Dumb kid freaked out because he did something indecent and trusted the words of some rando on the internet. Moral of the story: learn some digital security, he (and the other freaked out adults) wouldn't be there if he didn't give away his number very early in the beginning.
But seriously, this episode doesn't do it for me. I don't get people's fascination toward the episode. So the kid was supposed to look at CP, but how do we exactly know this? The webcam doesn't record the screen. Who knows if the hacker implanted the photos and made false claims? There was also no proof that "Mindy" was underage. All we know the guy got catfished into hiring hookers.
Acting is fine, but the thriller is quite bland throughout the episode. People on the screen are anxious but there's no tense. They are threatened by something but I don't really feel the real risk. Perhaps because there's no way to guarantee that the hackers will keep their promise, and turns out they really don't, so there's no stake for me. Just block them and face the risk rather than having to go through all that.
Quite a well-done thriller with three separate but intersecting plotlines. It started out as an unnerving thriller, transforming into a horror, then into a drama reminiscent of The Entire History of You, before all the plotlines suddenly are knitted together. Like with other Black Mirror episodes, the questions surrounding technology - AI, consciousness, legal repercussions - is a background that only gets a nod (especially with the ending where "I Wish It Could Be a Christmas Everyday", an interesting choice of music) and they leave it to the audience to talk about after the episode ends.
The trick in the first half is fine, but the way Edamura noticed that everyone was up to no good just by spotting the same watch is stretching it. Makes little sense. Let's see how anime-ish (if you catch my drift) this one is.
Strong episode. A bit cliched tropes - botched gig, amateur who hesitated, lead messing up, ending with everyone dead - but the execution was well done. There's enough tense, enough mystery, enough grit, and the intro sequence was well done to send Maine off with a bang. Still not sure why the heck they had to fetch Tanaka and what's the point of all those though.
Pretty good episode since the pilot. The action was right, so was the character development and the air of mystery. Like a true edgerunning gig.
Decent episode to introduce the cyberpunk job and how it works in this universe. Pacing is well done, even much better than the game's (Cyberpunk 2077) pacing. Nothing too exciting but not too dull either. The scene with the fixer is kinda on the nose to make some sort of looming threat, however.
This is the best episode of Star Wars Visions. It didn't try to bite more than it can chew (didn't misunderstand the whole Jedi/Sith trope like the other episodes do) and the 15 minutes duration didn't overstay the welcome. This is the episode worthy of its own series; even as it stands, with the air of mystery like that, it already feels like a pilot episode.
Anyway this is the one that I would say a proper Star Wars in anime form. This could pass as one of Expanded Universe episodes, perhaps sometime before The Phantom Menace (they even get the hairlock right!). It plays the classic master-apprentice dynamics with a cautious wise master teaching his over-eager apprentice itching for action (the dialogue about Jedi philosophy was excellent - something that sorely lacking in the new Disney Star Wars). They were drawn by the power of a dark entity, that might seem to have more secrets than what meets the eye (again, they did it right with the signature yellow-eyed dark side wielders!). There is enough suspense in this episode that I got to watch this seriously, and they also did the action choreography right as with other TRIGGER anime. Great characters as well.
My only complain about the episode is the kind of abrupt climax. Though if this is supposed to be a tease, then the episode did it really right.
The episode really excels in the soundtrack, really brings the classic, fantastical Yuki Kanno feel. The simple flat visuals helps in creating that mystical anime feel. The two match perfectly with the local community theme going on. I like that that the episode depicts the world of Star Wars as a plural one. Not everyone follows the religion of the Force-sensitive; some who do may have their own religion, and here it's called as Magina. Very fascinating. Great world-building.
However the episode suffers from the same issue like most episodes so far. Simple storytelling, and dumb villains. Kinda disappointing seeing battledroids as yet another parody. Too focused on the role of the Jedi as well. Wish they had focused on the Magina believers more.
This is TRIGGER's usual Gurren Lagann nonsense that borrows Star Wars props - not even the concepts, just the props because lightsaber crystals and hyperspace don't work like that. Story is the usual TRIGGER's "believe in me that believe in you" thing as well, with nothing novel to enjoy. Which is fine to be honest, but they should've stick with the things they usually do best: the fight animation, which we don't get that much.
I like that they throw some references to Sequel Trilogy (The Last Jedi) with the Star Destroyer being torn in half. But the climax doesn't stand on a strong enough ground to warrant that extravaganza. For that matter I'd rather watch Gurren Lagann than this. Art style is kinda unique though, I give them that.
Good episode. Kickstarted the season and made me curious of what's coming. Fares much better than the Brotherhood version here. The episode shows the consequence of Ed and Al's action to the city rather than just showing them wreaking havoc. It also shows Al as a more empathetic side compared to Ed.
This is a good episode for two reasons:
As a pilot, this sets the tone directly. Not overdone humor, enough action, and enough world-building. The mechanics is there, brief background of our protagonists are there, and the conflict is there. Ed came off as a reasonable but still haughty/bratty state alchemist. Compare this to the pilot in FMA: Brotherhood which introduced too many characters, etc, which gets confusing.
Compared to the same episode in FMA: Brotherhood, this one explains much better why the priest was beloved by his people. The people are not just blind fanatics mesmerized by miracle, but benefit materially from him. There is also enough character development between Ed & Al with the others so they don't come off as haughty edgy atheists barging to people's door. More time to set the tone and silently establishes the bigger antagonists as well.
The only thing jarring here is the people just have to be brown just because they live in desert lol. Stereotype of very 2000-ish anime.
Not sure what was wrong with the episode, but the science vs religion contrast feels a bit tacked on, and the conflict as well as the resolution feels really hurried. The citizen seems to be too foolishly gullible to believe the antagonist with no strong reason except 'muh miracles'. The antagonist seems pretty dumb to reveal his grand plan just like that for the plot to keep on going. And, the worst is, Ed sounds like an edgy Reddit atheist with his haughty "god doesn't exist" speech.
Weak pilot. Too many characters introduced, mixed with some out of place humor. Worst is that this episode shows both the state alchemists as unorganized, reckless institution (no plan at all to anticipate attack on central) and the Ice Alchemist as incompetent offender (with all that spectacle he really doesn't seem to plan anything in advance, as he gets beaten by Elric bros).
Not the strongest pilot: it branches on each main character's future plotlines, with Holden, Naomi, Alex, and Amos going on their own path. However it sets up the Inaros as quite detestable villains - in case killing Ashford in previous season was not enough. It started with Filip and ended with Marcos. The extras were less convincing, but the space shots - and we got lots of them (Tycho, Venus, Earth) - all are gorgeous.
As a work of TV show, it's good. It sets up the characters and the theme it wants to talk about. It starts with the aftermath end slowly reveals how the event unfolds to the disaster Chernobyl was.
However the message it tries to deliver, as it seems already obvious from the start, is very problematic: the all-too familiar story of meritocratic individual not being able to fight against the evil of bureaucracies, epitomized in the face of the Soviet state - the episode even has a speech on the need to believe on the Socialist State. This premise is very shaky, as David Graeber has famously written, bureaucracies - and its "evils" - were more prominent within the so-called neoliberal states and even corporations more than back then in Soviet era. Turning the disaster into a fight between heroic individuals also seem all too common for Hollywood who keeps hallucinating for the existence of an underdog superhero.
But let's see how it goes for now.
An engrossing pilot. We see the world through the eyes of Campion, our seemingly protagonist. A world so alien, with a war of the post seem to reaching from behind, that it actually is not much forgotten as it seems to be. We were told to build a civilization anew, free from the clutch of religion that separates us in the past. But with no one else around - how? It is only Mother and Father that have sheltered us so far, androids that are completely different from us, but the closest one we can call as family - persons we trust. When someone eventually reaches us - someone human, more similar to us - they are at the same time so alien that it's hard who to trust.
This episode is a great start to open this series. The mystery, the provocation, the atmosphere - everything, even the violence. Looking forward to next episodes.
Short and simple, not much to be contemplated about, but an enjoyable experience nonetheless. The visual is beautiful, love the glimmering neon "ghosts".
A rather slow episode with frequent still shots like Eps. 1, pace picks up in the last 15 minutes though. The portrayal of Chrisjen as politician seems to too in-the-face, wish they could've done it subtler.
I'm not too sure with this Season 4 pilot. It feels more like Season 3's "pilot" post-midseason finale (by that I mean Season 3 Episode 7) rather than Season 3's Episode 1 (or Season 2's Episode 1). The show spent quite a time to make sure every characters get their share of screen time: Avasarala, Holden and the crew, Bobbie, Camina, Ashford, even Melba (which is actually good because I wondered what happened to her after her wrong-doings). We also have a setup for this season's new characters apparently. It makes the episode feels a bit not focused, though there is a clear plot direction on what to expect in this season.
Others said there is no noticeable change of quality after the switch to Amazon Prime--aside from good ones, like more details on Rocinante--but I say there is. It's the still shots. This episode spends more time having still shots of everything: Holden in silent as the campfire sparks, Naomi in awe with what she sees onward, even Rocinante crews trekking on the new land have their share of scenery porn. I'm not saying it's bad, but does divert the attention from previous seasons which focus on moving the story forward or have the characters relate to each other.
After a slightly noticeable drop on the writing department in previous season's second-half, this kind of makes me wary. The episode also ends with a rather... uninteresting McGuffin (mysterious weather/weapon on a mysterious planet... what do you expect? Why the surprised face, Holden?). It does have some interesting plot points, like a riff between Belters. I hope it gets better onward.
Not the most satisfying finale, but still a well-done one. It gets the tense evenly spread across: despite properly knowing who the major characters are by this point, The Expanse manages to convince me that any of them can be at a stake at any point. Well, perhaps except the main Roci crew.
The shootouts were well made: other series should follow what The Expanse does with their shootouts: doors and corners. People take covers and shots are taken carefully. I think I'm used to watch movies/shows where character's death happen for the shock value, that I expected something to happen when Amos, Alex, Dr. Volovodov, and Reporter Monica were doing their job.
However the writing on supporting characters could've been... more on par with previous seasons. Ashford came off as... a bit more reckless, and the way Amos justifies it ("He's a pirate") seems to be not the strongest plot device to make the story moves along with the tense, as everything that leads to the climax of this episode ultimately rests on his decision alone. We were introduced two new captains but they act as nothing but stocks to show that Ashford appears not to be the single commander (he seems to be though). There is something that feels a bit... artificial, after a very humane and rational Ashford we've seen in previous episodes. I feel like the episode attempts to replicate the Ganymede crisis on previous half-season, but in a more downsized scale.
I am not too sure with the resolution of Melba's arc either, with her having a change of heart then suddenly coming to the rescue, not to mention she is aboard Rocinante now, where she should've been a war criminal, murdering people in Seung-Eun? It seems to be too convenient. As is with Holden's and Rocinante crewss fate, who appears to get out of the trouble without having to face the criminal prosecution accused to them earlier.
That being said, this finale is a fitting end for The Expanse's run in Syfy. As it moves to Amazon Prime, a brand new channel, so does humanity move to new systems opened by the Ring. The three season that has occurred in The Expanse so far seems to be about how humanity discovers interstellar travel.
Watching The Expanse lately gives me a similar feeling to watching The Heroes back then: how little pieces in the universe start to blend and match with each other. The reverend Sorreont-Gillis invited runs a clinic that has to make deals with drug dealers... must be the same clinic where the guy who gave Bobbie her way to beach works at. And now Bobbie/Avasarala meeting up with the Roci crew. This episode has a tense action as well, very nicely done.
So much development we get in one episode. We get to see more of Avasarala with her two "aides". We get to see how Errinwright turns out to be still an ambitious, "ends justify the means", just right after he looked vulnerable earlier. There is a lot of pressure between them and Mao as well. We get to see Holden acts as righteous, grudge-filled captain. This is one of these times when I wished Miller was still alive to kick some sense to Holden - he's a good counter-balance.
There is a slight contrast here between Naomi and Holden: the Belter right to the core and the Earther who ends up as Belter survivor. If Dawes and Johnson fought for how they handle power, Naomi and Holden "fought" for how differently they see values in human's life. Holden dreams big and loves to play hero, but Naomi, a Belter since birth, knows the value of life on the ground. The refugee crisis on Ganymede Station is both emotional and powerful, as the big guy Champa touched his chest, gesturing a Belter's loyalty. It might be idealized as the other commenter has said, but it is the other extremes of previous episodes where a Belter would space out Martians out of hatred.
After the last, this was a great episode. The power politics during UN-MCR meeting was tense and Aghdashloo's Avasarala appears bold and masterful.
But the kick was the whole scene on Rocinante's attempt sneaking into Ganymede. "I know your type. Go save the world, if you think you can." That line and what happens after shows that we might like to play hero, but things may not go as well as we thought. Might seem wrong to let wrong-doings slip on our watch, but intervening it with our moral high ground on the top don't make things necessarily better. There's a wide gap between taking harsh life as granted and idealizing how that life should be.
It portrays perfectly how Holden and the crew has gone from your average ice haulers to someone who games on politics like Avasarala and the other. And yet, like the other commenter has said, "We aren't expected to take sides because each of the three groups [four if you count Holden] are simply humans trying to do what's best for their respective populations."
All of them are spun in this game of power, each with their own take on it - it is not too far off if some people may call The Expanse as sci-fi Game of Thrones.
"You were meant to go to a new sun." I love how this line describes the twist and turn, the way things go in unexpected routes in the whole episodes. From Nauvoo's repurpose to the Eros changing course.
Great pilot to set up the season. Tension between Earth and Mars thicken. The show plays the factions as rational actors with tactical decisions rather than forcing a moral dichotomy. Holden's crew opens the mystery box that had been the mystery in the first season. There's more character sharing stories and banters with each other. The crew starts to feel like a crew. There is one rather sped-up dialogue between Jim Holden and Naomi, and Mao's monologue about sacrifice also feels a bit too simplistic, but overall it's good.
Even if the plot is predictable, the performances of Bryan Cranston (Silas) and Essie Davis (Vera) were stunning that they're able to make up this whole episode, especially with the delivery on the last line. The rather unique brutalist-futurist blend architecture makes the set much more convincing; the tight apartment rooms, linear corridors, and stone walls make for an oppressive environment in a tense Earth where the drama blooms.
This review is for the episode "The Hood Maker". Trakt wrongly named the episode.
Not the strongest one to start the series with. It had some good ideas and a curious setting to develop with, but the world-building and the characters are unconvincing. Dialogues feel a bit artificial and the plot feels rushed to fit the one hour length.
It takes a while, but the show starts to tack on the story on this third episode, and it pays off. The interrogation scene was great, but it mostly stands out thanks to amazing performance by Greg Bryk as the interrogator/Lopaz. The way he talks so confidently is almost oppressive, and the doubt he cast to the team members makes me question the real motives behind the characters. Shohreh Aghdashloo as the United Nations officer Chrisjen Avasarala is also a highlight of this episode, depicting a strong yet doubtful at times woman leader and displaying the ambiguity of system-wide politics.
As we get to explore Martian warship with its own dark red, brooding aura, and traverse through Ceres Station, it is clear that the show has a high production value, almost nearing the level of theatrical film.
It's far from perfect, especially for a pilot, but this sets the Star Wars tone far better than any Disney Star Wars movie could.
Having Dave Filoni on board as the director may have helped setting this as a Star Wars cinema that actually takes place in a Star Wars universe: recognizable alien species and creatures (rodians, ugnaughts, blurrgs), languages other than English ("Basics" in universe terms), in-universe lore consistency (Beskar steel, Mandalorian culture), settings, and practical effects that makes a lot of sense for Star Wars. Those important aspects that make Star Wars universe convincing can hardly be seen in the new Star Wars trilogy or its spinoff nowadays.
That said, the pacing is a bit awkward. There is not much hook, story-wise, to make the pilot intriguing - unless you're a Star Wars fan with familiarity with the gimmicks. The action leaves more to be desired. Cinematography is quite well-done however. The ending also picks up some interesting turn, in the hopes that it will develop to a story that delves into character's motivation and personal goals (something that Solo tried but failed), just like Lucas' Star Wars that we know.
Everything nicely wraps up. The problem is, it's too nicely wrapped.
I liked how the finale evoke Kovacs' word about Envoys: make friends with the locales, then leave them after a while. Kovacs leaving the city and leaving Ryker's sleeve is the most physical manifestation of this word: season ends, body ends, his story in the city ends.
However the episode seems to hangs too tightly on a typical blockbuster ending: the good triumphs evil after all. Mysteries are resolved, the "bad guys are caught", and our heroes won again. It's even complete with sacrifices, which a typical Hollywood ending usually requires, but not one that ultimately causes bittersweet moment that makes us reflect what the season has been all about.
The conflict with Reileen is too easily resolved. It alsmost seems like they attempt to make Reileen's motivation complex, something beyond a sisterly love or obsession, some sort of fable, that long age does not necessarily give one wisdom but a twisted view of the world (as they seem to take this theme with Bancroft). But it ended up as something weird, as it wasn't properly outlined. Perhaps it's due to factor that Reileen appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the season.
Not to mention that Kovacs' last moment with her was counterfeited thanks to his body double, which leads to the "heroes ganging up the baddies" moment explained above. Speaking of which, the theme that plays when Ava kicks ass simultaneously feels a little bit satisfying and completely out of place. We get to see how she rises up, but it is knitted in a very loose thread that makes the hard-boiled cyberpunk world Altered Carbon has built the whole season to a typical action movie.
The finale is disappointing, however I still hope for season 2 to come. Hopefully with something more engaging.
