As of two days ago, the series Boat Story (2023) wasn't even on my radar. I thought I'd just check out a bit of the first episode and, just like that, I was carried away on a strong tide of outsized and sometimes gruesome violence, dark and idiosyncratic comedy, compelling characters, pitch-perfect narration, and a … Continue reading BOAT STORY (2023): A Funny, Compelling, Wildly Violent, and Very Human Story
ONE DAY (2024): Tender, Smart, and Beautiful…But How Do I Unbreak My Heart Now?
Admittedly, I was hooked on the most recent iteration of One Day (2024) from the moment Emma (Ambika Mod) and Dexter (Leo Woodall) first bumped against each other on a crowded dance floor at their graduation party in Edinburgh. Their eyes linger just a bit too long, shy smiles on both their faces, a stillness … Continue reading ONE DAY (2024): Tender, Smart, and Beautiful…But How Do I Unbreak My Heart Now?
MY LIFE WITH THE WALTER BOYS (S1): Don’t Let Perfect Be the Enemy of a Good Comfort Watch
How’s that saying go? Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. Well, in the case of My Life with the Walter Boys (2023- ), it should go something like: don’t let your preconceived ideas of what makes a show good get in the way of watching something potentially satisfying, which is, admittedly, a bit … Continue reading MY LIFE WITH THE WALTER BOYS (S1): Don’t Let Perfect Be the Enemy of a Good Comfort Watch
TOTALLY COMPLETELY FINE (2023): A Funny, Weird, Deeply Empathetic Show About The Ferociously Dark Side of Life
CW: References to depression, suicide and suicidal ideation—a lot and everywhere. It's not everyday that you get watch a show about depression and suicide that's funny, heartwarming, and wildly humanizing, with a sucker punch of gnarly howling darkness when you're least expecting it. Totally Completely Fine (2023) offers up a pleasingly jaunty mix of macabre, … Continue reading TOTALLY COMPLETELY FINE (2023): A Funny, Weird, Deeply Empathetic Show About The Ferociously Dark Side of Life
VIRGIN RIVER (S5 Part 2): Two Very Special Pine Sap-Speckled, Tinsel-Bedecked, and Gingerbread-Scented Christmas Episodes
Welcome to the end of Season 5 of Virgin River, where for two episodes everything will be soaked in eggnog, decked with holly, and mined with mistletoe. I think a really good metaphor for the show overall and these two episodes in particular is when Jack and Mel are out in the woods looking for … Continue reading VIRGIN RIVER (S5 Part 2): Two Very Special Pine Sap-Speckled, Tinsel-Bedecked, and Gingerbread-Scented Christmas Episodes
SURVIVAL OF THE THICKEST (2023- ): Funny, Smart, Slightly Bawdy, Touching, Relevant, AND Includes Genetically Blessed Faces!
Survival of the Thickest (2023) is a good thing to pop on when you’re looking for something to watch that’s life-affirming, slightly bawdy, smart, funny, and touching, and that also reminds you that it doesn’t always have to be the corporate bros or alabaster girly-os who are doing the winning at life. The first episode … Continue reading SURVIVAL OF THE THICKEST (2023- ): Funny, Smart, Slightly Bawdy, Touching, Relevant, AND Includes Genetically Blessed Faces!
VIRGIN RIVER S5: Where Time is a Meaningless Construct, Pie Mysteriously Disappears, & I Pledge to Never Quit This Drama-Rama
Welcome back to Virgin River where I clearly do not understand how time works because there have been five town festivals, several major medical traumas, two large drug stakeouts, a lot of complex romances, many convoluted comings and goings, and yet Charmaine (Lauren Hammersley) is STILL pregnant with same set of twins that we now … Continue reading VIRGIN RIVER S5: Where Time is a Meaningless Construct, Pie Mysteriously Disappears, & I Pledge to Never Quit This Drama-Rama