Who Is THE GREATest?

Article first published as TV Review: THE GREAT on Seat42F.

Last month, Hulu premiered THE GREAT, a series about Catherine the Great and her combative marriage to Peter in Prussia during the 18th century. Far from a straight period piece, though the costumes don’t look modern, it’s an outrageous, cartoonish take on the scandals, with huge liberties drawn in events and lineage. Despite the complete lack of accuracy, which the show does not disguise, it’s a fun, salacious romp in the vein of Gossip Girl or other teen dramas. But do the kids want to watch this genre in a foreign land and time? If they won’t, I will.

I’ll admit, I loved Gossip Girl, and a few other shows like it. I have also thoroughly enjoyed what I’ve watched of THE GREAT. It’s not high-brow, but it is high-quality in the way its made. The plot makes sense, and the characters are well-developed. The acting is delightful. Yet, something about the way it leans into the messiness and away from facts makes it seem less-than the sum of its parts. This doesn’t affect the glee to be had in watching, but it does keep it out of a list of prestige television. Even though, from the standpoint of originality and its production, it might just deserve to be up there. There’s a certain superficial sheen over the whole thing, which is not a complaint, but a stylistic choice.

Elle Fanning (Super 8) stars as Catherine. Elle plays her as intelligent, but prone to giving in to emotion. She can fake her way along at court, but is so self-righteous that she struggles at first to do so, even when it endangers herself and others. THE GREAT doesn’t spend too much time dwelling on this, but just enough. Layers are added as the piece unfolds, such as her surprising taking to Leo (Sebastian De Souza, Medici), the lover her husband ‘gifts’ her. But her best moments are when she plots with her lady’s maid, an out-of-favor noble named Marial (Phoebe Fox, Eye in the Sky). (It must be said, Fox steals every scene she’s in.) Fanning may be at her best when Catherine runs roughshod over counselor Orlov (Sacha Dhawan, Iron Fist), whom she wants to help kill her husband, while he just wants to bring modernity slowly and safely to the country, one beard at a time.

Speaking of the husband Catherine is locked into a mortal battle with, Peter is played by Nicolas Hoult (X-Men: First Class). It’s easy to underestimate what Hoult is doing with the childish dummy, a petty tyrant who embraces pleasure and demands love and devotion while giving none in return. This isn’t Peter the Great; this is his son (grandson in real life) who cannot live up the shadow of his father, and is too consumed with love for his dad to see that everyone else has perceived the failing. It’s a thankless role, one viewers will root against, but upon later reflection, Hoult is killing it in the part, certainly a contender for best performance in the show.

There are also plenty of players at court. Like Peter’s lover, Georgina (Charity Wakefield, Wolf Hall), who has more depth than you might expect. Georgina’s husband, Grigor (Gwilym Lee, Midsomer Murders), doesn’t like sharing his wife, but has to take that out on others than the man who is to blame. The Archbishop (Adam Godley, Breaking Bad) is like a Rasputin at first, though far less effective. Drunkard general Velementov (Douglas Hodge, Penny Dreadful) is in control of practically nothing.

If you’re trying to learn about Catherine and Peter, it must be noted that they were married many years before he was in charge, though in this series, he’s already ruling when she arrives. Instead, his Aunt Elizabeth (Belinda Bromilow, Doctor Doctor) was the competent leader, portrayed in this as a crazy, though kind, nut. And once Peter did ascend, Catherine deposed him within six months. I don’t think that’s the path THE GREAT will take, as the battle between them is too much a part of the fabric of the show.

I find myself reluctant to praise THE GREAT too highly purely because of the zaniness it embraces without trying to be an obvious comedy. Yet, as I’ve said, I find much joy in watching it. If you want something that is both deadly and light, silly in its seriousness and serious about its silliness, or just a grounded period romp, then check it out

THE GREAT’s entire first season is available on Hulu now.

New Look for PERRY MASON

Article first published as TV Review: PERRY MASON on Seat42F.

HBO brought back a beloved character of literature, radio, and television this week with their new PERRY MASON show. This is a prequel story, set before the titular man becomes the defense attorney he’s been portrayed as in the past. Set in Los Angeles 1932 during the Great Depression, Perry is a noir private eye working for a lawyer and taking care of his family farm, which he should probably unload, given it boasts a mere two milk cows and is at an airport. How does the drunk absentee lawyer become a hero in the court room? Keep watching to find out.

Matthew Rhys (The Americans) stars as Perry Mason. Rhys is an extremely talented actor, as many already know. His performance in this is as impressive as it customary for him. There’s plenty to sink his teeth into for this role, as Perry is deeply troubled, mostly legitimately. His entire past isn’t revealed right away, so there are still some unanswered questions, such as why did he leave the military dishonorably? But the things we can see make him as sympathetic as he is tortured, so substantially.

Rhys is surrounded by other fine performers. John Lithgow (The Crown) is a lawyer Perry is working for named Elias Bichard Jonathan. Juliet Rylance (The Knick) is Jonathan’s more-than-capable assistant, Della Street. Shea Whigham (Boardwalk Empire) is Pete Strickland, Perry’s co-hort. Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) doesn’t show up in the premiere, but is playing a religious leader named Sister Alice that promises to be compelling. Chis Chalk (Gotham) is similarly absent from the pilot, but will be a good cop among the bad. Plus, Nate Corddry (Mom), Robert Patrick (Terminator 2), Eric Lange (Lost), and a slew of less recognizable, but no less skilled, actors join them in smaller roles.

The design, costumes, and sets are no less impressive. Every item of clothing, prop, and vehicle is beautifully recreated and sets the scene brilliantly, though we should expect no less from a big budget production like PERRY MASON. In particular in the pilot, the original Angels Flight train is recreated in its previous location. This is noir, but realistic looking noir.

As good as everything looks, a lot of the characters are total scum of the Earth. The cops we see are like a gang, more interested in lining their pockets than protecting and serving. The Hollywood execs aren’t any better, trash looking after trash with violence and threats. There are good people in this world, like Perry Mason, and they can even thrive without doing too many bad things. But they do have to exist in the muck alongside the worst of humanity, and that informs their characters, making the whole piece rather depressing.

This is where fans of the old PERRY MASON may have an issue with the new version. The old Perry was a shining beacon, while this one isn’t separate from the baddies. They are often the people he works with and for.

The biggest obstacle, though, might be just how disturbing some of the visuals can be. I’m no stranger to violence and gore, and who can be in today’s prestige television landscape? But PERRY MASON finds new depths in a single hour. A dead baby, rendered in stomach-churning detail, is only briefly on screen, and yet it feels like too long. I won’t go into anything further, but if child violence is a trigger for you, steer clear of this show. And even if it isn’t, it’s extremely hard not to be affected by its portrayal here.

Is the world ready for a gritty PERRY MASON? Will subsequent seasons grow him into someone a bit cleaner, or is this destined to be a one-off miniseries experiment? Either way, it’s a very well-made, well-acted series, and unless they do worse than the baby, I’ll be tuning in to see how it turns out.

PERRY MASON airs Sundays at 9PM on HBO.

Enlist in SPACE FORCE

Article first published as TV Review: SPACE FORCE on Seat42F.

Greg Daniels, who adapted The Office for American audiences, has been busy, with new two shows hitting streaming services in as many months. One was Upload, which I reviewed back in mid-May, and the other is SPACE FORCE on Netflix. I’ve had the chance to watch all ten episodes, but will talk about the show mostly generally to avoid spoilers.

SPACE FORCE stars Steve Carell as the manager of a department, just like The Office, but this series isn’t nearly as funny as that one was, or even as amusing as Upload (despite sharing the delightful Owen Daniels in underrated roles). Though, I’m not convinced it’s meant to be. There are outrageous things that happen and eccentric characters. Yet, the tone the lead character sets for the piece and some of the events of it keep things more reigned in.

As the series begins, General Mark Naird (Carell) is promoted from the Air Force to lead the new branch of the military, Space Force. And while his fellow branch heads (Jane Lynch, Patrick Warburton, Noah Emmerich, and others) make fun of him for it, Naird takes the job seriously and does his best. He finds ways to work the scientists who have such different mindsets than he does, and struggles to be a good father to his daughter, Erin (Diana Silvers, Ma).

But it’s not easy. As mentioned, the generals rag on him endlessly, as does their boss, John Blandsmith (Dan Bakkedahl, Veep). Not to mention, the unnamed POTUS is likely the same one we have today, temperamental and petty, though with the events of this year out of the mix (for now, anyway). Mark’s assistant, Brad Gregory (Don Lake, Zootopia), may have saved his life once, but is woefully incompetent. The social media guru, F. Tony Scarapiducci (Ben Schwartz, Parks and Recreation), is more hindrance than help. And last, but far from least, Mark’s wife, Maggie (Lisa Kudrow, Friends, The Comeback), is in prison for the next 40-60 years for reasons not revealed to the audience in season one.

As mentioned, the SPACE FORCE base is comprised of scientists, who you might think are cold and unfeeling based on stereotypes. One could also say the same about military officers. Yet, while outward displays of affection are rare, possibly one of the elements that keeps this series low key, we see some very sweet moments. There’s great stuff between Mark and his daughter. There’s arguably even better stuff between Mark and the head scientist, Dr. Adrian Mallory (John Malkovich, Billions, Being John Malkovich). The two have a terrific bond that is often awkward, but really makes up the emotional core of the series. A secondary romance between Mallory’s second, Dr. Chan Kaifang (Jimmy O. Yang, Silicon Valley), and Captain Angela Ali (Tawny Newsome, Bajillion Dollar Propertie$) is also touching.

This human companionship, the scenes where characters connect, is SPACE FORCE’s redeeming quality. Amidst the chaos and the colossal screw ups and the infighting and competitiveness, there are people with hearts who are trying to do a great job. That provides an in for viewers to connect to, and with excellent acting, it’s easy to forget about how few times you’ve laughed out loud.

Which is not to say SPACE FORCE isn’t funny. It’s just more strange funny than obviously humorous. I wouldn’t call its style subtlety, necessarily, but it is a bit sneaky. It’s clever, but not overly so. More just bizarre, really.

Reviews for SPACE FORCE have been mixed, but honestly, I’m fully on board. The ensemble is terrific, the storytelling is interesting, and the acting as absolutely fantastic, as you would expect from this cast. Go in expecting The Office and you’ll be disappointed. But go in with an open mind and withhold judgment, and you may agree.

The only regret I really have is that Mark’s father, Fred (Fred Willard, Modern Family, Jimmy Kimmel Live), won’t be able to return for a second season, and will have to disappear off screen.

Other than that, and especially with the giant cliffhanger of an ending, I’m ready to re-enlist for another mission. SPACE FORCE’s first season is available now on Netflix.