Matt's Musings

We're into December, and new shows are slowing to a trickle. Don't dismay, they'll heat up to a fiery pace in January (Beginning January 1 if you can believe it). In these weekly posts I look at the pilot and second episode of new shows this fall. Don't see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Wednesday Nights: Incorporated, Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on SyFy (Premiered November 30) About: This latest show is set in the near future when corporations rule the world and people even in the wealthiest nations, like the United States, live in poverty. I know that premise seems hard to believe. It also turns out these corporations aren't great, and they've created a class system that oppresses the poor. Again, I know you'll find it hard to believe. Of course, that was mostly all I took away from the pilot episode. Sure, there were some characters and some famous performers (Dennis Haysbert and Julia Ormond are part of this cast), but there wasn't a lot o...

The Broncos have to win in December to be a playoff team. They got off to a strong start on Sunday. Week 13: Broncos 20, Jacksonville Jaguars 10 Season Record: 8-4 (4-2 Home) Key Play: In the third quarter, trailing 10-3, Jaguars' quarterback Blake Bortles dropped back to pass. Instead, he connected with the Broncos' Bradley Roby, who returned it 51 yards for a touchdown to make it 17-3. Recap: You play to win the game, and there are no style points. During the Broncos' Super Bowl winning season, that was an adage that was repeated plenty of times. We might need to dust it off again this season. The Broncos looked ugly at times on Sunday, as has been the case the past few weeks, but the offense did enough and the defense made the plays needed to secure the win. On a day when the Chiefs and Raiders also won, the fact the team won the game was key. The Broncos need to keep winning, and this game against the Jaguars was the most winnable game. Hopefully Trevor Siemian will...

"I am in a dream. I do not know when it began or whose dream it was. I know only that I slept a long time, and then, one day I woke." — Dolores, "Westworld" The first season of "Westworld" ended last night with a bang. It was easily one of the most fascinating and creative shows on TV, and it delivered an epic finale that answered a lot of questions — and posed even more. I also got to see the original film for the first time yesterday, which got me to thinking. Where is this show headed? "Westworld" the movie, released in 1973, was quintessential Michael Crichton, who wrote and directed it. He always did stories on the forefront of technology, but he was very cautious. As someone who loves "Jurassic Park," you could see the germ of that idea in the bones of the film. The show has diverged a bit. It retains the basic idea and some of the caution about technology, but it's been more interested in what it means to be alive. What does ...

"It’s not a technological problem we have, it’s a human one." — Charlie Booker, creator of "Black Mirror" "Black Mirror" is one of the most important, and most scrutinized series of all time. It was created by Charlie Booker in England, but soon found a following in America, too. The first two seasons of this anthology series included three episodes (season two had a Christmas special, too) that were aimed at telling different kinds of stories. Each episode has different actors and a completely different story. But they all have a singular focus. In keeping with the title — which is meant to be a reference to how technology, specifically cell phones, tablets and computers, are a mirror into our society. For the latest season, Booker teamed with Netflix and upped the episode count to six. The most recent season dropped on October 21, and like his previous work it asks some very difficult questions. It tells some dark stories. And it is, at times, hard to wa...

Well, we've reached December and the home stretch for the season. And, naturally, Lindsay and I are tied in picks. As always, Lindsay's picks are in brackets. NFL Picks, Week 13: Cowboys Over Vikings (Cowboys) Falcons Over Chiefs (Chiefs) Bears Over 49ers (Bears) Bengals Over Eagles (Eagles) Broncos Over Jaguars (Broncos) Lions Over Saints (Saints) Packers Over Texans (Packers) Patriots Over Rams (Patriots) Ravens Over Dolphins (Ravens) Bills Over Raiders (Raiders) Steelers Over Giants (Giants) Redskins Over Cardinals (Redskins) Buccaneers Over Chargers (Buccaneers) Seahawks Over Panthers (Seahawks) Colts Over Jets (Colts) Last Week : 11–5 Lindsay : 12-4 Season : 107–70 Season: 107-70 NFL Picks Spread, Week 13: Cowboys -3.5 Over Vikings Chiefs +3.5 Over Falcons Bears -2.5 Over 49ers Eagles -1.5 Over Bengals Broncos -5.5 Over Jaguars Lions +5.5 Over Saints Packers -5.5 Over Texans Patriots -13.5 Over Rams Dolphins +3.5 Over Ravens Bills +3.5 Over Raiders Giants +5.5 Over Steele...

Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week. Allied Starring : Brad Pitt, Marion Cotillard, and Jared Harris Synopsis : There have been a lot of movies set in or around World War II. It’s a pivotal time in United State history, as well as the history of many nations. And no matter how many different stories are told around those events, we still find ways to make it fresh and interesting. That’s true of “Allied,” which takes place during the war and focuses on a pair of spies who meet, complete a mission and fall in love in Casablanca before returning to start a life together in Africa. Brad Pitt and Marion Cottilard take the lead roles and do a beautiful job of crafting the story. Though the trailer gives away the central conflict in the drama, and though it’s pretty obvious which way the story is going to go, it’s the craft and care of the leads and the director, Robert Zemeckis, that makes the story pop. Zemeckis is no stranger to crafting powerful dramas, especially ones th...

"If you keep thinking everyone's an enemy, then enemies are all you're gonna find." - Tara, "The Walking Dead." Seven seasons is a long time for a TV series. It's understandable that audiences grow weary, characters leave the series and things can become stale. That, inevitably, leads to declines in ratings. It would be easy to look at "The Walking Dead," a series in the midst of its seventh season, and chock up some of the ratings decline to age and audience fatigue. After all, this isn't a hopeful show or a hopeful world. It's essentially been doom and gloom for seven seasons, and that's not likely to change. There is no happy ending coming for these characters. Even survival isn't reason for rejoicing in the world of "The Walking Dead" because there is always something dire around the corner. But I think there's more to it with season seven. This is a show that, for me, was top 10 through season six and now has ...