Tulsa King: Season 1 — a review

I’m a Sylvester Stallone fan, he said reluctantly. Reluctantly, because I’m not a fan of everything Stallone has done. I liked the Rocky movies, sure—especially the first and third—but I’ve got a soft spot for all of them, even the lesser ones. Same goes for the Rambo series. Those films came with their own kind […]

Mayor of Kingstown: Season 1 — a reluctant review

Full disclosure. I’ve already finished watching Season 3 of Mayor of Kingstown. Since I’ve gone on to watch the seasons that followed the first, you would be safe in assuming that I like this series. I do like it. But I hesitate to write this review because this series is also good at making me […]

Leverage: Season 1 — a review

US Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart, way back in 1964, found it difficult to describe hardcore pornography in words but said, “I know it when I see it.” Justice Stewart retired from the court in 1981, dying just a few years later. Before he passed, Stewart said he regretted using that phrase when writing his […]

Ozark: Season 4 (Netflix) — a review of the final season

I’ve been sitting on this review for a while. Allow me to explain. Like you, I am a complex person. I have certain mission statements, philosophies, operating systems—whatever names you want to give to whatever it is in my brain that governs what I do, think and write. On one hand, I’ve always considered myself […]

In The Dark: Season 1 — a review

Television series that air on the CW network sometimes get a bad rap. I get it. The Berlantiverse shows—our foray into DC Comics on the CW—have, honestly, been an uneven offering. Some of the more solid series, such as Arrow and The Flash, demonstrated a downturn in quality during later seasons. Some, such as Black […]

Peaky Blinders: Season 5 — a review

From a story perspective, it feels like it is, but the following statement probably isn’t a true one. If you look deep enough into history, any super-wealthy family has a criminal past. By most accounts, John D. Rockerfeller’s dad was a con artist and all around cad. Joseph Kennedy may or may not have been […]

Peaky Blinders: Season 3 — a review

I’ve written two reviews of this series without talking about its theme music. Let’s remedy this omission, shall we? The title track in the musical score of Peaky Blinders is always the song “Red Right Hand,” by Australian band Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. The song itself is dark and bluesy, with cryptic lyrics. […]

Welcome to Twin Peaks:/\/\ First-Watch Recap: Season 1: Ep. 1.5 “The One-Armed Man” (Original airdate Thursday, May 3, 1990) — a review

Welcome to my First-Watch of the original 30 episodes of the 1990-91 television series Twin Peaks. Below are the bulletpointed notes I jotted down while watching the episode “The One-Armed Man.” On this date in history, Bell Biv DeVoe’s “Poison” was #1 on the R&B charts. I recently heard it on one of those television […]

Welcome to Twin Peaks:/\/\ First-Watch Recap: Season 1: Ep. 1.4 “Rest in Pain” (Original airdate Thursday, April 26, 1990) — a review

Welcome to my First-Watch of the original 30 episodes of the 1990-91 television series Twin Peaks. Below are the bulletpointed notes I jotted down while watching the episode “Rest in Pain.” On this date in history, if this is your birthday, you are a Milennial, and you recently turned 30 years old. So, Happy Birthday! […]

Peaky Blinders: Season 2 — a review

True confession time. As I’m writing this review, I’m already four episodes into the third season of Peaky Blinders. It’s not my fault: These seasons are too damned short. Yes, I said it. Too short. I realize the irony of this. I often complain that American television series have too many episodes in a season. […]

Ozark: Season 3 — a review

You’ve already heard about Ozark. In this time of social distancing and self-quarantines, you’ve seen interviews with celebrities who, when asked what they’re binge-watching during these trying times, invariably reply, “Well, of course Ozark.” Usually in the same breath as Tiger King, which has already had its fifteen minutes of fame, thank you very much. […]

Better Call Saul: Season 5 — a review

Before we get into the review of Season 5 of Better Call Saul, I want to get a couple of other things off my chest. Watching this series has made me want to watch Breaking Bad again. Maybe not right away, but soon. Every so often, I forget how much I loved that wicked-smart series […]

Peaky Blinders: Season 1 — a review

I decided I was going to watch Peaky Blinders, eventually, more than a year ago. Maybe a couple of years. Time passes so quickly these days. I know a married couple, maybe ten years younger than me (which you would call middle-aged, I’m sure, although I prefer “ten years younger than me”), who are among […]

Mayans M.C.: Season 2 — a review

I can speak only for myself. I don’t know what the appeal of Sons of Anarchy was for anyone else, although I could extrapolate that knowledge from my own thoughts on the subject. Is it wrong to assume that fans of a certain thing share some traits in common? SOA covered seven seasons and 92 […]

True Romance — a movie review

I can’t remember if I watched True Romance the first time before or after I watched Reservoir Dogs, although I’m certain I watched neither until after I watched Pulp Fiction. If I had to guestimate a date, I’d say I watched it around 1997. This would have been three years after the movie bombed in […]

Bad Times at the El Royale — a movie review

I don’t watch as many movies as I once did. And, when I do, I tend to watch them fifteen-to-thirty minutes at a time, in installments where I supply my own commercial breaks. My compromised attention span seems more suited for television shows these days. I’m not complaining. It’s just a fact of life, much […]

Let The Bodies Hit The Floor: a Review of Season 2 of Ozark, a Netflix Original

The body count for the second season of Ozark is a high one. No less than five main cast members die during the course of the story. Tack on a couple of supporting cast members as well. Of course, I mean their characters died, not the actors themselves. Without being too spoilerific here, this means […]

Better Call Saul: Season 4 — a review

Better Call Saul just might be the best show on television right now. I’ve probably said that about other television series, and, I assure you, I meant it every time. I really mean it this time. Since BCS is a prequel series to AMC’s Breaking Bad, do you have to watch Bad in order to […]

Mayans M.C.: Premiere Episode 1.1 “Perro/Oc” — a review

I loved Sons of Anarchy. When I heard that Kurt Sutter was creating a new television show in the SOA universe, this time centered around the Hispanic motorcycle club, the Mayans, I knew that I would watch it. Having Edward James Olmos on board was a bonus. I was a fan of Olmos even before […]

Ozark: Season 1 — Netflix original: a review

I’ve seen a lot of things that compare Ozark to AMC’s Breaking Bad. I understand the comparison, because both feature a central protagonist who is ostensibly a good guy who gets caught up in dirty dealings that eventually threaten not just him but also his family and everything he loves and values. That’s a […]

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