TV Show Review: The Gilded Age - Season 1

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Intriguing if soap opera storylines

Cons: Characters can be unlikable

The Bottom Line:

Life among the rich

Historic soap opera

Uneven season

“Sounds Like a Melodrama Character.”

I’ve heard some good things about The Gilded Age in the last couple of years, and I finally decided to sit down and give the first season a chance.  While I found it hard to root for any of the characters at times, I also found it oddly compelling.

The show takes us to New York City in 1882 as Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson) arrives to live with her two aunts, maiden aunt Ada Brook (Cynthia Nixon), and widowed aunt Agnes Van Rhijn (Christine Baranski).  Agnes is the widow of a very wealthy man, so Marian’s life now is very different from the life she was used to.  Marian brings with her a woman who helped her on her journey, Peggy Scott (Denée Benton), who wants to make her living as a writer, something that is a struggle for an African American woman in the era.  But Peggy does find a job as Agnes’s secretary.

Meanwhile, Agnes has a new neighbor.  The Russells have finished the mansion they were building right next door.  Unfortunately, George Russell (Morgan Spector) is a self-made millionaire, so he and his wife Bertha (Carrie Coon) aren’t accepted into society.  They are new money, after all.

Over the season, Marian tries to understand her new world while defying Agnes when she disagrees with the rules.  And Bertha tries to worm her way into society.

I was a couple of episodes in before I realized this show is from the creators of Downton Abbey.  I never did watch that show, but I can certainly see it in the DNA of this show.  While the main storylines are about the rich characters I’ve mentioned, their servants do get some storylines as well.

I was only a couple of episodes in before I realized just how much of a soap opera the show was going to be.  That’s not my typical choice in entertaining, although I have enjoyed a few shows like that.  Some of the storylines caught my interest, while others left me cold, but since there are several storylines going on at once, we switched up frequently.

My bigger issue was the characters.  I found all of them unlikeable at some point in the season.  About half way through, I was about ready to quit because I was frustrated with them.  But I was curious enough about what was going to happen next, I went back a few days later.

This isn’t a fault of the actors.  They are all doing a great job bringing their characters to life.

The production is lavish.  The costumes and sets are fantastic and really do a great job of bringing the time period to life.

With Peggy Scott in the mix of characters, it gives us a chance to see how life is going just twenty years after the Civil War.  Actually, when you think about it that way, I’m wondering just how realistic some of the characters’ attitudes toward her are.  But I’m not going to complain about it because the show does a good job of showing up how African Americans of the time were treated without dwelling on it.  And, outside of one painful scene, the majority of the characters treat her well, which I appreciated.

I’m curious enough I will probably continue with the series.  Yes, I am hooked.  But I have a few other things I want to watch before moving on to the next season of The Gilded Age.

TV Show Review: Wild Cards - Season 3

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Case of the week and banter still fun

Cons: Low budget (still) and poor story arcs

The Bottom Line:

Case of the week? Good

But arcs are overall poor

Average season

“You’re the One Who Wanted a Badge.” “But I Didn’t Know It Came with Paperwork.”

I’ve been charmed by Wild Cards during the first two season, so I was looking forward to season three.  While I found the case of the week and the banter to be fun, the story arcs for the season were disappointing.

The premise isn’t exactly new.  It’s another unusual amateur/cop mystery show.  In this case, the cop is Cole Ellis (Giacomo Gianniotti) and his partner is semi-reformed conwoman Max Mitchell (Vanessa Morgan).  Against all odds, their partnership has worked out.  And, naturally, there is a spark between them as well.  Not that true love comes easy in a show like this.

As expected, we start with the aftermath of the season two cliffhanger.  And what a cliffhanger it was.  Max was leaving to meet Cole to go to Mexico with him when she was interrupted at the door by her mother – her dead for years mother Vivienne (recurring guest star Tamara Taylor).  Turns out she faked her death in order to keep Max and her father George (recurring guest star Jason Priestley) safe from a crime boss Vivienne ran afoul of.  But, just as this happy reunion begins, the crime boss’s henchman shows up and demands they follow his orders or he will kill them all.

Meanwhile, Cole did take that vacation, but when Max didn’t show, he assumed she wasn’t interested in a romance, so he returned with a new girlfriend, reporter Jessica (recurring guest star Kaylah Zander).

But all this doesn’t keep Cole and Max from teaming up on new cases.  Over the course of this season, they investigate when a 90’s boy band reunites to murder.  They are called in when an ER doctor is stabbed in the middle of a busy shift.  They travel to a nearby town where a serial killer copycat is on the loose.  And they go undercover at a digital detox retreat to catch a killer.

As I said earlier, the cases of the week were still enjoyable.  They may not be the most twisty mysteries you’ve ever seen, but they are engaging and keep me entertained.  It helps that Max and Cole still have the banter I love.  Cole is less annoyed by Max, which makes sense if they’ve been working together for a while.  Well, and if they almost ran off on vacation together.

Unfortunately, the arcs for the season were very weak.  Admittedly, it’s never been the strongest part of the show, but season one and two had better arcs than this one.  I felt like they didn’t know what to do with Jessica once they introduced her.  She got one good episode, but other than that, they really under used her.

But that’s nothing compared to the storyline with Max’s mom.  The character development it brought about was good, and I appreciated it.  But they spend most of the season working on something to get the crime boss off their back.  Naturally, we get to see the plan go wrong in the final episode.  But the revelations we got in that episode underwhelmed at best and made no sense at worst.  Plus, the plan was just crazy even if…well I’m not going to spoil it.

This is a low-budget Canadian show, so keep that in mind when you go to watch it.  The acting and production values can reflect that, but I don’t find it bothers me too much.

There are ten episodes in season three, which matches the previous seasons of the show.

I’m hoping season four bounces back from the disappointments I had in season three.  Fans will still want to watch it, but it should have been better.

Movie Review: Saboteur

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Good characters in an entertaining mystery

Cons: A few dated elements in the production

The Bottom Line:

Barry is accused

Goes on run to clear himself

Decent Hitchcock film

Trying to Clear His Name of Sabotage

It’s been a while since I watched any of Alfred Hitchcock’s movies. I think I’ve seen his most well regarded at this point, so I picked one of the DVDs I own I hadn’t watched yet. I’m glad I did because I found Saboteur enjoyable. 

The movie was released in 1942 and introduces us to Barry Kane (Robert Cummings), a young man doing his part of the war effort by working at a Los Angeles based airplane factory. In the middle of one of his shifts, a fire breaks out and his best friend winds up dying as he tries to fight the fire. Worse yet, the police quickly determine that the fire wasn’t an accident and think that Barry was responsible. 

So Barry does the only thing he can in this situation - he goes on the run to try to find the man he thinks is responsible in order to clear his name. Along the way, he meets up with Patricia Martin (Priscilla Lane), who doesn’t quite believe in his innocence. Can he figure out a way to bring the real saboteur to justice?

This is a classic Hitchcock innocent man story. Barry and Patricia wind up encountering several complications on their road trip to clear Barry’s name. Patricia’s loyalty switches, but all of these switches are believable based on what she’s just seen. This is definitely the kind of story you’ll only find in Hollywood. I mean, we meet circus performers at one point and the climax is over the top in a way only Hitchcock could pull off. 

There are a few times that the movie makes a leap and expects us to keep up. While I was able to do that, a line or two explaining what had happened off screen would have been nice. I have a feeling this is a case of dated story telling. 

Also dated was the acting. It is in keeping with the times but it was still a bit bigger than we are used to seeing these days. Nothing against the actors, who are all fine. As I said, it was the style of the day. 

Speaking of things like that, this is a black and white movie. 

Given all the talk these days about female characters, I couldn’t help but notice how Patricia came across. She starts out strongly of one opinion, but we see her struggle with that as the story goes along. The end of the movie is as much as result to her actions as it is Barry’s, and yet she was never doing anything that didn’t feel realistic for a woman. Both of them contribute significantly, and positively, to the resolution. It’s the result of their character growth over the course of the film. It’s so different from how characters fare in modern movies, and, frankly, it was refreshing. Okay, so their romance felt a little forced to me, but that’s a minor complaint overall. 

Those looking for some of Hitchcock’s thrills will be disappointed. This is more mystery than suspense although there are still a few moments that will draw you in. 

No, this isn’t the best movie Hitchcock ever made. But it is still entertaining. Sit down to watch Saboteur and you’ll find yourself entertained. 

TV Show Review: Dark Winds - Season 1

Stars: 2 out of 5

Pros: Background and acting from the leads

Cons: Characters are completely different, plot is slow and poorly constructed

The Bottom Line:

Two brutal murders

Introduce characters that

Aren’t at all like books

“What Did She Say?”  “Nothing I Don’t Already Know.”

About the time that I started reading Tony Hillerman’s books, AMC created Dark Winds, a TV series with his characters.  I put off watching it for a while so I wouldn’t run across spoilers for books I hadn’t read yet, but I decided to dive into the first season recently.  For fans of the books, it’s going to be disappointing.

The show takes up back to 1971 and introduces us to Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon), a lieutenant with the Navajo tribal police.  As the series kicks off, Deputy Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon) has just been transferred to Leaphorn’s station.  Rounding out the main officers at the station is Bernadette Manuelito (Jessica Matten).  We are also introduced to Joe’s wife, Emma (Deanna Allison) a nurse at a nearby clinic.

Over the course of this first season, the trio of officers look into a case involving two Navajo who are murdered while a blind woman is sitting in the room and left alone.  Who could have done it?  Meanwhile, the FBI ask for help finding what happened to a helicopter used in a bank heist that vanished in the reservation.

This season is at least partially based on the third book in the series, Listening Woman, one of Joe’s solo cases.  It’s been a couple of years since I read it, but I don’t remember for sure what elements came from that book and what might have been borrowed from others.  I feel like a subplot involving Joe’s backstory might have been a different book, but don’t quote me on that.  I will say this, the show ignores the best part of the climax from the novel, which really disappointed me.

I’m nine books into the series, and at this point, Joe and Jim have just started working together, while Manuelito hasn’t been introduced yet.  So, I knew going in that some changes would need to be made.  And if those changes had been handled well, I would have been okay with them.  (At least, I’d like to think so.)  But what we got here felt like completely different characters.  Joe is much more open to Navajo religious practices while Jim is dismissive of them.  This is a complete flip of their characters.  Manuelito lives in a trailer, which Jim should be doing.  Of course, that would be hard with Jim’s secret.  At this point, why are you claiming to adapt these books?  Just create your own characters already.

Speaking of the Navajo religious practices, the novels have always treated them with respect, but also not had plot elements depend on them, which this show does.  Another element I didn’t like.

And, why is the series set in 1971?  I could get setting the series at some point in the past, but 1971 feels very specific.  The first book came out in 1970, and the only novel that Tony Hillerman published in 1971 wasn’t part of this series.  I could understand if they were honoring when the first book came out, but this way left me scratching my head.

There’s also some anti-White rhetoric to the show.  Now, I am not trying to say that Whites haven’t mistreated Native Americans over the centuries.  But this show seems to try to show that whenever they can, to the point that they introduce something into the first two episodes specifically to have another example.  A horrible, tragic, and evil example, yes, but what does it have to do with the rest of the season?

Finally, there’s Joe’s backstory.  Granted, he didn’t have much of one in the early novels, which were very focused on the mystery and nothing else.  But I don’t quite understand why they decided to give him the backstory they did here unless it’s to give him some tragedy to play.

I will give the leads this, all four of them are good with the material they have.  The other actors?  They are a bit more hit or miss.

And the plot of the show?  I found it slow.  The connections felt tenuous at best, and the various elements aren’t fully developed to really flesh things out.  The climax does work, but I just didn’t feel it was supported by what came before.  We get declarations more than detection most of the time, which is frustrating because the books are so well plotted.

The show is filmed in the Southwest, and the locations are beautiful.  It really captures the isolation of the reservation.

Season 1 is just six hour long episodes.  (Well, less than that without commercials.)

Since the other seasons are the same length, I am thinking I might continue on.  I am curious to see what they are going to do with these versions of the characters.  And maybe having my expectations low enough will help.  But I am not a fan of how season 1 of Dark Winds turned out.

TV Show: R.J. Decker - Season 1

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Good characters and fun mysteries

Cons: Still room to build the characters

The Bottom Line:

Ex-con detective

Rebuilding life in freedom

It’s a solid start

“I Got Work to Do.  Try Not to Get Sent Back to Prison Today.” 

When I first heard about the show R.J. Decker, I was hesitant to watch it.  It is based on a book by Carl Hiassen, and I didn’t particularly like the book of his I read.  Still, I didn’t have much else on, so I decided to give season one a try.  I’m glad I did because I wound up enjoying it.

R.J. Decker (Scott Speedman) has just gotten out of prison after serving several years for assault on a young man who stole his camera.  You see, R.J. was a photographer.  Now that he’s out, R.J. is changing careers, becoming a P.I.  He’s returned to Miami, where’s he connecting with his ex-wife, Catherine (Adelaide Clemens).  In fact, he’s crashing in Catherine’s garage, much to the dismay of Catherine’s new wife, Mel (Bevin Bru).  And Mel?  She just happens to be a homicide detective that R.J. just keeps crossing paths with.  Then there is, Wish (Kevin Rankin), R.J.’s former cellmate who is now the owner of a bar.  Rounding out the cast is Emi (Jaina Lee Ortiz), who R.J. doesn’t know if he can trust since she had a hand in sending him to prison.

Since this was a spring replacement show, we got nine episodes in season one.  Along the way, R.J. helps a friend of Wish’s who has been accused of murder, discovers why a little league coach’s family is being targeted, and helps a woman find out what happened to her boyfriend.  He also starts to learn what really happened the fateful day that got him sent to prison in the first place.

The cases on this show are a bit bizarre, but in a completely entertaining way.  By the time we reach the end, everything makes sense, even if you think “only in Florida” a time or two.  There’s definitely some laughs as we head toward a logical climax.

We also get to know the main cast better.  I’m still not completely sold on them and their relationships.  Some of their friction seems forced to me.  Hopefully, that will smooth out in season two.  With only nine episodes, there is plenty of room for them and their relationships to grow, which makes me glad we are going to get a second season this fall.

The cliffhanger is another reason I’m glad the show is coming back.  I’m very anxious to find out what is going to happen next.

The cast is getting to know their characters still.  They are doing a good job bringing them to life each week, and I’m sure they will grow into their roles as the writers get a better handle on things.

While the show does have some ongoing storylines, it doesn’t rely on them.  It features more case of the week with a few updates to the ongoing stories in most of the episodes.  This is my favorite kind of story telling for most shows.

R.J. Decker takes itself just seriously enough to make us care while still having plenty of fun along the way.  I’m hoping season two builds on the success of season one.

Movie Review: The African Queen

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Strong acting and interesting story

Cons: Definitely shows its age

The Bottom Line:

Trip down a river

Filled with plenty of danger

Dated but good film

Treacherous Trip Down the River

I’ve heard of The African Queen for years.  It’s a legendary classic movie, after all.  When I spotted it on Turner Classic Movies, I decided to watch it.  While it definitely shows its age, I did enjoy it.

The movie is set in Africa in 1914.  Rose Sayer (Katharine Hepburn) and her brother, Sam (Robert Morley) are missionaries in a remote village until World War I finds them.  Germans come in, kidnap the natives, and destroy the village.  In the aftermath, Sam dies, so when Charlie Allnutt (Humphrey Bogart) returns with his boat, The African Queen, Rose is all too willing to leave with him.

Charlie is all for hiding out since the Germans would want to take his boat for the supplies he carries from location to location up and down the river.  However, Rose has another idea.  She wants them to take the boat up the river and use it to destroy a German ship patrolling a lake there.  Will they make it?

This movie was made in 1951.  You’ll want to keep that in mind as you watch.  The storytelling and acting are definitely different than we get now.  I got impatient as the movie took a while introducing the characters and setting up the story.  But once the duo left on the boat, things picked up.  It was fairly episodic as they faced one set back after another and had to figure out how to overcome it.  But it does entertain as it does so.

The movie was filmed partially in Africa and partially on a soundstage.  You can definitely tell when they are using a sound stage because the effects are obvious today.  However, the fact that it was filmed on location, something that wasn’t done nearly as much back then, makes much of the movie look wonderful.

One last thing I found annoying; the characters called each other by name in most lines of dialogue.  Please, just stop!

With Rose being a missionary, I was expecting a refined woman who shied away from adventure.  Yes, she is refined, and she and Charlie do butt heads upon occasion (more so before they fall in love) because he isn’t nearly as refined as she is.  However, she is much more adventurous than I, or Charlie, gave her credit for being.  That leads to a couple of funny scenes.  Yes, they both have moments of weakness.  I liked that.  It’s realistic that at some point you’ll want to give up.  But I appreciated that the other person stepped up and handled the situation.  That teamwork was fantastic.

While there are some other actors in the film, the majority of the time, it is just Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn on screen.  They rise to the occasion perfectly.  I buy their performances, even with the script gives them some sudden turns.  Bogart won an Oscar for his performance here, and Katharine Hepburn was nominated for one.  It’s easy to see why.

If you enjoy classic movies and have missed this one, it is worth going back and correcting that oversight.  As long as you remember how old the movie is, you’ll appreciate The African Queen.

TV Show Review: Murder, She Wrote - Season 10

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Jessica still solving murders each week

Cons: Not as charming as earlier seasons

The Bottom Line:

Still solving murders

Not as charming as before

But still worth watching

“Sheriff, Would You Mind if I Called Boston?”  “When You Get That Look, What Am I Going to Say?”

With it being summer, it is time for my annual season of Murder, She Wrote.  This year, we are hitting double digits with season 10 of the show.  Honestly, my thoughts from last year haven’t changed that much – the show is still enjoyable, but it has lost the spark it once had.

Of course, the premise remains the same.  The show follows mystery writer Jessica Fletcher, as played by Angela Lansbury, as she works to solve the murders she keeps stumbling upon in real life.  They may happen in her home town of Cabot Cove, Maine, in her new life in New York City, or anywhere in the world where she is visiting family and friends.

What is new for the 1993-1994 season is the new series opening.  For the first time, we see Jessica writing on her new computer during these quick snippets.  Of course, it does start with the iconic shot of her on her type writer, but then, we switch things up.

What kind of cases does Jessica deal with this season?  While visiting friends in Hong Kong, she gets involved in a kidnapping and murder.  When she writes the script for a virtual reality mystery game, she gets involved in a murder at the game company.  Murder and horse racing go together again.  A trip to London to help with a stage adaptation of one of her books finds her clearing an actress friend of murder.  And a trip to visit friends in Texas finds her clearing them of murder.

I didn’t count, but a good portion of the episodes this season take place in New York City.  Four of them find her working with Detective Artie Gelber, as played by Herb Edelman.  I was surprised to realize how few episodes of the show he did as Artie because I loved his character.  He always had some storyline going on as he was involved in the case.  Anyway, highlights of the New York City episodes included one involving racing pigeons, a musical maestro found dead in Jessica’ apartment building, and the murder of Jessica’s editor.

And, there are five Cabot Cove episodes this season.  In the first, Jessica is worried that her contractor is distracted by another client – until that client is found with a stake through his heart.  Jessica comes to town to confront her accountant about why he isn’t paying her bills.  A trip to throw a surprise party for her good friend Dr. Seth Hazlitt (William Windom) finds her getting involved in a case of petty theft and murder.  On one visit, there is a rumored prowler in town; then Seth disappears.  Finally, a carnival in town brings Sheriff Mort Metzger’s (Ron Masak) old girlfriend to town.  And, of course, murder.

It’s time to update my stats on the murder rate in Cabot Cove.  As I like to point out, there weren’t as many episodes in the small village as people try to claim.  5 of the 21 episodes this season take place there, 4 of them featuring residents and one focused on a group that comes to town.  We are up to 44.5 murders in Cabot Cove over ten seasons, 31 involving residents, and 14 involving strangers.  At this point, Jessica has solved 203 murders, meaning that 21.9% of the murders she’s solved have been in that community, up slightly from last season.  That’s not too bad, right?

I do feel the show has lost some of it’s spark this late in the series.  Most shows do if they are lucky to continue on this long, so that’s hardly a surprise.  Part of it is the reduced schedule that Angela Lansbury needed to keep from burning out.  She is the heart of the show, so having her in fewer scenes per episode cut down on the charm.  Again this season, we don’t see her with any relatives, just friends.

I also realized another issue is that, in the Cabot Cove episodes, we only see Mort and Seth this season.  We don’t see any of the other residents we’d gotten to know.  I miss them.

As always, I recognized some of the guest stars.  Among the stand out for me were David Warner, Alan Thicke, Kevin Sorbo, Tippi Hedren, Sean O'Bryan, Mickey Rooney, Shawnee Smith, Morgan Fairchild, Robin Sachs, Denise Gentile, Loretta Swit, Matt Mulhern, Lisa Wilcox, Robert Beltran, Kate Mulgrew, Ethan Embry (as Ethan Randall), Jay Underwood, Joanna Cassidy, and Patrick Cassidy.  Jeff Conaway also showed up again, but not as Jessica’s nephew-in-law Howard Griffin but a new character.  Finally of note, the season finale included Ron Masak’s new son-in-law Jimi Defilippis.  And yes, they do have scenes together.

While I keep saying that the show has lost some of its charm, it isn’t all gone.  Angela Lansbury is still wonderful as Jessica.  The guest cast entertains.  And it’s fun to see if you can figure things out before Jessica.  Even having seen these episodes before (granted, it’s been a long time), I usually can’t.

As I mentioned earlier, there were 21 episodes this season.  The DVD release includes all of them, but a bonus episode from season 11.  No, I didn’t watch it, so I’m a little unsure why it was included.  I’m waiting until next summer to watch season 11.

So, fans will enjoy sitting down with season 10 of Murder, She Wrote.  Even 10 years in, the show still entertains.

Movie Review: I Can Only Imagine 2

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Strong message of faith that will leave you uplifted

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

Story behind song

Showing struggles, gratitude

And faith that supports

Walking with God “Even If” It Means Through Fire

Christian band MercyMe exploded on the scene with their first single, “I Can Only Imagine.”  And, eight years ago, we got a movie that told the story of lead singer Bart Millard and how he came to write that song.  Now we get I Can Only Imagine 2 which tells the story of their second biggest hit.

We pick up a number of years after MercyMe has really taken off.  While they haven’t reached the same level of success with their other singles, they are traveling a lot and have released several other projects.  On a personal front, Bart (once again played by John Michael Finley) is struggling with his relationship with his teenage son Sam (Sammy Dell) who is type 1 diabetic.  Because of his own relationship with his late father, Bart is struggling with how to parent his son.

He invites Sam to join MercyMe on their latest tour, their first time headlining.  Along as their opening act is Tim Timmons (Milo Ventimiglia).  Tim has a song he’s been struggling to write.  As he shares his own journey and his affinity for the hymn “It Is Well,” will that get through to Bart?  And Sam?

I’ve been a fan of “Even If” since the first time I heard it.  But I suspected that the story behind the song would include pain.  After all, it’s a song about trusting and following God through trial.  And yes, this movie is hard at times.  I was wiping tears as I watched parts.  Yet, it did not go where I expected and was ultimately uplifting.

Before we go further, I do feel the need to point out this is an “inspired by true events” movie.  Given one of the updates that popped up at the end, I doubt that this story really happened completely as presented here.  But what we get is perfectly dramatic.  And I am watching a movie, not a documentary.

While I did feel one storyline was wrapped up a little easily, overall, I really did like the story.  It is well told.  There are several different storylines that cross and intersect in ways that kept me fully engaged.  A couple of times I saw something coming right before it happened, but most of the time, I was just caught up in the story.

The actors get full credit for this.  Everyone in the cast did a great job of bringing their characters to life.  I don’t know the real people involved enough to know how close they are, but I don’t know that it matters.  I was enjoying watching the actors bring the story to life.

Which brings us to the climax.  As I said, one storyline seems a little quickly resolved.  But overall, it was a fantastic moment in so many ways as we watch the band (or the actors playing them) play “Even If.”  I was struggling not to cry as it played, and I’ve been a fan of the song since the first time I heard it back in 2017.  It still hits that hard, but in the best way possible.  Of course, having watched this story, it hit differently here in a good way

Again, I want to emphasize that this is, ultimately, an uplifting movie.  You have to go through quite a bit to get there, but that’s life.  It is worth it.  And it’s a great reminder to be grateful to God.  Even when it’s hard.

I’m so glad I went to see I Can Only Imagine 2.  If you need your faith strengthened, do yourself a favor and go see this film, too.

Movie Review: Romantic Rewrite

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: The two leads and their characters

Cons: Writing could have been better, the rest of the characters suffer

The Bottom Line:

Editor’s romance

Main duo sweet together

Script needed polish

“I Try to Limit Myself to Wearing One Snow Cone a Day.”

I love to read.  (I know, that’s not exactly a news flash.)  As a result, the plot for the movie Romantic Rewrite caught my attention.  It sounded like something that could be fun when I was in the mood for a romantic movie.

Ivy Roberts (Kristina Cole) is an editor who specializes in romance.  But her boss has asked her to take a look at the latest book by mystery author Reed Shepherd (Russell Quinn).  His last couple of books haven’t stayed on the best seller list very long.  Ivy thinks that the romantic subplot in the book is weak, and Reed doesn’t take her suggestions well.

As fate would have it, Ivy and Reed wind up staying next to each other on the beach in Miami.  Reed is there to try to work on his novel and Ivy is there for a vacation culminating in a family wedding.  As the two get to talking, they also start to work on Reed’s book.  And Reed agrees to be Ivy’s fake date for the wedding.  What will happen next?

Actually, I’m pretty sure you have a good idea what will happen next.  This movie doesn’t break much new ground, although I did appreciate the occasional references to the tropes of the romance genre.  No, it wasn’t enough to call this self-aware or a parody, but it was a nice touch.

Now, I get that this was a low budget made for TV movie.  Even so, I feel like it could have been better written.  Like, who was it that was getting married?  The family was there and involved, but we meet Ivy’s sister early on.  Was this another sister?  A cousin?  How was Ivy’s ex connected enough to be the best man?  Likewise, some of the scenes involving the family were more cringe than funny.

However, any scene between Ivy and Reed was well done.  The lead actors have plenty of chemistry, and I really bought their growing relationship.  Yes, the romance was still a little light until the end, but even then, I bought it.  Fortunately, we get lots of scenes between them.  Ultimately, I found it sweet, which was what I was looking for.

If you are looking for a low budget TV romance movie, there are worse ones out there.  As long as your expectations are appropriate, you’ll enjoy Romantic Rewrite.

TV Show Review: Suits LA - The Complete Series

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Actors, some interesting storylines, fun cameos

Cons: Flashbacks detracted from getting to know the entire large cast

The Bottom Line:

Lawyers in LA

There was potential here but

Too many flashbacks

“That Kind of Makes Me Sound Like a…” “What Ever Word You Are Searching For, Double It.” “Handsome Handsome.”

I was a fan of Suits back in the day.  I mean, back when it was originally airing on the USA Network in the 2010’s.  Yes, I did get tired of it in the last few years, but I was still interested when I heard about the Suits LA spinoff, especially when they cast Stephen Amell as the lead.  As I kind of expected, it wasn’t nearly as good as the original.  There was promise there, but the execution needed to be very different.

When we meet Ted Black (Stephen Amell) in the present, he’s the head of a law firm in LA.  He thinks that his firm is about to merge, but in reality, his partner, Stuart Lane (Josh McDermitt) has effectively cut him out of the deal, leading to a firm split.  Stuart sets up shop with Samantha Railsback (Rachelle Goulding), who just happens to be Ted’s ex.  The two firms battle it out for clients, some of them real celebrities and some fictional.  Also, Ted, a former prosecutor, takes on a case for movie producer Lester Thompson (recurring guest star Kevin Weisman), who is accused of killing his business partner.

Meanwhile, we see flashbacks to the time that Ted, Stuart, and Samantha were all back in New York City in 2010 (just before the original Suits).  Ted is trying to get a mob boss behind bars, but that comes with incredible danger.  What will it mean for his relationships, especially with his slimy father (recurring guest star Matt Letscher).

Let’s start with that last one.  Obviously, if you’ve followed my reviews, you know I was a huge fan of the Arrowverse.  While Stephen’s Oliver Queen and Matt’s Reverse Flash never shared a scene in those TV shows, it was fun seeing them acting opposite each other here.

Like the original show, this one had plenty of legal maneuvers, more often than not outside the courtroom.  I will say, the way the lawyers procured deals for their clients, I felt like they were more agents than lawyers, but maybe I just don’t understand the entertainment business as much as I thought I did.  Anyway, those stories could be fun.  Also, since all the characters from both firms know each other, that added to the interpersonal drama.

Each episode featured a flashback to what happened to drive the characters from New York to Los Angeles.  Honestly, this hurt the show for a couple of reasons.  First, we knew the ultimate outcome very early on.  So there was little suspense in seeing all that unfold.  Second, it took time away from the current storylines.  Unfortunately, we kind of needed that backstory to fully understand the character relationships, but the way we got it just wasn’t satisfying.

It didn’t help that there were too many characters to easily track.  Some were only recurring, but they took up quite a bit of screen time when they were in an episode.  If you look at the original Suits, it had six main characters, and the first season really focused on them.  And it had a fairly simple hook.  Yes, the characters had backstory, but we didn’t get it all at once.  Or even in the first season.  We had flashback episodes, but it was something related to what was currently going on.  That show had narrative focus; this one was a bit all over the place.

Like with the Pearson spin off, I felt like it was trying to include too many characters and storylines all at once, and that just didn’t work well.

So what did work?  I found the murder storyline interesting.  What can I say, I’m a mystery fan.  That had some nice twists.  I would get on board with a storyline here and there, but I wasn’t compelled to keep watching from week to week.  Oh, I did, but it wasn’t something I couldn’t wait to see.

I’m not faulting any of the actors, who are all good at bringing their characters to life.  For me, the problem lies with the writing, which felt like a case of too many cooks in the kitchen.

I already mentioned that we had real life celebrities popping in as versions of themselves.  That was often my favorite part of each episode.  None of them had long arcs, but they were always fun.

Three characters from the original popped up.  The most prevalent was Gabriel Macht as Harvey Specter, who guest starred in three episodes.  He was electric as always, and I really liked his storylines the best.  Showing up in one episode each, we had David Costabile as Daniel Hardman, who would have been about the last character I expected to show up, and Rick Hoffman as Louis Litt, which just reminded me that a little bit of Louis goes a long way.

The show never did well in the ratings, so I wasn’t surprised when NBC cancelled it.  While the show leaves quite a few things up in the air, I felt like we got enough of a sense of closure that I’m okay.  Don’t get me wrong, I very much want to see what the show would have looked like going forward, and I would have turned in.  But I also feel like we can move on from these characters satisfied.  Or at least I can.

If you are a fan of the original and are curious about this one, give Suits LA a chance.  Otherwise, you aren’t missing much of you skip it.

Movie Review: Love in the Great Smoky Mountains

Stars: 2 out of 5

Pros: Beautiful scenery, did enjoy the romance

Cons: Awkwardness in the script; lectures

The Bottom Line:

A dig in the park

Creates chance for love to grow

But script needed work

“Of All the Digs in All the World, You Had to Show Up at Mine.”

Since I’ve started watching Hallmark’s movies set in various National Parks, I’ve been keeping an eye opened for new ones.  Fortunately, I spotted Love in the Great Smoky Mountains: A National Parks Romance on the channel recently so I could keep the streak of watching them all alive.  Unfortunately, the movie wasn’t nearly as good as it could have been.

As this movie opens, Haley (Arielle Kebbel) has just gotten her doctorate in archeology and is thrilled to be heading to a dig in the Great Smoky Mountains for a few weeks.  It will be a great step in her career.  However, she is less than thrilled when she discovers that her ex, Rob (Zach Roerig), is already at the dig.  They haven’t spoken since they broke up three years ago.  Will their both being on the dig cause tension?  Or will old sparks fly again?

I had seen a few previews before I watched the movie, and I was actually rather excited to see how the story unfolded.  I thought the archeology aspect would provide an interesting backdrop to the romance.  At times, it did.  It did drive a few plot points and Haley gets obsessed with an item she thinks might be in the park.

However, it also slowed things down.  I felt like we got lots of exposition at times, more so than the movie called for.  We also got some lectures about how wonderful life was for the Cherokee tribe before they were forced to leave and how awful the Trail of Tears was.  Now, please do not misunderstand me.  What happened to the tribe in the 1800’s was horrible.  It is indeed a part of American history we should be ashamed of.  However, it felt awkward here.  Part of that is how the movie was written.  And part of it is because I wasn’t sitting down to watch something on the topic.  I was sitting down for a light romance.

I mentioned the writing in the previous paragraph.  It left something to be desired.  There were some rough transitions between scenes and topics.  Plus, dialog sounded stiff.  The script needed a polish.

The acting wasn’t the best either.  Yes, I know some of it was the writing, but the actors seemed to be overly enthusiastic at times in an effort to make up for it.  This had a high dose of Hallmark cheese.

On the other hand, the scenery was beautiful.  I believe it was actually filmed in Great Smoky, and this made me want to go visit the park.  And so many waterfalls!  (At least if this movie is to be believed.)

I was pulled into the romance.  That’s part of the reason I found some of the other stuff annoying.  I wanted to see more with Haley and Rob.  There’s a second relationship that I was also rooting for, although they got more of the awkwardness of the script that Haley and Rob did.

While these movies aren’t that great, I’m still finding myself drawn to them just because of the settings.  If that’s you, you’ll want to watch Love in the Great Smoky Mountains.  Otherwise, you can skip it.

This movie is part of this two movie DVD release.

Movie Review: Game of Love

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Pulls you into the story

Cons: Predictable, Audrey at the beginning

The Bottom Line:

Developing game

A predictable romance

Ultimately fine

Will They Win the Game?

When I heard about Game of Love, one of Hallmark’s romance movies, I thought it sounded like it could be fun.  Due to the movies I have on my DVR, it took me a while to get to it.  It had its moments, but it was a typical romance movie overall.

Audrey (Kimberley Sustad) is a board game designer who works best as a team of one.  She’s cut out any hope of romance in her life.  So when her game company decides they are going to create a game about romance, she is less than enthused.  Even worse, she is assigned to work on it with Matthew (Brooks Darnell), a marketing wiz brought in to help the company.  Oh, and they are going to rush it through the design phase so they can submit it to an annual awards competition coming in just four weeks.

You know where the story goes from here.  And the movie does a good job of hitting the expected squares on the way to the finish.  It’s not exactly ground breaking, but it is creative in how they find the elements the game needs as the two leads build their relationship.

Of course, I had so many questions along the way.  Like is there any way a game could be ready in four weeks?  Oh, I get they needed to put pressure on the characters to make the plot work, but I just kept running up against that question.  And there’s the question of how much replay a game like this would get.

Then there’s Audrey.  She’s a self-absorbed jerk at the beginning of the movie.  Yes, I get they were going for some character growth, but I can’t tell you how much I disliked her.  They really needed to tone her down.

The film does manage to keep the Hallmark cheese to a minimum, which is a good thing.

Even with knowing how the movie would end, I got pulled into the story.  I was frustrated with the rushed ending, however.  I feel like they should have given us a bit more than a few rushed realizations to wrap things up.

All this said, I did find myself rooting for Audrey and Michael and caring about the outcome.

If you are looking for a light Hallmark romance, Game of Love is fine.  While it has weaknesses, it is a light if forgettable movie.

TV Show Review: Rescue HI-Surf - The Complete Series

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Actors and stunts

Cons: Show’s focus on personal lives of characters making mostly bad decisions

The Bottom Line:

Hawaiian lifeguards

Show is more soap opera

Minimal rescue

Beachy Soap Opera

When I was considering new shows to try out in the fall of 2024, I decided to give Rescue: HI-Surf a chance. No, I don’t normally watch those types of shows, but I thought one following life guards on Hawaii would be worth at least checking out. While I did stay for all of season 1, I wasn’t really a fan. 

The show follows part of the life guard crew on the North Shore of O’ahu. There’s Sonny (Robbie Magasiva), the boss who just lost a family member due to drowning and is considering retiring. His second in command is Emily (Arielle Kebbel), who used to date another member of the team, Will (Adam Demos). Just to complicate things, Will is about to get married to someone else, and Emily might not be other him. There’s Laka (Kekoa Kekumano), who wants a promotion even though he’s a bit of a partier. Meanwhile, we have the two rookies, Hina (Zoe Cipres), who was the best in the recruiting class but lost her choice at first assignments to Kainalu (Alex Aiono), who happens to be the mayor’s son. Not that the mayor wants his son out doing something like this. 

Each episode finds the crew doing one of two rescues. Sometimes, it’s as many as three. And there are some creative rescues they have to perform. The problem is, they are over quickly. If that’s what you are tuning in for, which I was, you’ll be disappointed. 

Instead, the show focuses on the soap opera lives of the characters. Each week brings some new complications as they try to figure out their lives. And, honestly, this is where I struggled. I didn’t feel that any of the characters were especially smart. Instead, it felt more like watching a train wreck. No, every week wasn’t that bad, although some were. It was just hard to get that invested. 

I know what you’re saying, and I agree. There was something that drew me to keep coming back. Yes, I was curious how some storylines would play out. I did enjoy the setting. And, at first, I hoped it would get better. If there was a competing show I wanted to watch, I probably would have bailed. But with a quiet Monday, I decided I’d give it a season. Since the show wrapped up multiple storylines, leaving only a few dangling, I feel like I can walk away, which is a good thing since the show wasn’t renewed for a second season.  If it had come back, I wouldn’t have. 

Now, keep in mind I’m not blaming the actors. They are all great at bringing their characters to life. And the stunts used for the rescues are also entertaining. 

Season 1 consisted of 19 episodes. 

I don’t regret watching the first season of Rescue: HI-Surf. But I also have no desire to find out what happens to the characters next. I can close that chapter of my TV watching and find something else to fill that time with. 

Movie Review: Love in Aruba

Stars: 2 out of 5

Pros: Beautiful locations, some good complications

Cons: Poor writing, little chemistry between leads

The Bottom Line:

Romantic movie

That’s very poorly written

Little chemistry

Even by Low Budget Movie Standards, This Was Bad

When I decided to start watching some movies from the Great American Family Channel in 2023, I was in the mood for some romance movies.  It was around Valentine’s Day, after all.  So I recorded a few of them, including Love in Aruba.  It was obviously a low budget film.  Everyone was trying their best, but it still didn’t quite work.

The premise finds single father Connor (David McConnell) looking for a nanny/tutor for his daughter Macey (Scarlett Hazen).  He’s going to be spending the summer on a project in Aruba, and he wants to take Macey with him.  He’s looking for someone who can watch Macey but also make sure she doesn’t forget everything she’s learned at school this past year.

Enter Amber (Sashleigha Hightower), who is looking for something to do with her summer off from teaching fourth grade.  She agrees to go with them, and after a rocky start, the three start to really get along.  But is something more building?

I’m placing the blame here directly on the writing.  We get entire scenes of Amber taking Macey on trips and talking about animals or other school things.  Seriously?  Couldn’t we see them bonding in some other way?  Some way that would actually be interesting?  It definitely slowed things down.

Which is too bad because the complications that come up in the romance were actually pretty interesting.  Since I was sitting down to watch a romance, I would have been interested to seeing how those things were handled.  Instead, the ending felt rushed.

I will give the actors credit for doing the best they can with the material they are given.  Some of the dialogue is pretty bad, and there isn’t much they can do with it.  Still, it would have helped if the main couple had a little more chemistry.

I will say this, it was filmed in Aruba, and there are some beautiful shots.  There are also some tight shots that make you wonder what they are trying not to show.

Even by low budget movie standards this one is pretty bad.  I recommend you pass on finding Love in Aruba.

TV Show Review: Mistletoe Murders - Season 1

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Three charming Hallmark mysteries with a Christmas spin

Cons: Stretching out Emily’s backstory, a low dose of Hallmark cheese

The Bottom Line:

Hallmark mysteries

With a heavy Christmas spin

Three charming stories

“I Don’t Need an Amateur Sleuth Getting in My Way.”

Last year, I was curious about the first season of Mistletoe Murders, but Hallmark put it on their Hallmark+ streaming service, so I couldn’t watch it.  I was on the fence when I saw season one was going to air on their cable channels this year since I wasn’t sure I wanted to commit.  Thanks to a recommendation from a friend, I decided to give it a try.  And I’m glad I did.

Apparently, this series is based on an Audible Original series.  In Hallmark’s version, it features Emily Lane (Sarah Drew), a woman with a mysterious past who has moved to a small town to reinvent herself.  Literally.  She opens Under the Mistletoe, a Christmas gift shop.  Her one employee is Violet Wilner (Sierra Marilyn Riley).  Violet’s dad just happens to be the local detective, Sam (Peter Mooney).  That’s going to be important when Emily starts getting involved in local murders.

The first season consisted of three mysteries, each broken into two hour-long episodes.  When they aired on cable, they aired back-to-back, so we got them more as a movie instead of a weekly series.

The first story finds Emily and Sam investigating when a body is found on the local Christmas tree farm.  The victim just happens to be the fiancé of Emily’s veterinarian friend.  Up next, Emily joins the local Christmas choir to figure out what is happening after a series of mysterious accidents hits the group.  Finally, when the local bookstore owner dies and leaves behind a mysterious treasure hunt, Emily joins forces with the rest of the heirs to follow the clues and find his killer.

Those who are fans of Hallmark’s mystery movies will enjoy this series.  It’s essentially a mash up of their mystery and Christmas movies. 

And it works well.  There are several characters besides the three leads who appear in all the episodes, and I enjoyed getting to know them.  Each mystery was well plotted with plenty to keep me engaged as we followed Emily and Sam.

The scenes that Emily and Sam shared together are easily some of my favorites.  Their chemistry and banter made me smile.  So many great one-liners.  And it was easy to root for their romance to take off as well.  Meanwhile, I enjoy Violet.  She’s a great character in her own right, and her attempts to nudge her dad and her boss together are cute.

The rest of the cast is good as well.  Whether they were a suspect in one story or a series regular, I felt they brought their characters to life.

Yes, this is a Hallmark production, but the low budget feel is kept to a minimum.  Again, if you are a fan of the channel, you’ll enjoy watching these stories.

There is more to Emily’s backstory than we learn here.  I think I might have been frustrated by the cliffhanger if the new season weren’t premiering this coming Friday.  Hopefully, we get some answer there instead of just the endless teasing.

But don’t let that frustration stop you.  If you want some charming mysteries filled with Christmas, you’ll be glad to sit down and watch the first season of Mistletoe Murders.

TV Show Review: The Marlow Murder Club - Season 2

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Two good mysteries with fun characters

Cons: The final mystery is disappointing

The Bottom Line:

Three Marlow cases

First two are entertaining

Last one disappoints

“How Are You?”  “Well, Apart from Standing Next to a Dead Body, I’m Good, Thanks.”

The producers behind The Marlow Murder Club decided to do something different for season two.  While season one spent four episodes bringing the first novel to life on the screen, season two would bring us three different stories.  Each would unfold over two episodes, which gave us a total of six episodes for season two.  While two of the stories were quite entertaining, one fell flat.

If you’ve missed the series or the books, it revolves around three unlikely friends in the British town of Marlow.  There’s retired archeologist Judith Potts (Samantha Bond), dog walker Suzie Harris (Jo Martin), and the Vicar’s wife, Becks Starling (Cara Horgan).  Rounding out the main characters is DS Tanika Malik (Natalie Dew), who has come to recognize how helpful these three amateurs can be to solving the crimes in their community.

The first two episodes are pulled from the second book in the series, Death Comes to Marlow.  It kicks off with Judith being invited to a party celebrating a wedding, scheduled to take place the next day.  But when the groom-to-be dies in a locked room, it’s up to our characters to solve the murder.

I’d read it about a month before the episodes aired, so I was very familiar with it.  In order to cover the story in two episodes, they had to cut out a few things, most prominently some sub-plots, but a twist or two got rushed as well.  Overall, it was a decent take on the story, although it’s easy to say the book was better in this case.

Up next, we have the case of a dead body in the middle of the cul-de-sac.  There are only two houses still occupied since the rest have sold out to a developer who wants to build in the area.  But neither of the couples will admit to seeing anything that morning.  Who is the victim?

I really enjoyed this story as well.  Since this was an original story, I didn’t know for sure where they were going with it, and I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome.  They manage to have time for a good sub-plot or two involving the main characters as well, which I enjoyed.

The final story of the season involved a murder at the local sailing club.  When one of the members is found dead, it looks like an accident, at least at first.  But the trio soon uncover evidence that it was murder.  Can they navigate club politics to find the killer?

Honestly, this was the story I struggled with.  While the set up was good, there were just too many suspects and motives, and we didn’t see enough to cement the relationships and their motives.  And that’s without any real subplots.  While things did make sense at the end, we got a long monologue from Judith explaining what had happened as she accused the killer.  That’s only slightly better than the villain monologuing.

One thing I loved from the first season is the chemistry of the main cast.  That holds true here again, and it’s only gotten stronger.  While they were just forming their friendships in season one, here, they are established, and you can feel how much they care for each other.  The supporting actors and guest stars are just as good at bringing their characters to life.

The show is filmed in Marlow, which is also fun.  The locations are lovely.  If I ever make it to England, I’d enjoy visiting.

While the final third of the season is disappointing, I highly recommend the first four episodes of season two.  They show just how fun The Marlow Murder Club can be.

Movie Review: The Christmas Charade

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Fun Christmas movie with some mystery elements

Cons: Several things are a bit rushed

The Bottom Line:

A blind date mix up

Sets off this Christmas caper

Turns out to be fun

“One Hour?  With a Criminal?  I’m a Librarian!”

At this point, I’m a little unclear why I selected The Christmas Charade to watch.  It was probably the premise that caught my attention, although there is a small chance it might have been the stars.  No matter which reason it was, I’m glad it did because I really enjoyed it.

The movie introduces us to Whitney (Rachel Skarsten), an elementary school librarian.  And yes, she is just as risk averse as that sounds.  She gets her thrills from watching movies.  In fact, she has to think long and hard before she agrees to go on a blind date.

Yet, the blind date goes wrong in a way she never could have predicted.  She mistakes Josh (Corey Sevier) for her date when in reality, he’s an FBI agent attempting to start an undercover operation.  He’s been trying to track a thief for months, and he thinks the next target is going to be a priceless necklace, the Heart of Christmas, which only gets displayed on Christmas Eve.

With Whitney inadvertently inserted into the operation, Josh has no option but to move forward with her as his undercover partner.  She is turning out to be surprisingly adept at it.  But can they keep the charade up and save the necklace?

When I sat down to watch the film, I realized that I’d seen both of the leads in the Hallmark Mystery movie Jazz Ramsey in 2024.  Obviously, Hallmark thought they had great chemistry since it cast them as the leads here.  I’ve got to agree.  Even though I thought the romance was a bit abrupt story wise, I still bought into it thanks to their great chemistry.

As unrealistic as the set up is (no, the FBI wouldn’t really let a civilian get this involved), if you are willing to buy into the premise, you’ll have a fun time going along for the ride.  I feel like a couple of things were a bit rushed, but that’s minor.  Overall, I had fun with the premise.  I appreciated that they set up Whitney with some skills that made her useful to the case.  There were a couple of nice twists and complications along the way.

Because there is a case for the leads to work on, this movie has a minimum of the typical Christmas trappings.  Yes, we get a few, but not as many as we might in a typical Hallmark movie.  So if you are looking for something different, this would be a good one to watch.  Yet, the Christmas elements they put in turn out to be plenty of fun.

As I hinted at earlier, I found the leads to be great, which is a good thing since they carry quite a bit of this movie.  Overall, the cast was good.  There were a couple of issues with the writing, but most of that was related to twists that didn’t have enough of a set up.

If you enjoy Hallmark Christmas movies, you’ll find plenty to enjoy here.  The Christmas Charade is a fun example of the movies they produce each year.

This movie is included in this three movie DVD set.