I remember thinking The Unicorn was such a left turn for Goggins when it was announced. But it quickly became a really enjoyable show and it was clear that he was relishing the opportunity to play someone so normal. He has just become one of those actors (I'd put Andrew Scott in this category as well) who I could happily watch in anything.
I love "Loot". Yes, it loses focus between the premise of the show and the workplace relationships (and there are two very underdeveloped female characters in the office) but it has jokes and it makes me laugh.
The Ripley series looks great. Would you say that having seen the previous films and having some knowledge of the source material enhances the show (Hannibal-style), or is it preferable to go in blind?
First HBO licensed out a bunch of their prime content and Netflix gobbled that up and certainly seems to be enjoying curating all these HBO shows into the top of their feeds. Now Paramount dumps the Showtime-produced RIpley and critics are fawning over it. These streaming services all flailing to cut losses and figure themselves out yet again, Netflix just keeps profiting off their mistakes.
I had to go back and re-read your season review of Curb, because apart from the first two episodes, which had a few chuckles each but felt really shaggy, I think this has been a really strong late season of the show. After the second episode, when they teased the idea of Larry and Leon going to Africa, I even thought that maybe hitting the road would give the show a shot in the arm. But then they went back to LA, and all our friends came back, and everything was just clicking.
Ripley looks dope. Interesting that the trailer calls it "a limited series." Wonder if they'll go the White Lotus route and try to win in that category before moving to full drama (if it's renewed)?
Your phrasing about "Sugar" (which is, unfortunately, not a remake of the excellent baseball movie of the same name) made me wonder if we have a "Life On Mars" premise (British version) here. We'll see in episode six.
This season of Curb has been pretty stellar. Every episode had a strong moment or two, but some episodes were great beginning to end. Incredibly strong final season considering how long it’s run.
In this piece and your Rolling Stone review you keep complaining about Netflix’s embargo and the caution needed to avoid spoilers with Sugar, but you really do kind of “spoil” the show — at least for me — just by trumpeting that there’s a huge giant twist in episode six which undercuts much of the story told up to that point. It doesn’t matter that you don’t say specifically that the guys’s a space alien or that the who show is revealed to be computer simulation or something. The specifics don’t matter. I now know that the first five episodes are a jerk-around and that’s enough to discourage me from wasting my time.
Alan, re-reading your Sugar reviewed made me wonder: is The Good Place's first season part of the Surf Dracula phenomenon? Or was that a part of the whole, even if there was an epic twist in the final episode?
Every review or take I'v read on the new Ripley series always draws comparisons to The Talented Mr Ripley and always ignore the much better film IMHO, Ripley's Game. John Malkovich brought a new level of horror and fright to his version of Ripley, with Dougray Scott as his hapless "victim," so to speak. It's so disappointing to never see this film mentioned in any and all reviews I've seen of Andrew Scott's and Steve Zallian's version of Ripley.
I have to say, I'm finding this final season of Curb painful. I feel like I'm 10 steps ahead of each of the jokes every episode. The Bruce Springsteen Covid episode was particularly bad because it felt like it was at least 3 years out of date and what was the point of the Matt Berry cameo?! Don't waste Matt Berry! It all feels so lazy. As soon as the court case started I knew he'd mirror the Seinfeld finale which is fine but leaves this ending less interesting as we already know where it's likely going. It's hard to believe it's the shame show that gave us The Doll and that great season where Larry was on Broadway. Ripley - loved it. It's a shame Loot doesn't work. Its another show like The Regime in as much as I expected so much given the talent on screen and behind the scenes but it just doesn't work.
A couple of poor sitcom finales are mentioned here, but what are your favorite comedy show finales, Alan? I know you’ve mentioned your fondness for the Cheers finale in the past.
The HIMYM slapsgiving episodes are a thanksgiving watch tradition for us, along with Friends. For both I don’t find their last episodes coming to mind when I’m rewatching
I remember thinking The Unicorn was such a left turn for Goggins when it was announced. But it quickly became a really enjoyable show and it was clear that he was relishing the opportunity to play someone so normal. He has just become one of those actors (I'd put Andrew Scott in this category as well) who I could happily watch in anything.
Great shout out to Searching for Bobby Fisher. One of my favorite sports movies.
I love "Loot". Yes, it loses focus between the premise of the show and the workplace relationships (and there are two very underdeveloped female characters in the office) but it has jokes and it makes me laugh.
The Ripley series looks great. Would you say that having seen the previous films and having some knowledge of the source material enhances the show (Hannibal-style), or is it preferable to go in blind?
First HBO licensed out a bunch of their prime content and Netflix gobbled that up and certainly seems to be enjoying curating all these HBO shows into the top of their feeds. Now Paramount dumps the Showtime-produced RIpley and critics are fawning over it. These streaming services all flailing to cut losses and figure themselves out yet again, Netflix just keeps profiting off their mistakes.
I had to go back and re-read your season review of Curb, because apart from the first two episodes, which had a few chuckles each but felt really shaggy, I think this has been a really strong late season of the show. After the second episode, when they teased the idea of Larry and Leon going to Africa, I even thought that maybe hitting the road would give the show a shot in the arm. But then they went back to LA, and all our friends came back, and everything was just clicking.
Ripley looks dope. Interesting that the trailer calls it "a limited series." Wonder if they'll go the White Lotus route and try to win in that category before moving to full drama (if it's renewed)?
Your phrasing about "Sugar" (which is, unfortunately, not a remake of the excellent baseball movie of the same name) made me wonder if we have a "Life On Mars" premise (British version) here. We'll see in episode six.
This season of Curb has been pretty stellar. Every episode had a strong moment or two, but some episodes were great beginning to end. Incredibly strong final season considering how long it’s run.
In this piece and your Rolling Stone review you keep complaining about Netflix’s embargo and the caution needed to avoid spoilers with Sugar, but you really do kind of “spoil” the show — at least for me — just by trumpeting that there’s a huge giant twist in episode six which undercuts much of the story told up to that point. It doesn’t matter that you don’t say specifically that the guys’s a space alien or that the who show is revealed to be computer simulation or something. The specifics don’t matter. I now know that the first five episodes are a jerk-around and that’s enough to discourage me from wasting my time.
Alan, re-reading your Sugar reviewed made me wonder: is The Good Place's first season part of the Surf Dracula phenomenon? Or was that a part of the whole, even if there was an epic twist in the final episode?
I've waited sooo long for Ripley to come out!
I'm a huge fan of Andrew Scott (since BBC's "The Hour") and Minghella's TMR film. I've watched the first 2 eps -- loving it so far.
Every review or take I'v read on the new Ripley series always draws comparisons to The Talented Mr Ripley and always ignore the much better film IMHO, Ripley's Game. John Malkovich brought a new level of horror and fright to his version of Ripley, with Dougray Scott as his hapless "victim," so to speak. It's so disappointing to never see this film mentioned in any and all reviews I've seen of Andrew Scott's and Steve Zallian's version of Ripley.
I have to say, I'm finding this final season of Curb painful. I feel like I'm 10 steps ahead of each of the jokes every episode. The Bruce Springsteen Covid episode was particularly bad because it felt like it was at least 3 years out of date and what was the point of the Matt Berry cameo?! Don't waste Matt Berry! It all feels so lazy. As soon as the court case started I knew he'd mirror the Seinfeld finale which is fine but leaves this ending less interesting as we already know where it's likely going. It's hard to believe it's the shame show that gave us The Doll and that great season where Larry was on Broadway. Ripley - loved it. It's a shame Loot doesn't work. Its another show like The Regime in as much as I expected so much given the talent on screen and behind the scenes but it just doesn't work.
A couple of poor sitcom finales are mentioned here, but what are your favorite comedy show finales, Alan? I know you’ve mentioned your fondness for the Cheers finale in the past.
The HIMYM slapsgiving episodes are a thanksgiving watch tradition for us, along with Friends. For both I don’t find their last episodes coming to mind when I’m rewatching