Mrs. Davis: I introduced this series back a couple of weeks ago when I started watching it. Now I have completed the season. For me this was quirky fun, with a fantastical story with more religious undertones than had initial expected. That shouldn’t really be too surprising since the main picture for the series shows Betty Gilpin in full habit. Still, it goes much deeper on this front than I ever expected.
The story is just as much fable as it is anything else. It lives on a couple of plains of existence, but the producers seem to make that work. There is some very clever writing. The writing has the plot have characters introduced and scenarios which at first seem to be unimportant, and then more explanation will be provided which brings context to the earlier reference. So you have to pay attention. All of this doesn’t work of course if you don’t relate to the principal character, and her plight. You need to care and want for her to succeed. Played by Betty Gilpin she has very good comic timing and her looks reveal much when she says nothing. She comes from a complicated background in the story with her parents. Dad is a magician, while Mom was a skeptical partner forced into a life that she really didn’t want.
There are themes about family, love, religion, faith, technology and the dependence of people on it, political resistence, acceptance, mothers and daughters among others. That covers quite a broad spectrum of the human experience. I enjoyed it. I laughed out loud a number of times, and openly wondered how they were going to film one aspect of the quest for Simone/Elizabeth. It appears that there are no plans for there to be a Season 2, so this is a one-shot deal. Enjoy it for what it is.
Succession: Last night was the second last episode before the conclusion of the series. It seems odd to writing about this almost weekly, but it has been a fascinating season. The focus has become the ongoing saga of this high profile acquisition of Waystar, along with the four adult children of media mogul Logan Roy. This episode is no exception, as we see each of the siblings act and react to the emotional plot as it unfolds. In many ways, this is the first time that they are showing any real emotion, which is a bit of a surprise. I can’t reveal too much as this is something to watch and experience fresh.
For me, one of the more compelling aspects of this very watchable, and well acted series is the interaction between married couple Tom and Shiv. In the past couple of episodes there have been revealing, truthful. honest moments with real pain between the two of them. Of the four siblings, this is the most complex relationship among two more-or-less capable people. Kendall is divorced and his strained relationship with his Ex doesn’t improve. Roman has his own challenges, and finally Connor Roy has always been relegated to Fredo Corleone status from The Godfather. It is an apt description since in many ways he isn’t as strong intellectually as the others, and even his wedding was a backburner celebration that none of the principal players took seriously. In truth, there was good reason for it, and if you’re curious you have to watch the series.
I thoroughly enjoy this, and I can only expect a little bit elongated last and final episode next sunday. Like Game of Thrones, it will be sad to see this go. I admit that I liked Game of Thrones MUCH more, without a doubt, but this has been quality TV from the start.
Mondays With Robbie 