Monday MMR December 18 2023: Never. Back Down.

Pro workplace accidents!

Are you holding your breath?

Catholics? Not sure. There are some fanatic rightwingers among the leadership.  This is simply continuing the arc of kicking them in the nuts. He knows how to read a room. He knows that if the church will be viable in the future they have to understand reality. There's really nothing in the bible, at least the new testament that support their BS.

Monk was this cool show in the early 2000 about this quirky guy who solved crimes but also had a plethora of phobias and eccentric behavior. It ended after 8 seasons and it was one of those first shows that had less then 24 episodes a season. You'll find plenty shows with only 8-10 now (similar thing, quirky characters - such as Only Murders in the Building, Game of Thrones etc), but some of those might come up twice a year instead of annually. As of late we've seen some shows mix smaller seasons or perhaps even shorter episodes, but Monk as far as I remember was on the forefront of dialing down the episodes. This was also in the timeframe you ended up with several quirky shows. In between early 2000 and 2010, you had Heroes, that died on the vine due to the writers strike and change of direction. You had Pushing Daises and a number of other great fantasy/sci fi shows that had a few seasons but ultimately died because it couldn't find a large enough audience that enjoyed these new unique shows.

Monk and another great show with a similar vibe, Psych, survived.

What is cool with these shows - other then a good cast of people and a shorter season, was that it has had some post show support. Not just in syndication, but also with several tv movies. Psych itself has had 8 Seasons of content and 3 movies, with almost all of the cast coming back during this period. The 3rd movie left on a slight cliff hanger so it is possible there will be a final 4th. Monk has now had its first movie. I just came out on Peacock. I mentioned the other day that I was looking forward to Beverly Hills Cop 4. It has a certain nostalgia. And that I wanted to see the latest Indiana Jones, but I felt that if was more whiny then quintessential Indian Joes. Yes, he's old, but the whole point about Indy is the archeological adventure for powerful artifacts and the numerous type of real bad guys they're fighting. At least with Monk it'll be just up his wheel house. Older, but still the weird broken character he is. And I will look forward to watching it.

Sometimes it is hard to say goodbye to good memories. Indiana Jones was a little bit of a fart sound to me. Not a bad movie but I felt it was a wasted effort. I can see myself watching another Psych movie as long as they bring the magic and the vibes. And I will definitely watch Monk again. It will be bitter sweet of course. He might have ended on a better note in the end of the show, but he was never going to be 'fixed'. And to see him navigate 2023 will be interesting. 

As a side note. Tom Selleck starred in an excellent series of Jesse Stone movies from around 2005 till 2015. After that they decided to go in a different direction in order to find a younger audience. As far as I can tell Tom Selleck still wanted to translate a few more books into movies, but it is what it is. I think he ended up just fine in Blue Bloods anyways (they're working on Season 14). Jesse Stone was just like the other characters I've mentioned, somewhat quirky. His quirk was the constant calls to his x wife and the fact that he was a working alcoholic that took on a stray dog that for some reason decided to stay with him. I'd love for that show to see a few more movies, but I doubt that'll happen. Being TV movies it didn't have a red thread going through it quite like a TV show. It had some reoccurring bad guys, but it didn't end with a movie that at least painted some kind of story arc. Not in the sense that we knew he found some happiness. In that strange way I wish there was a final movie to retire on. 

Not that all shows or movies need an ending. But as a dear friend you want at least to see the light in the end of the tunnel. Or at least envision it. Not like Dexter. The ending of the first set of seasons where questionable and I don't think the mini series to end all series had a good ending too. It was okay but it felt a little too cornholed.

So maybe when all said and done - maybe Indiana Jones should have ended with 4 and Jesse Stone as it was left. And just maybe Monk should be left alone. Altho - having watched the beginning of it as a teaser trailer, I look very much forward to the whole movie.

I apologize for the rant as usual. Just plodding through 20 years of shows that I felt enriched me because it wasn't so much about the story, as it was about the characters. And Pushing Daises should have gotten a full 6 or 7 seasons in a shorter format. It was absolutely gorgeous before 4k was even a common thing. And all characters were so phenomenal. 

You're right. And given that Pope Francis is such a perfect example of proving the exception given the long history of the church, it is something that will most likely end when he's no longer the pope.