This really managed to give me some old school Star Wars feels. The series is essentially season 5 of Rebels, bringing back the main characters and picking up the dangling story threads we were left with (Nightsisters! Thrawn! The World Between Worlds!). And as a fan of that show, this was largely very satisfying.
For a show named Ahsoka, it was really Sabine who felt like the focus. She also ended up as the most interesting character in the whole thing and was cast extremely well. Similarly I thought Eman Esfandi was splended in the role of Ezra. Less convincing was Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Hera, who took a vibrant character and made her feel somehow diminished. Meanwhile David Tennant's Huyang kept things both steady and funny.
That leaves Rosario Dawson in the title role, and generally I like her a lot. And yet, she is giving us a far more stoic interpretation of the character and it didn't always work for me. The pacing in her conversations was noticeably off with long pauses in the back and forth. But Dawson still feels right for the most part.
Story-wise, it managed to both satisfy and irk me. I feel like the whole thing moved slowly for the amount of episodes it had, and editing this down to a 2.5 hour film could be done without much fuss. There's a sense of drawing things out so big things can be saved for the inevitable future film(s). This is a real shame. But each episode also did something which managed to pull me in and the magic feeling is definitely here.
It was the surprises that really made this click for me. Hayden Christensen returning as Anakin and being given far better material to work with was absolutely beautiful, especially as it dealt so much with his history with Ahsoka. The flashbacks to the Clone Wars were simply sublime (helped no end by a wonderful young Ahsoka who felt pulled straight from the animated show). Ray Stevenson and Ivanna Sakhno both give us intriguing antagonists with more story to hopefully be explored (obviously tricky now, sadly).
Visually this is an utter delight too - either the StageCraft is getting better or they made clever use of real environments at times here. There are a number of stunning images throughout this, be they glowing-eyed resurrected stormtroopers or characters emerging from misty vistas. But the real star of the show is the musical score which is an absolute treat from start to finish, and probably the strongest interpretation of Star Wars we've had outside of John Williams.
There's something off about Torchwood. The premise is interesting enough, being given a nice setup in series 2 of Doctor Who, but the tone is bizarre. It's an adult show that exists within the Whoniverse, and therefore piles on the sex, violence and swearing. Doctor Who is a family show aimed more at the kids, but adults are a huge part of its audience. So it made some sense to create a spinoff that could be more mature.
But Torchwood isn't mature. It throws in the aforementioned sex and blood and swear words, but its writing is still at the level of Doctor Who. By that I mean it still has people running around shouting silly dialogue, giving us tons of exposition, plot contrivances, poorly designed monsters and only glimpses of emotional maturity. This stuff works in Who, in fact it works quite well because we know we're watching a fun kids adventure show. But this is supposed to be an adult drama, so immediately things feel iffy. The pantomime vibe is still here.
The characters do the show no favours either. I quite enjoy Captain Jack portrayed by John Barrowman, but I think it's fair to say that dramatic acting is not his forte. The issues with the rest of the characters are numerous, but it's a real problem when they are so completely uninteresting (Tosh and Ianto) or absolutely impossible to like (Owen). Gwen is our way into the story being the newcomer, and she's handled better but she makes odd choices. The character has nowhere near enough depth to give us the information to understand why.
The writing is not able to do justice to the stories being told. This isn't the fault of the actors (...mostly), but down to the laughably weak dialogue and direction. It doesn't help that visually it's all so poor, inheriting the cheapness from it's parent show of this era. Through all this there is fun to be had. There are good episodes in there and a sense of camaraderie does build within the cast. There's so much room for improvement though.
I could make the same complaints about series 2 as I did with the previous, but I can't deny that the show moves forward with much more confidence here. David Tennant injects some wonderful energy into the lead role and has a stronger chemistry with Billie Piper. Ecclestone did a fantastic job, but Tennant is more charismatic, more playful and more interesting.
I'm coming to accept the inherent cheapness of the show and the super kid-friendly writing, just enjoying the stories for what they are. It's very noticeable that for a show about being able to travel anywhere in space/time, they keep ending up in the contemporary UK. I would say that this sort of thing could never win any awards, but somehow the episode 'The Girl in the Fireplace' came away with a Hugo. Shows what I know. The bad guys still look terrible but they are done with a bit more style here. The special effects are low quality even for 2006, that's just unavoidable given the show's budget and scale.
It's the characters. They work, they're fun. Their relationships become irresistible. There are some real high points in this series and they all come down to powerful character moments for me. My favourite thing here was the two part 'The Impossible Planet'/'The Satan Pit' in which everything clicked. The episodes benefited from atmospheric location shooting and effective lighting which made them look better than anything else the show has done so far, as well as liberally borrowing from things like Event Horizon and Aliens, but it was the material between the Doctor and Rose which made this into something magical. 'School Reunion' was also a wonderfully fun exploration into the Doctor's history.
However, when the show got bad it was almost unbearable. Episodes like 'Love and Monsters' and 'Fear Her' were tacky and dull and so poorly made, seemingly full of afterthoughts in every department. The first includes an embarrassing Scooby-Doo chase scene and a woeful Peter Kay. I also couldn't get into 'Rise of the Cybermen'/'The Age of Steel' despite its impact on the story going forward, largely due to the bad acting and overblown danger from a very silly enemy.
Fortunately the good outweighs the bad here and the series culminates in some truly emotional scenes.
Doctor Who has always been a tough sell for me. I grew up watching the Sylvester McCoy years and have a fond memory of watching the 1996 TV movie premiere on the BBC (Paul McGann was GREAT). But as I grew up I desired more sophisticated sci-fi (that had a better budget behind it). By the time this new era of the show began, I was enjoying things like Stargate and Battlestar Galactica which had visuals and ambitions which put Doctor Who to shame.
Yet something always kept telling me I should enjoy this show. I had tried to watch it in the past and couldn't make it more than a couple of episodes in. This time I think something has clicked and the show has got its hooks in me.
But lets be honest, the quality in this first series is not there. The show looks awful, extremely cheap with terrible lighting that adds a weird glow to things. The sets still look iffy and the alien/monster designs are laughably bad (the Slitheen stood out here as especially weak). The cinematography and editing is awkward. The writing is full of exposition and good actors are somehow reduced to giving pantomime-like performances as they spout the silly dialogue (shouting it more often than not).
The saving grace is the emphasis on character relationships. Eccleston is superb in the lead role, but the real star turns out to be Billie Piper who manages to act circles around everyone else. The dynamic that grows between Rose and The Doctor is endearing and eventually gripping. The show absolutely shines when it focuses on the moments where they just stop and talk.
And at the end of the day this is a family/children's show and accepting that has enabled me to somehow find the enjoyment. I can get through trash like 'Aliens of London' and 'The End of the World' if I also have episodes as good as 'Dalek' and 'The Parting of the Ways'. I'm quite excited to see what's ahead now.
I'm a latecomer to this show, but in an odd way I'm kind of thankful for that. Last year I watched The Right Stuff on Disney+, a show which told the story of the first group of American astronauts, the "Mercury Seven", in the 1950s and '60s. Although I kind of enjoyed it, it wasn't spectacular. But it did act as a perfect pre-cursor to For All Mankind, and even dealt with several of the same characters (and even the same actor in one case). Having the background info from that series added quite a lot to this one.
Of course, For All Mankind takes things in a different direction in that its alternate history where things don't go the way they really did, but it many ways it feels like a natural continuation of the story. It takes the concept of Russia landing the first man on the moon and what impact that may have had on America's space program. The results are fantastic. Imagine where the world could be today and the discoveries that would have been made if we had kept pushing out to the stars.
It splits its focus between a few different groups of characters and situations as the season progresses and the mixture is welcome. The relationships the astronauts have with their spouses and families is an essential element which could be seen as a distraction from the intense space stuff, but it only complements it. I was drawn into the world and caught up in the emotional events which happen. It helps that the cast are very strong and while Joel Kinnaman seems to be the lead character early on, the show gradually becomes more of an ensemble piece. Margo, Tracey, Gordo, Deke and Ellen especially take on some of the most memorable stories in the show.
This series if full of hope, bravery and real emotion along with great storytelling. If you're at all into NASA-based tales then I highly recommend watching. It shows us an idea of a world that could have been with progressive elements, especially in regards to women, that are wonderful to see. I hope season 2 continues on this path.
An already silly show gets pushed into extreme cheese territory here, and it's honestly all quite welcome. Cobra Kai uses nostalgia as a weapon to hook us in and it works brilliantly. I can forgive the ridiculous dialogue, the never-ending plot contrivances and some of the really weak acting because the characters and the story being told are so much damn fun.
The show has managed to give us rounded, interesting heroes and villains on all sides. It pulls off the magic formula of making you root for almost everyone involved. The two characters I wanted to hate most - Kreese and Hawk - now both have enough back story and individual motivations to make me feel for them. That's impressive.
I also particularly love the continued use of flashbacks and footage from the original films, they integrate them so well.
There is a question of whether the show can continue with this level of silliness before it begins to feel too much. How many times can we see two characters begin to make amends when some perfectly timed disaster conveniently interrupts them? It's clear that the show isn't interested in being too grounded or presenting any realism (Miguel sure did relearn to walk - and fight! - easily after being paralysed), and part of me feels that the show is going to need to reign it in and commit to some new directions. There's no denying it's very repetitive.
The good stuff here comes from Johnny and Daniel. When it switches over to the kids, it's noticeably how they aren't quite sparking in the same way. In this season particularly it's Tory, Samantha and Robby who feel like they haven't had much to do and anything involving them lacks much energy.
Does it matter? Nah. I'm all in. Hopefully season 4 will let us see Daniel and Johnny team up properly, and not fall out within an episode or two. And if we somehow get Thomas Ian Griffith back as Terry Silver then that would be a treat!
There's a really good show in here somewhere, but it's difficult to find. I'm a junkie for any NASA-related tales so this should have been right up my street, but I found myself letting episodes build up unwatched each week and it was only in forcing myself to get on with them that reached the end.
Instead of showing us this crew of potential astronauts training, instead of showing us the clever technicians and engineers solving problems, we are given mostly a show about marriage problems. I definitely think that this aspect of the character's lives is important and deserves a place in the story, but it should not have been the focus. The training segments seem to amount of climbing out a capsule in a swimming pool and people sitting on those spinning chair things. The astronauts complain that they don't get to actually fly the capsule, but there's no follow up to that. Quite often things go wrong and people panic, but we don't get to see the solutions. We just repeatedly get told, "we're ready", but... when did that happen? Nobody appears ready to go. Where are the breakthrough moments?
The characters themselves are not much fun to watch. I'm sure the real life astronauts were arrogant flyboys too, but the portrayals here made me want them all to fail. They are alcoholics, cheaters, jealous, petty and through all this they swagger around with All-American-Hero attitudes. It's kind of nauseating, but I think it could have worked if they'd had both better writing and better casting. A major issue is that we actually get to know so few of them, with the focus being on Shephard, Glenn and (for some reason) Gordo. And they're all idiots here - Gordo especially. The rest of the astronauts are background material.
In fact, the highlights ARE the wives who all feel like much more real characters and all managed to make me care about them. I also liked the general production quality of the show and each episode managed to have some good stuff to offset the bad. It's not a total disaster, and after the first episode I had lowered my expectations enough to be able to get on with it all.
I don't enjoy picking on individual people, but I feel like I have to mention Patrick Fischler's bizarre robot-like performance throughout this show. What was he going for here?
More than anything, I was curious about this show when it was first announced. I love the idea that each Trek series can be something completely different and I'd like to think that I'm pretty open minded, so an "adult animated comedy" immediately piqued my interest and I honestly though it sounded fun. But I was also confused as to just how it would function, or even fit in with the Trek framework. I didn't want Rick and Morty with a Star Trek skin.
That's not what this is at all. Lower Decks is clearly made by people who both love Star Trek and are intimately familiar with it. Each episode is a joyous exploration of various Trek tropes that are turned inside out and then made to provide us with pure entertainment. And yet they still manage to stay true to Trek's ideals, and they send the characters on a journey of discovering themselves and what they want out of their lives.
Mostly, the show is genuinely funny. This is a case of the producers not showing off their best stuff in the trailers and really saving the surprises for the broadcasts. The season continues to steadily improve and settle down as it goes on, but even out of the gate I was enjoying it. There's a fast pace in the early episodes (maybe too fast) that gets smoothed out, and any questions we have about how these characters are supposed to fit into their roles get answered. It slots very nicely into canon and works as a continuation of the '90s era of Star Trek shows.
The show is a deep dive into Trek lore and even the most die hard fans will find references to their most obscure favourite things. And yet it's not overdone, it's just FUN. I don't think it's even off putting for viewers who may not be all that familiar with Trek's past, as a friend of mine with only a passing knowledge of the franchise really got into the series (I shall now continue my mission to get her to watch more!)
The voice cast do excellent work, and the characters really came to life for me over the course of the season. Notably, Mariner is a fascinating and complex character who gets explored in detail and has probably emerged as my favourite. Over the course of the season, these characters genuinely made me feel things and fall in love with them. And I can't help but notice how much each actor looks like the character they play - could this be an intentional move to facilitate live action appearances down the line?
A fairly strong miniseries that's let down by the final episode. There are strong actors all round and I found myself getting extremely caught up in the story, especially in the second half. I'm a sucker for a courtroom drama so it's a little disappointing that made up such a small part of the show, but there's a great thread of investigation going on all though this. Chris Evans carries it very well (I love these drama pieces he does every so often, see also Gifted) and gets excellent support from Michelle Dockery.
Jacob, the son, keeps you guessing all the time. He can act like a normal kid and then go slightly creepy in just the right way to make you question things. There are some slightly infuriating choices as the show continues which makes you wonder how intelligent the characters actually are, but for the most part everything rings true.
It's the ending that kind of derails it all for me. Obviously I'm not going to spoil things in any detail here, but suffice to say it didn't hit the mark and changes the tone up a bit too much. I was left feeling deeply unsatisfied with the resolutions or in some cases lack thereof. Otherwise a pretty fantastic series.
The final season of the show takes some risks and feels different to what's come before. Especially in the first half we are given episodes which feel almost experimental, and there is a big change up to the status quo for the characters. It was almost off putting until I got used to it: Aang with hair, the group disguised in Fire Nation clothing, the heavily reduced role for Uncle Iroh (no doubt due to the sad loss of voice actor Mako).
It's a strong ending, though. Each character is given a lot to do and their stories are all compelling which makes this a show its very easy to get invested in. Prince Zuko probably remains the most interesting character on the show and it's easy to root for him despite his role as an antagonist - and I'd go as far as saying that this season really belongs to him. Even his sister Azula, whose personality is far less subtle, was given further substance. I particularly enjoyed the prison break episodes which continued to throw surprises while always being fun.
The actual ending, I'm a bit torn on. It's certainly epic and while it's satisfying, the overabundance of action on all fronts was slightly draining to the point where the emotional beats didn't really reach me. It's a shame that the Fire Lord is such a one-note bad guy. I found myself very appreciative of the various issues raised along the way though, most notably with Aang not wanting to be a killer. And the humour throughout is essential to the identity of this wonderful show, and always hit the right mark.
I'm so glad I watched this.
A subtle improvement over the first season which has raised this show in my estimation. I mostly liked the first season but could honestly take it or leave it, yet here I was eager to see the next episode each time one finished. The comedy is more or less on the same level as before, but what really is starting to work here is the storytelling. The season has started to push things in new directions and bring in some central narratives, and it's really helped bring the characters to life more (excuse the pun).
Guillermo and Colin Robertson have begun to steal the show, and that's no mean feat when you have Matt Berry as a main cast member. Most of the time I can't honestly single out a favourite character as they all shine when given the spotlight. But I think special mention needs to be given to the Jackie Daytona episode which was just delightfully funny from start to finish (helped also by a great guest star). I'm interested to see if the events of the season end are going to affect the story going forward or if there will be a convenient reset of some sort.
If I'm still not completely in love with the show, it's probably because vampire stories are a very hard sell for me and that there's a slightly repetitive nature to things episode to episode. I appreciate that this at least tries to take a unique approach.
Unlike Clone Wars, Rebels is pretty decent from the start. But it's also quite a different show. This focuses on a small group of characters and sticks mostly to the same location, the planet Lothal, throughout the season. It's a more intimate show and I think it benefits from this.
It also helps that these are new characters and we don't know their fates. Something that always held Clone Wars back was that we knew what was going to happen to Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padme, etc., and we knew that they were never in danger. That's not the case here where anything can potentially happen.
It's still a show aimed at children, of course. It has plot contrivances galore and the feeling that the heroes are always going to escape to fight another day is definitely there. But the show is able to throw in its own surprises and the continuing narrative helps to keep things interesting. Still, the characters here need work and are mostly defined by a single personality trait; that means that Ezra, Zeb and especially Chopper become tiresome while Hera and Sabine are heavily underdeveloped. And yet, there is clear progression as things become more complicated. That leaves Kanan as the most interesting of the bunch.
I've seen Rebels before but forgotten a lot of it, although I definitely don't remember enjoying it as much as I did this time. It's goes to an effort to recreate the feel of the original trilogy, especially with the space battles, and it succeeds.
A stronger season overall, although I didn't think it quite reached the highs of the first one. However, this was far more consistent throughout with pretty much no truly weak episodes. This show has captured my imagination and I'm continually impressed with the logical worldbuilding and how it it all grows. Our characters learn enough to be able to unleash their true abilities and it gives us some really stunning and endlessly creative action sequences in which you think, "oh, of course they would be able to do that!".
Toph is a great addition to the main characters, and I quite like Azula and her gang as antagonists (in particular, Ty Lee is really fun and I love her bizarre infatuation with Sokka). I had a few issues with things once the gang got to Ba Sing Se where the overall narrative really seems to stall. This sorts itself out eventually, but I can't say it's my favourite place to spending all these episodes.
Mostly, I really love seeing the development of all these characters. They are staying true to themselves while also learning and growing. Katara maybe my favourite aspect of the show, and I love how her abilities have developed into making her a truly formidable opponent. But she's also the real emotional heart of things. However, the show may be shining best when it comes to Prince Zuko and his Uncle Iroh who are compelling with every moment of screen time they are given.
I thought I'd finally see what all the fuss is about, and so far I'm pretty glad I have. It's true that it doesn't get off to the strongest start with some pretty basic storytelling and episodes which feel a bit too much on the childish side, but it continues to build a world that becomes fascinating and extremely well thought out. The characters become more interesting and complex as it goes on and start dealing with themes that are far above the "kids show" roots. It's also pretty funny.
Prince Zuko may be the most compelling character, with the first impressions of him being an extremely vanilla bad guy who is evil just because. Episodes reveal more about what's going on with him and I actually began rooting for him to have some luck. I also love his Uncle Iroh who walks the line between comic relief and genuinely important mentor.
Aang isn't the best protagonist at times due to his immature nature and the fact that he keeps repeating a lot of the same mistakes before learning from them. Katara stands out as the one to watch, with her brother Sokka being unfortunately relegated to the "idiot" role most of the time, but when he has something important to do it makes it have all the more impact.
I'm not in love with the anime-inspired visual style and jerky frame rate (I really struggle with Japanese style animation, it's always been a massive turn off for me), but later episodes have some striking art. Looking forward to seeing where it goes next.
I love big ideas in stories. The problem is when the idea takes over and gets in the way of character, plot and emotion.
To be fair, Alex Garland's Devs tries hard to avoid this. It also has a big, ambitious idea at its centre and it's entirely possible that I didn't follow it as well as I thought I did. But the fact remains, the further I got into this miniseries the less invested I became.
The best thing to come out of it is the stellar performance by Nick Offerman. He proves without a doubt that he's capable of so much more than comedy and is the only cast member to inject some real emotion into his role. It helps that his part was written to allow for this, because almost everyone else here is close to robotic. There's a real laconic feel to Devs, it's in no hurry to tell its story and its characters kind of float through everything that happens. I have a feeling it was somewhat intentional, but it was also a poor choice.
And while I have started to hate falling back on this word to describe things, I have to say just how pretentious it all comes across. There are visual tone poems and mood pieces all throughout, a character monologues poetry over the course of two episodes while we are given montages of multiple reality outcomes. It can be painful.
But it's also a ride. It has a pretty strong start, and I liked the way we the audience are allowed to piece the mystery together ourselves before any details are given. It's the sort of thing that's designed to make you feel clever and that's part of how it tricks you. Overall, I'm just glad I watched it for Nick Offerman, because he deserves all the praise.
The ending is nonsense, though. And given the premise, I'm not sure it could have been anything else.
This season has cemented The Expanse for me as a show that is good but rarely great. The ideas here are fantastic but the execution so often lets it down. It's not afraid to completely change storytelling direction (I think this is more an effect of switching up book adaptions halfway through each season), and just like the previously we end up with two very different halves of a season.
The first half was by far the better one for me. The search for Prax's daughter, having Bobby along for the ride, the full corruption of Errinwright and the fantastic dynamic of Avasarala/Cotyar. Plus, it went some way towards rounding out the bad guys and giving us more perspective on everything happening. The second half of the season with the ring eventually built up to something quite exciting, but felt lesser all the time. Captain Ashford's motivations and personality seemed to change at the drop of a hat (an issue with most characters here), and Melba was an extremely disappointing direction for the story.
There is still a core issue in that I don't think the cast are quite right. The loss of Thomas Jane was heavily felt, as I think he was by far the best actor on the show and without him it all feels a bit amateur. So I am beyond delighted that he returns, however small the role is. I just don't think that the crew of the Rocinante have any chemistry together. Both Holden and Naomi are extremely empty characters and I find it hard to be engaged whenever they are the focus of a scene.
On the plus side, this is a compelling world that's been built. The various factions finally have been fleshed out to be more understandable and sympathetic, making for a nicely complex set up. Bobby Draper has evolved to become one of the most interesting and fun characters on the show and the addition of Elizabeth Mitchell has been very welcome. And at the end of the day I am delighted to have some real sci-fi television back in my life after so many years of nothing.
Future Man ends on a high note after three seasons that got progressively weirder. I can't help but think that a lot of the narrative was created without too much thought about where it was all going, and I imagine that the sad death of actress Glenda Headly during the first season caused some real changes of plan. The finale here feels very disconnected from any events that happened in the show previously, but it's done in such a way that it still works.
Season 2 really didn't work for me and felt like the biggest consequence of the changes. It was very different from what came before and extremely downbeat. Season 3 opts for a bit more fun, some great changes of time period and location throughout, and most importantly it keeps our three main characters together. I didn't find the humour to be quite as on point as before, but the overall tone was a real improvement.
I think the characters of Josh, Tiger and Wolf are going to be the biggest takeaway from this show for me. The actors fit the roles so well that it's now going to be difficult to me to associate them with anything else. Derek Wilson's fake gravel voice and Eliza Coupe's over-the-top aggressiveness were never anything but a joy. And Josh Hutcherson was the glue that held the team together by playing a geeky, terrified everyman that was so easy to relate to. It felt like the actors were always having fun in the roles.
This season makes our heroes wanted criminals being tracked by time police from the future after all the damage they've caused. This is headed up by Seth Rogen. When he appeared at the end of last season I found him to feel out of place but he is integrated far better here. There's also a myriad of famous historical figures who play a part (Marilyn Monroe, Buddy Holly, Abraham Lincoln, Jesus), but while their introduction was fun it also kicked off a run of episodes which really went on for too long. The entire section spent at Haven felt like wasted time in an already short season, and the effect of allowing Tiger and Wolf to grow as people could have been handled much more succinctly. But I did love the goat.
The first season of the show stands as the best it had to offer, but the finale manages to wrap things up nicely. It fulfilled the main requirement which was finally solidifying the bond and friendship that Tiger and Wolf feel for Josh. It's always been funny to see them treat him like crap, but underneath we were all rooting for them to accept each other. They work SO WELL together! And in the end we even find out that it was all based on a true story, with completely whitewashed casting! Genius.
Honestly, I really missed the whole initial concept of the video game geek as the mistaken hero and the mission to kill the man who will destroy humanity, but the show evolved and continued to give us new stuff. This is somewhat rare. Future Man definitely wasn't a show for everyone given how obscene it would regularly get, but it was a show that fully embraced it's geekiness and how silly it was. I'm glad I stayed with it.
Such a let down. This show just failed to evolve and it's nowhere near the quality of Clone Wars and Rebels. There's nothing wrong with the premise, but it just focused on the wrong things all the time and the tone just kept leaning towards slapstick. I accept that this one was aimed at younger kids, but it really dumbed everything down and didn't allow for any nuance in storytelling or characters.
And at the end of it all, I just don't see what the point of it was. It didn't give us an interesting story, didn't add any new lore and didn't connect or tie into other Star Wars tales. It didn't even give us a satisfying or meaningful conclusion as things just return to status quo. None of the characters were memorable and I find it difficult to see any of them becoming fan favourites (hmm... maybe Torra Doza actually). I think it's fair to say that the show actually gave us some of the worst characters in the franchise in Kaz, Tam and Neeku.
Still, I do love the visuals. The cel shading can be downright gorgeous and things really came to life whenever starfighter combat or racing was involved (far too little). The voice actors for the heroes and Colossus crew were also good all round - less so for the extremely generic cast of bad guys.
But you know what, I freakin' love Star Wars and this is part of it so I just find that I can't completely hate it. I was often bored watching but never felt like something I HAD to do, I always wanted to sit down and see the next episode. Am I just a glutton for punishment? Possibly, because looking back this was definitely not worth the time spent on it.
Very muddled and obtuse storytelling along with a cast that don't quite seem to fit make this a challenging watch, at least for the first half. It's a shame, because so many other elements are here to make a really great sci-fi show. And good sci-fi TV was seriously lacking at the time this premiered. I'm glad the show elects to use on-screen text each time we shifted to a new location, but more really was needed. I've read the book and I struggled to follow a lot of the events happening here.
Things do improve, the cast especially become easier to watch. Thomas Jane stands above everyone despite playing a very clichéd role as the burnt-out detective who drinks a lot, and he seems to be the only character who reacts to things like a person should. The crew of the Canterbury/Rocinante are a much bigger issue, not only do they not seem to gel well together, they don't really seem to inhabit their roles. It's mostly in their interactions and reactions to things, they act peculiarly without any explanations. These people certainly aren't meant to like each other all that much, but it can feel like they each are acting in completely different stories. But again, this improves as the the episodes go by. Unfortunately, Shohreh Aghdashloo is never really convincing and her scenes slow down an already complex narrative (despite her fantastic voice).
Just about everything else does work. The universe of the show is well developed and fascinating, if not all that pleasant to see. The special effects are mostly of a high quality and when the story gets going it all becomes quite gripping. I've heard the show continues to improve and I'm eager to continue.
[7.5/10]. It has some fundamental problems, but this first season manages to end up a thrilling watch. I've previously played The Witcher games (1, 2 and a large chunk of 3) and read several of the books. I felt quite prepared for what the show would present, but it turns out to be fairly confusing to follow even for someone acquainted with the world.
My biggest concern going in was the casting, especially Henry Cavill in the role of Geralt. I didn't need to be worried, he absolutely owns the role and was a perfect fit. Similarly, Anya Chalotra as Yennefer seemed a bit of miscasting (I think so many of us had the image of what the video games presented her as), but she ends up being one of the most compelling parts and really fits as the character.
Where the show stumbles is in laying the basics of the story. The early episodes are especially difficult to get through. If you really pay attention to the dialogue, it eventually becomes clear that each character's story is taking place at a different time (Yennefer many decades prior, Geralt a few decades later and Ciri's is the "current" time). It's not obvious. Years pass between each episode but the show does very little to suggest this, and by the end of the season the timelines are matched up. It's a cool storytelling device that would have worked so much better if there had been some clearer indication.
Very little is also explained about the basics of who these characters are. What is a Witcher? The show won't really tell you other than vague hints about being a mutant. He appears to have magical powers, but they aren't described and only shown fleetingly. What's going on with Yennefer and becoming a sorceress? What are all these kingdoms and how do they relate to each other? You'll have to piece lots of it together yourself. I admit, sometimes it's nice not to be spoon fed everything, but there are some aspects here which REALLY would have benefited from some basic details.
The show shines in other areas, though. The characters really spark and interact with each other in delightful ways. The amount of sarcastic comedy really works to the show's benefit and gives it an identity. The action scenes are extremely impressive with some of the best choreographed sword fights I've ever seen. Each episode gets progressively better and the season ended with me feeling very invested in the characters. The soundtrack is also impressive and seems to take a lot of cues from the ones used for the video games (plus we get Jaskier's songs, and 'Toss A Coin To Your Witcher' is better than anything you'll hear on the radio these days).
Unfortunately, it does all look a bit cheap. The monsters are rarely impressive and a couple just made me laugh at how poor they looked. Much has been made of the ridiculous costume design for the Nilfgaardian soldiers, and it's really an embarrassing blemish. But I think many of these issues are quite easily solved and there's the beginning of something great here. This is not a very welcoming show but once you find a way in you will be rewarded.
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:
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.
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?
Mesmerising stuff. Mindhunter is all about conversations; it's a show without action but is incredibly tense. I often find myself on the edge of my seat from just wondering what a character is going to say.
Compared to season 1, this time we go in a slightly new direction. The first half keeps us in similar territory as Holden and Bill interview imprisoned murderers, but the situation in Atlanta begins demanding more and more time. I liked the plot here, despite it taking away from the fascinating original set up. Wendy is given some screen time to fill in on interviewing duties, but it's actually very little. I do feel like she's had a very small part to play so far. The acting paired with the sizzling dialogue makes for top quality television.
It's not perfect, though. The show has an odd pace and even though I find myself completely absorbed in each episode, it is often slow. There are a number of subplots set up here that aren't given time to breathe and it left me feeling unfulfilled, almost as if the show isn't too interested in really getting on with them. Notably, the entire (terrifying) situation with Bill and Nancy's son, and also Wendy's seemingly dead-end romance that I never really felt convinced by. We also are teased with finally digging into the BTK killer before that entire plot line is derailed by Atlanta. There's a huge sense of unfinished business on all fronts.
The character themselves still don't feel completely defined to me. Holden's panic attacks became forgotten and Wendy seems reluctant to show any actual personality. Still, I'm totally in love with this show and each time an episode unexpectedly ended I was eager to continue - I forced myself not to binge watch, though! That would do a massive disservice to the quality on screen.
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.
