Oh, I didn't make the connection between Yuri, Varga's enforcer, and Gurka in East Germany.

"It would be easy enough to chalk this up as another entry in a long line of “unclothed emperor” prestige shows (series that mimic the trappings of quality drama without having anything to say beyond a desire to impress)…"

What, no mention of Putin and "untruth"?
Varga's speech about inequality and how the top siphons off money, especially in corrupt governments like Russia's, is topical. Don't know how it ties back to the East German cold opening.

So how do we get there?

No, Bernie.

Hyperbole.

Shatner was overacting in what he saw as a silly show at the time. Which it was, what with the space hippies and stereotypical American Indians (plus Nazis and Romans) on other planets. Not to mention Apollo himself.

I remember watching the Koenig episode. Having heard for years about grumbling and resentment from Shatner's former ST cast mates, Koenig actually crumbled under Shat's questions. He made some vague charges about Shatner not lobbying for supporting actors to get more screen time because he was "shop steward," as if…

"… it’s as though we missed just a piece or two of the personal info that will make her sudden swerve into something she had to do, and not just something that the plot needed her to do to move forward."

Just continues Bryan Fuller's fetish for calling lead female characters by male names/nicknames: George (Dead Like me), Chuck (Pushing Daisies)…
Just go the Anne Leckie route (using a gendered pronoun to indicate gender neutrality) and call everyone a "he".

I know he's not Mojo, but the visuals look like Mojo far more than the original appearance of Shadow King. The name Amahl Farouk is dropped many times, yet we never get a visual of a fat man in a fez, not even in the chalk drawing animation where Prof X battles him/it.

According to the wiki: "Franck writes all the Holden, Bobbie, and Anna chapters, while Abraham writes the Miller, Melba, Avasarala, Bull, and Prax chapters." that's thru the 3rd novel.

Likely more, since she grew up under Martian gravity. She's described in Caliban's War as being a head taller than any Earther. She even intimidates some of the Martian males.

Earth cultures transplanted to Mars. She's supposed to be of Polynesian descent.

I got a strong Mojo vibe from the Yellow Monster, especially when the long-fingered hands clasped David's face. Mojo also used cameras to observe and film for his "show" and kidnapped his "stars". It could all be a huge misdirect, though.

"If someone were to make a supercut of all the times Colleen has desperately yelled “Danny!” I’d wager it would be at least five minutes long."

I've met people like this who confuse the force with which they express an opinion with the absolute rightness of it.

I thought he left cause having to review The Killing was… killing him.

The Killing is one of those shows where herd mentality took over. There were commenters here talking like their momma or their dog just died after an episode. And some of the reviewers were overwrought and sometimes hysterical, including one who moved over to Vox.

Luke Cage did it even quicker. 2nd or 3rd ep?