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dalanwhitaker
Reviews
Ted Lasso: The Hope That Kills You (2020)
The Perfect Combination of Heartbreak and Hope
The final episode of Lasso's first season is a triumph *spoilers ahead* The show deftly walks the line between realism and comedy as Lasso's squad fails to secure a spot in the Premier League. I wouldn't have believed it possible to feel so hopeful and happy at the end of a season that culminated in a heartbreaking defeat. Truly, before I started the episode I thought to myself: "There's no way they can make this episode good AND have them lose this game." Yet they did. The character development and resolution somehow managed to justify the surprising twists and turns. Rebecca's decision to keep Ted was entirely justified by her redemption in the previous episode. How could she fire a man who had come so close to winning and had just days before forgiven her for her extremely selfish actions? Overall, this was an excellent finish for all the characters. Particularly Ted and Jaime.
Harriet (2019)
Outstanding Cinema - Accurate? Not in specifics but in the things that matter
It astounds me that so many people on these reviews fail to see that the spirit behind the portrayal is what matters far less than the exact facts. Harriet's character and wisdom were on display in full view and this film was a triumph in the sense that it conveyed the realities of her personal and spiritual journey. To hold up any Hollywood film and bash it for not being historically accurate is foolish in the extreme. No one expects that and nor should we. It is the truth of the characters that matter.
Normal People (2020)
Good, but not a masterpiece
This series was a delightful picture of complicated romantic struggles. It didn't have to make extreme contrived conflict to bring about intrigue and suspense. It simply was and that was enough.
However, one of its failings was the overuse of sex scenes. At one point an episode consisted of 10% sex scenes. And of those moments perhaps 60 seconds actually provided new information about the characters and plot. That is consistent with all of the other sex scenes in the show. And when you take away the plot elements or the character development, what you're left with is voyeurism. Sure, there were a few moments of interesting awkward tension between them, but beyond that what you're left with is just provocation for the sake of provocation or arousal for the sake of arousal. Many people may consider this to be somehow prudish, but in reality it's far from that. What you have in these sequences of sexual activity is no different in terms of character and plot than the superfluous violence or action sequences in a Michael Bay movie. Everything that is accomplished in these scenes (that sometimes last for upwards of five minutes) could be accomplished in 90 seconds with just as much art and tact.
However, that failing does not negate the quality of storytelling found in the rest of the episodes. It certainly detracts from the overall experience, but when you take that away what you're left with is quite extraordinary. It is really sad that for whatever reason they chose to make those decisions, because in truth it could have been quite masterful if they had been a little bit more creative.
The Dragon Prince: Breaking the Seal (2019)
The Philosophy of John Rawls is Palpable
The king's speech regarding justice was extremely influenced by Rawlsian philosophy and his subsequent actions were also. Interesting but perhaps a bit heavy handed and on the nose.
The Good Place: The Worst Possible Use of Free Will (2018)
Outstanding Episode, one of the best of the season
The character development for Eleanor is excellent in this one. They tapped into the depth of her issues in the previous episode and did an alley-oop for this one. Plus the fact that they worked in determinism and free will was great.
Madam Secretary: The Magic Rake (2018)
An Outstanding Example Of Hope
This is a prime example of the unifying power of this show. It goes beyond party lines to tug at the core of what makes us human. It pointed to the truth we can feel in our souls: We are more than meaningless atoms floating in a random universe and there is hope for a brighter tomorrow.