Tag Archives: FX

If We Controlled Your Remote… 1/17/18

Posted on January 17, 2018 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

Tonight, FX kicks off the second installment of its award-winning American Crime Story series, American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace. This time, the limited series is based on Maureen Orth’s book “Vulgar Favors” and follows the events of the brutal 1997 murder of international fashion icon Gianni Versace (Edgar Ramirez, Bright, Carlos) in front of his Miami Beach mansion, at the hands of deranged psychopath Andrew Cunanan (Darren Criss, Glee). The series takes a look at the manhunt for Cunanan – which actually started long before he claimed his fifth victim – and the cultural biases that allowed his killing spree to go on for so long. The series also stars Penélope Cruz as Gianni’s sister Donatella and Ricky Martin as Gianni’s longtime boyfriend Antonio D’Amico, as well Judith Light (Transparent), Mike Farrell (M*A*S*H), Dascha Polanco, Max Greenfield (New Girl), Finn Wittrock (American Horror Story: Freak Show), Cody Fern, and Jon Jon Briones.

While I was extremely familiar with the details of the O.J. Simpson case portrayed in the show’s first season, I don’t really know anything about the Versace murder, so I look forward to some unexpected twists and turns this season. Tonight’s premiere is really well done, opening with operatic-like recreation of the murder before jumping back to 1990, where we see Cunanan first meet Gianni, followed by the first glimpse into investigation of the murder. I expect that over the course of the season, we will learn more about what led Cunanan to go on his killing spree, while also seeing how he was ultimately apprehended. I was extremely impressed by Darren Criss’s portrayal of this psychopath. Cunanan is a poor con-man who is constantly making up stories about himself, his family, and his wealth. While he comes off as a pompous ass at times, he somehow still manages to win people over and weasels his way into exclusive invite-only situations. There is one moment in tonight’s premiere where I was really blown away by Darren Criss’s performance – he manages to convey Cunanan’s complete lack of emotion, empathy, and any guilt for what he has done, with one simple gesture. I am really looking forward to seeing more of Criss’s performance, learning more about Cunanan’s motives, and seeing how the manhunt plays out.

On tonight’s premiere, “The Man Who Would Be Vogue,” the eyes of the world turn to Miami Beach, Fla., following the murder of fashion designer Gianni Versace.

Follow the investigation into Versace’s murder starting tonight on FX at 10/9c.

I’ll also be watching/recording The Goldbergs, Modern Family, American Housewife, Match Game, The Amazing Race, The Blacklist, The X-Files, 9-1-1, Riverdale, Corporate, The Magicians, Happy!, and The Librarians.
 
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If We Controlled Your Remote… 4/19/17

Posted on April 19, 2017 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!

[Note from Jenny: Today marks the 22nd anniversary of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. I was a senior in high school in a town 45 minutes from OKC. I happened to be in the office turning in the absentee list for one of my teachers moments after it happened, and the secretaries had their little TV on, so I was in there watching when the plane hit the second tower. My brother had a friend/classmate whose mother was at the building for a meeting that morning, and she was killed. So this is a very personal date for me. To all those affected, know that you are remembered and thought of often. To those who weren’t, remember how lucky you are and give a moment of silence for those 168 people who didn’t make it home to their families that day. Thank you.]

Kyle’s Choice

Tonight, FX’s anthology series, Fargo, returns for its third season with a brand new cast and a new story. This third installment is set in 2010 and follows twin brothers Emmit and Ray Stussy (both played by Ewan McGregor, T2 Trainspotting). Emmit seems to have all the luck – he’s got the looks, has been married to his wife for 25 years, and has become the “Parking Lot King of Minnesota.” Meanwhile, slightly younger brother Ray is overweight and balding, spends his days as a parole officer watching people pee in cups, and has had one failed relationship after the next. However, Ray thinks he has finally met the woman he wants to marry, Nikki (Mary Elizabeth Winstead, BrainDead), one of his recent parolees. Ray blames his brother for his life’s misfortunes and soon finds himself mixed up in a plan to get payback that goes horribly wrong; and Emmit also discovers that things with his business aren’t exactly going the way he planned either, thanks to the mysterious V.M. Varga (David Thewlis, Harry Potter). Meanwhile, newly divorced mother/local police chief Gloria Burgle (Carrie Coon, The Leftovers) finds herself personally and professionally pulled into the brothers’ feud.

The series comes from writer Noah Hawley, who also recently created Legion for FX. This series also has an amazing visual style and makes nice use of music to help set the usine tone of the series, which is both a gripping drama but also darkly humorous. What’s nice about this show is that while all of the seasons are set in the same overall world and have a consistent feeling, each installment is its own unique story, set in a different time period with different characters, which means anyone can jump in without having seen the previous seasons. It’s looking like this is going to be another great season with an interesting story that weaves around this unique cast of characters. And it also looks like there will be some excellent guest stars coming up in future episodes.

On tonight’s premiere, “The Law of Vacant Places,” a petty sibling rivalry between two brothers escalates and brings chaos to a small Minnesotan community.

Meet the Stussy brothers tonight on FX at 10/9c.

I’ll also be watching/recording Designated Survivor, Survivor, Archer, The Magicians, and The Expanse.
 
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If We Controlled Your Remote… 3/29/17

Posted on March 29, 2017 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

Tonight, ABC premieres the new comedy Imaginary Mary at a special night and time before it moves to its regular Tuesday timeslot next week. When Alice (Jenna Elfman, Dharma & Greg) was 6 years old, her parents got a divorce, and to help deal with her emotions, she invented an imaginary friend named Mary (Rachel Dratch, SNL). But by the time she was 18, Alice was already becoming a strong, independent woman and no longer needed her fluffy, pudgy pal. Now, 20 years later, Alice owns her PR firm for athletes, and her relationship with boyfriend/divorced dad Ben (Stephen Schneider, Broad City) has been going great for three months. However, when Ben suggests it’s time that Alice finally meet his three kids – neurotic teenager Andy (Nicholas Coombe), nerdy middle child Dora (Matreya Scarrwener, Strange Empire), and youngest Bunny (Erica Tremblay) – the stress causes her old imaginary friend to reappear. Mary is thrilled to see her best friend again but may not be the best influence on Alice.

I checked out the first two episodes of the series and was pleasantly surprised. I expected the show to be a lot like Angel From Hell, where Mary would be constantly there talking in Alice’s ear trying to help her fix her life. There is some of this – from a young age Alice saw parenting as a scary thing, and she fears being a mother, so Mary is a bit of the devil on her shoulder trying to convince her to run away from motherhood. However, the series is much more of a family/relationship comedy, and the imaginary friend is just a small piece of that. That said, I really enjoyed the relationship between Mary and Alice. Rachel Dratch is hilarious. And I think this show will fit in well with the other ABC family comedies, where there’s always a bit of heart with the laughter.

On tonight’s premiere, “Pilot,” a thirtysomething woman’s life turns to chaos when an imaginary friend she created as a child returns after she begins dating a divorced father with three kids.

Meet Mary and Alice tonight on ABC at 8:30/7:30c.

I’ll also be watching/recording The Goldbergs, Modern Family, black-ish, Designated Survivor, Survivor, Criminal Minds, Arrow, The 100, Legion, Schitt’s Creek, The Magicians, The Expanse, Major Crimes, and Nobodies.
 
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If We Controlled Your Remote… 3/7/17

Posted on March 7, 2017 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

Tonight, FX’s 1980s Cold War spy drama, The Americans, returns for its penultimate season. As the fourth season came to a close, things got really intense. William had arranged a meeting to hand off the vial of the Lassa virus to Philip, but once he realized the Feds were tailing him, he smashed the vial, infecting himself and alerting Philip that he was walking into a trap. The Centre started to fear that William might turn on Philip & Elizabeth while being interrogated in the hospital, so Gabriel left it up to them if they wanted to go back to Russia. In his dying words, William revealed to Stan that there was an undercover spy couple with kids living the American dream. Meanwhile, Paige and Stan’s son Matthew were starting to get close, so Philip told Paige he wanted her to break it off, as it was too dangerous. And finally, in Russia, Philip’s illegitimate son, Mischa, had been released from his detention thanks to some powerful friends. Later, Mischa asked his grandfather for information about the father he never met and decided to search for him in America.

I was both happy and sad when it was announced last year that The Americans had been picked up for a final two seasons to close out the series (13 episodes this year and 10 episodes next year). While it’s sad to think of this excellent show coming to an end, I’m really happy that the writers can now safely work to a planned conclusion with an end date in mind. This series has a wonderful slow burn, with many tense moments and unexpected twists, and the acting is amazing. I’m looking forward to seeing what Stan does with his new information about the existence of a spy family – will he start to suspect his own neighbors? Will Mischa arrive in the US looking for Philip, and how will that affect the Jennings’ undercover work? And will Paige finally turn to the dark side and join the family business?

On tonight’s premiere, “Amber Waves,” the Centre sends a new operation unlike anything before to Philip and Elizabeth, which puts more strain on their already tense marriage and family life.

See how Philip and Elizabeth deal with the new operation tonight on FX at 10/9c.

I’ll also be watching/recording The Middle, American Housewife, Fresh Off the Boat, The Real O’Neals, This Is Us, Bones, The Flash, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Imposters, Detroiters, Switched at Birth, Face Off, The Detour, Teachers, and Chrisley Knows Best.
 
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If We Controlled Your Remote… 2/8/17

Posted on February 8, 2017 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

Tonight, FX enters the world of Marvel Television with its new series, Legion, based on characters from the New Mutants comic. David Haller (Dan Stevens, Downton Abbey) has been confined to the Clockwork Psychiatric Hospital for the past 6 years, diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. He has been seeing and hearing things ever since he was a young boy and believes he may even have telekinetic abilities. He finds it difficult to tell the difference between what is real and what is not. When he’s not trying to convince those in charge that he’s ready to be released, David spends his days in the common room with best friend and fellow patient Lenny (Aubrey Plaza, Parks and Recreation). That is, until he meets kindred spirit Syd Barrett (Rachel Keller, Fargo), a new patient with whom it’s love at first sight. Through flashbacks and interviews, we not only learn more about how David got to this point, but the series also sets up a much larger, more interesting mystery about what’s really going on in the present.

The series comes from writer/director Noah Hawley (Fargo) and has a very unique, stylized look and feel that reminded me of 60s spy film meets The Prisoner. Add to that a soundtrack that goes anywhere from unsettling string music to 60s rock music, and you’ve got a very interesting viewing experience. The premiere really builds the mystery and tension throughout, while also adding in a bit of humor here and there. I found myself constantly trying to put together the pieces, and just when I thought I had things figured out, there would be some new twist. But by the end of tonight’s premiere, I was completely sold on the series and can’t wait to see what happens next. It felt like I was watching the formation of a new X-Men team.

Dan Stevens is fantastic in this role – I didn’t even recognize him and was shocked at the end to see his name pop up in the credits. The rest of the cast also includes Jean Smart (Fargo), Mackenzie Gray (LoliRock), Katie Aselton (The League), Jeremie Harris, and Amber Midthunder.

On tonight’s extended-length premiere, “Chapter 1,” a troubled young man battling mental illness wonders if the visions he experiences are real following a strange encounter with a fellow patient.

See if David connects with reality tonight on FX at 10/9c.

I’ll also be watching/recording The Goldbergs, Speechless, Modern Family, black-ish, Match Game, Hunted, Criminal Minds, Arrow, The 100, Spy in the Wild: A Nature Miniseries, Workaholics, Jeff & Some Aliens, Man Seeking Woman, The Magicians, The Expanse, and Suits.
 
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