Hi everyone! Welcome to the Fall 2019 finale of Trailer-Review-a-Palooza. This season, we brought you dramas and sitcoms, networks and streaming services, and the tears streaming down my face as I watched the darkest timeline unfold (too many okay or meh shows, not enough time).
I don’t know about all of you, but while there were some truly bright spots and phenomenal new TV shows on offer, the expansion and fracturing of television into evermore options has mostly produced too much mediocrity. If I didn’t have time for great television before, I certainly don’t have time for just okay television now.
But maybe you disagree!? Let us debate, in the comments!
Tim: Wow!!! I am so excited by the premise and content of this show: Abigail Spencer? Tick! Good Behaviour and Nikita vibe? Tick! Needless violence? Tick tick tick! Ever since Timeless ended (which I thought should have stuck around, instead of getting stuffed around), I knew Spencer would be leading her own show. The trailer looks like her character is on a revenge mission, with lots of interesting characters helping her along the way. Also, executive produced by the person behind Fargo and The Handmaid's Tale? Another tick!
I am so into this show. I can’t wait to see where it will go and I will be most likely binge it when it drops.
So Cadence, are you a fan of the femme fatale genre, or have you had enough!?
Cadence: I’m a big fan! From classic film noir to more contemporary television (like Nikita, or even the early parts of Revenge), I’ve always enjoyed the ‘seeking-justice’ narrative. There’s something so satisfying (if not super healthy) about watching people get what they ‘deserve’. Shows like Game of Thrones have (not so subtly) explored the downside of vengeance - what it can do to a person and how it perpetuates cycles of violence without end. So we’ll see if this show takes that path, or if it’s purely in it for the hedonistic thrill. Overall, I completely agree with your reaction - the trailer hooked me. I want to know what happened to her, I want to know why it happened, and I can’t wait to see her take down her brother. I’m in.
40) Truth Be Told - Apple TV+ - Dec 6
Cadence: Truth be Told feels relevant and timely, tackling the potential downside of a certain flavour of True Crime podcast journalism. Unlike The Morning Show’s trailer - which seemed ambivalent about how it even felt about MeToo - Truth be Told looks like it might ask the right questions about the effects of storytelling on people and communities. Starring Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad, Bojack Horseman), Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer, and Ron Cephas Jones (This Is Us, Mr. Robot), this star-studded trailer also serves up a whole lot of melodrama. So, I’m not sure what direction I’m leaning here. I’ll wait for the reviews before making a decision.What do you think Tim - do you like True Crime podcasts? Does this show appeal to you?
Tim: I wouldn’t say I'm a fan of true crime podcasts but I did watch Dirty John - does that count!? The story looks interesting, as does the cast. I’ll be checking out the pilot, and going from there.
41) The L Word: Generation Q - Showtime - Dec 8
Tim: Ever since I heard about this show, I was worried it was going to stray too far from the original L Word series. I can happily say, from watching the trailer, that I shouldn’t have been worried. I love the look of this new show, and I think now is the perfect time for The L Word to come back. In a post MeToo world, this show looks like it will be a breath of fresh air.Jennifer Beals (Swamp Thing) is back as Bette Porter, as well as Katherine Moennig (Ray Donovan, grown-ish) as Shane McCutcheon, and Leisha Hailey as Alice Pieszecki. I like that we will see old faces to introduce us to the new generation. Some new faces of Generation Q include Jacqueline Toboni (Grimm). I am definitely tuning in and I hope this show can shine on its own when the time comes.
So Cadence, were you a fan of the original, or are you coming in with fresh eyes - or do you have no interest at all!?
Cadence: I never watched the original, but I’m certainly aware of how groundbreaking it was. I agree completely that it’s the kind of show that totally deserves an update - and I think a show exploring generational differences in the experiences of queer women is a great idea. I’m not usually a fan of TV driven primarily by interpersonal relationships (i.e., ‘slice of life’ dramas), but I do think that queer representation matters, and that the mayoral storyline looks like the kind of thing that could win over non-fans or people looking for plot-driven storytelling. I don’t know if I’m the target audience, but the trailer looks fun and moving and I’m so glad this show exists. I’ll probably watch at least bits and pieces.
42) The Witcher - Netflix - Dec 17
Cadence: The Witcher is 100% my speed. I haven’t read the books or played the games, but the trailer makes me think I would like them. Henry Cavill (who, with this particular hair and makeup, kind of looks like Manu Benett (Arrow, Spartacus) and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones) had a baby) looks and sounds great as Geralt - a magic-wielding, greatly-feared, monster-fighting badass, or possibly antihero (the trailer is a bit unclear). But it looks nice! Kind of like the His Dark Materials trailer - confusing, engaging, but now I want to watch.
How about you, Tim? Were you as hooked as I was, or does this look like yet another attempt to find a Game Of Thrones clone to fill the void in our hearts and in network pockets?
Tim: With so many shows and so little time these days, I’m finding it harder and harder to get sucked into new shows. I wouldn’t say I was hooked by the trailer, but I do like Cavill and I think he will suit the role of The Witcher. I’m in the same boat as you, having not played the game, but I do like the story and the mythology from what I can see. Honestly, I find it better not comparing it to other shows so I can just let it exist in its own world. I’ll be checking it out at some stage.
That’s it for us! If we can find the time, we’ll try to do a ‘Fall 2019 Postmortem’, but for now HAPPY HOLIDAYS NEW YEAR and we’ll see you soon. As always, let us know what you think in the comments - and tell us what you think of the shows this season, overall!
Written by Cadence on Dec 3, 2019
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