Category Archives: TV-G[eek]

Moonlighting S1 E2

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“Gunfight at the So-So Corral”

The first regular length episode of the EYG Hall of Fame series Moonlighting was entitled “Gunfight at the So-So Corral” which was a typical pun that the show used as titles.

It also started the trope of the show where the cases that wind up with Dave and Maddie are not what they seem. This episode was not about a kind little old man who was searching for his estranged son, but instead one contract killer looking for another. Most of the Moonlighting cases had a twist to them.

This episode had some major iconic moments, including the “Do Wah Diddy” scene that David was trying to get Maddie ready to go inside a dive bar with the worst people. That moment that she walks into the bar and David immediately realizes that she has more than enough attitude was one of the best of the episode.

We establish more of the banter between David and Maddie as they find themselves disagreeing about just about everything and yet you can tell how much they are starting to need each other through the little moments such as David offering to wait in the car for Maddie to tell their client that his “son” was a contract killer. Of course, she did not tell him and it lead to another argument between the pair of them.

Of course, we knew already that the little old man had a background as we saw him defend himself against Tim Robbins in a hospital… in a bad ass way too as the man pulled along his IV as he fought off the killer.

In the end it was a great episode with some real emotion to it and it showed us more of the budding relationship with David and Maddie. Great start to Moonlighting on Hulu!

Loki S2 E2

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“Breaking Brad”

I think it was inevitable that episode 2 of the second season of Loki was going to be a step back because that first episode was such a monumental show that it was not reasonable to expect that near perfection again.

I still enjoyed episode two of Loki a great deal, but it definitely was a step back from last week. This week’s show featured a conclusion that felt too rushed and that lacked some stakes. Everything leading up to it though was very solid and still made for an overall enjoyable episode of television.

This week kicked off with Loki , Mobius and B-15 pursuing Hunter X-05 to the sacred timeline. They knew he had gone to try and find Sylvie but had then deserted his job as a Hunter for the TVA and became an actor. They found him at the premiere night for his big movie Zaniac. The whole scene chasing Brad Wolfe, the name X-05 was going by, was excellent and showcased Loki’s powers in a way that we have not had a chance to see in the series so far.

The acting scenes of this episode were outstanding. Brad’s brutal deliveries of truths to Loki and Mobius provided some excellent character arcs for our two main protagonists. It feels as if the whole, “You’re no hero, you’re a villain” concept is going to be a main theme for Loki this season.

Then, the scene with Loki and Mobius talking over some Key Lime Pie was simple and yet thoroughly engaging. The writing of that scene was wonderful, and it feels like they are foreshadowing things we are going to see in future episodes.

Actor Rafael Casal got some cool stuff to play as the disgruntled hunter and his interactions with Tom Hiddleston and Owen Wilson was gold. The scene where Loki was ‘torturing’ Brad was some intense moments and really worked well.

It was also great to see that Ke Huy Quan was back after the season opener last week. That makes me think that his character, O.B. (short for Ouroboros) is going to be a regular and not just a cameo and I will take as much O.B. as I can get. This episode, they paired him up with Casey and that led to some funny results… Casey fan-boying O.B.

The ending sequence with Dox was the weakest part of the episode, but it does feel as if they have set up the rest of the series well. With the rogue TVA agents having pruned a huge chunk of the timelines, it will be interesting to see where they go from here. Clearly where they are headed in to Victor Timely.

It was good to see Sylvie again and her choices this episode were very understandable when you think about the life that she has led, constantly being chased by the TVA and just wanting to live a free existence. She and Loki still have a ton of chemistry.

Yes, it was not as amazing of an episode as week one, but it was absolutely a fun, enjoyable watch. Was there a lot of product placement for McDonald’s? Sure. I hope McDonald’s paid Marvel Studios a pretty penny for the advertising, but stuff like that does not bother me.

I think next week is going to be epic.

Bonus Action Vol. 1- Odd Jobs 3

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This week was the third of the two character mini-campaigns splitting the six person group into twos. This week we have Jason Spina and Adam Lash. And oh was it great.

With all due respect to the other four players, this mini-adventure, called Odd Jobs 3, was an epic confrontation.

Jason was playing a character named Rory and Adam was playing Victor. They both did an excellent job of portraying these characters prior to the battle. I found myself really interested in both Rory and Victor. Their flashbacks were both fascinating and watching them play their characters was awesome.

The battle they put up was even more amazing, coming through with some unbelievable rolls. The whole creature at the end was scary dangerous and they truly took it out without too much trouble.

This was my favorite of the three Odd Jobs. I really enjoyed the first two, but I was completely engaged in the third one. I am anxious to see all six of the players starting next week.

X-Files S1 E7

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“Ghost in the Machine”

Artificial Intelligence as a bad guy is a fairly well known sci-fi trope.

This is the seventh episode of the X-Files and, in my opinion, Ghost in the Machine has been the worst of the X-Files episodes so far.

A machine designed by a genius Brad Wilczek runs a building, and the machine ends up murdering one of the partners.

Mulder is brought into the case by an old partner and friend who had been having some trouble with the Bureau. Mulder’s friend also wound up dead from the machine.

Overall I found this fairly derivative and dull. It is basically a rip off of 2001: A Space Odyssey and, honestly, not a good one. Yes, there are some good scenes between Mulder and Scully, as they are always the highlight of these episodes.

The finale of the episode was unintentionally funny at times and the actual last shot of the show was so obvious that it was almost insulting.

Not a good episode. Every series has them (especially those full season orders of 23 episodes in the old days).

Moonlighting (1985)

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One of my favorite TV shows of all time is coming to Hulu this week. October 10th will see the arrival of ABC’s Moonlighting on the streaming service and I plan on adding Moonlighting to the list of shows that I am doing a rewatch for.

However, I decided that I would kick things off tonight by doing a review of the pilot episode of Moonlighting, which was a TV movie which went for an hour and a half and gave us the story of how Dave and Maddie came to be together.

Maddie Hayes (Cybill Shepherd) awoke one day to find that all of her money and assets had been stolen from her. She did have a few businesses that were in place as tax write-offs so she was preparing to close these all down.

When she came to the detective agency that she owned, she met David Addison (Bruce Willis) and the chemistry was off the charts. He was annoying and would not accept being fired. He recognized Maddie as the Blue Moon Girl and he could see how her name and reputation could help the agency.

Maddie was not interested, but David would not give up, following her to a date she was having at a restaurant. Before they knew it, a man with a mohawk hairstyle gave Maddie a mysterious wristwatch and fell dead at her feet with a knife in his back.

With David’s manipulations, the pair found themselves involved in the case, trying to determine why this watch was worth killing for.

David and Maddie were absolutely gold together. The chemistry, the banter, the talking at the same time, it all just worked beautifully. Both had a ton of charm and they were clearly taken with one another. Yet, they were so different that the conflict between them was just palpable and drove so much story.

David was such a BS artist, but you could see that beneath it all was a heart of gold. Maddie was cold and withdrawn, but beneath that was a warm and passionate person. They made an amazing pairing and you could see how this was going to become the phenomenon that it did.

The case was good, which was not always the way with Moonlighting storylines. Many times the story was just an excuse to put Dave and Maddie into certain situations. This one had some good twists and actually highlighted some of the skills Dave and Maddie had.

There is so much good about this pilot that you can tell how it is moving forward. Moonlighting depends on Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis and they carry that charisma a long way.

American Horror Story: Delicate S12 E3

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“When the Bough Breaks”

Things continue to go poorly for Anna, who just had a miscarriage last episode (Because of a mysterious nurse?) and now, she keeps seeing weird things and it seems as if no one around her believes her.

To make matters…’worse’???, Anna is feeling kicks from her baby, which she was supposed to have lost.

There are a couple of women that seem to be stalking Anna and they are dressed in black dresses with masks. These two women are very eerie and create a mysterious tone for the series.

There are also hints that Anna should not trust Dex necessarily. Maybe I am misreading this, but it I think the show is hinting at an affair that he is having with one of his assistants.

Anna is starting to become more defiant in her stance as these weird things keep happening to her. She does not seem to want to suffer the fools around her.

She is also starting to take steps to see if she can determine exactly what is going on, specifically with Ms. Peecher. Is Ms. Peecher trying to help?

Or is this all just a paranoid rant?

We got a new character his week, the house manager Nicolette, who just showed up. I do not trust her even a little bit (although there are not many characters on this show that are trustworthy) and I do believe she is one of the women in black.

Still lots of things going on that I’m sure about, but this continues to be interesting as the season progresses.

X-Files S1 E6

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“Shadows”

I do love the X-Files, but re-watching these in 2023 make a few things stand out. There was a scene in this episode that had Mulder and Scully searching through the microfilm for info from a newspaper. That had happened a few episodes before too and I couldn’t help but think about how much easier it is these days to just check Google.

There was also a cell phone call Mulder received where he had to put up his phone’s antenna.

Then, some of the hairstyles were so 1980s it was amazing.

I know it did not matter, it was just an observation.

As for “Shadows,” we get an X-File dealing with a murderous poltergeist, one that was protecting his secretary/friend from dangers.

It is amazing how Dana Scully always just never sees anything that happens. She is in the wrong place every time. The ghost is killing people, floating them off the ground, and Scully just misses out. I think you could consider that a trope of the series.

This is an entertaining episode that doesn’t really jump out. It is just a fine, solid episode.

Gen V S1 E4

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“The Whole Truth”

The fourth episode of The Boys spinoff, Gen V, dropped on Amazon Prime Thursday night and the series showed us the ramifications of Emma’s rescue attempt. The trail of dead bodies and the massive dents in the wall revealed to us that it was not just Emma who was involved. Sam came to and went feral on the guards.

I will say that I thought this episode took a bit of a step back from the first three episodes. I still enjoyed it a lot, but this felt lesser in my opinion.

However, the chemistry between Emma and Sam was not one of the issues. They were great together and, in just a few scenes, they have become a couple worth rooting for. Everything involving these two, especially the attack on the doctor’s home, was epic.

I guess my issue stems with the inclusion of Tek-Knight, a super hero detective who arrived at Godolkin University to film an expose on the ‘truth’ about the suicide of Golden Boy. He was a horrible person, clearly, as he used some kind of super power to interrogate the interviewees. The problem was, they spent the first two-thirds of the episode making this guy seem to be so sinister, so dangerous only to turn him into a dick joke. Was it funny? Sure. It just felt like the waste of a threat.

It did help elevate Dean Indira Shetty, showing that she was not to be underestimated just because she did not have any powers. Still, I feel that they could have done the same without completely destroying that character that could have been something special.

There was also some surprises with Marie and Jordan as they end up in bed at the end (which, by the way, was a very weird edit/cut). The end of the episode felt off too and it left out some seemingly important things.

I still enjoyed this a lot, but there is no doubt in my mind that this was not the same level as the first three of the series. It’s not as if I think it is going to suddenly be a disappointment, but I do hope this will not fall into these techniques regularly.

Loki S2 E1

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“Ouroboros”

I loved season one of Loki. With season two now starting on Disney +, I can start looking forward again.

Okay, this was epic.

One of the best parts of this was the fact that I did not have to either stay up until 2 AM Central time or wait until the early morning to see the new Loki episode. Prime time, Bae-beee! Apparently Disney + had success with the release of Ahsoka in prime time so they decided to do the same with Loki. I loved it. The anticipation as the clock slowly moved toward 8 PM. Watching it without being half asleep. This is the way they should release all shows.

And… Ke Huy Quan brings every ounce of charm you expect from him. The title of the episode is named after his character, Ouroboros, or O.B. as Moebius called him (apparently).

We are reminded immediately how much chemistry and charisma Tom Hiddleston and Owen Wilson have together as Loki and Moebius. They are the ultimate buddy cop duo in the MCU. Putting themselves on the line for each other, this is one of the big reasons that Loki season one was so great. And Ke Huy Quan fit right in with that pairing beautifully.

Kang… or, I suppose He Who Remains, as Loki knows him, is all over this episode without ever showing up. Statues, murals, recordings, he is totally enveloped in the TVA and the frantic dread and sinister nature of the world.

This looked amazing, with unbelievable sets and a beautiful direction. The music was spot on.

I can’t believe I have to wait until next Thursday. This is the feeling I used to have with some of the early Disney + shows. I have enjoyed them all (except Secret Invasion) but with WandaVision and Loki Season 1, there was a different feel between episodes. I remember counting down to the next episode, looking forward to the next one.

This was awesome.

Only Murders in the Building S3 E

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“Opening Night”

Season three of Only Murders in the Building came to a conclusion with their tenth episode of the year, the finale called “Opening Night.” We discover the truth about how Ben Glenroy was killed.

Last week, I speculated that there would be someone different who killed Ben and that Donna, who was shown to be the one who poisoned him on the first show’s opening night, did not end up killing him.

I thought that it would turn out to be Donna’s son, Cliff, and that is exactly what happened. It was because Cliff and Ben met each other outside the elevator shaft when Ben figured out that Donna had tried to poison him. It was an accidental death, but Cliff did end up shoving Ben.

All this was revealed at the opening night of Death Rattle Dazzle, and things were working out while the musical was going on. Oh, and by the way, Oliver wound up in the role that Ben Glenroy had originally been cast in. We saw clips of the musical throughout the episode and they looked awesome.

I really enjoyed the wrap up of this season, even though there were times I thought season three was a tad off-kilter. Where as the early part of the season focused too much on the musical/play, I found the last several episodes split that storyline in just the right manner and that it really brought everything together well…including some of the earlier episodes of the season.

The end of the show also set up the mystery for season four as Sazz, played by Jane Lynch, who was Charles’s stunt double for years. Sazz showed up at the after party for the musical in time to get shot through the window in Charles’s apartment. Was she mistaken for Charles? If so, who wants to shoot Charles? Seeing the beloved recurring character dying on the floor was a tough way to end the season, but it did make it clear that we would be getting a fourth season of Only Murders in the Building, which is fabulous news.

Bonus Action Volume 1: Odd Jobs 2

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Week two of Bonus Action Vol. 1 arrives on YouTube tonight, featuring Jay Schmidt and his campaign partner, Ja-Ron Young.

Once again, these pre-campaign mini-adventures featuring a pair of players are brought together to create a little connection. Last week, you had two really top notch improvisers. However, this week is a different case.

Ja-Ron Young had never played D & D and you could tell that he was not as experienced as Jay or last week’s team and you could see that he was not as comfortable with the game as Jay was. However, as the episode progressed, you could see him becoming more at ease and more creative with his gameplay. Sending the “Bric” illusion running away as a distraction was a genius move and the dice helped out beautifully. Ja-Ron came through big time.

Jay was his usual awesome self and created such a fun and entertaining character in Bahbric Warm Hearth (called Bric). I love when a player engulfs themselves into the character even if it may not be for the best, and Jay totally embraced that.

I would have 100% released that displacer beast too. Jay’s face when the displacer beast first asked him for mercy… was epic.

Two weeks in, this has been a lot of fun. DM David Armstrong is wonderful, moving the story along perfectly with humor and creativity. His expressiveness really helps the storytelling going on.

Adam will be next week. I’ll be here for it.

American Horror Story: Delicate S12 E2

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“Rockabye”

I did find this episode of American Horror Story: Delicate to be chilling at times, and disturbing almost completely. I found myself blurting something at the screen several times in the episode as things happened that I did not expect. That is always a good sign.

I feel so badly for Anna as she went through the ringer this week. Although, when she left that fan lying and bleeding on the bathroom floor to go accept her award, well, some of the empathy went away.

This entire show has that dream-like feel to it, as plenty of it seems to be surreal. I am not sure what exactly is happening a lot of the time or if it is meant to be actually happening or if it is a delusion in Anna’s mind.

She discovered that she was pregnant and lost the baby all within the confines of this episode and some of the side characters that showed up were really suss or creepy. That nurse who did the ultrasound only to be revealed as not a hospital employee was just wildly bizarre.

Dex is fairly suspicious as well… or am I just supposed to think that because Anna is having some doubts? I don’t know. He seems to be a good guy, but the show is hinting heavily that he has a secret, perhaps an affair happening as well.

However, I can’t tell if this is accurate because clearly Anna’s POV is skewed and unreliable.

And what was up with those creepy looking vials that Kim Kardashian gave for Anna to drink? What was that again?

I love how this episode showed what an Oscar campaign can be like. The politicking that goes on for actors to win that award seem to take away from the overall value of the award, but everyone does it. There are definitely some themes about award shows going on with this show.

Lots of questions surrounding this story so far and I am definitely intrigued by what is happening. I enjoy the meta commentary as well.

The X-Files S1 E4 & E5

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E4: “Conduit”

E5: “Jersey Devil”

I was able to watch a couple of episodes of The X-Files this morning. The first episode I watched was one that I did not remember at all, which was a treat.

The second episode was one that I did remember, as it was one of the monsters of the week episodes with a variation on the Jersey Devil myth.

“Conduit” was one of the first episodes centering around the memory Mulder had of the night as a child when his sister was abducted/disappeared. This was a part of Mulder’s backstory that got a lot of traction over the years.

However, the story was not directly connected with the abduction of Samantha Mulder. This episode dealt with another sister who had disappeared and her mother had an experience with aliens when she was younger, which drew Mulder’s attention.

The Jersey Devil had another running theme that went throughout the show’s history. That theme was local law enforcement and their lack of help for Mulder and Scully, specifically for some of Mulder’s theories. I know this is a common issue among law enforcement, but I remember the younger me wondering why no one ever cooperated with Mulder.

We also get a look at how caring and kind-hearted old Spooky Mulder actually was, as he gets information out of a homeless person and he treated him with so much respect that it was impressive.

This shows how unsuccessful Mulder and Scully are at solving cases. That is a running joke through the series.

Gen V S1 E2 &E3

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E2: “First Day”

E3: “#ThinkBrink”

With three episodes in to the new spin-off of The Boys, Gen V, I have enjoyed this new show. Much like The Boys, there is a shock factor involved, with unbelievable things happening.. for example the amazing start to episode two with a haunting version of Metallica’s Nothing Else Matters as the pieces of Golden Boy are being swept up and his blood is being mopped up. However, that shock factor is not done just for shock. It is important to character or to the story. It is extremely well done.

These two episodes took Marie in a really different way. She battled with her own conflicts over her rankings and taking advantage of what happened with Golden Boy and how it made her look worse. It seemed as if she was moving toward becoming the corrupt ‘hero’ much like the Seven. Still, she was able to not succumb to the evil of the world.

Emma also has a great arc during these two episodes as we discovered the horrors of her powers, and how she gets taken advantage of by another influencer. She had a fall out with Marie and then they made up. Andre Anderson begins to look into the truth of the woods and discovered that Golden Boy’s brother Sam was still alive and held in the underground ‘hospital’ known as the woods. Andre talked Emma into going small and sneaking in to find Sam.

She did that and she and Sam bonded a bit. Of course, Emma lied to him about Luke having sent her in to see him. That ended with Emma crawling into a guard’s ear and climbing through his brain.

We get more with Kate in these two episodes, who is dealing with Luke’s suicide as well as her own feelings with Andre. Mental powers are always questionable and they are clearly taking a price on her.

These characters of Gen V have been awesome so far. They have gone into great details and character arcs to create deeper people and allowing me to be invested in the show. And I really am invested after the first three episodes.

Gen V S1 E1

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“God U”

So this was awesome.

The new series from the world of The Boys, Gen V premiered on Prime with the first three episodes dropped this past Thursday evening. I was not able to see episodes two and three, but I did see the first episode and I found it great.

A group of new, cool characters attending a school preparing them to be the next members of the Seven. It’s called Godolkin University and there are some clear questions about what is going on around the college.

We meet a young Marie Moreau and see when her blood control powers started, in one of the most shocking and tragic origins I have seen, her power led to the death of both of her parents and the estrangement of her sister.

Marie was the focus of the story and she was a wonderful new character. So was her roommate, Emma Meyer, a new shrinking character who had a YouTube channel and was desperate to do what she could to advance. Literally some of the sex scenes with Emma were something that I never thought I would see on TV.

Golden Boy Luke Riordan looked to have everything. It looked like he had his ticket punched to the Seven. However, his murderous rampage against Brink and his attempt to kill Marie would lead to his own death, exploding across the area. It was clear that the show had that same feel as The Boys did as you were never sure what could possibly happen.

Then, there is a mystery brewing with the woods that I am definitely interest with. It feels like it is some kind of psychological problem with the woods.

This started off really strong and I will be watching the other two available episodes this weekend.