The First Lady, Ep. 1 - 'That White House'

by Eric Blume

Showtime's limited series The First Lady kicked off its premiere episode last week. It's a bit of a mixed bag out of the gate. The episode consists of several 10-minute-ish scenes covering each of our protagonists:  Michelle Obama (Viola Davis); Betty Ford (Michelle Pfeiffer); and Eleanor Roosevelt (Gillian Anderson).  A ticker on the bottom of the screen whisks us backward and forward between these women whose stories are about forty years apart from each other. 

There's not a great deal of grace in this back-and-forth execution, feeding us small glimpses of each lady in semi-satisfying increments that don't seem to have a meaningful connection between them outside of generic "I'm my own person" theme.  It's probably easiest to tackle these three stories independently, because episode one doesn't give us much of a linking thread or powerful throughline yet, and because there are pleasures to be had within the confines of this awkward setup...

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Capsule Review: Tech Triple Threat - "Super-Pumped," "The Dropout" and "WeCrashed"

by Christopher James

Which new show about the rise and fall of a major tech company prevails in the end?Do you ever get deja vu while watching a TV or movie? Trends always lag a year or two when it comes to pop culture. More so than ever, the minute a story or documentary takes off, production companies are working on the scripted version of the story. In the course of a month, there will be three separate miniseries dramatizing famous tech flameouts from the last decade. Showtime was the first out the gate with Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber, which has already been renewed for season two, centering around Facebook. Next up was Hulu with The Dropout, which cast Amanda Seyfriend as Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes. By the end of the month, Apple TV+ will premiere WeCrashed, where Oscar winners Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway star as the charismatic couple behind WeWork, Adam and Rebekah Neumann.

It’s easy to make comparisons when so many similar series come out in quick succession. Between the three shows, there’s a clear winner and clear loser. Which is which? Read on to find out...

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"Where we are now on TV" - annual GLAAD report

by Nathaniel R

Yellowjackets helped Showtime stay on top in terms of LGBTQ representation

The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation has released their annual WHERE WE ARE NOW ON TV report. The report looks at LGBTQ+ representation via series regulars or recurring characters on scripted television shows across the three platforms: broadcast, cable, and streaming. It covers shows airing between June 1st, 2021 and May 31st, 2022. The shows that haven't aired yet are stastically factored in only when casting has been confirmed by content providers (Notably Apple TV+ AND Disney+ declined to confirm when it came to unaired shows) so the report might have discrepancies.

Herewith are 10 notes on the report, in no particular order...

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‘And Just Like That…’ the end of the line?

by Mark Brinkherhoff

A month into the new year, and we find ourselves already at the end of season one of And Just Like That…, a “new chapter” of Sex and the City. Who among us, TFE readers, has been watching Sex and the City: Redux? A better question perhaps: Who among us hasn’t?   

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Review: "The Afterparty" Could've Been More Lit

By: Christopher James

Is Apple TV+'s new comedy "The Afterparty" worth attending? Read on to find out.

High school reunions are nightmares, but they’re nightmares that you can’t miss. Where did your high school crushes end up? What scores do you need to settle with old rivals? Will you murder the famous pop star from your graduating class? Well, hopefully the latter is not on your bucket list.

The new Apple TV+ comedy, The Afterparty, is a fun whodunnit comedy that centers around the murder of a celebrity following his high school reunion...

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