Susan Seacrest

One of my all time favorites. The final season is especially good-a wonderful mix of satiric humor mixed with real poignancy.

A few episodes in, the Amazon Prime series The Underground Railroad based on the Colson Whitehead book rises to its esteemed source. Colson is a genius level writer & Barry Jenkins an amazing film maker & I highly recommend the Amazon adaptation. Having just finished Kindred by Octavia Butler I am saddened to see through these artistic endeavors how deeply the tangle of rooted racism is. I believe learning about the horror of slavery is vital to understanding the racism that surrounds us & experienced directly by countless POC in 2021.

This was one of the best movies I have seen in this past year. Beautiful photography, splendid performances wrapped up in an amazing true story. Ralph Fienes and Carrie Mulligan travel through time and space fueled by strong emotions tamped down in classic English style. The partnership they form lets us glimpse an arrow of time that grants immortality as it pierces our hearts.

Thoroughly enjoyed revisiting this world. It’s rather like a sumptuous two part version of the beloved Masterpiece Sunday night escape. I had forgotten the charm of tradition bumping into 20th century norms. But underneath it all is the essential humanity we all share. And that's when Downton Abbey stops to simply charm & instead starts to shine.