Are you streaming ( or binge watching ) any series on Netflix, or any other service? Tell us about it.

I started watching Wonder Man, which is being touted by Disney-Hulu as the best Marvel series. I wasn't going to watch but saw,
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, the lead actor (previously unknown to me), who plays Simon, being interviewed by Michael Strahan which stirred a little interest, so I decided to check it out. It's about an actor who's a PITA because he always wants to alter the script. His dream is to play Wonder Man. He meets Trevor (Ben Kingsley) who turns him on to the Wonder Man casting and ostensibly wants to help him but there's something else going on.

IMO they are spending too much time on Simon trying to get work as an actor in a town that will not hire super powered actors due to a very bizarre incident with a blow-out star who used his superpowers freely and publicly. Not enough time is spent showing Simon's powers. The script is getting redundant. I also think they should have shown certain scenes at least one episode earlier, cut out the redundancy and perhaps whittled it down to 6 episodes instead of 8. I'm half way though next to last episode and am getting bored. Just read the Wiki synopsis, so I'll keep watching (maybe FF through it) to see how it plays out. If there's a S2, I don't know if I will watch it.
Very nice review, Miss Diva. I was drawn to the series because Ben Kingsley is in it. He was good, and carried many of his scenes, but the writing should have been better. I hadn't known anything about the Wonder Man superhero, so I presumed the story was tongue in cheek or a send up (like Birdman).

It took until Williams had an anger/shock wave episode that I realized he had super powers. But you're right, the script needed to show him displaying his powers more in order to drive that aspect home. Plus, a guy who actually had superpowers looking to get hired to play Wonder Man is a bit much. I also think that Abdul-Mateen was miscast. I didn't believe him in the role.
 
Warm, funny, poignant comedy special PostMortem Sarah Silverman in the best I have ever seen her.
She became what most of us here are. Adult Orphans.
I approached it from Sarah’s perspective. I also approached it through the dying parents as that is the stage I currently am in.
All stars for this lovely and funny performance.

The best she’s ever done.

Netflix
 
I am rewatching the Aussie series "Wentworth" on Amazon Prime. It takes place in a woman's prison and basically follows life in the prison. Mainly follows a core group of women in one particular cell Block. Guard interactions with the women and other guards. Great acting.
When I first watched years ago, had a bit of trouble following the accents, and some of the slang. Got used to accents and looked up the slang words as needed
 
I'm thinking of switching cuz they have a larger library and I'm just sitting here on Paramount watching reruns and it's been a long time since they added anything new I'm interested in.
Try it. I've got the $7.99 deal, with ads. But, I'm telling you...there's hardly any ads interfering.
(it my have jumped to 8.99, not sure)
 
NF, Unfamiliar. Dubbed from German; they’ve done a good job. Although I‘ve just watched one of the six episodes, it sure has my attention.
 
Very nice review, Miss Diva. I was drawn to the series because Ben Kingsley is in it. He was good, and carried many of his scenes, but the writing should have been better. I hadn't known anything about the Wonder Man superhero, so I presumed the story was tongue in cheek or a send up (like Birdman).

It took until Williams had an anger/shock wave episode that I realized he had super powers. But you're right, the script needed to show him displaying his powers more in order to drive that aspect home. Plus, a guy who actually had superpowers looking to get hired to play Wonder Man is a bit much. I also think that Abdul-Mateen was miscast. I didn't believe him in the role.
Thank you Doc. You may be right about the miscasting. Who do you think would have been better in that role? I didn't know about Wonder Man prior to the series either. I don't think I'd have been interested if I did.
 
Because I needed something new to watch (thus my ridiculously long watchlists), I started watching Starfleet Academy (Paramount+). I am liking it way more than I expected. I was never a Holly Hunter fan but I like her character and her portrayal of it. Her voice and the way she speaks is something I still find odd. I like the other characters too. Many of the actors are new to me, in fact they don't even have Wiki pages yet. I enjoy seeing the different alien life forms and how they interact. Love Commander Thok's (aka #1) character...she's tough but funny. That part is played by Gina Yashere.

The backstory of the lead character, little Caleb (played by Sandro Rosta) and his mother grabbed me right away. They get separated and she is sent to prison due to an inadvertent association with a pirate who found food for them. Holly Hunter's character Nahla puts her away and promised little Caleb they'd be reunited. but couldn't stand to stay in Federation after feeling she failed the boy, so left an became a teacher.

Then the story jumps to 15 years later. Her old colleague come around and convinces her to take the position of captain of the Starfleet ship that is also one of the new Starfleet Academy's locations. Scenes show Caleb as a young man and delinquent who's being transported. He breaks free, commandeers the ship and causes havoc, winding up in jail again. Nahla shows up and tells the jaded, suspicious young man that she has searched for him for 15 years and again promises to help him find his mother IF he would join the new Starfleet academy that resumed operations after a century (it closed due to a cataclysmic event that happened on Earth). It's set in the 32nd century.

Caleb proves to be a handful, even did something that should have gotten him expelled, but also shows initiative under pressure, courage and leadership potential so Nahla keeps giving him breaks and more choices. Once they land at the academy's second location in San Francisco, he tried escaping, but now he's falling in love, so I'm sure he'll stay. The first couple of episodes had enough action, adventure, character development and humor to keep me interested. The critics have responded positively, though I rarely rely on their opinions.


 
Last edited:
For anyone who likes Dexter, I've just discovered "The Gardener" on Netflix. It is Spanish but perfectly dubbed in English. The lead character is a young man who damaged part of his frontal cortex in an accident so he can no longer feel emotions. His mother is trying to move back to Mexico, and in order to earn money she hires people who want someone in their lives "erased". Her son does it, then buries them in his award-winning garden.

I've only seen the first episode. His first kill is a domestic abuser. Later, a woman comes to his mother because she feels a particular woman caused the death of her son. The Gardener goes after her, collapses during his pursuit and she helps him back to consciousness. So, he starts to have feelings toward her. His mother isn't happy about it. Meanwhile, the police are in pursuit. The first episode grabbed my attention.

 
Back
Top