My Week On Netflix – 16th April 2017

It’s been a rather busy time at home over the last seven days so unlike normal I only had the chance to watch a couple of things on Netfix in the past seven days. However, what was missing in quantity was more than made up for in quality…

TV – Once Upon A Time (Season 6, Episode 16 – Mother’s Little Helper)

Another cracking episode this week of the complex, but fun and enchanting fantasy series. This weeks was full of drama and twists as usual but this time focusing on trust, alliances and betrayal and a major new development and change for one of the show’s regular characters. It’s really a show that’s hard to talk about to those who haven’t seen it without making myself sound like a complete fool (describing earlier seasons where Anna and Elsa from Frozen meet up with Snow White, and the Wicked Witch of the West just happens to be hanging around for example…) but this was a great episode that had me glued to the television from start to finish.

TV – iZombie (Season 3, Episode 2 – Zombie Knows Best)

Back from the serious tone of the season opener, this kicks off with a double murder – a father and daughter killed in a hit and run. Liv needs to feed her hunger (and obviously help solve the crime) but as her zombie boyfriend hasn’t fed for a while either he takes advantage of the second brain on offer so they shared a freshly cooked meal in the morgue… This episode is a little more complex that many we’ve seen in the first two seasons but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The first thing that I was glad to see was the return of some much needed humour, provided by the role-reversal father-daughter dynamic that in the story with Liv and . Both play the parts brilliantly and it complements the more serious overtones of the rest of the episode remarkably well.

That brings me onto another aspect of this season. As the role of each character has developed, each is getting more of a deeper storyline to themselves and is able to branch out without just being there in the traditional sidekick role. This time Detective Babineaux takes centre stage following up on a brutal slaying of three zombies, one of whom was his former neighbour…

While the season is only two episodes in, this is an incredibly strong story and bodes well for the rest of the season. While it has incredibly powerful emotional scenes throughout for Babineaux’s element of the episode, it’s countered perfectly with the investigation being conducted by Liv, making for a near perfect blend of drama and comedy and made the entire episode an utter joy to watch.

Documentary – I Am Your Father

I found this documentary purely by chance when looking through the Recently Added section on Netflix. It’s a 90 minute documentary about Star Wars actor Dave Prowse, better known as the man behind the mask who played Darth Vader from 1977 to 1983 in the original Star Wars trilogy. It follows his early career, his work in the movies, and a rift that developed between him and the studio following a couple of incidents that took place culminating in tension that has continued to this day.

In parallel, it follows a passionate Spanish film-maker and lifelong Star Wars fan who has reached out to him to try to correct an injustice that took place when Return Of The Jedi was made… replacing Dave Prowse with actor Sebastian Shaw for the final unmasking of Vader…

I wasn’t too sure what to expect of the film to be honest. Some behind the scenes documentaries take a “warts and all” approach and don’t pull any punches, others look back with rose tinted glasses and don’t even attempt to look at anything remotely negative that happened in the past but that’s not the case here. Everything is handled sensitively and everyone involved is treated with respect. Naturally, the film is told from Prowse’s point of view but throughout there are interviews with many of his colleagues at the time at Lucasfilm including several fellow Sta Wars cast members.

It was quite saddening at times to watch events unfold and to learn of some things that happened behind the lens as the movies were made. It felt as if Prowse were being treated very differently to the rest of the cast simply because he wasn’t visible on screen. For such a genuinely nice guy who I had the pleasure of meeting about a decade ago, it’s something that nobody deserves, let alone one of the film’s main cast members.

To say that I “enjoyed” watching it is probably an inappropriate term but I was engrossed throughout. It was a fascinating tale of someone who played such a pivotal role in some of the greatest movies of all time and then was tossed aside so casually and forgotten. A must watch for any Star Wars fan.


As I only watched a few things this week, I’m keeping my summary brief as well and I’m not going to be harsh on any of this week’s viewing…

Highlight Of The Week: I Am Your Father

So what have you been watching this week? Let us know in the comments below!

About Simon Plumbe 202 Articles
Husband, father and lifelong geek. Originally from the West Midlands, now spending my days in South Wales with my family and a house full of animals. Passionate about video games, especially retro gaming, the Commodore 64 and PlayStation Vita. Love pro wrestling, sci-fi and I'm an animal lover and vegetarian. Enjoyed this and my other articles? Why not buy me a coffee: http://ko-fi.com/simonplumbe

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