I usually don’t associate summer with great TV; more often than not, I think of it as the time for watching reruns or random Netflix movies to make the evenings go by (for example, I watched both “Book Club 2” and “80 for Brady” this summer) while everything good is on hiatus.
However, this summer seemed to offer some better selections than usual, despite it not being a Stranger Things year and half of Hollywood being on strike. Go figure.
“Barry” Season 4: After being less than impressed with the third season of HBO’s “Barry,” I went into its fourth and final season tentatively; however, I was relieved to find a return to the form that made me love the first and second season as much as I did. After the jarring tonal shift that the third season established, season four seemed to regain its footing, recovering the seamless dynamic between dark comedy and drama that its predecessor was lacking. It managed to heighten the stakes without losing the sense of absurdity that makes the show so special and unique.
I really enjoyed and found satisfaction in nearly every character’s arc this season, especially Barry’s and Sally’s. While initially I was caught off guard with the direction their characters went in, I quickly came around upon seeing how well it worked and made sense for them.
My favorite plot point was absolutely NoHo Hank’s new sand business; I thought the sequence in the Dave and Busters was one of the funniest of the entire series, and a great mark of that return to form I was looking for.
I can’t say I was completely happy with the ending, but I also wouldn’t say I’m unhappy enough to let it impede my overall thoughts on the season. Without saying too much, I understand and respect that it wasn’t supposed to be satisfying the way things got flipped, but it felt a little too out of left field for me. It felt like the show was trying to impress a message upon me at the last minute that had little prevalence throughout the rest of its entirety. After all the back and forth and reopening and closing of cases that was the show, it just felt like kind of a cheap way to spin things for the sake of a twist.
“The Bear” Season 2: Not only did I watch the second season of FX’s “The Bear” this summer, but also the first. Initially, I wasn’t sure it was for me; while I appreciated the way the show conveyed the chaos of the kitchen environment, I almost found it to be too intense and too hectic to be enjoyable. However, I held on, and I’m glad I did, as while the second season had its fair share of yelling as well, it also had far more of the kinds of moments that kept me going through season 1.
Most of these moments saw further development of the characters; where season 1 left me questioning if I should root for anyone because they were all kind of terrible, season 2 brought me around to pretty much everyone through further exploration of their backgrounds and their efforts for self improvement.
The second season further improves on the balance between comedy and drama; whereas season 1 tipped the scale in favor of the drama, season 2 managed to find a more equal mix of the two. Even the Christmas episode, the most chaotic episode of the season, managed to feel a little lighter with the infusion of comedy from guest stars John Mulaney, Bob Odenkirk, and Sarah Paulson. You’ve never seen people get more angry over a fork in your life, it was great.
My favorite episode had to be, funny enough, “Forks,” not just because of the content, but because of the mastery it exhibits from the writers. This single episode managed to make me completely come around on a character that I couldn’t stand every episode prior; the most commendable thing about it is that it wasn’t through a sappy back story, but rather the exhibition of hard work and commitment to self improvement. Not many shows do that; they make the characters work to earn likeability, and I think that’s really nuanced and impressive.
Whereas I started “The Bear” thinking it was just something to have on in the background while I played “House Flipper,” I came to genuinely enjoy it and look forward to each new episode. I will definitely be tuning in to season 3 whenever it comes around.
“Only Murders in the Building” Season 3: While the third season of Hulu’s “Only Murders” hasn’t concluded yet, with only five episodes having been released at the time of this writing, it’s gotten off to such a strong start that I felt it worth mentioning.
Maybe it’s a little preemptive to say, but I would already call this my favorite season of the show. It’s my favorite season premise so far, having to do with the death of the lead actor in Oliver’s (Martin Short) stage play; it feels like a classic murder mystery enhanced with the show’s great sense of humor and the chemistry between it’s three leads, Martin Short, Steve Martin, and Selena Gomez.
Meryl Streep and Paul Rudd have already proven to be excellent additions to the cast; Paul Rudd is more or less just being Paul Rudd, the charismatic funny guy, which works, it’s just not anything super new or crazy for him. Between the two, it’s a lot more interesting to see Streep play a more quiet, reserved role, as when I think of her and the things I’ve seen her in, I feel like she usually has a more commanding presence. It’s interesting to see her more timid or unassertive.
With more episodes still on the way however, there’s of course the chance for things to go south; I’m hopeful they won’t repeat what I found to be the biggest problem of last season, being a weak ending. Last season had kind of a convoluted plot, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, except for the fact that for all the buildup, it ended with an explanation that felt very simple and anticlimactic. It didn’t feel like the payoff was satisfying, or worth waiting for. With the way things have been going so far, I don’t really see that happening here, but of course I can’t be certain.
This season is slated to have ten episodes, as the previous two had. I think it’s at a very promising halfway point that means good things for the second half, so long as they stick the landing better than before.
