Oct.13-19 - More Returns and Changes

     Even though I've already watched the pair of debut episodes of Frasier (see next paragraph), and this week's Star Trek: Lower Decks (which continues to do a stellar job of mining  previous Trek series for character, episode and extraterrestrial culture lore and deftly applying them at breakneck speeds), I still have multiple things I'm looking forward to catching up on, including new eps of Gen V (Amazon Prime), Loki (Disney+), and both Archer and Welcome to Wrexham (both on Hulu), along with the first two episodes of a final six for Doom Patrol over on Max... and that's just off the top of my head, so getting this week's streaming post out of the way brings those one step closer for me.

     I've watched the two episodes of the new Frasier series that arrived on Paramount+ this week, and while it was a mixed bag it was good to see the character back, with him attempting to move into his third act by returning to Boston, where we first met the character back in the Cheers days. While we know we'll be getting at least a couple of guest appearances from old characters over the remaining eight episodes, it's important to know that Grammer's lead character is the only full-time carry-over.
     As much as I'm trying to just let it unfold without analyzing it to death, I couldn't help but notice how they're (and it's completely understandable, perhaps even essential) attempting to create the same

character and comedic tensions from the old show using the new characters. It's an age flip from the old show in the case of the father/son relationship between Frasier and his son, Freddy (Jack Cutmore-Scott), echoing Frasier and Martin's (the late John Mahoney), including integrating a living space and the style conflicts. The comedic water that was carried by Niles (David Hyde Pierce) in the old show has been largely split between David (Anders Keith, playing Niles' and Daphne's son, David) and Frasier's old school chum and new colleague Alan (Nicholas Lyndhurst), with the former part of that still being a little rough in these first two, James Burrows-directed episodes.
     So far they're playing it tight with respect to directors. The first two were Burrows, and Grammer himself will be directing the seventh ("Freddy's Birthday"), but the other seven are still as of last check TBA. The writer/writing teams for each of the ten episodes are different, save for Joe Cristali co-writing it the first episode with series co-developer Chris Harris, and writing the sixth episode by himself. The potential flurry of different voices worried me for a moment, but upon checking the old show's credits over the course of a season I see that this sort of mix has been part of the process all along. So, my worry shifts back to the fact that these ten episodes need to accomplish much of what most broadcast-era sitcoms did with well over twice as many episodes, establishing characters and settings strongly enough with an audience that they're invested in wanting to see more.

     We have eight more episodes to go for this season, which will end December 7th. While we got two episodes this week, it'll just be one per week, each Thursday, for the remainder. The eighth episode falls right on Thanksgiving (that's one of the four they've not told us the title of), and the tenth is titled "Reindeer Games," so I expect the back half of the season to be heavy with holiday elements, which is likely not a bad move given the abbreviated length of these new, streaming-era seasons. Trying to get all the elements into good working positions without it seeming forced is a big challenge, and I intend to be part of the audience to give them the room to do it without rushing to premature judgement.
     For a final time, here's the series trailer they have out there:

     Arriving on Netflix yesterday, the 12th, is a new eight-part horror miniseries from Mike Flanagan, based on various works of Edgar Allen Poe, though taking its title from only one: The Fall of the House of Usher.

     I've generally enjoyed Flanagan's work, including the various series he's done for Netflix, including The Haunting of Hill House (2018) and Midnight Mass (2021). Early reviews have been encouraging.

     Arriving today on Netflix is a new horror comedy film from Sweden, set at a team-building retreat for municipal employees (as if that wouldn't be frightening enough) without the honest, human interaction of homicide, it's : The Conference (2023  1h 48m)

     In typical Netflix fashion, the trailer they upload is still in its native tongue, with English subtitles - as some will prefer - but Netflix users know it'll generally default to a user's standard settings, so there'll be an English dub for those who want that.

     Those with AMC on a cable feed will be able to see the first of six episodes of season 4 of the horror anthology series Creepshow at 10 pm Eastern. Each episode contains two, separate stories, so tonight will be "Twenty Minutes with Cassandra", and "Smile". Those with an AMC+ or Shudder subscription have access to all six episodes at will, so a dozen new stories.

     This Sunday, we see the return of animated sci-fi adventure comedy Rick and Morty, for it's seventh season on Cartoon Network. The big attention here will be to the question of "is it still Rick and Morty without Justin Roiland?"
     Roiland was separated from the show last year in the midst of a then-pending (since dropped prior to trial for a lack of evidence) charges of domestic battery and false imprisonment, and by allegations made in the interim concerning Roiland's behavior towards minors in social media. As he was not only co-creator of the characters and show, and a constant part of the show's smallish writer's room, but he was also the voice actor who performed both of the lead characters, that involves a likely not inconsequential amount of replacement.
     This Sunday night at 11 Eastern we'll start to get some idea of how the new production and performance dynamic will go and be received.

    The show's flow has almost always been a little jagged, at least some of which has always been intentional, with the most vocal elements of the show's fan base seeming to feel as if they're in competition with Rick for being abrasive and dismissive, so I'm not going to be putting much weight on especially early-season "fan" reactions. If the same changes had been announced ahead of either of the previous two seasons, leaving the shows Roiland-intact as they were produced, I've not an instant of doubt that the mouthy edgelords would have been declaring the changes as obvious and grating, declaring the show horribly changed and dead.

     For something not to my tastes, but perhaps to some of yours, today Peacock's launched a mostly true crime anthology series: John Carpenter's Suburban Screams, a lurid, documentary-style series of six essentially unconnected incidents and urban myths. Unfortunately trading in on Carpenter's name and reputation in a disappointing fashion... or at least that's how it strikes me. Your mileage may vary hugely, and that's perfectly valid. Most of this sort of thing just doesn't connect with me well.

  
     On a far, far better topic, though it's not arriving until December 8th, Tony Shaloub and most of the surviving cast of multi-/hyper-phobic detective Monk will be coming to Peacock to hopefully help drive the lingering stink of Carpenter's exploitative anthology from the streamer via a 90-minute movie to catch us up on the characters. It'll be Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie. Indications are that despite the title, interest on the creative side of this is such that if this is as well-received as expected that it may be followed by yet another movie.
     As we get closer - and a trailer - I'll be sure to update.

      I'm not going to watch any of it, but as I live and work not very far outside of Philadelphia city limits, and the Phillies are now one of the four teams contending for a spot in the World Series, even I've been checking the scores along the way. It's something to be aware of even just in anticipating the moods of some co-workers. As it's Philly team, there's always an undercurrent of anticipated failure beneath the bluster. 
     The Championship series are best of seven match-ups, with the Rangers v Astros and the Diamondbacks v Phillies. Those winners will be headed into the World Series starting the 27th.
     Meanwhile, local football fans are also watching the Eagles, which are still first in the NFC East with no defeats in their five

games this season, and will be going up against the Jets this Sunday. With twelve games ahead of them in the regular season, it's still very early, but so far so good. Again, no direct interest on my part, but continued success will mean an improved mood for more and more of the locals, and I'd rather be surrounded by happier, more hopeful people, than the alternative.

     Yeah, there's loads more out there I haven't gotten to spotlight, but that's the time I've given myself for this this week. Among the items next week will be the return of Bosch: Legacy, for its second season. - Mike