Summer TV Roundup, Week 18

 


We’ve reached September. The temps are starting to come down, kids are back in school, the NFL pre-season is over and College Football returns in earnest this weekend. We also have pumpkin spice beverages back, and I’ve already partaken in some—though not as many as Ricky Valero. Still, with Labor Day less than a week away, it’s fair to say Fall is upon us. So, this roundup bids farewell to Summer, but never fear as the Fall Roundups begin next week! If you’re looking for a way to spend the long weekend and wondering what you should check out, let this weekly post be your guide as I review the pilot and second episode of new shows this Summer. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks.

Wednesday Nights:
American Horror Story: Double Feature, Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on FX (Premiered August 25)
About: American Horror Story is an anthology series, featuring a new horror tale each season. This is the 10th iteration, this one focusing on vampires and aliens. The two-episode premier on Wednesday introduced the vampire part. The pilot centers on a writer (Finn Wittrock), his pregnant wife (Lily Rabe) and their young child as they move into a house in an isolated beach town in the Northeast for the Winter. He has a writing project to finish, while she’s going to get to make the place over. It’s meant to be a creative retreat, but the place isn’t what it seems. This go-around features a number of familiar faces in new roles—including Evan Peters, Frances Conroy and Sarah Paulson—as well as new players like Macaulay Culkin. The first episode set the mood and the pieces well, while the second expanded the story and the drama. If you’re a fan of these kind of stories this will be a welcome return. This one started interesting enough and boasts a decent cast of players. It will be interesting to see how the second aspect, aliens, works into this premise.
Pilot Grade: C
Second Episode: C

Streaming Series:
Clickbait, Now Streaming on Netflix (Premiered August 25)
About: This one starts simply enough as Pia (Zoe Kazan) is at a birthday dinner for her mother when she quarrels with her brother (Adrien Grenier) and his wife (Betty Gabriel). She heads out, has a wild night, drops her phone in water, sets to dry it out and heads to work the following morning. There, a client shows her a viral video of a man holding a sign that says he abuses women and when the video hits 5 million views, he’ll be killed. Pia recognizes it as her brother and sets about trying to find him. The mystery grabs you and gets going strong in the pilot. The second episode deepens some stories and the mystery, ending with another twist. This eight-episode season, each running about an hour, has a great hook and a decent cast. It’s a mystery about how it happened, why and who might be involved. I liked the way the story unfolded over the first two hours and this is definitely a streaming option that entices the viewer to power all the way through to the end.
Pilot Grade: B-
Second Episode: C+

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Burial a courtroom drama with heart

Image
Willie Gary (Jamie Foxx) is a brash trial lawyer who is good at rallying a jury to his cause. Jeremiah O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones) is a quiet grandfather who is trying to ensure the business his family built remains viable after he’s gone. These two don’t appear to have much in common on the surface. But when they’re brought together by young lawyer Hal Dockins (Mamoudou Athie) brings them together, a connection is formed over their shared background of working hard to become self-made men. And it turned out that Willie was just who Jerry needed in his corner to win the fight of his life. The new Prime Video film The Burial, which opened in theaters October 6 and started streaming October 13, captures that trial against the Loewen Group that changed the course of their lives. The film is based on the true story and covers the trial, but more importantly captures the relationship between the men. The film plays out like a traditional courtroom drama. Foxx is solid as Willie Gary, while Ju
Read more

Broncos Draft Targets

Image
  The NFL Draft is just a few days away. On April 25, the Denver Broncos will head into the draft in the midst of something of a rebuild. In the draft, the Broncos have the No. 12 pick in Round 1, then have a Third Round Pick, Fourth Round Pick, three Fifth Round Picks, a Sixth Round Pick, and a Seventh Round Pick. So, what might they be targeting? Let's dive in and look at possible positions. Quarterback : The team clearly needs a long-term quarterback. Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci are there but the team could certainly use someone else. Could they move up for Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy? Yes, they could. Will the take Bo Nix at 12? It's possible. Or will the Broncos wait until next off-season to make a move? Anything is in play for the Broncos in 2024, but quarterback is surely a need. Tight End: The team brought back Adam Trautman and still has Greg Dulcich, but it's still a need. Dulcich hasn't been able to get on the field and Trautman hasn't been great. Co
Read more

Favorite Westerns, No. 43

Image
  Do you like a good Western? It's a classic genre in film and this year I've decided to look at some of my favorite Westerns. So, join me each Friday as I count down my favorite Westerns from No. 50 to No. 1. Rooster Cogburn : [ watching Mattie ford the river hanging on the back of her horse] By God. She reminds me of me. True Grit (1969) Starring : John Wayne, Kim Darby, Glen Campbell, Robert Duvall, and Dennis Hopper Director : Henry Hathaway About: This is the third straight week with a film from Wayne. As you might guess, we're not done. As I've mentioned, he sets a standard for the genre. Here, we seen him bring to life an iconic character. This one is based on a novel, and it has endured. He's great as Rooster Cogburn, so good that he got a sequel in the same character. But this is a later film in his career. This is a different, more grizzled Wayne. He's still quite good and this is a film that really has stood the test of time. It's not the only ve
Read more