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Reviews
The Gilded Age: Money Isn't Everything (2022)
Delightfully Frothy Fun
This is an entirely different show from Downton Abbey, and it's a great show in its own right. I personally am hooked.
The petty social politics of 19th century New York make for very entertaining plotlines. The characters gel more with each episode with intriguing dynamics between both house staff and elite classes. I am especially curious to see how the plotline with Marian and her lawyer will play out.
I think if one continuously compares this to Downton because both shows were created by Julian Fellowes they're bound to be disappointed. There are distinctly different things to like about each show and it's not meant to be Downton 2.0.
Side note: I had to google because I was curious: $50 today would have been worth about $1300 in the timeframe the show is set.
And Just Like That...: Diwali (2022)
Ignore the 1/10 Voters
Don't listen to the people coming in and automatically voting 1 to skew the ratings. This was an excellent episode. I found it the best yet of the series. It was uplifting, funny, touching, and had all the energy of SATC.
And Just Like That... (2021)
Solid Start with the Potential to be Excellent
Reestablishing old characters, establishing new ones, and setting up the big inciting incident for the series makes episodes one and two feel a little clunky. Episode one does both these things, while episode two deals with the emotional aftermath of the inciting incident.
However, in spite of this narrative clunkiness in spots, the old witty banter and friendship shines through. I also particularly enjoyed seeing the present-day family dynamics of Charlotte and Miranda. The actors portraying their preteen and teen kids are doing a stellar job.
I applaud the producers for bringing the representation and writing in the show up to date and being willing to confront its past lack of diversity and more problematic aspects.
Now that the exposition and set up are out of the way, I'm excited to see where the show will go. It has the potential to be great in its own right.
Mare of Easttown: Poor Sisyphus (2021)
Slow Burner Mysteries aren't for everyone, and that's OK
I find myself looking forward to each Sunday when more layers of this mystery will be pulled back to finally reveal all. It's highly stylized, character driven, slow burner mystery at its finest. You either like this genre or you don't, and by four episodes in, most people will know. It's OK to not like it; there's no need to write angry reviews bashing the genre. But hey, to each their own.
Also, I agree with other reviewers that the Siobhan stuff seemed a little bit tangential this week. I hate to say it, but I think she might get targeted by the killer. I think in any case, there will be a reason so much focus has been on her arc.
It Was Always You (2021)
Magic and lots and lots of Snacks
Why does everyone keep saying Erin's hair is a wig? Unless she's just been wearing a wig all the time in real life, it's not a wig. She has this hairstyle on all her recent social media. She wears a wig on When Calls the Heart. But I digress.
I loved this film. Erin and Tyler are magic together, and the whole supporting cast was fantastic. I really liked how the female lead actually goes for what she wants and doesn't have to choose between that and romance.
The flash forward at the end was slightly abrupt, but they're constrained somewhat by the hallmark conventions of movie length. That said, this rose well above and beyond your typical Hallmark film. It had drama, comedy, romance. Most of all, it had snacks in nearly every scene!
I really hope they make a sequel or a trilogy, or at least have Tyler and Erin in more movies together.