Author Archives: Kyle

If We Controlled Your Remote… 4/27/20

Posted on April 27, 2020 by

Have you ever been at a loss as to what to watch? Too many shows to pick from? We’re here to give you our opinions on what we feel is worth watching. Check it out and then let us know in the comments below what you’re choosing for tonight!

Kyle’s Choice

Early this morning, Netflix released the 10-episode first season of the new half-hour coming-of-age comedy Never Have I Ever, from creator Mindy Kaling. Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) is a 15-year-old Indian-American girl from Sherman Oaks, California. She’s about to start her sophomore year of high school and is looking to reinvent herself and become one of the cool kids, especially after her awful freshman year. She is hoping to shed her image as “the paralyzed Indian girl whose father dropped dead at a school function.” However, her only two friends are Fabiola (Lee Rodriguez, Class of Lies), who’s captain of the high school robotics team, and Eleanor (Ramona Young, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow), who’s president of the drama club.

Devi has decided that, as the first step of rebranding themselves, they all need to get boyfriends – though Devi sets her sights set a bit high, eyeing Paxton Hall-Yoshida (Darren Barnet, Turnt), “the hottest guy in school.” Meanwhile, Devi and her squad are constantly given a hard time by Devi’s longtime academic rival, Ben Gross (Jaren Lewison). Ben is always name-dropping his father’s celebrity clients as a way to prove he’s better than Devi and is constantly expressing how annoying he finds her – though it feels like he’s just trying to mask feelings he might have for Devi.

Devi never really dealt with the sudden death of her father and is seeing therapist Dr. Jamie Ryan (Niecy Nash, Claws), who doesn’t really seem shocked by anything Devi says to her. Devi lives at home with her more traditional Indian mother Nalini (Poorna Jagannathan, Defending Jacob) and very attractive cousin Kamala (Richa Moorjani), who moved in after Devi’s father (Sendhil Ramamurthy, Heroes) passed away, while she completes her PhD at CalTech. Devi is determined to be a reckless teenager and get into all the typical trouble teenagers get into… She’s just not very good at it.

I binged through the first three episodes of this series and only stopped so that I could write up this recommendation. I will be continuing with my binge as soon as I finish with this! This show is so entertaining, and newcomer Maitreyi Ramakrishnan is so charming. The characters are a lot of fun, and the ensemble works really well together. While each episode is some new “never have I ever…” statement that Devi is trying to accomplish, the episodes really flow into one another, telling the larger story of Devi’s family and friends and how they are each dealing with their own personal issues and obstacles. There is also this hilarious narration provided by John McEnroe (yes, the tennis superstar), who also provides a really funny and sarcastic commentary on the action that’s taking place. This juxtaposition of an older, white American male narrating the life and troubles of a teenage Indian girl brings the humor to another level.

In addition to the comedy, the show also has a lot of heart, such as during a flashback, when we get a glimpse into Nalini’s life and her loss. The series also does an excellent job of exploring different cultural traditions and clashes. For example, we see Kamala trying to figure out how to tell her family that she wants to live a more American way of life rather than go the traditional arranged marriage route. I am thoroughly enjoying this hilarious series, and I can’t wait to resume watching!

Catch the entire first season now on Netflix.

I’ll also be watching/recording The Baker and the Beauty, 9-1-1, Prodigal Son, and Almost Paradise.

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If We Controlled Your Remote… 4/24/20

Posted on April 24, 2020 by and

Have you ever been at a loss as to what to watch? Too many shows to pick from? We’re here to give you our opinions on what we feel is worth watching. Check it out and then let us know in the comments below what you’re choosing for tonight!

Kyle’s Choice

Early this morning, Apple TV+ released the first three episodes of its new limited series, Defending Jacob, which is based on the 2012 New York Times best-selling novel of the same name. Andy Barber (Chris Evans, The Avengers) has a seemingly idyllic life in a small Massachusetts town with wife Laurie (Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey) and teenage son Jacob (Jaeden Martell, Knives Out). However, their lives are suddenly upended when a horrific crime rocks their small community, and the evidence begins to point toward Jacob. As assistant DA, Andy is initially called in to investigate the crime, but as the evidence comes to light, Andy finds himself at a crossroads, having to choose between his family and his sworn duty to find and protect justice. Is his love for his son clouding his judgment? Is Jacob as innocent as he claims, or is there a dark side to Andy’s son that he didn’t know about?

After checking out the premiere, I was definitely eager to see more and to see how this mystery plays out. I found the story, characters, and performances to be quite compelling – the show is a blend of character drama, legal thriller, and mystery, with lots of twists and turns and episodic cliffhangers. The talented cast also includes Cherry Jones (Transparent), Pablo Schreiber (American Gods, Orange Is the New Black), Betty Gabriel (Counterpart), and Sakina Jaffrey (Lost in Space). Apple TV+ has been doing a great job of slowly building up its arsenal of strong original programming.

Early this morning, the first three episodes were released on Apple TV+, and a new episode will drop each Friday. If the past is any indicator, the first episode should also be available for sampling by non-subscribers as well.

I’ll also be watching/recording Extraction, The Blacklist, and The Graham Norton Show.
 
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If We Controlled Your Remote… 4/23/20

Posted on April 23, 2020 by

Have you ever been at a loss as to what to watch? Too many shows to pick from? We’re here to give you our opinions on what we feel is worth watching. Check it out and then let us know in the comments below what you’re choosing for tonight!

Kyle’s Choice

For the past few weeks, NBC’s Superstore has been setting the pieces in motion for Amy’s (America Ferrera) announced exit from the series. Last week, while Amy was off meeting Jonah’s parents and brother for a lunch date, the rest of the employees were having fun playing “Customer Safari,” trying to snap pictures of the customers in specific situations. Meanwhile, at the lunch, Jonah’s brother kept harassing him, and Amy wanted to step in, but Jonah asked her not to. Amy reluctantly held back for as long as she could, but when she finally did speak up, she accidentally caused Jonah’s father to admit to having an affair. Amy’s support of Jonah inspired Jonah’s mother to demand a divorce. When Amy returned to the office, she received a call from Zephra corporate, asking her to interview for the Director of Customer Experience for Cloud 9 position. However, if she gets this promotion, it would require her to relocate to the headquarters in Palo Alto.

The fifth season finale was supposed to be Amy’s final episode, but production was cut short by an episode due to all this Corona madness. So if Amy gets this job, will that cause a rift between her and Jonah, or will he go with her to California? (I don’t recall seeing anything about any other actors leaving the series, but anything could happen.) Tonight’s episode is labeled “Part 1,” so perhaps Amy’s exit will be pushed to the sixth season premiere. But either way, it’s going to be sad saying goodbye to this character after five amazing seasons. I’m sure the series will still be a lot of fun – the rest of this hilarious ensemble cast has had plenty of storylines that didn’t even involve Amy. That said, it will certainly be different show without her. I’m looking forward to seeing how it all plays out in tonight’s season finale.

On tonight’s episode, “California Part 1,” after Mateo and Cheyenne disagree on how to celebrate her 21st birthday, Cheyenne enlists Bo’s help; to Garrett’s chagrin, Glenn plays matchmaker to help Jerry and Sandra complete their family; Dina tries to help Amy keep a big secret from Jonah.

Don’t miss the season finale tonight on NBC at 8/7c.

I’ll also be watching/recording Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Will & Grace, Top Chef, and The Great Food Truck Race.

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If We Controlled Your Remote… 4/22/20

Posted on April 22, 2020 by

Have you ever been at a loss as to what to watch? Too many shows to pick from? We’re here to give you our opinions on what we feel is worth watching. Check it out and then let us know in the comments below what you’re choosing for tonight!

Kyle’s Choice

Last week, What We Do in the Shadows returned for its second season on FX (and now Hulu as well), and I was quickly reminded of why I absolutely love this hilarious show. As the season opened, Guillermo was secretly defending the others from vampire assassins that were constantly descending upon the house. The vampires didn’t even know they were under attack and continued to look down on Guillermo and take him for granted. This was even more evident when Laszlo and Nadja would constantly express their love and admiration for their latest familiar, Topher (Haley Joel Osment), who would act perfect in front of the vampires but reveal his true lazy Bro self to Guillermo. When Topher was accidentally electrocuted, the vampires had him revived by an underqualified necromancer, who ended up turning him into a bloodthirsty zombie, whom they eventually had to kill (again).

In last week’s second episode, after holding a seance, Nadja found herself haunted by the ghost of Jeff (the reincarnation of Gregor). When she tried to fix things with a second seance, the situation just got worse – all three vampires found themselves face-to-ghostly face with their own spectral doppelgangers, each looking to complete some unfinished business. Nadja and hers got along like (doppel)gangbusters, quickly becoming like old girlfriends. Unfortunately for Nandor, it had been so long since he died that he had forgotten his native language, and so he had trouble communicating with his doppelganger. However, Laszlo had the most awkward of situations – his doppelganger revealed that his unfinished business was that he never “finished” when Nadja killed him during sex, and so he wanted Laszlo to give him the “happy ending” he never got. While the others eventually said goodbye to their doppelgangers, Nadja’s stuck around, inhabiting a creepy Annabelle-like doll. So we’ll likely see her again this season.

This show is so much fun and always has me laughing throughout. I can’t wait to see what this group gets up to in tonight’s new episode.

On tonight’s episode, “Brain Scramblies,” the vampires attend their first human Super Bowl party, while Guillermo’s search for virgins uncovers a deadly threat.

Don’t miss the fun tonight on FX or Hulu at 10/9c.

I’ll also be watching/recording The Goldbergs, Schooled, American Housewife, Single Parents, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Survivor, The Masked Singer, Dave, and It’s Personal With Amy Hoggart.

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If We Controlled Your Remote… 4/20/20

Posted on April 20, 2020 by , , and

Have you ever been at a loss as to what to watch? Too many shows to pick from? We’re here to give you our opinions on what we feel is worth watching. Check it out and then let us know in the comments below what you’re choosing for tonight!

Kyle’s Choice

Last week, ABC kicked off the new series The Baker and the Beauty, the US version of an Israeli romantic comedy series (the orthogonal version is available on Amazon Prime). Daniel Garcia (Victor Rasuk, Jack Ryan, How to Make It in America) works in his family’s Miami bakery and has been dating girlfriend Vanessa (Michelle Veintimilla, Gotham) for year, but he’s not sure he wants to move to the next level. So when she surprises him by proposing in a crowded restaurant, Daniel’s response is “No.” Vanessa storms out of the restaurant, but not before pouring Daniel’s soup all over him. One of those looking on at this embarrassing situation is international superstar Noa Hamilton (Nathalie Kelley, Dynasty, The Vampire Diaries), who just went through her own very public break-up. Noa invites Daniel to join her and her entourage for a night on the town, and the two really hit it off. While Daniel and Noa may have some sparks, they come from two very different worlds and cultures. Daniel isn’t used to being part of the spotlight and comes from a close working-class family, while Noa is used to the paparazzi and a rich, lavish lifestyle.

Daniel’s brother Mateo (David Del Rio, Grease Live!) is in disbelief when he learns who Daniel is with, and his younger sister Natalie (Belissa Escobedo) is overjoyed, as she is Noa Hamilton’s number-one fan, viewing her as a role model. Daniel’s parents, Mari (Lisa Vidal, Being Mary Jane) and Rafael (Carlos Gómez, Madam Secretary, The Glades), are also surprised but happy to find out about the proposal and subsequent rejection, as they never really liked Vanessa. Vanessa, on the other hand, realized that she may have overreacted and was on her way to apologize for her ambush proposal when she sees the paparazzi photos of Daniel and Noa together.

I enjoyed last week’s premiere way more than I expected to. It has lots of humor but also quite a bit of heart. The connection between Daniel and Noa feels genuine, and the Garcias also feel like they could be a real family. I really appreciated how they love and support each other, while also having a bit of fun ribbing on one another. I’m looking forward to seeing how this “two people from two different worlds” relationship plays out as both Noa and Daniel try to figure out how to proceed with their relationship and navigate each other’s lives. And I also want to see how Vanessa reacts to all this and if she’s going to try to win Daniel back.

On tonight’s episode, “Ruin My Life,” Noa and Daniel’s relationship begins to flourish; after an unwanted birthday party for Noa, Daniel discovers more about her past; a food critic puts in an outrageous food order the Garcias cannot refuse to take.

Traverse the relationship between Noa and Daniel with them tonight on ABC at 10/9c.

I’ll also be watching/recording 9-1-1, Prodigal Son, Better Call Saul, Breeders, and Almost Paradise.
 
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