Let's get into 'Snowpiercer' episode 1 and what it's all about!

'Snowpiercer' stormed into my Netflix unexpectedly and it made me want to watch it straight away. Most of the shows that I have been watching recently are lacking serious adventure and sci-fi and it seemed like 'Snowpiercer' could shake things up a bit for me like a hurricane in a snowglobe.

The first episode gives you a lot to unpack in its early beginning. It offers you samples of detail that the world has become uninhabitable (a trope, yes, but not a bad one if done well) and we are shown a train of biblical proportions like an ark that towers over the dying landscape like The Polar Express gone wrong. It is 1,001 cars long and like the titanic; there is only so much space. Which leaves a mass of people attempting to board it in desperation. Some people manage to get on the train but the train conductors want to throw them off. A lot of them are butchered apart from those who could hide. The viewer is left to wonder what it is that entitles passage on the train and the biggest answer seems to be class and money like any high value travel or luxury now.

The episode flashes six years forward to the future. The train is full of different parts like classrooms, cafes and poverty areas where people are starving with half rations. In my naïve consuming content brain I was hoping that everybody once on the train would be treated the same but it is not the case. We see the carriage full of the original stowaways which is full of dirt, overpopulation and rising tension. It gives me a bit of 'The 100' vibes mixed with 'Lost In space' but with a train not a spaceship. Times are hard and the situation is cruel and crass as we see that the other areas of the train are starkly different. Bright colours, fancy music...the whole works! It is a utopia of making the best of a situation. Yet there are still political tensions between the different nationalities of people so it's not all perfect but everything is ten times more petty.

We grow attached to the people that are known as The Tails. Andre- an ex-homicide detective is at the forefront of the community and he is encouraging a boy who wants to be an engineer to pursue his dreams of moving up in the train. The community plan to hijack one of the cars in an attempt to rebel from the lack of food and in a way, try and take control of the situation which feels so hopeless. A wrench is thrown into this plan because Andre is taken away and separated from his girlfriend. They take him away from the part of the train that is all he has ever known and experienced there. The budget on this show seems pretty good. There is a cable car which transports people to different carriages which adds dimension to a show that could feel more forced and unbelievable to house so many people. But it all works and seems like a never-ending train which it is supposed to be.

Andre looks outside for the first time at the world that is engulfed in snow and ice. It is terrifying yet it's beautiful with the sun shining down on it and you can see how grateful he is to see it. He almost cries seeing a splice of bread. I like how this shows his humanity and gives more character development to back up his uprising actions. The reason they have brought him out of The Tails is to solve a murder. You don't expect it to turn into murder on the orient express but...it sort of does. Just with less jazziness. But I am not mad at it. However, Andre is and insists to go back at every turn which is annoying as a viewer but endearing to a degree. I feel bad because I agree with the higher ups who believe he should want to get out of where he is. And I think that is a very privileged viewpoint and is exactly what the show intends to target.

One of the people involved in the murder used to be in the The Tails but got a job and got out of it. Her and Andre were in a relationship but it is clear that he resents her for leaving. It raises some interesting questions and the politics of survival and betrayel. The world of the train is fleshed out more by Andre getting see parts of the train which are covered in growing flowers and fruits which is meant to stretch for 130 cars! It is a sight to behold and it feels like as much of a fantasy to me as it does Andre because the way it looks is so different compared to The Tails. Though it is incredible, Cavill brings him back to earth by telling him that it isn't as much as it looks. Though, it is more than he and his community get.

With further research I discovered that 'Snowpiercer' was a film released a few years back starring Chris Evans. I enjoy that this is a prequel to that and better yet, it has been diversified a lot by looking at the cast list of the original film. 'Snowpiercer' has a lot of right elements and it has all the right parts to keep a steady show. I worry that it might become a little lacklustre but it is so hard to tell right now. I like details like how the now oldest man on the earth in the The Tails carriage. It is an interesting detail that makes you think. There are only two episodes up currently because of a delay because of the Coronavirius but I will definitely be checking out the second episode to see how things progress.

Have you seen 'Snowpiercer' yet? Does it "pierce" your heart in a good or bad way?

In a bit,
The Serial Television Watcher

In Review: Little Fires Everywhere Episode 1

Whispers of this show and it's watchability has been travelling through the TV world pipeline for quite some time so I have been anxious to get ahold of it. I have never read the book but I have seen the front cover in the windows of various bookstores and it is popular for a reason that I think comes across very well in the first episode. Let me tell you why.

The episode literally starts with a fancy looking house ablaze and consumed by smoke and fire. And the impression is that many relationships and family ties are also being fried to ash too. It pans to Reese Witherspoon holding her gown closed with eyes swimming with tears. She is a cool contrast to the fire. Her blue eyes are the water that you can see that she wants to put out what has been done, but does not know how. The fire was set with little fires all over the house and a character called Izzy is being blamed.

The first episode is called "The Spark" and the episode goes back in time to four months before. It is 1997 and we see Reese's matriarchal character keeping her busy all American family under wraps during breakfast. She has kids going to orchestra camp. She seems to have everything in a tight schedule. She goes to work but on her way there she sees a car with a woman sleeping in it so she reports it to the police. We see that it is not just one woman but two. They are a mother and a daughter who are getting by and who is shown being careful with money and washing themselves in a public bathroom. They are a completely different family unit to that of Elena's and her brigade of  assumed perfection.

Elena meets the women in person when they come to the house viewing of a place that Elena is renting out. She does this at a lower price and even knocks off a little rent even more for them. The mother, Mia is naturally suspicious and untrusting of Elena, and the suburb in general. We find this easy to understand especially when they are given a book with town history and town rules. It is a very white, and middle-class town. Mia is an artist and doesn't seem to take authority and convention very well. Her daughter Pearl is optimistic and starry-eyed over being able to have her own bedroom. We get lots of scenes that show they are very close, yet very different in their perspectives. They discuss 'finding a bed' in a skip while lying in bed and we feel that like Elena. Mia only wants the best memories for her child.

Themes build up such as class when Elena's husband criticises Elena's charitable acts when he quizzes her with the proclamation "you rented to a homeless person?". Meanwhile while Pearl is putting together her salvaged bed in the front lawn Elena's son Moody comes over to meet her and they strike up a friendship. There is a lovely montage of them picking paint and painting the house together. Though, Pearl only ever paints one wall. As they move a lot and it is easy to revert back, she explains.  Elena's relationship with her children isn't as good as it initially seems. She is disconnected with her youngest daughter Isabelle who prefers to be called Izzy. In TV tomboy style she sets her hair on fire because her mum said it is her best feature and wants to wear black all of the time.

The tension brews like a hot cup of spiked tea between Elena and Mia who meet in the street after Mia finishes work at her part time job. Elena attempts to offer her work at her house like cleaning and Mia is offended by that. Elena also tries to encourage Mia to take up portrait photography as this would be popular in the neighbourhood but it is not the type of photography Mia does. She likes to "show people as they really are" and her voice is shrouded by meaning towards Elena and the mask she seems to wear. Elena means well but she has underlying racism she doesn't realise she has and this is an enticing plot device I look forward to seeing more of. The differences between them are highlighted more and more as the episode continues. The knife is shoved deeper into Mia's insecurity as Pearl gets on very well with Elena. Isabelle longs for no rules whereas Pearl almost wants them and is missing the structure. Both daughters find that in their alternative mothers.

The episode ends with trouble. Moody gets Pearl a bike and he takes her to his den in an old van in a junkyard which they get in trouble for being at. Izzy refuses to play at the orchestra and writes "not your puppet" on her forehead. There is a lot of room for some really interesting developments. I am pumped to see Elena and Mia come to blows, but eventually find more common ground and realise their love for their daughters is exactly the same. I am excited for all of the tension in between. All in all there are eight episodes and I might just binge it all now.

You can delve into 'Little Fires Everywhere' on Amazon Prime!

With love and television buzz,
The Serial Television Watcher

Should you upload "Upload" to your "to watch" list?

I'm not going to lie. I was a little dubious about 'Upload' because I feel like I have seen many different versions of the afterlife in shows like 'The Good Place' and there is a show last year I can't remember the name of which had a man who is quite depressed is cloned and he has to life with his happier alter-ego. 'Upload' is definitely a merge of shows like this and I've got to say that I wasn't really looking forward to it. But woah-ho, I was wrong!

It starts with a short haired girl sat next to an older lady watching '50 First Dates' in a hologram version on a tram. An advert for an idyllic place called 'Lakeside'. She jumps off the tram and runs to work which seems to be the tech agency that provides and manages 'Lakeside' which is more than just the retreat that it seems. In fact, it is an afterlife that you can purchase and be uploaded to when you die. Seconds later, we meet a man racing through the streets and controlling his car with a game controller. So we know who the immediately who the two main characters are going to be.

Police stop him but not in the typical 2020 way. The police officer is not real person. It's a drone with what looks like an iPad attached to it. It is really cool, yet really funny. The show and its lore and the way things make sense doesn't seem too serious which is easy for a sci-fi to slip into. We see such a well laid-out image of how the futuristic world is. With details like seeing bicycles drive themselves home after people get off them and how there are "prioritise occupant" or "prioritise pedestrian" options for your car. It's concepts that are the world is close to now, but still far away enough to feel immersive and cool to watch.

We find out that the man's name is Nathan and we join him at thanksgiving with his family...and his girlfriend who he doesn't want to commit to. A conversation about a relative who is dead comes up and the question "which heaven?" is asked. His girlfriend replies "Lakeside". It is so fascinating that you can pick your own heaven and you don't get the default. It makes me wonder about all of the ways ethics will play into this as the series goes on. The show throws out fun little sweets for the viewer to gather and stuff into their cheeks with  details like how classical dance is now considered to be twerking. It's a jovial experience.

Nathan is scanned at the grocery store and it discovers what you like "You like Cayan. Buy some spinach!" which is so humorous. Shortly after, he dies of a punctured lung because his automated car won't stop. It is hinted that it may have been tampered with. Nora, we discover is a handler who helps people adjust to being uploaded to the afterlife and she is given Nathan to upload. She sees that he is forced to upload by his girlfriend. He is put into a hospital room. He leans forward to see his mother and his head is lasered off to be uploaded to the digital afterlife. It is a ruthless act but it is made better by Nora adjusting his settles and it shows how his appearance can be edited by the person uploading him to heaven. Like fixing his uneven hair. Which she chooses not to.

Nathan is finally uploaded to 'Lakeside' and Nora is there to guide him. She explains how his room is  classic Americana  but to Nathan it appears outdated and they slowly start to warm up to each other and joke together. Nora is the optimism to Nathan's pessimism and it works beautifully. He calls her an angel and in a way she acts in the way because as he lies down and cries when she is gone she comes back and has the ability to send him to sleep. So although they get along so well; they are not equals and this could get messy later.

Nathan settles into his afterlife with items such as fridges you can "swipe left" on like Tinder so it can take you to a new selection of crisps and drinks and a dial that changes the weather outside. There are two men who are high school sweethearts next to him on rocking chairs on the balcony over who uploaded together at the same time. It's all so cute and perfect and we see Nathan try and grapple with why it doesn't feel perfect to him. 'Upload' is very smart because it shows adbots who are personified and walking around the hotel lobby. There is a character in the lift who is in black and white. It is because they uploaded her using a photo from 1961. I enjoy that immensely.

Nathan continues to have a hard time. He can't remember what his job was and his now very much alive girlfriend is possessive and has control of his afterlife account. She tells him she loves him because she can't scare him off now. We see Nora back at home. Her dad is using a food printer which is like a 3D printer. He instantly creates a Jamie Oliver recipe through it and Nora comments that "the fat cartridge might be low" which is hilarious. Her dad seems to be ill and believes in the original heaven because he is convinced that is where her mother is much to Nora's protest.

The dark side of the afterlife is portrayed in so many ways. There is talk about "sui-scan" which is suicide by uploading yourself by scanner. Nathan finds a guy is reviewing Lakeside in front of the lake for his YouTube channel. He explains how the frame rate drops because there are millions people in the same place. Nathan approaches the data torrent so he can die properly however Nora is there just in time to talk him down. She tells him details she is not supposed to and it sets up a strong foundation for where their relationship is bound to go from there. Overall, I am riddled with surprise about 'Upload' and I really, truly believe you shouldn't miss out!

Watch 'Upload''s ten episodes on Amazon Prime!

How does Ryan Murphy's 'Hollywood' shape up next to his other shows? Reviewing the first episode.

Post-war Hollywood is an interesting topic. We tend to see a lot of media around this time of history but I, for one, rarely see it concerning Hollywood before the 50s. We know films were being generated more than ever there but films like 'Hail, Ceaser!" generally centre around the golden age of the 50s and 60s rather than the late 40s.

I am a huge Ryan Murphy nerd as are most TV buffs who have any layer of sense! Shows like 'American Horror Story', 'Pose' and 'The Politcian' have really paved the standard for the way television is made in the 2010s. In fact, Ryan Murphy reached 2020 with his great writing far quicker than anyone else. So, obviously, when I heard that his next show 'Hollywood' was going to be hitting Netflix today I was more than ready to race to my laptop as soon as the sun came up.

Davis Corenswet is the star of the show. I knew that he was familiar and that is because he was river Barkey in 'The Politician'. His chiselled jaw, dimples and deer in the headlights look is perfect for portraying a budding actor in the midst of Hollywood's heydays. The episode starts with Jack (Davis Corenswet) alone in a cinema with a hand full of popcorn watching an infomercial about Hollywood. He is zoned in on the content and it seems to outline his life. The footage shows the ambition of hundreds of people in Hollywood waiting outside the gates of a movie studio. They all have hopes and dreams of being an extra. And Jack is one of them.

The advert transitions into real life and Jack is now within the crowd, cutting through to the front to join his friend. We get the impression that he does this everyday and the scene is painted so well with bright colours, desperation and a lot of trilby hats. The process of a woman with large cat eye glasses pointing people out of the crowd to walk through the gates is daunting. It seems as rigorous as an army and it is designed to come across that way as many people in the crowd have recently come home from war and trying their luck in Hollywood. How seriously people take it is shown to us through Jack's friend who uses lingo like "lensing" and corrects Jack that they are "producing a movie" not "making a movie". It's the detail like that that makes you fascinated as people are chosen and the rest leave like a bizarre enactment of Charlie and The Chocolate Factory.

Jack has a lot of pride about being an extra. He has dimples and a "can-do" attitude. But he can't get a loan for him and his pregnant wife. He is watched by a silver-haired man at the bar every night and being bought drinks by him. This man is brought to life by Dylan McDermott. (Although no longer wearing a latex suit from his American horror story days.) It is typical Ryan Murphy casting. He recycles actors and actresses in such a thoughtful way. Dylan McDermott's character is called Ernie and he is a brash, and open person to enter Jack's life. He wants him to pump gas at his gas station. He wants someone good looking to do it as this brings good business. Jack agrees, and follows him to the gas station the next day. The gas station brings great nostalgic Americana in its appearance however there are signs that make it seem slightly sexual and innuendo-y. The name of the gas station is "golden tip". And, boy, I am certain that means some things, ya know?

The shots of the show are very clever and sneaky "Lubrication service" behind Ernie when Jack walks out in his new work uniform donning a yellow cap. We find out that the gas station offers male prostitution and Jack is very against it at first but decides to try it because the money is so good. We see themes of masculinity and the pressure to provide in his actions. The music is jolly and familiar when the outrageous act happens and Jack is driven away by an older woman to a hotel. It shows the stark reality of Hollywood but has that "movie magic" glaze over it that makes it seem romantic. I liked that. The woman turns out to be very interesting. She was in silent films but didn't make it into "talkies" because she was a Jew. Jack opens up to her too and says all he had back home were his good looks. Jack's innocence and starry eyed view is apparent in my favourite quote of the episode:

"Movies? you think they matter?" "You kidding? I know they do"

When Jack gets back he is moved on to a man. Not just any man. It's Cole Porter. But Jack recoils and leaves to the anger of Ernie who says he must bring back a replacement or he receives no money for the day. Jack re-joins his wife and they discover they are having twins. Jack faints. There is a little bit of ludicrousy in that but in the best way. It's classic and fun storytelling. Jack knows he needs to do something about the gas station so he dresses as a police man and walks into a gay film with a couple of men watching and masturbating each other. Jack pretends to arrest one of the men who he plans to get to fill in for him at the gas station so he can still get his money.

We discover his name is Archie. He was also in the service and wanted to be a scriptwriter but no one wants to hire a contracted black man. He jumps on board with the idea and becomes a natural at the gas station. There is a whole scene of him tenderly getting to know the first man who picks him up. Gay themes are spot on and treated beautifully. It seems like it will be a humorous mixture of male friendship and sadness sprinkled in. Ernie's isn't well so trouble is definitely brewing and I think that there is only so long that the gas station can stay under the radar. It all seems to be going well....until the end of the episode happens. But I don't want to spoil it for you!

Let me know what you think of it too. Who else can't wait until Darren Criss comes along in the next episode?

Catch the entire season of 'Hollywood' on Netflix now!

Sincerely, The Serial Television Watcher