1. The Third Day - Seriously boring. There are elements that are brilliantly done, but overall it moves at the pace of a Terrence Malick movie (that is not a compliment). It also reminds me a little of Twin Peaks with just really odd characters, confusing narrative, and mystery that feels like it's going nowhere (I do like Twin Peaks, though, but definitely not as much as others seem to). I really, really, really do love Jude Law though (I still haven't watched The Young Pope thing. I feel like every time I go to catch up on a tv show, there is something new to watch instead of going back to something slightly older. This is also why I haven't watched Succession yet). But he wasn't the highlight - that would be Naomie Harris. Her featured episode titled "The Mother" is the strongest of the series (although it's weird that they seem to think the ending would be a surprise. I assumed that's who they were from the first 2 seconds of the episode). The last episode is also strong, but Jude's hair is really wild and completely distracted me from the conclusion of the story. I honestly have no idea how it ends. But I'm hoping that it was truly the end and they keep it as a Limited Series and it's done so that I don't have to watch any more.
2. Ratched - I definitely like this more than the other Ryan Murphy Netflix shows. I know he's been getting a lot of hate lately (from myself included) but there is no denying that he has super cool ideas and intentions. Sometimes they just go too far, or become almost a parody of what his brand is. And his brand is obviously to go too far, so, in that, he's pretty successful (even going back to the beginning - Nip/Tuck was fucking crazy). I like the idea of giving back stories to iconic characters - it's more creatively inspiring than just remaking something, in my opinion. I am also surprised at how Hitchcockian it feels - there are certain scenes that feel like they were literally copied from classic Hitchcock scenes. I think the acting is a little off-putting. EVERYONE over-acts except Sarah Paulson (who is perfect, as per usual). I do like that Murphy stays true to his cast and keeps casting people in unpredictable roles (and they usually end up surprisingly wonderful). It always makes me a little sad, though because I feel like if Cory Monteith were still alive, he would surely have taken part in some of these projects (I could picture him specifically in Hollywood). Ugh...I miss him so much.
3. The Right Stuff - Overall, exactly what I was expecting. I thought it would be like a wholesome, kind of cheesy, "fluffy" dramatic series about the Mercury Seven. And even with all of the cheating stuff, it's still feels like an extremely wholesome show. It's a Disney+ show, so it's just not the kind of show that's going to dive deep into the emotions and possible darkness of these men. Plus, the whole astronaut wives thing was already done (the show was literally called The Astronaut Wives Club. I didn't watch it because it sounded so boring.). The entire reason I watched this show is because of Patrick J. Adams and Jake McDorman. I love them both so much and they shine equally in every episode. The only thing I've really connected to, though, is the scenes with the niece they've adopted because her mother dies. Him showing her how to raise the American flag is done really well (I almost teared up. Almost.). I hate that it's released as a weekly show. I appreciate the weekly series format still, and I rarely binge more than three episodes of the same show at a time, but I feel if we are paying extra for these streaming services then they should release it all at once and let the audience choose how they want to consume it.
4. Monsterland - I love the anthology idea (I'm still thinking about certain episodes of The Romanoffs), but this series is really inconsistent. I absolutely love 2 episodes, and another one is solidly strong, but that's only 3 episodes - out of 8. The other 5 episodes are...just awful. I like that the running theme is about actual monsters (like literal "monsters", and also, more importantly, human "monsters"), but I also think the fact that it is all based in reality keeps the idea really strong. Each story is told quietly and is very character driven (I guess it's kind of like Black Mirror, but more realistic even thought it's about monsters, which is weird). I'll focus on the good episodes (for now...) because I'm hopeful that if it continues, it tells more stories like this. The best episode is quite clearly the third episode "New Orleans, Louisiana". It's downright bone-chilling. First, Nicole Beharie gives an Emmy-worthy performance. It's stunning and I will remember it forever. Her denial at her son's accusations (and truth) is just heartbreaking - when he says "he knew you would keep your mouth shut". UGH...it just hits so fucking hard. I'm emotional just thinking about it. The other superb episode is "Plainfield, Illinois". Taylor Schilling is great, and I just really like that it's a love story centered around someone who is bipolar. Again, there is one bone-chilling line that I remember forever ("You're the one who left me in the bathtub"). And finally, I think the first episode featuring Kaitlyn Dever is also a strong introduction to the series. I really like her (and she's the reason I even watched this show), and she is a recurring character (I think she's in four episodes?). I wasn't a big fan of her accent, though. It sounded more like she was trying to do this Hollywood glamour type accent instead of a southern accent. Otherwise, she's great. Plus the first episode also has Jonathon Tucker! Love him.
5. The Undoing - What an incredible pilot episode! I haven't felt this way in quite sometime (although I did recently enjoy the pilot for Lovecraft Country, but it was only really the last 20 minutes that really captured my attention). I wasn't sure what this show was about - just that it starred Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant and I thought that was an interesting combo. I didn't see any commercials so I had no idea that it was about a murder. I assumed, obviously, that he was cheating on his wife with the weird woman because he left "on an emergency medical situation" (he's a doctor), quite soon after the woman left. But I was not expecting her to die (and very brutally). Something about it reminds me of Damages - which is one my favorite series ever. Nicole Kidman has one of the most consistent resumes of any actress - she has had at least one project (and sometimes multiple projects) every year for like 25 years. And they are (mostly) good! Plus, she sings the opening credit song and it is so beautiful. I've always liked Hugh Grant, too (he's made some mistakes in his past life, but there are so many people doing so many worse things and getting away with it). He's quite good at bringing the charm to any role. Also, I like the mystery about the weird girl - she's definitely spoken about as "weird", but I think we'll discover that she has reasons behind her "weirdness" (although I don't think her breastfeeding in front of a group of women in a house is weird? And it's disturbing that so many were uncomfortable, but I think they will delve into that a bit more too). My other thoughts are that it's filmed beautifully - the shot from the outside with Nicole standing inside the high-rise building is so stunning. And Nicole's wardrobe is to die for (haha get it To Die For? I'm hilarious). But seriously, that rainbow pleated dress is God-tier. The fact that I have so much to say and it's only been one episode is really exciting to me. I can't wait for more.
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