Al Imran Husain

Arguably the best miniseries/drama on cable if not all of television. Say nothing really brings out a very sensitive historical account in northern Ireland, which takes place during the 70s upheaval of the troubles. Narrated through the confessional tapes of two members of the Provisional IRA we got a somewhat factual account of the conflict between the paramilitary organization and England. The characters are really flushed out amongst the backdrop of the story. There is a sensation of hope, pessimism, stalemate frustration, and of course, self justification. The scenes move rather flawlessly between each other as we get to know more about the people. Sadly, there are no winners- just a point in time which makes you think of all that happened and how it impacts the region today.

Finished two episodes and it’s by far the best drama show on cable. Obviously it’s not nearly as good as the book which really delves into the mind of the mole, but the cinematography, aesthetics and the tension which reverberates with the characters each day as the Viet Cong draw nearer to Saigon is amazing. Robert Downey is an excellent CIA operative who works with the AVRN really masterfully showing his guile. But the star is the mole. We have heard so much of the Vietnam War through the lens of America. This series flips the script to not only get the perspective of the Viet Cong but their paranoia of the South rising again.

Pretty good storyline in which there is a past and present being told parallel to one another. And its done decently although not at the level of Yellowjackets which has been nothing less than captivating and extraordinary. That being said its intriguing to watch Dan and Melody try and fit the puzzle together in order to discover the demonic cult at the apartment complex. But here's the problem. Its simply not scary. Through all the details that you have to pay attention to in a storyline which goes back and forth from 1994 to 2022 it loses its tension. After a while it feels as if they're simply trying to solve a cold case. Detective work which has been done to death. To feel scared, to exhibit anxiety through a visual narrative doesn't seem to work in a series. If The Shining had been a 8-10 episodes, I'm not sure if it would have worked. It loses its luster. The same applies to Archive 81. All of it could have been conveyed in a 2.5 hour movie. It would have done the job. Instead what I got was a long process, which included me fast forwarding to scenes which had a remote feeling of fear. And even then it was few and far between.

Best new show of the year. An absolute gem of screenwriting along with great filming. They take you back to the unregulated early 80s and it feels like you’re there. The storyline has for the most part been accurate although with any historical account it has taken liberties to build on characters and experiences. But it is without a doubt an entertaining one hour piece of drama. John C. Reilly should win an Emmy for playing Jersey Buss.

If Murder She Wrote was updated to 2021 you would have this show. No edge. No style. Nothing which would make it unique and interesting to watch. Like a ‘whodunnit’ NBC Thanksgiving family special from the ‘90s. The plot is cliched and safe. The characters are not appealing with the exception of Selena Gomez who surprisingly has a little more depth than legends Martin and Short. Mabel is good and comes with enigmatic attitude. But overall the show is simply boring. Even the side stories are so dispensable. The only reason I’m giving it two stars is that every episode is only a 1/2 hour.

This is an early candidate for best show of the year. Everything from the story to the scenery and acting complemented with the flow is amazing. I had thought this was a teen thriller; a bizarre and quirky teen thriller, but nevertheless focused on kids. What I got was a dark coming of age story that divides time between the past and present. There is a strong connection between the two. The survivors have a lot to say and act differently though haunted by their experience in a never ending mystery. Make no mistake about it. This is a strong cast. Christina Ricci as Misty is fantastic as well as the very underrated Melanie Lynskey playing Shauna. But to have Juliette Lewis back and on-screen is the kicker. She's playing a sharper, ill-tempered, emotional and more sadistic version of Mallory from Natural Born Killers. The best part of the show is the cliffhangers have been excellent. What you would assume to happen doesn't happen--and who gets killed is a surprise. Moreover, they setup Season 2 perfectly. It's been an awesome treat especially for a kid who grew up in the 90s.

I started to watch this after finishing the excellent and extraordinary true story "Serpent" mini-series. That was mind-blowing. So then I switched to Lupin. Meh. It's certainly fast-paced; it's got clever scenes. Basically, if you took the old TV show "The Saint" and combined it with Jason Bourne, you would have Lupin. It's caper-themed and it's all about stealing, robbing, and trying to dig for the truth. But the entire plotline is rather dull. The characters are boring. The backstory, while interesting seems like its been done in other movies. It's certainly not bad when you compare it with some of the other Netflix series out there. But this is one of those shows where you can multitask on your phone, look up every few minutes, and know exactly what has taken place and what is about to happen.

A pretty good show that unfortunately rambles on a little much with inconsistent dialogue and banal conversations. If they’re attempting to do a “whodunnit” genre then they need to move quicker in terms of the storyline. It stagnates one too many times. I do like how they bring back the dead guy every few scenes to help Cassie piece together the mystery. And she’s a good character though it’s starting to teeter on the obnoxious. The sub plot line of her alcoholism works well with not remembering anything the night of the event. But the show has to pick up the pace.

This show is tailor made for the 15-18 year old female demographic. It’s a chick-flick series that has all your traditional themes: boy and girl find each other in an unusual circumstance; old flame unsure why ex decided to bounce; a nice family with an interesting background; high-school exploration. A little bit of risqué and some suggested adult material is perfect for this rom-com. There are obvious flaws to the writing and the storyline but hey- it’s lighthearted fun. My wife and I went through a few episodes with a smile on our face. An easy way to wind down the evening without having to think.

There’s been several news shows in the past 10 years. HBO’s The News Room was arguably the best. The Morning Show...not so much. It’s fast pace; the storyline changes quick and the characters are eccentric. But this show is more gloss than material; it lacks substance and treats the news and the show as some diva driven New York scene. Jennifer Anniston is fine, but then she gets annoying. Steve Carrell has an interesting dark comical character. But Renee Witherspoon takes the cake as the older but precocious journalist who is passionate about her stories. She’s great. The rest of the characters are suave, intelligent but lack depth. Ironically this show isn’t about the news as much as it is about running a news program, which kind of gets mundane and monotonous after the third or fourth episode. The dynamic relationships of anchors and reporters for a top rated NYC morning show tends to flounder after a while.