I'm loving True Detective. I don't understand the pushback at all. Feels a bit sour grapes really and maybe because there's a woman running things - I don't like to think that that might be why Season 1 fanboys are up in arms but I have my suspicions. Mr & Mrs Smith might be my favourite show of the year. It feels so effortless. I'm actually pleased PWB dropped out because she tends to give the same performance and I'm not sure her and Donald Glover would have had the same incredible chemistry. I'm slightly annoyed at Prime Video for releasing it all because I'd love to have an episode to watch once a week. I'm aware I could ration it myself but hey. Thanks so much for the newsletter Alan, i always enjoy it.
Adding to your thoughts about Percy Jackson not being renewed yet on Disney+, I think several streamers (Paramount+, Peacock, Max, & even Hulu to a degree) are having the same identity crisis with so few shows (new or returning/renewals) on the calendar. Obviously, the strikes have played a huge part in delay of shows, but decrease in quantity was planned prior to them.
This is going to sound aggressive, but I mean it in good faith: I feel like I'm on a different planet from everyone who's enjoying Night Country, and I find it bewildering that any acknowledgement of differing opinions comes pre-loaded with the narrative that the only people who dislike it are implicitly racist and misogynistic 'fanboys.' Pizzolatto is a blowhard with a limited bag of tricks, but one thing he knew how to do was structure a mystery/detective story, which makes sense, considering that was his background before TD. Issa Lopez does not seem to have that same skill, to the point where I honestly feel bad for her -- HBO wanted to revive this IP and she got stuck with a high-profile job that is well outside her creative wheelhouse. Feels like she's being set up to take a lot of heat that really should be directed at cynical executives for attempting to cash in on an established brand.
Also, for what it's worth, I was through-the-roof psyched for this show because the idea of Jodie Foster solving occult crimes in Alaska sounds phenomenal to me. But her character is saddled with a bunch of underwritten relationships and boring subplots, to the point where I can't even enjoy Foster's performance. Wasting Jodie Foster on this level is, I'm sorry, unforgivable.
I am *loving* Night Country. Maybe it's that I take it as its own thing and don't care about connections/consistencies with the other seasons. (Fun to know, don't matter to me so long as this current story works.) Jodie Foster has taken a character that is entirely unlikable on paper and turned her into someone sympathetic and riveting. And I truly care who killed Annie. The show has a great sense of place, I'm intrigued by the supernatural elements, it's totally working for me.
But wow, I had forgotten about Pizzolatto's comments about it. Those look even worse now that the show is out and most people are enjoying it. For those who don't know, publicly knocking your peers' work like this is very frowned upon in the Hollywood writer community. It's incredibly poor form and is seen as a bit of a betrayal of the profession. It's nearly impossible to make anything, much less anything good; industry pros know this and generally extend grace in public comments, even if they hated the project in question. Pizzolatto's reputation has always been bad, but damn, dude. Just shut up and count your money.
Regarding the whole "binge drop" versus week-to-week decision, I seem to recall that Poker Face dropped several episodes at once at the beginning before going week-to-week just so they could meet the Emmy Awards deadline. That happened with a bunch of shows last year, and it was pretty annoying that an arbitrary mid-year deadline would drive such a thing. Yet another reason the Emmy's should just permanently move to January or February, and base the awards on the previous calendar year.
I agree that it's nearly always a bad idea to drop all episodes at once. When Netflix first pioneered this idea, it seemed like such a cool thing to be able to binge-watch a season all in one weekend. But I think we all know by now that this leads to either a "flash in the pan" effect, where everyone talks about the show for maybe a week and then move on to other things, or it keeps a new show from even getting off the ground, since there's such a brief window of chatter about it to build word of mouth. Week to week really does seem to almost always be the better decision, as it allows word of mouth to spread gradually, people can catch up mid-season and still feel like they're joining a cultural experience, and it allows recaps and forums and stuff to keep discussing the show between episodes and keeping it in the cultural conversation. These shows seem to have a staying power that others lack. The Brothers Sun on Netflix is a good example, where I think it would be more known and better-watched if there were weekly recaps and reviews, but instead it has sort of appeared and disappeared with little fanfare.
The whole thing reminds of how dumb it is for Netflix to give their movies a tiny theatrical release or none at all. It would only benefit them, by making money at the box office but also creating a cultural conversation and word of mouth that will then convince a bunch of people to sign up for the service so they can watch it at home. They're just leaving money and subscribers on the table, for what reason? Ideological opposition to non-streaming ways of watching their movies? It doesn't make any business sense, and I don't think the binge-drop TV thing makes business sense either.
I’m totally into Night Country — just a bit miffed at finding out the image of the swirl came to Annie K in a dream, since it all but kills my theory that she got her tattoo after watching True Detective Season 1.
People are welcome to be mad that True Detective S4 is not only referencing season 1 but ret-conning some very minor elements of that story, people can be mad about whatever they like. But Nic Pizzolatto really did himself no favors. There was significant criticism of how all the "Carcosa" elements turned out to be red herrings just intended for atmosphere when that first season ended. The sour grapes are really embarrassing because he sounds like a guy who is mad he couldn't follow up his one hit season of TV with anything else successful.
Re: title: of course! But I can't say I'm not still excited to see some new Curb. I'm sure all of your criticisms of the new season are warranted/accurate, but, to me, it's basically just a show to "hang out" with Larry D at this point in time and get a few laughs. I'm not expecting stellar quality. I feel like my critical readings of Curb are pretty low at this point - it kind of is what it is at this point, for better or for worse.
Excited to watch Mr. & Mrs. Smith! As I mentioned elsewhere, Donald Glover can't do anything wrong in my eyes, so I'm so glad you enjoyed it as well. I know you weren't as high on Swarm, but it was easily one of my top TV shows of 2023. I absolutely loved every aspect of it and Dre's creepy journey through America. Dominique Fishback was fantastic, as always. I haven't had a chance to sit down and watch any of Mr. & Mrs. Smith yet, but can't wait!
I was surprised to hear that Hijack is getting a 2nd season, given that the 1st season feels very self-contained and doesn't seem to need or even give the ability to create a 2nd season. But I suppose Idris can get stuck in a similar situation somewhere else and his son can get taken hostage again. I enjoyed Hijack S1 overall, so def don't mind getting more of that.
Sad that Dave is taking a hiatus or possibly even done. But I love Lil Dicky's music too, so I'm excited for whatever Mr. Burd wants to do next.
Count me as another heartily pro-True Detective S4 fan. I absolutely love the setting, the all-night feeling, the cold Alaska background, the scientists missing and the light The Thing vibes, Jodie Foster, all of it. Even if the supernatural parts don't pay off, this will definitely be my favorite season since the perfect season 1. And fuck Pizzolatto for being a dick about it, even though that's not surprising at all, of course.
While I'm enjoying TD, I just have this sinking feeling that the supernatural stuff just isn't going to pay off in the end, that it won't be well connected to arc of the show. Sort of a Lost kind of feeling. Hope I'm wrong.
eta: Jody Foster's "Oh yeah, that would be super illegal." line after trying to get the vet to do some forensics made me laugh harder than many comedies these days.
Looking forward to Mr & Mrs Smith. I actually liked the movie, but all of my friends HATED it so it's long been in the "guilty pleasure" pile for me. Excited for the new take.
The family seemed to enjoy Percy Jackson. I haven't read the books but found the series entertaining. I saw an article on The Ringer that mentioned the same issues you did--they argued for making the main characters "dumber"--talking about the same problem with them figuring out the traps they'd walked into a little too quickly.
Was excited to hear about another season of Hijack. I agree that the best parts of season 1 took place on the plane, but was expecting the worst regarding the scenes on the ground and found them to be...fine. Which, let's face it, is a huge improvement from Kim Bauer running from a cougar.
To answer the question in the title, yes. But doesn't mean I won't watch the show, nor am I disappointed you wrote an honest review. And frankly, it's not that surprising Curb still isn't firing on all cylinders! (I also love the 30 Rock clip. It's my second favorite Angie Jordan quote outside of this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcYMGs-6Vqg)
I agree with your assessment of PJO. It felt choppy and rushed to us as well. Our heroes seemed to overcome every obstacle and solve every puzzle quickly and with much effort. The fights were lackluster. I didn’t feel the stakes or emotional payoffs were earned.
And it seemed like a lot of scene were shot on the volume, giving an artificial look to some of the grand settings.
Perhaps if it’s renewed, they’ll have a bigger budget for S2.
Yes, Lance Reddick is terrific. What a presence he has. We will miss him
I'm loving True Detective. I don't understand the pushback at all. Feels a bit sour grapes really and maybe because there's a woman running things - I don't like to think that that might be why Season 1 fanboys are up in arms but I have my suspicions. Mr & Mrs Smith might be my favourite show of the year. It feels so effortless. I'm actually pleased PWB dropped out because she tends to give the same performance and I'm not sure her and Donald Glover would have had the same incredible chemistry. I'm slightly annoyed at Prime Video for releasing it all because I'd love to have an episode to watch once a week. I'm aware I could ration it myself but hey. Thanks so much for the newsletter Alan, i always enjoy it.
Adding to your thoughts about Percy Jackson not being renewed yet on Disney+, I think several streamers (Paramount+, Peacock, Max, & even Hulu to a degree) are having the same identity crisis with so few shows (new or returning/renewals) on the calendar. Obviously, the strikes have played a huge part in delay of shows, but decrease in quantity was planned prior to them.
I’m so glad to read your praise of Mr and Mrs smith bit looks like it could be my jam or could be corny and I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it so much
This is going to sound aggressive, but I mean it in good faith: I feel like I'm on a different planet from everyone who's enjoying Night Country, and I find it bewildering that any acknowledgement of differing opinions comes pre-loaded with the narrative that the only people who dislike it are implicitly racist and misogynistic 'fanboys.' Pizzolatto is a blowhard with a limited bag of tricks, but one thing he knew how to do was structure a mystery/detective story, which makes sense, considering that was his background before TD. Issa Lopez does not seem to have that same skill, to the point where I honestly feel bad for her -- HBO wanted to revive this IP and she got stuck with a high-profile job that is well outside her creative wheelhouse. Feels like she's being set up to take a lot of heat that really should be directed at cynical executives for attempting to cash in on an established brand.
Also, for what it's worth, I was through-the-roof psyched for this show because the idea of Jodie Foster solving occult crimes in Alaska sounds phenomenal to me. But her character is saddled with a bunch of underwritten relationships and boring subplots, to the point where I can't even enjoy Foster's performance. Wasting Jodie Foster on this level is, I'm sorry, unforgivable.
I am *loving* Night Country. Maybe it's that I take it as its own thing and don't care about connections/consistencies with the other seasons. (Fun to know, don't matter to me so long as this current story works.) Jodie Foster has taken a character that is entirely unlikable on paper and turned her into someone sympathetic and riveting. And I truly care who killed Annie. The show has a great sense of place, I'm intrigued by the supernatural elements, it's totally working for me.
But wow, I had forgotten about Pizzolatto's comments about it. Those look even worse now that the show is out and most people are enjoying it. For those who don't know, publicly knocking your peers' work like this is very frowned upon in the Hollywood writer community. It's incredibly poor form and is seen as a bit of a betrayal of the profession. It's nearly impossible to make anything, much less anything good; industry pros know this and generally extend grace in public comments, even if they hated the project in question. Pizzolatto's reputation has always been bad, but damn, dude. Just shut up and count your money.
Regarding the whole "binge drop" versus week-to-week decision, I seem to recall that Poker Face dropped several episodes at once at the beginning before going week-to-week just so they could meet the Emmy Awards deadline. That happened with a bunch of shows last year, and it was pretty annoying that an arbitrary mid-year deadline would drive such a thing. Yet another reason the Emmy's should just permanently move to January or February, and base the awards on the previous calendar year.
I agree that it's nearly always a bad idea to drop all episodes at once. When Netflix first pioneered this idea, it seemed like such a cool thing to be able to binge-watch a season all in one weekend. But I think we all know by now that this leads to either a "flash in the pan" effect, where everyone talks about the show for maybe a week and then move on to other things, or it keeps a new show from even getting off the ground, since there's such a brief window of chatter about it to build word of mouth. Week to week really does seem to almost always be the better decision, as it allows word of mouth to spread gradually, people can catch up mid-season and still feel like they're joining a cultural experience, and it allows recaps and forums and stuff to keep discussing the show between episodes and keeping it in the cultural conversation. These shows seem to have a staying power that others lack. The Brothers Sun on Netflix is a good example, where I think it would be more known and better-watched if there were weekly recaps and reviews, but instead it has sort of appeared and disappeared with little fanfare.
The whole thing reminds of how dumb it is for Netflix to give their movies a tiny theatrical release or none at all. It would only benefit them, by making money at the box office but also creating a cultural conversation and word of mouth that will then convince a bunch of people to sign up for the service so they can watch it at home. They're just leaving money and subscribers on the table, for what reason? Ideological opposition to non-streaming ways of watching their movies? It doesn't make any business sense, and I don't think the binge-drop TV thing makes business sense either.
I’m totally into Night Country — just a bit miffed at finding out the image of the swirl came to Annie K in a dream, since it all but kills my theory that she got her tattoo after watching True Detective Season 1.
People are welcome to be mad that True Detective S4 is not only referencing season 1 but ret-conning some very minor elements of that story, people can be mad about whatever they like. But Nic Pizzolatto really did himself no favors. There was significant criticism of how all the "Carcosa" elements turned out to be red herrings just intended for atmosphere when that first season ended. The sour grapes are really embarrassing because he sounds like a guy who is mad he couldn't follow up his one hit season of TV with anything else successful.
I feel like episode length has been a huge problem on Curb the last couple of seasons. Sometimes it’s good to stay in a 30 or 23 minute window.
Re: title: of course! But I can't say I'm not still excited to see some new Curb. I'm sure all of your criticisms of the new season are warranted/accurate, but, to me, it's basically just a show to "hang out" with Larry D at this point in time and get a few laughs. I'm not expecting stellar quality. I feel like my critical readings of Curb are pretty low at this point - it kind of is what it is at this point, for better or for worse.
Excited to watch Mr. & Mrs. Smith! As I mentioned elsewhere, Donald Glover can't do anything wrong in my eyes, so I'm so glad you enjoyed it as well. I know you weren't as high on Swarm, but it was easily one of my top TV shows of 2023. I absolutely loved every aspect of it and Dre's creepy journey through America. Dominique Fishback was fantastic, as always. I haven't had a chance to sit down and watch any of Mr. & Mrs. Smith yet, but can't wait!
I was surprised to hear that Hijack is getting a 2nd season, given that the 1st season feels very self-contained and doesn't seem to need or even give the ability to create a 2nd season. But I suppose Idris can get stuck in a similar situation somewhere else and his son can get taken hostage again. I enjoyed Hijack S1 overall, so def don't mind getting more of that.
Sad that Dave is taking a hiatus or possibly even done. But I love Lil Dicky's music too, so I'm excited for whatever Mr. Burd wants to do next.
Count me as another heartily pro-True Detective S4 fan. I absolutely love the setting, the all-night feeling, the cold Alaska background, the scientists missing and the light The Thing vibes, Jodie Foster, all of it. Even if the supernatural parts don't pay off, this will definitely be my favorite season since the perfect season 1. And fuck Pizzolatto for being a dick about it, even though that's not surprising at all, of course.
While I'm enjoying TD, I just have this sinking feeling that the supernatural stuff just isn't going to pay off in the end, that it won't be well connected to arc of the show. Sort of a Lost kind of feeling. Hope I'm wrong.
eta: Jody Foster's "Oh yeah, that would be super illegal." line after trying to get the vet to do some forensics made me laugh harder than many comedies these days.
Very excited to watch Mr. & Mrs. Smith! Alan, can I ask if you are going to review Capote vs. the Swans?
Very excited to watch Mr. and Mrs. Smith! Alan, can I ask if you are going to review Capote vs. the Swans?
Looking forward to Mr & Mrs Smith. I actually liked the movie, but all of my friends HATED it so it's long been in the "guilty pleasure" pile for me. Excited for the new take.
The family seemed to enjoy Percy Jackson. I haven't read the books but found the series entertaining. I saw an article on The Ringer that mentioned the same issues you did--they argued for making the main characters "dumber"--talking about the same problem with them figuring out the traps they'd walked into a little too quickly.
https://www.theringer.com/tv/2024/2/1/24058037/percy-jackson-and-the-olympians-disney-adaptation-season-1-finale
Was excited to hear about another season of Hijack. I agree that the best parts of season 1 took place on the plane, but was expecting the worst regarding the scenes on the ground and found them to be...fine. Which, let's face it, is a huge improvement from Kim Bauer running from a cougar.
To answer the question in the title, yes. But doesn't mean I won't watch the show, nor am I disappointed you wrote an honest review. And frankly, it's not that surprising Curb still isn't firing on all cylinders! (I also love the 30 Rock clip. It's my second favorite Angie Jordan quote outside of this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcYMGs-6Vqg)
I agree with your assessment of PJO. It felt choppy and rushed to us as well. Our heroes seemed to overcome every obstacle and solve every puzzle quickly and with much effort. The fights were lackluster. I didn’t feel the stakes or emotional payoffs were earned.
And it seemed like a lot of scene were shot on the volume, giving an artificial look to some of the grand settings.
Perhaps if it’s renewed, they’ll have a bigger budget for S2.
Yes, Lance Reddick is terrific. What a presence he has. We will miss him