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Reviews
The Fall of the House of Usher (2023)
hilariously fantastic
Haters gonna hate but this show is fantastic and fun even if a little ridiculous. I just wanted MORE Poe references but still this was a very satisfying and silly romp. I love the Cask of Amontillado and was wondering why they named the company Fortunato. I sort of wish that the Longfellow guy had been named Montresor in some capacity. I feel there were a lot more opportunities to incorporate elements from Poe's work and I liked how this is an entirely new story with a bunch of bric a brac references that are woven together in what is actually a pretty creative, cohesive, compelling, and ultimately tidy way. It's quite satisfying to see the various threads sewn together at the end; there is a reveal and a payoff. The writing in general is pretty brilliant. It's really interesting how the writers managed to enmesh Rue Morgue with Tell-Tale Heart (Victorine's lab). Other than using the name, I didn't find the use of Gold-Bug very compelling because I don't recall Gold-Bug having anything to do with fitness or wellness boxes. Makes me want to re-read the story.
The characters -- pretty much all of them except of course the angelic incarnations of Poe's wife (annabel and lenore) - and perhaps young Roderick and certainly Auggie and Pym --- are completely deplorable. I like what they did with C. Auguste Dupin (my students called him Doo-pin), this is a gentler, more altruistic interpretation of that character but it works. The Usher sons Leo and Perry aren't so bad. It's almost as though the more authentically "Usher" the kids are, the more evil they are. In general the six Usher kids are just horrifying and comical supervillains and I applaud them. They are so gross and awful and the actress who played Victorine is really brilliant and I've loved her in other things. The faces she makes to express remorse and fear and disgust are so over the top it's amazing. They are all over the top. This is not a remotely realistic show, you have to suspend all your rational senses and just go in for a wild, silly, creepy gross ride. Like at the end when Madeline comes upstairs. My goodness I laughed with delight. Also Verna is fantastic and so hot. I wasn't scared, but it was creepy for sure. Great work thanks guys!
Fatal Attraction (2023)
Smart
This is a smart show and I like how it revisits events from multiple perspectives, a little like The Affair. Lizzy Caplin is great and so is Pacy aka the Might ducks kid. The original movie is a masterpiece it's not fair to compare them. After I finish the show I'll rewatch the movie.
The only thing I'd whoever I see a therapist in a show I really want it to be Susan Sarandon or Karen aka the therapist from the sopranos. That said this therapist isn't bad but to me the adult daughter's foray into psychoanalysis and the Jung stuff is supposed to feel meaningful and deep and falls a bit flat for me. I also want the guy at the office who has multiple affairs to be a more real and relatable character, he comes off as a cartoon character and this makes the mystery and suffering of infidelity weaker and less relatably human, hurting our empathy for Dan.