The entire project of Pop Thruster, this here website that is my pride and joy, is vastly committed to heralding the best TV shows, movies, and music to the far reaches of the interwebs.
However, for every great discovery, there are inevitably other things that just don’t quite get there for one reason or another. Here’s a quick rundown of five TV shows that I invested real time into but eventually pulled the rip cord after recognizing that it just wasn’t worth the ROI, as we say in the biz.
* By biz I mean probably most industries, and by ROI I mean return on investment.
Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness
I was initially quite excited by the prospect of Larry David romping around historical moments with his brand of curmudgeonly comedy, but realized after sitting through a few episodes that I was barely cracking a grin as sketch after sketch rolled by.
After I found myself appreciating more than enjoying one scene that was clearly satire, a scathing takedown of Trump and his administration (which happens to feature the recently deceased Rob Reiner as George Washington), I realized I had reached my final chapter with Life, Larry.
The Boroughs
The pedigree of the Duffer Brothers’ involvement (they of Stranger Things fame) had me intrigued and prepared to check out this science fiction-ish show that takes place at a retirement community in New Mexico (where the neighborhood reminds me greatly of Pluribus, as an aside).
Yet even with a great cast that includes Alfred Molina, Alfre Woodard, and Clarke Peters, I found myself mostly bored and distracted after several episodes. Others likely felt similarly, as Netflix did not renew The Boroughs for a second season.
The best thing about the show by far in my view, by the way: Geena Davis. I found myself wishing that the entire show could have focused on her character.
The Audacity
As someone who works in tech, I was quite amped to check out this prestige drama with satiric vibes about the ultra rich in Silicon Valley.
I’m fine with unlikeable characters, but uninteresting ones are a much bigger problem. Throw in the fact that the satire hasn’t really landed, and I had a rough time hanging with this one.
Further, I was really interested to see how Zach Galifianakis would handle his character, a strange and reclusive tech CEO, but after nearly four episodes in he’s barely been on the show.
The Boys
I watch very little “superhero stuff” these days, and completely skipped out on The Boys until very recently. I decided to give the Amazon Prime hit a real chance, and at the very least I gleaned enough from the first three episodes to see why many people like it: the satire of superheroes as egomaniacs who work for some kind of soulless corporate behemoth is quite clever.
However, I found myself without a clear anchor to keep watching over the course of an entire season, let alone a series. And while I enjoy Antony Starr, who plays Homelander, I can always get all of him I want on the brilliant Banshee.
Cape Fear
Apple TV now clearly owns several “lanes,” and one of them is the prestige thriller limited series. I may continue to hang in with Cape Fear, but I’m just not really feeling it in the early going, even with a creepily charismatic performance turned in by Javier Bardem as Max Cady, a killer recently released from prison who clearly has some mysterious agenda.