Tag: TV Show

Animated, Female Characters, Reviews, Television, Women in Television

The Second Season of “Harley Quinn” Establishes and Celebrates the Anti-Heroine’s Sexuality

he’s a badass with a vocabulary full of vulgarities. Her favorite colors are black and red, but also pink and blue. Some people call her crazy, but she only wants to be graciously considered the most dangerous villain of the New New Gotham. Is it too much to ask? What else does Harley Quinn have to do?

The most notorious anti-heroine is back in the second season of the “Harley Quinn” series. Justin Halpern, Dean Lorey, and Patrick Schumacker bring even more carnage, more limbs flying around, and more blood splattering. Continue reading The Second Season of “Harley Quinn” Establishes and Celebrates the Anti-Heroine’s Sexuality

Zofia WijaszkaLeave a comment
Streaming, Television Review, Women in Television

Review: “Love Life” and the Human Connection

HBO Max launched at the end of May, and while some aspects of the new streaming service may have been too ambitious, the anchoring series, “Love Life” was perfectly timed.

Sam Boyd’s “Love Life” centers on Darby (Anna Kendrick) as she finds and loses love over the course of a decade of her life. We see her fall in love with future Bernie Bro Augie (Jin Ha), have brief encounters with the likes of Danny Two Phones (Gus Halper), and date an older man Bradley (Scoot McNairy). Continue reading Review: “Love Life” and the Human Connection

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Female Characters, Streaming, Television Review

Review: Year of the Rabbit

With some excellently timed lewd humor that’s elevated through great performances and wonderful characters as well as a great use of its era, “Year of the Rabbit” is the Victorian detective series I didn’t know I needed.

The six-episode miniseries follows Detective Inspector Rabbit (Matt Berry) – a dedicated, lewd, and crude Victorian London copper who’s often inebriated and brash mentality make him one of the most highly regarded officers on the force. After a bad incident, Rabbit reluctantly gets assigned an eager, but clumsy rookie named Strauss (Freddie Fox) and ends up working with a resilient and resourceful female cop hopeful named Mabel (Susan Wokoma). Together, these three must work together to stop murder plots, local gangs, suspicious snipers, and even a developing underground revolt to keep the streets of London safe. Continue reading Review: Year of the Rabbit

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Netflix, Reviews, Streaming, Television Review

Social Isolation Review: “The Politician”

High school is tough. Everything feels like the highest of high stakes.  One wrong move, no matter how miniscule, will be the end of the world.  Ryan Murphy’s “The Politician” feels like “Election” (1999) meets “All About Eve” (1950) meets a Coen Brothers’ film ALL on acid.  

Payton Hobart (Ben Platt) is gearing up for his senior year and his run for president of his affluent high school. He is ready to win because his path to Harvard and the White House all start with becoming school president.  His opponent, Astrid Sloan (Lucy Boynton), isn’t going to make it easy and Payton is okay with that. He likes the competition. They aren’t just fighting over class president, but vying for the affection of River Barkley (David Corneswet). Continue reading Social Isolation Review: “The Politician”

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Reviews, Television Review, Women in Television

Social Isolation Review: “Sharp Objects”

Want to feel deeply anxious and maybe a little depressed?  Look no further than HBO’s miniseries “Sharp Objects.” Amy Adams stars as crime reporter Camille Preaker.  Camille comes back to her small Missouri hometown after a second teenage girl is found murdered.

But coming home comes with more than just trying to cover and solve the murders of two young girls.  Camille is once again with her mother, Adora (Patricia Clarkson) and spending time with her younger half-sister Amma (Eliza Scanlen).  While she sorts through her past and her relationship with her family, she also tries working in tandem with Detective Richard Willis (Chris Messina) who has been called in from Kansas City to help with the investigation. Continue reading Social Isolation Review: “Sharp Objects”

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Female Writer, Streaming, Television Review, Women in Television

Social Isolation Review: “Russian Doll”

What would you do if you had to relive the same night, over and over again, dying in a new way each time? Oh, and what if that day is your 36th birthday?

That is where Nadia (Natasha Lyonne) finds herself.  This existentially dark, “Groundhog’s Day”-esque show takes us down a path of self-discovery, alternate timelines, and redemption.  I won’t give too much away. “Russian Doll” is a particularly special show, and to ruin the magic of a first time watch would be criminal.  So, you’re just going to have to trust me that it is worth going down the rabbit hole for this one.

“Russian Doll” hinges upon Lyonne’s performance.  She does not disappoint. Continue reading Social Isolation Review: “Russian Doll”

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Female Characters, Female Writer, Feminism, Reviews, Television Review, Women in Television

Social Isolation Review: “Fleabag”

This is a love story.

“Fleabag,” Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s award-winning series, is a masterpiece.  I do not say that lightly. But it is true.  

Fleabag (Waller-Bridge) is a quirky, sometimes crude woman attempting to live her life.  Season 1 introduces us to her life, her family, her friends. She is a mess. Her life is a mess,  Her mother has passed and now her father (Bill Paterson) is dating her Godmother (Olivia Colman).  She has a strenuous relationship with her sister, Claire (Sian Clifford).  And her best friend Boo (Jenny Rainsford) has died.  Continue reading Social Isolation Review: “Fleabag”

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Television Review, Women in Television

The “Schitt’s Creek” Legacy

ong-running shows leave their marks on television.  “Schitt’s Creek” has been no exception. With its conclusion, here is a quick look at its legacy.

“Schitt’s Creek” gave us a tiny town with a host of characters.  This little oasis in the world far away from the “phobias” of the world.  The town of Schitt’s Creek is inclusive to the LGBTQ community. When David Rose (Daniel Levy) came out as pansexual, his parents Johnny and Moira (Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara) were very accepting.  The town was also unbothered by his sexual orientation. Continue reading The “Schitt’s Creek” Legacy

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Female Characters, Television, Television Review, Women in Television

“Fear not, she hath risen!”, Or Moira Rose in a Nutshell

Anybody who knows me also remembers that I absolutely and utterly adore “Schitt’s Creek.” This Canadian television series created by Dan and Eugene Levy is a great, smart, and incredibly funny sitcom about a once-wealthy family who loses all their money and is forced to live in a small town called Schitt’s Creek. Said town was once bought for the son by the father as a joke. In effect, it’s the only asset that the Rose family possesses (and is ready to hang onto it as long as they find another buyer).

Every single character created by Levys is mastered to perfection. Johnny Rose (Eugene Levy) is a smart businessman and a proud creator of once incredibly famous Rose Video. Moira (Catherine O’Hara), a matriarch of the family, is a soap opera star. Their children – Alexis (Annie Murphy) and David (Dan Levy), although not experienced in adult life (let’s remember that they are adults), they bring the most laugh. Besides this one family that we focus on, we are also graced by the presence of Stevie Budd (Emily Hampshire) – motel’s receptionist, Roland Schitt (Chris Elliott), and Jocelyn Schitt (Jennifer Robertson). Continue reading “Fear not, she hath risen!”, Or Moira Rose in a Nutshell

Zofia WijaszkaLeave a comment
Female Characters, Television Review

Review: Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist

NBC’s new television series “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” is more than just a musical comedy.  Zoey (Jane Levy) works at a tech company.  Her boss, Joan (Lauren Graham) has given her a job promotion which puts her more directly in contact with Joan but also having to oversee an entirely male team.  At work, she has two confidants, Simon (John Clarence Stewart) and Max (Skylar Astin), but tends to have to handle situations on her own.  Outside of work, Zoey’s father, Mitch (Peter Gallagher), is sick and her mother, Maggie (Mary Steenburgen) is his main caregiver.

If that situation wasn’t enough, Zoey, afraid she is developing the same condition as her father, goes to have an MRI; during the MRI, an earthquake strikes, and once she comes out, she begins hearing everyone’s thoughts in song.  Continue reading Review: Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist

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