What Are Travis and Elaine Watching‪?‬ Travis Rink and Elaine Ewing

Visit our website, What Are Travis and Elaine Watching?, for lots of videos, pix, links, and extras!


Oz: the one that kicked it all off!
Before The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, Mad Men, The Wire, or any of the great shows known as the Television Renaissance, there was Oz.
And now, 24 years after it first debuted as HBO's first original drama, the entire series is available on HBO Max!
If you have never seen Oz, now is the time! Six full seasons, ready to binge. You'll see so many of your favorite actors on this show; you won't be able to keep count!

It's brutal
It's a social commentary
It's romance
It's comedy
It's musical
For Elaine, it's Tim McManus
For Travis, it's Ryan O'Reily
And just for shits and giggles, it's Claire Howe!
And... Shirley Bellinger
(video on our webpage)
If you've never seen Oz, lucky you!  If you haven't seen it in decades, go back!  You won't regret it. It was a game-changer.  Still on the fence? Here's a PARTIAL cast list! Come on!!!

Ernie Hudson, J.K. Simmons, Lee Tergesen, Dean Winters, George Morfogen, Terry Kinney, Rita Moreno, Harold Perrineau, Eamonn Walker, Luna Lauren Velez, Granville Adams, Tom Mardirosian, BD Wong, Chuck Zito, Scott William Winters, Christopher Meloni, Robert Clohessy, R.E. Rodgers, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Zeljko Ivanek, David Zayas, Anthony Chisholm, Edie Falco, Betty Buckley, Kathryn Erbe, John Lurie, Luis Guzmán, Rick Fox, Mark Margolis, Luke Perry, Tony Musante, Patti LuPone, Joel Grey, Kevin Conway, Edward Herrmann, Method Man, Frederick Koehler, Bobby Cannavale, Peter Criss, Anne Meara, Casey Siemaszko, Jonathan Demme, Gavin MacLeod, Frankie Faison, Roy Thinnes, Joyce Van Patten, Ally Sheedy, Ken Leung, Richard Bright, Eric Roberts, Elaine Stritch, L Cool J, Ben Vereen, Clarke Peters,   Peter Dinklage,

For pix, videos and extras go to our webpage.

Everybody's Talkin' ...
About Christopher Meloni this week so who are we not to jump on the bandwagon? But we have a few more recommendations too!

The One - Netflix
Our show recommendations deal with near-future technology and its impact on our personal and romantic lives.  The premise of The One is that scientists develop a DNA match formula that can match anyone who opts in with "the one" true love.  The premise is interesting, and the subplots are too. Would you want to know "the one?"  What if you are already married?
The One stars: Hannah Ware, Dimitri Leonidas, Diarmaid Murtagh and Zoë Tapper.

Made for Love  HBO Max
In this series, which is still airing new episodes on HBO, the story centers on a woman married to a reclusive tech mogul who finds out she has been implanted with a chip that "mind melds" a couple, claiming to make them as one. Ray Romano is perfect as the dad with an unusual romantic partner!
Made for Love stars Cristin Milioti, Billy Magnussen, Augusto Aguilera and Noma Dumezweni.

Christopher Meloni
Everybody's been talking for weeks about Chris Meloni's return to the Dick Wolf Law and Order universe and his iconic character, Elliot Stabler with Law and Order: Organized Crime, so we jumped on board. Elaine is a big CM fan, and Travis gained a whole new respect for Chris. Doing this episode inspired us to re-watch Oz, and we are digging it so much that we will devote a whole show to it next week! Listen to the show to hear what we thought of the SVU crossover, and enjoy these pix of Christopher Meloni!

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Check out our website TravisandElaine.com for lots of pix, videos, and extras!

Actor, writer, producer, director, and all-around badass, Ida Lupino is a Hollywood pioneer. Check out the show to discover this powerhouse woman or learn some things you may not know about her!
Actor!
Here are a few of our favorite movies starring Ida.
High Sierra
The Sea Wolf
They Drive by Night
Road House

Director (writer/producer)

The Hitch-Hiker
The Bigamist
As promised...
Though it's not an Ida Lupino movie, since we went off on a tangent about Edmond O'Brien and D.O.A., we're posting the full movie.


D.O.A. (Full Movie)  (see our website)



 

This week we hit both ends of the spectrum. First an American new show for kids, that grownups will love too, Next, a Brazilian comedy that is most definitely for adults only! 


Waffles and Mochi - NETFLIX
From Barack and Michelle Obama's production company, Higher Ground Productions, part of the massive deal between the Obamas and Netflix comes Waffles and Mochi. Create by Erika Thormahlen and Jeremy Konner (Drunk History)
It's a sweet journey where two best friends (Michelle Zamora and Piotr Michael) from the Land of Frozen Food travel to the city with a dream of being chefs. After hitching a ride with a food truck, discovering the world of fresh food at a supermarket owned by "Mrs. O" (Michelle Obama. They travel in a magic shopping cart learning about different foods (and lots) more with guests like Common and Jack Black and world-class chefs from around the world.
And then there's the music! Our favorite so far is "I'm a Fruit" by Sia.
Waffles and Mochi is a show for everybody. Watch it with your kids. Watch it with your grandkids. Watch it alone. Def watch it when you're stoned! (Elaine made a bad rhyme)

Hard (HBO MAX)
Hard is a fun, sexy Brazilian dramedy currently on HBO MAX.  We couldn't even find an English subtitled trailer, but trust us, it's subtitled on HBO MAX.  Easy 30 minute episodes; it kind of reminds us of Weeds, if the weed was porn. Check it out, don't think too hard about the donkey, and definitely don't Google the Brazilian Donkey show.  Elaine did, and she nearly went blind. 
Hard stars Natália Lage, Julio Machado (as the most loveable porn star), Denise Del Vecchio, Fernando Alves Pinto, and Nathália Falcão.
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This week we're talking about the WandaVision finale (just like everyone else) and a tight, sweaty little mystery series, Tell Me Your Secrets. But first…
Who's been vaccinated?
It seems like a free for all here in California, but we ain't complaining if more people get vaccinated. (Well, maybe a little.)

WandaVision  FINALE Disney+
Well, knock us over with a feather. We loved WandaVision! 
As those of you who listen to our podcast or follow us on social media, you're well aware that we are not "superhero people!" With the rare exception, like last year's Joker, we rarely give raves for the massively popular genre, especially the franchises.  
The lead cast was great from top to bottom Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, and one of our all-time favs, Kathryn Hahn. And the supporting cast was great, too, especially Teyonah Parris, Randall Park, Kat Dennings, and Evan Peters.
Then there's this little earworm
Agatha After All

Tell Me Your Secrets Prime Video
Recommended to us by a member of our WATAEW Facebook Group, Rick, we were drawn to it because Travis is a big Lily Rabe fan. But, once we started watching, Hamish Linklater and Amy Brenneman really stole the show. The show is a taut mystery that's begging for a season 2. It has a strong supporting cast, including Marque Richardson, Richard Thomas and Emiri Crutchfield, who you may remember as the young narrator of the most recent season of Fargo.
Travis recommends:
Travis loves Michelle Dockery. This week he recommends two shows (besides Downton) that she starred in, that you may have missed.
Good Behavior and Godless. 
Elaine def agrees, at least about Godless! 

This week we're talking about a show you may have missed on HBO Max, Years and Yearsand the role that won Andra Day the Golden Globe in The United States vs Billie Holiday
But first...After Elaine's rant last week about EDD, she gives an exciting update and advice for anyone with EDD woes. And, we talk about our winners of the Golden Globes polls in our Travis and Elaine Facebook Group. Join us!
Years and Years (HBO Max)
Years and Years is a six-part by the BBC/HBOlimited series created by Russell T. Davies, who’s written both science-fiction like Doctor Who and Torchwood drama like Queer as Folk(UK). Somehow we never watched this excellent show!!
The series follows the British Manchester-based Lyons family over 15 years. It looks very familiar to thos who love smart family dramas, but gives a unique view of how global, political, and technological advances impact us all, whether we are paying attention or not.
Years and Years stars one of our favorite actors,  Rory Kinnear, and the great Emma Thompson and has a solid supporting cast, including T'Nia Miller, Lydia West, Anne Reid and Maxim Baldry.
The United States vs Billie Holiday
HULU
Andra Day knocks it out of the park in this, her FIRST acting role! Currently, on HULU, the biopic boasts a strong supporting cast including Trevante Rhodes, and Natasha Lyonne.  But what about the true story of the iconic Billie Holiday?  We get into it all and what we really think of Lee Daniels take on the singer and the story.