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Reviews
Outer Range (2022)
Podemski, Taylor, Pullman & The Bison
As I reluctantly continue to watch OUTER RANGE, the only time I'm not aware that I'm watching ACTORS, ACTING is when Tamara Podemski (Deputy Sheriff Joy), Lili Taylor (Cecilia Abbott), Lewis Pullman (Rhett Abbott) & The Bison are on screen. The young girl who plays Amy (Olive Abercrombie) and the gal in the bank (Isobel Arraiza) are fine, but, each has so little time on screen. Except for Amy, The Bison, oh, yes, the grizzly bear, the three actors named above, and, occasionally, Tom Pelphrey (Perry Abbott) I find the rest of the main characters so unlikeable, I not only, don't care what happens to them, I want something horrible to happen. By the way, what happened to the Fritos eating property assessor? He swerved to avoid hitting the Bison, two episodes ago, and, what? Is he dead? Is he in a ditch? Is he gone? Who cares. I keep crossing my fingers that all the taxidermy animals on the wall of the Tillerson house, will come to life, annihilate all the unpleasant characters, and, disappear into The Void. But, even though they get more screen time than some of the minor characters, so far, nada (by the way, what kind of rancher kills owls for sport?).
Watching this series, I can't get past the feeling that it is insisting on being VERY IMPORTANT, and, intellectually deep. I'm so easily pulled out of the story, wondering about Josh Brolin's actual height, and, if, every time I see those snow capped mountains, they're about to disappear again. It feels like the Emperor's New Clothes. By the way, I assume the toe-headed kid who was standing next to the hole when young Royal crawled out of it, will have turned out to be Daddy Tillerson. But, come on! Royal very nearly grabs the kids ankle, trying to pull himself out of the void, li'l blonde boy gets scared, runs out of frame, and, Royal doesn't even do so much as look to watch the kid high tailing it out of there, across a flat, featureless range? It's one thing to ask viewers to suspend disbelief about The Void, and, to promise them Mastodons (which have yet to appear), but, it's another to ask viewers to let go of their expectations that people will behave like people. Far, too often, just plain, believable human behavior is abandoned. (the bank has no security guard who would have thrown gun-toting, psychotic Autumn out on her ass? I guess not, because, how then would we be forced to watch two actors and/or their director insist that their characters play tonsil hockey? (My guess? I think this implausible action came from the Actors, tongue swabbing each other's mouths & throats with abandon, in search of their 2023 Golden Globes!!!)
I started reading about Kronos and Chronos, thinking that might help, but, nope! Gag me! That just made it worse.
Poor Deputy Joy! I hope she gets back to her own time & home. I may never know. I don't think I can force myself to watch anymore of this.
Stranger Things (2016)
ST- The parent who never shows up
At this point, I remember so little about Stranger Things, Seasons 1 -3 (which I really, REALLY loved), I've completely lost interest in seeing the mythical "Season 4". IF it is ever actually released, no matter what, it can only disappoint. It's like the estranged father who repeatedly promises he'll show up for your birthday but he never, ever does. As far as I'm concerned, if the absent Season 4 ever does show up, I will have moved on with no forwarding address.
That's Harassment (2018)
WARNING to At-Risk-Viewers - That's Harassment may trigger Trauma Response!
This Series Should Be Required to Warn Viewers Regarding Potentially Disturbing Content. Viewers who have been victims of Sexual Assault, Harassment, Molestation, or of any violation of sexual boundaries, might find the depictions disturbing and/or traumatic. A few years ago, in adherence to a safe workplace policy, the full staff for, what is now a former employer, was required to attend our annual, Anti-Harassment/Anti-Sexual Harassment Training, given by the company's legal counsel. For nearly two decades, I had attended this training, run by a pair of people, but, always the same attorney. Content was always the same, and did not include any media. I'd also had completed similar, online training, for another employer. However, THIS particular year, the lawyer logged into YouTube on her computer, and, linked her PC to a large monitor. She had cued up a couple of scenes from David Schwimmer's THAT'S HARASSMENT series, which I had never seen or heard of until then. Having also worked in the film industry for over ten years, I noticed immediately that the camera was not stationary, but, like a POV character in the scene, was moving. Thus, staff viewing these videos, were forced into the role of being a POWERLESS participant, a mute voyeur. Speaking for myself, this was absolutely unwanted, and, absolutely unwelcome. But, it was not clear to me at that moment, what was happening to me. After all, I was in my workplace, in a room that included people who had the power to fire me. The attorney had failed to "check-in" with the room (even discreetly, before hand), had made no disclosure regarding content, and, had given no warning, or heads up. Ironically, the That's Harassment YouTube videos triggered an involuntary, deeply repressed and powerful, trauma response in me that, slowly, but certainly sent me into a tail-spin. Within a few months, I had to leave that job.
I think that showing this video series, without disclosing to the viewer, that its content may be disturbing, is reckless and irresponsible.