BAD SISTERS | ECHOES | THE RESORT
Pop Culture Weekly Round-Up 19/08/2022
Oh hello there! The newsletter today is arriving late because I’m exhausted and had a lot of trouble being inspired to write anything. I’m tired because besides writing the newsletter, I’m also a photographer and videographer (I make TikToks and Reels for money lol) and summer is my busiest season. So, after having watched probably more than 20 hours of TV shows in my little free time this week, I looked at all the messy notes about the series that my ADHD brain had done and thought “this is not happening”. But hey, here I am. And I have some great Pop Culture recommendations for your weekend.
This TikTok below is a good representation of me trying to write today. It is also a great explanation of why the last THOR flick sucked so much and why no one should have high expectations about Taika’s STAR WARS movie.
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Anyway, enough of my pity party. This week’s newsletter has some thoughts on the surprisingly good Apple TV+ series BAD SISTERS. I also talk about the Netflix show ECHOES which is too Telenovela for my taste and Peacock’s THE RESORT. A show that no one is watching but you should check it out. And as always there is a playlist with five songs that I listened to during the week.
QUICK THOUGHTS
ECHOES is a Netflix seven-part mystery starring Michelle Monaghan who plays the two lead roles of identical twins Leni and Gina. They have secretly switched places since they were children, culminating in a double life as adults. But when one sister disappears, both of their lives start to fall apart. The twins have quite distinct lives. Successful novelist Gina McCleary and her husband Charlie Davenport reside in Los Angeles. Leni and Jack Beck are raising their daughter Mattie while maintaining a farm. But Leni goes missing, raising the possibility that their secret will be discovered. Furthermore, things become even more confusing following the twist at the end of the first episode. After that, the series becomes pretty much a Telenovela with very good production values. The twists don’t stop coming and at some point, the series became so chaotic that I had no idea who was who and what was going on. Things started to make some sense in the last three episodes and in the end, I was able to understand what was happening. I would say that besides Michelle Monaghan’s solid performance this is better suited for people who like Soap Operas. For me, the problem with this show is that it tries so badly to be something like GONE GIRL but unfortunately it fails miserably in doing that.
THE RESORT is Peacock’s newest Comedy/Murder Mystery/Thriller starring Cristin Milioti (PALM SPRINGS, MADE FOR LOVE), and William Jackson Harper ( THE GOOD PLACE). THE RESORT revolves around Emma (Milioti) and Noah (Harper), a couple who are headed to Mexico to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary. After getting into an accident, Emma discovers an old cell phone with a picture on it, which she links to a long-running unsolved missing case that involved two people named Sam (Skyler Gisondo) and Violet (Nina Bloomgarden). They vanished from a neighboring resort after a storm hit the island fifteen years ago. The show then goes to a different timeline and follows Sam's vacation to the island in 2007 and starts to piece together why Sam and Violet vanished. In this flashback, we also meet Murray (Nick Offerman), Violet's father, and also get to see some of the characters of the present timeline living in the 2007 timeline. When Emma and Noah set out on a mission to uncover the truth in the present time, things get a little weird but in the best possible way. People will undoubtedly compare THE RESORT to THE WHITE LOTUS and ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING, but it goes beyond a ripoff of these great shows. THE RESORT has its own charm and also seems to have some mystical elements which can make the show really cool or a complete mass. Only time will tell. Also, despite its gloomy concept, THE RESORT never loses its inherent absurdity and its humor. The series also avoids sliding into some tired investigative clichés. Even though both Milioti and Harper have previously portrayed very similar roles, they are incredibly well-cast and have great chemistry together. I’m really enjoying how every new episode keeps you wanting to see more and I cannot wait to see where it goes. So if you are looking for a new show to binge-watch this weekend THE RESORT may be what you looking for.
BAD SISTERS
This Apple TV+ series was such a great surprise. I honestly had zero expectations and eventually, the characters and the situations that they got into completely won me over. The series follows the tight-knit Garvey sisters. They have always looked out for each other. When their brother-in-law winds up dead, his life insurers launch an investigation to prove malicious intent—and set their sights on the sisters, all of whom had ample reason to kill him.
Sharon Horgan, the creator of the show CATASTROPHE, delivers a very dark comedy thriller that is super fun to watch. The series is based on the Belgian television series CLAN and unravels a complex and sinister story about the influence of family and the seductive appeal of vengeance. Grace, one of the Garvey sisters, is married to a man that her family likes to refer to as "The Prick." This is a perfect nickname since John Paul is an incredibly despicable character who succeeds to hurt each of Grace's sisters in a variety of awful manners. He is a misogynist who is cruel, possessive, and dishonest. And that is why Grace’s sisters come up with some exciting ways to permanently get rid of him.
I enjoyed how the series manages its many characters. None of the five Garvey sisters feel undeveloped or forgotten. Each one has a unique personality and a well-defined motivation to kill John Paul. The characters are written and portrayed with nuance and complexity. They are all very likable in their own ways but also flawed and the writer and actors don’t hesitate in showing both sides. I also have to mention that the cinematography is gorgeous and the directors did a great job showcasing the beautiful locations in Irland.
I had a chance to watch all ten episodes of the series and I can tell you that BAD SISTERS keep you guessing the whodunnit questions until the final episode. Making the viewers' sympathies switch between the sisters and the Claffin brothers. Overall, the series is a very funny murder mystery that makes great use of its gifted ensemble while exemplifying creator and star Sharon Hogan's talent.
TOP 5 SONGS
These were the 5 songs on heavy rotation in my house last week. You can listen to them on Spotify and YouTube.
Love that Yeah Yeah Yeah song! It's been getting played a lot here too.