This is, without a doubt, one of the hokiest shows of all time.
And yet, it can be stupidly fun at times.
It's one of the best guilty pleasures out there, that's for sure.
Pretty fun, it's essentially Edgar Wright for television. The entire set-up is very reminiscent of Shaun of the Dead, except it plays with spy tropes instead of zombie tropes. Mix in some workplace comedy and good characters, and you have one of the most fun shows of its era. A true product of the 2000s that finds a great balance between accessible and alternative impulses. Nothing particularly boundary pushing or challenging, and the way it portrays Yvonne Strahovski can be a bit juvenile in the earlier parts of the show (it very much knows its target audience), but the smart genre fusion going on here keeps the show from becoming too stale or predictable.
This show is genius.
It’s brilliantly acted and scripted, though challenging at times.
I’ve known a few friends who gave up during season 2, and I understand why, but if you stick with it, the puzzle pieces will eventually all fall into place.
What’s even more rare (given that it’s a tv show) is that it is filled with truly great filmmaking, and it has its own artistic style, often amplified by perfect editing. The silent episode and one take episode are both high marks of television in my book.
Whenever people are framed in the bottom of the corner for their close up, you instantly know you’re watching Mr Robot.
The music is also instantly recognizable. It’s almost where the show gets a little too David Fincher-y, but it still hits regardless. Just the whole vibe of this show is a thing to behold.
Is it perfect? No, it’s hours of television, so that’s impossible.
If you pick up on what the influences of the show are, you’ll probably find some of the twists in season 1 predictable.
Season 2 can get really abstract and weird, and isn’t as satisfying by itself (though it works perfectly in the overall narrative).
And finally, a few characters don’t really get a satisfying conclusion in season 4.
But overall, it’s incredible, probably my favourite tv show of all time.
So much subtext about the 1%, mental health, our relationship with technology, capitalism and it brilliantly challenges the way you perceive hackers. You’ll think twice about whether they’re a good thing or not.
And here it is: the end of the biggest television show of all time.
Seasons 1-4 are (close to) perfect.
Seasons 5-6 are where some of the cracks start to appear, with some filler episodes that don't build a lot of character. However, they're still great seasons nonetheless.
Seasons 7-8 are good, not great. They have certain pacing (rushed developments, teleportation of characters) and writing issues (plot armour, unsatisfying & unearned conclusions etc.). It is especially the level of production that elevates these seasons above average television.
Am I also unsatisfied with how they handled certain characters at the very end? Absolutely.
Do I think, however, that they mostly stuck the landing? Yes.
S1: 9.5/10; S2: 9/10; S3: 9.5/10; S4: 10/10; S5: 8/10; S6: 8/10; S7: 7/10; S8: 7/10
Overall rating: 8.4/10
The first two seasons are very nice and easy to like.
The third season is pretty awful.
It feels directionless, episodes are too long, the renewed focus makes it feel like a melodramatic soap opera, lots of misfires with the comedy (e.g. the Zava character doesn’t work at all), some of the acting got too cartoonish; the show took a swing and it turned into something that doesn’t work.
It’s nice that it tried to break down some barriers with the integration of real issues such as homophobia and racism in sports, but some of that stuff feels so tacked on or handled in a way that doesn’t make sense.
It’s ok, I don’t understand why they focussed so much on trying to make this a mature drama when the show stars Frank Grillo and Nick Jonas.
They pull it off just fine, but I don’t think it plays to its potential strengths, because I think it’d be much more memorable if it focussed on the physicality instead.
The drama we have here is fine: acting is ok, writing is ok, filmmaking is fine. It never drops the ball, nor is it ever outstanding. They often play it safe, and in many ways the music perfectly encapsulates what the show is: very plain, straightforward garage- and blues rock. Sometimes you're in the mood for that, but I won't rush out to recommend it to anyone either.
It does have a tendency to stretch its own story a little thin; for example there’s no reason for season two to be 20 episodes long.
Does this show deserve a little more love and attention? Probably.
Am I surprised it got lost in the shuffle with the huge amount of high quality television that we got in the 2010s? No.
This is the show that Zack Snyder wishes he could make.
It deconstructs superheroes in a smart way, while not forgetting about important things like character development, story coherence or pacing.
In fact, this is a show that genuinly has a lot of profound things to say about the military industrial complex, religion, power abuse, and more.
It doesn’t just use fetishized costumes and pretentious dialogue to cover up for its own lack of substance.
Moreover, this show is darkly funny, original and twisted.
They could still improve the show by fleshing out some of the characters in Karl Urban’s crew, because I didn’t think all of them were interesting.
Also, the action scenes are straight up bad, but that’s in no way a dealbreaker, because the show isn’t all that interested in them.
8/10
This is where Breaking Bad found its identity.
Massive improvements in terms of cinematography, sound and editing when compared to season one.
The new additions to the cast are all amazing, and I like the arcs of the main characters, the development of Walt and Jesse in particular being very well handled. However, it isn’t exactly the tightest season of this show in terms of storytelling:
Nevertheless, the show is still so good at creating memorable moments and scenes, and the acting is so fantastic, that none of those issues become dealbreakers. The first time I watched this show was about 10 years ago, and there were still so many moments that I recalled on a rewatch because they burned themselves into my memory (ATM machine, kid shooting the dealer, the Heisenberg song, etc.), which to me is always a sign that you’re watching quality television.
7.5/10
A lot more comicbooky than the first season, but it still manages to ground everything in the gritty, brooding tone the show has set for itself.
There are many improvements compared to the first season: the action’s better (and there’s a lot more of it), the production values, directing, music and cinematography are all improved, and the pacing is a lot tighter (thanks to splitting the season into two storylines).
Elodie Yung and Jon Bernthal are two great new characters, and fill in the gasp left by Wilson Fisk quite nicely.
The acting is once again fantastic. There isn’t a single weak link in the show, and everybody can bring it during their emotional scenes.
Its biggest problem is that the writing isn’t as tight and focused as season 1.
The stuff with The Punisher is great, but the storyline with The Hand isn’t nearly as interesting. You never get a good sense of what the deal with this organization is, or why we’re supposed to care about them (an issue they never managed to fix with The Defenders). Still, you’re never bored watching those scenes, because the action is so good, and you’re invested in Matt and Elektra.
Also, it is a little dumber and nonsensical than season 1. For example, Stick is used as a major plot convenience, Matt Murdock takes people out without his costume, Matt and Elektra get away from the baddies by pretending to bang when they’re about to get caught (you can’t be that cliche in a show that’s this self-serious), all of which are small nitpicks by themselves, but a lot of it adds up and it becomes an issue.
I’d say it’s about as good as season 1, they fixed the main issues of that season, but created a few new ones in the process.
8/10
This combines the best stuff from the first two seasons.
It has the focused, tight storytelling of season 1, and the well paced action/thrills from season 2.
I absolutely love the storytelling in this season, what they do with Fisk (really fresh and interesting angle for a story), and Matt’s character arc. Karen and Foggy also get a lot more to do, and the new additions are intriguing characters as well. You can really feel that these characters are progressing, they’re not afraid to take risks and change the behaviour of established characters between seasons.
Everything is well thought out, everything has dramatic weight, everything has an (often unpredictable) pay off, it’s phenomenal television.
Once again, I have to reiterate that the acting on this show is stellar, Wilson Bethel and Vincent D’Onofrio are scene stealers this season.
Moreover, the production is top notch, this show always knows how to capture a sense of authenticity and grit that’s lacking in most comic book related stuff. It also includes some of the best action scenes of the entire show, I love how they executed Bullseye’s powers.
It’s a pity that they canceled the series after this. Sure, a revival might be on the way, but I can guarantee that the tone of this show, or even the characters for that matter, won’t be captured in the same way when it’s on Disney+.
9/10
This takes Nolan's Batman style to the next level, I love the cinematography and how they capture the grit of Hell's Kitchen in this show, especially during the scenes that take place at night.
I'm also seeing a lot of influence from Breaking Bad in how they handle Fisk's crime organization.
Whenever there's action on the screen, it's absolutely phenomenal. The choreography and camerawork easily beat every other tv show, and most films as well.
The characters are all very strong and interesting (Foggy was a bit hit and miss for me in the early episodes), and Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio give career best performances.
What D'Onofrio's doing is especially bold: every scene he's in he's about to cross the line of going into campy territory, but he never does, and it's amazing to watch.
The plot is also very strong: you could take the superhero aspect out of this show and you'll still be left with a very decent legal drama. It's constructed in a very smart way: you essentially have the main characters investigating a crime syndicate, and every episode they find a new character that's a little higher up in the organization, until they eventually get to the final boss. It's a great format for serialized storytelling, and we've also seen it work before in the earlier seasons of Arrow.
Judging it as a whole, it does feel a little stretched out though.
It loses a bit of steam and focus in the middle, often going into side stories that aren't all that important for the main plot, or giving the main characters more development.
This would've probably been perfect if it was just 10 episodes, which would've made the pacing a little tighter and given each episode a little more action.
8/10
Pretty much Stranger Things if its creators were obsessed with Christopher Nolan and Denis Villeneuve instead of Spielberg and Zemeckis. It’s a really cool idea for a mystery/sci-fi melodrama, but also a very demanding show to watch. That’s not a flaw, but you should know going into it that this isn’t the type of show where half watching and half texting will be a rewarding experience. I think there’s just the right amount of handholding, but its puzzlebox quality and plethora of characters don’t make things easier. Still, it’s a lot of fun to watch once you get what it’s doing, with plot twists and character writing being among its major strengths. The emotional peaks that are reached here are quite impressive, though the melodrama can occasionally lead to the use of cheap, overused tropes. There’s also not a single weak link in the cast, which is quite impressive when you have multiple people playing the same character. The directing is pretty amazing, there’s almost a David Fincher-esque quality to how this show builds atmosphere through the constant rain, fog and forest shots, which is often enhanced with its ominous, droning, Villeneuve-esque score. Sometimes the show will just stop and give you these beautiful atmospheric montages (often paired with a sad song), which are among my favourite scenes. They really spared no expense in regards to production, the sets and production value are consistently impressive and don’t have that typical ‘made for streaming’ feel to it. Overall, it’s a pretty amazing, intricate show that’s easily recommended to people who are fans of mature science fiction. Sometimes you have to give a little leeway with the logic, but that’s almost always the case with stories about time travel. You’re bound to run into issues of causality, paradoxality and memory once you have the same people from different timelines interacting with each other, but this show handles it about as well as it could.
S01: 8.5/10
S02: 9/10 (drops most of the cheap tropes; only held back by some bad VFX work)
S03: 8/10 (completely sticks the landing, the new plot device introduced at the end of s02 doesn’t break the show. The VFX continue to be an issue, and this season could’ve benefitted from a few more additional episodes)
Add a cool new character from the comics, a phenomenal Aussie actress, and rip off The Matrix, and you end up with ... a fairly decent season of television.
Make the show a little more streamlined, dial down the pretentiousness (for example, no more shifting aspect ratios), turn up the philosophical complexity (which I felt was completely lacking in this season, except from a few speeches by Anthony Hopkins), and keep the emotional reasonance (Dolores/Bernard, William/daughter and Maeve/daughter relationships), and we might just return to the greatness of the first season.
They’re back like they haven’t missed a beat.
It’s very smartly put together by HBO; they took the two main elements from GoT that everybody liked the most (political maneuvering & dragons) and built a new show around that. A new show that doesn’t feel like its rethreading the past (or should I say future?) in any way. Sure, both shows thematically deal with the nature of power, but these characters feel fresh and different (and I’d argue they’re equally as compelling as some of GoT’s best). I like that it isn’t a big dynasty show focussing on many different families again, but instead just contained to a few main characters. The acting’s top notch, all the main characters are once again perfectly cast. The filmmaking has gotten more cinematic since GoT (absolutely love the dramatic use of light in this show), and the CGI looks beautiful.
I’m not entirely sure what the subtext of this show is going to be. With GoT, the main takeaway to me always felt like it was commenting on the way we deal with climate change (our collective ignorance towards it, often getting caught up in petty, political bs). With this one so far, it feels like the it’s trying to state something about female independence and sexism, but we’ll see if that remains in the foreground for the rest of the show.
I feel like this is what would happen if you'd let Spike Jonze and David Fincher direct a show that was created by Damon Lindelof and Charlie Kaufman.
Imagine my surprise when I found out that most of this was directed by Derek Zoolander.
Absolutely terrific show. Great attention to detail, it looks cinematic from the first to the last frame, perfectly acted (it's a very good showcase for Adam Scott in particular), interesting storyline with great dialogue and layers upon layers of subtext, memorable score and good editing.
My only complaint is that there are a few too many conveniences in it, such as how the book ends up with Mark's innie, or how Mark obtains the card for the security room .
Those small issues aside, I loved it.
Here's hoping it sticks the landing and doesn't turn into another Lost.
9/10
S01:
This probably plays really well if you also like Succession.
These characters are kinda like nails on a chalkboard, but if you can find the satire and commentary beyond that, it’s very enjoyable.
Really good characters, interesting and unpredictable story, very well produced (excellent cinematography and music), it’s fantastic.
8.5/10
S02:
Good new set of characters, love the location of cinematography.
The story doesn’t quite work for me, a lot more melodramatic than season 1 (feels a lot like a soap opera in places), it’s a lot of people fucking each other, cheating on each other, being disloyal, etc.
It squeezes some interesting ideas in there about masculinity, scamming, naivety and power, but whereas season 1 was this beautifully orchestrated car crash showing why contemporary can be such a nightmare, this isn’t anywhere as deep or interesting.
It’s mostly saved by the filmmaking and acting, but a massive step down compared to season 1.
6/10
This show is a hidden gem. It’s Straight Outta Compton for east coast hiphop, you’ll probably love it if you’re a fan of Wu-tang, Ghostface, RZA, ODB, etc. If you’re the kind of person that likes to live in a safe, simpleminded bubble where you get offended by black people using the N-word, this show (as well as hiphop at large) isn’t for you. You'd probably know that already going in, so complaining about it is a bit stupid. Great acting (Ashton Sanders’ voice in season 2 excluded, which feels very forced), great filmmaking, occasionally a little confusing because of its many characters, but very satisfying and intriguing to watch. More of this please, it’s inherently more interesting than the recent films about Queen and Elton John. It doesn’t feel like a vanity project at all.
Not a perfect season, this has some startup issues. The first couple of episodes are a mess, so much so that the third episode feels like a soft reboot where each episode takes its time to build up the characters instead. Moreover, the first half of the season occasionally struggles to find a cinematic look, some scenes look like your average 90s cable tv show. However, most issues smooth themselves out over the course of the season. Visually the show finds its footing, the acting improves and the storytelling gets a lot stronger. It’s hard not to fall in love with these characters, they’re very well realized and don’t feel like Scorsese archetypes because of the contemporary setting. Gandolfini’s performance is one for the books, he does a great job at humanizing a flawed, modern gangster. The other actors are also very good despite some overacting during the earlier parts of the show (again, it took a little while to break out of the confinements of 90s television). The music is fantastic, very of its time (lots of psychedelic, alternative dance and electronic music) but it’s all stuff that’s aged well. The overarching narrative remains a little in the background during this season, but the overall story they came up with makes a lot of sense for these characters and plants the seeds for upcoming seasons. I quite like the commentary regarding the taboo of mental healthcare that’s woven throughout, can’t wait to see where it goes.
7/10
A show about using sex and sexual imagery to sell media.
Is this HBO reflecting on itself?
Jokes aside, it’s actually pretty good. Recommended.
Great, but this Lila character wasn't a good idea, even with her pardoned tits.
The final few episodes are terrific, but they also show that the writers just didn’t know what to do with Brody’s family after season 1. Morena Baccarin doesn’t get anything to do, there’s no emotional pay off to the storyline with the daughter, it’s just very poorly handled. Also, there’s one nonsensical storyline in the first half of the season (you’ll know it when you’ll see it), and in general, this season is far less focussed than the second season, and particularly the first season. Nevertheless, it still delivers the thrills, and its still well made, so I do recommend it.
This is one of Marvel Studios’ riskier projects, the hyperlink structure combined with the villain being the main character immediately makes it stand out in the genre. It’s because of those two aspects that the film works as well as it does. Thanos is a great character with an interesting motivation. The animation is so detailed and lifelike that it never fails to bring out the emotion, in fact I’d argue that the scenes between him and Gamora have the most emotional punch (courtesy of Zoe Saldana and Josh Brolin, who both put in a really solid performance). The balancing of all the different plot lines is also quite well done as there’s a relevancy to each one, nor does the tone feel too disjointed at any point. Some transitions or the sudden pop culture riffing during serious scenes can be awkward, but it’s handled about as well as it could. The exposition is handled tastefully and kept to a minimum, it instead chooses to focus on unexpected interactions between characters from different branches of the Marvel universe, which is the more exciting part. I’m less into the action and filmmaking, however. Not a lot about the camerawork or score jumps out to me, I feel like what little vision the Russos brought to their previous MCU projects is completely lost here. The washed out colour palette (which for some reason is slightly more vibrant during scenes in space) and obvious music embellishments don’t evoke all that much. The staging and editing of the action is a little too quick for my liking, the moments that are meant to be memorable don’t leave much of an impression because the editing doesn’t take its time to punctuate the stunts properly. Some of the CGI also feels a little weightless, for example Stark’s suit looks and feels like its made from paper. The resulting scenes, such as the final battle on Titan, feel more like small scale, digital mush than the big epic scenes they’re aiming for. Once the film decides to slow down for the dramatic conclusion, I find its intent to be manipulative and disingenuous. I felt that way after watching it the first time in the cinema, and after every ‘death’ in this movie having been retconned in one way or another, it turns out I was right. Even in its riskier films, Marvel will find ways to take most of the edges off. Overall, it’s still decent but it’s lost a lot of its flavour for me over the years.
6/10
It starts out like this fun, sharp social satire about the different worlds that the working class and upper class exhibit (as well as the lack of understanding they have about each other). As the season goes along, the social satire gets pushed aside and instead it goes completely bonkers with the plot. It’s over the top, it switches genres whenever it feels like it, it’s unpredictable, and most of all it’s very entertaining. In fact, it might actually be one of the most accessible A24 productions, there’s a Tarantino feel to it that might just click with general audiences. I just don’t understand this show’s obsession with alt rock from the late 90s and early 00s. I don’t see what it adds to these characters, it doesn’t comment on the story in an interesting way, and most of these particular songs aren’t even that good. To me it feels like a middle of the road, safe choice for a show that’s otherwise so bold, exciting and carefully assembled.
8/10
Wow, I’d never thought Alex Pina could make something this shitty after La Casa de Papel.
Like, I can’t even begin to describe this show, or the plot for that matter.
The actual story is pushed aside for most of the season, which means that the average episode consists of people drinking, partying, fucking, snorting cocaine, boring conversations about fucking, more fucking, annoying melodrama about relationships and people being shitheads for 50 minutes.
Honestly, I dare you to find I character that you don’t despise by the time that the finale comes around.
Now, I could pass most of that off if the show was at least fun, or if it didn’t take itself so seriously, like Entourage for example.
But given the dark things that happen in the show, and also the fact that it has no sense of humour, I’m inclined to believe that they want us to take it seriously.
Normally, I’d give it a 1, but it doesn’t even deserve that honor, as it’s fairly well produced.
2.5/10
It’s well made, I like that they switch up the format just a little bit each episode so that it doesn’t feel like a formulaic cable tv show. The only thing that’s consistent for each episode is the appearance of Natasha Lyonne’s Charlie. She’s fine, I like the gimmick of her character, but not all of the acting choices work for me, and I can’t shake the feeling that the writing tries way too hard to make her this iconic character (which it doesn’t succeed at). Now, because the show is so episodic, the quality between episodes varies quite a bit. Some episodes capture that Columbo fun perfectly, whereas other episodes are hindered by nonsensical structures, dumb/underwritten/annoying characters, corny dialogue (so many one-liners that are straight up groaners) or just a boring set-up. It’s a good thing that the show is heightened and doesn’t take itself seriously, because it absolutely wouldn’t work as a serious drama. Still, would I recommend it? Probably not, just rewatch Sherlock, it’s a lot more entertaining and not as phony.
Stoner metal: the movie.
Best action blockbuster of the 2010s; a singular, visionary experience with terrific worldbuilding and a lot of viscera, testosterone and just enough story/character depth to keep things interesting.
9/10
I’m not trying to be an edgy hater but I can’t think of a single type of person my age I’d recommend this to, I don’t think it’s watchable for people under the age of 50. Extremely contrived plotting, bad/annoying characters, some of the most forced acting I’ve seen on tv and the comedy doesn’t land at all. Technically it’s really plain and basic, though the score has a few nice moments here and there. Maybe it hit differently during the pandemic, I don’t get it at all.
2.5/10
You really have to stick with it, because most of the weird stuff only starts to make sense in the final few episodes.
I love how this show took its time to fully delve into all the characters in the first half of the season, with some episodes highlighting one or two of the main characters.
The plot is rich and thematically interesting, and asks questions about meaning making and purpose in a world where no one seems to have answers for the things that happen.
Who do we believe? Scientists? Religious figures? Cult leaders?
Most of the characters have interesting arcs, but some of the B-storylines feel haphazard and unnecessary for the main plot (Tom/Wayne/Christine & Dean the dog killer), making the show less focussed than it should be.
Also, for as great as most of the acting is (Justin Theroux & Carrie Coon in particular), some of the younger actors aren’t all that great.
7.5/10
I’ve seen two episodes now and I’ve got to ask: what’s the point of watching this?
There’s nothing inherently satisfying about the show itself.
Just putting a twist on existing lore and calling it a day isn’t enough to hold my attention for 30 mimutes, nor any sane person, I imagine.
Are people only watching this because it sets up future stuff?
Why would anyone watch something that’s just set-up?
Projects are always supposed to function as an isolated piece of art, and not just as a piece of a larger machine.
This show is so empty, it’s the kind of format that lends itself for short 4 minute videos on Youtube.
But a feature series? Come on.
Edit: alright so there is an attempt to tie the loose ends together in the final episode, but still, it kinda fails to justify its existence.
