The Grouchy Editor

Best of Shows?

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A question: Who the hell had time to watch all of these shows, much less decide which of them was worthy of a spot on this list? Somehow, I doubt that even professional critics saw every episode of, for example, Dexter. But what the hell, everyone else seems to be weighing in on this thing, so here are my two cents:

An admission: I’ve only seen about a third of the 100 shows. Of those, I didn’t watch all episodes of every season. Again, who has time for that?

1. I’d move The Queen’s Gambit into the top ten.
2. I’d move The Shield into the top ten.
3. Some of these shows were generally great but did not stick the landing (Peaky Blinders, Ozark).
4. Curb Your Enthusiasm deserves its high ranking — but only for the first few seasons. House of Cards also overstayed its welcome. And, unless it rebounds, Black Mirror no longer shines.
5. Overall, not a bad list.

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Speaking of losing luster, Trump is not having a great year. It’s hard to understand how a guy who made big promises six years ago — and kept many of them — can be failing to do the same in his second term. Do the “powers that be” have something on him, something that might be on the Epstein list?

Below, more black pills, courtesy of Bret Weinstein:

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TV Tidbits

You simply cannot escape wokeness, or DEI or whatever they’re calling it now. Apparently, every television and movie studio has a checklist, and no show shall grace the screen until all the appropriate boxes are checked.

I watched Blood Sacrifice on Netflix, a noir thriller from Sweden. For the most part, it was a typical series of its type, with someone killing police officers and our heroes tasked with solving the crimes. But something about the story was a bit … off.

Periodically, for no apparent reason, the plot would switch from police procedural to a subplot about one cop, a blink-and-you-miss-him supporting character. This character was married to another man, and we learn that he’s considering a career change. Several times the show halted killings and crime solving to give us a few minutes with this gay couple.

This was mystifying. The character was not essential to the main plot and was not one of the primary heroes or villains. He was a married gay man with career aspirations. That’s all we ever learn about him.

You telling me that the producers of Blood Sacrifice weren’t checking a DEI box?

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Peacock just added the Canadian version of The Traitors to its lineup. I’ve already watched the other versions available to me — U.S., England, New Zealand, and Australian offerings — so it was time to watch this one. Because of course it was.

The host of our northern neighbors’ Traitors is an actress named Karine Vanasse. Never heard of her. I did some research. Here she is in a movie called Switch, because you want to see:

You’re welcome.

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Has Fauda Jumped the Shark?

The good news about Fauda:

It’s (finally) back on Netflix and is still a well-produced drama with tense scenes and very good acting.

The bad news about Fauda:

I’m halfway through season five, and the series is beginning to show its age — or its lack of inspiration/creativity. These are mostly script issues. There are sloppy scenes, both micro and macro. Here’s a micro: In an early episode, two good guys are tailing bad guys in their car. Good guy tells other good guy to keep his distance from the bad guys’ car, lest they be spotted. Cut to shots that show the tailing car, oh, perhaps 30 feet behind the first car. Couldn’t be easier to spot.

Another micro: We are told a bad guy always has security with him, “24-7.” This is shortly after a scene where we watched said bad guy standing, all by himself, in a crowd observing a crime scene. 

Macro: Our heroes fall into the clutches of bad guys, who interrogate them and almost immediately decide our boys are not only acceptable but should be elevated to major roles in the bad guys’ organization.

Another problem, not limited to Fauda:  Modern series need to stop this practice of waiting two, or even three, years between seasons (see picture at top). I watch the new season of Fauda and completely forget who died or who lived in previous seasons, who’s angry with other people and who is not, etcetera.

I’ll be damned if I’m going to go back to previous seasons just to jog my memory.

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This is like one of those puzzles where you are asked to find one item that’s different in two otherwise identical pictures:

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I’ve been reading about woke companies censoring, banning, or editing old movies that are now deemed politically incorrect (Revenge of the Nerds, for example). Or issuing provocative trigger warnings for “modern” audiences (Gone with the Wind).

But I had no idea they are also censoring promotional pictures, like above.

In case you can’t spot it, the dude is no longer holding her panties.

© 2010-2026 grouchyeditor.com (text only)

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When I’m feeling a bit psycho, I don’t worry too much because I know the feeling (hopefully) will pass. When other men are acting a bit psycho, I don’t worry too much because I can often relate to what makes them that way. I know it should pass.

But when I see millions of females looking like the trio above … God help all of us.

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I guess if you’re a celebrity you are surrounded by sycophants who will forever say “yes” to you and enable your delusions.

How else to explain Page’s confusion over her/his lack of job offers? Women aren’t attracted to you because you look like a small boy. Men aren’t attracted to you because you look like a small boy.

You’d better hope the transsexual movie audience is large and growing. Either that or you’d best hope Christopher Nolan makes more movies more often.

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This is why I have mixed feelings about the “transsexuals invading women’s sports” issue. It’s hard for me to feel bad for a gender that spent the past 50 years insisting that it be allowed into everything traditionally male, now complaining about trans people wanting to be allowed into theirs.

© 2010-2026 grouchyeditor.com (text only)