Winter be Bingeing 26' - Good American Family - Season One

Good American Family is an American true crime drama anthology series. 

The first season is based on the adoption by Kristine (Ellen Pompeo) and Michael Barnett (Mark Duplass) of Natalia Grace (Imogen Faith Reid), a child with dwarfism whom the Barnetts decide to abandon after she starts to display peculiar behaviour, falsely claiming she had been an adult pretending to be a child to justify doing so. 

Good American Family premiered on Hulu/Disney+ last March. The first season received generally mixed reviews from critics. In August, the series was renewed for a second season, which will focus on Lorena Bobbitt.

Told from multiple points of view, as a means to explore issues of perspective, bias, and trauma, this compelling drama is inspired by the disturbing stories surrounding a Midwestern couple who adopts a girl with a rare form of dwarfism. 

But as they begin to raise her alongside their three biological children, mystery emerges around her age and background, and they slowly start to suspect she may not be who she says she is. As they defend their family from the daughter they’ve grown to believe is a threat, she fights her own battle to confront her past and what her future holds, in a showdown that ultimately plays out in the tabloids and the courtroom.

So I am no Grey's Pompeo mega fan. But this was addictive TV.

It felt a little like Gypsy-Rose Blanchard's story I watched in Hulu's The Act.

If you like true crime, this has dark twists and turns. You see Pompeo in a whole new way. I have no idea who to believe after watching this eight episodes. Bring on season two I say.

Anthology series seem to be all the rage right now! See you next time.

Winter be Bingeing 26' - Lioness - Season Three

In season three, as hidden networks, foreign operatives, and personal betrayals collide, Joe walks the line between duty and home as unseen forces circle her world, leaving her to reckon with a war that now reaches into every part of her life.

Lioness, also known as Special Ops: Lioness, created by Taylor Sheridan streams with his other series (except Yellowstone - on Stan) on Paramount+. Back in October last year, the series was renewed for a third season, which premiered back at the start of August.

With an all-star cast including executive Producer and Oscar Winner Zoe Saldaña, Oscar Winner Morgan Freeman, Emmy® Nominee Michael Kelly and Executive Producer and Oscar Winner Nicole Kidman.

Damn what a cast!

This season really belongs to Zoe Saldaña. She owns the eight episodes. The drama, the suspense, the open ended finale. Bring on a fourth season. There is no news yet, however, the more people I talk to, the more are discovering Lioness, for the grit, the drama, the suspense. It's like a whole new Homeland era.

If you are a little behind this Paramount+ premium title, don't read ahead of the trailer! You have been warned.

With NSA support, Kyle tails lobbyist Dmitri Sokolov, suspected of involvement in the kidnapping. 

Petrov asserts Joe’s kidnapping was not authorised by Russia, and confirms to Mullins that Yurimov’s return will help ease tensions. 

Renat meets with Sokolov in a D.C. bistro to arrange passage out of the country. Joe orders the team to engage, conflicting with NSA orders to detain. Renat executes Sokolov before being shot dead, but the visiting Foreign Minister of Senegal and her security get killed in the crossfire, and Tex and Randy are injured. 

When retrieving Yurimov from GTMO Camp Delta, Alex, the handler Kyle imprisoned, recognises Joe from the contract offer he declined and promises details about Renat's benefactors for his freedom. 

Yurimov tells Joe that Iran has more personal reasons to target her than Ukraine, and not to underestimate how many people hate the US. 

Alex provides further intel implicating Iran via their proxy KSS, but Joe discovers Balakin has already been killed. Joe finds her home empty with a for sale sign outside. 

It is revealed that Aaliyah masterminded the kidnapping. Now married to a wealthy man in Qatar, she orders another attempt, wanting Joe to be extracted so she can kill the whole Lioness team when they come to rescue her.

The ending really opens us up to the future of Lioness. Let's hope that Taylor Sheridan's new NBC deal does not impact a fourth season being developed.

NOT another streaming Movie - Resident Evil

Resident Evil based on the Resident Evil video game franchise by Capcom.

I never saw the original films, this reboot follows the failure of Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021) and the cancellation of the 2022 Netflix television series. 

The reboot, has grossed $26 million at the box office and received positive reviews, becoming the highest-rated film based on a video game on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic. Scoring well over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, the film was actually a really fun film.

From the mind of visionary filmmaker Zach Cregger (Weapons, Barbarian) comes a thrilling, and terrifying reinvention of the Resident Evil franchise. 

In an all-new story, Resident Evil follows Bryan (Austin Abrams), a medical courier who unwittingly finds himself in an action-packed, non-stop race for survival as one fateful, horrifying night collapses around him in chaos. 

With a small cast alongside Abrams, Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, and Paul Walter Hauser also star.

Abrams really carries the action, in this first person horror, survival film. The action moves swiftly over the just over an hour and half. I enjoyed this film. Pure popcorn escapism.

The movie moves so fast, before you know it, the end credits are screening. So if you are into video games, horror or action films. With a side of horror, this is for you.

I may go back and watch some old Resident Evil films.

Speaking of video games, man I am waiting for Street Fighter! Bring it on!

For Resident Evil, 4 Stars right up in here!

Winter be Bingeing 26' - Interview with the Vampire - Anne Rice's The Vampire Lestat

Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire, based on The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice, streaming now on SBS on demand, after moving from ABC iView. So now you get multiple Allianz ads per episode.

Man their ads are repetitive! I have to say, I keep banging on about this but they are bad.

The series returned for a third season in June, titled Anne Rice's The Vampire Lestat, based on the second novel. The series has been renewed for a fourth season titled Anne Rice's Queen of the Damned, based on the third novel. 

Jacob Anderson as Louis de Pointe du Lac / Thomas Pitt, Aussie, Sam Reid as Lestat de Lioncourt, and Eric Bogosian as Daniel Molloy,  reprise their roles in the season three. Jennifer Ehle, Damien Atkins, Ella Ballentine, Jeanine Serralles, and Christopher Heyerdahl, Sheila Atim was later cast as Akasha, the mother of all vampires and the title character of the third book The Queen of the Damned in October, while Noah Reid, Ryan Kattner, Seamus Patterson and Sarah Swire joined the cast as Lestat's band members. Whilst Amaka Umeh was announced in the role of Dee Pharma, a member of Lestat's entourage.

So it sounds like we will see loads more of Sheila Atim in season four. We will have to wait though. Mayfair Witches will return in 2027, so until then, no more Ann Rice as Talamasca: The Secret Order, was cancelled after one season.

So how does episode seven go down? If like me, you are cheap and refuse to pay for AMC in Australia and wait for SBS, don't read ahead unless you have watched all seven, musical episode. Yes season three goes a little musical. I know right.

 

While Daniel carries Lestat's head to a bowling alley to allow him to slowly die due to separation from his body, Lestat's subconscious is tormented by visions of Magnus, Gabriella, and all his fledglings, who force him to confront all his failings, resulting in him eventually coming to a point of self-acceptance. 

Armand keeps Louis' severed head restrained and tries to force him to admit that he was in the wrong for the failure of their relationship, revealing in the process that he found and hired Regina to get close to Louis to manipulate him; Louis eventually gives a heartfelt apology for not being able to truly love Armand, causing him to relent and restore Louis' head to his body. 

Raglan retrieves Lestat's head from Daniel, revealing that the Talamasca want the Great Conversion to happen as a means of population control. Once restored to his body and reunited with Louis, Lestat confronts his mother and refuses to perform the concert. 

In a flash forward, Lestat looks out over a ruined city as he reflects on his part in Akasha's rise and the subsequent mass death.

So season four is all set up. Will there be some Easter Eggs in the next season of Mayfair Witches? Time will tell. Up next week. Fightland and Lioness conclude.

Winter be Bingeing 26' - Reacher - Season Four

A chance encounter with a distraught stranger on the Philadelphia subway draws Jack Reacher into a deadly mystery.

Reacher is an American action crime television series developed by Nick Santora for Amazon Prime Video. The fourth season of Reacher on Amazon, is based on the thirteenth novel, Gone Tomorrow, commenced mid-August, concluding midweek. Reacher has been renewed for a fifth season, which will be based on the twentieth novel, Make Me.

A spin-off series, Neagley, premiered, with all eight episodes this week too. 

In the fourth season, Reacher encounters a troubled woman named Anna Merrick on a train that takes a dangerous turn, and finds himself caught up in a complex and deadly conspiracy involving a missing USB drive, and enemies at the highest ranks of power.

The season, based on Gone Tomorrow (2009), stars Alan Ritchson, Sydelle Noel, Agnez Mo, Anggun, Christopher Marquette, & Kevin Corrigan.

This season moved fast. The pacing was excellent. The action, outstanding. Every episode zoomed past. Even the longer finale, did not outstay its welcome. The Indonesian villains were wild. The knife work, the gore in parts. This season had it all.

Even some sexy times and Reacher nude from behind.

If like me you weren't hooked and haven't smashed this already, don't read below the trailer.

After Sampson's death, Plum wakes up and identifies the suicide bomber as Tomas Waberi to Docherty. 

Reacher, Tamara, and Jacob deduce that the Hoths are reproducing the toxin at the abandoned restaurant and go there. Jacob and Tamara try to retrieve the toxin, but a thug manages to take it and leave. 

Reacher fights the Hoths and, despite being severely wounded, throws Amisha out the window. 

Jacob and Tamara follow the thug to a nightclub, where Tamara kills him and the vial survives the fall, preventing the releasing. 

Lila tries to inject Reacher with the toxin, but he injects it into her instead, killing her. Foster tries to kill a weakened Reacher, but Amisha kills him. Jacob then incapacitates Amisha and considers killing her, but arrests her instead. 

Reacher later wakes up in the hospital, learns they are no longer wanted and gives Plum the USB drive to restart his career. 

In the aftermath, Tamara is reinstated as inspector, Jacob mourns the death of his sister and nephew, and Reacher leaves Philadelphia.

Bring on season five! For now I need to get into binge of Neagley. I believe Jack Reacher appears in this season too.

Until next time, it's the weekend. Praise be!

Winter be Bingeing 26' - Trigger Point - Season Four

Like yesterday's The Walking Dead: Dead City third season, Trigger Point, streams on Aussie streamer, Stan. The British crime/thriller series, starring Vicky McClure as a police bomb disposal expert in London. The fourth series was released late August, with all episodes landing at once. Currently there is no news of a fifth season.

Season four begins, acting on intelligence from a STRAP 3 MI5 source, Washington’s team and CTSFOs pursue a suspected explosive equipped truck heading to the Bank of England. SO15 orchestrates road closures, directing the truck into a tunnel out of sight of a drone monitoring it. CTSFOs remove the driver, allowing Rahim to take his place and Washington to enter, resuming the route so the drone operators do not become suspicious. She discovers the bomb is linked to a satellite phone, rendering their radio jamming useless. 

Whilst searching an address linked to the driver, DS Morgan fails to call it in and DCI Batra is killed by an explosive booby trap. Morgan takes the SD card from her body camera and fakes injuries. Hassan disobeys orders from Commander Quentin to change direction, giving Washington enough time to defuse the device. The drone is shot down, but two more bombs immediately detonate in another part of the city. 

Some time later, Washington reluctantly undergoes treatment for PTSD with Eddie, a new therapist.

Now I don't want to sound like a negative Nancy, but four seasons in, whilst exciting, the series is becoming a little predictable.

In the finale (where I became a bit of a negative Nancy), Washington enters the stadium with CTSFOs led by Phil Croxley, ordering Danny not to accompany her and leave the blast radius should she fail. 

Francis doesn't order an evacuation, knowing it would disrupt the search. The Prime Minister scrambles RAF Typhoon’s to bomb the stadium and stop the detonation as a last resort. 

CTSFOs engage the PMC’s so Washington can find the bomb, with Croxley giving her a pistol. Morgan rescues her brother and finds out the bomb's location, conveying it to Washington. 

The Chief of Defence Staff orders the fighters commence bombing ten minutes before detonation, giving Washington just six minutes. Out of detonators, she uses the primer from a disassembled 9mm round to detonate plastic explosive and break the device in half, but is shot by a sniper. 

Croxley kills the sniper, the device is neutralised and the strike aborted at the last second. Washington survives her injuries and helps Oldfield to track down and arrest Morgan in France. 

Formally resigning from EOD with a recovered Hassan taking her place, Washington begins a road trip with her new pet dog, seemingly more at peace.

I enjoy this series, however after four seasons, it feels like the outcome is always the same. Like Dexter (the first time around). Each season would roll around, a new villain would enter, Dexter would always cover everything up neatly. For a few seasons it's fun. Then it just becomes a predictable formula, rolled out again and again.

Until next time, Reacher concludes today, Lioness Sunday, with Fightland on break, then returning for a finale next Friday.

Winter be Bingeing 26' - The Walking Dead: Dead City - Season Three

The Walking Dead: Dead City, for AMC, is based on The Walking Dead characters Maggie and Negan. 

It is the first sequel to The Walking Dead television series, and the fifth series in The Walking Dead franchise, sharing continuity with the other television series. Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan reprise their roles as Maggie and Negan from the original television series, with Gaius Charles, Željko Ivanek, Lisa Emery, Logan Kim, joining the season three cast are, Raúl Castillo, Aimee Garcia, & Jimmi Simpson.

Last July, the series was renewed for an eight-episode third season, which premiered late July. Currently there is no news on a fourth season. The counterpart series, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon has been renewed for a fourth and final season, which is set to premiere in 2027. Could that be the end of The Walking Dead franchise?

So how does series three wrap in the Big Apple? In a flashback, a lonely Dillard imagines his walker pets as real people. 

In the present, Dillard decides to turn a zombified Renata into Titicaca's replacement and threatens to execute Luis. 

Negan considers surrendering but Maggie, in the alley where they met the fortune teller in the alternate reality, admits that although she will never forgive what he did, Maggie has finally moved passed Negan killing Glenn and considers him family. 

While Negan sneaks past the guards at the community's wall, Maggie releases the walkers from the pens in the subway and Hershel sets off a siren in the apartment building to lure them in while rallying the residents to barricade the doors. 

Maggie, Negan and the walkers kill most of the Dead Squad while Hershel is forced to kill Radomir in defence of a group of innocent people. 

In a final confrontation, Negan attempts to bring his former best friend back to reality, but Dillard is too far gone, forcing Maggie to kill him to save Negan. Honouring Dillard's wishes, the pair allow him to reanimate, finding new friends amongst the dead. 

A week later, life has returned to normal for the community. Hershel completes his first year of medical training, tattoos himself with an image of the community and paints a mural of Renata. Maggie puts away her wedding ring, finally ready to move on from Glenn, and takes leadership of the community. Negan finally joins and accepts Maggie's invitation to be head of security. With Manhattan having been reclaimed by the living, Maggie suggests that they start retaking the rest of New York City.

Will we get to see Maggie and Raúl Castillo as Luis DeLeon become an item? Is Maggie ready for love again after losing Glenn all those seasons ago to Negan's bat.

I much prefer this to Daryl Dixon's story. However, I do think the Walking Dead is really running out of gas. Fast. It might be time to be a knife in the final zombies head, for one last kill.