Seen in June

K2SO reporting for duty.
It looks like I watched a lot more than I did this June but much of this list are shows that were, "already in progress", as they say. It was a busy month, (aren't they all?), but time was found to watch some good stuff.

Andor S02 (+Rogue One)
Disney+
This show has received a lot of well-deserved and positive press, so it doesn't need more from me. I will say that if Star Wars doesn't interest you, don't worry. There's not a lot of laser swords, space religion or whatnot here. This is more like John le Carré wrote a novel set in the Star Wars universe. At times, it's a heist movie, a jail break movie, a WWII French Resistance story, and it often speaks to our own time. I've kvetched a lot about the rise and influence of very right-wing or autocratic governments and politics, but nothing has helped me understand those on the other side as much as this show. Throughout, we see the baddies, who, of course, never see themselves as baddies, worrying that a rebellion would lead to chaos and that only the strong hand of the Empire can bring order. Meanwhile, we see oppressed populations so beaten down by the Empire that they think their only option is to rise up and resist. That is the essential story of Star Wars more broadly. We witness the clumsy indecisiveness of diplomacy versus the strong-willed focus of the Empire's regime. We see mid-level managers in the Empire trying to rise the corporate ladder and the rebels who've given too much and want to be done with the fighting. The through line of it all is the film Rogue One and the original Star Wars film, A New Hope. Knowing those stories helps you see the threads that are loosened or tugged at, but this show is entirely entertaining on its own.

Comics come alive in Daredevil.

Daredevil: Born Again
Disney+
Daredevil is back, but as lawyer Matt Murdoch (Charlie Cox), who hopes to resist his most violent urges to fight against the rise of The Kingpin, Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio), who has become mayor of New York. Is Fisk a reformed right-wing politico or a crime boss hoping to enrich himself in a new position of power? Why not both? Like Andor, this show also highlights those in power as seeing themselves bringing order to a chaotic world and the heroes who rise against them as conflicted about the ends justifying the means. This is a great and grown-up version of the comic book, but perhaps a little too violent for a wider audience.

Wilfred Buck
Crave
Wilfred Buck is a well-known science educator and indigenous leader who teaches astronomy through the stories of his people, the Opaskwayak Cree Nation. The incredible thing is that these ancient stories told through oral tradition accurately capture what we know of the observable skies and stars. Of course, they never knew what we know today from radio telescopes and other techniques, using calculus and advanced mathematics. Yet their observations do capture much of what we knew before that science was available, and more, including some comets that were only visible on Earth every couple of hundred years. This insight into what you might call Indigenous Science is fascinating and only a part of Buck's story told through this documentary.

Seth Rogen as Matt Remick, who surprisingly knows a lot of Canadian actors.

The Studio S01
Apple TV+
From the minds of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg comes this lively, insightful comedy packed full of cameos, nods, winks and homages to Hollywood. Rogen plays Matt Remick who becomes the head of Continental Studios, after his mentor, Patty (Catherine O'Hara) is screwed over. This show takes us behind the curtain to reveal how a lover of cinema is forced to accept the cruelty of the business of movies while trying to get films made and keep his job. Each episode goes through a Hollywood trope such as screwing a Hollywood icon to get a crass franchise blockbuster made, to exploiting an auteur who found an unexpected hit and pushing out a sequel, to the politics of set visits and award shows. The Studio also employs a lot of handheld "one shots" (continuous shots without edits) to propel the energy and frantic, stressful moments in a studio head's day. It's clever, cynical, hopeful, stylish and funny.

Constantine
Crave
John Constantine (Keanu Reeves) is some kind of supernatural demon hunter who tracks demons from Hell who have escaped here on Earth so he can send them back. The film is based on a comic book series, so it tries to pack a lot of convoluted Coles Notes Catholicism into a story about saving a soul from Lucifer. I was interested in watching the film after seeing a visual essay about how good it was. There is no doubt that it is very stylish and employs plenty of visual storytelling tricks, but in the end, it's very silly, takes itself too seriously and is surprisingly dull.

Still from For He Can Creep.

Love, Death & Robots, Vol 4
Netflix
I'm more interested in the quality of animation in this series than the actual storytelling. It should be said that the animation (and storytelling) are very hit and miss. While some of the shorts are standouts and sublimely wonderful, others look like video game ads or still deal in 'sexy robot' clichés, which are more of a waste of time. As a salute to Heavy Metal (the film, the magazine and possibly the music genre), it makes sense that an anthology series like this would be full of scattered results, so in that sense, the show remains true to its inspiration.

Those coats though.

North of North S01 CBC Gem, Netflix
Siaja (Anna Lambe) is going through a major life change in her remote fictional community of Ice Cove, and we're here for the ride. The first episode sets the premise that Siaja is unhappy in her marriage to narcissistic husband Ting (Kelly William) and impulsively leaves him with her daughter to live with her mother Neevee (Maika Harper). Perhaps the only precedent for this sitcom might be Northern Exposure, yet it does feel more authentically about the people of the North as opposed to a fish-out-of-water experience. It's genuinely funny, if a bit too cute at times, but it is generally a feel-good show that celebrates contemporary Indigenous lives. I will say that many of Siaja's outfits feature coats with real fur, which look amazing. There are a few scenes where someone is wearing an incredible coat with a fur collar next to a character wearing a mass-market parka with fake fur, and it's a real contrast. I wouldn't be surprised if this program, now on Netflix, doesn't create a surge in demand for some beautifully crafted handmade coats.

Hey Viktor!
Crave
Smoke Signals from the late 90s was an important moment for indie/indigenous filmmaking. Its popularity surprised everyone, but you kind of had to be into indie films to really know about it. Almost thirty years later, the actor who played "Little Viktor" (in flashback sequences), Cody Lightning, is determined to make Smoke Signals 2, playing Viktor as an adult without recognizing the incorrect logic that Adam Beach already played Viktor as an adult in the original film. Cody is doing all of this while a documentary crew follows him, thus using the device of a "mockumentary" to tell the story. There are some fun moments, such as when Cody constantly breaks the fourth wall to speak directly to the camera and sound crew and considers them friends. The film doesn't really have enough juice to ever get away from a couple of jokes, but by including almost the entire original cast in one way or another it is a reminder of how impactful Canadian Indigenous creators have been to telling North American First Nations stories.

Elphaba, aka Cynthia Erivo.

Wicked
Prime Video
Do I have to relate the plot of this film based on the popular Broadway musical? Ok - it's essentially about the friendship or relationship between Galinda the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the Wizard of Oz story. Yes, it's a musical. Yes, Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba) and Ariana Grande (Galinda) are massively talented. No, I don't care for musicals. Yes, it is visually stunning and imaginative and yes, a couple of the tunes are catchy. After a nearly three-hour version that is just part one, am I clambering in anticipation of part two? No, I am not. If this is your thing, enjoy.

One of the stars of the show, dessert.

The Bear S04
Disney+
After a heavily criticized season three, season four of this show about a small crew striving to make an exceptional Chicago-based restaurant achieve a Michelin star was highly anticipated. I didn't have any criticisms of season three, so I was on board with the frenetic and chaotic energy of this new season. Its abrupt ending was, well, abrupt, but I think that is in line with the writing of the show. What I like about the writing is that it never stops to fill in exposition in case you weren't following along. The writers never stopped to explain anything and always assumed the audience was smart enough to figure it out. Were there some frustrating moments or characters? Yes. Were those moments too much to take? No. Were there too many unsung cameos? Sure, but that just added to the fun of the thing. Is this show a comedy? No, it is not, but it's still a great show (even if the kids didn't like the throwback music, used to good effect). Hey kids, if you want a show full of "Brat" and "Chapell Roan" then make your own damn show.

Ronny Chieng: Love To Hate It
Netflix
This is Ronny Chieng's second Netflix comedy special, and it focuses on his and his wife's struggles with fertility and future parenthood and his immigrant experience. Also, as a Daily Show contributor, who has interacted with probably more Americans than most, he has a lot to say about the current state of confusing and contradictory ideas floating in the current American political ether.