Now that the Oscars are done, it’s time for you to catch up on all the TV you missed. I’ve been devouring several new shows that popped up over the past few months and it’s time for you to give them a shot if you haven’t already.
Extraordinary: A delightful British import created by Emma Moran, this is the story of Jen (Mairead Tyers), a 25-year-old woman who has not discovered what her superpower is, in a version of our world where every human discovers they have some superpower once they turn 18. Needless to say, this is a bit of a bummer. She lives with her best friend, Carrie (Sofia Oxenham), who is able to talk to dead people and has to leverage that for her job in a law office. Carrie's boyfriend, Kash (Bilal Hasna), also lives with them, and he is a bit of a wastrel, a man who can rewind time by ten seconds but wants to be famous and is trying to recruit people with suitable abilities to create a roving band of avenging superheroes.
This show excels at highlighting how superpowers aren't particularly exciting if everyone has one and that the world just reaches a new equilibrium where you still end up having to use your power to make money at some boring desk job. Jen is a rarity and while she is struggling with her identity and various family dynamics, we see that the issue isn't so much that she never got a power, but that she still has a lot of work to do on herself simply as a person. Extraordinary is hilarious, inventive, features some incredible music choices, and is full of heart. I can't wait to see what happens in Season 2.
The Last of Us: Prestige TV strikes again. Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey both got famous on
Game of Thrones as supporting characters but now they're taking the lead in the next big HBO hit show. And it is great. Based on the bestselling video game, and adapted for TV by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, this is a story about a world in which a fungal pandemic decimated humanity and now we follow the struggles of the humans who have found a way to survive in this hostile world. Yes, fine, maybe you feel like it's too soon to be watching a pandemic show, but this one is pretty great, serving as a treatise on what makes humanity tick and the beautiful, mundane, everyday things we must cherish before they're gone.
HBO has clearly invested a lot in this show because the production design is absolutely sublime and the actors are wonderful. The overarching plot concerns Joel (Pascal) and Ellie (Ramsey), two people who are traversing the country and trying to avoid capture. Ellie appears to be immune to the fungus and could provide a cure and Joel needs to get her to the people who could help make this a reality. But along the way, they have a series of adventures, many of which feature cameos from excellent actors, and every storyline feels self-contained and spectacular. It manages to scare and enthrall you all in one go, and I am thoroughly intrigued as to what the next season will bring.
Poker Face: Created by Rian Johnson and starring Natasha Lyonne, this is a murder mystery series that is an ode to Columbo, where each episode opens with a murder and you know exactly who did it, but then we're going to see how our protagonist, a drifter named Charlie Cale (Lyonne), pieces it all together after the fact and delivers some justice. You don't need me to tell you that if Rian Johnson is in charge, the show can only be absolutely stellar. Each episode is a satisfying mystery, populated with amazing guest stars who are having a whale of a time. But there's also the central through line involving Charlie, who is on the run after the events of Episode 1, and will tie things up in a neat little bow in Episode 10 (though that bow is not so neat by the end of the episode to keep things open for a Season 2).
Peacock has spared no expense in the making of this show. It looks incredible, the scripts are tight, and the tone is funny and engaging, even though it can certainly get very dark and twisty when it has to. Some of the mysteries are a bit more hit-and-miss than others, but overall, there is excellent variety in means, motives, and opportunities, and Charlie finds herself in a variety of weird and compelling situations across the United States. Kudos to the writers, they really found a way to make a show that feels fresh every single time. And I have no doubt the second season will continue to deliver thrills and laughs in equal measure.
The Consultant: This is a fun but twisted show about a mobile game company that is dealing with the fallout when its CEO gets murdered. An enigmatic man named Regus Patoff (Christoph Waltz) steps in, claiming to be a consultant who the CEO had hired to help with the business just days before he died. Elaine (Brittany O'Grady), who was the CEO's assistant, does not trust this man, and she teams up with fellow colleague, Craig (Nat Wolff), to look into this man's credentials. As they investigate, they only find more perplexing and confusing information. And meanwhile, Patoff has taken over the company with gusto, instituting all manner of horrific business practices and ensuring the employees are continually terrified.
Based on a novel by Bentley Little, the series was adapted for TV by Tony Basgallop. It's well-told and bingeable but I'll confess, I was very confused by the ending and had to read some articles to understand what exactly went down. This is a show that is all about the creepy vibes, but ultimately the plot takes a weird turn that I wasn't wholly on board with. So give it a try if you want to watch something funny but also eerily unsettling and if you're a fan of Christoph Waltz being his Waltz-iest. It's an odd but fun ride. Particularly if you share my healthy disdain for consultants.
No comments:
Post a Comment