Just finished Downton Abbey finale. It was a bit slow, but I’m a sap and loved it, especially the last scene with Lady Mary remembering Matthew, her grandmother and Sybil. Yes, I shed a couple of tears ![]()
Currently watching California Split for no particular reason except that it leaves the Criterion Channel after today. I think I actually have it on DVD somewhere around here (I always second guess which DVDs we own because of a binder full of them that was lost/permanently borrowed). Possibly my favorite Altman—it’s this or The Long Goodbye.
(Last night was One Battle After Another, which I heard someone describe as “The Big Lebowski meets Taken,” which isn’t all it is, but it isn’t NOT that either, and I guess “The Long Goodbye meets Taken” would get you to the same place. Anyway, I loved it. Probably the movie of the year along with Sinners and Bring Her Back.)
We binged the second season of A Man on the Inside yesterday. Aside from the grandkids - who are as annoying as fuck - the whole thing is perfectly written and cast. It’s also fun to see some of the Easter Eggs sprinkled throughout. I’m positive we missed a lot, but it was fun seeing a clip of Veronica Mars with Kristen Bell casually embedded in a scene, and I loved the name of the music building: Oates Hall.
We’re also ⅔ of the way through Ken Burns’ latest opus, but I screwed up. We’d watched the first three episodes in order, but last night I queued up the final episode on the DVR by mistake. We were about halfway through the sixth episode when we realized that the pacing was all off since the storyline seemed to jump way ahead. It wasn’t until we were almost finished that we realized my mistake. Spoiler Alert: The rebels won, and selected George Washington as president.
There’s a scene in the first season, I think near the end, where Kristen Bell appears wearing one of her sweaters from The Good Place. I completely missed it until I saw an article about it in the AV Club or somewhere like that.
(Haven’t seen second season yet.)
We finished it last night, too. I like the show a lot and OMG, Jackée! After Task, it was nice to watch something…nice.
I have no idea wtf is going on in Stranger Things, but I am entertained by it anyway.
Good writing and well-played characters:
I’m confused now. Is Kristen Bell in this series? I’ve watched all of first season and halfway thru second. Don’t remember her at all. It’s a nice change from all the psychological thrillers everywhere. I do wonder about about Ted’s hair. Is that all real or a very good toupee? Yeah, the kids are a bit annoying but love the addition of the gross billionaire (guy from Veep) and real life wife Mary Steenburgen
Also enjoyed Death by Lightning. Makes you appreciate modern medicine and especially antibiotics. Not a huge fan of Down Cemetery rd but will finish it.
Nope, I don’t think she even has any dialogue—just a quick little cameo, like George Harrison popping up in The Life of Brian.
Big props for the Life of Brian/George Harrison callback. “We will worship the shoe!”
She’s not in it, but she appears in a clip from Veronica Mars that is in it. Plus the cameo @caractacus referenced but which I did not recall.
We stopped watching Absentia after the penultimate episode of S1. Too many frustrating things — like claiming the show is set in Boston, but the entirety of it is very clearly filmed in Europe, specifically Bulgaria, the plot is dumb, and we got tired of people walking around in the dark trying to find something. Eh. Good waste o’ time that was ![]()
Continued Nobody Wants This, which is about as floffy as can be, and started on the new season of A Man on the Inside. Some truly laugh-out-loud funny lines, and I have a soft spot for David Strathairn. The academic setting doesn’t hurt, and I’m with @ricepad: I constantly want to slap those grandkids!
Fun.
Not sure if I forgot to post, but All The Devils Are Here was excellent. With the always excellent Eddie Marsan, and the often creepy Rory Kinnear (I will never forget his role in the utterly brilliant Men.
I could barely get through the first episode. If it got better, I did not feel like sticking around to find out.
It can’t all be existential German drama or slasher movies for us, especially at the end of the night. It is decidedly one of the least offensive shows in that genre. Beats Emily in Paris, or the one with the woman from Hacks finding love in London. I liken it to warm milk with honey. And I genuinely like both Nicholas Braun and Justine Lupe from Succession fame.
I got through about 3 minutes of I love LA yesterday before turning it off. Terrible.
Not if you’re Jewish.
I’m not ![]()
And there you go!
I’m also not very easily offended.

