While I’ve been hustling away on Pop Thruster’s best 1,000 albums ever project, my TV time has largely been in “second screen” mode of late, but like any dedicated TV and pop culture addict, we find our way to get our stories in, don’t we?
Task
A few weeks ago, I proclaimed that Task is the best show on TV right now, and I’m happy to say that it retains the belt (to borrow the term/apparel from The Watch podcast).
The limited series finale is tonight on HBO, and I am going to be ready with snacks (purchased from Wawa, of course) to see how this gripping, messy, and fascinating story wraps up.
Also: I’ll renew my call for more seasons of this show that take place somewhere in the Task-connected universe.
The Chair Company
HBO – or Max, whatever – retains its extremely rare position of holding onto a day of the week (Sunday) when we can expect high quality shows to look forward to. Exhibit A is Task (see above), and now we also have The Chair Company, Tim Robinson’s latest bizarre/cringe comedy concoction.
This time around, Robinson is stretching one of his wacko sketch comedy ideas – is there a conspiracy related to a defective office chair? – into a full-blown comedy series. Will it have… dare I say, legs? (I’ll be here all week, folks.)
But seriously: I laughed hard exactly once while watching the pilot episode, but that’s actually a promising sign. It’s rare that I keep up with comedy shows these days, and I’m willing to hang in with this one to see what weird paths we’ll head down next.
Kingdom
As a lark, I asked ChatGPT a series of questions designed to find me a recommendation for a TV show that I hadn’t seen before, based on what it knows about me. The exercise became more interesting than I expected – as can often be the case when I engage with AI in a new kind of way – and a number of intriguing choices came out of the process.
First up on the docket: Kingdom, a drama from the mid-2010s that takes place in the world of MMA. Starring Frank Grillo, Matt Lauria, Kiele Sanchez, Jonathan Tucker, and Nick Jonas – all well cast – it’s a good mix of gritty drama and soapy storytelling focused on a down-and-out mixed martial arts gym near the beach in Venice, California.
Based on the drama and the SoCal-ness and the occasional dips into crime drama, I get Animal Kingdom vibes with Kingdom now and then, but then again, I dug that show.
The Woman in Cabin 10
There are some things that you’re thrilled end up being second screen watches, and The Woman in Cabin 10, available on Netflix, gets the prize here. The most fascinating thing about this movie is that a stellar cast – Keira Knightley, Hannah Waddingham, Guy Pearce, Daniel Ings, David Ajala for starters – and a prestige-y thriller/mystery vibe set on a super yacht belies (spoiler alert) absolutely formulaic garbage storytelling.
The Daytrippers
My man Sean Fennessey on his great The Big Picture podcast recommended a movie that’s very far up in the I Can’t Believe I Haven’t Seen This One Yet category.
The Daytrippers is directed by Greg Mottola, who also directed two of my all-time (we’re talking Top 10) faves in Superbad and Adventureland.
Therefore, I was thrilled to head back to his 1996 feature film debut, a talky dramedy that takes place in New York City (and some early scenes on Long Island take place close to where I grew up).
In short: this thing was built in a lab for yours truly.
It’s funny, it’s subtle, it’s weird, and it’s often touching. It’s a good-but-not-great film that I loved deeply anyway.
Oh, and the cast is incredible: Stanley Tucci, Hope Davis, Pat McNamara, Anne Meara, Parker Posey, and Liev Schreiber.
Pop Thruster Afterburner: quick hits from the TV and pop culture trenches. Tips or ideas? Get in touch!