My Top Three This Week
Greetings to all my semi-constant readers. I have bee taking some time off this summer to travel and see shows and just enjoy the summer. Some of my top picks were Hamiliton (finally) and Patti Lupone one woman show " Don"t Monkey around with Broadway" , Robyn and the amazing Troye Sivan and in Deer Vally Utah the incredible Kristin Chenowith featuring songs off her upcoming album. And to top it all off Shanghai Disneyland. What a summer it was!
1) Years and Years on HBO is one of the most terrifying series on television now. This limited years is a magnifying glass set on the not too distant future and it is an entirely too real . The story opens in 2019 with an unusual family (the Lyons) in Manchester England and follow them for around 15 years that flip rapidly on screen. The events that seem to start with the introduction of Viv Rook ( Emma Thompson ) who becomes a political figure that divides the nation not unlike Trump. The Lyons family struggles with gay marriage, deportation and the fall of financial institutions and a looming war. This feels like the events that we as a nation are running toward as we speak. Technology in this was a believable jump from today's. The cast featuring Rory Kinnear, Lydia West, Maxim Baldry , Anne Reid and the amazing Russell Tovey will make you weep and laugh. A British series that I cannot praise enough.
2) Why Women Kill streaming on CBS All Access is a little Desperate Housewives and Dynasty with a twist of Disney in technicolor . The series is a multi generational tale following three story lines of three unhappy marriages from the 60s, 80s and 2019. The wardrobes are fabulous, the set design- divine and the three actresses portraying the ladies in question are in every way ready to snap in the best possible way. Lucy Liu, Ginnifer Goodwin and Kirby Howell Baptiste are each the embodiment of their era as they deal with cheating spouses. And the men are perfect foils without being obvious villains. This is a fun watch
3) The Terror - Infamy is the second installment of this acclaimed series on AMC from Ridley Scott and this installment is even more interesting than the last to me. Set in 1940s California prior to Pearl Harbor and and the aftermath in small fishing village - Terminal Island in California where Japanese Americans lived peacefully until the infamous attack in 1941. The horrors that follow are not only because of World War II but a ghostly presence is inhabiting the villagers and on to the internment camps they are moved to. Based on true events with a supernatural twist. Our main character Chester Nakayama (Derek Mio) is in trouble with a college girl and his trouble escalates when his father gets interned following the Pearl Harbor attack. Something else is wrong- a spirit seems to be killing people - an Obake based on Japanese folklore. The cast is superb featuring The George Takai who also helped in an advisory fashion as well. The sense of dread that follows each scene is enhanced by the music and incredible cinematography .
