It came to mind how much I love reading reviews on HIVE to catch series and movies I may have missed. It seems I've been watching a lot lately - mainly to slow my mind down. I live fast and somehow manage to go surfing, do the garden, work a few days a week, go mushroom hunting, cook dinner, write stories, hang out on HIVE, sort the house out and watch series.

The thing is, I've always been in love with stories, and with so many wonderful stories on our screens, I barely have time to read - and I don't read as much as I used to because my eyes get tired. I figure because I watch a lot of series I may as well review them in a dedicated series that I thought I'd dub 'River Reviews' - now there's a nice alliterative title for you!
Let me know if you get value out of them in the comments below, and certainly join the conversation by letting me know what you're watching!

One thing I've decided not to watch is either Barbie or Oppenheimer (or both in a day, as some people are doing, giving themselves whiplash, as I've heard it described). I've read enough about the effects of nuclear war and war itself to not torture myself with more incredulity of what man does to man. But Cillian Murphy - damn, if I'm going to cave, it will be because of him.

Anyway, here's what else I've been watching recently.

The Bear

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As I write this, I have one more episode to go on Disney's 'The Bear', a series about a chef with stars whose brother suicides and leaves him his restaurant, debts and anxieties. It's both a chaotic and gentle show, and I'm told that I should definitely chase the last episode with a really strong cup of chamomile tea, which has me a little worried.

Actually, it starts with little more than a sandwich shop but in Season 2, they're trying to get a restaurant up and running in three months, with hardly any money and a lot of things going wrong. Every character has personal problems to navigate, which sets a scene for each episode, and each of them grow through their trials.

Ayo Edebiri is mesmerising to watch - she's very beautiful, and very charming, and her character is driven, passionate and gutsy. I had no idea she was also a comic writer for 'What we Do In the Shadows' until I researched a little for this blog post. She's the one trying to make order out of Carmie's grief and chaos (as well as all the other characters). The show is fond of close ups, enabling us to see the tiny - and not so tiny - twitches of emotional intensity on the character's faces. Her face is an easy face to watch.

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With the three month timeline, every second counts - a motif that appears in the guise of alarm clocks and digital clocks in almost every scene, lending an urgency and anxiety to the narrative. We follow the characters as they explore life outside of the sandwich shop as the walls collapse, the electricity fails, mould is discovered and the pressures pile on, and whilst it might appear distracting to move away from that central story, we become closer to the characters as we follow their own personal trajectories.

A good comedy drama has that beautiful tension between light hearted moments and tragi-dark, and The Bear walks this line superbly. The deep connections between the characters are so beautifully done, and it's also intersting to see the process that goes into a good menu or good service at the world's finest restaurants, and how hospitality is a kind of service to others that has far more purpose and importance in our lives than we often can imagine.

**Update - I watched the last episode and it wasn't as full on as my son made me think, but it was bloody brilliant, and I lovedddd it - and can't wait for Season 3, fingers crossed!

5/5 stars from me.

Bloom

We're seeing a lot more Australian TV on streaming services such as Stan, Binge and Netflix because of the Australian government requirements that there should be a certain amount of Australian TV on these services.

Stan's 'Bloom' is an Australian show that explores the regrets that people have in their lives, the pain of ageing, and what we would do if we had a second chance. It does sound ridiculous - in a town where five people have died in a flood, a strange plant blooms with fruit that, when ingested, turns you into your much younger self.

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The beautiful Gwen, once a shining movie star and now in a home, is given the plant by her loving husband whose dying arthritic dog accidentally eats the plant and returns to being a puppy. Restored to her vital, beautiful self, she wishes for a baby - something her husband is a bit concerned about. Miffed, she returns to her ex lover. An old veteran longs for a man he loved as a young soldier, much to the consternation of his wife of fifty years. An ex criminal gallivants about town and annoys the local cop, not least because he sleeps with his missus. An Indian woman enacts justice on one of her carers who treated her so deplorably, vowing to fight for the life she wanted instead of the one she was forced to live.

Ultimately, this is a show about the brevity of life and missed chances, and how to love, despite the mishaps and misadventures, regrets and sadness of life. We can't go back, as inviting as it seems, and nor should we.

But that wouldn't stop me eating from the immortality plant, even if, as the show has it, the effects don't last very long.

It does have a Season 2, but I'm not entirely sure I'm keen to watch it. Let's see what else is on first.

3/5 stars

What are you watching currently? Any recommendations?