R.I.P. Andre Braugher

Andre Braugher passed away at 61 last night. This has hit me rather hard, harder than I expected in fact. I did not know much about Braugher previous to him playing Captain Raymond Holt on "Brooklyn 99". I had seen the movie "Get on the Bus". I know he was on "Homicide". I know he was a steady working actor. But "Brooklyn 99" was my introduction to him and he was incredible on that show.

Captain Ray Holt is an iconic television character. Andre Braugher took this role, ran with it and helped to create one of the most memorable characters in comedic television history. Captain Ray Holt was robotic and amazing at his job. He viewed the world with a cold eye, but he did have a softer side. Holt would say and act robotic, but he would also praise the people he loved on the show. He put his people through tests, and when they came out the other side, he was even happier for them. He took on Jake Peralta, Andy Samberg's character, and helped to mold him into the person he became on the show. He helped Amy and Gina. He entrusted Terry more often than not. He loved the debate and vigor with which Detective Wunch would fight him. Holt was a do it all, genuinely excellent person. I feel like this was just a glorification of Andre Braugher as a person. I feel like the people involved with "Brooklyn 99" were so thrilled to get Braugher on the show that they would just write the character however Braugher wanted him to be written. Braugher seemed to be the consummate professional. Everyone on "Brooklyn 99" seemed to adore him. I think they all loved when they would get to do scenes with him. I also like to imagine that they would love to hang out with Braugher and his family outside the show.

I have never heard anyone say a bad word about Braugher. When the news came out last night there were tremendous amounts of people in shock. All the social media stuff was heaping praise on Braugher. People seemed to be very affected by this news. Braugher had a wife and three kids. I cannot imagine the pain they are going through at this moment. All the love he got from his peers, I have to imagine it was ten times more at home. I have to imagine his wife and children adored him like no one else could. This has to be tragic for them. And he was only 61. That is way, way too young. That is far too young to take Braugher away from his family and friends. I read that he had a brief illness. I don't know what the illness was, but it must have been pretty awful to take Braugher's life. And I don't know how long he fought it because, as I stated before, the illness was described as "brief". This is akin to Chadwick Boseman passing away for me. I am as shocked by this news as I was by Boseman's news. But in Boseman's case, the people around him knew he was sick, and they were able to keep it quiet. With Braugher it feels like he got sick and just passed with no warning.

This is a tragedy. I am super bummed by this. I didn't want to believe the news when I read it last night, but it appears to be true. What a tragic loss for his fans, but more importantly, his family. Rest In Peace Andre Braugher. You were taken away much too young and you are going to be missed. 

Ty

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

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Better Never than Late on "The Star Wars Holiday Special"

Just yesterday I saw “The Star Wars Holiday Special”. This has been a curiosity of mine for quite some time. I’ve heard about its awfulness from many different sources. I’ve heard about it from RD himself. It became a white whale for a bit due to it being tough to find. The people involved dislike it. The fans dislike it. The critics dislike it. George Lucas tried to bury this thing. This was something I wanted to see but never really thought I would have a chance. But now it’s relatively easy to find. RD sent me a copy from YouTube. The quality may not be great, but it’s watchable. I had little to no issues. But, having now seen it, I kind of wish I could go back to the time before I saw this piece of trash.

Look, I’ve been a lot better on this site lately. I am trying to stay away from being negative. But this special is truly vile. It may be the worst piece of content I’ve ever seen. I was getting visibly annoyed during the 90 minute watch. My wife asked why I was mad. My son kept calling up to me from our downstairs saying, “what’s going on up there?”. My daughter, luckily for her, didn’t see my attitude during my “Star Wars” special watch. But when I say this thing is bad, I mean it’s truly, exceptionally terrible.

The special has no through line. They try to use “Life Day”, a supposed Wookie holiday, as the impetus for this special, but it’s sparse and not really touched on until the very end. This is a sketch special, but not in a good way. RD had me watch Paul Lynde’s Halloween special in October, and while nonsensical, Halloween was up front. Life Day is a non starter here. But, we do meet Chewbacca’s family. Apparently he has a wife and kid and his dad lives with them. We never see them in visual content anymore, but they are the stars here. We also get two song breaks. One is from Diane Carroll in a very odd, mastubatory fantasy from Chewbacca’s dad. It’s very weird. The other is a Jefferson Starship song, which is kind of cool, but it’s after their “White Rabbit” heyday. There’s no more Grace Slick, which is a drag. We do get the stars, Mark Hammill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew, C-3PO and R2D2 are all here and all phoning it in. Bea Arthur shows up. Her sketch is dreadful and there a seemingly endless song and dance number. Harvey Korman is in three different sketches, all progressively worse. Art Carney gives his all, but the written dialogue is awful. There’s dumbass Imperial Guards. They have a voiceover from James Earl Jones, but we don’t get any new Darth Vader stuff. It’s just a scene ripped from the movie. The stars are there physically, but definitely not mentally. There’s an odd dance/circus number that Chewbacca’s son watches. They try to shoehorn bad jokes. They have an oddly placed cartoon, which I guess true fans like, but it just confused me. I don’t know. I guess I just don’t get it.

This special is unequivocally bad. I don’t think there’s a person who genuinely likes this. If someone says they do they’re lying to you and themselves. This special made me mad because they have this great source material, yet they somehow managed to make it excruciatingly boring and pointless. I loathed this. I do not recommend anyone watch this. It’s not even bad fun. You can’t even make fun of how bad it is because it’s so terrible. There’s nothing redeemable or fun about this. I truly believe this is one of, if not the, worst piece of content that’s ever been put out there. I’d rather watch knee surgery than watch this special ever again. “The Star Wars Holiday Special” is in the Hall of Fame of bad visual content. It may be the MVP.

Ty

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

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"30 Rock" Sure Had A Lot of Guest Stars

We are currently rewatching "30 Rock" for the millionth time in my house. This is one of the best shows to ever exist. They have done scientific experiments about the jokes per second on the show. Tina Fey is a genius. She created something incredible with this show. I know we will eventually be going back to watch it many, many more times.

During this rewatch though my wife and I noticed something different. We watch a good amount of tv, probably too much. So when we go back and watch something multiple times, one of my favorite things about a rewatch is seeing, or realizing something I never noticed. To me that is the sign of a very good, very high quality show. So, the thing we noticed was the amount of guest stars that "30 Rock" had during its run.

The guest star list is vast and filled with some top notch people. Actors like Jon Hamm, James Marsden and Octavia Spencer had storylines based around their character. Will Forte became an integral character. So did Chris Parnell. Steve Buscemi had a great run as a PI. He is also part of a great meme from this show. But when you look at one off celebs on the show, the list is wild. Tony Bennett appeared in one episode. Carrie Fisher had one episode where she was the focal point of a story. Kellen Lutz showed up and did a great job in his role as himself. Oprah Winfrey, Aubrey Plaza, Whoopi Goldberg, Al Gore, Conan O'Brien, Paul Reubens, Wayne Brady and LL Cool J, all these people came in for a cameo and were all memorable. She also helped out former "SNL" cast members. I mentioned Parnell and Forte, but we also got Jason Sudekis, Fred Armisen, Jimmy Fallon, Bill Hader, Andy Samberg to show up for a bit. Musicians were also everywhere on the show. You can go back and watch the kidney episode with another guest star, Alan Alda, and the amount of famous musicians is insane. It is a who's who of artists. We also got a "Friends" run with David Schwimmer and Jennifer Aniston appearing in two different episodes. We also got major movie stars like Matt Damon who had a good run. Matthew Broderick showed up in two different episodes. Steve Martin had an excellent episode where he is the star. Peter Dinklage had a great story arc in one episode. I mean, Slama Hayek played a nurse. These are bonafide movie stars here. The list could go on and on and on.

I have sat back with my wife and we have discussed the fact that we both think that "30 Rock" had the best, and most guest stars in the history of live action sitcoms. I feel like these super duper stars realized early on how great this show was going to be and they really, really wanted a guest spot. And when they were asked by Fey, I bet they jumped at the opportunity. "30 Rock" has so many wonderful things going for it, and this list of guest stars makes me adore this show even more. The next time you rewatch or watch "30 Rock" see if you can remember and count the amount of guest star appearances. It will blow your mind. 

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 Curse" Series Premier

Last night I was able to watch the pilot episode of "The Curse". This is Nathan Fielder's new show. He is also working with Benny Safdie, he is a co creator, and A24 is producing. Let’s discuss.

This is right up my alley. I adore Fielder's work. "Nathan For You" is one of the best, most original shows ever. He followed that up with a genius show, "Rehearsal". Fielder is in an incredible groove as of late, and Showtime giving him his own show was a genius move. Benny Safdie was in "Good Time" and he directed it with his brother. He and his brother also did "Uncut Gems" which is one of the better movies to have been released in the last couple of years. The Safdie brothers have a great eye for directing and they are on fire right now. Safdie was also excellent in his role in "Good Time". A24 is the best production company in the game. They are doing the best work in movies and tv right now. They also paid people and gave them what they asked for during the actors and writers strike. Whoever is running A24 is one of the smarter people in the game. A24 totally rules and they have a lifelong fan in me. So putting all three of these together, it is a recipe for a wild and entertaining tv show.

Now, this show is not really a comedy. There were comedic moments in the pilot, but they were few and far between and they were buttoned by something creepy or cringey. And I think that is the point of this show. Putting Fielder in charge may lead one to believe that this is going to be a straight forward comedy. But this show is a lot more like "The Rehearsal", or "Finding Frances". Fielder is doing something different and I'm here for it. There were moments in the pilot that were disturbing, creepy, cringey, uncomfortable and I was all in from start to finish. I wanted to see something different and weird from Fielder, and that is exactly what "The Curse" gives the viewer.

There was one scene in particular that really shook me seeing Fielder acting it out. He and his wife, Emma Stone, who is perfect here, are being interviewed by a local newscaster. The newscaster starts in on Stone's family and you can see it pisses Fielder off. He starts to go off on her, and at one point he snaps and tells her to "talk to me, not to my wife". My wife saw this and said she hates his character. I told her me too, but I think that is what Fielder is going for. He has other moments that really creeped me out, and he nails it, like the most squirm inducing sex scene I have seen in quite some time. Stone, as previously mentioned, totally nails it here. She is trying to do something good for her community, but she is also the poster child for gentrification, and she has no idea. She is tough and formidable, but she is also causing harm to her community. Benny Safdie is the creep of all creeps here. He is the director of their show, and from the moment he steps on screen he is despicable. He makes it look like a mom is crying when she is actually dying. He hits on Stone far too much. He gets footage without people's consent. He tries to make people uncomfortable when there is no reason for it. He shows his old content which is vile. He is so gross yet I cannot take my eyes off him when he is on screen. This show is very different and very creepy. They let you live in silence and they linger on shots longer than seems necessary. But it works. Fielder has an eye for this. Safdie knows what he is doing. And Stone is such a pro. This works.

“The Curse” may not be for everyone, but I'm in. I say check it out if you like any of the three main people, but go in knowing it is not a typical tv show. It takes chances and those chances worked for me in the pilot episode. I can't wait for more. 

Ty

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

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Coping with the Unreality of Reality Television

I've talked about reality shows a lot on this website. I also watch, or watched, a good amount of reality shows. I still check in from time to time on reality shows my wife watches on the weekends. But I have been putting more thought into them lately, probably more than the creators, I kid. But I have been trying to suss things out about some of the shows that I watch and have watched.

As I get older I am getting a bit cynical about these "reality" shows. They don't really live up to the hype anymore. They are retreads. They are rip off shows. And they are horrible for the television industry because they put a ton of people out of work. This has been on my mind a lot lately. I find myself even thinking about these shows when they are not on. I don't know what that says about me, but here we are.

I think my biggest issue as of late is the fact that these shows are not actual, true "reality" shows. There is nothing real about them at all. If they were factual, if they were real, they would be tiring and very boring. Think about your everyday life. How boring is it really? I know that if I were to be filmed for a reality show, and if they stuck to actual reality, it would be a total snooze fest. The cameras would see me go through my routine. I get my kids ready for school in the morning. I run errands or have coffee with my dad and friends. I come home and do chores around the house. I go for a run. And then the night is filled with taking kids to sports, having dinner and going to bed. Pretty tiresome huh? That is how I know these reality shows are actually real. Real life is boring. But if you do a few takes of a conversation, add alcohol and try to start a conflict, that is a recipe for intriguing "reality" shows. I have read that these reality shows have copious amounts of alcohol just laying around. I feel like the producers of the shows think that if there is alcohol around, and most of the people enjoy alcohol, they will loosen up and let it fly a bit. That is why there is rarely ever a person on a reality show that has chosen to not drink. I would never be in a reality show because I choose to not partake in alcohol. I would, as I am prone to say in this piece, be very boring.

Take a show like "Love is Blind". My wife is very much into this show and I will sit down with her and watch or listen in the background while I am doing something around the house. This is the fakest "reality" show on tv. They go so far as to have everyone drink from the exact same style cup. The cups are all the same, even when they go to stores, parties or are at their home or their parents homes. That is for continuity. Which leads me to another point. The fact that the glasses have to be the same, so as not to show drinks being consumed, that means they do multiple takes of supposed "real" conversations. There was a very big blow up the other night and the fact that someone cried, I was completely taken out of it because I noticed the glass. This made me question how many times they asked this girl to cry, or how many times they had this dude call her horrible names. And that happens all the time on these shows. It looks like it is a conversation unfolding in real time until you start to think about tv and the fact that they need the correct lighting and that they have to be able to fully hear everything and that the clothing has to be the same, it is all made up.

You could even put cooking competitions in this conversation. I cannot believe that a "Chopped" contestant can think on the fly as fast as these competitors do on the show. They come up with these crazy dishes in a matter of seconds. I have to believe that they have a little bit, at the very least, of an idea of what is coming in those baskets. And they also have to make multiple dishes in an allotted time. Stuff has to get messed up that we never see in the finished product on our tv's.

I could go on and on with other reality shows, but these two came straight to my mind when I thought of this piece. Reality shows are not based in reality. Sorry if that bursts people's bubbles. But I'm not here to tell you not to watch them. If you like reality shows, watch as much as you want. That may be your steez. They just aren't for me and I am going to continue to see what other things I notice while watching them. I will just keep it to myself when I watch with my wife. 

Ty

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

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R.I.P. Matthew Perry

While at a Halloween party this past Saturday I pulled my phone out to check college football scores. After doing that I had a Facebook notification that I wanted to see. When I clicked on the app my newsfeed was flooded with the news that Matthew Perry had passed away at 54 years old.

I know who Matthew Perry is because I like pop culture stuff. I mentioned this to my wife and her cousin and they let the whole party know the unfortunate news. I watched each person react to hearing this and it kind of shocked me. Matthew Perry was a big deal to a lot of these people, most of which were right around my age. I have never watched the show "Friends". I know, that's weird. It was never really for me. I was not a fan of the comedy they were doing and I wanted to watch other stuff. But I knew who Chandler Bing, Perry's character, was. He was the goofball of the group. He made jokes. I know one of his big things was saying the line, "could I be anymore...." and adding something to button it. That was his schtick. So when I looked at people processing this news, it made sense why they were upset. They grew up on this show. They watch it now like I watch "The Simpsons" I imagine. "Friends" is probably their comfort food show. And I bet a bunch of them liked Chandler the most. So it was interesting processing that and then thinking about this from their perspective.

As the night wore on and we left the party, driving home my wife mentioned that it was crazy that Perry had passed so young. I agreed and we then talked about the stuff we liked that we had seen him in. My wife was never really a "Friends" person either, but she did watch "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip". She is one of the few people I know that watched, and enjoyed, that show. She said Perry was wonderful. We both really like "The Whole 9 Yards". The sequel is no good, but the first one is underrated. It is a funny movie with some dynamite performances, Perry being one of the stars. When I was younger I adored Chris Farley. That meant seeing all of his stuff, including "Almost Heroes". That movie is not very good either, but Perry does his best with poor material, and he is funnier than Farley, even though he had to play his foil in the movie. Perry would show up in other stuff that I liked too. He was in one episode of "Scrubs" and he knocked that out of the park. He played his own voice in a "Treehouse of Horrors", having fun making fun of his "Friends" catchphrase. He popped up in another underrated gem, "17 Again", as older Zac Efron and was dynamite. He played himself in "Children's Hospital", again willing to joke about himself. He reunited with Courtney Cox for an episode of her show "Cougar Town".

Perry stayed working. But he also had a drug problem. Drugs are the worst when people get addicted to them. Perry spoke of his troubles and was very open about it all. Still, it seemed to take its toll. We have friends who watched the "Friends" reunion thing on HBO and they said that he looked better, but you could tell he was not fully healthy. That's tragic. So to see this news, to read that he was only 54, to know that it was not drugs, but they most likely cut his life tragically short, that is what makes this so shocking and sad.

Perry seemed to be an okay enough dude that battled some bad, bad demons. 54 years is not close to enough. RIP Matthew Perry. Get some rest. 

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 "Only Murders in the Building" Season 3

My wife and I just finished season 3 of "Only Murders in the Building" last night. We have been fans of the show from the start, but it took us a minute to watch this most recent season. Let’s discuss.

For a show that has the same formula each season, the writers really know how to keep it fresh. The show focuses on three people who live in the same apartment building, Martin Short, Steve Martin and Selena Gomez, and they host a true crime podcast while they solve a murder within the building. Pretty simple, right? But they find new ways to make it better every season, and this new season is no different.

The second season ended, spoiler alert, with Paul Rudd's character collapsing on stage. That is where we pick up season 3, and when it starts, it really gets going. This season felt like there was more action. The pace seemed quicker, the multiple storylines came at you fast, and that made it all the more watchable. Adding Paul Rudd and Meryl Streep was an absolute home run. Those two, especially Streep, are wonderful actors and seemed to have a blast this season. Rudd played a superhero, broey version of himself this season. I loved his performance. He was an asshole with some secrets. They even found a way to make him look like he was a redeemable person. Streep played an actress who couldn't seem to find a break, which is wild when you remember that you are watching Meryl freaking Streep. She is one of the best actors of my lifetime, and seeing her try to play a bad actress was hilarious. But, much like Rudd, she nailed it. I bought her every step of the way and want to see more of her in the future of this show. They also added Jesse Tyler Williams in a bit role and he did a wonderful job. He was funny and charming and I liked his character a ton.

Really this show is all about the three stars and boy oh boy did they do a great job this season. Steve Martin got to do a ton of fun stuff and he was exceptional. I really enjoyed when he would go to the "white room" while rehearsing the play. Martin Short got to do a bit of dramatics this season, which he crushed, but he was the funniest one of them all. I think he is the most underrated one on this show, but that should change after this season. And Selena Gomez was front and center this season. She really carried the show and did a phenomenal job. She is really proving how good of an actor she is. She is a shining star here. The rest of the cast is amazing as usual. The guest stars are big time names and they do a wonderful job. The new actors they brought in bring even more weight to this already wonderful tv show.

"Only Murders in the Building" is one of the better shows on streaming networks right now. If you are not watching it, remedy that. This is as funny as any other show and it has three tremendous actors in the leading roles. And the writing staff is second to none. This show is great. Watch it. 

Ty

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

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The Writers Won the Writers Strike

The writers' strike has finally ended. I was hesitant to write about this yesterday because they had a tentative agreement that went into effect at midnight. I wanted to wait until that came and went with no interruptions. I did not know what the studios were capable of, or how they might try to screw the WGA, but they didn't and midnight came and went and, for the time being, the writers' strike is over. Thank goodness.

This strike went on far longer than I think any of us expected. I was starting to get worried that it might drag on into 2024. I would hope the writers would do that if necessary, but that would have meant no work for them for a year. That would have meant more reality shows for us viewers at home. That is not a world where I want to watch tv. Reality shows are the bottom of the barrell when it comes to tv. Sure, they can capture you and make you watch, but it feels like being kidnapped and just buying in. It is like Stockholm Syndrome for casual tv viewing. But now that the strike is over, for the next three years, we should be getting back to scripted tv. That is a much better world to watch tv. We will get better, newer ideas. I have to imagine there are writers out there who have fresh ideas that they cannot wait to pitch.

I am sure/hopeful the actors strike will follow soon, and when that happens we will get shows back that feature writers as actors. I cannot watch to see what they do with the next season of "Abbot Elementary". "The Bear" should only get stronger from here. I am curious to see what they come up with on "The Simpsons" and "Bob's Burgers". I want to see how FX comes back. I would bet a lot of money that they are going to hit home run after home run. Larry David is seemingly doing one more season of "Curb Your Enthusiasm", and I wonder how he will incorporate the strike, because you know he will find a way to make it uncomfortably hilarious.

I guess my main takeaway, from a tv watching perspective, is that this will hopefully kill or slow down reality shows and dating shows. They are everywhere because they are cheap and you don't really need writers for these shows. But now, especially with the writers hopefully coming out of the strike with fresh ideas, we get new and interesting tv.

I also love it for late night television. The hosts can get back to doing their thing with their writers. Late night tv is a staple in many households, and with the writers getting back to work, the jokes should be flying frequently and hilariously.

This is also good for movies. I know that A24 hasn't had to strike because they did the right thing and opted to do what the writers wanted. But all these other studios are back in business in the writers room. Hopefully this slows the production of remakes and superhero movies and we get cool stuff like "Everything Everywhere All at Once". I want cooler, more unique movies to come from this and I think there is a great possibility of that happening with the strike ending.

This is a good day. This is good news. This shows that workers rights are important and that unions work. The writers stuck to their guns and came out on top. This is a happy day everyone. We should have good tv and movies coming back now. Hooray. 

Ty

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

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An Ode to the Excellence of Matthew Berry

Today is an appreciation post for Matthew Berry and his role as Laszlo on "What We Do in the Shadows".

I'm a big fan of this show. I also love the movie. I was on board the moment they decided to do a tv series based on the movie. The good news about the tv series for me was that I had barely heard of the cast. The whole cast is great, I have become a fan of all of them, but I only knew of Mark Prosch, he plays Colin Robinson, and Matthew Berry. Colin Robinson was on "The Office" near the end of its run, and Berry had some big succes in the UK and doing quirky comedy stuff that some of my friends had sent me or told me about. So I knew they would be just fine on this series.

What I didn’t realize how much I would grow to adore Berry as Laszlo. Every move he makes works for me. He is over the top, but also has moments of sweetness. He speaks crazier than anyone else on the show. Laszlo has grown more than any other person on the show. He started out as a charlatan who acted smart. He is now fiercely loyal to Nadja, his wife, he has tendencies of a father and he is the smartest person among his roommates. Two seasons ago Laszlo was the father figure to baby Colin Robinson. There were hilarious moments, as always, but there was some very good and wholesome stuff. Laszlo grew to really cherish baby Colin Robinson. It was the first time that I watched this show and realized that they didn't have to do broad comedy all the time. They could do some serious stuff and, as long as the actors commit, it would work. This past season he helped Guillermo through his transition and it added to his growth and maturity. Sure, Laszlo still loves to have fun and be intimate with multiple people at once, but he does have a softer side and it has been a joy to watch. The way Berry has chosen to speak as Laszlo is wonderful. He will say some wild stuff, then elongate words that don't need to be any longer, and it is so hilarious. The way he has started to say New York City is magical. It is the only way that I will say NYC now. He also goes on crazy hilarious rants about nothing and they always make me laugh. When he argued with the Sklar Brothers, who were playing construction worker guys, was riotous. I don't remember laughing that hard at a tv show in a long, long time. His outfit in that episode was dynamite as well. The way he dresses is another feather in his cap. He wears some flagrant stuff and it all works. When he showed up to Nadja's friends' diner this past season, and had a t-shirt, wild jeans and a bucket hat on, chef's kiss. It was dope. I also love how smart he acts, but also is. This past season, when he was being silent towards everyone, and everyone was worried about him, the way they showed what was going on in his head, that was perfectly portrayed by Berry. When he finally reveals that he was trying to decide how to organize his bookcase, and all the roommates were relieved that he was okay, that was excellent.

Berry is the standout in this wonderfully talented cast. He makes me laugh harder than anyone else and I cannot wait to see where they take his character from here. I know it will be great because Berry will make it great. He is a star. 

Ty

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

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It is Time to End the Writers and Actors Strike

I was watching tv the other night and I did not record the show, so commercials were a must. When I would watch commercials in the past there were plenty of ads for upcoming tv shows and previews for movies. That was not really present last night. Every commercial was either a local ad or something akin to an infomercial. I was kind of taken aback and was frustrated.

It then hit me that the strike was what caused the commercials to be different. There are no new shows coming out. The movies that are coming to theaters were finished months ago. There is nothing new. There is nothing different. There is nothing too fun coming out. It is a bummer.

This all makes sense and is necessary. The writers and actors strike is a needed thing right now. Actors and writers are being taken advantage of by the studios and they are not asking for too much in return to end all of this and bring back better content. I cannot take many more reality shows, game shows or reruns. I can only go back and watch so much of the older tv shows that I used to watch. I have been watching "Workaholics" today, and I love that show, but I've seen it a thousand times. I want newer stuff. I want to see the movie they were planning on making. Maybe that can come back if this strike ends. My wife and I watch "Brooklyn 99" before bed every night. Again, we love the show, but we have seen it so much that we fall asleep to it. That is the sign of watching one show more than enough. I recently finished the first season of "Twisted Metal" on Peacock and I loved it. They also ended the first season on a major cliffhanger. I'd love to see where they take the show from here. And I simply cannot do all the reality stuff that they are doing on streaming services now. I don't want to see another dating show. I'm so fed up with "Love is Blind" and "Sexy Beasts". They all end up the same and it is dull and boring. I can only watch people getting hammered and saying nonsense when they think they are acting smart. It is maddening. I'm also over all the game shows. There are too many of them and they are all melding together. I don't want to see people competing for scraps just to be on tv. I want the original content back. I want more "Twisted Metal", "What We Do in the Shadows", "Only Murders in the Building", "The Simpsons", all the good stuff. I want to see all of this stuff come back. I also want way more movies. I want to see cool, new stuff. I don't want any remakes or superhero stuff either. I want stuff like "Everything Everywhere All at Once". I want to see more mind blowing stuff like "Barbie". Give me cool, interesting material.

To get that material we need the writers and actors back. They need to get their fair share. They deserve to be properly compensated. They have earned the right to get a raise and to not be replaced by AI and Chatgpt. I have used both, but they don't carry the same weight as real people doing real work. I want to turn on my tv in a month or so and see commercials for new tv shows and movies. I want to see content made by real people for real people. That should be the case and should be the case sooner rather than later.

Time to end this studio execs and big wigs. Time to stop being so stubborn and stupid. Time to give the writers and actors what they have earned. It is time to end this strike. 

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 "BS High"

I watched the documentary "BS High" last week and I have some things to say.

The documentary focuses on a "school" and its coaches. Now, the school is not really a school. Bishop Sycamore High may have a website and an online presence somewhat, but it is not a real school. This documentary takes us through its beginning to where it stands today. What they focus most on is Roy Johnson, the founder and coach of the football team, and their appearance on ESPN facing IMG Academy in 2022.

This is a football movie, but it is also a character study of a con man. Roy Johnson is a smart man who knows how to take advantage of people. He is evil. He has a scary smile that is permanently on his face. He has no remorse. He only cares about himself. He thinks others are out to get him. And he knows how to game the system. Johnson had tried to start a school a few years back that gained a little traction. They had a football team, but no one ever really went to class or learned anything. When that fell apart that did not stop him. He decided to double down and go even further with his new school, Bishop Sycamore. He hatched his chickens too soon. He went ahead with this "school" with no funding or space for an actual building. He had mockups made, but nothing came of those. He hired a coaching staff and audio visual people. He reached out to athletes who may be on their last chance and gave them a shot. He wined everyone he met, but he never really dined them. This movie does not have the allure of a show like "Last Chance U". That show has real people in a real school and they do get one last shot. Bishop Sycamore was a total scam. These kids signed away their lives while Roy Johnson took advantage of their info. He would rent out hotels in their names and never pay. He would get apartments for three months in their names and wait until they were evicted, thus ruining that kids credit. He would hire players' parents to be the "hospital staff" for games when kids would get hurt. He would make them play multiple games within the span of a few days.

That was where this all really came to a head with Johnson and Bishop Sycamore. Somehow, some way, Bishop Sycamore was able to schedule a game against IMG, the most powerful high school football program in the country. This game was aired on ESPN. IMG easily disposed of Bishop Sycamore. I believe they won 59-0. But what was more glaring was the lack of competition. Bishop Sycamore had no right to be on the same field with IMG. These were boys playing men. But the biggest problem, Bishop Sycamore had kids on their team that were in their 20's. Some of their starters had already graduated high school. Yet they were somehow deemed eligible and still not good enough to compete with the teenagers on IMG. The Bishop Sycamore kids also got hurt, and hurt bad. That could be due to IMG, but they also played a game two days before the IMG game and were hurt during that game as well. You should never play two high level football games in three days. That is abhorrent.

When this was all done, and Bishop Sycamore was found to be a fraud and the rest of their scheduled teams pulled them off their schedules and when these kids were left out in the cold, did Roy Johnson learn anything? Nope. He was still smiling. He was still blaming the former players. He was still going off on the parents. He was still cackling and saying that Bishop Sycamore was going nowhere, and he was right. That is the scariest thing of this whole movie. Johnson has gamed the system and the state of Ohio has yet to put rules in place stopping this from going on. Of course ESPN and the powers that be in Ohio declined to be interviewed for this movie. But Johnson didn't. He put his story out there and he is an awful, awful man. He has to be reprimanded for his atrocious actions, but he is still coaching high school football. And that should terrify everyone.

I highly recommend this movie. It is endlessly watchable and very eye opening. It is a solid watch. 

Ty

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

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"Swamp Kings" is a Disappointing Waste of Time

I recently just finished the Netflix miniseries "Swamp Kings". For those that do not know, "Swamp Kings" is about the five year run of the Florida Gators football team under Urban Meyer. Everyone knows my feelings on Meyer. He is a scumbag, a cheater and a punk. I have never liked him and I never will. The only upside to my household not getting Fox anymore is that I don't have to listen to him call Big 10 games. So when I decided to tune into this four part docuseries, I thought it would be an eye opening affair. I thought they would point out the good and the bad of this Gators run. Unfortunately they did not do that.

This show was, for all intents and purposes, a mastubatory fascination for Meyer, Tim Tebow and the Florida football team from 2006-2010. This was all about how great of a coach Meyer was for the team. How he molded these young boys into men. How his methods were exactly what this talented but undisciplined team needed. How he made a name for himself and changed the game of college football. Pretty much all the good and none of the bad. They barely mentioned the amount of arrests that happened under his eye. They didn't talk about the recruiting tactics he used. They only mentioned Aaron Hernandez's name once, calling him a "top recruit". They portrayed his barbaric methods as something new college coaches should aspire to. It was, for lack of a better word, gross. I couldn't believe all the stuff that was left out about him.

I have to think he was a producer on this show and would only allow it to air if it made him look great. Urban Meyer definitely had a moment as a top college football coach, but he also had some serious problems that this show just decided to not air. It was so bad that when they talked about his tenure with the Jaguars in the NFL, they said he "stepped down" as head coach. He was fired after 14 games because he was so ill fitted for the NFL. Tim Tebow was looked at as some kind of deity in this thing. They talked about him like he was the greatest college QB of all time. They had their chances to talk about him kind of getting off scot free sense he was a white QB winning titles, but they barely touched on that. A few of his teammates made comments about how they felt slighted, how Tebow got all the love, but the show was quick to get off that topic and move on to something else. Tebow also spoke like he was trained to sound wistful. He had this quiet tone that I found quite annoying. He talked as if he was this person who changed the college game. He would mention a fight between him and a teammate and give it a button along the lines that it helped both him and the teammate. Stuff like this made his teammate a better player. I found it quite odd that he didn't go into any kind of detail about how he felt about the arrests and issues, being that he is so religious. He sat down and openly praised Meyer at every turn. It was frustrating.

They did a decent job of portraying this team as one of the better college units of all time. They won two titles in three years. They had a Heisman winner. They had a bunch of NFL players. And they beat really good teams. But they never talked about the true issues that this team had. They barely touched on the arrests. There was one moment in one episode where they started to talk about it, but it was a three or four minute chunk in a 45 minute long episode. I thought they would do a full 45 minutes just on that topic. They didn't though. They kept it incredibly bland.

This could have been a salacious docuseries. They could have done all the good stuff and peppered in the bad. They could have dedicated entire episodes to the issues. They could have dug deeper. They went the opposite direction. "Untold" is meant to make you angry and disgusted with what you are seeing. This one was a miss though. They didn't dig at all. They let the bad stuff slide. It felt like the people behind "Swamp Kings" figured we knew all the bad stuff so they were just going to show the good. Skip this unless you are a college football fan like me. This is not 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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Ty Watches "Twisted Metal"

After returning from vacation I decided that I am going to get caught up on some tv that I want to see. The first show I am going to watch is "Twisted Metal". I have watched the first three episodes before writing this. Let’s discuss.

I heard about the show from a bunch of different podcasts that I listened to. Shaun Diston mentioned it on a few of his shows, Ify Nwadiwe mentioned it on an appearance of "CBB" and Mike Mitchell was tooting its horn, before the writers and actors strike, on "Doughboys". I was primed to watch the show. I even tried while on vacation, but it was a hard sell for my family. So I waited and started yesterday.

This show is wild. It is at times funny, gory, violent and heartfelt. This show is really trying to have it all, and for me, so far it's working. I'm all in. I am very invested so far. I like the story. I guess it is based on a video game that I have heard of but never played. I didn't even know what the game was about until I read about the show. The short story is that a catastrophic event happened in 2002 that messed up all the computers in the world. Cities blocked themselves off and let the criminals run wild in the open. There are delivery drivers, called milkmen, that bring stuff to the walled off cities, but on the way they encounter some undesirable bad guys and girls. Anthony Mackie plays the main milkman in the show. He is hilarious. I really enjoy the comedy he brings to this role. He is funny, motor mouthed and always finding some way to use his charm to get out of trouble. Stephanie Beatriz plays a loner who loses her brother and is now on a quest to avenge him and live in peace. Thomas Haden Church is a bad cop who is out to hurt anyone he deems is "breaking the law". He is a very, very bad guy. Neve Campbell is the leader of New San Francisco, and she has some kind of ulterior motives with Mackie's character. Mike Mitchell and Tahj Vaughans are two guys who are about to get eaten, but are busted out by the nefarious police officers and are recruited to become officers themselves. One is into it, the other, not so much.

The best part of the show so far for me has been Sweet Tooth, the evil clown that runs Las Vegas. Sweet Tooth is also played by two people. Will Arnett does his voice, and this is such a perfect move for him. He has such a cool and distinguishable voice, and getting to play an insane clown suits him well. Pro wrestler Samoa Joe plays the person behind the clown mask, and that is a match made in tv perfection. He is a big dude, his body looks like it would survive an apocalyptic event and he can kick some ass. I'm usually terrified of clowns, and this one is very frightening, but the way they are having this character come to life is so funny that I can get past my fear.

I have been enjoying what I have seen so far. I am not going to binge it because I want to take it in slowly. I think I will do a few episodes a day, when I have the time to watch, so I can really let it sink in. I definitely recommend the show. For people like me, who do not know the video game, it is kind of perfect. I'd be curious what the players of the game think, but I'm in. I like it. I will be watching it all. I suggest you do the same. 

Ty

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

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R.I.P. Paul Reubens

Yesterday Paul Reubens passed away at 70 years old. Apparently he had cancer for six years and was able to keep that out of the news. This sucks.

People may know Paul Reubens better as Pee Wee Herman. I was a very, very big Pee Wee Herman fan as a kid and even into adulthood. I was obsessed though with "Pee Wee's Playhouse" as a kid. That was my jam. There were three things I was super into as a kid, one was baseball, two were dinosaurs and three was Pee Wee. This show grabbed me tight and I never wanted it to let me go. I would watch with tons of intrigue at each new episode. I devoured it. It was the best, and one of the funniest and unique shows I had ever watched. I think it was my intro to alternative comedy without knowing what alternative comedy at the time. Pee Wee was different. He spoke with a wild voice, which I instantly connected with. He had weird friends on his show, namely a chair. The skits and bits were different from what I saw on what was considered other kids' shows. They were funnier and a little more out there. They let Pee Wee take chances and I was fully in with every chance he took. "Pee Wee's Playhouse" did it and did it better than anyone else could. I adored this show.

I then went and watched "Pee Wee's Big Adventure" when it came out in theaters. I'm sure my folks took me and I loved every bit of that movie. But, it also scared me. When he got in the truck with Large Marge, that was terrifying when I was younger. I revisited the movie as a teen and then in my 20's, and I got it. But as a kid, that frightened me. But the movie also stayed with me almost as much as the tv show. I was all in on Pee Wee.

Then as I got a bit older I kind of forgot about him. The show ended, he didn't make any big movies and I kind of moved on. He then got arrested for being nude in public. He was at an adult theater and did what I assume most people do in adult theaters. But since he had a big name, the news blew this whole story out of proportion. I didn't care what he did on his own time as a grown adult. That stuff never mattered to me. So when people tried to make this a bigger deal than it actually was, I shut them out and went back and watched his show and movie even more. He then showed up in the movie "Blow". I don't like that movie all that much, but seeing him do something completely different, my respect for him only grew. He was very good in that movie and his performance stayed with me. I then saw him in "30 Rock", and his role in that was amazing. It felt like an even odder version of Pee Wee. He got to really go for the comedy and he totally nailed it. I love his one episode in that fantastic series. He also ended up making another Pee Wee movie, which is very solid. He was also on shows like "CBB", both the tv show and podcast, and it was always nice when I would see him pop up on a show I was watching. He was also always funny. I think about him being on "CBB The TV Show" during a Halloween episode and him making me laugh very, very hard. Pee Wee was such a great character that he created.

From what I have read since I learned of his passing is that Paul Reubens was a very good person. He helped those around him. He made strangers and friends alike laugh at a moment's notice. He cared for the people in his life, be it family or friends. He seemed like a genuinely good person who had a very big and full heart.

This really bums me out that he passed. I know he was sick, but he was still young. Seventy years old is not that old. And the fact that he had cancer, seemingly bad cancer, and was able to hide it from the general public, that is brutal. This has hit me as hard as Chadwick Boseman's passing. I didn't know either was sick, and when I learned of their passing, it made me very sad. Pee Wee was a vital figure in my life even though I never met or knew him. He introduced me to a different style of comedy and helped shape my taste in it today.

Rest In Peace Paul Reubens. You are 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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Ty Watches "Muscles and Mayhem: An Unauthorized Story of American Gladiators"

Yesterday I finished the Netflix mini series , "Muscles and Mayhem". This five episode series is about the rise and fall of the excellent gameshow, "American Gladiators".

I loved this show as a kid. RD and I have mentioned the show many times on the podcast. I was hooked. I would watch every morning in the summer before heading out to hang with my friends. I craved this show. I loved the competition, the personalities and watching the wild and crazy games they created. "Muscles and Mayhem" goes very in depth about all of this, and so, so much more.

The series starts out introducing the viewer to the very early days of this show and just how out there this idea was. There were injuries, long set changes, crowds getting bored waiting, gladiators coming and going, all kinds of issues. But when they brought on the right people, the show thrived. The behind the scenes stories of the people behind the show, that was fascinating. There were some certified weirdos who made "American Gladiators" one of the top shows on TV in the early 90's. There were a bunch of smart people who knew what they were doing as well.

The show, as expected, spent most of its time talking to the former gladiators. This was very eye opening. This was something I'm glad 40 year old me watched. They talked sex, drugs, alcohol, steroids, HGH, sexuality, it was all there and all done very well I thought. I like hearing all the real stories from the real people behind it all. It is always good to get their side because they lived it. The way they went into steroid use was fascinating and very eye opening. I mean, we all knew they were using steroids, but to hear how they got them, how they hid it, how the network and sponsors dealt with it, that is the stuff I like when I watch docu series like these. I also liked to hear about the dating, or attempts to date, that each gladiator had with one another. I enjoyed seeing what they did when they tried to venture out from the world of "American Gladiators". It was great to see some of the original people fight for what they thought was rightfully theirs when it came to merchandising and the like. It was great to hear how the gladiators were raised, where they came from and how they ended up on that show. I liked seeing some of the gladiators I forgot about and remembering them for some of the wild stuff they did. I totally forgot about the live tour they went on. To see that come to fruition, and to see the behind the scenes stuff on the bus, that was some of the better content this whole series had. It was nice to meet some of the competitors and to hear their stories of how they ended up on the show and what it was like while there. I was also very pleased to see what they are all up to now, both competitors and gladiators.

This series felt like it was made for someone like me. I am very happy my dad told me about this and showed me some of the show when I was hanging out with him the other day. I cannot recommend this series enough, especially for people who watched this show when they were younger. It is an excellent watch. 

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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The Music is Just One Part of Why "The Bear" is Television Perfection

Last night I finished season two of "The Bear". That show is something special. It is as near perfection as there is on tv today. I know some people do not like that it is all released in one day. I don't care about that. I took a week to watch all ten episodes. You can find a way to watch weekly if that is how you want to consume it. TV is in a streaming age, for better or worse, and we have to adapt as viewers. But, as I stated above, I adore this show. I am not going to review season two today though. I'd rather talk about the music, and how they used it, this season.

I saw some other publication, I cannot remember which one right now, say something about the music, this was before I finished the season, and that was when I started to clock the music this season. It is pretty awesome, and it harkens back to the 90's for me. Growing up in a house with three older brothers, all of which had differing tastes in music, this season of the show brought me back to that time in my life. There is a good amount of REM this season. I am a recent convert of their music, but I know RD has listened to them for a while now. I believe our oldest brother listened to them too. So whenever there was a somber, or even moving moment this season, a song like "Strange Currencies" would start and I would reminisce hearing that song as a pre teen. And it would be used so perfectly in the show. They would play it at pivotal moments. It was the perfect drop in for the perfect scene. They also played an Eddie Vedder song at the end of an episode this season and it moved me. I kid you not, hearing the song and seeing what I just saw, it made me tear up. A show about opening a restaurant took this very good Eddie Vedder tune and used it at the exact proper moment, and it moved me.They used Wilco in this season. A one hit wonder band, Fine Young Cannibals, had the perfect moment to play their hit. Steve Earle was peppered in and out this season. The Pixies would show up and amplify an important scene. The episode dedicated to Richie's moment of realization had this epic Taylor Swift soundtrack, but it was just one song. AC/DC was used for multiple scenes while they were breaking down the old restaurant to build the new one. They used Nine Inch Nails in a very fitting way for a viewer such as myself. They had one of my favorite David Byrne songs, "Glass, Concrete and Stone" playing during a montage that I adored. The end credits for the family Christmas episode had the best button of music with the Weezer song "The Christmas Song". Crowded House was featured. They played some solo George Harrison. The Bodeans had a song in this season. The Replacements, who are criminally underrated, had one of their songs used. Squeeze was there for a hot second. The Psychedelic Furs were featured. The season had some bangers by very famous musicians, but they also brought out some of the coolest, lesser known bands from the late 90's and early 2000's for all of the viewers to hear, and I dug it.

This is a soundtrack I will listen to multiple times. This is a season that when I revisit I will be even more focused on the music and how it is used. This is just another example of what makes this show so damn good. Watch "The Bear" for how great it is. But stay to see the food they make and to hear the excellent music they use. I love it and you will too. 

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 "Jury Duty"

Last night my wife and I finished "Jury Duty". I'm not going to say season one because I truly believe there is no way they can pull this off again. "Jury Duty" centers around one person, Ronald, who thinks he is going to be in a documentary about what it is like to be on a jury. What he doesn't know is that everyone else involved is an actor, and I mean everyone else. Every other person is a working actor, and they are all playing a character. Even James Marsden. Marsden plays a hyperized version of himself. To watch this show, to see how they pulled this off, to ask why Ronald never questioned anything, I was in awe.

Let me put this out here right now, this show was excellent. I will for sure be watching it again. I am endlessly fascinated that they pulled this elaborate prank off. This should go down in the record books. It was amazing. I loved how each juror that wasn't Ronald had some kind of backstory. Ken was from another land trying to figure stuff out. Todd was a tech geek who just needed a friend. Barb was an older lady who loved edibles. Vanessa was a true crime fan who thought the case was boring. Ross was the cool high school teacher that everyone loved. Pat was the gruff working man. Ravi was a secret genius. Noah was in over his head and just wanted a girlfriend. Jenine was down for anything. Inez wanted to be the leader but couldn't quite get it all together. Lonnie was the extra juror thrust into action. And all of these people were actors. None of them were these people they were portraying.

All along though, Ronald did his work and made friends and had fun. He had many opportunities to call this all out, even making comments about how it felt like a reality show, but never wavered. When thrust into a leadership role he didn't want, he ran with it. James Marsden wanted to run lines for a fake movie role, Ronald was his guy. Noah needed a wingman, Ronald was there. The judge told him to get the other jurors to shape up, he made sure he did it. Lonnie needed a confidant, Ronald was his guy. He could have said mean stuff, he could have talked behind people's backs, but he never did. There were multiple times when I would say to my wife, "there are still good, genuine people out there". His kindness, his sincerity, it was such a breath of fresh air. Through every twist and turn, Ronald kept plugging away and helping out anyway he could. It was remarkable. I am not going to spoil the ending, I will just say it was moving and Ronald got a nice prize. And the last episode made my wife tear up.

This was such a lightning in a bottle idea and it worked. I don't want them to do it again because it won't carry the same weight that it did the first time around. There are other prank shows, like "Joe Millionaire" or "The Joe Schmo Show", that had great first seasons, but messed it up by trying to do it again. I hope "Jury Duty" is one and done. They gave us eight incredible episodes that will stay with me a long, long time. If you have not watched this show yet do yourself a favor and check it out. It is one of the better things on tv right now. 

Ty

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

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"The Other Two" Deserves Many More Seasons

I read the other day that Max was canceling "The Other Two".

This bums me out. "The Other Two" is one of the best comedies on TV right now. The show is one of the near perfect things on TV. The writing, acting, directing, it is all top notch. I haven't been this into a comedy TV series in quite some time. I have two episodes left in this final season, but I know I am going to go back and watch this several more times. It will be one of the shows I watch for comfort. It will be a bedtime show for me.

Every episode has gotten better and better. The actors are taking more chances. The show has been going off in weird avant garde directions that have been a homerun. They had an entire episode this season where Brooke wasn't noticed by anyone when she left the entertainment industry. It was phenomenal. When Chase wanted to break up with his girlfriend, seeing all the disgust online was incredibly real. Drew Tarver and his boyfriend this season, who is always in character, is a great send up of those types of actors. Also, seeing Tarver vacillate between happy and sad for himself and his friends, who are also actors, feels like what I imagine the life of an actor is really like on a daily basis. "The Other Two" is too good of a show to let go now. They can go in so many other directions. They can take on more of the nightmare that is fame and Hollywood. I love Wanda Sykes on this show. This is, for me, her best role since "Curb". And on "Curb" she played herself. On this show she gets to play an industry person who is damn good at her job. She also gets to make joke after joke after joke. The writers here are second to none. You can tell they know the ins and outs of the world of fame. They were writers for "SNL" prior to landing this job. They have been around these types of people, and that comes off very clear when watching this show. That gives the creators a level up, due to being around so many hugely famous people at "SNL".

I just wish this show got more time. It more than deserved it. Every publication always seems to have it on their best of lists. I am near certain this final season will be on my best of 2023 list. But Max and a bunch of other networks are just giving up on these shows without giving them a real chance. "The Other Two" is gone. I read today that they canceled "A Black Lady's Sketch Show", another criminally underrated series. NBC let go of "Grand Crew" way too quick. Nothing seems to stick. "The Other Two" had the quality to stay around longer. All of these shows do, but "The Other Two" is on a whole other level. But Max is pulling the plug. They are not giving it any more chances. They are letting it go far too soon. Comedy Central had it first, so maybe they will revive it. Or maybe another streamer or network will pick it up. That would be ideal. But I just do not see that happening, especially with the writer's strike and the upcoming actor's strike. That is a true bummer. It earned much more time.

I am not thrilled that these really good shows are being cast aside to make more reality competition nonsense. The public needs to watch these original series or we will further delve into the world of "Idiocracy". I'm not ready for that life. I will miss this show. It was one of the better things on TV. 

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 Bear" Season 2

Last year I was late to the scene on the tv show "The Bear". But when I found it, I devoured it. The show is one of the better shows currently streaming. I remember seeing it was eight episodes, so that meant four, maybe five days to finish. I watched it all in two days. I wanted more and after each episode, and with it all dropping on one day, that made it easier to watch more. So when they announced a second season I was excited. And hesitant. Sometimes these shows cannot duplicate the success of the first season. They have the "sophomore slump". It doesn't have the same feel as the first. All of this and many more contribute to these shows falling off.

Well, four episodes into the new season I can tell you that "The Bear" season 2 is as good as season 1. The show captures the same feeling. I get the same vibes. The actors, writers and creators have the same push and will to make the show great. They are all working their butts off and it shows. The second season picks up with the crew beginning to open the new restaurant. And it is as chaotic as everything in season 1. The show is fast paced, yet each episode tells a great story, sometimes two. Four episodes in and I have met Syndney's dad, been to Denmark with Marcus, met one of Carmy's old high school friends, seen Rich trying to be a better dad and person, watched Nat admit to being pregnant, seen Tina and Ebraheim attend culinary school and watched Neil and crew have fights over mold and rebuilding. Again, that is just four episodes in. So far my favorite half an hour has been in Denmark. Marcus is sent there to work with a pastry wiz, played by Will Poulter, and it is an excellent episode, with some of the coolest visuals I have seen on TV. The food looks amazing. The scenery is second to none. The houseboat is rad. Seeing Marcus help an injured bike rider was moving. Him dealing with his sick mom was relatable. It is a wonderful viewing. I cannot recommend it enough. But each episode so far has had its great moments. Seeing Richie talk to Carmy in the first episode about trying to be a better person is moving as hell. Watching Carmy, Sydney and Nat talk to Oliver Platt about being business partners is nerve wracking. Seeing Carmy and Sydney cook together is amazing. I wanted to eat all the food that Sydney was eating when trying to get a better handle on what to make. I also loved seeing her talk to each restaurant owner and employees about how they became successful. That was eye opening. Seeing Nat come on as project manager gives Abby Elliot so much more to do and uses her talents to perfection. Watching Richie talk to his daughter about becoming a better father was touching. This show gets it. Even Carmy running into an old high school chum was relatable. I love the scene between the two of them when she reveals she knows the name of his new restaurant.

"The Bear" is right up there with "Black Mirror" for great television. The people who work on these shows understand the assignment and they all nail it. If you are not watching this show, remedy that right now and do yourself a favor. It is a pure delight. 

Ty

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

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"Black Mirror" Continues its Run as One of Television's Greatest Shows

My wife and I finished the newest season of "Black Mirror" last night. I was going to talk about the season today, but I don't want to spoil anything. The show is getting great ratings too, but I want everyone to watch this show. With that being said, today I want to heap praise on this show as a whole.

"Black Mirror" is the best thing TV has going for it right now. Not only is it the best streamer, it is the best overall. This show is a masterpiece. It is a bleak work or art. With every new season I get excited for what I am about to watch. Hell, with each new episode I know I am going to see something original, or a fresh take on an old classic, written, acted and directed by some of the best in the business. I was talking to my dad about this season today, he watches too, and no show in my TV watching history has stayed with me like some, most, episodes of "Black Mirror" do. I will sit on episodes for days, just thinking about everyone involved. And these are not true stories. These are not actual events that have happened in the real world. Yet. That is what I love about this show. Technology is a great thing. There are many good reasons to use modern technology. There are some who use it for the right reasons. But more so than not, most people use technology to escape or do wrong. That is the world "Black Mirror" takes on and they are doing it at a 100 percent hit rate at the moment.

My dad and I were talking about an episode from this season and devolved into him and I talking about an episode from an earlier season, "Smithereens". That episode is poetic. It takes on people who stare at their phones while they drive and all the downfall that can come from that. This gentleman in that episode loses his family because he was looking at a social media post. He then goes about trying to stop people from the company and he gets in way over his head. It is a work of art and uses music is one of the best possible ways ever. That is just one example.

"Black Mirror" has told stories about the importance of bees, how corrupt politics can be, the horror that is the military, infidelity, love while dying, online dating, cloning, the ills of a social media presence, trolling online, futuristic robot dogs and wild and outrageous video game lifestyles. And each episode is poignant, tells a familiar tale and sticks with you. The show can be funny, violent, gruesome, scary and true to life. Charlie Brooker has done something truly amazing. He and his team have created something that will be everlasting.

This show has also introduced me to some super famous actors. The first time I saw Daniel Kaluuya was in an episode titled "15 Million Merits". He is now an Oscar winner. I didn't know Toby Kebbell, who does motion capture as Godzilla now, until I watched him in "The Entire History of You". Jodie Whittaker, who is one of the Doctor's from "Doctor Who", was in the same episode. Hayley Atwell was in "Be Right Back", and it was my introduction to her. Wyatt Russell was in an episode and I did not know he was Hollywood royalty at the time. Gugu Mbatha Raw and Mackenzie Davis were kind of known before "San Junipero", but I bet that is what most people bring up now when they are interviewed. Letitia Wright and Christian Milioti were in two different episodes in season 4, and I had zero clue who they were when I saw them in this show. The list could go on and on.

What sets this show apart, what makes this show the best show on TV, is the writing. The stories they tell are amazing. They sit with you. You think about them over and over again. That couldn't be done without some brilliant minds bringing to the viewers. "Black Mirror" is the perfect sci-fi show. It is, like my buddy Kirk says, " a modern "Twilight Zone" ". I couldn't have said it better myself. No show that takes multiple years off and I still find myself excited to watch can pull this off, except for "Black Mirror". The fact that they took four years off and I didn’t even bat an eye shows how wonderful it truly is.

"Black Mirror" is the best of the best. If you are not watching it, correct that mistake right now and start watching it. It is amazing. 

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.