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stevedaly
Reviews
Call the Midwife: Episode #11.6 (2022)
Sadly
I love this show, but when the "clairvoyant" tells Sister Monica Joan that something bad is to come to Nonnatus House, well, this was a great loud proclamation that the show has "jumped the shark."
I'm hoping that this "prediction" is simply to be forgotten in future episodes, but it was played up too much. Too bad.
What's next? Celebrity guest appearances? An all-musical episode?
Call the Midwife: Episode #11.2 (2022)
Miss Higgins Story
The storyline of Miss Higgins being stuck at Nonnatus House combined with the storyline of the folks at Nonnatus House being stuck with Miss Higgins. This reminds me of so many real-life situations. While issues like polio and TB cease to be relevant, it's nice to see the writers embrace issues that are simply part of the human condition.
Call the Midwife: Episode #10.4 (2021)
Suffer from Dry Eyes?
I think there's a medical condition that causes ones eyes to be dry. "Call the Midwife" is a treatment for this. This episode, in particular, was one of many that was good for that, from the kid's parents reaching out to him to Cyril's gift to Lucille.
The Tender Bar (2021)
Heartwarming and Mundane
The first part was cute, but there was no payoff. The story was "nice" but nothing we haven't seen a million times before.
If you're looking for a movie that will engage your thought process, look elsewhere. If you're looking for a movie that won't hurt you, this might be your cup of tea.
The Many Saints of Newark (2021)
Disappointing
I saw three things going on.
First, there was a parade of characters meant to invoke younger versions of the characters we know.
Second, there was a storyline--Harold's story.
Third, there was the Tony Soprano origin story.
Okay, the younger character thing was cute. In particular, Silvio and Junior were interesting. My favorite was Dr. Melfi, expressed as the guidance counselor; her interaction with teenaged Tony was what you'd expect.
The storyline--meh. It would have made a forgettable episode in season two. The social upheaval aspect was interesting. This would have been a part of what made Tony Tony. I say this is someone who grew up in an urban area at the same time.
Where we come to the final part--Tony's story. First, I have to say that Michael Gandolfini was perfect, physically, for this role. But too much was made dependent on that fact. We were left to imagine this was the nascent Tony Soprano.
There was even a part where we were being led into thinking Uncle Dickie, taking his Uncle Salvatore's advice, would leave young Tony alone, but ultimately give in, bring him into the organization, and thus lead the way to Tony's doom. Dickie was to Tony as Tony was to Christopher.
But, instead we get Dickie's death and Tony finds his own way into being a mobster (not explained in the story--does this mean there will be another story?)
I think the movie failed to tell a decent story. If you were not familiar with the show, would this movie have even made any sense?
And if you ever had questions about why the characters are the way there are, did this movie answer any of these questions.
Junior, Paulie, Livia, Silvio, and so on...why are they the way they are? Well, apparently because that's the way they've always been.
For Sopranos fans, this movie perhaps lays out the basis for the relationship between Tony and Christopher. It's not "Godfather Part 2."
For everyone else, this is like a pretty lame gangster movie.