Cheryl Whipple

Very good adaptation of the book. The mom’s icyness and distraction and the father’s noticeable disconnection are contrasted with the nanny’s warmth and closeness. Spoiler Alert: Both versions are profoundly sad for the child being nannied. Apparently, the book was an amalgam of parents for which the author nannied. Parenting or lack thereof is easy to criticize and exaggerate especially when not a parent, so this account presents as a focused glimpse of bad parenting. It could be better and more entertaining if there was a happy ending, but the reality is that parents of privilege rarely lose custody and kids of privileged parents can only wait until 18 or older to decide whether or not to maintain a relationship with the parents in question. Sad but true.

This series is one of my favorites. That being said, seasons 24-26 have been disappointing. Not a lot of chemistry between the detectives/actors. The character of Kat was a potential long term addition to the squad/team - she was naive, vulnerable, and compassionate - but the actor was let go. The newer cast members have potential, but simply do not have the chops or the chemistry to be believable. Carisi and Ice-T remain stable, steady characters, but both are seen much less in the recent seasons. The plot lines are weirder & kinkier, reminiscent of early seasons, and execution seems too predictable. The story lines of the middle seasons were edgier & often unresolved to some extent, showing the characters’ inner conflicts, mimicking real life. I miss those days.

Love this show. Emily is sweet. Her co-workers are salty. The cultures clash, but Emily adapts without losing her sweetness. I love Sylvie. She is honest and true and doesn’t put everything out there. She plays close to the vest. Seasons 1 & 2 had the right amount of romance, conflict, and storyline. Season 3? Not a fan of Madeline. I prefer Emily as the only fish out of water. Madeline is too stereotypically American. Everyone is beautiful in this series and the costumes are beyond unique, so maybe not realistic as all of Emily’s outfits look like she has a personal designer & dresser. The conflict between Sylvie & Madeline was cringey. I hope the season gets better.

Interesting, but not as compelling as Dopesick with Michael Keaton. Both chronicled how pharmaceutical companies marketed opioid pain medications to prescribers and the deadly consequences to patients and families. However, Pain Hustlers considers the perspective of a rep who was drawn to the potential earnings to support her daughter while Dopesick showcases the perspective of one doctor who prescribed opiates to his patients and became addicted himself. Chris Evans & Emily Blunt were very watchable as the reps who became enamored of the extravagant lifestyle afforded by their lies. However, the consequences were the same. Disastrous for the patients and perpetrators. Someone needs to make a movie about how the marketing of opioids, addiction, overdose, and deaths has led to under-medicating of pain today due to strict guidelines for prescribing opioids and extensive monitoring by states & the DEA. As a nurse, pain was once labeled “the fifth vital sign” and documented using the smiley face scale. Perception of pain by the patient was considered above all and medicated accordingly. Now, Tylenol & Ibuprofen are recommended and narcotics avoided.