Review Day

There are no major spoilers in these reviews.

Righteous Gemstones, Season Two:
This season takes a few episodes to find itself -- held back by too much focus on the original three main characters when the origin story of John Goodman's character is far more intriguing. The overall shtick is getting a little old, but there's a few great laughs along the way and satisfying conclusion.

Final Grade: B

Ripley:
This limited series is beautifully shot and perfectly acted, but so so glacial in pace. It's clearly going for a vibe rather than a plot and sometimes gets self-indulgent in how many extended scenes of near-nothingness there are. It's nearly impossible to watch this with a modern attention span -- you'll be on your phone in no time. On Netflix.

Final Grade: C+

3-Body Problem, Season One:
I thought the book version of this had a few great ideas buried in a sea of weak plot and characterization. The TV show version is more successful because they favor the dramatic aspects of the story over the deeply scientific ones. The first season has a nice pace and good reveals, and I would give the second season a try unless it takes 10 years to release and I forget everything that happened in the interim (this happens more often than I'd like). On Netflix.

Final Grade: B

Blackberry (R):
This movie about the rise and fall of the Blackberry device is pretty entertaining if not particularly surprising. It feels strongly like a movie version of the show, Halt and Catch Fire. Although Glenn Howerton was great in his role, I would have rather had Toby Huss instead. On Hulu.

Final Grade: B