Another year of recording some thoughts about every movie and series I spend my time with.
23. 4/16/25
(Seasons 3 & 4, Hulu)
This show continues to bring smart and witty writing to a traditional sitcom format, and Quinta continues to be amazing alongside an excellent ensemble cast. I binged these two seasons over a busy time in life when I needed a distraction/reward after accomplishing tasks and also some friendly background noise while I did some mundane tasks. It always hit the spot.
22. 4/15/25
(Hulu)
Dying with humor and humility may be an atypical theme for a show, but this mini-series successfully portrayed this with such grace that had me laughing out loud through tears streaming down my face. Damn if every actor wasn't PERFECT here, most especially Michelle Williams and Jenny Slate. I wanted this to last so much longer, but when death and dying is the underlying theme, the story will naturally come to an end sooner than anyone wants. I don't think I've seen death depicted like this before, and I'd like to be reminded of the scene with the hospice nurse (Paula Pell at her absolute best!) when I'm facing my own end, because her description of the process of dying was beautiful and realistic and natural and so freaking respectful of the process and the human experience of it. And, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention how much more I fell in love with Rob Delaney for his performance as "Neighbor Guy" here.
21. 4/5/25
(Amazon Prime)
I read this book when it came out a few years ago, but I only retained some basics of the story. The parallels with the original trilogy's plot and characterizations that I think I appreciated then felt a little more heavy-handed and 1:1 in this viewing. Mostly, I was left feeling disgusted by the inhumane behaviors and attitudes of so many of the Capitol citizens... yes, that was the point, but it was also difficult to watch at a time when it seems that is becoming more and more common in our real world.
20. 4/4/25
(theater)
My first Moms Weekend at my middle kid's college provided the opportunity to watch this oldie but goodie in the theater, alongside a ton of other middle-aged moms and their kids. I had forgotten some of the details as it's been years since I watched it last, so I even got to be surprised a bit. There was some soft singing along in the theater, and thankfully the moms behind me were as exasperated as I was whenever Pierce Brosnan sang... dang, dood.
19. 4/4/25
(Netflix)
Clever, witty, and so much damn fun. I loved every second of this whodunit series, and what an amazing ensemble cast! Uzo Aduba's performance is perfectly dry and confident, and she made me literally laugh out loud time and time again. I quite appreciated the technique they used of showing a scene play out as someone described how it happened, only to be interrupted by a different person describing it in a different way, and the scene would immediately switch to show the changes. Funny, funny stuff. Now, I wasn't exactly on the nose with my predictions-- and I had several that kept adapting to the new information that was doled out-- but I wasn't completely off either. I'm not sure how a second season could work, but I'd watch anything with Aduba in this role again.
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18. 3/28/25
(Theater)
Our town's theater played this as part of a "Cocktails and Classics" series, and somehow I didn't know much of anything about this movie from 1994. We went with our BFFs and damn, this was a good time. John Waters' brilliance was in full dsiplay here and it was hilarious.
17. 3/27/25
(Seasons 1 & 2, AppleTV)
WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?! I rewatched season one with the Hubby, who didn't watch it a couple years ago with us when it first came out. It helped me to rewatch and try to better understand all the details, which are seriously impossible to fully understand too often. By the end of season two, many answers have been provided, sorta, but I think I maybe have more questions? Like, if Mark's files were Gemma's severed personalities, what were everyone else's files? Anything? Nothing? What do Mark and Helly R. think is going to happen now? Will they lead a revolution inside to take down Lumon? Will Gemma work with Devon to do the same on the outside? And how is Ricken (Rick N.?) involved with Lumon?? He is, right? My head hurts.
16. 3/23/25
(Seasons 1 & 2, AppleTV)
I rewatched season one with my mom in February when I visited, and we got a couple episodes into the second season, then I had to finish it on my own when I got home. This fucking show both breaks and mends my heart with every episode. This cast continues to be incredible as individual actors and characters as well as having amazing chemistry together. This season went deeper for every character, giving opportunities for everyone to grow and show more of themselves to the audience. Honestly, I sobbed at times during this season, and it was simply beautiful.
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15. 3/19/25
(Theater)
Our college of education hosted this documentary at our local theater, and I went with my besties who just happen to be math educators. This was made by the same folx who made the documentary Race to Nowhere that was super affecting back in 2009. I appreciated the major points of this documentary, though there were some things I wish they had framed differently, most especially focusing on the need for math literacy to increase people's education levels, rather than acknowledging that many people will not go to college and will still benefit in other ways by increasing their math literacy. It was fun to sit with my friends who knew many of the experts who appeared in the film and hear their happy exclamations.
14. 3/16/25
(Season 2, AppleTV)
For feck's sake, the Garvey sisters are absolutely terrible murderers. The second season sees them stressed out all over again over deaths that aren't actually deaths... and one big one that actually is, and is utterly gutting. They are all as vulnerable as ever, each in their own ways, and even when they aren't quite working well together, the love they share is evident and true. I loved spending more time with these characters, even when the show was giving me a stomachache. I don't think there will be any future seasons, so I'm glad to have had the time we did with this fucking hilarious crew.
13. 3/11/25
(Seasons 1 & 2, Netflix)
Brilliant storytelling in this comedy-drama loosely based on creator Mo Amer's life as a Palestinian refugee living in Houston. I appreciated the intimate representation of a family in a situation that is wholly unfamiliar to me... in fact, everything continued to be so heartbreakingly outrageous to witness that I was ashamed of my own ignorance to the harsh realities. The character of Mo's mother was beautifully portrayed here by Farah Bsieso, representing the Palestinian culture and so many universalities to motherhood across cultures. And even when I wanted to shake Mo for some of his self-destructive tendencies, my heart was with him 100%.
12. 3/5/25
(Season 4, Hulu)
I got the flu and I was isolating in the college kid's empty room, and my whole body hurt, like every single pore. Now, I'm not saying that I had to get extremely sick to finally turn to the latest season of this show, but it definitely helped. I had very little ability to focus, and this didn't take much. It was fine, just like the others.
11. 2/16/25
(Season 1, Hulu)
I don't know when I actually finished this because I didn't realize that the season had completed. I'm not used to watching a show that's airing weekly on a network! But, apparently that unresolved issue was the season ending cliffhanger, and now I'll have to try to remember it for a while. This show is pretty formulaic and predictable, but it's also fun and silly and kinda smart in unexpected ways. It's a good show to watch while I'm eating lunch at my desk.
10. 2/16/25
(Seasons 1 & 2, Netflix)
Well, damn, this absolutely blew my mind. My youngest child asked if I'd watch this with them, and I had zero idea what I was getting into, not knowing that I was going to be sucked into an animated show that might be some of the smartest storytelling I've ever experienced. My kid would tell you that I was a bit of a mess while we watched, as I had a ton of outbursts from surprise, shock, terror, anger, and maybe once or twice, joy. It's a dark, dark story, with lots of trauma and pain, and characters that are threaded together with flaws. Oh, so many flaws. There's no way I would have caught all the small details if it weren't for my kid sharing tidbits, and it's hella impressive how many small details the animators included that were symbolic and meaningful. These must be the most talented animation folx out there, because this was S T U N N I N G. Such impressive, breathtaking storytelling here.
9. 2/10/25
(Season 1, Hulu)
What's that? Another show I really got into only to have its cancelation be announced? JFC. This was a somewhat silly, but really smart and witty comedy, with a dynamic lead, and I'm frustrated that the rest of the story doesn't get to be told. I've read that creator and star Natasha Rothwell is shopping the series around, so I'm hopeful it gets picked up. I enjoyed her perspective and voice telling the story of a woman who's a bit stuck in life and has a near-death experience-- more of an actual dead-for-a-couple-minutes experience-- and decides to make some changes. All of the characters are realistically flawed but truly likeable. I hope we get to see more from Rothwell as a creator!
8. 2/7/25
(Disney+)
On Siblings Weekend, the college kid spent time with her sibs, and one thing she wanted to do was watch a movie together from their childhood. This was the pick, and though I knew of the book and movie, I'd never read or watched either. Dang dude, that was an intense story for kids! With several intertwining plots and some truly cruel and abusive treatment of children, it was harder to watch than I expected.
7. 1/18/25
(Season 1, Netflix)
A spy thriller isn't exactly my first pick for my viewing pleasure, but I was curious about it after listening to the discussion of it on Pop Culture Happy Hour. My youngest and I binged this over a couple of weekend evenings, and if they were super annoyed by my incessant exclamations in response to the violent scenes, they didn't show it. I found this to be cheeky and often confusing, but I think the second half of that assessment is on me. I didn't exactly understand how it all came together in the end, but I guess it doesn't really matter. Will I watch the second season? Yeah, probably, but I gotta prepare myself for the heart attack that may be imminent.
6. 1/17/25
(Season 1, Netflix)
You don't see many shows with an older adult as a main character, let alone a cast with a majority of characters in their senior years. This Michael Schur show changes that, with a bougie retirement community as the setting and a cast of diverse and wacky characters. There is the expected goofy humor that we've come to adore from Schur, and then comes the heart that we've also come to expect. I was moved to tears more than once, and I appreciated the authenticity when discussing tough experiences that often come with aging. Ted Danson certainly knows how to lead a sitcom, as much as ever.
5. 1/11/25
(Amazon Prime)
Jeez louise, this was a trip. The college kid wanted us all to watch this together before she went back to school for the spring semester, so the whole family agreed, even though I'm pretty sure only me and her ended up enjoying it. Well, she'd seen it several times, so she was quoting and dropping hints left and right, but I was along for the ride. She did say that this would be the most Gen Z movie I'd ever seen, and that part was so, so true, but not as the best the generation has to offer. Damn, I wanted to shake each of them at different times, and I'm disappointed in myself that I didn't actually figure out the twist before we got to the end. I did laugh a lot, though, and I like experiencing things the kids like, even if it was only a hit for one of the three!
4. 1/7/25
(Season 6, Hulu)
Why, why, why did this show have to come to an end?! I've enjoyed this series so much, and I probably refer to someone as "fucking guy" at least 5 times a week. The creativity never ceased here, with new ridiculous storylines again and again, and the ability to put any two characters together on screen with guaranteed chemistry and magic. I'll miss Lazlo's outrageous exclamations, Nadja's sharp jabs, Nandor's lovable earnestness, Guillermo's growing exasperation, The Guide's frankness, Cravensworth's Monster's developing language, and Colin Robinson's... um... Uh, yeah, I'll miss Colin Robinson, too. The meta-ness of the finale made me chuckle through the tears that popped up, and I'll forever stan Guillerando. Nanermo?
3. 1/4/25
(Netflix)
Nate Bargatze is so naturally funny that I predict I'll always enjoy one of his standup shows. That being said, this one didn't feel as strong as his previous specials or clips I've seen of him. There was more lag time between laughs, and it felt dragged out a bit. But, I did laugh and I did enjoy watching him do his thing for an hour.
2. 1/3/25
(Netflix)
The youngest and I were looking for a movie to watch together on a Friday night, and they pulled this one up. I had a vague sense of what it was about from when it came out (12!) years ago, but not much else. Yes, we laughed several times, but dang, was this a stupid and predictable flick. Teen was happy to finally learn where a long-established meme came from, so that was one takeaway win.
1. 1/1/25
(Netflix)
I thought I loved Michelle Buteau after consuming pretty much everything she has created, and then she drops this special just in time for my last day of winter break, and I find myself trying to come up with a stronger word than just *love*. Because she is in aaaaaaaaalllllllllll her glory here, dropping jokes and wisdom for over an hour, and still finding time to drag Transphobe Chappelle in a calm and measured and entirely beautiful way. I watched while doing a little exercise and puzzle building, and I would hang with Buteau any damn day.
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