Matt Lynn Digital focused a bit more strongly on reviewing television in 2019, including concentrating on a few series. Today’s post is a walk down memory lane for posts television inclined through the year, whether they be network television or streaming services through the year.
The series The Man in the High Castle (2015-2019) was one we came to through the Amazon Prime streaming service. We reviewed all four seasons of the show, providing a glimpse into how we experienced the full series in real time through the year. While there were some spoilers in our reviews, we aimed not to give away full story lines within.
(The full series of The Man in the High Castle was reviewed by Matt Lynn Digital in 2019, a season at a time).
We looked into the first season of High Castle in June, with this season garnering our highest rating of the series. Reviews of the second season in August, third season in October, and the fourth and final season of a largely well-reviewed series coming in December allow for a full view into a series we enjoyed as getting to a point of being a bit more harder hitting at the end like we wanted.
The highest rated individual season that we gave any show in 2019 went to the first season of the FX series Justified (2010-2015), which we reviewed in July. Another high rating went to the second season in September, with three more seasons still to be reviewed.
(The first and second seasons of Justified were reviewed by Matt Lynn Digital in 2019).
We enjoyed the streamed mini-series Ordeal by Innocence, which adapted and modified a novel of the same name by Agatha Christie. Not everyone was particularly enamored of the guilty party changing with this adaptation, though Bill Nighy as Leo Argyll was enjoyable. The ABC Murders mini-series was also well received in this corner, though not everyone warmed to the portrayal of Hercule Poirot in this offering.
(The mini-series Ordeal by Innocence was reviewed by Matt Lynn Digital in November).
The new series Manifest, offered by NBC, opened in 2018 with its first season. We reviewed the opening season well in February in part owing to the supernatural elements combined with a flashback means of storytelling. The second season is due to land as early as January 2020.
(The second season of Manifest is due to arrive early in 2020).
Another series that Matt Lynn Digital appreciated through review in January ended in December 2018 with a special that essentially concluded the larger narrative of the series. The series Timeless (2016-2018), another NBC series, was conceptually one that had a great deal of possibility. We personally wished that there could have been more of this series to share.
(Timeless ended its run in December 2018. The premise of the show was excellent, though the execution of the series might have doomed the concept to an early end).
The final network television show that we reviewed in 2019 was the CBS mini-series The Red Line (2019- ), which we reviewed in May. The show seems like another season looking race, family, politics and relationships may be possible, though network television being the place for something as potentially edgy as this series may not be the proper vehicle for this style of story.
(The Red Line aired in the spring of 2019 on CBS. The mini-series left room for a second run as a mini-series, though the audience reception may not allow for that).
Two solid first seasons from Amazon Prime streamed their first seasons in 2019, telling distinct stories that were both groundbreaking in their own way. The Widow (2019- ) told the story of an aggrieved yet fiercely determined woman out to seek the truth of her husband’s story. Carnival Row (2019- ) told the story of different species thrown into a single post-industrialized city with prejudice running rampant. A central love story was common to both with intrigue all about in both.
(Matt Lynn Digital reviewed Amazon Original series The Widow in March and Amazon Original series Carnival Row in November).
Three additional Amazon Original series concluded the 2019 year for Matt Lynn Digital. The first season of Homecoming (2018- ), the first season of White Dragon (2019- ), and the second season of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan (2018- ). White Dragon mirrors The Widow in premise, though flips the script for the gender of the spouse that has become widowed. Homecoming introduces an interesting take on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in offering intrigue. The second season of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan gives us a completely new story than season one while echoing the original writing of the deceased author Tom Clancy in the process.
(Matt Lynn Digital reviewed Amazon Original series Homecoming in January, Amazon Original series White Dragon in March and Amazon Original series Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan in November).
This look into the television blogs of Matt Lynn Digital hopefully offers some useful guidance into things to look into for the coming year. We enjoyed much of the television above, and would definitely like to extend the recommendation for getting into especially The Man in the High Castle and Justified.
Matt – Sunday, December 29, 2019
Matt Lynn Digital 