Time Crunched Critics

Weekly Crunch - Scarpetta, The Madison, Rooster & Imperfect Women

• Jennifer and Mike • Season 1 • Episode 24

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This week the Time Crunched Critics review the complete first seasons of Scarpetta and The Madison, and the first few episodes of Rooster and Imperfect Women.  Are these shows worthwhile watches or safe skips? Plus, they give their Be Kind, Rewind picks of the week. 

Have a show request or recommendation? Have a question or a comment? Email us at timecrunchedcritics@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you!

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SPEAKER_00

Welcome back to another episode. Today's episode is a weekly crunch. We have been busy since the Oscars. We started and finished two new shows and started another two shows that are on a weekly release schedule.

SPEAKER_01

We'll be reviewing the new Amazon Prime thriller series Scarpetta, the new HBO Max comedy series Rooster, the new Paramount Plus drama The Madison, and Apple TV's psychological thriller miniseries, Imperfect Woman.

SPEAKER_00

And of course, we will wrap up with our Be Kind Rewind Picks.

SPEAKER_01

What do you say? Should we get on with this Imperfect Podcast? Cockadoodle-doo. Let's do it.

SPEAKER_00

Welcome to Time Crunched Critics.

SPEAKER_01

We're two TV lovers who watch a little too much TV, so you don't have to.

SPEAKER_00

We're here to give you our honest reviews on what's a worthwhile watch and what you can safely skip.

SPEAKER_01

Because we know what it's like to be crunched for time.

SPEAKER_00

Alright, we have a lot to cover.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Do you want to start with Scarpetta, since that was the show that we started and finished first?

SPEAKER_01

You know, I'm gonna be honest, I don't want to start with any of them. Oh you know a little foreshadowing here. Um you know, coming back, it wasn't feeling well for the last couple weeks, and now that I'm back, I you know, we got through a lot of shows, but I don't know, not too blown away by any here, but it is what it is.

SPEAKER_00

It is what it is.

SPEAKER_01

We're here to steer the people in their direction.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, some are better than others, and some shows are great for some people. We'll let you know who those people let's do it.

SPEAKER_01

Why don't you start us off?

SPEAKER_00

All right, well Scarpetta. This is a crime drama series. All eight episodes of season one are currently available. This one is on Amazon Prime. It is based on the long-running crime novel series by author Patricia Cornwell. The premise is a brilliant medical examiner's new case forces her to confront a cold case from her past, blurring the lines between her professional and personal life. The story unfolds across two timelines, the present day and 1998. Mike, overall, did you like it? Did you not? Vibes.

SPEAKER_01

It it was okay. I mean, I think normally the from the description, this w would have been our show, you know. Um, but it just it it didn't really hook me. Yeah. Um, and it had some weird parts, and you know, again, because it didn't hook me, here I am going to my you know, second device or whatever, you know, casually reading the news or doing something else. And like there's just a couple things that seemed unnecessary.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

And it's like, is this from the books? Like, does it like it just doesn't seem like it needs to be in the show?

SPEAKER_00

I was curious about the source material on this one, and I did a little digging because I'm not familiar with the author and her books, but she does have a fan base, a pretty strong fan base, and a lot of novels, and apparently, you know, really great stories. So I do think that the source material and where this is inspired from seems pretty solid and liked. But I had the same question. I was like, is this it felt, and we'll get into it, but it felt more like a lot of different books. I was confused with all the intertwinings of what was going on. But overall, I just want to say to your point, like, I did not enjoy the show as much as I thought that I would. I this has a star-studded cast. It was greenlit for two seasons right away, by the way. Wow. And and again, like I said, the source material is extremely well loved. So I thought, oh, this is gonna be great. I think I so I went into it with a higher expectation because of the cast, the source material. It was greenlit for two seasons right away. But it yeah, it just didn't hit for me. I I feel like the tone really felt messy and the acting choices didn't always land, and the casting falls off in some crucial ways. And uh, I don't know, I just was kind of bored and confused. But um, let's just start with some glows. Let's just give it the glows.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. What are the glows? I mean, I I will say that I enjoyed the flashbacks.

SPEAKER_00

You just like the 1998 flashbacks.

SPEAKER_01

I thought they did a good job in the casting. Yeah. Um, it was interesting to kind of go back and see it's like, okay, we're seeing these characters now, but this case happened a while back. So that went well as like a narrative device.

SPEAKER_00

And just to off of what you just said too, with with the flashbacks, the actress that was in the flashback, she played the young Scarpetta. I think she was the star of the whole show. I think she was a big glow.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, and so I I liked that as a way to kind of show why the characters are who they are.

SPEAKER_00

I thought another glow would be the high production value at times. Like you could tell they had a lot of money on this. It looked really great. It was moody, it was polished. It felt like I could see what it was trying to be with how it looked. And it they they did. They did it great. And I think that the bones are solid. Like I said, another glow was the source material. I really like the idea of it.

SPEAKER_01

And says the show the bones are solid with the show about the medical examiner.

SPEAKER_00

I didn't even realize that. But I I feel like it was there and it just didn't work. But I do think the source material, from what I read, I'm not familiar with her books. She does have a big fan base who are like, her books are so good. So on to, I guess, the grows. Because we have more of these. I love Nicole Kidman in a lot of roles, but this is not one of them. I don't think I think she was miscast, especially because they had a younger version of this of Dr. K Scarpetta, and then they have the older version, and the older version's Nicole Kidman, and the Nicole Kidman's version doesn't pair with the younger version. It felt like it was two completely different people, not the same character.

SPEAKER_01

I feel like whenever I see her name, I expect kind of you know big big things. But the last few shows she's been in has been a a bit of a letdown, right? The one where I mean I didn't really care for the one where she was a therapist, and they made two seasons of that.

SPEAKER_00

The one where she was a therapist.

SPEAKER_01

With Melissa McCarthy was in the first season.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, nine perfect strangers. Yeah. I liked season one.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I mean it was okay, but it's just like you know, when her name gets to attach to a show, it's I I guess I kind of expect more, but but maybe I shouldn't. Like, she's she's been a lot of stuff in the She's in a lot of things, she's very busy.

SPEAKER_00

I really liked her in Big Little Lies. I liked her in The Undoing.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, Big Little Lies.

SPEAKER_00

I liked her in Practical Magic. That was a long time ago.

SPEAKER_01

But yeah, long time. Like, so that's the thing. We have fond memories of shows and movies with her.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, this one just it just didn't fit. And honestly, I I really need Hollywood to stop casting her as an American because I just think her accent is not a good American accent. Like, she's a great actress, but when she tries to play American, I can always tell that she's Australian or she or or like her cake her cadence and something comes off as kind of British sounding. And when we were watching Scarpetta, I felt that. Did you not kind of feel sometimes she'd say something, and I'm like, okay, the young Dr. Kay Scarpetta clearly is American, and then she aged and kind of turned slightly British. That's weird.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, yeah. She's always had a uh tinged, it's like British tinged, and I know she's Australian, but it It's funny because at least in our house, like Australian TV shows are having a moment, uh, especially with our kids. So true. And it's just you know, just keep just have your original accent. You like don't try it.

SPEAKER_00

Just have her be Australian because she sounds great. She acts great. Just have her be Australian, yeah. I don't know. Those are like my two main ones. I didn't love the plot.

SPEAKER_01

You know, the show in general.

SPEAKER_00

I mean, what do you think about your girls?

SPEAKER_01

I mean, mine there's just a couple of things that I felt like they didn't have to do. Um, I mean, I don't think this is a big spoiler, but the one person basically has like an AI girlfriend.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

And I'm just thinking it's like, yeah, I mean, I kind of get it, but it but it because it's like it's the hot topic these days. Yeah. But it's like, why, you know, why bother? I it doesn't really add much, and it's just kind of it's kind of weird. Like maybe they did more with it in the book.

SPEAKER_00

But it feels like I And that's where I think what I was saying, like it felt like it must have been so many books mixed because it was sometimes it was this gritty crime drama, and then sometimes it was a family melodrama, and just so much fighting and arguing, and then sometimes it was like science and space, science, sci-fi absurdity, and like that's my other thing that sticks out.

SPEAKER_01

It's like I just remember this again, and this is at the point where I've kind of lost interest, but it's like we might as well finish it. Right. There was a part that involved like a um um a space um orbiter, right? A space station, a space station, and you know, a satellite for very like technical reasons. And they needed to she needed to attend to it as the medical examiner. And but the thing that kind of bothered me, it's like you know, space is pretty big, and I don't remember them really talking about how it happened to land in like the same city that they needed that you that was like a car drive away, somehow was related to their crime scene in some weird way or something, and it was like bio-engineered human stuff, and I'm like, what?

SPEAKER_00

And maybe they did explain it, but I I I didn't catch what was going on because it did, because then it went into back to like gritty crime drama and then family stuff, and then it ended. And I will say season one ends it it is unfinished, right? I mean, it kind of left you on a um some people like that, some people don't. It's hard when a show ends on a cliffhanger like that, and you don't know if it's gonna get renewed. We know for sure a second season is coming, so perhaps that will help people maybe want to watch it, but I I don't know.

SPEAKER_01

No, yeah, the twists like it had some twists, like try to keep you guessing, you know, murder mystery, that type of thing. And but I was just like the ones that they did reveal and didn't save, like I was just kind of unimpressed.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Um, it didn't do much for me.

SPEAKER_00

I'm gonna give this one a five.

unknown

Okay.

SPEAKER_00

And on my rating rubric, my five and six is kind of meh, watchable but forgettable and inconsistent. And I'm gonna put it there versus like a four, which would be pores. Four would be like major flaws that outweigh the positives, and I was teetering on that. But the reason I'm gonna give this one a five is that I do think it was entertaining and it got my attention at times, and I do like most of the cast, but it's just on the border. I don't know if it's gonna be for anyone, really, or for everyone. Yeah, I don't know.

SPEAKER_01

I'd probably I'll probably give it the four.

SPEAKER_00

You're gonna give it the four, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

All right, let's move on. Let's move on. All right, the next show is Rooster. Rooster is a comedy series on HBO Max. There are currently four episodes out with new episodes dropping every Sunday. Rooster is a comedy revolving around an author's intricate bond with his daughter set against the backdrop of a college campus. Jennifer, how did you feel about Rooster?

SPEAKER_00

Well, I went into Rooster with very little idea of what to expect. I just literally just saw it on HBO Max as a show. Had never heard of it. And we watched three episodes, and I can honestly say I'm still not entirely sure where it's gonna go. I don't dislike it. In fact, there are moments that I genuinely did enjoy, and there's characters that I'm liking, but I'm just not convinced that it's gonna be a consistent fixture in my viewing rotation for years to come, right? I'm gonna finish the season. There's only four uh uh four episodes out at this time, but I'm gonna finish the season, but I don't know about its staying power in my life after that. What did you think?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I wonder, I just you mentioned staying power in your life, and I wonder if we're judging it unfairly because you know Steve Carell's in it, and you know, the office is a stain power, so I oh for sure. It's like we compare you know everything Steve Carell's in, it's like, oh, we love the the one show so much, and so it's a high bar to pass. I will say that the rooster, the pilot episode, came on way too strong for me. And like, like I said, I don't know what this it's trying to be about. I didn't find it particularly funny. Like I um I like where where is the how's the season going to like is this storyline the one they're gonna follow or this other one? Yeah, it's like I don't know, it doesn't seem that interesting, and so I'm you know, unfortunately, I don't think I'll finish it with you. Really? Yeah, I don't know.

SPEAKER_00

I'll finish the season. I mean, you can let you know.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, maybe I'll get a second or third screen while you watch it. Second or third screen while you watch this one, but yeah, I don't know, it's just not just not worth it.

SPEAKER_00

Okay.

SPEAKER_01

Uh I mean, I think the the second episode did it toned it down. Like the like I said, the first one was just kind of just way too much for me for some reason. And the the second one is like, okay, this is let's let's relax, let's tell some stories here. But I still didn't enjoy it all that much. Um, and I'm fine just not watching it. I mean, I will say that if it once all the episodes come out and someone says, Oh, that's you know it's amazing, you should go back, like I definitely will. Yeah, but at this point, I'd just rather do something else.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I do think that it's lacking a clear anchor plot. This was something that I was talking about with a friend at dinner yesterday. Is I feel like I'm still waiting for the show central hook to reveal itself. Right now, it's like it's about a man helping his daughter, starting starting a new job. It's that's fine, but it doesn't quite feel like enough. Like, what's the overall goal? What is the driving point, the through line, right? Like a lot of shows have a main, main, main plot, and then a lot of little subplots, but there's still that overall goal. And this one, I'm like, what is the overall goal?

SPEAKER_01

It's like I'm gonna, I mean, I'm gonna go to work, but no one's gonna film it and make eight episodes about it. Yeah, I don't know.

SPEAKER_00

I just there's something I'm missing with the plot. Um, to really be like, ah, this is what it's about. So I I hear you. Steve Carell is amazing in it. Comedy is where he shines. I think that he's funny in this. It's not off as funny, but it is more than comedy, I feel it is. He's just so he brings a lot of warmth and charm and effortless humor, you know. Like he's just funny without trying. And I do think that the setting is really appealing. I love that it takes place at a university. It's I don't know, it just maybe is a little nostalgic for me.

SPEAKER_01

I like that. I like the classic college campuses, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

And it's lends itself, you know, there's gonna be some good storylines with students and maybe faculty drama or a campus event or like academic quirks and stuff. Like I feel like it lends itself to a good story setting. And also the campus just looks really beautiful. I think I think if you're a fan of Ted Lasso or Shrinking, because this is the creator of Ted Lasso and Shrinking, and it shows it has a similar warmth and just feel good nature as those, but then also a similar people don't talk like this, like this kind of stuff isn't this isn't really how things are, but it's kind of just like feels feels good.

SPEAKER_01

It's interesting though, because I like shrinking. Ted Lasso was okay. I feel like that benefited a lot from yeah, COVID's a weird place, and let's let's talk about things online. Um, but I like that show is okay, but yeah, yeah, I don't know. That storytelling didn't translate well to this show yet, but again because there's no through line, there's no big anchor plot point.

SPEAKER_00

Like with shrinking, he is grieving the death of his wife and he's gymming his patients, and that's kind of the main thing. And then there's all the subplot around it.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, and like like we talked about, I guess the first season of shrinking was the best. And if all of the seasons were just like the most recent ones, it would be slightly more mediocre. I I like the story of the first season better.

SPEAKER_00

Because it had a through line.

SPEAKER_01

Through lines, man.

SPEAKER_00

I do think, I don't know, if you like Steve Carell, you might want to check this one out. But if you are looking for big laughs or a like a really strong plot, this might not be for you. But it's it's quick, it's pretty warm and light and easy. I think you could throw it on and decide for yourself. Do a crochet project during it like I do sometimes. Yeah. Should we move on to the Madison?

SPEAKER_01

We should.

SPEAKER_00

All right, tell us about the Madison, Mike.

SPEAKER_01

The Madison is a new drama series starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell as a wealthy New York family, the Clyburns, who are drawn to Montana after tragedy. It's a standalone family saga about grief, resilience, and human connection set in the Madison River Valley. The first season is six episodes, and all episodes are available to watch now on on Paramount Plus and Amazon Prime. Jennifer, what did you feel about the Madison?

SPEAKER_00

This show was not on my radar until I stumbled across an interview of Kurt Russell and Michelle Pfeiffer promoting it. I was like on TikTok and I saw them sitting with a person, and I thought, why are Kurt Russell and Michelle Pfeiffer sitting here talking? And then I learned about the Madison and I thought, Kurt Russell and Michelle Pfeiffer are a married couple. Like, I'm sold. I love Kurt Russell. I and Michelle Pfeiffer, I grew up watching both of them, and I I've I've said this before. Kurt Russell reminds me of my dad. I adore him. So I turned it on. And going in, I I told you, I'm like, we're gonna watch this show. I don't know anything about it. I didn't even really know what the genre was. And the first episode quickly makes it clear it's a story about family grief and possibly like hating New York City or hating the city in general. Like that's kind of what I was feeling. This just isn't really my usual genre. And I'm glad I watched it. I think it's nice to have a genre palette cleanse. The show overall wasn't entirely too exciting or engaging for me. I do think it would resonate with some people. I think for me, it was a fine watch. It was a good show to crochet during, but I don't know. I don't know if a drama like this and just dealing with grief is enough for me, for what I personally like.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I mean, for me, the the the messaging is pretty obvious, I think, and it didn't really grow. Like in the in the first episode, you know, a lot of the points are, you know, we're you know, we're more than our possessions, and we should, you know, strive for more connections and you know things like that. It's not about things, it's about people, it's not about exactly there's a million ways to say it, but that's kind of the message and all the messages we kind of know, and it's kind of in your face the whole time and doesn't change, which is which is not that I don't bel believe in that message, it's just like they don't do anything new with it. So it's like if you like repeats of that message and big panoramic views of Montana, boy, have I got a show for you because there's eight episodes of the same message and the same panoramic views.

SPEAKER_00

Yes. Okay, so to the let's do the glows first. My main glow is Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell.

SPEAKER_01

You just love Kurt.

SPEAKER_00

I love them. I think they're so wonderful together. I think that they have What if it was Goldie Hahn? Oh, wow.

SPEAKER_01

Oscars.

SPEAKER_00

Ah yeah, but they have such great chemistry and like them together in the scenes when they had scenes together, those are like my favorite to watch. I just love them together. I think that Michelle Pfeiffer alone, too, she is really like delivering an emotional performance here, and she was wonderful to watch. I also think that the scenery was a huge glow. I mean, you can't really beat the beauty of this backdrop. It's like the landscapes are serene and cinematic and soothing, and I've never been to Montana. It was fun to see it all, and it's just very calming and beautiful. Yeah. The shots were great. Right. And I would say yes, I think that the um the themes are are relatable. I think it's tackling universal experiences, so that's kind of a glow, right? That can reach a lot of people, like the loss of a loved one and complicated family dynamics and the heaviness of grief, grief. There's something good there that they're hitting on.

SPEAKER_01

It's not that the message is bad.

SPEAKER_00

I'm just trying to say a glow is that it's universal. Yeah. And so I think it's relatable in a way. But now we'll get to the grows, because that's clearly where you're at. I just had a bad week of television.

SPEAKER_01

Uh I don't know. I mean, I I agree with that that the you know, now I want to spend some time in Montana for sure. Uh hopefully for different reasons.

SPEAKER_00

But uh hopefully not because anyone dies, right, right. And we have to go.

SPEAKER_01

I guess I I guess I kept waiting for something a little bit more to happen because like all the things you said, you know, of course, are real and of course you know, things we have to think about and grapple with, but it that doesn't just it just doesn't change or evolve like during the whole time.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, they didn't do a whole lot with it. I feel like it was very underdeveloped in some certain parts. Like it almost felt like it almost feels like it's a first draft. Like they they had this template here and it was good, but like they didn't quite develop some of the stuff. Like the characters, even the secondary characters, like we We have um Matthew Fox. He's the brother. He's cast in this, and his part is so minor. They we never really understand like who he was or why his relationship mattered beyond like surface level symbolism that they were trying to show us. But I'm like, this is a missed opportunity for something bigger. Like this is Matthew Fox.

SPEAKER_01

I think a couple of minutes like spread out over the episodes on kind of learning his story a little bit.

SPEAKER_00

But they didn't really go sprint to it and give him much. And that's how and then overall. And overall, like the relationships even felt rushed and unearned. Yeah. Like the one relationship that I was complaining about because I thought this escalated quickly. It is hard to take it seriously.

SPEAKER_01

It felt forced. Was that um, you know, they they spent a lot of time just saying like how out of place this family is in Montana. And it's like, oh, I'm about to go in this river in my five thousand dollar pants. Like, you know, it's it's like I'm a I'm just I just don't know what to do, you know. And and like I get it, but it's it's just not interesting after a certain point, and and I just don't particularly find it funny.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

I think it reminded me in some way about like Shits Creek as well, because they do the same thing there. It's like you know, it's a wealthy family that's kind of forced to move to a not so wealthy area. That's a good point, and they have to adjust. But the thing is, like, Shits Creek was very funny. Yeah, but I didn't find those moments where they were just like, oh, this you know, city person will never understand the country life. You know, like I just yeah I never thought those parts were funny, but the show was funny in a lot of other ways that it carried it. And I mean, this show wasn't meant to be funny.

SPEAKER_00

You mean Shits Creek was funny in a lot of other ways?

SPEAKER_01

It was funny in so many other ways that didn't involve that same joke over and over and over again, yeah. Right. Whereas this show, you know, made that joke 20, 30 times, and it's just yeah, like I don't know. Like I'm just kind of we get it, right? And um, and it didn't have you know, it was never meant to be a comedy, but the drama even didn't redeem it for me. Yeah, whereas Shitskrieg had, like I said, comedy in other ways. Yeah, I agree with you, but it's so popular this show.

SPEAKER_00

It's so popular, yeah. And it's it it that's why I had to go online and look because I was like, are we completely off here? But some people really love it. I think if you like like Yellowstone, so this is from the creator of Yellowstone, and this this was intended to be a Yellowstone spin-off, but it's kind of its own standalone. I never watched Yellowstone, did you?

SPEAKER_01

No, I I kind of been meaning to because that's at the top of the charts for for a long time. A lot of people talk about it.

SPEAKER_00

I don't know if we're just totally missing something or or if this just really isn't our genre, this like western kind of just drama. I mean, do you call this a western? I guess kind of like country. I don't know. They there's horses, yeah. But yeah, I I'm not I'm not totally sure why it's like so so so so so loved. Right. But I mean it has aspects. I'm gonna give this one, I'm gonna say a six for the genre because I'm just not familiar with the genre as much because you know it had emotion and atmosphere and beautiful scenery, had veteran actors giving really thoughtful performances, and I did enjoy it while I crocheted. Will I watch a season two? I think I will for this one, and for Scarpeta, I can tell you I don't think I'm going to, so that's kind of why I'm giving this one a slightly higher rating, because I'm more inclined to watch season two for probably for Kurt and Michelle, honestly. I don't know, that might be my driving force.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I mean, yeah, he's he's got your claws in here. I think if I'm giving Scarpeta a four, then I I'll have to give this a four as well.

SPEAKER_00

Oh my god. So for a four, four is poor major flaws that outweigh positives. Yeah. Yep. I mean, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

I just didn't didn't care for it. I think time is better spent elsewhere, um, at least for my taste.

SPEAKER_00

Okay. Should we move on?

SPEAKER_01

Let's move on.

SPEAKER_00

All right, we're gonna jump to the last show that we're gonna talk about today in this segment is Imperfect Women. Imperfect Women is a new Apple TV psychological thriller miniseries starring Carrie Washington, Elizabeth Moss, and Kate Mara. It is based on Araminta Hall's novel by the same name. The eight-episode series follows three lifelong friends whose bond is shattered by a murder, exploring themes of guilt, betrayal, and the secrets hidden beneath their seemingly perfect lives. There are currently three episodes available to watch. We have watched two of those episodes, and here are our thoughts so far, Mike.

SPEAKER_01

Um in a bad mood. Um, I mean, I think it was kind of just it was kind of just blah, I think. Like, I I'm not I I feel like this is a show we're gonna end up finishing.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, we have to get to the mystery, we gotta solve it.

SPEAKER_01

I'm not gonna completely write it off, but it's like, you know, this type of thing we typically will watch through just because you know, when I think of this versus you know, Rooster, I feel like this is the show we tend to finish more often, or this is the series.

SPEAKER_00

Well, it has a very clear plot. There is a mystery that needs to be solved, like who killed this person?

SPEAKER_01

Right, that's the through plot, and we want to get to the end of it. Um, but I'm not like I don't know, I just don't care about it yet.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. Um I agree with you. I'm finding this one really slow and drawn out. I kept waiting for a sense of urgency or like real tension to kick in, like, okay, and just nothing has happened yet. I know we've only watched two episodes, but just that's how I feel after two episodes. It is a very much familiar feeling, glossy murder mystery focusing on rich people. And unfortunately, it's landing in an already oversaturated market. So we've seen the story before the wealthy friends, the buried secrets, a shocking death, and this like unraveling of relationships. So to me, it's not doing enough to distinguish from the pack. I'm gonna forget this one.

SPEAKER_01

I will say, like, I mentioned this so many times before, but like I don't particularly care for I feel like stories about the 1% of people with these, you know, fabulous lifestyles are it's just it just seems like easy storytelling. It's just like a plot point to get people hooked because they want to put themselves in those lives. And I feel like all the four of these shows are like that, and they just know that that sells, and it's just like lazy storytelling. I feel like all four of these had some. Is it us, or is it just like you can't avoid it?

SPEAKER_00

Is Scarpetta about the one that's gonna be? Yeah, Scarpetta, the sister was uh oh yeah, she's like loaded, exactly, and then the the Madison, they're so loaded, they're like wealth beyond wealth.

SPEAKER_01

Scarpetta. I mean, so Scarpettaw Rooster, Rooster, I mean their college. No, the wife had the whole wing of the student center was you know, a lot of it was funded by her, he's a successful you know, author. Oh, that's true. They they basically like people with a lot of means, yeah. And I feel like, you know, in a lot in some ways that makes them able to have more interesting storylines besides just going to work every day. Um that's true, but it's just like it's just a little lazy, and so here we are again with you know what's what's peeked behind the curtain of these, you know, all the wealthy people. Yeah, oh I can't believe they're so murderous, yeah. You know, and their tennis lessons they're so backstabby.

SPEAKER_00

Uh their tennis lessons. Yeah, I yeah, it just all blends together too. Like, I don't know. This one really reminded me of Big Little Lies when I first when it opened. But Big Little Lies was more exciting and thrilling and enticing. And this one so far, I'm like, uh, I'm bored.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. Um I think it's unfortunate that you know, what's the now I can't think of the name of the Elizabeth Moss's recent Handmaid's Tale? I think I I've kind of had my fair like we watched Handmaid's Tale, the the whole thing, and yeah, you know, some seasons are better than others, but anyway, I had a lot of Elizabeth Moss in recent memory, and so it's like I'm just like too familiar with her. You're like, get her off my screen.

SPEAKER_00

Well, in Handmaid's Tale, they're like always zooming in on her face. And it's like we it gets to a point where you just look at Elizabeth Moss and you're like, no.

SPEAKER_01

She's gonna make you know one of three expressions and they're gonna zoom in. She's gonna was that it? Yeah, the exactly. I'm doing it. It was always a very similar shot.

SPEAKER_00

It was just like now to see her again, and it's it is hard to dis uh to anyway.

SPEAKER_01

She's great. Please write to our podcast.

SPEAKER_00

She is great. She no, she's a really great actress. Um, she is. But it is hard to separate her from Handmaid's Tale. I don't think that's been a long time I'm not that's not her fault.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

That it's just a reality. And Steve Grill in the office. And Steve Grill in the office, yeah. But you it is hard. You someone plays a character for so long, you watch them, and and it it is jarring to see her in this, and you're like, oh, you're not June?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. A fred?

SPEAKER_00

Offred or whatever. Like we already said, the main issues here for the girls, it's like the pacing, the engagement. I need more tension, I need more reason to really like lean in. The mystery's not really quite enough.

SPEAKER_01

It just doesn't stand out yet.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, the genre is just so crowded. You need it to stand out. This one's not standing out so much so far. We'll see. I'm gonna keep watching. I know you said that you'll keep watching it with me. I'll probably do my crochet project while I watch. I'm working on a blanket for anyone who cares, and it's very big, it's taking a long time. But yeah, I I don't know.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, we gotta solve the mystery at this point.

SPEAKER_00

We gotta get to the mystery. So I think that if you like, maybe if you like big little lies or the undoing, you might this might be your vibe, but I think it's still more boring than those two. So I'm not sure where it's gonna go, but yeah, we'll see. Should we move on to our final segment, Mike? The be kind rewind.

SPEAKER_01

I promise to be kinder.

SPEAKER_00

Okay, so my be kind rewind pick for this week is Nurse Jackie. Oh. Do you remember Nurse Jackie?

SPEAKER_01

I do.

SPEAKER_00

Nurse Jackie is a dark comedy drama that follows Jackie Payton, a brilliant emergency room nurse in New York City, who is exceptional at her job and secretly struggling with a serious addiction to prescription drugs. Over the course of the series, the show explores the tension between Jackie's compassion and competence at work and the increasingly destructive choices that she makes in her personal life. It is sharp, it's uncomfortable, it's funny, and it's deeply character-driven, and it is anchored by a standout performance from Eddie Falco. The series ran for seven seasons. This was like 2009, I think, 2015, and all seven seasons are currently available to stream right now on Netflix. I just want to say Eddie Falco, she's phenomenal. Jackie is messy, she's complicated, she's a deeply flawed person, but somehow still incredibly compelling. It's kind of like the anti-hero think breaking bad. That's kind of the vibe you get with this. This isn't a comfort watch or like a feel-good medical drama, but it is a medical drama. It's it's darker and it's funny, it's uncomfortable, it's brutally honest about addiction and self-destruction. And I love it. The show never asks you to like Jackie, you're just watching her. And I just think they did it really well. If you enjoy character-driven stories, dark humor, anti-heroes who don't get easy redemption arcs, this is your kind of show. And how timely it is that I decided to recommend this one because when I was Googling the synopsis for this, so I could put it in. A nurse Jackie sequel was announced. Really? And developed with Eddie Falco attached to it. Is it Edie? Or it did I say Edie? Have I been saying Eddie? Yeah. Oh, I is it Edie? I don't know. I think it's Eddie. Well, whatever. Eddie Falco. Um, it might be Edie. Shoot. I don't know. That's all right. Y'all know her from The Sopranos, but I never watched the Sopranos, so I don't know her from that. I know her from Nurse Jackie. This is where I fell in love with her. Anyways, I guess there is a sequel that was announced, she's attached to it, but then there's also there's no confirmed start date or guarantee that it actually is gonna happen. So I don't know. With that said, if it does happen, you should watch Nurse Jackie, because I bet you the sequel is gonna be great. So that's my recommendation. Um, even if uh the sequel doesn't happen, Nurse Jackie's great, but you might not love the last episode. It was like lost where it was like polarizing. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, that's different.

SPEAKER_00

But I really liked the show, and I actually kind of liked the ending. So cool. What is your be kind rewind pick, Mike?

SPEAKER_01

The the the the feel-good story of 2019 Chernobyl.

SPEAKER_00

Chernobyl. This was just I was just at dinner last night with friends, and we were talking about Chernobyl. So it's funny that this is your be kind rewind.

SPEAKER_01

I mean, I feel like it had to be at some point, right?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, this is definitely on our list.

SPEAKER_01

Um so Chernobyl is a 2019 historical drama television miniseries that revolves around the Chernobyl disaster of it, 1986 and the cleanup efforts that followed. It is streaming on HBO Max. So this show has a lot of pros. Like I think most people, I think most people are familiar enough with Chernobyl, at least have heard it. Um and You mean like the event uh Chernobyl? Right.

SPEAKER_00

Yes, yes, maybe some younger people maybe they're not familiar with the show, but they're yes, the history the history of it.

SPEAKER_01

Yes. And that event is essentially the monster in this uh five episode horror show. And it is a very real life thing that happened. And we watch the Fallout play both literally and uh um, you know, metaphorically through some of the bureaucracy. I think that makes for a lot of good drama, a lot of great, you know, storytelling opportunities, and you know, some good historical fiction, and you know, entertaining historically.

SPEAKER_00

Is that really fiction? I mean it's pretty accurate.

SPEAKER_01

Well, but historical fiction, right? So it's about the real life, but it's like we don't know. We don't know all the conversations that they were really having, or and yeah, and maybe someone's made a documentary on like how accurate this was or something, but I didn't watch that.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Um, and it's just episode to episode, it's only it's only five episodes, but all of them are good. Um, yeah. I mean, I feel like the look of it is you know, nice and I mean, nice and gritty. Like it's it is there's a constant, you know, almost like radiation in the air. Like you can you can feel like you're a part of the yeah, the fallout from this nuclear site. They did a great job with it. Yeah, I mean it's about it's about dealing with the actual fallout and then the the the people and governments involved. And it's it's worth your time, especially since it's just five episodes.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, that was a great be kind rewind pick. That is it for today's episode. We talked a lot about a lot of shows. Uh it was nice to get back to just talking about shows with you, Mike. I hope we pick some better ones. Yeah, hopefully, hopefully, our next weekly crunch, we have better things to say. We there are some new shows coming out, um, coming up, so we will give those, we'll check those out and let you all know if they're worth your watch. But until then, have you watching.

SPEAKER_01

Bye bye.