What Are Travis and Elaine Watching?

Visit our website, What Are Travis and Elaine Watching?, for lots of videos, pix, links, and extras!


Oz: the one that kicked it all off!
Before The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, Mad Men, The Wire, or any of the great shows known as the Television Renaissance, there was Oz.
And now, 24 years after it first debuted as HBO's first original drama, the entire series is available on HBO Max!
If you have never seen Oz, now is the time! Six full seasons, ready to binge. You'll see so many of your favorite actors on this show; you won't be able to keep count!

It's brutal
It's a social commentary
It's romance
It's comedy
It's musical
For Elaine, it's Tim McManus
For Travis, it's Ryan O'Reily
And just for shits and giggles, it's Claire Howe!
And... Shirley Bellinger
(video on our webpage)
If you've never seen Oz, lucky you!  If you haven't seen it in decades, go back!  You won't regret it. It was a game-changer.  Still on the fence? Here's a PARTIAL cast list! Come on!!!

Ernie Hudson, J.K. Simmons, Lee Tergesen, Dean Winters, George Morfogen, Terry Kinney, Rita Moreno, Harold Perrineau, Eamonn Walker, Luna Lauren Velez, Granville Adams, Tom Mardirosian, BD Wong, Chuck Zito, Scott William Winters, Christopher Meloni, Robert Clohessy, R.E. Rodgers, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Zeljko Ivanek, David Zayas, Anthony Chisholm, Edie Falco, Betty Buckley, Kathryn Erbe, John Lurie, Luis Guzmán, Rick Fox, Mark Margolis, Luke Perry, Tony Musante, Patti LuPone, Joel Grey, Kevin Conway, Edward Herrmann, Method Man, Frederick Koehler, Bobby Cannavale, Peter Criss, Anne Meara, Casey Siemaszko, Jonathan Demme, Gavin MacLeod, Frankie Faison, Roy Thinnes, Joyce Van Patten, Ally Sheedy, Ken Leung, Richard Bright, Eric Roberts, Elaine Stritch, L Cool J, Ben Vereen, Clarke Peters,   Peter Dinklage,

For pix, videos and extras go to our webpage.

Everybody's Talkin' ...

About Christopher Meloni this week so who are we not to jump on the bandwagon? But we have a few more recommendations too!

The One - Netflix
Our show recommendations deal with near-future technology and its impact on our personal and romantic lives.  The premise of The One is that scientists develop a DNA match formula that can match anyone who opts in with "the one" true love.  The premise is interesting, and the subplots are too. Would you want to know "the one?"  What if you are already married?
The One stars: Hannah Ware, Dimitri Leonidas, Diarmaid Murtagh and Zoë Tapper.

Made for Love  HBO Max
In this series, which is still airing new episodes on HBO, the story centers on a woman married to a reclusive tech mogul who finds out she has been implanted with a chip that "mind melds" a couple, claiming to make them as one. Ray Romano is perfect as the dad with an unusual romantic partner!
Made for Love stars Cristin Milioti, Billy Magnussen, Augusto Aguilera and Noma Dumezweni.

Christopher Meloni

Everybody's been talking for weeks about Chris Meloni's return to the Dick Wolf Law and Order universe and his iconic character, Elliot Stabler with Law and Order: Organized Crime, so we jumped on board. Elaine is a big CM fan, and Travis gained a whole new respect for Chris. Doing this episode inspired us to re-watch Oz, and we are digging it so much that we will devote a whole show to it next week! Listen to the show to hear what we thought of the SVU crossover, and enjoy these pix of Christopher Meloni!

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Check out our website TravisandElaine.com for lots of pix, videos, and extras!

Actor, writer, producer, director, and all-around badass, Ida Lupino is a Hollywood pioneer. Check out the show to discover this powerhouse woman or learn some things you may not know about her!

Actor!
Here are a few of our favorite movies starring Ida.

High Sierra
The Sea Wolf
They Drive by Night
Road House

Director (writer/producer)

The Hitch-Hiker
The Bigamist
As promised...

Though it's not an Ida Lupino movie, since we went off on a tangent about Edmond O'Brien and D.O.A., we're posting the full movie.

D.O.A. (Full Movie)  (see our website)

This week we hit both ends of the spectrum. First an American new show for kids, that grownups will love too, Next, a Brazilian comedy that is most definitely for adults only! 

Waffles and Mochi - NETFLIX
From Barack and Michelle Obama's production company, Higher Ground Productions, part of the massive deal between the Obamas and Netflix comes Waffles and Mochi. Create by Erika Thormahlen and Jeremy Konner (Drunk History)

It's a sweet journey where two best friends (Michelle Zamora and Piotr Michael) from the Land of Frozen Food travel to the city with a dream of being chefs. After hitching a ride with a food truck, discovering the world of fresh food at a supermarket owned by "Mrs. O" (Michelle Obama. They travel in a magic shopping cart learning about different foods (and lots) more with guests like Common and Jack Black and world-class chefs from around the world.
And then there's the music! Our favorite so far is "I'm a Fruit" by Sia.
Waffles and Mochi is a show for everybody. Watch it with your kids. Watch it with your grandkids. Watch it alone. Def watch it when you're stoned! (Elaine made a bad rhyme)

Hard (HBO MAX)
Hard is a fun, sexy Brazilian dramedy currently on HBO MAX.  We couldn't even find an English subtitled trailer, but trust us, it's subtitled on HBO MAX.  Easy 30 minute episodes; it kind of reminds us of Weeds, if the weed was porn. Check it out, don't think too hard about the donkey, and definitely don't Google the Brazilian Donkey show.  Elaine did, and she nearly went blind. 
Hard stars Natália Lage, Julio Machado (as the most loveable porn star), Denise Del Vecchio, Fernando Alves Pinto, and Nathália Falcão.
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This week we're talking about the WandaVision finale (just like everyone else) and a tight, sweaty little mystery series, Tell Me Your Secrets. But first…

Who's been vaccinated?

It seems like a free for all here in California, but we ain't complaining if more people get vaccinated. (Well, maybe a little.)

WandaVision  FINALE Disney+
Well, knock us over with a feather. We loved WandaVision! 

As those of you who listen to our podcast or follow us on social media, you're well aware that we are not "superhero people!" With the rare exception, like last year's Joker, we rarely give raves for the massively popular genre, especially the franchises.  

The lead cast was great from top to bottom Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, and one of our all-time favs, Kathryn Hahn. And the supporting cast was great, too, especially Teyonah Parris, Randall Park, Kat Dennings, and Evan Peters.
Then there's this little earworm
Agatha After All

Tell Me Your Secrets Prime Video
Recommended to us by a member of our WATAEW Facebook Group, Rick, we were drawn to it because Travis is a big Lily Rabe fan. But, once we started watching, Hamish Linklater and Amy Brenneman really stole the show. The show is a taut mystery that's begging for a season 2. It has a strong supporting cast, including Marque Richardson, Richard Thomas and Emiri Crutchfield, who you may remember as the young narrator of the most recent season of Fargo.
Travis recommends:

Travis loves Michelle Dockery. This week he recommends two shows (besides Downton) that she starred in, that you may have missed.
Good Behavior and Godless. 
Elaine def agrees, at least about Godless! 

This week we're talking about a show you may have missed on HBO Max, Years and Yearsand the role that won Andra Day the Golden Globe in The United States vs Billie Holiday

But first...After Elaine's rant last week about EDD, she gives an exciting update and advice for anyone with EDD woes. And, we talk about our winners of the Golden Globes polls in our Travis and Elaine Facebook Group. Join us!
Years and Years (HBO Max)
Years and Years is a six-part by the BBC/HBOlimited series created by Russell T. Davies, who’s written both science-fiction like Doctor Who and Torchwood drama like Queer as Folk(UK). Somehow we never watched this excellent show!!
The series follows the British Manchester-based Lyons family over 15 years. It looks very familiar to thos who love smart family dramas, but gives a unique view of how global, political, and technological advances impact us all, whether we are paying attention or not.
Years and Years stars one of our favorite actors,  Rory Kinnear, and the great Emma Thompson and has a solid supporting cast, including T'Nia Miller, Lydia West, Anne Reid and Maxim Baldry.
The United States vs Billie Holiday
HULU
Andra Day knocks it out of the park in this, her FIRST acting role! Currently, on HULU, the biopic boasts a strong supporting cast including Trevante Rhodes, and Natasha Lyonne.  But what about the true story of the iconic Billie Holiday?  We get into it all and what we really think of Lee Daniels take on the singer and the story.

See our website for a ton of extras- What Are Travis and Elaine Watching?
This week we talk about Nomadland (HULU), Behind Her Eyes (Netflix), a throwback to The Knick (HBO Max.)
Behind Her Eyes
Created by Steve Lightfoot (The Punisher, Hannibal), Behind Her Eyes is a tight little thriller about a young woman involved with her married boss, who then finds herself in a friendship with his lonely, fragile wife until it's not.
It stars Simona Brown, Eve Hewson, Tom Bateman, and we neglected to talk about Robert Aramayo, who is excellent as Rob.  You may know him as young Ned Stark in Game of Thrones or creepy Elmer Wayne Henley Jr. in Mindhunter. He was even in Tom Ford's Nocturnal Animals!  We're sorry, Rob. We'll talk about you next week.  Yes, Elaine did guest the ending... believe it not!!
Nomadland
This one is definitely an Oscar contender, along with last week's Judas and the Black Messiah.  Yeah, we're getting December caliber movies in February. Thx COVID.
Zhao Ting has always used "real people" (non-actors) in her movies, which is no exception. In addition to the Oscar-worthy performances by Frances McDormand as Fern and David Strathairn as David.
Nomadland is a hard-hitting modern-day The Grapes of Wrath.  Everyone should be free to live as they choose. But, until our older Americans ALL have that choice, we have failed as a nation. That said, the resilience and dignity displayed by the real-life Nomads is more than admirable, 
Throwback:  The Knick 
One of our favorite shows in the last decade is Steven Soderbergh's, The Knick. The entire series is currently available on HBO Max.
It boasts a top-notch cast including Clive Owen-, André Holland,  Juliet Rylance.  And to bring it full circle, Eve Hewson (Behind Her Eyes) as the Golden Lotus Queen, Nurse Lucy Elkins.
See our website for a ton of extras- What Are Travis and Elaine Watching?

Got to our website for extras!
This week we're talking about the film Judas and the Black Messiah and the finales of The Stand and Your Honor. But first, Elaine starts talking about how she went out for a ride last week and how COVID-19 numbers are down, and before ya know it, she was in a full-blown political rant. So buckle up for that.  But political outrage turned out to be a perfect segue into our first topic this week.
Judas and the Black Messiah (HBO Max) is the story of the life and events leading up to Black Panther Fred Hampton's death. With knockout performances by Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield and a supporting cast including Jesse Plemons, Martin Sheen, and one of our favorite actors from The Deuce, Dominique Fishback, Judas, and the Black Messiah is a likely shoo-in at Oscar time.
The real players
We learned a lot from this film, even though we thought we knew the history. And, like we always do, after seeing a "based on a true story" movie, we dug a little deeper. Here's a side-by-side featuring the real people next to the actors who portrayed them. (see our site )
What the movie doesn't tell you.
In the movie, Hampton and O'Neal are played by Kaluuya and Standfield, 31 and 29 years old. Hampton was only 21 years old at the time of his death.  But, what people don't know is that William O'Neal was only 17 years old when the FBI sent him in to infiltrate the Black Panthers. We think this is important and may impact how people judge O'Neal, who took his own life on MLK day after PBS aired his interview on Eyes on the Prize.
Hampton's widow and son. Deborah Johnson gave birth shortly after Fred Hampton's death. She was 19 years old. She named the baby Alfred Johnson, but at the age of 10, changed his name to Fred Hampton jr. She changed her name to Akua Njeri.Njeri is still active in the civil rights movement today.  Hampton Jr is Chairman of The Black Panther Party Cubs.  As we mentioned on the show, Fred Jr has a Go Fund Me to help restore his father's childhood home. Check it out here.
We promoted The Stand so hard on this podcast. And we try hard not to steer our listeners to anything that we didn't like ourselves. So now we find ourselves in the awkward position of having to say Oooops!!  We're sorry!
On the flip side, we were delighted with the Showtime limited series's finale, Your Honor. Some people are calling the finale "poetic justice."  We don't exactly see it that way.  Shakespearean, yes.  Just, Nah! For anyone who gave a couple of episodes and gave up, we say, give it another chance. It pays off!

More stuff > here!
One Night in Miami (Prime Video)
Starring Kingsley Ben-Adir as Malcolm X, Eli Goree as Cassius Clay, Aldis Hodge as Jim Brown, and Leslie Odom Jr. as Sam Cooke, One Night in Miami is a fictionalized version of what happened between the four icons in a Miami hotel room on the night Cassius Clay beat Sonny Listen to become the Heavyweight Champion of the World.
One Night in Miami gets a ton of buzz as the theatrical directorial debut for Regina King. King is becoming a Hollywood powerhouse in both TV and movies in front of the camera.
We're old enough to remember her as Brenda, the little girl on the steps on 227
We've followed her career closely. From Boyz n the Hood, Jerry Maguire to American Crime, and of course Watchmen. As she builds her reputation as a director, she is proving to be a force to be reckoned with.
Spontaneous EPIX
Directed by  Brian Duffield from the novel by  Aaron Starmer, Spontaneous stars Katherine Langford who we last saw in Knives Out-recommended on a previous episode. The strong supporting cast includes Charlie Plummer. Rob Huebel, Piper Perabo play the parents, along with Chelah Horsdal, who we loved as Helen Smith in one of our favorites, The Man in the High Castle.  Riverdale fans will recognize Hayley Law.
Much more than a teenage sci-fi story about an exploding senior class, Spontaneous is a black comedy, social commentary, love story, political statement, and coming of age nightmare. We can't recommend it highly enough.

See our website for many extras including updates, pix and videos.
We're spotlighting two streaming movies today: The Little Things and The Dig. But first, we want to remind you that if you live in a temperate state, first-run movies are playing at your Drive-In theaters. If you want to keep the Drive In's alive after we defeat COVID-19, make sure you support them now. We've gone to the drive-ins thrice, and we love it! Bring your own food if you like. Bring your own kids if you like! It's something we thought was gone forever. Let's make sure it's not!!
Here's an article about the great Drive-In comeback!
How the American Drive-In Staged a Comeback

The Little Things
One of the first in a series of new releases that Warner Brothers is releasing on HBO Max, The Little Things stars 3 Oscar winners,  Denzel Washington, Rami Malek,  and Jared Leto, and a solid supporting cast,  including Natalie Morales and Chris Bauer.
We talk about the dated vibe Elaine got from the movie and how and why it is set in the 1990s. But, Travis was distracted by Denzel's appearance and performance. He thinks Denzel looked and moved in an old guy, frumpy way. Maybe.
Or maybe Travis hasn't come to terms with the fact that his man-crush can't stay young forever! Here's a Denzel "through the years" gallery to prove it!!
Check out Travis's Shorty about Denzel, here. 

The Dig
A complete change of pace, The Dig is a British period drama starring
Ralph Fiennes and Carey Mulligan. It's based on a true story of an archeological dig on a private estate that resulted in one of the most significant discoveries in history. While the historical aspect of the film is fascinating, The Dig is really a story about relationships and how we are remembered when we're gone. The director is Simon Stone, and the supporting cast includes Lily James, who we loved as Lady Rose MacClare on Downton Abbey.
The Dig is currently available on Netflix. For more about the real-life dig that went to be known as "Sutton Hoo find." here are a few pix and videos!
We also talk about The Office and Santa Clarita Diet in this episode.

See our website for many extras including updates, pix and videos.