Four TV shows that explain the mess we're in...

Great art always helps make sense of things. Reframe our perspective, uncover hidden truths, connect with an emotional reality.

We expect this from the classic disciplines - painting, cinema, literature, theatre. But rarely do we anticipate that from Television. Mostly, TV is an escape, a distraction, background noise.

Yet in the past decade or so, Television has emerged as a real source of art. From the anti-hero narratives of the Sopranos and Breaking Bad, the satire of Mad Men, to the Shakespearean drama of Deadwood and Succession, TV now can illuminate and educate like never before. Amongst the reality show deluge and cable news sludge - you can sometimes find truth on your streaming service.

Today I’d like to share four shows that - in recent years - have floored me with their insight and revelation. Each of these has in some way sparked a light bulb in my brain about how our world was shaped, what we’re facing as a society, and how the threads of history and human behavior influence our lives like unknowable ghosts.

Documentaries, dramas, comedies. Each of the following is not only a damn good watch, but a powerful scripture to review, process, and interpret for meaning.

They will make your brain work…if you’re into that sort of thing.

Enjoy!

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Turning Point - The Bomb and the Cold War (Netflix)

This documentary series is an investment of time - 9 episodes long - but well worth it. As a student of history and having lived through much of the Cold War, I thought I knew a thing or two. But each episode of this brought new insights, ‘Ah ha’ moments where you suddenly understood “That’s why they acted in that manner…” or “How did we not see that coming?”

The overall result is a greater appreciation of two - somewhat contradictory - truths. First, that we are floating on the trends and tides of historical channels, subject to the actions and decisions of others long ago. And second, that individuals can suddenly change the trajectory. Robert Oppenheimer can orchestrate one of the most complex engineering projects in history and build the first atom bomb. Joesph Stalin can murder his own people and envelop his country into a perpetual shadow of suspicion. Reagan and Gorbachev can - you know - actually talk.

Watching this continually reminded me how much personal bitterness and aggrieved ego merged with the currents of societal and technological change to shape the world we live in. It’s all there - Trump, Putin, Ukraine, China, Bush, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yeltsin, and Obama.

All under the specter of nuclear holocaust…which still lurks as a quiet backdrop to the news of today.

Chernobyl (HBO Max)

A brilliant dramatization of the 1986 tragedy, I have watched this series at least 3 times. If nothing else, the production values alone make this a must watch. The production design - recreating 1980’s Soviet life - is mesmerizing. You feel the grit of Moscow, the idealism of Soviet science, the grandeur of the Kremlin, the mundane coffee mugs and vodka bottles of everyday life, and the terror of radiation flung upon an unsuspecting populace.

But the core themes of this series relate all too well to our lives today. The danger of hiding the truth, of institutional lies and keeping things hidden. The peril of not standing up to the authorities when you know they are wrong, and how lives will be lost due to moral cowardice and fear. Yet the show offers hope - highlighting the courage of those who spoke up, the clarity of science and scientists who alone could diagnose the dangers, and the tragic story of everyday people - firemen, miners, soldiers - who just rolled up their sleeves and set about solving the damn problem, sometimes at the expense of their lives.

One of the best compliments a movie or TV show can receive is that it drives you to learn more. After viewing Chernobyl for the first time, I immediately went out and bought a book to dig in further. It’s that compelling.

Shrinking (Apple TV)

Brought to you by some of the genius minds that created Ted Lasso, Shrinking brings a comedic sense to this list. On paper, it’s the story of a group of psychologists who share an office and deal with the drama of their patients. Intermixed are the tales of the family and friends, neighbors and colleagues who all work to navigate life and support one another.

In reality it’s about grief, trauma, and the inability of some people (mostly men) to accept that they need help and are in pain. The stubbornness of the main characters - who look to solve other peoples’ problems as a distraction from facing their own - taps into a deep reality of the psyche of many Americans. The show smartly peals back assumptions about American masculinity - revealing it to be a barrier to happiness in many cases, and an outright lie in many others.

If that sounds like a drag to watch, it’s not. Shrinking both uplifts and provides belly laughter, with great characters to engage with and enjoy. Like many great TV shows - it makes you think “Why can’t life be like this…?”

Plus, Harrison Ford alone makes the show must see TV, with an amazing performance that is hilarious, heartbreaking, and original.

Andor (Disney+)

I am not the only person preaching the genius of Andor. Star Wars or not, it’s one of the best things I’ve watched in 10 years. Famously, it goes where no Star Wars product has gone before, dealing with directly with sex, genocide, rape, murder, media manipulation, guilt, and the costs of revolution. Rarely does a childhood fixture grow up with you. Andor steps into adulthood knowingly, and has messages for us all.

Scenes from Andor have produced some of the most intense television I have encountered. The prison break from Narkina 5, the Ghorman Massacre, the wedding of Mon Mothma’s daughter and her subsequent escape from Coruscant, the capture and death of Luthen. Each mini-arc raises your heart rate. But the first season’s finale…the Ferris Funeral March - is pure, stress-inducing drama. Watching that episode tightens one’s veins and causes sweat to pebble on your forehead. When - in the middle of the episode - the funeral dirge played by the mourners changes pace and accelerates, you can’t help but hold your breath for what’s about to happen.

Andor tells us about price of rebellion, highlighting the sacrifices necessary to protect those we love and fight oppression. It also explores the bureaucracy of evil - how little, small administrative decisions build and grow to create institutional horror. How small egos and petty grievances fester and turbocharge the machinery of hate. You watch the depiction of members of the Empire and the Imperial Security Bureau (ISB) selling their souls for scraps of professional advancement, and think about actual three-letter agencies working across America today.

Andor might be a forecast. A recipe. A playbook for our near future.

It certainly is a warning.

Parting Proclamation

Words, wit, and wisdom.

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Disclaimer:

All content and opinions are solely those of the author (Jack), and not representative of my employer, former employers, anyone in Congress, my family, former college roommates, Baptists, the good citizens of Colorado, or my dog Mabel.