Years and Years: Season 1, Episode 6 (B+)
Well, this was a pretty intense and thorough finale. Seeing the BBC close and journalists banned for challenging Vivienne was an unoptimistic start, but things got a lot better by the end of the hour. Gran planning to sell her house was a sign that the family might truly disintegrate, especially when it was revealed that, not only was Bethany working with Edith, but Celeste was working with them too to try to track down Viktor. To me, their affinity for Viktor both before and after Daniel’s death has been the strongest indicator of the bond that ties this family together. I like that, so many hours of watching and years of events into this show, it transformed into less of a family drama and into more of a triumphant showcase of a revolution. Edith taking her phone out to begin recording and, in her own words, start a war, was an exciting moment that was followed by Rosie barging in with an extra set of legs and a truck, and Bethany broadcasting to ensure that their message got out to the world. While it’s hopeful that it wouldn’t take over a decade to reverse some of the more troubling trends of our day, this was a reassuring finale that also had an eerie forward-facing conclusion. Explaining the framing device as Edith narrating her life so that she could be digitized was an interesting reveal, and having everyone turn towards Señor to see if her consciousness had been downloaded into it was a mesmerizing way of ending the show. At least Stephen got redeemed somewhat too, making the family narrative piece of this worthwhile in addition to the overall global perspective it portrayed. I don’t imagine that a second season will be happening but I’d be somewhat curious to see it. Mostly, I’m hopeful that some of the technological advances predicted do end up becoming real while the global developments don’t.
Season grade: B+
Season MVP: Ruth Madeley as Rosie
Showing posts with label Years and Years. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Years and Years. Show all posts
Friday, August 2, 2019
Thursday, July 25, 2019
What I’m Watching: Years and Years
Years and Years: Season 1, Episode 5 (B)
With Daniel gone, this episode delved a lot more into the rest of the family and their activities in this new world order trying to stay productive and, in some cases, resistant to the regime in power. Some parts of what’s happening make a small degree of sense, like the new law that anyone with two spare bedrooms must be ready to take in the homeless, while these rumors about the “disappeared” are deeply disconcerting. It’s more disturbing to learn that this “erstwhile” project is pointed and deliberate, and Vivienne, seen up close in a room full of important people who work in the shadows, believes that the natural selection process should be allowed to play out to manage overcrowding in the places that she understands she probably shouldn’t call camps. Rosie’s neighborhood being classified as a criminal zone was unsettling also, and now she’s both out of a job due to the cancelled license and unable to even leave her during restricted hours. Some people are benefitting more from newly available technology, like Gran getting her eyes completely fixed for a sizable fee, and Bethany got closer to digitizing herself than ever before. At least it’s good to see Bethany doing something helpful for once, assisting Edith in breaking in to find files and then causing a blackout when she was about to get caught. Stephen’s behavior has been highly deplorable, and Bethany knowing that he got Viktor disappeared is going to make for tense battle lines being drawn heading into what’s sure to be a transformative finale.
With Daniel gone, this episode delved a lot more into the rest of the family and their activities in this new world order trying to stay productive and, in some cases, resistant to the regime in power. Some parts of what’s happening make a small degree of sense, like the new law that anyone with two spare bedrooms must be ready to take in the homeless, while these rumors about the “disappeared” are deeply disconcerting. It’s more disturbing to learn that this “erstwhile” project is pointed and deliberate, and Vivienne, seen up close in a room full of important people who work in the shadows, believes that the natural selection process should be allowed to play out to manage overcrowding in the places that she understands she probably shouldn’t call camps. Rosie’s neighborhood being classified as a criminal zone was unsettling also, and now she’s both out of a job due to the cancelled license and unable to even leave her during restricted hours. Some people are benefitting more from newly available technology, like Gran getting her eyes completely fixed for a sizable fee, and Bethany got closer to digitizing herself than ever before. At least it’s good to see Bethany doing something helpful for once, assisting Edith in breaking in to find files and then causing a blackout when she was about to get caught. Stephen’s behavior has been highly deplorable, and Bethany knowing that he got Viktor disappeared is going to make for tense battle lines being drawn heading into what’s sure to be a transformative finale.
Friday, July 19, 2019
What I’m Watching: Years and Years
Years and Years: Season 1, Episode 4 (B)
With a show like this, it’s hard to know how things will turn out, though I guess it’s a wonder that the only character who died up until this point was one who hadn’t even played a major onscreen part. Daniel has exhausted so much effort in trying to be with Viktor and keep him safe, and an unhappy end for the couple was foreshadowed multiple times throughout this episode when he demonstrated an overly elitist attitude in regards to the dangerous conditions of travel they had to endure to get back to the United Kingdom. It wasn’t his fault that he got ripped off for 6,000 EUR before then paying the same amount to end up on a boat that was woefully overcrowded, and he ultimately lost his life making the journey back to his home. Viktor, who has been so strong throughout all this, seemed truly broken when he got to his house and called the family link to tell them all. Everything else that occurred in this hour pales in comparison, but it’s still worth addressing. The recap of world events was even more miserable than before, with the January Revolution in Spain and the tendency for even left-wing governments to turn asylum seekers away. The collapse of many European governments doesn’t feel as inevitable as it should, and the overturning of Roe v. Wade is something most expect to happen long before this distant point in the future. Rosie’s personal and business endeavors seem to be going well despite her sister threatening her new partner, and Stephen’s affair being discovered couldn’t really have played out any worse for him than it did.
With a show like this, it’s hard to know how things will turn out, though I guess it’s a wonder that the only character who died up until this point was one who hadn’t even played a major onscreen part. Daniel has exhausted so much effort in trying to be with Viktor and keep him safe, and an unhappy end for the couple was foreshadowed multiple times throughout this episode when he demonstrated an overly elitist attitude in regards to the dangerous conditions of travel they had to endure to get back to the United Kingdom. It wasn’t his fault that he got ripped off for 6,000 EUR before then paying the same amount to end up on a boat that was woefully overcrowded, and he ultimately lost his life making the journey back to his home. Viktor, who has been so strong throughout all this, seemed truly broken when he got to his house and called the family link to tell them all. Everything else that occurred in this hour pales in comparison, but it’s still worth addressing. The recap of world events was even more miserable than before, with the January Revolution in Spain and the tendency for even left-wing governments to turn asylum seekers away. The collapse of many European governments doesn’t feel as inevitable as it should, and the overturning of Roe v. Wade is something most expect to happen long before this distant point in the future. Rosie’s personal and business endeavors seem to be going well despite her sister threatening her new partner, and Stephen’s affair being discovered couldn’t really have played out any worse for him than it did.
Saturday, July 13, 2019
Take Three: Years and Years
Years and Years: Season 1, Episode 3 (B)
It’s 2026 already, and the world isn’t looking like a fantastic place. There wasn’t much criticism of what America has become in this hour, but instead a more skewering indictment of everything happening within this fictional near-future England. Rook is sharing even more dangerous ideas about what she’ll do in power as she ascends the ladder of influence, like citizens having to take an IQ test in order to vote, and now she’s going to be able to achieve a lot more after her impressive election performance. This show is probably strongest in its representation of subtle technological developments, namely the self-heating meal that managed to put Rosie out of a job. Bethany and her new friend continue to get themselves into trouble by trying to turn their bodies into machines, and it’s no surprise that one of their surgeries got botched in a frightening way. Celeste swooped in to help even though she’s going through a lot, namely Stephen complaining about his miserable job constantly and having an affair that he’s doing a poor job of hiding. Edith is keeping busy with her anarchist behavior, making use of whatever time she has left to bring down those she considers to be villainous. Viktor is quite the lucky guy, managing to escape Ukraine just before the police arrived and seek asylum in Spain, where he was even granted a conjugal visit with Daniel. This relationship may well work out, and eventually they could even be together again, though not likely in England if Rook decides immigrants aren’t part of her vision for British society.
It’s 2026 already, and the world isn’t looking like a fantastic place. There wasn’t much criticism of what America has become in this hour, but instead a more skewering indictment of everything happening within this fictional near-future England. Rook is sharing even more dangerous ideas about what she’ll do in power as she ascends the ladder of influence, like citizens having to take an IQ test in order to vote, and now she’s going to be able to achieve a lot more after her impressive election performance. This show is probably strongest in its representation of subtle technological developments, namely the self-heating meal that managed to put Rosie out of a job. Bethany and her new friend continue to get themselves into trouble by trying to turn their bodies into machines, and it’s no surprise that one of their surgeries got botched in a frightening way. Celeste swooped in to help even though she’s going through a lot, namely Stephen complaining about his miserable job constantly and having an affair that he’s doing a poor job of hiding. Edith is keeping busy with her anarchist behavior, making use of whatever time she has left to bring down those she considers to be villainous. Viktor is quite the lucky guy, managing to escape Ukraine just before the police arrived and seek asylum in Spain, where he was even granted a conjugal visit with Daniel. This relationship may well work out, and eventually they could even be together again, though not likely in England if Rook decides immigrants aren’t part of her vision for British society.
Thursday, July 11, 2019
Round Two: Years and Years
Years and Years: Season 1, Episode 2 (B)
This show continues to be interesting in its second outing, and it’s definitely presenting a world that’s gone off the rails. When a public official being decapitated by a drone isn’t the most outrageous and horrific moment of the hour, there’s certainly cause for concern. The United States is being portrayed as a truly problematic place, with Pence being elected president and seen merely as a puppet for Trump, who of course at that point would be pushing eighty (not to mention that a Pence presidency would be plenty more conservative than the current administration). Either way, the focus remains across the pond, with the bank bust proving to be devastating for Stephen and Celeste, and angering the masses to the point of the police officers who are supposed to be keeping the peace joining in the chaos. I was excited to recognize Daniel’s ex Ralph from actor Dino Fetscher’s role as Stanley on “Humans,” though his character here was considerably less kindhearted, responding to Daniel reaching out by getting Viktor deported, something that happened very quickly and elicited a surprisingly positive outlook from Viktor. Bethany continues to adopt all the newest technology, and there doesn’t seem to be much benefit to having a phone installed in her body. Edith’s return is showcasing the more liberal side of the family, and now the future is getting even darker with Vivienne’s election following her technology-dampening “blink” stunt. Seeing the repercussions of a much more domestic antiestablishment regime should be both intriguing and frightening.
This show continues to be interesting in its second outing, and it’s definitely presenting a world that’s gone off the rails. When a public official being decapitated by a drone isn’t the most outrageous and horrific moment of the hour, there’s certainly cause for concern. The United States is being portrayed as a truly problematic place, with Pence being elected president and seen merely as a puppet for Trump, who of course at that point would be pushing eighty (not to mention that a Pence presidency would be plenty more conservative than the current administration). Either way, the focus remains across the pond, with the bank bust proving to be devastating for Stephen and Celeste, and angering the masses to the point of the police officers who are supposed to be keeping the peace joining in the chaos. I was excited to recognize Daniel’s ex Ralph from actor Dino Fetscher’s role as Stanley on “Humans,” though his character here was considerably less kindhearted, responding to Daniel reaching out by getting Viktor deported, something that happened very quickly and elicited a surprisingly positive outlook from Viktor. Bethany continues to adopt all the newest technology, and there doesn’t seem to be much benefit to having a phone installed in her body. Edith’s return is showcasing the more liberal side of the family, and now the future is getting even darker with Vivienne’s election following her technology-dampening “blink” stunt. Seeing the repercussions of a much more domestic antiestablishment regime should be both intriguing and frightening.
Wednesday, July 3, 2019
Pilot Review: Years and Years
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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