#Designed by Patrick Byrne

[longwuzhere]

Some cool Easter eggs I caught watching My Adventures with Superman that I want to show to people so they can be in on it with comic book readers: For the first episode's Easter eggs it's here

For the second episode's Easter eggs it's here

For the third episode's Easter eggs it's here

For the fourth episode's Easter eggs it's here

For the sixth episode's Easter eggs it's here

For the seventh episode's Easter eggs it's here and here

For the eighth episode's Easter eggs post it's here

For the ninth episode's Easter eggs post it's here

For the tenth episode's Easter eggs post it's here

My Easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman comic issue 1 post is here

My Easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman comic issue 2 post is here

My Easter eggs and references for My Adventures with Superman comic issue 3 post is here

SPOILERS if you haven't seen this week's episode obviously

We start off the episode with this shot of Superman with the drawn on glasses. A good homage to what Lois did in the 1980 Superman II movie...

where she not only drew the glasses but also a full suit and hat on a picture of Superman.

Next we see Jimmy waking up and seeing someone debunking his conspiracy theories on Sub-Diego.

Sub Diego was an actual place in the DC universe before the New 52 reboot. In Aquaman #15 and #16 (2003) , shown here (W: Will Pfeifer, P: Patrick Gleason, I: Christian Alamy, C: Nathan Eyring, L: Jared K. Fletcher for issue 15, Nick Napolitano for issue 16). The underwater city is actually San Diego, but is buried underwater thanks to a tidal wave and makes its first appearance in Aquaman #15 (2003). There was a lot of casualties from this.

When we get to our title its "You Will Believe A Man Can Lie" a reference to the tagline for the 1978 Superman movie.

As seen here on the poster, it says "You'll believe a man can fly".

Next we see our villain, well one of the villains, for the episode, Heatwave.

In the comics Heatwave makes his first appearance in Flash 140 (1963) (cover art by Carmine Infantino, Murphy Anderson, and Ira Schnapp). Heatwave aka Mick Rory is a Flash rogue usually acting as a rival to Captain Cold aka Leonard Snart. In MAwS, their Heatwave shares the same last name and powers, but MAwS Heatwave is gender flipped. You might have seen Heatwave in the CW DC comics shows where he is played by Dominic Purcell in The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow.

Lois, later in the episode, name drops Heatwave's name. Gotta be honest when Heatwave showed up I was like is that Rampage? Cuz the MAwS design looks vaguely like Rampage.

If she does show up in MAwS, I'll talk more about her in another post, but for now, Rampage aka Karen Lou "Kitty" Faulkner, makes her first appearance in Superman #7 (1987) (full page here: W&P: John Byrne, I: Karl Kesel, C: Tom Ziuko, L: John Costanza).

Steve drags Jimmy to film his debunking Flamebird videos and references Starro who I talked about here.

Lois, later runs around with the Daily Planet police scanner trying to catch Superman and the dispatcher reports that a robbery is in progress at McGuinness Luxe Garage.

This is a nice reference to Ed McGuinness who was the artist for Superman, Action Comics, and Superman/Batman in the early 2000s. If you've seen Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, then you'll know the movie takes inspiration from his character designs in the first arc of the Superman/Batman comic series. The Superman/Batman #1 (2003) cover here is done by Ed McGuinness, Dexter Vines, and Dave Stewart. I like Ed McGuinness's pencils, very stylized.

Heatwave name drops Livewire and the Gazzo mod family. Both of whom I've talked about here and here respectively

Heatwave has been running away from Deathstroke here who has been taking our her crew. Notice that Slade Wilson doesn't have the half black half orange helmet yet that almost every Deathstroke depiction always has.

He, Amanda Waller, and the General who I totally think is General Sam Lane, Lois's dad, are fans of DBZ cuz of the scouters they're wearing.

Later in the scene we see the General again he's totally General Sam Lane. I'll talk more about him when we get a double confirmation through a name drop/reveal in a later post calling Amanda Waller, Mandy. What a fucking bold thing to say to Waller! Like damn! power move right there!

Superman and Deathstroke are fighting under a highway and we see the traffic is heading to Bludhaven!

Very good reference to my favorite character in all of pop culture, Dick Grayson aka Nightwing. Nightwing makes Bludhaven his city to protect. The city makes its first appearance in Nightwing #1 (1996) (the panel here - W: Chuck Dixon, P: Scott McDaniel, I: Karl Story, C: Roberta Tewes, L: John Costanza). Fun Bludhaven fact, its crime rate is WORST than Gotham! Also HIGHLY recommend reading the new Nightwing run cuz its fucking amazing! Won a few Eisner Awards (think the Oscars but for comic books) recently and I am not just saying that because I am a Dick Grayson fan.

Near the end of the episode, we see Lois willing to jump off a building to prove that Clark is Superman. A lot of discourse was happening online over this, but I do want to say this is pretty on brand for her to do.

In Superman II, Lois does something similar and Clark saves her. its just in MAwS, Clark flies to save her thus ruining the secret identity, while in Superman II, Clark does save her but he is still able to get away with it thanks to him playing it more subtly.

Don't know why people we're in such a fucking fit over something that Lois has done before.

In the after credits scene, Jimmy, who planned a sasquatch finding adventure with Lois and Clark, but they were dealing with their shit and Jimmy was by himself, decides to do the finding on his own and meets a giant gorilla. In the first episode Jimmy mentions an intelligent gorilla in France and my guess is this is Monsieur Mallah. You can read more about him here. If you made it this far down, I appreciate you taking the time to check this post out and if you want to see my other MAwS Easter Eggs posts - Episode 1 is here

Episode 2 is here

Episode 3 is here

Episode 4 is here

Episode 6 is here

Episode 7 is here and here

Episode 8 is here

Episode 9 is here

Episode 10 is here

My Easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman comic issue 1 post is here

My Easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman comic issue 2 post is here

My Easter eggs and references for My Adventures with Superman comic issue 3 post is here

[scotianostra]

Scottish Playwright, writer and Artist John Patrick Byrne was on January 6th 1940 in Paisley.

John Byrne where he grew up in the Ferguslie Park housing scheme and was educated at the town’s St Mirin’s Academy before attending Glasgow School of Art, where he excelled. In his final year he was awarded the Bellahousten Award, the school’s most prestigious painting prize, and spent six months in Italy, returning a masterful and confident young artist. His work is held in major collections in Scotland and abroad.

Several of his paintings have hang in The Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh, the Museum of Modern Art and the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow. In 2007 he was made a full member of the Royal Scottish Academy and is an Honorary Fellow of the GSA, the RIAS, an Honorary Member of the RGI and has Honorary Doctorates from the universities of Paisley, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Strathclyde.

It was by no means an overnight success for Byrne, he was making a living designing book covers for publishers Penguin before recognition, Byrne has also designed record covers for Donovan, The Beatles, Gerry Rafferty, Billy Connolly, and The Humblebums as well as illustrations for the renowned Scottish writer James Kelman.

As well as his artwork Byrne was an accomplished writer perhaps best known as the writer of The Slab Boys Trilogy of plays which explore working-class life in Scotland, and of the excellent TV dramas Tutti Frutti and Your Cheating Heart.

In 2018 Byrne was named Scotland’s most stylish man at the age of 78 at the Scottish Style Awards in Glasgow, beating Outlander star Sam Heughan to the coveted most stylish male title, which was previously won by Richard Jobson, Robert Carlyle, James McAvoy and Paolo Nutini. Byrne, a good friend of comic, Billy Connolly Byrne said at the time he was shocked at the award saying “I dress like a tramp”.

The highlights the quintessential Scottishness of Byrne’s work, and his enduring humour and his focus on the frailty of human experience often lived on the edge of working-class communities. It is a richly rewarding show which underscores r give John Byrne a rightful place as one of Scotland’s finest and most prolific artists.

His most recent work has been murals - one for the ceiling of the King's Theatre in Edinburgh and another in Glasgow to mark the 75th birthday of his friend Billy Connolly.

During lockdown he worked with Pitlochry Festival Theatre to create a new play which was produced and performed remotely.

He and his wife Jeanine also collaborated on a children's book, Donald and Benoit.

Everything he did was drenched in colour. Without him, the world feels a less colourful place.

John Byrne passed away on Thursday November 30th aged 83.

Everything he did was drenched in colour. Without him, Scotland and the world feels a less colourful place.

[judgingbooksbycovers]

One Foot in the Fade

By Luke Arnold.

Cover art is by Patrick Knowles.

Design by Matt Byrne.

[streetsofdublin]

ST PAUL'S CHURCH AS SEEN FROM THE SOUTH QUAYS

BETWEEN MELLOWS BRIDGE AND GRATTAN BRIDGE A Photographer’s Delight The South Quays’ relatively open space offers an unobstructed view of the North Quays, making it an ideal vantage point for a street photographer like myself. Armed with my Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, I captured the contrasting architectural styles: the grandeur of the Four Courts and the old Church On Araan Quay which is discussed…

[montysworld]

ALEVE - double shift from Miles Jay on Vimeo.

Director: Miles Jay Production: Smuggler Exec Producer: Patrick Milling Smith, Brian Carmody, Allison Kunzman Producer: Luigi Rossi Cinematography: Jac Martinez Production Design: Caitlin Byrnes AD: Gareth Moses Editor: Ben Jordan - Work Editorial Post: Blacksmith Color: Alex Bickel Agency: Mullen Boston

[tonin-terets]

Red Bull – Kris Bryant Can from Animation.Monks on Vimeo.

RedBull . 2018

To excite Chicago Cubs fans about the limited-edition Red Bull Kris Bryant can, we produced a frame-by-frame animation showing the star in action. By making the animation as fluid and flexible as the man himself, we could resize and reshape it across all social platforms, striking the same impact every time. Translated through hand-drawn illustrations featuring the brand’s and Cubs’ distinctive colours, the animation captures the energy of both Bryant and Red Bull. To touch all bases, the video’s final frame sports the can’s Snapcode that unlocks a Bryant lens, hitting a homerun on the overarching Kris Bryant Can campaign.

Creative Direction: Juan Behrens, Nico Piccirilli Production: Jason Dolla Lead & Art Direction: Nicolas Piccirilli Design: Nico Piccirilli, German Di Ciccio, Pablo Cuello Animation: Sunil Sital, Patrick Brem, Declan Byrne

See more of our work and process by following us on instagram at: instagram.com/mediamonksanimation

[ajanik12]

COM-321-A: Blog 2- “Insidious”

Released in 2010, "Insidious" has established established itself as a spine-chilling horror film that has left audiences terrified. Directed by James Wan, the movie delves into the realm of the supernatural, blending psychological suspense and jump scares to create an unsettling experience for viewers. “Inisidious” has become an extremely popular work in the horror film genre as a franchise. The “Insidious” franchise is ahead of its time with the unique sequence of events and how each of the films intertwine and jump back and forth between the future and present.

"Insidious" follows the Lambert family as they navigate a horrifying ordeal that unfolds within the confines of their new home. Josh and Renai Lambert, played by Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne, are loving parents who experience an inexplicable and disturbing event when their young son, Dalton, falls into a mysterious coma-like state. The parents are given no medical diagnosis for Dalton, and they are at a loss for what to do. Many of the haunting are and malevolent spirits are recognized by Renai, who desperately tries to convince her husband Josh that their home is haunted. Josh is seemingly in denial at first, until Renai shows a bloody handprint which she found on Dalton’s bed sheets one night when he arrived home from work.

As months have passed and these evil entities become more and more present in the home, the Lambert’s decide that they should pack their things up and move. However, the hauntings continue at their new home, and they are left with no option but to seek help from paranormal investigators led by Elise Rainier, portrayed by Lin Shaye. Elise reveals that Dalton's condition is not a result of a physical ailment, but a form of astral projection as she describes it in the film. Dalton's consciousness has traveled to a dark and menacing realm called "The Further," leaving his physical body vulnerable to spiritual entities. Elise explains that Dalton has been capable of traveling to “The Further” in his sleep for a very long time. Elise is able to see these entities in the real world and sees the demonic entity which is trying to consume dalton in his bedroom. As the Lamberts try to save their son and unravel the mysteries of The Further, they encounter terrifying malevolent spirits along the way. With Elise's guidance and the assistance of her assistants, Specs and Tucker, the family endures a long and frightening journey to rescue Dalton's soul before it's too late.

The characters in "Insidious" contribute to the film's emotional depth and intensity. Patrick Wilson portrays Josh Lambert with a perfect balance of vulnerability and determination. His transformation from a loving father to a tormented soul creates a sense of empathy within the audience. Rose Byrne delivers a compelling performance as Renai Lambert, effectively capturing her character's fear and desperation as she fights to protect her family from the supernatural forces in which they are haunted by. Lin Shaye's portrayal of Elise Rainier is extremely fascinating, as she brings both wisdom and vulnerability to the role. She serves as the bridge between the physical world and the alternate universe called “The Further.”

https://eprints.ums.ac.id/25032/9/publication_article.pdf

"Insidious" relies heavily on atmospheric tension to create an eerie and horrifying setting. Wan skillfully uses cinematography, lighting, and sound design to build suspense and unsettle the audience. The use of long, steady shots combined with the strategic placement of shadows and eerie background noises cultivates an atmosphere of dread. When watching the film, the first thing I noticed was the dark lighting. The film is recorded in some sort of grey and dark screen color which creates a feeling of unease throughout. The film utilizes sudden sound effects as the characters are about to experience a malevolent spirit which catches the audience by surprise. One scene that really stood out to me is the baby monitor scene, where Renai can hear voices coming from her infant daughter's bedroom. The way the camera zooms in on the monitor was extremely unsettling to me. In addition, the lighting of “The Further” creates an extremely unsettling feeling for the audience. The characters in the further can only see with a lantern, which is a bright blue color which perfectly contrasts with the pitch-black atmosphere. In addition, one of the most effective techniques employed in "Insidious" is the skillful use of jump scares. Wan utilizes abrupt sounds, quick camera movements, and unexpected appearances of evil entities to frighten viewers. These moments of shock and surprise heighten the intensity of the film, keeping audiences constantly on edge. The jump scares work perfectly with the atmospheric tension to create a rollercoaster of fear which lonely impacts the audience.

[quicksiluers]

Organized in 1861 shortly after First Bull Run, The Irish Brigade’s nucleus was the 63d, 69th, and 88th New York Infantry. In the fall of 1862 the 28th Massachusetts and the 116th Pennsylvania were added, and the 29th Massachusetts served with it for a short time. It saw action in the Peninsular Campaign, at Antietam, Second Bull Run, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Cedar Run, The Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, Cold Harbor, and Petersburg, in the 1st Division of the II Corps. Reorganized in November 1864, with the 7th New York Heavy Artillery replacing the 116th Pennsylvania, it was by then no longer the old organization and certainly could not be truthfully designated the Irish Brigade. It had suffered over 4,000 casualties in killed and wounded, a total which exceeded the number of men enrolled in it at any given time.

Of the five men who commanded the Irish Brigade, three were killed and the other two wounded. Colonel Richard Byrne was mortally wounded at Cold Harbor; Colonel Patrick Kelly was killed at Petersburg; Major General Thomas A. Smyth died at Farmville; and Brigadier Generals Robert Nugent and Thomas Meagher were both wounded.

The most colorful and flamboyant of its leaders was the original commander and organizer, General Thomas Francis Meagher. Born in County Waterford, Ireland in 1823, he was described as ‘the counterpart of some rash, impolitic, poetic personage from Irish poetry or fiction.’ Son of a wealthy merchant, he was an active disciple of Irish liberty and participated in the various independence movements. In 1845 the British exiled him to Tasmania. Three years later he escaped and eventually made his way to New York City. At various times a lawyer, lecturer, newspaper editor, and politician, his flaming oratory had made him a favorite of the ‘Young Ireland’ group and he soon became the political leader of the Irish element in New York. At the outbreak of the Civil War he raised a Zouave company and commanded it at First Bull Run as part of the 69th New York State Militia. That winter he organized the Irish Brigade and President Lincoln appointed him brigadier general of Volunteers in February 1862. (x) 

The Fighting 69th by Mort Kunstler (x)

Fight’n Irish by Dale Gallon (x)

Raise the Colors and Follow Me! by Mort Kunstler (x)

Clear the Way by Don Troiani (x)

[scotianostra]

Happy 81st Birthday Scottish Playwright and artist John Byrne.

Born John Patrick Byrne on January 6th 1940 in Paisley, where he grew up in the Ferguslie Park housing scheme and was educated at the town’s St Mirin’s Academy before attending Glasgow School of Art, where he excelled. In his final year he was awarded the Bellahousten Award, the school’s most prestigious painting prize, and spent six months in Italy, returning a masterful and confident young artist. His work is held in major collections in Scotland and abroad.

Several of his paintings hang in The Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh, the Museum of Modern Art and the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow. In 2007 he was made a full member of the Royal Scottish Academy and is an Honorary Fellow of the GSA, the RIAS, an Honorary Member of the RGI and has Honorary Doctorates from the universities of Paisley, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Strathclyde.

It was by no means an overnight success for Byrne, he was making a living designing book covers for publishers Penguin before recognition, Byrne has also designed record covers for Donovan, The Beatles, Gerry Rafferty, Billy Connolly, and The Humblebums as well as illustrations for the renowned Scottish writer James Kelman.

As well as his artwork Byrne is an accomplished writer perhaps best known as the writer of The Slab Boys Trilogy of plays which explore working-class life in Scotland, and of the excellent TV dramas Tutti Frutti and Your Cheating Heart.

In 2018 Byrne was named Scotland’s most stylish man at the age of 78 at the Scottish Style Awards in Glasgow, beating Outlander star Sam Heughan to the coveted most stylish male title, which was previously won by Richard Jobson, Robert Carlyle, James McAvoy and Paolo Nutini. Byrne, a good friend of comic, Billy Connolly Byrne said at the time he was shocked at the award saying “I dress like a tramp”.

The highlights the quintessential Scottishness of Byrne’s work, and his enduring humour and his focus on the frailty of human experience often lived on the edge of working-class communities. It is a richly rewarding show which underscores r give John Byrne a rightful place as one of Scotland’s finest and most prolific artists, as seen in the artists work with the portraits of the late Robbie Coltrane, one of several he has made of the Big Yin, Billy Connolly and the pic of his former partner Tilda Swinton.

[a-man-for-hire-and-his-archives]

Cover launch: ONE FOOT IN THE FADE by Luke Arnold

We’re excited to launch the newest cover for the Fetch Phillips series! A world recovers from losing its magic in this brilliantly-voiced contemporary fantasy series by Luke Arnold – perfect for fans of Ben Aaronovitch or Terry Pratchett’s Discworld.

AN ANGEL FALLS IN SUNDER CITY…

In a city that lost its magic, an angel falls in a downtown street. His wings are feathered, whole – undeniably magical – the man clearly flew, for all that he plummeted to his death moments after.

The mystery will set Fetch – in his quest to bring magic back to his beloved city – on a journey involving necromancers, djinn and shadowy secret societies. Fetch will search Sunder’s wildest forests and dingiest dive bars for the answer, and when he finds it, nothing will ever be the same again.

The new cover art is by Patrick Knowles, and was designed at Little, Brown Book Group by Matt Byrne.

Praise for this series:

‘Verve and charm in abundance’ Andrew Caldecott, author of Rotherweird

‘The first instalment of an effortlessly readable series that could be the illegitimate love child of Terry Pratchett and Dashiell Hammett’ Kirkus

‘[A] standout debut . . . winningly combining the grit of Chinatown with the quirky charm of Harry Potter, this series opener is sure to have readers coming back for more’ Publishers Weekly

‘This book was a marvellous noir voice; Luke Arnold has captured the spirit of the genre perfectly and wrapped it around a fantasy setting with consummate skill’ Peter McLean, author of Priest of Bones

‘Sunder City [is] an evocative creation, it has echoes of Ankh-Morpork, but also a broken melancholy all of its own’ SFX

Source: Orbit Book

[weclassybouquetfun]

Dec. 20, 2019 Oct. 9, 2020 Oct. 23, 2020 Dec. 18. 2020 Sept. 17. 2021 and FINALLY Feb. 11, 2022. DEATH ON THE NILE has finally disembarked into theaters.

The Good - Moved better than Branagh's MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, a film I fought off sleep as I sat in the theater watching it. I loved all the changes Michael Green (HEROES, MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, LOGAN) made from the original novel and previous films. -Kenneth Branagh employed Alexandra Byrne for MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS after working with her on THOR. This time around he went with one of my favourite costume designers, Paco Delgado (SPLIT, A WRINKLE IN TIME, THE DANISH GIRL).

I am rarely impressed by costume designers who do period pieces because they mostly just replicate the looks of the time or buy vintage pieces and feel that's enough. What I love about Delgado's work is that he makes the pieces wardrobe versus a costume. It's not a façade, he styles the actors in a way that the wardrobe truly feels in line with the personality of the character. Bouc (Tom Bateman) is well dressed, but a bit tatty in line with someone who is trying to distance himself from the conventions of background. - Sophie Okonedo as the saucy, smoky voiced blues singer, nice to see her in a role such as this.

- Seeing this fella back on the big screen!

The Bad N/A

The Not So Great -I give Branagh points for his use of panning and tracking shots to take in the large cast, but I have to deduct some for his use of close-ups. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and guess that, perhaps, he's replicating shots from other adaptations, but his close-ups seem incongruous to the scene at hand. -There's all this ink being spilt about whether films are too long and, personally, I love long films as long as it serves the story and not indulgent (::cough::Terrence Malick ::cough::). I think this film could have used another 15 to 20 minutes to spend with the characters. I would rather seem them all interact more versus the numerous shots of the poorly rendered Egyptian background. There are so many off-screen comments that Dawn French's character makes that really would have worked better on-screen instead of off-handed muttering. Branagh kept the slight comedic moments to himself when I think the humor by French's character would have served her, and by extension, Jennifer Saunders better and kept them from being background characters. -THE CGI!!! They real mystery of the film is why the "Transformers" film series can make Autobots seamlessly blend in with the shots and make you believe actual sentient vehicles are interacting with Mark Wahlberg or Josh Duhamel but DotN and other CGI laden films can't get the matte and overlays down so that the backgrounds look like someone's standing inside a Vue-Finder. -Patrick Doyle was once again hired to do the score but there is no standout piece like the beautiful track for 2017's MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, "Justice".

-Armie has had to "step away" from several projects in the past year. A look at some of his replacements.

Miles Teller in THE OFFER, a look at the making of THE GODFATHER. This film would have had Hammer working alongside TED LASSO's Juno Temple.

Josh Duhamel who stepped in for Hammer in SHOTGUN WEDDING opposite Jennifer Lopez.

Dang, Armand, you could have worked with Lenny Kravitz instead of just commenting on his daugther's Insta

Will Arnett for NEXT GOAL WINS. It was thought that Hammer had a small role and that Taika Waititi would just cut him out. But apparently they decided to increase the role and Hammer, "unavailable" for reshoots, was replaced by Arnett. This offends me because other than playing GOB Bluth, what is the point of Will Arnett? Dan Stevens in the Watergate drama GASLIT (adapted from Slate's podcast SLOW BURN) with Julia Roberts and grumpy old man Sean Penn. Now this is a lateral move. I am a fan of Stevens and if Hammer had to lose a role, this is a good one to lose out to. He's a great actor, he's great fun and a very stylish man. And a polyglot who uses his fluency in German in the film I'M YOUR MAN. In GASLIT Stevens plays White House counsel John Dean. Armie, this quippy "Dean Eggs and Ham" mug could have been yours!

[streetsofdublin]

(via ST PAUL'S CHURCH AS SEEN FROM THE SOUTH QUAYS)

Built between 1835 and 1837, shortly after Catholic Emancipation, a time where Catholics gained increased rights to build prominent places of worship. Designed by Patrick Byrne, a significant architect of Catholic churches in Ireland during this era. He also designed St. Audoen's Catholic Church nearby.

[mylifeincinema]

My Best of 2020: My Top 10 Films!

It’s time! What a weird, shitty year 2020 was. But hey, at least we had some good movies to keep us from going completely crazy. A quick reminder that My Top 10 Films aren’t necessarily my list of the ‘best’, or ‘my favorite’, but a mix of the two, taking both sides of the A&E into equal consideration.

Before we dive into things, here are some Honorable Mentions, all of which came very close to breaking into the Top 10: Steve McQueen’s Lovers Rock; Kelly Reichardt’s First Cow; Christopher Landon’s Freaky; Aaron Sorkin’s The Trial of the Chicago 7; Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods; and Leigh Whannell’s The Invisible Man.

And finally, without further ado…

My Top 10 Films of 2020!!

10. Andrew Patterson’s The Vast of Night

This is a tight, simple, incredibly atmospheric sci-fi film. I loved almost every second, but especially Patterson’s choices throughout; from intimate long takes to sprawling tracking shots to jarring editing, he brings us into this quaint and quiet small town as if we were passers by stumbling onto these odd and eerie events right alongside these characters.

9. Armando Iannucci’s The Personal History of David Copperfield

Incredibly likable, and chock-full of some incredible production design and a fantastic cast bringing to life these wonderfully enjoyable characters. I do have some slight issues with the framing device, and how inconsistent and awkward it occasionally feels, but mostly this is a crowd-pleasing adaptation of a major piece of literature.

8. Autumn de Wilde’s Emma.

Anya Taylor-Joy is perfect. And while Autumn de Wilde’s direction occasionally stumbles late in the second act, she nails the bigger moments and delivers on the heart as effectively as the humor. This is also further proof that Bill Nighy should probably just be cast in everything. All-in-all, this is the best adaptation of Austen’s work I’ve come across, yet.

7. Spike Lee’s David Byrne’s American Utopia

A very small number of Lee’s choices didn’t quite work for me, but David Byrne is a creative genius, and above all else, this is very much Byrne being Byrne… which is to say, absolutely brilliant!

6. Christopher Nolan’s Tenet

Probably the most Christopher Nolan movie of all Christopher Nolan movies. Plotted to a fault, and requiring a fair majority of the dialogue to be straight exposition, this time-bending sci-fi thriller puts on bold display all of Nolan’s strengths as a director and strengths and weaknesses as a storyteller.

But as long as Nolan keeps f*cking with time, I’m on board.

I had a blast with this one, and was a cinema-going experience I needed, at the very moment I needed it.

5. Pete Docter’s Soul

Creative, poignant, beautifully animated and acted, and a whole bunch of other traits we’ve come to know and love from Pixar. Is this the best Pixar film we’ve been gifted? No. But is it the best Pixar film (and animated film, period) we’ve been gifted in 2020? Definitely.

4. Emerald Fennell’s Promising Young Woman

What a powerhouse late season ace in the hole. Emerald Fennell turns in a debut as unpredictable and excitingly dark as it is assured and technically sharp. And Carey Mulligan is probably at her very, very best (well, maybe behind Shame?) and that’s saying A LOT! The needle drops are as bizarre as the writing is sharp. It explores its themes without ever resorting to whining about them. And it all has a vicious bite.

3. David Fincher’s Mank

An incredible piece of showbiz cinema. Mank is a celebration of the rebellion behind the creation of one of the very best pieces of cinema to ever come out of Hollywood, and an introspective glance at the destructive nature of alcoholism and ego. Fincher weaves together a fascinating character study that skewers the political and creative hypocrisy of 1930s Hollywood while simultaneously reveling in its subject’s own hypocritical air of moral superiority.

2. Max Barbakow’s Palm Springs

I instantly fell in love with this one. Samberg and Milioti are very well matched, and bring emotion to the film while never letting its humor fall flat. It has a ton of fun with the time-loop formula and never gets too repetitive or sloppy. And it has some amazing moments for the amazing J.K. Simmons… so there’s that, too.

And The Best Film of 2019 is…

1. Paul Greengrass’ News of the World

Tom Hanks is a powerhouse, and the writing paired with Paul Greengrass’ direction makes for an intensely human western. I’ve seen a lot of mixed reactions to this one, but for me, everything worked perfectly.

Thank you for reading…

Enjoy!

-Timothy Patrick Boyer.

More of My Best of 2020…

[aaronmaurer]

TV I Liked in 2020

Every year I reflect on the pop culture I enjoyed and put it in some sort of order.

Was there ever a year more unpredictably tailor-made for peak TV than 2020? Lockdowns/quarantines/stay-at-home orders meant a lot more time at home and the occasion to check out new and old favorites. (I recognize that if you’re lucky enough to have kids or roommates or a S.O., your amount of actual downtime may have been wildly different). While the pandemic resulted in production delays and truncated seasons for many shows, the continued streaming-era trends of limited series and 8-13 episode seasons mean that a lot of great and satisfying storytelling still made its way to the screen. As always, I in no way lay any claims to “best-ness” or completeness – this is just a list of the shows that brought me the most joy and escapism in a tough year and therefore might be worth putting on your radar.

10 Favorites

10. The Right Stuff: Season 1 (Disney+)

As a space program enthusiast, even I had to wonder, does the world really need another retelling of NASA’s early days? Especially since Tom Wolfe’s book has already been adapted as the riveting and iconoclastic Philip Kaufman film of the same name? While some may disagree, I find that this Disney+ series does justify its existence by focusing more on the relationships of the astronauts and their personal lives than the technical science (which may be partially attributable to budget limitations?). The series is kind of like Mad Men but with NASA instead of advertising (and real people, of course), so if that sounds intriguing, I encourage you to give it a whirl.

9. Fargo: Season 4 (FX)

As a big fan of Noah Hawley’s Coen Brothers pastiche/crime anthology series, I was somewhat let down by this latest season. Drawing its influence primarily from the likes of gangster drama Miller’s Crossing – one of the Coens’ least comedic/idiosyncratic efforts – this season is more straightforward than its predecessors and includes a lot of characters and plot-threads that never quite cohere. That said, it is still amongst the year’s most ambitious television with another stacked cast, and the (more-or-less) standalone episode “East/West” is enough to make the season worthwhile.

8. The Last Dance (ESPN)

Ostensibly a 10-episode documentary about the 1990s Chicago Bulls’ sixth and final NBA Championship run, The Last Dance actually broadens that scope to survey the entire history of Michael Jordan and coach Phil Jackson’s careers with the team. Cleverly structured with twin narratives that chart that final season as well as an earlier timeframe, each episode also shifts the spotlight to a different person, which provides focus and variety throughout the series. And frankly, it’s also just an incredible ride to relive the Jordan era and bask in his immeasurable talent and charisma – while also getting a snapshot of his outsized ego and vices (though he had sign-off on everything, so it’s not exactly a warts-and-all telling).

7. The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix)

This miniseries adaptation of the Walter Tevis coming-of-age novel about a chess prodigy and her various addictions is compulsively watchable and avoids the bloat of many other streaming series (both in running time and number of episodes). The 1960s production design is stunning and the performances, including Anya Taylor-Joy in the lead role, are convincing and compelling.

6. The Great: Season 1 (hulu)

Much like his screenplay for The Favourite, Tony McNamara’s series about Catherine the Great rewrites history with a thoroughly modern and irreverent sensibility (see also: Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette). Elle Fanning brings a winning charm and strength to the title role and Nicholas Hoult is riotously entertaining as her absurdly clueless and ribald husband, Emperor Peter III. Its 10-episodes occasionally tilt into repetitiveness, but when the ride is this fun, why complain? Huzzah!

  5. Dispatches From Elsewhere (AMC)

A limited (but possibly anthology-to-be?) series from creator/writer/director/actor Jason Segal, Dispatches From Elsewhere is a beautiful and creative affirmation of life and celebration of humanity. The first 9 episodes form a fulfilling and complete arc, while the tenth branches into fourth wall-breaking meta territory, which may be a bridge too far for some (but is certainly ambitious if nothing else). Either way, it’s a movingly realized portrait of honesty, vulnerability and empathy, and I highly recommend visiting whenever it inevitably makes its way to Netflix, or elsewhere…

4. What We Do in the Shadows: Season 2 (FX)

The second season of WWDITS is more self-assured and expansive than the first, extending a premise I loved from its antecedent film – but was skeptical could be sustained – to new and reinvigorated (after)life. Each episode packs plenty of laughs, but for my money, there is no better encapsulation of the series’ potential and Matt Berry’s comic genius than “On The Run,” which guest-stars Mark Hamill and features Laszlo’s alter ego Jackie Daytona, regular human bartender.

3. Ted Lasso: Season 1 (AppleTV+)

Much more than your average fish-out-of-water comedy, Jason Sudeikis’ Ted Lasso is a brilliant tribute to humaneness, decency, emotional intelligence and good coaching – not just on the field. The fact that its backdrop is English Premier League Soccer is just gravy (even if that’s not necessarily represented 100% proficiently). A true surprise and gem of the year.

2. Mrs. America (hulu)

This FX miniseries explores the women’s liberation movement and fight for the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s and its opposition by conservative women including Phyllis Schlafly. One of the most ingenious aspects of the series is centering each episode on a different character, which rotates the point of view and helps things from getting same-y. With a slate of directors including Ryan Bowden and Anna Fleck (Half-Nelson, Sugar, Captain Marvel) and an A-List cast including Cate Blanchett, Rose Byrne, Uzo Aduba, Sarah Paulson, Margo Martindale, Tracey Ulman and Elizabeth Banks, its quality is right up there with anything on the big screen. And its message remains (sadly) relevant as ever in our current era.

1. The Good Place: Season 4 (NBC)

It was tempting to omit The Good Place this year or shunt it to a side category since only the final 4 episodes aired in 2020, but that would have been disingenuous. This show is one of my all-time favorites and it ended perfectly. The series finale is a representative mix of absurdist humor and tear-jerking emotion, built on themes of morality, self-improvement, community and humanity. (And this last run of eps also includes a pretty fantastic Timothy Olyphant/Justified quasi-crossover.) Now that the entire series is available to stream on Netflix (or purchase in a nice Blu-ray set), it’s a perfect time to revisit the Good Place, or check it out for the first time if you’ve never had the pleasure.

5 of the Best Things I Caught Up With

Anne With An E (Netflix/CBC)

Another example of classic literature I had no prior knowledge of (see also Little Women and Emma), this Netflix/CBC adaptation of Anne of Green Gables was strongly recommended by several friends so I finally gave it a shot. While this is apparently slightly more grown-up than the source material, it’s not overly grimdark or self-serious but rather humane and heartfelt, expanding the story’s scope to include Black and First Nations peoples in early 1800s Canada, among other identities and themes. It has sadly been canceled, but the three seasons that exist are heart-warming and life-affirming storytelling. Fingers crossed that someday we’ll be gifted with a follow-up movie or two to tie up some of the dangling threads.

Better Call Saul (AMC)

I liked Breaking Bad, but I didn’t have much interest in an extended “Breaking Bad Universe,” as much as I appreciate star Bob Odenkirk’s multitalents. Multiple recommendations and lockdown finally provided me the opportunity to catch up on this prequel series and I’m glad I did. Just as expertly plotted and acted as its predecessor, the series follows Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman on his own journey to disrepute but really makes it hard not to root for his redemption (even as you know that’s not where this story ends).

Joe Pera Talks With You (Adult Swim)

It’s hard to really describe the deadpan and oddly soothing humor of comedian Joe Pera whose persona, in the series at least, combines something like the earnestness of Mr. Rogers with the calm enthusiasm of Bob Ross. Sharing his knowledge on the likes of how to get the best bite out of your breakfast combo, growing a bean arch and this amazing song “Baba O’Reilly” by the Who – have you heard it?!? – Pera provides arch comfort that remains solidly on the side of sincerity. The surprise special he released during lockdown, “Relaxing Old Footage with Joe Pera,” was a true gift in the middle of a strange and isolated year.

The Mandalorian (Disney+)

One of the few recent Star Wars properties that lives up to its potential, the adventures of Mando and Grogu is a real thrill-ride of a series with outstanding production values (you definitely want to check out the behind-the-scenes documentary series if you haven’t). I personally prefer the first season, appreciating its Western-influenced vibes and somewhat-more-siloed story. The back half of the second season veers a little too much into fan service and video game-y plotting IMHO but still has several excellent episodes on offer, especially the Timothy Olyphant-infused energy of premiere “The Marshall” and stunning cinematography of “The Jedi.” And, you know, Grogu.

The Tick (Amazon Prime)

I’ve been a fan of the Tick since the character’s Fox cartoon and indie comic book days and also loved the short-lived Patrick Warburton series from 2001. I was skeptical about this Amazon Prime reboot, especially upon seeing the pilot episode’s off-putting costumes. Finally gaining access to Prime this year, I decided to catch up and it gets quite good!, especially in Season 2. First, the costumes are upgraded; second, Peter Serafinowicz’s initially shaky characterization improves; and third, it begins to come into its own identity. The only real issue is yet another premature cancellation for the property, meaning Season 2’s tease of interdimensional alien Thrakkorzog will never be fulfilled. 😢

Bonus! 5 More Honorable Mentions:

City So Real (National Geographic)

The Good Lord Bird (Showtime)

How To with John Wilson: Season 1 (HBO)

Kidding: Season 2 (Showtime)

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy Vs The Reverend (Netflix)

[superman86to99]

Superman #83 (November 1993)

Funeral for a Friend: uh, that one Green Lantern supporting character who died when Coast City got blown up (Joe? Gary?). In this issue DC’s superheroes pay tribute to the tragedy of Coast City while also deciding what the hell to do with the giant engine that’s now in its place. Weird early ‘90s Hawkman! Dr. Fate with boobs! Already-slightly-psychotic Hal Jordan! EVERYONE IS HERE.

(Nice one, Guy.)

Meanwhile, Lex Luthor Jr. is also sneaking around Engine City, supposedly to prevent it from falling into the ocean and killing some of Aquaman’s friends, but in reality he just wants to look into the Cyborg Superman’s computer to see if he can find a recipe for making kryptonite. As the heroes argue about what to do with Engine City (Hal says drop it into the water, screw the fish), some leftover Warworld aliens start attacking them, like the holdout Japanese soldiers who never found out WWII was over.

The attack precipitates the city’s fall into the water and the heroes have to think fast to prevent a fish holocaust. Their solution is for all the Green Lantern-related characters (Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, Alan Scott, Alan’s daughter Jade) to “detoxify” the debris with their powers before it falls into the ocean. And it works! These guys should totally open a carpet cleaning business.

As for Lex Jr., he does find the recipe for kryptonite inside the crumbling city, but just as he’s about to write it down (he wasn’t carrying any floppy disks, apparently), Supergirl yanks him out of there to prevent him from burning alive. What an unsupportive girlfriend. Anyway, Superman then takes some of the debris and builds a giant memorial for Coast City’s 6,999,999 anonymous lost souls, and Gary. Sweet Gary. You will be missed.

Creator-Watch:

If the art looks different that’s because this is the first issue inked by Joe Rubinstein, ending Brett Breeding’s classic two and a half year run as Dan Jurgens’ main inker (so classic that it feels a lot longer than that). Breeding will be back for Superman/Doomsday: Hunter/Prey and other stuff, though. As for Rubinstein, Don says: “At  the time, I had trouble with the transition, being soused to Brett Breeding’s finishes over Jurgens’ pencils, but looking at it now, the art looks great. It doesn’t look as smooth or blocky as Breeding’s finishes, but Rubinstein’s hatchier style serves Jurgens pretty well, even if it takes some getting used to.”

Plotline-Watch:

At the start of the issue, Superman goes to pick up Batman to take him to Coast City, only to find him wearing a different costume, acting differently, and sounding like a different guy. That’s because that’s not really Bruce Wayne in the suit anymore, but the replacement he got after Bane broke his back. That’s right: freakin’ Psi-Phon and Dreadnaught.

Superman gives a speech about how superheroes must work together to prevent another tragedy like Coast City from happening, but when Guy asks him if that means he’s going back to the Justice League, he’s like “uh, not yet.” Wisely, he’s gonna wait for Grant Morrison to get there first.

Hal Jordan’s characterization in this issue is interesting. In Green Lantern #47 (which came out the same month), he’s bummed about Coast City but still hopeful and serene, while here he’s already going Parallax on us. Wonder if Dan Jurgens knew more about what DC was planning for Hal than the other comic’s writer.

There’s a cute scene where Superman is flying by Kansas on his way to Coast City and quickly drops some flowers for Ma Kent. (That, or Flash picked this moment to hit on a random older woman.) 

Former TV exec/crime boss Morgan Edge has released an autobiography where he trashes the Daily Planet’s Cat Grant for using her sexiness (and, you know, sex) to get dirt on him and send him to jail. He also accuses Cat of being a crappy mother to her son Adam. He kind of has a point there, because what kind of mom would let her kid play with an Atari in the early ‘90s?! The SNES and the Genesis were already out!

Believe it or not, Morgan Edge’s pervy dad in that screenshot above isn’t the creepiest thing in that scene. Don: “Very spooky how the guy dangling outside of Cat’s apartment goes without mention. An ominous foreshadow of one of the very few missteps of Jurgens’ run.”

But the most ominous part of the issue is at the end, when Clark Kent accepts Jimmy Olsen’s offer to become roomies, since Clark lost his apartment on account of being dead and all. Don wants you to know that “Jimmy is still in that towel by the way” in the scene below. I hope.

Patreon-Watch:

Shout out to our patrons Aaron, Murray Qualie, Chris “Ace” Hendrix, britneyspearsatemyshorts, Patrick D. Ryall, and a warm welcome to Samuel Doran! Last month our patrons got to read an article about Superman’s bizarre first Elseworlds appearance ever, the Kamandi: At Earth’s End miniseries, and got a veeeeeery early look at this post you’re reading right now (since Don finished his part way before I did mine). Right now I’m preparing this month’s Patreon-only article, which involves Superman wearing pointy ears and Luthor wearing make up. Find out more at https://www.patreon.com/superman86to99

Oh, and in case you missed it, we’ve been posting Don’s new commentary for older issues on the Patreon as free posts (click above and scroll down to see them). EVEN MORE from Don after the jump!

Art-Watch (by @donsparrow​):

Another classic issue, and such a nice wrap-up to the "Death and Return" storyline (as well as being a much-needed check-In on the DC Universe at  large).  We start with the cover, and it’s a very good one, letting the  reader know right away that it’s a big team-up issue.  (It also is a real showcase for 90s costume design, and how weird the JLA lineup was at this point).

The opening splash is a neat image of a rarely seen pairing, Superman and Commissioner Gordon.   Jurgens draws James Gordon a little heavier and more Pa-Kent like than I’m used to seeing him, but it’s still neat to see him interacting with Superman. A page  later, we get another rare pairing—the returned Superman with the imposter Batman, Jean-Paul Valley.  The tension in the interaction between “AzBats” and Superman comes across well in their exchange, as does Superman’s doubts about who he was really speaking to.

It’s a dreamy looking Superman crossing the country from Metropolis to Coast City, and I daresay that they’re trying to channel Dean Cain a little as he approaches Kansas.

The best panel of the issue though is the two page spread  of all the heroes gathering at the wreckage of Coast City, and there’s so much to love here.  The body language, and facial  expressions speak volumes about each of the characters:  Superman looking swashbuckling and upbeat, Green Lantern brooding like a man barely holding on, Green Arrow all attitude and shadow.  Just a great spread.

Another cool image is Aquaman showing up late, and emerging very royally in protection of his ocean (undercut masterfully by a legitimately funny couple of lines from Guy Gardner).  Page 14’s Hal Jordan is a great drawing, and this whole storyline seems like a table setter for the "Emerald Twilight" story coming up.

The sequence of a firelit Luthor  at the computer is a good look at his madness, but it does beg the  question of just how little Supergirl seems to take in.  He was JUST talking aloud  about Kryptonite, and she emerges seeming not to hear.  The image of  Supergirl flying Lex away as he struggles against her psychic grab is a  good one, even if her uniform is depicted as a little clingier than I imagine it to really be.

Superman floating above his obelisk with his arm in front of  his face like Dracula is a cool look, even if it is a little dramatic.

Lastly, the image of Clark turning up the stereo is a good one, even if his hair length is wildly  shorter here than in Coast City (and I usually dislike it when they  mention real world bands, as it comes off trying too hard to be hip).

STRAY OBSERVATIONS:

I  have to love how meta it is to have Superman outright saying that Batman is dressing more “threatening” these days,  on page 2.  I guess he couldn’t come right out and say “you have an  extreme new look, and it’s totally badass! Batman the next generation!”

Last  we saw of Supergirl she was storming out of the party on Lex’s Zeppelin after Lex II was getting all horned up at  the sight of Lois Lane, but it appears here they’ve mostly patched  things up as they fly to Coast City.

More meta-stuff: Jimmy clunkily complimenting Lois on her new hair by saying she “oughta be on TV or something!”.   This whole exchange is very expository, really, “Clark must be pretty mad… though he’s busy worrying about where he’s going to bunk…”  Anything else to get in there, Jimmy?

The harshness some of the heroes have for Lex Junior seems a little out of place, especially since he’s still known to  most of the heroes as an ally from "Panic in the Sky", and the "Doomsday"  storyline.  Superman’s comment was borderline, but where is all this  anger Flash is showing coming from?

Being  as familiar as we are with these writers, there are certain phrases or ideas that a certain writer will go to way,  way too often.  Byrne had a number of stories where Superman would  “ionize” something with his heat vision, and it occurred to me that  maybe he just liked that word.  I would submit that Dan Jurgens likes the word “atomize”.  It was used by the Cyborg  Superman when talking about Doomsday, and is used a bunch just in this issue.

I find it hilarious that Hawkman appears so prominently in this issue, but doesn’t get any lines.  This issue is an  interesting time capsule—I had almost forgotten about the de-aged  Starheart powered Alan Scott era.

Speaking of lines, they don’t give Captain Marvel much to do in this issue, but I always like seeing him, even if his only contribution is the odd “Holy Moley!”

Colouring error on page 12, where Hal’s ring has a red centre (maybe the colourist had Alan Scott’s red and green look on the brain?)

A raging Hal standing by Green Arrow is a sad foreshadowing of their confrontation to come in Zero Hour.

[mdwatchestv]

Everything I’m Going to Watch in April: *** SUPER QUARANTINE EDITION***

I mean.... here we all are then.

Usually in these blogs I try to keep the fantasy alive of like “oooh maybe I really am going to watch all of these shows!” But, let’s just cut to the chase - you’re bored, you need to fill the yawning void of time between now and when they let us back outside (June?), you clicked on this for cold hard content recs. I hear you, I see you, I adore you, I’d love to embrace you, but most importantly: I got you. This month, I’m listing everything that could even remotely be in the realm of watchability. I do it for you.

BUT FIRST - Let’s talk about QUIBI. Quibi (“Quick Bites”) has been a looming threat for a long time and its time is finally nigh. Designed for “people on the go” (lol remember them?), it’s tv, movies, and docs released in ten minute or less “bites” on your mobile device. I think it’s supposed to tap into the same part of your brain that wants to watch 100 Tik Toks when you are technically “in bed” but haven’t put your phone down yet. It launches April 6 and you can get a 90-day free trial! Just the length of the rest of our time indoors! And on that date Quibi is ready to absolutely blast you in the face with a shotgun of content and celebrities. Chrissy Teigen is a judge, Chance the Rapper is Ashton Kutcher, Liam Hemsworth is a dying task rabbit. We are flipping murder houses, break dancing, and learning how to become drag queens. Also turns out this is the final resting place of When the Streetlights Go On! Who knew. I can not do individual recs because I am just one girl, and Quibi is a vast, merciless ocean of bites. However you are welcome to  drown in a full list of their offerings here: GOOD LUCK 

Now in case Quibi doesn’t permanently disfigure the television industry and forever alter all of our viewing habits, here’s what’s on “real” TV:

Friday, April 3rd 

Home Before Dark (Apple +) 

A tiny child journalist solves a cold case in a small town! This is based on a true story (?!?!?) Adorable! Gritty!

Harley Quinn Season 2 (DC Universe)

If you want to continue the high of Birds of Prey, I have heard the animated series is actually pretty good. No idea how to get DC Universe tho, you’re on your own there.

Money Heist Part 4 (Netflix)

La Casa De Papal! Never been a better time to learn to speak Spanish AND plan the perfect heist with your hot criminal friends!

Tales From The Loop (Amazon Prime) 

A sci-fi show based on Simon Stålenhag’s paintings (see above). Its Swedish, its futuristic, Rebecca Hall is in it. Feels like more of a vibe than a show tbh, but the painting is cool!

Sunday, April 5th

Kim Kardashian West: The Justice Project (7pm on Oxygen)

I KNOW some of you want to watch this.

Thursday, April 9th

The Good Fight S4 (CBS All Access) 

PSA: This is back for those who partake, and CBS All Access is doing one month free! Sir Patrick said so!

The Circle: France (Netflix)

Okay so I did watch all of The Circle, Netflix’s social media reality show. Am I proud? No. Am I going to watch it in French? Yes.

Sunday, April 12th AKA NATIONAL PWB DAY

Killing Eve Season 3 (9pm on BBC America / AMC) 

Admittedly, I was underwhelmed by season 2 but that’s only because season 1 set the very highest bar imaginable. Our favorite murder girlfriends are back with a NEW lady show runner, so blank slate baby. Speaking of the perfect season 1, it is all on HULU. 

Run (10:30pm on HBO)

After Killing Eve hop right on over to HBO where this show from PWB’s writing partner Vicky Jones premieres! What a day for us! Ex-lovers abandon their lives to RUN away together. Merritt Weaver! Phoebe is actually IN it!  Romance! Intrigue! Also I have official confirmation: Domhnall Gleeson is doing his natural accent for those of us made nervous by the teaser. 

Wednesday, April 15th 

Mrs. America (FX but on Hulu) 

Look, I’m just going to come out and say what we’re all thinking: Rose Byrne is the most underrated actress alive, every performances is a master class, and her American accent is a work of art. Anyway she plays Gloria Steinem in this and she’s going to absolutely crush it. This miniseries about the ERA could not be more on brand for me: fabulous actresses of today, playing feminist heroes of yesterday! Thank you FX, for this gift. And thank you Australia for Rose Byrne (and Cate Blanchett!) 

What We Do in the Shadows Season 2 (10pm FX on FX and then on Hulu) 

Season 1 also on Hulu to catch up! Maybe even I myself, your dearest blogger, will catch up. Anything is possible.

Thursday, April 23rd 

We’re Here (9pm on HBO)

Shangela, Bob the Drag Queen, and Eureka travel the country and empower people by making them into drag queens! Like a hug for your heart (in case you never actually physically hug anyone ever again).

Friday, April 24th 

Defending Jacob (Apple +) 

Chris Evans has to defend his son, Jacob. Look, do you want to stare at Chris Evans or not?

Sunday, April 26th

Penny Dreadful: City of Angels (10pm on Showtime)

A sequel to the OG Penny Dreadful, the new series takes place in 1930s Los Angeles and Natalie Dormer in a leather dress, Natalie Dormer in a leather dress, Natalie Dormer in a leather dress, and um other supernatural chaos too I guess.

Vida Season 4 (9pm on Starz)

One of the shows most recommended to me I haven’t watched. I’ll say to you what my friends say to me: “Martha it’s only 30 minutes!”

Monday, April 27th

Never Have I Ever (Netflix) 

A teen comedy by Mindy Kaling about an Indian-American girl growing up in the valley. There will be awkwardness and growth! I love teens!!!

I Know This Much Is True (9pm on HBO)

2 Mark Ruffalos. 

Okay if you can’t find something here to whittle away the minutes unto freedom then idk how to help you. Please stay inside and watch tv, stay safe, I love you, I’m thinking of you <3

XO MD