Pine Gap 1x02-1x04+Batman 2x52-2x54+Big Little Lies (2017-?) Season 1+Menendez part 2+Gotham 5x01
1x02
The weird dude looks for the malware and who installed it. A wife whines. There are chaotic goings on in the sterlised workplace. Things have no apparant connection. There is no exuberance or vitality. A guy plays the idiot. He has a manic quality of unpredicrability. Tragic and terrible events happen. The Yanks sneer at the Aussies. There is an EMP and Chinese hacking. There is no honour and dignity. There is unbearable uncertainity and retaliatory action. People are shameless, arrogant and manipulative. There are counter-grievances. This was okay. There are unfair and flawed decisions and weaponised dating.
Best Lines:
“Months away. If at all.”
“Carefully planned deception.”
“Disturb and distact.”
“Acting like the master of the house.”
“900 pound something.”
“Complex double-thinking.”
“Since when do you watch tv?”
1x03
There is a very unpleasant situation. Responsbility is abdicated. People are suspicious. There are special interests. The POTUS rants about Aussies. Kath is the Aussie boss. Whatever people say or do is not to be trusted. Jasmina and Gus hook up. The weirdo Moses is weird. This miniseries is only 6 eps. This was trivial relative dullness. There is a cat.
There is growing wariness of intentions and implicit acceptance of shifty acts. Co-workers spy on each other. Trump is not POTUS in this show but the POTUS is very Trump like. Are the workers really justice seeking? Eloise seems special needs. This is a grim sign of the times. Jacob the boss yells. There is deadly serious serious purpose.
Who is malefic? People do evil things about evil things. There is paranoia and machismo. This was not audacious. This was less interesting. There are accidents, miscalculation and madness. This was not emotionally charged. There are malign influences and societal and familial ties. The workplace is in an unsettled state. People have supposedly noble motives. People's background, upbringing and personal philosophy are investigated.
There is no moral fortitude. There is nefarious plotting and lackadaisical assumptions. Aggravating and wrong things happen. This was of dubious quality. Kath's shouty vile ex lurks. Deeply held beliefs are delivered with conviction and sincerity. There is no integrity or humility. There is a level of resentment. There is goal settling and moral failures and deviousness and unwholesome people.
There are pretentious phoneys and irascibility. There is an appalling and continuing tragedy. There is artlessness. There are brazen enquiries.
Best Lines:
“Look weirdly suspicious.”
“Overtake our position of global leadership.”
“Meaningful statement of regret.”
“Fan the flames of discontent.”
“Feel like they're trusted.”
“Corruptable.”
“Chucking a tanty.”
“Free uni degree.”
“Thought the Soviets would be the enemy for a 1000 years.”
“Learn to love debt.”
1x04
Oh Gus. Eloise spews accusations. An employee is berated. This was okay but the acting is bad. There is a secret. Why is Kath so awful? A treaty is discussed. This was oddly enthralling. Moses draws a peculiarly urgent teen girl. There's discouragement of dissent. Blame is appointed. There are grim encounters. This was not wholly unlikely. Nobody is honest or thoughtful. This was not visually arresting. A social emergency is about to erupt.
~
Batman's Satisfaction
Batman and Robin live in a very closed world. No wonder this show has permeated our culture and imagination. Robin has adverse childhood experiences. He gets insulted and physically attacked by baddies on a regular basis. Baddies affect the social, cultural and economic fabric of Gotham.
A young disadvantaged naff (Robin) fell under the spell of a wealthy charismatic charmer (Batman). Nobody finds this weird. Bruce protects his own interest and status and has the smug insoucicane of a privileged family.
Van Williams and Bruce Lee guest star. Batman sends Robin into the path of baddies who want to physically hurt him. Clearly deranged people walk around Gotham like its cheerful normality. There is po-faced sincerity. Kato says he and the Hornet are both quite flexible. No comment.
The narcissistic sicko du jour is defeated. Robin's provider/caretaker has an irreversible hold over him. Britt Reid makes no comment about Bruce Wayne having a teen boy as his ward. Robin is encouraged to be obliging. He's also consident and forceful. Batman exudes a sense of moral superiority. Sadly 'Batman' at this point was suffering a slide in popularity that showed no sign of stopping.
The malediction Green Hornet and Kato run off and nobody stops them. This was good. There is a decline of civility. Batman has self righteous certainity. What are pink stamps? Batman and Robin have lives lived for virtue. The baddie has dubious behaviours.
Best Lines:
“They musn't suffer.”
“We've never run away from trouble before.”
“HOLY UNCANNY PHOTOGRAPHIC MENTAL PROCESSES!”
“Sordid stooges.”
“Masked companion.”
“We know they're heroic crime fighters. They think we're criminals.”
King Tut's Coup
King Tut is normal again and teaching despite being a criminal. Tut goes crazy again. Bruce and Dick wear Roman garb. Dick holds his cloak in front of him for some reason. This was not gloriously silly. Was there a Vietnam mention in this ep? Who is Dick's dance date? The continued existence of the utterly one dimensional aunt Harriet annoys. Tut larges it. This was absurd and astonishingly horrid and uninteresting. Grace Lee Whitney and Lee Meriwether guest star.
Best Lines:
“The first Robin of spring.”
“You flipped a while back.”
“His accursed companion.”
Batman's Waterloo
This was an epic mistake. This show was having a crisis of menaing as badly motivated baddies attack. Batman's opinions are relentless. Nobody is unusually thoughtful, Batman is morally instructive. Baddies have intolerable behaviour. Mundanity is carried out with indefaigable conviction. This isn't utterly captivating and it leaves you constantly dissatisfied. This was utterly useless.
Baddies plan to make good on their promises to hurt Robin. Batman returns with dread inevitability. Robin has an unstable lifestyle. What with nearly being murdered regularly. There is no moral heft. One can see why this show has legendary fame. Gordon mentions his daughter Barbara. Groan. This was putrefactive. Robin nearly gets a birdbath.
Best Lines:
“Fat, lazy and extremely rude.”
“Bat boy.”
“Caped crony!”
“Brat to bat resuscitation.”
“Sickening sidekick.”
~
Somebody's Dead
This dull show was based on a good book. Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley, Alexander Skarsgard, Laura Dern, Zoe Kravitz and James Tupper star. There are stupid people and a bratty teen daughter brats. This was dull failed seriousness.
Best Line:
“I'm not liked.”
Serious Mothering
Celeste's husband is menacing. Madeline wants to put on Avenue Q. Renata bullies Jane's child. Madeline's new husband Ed is awful. So is her ex Nathan. Perry likes coercing partners into unwanted sexual activity. This wasn't good.
Best Line:
“I do not feel supported here!”
Living The Dream
This was boring. There is no emotional punch. The bratty teen goes to live with Nathan. Jane reveals her secret. Celeste has substantial cause for her fear of Perry. Nathan is played by Tupper who was the gorked out David on 'Revenge' - he does tend to play useless tools.
Push Comes To Shove
Universally terrible people are terrible. Celeste is told to leave Perry. This was dull. Perry is very physically violent and increasingly threatening. Nathan's new wife Bonnie is awful. A teacher causes endless issues. Renata loves being retaliatory.
Best Line:
“A college that requires more than a pulse."
Once Bitten
Something is very wrong with Perry. Renata bullies her child. She's painfully insincere. Madeline's youngest daughter needs a slap. This was dull.
Burning Love
This is a sorry saga. Nathan is petty and vindictive. Why did Bonnie marry him? Renata starts a petition to suspend Ziggy from school. Jane gives Renata what for. Abigail attention seeks. This was duh.
Best Line:
“Lucky I didn't kill you.”
You Get What You Need
Celeste lives in dread of Perry. He continues to abuse her in ever more sinister ways. Perry unleashes pure vicious madness. At Trivia Night, Bonnie kills Perry. And it is covered up. This was overhyped mind-numbing dispirting blandness.
~
Menendez: A Killing In Beverly Hills, Part 2 (1989)
This was dull. A dodgy shrink and his mistress harass the brothers. There is a time jump, exposition, bad hair and incoherence.
~
Year Zero
Why is Penguin hanging out in a ruined city? Gordon still has blowdried hair. Parts of the city are held by whoever has enough power to hold it. How do they have food, booze and water? Exposition is screamed. Why is Gotham a no go zone? Gordon asks for help, nobody will help. Ed bores. Why doesn't Bruce Wayne use his vast wealth to save the city? Isn't he a high school dropout now? Penguin is awful. A supply helicopter is shot down because people are stupid and awful. Tabitha seems to be dead. Will someone kill the useless Barbara already? A message is sent to Gordon. Why were Alfred and Selina not taken to safety? This was bad. I mean really bad. I've seen 1966 'Batman' season 3 eps better than this.