Tag Archives: streaming

Blogging, D.B. Jackson, David B. Coe, Writing

Monday Musings: Reviews of Shows We’ve Been Streaming!!

Nancy and I have been doing a good deal of streaming in our new(-ish) home. We did in the old house, too, once we got serviceable internet (it only took 29 years), but our last year in Tennessee was filled with travel, packing, cleaning, more packing, looking at houses, etc. This year has been far more relaxed.

And though no one has asked, I thought I would offer my thoughts on some of the shows we have been watching recently. As Eeyore famously said, “I’m not asking anyone; I’m just telling everyone.” My opinions, of course, are my own and offered merely in the interest of starting a conversation. So, without further ado….

The Witcher, Netflix (Season 4) — Let me say up front that I came to the series first. I never played the game and I have not yet read the books. Same with Nancy. We loved the first three seasons, and were disappointed when Henry Cavill left the show. By the same token, we were willing to give Liam Hemsworth a chance to fit into the role. Now that we have watched Season 4 . . . well, let’s start with the not-God-awful. Hemsworth was not terrible. He wasn’t good, either. He was adequate. Cavill made the part his own. Hemsworth tried to be Cavill, and he just isn’t. In another role, maybe that’s fine, or even better than fine. But Geralt is Cavill, and Cavill is Geralt, and Hemsworth didn’t work in the role. Other performances were okay, but the scripts. My God, the scripts. They were DREADFUL. Bad dialogue, questionable plot choices, and an utter lack of progress on the main storylines. The season went absolutely nowhere, and I am left wondering why I would waste eight more hours on the show. Lots of pointless, graphic violence. 1 star out of 5.

The Diplomat, Netflix (Season 3) — Seasons 1 and 2 were amazing, and Season 3 more than matched them. Adding Allison Janney and Bradley Whitford to an outstanding cast that already featured Keri Russell, Rufus Sewell, David Gyasi, Ali Ahn, and Ato Essandoh, elevated the show. The writing continues to be crisp, intelligent, and thoughtful, reminding me of the best seasons of Aaron Sorkin’s The West Wing. The show is compelling, beautifully filmed, and just immensely fun. 4.5 stars out of 5.

Down Cemetery RoadDown Cemetery Road, Apple (Season 1) — A taut, twisty, dark thriller starring Ruth Wilson, Emma Thompson, Fehinti Balogun, and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, this is our new favorite show. Thompson and Balogun really stand out, but all the performances are terrific. Again, wonderful writing makes the show. There is humor and also some very graphic violence. The story, which involves intrigue deep in the British security state, has kept us utterly rapt. The last episode of Season 1 drops on Wednesday, and we will be holding our breath until then. Sooooo good. 4.5 stars out of 5.

Nobody Wants This, Netflix (Season 2) — A romcom about a rabbi who falls in love with a podcaster who is not Jewish. After a promising first season, which offered plenty of laughs and some warm moments, the second season has disappointed. The cast (Adam Brody, Kristen Bell, Justine Lupe, Timothy Simons, Jackie Tohn) is good, but the storyline has stalled, falling into predictable, repetitious patterns. I wanted to love it, but I don’t. 2.5 stars out of 5.

Shrinking, Apple (Season 2) — This quirky comedy stars Jason Segel as a psychiatrist who has lost his wife and is learning to cope with his grief. Sounds less than hilarious, I know, but it works. The ensemble, including Harrison Ford, Jessica Williams, Lukita Maxwell, Crista Miller, and Luke Tennie, is terrific, as is the chemistry among the various characters. Some of the predicaments are predictable, and a few of the jokes don’t land, but overall, it’s a fun show that is oh-so-easy to binge. 4 stars out of 5.

High Potential, ABC (Season 2) — Yes, an actual traditional-network offering. Kaitlin Olson plays an “ordinary mom” who is anything but. She is actually a genius, with a knack for knowing and seeing things no one else does, which makes her a perfect consultant for the LA police department. Yeah, the set-up is somewhat far-fetched, as are the case solutions, which almost always come in the nick of time. But the show is fun if you don’t think about it too hard. The cast includes Daniel Sunjata, Judy Reyes, Amirah J, Deniz Akdeniz, and Javicia Leslie. 3 stars out of 5.

Slow Horses, Apple (5 Seasons) — We’re playing catch-up with this one and are currently finished with Season 3. So far, it’s fantastic. Every episode is gripping and effective. Gary Oldman, who plays the unkempt, slightly boorish, flatulent, but brilliant head of a misfit team of MI5 spies, gives an Emmy-worthy performance, making his obnoxious character somehow likable and formidable. Kirsten Scott Thomas and Jack Lowden are also stellar in supporting roles, as are Saskia Reeves, Rosalind Eleazar, and Christopher Chung. Warning: some graphic violence. 4.5 stars out of 5.

And that’s it for now! Feel free to share your thoughts on whichever social media platform brought you to my blog!

Have a great week.

Blogging, D.B. Jackson, David B. Coe

Monday Musings: What We’re Watching These Days

Today’s post is a bit late, for which I apologize. It also offers a break from some of the more weighty topics I’ve covered in my Monday posts. I sometimes feel that I get too serious with my essays week after week, and though I know people enjoy the Musings posts, I also don’t want to be a downer.

Nancy and I have been streaming some new stuff so far this year. For a time, some of you may remember, we were new to the world of streaming (and new to the world of high-speed internet) and were just trying to catch up on the shows everyone was talking about. At this point, we have worked our way through some of the well-known stuff — Ted Lasso, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Crown, and others. We have enjoyed them (mostly — the most recent season of The Crown left us cold; we didn’t finish it) and are new venturing into newer shows and other titles that we’re finding interesting. I should mention here that we currently have access to Netflix, Prime, Disney+, and Apple TV. We have not yet ventured into Paramount+ or HBO Max, though we intend to eventually.

With that in mind, here are a few of our recent favorites:

The Diplomat — Netflix: Keri Russell and Rufus Sewell as a dysfunctional couple who are both high-profile diplomats. He is undisciplined and currently out of work; she is newly assigned as the ambassador to London, a position that should be low key and cushy but proves anything but. His jealousy of her success and his repeated attempts to manipulate events behind the scenes threaten to wreck their marriage, despite the electric bond between them. The dynamic between the two is fascinating and compelling, the acting is terrific, as is the supporting cast. One season is done, and the show has been renewed for another.

The Night Agent — Netflix: Gabriel Basso plays a low-level FBI agent who answers a late-night call from a young woman (played by Luciane Buchanan) being hunted by the killers who, for reasons she doesn’t understand, have just murdered her aunt and uncle. Events quickly point toward a mole in the White House and a deadly plot against the U.S. government. You don’t want to think too hard about any of what happens, because there are definitely plot holes. And the scripts are not about win any Pulitzers. But the chemistry between Basso and Buchanan is terrific, and the storyline is compelling enough to pull one along for all 10 first season episodes. One season is done; show renewed for another.

The Last Kingdom — Netflix: A historical series set in England at the time of King Alfred (before there actually was an England). Alexander Dreymon plays Uhtred of Bebbanburg, a Saxon-born man who was raised by invading Danes and finds himself caught again and again between Danish warriors and the Saxons who seek to establish a kingdom that will unite all of England. The action can be brutal, bloody, and gruesome, and there is a good deal of explicit sex. But if you’re okay with that, this is interesting, suspenseful, and really well-acted. Highly recommended. Five seasons complete and a final movie, Seven Kings Must Die, also on Netflix.

Star Wars: Andor — Disney+: This entry in the Star Wars mythos is one that I watched while Nancy was traveling, and it really surprised me. I was sort of lukewarm on The Mandalorian and expected to feel the same way about this series, which traces the early years of Cassian Andor’s (Diego Luna) initiation into the rebel cause. For those who don’t know, Andor was one of the lead characters in the Star Wars movie Rogue One. This show serves as a prequel to that, and to the original Star Wars movie. As it turns out, the show is thoughtfully done, and the performances are quite good. I offer this along with all the usual caveats about anything Star Wars-related. Rabid fans of the franchise will already know about this series, but if you’re a casual fan of the movies, you’ll probably enjoy this as well. One season, renewed for a second.

Derry Girls — Netflix: Brilliant, hilarious, and utterly bingeable. This show originally aired on Irish TV, where it was a huge hit. You can now watch it on Netflix. It follows a group of high school kids living in Northern Ireland during the 1990s as the Troubles continue to consume the land. The humor is spot on, making the occasional moments of serious drama are all the more effective. The ensemble cast is quirky and perfect. The episodes are only 30 minutes long and there are only three seasons of the show, making it easy to get through in a long weekend. You won’t be sorry. Oh, turn on close captioning when you watch; the accents are thick. Three seasons. Complete.

Lockwood and Co. — Netflix: We’re watching this one now. Based on the novels by Jonathan Stroud, Lockwood and Co. follows three teens who fight supernatural spirits in a dystopian future London. The teens are portrayed quite well by Ruby Stokes, Cameron Chapman and Ali Hadji-Heshmati, and thus far (five episodes in) the storyline is certainly fun and intriguing enough to hold our interest. There are some plot holes, but the action and dialogue move things along quickly enough to keep one from dwelling on them for too long. Unfortunately, the series was cancelled after one season (10 episodes). One season; cancelled.

And there we are.

Have a great week.