Tag Archives: Netflix

If We Controlled Your Remote… 5/25/18

Posted on May 25, 2018 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 dropped the final installment of Dreamworks’ Trollhunters. The second season of the series opened with Jim trapped in the Darklands. As Jim looked for baby Enrique, who had been taken by Gunmar the Black, Claire, Toby, and Blinky tried to find a way to help Jim return from the Darklands. Eventually both were successful in their missions. Meanwhile, Steve and Eli teamed up to figure out what secret Jim and the others were hiding. As the gang tried to get on with their normal lives, trouble was brewing in Trollmarket. There was a spy in their midst who was actively working to eliminate the Trollhunters and help Gunmar get into the city. The gang was able to hold off Gunmar long enough to evacuate Trollmarket, but in the process, Claire had to wield the Shadow Staff longer than she should have, and this will likely lead to some unfortunate side effects this season. Also, Gunmar had managed to resurrect Morgana, and together they are planning to bring about the Eternal Night, covering the world in darkness forever.

Like the previous season, season 3 is comprised of 13 episodes. However, Emile Hirsch takes over the role of Jim from the late Anton Yelchin. Also joining the cast for this final season are Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) & Diego Luna (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), playing two mysterious new students who unknowingly come to the aid of the Trollhunters. In this final installment, the Trollhunters must find a way to stop Gunmar and Morgana, and in order to do so, they seek the help of the legendary wizard Merlin (David Bradley, Game of Thrones, The Strain).

I have thoroughly enjoyed this series and look forward to seeing what this final season holds. Anton Yelchin was an amazing actor and brought such personality to Jim – I hope Emile Hirsch can do the same. That said, I’m also excited to see how Steve and Eli will fit in as the latest members of the gang – it was so much fun seeing them finally met Blinky and AAARRRGGGHH!!! last season!

Season 3 of Trollhunters marks the end of the first chapter of Guillermo del Toro’s larger Tales of Arcadia trilogy, all set in the fictional suburb of Arcadia. The story will continue in the new series 3 Below, coming to Netflix later this year, followed by Wizards in 2019. I’m curious to see if we will get a glimpse into the next chapter during this final season of Trollhunters.

Check out the final season of this great show now on Netflix!

I’ll also be watching/recording Steve Martin and Martin Short: An Evening You Will Forget For The Rest of Your Life.

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If We Controlled Your Remote… 4/13/18

Posted on April 13, 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 #1

Danger Will Robinson! Early this morning, Netflix released the first season of a new reboot of the sci-fi series Lost in Space, which updates and modifies some things from the classic 1965 series. The Robinson family — Marine John Robinson (Toby Stephens, Black Sails), his wife aerospace engineer Maureen (Molly Parker, House of Cards, Deadwood), and their three children, Judy (Taylor Russell, Falling Skies), Penny (Mina Sundwall, Freeheld), and Will (Maxwell Jenkins, Sense8) — is part of the 24th colonist group, which has left Earth in search of a better life on a new planet. They are aboard the Resolute space station, when they are forced to evacuate. Their Jupiter 2 escape ship crash lands on a mysterious planet. Everyone in the family has gone through rigorous training for this mission, and each brings some sort of skill to the table, but are they really prepared for what lies ahead?

Immediately upon their arrival, the Robinsons face one danger after the next, until Will befriends a strange robot with special abilities. Meanwhile, another Jupiter ship also crash lands on the planet. This one containing a roughneck/smuggler named Don West (Ignacio Serricchino, Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce, Bones), and a mysterious woman secretly assuming the stolen identity of Dr. Smith (Parker Posey, Search Party). It is only a matter of time until this ragtag group will eventually come together and must work together in order to survive their new environment. But who can really be trusted? Everyone seems to have secrets they are hiding from one another, including the robot!

As the series opens, viewers are immediately thrust into the thick of the action as the Robinsons struggle to survive their harsh new environment. Through flashbacks, the series slowly reveals the characters’ backstories and pieces together the events that ultimately led up to the Robinsons’ crash onto this unknown planet. Where are they? How did they end up here? Who is “Dr. Smith”? Where did the robot come from? And what happened on the Resolute that caused the crash? The first two episodes of the series have some really tense moments and unexpected twists. I look forward to seeing what other turns of events, mysteries, and adventures await in the rest of the 10-episode first season!
 
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If We Controlled Your Remote… 3/23/18

Posted on March 23, 2018 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 launched the new comedy Alexa & Katie. Teenagers Alexa (Paris Berelc, Lab Rats: Elite Force) and Katie (Isabel May) have been best friends all their lives. So when Alexa was diagnosed with cancer and had to undergo chemo, Katie was right there by her side. It’s just days away from their first year of high school. Alexa is doing much better, and she is anxiously awaiting the OK from her doctor. Alexa wants to keep her illness a secret from the others at school so that she isn’t treated any differently, but that may be easier said than done when her hair starts falling out. So now, in addition to the usual high school problems, and dealing with arch nemesis, mean girl Gwenny (Kerri Medders, SEAL Team), Alexa’s got even more things to worry about. However, best friend Katie will be there for her every step of the way.

I checked out the first two episodes of the series and found it to be both fun and heartwarming. It feels like a classic multi-camera sitcom but with a little more heart and drama. The story is more serialized, much like Netflix’s Fuller House. In addition to seeing the girls at school, the series also explores their home lives. Alexa lives with parents Lori (Tiffani Thiessen, Saved by the Bell) and Dave (Eddie Shin, Westworld) and sporty older brother Lucas (Emery Kelly) — on whom Katie has a crush. Meanwhile Katie lives with mother Jennifer (Jolie Jenkins, Liv and Maddie) and younger brother Jack (Finn Carr). The families feel quite grounded and realistic. Katie finds herself constantly having to babysit her brother while her single mother is working. She also has to worry about money a little bit more — she can’t just go out and buy anything she wants. Meanwhile, Alexa’s family loves and supports her, but at the same time her father treats the bald Alexa differently, has trouble communicating with her, and has difficulty seeing her as the daughter he loves.

I look forward to checking out more of this series. Though it is a bit difficult trying to watch a show called Alexa & Katie with an Amazon Echo in the same room. Though it could have been worse — the seres could have been called Alexa & Siri!

All 13 episodes of the first season are now available to stream on Netflix.

I’ll also be watching/recording Santa Clarita Diet, The Mechanism, Game Over, Man!, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and MasterChef: Junior.

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If We Controlled Your Remote… 2/16/18

Posted on February 16, 2018 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 ten-episode first season of the new high school comedy/drama Everything Sucks!. It’s 1996, and in the town of Boring, Oregon, three dorky freshmen — Luke (Jahi Di’Allo Winston, Proud Mary, Feed the Beast), McQuaid (Rio Mangini, Bella and the Bulldogs), and Tyler (Quinn Liebling) — are kicking off their first week of high school by joining the A/V club. Luke is an avid filmmaker — like his absentee father — and immediately becomes smitten with camera operator Kate Messner (Peyton Kennedy, Odd Squad), the principal’s daughter. However, love can be blinding, and Luke doesn’t notice that the attraction isn’t necessarily mutual. Meanwhile, the A/V club often finds itself at odds with the drama club, led by obnoxious power couple Emaline (Sydney Sweeney, The Handmaid’s Tale) and Oliver (Elijah Stevenson, Captain Fantastic), whose relationship is also a bit rocky.

The series reminds me quite a bit of Freaks and Geeks, with its clashing of high school cliques and tonal blend of humor and drama. The series has some really interesting characters and takes its time to slowly explore each of their home lives and dole out their back stories. The characters come from a diverse variety of family types, including widowed and divorced parents. The main focus of the first few episodes is Luke and Kate, but this world is filled with some really entertaining supporting characters. Luke’s friends are hilarious — McQuaid is the smart one who’s overly cautious and worries about the consequences of everything, while Tyler, who has trouble even reading at a 6th grade level, is the wild and crazy one who’s up for anything. They help to balance each other out and try to keep the hopelessly optimistic/romantic Luke a bit grounded. The series also has a lot of fun stuff thrown into the background of each episode, such as the fun banter between the two students who do the morning announcements, the overly dramatic lunchroom dialogue performances by Emaline & Oliver, and the antics of principal Ken Messner (Patch Darragh, The Path), who’s always trying to prove he can be the cool guy.

I checked out the first three episodes, and after each one came to an end, the show dropped some big twist or reveal that made me eager to check out the next episode. Each episode is only around 23 minutes (including the credits), so this should make a very quick binge. The series really is all that and a bag of chips. It takes you back to the mid-to-late 90s with its excellent soundtrack and use of 90s lingo and pop culture. Who doesn’t remember products like Jolt, Surge, and Tamagotchis?! I really enjoyed the episodes that I saw, and I look forward to binging the rest of the season tonight!

Check out the entire first season now on Netflix!

I’ll also be watching/recording DreamWorks Dragons: Race to the Edge, Celebrity Big Brother, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and The Graham Norton Show.

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The Ballad of Buster Scruggs: Return of the Western

Posted on February 13, 2018 by

With the Coen brothers’ latest venture coming to Netflix later this year, an anthology series set in the wild west and starring Tim Blake Nelson, now seems as good a time as any to step back and look at what exactly makes the Western genre so dang popular. Whether it’s long shots of the mountain ranges in the background, the sheer manliness of the cowboys helping the poor folk around them, or a tense showdown with revolvers that feels even more suspenseful than a game of Russian Roulette. The Western has endured throughout the years and with good reason!

Starting in 1903 with The Great Train Robbery, the Western proved an immensely popular new type of film that gained solid ground throughout the first few decades of its existence, becoming increasingly popular and getting a sizeable boost after World War II with John Wayne standing proud as an icon of American manliness and assertiveness. It’s estimated that in the fifty years between 1910 and 1960 that about 25% of all films made featured cowboys, and the TV landscape looked much the same in broadcasting terms.

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