Severance

This is a new Apple TV+ series produced and directed by Ben Stiller. The series stars Adam Scott, Patricia Arquette, and John Turturro and is set at Lumen Industries, a mystery corporation whose employees have chosen to undergo a controversial "severance" treatment that turns the work/life balance into reality and separates their lives into two.

I loved the blend of dark comedy and satire, as well as the thriller and suspense that the show has. The sinister tone is also a great deal of fun. The cast is consistently excellent, and Ben Stiller does a fantastic job of immersing us in the huge yet bleak grounds of Lumon. The cinematography of Severance is gorgeous and the scenes shot in the office remind me a lot of Kubrik’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. The show has a sluggish beginning, but it gradually progresses at a steady pace. I’m not going to spoil anything, but Severance really starts to get interesting when the employees find evidence that things at their workplace are not as they appear, and that the severance procedure is more devious than they've been told.

The premise of Severance is fantastic. And it works well as an excellent conspiracy thriller and an alarmingly plausible piece of science fiction. The series has a multitude of different qualities such as a workplace psychological mystery, really good dark comedy, and a strange and disturbing universe. It takes a while to get going but once it does, it is mind-bending and throws some interesting concepts.

Russian doll. Season 2

After a long wait, Netflix finally dropped the second season of this great series in April. The second season of Russian Doll managed to bring an even greater level of mind-bending craziness than Season 1 did. In the first season, Nadia (Natasha Lyonne) was trapped in a time loop on her 36th birthday, forcing her to address her tragic past in a bleak but also funny examination of death.

The second season messes with time yet again but uses the New York City subway system as a time travel device. And what a treat for the mind it is; The second season provides solutions to all of the issues that the first season raised, while keeping a few parts up in the air for your own interpretation. It also explores issues like trauma, loss, and predetermination (by fate, or some other force).

I understand that Natasha Lyonne is not for everyone. But I really liked her performance and her comedic style in both seasons. She is one of the few celebrities out there that I would love to hang out with. I think she is so smart, funny, and doesn’t take herself seriously at all and I love that. I had a great time watching the second season of Russian Doll and I think you will too.

Tokyo vice

This is an HBO Max’s crime thriller Adapted for TV by J.T. Rogers. It is loosely based on American reporter Jake Adelstein's personal description of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department in the late 1990s. It stars Ansel Elgort as Jake Adelstein and Hiroto Katagiri as a detective who leads him into the city's neon-drenched underworld. Michael Mann directed the season pilot, and he once again proved that he has a gift for capturing the dangerous mischievousness of big cities. Mann's hyperactive eager vision captures Tokyo's fascinating flow, from its murky back alleys and elegant drinking places to the tempting neon that fills the night. Setting the vibe for the remaining of the season.

I'm not a huge fan of Ansel Elgort's work, but he does a fantastic job in the series. Jake's excitement for his adopted country is palpable, and Elgort has strong chemistry with the Japanese actors. It was also interesting to see how Japanese society deals with foreigners. The Meicho Shimbun, a major Tokyo newspaper, had never employed a foreigner before Jake. And even though he is fluent in Japanese, both written and spoken he had some problems winning the trust of his peers.

Overall, Tokyo Vice is quite entertaining to watch. The performances, writing, and production value are all great and match with any of HBO's best series throughout the years.

Outer range

This show managed to capture my attention immediately, packing plenty of storylines throughout its eight episodes. The series follows a rancher named Royal Abbott (Josh Brolin), fighting for his land and family when he comes into an incomprehensible mystery on the western edge of Wyoming's wildness. Forcing a personal and cosmic encounter with the Unknown amid the wild American West.

The story kicks off when a strange black hole appears in the Abbotts' west pasture which culminates in some very weird happenings. The Abbott family is still dealing with the disappearance of their daughter-in-law, Rebecca, when an unexpected death in the neighborhood sets off a series of tense events. However, things get even weirder when a stranger named Autumn (Imogen Poots) shows up on the Abbotts' property with an eccentric hypothesis about what's going on with the black hole. And that is when Outer Range enters the realm of the supernatural. While dealing with the inexplicable and their quest for self-preservation, all of the Abbott family skeletons will be exposed.

Outer Range is a slow burn and the season finally will probably upset many viewers. A lot of the series’ big questions are yet unanswered. However, this is the intention, as the series provides a sturdy foundation to grasp upon while waiting for Season 2. People who like things tied up and being left in a position where they can say they understood what happened won't be thrilled.

Ozark. Season 4-Part 2

It finally happened, one of my favorite TV shows has come to an end. It was a very wild ride since the first episode of the first season so needless to say that I was very excited for the second half of the fourth and last season of Ozark.

By now, you all should know that the show follows Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman) a father who relocates his family to the Missouri Ozarks when a money-laundering plan goes wrong. In the first three seasons, we saw Marty and his wife/accomplice Wendy Byrde (Laura Linney) having to deal with the Mexican cartel, violent hillbilly gangs, crazy farmers, and sketchy FBI agents. But this time, things got really out of their control.

In the second half of Season 4, the Byrdes are attempting to leave their life of crime behind them, but Ruth (Julia Garner) sets off on a quest for vengeance that puts the criminal family in serious danger. I can’t remember the last time I watched a season of a TV show that had so much tension. The last two episodes alone are breathtaking. I’m not going to spoil anything but, I’m pretty sure the final episode will bother some people. Especially the last 10 minutes. But I really enjoyed the whole season and I’m very happy how they ended the show. For me, it was a bitter-sweet time. I'm pleased that the last season had a satisfying conclusion, but I'm sad that the series has come to an end.