I can tell you that Game of Thrones is phenomenal, visual beautiful, fantastic, exhilarating and action-packed thrilling rollercoaster that in many ways has not been seen yet in a tv show. I could say that and be absolutely right about it, but unless you have been living under a rock without an internet connection for the past 2 years than no doubt you already heard, seen or read for yourself what a masterpiece the books and/or this tv series is.
Game of Thrones is exactly like the title says: A game for the throne. Played by the people who think its their right to claim, conquer or inherit it. They all have different goals and different ways of getting to that point, but their goal is in essence in one way or another the same for all of them: to be recognized and remembered for their deeds. Off course that is not so weird since everyone in real life at some level thinks like that. But the main characters in Game of Thrones are different, either through noble descent, the power and money they have, intelligence or sheer luck they have become a member of one of the noble houses that rule the countries and can decide the fate and lives of hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions of people within the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos.
The story, setting and characters are all taken from a broad range of European history. Most of what we see of the continent Westeros (castles and tournaments) is taken from High Medieval Western Europe from around the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries. But the story takes bits and pieces from other time periods as well. For example the wildfire that was used in season 2 in a brilliant strategic move of "The Imp" Tyrion Lannister during the Battle of the Blackwater is in fact Byzantine "Greek fire" which was invented and first used in the 7th century during battles between Muslims and Byzantines. This and other historical events, devices and characters based on real people out of history are all as it seems perfectly interwoven into each other into the fictional world of Game of Thrones by the author of the books George R. R. Martin.
For the actors who play the characters i have nothing but utmost respect. The performance they manage to show episode after episode is definitely what makes this tv show so popular. There is one in particular that without a doubt is one of the more popular stars of this tv show: Peter Dinklage who plays the role of "The Imp" Tyrion Lannister. In the 1st season he was portrayed as nothing more than someone who took advantage of his noble status and money to do whatever he wanted. But in season 2 (and hopefully the next seasons too) he transformed despite his disadvantage of being born as a dwarf (who during medieval times and in this fictional world are considered "lesser" humans) into a brilliant military and political strategist and someone who can very good and enjoys as he so very accurately said himself "play the game".
Game of Thrones is without a doubt the hit tv show of this decade. It started out with a story about medieval times, but slowly with every episode we see the world of the Seven Kingdoms transform into a place where mythical creatures exist, magic and dark powers are used as a weapon against enemies and where the dead are once more walking again.... Winter is coming, and i have no doubt it that it will be as spectacular and story-wise phenomenal as we have have seen in the previous seasons.
Oh boy, where do I start? This has got to be one of the most powerful, chilling, life-altering series I have ever seen.
Being an American History major, I've studied the case in class and when I heard about When They See Us coming out I was very happy that their stories were being told on a mainstream platform but anxious as to whether it would be well-executed. I have to say every single person involved has done an incredible job. Ava DuVernay (creator, director & co-writer) deserves numerous awards, I can't fault this show at all. If you watch the aftershow with Oprah Winfrey (also on Netflix), you'll see how committed DuVernay was to this series and how much it meant to her that the exonerated five had their stories told well. As far as the acting goes, every person on screen is unreal - the kids, especially, were so good that I'll probably watch everything else they will ever star in. Asante Blackk as young Kevin blew my mind as did Caleel Harris as young Antron. Jharrel Jerome as both young and old Korey deserves dozens of awards for this role. Family members played by Michael K. Williams, Niecy Nash and Marsha Blake give chilling performances also and deserve recognition.
I enjoyed watching how the stories played out and found myself intrigued how it would all unfold despite knowing the end outcome. I really liked that they dedicated the whole of the last episode to Korey's story since his experience was so different. The series should also be commended for its accuracy. For instance, the recreation of the tapes: from what the boys were wearing to the pepsi can on the table next to Korey. Also, I am really happy that they covered Trump's involvement in the case - I thought this might be removed or disregarded in the narrative with him being in the WH. I can imagine if some are unaware of the case prior to this series, they would see this as purely political. Whereas, in reality Trump's involvement was huge - his $85,000 ad calling for the death penalty for the 5 really set off and intensified society's belief that they deserved severe punishment for the crime as well as stirring up the fear of savage, "wilding" black boys.
Without a doubt, this series is an extremely hard watch. I watched it alongside my girlfriend (a black American who's all too aware of these situations) and she wanted to stop watching after the first ep because it angered her so much. The situation that these boys were in was so heartbreaking and watching it unfold makes you angry, sad, frustrated - and for me, want to prevent any injustice ever happening again in America - but you need to watch it even if it makes you uncomfortable. After this series, you will want to fight the justice system yourself because these boys were subjected to extreme cruelty from the police and will never get those years back. The five men appear on the aftershow and it is clearly visible how broken some of them still are - Kevin talks about refusing therapy and simply keeping busy - it is evident the way he talks about life just how broken he is + the whole cast breaks down.
I haven't seen a huge amount of promo from Netflix on this so PLEASE watch this show immediately; it is a hard watch but it is ESSENTIAL viewing for every American.
As a former lecturer in Arabic and Islamic Studies, who has written a major report on radicalization in Muslim schools, and who has written many articles about radical Islam, I was worried that this series might be filled with all sorts of misunderstandings and inaccuracies and mistakes. In fact, it was well researched, down to subtle things such as distinguishing between jihad al-akbar and jihad al-asghar, using both terms in Arabic. And saying fard (duty) without translation. The portrayal of ISIS in Raqqa seemed to me most convincing, based as it was on authentic film and reportage. As the author of ten international thrillers (several bestsellers and three or four with Islamic themes), I found the tension well built, making many episodes nail-biting. The characters are well developed, if at times frustrating. I have taken one star off on account of the coincidences and other plot holes. Despite these, the series works in terms of character, pace, and plot lines. I strongly recommend it to anyone who likes well written and well performed drama that will keep one watching through the eight episodes with speed. As for the several people here leaving 3, 4, 5 or other low ratings, I would pay them no heed at all.
As a Turkish person i thought that it is really non-sided and great everything was good the costumes the acting the special effects the battle sequences there was some flaws of course i thought Guistiniani had more screen time than it should have and Aksemsettin was not present in the show at all (he was always with Sultan he was his teacher and mentore he convinced the Mehmed to capture the city when Mehmed thought of giving up) other than that it was great i recommend you to watch it it feeds you with information.
The both empires were great; Ottoman and Byzantium. In this Tv serie there might be some problems about historical reality... I mean we cannot consider the tv serie is a historical documentary. But as a tv serie it was good. As a Turk, I believe all countries make movies or tv series that their army so great, so mercy and so strong. Yes it is good to watch if you are a nationalist and your nationality so great in the movies. But we should of course know the reality. If we can't see the reality we can't be friend. I see all countries find bad stories about their enemies. Actually governments like it, because nationalism is a key for strong governments. In real we are just humans, we cant decide that which nationality we can have. So there are two type peoples. Bad people and good people.
It wasn’t made by national geographic, so clearly it’s all pseudoscience! Just kidding, this is great stuff, very well made. People like jason in the comments, along with archeologists holding on for dear life to the current narrative, are why humanity has very clearly been stuck in the same place for the past century. They will tell you this docuseries is bs, they’ll accuse the creators of cherrypicking (lol, as opposed to what, downright ignoring evidence? Good one) that more evidence is needed, etc. but no funds go towards these projects from the known big players, so they have created and maintained a stalemate, where they (at least in their own minds) have the power to shoot down every attempt that is made to present new evidence. The agenda here should be blatantly obvious to anyone with half a brain. As for the motive, one can only guess. I have my suspicions, but this is not the place to discuss them as far as I’m concerned.
You simply can not say “renowned archeologists/the big players don’t confirm this, so it’s not true!” in a time where none of those “renowned” archeologists nor the big players can even be bother to look into this stuff. Time’s up. Mankind has waiting long enough for these clowns to advance the science, and when they refuse to, God knows why, it’s up to others to push the frontlines. This docuseries does that, in a visually pleasing way. I don’t care that dominant players such as national geographic are not involved in this, they’re clearly invested in preserving the currently established knowledge without expanding on it, so it is up to others to pick up the ball. They can claim pseudoscience all they want, slander from fossils who have long given up on even pretending to be engaged in science, is meaningless. Put you money where your mouth is, and if you can’t be bothered to invest in these projects, stfu and sit back while others do the legwork. Simple.
Highly recommend this series, very good stuff. Deserves the attention.
Watching a great series finale is akin to saying good-bye to an old friend. So, as I write my final review of this stellar series, I'm feeling a little blue. But, let me walk you through my experience watching this series, which is now setting records as one of the longest continuing series by Amazon Prime.
Season One - (1 August 2017) This is my present binge watch, and I'm enjoying it. This series is based on a book by Philip K. Dick (author of BLADE RUNNER, TOTAL RECALL, THE MINORITY REPORT, THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU). This series is a blend of genres, so there is a little of something for everyone. It is a period piece (with an anomalous mystery), a SciFi other-world creation, a thriller and a drama. So, just relax, suspend belief and follow the writer's breadcrumbs. It's a great ride. The cast is great. The story arch is compelling. There are some stand-out performances, but basically, it is a great ensemble piece. My ratings for the episodes went from a 7 (good) to an 8 (great) to a 9 (superb), and the season finale was a solid, "WHAT!" The series was now a 10 (WOW) out of 10.
Season 2 (4 August 2017) This season's story backtracked allowing the audience to recalibrate, but then, quickly, drew us back in to its thrilling pace. It continued to give us superb storytelling, engaging performances, dynamic character building, depth of production and the season finale was breathtaking, and I have nothing but high praise for this series - a solid 10 (brilliant) out of 10.
Season 3 (7 December 2018) Already on my TOP TV SERIES list, my only concern is that, for the whole series, we are waiting for the big reveal of how this universe works, and each season this reveal is delayed - how long can we defer resolve? An additional challenge of this season was to maintain the mystery without violating the original premise. There were interesting new characters, great storytelling and interesting challenges left for season 4. My rating for this series is still a 10 (well done) out of 10.
Season 4 (11 December 2019) I knew this was to be its last season, so, I began it with a bitter-sweet anticipation. Of course, it was following up on a cliff-hanger from the season before. There were some major character losses, none quite so jarring as the first one. (I felt like we had been robbed.) Although the finale left more questions unanswered, I knew that any finale would have left me longing for more. This was a wonderfully conceived premise, superb storytelling, a fantastic cast giving us enduring characters, timely existential questions and moral repercussions. This is TV at its best, 10 out of 10, all the way and I will miss it (and probably rewatch it, every 4 years, or so). [SciFi, Period, Mystery, Drama]
"The universe has a beginning, but no end." Steins;Gate is a masterpiece that explores the concept of time. Highly recommend this for anime neophytes and experts alike. The dialogue and humor are intelligent and abundant. The show perfectly blends comedy, drama, and mystery. Unlike some of the more Shonen (a.k.a. youth) animes, the characters here aren't overexaggerated and go a little lighter on some of the classic anime character tropes. Follow the "mad scientist" Hououin Kyouma, as he and the other members of the Future Gadget Laboratory create a device that has the potential to change the world. Expect lots of twists, turns and unforeseen consequences. The logic of the show is really well thought out and explored for us viewers. Everyone should give this show a full watch, regardless of their opinions on anime. The story is just that good.
While I'll be reviewing them separately, if you like Steins;Gate, there are a few other things you should watch after. I've listed them below in chronological order. However, Steins;Gate first timers should watch: (1) Steins;Gate in full; (2) Alternate Episode 23β; (3) Steins;Gate 0 in full; (4) Egoistic Poriomania; and (5) The Movie. If that isn't enough, there are a few other OVAs you can check out between Steins;Gate and Steins;Gate 0. Trakt has most of them in the specials section.
(1) Steins;Gate (Episode 1-22)
(2) Steins;Gate: Open the Missing Link – Divide By Zero (Episode 23β)
(3) Steins;Gate 0
(4) Steins;Gate: (Episode 23-24)
(5) Stens;Gate: Egoistic Poriomania
(6) Steins;Gate Movie: Load Region of Déjà vu
Tutturu!
9/10 (REAL RATING TBA)
I don't understand a lot of the comments here about being woke or unfaithful to the games or the earlier movies. And I don't know how people who watch 15 minutes of 7 hours can think their comments are a meaningful representation. I watched the earlier movies years ago, and they were some good kick-ass zombie movies, but I missed the story line that others are now so rigid about.
Instead, I watched it as a zombie series.
It had a really strong start compared to most series - the first episode was slick, expensive, fast (at times), well acted (for a zombie tv series)
The tone continued through the remaining episodes
It had some great twists (I think - maybe these are familiar to people who know the source material)
But as the time went on, it felt at times like the writers had been having disagreements, and increasingly the script became increasingly fractured, and as the middle and later episodes finished, left me wondering why they had tried to keep to the 60 minute duration - I am coming our of a number of Netflix series lately wondering why they have strung the story over so many episodes, and this was another example.
But kudos to some good acting, and a big effects budget. I really did wish this series the very best, was more than happy to see a different story line than before, and disappointed that it went downhill so much
One of the best satire work on theism and meaning of life!
The series is great as a thriller but I enjoyed it more by watching it through the lens of satire and allegory.
Let me explain it. Theme Spoiler alert!
• We know from history how religion works. Every religion born with the philosophy of some divine being and then a whole hierarchy develops to nourish and flourish the religion. And sooner or later the place of rationality is taken by belief.
•Humans always had a fear for the things which they can't understand. The religious bodies know this and thus come the concept of 'God fear' which ultimately results in stories of hell and heaven.
•It is also interesting to see how religions use fanatic groups to shut the voices of reason and rational thinking. And many times we see how these fanatic groups just go on their own paths of death and destruction.
•Right to die with dignity is equally important as right to live with dignity.
•What is the meaning of life?
To do everything in our capability to save our loved ones. I remember a photo of the pandemic, where a man was unable to get oxygen and he was dying. His wife performed a part of CPR knowingly that she can get the infection.
The series is great and the ending signals for a second season. Maybe, they will explain the whole monster thing but we all know who is the real monster!
DARK S03 FINALE (2020) SPOILER FREE REVIEW ⏱
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:scroll: Plot : A family saga with a supernatural twist, set in a German town Winden, where the disappearance of two young children exposes the relationships among four families and leads to unconventional happenings.
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:man:⚖ Review : Dark Season 3 is fitting conclusion of what started as gamble by NETFLIX in 2017. The Series saw success as fans loved it. Season 3 doesn't disappoint you in any way. This series will definitely go into my top 5 favorite science fiction shows. The edge of the seat and engaging premise with plot twists at every breath this series has proved itself unique. Season 3 is the longest and takes time to settle , the mysteries and characters take us to intriguing timelines with script that ties everything together in the end across Parallel Worlds. Lisa Vicari as Martha is the highlight of the final season and has given a brilliant performance. Dark is an experience and needs attention which keeps you longing for more with each of its episodes. If someone asks you for a Science Fiction which is mind boggling , Dark is the Answer.
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:thumbsup:Goods : The Sound Design and The Cinematography sticks with you after the shows has ended. The Characters and Mysteries revolve inside of your brains. This speaks volumes of how good it is.
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:thumbsdown: Bads : This Section doesn't apply to this series.
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:fire: Final Rating : 9/10
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:white_check_mark: Recommendation : Rating Speaks for itself. Take a deep breathe and stream it on Netflix.
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