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Review: “Ozark” Returns with a Bang for the First Part of the Fourth and Final Wild Season

Roger Friedman
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Review: “Ozark” Returns with a Bang for the First Part of the Fourth and Final Wild Season

First let me say that the third season of “Ozark” rose to heights no one would have ever expected. The first two seasons were good, but the third season went to thrilling places.

Now we get a fourth and final season, split in two. Part 1 begins this weekend with seven episodes you can binge watch on Netflix beginning Friday, January 21st. And you will.

I have two TV analogies for “Ozark.” First, it would be as if Ward and June on “Leave it to Beaver” suddenly became lawless and openly carried machine guns. Second, there’s a bit of “Lost in Space” here, if only the main family, the Byrdes, could find their way home.

To recap: when we last saw Marty and Wendy Byrde (Jason Bateman and Laura Linney) their mob attorney, Helen, played by the incandescent Janet McTeer, had been brutally murdered. The Byrdes were at a crossroads with their Mexican drug king pin and their pregnant FBI agent. Their kids, now 17 and 14, were wise to their money laundering operation out of a crap casino in the Ozarks. Wendy’s brother, Ben, played by the incendiary Tom Pelphrey, was dead because they killed and incinerated him like Toby toward the end of “Sweeney Todd.” Ruth, Tom’s girlfriend, and the Byrds’ right hand girl, in the form of luminous Julia Garner, had had it with them, which wasn’t good.

How were the creators of this show —  Bill Dubuque and Mark Williams —  going to top all this and bring it to an end? And why bring it to an end? I feel like I could watch Marty Byrde snivel his way around the Ozarks and Mexican cartels for years, that I could go on Wendy Byrde’s Lady Macbeth rollercoaster even longer. The Byrdes went from being a nice yuppie couple in Chicago to conscious-less criminals, albeit with good intentions, in a very short time. They’ve talked their way out of nearly dying so many times you need a scorecard. And Ruth, my god, Ruth, is so magnificent in her rise from dirt poor nothing to Goneril on speed, you can never take your eyes off of her.

Yes, there is a lot going on here. A lot of plot has to be stuffed into Season 4.1 first that ties up the consequences of Season 3, Then we have the opening of Season 4 which offers a cliffhanger prologue to something that happens in 4.2. So we have some information. But just as quickly we jump back to those consequences. Brother Ben is dead, but officially only “missing.” (Some people, including his father– played by a much too young looking Richard Thomas– would like to know where he is.) Helen is dead, also just “missing,”  and a dogged private eye has come to town to find her or her body. Plus, the cartel is falling apart. The good news is the actress who played the FBI agent has had her baby and lost all that weight. She’s like a new pin, and her character is trying bring all these criminals to justice.

The six episodes unfurl with a furor. You will have to just sit down and watch them all at once, as I did, because you can’t freaking stop. Laura Linney has refined Wendy now to the point where she scared me, and I know her. She could compete with any of this year’s female Oscar nominees and win if formats weren’t an issue. Wendy is brutal. Linney’s face runs colors of a litmus test as she plots, connives, twists, and turns through a web of lies and deceit that would JR Ewing blush. The Mexican drug lord and his nephew, psychotics by trade, have nothing on her. (Wait til you see her showdown with rival psychopath, Darlene, the pungent Lisa Emery.)

I am all there for Julia Garner. As I wrote before, I’ve never seen any actor so present in a role. She’s there but it’s 120 percent with the lights blazing. I’m just now watching her in “Inventing Anna” (coming to Netflix in February) and she is a force to be reckoned with. I’d like to have Julia Garner on a loop drawling the name, “Darlene” in many different Hillbilly intonations. By the time Ruth gets to Episode 4.7 you should pour a drink. Indeed, that 7th episode– you’ll have been watching this shit for six hours already–will leave you spent.

And Jason Bateman? He’s the hard core at the center of this amorphous thing. You think Marty is a marshmallow who can’t keep up with Wendy or his enemies. Ruth thinks she’s got him all figured out. But Marty is the key to this gang’s success if there’s going to be one. I don’t know how it will work out. Will the Byrds end up like the Sopranos in the coffee shop? Or go back to Chicago and laugh about their adventures in the Ozarks? I am actually frightened for them. But this is an instant classic TV show and I just hope they get the ending right so we don’t have to endure one of these post-series movies. Please God the Byrds get a real grand operatic finish, and Emmys galore next September.

Really, “Ozark” is perfect. All it’s missing is theme music.

 

Review: “Billions” Returns for a Glorious Sixth Season, Plays a Little Joke on “Sex and the City”

Roger Friedman
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Review: “Billions” Returns for a Glorious Sixth Season, Plays a Little Joke on “Sex and the City”

MINOR SPOILERS ALERT

+++++++++++++++++++++

So, at last, it’s the sixth season of one my all time favorite shows, “Billions.” Showtime has not been able to get them an Emmy nomination in all these years despite stars Paul Giamatti and Damien Lewis turning in performances every season as good as anything on quality TV. Ditto Asia Kate Dillon, Maggie Siff, David Costabile, Jeffrey DeMunn, Condola Rashad, and various guest stars like Nina Arianda, Danny Strong, and Daniel Cosgrove.

Season 5 was split in two because of the pandemic but it finally concluded with Lewis exiting the series as Bobby Axelrod. Lewis’s life is in London where he’s raising his kids since wife Helen McCrory tragically died last year from cancer. And who could blame him? Five seasons and not a nomination for anything. Time to go.

For Season 6, everyone else returns in fine fettle. If you worried a lack of Bobby would diminish the proceedings, we are ok: Corey Stoll’s Mike Prince bought Axe Capital, changed the name, kept the employees (some leave but they don’t go too far). Stoll is rocking right from the beginning. Piper Perabo is introduced as his sometimes-wife, and they cook up a plan in the first three episodes that may be the story arc for the season. They want to bring the Olympics to Manhattan for 2028.

You can only imagine how Giamatti’s Chuck Rhoades feels about that. With Bobby gone, Chuck needs new causes as New York’s Attorney General. In the opening episode this Sunday, Chuck — taking a break from work– runs afoul of a patrician neighbor at his country estate. Michael McKean is just perfect in the role, and I hope recurs later in the season. The frisson reawakens in Chuck a cause, to rid New York of self-serving billionaires.

“Billions” is a very meta show, as fans know. There is constant quoting, riffing, and reminding of famous movie lines, lyrics to Springsteen songs, tons of trivial pursuit. Everyone is witty and on their game. The whole show is a mental chess game, intellectually exhausting in the best way thanks to erudite creators Brian Koppelman and David Levien. They must have a writer’s room working double overtime, but somehow they’ve exceeded “Mad Men” and old Dennis Miller monologues as they build each characters’ rap.

Oh, yes, a little joke at the start of Episode 1, Season 6, on “Sex and the City: And Just Like That.” Wags (Costabile) is sweating on his Peloton. Long story, medics come thinking he’s had a heart attack. When he returns to the office, the gang is happy but skeptical. Wags– one of the best characters on TV– says to his dismayed friends, “I’m alive! I’m not Mr. Big!”

LOL since “And Just Like That” began with Chris Noth’s Big having a heart attack and dropping dead after a brisk ride on his Peloton. I’m told the “Billions” scene was shot last spring, but the line was added after “Sex and the City” aired their first episode. Nice dig. Very very “Billions” meta funny.

Maybe this is the year for “Billions,” let’s see some ratings and awards. Giamatti’s Chuck is sublime– they all are, and deserve some proper recognition. I don’t know what the problem is, but Showtime has to fix it.

PS Paul Giamatti looks even better than he did in Season 5, part 2. He’s lost weight, shaved off his facial hair, maybe did a little exercise. I’m jealous! He’s gotten younger! Congrats! I guess Chuck — who’s into BDSM — “whipped” him into shape!

On the Occasion of Betty White’s 100th Birthday, See the Last Picture Taken of Her

Roger Friedman
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On the Occasion of Betty White’s 100th Birthday, See the Last Picture Taken of Her

To celebrate Betty White’s 100th birthday, her assistant has posted the last picture taken of her on December 20, 2021.

Happy Birthday, Betty! We miss you!

Broadway Fans: Watch the PBS Special Tuesday Night “Reopening” Featuring Adrienne Warren, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Aaron Tveit, More

Roger Friedman
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Broadway Fans: Watch the PBS Special Tuesday Night “Reopening” Featuring Adrienne Warren, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Aaron Tveit, More

Tomorrow night– Tuesday January 18th PBS 9pm– the best revelation in Frank Di Lella’s “Reopening: The Broadway Revival” comes around 18 minutes in.

Adrienne Warren, the Tony winning star of “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical,” tells New York 1’s Frank Di Lella that last summer, preparing to return to Broadway after the pandemic break wasn’t so easy.

Warren says, “When I went into the rehearsal room I realized I’d completely forgotten the show!”

Warren is just one of a bunch of Broadway stars who appear in the special including Aaron Tveit, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, James Michael Scott of “Aladdin,” and Jeanna de Wal of the late, lamented “Diana.”

It’s a terrific special and a great commercial for Broadway. Alas some of the shows featured have closed, like “Diana” and “Ain’t Too Proud.” But “Tina” is running just fine, so is “Moulin Rouge,” there are 19 shows running on Broadway now. They need all our support. 

Me? I bought a ticket for the Michael Jackson musical, “MJ,” last week, and really enjoyed it. This is a great time to get tickets to shows usually sold out. In a couple of months, things will go back to normal, trust me.

Back to Warren, who is adorable: between her and all the other performers including the great Rachel Tucker — I didn’t know she was in “Come from Away,” now I will get a ticket– DiLella really shows what happened to Broadway, how the lockdown affected all the people who work there, and why it’s so important that the shows come back full force.

Also featured, all articulate and so endearing:  Sara Bareilles (“Waitress”), Tony nominee Elizabeth Stanley (“Jagged Little Pill”), Alexandra Billings (“Wicked”), Jawan M. Jackson (“Ain’t Too Proud”), Tony nominee Andrew Rannells, Tony nominee Norm  Lewis (“Chicken and Biscuits”), Olivier Award winner Sharon D. Clarke (“Caroline, or Change”), Tony winner Lea Salonga, Tony winner and Emmy winner Kristin Chenoweth, Tony winner Chita Rivera, Tony winner Laura Benanti, Tony winner David Rockwell.

Broadway fans, this is must see TV!

NY Times Critics’ List of Their ‘Oscar Nominees’ is LOL Ridiculously Elitist, Snubs Nicole Kidman, Andrew Garfield, Lady Gaga, JHud

Roger Friedman
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NY Times Critics’ List of Their ‘Oscar Nominees’ is LOL Ridiculously Elitist, Snubs Nicole Kidman, Andrew Garfield, Lady Gaga, JHud

The New York Times has given a list of what they think the Oscar nominees should be for 2022. It is Laughing Out Loud ridiculous and elitist. Whatever they’re smoking, I’d like some of it.

Of course, the three hour Japanese film “Drive My Car” is their choice for Best Picture. They chose the unwatchable “Annette” as one of the runners-up. Nowhere to be found is “Belfast,” the one movie that should and could win Best Picture.

(The actual worst thing that could happen this year is for a three and a half hour Oscar show end with “Drive My Car” as the winner. If the Academy doesn’t celebrate Hollywood this year. the whole game will be over. This isn’t the Spirit Awards.)

“Drive My Car” is tied with “Passing” and “The Power of the Dog.” Good luck with that. Jane Campion and Rebecca Hall tied for Best Directors of respectively of those two latter movies. Of the other directors they cited, Steven Spielberg is the only one with a potential Oscar film.

For best actor, The Times has a three way tie among Benedict Cumberbatch, Hidetoshi Nishijima, and Denzel Washington. They include Adam Driver from “Annette” (again, no one in the world wants to see this movie– or did). They exclude Andrew Garfield’s brilliant turn in “Tick Tick Boom.”

Best actress: no Nicole Kidman or Lady Gaga. They tie Kristen Stewart with Tessa Thompson. Are they actually smoking crack? Also, Kirsten Dunst is a supporting actress, not lead. Times people. Your only good choice is Penelope Cruz. But no Jennifer Hudson? Sorry. That won’t work.

The Times critics clearly thought “Belfast” was beneath them. In addition to omitting it from Best Picture and Director, they left out all the actors. So, okay, we get it. But no one in the Academy will. Jamie Dorman, Ciaran Hinds, and Caitriona Balfe are all sure to be nominated along with the film and Kenneth Branagh.

Didn’t the Times critics already pick their so called favorite or best films of the year? That’s fine, those lists are meant to be subjective and out of touch with reality. But if you’re putting Oscars in the headline, get a grip, guys.

RIP John Connolly, 78, Investigative Journalist, Former NYPD Detective, A Real Life Damon Runyon Character

Roger Friedman
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RIP John Connolly, 78, Investigative Journalist, Former NYPD Detective, A Real Life Damon Runyon Character

These are the obits you don’t want to have to write, for friends who made an impact on your life. I can’t believe John Connolly has died at age 78. He was one of those people you thought would be around forever because even when I met him, it seemed like he’d been around forever.

I met John thirty years ago at New York Magazine. We were put together as a team to figure out the story of dead diet doctor Stuart Berger. We hit it off right away despite coming from different worlds. John was a retired NYPD police detective with roots in Brooklyn and Staten Island. But his police work was from the Upper East Side, so he knew, as he would say, where all the bodies were buried.

With his ruddy Irish complexion, full head of stand up straight gray hair, an occasional pinky ring and the Brooklyn accent, John was like a Damon Runyon character. How he got to New York magazine was that he’d worked for Kurt Andersen at Spy Magazine doing exposés. Kurt succeeded the great Ed Kosner at New York and John came with him. We did the Berger piece, it was a big success, and it solidified our friendship. He was Batman, and maybe I was Jimmy Olsen.

Three decades have gone by, and John was hot on the trail lately of Jeffrey Epstein. He wrote a book about him under the James Patterson brand, and participated in the Netflix documentary. If there was dirt to dig up, John had the shovel and the pail. He could find gold and diamonds in any desert. He had the scoops.

It was John who guided me on early investigations of people like Michael Jackson and private investigator Anthony Pellicano. John knew a lot about the mob, which we’d discuss over endless dinners at Elaine’s, and sometimes we’d have come into direct contact with them. One time I had to ho to New Jersey to interview an art forger for the New York Observer, so John said he’d come since I knew nothing about the state. He drove, and brought a bat that he put in the back seat “just in case.” We didn’t need it but John did but a fake Calder from the guy for 300 bucks. (“You know, the guy’s not bad,” John said on the way home. I said, “John, the guy’s a criminal!” As John always said about any sketchy guy, “Now, Roger, that doesn’t make him a bad person.”)

There’s a lot more. John had his reporting tentacles everywhere. He knew everyone, what they had done, who they’d done it to, and just enough to get in a little trouble if it all came out. He was a beloved source for the tabloid columns and knew how to trade information. In the 90s and 00s, in New York, this skill was better than being Iron Man. I would not have met the colorful and dangerous characters I came into contact with, and I wouldn’t have thought about a lot of the investigative pieces I wrote without John pushing me forward.

And the thing is, John was a sweetheart. He was a family man. He had a great sense of humor. He loved life. He had a great laugh that would make those Irish cheeks turn pink. I also think I’m surprised to learn John was 78. For a long time he left the impression that he was only a decade older than me. His father, who I knew, only died last year at age 99. And John was so young at heart, so in the moment, that age was never an issue. It’s a shame he didn’t get another ten years to keep muckracking and having fun.

My condolences to Dorothy Carvello, who’s been John’s partner for 25 years, to his daughter, Suzanne, and to the large circle of friends and associates that comprise his world. John was one of a kind, there will never be anyone like him, and I will miss him a lot.

PS Just to be thorough, John loved the name of the band or whatever they were, Insane Clown Posse. We had no idea what they sounded like, he just loved the name. He may have given that title to a few articles (even if it was scotched later by an editor). It was just that the people he wrote about and we knew were, let’s face it, nuts. And all of it, the whole world of celebrities, mobsters, and New York elite seemed like they were an Insane Clown Posse.

 

“SNL”: Ariana DeBose Won Her Oscar Last Night Hands Down, James Austin Johnson Emerges as a Star

Roger Friedman
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“SNL”: Ariana DeBose Won Her Oscar Last Night Hands Down, James Austin Johnson Emerges as a Star

Well, Ariana DeBose won her Oscar last night hosting “SNL.” She was a killer in all her sketches, particularly singing with Kate McKinnon. This is maybe the best Oscar campaign in years. DeBose is going to sweep in and take Best Supporting Actress for “West Side Story” with such ease, I can’t even recall the names of the other candidates. She’s organized better than all of Disney for this movie!

Meanwhile, James Austin Johnson, who just became a father, has exceeded all expectations. He should be elevated to regular now. Has anyone ever been this ready for prime time? He came in with a few others this season, and he’s left them in the dust. His Joe Biden isn’t perfect, or mannered, but he’s got the essence of it, just as he does with Trump and his other impersonations. JAJ is a keeper.

Jack Antonoff was a fine musical guest, but he sold not one record as a result of his appearance. He was also wearing contact lenses or couldn’t see because he eschewed his usual spectacles. Next week we get former cast member Will Forte as host, plugging the Lorne Michaels-produced “MacGruber” TV series. “SNL” is clearly struggling still to book hosts and musical guests because of the pandemic. Love Will Forte, but how many former cast members are hosting this season?

Box Office: “Spider Man” Takes 4th Spot in All Time Records, Beating “Black Panther” with $704 Million

Roger Friedman
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Box Office: “Spider Man” Takes 4th Spot in All Time Records, Beating “Black Panther” with $704 Million

Tomorrow– not today– “Spider Man: No Way Home” will hit a big number.

Depending on weather, the 8th Spider Man movie will exceed “Black Panther” at the box office and hit $704 million. It will reach number 4 on the all time box office list.

That will probably be the highest it climbs on the list. The next marker is $760 million with “Avatar.” Another $56 million seems unlikely for “Spider Man” because it would require everyone who saw it three or four times to see it again and again.

This week’s number 1 movie is “Scream,” with a $35 million, 4 day weekend.

The rest of the box office is littered with disappointment, not the least of which is “Matrix: Resurrections” which made just $815,000 over the three day weekend and will die somewhere under $40 million total.

Sony, overall, had a good run this winter with “Spider Man,” “Ghostbusters,” and “Venom,” all three franchise movies. Their forgotten  “A Journal for Jordan,” however,the only non special effects human drama for adults eked out only $6.2 million.

What Year is It? Nearly a Third of the iTunes Top 100 Taken By Oldies, New Releases Not Catching On

Roger Friedman
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What Year is It? Nearly a Third of the iTunes Top 100 Taken By Oldies, New Releases Not Catching On

What year is it, again?

Nearly a third of today’s iTunes top 100 is taken up by oldies. And some are not so golden.

The actual number is 28, and that’s not just limited to the late great Ronnie Spector singing “Be My Baby.”

There are several tracks from Credence Clearwater Revival, including “Have You Ever Seen the Rain,” at number 17.

There are also a few, regrettably, from late 90s bands Nickelback and 3 Doors Down.

The strangest entry is the Edison Lighthouse single, “Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes,” from 1970. That was a one off hit in bubblegum pop history.

Also floating around the top 100 are The Police’s “Every Breath You Take” and Bon Jovi’s “Livin on a Prayer.”

What’s not on the top 100: Anything by Jack Antonoff and the Bleachers despite appearing on “Saturday Night Live” live last night.

And despite a new video, Adele’s “Oh My God” is a stiff at 18.

So what’s going on here? Is it an iTunes promotion clogging the chart? Or a lack of interest in current music? Or both? Nature, you know, abhors a vacuum.

The record buying public is even rejected The Weeknd’s new music, released just a week ago. His single, “Sacrifice” is number 80. The album. “Dawn FM,” is falling out of the top 5. This is s shocking collapse after his monster hit, “After Hours,” ran the charts for months and months.

 

 

Bob Saget’s Wife, Kelly Rizzo: “I have no regrets. We loved each other so damn much and told each other 500 times every day”

Roger Friedman
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Bob Saget’s Wife, Kelly Rizzo: “I have no regrets. We loved each other so damn much and told each other 500 times every day”

Get out your hankies. This woman lost her husband after three years of marriage, she’s 42. This ain’t easy. Kelly Rizzo Saget has posted to Instagram tonight:

“My sweet husband. After much reflection this week, I’m trying, really trying, to not think I was robbed of time. But instead to think: How lucky was I that I got to be the one to be married to THE MOST INCREDIBLE MAN ON EARTH. I was the one who got to go on this crazy ride with him and be in his life these last 6 years. We had that time to make each other the happiest we’d ever been and change each other’s lives forever. I got to be the one to love him and cherish him. He deserves all the love. Every ounce of it. Because that’s how amazing Bob was. He was love. If you were in his life you KNEW he loved you. He never missed an opportunity to tell you.

“Most importantly. I have no regrets. We loved each other so damn much and told each other 500 times every day. Constantly. I know how much he loved me until the very last moment and he knew the same. I’m so grateful for that. Not everyone gets that.

“Bob was a force. I’m sure every one of you out there, whether you knew him or not, was in awe of the enormous outpouring of love and tribute for this special man. It was like nothing anyone has ever seen. I am so appreciative for the kindness and support from loved ones and strangers. Everyone loves Bob and everyone wants to make sure I’m ok. And for that, I’m eternally grateful.

“Bob had so much more he wanted to do and so much more love to give. And to the best of my ability it will be my mission to share how amazing he was with the world, and try in some small way to keep spreading his message of love and laughter. (No, you will never see me do stand-up). I also want to keep sharing how important the Shleroderma Research Foundation was to him. I just want to make him proud. And to his girls, I will love you all with all my heart, always.

“Honey, I love you more than anything, forever.”

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