Category: Television

  • ODDS and ENDS: Old Debates, It’s Okay to Not Have Kids, and Dog Shit

    (Fries are done…)

    I have been blessed, or cursed, depending on how you look at it, with the ability to stay up very late at night, and still wake up early. Though I may need a nap in the middle of the day, it’s given me one true positive advantage; I get to watch lots of useless things. Lately, I have started watching old episodes of Siskle & Ebert. The original purpose of watching was to remind myself of good movies that I had forgotten about. But as I watched these shows, I noticed something about how Gene and Roger argued. My memory was that there were passionate about their opinions and were willing to really get in there and fight for what they believed, even to the point of personally insulting the other. Yet, when I rewatched, I was struck by how they were very respectful in their arguing. And often, they looked amused when they argued. It wasn’t at all the cat and dog fights that I remembered. In one sense, I could just chalk this up to a faulty memory and a little Mandela effect. Or, maybe, televised arguing has become more brutal and bare knuckled over the past thirty years. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but maybe people were nicer and more respectful in the past.

    Yesterday, I read about Seth Rogen and his thoughts on being married and not having kids. (Good for BuzzFeed, still staying relevant. That’s where I read it.) He made is case of what is right for him and his wife, and he did a good job of articulating his thoughts on the issue. I got a lot of married friends that don’t have kids, and I have a lot of unmarried friends that have kids. And I know some people who have kids and wish they didn’t. Look, I’m married and have a kid and I love it. I also love having one kid, and want it to stay that way. That’s what’s right for the wife and I, and we’re very happy. And no one questions our decision. Our decision gets respected, and it ceases to be an issue. I just think that courtesy should be extended to everyone, regardless of what their reason is for having or not having kids.

    But if you’re not willing to pick up your dog’s shit, then you shouldn’t have a dog. Seriously, turds are part of the deal. So, stop being a tourist and take some responsibility.

  • Personal Review: Poker Face – “The Return of Guest Star Television”

    I’m not the first person that wants to sing the praises of Poker Face, the new Peacock mystery drama created by Rian Johnson and staring Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale, a snoop on the run who can sniff out a lie. If you have seen it, then you know that the show is a giant throw back to 70’s episodic television, specifically in the vein of Columbo and The Fugitive. The show is great fun; the humor is pitch perfect with the tone, there is a nice bit of bait and switch with some misdirection which gives the feeling that making this show is just as enjoyable as watching it. But one aspect that has been lightly touched on in other reviews, which I find the most enjoyable, is that Poker Face is a return to guest star classic episodic television. The structure of the show is perfect to let these actors shine, as the first half is just focused on the crime, sans Lyonne who doesn’t show up until the second half. This structure give these actors a free pallet to play in developing their characters, motivations, and ultimately, their crimes. These guest starts are accomplished actors in their own right; Adrien Brody, Dascha Polanco in the pilot, followed in other episodes by Hong Chau, John Ratzenberger, Chloë Sevigny, Ellen Barkin, Tim Meadows, Simon Helberg, and Jameela Jamil. But the most delicious and fascinatedly ruthless were Judith Light, S. Epatha Merkerson as two elderly hippie radicals in a nursing home, who I do hope they find a way to work back into the show. But that there is the joy and delightful frustration of this classic episodic television format – odds are we won’t ever see those characters again. But looking ahead, I know that Poker Face is about to serve up about a dozen great character actors in the final four episodes of the first season.

  • Watching the Grammys with My Kid

    It was a changing of the guard last night. The old was replaced with the new, officially. Yes, while watching the Grammys last night with my eight-year-old daughter, she took the time to explain to me who these artist are, and what songs they were playing. I didn’t let her know that I knew who the artists were, and I had most of their songs on several of my playlists, but that didn’t matter. In our house, the kid became the ambassador of what is cool and hip in music, while the wife and I were relegated to the back bench of the current culture.

    Watching the Grammys is my wife’s thing. Always has been, always will be. She does have a better ear than I when it comes to new music. If it were up to me, I probably wouldn’t listen to anything that came out after 2006. But, I have her in my life, so I am made aware, often, of things I need to listen to. Maybe, with my preference for “older” music, that is the reason why my daughter took it upon herself to help inform me of what was happening last night on the telecast.

    The cycle is now complete. I went from the student, to the master, and now I am back to the student. My older brothers were the gatekeepers in our house of what was, and was not good music; My oldest brother with his hair metal, and my other brother, the middle child, defending new wave. From this, I became the defender of rock and grunge, explaining to my parents who these people were on the Grammys in the 90’s. Now, my child has taken the mantel from me. I have much to learn, according to her. The truth is that I value moments like the one that happened last night. My daughter is starting to assert herself, creating her own opinions, and defending her choices. Right now, this is a friendly, fun and learning exercise between us. There is always a chance that in her teenaged years, this could take on a more confrontational aspect, which is why I make a point of not making fun of the artist and songs she thinks are important. I want her to know that she can voice her opinions to me, and she will know that I might not agree with it, but I will respect it.

  • Personal Review: The Great British Baking Show Season 13

    During the Pandemic, we were limited on shows we could binge watch as a family. Our daughter was five at the time, and I had reached my limit with how many times I could marathon through all the seasons of Doc McStuffins. My wife, in a stroke of brilliance, brought “The Great British Baking Show” (or “The Great British Bake Off” in the UK) to our attention.

    At the time, back in 2020, I believe that Netflix was carrying Season 4 through 10, and we tried to regulate our intake of the program by just watching one episode a day. Within three months, we had made it through all the episodes, which created a powerful anticipation for season 11. In fact, we still eagerly await each new season, as it is one of the few shows everyone in our family can agree on.

    Clearly I have opinions, as why else would I be writing this. I prefer Mary Berry, and that is not a knock against Prue Leith. The show tries to make Paul Hollywood the “bad guy,” and he can be very critical, but he really does champion the contestants, and encourages them to do their best. As for the hosts; give me Noel and Sandi. Every other combination is just annoying. But what makes the show for me are the contestants and, most importantly, the baking challenges.  

    What makes The Great British Bake Off so addictive for me is that it is the anti-reality show, or anti-gameshow, depending how you categorize it. Here, the contestants are shown becoming friends, supporting each other, in some cases even helping each other finish a challenge. Sure, competition will naturally create a winner and a loser, but GBBO makes the point of showing the good sportsmanship of celebrating each weeks Star Baker, and also showing the sadness and disappointment all the contestants feel when someone is sent home. One of the best parts about the show is at the end of the final episode when the contestants are shown as friends hanging out with each other, visiting, and baking together.

    Now, I’m not completely naïve, as this is a television program, and things are edited and shown in a way to get a certain reaction from the audience. I am sure the way I react to the show is the desired outcome. So, I have to ask myself: Do all the bakers become friends? Do they all stay close, and visit each other? Maybe not, but I really want to believe that they do. I want to believe that a bunch of complete strangers, who normally would have nothing to do with each other, as they are so different from one another, actually would find common ground with baking, and that could be the launching pad for great and enduring friendships to be forged.

    Which bring us to our current season; Season 13. Unlucky 13. Yes, GBBO is starting to show some cracks in the veneer. What is cracking is the bake challenges. The bakes were always the strong tent pole that the rest of the show was built around. From asking the bakers to make brownies, which they all failed miserable at, to the legendary “Bread Lion” that even Paul admitted would have tested his skills to recreate. The bakes were the great equalizer of the show, and not necessarily between contestants, but between contestants and audience. The contestants are home/amateur bakers, so there is always that little tiny feeling, though wildly incorrect, that I could bake that. Sadly, Season 13 has lost sight of what makes a good bake.

    The much maligned, and rightfully so, Mexican Week was the final straw. What did making, as Paul would say, “tack-o’s” have to do with baking? And a very simple Google search would show you that a tres leches cake is not meant to be stacked. AND conchas are meant to be dry. This basic lack of understanding of what makes Mexican baking delicious and exquisite, is such an unforced error of the show not doing its homework, that it is almost unforgivable.

    Yet, looking back on past seasons, a stumble like this was foreshadowed. There was Season 11’s Babka challenge, which sadly showed that the judges weren’t fully aware of what they were judging. And if you really examine the show, you can see that Season 9’s Final Technical Challenge of campfire pita bread was a meaningless gimmick, that had nothing to do with baking, didn’t test the contestants, and set them up to fail. For a show that had consistently put their contestants in situations which were challenging, but ultimately, allowed the bakers to excel, the pita bread incident seemed rather meanspirited.

    Hope is not lost for GBBO, as they can right the ship. First, don’t change what is working; Paul and Prue make a good team of judges, so leave that alone. Also, the casting for the show has remained wonderful by bringing in a wide range of ages, and people who make up the modern multicultural UK. As for changes, it might be time for Matt Lucas to go, as he seems to be annoying the bakers more than being their supporter. And finally, the show should get back to classic bakes, and ditch the “theme weeks.” You know; cakes, biscuits, bread, deserts, chocolate, pastry, patisserie. Test the bakers skills, and don’t try to throw them off with stunts.

    I can say this, even if GBBO doesn’t change, I’m still going to watch it. There is still a wide gulf between to GBBO and the host of faked competition baking shows that dot the landscape which seemed geared to celebrate conflict rather than skill. I will say this; GBBO did have a positive effect on our family, as my wife and daughter started baking together. As we get closer to Thanksgiving, they will set about making a Sheppard’s pie, and most assuredly, my daughter knows to check for a soggy bottom on that bake.

    (Wow! This was a long one! But you made it to the end. If I could ask one more favor of you; please take a moment to like, comment, share, or follow this blog. If I could, I would give you a handshake for it.)

  • Thoughts on Rogue One and Andor

    (I guess there might be spoilers here.)

    I wasn’t sure what to make of Rogue One when I saw it in the theatre. I honestly thought I was going to see the first in a series of tentpole movies in the Star Wars Universe. Such as every two years there would be another Rouge One movie, with this gang of characters going out to cause shit against the Empire. I had no idea that I was about to see a new version of The Dirty Dozen, except on this suicide mission, everyone actually does die. And it did take me awhile to come around and think of Rogue One as a good movie. I never thought it was bad, but I did go in with an expectation that wasn’t met. Mainly, the good guys live, because the good guys always survive in Star Wars. As time went on, I did come to appreciate Rouge One, and I do think it is the best of all the new Star Wars movies. And I’m not just saying that because part VII, VII, IX, were a fumbled, muddled mass of garbage.

    The one thing that I did think Rogue One nailed from the first time that I saw it, was that this movie made the Empire evil and menacing again. After having grown up with Star Wars, and watched or read just about all of its major iterations, the Empire had become “the gang that couldn’t shoot straight.” Outside of Vader and the Emperor, they were more incompetent than evil. Rogue One reminded us all that the Empire was far reaching, powerful, ruthless, and unstoppable. Then there was that Vader scene, which was cool, but also terrifying.

    Watching the latest episode of Andor last night, I was reminded of those same feelings I had watching Rogue One when it came to the Empire. That the reach and control of the Empire is so great, there is no escape or relief from it. But Andor adds an additional element to the evil of this Empire, which is to show us the mid-level people who are the ones who truly exercise the oppression on the population of the galaxy.

    I went looking online this morning to see if others are seeing it the same way as me, and I am not alone in this view. I did also notice a debate on whether Andor is holding a mirror to the current politics of America and the rise of authoritarians in the world. My opinion is that the Empire in Andor, and Star Wars as a whole, is still using Nazi Germany as its inspiration. I think inferring anything else is a bit of projection by certain viewers. BUT! I will say that Andor’s detainment, arrest, and sentencing was eerie parallel about American mass arrests and mandatory minimum sentencing. Who cares about criminals, right? They must deserve it, or they wouldn’t be there in the first place.

    I am looking forward to seeing where Andor is going. Ultimately, we know Mon Mothma leads the Rebellion, and Andor dies, so I am curious as to how the suspense and peril will be rise as this story continues. But what is coming into focus is why people would risk everything to fight the Empire.

    (And this is when I ask you to like, share, comment, or follow this blog. The numbers have been going up, so thanks in advance. Or if you are a bot… I welcome out Bot overlords!)