Y The Last Man & FX Channel

The tag for the FX Channel is "Fearless" and while this network has been home to some of my old favorite TV series namely shows like Nip/Tuck, The Strain and The Bridge and even newer shows like A Murder At The End Of The World, the channel has not been taking risks with shows with new concepts or storylines lately, preferring instead to stick to remakes or sequels to old franchises. Although I was wholly impressed by FX's latest series Shogun (it has been confirmed by FX that there will be a second season) and Justified City Primeval, I can't help but feel that the network is taking a safer route with these shows. Don't get me wrong, FX deserves all the success and acclaim for both these shows especially for Shogun since it was a big investment on their part and for finally giving long waiting fans an updated, faithful and well deserved adaption of James Clavell's book. But I'm not here to talk about these high profile shows, instead I'm here to talk about a TV series by FX that was cancelled after only one season. The show is Y: The Last Man, a series that I was following diligently during the Covid-19 lockdowns, which made watching the series a little chilling (as I'm realizing now) since it also dealt with an epidemic that wiped out all mammals with the Y chromosome/ male species. The 10 episode series, which is actually based on the similarly titled comic book series by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra, was finally shown in late 2021 on FX on Hulu after a long delay from its initial pitch to FX in 2015. The delay was greatly caused by the change in the showrunners for the show from Michael Green and Aida Mashaka Croal to Eliza Clark, several casting changes and filming restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic. Although the series received generally favorable reviews, it was cancelled after its first season by FX mainly due to declining viewership and budget constraints (FX had to pay a purported 3 million to extend the contracts of the actors due to the delays).

For those not acquainted with this series, the story is basically about one man, Yorick Brown (an escape artist), who survives an epidemic that seemingly wipes out all (male) mammals with a Y chromosome. However, he also has a pet, a male capuchin monkey named Ampersand, that survives with him. By the way, Ampersand (like in the symbol &) is not a real monkey but completely CGI. For first time viewers, you will be truly amazed by how life like this mischievous monkey appears on the show which is largely credited to the people in Industrial Light & Magic. The first scene that shows New York in the aftermath, with littered corpses, crashed cars and even a helicopter on top of a building (apparently the male pilot died mid air)  is also equally impressive. Continuing with the narration of the story, Yorick's mother Jennifer Brown (Diane Lane), a former Congresswoman is now elevated to the position of President after the (female) Vice President is supposedly killed  during the cataclysmic event.  He also has a sister, Hero Brown, a paramedic with delinquency issues but the series gets more interesting when Yorick is paired with Agent 355/ Sarah Burgin (played excellently by Ashley Romans), a Secret Service Agent and member of the mysterious Culper Ring organization, who is assigned as his bodyguard by his mother on his travels in search of a Harvard geneticist, Dr Allison Mann (feistily portrayed by Diana Bang), who may be able to reveal the answers to his and Ampersand's survival. In addition to this, his mother has also kept his existence a secret from her political rivals in order to protect him. Hence, she is forced to send her son away with Agent 355 just after reuniting with him to keep him safe. Actually, I found the reversal of (gender) roles between Agent 355 and Yorick as protector and protectee refreshing with many amusing situations in the series showcasing this reversal  to great effect. The often mysterious backstory of Sarah Burgin (Agent 355) before the apocalyptic event also adds many interesting layers to the story. 

So what made this highly anticipated, expensive and critically well received series fail? If you have seen this series, you will be immediately drawn to the fact that this series has many similarities to other successful dystopian series like AMC's The Walking Dead (which is also based on a comic book series by Robert Kirkman) and Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale (based on Margaret Atwood's novel). Firstly, I think that the many factors that delayed the series played a major role in its demise. The abrupt changes in the series' creative team and casting perhaps created inconsistencies in the creative direction of the show. The pandemic which happened during the development of the series meant filming would be further hampered and delayed and this would impact FX's budget for the show. Another factor which also contributed to the show's demise was the sudden shifting of the series from FX to FX on Hulu. But honestly, I personally felt that the show failed because it alienated the male demographic. Although this might be an unpopular opinion to some female viewers, like me, who enjoyed the series, the fact that Michael Green was replaced by Eliza Clark as the showrunner at the last minute, all 10 episode were directed by female directors, a cast that was predominantly female except for Ben Schnetzer who plays Yorick and Elliot Fletcher who plays a transgender man who survives the epidemic (special mention for fans of the Canadian mountie series Due South, the show guest stars Paul Gross as President Ted Campbell who dies during the global epidemic) and a storyline where all the men die and the world is ruled by women (sounds like the worst nightmare for some guys 😁) makes it hardly surprising that this series did not find a favorable audience with most dudes. If they (meaning guys) had wanted to check out a TV series with apocalyptic overtones, they would definitely tune in instead to what Rick and Daryl was up to in the TWD series or turn to newer series like Amazon Prime's The Fallout. Which is a shame really because this series is actually high quality TV with an addictive story thanks to Brian K. Vaughan's (gasp he's a guy) comic book series. So, my recommendation is that if you (guys included) have not seen this series, you should definitely check it out. In fact, I have provided some links below for those interested in seeing this highly entertaining series for the first time or to simply  revisit the show.  

Final thoughts, cancellation of shows after one season is nothing new to me even excellent ones like Joss Whedon's Firefly, but Y: The Last Man meant that the 'Fearless' network would be more cautious in its selection of shows in the future. When networks are reluctant to venture into more controversial series or air riskier shows, content on our TVs will get only more diluted until we are inundated daily with only game or reality shows. Just my 2 cents. 

You can also check out the review on this series by Variety by clicking this link below.

 Review by Variety .

Y: The Last Man Opening Scene

(Courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes TV)

Links below (please note that the TV series is not released on any physical media such as DVDs or Blu-Rays but is available on Amazon Prime) : 

Y The Last Man Book 1 (Amazon US) (paid link)

Y The Last Man (Amazon Prime)

Is Physical Media Making A Comeback ?

Actually this post is partly inspired by my earlier (deleted) post dated 4th May 2014 which was titled Blu-Rays/DVDs Vs Downloads and the ongoing online debate whether physical media (which includes 4K Blu-Rays, Blu-Rays, DVDs, CDs and Vinyl) will be popular once again or at least remain relevant in today's age of streaming and digital downloads. During the 1990s until the mid 2010s, I had been an avid collector myself of DVDs, Blu-Rays and even CDs but honestly I don't really see physical media making a huge comeback now or in the future. Instead, sales of physical media will probably be on the decline. Personally, I gave up collecting them simply because they took up too much storage space. Perhaps, if you really like a particular movie, TV series or album, you could buy and keep them on physical format because then they will be yours forever as streaming platforms are notorious for abruptly pulling movies and TV shows from their libraries which sometimes never see the light of day again. However, demand for them will surely grow in the collectors' market especially for steelbooks, special editions and boxsets. So don't get rid of them in yard sales just yet 😉. Below is my personal list of pros and cons for physical media.

PROS OF PHYSICAL MEDIA

1) Ownership - yours to own forever with no fear of disappearing licenses or that your favorite movie or TV show will be removed from your streaming provider's lineup or shifted to another platform/ network.

2) Bonus Material/ Extras - director's cut/ special/ deluxe/ criterion/ anniversary/ collector's editions are loaded with extras besides the actual film/ album e.g. commentaries, behind the scene footages, additional tracks, cut scenes and even (gasp) alternate endings. 

3) Old & Rare Films, TV Shows & Records - it is widely known that many old and rare movies, TV series and music are only found on physical media. Sometimes, these forgotten films and music are even given a new lease of life when they are remastered and re-released on physical media. 

4) Packaging - many limited editions or steelbooks comes with impressive artwork and sleeves which are not only beautiful to look at but highly collectible. Some are even tailor made for display on your shelves with busts, figurines etc. 

5) Potential to be Collectibles - old and rare first editions, limited editions with serial numbers and even old Disney VHS tapes (or so I heard) are very much sought after by collectors who sometimes pay top dollar for them. Just a little tidbit, Disney has a habit of censoring some scenes from their animated feature films which they may deem to be unsuitable or sensitive for modern day audiences but these old tapes usually contain the uncensored versions (when first released). 

6) Better Picture & Sound Quality - since I'm not much of a techie myself, I can't really vouch for this but those in the know swear that physical media preserves the original or intended quality of picture and sound due to their local and huge data storage capacity while streaming or digital downloads are often compressed versions with inferior video and audio quality. 

7) No WIFI/ Internet Required - I think this is self explanatory 😊.

CONS OF PHYSICAL MEDIA

1) Storage - as I mentioned earlier, the main reason why I no longer buy physical media is the ever growing problem of where to store them but if you have the space then by all means go for it. 

2) Not Sustainable/ Environmentally Friendly - production of discs (which are basically made of plastic) and packaging (sometimes consisting of plastic casings or cardboard) can be a resource intensive process not to mention the further impact on the environment caused by the distribution and transportation of them. However, if recycled material can be introduced in the production process then I think that would be good for the industry.

3) Expensive - there are individuals/ parties that after comparing the cost of streaming to buying physical media are adamant that streaming is actually not the cheaper option because of certain underlying factors. Well, as someone who has lived through the 80s, 90s and early 2000s, I can safely say buying physical media is not cheap but it was the only option back then. Building a Blu-Ray or DVD library is actually very expensive since you have to take into account the production, packaging and transportation costs hence a lot of people were renting instead of buying them back in the day. Anyone remember renting VHS tapes? Another thing, you had to invest in a standalone player e.g. a DVD, Blu-Ray or Hi-Fi player. Now, for a relatively low monthly subscription, you have access to a whole library of movies, TV shows and music. For the younger ones who might not know, Netflix (the current streaming giant) started out delivering DVDs in mailers to subscribers who were renting them before evolving to what it is today - the biggest streaming network with its own original content.   

4) Redundant Players - most physical media require you to purchase a standalone player e.g. a Blu-Ray player, DVD player or game console which is not only an additional cost but over time and with the advancement of technology might be rendered redundant or obsolete in the future. 

5) Durability - contrary to common belief, commercially produced Blu-Rays, DVDs and CDs do not last a lifetime. Life expectancy of most discs are around 20-30 years if they are handled and stored properly. They may last longer but that very much depends also on the manufacturing quality of the discs, the quality of materials used and how the discs were encoded or imprinted. There might even be some deterioration in video or sound quality on certain discs over long periods of time.

6) Incompatibility - I have lost count of the many times that I bought a DVD or Blu-Ray but was disappointed that my player was unable to play them (or skipped) due to the disc being region locked, in a different format or just defective. With streaming, there should be no such issue unless your WIFI/ Internet is down or intermittent. 

For those who are interested to read more about this topic, I have provided links to some insightful articles below. Lastly, if anyone would like to add to my above list of pros and cons for physical media or let me know how they feel about physical media, streaming and digital downloads, feel free to leave a comment for me on this post. 

Why I Still Buy Physical Media (CNN Underscored) By Henry T Casey

8 Reasons We Actually Sort of Miss Our Movies on Physical Media (Collider) By Jeremy Urquhart

6 Reasons Physical Media Beats Streaming (PCMag) By Mike Williams

Why Streaming Movies Is More Expensive Than Buying Blu-Ray or DVD (SlashFilm) By Valerie Ettenhofer

It's Not Just Netflix & Max's Prices Increasing - Blu-Ray & DVD Prices Have Shot Up (Techradar) By Carrie Marshall

Longevity of Recordable CDs, DVDs & Blu-Rays (A Report by the Canadian Conservation Institute-CCI)

Evil (TV Series) by Robert & Michelle King

First of all, let me be clear that I am not a fan of horror movies or horror tv series, well not those that are outright creepy, disturbing or scary ones anyways. So, I don't really watch tv series like American Horror Story, The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor, to name a few. But I have explored other limited series like Epix's Chapelwaite (2021), an eight part series starring Adrian Brody based on a Stephen King's short story, and BBC/FX's Black Narcissus (2020), a three part series starring Gemma Arterton based on a novel by Rumer Godden, to name a few. Mostly gothic horror or movies/series that are 'hybrids' with elements of dark horror (usually hinted at but never visceral) interwoven with drama. But Evil, a TV series from Robert & Michelle King, is very original in its approach to the horror/drama genre. First shown in 2019 on CBS with the second and third season airing on Paramount+, the fourth season of the series will be premiering on 23rd May, 2024 with the (four episode) fifth and final season airing a week later. The series is written and produced by the well known husband/wife team, Robert & Michelle King, who are responsible for TV series like the legal drama The Good Wife and its spin-off The Good Fight. Currently, they are involved in another spin-off of The Good Wife, Elsbeth (a police procedural comedy drama) which premiered on CBS early this year. Since its debut, Evil has garnered a loyal audience and critical praise for its character performances, writing, direction and cinematography. However, I personally feel that the series, despite being excellent, suffered low viewership due to the less than stellar publicity given to it by the networks, the sudden shift from CBS to Paramount+ and the erratic and often delayed airing dates of the season episodes. Hence, resulting in the premature axing of the series this year.

Despite being tagged as a 'supernatural drama', Evil has many elements of horror intertwined with religious themes. Truly a departure from the legal dramas that have been the Kings' mainstay. The series actually capitalizes on our fascination with religion and horror, which is seeing a resurgence with many movies like The Nun and The Pope's Exorcist, while exploring the age old theme of good versus evil. So what is the series basically about? It concerns a Catholic seminarian and later priest, Father David Acosta (Mike Colter-Luke Cage), aided by a forensic psychologist and lapsed Catholic, Dr Kristen Bouchard (Katja Herbers) and a technical expert who was formerly a Muslim turned atheist,  Ben Shakir (Aasif Mandvi), who is hired by the Catholic Church to investigate purported supernatural events. In the course of their bizarre investigations (we are talking about cases that are straight out of  the X-Files), they encounter many elements of evil that tests not only their faith and strengths but which starts to blur the lines of reality. Throughout the series, the team is also dogged by Dr Leland Townsend (played devilishly by Michael Emerson-Person of Interest), also a forensic psychologist who dabbles in the occult and who frequently encourages others to commit evil acts. He also has a strange obsession with Kristen and her family. 

Although the Christian faith and its symbolism is predominantly featured in this series, it does explore the beliefs of other religions too as evidenced by the third episode of Season 2 entitled 'F is for Fire' which concerns a foster child of  Catholic-Muslim parents possessed by an 'ifrit' or 'fire jinn'. As I said earlier, despite being labeled as a 'supernatural drama', viewers should not underestimate the series' ability to surprise them with pure moments of horror like in Kristen's nightly visits by the demon George or the fourth episode of Season 2 entitled 'E is for Elevator' which is a thinly veiled tribute to Japanese horror. So is Evil a horror series? Yes, but it is also so much more than that. Currently, I don't think there is anything on TV that is more original than this series which combines all elements of the supernatural, horror, dark humor and drama so seamlessly. Kudos to the Kings for taking a risk with this series and perhaps with lesser known actresses or actors like Katja Herbers and Aasif Mandvi who are both wonderful as the lead characters. Special mention also goes to veteran actress Christine Lahti's performance as Kristen's mum. While waiting anxiously for the final season(s), I can't help but feel that it is a shame that this series is ending abruptly. Although the series was not given the full credit it deserves during its run, I at least hope that Paramount+ will give the series a good send off it deserves.

Lastly, for those who are curious about this series, you should binge on the first three seasons first before viewing the final fourth and fifth seasons to have a fuller understanding and experience of the show.  For me, the series has been a fun (albeit unpredictable) ride which is coming to an end.  

I have provided links below for those wanting to catch up on the first three seasons. 

Evil Amazon Prime (paid link)

Evil Season 1 Blu-Ray Amazon US (paid link)

Evil Season 2 Blu-Ray Amazon US (paid link)

Evil Season 3 Blu-Ray Amazon US (paid link)

Mr & Mrs Smith (2024) & Other Spy Thrillers

It has been ages since I had watched anything related to spies or espionage on the big or small screen.  There have been a few good spy thrillers on TV recently like The Americans (FX) and Slow Horses (Apple TV) but I have not gotten around to seeing them. Honestly, it was just my lack of interest for these series for the most part.  The last thing that I watched which had anything remotely related to espionage was (hold your breath) the 1980s TV series Scarecrow and Mrs. King. I know that a lot of you who might be purists of serious spy dramas will be shaking your head at this point but you will be surprised how popular this TV series remains until today 😁. Seriously, there have been others that I have enjoyed over the years like the 1988 British miniseries 'Codename: Kyril'  which was set during the Cold War and starred the late Edward Woodward (The Equalizer), a little known 1997 movie 'The Assignment' which starred Aidan Quinn, Donald Sutherland and Ben Kingsley (originally watched with my late father but re-visited recently with my sister ) and of course my perennial favorite 'La Femme Nikita' (1997-2001), the Canadian/US TV series which starred Peta Wilson and Roy Dupuis, to name a few. Although I'm quite fond of the original French movie 'La Femme Nikita' (1990) by Luc Besson, I did not care much for the remake TV series from The CW titled 'Nikita' (2010-2013) which starred Maggie Q and Shane West. Personally, I felt that the earlier series, whose cast was predominantly  French Canadian except for the beautiful Peta Wilson who was Australian, was unique because it had a very strong European influence which was faithful to Luc Besson's original movie but the version from The CW was too Americanized which made it a little 'soulless' and less appealing to me. Some might not agree with me but this was just how I felt when I compared both series.  

Despite watching a barrage of movies and TV series in the vein of spy thrillers from the 1980s until the  1990s, I had never seen the 2005 movie Mr & Mrs Smith which starred Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. Yes, hard to believe since it was a high profile movie which starred the two biggest names at that time. So when I decided to watch a new Amazon Prime series (similarly titled ) which was a remake of the original movie, I had no expectations or any pre-conceived notions going into the series for the first time. So what attracted me to this series in the first place was the all round good reviews it was receiving after it premiered early this year (February 2024). Although there were others currently being shown on TV or on the big screen, I was really looking for a good spy drama which had a more updated story and modern feel to it.  A spy drama for our times, so to speak. After completing the series, I can now safely say that I was really impressed with it. This original Amazon series, which comprises of only 8 one hour long episodes, is basically the brainchild of  Francesca Sloane and the multi-talented Donald Glover (a.k.a. Childish Gambino). Since it is loosely based on the 2005 movie, the series concerns two strangers who agree to become secret agents for a mysterious undercover organization but who must, at the same time, pose as a married couple while navigating through their missions. Details of their missions will be cascaded to them via a series of text messages which always starts with the greeting of "Hi, hi'" from their mysterious mission leader. Remember those self-destructive messages from Mission Impossible or the voice of Charlie in Charlie's Angels?

Both titular characters, John and Jane Smith, are played by Donald Glover and Maya Erskine, who replaced Phoebe Walller-Bridge (Fleabag) after she exited the series. The supposedly mixed marriage between John/Donald Glover (who is African American) and Jane/Maya Erskine (who is half Scottish and Japanese) is in very stark contrast with the original movie where John and Jane, played by Pitt and Jolie, can be best described as not only conventional but 'aesthetically pleasing'. Thus, making this John and Jane more realistic and relatable to the modern audience.  In fact, at the start of the first episode, we see another John and Jane, played by the very photogenic Alexander Skarsgard and Eiza Gonzalez, alluding perhaps to Pitt and Jolie. But when the series cuts to the actual main characters and we are instead introduced to Glover and Erskine, the audience immediately understands that the series, despite being a remake, is not a clone of the original movie. A very clever trick on the part of Sloane and Glover who co-wrote the first episode. In another scene in the sixth episode entitled 'Couple's Therapy', John, while on a mission, plays poker with a group of shady characters, all of whom are African American men. He starts to chat with them and so far everything is going well until they start to ask him about his wife which he later explains to them is half Asian. After he shares some unflattering remarks about her with them, Jane, who is listening in on the rooftop with a sniper gun, shoots all of them dead through the window except for him. After watching this darkly humorous scene, I was further convinced that this series is very different from its 2005 counterpart. Of course, this is only an assumption as I have never seen the original movie.:). Any comments from anyone who has seen both versions? Another thing worth mentioning here is that the series is also an exaggerated commentary on the different stages of marriage hence each episode is named First Date, Second Date, First Vacation, Double Date, Do You Want Kids?, Couples Therapy (Naked & Afraid), Infidelity and A Breakup. Despite being a spy drama, the theme of marriage is not only handled with great panache in this series but it also takes center stage frequently in the storyline. But like any spy thriller worth its salt, the series does not skimp either on great and expanded action sequences or elaborate car chases which is especially showcased in Episode 5 (filmed mostly in the coastal village of Veneto, Italy) and in the final episode. 

Other factors that make this series great include the top notch writing from Sloane, Glover and their team, great chemistry between the leads, influences from different directors for each episode, the varied and often breathtaking locations featured in each episode ranging from New York City to the Italian Dolomites and Lake Como in Italy and the tongue in cheek performances of  A-list guest stars which include Paul Dano (last seen as The Riddler in Matt Reeves' Batman), John Turtorro, Billy Campbell, Sarah Paulson, Wagner Moura, Parker Posey, Ron Perlman and Michaela Coel (to name a few). Incidentally, Beverly Glover (Donald's real mum) also cameos as John Smith's mother in the series. If you have seen enough Bond/007 movies in your lifetime (which I know most have), then you will know the formula for all good spy thrillers includes action, intrigue, humor and romance. This series has all these classic elements but at the same time it also gives them an added modern twist. So will there be a second season? While the first season ended on a cliffhanger, there has been no official word from Amazon Prime Video yet that the series has been renewed for a second season. However, the probability is high since the series is amongst the top five new series for Prime Video in terms of total US viewership. Last thoughts, the series is not only a refreshing take on an old but beloved movie but on the spy genre as a whole. For those who have seen the 2005 movie, approach this series without any reservations and you might be pleasantly surprised. I have appended below the link to Amazon Prime for those interested in viewing the episodes from the first season. 

Mr & Mrs Smith (2024) Amazon Prime (paid link)

Addendum 28th May 2024: For those who are interested, below is the link to ScreenRant for some latest news on the second season of Amazon Prime's Mr & Mrs Smith.

Mr & Mrs Smith Season 2 (ScreenRant)