New Series INVINCIBLE

 Article first published as Amazon Prime's INVINCIBLE Review on Seat42F.

Amazon Prime has a new hour-long animated series coming next week called INVINCIBLE. Based on the comics of the same name by Robert Kirkman, the story follows a teen boy who begins to exhibit superpowers like his dad. This in a world filled with supers, both heroes and villains, with teams of powered people everywhere you look. But this particular boy is soon drawn into drama between several of them, and some dark secrets make things messy, indeed.

In preparing for this review, I not only watched the three episodes Amazon made available, but also read the first dozen or so issues of the comic. INVINCIBLE is a compelling tale that starts out looking like one thing but then becomes something almost completely different, yet at the same time holding onto a steady core. There are differences in the adaptation from page to screen, with some characters changing ethnicity and gender, and events are rearranged. Also, the comic seems to have more roles that are direct copies or parodies of existing properties from other publishers. But the changes seem to be good ones, mostly made to deepen the story and fit the episodic format length. If you were already a fan of the book, I suspect you’ll like this adaptation.

I can’t think of another hour-long animated show. The episodes, without commercials, come in at forty-some minutes, about as long as a broadcast drama, and double the length of most cartoons. The material in INVINCIBLE justifies it, though. Like Robert Kirkman’s other famous property, The Walking Dead, the story is complex and disturbing, at times graphically violent (as teased in the trailer). Yet, INVINCIBLE also has a cheery optimism because of its lead, Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun, The Walking Dead), that keeps things entertaining.

The voice cast is stacked with huge talent. Yeun stars, and the other two leads listed in the credits are Mark’s superhero dad, Nolan Grayson (J.K. Simmons, Whiplash, Spider-Man), and ‘normal’ mom, Debbie Grayson (Sandra Oh, Grey’s Anatomy, Killing Eve). There’s a shady government type, Cecil Stedman, voiced by Walton Goggins (Justified). And among those playing other supers are Gillian Jacobs (Community), Jason Mantzoukas (The Good Place), Zachary Quinto (Star Trek), Seth Rogen (Pineapple Express), Mahershala Ali (House of Cards), Michael Dorn (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Clancy Brown (Lost), Melise (The Vampire Diaries), Lennie James (The Walking Dead), Michael Cudlitz (The Walking Dead), Chad L. Coleman (The Walking Dead), Ross Marquand (The Walking Dead), Khary Payton (The Walking Dead), Lauren Cohan (The Walking Dead), and Sonequa Martin-Green (The Walk-, er, Star Trek: Discovery). Not to mention other characters voiced by Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Chris Diamantopoulos (Silicon Valley), Andrew Rannells (Girls), Zazie Beetz (Atlanta), Jonathan Groff (Mindhunter) and Mark Hamill (Star Wars). Believe it or not, this is not a complete list of recognizable names, and this list should give you an idea of how good the show is that so many pros wanted to be involved.

The world of superpowers has been done to death, and yet INVINCIBLE feels fresh. Partly because it leans on the tropes and familiar archetypes you already know and subverts them. Partly because it sometimes feels like its making fun of the genre it portrays, even while the characters feel grounded. This is a new take, and one worth watching.

As far as the story goes, I can’t say much. There are locks on spoilers, and I wouldn’t want to give anything away if I could because the shocks hit hard and fast. What I can say is this. The pilot starts out looking very much like a late 80s / early 90s cartoon of my youth, and that style never changes, lending an immediate comfort. But by the end of the first hour, this is disrupted, and each subsequent installment only continues the transformation. It is an artistically interesting production with an intriguing mystery and plenty of emotional-moving scenes. I both laughed and cried already. I definitely recommend it.

INVINCIBLE drops its first three episodes on Friday, March 26th, with weekly episodes streaming after that, only on Amazon Prime.

Not Quite THE ONE

 Article first published as THE ONE Netflix Review on Seat42F.

One of Netflix’s newest series is THE ONE. A British sci-fi crime drama, THE ONE is set in the near future where a company has found a way to match someone with their soul mate using DNA testing. As presented, the test only gives each person a single perfect match. If both people submit to the test, then that match is shared with them. In this world, there has been a HUGE spike in divorce, causing political unrest. But the head of the company calls this only a slight adjustment, and says divorces will be almost nonexistent after society adapts. Who is right, and what other ramifications are there to this technology?

The description above seems idyllic. I certainly wished for such an easy way to find someone in my younger, single days. But since perfect worlds make bad stories, given the lack of drama, THE ONE of courses only uses that as an overlay. Seemingly perfect worlds with a lot of bad stuff going on under the surface are a more familiar genre, and this show is definitely an entry in that one.

What surprises me the most is how much of the plot isn’t really about the system of perfect matches itself. That’s certainly present, and the system is manipulated by the cynical and the guileless. However, much of the driving story is made up of other tensions that happen around the system but not as much because of the way the system works. Which is too bad because I really want to know why only one person matches with you in the entire world and what happens if that person is no longer around? Can’t there be a second tier for those whose match are dead? Are there not other great matches?

Rebecca Webb (Hannah Ware, Boss) currently runs the primary company in THE ONE. She touts the success of her own relationship as being a product of that system, though like much of what she says, that is a lie. Instead, she is concerned only with making her system prevalent throughout the world, no matter the cost. Whether this is because she really believes in it or because she’s greedy, it’s hard to say. Flashbacks reveal some personal drama and her connection to a dead body that threatens to derail everything.

Another lead in THE ONE is Kate Saunders (Zoë Tapper, Mr. Selfridge), a cop who is surprised that her own match is a woman. Although she has dated both men and women, she expected to be paired with a guy. She is absolutely delighted with her pairing, though, until things take a tragic turn. Might this motivate her in looking into Rebecca? It’s not a focus in the first three episodes I viewed, but it seems like a logical next step.

Rounding out the trio of central women is Hannah Bailey (Lois Chimimba, Trust Me). Lois feels insecure in her marriage to Mark (Eric Kofi-Abrefa, Harlots), and after watching her best friend’s union fall apart because of THE ONE’s system, decides to proactively protect herself. So she submits her husband’s DNA and tracks down his match. Which of course inadvertently brings her husband and the other woman into contact with one another. Are any problems after this Hannah’s own fault? Will her husband fall in love and leave an otherwise happy relationship? Are they really happy if she’s this insecure?

The questions posed in THE ONE are interesting and worth exploring. There are many ways to go with this, and I’m glad it stays relatively focused on three plot lines for the initial eight-episode run (or at least the three episodes I’ve seen). Yet, I don’t find it as compelling as I’d expect to. It’s more a feeling than a concrete set of gripes I can list. Tone or pacing may play a part, but it’s just an overall impression I’m left with. It seems a well enough made and acted show, and I’m somewhat interested. But there’s something about it that feels less the sum of its parts and keeps it from rising to a must-see series.

THE ONE is streaming now on Netflix.

SUPERMAN AND LOIS Are Parents

 Article first published as SUPERMAN AND LOIS TV Review on Seat42F.

The CW has a new entry to their DC Arrowverse with SUPERMAN AND LOIS. Superman is a character who has had many, many incarnations on screens big and small, and the CW has had a lot of superhero shows over the past decade. But while key elements to Superman’s well-known legend are present, SUPERMAN AND LOIS feels different on both counts, and a worthy addition to a crowded slate.

SUPERMAN AND LOIS spends a few minutes reminding fans of the story between the titular couple, which is both a refresher on the often-told origin story and an outline of what choices have been made differently in this version of the tale. Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch reprise their lead roles from earlier CW DC appearances. Then, we catch up with the couple in Metropolis, where Lois is “the most famous reporter in the world” while Clark’s Superman is successfully keeping the planet safe. And they have twin fourteen-year-olds at home, Jonathan (Jordan Elsass, Little Fires Everywhere) and Jordan (Alex Garfin, The Peanuts Movie), who sometimes feel a bit overlooked by their busy parents, especially Clark, whose secret they don’t know.

The primary plotline in the pilot of SUPERMAN AND LOIS finds Clark feelings out-of-touch as a father and struggling to right that. He still saves people, but he’s realizing that he needs to be present at home, as well, a sentiment that Lois agrees with, but her father, General Sam Lane (Dylan Walsh, Nip/Tuck), does not. So when Clark is laid off by The Daily Planet and his mother, Martha (Michele Scarabelli, Alien Nation), passes away, he takes the opportunity to move his family to Smallville and try being a stay-at-home farmer-father.

In true hero fashion, Clark has multiple motivations for doing this, besides his wife telling him to be a better dad. Lois strongly suspects something rotten is going on in the dying small town as a rich man forces residents into reverse mortgages and buys up properties. Also, moody Jordan exhibits superpowers, although his brother, star athlete Jonathan, does not. And the boys discover Clark’s secret. So he’s trying to get back in touch with them while helping them cope with tough stuff in the only way he knows how – the same way his parents did with him.

Smallville is full of memories, of course. Besides the farm, there’s Clark’s ex, Lana Lang Cushing (Emmanuelle Chriqui, Entourage), who works for the bank. Her husband, Kyle (Erik Valdez, Graceland), is kind of a jerk, though Lana makes excuses for him. Their daughter, Sarah (Inde Navarrette, 13 Reasons Why), is clearly a love interest for Jordan, despite already having a boyfriend. Plus there’s a villainous Luthor afoot because, of course.

But SUPERMAN AND LOIS won’t be a rehash of Smallville or any other Superman adventure because Clark is in a different place. He’s the dad now. And his sons are very different from him. They have their own challenges and relationships, which are pretty different from Clark’s with his parents. All of the Arrowverse shows have some kind of family element, but on this one, family is the central core, with the superhero stuff being the side story. For now, anyway. So it’s a new twist on an old tale, and one I’m very much looking forward to. Fresh Superman is not something I expected in 2021, but SUPERMAN AND LOIS delivers.

There are two things that bother me a bit about the setup. One, Jonathan and Jordan seem way closer and more understanding of one another than any two siblings I’ve ever seen in real life. Two, I get Clark being busy with his Superman stuff, but Lois is an extremely present mother while still maintaining her international reputation? That seems far-fetched. More likely, there’s a missing caregiver who was with the boys a lot before the series begins.

Still, these are small squabbles, and I’m excited to see this iteration. SUPERMAN AND LOIS airs Tuesday evenings on the CW.

Hello, CLARICE

 Article first published as CLARICE TV Review on Seat42F.

CBS’s newest drama is CLARICE. As you might guess, it is related to The Silence of the Lambs and its protagonist, Clarice Starling. In fact, the story is set in 1993, a mere year after the events of the film and book. Clarice isn’t doing all that well, mentally speaking, suffering some severe post-traumatic stress from her ordeal. While being evaluated to see if she’s even fit to do her job, a status very much in doubt, Clarice is called up by the Attorney General of the United States (who also happens to be the mother of a girl Clarice rescued) to hunt a new possible serial killer.

A lot of CLARICE’s pilot is very interesting. Rebecca Breeds (The Originals) does a fine job portraying the damaged agent, and all the pain and suffering she is going through. Clarice is not OK, and yet she often manages to function in public and in her job. Breeds strikes just the right balance of sanity and trauma in crafting the role to make her believable. Clarice is easy to get annoyed at, as she makes many bad decisions or acts rashly, but Breeds keeps her sympathetic, as well, even when the character is making her own life harder.

Similarly, the production may call to mind NBC’s ill-fated Hannibal, evoking some artistic images. Although, CLARICE often goes for the gruesome over the pretty, so it’s not quite the same thing. The pacing moves a lot faster and the characters, other than the titular one, don’t seem as well-developed, either. So while those fond of Hannibal (for very good reason) may be pleased to see some similarities, CLARICE doesn’t live up to that previous effort.

There is a lot of imagery from the events of the film, reshot, of course, with new actors and sets to that everything matches. This is a good element, immediately calling to mind the horror Clarice bore witness to and helping audiences understand where she is. It’s a finely crafted premise executed pretty well in that regard.

Where CLARICE shows its weaknesses are among the supporting players. It’s not because the actors aren’t good; CLARICE has the likes of Kal Penn (Designated Survivor, House), Michael Cudlitz (The Walking Dead), and Jayne Atkinson (House of Cards) in its lineup. But the roles these actors play aren’t great. Jayne’s Ruth, the aforementioned attorney general, is too single-minded and harsh. Penn’s Shaan gets almost nothing to do in the pilot. Cudlitz’s Krendler is the most well-rounded of the three, playing Clarice’s boss, but even the parts where softness gets through his tough exterior feel cliché and tired. I don’t blame the performers, but these are stock characters in a procedural, not the deep ones that make up a high-quality drama.

Which makes sense, because CLARICE is a procedural. The pilot hints at a larger story arc, and I’m sure it’ll be followed up upon. But the whole season isn’t spent on a case, like the prestige shows. This is CBS, so most bad guys are caught in an hour and not much changes. With this unfortunate core, the high-quality aspects seem like set dressing, not the point of the series, and the program suffers for it.

The world doesn’t exactly need a better version of CLARICE; there are enough other series in this genre that foot that bill. But any chance this one has of standing among them is squandered by the network television mantra to have things static and easily consumable. This is fine for their audience now, but doesn’t necessarily build a devoted fanbase that will keep it living and talked about on streaming services from years to come.

CLARICE airs Thursdays at 10/9c on CBS.

Meet the New RESIDENT ALIEN

 Article first published as TV Review: RESIDENT ALIEN on Seat42F.

SyFy’s latest dramedy is RESIDENT ALIEN. Based on the comics of the same name, the series follows an extraterrestrial that crash-lands on Earth and has to fit in among the local population. He tries to stay apart initially, taking the identity of a doctor who lives in a remote cabin in Colorado near the crash site. But when the town’s local physician dies and no one else can get through the roads at this time of year, the mayor pulls “the doctor” out of retirement and forces him to fill in. Toss in a murder mystery, possible romance, a child nemesis, and a planned genocide, and there’s a lot going on.

Alan Tudyk stars in RESIDENT ALIEN as Harry Vanderspeigle, the human appearance of the alien (once the real man is killed). Tudyk has a long resume full of lots of voice-over work (Rogue One, Harley Quinn), as well as both comedic and dramatic turns in the series Firefly and its film spin-off, Serenity, so he’s already proven his bona fides and is overdue for a starring role. He mixes just the right amount of levity to a very dark story, and his humor is beautifully downplayed. Tudyk finds plenty of good moments for subtle acting, both physical and emotional, and is highly believable in a very strange part.

Harry, as I’ll refer to the alien from here, was on a mission to wipe out mankind when he crashes. It’s evident from the pilot that, living among the species, he’ll grow to have affection for humans, and likely protect them. Despite a couple of heinous acts, it’s still easy to root for Harry – as long as he is able to be stopped from murdering young Max (Judah Prehn, Kinderwood), the only one who can see his true form. I just don’t see how Harry could come back from killing a kid.

It would be very easy for Harry to fall into stereotypes, but so far RESIDENT ALIEN deftly avoids them. Harry is neither heartless nor full of emotion. He is intelligent, yet socially awkward, but neither to the point where it defines him or distracts from the story. He isn’t easy to pin down, and this complexity makes the character work in a way he very easily might not.

The supporting cast of working, but mostly not yet household name, actors are excellent, too, finding the absurdity of individualism and small-town life, making the most awkward group of delightful individuals this side of Stars Hollow. Sherry Mike Thompson (Corey Reynolds, The Closer) is a tough guy who’d like to be referred to as Big Black. His deputy, Liv Baker (Elizabeth Bowen, Upload), is awkward and open-minded. The two share a touching sing-along moment in the RESIDENT ALIEN pilot. D’arcy (Alice Wetterlund, Silicon Valley) stands out as the fun bartender. Mayor Ben Hawthorne (Levi Fiehler, The Fosters) is a liberal in a conservative town. And the second lead of the show, Astra Twelvetrees (Sara Tomko, Once Upon a Time), is a loner who finds the hidden kindness in Harry. Or maybe she just needs someone and he’s there.

I like that RESIDENT ALIEN has a sizeable ensemble cast. I like that it has a distinctive look that works for it. I like the mystery of the doctor’s murder that extends beyond the first episode. I like a lot of things about this show, including that I can’t adequately describe it one sentence. Mostly, I like that it’s a fully realized world, and despite some coincidences that stretch believability, it’s a well-thought-out story of complicated people, and one alien, that stands apart in its lack of cheesiness that often suffuses similar premises. It probably helps that its not a sitcom.

RESIDENT ALIEN airs Wednesdays at 10 ET on SyFy.

Infrastructure Work Needed for BRIDGE AND TUNNEL

 Article first published as TV Review: BRIDGE AND TUNNEL on Seat42F.

Epix recently premiered the new series BRIDGE AND TUNNEL. Set in Long Island in 1980, it follows a group of six friends who have just graduated college and are on the verge of moving onto the next stage of their lives. However, when they all come home for a summer break and to reconnect, their lives quickly become entwined again. Will they give up their futures to pursue the past? Or will this be a final fling before they move on into adulthood?

To be honest, I didn’t find the premise of BRIDGE AND TUNNEL all that realistic. All six members of this friend group had free time after college? None of them went straight into jobs? Was that how it was back in 1980, that adulthood didn’t start until you had one last summer break? This seems more like the circumstances of a post-high school summer, though the stakes are painted as quite a bit higher. It makes sense for the two characters waiting to go onto more studies, but not the others.

The idea that romance could derail a career, even a dream job, is more believable. We meet Jimmy (Sam Vartholomeos, Star Trek: Discovery) and Jill (Caitlin Stasey, Reign) as they hook up in the bathroom of their favorite local bar. Their friends gossip about them as they wait for their return, but the couple has other ideas, sneaking out so they can keep having sex. They are in love, but one is more committed than the other. Or perhaps, you could say one is more realistic about why a long-term relationship won’t work. Jimmy is heading to Alaska to take pictures for National Geographic, while Jill is a city girl.

BRIDGE AND TUNNEL does a good job of showing the pain of love that isn’t practical. Movies and television shows often subscribe to the “love conquers all” premise, and while it’s not unheard of to go in a different direction, it’s still appreciated when a series does. Their time is limited, and that misery hangs over any time they spend together. It might be smarter to stay away, even if they can’t seem to do so.

The other four characters are less developed. Stacey (Isabella Farrell, Fluidity) and Mikey (Jan Luis Castellanos, 13 Reasons Why) are full of lust for one another, but they don’t pretend it’s anything more than physical attraction. And while at least one of them has a significant other somewhere else, which doesn’t stop them, it doesn’t seem completely immoral, either, or at least not any more so than their previous teen non-relationship was. Pags (Brian Muller, The Deuce) would like to pair up with the remaining girl in the group, Tammy (Gigi Zumbado, Pitch Perfect 2), but she’s more interested in waiting for her turn with Mikey, who hasn’t seem to have noticed her in that way.

Series creator, writer, and director Edward Burns (Saving Private Ryan, Public Morals) is also acting in the show as Jimmy’s father, Artie. He seems to be the type of man that isn’t interesting in showing his emotion, but is interested in his son’s life. He finds ways to communicate that are traditionally masculine while still being involved.

BRIDGE AND TUNNEL is almost a fantasy series, because of the unlikely premise, even if the characters are realistic enough. Still, this isn’t exactly a fresh idea, and I’m not sure it needed to be done again. If it’s personal to the creator, I would understand why he’d want to make it. It’s fun and colorful enough to be entertaining. But I wouldn’t expect this to qualify for prestige or must-see television without better fleshing out the world and tying it to reality.

The first episode of BRIDGE AND TUNNEL is available free on Amazon Prime, and further episodes will air Sundays on Epix.

WANDAVISION Blurry

 Article first published as TV Review: WANDAVISION on Seat42F.

WARNING: This review contains spoilers from the first two episodes.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first television show, the highly anticipated WANDAVISION, dropped its first two episodes yesterday on Disney+. Set in a fantasy sitcom world, the series is slow to reveal the mysteries at its heart, instead dwelling in the neighborhood that has been constructed, and not giving viewers many clues as to why or how these characters are here. It’s a strange, surreal comedy that touches every cliché of decades past, with a dark undertone for what will surely be revealed as the season unfolds.

Elizabeth Olsen reprises her role from the films as Wanda Maximoff, while Paul Bettany returns as Vision. This premise is immediately suspect as, last we saw Vision, he had been utterly destroyed by Thanos. Yet, here he is, happily married to Wanda and in a suburbia that never existed. This isn’t just a reimaging, as the presence of a beekeeper (a familiar symbol of AIM to comic book fans) and a garbled radio broadcast asking Wanda what was done to her make it clear there is a life beyond this constructed one. So the question seems to be, who captured Wanda and what kind of experiments are they doing on her that has left her locked in this dream with her deceased lover?

WANDAVISION could easily just be Wanda-centric, given she is possibly the only one truly existing here, but the title and the way the story unfolds gives equal weight to both heroes, hinting that perhaps something of Vision has survived the removal of the Soul stone from his lifeless physical form. Given that Vision started in the MCU as an A.I., it is reasonable to think perhaps he can continue as such, even as fans (including myself) may hold out hope for him to rejoin the rest of the Avengers in the real world eventually.

I could easily see WANDAVISION as a film instead of a nine-part series that presumably will run about four and a half hours. It lingers so, so much in the fake scenario, going through entire stories in each of the first two installments. The premiere is about Vision having his boss and his wife over for dinner, and of course Wanda isn’t prepared and things go wrong. This one looks like the ‘50s in a The Dick Van Dyke Show house. Yet, as the second episode begins, they’re shifted over to a 1960s Bewitched format (with no comment on the change) for a talent show scenario involving the local women’s club. Each are stand-alone entries of slightly different styles, but there are small hints at reality trying to bust through. As enjoyable as these are, I began to quickly grow impatient to get to the larger narrative. Though a Pleasantville-style occurrence in the second installment indicates the pacing might speed up a little soon, and the ‘commercials’ are definitely leading to something.

Despite my wish that WANDAVISION not move so slowly, there are many familiar faces to help it along and make the wait go easier. Kathryn Hahn (Transparent) is fantastic as nosy neighbor and friend, Agnes. Debra Jo Rupp (That ‘70s Show) delights as Vision’s boss’s wife, Mrs. Hart. Emma Caulfield Ford (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) is perfect as the mean lady that heads the local ladies. Teyonah Parris (Mad Men) is immediately magnetic as Geraldine. There are many others, as well, and if there wasn’t a mystery box waiting to be opened, this could be a fun throwback sitcom outside of Marvel.

One of the actors above has been confirmed to actually be someone who exists beyond this, and was played by someone else in an MCU film, though to avoid spoiling, I won’t say which one. Additionally, other performers from the MCU movies have been tied to this production, they just haven’t shown up yet. I’m anxious to get to those reveals.

I liked WANDAVISION, but I do wish, because they’ve chosen the drag the story out over 9 episodes, that they’d just released them all at once for us to binge. It’s frustrating and hurts my enjoyment to not get much towards the big picture in episodes 1 and 2. After this much anticipation, I feel like we needed a little more payoff. Let’s hope the ensuing weeks make up for that (and I suspect they will). I can’t help but think most of the glowing reviews are from those that have seen more than has been released to the public at this point.

WANDAVISION streams weekly on Disney+.

BRIDGERTON's History That Never Was

 Article first published as TV Review: BRIDGERTON on Seat42F.

On Christmas day, Netflix dropped the eight-episode first season of BRIDGERTON, a gift to many viewers. Created by Grey’s Anatomy’s Shonda Rhimes, this period piece is soapy drama from the Regency era of English history beginning around 1813. Part Pride and Prejudice, part Gossip Girl, the costumes and performances (not to mention narration by Dame Julie Andrews as Lady Whistledown) make it seem classy, even as its modern pacing will help it appeal to more modern audiences.

The story of BRIDGERTON begins as the local young ladies are introduced for courting season, essentially a period of open dating and marriage proposals. The Bridgerton family is one of the most powerful in town, and daughter Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor, Dickensian) even catches the eye of Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel, Lady Macbeth), making her pairing most promising. That is until her older brother, Anthony (Jonathan Bailey, Broadchurch), now head of the household, sabotages her prospects, leaving her with a single, unattractive suitor. Luckily, Daphne’s mother, Lady Violet (Ruth Gemmell, Deep State), plots with her friend, Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh, Fractured), to pair Daphne with Simon, the Duke of Hastings (Rege-Jean Page, For the People), who is refusing the marry, and just happens to be Anthony’s best friend. Simon and Daphne see right through the matchmaking, but decide that a fake relationship would serve them both.

Nearby family, the Featheringtons, is headed by Baroness Portia (Polly Walker, Rome), who has three daughters she’d like to see married off. This includes young Penelope (Nicola Coughlan, Derry Girls), who isn’t even interested in boys yet, and wishes she could delay a year like her bestie, Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie, Dixi). The girls would rather look at books, and are terrified when Portia’s new charge, Marina Thompson (Ruby Barker, Wolfblood), is revealed to be pregnant, wondering how that could happen outside of marriage so they can avoid it themselves.

And all of this drama is captured by Lady Whistledown, who distributes gossip pamphlets that the upper crust devour, all the while wondering at her identity.

These details are merely scratching the surface of BRIDGERTON, which is very involved and has a lot of characters. However, it doesn’t get bogged down by this, keeping its focus on a few, and using the supporting players appropriately where needed. The pacing isn’t too fast, but it isn’t slow, either, an enjoyable romp that should expand beyond the appeal of most shows set in this era.

One glaring question I had going into BRIDGERTON is how the series would deal with race, seeing as how I couldn’t imagine Shonda putting forth an all-white cast, as one might expect for a program set in this era, other than seeing a minority as a maid or other ancillary role. The answer is, the show doesn’t deal with it. Certain families in the series, including the Queen and the Duke himself, are just Black and there’s no comment one way or the other. Ethnicity doesn’t seem to play into the attraction of one character to another, nor does it influence the social structure displayed. Basically, it’s a reimagining of history that allows performers or all colors to participate and ignores what actually was, to its credit. I hope more shows follow suit.

I loved Downtown Abbey, but am not a fan of P&P nor most other shows like this. Yet, I do love Shonda, and I found this cast of mostly-unknowns (to me) to be charming and compelling. At eight episodes, it’s an easy season to swallow, and I can easily see myself finishing it, even as I had no plans to before watching. I wouldn’t call it must-see, but it is good, and if you like some soapy historical stuff, BRIDGERTON has you covered.

BRIDGERTON is available now on Netflix.

SMALL AXE Provides an EDUCATION

 Article first published as TV Review: SMALL AXE EDUCATION on Seat42F.

It is with no small amount of sadness that we reach the end of the five-film run of SMALL AXE. That is due in part to the fact that the final movie in the series, EDUCATION, is one of my favorite two of the group. (The other being the very first one.) As someone that worked in the field of education, I admit that I am extra susceptible to such stories. But I dare anyone to watch SMALL AXE EDUCATION and not be affected by the tale told.

Kingsley Smith (Kenyah Sandy, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey) appears to be a normal twelve-year-old boy except for two things. One, he can’t read. Two, he is Black. You could easily argue the second item on that list is not abnormal, and I would whole-heartedly agree with you. But clearly the administrators in his place of learning do not. They don’t even seem to notice his illiteracy and push him out of the regular school and into a ‘special’ institution for ‘subnormal’ learners. They make excuses as to why Kingsley must be transferred, but it’s very clear to anyone paying attention this his skin color is the primary motivator, given his behavior is not any different than his peers.

Which is not to say that all the students at Kingsley’s new school are non-white. There’s a little girl (Tabitha Byron, Hetty Feather) that makes animals noises instead of talking, and perhaps she does need some assistance outside of a regular classroom, though certainly not what this place is offering. And Kingsley isn’t helped by the move, either. No kid is, as if a teacher supervises their room at all, he’s playing on his guitar instead of providing instruction. This is a bad place that benefits no one.

Lest you think Kingsley does belong in a special education class due to his lack of reading skills (and setting aside any judgment, positive or negative, on special education), SMALL AXE EDUCATION follows Kingsley’s story long enough to show that a little attention, encouragement, and motivation are enough to have him catching up in no time. This is a regular kid who fell through the cracks, the normal failings of educators to him exacerbated by bigotry and ignorance. He belongs in a regular classroom in a public school.

I’m a believer that every child deserves to have a teacher who can help them learn, and every child can learn. So SMALL EDUCATION breaks my heart before providing a far-from-perfect, but very touching, balm. There is a happy ending, of a sort.

The performances in SMALL AXE EDUCATION are great, as one would expect from this series. Sandy is absolutely terrific in the lead role, and I hope he has a long acting career ahead of him. I was also deeply moved by Sharlene Whyte (The Story of Tracy Beaker) who plays Kingsley’s mother, Agnes. At first, Agnes is one of those failing Kingsley. But she does care very deeply for her son, learns her lesson, and becomes not just an advocate, but a devotee who sees Kingsley for what he is, eventually. It’s her face at the end that brings me to tears as much the story itself.

As has been the case in every installment of SMALL AXE, the production is terrific, directing is solid, and sets and costumes are period-authentic in a non-distracting way. This is a fine entry, and ends the run on a very high note, making me miss SMALL AXE already. I really hope it comes back for a second season.

SMALL AXE EDUCATION and the other four films by Steven McQueen are available now on Amazon Prime.

CBS All Access take THE STAND.

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

This week, CBS All Access rebooted Stephen King’s THE STAND with a brand-new, nine-episode miniseries that will be released weekly. The story is one of two powerful beings, one good and one evil, fighting in a post-apocalyptic landscape. It reportedly contains additional material and a fresh ending and coda by the author himself, so even if you’ve read or watched the 90s miniseries, there’s something new here. Also, this version is on a streaming service, so it is not bound by episode running times or broadcast television standards.

THE STAND starts after a pandemic wipes out the vast majority of the world’s population, then flashes back to show us briefly how the early days played out. It doesn’t waste much time going through the illness, just giving us enough of a glimpse of some corpses to let us know the impact of what happened. The big difference between this and a network broadcast seems to be letting the production get really gross with the bodies. This was also made before the recent real pandemic, and it’s unsettling to watch this alternate, much more dire outcome. Though I do worry too many will see this and take it as a sign that ours isn’t so bad, which is not the lesson that should be taken away at all.

Judging from the pilot of THE STAND, titled “The End,” there appears to be three lead characters. Stu Redman (James Marsden, Westworld) is a simple guy who somehow becomes the only one in his friend group, and then in a much larger circle, that is immune to the virus, surviving in a government facility while everyone else dies around him. At the same time, Harold Lauder (Owen Teague, It, Bloodline) is left alone in his neighborhood with his former babysitter, Frannie Goldsmith (Odessa Young, Assassination Nation). Unlike Frannie, who is grief-stricken by her circumstances, Harold seems gleeful for the chance to get close to Frannie, who he has been stalking for a while.

Harold gets the most focus in “The End,” seen both during the crisis and after, when a bunch of survivors (including all three leads) gather. But that doesn’t mean viewers will root for him. He’s an unlikeable creep, and every moment he’s with Frannie is a moment that I fear for her safety. And that’s even before Harold reveals his chilling manifesto, which surely means dark times are coming.

Without having read the book or seen the earlier version, I didn’t realize from this initial installment that THE STAND was actually about a supernatural battle. The good Mother Abagail (Whoopi Goldberg, Sister Act, Ghost) and the evil Randall Flagg (Alexander Skarsgård, Big Little Lies) are barely glimpsed in the first episode, and not explained in the slightest. Before reviewing materials on the series, I had no idea they were of much importance at all. Though I like both performers very much and look forward to seeing more of them.

Teague is a fine performer, perfect for the part, as unsettling as it may be. But spending time with his character is tiresome, and that’s why I was disappointed THE STAND took out several others I liked in short order. “The End” offers us Hamish Linklater (Legion) as kindly Dr. Ellis, whose passing was incredibly sad. J.K. Simmons (Spiderman) appears in a single scene, and as impactful as he is, he feels wasted. I’m glad Eion Bailey (Once Upon a Time) is sticking around, but I wonder how many other great actors will blow through in little more than cameos, presumably attracted by the King name.

I liked THE STAND, I didn’t love it. I didn’t get as much of the performers that I wanted to see, and got a lot of one who made me very uncomfortable (albeit, well-acted for the role). Its parallels to modern events are scary, but the pacing is a little slow, and it doesn’t substantially reveal major elements of its own story in the only episode released so far. Without exterior motivation, I don’t think this hour alone would make me want to watch.

THE STAND’s first episode is available now on CBS All Access, and will release new installments every Thursday.