Winter Warmer Watchlist - The Waterfront - Season One/Series Final

The Waterfront comes from Dawson’s Creek TV royalty, Kevin Williamson. The Netflix series landed mid-June, by August, the series was canceled after one season.

Inspired by true events, The Waterfront, dives into the flawed Buckley family as their attempts to retain control of their crumbling North Carolina fishing empire drive them to increasingly dangerous means to keep themselves afloat.

Starring some recent TV gems, Holt McCallany, Maria Bello, Melissa Benoist, Jake Weary, Rafael L. Silva, Humberly González, Danielle Campbell, & Brady Hepner. Benoist is getting a reputation now for one and done series. After HBO Max's The Girls on the Bus was also shown the door last year.

The hunky, Rafael L. Silva also recently wrapped on 9-1-1's spinoff Lonestar, which will finally stream in Australia on Disney+ later this month.

Jake Weary would also be a familiar face for those who watched all seasons of Animal Kingdom. The US take on the classic Aussie film.

Grady kidnaps Bree and sails out to sea to exchange her for Harlan. 

Diller, who saw Bree's kidnapping, had stowed away in the bow and was discovered. Bree attempts to escape and is shot in the leg and thrown into the sea. Harlan, who was supposed to come out alone, successfully hides Cane and Shawn, who overtake Grady and his men. 

They rescue Bree and Diller. Grady taunts Cane as being weak, but Cane kills Grady, and he falls into the sea. To settle their debts and retain their land assets, the Buckleys make a deal with Emmett, agreeing to run drugs for them for one year. 

Emmett puts Belle in charge to oversee the Buckley operations. 

Sheriff Sawyer aligns with Harlan and disposes of all the evidence of the altercation.

While this wasn't perfect. The family drama was addictive, while also being super trashy! Netflix do need to work on a future strategy however. With huge series like Stranger Things wrapping (for good) soon, along with no more Squid Game, Heartbreak High also wrapping soon. They are running out of big name, well known, long(er) running series.

Well hopefully later today, I'm off to the movies! I will reveal my review early next week. See-ya!

Winter Warmer Watchlist - Dexter: Resurrection - Season One

Dexter: Resurrection is a sequel series to Dexter: New Blood and Dexter. It's different to the prequel series, Dexter: Original Sin, which effectively has now been cancelled.

Last month, a writer's room for the second season was in preparing for pre-production, despite no official renewal by that point. Which in turn meant no more Original Sin. Sad face, cause I liked season one.

Creator, Clyde Phillips has stated Resurrection is designed to have multiple seasons. However no second season is formally announced, I feel like we will get one in 2026 on Paramount+ with Showtime. Or in Australia, simply Paramount+.

Starring OG Dexter, Michael C. Hall, alongside Uma Thurman, Jack Alcott, David Zayas, Ntare Mwine, Kadia Saraf, Dominic Fumusa, Emilia Suárez, James Remar, and Peter Dinklage. 

So how does it resolve, that last scene in New Blood?

Ten weeks after Dexter: New Blood, Dexter Morgan, who has recovered from his near-fatal gunshot wound, traces a missing Harrison to New York City, as Captain Angel Batista from Miami is hot on their trail.

With the walls caving in on everyone's favourite serial killer, Dexter is trapped in the vault, Dexter hallucinates Brian Moser taunting him. 

A phone call from Quinn enables Dexter to find Batista's cell phone and call Harrison for help. Taking a job as a waiter at the gala, Harrison sneaks in, but is caught by Charley. 

Searching through the vault for clues, Dexter finds Prater's serial killer files and a dossier on Charley which he is able to use to blackmail her. Furious at Prater's breach of trust, Charley quits and leaves New York with her mother. 

Dexter deduces that the vault code is the inmate number of the man who killed Prater's parents for Harrison. However, Prater captures Harrison and tries to kill him and Dexter. 

Having been given M99 by Dexter for protection, Harrison knocks Prater out and Dexter kills him. 

Dexter recovers his blood slides before triggering the vault's alarm as he escapes and the NYPD finds Batista's body, the murder weapon with Prater's fingerprints, and the Ripper's file, revealing his real name to be Don Framt. 

Dexter dumps Prater's body into New York Harbor and takes his files and yacht to hunt more targets, accepting that he will never have a normal life, but Dexter's connections to Blessing and Harrison will help him to be more human.

This was a solid sequel series. Much better in many ways from New Blood, however I really did enjoy Original Sin. So I will be sad not to get a second season.

I am very happy to say, long running Showtime series, The Chi has recently had its latest season land on Disney+. So hopefully I will get onto that real soon. Other than that, Showtime really only have another season of The Agency on the way. Their programming currently is pretty light on.

Until next time. Enjoy the first weekend of Spring.

Winter Warmer Watchlist - Countdown - Season One

Countdown had one of the most dispaointing final episodes of my Winter Warmer Watchlist series.

The Amazon series created and written by Derek Haas, star Amazon The Boys darling, Jensen Ackles, alongside Jessica Camacho, Violett Beane, Elliot Knight, Aussie, Uli Latukefu  & Eric Dane. 

Streaming the first three episodes at the end of June, concluding yesterday with episode 13. A little too many episodes for an action/streaming series if you ask me.

Amazon got it right, with a six episode order for previous action series, Butterfly.

But what is Countdown all about? After a Department of Homeland Security officer is killed in plain sight, LAPD detective Mark Meachum (Ackles) is brought onto a covert task force with undercover agents from various law enforcement agencies to track down the murderer. 

However, the search reveals a much darker conspiracy than anyone expected, sparking a frantic race to protect a city of millions.

Episode one opens with, a Department of Homeland Security agent is assassinated, prompting FBI Special Agent Nathan Blythe to form a special task force consisting of LAPD detective Mark Meachum (Ackles), DEA agent Amber Oliveras (Camacho), DHS intelligence and analysis officer Damon Drew (Togo), FBI cyber crime specialist Evan Shepherd (Beane), FBI terrorism specialist Keyonte Bell (Knight), & LAPD gangs and narcotics specialist Luke Finau (Latukefu). 

Meachum is fresh out of a long undercover assignment with the Aryan Brotherhood struggles with anger issues, while Oliveras has a documented history of drug abuse. The task force finds a suspicious deposit in the dead DHS agent's bank account, which leads them to the Los Reyes Nuevos cartel in Tijuana, and discovers a large deposit of fissile material left at the Port of Los Angeles.

We get one serious plot foiled around the tail end of the season, only to get a whole new plot start, but not end with a satisfying ending at all.

It does end on a cliffhanger (no spoilers here though) but a very inconclusive one.

Like there is no real feeling of this being a season ender. More of a midseason episode. Honestly if the show is not renewed, I will honestly just think this is a total waste of my viewing.

The series is not well liked on Rotten Tomatoes (38% at time of posting) or some critics. Amazon does male lead action shows fairly well. However this is not their best work. It's no Reacher, Butterfly or Jack Ryan.

Maybe pass on this one and save yourself for Gen V returning soon on Amazon.

Winter Warmer Watchlist - Revival - Season One

Revival is based on the American (however this is a Canadian series) comic book series of the same name by Tim Seeley and Mike Norton, & published by Image Comics. 

The series premiered mid-June, on Syfy in the USA & Binge, here down under.

In the rural town of Wausau, Wisconsin, the sudden resurrection of the recently deceased becomes known as Revival Day. 

Labelled "Revivers", the newly resurrected maintain their appearance, memories, and personalities from their previous lives but have gained regenerative healing abilities. 

While the town's residents grapple with the miraculous event, police officer Dana Cypress investigates a murder mystery in which everyone, including both the living and the newly revived, is a suspect. Meanwhile, Dana's sister Martha "Em" Cypress adjusts to her new life as a Reviver and seeks to learn the truth of Revival Day's origins.

Starring Melanie Scrofano, Romy Weltman, David James Elliott, & Andy McQueen.

SPOILER ALERT! The cause of Revival Day and Em’s (Weltman) death are linked: Aaron (Gianpaolo Venuta) and Lester (Peter Millard) killed her, and that was the detonator to blow the door of immortality off. 

Dana (Scrofano) comes to her sister’s aid once she’s in Lester’s clutches, but it’s Em who kills him, tearing out his heart with her hand. But then Em dies … or so we think. 

A time jump of 35 days reveals that Aaron’s wife, Nithiya (Gia Sandhu), who’s been undergoing treatments for cancer, went out of her way to ensure she was Em’s therapist & is with her in a cabin somewhere!

Elsewhere in the episode, Blaine publicly broadcasts his plan to purge Wausau of Revivers. Ibrahim casts doubts on his crusade, believing that the "angels" are Revivers' lost souls. 

Dana and Wayne reach the church, but are captured alongside Lester. After Dana claims that Em can heal people, Blaine shoots Wayne, and Em heals him. 

Cale's soldiers then assault the church, allowing the hostages to escape. Lester brings Em to an old water mill and confesses that he and Aaron killed Rose as part of a ritual sacrifice to activate Moore Creek's healing properties to extend their lifespans and cure Nithiya's cancer. 

Lester hired Gunderson to cover up loose ends, including killing Aaron after he betrayed Lester and sacrificed Em, causing Revival Day when the ritual backfired. Lester has Em reunite with her captive soul, and attempts to complete the ritual as Dana arrives, but Em rips out his heart and dies in Dana's arms. 

One month later, Revivers were more accepted in Wausau, Wayne resigns as sheriff, and Ibrahim continues studying Moore Creek. Dana learns that Em had frequently corresponded with Nithiya online, who set up Em's kidnapping on Revival Day. Meanwhile, Nithiya has moved to an isolated cabin, where Em is still alive.

It was a wild ride, however was it wild enough to score a second season. Binge needs hits, not sure this will return as the TV axe seems to be falling a lot of late. Including shows renewed previously like Dexter's Original Sin prequel, spin-off.

Speaking of Dexter. The latest spin-off concludes Friday on Paramount+, while later tonight Countdown concludes. More TV posts incoming....

Winter Warmer Watchlist - Goosebumps - Seasons One - Two

Goosebumps was a school kid book thing for me. I was never a huge reader, however I remember this books at home , along with at the school library.

Last month, the Disney+/Hulu series was canceled after two seasons.

Based on the book series by R. L. Stine, Goosebumps was originally released back in October, 2023.

Followed by a second season, titled Goosebumps: The Vanishing, which premiered in January this year. 

The series takes on an anthology vive with the first season, a group of five high school students embark on a shadowy and twisted journey to investigate the tragic passing three decades earlier of a teen named Harold Biddle — while also unearthing dark secrets from their parents' past.

In the David Schwimmer lead second season, twins Cece and Devin, on a vacation at their father's, decide to enter an abandoned and supposedly haunted Fort with a few friends, without realising they're setting off a chain of events that will unravel a profound mystery connected to the mysterious disappearance of four teenagers 30 years back.

Season one is lead by Justin Long, along with Ana Yi Puig, Miles McKenna, Will Price, Zack Morris, Isa Briones & Rachael Harris.

Alongside Schwimmer in season two, Ana Ortiz, Sam McCarthy, Jayden Bartels, Elijah Cooper, Galilea La Salvia, Francesca Noel, Arjun Athalye, Eloise Payet, Christopher Paul Richards, Kyra Tantao, Stony Blyden, & Sakina Jaffrey all star.

If I am honest both seasons had their positives. I can't really tell which one I preferred. However the slightly shorter second season meant there was less filler.

Let's check out below how the second season concluded. Look out spoilers below, however this did stream now many months ago!

The teens successfully rescue their dad (Schwimmer), though when trying to escape, the podded teens from 1994 are also miraculously revived. With the everyone reunited, Anthony and Jen head off to confront Ramona about the harm she has caused all these years only to discover that she has also revived her father. 

However, it is revealed that after being podded for so long, he is not himself anymore. Vomiting a goop similar to the Monster Blood from episode 4, he transforms into an alien monster. 

Meanwhile, the four teens from 1994 are restless and everyone splits up so they can all get some air. In turn each of them also transforms and CJ, Trey, Frankie, Alex, Devin, and CeCe are all captured. 

Anthony and Jen decide to join forces to save the kids. Opening the secret hatch, the ship recollects goo from the pods and monsters, before shooting into the sky and emitting a bright light. 

Anthony has a vision of his brother, finally saying goodbye. He then wakes up to Jen telling him everyone is saved. A while later, everyone bids farewell to CeCe and Devin. 

A final shot shows Trey throwing up something covered in black goo. So we leave on a cliffhanger, that will never be resolved. But does anyone care? So many shows leave on this note. Potential to move forward. But no funding or interest from Disney+ to move forward.

So many shows get the axe these days. So many unresolved plot points. Oh well it's September and there is so much returning (or new) TV! With The Paper landing on Binge this Thursday, Only Murders in the Building is back too, Gen V, Tulsa King and The Walking Dead tries to breathe some new life into Daryl Dixon.

What a time to be alive!

Film Influencer 2025 - The Roses

All’s fair when love is war. The Roses is a 2025 satirical black comedy film directed by Jay Roach, loosely based on the 1981 novel The War of the Roses by Warren Adler, and a remake of the 1989 film. 

Starring an absolute all-star cast of Benedict Cumberbatch, Olivia Colman, Andy Samberg, Allison Janney, Belinda Bromilow, Sunita Mani, Ncuti Gatwa, Jamie Demetriou, Zoë Chao and Kate McKinnon. 

Life seems easy for picture-perfect couple Ivy (Colman) & Theo (Cumberbatch): successful careers, a loving marriage, great kids. But beneath the façade of their supposed ideal life, a storm is brewing – as Theo’s career nosedives while Ivy’s own ambitions take off, a tinderbox of fierce competition and hidden resentment ignites. 

With so much coarse language, so many witty one-liners, this was a fun little film. The only bad thing was, a lot of these funny bits were actually in the trailer.

So maybe avoid the trailer below...

Colman & Cumberbatch are divine in this war of the roses. If you need a laugh and want to see some extremely talented actors deliver a masterclass in acting, look no further than The Roses.

I enjoyed this rapid fire, sub two hour comedy.

There were advance screenings this weekend, however the film opens Thursday.

3.5 Stars.

Winter Warmer Watchlist - Twisted Metal - Season Two

Twisted Metal just wrapped its short four week, multi-episodes second season run.

Expanding from 2023's first season of ten episodes, this season we got 12. But will it be back for a third?

For now, no news from Peacock. Also on Peacock, still no news on Poker Face season three. So for Twisted Metal fans, we may be waiting a while...

Based on the vehicular combat video game franchise published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, the series stars Anthony Mackie, Stephanie Beatriz, Joe Seanoa, Will Arnett, Thomas Haden Church, and Anthony Carrigan.

For the second season, Anthony Carrigan joined the main cast as Calypso, while Richard de Klerk, Patty Guggenheim, and Tiana Okoye have recurring guest roles as Mr. Grimm, Raven, and Dollface, respectively.

Alongside Saylor Bell Curda, Michael James Shaw, and Lisa Gilroy joined the cast in recurring roles as Mayhem, Axel, and Vermin, for the second season.

So where does season two take us? Following the revelations in the season one finale, John and Quiet find themselves entering the deadly TWISTED METAL tournament, a sinister demolition derby hosted by a mysterious man known as Calypso. 

As they try to survive an onslaught of dangerous new foes and familiar faces alike, including the murderous clown Sweet Tooth, things get complicated for John when he reunites with his long-lost sister, the vigilante Dollface. 

Watch out spoilers ahead from episode twelve. In 1585 at Virginia, Calypso emerges from a well which looks similar to the wishing well. In the early 2000s just before The Fall, Calypso pitched Twisted Metal to NBC, a car-combat reality show which was turned down. 

Back at the arena, Quiet and Mayhem uses Sweet Tooth's truck to jump-start John’s heart. Meanwhile, the body of Sweet Tooth was taken away by an unknown group. They drove away with the truck following John's crude drawn map to his family's rural retreat. Calypso grants Stu's wish as he had said it: to be far away from everything and be safe along with Mike. Later on, he found himself in a capsule in the outer space with the corpse of Mike. 

Months later, the idyllic life of John, Quiet and Mayhem were cut short when a TV broadcast reveals that Calypso has framed them for the bombing of the Insiders spectators during the final round. The Insider cities have formed alliances and has declared war against the Outsiders and to hunt John and Quiet down.

Meanwhile, Minion suddenly appears and attacks the trio. Minion was revealed to be Dollface, and the trio were rescued by Stu who made his way back to earth. John, Quiet, Mayhem and Stu escapes using Sweet Tooth's truck, though Minion/Dollface is still on the hunt for them. 

In the end, John decides to hunt down and kill Calypso. Like at the movies we then get a post credits scene, a chained Sweet Tooth is being brought to his father Charlie Kane by a taxi driver. Followed by a second post credits scene, there are hints of a missing piece from the place where Axel is created.

So this season I completely fell in love with Anthony Mackie. Not to mention he got his clothes off a few times. DAMN he is hot AF for a 46 year old! I guess I am 43 so I shouldn't be saying that, whoops!

Either way, seasons one and two of Twisted Metal now stream on Stan. When Peacock's next series The Paper launches, that will be on Binge. Gosh Australia has too many streaming for the size of our population.