Ty Watches "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" Season 15

Last night my wife and I were finally able to watch the season 15 finale of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia". We are getting all caught up on the shows we missed while we were away celebrating the holidays.

This season may have been short, only eight episodes, but it was pretty damn excellent. I was fully in the whole time. They tackled the pandemic. They talked about owning a business during unprecedented times. They traveled to Ireland. They used CGI for the first time. We met Charlie's real father. They even got the waitress involved. And they did it as hilariously uncomfortable as they always do.

"IASIP" is a near perfect show. There are no real problems with it. Even if they have some past controversy, they owned up to it, and even talked about it and made an entire episode confronting it this season. That ep was phenomenal by the way. I also really enjoyed the CGI monkey they used this season. That was another great ep, and it was the nudge they needed to go to Ireland. When they got to Ireland, that was when this season went from good to great. It was some of the best stuff this show has ever done. I like that, the older they get, the more they touch on real life situations. Dennis got COVID, minor spoiler alert. And that brought out the horribleness in other characters, mainly Frank. Dee finally got an acting job, but things kept getting in the way for her. When she got the big bump on her head, and how they redistributed the blood, that was great. This was also how they got the waitress involved, and she becomes pretty important in the penultimate episode of the season. Mac was even looking to get involved with the church after he learned some stuff about his past. That was a great runner this season.

Charlie, at least for me, was the absolute star of the season. He meets his real dad. He finds his place. He knows the people of Ireland. They write and speak and act like him. He finally has a person he can relate to that seems to know him. He finally has someone that really loves him. But all the stuff that this brings up in Frank made it all the better. Frank and Charlie are definitely the best "love story" on the show. They are the only two that seem to genuinely enjoy one another's company. So when Charlie meets his new dad, and wants to spend all his time with him, Frank is noticeably upset. He acts out. But in the end, they come together. And that is not a spoiler for anyone that watches this show regularly. I was blown away by Charlie Day's performance, especially in the season finale. He went to some dramatic places and really shined. He is a good actor, but this performance truly shined through. I was super impressed.

I also love the way they closed out the season, being the usual obnoxious Americans that we have all come to know and love. It was a very fitting ending for this season. The finale reminded me a bit of the one where Mac came out to his dad. While not as moving and poetic, it was still pretty damn awesome and profound.

"IASIP" is a pantheon show. It is iconic. And season 15 is a feather in their cap. I cannot wait for season 16.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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SeedSing Classic: Advent Calendar of Holiday Television Programs: Day 23 - "Seinfeld - The Strike"

ed note: This article was first published on December 18th, 2016

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy

Day 23 "Seinfeld - The Strike"

Original air date - December, 18th 1997 

Opened Doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen,  Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen, Twenty, Twenty-One, Twenty-Two

For SeedSing's Advent Calendar of great holiday television shows, today, I'm going to write about the "Festivus" episode of "Seinfeld". I know the episode is called "The Strike", but lets be honest, I think we all know this as the Festivus episode. The Festivus episode of "Seinfeld" ranks right up there with any "Simpsons", "The Office" or any other TV show we have written about for the Advent calendar. In fact, I'm going to say that the Festivus episode of "Seinfeld" is the best holiday television show ever. I may quote "The Simpsons" more, or laugh at "The Office" more, but this particular episode of "Seinfeld" has literally changed the way I view the holiday. Today marks Festivus, and I will be airing grievances, showing feats of strength and getting the big pole out for this wonderful pre holiday holiday. 

The episode starts off funny. We all learn that Kramer was/is a worker in a bagel shop, and the strike that he has been seemingly on for years, has ended. Funny right off the bat. The whole thing with the bagel shop, and Kramer's past, and now present, are all classic "Seinfeld". We also get another story involving Elaine giving some creeps a phony phone number and there is some wackiness that happens with this plot line throughout. But, the true gem of the episode is when George's dad tells the world of the joyous day of Festivus.

We learn that when George was a kid, his dad was in line waiting to get him a toy, a doll in fact, and someone else got the last one. He pleaded and prodded the person to give him the doll, but they just would not budge. This caused Frank to lose his mind. He got very, very upset, as he almost always does.  This was when and where he Frank decided he needed to have a "holiday for the rest of us", and thus, Festivus was born. He decided that everyone needs to do many things to make themselves feel a bit better during this holiday season.

Let's be honest, this time of year brings out the anxiety and anger in the best of us. The holiday season can be pretty rough. So, the fact that Frank came up with a holiday where everyone can air their grievances, I love it. I wish this was a real thing and people would not get upset at the outcome. Imagine how nice it would be to tell everyone how you feel, but with the caveat that they cannot get mad at you, and they are allowed to do the same. This would be terrific. To let it all out, that would feel great from both sides. I love that the Costanza's do this every year, because who has more grievances than the Costanza's? No one, that's who. Imagine Frank, Estelle and George sitting around airing their grievances, it must be magically hilarious.

Then, the feats of strength. This would be my absolute favorite. This gives you the chance to prove who is the strongest in your family. I would crush this part of Festivus (ed note: no he would not), and I think my whole family, while they might disagree at first, knows that I would dominate. Now, imagine once again, the Costanza's doing this. I can almost guarantee that Estelle would be the strongest in the family. She may not look it, but I think she would absolutely dominate George and Frank in a feats of strength competition. I bet George is also the weakest, even at everyone's advanced age. He is so meek and mean, but that is just his attitude, I'm sure that does not translate into actual strength.

Then, we have the Festivus pole, which is the alternative to the tree and menorah used during this time of year. It is just an unadorned pole that sits in your living room on December 23rd. It does nothing, but it adds so much to this episode. The fact that Frank just wanted an alternative to all the glitz and glamour of the holiday's is a perfect representation of Frank and the Costanza's. They do not conform to social norms at any times, and I love that.

What makes this episode even more wonderful is the fact that people have made Festivus a real holiday. This has become a real thing. At the time of its airing, it was just an idea that Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David and the "Seinfeld" writing crew came up with, but now, it is real. The computer hasn't proclaimed that I have spelled the word wrong once, there is actual written facts on the internet and most people actually celebrate the day. This has become a world wide, nationally celebrated holiday. I know for a fact that when I go see my family later today, we will celebrate some of the best parts of Festivus, and I cannot wait (ed note: also the fact that Ty will once again lose the feats of strength).

The fact that Festivus is a nationally recognized thing should be more than enough to get this episode on our list, but there are so many more reasons. It is a funny, goofy, Costanza heavy episode, which are usually the best that "Seinfeld" has to offer. While I love "The Simpsons", and it will always be my favorite show, this episode of "Seinfeld" is one of the best episodes of just general television, but it is also the best representation of this holiday that TV has ever put out. It is magnificent.

Go out and have a wonderful Festivus everyone. After all, it is a holiday for the rest of us.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Did we mention that Ty always loses the feats of strength. He does always lose. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Tracey Ullman has Been an Awesome Treat on "Curb Your Enthusiasm"

I give a lot of love to "Curb Your Enthusiasm" on this site, and it is well deserved. And this newest season, which will be over after Sunday, has been amazing. I put it in my top five shows of the year. I have loved everything they have done. I am totally in on how they have attacked this season, and it feels like it could go down as one of the best of the series. But there is one move they made for this season that has put it over the top and made it the classic it will soon become.

Adding Tracey Ullman as Irma has been an absolute home run. She is terrific in this role. She is perfect. She is the funniest part. She makes me laugh harder than anyone else when she is on screen. She commands the viewer's attention, and boy oh boy is she crushing it. I didn't know what to expect when she showed up on screen. She was sitting in a crowd at a political rally and she and David had an interaction. I remember watching that scene and asking my wife if that was Ullman. She later confirmed by looking it up on the internet. We both thought it was going to be a one off, "Curb" does that a lot, but she was there to stay.

Ullman plays a political person in Larry's neighborhood. And for those of us that have watched since the season premiere, Larry needs help from the local government. David decided he was going to date Irma to get what he wants. I am not going to spoil anything further, rather just use the rest of my blog to praise her performance. Ullman's character is supposed to be a gross, loud, obnoxious and simply a miserable person to be around. Everyone who comes in contact with her says as much. And Ullman is nailing it. She is repulsive and gross and hilarious. The interactions between her and David are gold. When Ullman is around other people, say Susie, it is just as great. The most recent episode has a back and forth between Susie and Irma that had me rolling on the floor when I watched last night. Ullman also seems to be having the time of her life in this limited role. She is really going for it and absolutely nailing it. It feels like, and my wife said as much last night, that she and David have known each other for years, and the two of them are just enjoying the hell out of improv-ing off one another. They are clearly having a good time.

Ullman on "Curb" this season has also made me reevaluate how great of a comedy mind the actress has always been. She is not mentioned often enough when people talk about great television minds. "The Tracey Ullman Show" was an absolute treat. It also started "The Simpsons", which will always hold a special place in my heart. On that show she also worked with the likes of Anne Beatts and James L Brooks. She also won multiple Emmys for the show. She then found great success with HBO. She did a bunch of shows based on her character work, which is impeccable. She's also appeared on "Ally McBeal", "How I Met Your Mother", the BBC's "Howard's End" and "Mrs. America". She works. But her role on "Curb" this year has been the creme de la creme. She is simply the best. I hope she sticks around for the next season. I'm super curious to see what they do with her in the season finale.

All I know is, no matter what happens from here on out, Ullman has been dynamite and I am so glad that I got to watch her on this season of "Curb". I recommend you all do the same.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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2021 Top Five - Television

Today I am coming to you with my top five TV shows of 2021. This one was harder than movies for me. I watch a ton of TV. I watched a bunch prior to COVID, and since quarantine, I watch even more. There were so many shows at the start of the pandemic that I rushed through. Then I watched a bunch of crappy reality TV. I watched the end of one of my favorite series, "Brooklyn 99". All of that stuff could have made it, but I was able to finally pair it down to five shows that I felt really surpassed the rest. These shows have separated themselves from the rest of the pack.

At number five I have the newest season of "Curb Your Enthusiasm". The newest season has been a total gem. Every episode to this point has been better than the last. I also really like how they have dealt with the pandemic. They acknowledged it and moved on. Now it is as if the characters live in a post pandemic world. The guest stars have been top notch, especially Tracy Ullman. She has been a great addition. But I think what has been the best thing about this season, it is comforting. It is like it never left. Larry David and crew are simply the best at what they do, and when the newer seasons come out it is like they never left. I truly believe that "Curb" is the best written show of all time, and season 11 further proves that point.

At number four I have season two of "Dave". What Dave Burd has done with this show is nothing short of impressive. I assumed it would be joke after joke after joke. I assumed it would be filled with dick and fart jokes. I assumed it would be silly. While it has its silly moments, it is a damn impressive show with real life elements. "Dave" touches on real world issues. It shows us what the music industry is like. It shows the viewers different features of different people from different walks of life. Everything with Dave and his manager is wonderful and sad. The stuff with his parents and Dave's incessant need for love from his mom was great. The stuff with Dave's ex was amazing. The episode that may have had Rick Rubin was the high point of the season. But the stuff with GaTa took this show to a whole other level. GaTa is the star of this show now in my opinion. The way they have showcased him is simply perfect. I cannot wait to see where the show goes from here. And the way they ended season two was perfection.

At number three I have "WandaVision". This was the most innovative show of the year by a very wide margin. The way they chopped and screwed different eras of TV was great. I was super invested. I was also very intrigued at the end of every episode because they always gave it a very enticing button. There was always something odd lingering behind the scenes. As the show progressed it only got better and better. Elizabeth Olsen was already great as Wanda, and this show put her in the upper tier of superheroes. Paul Bettany was fantastic as Vision. I felt his pain and anger during the season. But Kathyrn Hahn stole the show. Hahn as Agatha was one of the best twists I have seen since "The Good Place" season one finale. I am super interested to see where they go with Wanda in the MCU now. They can really do a lot of things now because of how incredible "Wandavision" was. We do not get many new or cool ideas nowadays, so "Wandavision" was a very nice surprise.

At number two I have season two of "I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson". There is no better sketch comedy show on any platform right now. Every single sketch has something memorable in it. Be it Dan Flashes, changing lunch times, not knowing how to drive a car, going on a date and getting roasted by a sculpture on the wall, having your old professor eat your dinner, eating sloppy steaks and so many more, it is all quotable and funny as hell. I am stoked that Netflix is giving Tim Robinson an alley to do comedy his way. He never got that chance on "SNL". Comedy Central canceled "Detroiters" way too soon. But Netflix is really letting him stretch his comedy legs with "ITYSL". This show is so funny too. Everyone I talk to that watches this show agrees. There is something special brewing here, and this could become a classic that is talked about for years to come. It is weird, but it is also so well done and so well written. I love what Robinson, Zack Kanin and Sam Richardson are doing with "ITYSL". If you haven't been watching this show, go do it now. It is so worth your time.

At number one I have "Squid Game". Who thought I was going to try and put "Inside" here? Nope, it is a movie and soundtrack. "Squid Game" is easily the best show that came out this year. I remember my dad telling me about this wild show he was watching on Netflix before anyone else was raving about "Squid Game". He was raving about it. He mentioned it a few times while we were having coffee. And when I left his house he reminded me to watch it when I got home. I did, and boy was he correct. I was hooked immediately. This show is so interesting and brutal and innovative and cool and crazy and so well done. Everything about it is perfect. I would watch multiple episodes a night. I would constantly think about it when I wasn't watching. I would tell my friends about it. I gave my dad all the props in the world the next time I saw him. He was totally on the spot. He was there before it became this tremendous hit. I watched the show all the way through twice. Once by myself and once with my wife. She loved it too. So has everyone else that I know that has seen it. This is a once in a generation type show. I am so extremely excited for season two. I cannot wait to see what they do. I love everything about "Squid Game". It is the best show of 2021.

That is it for today. Come back for my top podcast/podcast episodes of 2021 tomorrow.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Watches "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" Season 15 Premier

Last night my wife and I watched the season 15 premiere of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia". There were two new episodes in fact. And it was as great as I hoped. The show hasn't been on in awhile, but it felt like they never left with the first two eps of this season. Let’s discuss.

The first one was all about their characters 2020 in review. They posed it as a government official coming in to ask about personal PPP loans, but it was really just a platform for them to do what they do best, make super tasteless, super funny jokes. The fact that they all claimed to have something to do with the 2020 election was pretty great, and kind of scary because of how truthful some of the stuff they did. I could have easily seen people as vile and brutal as their characters doing the same. And to end it with "their guy" being Kanye West, it was simply genius.

The second episode was all about them making "Lethal Weapon 7". For fans of the show, we all know the gang's love for the "Lethal Weapon" series. But this time they wanted to be more sensitive. Again, it was so funny. The pimp Pepperjack, that actor was amazing. All the stuff with Frank was hilarious. Dee's arc, oh man that was some "Always Sunny" at the top of its game. And Dennis explaining how he has changed, it was too perfect.

The premiere was great. Seriously, go watch. But what I want to talk about today is how great "Always Sunny" really is. It has staying power, it is still great, it is one of the funniest shows on tv, it has a "Curb" like appeal of never having a bad episode. The show works so well. It was also nice to have it back. I have found during this pandemic, seeing older shows, returning shows, classic shows coming back for record breaking seasons or in reruns, it makes me forget about how tough the past two years have been. The shows let me escape. Even with the gang talking about the pandemic, hearing them say COVID, seeing extras wearing masks, it did not take me back to how hard the past two years have been. The creators and actors are so good at their jobs that they let me escape into their world. They let me forget what is going on outside for 30 minutes. I really appreciate that. And to have a show like "Always Sunny", that is so great, back on TV, that rules. These people know what they are doing. They know what works. They know how to craft perfect jokes for their characters. It is truly a great thing to see genius people doing genius work. I know a lot of people say that "Always Sunny" is my generation's "Seinfeld". I used to balk at that because I always felt like both shows are so different and so great. But when you sit down and think of it, they are right. "Always Sunny" is a millennials version of "Seinfeld". Both shows have no redeemable characters, but they know that and they roll with it. "Always Sunny" just goes a bit further with their jokes. The shows are also so brilliantly written that it is easy to see the comparison. Very funny, very smart comedic minds coming together to create something classic, that is a thing of beauty.

"Always Sunny" is a classic, and it is a classic for a reason. And again, it is comforting to have it back on TV. I love this show and I cannot be more excited to see where they go from here.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Watches "This is Pop"

Recently I found a new show on Netflix that I have really enjoyed. The show is called "This is Pop". The pure nuts and bolts of the show is how pop music has changed, mixed with genres, tells stories and made its way into our lives for good. There are eight episodes that each focus on a different topic.

I was skeptical of the show at first because I have always said I am not a fan of modern pop music. There are a few bands and singers I like, but for the most part, it is not for me. I was not a fan of boy bands. I did not buy into the bubble gum aspect of Brittany Spears. Pop music was not for me. I like hip hop, rock, blues and folk. Those are my preferred genres, with hip hop being my favorite. But I have got to say, this show has changed my mind on pop music in general.

The first episode was all about Boys 2 Men. I knew of them of course. They were super popular when I was a younger kid. I loved their first single when I was little. But then they went away. What this episode did was show me their process. It showed me how hard they worked and how great a group of singers they were and still are. It also showed me that they were the first true boy band that existed. I also liked learning about them being able to crossover to many different fans. It was fascinating.

The second episode was all about auto tune. This has been my favorite episode. It was so interesting to hear about the auto tune phenomenon and why it is so hated by fans but beloved but some musicians. T-Pain comes off wonderful. I am a fan of his personality for sure. I also really liked how they showed the comedic use of auto tune. It was great.

The third episode is all about how some of the most famous pop songs ever written and recorded come from Stockholm, Sweden. I had no idea that pretty much all of Brittany Spears, The Backstreet Boys and N'Sync's songs were written and produced in Sweden. I also had no idea how hard the Swedes work, and how humble they are about their fame. The people involved in this episode, the people we never see or hear from, have been a part of some of the biggest pop songs ever. "Hit Me Baby", "I Want it That Way", "Bye Bye Bye", all of those songs were written and produced by the Swedes. We also got Roxette and Ace of Base from Sweden. Some of Pink's biggest songs were written by Swedes. It was incredibly informative.

Episode four talks about country music shifting to pop. For a person that is not a country music fan at all, this ep was really cool. I did not realize all the crossover and how stodgy old school country musicians are. Also, Dolly Parton rules. She is the best.

Episode five dove into Britpop. This one was cool because they mostly focused on the "fight" between Oasis and Blur. I am personally a Blur fan, but it was cool to see all the different people talking about why they liked each band. I found it very interesting that Oasis was more the working class band. The episode also made me appreciate Damon Albarn all the more. He is truly a musical genius. This was a good one.

Episode six was all about festivals. This one gave me the heebie jeebies. There were too many people. Too much stuff going on. Festivals were never my thing. This was probably the one ep I would skip if I were to watch this series again.

Episode seven was the most powerful. It was called "What Can a Song Do", and it was all about the power of music. They went from Woody Guthire to Billy Bragg, to Public Enemy to music in the Me Too movement and Riot Grrl stuff. I found this episode to be incredibly important. It was truly wonderful and powerful to see the strength that music has, to see the change that music can create. Hozier was a wonderful narrator for this episode. I am still thinking about everything they said today. It was moving and tremendous.

The final episode is all about the Brill Building in New York and how some of the most famous pop songs were made in this one building. Again, a fascinating event that I have never thought about before. Also, Neil Sedaka seems like a delightful human being. I have not fully finished the episode yet, but I will today.

I think this show is very well done. It tells very good stories about people and events that music fans may take for granted. Each episode is about 40 minutes long, so it is not a total grabber of your time. You can do what I did and watch 2 episodes before bed. Check this show out. It is very good and very informative.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Watches "Kevin Garnett: Anything is Possible"

Yesterday I was able to watch the Showtime documentary "Kevin Garnett: Anything is Possible". I am a very, very big fan of Garnett's. I have been since I was a kid. I watched him in the McDonald's All American game when I was 15, I so badly wanted him to go to Michigan, I was stoked when decided to go to the draft and I followed his career all the way to the end when he finished back where it started. I guess you could say that I’m a fan.

This movie did a good job of going over most of that, but it was all from the perspective of the man himself. This was a hard and fast documentary. This was as much a documentary as "Blackfish" or "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room". The only difference, and I do love both of those movies, the subject of this one was something that I am extremely interested in. I love basketball, I love inside scoop and I adore KG. This had it all. I loved how this movie flowed too. They started right off the bat with him playing in his hometown of South Carolina. They mentioned how he had to keep it secret from his mom, how she found out and supported it and the unintentional mess that he got involved in. I also dug how they did not go super deep into that whole incident because KG did not really do anything wrong. They mentioned the incident and moved on. They then shifted to Farragut Academy in Chicago where his star really started to shine. It was cool to learn about that school, about their historic past and about the team that KG was on. I also really enjoyed the coach and really like that guy a lot. He is who shaped KG the basketball player. He let him shine. He let him yell and scream and play with emotion. He brought out exactly what Garnett needed at that time in his life. I also liked the story of Ronnie Fields, his teammate at Farragut. That dude could have been a star, but he got into a bad car wreck at 18. He is still alive, and to hear him talk about his life now, that was uplifting. He is a good dude.

From Farragut is where we shift to his decision to go pro from high school. I did not realize he was the first high school player in twenty years to go straight to the NBA. That was a cool new thing I learned about one of my favorite players. I also really liked how they talked about how he was the first to really start the prep to pros thing. Like I said, there were players before KG, but KG really set it off. I also liked the story of KG and his buddies going to a gym that the Bulls were practicing in, and Jordan invited KG in to play. And he held his own. And meeting Isaiah Thomas that day was the main reason he decided to go pro. Thomas told him he was ready, so KG made the leap. I really liked the stuff with KG being a rookie in Minnesota. I enjoyed hearing how much Flip Saunders liked him. I liked that he had to prove himself to teammates, and when he earned their trust, they knew who was going to be the face of the team. The stuff with him and Stephon Marbury was very eye opening. As was the stuff with his big contract, and how that changed the face of the NBA and the league instituting the max salary. The owners are shady, shady people. The trade to Boston was pretty compelling too. I am not a Celtics fan, but hearing KG talk about why he went there, it all made sense. It was his best shot at a title. And he got that ring. I loved seeing the interaction between KG and Bill Russell. That was amazing stuff. I also loved seeing KG interact with Snoop Dogg. That was awesome as well.

I found this movie to be compelling and informative and fun and eye opening and good. It was a great portrayal of one of the best NBA players to ever play. And I loved how they ended it with his Hall of Fame enshrinement. "Kevin Garnett: Anything is Possible" is a must watch for NBA fans and fans of KG in general. This was a great movie. I highly recommend checking it out.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Watches "Big Mouth" Season Five

"Big Mouth" has done it yet again.

This show is one of the best things that has been on TV in quite some time. Each season deals with, or adds some new layer that just makes it better and better. I am a big time fan of this show. I have loved it from day one. I have said on this site, to anyone that will let me tell them, hell, to myself that "Big Mouth" is the best representation of going through puberty on any platform right now. I really, truly believe that kids in middle school should be watching the show. I think they should teach a class on it in school. It would have been so much better than the ridiculous sex education that I got when I was in middle school. It was too technical. It was too clinical. They used words that my 13 year old brain had not even heard. At least "Big Mouth" is compelling for kids. It is a cartoon. And it shows the horribleness, and sometimes wonderfulness, that is puberty. It is the truest version that I have ever seen.

Like I said above, they add something new each season that I will watch and think about all the times I had those exact same feelings. This season, their fifth, added hate worms. We have the hormone monsters, the shame wizard, the depression kitty, the anxiety mosquito and so many, many more already. Adding the hate worm was a cherry on top. Even though none of us want to admit it, we all went through this phase of hating a person for some reason only we knew at the time. They used it great in "Big Mouth" by showing Missy getting angry at Jessie for stealing her idea for an organized protest group, and for Nick being upset when Jessie did not like him back. We all had these feelings. It happened to us all. What "Big Mouth" did so well in this fifth season was have the characters say and act how I, and many, many others felt when we were that age, but did not say and act out of rage. It was funny and eye opening to see these cartoon characters act on their rage. They went over the top, but that works because when you are that young and angry, you probably want to go over the top, but you don't. "Big Mouth" gives us this outlet. I also like how they wrapped it up. How they showed Missy and Nick getting through their anger. I liked them showing how they apologized for being assholes. It was great. I also thought it was a great idea to have Nick Kroll, one of the creators of the show, show up as himself and talk to his teenage cartoon character. That was great.

Outside the hate in season five, the other characters involved had some solid storylines. Jay finally finds his true love. Nick's sister gets a real boyfriend. Nick's parents have their first real fight, and then makeup. Jay's dog has a great, small story this season. The Christmas episode was cool as hell. The main hormone monsters have a solid backstory. Lola, Devon and Devin, Ali, they each grow a bit this season.

"Big Mouth" is such a great show. I hope they keep making it. I am pretty sure they have a pretty solid contract with Netflix to keep making it. I love it, I think it is super relatable and totally based in reality, even though it is a cartoon. I think everyone should watch it. I think each person will find something they can relate to while watching. "Big Mouth" is awesome.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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"The Last O.G." is Still Good, I Want it to Be Great.

I have been watching all of "The Last OG". From its start to where it is now, on season three,

I'm there for it. I think it is a solid show. Tracy Morgan is my all time favorite actor. Full stop. I love everything he is in, and I will watch pretty much anything he is in. He is it for me. He is the comedy actor. He makes me laugh all the time. I do not even watch "SNL" anymore, but I saw he was on a sketch last week and you better believe I watched in on YouTube the next day. He rules.

The other people on the show are great too. Tiffany Haddish is hilarious. Ryan Gaul is funny and can do a bit of drama. The actors playing his kids are really good at portraying teens. Tracy Morgan's mom is really good. Everyone knocks it out of the park. Jordan Peele is an executive producer and co creator of the show. This show has all the elements I look for when I want to watch a comedy show. And it has been really good for 2twoseasons.

We are four episodes into the third season, and while I have been enjoying it, it is kind of doing the same thing. They ended season two on a humongous cliffhanger, but they wrapped it up by the second episode of this season. I love that Tracy Morgan's character wants to give back, he is an ex-convict, but that storyline has kind of run its course. I do like what they are doing this season with a former childhood friend who lost her brother due to Morgan's character selling him drugs. I like how they are showing how his past really hurt other people. And the lady who plays Vecey is tremendous. It is a good storyline this season. I want it to be the main storyline. I feel like, especially after watching the most recent episode, they are going that way, and that is good. I just want them to stay in that lane. Again, I like how they show Tray giving back, but they have done that to death. I also really enjoy his interactions with his kids, but they have done that already. I am bummed out Haddish is not in this season, or she hasn't been yet, but that could do with scheduling or other conflicts. She is such a great actor, and she really shines on this show. I miss her a lot. I appreciate what they are doing with Gaul, her current husband, and the kids though. I just wish Haddish was there to perform. I saw that the next episode does have Tray helping someone out, but it is a guy that lived in the halfway house with him after they were released. I'd much rather see him help out those dudes than helping out a random kid on the street. And that is not because I am heartless, they have already done it. A few times. They have scratched that itch. And have done it very well. I want the show to go in new, different directions because I love it so much. I do not want it to feel stagnant. I was getting the stagnant feel, but then the fourth episode happened, and it has pushed me back to my hopeful feelings of the show doing a new story involving someone else involved in Tray's life.

I really do like this show. "The Last OG" has proven its worth and then some. I just hope it doesn't get content. I want it to go into different stories with different people. I think they are doing that. And I am hopeful that they are doing that.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "Bad Sport"

Yesterday I finished up a very cool and interesting show on Netflix. The show is called "Bad Sport". I was scrolling through Netflix the other day and it popped up as something I might have been interested in. They were right. I do like sports and I am interested in the seedy underworld that no one ever really talks about. This show has both.

Now, I was hyped because the first episode was all about a point shaving incident that I know of that occurred in the 90's involving Arizona State. I remember this story as a kid. They made a made for TV movie about this incident in the early 2000's. I was aware. What this first episode did though was go very, very deep in the whole scandal. I was learning a ton of new things. I was also kind of frightened at the people who got involved. I was also fascinated at how high this went. It was very informative and a very good. watch. The first episode was a great starting point for my sports fandom. Then I took a few days off because the other episodes featured sports I have never been too interested in. But I was still kind of looking for other shows, but my mind kept wandering back to "Bad Sport". So the next few days I devoured the rest of the series.

I am not a race car fan, but the second episode was all about a race car driver that brought in and sold millions of pounds of marijuana. It was incredible to hear this guy's story. I loved hearing what the people around him thought. I actually ended up kind of siding with the main guy in the end. He got put away for a long time just for some weed. And the race car stuff was kind of interesting. It was minimal, but I still found myself following it all.

The third episode was about a humongous bombshell involving Juventus soccer. I guess their owner back in the day had some serious pull over officials and was able to get things to go for his team when he needed it to. There were never any fixed games, or so they say, but the refs did some shady stuff. And the refs who didn’t do the shady stuff, they got stiff penalties. One of them was kidnapped for a few days. It was also wild to see the actual guy they were talking about come on and be interviewed near the end. And he still claims he did nothing wrong. It was wild.

The fourth episode featured a figure skating controversy. I never really watch figure skating, but I have friends and family that like to watch. I was also vaguely familiar with the people involved in this story because it became so big. There was a Canadian team and a Russian team, they were pairs, and there was a whole problem involving a French judge and how she may or may not have fixed an Olympic event in favor of the Russian team. The story was so wild too. I was totally invested in this one.

The fifth episode featured the biggest monster on the show. This one was about show horses and the owners. The guy they focused on was a guy that ended up falling into this world, and he became known as the Sandman, a guy that would get rid of horses if the owners wanted him to for a 5,000 dollar fee. And by get rid I mean he would execute these poor horses. This episode was frightening. It made me sick to my stomach at times. There were people that made me so angry while I watched. It also made me furious with the legal system. This episode has really stuck with me.

The final episode focuses on a South African cricket star that took money to try and fix games. He was a mega star in the cricket world. He had a big come up and achieved greatness pretty young. He was beloved by everyone. But all along he was accused of finding teammates and telling them to fix games here and there to get big chunks of money. It wasn't until a few of his younger teammates didn't do what he asked him to that he got caught. It was a big time scandal and the guy was banned from cricket. And that wasn't even the worst thing to happen to him. You'll have to watch to see what happens next.

I really liked this show. I hope it comes back for more seasons. I was endlessly fascinated by what I saw. It was very well done and very informative. I definitely recommend people check out this show. It is great.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches the Trailer for "Atlanta"

Yesterday I was checking stuff out on the internet, as I like to say, as I am want to do, and I came across a story on many, many social media platforms claiming that Donald Glover surprised everyone with a new trailer for his hit series "Atlanta".

I am a big, big time fan of this show as you all know very well by now. I think it is the best show on TV, it is a delight to watch, it makes me think days after every episode and Donald Glover can do no wrong in the entertainment world. He is a genius. So I was obviously stoked about the trailer. I do not know if he put it out late Sunday or early Monday. I saw it on Monday. I am older, I am a dad, I am usually late to popular stuff on the internet, all of these are my excuses on why it took me an extra day to know, and then watch the trailer. As soon as I saw the story, and a link to the trailer, I watched it immediately. And I loved every single weird second of it.

The trailer is about a minute long. I think it might actually be exactly one minute. I'm sure there is some reasoning to it, but I am not smart enough, nor do I want to put the research time into finding out exactly why it is one minute long. But I watched it with pure glee. I was quite giddy in fact. I started the trailer and was completely blown away by what I saw. It was eerie. It was different. It was sleek. It was cool. I felt hip watching it. I also felt like a dork too because I was a bit confused. Anyway, the trailer goes through a bunch of different rooms and there is a song lyric repeated over and over. "It's after the end of the world/don't you know that yet". That is the lyric that is repeated over and over again. And there is some dark and creepy music accompanying the words. All the while we see these rooms. We see empty, what I assume, are concert venues. There are very few people roaming the streets. I only saw a few people on bikes in one shot. There are four TV's set up with different images flashing on them. There is a room filled with chairs stacked on top of one another. And at the end we see Brian Tyree Henry, who plays Paper Boi. The camera starts out far away from him, but the shot gets tighter and tighter while the creepy song comes to a big crescendo. We then get a close up shot of Paper Boi looking sad and despondent. He has a white shirt with some red, yellow and green stripes on it, and across his chest in yellow letters the word "FAKE". He also has two people working for him who are totally turned away from the camera not even looking in his direction. The screen then goes black and it says "Atlanta/2022".

This has me even more pumped up for what is to come in 2022. Clearly Paper Boi has made his ascent to some kind of fame. But we will also, or so it seems, get a look at how Donald Glover has dealt with the pandemic. We will also hopefully get to see that Paper Boi may not be happy with his newfound fame. Maybe he doesn't like the limelight like he thought he would. I am very curious to see where LaKeith Stanfield, Zazie Beetz and Donald Glover's characters are in this world created by Glover.

While I think a show like "Curb" is more reliable, or "The Simpsons" is my favorite show of all time, "Atlanta" is probably the best show on TV when it is on. And after this trailer I can only hope that this whole new season is going to be like the "Teddy Perkins" episode from the second season, because that is an all time classic. Needless to say, I am very, very excited for the new season of "Atlanta". Now I just have to wait a few more months.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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"Curb Your Enthusiasm" is the TV GOAT

Last night my wife and I watched the season 11 premiere of “Curb Your Enthusiasm”.

It was great. It was funny, I like how they approached COVID, there is a great storyline involving Albert Brooks, another one with Lucy Liu and a great bit about COVID hoarding. It is like a warm mug of hot chocolate on a cold night. The show is reliable and comforting. And I’m not here to review the premiere today. I just said it was great. What I do want to talk about today, a thought I had while having coffee with my mom and dad this morning, “Curb” is the most reliably great show on TV.

Hear my out. The show took a few years off between seasons, yet watching the premiere last night, it was like it never left. It was just as good as it always had been. There is not one episode or moment of this show that I think is bad. Everything is good too great. Everything works. Larry David is the GOAT of tv writers and actors. I don’t know why it took so long for me to realize this, it it’s true. There are shows I love, shows I adore, but most, if not all, have clunkers. “The Simpsons” is my favorite show of all time, but the early “Treehouse of Horrors” episodes are easy for me to skip. They’re not as silly as the more modern ones. They tried to make them kind of scary in fact. I would be fine if I never saw them again. “Breaking Bad” was the first show I binged, and it was great. But, and I do appreciate the message of the episode, the one where Bryan Cranston is obsessed with killing a fly in the meth lab was kind of dull. I thought it was fine, but it isn’t something I’ll revisit. “The Wire” is the best show ever in my opinion, but like many other people, most of season two is a drag to get through. We don’t get much of the main characters we grew to love in the first season. They show up here and there, but not enough for me. “Lost” kept my attention, but the episode about Jack’s tattoos is stupid. It’s a legit waste of time. “The Office” rules, but seasons seven, eight and nine stink. As soon as Steve Carrell left the show went down the tubes. “Parks and Rec” was the opposite “Office”. The first two seasons are easy to skip. I could go on and on. But when I look at “Curb” there is no season or episode that I want to skip. Everything works. The show is perfect. There are no clunkers. There’s no bad seasons. When Cheryl and Larry split, that could’ve been an undoing, but they nailed the transition. When Leon moves in with him it took the show up a few notches. Whenever Ted Danson is on it’s hilarious. Everything with Richard Lewis is glorious. The early seasons are as good as the recent seasons. The way they write this show, and let these comedic geniuses improvise, it makes the show never stale. It’s always fresh. It’s always funny. They can take a guy like Vince Vaughn and turn him into a character actor. They get Jon Hamm to play a heightened version of himself. Jeff Garlin and Susie Essman are always great.

“Curb Your Enthusiasm” is quite simply the most reliable show on tv. I don’t even think it’s arguable. I’m pumped it’s back on, and I already know this season will be great, just like the first ten seasons. What a triumphant show.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "Champaign ILL"

A few years back I heard about a show that David Caspe and his crew were producing for YouTube. I read that it would star Adam Pally and Sam Richardson. I heard that it was going to be about a rapper and his entourage. I read that it was going to be very comical, but have some dark moments. All of these things checked my boxes for what I look for in a TV show. Well, except the YouTube part. It was going to be a YouTube exclusive, but you had to pay for the content. I really like YouTube. I use it a lot, especially during the pandemic, to watch concert footage, trailers for movies, music videos, a ton of stuff, all of which is free. I already pay for enough streaming services, I do not know how to get the material other ways and it seemed unnecessary for me to start paying for YouTube as well. My loss.

Fortunately the show was just released on Hulu, a streaming service I pay for, and I was able to watch it. The show is called "Champaign Ill". And it is everything I read about. The show follows Ronnie, Pally, and Alf Richardson. They are lifelong friends with a rapper who goes by ILL Lou the Sickest, played by Jay Pharoah. It is revealed pretty early on that Ronnie and Alf are a couple of free loaders. They do not know how to do much for themselves, they rely on Lou for everything and they are far too comfortable with the lives they currently have. Then, and this is not a spoiler because it happens in the first episode, Lou suddenly dies. He falls off a staircase filming a music video and hits his head. This shocks Ronnie and Alf, just like it did me when I watched.

This is where the show picks up steam. From here on out we go on to see how Ronnie and Alf have to adjust to life without Lou, and how they adjust to living back home in Champaign. They have all kinds of problems that they do not know how to fix. Alf wants his high school girlfriend back, but she is pregnant and hates him. Ronnie cannot figure out how to get back in the working world, even though he was heading to an Ivy league school before deciding to be part of Lou's crew. Alf has to move back in with his dad, and ever since his mom left him his dad has gotten very overweight and does not take good care of himself. Ronnie moves back home with his folks as well, but the parents are having problems, his sister is running a solid business, but she is still in his shadow and it drives her nuts. Needless to say, they are both finding their new surroundings to not be as nice. And when they find out they have no money in Lou's will for them, they really lose it. They try to start a business, but that never works. They try to write a song, they cannot do that. They try to get an apartment and they get into some serious credit card debt. But the thing that bugs them most is no one in their hometown seems to really care or be interested in their life from when they lived off Lou's coattails.

The series is all around great. It is one season that is ten episodes long. I finished it in about three days. I liked it that much. There is one episode where Ronnie and Alf have a very accusatory conversation in their apartment and it is like one long scene. The direction of this one episode has stuck with me for so long. It was super cool. My hats goes off to everyone involved with this show. It could have been cliche and corny, but they pulled it off. It is hilarious. It is dark. It deals with some heavy stuff. And it made me think how I would have acted had I been in a similar situation.

I really enjoyed this show, and now that it is on Hulu, I definitely recommend checking it out. It is well worth your time.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Even "Squid Game" is not Immune to Internet Idiots

I want to leave with one more thought on “Squid Game”. This won’t be the last time I bring it up, but it will be the last for a few months. I’ve given the show it’s well deserved praise. Be it the show, set design or music, it’s all an absolute home run. It’s one of the best shows ever. That much most of us can agree is true. So what do I have to say about it today?

The one thing that has me irked, that has annoyed me is the hate coming from people online about people who watch the show dubbed in English. That really bothers me that people are going after people who watch the show dubbed. I’ve seen it all. People have called others dumb, lazy, ignorant, all kinds of mean names just because they chose to watch a show differently than them. I have seen the first season twice now. I watched it the first time through with a mixture of subtitles and dubbed. And when my wife decided she wanted to see it we watched it with the English dub. And I’ve got to tell you all, there is not much of a noticeable difference. The show was just as dramatic. I was still on the edge of my seat. I was fully engaged in what I was watching no matter my method of watching. Be it subtitles or dubbed, I came away loving the show all the same.

I think it bums me out that people will find any excuse to be angry on the internet. I’ve been trying to be more positive on my blog posts this year. I’m staying away from things that trigger my anger. If I don’t like a movie or tv show or new music I just choose to not write about it. I feel much better as of late too. Not having something to gripe about has made me feel much better. I enjoy things much more now. I’m not watching or listening to something and trying to find a problem with it. I turn off my phone when I watch a show. When I listen to music I let myself hear it a few times before making my own personal judgement. And I usually keep that to myself unless I want people to check out something I think they might like. “Squid Game” is a very, very good tv show. The actors did a great job. The writers had a great idea. The direction is impeccable. And watching it dubbed did not take any of that away for me. Stop being so angry online. Stop judging people for how they watch tv. Judge people who won’t get vaxxed. Judge people who are mean to others for no reason. Judge people who have hate in their heart. But don’t get all high and mighty because you watched a tv show with subtitles. Hell, if you want to keep it really real, people in South Korea should be judging all of us for not watching in their native language. Just be cooler about things. Think before you go on the internet to judge. Just because you do something different from someone else that doesn’t make you better.

The lesson today? Let’s all just try to be cooler to one another. And finally, watch “Squid Game” any way you please. It works on every level.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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"Squid Game" is Tops in the Music Department

I have now watched "Squid Game" twice. And I still love it as much as I did the first time. It is truly one of the best shows to come out in quite some time. A few weeks back I wrote about the set design, namely the humongous piggy bank. That is still firmly in my head each and every time I think or talk about the show. Today I want to talk about the music.

Recently I have been listening to the music from the show on Spotify, and today it hit me as hard as the piggy bank did. The music from the show is all instrumental, so much like my review of "The Green Knight", it may not be for everyone. But I love it. I was listening to it when I took my kids to school today, no worries, they do not talk about what happens on the show at all, and even they were into it. We have been listening to it in the house at night time as a wind down. But this morning, after the kids left and I really got to take it in, the music just adds a whole other layer to this great show. The music cues made me think back to some of my favorite, and not so favorite moments from the first season. When they play the song that plays over the opening credits on the first episode, and then that song keeps reappearing throughout the season, I had so many visions of the show pop back into my head. I thought about the young kids playing squid game for fun. Then I thought about the hell they go through when they are in the warehouse. When the song "I Remember My Name" plays I was instantly taken back to the episode "Gnnabu", better known as "Marbles" to most now, and it wrecked me yet again. When they played the song that plays during "Dalgona" I was instantly nervous and anxious and thinking about what I would do during that game. They have a song when the soldiers are introduced and it builds to this amazing crescendo that had me totally remembering their introduction. The song that plays near the end of the season finale, no spoilers coming I promise, I got fired up like I used to when coaches would be riling us up before any football, baseball or basketball games. The music was giving me visceral reactions. I was feeling feelings that I had during the show, but it was also bringing up new feelings. To me that is the sign of great music, well made music. When you get a real reaction, that means it played a part. Another example is the song that plays when they show all the contestants the money in the piggy bank after playing red light green light. When the piggy bank keeps adding more and more money there is this almost video game like music playing. It made me feel like I was playing a game on my Nintendo when I was a kid.

Also the instruments they use are truly awesome. There are typical classical instruments being played, like pretty much any stringed instrument. But they also have guitars and keyboards and drums and synthesizers. It is updated classical music.

I have not listened to an instrumental album, outside of anything Ratatat does, since I listened to the "Jurassic Park" soundtrack as a kid. The "Squid Game" soundtrack has changed that, and it is better than the music from "Jurassic Park". No question about it. "Squid Game" is great for so many reasons, and the music is another in a long line. This show rules.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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"Squid Game" is Tops in the Design Department

Like most of the rest of the country I am watching the Netflix show "Squid Game". My dad told me about it a week ago, he has since finished and I am five episodes deep as of this writing. I talked to RD today and he has watched the first episode as well. This show has made it to number one in America on Netflix for a reason. People are talking about it.

I am not going to spoil a thing in the blog today. Seriously people, you need to watch this show ASAP. It is one of the most interesting and cool and unique and innovative shows that I have ever seen. It will blow your mind. I also suggest that you watch it with the English dub if you do not speak or know Korean. I tried to watch with subtitles, but the show is so involved, there is a ton of dialogue and since I am a dumb American it is easier for me to follow along watching the dubbed version. Other than that, the only other recommendation I would give is to avoid any and all spoilers and just watch the show without knowing anything going in.

I do want to point out one thing I think this show does better than almost any other show out there, and it has no spoilers at all. "Squid Game" has, I believe, the best set design in television. I have been blown away as much by the design as the plot. I see all these humongous set pieces and I am awed. Seeing all the colors, it is like the greatest set of crayons you could ever get. Seeing the playground equipment, how big and menacing it is, it is a sight to behold. The bed rooms the contestants have is so grimy and absolutely perfect. The places where the games take place are brightly lit and beautifully shot. I feel like that has a ton to do with how they designed the set.

But the crème de la crème is the humongous piggy bank they have in the warehouse where they live. This is not a spoiler because it shows up midway through the first episode, and it is a mainstay. The piggy bank plays a big role in the show. The piggy bank is clear, but it has ears, a nose and eyes, it is a perfect looking piggy bank. It is like the childhood banks people in my generation had in their rooms. I had a few piggy banks that looked exactly like the one they use in the show, just not clear. Making it clear was a presumptive idea, and it has totally paid off. To see what is inside, the amount of cash after that first episode makes it all the better. The fact that it is the only light in the warehouse at nighttime, when they shut the lights off, makes the piggy bank almost inviting and menacing. It is so perfect and so cool. I love seeing it. I would 100 percent wear a t-shirt with this exact piggy bank on it. I think they should use the piggy bank as the symbol for the show. When you turn on Netflix and go to find "Squid Game", I want it to be this enormous bank. That would make the show even more enticing in my opinion.

"Squid Game" does everything perfectly. The show is amazing. It is wild, it is crazy, it is a mind f. And the set design, particularly this piggy bank, make this one of the best shows on TV, streaming or otherwise. These sets are a treasure for the viewer. Watch this show for so many reasons. But if you need an entry, check it out to see the amazing set pieces they have. They are incredible.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty Watches "The Other Two"

A show I really enjoy just wrapped up their second season, "The Other Two".

When this show premiered two years ago I was immediately on board. I'm a big Drew Tarver fan. I have followed him on all the podcasts he appears on, and he is always one of the funniest people. He has a true comedic gift and I was glad he was getting a shot to do that in a co-starring role. I didn't know who Helene Yorke was prior to this show, but I have since become a fan. She is funny, she has great timing, she can do dramatic stuff and she is my absolute favorite on the show. Molly Shannon, Ken Marino, Case Walker, Wanda Sykes and Josh Segarra all add great stuff, but this show is all about Yorke and Tarver.

The premise hasn't changed much since season one. Tarver and Yorke are still living in their little brother's shadow and now their mom is the biggest daytime talk show host. But things have gotten a bit better for them. Tarver hosts a lot of short internet talk shows. This is one of the best parts about this season. Seeing Tarver's character doing a job he hates is pretty hilarious, but also relatable. Yorke ended as Chase's, her little brother, manager in season one, and now this season she takes over as her mom's manager and she becomes a much wanted manager in TV. Both of the kids are doing better, but they are still not as big as their brother and mom. I really liked how they skewer Hollywood and acting and managing and everything that goes into a job like that. The managing stuff was great. Yorke is always working, always tired, always sick, but never stops working. She can't for one, but she also seems to like the responsibility. She also is looking out for herself. But she does have quite a few moments of realization that are perfect. When she buys a humongous apartment but is lonely, I loved that. Her feelings for her ex were excellently played by both actors. When she realizes she has pushed her mom too much, that was heartbreaking. Yorke is masterful in this role. She is perfectly cast. She does her job so well. I love her acting in this show.

Tarver's character has quite a leap this season. He has his first real boyfriend, who he eventually splits with in a very sad scene. He has the hosting jobs, but as I stated earlier, he wants more and he strives for more. He gets himself back into the dating scene pretty hilariously. He gets and loses and gets an acting job in a movie all within three episodes. The way he gets the role finally is so funny and so poignant to modern times and the internet. Tarver, much like Yorke, is simply perfect in this show. He gets to do more wildly comedic stuff, but he also shows depth and drama chops.

I love that these two young actors are finally getting a chance to really show what they've got, and they are crushing it right now. I was also very happy with the switch to HBO Max. The show used to be on Comedy Central, but for whatever reason they moved over to HBO Max. This has allowed them to be more blue. The comedy can be broader. They can use profane language. You can get real reactions to tough situations. And HBO does make and produce quality TV shows. It was a solid and smart move.

Look, I love this show and I highly recommend it. Watch it anyway you can. It is definitely worth watching. HBO Max also has both seasons on, so you can binge it whenever you want. Watch "The Other Two". It is the hidden gem you've been waiting for.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "Brooklyn 99" Series Finale

Last night "Brooklyn 99" came to a close. I have loved this show from the start. I'm a big Andy Samberg fan, and when he is involved with something, I watch it. He is funny and charming and a very good comedic actor. Add on Mike Schur and I was sold. I also really enjoy Chelsea Peretti, so this show did not have to do much to win me over. Then to get me familiar with actors like Melissa Fumero, Terry Crews, Stephanie Beatriz, Joe Lo Truglio and Andre Braugher was a total plus. I now really like these actors, and have followed them since I first saw them on this show.

I was curious how they were going to end the series though. The final season has been very different from the rest of the series. This is due to many things. We have COVID, people being afraid and angry with the police and all these actors have grown up. I have enjoyed the final season, and the finale was a great way to close this all out.

For the finale they did a heist episode. Fans of the show know exactly what I am talking about. These are their best episodes in my opinion. So doing that, and making it a series finale was the absolute correct choice. I was enthralled the whole hour. I hung on every twist and turn that the episode gave us. I was also very happy to see Chelsea Peretti and Jason Mantzoukas and the guy who plays Bill and Fred Armisen all reprise their much loved characters. I also really enjoyed that Captain Holt and Jake and Terry all had these grand plans for the heist, but they were all sidetracked by one another. Holt, Jake and Amy were all leaving the 99, and with Rosa already gone, this was one of their last hurrahs as a group. This made the heist even more fun and funny. Everything they did in this episode was perfect. This is what a show like this should do to wrap everything up. I appreciated and liked that they touched on all the issues in the world that pertained to them on the show, but going out with a straight up goofy and wild episode was the thing to do.

“Brooklyn 99” has always been about jokes and relationships. They do touch on stuff in earlier seasons too, namely the episode where Terry gets racially profiled, but they always come back with a super funny follow up episode. That is what the "Grand Heist" was last night. It was just a blast to watch. They did tug at the heart strings too. Amy and Rosa have a very touching moment where they say I love you to one another. Gina does what she always does, but seems nicer about it. Terry is laughing and joking with everyone. But the ending moment between Holt and Jake was where they got my wife and I. This was great. Holt has always been Jake's father figure and to hear the words he says to him, I'm getting choked up as I write this just thinking about it. It was wonderful and poignant and brilliant and simply perfect.

"Brooklyn 99" is one of the best sitcoms that has been on TV in some time. It gets its due, but I feel like it deserves even more credit. I love this show, and the ending was the best possible way they could have closed it all out. I will miss you "Brooklyn 99". Thankfully I have Hulu so I can continue to watch this series over and over again.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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RIP Norm Macdonald

Yesterday I was coming home from a workout when RD texted me. The text read, "Norm Macdonald. That stinks man". I did not know what happened. I had not been on my phone much that day. I was clueless. So I texted back and asked what had happened. He told me that he had passed away from cancer.

I was stunned. This is two people that I have watched and respected that have died in the past two weeks. These both hurt. A lot.

I have been a big time Norm Macdonald fan ever since I was a kid. I loved his role in "Billy Madison". I walk around to this day and still tell people it is October when they ask me what day it is. I also crack up every time I see him in that movie laughing with his buddies after they light the dog poop on fire and he says "this is the best night of my life". As I got older I started to watch "SNL". Norm Macdonald always made me laugh on that show. He did the best Burt Reynolds impression ever. No one will ever come close. It was spot on. But it was his work as the anchor on Weekend Update that really won me over. This was where he shined. He was the funniest anchor they have ever had. Much like his Burt Reynolds impression, no one will ever live up to what he did as the host. I would laugh hardest when he would tell a joke that might not have landed as well as he wanted, and he would just sit on it, then repeat the tag. That was where he shined brightest. He was so quick and smart and such a good improv comedian. He could roll with any punches. The fact that he was never given a real shot at "SNL", that they tried to make him be a comedian that he so clearly did not want to be, that was a shame. He was gold on that show, and they failed to recognize it. I know I'm not the only person that believes this. Norm Macdonald got the shaft, but that led to him doing what he wanted.

Soon after "SNL" he got a starring role in one of my favorite movies, "Dirty Work". I know that the movie is stupid and not great and poorly made, but Macdonald is so goddamn funny in it. He crushes the role. He gets to do his quips and his jokes and he is so charismatic in the movie. This should have led to more starring roles for him. Unfortunately it didn't. But he did have some great recurring roles in other movies and TV shows. He was great on "My Name is Earl" as the strip club owner. My mom and dad enjoy him thoroughly on "The Middle". I have seen him in a few episodes, and he is great. He has popped up in other Adam Sandler movies with very small, but very memorable roles. He had his own TV show for three seasons, and while it was a good show, it did not get the due time to grow and evolve, much like many other things in his career. He and Dave Chapelle starred in the very underrated movie "Screwed". Seriously people, if you want to see a young Macdonald and young Chapelle crush it, watch that movie. After doing a good amount of acting, he went back to stand up, and he was as great as ever. His specials are masterful. He was a genius of a stand up. He knew how to work the crowd and shift so easily from joke to joke. He was a one of a kind comedian.

Upon the news of his death yesterday I saw an outpouring of people talking about how he was " a comedian's favorite comedian". I have heard that about other people, but I actually believe it about Macdonald. He was a master of his craft. He was also excellent on talk shows. He always brought it. There was a clip that was all over the internet yesterday when he was on Conan, and it is so perfect. It shows his genius. It proves that he was the best of the best. And he did this all the time on talk shows. That was his thing. I feel like he is my generation's Dave Letterman. He is unique and different and dry and witty and hilarious and a genius. Just like Letterman. I think the only thing I disagree with him on was his politics. But that is neither here nor there. And who knows who he supported late in his life. But the fact that no one, other than the people he wanted to know, knew that he was sick makes so much sense to me. He never made stuff like this known to the public, and I respect the hell out of that.

This really stinks. RD was right. I am bummed and I wish he were still here. He was so young. Cancer stinks. RIP Norm Macdonald. You will be very, very missed.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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RIP Michael K. Williams

Yesterday I was checking on the news and I was stunned to see that Michael K Williams had passed away.

I couldn't believe it. He was only 54 years old. He had so much life in front of him. He had so much more work to do. He was such a good person who gave back to people. Why is it that the good people, the people who actually care, have to leave so early? I say again, he was only 54. This is tragic. When I was reading more stories throughout the day I saw that people found him in his apartment around 2pm and he was unresponsive. I still do not know exactly what he died from, but it is a big time bummer.

Like most of the TV watching world I was introduced to Williams as Omar in "The Wire". I personally believe that "The Wire" is the greatest television show ever made. And Omar is the greatest character ever on TV. He was a modern day Robin Hood. He was a bad guy, but he robbed bad guys and gave the money to people in need, after keeping what he wanted. The fact that Omar was gay was never a big deal, and I credit the writers, but more so Williams for that. That was a part of Omar, but it wasn't the biggest or most important part of the character. Omar was so kick ass. I still walk around saying "if you come for the king, you best not miss". I like whistling his little tune that he would when he was about to rob someone. I was devastated when he was killed on the show. It was the worst tv loss I have ever felt. Omar being mindlessly killed by a little kid in a bodega was so much sadder than seeing Walter White go down. Or when anyone on "Lost" died. Or even when Dr. Nick died in "The Simpsons Movie". I did not see when Jimmy Smits died on "NYPD Blue", but I have to imagine Omar's death was as big a deal as that was. All of this is due to how well Williams portrayed him. Williams embodied this role. He became Omar. He was an absolute gem. He was the best person on the best show ever.

It didn't stop there for Williams. I loved his turn on "Community". He was only in three episodes as a professor, but he was funny and smart and I thoroughly enjoyed his time on another great TV show. I never watched "Boardwalk Empire '', but my folks did, and they said he was great as Chalky White. "Inherent Vice" is a weird and long movie, but Williams was so memorable. I read "The Road" and watched the movie, and Williams is as good as Viggo and the kid that plays his son. His small role in "12 Years a Slave" is brutal and mesmerizing. Williams is the only good part in the new "Robocop" movie. That movie is not good at all, but Williams does his best with a pretty rough script. I have not seen "Bessie", but by all accounts Williams is superb. He's got a smaller role in the new "Ghostbusters", and it lets him stretch his comedic chops. He is a main character on the much acclaimed HBO series "The Night Of". He even does the voice in the "NBA 2k" face of the franchise mode and he crushes it. And I bet RD would say that he was awesome in "Lovecraft Country" because he was such a solid and reliable actor. He always seemed to shine.

Outside of acting I will remember Williams activism and his big scar on his face. I guess he got the scar in a bar fight, and the fact that he was able to use it as an actor proves how badass he was as a human being. He was also always trying to help people out anyway he could. He gave back to the community. He was active in politics. He was active in helping people who had less than him. He overcame a drug addiction. He was part of the ACLU. He was discovered by Tupac Shakur. He was a gifted dancer. He was a dude that had some demons, overcame them and made the world a better place.

This one stings. This one hurts. This one isn't fair. Michael Kenneth Williams should still be alive. This stinks. Rest in Peace. You will be very, very missed.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.