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Netflix's 'Emily in Paris,' Starring Lilly Collins, is an Ode to Being Basic

Late to sharing this but “Emily in Paris” is a flattened-out Darren Star show, thanks to Netflix. 

It took some time but "Younger," the TV Land comedy starring Broadway's Sutton Foster who poses as a 20-something to get ahead in the world of New York City publishing, became a critical hit over the last few seasons. Created by out writer Darren Star his newest show "Emily in Paris" lands on Netflix Friday and is similar in approach to "Younger" as it follows a young woman (Lily Collins in the titular role) who suddenly drops everything and moves to Paris for her job. But unlike "Younger," and "Sex in the City," which Star also created, the driving force behind "Emily in Paris" is not close friendships and that is deeply missed here.

"Emily in Paris" is an enjoyable enough; 10 bingeable, breezy half-hour episodes. Collins is front and center here as Emily, a happy-go-lucky Chicagoan who brings her social media expertise and American point of view to a Parisian marketing firm that her company now owns. Of course, her American mentality causes a lot of friction with her new coworkers, who are snooty, curt and rude, especially her boss, Sylvie (Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu), who has absolutely no time for Emily or any desire to get to know her. The "Devil Wears Prada" boss from hell is something we've seen from Star before. In "Younger," the wonderful Miriam Shor plays a similar role but over the six seasons of that show, her character is greatly developed into something much richer than Meryl Streep's iconic performance. Only time will tell if Leroy-Beaulieu's Sylvie, who is thinly drawn and exists to serve as a foil for Emily (in one episode, Sylvie tells Emily she is not a feminist), gets a similar treatment but not much change comes with Season 1.

Emily does have a few friends though, but it takes a few episodes before she meets Mindy (Ashley Park), a nanny from China who is looking to start over as a singer in Paris. Park (who earned a Tony nod for her role in the "Mean Girls" musical) is wonderful in the role and though she does get some time devoted to her story, Mindy mostly exists to support Emily; with so much charisma there are many times where the show may have been a bit more interesting had Park been the lead. Emily also befriends Camille (Camille Razat), who happens to be dating Emily's handsome and kind downstairs neighbor Gabriel (Lucas Bravo). Things get complicated, to say the least.

An American in Paris is a well-told story and Star's new fish-out-of-water show doesn't find much to make this tale worth re-telling. "Emily in Paris" stars off slow with a sulking and lonely Emily exploring the city on her own. She's left her boyfriend in America and is trying to figure things out. About halfway through the season, Emily meets a fashion designer who initially refuses to work with her because she's...basic. And that's when things start to come together. "Emily in Paris" feels like a show Carrie Bradshaw would write, celebrating the cliched dream of moving to the City of Lights, wearing fabulous clothes, seeing the stunning sites and eating the incredible food. That's exactly what Emily does, and of course posts about it on social media, slowly cultivating a huge following of her own.

Speaking with The New York Times, Star said he moved to Paris a few years ago despite not being able to speak the language (Emily is often dragged by her coworkers for not knowing how to speak French when she arrives).

"I know how French people look at me, when they look at Americans, I can see some of their prejudices, and I can see some of my prejudices," he said.

As if "Emily in Paris" was really created by Carrie Bradshaw, the show looks amazing and the outfits are stunning. All the women in the show effortlessly pull off several looks, ranging from office wear to drop-dead black-tie event gowns and, of course couture. The show really captures the glitz and romance of Paris and the new comedy is best served as a bit of escapism TV.

"Darren wanted to take full advantage of what he considered the beauty of the city — the promise, the sparkle, you could say the superficial dream idea of New York," Sarah Jessica Parker told The Times.

Untimely, "Emily in Paris" is about dream fulfillment. What it means to actually do something bold and scary with a lot of risk and high reward. It's not always the most cutting-edge show, but Star's new comedy honors even your most basic instincts.

[jmsa1287]

Bullying, Boys and BFFs in the Wonderful 'PEN15' Season 2

“PEN15″ Season 2 is one of the best tv shows of the year!

The second season of Hulu's brilliant comedy "PEN15," which debuts Friday, will be 14 episodes split into two parts (the second half will debut sometime next year due to the pandemic halting production). Though there are just seven episodes, "PEN15," created by its stars Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle along with Sam Zvibleman (he directs all of Season 2), ends up being a near-perfect stretch of TV, somehow improving on its fantastic first season.

"PEN15" follows Erskine and Konkle playing 13-year-old versions of themselves as they navigate all that comes with being a seventh grader in 2000. The gimmick here is that the two adult actors star with a number of actual teens. But the comedy is much more than genius gag and its juvenile name. It's an emotional journey that balances the trials and tribulations of how hard it is it to be a teen girl with some of the funniest writing on TV; it will make you laugh, cringe and cry and laugh again.

Season 2 feels bigger even with the shorter season (the second of half of Season 2 will arrive sometime next year); it's definitely more accomplished and ambitious, deserving to be in the conversation of the most-talked-about modern comedies ("Atlanta," "Insecure," "Better Things"). There's a small arc in the middle of the season where the tight duo meets Maura (Ashlee Grubbs), a fellow student who somehow has all the same interests as Maya and Anna. They take her into their small clique and come to realize that maybe there's something off with her; that relationship won't be spoiled here. But it's the last two episodes of Season 2 where the show explodes into something unexpected, putting both Erskine and Konkle in the conversation of the best comedic actors on TV. And a shout out goes to Zvibleman, whose direction this season elevates the show to a new level.

Best of all, "PEN15" radiates with empathy. The show cares about Maya and Anna and their deep bond (it's beyond friendship). The show treats their relationships — with each other, family, friends and boys — with respect and importance. (The show does the same with its support characters, including a friend on the periphery who is discovering his own sexuality.) Whether they're crushing on a boy who doesn't feel the same, discovering witch craft or having their first period, everything Maya and Anna experience is told with warmth but always remains funny. A situation or a problem that would be tossed off in another show is examined with care on "PEN15"; no trauma or change is too small.

"When we were in the second season, one of the writers was like, 'I've never seen people break story like this. You break from emotion.' And we were like, 'Oh, yeah, I guess we do.' The challenge this season, which is not our comfort zone, was starting from plot," Erksine told Rolling Stone.

Things do get a bit serious in Season 2 as Anna's parents are going through a divorce and Maya again experiences bullying and othering as she did in the first season, and develops an unhealthy obsession with a boy. Both girls, too, have intense mother-daughter moments that climax when the foursome (Melora Walters plays Anna's mother Kathy and Mutsuko Erskine — Erskine's real mom—plays Maya's mother Yuki) get together for a shopping day that goes south.

"We're slut-shamed in the beginning and instantly start to hate ourselves, hate our vaginas and then hate women," Erskine told The New York Times. "So we wanted to show that reflection in our mothers, how you sort of turn against your mother at that age because you're kind of turning against yourself — your mom is a reflection of yourself. So I feel like that scene is something that you would be saying now, Anna, to your mom. It's sort of like a love letter, a rewrite apology."

"PEN15" is so special because of how lived-in and real Maya and Anna feel. It's surprising then that Erskine and Konkle didn't grow up as teens together — they didn't meet until college.

"We didn't get to grow together as 13-year olds, but I feel like we had a second adolescence together now, truly. I'm thinking of us meeting in college, to now — that is another adolescence," Erskine told the New York Times.

Nevertheless, their connection radiates in "PEN15," making the comedy series truly unique. Season 2 ends in an exciting way, too, only making the second half more anticipated than before.

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In Ryan Murphy's 'Ratched,' Starring Sarah Paulson, an Origin Story of Campy Proportions

I liked “Ratched” more than “Perry Mason” at least!

How many times have audiences seen Bruce Wayne's parents murdered in a dimly lit alleyway? (Spoiler alert: It happened most recently in Todd Phillips' "Joker.") It's an origin story told countless times to varying degrees of success but one that Hollywood is obsessed with retelling.

Creators seem to love the origin story (and not just when it comes to superheroes) and we have no shortage of such tales, even on the small screen. Just a few months ago, HBO's rebooted "Perry Mason" showed how the iconic defense attorney (played here by Matthew Rhys) went from a private investigator to the bullish lawyer we know today. For "Ratched," which hits Netflix Friday, producer Ryan Murphy attempts to do the same but with another iconic character, Mildred Ratched, the demented nurse from Ken Kesey's 1962 novel "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." (Louise Fletcher played Nurse Ratched in the 1975 film for which she won an Oscar.)

"Perry Mason" was undoubtedly an expensive show to make; it was rich in detail and every frame looked like Rhys was transported back to the early 30s. But it was a dull story and maybe one we didn't particularly need. Despite Sarah Paulson's wonderful performance, the same goes for "Ratched," co-created by Evan Romansky, though its problems stem from the opposite of the issues that plagued "Perry Mason." Because the show is a Murphy production, the new series is heavy on over-the-top camp — a hallmark of his projects — while trying to infuse the story with 2020 wokeness (see his previous Netflix series "Hollywood").

Set in 1947, "Ratched" takes place before the events of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." The show follows Mildred as she squeezes her way into getting a job at a leading psychiatric hospital in Northern California where its head doctor Richard Hanover (Jon Jon Briones) is working on a number of gruesome experiments to test on willing patients — many of whom happen to be gay. While trying to get a job as a nurse she often bumps up against head nurse, Betsy Bucket (a wonderful Judy Davis, who knows exactly what kind of TV show she's in). It's soon revealed that Mildred has an ulterior motive for wanting to work at the facility, which has something to do with Edmund Tolleson (Finn Wittrock), a murderer sent to the hospital to for evaluation to see if he's fit to stand trial for his crimes. And throughout the show, we get flashbacks upon flashbacks that show us how Mildred became the twisted Nurse Ratched best-known from the award-winning film.

"Ratched" starts off strongly with Murphy behind the camera (he directs the first two episodes), setting up the show to be a Hitchcockian thriller (there's plenty of nods to the master of suspense sprinkled throughout the first two episodes). But as more characters are introduced and more plot is revealed, the show quickly reveals itself to be another Murphy misfire albeit not his worst.

Fans of Murphy — and Paulson — will likely think back to "American Horror Story: Asylum," the second season in the FX anthology franchise, which was also set in a creepy mental health facility during the 50s. It was also Paulson's first leading role in the series and that season was incredibly pulpy and camp, featuring aliens, Nazi doctors, and serial killers. For "Ratched," Murphy and Co. (which includes writer Ian Brennan, who is a frequent Murphy collaborator and penned several episodes here), strike a similar tone but also try to shoehorn 21st-century politics into the story. Most notably, "Ratched" is another period piece that prominently features queer people. ("Lovecraft Country," "Perry Mason," "Penny Dreadful: City of Angels," and Murphy's own "Hollywood" all have queer plotlines with varying levels of importance.) And again with "Ratched," queerness is displayed as suffering and suffocation because of the era in which the show is set.

Still, the show is visually stunning and often uses candy-color sets and costumes to perverse effect; you'll never see a more fabulous looking lobotomy. A shoutout goes to the supporting cast — including Davis — who prop up the show, like Sharon Stone, who plays Lenore Osgood, an extremely wealthy heiress with a vendetta who complicatedly gets involved with Mildred's plans. Cynthia Nixon also stars, playing Gwendolyn Briggs, the assistant to California Governor George Milburn (Vincent D'Onofrio) who begins to fall for Mildred.

"Ratched" is heavy on style and OMG moments, failing to serve a gripping origin story worthy of its main character. Despite its misgivings, it's still at least more entertaining than a stuffy prestigious drama.

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Luca Guadagnino's 'We Are Who We Are' is a Vibrant Series Celebrating Queer Youth

the kids are all right in Luca Guadagnino's HBO series “We Are Who We Are.”

"We Are Who We Are," a new series hitting HBO on Monday, has all the best hallmarks of Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagninio, best known for his gay coming-of-age movie "Call Me By Your Name." The new show is another vibrant coming-of-age story, this time set in a U.S. military base in Venice, Italy, that follows two young teens coming into their own as they discover their sexuality and identity. And like the Oscar-nominated film, it's partly a fish-out-of-water story except one that is not solely focused on romance; in the moving "We Are Who We Are" a Guadagninio celebrates what it means to be young and cherishes the journey it takes to find self-discovery.

Most of Guadagninio's films depict characters entering a new setting; like in his last picture, a remake of the classic 70s giallo "Suspiria" where Dakota Johnson's character, an America, joins a prestigious ballet academy in Germany. "We Are Who We Are" follows Fraser ("It" star Jack Dylan Grazer), a bleach-blond 14-year-old who paints his nails and takes his style inspiration from Kevin Smith. He's being forced to leave New York City because his parents Sarah (Chloë Sevigny) and Maggie (Alice Braga) are joining a U.S. military base in Venice where Sarah will be the new commander. There, he meets a number of kids his age — and older — where he begins to come blossom, especially after meeting Caitlin (newcomer Jordan Kristine Seamon), who is confident around her friends but more unsure of herself when with Fraser; it's their budding friendship that is at the center of the new show where the boundaries of identity and self beautifully vanish.

"We Are Who We Are" will fill the "Euphoria" void in your TV diet despite being two very different shows. Guadagninio's new series is set in 2016 and is less about the drama and pressures teens face today; Fraser always has his phone and an earbud in his ear but he's never tweeting. Guadagninio, who cowrote the eight episodes along with Paolo Giordano and Francesca Manieri, is more interested in the beauty of being young during the time when you learn to break the rules. There are rules for everything at the military base for the young army brats living there, the rules are meant to be broken.

"I wasn't too much into 'topics,' and I wasn't too much into the zeitgeist," Guadagninio told The New York Times in a recent interview. "Instead, what I felt was interesting was a TV narrative not from the perspective of action and plot, but more from the perspective of behavior."

"We Are Who We Are" is ultimately about the choices we make and how those decisions impact those around us. The show features a diverse cast of characters who feel like they want to be anywhere else but where they are. With so many traditions and rules, there's an inherent suffocation that comes with living on an army base. Caitlin feels that pressure especially from her father Richard (Scott Mescudi, a.k.a. rapper Kid Cudi), a high-ranking soldier who expects a lot from his daughter, and her brother Danny (Spence Moore II), who is also an apparent Trump supporter. (There's a scene in which he orders MAGA hats for himself and Caitlin.)

Venice is a beautiful city but much of the show is spent on the base that resembles Any Town, U.S.A. and we only get glimpses of the city during the first four episodes HBO provided. Outspoken Britney (played by Martin Scorsese's daughter Francesca Scorsese) explains to Fraser that all the army bases around the world are exactly the same so no one gets homesick. Being a young teen who is stuck is ripe for a story and Guadagninio imbues "We Are Who We Are" with a kinetic energy that rarely comes along on the small screen. (His music taste also helps as he's rivaling Martin Scorsese for the director with the best needle drops.) Spiritually, "We Are Who We Are" has more in common with Sean Baker's freewheeling 2018 film "The Florida Project" that features a number of first-time actors than a glossy teen drama. That energy percolates throughout the series but explodes in the fourth episode when the group finds a perfect spot to party and rivals the teen party scene in Oliver Assayas's 1994 film "Cold Water."

"We Are Who We Are" says it all in the title; it is a show about how sometimes people can change their perspectives or their views but that they cannot change who they are; their essence and their true selves. Guadagninio's best work has been showcasing characters going through a deep change — as he did with is stunning 2009 feature "I Am Love" starring Tilda Swinton as a married upper-class woman who falls for a chef. His new series is up there with his best works; an ode to being young, free and breaking the rules.

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Taylor Swift is Out of the Woods on Surprise Album 'folklore'

a week later and im finally ready to unpack “folklore”

Since her career-defining album "Red" in 2012, Taylor Swift has leaned harder and harder into hyper-glossy pop music. It was on that album that she first toyed with the idea that she could be as big as Rihanna, Lady Gaga and Beyonce; she had one foot planted in the country music roots where she started her career ("All Too Well" and "Begin Again") and the other foot planted in Top 40 radio ("22," "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together"). With the help of pop producer extraordinaire Max Martin, Swift unsurprisingly found massive success with crossing over into pop stardom, making her best-selling album to date, the super-radio-friendly "1989" in 2014.

"folklore," the eighth studio album from Swift, came as a surprise; huge considering how precisely planned her career has gone, something she detailed in her recent Netflix documentary. The singer announced the project just hours before its release last Thursday. The new music also comes less than a year after her 2019 album "Lover," an album similar to "Red" but in reverse: "Lover" has its share of bops ("Cruel Summer," "The Man") but it also felt like Swift was interested in a different sound ("The Archer," "False God"), that is closer to the music she made at the beginning of her career but still remains own thing. It also lays the groundwork for "folklore."

On "folklore," Swift teams up with Aaron Dessner, a member of the indie-rock band the National. Known for their melancholy lyrics and sullen sound, he produces most of the songs on the album but Jack Antonoff, her longtime collaborator, shows up on a number of tracks. On top of that, Bon Iver (Justin Vernon) is featured on the track "Exile." Swift's production choices — just like the name of her album and its black-and-white imagery — are pointed. Bon Iver's breakout debut album "For Emma, Forever Ago" back in 2007 was noted for being recorded in isolation in a hunting cabin in Wisconsin. Swift wants you to know that she's growing up — using tired tropes and symbolism to broadcast that — but she's finally moving away from her maximalist sound (the less said her 2017 "Reputation" the better) and made that "indie record much cooler than mine."

"folklore" isn't really an indie-sounding album, however. Here, Swift, a gifted songwriter, sounds more like Sarah McLachlan who touches on sounds from '10 indie artists, like Sufjan Stevens ("seven"), Arcade Fire ("this is me trying"), Beach House ("mirror ball") and more (and of course the National and Bon Iver). Swift plays with shoegaze reverb while crafting some of her most clever lyrics; "folklore" is an album that builds upon itself and one that is self-referential. Not only does Swift wink back to songs from her previous albums, "folklore" is a cinematic record (Swift takes cues from Lana Del Rey, who also frequently works with Antonoff, on songs "cardigan" and "seven") with Swift telling stories from different perspectives. "the last great american dynasty" is about Rebekah Harkness, the high society socialite that lived in the Rhode Island house Swift now owns. "august" — one of Swift's best songs in her career — is about a love triangle gone wrong and its sequel, the stunning "betty" finds Swift singing from the male perspective with some noting that she's dabbling in queer songwriting.

Regardless of Swift's influences on "folklore" the best part of the new music is that she still firmly, and confidently, sounds like herself. Though not a powerhouse singer, she has a way of singing and writing music that is undeniably her. The way she emphasizes certain syllables (like in "illicit affairs" and "invisible string") and uses country music phrasing takes a song over-the-top. Swift playing in indie-rock sounds is an exciting new direction for the singer and yet another example of quarantine sparking artists into making some of their best work.

"In isolation my imagination has run wild and this album is the result, a collection of songs and stories that flowed like a stream of consciousness," Swift said of the album on Instagram. "Picking up a pen was my way of escaping into fantasy, history, and memory. I've told these stories to the best of my ability with all the love, wonder, and whimsy they deserve. Now it's up to you to pass them down."

"folklore" is a brilliant album but it more importantly finds Swift in a totally different mode. It's a bit annoying that she uses rock music signifiers to show that her music is now "serious" or more "authentic"; Swift's music has long been soulful, insightful and crushing. Swift is maturing as an artist (she drops the "F" bomb more than once here - a first for the 30-year-old musician!), and "folklore" succeeds because she's able to try something bold and different without losing who she is. "folklore" is a lush album that mostly suits Swift's abilities as an artist, easily becoming one of her best albums to date.

[jmsa1287]

'Perry Mason,' with Matthew Rhys, Gets a Big Budget Reboot

(late on posting this “Perry Mason” writeup) 

HBO's new miniseries "Perry Mason" might be the best-looking TV show of the year — and that's saying something considering the slew of visually striking series that have dropped in the first half of 2020, many of them period pieces. Netflix's "Hollywood," HBO's "The Plot Against America," and Showtime's "Penny Dreadful" all take place in the 30s and 40s and are brilliantly rendered by the production teams behind each of those series. But this new iteration of Erle Stanley Gardner's character Perry Mason, a criminal defense attorney played here by a solid Matthew Rhys, is particularly eye-popping.

That it's so lush is due to its massive $74 million budget. Created by Rolin Jones ("Weeds," "Boardwalk Empire") and Ron Fitzgerald ("Friday Night Lights, "Weeds"), the show mostly ditches the courtroom drama associated with Perry Mason, making the series a gruesome and sweaty L.A. noir. Imagine a classic noir like "Double Indemnity" but with a Hollywood blockbuster budget. And Rhys is fully aware of what kind of TV show he's in. Unfortunately, he's not given too much to do on the emoting spectrum and plays Mason as a super-hard-boiled P.I. that his version of the character is hard to connect to.

Despite its luxe style and keenness to pay ode to the genre, "Perry Mason" positions itself more like "True Detective," a signature HBO series full of lore and gritty violence. The faint of heart expecting a Raymond Burr-esque legal drama and not a gnarly detective story might be turned off. This particular story finds a Great Depression-era Mason working as an investigator for attorney E.B. Johnathan (John Lithgow). The case is particularly graphic and scandalous as it involves the disappearance of a baby, who turns out to be murdered under freaky circumstances.

Thankfully, the show is more than just a well-made caper; like the best noirs, "Perry Mason" offers a lot of subtext, focusing on trauma/PTSD (this Mason is a World War I vet and the show goes into detail by recreating flashback war scenes that recall last year's Oscar frontrunner "1917"), religion and L.A.'s problematic police force. "I wouldn't trust the Los Angeles Police Department to do the job that's needed," someone says — "Perry Mason" doesn't hold back when it comes to crooked cops, especially those within a city that has a long history of crooked officers.

The backdrop of the show also highlights rising Christian evangelicals at the time, with Tatiana Maslany playing Sister Alice, who leads a devout following along with her mother, played by Lily Collins. This storyline is oddly similar to one in "Penny Dreadful: City of Angels." In fact, "Perry Mason" tackles a lot of the same issues and offers a lot of the same subtext as that Showtime program albeit it nixes its supernatural elements.

"Perry Mason" is ultimately a well-made prestigious anti-hero drama, with a lot of talent and care poured into it. It won't revolutionize TV in the way "True Detective" and other shows have but it will undoubtedly satisfy those willing to devote upwards of eight hours to a gruesome and pulpy tale.

[jmsa1287]

The Enduring Power of Lady Gaga's 'Chromatica'

In the weeks since its late May release, Lady Gaga's sixth album "Chromatica" has gone on to prove itself to be a powerful piece of music that's both sad and personal and one of the pop star's best efforts to date.

Lady Gaga's new album "Chromatica" has been praised by critics for a return to form. The 16-track album (13 tracks if you don't count the short self-title interludes) is a dance record from front-to-back, finding Gaga getting back to her dance-floor roots and in touch with the kind of pop anthems she made when she began her career. But in the weeks following its late May release (the album was originally planned for April, but it was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic), "Chromatica" has revealed itself to be more than fan service; it's a deeply personal album that is often sad despite most songs have a pulsating tempo.

It wasn't clear what "Chromatica" would really be until Gaga shared her second single, "Rain on Me" with Ariana Grande. Before that, Gaga shared "Stupid Love," a fine enough song but a terrible lead single in retrospect. In an interview with Paper magazine from earlier this year, before the track was announced, Gaga said "Rain on Me" is a "monster of a dance tune, but its message is about submitting yourself to devastation — a flawless dance floor crier as a 'celebration of all the tears.'" She also said at the time she had teamed up with a "fellow female pop star who [had similarly experienced] immense trauma while in the public eye."

"I sat with her and we talked about our lives. It's two women having a conversation about how to keep going and how to be grateful for what you do," Gaga said. Grande has found herself in the headlines over tragic circumstances, like in 2017 when her concert at the Manchester Arena in the U.K. was the target of a suicide bombing, killing 23 fans and injuring hundreds. A year later, her ex-boyfriend rapper Mac Miller died over an overdose.

Much of "Chromatica" explores how we cope with pain, trauma and tragedy and how it changes us. Gaga gets incredibly confessional on "Fun Tonight," a song about others wanting you to be happy and smile but not being able to actually do that. In one verse, Gaga reflects on her past: "You love the paparazzi, love the fame / Even though you know it causes me pain / I feel like I'm in a prison hell / Stick my hands through the steel bars and yell," she sings over a thrusting house beat. Here, Gaga recalls the early days of her career when she released her first album "The Fame" and its hit-single "Paparazzi," noting that particular time in her career was difficult. She also gets confessional on "911," a robotic dance banger that also finds Gaga at her most vulnerable: "I can't see me cry / Can't see me cry, this is the end / My biggest enemy is me ever since day one / Pop a 911, then pop another one," she coldly sings.

Gaga also smartly divides "Chromatica" into three sections. The album is split up by the three self-titled interludes; part one feels like a buildup of anger and tension, like "Alice," "Rain on Me" and "Fun Tonight" before exploding in the second section with some of Gaga's best music to date, including the acid house bop "Sour Candy," featuring the K-pop group BLACKPINK, the funk house "Enigma" (that has some of Gaga's best vocals on the album) and "Replay," a disco delight. Part three finds Gaga in a beautiful release, like the stunning ballad "1000 Doves" and the confident closing track "Babylon." That song is Gaga completely ignoring the haters who compared her to Madonna over the years — "Babylon," with its soaring choir and animal sound effects, is a straight-up Madonna inspired track (a la "Vogue") and better than anything the Material Girl has released in the last two decades. (The less said about the campy Eurovision song "Sine from Above" featuring Elton John, the better; the only clunker on the new album.)

"Chromatica" is a welcome return after Gaga's previous efforts, including the 2016 messy "country" album "Joanne" and the uneven and strange 2013 effort "Artpop." (Gaga was also a part of the "A Star is Born" soundtrack where her song "Shallow" with costar/director Bradley Cooper went to No. 1 on Billboard and won her an Oscar.) It not only finds Gaga giving fans the music they want while being at her most introspective but it also is the most mature album she's made (not including her Tony Bennett duet album). It's a breath of fresh air for Gaga, who allows herself to be vulnerable and honest while crafting some of the best dance music of 2020 so far.

[jmsa1287]

'Homecoming' Season 2, Starring Janelle Monáe, is Solid but Can't Escape Season1's Shadow

The second season of Amazon's conspiracy thriller "Homecoming," which finds Janelle Monáe taking the reins from Julia Roberts, is solid but it should have been its own story rather than a continuation of what came before it.

At the end of the first season of "Homecoming," a psychological and conspiracy thriller series on Amazon starring Julia Roberts, Sam Esmail (creator of "Mr. Robot") left the door open enough so the show could continue for more. He expertly directed all 10 30-minute episodes, and purposefully didn't answer all questions that were asked throughout Season 1. Nearly two years later, "Homecoming," based on a popular podcast, returns for a second season, which hits Amazon Friday, with 7 half-hour episodes — except without its star and without its director. Taking the reins from Roberts is Janelle Monáe and filling in for Esmail is "The Stanford Prison Experiment" filmmaker Kyle Patrick Alvarez, who also has TV directing credits ("Tales of the City," "Counterpoint"). Season 2 starts in a daring way: Monáe's character wakes up in a small rowing boat in the middle of a lake. She's hurt and can't remember anything about her past or who she is. She sees a man in the distance run off and finds a military I.D. in her jacket pocket, suggesting her name is Jackie. Something's off and asking more questions only leads to more danger.

"Homecoming" Season 2 begins with a bang; almost like a writing prompt a teacher would ask their creative writing students... except it happens to star Monáe, who is excellent as always and it's nice to see her in a lead role instead of supporting. But as the show chugs forward, it enviably has to weave things from Season 1 with its new story, which feels awkward and lame at times. What could have been an interesting series, separate from Season 1, is poorly stitched together as a continuation of a complicated mystery. Alvarez is forced to connect the dots between the two seasons and he isn't always successful, especially as most of the cast does not return for Season 2. With Roberts (who played social worker Heidi) gone and Season 1 star Stephen James (who plays Walter, a young military vet with PTSD) only back in a small capacity, Alvarez has to rely on old Season 1 footage to move the story forward. But Hong Chau, who had a small role in Season 1 and has since given her incredible performance in "Watchmen" last year, is bumped up to a regular character in Season 2. Alverez smartly makes her an integral part of the story but that comes with a caveat: the more we learn about Chau's Audrey — an assistant-turned-exec at the Geist Group (a nefarious conglomerate that makes a number of different products) — the less interesting she becomes. As the season unfolds and lays out its mystery, much smaller this time around, "Homecoming" feels like a bad sequel, especially when we get to know the moralistic CEO of Geist, Leonard Geist (Chris Cooper), who appears to be a recluse and has no interest into the day-to-day operations of his company. (Joan Cusack also shows up as an official from the Department of Defense.) Without giving too much away, Jackie does find a connection to Geist but more specifically, Audrey. Nevertheless, audiences are smarter than ever before and Season 2 feels like a sequel of yesteryear — a cash grab of sorts completely missing its charm, its intelligence and the people — both in front of and behind the camera — that made it work to its fullest potential.

Despite that fumble, Alverez does keep many of the hallmarks Esmail injected into Season 1. There are still big winks and nods to Hitchcock; birds-eye-view shots of winding stairs and piercing string orchestra moments punctuate the most thrilling parts of Season 2. But even those overt homages feel stale and odd as Season 2 is less a conspiracy thriller and focuses on Monáe's Jackie; figuring out who she is and what's happened to her. At its best, "Homecoming" is an efficient story with a great cast. "Homecoming" podcast creators Micha Bloomberg and Eli Horowitz return to Season 2 as showrunners and also pen some of the episodes, which boosts the season. Alvarez does what he can with the tools he has and "Homecoming" ends up being an easy watch that is gripping enough, thanks to its short episode order and the half-hour runtime. Smartly, the season ends in a very interesting way that leaves room for a continuation but if there's no Season 3, fans will still be satisfied.

[jmsa1287]

With Her Quarantine-Themed Opus 'How I'm Feeling Now,' Charli XCX & Her Clique Level Up

Charli XCX has been at the forefront of pop music over the last decade and with "How I'm Feeling Now," a quickly-made album created entirely in quarantine with a madcap collection of Internet musicians and input from fans, Charli goes to the next level.

Between 2014 and 2017, Charli XCX almost became the next Lady Gaga. She had released bonafide hits like her Billboard Hot 100 top 10 banger "Boom Clap," from the soundtrack for the tragic teen romance "The Fault in Our Stars." She wrote songs for huge pop stars like Selena Gomez, will.i.am, Blondie, the K-pop group Twice. She was also featured on chart-toppers like Icona Pop's "I Love It," and Iggy Azalea's no. 1 hit "Fancy." But instead of choosing a path where she'd work with producers Max Martin and Pharrell, Charli looked further ahead, stayed online and became the most interesting pop star currently working.

Last week, she released "How I'm Feeling Now," what she's calling her fourth studio album. It arrived on streaming platforms after the British musician announced its conception about six weeks ago on April 6 via a Zoom chat with fans, stressing that it would be a D.Y.I. project with them while she's under lockdown and in quarantine at her Los Angeles home. With 11 songs and a 37-minute runtime, the album, a collaborative effort to be sure, is a masterpiece where Charli makes the most vulnerable and powerful album since Beyonce's 2013 self-titled surprise release. It's an urgent piece of emotional art that finally unifies Charli's ethos and talent into an impressive synthesis of sounds, songwriting and style. And it arrives at a vital moment.

"HIFN" follows her eponymous album from last year — a collaborative effort in a different way as it features several popular artists (Lizzo, HAIM, Christine and the Queens, Kim Petras, Troy Sivan, Sky Fierrea, Cupcake, Big Freedia and more) contributing vocals and felt like, at the time, it was meant to elevate Charli's status in the pop world. It's Charli at her most polished — so much so that the edginess of her music was scrubbed too clean and not everything worked. Her frequent collaborator A.G. Cook, the leader of the internet-dwelling musical collective PC Music, had his signature 00s computer nostalgic sounds bump up against other producers' ideas. A few years before "Charli," she shared the four-track EP "Vroom Vroom" — a maximalist effort from Cook and SOPHIE (another prominent member of PC Music who has had a successful solo career while working with huge names like Madonna) that marked a pivotal career turn for her; a flag signaling that Charli had fully invested in PC Music's chaotically beautiful inorganic sound. In 2017, she released back-to-back mixtapes: the stellar "Number 1 Angel" and the critically acclaimed and fan-adored "Pop 2." Over the release of those four projects, her partnership with Cook grew, morphed and worked out its kinks. On "HIFN," Charli and Cook — both credited as executive producers — unite their best talents while welcoming other sounds from producers, like BJ Burton (a Bon Iver collaborator who is also credited an executive producer), Danny L Harle (who got his start with PC Music as well), Dijon, Palmistry and Dylan Brandy, one half of the mind-bending duo that feels like the logical evolution of PC Music, 100 gecs.

At a time when major-label pop stars are delaying the release of their music — like Lady Gaga, who put off her long-awaited sixth album "Chromatica" a month-and-a-half due to the coronavirus pandemic — Charli is seizing the moment. (Similar to Charli, rising pop star Dua Lipa bumped up the release of her disco-inspired sophomore album "Future Nostalgia" a week back in March.) By directly working with fans — asking them to submit phone footage for music videos and gathering their input on songs by sharing demos to social media and hopping on Zoom chats — Charli has turned her new project into something beautiful and hopeful during a time when most of us are craving any sort of interaction, never mind from a legit pop star. The pandemic is forcing everyone inside and closing us off from family and friends. But Charli is rising to the moment — a moment that feels destined for her —reaching out to her fans to make something that's so of our time.

Though "HIFN" is an impressively made album with music that sounds like it simultaneously comes from both the past and the future, it's untimely successful for being a cathartic and freeing album. Charli has full creative autonomy here and isn't constrained by label meddling. "HIFN" is loud, abrasive, sad, confident and sexy. It's a patchwork of sounds that are stitched together by Charli and Co. where she jumps from genre-to-genre (and sometimes from mico-genre-to-micro-genre) in a matter of seconds, similar to the 100 gecs album "1000 gecs" from last year. It'll give you whiplash where songs are so complex and intricate it's hard to believe it was made in about a month, like on the pulsating and glitchy "Claws," co-produced by gecs' Brady, bounces from love-song to a rave banger that gives way into an eruption of static. To call "HIFN" visceral would be an understatement as a number of tracks are and raw; walls of sound pummel you like on the opener "Pink Diamond," where she sings, "Every single night kinda feels the same I'm a pink diamond/ I need space" as a cacophony of synths and sound effects ram into each other.

"HIFN" defies expectations in many ways; not only that it exists and is excellent from start-to-finish, but the songs themselves are like puzzle pieces arranged in such a way that they pull tricks on what you expect from convention songwriting and producing. Production on "HIFN" is constantly shifting with some tracks initially feel like two or three songs slapped together but careful listening is rewarding as it's revealed how stunningly crafted they are, like "c2.0." That song begins with a sludgy beat but sheds itself to reveal a slick pop song, sounding nothing like the first 90 seconds. It also interpolates Charli's self-titled album cut "Click": "I miss them every night / I miss them by my side / Catch my tears when I cry / My clique on me for life," she sings about the lost days and nights with friends.

Songs you think are about to end go on for another two minutes (like the ethereal and wound-up "Detonate," an album highlight) and songs that you expect to climax collapse inward, like the epic "party 4 u" — the album's best song. It's a lovelorn track full of yearning about throwing a party for a crush who never shows up. It's a simple message (when you're into someone but they don't quite reciprocate those feelings) that's been expressed millions of times throughout the history of pop music - but not quite like this. It opens with an otherworldly synth and builds and builds until it reaches its apex. But instead of a release of sound that you expect, "party 4 u" — the longest song on "HIFN" (nearly 5-minutes) — goes silent and starts from the beginning, becoming one of the most powerful moments on the album.

The track also brings "HIFN" full circle in a profound way. It's a song that's been around for a few years and, after leaking online, it quickly became a fan favorite where people would request it at shows. Charli and A.G. Cook said they always considered putting it on an album but Charli said she was "hesitant...because I like the mythology around certain songs." Nevertheless, Charli said that including "party 4 u" on the album might seem "small and silly" but "it's the time to give something back." Indeed, it's a payoff for those who have invested in the world-building and mythology Charli has created for the last five years as "party 4 u" closes with a live recording from a concert in which fans are requesting the track itself, prior to its official release. It's a beautiful sentiment that propels the album and Charli and her team to a new level of artistry.

[jmsa1287]

The Blues Soundtrack Netflix's Unconventional Murder Mystery 'The Eddy'

"The Eddy," hitting Netflix Friday, finds Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle helming the first two episodes of this family drama/murder mystery set within Paris's jazz scene.

With Netflix seemingly focusing on releasing broad and big-budgeted TV series (like "Hollywood" and the upcoming Steve Carrell starrer "Space Force"), and films ("6 Underground," "Extraction"), "The Eddy," an atmospheric and niche show that's emotional and sophisticated, feels like a miracle. It's a family drama that quickly gives way and becomes a murder mystery of sorts that's set in the dark-lit alleys of Paris's jazz scene.

Setting the show's tone is Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle, who won during the iconic 89th Academy Awards ceremony for his big-budget and starry musical "La La Land." But "The Eddy," created by British screenwriter and playwright Jack Throne (who has writing credits on all eight episodes of this limited series), is a somber tale and Chazelle dials things back and plugs into the blues. Though Chazelle has shown off what he can do on the big screen, like winking at the MGM musicals of yesteryear and creating breathtaking set pieces as in his 2018 emotionally-driven Neil Armstrong biopic "First Man," he opts for a French New Wave style of filmmaking with "The Eddy," which also marks his first dip into TV. Like his breakthrough film "Whiplash" (about a mentally and physically abusive music teacher and his driven high school student, played by J.K. Simmons and Miles Teller, respectively), "The Eddy" is an intimate and personal story told on a similar scale. Chazelle helms the first two episodes of the series, utilizing natural lighting, a shaky camera and lots of closeups, and like the greats of the French New Wave, "The Eddy" often feels like a docuseries. It also helps the drama is carried on the shoulders of Andrè Holland ("Moonlight," "The Knick"), who has never been less than interesting and is one of America's best actors going.

In "The Eddy," Holland plays Elliot Udo, an ex-pat living in Paris and running the titular jazz club. He's got a troubled past, leaving behind his problems in America to live the life he wants in the City of Lights. He's a famous jazz pianist but has since retired after the death of his son. Now divorced, he's focused on running The Eddy with a house band and his business partner / best friend Farid (Tahar Rahim). But the club is struggling and folks aren't flocking to see the Elliot-assembled band, with lead singer Maja ("Cold War" breakout Joanna Kulig). It's soon revealed that Farid might be cooking the books and making some shady deals. On top of that, someone is murdered just as Elliott's teen daughter Julie (Amandla Stenberg) is about to come and live with him, propelling "The Eddy" into its main narrative. Each episode of "The Eddy" is named after a character in the show and mostly follows that person's point of view but Elliot is always at the center of the show — and rightfully so. Holland is exceptional here; he's flexible and emotes perfectly and is essentially the show's driving force, which can feel weighty when it veers off its central plot. Like in the third episode, which is centered on Julie. She's dealing with adjusting to a school in a new city — and country — and reconciling her feelings with her father. She's also dealing with the reason why she left her mom and stepfather's home in America. She soon lashes out and gives into her self-destructive behavior only adding stress to Elliot's life, which has been completely turned upside down.

At times, "The Eddy" can get too into the weeds. There are beautiful scenes that play out showcasing a side of Paris we rarely see; often spotlighting its Muslim communities. For how dreary the show can feel, it is often balanced with life and beauty. At the funeral of said person who is murdered, the somber event quickly transforms into a New Orleans-style of celebration when members of The Eddy's house band, including Maja, begin to celebrate the person's life with free-flowing jazz. After Chazelle's first two establishing episodes, French filmmaker Houda Benyamina, best known for her 2016 Cannes Film Festival hit "Divines," takes over. Then director Laïla Marrakchi, who earned recognition at the 2005 Cannes Festival with her film "Marock," takes the reigns. Finishing out the series is veteran TV director Alan Poul ("Tales of the City," "The Newsroom"). The same style is mostly kept throughout the rest of the series, capturing what feels like off-the-cuff real-life moments that soundtracked by a beautiful score. There are no gimmicks in "The Eddy." No camera manipulation or manipulative story devices. It's an authentic experience from the first note you hear.

[jmsa1287]

Once Upon a Time in...Ryan Murphy's 'Hollywood'

Blending fact and fiction, Ryan Murphy rewrites movie history with his glitzy and lavish limited series "Hollywood," coming to Netflix on May 1.

In some ways, "Hollywood" feels like the project Ryan Murphy has been working towards for most of his career. The glitzy seven-episode limited series, which hits Netflix on May 1, follows a group of newcomers to Tinsel Town and their collision with the industry's gatekeepers during the Golden Age of Hollywood.

But Murphy's "Hollywood, co-created with writer Ian Brenna, is anything but a simple history lesson about the trials and tribulations of what it was like to work within the studio system of yesteryear. The series functions like Quentin Tarantino's 2019 film "Once Upon a Time in...Hollywood," in which the director reimagines the historic year of 1969 through the eyes of a washed-up TV actor (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stunt double (Brad Pitt). With "Hollywood," Murphy and his team rewrite film history and tell a fairytale of what a more accepting and understanding 1940s Hollywood could look like and how it could have brought an early change to the world — the kind of change that many of us are still working on seeing today. As Murphy called it on Instagram, "Hollywood" is a "revisionist fable." In other words, it's the past that liberals want.

For some time, Murphy has been focusing on highlighting diversity both in front of and behind the camera. THis FX drama "Pose" — about queer and trans voguers in New York City's ballroom scene during the 80s and 90s — broke a number of inclusion records and in 2017 (a year before that show aired), he launched his Half Initiative, which aims to "make Hollywood more inclusive by creating equal opportunities for women and minorities behind the camera," its website writes, adding, "Less than one year after launching Half, Ryan Murphy Television's director slate hired 60% women directors and 90% met its women & minority requirement." That sentiment seems to be the driving force behind "Hollywood" but at the same time, the show manages to have a lot of fun and be mostly entertaining in the way some of the best Murphy projects are.

Murphy — who helped shape the TV landscape with programs like "American Horror Story," "American Crime Story," "Glee" and "Pose" — left his home at Fox to work for Netflix in 2018. "Hollywood" marks his second project for the streamer (the first being the bumpy series "The Politician"). It's ultimately the kind of series Murphy should be developing even though it simultaneously spotlights the best and worst tendencies of the out producer/writer/director.

We first see "Hollywood" with World War II veteran and aspiring actor Jack Castello ("The Politician" star David Corenswet), a conventionally attractive midwestern white man who moves to the city with his pregnant wife Henrietta (Maude Apatow). It doesn't take long before Jack realizes that getting his foot into Hollywood — or Hollywoodland as it was called at the time — isn't as easy as he thought. After failing to get into the industry and going totally broke, he meets the charming Ernie (Dylan McDermott), who runs a gas station, and offers him a job to pump gas. Except...that's not the job at all. Jack soon realizes the station is actually a front for a prostitution ring (this is based on Scotty Bowers explosive book "Full Service") in which Ernie's handsome employees go home — or to hotels — with his clientele (which mostly consists of good-looking older women and good-looking younger men). But it's how Jack actually gets his break and meets a number of the main cast members of "Hollywood," including Avis Amberg (Patti LuPone), the wife of the head of a popular movie studio.

The rest of the season darts and bobs between younger characters like rising director Raymond Ainsley (Darren Criss) and his girlfriend Camille Washington (Laura Harrier), a black woman who is having difficulty getting parts that aren't roles for the help. There's also Archie Coleman (Jeremy Pope), an aspiring screenwriter who is black and gay and works with Jack at Ernie's gas station. There, Archie meets sweet and closeted actor Roy Scherer (Jake Picking), who would later be renamed Rock Hudson by his diabolical Harvey Weinstein-esque manager Henry Willson (played by an absolutely wild Jim Parsons in perhaps his best role ever), who did manage Hudson in real life along with a number of other beefy men, including Tab Hunter and Robert Wagner.

Once that group of starry-eyed newcomers gets together, they begin working on a groundbreaking movie with the help of Hollywood's old guard, like Avis as well as producers Ellen Kincaid (Holland Taylor) and Dick Samuels (Joe Mantello). They attempt to use their position and power to get the movie through a racist, homophobic and misogynistic studio system by convincing naysayers and company men, like Avis' husband, Ace Amberg (Rob Reiner), that the movie could change lives.

But the fun of "Hollywood" is the way in which Murphy and co- ("Pose" writer/director Janet Mock and "American Crime Story" writer Reilly Smith) use the Golden Age era as a sandbox. Henry Willson and Rock Hudson aren't the only real-life figures who pop up: Anna May Wong (Michelle Krusiec), one of the first Chinese-American actresses, has a small role, as does Hattie McDaniel (Queen Latifah), the first woman of color to win an Oscar for her role as "Mammy" in "Gone with the Wind." Her costar Vivien Leigh (Katie McGuiness) also shows up. "Hollywood" also has a lot of fun recreating iconic film history stories, including filmmaker George Cukor's infamous dinner parties where Hollywood's powerful and closeted gay men would get together and have various relationships with younger men, most of them looking for their break in the industry.

"Hollywood" is a Murphy project through-and-through and nothing is subtle. The highs are high and the lows are low. Because the show is on Netflix, Murphy is unfiltered and free from the constraints of cable TV: there's shocking nudity, swearing, as well as dynamic and heartfelt moments. It's no surprise the co-creator of "Glee" is behind "Hollywood" as the show often feels like a musical and that a character could break into song at any moment. Scenes are tense and fast; actors attempt the transatlantic accent and Murphy and his writers employ the quick and snappy way of talking from the era. When it's at its best, "Hollywood" gives off the same vibes as "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel." But there's a lot of awkwardness as well. Some of the writing is jarring as a 2020 sense of awareness is injected into some of the dialogue, pulling you out of the moment. Some actors can sell it and others noticeably cannot.

"Hollywood" is polished and is ultimately an interesting endeavor even if it isn't always successful. (The show falls apart during its endgame.) It's Murphy's best project since "American Crime Story" where his lavish vision of a loving and more accepting past overcomes exploitation, racism, homophobia and corrupt power. And at this moment in time, that feels pretty good.

[jmsa1287]

'Penny Dreadful: City of Angels' is a Frustrating Spiritual Sequel

"Penny Dreadful: City of Angels," hitting Showtime on April 26, trades the Victorian Gothic fiction of its predecessor for pre-World War II hardboiled noir and Mexican folklore with varying results.

"Penny Dreadful," which ran on Showtime for three seasons between 2014 and 2016, never really got the praise it deserves. Created by out scribe John Logan, the dark series was inspired by penny dreadfuls; genre stories from the 19th century (perhaps similar to today's Marvel comics) where Logan used iconic figures like Dracula, Dorian Gray, Abraham Van Helsing, Victor Frankenstein and his monster, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and many others to write his own elevated fanfiction with the addition of new characters that he created. The drama was mostly a showcase for Eva Green (an actor who also never really got the praise she deserves), who played the mysterious and powerful Vanessa Ives and was placed directly at the center of the sprawling story.

The show will likely be remembered for the way it ended. Without an announcement or any marketing fanfare, the last episode of Season 3 turned out to be a series finale, with "Penny Dreadful" coming to a shocking conclusion. Now, nearly four years since the drama wrapped up, Logan is back with a new story under the "Penny Dreadful" banner. "City of Angels," which hits Showtime on April 26, is a spiritual sequel of sorts that finds Logan trading his obsession with Victoria Gothic fiction for a hardboiled noir story that's fused with Mexican folklore and set in 1938 Los Angeles.

"City of Angels" also features a new cast (except for the excellent British actor Rory Kinnear, who played Dr. Frankenstein's Creature in "Penny Dreadful"), which includes "Game of Thrones" star Natalie Dormer, "It Follows" actor Daniel Zovatto, and Nathan Lane. Logan, who is credited as creating the new series, returns as writer, penning the first four episodes of six that Showtime provided. This time around, Logan seems to be writing with more purpose and intentionality; "City of Angels" feels more urgent and Logan (who has writing credits on films like "Hugo," "Alien: Covenant," "The Aviator," and "The Time Machine") has a lot on his mind. It's perhaps his most directly political work to date where he draws parallels to the darkness of 2020 (sans the coronavirus pandemic) and attempts to place that anxiety in West Coast America with World War II on the horizon.

Those coming into "City of Angels" hoping it strikes the same kind of tone and kinetic energy of its predecessor might be disappointed. The new show is light on hauntings and ghouls as Logan double downs on existential threats and the curdling America's perception as a land of peace and opportunity for all. The show follows Tiago Vega (Zovatto), the Los Angeles Police Department's first Mexican-American detective, as he and his veteran partner Lewis Michener (an excellent turn for Lane) work on a gruesome murder case involving the deaths four white people. The scene of the crime indicates the slayings were carried out by Mexicans as the bodies are dressed up in Día de Muertos (Day of the Day) garb and makeup, only escalating the ongoing racial tension between white people in and the Mexican-American community in L.A. at the time.

At the core of the show is the shape-shifting evil entity Magda (Dormer), who takes on several forms in order to influence humans so they can carry out her evil acts. Magda fits herself in of the show's many plot threads, allowing Dormer to take on a number of different identities (four in total!). It's clear Logan has positioned the Magda character as his new Eva Green as it allows Dormer to display her acting chops. It doesn't always work, but there are times when Dormer proves herself to be a big force as she transforms herself into women from different walks of life. In one storyline, she plays a mousey but sinister secretary to Charlton Townsend (Michael Gladis), a councilman and the head of the L.A. City Council's Transportation Committee, who is gearing up to construct a highway that would run through, and effectively destroy, a Mexican-American neighborhood. (It's with the Charlton character that Logan lays it on thick with the links to 2020 and basically uses him as a Trumpian figure; in one episode he spews "make America great again"-type rhetoric.)

Elsewhere, Dormer plays a kind German housewife and mother who says she's being abused by her husband to gain the sympathy of Peter Craft (Kinnear), a German pediatrician who happens to be the leader of the German-American Bund. Here too, Logan connects the white supremacism of yesteryear to the burgeoning incidents we see pop up in our headlines today. She also slithers her way into the lives of folks in L.A.'s Mexican-American neighborhood. Here, she becomes a young queer person who attempts to ignite the rising tension and rage towards white and straight people oppressing them.

And that's just about half of the plot in "City of Angels." Storylines eventually intertwine but it takes a long time to get there. Like "Penny Dreadful," this spinoff does feature a lot of queerness, though, again, it takes a few long episodes for that to happen. Logan's writing is upfront and center in "City of Angels" as he pens extremely long monologues for his actors. Each episode features moody and passionate speeches from characters that go on for several minutes. They're clearly having fun delivering Logan's writing, but it can be daunting and even exhausting to watch. But once the show gets where it's going, "City of Angels" becomes truly exciting. Episode four, "Josefina and the Holy Spirit," features one of the most hard-to-watch incidents I've seen on TV in some time and that is followed by one of the most violent acts of murder I've seen on TV in years.

For all of its big-budget showiness, "City of Angels" oftentimes feels like a small, albeit complicated, stage play. For better or for worse, the new drama wears its themes on its sleeve, and actors revel in Logan's writing. Still, there's something missing. "City of Angels" is the latest show to be set in or around World War II. Based on the Philip Roth novel, HBO's miniseries "The Plot Against America" also reimagines American history and posits the idea of what would happen if noted fascist Charles Lindbergh was elected president. Ryan Murphy's upcoming Netflix limited series "Hollywood" reimagines the racial, sexual and social politics of Hollywood's Golden Age. With the slew of these kinds of limited series, many TV creators seem to be interested in the time period of American history at the moment. But as it stands with "City of Angels," the new addition to the "Penny Dreadful" universe feels more in line with Murphy's FX franchise "American Horror Story"; an anthology show that Penny Dreadful" always felt like it was purposely avoiding. With its attempt to express so many themes and ideas, "City of Angels" feels more overstuffed and daunting than "Penny Dreadful," which in hindsight was a focused and lean series. The new drama doesn't veer far from the worst tendencies of "AHS." but "City of Angels" is ultimately a smarter and more eloquent show that isn't as successful as its predecessor.

[jmsa1287]

Things Get Deadly on a Solid 'Killing Eve' Season 3

The cat-and-mouse thriller "Killing Eve" returns for its third season, raising the stakes that keeps you on your toes.

At its core, "Killing Eve" is a cat-and-mouse game with a queer romantic twist. A "Cheers"-like "will they, or won't they?" question fuels the show and the energy between its two leads, Eve (the wonderful Sandra Oh) and Villanelle (the equally wonderful Jodie Comer). For Season 3, which begins April 12 on BBC America, the show raises the stakes, making the electric thriller one of the most entertaining and exciting series on the air. Since its debut, one of the biggest concerns from critics and fans is how long "Killing Eve" can sustain its story. Part espionage and part comedy, the show could have ostensibly wrapped up in a single season; a cat-and-mouse game does eventually need to come to an end sooner than later. But Season 2, and now Season 3, has proven that "Killing Eve" has legs. That's partly because each season has had a different showrunner. "Fleabag" phenomenon Phoebe Waller-Bridge propelled the show into the zeitgeist with the excellent first season, while Emerald Fennell steered the ship for Season 2, and now Suzanne Heathcote is taking over for the latest installment.

Season 3 picks up not long after the fallout of Season 2. After a violent altercation in Italy, Villanelle thinks Eve is dead (we know she is not) and now wants to be promoted from assassin to... a manager assassin within the nefarious group she works for known as The Twelve. She's helped by Dasha (Dame Harriet Walter), a trained killer who helped shape Villanelle to the lethal monster she is today. Meanwhile, a very much alive Eve is no longer working for MI6 or with Caroline (Fiona Shaw). She's living in a dingy studio apartment and working in the kitchen of a restaurant while her husband Niko (Owen McDonnell) is checked into a mental health facility. Saying much more about the first five episodes of Season 3 though would reveal major spoilers that happen to drive the season and set up its new central plot (no more "Silence of the Lamb"-esque storylines about tracking down assassins). Someone dies. Eve is brought back into the fold. And Villanelle, struggling with training assassins, eventually learns Eve is alive. It's these spoilers, though, that make "Killing Eve" enjoyable. They're not the OMG-twists Shonda Rhimes/Ryan Murphy are known for, though, which are fun in their own way but feel like they happen for pure shock value. These are more grounded and highlight one of the best parts of the show: "Killing Eve" is brutal. Since its first season, the show has never shied away from taking out a character you'd never expect to get the ax. The drama is never afraid of taking risks and that happens several times in Season 3, especially when a new and very interesting character is introduced only to be killed soon after. Part of the show's tension comes from Villanelle, who is a straight up psychopath and is always the most dangerous person in the room. She decides who lives and who dies. And Comer's performance is never over-the-top; she's tuned into her character's frequency and that remains the same for Season 3. In fact, the show devotes a bottle episode to the world's top assassin, where she locates her family and visits the small Russian village where they live a quiet life.

In some ways, "Killing Eve" feels like the new "Mr. Robot," the hacker drama that ended last year. Both shows had a major and unexpected breakout first season, earning critical acclaim, a strong audience, online fandom and awards. Both shows also found that attention and fandom waning with each passing season despite remaining a good and quality program. There isn't much buzz about "Killing Eve" Season 3 as there ought to be, considering how polished it looks, its smart writing and great performances. In the age of too-much-TV, it's understandable that there are so many new shiny TV shows debuting every other day that even the good shows quickly lose cultural relevance; only a handful of series nowadays can not only breakthrough but hold on to that fandom. Unfortunately, it seems like "Killing Eve" isn't one of those shows but that shouldn't sway anyone from not tuning in. In Season 3, "Killing Eve" proves itself to be one of the most reliable shows going.

[jmsa1287]

In 'Insecure' Season 4, Growing Up and Growing Apart

After a year-long break, Issa Rae's "Insecure," one of the best comedies currently going, returns for its fourth season Sunday on HBO, following a similar path to the network's series "Girls."

It's been a year since "Insecure" has been on TV. Its third season, which aired in mid 2018, found Issa (Issa Rea, the show's star, co-creator and frequent writer) attempting to plan a block party to support her Inglewood. Of course, a lot has happened between 2018 and now, but the newest installment of "Insecure" finds the sitcom thriving in its groove, reclaiming its position as one of the best comedies on TV. Season 4, which hits HBO on Sunday, picks up just as the music event is about to take place and one of the first scenes we see is Issa on the phone saying that she's on the outs with her BFF Molly (the wonderful Yvonne Orji). The episode then cuts to a few months before that phone call, where Issa, who is also working as a property manager, is still in the midst of planning the party and working with Condola (Christina Elmore), a nonprofit businesswoman who believes in Issa's vision. The first four episodes of the new season of "Insecure" are essentially a documentation of the breakdown of a close friendship. For three seasons, "Insecure" has shown us the close relationship between Issa and Molly, warts and all. But, with each missed phone call, ignored text, passive-aggressive comment, those warts start to bubble open.

"Insecure" began its run as the HBO comedy "Girls" was heading towards its end. The shows don't have too much in common but there are some interesting similarities and that pop up in Season 4. "Girls" ended up being a series that explored the complications of young (white) female friendship, resulting in its core four pals mostly disbanding by the series finale. The characters on "Insecure" are a bit older (in their early 30s) and further along in the careers (and the show is set in Los Angeles vs. New York) but the comedy has a dynamic way of showing their personal relationships. For years, Issa and Molly have butted heads but have always come back to supporting each other as their two close friends Kelli (Natasha Rothwell) and Tiffany (Amanda Seales) watch and give advice from the sidelines. One of the biggest problems with "Insecure" is not letting Kelli and Tiffany have more prominent roles (or even giving them each a bottle episode) as both Rothwell and Seales are fantastic actors. Nevertheless, Season 4 raises the stakes: everyone is a bit older, a bit more mature and it feels like no one has time for these kinds of shenanigans anymore, sans Issa who is that one friend still trying to figure it out.

In Season 4, "Insecure" is decidedly a sitcom but the show does something interesting by turning up the drama a bit more. Issa's new friendship with Condola becomes threatened when its revealed that she's dating Issa's ex-boyfriend Lawrence (Jay Ellis), who was mostly absent from Season 3. (Fans of the show know the history Issa and Lawrence have — they lived together and had been dating for five years before Issa cheated with her ultimate "the one who got away" crush Daniel, played by Y'lan Noel.) Issa and Condola, who have bonded and get along so well, now have to navigate a new path with the shadow of Lawrence hanging over them. On paper, that sounds like a classic sitcom setup but things are played more intensely here, which builds up tension in Issa's world as she bumps up against Molly, who is still figuring things out with Andrew (Alexander Hodge) and her place at an all-black law firm. Everything feels like its closing in on Issa and Molly, who struggle to get on the same wavelength until things come to a surprising head. Where "Insecure" will ultimately go in its fourth season is still to be determined. The show's decision to not feature Lawrence in Season 3 was an interesting one so there is a precedent that "Insecure" could be ruthless when it comes to what happens with Issa and Molly. But the show has always been most supportive of the bonds between its four friends. Either way, "Insecure" is absolutely comfort TV and there's no better time for the comedy to return to airwaves than right now.

[jmsa1287]

Quibi Launches Quick Bite TV in a World Hungry for a Meal

As the streaming wars heat up, Quibi, a new and edgy competitor to Netflix and other companies, enters the ring this week at an unfortunate time.

The new streaming service Quibi, which stands for quick bites, posits itself as a revolutionary streaming service. It launches on April 6 with a large slate of programming that ranges from unscripted series, news shows, dramas and comedies. It also boasts a lot of talent, involving a number of A-listers and household names like Reese Witherspoon, Steven Spielberg, Zac Efron, Sophie Turner, Jennifer Lopez, LeBron James, Chance the Rapper, and more. What sets apart Quibi from its competitors is that its episodes are short; 10 minutes or less with new episodes shared daily. The company also plans 175 new shows in its first year.

The idea is that we're all on the go. We're all busy. We don't always have time or energy to sit down and watch a 52-minute episode of prestige TV or even a 35-minute episode of a comedy. For $4.99 a month (or $7.99 a month if you don't want ads), Quibi offers micro programming and movies are broken into "chapters," like the Liam Hemsworth and Christoph Waltz thriller "Most Dangerous Game" — an updated and slick version 1924 short story. But Quibi is debuting at an unfortunate and unprecedented time. With the outbreak of the new coronavirus, COVID-19, the U.S. is facing a pandemic with many people self-isolating. People are staying home and have been for several days (if not weeks by now), and plan to stay indoors for several weeks more. Movie theaters are closed; as are restaurants and just about any place that encourages physical contact. To stave off complete boredom, folks are on the hunt for things to watch; catching up on films they've put off watching or binging series that they didn't have the time to dive into. With not much to do these days, and that venturing outside is an at-risk activity, there is a clamor for new content — and for recommendations — unlike any time before in recent memory. Websites are hosting viewing parties and people are getting together on Zoom to watch their favorite movies and shows with friends and share in a communal experience.

Right now, and for the foreseeable future, no one is as busy as they used to be. And no one is really on the go, as a number of cities across the country have essentially shut down and discouraged public gatherings. Quibi was meant to be viewed during your subway commute to the office. Or if you have some time to kill before leaving the house in the evening, throw on Quibi and watch an 8-minute episode of "Chrissy's Court," a spoof of daytime court shows like "Judge Judy" and starring the always-charming Chrissy Teigen. Our lives are currently upended and halted, and we're turning to movies and TV to pass the time like never before. Quibi's audacious proposal, unfortunately, doesn't feel like it can be completely successful in these difficult times. With such short episodes, one could get through Quibi's upcoming catalogue rather quickly.

There's also the devastating effects the pandemic is having on the economy, with 10 million people out of work. Asking for $5 each month for a new streaming service in this economy feels like a bigger challenge vs. asking for $5 each month for a new streaming service just a few months ago. (People can also sign up for a free 90-day trial before April 30.) It's likely Quibi isn't the only streamer facing that threat. Smaller and more niche services could be the first to go when consumers need to cut back costs due to the economy being turned upside-down over the past few weeks.

"This is either going to be a massive home run or a massive swing and miss," Michael Goodman, a media analyst at Strategy Analytics, told The New York Times in a recent piece about Quibi.

Nevertheless, CEO Meg Whitman told the newspaper she isn't worried about the pandemic's impact.

"Think about how often you use your phone when you're homebound," she said. "People who are home with their children would really like a 10-minute break."

Quibi films episodes with the understanding that users are watching programs on their mobile device or tablet. The screeners made available from Quibi were viewed via a third-party app that displayed how programs looked if being viewed horizontally or vertically side-by-side. Watching shows vertically features more closeups and edited images to fill the screen. If there are two people talking in a room, for instance — like in an episode of "Flipped," a comedy series starring Kaitlin Olson ("It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia") and Will Forte ("Saturday Night Live") as a quirky couple looking to launch their own HGTV-style show — the camera will cut back-and-forth between the actors talking instead of showing them together on the screen like it would if the phone was being held horizontally. So far, you cannot stream Quibi to your smart TV/Roku/Apple TV — something that many users are already taking issue with, according to Variety.

Quibi provided a variety of its programming for viewing, ranging from unscripted docuseries, unscripted lighter fare and movies in split into "chapters." No one series stood out or felt like the company's flagship show. Apple's rollout of its TV+ platform has been labeled a disaster by some but it led with a handful of ready-to-go series, anchored by the star-studded "The Morning Show," a mediocre drama featuring Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston and Steve Carrell. Quibi boasts big names, too, but there isn't one show in particular that is being pushed out in front to draw in audiences. Instead, the company seems confident that its low price point and the amount of content it is pumping out is a enough. It is, in a way, following Netflix's model, which in 2019, released more original TV shows than the entire TV industry in 2005, Variety reported last year.

One of the better programs Quibi has to offer is "Nightgowns," a docuseries that looks into "RuPaul's Drag Race" Season 9 winner Sasha Velour's queer variety show. "Most Dangerous Game" is interesting and I would have watched more than the three "chapters" provided. It's a stylized and modern take on the iconic story where people hunt humans for sport. This version takes place in Detroit with a solid performance Waltz but a not-so-great Hemsworth, who struggles to be a leading man here. "Murder House Flip," an HGTV-style show with an SEO-friendly name, remodels houses where actual murders took place; a strange concept that tries to fuse some of TV's most popular genres: home makeovers and true crime. "Gayme Show," hosted by out comedians Matt Rogers and Dave Mizzoni, proved to be completely incomprehensible and "Survive," starring "Game of Thrones" actor Sophie Turner, didn't click after two "chapters." The previously mentioned "Flipped" was enjoyable and the unscripted "Chrissy's Court" was also a fun time.

Pandemic or not, and in a world where YouTube and TikTok are increasingly becoming the dominant entertainment medium, there's no telling if Quibi's big bet will pay off. Will it be a disrupter in the streaming wars, or will it become one of its first victims? The 90-day free trial is alluring and recommended, allowing users to test drive how the streamer fits in their lives. If nothing else, it'll give us one more thing to do in the coming weeks.

[jmsa1287]

'Little Fires Everywhere,' with Reese Witherspoon & Kerry Washington, has too Much on Its Mind

Hulu's "Little Fires Everywhere," starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington, has the hallmarks of an important show as it tackles some intense issues like class, race, and motherhood, but it is trapped by its conventionality.

It's impossible to talk about "Little Fires Everywhere," the new Hulu drama launching on March 18 and starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington, without bringing up "Big Little Lies." The HBO series exploded in 2017 when it brought together Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Laura Dern, Zoe Kratiz, and Shailene Woodley with writer David E. Kelley ("Ally McBeal," "Boston Legal") and filmmaker Jean-Marc Vallée ("Dallas Buyers Club," "Wild") to adapt Liane Moriarty's popular book. Looking back on the show, which aired its unexpected second season last year (which included Meryl Streep in her first major TV role), it's clear how "Big Little Lies" really shook the TV landscape. It was an unprecedented team of talent both in front of and behind the camera, sparking a sea change of sorts in the industry and resulting in a number of high-profile series with big stars and interesting creatives. Things have almost come full circle now with "Little Fires Everywhere," which is based on a 2017 novel by Celeste Ng that Witherspoon discovered (before its publication) and chose for her popular book club series. (After going on to become a bestseller, Witherspoon brought the book to Washington, who signed onto the project.) Since founding her production company in 2017, Hello Sunshine, Witherspoon has gone on to produce a number of notable pop culture works, including films like "Wild," and "Gone Girl" as well as other TV series like Apple TV+'s "The Morning Show," and the network's crime thriller starring Octavia Spencer "Truth Be Told." At this point Witherspoon's brand is like a cottage industry of sorts and "Little Fires Everywhere" fits snuggly into her output.

Set in the late 90s, the new limited series follows two families living in the affluent Shaker Heights, Ohio: the Richardsons, a white upper-class family, and the Warrens, a mother and daughter who are black and looking for a place to live. Richardson matriarch Elena (Witherspoon, playing more grounded version of her "Big Little Lies" character), rents a home she owns to Mia Warren (Washington), an aloof and enigmatic artist, and her teen daughter, Pearl (Lexi Underwood). "Little Fires Everywhere" chronicles the two families clashing as Pearl befriends Elena's children and Mia herself takes up a job as "house manager" for that family, which Elena offers when she sees the young mother working at a local Chinese restaurant. "Little Fires Everywhere" is, at times, brutally honest when it comes to a number of hot button issues, like class, race, feminism and more. There also seems to be a meta context to Witherspoon's role as Elena, who is a well-meaning white woman but is often bumping up against Mia while trying to befriend her. The Oscar winner's last two TV roles (Madeline Martha Mackenzie in "Big Little Lies" and Bradley Jackson in "The Morning Show") are similar characters to Elena; privileged white women who could lean conservative. The three characters are also extremely ambitious and determined; Madeline would do anything for her friends in need, Bradley is willing to risk her career for the truth and Elena offers her home and money to those lest fortunate. Unlike the other two series, "Little Fires Everywhere" tackles race and racism head on and its best parts are when it underscores microaggressions. Elena, along with her four children, are constantly seen being well-attentional but unaware that their actions are rooted in passive racism. Elena offering Mia the "house manager" position — or as Mia calls it, a maid — or Elena's oldest daughter Lexie (Jade Pettyjohn), a mini version of her mother, stealing a story that happened to Pearl for her ivy league college essay.

What's even better is Washington's performance, which drives "Little Fires Everywhere." It's a completely controlled performance where she plays Mia as tired and a bit hostile; she has a way of speaking that makes even the most passive phrase sound threatening. It's a committed role that shows Washington's range but it is unfortunately hampered by the show's conventionality. Above all else, "Little Fires Everywhere" is a soap opera and is staged as one. There are long, dramatic pauses. There is intense lighting — dark backgrounds with Witherspoon and Washington's glowing faces. After altercations, characters pause to show that they are emoting. It's moments like these that snap you out of being fully engaged with the show and its serious issues, reminding you that you are watching a slightly elevated version of "This is Us" that, at its best, is a take down on whiteness. The show also stretches itself to understand motherhood in ways we've seen before, but that theme also becomes a prominent part of the show and has deep impacts with both Mia and Elena make bonds with each other's daughters. "Little Fires Everywhere" also takes a few episodes to really get going. It's not until the third episode where the drama shifts and the show introduces Bebe Chow (Huang Lu), a young woman working with Mia at the Chinese restaurant. Her backstory is unthinkably tragic and envelopes the lives of both Mia and Elena. Thankfully, Hulu will debut the show with the first three episodes, which is feels like the right way to roll it out. "Little Fires Everywhere" has the pedigree but never quite burns hot enough.

[jmsa1287]

'Westworld' Season 3 Leaves the Theme Park but Brings its Baggage

In its third installment, HBO's popular "Westworld," which debuts March 15, ditches its theme park for a futuristic L.A. world. But the dystopian A.I. drama doesn't get rid of the problems that has long plagued the series.

Creators Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan are giving their mystery-box series "Westworld" a much-needed upgrade for its third installment, which hits HBO on March 15. After the catastrophic events of an excruciating Season 2, the popular drama — thought of the network's substitute for "Game of Thrones" — is set mostly outside of the theme park where robot cowboys were continuously murdered and sexually assaulted by humans only to have their memories wiped and have the same things happen to them for eternity. For the first time, we get to see what is beyond the Westworld park as the new season mostly takes place in a futuristic Los Angeles; think a softened version of "Blade Runner." Though the new setting gives a jolt to the ultra-serious "Westworld," it's not quite enough to make up for the drama's shortcomings. For its first two seasons, "Westworld" pondered questions about human existence, artificial intelligence, technology and what it means to be alive. Those questions are still probed in Season 3, making the show's latest installment feel redundant despite its compelling new location. ("Westworld" still looks like the most expensive show on TV.) Even though the first episode is an exciting return — and perhaps one of the better episodes of the show's entire run — "Westworld" quickly reverts to its old ways with the following three episodes.

One of the better additions to "Westworld" this season is the inclusion of Aaron Paul ("Breaking Bad"), who plays military vet Caleb Nichols. He's a construction worker living in future L.A. He's down on his luck, maybe mentally and emotionally unstable, and picks up side jobs via an app that recruits people to carry out illegal operations, often involving acts of violence. This is how he eventually meets up with Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood), who is infiltrating the world, determined to get revenge on the human race for the harm they caused her fellow A.I.s. There's also Maeve (Thandie Newton) and Charlotte Hale (Tessa Thompson), who are both still in the Delos (the parent company of Westworld and its surrounding parks) theme parks, more specifically Warworld, which seems to be World War II-themed. Both women died in Season 2 — as did a number of other characters who show up in Season 3 — so revealing in what ways they're back would be a major spoiler and ruin the "fun" for those who watch "Westworld" in order to solve its crafted mystery.

That's always been the biggest problem for "Westworld." It is a show that feels reverse-engineered; built backward from an answer to a question. The show exists for audiences to directly interact with it on the Internet. To get the full "Westworld" experience, one must participate in Reddit threads, dive deep into Facebook group theories, and hash it out on Twitter. That is certainly one way to engage in a television program but "Westworld" suffers from lack of character development, resulting in a show that feels like you're watching someone play a videogame. Characters are given directives that need to be carried out, going from one "boss" to another, which can be excruciating at times. Like its first two seasons, "Westworld" Season 3 can also be filed under "TV Shows That Feel Like Doing Homework." Despite all of its change, "Westworld" basically remains the same TV show albeit a more streamlined version of itself. If you're looking to get more out of "Westworld" than figuring out a puzzle, try FX/Hulu's excellent new series "Devs." Martin Scorsese found himself in the headlines many times throughout the second half of 2019 for his comments on superhero films, writing in The New York Times' target='new'>This text will be the link that — Marvel movies in particular — "aren't cinema" and "that they seem to me to be closer to theme parks." It's a bit funny, then, that "Westworld" — a TV show based on a 70s sci-fi flick — happens to be the thing that embraces the ideology of the acclaimed filmmaker lambasting. No, "Westworld" is not a film, despite its attempts to be cinematic and poetic and say something larger about human nature. But the show also greatly leans into being a Marvel-esque blockbuster: Nothing matters, characters who have died can easily return in one form or another should the powers that be want that. There are hardly any real stakes in "Westworld" when you know the architects behind the series can pull out literally anything to course correct or surprise you. "Westworld" ends up being an empty theme park trying to be something else.