Stay Golden, Hollywood Foreign Press (And They Do)

Even in the midst of the biggest elephant in the room, there's still something pleasing about how the Golden Globes always seems to have the finger on the pulse of television better than the Emmys do (or, given the last few years, did)  Of course, given all the scandal surrounding Hollywood, the Foreign Press Association did a good job staying away from controversy (except for one case which I'll get to momentarily)

Here is my reaction to this years nominations in TV (I'll get to movies in a future article):

BEST DRAMA

It would've been odd if The Handmaid's Tale had been ignored, given the Emmys love for it. The Crown and Stranger Things deserved their nominations, as does This is Us. I'm starting to get a little annoyed at how Game of Thrones is always taking up a spot here, particularly with series like The Deuce or Better Call Saul being shut out.

BEST ACTOR, DRAMA

Sterling Brown more than deserves to be here. Ditto Bob Odenkirk. Jason Bateman is a good choice, considering that Ozark was basically ignored until now. But if you're going to honor Freddie Highmore, acknowledge him for his brilliant swan song in Bates Motel, not The Good Doctor. (Yes, I saw this coming, but still.) And will someone please explain the fascination with Liev Schreiber? It's getting insulting.

BEST ACTRESS, DRAMA

Maggie Gyllenhaal is a very pleasant surprise and could easily pull out an upset win over the equally deserving Elisabeth Moss. Claire Foy does an honor to The Crown, especially considering this will be her last year of eligibility. Catriona Balfe, well, she's got her fans among Outlander devotees (they were at Broadcast Critics, too) But I still think Katherine Langford doesn't hold a candle to Tatiana Maslany or Keri Russell. You had your chance guys.

BEST COMEDY

black-ish is a masterpiece, no question. Ditto Master of None.  SMILF is an entertaining and popular series, and I'm glad its in the ranks. I now want to see Marvelous Mrs. Maisel more than ever. Will & Grace? I know, it was popular with the Globes in its first incarnation, but this is ridiculous. At least they didn't nominate Veep.

BEST ACTOR, COMEDY

Anthony Anderson is perfect. Ditto Aziz Ansari. I'm beginning to respect William H. Macy's work on Shameless more and more with each coming season. Kevin Bacon isn't a bad choice. But Eric McCormack? Oh well. Could be worse. Could be Jim Parsons.

BEST ACTRESS, COMEDY

Issa Rae deserved to be the one to repeat. Rachel Brosnahan and Alison Brie have more than earned their shot at a trophy, even before their latest brilliant work, and Frankie Shaw is nearly as great as Issa Rae and Rachel Bloom at writing roles to humiliate themselves.

Pamela Adlon is going to be the one tricky award of the night. It's not that  I don't think she or her series isn't brilliant. I do. But its also produced and co-written by Louie C.K. , and he's in a major shadow right now. One wonders why the Globes even allowed her a hint at the award this year. It's going to be the big controversy of the night.

BEST TV MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES

For once, all mini-series. Big Little Lies, Feud: Bette & Joan, and Fargo were among the best series of last season. Top of the Lake deserved to be considered. The Sinner seems to be gaining strength for next season. Still, this bodes ill for Twin Peaks.

BEST ACTOR, TV MOVIE or LIMITED SERIES

Yes! They recognized Kyle MacLachlan! I'm nearly as overjoyed to see him recognized as I am Ewan McGregor. They're my favorites. Robert De Niro isn't a shock. Neither is Geoffrey Rush, frankly. But Jude Law for The Young Pope, a series basically shut out by every major awards group? That's why the Globes are different

BEST ACTRESS, TV MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES.

No real complaints. They recognized Susan Sarandon here, at least. I feel sympathy for Jessica Biel. To be going up against four Oscar winners? Then  again, I'd feel better if it were Carrie Coon or Felicity Huffman instead. Still, no real complaints.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Can't really complain about this bunch either. An argument could be made for any one of the five to be the winner. I might prefer David Thewlis or David Harbour over the others, but really no bad choices here.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Hell, they remembered to recognize Shailene Woodley this time. I'd have prefered if they could have found room for Millie Bobby Brown or Regina King to be in the list, but just like supporting actor, no bad choices.

Honestly, this is the best collection of Golden Globe nominees I've seen in nearly five years. It'll be very interesting to see how the Hollywood Foreign Press decides to choose.

Stay tuned for my predictions.

Homicide Episode Guide: Diener

Written by Christopher Kyle; story by Tom Fontana and Julie Martin

Directed by Kyle Secor

 When Homicide  began four years ago, Frank Pembleton was the lone wolf on the squad, preferring to work alone. This aspect of his personality was curved when Bayliss began to work with him in the pilot. Now that Tim has decided that he doesn’t want to be partners with him anymore, Frank is back to his old ways. When Meldrick Lewis shows up to back him up in the teaser of ‘Diener’, he is pissed. Part of this is no doubt based on the last case they partnered on (Season 3’s ‘Law and Disorder, which we flash back to a couple of times during the show) but part of this is no doubt due to his single-minded workaholic nature that was present even when he worked with Bayliss.

It is perhaps because of this that Frank tells his wife that for the first time since his stroke he feels like his old self again. In one sense this is true—Frank is no longer stumbling over words or has a faulty memory. Unfortunately for Frank, his return to normality also means that part of his nature has resurfaced at home. Mary, who has been a pillar of strength for her husband through his long recovery and beyond, is finally reaching the limits of her patience. She now asks to see a marriage counselor but Frank blindly ignores her complaints.  He gets a certain amount of support from Meldrick on this (though considering his marital difficulties Frank would perhaps do well to talk to anybody else) but the problems are so visible that Mary comes down to work to talk with Tim. Mary knows that being  a detective is Frank’s life but she doesn’t know if being the wife of a detective is what she wants to be anymore. When Tim subsequently holds out an olive branch to Frank, however, Pembleton rejects it.  This old blindness and arrogance will end up costing Frank very dearly in a matter of weeks.

 The psychology of Frank is always interesting but it is noticeable because this episode doesn’t have a great deal more to offer. The case that is the center of ‘Diener’ --- the murder of a socialite--- is a relatively limp one though it does show a certain amount of sparks to see Frank and Meldrick crossing swords again on who to suspect. Interestingly the situation is somewhat reversed from ‘Law and Disorder’ where Frank suspected someone from an urban setting for a murder while Meldrick suspected someone from a more upscale setting. This time Lewis suspects the lower-stratum suspect while Frank suspects the nearest and dearest--- the socialite’s brother. However, the wrinkle this time comes not from the policework but from a procedural problem when the victims diamond ring disappears from the body. This item could implicate the killer or provide with a defense. However, it turns out that the ring was stolen by someone in the M.E’s office.

While no doubt things like this happen occasionally on the job, one can’t escape the feeling that this time it happened to once again bring Dr. Cox into the story. As we find out, the thief turns out to be someone that she has recently hired—the diener from the episode’s title. (A diener is an individual who starts and finishes an autopsy procedure) In one sense, this is real Homicide— the thief is exactly who we suspect it is. However, it feels more like an effort to have Juliana feel the same sense of betrayal that is often felt by other detectives on the show--- something similar to Kellerman’s recent travails with the FBI. The whole feeling is one of forcedness that just doesn’t work dramatically.

Speaking of Kellerman, we only briefly see the detective when he tells Meldrick that he is going to see a therapist in regard to his recent dark night of the soul. He is trying to get past these impulses and appears to succeed--- at least the topic doesn’t come up again this season. (Then again, Mike will have a whole new set of problems to deal with soon enough)

Overall, this episode is a disappointment as a directorial debut for Secor, though none of the problems with the episode are his fault. The good moments from the episode occur mainly between Braugher and  Clark Johnson, along with a fine job by Ami Brabson as Mary. The case that is at the center of the show seems less important than it does most of the time, and while this isn’t necessarily a handicap, this time it doesn’t lead to great fireworks of any kind. Even the musical montages seem second class.

Ultimately, ‘Diener’ isn’t  a bad episode--- it’s just not a very good one. With a mediocre mystery and somewhat forced character revelation the episode is doubly hampered. The one thing that does linger is the problems Frank is having domestically and which he is right now ignoring.  But, like on all Homicide’s, the problems don’t go away after the next case.

My score: 2.5 stars.

Critics Choice Nominations, Part 3: Limited Series

Best Limited Series

Fargo, Big Little Lies, and Feud: Bette & Joan were among the best productions of this past year. Its the other three nominees, I have real problems with. I can see the logic of The Long Road Home, it received excellent reviews. Godless was well received as well. But American Vandal? Seriously, American Vandal? It wasn't even the best series on Netflix last year. They couldn't have meant to nominate American Crime by mistake? And where in the world is Showtime? Twin Peaks was completely shut out? Hell, Top of the Lake would be a better choice

Best Actor, TV Movie or Limited Series

This is a decidedly mixed bag.  Ewan McGregor should be the heavy favorite of this bunch. Robert De Niro was among the main contenders last year. Jeff Daniels and Jack O'Connell for Godless, there's a certain logic there. I can even see some of the reassoning behind Bill Pullman for The Sinner..

But Evan Peters for American Horror Story: Cult? Even the most devoted fans of the series thought this was  a weak season. And Jimmy Tatro for American Vandal? They couldn't have nominated Timothy Hutton or Benedict Cumberbatch or Kyle Macalahan, all of whom were light years beyond this. Oh, well. .

Best Actress, TV Movies or Limited Series

Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon more than deserve to be here. So does Carrie Coon for Fargo. So does Jessica Lange. But where's her co-lead Susan Sarandon? Or Felicity Huffman? I can understand some of the logic behind Jessica Biel's nomination for The Sinner, even if it s an odd choice, but Alana Boden for I Am Elizabeth Smart? I don't understand why this otherwise fine organization feels fit to honor the pedestrian, cookie cutter Lifetime movies. It just doesn't add up.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, TV MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES

This is much better. Alexander Skarsgard more than earned his place here. So did David Thewlis for Fargo. So have Stanley Tucci and Alfred Molina for their fine work on Feud. And I'm thrilled to see Benito Martinez get an overdue nomination for his fine work on American Crime. It's a little odd to see Johnny Flynn nominated for Genius when Geoffrey Rush was ignored, but I'm willing to let it go.

Best Supporting Actress, TV Movie or Limited Series

The first category I have no real complaints about. Davis, Hoffman, Dern, Pfeiffer, and King more than earned their spot at the table, and I'm glad to see the critics make up for the Emmys snub by nominating Mary Elizabeth Winstead for her superb work on Fargo. It would've been nice to have a spot for Shailene Woodley, but you can't have everything.

Stay tuned to this blog for my opinions on the Golden Globes nominations, coming next week.

Critics Choice Nominations Reaction, Part 2: Comedies

Now, on to the comedies.

Best Comedy

Big Bang Theory still has resonance, and I guess Modern Family does, too. black-ish is still remarkable. I now realize that I have to see GLOW,  and as if I didn't have enough of a reason to see Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, this is a big boost.

What the hell is Patriot, and why did it stand in the way of so many other great comedies. Like Master of None or The Good Place, or Silicon Valley, or..

Best Actor, Comedy

Aziz Ansari continues to be Master of television. Anthony Anderson is remarkable in black-ish. I'm delighted to see double-dealing Ted Danson get nominated for The Good Place. Thomas Middleditch did some great work on Silicon Valley, and I'm always impressed by Randall Park on Fresh off the boat.

Hank Azaria? Seriously?  I know the field for Best Actor is slim, but wouldn't have been right to honor Matt LeBlanc?

Best Actress, Comedy

They had the courage to have a category without Julia-Louis Dreyfus. Bravo.

Kristen Bell, thank the lord. Constance Wu continues to delight on Fresh off the Boat. Elle Kemper has earned her spot. I always want to see Sutton Foster nominated, and I'm glad to see some actress get nominated for Amy Sherman-Palladino series, even if its Rachel Brosnahan and not Lauren Graham. (Though I've admired Brosnahan's work since House of Cards, so its a win.

The need to see to GLOW is growing. Still, where's Tracee Ellis Ross?

Best Supporting Actor, Comedy

Ed O'Neill has earned his spot. Ditto Tituss Burgess. I'm a little surprised that Kumail Nanjani was nominated over T.J. Miller, but he does fine work. Walton Goggins is good on Vice Principals, and, like Margo Martindale, he's a favorite of the Critics Choice. Marc Maron has more than earned it, given critical response.

Sean Hayes worries me. It's a little retro for the Broadcast Critics (and frankly, makes me fear the Golden Globe nominations less than a week away?

Best Supporting Actress, Comedy

Mayim Bialik just doesn't get the love she should from the Emmy. Maybe another Best Supporting Actress prize is in the offing. Jenifer Lewis does fine work as the grandmother on black-ish. Betty Gilpin has always been good on any project she works, going back to Nurse Jackie. Ditto Alex Borstein. (Where were you, Broadcast Critics, when Gilmore Girls was on the air. Rita Moreno, legendary, even in to her ninth decade.

I'm not certain who Alessandra Mastronardi was on Master of None, so I'll withhold commentary.

Critics Choice Nominations Reaction: Part 1, Drama

As I have mentioned on more than one occasion, I love awards shows. And one of my favorite remains the Critics Choice awards, the platform for the Broadcast Critics picks. Their picks for film awards continue to get more and more intriguing with each passing year, particularly considering that they have room for Best Action Movies, along with Comedy and Drama. But what is more pertinent to this blog has been, ever since 2011, their fascinating picks for television awards. Before the Emmys began opening their doors to more deserving series, they made deep inroads, picking superb series like The Americans, Mr. Robot, Master of None, and Orange is the New Black . And every year, they continue to recognize series that, more often then not, get lost in the shuffle in the years of peak TV.

And as the audience for awards gets bigger, so the platforms for the Critics Choice.  When they began giving awards for TV, they aired on satellite network, Reelz. Now, when they air January 11, they will appear on the CW. Granted, this is due mainly to the awards for movies, but that doesn't change the fact that they have moved up in the world.

So, here is my evaluation of the 2017 Critics Choice Nominations. As always, I'll start with the dramas.

Best Drama

The Handmaid's Tale and This is Us have earned their spots, given how well they did at the Emmys last year, and I'm incline to agree about Stranger Things.  I haven't seen The Crown yet (I'm a little amazed its eligible considering it started streaming  this week) but still, its a good show. Game of Thrones, well, its always been a good candidate, despite my personal feeling towards it.

American Gods appears to be the wild card, even though its early reviews bordered on the extraordinary. I would've expected The Leftovers or The Americans, two of this groups stalwarts to prevail here. But a pick like this is far from out of character for Critics Choice, particular considering how well regarded it was.

Best Actor, Drama

Interesting selection. Sterling K. Brown more than deserves to be here. Ditto Bob Odenkirk. I'm glad that they nominated Freddie Highmore for the right series (it wouldn't shock me if the Golden Globes nominated him, but for Good Doctor, rather than Bates Motel. And I'm overjoyed that Paul Giamatti, whose work on Billions has been superb, finally got some award recognition.

Ian McShane isn't a bad choice, at least by association, and I'm glad to see him back in awards competition. But will someone explain to me the fascination with Liev Schreiber? Matthew Rhys or James Franco would've been far better choices.

Best Actress, Drama

Another interesting group.  Claire Foy deserves to be here, as does by extension, Elisabeth Moss. Tatiana Maslany's final season of Orphan Black was magnificent, and given that she triumphed here twice before getting her Emmy, I think she's the favorite here. I'm delighted to see Christine Baranski back for The Good Fight,  and Robin Wright, despite the controversy associated with House of Cards, should be here.

I'm still not certain what to do about Catriona Balfe, but I am more in favor of her being nominated than Viola Davis or Taraj P. Henson. I really thought Carrie Coon would be here for The Leftovers, but she didn't get ignored, as you'll see below.

Best Supporting Actor, Drama

This is where things truly get fascinating. Michael McKean more than earned his spot with his work on Better Call Saul. Ditto David Harbour for Stranger Things. I'm over the moon that Delroy Lindo was recognized for The Good Fight. And I'm glad to see Asia Kate Dillon grab a nomination for their superb work on Billions. (Although, given what we know about them, will they accept the award if they win?)

Bobby Cannavale is a bizarre choice for Mr. Robot, he did superb work, no question, but couldn't they have honored Christian Slater instead? And I'm not as upset that Peter Dinklage is here, by now he's earned his place at the table. Still, couldn't they've found room for Ron Cephas Jones?

Best Supporting Actress, Drama

Another eclectic group. Would be odd if Ann Dowd wasn't here after her win at the Emmys. Christy Metz more than earned her spot. And I'm thrilled Cush Jumbo was nominated for The Good Fight.

It gets a little harder to read after this. Emilia Clarke, I can understand. But I would be shocked if even critics saw Amazon's Sneaky Pete. Still, Margo Martindale has a fan base with this organization. And I'm always glad to see Gillian Anderson nominated for, well, just about anything. Still, nothing for Millie Bobby Brown?

Homicide Episode Guide: Have A Conscience

Usually on Homicide, a certain amount of time would pass between each episode. Occasionally in the first season, and of course in the multi-part stories that the show would do every so often, episodes would take place a few hours apart. But for the most part, there was a passage of about a week between episodes. This is why it is highly unusual that ‘Have a Conscience’ takes place the day after ‘Betrayal’.  In one sense it works because a lot of the pain and anger that hung over most of the detectives is still very fresh.

                The most obvious case is between Bayliss and Pembleton. After revealing an agonizing secret Tim no longer feels comfortable partnering with Frank or even talking with him. Frank is clearly unsettled by this because he is constantly trying to get his partner to work with him again on an old case. Bayliss, however, rebuffs these attempts and by the end of the episode Frank is just plain pissed at Tim. For the next few episodes, Pembleton will be working cases completely on his own. This is symbolic of his return to normality—or at least as close as he get to it these days. Unfortunately, this isolation will begin to have ripples effects in his personal life very soon.

                However, it quickly becomes clear that even though Kellerman has been cleared by the grand jury and is back in the rotation again, his life can not return back to normal. We see this pretty clearly when Captain Gaffney comes up to Mike and asks him point blank how much money he took from the Rolands.  This question (and his subsequent smile after Kellerman knocks over a file cabinet in frustration) represents Gaffney at his most contemptible (though it turns out he is capable of sinking lower). This, however, is only the first example of how  people have begun to view him differently.

He also takes very personally his first case—the death of a Korean grocery store owner who has apparently been executed by one of Luther Mahoney’s drug pushers. The grocer is repeatedly referred to as ‘an honorable man’—and the more Mike looks at his death, the more  angry he gets. When Mike finally gets a chance to interrogate Mahoney--- the first crack he’s has at him in six months--- he flies off the handle at the cool contempt that Mahoney seems to hold him and the victim. This may be the incident that crystallizes Kellerman’s hatred of Luther--- and possibly helps set in motion the events that will follow in a few months when Mike and Mahoney have their final confrontation.

All of this is very well done and written. Unfortunately, the episode then takes a decided down turn when Kellerman gets off duty and goes back to his boat. Meldrick, who has witnessed most of Mike’s behavior and is understandably concerned, comes on his boat to find Mike cleaning his refrigerator—with his gun not more than a foot away from him. Mike seems very fixated --- and then falls into a rage. All of his frustrations over the past few months come bubbling out, and he starts sounding more and more frantic—suicidal, almost. Lewis, who is understandably freaked by what he thinks is happening to his partner, tries to talk him down from his anger and sadness.

This is very intense stuff--- for the first five minutes. But the longer and longer the dialogue progressed, the more detached from it the viewer becomes. We remember that this is just a television show and that the writers aren’t going to kill off Reed Diamond’s character (not until the season is over, anyway). The entire set piece on Mike’s boat takes more than eighteen minutes and by the end of it you think that the writers just ran out of things to say a few minutes before.

Clearly the scene is supposed to be reminiscent of the classic ‘Three Men and Adena’ which, like this, was basically a long sequence of people talking about something very painful. Unfortunately, the scene is nowhere near as sure-footed or dramatic. It is even more upsetting because this episode comes from the pen of James Yoshimura, who is usually so brilliant at expressing pure anguish. Here it just becomes excruciating and repetitive. One can’t help but think Yoshimura was saying ‘This will crack the Emmy nominations’ when he wrote this script. (Didn’t work)

The episode have some good ramification--- Meldrick and Mike emerge from the incident closer together unlike Frank and Tim who have a wedge between them now. Unfortunately by the time the season ends, other events--- indirectly related to what has happened in this episode--- will end up driving the two detectives almost completely apart.

The ultimate effect of ‘Have a Conscience’ is somewhat schizophrenic. There is some very good work done by Reed Diamond and Clark Johnson but they are hampered by the script in the end. Erik Todd Dellums does a fine job at making Mahoney seems loathsome as usual and Jade Wu is memorable as the Korean grocery store owners wife but the rest of the guest cast is not particularly memorable. There is potential for greatness in this episode but it ultimately ends up falling pretty far from it.

My score: 3.25 stars.

Better Late Than Never:Stranger Things 2 Review

One of the most incredible accomplishments last year, on any platform, was Netflix's Stranger Things. Set in Indiana in 1983, the story dealt with a group of four junior high students and efforts to deal with the disappearance of Will Byers (Noah Schapp) after an epic D & D battle. The story dealt  with one of the great suspense and thriller genres, combined with some of the most brilliant acting in all of 2016. Even in the year of peak TV, it was by far the most worshipped discovery of that season, winning awards from the Screen Actors Guild and MTV. The only thing that really seemed that could possibly go wrong was, well, what happens to many TV series when they have a breakout first season. They can only suffer in comparison to themselves. Having the seen the first couple of episodes of Stranger Things 2, I can say with relative certainty that the Duffer Brothers have not gone astray.

Its been nearly a year, since Will returned from the Upside Down, but no one in Hawkins is even close to being the same. For starters, Will is still experiencing episodes, which seem to have him feeling stuck 'between two worlds'.  This understandably panics Joyce (Winona Ryder, still astonishing) who is trying her best to raise Will. Unfortunately, in doing so, she seems to be making deals with the devil. The biggest one is the one with the doctors who ran the Upside Down (now led by Paul Reiser - yes, Paul Reiser), who say they want to treat him, but who we've seen are far from willing to abandon the work they were doing before. Sheriff Harper (David Harbour, continuing his fine work) tries to be an anchor for Joyce, but there are complications. For one, Joyce has finally started dating, a tech nerd named Bob (Sean Astin, and the '80s Easter Eggs just keep on coming). For another, there are signs that nothing has returned to normal, now being manifested in what appears to be a dry rot through all the pumpkin patches in Hawkins. And then, of course, there's the fact that he is taking care of Eggo loving, psychic wonderkind Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown).

If the adults are going through their own post-traumatic stress, so are the kids. The one who seems to be suffering the most is, understandably, Mike, who has never really recovered from Eleven's disappearance at the climax of last season. He has refused to accept any of the cover story that the government is putting up, and is still sending out radio signals for her every night. Lucas and Dustin seem to be a little better on the surface, but they have a certain level of fascination with an arcade acing, skateboard riding bad girl named Max, and we suspect bad things can come from this. As for Mike's sister and Will's brother, they are still undergoing their own shock trying to coverup the death of Barb last season, which no one else, including her own parents, know about.

I have not even begun the dent the surface of all the questions that there still are to be asked just in the first two episodes.  Who is Max's dick of a brother, and why did they come to Hawkins in the first place? What is the creature that Will sees in his episodes? What tie does this have to the opening sequence in Pittsburgh that we saw in the teaser of Episode 1? And what the hell did Dustin find in the trash can in the last second of episode two? I want to find out the mysteries of Stranger Things 2, but they're only a fraction of why I love the series.  First, there's the way it gets every single nuance of being a child growing up in the 1980s was. It isn't just all the Reagan/Bush placards or the fact that the Russians are considered the villains or the fact that the four wonderful kids decide to dress up as the Ghostbusters for Halloween. (Or that Eleven channel chases past Susan Lucci) It's the fact that it gets that ever child of that age wanted to rush down to an arcade and play Dragon's Lair, and curse the joystick when it screwed you over - as it always did. Its the fact that it gets that its always difficult to be the new kid or the freak in any school, even when you haven't been the victim of an alien dimension. Its that the Duffer brothers understand love. Not just the teenage love, which is always confusing, but the kind of bizarre, purer love that hits just before puberty.

Now, I grant you, I haven't seen the later episodes of Stranger Things 2, and I admit that from a purely critical standpoint, there are bound to be some disappointing things as the series progress. But as far as I'm concerned, this is a near perfect show, and I'm glad it was renewed for Season 3. Watch it. And if you have a kid of a certain age, watch it with them. There's very little to offend them, and a lot for them to rejoice in.

My score: 5 stars.