Genuinely thought this newsletter was going to announce Episodic Classic coverage of LOST between having an episode "The Man from Tallahassee" and a (minor) character named Abaddon. Oh well!
I rewatched Tallahassee to see how my reaction compared with yours. I largely agree with you, in particular with the idea that Dwight ignoring his appendicitis to not show weakness was too silly and distracting and gross. But I think I understand why it's one that appeals to fans. Everyone is being the best version of themselves: Jim and Dwight are sort of allies, Andy is being effective back the office, and even Ryan is pretty much acting like a team player. Late stage The Office had gotten pretty mushy (not a criticism) and this one had a lot of mush.
I've become more sympathetic to the later seasons of The Office over time (I'm actually a fan of Robert California at this point) but Tallahassee is one I've never liked. An episode set mostly in a conference room doesn't really work if you take all the fun personalities out of the conference room! And while the Florida storylines are mostly duds for the reasons you cite--it does still have some great bits for the show. The bedbug scene with Jim and Dwight is one of my favorite moments (which happens because of the terrible Cathy tries to seduce Jim plot) or Gabe's "I'm the toilet" scene which my work friends I utilize in our office regularly. So, in a stakes-free rewatch of the show like you did, I don't think seasons 8 or 9 come out as the best ever but I appreciate them a lot more than I did.
On the scheduling front--thrilled that For All Mankind is coming back. (I assumed it'd be delayed because of the strike.) Season 3 was probably the lowpoint so far but I still mostly enjoyed it. (No more Danny, please, I beg you.) I enjoy the chances the show takes and always excited to see what they do with it. I'm especially looking forward to Margot's upcoming storyline. I also had no idea there was a Godzilla show coming out and I might watch an episode just out of curiosity.
Apple also just put out the trailer for their adaptation of Lessons in Chemistry. The Facebook book group I'm in has had someone post about that novel practically every day for the past 18 months, so I'll be interested to see if the show can break out in a way that Apple shows tend not to.
I'm super keen to hear your eventual thoughts on Celebrity Recap Podcasts, especially now that you feature (it sounds like) somewhat regularly in one! I find those kinds of pods—and their twin siblings, the Official Companion Pod—super cloying, whether just as a buddy chat show, or as an uncritical reflection on how everything is amazing all the time. I enjoyed the ones on Watchmen and Chernobyl, I think? Anyway, if Jenna and Angela actually engage with the criticism, then that would be a really neat twist on a pod I long ago abandoned. I love Discourse about the Discourse at the time. [And I guess this would become Discourse about the Discourse about the Discourse at the time].
Enlightened!!! Powerful show. For me, it goes to the edge of emotional discomfort... Amy's struggles ring so true, but they are hard to keep coming back to week after week. It's the kind of tone that is easier to take in a single sitting of a film than weekly TV. Excited to revisit it and read the coverage.
Glad to find another unlocked Classic TV series on the schedule. I haven’t seen Mike White’s series White Lotus yet, but I did sample Enlightened when it first aired and I wasn’t compelled to continue at the time for whatever reason. I’m curious to check it out now, though. The only other Mike White series I’ve actually watched all the way through was the very short lived Fox tv series Cracking Up, which I really liked even with all its flaws and studio meddling.
Looking forward to Godzilla tv series as well as those who’ve commented this far.
Love these updates, and I'm glad things are trending in a good direction! The reflection on something like these Office Reviews is fascinating, even though I bailed on that show before any of this happened.
I'm excited to watch For All Mankind, but S3 was their most uneven season, and I'm unconvinced the new blood to actually match the quality of the original cast. I'll try it, though!
I'm curious about Godzilla, mostly because I love Kurt Russell and I'm curious about their timeline shenanigans. I'm impressed with how much of the budget looks like it made it to the screen, but that doesn't mean the show will be any good. I'll try it, though!
I'm way behind on my hangout shows (Harley Quinn and What We Do in the Shadows), so I'm mostly focused on catching up when I can.
Same here. Think of all the fun we can have debating this version of de-aging tech! (But really, I’m looking forward to having Kurt Russel back on my screen in some capacity. Kaiju are just an added bonus)
Genuinely thought this newsletter was going to announce Episodic Classic coverage of LOST between having an episode "The Man from Tallahassee" and a (minor) character named Abaddon. Oh well!
I rewatched Tallahassee to see how my reaction compared with yours. I largely agree with you, in particular with the idea that Dwight ignoring his appendicitis to not show weakness was too silly and distracting and gross. But I think I understand why it's one that appeals to fans. Everyone is being the best version of themselves: Jim and Dwight are sort of allies, Andy is being effective back the office, and even Ryan is pretty much acting like a team player. Late stage The Office had gotten pretty mushy (not a criticism) and this one had a lot of mush.
I've become more sympathetic to the later seasons of The Office over time (I'm actually a fan of Robert California at this point) but Tallahassee is one I've never liked. An episode set mostly in a conference room doesn't really work if you take all the fun personalities out of the conference room! And while the Florida storylines are mostly duds for the reasons you cite--it does still have some great bits for the show. The bedbug scene with Jim and Dwight is one of my favorite moments (which happens because of the terrible Cathy tries to seduce Jim plot) or Gabe's "I'm the toilet" scene which my work friends I utilize in our office regularly. So, in a stakes-free rewatch of the show like you did, I don't think seasons 8 or 9 come out as the best ever but I appreciate them a lot more than I did.
On the scheduling front--thrilled that For All Mankind is coming back. (I assumed it'd be delayed because of the strike.) Season 3 was probably the lowpoint so far but I still mostly enjoyed it. (No more Danny, please, I beg you.) I enjoy the chances the show takes and always excited to see what they do with it. I'm especially looking forward to Margot's upcoming storyline. I also had no idea there was a Godzilla show coming out and I might watch an episode just out of curiosity.
Apple also just put out the trailer for their adaptation of Lessons in Chemistry. The Facebook book group I'm in has had someone post about that novel practically every day for the past 18 months, so I'll be interested to see if the show can break out in a way that Apple shows tend not to.
I'm super keen to hear your eventual thoughts on Celebrity Recap Podcasts, especially now that you feature (it sounds like) somewhat regularly in one! I find those kinds of pods—and their twin siblings, the Official Companion Pod—super cloying, whether just as a buddy chat show, or as an uncritical reflection on how everything is amazing all the time. I enjoyed the ones on Watchmen and Chernobyl, I think? Anyway, if Jenna and Angela actually engage with the criticism, then that would be a really neat twist on a pod I long ago abandoned. I love Discourse about the Discourse at the time. [And I guess this would become Discourse about the Discourse about the Discourse at the time].
Enlightened!!! Powerful show. For me, it goes to the edge of emotional discomfort... Amy's struggles ring so true, but they are hard to keep coming back to week after week. It's the kind of tone that is easier to take in a single sitting of a film than weekly TV. Excited to revisit it and read the coverage.
Did you leave off in the middle of a sentence about the Rez Dogs discussion
…yes. We’ve been in the Substack chat discussing weekly. That is all. Apologies.
Glad to find another unlocked Classic TV series on the schedule. I haven’t seen Mike White’s series White Lotus yet, but I did sample Enlightened when it first aired and I wasn’t compelled to continue at the time for whatever reason. I’m curious to check it out now, though. The only other Mike White series I’ve actually watched all the way through was the very short lived Fox tv series Cracking Up, which I really liked even with all its flaws and studio meddling.
Looking forward to Godzilla tv series as well as those who’ve commented this far.
Love these updates, and I'm glad things are trending in a good direction! The reflection on something like these Office Reviews is fascinating, even though I bailed on that show before any of this happened.
I'm excited to watch For All Mankind, but S3 was their most uneven season, and I'm unconvinced the new blood to actually match the quality of the original cast. I'll try it, though!
I'm curious about Godzilla, mostly because I love Kurt Russell and I'm curious about their timeline shenanigans. I'm impressed with how much of the budget looks like it made it to the screen, but that doesn't mean the show will be any good. I'll try it, though!
I'm way behind on my hangout shows (Harley Quinn and What We Do in the Shadows), so I'm mostly focused on catching up when I can.
FWIW, I'm looking forward to Godzilla: The Show and would read reviews of same!
Same here. Think of all the fun we can have debating this version of de-aging tech! (But really, I’m looking forward to having Kurt Russel back on my screen in some capacity. Kaiju are just an added bonus)
^^ cosign