scott-oberg

Starstruck's third season continues to explore Jessie and Tom's will-they-won't-they relationship right up until the bitter end. It's emotional, and funny, and poignant, and touching. You would think that the premise would have run its course, but it's surprising how much more interesting stuff there is to mine. Other reviewers have suggested that this might not be the end of the series, but I can't imagine it ending much more perfectly than it does.

All the supporting cast is great, but it can't go unsaid that Rose Matafeo continues to be an absolute delight in this series. I look forward to seeing more of her. I'd even like to see more of Jessie and her friends and what the next stage of life looks like for all of them.

I thoroughly enjoyed Kid Sister. It's tightly written and very funny. For a debut effort, Simone Nathan does a great job in creating a character that is simultaneously lovable and relatable, even as her actions wreak havoc with her family dynamic.

Similarly, Paul Williams' Ollie is highly sympathetic as he weathers the storm of Lulu's actions.

I'm wholly in favour of this new breed of comedy like this that gives a window into non-traditional tv cultures and families that are often unexplored. They really point out that there are so many amazing and untold stories out there to tell. Well done, Simone.

Bob Odenkirk plays Hank, the english department chair at a middling college in the middle of nowhere. He is uninspired. His boss, his department colleagues, and his wife all know that he's mailing it in. But the gong show of characters and events around him continuously conspire to upset the delicate balance allowing him to coast through his life unmolested. The first episode makes some pointed commentary on helicopter parenting, the thin veneer of concern for quality education, and the farcical politics surrounding it all. It's based on a novel called 'straight man' and that's pretty much the role that Hank serves in the story so far. This show lives in that dangerous 'dramedy' category that can be fraught with peril if it fails to satisfy either audience. Thusfar, the tone seems pretty well struck. I like where it's headed, which is to turn up the temperature on Hank's midlife crisis.