Every year, I watch the six submitted episodes of every series I don’t regularly watch that’s up for one of the Emmy series prizes. This year, I’m getting a jump start to check out the entire season of some of most high-profile shows I didn’t watch when they originally aired.
Succession: Season 2, Episode 7 “Return” (B+)
Even though I watched the last two episodes of season one, I hadn’t remembered that we had met Logan’s ex-wife and the mother of his three most frequently featured children, Caroline. I’ve seen a lot of Harriet Walter in a very different role this season on “Killing Eve,” and she also starred as another Caroline in “Belgravia.” Her relationship with her children is by no means warm, and leveraging a $150 million home to get Logan to allow her children to spend Christmas with her felt much more like the type of power play he would make than an actual investment in wanting to be with her family. Kendall confiding in her may have been a mistake, but he’s spiraling, and his newfound relationship with Naomi isn’t helping him in the way he needs. It was interesting to see him try to talk to his father about a potential affair with Rhea, though it’s clear now, mostly to Shiv who found herself screwed over by Rhea’s suggestion of a position with the Pierce family, that Rhea is positioning herself not to be Logan’s mistress but his successor. Gerri and Roman teaming up won’t end up getting far, especially considering his dismissal of the opposition research questions she asked him, and he doesn’t really stick through anything, including an opportunity to acknowledge that his father hit him. As if Greg’s aims weren’t clear enough, his use of a tape recorder and retention of a few of the files cement that he’s looking to bring Tom down, a move that won’t go over well with his family at all.
Showing posts with label Return. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Return. Show all posts
Saturday, July 18, 2020
Thursday, August 18, 2016
Emmy Episodes: UnREAL
It’s always my policy to watch every Emmy-nominated episode each year, which leads me to sample a handful of shows that I don’t tune in to on a regular basis. This year, I’m making a special effort to spotlight each of those installments to offer my perspective on shows that I don’t review each week.
UnREAL: Season 1, Episode 1 “Return” (B-)
Nominated for Best Writing for a Drama Series
Once upon a time, I really was able to watch every single pilot each season. It’s hard to catch all the streaming premieres, but there are also a few networks whose new shows I don’t seek out, like Hallmark, ABC Family (now Freeform), and Lifetime. That leads to be missing the few shows from those channels that do become big, like this buzzed-about hit which premiered in June 2015 and wrapped its second season earlier this month. I wasn’t too interested in this show because it’s about a reality series, something that I don’t watch in any capacity and therefore wouldn’t appreciate seeing parodied as much as many other people. There is still plenty of that, with a decent focus on the content of the show that I found to be rather boring, but there’s a much darker, more intriguing story going on in this drama that’s set up as a mystery. I recognize Shiri Appleby from her “Roswell” days, though I don’t think I ever really watched that show, and Craig Bierko from his role on “Nip/Tuck” as a repeat customer who kept coming back for plastic surgery after enjoying being physically scarred, among others. I’m a big fan of Constance Zimmer from her recurring roles on “Entourage,” “The Newsroom,” “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D,” and “House of Cards,” and it’s great to see her finally earn an Emmy nomination for this role. Also in the cast as bachelorette contestants are Ashley Scott from “Jericho,” Johanna Braddy from “Quantico,” and, most exciting of all, breakout star Breeda Wool from “AWOL,” which I saw at the Tribeca Film Festival. Appleby’s Rachel seems pretty damn crazy, and Zimmer’s Quinn is more than happy to use that to her advantage in the most conniving way, which should at least make for soapy television. I can’t say I’m hooked at all, but I’ll watch the next two episodes to make it to number three, which is the hour that Zimmer submitted for Emmy consideration, to see if my opinion changes.
UnREAL: Season 1, Episode 1 “Return” (B-)
Nominated for Best Writing for a Drama Series
Once upon a time, I really was able to watch every single pilot each season. It’s hard to catch all the streaming premieres, but there are also a few networks whose new shows I don’t seek out, like Hallmark, ABC Family (now Freeform), and Lifetime. That leads to be missing the few shows from those channels that do become big, like this buzzed-about hit which premiered in June 2015 and wrapped its second season earlier this month. I wasn’t too interested in this show because it’s about a reality series, something that I don’t watch in any capacity and therefore wouldn’t appreciate seeing parodied as much as many other people. There is still plenty of that, with a decent focus on the content of the show that I found to be rather boring, but there’s a much darker, more intriguing story going on in this drama that’s set up as a mystery. I recognize Shiri Appleby from her “Roswell” days, though I don’t think I ever really watched that show, and Craig Bierko from his role on “Nip/Tuck” as a repeat customer who kept coming back for plastic surgery after enjoying being physically scarred, among others. I’m a big fan of Constance Zimmer from her recurring roles on “Entourage,” “The Newsroom,” “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D,” and “House of Cards,” and it’s great to see her finally earn an Emmy nomination for this role. Also in the cast as bachelorette contestants are Ashley Scott from “Jericho,” Johanna Braddy from “Quantico,” and, most exciting of all, breakout star Breeda Wool from “AWOL,” which I saw at the Tribeca Film Festival. Appleby’s Rachel seems pretty damn crazy, and Zimmer’s Quinn is more than happy to use that to her advantage in the most conniving way, which should at least make for soapy television. I can’t say I’m hooked at all, but I’ll watch the next two episodes to make it to number three, which is the hour that Zimmer submitted for Emmy consideration, to see if my opinion changes.
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