Chocolate reviews and discussion

I thought Ncuti Gatwa was excellent in Sex Education, was pleased when he was cast as The Doctor, and was fabulous as him. (The stories were a little dicey, but he was good.)

He starred on the stage in The Importance of Being Earnest, which was recorded, and will be available on YouTube from March 12 to March 18. Next week! Starting Thursday! I've seen several pictures from the production, his outfits are dazzling and he looks like he's having a great time.

I'm not even sure if I've seen this play or not. I think I have, but only once several decades ago. I am determined to watch it and not find my reminder two days too late.

https://www.theatermania.com/news/the-importance-of-being-earnest-starring-ncuti-gatwa-will-stream-for-free-on-youtube_1824690/

Anyway, fyi for fans of Ncuti or good theater.

I don't anticipate getting fannish about either of these shows, but I enjoyed both. They are similar, in that both are mysteries, with a complicated plot that lasts the entire 6-8 episode season, tying together seemingly disparate threads. Tonally so so different.

Dark Winds: I've only watched the first two seasons, taking a little break before seasons 3 and 4. Set on a reservation in the 1970s, Dark Winds focuses on the local police force, led by Joe Leaphorn, and his two deputies, Bernadette Manuelito and Jim Chee. The clothes, furnishings, etc. were amusing to revisit, as I'm old enough to remember those styles, and the Native American culture interesting. Overall very serious, both because of the hard life on the reservation and the personal trauma suffered by Leaphorn.

Currently on Netflix/AMC. I don't usually binge shows, but I do like coming late to this show so that I can watch an episode a day. I'd have trouble keeping everything straight if I had to wait a week between each episode. Dark Winds is based on a book series by Tony Hillerman. I haven't read any of them, so can't speak to the faithfulness to the source material.

Deadloch: I've only watched the first season, as the second doesn't stream until March 20. Set in Australia in current days, Deadloch also focuses on the local police force, led by the lesbian Dulcie Collins, whose partner is the local veterinarian. A man is found murdered on the local beach, and Collins clashes with the detective sent to investigate, another woman. So many women in this series, almost all of the main characters, it's just delightful. The mayor, the rich matriarch, one of the deputies, the two young native women who find the first body, etc. Also, the victims are all male, which is a pleasing change.

Deadloch has lots of humor, which I admit I struggled with a bit, especially from the visiting detective, whose personality is really broad and makes lots of extravagant complaints. I had to consciously accept that she was supposed to be funny, and then she was hysterical. Occasionally I was a little confused by the cultural differences and a few of the accents were difficult for me, but overall well worth the adjustment.

On Prime, though hopefully will circulate to other channels for those who don't have it.