What I’m watching: two new Netflix productions that are worth the time

Date: 6/16/2020

Space Force

Steve Carell returns to TV with this often funny and always engaging comedy about the creation of the Space Force and serves as political satire – as you know President Trump called for the creation of the United States Space Force – as well as an ensemble comedy with genuine humanity.

Carell stars as General Mark Naird, the four-star general assigned to the fledging military branch. His head scientist is Dr. Adrian Mallory and is played by John Malkovich who handles the comedic role well.

Naird’s life is a tad complicated as his wife Maggie (Lisa Kudrow) has been convicted of a crime – so far we don’t know what – and is in prison. His teenaged daughter hates being in Colorado where the Space Force base is located and his parents, despite many health issues, refuse to go into assisted living.

While attempting the mission to make space safe for American interests, Naird must deal with his passive-aggressive colleagues on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a Secretary of Defense who clearly has little experience in the military and a media consultant who has no clue about the importance of what Naird is attempting to do.

Carell, who co-created the show, walks a fine line with his performance of Naird. Naird is a career Air Force officer and comes with a certain stiffness, but Carell makes Naird a caring father and husband and someone willing to learn.

I liked this show a lot. The ensemble of actors assembled is able, the production values are at a feature film level and the writing is sharp.

\Interestingly enough, the TV show and Netflix has done something that sounds like a plot point from a sitcom. The ABA Journal reported on June 9, “Netflix has secured some foreign trademark rights to the phrase “Space Force” – which is also the name of its new comedy series starring Steve Carell – ahead of the U.S. government.

Netflix has obtained trademark rights in Europe, Australia, Mexico and elsewhere, the Hollywood Reporter reports in a story noted by The Hill.

“The U.S. Air Force does have a pending trademark application based on intent to use in the United States. And even though the country operates on a ‘first-to-use’ trademark registration system, where priority is based on actual use in commerce rather than who gets to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office first, many other countries operate on a ‘first-to-file’ basis, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

“There should be no problem over Netflix’s use of the name for the show “Space Force” since trademark law allows for parodies, according to the Hollywood Reporter. But trademark rights could become important if Netflix and the U.S. government begin selling similar products.”

Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich

This four hour documentary series is bound to make you angry. At least it should make you angry.

Its message is simple but horrifying: if you have money and influence you can escape justice from the most heinous of crimes. And there are few things more terrible than sexually molesting and trafficking children.

This is, of course, nothing new in the history of this nation but it makes its point in an eloquent and devastating manner.

I think most people are aware of Epstein’s arrest and subsequent death in prison, which has spawned many conspiracy theories. Certainly one thing is true about his death: it served an insurance against the billionaire from ever speaking about which of his rich friends indulged in sex with children as he did.

Director Lisa Bryant puts forth many details of the Epstein’s life and crimes and the film is filled with interviews with some of his many victims, as well as people who knew him in his role of an investor. News footage and photos build the case of a billionaire who had access to many powerful and influential people, including two presidents and a member of the British royal family.

It’s very compelling production, but is, in several different ways, a horror film. Epstein was the worst kind of monster: he was real. And the story has the most frightening kind of ending: he escaped standing trial.