I tell you what…. Wednesday burns through plotlines faster than any show I think I have ever seen. I have no idea what the over arching storyline for the season actually is because things get wrapped up in an episode or two.
I was pretty sure that the mysterious patient was going to turn out to be Wednesday’s aunt Ophelia, but instead, she turned out to be Tyler’s mother… and Slurp (aka Isaac Night)’s sister.
Wednesday got a new spirit guide and it turned out to be Principal Larissa Weems. They made her Wednesday’s 13th cousin, twice removed. It is a neat way to include the character in the continued series.
The sixth episode found the series using the old Freaky Friday body switch, which has been done by nearly EVERY series like this. I did like the way that Wednesday and Enid had to learn about the other. The lack of connection between them this season is one of the biggest problems of the series. Thankfully, all that seems to be in the past as episode six wrapped up everything, especially the Enid is going to die plotline.
Enid is shown to be an Alpha and she kind of gained Wednesday’s respect.
It was sad to wish a fond farewell to Christopher Lloyd’s head as Professor Orloff was killed and eaten by Isaac Night.
Whereas I was a little own after last episode, “Meet Me in Daegu” was one of my favorite episodes of the series so far. We find ourselves in Korea in 1949.
I did not know what the character of Ji-Ah was involved in this story. I knew there was some kind of connection to Atticus, but I had no idea that Ji-Ah was possessed by a spirit known as a kumiho, a nine-tailed fox that can transform into a beautiful woman. To be fair, how could I have guessed?
The one issue I had was the subtitles for the Korean was written in a yellow color and it was difficult to read.
After that, I was enthralled by the relationship between Ji-Ah and Atticus. The complication of Atticus being involved in the torture and death of Ji-Ah’s best friend was an intriguing addition. Yet, I believed that they were able to overcome the hatred and the vengeance.
The idea of a kumiho is fascinating and the execution of the sex scenes and the kumiho was shocking and scary. When those tails go into the men’s eyes, I jumped a little.
I am curious to see how Ji-Ah fits into this story moving forward.
The first season of Dexter: Resurrection came to a close on Amazon Prime with an exceptional finale that was filled with tension and anxiousness and finished in an extremely satisfying way.
Dexter was trapped inside the serial killer vault at Prater’s home with the dead body of Batista on the floor. Prater trapped him inside and was going to leave him to die from lack of water. Dexter finds Batista’s phone in one of the episode’s contrivances. There were a few.
One that the episode kind of wrapped up was this. Dexter had seen the gun on the floor that Prater had used to kill Batista and he thought to himself that he must not get his fingerprints on the gun. However, it did not seem as if Dexter minded getting his fingerprints everywhere else in the room as he touched…. everything. At the end, it did show Dexter cleaning up after himself, but to think that he could get rid of every print is stretching it a bit. Still, at least he made the effort.
I like the fact that Charlie gets to leave with her ailing mother after basically making a deal with Dexter and Harrison (sort of).
Peter Dinklage is a superior actor and his performance as Leon Prater was top notch. He probably was the second best villain in Dexter history behind John Lithgow’s Trinity Killer. You could feel the desperation from Prater as he was wrapped up on Dexter’s table.
I think that we have finally put to bed the possibility that Blessing is the New York Ripper. That made me extra pleased. In fact, Dexter implied that Blessing is someone whom Dexter himself needs. Dexter took a turn to be more inclusive and less isolated. It sounded as if this was a new arc for everyone’s favorite serial killer.
I enjoyed every episode of the Dexter: Resurrection season and I hope that there will be another season down the road. I liked the tone and the intensity of the show and the budding relationship with Dexter and Harrison worked well.
What is supposed to be the final installment of the Conjuring franchise was released this weekend. This was the fourth Conjuring movie, but the Conjuring universe of movies included a total of nine when you add Annabelle and The Nun films.
According to IMDB, “Paranormal investigators, Ed & Lorraine Warren take on their most disturbing case to date. Jack & Janet Smurl and their family, move into a brand new home they’ve dreamed of, which turned into a nightmare as their home begins to show signs of demonic infestation.“
Ed & Lorraine Warren were real people and the films are listed as based on a true story. Of course, how much is “true” is anyone’s guess. This case with the Smurl family was apparently the final case for the Warrens.
Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga have become extremely comfortable in these roles over the years and they are most likely the strongest part of this film. They have great chemistry with one another and they do all the heavy lifting.
The first half of the movie was a touch dull and the second half did pick things up. I thought the third act of the movie was satisfying and intense. The first half did drag a bit. I think there were parts of that first half of the movie that could have been trimmed to bring the run time of this movie down from its 135 minutes and would have helped the film overall.
There also felt as if there were too many things wrapped into the film. I’m not sure the overall tale of the haunted house needed to be as convoluted as it was.
The Conjuring movies have slipped in quality over the years, but it still does some things very well and it gives us a wrap up for the franchise that is satisfying.
The end of the Civil War was near When quite accidentally A hero who sneezed, abruptly seized Retreat and reversed it to victory
His Medal of Honor pleased and thrilled His proud little family group While pinning it on, some blood was spilled And so it was planned he’d command F Troop
Where Indian fights are colorful sights And nobody takes a lickin’ When paleface and redskin Both turn chicken
When drilling and fighting get them down They know their morale can’t droop As long as they all relax in town Before they resume with a bang and a boom, F Troop
The theme song of this show stuck with me to this very day. A great theme song should not be underestimated in helping to create a great show. F Troop was silliness, slapstick and dumb fun that I loved.
Starring Ken Berry, Forrest Tucker, Larry Storch, Melody Patterson, James Hampton and Frank de Kova, F Troop had 65 total episodes over two seasons. The first season was in black and white and the next season was in color.
The iconic war show on HBO was the first TV show that I did this past February during the Sunday Morning Sidewalk. I watched an episode a week every Sunday and I enjoyed it tremendously.
The show focused on the true story behind the Easy Company, 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, U.S. Army. The show was executive produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg.
It was ten episodes and each one of them was excellent.
The cast included Damian Lewis as Major Richard D. Winters, Ron Livingston as Captain Lewis Nixon, Michael Cudlitz as Sgt. Denver Randleman, Scott Grimes as Sgt. Donald Malarkey, and Donnie Wahlberg as 1st Sgt. C. Carwood Lipton. The ensemble also includes Neal McDonough as Capt. Lynn D. Compton, Rick Gomez as Sgt. George Luz, James Madio as Staff Sgt. Frank Perconte, and Shane Taylor as Staff Sgt. Eugene Roe.
Episode three brought us some awesome stuff and a couple of surprises.
Surprise number one kicked off the episode as Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag, who Peacemaker killed in The Suicide Squad film, made his return in a flashback, showing that he had a relationship with Harcourt before his death, and he appeared in the alternate universe where Chris found himself.
Then, unexpectedly, there was Michael Rooker, dressed like an outdoorsman (that really looked Native American) named Red St Wild. St. Wild is an expert eagle killer and he has been recruited by ARGUS to kill Eagly. I do not know if Red St Wild is a DC character or an original character created by James Gunn. Ihave never heard of him but I am not the expert in DC Comics.
John Cena got a chance to show off his skill set here. Not only does he have some really solid acting scenes, in particular opposite Jennifer Holland’s Harcourt, but he got to go full hardcore as Chris goes into a tense situation to prevent a massive bomb. Without his helmet or his outfit, Chris brutally kills a bunch of the Sons of Liberty terrorists who were setting up this bomb.
And Chris messes them up.
That sequence was awesome and it showed Peacemaker’s strength. While he is sometimes portrayed as a buffoon, there is no doubt that he was a killing machine in this scene and it was a welcomed moment for both the character and the audience.
The rest of the ensemble had some great moments this week too. The show felt as if it may have kicked into high gear with the temptation of the alternate universe calling to Chris. Could he actually go to that universe and take the place of the Chris he killed.
That Chris, by the way, sure looked to be a hot mess. While the Peacemaker identity was beloved and held as a hero, Chris Smith was shown to be a drunk with a drug problem. That universe’s Chris did not seem to be having a positive life outside of his alter ego. It is clearly the path this season’s story is taking.
Finally, what is up with Vigilante? Taking the pants off a drunken Economos with a tender kiss on his forehead was bizarre.
The episode flew by and felt shorter than the first two weeks. I love how the season is setting up characters with their personal relationships. I expect things to get crazy, but the show had better not kill off Eagly!
A remake of a popular mini-series became one of the biggest shows from 2024. Shogun was unbelievably well done with episodes chocked full of drama and some of the best performances you are ever going to see.
And there may be no greater shock than when Lady Mariko sacrificed herself at the end of episode nine. I did not see that coming and it was a huge event for a show that proved it could do anything.
The show won multiple Emmy Awards and was so good that they wound up giving it a season two despite it supposed to be one season only.
Hiroyuki Sanada, Cosmo Jarvis and Anna Sawai led the amazing ensemble cast in this show.
It’s a big Batman week and Spider-Man reaches a Legacy milestone. This week we’ve got two variants in the medal winners, including one that I got, sight unseen.
Also-rans : All-New Venom 310, Cheetah & Cheshire Rob the Justice League #2, The War #2, Everything Dead & Dying #1, TexArcanum #2, and Batman #1 (Foil virgin variant).
Bronze Medalist
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #11
Cover art by Jorge Fornes
A fun cover featuring the TMNT crammed into the back of a police car. None of them look very pleased. This is a great storytelling cover for the Jason Aaron written series.
Silver Medalist
Batman #1
Blind Bag Foil Variant
Cover art by Julian Totino Tedesco
This came out of one of the Blind Bags that DC was selling for the celebration of the release of Matt Fraction’s Batman #1. What a beautiful piece of art with a fabulous foil. There are some wonderful foil variants for this new book and this one made an impression coming out of the polybag.
Golden Medalist
Amazing Spider-Man #11
Variant Cover H
Cover art by Lee Bermejo
Saw this on the shelf today and I had to have it. What a sensational cover. Lee Bermejo has a bit of Alex Ross flavor to it as the images in the spider web give background to Spidey’s life. Excellent work.
My creative writing class had to do a 300 word short story in the genre of crime/heist. Here is my story.
What am I doing?
The day was a blur. How did Reggie talk me into this? I constantly let him talk me into things that I know are stupid ideas? There was that time we jumped off the cliff together. We snitched his father’s car and went for a midnight joy ride. Oh, and that day we messed with that rattlesnake. However, none of those days compared to this.
“Shut up! Do what I say! Gimme the money!
All Reggie asked me to do was keep watch. I didn’t know what he meant, but he’s my best friend, and I always do what he asks. Fool. I had no idea he intended to rob Friedrickson’s Deli in the middle of the lunch rush.
Worse yet, Reggie was waving around a handgun.
I should’ve seen this coming. Reggie has been more defiant since his father ran off. I knew it was just a matter of time before he exploded.
WHAM
The resounding pistol-whip blow to the head of Friedrickson sent him spiraling toward the ground. Reggie stood above him displaying a testosterone-fueled rage I have never seen. I was never more scared of Reggie.
Distantly, the sound of sirens could be heard; the flash of the red and blue filled my eyes. Reggie knew the situation before I could even get the words out of my mouth.
“The cops!” he shouted, kicking Friedrickson’s ribs. “What did you do?’
His tone smacked of a strange blend of desperation and acceptance.
“They’re not taking us alive!”
Us? Reggie screamed with a sense of unity that I didn’t share. Reggie shoved me toward the door, brandishing his handgun like a wildman. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion; the explosion of Reggie’s bullets rang through the sky. Oh….no…the police.
This is at #99 for a couple of reasons. One, I did not see every season of True Detective. However, season one was so great that it can carry a lot through. I also really enjoyed True Detective: Night Country, which was the most recent version of the series.
The second reason was that I was not a fan of season two, which felt like such a step down from the first season. So the outstanding seasons were balanced off by the iffy other ones.
This is the first post for the new Daily Countdown on EYG. We will be counting down a list with a new post every day until we reach #1.
As I stated yesterday, the TV Show list is our first countdown. I had made a list of shows that I wanted to consider during the history of TV and I had to cut quite a few great shows.
Here are the list of shows I cut from the list: Perfect Strangers, The A-Team, Three’s Company, Malcolm in the Middle, Desperate Housewives, Doctor Who, Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, Animaniacs, White Lotus, One Piece (live action), The Wonder Years, Silo, Dukes of Hazzard, Bewitched, The Carol Burnett Show, Family Ties, Revenge, Land of the Lost, Gilligan’s Island, The Andy Griffith Show, Home Improvement, Poker Face, Baywatch, Unsolved Mysteries, Mindhunter, The Studio, Get Smart, Orphan Black, Dexter, Bosom Buddies, and Man from Atlantis.
Quite a eclectic list, huh?
I should also state that there are some beloved shows that I have never seen so shows such as The Sopranos, Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Game of Thrones, The Wire, OZ and so on will not be on my list despite their universal popularity.
With that said, here we go with the first post of the Daily Countdown: TV Shows.
#100.
The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams
Starring Dan Haggerty as Grizzly Adams, Denver Pyle as Mad Jack, Don Shanks as Nakoma, and Bozo as Ben the Grizzly Bear.
They call me Mad Jack. And if there’s anybody in these mountains that knows the real story of James Adams, that’d be me. So I’m putting it down in writing, just the way it happened, in hopes of settin’ the record straight. My friend Adams was accused of a crime he didn’t commit. So he escaped into the mountains, leaving behind the only life that he ever knew. Now that wilderness out there ain’t no place for a greenhorn, and his chances of survivin’ were mighty slim. Weren’t no time at all ‘for he was beaten down, ragged and nearly starved. Long about then, he come upon a grizzly bear cub, all alone and helpless. Now Adams knew that little critter couldn’t survive without his help, so he started right down that cliff, riskin’ his own life… to save it. Heh Heh Heh heh heh. Now that cub took to Adams right off, and that was when he discovered that he had … a special kind of way with animals. They’d just come right up to him like he was a natural part of the wilderness. But that bear cub, he was extra special. As he growed, he became the best friend Adams ever had and, together, they became a legend.
This voice over opening by Denver Pyle was one of the most memorable part of the show Life and Times of Grizzly Adams, which was a syndicated show that was based on a movie from 1974 with the same title. The show ran for two seasons and had only 37 episodes, which was a lot fewer than I thought.
I remember watching this every Sunday morning. It was always so enjoyable and so hearty. I loved Mad Jack. I loved Mad Jack’s burro Number Seven. Adams and Jack’s relationship was great. It felt like a group of heroes living in the wilderness.
What a greenhorn.
And number 100 is The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams.
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