Saturday, October 5, 2019
Pilot Review: Almost Family
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.
What I’m Watching: Four Weddings and a Funeral (Series Finale)
Four Weddings and a Funeral: Season 1, Episode 10 “New Jersey” (B-)
This show has definitely been entertaining, and I’d like to emphasize that I have greatly enjoyed watching it even if it’s not the highest quality storytelling. The number of people on this show who got over past relationships with considerable ease after earlier expressing bitter hatred for their exes and then attended their weddings with smiles on their face is absolutely incredible, and this episode was full of that. I’m not entirely clear why Andrew and Tony traveled across the pond to attend Duffy and Gemma’s wedding, which was an unusual affair that felt a lot more like him than her, and them being there wasn’t quite as shocking as Tabby making it possible for some of Duffy’s students to be there. Maya’s poster scene taken right out of “Love Actually” didn’t have the desired effect on Ainsley, but Bryce saving all her letters did, resulting in a complete shift in her thinking, forgiving both Maya and Kash for their betrayal. Tricking Kash into thinking that Maya was marrying Duffy so that he’d rush over on a flight to declare his love for her was a fun if relatively unbelievable move, and Duffy begging him to sit down so that he wouldn’t ruin any more weddings was amusing. At least everyone ended up together, which was nice, and even Craig got happiness with his expanded family as he was painted as even dumber than Zara, hardly the show’s most memorable character. I’d be happy to revisit these characters in the future, though I think given the critical reception for this miniseries, it’s unlikely that anyone would be up for continuing these stories.
Season grade: B
Season MVP: Nathalie Emmanuel as Maya
This show has definitely been entertaining, and I’d like to emphasize that I have greatly enjoyed watching it even if it’s not the highest quality storytelling. The number of people on this show who got over past relationships with considerable ease after earlier expressing bitter hatred for their exes and then attended their weddings with smiles on their face is absolutely incredible, and this episode was full of that. I’m not entirely clear why Andrew and Tony traveled across the pond to attend Duffy and Gemma’s wedding, which was an unusual affair that felt a lot more like him than her, and them being there wasn’t quite as shocking as Tabby making it possible for some of Duffy’s students to be there. Maya’s poster scene taken right out of “Love Actually” didn’t have the desired effect on Ainsley, but Bryce saving all her letters did, resulting in a complete shift in her thinking, forgiving both Maya and Kash for their betrayal. Tricking Kash into thinking that Maya was marrying Duffy so that he’d rush over on a flight to declare his love for her was a fun if relatively unbelievable move, and Duffy begging him to sit down so that he wouldn’t ruin any more weddings was amusing. At least everyone ended up together, which was nice, and even Craig got happiness with his expanded family as he was painted as even dumber than Zara, hardly the show’s most memorable character. I’d be happy to revisit these characters in the future, though I think given the critical reception for this miniseries, it’s unlikely that anyone would be up for continuing these stories.
Season grade: B
Season MVP: Nathalie Emmanuel as Maya
What I’m Watching: This Is Us
This Is Us: Season 4, Episode 2 “The Pool: Part Two” (B+)
This was a strong follow-up to a premiere that barely featured any of the characters we know, honing in on the regulars we’ve come to care about without too much focus on the new people introduced in last week’s episode. I didn’t remember much about the first episode set at the pool, which was the fourth installment of season one, which my review reminds me had all three kids dealing with similar issues. Kate choosing to make the best of being tricked into expecting a different boy to come kiss her felt like a true moment of growth, while Kevin was surprisingly introspective and wanted to know if his father thought he was a good person, something Jack didn’t know if he handled the right way. In the present, all attention is being paid to baby Jack and his path forward in the world, which we know ends with him finding success in music and a wonderful woman to love, but that seems so far away as the house is baby-proofed for a kid who isn’t going to be able to see. Toby getting all those comments about losing weight were suspicious, and the fact that he’s turned to working out hard to deal with his anxiety while Kate has returned to overeating is certainly going to create problems for their relationship soon. Kevin choosing to go check on his uncle after getting a great new part and finishing work with M. Night Shyamalan shows that he’s finally prioritizing the right things. Everything related to Randall and his family was very sweet and charming, particularly his protective banter with Deja and Tess choosing to get a bold new haircut that will hopefully help her feel more comfortable in her own skin. After all the fighting last season, it’s good to see this Pearson clan in better shape with only good things on the horizon.
This was a strong follow-up to a premiere that barely featured any of the characters we know, honing in on the regulars we’ve come to care about without too much focus on the new people introduced in last week’s episode. I didn’t remember much about the first episode set at the pool, which was the fourth installment of season one, which my review reminds me had all three kids dealing with similar issues. Kate choosing to make the best of being tricked into expecting a different boy to come kiss her felt like a true moment of growth, while Kevin was surprisingly introspective and wanted to know if his father thought he was a good person, something Jack didn’t know if he handled the right way. In the present, all attention is being paid to baby Jack and his path forward in the world, which we know ends with him finding success in music and a wonderful woman to love, but that seems so far away as the house is baby-proofed for a kid who isn’t going to be able to see. Toby getting all those comments about losing weight were suspicious, and the fact that he’s turned to working out hard to deal with his anxiety while Kate has returned to overeating is certainly going to create problems for their relationship soon. Kevin choosing to go check on his uncle after getting a great new part and finishing work with M. Night Shyamalan shows that he’s finally prioritizing the right things. Everything related to Randall and his family was very sweet and charming, particularly his protective banter with Deja and Tess choosing to get a bold new haircut that will hopefully help her feel more comfortable in her own skin. After all the fighting last season, it’s good to see this Pearson clan in better shape with only good things on the horizon.
Friday, October 4, 2019
What I’m Watching: The Conners
The Conners: Season 2, Episode 2 “A Kiss Is Just a Kiss” (B)
This episode focused in on just one plotline more than usual, looking at Darlene as the center of the universe and the multitude of problems that came at her at the same time. She’s doing a very poor job of balancing the two relationships she’s found herself in, and something tells me that Ben isn’t going to be happy at all when he finds out that she’s been carrying on an affair with her ex. Jackie isn’t exactly subtle, physically blockading the stairwell when David was up there so that Ben wouldn’t get any ideas of looking around and finding him after his surprise stop-by. Ben’s suggestion of therapy was hilariously mirrored by Darlene when David tried to get serious about their relationship, and those delay tactics aren’t going to work too well given that David was ready to run in and tell the kids that they were getting back together when Darlene is definitely nowhere close to that point. Mark being in violation of the no-PDA rule and then having his boyfriend deny that there was ever anything between them led to a great opportunity for Darlene and even David to show their support, to “parent the crap out of that kid,” as David put it. I personally enjoyed Dan giving Mark some endearing relationship advice, and it’s good to see the young character featured in a way that isn’t just tangential, like say Harris or DJ, who really don’t get much to do other than show up in a scene for half a second.
This episode focused in on just one plotline more than usual, looking at Darlene as the center of the universe and the multitude of problems that came at her at the same time. She’s doing a very poor job of balancing the two relationships she’s found herself in, and something tells me that Ben isn’t going to be happy at all when he finds out that she’s been carrying on an affair with her ex. Jackie isn’t exactly subtle, physically blockading the stairwell when David was up there so that Ben wouldn’t get any ideas of looking around and finding him after his surprise stop-by. Ben’s suggestion of therapy was hilariously mirrored by Darlene when David tried to get serious about their relationship, and those delay tactics aren’t going to work too well given that David was ready to run in and tell the kids that they were getting back together when Darlene is definitely nowhere close to that point. Mark being in violation of the no-PDA rule and then having his boyfriend deny that there was ever anything between them led to a great opportunity for Darlene and even David to show their support, to “parent the crap out of that kid,” as David put it. I personally enjoyed Dan giving Mark some endearing relationship advice, and it’s good to see the young character featured in a way that isn’t just tangential, like say Harris or DJ, who really don’t get much to do other than show up in a scene for half a second.
What I’m Watching: Our Boys (Penultimate Episode)
Our Boys: Season 1, Episode 9 “Chapter 9: The Perfumer and the Tanner” (B+)
As this show nears its end, it’s continuing down a very intriguing route that asks many moral questions about the outcome of this trial. What Dvora heard about the potentially negative implications of Jews being convicted for murder in terms of worldwide perceptions of Jews and Israel is definitely cause for concern, and it’s actually something I worried about with this show in general since what it portrays could certainly be damaging. It’s continually incredible to see just how each action taken by any person involved in any aspect of the case is interpreted as an affront, like Mohammed’s name being added to the list of the victims of terror. The harassment of Simon that has begun and will surely continue shows how protective institutions can be, even if it’s clear in this case that the actions of these three people were indeed horrendous and should be fully decried, with those responsible to be held accountable. Having to find an American psychiatrist who would fly in to Israel so that he could assess Yosef Haim shows that there is a certain toxicity to any association with what’s perceived as a rarity rather than the norm. Simon’s definition of modern terrorism was powerful and entirely applicable to the spate of mass shootings in the United States. Avishai felt betrayed by what Simon said since he still believes that he never intended to kill, and getting encouraged by Simon’s past informant isn’t going to help his mental state. I’ll also now hear the song he sang upon his release, which I’ve listened to many times in the past, in an entirely different way.
As this show nears its end, it’s continuing down a very intriguing route that asks many moral questions about the outcome of this trial. What Dvora heard about the potentially negative implications of Jews being convicted for murder in terms of worldwide perceptions of Jews and Israel is definitely cause for concern, and it’s actually something I worried about with this show in general since what it portrays could certainly be damaging. It’s continually incredible to see just how each action taken by any person involved in any aspect of the case is interpreted as an affront, like Mohammed’s name being added to the list of the victims of terror. The harassment of Simon that has begun and will surely continue shows how protective institutions can be, even if it’s clear in this case that the actions of these three people were indeed horrendous and should be fully decried, with those responsible to be held accountable. Having to find an American psychiatrist who would fly in to Israel so that he could assess Yosef Haim shows that there is a certain toxicity to any association with what’s perceived as a rarity rather than the norm. Simon’s definition of modern terrorism was powerful and entirely applicable to the spate of mass shootings in the United States. Avishai felt betrayed by what Simon said since he still believes that he never intended to kill, and getting encouraged by Simon’s past informant isn’t going to help his mental state. I’ll also now hear the song he sang upon his release, which I’ve listened to many times in the past, in an entirely different way.
What I’m Watching: The Righteous Gemstones
The Righteous Gemstones: Season 1, Episode 7 “And Yet One of You is a Devil” (B+)
It was fitting that everything would fall apart for the Gemstones on the biggest day of the year, one that had very different outcomes for each of the adult children. After expressing such support for his niece in the previous episode, Baby Billy almost immediately revealed his true colors when he refused to even acknowledge Judy’s excitement at what her father had chosen for her to do. The whole situation even managed to get BJ to stand up for himself, threatening the one support system Judy actually has in her life. Kelvin didn’t figure much into this installment, with his recent accomplishment resulting in nothing other than the status quo assignment. Jesse, on the other hand, got a big promotion to deliver the major sermon, and he even found himself at a great place with his eldest son when he thought he had brilliantly deduced Gideon’s sexual orientation. Scotty put on quite the act at the start of the episode when he showed up all dressed up to impress the family and kept up his semi-professional act on the boat. Showing up to grab Jesse and then take the keycard from Eli left this episode on a very desolate note, with Jesse likely past being mad at his son for his betrayal because there’s nothing left to do about it aside from work together to get out of the vault, keep the Gemstone name from being tainted forever, and get revenge on the man who just took a whole lot of money from them without all that much effort.
It was fitting that everything would fall apart for the Gemstones on the biggest day of the year, one that had very different outcomes for each of the adult children. After expressing such support for his niece in the previous episode, Baby Billy almost immediately revealed his true colors when he refused to even acknowledge Judy’s excitement at what her father had chosen for her to do. The whole situation even managed to get BJ to stand up for himself, threatening the one support system Judy actually has in her life. Kelvin didn’t figure much into this installment, with his recent accomplishment resulting in nothing other than the status quo assignment. Jesse, on the other hand, got a big promotion to deliver the major sermon, and he even found himself at a great place with his eldest son when he thought he had brilliantly deduced Gideon’s sexual orientation. Scotty put on quite the act at the start of the episode when he showed up all dressed up to impress the family and kept up his semi-professional act on the boat. Showing up to grab Jesse and then take the keycard from Eli left this episode on a very desolate note, with Jesse likely past being mad at his son for his betrayal because there’s nothing left to do about it aside from work together to get out of the vault, keep the Gemstone name from being tainted forever, and get revenge on the man who just took a whole lot of money from them without all that much effort.
Thursday, October 3, 2019
Pilot Review: Godfather of Harlem
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.
What I’m Watching: The Affair
The Affair: Season 5, Episode 6 (B-)
After meeting Anna Paquin’s adult Joanie for just a few minutes at a time over the course of the last few episodes, now we get an entire hour focused on her, without a single other perspective to perceive the situation differently. It certainly seems like she’s self-destructive enough on her own without anyone having to judge her, and while it does make some sense given what’s happened in her life, it’s not all that inviting to watch. Joanie isn’t a particularly nice person, treating EJ horribly before finally starting to spend time with him and then having sex with him, assuring him that he wasn’t actually good in bed even though he claimed to be. I also realized that I erred a few weeks ago in noting that Noah would be dead in the future since Cole was actually her father, but she did mention Noah, who I can’t imagine survived long enough without someone trying to kill him but may well still be alive in this future. Joanie looking into the idea of her mother having been killed by Ben seems like an unnecessary avenue, one that isn’t going to tell us any more about the characters like Noah and Helen we do still know in the past since Noah’s obsessions have shifted entirely from his second wife back to his first. Seeing an older Luisa wasn’t overly informative, and I continue to question why this future exploration was needed or helpful in any way to this show’s overall arc.
What I’m Watching: God Friended Me (Season Premiere)
God Friended Me: Season 2, Episode 1 “Joy” (B-)
I’m checking in to the second season of this show even though I still don’t think it’s terribly good, but rather because others in my life enjoy watching it and so I’ve decided to keep it up too. Its characters are in very different places than they were back in season one, and it’s going to have a modified rhythm as a result. I’m still pretty appalled by just how pushy Miles is in every single situation, and it’s a wonder that someone hasn’t either called the cops on him and his invasive crew or, in the case of one very dedicated member of the military, dealt with his unwelcome presence in a physical manner. Obviously, Joy was going to turn out to be a much better person than she let on, and Miles needs a partner with Cara over in Paris and Rakesh more focused on his actual work duties. Cara finding her mentor again only to be chewed out because she’s associated with Simon, who was indeed a terrible person back in the day, was a sentimental moment turned into yet another mystery, which suggests that the God account was responsible for bringing her to New York and not someone she knew sending her a message on Facebook. Arthur not being ready to move was understandable, and buying a house that he and Trish were supposed to look at together seemed like one hell of a dramatic overcorrection, at the very least that he and his son are both big on broad gestures that might be worthy of a second thought in hindsight.
I’m checking in to the second season of this show even though I still don’t think it’s terribly good, but rather because others in my life enjoy watching it and so I’ve decided to keep it up too. Its characters are in very different places than they were back in season one, and it’s going to have a modified rhythm as a result. I’m still pretty appalled by just how pushy Miles is in every single situation, and it’s a wonder that someone hasn’t either called the cops on him and his invasive crew or, in the case of one very dedicated member of the military, dealt with his unwelcome presence in a physical manner. Obviously, Joy was going to turn out to be a much better person than she let on, and Miles needs a partner with Cara over in Paris and Rakesh more focused on his actual work duties. Cara finding her mentor again only to be chewed out because she’s associated with Simon, who was indeed a terrible person back in the day, was a sentimental moment turned into yet another mystery, which suggests that the God account was responsible for bringing her to New York and not someone she knew sending her a message on Facebook. Arthur not being ready to move was understandable, and buying a house that he and Trish were supposed to look at together seemed like one hell of a dramatic overcorrection, at the very least that he and his son are both big on broad gestures that might be worthy of a second thought in hindsight.
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
Pilot Review: Bless the Harts
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.
Pilot Review: The Politician
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.
Take Three: Undone
Undone: Season 1, Episode 3 “Handheld Blackjack” (B+)
I’m continually astounded by this show, and so appreciate of the animated format that allows it to provide transcendent visuals to explain how Alma is experiencing time and reality. Opening and closing the episode with Alma having her hearing aids out adds another dimension to it, and the way that things around her are changing, like the photos on the wall or the placement of the couch, is appropriately haunting since she’s no longer able to stay grounded in her own life. Jacob giving her the electronic blackjack game to play continuously so that she’d be able to stay tethered to the physical plane is a fascinating notion, though the game, with its loud sounds, seems to be far too distracting to everyone else to feel like a legitimate option. Tunde is rightfully concerned about her being around kids, though calling her boyfriend to express concern about the state of her “emotional recovery” doesn’t feel like the right thing for him to have done. Asking her mother questions about her father’s death and his student Farnaz feels like the start of her going down a rabbit hole, and I’d hope that Jacob is able to warn her from becoming entirely disconnected from her world in a way that will trap her in the same state as him, unable to help because she can’t get back to where she was. Bringing her back to a class he was teaching about time travel adds a scientific element to it, one that makes this fantastical show and concept even more appealing.
I’m continually astounded by this show, and so appreciate of the animated format that allows it to provide transcendent visuals to explain how Alma is experiencing time and reality. Opening and closing the episode with Alma having her hearing aids out adds another dimension to it, and the way that things around her are changing, like the photos on the wall or the placement of the couch, is appropriately haunting since she’s no longer able to stay grounded in her own life. Jacob giving her the electronic blackjack game to play continuously so that she’d be able to stay tethered to the physical plane is a fascinating notion, though the game, with its loud sounds, seems to be far too distracting to everyone else to feel like a legitimate option. Tunde is rightfully concerned about her being around kids, though calling her boyfriend to express concern about the state of her “emotional recovery” doesn’t feel like the right thing for him to have done. Asking her mother questions about her father’s death and his student Farnaz feels like the start of her going down a rabbit hole, and I’d hope that Jacob is able to warn her from becoming entirely disconnected from her world in a way that will trap her in the same state as him, unable to help because she can’t get back to where she was. Bringing her back to a class he was teaching about time travel adds a scientific element to it, one that makes this fantastical show and concept even more appealing.
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
Take Three: Unbelievable
Unbelievable: Season 1, Episode 3 (B+)
I had heard great things about Toni Collette’s performance, and they weren’t wrong. Grace is extremely intense and not one to hold back any of what she’s feeling, and she clashes with Karen in an interesting way since they both feel they have to fight to be heard but Grace is more overtly intimidating to anyone she encounters, including the suspect played by Tate Ellington from “Quantico” that she interrogated at the start of the hour. The most memorable scene of the hour came from Merritt Wever as Karen berated one of her team members for not thinking to follow up on lab reports and being content with waiting to hear back from someone else rather than proactively following up. I also recognized Dale Dickey, who appeared in last week’s episode of “Why Women Kill” and who I’ll always remember from “Winter’s Bone,” as RoseMarie, the detective who sits next to Grace and seems to be tangentially involved in some of her cases. Connecting these two very similar cases is a great first step, and it appears to be taking a lot longer for anyone to realize that Marie is also a victim of the same law enforcement offender, and she’s spiraling as people continue to be horrible to her and now she’s received a criminal citation for filing a false report. Amber’s boyfriend was obsessed with the statistics about what happens if a rapist isn’t found in seven days, and the pressure is definitely on for Karen and Grace to pool their resources and get one step ahead of someone who takes extraordinary care not to be found and whose efforts towards perfection may just be what get him caught.
I had heard great things about Toni Collette’s performance, and they weren’t wrong. Grace is extremely intense and not one to hold back any of what she’s feeling, and she clashes with Karen in an interesting way since they both feel they have to fight to be heard but Grace is more overtly intimidating to anyone she encounters, including the suspect played by Tate Ellington from “Quantico” that she interrogated at the start of the hour. The most memorable scene of the hour came from Merritt Wever as Karen berated one of her team members for not thinking to follow up on lab reports and being content with waiting to hear back from someone else rather than proactively following up. I also recognized Dale Dickey, who appeared in last week’s episode of “Why Women Kill” and who I’ll always remember from “Winter’s Bone,” as RoseMarie, the detective who sits next to Grace and seems to be tangentially involved in some of her cases. Connecting these two very similar cases is a great first step, and it appears to be taking a lot longer for anyone to realize that Marie is also a victim of the same law enforcement offender, and she’s spiraling as people continue to be horrible to her and now she’s received a criminal citation for filing a false report. Amber’s boyfriend was obsessed with the statistics about what happens if a rapist isn’t found in seven days, and the pressure is definitely on for Karen and Grace to pool their resources and get one step ahead of someone who takes extraordinary care not to be found and whose efforts towards perfection may just be what get him caught.
What I’m Watching: Transparent (Series Finale)
Transparent: Season 5, Episode 1 “Musicale Finale”
It’s been just over two full years since the fourth season of this show premiered on Amazon Prime and just two or so months less than that since I finished watching it. I interviewed Jay Duplass, who plays Josh, at SXSW this past March for his role in the film “Pink Wall,” and he said that this musical finale was “in the can” and would be released soon. Now, it’s out there, and this show’s wild, transformative journey is officially over. I’m not sure who thought that a musical finish to this story was the right way to go, and it definitely had its ups and downs. The first song reminded me of “La La Land” in its street-specific California geography lesson, but musically it got better from there. The most moving song was the one with the young Shelly and Maura as dancers, and, thematically, the song that contained the lyrics “your boundary is my trigger” was enormously effective. The duet between Raquel and Josh in the sanctuary was also strong, and far better than Raquel’s more inexplicably scandalous number earlier in the episode. Ari’s “Bart Mitzvah” was weird but somewhat fitting, but I wasn’t fond of the “Joyocaust” ending which sought to sum up the entire Jewish people with this progressive attitude that feels more than a bit flippant. I’d prefer the show stick to its strengths, like Ari’s religious and sexual identity and Shelly’s desperate efforts to fit in when her deceased former spouse has now effectively replaced her as the matriarch of the family. Comedy like the rabbi continually saying “Pefferman” worked well, and familiar faces like Lila, Colton, Leslie, and Tammy showing up were appropriately short and sentimental. Rainn Wilson and Richard Kind showed up for brief appearances, and Davina singing was another highlight, an enduring non-family presence on this show. The most obviously missing part of this show in this finale was Jeffrey Tambor, who contributed tremendously to what it was but evidently wasn’t all that it is. It’s nice that, especially given the allegations against him regarding his on-set conduct, it evolved beyond him. The concept of this send-off was indeed intriguing, and I’d say that the execution was mostly good even if it did overreach considerably at the end.
Series finale: B
Series grade: B+
Finale MVP: Alexandra Billings as Davina
Series MVP: Jeffrey Tambor as Maura
Best Season: Season 1
Best Episode: Pilot
It’s been just over two full years since the fourth season of this show premiered on Amazon Prime and just two or so months less than that since I finished watching it. I interviewed Jay Duplass, who plays Josh, at SXSW this past March for his role in the film “Pink Wall,” and he said that this musical finale was “in the can” and would be released soon. Now, it’s out there, and this show’s wild, transformative journey is officially over. I’m not sure who thought that a musical finish to this story was the right way to go, and it definitely had its ups and downs. The first song reminded me of “La La Land” in its street-specific California geography lesson, but musically it got better from there. The most moving song was the one with the young Shelly and Maura as dancers, and, thematically, the song that contained the lyrics “your boundary is my trigger” was enormously effective. The duet between Raquel and Josh in the sanctuary was also strong, and far better than Raquel’s more inexplicably scandalous number earlier in the episode. Ari’s “Bart Mitzvah” was weird but somewhat fitting, but I wasn’t fond of the “Joyocaust” ending which sought to sum up the entire Jewish people with this progressive attitude that feels more than a bit flippant. I’d prefer the show stick to its strengths, like Ari’s religious and sexual identity and Shelly’s desperate efforts to fit in when her deceased former spouse has now effectively replaced her as the matriarch of the family. Comedy like the rabbi continually saying “Pefferman” worked well, and familiar faces like Lila, Colton, Leslie, and Tammy showing up were appropriately short and sentimental. Rainn Wilson and Richard Kind showed up for brief appearances, and Davina singing was another highlight, an enduring non-family presence on this show. The most obviously missing part of this show in this finale was Jeffrey Tambor, who contributed tremendously to what it was but evidently wasn’t all that it is. It’s nice that, especially given the allegations against him regarding his on-set conduct, it evolved beyond him. The concept of this send-off was indeed intriguing, and I’d say that the execution was mostly good even if it did overreach considerably at the end.
Series finale: B
Series grade: B+
Finale MVP: Alexandra Billings as Davina
Series MVP: Jeffrey Tambor as Maura
Best Season: Season 1
Best Episode: Pilot
Pilot Review: Evil
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
