The Loudest Voice: Season 1, Episode 7 “2016” (B+)
I think I was expectedly a finish with a bit more oomph, though it is true that Roger died shortly after all of this came to a head and therefore was in a way saved from considerable embarrassment because he never did face trial of any sort. What was most powerful about this episode was the switch that happened with Beth when she heard that Gretchen made recordings, something Roger didn’t even acknowledge and railroaded right past to decry the character of those who made allegations against him. Trump being featured on television defending his good friend after Roger called him was typically unsubtle, but it speaks volumes, since Trump does the same thing in his handling of situations he can’t deny – he tries to be the loudest voice in the room so that he can drown out anything he doesn’t like. Evidently, Roger made plenty of enemies, with Lachlan, portrayed by a questionably-accented Barry Watson, taking particular delight in watching Roger’s fall from grace when Rupert brought him in to fire him. The avalanche of testimonies featuring Roger’s deplorable nature was intense and excessive, though I think that’s the point since he tried to get away with whatever he wanted without any sense of, or regard for, the harm he was causing to people. I’m still interested to learn what plot points were fabricated or imagined for the sake of drama on this show, but I think the overarching message is clear, which is that power, left unchecked, can be dangerous if abused by those with far too much of it. This limited series held my attention each week, and I very much hope Russell Crowe is now more liked than he used to be so that he can claim an Emmy for his astonishing turn.
Series grade: B+
Series MVP: Russell Crowe
Showing posts with label The Loudest Voice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Loudest Voice. Show all posts
Thursday, August 15, 2019
Friday, August 9, 2019
What I’m Watching: The Loudest Voice (Penultimate Episode)
The Loudest Voice: Season 1, Episode 6 “2015” (B+)
As his health is declining and he’s no longer able to appear as strong as he’d like to, Roger is making sure to do the exact opposite of what he’s instructed in every case so that he can show that he’s still kicking. For anyone to expect to report to the same boss for nineteen years in a row is crazy, and Roger isn’t about to accept anything that feels like a demotion or him being pushed out by those he deems less capable. This limited series was supposed to be all about Fox News and the rise of Trump, with the latter being on full display in this hour as Roger coached him on how to officially launch his campaign and promised airtime to his team whenever they requested it so that they could help him win. I don’t want to read too much about what actually happened so that whatever I don’t know can still be revealed in the finale, but I am curious what here has been confirmed and corroborated rather than just assumed and invented by those who spent time around Roger and his closest associates. It’s reassuring to see Gretchen taking proactive action to try to take Roger down, continuing to record her conversations with Roger and consulting a lawyer to figure out what her options are. Getting out of the building without signing those papers upon her dismissal was particularly impressive, and now we’ll start to see the dominoes fall, though Roger’s ailing health may take care of him first.
As his health is declining and he’s no longer able to appear as strong as he’d like to, Roger is making sure to do the exact opposite of what he’s instructed in every case so that he can show that he’s still kicking. For anyone to expect to report to the same boss for nineteen years in a row is crazy, and Roger isn’t about to accept anything that feels like a demotion or him being pushed out by those he deems less capable. This limited series was supposed to be all about Fox News and the rise of Trump, with the latter being on full display in this hour as Roger coached him on how to officially launch his campaign and promised airtime to his team whenever they requested it so that they could help him win. I don’t want to read too much about what actually happened so that whatever I don’t know can still be revealed in the finale, but I am curious what here has been confirmed and corroborated rather than just assumed and invented by those who spent time around Roger and his closest associates. It’s reassuring to see Gretchen taking proactive action to try to take Roger down, continuing to record her conversations with Roger and consulting a lawyer to figure out what her options are. Getting out of the building without signing those papers upon her dismissal was particularly impressive, and now we’ll start to see the dominoes fall, though Roger’s ailing health may take care of him first.
Thursday, August 1, 2019
What I’m Watching: The Loudest Voice
The Loudest Voice: Season 1, Episode 5 “2012” (B+)
This show can, at times, be a bit much, turning into a paranoid thriller in a way that it doesn’t need to, feeling like it’s stretching believability a bit far with events that might be hard to truly know happened as they are portrayed here. But we are seeing the true narrator of the story now in journalist Gabe Sherman, played by Fran Kranz from “Dollhouse,” who wrote the book that serves as the basis for this show. We saw the ousting of Brian Lewis in this hour after he confirmed that there was indeed an operation actively working to troll Sherman and discredit him, and though he angrily rejected the first offer of hush money from Roger, a much larger sum was enough to get him to leave the building and then call Sherman to warn him that he better stop digging. We also met Casey Close, played by Josh Charles from “The Good Wife,” who doesn’t have any clue what it is that Gretchen is experiencing on a regular basis. It was very gratifying to see her push the play button on her phone at the end of the episode so that something can finally be done to try to stop Roger from his oppressive behavior. Joe just wanted to get away for a bit but Roger didn’t want to lose control over him, demonstrating just how important and majestic he thinks he is in every arena. His downfall may not be imminent, but he’s sealed his fate with his horrific treatment of everyone around him.
This show can, at times, be a bit much, turning into a paranoid thriller in a way that it doesn’t need to, feeling like it’s stretching believability a bit far with events that might be hard to truly know happened as they are portrayed here. But we are seeing the true narrator of the story now in journalist Gabe Sherman, played by Fran Kranz from “Dollhouse,” who wrote the book that serves as the basis for this show. We saw the ousting of Brian Lewis in this hour after he confirmed that there was indeed an operation actively working to troll Sherman and discredit him, and though he angrily rejected the first offer of hush money from Roger, a much larger sum was enough to get him to leave the building and then call Sherman to warn him that he better stop digging. We also met Casey Close, played by Josh Charles from “The Good Wife,” who doesn’t have any clue what it is that Gretchen is experiencing on a regular basis. It was very gratifying to see her push the play button on her phone at the end of the episode so that something can finally be done to try to stop Roger from his oppressive behavior. Joe just wanted to get away for a bit but Roger didn’t want to lose control over him, demonstrating just how important and majestic he thinks he is in every arena. His downfall may not be imminent, but he’s sealed his fate with his horrific treatment of everyone around him.
Wednesday, July 24, 2019
What I’m Watching: The Loudest Voice
The Loudest Voice: Season 1, Episode 4 “2009” (B+)
I found the opening scene of this episode to be rather unnecessarily grotesque, showing Roger in a moment of cruel pleasure and listening to his sounds in the process. The portrait of Laurie as a woman turned completely paranoid by the degrading behavior endured by Roger on a regular basis is immensely disturbing, and it’s clear that she’s trapped in this cycle since she her belief that he’s always watching her has now led to her always being watched. Being told that she needs to find her replacement was terrible, and Roger telling Gretchen to twirl like Miss America when she came to him with a legitimate complaint was extremely manipulative and demeaning. Appointing Joe, played by Emory Cohen from “The OA,” as the editor of his town’s newspaper and sending him after someone who was infringing upon his “property rights” demonstrated just how much Roger wants to show that he can spread his influence. Going hard after Obama even after the president pointed out how one network in particular hates him just to show that he isn’t Rupert represents the way that he responds to a challenge by merely hitting back even harder. I have to imagine this episode was shot months ago, and its timing couldn’t be any more relevant. Glenn Beck being admonished for calling the president racist and Roger refusing to apologize for it made the current situation with a certain president’s tweets and sentiments feel entirely hypocritical. I guess that’s the point, but there’s no way that the particulars of this situation could have been predicted back when this hour was filmed.
I found the opening scene of this episode to be rather unnecessarily grotesque, showing Roger in a moment of cruel pleasure and listening to his sounds in the process. The portrait of Laurie as a woman turned completely paranoid by the degrading behavior endured by Roger on a regular basis is immensely disturbing, and it’s clear that she’s trapped in this cycle since she her belief that he’s always watching her has now led to her always being watched. Being told that she needs to find her replacement was terrible, and Roger telling Gretchen to twirl like Miss America when she came to him with a legitimate complaint was extremely manipulative and demeaning. Appointing Joe, played by Emory Cohen from “The OA,” as the editor of his town’s newspaper and sending him after someone who was infringing upon his “property rights” demonstrated just how much Roger wants to show that he can spread his influence. Going hard after Obama even after the president pointed out how one network in particular hates him just to show that he isn’t Rupert represents the way that he responds to a challenge by merely hitting back even harder. I have to imagine this episode was shot months ago, and its timing couldn’t be any more relevant. Glenn Beck being admonished for calling the president racist and Roger refusing to apologize for it made the current situation with a certain president’s tweets and sentiments feel entirely hypocritical. I guess that’s the point, but there’s no way that the particulars of this situation could have been predicted back when this hour was filmed.
Friday, July 19, 2019
Take Three: The Loudest Voice
The Loudest Voice: Season 1, Episode 3 “2008” (B+)
This show works on a number of levels, but it’s at its most resounding when Roger is seen watching a formative moment on television, reminiscent of the picture painted of our current president in office hearing about what’s going on in the world through Fox News. He seemed nearly as devastated seeing Obama victorious as he was seeing the second tower hit on September 11th, and he was ready to go to war on this front too. The eagerness with which he commanded that Obama be referred to by his full name, like either Martin Luther King or John Wayne Gacy, demonstrated just how little he thinks of the man, and getting frozen out of Rupert’s meeting with Obama after the “terrorist fist jab” incident indicated how out of control he’s getting. It’s interesting to see his wife take an interest in standing against the expression of liberal bias by employees of her local newspaper, and getting the pet project of owning it should allow her to feel some sort of satisfaction and purpose with Roger constantly at the office. This “multi-faceted man” doesn’t bother keeping his anger in check at any point, and he’s at his calmest when he’s indulging in his predatory video recording with that tiny little camcorder and demeaning Laurie. Having his son hoist the flag each day was yet another way of championing his patriotism, and the way that his speech in his hometown about making America great again went over is a foreboding indicator of what’s brewing in conservative circles at this moment in recent history.
This show works on a number of levels, but it’s at its most resounding when Roger is seen watching a formative moment on television, reminiscent of the picture painted of our current president in office hearing about what’s going on in the world through Fox News. He seemed nearly as devastated seeing Obama victorious as he was seeing the second tower hit on September 11th, and he was ready to go to war on this front too. The eagerness with which he commanded that Obama be referred to by his full name, like either Martin Luther King or John Wayne Gacy, demonstrated just how little he thinks of the man, and getting frozen out of Rupert’s meeting with Obama after the “terrorist fist jab” incident indicated how out of control he’s getting. It’s interesting to see his wife take an interest in standing against the expression of liberal bias by employees of her local newspaper, and getting the pet project of owning it should allow her to feel some sort of satisfaction and purpose with Roger constantly at the office. This “multi-faceted man” doesn’t bother keeping his anger in check at any point, and he’s at his calmest when he’s indulging in his predatory video recording with that tiny little camcorder and demeaning Laurie. Having his son hoist the flag each day was yet another way of championing his patriotism, and the way that his speech in his hometown about making America great again went over is a foreboding indicator of what’s brewing in conservative circles at this moment in recent history.
Saturday, July 13, 2019
Round Two: The Loudest Voice
The Loudest Voice: Season 1, Episode 2 “2001” (B+)
Skipping ahead a few years to the very formative day of September 11th, 2001 was an effective strategy for this show, demonstrating how Fox News turned into something altogether different when America was attacked. Seeing the look on Roger’s face as he saw the second plane hit the towers explained so much, and we got to see the propaganda machine at work as it first started spinning its wheels. I don’t know what’s documented and what’s not, but a good deal of this does feel a bit overt and puppetmaster-like, much to the chagrin, I’m sure, of all the people portrayed here. It’s still riveting television, and Roger is working his way up so that he can have direct communication to the vice-president as he’s drafting the talking points and actual words that those running the government are delivering to the American people. His wife understands his value and his influence, which is why she was furious about him bringing Rupert to the house on September 11th since that might make them more of a target. Roger is becoming even more unapologetic for his temper tantrums and his complete evisceration of anyone who even mildly irritates him, and while Rupert continues to believe that he’s worth a good deal, he surely won’t be able to stay on top forever. With a number of episodes and years to go, his time as a major influencer and media mogul isn’t even close to finished, and I’m very eager to see what happens next.
Skipping ahead a few years to the very formative day of September 11th, 2001 was an effective strategy for this show, demonstrating how Fox News turned into something altogether different when America was attacked. Seeing the look on Roger’s face as he saw the second plane hit the towers explained so much, and we got to see the propaganda machine at work as it first started spinning its wheels. I don’t know what’s documented and what’s not, but a good deal of this does feel a bit overt and puppetmaster-like, much to the chagrin, I’m sure, of all the people portrayed here. It’s still riveting television, and Roger is working his way up so that he can have direct communication to the vice-president as he’s drafting the talking points and actual words that those running the government are delivering to the American people. His wife understands his value and his influence, which is why she was furious about him bringing Rupert to the house on September 11th since that might make them more of a target. Roger is becoming even more unapologetic for his temper tantrums and his complete evisceration of anyone who even mildly irritates him, and while Rupert continues to believe that he’s worth a good deal, he surely won’t be able to stay on top forever. With a number of episodes and years to go, his time as a major influencer and media mogul isn’t even close to finished, and I’m very eager to see what happens next.
Monday, July 8, 2019
Pilot Review: The Loudest Voice
I'm trying something new with my pilot reviews, so from now on, check out video takes on each new series, which I'll embed below and you can also watch by subscribing to movieswithabe on YouTube.
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