So did any of you happen to watch Netflix’s new series, The OA over the weekend? I did, and WOW, I am not sure what I think about it. Is it good? Is it worth watching? I don’t know? I honestly don’t know whether to tell you to watch it or not: The OA, as it turns out, is a highly subjective and personal experience. Some of you might love it, others might be bored stupid by it, it is literally impossible for me to predict how you will react to it.
I do know that it is easily one of the most batshit insane series I’ve ever watched, and that I couldn’t look away. Without spoiling anything (or at least too much) here are things that are involved: modern dance, Phyllis from The Office yelling at people that they are child molesters, Pearl Jam’s “Better Man” being sung by a transgender kid, The Olive Garden, a people terrarium in an abandoned mine, a single engine plane that can somehow fly to Cuba from somewhere in the middle of the United States, a drowning helmet, a cure for ALS, people eating small creatures like birds and starfish, Russian oligarchs, Russian baby mills, Lucius Malfoy taking someone to the Grand Central Oyster Bar, flash mobs, internet passwords, and this drawing of Phyllis from The Office:
If you have watched The OA, here are a couple of spoilery pieces talking about all of its twists and turns and that ending. Do not read them if you have not watched, you’ve been warned. But then let me know in the comments what you thought, because, seriously, I am still not sure what I thought.
Political dissidents being arrested as domestic terrorists; tensions over the Iran nuclear deal; the President-elect squabbling with the CIA … This season of Homeland, which takes place in the days between the election and Inauguration Day, looks to be the most prescient, and possibly most upsetting, ever. It begins on January 15th.
A&E will air their KKK documentary, Generation KKK, beginning January 10, and people are questioning whether it should be aired at all. On the one hand, to fight against these hate groups we must understand them and shine a bright light on them, but on the other hand we run the risk of normalizing them — especially now in the wake of everything that is happening in our political atmosphere. What to do? (Air the documentary. That’s what we do.)
This is how the world ends, this is how the world ends, this is how the world ends, with Samantha Bee and Glenn Beck agreeing politically in Christmas sweaters:
While we’re talking about the President-elect and our dystopian future, Shep Smith was on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert where he said that Trump “brought us all to his tower, to worship at his feet,” because Shep Smith is awesome even if he is on Fox News. They also discussed this crazy-ass moment:
Charlie Hunnam would very much like to appear in the Sons of Anarchy spinoff, even though SPOILER ALERT, his character is very much dead.
The Game of Thrones spin-off could still happen, keep hope alive.
While we’re talking about spin-offs, The Good Fight trailer is here:
Honestly, what more do you need from a Twin Peaks trailer?
Gay and lesbian characters had a hard year on television. Here’s a look back at all the gay characters who were killed off on everything from Game of Thrones to The 100.
The Wet Hot American Summer kids (or as I like to call them, The State) are reuniting for the new TBS comedy Moon Cruise, a series that is being described as The Love Boat in space.
In other development news:
- Single White Female is being turned into a series by NBC.
- The guy who gave us Mr. Robot is making Homecoming, based on the podcast by the same name, into a series.
- Sam Esmail is also turning the classic movie Metropolis into a series.
- Fox is developing an AI series, Familiar, from the writer-producer of Sleepy Hollow.
- ABC has picked up Somewhere Between, a thriller about a woman trying to stop her daughter’s murder (she knows when and where it will happen, but not who will do it or why). It will air this summer.
Oh my God, Daryl broke up Pacey’s marriage? DIANE KRUGER, THAT MAN HASN’T TAKEN A SHOWER SINCE 1987. WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU?
Robert Durst is now saying he was high on meth the entire time he was filming The Jinx, which is certainly true.
R.I.P. Zsa Zsa Gabor, actress, fabulous human being.
In 1989, she was arrested for slapping a police officer who had pulled her over for a traffic violation and found that her license had expired and that she had an open vodka bottle in her car, a Rolls-Royce Corniche convertible. Breezing into court, she took the stand and, by turns haughty, coquettish, weepy and coarse, spoke of Gestapo tactics in Beverly Hills. The judge gave her 72 hours in jail.
“You just cannot drive a Rolls-Royce in Beverly Hills anymore, because they have it in for you,” she said after things had blown over.
WATCH THIS
First Lady Michelle Obama Says Farewell to the White House: An Oprah Winfrey Special: DON’T GO, PLEASE. OH GOD, PLEASE. 7 p.m., CBS
America’s Got Talent: Holiday Spectacular: Penn and Teller; Grace VanderWaal; the Clairvoyants; Brian Justin Crum; Olate Dogs; Sal Valentinetti; Jackie Evancho; Mat Franco; the Regurgitator; and Professor Splash perform and Simon Cowell has to be nice to all of them. 7 p.m., NBC
People of Earth: Ozzie has an important breakthrough in the hour-long season finale. 8 p.m., TBS
Late Night: Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Denzel Washington, Tony Bennett Late Night with Seth Meyers: Sarah Paulson, Taran Killam, Marc Andreyko, Tori Kelly, Craig Finn The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Tom Hanks, OK Go Conan: Edward Norton, Alan Tudyk, the Revivalists
| MON. | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 |
| ABC | The Great Christmas Light Fight (new) |
The Great American Baking Show(repeat) |
| CBS | Michelle Obama Says Goodbye to the White House (new) |
Man With a Plan (new) |
2 Broke Girls (new) |
Scorpion (new) |
| CW | Supergirl (repeat) |
Marie Claire Young Women’s Honors (new) |
Local |
| FOX | Gotham (repeat) |
Lucifer (repeat) |
News/Local |
| NBC | America’s Got Talent Holiday Spectacular (new) |
The Wall (new) |
I binged The OA over the weekend. I just didn’t want to stop. The storytelling held me. I also thought that it took really good actors and a lot of practice to not giggle through the dance movements. However, I don’t spend much time analyzing TV shows.