Television

Rating: 5+/5

My god. I cannot say enough how much I absolutely adore this show!

After the phenomenal first season of Only Murders in the Building, I didn’t think it could possibly get any better, but it’s Sophomore season has proved me very wrong. Never, in my entire life, has a show felt so impeccably tailored to my interests. It’s truly uncanny how much Only Murders checks off every entertainment box I have. Even my love for the X-Files comes into play this season. I can without question say that Only Murders in the Building is my favorite show to have come out within my lifetime, and maybe my favorite show of all; perhaps coming close second to I Love Lucy. It’s just absolutely spectacular.

What’s truly remarkable about Only Murders in the Building, is that it doesn’t let it’s concept get stale or completely out of the realm of possibility, which you’d think it easily could since the main characters are only podcasting about murders that take place in their fancy New York apartment building. With the second season comes a new murder, but it doesn’t feel like they’ve had to force the viewer to suspend belief that the tenants of The Arconia could be so unlucky as to have two separate murders take place so close to each other. It all makes sense and keeps you absolutely gripped to the story from start to finish. Every twist, every turn, every red herring; is all executed with sheer precision and mastery. There are scenes where, it could’ve been just a basic moment of someone trying to dig into their memories to recall what truly happened, but instead of just showing that concept, it’s stylized into these wonderfully artistic sequences that blur the lines between reality and fantasy. Watching this season it dawned on me, that were I ever talented enough to create a show, this is what I would’ve dreamt I could be even remotely capable of.

Only Murders in the Building thrives on its outstanding cast. Of course, you have the central three, Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez, all bringing their A games per usual. Both Steve Martin and Martin Short were nominated for Emmys this year for Season One, which they’re totally deserving of, but I’m genuinely upset that Selena Gomez didn’t get nominated as well. She is just as excellent in this show as they are, and I don’t see how she could’ve been looked over. Her character has an even bigger arc in Season Two, so perhaps next year she’ll get the nomination she so rightly deserves. She was always my favorite Disney channel star, so it’s really wonderful to see how much her acting has grown over time and how great she’s become. In additional to the main cast, Only Murders also possesses a treasure trove of character actors; bringing moments of absolute comedy gold, making me laugh out loud, which is something I very rarely do when watching comedies.

Every time I watch a whodunnit style show or movie, I always try to solve it before the end. With this season, I wasn’t quite as successful as the first, but I got about halfway there. I honestly love that I didn’t solve it. It meant that the show did its job at keeping the mystery alive and not revealing its hand too soon. Knowing that it has been picked up for season three is honestly some of the best news I’ve received all year. I just can’t express it enough. I. Love. This. Show!

Rating: 4.75/5

A little late to the party with my review, but I finally got a chance to watch this highly anticipated season and it was incredibly well worth the wait.

Whenever a new season of a favorite show of mine comes out, I typically like to rewatch all the prior seasons beforehand to really build up the excitement. I did this with Stranger Things, but timed it out poorly so I wasn’t ready for the season 4 release date. So I desperately dodged spoilers until I could finally sit down and take in the season for myself. I’m happy to say I managed to watch all seven episodes spoiler free, allowing me to fully experience every wave of emotion and heart racing moment that came with each episode.

I will say that for the first few episodes, I wasn’t entirely head over heals with the new season. I was definitely enjoying it a great deal, but the tone was so different from the prior seasons that it took me a little bit to really sink into the show. Because this season is exponentially darker than any of the previous ones, it almost seemed like some of the humor stuck out rather than blended in like it usually did. I’ll say it again, in no way did I dislike this season, it was just such a shift in dynamic that I needed more adjustment than I anticipated.

With all that being said, by the episode “Dear Billy” the season had captured every ounce of my attention, hook line and sinker. Like in seasons past, I again felt the familiar full body reactions to the events happening with my favorite characters, rewound scenes that were just too spectacular to be watched only once, and had the wonderful feeling of excitement knowing I could watch an episode once I got done with work for the day.

What really impressed me this season were the cinematic approaches to each episode and the evolution of Sadie Sink’s acting. There are a few scenes in Season 4 where it is done as a one take shot, which I’ve always found to be endlessly fascinating, knowing the insane amount of choreography involved. Also, each episode being over an hour allowed for the storyline to marinate until it’s volume one ending brought it all to a massively captivating finale. To speak on Sadie Sink’s performance, this season has really allowed her a spotlight unlike anything she had in prior episodes. Since being added to the show, Max has been an important character, but always played second fiddle to more prominent ones like Eleven or Dustin. This season, she is front and center and her talents as an incredibly gifted young actress are on full display.

As I’m writing this, I’ve already begun to rewatch this season. There are scenes I cannot wait to revisit and things I’m hoping to catch that I may have missed the first time around. Final statements? I cannot wait for Volume 2.

Rating: 5+/5

I. Love. This. Show

Few tv shows have felt so incredibly tailor made to my interests as Only Murders in the Building does. For one, I find myself having a lot in common with Selena Gomez’s character Mabel, what with the knitting, pension for old fashioned things and Hardy Boy sleuthing. But in addition to that, I have been a murder mystery fanatic for as long as I can remember. There are few things I love more than the ability to solve puzzles and riddles in order to find out whodunnit. When I heard there was going to be a show about a true crime podcast starring Selena Gomez, Martin Short, and Steve Martin, I knew I was going to like it, but I had no idea it would be this marvelous. When I sat down to watch the first episode, I was hooked within minutes. The introduction of the characters grabbed my interest, but the design and score of the opening title sequence instantly cemented my thoughts on how much I was going to enjoy this.

It’s been a very long time since I’ve had a show I was watching where I was anxiously counting down the minutes at work until I could sit down and watch an episode. In fact, the last time I felt as excited to watch an episode of a show, I may have been counting down the minutes for school to get out. For Only Murders in the Building, as intrigued as I was to watch it, I didn’t start it the moment it hit Hulu. I waited awhile until more episodes could accrue. I was that certain I was going to love it that I knew I wouldn’t want to wait for a week between episodes. My plan worked, but I was caught up before the final episode dropped, and I had to wait. Luckily that wait was only 24 hours, but what a long 24 hours it was. I’m writing this review mere moments after finishing the season finale and I’ve already gone back to restart the whole show from the top.

Only Murders in the Building works remarkably well on so many levels. The comedy is exactly my sense of humor, the acting is superb, and the mystery constantly keeps you on your toes and engaged. With any story like this, I’m always trying to solve it before the end. I had a hunch about the murder early on, which did pan out to be right, but it never felt blatantly obvious. It had me second guessing myself along the way, as any mystery worth its salt should.

Only Murders in the Building isn’t just a fun show about an unexpected group of friends solving a mystery; it’s that and so much more. Each episode finds a way to breathe new elements of creativity into its scenes. Not just telling the story from A to Z, but infusing unique aspects into the narrative along the way. I cannot rave about this show enough. If you haven’t watched it, do yourself a favor and drop whatever you’re doing and sit down and start episode one. You won’t be sorry.

Rating: 5/5

Few shows have roped me in as quickly as Mare of Easttown. I was late to the party when it came to finally watching, but I’m so glad I arrived.

I finished the series the other night, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since. It was one of those shows where I couldn’t wait to be done with work so I could watch an episode, and that wonderful phenomenon hasn’t happened to me in quite a long time.

What makes Mare of Easttown so mesmerizing? Well for one, the story is perfectly paced at a slow burn when needed, but then knows how to kick it into gear so you’re anxiously awaiting to see what happens next. On certain episodes, I could actually feel my heart start racing, because I genuinely wasn’t sure what was going to happen or how it would impact the next step of the seven episode plot.

As one would expect, Kate Winslet is great. She rarely isn’t. Her character is balancing a very delicate line between work and home struggles, and not being incredibly successful in either endeavor. She’s an outwardly flawed character, but you still find yourself empathizing with her as her tragic backstory begins to unfold and as the series' plot points begin to intensify.

As fantastic as Winslet is in the title role, it was Jean Smart that absolutely stole the spot of my favorite performance in the show. Her character is quick-witted and sarcastic, but also incredibly compassionate at the same time. She doesn’t pull her punches and doesn’t hide her opinions, but she’s there for the people who need her. For an overall very heavy and dark show, Jean Smart brought numerous moments of levity and made me audibly laugh at many of her line deliveries. If there’s anyone I’m pulling for at the Emmys, it’s definitely her.

If I’d allowed myself, I could’ve easily sat down and watched the entire series in one day, but I enforced a viewing pace. Though, that didn’t apply to the last two episodes because I had to watch those back to back. Mare of Easttown is excellent. Without question one of the best limited series I’ve watched in awhile.

Rating: 5/5

*Spoilers Ahead*

Overall, WandaVision is one of my favorite things that Marvel has done.

I grew up obsessed with classic sitcoms. I watched I Love Lucy from the moment I was old enough to comprehend what a tv was. When I saw the first trailers for WandaVision and saw the obvious nods to those classic shows that I adored, to say I was excited would've been a massive understatement.

Not only did WandaVision touch base on classic sitcom tropes throughout its episodes, but its attention to detail was absolutely impeccable. I have seen so many shows that have a fun, one off episode where the characters are mimicking I Love Lucy or Bewitched, but they rarely can get the true feel that comes along with those iconic pieces of television. WandaVision hit the nail on the head with every decade it tackled. In the '50s, the lighting, plot, commercial, clothing, and tone were absolutely spot on, and that episode set a precedent for the rest of the series. As eager as I was to find out what was going to happen with Wanda and Vision in the next episode, I was honestly even more excited to see what they'd do with the next theme song and episode style. WandaVision was incredibly creative and unlike anything I'd seen before.

I'd always been a fan of Wanda ever since she entered the MCU, but she'd never been a main player until now. She'd certainly been very important in other films, but given that she had never had her own origin story movie, she was never one of of the people who'd have their heads among the largest on the posters. After WandaVision, that's obviously going to change.

With the show tackling so many decades, the actors had an immense challenge of mirroring their character and performance styles as they shifted throughout the decades, and each actor rose the challenge 100%. Kathryn Hahn, Elizabeth Olsen, and Paul Bettany certainly brought their A games with them when they began filming the show.

The only true negative I could say towards WandaVision was that I found the end to be a tad anticlimactic. Marvel is commonly called out for having a villain problem, and normally I don't really see it, but I did a bit here. The villain reveal was absolutely phenomenal, and Agatha All Along has been stuck in my head ever since that episode hit Disney+, but once it was announced that Agatha had been the true mastermind behind all the problems in Westview, I felt all of her battles and villainy just couldn't hold up to the 40 seconds of sheer brilliance that was her big debut. But even with that being said, I still give this show five stars, because I absolutely adore everything that came before it.

Aside from the big battle, the ending of the series admittedly did make me tear up, and I am incredibly eager to see what is in store for Wanda now that she has fully become the Scarlet Witch. It is so wonderful to have new Marvel releases again!

Rating: 5+/5

A character adapted countless times over, Sherlock Holmes finds himself in the 21st century, in what may be one of the best renditions of the famous detective there's ever been.

Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch), though quite irksome to many, is a highly intelligent, fairly arrogant, and very unconventional self-employed detective. On occasion, he is called in by Scotland Yard to assist in cases too complicated for them to solve. With the help of his newly acquired roommate and colleague, Dr. John Watson (Martin Freeman), Sherlock will use his dazzling intellect and deductive skills to crack the seemingly impossible cases that cross his path.

As I write this review for the first season of this remarkable show, it is not the first time I've completed all three episodes, it's at least the third or fourth time I've sat down to watch the series. However, each time it just seems to get better and better. Of course, the first time you get to witness Benedict Cumberbatch's absolutely stellar take on Sherlock Holmes is fantastic, but when you see it the second or third time around, you get to observe it even more and take in every phenomenal aspect of it. Adapting such a beloved character into a whole new time period takes guts and an incredible amount of skill, and Cumberbatch exhibits both. He keeps the same nuances one would expect with the character, the conceit, the unparalleled attention to detail, and the lack of regard for human emotion, but makes it completely believable that this character, one that was created over a hundred years ago, could live in today's world.

With every episode of Sherlock being the length of a full feature film, I could easily have written individual reviews for each episode, but thought it better to consolidate all three into one piece of writing. When you look at each 90 minute installment to the season, all have their own strengths. The first episode thrusts you into this freshly adapted 221b Baker Street, introducing you to the familiar characters in their new environment, and bringing you a highly captivating story involving serial murders being masked as suicides. The second episode, though very, very good in its own right, is not what I'd consider to be my favorite of the first season, though it does have a spectacular last twenty minutes. It is the final episode that is without a doubt the crown jewel of the first series. The plot alone makes it the best of the three, but it is the portrayal of the famous Sherlock Holmes villain, Moriarty, that makes this episode such a triumph.

Whenever I think about performances, in either film or television, that have left a lasting impression on me, Andrew Scott as Moriarty immediately comes to mind. I cannot think of a time where I've seen such a unique take on a character. One where each letter in every word he speaks has the care and thought behind it one would expect to find in a song or poem. You know immediately not to trust him, yet you can't help but be completely enthralled by every word that leaves his lips. I've never seen an actor do what Scott did with his character, and it is a performance that should be heralded as one of the greatest villain portrayals of all time.

I've loved any story involving the famed detective ever since I was little, and I remember being really excited when this series came out and being even more ecstatic when I watched it and discovered what a brilliant job it did at telling each case. This current age of entertainment has brought some truly exceptional shows to the small screen, and Sherlock is without a doubt one of the best. Whether it be the way they portray Sherlock's thought process or the dry humor found in between the mystery, every inch of it is perfect.

Rating: 4.75/5

A must watch for all fans of musical theater, Encore! is a heartwarming good time.

Kristen Bell brings to Disney+ a wonderfully unique series devoted to the love for performing, musicals, and reconnection. Each episode sees a group of former high school cast mates, getting back together for six days to rehearse and then do a one night encore performance of the show they performed in high school. Some episodes are with a cast of still semi-recent high school grads, in their late 20s and early 30s. Others have people who are reuniting after performing their show almost 40 years prior. Every episode brings these people together, not just to take the stage once again, but to reconnect with the camaraderie that comes along with being in a cast and maybe even finding the love for performing they'd thought they'd lost.

When I got Disney+ awhile back, I remember seeing this show advertised on it and being really excited about the concept and by the fact that it involved Kristen Bell, because I have a tendency to love most of the work she does. For some reason, though I was looking forward to watching this, it somehow found its way to the back burner and it wasn't until just recently that I discovered it again, and boy am I glad I did. This show was the perfect music and cheer filled antidote to an otherwise gloomy time.

What I really love about this show, is that the episodes aren't intended to showcase what marvelous performers everyone in the casts are, it's just meant to exhibit how, no matter the skill level, anyone can do theater and have a great time doing it. It also shows how difficult it can be to make a show look easy. Some episodes, the cast seemed to be able to pick up right where they left off years ago, but others seemed to take awhile to get their performance legs back, and that's what's so wonderful about Encore!; for the most part, it seems very real and has only few moments where it appears anyone is playing to the camera. It does happen every so often on a few episodes, but 95% of the time, it appears genuine. This is especially clear when the cast does their performances and you see their families' reactions in the audience. That's easily one of the best parts of the entire show.

I am a musical theatre nerd, and have been for as long as I can remember, but haven't had a chance to perform in quite some time. Nothing has made me have the urge to get back on the stage more than this show has. It reminded me of everything I loved about being in the musicals I've been lucky enough to participate in. During some of the episodes, I found myself singing along to the songs if I knew the show and reminiscing about my own time being in a high school cast. Encore! is uplifting and all around just really enjoyable.

Encore! is a show where you do not need to watch it from beginning to end. You can easily jump around and pick witch episodes you want to watch first compared to others. My personal favorites are the "Sound of Music" and "Grease" episodes, but that's just me. If you have any interest in it at all, find an episode that focuses on a show you're familiar with and give it a shot, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Rating: 4.85/5

Cheer is a show that I had originally started to watch on a whim, but quickly turned into something I couldn't wait to get home from work for so I could continue the story.

In the small town of Corsicana, Texas, the cheering team from Navarro College is preparing their routine for the NCA Nationals in Daytona Beach. Their team has won numerous times before, but every season is a fresh start, and nothing is guaranteed. The docu-series follow the team on their journey to the competition, and highlights the struggles and triumphs of individual members of the squad along the way.

Cheerleading has always been something that has intrigued me, more so for the competitions rather than for the sideline activities at sporting events. For a very brief time period in my life, I was a cheerleader, and even though I never stuck with it, I still found myself defending the sport when people would say cheerleaders weren't "real athletes". Anyone who believes that, need only to watch five minutes of this series to be proved otherwise. The impeccable athleticism and skill involved in what this team does is absolutely astounding. It is insanely dangerous, and Cheer doesn't try to hide that concept whatsoever. With each attempted stunt they showed in the episodes, I found myself with sweaty palms, because I knew how the slightest misjudgment in someone's placement or distance could mean serious injury or even death for one of the members of the team.

When I saw the trailer for Cheer, I was mostly interested in watching it so I could see the routines, what I didn't expect was to be so completely invested in the lives and stories that unfolded throughout its six episodes. This series is fully inspirational, and it demonstrates how much one person or one activity can truly change the course of someone's life. Cheer spends much of its episodes chronicling the lives of a handful of the members of the Navarro Cheer Team, presenting the viewer with information about their childhoods and their time before moving to Corsicana. Many of them came from upbringings filled with loss and heartbreak, and in their interviews, those team members spoke of their need for a purpose and for someone to believe in them. That purpose was cheering, and for quite a few of them, the person who believed in them was the coach for Navarro, Monica Aldama. Her tough, no nonsense exterior may seem at first as if she may not be the most empathetic person, but her fierce devotion and caring for her athletes is undeniably what makes the team and the series so great.

For some inexplicable reason, I have always been a little embarrassed of my short stint as a cheerleader. Many times when I mention it, people give me a look filled with befuddlement and sometimes even judgement. They tell me I don't have the personality of someone who used to be a cheerleader, or I don't really look the type. People with that mindset need to take the time to watch Cheer, because it will prove to them that there isn't one type of person who can belong to this sport, and that it is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. I know I have recommended this series to numerous people since I first watched it, and I already can't wait to view it all over again.

Rating: 4.95/5

I’ve just finished the third season of The Marvelous Mrs.Maisel and the instant I finished the final episode, I went right back to the beginning to watch it again.

The Marvelous Mrs.Maisel is a show that I feel is tailor made for me. I have always been immediately drawn to the 50s, and I’ve rewatched Gilmore Girls more times than I can recall, and Maisel is the perfect marriage of those two things, with impeccable style and cinematography added into the mix. This show is like a symphony. Each moment is orchestrated with intense precision and timing, making everything about the show blend and work together in bright colored harmony.

I have never been someone who frequently got so invested into shows or movies that I yelled at my tv, got uncomfortable, or even laughed out loud at what I was watching. I’ve always been more the silent enjoyer, loving what I’m viewing, but keeping it to myself for the most part. With Maisel all that goes out the window. I have never had a show make me giggle as much or get as anxious as this one does. This show is built around the concept of unpredictability in a world filled with expected behaviors. You never fully know what Midge is going to say when she’s on the stage or what will happen to her once she walks off it, and I find that my heart actually begins to race as she begins each set. This is a completely new phenomenon to me, and I feel it speaks multitudes to the power this show has on its audience. I care so much about the characters, the concept that they are fictional completely vacates my mind the moment the first scene of every episode begins.

For season 3, I could hardly stand to wait for it to come out, and I repeatedly rewatched seasons 1 and 2 in anticipation of its arrival. Once it finally made its debut, I vowed to pace myself so I could savor it, but one lazy Sunday and 6 episodes later, that didn’t happen. I just couldn’t help myself. Season 3 is quite different from its two predecessors in many ways. Its social commentary isn’t as subtle, but the show does breach a new decade with this season, so it’s not completely unwarranted. There’s a higher mix of emotion to comedy, as Midge’s life , as well as her family’s, has become even more complicated than before. Though I wish there was slightly less footage of Shy Baldwin’s performances, I found season 3 to be full of high energy and absolutely stunning to watch from beginning to end.

As I have already begun my rewatch, I find myself immensely looking forward to revisiting all of this season again. Now that I know what happens, I feel I can relax a little and hopefully take in things I may have missed before. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is perhaps my favorite show I’ve seen so far in my lifetime, and I cannot wait see what the next season will have in store.

Rating: 5+/5

It is rare that I watch a series, no matter the length, and then as soon as I have finished it, want to go back to the beginning and start all over again. This particular phenomenon happened the moment I completed the final episode of American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson.

I was quite young when this historic trial took place, so watching this show was really my first official introduction to the mayhem that was caused by the case. As each episode progressed, I found myself falling deeper and deeper into the fascination that comes along with being immersed with the media frenzy of the trial. I could hardly wrap my head around all the different narratives that were being told by the defense, and how people could be so blind to the hard facts that were being laid out before them by the prosecution. I had always heard about the O.J. trial being a circus, but it wasn't until watching this that I fully understood how true those words were.

Other than the trial itself, what was so impressive with this series was the performances of all the actors portraying the real people that were involved. The scenes were so well done, that I found myself going back and rewatching many parts of it, just so I could see the brilliant exchanges between the actors once again. Every person in this was fantastic, even John Travolta, who I'd originally had some doubts about. It was Sarah Paulson, who played Marcia Clark, that I felt completely stole the show. I had heard countless praises being mentioned about her performance, but actually seeing it far exceeded any expectation I had going into the series. Her portrayal of Clark's struggles throughout the trial were so raw and believable, that many of her scenes of torment continuously bothered me for days after watching it. I felt so awful for the way Marcia Clark was treated during the seemingly endless days in the courtroom, and Paulson's heavily emotional performance still continues to linger in my mind to this day.

The People vs. O.J. Simpson has been out for years now, and yet for some reason I waited until just recently to finally watch it. I can't think of many times where I have gone through a show as quickly as I did this one. I was so enthralled with it, that I actually I almost began tricking myself into thinking I didn't know the verdict; the suspense created by the series was that realistic. Though I finished watching this less than two weeks ago, I am already eager to start it again, and I know I will be doing just that very soon.