Tag: TV
Empire: Season 1
Thank you, cable! Success of your sophisticated, smart (yet FUN), ensemble shows is making network TV better… a LOT better! Also, I have to give respect to Shonda Rimes (esp. on ABC’s How to Get Away with Murder). Yes, I still watch Scandal, but who DOESN’T love Viola Davis!? Not unlike HTGAWM, FOX’s music-infused family drama, Empire (which several Fb gal pals were praising), has changed the face of TV.
WARNING: This review contains MILD spoilers!
WHY is this (midseason) show so ground-breaking? Empire (created by Danny Strong and produced by Brian Grazer, Lee Daniels, and Francie Calfo) focuses on a successful African-American family in NYC. (Everyone can relate to family drama, right?) They’re running a successful company (Empire Entertainment), which includes musical talent (Timbaland is the show’s music producer), tennis shoes, champagne, etc. (If you’re a fan of hip-hop, this would be the hook for you.) The business is headed by charismatic, dapper, and strong-willed patriarch, Lucious Lyon (Terrence Howard). He’s a man’s man who doesn’t suffer fools; he segued from being a musician to producer, then eventually… entrepreneur (EX: P. Diddy). At the start of the series, Lucious is in a relationship w/ Anika (Grace Gealey), head of Empire’s A&R division (meaning that she signs/develops new talent).
Lucious’ ex-wife, Cookie (Taraji P. Henson), is claiming her own power by managing teen pop singer Tiana (Serayah) and their middle son Jamal (Jussie Smolett, younger brother of Jurnee). Hmmm… why was Cookie put in jail for so long (17 years)? Do she and Lucious still have a future together? She provides the a LOT of the humor for this show!
Lucious and Cookie have two other sons- Wharton MBA, Andre (Trai Byers), and impulsive 18 y.o. rapper, Hakeem (Bryshere Gray). Jamal (considered Cookie’s fave) and Hakeem (chosen as heir by his father) have a contentious relationship for the first half of the season, though the unconditional love between brothers is always underneath. (ALMOST everyone can relate to sibling drama, right?)
They call us Takeem. -Tiana explains to Cookie about the celeb couple nickname fans have given her and Hakeem
Tiana and rising star Hakeem seem to make a natural pair, BUT they are NOT as simple/innocent as they appear! Will these kids have a future… or only sing together?
An honorary member of the family is a man that grew up on the streets of Philly with Lucious, Vernon (Malik Yoba, best-known for New York: Undercover), a father-figure/mentor to Andre (the CFO and non-musical son). I started watching when I saw a TV promo w/ Yoba; he’s not in a LOT of scenes, since his main focus these days is on community development. Aside from the strong cast, there are MANY guest stars on Empire. (Those up on the current hip hop music scene can probably spot who these are more quickly.)
Good Enough
See, it doesn’t matter what you think
I’m still a man
Not only is Jamal talented (his songs are the best IMO), he’s the most kind, honest, and likeable character on the show! He comes out of the closet (to live openly as a gay man)- something that his father can’t accept. (We learn about the drastic measure Lucious took when guest-star Raven-Symone shows up.)
See, it doesn’t matter what you think
I’m still a man
Not only is Jamal talented (his songs are the best IMO), he’s the most kind, honest, and likeable character on the show! He comes out of the closet (to live openly as a gay man)- something that his father can’t accept. (We learn about the drastic measure Lucious took when guest-star Raven-Symone shows up.)
Keep Your Money
Can’t ask for a hand-out
It’s time to be a man now
When Lucious belittles his attempt to go his own way, Jamal refuses his cash. As the show develops, we see how Jamal is redefining masculinity within his family, by writing his songs (personal/touching)… and network TV!
Poll: Recent Police Dramas
Spoiler-Free Review: Broadchurch (Series 1) starring David Tennant
Broadchurch is a marvel. I have never seen a TV drama that explores the emotions of so many characters so convincingly. Crimes are traumatizing. Broadchurch gets this perfectly. Nor have I have ever seen a crime drama that packs a visual punch in so many scenes. The Dorset coast is a character in Broadchurch. It plays its role as effectively as any of the brilliant actors in this piece. And that brings up the acting. You won’t find a weak performance and some are unforgettable. –Excerpt from an IMDB review
As in The Fall and Happy Valley, Broadchurch‘s lead character, Detective Inspector Alec Hardy (David Tennant- using his real Scottish accent), is a troubled individual (a past case gone wrong, mysterious health matter, etc.) He is brought in to a lovely/small town on the Dorset coast to investigate the mysterious death of young Billy Latimer, who was the best friend of Detective Sergeant Ellie Miller’s (Olivia Colman) son, Tom. DS Miller, the local top cop, is (of course) shocked by this death. Also, she thought that she was getting the promotion given to Hardy, which causes tension/awkwardness in the squad room.
The insider, Miller, tries to investigate her close friends and many community members in a respectful manner, but Hardy (the outsider) has an abrasive personality that almost everyone chafes against. The media can be used for good, or cause a LOT of problems, with a police investigation. Miller’s reporter nephew, Olly (Jonathan Stevens, who resembles Hugh Dancy), is eager to learn all the details for the local paper. Olly is a good guy who makes a BIG rookie mistake on Twitter. The seemingly happy/picture-perfect Latimers are NOT all what they seem. Suspicion falls on several individuals, including the recently-arrived/young Anglican priest, Rev. Coates (Arthur Darvill). He was one of the most interesting characters in the show- thoughtful, spiritual, yet also a BIT mysterious.
Writer Chris Chibnall was inspired by two American crime shows- Twin Peaks and Murder One (which I watched and really liked). Unlike The Fall and Happy Valley, this show has a broader scope (think soap opera, but much more sophisticated/intelligent). You get to know about MORE people, several of whom dwell in the gray areas of life. Check it out (Netflix). I just learned that Series 2 (BBC) has Charlotte Rampling and Marianne Jean-Baptiste- WOW!
Spoiler-Free Review: Happy Valley
After watching The Fall, I noticed that MANY fans of that show recommended this one, so I decided to take a look. After the first two eps, I was hooked. Sgt. Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire, who played a supporting role in The Paradise) is the type of cop you’d never see on network TV in the US, or perhaps never as the lead. She’s a grandmother, no-nonsense, passionate (esp. about her family), and looks like a REAL middle-aged woman! And when she gets beaten up on the job, the injuries are not quickly covered up w/ makeup.
Catherine is motivated to be a good cop b/c of her (complicated) family/personal life and an inherent sense of fairness. She is raising her grandson, Ryan, a good-hearted kid who has been acting out in school recently. Ryan’s mother was Catherine’s only daughter.
At home, she has her sister, Clare (Siobhan Finneran), is a recovering drug addict who provides an ear and a lot of emotional support (in lieu of rent). Drugs, particularly heroin, have affected MANY of the young people of this valley. Catherine’s ex-husband, a journalist, remarried years ago, but they still have a connection. In time, we meet Catherine’s son, Daniel, and learn about their strained relationship.
There are several well-developed supporting characters, including Joe Armstrong (BBC’s Robin Hood). I was pleasantly surprised to see that many of the cops (in the background, recurring characters) were British Asians (or South Asians, as we say here). The show is definitely a vehicle for Lancashire, who shows the many sides to a complicated individual. Her big, expressive blue eyes and authoritative tone are great assets. I loved ALL the scenes she had with her grandson!
Catherine is stunned when she sees an ex-con, Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton from Grantchurch), from her daughter’s past walking the streets. She MUST find out more! To fans of the movie Fargo, the awkwardly-planned/amateur kidnapping will be especially interesting. Check out this show (Season 1 is on Netflix)- you won’t be disappointed!
Knightleyemma 