LOVABLE DUDE AND GRAVY-HERO GETS ENGAGED

Local boy makes good.

THE MINDY PROJECT S4/5 (2016)

A combination of attrition and gradual cast shifting/improvement (I'm particularly fond of Jody and Colette) has made MINDY my favorite live-action sitcom right now.  It is kind of a throw-back to sitcoms of the past with plots that don't especially matter and shameless guest stars, but it adds so much verve with modern, ADHD pacing and killer comics hitting double-time jokes.  I think it has gotten even better on Hulu, but the audio is a little off.  Had this problem when COMMUNITY went to Yahoo--seems like the actors aren't mic'ed well, or somebody in post is missing the mark, but there are legitimately jokes that can't be heard no matter how much you pump the volume.  I probably haven't given this show enough credit the last couple years, but now it is legitimately one that I look forward to every week.  It's off until Valentine's Day 2017, so I'll be catching up on those I missed in seasons 1 and 2.

SEARCH PARTY (2016)

Equal parts GIRLS and VERONICA MARS, with a dash of TWIN PEAKS.  I can't get over how tonally perfect it is.  Resonant in the face of mystery and tragedy, sharp as a tack about our urban(e) generation's strengths and weaknesses.  John Early is hilarious and Alia Shawkat has a lot more range than I gave her credit for.  It is weird to be this high on a TBS show, and weirder that they actually handled it correctly--so much smarter to release it in one go and keep momentum, rather than let people lose track of it in the cable hinterlands.  

WESTWORLD (2016)

Thrilling, enthralling, brainy and ungraceful. I've been happily along for the ride the whole time, but 100% would understand and not fight someone who hated this show's guts.  I think it is incredibly meta-textual and meta-contextual re: exploitation, dehumanization, and perversion.  Anthony Hopkins is doing what only he can and elevating the cast with his strange basso-soul, like an operatic villain.  I'm not sure what greatness the show has in its bones, but right now, at this velocity, it doesn't matter.

PS How bad are the opening credits? So bad!  Is there some study on American opening credits behavior I don't know about?  Like, is it exactly as long and boring as it takes to reheat nachos?

Leonard Cohen's YOU WANT IT DARKER (2016)

The title track is a hymn for the ages, and the absolutely perfect song for the end of this fucking year.  What a grace note to leave on. (Speaking of which, I would go to a church that just played Leonard Cohen's music.)  The rest of the album is minor key majesty, a fond farewell to a friend. Godspeed, goodsir.



I want to believe we deserve better, but paying taxes and accepting shelter from a corporo-fascist permawar surveillance state means we probably don't.  Saving up for expatriation. haha /rant

Human history is a mostly fucked enterprise, and those particular conditions led to Raspberry Beret, so I guess I'll just compromise.


Raspberry Beret from HA Animation on Vimeo.