Category: Stu’s Reviews

Genre: TV Series

Grade: A

Notable People: Ansel Elgort, Odessa Young, Ken Watanabe, Sho Kasamatsu Created by: JT Rogers

Title: Tokyo Vice

Review: Wow- this is a hard one to not want to binge. Adapted from the memoir of Jake Adelstein, a young man from rural Missouri, who goes to Japan to pursue his dream of being an investigative journalist for Japans’ leading newspaper. He gets involved in all of the underbelly of Tokyo life and becomes ensnarled with the devilish ministrations of the infamous Yakusa gangs. Extraordinarily well acted, with crisp dialog and a startling sense of being encompassed by Japanese culture- half in English and half sub-titled. Elgort, Young and Kasamatsu are perfectly cast in great roles and Watanabe may be the foremost Japanese actor of his generation. I found myself bowing to people everywhere I went. The finale left you craving for more- which is likely.

Genre: TV Series  

Grade: B+

Notable People: Elodie Yung, Adan Canto, Oliver Hudson, Created by: Miranda Kwok and Darrin Star

Title: The Cleaning Lady

Review: based on the 2017 Argentinian television series La Chicca Que Limpia this is a worthy drama that centers on Thony De La Rosa (the wonderfully luminous Yung), formerly a Cambodian-Filipino medical doctor who now lives in Vegas. Her reason for being in the US on an expired visa is her five-year-old son, Luca, who has a rare and life-threatening medical disorder for which he needs a cutting-edge bone marrow treatment. Thony makes a living as a cleaning service worker. After she accidentally witnesses a murder and is discovered hiding by the perpetrator, Arman Morales (Canto), she is offered a job both as a cleaner and a doctor within their criminal organization that could pay well enough to help her son. Thony begins to live a double life, keeping secrets from her family, all the while cleaning up murder scenes and dodging the law. This has been renewed for second season on Fox.

Genre: TV Series   

Grade: B

Notable People: Lily Collins, Philippine Leroy- Beaulieu, Ashley Park, Lucas Bravo, Samuel Arnold, Created by: Darren Star

Title: Emily in Paris

Review: This is really a mostly vapid eye-candy series from Sex in the City’s Star, that deserves a B rating, except for Lily Collin’s (Phil from Genesis’s daughter) extraordinary outfits and the incredibly loving capturing of Paris in all it a glory. She is an American PR mensch assigned for a year to a Paris satellite company, and fills the bill for the ugly American, but she is kind of enduring and quite funny. The French characters in the show are too die for, especially Leroy- Beaulieu as the crotchety older femme fatale of the Paris office, and you will want to rush out to the closest Brasserie for a meal and a sunset walk along The Seine. Lightweight, but entertaining.

Genre: TV Series     

Grade: A-

Notable People: Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector, Louisa Jacobsen, Christine Baranski, Created by: Julian Fellows

Title: Rake

Review: 1880’s New York, in all its uptight debauchery, is the setting of this well done show by Downton Abby creator, Julian Fellows. The novena riche Russels try to make inroads with the Astor-led scions of Gotham society. Beautifully filmed, amazing sets and fine acting make this show worth watching…but oh, my, these rich folks are just brutal. Renewed for second season. If you like this historical period, you’ll like this show.

Genre: TV Series

Grade: A-

Notable People: Tom Burke, Holliday Grainger, Kerr Logan, Killian Scott. Created by: Ben Richards and Tom Edge

Title: CB Strike

Review: One-legged war veteran turned private detective Cormoran Strike solves brutal murders with the help of his trusted assistant Robin Ellacott. This BBC produced version of the Robert Galbraith (JK Rowland) book series nails it- the casting, especially Burke and Grainger,  is dead on, the setting and dialog jump out of the books. The two seasons cover the first three books in the series, with two more in production. Dark, gritty London and a swirl of underworld charters contrast with the extraordinary non-sexual intimacy of Strike and Robin. This series far exceeded expectations.

Genre: TV Series

Grade: A-

Notable People: Richard Roxburgh, Matt Day, Kate Box, Carolyn Brazier, Created by: Peter Duncan and Richard Roxburgh

Title: Rake

Review: Roxburgh is magnificently outrageous in this series vehicle for his improvisational comedy…a lunatic set loose in the great tradition of Jonathan Winters and Robin Williams. Criminal lawyer, Cleaver Greene defends the clients’ no one else will take- in Australia- for the basic plot. Roxburgh, who is the definition of being a” A Rake”, takes it from there. A classically trained Shakespearian actor, he is set loose here to pretty much do anything he wants, and the results are dumbfoudingly hilarious. Hard to take your eyes of him when he is charged up and running on all cylinders. Outstanding supporting cast and well written. First few seasons for free on Amazon , then they want to charge you for an Acorn subscription, but we got the other seasons from the library on Blue Ray.