I just caught up in The Nevers. The worldbuilding is wobbly, the pacing all over the place, and some of the characters are EXTREME Whedon stereotypes but I'm still kinda of enjoying it? It's gorgeous to look at and the cast is excellent, particularly Laura Donnelly (who plays the main character, Mrs. True.) Also diggin' Ben Chaplin's Frank Mundi, who is a fucked-up mess of repression, but kinda principled one all the same.

The episode 5 left me mighty confused, like, it's missing the whole half of the story? Maybe that's the next episode. They had to shut down production midway due to COVID-19 restrictions and pick up months later, I hear. And I'm afraid the glowy McGuffin is gonna be something guffaw-inducing like OMGWTF ALIENS! Still, willing to stay for the ride for the pretty and the ass-kicking. I just gotta temper my expectations and not anticipate any big payoff re. the Big Mystery.

but I'm still kinda of enjoying it? It's gorgeous to look at and the cast is excellent

That's my initial take. The cast is reallllly good, and I think they're romping all over the Penny Dreadful sets.

The Nevers did totally go to the OMGWTF ALIENS place (HA!) but in a sort of interesting way? I thought I tuned into the wrong show at the beginning! I knew that actress who played Stripe was familiar to me but did not cotton to the fact that it was Claudia fucking Black (!!) until the closing credit. She was terrific -- I missed seeing her on my TV screen. She did an excellent job invoking the main character's mannerisms without it being mimicry.

I still find a lot of plots and motivations in the show confusing, but intrigued enough to tune in whenever it comes back.

Oh! That spoiler font stuff makes me put The Nevers on my list.

Mare of Easttown: Asspull or no?

Mare of Easttown: I vote No on asspull.

Finale spoiler: I wondered about Ryan early on, because he was so deeply upset, and acting out so much, but he seemed younger to me in the earlier episodes, so I told myself he probably just saw/knew more, and that's why he was acting out.

He seemed so young in the earlier episodes because he was -- the production paused in March of 2020 because of COVID-19, and picked back up some time in the fall. Six months can make a world of difference in a kid that age.

What did you think, Tom? Everybody?

Yeah, the consensus of the Internet seems to be that people were picking up on things that I missed.

I still thought * Ryan was awfully young. I think the pandemic delay worked in the production's favor, because he just looked like a baby in those early episodes. *

For fans starving for some good rom coms, Starstruck on HBO Max is excellent. It's basically genderflipped Notting Hill, and the two leads are absurdly charming. It's only six 30-minute episodes and I gobbled it up like a delicious sorbet on a hot summer day.

It's only six 30-minute episodes and I gobbled it up like a delicious sorbet on a hot summer day.

I am so into thirty minute shows! I swear an hour feels like a commitment I can barely keep some nights.

I've been rewatching the Prisoner and I'm always surprised that it's an hour long. "Oh shit, there's more plot happening! Can't you cut to the existential/absurdist/cynical twist already!"

That's one reason I got into Fleabag S1 when it first came out.