R.I.P. Rob and Michele Reiner

Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were tragically murdered in their sleep by what appears to be stab wounds inflicted by their son. This is a true modern tragedy. This is awful. This was avoidable. This didn't need to happen. People with substance abuse and mental illness need to find help that suits them. If they need to stay in these facilities longer they should be able to. This is so horrible and awful and brutal and simply did not need to happen. Rob Reiner and his wife should still be here right now making people happy with their work.

I am gutted by this. This one hurts. Regardless of what that volatile, maniacal, egotistical, narcissistic fascist in the White House has to say about Reiner, he was a beloved figure by everyone. His movies and his work meant real things to people. His and his wife's death had nothing to do with their political affiliation, and to try and make it about that is insane. Josh Gad and Jack White and James Woods and Tim Heidecker are right, anyone who agrees with his horrible rhetoric on Reiner, and still supports him and knowingly voted for him needs to live with that shame for the rest of their lives. But as I said above, Reiber's work meant so much to so many generations of people. Forgive me, I do not know much about his wife's work, other than the very few factoids my folks told me this morning, so the rest of this blog will focus on Rob Reiner's work.

I was out to coffee with my dad, who is in his 70's, my brother who is in his mid 40's and myself, just turned 43, and we all had different movies we mentioned when talking about Reiner. My brother instantly mentioned "Stand By Me". That was his movie when we were kids. He would watch it over and over again, and if I were lucky enough to get to spend some time with him. I'd watch it too and it stuck with me. My dad mentioned two things, "All in the Family", which I am not so aware of, and "This is Spinal Tap", which is the greatest mockumentary for me to date. I have always been a fan of "The Princess Bride", because that may be the only perfect movie that has ever been made. But look, just between three people aged 30 years apart, we found four things we all loved that Reiner had his hand in. "Stand By Me" is the quintessential coming of age movie. This was what I envisioned growing up to be like when I was a kid. That movie made me laugh and cry and gave me feelings I had never had until I saw it. It is truly incredible. "All in the Family" has its place as one of the greatest sitcoms in American history, and from what I can glean, Reiner played a pivotal role. "This is Spinal Tap" is one of the greatest comedies ever made, Reiner had to give Christopher Guest the idea for his future career and it has some of the best music that has ever been put in a theater. That movie never fails to make me smile, I laugh harder each time I watch it and Reiner as the director is perfect casting. As for "The Princess Bride", this movie made fun of fairy tales while telling one of the greatest fairy tales ever. This movie moves at a perfect pace, is beautifully cast, has romance and kissing, but it is never over the top, it has a grandpa/grandson relationship, I mean it truly has it all. We showed it to our kids recently, 13 and 10, and they loved it. That movie spans generations and will always and forever be a classic. Then you go and look at some other stuff he made or was a part of. We have one of my wife's all time favorites, "When Harry Met Sally", which might be the best romantic comedy ever. He also had a part in "You've Got Mail". He gives one of the best line reads in "Tammy and the T-Rex". He made "A Few Good Men", which may be the only courtroom drama I can sit through and be engaged with the entire time. Reiner directed one of the better Stephen King adaptations, "Misery". "The Bucket List" is funny and heartbreaking all at the same time. He did the most recent documentary on Albert Brooks and his last movie, unfortunately for us, was the decent "Spinal Tap" sequel. As for some memorable acting roles, I mentioned the director in "This is Spinal Tap". He's in "Mixed Nuts". He was in an episode of "Curb" and "30 Rock". He voiced himself in "The Simpsons". And the most recent thing I saw him in, in which he was fantastic, was "The Bear".

Look at all of those credits, and think of so many others I didn't mention that one person gave us. He was prolific and profound and we are all very lucky to live in a world where Rob Reiner gave us so much incredible content. I still cannot wrap my head around how he and his wife were ripped away from everyone. It baffles and upsets me.

Rest in Peace you two. You should still be here with us right now making us laugh and smile. I hope wherever you are now you are reunited with some of the people you worked with who have also passed away. What a tragic, tragic loss. Michele and Rob Reiner, you will be dearly, dearly missed. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Best of 2025 - Television

Wrapping up my best of 2025 lists today I come to you with my top five tv shows of the year. Much like I talked about on my blog Friday, and in the most recent episode of our podcast, tv is in a golden era. There's a ton of stuff to watch, and there seems to be something for everyone's taste. There are some shows I don't watch, or haven't seen yet, so that is why they're not on this list. I have watched four episodes of "Pluribus" to this point, and that show is truly amazing, but I feel like there needs to be a legit season before I personally put something on my list. I like the whole finality of a season or series finale. I had to really pare this list down, but in the end I feel like I got the five best shows for me.

At number 5 I have "The Chair Company". Much like I said with "Friendship" on my movie list, "The Chair Company" allows Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin and their whole crew to go as wild as they want. They do some odd and different comedy and it all works for me. While this show was on I wrote a whole thing about how much I like how real everyone looks and seems on the show. This isn't some type of beautiful people being put in odd situations. This is people who look like you and me dealing with everyday stuff. That is awesome to me. I like that Robinson casts his buddies in major roles. I was all in on his friendship with that creep Mike all season long. I wanted to see how all that got resolved. I loved the stuff with his kids. His and Lake Bell's relationship felt real. I like how Robinson, as Ron, would complain about mundane stuff like his pillow and they kept it in the show. Best of all was they made me care about such an innocuous thing like this random guy falling on some random chair and then going to great lengths to prove a non existing conspiracy. "The Chair Company" is great because Tim Robinson and crew are in a total groove and they have had nothing but good ideas to this point.

At number 4 I have "The Rehearsal". This season of "The Rehearsal" enacted real change in our world. Pilots and co-pilots now get to talk about their feelings more openly because that was the crux of what Nathan Fielder wanted to do with this show. And boy oh boy was this season a doozy. Fielder created this season to try and find an answer to why accidents happen on planes and his idea to base it on the pilot/co-pilot relationship was a great way to start. From there on out we got to see Fielder cosplay as Sully Sullenbeger, we got to see actors try to date co-pilots, I learned a ton about the Evanescence song "Wake Me Up" and we found out that Fielder's show is of great importance to the autistic community. But, the biggest thing we learned was Fielder put his money where his mouth was and became a real deal pilot. He has flown everything from one man planes to big cargo planes delivering massive objects to remote places. When he flew that jumbo jet, it was awesome. Fielder is a modern day comedy genius and season two of "The Rehearsal"  was one of his greatest works to date.

At number 3 I have the final season of "The Righteous Gemstones". Danny McBride and crew sent this show out in the best way possible. This final season was a great sendoff, and I feel like they gave everyone proper due. The Gemstones had their typical trials and tribulations,  and they came out back on top. We got to see Eli fall in love and be happy once again. Keif got his just due and a proper happy ending. Michael Rooker, Sean William Scott and Megan Mullaly were excellent additions to this final season. We got to see Bradley Cooper give us the origin story of the Gemstone family. But this season was all about Uncle Baby Billy, one of the greatest characters ever played by Walton Goggins. All credit due to RD when he brought this up on the last podcast. Uncle Baby Billy transcended the show the moment he exclaimed, "All I want is an eight ball and two million dollars". He didn't have to do anything else, but he also gave us "Teenjus", yelling "COCAINE!!!!" like it was his superpower and his constant fights with his family's live-in nanny. Goggins made this the iconic role it became and I will be forever grateful to him for that gift.

Getting off HBO Max shows, at number 2 I have season two of "Severance". It was going to be hard to build upon what they did in season 1, but they did just that and so much more. This season was heavier than the first, but it also helped to grow the story. Zach Cherry having a relationship with his wife being his innie and outie was heartbreaking, The fact that John Tuttoro and Christopher Walken didn't get a happy ending crushed me. Brit Lower did a masterful job as Helly because I grew to despise her more and more as the season went on. The whole episode on the snowy mountains was one of the best hours of tv I've ever watched. Trammel Tillman made me feel bad for his character, and then he gave us such a dope dance sequence in the finale. And Adam Scott and Dichen Lachman just continued to break my heart with their backstory and everything that culminated in the finale. When we saw Lachman's backstory it was so eye opening and sad as hell. It was going to be hard to come back but "Severance" did it with aplomb and I'm not patiently waiting for the third season. In fact, maybe I'm not so patient.

Finally, at number 1 I have the second and final season of "Andor". First off, thank you RD for coaxing me to watch this show time and again. "Andor" is one of the best tv shows to have existed and this second season was one for the books. I have told my dad to watch it and he is hesitant because of the whole "Star Wars" aspect. I have told him that they use names from "Star Wars" and the same weapons, but this is a show about overthrowing a fascist government. It has very little other connections to "Star Wars". This show is dark and bleak but also hopeful. I loved in season two how every three episodes gave us a one year time jump. People died and it crushed me. I also found hope when an entire planet decided enough was enough and wanted to fight back and did their best. There's people I hate and people I root for as should be the way on a show like this. I'm glad Bixx got the ending she did. She more than deserved that after everything she went through. I thought Diego Luna was the best as Cassian. And Stellan Skaarsgaard's death may be the most brutal I have ever seen on a tv show. There isn't any perfect show out there, but "Andor" is as close as it gets.

Thank you all for reading my best of lists. Please let me know what I've missed. Now, I'm going to continue watching "Pluribus". 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "The Chair Company" Season 1

I watched the season finale of "The Chair Company" yesterday and I want to say a few things about the first season of this show. This review will be spoiler free. I am not going to divulge any big news because I feel like what Zach Kanin and Tim Robinson achieved with this should be watched by anyone who is a fan of their work.

I was predestined to like this new show of thiers, and it wildly exceeded my expectations. After the finale I sat back and tried to figure out what it was that had me so interested. And I have come up with a few ideas. First off, for the most part, they cast people that look like real people. This is a show filled with people that I feel like I could see walking down my street. This is not a knock on their looks. I appreciate when shows have real looking actors on. Not everyone on tv has to be this ideal look of beauty and skinny. They don't need to have pounds of makeup on covering any minor thing that may not look great on film. The people who populate this show look like me and my family and friends. They got people who know how to act, then put them on a major tv program, and I don't know why but I appreciated that. Tim Robinson is a normal looking guy, as is Zach Kanin. So is Jim Downey and almost everyone else on the show. They did cast Lou Diamond Phillips and Lake Bell, who are both very attractive, but that didn't take anything away from the rest of the cast. Even the actors playing Robinson and Bell's kids were great choices. I like that they did that because that's what they did on "I Think you Should Leave" and "Friendship".

I also liked how compact and quick this season went. It was eight episodes, all about 30 minutes long. That is how it should be done. I don't mind 45 minute to hour long shows, but they can be tedious from time to time, especially when an entire episode is basically foreplay to some big idea later in the season. With each episode going 30 minutes they needed to get it all out there in each episode. They leave no stones unturned. We get answers and I am fully on board with that. I want more shows to adopt the 30 minute runtime and have a season be 10 episodes or less. It is way less of a commitment and leaves room for other content to stream.

I liked how dark and angry this show is. Tim Robinson isn't afraid to do comedy like that and that is why I like his work so much. My mother in law was asking if this is a show she should watch and I immediately told her no because of how dark it is. She doesn't like that stuff, and while I do, I know that she would be put off by it. I am all for it. I want it to be dark and dreary. I loved when something uncomfortable would happen during this first season. The whole scene at the bar with the local actor and the bowl of soup was cringe comedy gold. And that was just the tip of the iceberg with the first season.

But, the thing I loved most and what kept me coming back was how involved I became with the plot. I wanted to know why the chair broke. I was invested in the whole investigation between Robinson and the people who helped along the way. I wanted to know more and more about Tecca and Red Ball Marketing. These are things I shouldn't care about, and shouldn't work on a tv show, but they made it work and made it tense and anxiety riddled. The run-ins with the bad guys were great. The "friendship" between Mike and Ron was so bleak yet I couldn't turn away. The sheer fact that they made me care that Mike wasn't invited to a teenager's birthday party should speak volumes as to how well done this show is. But, the whole idea of watching a middle aged midwestern dad go down this crazy rabbit hole because he fell when he went to sit down on a Tecca chair just shouldn't have worked. Yet it worked like gangbusters and I cannot wait to see what they do in the next season and beyond.

If you enjoy dark comedy and specifically the works of Zach Kanin and Tim Robinson, "The Chair Company" is a must watch. It shows growth but also gives you all the stuff you have liked from their previous work. This show is awesome. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "The Chair Company"

Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin are on a hot streak right now. I absolutely love "I Think You Should Leave". It is one of the best sketch comedy shows there has ever been. I know that Kanin didn't direct, and I don't even think he is in the movie, but you could see his fingerprints all over "Friendship". He and Robinson had to have written a bunch of that movie together at one point or another. And now they have "The Chair Company" on HBO.

Look, I was predetermined to like this show. I remember hearing about it awhile ago and I was already in at the mere mention of Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin's involvement. Then I saw a teaser trailer and I loved it and had no idea what I saw. It was just a clip of Robinson hanging out in the bathroom and then some shots of him at a computer. I was super intrigued by that 30 seconds alone. Then I saw some people talk about it online, some people got early screenings of the first episode and they had nothing but good things to say about it. I did not watch the premiere on Sunday, but I did watch it pretty much as soon as I woke up on the following Monday. And I loved it. This show is fully inline with the work these guys have done before, but they are taking it a few steps further than they have with their other stuff. You could see this coming, but the way they have pulled it off to this point has been right up my alley.

The whole idea of the show is, Robinson plays a middle America worker at your run of the mill company. He gets promoted for a big job, and on the day he is announcing everything to everyone who works in the office he goes to sit down and the chair breaks into a bunch of pieces. He is clearly embarrassed. Others at the job seem to have moved on from the incident, but not Robinson. He is consumed by what happened to him and this chair. He starts to dig deeper and deeper into the company that makes the chairs and some revealing stuff has already happened in the first two episodes. The show is hilarious, as one would expect, but it is also dark. There are some heavy undertones attached to this simple premise. But what I have loved the most about this show is how insane Kanin and Robinson make the mundane everyday life stuff. Robinson is meeting some shady individuals, but they are old and pretend gangsters. He is always on edge when he is having conversations with this family. His wife is very busy planning their daughter's wedding and their son is focused on getting a basketball scholarship. They manage to take this stuff and make it funny to me. There's a scene where Robinson is trying to sleep at night and he makes some blanket statements about his pillow being the issue. I love that he says it is the worst pillow in the world. I cannot count how many times I have said that about the pillows I used to own. I also like how Robinson is constantly trying to get out of this conspiracy he started himself and simply cannot. It appears he has gone a little too far and has dragged himself far too much into this chair company. And speaking to the mundane, the scenes where he is trying to figure out more about this chair company by doing some internet research have some of the best and funniest facial reactions. This is the stuff I have come to adore about Robinson's acting. He can make these wild faces that never cease to crack me up over and over again. And when he talks to himself, I find myself laughing harder and harder.

"The Chair Company" is off to a great start so far. I am really interested to see where this story goes, and if they will make more when it is all said and done. Robinson seems to be on an upward trajectory similar to what Nathan Fielder has going on right now. They both have unique and awesome comic minds. They make comedy unlike anything else that is out there today. And I'm here for it. I want it to continue. From "The Rehearsal" to "The Chair Company", Fielder and Robinson's version of comedy is better than anything else out there at the moment. Check this show out. It is pretty great. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "King of the Hill"

I was kind of unaware that they were going to do another season of "King of the Hill" until one of my brothers mentioned it to me at coffee a month or so back. Then it dawned on me that they did announce an updated season. We were going to see what the Hill family and friends were up to since they were last on tv.

I loved "King of the Hill" during its initial run. It was funny, made great observations and had some poignant and moving episodes. I always sided with Bobby because he was the kid in the family and he was, for me, the funniest. I often think about the episode where he gets gout to this day and it still makes me laugh out loud. Hank and Peggy Hill were great too, but Bobby was my guy. The rest of the cast held a place for me too. The Supennewsinpons, I'm sure I misspelled that, always fought with the Hills and it was always pretty funny. Dale, Boomhower and Bill were great side characters as Hank's buddies. John Redcorn and Dale's wife's relationship had tons of jokes that made me crack up. Joseph, Dale's kid, although it is clear that John Redcorn is his real father, was a nice mix of his folks. And everyone else did a great job. I will say with this new season, it was kind of a bummer that Brittany Murphy tragically died so young because that meant no Luanne. And it was pretty obvious that they were going to address Hank's dad passing, but they did do it in a very funny way, and then heartfelt way, throughout this new season.

Going into this season I really didn't know what to expect. I also had my guard up because I really do not like all the remakes or retelling or bringing back old shows for a new season. Right from the jump though, I enjoyed what I saw. It had the same cozy feeling of the original "King of the Hill". The way they explained the reason for taking a break was that Hank and Peggy moved to Saudi Arabia for Hank's job. This led to some funny stuff throughout the season. The way Peggy announced Saudi Arabia was great. Hank found out that he loved soccer. There were times when they missed the life they had overseas. I thought they explained that really well. They did great with Bobby, making him a chef that co-owns a restaurant. He does Japanese/German fusion food, and that is so perfect for his character. He also has the same voice from the original, and it was wild to hear that voice come from a 21 year old Bobby. And I loved it. Hank's buddies are back, although Dale is now voiced by Toby Huss, who I thought did a serviceable job. The stuff with Bill and COVID was great. Dale is as wacky as ever and Boomhower is just living his best life. The task rabbit episode featuring Boomhower does a great job of explaining his whole vibe I felt. And having Joseph and Connie back, and hanging with Bobby, it was just great.

This season did a very good job of coming back because they did a good job of sticking to what made the original series so wonderful. They update some jokes and talk about all that has been going on in the world, but in the end this is a show about a typical family in Texas. And is it clear that Hank Hill is still the main character. This show revolves around him and I'm here for it. And the way it ended definitely lends itself to more episodes, which I hope they do.

If you liked the original "King of the Hill", check out this new season. It is well worth your time. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "Twisted Metal" Season 2

I finished season 2 of "Twisted Metal" last week and boy oh boy did I love it. I thought the first season was solid, but you could kind of tell that it was made on a razor thin budget, and we were still dealing with COVID to a degree. That being said, they did a very good job with what they had. I thought the story of season 1 was great and when it ended I was fully interested in where they could go from there, especially after what they did to Thomas Haden Church's character, which was much deserved in the world of the show.

Well, with season 2 they clearly got money and a runway to kind of go full steam ahead. And they most certainly did this time around. Season 2 was bigger, grosser, funnier and a total blast. I don't usually go back and rewatch seasons of shows this new, but I will most definitely be doing that with "Twisted Metal". We have some people from season 1 back, and they were much needed. Quiet, Stephanie Beatriz, and John Doe, Anthony Mackie, are back and they get back together pretty quickly in this new season. Stu, Mike Mitchell, is back and even funnier and the writers kind of go the distance with his character. Sweet Tooth, played by Joe Senoa and voiced by Will Arnett, is just as violent as he was in season 1, but he is also way funnier this time around. But it was the inflection of a bunch of new characters that really made season 2 sing. Patty Guggenheim plays Raven, who is one of the many people that run New San Francisco. She had a rough time in the past, which has made me the hardass she is in the world of this show. She is badass and willing to fight anyone in her way. Tiana Okoye plays Dollface. She is the leader of a movement of women that want to make things fair in this world. They have an odd way of going out and showing that they are brutal, but she does have good things in mind to make the current world a fairer place. Saylor Bell Curda plays Mayhem. She is younger and has only lived in the world of the show, so she is incredibly green. But she is also feisty and crafty and is somewhat of a fast learner. Richard De Clerk plays Mr Grimm. This dude is pure evil and he and Sweet Tooth have a past. When he shows up on screen this season, things get serious. Tahj Vaughans returns as Stu's best buddy Mike. But he has a new friend, former cannibal Dave played by Johno Wilson. These three are the comedic relief for the most part and they are both hilarious. Lisa Gilroy plays Vermin. She was unrecognizable, gross and brutal. Michael James Shaw plays Axel, my favorite character from this season. He is totally badass, and the episode when he has an intervention was very funny. But the best addition this season was Anthony Carrigan as Calypso. He is so eerie and so evil and fits this horrendous world so perfectly. He creeped me out everytime he was on screen, but I have to assume that was his job in this role. If so, he absolutely nailed it. Having all these new people show up could have been a problem, but the writers and actors knew exactly what to do and they nailed it.

I really liked season 1 of “Twisted Metal”, but season 2 went above and beyond and they totally nailed it. I really hope they get a third season. This show can do so many more things in the world of "Twisted Metal". And I really want to see how they take the ending of season 2 and make a whole new season out of that story. I fully recommend this show. I have thought about getting the video game just to see how the two compare. Until then, I'm going to go back and rewatch this kickass tv show. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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R.I.P. Ozzy Osbourne

Ozzy Osbourne passed away a few days ago at the age of 76. This felt young to me, but I did see some clips from the final show that Black Sabbath just did, and it was not surprising. I guess he put everything he had left into that final show. I do want to say, I think it is awesome that he was able to do that before passing away. He gave his fans one last thing to remember him by, and from what I saw, he sounded pretty good for 76. He sounded a hell of a lot better than Bob Dyaln does now, and I adore Bob Dylan. But, for him to be able to put on this show with the remaining, and still alive, members of Black Sabbath, what a way to go out. I feel like it is almost fitting for him, but still tragic since he is now gone.

For me Ozzy got on my radar with his family's reality show, "The Osbournes". I knew a very little bit about him prior to the show, but the show put him on the map for me. He was always good for a great one liner or a zinger. I liked how he would say something kind or heartfelt to a family member and then tell them to "f off", except he used the full word. I will never forget when he helped his kids trash their neighbor's house, or yard or whatever, and he threw a rotten ham over the fence. He chucked that piece of meat, and when he ran off you could hear him cackling. He was the funniest one on that show, and that first season of the show was a big, big hit.

Through that show my dad and brothers started to tell me about his music career. When they first played "Crazy Train" for me I knew it right away because it was always played at sporting events. Hell, I bet it is still being played today. But his solo stuff never hit for me. Then my brother Seth introduced me to Black Sabbath. This changed my whole perspective on Ozzy. I instantly fell in love with Sabbath's music, and it was mainly due to Ozzy's voice. I loved their hits. "War Pigs", "Sweet Leaf" and "Changes" were the first ones I really loved. "Paranoid" hit me like a ton of bricks. I always assumed Sabbath was hard rock or metal, but my brother quickly showed me the error of my ways. I would play "War Pigs" over and over again. I loved that song, especially the message they were getting out there. The people who start wars never seem to fight them, instead leaving it to the poor. That is exactly what they were saying in that song. "Sweet Leaf" started with that loud cough, and then it became this excellent banger. I like that song as a pro marijuana song more than most psychedelic songs about weed. "Paranoid" has one of the best guitar riffs ever, and Ozzy's voice talent is undeniable when you hear him sing that song. But "Changes" has been my favorite of theirs ever since the first time I heard it. This is their ballad, their slow song, some may even call it a love song. I adore whatever they are trying to get out of the song. The lyrics are timeless and beautiful. This was the song that made me do a double take when I heard Ozzy sing because it is like nothing else in their catalog. It is such a pretty, sweet and tender song. Charles Bradley did it great justice when he covered it before passing. "Changes" is probably one of my favorite songs of all time.

Ozzy had a memorable and crazy life. He has left us with wonderful music and a hit tv show to keep his memory out there. And we can all go watch the final Black Sabbath show on the internet. Rest In Peace Ozzy Osbourne. I hope you're rocking out wherever you may be now. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "Squid Game" Final Season

My wife and I just finished the final season of "Squid Game". Let’s discuss.

Much like everyone else, "Squid Game" showed up on my radar, was a massive hit and then they had to find a way to make more and wrap all that up in a neat little bow. I thought they achieved that with this last go round. I was talking to my buddy Kirk about it recently, and when I brought up the show, he asked me if it was worth watching. I kind of struggled with this question at first thought, but after a minute I told him I think it is good enough to check out. After saying this I thought about it even more, and I think they did the whole thing justice with how they ended the series. I feel like it was going to be impossible to please everyone watching it, but for me they were able to pull it off.

I do want to say, for those that haven't yet watched the new season, minor spoilers will be revealed today.

The final six episodes picked up right where the second season ended. The players that are still alive are now back to playing the games and player 456 is not in a good place. What I think makes this show work so well is that the writers have found a way to make me as a viewer care about people that I'm certain are going to die. I get invested in their stories, and when one goes it still kind of hurts watching it on the screen. But, the fact of the matter in this fictional universe is only one person can win the games. Everyone else is going to be killed, or off themselves because that is how violent the games get on this show. This time around they added the element of a baby being pushed into the games. One of the contestants is pregnant and in this third installment she gives birth. After she offs herself, the baby becomes a very integral part of the game. Player 456 is tasked with protecting the baby and he takes this job very seriously. But, the other players have different ideas. The sheer fact that I cared for that fake baby's well being proves how well made this show was throughout its run. I also liked that they changed the games that were played, with the lone exception being Red Light Green Light. The new games were just as wild and some felt even harder than the first time around. The hide and seek game was terrifying, brutal and tragic. The jump rope was even more frightening than the bridge from season one for me. And the final squid game was horrific in how easy and heartbreaking it was in the end.

My only gripe with the final season was the 6 months later addition at the end. I understand why they did this and why other shows and movies do it as well, but I like to imagine for myself what all these fictional people are doing now, or how their families are dealing with them no longer being there. But that is just a minor gripe and the last scene opened this show up to be made in different countries, which I find intriguing.

All in all I liked how this show went about its business and how they finished it all off. I thought they gave a solid ending that people shouldn't be upset about at all. They did it justice, they made me care and I was in on all six final episodes. "Squid Game" was really great and I think, years from now, we will look back on how awesome this show was and will appreciate it even more. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "The Rehearsal" Season 2 Finale

I finished the second season of "The Rehearsal" on Wednesday. When I tell you that I had no idea where this season was going to go, or if it was going to even work, my head was spinning that Nathan Fielder and crew were able to pull it off, and pull it off so damn well.

For those that might not know, "The Rehearsal" is Fielder's show on HBO where he lets people rehearse real life situations. For example, in season 1 there was a guy that told his trivia team that he had a master's degree. The twist, he didn't. So, he got involved with Fielder and Fielder set up an entire bar, hired actors, had the trivia night all played out and let the guy "rehearse" how he would tell his friends and teammates. And it was glorious to watch. Season 1 then veered off into a whole other direction, which they pulled off as well, and I was instantly in love with this show.

This season Fielder's mission was to find out why so many pilots and co-pilots don't talk before or after, or sometimes even during flights. He also wanted to find a way to stop plane crashes, and his crux was that the pilot and co-pilot need to be more willing to talk about everything while flying. But, as with pretty much everything Fielder does, he took it as far as he could and rehearsed the hell out of it all. He created a fake singing show to see how co-pilots gave feedback. He spent the season premiere having a co-pilot and his girlfriend work things out that dealt with their long distance relationship. He spent an entire episode becoming Sully Sullenberger. And when I say becoming him, he started out as a child in one of the wildest things I've ever watched on tv. He was even able to set up a co-pilot with an actor who was genuinely interested in him. He even got them to try and act out a kiss. And Fielder even found out what a big deal this show is to the autistic community, in an episode that showed how giving and helpful Fielder can be. But it all came to a glorious head with the season finale.

Spoiler alert, although I know many people already know what he has done by now, Fielder flew an actual Boeing 737 with actors on board. And we, the viewers, got to watch it in real time. The season finale started with a black screen that read, "2 years earlier". This is where we see Fielder go through a bunch of training on his way to becoming a licensed 737 airplane pilot. He did all the work. He studied. He learned everything there was to learn about flying a big plane, just so he could have a co-pilot up in the air with him and they could talk about whatever was on their minds. To see all this work, to see Fielder go through this training, to watch him mess up but keep at it, it was amazing. I couldn't believe what I was watching. When he went to land that 737, and I knew deep down that they wouldn't have shown it if it went bad, I was nervous watching him do all of it. And he did it so well. He did all of that so well that he got another job. Along with being a comedian/tv guy, Fielder now flies around with other people in abandoned 737's and brings them to many different countries. He is so trusted now that he can fly on these big planes with only one other pilot and return or bring jumbo jets to many far off places. I find myself being so utterly impressed with what he was able to accomplish with this show.

No one out there right now is doing what Fielder does. There are plenty of talented people who put in work, but they don't go to the degree that Fielder does. He is legitimately putting his money where his mouth is, and that is truly awesome.

I don't know if they'll do another season of "The Rehearsal". I don't know if they could top what they just accomplished. But if they do, I will be right there to watch it bated breath. I really, really do love this show and the work that Nathan Fielder does. He is one of a kind and he is putting out some of the best possible tv we have at the time. "The Rehearsal" is a true masterpiece in my opinion, and Nathan Fielder is one of the best doing tv right now. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "Love Death + Robots" Volume 4

I finished the fourth installment of "Love Death and Robots" yesterday. I was a little tepid going into the newest season due to some poor online reviews. But, I'm here to say, I really enjoyed this season. I felt like this season just continued what has made this show so cool and unique and unlike anything else on tv. I am a little surprised at the hate on the internet, but maybe I shouldn't be. People always want something to gripe about, and they use the internet as their soapbox to put their opinions that they should keep to themselves. That is unfortunately the world we live in today.

Anyway, I really liked this season. I finished it in two days because the episodes are so short and to the point. I found myself engaged in each episode. I really liked the whole marionette Red Hot Chili Peppers premiere. It was pretty cool to see a one song performance put into the world of "Love Death and Robots". I like that they went back to the miniature well with the second episode. I also liked the whole story of the alien invasion and how prone to guns and violence humans can be. "Spider Rose" was brutal and sweet. It made me want to get another pet too. I really appreciated how "400 Boys" was kind of a callback to "Attack the Block". They got some of the same people to do voices for the episode and the story was similar, except the aliens here were much different. And this episode was pretty damn violent. "The Other Large Thing" was funny and also showed how reliant we are on technology and robots. I also like that they got a few big names to do voices, and that the humans in this episode speak gibberish. It was a good look at how life could be if we get to this place. "Golgotha" was maybe the weakest episode for me, but I still found things I liked about it. I like that they did the animation and mixed it with real life people. They treaded water in both areas and they did a solid job in the end. I'm also a Rhys Darby fan, so anytime I get to see him onscreen is a good deal for me. "The Screaming of the Tyrannosaur" was rad. It was dark and bleak. It was bloody and gory. It had the best story for me all season. This might have been my favorite. "How Zeke Found Religion" was equally violent and dour as hell. It showed the true brutality of war, even if it was a hyperized version of the war. And while bleak, I found this one to be the best of the whole season. It wasn't my favorite, but it was the best. "Smart Appliances Stupid People" told us how some of the machines in our homes feel. This one had the most famous people doing voice work. It was my favorite animation. And it was funny as hell. I like when "Love Death and Robots" does a funny episode. While it is still dark, it is nice for them to take a break from all the bleakness. And "For He Can Creep" was so cool and so unlike other stuff on tv right now. I thought it was a fascinating look at how we rely on animals in our lives to take care of us. I also really enjoyed the animation here. It was old timey with some newer updated things.

All in all I thought they did a good job continuing how great of a show it is. I disagree with the online hate. I highly recommend this season and this show. It is good through and through. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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A Remembrance of Things Ed Hardy, Frosted Tips, and the Height of Reality Dating Shows

My wife and I have gone back and watched some of the older dating shows we devoured when we were first dating. Let’s discuss.

We started off with "Daisy of Love". That show was horrible, but endlessly watchable for the two of us. I found myself transporting back in time on this rewatch. We have also gone back and watched "Rock of Love" and "Flavor of Love". Those shows are a little better than "Daisy of Love", but they are still pretty awful. Bret Michaels had a moment in rock music. He was part of the whole hair band that played their version of metal music. Flavor Flav is the hype man for one of the greatest hip hop groups of all time, Public Enemy. Flav was part of something important. Public Enemy is a major group. They're all timers. And while Chuck D has continued his fight against injustice, Flav decided he needed to go on a VH1 dating show, and eventually do some programs with Brigette Nielsen. Oh well. We have just started to watch "I Love Money", which features contestants from the majority of the dating shows that appeared in VH1. "I Love Money" is just as bad as "Daisy of Love". The contestants on the show are dumb and make horrendous decisions over and over again. I also think it's hilarious that they seem to think they invented alliances on game shows. The show is a total mess, but I cannot stop watching.

That's what leads me to my topic of the day. I don't necessarily miss these shows, and I'm stoked they have never tried to revamp any of them, but these shows captured a certain moment in time. These shows were on in the early-ish 2010's, and even though it doesn't seem that long ago, rewatching these shows have brought back so many memories. The amount of Ed Hardy on these shows is wild. I forgot how ugly and ridiculous those clothes were/are, but the people on these shows were wearing it in droves. You can't look at the screen for more than a second before you see a big tiger and that diamond encrusted Ed Hardy logo. It is hideous. There's frosted tips as far as the eye can see. Every single dude seemed to have frosted tips back then. They would put way too much gel in their hair, spike their hair and then you'd see the off color top of their head. It was a look. I never had it, but I know plenty of people who did. I do not think it looks good, but damned if a bunch of people on VH1 dating shows weren't rocking that look. The amount of muscle dudes was wild too. I get it that sometimes muscles can look nice, but when you overdo it, it looks very, very bad. It is clear a ton of these dudes were on steroids, and it is so easy to pick them out of the lineup. We also had far too many dudes with cauliflower ears. I know that MMA and other kinds of fighting were popular at the time, but damn, clean yourself up better after each fight. The ears looked so horrific and filled with bacteria.

The thing I have noticed the most is all the contestants just angling for their own show. This was before being on the internet was all you needed to be famous, so these people were pulling out all the stops. These shows are supposed to be "reality" shows, but everyone plays a part and has a character. There's always the mean one, the nerdy one, the athlete and so on and so forth. There's not one single person that is genuinely being themself. This is the height of really bad, really scripted reality tv. And yet I cannot pull myself away.

I will continue to watch and I will continue to judge. I'm just happy that the streaming devices of today give me the option to watch again. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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It's Time for Us to All Forget About "The Liver King"

I have just recently watched "The Liver King" on Netflix. This is part of their docuseries Untold. I enjoy the whole Untold series. I like the in-depth look they take into the stories they are telling us. I knew nothing of this person, but I saw the picture of him on my screen, watched the preview and decided this was a topic I wanted to learn more about.

Apparently this so-called "Liver King" is some internet influencer. I guess he lives what he calls an "ancestral lifestyle". From what I could gather, this means eating raw meat, living off the land and lifting weights. I'm sure there's more to it than that, but that is what I took from the hour long documentary. Right from the start I despised this "Liver King". He talks like a snake oil salesman mixed with a wannabe motivational speaker and add on a bit of a used car salesman. That is what this dude reminds me of after watching the show. He talks about the land and getting off the phone and being with your family. But, in the very next scene or sentence he is filming something on his phone or telling the viewer a story about how he would spend twenty hours a day learning how to "be on film", and being away from his family. This dude is constantly filming on his phone. He is in a loop of always making content. He has, essentially, forced his family into this world of being content creators. He is always on his phone or one of his family members' phones. He loves being the center of attention. He wants fame. He wants the eyeballs on him at all times. This is not an "ancestral" way of living. He craves the spotlight and he makes no bones about it. He appears on podcasts and does his own content constantly. He also claimed to never take steroids, which is absolute nonsense.

Well, about halfway through all of this, as is with most of the internet famous nowadays, he gets exposed. He, of course, takes steroids. He packages his product in plastic containers. He consults with doctors about how to get steroids. He is not this "ancestral" being that he claims to be. It was almost cathartic for me to see this idiot get taken down a few pegs.

Therein lies my whole problem with the modern world and what accounts to "fame" these days. While this guy got exposed as the liar I knew he was from the jump, Netflix still gave him a platform. He still has "talent" agents. He still gets to tell his side of the story. You don't have to be talented to get famous anymore. All you have to do is spout off at the mouth and say some straight nonsense that some idiots will believe and follow. This guy is a multimillionaire and he fooled people all along the way. He is not "ancestral". He is not pure. He claims to have mental health and self esteem stuff, but that feels like a crutch from this liar and snake. He does crazy shit online and he gathered a following, which I'm sure he still has to this day. We need to stop putting people like this on a pedestal. He is a steroid abuser who lied to millions of people and made more money than most of us could ever dream about having. I dislike this dude very much for a myriad of reasons, but I'm also annoyed by big companies letting him tell a story. He needs to fade into oblivion and give the right people their proper platform.

I'm glad I watched, but I'm angered that even I am writing a piece about this "Liver King" because that still makes him mildly viable. Watch it if you want, but then forget about it immediately. That's my plan. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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I am Going to Miss "The Righteous Gemstones"

"The Righteous Gemstones" had their series finale this past Sunday. My wife and I watched it last night. We both loved it. I felt like it was a pretty good ending for what the show had become over its four seasons. They wrapped up all the main characters' stories, they gave the new characters solid endings this season and it was bittersweet for me to see it end.

This is what Danny McBride and David Gordon Green do. They give us these great ideas and they make the series short and sweet. "Eastbound and Down" gave us four seasons, "Vice Principals" was two and now "Gemstones" was four. My wife and I both felt that the ending of season three felt like a series finale, and we were curious to see how they were going to get one more 10 episode arc out of them, but they delivered. I recommend going and watching the whole series, I'm going to rewatch myself.

My blog today is not a review of the finale, but more an appreciation post to the greatness that is "The Righteous Gemstones". This show perfectly sent up the wild and crazy world of mega churches. I am not a religious person, and I felt like the powers that be with this show have the same feelings about religion as I do. So, instead of painting by colors with it, and making it some kind of cliche meag church thing, they took it in a totally different direction. The pastors do drugs and philander. They do not follow their sacred vows. The main people in this show have some very bad demons and they have a tough time exorcising said demons. They curse and gripe about their family and kids. The siblings are constantly at each other's throats. Their dad wants them to grow the hell up, but they refuse. The kids' spouses are along for the ride it seems, but they also act like a regular married couple. "The Righteous Gemstones" is this heightened world, but the people have real, everyday problems. They just happen to be rich and claim to be religious leaders.

Outside the Gemstone family we got some great side characters. Keef is a gentle giant of a person. He is a former satanist and he has "found god". I found myself enjoying him throughout the whole series. He got better with each new season. BJ was dumb as rocks, but also a loyal and grateful member of the family. He loved his wife and would do whatever it took to make her happy. The kids in the Gemstone family got to find their own way. They made mistakes, they did stuff that was very wrong, but in the end they wanted to be in this family.

The best thing this show ever did, and will go down in history as one of the greats, was the creation of Uncle Baby Billy. Walton Goggins more than embodied this role and took it to a whole other level. Uncle Baby Billy was crass, a bad husband and father, a drug addict and worked way, way too much. He always fought with the Gemstone family. He took on way more than he could handle. But damn if he wasn't the best part of this whole show. Everytime Uncle Baby Billy was onscreen I was stoked and anticipating something amazing happening. And it pretty much always delivered. Walton Goggins is having a moment, and for me, Uncle Baby Billy is the peak.

Outside the actors, the writers were amazing. They had cast members direct episodes and they did wonderful things. The show was always funny and could even veer dark, but they never made it too bleak.

I will miss this show for so many reasons. I'm happy with what we got, and it will be on Max for a long, long time. But, this is going to be tough to not see any new episodes. I want to thank everyone who made this world come to life on my little tv screen. Thank you for all the hard and great work. "The Righteous Gemstones" will go down as a classic. It was a wonderful, wonderful four seasons of tv. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "Black Mirror: USS Callister: Into Infinity"

I have finished watching the most recent season/series of "Black Mirror" and I want to write about the last episode, "USS Callister: Into Infinity".

This is the sequel to the wonderful "USS Callister". I didn't know they were going to do a sequel, but I'm glad they did. This one sees almost everyone back from the first go round. Micheala Cole isn't in the sequel, and some stuff has been written about why. I missed her in this one, but the rest of the crew does an admirable job.

"Into Infinity" picks up pretty soon after the events of the first episode. This time the cast of characters are in their infinite loop in the videogame world and they are just trying to survive the world they have been thrust into. They have to scrap and claw to make money in the world they're now living in. They also get called out a ton by people playing the game in the real world because they don't have gamertags and they are taking other people's hard earned videogame money. From here on out we get a good glimpse into the videogame world and what is happening to the people on the outside. There's an ongoing investigation into what happened to Jesse Plemons' character from the first episode. We also get to see how his idea from the game "USS Callister" was introduced into the world. We see him and the cofounder of their company coming up with the money and the idea to do all of the things they end up accomplishing.

Cristin Milioti shines again as Nanette. Milioti has achieved a new amount of fame from some movie roles and her star turn on "The Penguin", so seeing her slip back into Nanette was a treat. She is such a good actor and her skills have only gotten better over time. But what I like most about this episode is all the other characters get a chance to shine. Jimmi Simpson is sleazy and slimy. Billy Mangussen does some great comic relief. Osy Ikhile pulls some very good double duty and gets to play two totally different people. He's great. Milanka Brooks is the heart of the mission. And Paul G Raymond brings levity to both worlds within the "Black Mirror" world.

What makes this show work is the people involved know what they're doing and are some of the best people in the industry. Getting Toby Haynes to direct this episode was the cherry on top. He is so good at this sci-fi world and he gives a show like this so much gravitas. I really liked the back and forth between the real world and the videogame, the way the story unfolds was at times shocking and easy to follow, I thought the actors fully bought in and this was a very solid way to end the 7th season/series of "Black Mirror".

"Black Mirror" has reached a status of being one of the most reliable and best shows on tv. I know when a new season/series comes out I'm going to find something to enjoy about each episode. And I like how each episode is its own thing. They are not tethered to each other in any way. My hat is off to another very good season/series of "Black Mirror". Go watch it all as soon as you can. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "Black Mirror: Eulogy"

Episode five of this season of "Black Mirror" has been one of the best they've ever done. "Eulogy" brought all the best in everyone involved. I mentioned Peter Capaldi's performance in my write up yesterday, and while that was a great performance, the work that Paul Giamatti did in "Eulogy" is second to none. "Black Mirror" has had a myriad of great performances, but this one, at the moment, is the best I've seen so far.

"Eulogy" starts off with Giamatti's character doing some gardening and his phone rings. He goes to retrieve it, and we find out that someone he knew in his past has died and he is left thinking how to move ahead. From here Giamatti is given a chance to go back and remember his times with this person. It is essentially a robot in the cloud that can let people go into pictures and relive these moments that they have long forgotten or moved on from. Giamatti gives a wonderful, heartfelt and grieving performance. His attitude changes on a dime when he revisits his past. He is acting opposite a voice for most of the episode and he absolutely nails every single scene. I was along for the ride with him. Seeing his past life, going through this grief, trying to figure out how to process it all, Giamatti delivers every single time. I felt for him. I was angry at him. I wanted him to find peace with everything he was going through. I wanted to see this person because we had no pictures of her face. I wanted to understand more about their past. The voice on the other side of the memory device, she gave a pretty good performance as well. She pushes Giamatti. She wants him to remember this stuff. She wants some clear answers as to what happened in the past. She also may have a little secret that Giamatti doesn't know about until close to the end.

"Eulogy" is a tour de force for Paul Giamatti. When I see him give us a performance this good it makes me remember how good of an actor he truly is. Giamatti is reliable, solid and sometimes, like this episode, we get to watch absolute gold like this. He knows how to do everything on screen. He can pull from so many other things, be it in his personal life or his research on other roles. Giamatti has become an actor that everyone can rely on and expect to see damn good work from in whatever role he is playing. So when he takes it to another level, like he does in "Eulogy", it makes me respect him that much more. I am always a little skeptical when I see a big star commit to a show like "Black Mirror", but this is what makes this show so awesome. Paul Giamatti was all in and went for it. He understood the assignment and he nailed it. I would love to see him get some kind of awards recognition for this performance.

Paul Giamatti and "Eulogy" gave us one the best episodes in the illustrious run of "Black Mirror" and I'm very grateful for it. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "Black Mirror: Plaything"

Episode four this season of"Black Mirror", "Plaything", features one hell of a performance from a pretty famous actor. This whole episode takes us back to "Bandersnatch". I know some people had issues with that movie, but I did not. I liked it quite a bit. I watched it a bunch of times and took the story in a ton of different directions. "Bandersnatch" was a choose your own adventure movie in the style of "Black Mirror".

"Plaything" takes place after the events in "Bandersnatch", but it only brings back a few people from the movie. Will Poulter is back and so is the guy who runs the video game company with him. Will Poulter shines in his minimal screen time. He is a good actor, he knows this role very well and he is a delight to watch. He also plays an insane person who is capable of horrific things. But, in "Plaything" he is making a new game that brings a lot more to the table than most games. Peter Capaldi is the actor that gives a virtuoso performance here. When the episode starts we see him going into a convenience store and kind of robbing it, but it seems like he wants to get caught. The police descend upon him and put him in cuffs. They then run his license and find out he is guilty of way more than just robbery. This is when the episode takes us back to the time after "Bandersnatch" and the new video game Poulter's character is making. We learn a lot about a young Capaldi here. He is a loner that tests videogames and writes about them for a prominent tech magazine. He has one buddy who gives him drugs, but that is about all he is good for. He is summoned to meet Poulter and test and then write about his new game. He steals the game and that's when things start to go nuts. All the while we cut back and forth between the past and the current version of Capaldi. He is magnetic in his performance. You feel for him even though he is not such a great person. The police and the psychiatrist are both doing their best to break him, but he is so singularly focused on his goal that he never stops doing what he thinks he needs to do. And he is simply awesome. I don't know much about Capaldi as an actor. I understand he was the Doctor during one of the many "Doctor Who" runs. Other than that, I would see him pop up in shows and movies, and while he was memorable, this performance in "Plaything" is one of a kind. He commands the attention of the viewer. He shines brighter than anyone else. The other actors are doing their best, and they are doing really good work. But, they are just not at Capaldi's level. He plays this unwell person perfectly. The faces he makes throughout the episode transform from pitiful to arrogant. He never lets go of his mission at hand. He has a job and he is going to fulfill his duty. I was truly in awe of him here. It makes me want to search out more of his stuff and compare it against this performance.

"Plaything" was a solid episode in a very solid season to this point, but it was another wonderful performance from a seasoned actor. When you watch this episode, pay attention to Capaldi's work. It's a masterclass. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "Black Mirror: Hotel Reverie"

Continuing my recap of each "Black Mirror" episode this season, I'm here to talk about one episode that I think will be talked about for years to come, "Hotel Reverie".

Issa Rae stars as a modern movie star, Brandy, who is sick of playing the roles she keeps getting offered. She is either a love interest or the lead of some run of the mill indie drama. She is speaking with her agent one day and an offer that he seems to think is nothing big takes Rae's attention. Her agent is going through all the roles being offered and he tells her about an old classic being remade for the modern audience, but in a new way too. The movie is called "Hotel Reverie". And it stars Emma Corrin, who is playing Dorothy. There is a whole preamble when the episode starts that shows clips from the movie intercut with news stories about Dorothy's personal life. Dorothy had a tough life. Dorothy wasn't able to live the life they desired. Dorothy had to hide a ton of things. I should also mention that "Hotel Reverie" is owned by a dying studio that is looking for any type of project to get them some money. That is where Redream comes into place. Awkafina plays one of the, I think, leaders of this new company. What Redream does is make old movies with one new star and films them in real time. It is like a play come to life of an old classic. Brandy is obsessed with this movie and that is why she jumps at this role. Brandy also wants to play the co lead, who was a man back when they first made this movie. Awkwafina is all for this, so they give her the role. She gets sent an envelope with the script and her lines and everything. We also happen to see a USB fall to the ground that Brandy doesn't notice. So, when Brandy arrives on set, she is ready to go, but she doesn't fully understand what Redream is doing. She relents and agrees and is sent into this world that Redream has built. It is all artificially created people and they all seem to think they're real. Brandy is stunned, obviously, at first, but then she gets into acting mode and goes for it. Then things start to go a little haywire. Everything has to be perfect, but like most "Black Mirror" episodes, things aren't always what they seem. As this episode unfolds it becomes about so much more. The episode shows love and how it comes and goes and can be devastating. We get an idea of what AI could become if it were ever to gain sentience and feeling. We see an upstart company dealing with some harrowing issues all along the way by not coming up with their own ideas. And I loved it all. Issa Rae gives a wonderful performance. I believed her every step of the way. I felt for her. I wanted her to be happy. But Emma Corrin really shines here. They give us a performance for the ages. Playing the original Dorothy and the AI version, they give us two separate but equally incredible performances. There are some scenes that Corrin takes to another level that really shined through.

I still sit in my home and think about things from this episode daily. I was so enamored with "Hotel Reverie". I love the whole idea of Hollywood not being unique enough anymore. I love seeing love stories, good and bad. And when actors go for it and nail it, that is the cherry on top. "Hotel Reverie" is an achievement that I truly loved watching. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "Black Mirror: Bete Noire"

The second episode in this new block from "Black Mirror" is called "Bete Noire". I have read some stuff online about this particular episode that I don't necessarily agree with all that much. Some people have said it is not one of their best and a low point for this season. So far I have loved the four episodes I've seen. So, to see some people denigrating this one felt a bit off base.

I really like the whole idea of "Black Mirror" doing an episode that takes place inside a new aged candy shop. I kept thinking of Willy Wonka, until the episode got into the meat of it all. I was all in on this chocolatier making up new and exciting treats. Then everything starts to go a bit awry when she sees an old classmate of hers. She never really liked this girl all that much. Well, maybe that's not it, she never really thought about this girl much.

The main character, Maria, played by Siena Kelly, was a popular kid in school and had a lot of friends. This seems to lead to others being made fun of by the "cool" kids. The "outsider" here is Verity, played by Rosy McEwen. She seems a little off from the jump. She is very forthcoming, but also awkward when she runs into Maria at her job. Verity is part of a focus group trying a new chocolate, and after the trial, she speaks with Maria in the restroom, an awkward place for a conversation. It is here when Verity drops a bunch of stuff on her. She moved on from her high school days, found herself and was applying for a job at the chocolate company. Maria didn't even think they had an opening. Maria relays all this info to her boyfriend, who is very nonchalant about everything, which is how I probably would react in this scenario. But it doesn't stop there between Maria and Verity. Verity always seems to be right about everything. People are constantly taking her side in every single debate or argument. It gets bad enough that Maria is asked to take a leave because her boss and coworkers think she is openly attacking Verity, with no proof of the acts she is claiming have occured.

This episode resonated with me because it is a clear case of gaslighting. Verity knows what she is doing and she goes at it hard. It is wild to see the tables turn on Maria. She goes from one of the top chocolatiers in the UK to yelling at everyone at her job. We come to find out more about the highschool days between the two of them and what Verity is really up to now. The scene that the two actors have in Verity's bedroom is wild and tense. I was nervous and I could feel my heart racing as I watched it all unfold. There are other actors that help this ctory move along, but make no mistake, this is all about the battle between Verity and Maria. I found myself so, so angry at Verity by the end. And I was fully on Maria's side about halfway through the episode. But, like only "Black Mirror" can do, I was questioning everything I thought by the end of the episode. That is what this show does best, and "Bete Noire" is another fine example.

I thought this episode was wonderful, and when everything came into focus, my mind was blown. McEwen and Kelly both give powerhouse performances and I'm intrigued to check out some of their other work. I'm glad I watched this one and didn't pay much attention to the critics on the internet. "Bete Noire" worked for me and I'm still thinking about stuff from it to this day. That is the mark of a good 45 minutes of tv for me. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "Black Mirror: Common People"

The 7th season or series or whatever it is called "Black Mirror" was released on April 10th. I've already seen four of the six episodes. My wife asked me the other night if I wanted to finish it off. I did, but I also wanted to wait.

"Black Mirror" is, quite possibly, the best show on tv. I get excited when a new whatever gets announced. I read all about the casting and everything. I just want to know what I'm going to get into, and how much I'm going to like it. What I want to do for this newest release is write about each episode after seeing it. I already said I have already watched four, so I'm going to focus on one episode for the next few days, and when my wife and I watch the final two episodes, I'll come back and tell you all how I feel about those. So, for my blog today I'm going to focus on the first episode of the new whatever, "Common People".

This episode is reminiscent of early "Black Mirror". It starts out all nice and quaint. We see a couple celebrating their anniversary and seem to be having a good time. Chris O'Dowd and Rashinda Jones play the couple. I love this pairing. They seem to have great chemistry and play really well off one another. As I said, the two of them are in what seems like a solid relationship. But, they can't have kids. Jones' character also seems to have issues with headaches. One day, she plays a school teacher, and she collapses in class. It turns out she has a pretty invasive brain tumor. It doesn't seem like she is ever going to wake up from the coma she is in. Then Tracie Ellis Ross shows up. This is when the show goes back to its roots. Ellis Ross plays a salesperson who tells O'Dowd that she is part of a team that can save his wife's life, if he decides he wants to try an invasive and new surgery. I'm not going to spoil anything from there on out, but I am going to try and talk about it the best I can without spoiling anything. The surgery is basically a subscription type of deal. While watching, my wife made mention that Jones' brain was basically a cell phone now. The rules, the money, the issues that come with all of this, and how they tell the story, is what makes "Black Mirror" so excellent. At first I was totally on board with the surgery. I told my wife I'd do it, and if she was in a situation where this was possible for me, I'd want her to do it. But, as the episode kept unfolding, my desire for this kept waning. It got bad. All of the things that make having a cell phone annoying, Jones' character was living that reality. It was bleak. It made me sad. And with this company becoming more and more of a thing, it was called Redream in the show, it kept getting more and more expensive. And Ellis Ross was exceptional as the spokesperson of the company. She never raised her voice, she never got mad, she always kept her cool. It also turns out that she is a little more involved than what is led on at the beginning. But what makes this episode really work was O'Dowd and Jones' performances, along with Ellis Ross. As things get tougher, their lives get harder. O'Dowd resorts to doing things he may not want to do. Jones has to sleep pretty much all the time. And Eliis Ross keeps hitting them with more and more bills and new prices.

This episode was an excellent way to start this new series or season. It was a throwback and set the whole thing in motion. It made me want to see more, but my wife said she needed a break, which I also understood. An episode like "Common People" is what makes "Black Mirror" so great. The writers know the material and that shines through here. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "Companion"

I mentioned on Wednesday how I've been catching up on movies lately. Another movie I wanted to talk about this week is "Companion". Let’s discuss.

I remember seeing a preview for this movie months ago and it blew me away. The preview was great too because it didn't reveal too much. All I saw was Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher sitting at a table and having a conversation. That was it. They didn't have any type of big reveals and they didn't show any other scenes or people. For all I knew, it was about a couple in trouble. The conversation the two were having seemed fraught. With all this in mind I knew I wanted to see this movie. In fact, my wife and I tried to see it on Valentines Day, but it was already out of the theaters by that point, which is another topic for another day that I have issues with at the moment. But, it was cheap to rent on Amazon last Saturday, it was my turn to pick a movie and I jumped at renting "Companion".

Right off the bat, this review will have minor spoilers. Also, I loved this movie. I was all in from the first moment until the very end. This movie is worth watching and worth talking about. The story of "Companion", in a Cliff's notes version, is about a couple that goes away for a weekend to a cabin to spend time with some friends. The couple in question is Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher. They are young and seem very much in love. Thatcher's character seems to be obsessed with Quaid's character. She does literally everything for him. From telling him what to do to carrying their bags, she is all in and willing to do whatever. She also has odd quirks that we notice off the jump. She likes to thank and talk to computer objects. There's an early scene when they are driving, the car is a self-driving car by the way, and when they arrive, she waits to get out until both her and Quaid have thanked the car. She never eats or drinks any food. She is quick with an answer to every question. When told to "go to sleep", she instantly stops talking and rests. It all seems a little strange. We come to realize pretty early on, after an accident at the house, that Thatcher is in fact a robot. She is a "companion" doll that people in this world can buy, program and set to be their partner. When this was revealed, it made me buy in even more. And then we have the aforementioned "incident" that changes the whole course of the movie. We see that Quaid isn't this perfect boyfriend. He's actually kind of a prick. My hat is off to Quaid for this performance. I didn't think he could play this type of character, but he nailed it. After the "incident", Thatcher  really shines. This is her movie. She is the driving force. And she is amazing. I can't wait to see more of her leading roles in upcoming movies. The friends are pretty great too. Lukas Gage and Harvey Guillen play another couple at the cabin. Guillen shines, playing what I have to imagine is a heightened version of himself. He is a star. Gage, who's character also has a secret, really shows his worth when his twist occurs. He was great. Rupert Friend is barely in the movie, but he is memorable. And Megan Suri does a whole lot that is integral to the plot and she was pretty awesome here.

I'm starting to realize that when it comes to the "horror" genre, these are the types of movies I like. This was more thriller than horror, and there were comedic elements that I really enjoyed. Those cut the tension. But, what it all boils down to was Thatcher's performance and she did a remarkable job carrying this movie. I was incredibly impressed with her performance. And, the movie is barely over 90 minutes long, which is perfect.

Seek out "Companion", it is pretty damn good. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.