I have to say that if there’s three words to describe the show so far it’s: discombobulated, slow, generic. I feel like this is one of those shows that has great creative production but is just ultimately held back by what it severely lacks in writing.
Holland seems like the wrong person for this character. To see a 27-year-old man playing a highschooler doesn't work for me. It definitely needed a more compelling actor than Tom Holland to make the show work as well as it should. (He didn’t exactly blow me away in Apple TV+ dud Cherry, either). Emmy Rossum is way too young to be Danny's mom. Speaking of which, I hope they have more scenes of Rossum because they’re pretty much under-utilising her in the first 3 episodes.
First episode it's something we have seen plenty of time - getting high, getting paid, getting laid: all the beats of teenage life are here. Episode 2 laid some focus on Ariana, who is unfortunately, a very boring character. I couldn’t care less about Danny's stupid crush. Not all stories need romance, and this was one of them. The focus on this particular storyline felt like a waste of time. Episode three is definitely better than the 1st two, so releasing the first 3 episodes was a good idea.
The Crowded Room is not bad but it’s also not good. It’s just an okay show. At best it’s boring and for anyone who has seen movies before this story is a lot more predictable than it is a mystery. This show could have been good, but instead, as of now, it’s ringing hollowly cliche.
I know the pacing is slow for a reason: to focus on the characters rather than the plot, as much as it's sold as a thriller. Sometimes the point of the story isn't how it ends but the journey it takes to get there. But still, I’ve felt like there has been a lot of unnecessary stuff in each episode. Like each episode could be cut by 20 minutes and it would be the same story. The mystery is not being interesting enough for the run time of 10 episodes.
If you don’t want to know how the show ends, don’t read or google the book.
Review by cutecruelBlockedParentSpoilers2023-06-12T19:40:26Z
Episodes 1-3.
I have to say that if there’s three words to describe the show so far it’s: discombobulated, slow, generic. I feel like this is one of those shows that has great creative production but is just ultimately held back by what it severely lacks in writing.
Holland seems like the wrong person for this character. To see a 27-year-old man playing a highschooler doesn't work for me. It definitely needed a more compelling actor than Tom Holland to make the show work as well as it should. (He didn’t exactly blow me away in Apple TV+ dud Cherry, either). Emmy Rossum is way too young to be Danny's mom. Speaking of which, I hope they have more scenes of Rossum because they’re pretty much under-utilising her in the first 3 episodes.
First episode it's something we have seen plenty of time - getting high, getting paid, getting laid: all the beats of teenage life are here. Episode 2 laid some focus on Ariana, who is unfortunately, a very boring character. I couldn’t care less about Danny's stupid crush. Not all stories need romance, and this was one of them. The focus on this particular storyline felt like a waste of time. Episode three is definitely better than the 1st two, so releasing the first 3 episodes was a good idea.
The Crowded Room is not bad but it’s also not good. It’s just an okay show. At best it’s boring and for anyone who has seen movies before this story is a lot more predictable than it is a mystery. This show could have been good, but instead, as of now, it’s ringing hollowly cliche.
I know the pacing is slow for a reason: to focus on the characters rather than the plot, as much as it's sold as a thriller. Sometimes the point of the story isn't how it ends but the journey it takes to get there. But still, I’ve felt like there has been a lot of unnecessary stuff in each episode. Like each episode could be cut by 20 minutes and it would be the same story. The mystery is not being interesting enough for the run time of 10 episodes.
If you don’t want to know how the show ends, don’t read or google the book.