Television
Fantasmas (MAX)
I watched this because I loved Problemista and wanted to see what else Julio Torres had for me. The answer: a brand new obsession with an incredibly talented writer/director/actor/everythinger.
This show has alighted my brain in ways that I wasn’t expecting. There are so many of the niche performers that I love:
- John Early as a nightclubbing hamster.
- Natasha Lyonne as a producer that Julio pitches to.
- Amy Sedaris as an acting teacher who knows her students too well.
- Julia Fox as Mrs. Claus testifying in court against one of Santa’s elves.
- Steve Buscemi as the letter Q, a true trailblazer.
- Paul Dano in an in-universe television show.
And then there are the weird side stories and bits that just slip in:
- We encounter the designer of “The Dress.”
- The meat of the story centers around needing to obtain “proof of existence.”
It exposes societal imbalances so lightly. This touches on some of the same things Idicocracy did all those years ago, but Fantasmas does so in a fantastical, surreal, yet immediate way.
Have you seent it? If yes, tell me about your experience. If no, go watch and then let’s chat!
Severance – S2E6 (AppleTV+)
WOOOF WHAT AN EPISODE.
Okay, first up, though, I have a question that no one else seems to be asking. I don’t think Burt’s partner is the same actor as S1E9. Look at him here:
And now look at him in S2E6:
The actor playing Burt’s partner (Cecil) in Season 2 is John Noble — and he’s only listed as being in one episode of the show. In the Season 1 episode, Cecil is played by Arthur Brooks. Now, it could just be a simple casting change, but with this show, who knows?
I clocked it immediately and was surprised I hadn’t seen anyone else mention it, so I had to say something.
Here are some other thoughts I had:
- Again, I think they are trying to very subtly make Ms. Huang appear older each week.
- Why did Helly call Gemma ”Hanna”?
- The Chinese restaurant was called “Zufu” which translates to “paternal grandfather”
- It has been there since 1927, and the address was 72C
- The Frolic tattoo bodyguard fella is at Irving’s house, which is probably the whole purpose of the dinner.
- On Irving’s list of severed employees, there are certain letters underlined or boxed in. They are:
- A
- LA
- EN
- JO
- LA
- ST
- They might be nothing, but I jotted them down anyways.
- Burt worked at Lumen 20 years ago? Is it because his parter doesn’t understand who he actually is? Is his partner an actor?
- What does being “wintertide material” mean?
- Is it a school?
- A program?
- A break?
- AHHH, I need more episodes, please.
The Traitors – S3E8 (Peacock)
Welp, Danielle is the worst. I’m only continuing to watch because of Tom Sandoval and Gabby.
Here are my thoughts:
- Carolyn is a much smarter person than anyone else gives her credit for.
- Danielle is too scheme-y.
- I wish there were more non-reality TV folks on this show.
- Glad Gabby is safe and glad Gabby and Carolyn are together in the beginning.
- Love Carolyn’s high ponytail.
- TOM IS SAFE! YAY!
- I have so much sympathy for Tom Sandoval. I think he just wants to be a silly guy. (reminder: I know very little about his back story)
- Sam is gone and I am fine with this.
- Okay, yes on a Gabby and Tom team up.
- I might not even make it after this episode. Danielle is just not fun to watch.
- Human chess!
- The game inspo definitely feels Mole-ish every week.
- I probably say that every week.
- It feels clear to me that Carolyn cares about other people. I don’t get that same vibe from Danielle. It feels like very selfish gameplay.
- Pavarti! Kate!
- This is kind of fun. Like I always say, I like the games more than the drama.
- Dylan is brilliant. I like watching him play. He’s smart but not mean, and I appreciate that in a reality show contestant.
- Loving this moment between Carolyn and Dylan.
- Hate any moment with Danielle being a true trash person.
- “You Forrest Gump a lot.” I HATE Danielle.
- Goddamit Dylan, wtf.
- Danielle is the worst. If she wins, I will not watch this again. It’s already not gonna be much fun anymore.
- Her reaction is too much. Yech.
- Tom Sandoval to win it all, please.
- I’m mad at Dylan.
- Come on Tom, figure this out. Or Britney. And then immediately get out Danielle.
- I hate this timeline.
The White Lotus – S3E2 (MAX)
This one deserves it’s own post, so here it is. It won’t be live until later today, though.
Mythic Quest (S4E5)
We rewatched the murder mystery party episode before watching the new one. It’s so masterfully crafted. Upon a rewatch, I picked up on even more clues. This show is just so incredibly written.
The new episode is dealing with a huge swerve to the story: a pregnancy. It’s already refreshing to see how this show tackles it. First off – the pregnancy indicator was not a woman surprise throwing up… which is a step in the right direction.
High Potential (Hulu)
I think this is over for the season. The previous episode was the season finale, apparently. It was a solid episode to end on, but I wasn’t ready for it to end yet. Now it’s a long wait for season 2.
Abbott Elementary (Hulu)
Twas an off week and I missed my TV friends. They’re not done for the season, though.
Pop Culture Jeopardy (Amazon Prime)
I mean, Idk what else to say about this show. I’m watching it. I’m answering a lot of the questions and continually wondering who our third teammate will be.
We’re looking for someone skilled in music – especially what bands go with which artists, and sports, because this old Loney Island Song pretty much captures my sports knowledge.
Australian Survivor Season 12: Brains vs. Brawn 2 E1-3
Since Molls is no longer around to popcast with me about this show she got me hooked on, I dragged Logan into this mess.
Now we’re podcasting about it. Listen here.
Dimension 20: Fantasy High (Dropout TV)
I’m so hype for this show. I love everyone. I love how nice they are to each other and the NPCs they interact with.
Watching Dropout TV on the regular has done wonders for my mental health. You don’t realize how often you’re watching people being pure trash to each other until you’re not watching it as much.
Don’t get me wrong, I still love to watch people I don’t know being mean to each other. It gives me insight. However, I have been making a point to balance it out with more good than bad.
Make Some Noise (Dropout TV)
The episodes for D20 can get very long, so sometimes at the end of the night when we finish one, we’ll pop on a random episode of Make Some Noise – with a hand selected cast.
My favorite thus far has been the Evelyn Tucci lore from Vic Michaelis.
Other
Independent Spirit Awards
I voted in these! Let’s see how I did. Not great, Bob.
However, Flow won “Best International Feature” in a surprise upset and I was THRILLED.
Did you watch Flow yet? It’s on Max! I gotta get my Capybara’s lil awards since they are winners now!
Here are some of my favorite fashion moments from the show (also Gints, because I was so happy for his win!):
