A promising start. There are a lot of haters, though, and I think many were expecting it to be The Walking Dead. It's like 90% The Walking Dead, yet the 10% of new style is objectionable to many.
There is a bit of artistic flare here. The original is artistic too, but in the sense of George Romero's "Dawn of the Dead" being artistic: bringing zombie films to a new level. The new series is more about feeling what the characters feel, especially when they see zombies for the first time. For example, the opening shot is upside down, so we feel the confusion of a druggy waking up.
The Walking Dead is filmed in 16mm, to give it that classic, zombie movie look. I haven't been able to find the specs on Fear the Walking Dead, but I'm guessing it's done with high quality HD video cameras.
The acting is criticized by many. The teen girl is often singled out. Personally, I wasn't taken out of the experience at any point. However, one advantage of a zombie series is that any bad actors are going to become zombie food. We might have to wait until next season, though, for the script writers to react to any bad acting.
The pilot was slow. But slow is not necessarily bad. Take Alien (1979), for example. I felt the pace was appropriate and built the tension. I'm looking forward to the next episode.
Usually the best momentos on the show (not comedy-wise) are thos little moments when they let Sheldon be a real person (with his own particular problems) and the forget to make him a joke of himslef. That's something that since Amy came to the show gives the character a tone that improves it so much.
Obviously for the tone of the show they don't do it often but when they to (particularly on this episode) they do it pretty well because they're not making him a "normal guy on the inside" but they show someone who has a lot of troubles to manage himself in a social world he doesn't quite understand and it explains very well all those things that, when done in a comedy tone, makes us laugh (or at least that's their objective.
Sheldon can't control or understand how people feel arround him, and that's why he controls everything else (schedules, places to sit, etc). The rutine he creates, and even the work he does, with the laws that don't change and make the universe predictable...in the funny moments those things makes us laugh, but when they let the character be serious and honest, it explains all of him. Those moments would be the "uncertainty principle" of this show. Not even in the hardest of sciences can you be completly sure of everything, and no matter how much you try to control the world arround you, people are always an uncertainty principle for him.
The only thing I dind't like about this episode were the scenes in the puzzle house. The episode was about the different forms that love can take. Howard with his mother, Bernadette with Howard, Sheldon and Penny...for the other four something else would have been better...
9.5/10. This was a superb effort from The Walking Dead. I really appreciate them devoting whole episodes to developing characters rather than trying to do it through the various machinations of an often baffling series of storylines alone. This was practically a short story, and it helped us to develop a better understanding of who Morgan is, and he got from the screw-loose madmen we saw in "Clear" to the pacifist monk who appeared last season.
Some parts of the story were a little too convenient. I was reminded of "Broken" from House M.D. where you knew that the writers were going to have to hit certain beats in telling a story of recovery. But that aside, I really liked the character of Eastman, who was given quite a bit to do and was the glue that held this episode together. The actor who played him (an odd mix of J.K. Simmons and Paul Heyman) lent the appropriate zen but playful air to him that made the character work.
And I liked how the show offered a little bit of optimism here. There's a great deal on TWD about people being damaged, scarred, shaken, or changed by the fall of civilization. It is, in many ways, a pessimistic show, about what people become when the metes and bounds of society are removed and our impulses go unchecked. Sometimes the show has depicted people finding solace in this new world, but never has it devoted so much time to showing a person healing. Despite the episode's end, it was a very hopeful episode, something that's in short supply in this series, and I for one, was happy to have it.
It was also a wonderful episode in terms of atmosphere and mood. It was very patient, going over the show's usual runtime to develop the story as long as it needed to. There were slow, lingering shots of edenic meadows, quiet streams where Eastman and Morgan practiced forms, or the characters simply stayed in place and reacted to each other. Very artful and a nice break from some of the more action-y drama from the first few episodes of the season.
It's a slower episode than usual, but I liked it because it showed the Alexadrians dealing with the harsh reality instead of the fantasy bubble they've been living in. The problem is that a whole episode that focused basically on characters that I personally don't care that much yet was a bit boring.
Aaron is the one I'm most interested when it comes from characters from Alexandria. Apart from him I like that new doctor Denise, Deanna and her son (because they are so naive about everything) and Jessie and her kids.
As a filler episode I think it worked because there was development in the new characters, specially the teenager kid that came to his sense and apparently isn't rebelling anymore against everybody and did the right thing without being obnoxious or annoying.
I loved seeing Aaron and Maggie bonding, it was a very sweet moment and I wanted to see him interacting with more people of the group. But I could go without the pregnancy storyline for Maggie... we saw that already with Lori, not really something interesting to watch.
Jessie has had a good development since last season, but honestly I think that the timing is off getting her and Rick romantically involved right now.
Maaaan, this episode was a mess, in both the best and the worst ways. Gonna start with what bugged me. This ep disregarded how the midseason finale had ended, and I like my continuity. I know Carl lost an eye in the comics, but how the fuck has he survived a shot to the head? Also it was a bit weird how walkers got that whiny little shit Sam just because he took a step to the side, and then they attacked Jessie for screaming like they could follow the sound to her vocal cords, instead of just attacking the general source which would be the whole group. Not gonna lie, I kept waiting for that whole nightmarish (and slightly ridiculous) sequence to end up being a figment of someone's imagination. Wolf having a sudden change of heart was a bit farfetched. But fuck that shit, I don't really care. Rick going berserk and everyone following him to clear up the streets was awesome. Daryl, Abraham and Sasha coming back at the right moment and saving the day by gunning down the dead fuckers and blowing shit up was... convenient, but also awesome, yeah. Fuck the nit-picking, this episode was the shit, definitely worth waiting and yawning during some of the previous ones. Keep it up.
Okay, those worm implant things are gross as hell. My whole face is itching right now. But how come Sarah didn't feel it earlier? In the previous episode the guy could feel it moving in his cheek and the one in Sarah's jaw looks pretty big.
My poor baby Cosima missing Delphine. I'm so sad for her, she's such a sweet ray of sunshine but she's been through so much. I just want her to be happy...
Helena's having twins! Finally we're getting something nice and positive instead of constant suffering! She was so excited when she found out. And Donny's a real treasure. So kind and supportive and genuinely happy for Helena. I feel a little sorry for Alison, though. This whole situation must be difficult for her, especially since she's the one who wanted to have a family and struggled with her inability to get pregnant.
Felix looking for his biological parents will be an interesting storyline. It's nice that they adressed the fact that S and Sarah are basically related and that Felix might feel left out because of that.
The scenes where the story switched between Sarah and Beth were the highlight of the episode for me. They were very cool visually and I like that we finally got to learn more about Beth, since Sarah witnessing her suicide was what set the events in motion in the first place.
Finally, a legitimately great episode. It has been too long.
Pros:
+At least Euron is here, we will still have to wait to see if Victarion will join as well but it is confirmed the Kingsmoot will take place (although they sapped some of the most important dialogue for Euron's final conversation with Balon and it sort of felt awkward in that context rather than in a speech to dozens of powerful Ironborn families, also not sure it was the best idea to do it when Asha was right there. This way we miss the importance of Euron sailing his ship into the harbor the morning after Balon falls, plopping his ass on the Seastone Chair, and then drowning the one dude telling him to get the fuck out while Asha and Victarion are away in the North unable to do anything about it) I'm nitpicking though, at this point I'm just excited that it's happening at all.
+The Revival Scene was actually great, truly suspenseful. Most people saw it coming but it still managed to make me hold my breath and the hair on my neck stand.
+Jaime's confrontation with the High Sparrow was good
+Tyrion freeing the dragons was good and his dialogue wasn't totally cringe worthy and repetitive
+Sansa and Theon separation scene was great
+oh yeah, Bran is back and well on his way to becoming God Emperor of Westeros
Okay
*Arya stuff is going somewhere but it hasn't really gotten interesting yet
*Tommen's shame and Cersei's reaction were nothing special but I still understand why they put it in there
*Ramsay killing his father, step mother, and step brother was shocking and disturbing as it should have been but it does seem a little bit too illogical considering the Karstark man was right fucking there and probably would not want to work for Ramsay over Roose along with Roose once again telling him exactly why his retarded rampaging wont work. At least it made sense in that it is a very illogical person doing these things and they're not going against character really. I do think it is a good way to provoke the Northern discord that will soon take place with the Manderlys and Umbers joining up with the Night's Watch and Wildlings. Basically, I'm not sure I agree with the means but I do like where it seems to lead to.
Cons
- Nothing really, I said some stuff I didn't really like in the okay part but there really wasn't anything truly bad this episode.
Best episode of the season by far
Pros
+Arya's plot was surprisingly strong this episode, Maisie's performance was particularly strong
+Sansa and Jon plotting was good, can't wait to see the Manderlys
+Kingsmoot wasn't what it should've been but it was still pretty good, people won't look at it as one of the best parts of the series like it was in the books but it worked well enough to progress the Iron Islands plot.
+Bran's investigations are better and better and his ascension to power will get more and more meteoric, he's still in the "desert traveler" stage of becoming God Emperor Leto II
+The ending scene with the door was incredible, despite that idiotic CGI fest that preceded it with the director clearly trying to copy the Goblins in Moria with the Wights, even though they can't climb like that.
Neutral
*Tyrion and Varys stuff, it was cool that the fire priestess called out Varys but other than that it didn't really do anything for me and Grey Worm and Missandei just seem to be set decorations this season
Cons
- Not a real big issue but just like how it was weird that Ramsay just had that one out of place scene in the last episode, it felt weird that Dany, Jorah, and Daario had that one scene and nothing else.
Update 9/22/16: This was the episode Tatiana used as her Emmy submission and won with.
So my fave ship from Season 1 is finally reunited. Propane (Rachel x Windows), how I've missed thee. Never part again.
And, of course, if something is given, something has to be taken away, so apparently this is goodbye to my dear Beth. I have to say that this season's Beth arc was easily one of my favorite things that has happened on this show. It gave this show the much needed boost it needed after last season's Castor debacle. Sarah seeing Beth again while on the bridge near the train station broke me. When Beth said "We need you." I almost lost it.
The main two questions I need answered now are: Where the hell is Helena? I can understand why she left, but that doesn't explain why we haven't seen her. The woman is pregnant with twins and I need to know she's okay. And of course, is Delphine alive or not? It's been 7 episodes since she was shot and all we know is that Krystal saw someone pick her up and she was still alive at that time. If she is alive, I bet she shows up in the last seconds of the season finale or Cosima gets some phone call from her at the end of the episode.
This season is jockeying back and forth with Season 1 in the favorite season department. Actually, I think when the season is over, I'm going to watch Season 1 and Season 4 back to back.
As i expected the wow-effect wore a bit of in the second episode. But still i enjoyed it a lot. After they set up their general nostalgia-flair and their very well written and acted characters, this episode showed us, what i think is the key element that makes and hopefully will make this series so lovable. It is a dichotomy of the protagonists between being an 80s cliché and a human being with a soul (although i am not sure that all protagonists are human beings...). There are some scenes in this episode that really stung right in my heart, for example at the beginning, when Eleven lies there and starts crying. It felt so true. I remembered all the times as a kid when i was sleeping somewhere besides my own bed and felt homesick. So well play by Millie Bobby Brown! And also when Chief Hopper says how in the city he only dealt with strangers and now it was his friend. Those scenes are maybe easy to write, but not easy to act without it feeling acted but real.
Furthermore the story is really interesting. I have absolutely no idea how it will unfold and that happens rarely these days. There are so many possibilities and Stranger Things makes not the mistake to explain anything. It's show, don't tell how i wished i would see more in the mystery and sci-fi genre.
I gave the episode 8 points because i want to keep some reserve for episodes that really overwhelmed me.
I will be writing about Episode 1 and 2.
This season premiere was perfectly paced and very atmospheric. I think the general theme of the episodes and also this season is illusion. Mr. Robot talks about how reality is just an illusion, Phillip Price talks about how the government creates an illusion and Elliot tries to build himself an illusion of a normal life. This illusion equals normalcy and routine. There is this IT-saying: "Never touch a running system". And i think Mr. Robot (the show) tries to transfer this proverb to the real world. You should never touch a running system, even if you can improve something, because it causes disruption. That is what government and the society is about in general (in the thinking of Mr. Robot). But what does a hacker? He/She touches a running system. Sometimes to cause harm and chaos, but often hackers hack something to improve it. Lifehacks become a whole new meaning in this context.
The second part of this illusion-theme is the connection to magicians. The show confirms this magic connection in the QR-Code Easteregg, which leads to http://www.conficturaindustries.com/. If you google Confictura, you get to a handbook for stage illusionists . I remembered what i learned about magic tricks from The Prestige: There are three stages. The Pledge, where you set up the trick ("Look at this bird. Just a normal bird!"), the Turn (Bird disappears) and finally the prestige (Bird reappears). I think you can see this three stages in the season one finales and the two episodes in season two. Tyrell Wellick meets Elliot in the season finale (The Pledge), Tyrell disappears (The Turn) and at the end of episode two he reappears (The prestige). . Maybe we see more magic tricks in this season.
Some other observations: I really liked the acting, specially of Rami Malek and Portia Doubleday (Angela). Angela turned full American Psycho, i was amazed by her powerplay in the PR department. I would like to see her rise to a corporate power woman (and then her eventual fall). Rami's pivot of acting was the scene where he started laughing at Mr. Robot. That was a Joker-worthy performance. It really frightened me. We are also introduced to FBI-Agent Grace Gummer. I think she will be the counterpart to Elliot and fsociety in general. I liked her performance (Anyone else thought of Elsbeth Tascioni from The Good Wife?) and i am looking forward to see more of her.
To sum it up, this season beginning was fantastic and shows how good Mr. Robot is. Pacing, Atmosphere, Acting: It all was on pint and although the series is often slow paced it never gets dull.
Hades YEAH! :D
For the rivers:
"There are five main rivers that are visible both in the living world and the underworld. Their names were meant to reflect the emotions associated with death.
The Styx is generally considered to be one of the most prominent and central rivers of the Underworld and is also the most widely known out of all the rivers. It's known as the river of hatred and is named after the goddess Styx. This river circles the underworld seven times.
The Acheron is the river of pain. It's the one that Charon, also known as the Ferryman, rows the dead over according to many mythological accounts, though sometimes it is the river Styx or both.
The Lethe is the river of forgetfulness. It is associated with the goddess Lethe, the goddess of forgetfulness and oblivion. In later accounts a poplar branch dripping with water of the Lethe became the symbol of Hypnos, the god of sleep.
The Phlegethon is the river of fire. According to Plato, this river leads to the depths of Tartarus.
The Cocytus is the river of wailing.
Oceanus is the river that encircles the world, and it marks the east edge of the underworld, as Erebos is west of the mortal world."
Wow. I had a feeling this would be good, but it totally exceeded my expectations. I'm calling it now, this will end up being my favorite new TV show of 2017.
I'm kind of ashamed to say that despite my great love for Neil Gaiman's work (I grew up with Coraline and Stardust was my shit in middle school), I've never read American Gods. (horrified gasps) I know, it's a mistake that I intend to rectify immediately. But I have to say, watching this episode while only having a vague idea of what I was getting into was a pretty awesome experience. The visuals were amazing, with lots of cool shots, vibrant colors and impressive special effects. The music was just fantastic. The story and the characters were introduced in a way that was easy to follow for someone like me who's unfamiliar with the source material. I loved the atmosphere, the intrigue and the mysteriousness. The acting was on point, with Ian McShane being the obvious standout. And sure, I have more questions than answers right now, but it's part of the fun. I'm super pumped for the next episode.
Oh, and don't you just love those 90-second opening credits?
they usually say that you're innocent until proved guilty. but in this case, it seems you're guilty until proved innocent. it's really sad that the American system works this way...
fortunately, in my country there is no jury. the decision is up to the judge, a person who is actually "trained" to make that kind of decisions. yes, it also fails, specially in corruption, since it is easier to pay a judge than an entire jury, but I still think it's a better system.
if you ask me "did Steven do it?" my answer is "I don't know". I don't say it's impossible, but the truth is they didn't actually prove it. besides, he had just got out of jail, he was getting his life back. why would he do this?
when it comes to Brendan, I would risk saying "he's innocent". the statement that defined everything (the one which lasted 4 hours or so) was clearly "fabricated", they were tipping him about what they wanted to hear. and no offense, but he just wasn't smart enough to do that.
now, if they convicted Brendan, it was based on that confession where he described that bloody slaughter and Teresa could have only died once so Steven would have gone to jail for that same bloody slaughter. but there are no evidence to support that description Brendan gave so I really don't understand how they can put them in jail for that. so, without any blood to support the bloody slaughter, we have to conclude it didn't happen (at least that way). and why would Brendan come up with a false story when he could have told the real one? I mean, if he was admitting the crime, he would have told the real story. the fact that he told this made-up story just proves that he didn't know what to say, so he was just saying random things, hoping they would be satisfied and stop asking more questions. otherwise, why would he take 4 hours to tell the story? it's not like he resisted for 3 hours and used the last hour to tell the story. no, he started telling the story almost in the beginning. so, if he was already admitting, why not telling them what happened right away? because he didn't know what had happened, or what they wanted to tell that had happened. so he needed those 4 hours to come up with this whole story. if it had really happened, he would have just told it in probably less than an hour, but he needed those 4 hours to try to understand what they wanted him to say. he needed those 4 hours to decide where he would take the narrative, to decide if what he was going to say was too stupid or if they would believe it and stop bothering him.
well, I really hope they get a second chance. maybe this documentary will help them get it.
also, is it just me or is Teresa's brother getting really annoying. ok, you want your sister's murder in jail, but can that desire blind you so much that you can't see the truth?
there was an episode in which they referred there were other suspects who were never investigated because the police immediately assumed it was Steven. do they remain uninvestigated? well, with all the time passed, they could have easily gotten rid of the evidence, but they might still find something so why nit give it a shot?
I was hoping the last episode would be about them getting released somehow, but there would probably be to much to tell in just one episode, so I just lost hope. or maybe Brendan's dream came true and Teresa just showed up... well, I'll know when I watch it.
I really want to love this show, it has a lot of potential, but something just feels off.
The whole John storyline just feels very dull and generic, and Dream himself is kinda boring. I kinda liked what they were doing with the fight/challenge in Hell, but if we're being honest, it was kinda dumb. Why would Lucifer even start by saying "I am a direwolf" if she could have just said she was one of the better things right away? After that challenge happens once, it would never have to happen again because they'd very quickly find what can't be beaten. The little pep talk the raven gave Dream took me right out of the scene too - really not liking the voice actor at all.
Last thing I wanna say is that I feel that the show is constantly trying to have these sort of 'epic' moments. They have nice visuals and great music to create these moments. But the problem is, these moments haven't been earned. They fail to actually be epic or memorable because none of the characters are overly strong and we haven't had much reason to like any of them. The only character I've seen anyone really caring about was the female Constantine last episode - but it doesn't seem like she's going to be a big part of the show other than that one episode.
The show isn't bad, it's entertaining and an alright watch. But certain things in the writing are just preventing it from going from okay to good/great. Not sure if that's just because of the source material, or if it's because Netflix messed something up.
Decent over all. Part 1 was too much build-up for what Part 2 delivers.
The things I thought were good:
The new settings, and a creative plot. I liked the dissociative plot twist. I think it was well executed.
I liked how in the end Joe was chasing himself rather than a girl. I loved how unhinged it got.
The things I thought were not good:
I think part of the reason this season fell flat is because we didn’t have any truly great side characters. They were not written well. Most of the side characters did not add much to the plot at all. Take them out the show completely and we haven’t lost much in my opinion. They all seem like cartoon characters. There is not even the slightest depth to them and I have no interest in the relationships they form with Joe.
I can't really connect to Nadias storyline. Everything she did in P2 was SUCH a horrible decision. What was up with Maryanne not letting Nadia call the cops? It makes no since at all, their reasoning was beyond dumb, it’s just lazy writing.
Another disappointing character arc was the lady with the camera. She was just Phoebe's stalker? I was hyped to see if she was the one who was finally going to expose him. Or if she was connected to Beck somehow.
Kate is my least favorite love interest of Joe. There is zero chemistry between her and Jo. Zero.
I just don't understand why Joe becomes obsessed with Rhys in the first place. It seems so unlike his past obsessions. Had they written this season more tightly, we wouldn't have to wan explanation.
My suspension of disbelief has been broken many times this season, especially things leading to the ending. Joe just murdered Nadia’s boyfriend in broad daylight in London and they're just chatting next to a dead body for how long.
It feels like this season the plot armor is even more noticeable than in the last ones - reasoning of Nadia and Marienne for not calling the cops was really weird, all because they wanted Joe to get away with it without facing the police. The PI just handing Joe a new life wasn't explained. He killed Kate's dad incredibly easily for how rich and smart he's supposed to be. He even survived jumping from the bridge.
Joe has really managed to find not one, but two women who wholly accept him for all his stalking and murdering. And conveniently they both came from very wealthy families who are happy to cover up all of his crimes.
I have a feeling season 5 is gonna be the last. The fact that Joe it now at his absolute worst makes me think they’re preparing for his downfall. Plus it would be fitting for the last season to take place in NYC since that’s where it all started.
