I'm scrubbing up after seven months of having my shower doors collecting dust in my hallway, but now that they're moved, I can move on... and blog... because an all new Bullet Sunday starts... now...

   
• Make Mine Marvel! I fully expected to get a Deadpool 3 trailer at the Superb Owl. And though I'm not watching the game, I wasn't disappointed. Now titled Deadpool & Wolverine, it's absolutely everything I dreamed of...

This may very well be worth a trip to the theater.

   
• Yawn! I was wandering through the internet and saw a photo of some cats that immediately reminded me of the famous Pet Shop Boys album cover for actually...

Classic. The Instagram account didn't credit the creator of the photos, but a reverse image search pointed me to this Tumblr here. Hopefully that's the right place. Kinda frustrating when creators don't get credited for their work.

   
• DOON TOO! Um. Wow. Can't wait for the second half of Dune. The whole idea of riding a big worm through the desert is just so comical, but here Denis Villeneuve actually makes it look terrifying...

I've always been a fan of what David Lynch managed to do with his original film back in 1984, but this is phenomenal. If only Frank Herbert could see how his master work has been so beautifully adapted.

   
• Call Me... Charlie Baltimore! I love maps. This short video is on a subject I've read about many times... but this is a very clear way of illustrating The Baltimore Phenomenon...

Alice Springs was an interesting place to visit. I went so I could see Uluru (AKA "Ayer's Rock), and it feels very much like a place that's there just to service people doing exactly that.

   
• I'm Blue! Oh how I love science. The story of the development of the blue LED is fascinating...

The implications of sterilization LEDs is mind-boggling.

   
• Shorted! It's been a while since I've read Optic Nerve. But I was excited when I heard that Randall Park was adapting Shortcomings from the original comic. THEN I saw that it was to star Justin Min (he's Ben in The Umbrella Academy) and Ally Maki (who I fell in love with from Wrecked) and was all in...

It ended up being darn good. Kinda slice-of-life with some humor to it. And though I don't recall seeing Sherry Cola in anything, she is hilarious. All the actors are really good, but holy crap should Justin Min be tearing up Hollywood. Good looking with the bone structure of a god... and incredible talented to boot.

   
• Poppin'! TRADITIONAL GENDER ROLES ONLY APPLY TO WOMEN! MEN CAN DO WHATEVER THEY WANT! IT'S IN THE BIBLE, YOU CAN LOOK IT UP! Meanwhile... misogyny never looked so fabulous. That lip gloss and those frosted tips are poppin' on him! Way to find a look that's so glam on you, my brother in Christ! (here's a link in case TikTok is being a dick)...

@speechprof

This has the same energy for me as Andre Tatertot saying that the tears running down his face when he feels sad isn’t crying.

♬ original sound - The Speech Prof

The lack of awareness is just next level here.

   
And now? Back to playing clean up.

Blogging can't be dead... because an all new Bullet Sunday starts... now...

   
• CosMc's! McDonald's is going to take on Starbucks with a concept beverage shop they're calling "CosMc's." Now, I don't drink coffee, so I mostly don't give a shit about Starbucks, but I admit to being more than a little intrigued by CosMc's. Mostly because they don't look to be as coffee-focused (though there's a lot of coffee on there). When you look at the drink menu, there's plenty of cool-sounding beverages that I'd 100% try. Plus there's some food items I might like... and sandwiches I'd give a shot once I modify them to be vegetarian (why the fuck they can't put a single fucking vegetarian sandwich blows my mind). But, alas, I'd have to fly to Chicago and drive a while to get to the only

CosMc's in existence (the irony being that I have friends who live minutes from their door. Here's a major rundown of the McRestaurants...

I WANT ME SOME McPOPS, DAMMIT! And all of those sundaes.

   
• SPEECH! I'm a sucker for a good wedding speech (here's a link in case TikTok is being a dick)...

@moorepictures Big brother toast + crown apple makes for a fantastic speech #brotherspeech #weddingtoast #funnyweddingspeech #funnyweddingmoments #funnywedding ♬ original sound - Brennan & Greta Moore

   
• NEWSFLASH: No joke: Feds discourage humorous electronic messages on highways Oh thank heavens. Because we have no bigger problems to work on. Guess what? THE ONLY REASON THAT PEOPLE PAY ATTENTION TO THESE SIGNS IS BECAUSE THERE'S A CHANCE THEY'LL BE FUNNY!

   
• Emmy! I don't give a shit about the Emmys. I really don't. The shows I love and feel deserve recognition rarely win, so what's the point in getting invested? As an example, Andor, one of the most remarkable shows to ever appear on television (and my favorite show of 2022) didn't win anything. Insanity. They gave it all to Succession, which is one of the shittiest fucking shows I've ever endured, and I remain dumbfounded that people love it as much as they do. But anyway... one show that I was happy to hear won again is Last Week Tonight, which is hilariously funny while also being incredibly disturbing. And John Oliver is a genius, as you can see in his post-Emmy appearance on Jimmy Kimmel...

He's a national treasure. By way of Britain. But now an American citizen.

   
• Nine Months to Make a Baby! I don't know if anybody else is following the drama that is the Royal Carribbean Nine-Month World Cruise... but it's been a lot. Remember just a few days ago when I was talking about the rough seas of the Drake Passage? The cruise just sailed that. And even though the people documenting the cruise were taken back by the strength of the waves, they actually look calm compared to what I remember going through. But even so, there's been flooding on the ship which has created even more drama. It's delicious.

   
• Inclusivity is Good! It's so fucking hilarious how assholes outrage farm over the stupidest stuff. Like Santa, who... SPOILER ALERT... is a fictional character, must be a white, able-bodied character. And if he's not then, HOLY SHIT, it's an attack on the REAL Santa! AND I AM GOING TO RAGE ABOUT IT AS IF IT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT FUCKING ISSUE IN THE WORLD TODAY! Well, if that's a pressing issue for you, then good. Because THE ENTIRE WORLD IS NOT ENTIRELY ABOUT YOU! (here's a link in case TikTok is being a dick)...

@dasiadoesit not.. all lives? #waronchristmas ♬ New Home - Frozen Silence

And it just gets crazier and crazier the deeper you go. People talking about how Santa is Nordic, so he has to be white and can't be anythng but white. AND IF HE'S IN A WHEELCHAIR, THEN HOW CAN HE DELIVER ALL THOSE PACKAGES?!? Oh... I dunno... THE SAME FUCKING WAY HE'S ABLE TO GO DOWN A CHIMNEY?!? Jesus.

   
• NERD! I gotta tell you... as a architecture nerd, I am finding the most amazing content on YouTube. My latest find is a show called How Did They Build That? and it's SO. FUCKING. COOL. Right now I'm on the second episode, which covers the Twin Copper Tilted Towers of New York, the Cultural Center and Library of Athens, and The Hive building of Nanyang Technological University of Singapore. It's glorious. I could watch this stuff all day long day after day...

If you're into this kind of thing, I can't recomment the Banijay Science YouTube channel highly enough.

   
Have a blogtastic day!

Game of Thrones began as a darn good adaptation of the "A Song of Fire and Ice" novels by George R.R. Martin. But then things started to go terribly, terribly wrong. By the time we got to the sloppy sixth season, shitty seventh season, and abhorrent disaster that was the final season, they had ran out of novels to adapt (Martin keeps getting distracted and won't finish them). So they winged it in ways that made absolutely no sense, and that eighth season betrayed just about every character in ways that makes you want to scream into the void just thinking about it.

All of which I explained in this spoiler-filled entry.

But anyway...

Today an article came out in The Hollywood Reporter where they spoke with Thrones showrunners David Benioff Dan Weiss about their new project, 3 Body Problem, and also touched on the ending of Thrones. This is what was said...

"When Benioff and Weiss wrapped Thrones, many fans assumed they deliberately rushed the show to an early conclusion. They had actually said since season two that they planned on making roughly seven seasons (whether this was ultimately the best strategy or not). Another common assumption is that they ditched Thrones to make more money elsewhere."

I call bullshit. They absolutely deliberately rushed the end of the show. They ran out of books to adapt and clearly didn't know what to do without source material, so they just wrapped everything up as quickly as possible so they could move on. And just didn't care that their choices made zero sense. Maybe it wasn't "to make more money elsewhere," but they bailed on the show, and that's not even a debate.

And now, after having their follow-up projects canceled, they moved on to 3 Body Problem, which is going to be a very difficult adaptation. The books are dense, sciency, satisfying reads... but rely on being able to interrupt the story with explanations that you just can't do in a TV show without killing the momentum. Even so, I remain hopeful that Benioff and Weiss can do something interesting with the material. They managed just fine with Thrones until they ran out of books... so maybe 3 Body Problem will be okay since all the books are out?

We won't have too long to wait to know if they done fucked up. The series debuts on March 21.

The sun is shining, there's no snow on the ground, and apparently Winter is over, but I'm trying not to think about a possible drought come Summer... because an all new Bullet Sunday starts... now...

   
• Portraiture! Auguste Toulmouche was a wonderful artist who is most well known for his portraits of fancy Parisian women. What made his paintings so notable was the expressions he painted on their faces. The most famous likely being La Fiancée hésitante (The Hesitant Bride)...

But my favorite of his is Vanity...

This past week I was going through my art books and noticed something I hadn't before. There is a portrait of Auguste by another artist of the day, Jean-Louis Hamon...

After Googling for other images of the guy and not finding any, I realized something... this is likely the only record of what Auguste looked like. All articles about the guy show this same image. It's a rough painting, and yet captures a feeling in a way that a photograph never could. One of the many reasons I love art so much. Here's a self-portrait of Hamon...

Amazing artist. I would kill to be able to paint hair like that.

   
• Méndez! I wrote a whole post over my love of the movie Half Brothers (which you can read here). I'm such a fan that I've been tracking down other works by the people in it. #1 on my list is Luis Gerardo Méndez. The guy's ability to emote what his character is feeling is jaw-dropping. He makes you feel every emotional beat of his character, and is a big reason why I love the film...

BUT ANYWAY... I was thrilled to learn that his latest project is on Paramount+ and is called Los Enviados. Except when I went to Paramount+ I couldn't find it. After a couple weeks, i.e. TODAY, I found out that it's there... you just can't search for its Spanish title. You have to search for The Envoys instead?? Weird, considering it's a Spanish language show. But anyway...

So, yeah. Most definitely checking this series out. The second season just dropped, so I'm assuming the first season must have been pretty great.

   
• Cameron Classics, Now On Digital! I love James Cameron movies. And two of my favorites are True Lies and The Abyss...

I bought them on both LaserDisc and DVD. My digital version were ripped from DVDs and hi-res broadcast because they've never been available to purchase on Digital (or Blu-Ray). Until now! And iTunes has both of them on sale for $9.99 each! So now I'm digital legal. As I endeavor to always be. The only time I'm not IS WHEN THEY DON'T MAKE THEM AVAILABLE FOR SALE!!!

   
• Rojas! Every time I rewatch Ted Lasso I find something new that I didn't know. Apparently, Danny Rojas is based on Mexican football star Javier Hernández. While reading up on Hernández, I ran across Diego Maradona, an Argentinian footballer who is rumored to also contribute to Danny's character. And THEN I found this old video of Maradona where he was warming up before a match. The song playing on the field in the background is Live is Life WHICH THEY PLAY AT THE END OF THE SECOND SEASON'S FIRST EPISODE! MIND. BLOWN. The epiode where Danny recovers from accidentally killing the team mascot. The people working on this show really know their football...

And SPEAKING of Ted Lasso... in the second episode Roy is walking out on the field with a young girl, which is most certainly his niece Phoebe. Except the actor isn't credited on IMDB and she doesn't actually appear in the story until the next episode, where Roy tells Ted about her when they visit the school with Trent Crimm (of The Independent). But if she was walking out with the team, wouldn't Ted have already met her and known who she was?

I must have watched the series a dozen times by now. And the earlier episodes even more. It got me through the horrors of the past three years, and it's pretty daunting knowing that there's no more coming to help me through 2024.

   
• Tidy! A friend posted a story about a mouse that tidys up a man's workbench every night. If there wasn't video evidence, you wouldn't believe it...

I wish my cats were this motivated. The whole incredible story is right here.

   
• Expenses! This truly is incredible...

And he really does do that...

Don't forget to be awesome. The guy in the videos is John Green. He wrote The Fault In Our Stars, a book I never read... but did enjoy the movie adaptation. He's a really great guy who has some very interesting thoughts. I love his YouTube channel so much, and recommend checking it out if you want to fall down a rabbit hole of awesome.

   
• Sigma Octantis! Just when I think I've seen all the flat earth idiocy that exists... along comes another one. Note at the top where the North Star (Polaris) is riiiiight up top...

I'd credit the artist... but I have no clue who that is

Polaris. POLARIS?!? Funny... according to this flat earth model dumbfuckery, you should be able to see Polaris from anywhere on earth. But any time I've traveled south of the equator, it was no longer visible. South Africa, Zimbabwe, Antarctica, Argentina, Fiji, Australia, Bali... no Polaris in sight. I checked! But do you want to know what's funny? Sigma Octantis (AKA The South Star) which is not visible in the northern hemisphere, is the star around which the night sky rotates when you are in the southern hemisphere. Almost as if the earth was a globe! Remarkable that! These flerfers really need to like... travel... and stuff. THE CONSTELLATIONS AREN'T EVEN THE FUCKING SAME! JESUS!!!

   
Really hoping we get some late snows so we have water this Summer.

On Wednesday I started developing a cough.

On Thursday I stayed at home to work because I didn't want to be a disruption at the office.

This morning I woke up (after coughing all night) and felt absolutely awful. My lungs itched... ON THE INSIDE! And since I can't exactly scratch the interior of my lungs and live to tell about it, all I wanted to do was sleep so I wouldn't be awake to feel it. But that wasn't an option. I was behind enough as it was, and needed to go into the office for a few important tasks. Despite having an itch I couldn't scratch, I loaded up on cough syrup, Mucinex, pain killers, and grabbed a bag of cough drops so I could get through one or two hours and return home to bed.

NINE HOURS LATER I headed home to die.

But I knew that if I went to sleep I would just wake up at midnight and ne a zombie for eight hours, so instead I tuned into The Brothers Sun on Netflix because A) It looks really good, and B) Michelle Yeoh is in it, and she never disappoints.

Here's a trailer for you...

You're welcome.

It's going to take a lot of willpower to not watch all eight episodes tonight.

It's that good.

Amazing how Michelle Yeoh can just disappear into a role. And it's fantastic how she seems to actively seek out characters who are different from what she's done previously. And then... she's got Star Trek: Section 31 plus the three Avatar sequels coming up.

Everything's coming up Yeoh. Luck us.

And now I need to take my fuzzy lungs to bed.

And it's time once again for my annual wrap-up of my favorite TV shows that came out this year.

Or, more accurately, a "wrap-up of TV shows that I saw which came out this year." As always, there's a bunch of shows I never got around to watching that might have ended up on my list... and (more likely) shows I loved but have forgotten about. And here we go...

#1 Ted Lasso (AppleTV+)
Obviously. Look, I’m not going to pretend that the final two seasons were flawless (as the first one was). There were distractions that didn’t pay off. There were storylines that wasted precious time which could have been better spent (the whole Keeley/Jack romance was pointless). And there was a kind of meandering sloppiness which didn’t really coalesce. And yet... still the best thing on television. Jamie Tartt’s character arc over three seasons was masterful. Rebecca’s ending was perfect. And Roy Kent? Well, he never stopped being one of the best characters television has ever seen. And while Ted Lasso himself got a happy ending that feels final, there is no reason... none... that the show can’t go on. There’s a rich tapestry of characters who have yet to me explored. There’s more to the main characters than what we saw. And I hope after taking a break for a year, everybody is on board to keep going. Heaven only knows people would watch it. Heaven only knows Apple would pay for it. It remains my favorite television show to have ever aired.

#2 Jury Duty (Amazon Freevee)
When I heard there was a show which revolved around jury duty where absolutely everybody was an actor except one guy who would be completely in the dark, I wasn’t going to watch it. I don’t think it’s very funny to humiliate somebody for television entertainment. But then I kept hearing about it as the show went viral, and decided to check it out. If anything, what I thought would happen is the exact opposite of what actually happened. The guy wasn’t there to make fun of, he was there to be the hero. And Ronald Gladden ended up being the best possible hero they could have found. I love this show. I love Ronald. I love the wacky characters. I’ve rewatched it loads of times. If Ted Lasso didn't exist, this would be a shoe-in for best show of 2023 because it was so wonderfully realized and different.

#3 Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Paramount+)
As I keep a running scorecard of TV shows I like so I can assemble this list every year, Strange New Worlds was firmly in the #4 spot when it debuted in June. Then the episodes just kept knocking it out of the park in surprising ways. Once we got to the impossibly good Star Trek: Lower Decks crossover at Episode 07, it was clear that I needed to reevaluate. Do not ask me how they managed to even dream up a crossover with an animated comedy show and make it work, but they did it. This was just the feather in their cap of an already amazing season.

#4 Mrs. Davis (Peacock)
I am just... I have no idea where to even begin. This show is the most unique (and bonkers) thing I’ve seen since the first season of Twin Peaks decades ago. Filled with masterful performances and some of the most out-there writing you’ll find, it’s one weird surprise after another. But it’s not just weird for weird’s sake. It’s actually incredibly smart. Every minute means something even if you don’t know it at the time. So much so that I had to rewatch everything the minute I finished the last episode. Because that reveal as to who or what Mrs. Davis actually is? So good. I am beyond grateful that somebody took a chance on something so crazy, because it paid off huge. I honestly don't know if they could continue the show... or if they should even attempt it... but I would absolutely tune in.

#5 Poker Face (Peacock)
I would watch Natasha Lyonne in literally anything. She can make even the most mundane moments fascinating, and every time she’s involved in a project I know I’ll like it just because she’s there. And boy is she ever. Lyonne is genius as a woman on the run who acts like a human lie detector. As she seeks to escape from some very dangerous people, she keeps happening upon murder mysteries that she’s compelled to solve, even though doing so puts her at risk of getting caught. The show is set up like Columbo, where you see whodunit right from the start, then have to watch Lyonne put the pieces together (in an eerie Peter Falk way). Such a great show. Guess Rian Johnson isn’t a fluke with these Knives Out movies. Really, really cannot wait for a second season.

#6 Bodies (Netflix)
Based on a graphic novel that always felt ripe for an adaptation, Bodies would also require some serious changes to make for compelling television. The changes they made are actually very smart and make the show more accessible and less weird. But still, when the same body shows up in different time periods connecting detectives across time, you know the show is headed in some interesting directions. If you watched the Netflix show and enjoyed it, I encourage you to pick up the original graphic novel, which has been reprinted. I was saddened to learn that the creator/writer of the series, Si Spencer, died in 2021. The first episode was dedicated to his memory.

#7 Barry (Max)
It's impossible for me to overstate what a surprise Barry ended up being. It started great, then just kept getting better and better. Everybody had expectations as to where the fourth and final season was going to land. Most viewers probably figured, well, Barry is finally going to be made to pay for everything he's done. What actually happened was unexpected... but shouldn't have been too unexpected, as it did make perfect sense. No, I don't think this was at the level of the first three seasons, but it was a satisfying ending, assuming what happened was something you could live with.

#8 Reservation Dogs (Hulu)
There's something to be said about a show which doesn't overstay its welcome. They want to go out on the top of their game and not become a parody of what people loved. Even so... it seems as though ResDogs could have gone on for longer than the three seasons we got. On the bright side, because they had an ending in mind, it got the best possible ending that it could get.

#9 Ahsoka (Disney+)
I'm just going to come out and say it... there were some incredibly stupid moments in this show (the lightsaber ship battle may very well be the worst thing to happen to Star Wars since Jar Jar Binks). But, then again, it was also full of some of the coolest moments in Star Wars history, so I'm going to call it a wash. Because, in the end, this was a very interesting and entertaining series. It was also surprising, because they accomplished something I never thought possible... they redeemed Anakin Skywalker and the actor who portrayed him, Hayden Christensen. Turns out that Christensen didn't destroy the character with terrible acting and delivery... he was just given impossibly shitty dialogue and situations to act in. But anyway, there was a lot of criticism lobbed at Rosario Dawson for her cold delivery of the character that felt off from the animated version, and I don't get it. She grew up. She went through some shit. She's changed. She's not the same person she once was. This show is a shining example of taking characters from the extended universe of characters and bringing them into the Star Wars Universe in interesting and thoughtful ways. It also had some action that felt fresh, which is saying a lot when it comes to a Star Wars series.

#10 Slow Horses (AppleTV+)
So there I was, opening the AppleTV app, and they are advertising the third season of a show I never heard of before. Slow Horses. I was ready to ignore it, but then saw it starred... Gary Oldman and Kristin Scott Thomas?!? Color me intrigued! And then I started watching. And then I couldn't stop. And then I was amazed that a show this good somehow escaped my attention for nearly three years. Generally it's about a group of screw-ups inhabiting the bottom rung of the British espionage ladder. But more specifically it's about how a bunc of screw-ups still have value because, despite their faults and mistakes, they remain talented in their specific areas. And the third season is arguably the best of them all, defining what makes "compelling television" so compelling.

#11 Our Flag Means Death (Max)
=sigh= In a recent interview, Taika Waititi makes it sound like he wouldn't return for a third series of everybody's pirate adventure if Max renews it. And I get it. The guy has tons of stuff going on, is highly in demand as a showrunner and director, and his little acting side-gigs must feel like a distraction to him. But holy crap is he good at those little acting side-gigs. The way he inhabited Blackbeard in Our Flag Means Death... and his romance with Stede Bonnet... is really too good to be true. Funny, but incredibly sincere. And that pretty much sums up where Season 02 left us. Sure, there was a terribly sad moment that cast a shadow over the season, but it also left us with a hope that made it all worthwhile. Good stuff. I really hope that Max renews it. I really hope that Taika returns.

#12 Heartstopper (Netflix)
One of the most mature shows about relationships is once again in the hands of two gay teens (well, one gay teen and a bisexual teen). And, in addition to being sincere and smart when it comes to how relationships actually work, it's also as heartwarming and sweet as it was the first time around. Serious topics are covered, but it's never heavy-handed or dark, making it seriously fun and watchable. And while some could criticize the show for not putting any serious obstacles or challenges in front of the characters, I think that's what makes it so special. Yeah, it's saccharine sweet, but that's okay from time to time. Not everything has to be depressing.

#13 The Night Agent (Netflix)
An entry-level FBI agent sits in the basement of The White House next to a phone that never rings. Until one night when it does. Then you're in for a ride as events spiral out of control and the hunt for a traitor is on. The fact that there are some things that didn't make much sense to me didn't diminish how much I liked this political mystery thriller. Probably because I'm such a fan of the genre. Sure the twists aren't all that twisty and the show heads in predictable directions, but the fantastic cast keeps things intense and worth watching.

#14 Abbott Elementary (Hulu)
This is one of those shows that was flawless out of the gate. It had nowhere to go but down. And then the second season debuted, and they somehow... made it even better? But how? If I had to guess, it's because all the actors were fully entrenched in their characters, allowing them to became even more real to us. Then there's the writing, which seemed even sharper and well-honed. Which is to say that the writers were more fully entrenched in the characters as well. Regardless, it's refreshing to find a show that understands exactly what it is and exploits that for maximum entertainment value. The third season debuts in a month. I'll be there.

#15 Letterkenny (Hulu)
They announced the 12th season was the final season just before it premiered. It was a bit of a gut-punch, because this is one of those shows you just count on to always be there. The final season is more of the same from the past eleven seasons: esoteric Canadian laughs being fired off at a mile a minute. But it's also not the same because everybody in Letterkenny contemplates moving on. Then we're treated to the closing scenes, which really hit you hard in the feels that the show is really gone. And along the way we get some hilarious moments that became immediate classics for the series (I still have Sun Darts stuck in my head!). A fitting end for a show that definitely deserved one. And now... it looks like Shoresy is going to be the full focus of Jared Keeso's attentions and talents, which is fine by me.

#16 Obliterated (Netflix)
This show isn't going to be for everybody. You reeeeeally need to lean into the concept, which is the adventures of an elite team of operatives trying to save Las Vegas from being obliterated. And, oh yeah, there's loads of R-rated sex and violence along for the ride to keep things interesting. Ultimately it's incredibly entertaining in the worst way possible, and I loved the show. No idea if Netflix feels like there's another season to be had, but I hope they do.

#17 What We Do in the Shadows
While I thought that Gizmo's vampire storyline threw the series off balance and they could have spent the time on something better, there were plenty of laughs to be had and loads of the usual goofiness that makes the show so much fun to watch. Which makes the fact that the series has been canceled after the next season just that much more unbelievable. It's like... why? There's still so many places the show could explore. Consistently funny, I miss it already.

#18 Murder at the End of the World (Hulu)
I had the mystery solved in the first episode. Which is to say that I knew the "who"... not the "how." Regardless, I sure liked Darby Hart as a detective, and really hope we can see more of her. But not if it means dragging the same people back. Let her find something new to do and new people to interact with. But back to this series, it was pretty good. Sure there was meandering that would have kept things moving better if they had tightened the scripts a bit, but at least they were trying to do something different.

TOO EARLY TO TELL...

• Reacher (Amazon Prime Video)
  From the looks of things, this is going to be yet another great season of Reacher. Problem is that it's easy to see where the show could go terribly wrong if they flub the ending. When you've got a team scenario there's several clichéd and boring tropes that they could use to resolve everything. If they steer clear, then it could be good for us. But if not? Yikes.

MUST SEE TELEVISION SPECIALS AND DOCUMENTARIES...

• Mr. Monk's Last Case (Peacock)
  I seriously wrote off the idea of more Monk because so much time had passed. But then a miracle happened. Wisely, they integrated the pandemic into the show, which seemed like a natural. Most of the cast is back (with the exception of Sharona, who is at home with her and Randy's new baby). Despite the fact that everybody went their separate ways at the end of the series, they're back in San Francisco for Monk's stepdaughter's wedding. Unfortunately, the groom died before that could happen, which becomes a case for Mr. Monk when she is convinced that her husband-to-be was murdered. Seriously hoping that they convince Tony Shaloub to do more movies, because the character is just too good to disappear.

TELEVISION HONORABLE MENTION...

• Magnum P.I. (Peacock)
  By all rights, this show was dead. It had been canceled at CBS. It was over. And it was a pretty good place to end, seeing as how the "will-they-or-won't-they" relationship between Magnum and Higgins had been answered. There was nowhere to go but down. And then Peacock bought the show, brought it back, and here we are. Spoiler Alert: Yeah, the fifth season was not as good as the others, which wasn't surprising because that's been a trend since it began. What is surprising is that it was still watchable television that I was happy to tune in for week after week. Until it won't be. The show was canceled for good during the strikes, and the final two episodes are airing in January.
• The Last of Us (Max)
  If you've played the video game, you might be forgiven into thinking that you saw the series. But there are some smart changes made that I liked (I've only played the original game)... along with a great diversion which fills in a character's backstory in a fascinating, lovely way which ended up being the highpoint of the entire season for me.
• The Bear
  This is a show that has the most realistic depiction of how commercial kitchens work than anything I've ever seen. It's just so... real. Unfortunately, it's got a lot of dead weight holding it back, including the idea that PEOPLE SCREAMING ALL THE TIME IS ENTERTAINING. And even if that wasn't the case, there's the fact that damaged people can't be the entirety of a show's identity and be fun to watch. It gets so very tired. Fortunately, they do manage to work in some genuinely good storylines into the mix, and this season was better than the previous season in that respect.
• Beef (Netflix)
  The only thing that kept this series from being flawless was that it had David Choe in it after his admission of sexual assault. Which he made for a comedy bit. Otherwise? Everything about it was choice. From Ali Wong and Steven Yeun's amazing chemistry to a story that was fascinating to watch unfold. The ending was one of those things which resolved everything perfectly while giving you hope not only for the future of the characters, but for people in general.
• Bupkis
  As a Pete Davidson fan, I was anticipating this series. But I didn’t know much about it. Then it dropped on Peacock and nothing could have prepared me for what I witnessed. Somehow Joe Pesci was lured out of retirement, and he’s incredible. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Guest stars keep dropping in and they’re not who you’d expect. And while the episodes start out as crude (albeit clever) humor... but by the time you get to the fourth one (titled Crispytown) it’s gone to such extreme levels that I was dying. Everything about this show, which claims to be a stylized, fictional version of Pete’s crazy life, is quality. And the humor is on-point.
• Only Murders in The Building (Hulu)
  No new season is ever going to live up to the brilliance of the first season. And yet... I am ever so happy that they keep trying. I actually ended up liking this season more than the second, which was a pleasant surprise. Steve Martin has said that this show is the end. He's retiring after it's over. But he keeps coming back, so it must be a fun time. And it's been renewed for season four.
• Will Trent
  I had no idea that this series existed until I accidentally stumbled across it. I’ve only read one of the Karin Slaughter novels on which it’s based, for which I’m actually grateful because the television series is so good that I didn’t want to be clinging to the source material.
• Cunk on Earth (Netflix)
  Watching somebody so utterly stupid and clueless make observations on history... all the while knowing full well that there are people walking around (and voting!) who aren't even this educated and smart is both hysterically funny... and incredibly depressing. Regardless, I was in stitches most of the time and was thrilled to be so surprised and captivated by a throwaway show like this.
• One Piece (Netflix)
  Just about every live-action adaptation of a manga is a complete disaster. By some absolute miracle, One Piece isn't. Part of it is that they worked hard to be faithful while being mindful about what would work in live action. The other part was absolutely nailing the casting. Every character is brilliantly unmistakably accurate to their original manga characters. It's wonderful.
• The Diplomat
  I really, really hate the trend of leaving a season finale on a cliffhanger. Especially when you have no idea if you're being picked up for another season. Had this show been smarter about constructing an ending to the story that ran through it, this would have likely been in my top shows of the year. As it is, the sloppy non-ending left a sour note... regardless of whether or not we see more.
• The Other Two (Max)
  The first season was one of the funniest things I've ever seen. It was just so outlandish and crazy that you were compelled to watch. You couldn't look away. But then... with the second season it felt like most of there good ideas went into that first season. The third (and final) season rebounded a little, but not enough. Even so, it was still hilarious and I'm glad we got as much of the show as we did.
• Lupin (Netflix)
  Omar Sy is just phenomenally talented, and his turn as the gentleman thief Lupin took full advantage of the fact. Unfortunately, the family entanglements seriously diminish the later episodes, and it made me seriously wish that he didn't have a family at all, because the times without them are where the show really shines.
• Silo (AppleTV+)
  I loved the concept. Liked the show. Mostly because I worry that they are going to never get around to the mystery of how, when, and why... and the show will get canceled before any of it is ever answered. Which would just be so very typical. And then we end up in a Lost situation (yes, I know the series is adapting a book series, but it's ultimately the same considering that shows often diverge from the source material in significant ways).
• Julia (Max)
  The first season was beyond good. It was like they took all the best parts of the movie Julie & Julia (i.e. the parts with Meryl Streep's genius turn as Julia Child and Stanley Tucci's wonderful take on Paul Child) and then just made a television show of it. And yet... by having more than two hours available to them, the showrunners managed to make it even more engrossing. Julia is a fascinating character and they found the perfect Streep alternative to play her in Sarah Lancashire (and shoutout to David Hyde Pierce for avoiding the awful Frasier reboot to play Paul). The second season is a bit more dodgy when it comes to what it's adapting from a real live person... it feels like the whole "will-she-or-won't-she-jump-from-PBS" along with the lives of ancillary characters ate up way too much time. But despite it all, it was still must-see television.
• The Righteous Gemstones (Max)
  Despite having a very good seasonal arc when it came to Eli's sister coming back into the family's lives and the consequences that come out of it, the idea of having Eli retire and leave the Gemstone empire in the hands of his squabbling children was a bad one. It was when the show got mired in that storyline that everything ground to a screeching halt. It's been reported that the series has been renewed for a fourth season. I sincerely hope they find a better way to spend that time.
• Black Mirror (Netflix)
  This is a show of diminishing returns. It started out so unbelievably good that it really had nowhere else to go. But then it kept being so consistently good that it became a waiting game as to when it would finally fall. And we're not quite there yet. Of the five episodes we got in Season 06, two of them were great, two of them were good, and two of them were just kind of... there. I still like the show. I still think there are stories to tell. But I can't help but feel like we're approaching the end.
• The Mandalorian
  There was some heavy criticism of the third season. And while I understand the points being made, I couldn’t disagree more. With the sole exception of the ridiculous Jack Black & Lizzo stunt casting episode (which I hated... not because of Jack Black and Lizzo, but because it was a shitty episode). I loved that it was all cool Star Wars space ships and locations with great action fueled by interesting concepts. Jon Favreau knows what fans want to see, and he delivers it. How could I hate that?
• The Lincoln Lawyer (Netflix)
  Though the mystery that ran through the season was a bit anti-climactic, I love the characters so much that it didn't really matter. The show is impeccably cast. Every role is a starring role regardless of how much screen time they get. You can't help but love a show with that kind of talent sucking you into the world they are building.
• The Crown (Netflix)
  I absolutely hated the first half of the final season. It was all gross speculation about Princess Diana's final days that felt... dirty? I mean, yeah, all of this show is speculation, but you really can't confirm what was going on because both people who had any insight are gone. But then the second half arrived and it was far, far better. More speculation, of course, but it didn't feel as grotesque. But what really sealed the deal was the end, where they wrapped up the show in a way I didn't see coming... but was truly great.

ANIMATION TO WATCH...

• Rick & Morty (Hulu)
  In what seems like an impossible turn of events, this season wrapped up a storyline that's been brewing forever. And it did it in a perfectly satisfying way. Which could be said for the entire seventh season (with the sole exception of the Rise of the Numbericons: The Movie episode that was idiotic and basic in the worst possible ways). But the question on everybody's mind was whether losing Justin Roiland as the voices of both titular characters would sink the show. Fortunately the answer was "nope!"
• Fionna and Cake (Max)
  As a huge Adventure Time fan, I am happy to take in any spin-offs that they care to provide. And in this case it's ten epiodes of the gender-swapped version of Finn and Jake which appeared in the oriinal series. Surprisingly, they weren't content to just leave the show at that. Instead they struck off in a different direction entirely, but it still feels very "Adventure Time" in execution. Then, the best news of all, Max renewed the series for a second season.
• Invincible (Amazon Prime Video)
  Since I've read the entirety of the comic book series, the adaptation doesn't hold any surprises for me. But I was very happy to revisit the story in a fresh new way.
• Star Trek: Lower Decks (Paramount+)
  Whip-smart and funny as always, the show is never satisfied with standing still. Characters continue to grow and mature in small bu meaningful steps.
• Blue Eye Samurai (Netflix)
  Some of the most gorgeous animation you'll see with a story that's exhillerating and wonderfully creative.
• Archer (FXX)
  The 14th season is the last season of the series. Then we found out that the eight episodes we got were not really the end. We had a three-episode finale to the finale, subtitled Into the Cold. It was a fitting end to a show that was saddled with occasional lapses in quality after a stellar debut season, but never lost its humor. In many ways it was probably time to say good bye, but I do hope that we get a revival one of these days.

HAVEN'T SEEN, MIGHT HAVE MADE MY LIST...

• Lawmen: Bass Reeves (Paramount+)
• The Afterparty (AppleTV+)
• Dark Winds (AMC+)
• The Last Kingdom (Netflix)
• Lessons in Chemistry (AppleTV+)
• Monarch, Legacy of Monsters (AppleTV+)
• Hijack (AppleTV+)
• What If...? (Disney+)
• Justified: City Primeval (Hulu)
• The Curse (Showtime)

OVERRATED BUT STILL GOOD...

• Good Omens (Amazon Prime Video)
  After a stellar and fully-realized first season, the second was just kind of meandering and unsatisfying (even if Michael Sheen and David Tennant were glorious as usual). I mean, yeah, it was building towards something and everything in the story meant something, it just wasn't as clever and brilliant as what came before it. With one final season yet to come, I'm hopeful that everything pulls together to give us a brilliant endgame.
• Loki (Disney+)
  This garnered a lt of critical praise, but to me it was just a big ol' mess. It's like they had an end-goal in mind, then just filled the show up with random happenings which happened to generally move them in that direction. Which would have been fine if not for the fact that I don't really get how the end of the season (and likely the end of the series) really means much to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole. Perhaps
• Picard (Paramount+)
  This show is phenomenally frustrating because it comes so very close to being good. The first season came closer than most, but kinda blew it at the end. The second season, despite having a very ambitious plot with some fantastic scenes, was a major letdown. And then came this final season which was nothing more than a "let's-round-up-the-gang-for-one-last-adventure" show. As somebody who was never much a fan of The Next Generation to begin with, this was the last thing I wanted. Especially since it was so unsatisfying. Fortunately we had Strange New Worlds and Lower Decks to give us some good Trek, because this wasn't worth the time.

DISAPPOINTING...

• Foundation (AppleTV+)
  The first season was an abomination that in no way resembled the books upon which it claimed to be based. It was also boring as hell and bad television. Thinking that they had nowhere to go but up, I tried the second. It's still an unholy abomination, but at least it tried to be good television. Alas, it wasn't good enough to hold my attention.
• FUBAR (Netflix)
  The fact that they ponied up the dough to get Arnold frickin' Schwarzenegger in a TV show boggles the mind. And I was hyped for it. And then it just ended up being so very meh. The idea was sound... Arnold finds out his daughter is in the CIA just like he is (in a Mr. and Mrs. Smith kind of way). But the result is neither exciting, funny, or worth my time.
• Shrinking (AppleTV+)
  The fact that they ponied up the dough to get Harrison Ford in a TV show boggles the mind. And I was hyped for it. And then it just ended up being so very meh. The idea was sound... Jason Segel is a therapist who gets way too involved in his patient's lives after his wife dies... and Harrison Ford is actually very good in it. But the result just didn't appeal to me for some reason.

TOTALLY SHIT THE BED...

• Secret Invasion (Disney+)
  I had every expectation that a Marvel series based on the great Secret Invasion story from the comics starring Samuel L. Jackson would be a guaranteed winner. The fact that it absolutely was not only shows that my high expectations caused a harsher reaction from me than what it would have normally gotten. But, yeah, it totally shit the bed. First by wasting Samuel L. Jackson in such an embarrassing way. Second by having such a phenomenally shitty premise as having Nick Fury not call on the full might of the Avengers to handle what was obviously a much bigger challenge with much more dire consequences than he should have ever taken on alone. It was just so absurd. Then they went and killed off fan-favorite character Talos while introducing the Super Skrull in such a ridiculous way. I just don't get it. Is Kevin Feige completely asleep at the wheel or what? How in the heck did this ever get green-lit? They literally could have built out this story to be a couple of incredible movies, but just pissed it away for nothing.
• Succession (Max)
  For the life of me, I do not get the accolades for this shitty, shitty show. The writing is awful. The stories are muddled and predictable. And the acting? Mostly horrific. Kendall, Greg, Tom, and Shiv don’t seem at all natural characters. They feel like the improvising every minute because they can’t fucking look, speak, and act like normal humans. Some characters fare better (surprisingly, Kieran Culkin really knows how to occupy a scene). Not surprisingly, Brian Cox and Alexander Skarsgård know how to act with conviction that makes their characters work within the scope of the show. I watched one episode of the final season: the one where Logan dies. I was going to watch the finale but just couldn’t stomach the idea and watched the “Making Of” that told me I made the right decision to avoid at all costs. It was just more of the same. It’s the same shitty absurdity as when Tom was telling Greg about getting snowballed and how hot it was. Good Lord. At least when it came up in Clerks it was funny and not heinously awkward and cringe. The trades call Succession “brilliant” and there are diehard fans of the series, but it’ll always be overrated garbage to me. The only thing I regret about it ending is that Jeremy Strong and Sarah Snook will get cast and go on to ruin far better shows.

It may be Christmas Eve, but bullets don't stop for a holiday... because an all new Bullet Sunday starts... now...

   
• POPPED! The trend this past week in Social Media was people turning themselves into Funko POP! toys via Microsoft's AI. While not a fan of AI art intruding on our lives, for a souless application such as this, I could play along...

It doesn't actually look very "POP!" like because the head is too small compared to the body. There was an option that was better, but they spelled "Geek" as "Gekk" and they forgot the "2" on my name...

Funko actually has a "POP! Yourself" service, but your options are severely limited. AI-generated art has no such limitations. Even if it makes loads of other mistakes.

   
• CRED! The new South Park (Not Suitable For Children) special is totally deranged. And yet... still insightful somehow. It's like every crazy thing they've done up to this point has been merely a warmup. But of course absolutely none of the stuff that makes this movie so shocking could possibly be shown in a public video, but here you go...

I guess they have to keep pushing the limits to stay relevant? All I know is that Parker and Stone comment on current trends and events like nobody else.

   
• An End of A Murder At The End of The World! And... I had A Murder at the End of the World figured out from the very beginning. Well, the who... not the how. I was hoping that something cool would be introduced to shake things up or move things in a more interesting direction but, alas, no. Ultimately this Hulu series was okay, but it needed something... more... for it to become truly special...

Oh well. Fortunately they didn't drag it out too long. That beig said, I really, really like Emma Corrin's "Darby Hart" character and would very much like to see her return.

   
• Another Day. Another hypocrisy. Watching the co-founder of the abhorrent Hitler-worshipping organization "Moms for Liberty" getting put on blast can make my entire day. Especially when it's done as beautifully as this (here's a link in case TikTok is being a dick)...

@queenofhives #bridgetziegler #momsforliberty #fyp ♬ original sound - BEE 🐝

Because OF COURSE an organization like "Moms for Liberty" would be positively packed with hypocrites. Including their fucking co-founder Bridget Ziegler... a woman whose past actions lead one to believe that she would absolutely LOVE to outlaw homosexuality... but would also believe that those laws OBVIOUSLY don't apply to her. Jesus. Analyzing these people is so textbook as to be laughable because it's always... ALWAYS... the same. "Let me make the rules, but those rules don't apply to me!"

   
• Mooooon! And so Netflix paid Zack Snyder a crapload of money to pinch off another shitty loaf out of his ass. Good Lord Rebel Moon is bad. I don't mean "so-bad-it's-good" bad either. It's just plain bad. Even if it wasn't boring as hell, I still wouldn't want to watch it because NOTHING MAKES ANY FUCKING SENSE!

Some of the visuals are good, but it's pretty much just going from boring planet to boring planet to collect a band of ragtag "heroes" to help the people on a moon fight the bad guys who are going to show up and find out that they killed the first group of bad guys that showed up? WTF?

At one point the incredibly talented Bae Doona doing her best Darth Maul impression fights a giant spider. I laughed out loud. And, yes, not only did Snyder rip off Star Wars, but there's no small amount of theft of Lord of the Rings too. This is just fucking low stakes embarrassing. I can't believe that Netflix is going to actually give him more money for a part two of... whatever the hell this is supposed to be. I mean, seriously, haven't people suffered enough at the hands of Zack Snyder? STOP GIVING HIM MONEY!

   
• Monstrosity Streaming! NEWS RELEASE: Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global Have Held Meeting to Discuss Possible Merger — Two guys who destroyed their respective studios now want to come together to make an even bigger failure? Sign me up! Zaslav took a literal slam dunk with all the Warner/Discovery/DC/HBO properties and merged them into a fucking disaster. The brands are now a shadow of their past selves, and I don't even think that James Gunn can salvage the shit-bomb of fail that Zack Snyder dropped on the DC Comics movies. SO many awful decisions. And then there's Paramount/Showtime which is another sad case of bad decisions coming out of not knowing what the fuck to do with the assets they had. I guess this merger would end up giving us some kind of Warner/Discovery/DC/HBO/Paramount/Showtime monstrosity. Where they will once again have to make "the painful decision" to run a wood-chipper on top of all the stuff that's left which people actually care about... all while abandoning all their employees to escape with the millions of dollars they received to fuck everything up. Personally I hope the DO merge and then self-destruct so I have two less streaming services to worry about.

   
Wishing you a Merry Christmas tomorrow, if you celebrate that kind of thing.

I woke up this morning with a sense of dread.

But that was quickly replaced with gratitude, because my screwed-up knee wasn't locked up this morning. Nope... I was able to move it freely, and there wasn't any pain at all. This was unexpected. Once I crossed the big five-oh, it seems like even small tumbles which would have been shaken off immediately 20 years ago can lay me up for a week or more. I keep trying to remind myself to be more careful because getting old sucks, but my head is not cooperating. It's still governing my body as if I was 22 or something. I don't know what it's going to take for my head to get the message, but I hope it's not something too serious.

Although...

It's difficult for me to throw a pity party for my aging body when every time I read what's happening in the world it seems like something new and worse has happened. Yesterday the news hit that Andre Braugher had died. He's a remarkable actor, and his run on Homicide: Life on The Street was incredible. When he pivoted flawlessly to comedy with Brooklyn Nine-Nine, you just knew the guy was capable of absolutely anything. The official YouTube channel had a nice video tribute to him...

The last project he was in was a supporting role in The Good Fight, which was great, but there was so much more left for him to offer. He will be very much missed.

There was a glimmer of light awaiting me this morning, however.

After getting teased with this poster by Netflix...

Today they released a teaser trailer for Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F...

Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser, and Bronson Pinchot all returning. Ronny Cox absent because he passed in 2006. And I'm not seeing Héctor Elizondo, so his character must not be returning.

Almost didn't recognize Joseph Gordon-Levitt being added.

And Kevin Bacon as the villain? Nice

I was a bit disappointed by Coming 2 America, but this looks like they are embracing what made the Beverly Hills Cop franchise such a beloved trilogy (YES, I'M INCLUDING BEVERLY HILLS COP 3, BECAUSE I LIKED IT!!). Hopefully it won't disappoint.

Because what the world really needs right now is a reason to laugh.

Well, here we go again... because an all new Bullet Sunday starts... now...

   
• Swifty! “They had to work really hard to get the tickets,” she says. “I wanted to play a show that was longer than they ever thought it would be, because that makes me feel good leaving the stadium.” — People can feel however they want to feel about Taylor Swift and her music... but there is absolutely no denying that she works incredibly hard for everything she has and gives her all to everything she does, and that is deserving of respect. I think her getting "Person of The Year" is completely valid...

Reading the article, it doesn't seem a bad choice at all. My favorite part is that when she was denied her first big gig supporting Kenny Chesney because it was sponsored by a beer company and she was underage, Chesney cut her a check anyway. Her first thought to do with this major windfall was to pay her band and tour crew. I may believe that billionaires shouldn't exist... but if they must, I sure wish more of them acted like Taylor Swift.

   
• Sundays! Me. Trying to hold a discussion about sportsball...

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mike (@mgmike_)

Right?

   
• Delicious! Why is it that little red pandas always look like they're saying Come at me bro! when they stand up like this?

When they're not standing upright, they're one of the cutest things alive...

Now I want a red panda.

   
• Martians! A lot has (rightfully) been thrown at Jared Leto for his acting and, more importantly, his acting behavior. But I really do like his singing with Thirty Seconds to Mars...

I mean, come on. That's a great track.

   
• Slough! Today Apple TV+ advertised Slow Horses: Season 3 starring GARY OLDMAN AND KRISTIN SCOTT THOMAS?!? I didn't even know that Season's 1 & 2 existed! So I tuned in. And it's a fantastic series...

It's brutal and packed with drama one minute... then is played for comedy the next. And yet it somehow... works? I have no idea how this show escaped my notice... but I'm all in now.

   
• Name That Tune! One of my favorite recent discoveries on Youtube is this street trivia game that has random people guessing music...

And sometimes not so random people too...

The channel is Public Opinion NYC, and if you're looking for a diversion and like music... it may be worth checking out!

   
• Spin, Eat, Repeat! Round and Round, the Hanukkah Hallmark Channel movie this year is the absolute best. It’s clever, smart, funny... and features 80’s music, geek culture, comic books, and a hefty nod to some time travel movies which came before (except the one that really matters, but we'll get to that). It’s like somebody wrote this one just for me! But anyway... a woman has a disastrous 7th night of Hanukkah... that keeps repeating. Just like in Groundhog Day, which they are quick to acknowledge in the story. And just like in that film, she has to figure out why she's stuck in a time loop and how she can get out of it...

That alone would be worth watching, but they toss in a twist at the end which has you completely recontextualizing everything you've seen. I had to go back and see if I missed some clues. Turns out I really didn't, which was disappointing. The only way this could have been better would be to have made the twist apparent when you rewatched it. Then there's the fact that the twist is kinda-sorta from one of my all-time favorite time travel movies, which I can't mention because it will give it away. But blah blah blah. This is a fantastic film with stellar performances that are built around a great story. One of my favorite Hallmark movies ever.

   
There we went again. See you next Sunday for more bullets.

Today was a rough day at work, but it went easier knowing that when I got home I'd be able to watch the new Monk movie. The series (which ran for 8 seasons) ended 14 years ago, and we're finally getting a follow-up. My mom liked the show, so I'm more than a little sad that she wasn't here to watch it, but I'm really glad that somebody at Peacock TV had the good sense to make it happen...

Wisely, they integrated the pandemic into the show, which seemed like a natural. It would have been weird if they hadn't done that.

Most of the cast is back. With the exception of Sharona, who is at home with her and Randy's new baby. Despite the fact that everybody went their separate ways at the end of the series, they're back in San Francisco for Monk's stepdaughter's wedding. Unfortunately, the groom died before that could happen, which becomes a case for Mr. Monk when she is convinced that her husband-to-be was murdered.

What happens after that is very much yet another Monk mystery.

Which is not a criticism. That's exactly what you'd want it to be. Anything less would be disappointing...

Personally, I loved the movie. I think that any Monk fan would. It hit all the right notes and had a sentimental streak that tugged at all the heartstrings.

And I was absolutely left wanting more.

Seriously, I don't want Mr. Monk's Last Case to be his last case at all. I really hope that Peacock TV has such a big hit on their hands that they are compelled to run another series and that the cast agrees to return for it. Sure it would be tough to find a way to bring back Natalie and Randy considering their characters are no longer in San Francisco, but nothing's impossible in television fiction!

But anyway... this movie was released a little but under the radar, which is why I'm telling you about it. If you liked the original, it's a no-brainer to tune in.