I have been a big fan of this team, and, though I hate to do it, this is just not doing it for me. It seems silly so far and the acting doesn't seem very good to me. I could see it turning around, but I could not make it through episode 2. I would love nothing more than to hear it recovered from a poor start and ends up becomes amazing.
Small things made this a little hard to say it's actually good. It's supposed to be really cold but the main character doesn't act like it. Touches the ice with her hands and shows no reaction. Can't see people's breath. I have to say the actor cast as the main character is not really good at acting. Miscast. The show was ehh because there was no character that I really cared about. I didn't care who did what. I liked that it was a lot like an Agatha Christie murder.
In the end we have a good show. A focused show with a story to tell and I can't understate how much that's appreciated. Buuuuut, there are issues. My first issue is our main character Darby Hart the "Gen Z amateur sleuth" and as I expected she's only "amateur" in the sense that she is literally not getting paid. I wasn't sure they were going to do that but they did. Darby isn't interesting as a sleuth. When you think about the great detectives Darby doesn't really do much detecting. She's not obsessed with deduction like Holmes. She's not obsessed with details like Monk. She doesn't create stories like Sean Spencer or Richard Castle. They try to mask it a bit but her thing is that she cares ("The dead speak to me"). To the exclusion of everything else most specifically to the exclusion of the relationships she has with the living. That's not bad per se. It's just not the character of a Gen Z amateur sleuth main character.
Then there's the tech. I mean it started off good. I'll say that. But the longer the show went the more I had to squint to ignore all the tech issues in this show. From awkward conversations ("Vee Eye or emacs") because somehow no one told them you pronounce it "V-eye" or that vim is a thing. The concept isn't just that eight guests are invited by a reclusive billionaire. It's eight hackers. Which makes Darby as a tech savvy hacker less interesting. I mean they do try to frame her as the "computer hacker" and everyone else as just in the sphere of various general hacking but nah everyone here is a level of computer hacker and they do make it a point to say that a few times. So when Darby hacks, it's like why? Why do I care about this? That combined with the flubs in tech representation both big and small kinda damage this tech-happy murder mystery.
What the show does do well is all the none screenplay bits. The acting, the filmwork, even the soundtrack that I recall. I wanted to keep watching. I expected to hate Darby and find her awkward but she's not. She's understandable. She's relatable. I care for her and wanted to see her struggle though even when she was making bad bad impulsive decisions. Emma Corrin just kinda shines even when the writing doesn't. Honestly she's not alone the entire cast was excellent. Especially looking back.
The murder mystery, like the show, started off well. I cared about the characters. I cared about the victim. I didn't lean anyway towards the suspects. Plenty of room and scary situations for Darby to navigate. It was a great recipe. No idea how the cake ended up tasting so bad though. The back end kinda flops. I don't think there were enough breadcrumbs for the killer's reveal. Ironically enough I just finished A Haunting in Venice after this so they actually have something in common. But Haunting is just better. Which is unfair because it's leaning on the tower that is Agatha Christie. Still this could have ended a lot better if they had a more interesting endgame. The pacing was there. the characters were ready it just..... didn't.
Ending Spoilers:
an Christ almighty the less said about "AI that's going to kill someone" the better. It's a stupid plot point. Just when you think everyone's finally realizing that all these AI tools are moronic and useless suddenly these shows come out and make AI out to be this magnanimous force. Here the AI is the killer. In The Creator the AI is the savoir. It's all so stupid and dumb and shows you haven't been paying attention to what AI is and what it can do. It's like all the robotics nerds obsessed with sex dolls that can tell the weather and laugh at your jokes like that's going to replace women in Asia where there are too many men and not enough single women to support them emotionally. The "AI did it" is going to become "the butler did it" very soon and that's unfortunate because it doesn't deserve that level of trope support. AI will help you cheat on an essay but it does so so poorly the idea that it's nearly sentient and almost capable of erasing humanity pains me to hear people say out lout with their mouths. The only way AI could be dangerous is if people give it too much authority. Like making AI the CEO of your company is a bad idea. (Or to take another example from real life: Using AI to decide whose claim gets accepted. The AI had an 80% failure rate) I maintain they're only doing it on paper and that's a GOOD idea because it gives you a perfect scapegoat. Unethical and evil but an effectively "good" idea.
:heart:x7
Not bad. There are a lot of red herrings and twists in this show. The story itself was moderately interesting. Even assuming what was coming (Can anyone say AI?) there was a small twist at the end that made it worth watching.
How I rate:
1-3 :heart: = seriously! don't waste your time
4-6 :heart: = you may or may not enjoy this
7-8 :heart: = I expect you will like this too
9-10 :heart: = movies and TV shows I really love!
How is this not a massive plot hole? Andy knew at what exact time Bill's morphine levels spiked. And they have a 3D lidar scan record of the entire hotel and beyond. So, they could've easily checked that lidar scan record of that time to see who was in the room with him and thus, find the "killer". End of story in 1-2 episodes. But nope... they had to drag it for 7 episodes, so they didn't do it.
[Disney+] A show that takes the elements of Agatha Christie's mystery novels to incorporate them into a reality where AI takes on special importance. But the investigation and the story progressively deflate, dragged down by the slow pace of the dialogues, until it ends up falling into the most predictable possible outcome. It ends up being a remarkably failed attempt to reflect on the power of technology with traditional mystery devices. In the end, it feels like it could have been a good movie that was stretched out into a soporific series.
Another show destroyed by its own success and hype. Characterized very early by the unique actor and talent as a great mystery, but the writing and ending was so immature and bad.
Acting, sets, script and score all good. Even the dialogue is not bad. I have a weak spot for whodunits and movies taking place in snowy locations so that also helps. It’s true that the show is a little pretentious at times and cheesy at other times but for the most part it is quite good and way over average IMO. Only the first two episodes have come out so far so that’s all I’ve seen. Hopefully won’t go downhill…
super excited for this one after having seen the OA
The show deals with the predicament of AI in a very smart way, whilst trying to bring issues to the fore, that people don't think sufficiently about, and most are totally unaware of. The creators rely heavily on the emotional intelligence of the audience to make their point.
That said, it does have its share of plot holes, the most glaring of them being the ability of everyone to keep venturing out in subzero temperatures with no protective equipment on... especially Darby following someone without even basic gloves to keep herself warm... anyways that was not the point of the show, so the makers can be forgiven for making some things not making any real world sense.
There are a lot of moving parts and some themes are deceptively complex, regardless it is definitely worth a watch. I wish they spent more time fleshing out and exploring the other characters stuck in this universe.
The story arc is exactly compelling, and there is a lot of unnecessary and uncalled for social commentary layers. But what drives this show, is the protagonist's unwavering need and zeal to seek the truth, against all odds, including an AI. And it surprisingly and satisfyingly works.
This is beyond bad... The acting from the main character isn't great either. If you have time to waste while getting a root canal then maybe you can watch this, beyond that don't fall for the BS bought ratings, this is bad TV....
The main character of the show is unbelievably skilled, to the point of being implausible. She is only 25 years old, yet she is proficient in pathology, forensics, hacking, and is also a renowned crime author. This casting choice is misguided, as an actress with a more impressive resume might have been better suited to portray such an extraordinary character.
Additionally, the pacing of the show is poor and fails to keep the viewer engaged. The frequent jumps in time are jarring and do not contribute to the overall narrative. Overall, the show struggled to maintain my interest.
Best fucking show I've watched in years
I'm recommending this to everyone
Definitely gives reality check and has amazing plot twists and as someone who can always predict shows i couldn't this one as much
It wasn't bad but it wasn't great either. I felt like I wanted the show to be about how Bill and Darby solved the Silver Dow murders. Those flashbacks are magnetic and beautiful to look at (ok fine, Harris Dickinson was beautiful).
It had an interesting concept, very And then There were none, but techy. It was trying to say something about technology and all that. But the other characters were not so fleshed out, actually underutilized. The pacing was a bit off. Also, I finished episode 6 and pretty much figured it out. I forgot to watch the series finale until one week later. I thought I had finished it already. I don't know what that says about that.
Brilliant. Dragged a bit in places, but the way the misdirection works and the end made it worthwhile makes me forgive it. Even the few plot holes.
Are bots writing the reviews that are good? This show was utterly stupid. Horrible writing and the story was something from the mind of a baboon or something... The acting in this was bad as well and the lead she must've been high or not interested as her acting chops on this show were bad! How does someone see this garbage and say yes let's invest in this and release it? I would rather clean hemroids on an elephant than ever watch this crap or suggest others watch it!
Can't the chick shave her armpits? It's disgusting
Huge Brit Marling fan and was a bit worried that a departure from SciFi might be her undoing, but this was a solid watch.
The dialog and themes were expectedly thoughtful and intelligent, which is no real surprise, but the backdrop was also a main character. I didn't try to overthink the "whodunit" and just went along for the ride, and was rewarded with a surprising ending.
It's not without some issues though. This is story driven and they glossed over some important details to get where they wanted to go. It wasn't enough to make me upset about it, but with a bit more care, this would have been a home run.
I'll be ready for whatever Brit and Zal come up with next!
It's like Agatha Christie's novel
An interesting murder mystery. Reminds me a lot of Danganronpa down to the ending. I fault it for having slow pacing, odd narrative cutaways, and weird creative decisions. I appreciate it for the performances, the human element, and being enjoyable.
Also, Emma Corrin is so pretty...I just have to add that lol.
One specific thing I have to call out is the needless Gen Z name calling. Characters and the show keep remarking on how Gen Z does this and that and that Darby is an annoying Gen Z person but like...why? I hate it when the conflict or the characterization is reduced to the stereotype of Gen Z. Why not just "young"? Darby is young and that upsets an older character. Darby is young so it's weird to have to be a successful novelist and be invited to this secretive assembly of leaders and thinkers.
Anyways, it's fun but not amazing. Parts of the show were just connected by strings.
The show could've ended after 2 episodes but they stretched it out so it became boring
After 7 episodes, I feel let down by the lack lustre ending. I didn't feel wowed, just accepted the fact that Ray was responsible, even though he was managed by Andy. THE bottom line is that AI learns from humans but without any emotional ties whatsoever. :thinking: There in lies the Danger of AI.
Great acting, the writing is well balanced between suspense and thrill, all induces to a compulsive watching. Even the narrative leaps are placed in a way that makes the story very engaging so far.
Maybe I haven't watched enough, or I haven't noticed before, but this must be the first thing I've watched where the central character is in every scene.
Started off well enough, but by episode 4 I was bored and uninterested. Done.
3/10
Shout by benjickVIP 3BlockedParent2023-11-16T11:26:48Z
I enjoyed the two first episodes. The tech stuff is really well made.