Based on the popular video game series, HBO hopes that its new apocalyptic survival horror drama The Last of Us will be the television event of the season, the type of show that inspires enthusiastic water cooler discussion after every episode. The network specializes in that type of thing, so it’s not an unreasonable expectation.… Read More Fear the Fungal Dead | The Last of Us (2023) HBO Series Premiere
The latest in the never-ending cycle of Star Wars content being churned out on Disney+, the animated Clone Wars spin-off series The Bad Batch has returned for a second season. Released in mid-2021, the first season was decidedly underwhelming, to be honest. Whether this one will show any growth or improvement remains to be seen,… Read More More Clonin’ Around | Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 2 Premiere (2023) on Disney+
In the Green episode of Netflix’s limited series Kaleidoscope, the lead character bemoans how people have a tendency to get stuck in ruts and find “new ways to do the same old shit.” While perhaps overly harsh, the show itself could be considered an exercise in exactly that. A very novel and innovative viewing method… Read More A Heist of a Different Color | Kaleidoscope (2023) Netflix Limited Series
Now in its third season, Amazon’s Jack Ryan has all the superficial trappings of being a blockbuster marquee title for the streamer. Based (very loosely) on the bestselling book series by the late Tom Clancy, the show is flashy and obviously expensive, with ambitious globe-hopping storylines and plenty of high-octane action. (Michael Bay is among… Read More Back in the U.S.S.R. | Jack Ryan Season 3 (2022) on Amazon Prime
With five TV series on the air in 2022, all of which he claims primary writing credit for, prolific creator/producer Taylor Sheridan may have just about hit his limit. 1923, the newest entry in his Yellowstone saga, is a very dull affair that not even Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren can bring to any life.… Read More That’s Ranching for You | 1923 (2022) Paramount+ Series Premiere
At this point in the history of television, we need another murder detective procedural about as much as the real world needs more murders. That genre has long since been explored from every possible angle. Even with that in mind, it’s hard to fault a show like Amazon’s Three Pines when it’s done so well.… Read More The Most Welcoming Place on Earth | Three Pines (2022) Amazon Prime Series Premiere
Produced 34 years after the original, Disney’s reboot of Willow is a fair bit better than the film that inspired it. That’s something of a relief, if not exactly much of an achievement. Improvement or not, the new Willow is still a dull, derivative, and uninteresting fantasy adventure. Not every old movie deserves nostalgia. As… Read More The Fellowship of the Underwhelming | Willow (2022) Disney+ Series Premiere
Tim Burton finally tackles The Addams Family. That pairing feels like it was inevitable. (I bet he’d also like to do The Munsters if Rob Zombie hadn’t just sullied it.) Sadly, his new Netflix series Wednesday proves to be a case of many missed opportunities. The show has a good cast, an appealing performance from… Read More Emotion Equals Weakness | Wednesday Season 1 (2022) on Netflix
Be advised that, no, 1899 is not another Yellowstone spin-off titled after a random year from a prior century, like 1883 or the upcoming 1923. Some confusion on that point may be understandable. It seems that show-runners these days have run out of ideas for what to call their TV series set in the past.… Read More What Is Lost Will Be Found | 1899 Season 1 (2022) on Netflix
Stylish, sexy, and a little bit sleazy, the Carla Gugino-led crime series Leopard Skin almost feels off-brand for Peacock, the streaming home of many mild comedies and NBC reruns. It’s also a lot of fun and I’ll take it where I can get it, though I could certainly do without all the ad breaks. The… Read More We Seem to Have a Trust Problem | Leopard Skin Season 1 (2022) on Peacock
The Video File Blog 