Reviews – The Warren Room

The Warren Room Roundup – 06/28

A quick look back at the recently-concluded seasons of American Gods, Better Call Saul and Fargo.

Welcome to The Roundup! You’ve stumbled upon a special type of post where I provide mini-reviews of shows I’ve been watching. As much as I wish I could, I just don’t have time to give every show I watch a full write-up. So this is my attempt at a compromise. Going forward, my intent is to balance these mini-reviews with longer, more in-depth posts when I have the time. Each of the three shows I’ll be reviewing today more than merit discussion, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t share my thoughts on them.

Today, we’re taking a (spoiler-free) look at three shows that concluded their seasons this past week: American Gods, Better Call Saul, and Fargo. So without further ado, let’s dive in.

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What’s this about ratings? A look at the metrics that power the TV industry

When I first began to develop an interest in TV, one of the first things I did was learn as much as I could about ratings. I’m not talking about critical ratings, but viewership and demographics. I sought to learn how TV shows turned a profit and what metric was used to quantify their success. I discovered the answer was far from simple. Nonetheless, I’m going to try and simplify it for you today. Hopefully, after reading this post you’ll understand a little bit more about how TV works.

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Amazon’s ‘Bosch’ Delivers a Riveting Crime Show Anchored By A Stellar Cast

Amazon’s ‘Bosch’ is a well executed cop show that makes for a good binge.

There’s something satisfying about watching a TV show that isn’t particularly revolutionary but simply does what it does well. With more TV shows than ever available to us, each is shooting for the ceiling trying to capture our interest with unique premises and grand scopes. Unfortunately, many of these shows fall flat due to reasons like poor pacing, bad writing or a story that can’t sustain itself. Amazon’s crime thriller Bosch avoids those pitfalls by simply executing a fantastic version of the crime drama. With season three recently released on Amazon Prime, I thought now would be a good time to take a look at what made Bosch stand out to me in this crowded TV landscape.

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‘Logan’ brings the story of Wolverine to an emotional close

In an age where every superhero movie seems to be all about delivering the biggest spectacle Logan, directed by James Mangold and starring Hugh Jackman (in his final turn as the titular character), is determined to give you the opposite. This is not a superhero film. Logan is an intense and moving film that features comic book characters. Yes, there’s some great action set pieces but by and large, this film is focused on bringing the story of Wolverine to a fitting conclusion.

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’24: Legacy’ Is More Of The Same, Just Without Jack To Anchor It

It’s second verse, same as the first from this reboot of the classic series.

Nostalgia is a powerful force. We are naturally attracted to the familiar; it brings us a sense of comfort. So it’s no wonder that the entertainment industry traffics in nostalgia. Hollywood is built on sequels and remakes because they belong to pre-sold properties. They have to work less to get people to see/watch them. The TV industry is no different.

Revivals have become quite the trend in recent years with shows like Gilmore Girls, The X-Files and Heroes all coming back after multiple years off the air. The reception for this revivals has been mixed at best. If anything this practice has proven how hard it is to recapture the magic that a show had while it was on the air. In the case of 24: Legacy, we get a new cast transplanted into the same stories that the original told nine times over between 2001-2010 (and a miniseries in 2014). While this reboot shows signs of bringing new perspectives to the old 24 model, the three episodes I’ve seen suggest this new incarnation is simply more of the same.

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The Top 10 Films of 2016

If you need some good films to watch, check out this list from Luke Atkins!

NEORENAISSANCE MAN

One of the most critically-acclaimed films ever just came out, and nobody knows it?Is Arrival the next Interstellar? What superhero film topped Deadpool? Finding Dory got toasted by other animated films? Etc. Everybody has questions—here are some answers. And since we are all tired of 2016, I’ll keep things simple.

10. Star Trek Beyond

Rating: PG-13. Rotten Tomatoes: 84%. Metacritic: 68.

A continuation of a complex series but also a comfortable standalone (with fantastic visuals yet again), Star Trek Beyond is an explosive carnival of fun; it is dazzling, dizzying, & delightful. Rogue One—while surely not a failure—relied on its name for value, but STB found its own organic personality.

9. 10 Cloverfield Lane

Rating: PG-13. Rotten Tomatoes: 90%. Metacritic: 76.

10-cloverfield-lane-movie-teaser-trailer

10 Cloverfield Lane is a suffocating confrontation of mysterious drama. Eerie and dark, it is a slow-burning psychological attack on our innate fears of ourselves and our surroundings. And…

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Review: Netflix’s ‘The Crown’ Dazzles With Its Complex Portrait Of The Life Of Queen Elizabeth II

Claire Foy leads the cast in the drama that takes a beautiful look into the life of a Queen.

In the world of “Peak TV,” every outlet is searching for the show that will not only bring them attention but also awards. Since it began producing original shows in earnest in 2013, Netflix has had no lack of attention drawn to its service. With big shows like House of Cards, Stranger Things, and any of the shows it produces with Marvel, they’ve given people plenty of things to watch and talk about. Yet despite the amount of shows produced by Netflix (many of which are of high quality), awards have by and large skipped their shows. Yes, House of Cards received a few Emmy nominations but the critical consensus has mostly passed that show by. With The Crown, Netflix has made a serious bid into the realm of “prestige drama,” one that is sure to bring them the award attention they’ve been seeking.

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