1-1-1's - Another One (plus)

"Another One" is quick thoughts on subsequent seasons of things I've already watched/reviewed on the blog.  I'm going to reread (and link to) my review(s) of previous seasons and see what, if anything, different I have to say about them in comparison....

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For All Mankind Season 2 & Season 3 - AppleTV+
[season 1]

The What 100: As this alternate reality view of the space race continues we venture into the 80s, where a moon base has been established, and then the '90's, where the Cold War has reached the Red Planet, but it's not just USA and Russia out there, a third-party capitalist has thrown into the race.

1 Great - in the second season, shit goes down on the moon. It's really freaking intense. In the third season, there's three ships racing towards Mars, and, well, things don't go well as the contention to be "first" sees the crews pushing their vessels to their limits (or beyond).  There's some incredible space-based (and space base) tension.

1 Good - The unexpected shake-ups that the show gets into are really what make it worthwhile. It's not a completely predictable show, which makes the tension very palpable. Being an astronaut (or in the proximity of an astronaut) is just a dangerous existence, and it's good to be reminded of it.  When you're accelerating as quickly through time as this show is, the characters can't be held so preciously. It did feel like a few characters were being cycled back into rotation a little unbelievably at times, but there's still dramatic narrative to service.

1 Bad - I still think the decade leaps from season to season really, really help keep the show cracking along from season-to-season, but that still didn't eliminate the core problem of the show, being its hefty cast (it rival Game of Thrones for the amount of players on the board), which it largely keeps around from season-to-season. The finale of season 2 cleared a few players of the board, and season 3 a whole bunch more, but given there's been a nearly 40 year time-span, it's hard to buy that some of these characters are still around in the capacity they are.  As such it gets a little lost in its narrative thrust as it spins wheels circling around character drama, particularly in the second season (oh, and those Stevens boys in Season 3...gah!)

META:
There's a particular hump to get over in season 2, where the melodrama gets slathered on way too thick, and we had to take a good long break and psych ourselves up for a return partway through our bingeing of the series. But the latter third of season 2 crackles with tension, like everything is ready to fall apart any second (and it does).  The third season is much more pulpy, and the better for it. The melodrama still persists, but it never overshadows the narrative's desire to keep moving forward at a rapid clip.  Very enjoyable.

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Mythic Quest Season 3 - AppleTV+
[season 1| season 2]

The Plot 100: Ian and Poppy's new business is failing to materialize, and their friendship is suffering for it. David, now in full control of MQ, is a see-saw of power-mad and ineffectually anxious. Rachel takes on a new role, Dana takes on a new role, Brad takes on a new role, Carol takes on a new role, and Jo keeps redefining what her role is.  CW dies.

1 Great - Every season of MQ has their 1-off episode which is essentially a short film that don't really feature any of the regular cast. Here it's a step back into Ian's difficult childhood with an adoring but manic-depressive mother, and Poppy's childhood where she has to negotiate the push-pull of a strict mother and a fun-loving dad.  Each of these 1-offs are absolutely fantastic, stepping outside of the sitcom setting and getting some resonant emotional backstory for these otherwise comedic character (season 1 was sort of a backdrop for the workplace, while season 2 gave us CW's backstory).

1 Good - What has worked for the past two seasons, more than anything, is the fraught relationship between Poppy and Ian, as the linear-thinking coder and the free-thinking mastermind obviously put them at odds but also are necessarily complimentary in their endeavours. It's only after the 1-off episode that we get a sense of just how long these two have been working together, and how long it's taken for their professional animosity to be recognized as mutual admiration.  Whenever the show gets to the heart of Ian and Poppy caring for each other utterly platonically, I melt. 

1 Bad - There was something behind F Murray Abraham's departure from Season 3 of Mythic Quest and I don't know what it was. At this stage nothing has come out that would "cancel" Abraham (he's been involved with high profile Moon Knight, White Lotus and Cabinet of Curiosities since his departure) but even though CW has always been a sporadic presence, the show is not the same without him.

META:
But then again, the show is not the same as it had been in season 1 or season 2.  The second season, wading through the pandemic, sort brought a cohesion to the cast, tightening them up as a unit, and really making it a workplace comedy. It blew it up at the end, having Ian and Poppy leave to do their own thing, and really everyone left doing their own thing, from Rachel and Dana going to college (maybe) to Brad going to jail. Everyone's kind of apart or coupled up this season, and not in organic or often complimentary ways. It doesn't work like it once did, so hoping reuniting Poppy and Ian on the MQ floor will help rekindle the spark.

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Slow Horses Season 2 - AppleTV+
[Season 1]

The Plot 100: Another season, another book to adapt. Dead Lions. In this one, one of Lamb's old associates is murdered, and fingers a Russian espionage group long thought gone, or never having existed in the first place. The Cold War has been over for 30 years, but some refuse to let it go. River gets sent to rural town in the middle of buttfucknowhere undercover, and totally Slow Horses the gig up. Louisa and the new bloke need to arrange security for a meeting Spider sets up with a Russian power player. Catherine and Roddy try to prove their worth in other ways.

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1 Great: I mean, you can't not say Gary Oldman, right. The man seemingly gets consumed by the roles he plays, and Jackson Lamb is, I'm sure, nothing like Oldman. Crude, rude, and devilishly cunning, he's not like the others, demoted to Slough House because of some massive failure or faux pas...no, he chooses to head up Slough House because it pretty much keeps eyes off of him and he can do his own thing.  As much as he outwardly projects his indifference (the gentlest word for how he treats them) towards his people, it's clear from a sky-level view that he is fiercely loyal to them and feels they're his responsibility (far more than anyone would expect he should).  The main plot here kicks off because an old, retired colleague is murdered and, more than unfurling whatever plot is in play, Lamb wants at the very least justice, if not revenge. And he didn't even particularly like the guy.

1 Good: The twists in these stories are right solid, and unpredictable. This is spy-thriller that has burned the handbook before even reading it. It's got its own flavour (I mean, it's missions put in the hands of proven fuck-ups, so, y'know, they're bound to fuck up...James Bond they are not) and its own wry sensibility. After season 2, the biggest signal is that there seem to be no sacred trees here, anyone could be cut down. Lamb and River Cartwright may be the series leads, but I wouldn't be surprised if either one were killed.

1 Bad: It's not James Bond, so the action does tend to peter out rather than accelerate. In its unpredictability it likes to twist its action scenes (I wonder if it's fully following the novels or if it is just budget) and they can be a little raw and clunky (and perhaps a tad unsatisfying) as a result.  It's a minor quibble, to be sure, for what is otherwise a great series.

META:
There are currently eight Slough House novels and five novellas by creator Mick Garron, as well as four novels in the same world but operating outside the sequential frame of the other books in the series. There's a lot of material to mine here, and it would be wonderful if each book were adapted in the six-episode mini-series format, but if the novellas were perhaps adapted into a single or double episode length.  There's committed at least 2 more seasons, so the horses aren't slowing down any time soon.  We'll be getting Mick Jagger's awesome ORIGINAL(!) theme to the show for a while longer.

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Reservation Dogs Season 2 - Disney+/Star
[Season 1]

The Plot 100: Elora and Jackie have left the rez for California, but find themselves in trouble. Bear is pissed Elora left him behind, and starts looking for a job. Cheese's uncle gets raided and Cheese gets tossed in foster care. Willie Jack isn't so keen on Jackie and puts a curse on her, only to regret it. Everyone gathers in a vigil for Elora's grandma after which the aunties go to a conference and party. Big accidentally ingests drugs on duty and cracks the case of the missing catfish with help from Kenny Boy. 

1 Great: The unexpected. Each episode of Reservation Dogs is a short film all on its own. While some of the character stories may continue throughout the season, the main story of each episode is self contained, and you can never quite tell where it's going to go. It's a style of storytelling that worked very, very well for Atlanta across 4 season but I dare say Reservation Dogs has maybe figured it out even better.  Where Altanta would often have fully disconnected short films, often detached from known reality into semi-Black Mirror territory, here it's always in-world, always following the cast (though not always the main cast). In both cases, there's healthy doses of "magical realism" liberally sprinkled throughtout to add a whole other flavour level to the show, be it metaphorical, dramatic, or comedic.  

1 Good: Performances. Most of the most prominent Indigenous actors in North America are making appearances in this show, and not just fluffy cameos, but great spotlight roles.  Gary Farmer (as Uncle Brownie) and Wes Study (as Bucky) get a spotlight rivalry in the second episode which is one of the funniest things I've seen in years, especially their rendition of Tom Petty's Free Fallin' (which then gets a beautiful callback in the final episode). Kaniehtiio Horn from Letterkenny and Jana Schmieding from Rutherford Falls (rip) return, Prey's Amber Midthunder comes in for an ep to coach the kids on connecting to one another, and Tamara Podemski has a powerful role as Elora's aunt who has been estranged from the Rez for some time.  The list just goes on and on, with familiar and new faces and all the young performers who are all so fantastic. Creator Sterlin Harjo also taps into his comedy background, bringing in non-Indigenous comedic performers like Bobby Lee, Megan Mullaley, and Marc Maron.  

1 Bad: Not enough. This is a show with a massive roster of players, and, as this season has proven, there are stories to be told with each of them. Ten episodes, an improvement over Season one's eight, is still not enough.  The show's creative team makes the absolute best with every minute they do have, to be absolutely sure, but I still want more. I want to see an episode with Mose and Mekko in the spotlight, or go full magical realism into what spirit guide William Knifeman does in his off time (does he live in that gas station convenience store machine, dispensing shaky wisdom?)

META:
This is in the top ten, probably even top five best shows on TV right now. I'm not sure why I sat on it for 8 months...but hopefully the good news is it means a shorter wait until Season 3...?  I have a hard time picking a favourite episode of the season... I was about to settle in on Big and Kenny Boy's drug trip misadventures, but then I feel like Cheese's time in the group home was pretty wonderful in how that character affected those around him positively, but also the Elora's grandmother's vigil was just powerful and beautiful... and I could make a case for almost any episode here. 

The second episode really fucked up my brain a bit. Elora and Jackie's misadventures become pretty dire as they're chased by gun-toting rednecks in a truck after a half-hearted attempt to steal a car. They've lost everything on their trip, they're starving and things look bleak. They happen upon a homestead whose recently separated, lonely matriarch (Mullaley) takes them in. A white saviour. But from moment they step foot in the house the temptation of the keys to her truck is put before them. She lets them shower, gives them fresh clothes, feeds them, preys with them, and gives them rooms to sleep in, asking nothing from them.  She expresses her admiration for both of them, their freedom and liberty (hard to feel so free and liberated given their highway misadventures as young Indigenous women).  In the middle of the night Jackie steals the truck and Elora tags along.  As a white person I wrestled with this... I mean the show's sympathies are always with the girls, and not for anything, stealing the truck is their only move, and it's a justified one.  But then I think "but isn't that just playing into expectations, or even stereotype?" and I wrestle with the question. What made even more complicated is Mullaley, awake and at the window, uttering "Those little sluts" in a manner that could be construed as anger but possibly even envy.  Jackie later states she doesn't feel bad for stealing the truck, she doesn't really feel bad about anything (visiting Jackie's mom, we see why she's so detached), but also notes that "that lady seemed happy. Big ass house in the middle of nowhere, no one else around, talks to God and shit, I'd take that any day"... and it provides a sense of perspective. Mullaley's character seemed kind and well-off, but miserable, and lonely. It speaks certainly to Jackie's lack of understanding of happiness. I'm still unpacking it, with no solid conclusions. Fantastic TV.

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The History of the World Pt II - Disney+/Star

The what 100: Mel Brooks' classic sketch comedy anthology on the history of the world returns as an 8-episode TV series, but led by the creative team of Nick Kroll, Ike Barinholtz and Wanda Sykes.

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1 Great: About 10 years ago a sketch comedy show debuted that viscerally chewed upon the absurdity of reality TV. It was called Kroll Show and it was created by and starred versatile comedic performer Nick Kroll. It wasn't just funny, it was brilliant. It really toyed with the media landscape of 2013, and in a smarter society, would have been the last word on TV shows about anyone shameless enough to dramatize their real lives for television. The formula was sketch, but it wasn't one-and-done sketch, it was repeating sketch, with storylines built over the three seasons as the sketches would intermittently appear, often reaching new levels of absurdity and hilarity in the process. The History of the World Pt II isn't nearly as sharp or daring as Kroll Show, but the sensibilities are definitely shared. What could have been eight episodes of one-off sketches twisting historic characters or moments into a modern context, instead follows much of the Kroll Show model of building character and story arcs across the episodes, while also allowing for one-off silly sketches to sneak in. Also like Kroll Show, it's simultaneously being ridiculous while also casting its gaze on the modern media landscape, as it has the exiled Russian tsarina Anastasia running a 1910's sepia-toned version of a TikTok live stream, while Rasputin (played by Johnny Knoxville) participates in Jackass-style extreme stunts (but with a not to Rasputin's mythos) in a series called "Jackrasp". There's ongoing tales about the Russian revolution and the Civil War, that all serve up delights and surprises by building characters that are meant for more than a single sketch.

1 Good: My favourite ongoing sketch would have to be "Shirley", a 70's Black sitcom pastiche starring Sykes as the first Black congresswoman Shirley Chrisholm, who also ran for president in the mid-70's. The visual flavour as well as the comedy stylings are bang-on of the era, even bringing Marla Gibbs in as Shirley's mothers. The apex of the "Shirley" is the "episode" where Shirley is having to run between two very different Watergate rooms as she tries to secure support for her election. One room is a feminist assembly led by Gloria Steinem, the other a Black caucus led by Jesse Jackson, all while keeping her husband contained to the hotel room.  It's classic madcap 70's sitcom hijinks and it's executed perfectly. It's not even ironic, it's post-ironic. It knows exactly what it's doing, and it's doing it lovingly. When I thought it was just a one-off sketch I thought it was pretty lacking, but it builds beautifully over time.  

1 Bad: In any sketch anthology, you're going to get a few weak-tea efforts, ones where the jokes are too easy, or the performances just don't succeed.  There are those here (the cavewomen discovering fire, or the Alexander Graham Bell crank phone call bit that goes on too long, but thankfully the rest of the show is amusing enough to offset the not great entries. Thankfully all the ongoing sketches are really fun, and at times, really sharp ("Curb Your Judaism" was brilliant).

META:
I am not a Mel Brooks guy. Never have been. His humour is too obvious for my liking. He tends to take the joke that most could see just sitting there and he makes a massive meal out of it. He's also fond of over-the-top silly...and I like silly, but over the top silly, most slapstick, just doesn't strike me as funny. So I had no interest in HotWpt2, because I haven't even seen HotWpt1, nor do I really care to.  But upon hearing that Kroll, Barinholtz and Sykes were leading it, not Brooks, I saw the potential.  They're definitely trying to lean into Brooks' style, but it's still flavoured heavily with their comedic senses (which I much more receptive to).  Good fun.

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Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 2 - Disney+
[Season 1]

The Plot 100: The Bad Batch continue doing jobs for a small-time crime maven named Syd, but they tire of the risks, the low reward, and the lifestyle. Opportunity presents itself for the crew to escape and just live, but once they start catching wind that the Imperials are kidnapping and experimenting upon Clones, they start to think that maybe they have a larger mission before retirement.

1 Great: Honestly, the best part of Bad Batch is Kevin Kiner's music. He's been getting more and more experimental with his Star Wars scores in recent years and I love hearing what he's come up with. He's dealing with a lot more synths and tones rather than Williams-esque orchestral, angling more towards Blade Runner's Vangelis-composed score.  As the Empire continues its dystopian spread across the galaxy, these sounds are more ominous and weighty, accompanying well the brutalist architecture starting to prevail.

1 Good: After threatening us with the tedium of mission-of-the-week story structure, the show does move forward and start to tease out ideas related to one of the biggest questions raised by Lucas' prequels: what happened to all the clones? Where are they? The answer does not appear to be a very bright one for them. It's pretty bleak in fact (the Empire considers them "property" with which they can do as they please).  It also ties very loosely into the cloning sub-plots of both The Mandalorian and The Rise of Skywalker.

1 Bad: The early episodes are a bit of a slog, as they are truly "mission-of-the-week" structure. They're tedious and after a couple of them in a row, I was ready to quit the show. But a surprise mission involving a Wookiee and a story set on their planet of Kashyyk was enough to swing me back on board. 16 episodes may be too long for a season of The Bad Batch it seems, as it a similar problem I had last time.

META: 
I like the Bad Batch, but I want to like it more. I wish it were spending more time exploring the changing universe instead of dabbling in the character-centric stories it's striving for. Any time they want to sit with the characters and their feelings, it just kind of drags and the sentimentality feels hollow.  But the weight and oppression of the Empire, when it's felt, packs a real punch, and I guess the show has to balance between that heaviness and remembering it's a cartoon that is meant to appeal to all ages. (It annoys me any time the Bad Batch go into a firefight with their guns set to stun...like, who are we fooling?