Government Cheese: Fun, stylish, and a little weightless

Photo: Apple TV+

More than any other streaming service, Apple TV+ is the one most focused on producing original programming. This is mostly out of necessity as Apple doesn’t have a catalog to pull from like Warner Bros. or Disney. Regardless of the why, it’s nice to have a streaming option willing to take swings even if it they don’t always land. Government Cheese is even more of a swing than usual.

Created by prolific music video director Paul Hunter and Ayesha Carr, the series is full of style and plenty of whimsy. Set in Los Angeles circa 1969, Government Cheese follows Hampton Chambers (David Oyelowo) a thief recently released from prison. Hampton is ready for a second chance and his invention, a self-sharpening power drill, is the key to it. However, his fractious personal life and a favor owed to the local crime family complicate things. This is a show with a lot of plot, which proves to be a challenge for its 30-40 minute runtime.

The series moves at a quick pace, which works for the quirky tone. Government Cheese has a vibe that I can only describe as The Coen brothers meet Wes Anderson. The show has a penchant for black comedy that is juxtaposed by the vibrant color palette. There’s also a tendency for the narrative to drift into dream sequences, a favorite device of the Coens. It’s a delight to watch even if the program lacks the charm of its influences. There’s a certain remove to the series that is often lobbied at Anderson’s work. All the zaniness obscures the emotions we’re supposed to feel.

Like those films, the show attempts to glide past those criticisms with the help of a great cast. Oyelowo is outstanding as Hampton, a man of seemingly endless determination. He makes the almost delusional levels of self-confidence Hampton displays endearing while also showing the cracks in his facade. Simone Missick plays his wife, Astoria, who is less than enthused to have him back at home. The series takes its time showing the devolution of their relationship, but Missick makes it clear with every weary smile and behind-the-back eye roll. She’s seen this all before.

Their two sons fall a little too easily into archetypes. Einstein is the academic one with a bright future, while Harrison is the counter-culture rebel. The real scene-stealer is Bokeem Woodbine as Bootsy. He is the constant devil on Hampton’s shoulder, tempting him back to the world of crime. We don’t get a lot of him, but Woodbine makes a meal out of every line and expression.

With a great cast and energetic direction courtesy of Hunter, Government Cheese has a lot going for it. The offbeat tone keeps you at arm’s length, but it’s hard not to be won over by the show’s commitment to its characters. This is the type of program that I can only really envision on a platform like Apple TV+. The creators can do exactly what they want and it shows for good and bad. That’s all I really want from TV.

Government Cheese is currently streaming on Apple TV+. New episodes release on Wednesdays.

Final Verdict: Tune In

Ransom Canyon: Yellowstone meets the Netflix algorithm with poor results

Photo: Netflix

It’s common knowledge at this point that there are large sections of the Netflix library viewers will never see. This is more or less by design. The almighty algorithm only shows you what it thinks you want. Part of being a TV blogger with a self-imposed goal of watching as many new shows as possible means finding things the Netflix machine will never send my way. Ransom Canyon is the latest example of this trend.

The series is another of Netflix’s soapy romance dramas in the vein of Virgin River or Sweet Magnolias with an added western flair. That means cowboy hats, horses, and big trucks. Like the other shows in this genre, Ransom Canyon follows a collection of characters from the titular small town who go about their melodramatic lives. The central story involves a love triangle between stoic rancher Staten (Josh Duhamel), dancehall owner Quinn (Minka Kelly), and sleazy businessman Davis (Eoin Macken). Davis spends most of his time trying to convince ranch owners to give their land over to a new pipeline. He also may have had a hand in the death of Staten’s son a year earlier, which is one way to set up a rivalry.

There are other characters who take up considerable time on the show, but I find myself at a loss to describe them. They are part of a sea of generic, handsome people who come and go as the plot demands. Their stories are just as milquetoast. Teen lovers forbidden to see one another; a mysterious stranger rolls into town with a dark past; a young girl with dreams of leaving this town must deal with her drunk and inattentive parents. You’ve likely seen stories like this before and if you have, you’ll know exactly where these are going. Our main storyline doesn’t fare much better.

There’s at least a glimmer of originality in the way Ransom Canyon makes Davis an unrepentant villain and Macken seems to revel in that. His is the only performance that feels alive. What makes these streaming soap operas work is a central pairing that is both charming and worth rooting for. Duhamel and Kelly have all the chemistry of an oil spill. Duhamel plays Staten as a sentient hunk of wood. He’s so afraid of showing even the most basic emotions that he settles for none of them. This negatively affects Quinn too, as we have no evidence of why she is so infatuated with this man. You might even find yourself rooting for the benign evil of Davis. At least he knows what he wants.

Ransom Canyon aims to be the next Netflix hit, but fails to provide viewers with anything interesting. There’s nothing here that you haven’t seen in other, better shows. What it offers instead is a series full of retrograde ideals and no heart. Even the actors don’t seem to care that much. At one point, someone unironically calls a character a “soy boy.” It lands with a dull thud, like everything else.

Ransom Canyon is currently streaming on Netflix.

Final Verdict: Tune Out

Lazarus: Playing the hits and hinting at something new

Photo: Adult Swim

Like many a kid my age, I learned about the wider world of anime through the original Adult Swim block. Despite the many warnings that these shows weren’t kid-friendly, I stayed up way too late watching as much as I could. While I enjoyed what I understood of Aqua Teen Hunger Force or Sealab 2021, it was the anime offerings that always kept me coming back. That begins with Cowboy Bebop. I could write multiple articles just on the effect that series had on my adolescent mind. Instead, I’ll keep it short and say it’s a show that continues to influence me. Now, Adult Swim and Bebop creator Shinichiro Watanabe have reunited for a program that aims to recapture some of that magic.

Lazarus is Watanabe’s first new project in 6 years and a clear callback to his most famous work. Set in the year 2052, the series follows a ragtag group brought together to find Dr. Skinner, the enigmatic creator of a miracle drug that took the world by storm. The drug, known as “Hapna,” relieves all pain and quickly becomes a sensation, that is until Skinner reveals the big side effect. Hapna mutates in the body after 3 years, killing the user. With only a month before that change takes place, our crew is on the clock. It’s a compelling central mystery that helps anchor the show.

For the action scenes, Watanabe teams up with Chad Stahelski of John Wick fame and his influence is apparent. While the fights lack flow and grace, they pack the type of hard punch you’d expect. Jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington is also on hand to add a bit of Bebop flair. The trio’s disparate tastes combine to create a fun, if somewhat rigid, style.

Our main cast, an anime Suicide Squad of sorts, provides the most obvious parallels with Cowboy Bebop. You’ve got Axel, the lanky wise-cracker with a kick-based fighting style. There’s Chris, the femme fatale and Douglas, the team’s coordinator and muscle. We even have a hacker. The sixth member, Leland, is the outlier. A drone expert and younger than the rest of the crew, he provides a sense of innocence. The cast is fun even if they all feel a little run-of-the-mill. With only 13 half-hour episodes, there’s a good chance most of them will stay that way.

It’s hard for Lazarus to escape the shadow of its influences, but there’s still plenty of potential. This is a show with fun action, a killer soundtrack, and some big ideas. It remains entertaining, even while referencing Watanabe’s past work. It’s not reinventing the wheel, but isn’t beholden to it either. That small gap is hard to navigate, but Lazarus pulls it off.

Lazarus airs Sundays on Adult Swim and streams on Max.

Final Verdict: Tune In

Your Friends & Neighbors: Rich people, am I right?

Photo: Apple TV+

Jon Hamm remains an incredibly gifted actor. That Your Friends & Neighbors starts with a “I bet you’re wondering how I got here” scene and I didn’t immediately turn it off is a testament to Hamm’s skill. It’s been nearly a decade since the end of Mad Men and in that time Hamm has successfully towed the line between different, usually comedic, roles and parts that are Don Draper-adjacent. With the latter, it’s expected. When you play one of the most iconic characters ever put on television, you’re bound to get some roles that play off of that. With his latest performance, Hamm isn’t so much taking parts from his Draper persona as playing a modern version.

In Apple TV+’s Your Friends & Neighbors, Hamm stars as Andrew “Coop” Cooper, a New York hedge fund manager. Coop’s world crumbles thanks to the twin misfortunes of his recent divorce and a dubious firing from his job. With no source of income, Coop resorts to stealing from, you guessed it, his wealthy neighbors. This Walter White, by way of Robin Hood, tale is only part of the story. The series also devotes plenty of time to the personal lives of Coop, his ex-wife Mel (Amanda Peet), their children, and Coop’s current situationship with Sam (Olivia Munn).

Peet and Munn are both a lot of fun, even if their character’s potential is unrealized. This is the Jon Hamm show, and everyone takes a backseat to him. Try as it might, the show just doesn’t produce the same energy when Coop isn’t on screen. Hamm gives him the patented Draper swagger, even if he’s clearly less put together. Our first introduction to this character is at a bar as he has a witty back-and-forth with an attractive, much younger, co-worker. The Mad Men parallels are obvious from the start and no attempt to differentiate Coop works. He’s officially Draper-lite.

Neighbors keeps things light, even if the comedy doesn’t always land. Hamm’s ever-present narration is a consistent source of humor. We get to hear Coop’s thoughts on those around him and his palpable disgust is a delight. Where it gets tedious is the way the show uses his voiceover to underline and bold the themes. It’s great to hear Hamm talk about the obliviousness of the wealthy, but it doesn’t really add much.

Your Friends & Neighbors isn’t much more than a surface level critique of the rich. It populates the world with vain and shallow characters but doesn’t spend the time making them watchable. It’s a satire without any bite. The show tries to make up for this by loading up on the Hamm and it almost works. That it succeeds on any level is mainly because of his ability to draw you in. Unfortunately, Hamm alone isn’t much of a meal and nothing else on the menu is likely to sate your appetite.

Your Friends & Neighbors is currently streaming on Apple TV+. New episodes release on Fridays.

Final Verdict: Tune Out

The Bondsman: Cast this series right into hell

Photo: Prime Video

There’s something off about The Bondsman from the jump, like the guy at the party who is trying a little too hard. Blumhouse’s latest is ostensibly an action horror series with elements of comedy. In reality, it dips a toe in all 3 genres, but doesn’t seem to care too much about any of them. The jokes don’t land; the fights are bland and the horror only comes in too-short bursts of blood and gore. It’s Evil Dead with all the fun taken out.

Our Ash is Hub Halloran, a backwoods bounty hunter who dies almost immediately in the first episode. Brought back to life, Hub soon discovers that he now works for Satan himself. We never actually meet the big man, instead Hub mainly deals with middle manager Midge (Jolene Purdy) who tasks him with finding some demons that recently escaped from Hell. In between battles with the forces of evil, Hub also has to attend to his aging mother Kitty (Beth Grant) and ex-wife Maryanne (Jennifer Nettles). His problems with Maryanne are doubled by her boyfriend Lucky (Damon Harrison), who orchestrated Hub’s murder. It’s a surprising amount of personal drama for a half-hour show.

The Bondsman spends too much time on the uninteresting elements of Hub’s personal life. It bogs down the show’s actual premise of “guy hunts demons.” In fact, you rarely get a lot of demonic action in a given episode. This could come down to the show’s budget. Once you see the “monster of the week” in the first act, you know they won’t be back until the third. There’s very little time spent on developing these demons or making them seem formidable in any proper way. Even the basic rules of how to defeat them are vague. It’s a supernatural show that hates being one.

That lack of interest extends to the actors too. Most of the cast are sleepwalking through their scenes. This is especially true of our lead. For Kevin Bacon, hell is being in The Bondsman. He delivers every line with the weariness of someone who would rather be anywhere else. In Bacon’s defense, the writing only adds to that sense of fatigue. There’s a distinct lack of fun or charm that really sells the show’s premise short.

Ultimately, The Bondsman’s greatest sin is that it’s boring. The clash of tones and the lack of any cohesive world-building drag the program down. Couple that with some lackluster action and dull performances and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. The show only seems to let loose when it’s time for the gore to come out. There’s no shortage of blood, but even that thrill grows stale by the end of this 8 episode run. Sometimes dead is better. The Bondsman is proof of that.

The Bondsman is currently streaming on Prime Video.

Final Verdict: Tune Out