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Reviews - page 21

Jamie Tartt shows some heart this week on Ted Lasso [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★

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Brett Goldstein and Phil Dunster in ★★★
Will Jamie Tartt (played by Phil Dunster, right) get his head straight this week on Ted Lasso?
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewTed Lasso, Apple TV+’s most popular show, is winding down, with just two episodes left before it closes up shop (likely for good). The fish-out-of-water football coach is trying to keep his struggling soccer team from the bottom of the rankings — and himself from the bottom of his feelings.

To complicate things, Jamie Tartt goes on an existential bender this week as he prepares for a big hometown gig, and Ted and his tough-guy coach Roy Kent need to figure out how to fix their star player. The episode, entitled “Mom City,” is about as good as this show gets.

Prep to be friends with actual benefits in new comedy Platonic [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Episode 3. Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne in ★★★★☆
Platonic asks, "Why can't we be friends ... again?"
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewIn new Apple TV+ comedy Platonic, Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne play old pals who, after taking a hiatus from their intense friendship, learn that rekindling such a thing is a fraught proposition this far into their lives.

Created by Francesca Delblanco and Nicholas Stoller, Platonic is a lovely, lazy-day kind of a comedy that charms even when it seems like it could stand to straighten up and fly right.

Sit on your favorite Mac with a Throwboy pillow [Review] ★★★★☆

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A collection of Throwboy pillows sitting on a dingy tan couch★★★★☆
Throwboy: “Where do you want to sit today?” Oh wait, that’s Microsoft. Throwboy: “A cushion for the rest of us.”
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Throwboy pillows by Roberto Hoyos are a series of soft, squishy pillows that resemble your favorite Apple products. You can decorate your living room with astonishingly accurate facsimiles of the fan favorites — the Macintosh 128k, the iMac G3, the iPod, the iPhone — as well as the cult classics — the Lisa, the iMac G4 and the G4 Cube.

When I say “astonishingly accurate,” I’m not exaggerating. I was blown away by the attention to detail.

3 Reasons to Watch: Bad Sisters, the outrageous Irish black comedy on Apple TV+

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Sarah Greene, Anne-Marie Duff, Sharon Horgan, Eva Birthistle and Eve Hewson in
If you're not acquainted with the Garvey sisters, you're missing out.
Photo: Apple TV+

In this installment of 3 Reasons to Watch, we look at Bad Sisters, the Irish black comedy that racked up awards after its spectacular first season.

The acidic series follows the five Garvey sisters, who are complicit in a crime … but not in the way it initially appears. Here’s why you need to stream Bad Sisters yesterday.

Who needs HDMI? This gadget connects Mac or iPad to TV wirelessly [Review] ★★★★☆

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Who needs HDMI? This gadget connects Mac or iPad to TV wirelessly★★★★☆
Don't use a cable when the plug-and-play EZCast Pocket is so much more convenient.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

EZCast Pocket lets a range of computers connect wirelessly to an external display. No additional software is needed — it’s very nearly as easy to use as a cable, but without the cable clutter.

I tested the affordable and very portable wireless video adapter in my home and on a business trip. Here are its strengths and occasional weaknesses.

Note: When this review was first published in March, there was so much interest that EZCast Pocket sold out almost immediately. Amazon once again has the product in stock so we’re re-publishing the review.

City on Fire brings its mysteries to a steady simmer [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★☆☆

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Nico Tortorella in ★★★☆☆
William (played by Nico Tortorella) finds himself in hot water this week on City on Fire.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewNew Apple TV+ drama City on Fire, based on the book by Garth Risk Hallberg, tries to crack its central mysteries wide open this week.

William discovers he has a connection to the attempted murder of Samantha. Regan discovers she has more rats in her nest than she imagined. Charlie finds his allegiances tested as his sanity frays. Keith’s troubles are getting worse, and he still hasn’t even hit bottom.

Entitled “Land of a Thousand Dances,” it’s a good episode of the Dickensian potboiler, but it’s almost undone by rookie mistakes.

There’s a new sheriff in town this week on Silo [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★

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Rebecca Ferguson in ★★★
New sheriff of the silo Juliette (played by Rebecca Ferguson) is on the job, and she's got disturbing questions.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewApple TV+ dystopian sci-fi hit Silo investigates a high-profile murder and a hero’s childhood this week.

The show, about the last people on Earth living in hellish conditions underground, follows new Sheriff Juliette Nichols as she gets wrapped up in her first homicide investigation with Deputy Marnes. Plus, it delves into her past as she remembers the circumstances under which she became a machinist.

As this show progresses, it gets a little better with each episode and each twisty plot development.

Drops of God takes a tricky trip to Italy [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★

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Luca Terracciano and Fleur Geffrier in ★★★★
Lorenzo (played by Luca Terracciano, left) and Camille (Fleur Geffrier) take a trip to Trento as they try to answer a wine-soaked question.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ Review This week’s episode of the Apple TV+ series Drops of God, about the differing paths of two potential heirs to a fortune in wine, finds Camille on an excursion and Issei in a fog.

Camille and Lorenzo take a jog to Italy to do research before the second challenge. And Issei and Yurika discover some things about his personal history that make the contest even more bitter. Entitled “Legacy,” the episode splashes out a very fine bit of work from this team.

The Last Thing He Told Me finale packs an emotional wallop [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★

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Jennifer Garner in ★★★
Hanna (played by Jennifer Garner) must make a tough decision in the series finale of The Last Thing He Told Me.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ Review Apple TV+ limited series The Last Thing He Told Me comes to a shockingly emotional end this week.

In the series finale, Hannah makes a calculated risk on behalf of her stepdaughter and herself, and they’re both still distraught over the disappearance of their husband and father. Plus, a shadowy criminal and a U.S. Marshal offer competing visions of safety for the pair — and no one’s sure which one is better.

The Big Door Prize season finale spits out cliffhangers large and small [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Chris O’Dowd and Gabrielle Dennis in ★★★★☆
Surprise! The Morpho machine has even bigger mysteries to spin.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewThe Big Door Prize closes its first season with a blackout at Deerfest and a big twist from the Morpho. The show, about a mysterious machine that reads people’s futures, throws harsh weather and hard truths at its cast of misfit townies this week.

Father Reuben and Hana experience a few troubling realizations. Cass and Izzy have another blow-up. Jacob and Trina try to make it through their first real date. And more than one storm is brewing in this compelling cap to a winning season of a wonderful show.

Ted Lasso starts to wrap up loose ends this week [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★☆☆

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Toheeb Jimoh and Phil Dunster in ★★★☆☆
Toheeb Jimoh and Phil Dunster in "Ted Lasso," now streaming on Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewApple TV+’s runaway hit Ted Lasso starts closing up shop this week as the show nears the end of season three. The stars of AFC Richmond are out of town, but that doesn’t mean we can’t wrap up some loose ends.

Keeley finds herself without a job or an office. Rebecca has a big meeting, and one small chance to make a difference. Roy starts thinking about human connection. Sam suffers a series of letdowns. And Nate goes on a soul-searching trip back home.

While undoubtedly enervating, this week’s episode, entitled “International Break,” occasionally scores a win.

High Desert is the right kind of rolling disaster [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Episode 3. Patricia Arquette in ★★★★☆
Peggy Newman (played by Patricia Arquette) is a marvelous disaster in edgy new comedy High Desert.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ Review In the tragicomic new Apple TV+ series High Desert, Patricia Arquette plays Peggy Newman, a drug addict and serial liar/improviser who’s trying to remake her life after her husband goes to jail and ruins her social standing.

The perpetually broke and broken Peggy is a marvelous creation. The first three episodes of High Desert arrived on Apple TV+ today, and the show is mighty good company.

Add convenient wireless charging to iPad Pro with this case and stand [Review] ★★★★☆

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Pitaka MagEZ Case Pro and MagEZ Charging Stand review★★★★☆
Pitaka's wireless charging case and stand look brilliant.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

With the Pitaka MagEZ Case Pro, you can stop plugging in a charging cable. Put the tablet in this slim, lightweight case then pop on a charging mat when it’s time to juice up the tablet.

Combine it with the MagEZ Charging Stand and you have a desktop setup without the hassle of wires for the iPad Pro and an iPhone or AirPods.

I tested both accessories in my home office. There’s a lot to like here.

Drops of God uncorks some doozies this week [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆

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Tomohisa Yamashita in ★★★★☆
Issei (played by Tomohisa Yamashita) gets some big surprises this week.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewDrops of God, the impressive new Apple TV+ series about an impossible contest to determine the winner of a fortune in wine, brings us to our second challenge this week.

In the episode, entitled “The Link,” Issei deals with the fallout from his father’s latest and most devastating decision. And Camille is given even more choices as she struggles to come out ahead in the latest contest.

Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie will inspire and entertain you [Apple TV+ review] ★★★

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Michael J. Fox in ★★★
Still stands strong as a stirring portrait of actor Michael J. Fox.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewNew Apple TV+ documentary Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie tells the story of the charismatic actor’s life, his complicated relationship with stardom, and the degenerative disease that hit him at an early age.

Directed by Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth, He Named Me Malala), it’s a fleet, funny, tragic and humane portrait of a man desperate to get everything out of his head while he still can.

The Last Thing He Told Me serves up some chilling secrets [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★☆☆

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Jennifer Garner in ★★★☆☆
Hannah (played by Jennifer Garner) finally gets to the bottom of her missing husband's real identity.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewThe Last Thing He Told Me nears its endgame this week as Bailey goes AWOL and Hannah must make a tough choice.

The Apple TV+ thriller, about a software developer with a rap sheet who goes missing and leaves a trail of breadcrumbs for his wife and daughter, finally starts to spill its last bunch of secrets before a showdown or a retreat in next week’s finale. Hannah needs to decide which of those sounds more appealing, and which will keep her stepdaughter the safest.

Silo goes deep into the machine [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★

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Rebecca Ferguson in ★★★
Juliette (played by Rebecca Ferguson) tries to repair the silo's gigantic generator.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewNew Apple TV+ sci-fi series Silo examines the social machinations at play in the titular structure, and takes us deep inside the belly of the beast for a truly thrilling sequence.

The show — about the last people on earth, who live inside an incalculably huge structure powered by a huge generator — takes a long walk with the mayor for political points. And Juliette lands a job offer, but she needs a big favor before she’s ready to take it.

After so much table-setting, Silo gets down to business in the episode, entitled “Machines.”

City on Fire tries to capture the heat of NYC in 2003 [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★☆☆

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Episode 3. Chase Sui Wonders in ★★★☆☆
The death of Samantha (played by Chase Sui Wonders) ties together a string of ugly events in New York City, circa 2003, in City on Fire.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewNew drama City on Fire is here to shake up the Apple TV+ lineup. Set in New York City in 2003, it’s a twisty, coincidence-laden tale of a girl killed in Central Park. It focuses on an interconnected web of people who want to know what happened and why, as well as suspects who want the world to forget about her death.

With its sprawling depiction of crime and the NYC music scene, City on Fire looks like a coin toss: a qualified success or an interesting misfire. Either way, this one’s worth a watch.

Ted Lasso drops the ball on homophobia [Apple TV+ recap] ★★☆☆☆

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David Elsendoorn, Cristo Fernández, Stephen Manas, Moe Hashim, Kola Bokinni, Toheeb Jimoh and Phil Dunster in ★★☆☆☆
It seems like Ted Lasso had a point to make, but just didn't have the balls to make it.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewTed Lasso comes out of the closet this week as Colin and Isaac tackle their unspoken problem. Meanwhile, Roy has a goals problem. Rebecca has a Roy problem. And Nate gets put to the test by Rupert and Jade.

In the episode, entitled “La Locker Room Aux Folles,” AFC Richmond must learn a quick lesson in tolerance that would be better put to the writers of this show. It’s a uniquely frustrating episode — the type that only the people at Ted Lasso can provide.

The Big Door Prize plays the emotional card and wins [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★

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Gabrielle Dennis and Djouliet Amara in ★★★★
Everyone's coming clean and unwrapping their emotions this week on The Big Door Prize.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewThe Big Door Prize stares down the barrel at the end of its first season with the first lovey-dovey installment of a two-part finale.

The Apple TV+ sci-fi comedy about a machine that predicts the futures of the busybodies in a small town — and changes a few too many lives in the process — puts on a big display of emotional fireworks in “Deerfest: Part One.” It’s one of the finest episodes of the season.

Soundcore’s gorgeous new Bluetooth speaker brings spatial audio [Review] ★★★★★

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With good looks, excellent sound and waterproofing, the Soundcore X600 is a great portable Bluetooth speaker.★★★★★
With good looks, excellent sound and waterproofing, the Soundcore X600 is a great portable Bluetooth speaker.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

Soundcore’s new Motion X600 Hi-Res Bluetooth Speaker is a keeper if you’re after a fantastic-looking portable speaker with convincing-enough spatial audio.

It starts shipping May 9, and if you pay just $1 for an early-bird coupon Monday — before the preorder promotion ends early Tuesday morning — you get the X600 for $149 instead of $199 at launch. That’s a fantastic value for anyone unsure they want to pony up twice as much for a second-gen HomePod.

3 Reasons to Watch: Drops of God, the stylish wine drama on Apple TV+

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Fleur Geffrier in
Wine is a battlefield in Drops of God.
Photo: Apple TV+

Cult of Mac is pleased to debut a new feature, 3 Reasons to Watch, in which we highlight an Apple TV+ show or movie worthy of consideration. This week we’re looking at sommelier potboiler Drops of God, based on the manga by Yuko and Shin Kibayashi.

The show is currently airing its first season. Here’s why Drops of God is worth your time.

Drops of God flashes back for a revelation [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★

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Margaux Chatelier in ★★★
Drops of God pours out some backstory this week.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewApple TV+ series Drops of God, about two wine experts competing to win a priceless cellar and their dead father figure’s favor, takes a trip down memory lane this week.

Alexandre and Marianne Léger relive their first tribulations, as well as their decision to move to Japan. And Issei’s mother remembers her first encounter with Alexandre, and how he ended up changing her life.

It’s a bit of a letdown that the episode, entitled “Foundation,” drifts from the show’s main action. However, this beautifully acted and well-directed detour proves very good nevertheless.

The Last Thing He Told Me digs up clues in an Austin bar [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★

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Angourie Rice in ★★★
Bailey (played by Angourie Rice) is looking for clues to her father's disappearance in all the right places.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ Review The Last Thing He Told Me,  the Apple TV+ limited series about a shady software developer with a checkered past who vanishes from his wife and daughter’s life, heads to a bar for a fateful drink and a little interrogation this week.

Hannah and Bailey find themselves dancing ever closer to the truth about their missing husband/father, and danger looms around every corner. The episode, entitled “The Never Dry,” makes for a pretty tense outing of the sometimes-too-casual mystery series.

Silo takes us down a post-apocalyptic rabbit hole [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★☆☆

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Episode 1. David Oyelowo in ★★★☆☆
Sheriff Holston (played by David Oyelowo) is looking for answers about the silo.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ Review New Apple TV+ series Silo packs what may be the last people on earth into a huge, mysterious structure. Like Snowpiercer pointed straight up, this show offers a look at the hierarchies and conspiracies of silence that lead to cataclysmic turns of events.

This shaggy dog post-apocalyptic story — with an all-star cast spouting a lot of silly sci-fi lingo and exaggerated futurespeak — gets off to a compelling start this week.