Buffa’s Buffet: 5 things on my mind, including a great Idris Elba show
Let’s get into it as the heat in STL returns.
Welcome back, friends. Loyal readers. Pals via the written word. It’s that time of the week where I let it rip, The Bear style, on a variety of topics. Cardinals. Movies. T.V. shows. The usual still works, right? I don’t understand the need to constantly change. Evolving happens without constant shuffling.
However, before I keep it real and go after a few pesky thoughts stuck in my head, allow me to offer up a question. A desire I have is to hear back from the people who subscribe and dedicate a few minutes of reading to my work. What are your thoughts on me renaming the site to a more appropriate, “Ramble On, Buffa?”
Appropriate as in you are telling me to ramble on, instead of the current title literally telling you to ramble on with me. That’s not what’s going on here, folks. I am rambling, you’re listening and commenting, and the clock continues to run. Who knows where I had the original idea? It must have been the complete look that the “with Buffa” provided.
Screw it. Let me know what you think of the proposed change in the comments (there’s a catch), or via email at buffa82@gmail.com. Or, swing by the house and yell it at me.
Let’s get into it. Five things on my mind, or that I am pretty sure of.
5) Television show to watch
I’ll hand it to Apple TV Plus. They make compelling entertainment. Genre series that step into other genres, changing the tempo and adding unpredictable edges to the story. Black Bird was excellent, giving Taron Egerton the stage to blow us away again, and the late Ray Liotta a lasting shot of his talent before he suddenly died last year.
The latest gem from their streaming department stars the ever talented Idris Elba in a show called Hijack. He’s an unlikely negotiator and double-sided passenger on a plane that’s been hijacked on its way to London. While you know Elba’s character is thinking in righteous terms, it’s hard to get an idea on what timeline his plan sits on. In other words, the actor delivers another exemplary performance.
He’s a true star, balancing this starring role and the one he continues in Luther. Add that to the multi-faceted film and television resume carried onto the tumultuous flight, and it’s an impressive career.
But the signature element of this taut, 90s thriller-type delight is what the camera doesn’t show you. A key character is killed right after an episode ends; the first scene in the next episode only shows you her feet, and the reaction from the other passengers. Other action sequences choose the “less is more” approach with gore, and it works well with the slow-burn tale.
Best part: Only seven episodes. A lesser network would have packed 3-5 episodes of fluffy uselessness into the lean and mean plot. Thankfully, not the case here. Ah, such a blabbermouth. More rambling ahead, but that was the free tease. Now’s the time to consider subscribing for my thoughts on the state of the Cardinals and what to expect from the Blues this winter.
4) Say when, Cardinals
Here’s a way to look at this team moving forward.
They need two starting pitchers, on the better side of solid, for their weak 2024 rotation. An ace-type and then a pure innings-eating machine. A guy like Lance Lynn fills the second role and would be cheap, but the team needs a killer in the top slot.
A rejuvenated Steven Matz and steady Miles Mikolas doesn’t push them to 1-2 status. It’s not happening. In a perfect world, someone would supply Chris Carpenter with a new nerve for his right arm, so he could place a better bow on a great career. Alas, back to reality.
So, look at their moves this coming offseason and during next season’s trade deadline for a route to understanding their intentions over the next few seasons. If they just go out and sign a middle of the pack, moderately nice starter and pack it in… they’re not changing much. Possible contention, keep raking in the dough.
But if they go out and sign two legit starters, then they’re finally thinking about maximizing the value of the final MVP-caliber years for Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt. In other words, go for it.
Ha. Insert joke here. I don’t think #2 happens. Sorry, folks, but the money and the dude abide. Mo-Witt are making money via home games and television ratings. Bally’s and the 2023 season may be burning ships, but people continue to watch. They also keep paying big dollars to go to Busch Stadium. Would you change things?
Reminder: They’re not like Tom Stillman and Doug Armstrong, which gets me to the next topic.
3) Hockey is almost back
Have you noticed August is sprinting away from us? Tomorrow will chop through a third of summer’s last real raging month in St. Louis. That means Blues hockey is right around the corner. Armstrong and Stillman aren’t promising a Stanley Cup run at all, but you still get the feeling they’re not stepping out of the ring for long.
2019 changed things. Armstrong made a string of moves that clicked, and Stillman finally got the Cup that had eluded St. Louis. That was only four summers ago, so the kettle hasn’t gone cold. The 2022-23 season was a disappointment, not an abomination like the current Cardinals season.
The Blues can reload, and contend this winter. I don’t think Armstrong would tell fans that a playoff spot is a sure thing--at least not in 2023-24. The defense needs a lot of work, and you can’t win playoff games without it. Getting into the postseason will be a feat next year, unless Armstrong pulls off a deadline heist.
This team is a move or two away from being a surefire playoff contender. Then again, they won’t be as bad as the baseball team. And fighting and hitting is allowed in hockey. That’s always a nice bonus.
2) A Mexican restaurant bone to pick
There’s one reason someone orders the quesadilla fajita at a Mexican restaurant. It’s like the deluxe Crunch Wrap that Taco Bell can’t provide. An order of fajitas and lots of cheese stuffed in between a big ass, warm ass tortilla. Grilled and sliced with side effects including string cheese from the food to the mouth.
It’s not too hard to mess up. Recently, a local restaurant did indeed mess it up. I don’t want to give out names, but it rhymes with Da Batrina. I couldn’t decide between fish tacos and a burrito fajita, so I pulled the anchor and ordered something different. A quesadilla fajita with shrimp.
A single basket of chips and a waitress who carried the energy of Harrison Ford during press interviews later, my order arrived. It probably saw the grill for six seconds. The tortilla was keeping nothing together, and the ingredients were cooked but nowhere near cohesive.
I don’t think it’s much of a climb to put this together, but it’s just the latest dish in a string of mediocre results from this formerly strong establishment. Eating local is a prideful thing to boost, but the results not being there means hard-earned money spent was wasted on a rather easy dish. The good thing is that my area has plenty of contenders.
1) Have faith in Peacock’s The Continental
Derek Kolstad wrote John Wick and Nobody, creating this hypnotic hitman world that has become the popular ingredient in a lot of new movies. He’s a talented writer who gave us highly engaging entertainment. He’s behind the latest expansion of the Wick franchise, the upcoming Peacock series called The Continental.
The three-part TV show takes us back to the younger days of Ian McShane’s Winston, right when he got into the prestigious society of killers and their handlers. Mel Gibson playing a villainous mafia heavy looks like a lot of fun for the aging-just-fine star, and the action matches the style of the movies. Chad Stahelski and Keanu Reeves aren’t around (for now), but that’s fine.
Chapter Four was a kitchen sink movie, so taking a step back into the past before Ana de Armas’s Ballerina arrives is fitting. Kolstad’s involvement has me giddy, but the cast is terrific and stuffed with great actors. Ray McKinnon, Jeremy Bobb, Peter Greene, Katie McGrath, Ben Robson, and more. The contained limited series aspect is also very appealing. Keep it tight, and it’ll be alright.
That’s all for this week. Have a nice weekend, and be kind to one another out there.