This Week’s Binge 2.5.21

Dickinson

Apple TV+

A dark comedy, historical fiction based on the life and times of Emily Dickinson, ‘Dickinson‘ is surprising. I like historical fiction as much as the next person, but Emily Dickinson, America’s greatest poet…seemed a little boring. I thought it was going to be a series version of ‘Little Women’, and I don’t think I need that.

It is like ‘Little Women’, kind of. If ‘Little Women’ were a dark comedy with modern music and steamy romance. Picture ‘Bridgerton‘, set in the US and no royalty. The Dickinsons are a vibe.

Each episode is only 30 minutes and a lot is packed into that half hour. Between the drama of the Dickinson family, you learn (a possibility) of what is behind the lines of poetry. Such a cool and unique way to blend two art forms, poetry and television.

Current season is being released on a weekly basis and when I binged and realized I was all caught up I was sad. That let’s me know I really liked it…I wanted more.

I am: Entertained

Mr. Mayor

Peacock

A good old-fashioned scripted sitcom, ‘Mr. Mayor‘ is pretty much what you would expect. Nothing too scandalous or racy or pushing the envelope, but a couple of jokes sprinkled throughout.

There’s a strong supporting cast (I especially love Holly Hunter, she’s so good in ‘Succession‘) that helps to create what could be an entertaining plot. Ted Danson, with no political experience, becomes the mayor of LA all while trying to figure out the system and raising his daughter solo.

It’s a weekly series so not many have been released, but it’s got potential. If scripted, network TV sitcoms are your jam, give it a try.

I am: Entertained

Fake Famous

HBO Max

I’m a sucker for a good reality series and ‘Fake Famous‘ is like a reality series, competition and documentary all rolled into one.

This social experiment takes a look at the Influencer industry, how ridiculous/intense/cutthroat/impactful it really is. They hold auditions and choose 3 regular people to help become influencers.

If the ‘The Social Dilemma‘ shed a light on social media, this is like the sun glaring down on IG. It is shocking, SHOCKING, how easy it is to buy followers and fake photos. And from what I hear, it’s not uncommon for it to happen. It’s made me think twice when I see influencers’ posts and stories. They always say it’s a highlight reel, but in some instances, it’s not a highlight, but a catfish. Some people are taking fake it til you make it to a whole new level.

There’s a spot during the audition that it occurred to me that all these people who said they “wanted to be famous” really wanted something else and thought that fame could help them achieve that. They want to change the world, or get a record deal, or be rich. But I wonder (insert Carrie Bradshaw voice here), if they had what they wanted, would they still want the fame?

I am: Obsessed