The magic seems to have left with Steve Carrell's exit.
This show had a lot of promise in its first season. It seemed to be introducing you to characters with depth and interesting personal stories to share. The writing felt smarter and more nuanced. You had the feeling you were dealing with smart writers who knew how to thread the "woke" needle with the reality one. And that's a refreshing thing to see in Hollyweird.
Season 2 wasn't as intriguing as the first season but it was still a fun experience. You felt like the writers were laying the groundwork for a long journey with these characters and this story.
But season 3 shortened the ride. The juice seems to be gone. The subject matter feels dated and it's depressing (NO ONE wants to relive the pandemic or the hysteria surrounding Jan 6). Beyond that, the writers seem to have ditched Jennifer Anniston's character's entire personal story (where is her daughter?) in favor of Reese's character lesbian affair and the producer lady's random relationship with an independent photographer we've never seen before. Not a great trade-off. And it doesn't have to be stated that whenever Hollyweird tries to cover political events nowadays, they fail miserably. They can't help but insult a wide swath of the audience. I had thought this show was smarter than that but season 3 proves otherwise.
I am therefore not sure if I desire to stick it out with this show or even with the remainder of this season 3. Whereas it seemed different and layered before, now it feels banal and dry. I find that I feel labored now when deciding if I want to watch a new episode; it's more like a chore (finish what you start) than real anticipation and excitement. Sad that only 3 seasons in, I'm thinking this might need to be the show's last. *sigh*
This show had a lot of promise in its first season. It seemed to be introducing you to characters with depth and interesting personal stories to share. The writing felt smarter and more nuanced. You had the feeling you were dealing with smart writers who knew how to thread the "woke" needle with the reality one. And that's a refreshing thing to see in Hollyweird.
Season 2 wasn't as intriguing as the first season but it was still a fun experience. You felt like the writers were laying the groundwork for a long journey with these characters and this story.
But season 3 shortened the ride. The juice seems to be gone. The subject matter feels dated and it's depressing (NO ONE wants to relive the pandemic or the hysteria surrounding Jan 6). Beyond that, the writers seem to have ditched Jennifer Anniston's character's entire personal story (where is her daughter?) in favor of Reese's character lesbian affair and the producer lady's random relationship with an independent photographer we've never seen before. Not a great trade-off. And it doesn't have to be stated that whenever Hollyweird tries to cover political events nowadays, they fail miserably. They can't help but insult a wide swath of the audience. I had thought this show was smarter than that but season 3 proves otherwise.
I am therefore not sure if I desire to stick it out with this show or even with the remainder of this season 3. Whereas it seemed different and layered before, now it feels banal and dry. I find that I feel labored now when deciding if I want to watch a new episode; it's more like a chore (finish what you start) than real anticipation and excitement. Sad that only 3 seasons in, I'm thinking this might need to be the show's last. *sigh*