisingly good casting, as well.

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You know … I haven’t heard about the “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” rule for a while.

Any actor in Hollywood is — at maximum — only 6 projects away from one with Bacon. We’ve been talking about this since 1994.

Good television. A murder mystery, politics, immigration issues and murky espionage as well as complicated relationships.

Collateral is a four-part British television drama …

… stars Carey Mulligan as DI Kip Glaspie, assigned to investigate the shooting of a pizza delivery rider in inner-city southwest London. …

… a complex web of characters who are all somehow connected with the story, which addresses attitudes to immigration with the maltreatment of refugees and immigrants by both uncaring people-traffickers and indifferent state agencies …

Jeany Spark is excellent as Captain Sandrine Shaw.

All good. I enjoyed some of the interesting cinematography.

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I really liked Dark Winds – season 1.

Season 2 … not nearly as good.

I reluctantly continued to season 3.

Though it got rave reviews, I was confused and not convinced by the supernatural storyline.

Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) has been seeing monsters, particularly Ye’iitsoh, the Navajo creature known as Big Giant.

He’s haunted by killing wealthy villain B.J. Vines (John Diehl) in Season 2, and the Ye’iitsoh has been plaguing him.

The writers’ room is all Native American. That’s a plus.

There are some excellent cast members.

But I’m not sure whether I’ll carry on to season 4.

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Black Mirror is that original British anthology television series with most episodes set in near-future dystopias containing sci-fi technology—a type of speculative fiction. I was originally a big fan.

“Metalhead” is the 5th episode of the 4th series. The one I still have nightmares about. Bella (Maxine Peake) trying to flee from robotic “dogs” after the unexplained collapse of human society. 

I’d pretty much quit on Black Mirror after season four.

BUT I’d heard season 7 was a return to greatness. So decided to watch.

“Eulogy” is the 5th episode. Excellent.

… a lonely man (Paul Giamatti) revisits his memories and photographs of an old girlfriend who has recently died, in order to send his memories of her to her family. Through the experience, he learns more about her and the relationship. The episode has received critical acclaim, with many reviewers calling it the best episode of series 7, and one of the best episodes of Black Mirror of all time …

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Episode 1 “Common People” is good, as well.

Teacher Amanda (Rashida Jones) and welder Mike are a happy couple who want a child.

Amanda falls ill with a brain tumor and Mike accepts an offer from the start-up Rivermind: Amanda’s brain will be restored and operated for a monthly fee. The lost brain function is transferred wirelessly to Amanda from the company’s servers.

It goes badly wrong from there.

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I ended up fast forwarding through the final episodes.

Funny. Original. Interesting.

A unique twist on the Agatha Christie murder mystery genre.

Film students will study this.

The Residence is an American mystery comedy drama …

the series revolves around a fictional murder scandal involving the staff of the White House. Produced by Shondaland …

Cordelia Cupp, an eccentric detective, arrives on the premises in order to solve a murder that occurred during a state dinner. During the investigation, interpersonal conflicts between 157 personnel of the residence start to unfold.

For me — the most amazing part of the series is the set. They literally rebuilt the White House as a set.

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The cast is excellent, especially Uzo Aduba as Cordelia Cupp. The other actors are somewhat in awe at how she handled the central role.

It took someone of her gravitas to pull off the absurdity.

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Isiah Whitlock Jr. as Larry Dokes, the Chief of Police is great.

Al Franken as Aaron Filkins, Senator from Washington, is perfect.

Kylie Minogue as herself.

I enjoyed the romance between Julieth Restrepo as Elsyie Chayle and Mel Rodriguez as Bruce Geller. A great touch.

Hugh Jackman might be there, as well. 😀