Been watching Narcos Mexico on Netflix. A dramatization of the history of the Mexican Cartels and the USA war on drugs. The show is interspersed with newsreel footage of the time. Very interesting. The USA politics is infuriating. Spanish with English subtitles lends a lot of authenticity.
El Chappo is in the show by name. He starts out as a minor gopher but gradually becomes more important but not yet in charge.
I thought the finale was a very fitting end to Pius XIII's journey (the rock star pope ends by crowd-surfing among the people he so desperately wanted to connect with, but until the last moment, didn't know how), and to Voiello's (and a new beginning for him! - the last interaction between him and young Pius on a big wheel was both funny and moving), but maybe sort of a cliched ending for some of the others, like Brannox and Sofia. And Esther. I was not surprised where she ended up, but disappointed she didn't get a little more time to explore the last parts of her journey. Gutierrez got a very short shrift, which was really annoying. He deserved better. One of the better characters (and actors) of the series, and he sort of was pushed aside at the end.
Ultimately, all of these characters found a sort of salvation, thanks to Lenny, even Brannox, and that was well and good, but I thought it could have been more in a few cases.
The epilogue was cute and touching. It was nice to see a few examples of people whose lives were touched by Lenny. Was he a man? A saint? Christ? In the end, it didn't matter. All that mattered was how his life rubbed off on others in good (miraculous?) ways.
Sorrentino swears he has a plan for a third series, but I can't see it. The ending felt like just that - the end. It's hard to imagine where he goes from here.
For COH, Pius' last speech was full of the generic religious platitudes that help make the show. "The great thing about questions is that we don't have the answers. In the end, only God does. They are his secret, and that's the mystery we believe in." I was paraphrasing there, but that's the gist of it. I lot of people who didn't watch this show probably think it was about sex and politics, but it was ultimately about faith and discovery, two things which are infinitely more powerful than sex and politics.
I can finally give some advice to the question you asked several pages ago. Do CBS first. Save your HBO binging for a month you can do two shows. Maybe wait for the next Westworld season. Avenue 5 is good, but it's not worth a subscription all by itself. It is definitely worth a subscription when paired with another show you also want to see.
I thought the finale was a very fitting end to Pius XIII's journey (the rock star pope ends by crowd-surfing among the people he so desperately wanted to connect with, but until the last moment, didn't know how), and to Voiello's (and a new beginning for him! - the last interaction between him and young Pius on a big wheel was both funny and moving), but maybe sort of a cliched ending for some of the others, like Brannox and Sofia. And Esther. I was not surprised where she ended up, but disappointed she didn't get a little more time to explore the last parts of her journey. Gutierrez got a very short shrift, which was really annoying. He deserved better. One of the better characters (and actors) of the series, and he sort of was pushed aside at the end.
Ultimately, all of these characters found a sort of salvation, thanks to Lenny, even Brannox, and that was well and good, but I thought it could have been more in a few cases.
The epilogue was cute and touching. It was nice to see a few examples of people whose lives were touched by Lenny. Was he a man? A saint? Christ? In the end, it didn't matter. All that mattered was how his life rubbed off on others in good (miraculous?) ways.
Sorrentino swears he has a plan for a third series, but I can't see it. The ending felt like just that - the end. It's hard to imagine where he goes from here.
For COH, Pius' last speech was full of the generic religious platitudes that help make the show. "The great thing about questions is that we don't have the answers. In the end, only God does. They are his secret, and that's the mystery we believe in." I was paraphrasing there, but that's the gist of it. I lot of people who didn't watch this show probably think it was about sex and politics, but it was ultimately about faith and discovery, two things which are infinitely more powerful than sex and politics.
Haven't watched the last episode yet, but I have really enjoyed this season. It's something I will watch again, as I think there is still much I have not fully absorbed yet. Jude Law and Malkovich delivered brilliant performances. Not sure I could imagine anyone other than Malkovich playing Brannox.
I can finally give some advice to the question you asked several pages ago. Do CBS first. Save your HBO binging for a month you can do two shows. Maybe wait for the next Westworld season. Avenue 5 is good, but it's not worth a subscription all by itself. It is definitely worth a subscription when paired with another show you also want to see.
Avenue 5 is good. Almost gave up after the first episode, but I'm glad I stuck with it. Weirdly reminds me of Six Feet Under in that someone (or a few) die every episode, and then their bodies are part of hilarious plot twists. It's almost like a homage to Six Feet Under.
Haven't watched the last episode yet, but I have really enjoyed this season. It's something I will watch again, as I think there is still much I have not fully absorbed yet. Jude Law and Malkovich delivered brilliant performances. Not sure I could imagine anyone other than Malkovich playing Brannox.
Been watching Narcos Mexico on Netflix. A dramatization of the history of the Mexican Cartels and the USA war on drugs. The show is interspersed with newsreel footage of the time. Very interesting. The USA politics is infuriating. Spanish with English subtitles lends a lot of authenticity.
El Chappo is in the show by name. He starts out as a minor gopher but gradually becomes more important but not yet in charge.
Narcos does a good job, one of few shows i make a point to watch.
Reading:
-How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States....pretty good
-The Guggenheims: A Family History....i don't know why, but i like stories about 19th-early 20th century mining
Narcos does a good job, one of few shows i make a point to watch.
Reading:
-How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States....pretty good
-The Guggenheims: A Family History....i don't know why, but i like stories about 19th-early 20th century mining
Good for you on reading books. TV has been so good that i've really gotten away from reading. all of my favorite authors are old now lol (richard ford; richard russo; larry mcmurtry; cormac mccarthy etc.). I need to get back into reading and find some new younger authors to follow.
Good for you on reading books. TV has been so good that i've really gotten away from reading. all of my favorite authors are old now lol (richard ford; richard russo; larry mcmurtry; cormac mccarthy etc.). I need to get back into reading and find some new younger authors to follow.
It seems like almost all the new TV dramas and detective shows have dysfunctional maladjusted people for main characters. They all have a backstory and many aren’t very likable. I’d like to see some shows with just competent likeable people like Karl Malden and Michael Douglas were in Streets of San Francisco. But I thought John Voight and Liev Schreiber were terrific in Ray Donovan even with their flaws. I wanna like Yellowstone but there isn’t a single character in the show that appeals to me. I was looking forward to War of The Worlds, so far its kinda disappointing.
I never watched Bluebloods. I might start looking at that on syndication. I’ll also start The New Pope.
It seems like almost all the new TV dramas and detective shows have dysfunctional maladjusted people for main characters. They all have a backstory and many aren’t very likable. I’d like to see some shows with just competent likeable people like Karl Malden and Michael Douglas were in Streets of San Francisco. But I thought John Voight and Liev Schreiber were terrific in Ray Donovan even with their flaws. I wanna like Yellowstone but there isn’t a single character in the show that appeals to me. I was looking forward to War of The Worlds, so far its kinda disappointing.
I never watched Bluebloods. I might start looking at that on syndication. I’ll also start The New Pope.
I’ve been so busy with work and kids and divorce and midlife crisis’ and career changes that the last two years I’ve been exhausted and binge-watched the shit out of tv through bouts of insomnia: breaking bad, better call saul, homeland, ozark, billions, game of thrones, divorce, sharp objects, some of the all or nothing’s, Barry, girls (yeah, yeah), and on and on. I’m going to watch narcos and the new pope or whatever it is and also replace sports with reading. I miss reading a lot and need to get back into it.
It seems like almost all the new TV dramas and detective shows have dysfunctional maladjusted people for main characters. They all have a backstory and many aren’t very likable. I’d like to see some shows with just competent likeable people like Karl Malden and Michael Douglas were in Streets of San Francisco. But I thought John Voight and Liev Schreiber were terrific in Ray Donovan even with their flaws. I wanna like Yellowstone but there isn’t a single character in the show that appeals to me. I was looking forward to War of The Worlds, so far its kinda disappointing.
I never watched Bluebloods. I might start looking at that on syndication. I’ll also start The New Pope.
Reading - re-reading, actually - Pillars of the Earth. When I first read it it made me want to visit the great cathedrals of Europe. It's incredible that such huge, beautiful buildings were built so long ago, in such crude conditions.
I’m trying to read Pulitzer nominees and Penn Faulkner nominees. I’m a fiction reader. In the Distance by Hernan Diaz was my most recent. Very well written and an old west wandering story which appeals to me.
I’m trying to read Pulitzer nominees and Penn Faulkner nominees. I’m a fiction reader. In the Distance by Hernan Diaz was my most recent. Very well written and an old west wandering story which appeals to me.
Just finished two good ones on my trip, This Tender Land , and American Dirt.
Listening to Malcolm Gladwell’s new one Talking to Strangers, interesting as always.
I’m trying to read Pulitzer nominees and Penn Faulkner nominees. I’m a fiction reader. In the Distance by Hernan Diaz was my most recent. Very well written and an old west wandering story which appeals to me.
I too love old west wandering stories: hence mcmurtry for a handle for larry mcmurtry. although i also loved his last picture show series with texasville etc. anyway i think my next book is going to be in the distance. thanks.
Just finished two good ones on my trip, This Tender Land , and American Dirt.
Listening to Malcolm Gladwell’s new one Talking to Strangers, interesting as always.
Just finished two good ones on my trip, This Tender Land , and American Dirt.
Listening to Malcolm Gladwell’s new one Talking to Strangers, interesting as always.
I read Gladwell's stuff, but it is really anecdotal. Like you said it is interesting, but i don't put much weight into it.
I will eventually get to Talking to Strangers...probably a poolside book
I read Gladwell's stuff, but it is really anecdotal. Like you said it is interesting, but i don't put much weight into it.
I will eventually get to Talking to Strangers...probably a poolside book
I read it when it was released, and liked it. I think Gladwell is great at introducing concepts, but is hardly a definitive study of them. This book is no different. But his breakdown on how police began using traffic violations for bigger crimes and how the wrong lessons were learned is certainly worth discussing.
He has a chapter on suicide that really makes one wonder how wrong conventional wisdom is. I found that the most fascinating section.
I just finished 1944: America's Longest Year. The book covers the events of 1944, and is a 30,000 foot overview.
Interesting to our time is the section on the home front. It has me wondering if we need ration books today. Make do and mend spread from the UK to here. Americans had more money than ever, but little to buy. What could be bought on the black market went for a fortune. People had more money than their ration books allowed.
Patriotism resulted in hugely successful charity drives. People were willing to work and donate. Groups like the Boy Scouts collected incredible amounts of metal.
Adolescent crime went way up and became a huge story in papers. Boys started acting like soldiers, or so they thought. We might call it gangs today.
Girls decided it was their patriotic duty to sleep with soldiers. Whenever troop trains came into stations, the troops would be swarmed by hundreds of girls from 13-19. The girls would keep score, and it was a source of great pride to be doing well. Though their families mostly disagreed.
I read it when it was released, and liked it. I think Gladwell is great at introducing concepts, but is hardly a definitive study of them. This book is no different. But his breakdown on how police began using traffic violations for bigger crimes and how the wrong lessons were learned is certainly worth discussing.
He has a chapter on suicide that really makes one wonder how wrong conventional wisdom is. I found that the most fascinating section.
Not high brow in any shape or form but "Tiger King" on Netflix is a great telling of what train wrecks the type of people are who run big cat animal farms.
Not high brow in any shape or form but "Tiger King" on Netflix is a great telling of what train wrecks the type of people are who run big cat animal farms.
Super pumped for Ozark. And yes Tiger King was definitely entertaining. Regrettably I had been to both the zoo in west palm and the zoo in myrtle beach. Ugh.
IMA Ozark fan. Have you seen Bordertown on Netflix? Finish cop show, the lead investigator is like Monk, but more functional. The "heavy" on force is a female former Russian cop. Lots of on-going soap opera stuff on the side.
IMA Ozark fan. Have you seen Bordertown on Netflix? Finish cop show, the lead investigator is like Monk, but more functional. The "heavy" on force is a female former Russian cop. Lots of on-going soap opera stuff on the side.
Nope, I’ll look for it. I’m finishing New Pope next , interspersed with rewatching The Office for comic relief. Just finished reading This Tender Land, which I highly recommend and think most readers here would enjoy.
Nope, I’ll look for it. I’m finishing New Pope next , interspersed with rewatching The Office for comic relief. Just finished reading This Tender Land, which I highly recommend and think most readers here would enjoy.
Sounds good. I usually enjoy odyssey-type stories. I'll add it to the list. Sounds like a good one for my Stoker's book club. Her club met a few days ago on Zoom. But not much book talk.
Just finished a book about national park rangers. I was taken inside a fee booth and dealt with idiot tourists, i was first on the scene of a BASE jumper off El Capitan whose chute didn't open, I dangled below helicopters while rescuing badly injured climbers in the Grand Canyon and on the slopes of Denali, risked life and limb to recover a corpse and was presumably the first white person to visit an Anasazi granary deep in the Grand Canyon.
Now reading K, The History of Baseball in 10 Pitches.
Sounds good. I usually enjoy odyssey-type stories. I'll add it to the list. Sounds like a good one for my Stoker's book club. Her club met a few days ago on Zoom. But not much book talk.
Just finished a book about national park rangers. I was taken inside a fee booth and dealt with idiot tourists, i was first on the scene of a BASE jumper off El Capitan whose chute didn't open, I dangled below helicopters while rescuing badly injured climbers in the Grand Canyon and on the slopes of Denali, risked life and limb to recover a corpse and was presumably the first white person to visit an Anasazi granary deep in the Grand Canyon.
Now reading K, The History of Baseball in 10 Pitches.
We met this week by zoom also. Maybe discussed book for 10 minutes. I’ve been needing just a good mystery to get lost in ala Lucas. Just a mindless page turner. I think a lot of the big names wait until summer.
Three episodes into WW, and I'm very much enraptured. Already shaping up to be the best season yet. @Marvin the Martian I think what I said a couple of years ago is holding true: This show is going to end up being what Caprica could have been.
Goat, Just getting back into New Pope. Marilyn Manson???? It seems the tone, the music, the cinematography all seems really different than the Young Pope. Or maybe I just don’t remember it that well. Probably will be able to watch the rest this week.
Goat, Just getting back into New Pope. Marilyn Manson???? It seems the tone, the music, the cinematography all seems really different than the Young Pope. Or maybe I just don’t remember it that well. Probably will be able to watch the rest this week.
There are definitely some differences. But stick with it. The first two thirds of the season are sort of building to the last few episodes, and then it really grabs its Young Pope roots with both hands.
Three episodes into WW, and I'm very much enraptured. Already shaping up to be the best season yet. @Marvin the Martian I think what I said a couple of years ago is holding true: This show is going to end up being what Caprica could have been.
Sounds good. I usually enjoy odyssey-type stories. I'll add it to the list. Sounds like a good one for my Stoker's book club. Her club met a few days ago on Zoom. But not much book talk.
Just finished a book about national park rangers. I was taken inside a fee booth and dealt with idiot tourists, i was first on the scene of a BASE jumper off El Capitan whose chute didn't open, I dangled below helicopters while rescuing badly injured climbers in the Grand Canyon and on the slopes of Denali, risked life and limb to recover a corpse and was presumably the first white person to visit an Anasazi granary deep in the Grand Canyon.
Now reading K, The History of Baseball in 10 Pitches.
She's got Amazon Prime. But there's no way I'm telling her that unless I know the rest will be available there too. That setup is just like the pusher man -- the first one's free.
