Television reviews – Page 22

“The Crown”–Glory to Her Highness

Written by diana on November 30, 2016. Posted in Television reviews, Unhealed Wound. 5 Comments on “The Crown”–Glory to Her Highness

The anachronistic British aristocracy must sensitively negotiate its relationship with its public. “The Crown”, the November original series released from Netflix, is the story of a conflict between private and public, between the personal feelings of a wife, mother, and sister and the queen (Elizabeth II). At its core “The Crown” is a character study and a family drama. Do you put personal fulfillment over political duty and obligation? That is the question. “The Crown” is a family saga, particularly between sisters. Conflicts with personal fulfillment and...

“Bates Motel”–Season Four: A Masterpiece

Written by diana on November 1, 2016. Posted in Television reviews, Unhealed Wound. 1 Comment on “Bates Motel”–Season Four: A Masterpiece

“Bates Motel” continues to be A&E’s number one drama of all time. I think it is a modern masterpiece! I’ve reviewed the first three seasons earlier this year (see my June 13, 2016 review, Bates Motel, Seasons 1-3: A Mother-Son Obsession) and thought there was nowhere else to go with the plot except to the classic Hitchcock film, “Psycho”. I am so wrong. Continuing to push boundaries of what constitutes a dysfunctional, hypersexualized relationship between mother and son, in Season Four we see Norma (Vera Farming) and Norman (Freddie Highmore) play off...

“Goliath” — A New Amazon Prime Winner

Written by diana on October 23, 2016. Posted in Television reviews. 3 Comments on “Goliath” — A New Amazon Prime Winner

This is a binge–worthy new eight-episode series from Amazon. “Goliath” characters are deeply flawed and yet vividly human and at least, to some extent, understandable. “Goliath” is extraordinary television. Part film noir, part legal drama similar to “Good Wife” or “Law and Order”, with a bit of “Damages” and “House of Cards” thrown in, “Goliath” tells the story of a derelict, drunken grizzled lawyer, Billy McBride (played by Billy Bob Thornton in a star turn). McBride was once a leading legal...

“Bron”—The Original “Bridge”

Written by diana on October 16, 2016. Posted in Television reviews, Unhealed Wound. 3 Comments on “Bron”—The Original “Bridge”

“Bron”—the original “Bridge” is a well written, well balanced story in which every episode is riveting, complexly plotted, and occasionally funny. The Bridge has earned the honor of two versions being produced: an American/Mexican and a British/French one (renamed “The Tunnel”–see my August 7, 2016 review). With three seasons now completed and only the first imitated in the other versions, we are seeing one of the best narratives in a television series ever. This detective series, in its second and third seasons, outdoes its own standard of excellence. The main character—Saga...

“Slavery by Another Name”—The Re-enslavement of Black Americans in the US

Written by diana on September 17, 2016. Posted in movie reviews, Television reviews. 2 Comments on “Slavery by Another Name”—The Re-enslavement of Black Americans in the US

African Americans are pulled back into slavery after the Civil War.

“Thirteen”—An Unlucky Life

Written by diana on August 28, 2016. Posted in Television reviews. 3 Comments on “Thirteen”—An Unlucky Life

Thirteen BBC America The BBC mini-series Thirteen (available online) follows 26-year-old Ivy Moxam, who was held captive in a cellar for thirteen years. After escaping from her attacker’s prison, she returns to her family home outside of London, but struggles to put her life back together. There is an uncanny resemblance to the story in the American television series, The Family. (See July 3, 2016 review) Thirteen presents the police investigation as a secondary plot and focuses on the victim’s situation and psychology, touching upon the Stockholm syndrome and the fragility and...