LeftHandedGuitarist

Star Wars is my favourite thing ever. The announcement of this show came with a lot of promises and built up expectations on my part. It's so nice to be able to say that the show lived up to and surpassed all of them.

This first season of The Mandalorian feels mostly like an introduction, setting up the world and the characters and making use of a storytelling technique that falls somewhere in between episodic and serialised. It works. The main plot follows the rescue and protection of a small creature that appears to belong to Yoda's species, and this story flows through all the episodes even though it sometimes takes a backseat. Even when Mando is dealing with a side issue, we continue to learn more about Baby Yoda (for want of a better name) and the relationship between the two characters develops.

It's such a satisfying and easy thing to watch. Opting to use more puppetry over CGI for Baby Yoda was a smart move, and he/she is such a cute and adorable creation that it's impossible not to find yourself deeply caring about what happens to him/her. The episodes which deal with more self-contained stories are surprisingly welcome, giving us a slice-of-life in the Star Wars universe feel and allowing the show to deal introduce different genres and styles. While the show often presents a slightly more violent and darker angle than we're used to in Star Wars, it's also the funniest thing produced for the franchise yet (although the X-Wing novels from the 1990s are close in the running).

Visually the show is incredible. A new technology referred to as Stagecraft has been used extensively. It's essentially an evolved form of blue screen/green screen which allows the actors to actually see the environment they're in and reacts in real time to camera movements to allow the background to dynamically adjust. The results are impressive and lend the show an epic quality. Not to mention the fantastic set and costume design which fits in very nicely with the world set up in the original trilogy. If was to criticise then I would say some of the alien make-up fell flat (notably in the prison ship episode), but not to a distracting degree.

The music is also a highlight, diverting sharply from what we would consider standard Star Wars music but really working within the style of the show. It took a couple of episodes to get used to but now feels like an integral part.

Most of all, the show has a real emotional impact. Baby Yoda contributes to a big part of that, but Pedro Pascal in the lead role of the Mandalorian manages to do a lot while being behind a mask. His body language and voice performance are simply fantastic. Other characters leave an impression too and we feel like we get to know them even with a fairly small amount of screen time. They are all well written. The deaths of IG-11 and Kuill had an impact, the reveal of Cara Dune being from Alderaan gave us a sudden clear insight into her character. And the moment when Mando finally took off his helmet was brilliantly executed, with a genuine build up and then the reveal of a battered man who seemed slightly frightened that he may be about to die humanised him a lot.

The ending set up a very clear and exciting direction for season 2, plus we had the Dark Saber reveal, which ties into the Clone Wars and Rebels TV shows. It's clearly made by people who understand and love Star Wars. Finishing each episode of this left me in such a good mood and there's no other show this year that has brought me so much joy. Honestly, I can't wait for more.

When I was in my early 20s a film called Garden State came out. For me it arrived at exactly the right time. It depicted things which I felt spoke to my soul and was able to catch my mood perfectly. It seemed like had been made just for me and that it really meant something.

Watching that film many years later as an "adult" (I use that term loosely for me) was a very different experience. It suddenly seemed cringe worthy, full of pretentious characters and faux-profound and immature statements on life.

All that to say that I feel like Looking For Alaska is exactly the same kind of thing. Had I been able to watch this at around 18-20 years old it probably would have had a major effect on me. But I couldn't, and watching it at my age was an exercise in exasperation. Because TEENAGERS. ARE. THE. WORST.

And that's okay. This wasn't made for me. And despite more or less hate-watching through the whole thing, I found myself bizarrely really enjoying it.

This miniseries is based on the book by John Green, someone I find difficult to watch along with his brother in their various YouTube endeavours. They both just come across as not genuine. Green continues to write stories based around teens and their views of the world and somehow every book he writes gets turned into a film.

The characters are utterly horrendous. Miles Halter arrives at Culver Creek boarding school (In search of his "great perhaps"... sigh) and is immediately forced to fit in with what his new friends he meets there deem is acceptable. He's not allowed to have his own personality or views on things. His room mate, Chip "The Colonel" is an angry force of nature who takes Everything Very Seriously. It's honestly hilarious once you settle in to it as you watch him try try to deal with his world view that everything in life revolves around how you are viewed in school.

The main focus is on Miles' infatuation with fellow student Alaska. She similarly is incredibly forceful and lives her life based on philosophical musings from various authors. Everyone always does whatever she wants. These characters utterly dominate Miles and override his own personality. There's also a religious studies teacher who takes the nonsense to a new level of absurdity every time he's on screen.

Here are some actual quotes:

• "We are lost in a maze, so how do you get through it?"
• "Even when your heart breaks, you have to find a way to keep living."
• "Be with your anger. Allow yourself to feel what you're feeling. The only hope of getting to the other side of this is to go through it."
• "God help us if you unmoor her from the rock that is Jake."
• "You've got 10 seconds to surprise me before I write you off as ordinary."
• "Our time together may be short, but we are engaged in the most important pursuit of all: the search for meaning."

It may be the most pretentious thing I've ever seen. And I was utterly enraptured by it all. Characters speak ridiculous sentences that no human being in history has ever spoken, at least not without being laughed at. And once I settled in to this weird rhythm I found myself enjoying the ride.

Visually it's a treat, with the gorgeous rural locations and use of warm light giving it a magical feel. It actually reminded me quite of a bit of Life Is Strange. There's also a constant plinky-plonky indie soundtrack to really set off the hipster vibe.

Some how this is one of the best worst things I've watched all year.

More enjoyable than the previous season from earlier this year, Book 3 moves with a purpose and tells a larger story along the way. I was happy to see some dragons finally appear back in Book 2, but here we are spoiled. The opening episode dealing with the enormous blind dragon Sol Regem was a glorious piece of storytelling all on its own.

I enjoy the balance between serious emotional beats and some good humour. The jokes spring from characters and never feel out of place, even though they usually take me by surprise. "Anyway, here's the wonder wall," was so well done that I had to pause to recover.

Viren becomes more of a traditional bad guy (Soren even describes him as a "villain") and it's a a bit of a shame to see his previously more nuanced character reduced to something more black and white. My favourite part of the story is Rayla and Callum, and I was really happy to see what developed between them.

It continues to have some of the most gorgeous art and animation I've seen with some really breathtaking designs and scenery. This show has settled into its rhythm and I don't think I'm as blown away by it as I was back when it started, but I'm eager to keep going.

The first season seemed like a complete story with a definitive ending. There was a justified question of why this continuation was necessary. I'm glad to say that the creators took the opportunity to continue the story of Alyssa and James by going in a new direction and not repeating what had come before.

The visual look of the show is still there (it really is gorgeously shot, and looks markedly different to other British TV shows; somehow more expensive) as well as the fairly unique locations. Lots of trees and green, some lovely use of low light. Alyssa and James are also the same characters but their experiences have affected them greatly.

The biggest theme of this season is consequences. The two main characters face the repercussions of their actions and not just from the law, but psychologically. They are forced to face what they did and question how they can move forward, whether they do it alone or with each other. They begin to realise how their actions affect those around them. It was a bold move and instantly compelling. Alyssa especially has some real trauma from what she went through and begins to realise that she needs help to make better decisions. James now understands what it means to take a life and how it feels to lose the life of someone close to him. These characters together are electric; they both desperately need each other while they can bring out the worst. It's only once they realise the mistakes they've made that they can build some positives with each other.

Jessica Barden is honestly so good as Alyssa, I think there's a danger of her being typecast or unable to break away from this character.

The biggest addition to the show is the new character Bonnie. She is both the biggest asset to the season while also being the biggest problem. Her story varies wildly from absolutely compelling to utterly dull. The performance from Naomi Ackie is fantastic and she finds that perfect balance between friendly and unsettling, but her character ends up being very loosely defined. In the end she's a perfect companion for the deeply damaged James and Alyssa. The show uses Bonnie extremely well by the end, but the journey there can be frustrating.

There's a bit less comedy this time around, the show feels like it's attempting to grow up in the same way James and Alyssa are. This probably isn't quite as entertaining and carefree as season 1 was, but I think the story is ultimately more satisfying. I can't see a third season being at all needed, but I admit it may be fun to check in on these two characters later down the line.

I'm glad I chose to stick with this after the weak early episodes. Coming into the show felt like a homework assignment with the amount of characters I had to keep track of (in both child and adult versions). I wasn't able to make this settle down until around 4 episodes in when it felt like I could stop taking mental notes. By the end the show has established each of these characters very independently of each other, but it's really hard going to get there.

The most surprising thing about Hill House may be that it ends up being closer to a family drama than a horror story. Absolutely the horror moments are all there; there is a fantastic sense of dread and the ghosts and ghouls are effectively creepy. The show thankfully relies more on making you uncomfortable rather than startling you, but it did manage to pull off one of the best jump scares I've ever come across (episode 8, in the car), using the fact that it genuinely comes out of a moment you don't expect.

The cast are universally great. I keep on being impressed by Mckenna Grace (young Theo) every time I see her in something. On the adult side, Carla Gugino gets placed front and centre but by the end everyone gets to do some heavily lifting. Kate Siegel, Michiel Huisman and especially Victoria Pedretti are just great.

However, it took me a while to get to the point where I can say that. Without exception, the adult versions of these characters are absolute assholes and it's not much fun to watch them (and near impossible to sympathise with them). It takes time to understand what they are all about and what they've been through. A big issue did develop in that I found the flashbacks to the 1990s to be much more interesting than anything that was happening in the present day.

An exceptional episode made up of long, single takes was the real turning point for me where I found myself emotionally invested in what was happening. The spooky side of the show doesn't really fulfil its promise for the most part but the family become fascinating. The season builds up to some dramatic stuff that falls a little flat due to the scare factor really disappearing and the resolution is far more sedate than expected. I may have just been expecting a different show (and it was certainly promoted that way).

What a stunning piece of art.

The Dark Crystal was a core film of my childhood, managing to both enrapture and terrify me. The creature designs were nightmarish while also being gorgeous in their own way. The world was a place that just set off my imagination, constantly teasing that there was a lot more to see just out of frame. The plot wasn't as developed as it could have been but it was a story that cried out to be given more depth.

Age of Resistance delivers there. It fleshes out the world of Thra a huge amount and meshes perfectly with the movie. It doesn't attempt to reboot or change anything that was established there and instead just gives us an earlier piece of the narrative* and expands in sometimes new directions. The Skesis are given a reason to be the foul creatures that they are while the Gelfling are given a complete societal structure (and a surprising amount of racism!). Personalities are brought to the forefront, something that was greatly missing in the film (arguably, the Chamberlain and Aughra are the only strongly defined characters in it).

The puppet work is the biggest draw to begin watching. It's just the highest quality work on screen, but it's remarkable how quickly I forgot I was watching puppets and they all just became characters. The Jim Henson crew are just second to none. But it expands to more than just the puppets, because the set designs also bring the world of Thra to life an equally magical way. CG effects are used alongside the practical to enhance everything without getting in the way, and apart from a few overtly cartoony moments I think that they got the balance right.

I'm also pleased that the show continues the spirit of the original in that it doesn't shy away from the darkness or things that could be deemed as "too scary" for children.

Any criticism I have for the show comes down to the storytelling, and even then it's only minor quibbles. There's an impressive voice cast but some actors are definitely better than others. Notably, Taron Egerton in the lead role of Rian didn't quite fit for me and I was taken out of the moment whenever he spoke despite a solid performance. On the flip side, Mark Hamill is just perfect and Simon Pegg does a great job at taking over the iconic role of the Chamberlain. Nathalie Emmanuel and Anya Taylor-Joy make it seem effortless and are two really high points.

The pacing is my main issue. The 10 episodes often feel a bit too stretched out, and there are a few too many scenes of Gelfling sitting around trying to come to terms with what's going on, or the Skeksis just revelling in their disgusting mess. There were moments in just about every episode where I found myself wishing it would get on with things. Plus, the camera can't sit still and the constant swooping/panning/arcing/spinning/dollying becomes a lot to take a bit too often. The excessive shaky-cam in action scenes kind of ruined their flow for me.

The surprisingly emotional punch of the narrative manages to win over these issues, though. Yeah, the Gelfling have stupid faces but they begin to feel like people. There's a real sense of EPIC about it all, and I'm so glad that the decision was made to stick with puppetry in a time when we just don't see them on screen anymore. Without a doubt, this is one of the finest shows to appear this year and I really hope we get more.

Also, Hup is wonderful.

• It doesn't appear to give an exact time frame for just how much earlier this series is set compared to the show, but I'm guessing it's a fairly significant amount of time, i.e. decades.

There's a lot of intriguing ideas here, unfortunately it kind of feels like they've all been done before. It doesn't help that The Boys feels a little bit cheap due to a mix of budget constraints, production design and a few real misfires in casting. The storytelling is often scattershot and I even at the end of the season I feel like I haven't been properly introduced to quite a few characters and their development was extremely weak (notably A-Train, The Deep). There's an immaturity to it all that just prevents it going from good to great a little too often.

There's a lot of strong stuff, though. Jack Quaid as Hughie is fantastic and credibly portrays someone really out of his depth who's getting swept away. Karl Urban is definitely playing a very exaggerated character (with a dodgy attempt at an accent), but he makes it work and the character is great fun. The dark humour works more often than not, even when it's unexpected. Erin Moriarty as Annie/Starlight is a real bright spot in an otherwise grim show. The show presents a gloriously America-centric point of view and makes no apologies for it, presenting issues that feel unique to its set up and location and can certainly inspire a lot of debate (which did indeed happen among my housemates and I).

The show is often gratuitous to the point of absurdity, but it's not a massive issue with only a few moments that felt genuinely unnecessary, just put in there to satisfy gore hounds. This applies to the characters too, many of whom are unbelievably shitty people. This super cynical viewpoint was often a turn off for me.

I still found more to like than dislike here, but this could be a lot better. The show takes 8 episodes to tell very little story and there isn't much to really get invested in. And has Simon Pegg ever been more miscast than here?

An odd one. Visually this a a splendid dive into cyberpunk and presents a world with fascinating sci-fi concepts. It fully commits to its premise of having people be able to transfer their consciousness between "sleeves" and brings in all the issues that might occur if such a thing were really possible.

I've not read the book this was based on, but for all its sci-fi wonder I can't help but feel that this TV show completely neglected to include a human element. The show is cold and sterile, the characters are cut off from each other and it's difficult to think of anyone I actually liked. Was this on purpose? While you could read into that as a core theme of the story, there's also supposed to be a strong aspect of love there too and while we are told about it, we never actually get to feel it.

I think there's a mixture of writing issues and poor casting. The choice of actors here is kind of peculiar. Very few familiar faces are present and there were numerous people here who I had to wonder if they had ever acted before. So many of the actors do not fit their characters and it feels like they're fighting with the words and personalities they have to perform. Joel Kinnaman is particularly stilted and doesn't begin to feel like a person until the final few episodes where he suddenly remembers he's not supposed to be a robot - and certainly bears no relation to the (same) character being portrayed by Will Yun Lee who is far warmer and more open. For all the talk of souls, this is all very soulless. People are just disgusting to each other.

The character who really derailed the show for me was Takeshi's sister, Rei who shows up late in the game and completely disrupts the mood and flow of the story, while also negatively affecting the characters around them. Honestly, I think different actors would have helped the show quite a bit.

Still, I didn't hate the show at all. I found myself getting easily wrapped up in the mystery despite how ridiculously convoluted it all becomes. The script gives very little information to viewers and wants you to just absorb all that's happening until you become acclimatised. Then you get very big (and very fast) infodumps that require subtitles to follow. Not my favourite approach. Most of the action scenes are exciting but they do become repetitive, and the gratuitous nudity was often a bit too over the top when it didn't need to be. Nothing wrong with a bit of skin here and there, but this seems to want to make sure we see as much as possible all the time. The violence is more justified in this case, and is often brutal and effective.

Earnest, sentimental and often overly cheesy but every moment is consistently watchable. This Is Us wears its heart on its sleeve and is one of the most "American" shows I've ever seen, but it succeeds due to how honest it is. I like the characters, I'm interested in their lives and I feel invested in knowing where things will go.

If I'm being super critical, then I do find myself getting annoyed with Kate and Toby. Their relationship is very OTT and seems to consist of a repeating pattern of one of them (usually Toby) doing something to upset the other (usually Kate), then having an emotional conversation where they make up and decide to continue. This then happens again in the next episode. It became tiresome, but their issues are fairly unique ones for television and the actors have enough charm to make it work, mostly. I'd also say that most of Kevin's stories can fall flat for me, he's not the most interesting character.

My favourite stories tend to be the ones involving Rebecca and Jack. They are such a perfect couple and I love the way they act both towards each other and with their children. I also love going back to '80/'90s settings (and sometimes even further back). Their arguments (which come nearly as often as Kate/Toby's) feel much more natural and earned. It's also helpful that Mandy Moore and Milo Ventimiglia have such good chemistry together.

And then there's Randall who just about steals the show. His narrative is a beautifully complex one and Sterling K. Brown gives his all in the role. His moments were the ones that eventually got to me and caused a few tears to flow.

I'm also really impressed that the casting managed to find actors who do seem to resemble each other at different ages, both in looks and in mannerisms.

The season seemed to be building up to something big in regards to Jack, but it never got there and I couldn't help feeling like it was a let down. It's like the show is only giving us small portions because they know they need to keep things going longer. I'm worried that given the amount of seasons This Is Us is getting that we could just be getting strung along until the story has really run dry. At any rate, right now I want to see more.

It's hard to know what to make of this show right now. There are numerous criticisms I can aim at it: it's extremely childish, the characters are undeveloped and often annoying/stupid, the plots are repetitive and it doesn't seem to really have any purpose behind it all. I have to remind myself, though, that these are the exact issues had with both Clone Wars and Rebels when they began, and both of those shows eventually evolved into compelling entries in the Star Wars universe.

For the positives, I absolutely adore the visual style of this show. The cel shaded art is often striking, and while it may not be the most detailed choice for characters it really shines in regards to space craft and scenery. I wish the show would have more of a focus on the star fighters and pilots (which was teased as the original premise); I was expecting Top Gun in space and the show has not remotely delivered on that front. It's a missed opportunity that the show isn't doing something along the lines of the old X-Wing novels and PC games.

The voice acting is mixed. Most performances are over the top, highlighting that this show is aimed at a younger audience than Clone Wars and Rebels were. Neeku in particular feels a bit too much like Jar Jar. Kaz is incredibly incompetent and repeatedly succeeds through nothing but luck (and the help of others). He seems to only have one emotional state (overeager) and even when he finds out his home planet and family have been wiped out it barely seems to register with him for more than a moment before he's back to his old self. I do like the guest appearances from the movie actors, and Oscar Isaac is a highlight any time he appears.

I'm happy to keep watching because, come on, it's STAR WARS and I live for Star Wars. I really hope the show can evolve into something more, though, as the previous animated shows managed to after similar poor starts.

Season 2 of Cobra Kai does suffer a bit from a case of ever-repeating story lines, but it is never anything but a fun viewing experience. It ends on an especially high note after a stunningly staged school fight sequence which put me in mind of the kind of one-take shots done in Daredevil.

Both Daniel and Johnny are back in the mix, along with their kids and students. This time we also have John Kreese returning, reprising his classic role from the original movies with ease and creating a pretty intimidating presence. This show is able to balance old and new characters well.

It's hard not to notice just how damn cheesy it all is, though. Daniel and Johnny seem to somehow run into each other at every possible opportunity, Kreese is often a cartoon bad guy and the Cobra Kai students fit the very caricature of arrogant asshole bullies. But, it's somehow not that much of a big deal - through all of the cheese, the characters and stories manage to deliver some very real moments. The character of Eli/Hawk in particular and his ruined friendship with Demitri is often heartbreaking and a brilliant small flashback scene reminds us of where he's come from and what he's turned into.

Still, I am struck by how small-scale it all is. The conflict between these two dojos is portrayed as if its the most important thing in the world; fortunately, we are shown why the characters do consider is so important. Kreese is more of an issue, it's hard to figure out just why he's so obsessed with inciting a war with Miyagi-do and his cheesy one-liners ("now... your REAL training begins.") don't help. Similarly, the circular nature of it all becomes frustrating. Daniel and Johnny will begin to make some amends before some overly dramatic event tears them apart again, and the teenage romance is played for all its worth. I'm also not particularly convinced by the Daniel/Amanda marriage, it all seems too fake.

These aren't really major issues, though. We're all here for the nostalgia factor which is absolutely nailed. This show is clearly made with love. The quite shocking way things all end up really works and I can't wait to see what comes next.

It's pretty amazing that we now live in a time when a show like this is possible. Resurrecting an old classic story, bringing back original actors and playing on nostalgia to continue a plot that we last saw over 30 years ago is something that we could never have imagined happening only a short while ago. Fans of various films and shows have fantasised about exactly this sort of thing for as long as I can remember, and we've finally reached a place where the powers that be are willing to listen (Twin Peaks, Star Wars, The X-Files, Veronica Mars, Ghostbusters, Creed, Deadwood).

It's no surprise that if it's done right, the audience are going to love it. Cobra Kai does it right. Bringing back Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence, we finally get an official continuation of The Karate Kid saga showing how their lives went. Unfortunately, the wonderful Pat Morita is no longer with us so Mr. Miyagi can't return too, but his presence is felt throughout.

The show chooses to use nostalgia to the full, and it's to its credit that the format works well. It heavily references moments from the original films, uses the original soundtrack and brilliantly makes use of small clips as flashbacks. It also gives us a new dynamic by introducing the next generation of karate kids and gets us invested in their struggles all while entwining them with the bad blood between Daniel and Johnny.

It also takes the very interesting tactic of making Johnny a protagonist and showing us things from his perspective. This makes it very easy to become invested in the drama on screen, because we are rooting for everyone. Johnny himself can be his own worst enemy, but he recognises the mistakes he's made and wants to improve himself (even if his own dated viewpoint gets in the way). Daniel is a successful family man, but his hotheaded temper hasn't entirely gone away and he needs to struggle to find his balance again.

And then there are the kids, who are all great. Miguel becomes Johnny's first student, and goes from a kindhearted geek getting bullied to something of a monster thanks to taking Johnny's teachings a little too much to heart after he realises how good it makes him feel. It's a fascinating transformation that isn't easy to watch, because it becomes harder and harder to root for him. On the other side we have Johnny's estranged son Robby who begins learning from Daniel and is set on a path to redemption from his life of petty crime. All the different paths and goals crossing here make for an often cheesy but never dull mix.

While the show does often fall back on formulaic nonsense (bullies, geeks, family arguments) that play out in unrealistic ways, the pure entertainment makes it all work. My biggest criticism is that the karate itself feels very glossed over; I found it hard to believe that all of these kids were ready for the All Valley Tournament by the end of the season and I don't think the show establishes the passing of time all that well (this must have taken place over the course of a year or so, surely?). I also think that a few of side characters (Amanda, Hawk) are barely fleshed out enough to justify their screen time.

Cobra Kai is a highly entertaining and often very funny show that knows how to use nostalgia to its full and succeeded in making me really care about where all of these characters are going.

I'm trying to understand what I just watched. I mean, this is undoubtedly terrible in every way, but it's also... kind of great? I'm not sure.

The whole thing screams low budget and at times it doesn't look much different to a student production that you might see on YouTube. The acting is very mixed and the special effects would have looked dated 30 years ago. The first episode especially makes these issues extremely clear with some awful quality greenscreening and amateur CG visuals.

And yet, this web series knows what it is. It fully embraces its cheapness and decides to have fun. Of all things, the writing is actually fairly good, even hilarious at points. It feels like the people behind this had a lot of affection for the original Critters series and wanted to make something that could stand with them. They obviously didn't have the resources for that, so they were forced to do what they could.

From a story point-of-view, this is surprising. It goes into some new territory and does so with a smile on its face. The first few episodes don't suggest just where this is going to go (and their low quality in comparison to what comes later is a bit of a stumbling block). One of the biggest changes is that the Crites are far more intelligent here than the ones we saw in the films, and I ended up really liking that. They are the stars of the series and are given a lot to do, as well talking to each other a lot (via subtitles), and most of what they say is genuinely funny.

A surprise celebrity voice performance towards the end works far better than I would have expected it to.

The Crites are realised through puppetry just as they were in the movies, and they look about the same as they did back then. That is to say, kind of cheesy but also surprisingly charming. This is gorier and more adult than the film series (which mostly got away with '12' ratings here in the UK) and also a lot sillier.

I very much doubt this is going to have much of an audience given it's method of distribution, lack of publicity and extreme low budget. I think only big fans of the Critters movies will get anything out of this, and fortunately that includes me. This isn't good by any means, but damn it, I had fun.

A fascinating concept executed pretty well for the most part. The range of animation styles makes each short episode feel unique, and they are almost all absolutely gorgeous to look at.

What lets things down is that it feels like it was written by 13-year-old boys. There are episodes that suffer more than others in this regard and they seem to want to make sure that there's a swear word in every sentence, the most over-the-top gore possible and any chance to show off female nudity (with the odd bit of male nudity thrown in for good measure). It just makes it all feel a bit juvenile and in most instances it was completely unnecessary for the story being told.

Fortunately it doesn't ruin things completely. The varied stories here are almost all enjoying and often fascinating. I'd love to see Love, Death + Robots come back with another season, and I'd definitely love to see a few of the shorts here developed in to longer forms.

If I were to rank the shorts, it would probably be along these lines:

SUPERB
-Suits
-Lucky 13
-Three Robots

VERY GOOD
-Sucker of Souls
-Beyond the Aquila Rift
-Fish Night

OKAY/GOOD
-Sonnie's Edge
-Good Hunting
-The Dump
-Zima Blue
-Ice Age
-The Secret War

MEH
-When the Yogurt Took Over
-Shape-Shifters
-Blindspot

POOR
-The Witness
-Helping Hand
-Alternate Histories

Quite disappointing. I haven't had the opportunity to play the video game Alien: Isolation myself, but I did check out a good chunk of a YouTube playthrough of it some years back. I could tell that it's a very well put together piece of entertainment with an interesting story and I'd like to give it a play at some point.

This digital series takes the game's cutscenes and mixes them together with in-engine footage to recreate the game's narrative. On the whole, I think watching an actual Let's Play of the game is a far better experience. The plot here is jarring and difficult to follow with some strange editing choices. Large chunks of story are removed and it's hard to keep track of the characters, let alone care about them. The difference in visual quality between the pre-rendered cutscenes and the in-engine footage is massively different and really takes you out of things.

It's also noticeably how weak the voice acting is - interestingly, that doesn't feel anywhere near as much an issue in the actual game, but somehow really stands out as awkward here. Perhaps the transition of media from interactive game to preset television story just doesn't work.

It's worth noting that there was some new footage created for this series, and that stuff is actually pretty good. It enables Amanda to act as a narrator of sorts to smooth out some of the storytelling elements and I believe it also adds a new ending coda which wasn't a part of the game.

I'm really not sure why this project was done and the end result is nothing to get excited about.

Disappointed overall. There's some cool science fiction here, but the storytelling is a complete let down. It doesn't help that a large number of the cast members completely lacked any charisma, making them wholly uninteresting to watch (and unfortunately Karl is right at the top of that list).

I blame the writing more than the actors, though, it all became very stupid. Too many of these characters were unhinged or damaged, making them the most ridiculous choice to participate in a mission like this. There are weird leaps in logic and bizarre occurrences, to which most of the characters don't seem to respond to or care about. Indeed, most of the episodes seem to consist of people randomly wandering around the ship being able to do pretty much anything they want and ignoring problems while lost in their own worlds.

It lead up to a very disjointed ending that didn't do enough to let us understand anything that was happening. The pure selfishness of these insane characters only adds to how confusing the whole thing is.

There were some good points scattered throughout. The whole sequence with the spider-bot was effectively creepy and very well put together. Visually, it was mostly impressive and realised some nice sci-fi concepts well. Gretchen Moll was the standout cast member, while the character of Thale was easily the most interesting. I also enjoyed the range of accents throughout the crew.

I look forward now to reading the original novella by George R.R. Martin, which I have to assume is considerably better than this.

With every episode, there were things about this that made me say, "wow!".

Sometimes I was saying that in regards to the incredible visuals on screen, which are truly top quality and show incredible creativity and imagination. Other times I was saying it in regards to the unbelievable plot, ridiculous characters and insane happenstances that plagued it from beginning to end.

This really is one of the worst written shows currently. The characters are endlessly bland and meaningless, the plot is completely contrived and each episode just flows from one disaster to the next which our characters manage to miraculously escape from every single time.

Then part of me remembers that this is a kid's show, or at least a family show, and I have to give it some leeway. It betrays that at times by including some moderately adult elements (violence, gore, language, punchable characters), but always snaps back to being "safe". The focus on the children as the main characters is very much to the detriment of things, as they are all quite annoying (despite being generally strong actors). Will in particular seems to be either emotional or on the verge or tears in every single one of his scenes. Reign it in a bit please, writers.

In the end, this show wasn't made for me. It's for older kids/young teens who still enjoy reading YA novels about heroic kids saving the world. I know it's somewhat constrained by following the parameters of the original TV show, but one of the kids here is a FULLY TRAINED DOCTOR. I don't know how I'm supposed to approach that.

Then we have the appalling Dr. Smith, who derails every scene she's in with pure nonsense. She exists purely to be a spanner in the works with no genuine reasoning behind it. The human colonists are a bunch of morons who are supposed to all be geniuses, but are far more interested in their selfish needs and egos and don't behave as any kind of highly trained group.

It certainly wasn't all bad, and most episodes did have moments that made me want to pay attention and know what's going to happen next but it's got no depth whatsoever, and I'm genuinely bummed about that because I was really excited about watching this.

[7.5/10] I think we all went into this expecting a medieval fantasy version of Futurama, but this show is something quite different (and a million miles away from The Simpsons). It's attempting to tell a big story and it seems that it's decided to do some world building before getting into things.

It's fair to say that things start out a little uneven, maybe even rough. It feels directionless and we're thrown introductions to these characters that feel a bit forced. It's hard to know what to make of Bean, Elfo and Luci to begin with. Bean is the most interesting and feels like the most fully developed: a drunken princess dissatisfied with her place in the world and feeling a lack of respect from her father. She's also determined and brave through her bad attitude, and I found it easy to like her. Elfo and Luci are more difficult, partly because their voices don't quite fit with the character designs. Luci in particular seems to feel like forced comedy most of the time, with his comments rarely raising a chuckle. Elfo does better in this respect, and as the series went on I began to warm to him a lot more (and season end spoiler: I actually really missed him later when he wasn't around.)

Background characters like King Zog, Sorcerio and Pendergast also become much more fun to watch as episodes go by.

It's only the second half of this opening season that things really begin to come together. Stronger storytelling, better jokes and much more emotional moments. It starts to almost feel like this series is leaning towards being a drama with comedic elements rather than the other way round. There are a lot of moving parts here and I get the feeling that Matt Groening and his team are attempting something pretty epic; the show may indeed be a different experience when you go back and watch it a second time and understand everything that's going on.

I love the look of the show. The backgrounds are gorgeous, and while the characters lack detail in comparison they do mesh together pretty well. The animation is of a similar style to Futurama and modern Simpsons, with a lovely mix of 2D and 3D models and what has now become the trademark Groening look.

It's not quite great yet and sometimes it's not even good, but there's enough here to keep me coming back and have me very interested in where things are going. The writing is good but the jokes need to have a bit more quality over quantity. If you gave up after only a few episodes I'd encourage you to keep watching if you have the time (episodes 8 and 9 really cemented the season for me). The show is attempting to create a fascinating world, but is just struggling to give us the best introduction to it.

Rewatching this season in preparation for season 2, about a year-and-a-half since it was first broadcast, meant that I remembered the broad strokes but had forgotten the details. I think that helped, and I enjoyed the show quite a bit more than I did the first time around. Things were clarified and I was able to enjoy the ride more rather than overworking my brain trying to work things out.

I think that this is a pretty fantastic season of television. The storytelling is incredibly ambitious, the production value out of this world and the performances are (with some notable exceptions) world class. I find myself being drawn into the world on screen very easily.

But, at the same time, I think the show has serious flaws at this point. Mainly, it's incredibly slow and could have benefited telling the same story over less episodes. Things are drawn out to excess and it's incredibly frustrating, as well as meaning the narrative becomes over complicated. In fact, the plot isn't all that complex but the way its told just makes it seem that way. There is a lot in there and not all of it is relevant or useful, to the point where I'm sitting there wondering, "am I just a bit stupid or does this not really make any sense?". I wouldn't blame anyone for feeling a bit lost at the end.

I also think that the human characters are an issue. Almost without fail, they are scum. All of these people work together and treat each other like garbage, they speak to each other in a vile manner which in any real business environment would never be acceptable, let alone the basic human interaction. Sylvester, Sizemore, Theresa, Elsie, Logan, Hale and even Ford are extremely difficult to like or even watch. I get that the show is trying to drive home a point that these people are playing god and mistreating the Hosts, but it only ever comes across as bad writing. The only humans who come seem to be something resembling good people are Felix and Stubbs.

The other thing which really began to bug me was the completely unnecessary and over-the-top nudity. It's there for no reason other than to say THIS IS AN HBO SHOW AND WE CAN SHOW EVERYTHING! There's a terrible scene where Ford even tells a technician not to cover up a Host and let them be naked, because they don't have any modesty.

But overall, this is a thrill ride and a rare television show which asks the audience to think. I'm excited for where things are going, and hopefully the things which I took issue with can be ironed out.

Once you accept just how much this show is going to rip off, and blatantly steal from Star Trek (notably, it seems to fashion itself around The Next Generation and Voyager), you can sit back and let yourself have fun with it. It mixes up all of the sci-fi tropes which 1990s TV gave us and adds some low brow humour which works more often than not. The show is certainly still finding its feet, but its been well cast and each of the actors involved contribute very nicely.

Out of everyone, the standouts from this season have Alara, Bortus and Isaac - and its a shame that they haven't each been given a bit more screen time. Of the three, Alara has been the one most allowed to grow and Halston Sage really does well when given the lead. Isaac has been fun and intriguing, but I feel like so much more could be done with him. Meanwhile, Bortus has just about stolen every scene he's in so it's a shame that he's not been given more episodes.

This is certainly a show for those of us who really miss 1990s science fiction TV, because it aims to tickle the nostalgia but also cleverly makes fun of so much of it (eg., Malloy looking out of the viewscreen at a nebula and remarking it would make a great desktop screensaver). The humour is also balanced quite well with more serious and heartfelt material, although I feel there is still work to be done in this regard. On the plus side, the show has managed to surprise me with unexpected twists from time to time.

One thing I'm not so much a fan of is the Ed/Kelly relationship. We kept getting teased that they still like each other and honestly it's felt like a dead end to me from the start, so I'd appreciate it if the show would leave it alone from now on. The season finale suggested that this would be the case going forward.

If the show felt like taking some influence from Deep Space Nine - the best Trek - that wouldn't go amiss either! A little more consequences for the ending of episodes, sharpen up some of the humour and this show is going to be an absolute winner.

As something of a tradition, early seasons of Trek shows don't really work too well. Voyager 's main problem - for me - is how safe and predictable it is. By the time it had aired, the formula established by The Next Generation had been thoroughly used up, and then Deep Space Nine recognised this by changing things up. Voyager always feels like it wants to emulate TNG, and it never wants to stray outside of the lines.

The first season isn't a total disaster but neither is it compelling. There are false hopes given far too early on about opportunities for the crew to get back home, which we know are not going to pan out. There's also surprisingly little effort made to dive into the characters, with only the Doctor seeming to get any real depth (and maybe Tuvok). The Starfleet and Maquis crew merge without anywhere near as many problems as you would expect, and everyone is a happy family who run into aliens of the week and don't seem to learn all that much. Whats worse, the aliens really suck: the Kazon are trash who feel entirely nonthreatening, the Vidiians introduction is strong but they are then reduced to silly villains.

Despite all that, it wasn't as bad as I had remembered. While it has very few genuinely amazing episodes, most of the time it hovers around average storytelling without diving into really bad stuff.

Best episodes for me: Eye of the Needle, State of Flux
Worst episodes for me: The Cloud, Ex Post Facto, Heroes and Demons

There's a slow burn, and then there's this.

Season 5 has been an absolute grind to get through. It feels pretty clear that the show is not committed to progressing any storylines or allowing things to change. Where are we now that we weren't at the beginning of this season? Or that were weren't at the beginning of season 4?

While the show is always capable of bringing out some astoundingly gripping moments (the double execution, Pasha's wrist-slitting), they are small moments amidst a whole season of the show sitting on its hands. Philip and Elizabeth aren't even that sympathetic anymore, and the lack of communication between them is making things stagnate. Hell, their innermost thoughts are barely coming across to us as viewers.

On the plus side, the acting remains stellar.

Paige's story remains interesting, but again, it just seems to have reached a halt. Some effort was made to (finally) give Henry more to do, but like all the other storylines it appears to have just sputtered out after a long and unnecessary crawl. It's also ridiculous just how much work Philip and Elizabeth are doing, to the point where the show suddenly re-introduces someone that we haven't seen in a long time and we have to try and remember what the deal was with them. In this case we had the teenager Kim, a random pick up of Martha's storyline in Russia (which was heartbreaking) and a completely dead-end plot with Philip's son. And why the hell are we spending so much time with Oleg in Moscow?

What hurts most is that even with the finale, there was no forward momentum or establishing of where they wanted things to go for the final season. Give us something: the Jennings make the decision to go to Russia, or to hide in America to try and live a normal life. Or Paige tells Henry what's really going on. Or Stan discovers who P+E really are. This show was vibrant and exciting from seasons 1-3, but it looks like it's going to fade out with a whimper.

There's no denying that this season has seen a downturn in the quality of writing. Characters are not acting like themselves and making choices which don't reflect the journeys they've been on. Ridiculous leaps in logic are made and time compression has suddenly made Westeros feel very small. Spectacle has taken centre stage and it feels like the lack of GRRM's own prose has left the show's writers floundering.

And I've got to be honest, it hasn't bothered me all that much, because it's been so incredibly fun. Say what you will, but season 7 has not been dull for a second. Yes, I've found parts frustrating and rolled my eyes in disbelief at the stupidity on display, but there's something to be said for the pure thrill involved in what's going on screen.

I might prefer things to be slowed down a bit and do miss the insightful dialogue and foreshadowing, but I'm not throwing my toys out of the pram over it as so many seem to be. Even in this state, Game of Thrones remains among the best programmes on television. The finale did make up for some of the seemingly moronic writing choices made in earlier episodes and demonstrated that it can still make me care for these characters and fear losing them.

Not perfect and not up to standard, no, but some of the most enjoyable viewing I've had this year.