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Reviews
Party Tricks (2014)
Damn you ch 10 for not renewing this gem
This short little series was just so good I wish there had been another season. Roger Corser and Asher Keddie have such great chemistry, a wonderful supporting cast, writing, directing, the whole thing comes together so well. Sad to see it never received it's due acclaim.
The Great (2020)
One of the best shows currently on tv
I will never shut up about just how good this show is. Elle Fanning is stunning. Nicholas Hoult is so ridiculously charming. He deftly walks a tightrope between loathsome and lovable, I've never seen anything like it. The entire cast is exceptional but Tony McNamara's dialogue is the true star. Strong, smart female characters and friendships are the core of the show. It's feminist without being girlbossy, which is so rare. The show is exceptionally funny yet at moments so poignant. It kills me that this show is as underrated as it is. You're wasting your own time not watching it!
Difficult People (2015)
The same episode over and over
Follows the same formula as Seinfeld. No hugging, no learning, but it's missing something. Eichner's character is excellent, but the supporting cast are extremely annoying, which is I know what they're going for but it just doesn't work. There's nothing interesting about them, you could remove them totally and the show would be better for it. I love a show with flawed characters, I don't need them to evolve, but after a while it feels like you're watching the same episode over and over. I watched the full first season and there are really great moments and very funny lines scattered amongst it, but it's not enough to hold me. I mostly kept watching for Andrea Martin who is fabulous as Julie's mother.
Sort Of (2021)
Good but missing something
I wanted so badly to fall in love with this because I loved the character of Sabi and the story they were telling. I had a harder time with some of the supporting characters that just didn't feel very real. The last two episodes are really excellent, I think they might've found their groove and I hope next season builds on this.
Upright (2019)
Laugh, cry and everything in between
I shout into the void for people to watch this show. It's perfect. The scenery is stunning, the acting incredible. It's moving, and hilarious, (I'm still laughing about that joke about Perth). Truly a masterpiece.
Schmigadoon! (2021)
Flawless
This is absolutely not a new idea, (people breaking out into song and dance while a few characters remain bewildered), but it's the execution of it that makes it absolutely phenomenal. The cast, the choreography, the songs, the loving parody of musicals, sharp comedy. It really couldn't be better.
Fleabag (2016)
Season 2 is a masterpiece
I watched the first two episodes of Fleabag and it didn't really draw me in. I left it for a few weeks and then decided to give it another try. What a mistake it would've been not come back to it. As it goes on season 1 really finds it's groove, but the second season is an absolute masterpiece. Also I now totally understand everyone's outrage that the hot priest was not nominated for an Emmy. Ridiculous, Andrew Scott was excellent. Phoebe Waller-Bridge wrote something incredible, don't be an idiot like I was and sleep on it.
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip: Pilot (2006)
The best pilot episode I've ever seen
The pilot episode of Studio 60 is the best pilot episode of anything I've ever seen. It introduces every character with ease and leaves you wanting more. The chemistry between Whitford and Perry is already there and believable, Peet and Weber's characters set the tone perfectly. Schlamme's direction drops you in a full world you understand, and Sorkin's dialogue is superb. There are few pilot episodes that achieve this, some of the greatest shows take many episodes to get to their best and most are clunky or feel long, but not Studio 60s. It is a masterclass in writing.
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (2006)
Studio 60 deserved better!
I will forever be mad that NCB cancelled this show. Studio 60 is the perfect example of a show that would've thrived on a streaming service, sadly it was ahead of its time. Is it perfect, no. Is it Sorkin's best, no (but that is a tall ask), but it is a million times better than the majority of shows renewed for a second season and deserved better. The pilot episode and the Christmas episode are two of the finest hours of television ever made. It is my second favourite of Sorkin's shows and the short one season makes for excellent comfort viewing. The cast is phenomenal, so nice to see Matthew Perry in a more dramatic role, he's excellent. Bradley Whitford, Amanda Peet, Steven Webber particularly shine with Sorkin's dialogue. The main complaint I see against this show is that the sketches are not funny, and to that I say the Dateline Santa from the Christmas episode of Studio 60 was funnier than any sketch I've seen on SNL in recent years. It's a travesty this show wasn't given the chance it deserved, I believe with a second season it really would've found it's audience, but I will rewatch it forever because it's perfect to me.
Hacks (2021)
So good!
This show is so good. I can't remember the last time I saw a new half hour comedy so perfect right from the start. I laughed, I cried. Some of the throwaway lines are exceptionally funny. I can't wait for another season.
The Sopranos: Do Not Resuscitate (2000)
Clunky writing
Look it's a fine enough episode but I can't get over just how bad the writing in this episode is. AJ spends the episode talking about his report for school on DNA for the sole payoff that later on he can visit his grandma and out of nowhere say "Whats DNR? I had to do this report on DNA, but I heard dad and aunt parvati talking about your DNR. So is that like similar?... 'Cause that's what's confusing, like, DNA, everybody's got that... But DNA doesn't prevent coma's, does it?" Nobody is that dumb and it's all so that Livia can then be shocked and say "she thinks I should have a DNR?!!!" It was just terrible writing and such a clunky way of moving the story along. You would roll your eyes at that scene in a novella let alone a show that is considered to be one of the greatest ever made. It's a shame because otherwise I enjoyed the episode but wow was that part bad.
The Queen's Gambit (2020)
Visually stunning but only an ok story
It's visually stunning but as a story incredibly overrated. I'm not someone who has to have likeable characters to enjoy a show. I like flawed characters. But I just didn't care about her at all in any way shape or form. The scene where she returned to the orphanage was a saving grace for me but I wouldn't have got that far if not for my husband wanting to keep watching. He loved it, I did not. But, excellent cinematography!
Bluey: Sleepytime (2020)
Give it an Oscar
This episode deserves a short film Oscar. It's just stunning.
Everything's Gonna Be Okay: Carolina Sphinx Moth (2021)
What a beautiful episode
I rarely write individual episode reviews but this episode was just so good. I think about all the people that will see themselves in this episode and it warms my heart. And for those that don't see themselves, they will see others. Just beautiful.
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
One of my favourites
Catch Me If You Can is one of my all time favourite movies that I will watch whenever I come across it. If it's on tv, on a plane, anywhere, I'll always watch it. Holds up each time regardless of the number of times I've seen it. You really can't go wrong with Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, but the whole supporting cast is great too.
Bluey (2018)
The best children's show out there
Bluey is without a doubt, not only the best kids show out there, but one of the best shows on television period.
Late Night with Seth Meyers (2014)
The best late night host
Seth Meyers is the best late night host on air currently. The fast paced Closer Look segment packs in a huge amount of info and comedy and he does it with such ease. He's genuine, charming and funny, what more do you want from a late night host?!
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (2014)
Consistently the best
John Oliver is consistently the best in his field. If I had one complaint it's that he takes a lot of weeks off, but you know what, he deserves it.
A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote (2020)
Face hurts from smiling
What a total joy. This could've been a car crash (as many show reunions are) but instead it was like catching up with an old friend. Visually stunning, just beautifully put together. Congrats to the entire cast, Aaron, Tommy, and Snuffy.
The West Wing (1999)
Nothing will ever match it
To quote Bradley Whitford, "No human being will ever again write 22 one hour episodes for four years. Beautifully written, complicated verbally, complicated personally, funny, about something. That's 11 feature films a year. It is extraordinary and will never never happen again." He's absolutely right. There are many other great dramas these days, but their seasons are considerably shorter. No dialogue matches Sorkin's, no other show has a cast with such a deep bench that even the minor guests are literal stars. It's unmatched in my view.
The West Wing: Noël (2000)
Perfection
A masterpiece. Bradley Whitford is outstanding here, as is Adam Arkin. The editing of this episode is incredible also. Plus who doesn't love Yo-Yo Ma?! Probably my favourite episode of television ever.
The West Wing: In Excelsis Deo (1999)
The episode that made me fall in love
This is the episode that made me fall in love with The West Wing. It's just exceptional, especially the final scene. The writing, the acting, the direction, perfection.