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Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty: The Second Coming (2023)
The Birth of Larry Legend - and too much more
In "The Second Coming", Episode 3 of "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty", we get a glimpse of how Larry Bird came to be a Boston Celtic, and find Magic Johnson wanting his due respect from Lakers Owner Jerry Buss.
There's a lot going on in this episode, but there was just way too much packed into this episode to only contain 44 minutes. We kick off by seeing Buss' and Magic's frustration seeing Red Auerbach claim the 1981 NBA Championship. Buss can't let this happen again and starts holding exit interviews with The Coaching Staff, GM, and players to see what went wrong and what needs to happen to bring the Lakers back to Championship form.
The episode then starts one of several intermittent flashbacks to Larry Bird's younger days - High School through a conversation with Red Auerbach. It's not the flashbacks I have a problem with - it's the amount of them combined with several storylines going on at one time in this episode.
The Directors have a duty to continue a story that flows well both in their episodes and a season, and although themes and storylines are staying the same, it can be tough to really get a good grasp of them in a certain amount of running time - this one being only 44 minutes long (in comparison to episode one, which clocked in at 70 minutes).
The 44 minute episode conveys the following themes: Magic Johnson dozing off at his basketball camp, Buss' relationship with Honey, Buss' relationship with Jeanie and his family, Jeanie's tennis team, the ins and outs of Larry Bird's upbringing from High School to post NBA Draft and all the important people on that road with him, Magic's relationship with Cookie, the tension between Coach Westhead and Coach Riley, Coach Westhead's new assistant Mike Thibault, a player getting angry at a trade because Coach Westhead has a strong (and familiar) target, Buss' financial issues with the team, and what seems like so much more.
There's really nothing wrong with conveying storylines that are integral to the series, but this episode finally broke the teetering balance of doing too much. Add in the fact that Larry Bird's storyline was in and out, it was difficult to keep up and follow, unlike the prior two episodes.
Where the episode does well, much like the others, is in the characters and cinematography - The Larry Bird storyline was enjoyable to watch through the years and Sean Patrick Small is a joy to watch, much like everyone else in the series.
"The Second Coming" is just doing a bit too much for my liking, and although the show is forcing continuity in all the themes, it's got to a point where it's getting to be a bit too much. I'm hoping that the Directors find better balance in the upcoming episodes and the rest of the season as we likely head into the 1981-82 basketball season and all the drama surrounding the Lakers alongside with it.
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty: The Magic Is Back (2023)
Magic is Back, but Let's Stay on Track
In "The Magic is Back", Episode 2 of "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty", Magic Johnson, fresh off his injury, is looking forward to making an impact and being the center of attention with the Lakers again. But as the season inches towards the playoff, drama surrounds not only him, but his teammates, and Coaching staff.
The trade deadline is just around the corner - Coach Westhead's system is working well with Norm Nixon at the point while Magic has been out - would it be wise trading the all-star and potentially ruining the team chemistry - chemistry that the team has openly enjoyed since Magic has been injured.
Jerry Buss starts to be enamored with an old flame and acts upon his desire by seeking her out and seeing if something is still there. While this is going on, Jeanie Buss (Hadley Robinson) has her own personal challenges regarding her Tennis Franchise.
Meanwhile, questions continue to surround Magic's knee and whether it's 100%, but only under wraps. Tempers flare in the locker room as the team enters a challenging series against the Houston Rockets in the 1st round of the playoffs.
This episode tempered down the myriad of themes from Episode one, but it still feels like there's a bit too much going on. The tennis franchise storyline with Jeanie in addition to Dr. Buss chasing his old flame seems a bit forced and unneeded in this episode - it could have done just as well with the direction of the team regarding Magic coming back from his injury and the path toward the playoffs.
The acting and cinematography continues to be superb, and the theme that I'm seeing is that due to the multitude of excellent performances, the series may be stuck in promoting too many storylines - the cast IS that good, and we're lucky to watch it play out, even though at times we may be pulled away from the main storyline.
"The Magic is Back" does mostly a good job of sticking to the plot, and hopefully the series sticks to the main theme of the story as we continue through the season. I would expect the storylines to weave in and out of episodes as the writers see fit - I'm just hoping that they don't take away from what the series is all about: The rise of the showtime Lakers.
The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023)
What to do When Dracula is aboard?
Although Dracula movies aren't my forte, I came into The Last Voyage of the Demeter with an open mind. Taken from a chapter in the book Dracula by Bram Stoker, the premise of the film is the Voyage from Carpathia to London - only some very unexpected cargo ruins the trip.
Dracula is aboard, and it takes the crew a while to figure out. Once a stowaway is found in a mysterious cargo box and countless crew members go missing, Mr. Clemens (Corey Hawkins) takes the lead in trying to figure out how to stop the merciful terror that Dracula creates on a nightly basis.
André Øvredal (Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark) knows what is and what isn't captivating in a villain - and he does a masterful job of showing a little, but not all of Dracula until the final moments of the film. He gets an A+ for suspense, as I was on the edge of my seat for a good portion of the film.
The pacing, however, leads more to be desired. You're just waiting for the next night, and another victim. Otherwise it's just everyone on the boat getting upset with each other trying to figure out what the next move is. This takes up the majority of the film.
Hawkins carries the movie - as without him, this becomes a complete flop. His character, a Doctor wanting to get back to Europe after a stint abroad didn't work out, is really any bit of savior this movie has.
Other than that - it was fun to see some of the special effects of the Demeter at sea, especially during the crazy storms. Visually appealing, and adds to some of the scenes in the movie. Cinematography gets a positive score here. Jump scares are abound and were timed well. You knew they were coming, but didn't know how it was going to happen.
The Last Voyage of the Demeter will probably reason with a very specific audience, and that's okay! But just like what the film was based upon - it's good as a chapter in a book, and not a whole story.
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty: One Ring Don't Make a Dynasty (2023)
Storylines Abound in a Jam-Packed Opener of Season Two
"Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty" is back for season 2 and attempts to pack and foreshadow all the storylines we'll see play out in 70 minutes of the first episode: "One Ring Don't Make a Dynasty".
This is exactly where we leave off - a high of winning the NBA championship - which quickly turns to some off the court personal issues the young Magic Johnson (Quincy Isaiah) must deal with in the Summer of 1980.
The Lakers, now talking dynasty, need to figure out how to capitalize on their amazing season, and identify what steps need to be taken to improve an already talented roster. Jerry Buss (John C. Reilly) has a speculative idea to try to get ahead of the new free agency rules which turns off the rest of his management team - and might even get some help from an incoming President in the White House. Sports Business remains an underlying theme in this series.
Training Camp is back in the Desert and the uncomfortable relationship between Magic and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Solomon Hughes) spills both on and off the court as parenthood becomes a theme - For Dr. Buss, Kareem, and maybe not so surprisingly, Magic himself.
All is well as the season starts until Magic begins the year with a gruesome injury, and the Front Office has some questions to answer. Will Magic come back during the season? If he does, will he be the same player that helped the Lakers win, or a shell of his former self? Do the Lakers trade for someone in the meantime?
The Lakers need to adjust quickly, and with questions of Kareem slowing down a bit, Coach Westhead flexes his coaching brain to fix the team and fix it quick. One of the more fun storylines of season one - the Larry Bird/Magic rivalry is teased to let us know that the rivalry is far from over.
"One Ring Don't Make a Dynasty" is a great episode to foreshadow the themes of Season 2. Isaiah, Reilly, and Hughes are back in midseason form as well as the vintage 1970s-era video cameras to continue to produce the classic look where the cinematography shines. However, with so much to comprehend in just one episode, it leaves the viewer struggling with where to focus their attention.
With these storylines likely spreading out through the new season and hopefully giving us a bit of breathing room, we have a lot to look forward to - sports and non-sports fans alike.