Sinatra

Julianne Nicholson gives a tremendous, multi-dimensional performance as the enigmatic leader of the Paradise colony in this informative and tantalizing second segment of the series.

With flashbacks alternating with the ongoing aftermath of the murder of the president, we learn a lot about Sinatra, the chairman of the board type played so intensely by Julianne. She seems ultra-cool, but also ultra-emotional, dealing with the death of her young son while balancing a life and career that's sort of the opposite of a fellow billionaire like Musk. She is shaping up as quite a formidable adversary to our hero Sterling K. Brown, whose seething intensity is so well-expressed in this segment as he's the man on the spot -the last one to see the president alive, and "responsible" for his death by not having protected him properly.

The show's production values are excellent, in its depiction of a sort of phantom city of the future, and a novel version of dystopia. Sarah Shahi is quite intriguing as the third major character, as mysterious as the other two.

This series is definitely better seen as a binge watch because each episode flows into the other at a rapid clip.

It looks like each episode will feature the story from the perspective of a different character, and now it's "Sinatra"'s turn,

This raises a question I have: not to be spoilery, but the situation these characters are in, is very emotionally fraught. Yet they all seem weirdly serene. Repression? Some of them are teens and kids, not the type that represses well.

By the end, a conflict is brewing with the main character, Xavier, who has a lot to be steamed about, but so do they all. I thought this was going to be from his POV, with him as the wronged individual fighting the system.

But now that we've seen Sinatra's story, Xavier's ire does not seem as deserved. Are they all just trying to make the best of the situation and now the repression is failing?

The only comment I want to express is the song "We Built This City On Rock N' Roll" originally done by Jefferson Starship. The "Prez" seems to have all these classics in his collection that he always drops clues to "Z", but at the end of the episode we are left with a rendition of some shoe-gazing, terminal, banal performance of WBTC. Lord give me strength. Why do new artists assume that they can record a classic and somehow make it theirs. I guess the new generation wouldn't even know or care, but some of us do. Just like classic films, just Let It Be. Try writing something sometime. Please! So tired of money grubbing new music acts that always rely on others accomplishments, and then hack them into something they call art. This rant is far from over.

This episode is good. But is far less interesting than the pilot.

A lot less suspense and thriller which is replaced by drama. A lot of drama.

The cut scenes to the past to show character depth go way too long and too little plot is revealed

The remake song for the end of the episode is painful as it falls short of the song it replicates by a large margin. Like it's off key or something. Why do I emphasize this? Because it was distracting. Luckily nothing really important was happening through much of the episode.

Only really one new plot factoid is revealed. And too minor to factor in for a 45 min stretch.

In a positive note. Some moments in the flashbacks were enchanting moments in and of themselves. But if this episode had been the pilot, I would never have kept watch in g the show.