Review by Aniela Krajewska
VIP8Warning: some mild spoilers for the books ahead!
As someone who loved season 1 so much that I proceeded to read all the books in the Grishaverse (and ended up becoming a HUGE fan of the books), watching season 2 was kind of like a fever dream. I've been waiting for it for 2 years, basically counting down the days, and now that I've binged the whole thing I feel overwhelmed and underwhelmed at once.
Season 1 already wasn't a very faithful adaptation since the Crows don't exist in the original trilogy at all and their storyline and the way it intersected with Alina's was completely made up for the show, but it worked nicely. In season 2, they took even more creative liberties, and the result is basically a huge remix of no less than 4 (FOUR!) books (the remaining two installments in the Shadow and Bone trilogy + both Six of Crows books to some degree). It's just... way too much to cram into eight episodes. I understand the decision to add the Crows into the show since the S&B trilogy IMO doesn't have enough material to fill that much screentime (especially the second book, Siege and Storm, which is weirdly paced and not that much happens), but they really tried to do too much too fast. They also messed with the book timeline and chronology beyond recognition, especially in regards to the Crows. The Ice Court heist from the first book in the duology is set up in the last minutes of the finale with Kaz talking about "their biggest job yet" and the jurda parem reveal, but at the same time they... basically blew the plot of the second book (except watered down) on the whole Pekka Rollins conflict from the first half of the season? Choices were made.
I also have to criticize the fact that the writers seem so eager to get their SoC spin-off that they are completely uninterested in properly exploring Alina's story. And don't get me wrong, the S&B trilogy is probably my least favorite series in the Grishaverse, and the Crows are BY FAR the most popular characters in this fandom, and I actually liked s1 Alina much more than her book counterpart, but there were still so many elements in her arc and her relationship with the Darkling that were worth exploring in more depth on screen. Their dynamic in the books is complex and Alina struggles with the pull towards darkness and towards him much more. In the show, it seems that she's made up her mind about him being beyond redemption and stuck to it the whole season, which is kind of boring since it doesn't allow for character growth. She has some very brief moments where we see the conflicting emotions, but overall it's not really given much spotlight. Considering that the show is called Shadow & Bone and Jessie Mei Li is the first person on the call sheet, they could've done a better job of properly telling the actual Shadow and Bone story.
(But I do have to say, I appreciated the ending they gave Alina in the show compared to the book. The corruption arc of Alina Starkov is certainly a compelling setup that I'd love to see explored further.)
There were a few aspects of the trilogy that were well done. Genya's arc was beautiful and Daisy Head SLAYED (best acting this season alongside Ben Barnes and Freddy Carter). Nikolai was pretty much perfect, as were Tamar and Tolya. Zoya, my favorite bitch, was given a tiny bit more screentime, which is a win in my book. On the Crows' side, Wylan's introduction and Nina's incorporation into the group were both great. The cast has always been this show's strongest part for me and it's genuinely incredible how perfectly everyone embodies their characters. I just wish the Crows' arc had been done better and that they hadn't blown every impactful emotional beat from the books so willy-nilly, and I wish we'd spent more time exploring Alina's mindset and her connection with the Darkling.
Overall, this was kind of a mess, but there was some good stuff in there and the cast really delivered for me. The main reason why I still want a season 3 (though we all know how cancellation-happy Netflix is) is because the actors are just an amazing bunch and I love watching them, even if the writing and the story leave something to be desired. I'm curious to see how they would proceed with adapting the book material now that they've majorly changed the S&B ending. At this point, I basically approach the show like I'd approach a fanfic, and that way, I actually had a pretty good time watching this season, especially with friends who are not book readers. As long as you can separate the book canon from the show canon and don't expect a word-for-word adaptation, it's a fun ride. It could've been improved with some better writing and cramming less stuff in there, though.
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@samtasia The characters are really the best part! I genuinely think most of the problems with the story come from the fact that the showrunners were so afraid of cancellation that they decided to throw all the important book moments in there just so fans could see them on screen - which is a problem because you need the actual build-up from the books for these moments to have proper impact. As it is, the story just feels all over the place.
The end of the movie was the very first time I agreed with one of Wanda's actions... Good thing it was her last action too.
- Christine living to the end was odd. I get WHY it happened, but really? She could at least have closed that last door to the Good!Book.
- Why dear Xavier had to bite the dust???? Again???? WHY????
- Stephen finally Let It Go. ("It" being the gorgeous Xtine, that totally deserved the hot husband she got to marry)
- Zombie!Dr.Strange was Dope.
- America Chavez is Badass AF.
Can't wait for the next movie!
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@maiahandrade Elizabeth Olsen has apparently signed a new contract with Marvel, so I doubt we've seen the last of Wanda. As the old rule says, no body, no death.
Meh. Felt like more like a Wandavision two part finale. The treatment of the Illuminati was awful. The plot still doesn't make sense. Is Wanda bad or is she the victim or what? She should have been locked in magic prison after her show - she mindraped thousands of people - but whatever, she cries a lot so I guess we should like her again? Claptrap.
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@inspecthor The thing is, whether or not Loki or any character is likable/redeemable/etc., at the end of the day it really comes down to personal preference. I love Wanda, always have and always will, even if she does terrible things in this movie - but then again, a lot of my favorite characters have done terrible things. I find her to be super interesting and a hell of a lot compelling that a lot of other characters. I do think that Monica saying that to Wanda at the end of WandaVision was dumb. It was clear that Wanda did feel guilty about what she did and she never meant for it to happen or for any harm to come to those people, and she herself never claimed they weren't justified in their anger, it was another character who rather lamely tried to do so. I don't think her not being in control is an excuse so much as it is an explanation. Bucky was brainwashed by HYDRA into killing who knows how many people, and I can understand that he wasn't in control of his actions and can't be fully blamed, which is exactly how I feel about Wanda in WandaVision - she definitely wasn't in her right mind for a big part of it, literally driven mad with grief which triggered her powers in a way she couldn't understand or fully control. I can feel compassion for her because it’s an impossible situation to find oneself in.
(Also, I don't remember if Tony ever actually has to face up to what Wanda went through because of him - I know we as the audience are told about it, but I don't think Wanda ever confronts him about it, which is wasted potential, because she's not just another nameless civilian who was hurt by his weapons, she's one of the main characters and they really could've done something interesting with it.)
Meh. Felt like more like a Wandavision two part finale. The treatment of the Illuminati was awful. The plot still doesn't make sense. Is Wanda bad or is she the victim or what? She should have been locked in magic prison after her show - she mindraped thousands of people - but whatever, she cries a lot so I guess we should like her again? Claptrap.
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@inspecthor I don’t remember anyone feeling bad for all the lives that Tony indirectly took when he was playing warlord (which included Wanda’s parents) or for the casualties Loki caused because of his daddy issues. They have way more “nameless people” on their conscience than Wanda yet no one talks about it because they’re seen as cool characters I guess. The pain they caused is never the focus of the story either. Tony is redeemed immediately. We never see him lose a wink of sleep over it. Loki is never shown regretting all the lives he took either. Wanda did a lot of bad shit, no question about it, but unlike a lot of the other characters, she wasn’t in control for at least parts of it. We don’t know exactly how much the Darkhold influenced her to do what she did in this movie. It’s also not clear how much of what she did in Westview was deliberate. Like I said, watching it I got the impression that Wanda was not aware of her actions for a big part of it. Dissociation as a result of grief is a documented thing. So yeah, actually, some of the stuff did happen to her because she wasn’t in control, and that makes it tragic. She is a tragic character because her overwhelming grief (girlie has lost everyone she’s ever loved, and that would break anybody) drove her to do something she didn’t know she was capable of, which in turn led her to even more grief, which led her to Darkhold (which she started studying to understand her powers, probably to avoid another Westview in the future), which led her to being consumed by ancient dark magic. No other character has been put through nearly as much shit as she went through. So yeah, I for one do feel bad for her.
Not sure I like this will-they-or-not plot between Peter and this Olivia. Peter's already been there, and even so it doesn't take more than two days for him to be kissing her lol.
I'm curious to see how all this will be resolved tough.loading replies
@henriquefalc But the thing is, this is Peter’s Olivia. Her real memories are finally bleeding through the ones that the universe gave her to compensate for Peter’s erasure from the timeline. The memories of her life without him were never 100% real. That’s why she’s been feeling a hole in her life and dreaming about Peter from the moment he disappeared.
Not only does Anna Torv have to put on an American accent, but she then has to layer a Leonard Nimoy impression on top of it... serious props to her. It's absolutely dumb, but great.
The fact she's given so many lines as Bell strengthens my theory that Bell would've been a way more prominent character had they not cast Leonard Nimoy. Because now that they have "access" to the character free from the casting, he has a spotlight. Kind of a shame.loading replies
@jasperkazai Anna Torv is genuinely phenomenal. She really should've blown up in Hollywood after this. I haven't seen her in nearly enough things since Fringe ended. Mindhunter was a great show, and she's got that The Last Of Us adaptation coming up, but I really wish she'd get more leading roles. She deserves it.
Very confusing... So why do Olivia and Peter not remember meeting each other as children...
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@d-sel It bugs me too, it’s not like they were toddlers, they look at least 8. I remember plenty of stuff from when I was 8. I guess maybe repression due to trauma?
I know Olivia is distraught, but nothing about her speech at the end makes sense. "Why couldn't you see?" Well, because the two situations are not comparable at all. She was literally an Olivia, and this is a reanimated zombie you are comparing to. Peter didn't need to 'hold onto' a piece of Olivia in his mind, because as far as anyone knew, she was there with him the whole time. You don't need to cling to anything when you think you're all ok and doing fine. Olivia said herself that everyone on the other side thought she was Fauxlivia. So why is the reverse being true some terrible notion?
Also, I know the answer is that it was for the creep factor, but why exactly did the weirdo guy do the whole marionette routine when he knew was going to reanimate her? What a waste of time.Fringe would be a much better show if it stopped sidetracking with these weird creepy nonsense episodes, and instead focused on the main plot. But that's what happens when you have to stretch to fill a 20-episode season instead of 10-12 or whatever.
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@jasperkazai But also the fact that everyone thought Olivia was Fauxlivia on the other side isn’t comparable to everyone buying Fauxlivia’s impersonation on this side. Olivia had her doppelgänger’s memories implanted, all of her knowledge, her personality, etc. Even though it didn’t take long for her true memories to resurface, she still had all the tools in her mind to pull off an act. Fauxlivia had none of that, just some files and video tapes. I understand that Peter wanted to believe she was the real Olivia, but the fact that he noticed all these changes in her personality and didn’t question them was just plain stupid.
How would she know what phone number to call, if they had just moved? Those memories are supposed to be suppressed, but she can recall a new phone number? Also, why is the Statue of Liberty gift shop empty in the middle of the day?
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@jasperkazai Our Olivia has photographic memory. All she would’ve needed was to see the number once and she would’ve remembered it.
People are allowed to change up their appearance every now and then, but so many changes for Olivia happening right after they came back from the alternate universe? And no one finds that suspicious? It's so dumb.
Lol at the random zoom-in on the Ford Taurus text, and the lingering shot on the Sprint logo. There hadn't been such blatant product placement before now.
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@jasperkazai It’s honestly infuriating how stupid Peter is being. He literally notices changes in Olivia’s personality weeks after running into her doppelgänger and doesn’t think anything of it? The dots are RIGHT there
Does no one suspect Olivia is "different"? Her demeanor is very different from the real one (props to Anna Torv).
It's interesting to observe how alternate Olivia seems so happy and carefree, even when compared to other people. Her world might be irrevocably damaged but she seems very happy with all aspects of her life.
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@dtsouza I noticed that too! Anna really killed it, playing two characters isn’t easy and the two Olivias feel so different! Alternate Olivia seems much happier than ours (I guess not losing her mom, not being experimented on as a child etc. will do that to you - possibly no alcoholic stepfather too?), she’s more carefree and quick to joke, but she’s also less kind, more ruthless I guess? Definitely willing to go to lengths that I don’t see our Olivia going to.
Seriously? No one doubts Olivia? They're fine with her hairstyle?
RIP poor deaf guyloading replies
@sunny_senpai I mean they don’t doubt her hairstyle cause the real Olivia changed hers to match her counterpart in s2 finale.
OKAY BUT THIS SCENE WOW
Where is my mother?
I ate her
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@anzo CINEMATIC MASTERPIECE (tbh I can't tell if that scene was intentionally funny or not. Either way, I couldn't stop laughing)
What an bonus seeing Caitlin Reilly on my screen at last. Hoping this is the start of something for her! She's hilarious
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@reiko_lj I nearly fell off my couch when I saw Caitlin. A true "Beyoncé?!" moment lmao.
I'm confused... First, the shapeshifter was told to kill Olivia, and now the order is to help her remember? Did I miss something?
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@katwaterflame he was told to interrogate Olivia and then kill her once he learned what she knew. He can't kill her until she remembers.
Shout by JasperKazai
VIP2This is my second time watching this show, but I'm watching it with my family, and it's their first time. They pointed something out which I cannot disagree with: this show wastes a lot of time. In this episode, for example, the scene with the mom and kid at the playground was completely pointless. It was all fake tension to make it look like the kid was in danger, but then nothing ended up happening. There's similar things and tidbits in just about every episode. Kind of a shame.
Side note: why did nothing happen in that scene? Why didn't the monster leap out and attack both the mom and son? The thing chased after a speeding vehicle, after all. Why does it draw the line at exiting a playground tube?loading replies
@jasperkazai I'm rewatching this show on hbo max right now (it's been 7 years since I first watched it), and one thing I noticed is that the episodes are really long for a network show. Usually network shows are what, 42-44 minutes? Fringe has episodes that are around 48 minutes long in season 1. Trimming down those extra 4-6 minutes would've probably gotten rid of a lot of unnecessary scenes.
Oh how I missed the Steve and Dustin banter. :heart_eyes: Robin's character is absolutely unnecessary. What a waste of screen time that could've went to literally anybody else. IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO MAX, I WILL RIOT!
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@khawlah Totally disagree about Robin. Her friendship with Steve is wonderful and adorable (one of the best friendships on this show for sure, and before her Steve had pretty much no friends other than Dustin), and I like the way they're pairing her up with Nancy this season since she also has no friends other than Jonathan. Even aside from the LGBT representation, which is fantastic to have, she's a smart and funny character who contributed plenty to the plot (decoding the Russian message last season and figuring out how to find Eddie in this one).
Meh. Felt like more like a Wandavision two part finale. The treatment of the Illuminati was awful. The plot still doesn't make sense. Is Wanda bad or is she the victim or what? She should have been locked in magic prison after her show - she mindraped thousands of people - but whatever, she cries a lot so I guess we should like her again? Claptrap.
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@celozzip Tbh when I watched WandaVision I thought Wanda was initially in some kind of dissociative state caused by grief and she didn't realize what she was doing - once she realized she was hurting people, she let everyone go. In this movie she's under the influence of the Darkhold, so once again she's not fully in control.
Also, I don't understand why Wanda gets so much hate for Westview yet I don't see nearly as much hate for Hawkeye for going on a 5 year murder spree after his family got dusted, or for Tony for being a war profiteer and not thinking his career choice of selling weapons of mass destruction was a bit fucked up till they were used against him. Loki is a big fan favorite despite probably racking up a death count in the thousands after unleashing giant monsters on NYC. Also Strange nearly broke the multiverse for shits and giggles because a teenager wanted help with his college admissions, and then he brainwashed billions of people into forgetting who Spider-Man is.
Shout by Aniela Krajewska
VIP8Chibnall is a hit-and-miss storyteller, but I am going to give him some brownie points for not shying away from Yaz falling in love with Thirteen and vice versa. I never in a million years expected it to actually happen, so the last couple of specials were a pleasant surprise. I really liked the scene on the beach (callback to TenRose?). It felt very Broadchurch-y to me, which is a good thing.
That "coming soon" preview at the end of the episode really hit me in the feels. Perhaps I'm in the minority (but then again, my favorite Doctor/companion duo is Twelve and Clara, so maybe I'm just cursed to always have unpopular opinions when it comes to this show), but I will miss Jodie dearly. I really love her Doctor. I'm sure I'll like whoever replaces her, but I expect there will be lots of ugly crying on my part when it's time to say goodbye to her.
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@morphinapg true, tenrose got a lot of couply moments during their time together, but they never really talked about their feelings in a straightforward manner (at least not that i can remember) until the beach. Yaz and Thirteen could've had more development for sure, but i liked that unlike most doctor who pairings they actually got to discuss their feelings and that Thirteen was transparent about how she felt cause her previous incarnations rarely got to be so honest
Shout by Aniela Krajewska
VIP8Chibnall is a hit-and-miss storyteller, but I am going to give him some brownie points for not shying away from Yaz falling in love with Thirteen and vice versa. I never in a million years expected it to actually happen, so the last couple of specials were a pleasant surprise. I really liked the scene on the beach (callback to TenRose?). It felt very Broadchurch-y to me, which is a good thing.
That "coming soon" preview at the end of the episode really hit me in the feels. Perhaps I'm in the minority (but then again, my favorite Doctor/companion duo is Twelve and Clara, so maybe I'm just cursed to always have unpopular opinions when it comes to this show), but I will miss Jodie dearly. I really love her Doctor. I'm sure I'll like whoever replaces her, but I expect there will be lots of ugly crying on my part when it's time to say goodbye to her.
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@morphinapg honestly i do wish they had explored it earlier, but it is consistent with the previous doctor/companion romances (rose didn't get to say i love you to ten until after they were separated, clara and twelve only got to have a conversation after she died - still bitter that convo happened off-screen). There's never enough time, it always runs out too quickly, just like thirteen said in this ep. Those relationships are doomed from the start. Ngl the inherent tragedy of it all has me weak
Shout by Aniela Krajewska
VIP8Can't believe this episode ended with them hugging and absolutely nothing else happened after that.
In all seriousness, I thought we as a society were over killing sapphic characters for shock value, but I guess not. What a disappointing conclusion to a horrible season. Phoebe Waller-Bridge created such a fantastic show and Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer consistently knocked their performances out of the park, and for what? Season 2 was already a letdown, but after that the show just became a parody of itself and it was clear the new showrunners had no idea what to do with these characters. The last 3 minutes of this ep were pure clownery. How groundbreaking to kill off one of the leads and leave the other in anguish. I hope Laura Neal doesn't cut herself on all that edge.
I guess at least Sandra got a Golden Globe, Jodie got an Emmy, and they got to dive tongue first into each other's mouths. Good for them. I hope their next projects treat them better.
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@tesbreag actually no, but if the lead of a show is going to die, i expect it to make sense narratively, be meaningful and have repercussions on the story. V's death happened out of the blue in the last 3 minutes of the series finale and it was clearly meant to shock the audience and not much else. Given the nature of the show, I wouldn't have been fundamentally opposed to her (or both her and Eve) dying, but it could've been done so much better.
- This is probably my favorite episode of the season. There were so many emotional moments, I teared up at various scenes such as Anthony’s talk with his mom and with Gregory, Kate and Mary’s scene, and Penelope and Eloise’s confrontation
- Anthony’s love confession was perfect! Jonathan Bailey did a really good job portraying this character. I liked how we saw smiling so much more once Kate was his. Unfortunately I just couldn't feel anything towards Anthony and Kate as a couple. And I think this is mostly due to Simone Ashley’s portrayal of Kate. The actress is absolutely gorgeous but the chemistry was not there and her acting was very stiff.
- The scene with them kissing with all those people around felt very misplaced. In the previous episode they had sex in public but it was in a secluded section of the garden so I can let that slide, but here you can easily see the people behind them!
- I loved the relationship between the Queen and Edwina and how the Queen got them out of this scandal
- Benedict and Eloise’s relationship remains the strongest between the siblings and it just warms my heart!
- Book Spoiler - I am viewing this adaptation as a separate entity from the books so I am not very picky when it comes to changes but one change that I am absolutely mad about is that scene where Penelope overhears Colin talking about her! This is probably one of the most iconic scenes in the books and it wasn’t supposed to happen this way!! BUT at the same time, in the show, I am not sure how the Colin/Penelope relationship will be established after what she did regarding both Marina and Eloise. How will they redeem her character in Colin’s eyes once he finds out the truth and will he be able to forgive her?
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@tago1987 it's funny how subjective chemistry is. I thought Johnny and Simone had it in heaps and I absolutely loved her as Kate. But then again I haven't read the books, so I suppose I had no expectations as to what I wanted her character to be. Are the books worth reading? I don't care about Daphne and Simon much, but for Kanthony I might consider it.
"i know what i must do" - said every man, about to do something without actually thinking about any of the consequences
i want to give edwina a hug
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@birdcages i love the reactions of all the Bridgertons in the background while Anthony is proposing, Daphne and Violet are flabbergasted and even Gregory is like "what is he doing" lmao
lmao my girlie Daphne KNOWS
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@stylialou clocked them in 2 seconds flat lmao, when she thought Kate was Edwina? Unhinged
Tom is right, Mary is a bully.I wish i liked her but over the seasons she became more hateful.
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@khawlah Please tell me what Mary owed to Anna when she saved her from a miscarriage, or visited her in prison, or went with her to Bates' trial. Or what she owed to Barrow when she visited him in this episode. Or what she owed to Mrs Hughes when she helped her get a nice outfit for her wedding day. Or to Lavinia when she didn't spill her secrets to Matthew, or to Rose when she helped her cover for her father-in-law. And while we're on the subject, I would love for someone to enlighten me why Edith is considered the kind one when she's never seen helping anyone because her storyline always revolves completely around her. I especially can't see how she can be considered kind after the ordeal with the Drewes and what she put them through. Edith sucks and wishes she had half of Mary's moral spine. At least Mary didn't get engaged to Matthew without telling him the truth about her past indiscretions.
Mary really is a truly awful character and cannot understand what people see in her. I said what I said
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@menellys I'm the opposite, I cannot for the life of me understand what anyone sees in Edith. I was heartbroken for Mrs Drewe when Edith took Marigold from her. I can't stand the way Edith makes terrible decisions and doesn't care who gets hurt in the process. Also the way she throws herself at any man (married or not) who so much as glances her way is embarrassing.
Review by Aniela Krajewska
VIP8I don't get nearly as excited about the MCU as I used to (mostly because they're churning out movies and TV shows at a rate that I just can't keep up with), but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Definitely worth watching.
Some loose thoughts/things I enjoyed below (spoilers are marked):
- the story is good, the 2nd act is kind of slow, but it picks up towards the end
- the fight scenes are super cool and creative (especially the one on the bus and the one on the scaffolding)
- I liked the way they utilized the rings in fights, it felt really fresh and like something we haven't seen before
- the final battle is actually awesome (monkey brain loves big monsters and explosions)
- the cast is excellent (I'm particularly thrilled to see Awkwafina getting more recognition)
- the soundtrack is beautiful and I love the way they used traditional Chinese melodies
- badass women all around (Michelle Yeoh my beloved)
- impeccable CGI
- some gorgeous scenery
- MORRIS
- loved the callback to the Mandarin mess from Iron Man 3
- Brie Larson cameo (I know the fandom has collectively decided to hate her, but I don't care, that was a treat for me and me only)
- Xialing effectively utilizing girl power by taking over her father's crime empire (I feel like there was definitely some comic book reference flying over my head there but who cares). My friend and I joked that she'll be getting a Disney+ series shortlyOverall, it was a treat. Strongly recommend.
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@appoxo99 i haven't rated this movie and i have no idea why you think i have. Are you referring to the star with a 6 next to my user name? If so, that means I've been a vip member for 6 years.
I love this show with all my heart, it's one of my comfort shows. That being said, the ONE thing i did not want to see in the finale season was a Deckerstar baby. I wish they had gone the route of the apocalypse and trying to stop that from happening instead of what they did. It's hard to care about a character that feels forced and out of place (like Lucifer literally can't procreate and hates kids lmfao). While the very end was good, and all the supporting characters got great endings, the child put a big damper on it for me. And they completely forgot about poor Trixie. There's no way she wouldn't have been there for her mom's death. Why did she never learn the truth about Lucifer? Was she just supposed to go along with suddenly having a new sister that has no father? She lost her dad and then Lucifer back to back. They did her so wrong imo.
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@mmorgnn Absolutely agree about Trixie! I feel like after the show moved to Netflix they started sidelining her more and more, and this season it was especially noticeable. I guess she found out the truth at some point when she was older? I don't think Chloe and Rory would've kept all of it a secret from her. But I still think we should've seen it. I also hate that she didn't even interact with Lucifer this season and then he was gone forever. The only reason I can think of as to why she wasn't by Chloe's side is that she either had already died (if Chloe lived to some absurdly old age then it wouldn't be impossible) or she lived far away and was on her way and didn't make it in time. What a weird choice not to have her there though. Would it really have been so hard to find an older actress to play her in that scene?
Shout by Aniela Krajewska
VIP8The last episode of season 5 would've been a really lame series finale, so I really hope they came up with something better this time around. This was an all right premiere, but nothing special. Maze and Eve working through their issues with a little bit of nudging from Linda was nice and their engagement brought a huge smile to my face. They look so damn good together too! I love them. Chloe and Lucifer continue to be adorable. The case wasn't super interesting, but the setting was kinda fun. And I'm really curious who's sitting on the throne of Hell. Could it be one of Lucifer or Maze's siblings?
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@eduardo_doom I didn't watch the trailer because I wanted to be surprised. I'd much rather find out who she is as the story unfolds.
Review by Andrew Bloom
VIP9[7.1/10] Another strange mixed bag of an episode. This one was kind of the reverse, where there were a lot of weird, not very interesting beginnings and middles, but pleasant endings.
The one exception is the David/Stevie storyline. I’m not sure this show has ever done a bad pairing between these two, or at least one that wasn’t made better by their being paired up, and this was no exception. Stevie practically inveigling David into watching her back during a meet-up with Amir in Elm Valley is a fun movie from the surprisingly sincere master of snark. Him initially calling it an abduction, lifting her spirits when she thinks she’s been stood up, and being totally understanding when Amir does show up is a great tribute to him holding up his end of the bargain in their friendship. Plus, Stevive and Amir continue to have a very cute dynamic, and David getting drunk on polar bear shots and getting deep into a Mariah Carey karaoke run is delightful. This one is a pure winner, and I greatly enjoyed it.
If only I could say the same about the other two storylines. Johnny wanting to be frugal given mounting expenses while Moira is making extravagant purchases and Roland is giving him a hard time feels like one of those strange broad 90s subplots the show indulges in from time to time. There were basically no laughs to it, and the whole thing was very cheap seats comedy. That said, I really liked the tag, with Moira getting the message and hoping for better days, but agreeing that the time is right, and Johnny being enchanted by her in her dress. It’s a nice ending for a bad storyline.
(Though I will say that it’s interesting that Moira is now seemingly the only member of the Roses who still yearns to get out of Schitt’s Creek and voices as much.)
Last but not least, the Alexis/Ted storyline was much the same as the Johnny/frugality storyline. Ted wanting Alexis to think he was a heartbreaker when they weren’t together is a strange plot to begin with, and the bits with Shannon, his assistant, and trying to show Alexis other text message conversations is just really weird. That said, it ends nicely with Alexis affirming that she wants him for him, and thinks he’s better than any “Casanova J. Heartbreaker”, which is at least a sweet note to go out on.
Overall, you could cut this one down to just the Stevie/David storyline and only watch the last scenes for the others, and you’d end up with a much better episode.
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@andrewbloom What I liked about Alexis and Ted's storyline is that it avoided the super cliche story of Alexis getting jealous and passive aggressive with Shannon. The fact that she actually struck a friendship with her and seemed more amused than anything about Ted and Shannon's fling is something that I feel like I don't see often - these kinds of storylines are usually all about women being catty with each other, so I actually found it really refreshing that this wasn't the case.
