rpotter-07020

We started watching the US version of this show and liked it so we decided to see what the original French version was like. We watched the first episode dubbed and that was not enjoyable. Then we watched the next 3 episodes with subtitles, much better. For the first couple episodes the stories are the same as the US version but there are small changes in the plot that make a big difference. For instance, the subplot about Morgane's missing boyfriend is different and much more interesting. I also feel that the interactions between the characters are subtler and more believable. Morgane's interactions with her teenage daughter are very funny and her interactions with Adam are more complex. In the French version Adam contributes as much to solving the cases as Morgane does. He is also a little more respectful of the value Morgane adds to each investigation. He seems to sympathetic to her situation, respectful of her abilities and confident in his own. This gives his character more depth than the US version.

I am not a huge Judy Bloom fan but in 1973 every 10 year old girl read this book. I liked it but I must say that the movie is even better than the book. I like the way the movie explored what mom (Rachel McAdams) and grandma (Kathy Bates) were going through with this move. I don't remember that in the book but it could be that 10-year old me didn't care about what mom and grandma were going through. McAdams and Bates were superb in their parts and the young girl playing Margaret was excellent. I watched this on an airplane and I cried several times. The people sitting around me must have thought I was a little nuts, lol.

I am very late to the IASIP game. I just started watching in 2022 and I have been watching a few episodes a week for about a year. I have noticed that the first episode of any season tends to be a bit of a disappointment but this episode was definitely an exception to that rule. Maybe this episode being their first in the Trump era had more energy because of the political situation. I remember watching the very first season just last year and loving all the social commentary presented through the lens of these selfish idiots. This episode harkens back to that. But it also adds the musical numbers that have they do so well. The Nightman Cometh is easily one of my favorite shows and ever since I have loved anytime they add an original song. Combining their musical talents with the blunt social commentary that made the 1st season so compelling is really a winning combination. I am starting to think that the Obama years drained them a bit of their creative juices. Now I am excited to see the remaining episodes.