Ramblings From A Vacant Mind
Every so often, and this is one of those times, thoughts turn to what you may do while traveling. Watch TV in the hotel, read a book, see a movie and whatever else.
There’s a whole new crop of movies on the big screen. Instead of sitting in front of the tube, get out, have some popcorn and enjoy something larger than your 55-inch Sony.
The third season of “The Rookie,” starring former soap opera star Nathan Fillion, has debuted. Nathan has come a long way from his soap days and has become an accomplished actor. From his last gig as crime novelist “Castle,” he’s now a cop patrolling Los Angeles with an interesting cast to back him up.
That being said, a few interesting details have cropped up, none of which harm the show. But to the critical eye, they raise questions. He is no longer a rookie, but now a training officer with his own rookie. Quite a jump. He also sports two chevrons on his sleeve. A second curious note. But what the heck, it’s TV.
A new show, a spinoff called “The Rookie: Feds” follows Fillion. That one stars Niecy Nash. The question here is “Why?”
Her acting talent is just north of a bagel. Her main attribute seems to be displaying her more than ample cleavage. In the first installment, when her father suggests she close her blouse one more button, she declines, thus telling the audience what’s important.
As a rookie, she constantly upstages the supervisors and always seems to come up with the solution to a crime. She regularly disobeys orders and loves the phrase “We’re Feds.” If J. Edgar Hoover were still the FBI dictator, he would have fired her the minute he saw her cleavage, which shows far more than her acting talent. Her voice is akin to a fingernail on a blackboard. Hopefully, this will not last beyond the season.
The long-lasting procedural, “NCIS,” surprised many people, especially devotees of the 20-year-old show, when Mark Harmon left, and they thought it had run its course. Gary Cole took over the lead and, in what would have been realistic, he had to win over the team. It didn’t go smoothly, but it has caught on and should last another few years.
The two most hyped movies, Tom Cruise’s new “Top Gun” and the sequel to “Avatar,” have been setting box office records.
Cruise acquits himself as usual with a stellar performance and action that’ll have the audience holding its breath. It ties up a couple of loose ends from the original and the audience seemed quite pleased.
I may be in the great minority regarding “Avatar.” Despite its box office smash, raking in billions, it was way too long at more than three hours. It also seemed to be almost identical to the first iteration. The CGI (computer generated images) were spectacular, but way overdone. At least forty-five minutes to an hour could have been cut with no loss. The movie gods are now well into production of “Avatar 3.” God help us.
A new sitcom, “Abbott Elementary” made its debut and seems to have caught on. The cast meshes excellently. Its star and creator, Quinta Brunson, is perfect for the role. Trade publications credit her with “Saving the traditional sitcom.” For her part, Brunson says: “I really just want to make a good TV show.” She has succeeded.
One popular show cut at the end of last season, the remake of “Magnum,” has been brought back, but on a different station. Cut by CBS for some reason, it will be back on NBC on February 19. It’s difficult to talk about a show that has not yet been broadcast, but the previous one looked excellent. Starring Jay Hernandez and Perdita Weeks, it appears to be picking up where it left off when CBS dumped it. The same cast of characters also return, and they play off each other excellently. Magnum is now a Navy SEAL, which he was not in the original years ago. TV seems infatuated with the SEALS, a bone of contention with a former Green Beret. But what can you do? They seem to have an excellent PR department which the Green Berets never wanted. But that being said, “Magnum” fans should be excited.
