Scarpetta is the surname of Nicole Kidman’s fictional medical examiner in the Amazon series of the same name. “Dr. Scarpetta,” is also how actress Rosy McEwen is addressed in that same series when the show intercuts between the modern-day Kidman’s return to duty and her character’s career beginnings twentysomething years in the past. That is when McEwen amply fills in as the show’s lead.
Jamie Lee Curtis has the role as Kidman’s older sister, playing the part in over-the-top fashion … a territory the actress has now staked out for herself so frequently that it (and she?) have descended into the realm of cliché.
Bobby Cannavale, Simon Baker, and Ariana DeBose round out the leading actors in the very well-produced and complicated psychological drama which unfolds over 10 episodes in season one. A warning: “complicated” is used advisedly. The whole thing is too complex by a factor of two … or maybe even three, but by episode six of this first season it all begins to make some sense. And then …
SPOILER ALERT…
they had to go and ruin it, giving the viewer an old-fashioned, heavy-handed, cliffhanger as a season-ender. Having waded through ten episodes, I felt entitled to some kind of resolution… lots of luck with that. I, for one, resented the hell out of it. What can I say? I was not consulted.
In frustration, I returned to the TV world of writer Taylor Sheridan for something I hoped would be more sure-fire. Mr. Sheridan is, more often than not, spot-on … this time not so much. Lioness, it turns out, also features Nicole Kidman, albeit in a lesser role, and its beginnings are compelling and literate. But then, around episode three or four, my interest started to wane as, more and more, the story began to feature one of the characters about whom I cared less and less, and all at the expense of screen time with the very intriguing Zoe Saldana and the aforementioned Ms. Kidman. Too bad. Should you care, the show, which is vintage 2023, can be found on Paramount+.
I turned to comedy … this time via Apple TV … and Margo’s Got Money Troubles, starring the very talented Elle Fanning with solid support from Michelle Pfeiffer, Nick Offerman and the seemingly ubiquitous Nicole Kidman.
Ms. Pfeiffer’s husband, David E. Kelley, has written the series and it is a big improvement over his recent work but still far short of what he was doing in his prime… Hello…, L.A. Law, Doogie Howser, MD., Picket Fences, The Practice, Ally McBeal, Boston Legal.
Point made?
I hate to harp on Kelley’s diminishment but as good as Margo’s Got Money Troubles is… it is largely due to Ms. Fanning and, frankly, I found myself constantly wishing the written material could somehow have matched what it was she was doing.
Three series and none of them uniquely worthy got me thinking it was time for something with a pedigree. HBO and the final season of Hacks came to mind.
As anyone … who owns a television, or has a newspaper subscription … knows, Hacks, the series starring Jean Smart is in its final season on HBO with the last of this year’s 10 episodes airing on May 28. True to what you have undoubtedly heard, the comedy series does not disappoint.
Well … maybe a little. Anticipation and hyperbole are demanding taskmasters. So far I have screened a half dozen episodes and will continue to watch till the very end if for no other reason than, even with a little letdown it is certainly a very solid effort by all concerned, and Jean Smart is nothing short of perfect.
Like Hacks, The Boys is also about to have its final episode released after five successful seasons on Amazon Prime and I have obviously arrived late to this party having only just now completed the eight episodes that comprise season one of the 40-episode series.
Much to my surprise, I was impressed. I am not usually a fan of this genre, but this stilted send-up of the Marvel dream team(s) grabbed me from the get-go. I got the “jokes,” appreciated the relevance, and found myself looking forward to seeing more than just this first season. One alert for the squeamish … lots of violence, more than the usual amount of gore, and plenty of explicit sex … all in good humor with a fair amount of testing the limits of good taste … something these picture makers do with some regularity.
And then, there is this: as an homage to its founder (the recently deceased Ted Turner), TCM screened Mr. Turner’s favorite classic film, Gone With The Wind. I cannot estimate the number of times I have seen this motion picture, but I decided to get into the spirit of the TCM evening and join along with their respectful tribute.
Okay… you guessed it… Gone With The Wind is still a beautiful, fabulous, movie with one of the most glorious collections of actors Hollywood has ever put into one film. Next time you get a chance, via TCM, HBO Max, or by rental from Prime Video, Apple TV, or YouTube, do yourself a favor … take a four-hour pause in what you are doing, settle down, and watch one of the greatest motion pictures of all time.
Should things in your life be too hectic right now, not to worry. Since its initial release in 1939, Gone With The Wind has proven … over and over again … that it will withstand the test of time. There is no need to rush.
“Afterall, tomorrow is another day.”
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To Purchase “Cagney & Lacey … and Me” Go to Amazon or Apple Books
“Before and After Cagney & Lacey,” a second memoir … coming soon from McFarland Publishers
