Pasckie Pascua's Nerdy Squirrel Reviews: TV Series.

“Lioness” (Paramount+) spy thriller, created by Taylor Sheridan . In Season 3, hidden networks, foreign operatives, and personal betrayals collide as Joe balances her high-stakes duty with her home life. Guided by Kaitlyn and Westfield, Joe faces shadow enemies and a compromised national security system.          First off, I must say I didn't agree with the first episode's use of dogs in a military assault sequence. While it is not based on factual (military) practice, it is uncalled for. There! The given, as in the first 2 seasons: Everybody’s macho, including the women soldiers. They are invincible, aggressive, and non-faltering.         The storytelling in S1 and S2 is more textured and fleshed-out but the writing in S3 is smarter and tighter. Yet still, the focal attraction of this project are the action sequences.        And Zoe Saldaña's performance here is more grou...

“Detective Hole” (Netflix) Norwegian crime drama . Harry Hole , a troubled Oslo police detective, must contend with both a horrific serial killer and his corrupt colleague Tom Waaler. An adaptation of Jo Nesbø 's “ Harry Hole ” novels.        What does this series have? Style! Craftily grim, and twisted, cerebral defiance. Very addictive. Tobias Santelmann as Harry Hole and Joel Kinnaman as Tom Waaler are “deranged” hero/anti-hero jam.         And yes the background music and choice of songs. Awesome! This: The music (think Nick Cave, with Warren Ellis) and atmosphere were closely guided by series creator and author Jo Nesbø. 🎥💻📽 “The Chestnut Man” (Netflix) Season 2. Danish crime series. Detectives Naia Thulin and Mark Hess investigate a string of brutal murders tied to a deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The killer stalks their targets, taunting them with menacing text messages featuring a children's nursery rh...

“The Hardacres” (Britbox) Season 2. British period drama . Beginning in Yorkshire in the 1890s, the series follows the Hardacre family as they rise from poverty to wealth after acquiring a large estate.        Old-school TV pleasure, this is! What was addictive teledrama then is almost forgotten or drowned out by the ferocious counter-culture defiance and political “appropriateness” of today's streaming TV. And how we missed the good old days.         No need to overreact this show though. Just sit tight with pizza and lemonade, and enjoy. 🎥💻📽 “Ten Pound Poms” (Britbox) 2 Seasons. Historical drama about British migrants a.k.a. “ten pound poms” who moved to Australia after World War II in a subsidised migration scheme.        A solid weekend binge-watch delight for one and all. Confident but playing-safe scriptwriting that the tight direction and exemplary ensemble performan...

“The Oldenheim Twelve” (Amazon Prime) Dutch mystery-thriller. Journalist Peggy Jonkers returns to her traditional hometown, where a series of mysterious disappearances terrorizes the community.         Suspense and mystery are the lures or couch-baits of this series. First episode to 4 and 5, the thrill of knowing what's really going on heightens. Until the middle stretch turned slow and boring, as the characters do illogical or implausible turns. And then, the endgame or resolution, which is frustrating given all the clues, suspicions, and probabilities whirling in viewers’ minds.        Anyhow, this series would have been fine in 6 episodes, not 12. But I am alright with the performance of the leads: Noortje Herlaar as Peggy, and Nasrdin Dchar as the detective Sharif Dahmani. 🎥💻📽 “Innate” (Hulu) Spanish psychological crime thriller. After pulling through a traumatic childhood and remaking her life with a new...

“Mum” (Britbox) Season 2. British sitcom. Lesley Manville is a recently widowed 59-year-old mom, named Cathy. She manages the death of her husband and navigates her eccentric, daft family alongside her supportive friend Michael.        This series is witty and funny although not witty-cerebral or hilarious-funny. Just minimalist funny so enjoyable and entertaining, and smartly-written. Each character sustains an identity that helps enliven the ensemble fun.         Lesley Manville as the lead ties up the entire project into an addictive TV experience. And Lisa McGrillis’ Kelly is warm-funny. 🎥💻📽 “Tires” (Netflix) Season 1/2. workplace comedy . The series focuses on Will, who manages the West Chester, Pennsylvania location of his family's struggling auto-repair chain, "Valley Forge Automotive Center.”        The jokes in Season 1 connected just fine. Made me laugh a bit. A p...

“The Bombing of Pan Am 103” (Netflix) British drama , about the 1988 disaster of Pan Am Flight 103 , which was the deadliest terrorist attack in British history .          The unfailing lure of this series is obvious. And this show is almost a mechanical reenactment of the ensuing investigation of the tragedy. Less dramatic tension, more technical exposition. No complaints, whatsoever. 🎥💻📽 “House of Guinness” (Netflix) historical drama about the family behind the Guinness brewing company in 19th-century Ireland and New York, and the consequences following the death of Benjamin Guinness , the man responsible for the company’s extraordinary success.        This series is created by Steven Knight, the dude who gave us the remarkable, hugely-entertaining period pieces “Peaky Blinders” and “A Thousand Blows.” Mr Knight upped the grade a bit in “House of Guinness” with some “Downton Abbey” glamorous drama an...