Tag: Amazon Prime

Where to find it: Amazon Prime Video
Length: Eight 1-hour episodes
Synopsis: Women play baseball and sleep with each other
Recommendation rating: 3/5

What I like about it: generally fun, gay
What I don’t like about it: just not very interesting

Review:
Every time this true story gets told, it sheds ever more fact. This time they make no pretence to historical accuracy, which keeps the story light but means whenever they make reference to the awful circumstances of the time, it feels cheap. Abbi Jacobson and D’Arcy Carden are great as the primary couple but in truth it’s an ensemble, the Hispanic team members particularly shine. Along with the story of the Rockford Peaches is the story of Max (Chanté Adams), turned away from the Peaches for her melanin levels, desperately trying to find anywhere that will let her play ball and be her beautiful butch self. Max (along with her friends and family) is by far the most interesting and memorable part of the show.

The trouble is it never generates much interest outside of its romances and rigorously follows feelgood sports-movie tropes such as the dramatic, overwritten locker room pep-talk and the hero selflessly helping a competitor cross the finish line, complete with swelling strings and everyone applauding.

Content notes (may contain spoilers): sex

Where to find it: Amazon Prime Video
Length: Ten 50-minute episodes
Synopsis: London talent agents struggle with work and life
Recommendation rating: 3/5

What I like about it: sometimes funny, good cultural satire
What I don’t like about it: drama-length episodes, poor guest stars, mediocre characters

Review:
It’s not a bad show but skippable and could be much better if it didn’t pad itself out to fifty minutes with interpersonal drama and weak mysteries. Hamstrung its own chances of success by skimping on the guest stars. Highlights include the ruthless and positive Americans and grande dame luvvie Stella.

Content notes (may contain spoilers):

Where to find it: Amazon Prime Video
Length: Six 40-minute episodes
Synopsis: Popstar investigates the paranormal
Recommendation rating: 2/5

What I like about it: funny (intentional or not), cool opening titles
What I don’t like about it: she’s very annoying, it’s really bad

Review:
Kesha hasn’t been relevant since dropping the dollar sign so she’s here for a Discovery Channel payday. Mostly low-effort, the formula involves Kesha and an allegedly-famous friend visiting a ghosty tourist attraction and hearing their hacky, rehearsed “encounters”, immediately becoming scared due to her comicly-high suggestibility. The producers play pranks on her that wouldn’t fool an eight-year-old, once an episode they press a buzzer pretending to be a ghost answering her questions. It’s generally fun but it’s never long until Kesha begins one of her egotistic New Age rants about the universe and all its energies centring upon her, a very serious artist. Also fun are the moments of peak liberalism, such as being performatively sympathetic to a ghost they’ve decided is trans and performing an indigenous ceremonial song for the restless spirits of victims of the Trail of Tears.

Content notes (may contain spoilers):

Where to find it: Amazon Prime Video
Length: Eight roughly 1-hour episodes
Synopsis: A Wyoming ranch comes down with a nasty case of symbolism
Recommendation rating: 3/5

What I like about it: a decent prestige series with good acting and an intriguing plot, Imogen Poots is always fantastic
What I don’t like about it: not quite as smart as it thinks it is, creators really don’t seem to have an endgame in mind, mediocre-to-dodgy CGI

Review:
Josh Brolin leads the cast as Royal Abbott, a simple Wyoming rancher threatened by the bigger, more corporate ranch next door. Weird things are happening on the contested land including roving arrowstruck bison, a privileged New Age camper and a giant gaping hole. Tensions rise throughout the pilot and only continue to thicken throughout the show as some characters seek to understand the weirdness while others seek to hasten or prevent an all-out war between the feuding ranch families. Overall, it’s a pretty good show that needs to figure its shit out before season two, lest it get Lost.

Content notes (may contain spoilers): sex, violence, self-harm

Where to find it: Amazon Prime Video
Length: Six hour-long episodes
Synopsis: an angel and a demon try to prevent the apocalypse
Recommendation rating: 3/5

What I like about it: the two lead actors, quite fun, some good biblical/history jokes
What I don’t like about it: dodgy pacing and plot decisions, too many plotlines to follow

Review:
The chemistry and charms of Michael Sheen and David Tennant carry this adaptation of the Terry Pratchett/Neil Gaiman novel

Content notes (may contain spoilers): religious irreverence, fire