The Queer Factor
Weekly Recap 9/30/24
Welcome back, y’all!
THE QUEEREST THING I WATCHED THIS WEEK
Agatha All Along
FILM
NEW ON STREAMING
Wolfs
Plot: Two rival fixers cross paths when they're both called in to help cover up a prominent New York official's misstep. Over one explosive night, they'll have to set aside their petty grievances and their egos to finish the job.
Seeing Clooney and Pitt team up again was enough to get to me see this film, and it looked like a good time from the trailers. It is a tight, tense action comedy that knows how to keep the pacing going, when to pause for comedic scenes, and when to let the action really let loose. Clooney and Pitt are great together of course, and Amy Ryan has a powerful performance early on in the film. Austin Abrams is a new name for me, but he really complemented the two leads well throughout the film, and added to the comedic element in the perfect way. Highly recommend. 10/10. Queer Factor: 0/7.
TELEVISION
COMPLETE SEASONS
The Perfect Couple (Netflix)
Plot: When a lavish wedding ends in disaster before it can even begin--with a body discovered in Nantucket Harbor just hours before the ceremony--everyone in the wedding party is suddenly a suspect.
For the past few weeks, anytime I’ve seen any clip from a talk show or red carpet with someone interviewing an actor from this show, it’s all been about the credit sequence dance number. And now having seen the show, I understand why.
When Netflix does something original, it can be spectacular. Orange is the New Black. Stranger Things. Bridgerton. But when they try to copy something else, they fall woefully short. And this is their version of The White Lotus. It tries to be a murder mystery satire of rich white people, but the dialogue is cringe, the acting over the top, and the plot twists absurd.
It tries to play on the Agatha Christie trope of every suspect having their own secret to uncover, but many of them don’t work, or in the case of one of Greer’s (Nicole Kidman), they come out of nowhere and don’t fit into the plot of the mystery in any significant way. A red herring is one thing, but come on, people. When the killer is finally revealed, I had to do my own mental gymnastics to understand the motive, and it was deeply unsatisfying. 3/10. Queer Factor: 0/7.
STARTED SEASONS
The Floor (FOX on Hulu), Season 2, Episode 1
Doctor Odyssey (FOX on Hulu), Season 1, Episode 1
9-1-1 (FOX on Hulu), Season 8, Episode 1
CONTINUING SEASONS
Dancing with the Stars (ABC on Hulu/Disney+), Season 33, Episode 2
Futurama (Hulu), Season 12, Episode 9
Agatha All Along (Disney+), Season 1, Episode 3
Suits (available on Netflix), Season 4, Episodes 12-16, Season 5, Episodes 1-16
CONCLUDED SEASONS
How to Die Alone (Hulu), Season 1, Episodes 7-8
Plot: Melissa is a neurotic fat black woman who has never been in love, but after a brush with death she refuses to settle for anything less than the life she wants, leading her to become "that bitch" no matter what.
This show is wildly funny. And poignant. And sad. And hopeful. And a number of other things that come together for some great TV. The show takes a good look at what it means to get out of a rut, to find oneself, to go after love, to get your heart broken, to deal with toxic friendships, and so much more. Natasha Rothwell created the show and stars as the lead, and she is so incredibly talented that she is able to be hilarious and heartbreaking not only by turns, but in the same moment. This is the second show I’ve seen from the Onyx Collective, and I’m starting to think they just know how to produce a great show. This one ends on a cliffhanger, so I really hope it’ll get a second season. 9/10. Queer Factor: 2/7.
ABANDONED SEASONS
Grotesquerie (FX on Hulu), Season 1, Episodes 1-2
Plot: A detective and a nun investigate a series of heinous crimes that seem personal, while grappling with personal issues and uncovering a sinister web that raises more questions than answers.
I tried, Ryan Murphy, I really tried. I’ve stuck with American Horror Story until it’s latest season, and I’ve tried to give his other FX shows a shot. American Crime Story is consistently excellent, Feud tells very strong stories, but his horror game is losing me. I struggled to get through the first two episodes of this, and between the slow pacing, and the over the top Catholic imagery and plot lines, it’s a total miss for me. There is a hot priest, though, so I guess there’s that. 1/10. Queer Factor: 1/7.
That’s it for this week! Grand total: 37 episodes, 1 film
Thanks for reading! Until next time, stay queer out there!