3 Thoughts After Completing ‘Baby Reindeer’:
Please give Richard Gadd ALL the awards. From storytelling to performance, he was incredibly compelling. And incredibly brave.
What sets this show apart is the fact that we’re watching a very heavy, difficult-to-watch story unfold… portrayed by the very person who endured it all. It most definitely affects the experience as a viewer. Your emotions are heightened and you’re more invested than watching something that’s solely acting.
I’m not familiar with Jessica Gunning, who plays our lead’s relentless stalker. I can’t imagine it was very easy to take on this role, and yet she did it so masterfully. She made us despise Martha, while also giving her some semblance of a soul, where we in turn discover a bit of sympathy for the character. Again, not easy.
3 Thoughts After Completing ‘The Crown’:
THIS is premiere storytelling, folks. Superior quality television. I initially went into this merely to test out the hype, expecting to be bored by subject matter I had little-to-no interest in… expecting to face challenges in understanding a history I knew nothing about. Instead, I was absolutely captivated by every single episode and I learned SO much. Every episode feels perfectly crafted, mini motion pictures, focusing on a character — or set of characters — blessing them with all the layers they need and deserve. Just brilliant.
We got a brand new cast every two seasons, and my heart broke a little each time we had to say goodbye. But then the new group would rope me right back in, making me eventually miss them too. Nearly impeccable casting.
Diana. There’s a particular focus on her when she steps into this world — as there should be. It was a painful watch, in the sense that I wanted it to all play out differently for her. And Elizabeth Debicki portrayed her to absolute perfection.
3 Thoughts After Completing ‘Fear the Walking Dead’:
Oh Fear the Walking Dead, the killer of characters, how I’ll instead remember you as The Walking Dead: Fever Dream… because this has been one of the most nonsensical, inconsistent, painful, wasteful series that I have ever spent so much time watching. There was clearly no long-term game plan here. This was merely a cash grab. There’s nothing cohesive about any of these seasons. There has been zero character development, only character confusion, fit to make a viewer’s head spin. A true failure in every sense of the word.
This was meant to depict the BEGINNING of the zombie apocalypse. A peek that the flagship show couldn’t give us. A treat for fans. But I always thought they left LA too soon. We never got to know these characters, as much as we should have, before everything went south. We never got that peek! The plot was rushed from the jump… leading to yet ANOTHER post-apocalyptic journey with not a modicum of direction.
To criticize the show should not suggest I would criticize the talent. So many wonderful actors have graced this show. And the characters themselves aren’t horrible either! Most of them, at least. They simply weren’t given the writing, and general justice, that they deserved.
3 Thoughts After Completing ‘The Stranger’:
What a strange little show. I never felt fully invested in all of this. Probably because it was overloaded with wayyy too many subplots that ended up feeling like a total waste of time.
The theme song is horrendous. Doesn’t match the vibe of this show in any capacity.
Yeah, the ending was shocking… but there was a strong sense that so much was left unexplained.
3 Thoughts After Watching ‘Clickbait’:
Well, they certainly got me with that final twist. I’ve read thoughts from a few people saying how far-fetched it is. But honestly, these days, I really don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility at all.
This show gave me some first-season 13 Reasons Why vibes, as it focuses on a single character each episode and how they’re connected to the central mystery. I personally enjoy that plot device and I thought it worked well here.
All in all, I liked it! While it wasn’t anything particularly groundbreaking, there were moments that moved me. Moments of tragedy, along with some solid performances, that made me care about the well-being of even minor characters. Many shows don’t succeed in that.
3 Thoughts After Completing ‘The Fall’:
The power and presence of Gillian Anderson is reason enough to check out this show. Maybe the only reason. No other character quite reaches her level. Her performance is subtle, but you just can’t take your eyes off her.
There are some strange plot points, mostly in the first season (like the dude beating up prostitutes in his hotel room), that go nowhere. There are quite a few characters that aren’t fully fleshed out, where you wonder what they’re true purpose is in the story. All in all, there’s something about this series that feels… incomplete. It closes with that feeling too.
Jamie Dornan is sufficiently creepy. And I remain a fan of him and his work. But I had read reviews of this show, before watching it, expressing that he doesn’t succeed in being a powerful enough yin to Anderson’s yang. And I couldn’t help but take note of that throughout the series. I do agree that this show could have been significantly elevated by a more dynamic villainous performance.
3 Thoughts After Completing ‘Felicity’:
This is such a special time capsule of a show, with a charismatic ensemble cast that had fantastic chemistry. But it was Keri Russell that truly carried them through with an effortlessly-heartfelt performance. There aren’t many characters as organically lovable and wholesome as Felicity Porter.
Felicity and Ben have one of the greatest television love stories of all time. I cheered them on through all their triumphs and tribulations, and — at the end of it all — this is their story.
The creators should be endlessly scolded and judged for deciding to change a lovely (and unique) opening credits sequence to one of the worst theme songs to ever tarnish the small screen. It was truly awful. I spent the second half of this series scoffing EVERY SINGLE time it came on. Felicity deserved so much better.
Bonus Thought: The show ended in such a weird and wacky way that I enjoyed and appreciated. Others may feel differently, but I thought it separated this series from the pack and made it even more special within the genre.
3 Thoughts After Completing ‘Servant’:
This show is the slowest burn of all slow burns. It’s kinda insane. They could have either shortened this to just a couple seasons. Or they could have had multiple, evolving story arcs within this fairly-intriguing mythology. All in all, we waited far too long with limited payoff (and limited questions answered).
These characters are not grounded in reality. They’re odd. And, for the most part, it can be what makes this show interesting to watch. But they also tend to make decisions and react in ways that make little sense… leaving us all kinds of frustrated.
I didn’t hate it. And I’ve always been an M. Night fan. And it’s a great cast. I’d be lying, despite my qualms, if I said they didn’t have me hooked from the first episode.
3 Thoughts After Completing ‘Jury Duty’:
Kudos for being something very different AND for pulling off something so elaborate. I left this viewing experience feeling super satisfied. Phenomenal payoff.
To me, this was less of a comedy and more of an experiment. Quality reality TV. Yeah, it was funny for sure, but I was essentially more curious about where this was all going. And how authentic it was. I’m glad they showed all the receipts at the end lol.
Fantastic, super-likable cast with great chemistry… especially our leading man Ronald. I hope we get to see more of him.
3 Thoughts After Giving Up on ‘Sherlock’:
I made it through two seasons before I had to give up on this show. I can honestly say there wasn’t a single episode I enjoyed, and I am perplexed as to why people praise it so much. The stories/cases are insanely convoluted and overly complicated. The pacing is set to warp speed with zero time to absorb what’s happening. Things would occur for no particular reason. I found myself blaming my brain for not doing its job sufficiently when, in fact, it was this show attempting to come off as genius, when it was simply and plainly not being clear or making much sense. I know I’m in the minority, but this was not very entertaining.
The talent is here. There’s no questioning Cumberbatch and Freeman. However, the same can’t be said for their characters. I’m sorry, but Sherlock was just NOT likable. It’s cool to be cocky and cranky, with moments of humanity shining through, but we didn’t get enough of those endearing moments for him. And Watson was completely pointless and underused as a doctor. Again, why do people love this show?
Moriarty, the infamous arch-nemesis, was set up SO poorly. His intentions were never truly clear. His relationship with Sherlock had no foundation, no buildup, no depth, no substantial meaning. He would pop up in random intervals for random reasons. Yet he was presented to the audience as if all these things were untrue, as if we were supposed to care so damn much. It just wasn’t well done.
3 Thoughts After Completing ‘11.22.63’:
It was actually a lot darker than I expected it to be. The Stephen King vibe is definitely present. Quite a few eerie, shocking, and supernatural moments.
It will certainly try your emotions. I was left somewhat heartbroken multiple times throughout the story. A good sign that these are characters you care about.
All in all, I enjoyed this limited series that was less about JFK and more about love, but I was left feeling a bit empty. A lot happens. And, in the end, one might question the purpose of it all. I can’t say it didn’t stick it’s landing — it most definitely did — but I guess I wanted more for our main character.
3 Thoughts After Completing ‘Trixie Motel’:
This show is essentially one season-long advertisement for the motel. But I love Trixie, and she’s a genius. Because it worked. I wanna stay there.
As far as serving as an entertaining television series, it struggles. It’s at its best during the renovation segments, and seeing those gorgeous transformations, but those are unfortunately few and far between. Beyond that, it feels like we’re mostly served way too many (poorly) scripted/staged moments that pull us away from what is supposed to be reality.
Katya was, hands down, the best guest. Her entrance was a breath of fresh air compared to the others. And she and Trixie have such a natural chemistry. It is absolutely delightful. I can understand why they’ve stuck together for so long.
3 Thoughts After Completing ‘Dead to Me’:
I already loved Applegate, but this show made me a fan of Cardellini, whose delightful charm is a major highlight of this series. Their pairing is cute for sure.
An overabundance of incessant secrets grows as tired as some of the plot points. While it’s a show worth checking out, I can’t say it’ll be one that sticks around in your memory.
The final season takes a major shift in tone that, I believe, becomes a detriment to the series. A lot of the fun is gone.
3 Thoughts After Completing ‘The Walking Dead’:
It is a TRAVESTY that I have to rate this series a 7, because it’s had so many level-10 moments throughout its long run. It was a global sensation for a reason. But some seasons were stronger than others, and later storytelling didn’t seem to come as naturally, and effectively, as it once did. Still, nobody can deny this show’s epic impact on pop culture.
The best part of this show? THE CAST. The barrage of faces that’ve come and gone have been immense, and never lacked quality. Every single one of these actors nailed it, even when the writing failed them. They are the heart and soul of this story. And I’ve gotta throw Greg Nicotero in there too. So. Much. Talent.
Yeah, it should’ve ended earlier. I feel like that’s a general consensus amongst everyone. Story and proper closure were seemingly sacrificed for cash. But it IS worth the ride. Even tho it can occasionally be a challenging one.
3 Thoughts After Completing ‘The Walking Dead: World Beyond’:
It was an interesting idea to have the main characters in a Walking Dead spinoff be younger. Unfortunately, it’s these characters that make this series a tough watch (aside from Elton). The acting chops just aren’t there. But the cringe often is. And it feels like the creators realize this as the spotlight shifts off them a bit more towards the end.
Iris and Silas may be the worst characters ever in the Walking Dead universe. May we never see them again.
Plot-wise, you may often find yourself scratching your head, wondering what the point of this limited series is. It presents some interesting ideas as to what else is going on beyond the legacy TWD characters and worlds we already know. But the story felt lazily strung together and we aren’t thrown much in the realm of anything particularly compelling.
3 Thoughts After Completing ‘Moon Knight’:
Moon Knight needed a helluva lot more Moon Knight.
I was surprised to find how difficult this series was to get through. With only six episodes, I thought I’d fly through it — but that wasn’t the case. I was never truly captivated and drawn in by the story, which I found to be somewhat scattered and fairly uneven.
The show’s greatest strengths were the Egypt setting (it felt very fresh for the MCU) and Oscar Isaac, who is absolutely phenomenal. There were some strong and unique moments here and there.
3 Thoughts After Completing ‘Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story’:
It was a difficult, compelling watch. Hard to fathom that it isn’t fiction. It was a conflicting watch as well, understanding that stories like this perpetuate Dahmer’s fame, as well as the trauma of the victims’ families. It did, however, shed a light on the victims’ stories and the failures of those who could’ve stopped him sooner.
That Tony Hughes episode was especially heartbreaking.
The standouts were the incredibly-creepy score and the phenomenal performances. Richard Jenkins, Niecy Nash, and Evan Peters really outdid themselves here.
3 Thoughts After Completing ‘Hawkeye’:
Not as great as WandaVision. Not as terrible as The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
The show was fairly one-note up until the finale. Very little buildup throughout most of its duration. And some connections didn’t really click. (I found it odd that Hawkeye so casually knew about Kingpin.)
Fortunately, we were treated to some fantastic characters. It was nice getting to know Renner’s Hawkeye a bit more. Steinfeld is so frickin’ likable. Kingpin was a pleasure to watch, as always. And Pugh was FANTASTIC.
3 Thoughts After Completing ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’:
These thoughts come after discovering the show isn’t returning and — sadly — there isn’t much I remember from when I finished the first season. :pound_symbol:forgettable
This series failed to accomplish what WandaVision pulled off so remarkably: making us care substantially more about less popular Marvel characters.
I did enjoy Wyatt Russell and Emily VanCamp.
3 Thoughts After Completing ‘Supernatural’:
Supernatural is a flawed show for sure, but the two charming leads and a tendency to churn out super-creative episodes every once in a while, take this TV tale a level above so many others — and provides enough proof for its incredible longevity.
Considering the inordinate amount of times a character would die and return, and that major biblical characters were portrayed in less-than-epic ways, major stakes were often hard to come by throughout the show’s run. If that hadn’t been the case, the final climactic season — which showcased some of the series’ best arcs — would have been so much more compelling.
Machismo and testosterone ooze through this show, sometimes at eye-rolling levels, and were often the source of many of my complaints. But this also allowed our macho leads to occasionally show their sensitive sides for some poignant (and funny!) moments.
3 Thoughts After the Cancellation of ‘Now Apocalypse’:
I just found out this show was canceled — and I’m slightly bummed. It wasn’t groundbreaking by any means, but it was incredibly weird and it would’ve been nice to see where the insanity was headed. It was memorable enough for me to just now check up on it.
Beau Mirchoff is reason enough to watch this show. My goodness.
My last thought is that I don’t really have another thought. Maybe that’s why it was canceled. It simply wasn’t enough. But it’s worth a watch!
3 Thoughts After Completing ‘Humans’:
Despite appearing as a show about robots, this series was aptly named. Because what is so compelling (and a bit scary) about this series is its reflection on humanity — and the worst of it. That’s what this show seems to truly be about. And there are so many intriguing thoughts here that haven’t really - from my perspective - been explored in other sci-fi stories. This alone is worth the watch.
It’s a tragedy that this show was cancelled without complete closure. It could have all been wrapped up in one final season and it’s a shame they couldn’t finish telling the story. BUT, don’t let it dissuade you from watching. It’s worth the ride and there are some full-circle moments at the end.
Gemma Chan is absolutely stunning. Such a presence. She gave us a character with so much heart — and she didn’t always need dialogue to do so. I’m so happy to see her finding more success after Humans. What a wonderful talent.
Bonus Thought: Grab your tissue boxes. There are some pretty powerful, emotional moments along the way.
3 Thoughts After Completing ‘The Honeymooners’:
The Honeymooners is pure television magic. The comedy still holds up to this day. The chemistry between our main quartet is perfection. And there’s real emotion here. This was the first show I ever fell in love with.
Ralph Kramden is one of the most iconic television characters of all time. Never has such a big-mouthed bus driver had so much heart. Gleason is a legend.
It’s a shame there are currently no other comments here. I’d like to believe there are others out there experiencing the sheer joy of this classic right now.
Bonus Thought: Hellooo, Ball.
3 Thoughts After Completing ‘The Haunting of Hill House’:
Reviewing this a bit late, since I was expecting it to continue in an anthology form… something I had initially been unhappy about discovering. I really wanted this particular tale to continue. I thought it was superbly done, but it left me feeling like we were being somewhat shorted. Like we were left with so much still to tell.
A slew of spooky moments, and those famously hidden ghosts, make for great Halloween viewing. And one scene in particular… those who’ve seen it know what I’m talking about… made me jump in a way no other show has.
Such a phenomenal cast, all around. It was great to see Henry Thomas in the spotlight again. Carla Gugino is always a delight. Kate Siegel was a standout to me. And Oliver Jackson-Cohen is a dream.
3 Thoughts After Completing ‘Maniac’:
This series didn’t grab me at first. I wasn’t quick to binge it, at all. But, as the series went along, I discovered something that was wonderfully weird, surprisingly shocking at times, and wholly original.
I came out of this with a better appreciation for Emma Stone. She really is such a wonderful actress. Jonah has his moments for sure, but his downtrodden Owen can get a tad exhausting after awhile.
I think my biggest takeaway from this show is that, while it may appear to be merely quirky and imaginative, there are some pretty powerful messages here, some potent and emotional moments. So much is explored: loneliness, mental illness, loss, grief, purpose, friendship, addiction, family, and the courage to grab your life by the reigns. And it allows you to fill in the blanks without spelling everything out for you.
3 Thoughts After Completing ‘Castle Rock’:
I actually finished this show a while ago, and didn’t expect it to get cancelled. Definitely a bummer.
I love love loved the idea of a Stephen King multiverse show. So much potential. And I loved how you initially thought each season was it’s own individual story. I was blown away by the finale that tied it all together. I was excited to see where things would go next.
Beyond the fabulous SK Easter eggs, the performances were equally fantastic. Sissy Spacek in season one and Lizzy Caplan in season two were both awesome standouts.
3 Thoughts After Completing ‘The X-Files’:
I actually finished the series a few years ago, but held out hope that it wasn’t done yet. Alas, it is.
I rated this show an ‘8’ which, after the latest season, makes me question such a generous decision. But… the truth IS out there: this show is ICONIC. Our main characters had a chemistry unlike anything else. It was a game changer for the genre. Genuinely creepy and compelling stories. And although the mythology gets a bit muddled through the years, it was GREAT TV.
It’s so tragic that it ended on the note it did. So weak for something that was once so strong. I can’t blame Gillian Anderson for not wanting to return.
3 Thoughts After Giving Up on ‘American Gods’:
I really wanted to like this show. The first season showed some promise. A ton of potential, albeit a bit confusing. It felt different. Gillian Anderson was a highlight for me. And the visuals were pretty awesome. It stopped there.
The second season was an absolute mess. It’s been a minute, but I vividly remember being endlessly irritated, and not even remotely entertained, by the lack of any solid plot. And the main character (while nice to look at) was completely useless. It was quite literally a waste of my time.
I still have season three left to watch, but the show’s cancellation was enough to tell me to save myself the trouble. There are SO many quality series out there to devote my time to. Off I go.
3 Thoughts After Giving Up on ‘Into the Badlands’:
I made it through the first season of this show. It had a little potential, but it failed to grab me enough to continue.
The fight scenes were cool. From what I remember. Which isn’t much.
The moment I heard the show was canceled, I knew I wouldn’t be revisiting it.
3 Thoughts After Completing ‘iZombie’:
First and foremost, Rose McIver is a fantastic series lead. She deserves a ton of credit for embodying a new persona for pretty much every episode. Not all of ‘em are winners, but it’s always a delight to see what she comes up with next.
Just when you think the zombie genre is tired, this series flips it on its head and gives you something completely fresh. And the cast delivers this new mythology with great chemistry and an awesome enthusiasm. These actors clearly had a blast on set. It shows.
There are standout episodes throughout the series run, but I believe the show never fully reached its true potential. You get a peek at the possibilities in the final episodes, where the stakes are higher and there are more poignant moments. I wish the show took more risks earlier on — but it certainly had its moments!
Bonus Thought: It may not be a popular opinion, but I thought they did a terrific job wrapping the story up in the end.
