Pilot Review: Life and Beth

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Take Three: The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey

The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey: Season 1, Episode 3 “Sensia” (B+)

It’s so interesting to see Ptolemy realize that he’s supposed to remember and not get things mixed up anymore but be unable to escape those vivid memories that put him right back in a traumatic memory from years earlier. Waking up knowing that he saw where the buried treasure was but that something easily could have happened, of his own doing, in the time since was certainly disorienting, but he got right back into the swing of things. Shaving was a huge step, one that made him seem much younger and livelier. Learning that this miracle cure is far from permanent and that he may actually get worse after four weeks was a major letdown, and Robyn was understandably not in favor of him doing it. Seeing the other people in the waiting room indicated just how transformative this treatment can be, but how devastating it could ultimately end up given that, even if everyone reacts differently, it never manages to stick. The flashback to an earlier time when Ptolemy had a mustache and a good deal of confidence showed us a romantic connection that wasn’t necessarily meant to be since Sensia had an abusive boyfriend who didn’t want to let her go. Having him show up to break down the door with a baseball bat nearly led to her killing, but Ptolemy was able to stop her from doing so, though it may not be the last he sees of him. Returning to the present to find him energetically cutting up the carpet to dig up the treasure makes this feel very much like a wild goose chase, and it’s hard to know how much of what he remembers actually happened that way.

What I’m Watching: Suspicion (Season Finale)

Suspicion: Season 1, Episode 8 “Lost Son Found” (B-)

This wasn’t the satisfying finale I had hoped for, though I’m not sure if there was a way it could all have ended in a truly compelling manner. What was most baffling to me is that there was just this random building right in the heart of Times Square that Tara just happened to find open – something that those who were with her didn’t find suspicious – and that no one else just wandered on in. Leo showing up was a bit of a surprise, but there were so many elements at play here that it was honestly hard to keep track. Sean showed up to shoot Eddie and then take Leo away, presumably for the same fate, and Tara was revealed to have been working with Leo the whole time since she was Creswell’s daughter. I suppose it makes some sense that Aadesh was targeted because he failed to expose the truth after he learned it, and that was ultimately the whole reason for this charade and the trail of bodies left in its wake. Katherine boldly decided to tell the whole truth to save her son but seemed very aware that he had been directly involved in the whole thing when she pushed him in front of the cameras. Sean was the one who made out best, sitting on a bus out of town before spending the one million dollars he got paid. Natalie taking the fall for everything feels wrong, but she was the most compelling character on the show. This show has been intriguing and engaging, but the payout just doesn’t feel all that worthwhile. I’m not sure if I would watch a second season based on that even though I felt better about it until the end.

Season grade: B
Season MVP: Georgina Campbell as Natalie

What I’m Watching: Severance

Severance: Season 1, Episode 6 “Hide and Seek” (B+)

The most jarring moment of this episode was the one in Dylan’s closet at his house, where Milchick apparently felt that it was important enough to get the information about where he put the card he took, and which revealed a few very important things. Dylan, who’s the least serious of the whole group at work, has a son, and now that’s something he’s going to be aware of when he goes back to work, which will only make him less productive and more suspicious of his circumstances. As significant is the fact that there’s a way to switch them at any point, not just when they ride the elevator at the office. Harmony was not pleased with how Milchick was slow to handle things, and it does feel like a lot of this could have been resolved with some more monitoring, not just the construction we saw at the end which made it look like everything was going to be much more restrictive. It’s hard to know how much is purposely calculated and how much really is an instance of not enough staffing, like Mark running into Ms. Casey as he was headed into the break room, which was unsettling but not necessarily intentional. Outside of work, Mark is opening up to the idea of Lumon being a bad thing, and now he’s directly meeting someone who’s sure to open his eyes even more. It can’t be a good sign that Devon’s mysterious new friend has very explicit connections to Lumon that are making her nervous about things, and they don’t even have any idea that Harmony is the biggest threat of all.

Take Three: WeCrashed

WeCrashed: Season 1, Episode 3 “Summer Camp” (B+)

This episode gave us plenty of insight into Rebekah, featuring Adam very minimally and instead tracing the complicated family relationships she had to understand how she got to where she is. Being tasked with writing a character reference for her father was challenging, but it was also somehow a worse fate than him dying since his legacy was being chipped away as a powerful figure in Rebekah’s eyes. Going off-script during her speech and emphasizing how a woman’s role in to help men took an unfortunate turn, especially since the New York Times reporter, played by Troy Iwata, who was very sweet and enthusiastic when I met him on the red carpet for the show last week, was taking close notes. Rebekah did not a great job in her first clean-up attempt, and though she eventually managed to rally the troops in a round of We-Work-We-Work chanting, it seems that stock options and Gwyneth gossip were likely more influential in getting the story killed. I was happy to recognize Steven Boyer, an actor I enjoyed very much in his comedic role in “Trial and Error,” as Matthew, the lawyer who was hard to take seriously give the sharpie writing on his head and who did not want Rebekah to continue speaking her mind. There are definitely some problematic issues at WeWork as indicated by the Thank God It’s Monday Meeting leading to constant drinking, partying, and passing out at work, and I assume we’ll see more of that once we return to the real world from this dreamlike retreat.

Round Two: WeCrashed

WeCrashed: Season 1, Episode 2 “Masha Masha Masha” (B+)

I had the pleasure to attend the red carpet premiere event for this show shortly after watching this episode, and it was so fitting to hear the creators and directors talking about how they related most to the love story at the center of this saga. Focusing on Adam and Rebekah’s wedding showed how important their romance was, and it was also telling that, when Rebekah gave her truly horrendous performance in the play, Adam was there to let her know how incredible he thought she was. Working at home with Miguel threatened to have his passion project overwhelm their relationship, but she found a way to make it work for her and then to throw out her director collaborator when she no longer felt it was serving her. The “tell me you got this” routine got very, very sexual, which is the kind of thing that may not be based on real life and included just to demonstrate the fervent passion the two of them have for getting what they want. Adam continues to compel people to work with him without actually showing them what he’s doing or the proof that it can be financially successful, reminiscent of similar storylines in other true-story adaptations “Inventing Anna” and “The Dropout.” There are more familiar faces in the cast, including the seemingly omnipresent Kelly AuCoin from “Billions” as Scott Galloway and another actor with an arc on that show, Campbell Scott, as Jamie Dimon. I’m definitely intrigued to see what comes next now that they’re up and running and ready to overtake JPMorgan.

Pilot Review: WeCrashed

Check out my one-minute take on every new pilot, which is embedded below and you can also watch by subscribing to movieswithabe on YouTube.

What I’m Watching: Big Sky

Big Sky: Season 2, Episode 12 “A Good Boy” (C-)

I can’t believe it’s taken this long for Ronald to be killed off. I’ve never found him to be a well-written character, and one of the things that I can’t stand is when someone who, for instance, has just recovered from a life-threatening injury is suddenly able to best the perfectly capable and unharmed people who have just helped him or come looking for him. There’s no way he could possibly have been strong enough to fell Dr. Cowley, and that he would be the last man standing after Wolf and Mark were both ready to kill him. Fortunately, Cassie finally got him, and I hope there’s no reason that he would return in any flashback now that he can be fully forgotten. Though Bob also managed to get the drop on multiple police officers with a rather poorly-structured plan, Max turning on the hazards and Cassie arriving meant that they were able to get rescued, with T-Lock, who brought on his own downfall, the only lamentable casualty. Now all attention should turn to the cartel family setting up permanent shop in Montana, with Ren and Jag compelled to join forces for once because their father is clearly up to something. The casting of Emmy-nominated actress Constance Zimmer was probably a sign of Alicia being more relevant than it seemed when she stepped off the plane to get a selfie and then had to put in her headphones when the adults were talking business. I’m intrigued to see what’s really going on, and I’d love to see this show pivot to better writing and characters with Ronald’s chapter now closed.

Pilot Review: Welcome to Flatch

Check out my one-minute take on every new pilot, which is embedded below and you can also watch by subscribing to movieswithabe on YouTube.

What I’m Watching: Call Me Kat

Call Me Kat: Season 2, Episode 11 “Call Me the Bad Boy of Cheese” (B)

It’s fun to see Kat go up against a new neighborhood rival since that’s not something we’ve experienced quite yet. It’s hard to imagine that Nick, no matter how delicious his sandwiches might be, would be able to flaunt every rule possible and get away with it. While Kat may be more prone to speak up about something that bothers her than other people, there are certainly still businesses who wouldn’t be happy about the things that he’s getting away with which they wouldn’t dare do. He’s also freely offering up the fact that what he’s doing isn’t allowed, like serving beer without a liquor license and unpasteurized cheese that’s illegal, which is bound to get him into trouble. But that doesn’t seem to be the focus of Nick’s guest appearance, since Sheila got in Kat’s head and now she’s having sex dreams about him. I would hope that him going after someone he know has a boyfriend would be upsetting enough to get Oscar and Max to finally wake up and not go to his shop for sandwiches and coffee. On the note of a relationship that does seem to be going well, it was fun to see Randi freaking out about how to get gifts for Carter since that’s really not a skill of hers. Apparently sculpting people is also not something she’s great at, and it was funny to watch Carter try to appreciate the gesture while being legitimately terrified of it. She’s sure to only panic more as she works up the courage to tell him that she loves him.

Round Two: Minx

Minx: Season 1, Episode 2 “Au revoir, le double dong” (B+)

I like that we’re getting to see the evolution of this magazine and that it’s not an easy process but one that is very slowly headed in the direction that Joyce wants. Bambi asking the director why she would be punishing another girl in detention when there could be something going on at home was a humorous start to it, and Doug wanting to go over after all the expected chauvinistic publications rather than the nonprofits Joyce had suggested dialed that all back. I’m always a fan of Stephen Tobolowsky, and his Mr. Ross was quite the condescending man, eager to comment on how Joyce’s forward-thinking nature was offensive to him and to demean her by cutting her out of the meeting she set up with him and Doug. To his credit, Doug did a great job negotiating with him, and knew that Joyce probably wouldn’t be okay with a night with Bambi being part of the deal. Joyce calling him out in public and then slapping him was quite dramatic but not nearly as well-received as she would have hoped, but at least Bambi got to both save his life and break a few of his ribs in the process. I like the relationship that we’re seeing between Joyce and Shelly, and how Shelly is opening Joyce’s mind up to certain elements of her business that she hadn’t previously considered as anything but negative. The episode’s ending certainly indicated an expansion of her perspective, one that will definitely help her be open to new advertising sources.

Pilot Review: Minx

Check out my one-minute take on every new pilot, which is embedded below and you can also watch by subscribing to movieswithabe on YouTube.

Pilot Review: DMZ

Check out my one-minute take on every new pilot, which is embedded below and you can also watch by subscribing to movieswithabe on YouTube.

What I’m Watching: Star Trek: Picard

Star Trek: Picard: Season 2, Episode 3 “Assimilation” (B+)

Seven did her best to step in and pretend like she was operating a classified mission, but the First Magistrate knew what was up and tested her by asking what his full name was, a question she obviously couldn’t answer. Q showing up to tell Picard that this was the only life he understands was hardly helpful, but it did help catapult them into the place where they thought they would best be able to fix things, in a familiar time close to now. Agnes was insistent on them not causing butterflies and bringing futuristic technology like phasers, but of course Rios went ahead and tried to help his new doctor friend, only to be arrested by ICE with no access to his communicator. That’s going to be a tricky situation to escape, especially since no one knows that’s where he is and he definitely has no form of ID whatsoever. I enjoyed how Rafi and Seven dealt with the era, with Rafi responding to being held up by knocking her would-be assailant out and Seven making up a story about wanting to “capture an image” when they got caught by a security guard. Agnes going in to link up with the Borg Queen was a dangerous move, though I like that she was able to steal the watcher’s coordinates from her while she was negotiating with Locutus. Impressing her is probably not a good sign, but I’m always up for seeing Agnes exert her creativity. I’m not sure how permanent Elnor’s death is, but it did send Rafi reeling and is going to create some serious divisions on the team when they’re finally reunited.

What I’m Watching: Bel-Air

Bel-Air: Season 1, Episode 8 “No One Wins When the Family Feuds” (B+)

It’s good to see that Carlton and Will may be willing to bury the hatchet and try to get along, since seeing their mothers feuding and talking to each other so crassly after decades of not having been together in this place showed them a future they didn’t want. The problem is that, even if the two cousins are okay, there’s evidently something important about Will’s father that everyone doesn’t want him to know, and even if Phil, Viv, and Vy all decided not to tell him just yet, Will asked Geoffrey to look into him, which he seems ready to do in a creative manner that won’t go around what Phil specifically requested of him. His messy family situation is blowing back on Phil as a candidate, and agreeing with Fred to drop out of the race if he wins the primary debate is a bold gamble. Vy’s social media support for Hilary threatened to drive another wedge between her and Viv, but Hilary ultimately listened to her mom to do what she needed and pay the predatory Kylo his rather extravagant kill fee. What she’ll do next is unknown, but Jazz will likely be a part of her life and she’s at least back on good terms with her mom, which should make her theoretical return home less awkward. I doubt Vy will be back for another visit anytime soon, but I have a feeling that she’ll make a return at least to the show via video call when Will’s father does eventually materialize.