What an absolute perfect ending, and I say this while admitting this ending didn't go the way I expected it to. Like honestly, how many of us actually thought Picard was going to survive this episode? I didn't, but I'm damn sure glad he did, even if we never see any of these TNG characters ever again, which I honestly doubt we won't given the ending. This was an emotional final send off however for this crew that honored and respected each of them throughout the season, every single one of them got their grand moment to shine, Riker with his asteroid, Geordi with his ship, Worf with his rescue, Crusher with her contraction discovery, Data defeated Lore, Troi rescued them in the end with her love for Riker, and Picard saved his son. And how about that borg queen, holy absolute hell was she horrifying looking or what? Anyway, what a beautiful ending that they all deserved, and one last poker game for the sake of it all. Am I excited about the future with Q showing up to tease the next series with the Enterprise G? Sure, but not as happy as I am that the old timers I grew up with got their swan song and somehow, someway, all survived. And if you didn't burst into tears when Riker and Worf decided to stay back to find Picard, basically sealing their death, then damn it I don't know what will satisfy you in life. Was this show perfect? Fuck no. Was the 3rd season without flaws? Bahaha, no! But if you can't appreciate what this really was meant to be here, I don't judge you, I just feel sad you couldn't feel the raw enjoyment the rest of us felt, because this was fucking awesome.
Bryan Cranston stars as a judge who confronts his deepest beliefs when his son is involved in an attack that confuses an organized crime family. Faced with a series of impossible choices, he discovers how far a father will go to save his son's life.
I was a little late starting this series, but when I saw Cranston in the lead, I knew it had to be good! This does not disappoint! This show actually has shades of Breakin Bad in that Brian is once again in a position to make up stories on the spot, make up the lies, and get himself and the ones he loves into deeper and deeper nightmare scenes. The tension is palpable and heartbreaking and intense, right from the start ... This show hooks in and won't let go. Powerful renditions here of someone's worst nightmare ... Ordinary people try to cope with an unfathomable situation as best they can, but create an ever-worsening cascade of domino-like events, one of which triggers the other, and so on. The son does a fantastic job and the mafia boss's choice is perfection to play out Cranston's portrayal of a loving and honorable father who is suddenly pushed to the limit and as he tries to protect his son, he becomes the polar opposite of everything. he was dear before. Stellar and absolutely compelling storytelling ...
Seriously: even him? I mean, it's not him - but it's him. I appreciate the nostalgia but enough is enough. Somewhere the line must be drawn. This is not a story; this is a Trek reunion. Plus, it's not a show in its own right when they "just" steal parts from earlier installments. Checking whether someone's a conspirator the old-fashioned way? Watch no further than TNG Season 1 "Conspiracy". Changelings infiltrating Star Fleet command? Look no further than DS9's Dominion wars. TNG shows you how not to drag out a story like this; DS9 shows you how to tell such a story over the course of several seasons. Picard gets the pacing wrong. The (presumably simple) main story is oddly drawn out. Think about this episode. What did really happen? They prepared a trap (in order to do what exactly? They think they have Riker? But did they expect bring Riker with them as part of the boarding party? They tried to get away from this ship for 6 episodes and now they think it's a good idea to lure them aboard? I don't get it.) They failed. The ship was taken over and we're not closer to anything. What are they trying to achieve? Rescue Wil, uncover the weapon or what ever this is the shape shifters want to use on Frontier Day? Shouldn't they try to disclose and end the conspiracy first? There amust be a way to inform trusted officers within Star Fleet. There must be a way to convince them that they are no fugitives. There must be a way to purge Star Fleet from the changelings. All while the show has no time to decently tell its too many B-plots or portray its too many characters. Stealing doesn't stop there. Remember Odo's origin story? His trauma? Stolen! Remember Lore pretending to be Data? Stolen! The list goes on and on.
Still not revealing the Jack mystery? Another cliffhanger? Frau Greta Farbissina [James Bond logic: who must be mad because she's a villain because she has a scar] obviously is about to lift the veil but I'm sure that next episode won't start with her simply telling us what's wrong with the Crusher boy (this one - not the older one). Still nobody bothers to find out? JLP thinks it's because they need a blood sample of Jack to emulate him? Plus, they need JLP`s corpse to do so? Whaaaat? Why that? It makes no sense on so many levels. Why is nobody pressing the boy hard on the mystery BS of his? "I'm different. I can feel things." Gosh. Why is nobody asking him to elaborate on that so that can be examined thoroughly? "I don't want other people to be in danger because of me". Gosh! What exactly does he think he did to his mother all the time? That's perhaps the most annoying aspect of this show. Let's get over with this. Nobody cares about Jack anyway. He's a prick. And the show didn't invest any time to portray him in a way that makes me bond with him.
PS: the whole boarding operation is stupid. Those laser shoot-outs remind me of Star Troopers. The force fields are conveniently lowered by Data when they needed to be lowered to turn tables. Seizing the bridge is too easy. No wonder: when that's convenient, Seven must act stupid. That's not our Seven from back in the day. She's just fan service in this episode. How could she not know that Changelings could mimic the floor if they wanted to? Didn't she watch DS9 on TV? I've seen more exciting boarding operations in TNG and Voyager. What happened to switching off the power to the turbo lifts? What happened to climbing ladders? What happened to hiding in Jefferies tubes? What happened to arming yourself with the big guns when you're about to be boarded? What happened to well devised traps? Well, perhaps I'm wrong and let them take the bridge was the actual trap all along. Maybe. Let's see. In any case our heroes will regain the upper hand. It's a tiring cycle ....
[7.8/10] Let's address the elephant in the room first. I don't love the fact that Jack turns out to be Picard's son. The long lost offspring is a big cliché, and Wrath of Khan influences or not, I could probably do without it.
That said, I like how Star Trek: Picard uses it here. The bad guys want Picard and the Titan to turn Jack over. It prompts one of those classic, Next Generation-style moral dilemmas that were always so fascinating. Do you hand him over to the bad guys because, true to that Wrath of Khan homage, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, and there's 500 crew members at risk? Or do you stand your ground because, scoundrel or not, this young man deserves a fair trial and a chance at rehabilitation rather than swift judgment and likely a summary execution.
This is Star Trek, so we pretty much know how it's going to go down. But seeing Picard explore the issue, get to know this kid, see if there's a way out of this situation through guile or diplomacy, is some classic TNG-esque stuff. Sure, it's all magnified with the grittiness and bombast of modern television, but I appreciate that this is, at base, the kind of boardroom debate where the philosophical meets the practical that was the lifeblood of the old show.
So was the personal getting in the way of all this. I appreciate how Picard elides the questions of this young man's parentage because he already knows the answer in his heart and doesn't want to confront it. But I love how all it takes is one look from Beverly, a soft exchange of expressions that shows they still have the intuitive shorthand of twenty years ago, and he can deny the truth no longer. This is his son, a son as reckless but valiant as they once were, and by god, they're going to protect him.
For all the added pomp and circumstance, that's the core of this one, and for that reason alone, borrowing the rhythms that made The Next Generation famous, this is one of my favorite outings from Star Trek: Picard yet, despite the questionable cliché at the heart of the story.
This is not a great episode. But I guess it's needed to drive the story forward. Call it a filler or bridge episode if you like.
We get some bombastic battle scenes so that we don't forget that there's still a looming threat (but also to cover that this episode is only a bridge episode). Like in all these new shows they clearly had too much money and too much computing power for CGI at their hand. It's all too bombastic to my liking. Once, this franchise was also about calmly travelling through space, exploring and experiencing the wonders of natural phenomena. Not any more! And that's sad. Plus, isn't there a video game that already did this portal thing? And the drama between Picard and Riker is not credible. They maybe argue but they would never argue like that in front of the crew. That's not the Picard I know.
We learn more about the Beverly and Picard story. That was emotional. It makes sense what Beverly says. I don't understand why Picard is so aggravated though. He's almost hostile to her and his son. I understand that he is shocked but he could be more supportive. I mean, he once loved Beverly. She is the mother of his son. She made this decision twenty years ago. Obviously that wasn't an easy decision to make and she surely wanted the best for their son. This is not the composed Captain i know from TNG! I also still don't understand why Beverly and her son do what they do though (What exactly do they do? Are they benevolent smugglers?) and why the other ship is really chasing them. Couldn't they just tell? I mean they know the real reason, don't they? Why is nobody pressing them to tell the true reasons? It's probably not because they didn't pay their bills or stole some random items from gangsters. Obviously, there must be a much more important reason. Like in season 2, writers again choose to use such mysteries to build tension. That complicates things, drags out the story and is annoying.
And we get more of the Raffi story. So far, this story is mediocre. Don't really understand where this is going. At this point it seems that they wanted to add another plotline to the story just because that's what you do in contemporary TV right? Plus, they wanted to introduce another fan favorite: Worf (another check mark checked. Who's next? Quark?) But at this point it's totally disconnected from the other plot. I bet the plot lines will converge at some point but until then I don't see the relevance and that's why I think that this story part could have been skipped.
It may be a filler episode but they add yet another element to this season: Odo's friends. Not sure how I feel about that. This show, especially last season, tends to juggle with too many story lines and ideas already. Not sure how they will ever be able to connect this show with the complex (and brilliant) story told in DS9. They probably won't even try. I guess it's just another checkmark on their fans' favorites list. Fans like Changelings? We'll give them Changelings!
PS: I like Worf's "full title". He's become a composed and wise Klingon warrior legend. Good. That's what I always wished for him.
Another strong episode that balanced fun with some great emotional material. I think Worf might be stealing the show already at this point, and the Picard/Beverly discussion was simply fantastic with both actors really giving their all.
I really wasn't expecting the Changeling reveal, and I have to say that it was an extremely pleasant surprise. It's got me wondering if Riker might not be himself.
It's not all perfect - spending an entire two episodes now on a single encounter is feeling slightly tiresome, and the back and forth nature of the Picard/Riker argument was really pushing things by the end of the episode (which also gives me further fuel for the above spoiler). Part of me wanted to scream to get on with things and move the story forward, but the other part of me was delighting in just hanging out with the characters. Jeri Ryan is doing great work here even with the limited screen time in this one.
The fact that I'm very eager for more at the end of each episode is a sign that it's doing things right, but it's also very hard to judge what the overall season arc is going for right now. I feel like I know nothing about what's going on.
The de-aging effects for Picard and Riker weren't great.
I'm going to go out on a limb and call this a "filler" episode, in that it was pretty much "a tale told by idiots, full of sound and fury, signifying NOTHING!" Bff's Picard and Riker turning on each other under pressure, Baby Momma Crusher and baby Daddy Picard both reminiscing and arguing over who zoomed who cuz she forgot her pill and the rubber must have had a hole in it.
Meanwhile Captain starchy pants gets a bump on the noggin and skins his knee, so, he turns over command in the midst of battle so he can go lick his wounds (and not get blamed for what misfortunes will soon befall them all) while Snidely "honey bunny" Vadic chair vouges, still smoking a blunt, which prolly explains her now offing a whole starship when before she just wanted Lil Crusher. Elsewhere, Worf, wearing his best Wednesday beheading outfit, fresh from offing a whole slew of baddies, including separating one obnoxious Ferengi from his noggin, cleans up his Bat'leth, then, does a bit of Pilates, and shows their prisoner his kinder gentler side, while Raffi plays dope-man until its revealed that all's not fair in love and goop.
Geez, the only person who stuck anywhere close to character was Seven, and she had to unconfine herself from quarters which means she's probably in MORE trouble once Captain Starchy Pants gets a band-aid on his boo boo, provided they indeed survive the present calamity.
OK, who else thought it was somehow Lore for half a second?
Rant over...., stay tuned.
While I don't feel the episode was as treacly sweet and soul changing as @Paul Vincent opines, like @VW Fringe and Micky D's after a night of overindulgence, it also worked for me, as, I too was feelin' it ..., and LOVIN' it. Unlike some of the ever present naysayers and nattering nabobs of negativism, who would bitch and moan if they were given a brand new Lamborghini, but the paint and Alcantara leather weren't in their preferred colors, I realize that Sir Patrick Stewart is pushing almost 83 years old, and, may not be up to "boldly going" as hard as he did in his prime. Thus the scripts, storylines, pacing and subsequent action have been adjusted to reflect a more seasoned, contemplative, and thoughtful crew, while still giving us the action beats and edge of your seat thrills that we expect from a Star Trek franchise.
YES, they are paying fan service by "getting the band back together" and tossing in the odd remembrance or twenty, with hat tips and nods to adventures past, but at the same time, with a given bit of dialog, or sometimes just a glance or exchanged look, we do indeed get peeks into the means and motivations of the cast, both old and new. There are those who lacking patience, will jump straight to the end of a murder mystery book rather than slog through all the chapters, and, by doing so, they avoid all the "boring" details because they now know "who done it", and can smugly skim the rest without expending the mental horsepower to try and "figure it out" along with the protagonists.
Here, they are indeed giving us "breadcrumbs" which will eventually lead us to one, more, or many "ah ha" moments, much like Bruce Willis' Malcolm in "The Sixth Sense" when he finally realizes that, when Cole confided that he "sees dead people", he was also talking about HIM. Seeing as we're not quite halfway through a ten episode season arc, I have the upmost confidence that the writers will make sure the trail leads to a satisfying conclusion.
And finally, watching a sci-fi program and complaining about the music, is like going to Jack in the Box and bitching that they don't have "genuine" tacos.. Just saying....
It's a drama. It's supposed to be emotional (it really isn't 'cause the "Big Goodbye" [see what I did there?] was never credible). It's an action movie. It's a buddy movie. It's loud. It's bombastic. It's full of FX. It doesn't look shabby (only these incredible dark quarters and corridors aboard starships are strange: These dark-room vibes would drive me crazy if that was my workplace). Still the best scene: the GUI details of the OS in the credits.
It isn't sci-fi though. It isn't about science or the physical phenomena out there. It isn't about bold space exploration. It isn't about studying new civilizations. It isn't about philosophy or intellectual problems. It isn't about the daily "workplace" and "team conflict" issues that made earlier installments of the franchise relatable.
Story-wise not much happens. Other than that they break free and escape. Not even sure if they got away for good or if this hunt will go into overtime or - even worse - will have more iterations of the same "hunt and hide pattern". This season also continues the annoying pattern from season two: there's a central mystery behind it all and Jack seems to know much more. We already know more than the other protagonists because the writers show us some breadcrumbs. But instead of having a big reveal at some point in order to be able to state a clear objective, I bet this artificial mystery will be misused to build suspension instead. Who is Jack? What did Beverly do? Who are these guys with the big ship? What do they really want? At which point became the Founders involved? This mystery doesn't work for me though. It's just annoying. Why doesn't Picard pressure Beverly and his son to explain it all? I mean their life is at stake. Why do they hold information back?
Plus, the try really hard to organize some sort of TNG reunion fan event. They try to introduce every person from TNG. Who's next? Spot, Reginald? This feels forced. You only can have as many person's in ten episodes. If they are not there in person, they are incorporated via Zoom (like Deanna). Just so that she appears at some point. Or we hear them talking about the ones that are missing (like LaForge talking about her dad). Nostalgia is a thing but it can't replace the story, can it?
If last episode was a filler, this is another filler episode. I fear they will botch it again. We'll see. I hope I'm wrong. It's too early to tell.
PS: The score is incredibly boring (That was never a strong point of Star Trek but can't they come up with something more futuristic or original? It's a standard orchestral score. Why?).
In the Biblical parable of the prodigal son, a man has two sons, and the younger one demands his inheritance, which the father obligingly gives him, after which he leaves and promptly squanders it on wine, women, and debauchery. But once the money was all gone, and hard times fell upon the country, he had to hire himself out to a local farmer to feed the pigs, and eat their slop as his only food. Pondering his situation, he realized how foolish he had been and journeyed back to his homeland and begged his father for forgiveness, which his Father not only granted, but, welcomed him with open arms, bestowing upon him his finest robes, a gold ring, new sandals, and he then told his farmhands to slaughter a fatted calf for a feast. When the son who had stayed loyal returned from the fields and saw the festivities, he inquired as to what was going on, and was informed of his brothers return. He became incensed, demanding why father had NEVER given HIM a feast, when he had been loyal the whole time. The Father explained Son, you have always been with me, and all I have is yours, but now let us celebrate, because your brother was dead to us, but now is alive, he was lost, but now is found.
This episode gave me the same vibes as that story, with the "twist" that the "prodigal" in this case was someone who had indeed betrayed Picard, but had now returned to judge HIM, for his part in the preceding crisis they just escaped from. Drama and hijinks ensue when it is revealed that there be dragons, er, changelings afoot, and, no one is to be trusted. Like the dramatics between Picard and Beverly, it's never fun to see your parents argue, but more so when you realize they actually DO care for each other, but miscommunication and doubt kept them from seeing it. This was played out quite deftly, although the concluding reveal was telegraphed pretty blatantly.
As for Jack, either he got some bad "space nookie" and the voice and visions in his head are calling him to get a shot of penicillin, or he's a changeling that went off the reservation and doesn't realize it, thus the mother goo is calling him home. In any case, I'm down to follow his journey in the hopes that, whatever his "deal" is, he will stick the landing.
It's quite a decent episode. I'm glad they found a convincing reason for connecting both storylines. I'm also glad that we don't witness another "hunter and prey" episode.
They do this wrong in every season. There's a central mystery. They have already shown us that there's more to it. We know more than the protagonists. They use this to complicate the story. They use this to build suspension. It's one big cliffhanger. We watch the next episode because we want to understand the mystery. We don't necessarily watch because they concocted an intriguing multi-dimensional story. It's a form of story telling that I don't really like. There's no reason why Jack should not have "confessed" earlier (I mean nobody pressed him either although it was obvious that he is the key). Even now, we have to wait for next week's episode to find out whether he tells Beverly that there's maybe an explanation why he's wanted by the shape shifters. I wouldn't be surprised if they milk this mystery a few more episodes though. At least we now have, thanks to Ro, a clearer idea of the objective and about what's at stake. (That's much more than we got in season 2 in which the main protagonists had no clear idea what the objective. Really was).
Apropos the return of the Ensign: I hate this pattern too. Nostalgia is fine but they can't bring back all the persons from all the earlier shows just because fans may enjoy seeing them again. That's just too much. You will never have the time to really get accustomed to them again or learn anything of substance of what they did the last 20 years. Who's next? Dominion experts like Dr. Bashir or Kira? Or another Picard lover like the archeology girl of his (that would be Picard current or ex-lover #4 in the show). It's fan service. It has to stop. I have to admit though that the Bajoran's story now had a more satisfying end than it had in TNG.
PS: funny, I watched TNG's Conspiracy just yesterday. At least there's hope that this show tells infiltration better. In Conspiracy it was too easy to stop the aliens from taking over Starfleet. These changelings seem to be much more determined. And they seem to have a plan. It's always a great idea to copy parts of DS9's story. DS9 has still the most ambitious Star Trek story and Picard will probably not change this fact.
The TNG crew shouldn't be allowed to steal everything that was so we'll devised in DS9. That story isn't theirs to tell. Use this story for a DS9 reboot or keep your hands off. I bet it's because the Picard witters envy DS9. They know DS9 was the better show. Because they had a clear idea of an overarching story arc that spanned multiple seasons. Btw: the "hands off part" includes any reference to Tribbles. DS9's TOS hommage was great. Don't touch it! They can use their own lore. Moriarty is theirs. And - if that's what it takes to have a proper reunion - they can reuse parts from Encounter at Farpoint. I'm fine with that. But what's that part aboard the Daystrom facility anyway? A raven? Moriarty?Data's tune? Does that serve any purpose or is that just something the writers wanted because it sounded like fun? Can't Starfleet maintain regular inventory lists? Can't they hack into a regular database to find out what was taken? That part of the story seems to be over engineered. Did they really need Data in this show? Why? I said it before, I say it again: this sometimes feels more like a family reunion than an actual show. Will they really bring every single person from TNG back? Tasha? Miles? Reginald? Will we meet them too?
Rant over... Now, back to the actual story. Last episode I hoped that we had our final objective: stop the shapeshifters' conspiracy against the Federation. And certainly I hope that Jack (and Beverly who certainly knows more than she's telling) will tell us what's going on with him and why he's being hunted. With all mysteries out of the way I hoped that the second part of this season is a plain and simple story. But the writers - like in season 2 - continue to love their mysteries. They hunt Picard junior. They steal JL's body. But why? I don't like this style of storytelling. I don't want to watch the next episode primarily because I hope that next episode will clarify all the mysteries so that the actual story can commence. Only to be disappointed time and time again. I fear that they will reveal this mystery in the last couple of minutes. And will it be a WTF revelation? Just like in season two? This is not complex story telling. That's a sequence of artificial cliffhangers. When you think about it, you wonder what really did happen in this episode: they found out what was stolen and two people were kidnapped. That's probably it. The rest isn't interesting either. I don't really care about the "daddy issues" in this episode. I don't know Jack very well (I don't even like him). Why should I care about him? I don't know the LaForge girl - she's at least likeable. But why should I care about her? The only moment that captivated my attention was when Seven talked about the Voyager. I would be interested in her post Voyager story but like always they use Seven as a mere prop (because she's a fan favorite) without doing her multi-dimensional character any justice. They have even lost any interest to explore her love and sex life (if that was ever explored in a honest or romantic way in this show - they just used Raffi and her to check the "diversity checkbox"). Instead of a real story, I'm forced to watch Frau Greta Farbissina acting crazy.
This all may sound a bit too harsh. This season is certainly better than the first two seasons (and it's 500% better than Discovery). And because of the nostalgia, it's still kind of enjoyable. But the story - at least until this point - is mediocre.
Well, that's a bit more like it. While I didn't hate seasons 1 and 2 as much as a vocal minority seem to enjoy screaming, I must admit that I was always hoping for something a bit more akin to TNG 2.0. This might be it, although at this point its too early to say with any certainty.
The characters feel more alive, more energetic. There is a powerful chemistry between Patrick Stewart and Jonathon Frakes and their happiness at working together again comes flowing out of the screen. It helps also that the words they are saying feel much more like the characters we used to know. The script reflects the friendship and bond that grew between the original cast over the course of 7 years of storytelling (plus four films), allowing for a playful tone. It's got me excited to see what's going to happen when all of the original cast are reassembled.
Speaking of which, we got some wonderful stuff from Gates McFadden as Beverly Crusher, who seemingly hasn't missed a beat. Her voice was there, and it was Beverly. Jeri Ryan was on fire and felt like she was channelling aspects of the Seven of old while continuing the evolution of her character. It was also remarkable at how much the Titan's new captain set me on edge, not least by essentially deadnaming Seven; he seems to have a chip of his shoulder over the Borg and I wonder if there's going to be some interesting revelations there.
But the real magic may have been the gorgeous musical score recalling older themes and styles - I can't understate what that added to the overall vibe. It was like a warm blanket of reassurance, and the way the soundtrack flowed between styles and motifs was absolutely beautiful.
The only complaint I have is the dark, dreary lighting for the Starfleet ships. But I can live with it if the story and characters deliver. I hope this is the start of a truly exceptional season. At this point I'm optimistic, but we shall see. Also, did anybody else think, "ah, so the bad guys have played Portal"?
When you have a political system and society built on the absolute control of information, and the projection of being all powerful and always infallible, then, when something disastrous happens, the first inclination is denial, then a cover-up, and finally finger pointing, deflection and blame storming with the various people having any sort of authority or power trying to save their own asses. The fact that the party bosses and ministers were "Apparatchik's", the Soviet equivalent of bureaucratic hacks, who had been gifted their appointments with minimal or even no knowledge of the actual workings of the bureaucracies they oversaw, poured gasoline and threw a match on an already untenable situation. It's easy to strut around in a cheap suit and impress the peasantry, especially when you can have anyone who calls you out on your BS sent to the Gulag's or even worse. It gets a bit trickier when peoples hands and faces start melting off, and they're detecting abnormally high radiation 1000 miles away.
I feel worse for the civvies, whose naive faith and trust caused them to believe the lies and half truth's they were being fed, and kept them from not only questioning the official story, but, willingly living and working in such close proximity to a disaster waiting to happen, and, thinking it was a privilege to do so. They had no idea of the dangers lurking near them, and, like Lyudmilla, who even when warned not to get too close or stay too long, hugs, caresses, and even places her irradiated husbands hand on her growing womb, thinking he just has some severe burns, because no one has the courage to speak the truth, even at the cost of thousands of lives.
Granted, it really didn't matter after the fact, because the battle now was to keep from decimating the ENTIRE Soviet Union and most of eastern Europe, so, what's 10 or 20 thousand dead if it means saving the country? So, if the neighborhood cheap suit pulls your name from a hat at the point of an AK-47, you tend to cooperate and not ask too many questions. Unless you're a coal miner extra enough to work butt nekkid in a radioactive hole with no hope of survival, and no thanks or glory. I tip my hat to them. Hero's all, even if Moscow never acknowledged them.
As someone, who didn't really like Vikings (it was average for me, most of the time it was boring), but loved Ivar and the overall concept of the original show, I didn't really had any expectations about this one. And I think this is the only thing that saved Valhalla from being rated 1 star.
Sadly this show was the definition of boredom. It lacked tension, it lacked really anything. The characters were too weak, they didn't stood out, however they wanted to - except Jarl Haakon, but only because she was portrayed as a black woman. If she would have been portrayed as any other viking, she could have been an other one of those average characters as her companions. Not even the main characters were interesting enough. Leif was too silent for most of the time, Prince Harald was just too much, and the actor played his role too badly, and he had the cringest scene of all time. Freydis... well, with her, her character arc could have been better, too bad this show lacks the same as its origin: good time management. Freydis was a hunter, and overnight she became a fearsome shield maiden. Prince Harald and Leif became insta-brothers just because our Prince lay with Leif's sister. One moment Freydis doesn't like Prince Harald, the next she is in love with him...
Not much is going on on the english side too, unless you count Edmond. I think he could have been a great character, but thanks to Godwin... well, let's not say just anything. And of course Godwin, I don't think he has any logic behind his acts. I mean I couldn't figure out his motives. I thknk they wanted to create somebody like the Kingmaker in Henry VIII's time, but though they chose a good actor for him, Godwin (and the whole series) has the main issue: we don't get to see their inner motives, the behind the scenes. With that, the show could be better.
So lack of good story telling, bad dramaturgy, and boring characters with average actors - Valhalla could have been a great show, the main story behind it is interesting (chatolic vs. pagan vikings), sadly it lacked even those tiny good things that the original show could stand out with (great characters, interesting myths and worldbuilding).
Not sure, if I'm going to continue with this one.
2022 Ranked --> https://trakt.tv/users/justinnumerick/lists/2022-tv-shows-ranked?sort=rank,asc
As a big fan of Vikings, I was hesitant to check this out because I just didn't think it could ever live up to how great the original show was. However, I'm happy to say that while I still prefer Vikings, the first season of Vikings: Valhalla did not disappoint. As soon as I realized that Michael Hirst was back for this show, I was on board. And he brings a lot of what made Vikings great and applies it to Valhalla. Great action and cinematography, very strong writing and dialogue, and a very interesting story/dynamic fueled by the time period and the great characters. I love how we are going to familiar places but we now get to explore a very different time in viking history. Focusing on internal conflict between pagan and Christian vikings was such a smart idea, and it allows for really interesting dynamics. And the three main characters of Leif Erikson, Freydis, and Harald are all very compelling in their own unique ways. I also really enjoyed a lot of the side characters. The biggest thing holding this first season back for me was the pace. It was so incredibly fast and there were so many things going on. We get at least two entire seasons worth of plot crammed into one season here, so we don't ever get a ton of time to dive deep into what is going on before something else happens and the show has moved on. I think they could have slowed things down a bit, but overall this was really entertaining and engaging, and a really strong first season.
8.0 // Great
Fantastic characters, fantastic acting, beautiful cinematography and writing. This show is good. More than good.
At first I was hesitant about a vikings spinoff. The original was a great show and I couldn't see anyone doing it justice, but although this show is set in the same time period (100 years post) it's vastly different in terms of what is going on in the world. With increased travel and trade comes the challenge of religion and Christianity spreading through the north, existing tension with England require a delicate balance of political wit and acuity in battle, all of which make this an entirely different show from the original vikings.
This is of course not 100% factually accurate and they've taken some creative liberties with some of the content of the show but it's pure action-packed, thrilling entertainment. And I'm especially taken by Freydis being played by a Swedish actress. Hearing the accent in her voice lends an authenticity to her character that I didn't realize I missed in some of the other characters, especially when they're speaking Old Norse. Love to see someone who speaks a Scandinavian/North Germanic language in that role.
And anytime I get to see badass women kicking ass on screen you know I'm going to like it.
Overall, funny but offensive in some ways that are important, in others just mean. I also find it frustrating certain things seem to get more public attention than others. But the comments in general about trans people come off as the "crazy racist uncle" trope of yesteryear who Chappelle himself would mock when they'd excuse themselves by parading their one black friend as if it was an excuse.
I won't even attempt to excuse his mean spirited jokes about the trans community. Whilst his friend may have loved them it's still the sort of thing that wounds people enough to drive them to what I hope he doesn't wish on anybody else.
Some jokes didn't land at all for me, the "antisemetic" joke for instance. I don't get what was funny or offensive about it, probably because I just simply don't get what he's referencing, neither did my Jewish husband. Either way it seemed odd and out of place among everything else. It just made no sense to me at all.
All in all, my viewing experience is probably very different to that of someone who is trans. So I can't and don't think anybody other than trans people should be saying whether it's transphobic/offensive or not.
I'm very conflicted about this as I love Chappelle and feel awful about what happened to his friend. But I know that if he were a white man making the same kinds of jokes about a black person I would be upset, too.
Matt Long put on quite the captivating performance in this episode. He's easily the best actor out of everyone, both in the main cast as well as everyone else, and I mean everyone, barely significant role, hardly any lines spoken, minor appearance, you name it. He was a great addition to the show. It'll be a real shame if Zeke does end up dying, and won't come back somehow. I'm fine with it if he dies but comes back. If the first part of that happens and the second part, the most important, doesn't happen, there will be a problem.
Anyway, to the episode itself. It was a good one. I enjoyed it. There was hardly any of the...I don't know what you'd call it, supernatural-perhaps not so supernaturalness, which includes the Callings. There was a lot more of everything else, whatever you'd call that. Most of you probably know what I'm talking about. And honestly, I think that was a good thing this time around. Beforehand, it was rarely that captivating, just decent enough, with the Calling-of-the-week being the upside of each episode. And in this episode, everything that wasn't related to a Calling was engaging, surprisingly. But I can understand why episodes such as this one wouldn't be that favorable for some people. Some of those same people were probably drawn to this show because of the premise, and now that hasn't been dwelled on as much as when it all started. I can see how that could begin getting on people's nerves, straining their patience and testing their ability to keep watching, possibly to no avail from their perspective. And while I'm not also particularly keen towards this immense focus on everything but what the show is more specifically about, I do think it is somewhat necessary to keep the show going. It is unwise to compare it to other shows with similar premises that didn't focus so much on everything else. This show is its especial work of fiction. If you dislike it, you dislike it. That's your prerogative.
Moving on, hahaha, sorry for that lengthy paragraph. I'm by no means calling anyone out for disliking this episode or this show, particularly because of the lesser focus on the premise, what I'm assuming drew most people in, and if you're still watching, what you're still watching for. I completely understand your point of view and I'm somewhat within that point of view as well. I'm just less affected by the lack of what the show's all about, I guess. Anyway, I'm looking forward to the season (hopefully not series) finale. This show hasn't been enjoyable in the way one would expect based on the premise, but I've been liking it a lot. And if the show gets canceled, that would probably cause me to realize that I liked it even more than I currently think I do.
I like that they added a character that doesn’t want to help with The Callings, or tries to use it to his advantage. It’s more realistic that not everyone would cooperate. However, Michaela showed how naive she is. I wish she’d use her detective brain and outsmart people more.
I’m really liking Zeke and hope he stays in the picture as a friend and confidant.
I find Jared really annoying. He’s immediately going into jerk mode to Zeke for no reason. Seriously, if his so-called relationship with Michaela is on the rocks it’s his own fault. Zeke had no part of it.
While I don’t mind Olive helping, I find Grace’s involvement is hypocritical. And she still doesn’t add anything to the show. I feel like the show is trying but I’d rather they just get rid of her.
I do find Cal’s involvements in the episodes a little wishy washy. Sometimes they make him seem like he knows everything and other times he plays stupid. Pick a lane.
And am I the only one shipping Saanvi and Ben? Since the beginning I felt the have good chemistry. Plus, they like each other as friends at least. Not sure if it was intentional but I feel like there could be a slow build up of a relationship. I hope so.
The cgi wolf looks silly. I don’t even think they needed it. Just have Michaela hearing the snarling then turn and looked freaked out. We can easily figure it out. It’s an easy way for the show to save money for when they need it.
Overall alright episode. I’m still not sure why it’s this big thing that Jared is looking up Zeke’s fingerprints. Michaela already knows who he is - she saw the missing poster remember? So Jared’s going to find out what she knows...so who cares?
Feels like a way just to create drama. I’d rather more time and energy was put into the mysteries - the weekly and the ones about the Returned.
I love that Serena felt immediately worthless when she found herself in a position of a handmaid. Even when it is herself, she is brainwashed AF, she can't stop believing "God's will" lies and treat herself as shit unconsciously. It's sad how a totalitarian patriarchal theocracy traps your mind. It was funny though watching how Serena met medicine and evolution.
It was also nice how June, as a woman, was forgiving and didn't seek revenge from mother at the cost of a baby (possibly thought about it), but Luke went just directly there. I don't say it wasn't justifiable but I feel like writers put a little nuance there about the way men seeking revenge/power, maybe? After all, Gilead is born because of men who wanted a power game for a bunch of men.
The only problem was I couldn't make sense the flashback scenes. As if Serena and June were besties at first and shared a connection? All those feely glances? I'm OK with Serena bouncing between empathetic and heartless, but I don't remember there was such a friendly vibe between them at S01. The Serena that I know of would feel conflicted after the handmaid's death, but also be outraged by June's glance and would never show June her guilt. I don't mind if writers are trying to push us an alliance (it's still a bit rushed), but it is weird when they try to change the past to support it.
1x09 - The Green Council: 8.8/10 (Great)
Following two of the season's finest episodes, “The Green Council” served as a deciding factor in determining the season's overall quality. Thankfully, it maintains the season's success and does a fantastic job setting up for the finale. What an exhilarating episode; the ominous tone that pervades throughout just serves to emphasize the story's overall gloomy tone. In contrast to the previous episodes, which mostly dealt with the characters' families and their intrigues, this one also showcases the people of King's Landing and the kingdom at large. Viserys' death was handled masterfully, moving rapidly enough to give you a sense of urgency without rushing things, and slowly enough to completely soak in every detail. I was delighted to see that they gave Alicent more ambiguity than before, as the previous episodes had been quite one-sided. There was never a dull moment, and the episode also gave the Greens—Aemond in particular—some much-deserved screen time. Alicent has been her father's pawn all along, but after talking to Rhaenys, she herself comes to terms with this fact. The shifting power dynamics will make it interesting to see how far Alicent and Otto succeed in driving a wedge between one other as they each strive to shepherd Aegon through his reign. Though this episode's primary function was to set the stage for future events, it nevertheless managed to deliver a satisfying payoff, especially in the episode's closing five minutes. Unlike “Game of Thrones,” “House of the Dragon” has an abundance of dragons and dragon riders and if the closing sequence is any indication, the battle for succession will be ferocious, since dragons will be on both sides. If I were to pick apart this episode, it would be that the CGI could have used a little more work. However, the showrunners have taken the wise decision, in my opinion, to save the most of the Dragon Fighting for the following season, which will presumably have a much larger budget and considerably better CGI.
Great episode, stunning visuals as usual and beautiful music, especially at the beginning of the episode, when there is silence before the storm before the king's death is know. It was suspenseful and engrossing from the very first moment to the surprising ending. Alicent believes that Viserys wanted her son Aegon to become king and intends to have him crowned, but in spite of this, even she is a bit shocked that the rest of the council under the leadership of her lord father has been plotting to supplant Aegon as heir for some time already. One of the lords who are against this gets killed by Ser Criston. Alicent wants her son to be king but doesn't approve of the violent means her father wants to use, and is against having Rhaenyra killed as the Hand wishes.
Prince Aegon is found missing and so a compeition ensues, a sort of race who gets to him first, the Kingsguard sent by Otto or Ser Criston and Aemond acting on Alicent's orders. Apparently the woman who used to be Daemon's whore at the beginning of the season is now an influential person in the underworld, nicknamed the White Worm, and knows where the prince is. The Hand's party get him first but he escapes them and in the end the Queen's party get him, so Alicent announces her father now everything would be as she wants it. Aegon doesn't want to be king and his younger brother believes he would be more suited to rule, but in the end he brings his brother to his mother.
Alicent is an interesting character in this episode, as she takes part in the plotting but opts for a more peaceful version of the power grab that her father would prefer, hence the conflict between them. She even tries to talk Rheanys to support her in the name of peace and less bloodshed in the kingdom. Her father accuses her that she doesn't want to have Rhaenrya killed more out of liking for her as her childhood friend than because her late husband wouldn't like to have his daughter killed. Rhaenys tells her that Alicent really doesn't want the power for herself, but always for the men around her and it seems to make Alicent think a bit on this matter, though in the end she goes on with the coronation of Aegon all the same. On the other hand, she seems to be moved by her husband's death since she cries when she is alone so that it is not for show. Though she might be afraid about her position now as well. Larys offers her to kill her ladies-in-waiting and other people who may be spying for her father and it is not clear whether she agreed, though the fire in one of the buildings suggests she did.
The coronation is really visually stunning, though I am not sure whether Aegon would be a good king and wouldn't have the people who helped him get the throne killed if he has the mood, as one of the Kingsguard noticed that when he was a prince he had a proclivity for violence. Alicent asks him not to have Rhaenyra killed but I don't think he would follow his mother's advice.
The ending was surprising as one of the Kingsguard helped Rhaenys to escape from the palace where she was imprisoned, and she witnessed the coronation of Aegon dressed as one of the smallfolk, though at the end she slipped out and returned on the back of her dragon. However, instead of dracarysing everyone present, she just flew away. This was a bit disappointing as she only showed them she could have killed them but now they are alive they may have their revenge on her and her family and she may regret not using her chance to get rid of them.
I really missed Rhaenyra and Daemon, I wonder what they are up to? Hope we'll find out next episode.
Why didn't Rhaenys kill them all and end the whole situation? Then there would be no war. Was that her saying she was on their side?
If not, then this is one of the most stupid moments in the whole show.
But why would Rhaenys be on their side? When Rhaenyra is the true heir (and also will be the first queen, like she would have been).
And she might have got Driftmark for her granddaughters in a negotation with Rhaenyra instead of it passing to her bastard. But even besides that, she just had her granddaughters betrothed to Rhaenyra's sons, further sealing their alliance.
Even if Rhaenys was going to be on the greens side, she could have stopped an entire war by killing them.
How did she even get to the dragon pit past the guards.
Why aren't there any dragons protecting the kings coronation, don't they have like 5 of them?
The white worm part was rubbish.
I've been on the blacks side for a couple episodes now, and i don't like how much the show has painted the greens as the bad side and the blacks as the good side. Rhaenyra is the legitimate heir, and would be a good queen. Alicent wants Aegon king because of a misunderstanding of Visery's last words, and Aegon would seem to be a bad king. But ok, that's how things go.
If Rhaenys was undecided, then she still could have averted an entire war by killing them.
I'm guessing since she didn't say anything and flew off, she's on Rhaenyra's side.
It was a good episode overall, but the ending was stupid.
An episode with a lot of political discussions, intrigues, observing dynamics at the court, statesmanship, discussing legal matters concerning claims. I could watch this political master class for hours although nothing else really happens. So I thought. Of course I was wrong: Daemon prefers a hands-on approach. Still not sure what to make of him. Is he a caring father, husband, brother or a cruel and untamable man? (I forgot: Alicent isn't shy to use all tools at her disposal neither if that's what it takes to defend her son's honor).
Stunning performance by the King. What a make-up! Alicent is also awesome. Still not happy with new Rhaenyra.
Is there anything else to criticize? Sure. Let me point out one issue: the frequent time jumps are dealt with as good as it is possible. Here we jump at least 3 years or so. Time warps are perhaps inevitable 'cause the show wants to tell a family chronic that possibly spans decades, but they continue to be a nuisance. I constantly feel that they deprived me of all the interesting stories that happened in between. Plus, I always need a few scenes to understand who is who and what has changed. This orientation process takes away some of the immersion. It doesn't help that they all look the same, have similar names, constantly give birth to new heirs and are fond of creating ring-shaped family trees.
The episode was very intensive and character-driven as it has been the case in this first season of the show. Rhaenyra and Daemon (who have two children together by this time) return to King's Landing as they got news that Corlys' brother wants to put a claim to Driftmark and declare her sons illegitimate. She seems distraught by that as she offers Rhaenys the marriage of her granddaughters to her sons, respectively, and pleads with her father, asking him whether the story of Aegon's dream was really true.
The political plots are interesting but the ailing king Viserys really steals the show, he suffers terribly from some kind of disease which leaves him covered in ulcers, and while he gets milk of the poppy for the pain, Alicent and her lord father are the real rulers of the kingdom. Alicent's became very religious and installed the stars of the Seven everywhere and introduced prayers before meals. She seems understanding towards a serving maid her son took advantage of, but I am not sure whether she didn't have the girl killed behind the scenes as she doesn't appear at work the next day.
As I said, the king is the biggest star of the episode, and the scene in which he surprises everyone by walking to the throne room and then sitting on the Iron Throne is really impressive. The king has shown some pluck and courage at last, as we can guess he suffers a lot doing that since he didn't take the milk of the poppy to keep his mind clear. It is sad to watch how he has to walk all this long way to the Iron Throne alone and nobody runs to help him, only Daemon aids him to climb the throne itself at the end. Rhaenrys seems to care about her father but does not help him walk to the throne, so she is just thhinking about what is there for her to gain. He declares that Rhaenys is the one who knows best Corlys's plans about succession and a bit suprisingly, Rhaenys supports Rhaenyra, with the result of the king declaring Lucerys the heir to the Dragonstone. Corlys' brother accuses Rhaenrya's children of being bastards and the king orders his tounge to be cut off, though Daemon slices his head so that the tounge remains whole. He is not punished for that in any way so I guess it was OK with the king.
The king also orders a dinner for all the members of his family, himself included, and makes a speech calling upon them to make peace among themselves to honour him, and initially they do so, starting with Rhaenyra praising Alicent for caring for the king, and Alicent reciprocates by praising Rhaenrya as a mother, and others follow, but the words are not sincere as when the king is too weak to stay any longer, Alicent's eldest son launches a verbal attack on Rhaenyra's boys and there is a short fight.
It looks like the king is dying, and in his last words he says that the story is true, and the listener is the prince that was promised, but it is nor Rhaenryra who is listening, but Alicent. She takes it that it is the king's will that their son Aegon is to be the next ruler of Westeros, so I guess the war will begin for real in the next episode. Though the old king was quite moving this episode, still supportive of his daughter and wanting his whole family to make peace. Also, the story of Aegon's dreams seemed to be very important to him and it was the thing he clung to in the last moments of his life.
Pros
+Giving the Mystery guy the whole Iron Giant brainwashing is wonderful
+I think I've neglected to mention but the Orcs look fantastic and that is a huge accomplishment despite being easy to overlook
+ The Mystery man I am just assuming Olorin coming to the rescue against the Wargs
+I can see people calling the practice sword fight scene cringy but I thought it was pretty fun
+The color palette, set design, costume design, etc. is flawless
+General cinematography is magnificent
+Isildur's story is Tolkien level simple. However, this is the focus of the long term story and where most viewers will look to going on and I think the story is done well and dialogue is somewhat realistic rather than just pure snap
+Celabrimbor is fantastic, I hated that he looked elderly despite being an elf but he makes up for it in acting feats.
+Gotta love Halbrand but also we all want him to bang Galadriel (even though she's supposed to be taken at this point), he's the only thing that can penetrate Galadriel's shields and its more impactful than sex.
Neutral
*The song part was pretty well done but also seemed a bit out of place
*Ar Pharazon's colonialism is perfect and based although inappropriate for Tolkien
*Injection of the Silmarils felt cheap considering how big they are and how no one will understand they are far far more important than the Ring or mithril or anything of the sort (not to mention their lore is completely disconnected)
*Isildur's sister is so gorgeous I would also Kill a boat's worth or motherfuckers who meant nothing to me just to kiss her face
Cons
-Dumb awkward bit where Durin Jr cries about a table and gets acknowledged instead of laughed away
-Gil galad portrayed as a selfish scumbag bothers me
-Galadriel is still supposed to seem normal rather than Radical which is what her position should seem like
-Adar is a bitch and so is the entire Southlands story, can't wait for Halbrand to create Rohan hehehe
The first "good" episode of the season. Let's be frank. See is a campy dystopian sci-fi with high production value, led by always charismatic Jason Momoa. Each of the two previous seasons always started with a bang, immediately sucking you in. Then the air gradually leak out, mended by elaborately choreographed battle sequences to suck you back in.
This third and final season is a bit different. There was a bang alright, but just a whimper. The previous three episodes are mostly slow setup toward the final conflict. This episode finally takes charge and illuminate the belligerent parties: (1) Payans led by Maghra and Baba, (2) Trivantians led by evil scientist Tormada and "The Bank", and (3) Payans traditionalists (ex-Witchfinders) led by Lucien and Sibeth.
This episode is a bit slow getting there, but it is marked by two main sequences: (1) team Baba infiltrating and rescuing Jerlamarel's children (bomb makers) and (2) Sibeth. As to be expected, the choreography of the rescue is top notch and well executed.
Oh Sibeth! Love her or hate her, she is one remarkable character. I hope Sylvia Hoeks is enjoying the character as much as I enjoy hating her, because her portrayal is just sooooo darn interesting. Mocking voice characterization and facial expressions are just so priceless. The cave scene is just unexpected and just so.... Sibeth.
Numenor looks really beautiful and I would really like to explore its palaces and streets, but the story is totally at odds with what is described by Tolkien, and the showrunners do not have any justification for having done this, since the history of Numenor is summarised in detail in the Appendices to LotR they apparently have the rights to. They still avoid explaining what was the reason for the Numenoreans' enmity towards the Elves, namely, jealousy of the immortality possessed by the Elder Children of Illuvatar. Pharazon does some anti-Elvish speech but it looks like the majority of common people are afraid of the Elves stealing their jobs, which seems like a joke, and there is talk about the Elves coming to Numenor, whereas in fact the opposite direction was in the minds of Numenoreans, who wanted to sail to Valinor as they believed they would gain immortality by coming to the deathless lands. Also, it is odd that Tar-Miriel's father is sickly as the Numenoreans did not know sickness, almost like the Elves, only they stayed mortal and the Faithful died of their own will just like Aragorn does in LotR. Tar-Miriel shows Galadriel the palantir while in fact all palantiri were in possession of Elendil's family who took them all to Middle-Earth when they escaped the doom of Numenor. The dream with the great wave Tar-Miriel has looks OK, but I have no idea why they start the show from Numenor's downfall if they plan to have five seasons, they should have started from Elros and slowly built towards Numenor's moral disintegration. I somehow like the OC Earien, she reminds me of Hermione in some sense, maybe because of her ambition and love of learning. In the end, Tar-Miriel decides to set off to Middle-Earth to help Halbrand's people - according to Tolkien, Numenoreans will be victorious and capture Sauron, who would destroy the island realm from within.
Speaking of Sauron, it seems that the orcish leader Adar may be him, since he speaks of his plans of "becoming like a god" and intends to conquer what is to become Mordor. He lets loose Arondir to pass his message, I wonder if Arondir would now become a double agent? It was a bit exciting as Theo was hiding from the orcs after he and his friend went to forage some food from their abandoned village, as an OC it wasn't clear whether he would be killed or not. The old guy from the tavern turns out to be a secret follower of Sauron, though he seems to suggest that Sauron is the meteor man.
Celebrimbor feels that the dwarves are hiding something from the Elves and sends Elrond to sound them out, apparently Durin jr. started working in a new mine, where the dwarves discover mithril. Elrond finds out about the mine only after overhearing Disa and Durin, but in the end his friend lets him into his confidence and shows him the new metal, and Elrond is the one that names it mithril. However, there is an accident and Durin's father orders his son to close the mine. We can also see Disa sing to the stone to release the trapped miners, I hated this in the trailers but here it looks grand. I also liked the scene in which Elrond reminisces about his father Earendel (it is not said he carries a Silmaril, though this word is mentioned in Appendices but maybe not in connection with Earendel) and encourages Durin not to stay estranged from his father on the account of the mine. Durin the king has a lot of trust in his son and believes in his ability as a future ruler, there is also father-son love between them. However, he sends Durin to spy on the Elves in turn as he does not believe in their good intentions. In this way, the mutual distrust of Elves and Dwarves is emphasised, though at this period there was real co-operation between them, so this seems a bit off and more fitting for a later period in Middle-Earth history.
Overall, it is quite far from Tolkien's writings but I am beginning to enjoy it a bit, I am curious about some OCs since we don't know anything about them from Tolkien's novels. There were no hobbits this episode and I didn't particularly miss them.
I have a bit of a mixed opinion about the show. It still looks nice. Perhaps a bit too clean (does Bronwyn really always looks like she's about to attend the Met Gala? All other peasants are wearing rags and she's sporting a clean and sexy dress. Really?). But that's apparently where the budget went to. I feel that they neglected characters and stories though. They jump from location to location but I'm not sure we learn all that much character-wise. And the best described character Galadriel is strange. I would even call her a bit childish and immature. Isn't she supposed to be wise, composed and clever? Although I know very little of the LotR lore, I always thought the elves don't behave like humble humans (the worst example of this was of course last episode's Baywatch-horse scene). I mean, I get it: the first season is used to introduce the various locations and characters. Given the sheer number of different locations and people that's a monumental task already and in this snail speed they need more episodes to create believable characters. Thus, I'm afraid, most time of the remainder of this season will also be allotted to this rather boring introduction. And boring it is: all the character building via dialogue is mediocre. Plus, over the course of the first season, they want us to show the slowly growing threat to this mostly very peaceful world. So they can't have too much action w/o the stakes having reached existential levels. I'm okay with that. They should take all the time needed to have a credible climax later, but surely this is another factor why this episode doesn't feel exciting.
Something is simply off. I watch this episode and I profoundly enjoy the locations, costumes, props, wigs and make-up, but the story just passes by. I don't really care too much. Why should I pay attention? It's very one-dimensional and very black and white. You know exactly who is good and who is bad and who will forge alliances with whom (after some initial reluctance). There's still some mysterious aspects left (primarily surrounding the orcs, their handler and the comet guy), but it's not really important to pay attention: Orcs are bad, the comet guy is good and he will help the elves and their allies eventually. I wouldn't be surprised if the essential parts of season one's story can be summarized in one short paragraph. And all the fantasy babble feels tailor-made to true fans of the LotR franchise - it's not made for people like me. It's just a bit dull and unsophisticated story telling with unnecessary pathos and it's way too dragged out. Tbh, this is totally in line with the movies in the LotR franchise.
