toplinecritic

I'm two episodes in, and barely hanging on. The premise of the alternate history and the nuanced storytelling is keeping me interested. As long as the plot deepens, I will probably keep watching. What I don't like is the very dark portrayal of everything Soviet. It feels like an American's point of view rather than a Russian's. And why do so many of the characters speak with British accents? Those two things make the show feel inauthentic.

I was surprised when they took the least two likeable characters from Yellowstone and gave them their own show. Rip is a chubby middle-aged guy with the personality of a fence post who occasionally delivers cowboy bromides. He's no Kevin Costner. And then there's Beth, who is supposed to be fierce and smart, but comes across as mean and impulsive. How these two are a loving couple is beyond me. Yet, it's the 6th episode and I'm still watching. Partly, it's because the storytelling is reliably good, with lots of those "cowboy justice" scenes that we came to love in the Yellowstone franchise. But mostly it is because Annette Bening and Ed Harris steal every scene they're in. It is a pleasure to watch these two old pro's. But it also makes you wonder, why the show isn't about these two characters. I suppose, in a way, it is.

Worth watching for the stylish depiction of how the rich actually live. Add to that a witty, sometimes genuinely funny script, a creative plot with interesting characters, and biting satire, and it's the perfect brew for a social commentary that's fun to watch. Feels like a Shaw play for the 21st century American upper class. Special mention for Jon Hamm, who plays a character that despite being super good-looking, rich, and charming, somehow manages to be sympathetic and likeable.

Interesting premise, but I am 3 episodes in and already losing interest. This is an allegory about AI, and whether a future world filled with abundance and harmony at the cost of human individuality is really such a good thing. The problem is that the lone human character is so strident and angry that she isn't very likeable. Maybe it will get better, but right now I'm thinking that if this is the best humanity can do, I'll take the AI world.

I almost didn't watch this because I assumed it would be more potshots against the Right by DeNiro and others obsessed with Trump. But to my pleasant surprise, they managed to make a political thriller that is largely non-partisan and captivating from start to finish. The issues aren't new: security vs liberty, freedom of expression vs the harm of misinformation, and ultimately justice vs "what's right". But at least all sides get a fair hearing, and the result is both fun to watch and thought-provoking. I wouldn't have chosen either Robert DeNiro or Jesse Plemons for their roles. But I do think both did well playing against type.

Basic formula LA cop show updated for the "woke" era. It's good enough to keep us watching, but not as good as many other similar shows that have come before it. Watch if you can't get enough of the genre, otherwise you can safely skip it.

This could have been a taut action/thriller movie. Instead it devolves into a hot mess that stretches for 8 episodes. Along the way, it makes "statements" about racism, Black family life, law and order, media misinformation, corporate and political corruption, and of course, violence. The characters become caricatures, and the plot becomes so convoluted that it is hard to maintain interest until the ending that we all knew was coming.

There are two competing dramas here: The first is a fascinating alternative history speculating on what might have happened if the Russians were the first to the moon. The second is a rather dull soap opera of the characters personal lives and relationships. Most of the time seems filled with the second drama. But fortunately, there is enough action and tension in the larger story of events to keep us hooked.