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lminwill
Reviews
Young Sheldon: A New Home and a Traditional Texas Torture (2024)
Something to think about
Great episode all the way around; beautifully written, directed, and acted. It might be the best of the entire series run. What was most impactful is how Mary, Missy, and Sheldon are likely to be haunted by the last time they saw George alive. He offered Missy a ride and she told him she'd take the bus, barely looked in his direction. When George said he'd see them all later, Missy kept getting ready, Sheldon said nothing, didn't even look up from breakfast, and Mary did one more nag to remind him not to be late for the photo shoot ("Four o'clock!"). There was nothing unusual about any of this behavior, but you can imagine that each character, in retrospect, will wish they'd responded differently.
Chuck Lorre in his vanity card after the ending credits spoke to the importance of loving the "characters" in our real lives and how not doing so would be regrettable. I'd add that we should also not take the seemingly innocuous moments in life for granted, e.g., remember to acknowledge someone telling you that they'll see you later as they leave for work. You never know.
Maigret: Night at the Crossroads (2017)
Atkinson's best performance of the series
There was much to enjoy about this noir, but it was most fun watching Maigret becoming as taken, however briefly, with the femme fatale as the others she'd manipulated. It's a pity that Rowan Atkinson didn't get to play this delightful character in more than four episodes and that he's not done more drama in general. He's a marvelous comedic actor, but his performance as Maigret was a revelation. Here's hoping we'll see more dramatic roles in Atkinson's future.
Law & Order: The Right Thing (2022)
The show has potential (this episode was so-so)
I was disappointed that Anthony Anderson's character hadn't risen more in the ranks, though I like Camryn Manheim as the lieutenant (S. Epatha Merkerson is doing another show). Anderson keeps it fairly understated, which is good, but it highlights how much Jeffrey Donovan overreacts, sometimes painfully so. He's not a bad actor (liked him in Fargo and Burn Notice), but here they have him playing a stereotypical detective pushing the envelope, getting worked up, playing "bad cop", as it were, to Anderson's "good cop". A bit formulaic, but not surprising.
For all those folks losing their stuff over "woke" or "wokeness",...wth?? It's Law & Order, for crying out loud. This is the show that took creating plots ripped from today's headlines to another level. Did you seriously think they weren't going to take advantage of this season to touch on race as it relates to policing and police tactics in general? Or the tragedy of women who've been victims of rape by a then-powerful and also very wealthy man who got out of jail on a technicality? It's Dick Wolf's MO to do this kind of thing, and sometimes in a ham-fisted way. It can usually be forgiven with good acting and writing. Mixed bag in this episode.
Frankly, the overarching plot is what they're missing out on: That the cops and prosecutors had to confront that they're working together, not in opposing corners. And that sometimes doing "the right thing" can have some pitfalls. Speaking of the prosecutors, the EADA is played well be Hugh Dancy and Odelya Halevi as the ADA is pretty good. I loved seeing Sam Waterston and Carey Lowell again on the show, both brought strength to their respective contributions.
The show does have promise, and I hope they find their groove. Writing was not always consistently on point, and scene transitions seemed awkward a few times. Perhaps as they all work together more things will gel. I hope they allow Donovan some latitude to be less of a one dimensional a-hole.
Avanti! (1972)
A winner
Avanti is intelligently written, brilliantly acted, and beautifully shot. Jack Lemmon and Juliet Mills bring this bittersweet love story to life with such impeccable chemistry that it makes you wish they'd worked together more. Clive Revill proved again that he's a master of accents, but also that he is adept at comedy. What could have been an over the top portrayal of Carlo he pulled off with flair, finesse, and wit.
The screenplay, adapted from a play by Samuel Taylor, is simply excellent. The backdrop of the locations in Italy as well as the extras make for a lovely and engaging cinematic experience. Kudos to a great production team.
Call Me Kat (2021)
Watch more than a couple of episodes (and it's not Miranda!)
I suspect a lot of the show's haters haven't given it a chance. I wasn't knocked out at first, but the show has gotten better with each new episode. The storylines are more engaging and the characters more endearing. It's based on the UK's (very funny) Miranda, but loosely so. 'Kat' is its own distinctly warm and funny series with a solid cast headed up by the likable and relatable Mayim Bialik. And Leslie Jordan is a treasure!!!
Mr. Mayor (2021)
Getting better
The writing is more on point, the cast is jelling, and among a fine cast, Holly Hunter and Bobby Moynihan are insanely funny. Give the show a try.
Boy Meets Girl (2015)
A lovely comedy
I was late to this show; just discovered it on BritBox. It's sweet, smart, and laugh out loud funny. It tastefully deals with trans issues within a traditional comedy format. It takes the matter seriously but balances this with the right amount of humor. More importantly, there are great characters that you can relate to and quickly grow to adore. It's well written and the cast is outstanding. Denise Welch and Janine Duvitski as the mums are standouts. And the chemistry between Judy and Leo is beautifully brought to life by the wonderful Rebecca Root and Harry Hepple.