sonodocsch's Reviews

For All Mankind (2019– )

8/10

4 February 2024

So far, I am enjoying it. Most of us who are space program enthusiasts know about Werner Von Braun's history with the Nazis. That he was brought to the US with his colleagues to work on ballistic missiles (initially with the US Army Ballistic Missile Agency) but during his confrontation with the Congressional Panel, this was not brought up. The US knew about his background, but did not disclose this initially.

Also, there's a woman character - Margo Madison - who at one point says, "I know the code!" This has made me wonder if her character is a shout out to Margaret Hamilton, the woman engineer who led the Apollo guidance computer software development team at the MIT Instrumentation Lab (now the Draper Lab). You can find photos online of her standing next the pile of computer printout of the Apollo computer code.

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800 Words (2015–2018)

10/10

We love this show. Has anyone noticed the similarity to the US show "Everwood" (2002-2006)?

18 August 2023

We agree with the positive reviews of this show. Others have noted similarities to Northern Exposure and I think there are other "person out of their 'normal' environment" shows (and movies) that are more similar to Northern Exposure (which we also enjoyed). However, there was a US show that ran from 2002 - 2006 titled "Everwood". Consider this underlying premise of the plot: A widower surgeon (played by the late Treat Williams) moves his children (a teenage boy Ephraim played by Gregory Smith) and a younger daughter (Delia, played by Vivien Cardone) without them fully understanding their father's reason for the move. It has a lot of the teenage angst as in 800 Words, a variety characters (there is another physician in this small town), but the tone is generally more "serious" than 800 Words. Not that 800 Words does not have considerable drama, but the quirkiness of the characters and the small town atmosphere provide a different feel. Some characters are a pleasant surprise. While Woody is initially played as a bit goofy, in the dialogue he has with George on many occasions, he is (to us, anyway) quite the philosopher and in some ways has a better perspective on human behavior than George. I think the way the characters have evolved (at least through season 2; we are just starting to watch season 3) has been interesting and some diversions of that evolution provide some of the interest.

I believe Everwood is available on streaming services - might be worth a watch if you like 800 Words.

An earlier US show has some of the elements of the "person out of place" shows - a show called "Ed". It's about a NYC lawyer who is divorced and fired over a very short time. He gives up NYC residence and moves back to his hometown in Ohio. He sets up an office in a bowling alley. Quite a cast: Tom Cavanaugh (the lawyer), Julie Bowen (the romantic interest), Josh Randall (a high school classmate), Michael Ian Black, Justin Long, Mike Starr - and quite a few others. This series has much more of the quirky humor and is played much more for that than the dramatic content. Oh, and Westfield, NJ substituted for the Ohio community that Ed moves back to.

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Signed, Sealed, Delivered: The Vows We Have Made (2021 TV Movie)

10/10

Music during the wedding - brilliant use of music written for the movie and other known music

6 May 2023

Warning: Spoilers

There was a question in the reviews about the music played during the beginning of Shane and Oliver's wedding. As Oliver walks in, I believe the song being played is "Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring". As Shane walks down the aisle, the song is Billy Joel's "And So It Goes". This song was played in at least two other episodes that I recall. It's quite a sad song but includes some terrific and hopeful portions. The very first verse:

In every heart, there is a room A sanctuary safe and strong To heal the wounds from lovers past Until the new one comes along

Seems quite fit for both Shane and Oliver who deal with both romantic and family love lost (and found).

With the story arc about the roses that grew around Shane's childhood home and that Oliver plants and grows from a cutting of the roses around Shane's home, there is this verse from "And So It Goes"

And every time I've held a rose It seems I only felt the thorns And so it goes, and so it goes And so will you, soon, I suppose

And Oliver's reluctance to talk about the reasons for this doubts and worries regarding marrying Shane - finally explained by Oliver in this episode after Shane's mother speaks with him and she quickly understands his fear of abandonment - this verse

But if my silence made you leave Then that would be my worst mistake So I will share this room with you And you can have this heart to break

I wondered at first why the choice of this "breakup song" for the wedding scene, but thinking about the romantic difficulties that Shane and Oliver had been through to reach their marriage, it fits both the pain that both had experienced in previous relationships as well as why and how they have overcome these difficulties. From the last verse of "And So It Goes" Billy Joel (I think) expresses his uncertainty (he was reportedly breaking up with Elle McPherson at the time he wrote this) but the vows of Shane and Oliver answer this doubt for the two of them (and their families):

So I would choose to be with you That's if the choice were mine to make But you can make decisions too And you can have this heart to break.

That's why I think this is a brilliant choice of music for the wedding scene. If you have not heard this Billy Joel song, or have not heard it in years, it is easy to find on YouTube along with some masterful renditions by various choral groups and covers by other singers.

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