YELLOWJACKETS (or: I have looked all over the place / and you have got my favourite face)

I must right a wrong. 

Previously in my best of 2022 TV shows post I didn't even list Yellowjackets as a potential though not yet viewed candidate. This was wrong. SO, SO WRONG. EGREGIOUSLY WRONG.

Turns out Yellowjackets is this crazy phenomenal mix of three of my favourite shows of all time: Lost, X-Files and Hannibal. It's fun, funny, shocking, horrific (if my soul were not already baked and dried of humanity), heartbreaking, did I mention funny? The casting. I don't think there is an award for casting but if there was, it should be named after the people who cast this show. It's UNCANNY. YES MORE CAPS LOCK, IT'S fucking UNBELIEVABLE SOMETIMES.

The young cast acts beyond their age - and yeah they are technically 20 somethings not teens but you know what I mean. They are very, very good actors, the lot of them. But Sophie Nelisse who plays young Shauna, Sophie Thatcher who plays young Nat and Samantha Hanratty who plays young Misty in particular are just fantastic. The Sophies are again, beyond their years in their ability to play heartbreak and guilt that, let's face it, they probably haven't even experienced at that level in real life yet. Samantha's portrayal of young Misty is completely and utterly convincing when you line her up with the older Misty played by Christina Ricci. Not even isolating appearance or mannerisms or whatever; on literally every level, they ARE the same person.

Ms Ricci of course does a spectacular job, and in most situations I would tag her as my favourite character and actor on the show. But this particular show has this particular embarrassment of riches. The statement about uncanny casting? It's true, it's very much a fact. Juliette Lewis as older Nat is also spectacular, and in fact, probably the funnest scenes to watch are with her and Christina Ricci reacting to one another. It's a fucking clinic if you ever need to crack a buddy movie.

My favourite character, though, is older Shauna played by Melanie Lynskey. You know her from somewhere, but where? (I've seen her in several things but I 'know' her from the movie I Don't Feel At Home In This World Anymore - and then, more recently from the Last of Us.) Well, now I know her from Yellowjackets. Because her performance is everything. She does EVERYTHING. Standing alone, she is the funniest. She's also the saddest, and the most hearbreakingly open (but closed), the sweetest, definitely the most under the surface boiling-y-est. The juxtaposition of her soft-spoken sincerity during her dealings with her rebellious daughter Callie, or set beside her butchery ... it is awesome.

I have so much more to say about this show. Since I started s1 a couple weeks ago, I've become obsessed. I've already watched the first season twice - I'm waiting for s2 to conclude so I can binge it all (and then likely re-binge it immediately thereafter). All of the high quality content in which we drown, through the past few years of it, I've chosen to repeat watch only three shows: Severance, Party Down and Yellowjackets. They are all that good.

So I won't say more, because it's just droning and besides it has probably all been said on the internet anyway (chatbot, can you please review all Yellowjackets discussions to confirm?). But this brilliance must be recognized. This buzz must be buzzed.

Oh and PS, since my first watch of the pilot I've had Supernova by Liz Phair stuck in my head. So two weeks or so, this song has been playing in my head. It is wonderful.

Stop with the Mayfield 49ers rumours

It's bad enough that Florio won't stop with the Brady / 49ers rumours. At least there's some logic there, being that Brady would probably love to put on the Niners uniform at least once given they were his favourite childhood team, and the Niners could theoretically roll the dice on a one year deal while Brock and Trey both learn under him. But c'mon, I just don't think it's realistic - money / salary cap being the main stumbling block.

But the Baker Mayfield rumours? When people like Albert Breer, an NFL insider, a long-time and well-respected NFL writer, suggest that the Niners would consider signing Baker Mayfield ... just, please stop self-flagellating your reputation, Albert Breer. We all know Nick Bosa hates Baker Mayfield (flag plant back to college days, revenge game SF vs CLE, "Baaaker... Baaaakerrr..."). We also know the Niners are working on signing Bosa to a long term deal. So why in the hell would they risk upsetting their (arguably) best player (well between him and Trent Williams) for a short term QB rental who may or may not even play? Put Baker in the locker room and watch the divide form. For what?

THIS IS JUST SO ILLOGICAL, STOP IT ALREADY.

JFC seriously man.

2022 best TV shows I watched

Yes I’m late, good thing no one is paying for this content.

Do we need an intro? No? No, I don't think so either. Here's my favourite tv of 2022.

1.       Severance

Everyone talks about the music dance experience, and for good reason. Milchick is a fantastic character, and this is the scene where he struts right off the screen and into your nervous personal space. The mood of the MDE, the dancing itself, is simultaneously frightening and contagious. (Never watch the MDE alternatively set to Meshuggah, by the way. You don’t need that much stress in your life.) But Milchick is not alone, not even close, in this fascinating and fantastic cast characters. Hilly, Dylan, Irv and Burt all have their turns as the centerpiece in your severed mind. And that’s not even counting Mark, the star or at least protagonist of the show, or Cobel, or Ms Casey. It’s just such a great mystery, doled out in ways similar to how Lost grabbed our attention and affection by showing be one window and then another, and only over time the stuff between, the stuff that was behind the walls. The season finale is so satisfying and not, a cliffhanger that was made before season two was greenlit. Ballsy, and perfect. If not for living in the age that we do, I would have already rewatched this show at least two more times. (TOO MUCH CONTENT, TOO BAD.)

 

2.       Andor

As my friend Chris said, Star Wars finally showed us why they are fighting the Star Wars. And he’s right – there’s no space Jesuses with laser swords, there’s no racist stereotypes in computer generated yet still rubbery suits. This is a glimpse of the crush of fascism and oppression finally becoming too much. The sparks of a revolution – the rebellion. The prices paid by the little folks, and the upper crust too who oppose it as well, are clearly illustrated for us, for our sickening, so that we can finally understand the why’s of the Wars. And while the show clearly takes place in the Star Wars universe, Tony Gilroy sprinkles aliens and technology and architecture around only sparingly but just enough so that when something familiar shows up, its impact is that much greater. We're used to tie fighters being cannon fodder, as when a hundred of them are dispatched to take out eight X-wings. Ho-hum. But one single fighter doing a fly-over of the lush green hills of Aldhani? Literally awesome! May I also say, mad props to Denise Gough for her stellar work in this and Under the Banner of Heaven in this last year.

 

3.       Our Flag Means Death

Like What We Do In The Shadows, this show with those familiar Kiwi fingerprints started a little slow. It was worth a smile or two early on, really just due to Rhys Darby being his regular charming as all F self. Then episode 3 happens, and between Rhys, as Stede, singing “Man for sale!”, and Leslie Jones’ turn as Spanish Jackie, the show took off. And there’s no mistaking that any one person was alone responsible for this upshoot; the whole cast came together over the course of the next few episodes. The high society episode, for example, is fucking weird and great on about five different fronts. And THEN, still later in the season, the show takes another turn into something so completely unexpectedly wholesome-ly romantic and heartwarming that I was just left stunned, and warm-hearted. The season just got more and more, well, delightful I’d say, as it sailed its course. Amazing work, mates!

 

4.       The Bear

How do you know when a show is good? When it has invaded your daily lexicon, is one sign. For example, when you start calling your friends ‘cousin’. You know, the kitchen speak is just, in the world we – certainly I – live in, it’s like self-parody now. Come on now, with the 'yes chefs'. But cousin, that’s something else. It’s the better, more meaningful version of ‘bro’, or ‘dude’. And the Bear is the better and more meaningful version of, well, just about any chef-based movie or tv show you can think of. Seriously, what do you think is better? (Maybe something like the extremely underrated 100-Foot Journey, okay I will give you that one. ‘Cause god I love romcoms.) Marcus is great, I love his little journey. I don’t even have to say anything about episode seven, because you’ll know when you watch it - but it is great. The music is pretty good too! Actually my biggest critique about the whole series may be that they didn’t use the instrumental part of Layla as the final episode outro. Is it 'cause it would be too predictable? And did I just lodge a complaint against Radiohead? You bet and you bet! (Another shoutout to Ebon Moss-Bachrach for appearing in the Bear and Andor this year - nice script choices, cousin!)

 

Honourable mentions: What We Do In The Shadows, Peacemaker, Harley Quinn, Station 11? (I don’t know if this was good tv, but I do still think about it from time to time – like, Jeevan, man!)

Notables as yet unwatched: Better Call Saul, Atlanta, the Rehearsal

 Hello world, I am back. It's 2023.

What the hell?

Facebook is terrible. Twitter is even worse. Instagram is okay, though a medium where a picture is worth a thousand words but if you want to post anything more than around five words it's gonna be pretty tough.

Don't ask me about all them kids' social medias, I don't even know. Snapchat. Tik tok. Tide pods??

So, world, I am back on the ole Google Blogger, to yell summore into the void.

Hello! (hello!) (hello!) ...

Incidentally, did you know that Google removed "don't be evil" from its code of conduct in 2018? lol man. But do be the lesser evil, Google. Be the least of all evils.

What I'm Gonna Waste My Eyeballs On This Summer (Small Screen)

Those folks over at UPROXX put together a summer viewing / premier schedule which is super helpful, but not as helpful as if they found out what channels everything's gonna be on in Canada, and then paid for any channels not currently in my cable package (HBO), and then programmed my PVR for me.

Just kidding. It'd probably be better if I just ignored most of these shows.

Because seriously, I watched The Strain last summer and holy shit it was awful. And like many of the commenters in the UPROXX article, I watched till season's end. Why? Because I'm stupid, and it's stupid, and somehow it linked up a bluetooth stupid TV to stupid human cortex interface. It's all rotting garbage. Except for the rat exterminator. Why, Guillermo, why?

Hannibal, on the other hand, I'm just so goddamn on the edge of my seat for season three to start. It's the best show on TV (I haven't watched True Detective, it's true - but I really don't see how something could surpass Hannibal). Yes I went in biased because I love the (first two) books (and to some extent the other two) as well as the Silence of the Lambs and Red Dragon movies. Yet, shouldn't those high expectations have set me up for a huge fall? Well, they did not. The show is beautiful and written well and acted superbly and also everything sounds spooky and great. The production values are amazing, it's a mini movie every week. Hell, I ended up writing a whole FAWM 12 song concept album about Hannibal. Bryan Fuller do you hear me yet?? Fund my album please!

Here's the season three trailer (get ready for lots of Dana Scully, people!):



Speaking of Scully, I will similarly give Aquarius a go just because Fox Mulder is such a charming bastard. Damn you and your hatred for Vancouver's wet climate, you charming bastard!

Sense8, Dark Matter, Mr Robot (? maybe ??), Humans, I might give them a try (if I can find the corresponding Canadian network) again because I'm stupid and place disproportionate value on science fiction (see the Strain above). That said, I have three seasons of Orphan Black and The Americans (not sci-fi, I know) on my PVR (not to mention a season and a bit of the Bridge (American) plus a slew of stuff on the Netflix) that I can pretty much guarantee would make for better viewing than any of those shows. Maybe I wasn't built for binge-watching, and that's why all that good TV is still just sitting there.

Comedies:

Blunt Talk with Captain Picard? YES PLEASE. I mean, look a this. The man knows comedy.

Why? With Hannibal Burress? YES PLEASE. I saw Hannibal Burress live a couple months ago, holy moly it was the most surreal ... thing ... that I've seen for a long time. It was stand-up, but it was also performance art, and basically just a whole lot of fucking with your senses and sensibilities (differently than how Jane Austin did it). But he was brilliant and hilarious.

Also, lobsters - who knew?

Wet Hot American Summer? Yes please. Yeah, I'm curious, just not all-caps enthused like the previous two. I've never seen the movie but the cast is pretty great, so. (Speaking of, and as an aside, where can I find Party Down in viewable form??)

Bojack Horseman, yes well season one is still in the Netflix queue. Rick & Morty, I've heard good things but damned if I know which channel if any it plays on here. Key & Peele, yeah every once in awhile I catch them on Comedy Network and it's funny in the way sketch shows are. Which is to say, it hits and misses.

In Summary:

Must see TV (drama): Hannibal, True Detective (must get season one first), maybe Aquarius.
Must see TV (comedy): Blunt Talk, Why? (Hannibal), Wet Hot American Summer maybe.

I guess putting 'Hannibal' in your title guarantees my viewership.

nut chat

Nuts.  Welcome to nutchat.

I'm nuts4nuts.  Not all nuts.  And not nutz.

Cashews, they're the kings of the nut world.  Almonds, peanuts, yeah they're pretty good too.  Those Blue Diamond smoked salted almonds, they put up some mean game.  Cashews be nervous!  But cashews, man.  Cashews always win.  King Nut.

Peanuts understand the power of numbers.  They just dominate the nut world through sheer volume.  They're the zombie hoard of nuts.  Eventually, you will succumb.  You will ingest peanut.  And you will either fucking like it or die.

On the other hand, why do people like macadamias so much?  I found a brand-spanking-new-never-been-opened can in my cupboard last night and decided to bring them to the office because they need to be eaten.  But about eight nuts in, I'm sitting here wondering why they're so goddam prized.  They don't have a nice nut texture.  Cashews and peanuts, nice texture.  Water chestnuts, nice texture.  These little monkey testicles?  Un-fucking-pleasant.  Nor do they have a good taste.  It's like they're trying to be substantial, they want to be an elite nut, they tell people, "Hey, we're elite fucking nuts, you gotta pay to get us in your mouth!"  But they're not elite.  They're not worth it.

Anyone want a mostly-full can of macadamias?

Release the Krampus!

Yes, the Krampus is being released tonight at the Austrian Club in Richmond, BC.  Please please please send your children there.  It's your responsibility as a parent.  As a human, really.

the return of... well, me.

Where the heck has the past two and a half years gone?  So much time has passed, yet so little has changed.

Well except the relevance of the last post, perhaps.  I now have two children.  But that is IT.  Good with two.  Happy with two.

Oh, also, the 49ers are good again.  So that's pretty great news, hurray!

Anyway, so glad to see that there has been a light skimming of traffic here while I've been away.  For example, someone from Thrissur, Kerala visited here 3 months and 11 days ago.  I didn't even know where Thrissur was five minutes ago (India), but that's pretty super.  I hope my return does nothing to hinder said light skimming of traffic.  Come back again, Thrissur, and read the Sex Doll post whenever your spirits need a lift!

Hullo??

the one and only

A friend and I were discussing only children earlier, and he sent me this list of famous only children. It's pretty interesting. Misconceptions or not, my impressions of only children, using that great generalization method that I love, are as follows: receive extraordinary amount of parental attention, leading to over-achievements (or let's say higher-achievements), but also without sibling competition for said attention a skewed sense of place in the world.

Is that wrong? I think it can be, for sure. But check out this list. Again, it's pretty fascinating.

The One And Only_1: Famous Only Children

(And obviously I'm hoping for a Natalie Portman, or Joe Montana but of the LPGA, or da Vinci, or even Sir Isaac Newton. Alicia Keys, maybe. Or Betty White, what the hell. Please please please not Laura Bush, and to be clear, it's not a political issue - because even worse would be Tipper "Parental Advisory" Gore!)

xmas - belated

Yeah I know it's February.

Wait, it's F'ing February already?!?

Breesus, what has happened to time?

Anyway, before I forget, the thing to the left was my favourite Xmas present. Well, actually it was the best present my daughter got. But it's a good one.

Tina Fey does Sesame Street! Uh, that sounded a lot worse, and weirder than I could possibly intend, poor Tina. But, yeah, Tina Fey on Sesame Street!

It's bizarre to see, but on the other hand, why can't a father and daughter enjoy some quality time watching a dvd together? This just facilitates it.

Oh, check out the best part: you can see Tina's thoughts! And, Ms Fey, behave yourself, please. At least for now...

Um. Hm.

Yeah. Okay. Just stepping back, taking an objective look at the situation, the pirate outfit and the muppets. Maybe this has officially gotten too weird.