Succession (2018-23)

For quite a long stretch of time during the golden age of TV, Succession was the best show on air.  From the beginning, it spoke to our nightmare times. The Roy family was most closely modeled on the Murdochs but there is something undoubtedly Trumpian about it all, isn't there? It's so painfully realistic, it's terrifying at times. Succession was the perfect balance of comedy and (Shakespearean) tragedy. And it wasn't just clever writing. It was the comedic performances and the hilarious cameraman controlling the zoom lens. There are so many iconic moments that have entered the culture. I'm talking "L to the OG", boar on the floor, two safe rooms, crack some greggs to make a Tomelette, etc. Really any scene with Cousin Greg. 

The final season was announced ahead of the season premiere. Succession ran a tight four seasons, left us wanting more, rather than overstaying its welcome. There was a clear series arc that the showrunner Jesse Armstrong had clearly thought out.  And it took a bold swing in Season 4 Episode 3 that paid dividends. The final 3 episodes were excellent. I feel like they really stuck the landing. The final season leans more tragedy ("You are not serious people") than comedy, but it has its moments, like "it's not that lemony" and Connor arguing with Roman about ambassadorships. 

And how about that opening song by Nicholas Britell!

The Glass Castle (2017)

The Glass Castle is very ok. I hear the book is very good, but the movie wasn't really holding my attention. I've read about some key changes between the book and the movie that sort of change the dynamic of the movie. The premise was similar-ish to Captain Fantastic with regards to the unconventional father, but this movie wasn't as novel. It was also reminiscent of the bad parenting of The Meyerowitz Stories, but this movie is less funny and explores childhood more. I thought there would be more elaboration on why they were on the run--I thought that would be the plot that moves the story along, but that's not the case. The strongest bits were the adulthood scenes in which Brie Larson reflects on how her upbringing has affected her. Brie Larson is quite good as is Woody Harrelson. I think the biggest problem with the movie is that it can't decide what it wants the audience to think. They're horrible wacky parents, but are we supposed to sympathize with the parents by the end? Do we want them to reconcile? Not really. Maybe it's a little too sentimental for me.