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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 12, 2020)
By Jessica Gosse TV Media “High Fidelity” Many people will be familiar with the romantic comedy “High Fidelity” (2000), which starred John Cusack as a reclusive, 30-something record store owner evaluating his past rela- tionships and was based on the novel by Nick Hornby. On Friday, Feb. 14, this story gets a gender- flipped revival as it comes to Hulu in this new series. Zoe Kravitz (“Big Little Lies”) stars this time as the cynical record store owner, Rob, and is joined by co-stars Jake Lacy (“Girls”), David H. Homes (“Mindhunter”) and Da’Vine Joy Randolph (“People of Earth”). After run- ning into her ex-boyfriend, Rob decides to re-examine her “Top 5 Most Memorable Heartbreaks” in an attempt to figure her life out and get over her ex. Whether you’re single or in a relation- ship, this is the perfect choice to watch on Valentine’s Day when it premieres. “The Other Guy” Season 2 Matt Okine (“The Future Ma- chine”) returns as radio host AJ Amon in Season 2 of this Australian comedy series pre- miering Friday, Feb. 14. Season 1 introduced us to AJ, his best friend, Stevie Nicholls (Harriet Dyer, “The InBetween”), and Zoe Kravitz stars in “High Fidelity” his longtime girlfriend, Olivia “Liv” Collins (Valene Kane, “The Fall”). When AJ discovers Liv has been cheating on him, his life im- plodes — his career falls apart, he is cut off from his best friend and he suddenly finds himself dating again. Season 2 sees AJ and Stevie begin to rebuild their friendship, but complica- tions arise when AJ starts a new relationship and finds out Liv is pregnant with a baby that might be his. “Utopia Falls” On Friday, Feb. 14, the worlds of science fiction and modern musi- cal theater collide in this new se- ries. The show follows a group of teens living in the colony of New Babyl. They have been chosen to compete in a special performing arts competition. In this reimag- ined future, music, dance and art don’t have the same meaning anymore, and when the teens stumble upon an archive of cul- tural relics, they begin to ques- Kristen Bell stars in “The Good Place” tion everything they’ve been taught. “Utopia Falls” features the music of Grammy winners Alessia Cara, Kendrick Lamar and the Roots, as well as iconic rappers the Notorious B.I.G. and Snoop Dogg. “The Good Place” Robyn Alomar as seen in “Utopia Falls” This uplifting show wrapped in January, and now you can watch the entire series on Hulu. Kristen Bell (“Veronica Mars”) stars as Eleanor Shellstrop, a woman who finds herself sitting in a waiting room after her untimely death. When she’s told that she has made it to the Good Place, and will spend her afterlife in an idyllic community populated by other extraordinarily good people, Eleanor knows some- thing is amiss. Well aware that she lived her mortal life as a selfish, irresponsible, inconsider- ate jerk, she realizes she’s been mistaken for another, more saintly Eleanor Shellstrop, and does everything she can to keep up a facade of goodness in an effort to avoid being sent to the Bad Place. The series is peppered with some excellent twists and turns, and each season is even more delightful than the last. As Eleanor struggles to learn how to be good, she meets a lot of colorful characters: Tahani Al-Jamil (Jameela Jamil, “The Misery Index”), Chidi (William Jackson Harper, 2019’s “Midso- mar”) and Jason (Manny Jacinto, “The Romeo Section”) are other seemingly good souls sent to rest in the Good Place, while Janet (D’Arcy Carden, “Barry”) is an AI-like celestial being who aides the Architect of the whole neighborhood, Michael, played to perfection by the inimitable Ted Danson (“Cheers”). The cast of this series is phenomenal, and their chemistry is a big part of what makes the show so great. Another big part of the show’s success is its creator, Michael Schur, who TV fans may know best as Mose Schrute from “The Office.” Schur’s incredible career has seen him go from writing for “Saturday Night Live” to creat- ing some of network television’s best comedies, such as “Parks and Recreation” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” and “The Good Place” is one of his greatest hits. You won’t want to stop watch- ing as the residents of the Good Place get up to all sorts of post- mortem shenanigans, and un- like so much of what we see on television these days, this series will leave you feeling genuinely good. East Oregonian and Hermiston Herald | February 12, 2020 Screentime | 5
