CANNABIS (2016 – )

Creator: Hamid Hlioua

Cast: Kate Moran, Christophe Paou, Yasin Houicha

Here is a cool series Franco German on the Arte channel. It is what you expect and more. It is shot in Spain, Morocco, and France. It is the drug trade of those 3 countries. The dealers are dealing and everything is fine when a drug boat does not come back for his delivery. The main drug dealer the boss is looking for their dude who possibly took the marijuana and left. did he really do that? If so where is he now?

There are a few surprises in  this one by far. It is the cut throat business who gets killed in order to move up and never trust no one. One dealer wants to go straight and grow strawberries, the others are in the lure of easy money. One woman is trying to rise in power but wants to get out, but get drag back in. She quickly going to become in power we will see the second season. There is blackmail and stealing the drugs from the boss. It is a tight group that can’t be trusted and they have look behind them constantly in order to survive and not get shot. The first season it too cool and things are moving along just fine. There if you get the chance to see that one have fun with it.

 

 

 

 

 

QUEEN OF THE SOUTH (2017 – )

Creators: M.A. Fortin, Joshua John Miller

Cast: Veronica Falcón, Alice Braga, Peter Gadiot

Teresa flees Mexico after her drug-runner boyfriend is murdered. Some how she found herself in Texas doing drug deals left and right. On to become the queen of the biggest empire in Texas so she can  avenge her lover’s death.

After her lover ’s death Theresa tries to warn her friend that her husband is going to be killed for skimming drugs and money which he was doing with Theresa ’s lover. Theresa flees on to the US to find herself in this gas station which the owner phoned the ex-wife of her lover’s boss named Camila Vargas ( Veronica Falcòn) who is in Texas and has a drug empire. . Theresa gets pick up and in order to stay a live she runs drug for her. However Camila wants something from Theresa a book that her lover got her and Camila wants the book before her husband finds Theresa and the book.

Theresa know she has to keep the book in order to stay alive. She however wants to learn the business she has needs and wants to get a piece of the pie. Also she is trying to get her friend settle once she is in America. Theresa will stop at nothing to get to the top. Veronica Falcon as Camila Vargas is extremely talented as well as Alice Braga. Camilla here dresses well has the legs and the cleavage men are turned on by her she got them by the balls and turn on their brains so they can be on the same level as her, she is manipulative as hell. She seems to get what she wants. Here is a terrific series by Netflix that should not be over looked.

TOP BOY (2011 – 2013)

Creator: Ronan Bennett

Cast: Ashley Walters, Kane Robinson, Shone Romulus

A thriving but underground drugs business is being run by Dushane (‘Ashley Walters’) and his friend Sully (Kane Robinson) to become the richest men on the block.

Here is a cool totally great 2 parts series of 4 episodes. What I like about it is fast paced and has a bit a realism into it. It is about a local gang to want to get rich, they want to move up the latter as fast as they can and in the drug business you either die young if you are no careful enough, or if you careful enough you can retire rich. But the thing is here and the real world being a drug dealer has a short life to begin with.

A good kid (aka a top boy) who stays out of trouble but whose kindly actions result in criminality, a local gangster who hopes to become a top crime-lord but who must reconcile personal ethics, friendship and morality with a violent career path, a reformed criminal whose ethical behaviour gets him killed etc. Dushane here is this bottom drug dealer who manges his gang but wants to get into the big leagues. He want to get rich. Top boy here has his mother in the hospital for depression and he leaves now on his own. A friends who works at the hospital makes sure he is ok. Top boy here has been friend with this young lady who is trying to make money by growing cannabis so she can buy the flat. All those characters are going to cross each other. It is a cut throat business as we know it. A cool series that won’t dissapoint you.

BUREAU DES LEGENDES (2015 – ) SEASON 2

Creator: Eric Rochant

Cast: Mathieu Kassovitz, Sara Giraudeau, Jean-Pierre Darroussin

Four months have passed within the DGSE. Guillaume Debailly (alias Malotru), promoted to deputy director of the Bureau des Légendes, became a double agent on behalf of the CIA. Under cover of psychoanalysis sessions, he delivers to the doctor, his contact agent at the CIA, the information he gathered weekly. In exchange, Malotru expects the Americans to release the woman he loves, Nadia, imprisoned by the Syrians somewhere in the world. On the other hand, as Loiseau starts her delicate and dangerous underground mission in Iran, the DGSE is confronted with a new crisis: a jihad, now an officer of Daech, publicly harasses France in a bloodthirsty way.

The first season of the Bureau des Légendes had seduced us last year by its authenticity, its realism and the inclination of Eric Rochant to continue to dig further into the  universe of espionage and intelligence that ” He has known so well since his films Les Patriotes and Möbius. The first season however took place in Paris When Malotru comes back in Paris. Eric introduce us with the characters and such. The stories are purely fictional but of what is going on today. The second season however is that the agents on the field. Nadia who trained to be an agent is going to be in Iran to work in a company well that is her cover. The talented Sara Giraudeau assumes the role beautifully well here as wells the other actors Camille de Castelnau, Cécile Ducrocq, Hippolyte Girardot, Raphael Chevènement, Antonin Martin. The narrative intersect with intelligence, participating in the immersion in this new season which is proving exciting. These new episodes embrace, moreover, the actuality with a realism that will put a chill thought your back, taking as background the narratives evoking both the Syrian conflict and the Islamic radicalism. Mathieu Kassovitz and Jean-Pierre Darroussin recover their characters with greediness and engage in this duel of cat and the mouse game, the two actors seeming to savour their acting by bringing more nuances to  their characters that one might have thought immovable. Over all a terrific second season that went up a notch big time and yes there is a season 3. Season 3 will be the final chapter like a trilogies than Rochant I think is going to put new character for season 4 that will start a new chapter.

WONDER WOMAN (1975 – 1979)

Creators:: William Moulton Marston, Stanley Ralph Ross

Cast: Lynda Carter, Lyle Waggoner, Tom Kratochvil

Assuming the secret identity of Yeoman Diana Prince (Carter), works for Major Steve Trevor (Waggoner) in Army Intelligence. But when trouble threatens, she goes into action with her great strength, bulletproof bracelets, and her magic lasso of truth. So spies, saboteurs, and schemers beware, because Wonder Woman is here.

I remember this series back in the days, I was in this family where this boy about 10 years old used to watch it religiously every week even the reruns. He could get enough of it. He might have a crush for Lynda Carter. Watching the show is I noticed the preponderance of female villains Wonder Woman battles, from the spy mistress Baroness Von Gunther to Fausta, the Nazi Wonder Woman, to the trainer of that Nazi gorilla. You even get Wonder Girl, Wonder Woman’s kid sister, played by Debra Winger. The show was female dominated here and for cause, nothing wrong with that it is a nice pace a change. Lynda Carter was doing her own stunts what they allow her to do, she also, has a double for the one that was more complicated and dangerous. Linda fits the role beautifully well. It is a fun series to watch, it brings back memories.

BATMAN (1966 – 1968)

Creator: Lorenzo Semple Jr., William Dozier

Cast: Adam West, Burt Ward, Alan Napier

The fans of Batman are in mourning: the unforgettable Adam West, interpreter of the hero in the series cult and kitsch “Batman” of the Sixties and film “Batman” died this june 9th of leukemia. He was 88 years old. RIP Adam.

During three TV seasons, broadcast between 1966 and 1968 on the ABC channel and a movie at the cinema, the American actor incarnated his hero which the series became cult. In 2016, Adam West had agreed to resume his role for an episode for the series Big Bang Theory which celebrated its 200th episode. Most recently, the actor had lent his voice to the pilot of the Powerless series. Throughout his career, West had repeatedly taken over his Batman character, notably for Batman or Tarzan animated series, or the return of the Caped Crusaders, released last year. Of course he has done other roles in movies.

When I first came to the US in the 70’s a teenager that I knew was watching this all the time. He so loved this series. I did do. Back then ti was the coolest thing. The series now is remastered on Blue ray DVD which I am going to get. The duo had chemistry on-screen. In different episode you will see the Joker (Cesar Romero), the Penguin (Burgess Meredith), the Riddler (Frank Gorshin), and the seductive Catwoman (Julie Newmar). The series became a success and very quickly became cult. Terrific series here to be seen over and over. Thank you for entertain us all those years Adam.

NON UCCIDERE (2015 – )

Creator: Claudio Corbucci

Cast: Miriam Leone, Matteo Martari, Thomas Trabacchi

Inspector Valeria Ferro ( Miriam Leone) works at the PJ in Turin. stubborn , beautiful and tough, she is assisted by Andrea Russo (Matteo Martari), veteran Gerardo Mattei and new recruit Luca Rinaldi (Luca Terracciano) under the direction of Giorgio Lombardi ( Thomas Trabacchi). As her investigations progress, we also discover the difficult past of the investigator.

The series is also known under the name of Squadra Criminale. It is a terrific Italian series where Valeria Ferro is this tough detective who wants to solve the case as family as possible even check out all the possibilities before closing the case but every time she does an investigation her boss tells her to close it quickly or go easy on the victim they are not suspect. Her partner in crime issuing with the flow, he knows that he is the second wheel on this, he tend to follow her league but sometimes enough is enough and her boss has the final say. As the series goes along you discover that her mother is in jail. As the story goes along you discover more about her and the difficult relationship that she has with her mother. Overall it is a terrific series.