May Roundup, '18

May was weeeeeird, y'all. Let's dive right in.

Watch This Shit:

• The Break with Michelle Wolf

  Michelle Wolf for the winnnnn. Honestly, she's been my current favorite comedian since the first time I saw grown-up Annie, so her official blowing up party at the Correspondents' dinner was just delish. Netflix rushing this series into production is apparent, but who gives a shit, she's so god damn funny.

• Evil Genius

  A four part [at times overly sensational] docuseries about an [admittedly] absolutely fucking bonkers Patty Hearst 2.0 bank heist that took place in 2003. WARNING: A. Person. Fuckin'. Actually. Explodes. ... I'll tell you what: I watch a lot of horror movies. This means that (1) I am far from squeamish and (2) I've learned to anticipate a scare fairly well. These damn Duplais brothers weren't trying to scare you. It's not a surprise when it happens. They let you know very steadily that the explosion is coming. So, I knew [and I'm sure you will too] when to block the view of the screen with your hand, as one does. Now, I did indeed not watch the explosion, so it may be as horrific as I imagine or it may not be shown at all. I'm cool with not finding out. The multiple crystal clear photographs of the post-bomb body they show throughout the entire fucking series are more than enough.

• The Fourth Estate

  If you can stand to face the reality which shitty American voters have put us in, there's this well-made docuseries exploring what the garbage in the White House has turned the New York Times into.

• Picnic at Hanging Rock

  This one's a rough watch. I mean, it's not Handmaid's difficult, but yeah, seeing a woman treat girls the way girls were treated at finishing schools in 1900... pretty much sucks. Plot-wise, there's plenty of mystery and build-up, but the "big event" of the first episode doesn't even actually happen until the tail-end. So, the payoff to all of this at the end of the series may very well not be worth it, but it's made well enough to make me believe it deserves more than "Meh." Speaking of...

Meh:

• All Night

  Not groundbreaking, but also not terrible enough for you to completely pass up. If silly high school antics are your thing, this night-long school-sponsored graduation party [that will never end] is right up your alley.

• Patrick Melrose

  If heroin withdrawl was British and silly.

  The rest of the series apparently deals with the literal rest of Patrick's (Cumberbitches rejoice, you know who's playing him) life, so... feel free to say hello and goodbye, if you feel the need to see his mess through.

• Red Table Talk

  It's really great if you're a Jada fan. It's just okay if you're a fan of feminine round tables. They do touch on broad topics, but through a self-centered lens. I can't really hold that as a fault, though, which I'd do if they were trying to speak for everyone. So, it's definitely not getting a "Don't" from me. (P.S. I love me some Jada.)

• Safe

  Michael C. Hall's British now. And what seems to eventually happen to all average white fathers in cinema happens yet again: his daughter goes missing. Again, not breaking any new ground here, but it's not awful either.

Don't Watch This Shit:

• Cobra Kai

  I don't know how to say this without just saying it, so: If you like this show, you're probably an older, straight, very single man.

• SciJinks

  It's less funny _____ (insert any prank show title you can think of here [Fameless came to my mind]).

Honorable Mention:

• The Tale

  Ooph. Now, this one's definitely more painful to watch than Handmaid's. But like Handmaid's, and The Fourth Estate, this should be watched. Not a series, but an HBO film, it's a memoir of sorts of Jennifer Fox, recalling the childhood trauma she didn't realize was trauma. I could say a lot more about this, but I'll leave it at: #metoo.

Now, on a less traumatic note, I keep giving Adult Swim a chance because I'm dumb and hopeful, but here goes their current batch of pilots:

Do:

• The Shivering Truth

  Okay, so, this twisted animated... anthology... mockuseries(?)... is pretty killer and makes still watching Adult Swim worth it. Definitely give this one a chance.

• Tigtone

  The single-camera equivalent to Harmon Quest's multi-cam. (If either series were actually either format, that is...)

Meh:

• Joe Pera Talks with You

  Joe Pera is an acquired taste. I still haven't quite acquired it.

• Trap Universe

  Magic Funhouse meets Golan.

Don't:

• Chuck Deuce

  A Californian douchebag is a Californian douchebag while tripping. It's Bojack if Bojack fucking suuucked.

And finally...

Quit Watching This Old Shit:

• Code Black

  The hospital drama about the most serious actual emergency room that exists in America... did a musical episode. (And before you give me shit for my undying love for Buffy, I never really cared all that much for "Once More, With Feeling." So, suck on that. [Speaking of "Once," that shit was stupid too. (I kinda just fucking hate musicals. [...said the guy married to someone with a PhD in theater... (#ironyiguess #stillquittingcodeblack #parenthesesparty)])])

• Westworld

  It's falling quickly into the Lost trap of going absolutely nowhere, while promising you piles of mystery shrouded in Seuss rhymes along the way. I assure you, they have no idea where this story is headed, and your devotion to it in the hopes that it will succeed won't be rewarded, mark my words.