3B — Thursday, January 4, 2018
the b-side
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arguably
no
other
show
reflected the uncertainty that
pervaded 2017 quite like “The
Leftovers.” Then again, “The
Leftovers” was never about
certainty to begin with. It was a
miracle the series lasted so long,
given its dismal ratings. But
what the show lacked in strong
viewership, it made up for with
an incredible ensemble cast,
poetic cinematography and bold
storytelling. The third and final
season took “The Leftovers” to
even greater, more ambitious
depths, shifting the setting from
small-town Texas to the plains
of Australia and intensifying the
character arc of disgruntled cop
Kevin Garvey (Justin Theroux,
“The Lego Ninjago Movie”).
This
season,
in
particular,
raised even larger issues of how
to search for meaning in a world
on the brink of destruction.
As the seventh anniversary
of The Sudden Departure — the
day in which two percent of the
global population disappeared
— approaches, Kevin wrestles
with a Messiah complex when he
is called upon to save the world
from an impending apocalypse
of
Biblical
proportions.
Meanwhile, Kevin’s long-term
girlfriend Nora (Carrie Coon,
“The Post”) considers a path
that could lead her back to her
family, all of whom were victims
of the Sudden Departure. The
friction between the couple’s
destinies catalyzes a deeper
exploration of what it means
to come to terms with our own
mortality and how to find peace
in finality.
In eight solid episodes, “The
Leftovers” succeeds in giving
Kevin and every other character
much-needed
closure.
And
while most of the season was
heavy on drama, there were
some lovely moments of levity
(e.g. a strangely hilarious penis
gag in the surreal penultimate
chapter). Some episodes made
some daring aesthetic choices
— A-ha’s iconic, upbeat “Take on
Me” plays toward the end of a
particularly gloomy scene. Other
episodes placed an assortment
of characters in odd situations —
a trip on a hedonistic cruise ship
challenged Matt’s (Christopher
Eccleston,
“Doctor
Who”)
vehemently
religious
views.
However, these unconventional
detours felt earned in how they
helped unpack and resolve each
character’s inner turmoil when
facing the unknown. As 2018
begins, we can only trust that
a show like “The Leftovers” is
enough to restore our faith in
humanity.
— Sam Rosenberg, Senior
Arts Editor
Top TV Series: ‘The Leftovers’ a standout of the year
HBO
FILM
1. “The Leftovers”
Twenty-seven red dicks spray-
painted on teachers’ cars, an
honor student eyewitness, a clear
motive and an untrustworthy alibi.
This is the case the school board
of Hanover High School makes
against notorious troublemaker
Dylan Maxwell (Jimmy Tatro,
“22 Jump Street”), leading to
his expulsion. The new Netflix
mockumentary show, “American
Vandal” — released in September
2017 — follows a high school
journalist,
Peter
Maldonado
(Tyler Alvarez, “Orange is the
New Black”), in his compelling,
cinematic quest to prove Maxwell
innocent. Through the successes
of Maldonado’s journalistic and
directorial efforts, the case of
who drew the dicks becomes a
nationwide social media frenzy,
with hundreds of thousands of
people talking about Maxwell.
The infectious nature of the
documentary within the show’s
fictional
public
mirrors
the
captivating effect that the story
and series itself have on its real-life
viewers.
With its steady climactic twists
and realistic characters — crafted
through authentic dialogue and
logical
intrinsic
motivations
— “American Vandal” delivers
an-edge-of-your-seat
viewing
experience. Although shows in
the high school realm have the
tendency to err on the side of
“Degrassi,” “American Vandal”
delivers a much more serious, true-
crime feel. “American Vandal”
capitalizes on the satire through its
mockumentary-style filmmaking.
If the crime had been swapped
with one less humorous — say, there
was a dead body discovered instead
— this series would completely play
out like a true crime piece. At the
end of the day, this line the series
cleverly maneuvers between light
and dark is the factor that really
sells “American Vandal” as the one-
day binge series that it is.
— Sofia Lynch, Daily TV/New
Media Editor
2. “American Vandal”
In April of 2016, Donald J.
Trump was the presumed winner
of the Republican presidential
nomination and a TV adaptation
of Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel,
“The Handmaid’s Tale,” had just
been ordered. Though seemingly
unrelated events, “The Handmaid’s
Tale” became a vital commentary
on the shocking nature of our future
president and a cautionary tale of
what could happen if we accept
such disregard for our rights and
laws without revolt. Just in case you
were completely cut off from pop
culture, the Internet or society as
a whole for the better part of 2017,
here is some background: “The
Handmaid’s Tale” is a dystopian
story in which an oppressive
patriarchal group reigns over a
distorted version of the United
States. Women are stripped of their
rights and any who are fertile are
considered handmaids, forced to
reproduce to preserve the lineage
of the government.
It is a horrifying tale, yet one that
reflects on the web of manipulation,
power
and
abuse
that
has
become all too familiar in our
contemporary headlines. The show
could not have come at a better
time and, unfortunately, its motifs
and messages become increasingly
more relevant as our time under
this administration progresses.
Despite the handmaids’ ultimate
rebellion at the end of the season,
there is an ever-looming promise
that the war is never won. Still,
at the core there is always hope
and a constant reminder: Nolite te
bastardes carborundorum (don’t let
the bastards grind you down).
— Samantha Della Fera, Daily
Arts Writer
3. “The Handmaid’s Tale”
Ah, “Stranger Things.” The
Duffer
Brothers’s
(“Hidden”)
gorgeous,
hilarious
and
terrifying ’80s homage burst onto
the scene this year in its second
season. Chances are high that
the series — which permeated
through,
well,
pretty
much
every element of pop culture
from
mid-October
through
November — was something
you breezed through on Netflix
during a cozy, bed-confined
week around Halloween. The
fact that “Stranger Things 2”
became such a quintessential
aspect of our collective Fall 2017
consciousness speaks to the
series quality and its downright
lovable cast.
Led
by
15-year-old
Finn
Wolfhard (“It”), the show’s cast
consistently wooed us with their
chemistry and sheer charm.
Starring
alongside
Wolfhard
are his longtime pals Gaten
Matarazzo (“The Blacklist”) and
Caleb McLaughlin (“The New
Edition Story”), both picking up
right where the show’s debut
season left off to win over our
hearts again. Only this time,
the show’s talented cast does
it against tougher odds, as
“Stranger Things 2”’s second
season strikes a markedly darker
and more frightening tone.
Our
nightmares
of
the
so-dubbed “shadow monster”
and
a
demonically-possessed
Noah
Schnapp
(“Bridge
of
Spies”) may fade, but our love
of this charismatic, nostalgic
group of characters will never
subside. In a year ravaged by
chaos stemming from polarizing
figures, “Stranger Things 2”
provided
us
with
a
much-
needed sense of calm through
its universally acclaimed and
appreciated cast.
— Connor Grady, Daily Arts
Writer
5. “Stranger Things 2”
However
disappointing
HBO’s summer Sundays were
in the “Game of Thrones”
department this year, season
two of “Insecure” made up
for it. The fabulous Issa Rae
— creator, actress, writer and
personal style icon — came
back with more confidence
and attitude than ever before
in a glorious trainwreck of bad
decisions. Not uncommon for
comedies,
“Insecure”
came
into its own in its sophomore
season. The show found its
groove with key additions to
the
sparkling
cast,
honing
in on a unique voice in the
writers’ room and soaring the
storytelling to an all-time high.
Reeling from a break-up, Issa
tries to do the “adult thing” in
season two, but she’s a little
more damaged than we last
saw her. Painfully prone to
overthinking (then again, who
isn’t?) and saturated with the
raw awkwardness that initially
intrigued viewers, our leading
lady shines as she struggles
to
figure
her
directionally
challenged self out. This was
a season of failed hoe-tations,
rapping
mirror
pep
talks
and putting out some not-so-
metaphorical fires. But through
all
the
cringe,
“Insecure”
quickly climbed up the ranks of
2017’s best series and promised
to keep delivering incredibly
heartfelt, funny and relatable
stories. Rae has curated a voice
that is able to cut through the
clutter and there’s no telling
how far she can go.
—
Danielle
Yacobson,
Managing Arts Editor
6. “Insecure”
Top Episodes In Review
“Master of None” has this
sublime quality; it effortlessly acts
as a storyteller of the deeply-rooted
battles of our generation. The
Emmy-winning “Thanksgiving,”
written by Aziz Ansari (“Parks
and Recreation”) and Lena Waithe
(“Dear White People”), shares
a
coming-out
story
spanning
decades
of
family
dinners,
earnestly based on Waithe’s own
adolescence. In this 30-minute
masterpiece, Denise’s (Waithe)
exploration of her true identity
is at first repressed by delicate
pink dresses and a conservative
Black family instilling in her the
“proper” way to dress and behave.
But with her best friend Dev’s
(Ansari) unending support and
pop culture’s increasing liberation,
Denise progressively embraces all
that she is and prompts her family
to do the same.
What makes this portrayal all
the more monumental is the raw
racial and cultural representation
necessary
for
the
gradual
processing of Denise’s revelation.
Throughout the episode, Dev
and Denise — two minorities —
sit anxiously in Denise’s room,
hopeful once again that Denise’s
identity will not cause any strain
on this year’s Thanksgiving. In a
similar way, Denise’s impassioned
mother remains skeptical towards
Denise’s sexuality — not out of
hostility, but out of concern that
being a black female lesbian
will triple the odds against her
daughter.
Ultimately, this episode tops
the list because of its honesty
— in acting, social commentary
and intimate undertones. With
a nuanced narration of a real-
life occurrence, “Thanksgiving”
invites us to journey along the path
of self-evolution in search of a point
where things are largely alright.
— Morgan Rubino, Daily Arts
Writer
NETFLIX
1. “Thanksgiving,”
Despite what meets the eye,
“Big Little Lies” is far more than
just another HBO thriller with a
star-studded cast and high levels of
intrigue. Nuanced and emotionally
commanding, the series reminds
us that even those with seemingly
ordinary lives can be privy to some
pretty groundbreaking secrets.
Centered
around
a
recent
murder
investigation
in
the
innocuous town of Monterey, Cali.
“Big Little Lies” leaves viewers on
the edge of their seats for a majority
of the season — neither the murder
victim nor the perpetrator is
revealed until the very last episode.
The whodunit suspense is one of the
series’s greatest strengths, along
with the fierce, snide and albeit
sometimes satirically humorous
portrayals of three rich, white,
suburban mothers who are not as
unassuming as they may seem.
The leading ladies — Madeline
(Reese
Witherspoon,
“Legally
Blonde”), Celeste (Nicole Kidman,
“Lion”)
and
Jane
(Shailene
Woodley, “The Secret Life of the
American Teenager”) — captivate
with
tenacious
performances
and dynamic portrayals of some
weighty social issues including
domestic abuse, rape and deception.
Those real-life controversies are
never glossed over or abridged,
shaping
the
series
into
an
influential commentary on gender
bias and female politics. The series
features a highly comprehensive
and intimate soundtrack, which
compliments each dramatic twist
and turn soulfully and sincerely.
With an unapologetic, deep-seated
and highly impassioned storyline
and character lineup, “Big Little
Lies” is most definitely one series to
invest your time and conscience in.
— Morgan Rubino, Daily Arts
Writer
4. “Big Little Lies”
“Master of None”
2. “The Book of Nora,”
“The Leftovers”
Read more online at
michigandaily.com
Every TV show deserves a
happy ending — even one as grim
and ominous as “The Leftovers.”
Thankfully,
co-creators
Damon
Lindelof (“Lost”) and Tom Perrotta
(“Little Children”) delivered a finale
for “The Leftovers” that was equal
parts immensely satisfying and
devastating. A clear-eyed, near-
perfect culmination to a clear-eyed,
near-perfect season, “The Book
of Nora” felt transcendent in its
writing, acting, direction, music and
cinematography. Not only did it offer
some plausible answers to the many
ambiguous existential questions
posed throughout the series, but it
also gave the show’s arguably most
afflicted character Nora Durst
(Carrie Coon, “The Post”) a hopeful,
redemptive sendoff.
So many striking, poignant
moments
populated
the
last
episode: Nora and her brother
Matt
(Christopher
Eccleston,
“Doctor Who”) exchanging their
final goodbye, Nora methodically
sauntering toward the dimension-
switching portal, a reunited older
Nora and Kevin (Justin Theroux,
“The Lego Ninjago Movie”) slow-
dancing to Otis Redding’s somber
“I’ve Got Dreams to Remember.”
But nothing came remotely close
to the last ten haunting minutes,
in which Nora gives a monologue
worthy of a standing ovation. She
presents Kevin with an explanation
to the show’s core calamity: What
happened to the two percent
of the world’s population that
disappeared?
Kevin,
though
deeply heartbroken from years of
separation, reaffirms her story with
three beautiful words: “I believe
you.”
— Sam Rosenberg, Senior Arts
Editor