Episode 126: John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (Bonus: True Detective: Night Country)

We’re thinking we’re back… for another round of “Wick Month” and the third film in the John Wick series! But, before we get into that, the boys have a few bones to pick about "True Detective: Night Country" and the discourse around it (seriously, everybody, put down your phones and stop tweeting… including the people involved in the show). There were things that we liked about "Night Country" but, sadly, there was a lot more that we didn’t. We talk about both what was done right and what went wrong, using the well-meaning themes and messages of the show as armour against criticism and why that’s bad, people going full smooth brain mode online and the insanely rabid discourse around the show, the death of nuanced discussion (again lol), and more. The show left us lacking… but it wasn’t necessarily the ideas found therein that bummed us out. It was the execution of those ideas and choices in production and storytelling. Otis thinks it should have been a movie and PALMREADER thinks it needed two more episodes. They share their thoughts about why they feel that way and touch on the divisive ending. Do we really need a season 5? It doesn’t matter, we’re getting one. Buckle up. Then, it’s back to the world of assassins and the High Table! This movie is TIGHT. It is so much fun, so well made, and gnarly as all hell. “John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum”, released in 2019 and directed again by Chad Stahelski, keeps the momentum going and builds upon everything that made “Chapter 2” so great while introducing the audience to the wider world, new characters, more action, and insane use of weaponry. The film picks up moments after our titular hero is labeled “Excommunicate” and is now facing off against the entire world of assassins. Otis remarks how similar this movie is to a video game and shares why doing it that way works so well in the context of the action genre, this story, and just in general. We break down all the levels, all the boss fights, most of the crazy kills and action sequences, and just gush over how much fun these movies are to watch. Talk about reinventing the wheel! Wick uses a horse as a weapon! Hell yeah. Animal on human violence! We also give some background on the film, share some fun trivia about the filming and training, discuss Halle Berry’s dogs and how awesome they are, praise the shotgun sequence and final fights, and unpack the sneaky precision and care with which these films are made. There is a surprising amount of depth and care that goes into each of these movies which makes them insanely rewatchable. Plus, they just keep getting better? Truly wild stuff. We ask, is this the best action franchise ever and does it have the most “hell yeah” moments per capita? Probably. We also talk about the great new cast members and their performances, specifically Halle Berry as “Sofia”, Asia Kate Dillon as “The Adjudicator”, and Mark Dacascos as “Zero”. We praise the series’ show-not-tell style of exposition and the use of new locations to build out the lore surrounding Wick and his fellow assassins. We give Keanu Reeves his flowers and marvel at him being almost 60, hitting his stride, reinventing himself, being a genuinely good dude, and still doing it big. Honestly, we kind of just gush about this movie for an hour and a half. Can you blame us? It rips. We’ll be back next week with the final film of the series. It’s time to bring the hurting the High Table. See you then! INITIATE BIRD PROTOCOL! Follow us on Instagram! Instagram: @palmreadr @otismorrisdude