I've already done my Best of Movies of 2024, so now it's time to hit the small screen. Unlike with the movies, not all shows will have a video clip to save space and time.
But first, a note: I spoke to a friend of mine who had seen The Substance, which was my late add on the movie list, and I just gotta say, Rob wrote about the intentions about the movie so eloquently, I just had to share here: It got quite over the top. I think they needed to be extreme to highlight how extreme the underlying anxiety about all that age and beauty stuff is.
It was kind of like saying, we’re telling ourselves how grotesque and hideous we are if we’re not absolutely flawless. The greatest fear is what drives it.
Well said, Rob! Though it makes my bloody fire hose comment look crass! :)
Fool Me Once: For me, best show I've seen in a long time, and this British mystery is now on my ALL-TIME favorite shows list! The acting is suburb, loved the location shots, but the writing (based a novel by Harlan Corben, who whose works I will be reading and watching!), is brilliant. This is a "pay attention" show, as it will help when the layers of mysteries are peeled back! The penultimate episode of this mini-series has a reveal that gob-smacked me (and some friends of mine who ended up watching it just to shut me up yapping about it!) If there is ONE show you want to give a look-see to, this is it! Oh, and for you Ab Fab fans, Joanna Lumley get do display her Patsy snark!
Heartstopper: This was one of Netflix's highest rated shows, now in its third season, and still continues to bring the quality, angst, and love of the trials and tribulations of the two leads, Charlie and Nick. As Charlie is dealing with an eating disorder, and Nick feels helpless in able to help his boyfriend get thru this common challenge. Kit Connor and Joe Locke are just so adorable and believable as high-school teens, that when those tough scenes occur, it's heart-BREAKING. This season also did a nice job of giving the young supporting cast of characters more air-time for us to get to know them better, and their trials and tribulations. I definitely recommend watching this series from the beginning, as it's worth getting the history of how we get to season three! Fans who have seen the show will get why certain scenes give me "butterflies". :) , Oh, we get Haley Atwell in a small but important role, and a cameo by a certain "wicked" prince! :)
Shogun:I was absolutely enthralled watching FX's most expensive series ever about the feudal wars in Japan, as a British captain's ship gets lost in a storm and ends up in Japan. The historical accuracy, right down to the wardrobes, is stunning. Everything about this series is aces, and I could go on and on about so many aspects of the show's production, but I'l just say if your show was nominated in any of the awards shows that Shogun is in, just stay home, as the series dominated at the Emmys (all time record 18 Emmys!). I'll let the trailer do the talking, but Shogun is probably my 2nd favorite series that I saw in 2024, subtitles be damned! I definitely got a history lesson about this time in Japan's history! If you are looking for something on the scale of Game of Thrones, this is pretty darn close! PS: It's on Disney+ under the Hulu tab!
Ghosts/Abbott Elementary: My two warm comfy blanket comedies! Ghosts, on CBS is just charmingly delightful, as two inn-keepers buy an estate that is loaded by Ghosts who died there, and therefore are bound to the estate. ABC's Abbott Elementary should be winning awards for how the show depicts the challenges teachers go thru everyday dealing with students, parents, administration, and whatever is thrown at them on a daily basis. Deadpan humor is the key here, made all the more funny that it's sadly true, and any coping mechanism is a welcome respite, whether it's a school garden, or romance, of just getting computers for your students, however sneaky clever way the staff can! Show-runner and lead actress Quinta Brunson is just brilliant, and she has a wonderfully quirky cast to work with as well!
Agatha All Along: WandaVision is easily my favorite MCU TV series, so I held my breath hoping Agatha All Along could rise to the occasion, and it most certainly did! I was thrown off by the first episode (makes sense be the end!), but after that, the trip down to the "Witches Road" (drag queens are performing this song!), was well worth it! Kathryn Hahn returns as the coven-less witch Agatha, and she is as selfish and snarky as ever! She is joined on this journey by her new reluctant coven by Joe Locke (Heartstopper), Patti Lupone (!!!!), Aubrey Plaza and two other witches as they endure some very creative trials to get to the end of the Road, and fully regain their witchy powers. The whopper of the twist I figured out about 30 seconds before it was revealed, btw! :) This was probably a one-off series, but I better see <blank> characters in the MCU movies! A very fun show to watch, airing on Disney Plus! I DO recommend watching WandaVision first, as that will help understanding some of the critical plot-lines for Agatha- so this a two for one recommendation!
Paris Olympics: From an amazing Opening Ceremony IN THE RAIN, to the many athletes who competed and stole our hearts, this was one of the best Olympic in a while. I believe you can find coverage on Peacock, for your swimming, diving, gymnastics, judo, and other Olympic sports fix!
Griselda: Okay , first off, can you talk about the facial transformation of Sofia Vergara? I basically did not recognize her as the most infamous Mafia Goddess in history of crime! The show starts off in the 70's with a decision to leave her husband (who is in the drug cartel business), and take her three kids to Miami to start a new life, but is very quickly lured back into the drug trade. Thru sheer cunning, ingenuity (one idea I totally loved, as it made so much sense- bored rich white people!) and cleverness and willpower, Griselda rises to the top of the Miami (East Coast) drug trade. It is in the later episodes/later in life that up to a certain point, we the audience were rooting for her, but then she gets power-hungry, starts losing family, friends and allies as her descent is due to her over-reaching for even more power and revenge till it finally catches up to her, and her family. A fascinating series, with great acting, excellent historical time period referencing, and great wardrobes. A definite star turn for Vergara, and a highly recommended thumbs-up from me!
Senna: The series tells a fictionalized version of the beloved driver's ride through life, but many of its elements — from some of the people around him to the lasting impact his death had on safety regulations in Formula 1 — are very real. it's a cast of unknown (outside of Europe) actors, which I think gives the story more authenticity. I had a heavy heart watching this, knowing how the story was going to end, but made myself watch to enjoy and celebrate the achievements of Ayrton's life (and a bit of that F1 driver arrogance!) and this series did him and his lasting legacy justice. I must add the racing sequences are breathtaking, especially the Brazil GP (highlight of the film for me!).
Penguin: Yep, I wrote up a full review in an earlier post, so this is the short one. Note: This timing takes place after the events of the Batman/Riddler movie, where Riddler basically destroys Gotham, and Batman is nowhere to be found (and he isn't in the series) Okay, I was not expecting to enjoy this HBO/Max series anywhere as much as I did; it is an outstanding (and brutal) villain origin story. Colin Farrell, under massive prosthetics, plays the crafty and "survive at all costs" brilliantly as a "man of the people"...in his mind.. Oswald's backstory was a bit tedious at first, but once the twist was revealed, the audience was like, yup, Penguin has a few feathers loose in his head! (On 2nd viewing , the clues were there!) That Farrell was able to give emotional depths to this complex character, while criming away, is a good reason why Colin is being nominated (and winning) so many awards! The last 15 minutes of season one are BRUTAL emotionally, but tracks with the characters' MO (no weaknesses!), A huge shout out to Chritin Milioti as Carmine Falcone; she damn near steals the show in almost every scene she is in! One long "confessions" scene in particular in the last episode of the series is a tour de force of acting to the hilt of the part you are playing- simply delicious! I hesitate to post the trailer, as when I saw it, I was like, "meh", but when I started watching it, I. Could. Not. Stop. After writing this, I'm going to watch it again this week! :) Oh, and a bitchin' soundtrack as well!
Black Doves: This action thriller follows Helen Webb (Keira Knightley), a quick-witted, down-to-earth, dedicated wife and mother — and professional spy. For 10 years, she's been passing on her politician husband's secrets to the shadowy organization she works for: the Black Doves. Things get complicated when her cover is compromised, and to assist Helen with this problem, the leader of the Doves calls in a mostly (?) retired assassin, Sam Young played by Ben Whishaw to uncover WTF is going on. Lots of intrigue, suspense, action, and of course, twist and turns before the reveals are dropped in a scene that reminded me of the scene From Face/Off with Joan Allen having all these guns pointing at her, deciding which person she can trust: John Travolta or Nickolas Cage (one of my fave movies, btw!). Netflix has already given the green light for a second season, so what kinds of shenanigans do the Black Doves have in store for us? :) Bang, Bang, indeed!
The Diplomat: One of the best political thrillers for the last two seasons, the show stars Keri Russell and Rufus Sewell as a married couple with problems, and also with connections, connections that put Keri's character to be next in line for Vice President, which she is very reluctant to follow through on! She is more interested in preventing an all-out war when a British Navel carrier is exploded at sea, and blame is being thrown around as to who was responsible for the attack. Lots of twists and turns in season 1, which it's finale also ends in a shocking explosion. Season 2 continues the search for the truth, and Keri and us fans get the answer, which in itself was shocking, but not as shocking as the final scenes of S2 when the secret service come running out for.......*(You will just have to watch to find out!), and sets up for a very messy season 3!
Hacks: Jean Smart is simply an acting gift to us viewers! Having just finished the third season, where the tables were turned (can't say more-spoilers), the show has been worthy for all the dramedy awards it has won. check out season one's trailer on You Tube, then hop on over to get your biting, sarcastic, dry comedy on HBO/Max! Dead Boy Detectives: A spinoff from the amazing fantasy series "Sandman", DBD is more like a young adults version of Sandman- not as horrific or scary for the most part, although there are definitely some creepy moments in the final eps. Think Hardy Boys with ghosts, witches and demons! The lead actors are great, and I especially have to call out one scene as one of the DBD is saving the other from Hell again (it's like getting all your flights booked on Spirit Airlines!), the scene where one of the boys tells the other of his feeling for him, and the reaction, was some of the best writing and acting I've seen! There are a couple of cameos from the Sandman series, plus we get the fab Rose O'Donnell, from Supernatural in the show as well. I absolutely loved the charm and quirkiness and creative ideas laid out , and this could have been an ongoing series in my opinion, but Netflix decided not to renew, so it's a one-off. I could say more, but I will let the promo entice you even further! (I rewatched this promo, and miss it all over again!)
Fellow Travelers: Jonathan Bailey had a YEAR! A cameo in Heartstoppers, the lead (ish) in Bridgerton, a fantastic Fiyero in Wicked, and this well-received time-hopping drama that also stars Matt Bomer. Excellent acting by the main leads, great use of set design for the different time periods, and excellent writing covering the relationship between the two main characters. Definitely melancholy, especially towards the end, where I was crying my eyes out for several different reasons.
Baby Reindeer: One of the best and creepiest (as in real life scenarios) stalker series of all time, and it's based on the writer, producer and lead actors real-life story- YIKES! The actress who plays the very obsessed stalker has already won awards for her role, she is that good! I like to joke that this is a series that makes one to vet a potential date! Star Trek: Strange New Worlds- This "pre-Shatner" series after two seasons, has been an unexpected delight; giving us Trekkies what we want , while dropping some episodes that were truly fun and still "Star Trek". Let me leave you with one of the scenes from their musical episode (!!!) that even Musical Mondays at LGBTQ+ bars are playing- cuz its awesome!
I have run out of gas, but I hope you enjoyed checking these shows out, or giving them a look-see, (if you haven't seen some of them already!). Happy viewing!
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