📺 The Last of Us, Party Down, and That '90s Show
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In today’s edition:
The Last of Us
Party Down
That ‘90s Show
— Jess Spoll and Jenni Cullen
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In this segment we each give our take on the same show. Will we see eye to eye?
The Last of Us
Keywords: action, zombies, based on a video game
Watch if you like: The Walking Dead, A Quiet Place, Logan
Length: ~60 min runtime, 1 of 9 episodes out, new ones each Sunday
Watch on: HBO Max
Adapted from a popular video game, The Last of Us is set in a world that has been ravaged by a deadly fungal infection. Pedro Pascal stars as Joel, a smuggler who is tasked with escorting Ellie (Bella Ramsey) across the post-apocalyptic country. Other famous faces will appear along the way such as Nick Offerman, Melanie Lynskey, and Murray Bartlett.
On the surface, this isn’t for me. I don’t normally like violent action-packed shows, and I don’t play video games. And yet, Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann have crafted a show that is just as much a poignant drama as it is an apocalyptic survival thriller.
In just one episode, The Last of Us has firmly established who Joel is and what drives him, and in such a thorough and evocative manner that I’m now deeply invested in what happens to him. They’ve also done an excellent job of setting up the reluctant friendship between Joel and Ellie, while planting seeds of mystery around Ellie’s backstory. The series includes violence and horror, but the heart of the story is in these two characters and their journey. I’m incredibly excited to see what the future episodes will bring.
Jess’s Rating: A
I don’t generally like to base my feelings about a show on its pilot alone; however, the first episode of The Last of Us was so good, it set my expectations for the rest of the season extremely high. Any action-drama enthusiasts should give this a watch — especially if they’re into somewhat realistic zombie apocalypse stories and/or dramas with satisfying emotional arcs for the main characters. Obviously, I can’t actually vouch for the depth of any emotional arcs yet, seeing as there’s only been one ep, but boy do I see the writers (and Pascal and Ramsey) building on the skeleton of something great.
I want to add that while there is a fair amount of violence in this show, I found it much easier to stomach than that of Game of Thrones or Squid Game. Somehow the on-screen gore is a little less prominent and brutal in The Last of Us.
Jenni’s Rating: A-
In which we choose a show we’ve been loving recently to review and feature.
Party Down
Keywords: sitcom, workplace comedy, ensemble cast
Watch if you like: Parks and Rec, Scrubs, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Jenni’s Rating: A
To my friends and family who have spent years telling me to watch Party Down, all I can say is: you were right and I’m sorry I waited so long.
The comedy follows a cater-waiter team of aspiring actors, writers, and comedians working small-time gigs around Hollywood while they hope for their big break. In the first episode, failed actor Henry Pollard (Adam Scott) returns to the Party Down catering company to help the crew with a suburban homeowners' annual party.
While it is technically a workplace comedy, every episode sees the team catering a new event, meaning we get consistently fresh scenery and, more importantly, a constant stream of fun guest actors. This is perhaps my favorite thing about the series: the veritable “who’s who” of 2010s actors in both the main and featured cast. The core crew includes Lizzy Caplan (Fleishman is in Trouble), Jane Lynch (Glee), Martin Starr (Silicon Valley), and Ryan Hansen (Veronica Mars), but if you’re a fan of shows like Veronica Mars, Community, Freaks and Geeks, Gilmore Girls… this list could go on forever, you’re sure to see a familiar face or seven in Party Down.
This series works so well in part because of the sheer surplus of talent, but the writing carries plenty of weight as well. Its humor might remind you a bit of The Office — sharp, sarcastic and wry — and the dialogue is quick and often witty. After 13 long years off the air, season three will premiere on Feb 24, 2023, so now’s your chance to catch up. Don’t be like me; don’t wait a decade to watch Party Down.
— Jenni
Length: 30-min runtime, 2 seasons / 20 episodes
Watch on: Hulu
Our thoughts on brand new streaming content, and where you can watch.
That ‘90s Show
Keywords: sitcom, revival, coming-of-age
Watch if you like: That ‘70s Show, Fuller House, How I Met Your Father
Jess’s Rating: D
That ‘90s Show is a new spin-off of That ‘70s Show (1998-2006), following in the footsteps of classic show revivals à la How I Met Your Father, Girl Meets World, and Fuller House. We’re back at Kitty and Red’s house in Wisconsin, but this time it’s the ‘90s, and instead of following Eric and his friends, we’re following his and Donna’s teen daughter and her friends.
The show’s biggest ambition seems to be recreating the magic of the original, even when that means sticking to not only the same sets and the same laugh track, but also the same character tropes. The younger actors, who are really giving Disney Channel in their performances, have been forced into the cookie cutter shapes of the original group of friends. It’s a missed opportunity to create new and interesting characters with their own comedic idiosyncrasies.
If I’m missing That ‘70s Show, I’ll just go watch that. Nostalgia is fun in small doses, and it’s nice to watch Kitty and Red and some of the original cast together again, but a new show’s best parts shouldn’t be the old parts— it needs to cultivate something new in order to be worthwhile.
— Jess
Length: 22-min runtime, 1 season / 10 episodes
Watch on: Netflix
Your shows, returned:
Truth Be Told, Season 3: Premieres January 20 on Apple TV+
The Bachelor, Season 27: Premieres January 23 on ABC
How I Met Your Father, Season 2: Premieres January 24 on Hulu
American Auto, Season 2: Premieres January 24 on NBC
Upcoming new releases:
That ‘90s Show: Premieres January 19 on Netflix
Bling Empire: New York: Premieres January 20 on Netflix
The Lazarus Project: Premieres January 23 on TNT
Extraordinary: Premieres January 25 on Hulu
Wolf Pack: Premieres January 26 on Paramount+
The 1619 Project: Premieres January 26 on Hulu
Poker Face: Premieres January 26 on Peacock
Starting party down now very excited!!