237. Web-series Reviews – 83

More web-series reviews…

 

This is Going to Hurt – Came out in 2022. Set on labour Ward with all its hilarity and heart-lifting highs but also its gut-wrenching lows, the show delivers a brutally honest depiction of life as a junior doctor on the wards, and the toll the job can take back home.

One of the reviews from IMDB...

Film buffs will remember Gone With the Wind and the tearful pronouncement, "I don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' babies, Miss Scarlett," from the black servant girl Prissy as she lazily strolls home with no Doctor to find Miss Melanie in full advanced labour and is told by Scarlet that she'll have to deliver the baby.

Well, after watching many episodes of Call the Midwife and now 7 episodes of this new gritty but also humorous drama series starring a favourite British Actor of mine Ben Whishaw in There Will Be Pain my knowledge of the joy and pain of childbirth has increased enormously.

The gentle nuns and midwives of Nonnatus House in Call the Midwife I'm sure would be appalled and dismayed at the state of midwifery services and the state of The British National Health System today.

There Will Be Pain is based on the diary entries of real life Adam Kay a Junior ex-doctor and author of the book of the same name .

The series was intended to be filmed in an actual hospital but due to Covid a huge set had to be built in an unused University building complete with a triage , operating theatre and labour ward.

It looks so authentic that when Adam Kay stepped on set, he got chills," and said he thought he was back in hospital." Ben Whishaw is superb in the role of Adam Kay a very capable and dedicated young Doctor with a black sense of humour and an attitude to match that gets him into some strife with his Superiors and a few co- workers especially his dry witted Chief Administrator Mr Lockhart played by Alex Jennings.

Adam like most of the overworked stressed hospital staff is trying to maintain his relationship with live in boyfriend Harry played by Rory Fleck Byrne .

It's a very timely series I think that really highlights the stress that our health workers are under especially knowing that this series was filmed during the Covid pandemic.

Expect blood, trauma and tears (both good and bad) Ben Whishaw as Junior Doctor Adam Kay makes mistakes and some bad judgements but has a good heart and tries his upmost to assist the patients he comes in contact with .

Ben Whishaw is on screen for a great part of this series and between the drama there are some very touching moments as usual no spoilers.

Most of the series takes place in the hospital but we do get to meet Adam's friends as well as his acerbic mother Veronique played by the wonderful Harriet Walter who Adam describes as when she walks into a room the temperature drops ten degrees.

Adam even gets a chance to see how the other half lives when he gets a few shifts in a posh private maternity ward with chandeliers butler service and designer scrubs and the experience is not what he expects .

This series really highlights the outcome of a Hospital system in crises that only affects the patients well being but shows the effects on the wellbeing of our health workers when they are overwhelmed with stress.

This is a very entertaining and very well produced series skillfully directed by Lucy Forbes and Tom Kingsley.

My Take – A worthwhile watch!

 

Black Mirror – Came from 2011-2019.  An anthology series exploring a twisted, high-tech multiverse where humanity's greatest innovations and darkest instincts collide.

One of the reviews from IMDB...

The double entendre that is Black Mirror's name summarizes the show perfectly. The first interpretation is that the show looks inwards, at the darker aspects of humanity and society. This is done through the theme of technology, hence the second meaning. The black mirror is the screen that rules our lives.

Each self-contained episode is brilliantly crafted and produced. The stories are compelling and the acting is phenomenal. This show is not for those looking exclusively for entertainment, as the episodes leave you with a distinctly empty feeling. Although this is obviously the intent, one cannot help but wonder at the creators' bleak outlook on the world. The presence of bestiality in the first episode could very well deter some viewers, but I would remind them that the show is Twilight Zone-esque in structure as well as theme. The episodes may be watched in any order, as they are all completely independent of one another. The second episode in particular is storytelling of the highest form.

Black Mirror is disturbing in the best possible way. It unflinchingly explores the issues of society through deeply intimate stories and characters and their interactions with technology. Let me be clear, it will not leave you feeling fulfilled. Watching it was an exhausting experience that shook me deeply. The thought-provoking subject matter combine with powerful, desolate stories and excellent performances to create one of the most unique and brilliant shows that I have seen. It not only holds the viewer's attention while it plays, it enthralls your thoughts long after the credits roll.

This series is so good that here is Another review from IMDB…

A series of independent stories, all centred around technology. Is it a help or a hindrance?

Brilliant series, created and written by English comedian and social commentator Charlie Brooker. Highly original in its concept - examining possible technological advances, and seeing how these could be used, or abused, and how they can help us, or be the bane of our existence. Set at an everyday person level (mostly), so is highly engaging.

Plots are very intriguing and entertaining, drawing you in and keeping you locked in until the end. Often part of the intrigue is figuring out the innovation depicted in the episode and how it works.

In many of the earlier episodes, Brooker was happy to just make the revelation of the innovation the punchline, and then just let the episode run its course from there. These were not bad episodes - there are no bad episodes (the worst score I gave to an individual episode was 7/10) - but did leave me a bit disappointed. I kept thinking this series was going to be like Alfred Hitchcock in the 21st (or 22nd century) and the lack of a great twist towards the end or powerful conclusion made me wonder what all the fuss was about.

However, with time Brooker's writing got better - grittier, more daring, more profound. He found his formula and pushed the envelope in terms of his creativity. While S2 E2 - White Bear - was the first episode I gave a 10/10 to, it was really only from Season 3 (starting with the brilliant Christmas special between S2 and S3 - White Christmas) where the series consistently delivered a punchiness to its endings. S3 E1 - Nosedive - was one of the scariest and depressing imaginings of future social interaction I've ever seen...and it was 100% plausible.

Things then went from strength to strength. The pinnacle, for me, was S3 E6 - Hated In The Nation. A murder mystery combined with highly plausible technology, engaging, well-developed characters (well portrayed too) and a big swipe at social media and the types of people who inhabit it. You're forced to think about your own moral view on issues, while not being lectured as to what is the "correct" choice. Brilliant episode.

Many aspects of the series give a damning, and quite relevant, view on society, and possibly where it is heading. It's not all doom and gloom though - there are some episodes that are quite upbeat, even romantic (San Junipero, Hang the DJ) and in S4 E1 - USS Callister - Brooker makes use of his considerable comedic talent to deliver an episode that is wonderfully funny yet grippingly thrilling and action-filled.

Season 5 is a bit of a disappointment though. The plots are much more mainstream and less cerebral. There's flashes of the old Black Mirror but Brooker never really rams the point home or provides something profound. Very entertaining and still highly plausible but not of the same quality as the previous seasons.

My Take – DON'T MISS IT😊!!

 

The Lincoln Lawyer – Came out in 2022.  An iconoclastic idealist runs his law practice out of the back of his Lincoln Town Car in this series based on Michael Connelly's bestselling novels.

One of the reviews from IMDB...

Following his recovery from an accident that left him with a painkiller addition, Mickey Haller (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) returns to law work after a year hiatus when Haller's friend and associate, Jerry Vincent, is killed. With Jerry dead, Judge Mary Holder (LisaGay Hamilton) assigns his cases and practice to Mickey, including the high profile murder trial of tech CEO Trevor Elliott's (Christopher Gorham) wife. As Haller takes over the Jerry's practice with his friend and investigator Cisco (Angus Sampson) and second wife and legal aide Lorna Crain (Becki Newton), Haller also seeks to regain the trust of his first wife, Maggie McPherson (Neve Campbell) with whom he has a daughter, Hayley (Krista Warner).

The Lincoln Lawyer is the second adaptation of the series of Mickey Haller novels by Michael Connelly, the first adaptation from 2011 was released to solid success and critical acclaim and is widely credited as a turning point in Matthew McConaughey's career towards more serious work. David E. Kelly began developing the Lincoln Lawyer TV series in 2018 at A+E studios where it was ordered straight to series by CBS in 2019, however the series would then be cancelled by CBS in 2020 due to the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic and the series was resurrected by Netflix in 2021. After a rocky development cycle, The Lincoln Lawyer serves up exactly the kind of smart and pulpy crime thrills Michael Connelly and David E. Kelly effortlessly excel at.

The show's lead in Manuel Garcia-Rulfo is really solid taking on the role of Mickey Haller and he's a charismatic presence in the series with a relaxed demeanor that makes him effortlessly engaging as a protagonist. Not only does Rulfo nail the dramatic moments, but he's also able to get solid moments of humor in his delivery as he cuts down his opponents in the various cases he takes on throughout the season. Neve Campbell is also quite good as Haller's first ex-wife, Maggie McPherson, as her status as a criminal prosecutor often sees her at odds with Haller as a defense attorney and leads to engaging drama that doesn't always resolve cleanly. Becki Newton and Angus Sampson are also quite good as Haller's second ex-wife and best friend respectively and they serve as solid allies for Haller to take on legal cases. Jazz Raycole is also quite good as a former addict who becomes Haller's driver and also something of a sponsor for his addictions and the two's conversations as they drive through Los Angeles are engaging.

While the central plotline involving a wealthy magnate accused of murder is well trodden ground in the legal thriller space, both Kelly and Connelly know how to add enough spice to crime thriller tropes to keep thesekind of well-worn plotlines tight and engaging. While some of the investigation sequences can occasionally drag, for every moment that doesn't work there's at least 4 or 5 others that do.

The Lincoln Lawyer delivers an entertaining first season with a solid ensemble that lays the groundwork for a wealth of intriguing stories and characters. While the show uses well-worn tropes, it uses them well with a solid creative team guiding the show.

My Take – As usual, I have already read all of Michael Connelly books on Lincoln Lawyer and the same has come out well in the series.  Worthwhile watch!

 

Slow Horses – Came out in 2022.  Follows a team of British intelligence agents who serve as a dumping ground department of MI5 due to their career-ending mistakes.

One of the reviews from IMDB...

Gary Oldman has already proved himself as a master in the political and espionage thriller sub-genres, with his powerful performance in the Oscar-winning "The Darkest Hour (2017)" as well as the more understated by equally effective "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)". He has portrayed gravitas, charisma, calm under pressure as well as steadfast efficiency very well on screen but Apple TV+'s new offering showcases an altogether different dimension to the British veteran, one laced with dry British wit and wry humour while never letting up on the espionage thrill elements.

We follow the story of MI5 agent "Jackson Lamb" (Oldman) who runs a sub-group within the intelligence agency dubbed the "Slow Horses" since it is primarily composed of disgraced, underperforming has-beens who no one else seems to want. Lamb seems perfectly happy running routine operations and surveillance gigs when his team gets inadvertently embroiled in a kidnapping of a Muslim youngster, presumably executed by right-wing fundamentalists.

Featuring Jonathan Pryce, Kristin Scott-Thomas, Saskia Reeves, Jack Lowden and a host of fine British actors, Slow Horses takes care to paint vivid character sketches of its motley crew of temperamental agents, all with a point to prove given their sordid pasts. Director James Hawes builds his narrative slowly but self-assuredly across six wholesome episodes, which are full of unexpected twists and turns as the stakes get progressively higher and the conspiracy, more convoluted as the team tracks down one lead after another.

Oldman is in blistering form as the caustic, trash-talking spymaster who seems to use mockery and disdain as weapons to get his team to perform and the supporting cast play an able foil to the old master, creating a vivid world that intrigues as well as makes you chuckle at the most unexpected junctures. The writing from Morwenna Banks; Will Smith; Jonny Stockwood; Mark Denton deserve special praise for striking the right balance between character development, suspense, unexpected twists and humour.

My Take – A worthwhile watch!

Cheers till next time😊!

Daffy Definition

Cigarette Industry – The only industry that kills its best customers every year😊!!