Hello: I wanted to provide a friendly warning. This blog gets sad. It involves (real life not tv) death, so proceed with caution. (it is not a family member, but someone who might as well have been one.)
Television
The Simpsons (Disney +)
Watching this show is really driving home how much of men’s anger is accepted and how little of women’s is. Homer and Bart can explode and express their anger in various ways before someone stops them. Normally, this is done with a look and nothing more.
When Lisa or Marge starts to show a bit of frustration, someone starts to let their annoyance be known loudly. The girls never get to express their anger fully. The boys feel this suppression in the guilt they are made to feel for their outbursts. The girls are jealous of the boys’ ability and freedom to do that, so they take that out on them in the form of guilt.
Or else, that’s what I see because that’s what my mom did, and that’s what her mom did, and that’s what I thought I had to do.
The Simpsons got me thinking deep, man.
Somebody Somewhere (MAX)
The sister relationship on this show feels so real. So full of love and complicated conflict and sideways support.
All of the relationships feel real. This show makes me want to go explore the tiny towns of Kansas.
I am worried about Sam’s drinking in this season, but I think that’s the point.
I love the Iceland fella.
Also, you have to go through some hard stuff to get to the big joy in each of these seasons and I think that is indicative of real life.
Shrinking (AppleTV+)
I am so glad I watched the first season of this show because it gave me a gift I’ll be using the next few months.
I won’t get the quote correct because I’m not actively watching now, but I’ll summarize.
Paul (Harrison Ford) suggests that Jimmy (Jason Segel) schedule his grieving. “Just put on the saddest song you can think of, set a timer for 15 minutes, and grieve as hard as you can. When the timer stops, turn off the music, wipe your tears, and conquer the rest of your day.”
The rest of the show was great, but that advice is gonna get me through.
I watched this week’s new episode on the same day I received some bad news and I don’t remember one bit about it. I guess I’ll have to rewatch it again. Oh noooo (lol.)
High Potential (ABC or Paramount +)
Favorite episode thus far in the series. Again, the guest star was a low-key banger who knocked it out of the park.
The characters have really found their footing, and I’m truly enjoying this
Abbott Elementary (ABC / Hulu)
I loved Janine and Gergory’s couple’s costume!!! He, in particular, knocked it out of the park.
I think these Halloween episodes are some of the best since Community.
These people make me happy.
Especially Mr. Johnson. And Ava, of course.
SNL (Peacock)
It was not the best episode of the season.
Jane Wickline is standing out to me as an early star of this year’s round of new featured players. Her bit on Weekend Update with Marcello Hernandez was A+.
Kamala in the intro was the best part.
Also, the Duane Reade musical was aces.
The Leftovers -S2E8: International Assassin (MAX)
This episode is a literal masterpiece.
I have been having dreams about toads lately, so I wanted to watch Dead Like Me. It is not streaming anywhere, so I cannot. I need to buy the DVD of this and other important shows, so I don’t lose access to them.
So, after I couldn’t watch Dead Like Me, my brain said the next best thing was this episode, so I watched it.
It’s a perfect episode of TV. I think it works as a standalone piece of art and can still be impactful. The full whomp of the impact from knowing the full story makes it even better though.
I cannot recommend anyone watch The Leftovers, though. It won’t work that way. I think it has to be casually discovered naturally.
Succession – S4E3: Connor’s Wedding (MAX)
So, I think I figured out why I was dreaming about toads so much lately. They represent death in Dead Like Me, and I found out one of my closest, longest friends passed away. One that will leave a huge hole in my heart and brain and many other places.
The day I learned this news, I just sat on the front porch for a couple of hours (listening to The Leftovers 1+2+3, of course). I thought about my friend and much much I was gonna miss her. This wasn’t one of those friends who I’ve known for over 25 years and only talk to occasionally, like every few months or years.
I’ve known her for 25 years, and we talk almost every day through text. She also got me through one of the hardest times of my life last year in a very special way. I really don’t know what I’ll do without her.
While I was sitting there, feeling my feelings, I also thought about what I should watch to help me process my emotions. I went through many options. My top contender was Midsommar, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to commit to a whole movie.
I went through all the usual TV suspects. Did I want wisdom through songs with Rachel Bloom and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend? Or did I need to sob for hours at the series finale of Six Feet Under?
Once I decided to go upstairs, I was 99% sure I’d be watching a few episodes of Ted Lasso to help me out.
Nope, I sat down, and my body knew exactly what to watch.
It worked in the weirdest way.
My brain is an odd one, and someone who understood it a lot is not around anymore, and that makes me sad.
Dead Like Me
Dead Like Me has been procured and, boy, is my brain happy about it.
I say I love other fictional males, like Lance from The Other Two and Becker from, uh, Becker, but my favorite will always be Mandy Patinkin’s Rube.
This show was DECADES ahead of its time. I don’t know if it’s because I love it so much, but it feels timeless, too.
It always works.
Australian TV (Or Dropout TV)
Australian Survivor Heroes vs. Villains
We are on a break, still. We’re back this week though, as an election night distraction. If you wanna watch with us, just look for Your Favorite Epsiode on Twitch.
Dirty Laundry (Dropout TV)
This one is fun.
What am I saying? All of the DropoutTV shows are fun.
Here is the description from the experts:
Host Lily Du gathers together four guests to tell secrets, guess who they belong to, and enjoy a few drinks.
Lily Du is the perfect host for this, and Grant O’Brien is a wonderful bartender.
I like watching these before going to sleep. It’s like hanging out with friends who love each other.
Movies
Sorry to Bother You
I was working on a proposal, so I wanted to watch something familiar, inspiring, and hype.
This always gets me going. You think it can’t get weirder… then it does!
Godzilla Minus One (Netflix)
This movie was good as fuck. I used to watch Godzilla movies when I was a kid.
I knew Mothra and friends.
So I figured that’s what I was in for here. It was so much more.
The music, for one, was perfect. It called back to older Godzilla movies and perfectly captured the moods of each season.
For two, I wasn’t expecting to CRY at a Godzilla movie, but here we are.
The Substance (Mubi)
I got a 7-day Mubi trial to watch this movie.
I’m glad I did. It was so weird. The story kept me guessing throughout the entire movie. It felt familiar but fresh. I could see the inspiration but not see where the filmmaker was taking it.
It felt like a piece of art more than any other movie has since Zola, which blew me out of the water with light and shot choices.
Same here. Immediately, I was drawn to the starkness of the shots and the use of sound.
Demi Moore was fantastic, but I think Margaret Qualley was better. She is such a talent. I think the first time I saw her was on The Leftovers and I’ve been loving her since.
There is a slim chance Demi Moore could get awards attention for this role and I’m here for it.
Oh, here is the description from the professionals, but I don’t think it does the movie itself justice:
Elisabeth Sparkle, renowned for an aerobics show, faces a devastating blow on her 50th birthday as her boss fires her. Amid her distress, a laboratory offers her a substance which promises to transform her into an enhanced version of herself.
Now, if you have a squeamish tummy, be warned. This movie is GROSS. There is a lot of weird body stuff and a metric fuck ton of needle scenes.
Somehow, though, the grossest scene in the movie involved Dennis Quaid.
I loved the energy of this movie and will be watching the director of Coralie Fargeat to see what she does next.
Late Night With the Devil (Hulu)
I low key boycotted watching this movie for a long time because I was butthurt that they used AI for graphics instead of hiring an artist.
I’m still mad about it, because there are so many artists out there that would have done this for so cheap. I could recommend, like, five offa the top of my head.
But I’m glad I watched this movie because it was exciting in a way I wasn’t expecting. It felt fresh and like a new idea… which there aren’t that many of in Hollywood these days.
All of the performances were stellar. The standout for me was Ingrid Torelli as Lilly.
I 100% would have told Molls to watch this one the instant we finished it so that we could talk about it.
