Tag: episode 3

Uncle Buck: Ride Along/Brothers – Out of Order Confusion (Review)

MIKE EPPS, AALYRAH CALDWELL

Uncle Buck has been a hard sell. It is difficult to not envision the late great John Candy in the role.  This is not to say that Mike Epps is not good in the part, he is just not John Candy. There seems to be some issue with the show as the producers have moved the episodes about fairly freely.   “Ride Along”  and “Brother” are out of sync (Sorry.) and it is a tad confusing.

There can be many reasons to shuffle the episodes around.  According to The Wrap Uncle Buck dropped a massive 33 percent from its debut episode. This may explain the moving around of the segments.

To be fair, “Ride Along” is funny as is “Brother.” Unfortunately the episodes focus more on the adult performers and less on the Uncle Buck/kids relationship.  It is the children who made the cinematic version with John Candy and it should be the same on this re-imagining of the tale.

The show’s pilot followed the film’s formula to a huge degree. Having Buck working hard to get the kids to accept him as well as his brother’s wife.

“L’il Scarface” came next (it was actually episode number three) and focussed once again on the kids. It should be mentioned that the child actors are all amazing. Iman Benson, as Tia, is beyond superb, Aalyrah Caldwell as Maizy is also on top form and Sayeed Shahidi as Miles is consistently  spot on as the male child with attitude. 

“Ride Along” was about mistrust and doing the school run. It was also about Alexis (Nia Long) bonding with Buck. “Brothers” was all about sibling and sorority sister rivalry. The children were part of each episode’s plot but not the focus. 

MIKE EPPS, JAMES LESURE
MIKE EPPS, JAMES LESURE

Herein lies the problem with Uncle Buck, there is too much attention paid to the parents.  The film version was all about the bachelor uncle and the kids, the “grownups” were very much in the background. Changing the format so that Buck is now a “manny” to the kids could still work but the parents, Alexis and Will (James Lesure) need to be on the periphery and  not center stage. 

Understandably this is a vehicle for Mike Epps and that is fine. (Epps is a favorite at Mike’s Film Talk and we were gutted to miss his Vegas show.) But in all honesty, without the show centering on Epps interacting comedically with the children it might as well be called “The Mike Epps Show.”

Uncle Buck is funny, not sidesplittingly so but funny nonetheless, but the move away from the kids is quite probably the reason viewing figures have dropped.  The character of Buck is also very different from the original version. Less a buffoon and more a  womanizing party animal who no one would leave in charge of their kids.

That there are problems with the show is evidenced by the episodic shuffling.  It appears that the producers are trying to up the comedy quotient without adhering to the show’s theme, “Uncle Buck” and the kids.

Nia Long and James Lesure are great performers. They bring much to the table…too much.  There needs to be less “mom and pop” and more Buck, Tia, Maizy and Miles.

Uncle Buck airs Tuesdays on ABC.  Keep an eye on the schedule, last Tuesday there were two episode, out of sequence, and slapped together.  See what you think. Is Mike Epps Uncle Buck or should the title be changed to The Mike Epps Show.

UnREAL: Guerrilla (Review)

Darius, Chet and the manager

UnREAL this week sees more than one guerrilla in the episode. Quite a lot happens; Quinn learns of Rachel’s betrayal last week,  Darius has a problem, Chet is hanging himself and one of the contestants is thrown under the bus for ratings. This cynical look at “reality” television dating reaches new depths of deceit and Quinn proves that nobody does it better.

Chet is allowed by the new wunderkind Coleman Wasserman (Michael Rady) to hang himself with his vision of Everlasting (EverBlasting).  Quinn expertly sets up Brandy to take a huge fall and relishes the grief and pain her actions have caused. 

Rachel gives Wasserman lessons on how the show works and the two are clearly attracted to one another.   Quinn emasculates Chet in front of Darius and his manager and he loses the little power he gained with the bachelor.

Quinn calls Gary (Christopher Cousins) , Chet’s buddy at the network, to gloat over her “Emmy” winning show thus far and she sends him the dailies of Brandy’s meltdown. Gary shows up on set and ignores Quinn and gives Wasserman all the credit. He also reveals that Rachel came to him earlier to have Chet and Quinn taken off the show.

Rachel panics when she realizes that Quinn knows of her actions and packs to leave. Coleman comes in and gets her to stay. The two kiss and seemingly start to have sex,  Rachel is called to go see Darius who has a problem.

Before that Gary explains to Quinn  about Rachel and then tells her that if she wants her show back to get control of her people.  He does not mention what he told Chet in the first episode.  (The network head  angrily told his buddy that if Quinn crossed him again, she would be out.)

The longer UnREAL goes on the less likable Quinn becomes. Constance Zimmer portrays her character as equal  parts wicked witch of the west and a gangsta Margaret Thatcher. A powerful woman who is not for turning. This is an individual  who destroys a contestant’s life and credibility  with viewers and shouts out “Booya!”

Rachel (Shiri Appleby) is scary good at manipulating the contestants (producing them) but she is uncomfortable with her power. Unlike her mentor Quinn, Rachel does not celebrate her victories loudly, instead she suffers a combination of guilt and pride.

Wasserman, an non-television discovery, is overawed by both women and Coleman tells Quinn quite honestly that he does not want her mad at him.  Chet too knows of the power that these two women wield but he actively fears Quinn while attempting to dominate her.

Rachel fears Quinn as well. She has betrayed a trust and  knows this will invite retribution.  Meanwhile the young black contestant who did not want to be there has suddenly gotten caught up in the hype.

UnREAL can be difficult to watch. Even with the knowledge that this is fiction does not take the edge off of the manipulation. Quinn, powerful with no emotional stake in the people on the show at all, is terrifying in her coldness.  She is also incredibly addictive to watch.

The series airs Mondays on Lifetime.

Preacher: The Possibilities and Monster Swamp (Review)

PREACH_103-20160307-LJ_0519.dng

“The Possibilities” gives a little backstory on Tulip and we finally meet Danny. The episode carries on from the previous episode  “See” where Jesse told the comatose girl to open her eyes.  Custer uses his Genesis voice more and more, while not noticing the few side effects its use brings.

Coma girl does have her eyes open but there is no more activity in them than those of a doll’s empty eyes.  Tulip convinces Jesse to undertake punishing their former co-worker but he changes his mind, much to her fury. The wife beater returns in an attempt to inflict a little punishment on Jesse. He does not as that Genesis voice comes close to ordering the man to blow his brains out.

Cassidy has another run in with the two angels. The two tell the vampire that they are from heaven.  This occurs  after he runs them down and kills them with the church van.  While he looks for cleaning materials to dispose of their corpses they show back up.  They explain that they are not there for him.

The two explain about the coffee can and their mission and  Cassidy tells them he will help. Only after being paid off to “mediate” for the two heavenly visitors he heads off to the local whore house to spend his newly earned money on drugs and sex.

In “Monster Swamp” the episode begins with  a  young woman being hunted down by a group of Quincannon’s  men. The underwear clad victim is not alone. There are a number of young women in their smalls being hunted down.  At last the woman Lacy is caught by Clive who shoots her with a paintball gun. As she moves backward a sinkhole appears under her feet and swallows her up.

Later her mud covered body is recovered from the hole and Quincannon comes out to make a very short  speech about safety and telling the other women, all hookers from the local cat house,  to be more careful when running out in the countryside.

Jesse has flashbacks to his childhood. The church in those days was full and his father a respected member of the clergy. Cassidy tries to tell Custer about the two angels and the preacher is not overly interested. Jesse does notice the damage to the van.

Custer tells Emily (Lucy Griffiths) that he wants to  hold a raffle for a flat screen television to fill up the church. She finally agrees to the idea. Cassidy meets with Fiore and DeBlanc who pay  the vampire to  talk Jesse into meeting with them.

PREACH_103-20160309-LJ_0324.dng
Jackie Earle Haley as Odin Quincannon

Fiore and DeBlanc wait for Cassidy to bring  Jesse back and when they believe that their heaven phone is ringing, DeBlanc gets very stressed. It turns out to be the hotel room phone and the manager asking about check out.

The mayor and Emily are having an affair, but she tells the man that she will never “be” with him. Tulip braces Clive who proves he is a real douche. Not long after all the men in the brothel get a freebie,

Tulip  goes upstairs  to beat the Clive up. She mistakenly goes after Cassidy who falls out a window and is ,she believes, seriously  injured.

Rushing the injured vampire to the emergency room she attempts to  get him treated. As Tulip urges the receptionist to hurry, Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun) guzzles the blood bank dry.

Jesse talks Odin Quincannon into attending church, promising him his father’s land, if, the preacher cannot convert the meat magnate during the service. The two men talk over Odin’s Alamo recreation and Quincannon agrees to the bet.

At church on Sunday, the place is packed (like Jesse’s flashback) and Odin is in the congregation. After telling his flock that they have turned their back on God he claims that he will get Odin to give up his old ways.  Using his Genesis voice on Quincannon, Custer gets Odin to agree.

Back at the hotel room, the “heaven” phone begins to ring.

The interesting thing to note are the aftereffects of Jesse’s using Genesis on the bus driver. After being told to forget about  the underage student that he was  besotted with, the man has been acting oddly.

If Jesse telling the driver to forget about the girl prompted this quirky behavior , it may be that his use of Genesis has caused some sort of odd echo in the man’s brain. The driver is constantly driving the empty school  bus at all hours. What will Odin do?

Preacher airs Sundays on AMC.

Casual: Season Two – Such Good Friends (Review)

Such Good Friends Screenshot

“Casual” moves forward with “Such Good Friends” into the home schooling cooperative, Valerie’s hesitant friendship with Leia (the c*** from next door with the sofa) and Alex fighting to keep his dating website Snooger.  The family-run “home school” that Laura and Valerie are checking out is comprised of New Age parents but this does not become apparent until after the interview.

In fact the home school faculty (made up  of the parents of the children in the school) all sound like refugees from another Hulu production “The Path.” While they do not have odd symbols on their walls or spout rhetoric about ladders, they do feel like kissing cousins.

Valerie, Alex and Laura meet the group at a school meeting. Valerie is uncomfortable as is Laura.  She explores the house rather than join the other students and texts a picture of a medicine cabinet full of homeopathic medication to Alex. Getting no response she finally meets with the other students.

They are in a “sharing circle” (more shades of the Meyerist movement here) and Laura clearly does not fit in this “caring and sharing” atmosphere.  Valerie is overwhelmed with all the commitment required from her and Alex meets a mother who gives him her number.

Alex and Valerie bolt after collecting Laura and they are all  clearly uncomfortable with the atmosphere. Back at work, Valerie tries to connect, unsuccessfully,  with Leia (Julie Berman) trying to get her into the “friend zone.”   

“Casual” this week seems to find Laura accepting the honesty of the home schooling group and Valerie accepting advice from Alex. She meets up finally with Leia and it looks like they have made the friend zone.

Despite fighting it all the way, Alex finally decides to sell the company.  Another new friend turns out to be  Alex’s number buddy from the meeting. They have sex and she tells a  happy and bemused Alex that their children  will be such good friends.

This show has settled into a rhythm that works.  Although the second season is really more about recovering from the sex tape scandal and Val sleeping with both Alex’s girlfriend and Laura’s teacher.  It will be interesting to see what new problems will arise in the lives of these three dysfunctional human beings.

Tommy Dewey plays Alex (a part that screams for  Ryan Reynolds) as a lethargic yet oddly charming underachiever whose website took off and made money. Now his lack of drive looks like a hindrance.  Dewey grows on you after  a while and it is his underplayed delivery that makes him work as Alex. 

Tara Lynne Barr as Laura just works on every level. Michaela Watkins as  mother to Laura  and sister to Alex is spot on as the walking dichotomy  that is Val. A therapist who is so socially awkward it hurts but who desperately wants to be accepted. 

It took a while but “Casual” has at last become treasured television. The writing, the pacing (which is slow, but for a reason) has become tantalizing and, when it is called for, funny.  The show airs Tuesdays on Hulu. Tune in and give it chance. It was not nominated for a Golden Globe lightly you know.

America’s Got Talent: Gold Buzzer Time Again (Review)

America's Got Talent - Season 11

How can one not love Heidi Klum? Granted the competition is stiff as Mel B. keeps getting better and better, but Ms. Klum is more than adorable.   Her enthusiasm for “America’s Got Talent” is infectious and she opted to hit the Golden buzzer this week.  With a face that could easily launch a thousand ships, it is her eyes that seal the deal.  We have no problem believing that Heidi is enthralled, concerned or annoyed at the act in front of her.

This week the competition had a number of dance groups. Sadly not every one got a decent shot in the spotlight, we got highlights but not the entire act. Room was made for the lackluster and few “token” nutters (an old dear and her screaming chihuahua was one such novelty act).

There was a  person dressed up as what appeared to be an Emu (a singer) and one lady who did a hulu-hoop act. The hula-hoop act was a return from a few years ago and this time around went no better than her last attempt.

Another act were up for their second shot, but their last time on AGT was cut short due to injury, not being voted off.

America's Got Talent - Season 11
Sal Valentinetti

The acts once again tipped the scales in terms of age.  A group of near octogenarian dancers,  a high-wire husband and wife; in their 50s and two young performers. The youngest acts consisted of a 13 year old  stand-up comedian and a 12 year old guitar playing country singer.

There was, thankfully, only one “heart-tugging” event that was more of a brief backstory moment rather than a tissue one.

Thus far the dancing groups are getting short shrift and singers are not quite so plentiful as novelty acts. Jugglers, Russian bar acts, the high-wire couple and a number of stand-up comics. (The comics also got shorted in terms of airtime.)  All that has been missing so far, apart from the Japanese chap in an earlier episode, are the magicians.

(A short sidenote here; there was a young lady featured in the build up to a 45 year old juggler, formerly from the Ukraine, who sang an Emo type song. The girl played the piano and sang that she was  creep and a weirdo. It would have been brilliant to have heard the song in its entirety.)

America's Got Talent - Season 11
Lori Mae Hernandez Owning Donald Trump.

The juggler was one part mime and he mesmerized the audience and the judges.

Once again on “America’s Got Talent” a young lady turned out to have a huge voice.  12 year old Kadie Lynn, from Texas, came out in a short lacy skirt and cowboy boots and wowed everyone with that voice.

Lynn was brilliant and as Simon himself stated she was very reminiscent of Patsy Cline back in her heyday.

The big surprise was the Italian pizza maker from Long Island who performed the Frank Sinatra classic “My Way” almost flawlessly.  Heidi Klum was so taken with this stout singer that she hit the third gold buzzer of the season.

Initially when the confident Long Island singer came on stage it could have gone either way. Then  Sal Valentinetti opened his mouth and started singing.  He channeled his inner Sinatra and killed the audience with a superb number.

After hitting the buzzer, Heidi gave Sal a hug.

America's Got Talent - Season 11
Kadie Lynn

The third episode of “America’s Got Talent” snuck in a few more nutters and spent too little time on the dance groups.
although, we did learn which acts went through.  In terms of cute moments, the A Capella choir from Memphis Tennessee took first place. The group, called “One Voice” competed in the 16 – 18 category and one of the lads, a football player, asked the lead singer to the prom.

A real “aw” moment, all the more so as the lad borrowed  a scene from “The Office” with a teapot.

“America’s Got Talent” cut back on the heart tugging moments (we thank you) and spent a little too much time on the nutters.  If they can just get the combination right, these could be the best auditions yet. There were a lot of well earned standing ovations last night.

While you have to love Heidi Klum, you need to spare a little positive feeling for presenter Nick Cannon.  He has his own fan base and it is easy to see why.

AGT airs Tuesdays on NBC.  Tune in and see some amazing and not so amazing talent. Till next week, enjoy the 13 year old comic, the 12 year old singer and  Sal Valentinetti; who did it his way.

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