December 2023

Mia Isaac in Black Cake

Black Cake review: Outstanding family saga

Black Cake shines as an excellent family drama full of secrets, surprises, and engaging characters. The story travels through years of the main characters lives. The well-written narrative uses the device of a woman finally telling all her secrets just […]

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Mercedes Morán in Norma

Norma, who finds herself in mid-life

Norma comes from Argentina. It’s a charming drama about how Norma transforms herself in mid-life. The life she was leading is stifling. She can’t breathe, she’s prone to panic attacks, she can’t sleep. She needs a change and doesn’t know

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Kristine Froseth in The Buccaneers

The Buccaneers, another period drama about the necessity to marry well

The Buccaneers joins the list of popular period pieces with lavish costumes and sets (think Bridgerton or The Gilded Age) to become another series about the importance of marrying well. This one is set in the 1870s. It was created

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Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan in Maestro

Maestro, the intimate side of Leonard Bernstein

Maestro tells the story of Leonard Bernstein’s marriage and family and of his relationships with men. It’s intimate and inward. It acknowledges his genius and his iconic status in American life. It’s more about relationships than music. The directing and

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Sarah Lancashire and David Hyde Pierce in Julia

Julia: S2.E8 Lobster Américaine, the season finale

Julia: Lobster Américaine is the season 2 finale. I’m already missing the weekly joy of seeing Sarah Lancashire embody the iconic Julia Child in this marvelous series. So far no word on whether there will or will not be a

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Alexandra Karlsson Tyrefors in A Nearly Normal Family

A Nearly Normal Family, a mystery series of moral puzzles

A Nearly Normal Family, a limited series from Sweden, asks many questions about legal right and wrong vs. moral right and wrong. It looks at what parents will do for their children. The story uses suspense to keep the tension

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The three sisters in middle age in Three Days of Christmas

Three Days of Christmas, Spanish family drama set at Christmas

Three Days of Christmas (Días de Navidad) tells a soapy melodrama about a family with lots of secrets. The story is told in 3 episodes set at Christmas time, each episode years apart. It’s a family saga, but shortened to

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Ali Liebert and Humberly González in Friends & Family Christmas

Friends and Family Christmas, a lesbian holiday romcom from Hallmark

Friends and Family Christmas is a Hallmark holiday romcom, remarkable because it’s about two women. It’s a first for Hallmark. It’s a typical bright and cheerful Hallmark holiday romcom in every way. There are spoilers ahead because telling you it’s

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Ida Elise Broch in A Storm for Christmas

A Storm for Christmas: delightful holiday series from Norway

A Storm for Christmas is set mainly in the Oslo airport during a storm that grounds all the flights. It’s one of the best holiday offerings I’ve seen in a long time. The cast is diverse, there’s a polyglot mix

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Sarah Lancashire and Patrick Breen in Julia

Julia: S2.E7 Shrimp and Grits

Julia: Shrimp and Grits is my all time favorite episode of Julia. It tells a clear story about women’s role in the world and the almost invisible ways they’ve had to wield influence over the years. Episodes like this one

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