Review: Dead to Me (Season 2)

By Spencer Coile 

We’re living in a strange time right now. Yet if these past few weeks have taught us anything, it’s that it’s a good time to acknowledge feelings - anxiety, anger, disillusionment - and find ways to channel them into healthier outlets. Personally, I’ve been using this time to catch up on TV I’ve been missing out on. And what I’ve found is that, in their own strange way, these shows have helped me tap into my own complicated emotions - something that may not have happened without the circumstances surrounding it. 

Dead to Me, returning for its second season on Netflix, is exactly the type of show I needed during this time...

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Review: "Normal People" on Hulu

By Spencer Coile 

To adapt a work of fiction is to play with fire. I can only imagine that nimbly capturing the spirit of the original text while imbuing it with new levels of creativity is no easy feat. Discourse surrounding literary adaptations usually focuses on how the movie or series fails the original text - either it doesn’t cover everything sufficiently (like The Time Traveler’s Wife, a personal tragedy), it overstays its welcome (The Handmaid’s Tale), or an abundance of creative liberties are taken (recently Little Fires Everywhere). Comparisons are easy to make, and book lovers are quick to critique. 

On its surface, Normal People, now streaming on Hulu, masquerades as a straightforward adaptation. Born from Sally Rooney’s novel of the same name, it follows Connell (Paul Mescal) and Marianne (Daisy Edgar-Jones), two Irish secondary students who forge a connection despite their uneven social standings. The novel,  and now the BBC/Hulu limited series, chronicles their years-long relationship in all its complexities...

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The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: Season 3

By Spencer Coile

Look out, world! Midge Maisel is growing up! At least, season 3 of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel would like you to believe that. Balancing an impending divorce and a cross-country comedy tour, our plucky heroine (Rachel Brosnahan) is back for another season. With her manager Susie (Alex Borstein) in tow, not to mention her disapproving parents (Tony Shalhoub and Marin Hinkle) breathing down her neck, Midge definitely has something to prove. But to whom? 

Known for her rat-a-tat tight dialogue and snappy performances, Amy Sherman-Palladino has cornered the market on a very particular style of sitcom; one that is simultaneously cozy and overstuffed. Packed to the brim with supporting characters and elaborate set pieces, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is bursting at the seams with potential - for growth, for progress. But like any series that had a stellar first season and a somewhat middling second, season three has to make a choice: change with the times or remain stagnant… 

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Review: The Morning Show

By Spencer Coile 

It feels as though we’ve been discussing The Morning Show for years already. And how could we not? It was a main event for the latest streaming service, Apple TV+. It was headlined by Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Steve Carell - three television titans. Plus, its behind-the-camera team - including Aniston and Witherspoon with producing credit, not to mention Mimi Leder and David Frankel directing the first three episodes - was enough to have television and film fans salivating for more.

The only problem is, The Morning Show was talked to death before it even premiered... hence the past tense of this intro...

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Over & Overs: Sugar & Spice (2001)

By Spencer Coile 

Growing up, there was no place more sacred than my local Blockbuster. I remember scouring the walls on a Friday night, searching the aisles to find the right movie to take home that weekend. At times, I knew exactly what I wanted, but there were other times when I walked in clueless and would let the cover art persuade me. I would always rent just one and consume it multiple times throughout the weekend - especially if it was a movie I loved. 

2001 was when, as a 9 year-old, I started taking film seriously. I would rent the “classics” and learn about foreign cinema. However, one night, I noticed a peculiar looking DVD cover in the new movie section - one that featured a collection of high school cheerleaders with hideous doll masks robbing a bank. It looked like careless fun, and I was instantly compelled to rent it. It was then my love for Sugar & Spice was born....

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