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Succession: With Open Eyes (2023)
"Succession" sticks the landing with a tense, emotional, hilarious, and crushing final episode...
It's over. The fight for the crown of Waystar RoyCo is over. After four great seasons that progressively got better and better, "Succession" finished its run with a fantastic final season that boiled down to the very essence of what this show is - very funny, very engaging, and very, very tragic.
This show has always been a tragedy, inspired by Shakespeare's King Lear. Things were never going to end well for the Roy kids. Ever since they were born, they have been irrevocably broken. This show has managed to display this so clearly, while also leaving just enough room for hope that they could, somehow, prevail, and become better. But they never did. Kendall still gets in the way of his own interests, putting moves over genuine emotion, and dishing out verbal and physical abuse to his siblings, just like his father. Doomed to become him, only to not earn his power. Shiv still made selfish moves that ended her up exactly where she never wanted to be - married to a new version of her father, doomed to be that close to true power without actually having it. Roman is the one character who may actually have a chance at a better future, whether he acts on that or not. He ends the show again as an abused puppy, and has a chance at a fresh start, ending exactly where he started.
And talk about a barn-burner hour-and-a-half. So many vital plot and character moments, that flowed well together, with pacing that always felt natural, and never dragged out. The first third was the slowest, picking up the leftover threads from last week, and setting them into motion. Once all three siblings reunited at Caroline's retreat in Barbados, everything collided and the end was set in motion. From there on, the pacing steadily increased until its unbearably tense and riveting final twenty minutes, which felt like pure, distilled "Succession." The kids are scheming, their flaws get in the way, Tom and Greg do something hilarious, and the process starts anew.
But here, it doesn't. This is the end. There is no going back. The kids lose. Ken loses. There's nothing else he can do. He was never going to be CEO. Shiv was never going to be able to stomach it. And he needed her support. Maybe Shiv's instincts went against her self-interests, but that doesn't stop them from being correct. By the time the board vote starts, Ken is the worst possible version of himself - gloating, braggadocious, cruel. There are a number of images from this finale that will stick with me, but Ken hugging Roman so tightly that he breaks his stitches to sedate him with love-veiled abuse is so evil and cruel that it has really stuck with me. If this man was given the keys to this company, it wouldn't have went well.
But Shiv (probably) wasn't given the time to think this through. She just acted on instinct, and in trying to appease her, Ken made things so much worse. I was wondering how the waiter's death would tie into this finale, as the finales have all tied back somehow, and I was not disappointed in how it was looped in. In lieu of the predictable "Shiv leaks it to the press, thus destroying Ken's public image," Shiv merely tepidly brings it up as a reason why he can't be CEO. And Ken stupidly tells them that it never happened, so as to clear his name. But all he does is alienate his siblings.
This all feels so inevitable. It's a tragic outcome, with many of these characters ending up in the worst possible endgame. But none of it results from plot contrivance. It all stems from the characters. And as a result, it is unsatisfying in the most satisfying way. Ken and Rome are free, even though Ken will likely never see it that way. He was forced from a cage he never wanted to leave. And looking out into that bay, he's forever locked out from the wave of water that was also the only machine his cog could fit in. He has nothing. No wife, no kids, no siblings, no company. He's a husk of a man stuck with the ghost of his father in Colin.
But in all of this rambling, I've somehow neglected discussing the true winner of the finale, Tom Wambsgans. He's the new US CEO! All of his hard work, lack of sleep, and paranoia have all paid off. And in lieu of the family lineage and visionary candidates, a spineless suit ends up at the top spot. Which is entirely appropriate and true-to-life. Tom will never implement an original idea in this new job, as if he ever had any to give.
From a technical standpoint, this finale was pretty unbelievable. I've rarely seen a 90-minute episode that felt as tight and cohesive as this did. Every scene was nicely paced, and nothing felt like wasted space. Every scene has at least one or two bits of really insightful information into the characters or story, and does a great job of fleshing out a lot of this world in the final episode. Jesse Armstrong & co. Are quite the group of writers, and Armstrong delivered some of his best work of the series here. Mark Mylod also did a great job behind the camera, utilizing the show's signature style to great effect, while also creating some great sequences that break the norm. The Tom-Greg bathroom scene stands out in particular, as a lot of it was filmed in wide lens long takes, which let the physical comedy thrive. Great stuff.
This is an all-timer show. I felt great about the finale last night, but as I've sat on it and haven't been able to stop thinking about it, this has quickly become one of my favorite series finales of all time. I don't know if there will ever be another show quite like this one.
Succession: Church and State (2023)
In its penultimate hour, "Succession" sets up a brutal endgame...
With one hour-and-a-half episode left, "Succession" is firmly on its way to becoming one of the best series of the 21st century so far, and perhaps one of the best of all time.
Heading into the final season, expectations were high, and they have (at least for me) been far exceeded by the incredible nine episodes so far. And going into the final two episodes, there have been many a domino set up, and the chain reaction is now beginning.
Shiv is on a high. After a brutal week last week, being found out by her brothers and finding herself on the losing side of the election and its ramifications, Shiv makes some smart moves and completely swings the Mencken pendulum in the opposite direction. Things look great, but with Mattson's fondness for Greg and smirk during Ken's eulogy, I'm unsure Shiv will ultimately get what she wants here. Still, Sarah Snook has been great all season, and her scenes with Tom and Mattson, on top of her eulogy, add to her great body of work this year.
Roman, on a power kick after falsely crowning a new president, tries to be the man, someone worthy of succeeding his father, by delivering a eulogy to cement his standing. Instead, his "pre-grieved" facade crumbles, and all the emotion he pushed away on the day his father died comes rushing back, and he crumbles. After this show of "weakness," Mencken distances himself from the Roy Boys, effectively getting rid of their leverage. The following scene of Roman emerging into the riotous protests that he caused, looking for a beating, is among the series' most disturbing and unnerving. It is also in line with last episode in taking a step back and looking at the wider social context of the havoc these kids have wrought. Where Ken emerged onto the streets of New York in season one, lost after losing the vote of no confidence, Roman here is lost in a different, more nihilistic way. And just like Ken was ultimately freed by that moment, I fear Roman has also been freed to do something insane. Kieran Culkin has been delivering series-best work all season, and his delivery of his failed eulogy just further cements his portrayal of Roman as one of the most complex and interesting drama characters in years.
And speaking of the most interesting drama characters in years, Kendall is in quite the position this week going into the finale. When Rome messes up, Ken cleans things up and delivers a eulogy that sounds like it's straight out of The Fountainhead and continues to become more and more like Logan by the second. From smaller things like his "bad dad" press strategy in episode four to his continuing "this is all for my kids" nonsense that his father always spouted. He made some good moves this week, hunkering down and getting some scragglers that could go against him (Hugo and Colin) on his side. Jeremy Strong's work as Kendall is gonna go down as one of the most compelling TV protagonists in years, and his performance as Ken's evolution (or devolution?) into becoming his father sets him up for a wild final episode. Will his transformation earn him the crown, at the expense of his humanity? Or will it ultimately spell his end? I have no earthly idea.
And for the supporting cast, this week was a little less eventful, but with a full cast plus some great guest appearances, this felt like a final hurrah for much of the cast. Caroline returns and delivers some great payoffs to her conversation with Shiv last season about motherhood, and her husband Peter delivered the biggest laughs of the episode for me, with "Daddy's here" being a particular highlight. Kerry got a delightful (presumably) final scene with Logan's women, who all sat in the second row, something he would have hated, and shared a moment that was really touching and beautiful. Jess finally managed to leave her job as Ken's assistant, and Ken responded just as Logan would have, by insulting her and being defensive.
But to me, the best guest appearance of the episode was had by James Cromwell, who delivers my favorite eulogy as Logan's brother Ewan. From the moment he gets up there, the viewer knows he is going to tear Logan's corpse a new one, and he does, but before he does, he tells a few small stories about Logan that do a great deal to color him and his past in a way that totally change the character for me. The story about being stranded in the ocean when trying to cross into America was harrowing, but it was the reveal of what really happened with Rose, Logan's deceased sister, that really had an impact on me. Ewan reveals that shortly after Logan returned home from boarding school, Rose caught and died from polio, and Logan blamed himself, as did his uncle and aunt. The way this fleshes out how Logan viewed Shiv, as his favorite and someone he was soft for, as well as how it mirrors the guilt Ken carried for the waiter's death in season one, is just outstanding writing, and it sends off Logan with one last great insight into his character.
This episode. Phenomenal stuff. And going into the finale, I genuinely cannot predict exactly how this is going to go down. But what I do know is that it will probably be phenomenal, and also utterly insane. Seven more days with "Succession."
Barry: starting now (2022)
Just about the most intense episode of television that I've ever seen.
'Barry' is so, so good. The first season was a great debut that got better as it went, and the second season was consistently great and reached new heights.
So, of course, expectations were sky high for the third season. And boy, oh boy did the show deliver.
This season hit the ground running, with two superb, half-comedy, half-drama episodes helmed by Hader, who quickly displayed his ever-evolving talent behind the camera.
Through the middle stretch, the comedy was precise and great, the drama had a great added heft, and the show was in great form.
And then the last three episodes elevated the whole season. Before them, I may have considered this season to be a teensy step down from season two, but now, this is the best offering of the show so far.
Episode six, '710N,' was a firecracker of a half-hour, deftly balancing bizarre, surrealist comedy with excellent action sequences in an air-tight script from Duffy Boudreau.
Episode seven, 'candy asses,' smartly follows the shocking cliffhanger from the previous episode and sharply builds the stakes and characters into the final episode, leaving every viewer in nervous anticipation for what would come next.
Episode eight, 'starting now,' may just be the best episode of this whole show. Last season's 'ronny/lily' will always hold a special place in my heart, but every element here is red-hot and right on target.
This may be the best direction from Bill Hader. No, there aren't any dazzling action scenes or long tracking shots, but visually, this episode manages to look incredible while also communicating through visuals so (seemingly) effortlessly. That last frame through the window will be reverberating through my brain for some time.
The script here is perfect. Every character feels so true and the ways in which every plot line builds to a shocking, crushing conclusion feels so natural, essential, and perfect.
And the performances here are all absurdly good. I will die on the hill that Bill Hader, Henry Winkler, and Sarah Goldberg all deserve Emmys for this episode alone. Anthony Carrigan is also super great, and I started getting emotional watching Hank being so terrified.
So, where do we go from here? I have absolutely no clue, but if I've learned anything from this season, it's to just trust Alec and Bill.
Succession: All the Bells Say (2021)
Cementing itself as the best show on television.
What a spectacular finale. After a season built up to with two years of anticipation, with eager anticipation accompanying every poster, trailer, review, etc., we now have the full picture. And what a gorgeous picture.
In the midst of a section of the viewership bemoaning how the show "is running in circles" and "isn't going anywhere", how glorious it is to see that criticism disproven. "Succession" has never been a show that shows all its cards right away - stop expecting it to be.
I've personally loved every minute of this season, and it's quickly become one of my all-time favorite seasons of television. But this finale, and the episode before, are something else entirely. If there was any doubt that this show will be remembered as one of the best of all time (knock on wood - barring any "Game of Thrones"-level fall from grace), hopefully this finale ended that.
From the very start, the episode immediately disregarded any notion that Ken was dead in that pool - thank goodness. While I initially thought this would be a perfect death for Kendall, and I still believe it's a very strong end to his character, what Jesse Armstrong does here is so much better than what I was imagining. Because it was still a death of sorts. After nearly dying, Ken can finally let go of his white-knuckling clutch on his big secret. And once he opens up, and Roman and Shiv respond with empathy, he's unleashed. This is a new Kendall Roy.
And on how Roman and Shiv respond - that sequence was one of the greatest, not only in this show, but perhaps in any television show in the past few years. How we just sit with them, and see the three siblings finally be there for each other, was nothing short of stellar. Plus, that scene won Jeremy Strong another Emmy. What a fantastic actor in a perfect role.
And the final twist that cements my MVP of the season - Matthew Macfadyen as Tom Wambsgans. His betrayal of Shiv is such a brilliant turn, not only because it is so shocking, but also because all the breadcrumbs are there. It was perfectly built up to, and adds a much-needed wrinkle in Tom & Shiv's marriage, which is inherently broken, but probably won't end anytime soon. And the idea that Tom's Nero and Sporus reference earlier in the season actually pays off in his betrayal - that's why this show is so amazing.
While I was excited for the prospect of an all-out war season full of backstabs and switching sides, that clearly wasn't sustainable, and this is so much better. Every season of this show drastically changes the status quo and leaves the next in an even better position. And over the seasons, the theme of abuse and how it affects the Roy kids is becoming even more apparent, and their reconnection is genuinely touching, no matter how short-lived it ends up being.
In short, this show is the best on television, and it is only getting better. The year-long wait until season four is going to suck, but once we finally get it, it will be oh so worth it.
Succession: Mass in Time of War (2021)
Firing On All Cylinders
This is the best show on television, and already in its second episode, we're seeing the show continue to level up.
The pacing and character observation was just excellent. The only complaint I can level at the previous two (but mainly the first) seasons is that the pacing was a bit slow at times, but this season is not messing around. There's always something happening, and the clock is ticking, which brings so much great stuff out of the characters. I mean, the whole Greg finding a lawyer situation was something I hadn't even thought of, but it's a brilliant representation of Greg's indecision. And the long back-and-forth in a childhood bedroom between the four siblings... just fantastic stuff.
I'm just so happy to see that this show hasn't lost a beat, and I'm noticing a trend with shows that had shooting delayed because of COVID - tighter writing. The current season of What We Do in the Shadows is the same way. After a bit of a dry spell in television late last year and early this year, it's great to see the best shows on TV returning even stronger than ever. I cannot wait to see what the remaining 7 episodes have in store for the Roys.
Barry: ronny/lily (2019)
Excellent Direction For An Already Excellent Series
This week, HBO had a pretty crazy Sunday night. The Battle of Winterfell episode of Game of Thrones, "The Long Night" aired, which was technically impressive, but somewhat disappointing. But the show I was really excited for that night was Barry, the hitman-turned-actor dramedy starring Bill Hader. This is the show's second season. Its first season really impressed me, being well-written, well-shot, and incredibly compelling as a drama narrative. The fact that it was really funny was a great cherry on top. But I didn't get to watch it right away, because the app for my TV provider, DirecTV Now, wouldn't load the episode. And with myself hearing all the hype and praise, I was very frustrated. Now that I've seen it, how is it?
It's amazing. Incredibly strange, but absolutely fantastic. This episode followed last week's fantastic twist that Detective Loach was only tracking down Barry so that he could blackmail him into killing his wife's lover. And in this episode, Barry tries to have Ronny instead go away to Chicago, so that he doesn't have to kill him. Things quickly go awry, and Barry is forced to face off against both Ronny, a martial arts master, and his daughter Lily, an even more impressive fighter who doesn't even seemhuman. These fights are brutal, strange, and incredibly funny. I saw a reviewer on IMDb put it as "R-rated Three Stooges", and that's right on the money. It's such a strange chain of events, but it's so well delivered, that it ultimately works, really well.
But it's the technical side that really makes this a masterpiece. It's shot incredibly well, with a lot of long takes, and a lot of clever reveals that utilize the camera. I really think Bill Hader should be nominated for, and maybe even win, an Emmy for this. And he also did a great job writing it. Since it's portrayed almost in real time, you feel like you're with Barry and Fuches, as all this crazy stuff goes down.
This is my new favorite episode of the show, surpassing last year's "Loud, Fast, and Keep Going". With three episodes left in the season, I wonder if they can meet this, or even top it. I'm not sure, but this incredible showing of originality and craft makes me very excited for the rest of the season. This is my favorite episode of any comedy show so far this year, and I'm doubtful it will be topped.
A+
The Walking Dead: How It's Gotta Be (2017)
The Best Episode Since the Season 7 Premiere...
Lately, I've been seeing a lot of one star reviews for The Walking Dead on here, and I would like to begin a tangent really quick, so here goes.
Even if you didn't like it, YOU DO NOT NEED TO RATE IT WITH ONE STAR!
If you're really going to rate an episode one star, you need to give more reasoning than just "I didn't like it". Get more specific! Just a general dislike isn't 10% of 100%. An 'F' grade is a 60%, so that would mean a 6/10. Just saying, The Walking Dead isn't one star. The Room is one star. Silent Night, Deadly Night 2 is one star. Troll 2 is one star. Not The Walking Dead. I was seething watching the Season Four premiere of The Flash, and I gave it 6/10.
Okay. Tangent aside, I felt this was by far the best episode of Season 8A. The pacing was leaps and bounds better than in the past few episodes. It felt so interesting, that I WASN'T doing other things while watching, like I've been doing the past few weeks. There were also some great moments, like Rick's fight with Negan, Carl offering himself up to Negan, Maggie killing a Savior, and the standoff between Maggie and Simon with Jerry's life on the line. But, none of those even compared to the amazingly "shocking" and hard-hitting reveal that Carl had been bitten by a walker while hunting walkers with Siddiq a few episodes ago.
I say this was "surprising", because ever since around Season 4, the audience has known that if the show was focusing on one character for no apparent reason, it was likely they'd die. As soon as the flashback at the premiere with Rick and Carl came on, I knew one of them was gonna die. This isn't really a detriment to the show, though, as it's just that the fans are good at speculation. That's truly my one main flaw with this episode, though.
Overall, this episode was well-paced, exciting, surprising, and filled with important moments. There's no going back from here. It's war. Alexandria is destroyed, and Carl is dead. Our heroes are off to kill this guy, and I can't wait. All Out War, here we go!
10/10
The Flash: The Flash Reborn (2017)
Continuing It's Downward Spiral, The Flash Continues to Disappoint
The Flash was a great show. WAS. Seasons One and Two were fun, upbeat seasons of television that I enjoyed, a lot. Season Three was okay, but it started to fall into the traps that most shows do when they've been on the air too long. The villain plot, and the plot progression felt all too familiar. I still enjoyed the season, though. I thought Savitar was an alright villain, even if his reveal came WAY too late. It was when the credits rolled on Episode 22, Infantino Street, that I was truly excited to see how the show would handle Iris's death. I was really happy they made such a gutsy choice.
Then, I watched the finale, and I was bitterly disappointed. Not only was the idea to have Iris not actually die after SPECIFICALLY alluding to that at the end of the last episode completely dumb, but also having H.R. die instead felt like the writers had a couple of hours to throw together an episode, and this was the messy, clumsy effort they put forth. It didn't help that the way they did the switch was so bizarre, as the tech was introduced much farther back in the season. The fight was well done, but Iris killing Savitar felt out-of-left-field and dumb. The finale left me feeling something I hadn't really ever felt watching The Flash: upset and disappointed.
Flash forward five months to now, when the season premiere for Season Four aired. I had an open mind. Sure, Season Three was disappointing, but I won't give up hope. This could be a redemption for the show. (SPOILER ALERT: IT WASN'T) I was intrigued when the opening scene showcased a new Team Flash in action, taking down Peek-a- Boo. This scene was an interesting intro to the season. It all went downhill from there. This started with the extremely forced dialogue from Team Flash in STAR Labs. My main problem here was that there was ZERO subtlety. I'm not saying that it should be so subtle that you have no idea what's going on, but every show should utilize this technique, at least a bit. When the episode progressed, and there was dumb character motivation, like Iris going blindly into the wings of the villain, even there was NO indication WHATSOEVER that Barry was even remotely sane enough to recognize her, let alone SAVE her! And then, the logic for Barry being able to make it out of the Speed Force made NO sense, and only felt like the writers were rushing through it to make us forget the flawed logic, and to move on. Then, Barry's recovery was SO rushed. I couldn't even tell you how on Earth he got back to normal. When the credits rolled, and the new villain was introduced, I was so uninterested that I had no emotional reaction whatsoever.
I might stay tuned for one or two more episodes, but this may very well be when I stop watching The Flash. What was once a great, fun superhero show is a faded shadow of its former self. If this show really is following Arrow's quality per season, that means next year could very well be the redemption. Who knows?
6/10
Twin Peaks: The Return: Part 8 (2017)
Easily the Most Divisive Episode... I Loved It.
With this week's episode of Twin Peaks: The Return, all of the viewers were divided right down the middle. Many would rate it with 1 star or 10 stars. This episode was such an extremely surreal and bizarre episode, that it is shocking it was aired on television. I LOVED it. To recap:
We open with a scene of Evil Coop and Ray driving in the car from the prison. Evil Coop tells Ray he needs information. Ray says he "needs to take a leak", and Coop grabs a gun from the dashboard compartment. He walks up to him, fires, and realizes it was filled with blanks! Ray shoots him in the stomach multiple times, seemingly shooting him dead. Suddenly, swarms of spirits which look a lot like the ash-covered guy from previous episodes. They pull out what looks like Bob's "essence" from Evil Coop's chest. Ray drives away, and calls Phillip Jeffries on speed dial. Ray tells him that he's not sure if Coop is dead. Sure enough, he sits up, alive.
Flash back to 1945 in New Mexico. We see an extended sequence of the first nuclear bomb explosion test. This scene is quite long and drawn out. We see the inside of the explosion, and we see quite beautiful imagery. We also cut back to the Roadhouse and see the Nine Inch Nails performing. Cut back to New Mexico, and we see the explosion has seemingly created those ash-covered spirits. Also, interestingly, they are swarming a convenience store. Could this be the one from Fire Walk With Me?
We also see the purple sea from Episode Three, and we see a building on top of a rock. We pan into it, and see The Giant and a lady listening to music. We see the bell- like structure from the room floating in outer space, also from Episode Three. The Giant walks upstairs to find a projection of a previous scene which shows the creature from the box in Episode One, seemingly creating Bob. The Giant begins to float, and he creates a golden orb. The lady who was listening to music comes in, holds the orb, and we see an image of Laura Palmer within. She kisses the orb, and releases it into the world.
We flash forward to 1956, and we see a teenage boy and girl walking, seemingly after a dance. She picks up a heads-up penny, saying it means good luck. Cut to a couple driving, when they encounter the ash-covered spirits. One of them, simply called "The Woodsman" asks the man for "a light". This scares them, and he drives away. The Woodsman walks over to a radio station. The teenage boy drops off his girlfriend at her home, and kisses her. The Woodsman enters the radio station, and asks the woman inside for "a light". He proceeds to crush her skull. He enters the recording booth, and crushes his skull. He takes over the microphone, and recites a poem into it: "This is the water, and this is the well. Drink full, and descend. The horse is the white of the eyes, and dark within". I have no idea what this means. But, all the people listening to the station suddenly pass out, including the teenage girl from before. A half-bug, half-frog creature hatches from an egg, and flies into the girl's bedroom. It then crawls into her mouth, and she swallows it. WHAT? The Woodsman then leaves the radio station, and the credits roll.
This episode was hands-down the most bizarre and surreal. If you hate it, I completely understand. If you love it, I completely understand. I loved it. It introduced some crazy new origins for Bob, the creature from the box, and maybe even the Lodges. The way I interpret the glowing orb scene is that The Giant sent her into the world as a counterpart to Bob, maybe to stop him, which she obviously did not. This whole episode was chaotic, extremely bizarre, and surreal. Sorry I keep repeating that, but that's the only way to describe it. I'm gonna need this two week break to analyze this episode.
+Beautiful imagery +Badalamente's score +Crazy horror elements +Interesting additions to lore +Evil Coop is free of Bob +The Giant is back
10/10
Twin Peaks: The Return: Part 7 (2017)
Hands-Down the Best Episode of the Revival
While I have loved the revival of Twin Peaks so far, the lack of plot progression has gotten a bit frustrating. This episode, however, is the fastest moving episode so far this season. It also answered many of the fan theories that have been brought up since the season began. The first fan theory to be revealed is that the paper Hawk found in the stalls were indeed the missing pages of Laura Palmer's diary. However, one of the pages is still missing. The next of these fan theories was that the decapitated corpse from Episode One was indeed Major Briggs. However, he hasn't aged over the past 25 years, strangely.
Also, we saw another major step towards Dougie becoming Agent Cooper again. You may remember Ike "The Spike" from last week's episode. Well, he tried to shoot Coop, only to have Coop karate chop him in the throat, and rip his hand off the gun. The doppelgänger of The Arm appeared, telling Coop to "rip off his hand".
We also saw some Diane development, after she was briefly introduced last episode. She proceeded to cuss out all of the characters she met, eventually asking Tammy what her name was, and then telling her: "F**k you, Tammy". She spoke to Evil Coop, and told Agent Gordon that that was not the Cooper she knew.
We then saw Evil Coop threaten to mail more of his dead dog's legs to the warden if he did not let him go. He did, and this whole scene proved that Evil Coop is equally as evil as Bob was in the original show.
Overall, this episode provided a lot of needed context, and helped the plot move along quite a bit.
+Needed Context +Fastest Paced Episode Yet +Great Visuals +Great Return for Dr. Hayward +Mention of Harry Truman +Great Acting
10/10
Twin Peaks: The Return (2017)
An Almost Flawless Return to a Great Show...
Twin Peaks was first aired on April 8th, 1990. It starred Kyle MacLachlan, Michael Ontkean, Madchen Amick, Dana Ashbrook, and many more. The show opened on the murder of homecoming queen Laura Palmer, and the secrets exposed in the small town of Twin Peaks because of it. The original show was a wonder. It featured brilliant writing, beautiful cinematography, and impeccable direction. Twin Peaks forever affected television, as it was one of the first non-soap opera shows to use over- arching plots which spanned seasons. The show did have flaws though. Season Two lost focus a bit after Episode 9, when creator David Lynch left the show. However, Episodes 21 and 22 picked up the pace, delivering a great cliffhanger ending. However, ABC cancelled the show, and fans were left with a brutal cliffhanger ending.
Now, 25 years later, Showtime picked up Twin Peaks for an eighteen episode limited series. So, we follow protagonist Dale Cooper as he exits the Black Lodge, and we see how all of these iconic characters are doing after 25 years. And, it's a great comeback for Twin Peaks. The show is on the same level as it was before, packed with surreal imagery, bizarre characters, and spooky supernatural elements. I truly think David Lynch's return to this show proves ABC was incredibly stupid for cancelling this show 25 years ago.
If you are open to a new, surreal experience, you will enjoy this show. If you are a person who is expecting to fully understand everything you watch right away, you will loathe this experience. Five episodes in, Twin Peaks is back, and as good as ever.
The Simpsons: Barthood (2015)
The Best Episode In Almost 20 Years..
Barthood (Season 27, Episode 9), is a spoof of Boyhood (2014) which follows Bart from age 5 to his early twenties. The episode is extremely funny with a lot of heart, and it is my favorite 'look-into-the-future' episode. This is because I have a big problem with how the previous episodes of this type normally put a year on each story, so they become irrelevant down the line. This episode, however, puts no dates on Bart's life, so it can be universal. Also, technology is not a major feature of the episode, so it can't become obsolete.
Now, to the content of the episode. The idea is a much-needed breath of fresh air to the modern-era Simpsons. This episode joins the likes of Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind (Season 19, Episode 9) and Holidays of Future Passed (Season 23, Episode 9) as one of the best modern Simpsons episodes.
With it's heart and great humor, Barthood is one of the best episodes, not only of modern Simpsons, but of The Simpsons as a whole.
10/10
The Walking Dead: The First Day of the Rest of Your Life (2017)
I think I'm watching a different show...
So, the extremely controversial seventh season of The Walking Dead has come to a conclusion, and it's... equally as controversial as the rest of the season. Now, I understand that it's important to acknowledge criticisms. BUT, I honestly think the critics are pulling some of these criticisms out of thin air. Now, I will go into detail as to why I love this episode, and I find a lot of the criticisms are not deserved.
Criticism #1 - "There was no suspense". I don't even know what to say to this. Of course there was suspense! What else do you call that great standoff when the Alexandrians were betrayed and surrounded by the Saviors and the Scavengers? That scene was not only surprising, but left us without an idea how the heroes would escape that one. This uncertainty creates SUSPENSE.
Criticism #2 - "It felt repetitive". Okay, this one I can kind of understand. In the same way many called 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' a rip-off of 'A New Hope', this episode is being compared to previous episodes such as 'Too Far Gone'. However, did that episode feature a tiger? No, I didn't think so. Joking aside, I feel there are just too many differences to pass it off as 'repetitive'. For one, the Governor had a lot less build-up to his confrontation. He disappeared, got a girlfriend, and then attacked the prison right away. With Negan, the show had spent the entire season building up the hatred of Negan, with the group ready and willing to kill him at the right moment. With the Governor, the confrontation came out of nowhere. This felt more natural.
Criticism #3: "The Abraham scenes were laughable". Okay, seriously? These scenes with Abraham were not only a pleasant surprise, but they also helped flesh out Sasha's feelings, and to help reinforce why he influenced her so much. Sure, these scenes would have possibly better worked in Episode 14, but I still feel they were a welcome addition.
Criticism #4: "The fight scene was badly directed". I'm sorry, but what? This fight featured a tiger attacking a bunch of guys with guns, and an old-timey king, and it was believable. Any show which accomplishes that cannot be badly directed.
Criticism #5: "The episode was badly written". Honestly, I have never noticed a dip in writing EVER in this show. The production value has always been there. Also, a lot of the dialogue was great, namely Maggie's speech at the end. The speech made me sad, because it reminded me of Glenn, and it made me think, because I never really pondered how important Glenn was to the whole show. Honestly, writing that does that to me, cannot be bad.
All in all, I have loved this season. The premiere shocked and disturbed me, and through all the highs and the lows that followed, this was a great season. Don't get me wrong. This show definitely has problems, but I don't think it's ever been a bad show. The finale adapted some pretty great dialogue from the comics, and it had some surprising twists and turns along the way. I am very excited to see the Season 8 premiere (the 100th episode), and what other great surprises the show has in store for me.
10/10
The Walking Dead: Swear (2016)
These reviews really sell this episode short...
First of all, I'm a newer Walking Dead fan, so I've known these characters for far less time than most fans have. But, come on! This whole season so far went down the toilet in reviews on here since the premiere, while I think it's gotten better! The Ezekiel episode, the Hilltop episode, and now this episode. They didn't slow down the story, they expanded it! The story of this arc of TWD isn't our main characters summoning up the courage to fight Negan themselves. It's about how they'll gain allies to take him out together!
Now, to this episode specifically. Tara deserved her own episode. Since she was introduced in season 4, she has been one of the best characters. But, not just that: she went missing last season, and we needed this episode to show us where she's been! Also, the Oceanside colony introduced here is another puzzle piece of the alliance that will take down Negan for good. The plot this season will be building up to seeing all of them to prepare for the comic story line 'All Out War'.
So, no. This isn't a 'filler' episode. No, this isn't an 'unnecessary' episode. And, yes, Tara did deserve this chance to shine. So, anyone who is complaining about this season, you don't get it. This show won't do the Glenn-Abraham death thing every episode. We need to be patient to see Negan fall from power. But, I'm loving the ride anyway.
Finding Dory (2016)
These other reviews don't do this movie justice.
I'm a teenager. When I was little, there was only one movie I would watch: Finding Nemo. I still love that movie to this day. As such, I was so excited to see Finding Dory. I was not disappointed. In my opinion, this sequel does the opposite of what Cars 2 did. It introduced funny new characters, the best of whom being Hank, played by Ed O'Neil. Now, Finding Dory is not one of the best Pixar movie. It's not even close. But, it is an effective, funny, delightful kids movie.
+Ellen DeGeneres +Albert Brooks; rest of the cast +Powerful story +Good characters +Beautiful Graphics +Emotional weight -Nothing all that surprising 9/10
Six Feet Under (2001)
The Best Show I Have Ever Seen... A True Masterpiece In Every Way.
I am a teenager. My parents have mentioned over my whole life so far about how amazing 'Six Feet Under' is. Of course, at the time, I was way too young to actually watch this show, let alone appreciate it. But, this past weekend marked the show's fifteenth anniversary, and HBO ran the whole series in chronological order. I didn't see much of it. The first episode I saw was the season three finale. But, the show enticed me, and I didn't want to stop watching. I skipped over some episodes; why, i don't know. When I reached Season Five, Episode 9, titled 'Ecotone", I realized how amazing the show was. In the end, when Nate died, I realized how much emotional weight the show has. It only got sadder in the next episode, 'All Alone', where Nate's death scrambled everyone into the worst places they could be in. Then, when I reached 'Everyone's Waiting', I was amazed by the storytelling, symbolism, and, yet again, the emotional weight. Then, when Claire said her goodbyes and left for New York, I knew I was gonna cry. I did not realize how much, though. As soon as the last six minutes came around, my eyes became waterfalls. I became dehydrated from crying. I am, right now, sitting at my computer over an hour after I finished the finale, still awestruck. Not only was I emotionally moved, I was amazed at how amazing and artistic that final sequence was. I am truly grateful for sitting in my living room and watching this show. These eyes haven't seen decades of television, but this instantly became my favorite show of all time. And, it sets the bar really high.
The Flash: Fast Enough (2015)
The Best Way They Could Have Ended S1
I love this show. It's the only superhero show my mom will watch. It's funny, clever, heart- wrenching, and heart-breaking. That is why I love this finale. It ended season one, while keeping us excited for season two. One particular scene I loved was when Dr. Wells told Cisco he was a meta-human. This, I didn't see coming. Also, Eddie shooting himself to erase Eobard from history was a noble sacrifice. Now, to explain why this doesn't change the past. The wormhole broke a hole in the space-time continuum. This is why a paradox was not created. The space-time continuum is in shambles. The ending was great. It really made me want to travel forward in time, so I can see the next season. Overall, I have no gripes. This was perfect. But, I felt the pacing was a little bit off for the start, but that has no effect on my opinion of the episode as a whole. 10/10.