There may have been a glimmer of promise in the premise when The Abandons was first announced, especially for a genre that has rarely been led onscreen by women, but the plodding end product that was cobbled together after Sutter's departure can't successfully be carried on Anderson and Headey's strengths alone.
Pluribus succeeds at being a show unlike any other you've watched before, one that's only improved by going in with very little advance knowledge. Alongside Gilligan, writers Gordon Smith, Alison Tatlock, Ariel Levine, Vera Blasi, Jenn Carroll, and Jonny Gomez have crafted something truly special here,.
He [Liam Hemsworth] manages to make Geralt his own over the course of the season's eight episodes. That said, Season 4 is further proof that The Witcher has increasingly become about more than just one character. Chalotra's Yennefer has more than earned a spot on the list of all-time fantasy heroines, and Allan has a commanding grasp on Ciri.
The facts, as we know them, can only take up so many minutes, which means that the remainder has to be completed with scenes that border on melodrama at best and wild speculation at worst.
Overall, Chad Powers feels like the television equivalent of a true freshman who came out of nowhere to win the prized Heisman trophy, courtesy of a fantastic leading man in Powell, tremendous supporting performances, and a story that knows exactly when to utilize the best plays for cheeky comedy or poignant drama.
If Slow Horses Season 5 proves anything, it's that even an installment of this show that favors a back-to-basics approach is still definitely worth tuning in for.
Yet for all its high-intensity action, it's in the show's quieter moments where Ruffalo, Pelphrey, and the rest of the talented ensemble cast leave a lasting impression, emotional ripples that reverberate long after the initial impact has faded.
An early and frequent reliance on flashbacks does occasionally slow the story's pacing in ways that might make you eager to get back to what's going on in the present day, but once the show positions its two leading couples in a place to cross over with each other, that's when Outlander: Blood of My Blood really gets going.
