5 things to know this week: Viola Davis lashing out at critics proves a time-honored point

I have a few things on my mind, so let's spin the record.

Dear Viola Davis,

Your new television show, “The First Lady,” hasn’t been received well by critics or audiences. Sorry. Boohoo. It’s still early but your attempt at Emmy gold may be lost. Playing Michelle Obama seemed like a sure thing, but the reaction wasn’t stellar. Attention spans are being lost by the second, and you feel as if your creative power is being left out in the cold. Welcome to the life of being a writer, Viola.

Outside of that, the Hulu Original drama series, “The First Lady,” will play on. There are still episodes to debut, and the consensus could shift. If not, you were paid. Settle down, and stop taking shots at critics fairly slamming your show. According to her, we don’t serve any purpose.

That’s funny. A different beat was being preached when the tide was turning in your favor. That’s how it goes for all walks of life, income be damned. Sometimes, you’re up. Sometimes, you’re down. All of the time, you feel like what you are doing isn’t good enough but that’s life. Davis proves a long time point that keeps getting proved with every creative outburst.

They love you when they’re up and you’re singing their praises. But the second you put down something they worked on, the worth and care for one’s job and existence goes out the window. Who is surprised? Actors are taught to be beloved or else. If they aren’t getting our love, someone else is and that’s not allowed.

But, there’s a right and wrong way to react to it. Ask George Clooney about playing Batman. Have fun with it, because you did receive a check and most likely a very good one. One that can hold you for quite a bit, but you’re hungry and want to leapfrog off this role onto another. I get it, but react better than Viola next time.

-React better than Giovanny Gallegos does with two outs and a 2-1 lead in the ninth inning. After some great counts worked by the New York Mets and an uncommon throwing error from Nolan Arenado, the St. Louis Cardinals jack of all trades induced a grounder to Paul Goldschmidt at first, who dove for the stop and hit prevention. He had the toss ready for the covering party at first, but Gallegos was slow getting there.

The two Mets runners were off with the pitch, and scored on the play. Suddenly, a 2-1 lead was a 3-2 deficit and Busch Stadium was as quiet as church. It just goes to show you that the game of baseball can rehabilitate your heart and slam it to the ground inside an hour. The scoreless pitching duel between Miles Mikolas and Max Scherzer was handed off to the bullpens, and New York prevailed.

There’s a few ways to look at the defeat. One is to blame Arenado for botching a play he makes 9.5 times out of ten. Another is blaming Gallegos for not reacting to the grounder and getting to first base faster. Fundamentals, or a lack thereof, lose more games than people realize.

Another is seeing the lack of stoppers the Cardinals have in their bullpen. No offense to Gallegos, who is a great everyman, but the Mets weren’t exactly getting fooled by him. Most first basemen don’t knock down that sharp grounder like Goldschmidt did, so I could say the reliever received some luck with his poison in the outing.

But, like the great we all idolize and can’t do without, things didn’t go the Cardinals way. A trustworthy glove-a guy who has won nine consecutive Gold Gloves-misplays a grounder, and a reliever doesn’t execute a basic fundamental. Shit happens on a daily basis in this game.

-Tonight, Jordan Hicks takes the hill for the 9-6 Birds to turn the tide back in St. Louis’s direction. Finally, Cardinal Nation gets their first look at the reliever-turned-starter. Be patient. Hicks as a starter is a work in progress and deserves the utmost of hesitant analyzation. 2-3 clean innings would be a big win.

The excitement should balance out the uneasiness around Hicks’ beginnings in the rotation. The new age of baseball philosophy means a team must be multi-faceted and less burdened by classic roles. Closers could be two or three fellas, and the sixth man that could start or provide long relief is a premium. Thank you, Andrew Miller. He changed the game, and Hicks is the by-product of that ambitious movement.

-Today is a perfect one, weather wise. Breezy and sunny, with the temp hovering around 60. This is the kind of weather I could handle year round. Familiar saying one could say, but that doesn’t make it any less true.

Day drinking with the old man is a treasure that won’t lose any weight. One could say it could diminish after the next couple of hangouts, but there’s something unique about an out-of-nowhere stop by the house that turns into a trip to Columbo’s Bar and Swade Cannabis Dispensary.

You never know where the road will take you, especially when Richard Buffa is driving. The adventure continues tonight.

-Trust a show that leaves you wanting more the second it stops. I’m not talking about a longing that develops 20 minutes after the next movie or show you watch ends. An immediate yearning. Outer Range and Better Call Saul are those types of shows. The former is being released by Amazon Prime at a two-episode-per-week pace, while The AMC Network hit longtime Vince Gilligan lovers with a two-hour premiere of the sixth and final season.

“Outer Range” is ambitious and only places one foot in the science fiction theater, at least through four episodes. Josh Brolin and Lili Taylor anchor a very good cast about a pair of Wyoming ranching families that find their partnership and community threatened by the presence of a mysterious hole in the Earth. Brolin’s Royal Abbott is directly affected by it, resulting in some criminal activities that prove just how haunted his family could be. The film is like “Signs” meets “Yellowstone” with some other wild spices thrown in.

“Better Call Saul” is tremendous storytelling to the letter. Three episodes in and all one fan can do is count off the final hours of its two-part final season. The first part is running and gunning, while the second part hits in July. Bob Odenkirk and Rhea Seehorn are terrific in the lead, but it’s expert character work from Jonathan Banks and Michael Mando that really resonate early on this season. The little things are what Gilligan does so well.

Thanks for reading and goodnight.

Photo Credit: AMC Network