Joshua Mattern" />
Psycho Drive-In logo
Search
  • PDI Press
    Featured
    • BETTY WHITE VS THE STUPID WORLD: The Movie

      Joshua Mattern
      January 17, 2022
      Fiction, PDI Press, PDI Press Writers
    Recent
    • BETTY WHITE VS THE STUPID WORLD: The Movie

      John E. Meredith
      January 17, 2022
    • Betty White Vs the Stupid World (Chapter Seven)

      John E. Meredith
      January 16, 2022
    • Betty White Vs the Stupid World (Chapter Six)

      John E. Meredith
      January 15, 2022
    • PDI Press Catalog
    • PDI Press Writers
      • Fiction
  • Columns A-D
    • A Fistful of Dollar Comics
    • ABCs of Horror
    • All Binge… No Purge
    • Anything Joes
    • Beautiful Creatures
    • Big Eyes Smart Mouth
    • Big Sleeps and Long Goodbyes
    • Cahiers du Horror
    • Dispatches From the Field
    • Drive-In Saturday
    • Dungeons & D-Listers
  • Columns F-P
    • The Final Girl
    • First Looks… Second Thoughts
    • The Flesh is Weak
    • Innocence and Experience
    • Lost in Translation
    • Page to Screen
    • Popcorn Cinema
    • Psycho Essentials: The ’80s!
  • Columns S-Z
    • Schlock & Awe
    • Shakespeare on Film
    • Shot for Shot
    • Sick Flix
    • Unnatural Selections
    • Versus
    • Video Word Made Flesh
    • We Got Lists
    • Women in Horror
    • The Xeno File
    • Zombies 101
  • Reviews
    Featured
    • Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)

      Joshua Mattern
      March 23, 2023
      Movies, Reviews
    Recent
    • Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)

      Nate Zoebl
      March 23, 2023
    • Skinamarink (2023) – Take Two

      John E. Meredith
      January 30, 2023
    • Skinamarink (2023)

      Nate Zoebl
      January 24, 2023
    • Books
    • Comics
    • DVD/Blu-ray
    • Movies
    • TV
    • Series
  • Interviews
    Featured
    • Interview with Indie Horror Master, Chris Bickel

      Joshua Mattern
      July 13, 2018
      Interviews
    Recent
    • Interview with Indie Horror Master, Chris Bickel

      The Final Girl
      July 13, 2018
    • David Black: Carnies, Carnage, and the Creative Chaos of Darkness Visible

      Dan Lee
      March 7, 2017
    • Jaiden Kaine joins the Marvel Universe as new Luke Cage baddie, Zip

      Andre Lamar
      September 29, 2016
    • SDCC 2016 Interviews: The Cast and Creators of Batman: The Killing Joke

      Jason Sacks
      July 28, 2016
    • SDCC 2016 Interviews: The Cast and Creators of Syfy’s Van Helsing

      Dave Hearn, Paul Brian McCoy
      July 27, 2016
    • Wondercon Interview: The Cast of Damien

      Gary Richardson, Laura Akers
      April 16, 2016
  • News
    Featured
    • Breaking Down The Upcoming DC Studios Slate

      Joshua Mattern
      February 1, 2023
      News, Shot for Shot
    Recent
    • Breaking Down The Upcoming DC Studios Slate

      Paul Brian McCoy
      February 1, 2023
    • John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum arrives on Digital 8/23 and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand 9/10

      psychodr
      July 30, 2019
    • X-Men: Dark Phoenix arrives on Digital 9/3 and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD 9/17

      Paul Brian McCoy
      July 16, 2019
    • Trailers
  • Psychos
  • Merchandise
Breaking
  • Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)
  • Skinamarink (2023) - Take Two
  • Skinamarink (2023)
  • Christmas Picks: Black Christmas (1974)
  • Christmas Picks: Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (1987)
  • Christmas Picks: Anna and the Apocalypse (2017)
  • RSS
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Who We Be
  • Contact
  • PDI Press
    • PDI Press Catalog
    • PDI Press Writers
      • Fiction
  • Columns A-D
    • A Fistful of Dollar Comics
    • ABCs of Horror
    • All Binge… No Purge
    • Anything Joes
    • Beautiful Creatures
    • Big Eyes Smart Mouth
    • Big Sleeps and Long Goodbyes
    • Cahiers du Horror
    • Dispatches From the Field
    • Drive-In Saturday
    • Dungeons & D-Listers
  • Columns F-P
    • The Final Girl
    • First Looks… Second Thoughts
    • The Flesh is Weak
    • Innocence and Experience
    • Lost in Translation
    • Page to Screen
    • Popcorn Cinema
    • Psycho Essentials: The ’80s!
  • Columns S-Z
    • Schlock & Awe
    • Shakespeare on Film
    • Shot for Shot
    • Sick Flix
    • Unnatural Selections
    • Versus
    • Video Word Made Flesh
    • We Got Lists
    • Women in Horror
    • The Xeno File
    • Zombies 101
  • Reviews
    • Books
    • Comics
    • DVD/Blu-ray
    • Movies
    • TV
    • Series
  • Interviews
  • News
    • Trailers
  • Psychos
  • Merchandise
Home
Reviews

11.22.63 1.06 “Happy Birthday, Lee Harvey Oswald”

Joshua Mattern
March 28, 2016
Reviews, TV

At the end of last week’s episode of 11.22.63, a whole lot of important stuff had gone down: Sadie, Jake’s girlfriend, had nearly been murdered by her psychotic ex-husband, only to be rescued by Jake (though she is left with a nasty scar on her face that, through the magic of Hollywood makeup, looks more like a geometrically perfect and isolated case of hives on her right cheek); Jake, in a moment of vulnerability and total honesty, has confessed the entire truth of his mission to Saide; and Bill has begun to show signs that his loyalties may not be airtight with Jake’s cause, showing some intellectual curiosity about Lee’s ideology, and developing some not-at-all-a-bad-idea romantic feelings for the man’s wife, Marguerite. And as the episode ended and credits rolled, the audience was left to wonder: how will all these developments come to a head next week?

11.22.63-106-01

And then episode six of this limited, eight-installment series run begins with a title scrawl over a black screen: “Six Months Later.”

And just like that—Sadie has fully accepted Jake as being from the future; Ms. Mimi has cancer, is in love with Deke, the principal at Jake’s school, and has decided to undergo experimental chemotherapy in Mexico; Marguerite has had it up to here with being knocked around by Lee and moves out, and Bill has simultaneously become Lee’s BFF and started shacking up with his wife.

We don’t, mind you, see any of these important developments occurring—all we see is that title card, and we’re left to take it as faith that the details of how we got there aren’t important enough to spend screen time on.

11.22.63-106-02

Leaving aside what we do actually get in this episode—and it’s actually quite an entertaining hour—it’s impossible to not focus on how infuriating it is that what could have been the absolute best aspects of this entire series aren’t even glossed over, but are left unwritten completely, so that we have more time to watch Jake and Bill sit around with headphones on listening to inane conversation after inane conversation between Lee and his communist cohorts. For God’s sake—Bill is potentially being set up as the second JFK shooter, and not a single moment is given to his character’s evolution: one moment he’s all rah-rah-rah let’s save JFK, and hey, that Russian girl is kinda pretty, ain’t she?…and the next, he’s pointing a gun at Bill and saying the mission is over.

We also miss out on Sadie coming to grips with Jake’s true identity. It’s more than a little ironic that when the weakest part of this whole story—the love story between Jake and Sadie—finally gets a little interesting, said interesting aspects aren’t covered, as if the showrunners couldn’t take the chance of viewers, for even one moment, not being bored every moment these two are on screen together.

11.22.63-106-03

When we left them at the end of the last episode, Jake was holding Sadie’s hand, and telling her he’s from the future. She begins to laugh, but then as realization slowly dawns on her, that he’s not joking, you can see the gears turning in her head, and it sets up a pretty interesting scenario: just how in the hell would you react to the love of your life saying, “Hey, babe. I’m from the future?” But, again, we don’t get that reaction: we only get the bliss that results after she’s fully accepted this truth.

But the most egregious omission is on Bill’s side. When we saw him, in episode 5, accepting the Marx book from Oswald, it was clear that his allegiance was about to change, or at least waiver. Bill’s a fascinating character anyway: poor and neglected his whole life, and losing the only thing he’s ever held dear—his sister—to a senseless act of violence, he’s obviously latched onto Jake not because he believes in the mission to save JFK, but simply because he needs something important, something to believe in. And when Bill doesn’t realize—or doesn’t care—about the important role he plays in this young man’s life, it’s no great leap for Bill to wander on over to the dark side. And Bill’s character, one of the more consistent bright spots in this show, deserves to have his evolution examined; and George MacKay has proven himself more than capable as an actor to do that evolution justice. Alas, though, “six months later”….

11.22.63-106-04

There’s a lot of good here, though, too. Lee, visiting Marguerite at the home where she’s staying after having left him, seems almost sympathetic as he sits across from his wife and implores her to come home, while their son plays a few feet away—until she says she has to think about it, and his eyes narrow and he tells her there’s nothing to think about, and his true, psychotic self comes through.

Daniel Webber continues to duel with George MacKay for the title of strongest actor on the show (sorry, James Franco, you of the constantly “What the hell’s going on?” scowl on your face), and indeed, I found myself realizing I would readily watch an entire series that dealt solely with Oswald and his transformation from maladjusted expat to generation-defining murderer—but only as played by Daniel Webber. He does more with just his voice—a fascinating combination of speech-impediment-esque lisp, light Russian accent, and slightly effeminate tone—than most actors in this role would likely do with their entire performance, and if no other good comes of this show, he should have the opportunity to shine in the future.

There are a lot of important, entertaining, and well-acted scenes in this episode. And Bill even gets one more chance to be the-audience-by-proxy before kicking Jake out of his life, rolling his eyes as Jake says, yet again, that he’s still not completely sure Oswald is JFK’s killer. But it’s all almost undone by those terrible, opening title cards.

(Visited 226 times, 2 visits today)

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

11.22.63Daniel WebberGeorge MacKayJames FrancoJoshua MatternStephen King

EZMM 2016 Day 7: Antisocial (2013)
EZMM 2016 Day 8: Re-Kill (2015)

About The Author

monsterid
Joshua Mattern

Joshua Mattern is a West Virginia native, but lives in Las Vegas. He loves horror movies, shows that try to be as good as The Wire, and playing with his cat, Grendel.

Daily Top Ten

  • Lost in Translation 127: FrankensteinLost in Translation 127: Frankenstein by Scott Delahunt
  • The Three Musketeers (2011) Blu-ray ReviewThe Three Musketeers (2011) Blu-ray Review by Paul Brian McCoy
  • A Muppet Family Christmas (1987)A Muppet Family Christmas (1987) by Jessica Sowards
  • The Blacklist 1.06 "Gina Zanetakos"The Blacklist 1.06 “Gina Zanetakos” by Natalie Amato
  • Lost in Translation 141: Spaced InvadersLost in Translation 141: Spaced Invaders by Scott Delahunt
  • Batman on Film: Batman Returns (1992)Batman on Film: Batman Returns (1992) by Charles Webb
  • Falling Skies 1.09 "Mutiny" & 1.10 "Eight Hours" Two-Hour Season FinaleFalling Skies 1.09 “Mutiny” & 1.10… by Rafael Gaitan
  • Kamui Gaiden (2009)Kamui Gaiden (2009) by Zack Davisson
  • Jason Trost gets Wet and RecklessJason Trost gets Wet and Reckless by Adam Barraclough
  • Judge Dredd (1995) Blu-ray ReviewJudge Dredd (1995) Blu-ray Review by Jason Sacks
400x400 GI Joe Funko Banner

Weekly Top Ten

  • Dragged Across Concrete (2019)Dragged Across Concrete (2019) by Nate Zoebl
  • The Hills Have Eyes (1977) vs The Hills Have Eyes (2006)The Hills Have Eyes (1977) vs The Hills Have Eyes (2006) by Corin Totin
  • Adventure Time 6.06 “Breezy”Adventure Time 6.06 “Breezy” by Dave Hearn
  • The Final Girl: I Spit on Your Grave (2010)The Final Girl: I Spit on Your Grave (2010) by The Final Girl
  • Tusk (2014)Tusk (2014) by Alex Wolfe
  • Drive-In Saturday: Heavy Metal 2000 (2000)Drive-In Saturday: Heavy Metal 2000 (2000) by Alex Wolfe
  • A Muppet Family Christmas (1987)A Muppet Family Christmas (1987) by Jessica Sowards
  • Better Call Saul 2.02 "Cobbler"Better Call Saul 2.02 “Cobbler” by Jamil Scalese
  • Dungeons & D-Listers: Barbarian Queen (1985)Dungeons & D-Listers: Barbarian Queen (1985) by Alex Wolfe
  • Shakespeare's Macbeth (2010)Shakespeare’s Macbeth (2010) by Paul Brian McCoy
400x400 UA Affiliate Banner

FACEBOOK

FACEBOOK

Latest Reviews

  • Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)

    Nate Zoebl
    March 23, 2023
  • Skinamarink (2023) – Take Two

    John E. Meredith
    January 30, 2023
  • Skinamarink (2023)

    Nate Zoebl
    January 24, 2023

psychodrivein

Today at https://psychodrivein.com Shazam! Fury o Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)

SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS, feels like the definition of a sequel for the sake of a sequel.
---
Read more of Nate's review at the link in our profile!

#Shazam #ShazamFuryOfTheGods #FuryOfTheGods #DavidFSandberg #ZacharyLevi #HelenMirren #LucyLiu #GraceCarolineCurrey #RachelZegler #AsherAngel
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Women in Horro Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Women in Horror: Andree Melly

Andrée Melly’s career spans nearly forty years, including movies and television series.
---
Read more of Fred's article at the link in our profile!

#WomenInHorror #AndreeMelly #HammerHorror #HammerStudios #BridesOfDracula #TheHorrorOfItAll
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Anything Joes: Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Anything Joes: S01E54 - Classified Conniption

Greg & Jaren take a close up look at all the Classified figures announced during the most recent Hasbro Pulse Fanstream!
---
Watch the boys at the link in our profile!

@anythingjoespod #AnythingJoes #Hasbro #HasbroPulse #GIJoe #GIJoeClassified #CobraCommander #Copperhead #SnowJob #CobraValkyries #Shipwreck #RockNRoll #Torpedo #ScrapIron #Bazooka
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Lost in Transl Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Lost in Translation 434: Tales from the Loop (2020)

Robots, strange metal appendages on buildings, even what appear to be dinosaurs are just part of the landscape for the people on the island.
---
Read more of Scott's article at the link in our profile!

#LostInTranslation #TalesFromTheLoop #AmazonPrime #SimonStalenhag #JonathanPryce #RebeccaHall #PaulSchneider #DanielZolghadri #DuncanJoiner #AbbyRyderFortson
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Anything Joes: Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Anything Joes: UNBOXING: G.I. Joe Super 7 Ultimates! Wave 1 (Duke, Snake Eyes, Cobra Commander, & B.A.T.) 

Greg takes a firsthand look at the new Super 7 Ultimates line. 
---
Watch Greg at the link in our profile!

#AnythingJoes #GIJoe #Super7 #Ultimates #Duke #SnakeEyes #CobraCommander #BAT @anythingjoespod
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Anne Rice's Ma Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Anne Rice's Mayfair Witches Season One

It’s not that Alexandra Daddario is wrong for the role.
---
Read more of Shawn's article at the link in our profile!

#AnneRice #MayfairWitches #AlexandraDaddario #JackHuston #AnnabethGish #TonjayiChirisa #HarryHamlin #BethGrant
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Anything Joes: Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Anything Joes: S01E53 - One Man Show

Greg goes it alone as he talks about his recent acquisitions, as well as thoughts on the HasLab Skystriker, the new Classified Outback & Cover Girl, and more!
---
Watch and listen to @anythingjoespod at the link in our profile!

#AnythingJoes #HasLab #Skystriker #Outback #CoverGirl #GIJoe #GIJoeClassified
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Cahiers du Hor Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Cahiers du Horror 11: Director Roundup March 2023

Great horror films are all over the place right now, kind of like blood splatter.
---
Read more of Fred's article at the link in our profile!

#CahiersDuHorror #EduardoSanchez #RichardRaaphorst #DamienLeone #RuwanSureshHeggleman #MikeMendez #AlejandroBrugues #DemianRugna #GigiSaulGuerrero
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Lost in Transl Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Lost in Translation 433: Wednesday (2023)

The series follows Wednesday Addams as she goes to the Nevermore Academy to avoid having to stand trial for attempted murder.
---
Read more of Scott's article at the link in our profile!

#LostInTranslation #Wednesday #Netflix #JennaOrtega #LuisGuzman #CatherineZetaJones #GwendolineChristie #ChristinaRicci #EmmaMeyers #MoosaMostafa #FredArmisen #VictorDorubantu #CharlesAddams
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Latest Columns

  • Women in Horror: Andrée Melly

    Fred L. Taulbee Jr.
    March 22, 2023
  • Anything Joes: S01E54 – Classified Conniption

    Greg Engle
    March 17, 2023
  • Lost in Translation 434: Tales from the Loop (2020)

    Scott Delahunt
    March 17, 2023

TWITTER

My Tweets

Look Who's Talking

Shawn EH
Shawn EH - 3/1/2023
Lost in Translation 432: Star Trek: Lower Decks (Season 1)
Love lower decks. That blend of comedy and drama is very well-balanced, and the pathos is earned...
Shawn EH
Shawn EH - 2/28/2023
Lost in Translation 433: Wednesday (2023)
I started watching Wednesday with Episode 4 (the one with the dance sequence that became a thing on...
millyleu
millyleu - 12/10/2022
Anything Joes: S01E47 – G.I. Joe #15 / Red Eye To Miami!
But he is cute as a cat though 😁 DN.M6K2M.ME/y9928YW
RSSTwitterFacebookinstagramtumblr

Archives

Large_rectangle_336X280
All work on this site is Copyright © each individual writer.
  • PDI Press
    • PDI Press Catalog
    • PDI Press Writers
      • Fiction
  • Columns A-D
    • A Fistful of Dollar Comics
    • ABCs of Horror
    • All Binge… No Purge
    • Anything Joes
    • Beautiful Creatures
    • Big Eyes Smart Mouth
    • Big Sleeps and Long Goodbyes
    • Cahiers du Horror
    • Dispatches From the Field
    • Drive-In Saturday
    • Dungeons & D-Listers
  • Columns F-P
    • The Final Girl
    • First Looks… Second Thoughts
    • The Flesh is Weak
    • Innocence and Experience
    • Lost in Translation
    • Page to Screen
    • Popcorn Cinema
    • Psycho Essentials: The ’80s!
  • Columns S-Z
    • Schlock & Awe
    • Shakespeare on Film
    • Shot for Shot
    • Sick Flix
    • Unnatural Selections
    • Versus
    • Video Word Made Flesh
    • We Got Lists
    • Women in Horror
    • The Xeno File
    • Zombies 101
  • Reviews
    • Books
    • Comics
    • DVD/Blu-ray
    • Movies
    • TV
    • Series
  • Interviews
  • News
    • Trailers
  • Psychos
  • Merchandise
%d bloggers like this: