Best, Worst And Weirdest: Stuff I Watched On A Plane This Month

The past month I’ve been flying around God’s favorite country for various reasons and have therefore had ample time to try new (to me not necessarily newly released) movies and TV shows. 

Keeping in mind that I watched most of this content whilst uncomfortably shoved on an airplane so my judgment may have been compromised. Here are the best, worst and weirdest for you to try: 

Weirdest: Maggie Moore[s]

Starring John Hamm, Tina Fey, and Nick Mohammed, I decided to try Maggie Moore(s) because I assumed it would be, more than anything else, a comedy or perhaps a campy take on a traditional thriller. I’m not actually sure what this movie was. There definitely were some jokes. But it was also kind of a straightforward thriller and also sort of a romance. I definitely didn’t read enough comedy for camp. But I also didn’t think it was a bad movie (even not as a joke) and it’s worth checking out. Maybe someone can tell me if it was a joke and I just didn’t get it. 

Best: About My Father 

About My Father is a charming take on an old story about a bird and a fish falling in love and their families being forced to get along. In this case, the son of an Italian immigrant (Sebastian Maniscalco and Robert DiNero respectively) from Chicago falls in love with a quintessentially waspy artist (Leslie Bibb) and in seeking to marry her, brings his father to meet her family. With a supporting cast including Kim Cattrall as a spitfire Senator named Tigger and Brett Dier as an “aspiring sound healer” the movie is funny, mirthful and a bit of a new take on an old story. 

Can’t Decide: The Good Cop 

I have to say that a buddy-cop style comedy serial starring Tony Danza and Josh Groban was simply nowhere near my ‘likely shows’ bingo card. Groban plays the son of recently released from prison Danza who is now a notorious dirty cop. Groban is known for keeping his nose clean and doing everything by the book. The antics commence as Groban solves crimes and Danza unofficially helps (or makes it a lot worse). The two star alongside the effortlessly likable Monica Barbaro who made her debut in Top Gun Maverick. It’s cheesy. It’s formulaic. And yet it’s working for me. I think? Wildly enough, while Josh Groban has yet to sing, Tony Danza actually has. I need people to weigh in on this one for me. 

Worst: The Duchess 

I didn’t give this show much of a chance to be fair but I was put off by the concept. I’m not really into precocious children and their crass adult caretakers. I found the concept and the acting extremely annoying and it was actually canceled after one season which I do not find surprising. In hindsight, the fact that the child actor, Katy Byrne, is a dead ringer for Greta Thunberg probably did influence my reaction to the show.

Best: Fisk 

The Australian workplace comedy about a lawyer with one ugly brown suit whose recent divorce has left her sleeping on a couch and working at a dumpy probate is unique, quick and well-performed. Kitty Flanagan as the star, Helen Tudor-Fisk, is perfectly paced and surprisingly relatable. It’s charming and silly and definitely worth trying even though Netflix doesn’t have the whole series yet.

What else should I be watching as I keep flying around the country?