The Old Man
Liam Mathews who writes for TV Guide said of season one of The Old Man that it "had one of the most precipitous in-season declines in recent TV history. If it had maintained the level of thoughtfulness and tension of its first two episodes, it would have been one of the best shows of 2022... But it fell apart as it went along, becoming mired in portentous monologues and baffling plot choices before ending with a reveal so obvious that I couldn't tell if it was supposed to be surprising or not." And I honestly can't disagree with that statement. At all. In fact I couldn't have said it better myself. And that's why I chose to quote another writer. This show thrives on one thing and one thing alone, Jeff Bridges kicking ass. So what do they spend all their time doing? Waffling around issues and bogging down the show in bewildering plotlines in what feels like a deliberate attempt to draw it out for as many episodes as they can. Because striped bare this show isn't about politics it's about daddy issues. And Alia Shawkat's "Angela Adams" dealing with her three dads. She's got her real dad, her stepdad, and her work dad... And is this really supposedly prestige TV because it sounds like it could be a comedy in the eighties? This bait and switch from action to family angst couldn't have been good for ratings. If it wasn't for the fact I respect the actors and was mildly intrigued by the annoying cliffhanger I wouldn't have even tuned in for season two. And if I'm honest, I wish I hadn't turned in. The poster for this season I think captures it all, they're treating the Middle East like the Wild West and it's all about exploiting the indigenous people and leaning into the white savior complex all our characters carry around like a millstone. I don't care if this is about a girl stuck between words, or whatever they were trying to do with Parwana/Emily/Angela. If they gave out Razzies for television shows Alia Shawkat would have taken all the prizes. This show was so out of touch with reality and with utlizing the talent they had at their disposal that they ended up making one of the worst television shows in recent years that, like an old horse, as been thankfully put out of it's misery. To show how badly this show dragged out it's plot Janet McTeer, who here plays John Lithgow's ex-wife, shows up in the second to last episode and in ONE SCENE summarizes everything that we have been forced to endure and explains why this has happened and what the goals are and I was blown away. You mean I could have been saved hours of my life by just having Janet McTeer show up and just tell me what was happening in a few short minutes? Can I opt for that in the future? Or maybe not. She and John Lithgow are on my shit list because of a certain long term commitment they recently entered into with HBO. At least I never have to her about Parwana/Emily/Angela again and that right there is a goal I never knew I needed in my life.
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