shrewd.buddha

Same here. The wayward undercover FBI agent said she could not betray her target because he was 'a good man'. Was she deliberately overlooking the fact that he had sex with the daughter - and then either arranged for her murder or was okay with his partner committing the murder? Plus, you know, the drug dealing.. The main FBI characters are fine for this type of procedural - but after a while they do start to come off as practically perfect in every way.

I also decided to watch after all the attention given by the Golden Globes. It was an engaging, nicely short series. It reminded me of other BBC police dramas: lots and lots of different elements being thrown in the pot: PTSD, parenthood issues, estranged wife - with boyfriend, workplace affair, terrorists, organized crime, politics, office politics, etc. It seemed as if almost all the characters outside of David's family were shaded to potentially be revealed as a villain (and almost all were guilty of something). Unfortunately, the story resolved with biggest police drama cliche: officer gets personally involved and obsessed with case; officer is relieved of duty - turns over gun and badge; officer goes rogue and manages to crack the case almost single-handedly. Personally, I did not like the Nadia 'twist'. She failed at her self-assigned suicide bombing - but then she tries to portray herself as an empowered, intelligent villain - on behalf of a radical group that most likely has little to no respect for women in their society..? But a second season? It is hard to imagine how they could put the genie back in the bottle after everything that has happened. How could David realistically get back to being a regular bodyguard again?

For a comedy, there was nothing very humorous in this episode. The entire thing felt like a very special episode to bid farewell to Alara. Alara's horse riding daydream was weird - but the whole episode felt like a tribute to Alara. The drawn out good-bye with the main crew/cast seemed to indicate that the character was really leaving. It seemed very odd that a starship would deliver a crew member directly to the front yard of her family's house. Not a medical facility? Not a Union base? And it seemed as if Alara was going to sit there while her family was tortured. Only Ed's arrival interrupted the hostage situation. I thought that Alara was going to demonstrate that her security training used both brains and brawn, but no, it came down to fighting and shooting people. Orville continues to defy my expectations - so, yay?

Had missed this episode and found it on Fox On Demand - but Fox definitely labels it as 'comedy' , not 'action' or 'drama'. And I do view it as a comedy/parody even though it does not seem to stick to one tone or another. Maybe it is FOX's attempt to avoid being sued by Star Trek. Starting the season with Ed and Kelly's relationship drama signaled to me that the show is committed to them being the destined, endgame couple. All other love interests are most likely cannon fodder. Ugh. Considering that the show began and ended with the subject of an alien peeing ritual (and really emphasizing the term "peeing"), I really did not take any of the other plots as intended to be more serious than that. To me, it feels as if I would be putting more thought into the story than the writers do - - like worrying about Homer Simpson's career and parenting choices. Still, it is a fun show..

I understand the appeal of rehashing "the sword in the stone" story line with the fantasy of "Hey, maybe even I could be a king!". But the kingdom of Atlantis does not come off as a very advanced society if they are excited to have the winner of a fight become their leader - - someone who doesn't know anything about their culture, rules, or history - - and basically blames them for his mother being sentenced to death. And if Atlantis was the type of old-school patriarchy of its original above-ground time, the children of a queen would have no standing. It is a bit hard to believe that anyone would think that whatever child a ruler has should automatically be the next ruler. The monarchy system seems like a slightly different version of dictatorship.

We rented this with very low expectations, just looking for entertainment/action. It works ... sort of .. as a comedy. Tom Hardy's character came off a frazzled, recovering drug addict before and after the symbiote merge. Michelle Williams' character did not work for a lot of reasons as mentioned by others. And with no heroes, was the aim of the movie to feature the least worst villain? The lowest point of movie was the symbiote-on-symbiote battle. That may as well have been an animated movie. With no established understanding of what the creatures' differences were or shape-forming capabilities , it felt like nonsense. And isn't Venom (as implied by the name) supposed to have spider-like characteristics? Without a Spider-Man reference, I did not see any.

When the shuttle left the planet, I was surprised there seemed to be room for more people in the shuttle and that there was not a child on Bortus' lap. Also, the planet's surviving group were not waiting at the door and Bortus and Isaac did not seem very rushed during the trip. They even took the time to go to another area and have a lottery. Everything about the surviving humanoids on the planet - from their discovery to the timing of the rescue attempt - was set up for only some of them to survive - in order to serve Bortus' story. It happens often on sci-fi shows: the plot requires a certain outcome, so there is a lot of geek-speak blah-blah-blah explaining why the most obvious solutions will not work. For me, The Orville works best when it sticks to being a Star Trek parody. When it attempts to be heartfelt in the middle of the jokes, it feels awkward.

A weirdly entertaining show, but not something to spend a lot of time thinking about. It is sort of like Seth McFarlane's Family Guy - but in space. So many wacky situations that really should not occur. How does The Union (Federation) of Planets allow alien species into their ranks and high profile positions on their ships and yet have no knowledge of their customs - especially the violent customs (divorce killings)? The crazy Moclan customs just seem like wouldn't-it-be-funny stunts.

As far as CBS procedurals go, FBI is pretty good. (NBC only does Chicago now, apparently.) But coming from Dick Wolf - of Law&Order fame - I did not expect every case to center around the same two agents. They would be the most famous FBI agents of all time. (I guess L&O had the same detectives for several seasons, but it was the city of New York, not a national agency.)

The circumstances reminded me of the movie The Happening by M. Night Shyamalan - where a phenomenon causes people to commit suicide immediately. Who can forget the classic scene of Mark Wahlberg trying to have a conversation with a tree? Bird Box was entertaining for the most part. The mystery of the title was pretty straightforward, but the bird warning system did not really seem to play a major part in the story. It felt like a twist on the zombie apocalypse scenario, but with Sandra Bullock and her family issues ... which never really seemed as if they were explored. Did she have an emotional detachment problem, or did she think she was not good mother material? The two main parts were engaging: 1)the river trip and 2)the start of the apocalypse with a group of survivors getting picked off one by one. I guess that is where all the excitement was. But the child rearing years were only implied - so Malorie's emotional attachment issues with her kids on the trip did not carry a lot of weight (for me). Malorie's (and Tom's) decision to risk a journey to a sanctuary based on a very, very brief walkie-talkie conversation with very, very few details was hard to believe. But, okay.. An issue I have with most of these type post-apocalyptic tales is that after years of surviving, none of the characters seem interested in figuring out what is causing the phenomenon and trying to study the problem. Was there anything that could repel the creatures? Were they safer at night? I suppose that would be considered boring in a movie. But after five years (!) of surviving, the blindfolds they were using seemed incredibly flimsy and so easy to unwrap on their own. I guess they looked more stylish..

They reminded us more than once that Yom Kippur was the anniversary of Joel's leaving and Miriam's first stand-up act. So, in a year's time, Joel moved in and out of an apartment with his secretary ... Joel and Miriam almost got back together .. They started seeing other people, with the blessing of their parents .. And Miriam got involved, and basically engaged, to a new man. That seems fast. As much as I enjoy Mrs. Masail, this season seemed more like a broad type of Vaudeville comedy at times - especially when the Weissmans and the Maisels were together. It also seemed to go very light on social issues of the time, or using them for comedy instead highlighting them for drama. Miriam, Susie and Abe now appear to be the stars of the show, since each seem to get their own, mostly separate stories. And those are the actors who won awards (and it is easier to be MVP if you get to be in the game more). The Paris trip and Abe's midlife identity crisis really did not seem to have much to do with Miriam ... and I like Tony Shalhoub (who has been winning a lot of things lately) ... but I would like to see other characters getting more story time next season.

After some thought, I would have to say Aquaman is basically like the character: big, fun ... but sort of dumb fun. There is a lot of comic-book logic going on that would not hold up if given the Honest Trailers treatment. Such as: Arthur blames himself for his mother's decisions: "She was killed because of me." That is some self-centered thinking to create self-pity. The Manta's revenge motive has already been talked about. Then there is the issue with how Aquaman handled the submarine rescue. Why would a protector of the sea let the sub sink like garbage? (after showing he could lift it to the surface) At first, it seemed like a clever way to show how Manta got the sub - - but why would Aquaman leave pirates on the sub and take the sailors away? First, the sub is probably worth billion$$, and leaving the submarine behind did not really thwart the piracy. It's a big loss. Second, if the sub is left to sink, Aquaman is leaving all the unconscious pirates to drown - - not very heroic. As others have said - the writing is one of the weakest elements of the movie. Also, can Aquaman 'fly' underwater? There were many scenes that made him look like an underwater Superman. There did not seem to be any swimming, just aiming towards something and 'flying'. And I have no idea what undersea laws of physics could explain his lifting the submarine out of the water.

It was fun and light, an improvement over the overly serious and dour BvS and Justice League. But it did tip towards being too silly a few times: the kiss before the battle, the long-running running across rooftops in Sicily. Why did Mera and Aquaman spend so much time out of the water (okay, I know why - it just did not make much sense). Also not making much sense was Manta's 'you killed my father' revenge logic - - as mentioned by others. Manta and his pirate father killed innocent sailors but then ask for Aquaman's help?!? I never took him seriously after that. It felt as if there was too much packed into the movie. When Mera and Arthur had finally finished their scavenger hunt for the mythical trident, I was thinking it was about time for the movie to be wrapping up, but there was a whole battle to get through. The undersea battle felt very rushed = a series of CGI clips. And then Arthur and his brother revisited their fight out of the water ... because.. easier to film?

It was pleasant enough, in a Jason Bourne type of way. I did not regret seeing it. However, the character of Lisbeth Salander seemed to be completely reinvented compared to the first movie (and book, maybe?). Her childhood and family connections did not appear to be something that would would have been completely ignored in the other movie.

For the most part, M. Maisel's wacky shenanigans are funny - and I view it as primarily a comedy, with the occasional dash of drama. The casual wealth of the Weissman family sometimes takes me out of the story. Miriam needs a job .. sometimes .. but lives like a princess with great clothes and someone always watching her children, etc. Abe Weissman is a hoot, as long as you don't think too much about things like sabotaging someone's internship in order to have the same resort assistant every year. It seems like the only reason that Joel is in the Catskills is to be the romantic rival for the new guy, Ben. He came to spend more time with the kids?? Please, no one spends time with the kids. Were there any scenes of Joel with one of the kids? For me, the reinvention of Joel in season two is not working. They villainized him too successfully in season one. Now, he is a seemingly celibate workaholic who never parties and never looks at other girls...? Sure. Joel's personality transplant is too jarring. Season one Joel would not be the type of guy to go very long without a 'special lady friend'. I guess we are going to have to endure Joel and Miriam's timing never being in sync - with one wanting to reconcile when the other is unavailable or uninterested.

I am happy the IMSF (?) leader lady finally got a win - it was a long time coming. And she managed to stick it to the Lukrum CEO. Also happy the Lukrum company dog manages to survive all the disasters. The competitive Lukrum colony plot seems to have been mostly resolved at the end of the season - - also appreciated. I like that TPTB, for the most part, end the seasons on a feel-good note. As for the real-life commentary that was mixed in: I doubt humans will suddenly be thoughtful or careful when/if they colonize Mars. For any group or country that tries to be environmentally respectful, there will be a dozen others who will not. For past experience, it seems as if humans change their exploitative ways only when they are forced to by circumstances or lack of resources. "What happened to all the trees?" "How is it possible to wipe out all the fish in the ocean?"

Well, that was both disappointing and unsatisfying for a season finale. (Will there be another season? The extra, end credits scenes refer to it as a season.) There are way, way too many things happening at the same time. And yet, after the axe murder of the captain and a big chunk of the ship being destroyed and the ship entering the Volcryn 'space' - we start the episode with Agatha (psychiatrist) having been prepared for burial in space and D'Branin taking time to mope around. Mel and the other characters just seem to wander around the ship, checking on the captain, talking to Rowan and so on. There does not seem to be a sense of urgency. Then, Rowan just shakes off his axe-murdering-insanity and becomes a normal team member again. If his insanity was the result of the Aliens or Telepaths, the show did not make that clear. And the Black Mold from the dead baby... Was there a point to that? Was it caused by the Aliens or the Crazy AI Mom in the ship's crystal matrix? Augustine, the 2nd in command, sabotages the ship, kills the Burning Man crew member, and sets the ship to self-destruct. But when Crazy Mom rejects him, all is forgiven and he back to his normal duties. At the end, D'Branin is "somewhere" with no resolution, Lommie appears to be sacrificing herself, and all the crew are hunkered down in the mess hall. Was that *all* the crew? Really? This show manages to have too much story and too little plot at the same time. I cannot say that I am excited at the prospect of more.. Are there plans for more?

One of the less obvious things I enjoy about the show is all the details. The winter cinematography, the Spellman house in the snow, all the crazy stuff on the walls and the room layouts inside the house. And have you ever noticed that Hilda is always baking or canning or chopping tons of food in the kitchen? It seems as if all the departments are bringing their A-game to this series. Hope they can keep it up - and they get some recognition. Almost forgot .. the music choices are great, too.

She was upset because 'the Dark Lord' had not called her back to 'the pit' after she had completed her task of getting Sabrina to sign her name in The Book. Ms. Wardwell was upset and confused as to whether she had not done the job well enough or if there was more that she was supposed to do. I like the actress who plays Ms. Wardwell , also. She and the actress who plays Zelda do a good job walking a fine line of being theatrically dramatic but not completely campy.

I am sort of annoyed with the headlines that imply that Dushku publicly filed sexual harassment charges against Weatherly or some kind of MeToo public shaming. My impression was that she went to HR, or whatever at CBS - and they handled it behind the scenes - and now someone has made the settlement public. Sometimes the media does twist the details for dramatic, shocking headlines, purposefully fanning the flames of outrage.. (Which is sad during a time when the free press is under attack from the same government who realized its importance years ago.)

I sort of appreciate those times when Zelda notes how most of the holidays were built on top of pagan rituals for solstices and equinoxes. The show is just light fun for us, tho. And I appreciate the sort of dark, sort of wacky, shenanigans. The show is like a twisted comedy. And I doubt we'd stick around for more if it ever attempted to get too serious. Sabrina's character strikes me as the naively overconfident teen who thinks she can solve any problem better than the old folk. And she is learning that life is not as simple as she thought .. as children who were raised in loving, but sheltered, environments tend to do.. But I much prefer Sabrina's up-beat, can-do attitude over all those morose, goth, woe-is-me super-hero teens who constantly bemoan being different and having powers. ...which feels like 99% of the main characters from the YA genre and comics.

Sometimes it sucks for the people who do the right thing. Even tho she is not the cause of problem, will this impact her when looking for other work? (Tho no one would admit it.) In many ways, it is a no-win situation for the cast and crew. CBS is racking up the sexual harassment count.

Episode 8: Rebirth: I thought the actors did a very good job. Again, the bonus material after the episode shows that the actors, directors, and everyone involved appear to be enthusiastic and giving it their best shot. I suppose the problem is that, overall, the show is sort of a mess. And while the actors are good, the characters they play are also a mess. Rowan, the xenobiologist, goes from scientist, to love-sick baby daddy, to insane axe killer, illogically deciding who is to blame for Bee Lady's death. It would be different if his insanity was the result of the telepaths or the Aliens, but that does not appear to be the case. Episode 9: We finally get back to the opening scene from Episode 1. And it feels as if the producers put that scene there - out of context - because they did not have enough confidence in the show to grab people's attention. I was not eagerly anticipating Psychiatrist Lady's death - - she was one of the few characters I sympathized with. And while Rowan did not, in fact, kill her (Agatha) - and maybe did not 'kill' the android? Captain Roy - he sure as hell killed the woman crew-member in the hallway on the way to the bridge... And the android Captain Roy... WtF? Everyone just ignored that reveal from the contamination purge? D'Branin, Agatha, Rowan, and the ship's crew went on as normal? How did he manage to fool the telephaths? And when the ship hit the fan Volcryn(?) - - there was just too much: My Mother the Ship's Crystal Consciousness using Second-in-command to sabotage the ship. Lommie has been 'missing' and no one bothers to look for her? Lommie is still locked and lost in the Matrix. Rowan is an insane axe-murderer roaming the ship No one questions the orders of Captain Voyeur Android - with instant regrown eyeballs. D'Branin and his Memory Chamber Dead Daughter Dreamland - which is so vague - he thinks he is communicating with the Aliens, then, his actual daughter from a different time/space..? But, we are about to finish watching the whole thing - - so we have been entertained /distracted for this long.

Episode 7, after an eight month time jump from the end of episode 6: The Nightflyer must have a great stylist, because everyone looks exactly the same - no one's hair looks longer or shorter. The Bee Lady is eight months pregnant, however. I suppose I am not surprised that the show just ignored whatever happened to the The Lost Ship of Crazy Cannibal Women. Were they left to die - or continue to survive however they had been doing? Is the Lost Ship still following the Aliens, too? Did anybody send a message to Earth about having found the ship - or setting up some plan to get it back to Earth? That seemed like a huge plot point to just drop... It seems as if the main focus of the writing and production is to create a horror show. All those pesky logic issues are just glossed over or ignored.

Just finished episode 6 - The Lost Ship of Crazy Cannibal Women... Wow .. there was just so much over-the-top, WtF's in this one. The whole episode felt like a wild tangent from the overall story. Just some of the WtF's: The Lost Ship 'just appears' out of nowhere, right beside the Nightflyer. How? The Crazy Cannibal Women are keeping the entire ship filled with breathable oxygen using sub-minimal power? How? Captain Voyeur, and Team, decide this is good opportunity to dump off Crazy Mom Cynthia's consciousness encased in a crystal. The whole crystal consciousness is its own WtF. Crazy Cannibal Women are growing and eating brain-dead clones. But what are they feeding the clones in order for them to grow? You have to have a food chain that starts somewhere. The Nightflyer captain only sends over the Alien Contact team? There is no concept of a boarding party? No Safety or Security concerns? The Captain of the Lost Ship just decides he is going to kill himself? Plot convenience? Would he not have some valuable information? ..and that is just the top-of-my-head stuff. The concept of finding a lost ship could have filled several episodes. They just glossed over any type of scans or probes and jumped straight to boarding the ship. The whole thing made me think that the Nightflyers series is bit of a hot mess.