couchmonkey

[couchmonkey]

When The Camellia Blooms

These days, on Netflix and YouTube, I spend a lot of time looking at Asian content. At first it was Korean only but a couple of Chinese ones have turned out to be pretty appealing. 

Tonight, I finished a Korean drama, 20 one hour episodes, called When The Camellia Blooms. Now, what I am learning is, despite everything being called K-drama, there are some sub-genres. However, I have no idea where this one fits and I didn’t really care. I just wanted to get to the end and shouldn’t that be what counts? There are 11 episodes of How To Get Away With Murder and I could really care less. Every day I think about just erasing them.

Anyway, the aforementioned drama is set in a fictional town called Ongsan and the heart and soul is the story is Dong-baek, a single mother who moves to town and opens up a bar at the end of an alley full of eateries run by a motley crew of ladies who end up becoming her tribe. One of them, Mrs. Kwak (aka the most powerful person in town) becomes her best friend until her son, Yong-sik declares his very earnest and as passionate as you can get on Korean TV love for Dong-baek. 

Now, adding to all that is, of course, her son. He’s grown up way too fast, as most children of single mothers do, and will punch anyone who messes with his mother in the nose. His father, now a major league ball player married to a social media influencer who gave birth to his daughter but “the bald girl who poops” as unsuspecting big brother Pil-gu calls her is bounced around between grandmothers because neither the ball player or the model seem to know how to care for her unless a camera is on them.

Sang-mi, Dong-baek’s protector when they both ended up at an orphanage at about the same age as Pil-gu, comes back into Dong-baek’s life and bar with mixed results and same can be said for her mother, Jung-sook, who fakes a case of dementia so she can reunite with her daughter without having to explain why she abandoned her so long ago.

Following me so far? Well there’s a twist! Yes! A serial killer. I kid you not. A serial killer is running around town and Dong-baek is one of his targets as he murdered her one of her first friends in town and she was onsite when it happened. This drives Yong-sik nuttier than he already sometimes is, all while he’s trying to deal with his mother giving him grief for falling in love with a single mother because he was born after his father died so she should know what she’s talking about, right?

There’s probably more I’m missing even without giving away spoilers but I will tell you this much: I laughed, I talked back to the screen, and I openly wept at least twice. The cast is marvelous, too. Gong Hyo-jin, even portraying Dong-baek’s even tempered and sometimes downcast way of life, is still captivating. As her son, Kim Kang-hoon is directly responsible for one of the times I openly wept and he deserved every tear. The older mothers, Lee Jung-eun as Dong-bark’s mom and Ko Du-shim as Yong-sik’s mom, were very powerful anchors. I think my favorite was Kang Ha-nuel, the cop, the suitor, the apple of his mother’s eye. He had to go from 0-60 multiple times in multiple episodes and oh boy did he handle it seemingly effortlessly. I have since learned it may have something to do with the fact he’s an award-winning hyphenate - acting on stage and screen and recording, usually for soundtracks.

If you can handle subtitles (don’t watch dubbed, I’m serious, all credit to the voice actors but it’s not the same), I highly recommend this addictive sweet AND thrilling (if you can imagine that) mostly love story.

[couchmonkey]

Lack of content?

Networks know they normally have to battle streaming services like Netflix but now, thanks to COVID-19 shutting down production and Netflix having enough content to release an average of a dozen titles per week (not counting Disney Plus because I don’t have access to it so I don’t know what they have), they don’t seem to have enough content to be considered a threat. 

They are mounting a little bit of a fight. Programs scheduled normally for the “mid” season have no competition from the other networks but they also don’t have fresh episodes as lead ins. ABC seems to be the smart one with cheap to produce but fun to watch game shows. 

NBC gave The Blacklist leave to finish their season finale in a very creative way and All Rise rose (pun intended) with a well-written pandemic episode that was wonderfully produced via video conferencing. 

If I were a network president, I would contact all showrunners currently on the roster and even some of the ones who finished acclaimed runs and produce clip shows with different themes (our favorite episodes, the episode that scared me the most, the episode that thrilled me most, the episode that almost killed me - for the stunt heavy shows) and reunion shows or take to social media to gather fan questions casts and showrunners can answer. Social distancing doesn’t mean nothing can be produced.

Hollywood, I thought you were more creative than that.

[couchmonkey]

PILOT season!!

When I was young, Brandon Tartikoff was a hero of mine. I always fancied myself a closet programmer, so I love pilot season. THR published a list of the projects moving forward and as I was procrastinating, some are already on the air.

Let’s start with Stumptown. Inspired by the Oni Press graphic novels, Dex Parios (Cobie Smulders), a strong, assertive and unapologetically sharp-witted (but, let’s face it, hot mess) Army veteran working as a P.I. in Portland. Michael Ealy plays the cop because there must always be one. His boss is Camryn Manheim (yes!!), and the whole reason I heard about the show is Tantoo Cardinal, a powerful local Native American tied to Dex’s past. Oops, almost forgot the best friend, JakeJohnson of New Girl. His past is a little messy, too. He now owns a bar and employs Dex’s brother Ansel (Cole Sibus). It’s a tight cast, and Dex really is a hot mess nut she gets things done.

All Rise, it looks like, was originally pitched as Courthouse, good thing they changed the name! Simone Missick is a former DA who just became a judge and is encircled by Ruthie Ann Mills as her assistant, Lindsay Mendez as her stenographer, J. Alex Brinson as the deputy in her courtroom, and Marg Helgenberger as her mentor. I was not familiar with the first three when I started the show but they are a strong team. The 2 main lawyers are Wilson Bethel, a DA and old friend of Missick’s judge, and Jessica Camacho, a VERY determined public defender. I like the dynamics of the show, it’s very seldom a case of the week situation (even though there is one). Viewers get little snippets of most of the characters’ lives organically so, in my opinion, you enjoyed the show more the more you watch.

Evil is one of the most unique shows on the air this season. It pits science and religion, Katja Herbers plays a skeptical clinical psychologist who joins a priest-in-training (Mike Colter) and a blue-collar contractor ( Aasif Mandvi)  to investigate supposed miracles, demonic possessions and other extraordinary occurrences to see if there's a scientific explanation or if something truly supernatural is at work.The give and take between science and religion is truly engaging and Michael Emerson is truly creepy and possibly playing for the other side in this battle.

Bob Hearts Abishola follows Bob (Billy Gardell) who, after having a heart attack, falls in love with his Nigerian nurse (Folake Olowofoyeku). I think I saw the pilot, the rest of the episodes are on my DVR at the moment and thanks to some of the promos and Christine Ebersole, I do plan to get to them. ETA: I’ve watched a couple.  Folake Olowofoyeku is really great but because this whole thing seems to involve the progress of their relationship, it runs a little slow for me.

Carol's Second Act is also piling up on my DVR.  I’ve been on bedrest because of an injury and have been mostly streaming. But, like Bob, I do plan to get to it. I do like that Patricia Heaton is the lead, a med student of all things. I have to think it’s also still on the air because it also has a strong male lead, Kyle MacLachlan, although I’ve never personally seen him do comedy.  Cedric Yarbrough is a strong motivator for me as well as I saw every episode of Speechless. ETA: Well, plans change. I erased them all. I thought if I hadn’t gotten to them by now, watching them would be a chore.

The Unicorn is a sitcom I actually have been watching. I didn’t want to at first because, although I’d heard of Walton Goggins, I had never actually seen him in anything. But it’s kind of like Seinfeld in that there is such an impressively strong group playing the couples who are his friends. Omar Benson Miller (yes!!) and  Maya Lynne Robinson are a couple with 4 kids and essentially a no nonsense approach and Rob Corddry and comedy goddess Michaela Watkins are the white color kid with a single kid who is well on her way to nerdhood.  These four a Goggins’ lifeline after his wife passes and he becomes a single father. The whole widower thing is handled well. His wife is mentioned or remembered in a completely organic way and allows the show to stay away from a trajectory that could have become maudlin.

Prodigal Son is another fairly unique concept for this season. Tom Payne plays Malcolm Bright, the son of a notorious serial killer called The Surgeon (Michael Sheen) who understands how killers think. The criminal psychologist uses his skills to help an NYPD unit led by Lou Diamond Phillips, a cop he’s known since his youth. What is interesting for me so far is that Bright’s mom, Bellamy Young, is her own kind of nuts, and Malcolm, who started off as a little nutty (I mean consider his past), is well on his way to possibly off his rocker.

Bluff City Law is a case of the week legal drama set in Memphis. The viewer is getting smidges of the character’s private lives each week but character development seems a little slow. I like Caitlin McGee’s performance but I’d never heard of her before watching this. The anchor for the show and the law firm in it is Jimmy Smits. The supporting cast, especially Barry Sloane who’s mostly navigated a single case for the first part of the season, is just starting to get noticed. It’s not something I race to watch but I like it. ETA: It has gotten cancelled. Poor Barry Sloane.

Emergence was a show I was waiting for as it marked the return of Allison Tolman.  She plays a sheriff who takes in a young child that she finds near the site of a mysterious accident who has no memory of what has happened. The investigation so far has been weird and sometimes violent and definitely is affecting her family, including father Clancy Brown and ex-husband Donald Faison. But, bless her, she is nowhere near ready to give up. The cliffhanger before Christmas break was very illuminating.

I have watched a couple of episodes of Perfect Harmony (the rest are on my DVR). I love that Bradley Whitford is doing outright comedy although his character, an Ivy League music professor, is quite cranky. But I’m not in a rush to get back to it because it doesn’t seem like there’s enough material for it to run for multiple seasons. ETA: Like Carol’s Second Act, these got dumped off my DVR.

While we’re talking about enough material, Sunnyside was one of the first casualties of the season and, I have to say, I saw it coming. The pilot was well done, Kal Penn played Garrett Shah, a disgraced former New York city councilman who finds his calling when faced with immigrants in need of his help and in search of the American Dream. I know the immigration and nationalization process in the US is a lengthy process but it just didn’t seem like there was enough to keep people coming back despite the presence of talent like Diana Maria Riva.

Almost Family revolves around Julia Beckley (Brittany Snow) having her life turned upside down when it's revealed that her father, a pioneering Nobel Prize-winning fertility doctor, used his own sperm to conceive dozens of children over the course of his career. She connects with two “sisters” in particular and I think that’s what they’ve built the show on but I had a hard time believing any of the negative effects of all this coming from Snow and chose to stop watching. I do have the Australian show it’s based on as part of my Netflix list, I think I will probably end up watching that first.

I did start watching Batwoman before my injury, it being female led and all. Ruby Rose does inspire a bit of monotony in the voiceovers that populate the show but I get it, she’s tired, she’s working hard and only making minimal progress, I understand she’s not full of pep. It is kind of weird to watch her slip into the suit and try to make it work for her and watch Camrus Johnson, the steward of the life Bruce Wayne abandoned, do his best to both avoid and become her Alfred. ETA: That got dumped off the DVR, too. There’s SOOOO much TV.

FBI: Most Wanted is a spinoff of FBI (somebody may have to stop Dick Wolf) featuring 
Julian McMahon of Nip/Tuck as the head of team tasked with hunting down fugitives. Sadly, it’s been pretty run of the mill so far except for McMahon’s in-laws, which include Nathanial Arcand as his brother-in-law and a member of his squad.

The CW did reboot Nancy Drew and while I did not hate the concept, I’m still loyal to Pamela Sue Martin and chose not to watch it.

These are the shows that are on the air. Some mid-season shows are still ready to roll out. Some are already being bolstered by promos like Deputy. I am looking forward to that one and watching Stephen Dorff unexpectedly be made the sheriff of LA County. I think and really hope Yara Martinez, last seen and underutilized on Bull, will get to be a meaty part of this drama. ETA: Yara has gotten some featured episodes and done well but she’s essentially in the same boat as David Conrad on the Ghost Whisperer and Jake Weber on Medium.

Tommy is another cop show but thankfully Tommy is Abigail Thomas’ nickname and Edie Falco is front and centre as the first female chief of police for Los Angeles. She got the position as part of a court mandate after some ugliness in the department and often has to deal with the mayor, Tom Sadowski. Tommy’s assembled a pretty tight circle so far and, of course, does things her own way, so I’ve been trying to watch this live.

Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist is SOOOOOO good. I’ve missed Jane Levy so much and this has not only a lovely story but singing and dancing (with choreography by Mandy Moore). After an accident in an MRI machine, Levy’s character can hear people expressing their feelings through song. Her supporting cast is top notch. Alex Newell of Glee plays her neighbor who is trying to help Zoey figure this out, Skylar Astin of Pitch Perfect and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is her BFF, Lauren Graham is her boss, and Mary Steenburgen and Peter Gallagher are her parents. Some of the most touching scenes (and songs) have involved Levy and Gallagher, who has lost many functions, including speech and a lot of movement. Thanks to Zoey’s condition, he is able to express himself to her through song and Gallagher’s voice is so sweet.

Geniuses has become Outmatched and features Maggie Lawson and Jason Biggs as parents of 4 children, 3 of whom are geniuses. I’ve seen 3 episodes so far. Everyone except the “normal” child seems to be waiting for a rimshot. I did enjoy Tony Danza as Jason Bigg’s dad but I am not going to be busting my butt to watch it. 

Uninsured has become Indebted. Adam Pally and Abby Elliott end up having to take care of Dave's parents (Fran Drescher and Steven Weber), who have mismanaged their finances and need help paying down a sizable debt. Sadly, like Outmatched, everyone seems to be waiting for a rimshot and the jokes seem really repetitive. Weber’s character, for example, is constantly talking about spending extravagant amounts of money even though he is deep in debt and I doubt they’re going after a dementia storyline with him. When the name Dan Levy popped up on the credits I did a lightning fast search on IMDB to make sure it was not, in my mind, THE Dan Levy of Schitt’s Creek, and thankfully, there are 2 of them.

Lincoln Rhyme, who was played on the big screen by Denzel Washington, is now Russell Hornsby from Grimm and Fox’s failed Proven Innocent. There’s still an Amelia Sachs, there’s still a Bone Collector, and Michael Imperioli is always a strong utility player but I’m finding it collecting on the DVR because of the plethora of good stuff available on Thursday and my need to get through that because sampling Friday’s mostly guilty pleasures.

Katy Keene has made it air. It’s a Riverdale spinoff on the CW and they are spending a lot on advertising but not enough to rope me in. Not that I think it’s not a good show, I’m just not the target audience.

Of the rest of the list, I know the planned reboots of New York Undercover and NYPD blue did not make it out of the gate. 

I’m never going to get this post finished if I included all of the pilots on the list I still haven’t talked about, so I’ll go with bullet points about the ones that stood out to me:

Nana: Katey Sagal playing a grandmother. Yeah. 

An untitled comedy pairing Leslie Odom Jr. and Kelly Jenrette: GREAT team, well matched I think.

The Republic of Sarah: Sarah Drew of Grey's Anatomy goes from mayor to president. So much story potential there.

Broke: Jaime Camil and Natasha Leggero plus Pauley Perrette - uh, yes please. Sounds like a very strong team to me. 

Next is a vehicle for Jon Slattery of Mad Men, who I adore, but I don’t recognize much of the supporting cast, which could be a problem if none of them are able to rise to his level.

Filthy Rich features Kim Cattrall and Gerald McRaney, a very strong base but I’m wondering how the religious community will respond to a story about how imperfect true believers can be. Another plus for me, it’s supposed to be filmed in New Orleans.

Richard Lovely is a vehicle for the uber talented Thomas Lennon, who plays the disgruntled author of the best-selling children's book series, Mr. Mouse. It looks like he’ll have Wendie Malick as a frequent scene partner and I believe that to be an ideal pairing.

Council of Dads is getting a lot of advertising but will involve death. If they handle it as well as The Unicorn has, I think it might have a chance.

That’s all I’ve got. I wish I’d finished this sooner. My DVR is 63% full. I’m going to match more TV.

[couchmonkey]

Starring Richard Dean Anderson and ???

I live alone and often use my TV as a “voice,” something to keep my mind off the fact the cat can’t answer me. Sometimes I choose A&E, depending on what’s on, but frequently I start my day tuned to Canada’s Space channel, which airs Andromeda and Stargate SG1 on weekday mornings. I like this combo because Andromeda’s cast features 3 women getting things done: Lexa Doig, Lisa Ryder, and Laura Bertram and, of course, Amanda Tapping is part of the SG1 team.

At the end of each Stargate episode is a promo for another episode. It could be an episode which put the whole team in jeopardy or one which featured heavily Daniel Jackson, Teal’c or Samantha Carter, Tapping’s character. Nonetheless, at the end of each promo, the announcer tags: “On the next Stargate SG1, starring Richard Dean Anderson.”

I know this was probably the work of a hired promotional team and I know Richard Dean Anderson meant a lot to the success of the show. But I also know Carter went from Captain at the beginning to Colonel later on when she appeared on Stargate Atlantis. She was a scientist, a soldier, a daughter, and a pretty badass person to have by your side. 

In season 1′s Solitudes, O’Neill and Carter are stranded in a frozen wasteland. He’s injured and she is the one who, on their end, tries to find a way out. Also in season 1, in the episode In The Line Of Duty, the character of Carter is featured heavily when she ends up inhabited by a Goa’uld named Jolinar and this experience is weaved through the rest of the series’ run. It pops up a little in the two-part episode The Tok’ra when both Samantha and her father Jacob help establish an important alliance. 

My favorite Carter-centric episodes came in later seasons, like season 5′s Ascension, which featured Tapping opposite Sean Patrick Flanery as a mysterious alien named Orlin.  Carter and her link to Jolinar were also featured in season 5′s Desperate Measures. In season 7′s Space Race, Carter is recruited for her immense scientific knowledge to help an alien friend win a competition. One of my favorite episodes also comes in season 7 and is called Grace, where Carter is essentially alone on the Prometheus after an accident. Tapping really ran the gauntlet in that episode. In the first part of The Fourth Horseman, Carter is reunited with Orlin, who returns to Stargate Command in a different form. 

For any of those episodes it would have been great to hear....”starring Richard Dean Anderson and Amanda Tapping.” I like sci-fi as a general rule, but I like the genre better when the series or movie features a woman (or more than one) inhabiting a powerhouse character. So I celebrate Lexa Doig, Lisa Ryder, Laura Bertram, Amanda Tapping, Jewel Staite, Gina Torres, Morena Baccarin, Rachel Luttrell, Hannah John-Kamen, Melissa O’Neal, Zoie Palmer, Jodelle Ferland, and you should too.

ETA: Almost forgot the episode where Carter is trapped on a planet and trying to evade one of the super soldiers, which must have been a physically demanding episode for Tapping. But I can’t find it in the episodes list. I know it is definitely after The Tok’ra as Jacob figures heavily into the search for Carter.

[couchmonkey]

Show of Force: The Brave vs Seal Team

Two military-themed shows premiered this week. I ended up watching Seal Team first, mostly because of scheduling. There’s some loyalty factor at play here given I spent numerous seasons watching Bones. David Boreanaz is a fine leader with a strong but not too revealing name, Jason Hayes. His BFF on the team is Ray, who supports him and doesn’t take his crap. His wife (or ex-wife - not sure, the only thing that seemed clear was the tension and the fact he doesn’t live in the same house with her and the kids). Boreanaz is parenting older kids in his role here, the older being a daughter with some adjustment issues.Work wise he leads the ground forces but he reports to an Lt who seemed very authoritative but not entirely memorable. One of the pluses is darling Max Theriot, last seen on Bates Motel. However, he has a super specific backstory, and that is never good news in terms of most of the shows I watch.

I finally caught up on The Brave tonight. The squad leader here is Mike Vogel, 10 years younger, whose character also has a strong but not too revealing name. However, it is Adam Dalton, same last name as Patrick Swayze’s character’s name is Road House, so points there. He doesn’t report directly to anyone in the military, instead he reports to deputy director Patricia Campbell, played by Anne Heche. She’s got one of those super specific backstories too, but as she’s not out in the field with the team, I don’t think it spells ruination for the series. She’s got a couple of analysts in the room with her that look like strong players. Out in the field, I found his team more memorable, particularly the very skilled Jaz (Natacha Karam) and Preach (Demetrius Grosse). Also, the team is Special Forces vs. David’s Seals. 

Overall, with points for the Dalton name and copious points for a pilot that was, for me, more rounded, if my schedule or anything else causes me to have to pick just one to continue watching, I would go with The Brave.

[couchmonkey]

Gone too soon

**WARNING: Small possible spoilers, tried to not give away anything too big.**

Today was a pretty decent day. Until I found out Netflix cancelled Sense8. 

I found out about the show because, as a science fiction nerd of some degree, I had watched every episode of Stargate Universe and was following Brian J. Smith on Twitter when he began talking about his involvement in the project.

I’m sitting here reading different things about the show on Twitter, and I think the one that has resonated with me the most is the one (there may be more, the hashtag just updated with 508 new tweets) that called the show rich because it showed love to everyone. Plus big ups to everyone mentioning the cancellation came on the first day of Pride Month. Is anyone at Netflix watching the optics?

Back to love. Sense8 was chocked full. There were obvious examples between the eight, but there were some vivid demonstrations in this second season with the complications and revelations that came as a result of Nomi participating in her sister’s wedding, Riley feeling the intensity of Will’s loss as she sat bedside with his dying father, Sun demonstrating a wide range of feelings for everyone from the cellmate she escaped with to Detective Mun and even her brother as they finally came face to face. But there was also Dani’s loss of her blood family for her support of Lito and Hernando, Capheus’ mother in a healthy relationship, Amanita’s unflagging resilience every time someone “visited” Nomi, and yes, even Bug’s unabashed appreciation of Lito’s filmography.

So rich.

I also enjoyed the introduction of new characters, most of whom I shouldn’t talk about, as they and their purpose in the story could be construed as spoilers. I probably shouldn’t even talk about the very pivotal events of the finale episode, even though it was riveting in terms of both character and plot development and set up so much potential for a third season.

Unfortunately, since Netflix seems to be the place shows go when other networks crap out on them, I doubt there’s a chance of shopping the show around unless a niche network like SyFy or Out takes a chance, and that’s, sadly, highly unlikely. I will have to give it more thought, but I do find it odd Netflix will keep pouring money into very shows that appeal to a very tight audience range and is willing to give up on the broad beauty and appeal of something like Sense8.

ETA: My favorite TV critic, Tim Goodman of THR, released a piece today which attributes the cancellation to money. 

[couchmonkey]

But not for that reason

I’m not going to see Emma Watson in Beauty and the Beast. But, I’m not going because, as a writer, I consider remakes cheap and exploitative money grabs by lazy movie studios. The fact that Josh Gad’s LeFou gets a little flirty with the character of Gaston has nothing to do with my disinterest in the film. If you want to boycott it for the same reason I do, fabulous, go see Moonlight instead. Or Get Out. 

If, however, the (as described) innocuous moments of one-sided flirtiness is your big problem with this movie, I feel bad for your children. I get trying to protect your kids, but as I don’t think being allowed to accurately represent your sexual orientation is dangerous, nor is respecting and loving people whose sexual orientation differs from ours, I’m going to step out on a limb and say you are not protecting your children, you are sheltering them and sheltered children are vastly unprepared for the real world ahead of them. Unless you plan to lock them in a compound for the rest of the lives. 

I have never heard an adult say “I was a sheltered child” like it was a good thing. When the real world intrudes on this cocoon you built for them, their reactions could vary from confusion and bewilderment to the outright and brutal hostility the world witnessed at Pulse nightclub in Florida. What does it cost you to be open with your kids? From what I remember of trying to calm my very squirmy niece through a showing of Space Jam (big fan of Bugs Bunny, Michael Jordan not so much), if your child is old enough for a live action movie, they are old enough for an honest conversation about gender identity.

[couchmonkey]

No, you shut up and ...

Last night Meryl Streep used the platform she has earned through years of dedication to her craft to speak her mind. Today, as usual, people took to the internet to tell her to “shut up and act.”

Shut up and act, shut up and sing, however you want to phrase it, is a crappy thing to say to ANYONE. It’s 2017 and entertainers are not your servants. Yes, they make things for your pleasure, but since you’re supposed to PAY for what they make, you don’t own them. You have NO RIGHT to silence them. It is a shameful thing to do and, unfortunately, makes YOU less of a person. 

We are not defined by our jobs, even though society keeps trying to ram that outdated (and yes, LIMITING) thought down our throats. If you are defined by your job, that’s okay, like I said, this idea has been crammed down our throats for quite some time. Use whatever you’re feeling to be more than your job. 

The other thing you need to realize is that the entertainers who speak their minds do the most interesting work. While I think they are really at good at what they do, the reason I continue to watch or listen to Meryl Streep, Anna Kendrick, Jesse Williams, Viola Davis, Taraji P. Henson, Harry Connick Jr, Cyndi Lauper, Ellen Degeneres, Shemar Moore, Elizabeth Banks, Sara Ramirez, Sara Bareilles, and so on, is because they live full, inspired lives and they use their voices for good.

Try adding yours. As Kid President says, “If you can’t say something nice, you’re probably not thinking hard enough.”

[couchmonkey]

Agent X

This is Jeff Hephner, “the” Agent X in the TNT drama of the same name. He is in the employ of the vice president - Sharon Stone. 

At first I was a little shocked nobody was making a big deal out of the fact Sharon Stone was doing TV. But then my favorite critic wrote that he almost hurt himself laughing while watching the pilot to prepare a review. 

Everyone needs a little escapism sometimes. You know, as long as it is not stupid to the point of insulting. Plus it gives Gerald McRaney and Jamey Sheridan pretty steady work. 

I am a political neophyte so I totally buy into the show’s premise - the vice president’s apparent lack of duties is because he or she is supposed to be a crisis manager, deploying Agent X at his/her discretion. The president is the only one who knows, but only because he used to be the vice president. 

So there are two sources of what they are hoping will be tension - keeping the program secret and the actual missions. 

The biggest plus I can find in it all is the stunt team - Mike Massa is the stunt coordinator and Martin De Boer assists him as well as doubling for Hephner. 

Massa has varied credits. As he done both Firefly and Dr Horrible’s Sing-A-Long and Nathan Fillion was photographed at a party for the show, I believe him to have been Fillion’s double. His other Whedonverse credits include Angel and Dollhouse. He was also Chris Pine’s double in Star Trek and was a part of the stunt teams on Live Free or Die Hard and both Miss Congeniality films. Look him up.

What I like about Massa and De Boer’s style is, as Agent X frequently improvises, the fights are a combination of somewhat standard techniques and weapons of chance. 

I am going to keep recording the show as it gives me something to watch on Saturdays, especially when 48 Hours is a repeat.

[couchmonkey]

At Long Last Longmire

As a fan of Firefly, I know not to get too attached to shows on Fox. It looked like I was going to have to put A&E on that list as well, especially after they dumped Longmire.

Thankfully Netflix decided to pick it up. Season 4 is only 10 episodes, but I don’t care. Many thought there would be no season at all. Plus, with Netflix, the episodes are all almost an hour long, giving them roughly another 15 minutes they wouldn’t have had on a linear platform. 

Boy do they make use of that extra time. There’s SOOOOOO much character development - more Walt of course, but more Vic, more Ferg, MUCH MORE Henry, more Cady and expanded character arcs for supporting characters like Matthias, Jacob Nighthorse and Branch’s buddy Travis Murphy. 

One of my favorite developments was a love interest for Walt who is, shockingly, AGE APPROPRIATE! Shocking for Hollywood, not for the show, especially given the six episodes in which Katherine LaNasa appeared. She’s three years younger than Robert Taylor, who plays the no nonsense titular character. Ally Walker, new this season, is not only a tremendous actress, but two years older than Taylor!

Also new to the cast was Barry Sloane, fresh off The Whispers, as new deputy Zach. Having also appeared on Revenge, he should be used to roller coaster story lines and while his character had a slow start, things definitely amped up by the close of episode 10. 

Not only did everyone go through more than their fair share of turmoil this season, but the issues and challenges faced by many Native Americans were threaded through all the episodes in an elegant and thoughtful manner. 

I am really impressed. Of course I am also mad at myself for binging on it because they wrapped up with a whopper of a cliffhanger. My fingers are definitely crossed for season five!

[couchmonkey]

Okay. Maybe.

So I am going to publicly support a remake. I know. It shocked me, too. But this week it was announced the remake of Road House will go ahead with MMA star Ronda Rousey in the lead. 

Why is this good news/news worth supporting? Well number one, flipping the gender means it’s not a money grab with younger faces. Yes, I am looking at you Footloose. Sorry Julianne Hough. Oh, and Red Dawn 2.0. Don’t get me started.

I am not sure how they will handle the original love story as it will put the male lead in the position of being perceived as the weaker part of the relationship and I am not sure how many of today’s actors will as eagerly sign up for that as Luke Perry did for the film version of Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

I also appreciate word that she reached out to Lisa Niemi.

That being said, I have not seen her fight and I have not seen her act. I have seen the clip where she agrees to go to the Marine ball if her suitor can find dates for her friends, and I have heard the speech Beyonce used in concert and I think she’s got a fighting chance. 

I wish her luck and, depending on who else is attached, I might even pay to see it in a theatre instead of waiting for it to hit Netflix. 

But I reserve the right to change my mind if Sam Elliott has anything to say about it.

[couchmonkey]

I Still Hate Netflix But... (pt2)

After I finished Kimmy Schmidt, there was still nothing eye-catching on TV so I went back to my cue and I chose Sense8.

I knew it existed it and it was a bit of a mind f*ck but I had not been rushing to find it until I realized Brian J Smith was it. Something you have to realize if you’ve never seen Galaxy Quest or, god forbid, any coverage of any Comic Con, science fiction fans are dedicated.

I watched Stargate and Stargate Atlantis, so I was right there for what was sadly only two seasons of Stargate Universe. Among the many rewards it brought me was an introduction to Brian J Smith, who I did not realize I had seen in an episode of Law & Order until after the fact.

I am on episode seven of Sense8 as I write this. I thought it would be hard to follow when I began to realize I was going to have to keep track of eight people. But then you discover why you need to know these eight people and how they are going to get to know each other and IT IS REALLY FASCINATING!!

Plus, it turns out I am familiar with two of the cast members. When Tina Desai came on the screen I was “Oooh Sunaina!” I had watched The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel a couple of nights ago, so it was a fresh memory. 

There are other rewards among the cast:  Miguel Ángel Silvestre and Max Riemelt are appealing in a number of ways. I definitely find Tuppence Middleton as the Icelandic DJ intriguing. Plus, just when you think you have it figured out, Naveen Andrews shows up to whisper in one or more ears. 

[couchmonkey]

I Still Hate Netflix But...

I’m two episodes away from the end of the first season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Now I hate NBC, too. Seriously. They should have picked this show up. I get their loyalty to fan favorites like Parks and Rec but honestly, how can a company which launched so many legendary sitcoms have not seen the brilliance of this little gem?

Tina Fey was a recognized commodity. I’d never watched The Office, but Ellie Kemper didn’t come from nowhere. Oh, not enough? More credibility needed? How about Jane Krakowski and Carol Kane? 

The more of it I’ve watched, the more I think of Perfect Strangers. Boiled down, Kimmy is a fish out of water story. There’s no accent but with her complete lack of knowledge of anything that happened past 1998 and tendency to turn inappropriate things into catch phrases, I adore that plucky redhead.

“Hashbrown no filter.”

[couchmonkey]

The Dirtiest Word in Hollywood

Remake.

There. I said it. 

Remake.

Yuck.

Remake.

Why?!?!

I am talking about this not only as a person whose childhood is being robbed but as a writer. It is NOT hard to find an original story. It really isn’t. Hollywood is being lazy. They don’t know how to get behind projects that are not easy money makers from the get go. I could do a better job of promoting some projects.

There are some people doing it right. Fuller House is a wonderful example of taking an old idea and making it new and fresh and watchable. It is basically the exact same story line, but this time DJ is the single parent instead of her dad. Beautiful. It’s now told from a female standpoint. She’s got a different type of link to her support system as Stephanie is her sister (Jesse was Danny’s brother-in-law), she’s got the extended been there done that support system in her dad, Jesse and Joey and, best of all, nobody got replaced. These are the people we met the first time. We know them and we like them.

The announcement that got me riled up this week was Ryan Phillippe getting cast in the pilot for a TV version of Mark Wahlberg’s film Shooter. According to the media the plot is EXACTLY THE SAME. Nothing different. Except the actor. This blew my mind, especially since Mark Wahlberg is an executive producer on the project. I thought he was smarter than this. I thought he would take a look at what Bradley Cooper is doing with the TV version of Limitless and take some notes.

That’s how it’s done. But that’s not what happened apparently. I could be wrong. But somehow, if this makes it to air, I think Ryan Phillippe is going to have to face an onslaught of comparisons he doesn’t need or deserve. I was going to edit out deserve because he’s the one who said yes to this project. But I could be wrong. So I will wait and see if the pilot is ordered to series and then I will put it on the DVR and either watch it about a week later or delete it if the reviews sway me on way or another.

[couchmonkey]

Nature Vs Nurture on FX

Earlier this week on Twitter a TV critic jokingly requested followers inspire him to watch Tyrant. I say jokingly as I believe I gave him a truthful, under 140 character nugget and he has yet to respond. So I doubt anything I would have said would have changed his mind.

I however have been and will continue to watch Tyrant. I believe what initially drew me in was very high octane performances from actors I mostly did not know. But what I posted to the critic was I believe the current season is saying a lot about nature versus nurture.

It was evident from the start as Barry/Basram brought his American family home to Abuddin for his nephew’s wedding. You saw the difference in the two branches right away and of course the theme was loosely threaded through the first season. 

But the idea is more prevalent, especially in the second season.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

1. Jamal is realizing exactly what “killing” his brother meant, especially now that he knows his first love bore him a son.

2. That son, now general, has left his post at the UN and now that he’s decided to stay in Abuddin, he’s seeing what it’s like to live as a native son instead of an international soldier.

3. Grief over her brother-in-law’s (and first love, remember?) “death” has turned Leila even colder as she urges Rami forward and tells Nusrat now that she cannot give Ahmed a son it is in the country’s best interest she voluntarily vacate her marriage.

4. Sammy, temporarily back in Abuddin and affected by the death of his only gay friend, is becoming his own man. Unfortunately this man a blend of his American upbringing and his father’s homeland. So far it’s working out, but this is TV people, something horrible is going to happen and it’s not just the fact he’s within feet of his supposed dead father.

5. Ahmed, spurred by the need to impress his father, dug down and actually tried to prove he deserved the position with which his father gifted him. Of course now that his father has elevated his first son and his mother has basically arranged a divorce for him, who know’s what’s next. I mean he did want to leave Abuddin once upon a time.

The very best example was in the episode The Awful Grace of God when Barry and Daliyah were taken hostage and Barry was a captive audience to how Abuddin had changed his best friend’s daughter Samira, now wife to a rebel leader. Barry, who’d given up returning to his American family to fight for his country, was forced to shoot her. 

This moment proved to be more intense than Barry having to say goodbye to his wife Molly before his punishment for attempting to overthrow his brother. 

Sometimes I feel bad for critics. They are forced to watch so much TV they forget to actually watch the shows. I know, It happened to me right after broadcasting school. For a very long time I could not watch Platoon without analyzing every camera shot. It still happens sometimes. But for me, that’s the mark of something good - can I get lost in it without picking it apart.

[couchmonkey]

Not sorry

Hollywood should issue more apologies. Many “crimes” have been committed. As I sit here watching Independence Day yet again, mostly because it’s familiar, I am thinking about a story I read in the Globe and Mail in which Amanda Tapping is quoted as saying Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich have taken the rights to Stargate back. This is the same team responsible for Independence Day and, as far as I’m concerned, committing a major Hollywood “felony” when they cast the Independence Day sequel earlier this year.

When I heard they were planning it I have to say I was enthused. Like I said, I’ve seen it a lot. There were all sorts of possibilities. The president’s daughter and Vivica Fox’s kid would be grown up, Jeff Goldblum and Margaret Colin’s characters could have reunited and produced a charming child or there were multiple possibilities in the three kids of Randy Quaid’s character to produce a Red Dawn-style pack of gung ho young people who won’t take any alien crap. 

But it’s not going to happen because there’s a formula and god help anyone who strays from it. So no PTSD for Quaid’s oldest, who watched him die, no Dylan who might have joined the military after watching potential step daddy Will Smith save the day and no Mae Whitman, who kicks ass in everything, whether she’s actually kicking ass or not. I saw Scott Pilgrim, did you?

There are a couple of good things about the sequel. Possibly. Sela Ward is listed as playing a president. This would normally impress me. Plus William Fitchner is listed as playing a general. But neither one will pull me into the theatre. 

I feel bad for Dean Devlin, He produced Leverage, which I adore for many reasons including two super impressive female characters - Sophie and Parker - and one reoccurring badass Tara. Like I said, there was so much potential for this new story. Instead, it looks like Liam Hemsworth is going to save the day and Maika Monroe is going to cling to him and/or pray for him to come back safely.

Monroe may be a decent actress and probably is an even better human being. Her bio says she has an athletic history so maybe she’ll get to fight along with Hemsworth. But she’s not Patricia Whitmore, Mae Whitman is. Anna Kendrick expressed her disapproval early on, bless her feisty soul.

But since I’m mad again I will say I would have liked to have seen social media explode with a tag like #yourlossEmmerich. She has plenty of powerful former onscreen parents like Meg Ryan, Andy Garcia, Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Christine Lahti, John Corbett and Lauren Graham, and former on-screen love interests like Robbie Amell, Matt Lauria and Mary Elizabeth Winstead, many of whom are very social media savvy.

Now I realize Hollywood is built on relationships and some of those people may have had something to lose by speaking out, but a girl can dream.

[couchmonkey]

Emmy who?

I honestly had no idea Emmy nominations were being announced this morning and it’s normally something I would geek out over. But in going over the list it’s easy to find reason for my (and probably others’) apathy. I haven’t seen a lot of these shows - some because of lack of appeal, some because of bad scheduling and some because I had no or could not get access to them. 

Despite that, here are some thought which came to me after reading more than one “complete” list:

Outstanding Lead Actor (Drama) - not one regular network show. Out of those nominated, I’ve only watch Mad Men and Jon Hamm finished his run as Don Draper strong.

Outstanding Lead Actress (Drama) - two regular network shows and I’ve seen five of the six. There’s a lot of national pride (and her hard work) in wanting to see Tatiana Maslany get it, but Taraji P Henson had a stunning year. Viola Davis is as talented but has a less flashy role plus Claire Danes had plenty to contend with on Homeland.

Limited Series - American Crime is still on my DVR and I had no idea Emma Thompson had done Sweeney Todd!!

Comedy is a wide category on most accounts. It’s great to see Anthony Anderson of black-ish on the list and Lily Tomlin recognized for Grace and Frankie. There is also a lot of new blood opposite Modern Family including Transparent, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Silicon Valley.

Outstanding Variety Sketch Series - say what? Brilliant new category and it is great to see Drunk History, Inside Amy Schumer, Key and Peele and Portlandia taking on the dinosaur which is SNL.

Christine Baranski and Allison Janney have both been nominated in more than one category, so hopefully they will both take home at least one statue.

I would like to see Cat Deeley of So You Think You Can Dance get  Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality-Competition Program. My pick for runner up would be Tom Bergeron of Dancing With The Stars.

Reality seems to have new categories, or the old one has been split in half. So there are nominees for structured and unstructured programs. I am pulling for Wahlburgers. #teamalma

There are only two other writers (besides Key and Peele) working on Key and Peele.

We may see Chris Hardwick at least once as both @midnight and Talking Dead have been nominated - oddly enough in the same category.

We might also get a chance to see Dave Grohl as  Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways has been nominated for  Outstanding Informational Series Or Special. Rock on.

There will be two costuming Emmys - one for period pieces and one for modern day.

Lastly, I am hoping big time best choreography will be presented during the show. Travis Wall, Sonya Tayeh and Spencer Liff have been nominated for routines they created for So You Think You Can Dance. Derek and Julianne Hough have been recognized for the Elastic Heart piece on Dancing With The Stars, which they created with Tessandra Chavez.

The dark horse, and a darn cute one, is Witney Carson. An alumnus of So You Think You Can Dance, she’s been nominated for a group number she created for Dancing With The Stars and the routine she and Alfonso Ribeiro performed to Tom Jones’ It’s Not Unusual. It thankfully incorporated his signature Carlton Dance and while possibly not as intricate as some of the other pieces nominated, it’s definitely the most endearing.