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True Detective: The Hour and the Day  Season 3, Ep 4

Hays and West see a possible connection between the local church and the Purcell crimes. As the detectives search for one suspect and round up another for interrogation, Woodard is targeted by a vigilante group.
posted by fleacircus on Jan 27, 2019 - 13 comments

True Detective: The Big Never  Season 3, Ep 3

Hays recalls his early romance with Amelia, as well as cracks in their relationship that surfaced after they married; ten years after the Purcell crimes, new evidence emerges, giving Hays a second chance to vindicate himself and the investigation.
posted by fleacircus on Jan 21, 2019 - 18 comments

True Detective: Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye  Season 3, Ep 2

Hays looks back at the aftermath of the 1980 Purcell case, including possible evidence left behind at an outdoor hangout for local kids; as attention focuses on two conspicuous suspects, the parents of the missing children receive a cryptic note.
posted by fleacircus on Jan 14, 2019 - 12 comments

True Detective: The Great War and Modern Memory  Season 3, Ep 1

Retired detective Wayne Hays (Mahershala Ali), has a memory problem, and memories of a memory problem, all relating to the case of the missing Purcell children in West Finger, Arkansas, thirty-five year ago. [more inside]
posted by fleacircus on Jan 14, 2019 - 18 comments

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Draining the Swamp  Season 5, Ep 29

This week (yes, a timely LWT post!):
  • The Republicans lose the US House of Representatives, an act which Trump actually said was "close to a complete victory" for him. Also, businessman Danny Darkanian loses his sixth straight election in Nevada, annoying his wife greatly. And three states voted to expand Medicaid, Flordia voted to restore voting rights to felons, and Utah voted to legalize medical marihuana.
  • Update in Stupid Watergate: Trump fires Jeff Sessions and replaces him, as acting head of the Justice Department, with Matthew Whitaker, a man known for many stupid things, foremost among them serving as an advisor to a company that had to pay out a $25M judgement for scamming inventors.
  • And Now: Steve Bannon's Election Night Coverage Went Just Great
  • Main Story: Donald Trump (again), and his campaign promise to "drain the swamp." A noble sentiment, but, predictably, absolutely the opposite of what he's doing. Here's the piece on YouTube.
  • And Now: Monday Night Football's Graphics Are Officially Out Of Hand
  • Finally, an epidemic of unnotified promotion of products by influencers on social media has been going on, including DJ Khaled hawking alcohol to millions of followers. To help illustrate, LWT reveals something they've been doing (not been getting paid for it, but doing it anyway) concerning Scientology....
[more inside]
posted by JHarris on Nov 12, 2018 - 5 comments

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Family Separation  Season 5, Ep 28

This week....
  • 2018 Midterms, which has been exceptional in negativity. California Congressman Duncan Hunter accused opponent Ammar Campa-Najjar of being a terrorist trying to infiltrate Congress; Iowa Congressman Steve King, who has been notorious for associating with white nationalists and got pissy when confronted about it before cameras, and lost the support of a number of corporate PACs; and in Nebraska's 1st district a sign promoting Jeff Fortenberry was defaced with googly eyes and changed to read Jeff Fartenberry, causing his Chief-of-Staff to accuse a local professor, who was unlucky enough to have "liked" a Facebook photo of the sign within his random notice, of supporting vandalism.
  • And Now: Out Annual Check-In With The Consequences Of Combining Local News Shows And Halloween
  • Main story: Immigration, "The system that brought you me, but it's still good, and I promise that won't happen again." Specifically, the Trump administration's family separation policy. It's faded from the news, but its consequences have not ended yet. Content warning: horrifying consequences of the enforced separation of children from their parents. YouTube
  • And Now: Halloween Part II: Just The Traffic And Weather
[more inside]
posted by JHarris on Nov 4, 2018 - 2 comments

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: State Attorneys General  Season 5, Ep 27

That week....
  • Violence marred the prior week, and Fox News went out of their way to position the attacks as "false flag" operations, supposedly stages by Democrats to make Republicans look bad. Geraldo Riviera "outsmarts himself" in making such allegations.
  • Saudi Arabia continues to try to explain the disappearance, likely murder, of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, while President Trump and right-wing figures try to downplay the killing of an American resident.
  • Main story: the role of state Attorneys General on our nation, their role in investigating wrongdoing, and the increasing degree to which the offices have become politicized. YouTube
  • Special productions: A WWE commercial that properly notes the fact that it takes place in Saudi Arabia, and the problems that causes; a concert for bagpipes, accordion, theremin and recorder (multiple, played by young children) to annoy people to stepping away from their TV sets and actually researching their states' candidates for Attorney General. A good place to do that, they note, is at Vote411.org.
[more inside]
posted by JHarris on Nov 4, 2018 - 2 comments

Pod Save America: Series Premiere  Season 1, Ep 1

Pod Save America hosts Jon Favreau, Dan Pfeiffer, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor, along with guest host Erin Ryan, host the first of four HBO specials leading up to the midterm elections. It's like a podcast, but with faces. [more inside]
posted by mosst on Oct 15, 2018 - 4 comments

The Deuce: All You'll Be Eating is Cannibals  Season 2, Ep 5

Candy taps an unlikely co-producer. Bobby is on the wrong end of a raid. Big Mike cashes in on a hit. [more inside]
posted by dnash on Oct 9, 2018 - 2 comments

The Deuce: What Big Ideas  Season 2, Ep 4

Ashley and Abby track down the identity of a young sex worker killed in a fire, collateral damage in the escalating mob war over the parlors. Vincent witnesses the brutal side of Rudy's operation. Alston educates the mayor's guy on why the raids he's planning won't turn up anything. Candy continues building on her Little Red Riding Hood vision. Larry makes his first moves into movies.
posted by dnash on Oct 2, 2018 - 6 comments

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: The Nomination of Brett Kavanaugh  Season 5, Ep 24

This week (after a gap of some episodes, sorry about that), after an introduction acknowledging Trump's embarrassing UN conference and the Philadelphia Flyers mascot Gritty, the whole show was devoted to the main story, Brett Kavanaugh's looming confirmation, and the terrible implications if he is confirmed. [more inside]
posted by JHarris on Sep 30, 2018 - 5 comments

Insecure: Season 3, Episode 8: Ghost-Like [Season Finale]  Season 3, Ep 8

After facing numerous obstacles, Issa gets discouraged about her project. Molly helps give Issa a drama-free 30th birthday.
posted by nightrecordings on Sep 30, 2018 - 7 comments

Insecure: Season 3, Episode 7: Obsessed-like   Season 3, Ep 7

Girl, he buys you one taco and you bust it wide open on a ferris wheel.
posted by nightrecordings on Sep 24, 2018 - 4 comments

Insecure: Season 3, Episode 6: Ready-Like  Season 3, Ep 6

Issa plans a new project; Molly avoids a new guy's advances; the girls are surprised by Tiffany's baby-shower attendees.
posted by nightrecordings on Sep 17, 2018 - 8 comments

Insecure: Season 3, Episode 5: High-Like  Season 3, Ep 5

The girls take a weekend trip to celebrate Tiffany. Molly has trouble leaving her obsession with work behind. [more inside]
posted by nightrecordings on Sep 9, 2018 - 5 comments

Insecure: Season 3, Episode 4: Fresh-Like  Season 3, Ep 4

Issa tries to let go of some cherished mementos; Molly vents to her therapist about work.
posted by nightrecordings on Sep 9, 2018 - 0 comments

Insecure: Season 3, Episode 3: Backwards-Like  Season 3, Ep 3

Issa treats Daniel to a thank-you dinner; Molly finds her new dream job leaves something to be desired.
posted by nightrecordings on Sep 9, 2018 - 0 comments

Insecure: Season 3, Episode 2: Familiar-Like  Season 3, Ep 2

Issa gets advice from Kelli about her financial situation. Later, Issa plays wing woman as Daniel tries to make a music-industry connection.
posted by nightrecordings on Sep 9, 2018 - 0 comments

Insecure: Season 3, Episode 1: Better-Like  Season 3, Ep 1

Issa tries to save while money while crashing on Daniel's couch; Molly vows to set boundaries in her life.
posted by nightrecordings on Sep 9, 2018 - 0 comments

Miss Sherlock: Sherlock and Wato-san in modern-day Tokyo (Full series)  Season 1, Ep 0

At first report, Miss Sherlock sounds like yet another rehash of the Holmes/Watson stories, but I'd urge taking a look at this one. For one thing, the leads are two WOC (played by Yuko Takeuchi and Shihori Kanjiya, respectively), the crimes are increasingly bizarre as the season progresses (it's not a spoiler to reveal that the first victim is killed in the opening scene of the series by having a bomb explode in his stomach), and the undeniable style and irascibility of Takeuchi's Sherlock ("So, do you still hate children?" "Yes") are a treat to watch. Screenrant calls it "a clever reimagining", while tumblr is losing its collective mind under the hashtag #watolock. [more inside]
posted by Mogur on Sep 2, 2018 - 27 comments

Movie: Drew Michael

WIth no audience and thus a silent theater, stand-up comedian and former Weekend Update writer Drew Michael offers a highbred of comedy and performance art in this engaging and self-indulgent experimental monologue. Topics include disability, herpes, self-reflection, and relationships.
posted by Stanczyk on Aug 26, 2018 - 0 comments

Barry: Chapter Six: Listen With Your Ears, React With Your Face  Season 1, Ep 6

Barry tries to fly solo at a remote airstrip, but Taylor still wants in; Vacha looks to exact revenge on the man who killed his brother, despite Pazar's hands-off orders; Moss tries to end her association with Gene, but finds herself drawn to his classroom at a critical juncture; Sally lobbies for a major acting challenge. [more inside]
posted by the man of twists and turns on Aug 23, 2018 - 1 comment

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Sexual Harassment, Interview with Anita Hill  Season 5, Ep 18

This episode aired on July 29:
  • More Stupid Watergate, "Something with the potential gravity of Watergate, if the entire White House was on bath salts and Nixon was a raccoon with his head stuck in a jar of peanut butter." Revealed is that Cohen secretly taped interactions between him and Trump, and some of one of the tapes was leaked, relating them planning to keep a story about Trump's affair with Playboy Bunny Karen McDougal secret. Also, Cohen claims Trump knew in advance of the meeting with Russian representatives in Trump Tower. And, Mueller is looking into whether Trump's tweets constitute obstruction of justice.
  • Facebook loses $119 billion dollars of value, 19% of its total valuation, overnight. That's more than the value of the entire global cheese market: Facebook's stock dropped by the concept of cheese. It's because of piracy issues, which they've apologized for via an ubiquitous ad. LWT provides one of their trademark more honest versions.
  • Main story: Workplace sexual harassment. In the wake of a number of prominent male executives being brought down, it's looking like something may finally be done about it... except that the current situation shares a lot of things in common with the 90s, at which time everything was supposed to change, and then, didn't. The issue became national news with the testimony of Anita Hill before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
  • The last act was a great interview with Anita Hill herself.
Both the main story and the interview are on the show's official Youtube channel. (29m) [more inside]
posted by JHarris on Aug 13, 2018 - 1 comment

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Gene Editing and CRISPR  Season 5, Ep 17

Let's catch up a bit, shall we? This was the episode that aired July 8, 2018:
  • Trump's "We got more money, we got better brains, we got more houses," etc. speech.
  • The week's prerequisite bombshell was the retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy. As of this writing his position has still not been filled. Oliver reminds us that this has the potential to be really really bad for reproductive and LGBT rights. Democrat hopes to block mean once again playing America's most depressing game show, HOPE SUSAN COLLINS FLIPS AND BE DISAPPOINTED WHEN SHE DOESN'T!!! Jeffery Toobin made a tour of talk shows to make sure everyone's hopes were appropriately dead.
  • And Now: For Canada Day, The Most Canadian Thing Imaginable: Polite Interactions Between Professional Curlers At The 2018 Tim Hortons National Championship
  • Main story: Gene editing, and how a revolution in technology, "CRISPR," puts it into the hands of people literally working in their garage. Contents: jacked, sexy beagles; work on reviving wooly mammoths; irresponsible biohackers; the hope to wipe out malaria; an Australian man who hates invasive cane toads; a Lyme disease experiment on Nantucket Island; the question of whether deafness and dwarfism are diseases that should be eliminated; and China's pushing the boundaries of gene editing. It's on YouTube (20m).
  • And Now: Hey Guys--What The Fuck's Going On With Animals In Florida?
[more inside]
posted by JHarris on Aug 13, 2018 - 1 comment

Barry: Chapter 4: Commit ... to YOU   Season 1, Ep 4

Barry finds that escaping Fuches and winning Sally's affections is harder than he thought. [more inside]
posted by the man of twists and turns on Jul 11, 2018 - 3 comments

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Mexican Elections  Season 5, Ep 16

Last week (at one remove)....
  • Trump reacts to outrage over his policy to separate the children of illegal migrants to the US from their parents, first by insisting he couldn't change it, then when the outcry became too great, changing it. Because he LIES.
  • 7-11 courts controversy in Norway by advertising condoms on television and in train stations there a defense against chlamydia, which has especially high incidence rates there. The spots called Norway the "Land of Chlamydia."
  • And Now: Local News Is Concerned About Teens
  • Main story: Mexico, and their upcoming (well, yesteray's) elections, the largest in that nation's history. The approval ratings of their current President, Enrique Peña Nieto, went down to 12% from public anger over corruption. The show looks at a number of competitors for the top job, and their issues, sometimes considerable ones. The main story can be watched on YouTube (20m).
  • And Now: Kathie Lee and Hoda Are Slowly Becoming One.
[more inside]
posted by JHarris on Jul 1, 2018 - 1 comment

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: China President Xi Jinping  Season 5, Ep 15

This week:
  • Trump's summit with North Korea leader Kim Jong Un happened. The result was what Oliver reminds us is a Trump speciality, something akin to an "Ice Cream Blow Job." Something that sounds great, but when you think about it, doesn't actually mean anything.
  • Thousands of children were forcibly taken from parents due to the Trump administration's zero-tolerance policy over illegal imigration, an act that has infuriated millions.
  • And Now: Senator Chuck Schumer Is Caught In An Endless Graduation-Speech Time Loop
  • Main story: China President Xi Jinping has overcome term limits, had his ideas enshrined in China's constitution, and cultivated a cult of personality around himself. Under him, China's released catchy viral videos to advance their economic interests. LWT made their own to remind everyone of their human rights issues. The main story (20m) is available on YouTube.
[more inside]
posted by JHarris on Jun 20, 2018 - 2 comments

Westworld: Vanishing Point  Season 2, Ep 9

The Man in Black confronts his troubled past; Charlotte forms a plan to kill all the hosts. [more inside]
posted by the man of twists and turns on Jun 17, 2018 - 77 comments

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Stupid Watergate II: Fox News' Cries Of "Witch Hunt"  Season 5, Ep 14

This week:
  • Trump prepares for the (then) upcoming North Korea summit, of course, by not preparing.
  • Philippine President and strongman Rodrigo Duterte very uncomfortably kisses a young woman before a crowd.
  • And Now: Julie Chen Has A Few Questions For The Audience of "The Talk."
  • Main Story: More on Stupid Watergate, this time about Fox News' efforts to normalize the idea that the Mueller investigation is a "witch hunt" by calling that through every channel available to them, in an desperate (yet somewhat effective) effort to get ordinary Americans thinking it must be one, despite the fact that they've already charged 20 people and three companies, and gotten five guilty pleas. Watch it on YouTube (18m).
  • And Now: The Entire Seventeen-Minute Piece You Just Saw, Boiled Down To Eight Seconds.
  • Finally, a bit about the UK. Last week's episode had a segment about the putdowns of House of Commons speaker John Bercow that could not air in the UK, because of a stupid law saying footage of the chamber could not be used in "light entertainment" or "political satire." Because they used such footage this week and thus UK viewers again cannot be shown the whole program, LWT offers five minutes of replacement content: Gilbert Gottfried reading Yelp reviews.
[more inside]
posted by JHarris on Jun 16, 2018 - 1 comment

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Guardianship for the Elderly  Season 5, Ep 13

This week:
  • The summit with North Korea is called off. North Korea sends Trump a message in an oversized envelope. Trump calls the summit back on. Trump admits he hadn't read the contents of the envelope. Leader of the greatest nation in the world, folks.
  • Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko is declared to be dead on worldwide news, but then discovered to be alive, his faked death an element in a sting to catch a group of Russian assassins.
  • In the UK, the chairman of the British Monarchists Society, one "Thomas J. Mace-Archer-Mills, Esq.," a fixture on TV during the royal wedding, is revealed to actually to have been born and lived to his teens in the US, and even got an unrelated elderly British couple to call themselves his grandparents.
  • And Now: The Very British Put-Downs of Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow.
  • Main story: Legal guardianship, a state under which senior citizens can be put where they have limited rights, and can find it difficult to get out of.
The main story (16 minutes long) is available on YouTube. [more inside]
posted by JHarris on Jun 7, 2018 - 6 comments

Westworld: Les Écorchés  Season 2, Ep 7

Bernard meets with an unexpected old friend; The Cradle is under threat; Maeve encounters a scene from her past.
posted by DirtyOldTown on Jun 4, 2018 - 68 comments

Wyatt Cenac's Problem Areas: First Season  Season 1, Ep 0

Wyatt Cenac's Problem Areas takes "a satirical look at social and cultural issues from Cenac's unique perspective. Rather than sit behind a desk, he will undertake a journey to understand some of the big issues of the moment and investigate real-world solutions." [more inside]
posted by elsietheeel on May 28, 2018 - 6 comments

Room 104: Voyeurs  Season 1, Ep 6

Written and directed by contemporary dancer Dayna Hanson, this episode is an intimate fever dream that softly explores the things we leave behind. [more inside]
posted by FirstMateKate on May 23, 2018 - 4 comments

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Rehab  Season 5, Ep 12

This week....
  • Prince Harry and Meghan Markle get married. Next!
  • North Korea may call off the summit between Trump and Kim Jong Un over demands that the country denuclearize. John Bolton says on air they were using "The Libyan model," which turns out to be the worst thing he could have said; autocrats the world over have obsessed over Gadaffi's horrible death since it happened in 2011.
  • And Now: Local News Gets A Little Too British For The Royal Wedding ("Hello gov'ner." "Cheerio!" "Hallo hallo!" "Tally-ho." "A spot of tea?" etc.)
  • Main Story: Rehab, a 35 billion dollar industry. Federal law requires health insurance to pay for some of it, but there are no federal standards for what "Rehab" means, leading to a situation ripe for abuse by unscrupulous people.
  • And Now: Just Look At This Bunch of Royal Wedding Shit.
The Rehab segment is on YouTube. If you are suffering from addiction, instead of jumping right into a rehab clinic that may have a strong motive to take advantage of you, you could try The American Board of Preventative Medicine's search site for board-certified doctors, here. [more inside]
posted by JHarris on May 21, 2018 - 6 comments

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Venezuela  Season 5, Ep 11

This week....
  • A Trump aide was heard to say something unkind about John McCain, regarding his dying of brain cancer, thus fulfilling everyone's dreaded expectations for the kind of people Donald Trump would employ in his office.
  • Scandals swirl around the Trump administration yet yet again again, as Michael Cohen comes under allegations for selling access to Trump.
  • And Now: Local News Gets Real About Mother's Day
  • Main Story: Venezuela. A piece reminiscent of the pre-Trump era, about the serious problems faced by a country that isn't the United States, about the trials currently suffered by Venezuela, which are less about socialism and more about epic levels of mismanagement. Its next elections are on May 20. Its former President was Hugo Chávez, an extremely popular leader who nationalized the oil industry and allowed his citizens to reap the rewards, although his government was notoriously corrupt. His successor, Nicolás Maduro, has not fared nearly as well. It's a long and very interesting piece, ending with Lin-Manuel Miranda in a bird suit pleading with Maduro to get his act together.
The main story is on LastWeekTonight's YouTube channel. [more inside]
posted by JHarris on May 17, 2018 - 4 comments

Silicon Valley: Artificial Emotional Intelligence  Season 5, Ep 6

Richard decides to help out Laurie; Gavin struggles to bargain with a new partner; Dinesh relishes a rare win.
posted by rhizome on Apr 30, 2018 - 20 comments

Silicon Valley: Facial Recognition  Season 5, Ep 5

Richard's confidence takes a hit; Gilfoyle worries about an artificial-intelligence partner. [more inside]
posted by rhizome on Apr 24, 2018 - 9 comments

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: The Iran Deal  Season 5, Ep 9

This week....
  • The FBI raided Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen's offices. Everyone's asking, "Will he 'flip?'"
  • Ryan Zinke, Trump's Secretary of the Interior, oversees the largest reduction in America's public lands in our nation's history, and calls himself a geologist under oath despite having never worked as one. He's also a deeply strange man.
  • And Now: Somebody Please Tell Ryan Zinke He's Not a Geologist
  • Main story: The Iran Deal, which Trump has been loud about disliking, asserting the people who wrote it were "babies." LWT takes a deep look at what it is and what it's for. The deal is important for limiting Iran's nuclear hopes, but Trump, his national security advisors and Sean Hannity are all against it. In a last ditch effort to get it through to him, LWT has paid for ad time during Hannity's show in the DC area featuring everyone's favorite, the Catheter Cowboy.
The piece on the Iran Deal is available on YouTube. [more inside]
posted by JHarris on Apr 23, 2018 - 10 comments

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Corporate Taxes  Season 5, Ep 8

This week--
  • The Comey interview, which happened after LWT taped.
  • The FBI raids Michael Cohen's office, home and hotel room. And a bunch of other stuff happened as well.
  • And Now: Ari Melber, Rap Genius
  • Main story: Corporate Taxes, the lengths that companies go to in order to avoid them, and how they stand to profit under Trump's budget.
  • And Now: Ari Melber, Rap Genius, Volume Two: Just Jay-Z Quotes
  • There are two remaining Blockbuster Video locations remaining in the United States, last remnants of a vast empire, and one of them is in Alaska. Last Week Tonight bought Russell Crowe's leather jockstrap from the movie Cinderella Man at auction, among a lot of other stuff. How do these two facts concide? Well, let's just say the store should get in touch with LWT within the 48 hours after airing.
The main story is on YouTube here (16 minutes). [more inside]
posted by JHarris on Apr 15, 2018 - 7 comments

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Crisis Pregnancy Centers  Season 5, Ep 7

This week (see inside for expanded contents)....
  • Trump Administration news: EPA head Scott Pruitt comes under fire for wasteful spending.
  • Hungary right-wing PM Viktor Orban is expected to win his fourth term.
  • And Now: Coming Up On "The Doctors."
  • Main story: Crisis Pregnancy Centers, facilities that exist to talk women out of getting abortions, are cagey about admitting their purpose, and now greatly outnumber actual abortion providers in the U.S. LWT founds "Our Lady of Choosing Choice" to show how easy it is to start such a non-profit, which is eligable for federal funding.
Here is the main story on YouTube, 21 minutes long. [more inside]
posted by JHarris on Apr 8, 2018 - 5 comments

Barry: Chapter Two: Use It  Season 1, Ep 2

In the wake of some shocking news, Gene encourages his class to channel their feelings into their work. Meanwhile, resolved to quit his job and put the past behind him, Barry tries not to get pulled back in by Fuches and the Chechens; and Sally tries to crack the nut that is Barry. [more inside]
posted by oh yeah! on Apr 8, 2018 - 1 comment

Barry: Chapter One: Make Your Mark  Season 1, Ep 1

In the premiere of this dark comedy about a former marine working as a hit man in the Midwest, Barry is sent to L.A. to kill an aspiring actor who's having an affair with a Chechen mob boss's wife, but winds up getting involved in the local theater scene himself. [more inside]
posted by oh yeah! on Apr 8, 2018 - 5 comments

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Immigration Courts  Season 5, Ep 6

This week....
  • President Trump appoints to the head of the VA his White House doctor.
  • Egypt has a Presidential election, the winner of which will almost certainly be strongman Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, since one of his opponents was arrested and three more intimidated into withdrawing. His only opponent, Mousa Mostafa Mousa, was a supporter of his!
  • Sinclair Media Group's continued efforts to turn local news into Fox News 2, including must runs trying to push the idea of a "deep state" working against Trump, and trying to push an idea that national media outlets push fake stories. (Links below fold.)
  • And Now: Baseball's Back, And Local News Knows Exactly What That Means. (It means weird concession food.)
  • Main Story: Immigration Courts, which are a complete mess. One judge said of them, "In essence we're doing death penalty cases in a traffic court setting." Furthermore, they're not criminal courts but civil courts, meaning many guarantees, such as for legal council, are not available, and they're not part of the Judicial Branch, but instead, of the Executive Branch, and Jeff Sessions can in fact review cases himself. In some, children as young as three are actually asked to represent themselves before a judge. Just to drive home how stupid that is, LWT produced a bit of a court show in which everyone but the defendant (H. Jon Benjamin!) is three or four: Tot Bench.
Here's the main story on YouTube (18m). [more inside]
posted by JHarris on Apr 2, 2018 - 4 comments

Silicon Valley: Grow Fast or Die Slow  Season 5, Ep 1

Pied Piper struggles with hiring, Gavin struggles to find a reason to be in business, and Jin Yiang tries to control the house.
posted by rhizome on Mar 26, 2018 - 6 comments

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Mike Pence  Season 5, Ep 5

This week:
  • Trump fires Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
  • Putin wins reelection as President of Russia to no one's surprise, ensuring horrible threats, poisoned opponents and meddling in foreign elections for foreseeable future.
  • And Now: Local News Cannot Be Trusted With St. Patrick's Day
  • Main Story: Mike Pence, the hyper-fundamentalist, hyper-intolerant Vice President in the Trump Administration, and the one person in it Trump cannot fire. His opposition to gay rights is well known, but, as Oliver admits, he has a cute rabbit named "Marlon Bundo." Pence has a book out, A Day in the Life of the Vice President, about his rabbit. LWT is putting out another book, about a different rabbit named Marlon Bundo, A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo, where a boy rabbit falls in love with another boy rabbit. (See inside for more.)
The Mike Pence segment is on LWT's official YouTube channel. [more inside]
posted by JHarris on Mar 19, 2018 - 15 comments

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Cyptocurrencies  Season 5, Ep 4

This week:
  • President Trump suddenly agrees to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jung Un, reversing decades of precedent on a whim.
  • International Women's Day, "that one special day for half the population of Earth. Knock yourselves out, three-and-a-half billion people!" A roundup of disturbing and disgusting responses from across the media, finishing with Vladimir Putin.
  • And Now: An MSNBC Guest, Brought On To Discuss Gary Cohn's Departure, Can't Get Over The "Bachelor" Finale.
  • Main Story: Cryptocurrencies, "Everything you don't understand about money combined with everything you don't understand about computers." In a field fulled with ridiculous terms like HODL and LAMBO, LWT invited an inspirational speaker (Keegan Michael Key) to promote their new way of dealing with cryptocurrencies, responsibility: "Instead of being HODL, you have to be CRAEFUL!"
[more inside]
posted by JHarris on Mar 11, 2018 - 16 comments

Deadwood: A Lie Agreed Upon: Part II  Season 2, Ep 2

Alma and an increasingly self-destructive Bullock face an abrupt decision on their future. At the Gem, while Swearengen readies for another showdown with Bullock, infighting between Silas Adams and Dan Dority yields more feed for Wu's pigs. Doc Cochran is surprised by Calamity Jane, who has returned to camp in a state of inebriated deterioration. [more inside]
posted by porpoise on Mar 10, 2018 - 0 comments

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: NRA TV  Season 5, Ep 3

This week:
  • The Trump Administration, "which is truly like a circus in that nothing about it is funny, and I badly want it to end." It continues to hemmorage staffers, most recently Hope Hicks.
  • Jared Kushner loses his Top Secret clearance.
  • And Now: Would You Like To Be On The Maury Show?
  • Main story: NRA TV (YouTube), the little-known streaming service. LWT answers the question you now no doubt have: What the fuck is that? Oh, you are not prepared for this....
  • And Now: Proof That NRATV's Tone Can Make Anything Seem Scary. A LWT-produced bit: "She IS the oven's contemptible whore, and her name is MUFFINS."
[more inside]
posted by JHarris on Mar 5, 2018 - 8 comments

Deadwood: A Lie Agreed Upon: Part I  Rewatch   Season 2, Ep 1

Tensions flare as the camp faces an uncertain future. Al Swearengen taunts Seth Bullock over his relationship with Alma Garret, and the resulting confrontation between sheriff and criminal turns violent. With a new business venture on the horizon, Joanie Stubbs and Cy Tolliver await the arrival of the next stagecoach, which also bears two important reminders of Bullock's past. [more inside]
posted by porpoise on Mar 3, 2018 - 0 comments

Deadwood: Season 1 (Full Season)  Rewatch   Season 1, Ep 0

1876: Set six months after the founding of a gold mining camp called 'Deadwood' in South Dakota, shortly after Custer's "Last Stand." The show follows individuals who are drawn to this place for a variety of reasons - some of whom leave, some who stay, and some who come back. The eponymous town itself grows, both in population and in history and complexity. The stage was set, the characters introduced; the season ends with chaos, an outside threat, and a promise for more character- and character-relationship development next season. [more inside]
posted by porpoise on Mar 1, 2018 - 7 comments

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