The domination of TV shows is what’s really taking up my time during the evenings the last few weeks and I’m hard-pressed to complain since I’m enjoying a lot of good stuff with family. I have been sneaking a little of it into the background during the day as well, though that’s mostly just to burn through the Big Mouth animated series on Netflix. It’s got a few folks from The League in it and it feels like a lot of what Family Guy is at times, though it leaned into that more as time went on with segues and side takes. But the show just has a lot of fun in dealing with teenagers and how they adapt to all the changes with a lot of weird but honest moments along the way as well. Definitely not for all audiences.
I did finish up the second season of The Break, which wasn’t as strong as the first, unfortunately. I’m glad they made it as I wanted more with these characters but the time jump just didn’t connect and the lead didn’t have as strong as a narrative as he did in the first series. I’d hazard a guess we won’t get a third season but I’d still be back in a heartbeat to see more Belgium based crime drama.
The second season of Bordertown, however, was pretty damn strong. It didn’t replicate the first season but spread out a bit more and again pulled together a lot of seemingly throwaway aspects from earlier in the season toward the end for some compelling viewing. I love the way that the lead actor, Ville Virtanen, handles the role as it’s got so many physical tics and movements that just delight me in making the character distinctive but without being outlandish.
I’m still, sadly, behind on watching Star Trek: Discovery with its second season as I’m watching it with two other people separately and neither has been ready to start it yet. I did finally watch the Short Treks that were produced before the second season and those were just utterly delightful little side stories that really, really, really, made me wish that we had a proper anthology series set in the Star Trek universe.
A lot of broadcast TV this week was pretty straightforward with what it offered, though I delighted with The Goldbergs as it did its Highlander episode, which was made all the more special for Clancy Brown being a recurring actor on there and his getting to say the line again from the film. So much love for him as an actor as he’s done so many things I love, including that wonderfully undervalued Carnivale.
Sitcoms were fun this week again as I continue to enjoy things like Schooled! and Modern Family even with issues with each of them. The latest I’m Sorry had some good laughs and both Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon worked well for me. Big Bang Theory was outlandish in the ways I enjoy with the guest cast it assembled and just the fun and absurdity of it all.
The latest installment of You’re the Worst put me through the wringer again as I’m getting more and more anxious watching it unfold as we head toward what looks like an expected conclusion but one you can never be sure of. This show just resonates with me deeply.
And the HGTV side is still kept pretty minimal as there are so many other things I’m doing these days that it’s just down to two shows. The latest Home Town was enjoyable as I think we had our first lesbian couple on the show, young at that, as they went through the renovation process. Anyone that creates a book nook is a-ok in my book. Windy City Rehab just drives me crazy watching because it feels high-tension thanks to the lead on it but they produce some really great looking homes in Chicago with interesting designs and circumstances, especially when the Landmark folks are included.
