1. Loki - So, um, I think maybe I just don't like Marvel anymore? I really only like Iron Man, the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, and two of the Avengers movies (the first one and...I think the 3rd one? They all blend together at this point but I did hate one of them). I liked WandaVision at first, but it got really boring and predictable after the 4th episode. And The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is so, so, so boring. I didn't have high expectations for this because I never liked Loki - I always found him grating, and I'm sorry but Tom Hiddleston is so full of himself (I will never forget his speech when he won that Golden Globe for The Night Manager - such a fucking narcissist). I don't necessarily hate this series, though. This show is kind of interesting, I guess. It's well-made and moves really quickly but there is still something about it that's just "meh" to me. I also hate the whole romance with another version of himself because that's just fucking weird. I do like Owen Wilson with the grey hair. And Gugu Mbatha-Raw is a favorite of mine.
2. Solos - I actually saw some good reviews for this anthology series, so I was excited, but sadly, I could barely make it through the first two episodes. It's like a really bad Black Mirror knock-off. And, it's surprisingly, so far, full of some terrible acting. The first episode features Anne Hathaway arguing with a past and present version of herself and it is spectacularly bad (and the line of sight is way off - how did no-one in the crew say something?). Also, she disses 13 Going on 30 and that's just not going to win anyone over (I get that it might not be for everyone, but as romantic comedies go - it's one of the sweetest to exist). The second episode is Anthony Mackie talking to a cloned version of himself and it's not as bad as the first episode, but it's sooooo incredibly boring that I stopped paying attention after about 10 minutes. I appreciate that creators still found ways to make films/television during a pandemic (art & entertainment is so important for mental health for a lot of people), but this feels like it was thrown together with no real thought or heart behind it.
3. Physical - I like this show, but it's definitely not what I was expecting. It's much darker and meaner than I thought, as it's advertised as a comedy. And I wouldn't even consider it a "dark comedy" either. Instead, it's just really sad and heartbreaking to watch this woman navigate her life, dealing with depression, body dysmorphia, an eating-disorder, and self-loathing all by herself in the early 80s - back when it wasn't as openly discussed as it is now. Rose Byrne is an incredible actress. She can convey so much even with her outwardly loveliness, you can see the pain in her eyes. I think a lot of women can relate to her internal thoughts (the pressure that we place on ourselves, the jealousy of others etc.). I also like the idea of finding something that distracts you from the world - in this case it's aerobics. I think I'm on the 4th episode and I am fully invested. But I'm also mad because mother fucking Apple TV+ is KILLING me with their quality. They have two of my favorite current shows - For All Mankind and Dickinson, plus hopefully later this year or early next they will release the film Tetris and the series In With the Devil (both starring The Love of My Life). Looks like I'm in for the long haul. Grrrrr....
4. Lisey's Story - This is also on Apple TV+, but I can easily give it up. I really liked the first episode, but each episode is getting more and more confusing. It's very much on par with the other more recent King tv adaptions (Castle Rock and The Outsider - although I really liked The Outsider) in that it is very beautiful and spooky, but doesn't make a bit of sense. There are reasons to keep watching it, though. Like the spectacular performance from Julianne Moore - she's always so good. Might be my in my Top 5 favorite actresses, if I really thought about it. There are also some stunning shots - like the scene with the sink that turns into her looking in the mirror - just so good. Some of it is overdone - the shots in the water, in particular. There are just so many of these shots and they are all so beautiful, but it also loses something when it's repeated so much. It also irks me that they pronounce her name "Lee-see"; from the title I would pronounce that like "Lizzy" and assumed it was short for Elisabeth. But her name is "Lisa" according to her name tag (which is also short for Elisabeth), so why do they pronounce it weird? and why isn't it called "Lisa's Story"? I know, I know - I'm always one to ask the important questions, aren't I?
5. Kevin Can F**K Himself - The concept for this show is really brilliant, but I'm not sure it executes it well. I've only seen the first episode so far, but it already seems like it's run out of steam and I'm not sure it's going to follow through with how dark it pretends to be (most of the dark stuff, so far, is in dream sequences). I love Annie Murphy so much, though. She was brilliant in Schitt's Creek, and I don't think she got enough credit for creating a character who is so vapid and self-obsessed but yet so freakin' loveable and sweet (she did get an Emmy for it, so I guess she did get the credit she deserves, but I just don't think she got the attention that lesser actresses receive, if that makes sense). She does a wonderful job here - even with the overdone Boston accent (which I think is done on purpose to fit with the grating sitcom feel). I'm pretty sure that's the set from Everybody Loves Raymond, which is kind of hilarious because that show is so bad but I've watched so many episodes because my mom loves it (and if I had to choose between that or The Big Bang Theory, I definitely choose Ray). They way they switch between the two worlds is done really well, too, it just becomes really repetitive within the first episode, so I'm not sure if they are going to be able to overcome that. But I'm intrigued!
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