The Nevers

This is almost certainly Joss Whedon's final work. Plenty of people have been MeTooed, and it would not shock me if many of those people work again in the future. The difference is Whedon was one of the ones who handled it badly. And considering how much he told people over the years to respect his (bogus) feminist bonafides, the dude will never work in the industry again.

There is genius to be found in his last TV series as well as troubling things. I think the most troubling thing to me is that Whedon has always been extremely problematic to me about sex scenes. I always feel like he exploits his actors, and since they are often of the younger variety, it's even grosser. The thing is, I thought that on broadcast television. It was NOT a good idea to hand this man an HBO show so he can indulge his fetishism for bare titties. Just saying.

How is the show? Or even the feminist messaging?

I think the antagonist Lord Massen is good for jeers on a couple of levels. He's not just fighting for the Patriarchy. He's fighting for the Oligarchy. He is opposed to all measures of progress and improvement, no matter how slight. He refuses to even entertain the validity of new words that even attempt to hint at not only equality, but individuality, and self-worth.

The crazed serial killer Maladie is the other antagonist. She definitely gives me Drusilla vibes.

The show is much more memorable on a second glance than I gave it credit for back when it first aired. True is a pretty great heroine (I absolutely adored when the Beggar King puts a blade to her face and threatens to cut the pretty thing off, in a great bit of set-up, she calmly explains that isn't her face).

I predict problems ahead (especially in the first 6 episodes before Whedon was essentially fired). But that's a solid opening. 4 stars.

Amalia saying she missed all the major organs, and Cousens saying she didn't is a pretty great moment. Either her knowledge of anatomy is crap, or her knowledge of guns is. I don't buy her explanation about a "bad gun". Nice try, True.

"Molly". Another True Clue.

Here is a reason to hate HBO. No matter what the show is, for some damn reason they will find a way to make one of the major sets be either a brothel or a strip club. It's pathological at this point, and why I believe the network is neither "adult" not "prestige". They are too into the porn aspects of these shows to make me believe they are either. Game Of Thrones may not be able to be viewed by children. But I dispute it's made for adults. HBO targets leering fratboy assholes. Nothing else. It's no wonder Whedon ultimately ended his career here. Very on-brand for them both.

Not a bad episode otherwise though. 3 stars.

Mary is SO kind to Frank that her death hits me especially hard. Because not a ton of people are understanding of that, at least not back then. When Swan corrects to himself that Frank was drunk the FIRST time, you realize there are larger reasons Mary called off the wedding.

True's fight with the Water-Walker was tight as shit. It looked slick as hell. Awesome.

True Clues: She knows an amplifier has yet to be invented, and says her favorite songs aren't any the other girls would have heard of.

Damn that horrible lady they tied up was fucking revolting on every level. Pure evil.

Very dark episode. It held my interest. 4 stars.

True Clues: Besides the end, Amalia claims that people didn't attend funerals "when" she's from.

Frank Mundi is turning out to be way more honorable than we predicted. And Swan is maybe kinder than we predicted.

I love when Lucy asks True what she wanted from her after she's found out, Amalia yells she wanted it to be somebody else and not her. I don't blame her. What a terrible betrayal.

I love this Nimble kid. Great character debut.

Another solid episode. 4 stars.

I am very glad there was an intimacy coordinator on the set because I feel like Laura Donnelly was exploited. There was absolutely NO reason for Joss Whedon to direct this episode, other than he wanted a front-row seat to that exploitation. I am unhappy.

Maladie being Effie Boyle is obvious in hindsight and crazy that it's actually a surprise. I get why it is. The show was still too new for us to be completely used to the actors so they can pull that off with few problems.

I know Amalia claimed Massen all but said he had Mary killed, but I totally forgot that at the beginning of this episode he admits it in private with his oligarch buddies.

Lavinia insists to Auggie he shouldn't apologize for her because she's not some dotty old woman, but that's what she's acting like.

This is almost certainly going to be the last thing Joss Whedon ever directs, and what he did to Laura Donnelly is a career low-point. I am mad about that. 3 stars.

It's an amazing episode, but the worst one to hit us before a Covid hiatus. Then Joss got MeTooed. And finally David Zaslav canceled the show and wrote off the final six episodes for taxes until Tubi agreed to (clumsily) air them at weird times on live TV (which is how I'll be watching them in a couple of days). What a terrible fate for an interesting show.

The Stripe opening is very reminiscent of "Epitaph One" from Dollhouse. Don't sneer at a Dollhouse comparison. The Epitaph episodes are literally the only cool things that shitty show ever did.

This unconnected future is even MORE disconcerting because in "Epitaph One" there are still ghosts of civilization (and the Dollhouse) left. The Nevers turning out to be about aliens and a time traveling soldier is not remotely in the HBO series description.

I'll tell you this about the real Molly's shitty life. I not only understand why she killed herself (before Stripe took her body). But her shitty life left me wondering why every single person back then didn't do the exact same thing. Seriously horrible mistreatment of women, even for a Mutant Enemy show.

We'll see how the final episodes go in a couple of days. Closure or not, this is a very fascinating show with a troubled history, that probably has a great deal to do with why I'm fascinated with it to begin with. Few shows ever caught as many bad breaks as this one did. Most shows are LUCKY if they just get canceled. Everything that COULD go wrong for this show, went wrong instead. Mere cancelation would have been a blessing. Amazing (but frustrating) episode. 5 stars.

Loved Penance taking Amalia telling everyone out of her hands.

Frank's boss is a total bastard.

Penance being into the shock trooper autopsy in spite of herself.

I am big time shipping Frank and Swan.

Lady Bidlow's Activities Of Daily Living are clearly a living hell. Also she is a Black Hat.

I dunno if Lucy has been redeemed, but what she did for Myrtle is a start.

The voice on the phone was chilling. Bananas climax with the shock trooper dog. True's powers have evolved in such a way they are becoming a liability.

Spooky ending too.

Huh. It seems Jane Espensen left the series when Joss Whedon did. Mutant Enemy isn't the production company anymore either.

Creepy as hell episode. 4 stars.

Save the pep talk, Hague, Maladie don't wanna hear it.

Lady Bidlow baring her fangs. Sure would be useful if Amalia realized she was against her. It seems kind of obvious after this.

She's right however that Lucy taking the fall for Myrtle is doing more for the Touched than True ever did.

But Lady Bidlow ordering Lucy to kill the baby Galanthi at the end says she's a monster. Seeing all of those buildings fall over, I was like, "Gee, maybe it wasn't such a good idea to release it after all."

Auggie is kind of adorable.

Penance is just mad Amalia's names for shit are better than hers.

Amalia asks the only question to the mysterious voice at the end of the phone that matters: "Beatles or Stones?"

Loved Lucy telling Frank that Massen killed Mary. Upper crust heads are gonna roll, I predict.

Speaking of Massen, I was shocked his daughter isn't dead but locked away. He has some nerve talking to Swan about family while that's the case.

For the record, I'm betting the Beggar King got the better end of the deal with Massen.

Finally finishing this show tomorrow. 4 stars.

She sucks in the present too. Every way she COULD prove to be a terrible person and sister she did. Every horrible thing she COULD have confirmed about her treachery, she just did.

Still, he was the one who crippled her as a kid? Ouch!

If I were in as vulnerable a spot of Lavinia currently is, and knowing what her brother is capable of, I might not want to get on his bad side in that scenario.

Also, he's definitely right that she's a bigger danger than he is, and the one putting their family name in jeopardy.

Lord Massen is also the worst father ever.

I like that although Frank suspects him, he's being cautious instead of just rushing in. That's good.

Lucy's death was sad, but Amalia keeps working my last nerve.

I love Annie deciding not to wait for True anymore. Good for her.

The Beggar King is a bastard to indulge that racist little girl.

Hague can't get out from under Maladie. Literally.

True and Penance's confrontation with Maladie was pretty riveting, especially the revelations revealed.

Beautiful ending. Things are getting good. 4 stars.

I keep wondering who is actually the worse sibling, and Lavinia reminds me at the end, nope, it's her.

I love that Hugo looks legit disturbed about learning Massen killed Mary. That is definitely a point in his favor.

Interesting Maladie returned to her old home and her husband welcomed home his long-lost "Sarah" with open arms. I didn't see a good ending possible here. Her killing him actually felt quite righteous. He was a backstabbing, abusive perv.

Love that Horatio's wife actually DID know what a scumbag he is. I liked her letting him have it. He sucks.

Auggie asserting dominance over the estate and the orphanage SHOULD feel righteous. But it somehow doesn't. I'd accuse Hague of throwing him off his speech and rhythm but he was off way before that.

Primrose can't come with Myrtle because she thinks she'll be noticed.

Hugo showing so much empathy to Lily is another reason to like him

Wow. That ending. Made me laugh and blew my mind.

Wild Episode. 4 1/2 stars.

Laughed at the teaser. Arguably the episode might have been stronger entirely from True's perspective, but there's only one episode left. That wouldn't do.

This is the only time we've seen Molly after her death. Her biggest difference to me is she actually seems happy, or at least content.

Auggie's look of horror at what the birds did says everything.

Hague is not as impressive to Penance as he thinks he is.

Loved Annie's talk to Lily. Good way to bond and share war stories.

Also loved Hugo really sticking it to Lord Massen. That felt good.

Harriet's speech was wonderful and convincing.

Watching Maladie play house as Sarah is properly alarming for Frank. But in the end, the man contains a startling amount of empathy.

Hague is fucking delusional. I enjoyed watching him get electrocuted.

Pleasurably batshit ending. Lady Bidlow sucks ass. Don't you think it would have been nice if, oh, I dunno, Auggie had WARNED Penance about the shady shit she was doing? Sigh. 4 1/2 stars.

For such a down-on-its-luck, totally shit-upon series, this should be considered a minor miracle.

So Auggie is a murderer. It's kind of like what happened with Robert Blake. I don't approve. But I get it. Still, the cold look on his face at the end makes me worry for Penance.

Seriously though, Lavinia is a pure fucking monster.

Little soon for a redemption for Maladie but at least she's fighting on the right side.

I thought it was a pretty great series finale, but Primrose's death drives me absolutely bugshit. It's completely unnecessary.

Swan's death landed The Good Hurt better because it was the proper pay-off for Frank. I will never stop shipping them, even in death.

I have been living in limbo with the show for nearly five years until I sought it out on Tubi, and I had no idea they gave it a proper series finale. It's not as good as Serenity or Dollhouse's "Epitaph Two". But it a relatively self-contained ending with very little production lead time, which is impressive. 5 stars.