As we have this Monday fall on Remembrance Day here in Canada, I want to ensure that I post my respects, and undying commitment to always remember the fallen. I had family members who faught in WWII, and I have been to the Normandy beaches and seen the museums. I have walked the beaches, visited Pont du Hoc and seen the US, Canadian, British and German cemetaries in Normandy. It is a moving experience, especially seeing the dates on the headstones and realizing just how young these soldiers were. Many were late teens (17, 18, 19) and fell to protect those freedoms that we hold most dear.
Know that I will wear a poppy proudly. Know that I will pause at 11:11 this morning and stop to think and thank our veterans and those who didn’t make it back home. I will never forget.
Shaun of the Dead: Those who know me, know that I am not a zombie guy. There are some exceptions, even recently with the series The Last of Us, which was less zombie and far more a human story. But generally I steer clear. I will admit, however that I do like Simon Pegg. So this horror/comedy was overlooked by me back in 2004 when it was released.
Pegg plays Shaun and he is having trouble with his life and virtually all aspects of it. He has trouble with his job, his friends and his girlfriend. Life isn’t going as expected and he pretty much keeps to a same routine, one day flowing into the next. Pegg’s gift is that he can play the everyman, and the guy who can be oblivious to strange things happening around him. Shaun is viewed as a guy who isn’t very “take charge” and it is only after realizing what is happening that he chooses to step up. For me there were a couple of chuckles, for example the scene with Shaun and his (generally) useless buddy, who confront a zombie in the backyard. There ensues an interesting conversation as the zombie meets a terrible end. All ends as you likely would expect, with a couple tweaks. For those who like Simon Pegg, this is likely mandatory viewing. For those not enamoured with the genre or the actor then it likely can be passed over.
The Diplomat (Seasons 1 and 2): Back in 2023 Netflix released this series from the writer who had previously worked The West Wing, Debora Cahn. Starring Keri Russell, it has an impressive cast, including Rufus Sewell (as her husband), David Gyasi (previously in Interstellar), Michael McKean (from Better Call Saul) and Rory Kinnear (previously in The Imitation Game as the cop investigating).
The story is complex, and begins fairly simply with Russell who has had some previous postings in various US government hot spots (Afghanistan and others), she along with her husband Hal with whom she has a strained relationship. It seems Hal has been released from his political duties and Russell is being quickly reassigned to be the US Ambassador to the United Kingdom. She has a staff, who we get to learn about, and there is a pressing situation unfolding when a British aircraft carrier is damaged by a third party with lives being lost on board. The intrigue runs high and deep. Let the layering begin. The Ambassador makes some quick friends, but also runs afoul of others, as is likely to happen. With any espionnage story there is much that isn’t known and the layers don’t always reveal themselves easily or quickly. It is a chess game, but with a board from an Ambassador which misses pieces and some overall context. The ending of season 1 was intriguing and well done. The tension just builds and builds. The continuation of this story from the moment that ended season 1, and the further unveiling in season 2 is really well done. A master stroke in casting was the introduction of Allison Janney as the Vice President of the United States. Janney is excellent. The writing is crisp with authentic interplay between the characters. All the characters. Things that you expected to happen don’t always unfold, and there is much to be learned. It is interesting to have the women, generally, have it together, while the men in their lives, and those that surround them are a mess. Not entirely a mess, I should add, but men capable of causing tremendous stress to the women and further mixing the circumstances around. Russell’s interactions with the British Foreign Secretary are particularly fun to watch. This was worth the binge watching, and I managed the six episodes in season 2 easily over the weekend. There will be a season 3 it would seem, and I will look forward when it does.
Mondays With Robbie 