Carl Deuker -- Books, Movies, TV

Lots of flash but not too much substance.  McConeghey and Harrelson characters snarl at each other but work together  McConeghey goes undercover; all hell breaks loose; biker gang; black projects; gunfight.  The murderer seems to be involved in some Christian cult, but there's no development . . . the cult is just out there being weird.

"Lydia, Alex, Christine trying to work out a plan for the future after Alex's taking up with Lydia. Their children--Sandy (Alex with Juliette), isabelle (Alex with Christine) and Grace (Zachary with Lydia) are finding their way as young adults. Zachary's death looms over all of them. I'll be interested where this ends up; excellent writing."

Loki is a great figure. The saboteur for no reason.  Before reading this, I'd heard the name and thought "Trickster," but he's much more evil than that.  The enjoyment of other people's misery . . . causing problems even when there's no benefit . . . The writing continues to be great.  Gaiman's prose just flows with the perfect feel of myth but without overdoing anything.  Terrific book.

Great start. Loki the troublemaker takes Thor's wife's golden hair.  Goes to dwarf for replacement. Pits one set of dwarves against the other in a competition to make the greatest gift for the gods.  One dwarf, suspicious, says:  "Okay, but if I win I get to cut off your head." Loki agrees, but then tries to sabotage the work. Dwarf wins anyway. Loki headless? No! Dwarf didn't ask to cut off neck as well. Loki Lives!

Great start. The principal cast consisted of  Matthew McConaughey ,  Woody Harrelson ,  Michelle Monaghan ,  Michael Potts , and  Tory Kittles . McConaughey is slightly haywire detective teamed with Harrelson in Louisiana. Macabre, cult-like murder occurs.  The two must solve. 

Kiki Camerana is murdered by Felix's stooges.  Felix is turned in by Sineola "friend."  Felix bribes the capturer.  Felix's followers are meeting to pick up the pieces with him gone.  He shows up and reasserts control.  Rafa captured. Neto captured.  Felix kills the son on the "friend" who turned him and sends the head to the mother.  Set-up for season two.  The DEA sends down new agents with directions to play tough to avenge the death of Kiki. Episode nine:  Kiki's wife Mika is excellent. Charlotte's Web scene works--tough to pull off.  Episode ten: Kiki is great in his final scene with Felix.

Kiki Camerana, having pulled off the greatest bust in history, is ready to leave Mexico.  The cartel is in an uproar. Felix, concentrating on cocaine, is ready to let the bust go. Rafa, the marijuana King, is not.  Rafa has Kiki kidnapped.  They torture Kiki to find out what might be happening next. (We've just seen the State Department decide that nothing will happen next.) Early on, maybe at the end of Narcos Cali show, we were shown Kiki's picture on a DEA wall--presumably of agents who died on duty.  Because of that, there's no suspense as to what will happen.  LIke watching a tragedy play out.  Rafa seems on the verge of being killed by someone in the cartel. Neto and Felix both seem in danger as well. Not as good as the earlier Narcos seasons.