Seeing a rabbit in the front yard this morning…not unusual.
Seeing a rabbit in the front yard with geese marching down the street…this is unusual. The geese spend most of their day at the golf course next to our development. I can only assume air traffic control told them to land on an auxiliary runway…our street.
August has finally arrived. With it, the welcome return of all the Fall and Winter sports I love. I’m definitely Team Fall/Winter, so this month is the gateway to the time of year I enjoy the most.
And regular readers know no matter what month it is I love watching shows…here’s the line-up for August. Let me know if anything looks familiar or intriguing:
CURRENT REWATCHES (Started in July…)
On Syfy Channel…
Warehouse 13 (2009-2014) – Great cast (Eddie McClintock, Joanne Kelly, Saul Rubinek, Allison Scagliotti, Aaron Ashmore) and a very impressive list of guest stars. The network caught lightning in a bottle with this series, which they decided to rerun in its entirety starting last month.
The premise: Two Secret Service Agents are reassigned to a mysterious warehouse located in the middle of South Dakota that holds every artifact, relic, and object collected and stored by the U.S. Government.
The rewatch takeaway: It has been great seeing Warehouse 13 again, so much so if someone asked me for a viewing recommendation on a series which is no longer airing, this would be right up there.
The moment worth a mention: At the end of the first hour of a two-part Season 3 finale, there is a scene so hard-hitting and emotional it usually tops anyone’s list of memorable moments from this series. This scene also features a slower, stripped-down, piano-driven masterpiece of the Kate Bush song “Running Up That Hill,” which recently played a big part in Stranger Things Season 4. I am not exaggerating in saying the scene is one of the very best I’ve ever experienced on television. And if you admire that song, please do give the version by Track and Field a listen.
On Comet Channel…
The X-Files (1993-2002; 2016-2018) – David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson’s chemistry shined brightly in this series, which a lot of folks have on their All-Time Greatest TV Show lists.
The premise: Two FBI Special Agents investigate unexplained events and government conspiracies alike.
The rewatch takeaway: In general, the show holds up really well over all this time when it comes to the stand-alone, “monster-of-the-week” episodes. They feature some of the best acting, writing, and editing you’ll see. However, the recurring, overarching plots regarding government conspiracy and paranoia interrupts the momentum our dynamic duo creates when digging into the paranormal, the supernatural…the weirdness. Every time the “Cigarette Smoking Man” came on-screen, I didn’t feel engaged. I also grew weary of him when it first aired.
The moment worth a mention: Season 5, Episode 12’s “Bad Blood.” Duchovny’s Fox Mulder kills what he thought was a vampire, but turns out to be a young man flashing some false teeth. The differences in how he and Anderson’s Dana Scully recall and remember what went down in their separate reports to their boss are wildly different…and quite humorous. This series features several other episodes which are welcome, funny breaks.
On Comet Channel…
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003) – Sarah Michelle Gellar and her “Scooby” gang became pop culture icons for many teenagers and young adults during their run. Like The X-Files, this show appears on some All-Time Greatest TV Show lists.
The premise: Destined to slaying otherworldly invaders of Sunnydale CA, Gellar’s Buffy enlists her Watcher and friends in trying to keep their town from being taken over by a wide variety of dark forces.
The rewatch takeaway: While the sets, special effects and make-up of the various creatures look silly at times, the whip-smart dialogue, camaraderie, and friendship of the characters – as well as outstanding acting – makes this a very satisfying rewatch.
The moment worth a mention: The 10th episode of Season 4, “Hush.” One of the most fascinating, unique episodes in television history. Over half of the episode’s running time features no dialogue. And with most of the episode having no spoken words, the show was actually nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series. Even if you don’t know a blessed thing about the Buffyverse, if you ever get the chance to watch “Hush” do it.
RETURNING SHOWS
On Syfy Channel…
Resident Alien (2021-Current) – New episodes in Season 2 return on August 10th. It has become a breakout hit for Syfy due to solid writing and a great cast of characters, led by veteran actor Alan Tudyk. The concept is simple and straight-forward…an alien’s original mission was to kill everyone on Earth…but now he’s the Earth’s only hope for survival. Tudyk’s portrayal of an alien trying to not look out of place in a small town in Colorado includes some of the best physical comedy you’ll see. It’s a show that has me smiling throughout.
ONGOING SHOWS
On HBO…
Westworld (2016-Current) – Season 4 has a couple of episodes left in it. This year has been a wild ride. One week I love it, one week I hate it…and that’s how the WHOLE series has been for me since Season 1 ended.
On Paramount +…
Evil (2019-Current) – Season 3 has a couple of episodes left in it. Regular readers here know how special I think this one is.
On Amazon Prime…
Paper Girls (2022) – Season 1 episodes just dropped a few days ago, and based on reviews that mentioned a faint resemblance to Stranger Things, I took a look. I still have three episodes to watch, but it has been a very pleasant late-summer surprise. It is set in the 80’s, and it has kids on bikes fighting sci-fi elements, but that’s about it for the similarities to Stranger Things. It starts out with four girls delivering newspapers in the early AM hours after Halloween in 1988, when they accidentally become caught up in a time-traveler war and their lives are changed forever.
NEW SHOWS
On Netflix…
The Sandman (2022) – Season 1 episodes debut August 5th. This series was in product development hell forever but this show – based on one of the most decorated comics of all time – is ready to roll now. I know next to nothing about it other than, 1) how very highly the comic is revered, 2) how creator Neil Gaiman waited a really, really long time before he found folks who could best translate his source material to TV and, 3) my very favorite Doctor Who companion is in it – Jenna Coleman. I’m going to give this one a go.
On Disney +…
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022) – Season 1 episodes debut August 17th. Readers know Marvel is on very thin ice with me, but I’m going to go ahead and give this one a go also. The Hulk himself (Mark Ruffalo) is in it…so we’ll see.
walkingoffthechessboard 
Bruce,
Those geese are hilarious! I bet that bunny was as puzzled as the rest of us! Great picture. A friend of mine was out walking and was able to get a few pictures of a snake (don’t know what kind) with a fish in its mouth. It was trying to steal it from a fisherman who had it on a line with other fish he’d caught. The snake, apparently, was determined to get that fish, so the fisherman let him have it. Once he had it in its mouth, he slithered away with it and my friend got some fantastic shots of it doing so. It’s the oddest thing (other than this picture) that I’ve seen in a very long time.
Other than Evil, which I’ve already commented on — again, so jealous — I haven’t watched any of the others. David is in the middle of re-watching for the 20th time, Chicago PD. I’m hoping that the fall brings a good line up. I’m interested in your description of Paper Girls. If I get the opportunity, I might give that a spin. Thanks for the recommendations! And yes, football season is almost here! Go Cowboys! Mona
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Mona, our bunny retreated to the relative safety of our holly bushes once the geese advanced a bit further. Now that you mention it, we have not had a snake around here in a good while…let alone one carrying a fish. That sounds wild. Paper Girls really snuck up on me – let me know if you give it a go. Go Eagles!
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Beware the marching geese. If they organize against you walking on your lawn will be a messy experience.
I loved X Files back in the day and adore Westworld. It’s so mind bending!
👍
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I agree about the geese. They leave their mark where they travel. The sidewalks near the course are indictive of that. Watching The X-Files again has been cool. Duchovny and Anderson have such chemistry and play their roles so well. I don’t know how Westworld is gonna wrap up all the storylines, but perhaps they are leaving room for one more season? I think my brain can handle one more.
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I hope so. I’m hooked!
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I love the pictures! And I’m looking forward to fall and my perennial disappointment with the Vikings–still there is always hope in August. As for your TV selections, I confess, I am not a sci-fi fan, but I always read such recommendations just in case something jumps out at me.
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Belinda, I think there is some hope for the Vikings this season. New coaching staff, which I think will help Cousins and the offense a lot. Could be a very good year! If you do watch anything I’ve noted here, circle back and let me know your thoughts.
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I will, absolutely.
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Just the sight of a rabbit can make the geese multiply!
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Geoff, it was weird the rabbit appeared pretty much at the same time the parade began. It seemed like the rabbit was as surprised as I was.
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Gave up on Westworld half way through season 2. Buffy was my fave back when it was first on, and x-files was a must. Fav current show- The Boys, it’s fab.
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Fraggle, I love The Boys. Eric Kripke created and ran Supernatural for years before moving over to helm The Boys. He knows good TV, and as a result now has another hit series on his hands. Season 4 next year – can’t wait!
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We’re just about to start it all over again 🙂
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Buffy is one of my all time favorite shows. My wife loves Resident alien and watches it with me. She usually hates shows like that. I need to watch warehouse 13
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Agree on Buffy. Love that cast of characters and the spot-on writing. It is the same for my wife – not normally drawn to a Resident Alien but now can’t wait for its return. I do not think you will be disappointed by Warehouse 13. The show really picked up momentum as it went along and is one of those rare shows that went out on top, before any lack of quality set in.
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Soon starts college football, Bruce, which beats out even the NFL for TV start-up sports excitement for me, though of course I watch the pros too. As far as streaming goes, my dear wife Karen and I jut watched season three of Blown Away on Netflix. The glass-blowing competition series got us since we visited the Corning Museum of Glass and were mesmerized how the medium indeed is an exquisite art movement. Also the artisans there provided great demonstrations to how it’s done. Now we watched with great interest, as this season’s winner’s final project will be installed in Corning … Also I’m trying to figure out how to get FreeView or whatever it’s exactly called, the new offshoot of Amazon Prime, so I can watch the sequel to Bosch, the fine taken-from novels detective series that’s really well done.
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Mark, I was not aware of Freevee. Looks like they just “rebranded” IMDb TV to that new name. I never have seen the original Bosch, but I did see its spinoff was dropping back in May. Glass blowing is indeed an art form. Had the chance to see that once and it is amazing what those folks can produce.
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I, too, have Comet TV and have been re-watching the goodness that is X-Files. I was obsessed with this show in the 90s when conspiracy theories didn’t seem so nefarious. I miss the 90s as there was a lot of great, original TV back then. I’ll have to check out Warehouse 13 as the premise does sound cool.
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Chad, I know some people refer to what we’re seeing now as the “golden age of TV” but like you, I find there’s a lot to like about 90’s television and the X-Files is certainly one of those shows. Let me know if you check out Warehouse 13 at some point, and thanks for stopping by.
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Resident Alien is a wonderful show. The actors have great comedic timing, especially the police officers.
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It really is, Paul. We’re always keeping an eye out for Syfy shows because in the past some of them have been real treasures like Haven, Warehouse 13, and Eureka.
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Love the two images, that was a surprise – the second image with ducks made me laugh. Oh I never heard of warehouse 13, but it sounds interesting. I do love Resident Alien, I watched it when it first aired, not only is the writing and characters great I enjoy the song picks for episodes.
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Jen, I’m not sure who was more surprised to see them coming down the street…me or the rabbit. Warehouse 13 is a very solid Syfy show, just like Resident Alien. We started watching Resident Alien from the beginning as well. Great observation on the music they use – really does tie in to whatever is happening at that moment.
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