12/24

Adapted from the book Stinger (1988) by Robert McCammon

Tale

Trapped on a farm in rural Georgia, a group of neighbors must put aside their differences and band together in the face of a mysterious and deadly threat. Mentioned on Korman Productions Deep Dive TV Podcast: Teacup on Peacock Deep Dive: S1 E1/2 “Think About the Bubbles”/”My Little Lighthouse” (2024).

It’s the television equivalent of watching paint dry, but with the occasional dark look that reminds you of something “big” could happen

Teacup on Peacock is another example of today’s TV trend of taking what could be an engaging story and stretching it out over eight episodes so slowly that you can practically watch the plot evaporate. The first six episodes are a masterclass in how to take ordinary, everyday activities—making tea, staring into space, exchanging sighs—and somehow expect them to build tension.

Because why answer the questions now when you can dangle the carrot of a solution forever out of reach?

And finally, as it all comes to a head in the final two episodes, you realize it’s just more of the same, only louder and faster. The series ends with just enough plot threads hanging — like an overworked writer forgetting to remove his Post-it notes — to suggest a possible season two.

Ultimately, Teacup proves that modern screenwriting has become the art of saying nothing at all on a grand scale

It’s binge-watching at its worst: a narrative that’s as tepid as its title and filled with enough empty space to make you question your life choices.