#15 - Deputy & The Skinwalker Ranch
A western cop show, and a western paranormal documentary coming to a screen near you soon!
Hey there! You're reading the Hackett-unsocial newsletter where I take a look at things that interest me. You'll find content about TV, movies, music, and more here. Be warned, sometimes I use bad language.
Okay, let's go!
Welcome to the first of my newsletters dedicated to TV shows and films that I am taking a look at. I’m not going to bore you with long diatribes or fawn endlessly about how wonderful such and such movie or show is. I’m going to try and keep each review under 250 words and include a scale from 1 to 11, with 1 being utter crap and 11 being a life-changing experience.
#DEPUTY
Deputy Bill Hollister, a career lawman who is very comfortable kicking down doors, but is utterly lost in a staff meeting, becomes acting sheriff of Los Angeles County when the sheriff drops dead.
So, Stephen Dorff stars as the aforementioned LA County Sheriff's Deputy Bill Hollister, a character from a Western shoehorned into modern Los Angeles.
Hollister is the Deputy of the L.A. Mounted Patrol who is suddenly promoted to Sheriff of the city when the man he’s replacing unexpectedly dies from a heart attack. A bygone city law dictates the chain of succession, and while the powers that be try to replace Hollister he decides to completely overhaul the police force.
I'm only two episodes in and I love it. Hollister's assigned partner/bodyguard/driver, Deputy Brianna Bishop, is suitably badass which impresses the curmudgeonly Sheriff. There have been car chases, shoot-outs, kidnappings and horses. All of the main protagonists are likeable, and there are some great baddies.
I give this show a 6/11 score (based on the two episodes watched).
Deputy is available to watch via Mubi.
#THE CURSE OF SKINWALKER RANCH
A team of scientists and experts conduct a thorough search in one of the most infamous and secretive hotspots of paranormal and UFO-related activities on earth, The Skinwalker Ranch. They attempt to find out the truth behind more than 200 years of mysteries - involving everything from UFO sightings and paranormal activities to animal mutilations and Native American legends of a shape-shifting creature known simply as as "The Skinwalker."
I'm always a little sceptical of these documentaries. I certainly enjoy the subject matter, although I'm not a big believer of much of the phenomena portrayed here. But that being said, there are elements of this show that reassure me that it is not just some scripted, semi-fictional series (think Finding Bigfoot et al).
Again, I'm only a few episodes in, and I have to admit, I'm keen to find out what happens next. The thing is, out here in the real world, I haven't read anything, anywhere that suggests that a significant revelation has been found in Utah. Frustrating, but entertaining if you throw your brain out for an hour.
I give this show an 8/11 score (based on four episodes watched).
The Curse of Skinwalker Ranch is available to watch on History Channel.
That’s it from me for now, until next time, adieu.