Category: Watch

📺 Harry and Meghan: Royal Rebels | Lifetime

Watched Harry and Meghan: Royal Rebels from Lifetime
A look at the history and rules of British Royal Weddings and which traditions have been updated for the ceremony of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
A relatively straight up effort for the Lifetime network. It was nice to have a general theme of rebel to highlight the narrative thread of the piece, though several points they kept making were about how they weren’t rebels at all. It would have been nice to have more Harry history here to balance out the excess of Meghan presented, particularly in relation to the several other shows that are almost equivalent to this one.

📺 Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance | Lifetime

Watched Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance from Lifetime
Directed by Menhaj Huda. With Parisa Fitz-Henley, Laura Mitchell, Melanie Nicholls-King, Burgess Abernethy. The meeting and courtship of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Dear God, what have I done. This was about as dreadful as I should have expected. The casting of the likenesses was dreadful, though the actress portraying Meghan had her personality and sound down relatively well. The Britishness was dreadful… Lifetime’s other offerings in advance of the royal wedding are much better than this.

Synopsis: Like I’ve said three times already: dreadful, dreadful, dreadful.

📺 The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) | Universal

Watched The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) from Universal
Directed by Paul Greengrass. With Matt Damon, Edgar Ramírez, Joan Allen, Julia Stiles. Jason Bourne dodges a ruthless CIA official and his agents from a new assassination program while searching for the origins of his life as a trained killer.
Watched on Netflix

📺 "The Big Bang Theory" The Bow Tie Asymmetry | CBS

Watched "The Big Bang Theory" The Bow Tie Asymmetry from CBS
Directed by Mark Cendrowski. With Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg. When Amy's parents and Sheldon's family arrive, everybody is focused to make sure all wedding arrangements go according to plan - everyone except the bride and groom.
Somehow I expected a little bit more, but entertaining none-the-less. Wil Wheaton got the shaft in the episode and somehow Barry managed to steal it right at the end.

📺 "Blue Bloods" My Aim Is True | CBS

Watched "Blue Bloods" My Aim Is True from CBS
Directed by David Barrett. With Bridget Moynahan, Will Estes, Len Cariou, Sami Gayle. Danny and Baez investigate a series of drive-by shootings they think may be connected to six wrongly convicted men who were just released from prison.
Spoilers coming for season finale:

This show seems to be slipping more and more. The A plot was alright, but they sweated out the “solution” for far too long and second guessed themselves beyond what was believable. Then proposal reveal at the end was a bit of a letdown after such a long build up. Why not propose on screen and make it more interesting? The “set another seat at the table piece” and the dry run at the “vows” made up for things a bit better, but I wonder if this couldn’t have been done with even more emotional impact somehow?

📺 Sneaky Pete (Season 2) | Amazon Prime

Watched Sneaky Pete (Season 2) from Amazon Prime
Over the past week and change, I’ve watched all of the 10 episodes of the second season. It wasn’t as solid as the first season and I saw several of the “surprises” coming from a mile away. Some of the plot pieces just seemed too convenient. There could have been some more drama here as well as some more interesting con-life material.

If the next season doesn’t step things up quick, I’m going to have to call it quits.

📺 “Modern Family” Ten Years Later | ABC

Watched "Modern Family" Ten Years Later from ABC
Directed by Fred Savage. With Ed O'Neill, Sofía Vergara, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell. Claire and Mitchell try to make up for less than enthusiastic support of Jay marrying Gloria 10 years ago by organizing an anniversary party for them. Phil discovers that he failed to become a magician decades earlier due to a betrayal.

📺 “Modern Family” Sex, Lies & Kickball | ABC

Watched "Modern Family" Sex, Lies & Kickball from ABC
Directed by John Riggi. With Ed O'Neill, Sofía Vergara, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell. Jay's best friend visits from Costa Rica but spends more time with Gloria. Alex wants to prove to Claire that her relationship with Ben is sexual.

📺 “Madam Secretary” The Things We Get to Say | CBS

Watched "Madam Secretary" The Things We Get to Say from CBS
Directed by Sunu Gonera. With Téa Leoni, Tim Daly, Keith Carradine, Patina Miller. Elizabeth must be careful of what she says and does while dealing with a refugee situation and being shadowed by a reporter.

📺 “Black-ish” Collateral Damage | ABC

Watched "Black-ish" Collateral Damage from ABC
Directed by Gail Lerner. With Anthony Anderson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Marcus Scribner, Miles Brown.
Another dark episode?! There was the potential for redemption at the end, but then it got even darker. If it doesn’t rebound soon, I’m giving up on the series.

📺 “Black-ish” Blue Valentime | ABC

Watched "Black-ish" Blue Valentime from ABC
Directed by Jonathan Groff. With Anthony Anderson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Marcus Scribner, Miles Brown. Tensions are high between Dre and Bow as their contractor arrives to remodel the kitchen, realizing they have grown apart. Dre reflects on the good times in his relationship with Bow.
Wow this went really dark and stayed there. Some interesting filmmaking technique here, but I come for the laughs with characters I know, so I’m not a big fan of where this is going.

📺 “Black-ish” Fifty-Three Percent | ABC

Watched "Black-ish" Fifty-Three Percent from ABC
Directed by Tracee Ellis Ross. With Anthony Anderson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Marcus Scribner, Miles Brown. Dre and Bow have been fighting more than usual, and they decide to go back to their therapist who suggests they make time for a date night.
An odd dark ending on this episode.

📺 “Blue Bloods” The Devil You Know | CBS

Watched "Blue Bloods" The Devil You Know from CBS
Directed by John Behring. With Donnie Wahlberg, Bridget Moynahan, Will Estes, Len Cariou. Frank locks horns with a data-tracking company when it refuses to unlock terrorist's phone that may hold information regarding upcoming targets; Erin obtains information about an impending murder from a shady source; a woman kidnaps a baby.
A ripped-from-the-headlines story about terrorism and cracking the security of a fictional Apple iPhone.

📺 “Hinterland” Devil’s Bridge – Part 2 | BBC

Watched "Hinterland" Devil's Bridge - Part 2 from BBC (Netflix)
Directed by Gareth Bryn. With Richard Harrington, Mali Harries, Alex Harries, Aneirin Hughes. The body of Idris Williams is discovered at a lonely farm. The investigation in to the death of the sixty-nine year old victim uncovers a brutal past.
Interesting, but not great. The characters aren’t as strong as in Shetland still. Not sure how long I can keep up with it unless the level comes up a bit.

📺 “Hinterland” Devil’s Bridge – Part 1 | BBC

Watched "Hinterland" Devil's Bridge - Part 1 from BBC (Netflix)
Directed by Marc Evans. With Richard Harrington, Mali Harries, Alex Harries, Hannah Daniel. On his first day on a new job DCI Tom Mathias investigates a blood soaked bathroom and the disappearance of 64 year old Helen Jenkins. The inquiry focuses on an old Children's home above the ravine spanned by the Devil's Bridge.
Watching this in hopes of it being in the vein of Shetland. The first episode isn’t bad. I liked the way the audience is led astray about the victim at first. The characters aren’t as strongly written or as solidly acted as in Shetland, but I’ll give it a go.