Below is a list of my favorite episodes from Season Two of the Amazon Prime series, “THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL”. Created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, the series stars Rachel Brosnahan as Miriam “Midge” Maisel:
“THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL” SEASON TWO (2018) EPISODE RANKING
1. (2.04) “We’re Going to the Catskills!” – Burgeoning comedienne Midge Maisel and her parents, Abe and Rose Weissman, head for Steiner Mountain Resort, the Catskills resort where they vacation every year for two months.
2. (2.08) “Vote for Kennedy, Vote for Kennedy” – Agent Susie Myerson lands Midge her first gig on television marathon. Their victory is short-lived when they realize Midge is being punished for her past with a late slot. Abe is increasingly unhappy in his dream job at Bell Labs, while Midge’s soon-to-be ex-husband Joel Maisel continues to drown in work during late nights at Maisel and Roth.
3. (2.05) “Midnight at the Concord” – Midge rushes back to New York City when her employer B. Altman calls, needing a temporary fill-in at the cosmetics counter. She also begins dating Dr. Benjamin Ettenberg, whom she met at Steiners, despite her original misgivings. Abe discovers that she is a comedian, when he catches her act at another Catskills resort.
4. (2.08) “Someday” – Midge and Susie hit the road on a short comedy tour, traveling in a vintage Model A Ford that Susie “inherited” from her mother. Joel intervenes on Midge’s behalf when a club owner refuses to pay her.
5. (2.06) “Let’s Face the Music and Dance” – Tension between Midge and Abe increases following his discovery that she is a stand-up comedian. To make matters worse, Abe discovers that his son Noah Weissman secretly works for the CIA. Joel continues adjusting to renewed bachelorhood. Susie becomes overly immersed in her Steiner resort staff persona.
I just finished watching the Season One episode of “LEGENDS OF TOMORROW” called (1.09) “Left Behind”. I have a major issue with this episode and it deals with the character of Sara Lance aka White Canary.
This problem had originated with the previous episode, (1.09) “Night of the Hawk”. In that episode, the Legends team went to a small town in Oregon 1958 to investigate a series of murders tied to Season One’s major antagonist, Vandal Savage. They discover that Savage was using an Nth metal meteorite – the same material that transformed Kendra Sanders aka Hawkgirl and Carter Hall aka Hawkman into meta humans, and Savage into an immortal – to create humanoid bird-like creatures. The team managed to create a serum to cure those victims of Savage’s experiment. Unfortunately, before all of them could leave 1958; Mick Rory aka Heatwave had arrived to attack the ship. Mick, who had ended up in the clutches of the Time Masters, had been brainwashed into serving the latter group in order to hunt down the Legends’ leader, Rip Hunter for attempting to use time travel to save his murdered family. Mick’s attack forced most of the team to leave Dr. Ray Palmer aka the Atom, Kendra and Sara behind in 1958. They remained stranded in time for two years.
So what happened? During the years between 1958 and 1960, Ray and Kendra continued their pose as a college professor and his wife. And what did Sara Lance do? Instead of remaining in close proximity with Ray and Kendra, she had decided to return to the Himalayas and Nanda Parbat in order to resume her association with the League of Assassins and her role as an assassin. Sara did not suffer from amnesia or anything like that. When the Legends – along with Ray and Kendra – traveled to Nanda Parbat, they assumed that she needed to be rescue. But Sara was not suffering from amnesia. She immediately recognized the other Legends and turned them over to her leader, Ra’s al Ghul, as trespassers to be executed. Rip invoked the trial-by-combat ritual to save the team and named Kendra as their champion. Sara was named as the League’s champion. Just as Kendra was able to get to Sara, Mick arrived as Chronos and the team was forced to capture him with Ra’s permission. He allowed them to leave, with Mick as their prisoner. Sara, on the other hand, did not become a prisoner. Dr. Martin Stein aka Firestorm had a ready-made excuse for her.
It occurred to me that the writers really went out of their to give Sara Lance an excuse for betraying the other Legends to the League of Assassins in “Left Behind”. The transcript written by Beth Schwartz and Grainne Godfree claimed that those two years Sara had spent with the League – between 1958 and 1960 – had led her to lose sight of her identity and all of the character developed she had acquired with Team Arrow and later, during her early months with the Legends.
I say bullshit to that. Sara had clear memories of the Legends when they arrived at Nanda Parbat in 1960. Also, Dr. Stein’s explanation only gave her an “excuse” for her decision to betray the team to Ra’s al Ghul. Stein’s words did not excuse or explain what happened back in 1958. No one bothered to question why Sara’s first instinct after getting stranded in 1958 was to rejoin the League of Assassins. “Left Behind” revealed a montage of Ray and Kendra settling down in that Oregon town and her, getting bored in their apartment. You mean to say, Sara never considered going back to school? After all, she was roughly 19 or 20 years old when she and Oliver Queen were shipwrecked on Lian Yu following the sinking of the Queen’s Gambit in “ARROW”. Sara could have continued her college education. She certainly had the brains to continue this path. Instead, Sara took the easier path and resumed her role as an assassin for the League of Assassins – but only in a different period in time. And her second instinct was to betray the other Legends to the League, despite knowing who they were. Yet, the other Legends were very quick to forgive her for her actions, in compare to Mick Rory aka Chronos, thanks to Schwartz and Godfree’s transcript.
The hypocrisy of this whole scenario still strikes me as truly amazing after four years. I am not saying that the Legends should have also quickly forgiven Mick. Nor am I saying that they should have never forgiven him or Sara. But the Legends should not have quickly forgiven Sara either. They should have confronted her about her decision to betray them to Ra’s al Ghul. They should have been just as reluctant to forgive her as they were reluctant to forgive Mick. The handling of Sara Lance’s character in “Left Behind” was one of the few cases of bad writing I have ever encountered on “LEGENDS OF TOMORROW”.
I have a confession to make. I am not particularly fond of Agatha Christie’s later novels featuring Belgian-born private detective, Hercule Poirot. Most of those novel were published between the end of the 1950s and 1976, the year of Christie’s death. But there is one Poirot novel that I have enjoyed over the years. It is the 1959 novel, “The Cat Among the Pigeons”.
Nearly fifty years later, the producers of the ITV series, “AGATHA CHRISTIE’S POIROT” aired an adaptation of the novel. Written by Mark Gatiss, the story began in a fictional Middle Eastern country called Ramat during a revolution. The country’s leader, Prince Ali Yusaf, and his close friend, a British pilot named Bob Rawlinson; engaged in a violent shoot-out with revolutionaries that had managed to storm the palace. Rawlinson confirmed to the prince that he had made arrangements for the latter’s valuable rubies to leave the country minutes before the revolutionaries killed them in a hail of bullets.
A few months later, Belgian detective Hercule Poirot found himself at Meadowbank, a prestigious girls’ school in England, serving as a guest speaker for its award ceremony. Poirot happened to be a close friend of the school’s founder and headmistress, Miss Honoria Bulstrode. Following the ceremony, the latter asked the Belgian detective to remain at the school for a few days and help her select her successor following her retirement. However, Poirot found himself investigating a lot more when Miss Grace Springer, the school’s sports teacher, is found skewered to death by a javelin in the Sports Pavilion. Several days later, one of the students – Princess Shaista, Ali Yusaf’s cousin – disappeared from school . . . believed to have been kidnapped. Fearful that events might lead to the school’s closing, Miss Bulstrode asked Poirot to investigate and solve both the murder and the kidnapping.
There had been some changes in this adaptation of Christie’s 1959 novel. Several supporting characters had been omitted, which is not surprising to me. Poirot was featured in the television movie from the beginning to the end . . . unlike the novel in which he made his first appearance two-thirds into the story. In fact, he and Miss Bulstrode were not close friends in the novel. I believe one of the biggest improvements of this television adaptation was to feature Poirot’s character in the story from the beginning to the end. The manner of deaths for some of the characters had been changed. The biggest change proved to be the setting. The latter was changed from the late 1950s to the mid-to-late 1930s in order to fit the premise for “AGATHA CHRISTIE’S POIROT”. Fortunately, none of these changes had damaged the television movie’s narrative. But I did find the reasoning behind Poirot’s stay at Meadowbank a little thin.
Christie’s novel has always been a favorite of mine, considering how it permeated with political intrigue. That same intrigue seemed present in “CAT AMONG THE PIGEONS”. Yet . . . how I can put it? The political atmosphere seemed slightly muted from the novel. I believe the problem originated with Grace Springer’s death. In the novel, her death seemed to emphasize the mystery surrounding the Sports Pavilion. Whereas this movie had put a great deal of focus on Springer’s character. Perhaps a bit too much. I have always found the screenwriter’s decision to transform Miss Springer into a borderline sadist with a penchant for blackmail unnecessary. I also wish that Gatiss had included Christie’s original ending that featured Ali Yusaf’s secret British wife and son. I have always found that particular scene poignant.
Otherwise, I did not have a problem with the changes made in “CAT AMONG THE PIGEONS”. Although it is not favorite Christie adaptation of mine, I cannot deny that I have always enjoyed it. One, I enjoyed the political intrigue behind the narrative, even if it seemed slightly muted. Two, I thought the movie did an excellent job in its characterizations – especially with the school’s teachers. I also enjoyed the developing relationship between Poirot and Inspector Kelsey, thanks to Gatiss’ screenplay and the performances of David Suchet and Anton Lesser. Three, if I must be honest, I thought Gatiss did a better job in portraying Ali Yusaf and Bob Rawlinson’s deaths than Christie. In the latter’s novel, the pair was killed in an arranged plane crash, off screen.
The production values of the “AGATHA CHRISTIE’S POIROT” movies have been something of a mixed bag post-2000. Although most of the television movies did an excellent of reflecting Great Britain during the mid-to-late 1930s, there have been a few that I found questionable. Thankfully, I cannot say the same about the production values for “CAT AMONG THE PIGEONS”. I believe the movie benefited greatly from Jeff Tessler’s production designs, Michael Harrowes’ editing, Miranda Cull and Paul Spriggs’ art direction and Cinders Forshaw’s photography. However, I did wish that Forshaw had not been so inclined to indulged in that hazy photography that had seemed to dominate period dramas from the 1970s and 1980s.
I also enjoyed Sheena Napier’s costume designs. I thought she did a solid job in creating costumes that reflected the movie’s setting. But I had one complaint about Napier’s costumes – namely those worn by actress Natasha Little. Perhaps my eyes were deceiving me, but the hemlines for Little’s costumes seemed a bit short for the 1930s. The idea of her wearing dresses that were indicative of the late 1920s seemed rather odd. Little portrayed Ann Shapland, a secretary who had worked for a series of prestigious employers – including Miss Bulstrode. I doubt that the Miss Shapland character lacked the finances to purchase clothes that were in fashion.
The performances featured in “CAT AMONG THE PIGEONS” seemed top-notch as usual. I have already commented on David Suchet and Anton Lesser’s performances as Hercule Poirot and Inspector Kelsey, complimenting both actors for conveying the growing professional relationship between the two characters. Harriet Walter did an excellent job in her portrayal of the more than competent Honoria Bulstrode, the school’s headmistress.
Adam Croasdell gave a solid performance as the likeable, yet smarmy school gardener, Adam Goodman. Natasha Little was excellent as Miss Bulstrode’s slightly sophisticated secretary Ann Shephard, who was also hiding a poignant secret. Amara Karan proved to be rather entertaining as Princess Shaista, the royal student who regarded herself as more mature and superior than the other student. I can say the same about Amanda Abbington’s portrayal of Miss Blake, the art teacher who did not bother to hide her dislike of the boorish Miss Springer. Although I was a little critical of Gatiss’ decision to make the latter character unlikable in a rather ham-fisted manner, I cannot deny that Elizabeth Barrington gave an interesting performance.
The television movie featured solid performances from Carol MacReady, Pippa Heywood, Katie Leung, Georgia Cornick, Jo Woodcock and Lois Edmett. But I feel that Claire Skinner and Susan Wooldridge gave the two best performances as literary teacher Eileen Rich and Miss Chadwick, teacher and co-founder of the school. Both actresses did a superb job in evoking the poignant aspects of their characters.
“CAT AMONG THE PIGEONS” is a curious adaptation. Some of the changes to Agatha Christie’s 1959 novel made by Mark Gatiss struck me as a bit detrimental to the production – especially the exaggeration of Miss Springer’s character. Yet, some of the changes – including Poirot’s increased appearances and the manner of two minor characters’ death – seemed to improve the story. Overall, I enjoyed “CAT AMONG THE PIGEONS” very much thanks to Mark Gatiss’ screenplay, James Kent’s direction and especially the performances of the cast led by David Suchet. I still find it very satisfying.
Below is my ranking of the six STAR WARS movies made by George Lucas between 1977 and 2005; and the five films made by Disney Studios between 2015 and 2019:
MY RANKING OF THE “STAR WARS” MOVIES
1a. “Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back” (1980) – Set three years after the events of the first film in the franchise’s Original Trilogy, Rebel Alliance pilot Luke Skywalker studies the ways of the Force under Jedi Master Yoda. Meanwhile, the Galactic Empire under the Sith Lord Darth Vader, relentlessly pursues Luke Skywalker’s friends — Han Solo, Princess Leia, and Chewbacca – in order to use them as bait to lure the young Skywalker. Directed by Irwin Kershner. (TIE)
1b. “Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones” (2002) – Ten years after the events in the first film of the franchise’s Prequel Trilogy, the Galactic Republic finds itself on the brink of civil war, with thousands of planetary systems threatening to secede and join the Confederacy of Independent Systems, led by the former Jedi Master Count Dooku. After Senator Padmé Amidala evades an assassination attempt, Jedi Padawan Anakin Skywalker becomes her protector. Meanwhile his mentor Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi investigates the attempt on Senator Amidala’s life and uncovers a clone army being created to serve the Republic. Directed by George Lucas. (TIE)
2. “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith” (2005) – Three years after the Prequel Trilogy’s second film, the Jedi set out to end the Clone Wars conflict with the capture of its leader Sith Lord Count Dooku aka Darth Tyrannus and General Grievous. Meanwhile, Senator Padmé Amidala’s revelation of her pregnancy leads to her secret husband Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker’s fears of her dying in childbirth and a desperate desire to prevent her from experiencing this fate. Directed by George Lucas.
. “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” (2016) – The Rebel Alliance tasks Jyn Erso, the daughter of an Imperial scientist, to find him and learn any information about the Galactic Empire’s new secret weapon, the Death Star. Later, she and a group of Rebels seek to steal the weapon’s plans. Directed by Gareth Edwards.
4. “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” (1999) – The Jedi Order tasks Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi with trying to protect Queen Padmé Amidala of Naboo in hopes of securing a peaceful end to an interplanetary trade dispute between her planet and the Trade Federation. Joined by a Force sensitive slave named Anakin Skywalker, they simultaneously contend with the mysterious return of the Sith. Directed by George Lucas.
5. “Solo: A Star Wars Story” (2018) – Set ten years before the Original Trilogy, this movie depicts the early adventures of smugglers Han Solo and Chewbacca, who join a criminal heist of a shipment of valuable coaxium in order to pay a debt. Ron Howard directed.
6. “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope” (1977) – In the Original Trilogy’s first film, farm boy Luke Skywalker meets Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. The pair hire Han Solo and Chewbacca to help them free Princess Leia Organa from the Galactic Empire’s clutches and help her deliver the Death Star plans to the Rebel Alliance. George Lucas directed.
7. “Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi” (1983) – After rescuing Han Solo from Tatooine gangster Jabba the Hutt, Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker and his friends set out on a mission to destroy the Galactic Empire’s second Death Star. Meanwhile, Luke deals with the revelation that he is related to Darth Vader. Richard Marquand directed.
8. “Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens” (2015) – In this first film of the Sequel Trilogy, a new threat in the form of the First Order – remnants of the fallen Galactic Empire – rises. A desert scavenger named Rey and an ex-stormtrooper named Finn help the Resistance, formed by Princess Leia Organa, to meet this threat. J.J. Abrams directed.
9. “Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi” (2017) – While Finn tries to help the dwindling Resistance forces flee from the First Order, Rey goes to Jedi Master Luke Skywalker – now a hermit – to help her train in the ways of the Force. Rian Johnson directed.
10. “Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker” (2019) – The surviving members of the Resistance face the First Order once again. Meanwhile, Rey, Finn and Resistance pilot Poe Dameron search for the former Emperor Palpatine, who has apparently risen again. J.J. Abrams directed.
Below is an article about the British dish known as the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie:
MELTON MOWBRAY PORK PIE
Meat pies have been a staple of world cuisine for centuries. At least as far back as the medieval era. The use of pork has been more associated with the British Isles than any other country . . . as far as I know. But one of Great Britain’s most famous pork pies happens to be the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie.
A pork pie is a traditional English meat pie that is usually served either at different temperatures, depending on the individual pie. It consists of a filling of minced pork and pork fat that is surrounded by a layer of jellied pork stock in a hot water crust pastry.The dish is usually eaten as a snack or with a salad. The question remains . . . how does the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie differ from other British pork pies?
While preparing a traditional pork pie, the cook uses a mixture of fat and cured meat, giving the filling a pink color. For the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie, only uncured pork is used, leaving a gray color for the filling when prepared. The pork is usually chopped in slightly larger pieces, instead of minced. Also, the pie’s crust is hand formed and baked free-standing. This allows the sides to bow outwards, rather than being vertical as with mould-baked pies. Unlike other British meat pies, the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie is served cold.
The exact date for the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie’s origin is unknown. However, the dish had originated in Melton Mowbray, a town in Leicestershire. Some claimed that the pie was popular among fox hunters in that area during the late eighteenth century. However, others have pointed out that the association of the pork pie trade with Melton had originated around 1831 as a sideline in Edward Adcock’s bakery and confectioners shop. A number of other bakers then started supplying them within a decade, including former grocer Enoch Evans, who may have been responsible for establishing the industry on a large scale. Eating Melton Mowbray Pork Pies for Christmas has developed into a tradition in the East Midlands. Although its origin is unknown, the association of Melton Mowbray Pork Pies with Christmas might date back to the mid-19th century. This proved to be the busiest time of year for the Melton manufacturers.
Here is a recipe for the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie from the BBC Food website:
Melton Mowbray Pork Pie
Ingredients
Pastry 150g/7oz lard 50ml/2fl oz milk 50ml/2fl oz water 450g/1lb plain flour, plus extra for dusting salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 free-range egg, beaten, for brushing
Pork Jelly 900g/2lb pork bones 2 pig’s trotters 2 large carrots, chopped 1 onion, peeled, chopped 2 sticks celery, chopped 1 bouquet garni (bay, thyme, parsley; tied together with string) ½ tbsp black peppercorns
Pie Filling 400g/14oz shoulder of pork, finely chopped 55g/2oz pork belly, skin removed, minced 55g/2oz lean bacon, finely chopped ½ tsp ground allspice ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
*For the pastry, place the lard, milk and water into a small pan and gently heat until the lard has melted.
*Sift the flour into a large bowl and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix well.
*Make a well in the flour and pour in the warm lard mixture. Mix well to combine, until the mixture comes together to form a dough. Knead for a few minutes, then form into a ball and set aside.
*For the pork jelly, place all of the pork jelly ingredients into a large pan and pour in enough water to just cover. Bring slowly to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for three hours over a low heat, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface, then strain the stock through a fine sieve and discard the solids.
*Pour the sieved stock into a clean pan and simmer over a medium heat until the liquid has reduced to approximately 500ml/1 pint.
*For the pie filling, place all of the pie filling ingredients into a large bowl and mix well with your hands. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
*Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
*Line a pork pie dolly (or a jam jar) with cling film to prevent the pastry from sticking.
*Pinch off a quarter of the pastry and set aside. On a floured work surface, roll out the remaining three-quarters of pastry into a round disc about 3cm/1¼in thick. Place the pie dolly into the middle of the pastry circle and draw the edges of the pastry up around the sides of the dolly to create the pie casing. Carefully remove the dolly from the pastry once your pie casing is formed.
*Roll the pork pie filling into a ball and carefully place into the bottom of the pastry case.
*Roll out the remaining piece of pastry into a circle large enough to cover the pastry case as a lid.
*Brush the top inner parts of the pastry casing with some of the beaten egg and place the pastry circle on top. Pinch the edges of the pastry to seal the pie. Brush the top of the pie with the rest of the beaten egg, then bake in the oven for 45 minutes to one hour, or until the pie is golden-brown all over.
*Remove the pie from the oven and set aside to cool. Cut two small holes in the top of the pork pie and pour in the pork jelly mixture (you may need to heat it through gently to loosen the mixture for pouring). Chill in the fridge until the jelly is set.
*To serve, cut the pie into slices and serve with piccalilli or chutney.
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