(A Selection of Many, Many)
Reviews
The Bear, Season 1
“From the performances to the directing, to the steady pacing of the episodes (eight in total), there’s a thoughtfulness to “The Bear” that keeps it from sinking into the pit of self-pity that keeps tempting everyone who walks through the kitchen door … what could easily tilt into cliché instead becomes a character study of people on the brink of triumph or ruin — whichever comes first.”
[Full review here.]
Fleabag, Season 2
“Fleabag exhales at the camera, knowing that this last pathetic blow just nullified every other withering thing she said. It’s a perfect example of how Fleabag can shine when she’s equally frustrated and amused, a signature combination that keeps the fourth wall breaks from becoming too weighty — and makes the times when she does need to make urgent, pained eye contact even more impactful.”
[Full review here.]
The White Lotus, Season 2
“As meticulously designed by television puppet-master Mike White, “The White Lotus” is the archetypal gilded cage, luring the rich and ambitious to its shores, only to dash them against the rocks with ruthless ease.”
[Full review here.]
Andor
“There is, of course, every chance that Andor will become as much a part of the Star Wars movies as its other Disney+ TV counterparts deeper into its 12-episode season. What should still set it apart even then are how Tony Gilroy’s clever scripts and Toby Haynes’ assured directing come together to build senses of place, character, and social order like few other recent (live action) Star Wars iterations.”
[Full review here.]
Wednesday
“Despite Jenna Ortega’s fantastic performance and Tim Burton’s active involvement, Wednesday as a whole never really captures what made The Addams Family so viscerally strange (nor is it half as visually striking). It does, however, get what makes a teen Netflix show tick.”
[Full review here.]
Bad Sisters
“It’s to the show’s credit that it almost doesn’t matter who actually did the [murder]. What matters is the story of a family trying to save one of their own from spiritual annihilation, and the lengths people will go to in order to keep each other safe.”
[Full review here.]