Pasckie Pascua's Nerdy Squirrel Reviews: TV Series.

“The Gilded Age” (HBO) Season 3, historical drama set in the United States during the Gilded Age , the boom years of the 1880s in New York City . The story is centered on aristocratic husband and wife George Russell and Bertha Russell, played with alluring relish and contemptuous deceit. The characters are based on the Vanderbilt family.         At the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards , the second season received six nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series and acting nods for Carrie Coon as Bertha and Christine Baranski as Agnes van Rhijn. The diversity of the characters make for a compelling watch, and the stunning costumes! Of course. The costumes were designed by Kasia Walicka-Maimone. She led a team to create over 5,000 costumes for the series, aiming to capture the lavishness and complexities of the Gilded Age fashion. 🎥👍📽 “The Bear” (Hulu) Season 4. P sychological comedy-drama . First of all, I don't think this weirdly popular series...

“Dope Thief” (AppleTV) crime drama based on the 2009 novel by Dennis Tafoya. Two Philadelphia friends who pose as DEA agents to rob drug dealers face the consequences of their actions when they steal from an organized narcotics operation under surveillance by the actual DEA.        From the Pilot episode, directed by Ridley Scott, this thriller, photographed in grim and grey tone, is no let up adrenaline ride. Acting is stellar. Brian Tyree Henry as Ray Driscoll, a recovering addict and former drug dealer; and this friend Manny Carvalho, his conflicted and panicky accomplice, portrayed by Wagner Moura.         Mr Henry is no steely Denzel Washington's banger or inventive Idris Elba's slick player. Brian is a trapped rat, in denial of his vulnerability but not giving up. And Wagner's Manny is right there to complement the dead-end run.         A revelation is Marin Irela...

“The Bondsman” (Amazon Prime) action horror series. Hub Halloran is a backwoods bounty hunter who comes back from the dead with an unexpected second chance at life, love, and a nearly-forgotten musical career — only to find that his old job now has a demonic new twist.        Hub is Kevin Bacon . And that's the show for you. Jennifer Nettles (of country duo Sugarland) as Maryanne Dice and Beth Grant as Hub's mom Kitty + perennial bad boy Damon Herriman as Lucky and  Jolene Purdy as Midge, who fell in the same fate as Hub--all deliver fine performances. But this is all a Bacon Dinner Show. 🎥💻📽 “Passenger” (Amazon Prime) British dark comedy-thriller. Centers around a close-knit community in the fictional town of Chadder Vale, where a series of strange and increasingly shocking crimes begin to unfold.         The series follows former Met Police detective Riya Ajunwa, who has moved to the town seeking...

“Maria: The Outlaw Legend” (Hulu) Brazilian historical action/drama, tells the story of Maria Bonita, the first woman to join the Cangaço or Brazilian outlaw group in the 1920s to 1930s, a-la Bonnie and Clyde. This series is finely done and well-acted, especially leads Isis Valverde and Júlio Andrade as Maria and Lampião. Ms Valverde balanced vulnerability and fierceness with restraint and grip.         Plus the stunning cinematography ably captures the rough-textured peril of the outlaw group as they tried in vain to survive their humanity while on the run. 🎥💻📽 “No Traces” (Spanish: “Sin huellas.” Amazon Prime) Spanish action comedy . Plot: Lesbian cleaner Desi and fellow Mexican workmate Cata are on the run after becoming the main suspects of murder in a crime scene they cleaned as part of their job, simultaneously chased by Alicante police agents and Russian hitmen .        We have wallowed in this s...

“The Old Man and the Sea” (1990, Tubi) American-British adventure drama TV film , based on the 1952 novella of the same name by Ernest Hemingway .         It tells the story of Santiago, an aging Cuban fisherman, who alone in his small boat faces the most difficult fight of his life against an enormous marlin. At the beginning of the short novel, Santiago has lost his fisherman's luck; he has gone eighty-four days without catching a marketable fish.        This TV movie was nominated for three Emmys, including for sound editing--which was pretty much Anthony Quinn's “battle scenes” with the marlin out in the sea. And this is an Anthony Quinn movie. 🎥💻📽 “The Wicker Man” (1973, Pluto TV) British folk horror film. Inspired by David Pinner 's 1967 novel “ Ritual ,” the plot centers on the visit of a police officer to the isolated Scottish island of Summerisle in search of a missing girl. A devout Christian, t...

“Full Time” (2021, Amazon Prime) French drama film about a single mother who works a demanding job as head maid at a high-end hotel in Paris.         This well-made movie is all Laure Calamy is a persistent and determined single mother. Writer/director Eric Gravel's film is fast-paced minimalist aesthetics and most of it is Ms Calamy's focused, unrelenting performance. 🎥👍📽 “The Slut” (2011, Tubi) Israeli drama. Tamar, a promiscuous thirty-something, lives on a farm with her two daughters and occupies her spare time with a string of lovers. A new arrival in the village changes everything.         Spare, minimalist, and focused. But this little dramatic interlude is also boring. But don't tell that to indie purveyors who revel in easy storytelling, one-locale shoot, and a “controversial” highlight (midway in the movie). You gotta check that one out yourself. No spoilers.      ...

“The Accountant” (2016, Amazon Prime) and “The Accountant 2” (2025, Amazon Prime) action thriller . Follows Christian Wolff, an autistic certified public accountant who makes his living sanitizing fraudulent financial and accounting records of criminal and terrorist organizations around the world that are experiencing internal embezzlement .          This is an enjoyable ride, mainly due to Ben Affleck's Christian than Ben himself. You know what I mean? Mr Affleck is like Keanu Reeves. They act when they are not really acting. Monotonous tone of voice, expressionless face, walking dead. So be it.         Part 1 is entertaining enough; Part 2 is double the fun. Add that Jon Bernthal (as Christian's brother Braxton) always gives credibility and excitement to every role given him. 🎥💻📽 “Hanna” (2011, Netflix) action thriller film. Hanna is a girl raised in the wilderness of northern Finland by her father,...

“Outrageous” (BritBox) British historical drama television series about the Mitford sisters . Based on the story of the Mitford sisters , six sisters who refused to play by the rules and whose often-scandalous lives made headlines around the world. Set in the 1930s, it is a tale of betrayal, scandal, heartache and even imprisonment.        The series is fun to watch due to the sisters’ (and 1 brother) individual independence and unwavering resolve to pursue their (mostly) politically-clashing beliefs. Most entertaining is Unity, who idolized Adolf Hitler, assayed with effervescent glee and persistent allure by Shannon Watson. The parents David and Sydney, portrayed by James Purefoy and Anna Chancellor, are stern yet supportive parents. 🎥💻📽 “The Casual Vacancy” (2015, Amazon Prime) British miniseries based on the 2012 novel of the same title by J. K. Rowling . The book was Ms Rowling's first publication since the Harry Potter series, her first nov...