Captain's Log
Your Captain returns after several weeks away with a quick rundown of some recent television
Well, I’m grateful to get a few weeks off. Let’s do that more often.
It also gives me a chance to talk about the shows I’m watching of late, which admittedly aren’t many with the summer season. But three shows I watch are airing right now and a fourth finished fairly recently (and I haven’t had a chance to write about it), so let’s get into it.
Widow’s Bay will probably get the most space here because A)its season is complete and B)it’s the show’s first season, so everything I have to say about it is new (I’ve literally written one sentence about it prior to this). I am not really a horror fan, but a horror-comedy is much more likely to hit me in the right spot. The raves from both critics and the public were another obvious point of interest, despite my occasional trepidation about such things. And I was willing to give this creative tree and cast a shot, based on what I knew of Katie Dippold, and I hear Matthew Rhys is good in things.
Well, I don’t know if I’d rave as much as the critics and the public have been, but it is quite good. First of all, nobody told me Stephen Root was in this; as Wyck, the older gentleman who fully believes in the island’s curses and is trying to discourage the mayor (Rhys) from developing Widow’s Bay as a tourist destination (the next Martha’s Vineyard?), he is every bit as good as he ever is.
The first few episodes mainly focus on the struggle between Tom Loftis (the mayor) to try to promote the island as a tourist destination, and the people like Wyck (well, mostly Wyck) who try to dissuade him from doing so and convince him of the reality of the island’s curse and the supernatural. Rhys gets some great opportunities to play his exasperation with the rest of the townsfolk in the first few episodes… although, of course, this can only last for so long; it wouldn’t be much of a show if there was no actual horror element.
Funnily enough for me, you’d think the comedy would end once the threats were clearly real, and of course the comedy is a big draw for me. But it manages to still remain funny, albeit from a bit of a different angle. (Dippold’s experience on Parks and Recreation, and her initial concept of what would become this show in a script for that show, seems clear in the comedy parts, with the absurdity of the characters and other idiosyncrasies of small towns.)
And perhaps more interestingly, the actual storytelling takes a jump to be more engaging around this point, with an episode centered on Kate O’Flynn’s Patricia, who is… the kind of character I am not sure how to describe. I see “eccentric” here. Sure, as vague and broad as that is. Anyway, O’Flynn’s performance is captivating and makes Patricia into someone we want to root for— and we get another opportunity to in another signature episode. You can’t engineer a breakout character, but Patricia is clearly one as much as one can be in this show.
While there’s more to the show, like Tom’s son and how he (and being a widower) factor into Tom’s outlook on the town, and some recognizable TV names as regulars (Dale Dickey, Jeff Hiller, Neil Casey), this trio of odd misfits ends up being our central focus, largely, and the most interesting part of the show. (I shouldn’t overlook Kevin Carroll as the sheriff Bechir, who plays a pretty significant role in his own right.)
Anyway: Good show. Quite enjoyed it. Not perfect— for one thing, I personally felt like there were a few episodes that kind of avoided moving the action forward, and that left the pacing feeling a bit off when other episodes had to pack incident in by comparison. But I don’t have any problem recommending it if this is your kind of thing.
Season 9 of Rick and Morty is a substantial improvement over season 8 and a return more to the quality of season 7. I didn’t think season 8 was bad, but the episodes were largely forgettable, with only a couple of exceptions. This season has returned to more inspired concepts: In particular, “Ricks Days, Seven Nights” and “Erickerhead” both literalize a conflict that should be obvious given Rick’s self-loathing: Rick vs. himself. And like in the best episodes, many of these have a willingness to explore these concepts to their limits, with only “Rick Fu Hustle” really falling short as a self-indulgent idea that ends up being not that adventurous or interesting. Anyway, who could possibly have their opinion shifted on the show at this point?
AD! came back to our TVs on the 21st for two more episodes. It’s possible the move back to FOX has tempered the extents the show can go to, but then, it was quite good in its first run there (hard to believe that ended 12 years ago!). This phrasing sounds more negative on the show than it should— the whole season still cleared the bar I look for to be consistently entertaining. And there were a couple of standout episodes, with “Camera Stan” probably being the best. The show’s next episode is its 400th, so I’m presuming it’s being held over until the fall, along with the rest of the seaosn.
We’re a couple episodes into season 3, and it feels hard to rate this as a “new” season, given that the second season was likely cut short from 10 to 8 because of the writers strike. So the first two episodes feel like they’ve been wrapping up that season— the season premiere starts with the kind of huge battle that was frequently a staple of Game of Thrones‘ penultimate episodes, and then the second episode had perhaps even more major happenings than that.
I enjoy the spectacle but I find it rather confusing to keep track of who’s who. Specifically, this is because the show is primarily focused on two families, each of whom have decided to name their children with names that are barely distinguishable. On one side, you have Rhaenyra and Rhaenys and Rhaena. On the other, you have Aegon and Aekon and Aemon and Aemond, and that doesn’t account for Daemon on the other side. (I made one of those up.) It can all get confusing, particularly in an episode as chaotic in the season premiere.
On the other hand, starting the season with two such eventful episodes made it a lot more fun to jump right back into. Maybe I couldn’t keep everybody straight in the first episode, but I found the second episode much more clear, and even more importantly, we’re getting right into the plot action instead of a lot of exposition or catch-up. I’ll trade a little confusion for the kind of action (both dramatic and in spectacle-and-violence terms) we get here.
I think I may whip up some kind of comparison piece between House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms for a future Thursday.
We’re going to get the next season of King of the Hill later this month.
I don’t know what my next columns will be about, which is a good reminder that, as always, anyone who wants to take a week to write about something TV-related on a Thursday is welcome to.
Now, what did you watch?
About the writer
Captain Nath
Born on the bayou, thriving in the mountains. Writer, gambler, comedian, singer-songwriter, bon vivant, globetrotter, and all-around Renaissance Man with perfect opinions about TV and music. Pronounced with a long A and with the H.
It's a gaming ship.
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Department of
Conversation
What did we watch?
House of the Dragon S3E1 – Kept having petty grievances with the lighting especially when it is daylight or there’s greenery (Netflix-like issue with cameras meant to work on every format? I dunno), resulting in blur and a complete lack of deep focus. Have none of you heard of Gregg Toland?! Then the second half is fantastic and sometimes feels like it’s from a completely different and hyper-competent director, emphasizing little visual details (the guts on the ship floor, the oars hitting the rocks because tide is so shallow) and showcasing this massive naval battle that is at best a Pyrrhic victory. Abigail Thorn in some ways anchors this back half as Lothar, turning on Lannister in a way that feels abrupt yet makes complete sense if you’re a mercurial pirate who gives zero fucks about anything except the Sea Snake. She does some great physical acting too, feels like an actor knowing this is her shot and nailing it. There’s also a Green Man which is always awesome/creepy. I dunno, I still like this show and think it has probably already reached it’s peak.
Widow’s Bay, “Emergency Shelter”
Excellent moral drama here, as everyone learns that one of Warren’s children survived and had descendants. Patricia’s first reaction is curiosity; Tom’s is a wearier certainty that it would be best not to know, because, as he says, what would they do when they found out who those people were? Rhys plays his initial resignation to the island’s continuing, tragic horror beautifully, letting himself slump everywhere, from his shoulders to the corners of his eyes, as he orders the emergency siren that will both protect the town they have and end the dream of the one they could. This is it, now.
Except it’s not, because Wyck has more than Patricia’s curiosity–he has a driving need to know–and he doesn’t have Tom’s tendency to guard against his own actions–he accepts what he wants to do without hesitation. He has Rosemary run a genealogy.
Dale Dickey is unsurprisingly magnificent in that scene, holding court with her overhead projector: she may not know the exact meaning of the proceedings, but she senses their significance, and she knows that for once, she has a near-captive audience, and dammit, they’re going to hear about what she dug up with no skipping to the end. The interruptions are beautifully realized, too: Patricia, still only curious, still not focused on where this will lead, is mostly just interjecting about Rosemary over-pronouncing the word “lesbian,” whereas Tom–who knew how he would feel about this information if he had it, and who just watched Shaman get sucked up into an unnatural cyclone–is more desperate. Wyck is silent. He’s waited all this time anyway.
And the payoff is that it’s Ruth, Tom’s elderly assistant, and Tom and Wyck are willing to sacrifice her to lift the town’s curse (again, great Rhys on, “So there’s just one. And they’re old,” as if he can feel the scaffold of reasoning he’s building even as he’s doing it), and Patricia isn’t, and Wyck assumes Tom will need him to do it, but Tom has come a long way from the kid who didn’t want to play ding-dong-ditch, and he heads out into the night and the storm. They can have a debate on whether it’s right or wrong to kill Ruth to free the whole island from a rash of unnatural deaths and unfair confinement (a stake made especially pointed by Bechir’s wife starting to have contractions, and more distantly–but more personally to Tom–by his escape artist teenage son now being more excited about the mainland than ever), but there’s no debate on whether or not it would be cowardly to let someone else do it for you if you did think it was right. Tom, you may be about to do something horrible, but you’re really building up Wyck’s grudging respect for you.
World Cup – first half of the England match was absolutely dreadful so I turned it off and did something more worthwhile. Sounds like they managed to improve in the second half but I’m happy with my decision.
Twin Peaks, S2 “Slaves & Masters” aka “the episode inexplicably directed by Diane Keaton” – I’ve seen this episode described as the low point for the whole show and I think that’s a little unfair. Yeah it contains a LOT of the “James & Evelyn” plot but at least it mostly finishes it! And yeah Keaton goes way overboard with the quirky direction but it’s not like she had much to work with. So I’m going to go with “bad, but at least it’s energetically bad” for this one. Also it has sweet moments for two of my favourite TP couples: Ed & Norma, and Harry & Albert.
I honestly think they find a pretty good ending for the stupid Ben’s Confederacy Delusion plot. It’s oddly sweet in a very Twin Peaks kind of way. Luckily you’re nearly back to when the ship rights a bit.
Yeah I don’t mind that plot, it’s strange and funny and brings together an odd group of characters to enjoyable effect. I think there are a couple more dodgy episodes – in my head I have the next one down as “what the fuck did they do to Josie?” and the following one as “Sheriff Harry Truman weeps for an hour” but I think it gets mostly back on track after that.
Oh right! I actually like that Josie plot – even the stupid special effect everyone hates. The little appearance from the Man From Another Place and BOB is fun; it’s third-rate Lynch, but it still feels like at least like a stab at Lynch. But yes, mopey Truman is boring.
Josie’s S2 plot is probably my least favourite part of the show, I hate all the Catherine’s Maid stuff and the way they keep throwing new characters into the mix while seemingly not being sure whether she’s a timid victim or a secret badass. But the way it ends is undeniably insane and I’ve got to respect that.
M*A*S*H, Season Four, Episode Eleven, “Dear Peggy”
“Klinger ate a fresh egg.”
“I just wrote that to Peggy.”
“I wouldn’t try. It loses so much in translation.”
“All gropers will report to my tent. And then after that, the gropees.”
“We order rectal thermometers, we get spark plugs! Both useful items, but hardly interchangeable.”
This episode splits itself mainly between the two most fundamentally decent characters on this show: BJ, as you’d expect from the title, and Father Mulcahey. The latter reveals the equal amounts of personal insecurity he carries alongside that decency; he’s taken in by a charismatic visiting chaplain and ends up doing something risky and stupid. It fascinates me that they pull off Mulcahey being worthy of respect and admiration without being ‘smart’, per se – he simply couldn’t do what the doctors do and he knows it, and that often troubles him – usually because he wants to do good. Sometimes, as here, it’s because he covets the respect that comes with it. Very interesting how well it sells that he doesn’t have to worry about that.
Meanwhile, we get BJ’s voice here. In a lot of ways, the text isn’t that different from Hawkeye’s style, but Mike Farrell’s delivery is so different – carefully chosen, nothing unintentional, and as I said, his fundamental decency shines through. BJ genuinely loves the people around him, and often thinks about them when they’re not around. Going back to intelligence, Hawkeye is a very reactive figure, but BJ contemplates. Even when he does react – like he does trying to revive a guy – it feels like the end result of a long process of deciding. Saving the guy is simply obvious.
At one point, BJ is serving as anaestheseologist, and he remarks in his letter that ‘sometimes you have to double in gas here’, explaining the slight inaccuracy they delve into with characters doing that (presumably to save on characters).
This has an extended scene of BJ sitting around shirtless, for some reason.
Barbarella – The President of Earth sends the title character to find a missing scientist before he can reintroduce weapons of war into the peaceful future. Hijinks and lots of sex ensue. This is a narrative mess that just barely goes from point A to point B, and it’s fair to say that the finished product exists as much to ogle Jane Fonda as to play around with science fiction concepts. But the look of the movie is as eye catching as its star, with pretty good FX for a De Laurentis budget and an array of bizarre sets and costumes that are, if nothing else, never dull. The parts of the script by Terry Southern are witty (though in the end eight people got credit), and we have to wonder just what level of satire the original screenplay had. Most of the cast is serviceable, but aside from Jane only David Hemmings seems to realize he should be having fun. And at no point at all does Jane phone it, playing Barbarella with a winning mix of innocence and sex appeal, hardly a feminist role but very much a character who keeps her own agency, and who enjoys sex a lot more than most women are ever allowed to in pop culture.
Elementary, “Seed Money” – The main mystery involved a botanist who seems to be killed because he felt out with the cartel he was growing very good pot with, but the truth is of course more complicated and involved an agribusiness that wanted him to work for them because they were anticipating the legalization of weed. The second mystery has Kitty hired by someone in her rape support group to find a missing daughter, who was the child of that rape. And as this is happening, Watson takes a job with an insurance firm but promises to continue working with Holmes and Kitty, Holmes is ready to make Kitty a full partner, and a corpse is discovered bearing the same markings that were found on Kitty when she was raped. So after weeks of steadily chugging along with solid mysteries and character growth, we are about to upend the apple cart and have an arc. The show is one for two with arcs, so let’s see what happens.
Frasier, “And Frasier Makes Three” – Frasier is ready to make his move for Charlotte, but it’s really hard when you’re suddenly buddies with her boyfriend. But his patience pays off when Charlotte finally had that one last fight, and our mildly star crossed couple get together. Only Charlotte hasn’t told Frasier she’s about to move back to Chicago. We’re doing everything at double time to get to the end of the show, but it works because things don’t have time to become too messy or silly, and because the chemistry is perfect. Though Frasier and Charlotte sleeping together the same night Charlotte has her breakup is a bit much. Three episodes to go.
I’m only one episode away from finishing Widow’s Bay, and it has me thinking about how the show’s serialization is working. Once everything really kicked off with the ends of episodes three and four, having episodes that were ostensibly plot-focused but didn’t do much to move things forward–“What to Expect on Your Trip”–felt like stalling, but I do get a little wistful thinking what a good fit a show like this would have been for a more episodic TV era. It has all the pleasures of a hangout show with a lot of strengths when it comes to one-off horror stories (“Beach Reads” and “Lodging” are fantastic in that regard), and the early ’00s would have let us have a lot more of those while still allowing for arcs that picked up steam towards the end of the season.
Obviously, as a Shield superfan, I love relentless plotting. But that’s not always the best fit for every kind of story (and notably, The Shield was also expert at balancing episodic storytelling or mini-arcs alongside the continuously unfolding tragic force of the main narrative). This is a common refrain, but I kind of miss the longer seasons that let more shows alternate between long-form and short-form narrative. It wasn’t good when every show had 23+ episodes a season, but it’s a bummer when almost none of them can have that even if they want it.
None of this should be construed as a slight on Widow’s Bay, which I’m enjoying the hell out of and which has just done some killer serialized storytelling in the last episode I watched. But it’s just such a good setup for the episodic format as well that I wish I had room to do both.
It’s a thing I find about Babylon 5 – there’s a lot of cases in that show where it’s willing to shift up the status quo for about seven or eight episodes, like G’Kar being in jail or Franklin going on a walkabout, whereas that would take up an entire season now and feel like you’re being cheated of the premise of the show.