gchoate17 - Tumblr blog

gchoate17 · 20 days ago

Text

In keeping with tradition, here’s my top ten list of the best events of 2024 and the worst events of 2024, vaguely ranked in the order that they most impacted my life/mental health.

BEST

The boys reached an age where they can run wild with limited supervision. I’ve especially loved watching them run free with their cousins on holidays – just like I remember doing. Is this the smell of freedom? (September-ish)

With much trepidation, Liz and I attempted a cross-country road trip – Arizona and back with lots of planned stops – with the boys. We removed screen-time restrictions and let them fry their brains, but the trip was more fun than we thought it would be because they were champions (and because Liz bought a Dino Potty that allowed Mags to go wherever we were). (June 8-19)

Potty-training Magnus was so easy that I wasn’t even sure we were doing/did it. He’s had like two accidents after the initial housebreaking. (February-March?)

Watching Gus absolutely light up at UA-Little Rock’s Nerd Night – so much science and technology. Everyone was so inviting and engaged about all the things my seven-year-old is excited about. We can’t wait to go back next year. (October 23)

My mother gifted Magnus a book about the symphony last year and we have read it so many times that he knows all the instruments by name and most of them by sound. This year he got to hear lots of live instruments – a chamber orchestra at his Montessori school, the symphony with the St. Mark’s Baptist Church choir at the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra’s grand opening, the Avett Brothers, among other places – and it’s been wonderful to see him absorb it all with so much joy.

On her deathbed in 2018, Alice Marie Choate told her children and grandchildren she wanted us to stay close – I assume she knew she was the glue. In the days after she died, Liz and I committed to each other that we would host everyone at our house in honor of my grandmother’s birthday when we could. We finally made that happen with Mum’s Birthday Brunch at our house and I felt as proud as I would have if she had been there to witness it. (May 11)

A video I helped make was accepted by a film festival at Columbia University, which led to a fantastic trip to New York with Liz.

CAMP WEEK! Gus went to sleepaway camp for a week (!), Magnus went to Camp Nene for a week (!), and Liz and I went to Camp Chicago for a week and – among other highlights – ate one of the best meals of our lives at Jeong.

I set a goal of 10,000 steps per day and finished with an 11,458 average for the year.

I’ve missed going to Little Rock Trojan basketball games, which was something Liz and I did a lot early in our relationship. We decided the boys are finally at an age where they can sit through the games without making us miserable, so we bought season tickets. Magnus is there for the popcorn, Gus reads the whole time, but he’s learned to like the dance cam and the dunks, and I can work with that. (September-December)

WORST

During a trip to Chicago, a homeless person stole Liz’s phone/wallet off the patio table where we were eating lunch. It took us ten seconds too long to realize it happened. The worst part was the embarrassment of feeling so much like a…[gags]…tourist. (July 9)

I pulled a calf muscle, then pulled a hamstring. Recovery lasted forever and maybe sparked a depression. (April-September)

After eight years of taking pictures of my food, I stopped ranking my restaurant meals. I miss the data, I miss the ability to look up where I’ve eaten and when, but I’m glad to have saved myself a considerable amount of time. (Also, it’s worth noting that this almost made my Best list.) (May 12)

Liz and I had separate trips abut each other, which resulted in not seeing each other for 10 days. I did not like it. Not one bit. (September)

Major home expenses hit this year – new gutters, new A/C, new furnace – and they were expensive.

While walking through Gus’s room barefoot, I was ambushed by a stray Lego brick and it broke the skin and gave me a limp for a solid three days. (October 3)

Magnus had a double ear infection, but he didn’t give us any indication until he perforated his ear drum. (June 10)

Mostly due to an organization called General Mills and a product called Cinnamon Toast Crunch, I developed an intense, late-night snack habit that kept me from maintaining any sort of control on my weight-loss goals. (July-December)

I had my worst (and most expensive) fantasy football year since I started playing 16(?) years ago.

Our outgoing pipes froze for five days, limiting us to one sink, one shower, and one toilet. Could have been worse, but it wasn’t fun. (January 16-January 21)

Previous Best/Worst Lists: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023.

#best of 2024 #worst of 2024 #2024 #lists #reflection #new year #about last year #white sands national park #white sands #selfie #family #the choates

3 notes · View notes

gchoate17 · 22 days ago

Text

Stats for Spotify provides full-year stats now, but since I started doing this in six-month increments, I’m just going to keep that up. Here’s what my last six months of 2024 looked like.

Songs:

“Wish” by an00k

“Hell 99" by Foxing

“Merry Mary Marry Me" by Royel Otis

“The Medic” by Foxing

“Adored" by Royel Otis

“Kinky” by bby

“Heading for the Door" by Royel Otis

“Beginnings are Such Delicate Times" by Hans Zimmer

“I Need Your Violence” by Delachute

“If Our Love is Dead" by Royel Otis

Artists:

Royel Otis

Foxing

Hans Zimmer

Manchester Orchestra

Japanese Breakfast

Marilyn Manson

Laufey

Samia

Petey

Touche Amore

#music #wish #an00k #Spotify

1 note · View note

gchoate17 · 22 days ago

Text

I read 17 books this year, 13 of which were nonfiction. Here were my top 10, ranked in the order that I enjoyed them, but the top five are really the ones I care about enough to recommend:

The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt (2024)

This feels like the most important book I've read since Dana Suskind's 30 Million Words. I want to read it over and over again until I have ironed out all of my bad phone habits and helicopter parenting. A must-read for parents, but honestly, everyone should read it. If you see me on the street, please come talk to me about this book.

2. Dead Wake by Erik Larson (2015)

These acts of war we learn about in history always seem to loom so large in idea, but when broken down minute by minute -- as Larson has done here -- such catastrophic events suddenly feel so terrifyingly plausible. My God, I could have been on that boat! I could have had to jump into the sea. I could have had to make a choice between which of my children to save.

How horrible a thing to happen while at sea while having a clear view of no help on the horizon. Larson shows us all of that in a well-researched way. He triangulates all sides of the story. And it's a fascinating one, moving both fast and slow at the same time, just as the Lusitania did.

3. So Many Steves by Steve Martin & Adam Gopnik (2023)

I listened to the audiobook version and it didn't seem like a literary reading as much as it was simply a recorded conversation -- Martin and Gopnik talking, with Gopnik elaborating on the conversation after the fact. I loved it, but it feels more like I tackled a podcast than a book. Steve Martin is an interesting and sincere man. And, of course, talented, but this book allows me to see more of his depth. His jokes always kind of struck me as too playful to be truly funny, but now knowing how much of an intellectual Martin is (and was the whole time, presumably), I can probably appreciate them more. He may be silly, but he is also deliberate. I've always loved him the most as an actor -- Roxanne, Three Amigos, SNL -- but I also loved going to one of his concerts, and I'm looking forward to reading his novels.

4. All that Glitters by Orlando Whitfield (2024)

I liked this book as much for the details of the art world as much as I did for the crime drama -- maybe more? -- and Whitfield writes tenderly and honestly about himself and his friendship.

5. The Art Thief by Michael Finkel (2023)

Finkel's most notable accomplishment here is his ability to balance art appreciation with crime, drama, and psychology in a way that keeps the laundry list of thefts from becoming monotonous. I never lost interest.

6. Spearhead by Adam Makos (2019)

I listened to the audiobook version and I think if I had read a hard copy I would have been in four-star territory instead of three. The voiceover actor put weird emphasis on names in a way that suggested we were supposed to know who people were, even if they were being introduced. I spent a lot of time thinking, "Should this name mean something to me?" That pulled me out of the story. And the shifting of points of view would be easier with a visual. All on me, though, not the writer.

The research is the real star of this show, though. And also the unlikely coincidences. An almost unbelievable story -- in the same vein as UNBROKEN. As with all thoughtful war stories, this one confirmed for me that war should not be fought by the young men who are only trying to survive. Let the idealogues kill each other if they need someone to die.

7. Your Table is Ready by Michael Cecchi-Azzolina (2022)

I mostly read this for the restaurant tales, and they align with my own dozen years working in restaurants, though Cecchi was working at the top of the restaurant world in New York, of course. As Bourdain and Orwell and countless other writers have pointed out over the decades and centuries, restaurant worker culture is a kind of insane fraternity, and this book is more evidence of that. These are the kinds of stories you tell to slack-jawed people at a party or at the bar, not the kinds of stories you go after if you're looking for something literary. But I will say that Cecchi is open and honest and vulnerable in an admirable way. He talks about his experiences with sex and drugs in a way that doesn't feel boastful in the way most people talk about them. And there is absolutely some literary merit to the epilogue. That part of the book was beautiful.

Takeaway that sticks with me: Dustin Hoffman is as nice as I think he is.

8. An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin (2010)

I loved the concept and setting, but the narrative itself felt somewhat absent. The pacing felt inconsistent and ambitious. Martin is at his best when it comes to the small details of the human personality/behavior, and he turns his back on some of that when he's spanning a large swath of time instead of focusing on moments strung together. He nails the different art world personality types.

9. These Precious Days by Ann Patchett (2021)

I most enjoyed Patchett's recounting of her early years as a writer, her relationships with her father(s), and her relationship with Karl. I feel like I like Ann Patchett the person/the character more than I like her writing. Is that possible?

10. About Alice by Calvin Trillin (2006)

Tender description of the writer's wife, following her death. Vignettes. No real narrative.

Previous Book Lists: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011.

#books #book #lit #literature #book list #best books of 2024 #2024 #reading

0 notes

gchoate17 · 22 days ago

Text

youtube

I watched 47 movies in 2024 – up from 25 last year, and the most since 2021. Here they are, ranked in order. It was fun to revisit some classics with my boys, who turned 7- and 3-years-old this year. Movies denoted with an asterisk I'd seen before.

Dune – Part Two

So ethereal and beautiful and Hans Zimmer is brilliant. My only complaint is that Josh Brolin doesn’t belong in this world.

2. Meth Storm

Brilliant story, well-told, unbiased. The level of access they have to these meth users is crazy. I can’t imagine what filming this must’ve been like.

3. Oppenheimer

Worthy of the hype.

4. Star Wars*

I don’t know how to rate a movie that helped shape my childhood, man. It holds up, though.

5. Society of the Snow

Fascinating story about surviving in the Andes Mountains. FWIW, I’d eat a person in a heartbeat in that situation, so maybe don't get on a plane to the Andes with me?

6. The Exception

I’m in a WWII phase right now. I’m also in a Lily James phase. And I like stories that allow for normal, well-meaning people in the role of villains (re: Nazis). This one checked all those boxes.

7. Fury

World War II Tank Squadron’s perspective on the war. A solid ensemble cast, fighting against all odds. Ridiculous at the end, but good nonetheless.

8. Nate Bargatze: Hello World

I’d watched a few dozen clips before I watched this comedy special, and it wasn’t until my wife said something that I realized how clean the whole thing was. That level of humor without cussing is an unbelievable accomplishment.

9. Aniara

Fascinating post-apocalyptic space movie at a mesmerizing pace.

10. Black Mass*

I forgot I’d seen this until I was already well into the movie. Depp makes a solid villain, especially now that all the court shenanigans have happened in his real life.

11. Honey, I Shrunk the Kids*

All of the adult actors are fantastic in this. And the whole thing is a solid backyard adventure. Holds up.

12. Robin Hood* (Animated Classic)

This is probably my favorite classic Disney animated cartoon. Holds up.

13. Trumbo

Educated me to the number of great works of Dalton Trumbo, who I mostly only knew as the writer of Johnny Got His Gun. Politicians are (mostly) evil and self-serving.

14. The Revenant

I love a good vengeance piece. Leo is solid.

15. Hit Man

Fun/cute/ridiculous, but funny/Adria Arjona factor/bonus points for being set at my alma mater.

16. Am I Okay?

Interesting story that feels real, delivered with a sharp enough wit to keep my attention.

17. Birdman

I like this in premise more than in execution. I like any premise where a person is (basically) playing a version of himself. Michael Keaton and Edward Norton were fantastic.

18. Zone of Interest

[SPOILER ALERT, I GUESS] The choice to set the whole thing right beside a concentration camp without ever showing the concentration camp was brilliant.

19. Anthropoid

We went from introduction to being a spy to handling a major operation really quickly. And maybe that’s accurate, but it made the pacing of the movie feel insane. I needed some more character development.

20. Yesterday

Interesting concept, executed pretty well in a rom-com sense. The best part was the conversation at the picnic table. Great soundtrack – obviously. Also, it’s worth noting that I’m probably going to like any movie with Lily James in it.

21. Baby Driver

This was fun.

22. The ‘Vous

I enjoyed getting to know what goes on behind the curtain of this historic restaurant. The footage in the restaurant itself was especially well done – dark, like a culinary coal mine. There were multiple storylines, though, that didn’t seem to all tie up together. For example, when I thought the film was ending, a new storyline got introduced. While the music didn't have a recognizable sound specific to Memphis, it did have plenty of soul and could stand on its own.

23. Skin

This felt authentic.

24. Martha

I will always see Martha Stewart as she was in the late-1990s. I’ve always had a soft spot for her – and I liked reading Joan Didion’s essay about her a few years ago – but according to this documentary, there is nothing soft about Martha. She’s ruthless, but I still have mad respect for her. But she might be mentally unstable? I dunno. The photography from her youth was stunning. As was she.

25. Unfrosted

Absolutely stacked with starpower. The subtle (and not so subtle) references to real-life situations – at least as far as I’m aware – are hilarious. But it’s also a little too over the top. And frankly, I can’t stand Amy Schumer.

26. Top Gun: Maverick

Hollywood ridiculousness, but also exactly what it set out to be – adrenaline rush, nostalgia from the first one, etc. I wish Kelly McGillis would have made an appearance. I understand why they couldn’t, but it would have been satisfying to see them try. She could’ve been the – “You’re still doing this pilot thing?” self-doubt-inducing person to run into Maverick.

27. Dave Chappell: The Dreamer

It’s weird to rank stand-up. Chappell is funny, but he is more brilliant than funny these days. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

28. American Fiction

Moderately entertaining social commentary on the publishing industry.

29. Tell Them You Love Me

People are insane.

30. Juliet, Naked

This role had to have actually been written for Ethan Hawke. And I like any movie that pokes a little fun at fanatics of any kind.

31. Welcome to Me

Quirky, cute, awkward.

32. Land of Bad

Hollywood ridiculousness. They’re no way they have dudes in the middle of an operation while everyone else is watching sports. Enough adrenaline/action to keep my attention, though.

33. Return of the Jedi*

I’ve always loved this movie, but upon rewatch, this one is kind of ridiculous because it’s resting on the laurels of the franchise.

34. Spaceman

Tonally, very cool. Adam Sandler in a dramatic role is always good. But the giant spider turned me off.

35. Cyrus

Watch the trailer and you see most of the funny parts.

36. Dream Scenario

Nicholas Cage is great, but his character pisses me off.

37. The Kill Team

The whole time I was watching this, I got angry at the hoards of Americans who probably agree with (and celebrate) the villain.

38. Out of the Furnace

Lots of likeable star power, a well-established rust-belt vibe, but the story was lacking. I don’t believe people living in such poverty would be circulating in the wide circles these characters do.

39. Woman of the Hour

Dude was scary, and the movie had some intense, icky scenes, but it kind of felt like the intensity and the ickiness were more important than the narrative.

40. The Informant

The protagonist as a character was fantastic, but I found the story itself suffered because of an unreliable narrator.

41. Promising Young Woman

SPOILER ALERT – I had high hopes for this one. It would have been better had she just started killing dudes at the beginning. I thought that’s what I was tuning in for.

42. Untold: Johnny Football

It was nice to get a decent look at the guy as a person. But it wasn’t the tell-all I was hoping for. I still have lots of questions.

43. Dr. Delirium & the Edgewood Experiments

This mostly just made me sad.

44. Sword in the Stone*

There’s really just not a lot here. I remembered liking this as a kid.

45. High Life

Solid performances, but this concept didn’t get there for me. The “reproductive” element of this movie felt gratuitous.

46. Saltburn

Whuuuut?

47. Carry-On

I got duped by Jason Bateman’s presence in the trailer. This is terrible and ridiculous.

48. Mr. Magoo (1997)

I understand the filmmakers were trying to stay true to the original character, but not even Leslie Nielson can turn Mr. Magoo into a live-action success.

See previous years’ lists here: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017.

#movies #best of 2024 #2024 #dune #Youtube

4 notes · View notes

gchoate17 · 22 days ago

Text

youtube

I watched 60 seasons of television shows in 2024, which is more than a person should watch without finding a way to get paid for it. So if any of you want to pay me for this inconsequential work, I'd appreciate it. Most were on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, or Max. I ranked those seasons and made brief comments about them, should you care to know what influenced the season’s place on the list. Previous years’ rankings are linked at the bottom.

Band of Brothers (Season 1)

When I deployed with the Army to Bosnia in 2003, everyone was watching this, and singing its praises. Twenty years later, I finally got around to watching it. Dramatization of an incredible true story, and they did a good job of reminding us that it happened to real people by starting each episode with actual interviews of those men. I appreciated how much ground they covered – different battles, different locations – with each episode, while also making each so self-contained. At one point, I watched the wrong episode – jumping ahead – and didn’t even notice.

2. Chernobyl (Season 1)

They nailed the Soviet landscape and told this interesting story incredibly well.

3. How To with John Wilson (Season 2)

The first episode of this season is some of the best TV out there.

4. How To with John Wilson (Season 3)

I appreciated peek behind the curtain. And I’m at a loss for what to do now that it’s all over.

5. How To with John Wilson (Season 1)

I wasn’t sure what I was signing up for here, but it’s brilliant. Do not watch this while messing around on your phone – give it 100% of your attention because the juxtaposition of voiceover with b-roll is masterful.

6. WWII: From the Frontlines (Season 1)

This miniseries covered a big timeline from a 30,000-foot view. I would have liked to have gotten in deeper on some things, but with that scope – finite amount of footage – such a look is impossibly. The show did cover some lesser-known battles, which I appreciated, but the incredible thing is that it was all real footage. I kept having to remind myself that these are not actors – the soldiers of all nationalities, the imprisoned, the bodies, the explosions. Shoutout to the people on all sides of the conflict who were rolling tape in the midst of deadly chaos.

7. Girls (Season 1)

Possibly the most well-written show since…The Patriot? Captures the mentality of early 20-somethings to a T, especially Marnie and Hannah. But Adam may be my favorite character. Jess is a necessary evil, I guess, but I want Shoshanna completely eliminated from the show because she’s not a real person and she is the cheap joke.

8. Parade’s End (Season 1)

This one checked a lot of boxes for me – WWI, political maneuvers, generational family prestige, etc.

9. True Detective (Season 1)

Great leading actors, great leading characters. Solid story.

10. White Lotus (Season 1)

Jennifer Coolidge is the best. My kind of dark humor.

11. Girls (Season 2)

Still brilliant writing. I’m ready for Jess (and all her adjacent characters) to die.

12. Somebody Somewhere (Season 1)

Feels very real. Very underground Kansas.

13. Somebody Somewhere (Season 2)

Feels very real. Very underground Kansas. Joel’s laugh is so good.

14. Somebody Somewhere (Season 3)

Feels very real. Very underground Kansas. I’m legit going to miss Joel.

15. Jury Duty (Season 1)

I laughed a lot at the poor bastard caught up in this. And the bionic dude got me every time.

16. Hard Knocks (Season 21 – Miami Dolphins)

I have always liked Mike McDaniel and I’m glad to know he is exactly what I thought he was. And that seems like a good group of dudes.

17. The Diplomat (Season 2)

This got more fun after I learned to ignore everything that made me say, “Not a chance…”

18. The Good Place (Season 1)

Clever. Funny in a network TV way.

19. The Good Place (Season 2)

Clever. Funny in a network TV way.

20. Hard Knocks (Season 22 – New York Giants)

This is the first season of Hard Knocks I’ve ever seen and it’s getting me primed for football season.

21. Griselda

They did all they could to make Sofia Vergara unattractive, but it was impossible. She is much more than a beauty, though, and she showed it here. Great acting.

22. Game of Thrones (Season 4)

Things are devolving into too much fantasy for me, but I’m hanging in there for Jon and Arya. And Tyrion.

23. The Pacific (Season 1)

A little too on the nose, and I had a hard time believing Joseph Mazzello would survive the war in the Pacific with his sanity. The best episode was the story of Basilone meeting Lena. I would have watched a show about them

24. Receiver

Good group of dudes with a mix of personalities. I liked all of them more after watching this. Especially Devante Adams.

25. Dirty Pop

Fascinating look at the making of boy bands in the late-1990s. I wish they had gotten interviews with the singers who went on to bigger careers to get their takes on it.

26. Hard Knocks (Season 23 – Chicago Bears)

I’m pulling for them.

27. The Diplomat (Season 1)

I’ve always been a big Rufus Sewell fan, and this is the most I’ve liked Keri Russell, but these scenarios are tough to believe. But in like a Jack Ryan kind of way, so it almost works.

28. The Garden

This is kind of crap TV, but I was into it more than I wanted to me because cults are fascinating.

29. Game of Thrones (Season 5)

Things are devolving into too much fantasy for me, and Ramsay Bolton sucks, but I’m hanging in there for Jon and Arya. And Tyrion. And maybe Lady Sansa. The whole Theon situation is over the top.

30. Game of Thrones (Season 6)

SPOILER ALERT – Things are devolving into too much fantasy for me. I don’t buy Theon’s situation. I like Jon and Lady Sansa coming back together. But Bran went and got weird.

31. The Other Two (Season 1)

No depth and a little cheesy, but still kinda funny.

32. Silicon Valley (Season 1)

This is bro humor. But smart bro humor. (I think/hope.) And it captures a very specific time in history.

33. Inside the Mind of Aaron Hernandez (Season 1)

A reminder that world-class athletes we see on TV can still just be stupid 23-year-olds.

34. Unlocked: A Jail Experiment (Season 1)

I was all-in after the first episode and my enthusiasm slowly dwindled from there. It probably held on longer than it otherwise would have because I’ve toured the Pulaski County Jail, which sits a few miles from my house, and I’ve met Sherriff Higgins. That hooch looks nasty as hell. If I had to pick a celly, give me Parkinson.

35. Abbot Elementary (Season 1)

It grew on me a little. It’s nice for what it is. Ava Coleman is the best character.

36. Girls (Season 6)

Marnie is the absolute worst. They are all the worst, actually. Except for Tom and Shosh. Shosh went from being the worst part of the show to the best?

37. The Good Place (Season 3)

It’s still clever and funny, but it’s kind of getting monotonous because there are so many episodes.

38. The Good Place (Season 3)

It’s still clever and funny, but it’s kind of getting monotonous because there are so many episodes.

39. Ashley Madison (Season 1)

Fascinating look at Ashley Madison’s rise and demise. And a good look at how naïve and sad people are. Full-on schadenfreude for the Christian influencer dude. Would have been better if it reached any conclusion whatsoever.

40. Station Eleven (Season 1)

I wanted more of the survival piece of this puzzle and less of the spirituality or whatever, but after a slow start, I was hooked. Bonus points for David Cross’s presence.

41. True Detective (Season 3)

I wanted to like this season more, but I couldn’t get invested in the slow pull of the Band-Aid across different decades.

42. Abbot Elementary (Season 2)

Ava Coleman is still the best character, but I’m over the rest of the show.

43. The Program (Documentary)

Fascinating content, but I would have liked it more had the filmmaker been less of a character. It was like hanging out with a bunch of drunk friends recounting the old days when I wasn’t there, and I’m not drunk with them. So I’m just kind of listening and saying, “Yeah, that’s crazy,” and “That sucks, man.”

44. True Detective (Season 2)

So many unlikely scenarios, with a little melodrama thrown in. I couldn’t ever buy in.

45. Girls (Season 3)

All the characters have become too whiny for me at this point.

46. Girls (Season 4)

All the characters have become too whiny for me at this point.

47. I Am a Killer (Season 5)

Each episode was hit or miss, but I like hearing these stories.

48. True Detective (Season 4)

Paranormal factor lost me. And they were trying to check too many trendy boxes.

49. The Alienist (Season 1)

I love Daniel Brühl, but this one became too predictable/improbably/cheesy.

50. The Bear (Season 1)

This is the most overrated show since Ted Lasso. I couldn’t buy into the fact that every character was a budding dreamer capable of being the best [insert restaurant job title here] if they have the right leader.

51. Yellowjackets (Season 1)

I thought I was signing up for a show about survival, but it was a show about ghosts, apparently? I dunno, but Christina Ricci is always a treat. And Melanie Lynskey was great.

52. Game of Thrones (Season 7)

SPOILER ALERT – Things are devolving into too much fantasy for me. The very first white walker we encountered was a regular one, but an absolute beast to kill. Now, however, we’re killing them by the dozens? Nope.

53. Monk (Season 1)

Watching for nostalgic purposes. Tony Shalhoub is always great, and there were some solid jokes in there. Bonus points for cameos from Willy Nelson and Tim Daly. The show was probably better in weekly installments instead of in a bingewatch situation because they become obviously formulaic.

54. Letterkenney (Season 1)

Crap storylines serve as vehicles to get to the next joke. The jokes were good occasionally, but the wait become less worth it. Watch clips, not episodes.

55. Letterkenney (Season 2)

I was disappointed when I realized I accidentally embarked on a second season.

56. Girls (Season 5)

Marnie is the absolute worst. They are all the worst, actually. Except for Tom and Shosh. Shosh went from being the worst part of the show to the best?

57. Game of Thrones (Season 8)

I was ready to be done.

58. White Lotus (Season 2)

Season One was legitimately a dark comedy. Season Two is an unenjoyable drama. Not even Jennifer Coolidge can salvage it.

59. Chimp Crazy (Season 1)

People are insane. And the filmmakers annoyed me by trying to insert themselves into the story.

60. No Reservations (Season 1)

Bourdain struck me as immature and self-aggrandizing while trying to portray himself as a man of the people. I liked his writing much more than his speech.

See previous lists here: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017.

#tv shows #band of brothers #best of 2024 #2024 #tv #Youtube

2 notes · View notes