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Reviews
Truth Be Told: Her, Armed with Sorrow Sore (2023)
A subject that needed exposure
Great literature doesn't simply tell a story; it elucidates some real human crisis. We have two crises that this season, and particularly this episode, shines a light upon effectively. First, we see that rich White females are given a priority over others when it comes to investigating crimes against them, reporting about them as victims, and the public interest in them. Second, the growing prevalence of sex trafficking is not only brought to light, but is explained. We are shown how a young person can too easily be drawn into that world and ultimately be victimized. Finally, it is forcefully brought to our attention that to call someone who would otherwise be considered a victim of child molestation cannot be considered a prostitute. If (s)he is too young to be able to consent to a sex act, they are too young to be called a prostitute (S)He is a victim of child molestation and needs to be protected. Anyone who draws someone that young into sex trafficking is a criminal and should be dealt with as any other sexual predator. That criminal is not simply a pimp: he needs to be punished as anyone who preys upon children! Making the viewer think about such real life situations makes this program great literature.
The Equalizer (2021)
The reason I tune in on Sunday
I don't know what is wrong with these other reviewers! Are they misogynistic? I liked Denzel in his version of The Equalizer, but this show has a different concept. This is not a one and done. This is a badass woman whose mission is to help her community by righting wrongs that the flawed police and judicial system cannot seem to handle. Many times that is because of the restrictions the police have to keep society safe, too often it is because of the bias that both the police and the judiciary have so deeply embedded in them. That is truth! If you can't see that, you are not victimized by it. Maybe when cities and police forces have to pay restitution often enough, something will be done about that. Don't know why the daughter annoys people. She, too, portrays a realistic teenager trying to find her place in the world, especially after she finds out what her mother does. I have seen the children of law enforcement personnel going through a similar process. What can I say about Lorraine T? A superb actress that I have loved for decades. She plays Aunt Vi so well! If this show had been cancelled, I know I would not be watching CBS at 8 or 9:00 on Sunday! Can't wait until the next season !
The Closer: Elysian Fields (2009)
The advice that Brenda ignores
As is the usual case for this series, the script is well-written and the acting is superb. The layers in this series are fascinating. Every time I watch each episode, I tend to find something I missed before. The interesting aspect I found in this episode is the advice Brenda ignores. While I would like to take lessons from this character in outright manipulation that she does so well, I find the greater lesson to learn from her is revealed in her character's flaws. First, Fritz tells her to take time to call her mother back and when she responds that both he and her mother know that her job must take precedence, he advises her that she will look back on her life and regret not making time for those she loves. In a later episode when she wails that she wishes that she had taken time to talk to her mother because her mother had no more time to talk to her, this advice that Fritz gave her becomes a foreshadowing of what is to come. Next, when she says she could never go to those lengths to close a case (after tearing the photo of Stroah off her desk and putting it in a drawer), and the retired detective tells her to never say never, it brings to mind the later lawsuits and the lengths she goes to to get a conviction against Stroah. Again, the script writers seem to be foreshadowing the character flaws that Brenda could have corrected if she had listened to advice, even when unsolicited.
Saving Grace: Hear the Birds? (2010)
Please stop with the bogus propaganda
I usually love this show. I watch each episode multiple times. I like the premise that an Angel can be so down-to-Earth and won't put up with the stupid premises that humans have put on religion, especially the ultra pious ones like Johnny and Paige. I enjoy the complicated relationship between Grace and Ham. I enjoy the acting of the actors that play those parts as well as many of the supporting cast who are characters in the police headquarters. However, Rhetta's BS speech about the side effects of marijuana made me sick! When will this bogus propaganda stop! Of course, the scene with Rhetta and Doug show their complete hypocrisy! Stop lying to your children! Just tell them that they can't do everything you do until they have homes of their own!
Cold Case: Wishing (2005)
Spoiler alert! Hated the ending!
As always, Cold Case told stories that could actually happen. They are told in a way that you come to see the real people behind the case. The same is try in this episode. The outstanding performances of the cast members make the story even more real. That's why I hate the ending! First, the way society treats Colin is shameful. Second, the people who truly love him are not helped to give him a fighting chance. Finally, there are many despicable characters that could have been responsible for Colin's death. The person I would least want to have the problems a record, trial, and possible prison time is arrested. So sad!
Saving Grace: Pilot (2007)
A woman that men can't understand
A man must have written the plot summary for this episode. Grace doesn't show signs of self-hatred! Her behavior is rooted in a traumatic experience she had in childhood. That is also why she renounced religion. She is not estranged from her family or they wouldn't be showing up in her life. Notice that men are intimidated by Grace who in her own words "is not afraid" of them. She is a free spirit who cares more for what she thinks of herself than what others think of her! She met Earl when he contrived a false situation in which she runs down a man. Her reputation, job, and freedom, not her life, seemed to be in danger when she said, "Oh God!" I like Earl take on religion: doesn't have to any particular one, doesn't even have to follow rules made up by man. Belief can be as quirky as Earl, the foodie, t-shirt wearing angel that chews tobacco! Earl is trying to get Grace to show the caring she has for others and stop behaviors that hurt others. It hurts Darlene that Ham wants Grace. It hurts others when she drinks. It hurts Rhetta when lies. It is hurtful behavior that the Angel of God is asking her to change. Notice that he is asking the same of Leon Cooley, a convicted murderer! Another lesson from Earl: all sins can be forgiven!
Will Trent: Manhunt (2023)
Uses a handkerchief
I like Will Trent! He uses a handkerchief and washes it to reuse it. Yes, he folds it and puts it back in his pocket! That is better than throwing away thousands of pieces of paper that they sawed down trees to make! Where does that paper go? Landfills? He is strange, but loving and kind. The actor was more handsome in earlier roles, but he is so lovable in this one. He is intelligent and observant like the great detectives, but eccentric like Monk. I prefer watching this detective show more than many others because of the characters created, especially the title character. This is a great show!
Benson: Half-Court Trap (1983)
A realistic problem
I was so glad to see this episode! As a student, I realized that too many of my friends were not being taught to read and write very well. In college, I began to see that those who were making a name for the college (and bringing in dollars at the box office) were given tutors who did their academic work for them. If they stopped helping the college athletics department, they lost the tutors and soon flunked out. As an English teacher I saw many students who were helped to barely pass classes and commit various school offenses during their season, but on the off-season they failed classes and got suspended for the same school offenses that were overlooked before. Realizing it was a very real problem, I got my Masters in Remedial Reading in order to try to help. This episode realistically shows the system-wide problem of high schools and colleges to use the talents of athletes while not caring about their ability to think or learn otherwise. As Benson says in this episode, what are they supposed to do if they don't earn money in pro sports? Too often they are just thrown on the low wage trash pile! Good lessons for adults in this episode!
The Expanse: New Terra (2019)
Hoped for a better society
It seems that even in fiction, too many of us can't learn from our past! I am glad to see the crew of the Roci back together again, but sorry to not see Bobbi with them. She would have made a great addition to that crew. What preparation did Martian Alex do to prepare for future landings? He a Bobbi would make an interesting pair. BTW, Amos gave Clarissa a choice of killing herself or serving the punishment she would get. That's why she thanks him. I am also glad to see Holden and crew given respectability.
How did humans escape the Ring? I had hoped to see the effects of that lesson. Instead, too many can't learn from the past. Sad commentary on humanity!
Cold Case: Saving Sammy (2006)
Unfortunately, this was a realistic portrayal of the special Ed programs I saw in blended schools
Contrary to what another reviewer stated, I found the portrayal of special Ed programs in regular schools all too realistic. I worked in both a school for special students and a regular high school that had special education programs embedded in it. Too often I saw special education students being bullied in the hallways and no matter how often I reported it, it didn't stop. Too often special students didn't get all the help they were entitled to because it would have cost too much. More needs to be done to make sure all students get the educational support they need, and are promised by law, to be successful. When a public school cannot provide necessary support, they must pay a private school that can.
Unforgettable: Bigtime (2013)
What happened to finding Rachel's killer?
The premise of the show was that Carrie developed her amazing memory so she would not forget the sister that was killed. We spent an entire season waiting for Carrie and Al to finally to solve Rachel's murder. Now, with little comment they drop the cold case?! I feel gypped! We lost favorite characters, now you want us to stop caring about the quest? I want to find Rachel's killer! I want a child murderer to be brought to justice! I love the addition of the new coroner, especially since she is so snide with the boss! However, it does not make sense that Carrie just drops her sister's murder. Boo!
Saving Grace: Let's Talk (2010)
Devil or Demon?
So, as she confronts God in his church, a new character is introduced. Grace does as she usually does, especially now that Ham is moving on. Earl is an Angel, not God, so is Hut a Demon or the Devil himself?
Also, in many cultures and in the Bible, it is customary for a man to take his brother's widow and children into his home ( and marry the widow, if legal) to provide and protect his dead brother's family. So, why is anyone having a problem with what Ham is doing? Glad he confronted his father as he did.
Dog fighting is just wrong! Would love to see those who corrupt sweet dogs by training them to fight each other or to attack humans for less than protective reasons confronted by police dogs. Put them in a pen with a police dog and see how they feel about dog fighting then! Beasts!
The Stand (2020)
Can't stand the ending of this version
I loved the book. It was a present as I recuperated from an accident in the hospital. Scared me silly, but the upbeat ending made me feel good when I finished it. Don't we have enough trouble with reoccurring evil in this world without having to deal with it in fiction? Really seemed racist to have evil reoccur as it did, especially after the good people who were killed and the ones who survived. Did you see many Non-White people at that barbecue? If there were, I missed it! Was the idea that the future good would be White and the evil all others? I didn't know King was that racist! Also, never understood the last journey that Stu and Frannie made. I know King loves Maine, but isn't there a number of coasts closer to Boulder for them to go see? Made no sense to me!
Before the Border (2015)
Such a bungled trip seems real
The main character is so good-hearted that at first she ignores her great instincts and makes stupid mistakes. She knows from the beginning that it is a competition against a wealthy rival, but she doesn't do much to disguise herself ( heard of a hoodie, honey?) and she smiles when her friend takes a picture with a cellphone to post on a Facebook page to show spotting her ( heard of GPS, girlfriend?)! She is just too obvious for a fugitive. Doesn't someone tell her she shouldn't play hide and seek? Harriet Tubman would have shot her! That's the genius of this film! It is real! If she had been smarter right from the beginning, it wouldn't have shown how gullible most young people are in modern times! Finding out she has help adds to the reality. As a coming of age piece that focuses on human trafficking and learning what is really important in life, this has good lessons without being too simplistic.
Saving Grace: Would You Want Me to Tell You? (2007)
A common mistake of young women
Grace grabs delight wherever she can find it as a counterpoint to a job that deals with the worst in life, a family that clashes as much as it supports, and some of the worst experiences anyone could endure. However, she, like too many young women, don't see having sex with a married man as hurtful to his wife as it is to their mother or best friend. Here Grace, a middle aged woman who should have wised up years ago, is screwing her married partner every chance she gets, but has the audacity to hate her most loved aunt when she finds out the aunt and her father had an affair. Earl is right: she needs to look in the mirror!
Brava to a good episode with a significant message!
Beauty and the Beast: In the Forests of the Night (1990)
Great spotlight on a pressing problem
We need more stories about the scourge of drugs sold on the streets to serve the greed of man.
Showing the problem drug use has on the treatment of addicts should be illuminating.
Showing that addicts cannot make rational decisions for themselves, but cannot be helped by anyone else is a valuable lesson for those who know and love addicts.
As always, I love the acting. Vincent may be horrifying, but one can't help but love him, too. Diana is strong and coldly capable, but a good match for Vincent. Rolly is superb as an example of an addict.
My only problem is why were these episodes shown out of order? Why do networks continue to do so as they air the reruns?
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022)
What are they talking about?
I read other reviews and wondered what those people were talking about?! What I most loved about the first Trek was the commentaries on current issues. Have we forgotten " I am black on the right side and he is black on the left side"? What the hell did you think they were talking about? The whole point was to make you think about your current point-of-view! I am glad that they have included so many different types of characters. That, too, is in keeping with TOS. Have we forgotten that the first Black main character on TV was in that show? Have we forgotten that the first interracial kiss was on that show? That's what Trek is!!! It introduces new concepts and breaks ground. Too many females in the cast? Get over your fragile egos! One thing I also love about Trek is that it is science fiction based in scientific fact. I have taken great pleasure in reminding my contemporaries that much of what they thought was outlandish when TOS was first aired has now become everyday tech. I hope I live long enough to rub that which makes this series good in your faces.
Bull: But for the Grace (2018)
I bought Bonilla's accent!
Loved both storylines in this episode, but really loved the storyline about the immigrant who saved the man's life in the restaurant. I was surprised to learn that Bonilla was born and raised in the USA. I totally bought his accent! Of course, his great portrayal of his character helped to sell it. Great job!
See (2019)
Your ignorance is showing!
After reading other reviews, I just have to comment on the ignorance displayed! It is a shame that in 2021, so many are so unaware of the blind among us who go about their everyday lives as well as the sighted do. I would prefer a blind world that learned to interact better than the sighted one had, but as Toad told Kofun, a dependence on sight can also make one a worse warrior. Did any of you realize that some of those actors were actually blind? Shows your ignorance!
My questions, however are why is there color in costumes and decorations? Unless the material picked for texture and sound had a natural color, why would the blind add color? I would love to know where to find the readings that are used in this series, especially when the twins read aloud to each other.
Castle: One Man's Treasure (2009)
Not that cutie!
Hated that the great looking Black man was the murderer! Couldn't they have pinned it on someone else! If not, use a different actor. Make the Black an a police officer that helps solve the crime. Is that too much like right?
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: Cattle Drive: Part 2 (1994)
Two good lessons
Saying "When we you are ready to marry me" is not the same as asking her to marry! Listen carefully to what is really said!
Children need to become independent as they get close to adulthood. Dr. Quinn is so wise to be supportive, but reminding others that mistakes are opportunities to learn to be better!
Love this show!
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: Cattle Drive: Part 1 (1994)
Questions
In the episode about the drought, it was stated that the town wouldn't survive without cattle drives, and both Matthew and Jon worked on Olive's ranch. So, why were the townsmen so surprised to see cattle being driven through town? Did Matthew and Jon ride to Mexico every day to work on Olive's ranch?
Otherwise, watching this show 20+ years later, the issues are still very timely!