BENJAMONSTER NEWSLETTER: December 16, 2024

Welcome to my Monday newsletter! This week, I am sharing My Top 10 Episodes of 2024 plus thoughts on Netflix's No Good Deed and the series finale of Blue Bloods as well as Shrinking and Silo!

YEAR IN REVIEW: TOP 10 EPISODES OF 2024

Continuing my Year in Review, this week I have my Top 10 Episodes of 2024. Last year was a banner year for individual episodes. All time great episodes: "Long, Long Time" from The Last of Us, "Connor's Wedding" from Succession, "Four Minutes" from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and "Forks" from The Bear made up the Top 4 and could have all been #1 this year. Despite the fact that none of this year's episodes top those four, there was still much to celebrate!

10. Mr. & Mrs. Smith "First Date" (Prime Video, February 2)

The first episode of Mr. & Mrs. Smith really set the tone for what kind of show it was going be. It was a big-budget, action-filled spy show as we expected but what we didn't expect was a sharp commentary on marriage and relationships and it was clear from the very beginning that it was aiming higher.

9. Ghosts "Halloween 3: The Guest Who Wouldn't Leave" (CBS, March 7)

It aired far away from Halloween due to the dual Hollywood strikes but the third Halloween episode of Ghosts was a laugh riot with a very funny concept that kept building on itself. I was excited to see how they untangled the knot they put themselves in and they did it well.

8. The Bear "Ice Chips" (FX/Hulu, June 26)

The Bear's third season wasn't my favorite but there were two standout episodes, both on this list. "Ice Chips" was a great showcase for Abby Elliot and Jamie Lee Curtis. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop and Curtis' character to mess up so when she didn't, it turned out to be a very sweet and cathartic episode.

7. The Penguin "Cent'Anni" (HBO, October 13)

Easily the best episode of the eight episode run of The Penguin, this episode was a complete showcase for Cristin Milioti. She was equal parts sympathetic and terrifying in a very compelling backstory that was more interesting than the main story.

6. Fargo "The Useless Hand" (FX, January 9)

The penultimate episode of Fargo's excellent fifth season was intense from start to finish. Centered around a standoff at a ranch, the action kept going through the entire episode and the visual flourishes were equally stunning.

5. Ripley "V Lucio" (Netflix, April 4)

I adored Ripley but it was hard to pick out an individual episode since it was really the whole series I was captivated with more than an individual episode. But the fifth episode was easily the most tense of the series and the closest it seemed to all falling apart for the titular character. The drama built and eased and built and eased through the hour and it was captivating from start to finish.

BENJAMONSTER NEWSLETTER: December 9, 2024

Welcome to my weekly newsletter. This week, I am looking at my Top 12 Performances of 2024 and the Somebody Somewhere finale. Plus, thoughts on Black Doves, What We Do in the Shadows, Shrinking, Abbott Elementary, Silo and Landman!

YEAR IN REVIEW: TOP 12 PERFORMANCES OF 2024

I am kicking off my three week Year in Review posts with my Top 12 Performances of the year. Why 12 instead of 10? Well, because I felt like my #11 and #12 really deserved to be on this list so why not list 12? Next week, I will take a look at my Top 10 Episodes and finish off with my Top 10 Shows of the year. 

12. Kathy Bates, Matlock & Carrie Preston, Elsbeth

The two CBS ladies of Thursday nights kick off this list in large part because of how they elevate their shows. These are really just average CBS procedurals but Bates and Preston keep them a cut above the rest with their quirky performances. That's especially true of Bates in her legal drama that is by the books despite the pilot twist. Preston sometimes gets help from great guest stars but also sometimes not if the guest star is bad. Either way, these two performances set the two shows above many other network dramas.

11. Peter Sarsgaard, Presumed Innocent

Presumed Innocent was a real misguided show in many ways and I had many qualms with it. But I didn't have any qualms with Peter Sarsgaard's fascinating performance. He was so interesting and unique in a show that was such a mess. I would have loved to see him return for the second season but he's already said he's not interested. Without Sarsgaard, I can't say I'm interested either.

10. Cristin Milioti, The Penguin

I didn't love The Penguin but I thought Cristin Milioti was absolutely the reason to watch. As a tortured soul but also a true villain, she was absolutely the reason the story kept moving and a very compelling figure. The episode that focused primarily on her backstory was far and away the best episode of The Penguin. Colin Farrell wasn't bad but this was Milioti's show.

9. Kristen Bell & Adam Brody, Nobody Wants This

I feel like Nobody Wants This caught people off guard this fall but it really shouldn't have. This is what happens when you put two extremely likable personalities in a rom-com together. Sure, we can quibble about some of the tropes or the way the show handled Judaism. But we can't quibble about the chemistry between Kristen Bell and Adam Brody or the fun they brought to the show.

8. Liza Colon-Zayas, The Bear

The third season of The Bear was very divisive. I thought maybe the internet reaction was a little overblown but there's no denying it was a step down from season two. However, the exception was the charming "Napkins" episode that finally put Liza Colon-Zayas in the spotlight. She rose to the occasion in what was easily the best episode of the season, a sweet and sentimental look at her character's life over several years.

7. Ted Danson, A Man on the Inside

At this point, Ted Danson is a national treasure. He's been giving great performances since Cheers but his last couple decades has been especially prolific from his arc on Damages to his incredible run on The Good Place. Now he is back with The Good Place creator Mike Schur as the headliner of a late year entry that was really delightful. Danson was a huge reason A Man on the Inside worked. His quirky charm was perfect for the role and he has showed no signs of slowing down.

6. Jessica Gunning, Baby Reindeer

Richard Gadd may have been the brains behind Baby Reindeer and the star but the series captured the zeitgeist thanks in large part to Jessica Gunning's performance. It was abrasive, funny and even scary at times. She was absolutely magnetic on screen in what proved to be a major breakout role.  It's hard to imagine Gunning in another show, though she certainly deserves one, because she completely embodied her character here.

5. The Cast of Shrinking, Shrinking

Is it cheating to put an entire cast on this list? I don't think so. I was mixed on the first season of Shrinking but it is firing on all cylinders in its second season. A huge reason for that is they built out the ensemble and gave them all meaty material. On top of that, they devote a significant amount of time to the ensemble just hanging with each other. This is one of those times where the entire cast is just clicking and in complete lockstep with each other. It's fun to watch.

BENJAMONSTER NEWSLETTER: November 25, 2024

Welcome to a pretty quick newsletter - it was a very busy week! This week, I am looking at A Man on the Inside and a few brief thoughts on What We Do in the Shadows and Silo.

The blog will be off next week but will return December 9 with the start of my end of year Top 10 lists!

"A MAN ON THE INSIDE"

It's always weird to write about Netflix shows on the blog because I'm sure many reading this have already binged the entire season of A Man on the Inside and I've only seen three episodes so far due to the aforementioned busy week. So I'll keep this review relatively short except to say that Mike Schur and Ted Danson have done it again. Schur's brand of comedy is one of my favorites and he rarely misses especially as a showrunner (some of his producing credits are less great). And Danson is just a TV icon at this point.

The premise of A Man on the Inside: putting Danson undercover in a retirement home is about as perfect a setup for those two as there can be. Schur excels at ensemble comedies that blend humor with heart and the ensemble of this nursing home really delivers the ensemble comedy while the sentimentality of aging brings the heart. And Danson has such a congenial presence that he just exudes charisma and charm. 

BENJAMONSTER NEWSLETTER: November 18, 2024

Welcome to my weekly newsletter! This week, I am looking at Landman, St. Denis Medical and the second season of Silo. Plus I have thoughts on Disclaimer, American Sports Story and more!

"LANDMAN"

Unlike many, there hasn't really been a Taylor Sheridan show I've enjoyed. I have never seen Yellowstone. I watched a whole season of 1923 and Tulsa King but didn't love either one. I didn't finish 1883 and never even tried Lioness. But I was drawn to Landman because I thought the premise was interesting and I was particularly intrigued by the all-star cast. 

This is definitely a soapy drama but I quite enjoyed the first two episodes. It definitely feels a bit like a modern day Dallas meets Friday Night Lights. It's not as focused on the fabulously wealthy oil barons as Dallas was and gives more attention to the "boots on the ground" and of course it's not as endearing as Lights, but I feel like those two shows are at least starting points for the vibe as long as you understand I'm not saying this is anywhere as good as Lights. The main reason to watch this show is Billy Bob Thornton as Tommy Norris. He's chewing scenery but doing it in a real delightful way. His interactions with his daughter, Ainsley (Michelle Randolph) and ex-wife, Angela (Ali Larter) were the highlights of the first two episodes even if the show veered a little too far into voyeuristic territory with the Ainsley character.

BENJAMONSTER NEWSLETTER: November 4, 2024

Welcome to my weekly newsletter. It was a quiet week for premieres and next week is even more quiet so I will take a week off from the newsletter next week and return on November 18! This week, I am looking at Season 2 of The Diplomat and giving some quick thoughts on other shows.

"THE DIPLOMAT" SEASON 2

The Diplomat returned for its second season this week. The season is a brisk six episodes. I've gotten to the first three of them. I'm sure many have finished the season but these thoughts are only on the first three episodes. I enjoyed the first season of The Diplomat, particularly the performances of Keri Russell and Rufus Sewell but I found myself not really remembering a lot about it by the time the second season rolled around. So I was glad for the lengthy "previously on" that Netflix gave us. But as it started to come back to me, I felt like the show spent much of the first two episodes sort of resetting the table from its explosive (pardon the pun) finale.

It wasn't until the third season where I felt the show was settling into its plot for the second season. And therein lies the problem with these short seasons. Back when broadcast dramas used to be more serialized, it wouldn't have mattered if they spent an episode or two following up to a finale and getting things clear and reset for a new season. There were still 20 episodes to go! But here we have the third episode finally getting things going and there's only three episodes left. I am not necessarily advocating for serialized dramas to go back to 22 episodes a year because we all know they can run out of stories quickly. But getting back to 10 or 13 for most of these types of dramas would be really nice.

BENJAMONSTER NEWSLETTER: October 28, 2024

Welcome to my Monday newsletter! This week I am looking at Poppa's House, the third and final season of Somebody Somewhere and the sixth and final season of What We Do in the Shadows! Plus, thoughts on Before, Abbott Elementary and Elsbeth!

"POPPA'S HOUSE"

I always hold my breath when new multi-cam sitcoms appear on Broadcast TV because some of them are just so cringey and then I have to go on my regular rant about how the artform has died and lament how we can go from the format boasting shows like Cheers and The Mary Tyler Moore Show to being the lowest form of scripted TV. I was expecting to feel those feelings after watching Happy's Place and/or Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage but I didn't end up hating either one of those. Then I watched Poppa's House and well... you know what I want to say.

BENJAMONSTER NEWSLETTER: October 21, 2024

Welcome to a busy Monday newsletter! It's a comedy heavy week this week. I am looking at Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage, Happy's Place, Season 2 of Shrinking and the pairing of Matlock and Elsbeth. Plus thoughts on English Teacher, The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh, Agatha All Along, Abbott Elementary and Frasier!

"GEORGIE & MANDY'S FIRST MARRIAGE"

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage is the third series in the Big Bang universe. I never watched The Big Bang Theory but when it went from a raucous multi-cam sitcom to the single camera family sitcom, Young Sheldon, I was on board and watched the entire seven season run. I never loved the show but I liked it quite a bit at times. Now the show is shifting back to a multi-cam format with Montana Jordan and Emily Osment taking their Young Sheldon characters to their own show. Big Bang didn't share any actors so the format switch seemed fine but this is jarring because its characters we've seen in a single cam format thrown into a multi-cam world.

BENJAMONSTER NEWSLETTER: October 14, 2024

Welcome to my Monday newsletter. This week, I am looking at Disclaimer, the fourth season of Abbott Elementary and the end of the first season of Bad Monkey. Also I have some quick thoughts on English Teacher, Only Murders in the Building and American Sports Story!

"DISCLAIMER"

Disclaimer is a new star-studded limited series on Apple TV+ and it comes from acclaimed filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron. In press for the show, Cuaron has committed the cardinal sin of calling it a "seven hour movie" which TV fans (including this one) hate to here. There's a reason TV is a different medium than movies. There needs to be an episodic nature to them even when they are serialized stories and there's a reason very few people want to watch a seven hour movie. I feel like when people like Cuaron (or others in the past including lots of Marvel people) say things like that, they truly feel like they are saying something that would be enticing to people but it has the exact opposite effect.

However, the good thing about an auteur filmmaker like Cuaron doing TV is you know you are going to get something beautifully shot and that is the case with Disclaimer. I have my concerns about the story but there's no denying that it is very well shot. The cast is top notch too, particularly Kevin Kline. He is captivating in every scene he's in and was easily the best part of the first two episodes. Sacha Baron Cohen is almost unrecognizable in this and Lesley Manville has a small role (so far) that is interesting. As for the lead performance, I'm going to withhold judgment on what I think of Cate Blanchett. Despite being the star, she's not given a ton to do in the first two episodes with so much setup (more on that below) and I do like Blanchett generally so we'll see.

BENJAMONSTER NEWSLETTER: October 7, 2024

Welcome to a shorter Monday newsletter than the last two weeks. This week, I am looking at HBO's The Franchise and the second half of the season of Netflix's Nobody Wants This. Plus I have some thoughts on English Teacher, Only Murders in the Building and Agatha All Along.

THE FRANCHISE

HBO's new comedy The Franchise debuted last night. The series comes from the acclaimed trio of Jon Brown, Armando Iannucci and Sam Mendes and is a behind-the-scenes satire of a troubled franchise superhero movie. I know this series was ordered in 2022 but I'm going to guess it was kicking around for a bit before that because this feels more like a 2019 premise for a TV show when the Marvel franchise was still flying high. Now it almost feels like kicking something while its down because both Marvel and DC have sputtered in film and TV in recent years.

I'm not a big fan of superhero movies but I follow the industry enough to know the many things that have gone wrong in recent years following their huge ascent during the 2010s. It's only been one episode but so far I've gotten the sense that this more a show with a few funny moments than a cohesive vision of how to satirize this genre. When I think about the pilot, I can think of a few funny moments - the opening walkthrough, the yelling of "waterfall," the fish people getting excised. But I don't think this is a show that quite has a point of view yet.

BENJAMONSTER NEWSLETTER: September 30, 2024

Welcome to my Monday newsletter. Today I am looking at Nobody Wants This, Doctor Odyssey and Grotesquerie plus I have a few thoughts on Saturday Night Live and a host of other new shows that premiered last week.

NOBODY WANTS THIS

It feels like we don't get too many true rom-coms on TV anymore but Nobody Wants This certainly fits into that category. Netflix's new series, starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody, has the very rom-com plot of an agnostic podcaster who loves to talk about sex (Bell) who has a meet cute and then very quickly a relationship with a young, unconventional rabbi (Brody). In less capable hands, this would be a Hallmark movie with a whole bunch of eye rolls. But in the very capable hands of Bell and Brody, it's mostly a delight.

It's always weird to talk about Netflix shows since they drop all at once and some people have surely finished the series. I've watched the first four episodes. The show is absolutely at its best when Bell and Brody are together. The two have an easy chemistry and have a lot of fun together on screen. Close behind are times when Bell is with Justine Lupe as her sister and co-podcaster. Bell and Lupe certainly have a sisterly dynamic and have some funny moments with their parents. The show falls apart a little bit for me with Brody's on-screen family. Besides being a bunch of thinly drawn Jewish stereotypes, there also just isn't the easy camaraderie or chemistry, at least through the first four episodes, that makes me believe them as a family. They seem more about punchlines and broad caricatures.