Author Archives: Phoebe

If We Controlled Your Remote… 9/4/19

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

On last week’s episode of Hulu’s Four Weddings and a Funeral, after the play premiere, Maya and Kash spent the entire night just walking and talking with one another. Maya was still paranoid about Ainsley finding out about them and was concerned that she would ruin her friendship with Ainsley for a relationship with Kash that might not even work out in six months. So they agreed to get to know one another better without any romance involved. Their quest to find a non-public, non-romantic place to talk led them to Basheer’s apartment, but when they got there, the house was covered in flowers and candles, and Basheer was proposing to Fatima!

So, over the next few weeks as Maya and Kash continued with their non-dating. Kash also continued to pursue his acting career, but his auditions were starting to have an effect on his performance at his real job. And so when he landed a role in a commercial, his boss at Goldman Sachs fired him, a secret he decided to keep from his father. Kash invited Maya to be his plus one for Basheer’s wedding, but she wasn’t ready to make this next step of officially dating him, so she broke things off. And to make matters worse, at the wedding, Kash’s father discovered the truth about his son’s lack of employment.

Meanwhile, Zara was trying to hold on to her 15 minutes of fame and hired publicist Nigel to help her build a brand. Zara set up a game night with her friends as a photo op for social media, but it didn’t really go as planned. This was the same night as the wedding Maya was skipping. Ainsley saw that Maya was upset about something and assumed it had to do with the mystery guy she had spent all night out with. Earlier in the week, Ainsley had seen Maya having a verbal spar with her coworker Marcus and assumed it was one of those love/hate type of relationships you see in the movies. So when Craig told her about the Dear John letter that Duffy had found in his pocket, she and Craig put two-and-two together and thought Maya was in love with Marcus. So Ainsley invited Marcus to game night in hopes of making a love connection for Maya, but Marcus assumed Ainsley was interested in him.

Duffy and Gemma were also up to some matchmaking of their own, inviting Bryce to game night, knowing that despite her denial, Ainsley was in love with him. And to add to the confusion, Andrew also turned up in hopes of reconciling with Tony, who had broken up with him after Andrew announced his support for an anti-immigration bill that he was unaware would affect Tony and his undocumented family members. Once Marcus saw his boss arrive at the party, his time was then split between wooing Ainsley and doing some obvious kissing up to Andrew.

As part of her efforts to establish a brand, Zara had created a new board game called No Secrets, in which the party guests were paired up and asked questions to see how much they knew about their partners. It was like a bedroom farce, with the guests constantly misunderstanding why they were at the party and who was actually in love with whom. Eventually Andrew told a story about his first heartbreak and how he lost the love of his life because he wasn’t willing to risk everything for love. With tears in his eyes, he then abruptly left the party. This got Maya, Tony, and Ainsley thinking about their own situations. Maya ran out of the apartment and headed to the wedding to be with Kash. Tony went to Andrew’s house to tell him the reason why he broke up with him and hopefully get back together. And Gemma and Duffy convinced Ainsley to tell Bryce how she really felt about him. Ainsley headed to Bryce’s home, but things didn’t go well – he opened the door just long enough to tell Ainsley her speech sounded more like a concession and then slammed the door in her face.

Meanwhile, back at the dwindling party, Marcus was told the real reason he had been invited – that Maya had feelings for him. He obviously didn’t feel the same way, and since she had already left, he called Maya to let her down gently, but on the phone call he could hear that she was at a wedding with another guy. So he confronted Craig about the whole situation, and Craig finally put two and two together, realizing that Maya was at Basheer’s wedding with Kash and that he was the guy from the note that she was in love with. Just as he was about to tell Zara this shocking realization, she had a shocking announcement of her own….that she was pregnant. Craig was going to get a chance to be a father again!

I loved the farcical nature of last week’s episode with the game night adventures full of love triangles and misunderstandings and the constant arrivals by “uninvited” guests who threw wrenches into Zara’s plans. We’ve got just two episodes and one wedding left. There’s no way this final wedding isn’t Maya and Kash’s, right? Will Ainsley finally discover the truth about Kash and Maya, and how will she take this betrayal? Both Duffy and Craig know the truth now – will one of them spill the beans, or will Maya do it herself? Ainsley might have taken the news better if she was in her own new relationship, but things don’t look good now that she’s been rejected by Bryce.

It’s a shame that we only have one wedding left, because I also really like the idea of Duffy and Gemma together. They certainly proved they knew one another well during the No Secrets game. And speaking of that, Bryce also showed good knowledge of Ainsley and that he had been paying attention to her stories. Is there really no chance for these two? It’s 100% Ainsley’s fault with that horrible speech, making him feel like a consolation prize! I hope she realizes what she has and can turn things around so that the rest of the group doesn’t feel like they have to walk on eggshells around her. I am really enjoying this show and am sad that there’s only two episodes left. I can’t wait to see how it comes to a close in the final two episodes.

On this week’s episode, “Four Friends and a Secret,” Maya struggles to tell Ainsley about Kash. Fearing their relationship may be getting too friendly, Gemma fires Duffy. Zara finds a way for Craig to reconnect with his daughter. Andrew has a surprising change of heart.

Check it out now on Hulu.

I’ll also be watching/recording Big Brother, Hollywood Game Night, MasterChef, BH90210, Hypnotize Me, and Younger.
 
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If We Controlled Your Remote… 8/30/19

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 dropped the first season of the new series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, a 10-episode prequel to Jim Henson’s groundbreaking 1982 fantasy feature film. The series is set a thousand trine after the bird-like Skeksis arrived on the planet Thra and tricked Auhgra (Donna Kimball, The Happytime Murders), the guardian of the Crystal of Truth, into entrusting them with the crystal. The crystal is a source of life for Thra, connecting all of the beings on the planet. The Skeksis declared themselves the Lords of Thra and the sworn guardians of The Dark Crystal. They soon discovered a way to steal power from the crystal, allowing them to rejuvenate themselves and in effect become immortal. However, over the thrine, the Skeksis became overly gluttonous, constantly seeking more power from the crystal, until there was no more left for it to give. The Emperor skekSo (Jason Isaacs, The OA), fearing the loss of their immortality, tasks The Scientist skekTek (Mark Hamill, Child’s Play, Star Wars) with finding a new source of energy. The Chamberlain skekSil (Simon Pegg, Mission Impossible) overhears this and sees an opportunity to help further his own goals and starts plotting something nefarious.

Meanwhile, the seven clans of fairy-like Gelfling who live on the planet are much alive and well (as the film opens, there was only one surviving Gelfling left). The various clans each have their roles and purpose and all work together as a well-oiled machine to keep the planet in balance. The Gelfling are blissfully unaware of what the Skeksis have been up to. They see these creatures as their saviors and are happy and eager to participate in the annual tithing ceremony, where they give an offering to their Lords in thanks for all they have done. However, the Gelfling start to experience some unusual things that have them start to question the status quo.

Rian (Taron Egerton, Kingsman) and his girlfriend Mira (Alicia Vikander, Tomb Raider) work at the citadel, where they serve as guards for the Skeksis and their Podlings. Head of the guard is Rian’s father, Ordon (Mark Strong, Kingsman), who doesn’t take his son seriously. Rian wants to prove himself to his father, so when he and Mira see a giant spider-like creature called a Spitter roaming the castle, he decides to handle the matter himself, recruiting best friend Gurjin (Harris Dickinson, Maleficent 2) to assist. Meanwhile, in the city of Ha’rar, Gelfling queen All-Maudra (Helena Bonham Carter, The King’s Speech) is preparing for the tithing ceremony. Her youngest daughter, princess Brea (Anya Taylor-Joy, The Witch), is a bit of a rebellious free thinker. She has a thirst for knowledge and is eager to learn new things. She joins her mother and sisters for the ceremony, but what she witnesses doesn’t sit well with her. She is the first to suspect that the Skeksis are hiding something and may not be as benevolent as they appear to be. So she returns to the library to do some research, but the Librarian (Toby Jones, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) suggests she leave things be. And elsewhere, deep in the caves, Gelfling Deet (Nathalie Emmanuel, Game of Thrones, Four Weddings and a Funeral) is feeding the normally peaceful creatures that live off the land, when they suddenly turn on her and attack. These normally docile creatures are suddenly behaving quite unusually, which causes her much concern.

The Skekis’s misuse of the crystal has produced some unfortunate side effects. The crystal has become infected, and in turn Thra and its creatures are becoming consumed by The Darkening. The Gelfling are starting to notice that all is not as it seems, but if they don’t wake up and rise up soon to put a stop to the Skeksis, it could mean the end of the planet and life itself. The one thing they have going for them is that the Skeksis are so arrogant and look down upon the Gelfling. They have ruled for over 1000 thrine and believe that even if the Gelfling do manage to discover what they are up to, they are too weak and have no power to do anything about it. And this may be their undoing.

The series’ star-studded voice cast also includes Eddie Izzard (Ocean’s Thirteen), Caitriona Balfe (Outlander), Harris Dickinson, Shazad Latif (Star Trek: Discovery), Gugu Mbatha-Raw (The Cloverfield Paradox), Lena Headey (Game of Thrones), Hannah John-Kamen (Killjoys), Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones), Theo James (The Divergent Series), Louise Gold, and Kemi-Bo Jacobs (McMafia) as the Gelfling, and Awkwafina (Crazy Rich Asians), Benedict Wong (Doctor Strange, Deadly Class), Harvey Fierstein (Torch Song Trilogy), Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Ralph Ineson (Game of Thrones), Alice Dinnean, Keegan-Michael Key (Key and Peele), Neil Sterenberg, and Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (True Detective) as the Skeksis.

Before checking out the premiere of this series, I re-watched the original film, since I hadn’t seen it in decades. I must admit that I wasn’t really a fan. It felt a bit dated, the puppet performances were a bit wooden, and the characters (especially the Skeksis) had harsh, screechy voices. However, watching the premiere of the Netflix prequel series was a very different experience. The show does a great job of setting up a much vaster world as it explores in greater detail the backgrounds and motivations of the various beings and creatures that live on Thra. In the pilot, we follow three different Gelfling stories as well as that of the Skeksis. And this will further expand over the course of the season. The show feels fresh and modern while still maintaining the aesthetics of the original, making use of Jim Henson’s creature shop to once again bring the characters to life. However, the Gelfling and Skeksis feel much more alive in this incarnation and seem to express more emotion. While there are light moments of physical humor and puppet smooching (that is what they call it in the closed captions), the series does get pretty dark quite quickly and may not be for really young viewers (though the series is only rated TV-PG). By the end of the first episode, I was all-in. After a horrific event, one of the Skeksis gives this amazing speech that just shows how arrogant these creatures are, and I would love to see them get their comeuppance. I look forward to seeing how this story plays out and how the Gelfling will finally discover that they have been oppressed all these years and rise up to overthrow the Skeksis. However, I’m a little nervous about their chances of success, seeing where things are at in the film. So will all of their efforts be in vain? This looks like it will be a solid production with an all-star voice cast and certainly worth checking out.

Catch the entire first season now on Netflix.

I’ll also be watching Carnival Row.
 
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If We Controlled Your Remote… 8/27/19

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!

Phoebe’s Choice

I don’t know when it got renewed, but I was surprised AF two weeks ago when I saw my favorite impeccable pain in the ass was back on Adam Ruins Everything. Last week’s episode was particularly fun, as it was an “Adam & Emily Ruin Everything” event, in which they together ruined “A Night Out” together. Emily, Adam’s friend who has often been the “victim” of Adam’s informative tirades about various & sundry topics, had a date to go out with her old college roommate, Bex.

Bex was still getting ready at her place when they arrived, so Adam & Emily ruined shaving your legs. They recounted the origins of home shaving in the 1st quarter of the 21st century, when a young man named Gillette invented the disposable shaving razor. To maximize profit, he sought to sells razors to women too. So he paid for women’s magazines to fake a “European fad” of women shaving their armpits. They shamed women into wanting to shave their armpits and legs. They went on to explain the “pink tax,” a famous marketing industry phrase. It basically means, when making a women’s version of anything, just make it pink and charge more money. Once they were out in the club, they tackled the fabricated social constructs like: “handbags are feminine” or “women don’t need pockets in their clothes.”

Emily explained a lot to us then about noise in restaurants and how that has grown immensely in the last two decades since Chef Mario Batali started blasting loud dance music at his restaurants in the late 1990s. The last major topic they covered was drinking, as they destroyed the idea that light drinking was “good for you.” Alcohol is a carcinogenic, meaning it causes cancer. So no. Light wine drinking does not make anyone healthy, sorry. Em & Bex realized they were not really close anymore, but Bex wanted to see Adam again. The last clip was Emily explaining to us, through her hangover, that we have no scientific cures for hangovers because we have no conclusive explanation for them. I love this show. So glad to have it back. Mixing facts with humor is perfect!

On tonight’s episode, “Adam Ruins Doing Good,” Adam takes down do-gooders and reveals how Teach For America is harmful to both students and teachers; he uncovers the ineffectiveness of recycling and calls out the billionaires who create charities for tax breaks.

Don’t miss it tonight on TruTV at 10/9c.

My other Tuesday shows right now are Young Justice and Mysteries Decoded.

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If We Controlled Your Remote… 8/25/19

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!

Phoebe’s Choice

Well, the end of August is here, bringing with it a new season of NFL football and the final season of HBO’s Ballers. Last season had that odd nine-episode count that saw Spencer take on the NCAA in honor of his brother’s tragic death. The finale started with Spence visiting his brother William’s grave. He declared “Fuck the NCAA,” just before we saw that the league’s head had been served with lawsuit papers. Joe had his meeting about the Illegal Civilization sneaker deal interrupted by news of Spencer’s reckless actions. Meanwhile over at Ricky’s house, his family had an intervention confronting him about his steroid use. Joe confronted Spencer about the lawsuit. He could be screwing over everyone around him: the NFL had already threatened to revoke their licenses that allowed them to operate a franchise in Las Vegas.

Ricky confessed to Charles about his drug use just before he signed his new contract. Charles was furious and told him to cut the drugs out and act as if he never told him. In a live TV interview, Spencer cited the tragic death of his brother in the wake of his loss of NCAA eligibility and went on to call out numerous abuses the NCAA perpetrates against student athletes. Joe intercepted the Anderson brothers at the airline and convinced them to not axe the Vegas deal, to get on the right side of history. When the NCAA sat down with Spencer, they offered to reinstate Quincy in exchange for dropping his lawsuit, but Spencer refused. The NCAA refused to pay student athletes, so there was no deal. No dice, Spence. No dice.

Joe assured Spencer that he had his back one hundred on hundred, but Spence resigned to shield all his partners, clients, & employees from the potential blowback his lawsuit would create. In the last scene, Spencer saw on the news that Quincy got reinstated anyway and that he had selected USC to play football for. In a mid-credits scene, we watched Joe reach out to Lance about coming back to work with the agency he now ran by himself. An offer of ayahuasca sets the stage for whatever wackiness those two will indulge in this coming season five. The Rock, Rob Corddry, & Russel Brand for eight episodes this year? I’m in.

On tonight’s episode, “Must Be the Shoes,” after learning of competing owner offers, Spencer engages with past allies. Joe is tasked with apologizing for creating a hostile work environment with the help of Kate, a sharp Sports X exec. Ricky and Vernon each consider different kinds of futures, while Charles tries to hide some unwelcome news.

Don’t miss the premiere on HBO at 10:35/9:35c.

I’ll also be tuning in for Preacher & Pennyworth.

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If We Controlled Your Remote… 8/4/19

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!

Phoebe’s Choice

Hot on the heels of The Boys, another Garth Ennis adaptation returns for its last season tonight, when Preacher comes back to AMC. For three years we’ve watched badder than a mo’ fo’ minister, Jesse Custer, on his quest to find God. Way back in the pilot, Jesse was imbued with the power of God, insofar as: when he issues direct commands, humans MUST listen and obey. He lost the power along the way but had it once again as he set out to confront his dastardly mother in last year’s finale. Tulip & Arseface were themselves in quite a pickle, on the roadway from Earth to hell, where the transport bus had been ambushed by Nazis. The Nazis were (of course) trying to rescue Hitler, who had been part of Arseface’s original breakout from hell in the first place.

Yo, did I mention this show is twistedly good? Cause it is.

After finally beating the man who killed his father soundly to death, Jesse turned his sights on his grandmother, who was really responsible for most of his childhood suffering. She tried to cage her way out of the brutal reckoning he delivered with a new contract she signed with the devil, but Jesse had zero fucks left to give. If eternal damnation were the price he must pay for killing his depraved Gma, he was all in. Elsewhere on the road to hell, God appeared to offer Tulip a deal, but she declined on account of what a dickhead she regarded Him to be. Nonetheless she did want to follow up on His suggestion Cassidy might be in trouble.

Cassidy? Oh yeah, he’s the alcoholic Irish vampire who happens to be the third Amigo in Tulip & Jesse’s core group. In season two, he was mostly distracted with this pisshole of a vampire named Eccarius, who has developed a cult of humans around himself. For a minute he was in danger from Eccarius, but he managed to outsmart him and turn the wannabe vamp humans against the predator that was victimizing them all. Twist ending on that plot thread tho? Hoover, agent of the Grail (Roman Catholic element) who is also recently a vampire, showed up to abduct Cassidy while the rest of that coven was destroyed by Grail people. So I guess Cassidy did actually need saving, eh?

When Jesse and Tulip reunited, they agreed to the dedicated purpose of saving their undead third wheel. In hell, a surprising rebellion by the Saint of Killers allowed Hitler to claim the throne. This shit is fuccckkkked. But that is exactly where we left off. So I expect a gory, irreverent, and action-packed season four starting tonight. If you’ve never seen an episode, #ketchup.

On tonight’s two-hour premiere, Jesse is rocked by visions of an apocalyptic future as he and Tulip prepare for an all-out assault on Masada, where Cassidy — trapped to a torturous fate — struggles to hang on; Starr and his Grail operatives are ready for them.

Don’t miss the fun start to the new season tonight on AMC starting at 9/8c.

I’ll also be watching the Perpetual Grace, Ltd finale because I don’t sleep on brilliant TV. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Pennyworth, & Ripley’s Believe It or Not! are on my watchlist tonight as well.

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