In this edition of Additional Bite-Sized Reviews, I take a look at six series or seasons that I recently finished, four of which are Apple TV+ releases. The outliers are Netflix’s latest season of Black Mirror and the Amazon surprise hit of the year titled Jury Duty, but the remaining four series do a good job of showcasing how Apple’s series library is growing rapidly. Are any of these worth your time? Well, let’s have a look.
F.A.Q.
- What are Additional Bite-Sized Reviews?
– My movie and television catch-up review series ‘Additional Bite-Sized Reviews‘ is an evolution of the Overview-article section previously titled ‘What I Didn’t Write About.’ I was originally inspired by film critic Peter Sobczynski’s article series ‘Films I Neglected to Review,’ wherein he writes short, or brief, reviews of films that he hasn’t had the time to write full reviews about. Therefore, in articles such as this one, I will provide my readers with my thoughts on select new films, new shows, or even classics that I feel like giving my thoughts on, even though I don’t have the time to dedicate thorough reviews to them. - Why do the bite-sized reviews not include either a letter grade or a review score?
– In my full and thorough reviews, I like to score or grade what I watch. But since these reviews aren’t as detailed, I think it is fairer to the films and shows to simply just decide whether or not to recommend them. I guess you could say this is the only type of review that is basically ‘scored’ with the classic thumbs-up/thumbs-down-method on my site, though sometimes my recommendation answer comes with a caveat.
Hijack | Limited Series | Created by George Kay and Jim Field Smith | Release Year: 2023 | Season Length: 7 Episodes | Seen on: Apple TV+ | Recommended?: Yes.
There are a lot of films about plane hijackings out there that naturally range in quality. It is easy to understand why these films can be so gripping. There is the real-world element and the 9/11 catastrophes that they always make me think back to. But there are also a lot of tired cliches that the genre can be marred by. Apple TV+’s Hijack is a 7-hour-long series about the hijacking of a plane flying from Dubai to London. The show achieves lift-off thanks to its 24-esque focus on real-time thrilling drama, its focus on scenes both on the plane, in air-traffic-control rooms, and with government members discussing what to do next.
There is not a dull moment to be found in this series which is led by an Idris Elba in fine form. I also quite liked that the show didn’t go for the stereotypical depiction of hijackers. This is one of those shows that I’d recommend to just about everyone. Watching it week-to-week added to its edge-of-your-seat quality, but I’m sure it would also be good to watch on a binge. I do think it should be said that a seven-hour series about a plane hijacking will obviously stretch credulity in some places when it comes to understanding why the hostages are or aren’t fighting back. I also think there is something to be said for how the eventual reveal of the end-game for the hijackers didn’t fully live up to all of the build-up, but these are only slight blemishes on an otherwise really exciting series.
The Crowded Room | Limited Series | Created by Akiva Goldsman | Release Year: 2023 | Season Length: 10 Episodes | Seen on: Apple TV+ | Recommended?: Mixed Feelings.
A lot has been said and written about The Crowded Room elsewhere. It was seemingly dead on arrival due to being panned by critics upon release, but fans who stuck with it have since been outspoken with the notion that it ‘got better.’ Well, I’ve also been following along, and I have plenty of opinions. Based on Daniel Keyes’ non-fiction novel The Minds of Billy Milligan, The Crowded Room tells the story of Danny Sullivan (played by Tom Holland), who is loosely inspired by the aforementioned Billy Milligan. Sullivan has been apprehended by law enforcement after having been involved in a public shooting in New York City. In the series, psychology professor Rya Goodwin (Amanda Seyfried) interviews Sullivan about his past and his accomplices to find out if he is telling the truth or not.
This next thing is a massive spoiler, but I have no intention of dancing around a spoiler that is s integral to what makes and breaks this show. So, if you’d rather be out of the loop, then move on to the next show in the article. Like the real-life Billy Milligan, Danny Sullivan suffers from dissociative identity disorder. Only Sullivan doesn’t realize that, and it is not a recognized diagnosis at the time in which the show takes place. The show very clearly wants this to be a secret — a twist — but that is something that never works. Not only does the title of the book on which it is inspired give it away, but it is also quite obvious almost from the get-go. It’s also always obvious which individuals only exist in his head. And yet, the show is structured in a way that it is meant to be a twist, and thusly the show strings you along and runs in circles. As such, the show does not merit its ten-episode run. It should have been a movie.
None of this is Tom Holland’s or Amanda Seyfried’s fault. They are the best parts of the show (I wish Christopher Abbott had more to do because he is also quite good). Tom Holland obviously has the most vulnerable part here, and, even though he doesn’t get enough opportunities to be quite as astoundingly good as James McAvoy was in Split in a similar part, he has some really powerful moments here and there. He does eventually get to play the different personalities, but it comes way too late (for most of the show, these personalities are played by other actors). I’ll add that I was deeply disappointed by parts of his online fanbase, which proved to be toxic and immature when they saw him portray a queer character.
If you can excuse the frustrating structure, hit-or-miss abstract scenes, on-the-nose needle-drops, iffy dialogue, and some disappointing subplots, then the performances will keep you entertained. But I do think that this is only a middle-of-the-road limited series that is probably better when binge-watched than seen week-to-week. But it absolutely would’ve been better as a film.
Ted Lasso: Season 3 | Series | Developed by Jason Sudeikis, Bill Lawrence, Brendan Hunt, and Joe Kelly | Release Year: 2023 | Season Length: 12 Episodes | Seen on: Apple TV+ | Recommended?: Yes.
Easily the most well-known Apple TV+ series thus far, Ted Lasso is a bonafide hit. Excellent comedy writers took a witty commercial for the Premier League and turned it into a workplace sitcom that is full of heart and which preaches kindness. This third season has yet to be confirmed to be the final of the series, though it certainly seems like it is. Or, at the very least, it seems to be moving in a direction in which the show could morph into something else or spin off into multiple series. As I watched the third season, though, the uncertainty surrounding whether or not the show was ending did color some of my initial impressions, and I do think it is kind of ridiculous that we still don’t know what the plan is here. This is, however, a good conclusion to the series. This is not just because I like where the show decides to end it here, but also because I think the season succeeds in important places to focus on found-family importance, kindness, understanding, male friendships, and working on yourself by asking for help — all of which have though it all been key ambitions for the series. And, frankly, I have a feeling that the show’s greatest achievement isn’t what it has done for football, or soccer, in the United States, I suspect its biggest accomplishment is how it has done a good job of trying to normalize taking care of your mental health.
There is an argument to be made that the third season doesn’t really take the series in a particularly new direction. Perhaps it is just playing the hits to a certain extent, but there are moments of brilliance in this really sweet and funny season of television. In one of the season’s best episodes, the team travels to Amsterdam, and this change of scenery does quite a bit for the show. It also does a good job of splitting up the characters in a way that allows for Jamie Tartt (played by Kieran O’Brien) and Roy Kent’s friendship to blossom (arguably the most successful ongoing story in the season). This episode also does a good job of highlighting Rebecca (played by Hannah Waddingham) and Ted’s different journeys. But, really, the episode that I will remember the season for is its penultimate episode in which Ted’s mother (played by Becky Ann Baker) comes to visit him. The episode allows for an extremely affecting scene in which Jason Sudeikis pours his heart and soul onto the screen with a raw emotionality that feels really authentic, as Ted confronts his mother about things he needs to say (and he is confronted by a thing he needs to hear).
The season isn’t perfect though. And, frankly, even though the highs of this season are really high, the season might be the least focused of the three. While the Roy Kent (played by Brett Goldstein) stuff is terrific for the most part, the show doesn’t really go into his relationship with Keeley (played by Juno Temple) enough, too much happens off-screen (why don’t we see Ted tell his team what his big decision is after episode 11? It, in particular, feels like a huge mistake to do that off-screen), and the painfully obvious Nate (played by Nick Mohammed) redemption arc is rather clumsily executed even though his big scene with Brendan Hunt’s Beard is quite good.
Silo: Season 1 | Series | Created by Graham Yost | Release Year: 2023 | Season Length: 10 Episodes | Seen on: Apple TV+ | Recommended?: Yes.
Based on Hugh Howey’s post-apocalyptic sci-fi book series known as Wool, Silo takes place inside an underground silo where thousands upon thousands of people live together in a heavily regulated somewhat Orwellian community that is unaware of the post-apocalyptic event that once led humanity to hide underground. Among other things, conspiracy theorists underground suspect that the judicial department controls the population by only allowing compliant people to procreate. The series begins by following the Becker family — Sheriff Holston (played by David Oyelowo) and his wife Allison (played by Rashida Jones) — as they both become increasingly convinced that several conspiracy theories may have something to them. In fact, they’re not even sure the outside world is unsafe. Later, we follow Juliette (played by Rebecca Ferguson), a lower-level engineer, who decides to take on a coveted job with the true goal of uncovering the secrets of the silo.
Silo was right up my alley from minute one. Immediately, it became clear to me that this was going to become something like 10 Cloverfield Lane meets the video game series Fallout. What is more, I think the way the show changes protagonists from episodes one to two and then to three makes for a really fascinating show to watch. With terrific production design, a great cast, and a solid mystery box premise to it, Silo has a lot going for it. Rebecca Ferguson is an outstanding protagonist, and she is, as mentioned, surrounded by a strong supporting cast of characters. I will say, and I say this as someone who usually thinks he is fairly good, that Common felt unnaturally wooden here. He, to me, constantly sounded robotic and monotonous in his line delivery, and all too often, he took me out of the show. I think the role may have been miscast.
That is one of my only real gripes with the show. The other significant issue for me was that the season is unevenly paced. The first three episodes or so are just incredibly well-designed with each episode keeping you on the edge of your seat begging for more. But after that, the middle stretch of the series is a little too slow-paced. It does, however, go out on a high, and I can’t wait to see the second season, as the first ends on a fascinating discovery.
Jury Duty | Series | Created by Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky | Release Year: 2023 | Season Length: 8 Episodes | Seen on: Amazon Prime Video | Recommended?: Yes.
Every once in a while, a show is released that is unlike anything I have ever seen before. Amazon’s Jury Duty is that kind of show. Created by two ex-The Office writers, Jury Duty is equal parts social experiment reality show and comedy series. In it, a group of actors — including James Marsden playing himself — play oddball characters that have been called in for jury duty on a fake jury trial. Meanwhile, a single individual — Ronald Gladden, who is just a regular person — thinks it’s all real and that he’s taking part in a documentary about jury duty summons.
These comedy writers and actors are essentially playing an elaborate hoax on a well-meaning individual who just wants to do his part. The social experiment aspect of it all is that the various strange jury duty summons place him in awkward positions that test his character. Part of the fun of the show is seeing Ronald try to keep things professional when everything else around him is falling apart. One of the funniest bits on the show is when an elderly woman in the jury keeps on falling asleep during the trial and the judge has specified that he is counting on Ronald to keep her awake. It is outright hilarious to see him navigate a blossoming friendship with a disruptive James Marsden, who only thinks about an audition he has coming up. Through it all, the show never makes fun of Ronald and one of the joys of the show is seeing him rise to the occasion in pretty much every moment in which he has to make a call. Even when everything around him is super silly and distracting (there are so many bits that I am deliberately refraining from spoiling), he tries to keep an eye on the case.
I will say that it could’ve probably been even more effective if it were shorter because I did eventually start to lose track of and interest in the meaningless jury trial case that they do eventually have to deliver a verdict in. But that is my only issue with an otherwise genuinely funny and inventive new reality comedy series.
Black Mirror: Series 6 | Anthology Series | Created by Charlie Brooker | Release Year: 2023 | Season Length: 5 Episodes | Seen on: Netflix | Recommended?: Yes.
In June of 2023, the sixth season of Charlie Brooker’s sci-fi anthology series Black Mirror was released on Netflix. The modern-day equivalent of The Twilight Zone has long been a favorite of mine, so I did in fact watch the episodes right as they were released, but I never found the time to write extensively about the latest season until now (though I did post reactions on Twitter and Letterboxd). It was a pleasant return for me, as I ended up thinking it was my favorite Black Mirror season in quite some time. This season felt incredibly timely, and at the same time, it also found the time. to experiment with the boundaries of such a show.
The season opened with ‘Joan is Awful,’ an episode about a woman who finds an episode about her day-to-day activities on a streaming service titled, you guessed it, Joan is Awful. The actor playing her on television is Salma Hayek, but, essentially, a deep-fake AI version of her. It is so incredibly timely as it landed during preparations for WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in large part due to AI. As an episode, it is both fun and really creepy. It got under my skin how real this Orwellian glimpse into the potential future of AI-based entertainment was. It is an episode about ‘terms and condition-exploitation,’ surveillance, ‘100 years of cinema being reduced to an app,’ privacy invasion, actors’ AI likenesses being exploited, and studios turning to AI and its audience when they run out of writers and ideas. Crazy timing. It is the episode that this season will be remembered for.
But it is not the only excellent episode in the five-episode season. ‘Loch Henry,’ which I greatly enjoyed, kind of abandoned the modern tech angle for an episode about overwritten videotapes and true crime documentary streaming trends, and the lengths people are willing to go to make it big off this trend. The first two episodes definitely take aim at the streamer (and its audience). Other than that (and the well-executed themes and style), I thought it was a really gripping premise, even though the ‘twist’ was rather predictable. ‘Beyond the Sea’ starred Josh Hartnett, Aaron Paul, and Kate Mara in this episode about astronauts having these bodies on Earth that they can teleport their consciousnesses into. This one was excellent. It made me think of Don’t Worry Darling, A Clockwork Orange, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. There were some really disturbing and violent scenes here that bookend a story about masculinity, loneliness, envy, possessiveness, and spite. Aaron Paul and Kate Mara are great here, and Hartnett is solid, too, in his smaller part. It is some very dark and effective material, but parts of it are rather predictable, though.
‘Mazey Day’ was probably my least favorite episode in this season. There is something here, though. Really, what Brooker is trying to comment on here — TMZ-paparazzi culture, smartphone camera culture, and modern celebrity culture — makes sense, but I don’t think it goes anywhere interesting (even though I did think the out-of-the-box development was a successful change of pace). The twist is, ahem, out there and feels too hastily thrown together with the relatively unengaging setup. I saw it with people who liked it, so maybe it’s just me, but I didn’t get on-board with it. The season finale, ‘Demon 79,’ is a so-called Red Mirror episode — thus being a different label in Black Mirror — and I gather this is perhaps an idea to spin-off the series into more supernatural-horror places. While not my favorite episode of the season, this was a significant step up from ‘Mazey Day.’ It has horror-comedy vibes and features a demon tasking a woman in 1979 with saving the world through three human sacrifices. Another strong episode of the series, in a season that only rarely missteps. I highly recommend this one.
– Reviews Written by Jeffrey Rex Bertelsen.
I'm Jeffrey Rex 
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