Shelved is a sweet little Canadian sitcom that just landed on Binge. Despite premiering in O Canada back in March, 2023 on CTV. Oh CTV how I miss you from my Vancouver days!
Back in the day I was lucky enough to intern on the Vicki Gabereau show on CTV, in downtown Vancouver.
Anyway that is history.
Shelved is a fun, little workplace comedy that follows the employees and patrons of the fictional Metropolitan Public Library's Jameson Branch.
Not located in Vancouver, but in the working-class neighbourhood Parkdale, Toronto, Ontario.
The eight part first series stars Lyndie Greenwood as branch head Wendy. Paul Braunstein as assistant branch head Bryce de Laurel, the toxic male figure in a very woke series, Dakota Ray Hebert as junior librarian Jacqueline "Jaq" Bedard, Chris Sandiford as senior librarian Howard Tutt, Robin Duke as Wendy "Unhoused Wendy" Brown, a regular library patron and self-described "wackadoo", Taylor Love as Sheila Boyd, a caring community leader and law student working part time at the Settlement Desk along with less frequent Varun Saranga as Alvin Canada, an entrepreneur and freelance business consultant.
When I say woke, this series also tackles social issues such as drag story time, homelessness, where Wendy is referred to as unhoused. Now back to Vancouver, homeless folks lined the streets, I worked for AIDS Vancouver at a food drop in. Like in Sydney where I have done Youth off the Streets, however the Vancouver drop in, was busy day in, day out, every shift.
In Sydney it's more seasonal.
So that is enough reflecting on my time in Vancouver. CTV will you give this well meaning, social aware, very Canadian series a second season?
It's been over a year since the Toronto based series aired, so I am nervous this is a one and done. Also Canada what's happening with Sky Med?
Shelved currently streams on Binge. It actually just landed. So thanks Binge for giving this Canadian, light and fluffy comedy a go!
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is the fourth installment in the Planet of the Apes reboot franchise. Acting as a standalone sequel to War for the Planet of the Apes (2017).
Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Kevin Durand, Peter Macon, and Shameless king, William H. Macy all star in this king sized adventure film.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes takes place 300 years after the events of War and follows a young chimpanzee named Noa, who embarks on a journey alongside a human woman named Mae to determine the future for apes and humans alike. Many generations after Caesar's death, apes have established numerous clans, while humans have become feral.
Noa, a chimpanzee from a falconry-practicing ape clan, prepares for a coming-of-age ceremony by collecting eagle eggs with his friends Anaya and Soona.
However, a human scavenger follows Noa home and inadvertently cracks his egg during a scuffle before fleeing.
While searching for a replacement egg, Noa encounters a group of ape raiders using electric weapons. As Noa hides from them, the apes follow his horse back to his clan. Noa hurries home to find his village burning; the raider leader Sylva kills Noa's father before knocking Noa unconscious.
Filming occurred in October 2022 in Sydney, concluding last February.
The sequel/reboot, lead film for a new trilogy has received generally positive reviews. However the run time for me was completely off. I found myself looking at my watch a little too much.
The latest Apes film has grossed over $141 million worldwide. However the session I was in on a nicer Thursday evening in Sydney, only had 8 people in it. Is the cinema in trouble? Has the quality of films, along with streaming, post COVID, cozi living issues, really starting to bite now?
Or was Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, just not a great film.
I will pass it for the emotions you feel and see on the Apes, however it just wasn't as good as previous films. Maybe a new trilogy is just not required. Or maybe rest the franchise for a bit.
Such Brave Girls is now officially a BAFTA award winning show!
The UK are delivering a number of little comedies right now on Stan at present. Unlike Big Mood, this sitcom is laugh out loud funny. Sadly for Big Mood, these series both landed on Stan around the same time, which makes it easier to compare them.
Such Brave Girls is about a dysfunctional single-parent family created by Kat Sadler for BBC Three.
Starring Sadler, alongside Louise Brealey and Lizzie Davidson.
The brilliant studio A24 also has a hand in this series, whilst in the USA it streams on Hulu. Great news for me, as I watched the entire six episodes in one weekend, it is renewed for a second series already! Praise Be!
Creator, Sadler has described the series as being a “family sitcom about trauma”, but that it’s also about “being narcissistic losers who are pathetically obsessed with what people think about us.”
This was such an easy watch. From in between Mother's Day events to concluding this early Monday morning before work, Such Brave Girls is officially one of the funniest laugh out loud comedies of 2024.
If you look raw, say it has it is comedy, give this one a red hot crack. So log onto Stan right now, get streaming! So get cracking, let's hope season two lands later this year. Brilliant!
After the Party is currently airing 8:30pm Sunday on ABC, or all episodes are now streaming on iView.
The New Zealand six-part drama TV series co-created by Robyn Malcolm and Dianne Taylor, also stars Malcolm as the lead with Peter Mullan.
The miniseries/one season wonder series aired back in October last year in the NZ, on TVNZ.
After the Party follows, partly through flashbacks, a family crisis that evolves following a drunken party, at which mother and grandmother Penny Wilding (Robyn Malcolm) sees something which causes her to accuse her husband, Phil (Peter Mullan), in front of all of the guests, of inappropriate behaviour.
The show begins when Phil returns to town after having been overseas for five years, to see his daughter, Grace, and grandson Walt.
The series also stars Tara Canton, Dean O’Gorman and Catherine Wilkin. Malcolm has said that there will not be a second series.
After the Party gives the viewers a question to answer across the six episodes. Do you believe Penny or not? You shift your opinion across the episodes, however episode six drops a real truth bomb! No spoilers here.
This was absolutely terrific! For my RATED post (coming in July) for the Winter's Cumin' Streaming 24' series, After the Party will feature definitely in the top 10!
Across the six episodes, flashback scenes are used to explore with the at the party, leading toe Penny's stubborn, hot-tempered, flawed behaviour across the season.
Robyn Malcolm really delivers a killer performance. This was brilliant. I was hooked, powering through all six episodes easily. The ending was truly intense. Could this be the best drama out of the NZ ever?
BMF (Black Mafia Family) was one of my binges a while back, so when the third season commenced back at the start of March. At the very end of February, ahead of the third season premiere, the series was renewed for a fourth season. So possibly in 2025 there will be some more BMF on Stan.
2 Chainz and Ne-Yo landed in the third season, joining Demetrius Flenory Jr. as Demetrius "Meech" Flenory, Da'Vinchi as Terry "Southwest T" Flenory, Russell Hornsby as Charles Flenory and Michole Briana White as Lucille Flenory.
The season saw more bodies pile up across Atlanta and Miami. With a new villain, Henrietta (Ren King) alongside her father, former narcotics detective-turned-kingpin, Frank “Blaze” Andreas (Christoper B. Duncan).
It did become a little by the numbers, with so many characters just being shot, or worse right after being introduced to viewers.
Hopefully the potential move to Mexico, will bring back some more excitement across the fourth run of the US crime series.
BMF streams on Stan alongside the other Power series.
Until next time where I travel across the ditch to the Kiwi series After the Party.
I Love That for You could be the final ever half an hour comedy series on Showtime.
Starring Vanessa Bayer as Joanna Gold, an aspiring host for shopping channel SVN, who lies that her childhood cancer has returned in order to keep her job.
The story is inspired by Bayer's personal experience with childhood leukemia.
I clearly missed I Love That for You when it premiered in mid-2022.
Sadly last June, the series was canceled after one season. This was A grade workplace comedy at its finest. With an all-star cast alongside Bayer as Joanna Gold. We had Molly Shannon as Jackie Stilton, Paul James as Jordan Wahl, Ayden Mayeri as Beth Ann McGann, Matt Rogers as Darcy Leeds, Punam Patel as Beena Patel and queen bee, Jenifer Lewis as Patricia Cochran, CEO of SVN.
I throughly enjoyed all 8 episodes of this series buried amongst content on Stan.
I Love That for You will totally making this rain in Sydney feel a tiny bit better. It's fun, laugh out loud comedy that is over all too soon. Unlike a number of US shows, this totally did not stay long past it's used by date.
If you like comedy, like Molly Shannon, this is totally for you! Plus Paul James is hot AF!
Back in mid-April I saw this brilliant film for the first time. I gave it 4.5 stars back then. However I did miss the start of the film. Who was the president? Why was there a war in the USA? Who was I supposed to be rooting for? Was the president based on Trump?
So what did I miss? I know a lot of you have probably seen this by now. It's also the $12 movie of the week for Hoyts members. No excuses not to go now!
So in the parts I missed, a civil war has erupted between the United States government and regional factions. The president, in his third term, claims victory is close at hand. Renowned war photographer Lee Smith saves aspiring photojournalist Jessie Cullen from a suicide bombing in Brooklyn.
OK this movie (calling it early) may be my film of 2024. I have seen no other film thus far, I'd sit through for a second time.
Kirsten Dunst is incredible. The final scene at the White House is EPIC!
This film has it all. The action, the tension, the all star cast lead by Dunst. I have revisited my star rating below. Go geddit below the different trailer than my previous post.
Yep this film deserves, 5 solid stars. A terrifying look at a divided America which is currently (thanks to January 6th) showing signs of further fractions between Republicans and Democrat voters. Don't even think of adding the Independent voters into the mix. Or Robert Kennedy Jr fans.
Max (formerly HBO Max) has been pushing out content of late. While HBO is kinda dragging the chain with less than exciting titles this year, Max have given us Velma's second series recently (as a binge, also on Binge) while also giving us The Girls on the Bus finale this week.
Created by Amy Chozick and Julie Plec, inspired by Chozick's 2018 memoir Chasing Hillary. The series commenced mid-March on Binge. In Australia that is.
What's the hip, fictional take on Chasing Hillary all about? The 10 part first season, chronicles 4 female journalists who follow every move of a parade of flawed presidential candidates, while finding friendship, love, and scandal along the way.
Former Supergirl, Melissa Benoist stars as the lead Sadie McCarthy, a journalist for The New York Sentinel.
She is joined in this girl power series by, Natasha Behnam, Christina Elmore, Brandon Scott, Scott Foley, Griffin Dunne, Carla Gugino and Riverdale's Mark Consuelos.
Is a political comedy-drama really necessary in an election year? Maybe, maybe not, but it was actually a little bit of fun.
This could be one of the best pieces of work Greg Berlanti has done in recent years. Well Found was actually a bit of fun.
I must say, the way episode ten The Everydays ended really made me feel Max could have a second season in mind. I originally thought this would be a great idea for a miniseries.
That said, I enjoyed this week to week on Binge. It was heartwarming whilst wildly different from the other election/political/journalist moment of 2024. That is the brilliant film Civil War. Which in fact I saw again last night, so expect a new review soon.
When I said Max were pushing out content, as I type this I am almost halfway through season three (could it be the last?) of Hacks. The Sex Lives of College Girls is apparently coming back soon, while the Batman spin-off The Penguin is also landing later in 2024. While speaking of spin-off's, the Dune one, is also incoming.
So Max is performing way better than the OG parent, HBO. Well that is until The House of Dragon returns next month.
Palm Royale was said to be a ten-part period miniseries, however episode ten Maxine Throws a Party, ends on a Ricky Martin level cliffhanger.
Based on the 2018 novel Mr. & Mrs. American Pie by Juliet McDaniel, Palm Royale commenced late March, with the first three episodes on Apple TV+.
Apple TV+ is completely slaying of late. With Loot still screening weekly on Wednesday's, Sugar sounding sweet (next in line for me to watch) and Presumed Innocent incoming!
Palm Royale is in 1969, outsider Maxine Dellacorte-Simmons (Kristen Wiig) strives to attain a place in the high society of Palm Beach, Florida through the town's most exclusive country club, in the process learning what she will and won't do to achieve this.
Alongside Wiig, Laura Dern, Allison Janney, Leslie Bibb, Ricky Martin, Josh Lucas, Carol Burnett, Amber Chardae Robinson, Jordan Bridges, Kaia Gerber and Julia Duffy all star, in this comedy series.
Now I was truly hooked on this series when it first launched with three episodes at the end of May. Would it have worked better as a 30 minute, short, sharp comedy? Yes. Would a second season be watchable? Yes, but maybe take learnings from season one and make the second run a shorter running time.
Also the episode about the whale was a little random.
All that said Apple TV+ are doing brilliant work. Loot, Bad Sisters (where is season two?), Hijack, Shrinking, Platonic and my recent binge of Ted Lasso, makes this streaming service one of the most consistent across all streaming platforms.
Seriously decent content of late Apple TV+, great job! Palm Royale, may not be their best work, but Allison Janney, was a standout and Ricky Martin can actually act. Shake ya bon, bon or not!
2024 the year of supernatural/horror films continues with Tarot. Now if either there was a straight to DVD, straight to Paramount+ streaming, it would be Tarot.
Based on a 1992 novel, Horrorscope, by Nicholas Adams. Tarot stars Harriet Slater, Adain Bradley, Avantika Vandanapu, Wolfgang Novogratz, Humberly González, Larsen Thompson, and Jacob Batalon.
Tarot was so short and sweet. Roughly 90 minutes, which I will give it points for. However the ending was so abrupt, it was like the entire cast and crew contracted covid and they called the shoot.
With a small budget of only eight million, they will surely make some cash, however this was not a good film. Yes I jumped a few times at some jump scares, however some of the Tarot card characters coming to life was just too much.
Star rating below.
After The Fall Guy being a little disappointing, this was disappointing to have wasted my Tuesday evening. I did second guess seeing this film, I would have preferred Abigail, but with limited sessions, you can only do what you can only do.
Hopefully some more quality films like Civil War land soon. I am excited for the next Planet of the Apes. For now though, Tarot can only score, 1.5 lonely stars. The extra half a star is for the short and sharp running time!
Conversations with Friends is an Irish TV miniseries, however there are some Americans in the mix. Following Stan's Normal People in 2020, a series I watched deep in the thick of COVID times, this is another series based on the 2017 novel of the same name by the Irish author Sally Rooney.
Partnering with BBC Three & Hulu in association with RTÉ, Conversations with Friends was first broadcast on 15 May 2022. I have struggled to keep up with content on Amazon in Australia, so after a slow start, I smashed through all 12-episodes.
Using most of the creative team behind the adaptation of Rooney's second novel, Normal People, including Element Pictures, director Lenny Abrahamson, and co-writer Alice Birch, would be returning for this adaptation. The level of male nudity though dropped. Like a lot!
Never fear though, there is still sex galore. Male to female and lady on lady.
Starring Chad Michael Murray look-a-like Joe Alwyn, Girls queen, Jemima Kirke, Sasha Lane, and Alison Oliver.
Filming began in April 2021, in Northern Ireland. Locations include Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and Hvar, Croatia.
Notably the production included an intimacy coordinator, Ita O'Brien. After watching it, some of the scenes seriously needed this role!
So before I get into a quick summary of the 12th and final episode, is it worth a watch? Yes and no, it can be a little depressing but also romantic and beautiful all at once. If you enjoyed Normal People, you'll probably enjoy this.
In episode twelve, Frances (Alison Oliver) calls Melissa (Jemima Kirke) and realises the damage she has done to other people. She apologises to Bobbi (Sasha Lane) and says she loves her. They get back together again. Nick (Joe Alwyn) (accidentally) calls her. He misses her. She says "come and get me".
Then it just ends with another moody indie hit to close out the series.
Next up, this week we farewell the camp Palm Royale, the gangster BMF and political The Girls on the Bus. That will leave me loads of time next week to stream away! Tomorrow The Veil returns on Disney+. I am not sure about it, however I do love me some Elizabeth Moss!
The Fall Guy is a loosely based on the 1980s TV series about stunt performers. This time starring box office kings and queens, Ryan Gosling & Emily Blunt. Ted Lasso legend Hannah Waddingham joins the duo, alongside Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Teresa Palmer, Stephanie Hsu, and Winston Duke.
Directed by David Leitch and written by Drew Pearce, the film follows a stuntman working on his ex-girlfriend's directorial debut action film, only to find himself involved in a conspiracy surrounding the film's lead actor.
Sydney filmed The Fall Guy, has received generally positive reviews, and set a Guinness World Record for the most cannon rolls performed in a car.
Coming on the back of the school holidays, ANZAC Day, Easter and generally a holiday filled Easter, this film is the type the studio has high hopes to bring the big box office bucks in. Does it succeed though?
I just read a 2 star review on The Guardian, however it's honestly not that bad. It's just not as great as recent Sydney based rom-com Anyone But You. That film had real heart and a killer soundtrack. This film just has a Taylor Swift tune and that annoying I Was Made For Loving You, playing over and over again.
All in all though, The Fall Guy has some fun moments, a load of pop culture references while providing an insight into the behind the scenes legends who make films actually look real!
It wasn't my favourite film of this strange post strike, horror filled 2024 at the cinema. However it could have probably been better. The soundtrack for me was a real let down. Hannah Waddingham's wig/hair was also nowhere near as striking as the blonde bombshell she rocks in Ted Lasso.
I'm going to be kind and pass this film. 2.5 Stars for a locally made hit with loads of Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge shots. Literally this is a Destination NSW wet dream!
Velma is back for a second season. After the first season's overwhelmingly negative audience reception, season two landed (in its entirety) on Anzac Day.
Yes I am catching up after a number of seasons like HBO Max's fellow series Hacks just returned, along with Disney+ giving us The Veil with Elizabeth Moss.
So will HBO Max (or is it just Max now?) continue the adult animated series based on the character Velma Dinkley from the Scooby-Doo franchise?
Featuring the voices of Mindy Kaling, Sam Richardson, Constance Wu and Glenn Howerton.
So how's the plot wrap in the second season? SPOILERS AHEAD!
Knowing Uncle Scoobi is watching her every move, Velma and Daphne swap bodies and pose as each other for the remainder of the investigation, getting a feel for how they're perceived by other people.
Uncle Scoobi sees through this ruse and incapacitates both, threatening to shoot Daphne after they escape. Velma deduces that their true identity is Sophie, who has been an undercover soldier the whole time and concealed her identity so her male superiors would take her seriously.
Meanwhile, Norville and Lola discover that Dr. Purdue has the popular girls' bodies, and is planning to implant her brain into one to get out of hiding in exchange for doing the same for Scrappy.
Having a change of heart, however, she puts the girls' brains back in their bodies. Upon being betrayed, Scrappy crashes the double wedding and fatally wounds Velma, but ends up dying after Velma's ghost possesses his body.
Dr. Purdue is unable to restore Velma's body, but Amber reveals they can revive her with magic, albeit only on Halloween night after finding a spell that works.
It ends (sort of) on a cliffhanger, however I would be highly surprised if Max (yep it is just Max now) gave this a third run. So many previous Max comedy titles got two seasons then the chop. The Flight Attendant, Love Life, Made of Love (that's a lot of love titles), Minx (technically one season, one season on Starz), Rap Sh!t from HBO darling Issa Rae and recently Our Flag Means Death. Only Hacks, the upcoming return of The Sex Lives of College Girls and the change of And Just Like That... from a miniseries to a series, have made it to season three.
So the odds are on a cancellation for little old Velma.
Either way it streams on Binge in Australia. The Sex Lives of College Girls returns this year on Binge, while And Just Like That... like a number of mothership HBO titles returns in 2025.
Stay dry this weekend Sydney. I currently have three pairs of shoes out due to the wet weather LOL
Chucky continues as the eighth main instalment of the Child's Play franchise. Serving as a sequel to Cult of Chucky, the seventh film in the franchise, and stars Brad Dourif reprising his role as the voice of the title character.
Starring across the two-part season are regulars, Zackary Arthur, Björgvin Arnarson, Alyvia Alyn Lind, and Devon Sawa. Yes Sawa returns (again) this season, as the fictional President of the United States (his fourth character in the franchise). While Lara Jean Chorostecki joins the series, playing the President's wife, while Comedian Kenan Thompson guest stars in the third episode of this season, playing a taxi driver who soon gets killed by Chucky with an umbrella.
Back in January 2023, the series was renewed for a third season. Due to all the Hollywood labour strikes, the series was spilt into two four episode blocks. We saw the first four back in October last year. With the second half commencing mid-April. While concluding this past week.
Like American Horror Story that came before it and The Chi coming soon, these spilt seasons, really lose momentum.
So warning! Spoilers about the weird ass season three finale below. Note the series hasn't been renewed for a fourth season yet. After seeing the finale, I really feel Chucky should depart the small screen, maybe do one more big screen number.
Is episode eight's title a nod to Devon Sawa or also a statement about the series concluding? It's called Final Destination!
In episode eight, Jake wakes up on the other side, he finds his dad's spirit destroying his doll sculpture with a bat. Lucas chases him when he learns of his boyfriend but Jake tells him he forgives him for what he did.
He finds the spirit of Charles who takes him to the White House's movie theatre, where all of his different soul fragments are inside watching different scenes of Chucky's life. While Charles argues with his younger self, Jake notices Good Chucky running out of the movie theatre.
He follows after him to the president's bedroom, where Good Chucky tells Jake that Caroline is safe with a man named Wendell Wilkins. Taking a knife out from under the blankets, Jake explains that to forgive what he did in Season 2 (killing Nadine), Good Chucky must sacrifice himself.
Before he can convince him, the other fragments of Chucky's soul enter the bedroom, trying to convince Good Chucky not to go through with it. Although Jake believes he's gotten through to Good Chucky, he soon realizes that all the Chuckys were distracting him so Chucky Prime could possess Jake's body.
Meanwhile in Texas, just as the needle is inserted into her arm, one of the prison guards Tiffany brainwashed rushes in and frees her from the table and she is escorted out with the help of the other brainwashed guards. Nica tries to follow after her but is knocked down. Tiffany escapes driving off in her getaway car.
Back at the White House, Devon counts down the minutes until he can wake up Jake. During this Pryce and the other agents set up various bombs to go off in one minute. With the five minutes up, Devon brings Jake back from the Spirit Realm, unaware that he is possessed by Chucky.
Jake lies, telling them all that he killed Chucky, and that he knows where Caroline is being held. At that same moment, the CIA's bombs go off and explode throughout the White House.
Devon, Lexy, and Grant make it down the staircase but Jake and Timmy are trapped upstairs. The two of them get on the elevator, allowing Chucky to beat Timmy to death. Devon and Lexy escape from the building as Grant locks Pryce in the White House, leaving him to die. Charlotte arrives just as Grant escapes, hugging him.
Devon and Lexy are soon reunited with Jake, who leads them to Wendell Wilkin's address. At the house, they discover that he is a doll maker and he created the Good Guy dolls. He shows them the prototype Good Guy doll he created in 1987, divulging that the Good Guy dolls bankrupted him after the murders started.
But a few weeks earlier, a new child, Caroline, came into his life to show him the beauty of what Chucky had done. Chucky then reveals himself to Devon and Lexy, and with Caroline's help, he transfers his soul back to the Good Guy doll. Wendell and Caroline then reveal that they're going to transfer their souls into marionette dolls.
Tiffany meets up with Chucky who expresses that she wishes they could be a real family again, when Wendell reveals that they have a prototype Wedding Belle doll waiting for her to possess.
Caroline transfers her soul into the doll, allowing Chucky and Tiffany to reunite. With the dolls in the backseat, Caroline drives away in Tiffany's car. As Caroline drives away, Nica wheels herself into Wendell's estate, leaving the front door open.
Hearing muffled screams coming from a display cabinet, she discovers the trio's fate. Just then, Nica screams as Wendell approaches her from behind. Chucky is shown in a burning White House announcing his candidacy for a fourth term. Is this a random ass call for USA Network and Syfy to renew series?
As I said earlier, I would be surprised if the series comes back for a fourth run. I mean how many different characters can Devon Sawa return as? Also I read something about a potential fourth season being based in space, WTF?
High Country started strong, however I am not sure how much we need a second season.
Wentworth's Leah Purcell did shine, however it all became a little same, same, just another crime drama on our many streaming services right now. The eight part first season streams now on Binge, alongside a number of HBO miniseries like the current The Sympathizer.
Created by Marcia Gardner and John Ridley, the series launched mid-March, concluding this week.
Alongside Purcell, Ian McElhinney, Sara Wiseman and Aaron Pedersen star in the Victorian crime/mystery series.
So what's the drum? What is it all about?
When detective Andrea 'Andie' Whitford (Purcell) is transferred to the town of Brokenridge, located within the Victorian High Country, she is assigned to the mysterious case of five missing persons, who have disappeared into the wilderness.
As she delves further into the investigation, she begins to uncover a complex web of murder, deceit and revenge.
Sort of like a more fancy, modern Blue Heelers, High Country is beautifully shot while also underutilising Aaron Pedersen. His role is so tiny, you wonder why was even cast.
As Andie also learns her truth whilst solving the crime, we find out there is a whole lot of bad juju in this small Victorian town.
Not the best Aussie cop/crime show of late. However it looks beautiful, with a fairly talented cast.
The eight episodes flew past week to week. Speaking of Chucky also concludes its two part run this week. Then next week miniseries Palm Royale, The Girls on the Bus and BMF call it a day.
Stay dry Sydney! Or just stay home and watch some telly.
Baby Reindeer is the miniseries everyone is talking about right now. If we were still all working in offices, it would totally be a water cooler moment!
Created by & starring Richard Gadd, this is Netflix's adaptation of Gadd's autobiographical one-man show of the same name.
So why all the fuss? It's raw, real and terrifying AF. The seven episode run is based on Gadd's real life experience of being stalked and sexually assaulted in his twenties.
Landing earlier last month on Netflix, this is really a return to form for the streamer. Following the flop revival of Girls5Eva and the less than bumper second season of Heartbreak High, Baby Reindeer is a breath of fresh streaming air.
So this needs a massive content warning. The show goes deep, dark and real. Below the trailer you will find spoilers of episode seven. However if you want to go in like me ditch the trailer and just start the series ASAP! If not beforehand! SPOILERS below!
In the final gripping episode, a video of Donny's confession goes viral, earning him a significant boost in his career. He thoughtlessly sets an out of office message on his email that includes his phone number, leading to Martha gaining access to his phone for the first time.
She calls him and threatens to tell his parents about his rape and sexuality. Hoping to pre-empt her, he travels to Scotland and tells his parents everything. His father confesses that he too was sexually abused, and Donny spends a week with his family.
These scenes were highly emotive. It was so raw, so emotional, it was TV well done.
Martha begins calling Donny incessantly, leaving him hundreds of voicemails. The police suggest he listen to the voicemails and report any threats. Over months, his habit of listening to Martha's voicemails becomes an obsession as he once again begins to pity her and catalogs her messages. However, after she threatens to stab his parents, he finally reports her and she is arrested. Martha is sentenced to nine months in prison and five years of probation. Donny never sees her again.
Donny struggles to adjust in a world without Martha's constant presence, shuts himself away at home, and continues building a sequence of events of his relationship with Martha.
His roommates call Keeley, who, worried for his mental health, asks him to move back to Liz's house. As he moves back in, he finds the screenplay he was writing for Darrien.
In an attempt at closure, he goes to Darrien's apartment, but instead of confronting him, politely chats with him. Darrien, who has seen Donny's video, offers him a writing job. Donny accepts, but has a panic attack after leaving.
Stopping at a pub, he listens to a voicemail where Martha explains why she calls him "Baby Reindeer": it is because he reminds her of a stuffed animal she would hug when her parents would fight, the only positive memory from her childhood. Donny begins to cry, gets his drink, and realizes he has forgotten his wallet. The barman, feeling sorry for Donny, gives him the drink on the house, in a mirror of Donny's first encounter with Martha.
This was TV excellence. Wait for the awards season, as Baby Reindeer may steal the show. Netflix has really done well with this truly gritty, addictive series. Excellent.
