Baskets: Season 4

It really deserves one more season.

Don't get me wrong, this was not a bad season. This was a good season and even ended not half badly but because I'm such a fan I desperately want a final 5th season. So we pick up 2 months from last time, and Ken and Christine are gearing up for their wedding while Chip is trying to become more independent while searching for his clown outlet. Basic in plot but when you've known these characters and their personality quirks it becomes something more, something important. I won't spoil the ending but we'll touch on it near the end. I very much enjoyed this season, and unlike Gotham, there wasn't a single episode that struck me into a bad mood, you really need to watch every episode and since each season totals to just shy of 4 hours you can enjoy the series in the span of a week. Everything from Renoir to Moving On is done very well, and this season got a lot of laughs out of me before the end while still having it's moments. There were two scenes in particular that hit me to my core even though in the larger scale they were bit scenes, Christine talks to one of Dale's daughters and has a very poignant and kinda depressing scene where she talks about not losing family photos and to always have something to remember your family by, and it got me! It was such a small bit but it spoke volumes to me. The second was in the very last episode where it's just Chip and Christine having a heart to heart talk with Chip starting to become more independent and ready to lead his life outside of his mother's view. Baskets, especially in the character of Chip, has never been more relatable to me than any other character, he's ready to start a new chapter of his life and yet has problems coping with it, has a dream he wishes to pursue but can only do it in the meantime, it's difficult to fully explain but I see much of myself in Chip which made me enjoy the show even more and made me want to see him succeed. Now I'm not saying my love for Christine and Martha has diminished, Christine's wedding genuinely got me all misty eyed and her relationship with Ken is precious. Plus Martha gets some more screentime and I have to put it on record I would be fine if Martha and Chip became a couple and I'd be fine if they didn't, they have such a strange dynamic but you can see it work with the right kind of eyes and yes I was practically howling with laughter when Martha gets this confidence boost or maybe it was confidence booze but she was a riot this season! It's such a shame this show got cancelled because now we gotta talk about the ending and I'm very mixed on it. It doesn't feel like a series finale, and I'm not entirely sure how events took place whether they were filming and they learned it would be the last season so they had to tie up loose ends where they could, or if this was their last hurrah and they knew it before production started. I'd say the first option because it does feel like just another season finale, that they would keep going after this and maybe wrap the story up next season. Yet at the same time I can see it as a finale, it's a very open ended finale but it still works. The fan in me is screaming for a true final season and simultaneously I'm fine seeing it end here. I see it more as the ending of a chapter and you want to turn the page and keep reading on but you sadly have to stop for now. I sincerely hope Baskets can come back in some way and it's really affected me. It's been a few weeks since all this started but, I was in a really bad very dark place before I watched Baskets and it's been one of the worst places I've been in my life. Like, negative thoughts, wanting to self-harm kind of places. And I just watched this show on an absolute whim, I have no real idea what made me start the show, but it helped tremendously. It lifted my spirits and gave me something to look forward to, and that's why I was so bummed out that it was only four seasons, cause the show has meant a lot to me and it really sucks to see it end now, I'm not going to get all schmultzy and say this show saved my life or anything like that but it helped me get past that time, to get out of that dark place and want to see what comes next. No show or even film has been able to really do such a thing, so it makes it that more special and I wanted to spread the word about it so other people could watch it and be entertained by it. I absolutely hate going out this month on such a bittersweet note before the festivities begin next month but there was something there in this show that was worth watching, worth talking about, and most important worth sharing. I definitely have to recommend Baskets, and give it a 9/10. It only gets a nine because my heart wants that 5th season.

I'll see you next month.

BONUS: Baskets: Season 3

I don't want another show of mine to end!

It's like every time I watch a show that I really enjoy and become a fan of it gets axed by it's 4th or 5th season, now I know not every show can run for 7+ seasons but damn it I hate when certain shows are over. The third season of Baskets and something I've discovered is, not each consecutive season is better or worse, with a show like Baskets every season has been just as good as the last, the only difference is each season focuses more on comedy or drama. So really, some people would place certain seasons over others depending on which you like more. The first was a mix of both, season 2 was more on the drama, and this season has more comedy while of course still retaining the drama. So Christine has bought a rodeo for the Baskets family, and a good portion of the season is focused on them running a family buisness together, getting the rodeo prepared and starting to get it off the ground. But of course it isn't easy and there's turmoil in the family, Chip can't get a supporting cast of clowns and he actually has to come up with a new clown character for himself, Dale has his hands full dealing with the rodeo financial managing and continues to grow more distant with his wife and kids, and Christine though having a supremely nice relationship with Ken keeps having to deal with a bunch of nonsense. Thankfully we get some more screen time with Martha and I like the evolution her character has had, going from the straight man to Chip's comedy to her having problems of her own and is given more depth into her emotional state and life situation. She's still really funny but she feels more real this time around and I'm gonna be honest, I love her more and more each time I see her, she might be my favorite character. I also like the fact that the show can have fun one off episodes, like Christine and Martha go to Vegas and it gets very funny as you think it would, and we even get a birthday episode for Martha and it could be the best episode of the season. I greatly appreciate that there always is an ongoing story in this show, because it just isn't a common thing for comedy shows, it's either wacky hijinks every episode ie. the sitcom format, or much of the same shenanigans with some minor overarching story that might last 3 episodes before it returns to normal, but this show with every incident that happens in each episode is carried over throughout the season. Dale's divorce comes up and he gets a new wife, Chip meets up with his friends from France and they tell him to create a new clown character, and of course Christine and Ken's relationship continues to grow and they take the next big step. It really is a show you have to watch from beginning to end, because these season finales man....they make you want to come back! And it absolutely kills me I only get one more season with these characters, and I only hope that it can wrap up the story nicely. You know, give it a proper ending. It deserves that much, so you know what I'm going to review the last season before the month is out. I just have to know how it ends.

BONUS: Baskets: Season 2

And we're back in Bakersfield!

After the surprising end for the first season I genuinely had no clue where the story was going to go next, but I think the second season is just as good if not better than the first. Chip has checked out of his own life and has been train hopping for some time before meeting a group of travelling performers that he grows connected with, but as time goes by the bond they share is broken both metaphorically and physically leading Chip to return home and continue his aspirations to perform. Sadly Martha isn't that major a player this time around but the time she has is great, and she even helps Chip get some clown gigs in the meantime which is nice. But the big shining star of the series is actually Mrs. Baskets, who meets a man named Ken and they kick off together and I'm just gonna say it, I love their relationship. It's a slow growing relationship but when it hits that point it is so precious and sweet I can barely contain my melting heart, they have such a real and charming chemistry and I genuinely do want to see them together, they're an absolute treasure. This season serves as a major uplift to the more emotionally depressed and rough life situation of season 1, sure Chip faces death not once but twice, and has to come to terms with it, yet it's all very much an improving set of events for our characters and you're really happy for them. There's more emphasis on family and the importance of not breaking apart from them which is handled very well. The show is still very funny but I was engaged way more with the story and characters to the point where I was having a ball by the episode before the finale! And yeah the finale gives us a sliver of hope for the future. I enjoy these characters so much and it breaks my heart I only have two more seasons with them. But nevertheless I greatly enjoyed this season, I especially love how nothing is just for a throwaway gag, everything that happens is treated seriously and is brought up again in the story. You just don't see that in comedy shows often. The acting is great, the comedy though downplayed still had no trouble getting a big laugh from me, the story is getting better, and I can't wait to see what happens next for the Baskets family.

Oh we're so close, we're so close to sweet victory. May summer die a horrible death, and long life be given to the night.

Baskets: Season 1

We are sending in the clowns this year on the show.

I watched Baskets merely on a whim and I am so so happy I did. I recently heard the show was sadly cancelled after 4 seasons which is a shame cause I really like this show! It's really damn good, plus it did wonders for my emotional state, so if a show can not only entertain but make me feel better, I mean that's just never happened to me before. People always say they have a favorite movie or show to watch when they feel less than great, but I never really experienced it until this show. Which is funny because while the show has great humor it focuses on a kinda sad life. Zach Galifianakis plays a very down on his luck guy named Chip who aspires to be a clown, he goes to clown college in France but he doesn't speak the language, he meets a beautiful woman and asks her to marry him which she agrees to...just to have a green card for the States, he gets a job as a clown but at a rodeo. It's that sort of cruel life situation and we follow Chip through ups, downs, and inside outs. Yet it makes you laugh, it made me laugh loud and hard, I get the comedy style they have, and sure it has the pratfalls and overblown reactions but much of the humor comes down to the delivery. Chip meets a young woman Martha who is his insurance worker and strangely decides to drive him around anywhere and everywhere, that alone is a funny scenario but this actress...Martha Kelly is the funniest person I've seen in awhile. Her delivery is always deadpan, she's always blunt and straight to the point, and she just cracks me up! I've met some monotone people in my life, they're not very funny. Her though, she is friggin' hilarious! And yeah, Louie Anderson is wonderful as Chip's mom and his performance feels real, in fact everyone feels real. This is a show that has that drama element down but is primarily a comedy series, but there's no over the top tongue in cheek performances even with Chip's twin brother Dale (so double shoutout for Zach's acting talents) who is all sorts of out there, even he feels real. You've met people like him, and chances are you weren't exactly a fan of them. But they treat the characters seriously and that's something to appreciate. I was surprised how moody and atmospheric the show can be at times, the music is strangely for lack of a better word gunslinger but it works and I've always been a sucker for more quiet atmospheric music, and the show looks great when it wants to be. This series director knows what to do and how to do it, able to accentuate each scene and it's emotions. I can't fully explain it but the show handles the drama and emotions whether for comedic effect or not expertly, with Chip trying to reconnect with his wife or him having to face the fact he may just have to get a regular job, and it just feels relatable. It's a persevering story to be sure, don't let dreams die, fight for the things you want, it's something everyone can grasp and fully understand. It's only 10 episodes each season running at your standard 22 minutes, but it doesn't waste a second and the finale is something I could never have guessed. I mean it's not this big oh snap what's gonna happen next finale, there's no cliffhanger or dilemma to fix next season. It just kinda ends. I was surprised when it was over but I was infinitely interested to see what would happen next. It's a very entertaining, very well made show that honestly deserves more fans. I've never met or even heard anyone that watches Baskets so for all I know it's this underground series that gathered some acclaim and it deserves more love. Definitely check it out, I loved it for it's unusual style and the story, and was gripped almost immediately by it's humor and characters and I'm game to see it until the very end. 3.5 stars, 8/10, absolutely worth seeing!

In Retrospect: The Lego Batman Movie

Yep, still awesome.

I am soooo happy I finally got this sucker on DVD! Now I can pause on nearly every shot and scour for more easter eggs to feed my batmania! But yeah, The Lego Batman movie is still just as entertaining and hilarious as when I first saw it. Special honors go to Will Arnett for being awesome and Zach Galifianakis for being one of the most entertaining Jokers of all time. I still have no idea how they make these Lego movies, I mean it looks like stopmotion but it moves so fast I can't quite say that. It's just such a fun movie and no doubt will be rewatched time and time again like every other Batman movie I ever owned. Is it the best? Well, it all depends on your point of view. Storywise it's not, but in terms of an overall experience it almost definitely is! There's just so much to love about it, from the animation style, to the characters, to the humor and situations. It's just great. Buy it now. That's all there is to it, if you love animated movies, if you loved The Lego Movie, or you're just a diehard or casual fan of the Batman then by all means get it!

But the rest of this week.....put a friggin' fork in me. I had to do it sooner or later, but I don't want to do it. I don't want to talk about it. I don't want to review it. But it's like a needle, it might be unpleasant but once you do it you'll be better off. This week, we do Transformers. Not even the cool 80s Transformers movie, the horrible ones. The first 3, then next week we do the other one leading to (hopefully) the last movie. Pray for me.