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Daily Countdown: TV Shows #94
#94
Adolescence
One of the best mini series of this year, Adolescence was four episodes of near perfection. Appearing on Netflix, this show is about the murder of a young girl by a young boy. And it is absolutely brilliant.
Owen Cooper played the 13-year old Jamie and his performance has earned him an Emmy nomination. His work on episode three was spectacular as it was basically him and Erin Doherty in the episode.
The episodes are also shot with a continuous one shot which was unbelievable. I can’t imagine how they shot this and how these actors were able to deliver their lines without any chance for error. It is an amazing accomplishment.
It is this low on the list because it only had four episodes, but those four are so amazing. I initially intended on watching one a week, but, I started on a Sunday and wound up binging the entire thing on that day. It was so compelling and great.
EYG Comic Cavalcade #169
September 7
It’s Sunday night and I am finally getting to the EYG Comic Cavalcade. One of the big reasons was I went to Hamilton on Saturday at Cinemark. It was a three hour chunk of time, which took a lot of reading time away. It was worth it though as Hamilton was awesome. I have seen it before on Disney + but I found it was very emotional. I found myself tearing up in the first several songs, and i was not sure why. Then Sunday so far has been catching up on other shows that I needed to see.
I have now made my way to the comics.
Big Week for both Batman and Spider-Man.
Books this week:
Batman #1. Written by Matt Fraction and art and cover art by Jorge Jimenez. There were a ton of foil covers available, as well as special ones inside the Blind as a Bat Bag, which I had one. In fact, inside the blind bag was a medal winner this week done by Julian Totino Tedesco (Silver Medalist). That foil cover also has an error on the back cover, spelling ISSUE with two I’s. Matt Fraction’s Batman issue was fabulous and fully engaging and I am excited to read this book with Fraction leading the way.
Amazing Spider-Man #11. “Broken Mirror” and “Broken Man“. Both of the stories were written by Joe Kelly and story one was penciled by John Romita Jr. while story two had art by Pepe Larraz. The cover art was done by Pepe Larraz & Marte Gracia. Along with that, I picked up a variant cover with art by Lee Bermejo (Gold Medalist). Things are setting up with the Spider-story as we find out why there are two Spideys on earth and exactly where the real Peter Parker is. This is the Legacy number 975.
Everything Dead & Dying #1. Written by Tate Brombal and artwork and cover art by Jacob Phillips. A new zombie story told in one of the more original ways. This was an excellent issue that takes something that has been done to death (pardon the pun) and found a new way to present it. There are some disturbing imagery in the book, which is beautifully presented. It is another big new independent book from Image.
Uncanny X-Men #20. “Battle in Buenos Aires.” Written by Gail Simone and art by Luciano Vecchio. Cover art was done by David Marquez and Matthew Wilson. Logan and Ransom head off to aid Ransom’s half brother and they wind up in lots of trouble. Who would have guessed?
Avengers #30. “Into the Rupture.” Written by Jed MacKay and art by Fred Karami. Cover art was done by CAFU. The Avengers recruit the X-Men for help in protecting earth as the Avengers head out into the cosmos after the missing moment. They come across Marvel Zombies.
Cheetah & Cheshire Rob the Justice League #2. “Jackpot” Written by Greg Rucka and art by Nikola Scott. Scott G. Kwok did the cover art. Cheetah and Cheshire are in the market for team members to help them break into the Watchtower. Who might be crazy enough to take them up on that offer?
Doctor Strange #450. A special issue featuring several stories of Doctor Strange written by some of the best writers in comics including J. Michael Straczynski, Roger Stern, Christian Ward, Derek Landry and Ashley Allen. Cover art was done by Leinil Francis Yu & Romulo Fajardo Jr. This will lead into a new Dr. Strange series due soon.
All-New Venom#10. Written by Al Ewing and art by Carlos Gomez. Adam Kubert & Laura Martin did the cover art. Mary Jane has some deep discussions with the Venom symbiote as she is reevaluating her life and her choices. Long ago scars are examined.
Closer #1. Written by Kieron Gillen and art by Steve Lieber. Cover art was done by Steve Lieber & Tamra Bonvillain. This is a one shot issue that I enjoyed tremendously. It was about a woman who is snatched because it seemed as if she was causing birds to appear. It was a cool little story that was nice to read without any other major events.
Ghostbusters: Dead man’s Chest #4. Written by David M. Booher and art was done by Aviv Or. Cover art was done by Ethan M. Aldridge. The story with the new crew of Ghostbusters come to a close a few weeks away from Talk Like a Pirate Day. This should have been released on Sept. 17 in line with the holiday! Arrrrrr.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #11. “The Verdict is In.” Written by Jason Aaron with art by Juan Ferreyra. Cover art was done by Jorge Fornes (Bronze Medalist). District Attorney Hale thoughts things were going his way in the trial of the TMNT. Then everything came off the rails.
Star Wars: Han Solo- Hunt for the Falcon #1. Written by Rodney Barnes and art by Ramon Rosanas. Cover art was done by Ramon Rosanas and GURU-eFX. Han Solo is one of my favorite characters in Star Wars and seeing him in an adventure in space searching for his old bucket of nuts, The Millennium Falcon is right up my alley.
Tin Can Society #8. Written by Peter Warren and art by Francesco Mobili. Cover art was by Francesco Mobili & Chris Chuckry. This is an awesome issue where our heroes spend the entire book trying to get to the water’s surface after their sub sank. It was tremendously stressful with a limited amount of words. Beautifully illustrated issue with a bunch of underwater imagery.
Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong 2 #4. Written by Brian Buccellato and art by Christian Duce. Christian Duce and Luis Guerrero did the cover art. Godzilla vs. Superman rematch and Supes is, once again, in some trouble. However, maybe the Man of Steel and the King of Monsters have other troubles they will need to face.
White House Robot Romance #1. Written by Chip Zdarsky and illustrated and cover art by Rachael Stott. I thought this new DSTLRY book was a one-shot, but it has another issue (knowing DSTLRY, I’ll get it some time in 2026). This is a lot of fun with these service robots who are here to protect the president of the US end up falling in love. How does that fit with their programming? Chip Zdarsky is great as always.
Moon Knight: Fist of Khonshu #12. “The Haunting of the Wrecker” Part One. Written by Jed MacKay and art by Domenico Carbone. Cover art was done by Davide Paratore. The Wrecker comes to see Moon Knight at the Midnight Mission to ask for help with… ghosts? I like this start of a new arc for Moon Knight that features Scarlet Scarab.
Wolverine #13. “Godfather for a Day.” Written by Saladin Ahmed and art and cover art by Martin Coccolo. Logan gets a call from Donna Angelica Andiamo, a mob leader in Chicago that Logan owes a favor. This led to a fun issue of Wolverine that helped bring things down after the mental manipulation of Mastermind. This was a nice little issue between Mastermind and the upcoming Age of Revelation.
Other books this week: Resurrection Man: Quantum Karma #6, It’s Jeff & Other Marvel Tails #1, Tramps of the Apocalypse #3, Ancestral Recall #2, Charlemagne Tha God Presents ILLuminati #3, FML #6, Silverhawks #7, and Look Into My Eyes #2.
Quick Hits: Sam and Twitch case Files #17 finally bring Sam and Twitch back together, which was a welcome few scenes. Laura Kinney Wolverine #10 is the final issue before the Age of Revelation and Laura Kinney becomes known as Sabretooth. More Stra Trek crew members die in Star Trek: Red Shirts #2 from IDW. Telling a story of the historically doomed is a neat idea. TexArcanum #2 keeps up with the Western meets supernatural flair. After the success of X-Men’97, we get Spider-Man ’94 #1 continuing the story from the animated series that ended in 1994 with a huge cliffhanger. Another new Superman book called Adventures of Superman: Book of El #1 was dropped this week. I am not sure where it is supposed to fit in continuity, if it even is. The War #2 came out this week with only one cool cover unlike issue one which had a bunch that I had to buy. Dynamite released Captain Planet and the Planeteers #4 this week. Rocketfellers #8 continues to tell the future story that is actually the Rocketfellers past. Time travel makes my head hurt. Magik #9 keeps on marching along. I assume it has maybe one more issue to go before Age of Revelation. Absolute Superman #11 has some frightening images of Brainiac while the other Absolute title this week, Absolute Green Lantern #6, was not as entertaining. Ultimate X-Men #19 feels as if it is coming to an end soon. Maybe I am mistaken about that but the Peach Momoko book had the feel of a conclusion coming. I do not understand where the Imperial War saga going on falls in continuity. Is it going on now or is it a possible future tale? Imperial War: Exiles #1 makes me feel as if it is in time with the X-Men books as Xavier and Illyana are here. That annoys me. Sisterhood #3 continued its sorority story. I got the penultimate issue of Don’t Run With Scissors #3 which has been a bloody good time. Phantom Road #15 is the last issue of this series until 2026. Great. As if it isn’t difficult enough to follow, now I have to wait several months for the next issue.
Wednesday S2 E7, E8
Spoilers
“Woe Me the Money”
“This Means Woe”
Honestly, the last three of the four episodes of Wednesday season two were fantastic. I loved the final two episodes after one of the best uses of the Freaky Friday twist ever. I was not sure where it was going because it seemed as if the storylines were all ending quickly.
In episode 7, we dealt with the story of Principal Dort, revealing what he was always after. The third act of the episode at the gala was sensational. Particularly the dance routine with Enid and Agnes was amazing and I loved how it worked in to the downfall of Dort.
In episode 8, there was a great finale featuring one of the best reveal of all time with the origin of Thing. I never even thought that was possible even though they spent some time hinting about Thing’s past during the season. Making Thing the actual right hand of Isaac Night was so good.
Once again, the story is rooted in something that Morticia and Gomez did while they were at Nevermore. The secrets of the Addams Family seem to cause all kind of troubles.
The best part of the season was getting Wednesday and Enid back on the same page. The lack of these characters’ interaction in the first half of the season and the negativity between them was a poor choice. This is part of the reason why the last three episodes were so good. They were able to get back to the pair.
Hopefully Pugsley’s inclusion in season three will be considerably less. It looks as if season three will start off with a search for the Alpha Wolfed-Out Enid and eventually will include the mysterious Ophelia, who we see Grand-ma-ma has in a dungeon. They named dropped her all season long so I anticipated seeing her this season, but it’ll be next season.
Finishing strong, I am excited to see where this is heading.
Alien: Earth S1 E5
Spoilers
“In Space, No One?”
Last week’s episode of Alien: Earth was a bit of a down episode. I was not a fan of it. I mean, it had some moments, but there just was not much that grabbed my attention.
Boy did this week make up for it.
This episode took us back to the Maginot, the ship that crashed in Prodigy territory, filled with aliens, and we discover what events led to Morrow sending the ship into its downward spiral.
This was remarkably creepy and frightening as we get a potpourri of alien creatures, including the Xenomorph that was running around in the first week’s episodes.
There are some horrendous deaths from a couple of the characters, of which we know are all doomed. It was filled with some excellent tension and anxiety.
This was considerably better than last week and it helped recapture the excitement I had for this series after the first week of dual episodes.
Daily Countdown: TV Shows #95
#95
Chernobyl
Chernobyl was a 2019 historical drama mini series based on the meltdown that occurred at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Pripyat, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union.
A strong ensemble cast included Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, Emily Watson, and Paul Ritter.
The five part series won multiple Emmy Awards in the limited series category.
It was a truly powerful series that dealt with the backlash of the monumental failure at Chernobyl and the eventual loss of life of the people in the surrounding area.
The show was fairly accurate with its history, though there were a few things that had been altered for dramatic purposes.
Wednesday S2 E4 & E5
Spoilers
“Hide and Woe Seek”
“Woe Thyself”
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.
Two more Wednesday episodes next up.
Sunday Morning Sidewalk #33
Spoilers
“Meet Me in Daegu”
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.
Dexter: Resurrection S1 E10
Spoilers
“And Justice for All”
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.
The Conjuring: Last Rites
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.
3.2 stars
Daily Countdown: TV Shows #96
#96
F Troop
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.
Daily Countdown: TV Shows #97
#97
Band of Brothers
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.
Peacemaker S2 E3
Spoilers
“Another Rick Up My Sleeve”
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!
Daily Countdown: TV Shows #98
#98
Shogun
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.
EYG- Embrace Your Geekness 