Review Day

There are no major spoilers in these reviews.

Severance, Season One:
This show about office workers who "sever" their minds so they never have to remember their day jobs is excellent. It's like Black Mirror meets The Office, with a little bit of Silo thrown in. The show exudes a really weird vibe, like the early days of LOST or Twin Peaks without being just frustratingly weird, and the buildup in tension over the last 3 episodes is well-executed TV. I totally accept that there are very few answers revealed at the moment, and the upcoming second season could completely implode, but I'm here for it. On AppleTV+.

Final Grade: A+

Ted Lasso, Season Three:
The final season of Ted Lasso has occasional great episodes interspersed between awful ones. The writing has some really weird beats, and several of the emotional high points don't feel earned. The finale is overlong and self-indulgent. On AppleTV+.

Final Grade: B-

This Fool, Season One:
This comedy about cousins at a gang rehabilitation clinic is hard to describe but very funny. Something about the setting and characters makes it feel very fresh even though it doesn't necessarily try much that is new. On Hulu.

Final Grade: A

Cameras & Coastlines & Covers by Smallpools:
I wanted to know what Smallpools had been up to since the 2015 album I really enjoyed so I waded through the cesspool that is Amazon's search engine to find my answer: Not much. I listened to this album from start to finish (only about 30 minutes) several times and still nothing stuck with me -- all safe, with edges polished smooth, and no verve.

Final Grade: C-