The Sopranos has become the go-to show for my wife and I when we've got a free hour, so our DVR has been accumulating things like crazy. We've yet to watch a single episode of Top Chef this year, we're seven episodes behind on Modern Family (no big loss there), just one behind on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and we've all but punted on Mr. Robot (probably for the best). We'll squeeze in the new episode of This is Us when one comes out and the light commitment / attention span required for The Big Bang Theory usually means we can fit it in, but for the most part, The Sopranos is currently dominating our TV time.
I spent my year-end review post on The Sopranos explaining the basic premise and what it's all about, so I pretty much have nothing left to discuss except specifics of Season Two itself. Therefore, the remainder of this post will be a....a.....
SPOILER SPACE!!!!
There's two primary mob storylines in Season Two. The first involves Richie Aprile (brother of former boss Jackie Aprile) getting released from prison and his rough integration back into the DiMeo crime family. The second is essentially a season-long arc for Pussy as he's torn between spying on Tony's crew for the FBI to reduce his sentence for selling heroin and his lifelong friendship to Tony.
I have to admit, when it was revealed early on in Season Two that Pussy actually was a rat in addition to Jimmy getting capped, it definitely registered as a surprise. They had set it up well to let the audience believe that Vin Makazian's tip from Season One was flawed and that he'd fingered the wrong guy. I'm glad The Sopranos decided to go this route because there were some excellent character moments from Pussy during his season-long struggle. The episode in which Pussy serves as A.J.'s confirmation sponsor gave us a good glimpse into just how much his deal with the FBI is tearing him apart. He says all the right things to help A.J. along the path and doing so makes him break down, understanding just how much Tony's friendship meant to him over the years. Even the scene at season's end in which he gets shot by Tony, Paulie, and Silvio was made to feel sad. I really wanted there to be some other way for Tony and his gang to allow Pussy to live, but you knew that wasn't happening.
Richie served as a decent villain for the season as a vile human being with some serious anger problems. He was thoroughly hateable, perhaps excessively so. The only real nuance to his character was his relationship with Tony's sister, Janice, which seemed to be pretty genuine. Unfortunately, Janice was a pretty unlikable character as well, so even though it gave the character a softer touch, seeing Richie shack up with another detestable human being further validated everything we know about him. There was enough backstory between Richie and Janice for the relationship to ring genuine and not purely as a power play against Tony, so that was good. However, I wonder how that would have played out long-term had The Sopranos not killed Richie off. Just before his death, he's pretty awful to Janice and it's the first moment we see him as anything but good to her. That made Janice's decision to shoot him the most shocking moment on the show so far, both from a plot and fit standpoint.
One of the more interesting subplots of the season for me was Tony's relationship with the father of one of Meadow's friends at school. It's clear that Tony has something of a soft spot for him, but when he enters Tony's executive poker game (against Tony's advice) and runs up debt on Tony, the friendship seemingly instantly dies. Tony doesn't quite issue the ruthless beating that he does to other debtors that he can't pay, and he does the man a courtesy of roughing him up himself rather than handing the job to one of his violent flunkies. Though the beating is minor, the message is clear: don't mess with Tony's business. Meadow's friendship with the boy, Eric, is collateral damage.
One of the weird tangents of Season Two is Christopher's side plot in which he tries to get into acting and promote his screenplay. I have to say, I never expected to see Jon Favreau playing himself on this show, but watching his discomfort grow as Christopher gets really play-aggressive with a gun in a hotel room was both tough to watch and a great, memorable scene. We spend a lot of time on this subplot in Season Two and while it's nice that the show continues to flesh out Christopher, I wonder whether they would have been better served to spread the love around. Among Tony's crew, Paulie and Silvio get slightly more development but they're still largely flunkies who are defined by their relationship to Tony. Furio was recently introduced, but there's not much known about him besides his country of origin and his capacity for violence. There's four seasons left of this show and I'm hopeful that The Sopranos will show greater interest in these supporting players down the road. While interesting, they spent way too much time on this subplot that didn't connect much to the story beyond a test of Christopher's commitment to the crime family.
Carmela's arc also continues to frustrate. She's obviously getting increasingly pissed with Tony's infidelity, the way his life of crime affects their family, and his persistent disinterest in her as a wife and sexual partner. She doesn't seem to ever do anything about it, though. I'd like to see her make a stand at some point, and maybe that's coming.
I also will voice a slight complaint about the stolen airline tickets. This is set up to be a big deal, as when Pussy actually drops a remotely useful nugget to the FBI, they make a point to say that Tony won't use the tickets himself and a connection needs to be made. The camera shot is detailed enough that when Tony gives Livia the plane tickets, observant viewers are quick to pick up on the possibility that this is going to be Tony's huge mistake that costs him his freedom. Livia gets caught at the airport, but the aftermath makes it feel like the whole affair wasn't much more than a speeding ticket for Tony. The plot device felt like a waste of time.
I'll criticize and nitpick until the cows come home, but few shows I've watched have been this consistently compelling. Tony constantly gets put into stressful predicaments and his responses to these situations are the perfect blend of anger and thoughtfulness. He's one of the best television characters I've ever seen, and I'll never tire of James Gandolfini issuing the trademark, "How you doin'" (which is sometimes friendly and sometimes chilling). There were weird subplots and way too much Janice, but overall, it was a great season of television.
Season Grade: A-
Sunday, January 15, 2017
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Television Review - 2016 (Part 6): #1 TV Experience of the Year - Better Call Saul
1) Better Call Saul
The first season of Better Call Saul was an interesting introduction to how the artist formerly known as Jimmy McGill got his start as a lawyer and the moments that led him to "cross the line" and never look back. It was good, but damn, did Vince Gilligan and company step up their game in Season Two.
Better Call Saul has essentially been a show with two main leads: Jimmy and Mike Ehrmantraut. The two storylines only occasionally intersect, which sometimes makes individual episodes choppy. While Mike's are typically more action-packed and filled with Breaking Bad member berries, it's usually Jimmy's storylines that I find more interesting.
This is in no small part because Better Call Saul made great strides with its supporting cast. Mike and Jimmy are the leads, but possibly the two most interesting characters in Season Two are Jimmy's two most important relationships: his colleague and love interest Kim Wexler and his brother, Chuck. Kim's arc this season was fantastic. She's every bit a superstar, hardworking lawyer and watching her land Mesa Verde after all the painstaking effort she went through was one of those moments that makes you want to fist pump along with a television character. There's no character you pull harder for when you watch this show, but her decision to throw in her lot with Jimmy at the end of the season casts some doubt on whether she'll be able to succeed long-term in light of his shenanigans.
Kim is wonderful, but Chuck McGill is the best character on Better Call Saul, and perhaps my favorite on television right now. Chuck's essentially the show's villain in Season Two, but the things he stands for most are his adherence to the high standards of his profession and his desire to keep Jimmy from using his law degree due to his belief that Jimmy's a con man who will only use it for dishonest and possibly illegal means. Painted in that way, he has the moral high ground in this conflict. However, his Javert-like adherence (I love Les Mis, sorry I'm not sorry) to his principles leads him to take extensive and arguably unethical actions to thwart Jimmy, with Kim serving as collateral damage. By the end of Season Two, Chuck loses sight of why he began struggling against Jimmy in the first place and has just about fully stooped to his level of deceit just to beat his brother at this game. It's a tremendous storyline for the character and Michael McKean does a stellar job with the role.
I'll unapologetically continue gushing about Chuck, because so few characters on television are drawn as well as he is. He steals scenes because we're so acutely aware of his mannerisms and thought process that we're often taking things in from his point of view and anticipating how he'll react to situations and comments. Take the piano scene from the cold open of "Cobbler" or the way he takes in Jimmy's lawyer jokes in the cold open of "Rebecca". These scenes can't be as great as they are without Chuck's behavior appearing to be a perfectly natural extension of his character.
Of course, I'd be remiss to not mention Bob Odenkirk's work as Jimmy. Breaking Bad's Saul Goodman was interesting and also some refreshing comic relief for the show. What Odenkirk and Better Call's writers have done with Jimmy McGill has been truly remarkable. They took Breaking Bad's jester and fleshed him out to the point where we truly understand him and are seriously invested in his story. He's still got the same charisma and trickery we saw when we first met him as one of Walter White's sideshows, but they've been able to get so much more out of the character.
Season two of Better Call Saul wasn't perfect, but it was damn near close. Prequels can be a dicey proposition and it's difficult to execute them well or have them live up to the original subject matter. However, through two seasons, as crazy as it sounds, this show is every bit as good as Breaking Bad.
Season Grade: A
Essential Episodes: "Cobbler" (s2.ep2), "Fifi" (s2,ep8), "Nailed" (s2.ep9)
The first season of Better Call Saul was an interesting introduction to how the artist formerly known as Jimmy McGill got his start as a lawyer and the moments that led him to "cross the line" and never look back. It was good, but damn, did Vince Gilligan and company step up their game in Season Two.
Better Call Saul has essentially been a show with two main leads: Jimmy and Mike Ehrmantraut. The two storylines only occasionally intersect, which sometimes makes individual episodes choppy. While Mike's are typically more action-packed and filled with Breaking Bad member berries, it's usually Jimmy's storylines that I find more interesting.
This is in no small part because Better Call Saul made great strides with its supporting cast. Mike and Jimmy are the leads, but possibly the two most interesting characters in Season Two are Jimmy's two most important relationships: his colleague and love interest Kim Wexler and his brother, Chuck. Kim's arc this season was fantastic. She's every bit a superstar, hardworking lawyer and watching her land Mesa Verde after all the painstaking effort she went through was one of those moments that makes you want to fist pump along with a television character. There's no character you pull harder for when you watch this show, but her decision to throw in her lot with Jimmy at the end of the season casts some doubt on whether she'll be able to succeed long-term in light of his shenanigans.
Kim is wonderful, but Chuck McGill is the best character on Better Call Saul, and perhaps my favorite on television right now. Chuck's essentially the show's villain in Season Two, but the things he stands for most are his adherence to the high standards of his profession and his desire to keep Jimmy from using his law degree due to his belief that Jimmy's a con man who will only use it for dishonest and possibly illegal means. Painted in that way, he has the moral high ground in this conflict. However, his Javert-like adherence (I love Les Mis, sorry I'm not sorry) to his principles leads him to take extensive and arguably unethical actions to thwart Jimmy, with Kim serving as collateral damage. By the end of Season Two, Chuck loses sight of why he began struggling against Jimmy in the first place and has just about fully stooped to his level of deceit just to beat his brother at this game. It's a tremendous storyline for the character and Michael McKean does a stellar job with the role.
I'll unapologetically continue gushing about Chuck, because so few characters on television are drawn as well as he is. He steals scenes because we're so acutely aware of his mannerisms and thought process that we're often taking things in from his point of view and anticipating how he'll react to situations and comments. Take the piano scene from the cold open of "Cobbler" or the way he takes in Jimmy's lawyer jokes in the cold open of "Rebecca". These scenes can't be as great as they are without Chuck's behavior appearing to be a perfectly natural extension of his character.
Of course, I'd be remiss to not mention Bob Odenkirk's work as Jimmy. Breaking Bad's Saul Goodman was interesting and also some refreshing comic relief for the show. What Odenkirk and Better Call's writers have done with Jimmy McGill has been truly remarkable. They took Breaking Bad's jester and fleshed him out to the point where we truly understand him and are seriously invested in his story. He's still got the same charisma and trickery we saw when we first met him as one of Walter White's sideshows, but they've been able to get so much more out of the character.
Season two of Better Call Saul wasn't perfect, but it was damn near close. Prequels can be a dicey proposition and it's difficult to execute them well or have them live up to the original subject matter. However, through two seasons, as crazy as it sounds, this show is every bit as good as Breaking Bad.
Season Grade: A
Essential Episodes: "Cobbler" (s2.ep2), "Fifi" (s2,ep8), "Nailed" (s2.ep9)
Sunday, January 8, 2017
Television Review - 2016 (Part 5): #2 TV Experience of the Year - BoJack Horseman
2) BoJack Horseman
BoJack Horseman claims the runner-up slot for the second straight year and you can go ahead and click that link if you want to read up on what this show is and why it's awesome. I'm going to focus this space on Season Three, which was released this past summer.
As may be implied by last year's ranking, BoJack Horseman had a tough act to follow because Season Two was truly outstanding. We followed BoJack's downward spiral until he reached what we assumed to be rock bottom in possibly the best episode of the series, "Escape from L.A." (s2.ep11). Then, the finale somewhat gave BoJack a chance for redemption as he learned that there was a chance he'd be nominated for an Oscar for his work (or lack thereof) on Secretariat. Season Three follows his chase to try to take home the hardware.
Without spoiling too much, what we thought was rock bottom in Season Two wasn't really rock bottom. BoJack had much, much further to sink and this year's penultimate episode (note: spoilers in that link and others shown below) was more crushing than anything the show has done to date. The extent to which the writers were willing to go with BoJack's depression and general awfulness helped to make Season Three truly great. If I have a concern, however, it's that I really don't know how long they can make the show interesting if the premise continues to be that BoJack is broken and there's no way out. Where are they going with the future of this show?
The season finale ends on a something of an optimistic note, even if it's mostly metaphoric, but we've been teased by silver linings and glimmers of hope so often over three seasons that it's fair to question just when they're going to pull the rug out from under us again. I don't see how they can shock us further with BoJack's sadness or depravity in Season Four without the show beginning to feel tired, so maybe they'll start working on his road to recovery and the challenges that await. Nearly all of BoJack's significant relationships (Princess Carolyn, Diane, Todd, Sarah Lynn, Kelsey Jannings, even Bradley Hitler-Smith) were strained to varying degrees (and in a couple cases, irreparably so). The only person who doesn't seem to have reason to be on bad terms with him is Mr. Peanutbutter, and that relationship was underutilized this season anyway. The situation can't get much worse for BoJack than it is right now, so this points to at least some change in the direction. In any event, I get the feeling that this show would best preserve its quality by restricting itself to about five seasons or so, else it runs the risk of its theme (the struggle to make oneself happy in the face of depression) becoming repetitive.
That's a worry for the future, however, and I don't want to use too much more space in this review lamenting that the show might become stale someday. For the time being, it's one of the greatest shows on television and still largely a hidden gem (being Netflix-only and being an animated show with animal characters hurt its accessibility and perceived credibility, respectively). Season Three produced three of the five best episodes of the season's run, along with "Let's Find Out" (s2.ep8) and the aforementioned "Escape from L.A.". The infamous silent episode "Fish Out of Water" (s3.ep4) was every bit as great as the critics say. The bottle episode, "Best Thing That Ever Happened" (s3.ep9), was the payoff to nearly three seasons of relationship development between BoJack Horseman's two primary characters. And finally, we have the ultimate gut-punch of "That's Too Much, Man" (s3.ep11), the lowest of BoJack's bottom-outs (which have taken place in the penultimate episode of each season).
It's hard to watch BoJack destroy himself and those around him, but believe me, amidst the hard-hitting emotion, stellar character work, and largely depressing plot, BoJack Horseman remains really, really funny. The show has a seemingly never-ending supply of animal puns (and you'll probably discover new ones with each re-watch). BoJack Horseman's sharp wit is what initially draws you into it and it doesn't leave that behind once it begins to take the characters and their struggles seriously. The well-drawn characters are further bolstered by superb voice acting and I sincerely wish that Will Arnett would win some sort of hardware for his work on this show. He won't, but damn, he deserves it.
Season Grade: A
BoJack Horseman claims the runner-up slot for the second straight year and you can go ahead and click that link if you want to read up on what this show is and why it's awesome. I'm going to focus this space on Season Three, which was released this past summer.
As may be implied by last year's ranking, BoJack Horseman had a tough act to follow because Season Two was truly outstanding. We followed BoJack's downward spiral until he reached what we assumed to be rock bottom in possibly the best episode of the series, "Escape from L.A." (s2.ep11). Then, the finale somewhat gave BoJack a chance for redemption as he learned that there was a chance he'd be nominated for an Oscar for his work (or lack thereof) on Secretariat. Season Three follows his chase to try to take home the hardware.
Without spoiling too much, what we thought was rock bottom in Season Two wasn't really rock bottom. BoJack had much, much further to sink and this year's penultimate episode (note: spoilers in that link and others shown below) was more crushing than anything the show has done to date. The extent to which the writers were willing to go with BoJack's depression and general awfulness helped to make Season Three truly great. If I have a concern, however, it's that I really don't know how long they can make the show interesting if the premise continues to be that BoJack is broken and there's no way out. Where are they going with the future of this show?
The season finale ends on a something of an optimistic note, even if it's mostly metaphoric, but we've been teased by silver linings and glimmers of hope so often over three seasons that it's fair to question just when they're going to pull the rug out from under us again. I don't see how they can shock us further with BoJack's sadness or depravity in Season Four without the show beginning to feel tired, so maybe they'll start working on his road to recovery and the challenges that await. Nearly all of BoJack's significant relationships (Princess Carolyn, Diane, Todd, Sarah Lynn, Kelsey Jannings, even Bradley Hitler-Smith) were strained to varying degrees (and in a couple cases, irreparably so). The only person who doesn't seem to have reason to be on bad terms with him is Mr. Peanutbutter, and that relationship was underutilized this season anyway. The situation can't get much worse for BoJack than it is right now, so this points to at least some change in the direction. In any event, I get the feeling that this show would best preserve its quality by restricting itself to about five seasons or so, else it runs the risk of its theme (the struggle to make oneself happy in the face of depression) becoming repetitive.
That's a worry for the future, however, and I don't want to use too much more space in this review lamenting that the show might become stale someday. For the time being, it's one of the greatest shows on television and still largely a hidden gem (being Netflix-only and being an animated show with animal characters hurt its accessibility and perceived credibility, respectively). Season Three produced three of the five best episodes of the season's run, along with "Let's Find Out" (s2.ep8) and the aforementioned "Escape from L.A.". The infamous silent episode "Fish Out of Water" (s3.ep4) was every bit as great as the critics say. The bottle episode, "Best Thing That Ever Happened" (s3.ep9), was the payoff to nearly three seasons of relationship development between BoJack Horseman's two primary characters. And finally, we have the ultimate gut-punch of "That's Too Much, Man" (s3.ep11), the lowest of BoJack's bottom-outs (which have taken place in the penultimate episode of each season).
It's hard to watch BoJack destroy himself and those around him, but believe me, amidst the hard-hitting emotion, stellar character work, and largely depressing plot, BoJack Horseman remains really, really funny. The show has a seemingly never-ending supply of animal puns (and you'll probably discover new ones with each re-watch). BoJack Horseman's sharp wit is what initially draws you into it and it doesn't leave that behind once it begins to take the characters and their struggles seriously. The well-drawn characters are further bolstered by superb voice acting and I sincerely wish that Will Arnett would win some sort of hardware for his work on this show. He won't, but damn, he deserves it.
Season Grade: A
Thursday, January 5, 2017
Television Review - 2016 (Part 4): #3 TV Experience of the Year - You're the Worst (Seasons One, Two, and Three)
3) You're the Worst (Seasons One, Two, and Three)
I'm not sure what else I have to add here, as I've already covered the first three seasons of You're the Worst in more detail here. I'd say just click that if you're interested in a broader recap of what the show's all about and why I think it's so great. I'll instead use this space for some member berries that should amuse those who've watched it already.
I'm not sure what else I have to add here, as I've already covered the first three seasons of You're the Worst in more detail here. I'd say just click that if you're interested in a broader recap of what the show's all about and why I think it's so great. I'll instead use this space for some member berries that should amuse those who've watched it already.
- Vernon: "The popcorn is trash juice. Pass it on."
- Paul: "I can finally say it. You are so stupid! Why does no one talk about how dumb she is? She's like the dumbest person on the planet! 50 years ago, she would be sterilized for the good of evolution."
- Lindsay: "I'm not so stupid that I couldn't get you to let me bone another guy in front of you and make you think it was for our marriage."
- "Sunday Funday! Better than a Monday! Can only do it one way! And that is the drunk way!"
- Edgar: "Sorry Jimmy, I can't come. My car broke down."
- Jimmy: "Oh, well, that's not a surprise. Piece of shit with no auxiliary plug or car booze."
- Lindsay: I hope she gets pregnancy 'roids and they leave her bed-ridden and I have to raise her baby myself. I'd parent the shit out of her. "Wear that skirt. Don't blow that boy. This is pizza."
- Lindsay: You can't leave! I love you.
- Paul: Do you even know what love means?
- Lindsay: Yeah, it's like, "Hey, I love you," smooch smooch, "Now go make me some bagel bites."
- Paul: Love isn't about having somebody to get you things. Love is putting someone else's feelings above your own. Do you think you could ever do that? Honestly?
- Lindsay: EW!
- Lindsay: Ooh, another dick pic! And forwarded. Online dating is so fun.
- Gretchen: Who are you forwarding them to?
- Lindsay: This gay porn site pays me ten bucks a dick. I have a job!
- Jimmy: The problem is death doesn’t bother me. I’m not upset by the inevitable. It’s like being upset by the weather, or an Irishman proving to be untrustworthy.
- Killian: Hi.
- Jimmy: What?
- Killian: I just moved in... over there.
- Jimmy: Of course you did.
- Killian: Why do you say that?
- Jimmy: Because the death of any interesting neighborhood is the influx of white procreators.
- Killian: Oh, that's cool. My nutritionist is gay, too.
- Jimmy: I'm not gay. I'm English.
Monday, January 2, 2017
Television Review - 2016 (Part 3): #4 TV Experience of the Year - The Sopranos (Season One)
4) The Sopranos (Season One)
I intended to binge The Sopranos, thinking I could get through it in a month or two. This was folly. Folly!
There are 86 hour-long episodes of The Sopranos. That's about 26 more hours of television than The Wire, which took my wife and I a great deal of time to chug through even before we had our daughter. This is not a short project. We only got through one season before the end of the year starting in late November and if we manage to finish this off by mid-March, I'll consider that a pretty good success.
I mention The Wire because there's plenty of parallels to that show. Season One of The Sopranos is about organized crime and the various factions and power struggles that can exist within drug gangs as well as between them. There are few people, if any, on the show that we'd consider to be universally good. All of the major characters are very well-drawn and have at least some endearing qualities (in varying amounts) to make us feel for them despite all the muck.
All of that said, it's not fair to hold any show up to The Wire's standard or premise, so that's where I'll cut off the similarities. The Sopranos is much different in that it has a main character in antihero Tony Soprano, portrayed extraordinarily well by James Gandolfini. Tony has what you would otherwise call a normal family unit, with his wife Carmela, daughter Meadow, and son Anthony Jr. They go through a lot of typical bumps in the road you might see in televised marriages and parent-child relationships with one pretty significant exception; Tony is an underboss in the largest New Jersey-based mafia crime syndicate.
A lot of Season One focuses on how Tony manages his relationship with his children and works through their problems. Both kids understand (or come to understand) that their father's in the mob, but neither has a good sense of all that entails. It's a struggle for Tony to be any sort of positive role model in light of his work. The community seems to understand what Tony's business is all about as well, and that affects how others interact with Meadow and A.J.
Tony Soprano lives in a constant moral gray area. Even within his mob activities, Tony is faced with situations that test him to do the "right" thing. Usually, these situations initially cause him rage, but often he comes down on the side of loyalty and (relative) justice, which helps us root for him a lot despite how despicable he can be. It will be interesting to see later in the series whether Tony stays on that side of the line or whether he'll become even more corruptible a-la-Walter White.
Another thing making Tony unique is the fact that he's seeing a psychiatrist. That's a pretty revolutionary idea for a mob character, going each week to spill one's guts to someone for mental health purposes. As you might imagine, a crime syndicate might be uncomfortable with one of its leaders talking in-depth to a civilian about his life. Tony's relationship to the woman, Dr. Melfi, grows increasingly complicated throughout the season and it's fascinating to watch the varying levels of openness and honesty he brings to their sessions.
The other characters are interesting to varying degrees. Carmela is compelling as a wife who seemingly simultaneously condones and disapproves of Tony's criminal activities. The two are only occasionally good together and it's a pretty damaged relationship, in no small part because Tony's cheating on her all the time. Tony's mother, Lyvia, is an absolute monster of an older woman whose bitterness and self-centeredness wear heavily on Tony emotionally -- and later tangibly.
The most interesting and well-developed of Tony's underlings is Christopher, your classic junior member of the crime syndicate who wants more respect among his peers. Christopher is much younger than the rest of Tony's gang and gets himself into trouble with his impatience and temper. Early on in the series, his loyalty to Tony is tested and he chooses the faithful path despite his apparent standing within the group.
Throughout most of the season, Tony's in a power struggle with his "Uncle Junior" a man full of hubris eager to lead the mob and command respect. Junior often makes rash decisions and it's usually on Tony to sway the gang in a more sensible direction without giving off the appearance of stepping on Junior's toes. It's a volatile dynamic that drives most of the conflict in Season One.
I'll list a couple of problems I had with this season. The first is that the word "fuck" (and its variants) are beaten to death so hard that by the third episode, the word contains about as much forcefulness as "toaster" or "grapefruit" or "the". Second, there is a scene involving a hit on Tony that is so poorly executed by the would-be murderers that it comes off as comedic rather than the heart-pounding climax of the episode it was meant to be.
Despite those flaws, the first season of The Sopranos is an addictive TV show and has a satisfying plot with some rich characters. The show does a good job with its supporting cast and there's so much depth to it that they have plenty of room to flesh out the ensemble over future seasons. I'm excited to see how this one will unfold. Only 73 more hours left!
Season Grade: A-
Essential Episodes: "Meadowlands" (s1.ep3), "College" (s1.ep4), "I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano" (s1.ep13)
I intended to binge The Sopranos, thinking I could get through it in a month or two. This was folly. Folly!
There are 86 hour-long episodes of The Sopranos. That's about 26 more hours of television than The Wire, which took my wife and I a great deal of time to chug through even before we had our daughter. This is not a short project. We only got through one season before the end of the year starting in late November and if we manage to finish this off by mid-March, I'll consider that a pretty good success.
I mention The Wire because there's plenty of parallels to that show. Season One of The Sopranos is about organized crime and the various factions and power struggles that can exist within drug gangs as well as between them. There are few people, if any, on the show that we'd consider to be universally good. All of the major characters are very well-drawn and have at least some endearing qualities (in varying amounts) to make us feel for them despite all the muck.
All of that said, it's not fair to hold any show up to The Wire's standard or premise, so that's where I'll cut off the similarities. The Sopranos is much different in that it has a main character in antihero Tony Soprano, portrayed extraordinarily well by James Gandolfini. Tony has what you would otherwise call a normal family unit, with his wife Carmela, daughter Meadow, and son Anthony Jr. They go through a lot of typical bumps in the road you might see in televised marriages and parent-child relationships with one pretty significant exception; Tony is an underboss in the largest New Jersey-based mafia crime syndicate.
A lot of Season One focuses on how Tony manages his relationship with his children and works through their problems. Both kids understand (or come to understand) that their father's in the mob, but neither has a good sense of all that entails. It's a struggle for Tony to be any sort of positive role model in light of his work. The community seems to understand what Tony's business is all about as well, and that affects how others interact with Meadow and A.J.
Tony Soprano lives in a constant moral gray area. Even within his mob activities, Tony is faced with situations that test him to do the "right" thing. Usually, these situations initially cause him rage, but often he comes down on the side of loyalty and (relative) justice, which helps us root for him a lot despite how despicable he can be. It will be interesting to see later in the series whether Tony stays on that side of the line or whether he'll become even more corruptible a-la-Walter White.
Another thing making Tony unique is the fact that he's seeing a psychiatrist. That's a pretty revolutionary idea for a mob character, going each week to spill one's guts to someone for mental health purposes. As you might imagine, a crime syndicate might be uncomfortable with one of its leaders talking in-depth to a civilian about his life. Tony's relationship to the woman, Dr. Melfi, grows increasingly complicated throughout the season and it's fascinating to watch the varying levels of openness and honesty he brings to their sessions.
The other characters are interesting to varying degrees. Carmela is compelling as a wife who seemingly simultaneously condones and disapproves of Tony's criminal activities. The two are only occasionally good together and it's a pretty damaged relationship, in no small part because Tony's cheating on her all the time. Tony's mother, Lyvia, is an absolute monster of an older woman whose bitterness and self-centeredness wear heavily on Tony emotionally -- and later tangibly.
The most interesting and well-developed of Tony's underlings is Christopher, your classic junior member of the crime syndicate who wants more respect among his peers. Christopher is much younger than the rest of Tony's gang and gets himself into trouble with his impatience and temper. Early on in the series, his loyalty to Tony is tested and he chooses the faithful path despite his apparent standing within the group.
Throughout most of the season, Tony's in a power struggle with his "Uncle Junior" a man full of hubris eager to lead the mob and command respect. Junior often makes rash decisions and it's usually on Tony to sway the gang in a more sensible direction without giving off the appearance of stepping on Junior's toes. It's a volatile dynamic that drives most of the conflict in Season One.
I'll list a couple of problems I had with this season. The first is that the word "fuck" (and its variants) are beaten to death so hard that by the third episode, the word contains about as much forcefulness as "toaster" or "grapefruit" or "the". Second, there is a scene involving a hit on Tony that is so poorly executed by the would-be murderers that it comes off as comedic rather than the heart-pounding climax of the episode it was meant to be.
Despite those flaws, the first season of The Sopranos is an addictive TV show and has a satisfying plot with some rich characters. The show does a good job with its supporting cast and there's so much depth to it that they have plenty of room to flesh out the ensemble over future seasons. I'm excited to see how this one will unfold. Only 73 more hours left!
Season Grade: A-
Essential Episodes: "Meadowlands" (s1.ep3), "College" (s1.ep4), "I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano" (s1.ep13)
Sunday, January 1, 2017
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
From the opening "crawl" of Star Wars Episode IV:
"Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire.
During the battle, Rebel spies managed to steal secret plans to the Empire's ultimate weapon, the DEATH STAR, an armored space station with enough power to destroy an entire planet."
Essentially, George Lucas & Co. wanted to extend the theatrical Star Wars saga and saw fit to make a movie out of the success of the aforementioned rebel spies. It's every bit the "Star Wars Episode 3.5" that everyone expresses in shorthand, with the plot leading directly up to the opening events of A New Hope. What makes it a little different than the main saga is the relatively small amount of character overlap. There's cameos here and there, but by and large we're focusing on a completely new set of people.
Without giving away too much, the plot focuses on Jyn Erso, a woman whose father, Galen, is one of the chief architects of the Death Star against his will (sort of). Early in the film, Jyn gets rescued by rebels who intend to use her as a means to get to Galen. What follows is an action-packed adventure as Jyn and various allies she encounters along the way combine forces to recover the Death Star schematics, hoping to later use them to exploit a flaw in the superweapon.
I suppose this is because this isn't an "official" episode of Star Wars, but I was a little let down that the opening didn't employ John Williams' original score. Despite that blip, Rogue One was entertaining and a worthwhile experience. I didn't find it as much fun as last winter's The Force Awakens, but it was certainly a more original story. All of the other Star Wars installments are Jedi-focused and it was interesting to see a story of heroes in this universe who lacked Jedi powers.
Anyway, my thoughts on this movie are a bit scattered, so I'll finish this off in bullet point format.
I suppose this is because this isn't an "official" episode of Star Wars, but I was a little let down that the opening didn't employ John Williams' original score. Despite that blip, Rogue One was entertaining and a worthwhile experience. I didn't find it as much fun as last winter's The Force Awakens, but it was certainly a more original story. All of the other Star Wars installments are Jedi-focused and it was interesting to see a story of heroes in this universe who lacked Jedi powers.
Anyway, my thoughts on this movie are a bit scattered, so I'll finish this off in bullet point format.
- K-2SO is probably the best droid of the Star Wars saga. Imagine C-3PO if he wasn't humorless, a wuss, or terrible. Definitely one of the film's highlights.
- The scene near the end of the movie in which the Death Star slowly emerges on the horizon as Krennic looks on was very well-shot.
- Despite playing a character that couldn't have been more different, Mads Mikkelsen will always be Le Chiffre to me.
- The dialogue and writing style were similar to that of The Force Awakens, and that's a good thing. These elements were very problematic in Episodes I, II, and III.
- I don't think that the film did a very good job with character work. This isn't a knock on the actors, who were generally good. The heroes could've been fleshed out significantly better, particularly Cassian, who was pretty damn nondescript for the person with the second-most screen time in the film. Chirrut and Baze will be remembered for their unique combat abilities, but little else.
Overall, it was a movie that held my interest and entertained me. However, outside of Jyn, it was hard to get too invested in any of the new characters. It's probably for the best that this was a one-and-done.
Film Grade: B-
Film Grade: B-
Thursday, December 29, 2016
Television Review - 2016 (Part 2): #5 TV Experience of the Year - Silicon Valley
5) Silicon Valley
This year, my top four shows are head-and-shoulders above the rest and I had a lot of trouble deciding on which show would claim this spot. Ultimately, I settled on Silicon Valley, a consistently hilarious comedy with some pretty good characters.
I'm admittedly not very tech-savvy nor do I follow much of what the Pied Piper gang is trying to do with their product. However, even to one with little technical knowledge, it's fascinating to watch the cutthroat nature of the digital business both between competing firms and within them. Richard and company seem to continue to catch big breaks only to be held back from controlling their own destiny at every turn. It's an interesting battle for financial and intellectual independence for some of the most brilliant minds in the industry.
Oh and beyond that, it's funny. Really, really funny.
There is no character on TV quite like Erlich Bachman, a man who has confidence, bravado, and foolishness in spades and in equal proportions. T.J. Miller's screen presence is right up there with that of any comedic actor anywhere. While he's often difficult to take seriously, Miller is able to make us feel for an oft-absurd character whose desire to be part of the Pied Piper team and friendship with Richard come off as genuine. When he faces struggles this season in both departments, we feel for him because Miller makes him the most likable character on the show, even disregarding how entertaining Erlich is when he's trying to impress or influence others.
Over the years, Erlich has replaced Richard as the guy we really root for and it's a good change. Many comedies (::cough:: Modern Family ::cough::) have a tendency to have their characters never really progress, but what Silicon Valley has done with Richard's character through three seasons keeps him both fresh and believable. Richard used to be superlatively timid when he was just trying to get his algorithm off the ground in Season One. By Season Three, he's still pretty nerdy and often tentative with decision-making, but leadership of this group and the frustration of trying to make it in the business world has created a substantial change in his character. He's much more demanding and often arrogant; the latter is a flaw that frequently costs him and makes his failures seem all the more avoidable.
I'd be remiss to do a Silicon Valley review without mentioning Bertram Gilfoyle, a close second to Erlich on the comedic front. Gilfoyle's one liners and deadpan humor are excellent, particularly when he's messing with Dinesh. He's mostly a dick who has little sense of loyalty to the group or any sort of moral code, but he's certainly a favorite of mine.
If you haven't seen Silicon Valley, it's an easy watch with 30-minute episodes and an addictive sense of humor. It's one of the best comedies out there and has been for all three of its seasons.
Season Grade: B+
Essential Episodes: "Maleant Data Systems Solutions" (s3.ep4), "Bachman's Earning's Over-Ride" (s3.ep8), "The Uptick" (s3.ep10)
This year, my top four shows are head-and-shoulders above the rest and I had a lot of trouble deciding on which show would claim this spot. Ultimately, I settled on Silicon Valley, a consistently hilarious comedy with some pretty good characters.
I'm admittedly not very tech-savvy nor do I follow much of what the Pied Piper gang is trying to do with their product. However, even to one with little technical knowledge, it's fascinating to watch the cutthroat nature of the digital business both between competing firms and within them. Richard and company seem to continue to catch big breaks only to be held back from controlling their own destiny at every turn. It's an interesting battle for financial and intellectual independence for some of the most brilliant minds in the industry.
Oh and beyond that, it's funny. Really, really funny.
There is no character on TV quite like Erlich Bachman, a man who has confidence, bravado, and foolishness in spades and in equal proportions. T.J. Miller's screen presence is right up there with that of any comedic actor anywhere. While he's often difficult to take seriously, Miller is able to make us feel for an oft-absurd character whose desire to be part of the Pied Piper team and friendship with Richard come off as genuine. When he faces struggles this season in both departments, we feel for him because Miller makes him the most likable character on the show, even disregarding how entertaining Erlich is when he's trying to impress or influence others.
Over the years, Erlich has replaced Richard as the guy we really root for and it's a good change. Many comedies (::cough:: Modern Family ::cough::) have a tendency to have their characters never really progress, but what Silicon Valley has done with Richard's character through three seasons keeps him both fresh and believable. Richard used to be superlatively timid when he was just trying to get his algorithm off the ground in Season One. By Season Three, he's still pretty nerdy and often tentative with decision-making, but leadership of this group and the frustration of trying to make it in the business world has created a substantial change in his character. He's much more demanding and often arrogant; the latter is a flaw that frequently costs him and makes his failures seem all the more avoidable.
I'd be remiss to do a Silicon Valley review without mentioning Bertram Gilfoyle, a close second to Erlich on the comedic front. Gilfoyle's one liners and deadpan humor are excellent, particularly when he's messing with Dinesh. He's mostly a dick who has little sense of loyalty to the group or any sort of moral code, but he's certainly a favorite of mine.
If you haven't seen Silicon Valley, it's an easy watch with 30-minute episodes and an addictive sense of humor. It's one of the best comedies out there and has been for all three of its seasons.
Season Grade: B+
Essential Episodes: "Maleant Data Systems Solutions" (s3.ep4), "Bachman's Earning's Over-Ride" (s3.ep8), "The Uptick" (s3.ep10)
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