OZARK Season 4 (part 1) | THE SERVANT Season 3 | YELLOWJACKETS | A HERO
Pop Culture Weekly Round-Up 21/01/2022
Hello, my dear friends. In this week’s newsletter, I share my thoughts on one of the most anticipated shows of the year for me, OZARK. I also talk about how much I enjoyed the first season of YELLOWJACKETS. I also share some thoughts on the third season of THE SERVANT and the Iranian film A HERO. And as always, there is a playlist with five songs I was listening to last week.
QUICK THOUGHTS
THE SERVANT is an Apple TV+ series that is centered around an enigmatic nanny, a baby that may or may not be real, and a mysterious cult. Season 2 concluded in violent turmoil and murder. So I was very curious to see what the show would bring next.
The third season of THE SERVANT starts three months after Season 2's mind-boggling pandemonium. Although Leanne (the nanny) is still traumatized, the Turner family appears to be more functional in the first half of Season 3. Sean has returned to work, and Dorothy is juggling parenting and her journalism career. Julian, on the other hand, becomes understandably consumed with the origins of the Turner child.
I had fun watching the first 5 episodes that I had access to. I always enjoy the way the directors sneak their cameras through the Turner's house. It is so cool! The tone was also a bit lighter than the previous seasons and I even had some laughs watching the show. However, things seem to take a dark turn at the end of episode 5 and I can’t wait to see what is going to happen.
A HERO was written and directed by Iranian filmmaker, Asghar Farhadi, and is about a man that ends up in jail because of his debts. He is given a two-day pass during which he expects to reach an agreement with his creditor. Situations just don't go as planned, and Farhadi put us on a winding road where the trapped debtor seems to become a hero at one point.
This movie is engaging on so many levels, with twists that keep you guessing until the very end. It challenges our preconceptions and judgments of others. It's also a detailed look at a country and culture that Western people can't seem to grasp. Farhadi really crafted a contemporary story about doing the right thing, taking shortcuts on the truth, and the dangers of social media.
However, after 2h10m, you could get emotionally tired from the roller-coaster ride this film has taken you on. But for me, it was totally worth it.
YELLOWJACKETS popped up out of nowhere. I had no idea of the show’s existence until I saw someone’s TikTok commenting about the first episode. But the show already become one of my new favorite series. And if you haven't seen it yet, I strongly advise you to do so. YELLOWJACKETS’ mysteries span two timelines and include, among other things, the potential threat of cannibalism, murder, and maybe even bloodthirsty spirits.
This first season was about the horrific plane crash in the mid-'90s that left a high school girl's soccer team stuck in the woods for 18 months. So in one timeline, the plot is focused on the surviving girls trying to pull through on their own. While in the other one the girls, now adults with families, do their best to have a normal life despite the traumas of their past.
Season 1 ended with some unexpected twists and a surprising cliffhanger. And my only small complaint about the series is that some of the visual effects were not really up to par. However, this does not make YELLOWJACKETS an inferior or weaker counterpart to other great TV shows airing these days. The show is well-acted and scripted, and it was great to see Juliette Lewis and Christina Ricci returning to the Zeitgeist.
OZARK Season 4 (part 1)
Being an OZARK fan like me is a bittersweet experience at the moment. On one hand, today marks the long-awaited return of Season 4, which has been nearly two years in the making. On the other hand, we'll never see the Byrde family again after this season.
But the good news is that OZARK's fourth and last season is split into two parts. And in each part, there will be seven episodes. So basically this season will contain a total of 14 episodes, which is an increase from the show's usual ten. Though Part 1 premieres today, I still haven’t heard when Part 2 will be on Netflix.
Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman) and Wendy Byrde (Laura Linney) were last seen as they climbed to the top of a Mexican cartel syndicate. The great and daring writing at the end of the third season left me first anxious and then shocked. Season 4 opens off right after the events of Season 3 with them actually washing the remains of human brains off their faces and hair. Just brutal!
In this last season, the Byrdes are trying hard to keep their family united while looking for a way out of their misadventures in money laundering and criminal activity. But they keep making some terrible decisions and leaving a massive trail of dead corpses and ruined lives. The writing once again is excellent, and the writers push a lot into this first half of the season. They lay the stage for the anticipated events to come while still giving us plenty of action and a lot of surprises. Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, and Julia Garner continue to impress with their performances. But Garner really gives another award-winning performance playing Ruth. Especially in the last episode. No wonder she has become a fan favorite. This season, Ruth's attitude and stubbornness continue, but she also learns the drawbacks of attempting to do things her own way.
The first half of the series last season does an excellent job of introducing new themes while simultaneously looking ahead and bringing the entire series full circle. Season 4 has the tensest situations yet. The stakes are really high this time allowing for just about anything to happen. This is only part one, but so far, OZARK is on route to do what all its fans expect, finishing the series at a high level.
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.
