I was so sure that other couple was sent there to kill them
Fuck this episode for making me rewind to check her hand and then not showing both her hands.
Okay so let's talk about episodes 5 and 6.
Ron Pearlmen was an utter delight. I can't not say that. He always is. Just is. Even here in this lackluster role. That said the second half of the season is a noticeable upswing. I really like even this episode and what it's doing character-wise. Plot-wise it was nonsense but it's not like it's going anywhere anyway at least now I'm starting to enjoy the ride. The interplay between our leads is interesting even if the again the fact that they are spies is not. What I find fascinating is that there's more narrative flow and consistency in the titles and descriptions than there is in the show. It's like they prepared the show with the titles and synopsis long before they started filming. Because this
Couples Therapy (Naked & Afraid) - Oh, John. Oh, Jane. Our pair have been oh so bad at sharing and caring. Time to call in help -- John and Jane, get ready for: COUPLES THERAPY, what a gas!
Is an entire different level than what even this episode is. This is fun and goofy and comical in a way that not even at it's best the show is. Maybe on a scene by scene basis you might find something worthy of the type of gassing in the title/synopsis but most of it is very different. It's lazier, more laid back, less invested. Which to say yet again I don't put on Maya and Donald. They're solid but the writing and directing just don't care. It's weird to look at this show and say "Well at least True Lies the TV Show tried." I mean the True Lies show bombed like 70-80% of it's run time but at least they were going for something. The jokes were sometimes dumb but they came (a little too) consistently.
As for episode 6? Well honestly it's my favorite episode so far. It's fun in a way that few episodes have been until now. Holy snap it just occurred to me. Part of it is the missing intrigue. As I've said before this is a show with zero guile. I mean they're spies but spies in this world is a gig job. Anyone signs up anyone gets in and the AI runs you like an uber app. It's dumb and boring and uninteresting. But here... here they have to lie. They have to explain translate and keep things up in front of a therapist who, imo, Sarah Paulson made utterly adorable "Yeah! Whatever DID happen to Mya?" I died. She was hilarious. It's amazing how just getting the formula right finally lets everything shine. The spycraft is minimized but it doesn't matter because I'm having a ball watching Maya and Donald rehash their relationship. A relationship I actually care about this episode. "The therapist episode" shows the potential of this series.
Who else skipped back to check the hands ?
The penultimate episode sees multiple storylines converging towards what promises to be a big finale. As the ghosts prepare to meet in Los Angeles, everyone seems to be plotting their own outcomes for the big meeting but hell breaks loose when the Boxers and the feds all show up at the same time. Not surprising at this point to see who's crossing whom and keeping secrets from others. June finally gets her revenge by killing Grace. The Sun family escapes but now Charles is given an impossible task: to kill his brother because Eileen betrayed Big Sun.
Social experimentation... Humans like rats in a maze... Evil corporation bent on world domination (maybe)... Mmm, pizza! Me likey!
The Energy Vampire High Council is hilarious.
Was another fine hilarious season we should be grateful we got. Laughs in every scene, every episode, a solid plot arc, conflict. These comments however are absolutely insufferable. Bunch of energy vampires up in here! You make Colin Ferguson proud.
I was shocked at how good this season was. The beginning had some clarity problems and was kinda hard to follow, but they did an excellent job overall.
I know people have a gut instinct to hate anything Marvel puts out anymore, but this is genuinely the best thing they've made since Endgame. So much excitement and mystery with an amazing plot, and great effects.
I see what you're doing, show. Having Loki become a master of time travel who turns toward the camera while emphasizing the line "it's WHO". I see, and I am amused. I like how this not only explores who our main cast were before their lives in the TVA, but it's a meta examination of how you can't just recapture the allure of the past without it literally unraveling, and also how the absurd impossibility of fiction is just as essential to science fiction as the science. A really inventive and rich episode. And so many jet skis.
If you stay to the end, you'll understand this comment. It needed to start with the way it finished, and it would've been a 10. I'm saying 9.5 but can only give it a 9.
The main issue is unless something is wrong with you, like you're a total racist sh1tbag, you're going to walk away from the movie feeling disgusted on so many levels. I felt like we, as in Americans, have so much to atone for, and even more disgusted by half of a "white America" that all thinks sweeping this kind of garbage under the rug is the way to handle it. This garbage happened because "white America" never wants to take responsibility for the hate we have allowed.
The film is spectacular in the settings chosen, but also loved how Scorsese invoked that Orson Wells camera views to illustrate some of the later scenes better. Very Citizen Kane-esque. Just fantastic cast, acting, directing, costumes.
But WARNING. you will have a feeling of filth of what these men did. The raping of these people's wealth is just one of many disgusting parts of American history that we can only atone for by acknowledging it happened and never allowing it to happen again.
This has everyone involved play to their strengths. It's another tale of Scorsese deconstructing the myth of the American dream, but with a thematic approach I found quite refreshing for him. The way that the film tackles racism, and how it's tied to issues of money, power, greed, trust and systemic injustice, feels authentic and well constructed. It's a movie that's unsettling and will leave a mark on your brain emotionally, you should know that going in. De Niro has a lot of fun playing a sinister crime boss with a wholesome facade, it's a performance that could be compared to Giancarlo Esposito in Breaking Bad. DiCaprio is always at his best when playing a pathetic dumbass, and he also shines here. It almost feels like he's in Tarantino mode, it's not similar to any of the previous work he's done with Scorsese. Yet, despite both of Scorsese's go-to actors having prominent roles here, it's actually Lily Gladstone who ends up delivering the most emotional, subtle performance. Technically the movie is pretty much flawless. The production design, lighting, cinematography and score are all immaculate, and despite the long running time, Thelma Schoonmaker’s editing kept me engaged for the entire runtime. However, the pacing is still somewhat of an issue. As Scorsese has matured as a filmmaker, the choices he's making are becoming more and more understated. The tracking shots and montages are still here, but they're less energetic and he's relying more on pauses instead. There's nothing wrong with that, given that the substance carries the movie, but with a movie this long I want a little more pop. There's one scene involving fire that'll stay with me, as well as another couple of haunting moments, but besides that he's not turning up the intensity too much. It would've been nice if the movie ended with an extended courtroom scene where all the actors get to really show off with some incredible dialogue, for example. This movie still ends in a pretty weird way, having some creative use of what are essentially ending title cards, but it involves a major tonal shift that didn't work for me. Finally, I thought Brendan Fraser's performance was flat out bad, showing up for a small part and overacting every line. All in all, while I do recommend this movie, I don't think it's a masterpiece. Martin 'this is cinema' Scorsese would probably hate me for saying this, but given the pacing issues, there's an argument to be made it would've worked better as a miniseries.
7/10
I began watching this show and before I had even noticed, I had watched four episodes in a row! I love it when shows do that to you; when they just grab you and won't let go and, hoo-boy, this one definitely does that!
A darker take on the classic children's tale! Guillermo del Toro nails this adaptation and the animation is gorgeous. If you appreciate animation, you owe it to yourself to watch this, it is "free" on Netflix after all.
Rating: 4/5 - 8.5/10 - Would Recommend
Best episode so far had so many feels
Noo, Max didn't have to die
Big Sun sends killers after Bruce who then goes against his father himself but not to kill him, merely to put an end to the fighting that would leave Charles and Eileen alone. Alexis gets a big win for her case. Charles and Eileen plan to go back to Taiwan to repair the damage done on the triads. Bruce is left back in Los Angeles to continue his studies and stay out of trouble. A solid season finale that wraps up most storylines leaving some open for a potential second season which I hope comes some day. Michelle Yeoh finally gets her own fight scene too which was fun to see after her Oscar winning performance in "Everything Everywhere All at Once." Overall a great first season with great acting, writing, action scenes and set designs, "The Brothers Sun" is a show not to miss for the start of the 2024.
The identity of the Rolodex has been revealed. As Mrs. Sun attempts to follow a lead, she's taken hostage and eventually saved by Bruce and the aunties? Yep, you read that right! Bruce unintentionally gets violent in the funniest way. Sadly Charles sleeps with someone who ends up double-crossing him. Kind of saw that coming but still upset that it happened. RIP Blood Boots. :(
Not blood boots!!! I was so saddened by his death, he was the first to support Bruce's improv
A fun pilot episode with the right pacing to establish the setting and characters for what promises to be a good story of worlds colliding. Some good action and fight scenes and smart dialogue to balance comedy and drama together. It's clear the attention to detail with small moments like not wearing shoes in the house as seen by the two brothers.
Amazing first season. Allegorical presentation of modern corporate life, where a total separation of personal and professional life is required. A Utopia where corporate figures emerge as religious figures, and the rewarding of those who show blind faith in all their decisions. A good dose of retro meets sci-fi. Brilliant acting. What is not to like? Looking forward to season 2
Beautiful television. I rarely enjoy tv series, especially with the onslaught of Netflix and Amazon crap. I enjoyed Stranger Things and Black Mirror… But this, a thing of beauty. Brilliant story, great acting, beautiful cinematography, well crafted. It’s similar in a fashion to Westworld, only far less convoluted and way more intriguing. Hats off to Ben Stiller!
Patricia Arquette does not fking miss.
Between this and Escape at Dannemora and The Act, Patricia is blessing us with a Patricia Arquette TV Renaissance we just don't know it
Marvelous series. It reminded me a lot of Devs, but with more of a bite of human depersonalisation, and the cult as corporate. The human being is a collective of many, and individuality is a construct of the moment seems to be the message. Taut and rather sophisticated, and despite its leap of faith, rewarding to watch. May make you reassess your work-life balance, and even the notion of that 8hrs labour, 8 hours rest, 8 hours recreation. Or all three of those personality domains. 9/10
A superbly written TV series, actors capable of impeccably interpreting the personalities of the "insides" and "outsiders". The show, thanks to the dystopian reality it narrates, manages to highlight in a profound, intense and at the same time disturbing way the duality between work and private life. I don't say anything else, enjoy the show.
Mind f* and retro-modern techno wierd. Exactly how I like it
This show is fantastic. Severance is a narrative of how we live our lives constantly battling between work and life and what that balance should look like. It uses a unique science fiction storyline to dive deeper into that imaginative idea while using what some may perceive as mundane, but who are very realistic characters. This show does a great job at marrying reality with impossibility, which is what the best sci-fi books, films, and shows do. The actors are all great (Especially Adam Scott) and anyone who truly appreciates the art of acting and directing, or film in general, will truly appreciate this show.
Listen, Not every show or movie is for every person. But the people who are giving it one star are stuck in TikTok reality where their attention span is limited to less than 10 seconds. That’s not real life. This show is closer to real-life in an office than it is to TikTok (unless of course, you’re an “influencer”). Not every show or movie needs to have someone blow up or die in the first 5 minutes. And the ones giving this show a low rating because of characters have no understanding of the development of plots through the evolution and growth of characters throughout a storyline. And those who don’t like the actors don’t know good acting.
This is a psychological thriller because it makes you think, as long as you have that capability. Take a break from your phones, relax, and enjoy this unique show that tells a story, that has build-up, anticipation, and allows you to be excited about the small details that occur because you know eventually it will lead to crazier stuff. And allow yourself to actually use your imagination to contemplate this crazy alternate reality and your mind wander. You’ll likely enjoy it.
This show needs a warning. I keep eating while watching it and I almost choke to death every time.
This time was Nadja saying "Why don't you write him a suicide letter? (in the most caring and loving way)"
An episode where John Slattery played himself with references to both Mad Men and The Good Fight is an episode after my own heart, and that's just the secondary storyline. The main one with the moving-forward arc plot where they get Guillermo high, and he and Nadja protecting each other? This season has been so good.
