Month: April 2023
‘Mrs. Davis,’ ‘Dead Ringers,’ ‘Judy Blume Forever’ and everything else you don’t want to miss on TV this week.
Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Somebody Somewhere (HBO)
Ana de Armas is fluently charming in an otherwise forgettable ‘Saturday Night Live’
Saturday Night Live
Ana de Armas & Karol G
April 16, 2023
I’ll admit it: I’ve seen Ana de Armas in exactly dos peliculas, and while I knew she was of Hispanic origin, my bias assumed that she was American putting on an accent … or something. I don’t know, as an admittedly stupid American, I guess I didn’t think about it at all. But nope! She’s Cuban and the accent is genuine (and lovely), and when de Armas leaned into her accent and heritage it produced delightful results. Otherwise, this week’s episode was rather mediocre — it certainly didn’t offend, but I won’t remember it this time next year, either.
‘Abbott Elementary’ is out here predicting the future. Look out, ‘Simpsons.’
The chances of George R.R. Martin finishing the damn books just plummeted.
‘La Brea’: In which they steal the whole Ethan Rom thing
La Brea
“Murder in the Clearing”
January 31, 2023
Continue reading “‘La Brea’: In which they steal the whole Ethan Rom thing”
It’s time to binge ‘Beef,’ your new favorite weird show
Bring out the big pointy chair: ‘House of the Dragon’ has begun production on season two
Molly Shannon’s ‘Saturday Night Live’ homecoming is a giddy hug
Saturday Night Live
Molly Shannon & The Jonas Brothers
April 8, 2023
Molly Shannon was on Saturday Night Live for only 6 1/2 seasons*, from 1995 until 2001, but she left a remarkable imprint on the series, creating a number of memorable characters, including Mary Katherine Gallagher who had her own feature film, Superstar. Shannon has a very specific comedic personality: sweet, awkward, and with a feralness burbling under the surface. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that her two most famous characters, Mary Katherine and Sally O’Malley are women on the opposite ends of the age spectrum, who are discovering and celebrating their own sexuality and power. And Shannon manages to get away with all of it, the armpit sniffing and the cameltoe brandishing, because she radiates an innocence and gentleness that you just can’t be offended by.
Shannon brought all of this goofy energy to this week’s Saturday Night Live — her second time hosting the series (the first was in 2007). It wasn’t a great episode like last week’s hosted by Quinta Brunson, but it was a comfortable and familiar blanket of an episode, and Shannon is welcome to come home anytime.
*Fun fact: Shannon replaced Janeane Garofalo in February of 1995 when Garofalo left the show over creative differences.
Continue reading “Molly Shannon’s ‘Saturday Night Live’ homecoming is a giddy hug”
