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emilylariviere
Reviews
Reacher (2022)
Broader Audience Missed Opportunity
Sure, I get it... this series was trying to appeal to their known and anticipated audience, which is dudes. Dudes of all ages who have taken a particular shine to guns and a$$-kickery and punching and conspiracies and vigilanteism and military stuff and good guys winning. You already knew that demographic was going to turn up in droves to excitedly stream this. Great job.
But then how are you going to put a girthy-necked SNACK as the main character and, aside from no missed chances to script him shirtless wherever possible (I mean... thanks(?)), there is ONE too-brief sex scene.
There's a whole world of wanton females, gay men, and sexually-confused teens that this show could have also been for.... And having watched the entire series twice now (hoping I missed something and wanting to unturn all the stones), I feel pretty confident that no one needs some hot cathartic sex as direly as Jack Reacher. I mean, he's a drifter for Christ's sake. All the ingredients are just right there.
So, Season 2..... let's not fall victim to hindsight for a second time, yes?
Valeria (2020)
Doorbells and Dance Music
1.) Over the past two years I have invested an unprecedented amount of time watching television. A deeply shameful and embarrassing amount of television watching. I've watched hundreds of hours of shows, movies, YouTube webinars - - you name it. So, it's with this sturdy breadth of informed experiences that I can confidently declare that this show has the MOST unabashed use of doorbell sounds of ANY other program I have watched in 39 years of life. The narrative I've created for myself (that has no basis in reality) is that the writers/editors are dog owners, and decided to include 6-20 doorbell sounds per episode as a cruel and hilarious inside joke. I imagine a team of writers sitting around a table collectively generating the script, and when the good viable ideas waned, someone added, "more doorbell!" and everyone doubled over laughing.
On the upside, midway through Season 1, my 3 very vocal dogs have been completely desensitized to the doorbell. So, thank you. The Netflix subscription was far more cost effective than paying a trainer.
2.) When your partner goes to sleep earlier than you, and you occupy that tireless space with some late-night TV-watching, it goes without saying that you'll make an effort to keep the volume reasonably low so as not to disturb your person. This is the second leg of the unintentional comedic genius of this series...
As you attempt to uphold the bare minimum levels of courtesy to your sleeping partner... this show counters with abruptly alternating scenes of quiet talking and loud AF club music. You can't anticipate it. You can't course-correct swiftly enough. You can't fall asleep to this show, and neither can your partner. Incredible.
Fixer to Fabulous (2019)
Not only less annoying than most home improvement shows... charming
Any interest, skill, or design in home improvement shows is usually completely choked out by some combination of insufferable people, manifested unnecessary drama and scary aesthetics.
This show has skilled and likable hosts who have likable voices. I never knew that "likable voices" was a thing, but how many of these shows have women with shrill, screechy voices.... or men/women whose speech inflection is one where every statement sounds like a question?!?
These two are charming and the work they do doesn't suck.