Tag: True Detective Night Country

February 19th, 2024

Lover Stalker Killer: This is a true crime documentary on Netflix now, which speaks to one of the more bizarre love triangles which took place in Nebraska in 2012. It begins with an auto mechanic (Dave Kroupa) going on the Plenty of Fish app, and matching with a woman Liz Golyar and after a brief time together, he ended it. Golyar was not pleased but he moved on, and later matched with and met Cari Farver. They seemed to hit it off. Then all of a sudden Cari broke things off and basically disappeared, only communicating through text and email. Meanwhile, Dave was still dealing with the aftermath of Golyar.

This is a sobering tale as it unfolds, and shows just how diabolical people can be, going to extreme lengths to be exacting their revenge. Thank goodness that there was this team of police officers who were able to do some serious digging into the details of the online texts and emails that had been exchanged. Without the technology it likely would have remained a mystery. I won’t go into the details because it is very interesting to see what happens and the end result. Typically it is not a woman who is a killer, but there are those Alex Forest characters (from Fatal Attraction) that seem to take rejection never negatively and become unhinged. This was an interesting watch.

True Detective: North Country: I finished this series last night. I am hard pressed to remember whether I watched the original series with Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey, but having re-watched some of the earlier episodes in the first season, I clearly had. Funny that the resolution didn’t stick with me. But McConaughey being the very smart, reclusive ex-cop speaking about the work he did on the case was something I hadn’t forgotten. This latest series with Jodie Foster and Kali Rice there are some bizarre killings that have taken place, and these two police officers are looking to solve the mystery. It takes plenty of time to set the scene with a high tech lab on the outskirts of a small Alaskan town has a very strange occurence involving the scientists there. The locals who tolerate the lab as a source of income, generally do not like the impact it is having on the locals. People are sick, there are more than usual still births etc.

In this final epsiode, it all comes together, and I won’t delve into the details. There is much made about getting access to these caves, in and around the area, which finally is explained. Is it satisfying? Was it worth the time commitment? I am not sure. This overall was a Meh for me. The relationship between the two police officers is complex, and has its own history, along with their relationship with the town, the people and their relations (sisters, family, daughters etc). There is a spritual aspect of the story that Navarro (Rice’s character) accepts but is rejected completely by Foster. The scenes are cold, with plenty of wind and storms that make you feel the cold and how remote these places really are. I have no interest being here in the days when there is no sun. The first season of this series is very well reviewed and thought of even ten years later. This may prompt me to watch the other serasons, because each of them has very good Grade A actors in them.

Love is Blind Season 6: The first six epsiodes of the latest Love is Blind has been released on Netflix. Hosted by Nick and Vanessa Lachey, they put together young men and women in this experiment where they don’t ever get to see the other person until after one has proposed and the other has accepted. They speak to each other in opaque pods, with couches and snacks where they can have “dates” with each other. Only after a proposal do they see one another and see if their emotional connection will translate into a physical and overall connection that can lead to marriage. Marriage remains the goal. These types of shows are mind candy for me. They are innocent and mindless shows to watch for their shock value. I always find the dynamics of a couple and relationships to be fun people watching. These are young people who know what they are getting into when they sign on. They want to be married, or they want their 15 mins of fame on TV (you can spot those pretty clearly) but they are willing to put themselves on full display for the world (flaws and all) in the context of this experiment.

Post the First Meet, then the couples are whisked away in a pre-marriage beach vacation where they can mingle with other contestants (they had never seen the opposite sex contestants) and then see what transpires. Of course there is drama! One of the many artifical realities of the show is when one contestant can have two people vying for their affections and proposing to them with hours of each other! How often does that occur in real life!? Even more strange is that the two people vying for the one are aware of the situation and have no animosity for the other suitor whatsoever. That is at least mature, but one wonders whether if it was truly the “real match” by definition there wouldn’t be any second suitor. The parties can of course get all emotional, and profess undying love for a soul mate that they have never laid eyes on. It’s all in fun, until the tears start flowing, and for some they are flowing all the time. Others try hard to manufacture tears but they just don’t come (you’ll spot those too quite easily) as they have never found a camera that they didn’t love! The second half of this drops later this week, when of course those who were closely rejected in the first round (missing the tropical trip) get re-introduced to the group to provide more challenges for the young couples. Watch at your own discretion (and peril!!).

January 29th, 2024

I was delayed in posting this since I was in the air myself yesterday. I am reviewing a number of series that are actively showing on a weekly basis, and therefore I have not seen the conclusion, and they are not bingeable (if that’s a word!). This cannot be said for Ted Lasso, since it has three seasons completed and I am only finishing up Season 2. I managed through buying tickets to an event (Amadeus film performed with a live orchestra) to have a complimentary Apple TV subscription for 30 days. I am making the most of it!

Masters of the Air: This was recently released this month, and is from the same producers (Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg) who had previously brought the excellent Band of Brothers (2001), and the less compelling The Pacific (2010). I have previously reviewed Band of Brothers, and I have read the Ambrose book on which it is based that I highly recommend. The producers in each instance have excellent production, with real life stories then depicted on the screen. They are looking to replicate the real stories of those who were involved. Ambrose naturally takes it from an American perspective, which summed up is that “the Americans won the war”. It is to be conceded that the American involvement in WWII post Pearl Harbour was a tremendous help to the Allied forces, in manpower and equipment but it is safe to say that the British, Canadian and other Allied powers made the American participation possible. Without the Battle of Britain, Dunkirk, and various other battles, including the British and Canadian participation on D-Day itself the outcome could have been very different. In Masters of the Air, the first couple of episodes follow a new group of recruits in the Army Air Corps flying B-17 bombers. It stars Austin Butler (yes Elvis actor) along with Caleb Turner and Barry Keoghan (from Saltburn) this time with a thick New Yorker accent. They are pilots, and after training are being put into bombing sorties from England. Like the predecessor series, you follow a group of young men (mostly) and their stories, as pilots, crew, bombers, navigators both officers on the ground and in the air. Some of the scenes are extraordinary. It is well shot and well crafted on screen.

Only two episodes in I could quibble about Austin Butler’s hair being too long, but I am far more focused on the overall quality of the production and the stories told. You care about these young men, and realize that many are in their late teens and twenties. They put themselves in harm’s way and many pay the ultimate price. I remark that these young men were brave beyond measure, doing what everyone felt had to be done. They care about their buddy, and their crew. They see unspeakable things, all the while trying to make a positive contribution to the war effort. Butler and Turner both play majors, and are leaders in this group. Like Captain Winter in Band of Brothers, you see their leadership style and how they handle these stressful situations. It is compelling. It is exciting and one wonders how it will all shake down for these men as the war goes on.  Definitely worth viewing, especially for those who have any interest in WWII. 

Ted Lasso Season 2: I liked season 1 of this Jason Sudekis vehicle series where he plays a positive talkative Amercian football coach in the UK, brought in to help bury a soccer team. He has a squad of players, an owner who obtained the club in a divorce settlement with her billionaire jerk ex-husband and some assorted other local characters. I have spoken about the premise before. 

This season continues on with the stories of the characters involved. We also too get to see more vulnerabilities about the Ted character himself. For all of his “gosh-gee-willakers” outlook on life and being authentic to a fault with all those that he meets, he is also flawed as everyone is with layers of complexity to his personality. He suffers in his own way, and it impacts his job and those around him. No one in this series escapes issues, which is to its credit. Some issues are more obvious than others, like owner Rebecca’s own insecurities of being left by her husband and owning this team. The Ex enters her life from time to time just to torment her. In a funny line, and this show is quite funny, after Ted and coaching staff meets Rebecca’s Mom he says:

“…I love meeting people’s Moms. It’s like reading an instruction manual as to why they are nuts!!!” So very true. 

And we are all flawed and nuts in our own way. I really enjoyed the Christmas episode. I think like other quality sitcoms, this program works because it can make you laugh, but then shortly afterwards can make you tear up. Like M*A*S*H, or Cheers or even Ricky Gervais’ After Life. I will continue to watch this and note that sadly this show was always seemingly the bridesmaid and never the bride in award season.  It is good. It is worth watching. 

True Detective: North Country: Full disclosure, I have not seen the prior seasons of this series, even the well reviewed initial season with Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey. I am reminded that I need to do that. Interestingly there aree some tie ins to that season with this new season starring Jodie Foster in the lead role. Set in Alaska, but filmed in Iceland, this series follows a detective trying to uncover some mysterious deaths. Here at a mine in a remote part of Alaska, a group of scientists disappear without explanation, and then locals are trying to figure out what is happening and what has happened. 

Foster is, like others in the community, dealing with her own issues as they head into the dark season up there, with the sun not making an appearance. It is difficult to disclose much more without giving some of the surprises away. It is well written, and the people acting interact with the skepticism of those who have known each other a very long time. They have history. it comes back to haunt them. There is certainly an element of supernatural going on, as they trudge around with sets that feel like The Thing has been resurrected. One underlying message for me is that people are people. Each has their own needs, many with that well studied hierarchy of needs. As an audience you can feel the cold, and I wonder about the pierced cheeks and whether that metal stud makes it feel that much colder out. Without any prior knowledge of the prior seasons, this one for me must stand on its own. I will continue to watch and see where it lands. It is all very odd for the moment as we are four episodes into it. More to come, but worth a watch.