review NIGHT SKY on Prime

[samhexum]

 

You can’t go wrong with a project headlined by Oscar winners Sissy Spacek and JK Simmons the original yellow M&M — and they deliver the goods in “Night Sky,” a gripping, eight-episode sci-fi series premiering May 20 on Prime Video.

They star as Irene and Franklin York, a 70-something couple puttering around their roomy, comfortable house located in the semi-rural Illinois town of Farnsworth. We know, from an opening flashback, that it was love at first sight when they met in a local bar as young adults, and nothing has changed: they still dote on each other — Franklin nursing Irene, a retired English teacher, as she recovers from a fall, and Irene worrying about Franklin’s health, particularly his increasing lapses of memory (which leave him frustrated, but droll about his situation). They still mourn the death of their son, Michael, and often retreat to his room for solace.

And … they’re keeping a huge secret: the ramshackle, cluttered shed in their backyard leads to an underground chamber that transports them to a rocky planet light years away from Earth — where they sit and watch the wonders of space out of a huge window from the comfort of their easy chairs … and maybe have a cup of coffee or read a magazine. There’s a door to the “other side,” but they never use it, not after Franklin once opened it and put some mice outside (it didn’t end well for the critters).

Their nighttime visits to the shed to go “to the stars” (“896 times,” according to Franklin) arouses the interest of their new nosy neighbor, Byron Albermarle (Adam Bartley) — an unctuous sort who rubs nearly everyone the wrong way; he contacts their college-age granddaughter, Denise (Kiah McKirnan), through Facebook, expressing his concern about their behavior. She pays Franklin a surprise visit and tells him it’s time for them to move to an assisted-living facility (not happening, he says). The situation takes a turn when Irene discovers an unconscious bearded young man, Jude (Chai Hansen), lying on the ground on the “other side” of the chamber.

Meanwhile, in a remote town in Argentina, we meet the Calderons, mother Stella (Julieta Zylberberg) and her 15-year-old daughter, Toni (Rocio Herndanez), who can’t understand why her mother is so devoted to their backyard church. There are good reasons for that, both godly otherworldly: Stella is hiding the fact that the church, like the York’s shed in Illinois, has an underground chamber holding its own otherworldly secrets.

And where does Jude fit into the puzzle?

“Night Sky” is an absorbing series with an interesting premise that marches to its own drummer in terms of its pacing and its plot revelations courtesy of writer/co-producer Holden Miller (son of comedian Dennis Miller and Ali Espley). Spacek and Simmons are terrific and have nice onscreen chemistry; you can believe that Irene and Franklin are truly devoted to each other, whatever the circumstances, and they’ll be put through their paces as the series ventures further into what lies beneath — or, in this case, what’s “out there” in the universe.

https://nypost.com/2022/05/18/the-deep-secret-sissy-spacek-and-jk-simmons-are-hiding-in-night-sky/

Edited May 19, 2022 by samhexum
just for the hell of it

[scrtlovr]

Just finished watching it. I almost gave  up at the beginning which is super slow, but I agree both Sisssy Spacek and JK are very compelling and by the end of episode 1, the series truly takes off and I loved it. It is such a rich premise that I can only hope they're able to sustain its integrity in the following seasons, if it gets renewed.

[samhexum]

I just started this last night.  Carrie & the original Yellow M&M are indeed excellent as the 2 leads.

[+ jeezopete]

I binged it this week. Yes, Sissy and JK were great fun to watch, and I found Chai Hansen very attractive. OK, so I was hoping for a bare backside shot as he got out of the tub, but it didn't happen. Maybe if there's a season 2..... They sure left us wanting a season 2 with all the open storylines.

[samhexum]

9 minutes ago, jeezopete said:

I found Chai Hansen very attractive.

Do you have a Roku?

https://www.companyofmen.org/topic/133422-aussie-series-the-newsreader-on-roku-channel/

[+ jeezopete]

43 minutes ago, samhexum said:

Do you have a Roku?

 

Thanks, starting episode 1 right now.

Strange thing is, I have a Roku TV in one room & the Roku app on a Samsung TV in another room but I couldn't find The Newsreader in any of the lists on either set. I had to do a search & found it that way.

[samhexum]

On 5/24/2022 at 2:51 PM, scrtlovr said:

Just finished watching it. I almost gave  up at the beginning which is super slow, but I agree both Sisssy Spacek and JK are very compelling and by the end of episode 1, the series truly takes off and I loved it. It is such a rich premise that I can only hope they're able to sustain its integrity in the following seasons, if it gets renewed.

 

On 6/18/2022 at 7:58 PM, jeezopete said:

I binged it this week. Yes, Sissy and JK were great fun to watch, and I found Chai Hansen very attractive. OK, so I was hoping for a bare backside shot as he got out of the tub, but it didn't happen. Maybe if there's a season 2..... They sure left us wanting a season 2 with all the open storylines.

I'd have to give it a partial thumbs up.  Too often I found characters or their behaviors annoying, and how the hell did Toni get so fluent in English living how/where she did?  There was also one particular thing about the ending that I found ridiculous, but I won't mention any spoilers here.

I also thought they should've used other actors to play Franklin and Irene in the 20-year flashbacks.  Makeup and careful camera shots did not make them believable.

And, while I don't think she did it intentionally, Sissy Spastic's voice drove me up the wall the entire series.  Half of her dialogue was spoken in a dramatic whisper, which annoys the crap out of me.  Mariska Hargitay's been doing that forever on SVU.  Almost every interrogation of a perp or conversation with a victim is done in a similar tone.  Meloni used to do it a lot the last few seasons before he left and it started turning me off to a man I'd been totally turned on by.  I don't notice him doing it in the new show.

[samhexum]

6 hours ago, samhexum said:

I'd have to give it a partial thumbs up.  Too often I found characters or their behaviors annoying, and how the hell did Toni get so fluent in English living how/where she did?  There was also one particular thing about the ending that I found ridiculous, but I won't mention any spoilers here.

My best friend pretty much agreed with my assessment.  In fact, I think she liked it a bit less than I did.

[+ jeezopete]

6 hours ago, samhexum said:

And, while I don't think she did it intentionally, Sissy Spastic's voice drove me up the wall the entire series.  Half of her dialogue was spoken in a dramatic whisper, which annoys the crap out of me.  Mariska Hargitay's been doing that forever on SVU.

Yep, I felt the same way about Sissy's performance. It got to the point that I kept thinking, "OK, this time she's just going to speak." "Nope, OK this time she's just going to speak." And now that you've mentioned it, I have been irritated by Mariska doing the same thing on SVU.

I have to assume this is a dramatic choice the actresses are making for their characters, but c'mon ladies. One is a former teacher and one is a police captain. Speaking softly would not be in the nature of either.

[samhexum]

On 6/18/2022 at 7:58 PM, jeezopete said:

I found Chai Hansen very attractive.

Did you watch THE NEWSREADER yet?

[+ jeezopete]

1 hour ago, samhexum said:

Did you watch THE NEWSREADER yet?

Yes, finished it yesterday. That was a fun roller coaster ride! So glad to see there will be a season 2, just hoping Chai's character Tim doesn't really leave. Damn, he's sexy.

[samhexum]

1 hour ago, samhexum said:

Did you watch THE NEWSREADER yet?

44 minutes ago, jeezopete said:

Yes, finished it yesterday. That was a fun roller coaster ride! So glad to see there will be a season 2

I thought the actress who played the anchorman's wife was superb.  I also really liked Noelene.

[samhexum]

On 5/24/2022 at 2:51 PM, scrtlovr said:

Just finished watching it. I almost gave  up at the beginning which is super slow, but I agree both Sisssy Spacek and JK are very compelling and by the end of episode 1, the series truly takes off and I loved it. It is such a rich premise that I can only hope they're able to sustain its integrity in the following seasons, if it gets renewed.

 

On 6/18/2022 at 7:58 PM, jeezopete said:

I binged it this week. Yes, Sissy and JK were great fun to watch, and I found Chai Hansen very attractive. OK, so I was hoping for a bare backside shot as he got out of the tub, but it didn't happen. Maybe if there's a season 2..... They sure left us wanting a season 2 with all the open storylines.

There shan't be a season 2.