1. Trick 22 (Catch 22) - a black comedy based on the novel of the same name by Joseph Heller. 1944. Captain John Yossarian (among his Yo-Yo) serves in the bomber regiment. He is tired of war and dreams of getting away from the "theater of war". To get out in reserve, a soldier must make a certain number of combat missions.
However, the regiment commander, serving in front of the top command, constantly raises the "bar", and pulled it so high that it became almost impossible to leave the army.
And then Yo-Yo tries to invoke madness because this disease is the official reason for exclusion from flying. But according to the decree, you have to file a personal petition to the command and... here comes into force the "trick-22". Because, in the opinion of your superiors, filing a petition is a clear sign of common sense. The circle is closed.
I will start by saying that the attitude to the Second World War in the U.S. and Russia is very different, so "watch/not watch" the series decide for yourself.
Don't look if the topic of the Second World War is inviolable for you, and joke about it "don't dare! It shows the war from some parallel universe; a "fun" war like this, but with a note of sadness for your fallen comrades. Pilots make combat missions, and in their spare time they sunbathe, drink beer, smoke cigars, play volleyball and hang out with prostitutes...
By the way, Joseph Heller joined the U.S. Air Force in 1942 and made 60 combat missions on a B-25 bomber. At the military base in Italy, he met the prototype of Yo-Yo - gunner Francis Johannen. So Heller knows first-hand about life at the military base.
But if you can abstract from what is possible and what is impossible - look at Trick 22, give the show a chance.
I confess I did not immediately manage to "abstract". At first, GG caused a lot of questions. Why is a combat officer trying to get away from the flights? Moreover, in order to get away, he is ready to "bring everyone under the monastery", and he himself is cowardly to remain silent on the sidelines. How so?
But on the other hand, John flew away everything he was supposed to do, and according to his charter, he was supposed to (!) be sent home on 35 missions back home. It is not his fault that he has a supervisor who is a self-minded person and changes the number of flights "at his own will, at his own will". Two and two did not add up at all.
In order not to discourage you from watching the show, I will step on the throat principles - one tiny spoiler. Closer to the middle of the story, John was not so bad, and the "ugly duckling" turned into a normal guy.
George Clooney (All Ocean's friends) and Luke Davis (Lion) did their best.
In Catch-22 very subtly intertwined satire, sarcasm, irony, ridicule and the tragic realities of war.
The head of the dining room and his trade alliance, the awarding of the extraordinary military rank of "major" to the fledgling lieutenant, only because his father named him Major and his surname Major; contractual night raid on the U.S. military base; the arrival of the colonel in the "liberated" Bologna ... and all this marasmus "strengthens" against the background of the death of friends and fellow soldiers Yo-Yo.
Sometimes, so suddenly in the "mirror world of absurdity" comes the truth of life that you are forced to put the series on pause, in order to digest what you saw.
Trick 22 - does not pretend to be a "masterpiece". This is a very decent adaptation of the book in retro style, with excellent actors and soundtrack.
By the way, Joseph Heller always claimed that his novel "pacifist signal to the world and any war is only destruction, pain and suffering.
This is especially true today when everyone who is not lazy and tries to unleash a war on a local scale.
2. What/If - a young microbiologist (let's call her She) tries to make thick bags invest in their promising startup. Runs around Silicon Valley with a presentation talk about a genius idea in the hope that there is a billionaire with a good heart and will help cure many children of cancer. However, philanthropists and philanthropists have gone somewhere; and here, as hell from a snuffbox, there appears a mysterious and not poor Ann Montgomery. She agrees to sponsor a noble undertaking and will unburden herself of a very substantial sum in return for...one night with a wonderful husband of a microbiologist.
Does it remind you of anything? Yes, come on! Good old melodrama Indecent Proposal.
Ehhhhh! If it was the only "trouble" of the series, I would be delicately silent about it - it is always possible to tell a familiar story in such a way that it will play with new colors and facets, to the delight of the enthusiastic audience. Everything depends on the talents of the storyteller.
Alas, in the series What If "trouble is in trouble and trouble chases.
I will start with the "heart" of the series - the plot. Why stretch the story for ten episodes, if you have nothing to say?
I had the feeling that the writers wrote three completely different scenarios:
1. The husband-wife "before" and "after" expensive sex with a rich Ann;
2. Another couple with their "rattles in the hut";
3. A couple of gay men go through the "path of enlightenment" under the "sensitive" guidance of a gay guru!
But since none of the writers were able to cover the show "long in season", so they "chipped in" and joined forces. They made friends with everybody, added a couple of enemies, brought the thriller elements, diluted the action with spicy bed scenes, and, voila, we got one scenario for everyone. To put it simply, we "made" from what we had, and then we filmed what we had.
It was shot, though, well. You won't dig in.
But what happened to the selection of actors? Did the casting producers oversleep? What is the Karabas-Barabas theatre with wooden toys? Or the entire budget went to the fee of Renee Zellweger, and the rest of the taken to "change"?
Everything, I stop "kicking the lying" and summarize. The series What if a simple no-to-triller, no-to-melodrama, no-to-drama, but generously flavored with scenes of same-sex love (homophobic warning for you).
The Guardian wrote the best of all about this series:
"What/If it's hard to explain. It's not the best show you've ever seen. It's not even the worst show ever. It may be the worst show, but again, it may be the worst show. Honestly, I'm at a dead end".