10. “Imagination” by Jim Davies …”How does your imagination actually work?” This is a question I have never asked, and Jim Davies fascinating book is not only the best science book of the year, but surprisingly accessible even if Science isn’t your strongest subject. 9. “In the Dream House” by Carmen Maria Machado …There were…
Category: Mindless Mondays
The Best Fiction Books of the Year
Embarrassing note on number 10: I would’ve loved to have included Pierce Brown’s “Dark Age” and Erin Morgenstern’s “The Starless Sea” in this countdown, but I wasn’t able to finish them in time. However, since I’m fairly confident at least one would’ve been included, it didn’t feel right to exclude them completely. 9. [tie] “My…
Best TV Shows of 2019
Runner-Ups: I didn’t want to count TV movies, although HBO had a trio of great ones in “Brexit,” “OG,” and especially the return of “Deadwood.” Also, “Crashing,” “On Becoming a God in Central Florida,” and especially “Veep”‘s final season were all worth watching. 10. “The Righteous Gemstones” …Given the outrageously over-the-top nature of televangelists, it…
My Favorite TV Episodes or Moments of 2019
Runner-Up: I wasn’t a fan of “True Detective”‘s third season overall, but the final episode (resolving the mystery…without the main detective knowing it) was excellent. Mahershala Ali’s dementia-suffering detective having a flashback to where he disappeared into the Vietnamese jungle is one of my favorite shots of the year. 10. Walton Goggins and Edi Patterson…
The BEST TV Characters of 2019
Best Group: “The Good Place”…This series may be a victim of its own success, as there was simply no way I could pick just one or two characters to list here. Conscientious Chidi (William Jackson Harper) grew smoother and more relaxed in the final season, Eleanor (Kristen Bell) found new layers of management skills and…
The WORST TV Characters of 2019
Note: As always, this list is made up of the worst characters on good TV shows or ones perceived to be quality since there’s really no point calling out bad characters on bad shows. Also, this is the very first time half the list has been made up of characters from the same series. I…
“Mr. Robot”–Ranking and Grading All the Seasons
Since this is literally the third “Mr. Robot” article I’ve written today, I won’t spend too much time writing this up. I just hope you enjoyed the series as much as I did, and look forward to seeing your rankings. The “Worst” Season: Season 2…This is a relatively easy one since season 2 lost the…
Mr. Robot’s Most Daring Feature: A Chinese Villain
[Note about spoilers: There are only the vaguest possible spoilers for the series finale–and all season four spoilers are only in the first two paragraphs. This article isn’t about that.] “Mr. Robot” is hands-down the most audacious Drama on television (sorry Damon Lindelof, I know you try). Any given episode can feature head trips, fake…
Mr. Robot’s Series Finale…WTF?
“Mr. Robot” is one of the most unusual (and I would say best) shows on television, so it only makes sense that the series finale would have most people either sobbing profusely while proclaiming “this is perfect” or scratching their heads saying “What the fuck was that?” Creator Sam Esmail has always been more than…
Ranking (and Grading) the Seasons of “Silicon Valley”
I almost didn’t want to do this for “Silicon Valley” since all the seasons are pretty close together in quality (even the “worst” one is only a B- grade). Most likely, if you enjoyed any of the seasons, you’ll want to watch all the way through–as the real reason to stop will be repetition more…
“Silicon Valley” Series Finale is Exactly as Depressing as You’d Think–Defying HBO’s “Aspiratonal” Bro-Comedies
“Silicon Valley” has always occupied a weird space in HBO’s roster of shows. HBO has had a high number of “aspirational” bro-comedies about guys trying to “make it big” in increasingly obscure job fields. Of course, I’m talking about the much-heckled “Entourage,” but also the fashion start-up “comedy” “How to Make it in America,” and…
The Fall Movies I’m Most (and Least) Looking Forward to
August is upon us, and that means fans of adult movies might, maybe, kind-of, sort-of get something besides a reboot of a sequel of an adaptation from a superhero remake. There’s still plenty of stuff for the Comic-Con crowd–because, well, when is there not these days? But if you’re experiencing sci-fi/fantasy burnout (other than “John…
TV Review AND Predictions: “Game of Thrones” (and “Veep”) Are Back
Our long-national nightmare is over. Two of HBO’s longest running shows are back for their final seasons, although only one may have needed to return… “Game of Thrones”…Yes, it’s been two long years, but let’s be honest–we would’ve waited a decade to see the resolution of the best fantasy series of all time. [Certainly, the…