Tuesday, September 5, 2017

Thoughts on 9 New Shows

1. Friends from College - I was hoping for funny, and it's not (although Billy Eichner complaining that it's "very loud" made me laugh for days). The cast work really well off of each other, but the characters are all pretty awful people - none of them are actually "friends". They are lying, back-stabbing, snarky assholes. It was all a little too dramatic and over the top, especially the finale episode. However, it was a show that was easy to binge, has some amusing moments, and can easily continue for many seasons. I really, really, really liked Cobie Smulders in this, and that's the first time I've been able to say that (and I also just learned that her name is not, in fact, "Colbie Smolders" which is what I truly thought her name was. LOL.). While I don't think season one was groundbreaking television, and I would even hesitate to recommend it to anyone, I can see it continuing and possibly getting better once the characters develop more.

2. GLOW - By far the best show that was released this summer. It's pretty close to perfect, and Alison Brie is sublime. I had very high expectations, especially after all of the positive reviews, and it exceeded these expectations in every way. Brie proves that she's more than just the cute, funny "girl next door" type character. Her character is layered, relatable, a little pathetic, determined, and still cute and funny. I also LOVE Betty Gilpin. I only knew of her from Nurse Jackie and I didn't really like her very much on that show. She is excellent here. The show made me care about several characters, it's easy to binge, and it brought on the perfect amount of nostalgia. As I said before, I used to be an avid view of the original GLOW, and this show does it justice. I can't wait for season two.

3. Still Star-Crossed - I somehow managed to make it through 3 whole episodes. It was terrible, and barely made sense. The last I heard, it was moved to Saturday nights (aka "soon to be cancelled"), which is a shame - not because it was good, but because it *could* have been good. It's interesting to tell a continuation of a famous story (and arguably one of the most famous stories of all time), but this show was hard to follow. It starts off recounting the story of Romeo & Juliet, but nips it down to 30 minutes so everything is botched. It would have been better to just start it at their death (I mean, it's not like anyone choosing to watch this show doesn't already know the story). Also, it was just really boring, especially for a Shonda Rhimes show. On a side note, I am super excited for a Shonda Rhimes/Netflix collaboration. I can't believe that ABC let her go because she is the only thing holding that network together. Anyway, I'm pretty sure I will never hear of this show again, so let's not waste anymore time discussing it.

4. The Sinner - So far, so good. I'm definitely intrigued. The acting is strong - Jessica Biel isn't terrible (she's still not great, but this is a definite improvement for her). I think the first episode would have been more shocking if the ads didn't give it away. I already knew the catalyst for the series, and I sat watching the first episode just waiting for *that* scene, and I also knew that I had to pay EXTREMELY close attention to every detail. I still don't know the "answer" but it's obvious that the song that was playing is important - like maybe it is a trigger of some sort. Some of the story doesn't make sense (am I supposed to believe that a waitress remembers who she served *5 YEARS* ago?). The best part is the line "what makes you think I want my old life back?", I think that line is the key to everything, but we shall see.

5. Ozark - Ok, so this show is okay. I think it was falsely advertised as a Breaking Bad replacement and it is nowhere close to that high standard. The biggest reason it fails is because I finished watching it a few weeks ago and I already have trouble remembering anything other than the general plot (and I can remember very specific lines and scenes with Breaking Bad, and I've only seen the whole series once - as it aired. I have yet to re-watch because I might find imperfections and I don't want to ruin it. It would destroy me.). Also, I would not compare this character to Walter White in ANY WAY. Bateman pretty much portrays a greedy asshole, someone who is already successful but WANTS more so he CHOOSES to break the law and therefore deserves everything he has coming to him (and his wife is complicit, so she deserves it too). So anyway, if I forget this ridiculous comparison, I can find some enjoyment in the show. In particular, the two main stars, Jason Bateman and Laura Linney are great. There are some subtle moments between them that is pure heartbreak. I don't think the supporting cast is very strong - at all. In fact, the daughter is downright terrible. And all of the "locals" overdo their "localness" (I know that's not a word, but you get it...right?). And there are some terribly cliched scenes (come on - someone walking backwards into a street is going to get run over by a truck, OBVI.).

6. Gypsy - I finished this series this morning, and I'm not really sure how I feel about it. There are certain things that are done really well. The acting is wonderful - Naomi Watts is perfect and she is the major reason I even wanted to watch the show to begin with. But then BILLY CRUDUP SHOWED UP! I have loved Billy Crudup since his first movie role, Sleepers. He is so good in this show. All of the supporting actors are great too. Some of the plot is interesting - the way she inserts herself into her patients lives and manipulates them; the impulsive need for drama that some people crave is fascinating. However, some plots were ridiculous. In particular, the plot with her husband and his assistant - they literally have a conversation about how cliche it is, but then continue it as a plot device. So weird. Also, the plot with the drug-addicted teenager is really overdone and not very realistic. I did like how multi-dimensional the characters are, and that the story is layered and detailed. I would have been interested in a second season because there is still so much story to tell, but Netflix has given up on it already (to be fair they are introducing a fuck ton of new content - they are going to get to the same point as network shows in having to cancel shows before giving them a true chance, which sucks).

7. Will - Ugh...two Shakespeare based television shows in one season, and both of them suck. I couldn't even make it through the pilot of this one. I fell asleep about half-way through. It was just all over-done. Too many characters introduced (and everyone looked the same). And the set design seemed amateurish. I haven't heard anyone talking about it, so I assumed it's either been cancelled or will be soon.

8. I'm Sorry - While I think GLOW is a better made show, this is my favorite new show of this past summer. It's hilarious. And the best part? It feels real. This feels like a show about a "real" woman (and I hate when people refer to "real women", bc of the implications, but I use the term here to refer to how fictional women don't feel "real", but this character feels like someone I know). She says inappropriate things, causes awkward situations, and reacts to these things and situations in the most hilarious way. I love that it subverts stereotypes a bit, too. Like how her friends are mostly male and it's not made into a "thing". She plays poker with the guys, but it's never really addressed; it's just normal. I love that she is raunchier and funnier than her husband, and that he's kind of in the background. The show is witty, sweet, and just downright lovely. I have always been a fan of Andrea Savage, but this has intensified my love for her times a billion. Plus, her chemistry with Tom Everett Scott is perfect. I love him in this - it's the perfect role for him to show off his charm and comedic timing.

9. Marvel's The Defenders - I've only watched the first two episodes, and um, it's not great. I'm already pretty bored. I feel like it jumps around a lot in order to continue everyone's story and then rush them into a group setting, but so far, it's not working for me. It's a stark reminder of how great Daredevil and Jessica Jones are compared to Iron Fist (Luke Cage is alright...). I love the addition of Sigourney Weaver, though. She'll keep me watching (oh who am I kidding, I'm already too invested in the Marvel Netflix universe to stop watching).

1 comment:

  1. A STARK reminder?? Heheh. ;)...I apologize for the awful joke.

    ReplyDelete