Bojack Horseman

Why you need to show BoJack Horseman some love.

Fans of this animated tragicomedy would have been very pleased with the news that a 6th season was picked up last month. Now after 5 very strong seasons there should never have been in question about a new season but I get why it's not everyone's cup of tea. BoJack Horseman is one of Netflix's outstanding original series but it deals with very difficult subject matter.

On the face of it, it is a satire on Hollywood/ show business but the meat of the episodes deal with self destructive tendencies. These self destructive tendencies are a consequence of various factors from trauma, anxiety/depression and addiction but what I've really come to like about this show is how it does not treat these conditions in isolation. A person could be going through these many conditions at varying degrees. I believe that the art style fits in perfectly with this tone and it has been known to turn people of from the show but I think there is an intention behind it. It's what you'd maybe see if you were handing a kid a few crayons. A kid with a talent for art of course. Kids see things like it's a blur and the same applies to people who suffering from the conditions I mentioned earlier.

Now, I'd like to highlight an episode in particular that is probably my favourite in the series so far. Season 3 as a whole in my opinion was probably the strongest so far but  Season 3 Epiosde 4 : Fish out of Water really stood out for me. It was BoJack's version of 'Lost in Translation', maybe throwing it back to old 'Buster Keaton' a little as well. While you could watch this episode in isolation even if you haven't watched any of the episodes before, I
believe it's important to know the context. It's a silent episode, which naturally shifts the viewers attention to the sound ( or lack of it in this case ) and visuals ; and for large parts it is absolutely mesmerising. It also deals with one of BoJack's most important themes of childhood trauma due to an upbringing in a dysfunctional family.

BoJack is at his worst when he's depending on
others to fill the void of a family and surprisingly at his best when he takes responsibility. This is a theme we see in later seasons but I believe this episode showcased the first signs of this void and his efforts to fill it. It also has a very poignant moment at the end of episode but just when you think BoJack has redeemed himself to an extent with his little adventure under water, the viewer is reminded that BoJack is his own worst enemy ( in line with the self destructive theme. mentioned earlier ).

The bits that really carry this show are the conversations between BoJack and Diane, the ghost writer of his autobiography. It's interesting that she's the only main character who's actually human. She is a Vietnamese-American intellectual and feminist. She holds this show together a bit like she does BoJack ( well there's only so much anyone can do with Bojack). I think it's a little unfair to call her the Asian Daria, but even Creator : Raphael Bob-Waksberg hasn't hidden the fact that Daria was one of his many influences when developing the show. I've failed to mention the bits of comedy in tragicomedy but the visual animal puns always get me ( penguin publsihers/the birth of venus portrait at the restaurant etc). They're just so so clever.


I find it quite interesting that Dan Harmon's 'Rick and Morty' has become extremely popular while BoJack hasn't received the same love from the masses. I'll be the first one to state how much I adore Rick and Morty but that series deals difficult subject matter. Everyone episode leaves you wondering about the futility of your existence yet there would've been riots had the rumours about it's cancellation been true. Anyway, I hope I've made a case for this gem of a series hiding in plain sight.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Believe the hype. 

When you look at the history of video games you have to rewind back to 2001, when Rockstar Games brought the open world genre into the mainstream with Grand Theft Auto III. Liberty City, a fictional city based on New York City gave players the opportunity to roam and navigate the city in a manner which was unprecedented at the time. You could move from linear story driven missions to side activities that had nothing to do with the main story line. 

3 years prior to this Hideo Kojima and Konami gave us Metal Gear Solid. Another game that was revolutionary for the medium. Those who played it at the time felt like they were in a playable movie. Kojima himself a movie buff saw potential for video games to be a medium for story telling with cinematic cut scenes and incredible voice acting. People often tend to forget how good the music was in this game. It rivals some of the games that are out even now.

This leads me to the last video game generation and the current one. We now have games like Rockstar's very own Grand Theft Auto 5, Bethesda's Elder Scrolls 5 : Skyrim and Polish developer CD PROJECT RED's Witcher 3 that have set the standard for open world games (Fuck off Ubisoft, you don't belong here anymore).They are massive in length  with loads of  great side activities and those who have had the pleasure of experiencing them feel like they are living breathing worlds. The Witcher 3 until a few days back was in my opinion the best game of this generation, it's a game very popular within the gaming community but doesn't get the attention that a new Rockstar Game or Naughty Dog game will get by those outside it ( maybe a fromsoftware game).  That sounds like a stupid thing to say  of course those outside the gaming community won't care about your stupid Witch game. But what I mean is that the occasional gamer might buy a Last of Us 2 or Grand Theft Auto VI when they eventually release and even a non gamer will probably have heard of those games. Maybe the Netflix series scheduled in the coming years will change that a little but we've seen how games have crashed on the big screen before and that might actually do games a disservice. So let games be games ?

I believe that Red Dead Redemption 2 is a landmark title for video games not because it's one the best games of all time, which it definitely is in my opinion but because it's the most important video game of this generation. It is a realisation of the potential of games like Grant Theft Auto III and Metal Gear Solid that came  some 15- 20 years before it. Rockstar is currently dealing with allegations of poor working conditions for its employees and I can see why. This game is Rockstar's magnum opus. A story script that is 2,000 pages long tells you everything. Bloodborne, God of War and The Witcher 3 are still fresh in my memory but Red Dead Redemption 2 maybe just trumps these other exceptional games because it excels in so many departments that we rate a video game by. And no, I don't think any game is perfect or without flaws but they've made the most ambitious game to date and been successful at it. It's a western simulator cum epic western television show/movie trilogy cum actual shooting game. It's important that Rockstar were the guys who developed this cause no other studio has the power to market it quite like they do. They only just have the highest selling entertainment product of all time in Grand Theft Auto V.

.

Now, I know that it came out not too long ago and not many have completed the game but I heard that the original game was only completed by 10% of the audience that bought it and I can see why. I think it's widely accepted among the television community that The Wire and Breaking Bad are two of the greatest television shows that we have had the pleasure of viewing but I've met so many people who couldn't get past the initial seasons. It was just far too slow for some but for those who actually went ahead haven't stopped eulogising about them even after all these years and rightly so and don't just appreciate them but believe it to be their very favourite. The Wire even had the HBO label backing it but that wasn't enough. It didn't even get the recognition by the awarding community like Breaking Bad did and The Americans has today. Reminds me that I have to watch The Americans. The narratives with slower story lines are  often like a qualifying tournament to check if you're worthy. If you're not patient, they weed you out and everyone else who stays gets to enjoy the actual tournament. And the best part is once you're in the tournament, you're already a winner ( prize money and everything and no stupid consolation prize ). My counter argument to the intentionally slow build up would be that smash hits like HBO'S Game of Thrones and Sony Santa Monica's God of War are instantly gratifying no doubt but they are slow for large parts later. They have a an immediate impact somewhere in the first act and earn your trust for the foreseeable future. Walking Dead fans look away now, your trust like mine was misplaced.

Anyway, Red Dead Redemption is a bit like that.You might have to grind a little in the beginning but what you get later is one of the best stories in any medium ever. I'd go as far as saying in this Golden Age of Television, the writing is  far better than most Television shows and movies today. I'll argue on another day why a lot of content doesn't necessarily mean a lot of good content. I watch Riverdale and CW shows as well.  The voice acting I think is better than most as well and maybe deserves  recognition in awards shows but you don't need to take me seriously. I believe Andy Serkis (motion capture) as Caesar should have got a nomination at the very least for the Planet of the Apes series sooo, ( he absolutely does) specially the final instalment which is criminally under rated.

With games like the Uncharted Series, Last of Us, God of War and Red Dead Redemption 2; I believe video games are probably the best medium of story telling now,  besides books. Go read. Video games aren't as accessible as watching a movie and that's always going to cast them in the shadows but they're the only one of these mediums that are interactive.  Also, every game isn't FIFA/Fortnite ( the eventual cause of many break ups in meme culture) . It's crazy that over the course of 80-100 hours I had myself tearing up over pixelated fictional characters. Arthur Morgan and Dutch Van Der Linde will go down as two of the most iconic characters in video game history. Games today also look better than ever with 4K TV's while simultaneously running at 60 frames per second. I'll write something bout Indie games another time and how that's a great start for your video game 'JOURNEY' ( see what I did there) . I think video games as a story telling medium will be the future and I love it. About time I hunted that Bullgator now. Just really grateful to Rockstar for believing in games with a narrative and creating an exceptional one at that. Happy gaming. I don't celebrate thanksgiving in this part of the world but I have something to be very thankful for here and I hope you do to.

Game of Thrones

Are the writers lazy or just bad?

Before I say anything, I have to mention that this universe that George R. R. Martin built has a special place in my heart as I'm sure it does for many people across the globe. I was introduced to this world through the HBO series and like a lot of you, I  read the books cause I wanted to fully engross  myself in its world and lore. 

Game of Thrones is HBO's crowning jewel and let's not forget HBO's had shows with greater critical success in 'The Wire', 'The Sopranos' , 'Six Feet Under' and 'Deadwood'. It has been synonymous among the television audience with quality and it's deserved that title. But despite all that success, it has never had a show as successful commercially as Weiss and Benioff's political drama set within a medieval time period and fantastical backdrop. 

This tale about families fighting for power, while ignoring the larger concerns would go on to capture the world's imagination unlike any television series before it. Season 7 would embark on a big change for the television series as the writers decided they'd trim down the last two seasons to 7 and 6 episodes each from the established 10 episodes. They did however, extend the running time for a select few episodes. Now, I'm strongly of the opinion that this backfired.

This trimming down of episodes could have been ignored if it didn't threaten the fabric of what captured everyone's imagination in the first place. In its 6 seasons prior to Season 7, Westeros and Essos the two primary continents that have been introduced to the audience had been fully realised and it was an affront to the show's audience to have characters travel from A to B within a matter of seconds. This was especially the case in episodes 5-7.

Another failing that was symptomatic of the curtailed season was that the inter personal relationships between characters didn't get the time to completely mature. This was specially the case with the two of the indispensable characters of the show. Now, I'm aware that Danaerys and Jon are the personification of Ice and Fire but there was a significant shift in pacing to get the two of them  to move the show forward. Kit Harrington and Emilia Clarke are the two stars of this show and play their characters to the best of their ability but it's well known that they aren't the most talented bunch in a show filled with superlative acting talent. In previous seasons the exceptional supporting cast was carrying them along but it looked like the roles were reversed in this season and not for the better.

I will briefly scratch the other reservation I had from this season. I have to start with the Sansa and Arya plot in the north. I think most would agree that this was just a means to an end and was the laziest plot in a season which was crammed with lazy side plots. The constant use of deux ex-machina ( god saves the day ) , which was the anti-thesis of what made this show so beloved was really disheartening . A series that had gained its reputation on gritty realism was now selling itself short. It felt  cheap and undervalued its audience's intelligence.

I won't blame the writers for the handling of the 'White Walkers' because  'Hardhome' and 'The Door' are my two of my favourite episodes of the series and it was always going to be a task to find a fitting conclusion to the threat from the North. The 'Night King' is such an enigma and it's why we fear them. It's the cliche that we fear what we don't know and in this season the 'White Walkers' seemed far to familiar. I can only hope that the writers can pull a rabbit out of the hat for the final season with regards to this arch. 

In their defence, they have been brilliant adaptors. They didn't ask for this. It's not easy to come up with your interpretation of how the series would end but I still believe they could have done a better job of it. I am very much looking forward to their future projects and I'm glad they've accepted the as of now untitled 'Star Wars' project. 

Having said all that I'll be up; early in the morning , to catch the final chapter of the series here in the Indian subcontinent before anyone can spoil it for me. 

This series  has given me and so many others their favourite television moments to date so I don't want to go too hard on it. I don't have high hopes from a critical standpoint but I'll be a little empty when it's all finally over. It'll definitely be a long winter in the world of television but we can dream of spring. 

Westworld

 Swim too deep and you'll drown.

Much was expected from Season 2 of the HBO Drama. We often praise any form of expression, whether it be a television show, a film, a book or a video game when it takes its time to move onto the next installment instead of rushing in, be it for annual revenue or due to pressure from the top (The Assassins Creed franchise and the Song of Ice and Fire book series being the two extremes). And so, with great acclaim in it’s first season and having garnered a reasonably large fan base, there were murmurs that maybe this could be HBO’s successor to Game of Thrones; a commercial and critical juggernaut the likes of which have never been seen on the small screen. 

I think it’s fair to say that Westworld could never live up to the commercial success of Game of Thrones quite simply because the plot itself was too convoluted for the everyday consumer to keep up with. Well, you could say fantasy and historical fiction aren’t necessarily cash cows either so that’s no defense. Another defense would be that; ‘LOST’,
one of the biggest critical and commercial successes of the 20^th century was a show more labyrinthine than even Westworld. The point here is that Westworld was rather unfairly seen as the show that could fill the vacuum of both of these iconic television shows,that is when Game of Thrones pulls down the curtain next year.

Why these comparisons took place in the first place, you 

might ask. Well, it helps when you have an ensemble cast lead by legendary actor, Anthony Hopkins and the ever impressive Ed Harris. Thandie Newton and Evan Rachel Wood had also made a big comeback; and television has often kick started a path for many actors to go back onto the big screen.

Now moving onto the second season itself, there was always a fear that the first season was almost as good as it could be despite it’s complicated structure which included a non-linear narrative and numerous time periods. They had to tread carefully and I’m afraid they failed to live up to the expectations. Another show in recent times that fell short in this very manner was Sam Esmail’s Mr. Robot which also had a stellar first season. Strong arguments had been made against a second season for both Westworld and Mr. Robot and it would seem that those arguments were unfortunately vindicated in both cases.

Despite, showcasing the larger world, lots of biblical symbology for those who love to find a reason to put on their tin foil hats , and the excellent performances from the ensemble; it was a shame that I had to force myself to watch some of the episodes because of what I’d grown to expect from Season 1. What was the point of Shogun world? Was HBO just trying to showcase its financial muscle? And what was the point of the ‘William’/’Man in black’ arch, which had already come full circle in Season 1. I couldn’t end this piece without mentioning Ramin Djawadi, who yet again has proven himself to be ‘The outstanding composer’ for the small screen. He’s phenomenal yet again and I hope I can hear him live someday.  

When they did answer some of the questions, they didn’t do it with the conviction that we’d grown to expect from Season 1. It seems as is the case with many shows/ movie series that Westworld drowned itself in it’s own hype a bit like the hosts do at the end of episode 1.

Maniac

Fukunaga's fantasy. 

Cary Fukunaga is no stranger to the mini-series format. His 2014 mini-series True Detective won him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if more of the same was to be expected with his latest series. I must state before I continue any further that ‘Maniac’ is a love letter to many films that have come before it and I’ll be making references frequently to these films in the review.

Owen Milgrim portrayed by Jonah Hill is what you’d get if you combined Fredo Corleone and Edward Norton’s character from Fight Club. Like Fredo, Owen is the least impressive member of  a wealthy family. He suffers from schizophrenia and makes a living independently, much to the bewilderment of his family. To make matters worse he has to stand trial and defend his brother Jed from accusations of sexual harassment, someone he despises.

The other lead is Emma Stone’s Annie Landsberg who is troubled by her past and brimming with guilt to this day cause of her broken relationships with her mother and sister. Much like Edward Norton and Helena Bonham Carter’s characters in Fight Club, Annie and Owen find themselves entangled by fate in a web of surreal adventures when they offer themselves to a pharmaceutical trial which can repair any mental illness and even heart break. This is where the fight club comparisons stop and the comparisons to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind begin.

For the movie buff, Maniac has everything from the 80s time period, a dystopian setting and mesmerizing visuals in the post Kubrick world. The lab itself wouldn’t look out of place in a Wes Anderson film. It even has episodes dedicated to beloved film genres such as high fantasy, extra-terrestrial sci fi, 40s heist and 80s trash comedy. Yet, it somehow fails to capture the heart of Gondry and Kaufmann’s Eternal Sunshine nor does it have the strong under lying message that Fincher’s Fight Club offered. 

Justin Theroux, Sally Field and Sonoya Mizuno are all fantastic as the dysfunctional family/team behind the pharmaceutical trial. They are as good a supporting cast as you will find in an ensemble yet there is nothing new that Maniac offers in this dark comedy side plot that Eternal Sunshine hadn’t already done 14 years back. You can't help but think that Hill and Stone; who have come a long way since working together on Superbad; now household names, had fairly good performances wasted on Fukunaga's fantasy. 

Fukunaga clearly wants to pay homage to films but unfortunately that’s all Maniac feels like and nothing more. It's an ambitious project and  I feel Fukunaga will never have worked on a more enjoyable project. He's dropped everything he loves into one basket and he wouldn't care  what went inside cause he was just having so much fun. Even the infamous scene from ‘The Graduate’ is used here but instead of celebrating another homage to a classic, you’re left thinking, “Oh, of course they couldn’t leave that out.”

For all of my reservations, I have no doubt that audiences will binge it up like Annie does with the  pills, "This is it,this is the last one." I can’t help but feel Netflix yet again opts for quantity over quality with it's content.