True Detective season 4: Night Country was announced a few years after season 3. Interestingly, a new showrunner and writer named Issa López would write and direct all the episodes, who was responsible for a very good horror film called Tigers Are Not Afraid about ghosts and the Mexican drug cartel. This new season would star Jodie Foster as Detective Liz Danvers partnered but feuding with a Native American detective named Evangeline Navarro, played by former champion boxer Kali Reis, investigating the disappearance of male scientists at a research station in Alaska. There would also be a supernatural horror element and share faint connections with season 1. Suffice it to say that all this was very intriguing, but there was the downside of no creative involvement from Pizzolatto (He even denigrated it on Instagram. The guy really gives no ****s which isn’t all that surprising given some of the stuff he’s written haha).
While each season should be judged on its own merits, it’s still strange to have one with no involvement from the showrunner and writer of all previous episodes. In that sense, can Night Country really be called True Detective? Or is it just something that’s been fashioned into the series for name recognition? I suppose it’s all subjective. Sure, the atmosphere and subject matter kind of fits, but there are also clear indicators that this is a different creative voice from Pizzolatto. I feel like it should’ve just been its own series. In any case, Night Country has a decent spooky mystery plot and an expectedly great lead performance by Foster, though it clearly isn’t on the intellectual or psychological level of season 3, let alone season 1. It’s kind of on the level of 2 more or less, being plenty flawed but still interesting with some noteworthy elements. I didn’t really buy the revelations about the case, which were less than satisfying and don’t really make sense when you think about it, and I’m not entirely sure what the point was for all that. It ended up being surprisingly safe and kind of familiar with how it ended, especially these days. Night Country didn’t totally work for me and had lots of problems, but managed to stand out a bit in the modern television landscape due to the unique setting, creepy atmosphere, and some decent character development. I really have no desire to ever watch it again though, whereas I find revisiting the other seasons to be worthwhile. What is in store for the future of True Detective is a mystery, but it’s certainly been one of the most memorable and provocative series in television history.
Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities is a much needed supernatural horror anthology series of eight short films on Netflix with frequent Lovecraftian elements, even (loosely) adapting two of his stories and another two being based on short stories written by del Toro. Suffice it to say, anticipation was high, and I knew he would deliver something with uniqueness and a commitment to the weird and otherworldly with the involvement of quality directors and writers, a much more successful endeavor than Jordan Peele’s Twilight Zone for example. Cabinet… actually resembles The Twilight Zone, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents as well, with Guillermo appearing onscreen and giving a little intro to each episode. I love the whole idea of this project, and the chosen directors seemed generally qualified; for the most part, Cabinet delivers, though it’s a bit uneven and none of the stories really connect to each other aside from some themes and a few easter eggs. Broadly, I feel like the better episodes could’ve been fleshed out and expanded on by 30 minutes into great feature films, my favorite of them all being The Autopsy by far. There are plenty of flaws to be found too, like unsatisfying endings for a few, with easily the worst episode being The Outside. Cabinet of Curiosities is an enjoyable descent into the fantastical, presenting an inconsistent but overall solid collection of artistically made supernatural/sci-fi horror short films.
The first of the eight episodes, Lot 36, is a curious tale about a bigoted veteran indebted to criminals named Nick (Tim Blake Nelson from O Brother Where Are Thou, Holes, and The Incredible Hulk) working at a derelict storage facility who runs a scheme with a co-worker to cash out on valuables within abandoned units. spoilers A number of discoveries find him and another character discovering within lot 36 a secret passageway leading to a chamber with a desiccated corpse of the owner’s sister hosting a Cthulhu-like tentacled demon on the floor in a ritualistic circle. Nick idiotically walks through the magic circle, breaking the spell and unleashing the entity which soon dispatches of him and his companion. Then it just ends. Lot 36 was intriguing enough, but too much time was spent on Nick and his hostility toward the world. The occult mystery leading to the wonderfully creepy room was far more interesting to me. Despite an element of karma, with a character he earlier wronged locking the exit door right before he’s eaten, the climax is still so brief. There needed to be more to this story including the background of the storage unit beyond just that the recently deceased European occultist owner regularly visited for years with a bag of feed, as Nick discovers on CCTV footage. I loved the spirit of it though and totally eat up that type of mystery onscreen or in literature.
Another story, The Viewing, was a bit stronger with some nice hallucinatory visuals courtesy of the very stylish director Panos Cosmatos, who did the recent Mandy starring Nicolas Cage, and a strong cast which included Robocop’s Peter Weller, but ended basically the same way as Lot 36 did with a strange entity presenting itself, wreaking havoc, and being unleashed onto the world. The second story is another highlight, Graveyard Rats, though also follows a doomed lowlife character in debt to criminals and desperate to make it rich, just like Nick. The strengths of Graveyard Rats however lies in the details, being deliciously macabre and with a number of supernatural flourishes that result in a wickedly fun, nasty watch that doesn’t overstay its welcome. The final episode based on a story by del Toro, The Murmuring, is a soulful, nearly feature film length ghost story meets domestic drama centered on an ornithologist couple reckoning with grief over their recently deceased daughter at a secluded, haunted country house. It's perhaps a bit sleepy and not exactly super original, but another highlight of the series. The best however is The Autopsy, a gruesome and very clever body horror-alien invasion story starring F. Murray Abraham from Amadeus that might be the best short horror movie I’ve ever seen.
Despite all the enjoyment I had with the aforementioned episodes, the others are pretty flawed. The two H. P. Lovecraft adaptations, which I was excited for as a big Lovecraft fan, are decent and watchable but pretty middle-of-the-road. They’re hardly what you’d call faithful to the original stories either. Dreams in the Witch-House is more of a dark fantasy type of plot that largely foregoes the cosmic elements of the original story and makes it too basic. There’s also an eyebrow raising blackly comedic ending where a mischievous rat-man ends up possessing the protagonist, played by Rupert Grint, which I can’t imagine was meant to be taken seriously at all given Ron Weasley and his pet rat, Scabbers, in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. And then Pickman’s Model is pretty dull but worth watching for a wonderfully hammy Crispin Glover performance and a nice demon creature cameo. The creatures and monsters featured in the series were partially or fully designed by del Toro, who nailed it of course. The ending goes too far though; it’s repetitive to have yet another nihilistic and not exactly satisfying ending just like Lot 36, Graveyard Rats, The Outside, and The Viewing sort of. Neither of the two stories feel much like Lovecraft, going into more over-the-top territory and not interested in being too depthful, subtle, or truly scary. If you’re a horror fan with a strong stomach and don’t mind some camp, I’d happily recommend Cabinet of Curiosities for an entertaining, spooky diversion with its heart in the right place that engages with the imagination.
Breaking Bad is without a doubt the best TV series of them all. Sometimes it's like a Grand Theft Auto game come to life, other times a Coen Brothers or Martin Scorsese film. It’s just so engaging and well made, with incredible performances and many surprises in the plot. The prequel series Better Call Saul is the same level of quality, though even more character driven and deliberately paced than BB. It was great how they were able to get so much of the same team and returning actors back to fill out this world.
Better Call Saul began more comedic in the first couple seasons, but the masterful middle seasons ratchet up the drama and tension, managing to practically rival the greatness of BB. The first and final seasons are a bit inconsistent, but the show pulls it all together for the conclusion and gives Saul Goodman and Kim Wexler a fitting, poignant, and bittersweet ending. While not as perfect or exciting as Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul is a fantastic series and strengthens Breaking Bad on retrospect, with both series and the El Camino film adding up to an epic, depthful, perfect crime saga.
Breaking Bad: 10/10
Better Call Saul 9/10
Best series ever made without a doubt. Sometimes it's like a Grand Theft Auto game come to life, other times a Coen Brothers or Martin Scorsese film. So ridiculously engaging, with incredible performances and so many twists and turns your head will spin. The prequel Better Call Saul is the same level of quality, with much of the same team and returning actors, adding up to a depthful, perfect crime saga 15 years running full of humor, heartbreak, and action.
Breaking Bad: 10/10
Better Call Saul 9/10
letterboxd.com/bkuettel/film/no-half-measures-creating-the-final-season-of-breaking-bad/
It's almost easy to forget what a huge sensation The Walking Dead was in the early 2010s. It changed the television landscape and supercharged the zombie phenomenon that had started almost a whole decade before, with a great cast and perfect balance between psychological drama and post-apocalypse horror. Well, the first few seasons at least. The show lost its way at season 4 in my opinion, and I had to stop watching after the season 7 premiere along with millions of other viewers due to the cheap writing and stretched out storylines that were clearly going nowhere. Had a really good run while it lasted though! But the show should've been 5 seasons max in my opinion.
Season 1 is perfect for what it is, 2 also aside from dragging a bit in places, 3 is very solid but doesn't really climax until the mid-season-4 finale. AMC just kept it going for the $ but the viewership keeps going down, so it's fiiiinally ending this year I think? Or next? Who knows or cares, all the original characters aren't even in it anymore I'm pretty sure. But despite all the up and down quality of this series, there are some truly fantastic episodes to be found. You can probably just watch season 1 and call it a day, or anywhere after the best episode of the series, What Happened & What's Going On. I’d say it’s pretty good until season 6 where it starts going downhill, especially after The Same Boat.
My favorite eps: Days Gone Bye, Vatos, What Lies Ahead, Pretty Much Dead Already, Nebraska, 18 Miles Out, Judge Jury & Executioner, Beside the Dying Fire, Seed, Killer Within, Live Bait, Dead Weight, Too Far Gone, No Sanctuary, The Grove, A, What Happened & What's Going On, The Distance, Remember, Conquer, No Way Out, and The Same Boat.
5/5 Rating for the entire series and overall review: A show like this was always going to end in a way that wouldn’t please everyone, but Game of Thrones really polarized viewers and critics alike with how everything got wrapped up. Like Star Wars: The Last Jedi, it became very trendy to just dismiss it all as unequivocally rubbish. But like that infamous Star Wars film, the truth of Game of Thrones is more complicated and not as bad as some say. Overall, this is without a doubt one of the best series ever made, and one I was majorly obsessed with throughout the past decade. Pretty clearly seasons 1-4 and 6 are where most of the best episodes reside. Below is a breakdown of general thoughts about each season.
Season 1
Not one of my favorites until years later when a rewatch with perspective on where the show went reveals a restrained, wonderfully written introductory season with complex, developed characters and increasingly dramatic political deceptions in the second half that gives way to the more anarchic and scattered later seasons. 10/10 Best episode: Baelor
Season 2
Has a lot of strengths and also ups the brutality from season 1, especially in the first half of the season. I love how dark and increasingly fantasy-centered this season is, with an incredible battle episode to cap it off. However, I have to deduct a point for butchering the amazing Danaerys in the House of the Undying scene from the second book, A Clash of Kings, and the muddled climax to Jon’s storyline where he gets captured by the wildings, which is far more exciting in the book. 9/10 Best episode: Blackwater
Season 3
The fan favorite, this fantastic season sets up the increased action and face-offs that’re plentiful in season 4. The Rob Stark storyline and tragic ending to him and his mother is heart wrenching, and I absolutely love all the amazing Icelandic scenery throughout. I don’t like the Theon dungeon scenes in the middle episodes, but everything else being so perfect still means this is a 10/10 season. Best episode: tied with The Rains of Castamere and Kissed by Fire.
Season 4
Perhaps the juiciest season yet, comprising of the climactic second half of A Storm of Swords, the best book of all five. Suffice it to say, there are numerous highlights across nearly all episodes, especially involving Tyrion Lannister. Really no weak moments aside from maybe 1-2 random scenes. The season that cemented the show as one of the all-time greats. 10/10 Best episode: The Lion and the Rose, with The Mountain and the Viper, The Laws of Gods and Men, The Children, and The Watchers on the Wall as runner-ups.
Season 5
Oof, this season was a doozy which began the second half of the series with fallout from all that happened in seasons 3 and 4. 5 here meanders around from one miserable nightmare of an episode to another, including Sansa and Theon's storylines, Jon Snow and what eventually happens to him, and Stannis and his daughter. The only real highlight is Hardhome, and I suppose the final scene in the following episode with Drogon escaping captivity in the gladiator arena. 8/10 Best episode Hardhome, duh.
Season 6
The other side of the coin that was season 5. Season 6 is a monumental achievement, finally doing away with the unnecessary “sexposition” and rivaling 4 for being an amazing climax of a season with one highlight episode after another. Sure the Arya storyline is weak, but literally everything else is excellent. High 10/10 with Hold the Door, Battle of the Bastards, and The Winds of Winter all tied for best episode in the season and basically of the whole series.
Season 7
Aaaand here’s where it starts to go downhill. But there are still some amazing moments to be found! The Loot Train Attack and Lady Olenna’s final appearance are without question two of the finest scenes of the entire series. The Beyond the Wall episode is full-on fantasy schlock, but at least it’s fun and enjoyable to watch so I don’t mind. I also like how the extended season finale emphasized character interactions and development, which was very interesting to watch. 7/10 Best episode The Spoils of War
Season 8
A shaky final season with filler episodes and some bewildering climactic episodes too. The Long Night was well executed, but felt anticlimactic after just how much the show built up the white walkers, and they don’t even fight any humans the whole time! The real problem though is with The Bells, a miserable slog where Dany suddenly decides to be a violent mass murderer because seeing the capital of King's Landing made her crazy? Why didn’t she just fly over there and burn it down with Cersei inside and then declare herself queen, instead of doing what she ended up doing. I’ve heard some say she was slowly getting crazy but we didn’t notice, like making her dragons execute people, but come on. It’s an insane jump to go from executing traitorous prisoners of war to slaughtering a city of innocent people. And Grey Worm immediately joining in on it is even more far-fetched. I don’t know, all of that just didn’t work for me. It was well done on a technical level, but I just did not buy the writing on The Bells. The final episode I actually like, call me crazy. Was a nice breather after all the aforementioned craziness, the dragon melting the iron throne was a series highlight, and I thought where all the characters were left was satisfying. I rate this season 6/10 with the best episode being the series finale, The Iron Throne.
Top 25 episodes ranked: 1. Battle of the Bastards 2. Hardhome 3. The Door 4. The Winds of Winter 5. Baelor 6. The Lion and the Rose 7. Blackwater 8. The Mountain and the Viper 9. The Spoils of War 10. The Rains of Castamere 11. You Win or You Die 12. Kissed by Fire 13. The Laws of Gods and Men 14. The Children 15. And Now His Watch is Ended 16. A Golden Crown 17. The Watchers on the Wall 18. Oathkeeper 19. The Wolf and the Lion 20. First of His Name 21. Two Swords 22. Book of the Stranger 23. Winter is Coming 24. The Queen’s Justice 25. Second Sons
The first two episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Amazon’s epic and staggeringly high budgeted series are… pretty good. Not amazing, but certainly not bad or sacrilegious to Tolkien’s writing like some people had feared. The most noticeable strength of the series is the visuals and world-building, perhaps being the greatest looking show ever made thanks to incredible vistas and gorgeous cinematography abound. This is pure fantasy eye candy delivered with the assured direction of the highly talented director J.A. Bayona, who helmed the quality films “El orfanato” (The Orphanage) and “A Monster Calls.” While off to a promising start, the show will hopefully be able to strengthen the characterization in future episodes now that everything’s been established and as the actors settle more comfortably into their roles.
The actors are serviceable for the most part, though I can’t help but wonder why they wouldn’t have hired some bigger names with more experience for such a large project. Morfydd Clark (excellent in 2020’s psychological horror film “Saint Maud”) plays young Galadriel and Ismael Cruz Córdova is a new elf character, Arondir, in some kind of forbidden romance with a human woman. Both are stoic, immortal beings without a whole lot of humanity to them and should probably have been more relegated to the background, as the elves were in the original films. Galadriel at least has something going on with persistently hunting Sauron to the ends of the earth and trying to avenge her late brother, who perished at the dark lord’s hands. Elrond, played by Robert Aramayo, becomes more interesting at the end of the second episode when he teams up with dwarves in their kingdom of Moria, aka Khazad-dûm, and begin the plans to presumably make the forge that will create the rings of power.
I’m not sure focusing so much time on the elves was the best choice, as these ethereal people don’t have a whole lot of relatability going on due to their proud, almost otherworldly nature. Harfoots, dwarves, and some of the men characters come across as more natural by comparison and liven up the story when on screen. The side plot of a mysterious tall stranger crash landing in Harfoot country and two children discovering him and trying to figure out how to help him is the most interesting plot line so far.
The Rings of Power is a very polished show, which is what pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into it will accomplish. The visuals and cinematography are fantastic, especially seeing Khazad-dûm in all its glory, which was in ruins and infested by goblins and the Balrog in “The Fellowship of the Ring.” Since this is a medieval fantasy series where life can be pretty hard and brutal, I wish the non-elf characters looked a bit gruffer, maybe with some longer hair and more beards (I’m not sure some of those modern haircuts would’ve happened in Middle-earth…) but most of them look the way they should and organically feel part of Middle-earth, especially the dwarves and Harfoots.
Perhaps due to the sprawling nature of the story, the pacing and focus is a bit lackadaisical. A few too many characters are introduced in the first episode without much room for development yet. The series will supposedly run for five seasons and is taking its time so far, which I appreciate in a way, as it allows the viewer to grow accustomed to this world once again. While it’s no Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings, Amazon’s The Rings of Power begins with a confident 2-hour debut of visually stunning fantasy television that feels wholly cinematic. Time will tell if the characters will become fleshed out and the story more focused, but prospects are hopeful and the potential is certainly already there for it to grow into something special.
