sgguru

This is a funny, fast-paced comedy that's worth watching. Shame on IMDb for not listing Al Franken, in the role he was born to play. He's the U. S. Senator who is heading the inquiry into the death of A. B. Wynter, (the deceased member of the White House staff).

Cordelia Cupp is called in to figure out who-done-it, as a well-respected consultant to the D. C. Police. Between her bird watching and crime solving, she's a regular Agatha Christi, Sherlock Holmes, and Charlie Chan, all rolled into one sharp detective. Harry Hollinger, the Chief of Staff is expertly played by a very suspicious, Ken Marino. Harry is quick to spin facts, to protect himself and The President at any cost. He plays a political buffoon like a pro. My first instincts were to watch because I like anything Shonda Rhimes has produced. I've only seen a couple of episodes so far, and this series has me hooked from the start. Everyone's a suspect. Questions come fast and lies are met with smart counter punches that sting. I love the back and forth banter. The attention to details about how the White House are very well researched, and lots of tidbits of a historical nature are interspersed by members of the staff who have spent years working through various Presidential terms. It is well-written, and I can't wait to find out how all the twists and turns of this murder are pieced together in the end.

I skipped the trailer, was blind to the cast and the plot. Within a few minutes, I was glad, because this was surprising, entertaining and fresh. As new characters were revealed, some kept me guessing as to who the stars were. For instance, Coleman Domingo! Who knew? So many A-listers, I gave up counting. That's what IMDb is for. The soundtrack had me hooked from the start, especially "Mother". This world was not populated with the usual shiny, pristine high-tech robotics, but vintage, retro, scuffed up metallic creatures that reminded me of tin toys that are pulled from dusty old attics on American Pickers.

The size of some of the robots, and the desert landscapes that they inhabited were a feast for my imagination. The humor is subtle, and non-stop. It merits a second viewing to catch all the zingers. I won't bother to name the stars or directors, as any of you readers have probably seen the whole cast list by now. I kept asking myself, "Why didn't they bother to release this in theaters?" Netflix puts out great series and movies, that could easily be shown on the big screen. We are just spared seeing tie-in commercials for the movie on Taco Bell, McDonald's, or Volkswagen. Another thing, I watched this on my big screen in daylight, and will have to re-watch it in a dark room to see more details, and really "feel" it.

I'll leave you with one final comment that I will paraphrase, "Twinkies with beans", "What kind of beans?"