Netflix/Prime/Hulu Discoveries

[TanithandBenFan]

I just finished Season 2 of Atypical on Netflix, and I thought it was even better than S1. There are great cliffhangers again, so I hope it gets renewed! A 10 episode season of 30-minute episodes feels so short. I wish they could get at least 13 eps.

 

[screech]

I just watched the miniseries The Night Manager, which originally aired 2 years ago, because I came across news that a second season has been commissioned. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and not just because of the eye candy in Tom Hiddleston. (The score to the series would actually make good skating music)

They left it somewhat open at the end, so it will be great to see a second series, assuming it's to the quality of the first, given that there's no more source material to work from.

I also hope it gets made soon for Hiddleston's sake, because his career has kind of declined since the first (after the whole Taylor Swift thing, and then his unintentionally self-congratulatory and tone-deaf speech when he won a Golden Globe for this show). When it was airing, and before all the extraneous stuff, his name was being passed around quite frequently to become the next Bond, based on his performance here. He has no future projects listed on his IMDB, and looks very... not himself in recent photos at events.

Olivia Colman was absolutely brilliant throughout the whole series. And while he was fantastic, Hugh Grant with his natural accent always throws me off. And I wish that I had the bone structure pull off Elizabeth Debicki's hairstyle.

 

[clairecloutier]

With today being 9/11 ... We watched The Looming Tower series recently and found it gripping. It's about the FBI/CIA investigations into Al Qaeda in the years leading up to 9/11, and how they got close to learning about the 9/11 plan, but not close enough. The story is so compelling, even though you know how it will end. Some great acting, too. I recommend it.

 

[TheGirlCanSkate]

Sierra Burgess Is a Loser on Netflix is kind of boring but painless to watch. The most interesting part of the story was watching the two brothers fight. They don't mention it so far in the storyline, but the younger brother is deaf and the two fight in sign language. It was a really cute scene. The whole show ...it should have been a 45 minute after school special.

 

[mjb52]

I'm watching the Swedish show Gentlemen (& Gangsters) on Netflix and really enjoying it although I think it does fade a bit midway through (it's 8 episodes, I've watched 7, and around episode 5 is when I think the quality drops a tiny bit) - it has a very convoluted plot and I probably have not always paid as much attention as I should, but I think it also covers a bit too much ground time-wise - I think it would have been a bit better staying within one 5-10 year timespan instead of extending as far as it ultimately does. Nonetheless, it is a super stylish show, with great acting, and I highly recommend it.

 

[screech]

Since the Emmys are taking place tomorrow, I'm finally getting around to watching The Assassination of Gianni Versace (which I'd been meaning to watch since it aired in the winter). I've watched the first 4 episodes so far (of 9 total).

It's a bit slow paced at times, but I've been completely blown away by Darren Criss. He is absolutely fantastic as Andrew Cunanan. I didn't quite know what to expect, since I only knew him from Glee and A Very Potter Musical, but I'm pleasantly surprised. Other than John Legend, I haven't seen any of the other lead actor in a miniseries/movie performances, but I kind of hope he wins. Also, though he had the Ryan Murphy connection already, huge kudos to Murphy for casting the correct ethnicity (both Cunanan and Criss were/are half-Filipino).

Ricky Martin has been absolutely wonderful as well, and it's great to see him getting acting recognition (he's up for supporting actor), though Edgar Ramirez has been brilliant as the titular character (I'd give the win to Ramirez over Martin, though I'd love to see Ricky Martin as an Emmy winner).

Really the whole show is great, except (IMO) Penelope Cruz as Donatella Versace. The voice she's putting on may be similar to the actual person, but it sounds like she's talking around false teeth while trying to turn her Spanish accent into an Italian one, which means that I can only understand about 3 out of every 10 words she says (she'll probably win, though, because she's Penelope Cruz).

 

[VGThuy]

I haven't seen it except for a few clips but I'm surprised about the amount of praise Cruz got. I'm actually a huge fan of hers, would have given her an Oscar for Volver over Helen Mirren (for real!), and always root for her, but just judging from her clips I didn't think it was anything great and I found her hard to decipher as well. However, it seems it's a very authentic take on Donatella rather than the Maya Rudolph-like parody that the other Versace tv movie did. If Judith Light wins, a part of me wonders how much is that win because of this miniseries and how much of it is to reward her character of "Angela" in Who's the Boss?

 

[screech]

I haven't seen it except for a few clips but I'm surprised about the amount of praise Cruz got. I'm actually a huge fan of hers, would have given her an Oscar for Volver over Helen Mirren (for real!), and always root for her, but just judging from her clips I didn't think it was anything great and I found her hard to decipher as well. However, it seems it's a very authentic take on Donatella rather than the Maya Rudolph-like parody that the other Versace tv movie did. If Judith Light wins, a part of me wonders how much is that win because of this miniseries and how much of it is to reward her character of "Angela" in Who's the Boss?

I've only seen one of Judith's 2 episodes so far, but IMO she was far far superior to Penelope. Though I will say that when she isn't interacting with the other actors, Penelope does really well with expressing emotions on her face.
But the show really is just a spotlight for Darren Criss to shine.
I do find it kind of odd that while they managed to get a half-Filipino to play a half-Filipino, all of the Italian roles were portrayed by non-Italians (Cruz is Spanish, Martin is Puerto Rican, Ramirez is Venezuelan, though he's fluent in Italian... if that counts for anything).

 

[VGThuy]

I think Light might win because she's such a television mainstay, hasn't won yet, and I think there's more American actorly support for her than Cruz who is seen as a movie star.

 

[screech]

I think Light might win because she's such a television mainstay, hasn't won yet, and I think there's more American actorly support for her than Cruz who is seen as a movie star.

But movie stars are now TV stars. And when I was looking at predictions, Penelope is the odds to favourite to win. To be fair, she was given more to do than Judith (who is second in the odds).
Gold Derby has worked out the odds (by looking at experts, their editors, and users). All 3 groupings have Cruz first, followed by Judith. Their official odds combine the 3 groupings.
Criss is the odds on favourite to win his category, and Ramirez is second in his (behind Jeff Daniels for Godless)

 

[Seerek]

I had never heard of Hannah Gadsby before this week but her "Nanette" had me laughing and had me in tears at times. She is funny but she is so brutally honest as she makes us laugh and then she tells us why she will stop being a comedian.

I'm pleased to see Hannah getting her due, cause she was rather underutilized on "Please Like Me" (also available in Netflix).

 

[vgerdes]

Just finished To All the Boys I've Loved Before on Netflix and instantly bought all the books on Kindle. Even though it's a small part, I also totally relate to Margot being the oldest sister trying to keep things running smoothly and dealing with and loving a tribe of younger siblings.

I finally got around to watching this. It was great! Would highly recommend it. The girl who played Lara Jean was fantastic, and I also really, really liked the guy who played Peter, but the whole cast was excellent. Fun way to spend an afternoon.

 

[VGThuy]

I finally got around to watching this. It was great! Would highly recommend it. The girl who played Lara Jean was fantastic, and I also really, really liked the guy who played Peter, but the whole cast was excellent. Fun way to spend an afternoon.

So happy you enjoyed it!

Also, I started series 2 of Victoria on Amazon last night and is it me or this show sort of underrated? I mean I know the storylines aren't like epic and it doesn't have pretenses of being a grand show like others, but the acting and cinematography is quite excellent. I mean they are really first rate.

 

[VGThuy]

I've only seen one of Judith's 2 episodes so far, but IMO she was far far superior to Penelope. Though I will say that when she isn't interacting with the other actors, Penelope does really well with expressing emotions on her face.
But the show really is just a spotlight for Darren Criss to shine.
I do find it kind of odd that while they managed to get a half-Filipino to play a half-Filipino, all of the Italian roles were portrayed by non-Italians (Cruz is Spanish, Martin is Puerto Rican, Ramirez is Venezuelan, though he's fluent in Italian... if that counts for anything).

Speaking of, I was shown a video of a movie accent expert breaking down various actors' accents in their performance and he seemed very impressed with Penelope Cruz was able to do with her accent considering she's not a native-English speaker and had to speak a second language in a different accent than her normal one:

https://youtu.be/ZXyWwirLfcg?t=9m42s

 

[screech]

Speaking of, I was shown a video of a movie accent expert breaking down various actors' accents in their performance and he seemed very impressed with Penelope Cruz was able to do with her accent considering she's not a native-English speaker and had to speak a second language in a different accent than her normal one:

https://youtu.be/ZXyWwirLfcg?t=9m42s

I literally watched that same video last night (and the others in which he discusses accents)! I basically learned that Daniel Day Lewis is perfect.
Anyway, I agree, trying to do an accent, on an accent, in your second language is insane. And I can see some semblance of the real Donatella's speaking, but it just came out as though she had fake teeth in IMO.

In other news, Hulu is going to be streaming all of the original Veronica Mars episodes starting in 2019, in advance of the (now confirmed) revival of the show. I'm so freaking excited. The movie was a letdown, so I'm hoping with an 8 episode miniseries they can get back to the magic of the original series.

 

[Buzz]

I am loving The Good Cop! It is not getting great reviews but who cares! Tony Danza and Josh Groban have great on screen chemistry.

 

[oleada]

I literally watched that same video last night (and the others in which he discusses accents)! I basically learned that Daniel Day Lewis is perfect.
Anyway, I agree, trying to do an accent, on an accent, in your second language is insane. And I can see some semblance of the real Donatella's speaking, but it just came out as though she had fake teeth in IMO.

In other news, Hulu is going to be streaming all of the original Veronica Mars episodes starting in 2019, in advance of the (now confirmed) revival of the show. I'm so freaking excited. The movie was a letdown, so I'm hoping with an 8 episode miniseries they can get back to the magic of the original series.

That's awesome. I wonder where they're going to start with the revival. Season 1 of VM is perfect; Season 2 is so good and I try to forget #3 exists.

 

[screech]

That's awesome. I wonder where they're going to start with the revival. Season 1 of VM is perfect; Season 2 is so good and I try to forget #3 exists.

I didn't mind season 3. I didn't hate Piz as much as most people did (and in the movie, Piz IMO actually seemed a better fit than Logan, but that just might be because Jason Dohring doesn't seem to be doing quite as much as Chris Lowell these days).
Revival synopsis:
"Spring breakers are getting murdered in Neptune, thereby decimating the seaside town’s lifeblood tourist industry. After Mars Investigations is hired by the parents of one of the victims to find their son’s killer, Veronica is drawn into an epic eight-episode mystery that pits the enclave’s wealthy elites, who would rather put an end to the month-long bacchanalia, against a working class that relies on the cash influx that comes with being the West Coast’s answer to Daytona Beach"

I'm assuming it will be post-movie, since Veronica is working in Neptune but I'm wondering if the events from the two post-movie novels will be assumed as having happened - the first of the novels actually takes place on Spring Break, so I wonder if it will be incorporated? In any case, some things that happened in the novels...

• Spoiler: Veronica Mars novel spoilers...

  Veronica and Logan are essentially living together in an apartment, with a dog named Pony.
  [*]Veronica's mom re-married and has a kid (Veronica's half-brother) and is sober. Her stepdaughter and husband play a role in the second novel
  [*]Weevil has sort of made Veronica's shit list. If I remember correctly, it's because he took a payout instead of testifying against the Kanes in the gun-planting incident from the movie
  [*]Logan takes an extra tour, after one of his squadron dies, and Veronica feels abandoned, though she reluctantly understands. At the end of the second novel she kind of contemplates leaving Logan for Leo, because Leo is there, and they do still have chemistry. At the end of the novel, she heads home for a Skype date with Logan, though

But going back to stuff out now, I'm looking forward to watching The Good Cop. I follow Josh Groban on social media, where his sense of humour really shines.

 

[Cachoo]

I like Emma Stone and Jonah Hill though they have never been personal favorites of mine. That might change because they are both blowing me away with their performances in "Maniac" on Netflix. I am trying not to binge on this one because I'm enjoying it so much but I have a feeling I'll be done with series by Monday. And this series is quirky and bizarre in the best possible way because we are dealing with a slightly altered universe. I'm only three episodes in (out of ten) so I hope it stays this enjoyable.

 

[HeatherC]

I am loving The Good Cop! It is not getting great reviews but who cares! Tony Danza and Josh Groban have great on screen chemistry.

I was going to check out that show at some point so I'm glad to find out that you're enjoying it. I thought it sounded like a fun show!

 

[Cachoo]

I think this has been mentioned before but I can't find the mention: I watched "The Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened" on Netflix about the making of the musical "Merrily We Roll Along." I had no idea how young that cast was nor did I know about the ideas that S. Sondheim and H. Prince had for the musical and the result. It was interesting visiting it thirty plus years later and seeing what happened to the cast. Of course a few members you recognize immediately. I enjoyed it---and I liked hearing tidbits about the making of a Broadway show.

 

[screech]

I was going to check out that show at some point so I'm glad to find out that you're enjoying it. I thought it sounded like a fun show!

I just started watching it (first episode) and I'm not loving it. I'm a fan of Josh Groban as an actor, and he's okay in it, so is Tony Danza of course, but everyone else is kind of annoying, and some of the NY accents sound horrible (thank goodness Groban isn't doing one). Some of the pacing is weird, some scenes unnecessary, and it's clear some of the cast are new to acting. The young tech guy is extremely annoying.
There's good chemistry between Groban and Danza, but not really anyone else. And Groban is beardless for the first time in a long time, and he looks about 20 without it.
I'll give another episode or so a try, but I don't know how much I'll stick with it.

 

[TanithandBenFan]

I was really excited about The Good Cop too, and I was disappointed in the first episode. The parole officer annoyed me, and I thought I would get more laughs out of the show than I did. I ended up switching over to Grace and Frankie, which I'm enjoying much much more.

 

[oleada]

I decided to bring out my Veronica Mars season 1 DVDs and binge watched most of season 1 this weekend. I am amazed at how well this show has held up. In the #MeToo era, it feels so relevant. The way they handle sexual assault and rape is so realistic; I can’t think of a TV show that’s dealt with this better. Veronica’s rape is part of her but it doesn’t define her and you can see the many ways it affected her throughout the season but she’s never just a victim and it (and Lilly’s death and its aftermath) turn her into such a woman. It’s such a feminist show and it was way ahead of its time and I whole heartedly love it.

Cc: @screech

 

[screech]

I decided to bring out my Veronica Mars season 1 DVDs and binge watched most of season 1 this weekend. I am amazed at how well this show has held up. In the #MeToo era, it feels so relevant. The way they handle sexual assault and rape is so realistic; I can’t think of a TV show that’s dealt with this better. Veronica’s rape is part of her but it doesn’t define her and you can see the many ways it affected her throughout the season but she’s never just a victim and it (and Lilly’s death and its aftermath) turn her into such a woman. It’s such a feminist show and it was way ahead of its time and I whole heartedly love it.

Cc: @screech

I recommend it to everyone I know who's looking for shows to watch. It was amazing. It was shocking at the time how much crap we see her going dealing with - drugged and raped, best friend murdered, dumped, ostracized, abandoned by her mother, father losing job (and therefore family losing money)... and all that's introduced just in the very first episode!!

 

[puglover]

Just received the 6th season of "Vera" DVD in the mail. I can hardly wait. Somehow we missed this season as we have 1-5 and 7. So good!

 

[screech]

So I've continued to watch The Good Cop, despite not loving the pilot. I still don't love it, but I don't dislike it quite as much. Though I can unfortunately very easily predict the guilty party about 5 minutes into each episode.
The supporting characters have grown on me too, EXCEPT the tech guy. He's so freaking annoying (and not in a good way, like Gina in Brooklyn 99 is).

Only 3 episodes left for me, then I think I'm finally going to jump on the bandwagon and watch The Crown. Or Barry. Or Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Not sure which one to go for first.

 

[made_in_canada]

So I've continued to watch The Good Cop, despite not loving the pilot. I still don't love it, but I don't dislike it quite as much. Though I can unfortunately very easily predict the guilty party about 5 minutes into each episode.
The supporting characters have grown on me too, EXCEPT the tech guy. He's so freaking annoying (and not in a good way, like Gina in Brooklyn 99 is).

Only 3 episodes left for me, then I think I'm finally going to jump on the bandwagon and watch The Crown. Or Barry. Or Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Not sure which one to go for first.

I just finished The Good Cop and I totally agree. Despite the annoying tech guy, and the not much of a mystery mysteries, it does have a bit of charm. I wouldn't be heartbroken if it didn't get a second season but if it did I'd probably give it another shot.

 

[screech]

So I'm 8 years late to the game, but I finally just started watching Sherlock. Only the first episode so far, but I like it! Though I must say, Bendysquats Cucumberbreeches has gotten better looking with age (IMO he looks like a floppy haired insect in the show, but is actually kind of hot in Dr. Strange)

And I finally finished The Good Cop. I actually kind of ended up enjoying it in the end. And they definitely left it open to a season 2. If they do have a second season, I hope they link the episodes together more. With a new person introduced in each episode, it was clear that any 'relationships' weren't going to last, and the person introduced was the guilty party.
I did end up chuckling at Burl, the retiring cop, and his no running policy, and his saying Greg Kinnear's name every day. Possibly the only recurring things in the show!

 

[vgerdes]

So I'm 8 years late to the game, but I finally just started watching Sherlock. Only the first episode so far, but I like it! Though I must say, Bendysquats Cucumberbreeches has gotten better looking with age (IMO he looks like a floppy haired insect in the show, but is actually kind of hot in Dr. Strange.

OK, I love BC, but I giggled at your mangling of his name. I started watching this show late as well, though in my case it was about three seasons into it that I caught the Sherlock fever, LOL. This way you won't have the agonizingly long wait for the fourth season.

For me, it was falling in love with his portrayal of the character that helped me see him as 'hot.' I first started watching the show because I was a fan of Martin Freeman, but I freely admit that I came to love Ben's Sherlock far more than Martin's John Watson (who at one point became a thoroughly loathsome character, IMO). I'll be interested to see what you think when you get through it.