BradEdwards

Enjoyed the first series - the tone of it was a good mix of high fantasy and sci-fi in a modern-ish setting. Interesting, balanced superpowers with strong characters. For whatever reason, completely lost interest in the second season, I got a sense that it had found its footing, but whatever it had became wasn't quite grabbing me. Not a bad watch.

Loki had a great first season but fell apart in the second, and I'm not sure what the show can hope to do now in the wake of Majors' firing. The first season was a great exploration into this version of Loki, and his twisted-but-compelling romance with Sylvie was great to watch too. I love the leaning into sci-fi that this show does and it often felt very much like Doctor Who, so I was naturally hooked. The show does a great job with its pacing all the way to the end. I do think the actual threat level rolls off a cliff in the final episode and I did want slightly more action, but the scene with He Who Remains talking to Loki and Sylvie and explaining to them how stuff really works was great. Also loved the hype building about Kang. Second season I really struggle to remember, I know there was Kangs in different periods popping up but I remember feeling that the show was stalling a bit and didn't have anywhere new to go. Now, I have no idea where it can go. I love the character of Loki and the first season slaps, but it needs to completely reset what it's going for in Season 3 and beyond.

I love that we live in a time where shows like this exist. Back in the day, they'd never dream of using budget up for "what if" scenarios with their characters and storylines. Marvel's What If? is a fun, interesting look at what it would look like if certain significant MCU events happened differently. Your enjoyment of the episode thus depends upon whether they chose a hero/event that interests you. In my experience, mostly they didn't, especially true in Season 2. Regardless, I will watch these when they release but I never expect to be blown away. The comedy is done well, with funny in-jokes that do actually land. I also think the scene with the Watcher realising Vision is talking to him to be really creepy & solid stuff, I'd like to see them do more like that.

A solid retirement and passing of the baton for the original Hawkeye. Clint had been a solid B-character throughout the MCU films and it was the perfect time for him to do a bow-out show with a new version, with his story and Black Widow's wrapped up. The show is set at Christmas, which we don't see enough of in the MCU, with Clint teaching Kate as they end up taking on a gang working for the Kingpin. As a big Daredevil fan, the Kingpin reveal was a great surprise and one that got me super hyped. I felt the threat level of the "Tracksuit Mafia" was well-done and appropriate. Easy for someone like Clint, but not so easy when you consider that he's training a complete hero noob, who has zero actual powers apart from good aim and the will to be a hero. Really solid show to be honest, no complaints, and I felt it did a solid setup of Kate and the Kingpin while being an emotional and satisfying end to the Clint Barton character.

Interesting and fairly bold entry into the MCU. I knew nothing about Moon Knight prior to the show, but the casting of Oscar Isaac plus the exploration of DID was enough to compel me, aside from it being a Marvel show. It didn't disappoint, but I felt that the last couple episodes, just like previous MCU shows, felt rushed and as though they lost grip of the plot. I'm a big fan of Egyptian lore so seeing the Gods explored through the show was great, but it largely ended up being forgettable, which is a problem whenever there's heavy CGI needed. Regardless, I had very few complaints for a first season. I know the 'rules' of this character and his world, I sort of know the backstory, and I'd take more. Shame we haven't seen a Season 2 yet.

Enjoyable spinoff that develops not only the titular characters but the 'mantle' of Captain America. Shows respect to its source material by introducing a plot based around the super soldier serum, and generally does a good job of exploring it's key themes while setting up future MCU events. Fight choreography is on point, dialogue is good, and storyline is fairly compelling. The big problem is the characters of Karli and her underlings. Don't even know the names of any of them. Walker is a fantastic B-villain and the bloodied shield scene is GOATed. But the main villain **** of displaced protestors with super soldier serum is just a bit meh. I think they were going for a villain that could link to Cap's story of displacement but it didn't really land since they gave the characters nothing to do. There simply wasn't time to explore both plot points they had going on effectively, or at least, not the way they did it for this season. Regardless, I liked seeing Falcon and Bucky work together and as a setup for Captain America 4 it works well enough. 6/10

Pretty bold way to launch the Disney Plus era of MCU shows. A comedy that flirts with time periods, fourth wall breaks, and meta storytelling, WandaVision has a surreal feel to it that works great with the titular characters. While Wanda's tragedy playing out is sad to watch, I don't think the show did a great job of making her morally ambiguous like they seemed to try to. The show was building multiple plot points up really well throughout, but started to drop the ball in the last few episodes. I didn't like the Peter reveal being a misdirect, I felt it was unnecessary and dismissive to the audience. The penultimate episode being Agatha's backdoor pilot and a memory lane exposition-fest was not a solid decision either, but the Agatha All Along song does remain GOATed. The finale felt super rushed and needed either an extended runtime or to have been a two parter. In the end, Wanda's set up as a villain for a future film but the show seems to paint her still as a hero, perhaps owing to the rushed-ness previously mentioned. Either way, good show that mishandled its final third, a lot better than Phase 5's shows.

Good, short show which felt like a version of Miranda I could get behind. Waller-Bridge is a fantastic writer and actor, instantly drawing you in as a character to root for and laugh with. And feel sad with. The best comedies always weave in a bit of sadness, just enough to remind you that you're laughing in spite of your own, and Fleabag does well with doing that at certain points in the show. The dialogue between characters like Fleabag and Claire are also a high point, with a compelling sibling dynamic that we feel part of. All around great show, I'd take more of this.

I wish this show had come after Fallout. It just seemed destined to fail, really. I'm a lifelong fan, so I was already annoyed with the decisions to start a new canon and have this version of Chief helmetless, but I decided to try and enjoy it in spite of that. Since it's trying to tell its own original storyline and dismissing the lore, you expect an overwhelming show to back that up. We just didn't get that, it feels tame in all the wrong places and over-the-top in others. Don't even get me started on the anticlimax of Reach. I enjoyed what I saw of it but I wasn't surprised when it got cancelled. Annoyingly, it was canned a week or so after I finished it, so that made it feel like a waste of time. I want them to try again with Halo, but learn from Fallout/The Last of Us and just do a faithful adaptation. Chief can have his helmet off a couple times, just give us actual helmet Chief scenes. Story is laid out for you, as is most the dialogue. Feel free to set up a B-plot that makes sense. Just don't let Halo die, because there IS a great TV show waiting for that franchise. It's just not this one.

Underrated gem of a superhero show that I barely hear anyone in real life talk about. It deserved better. With an ensemble cast and intertwining plots, Heroes arguably paved the way for both Game of Thrones and The Boys. Great characters, lore, and narrative, and while I don't think I'd ever rewatch it, I think about it fondly. Just a solid show that didn't outlive itself.

A significant disappointment for me after all the hype the show generated. Only managed until the end of Season 2, when I realised I couldn't care less to watch the finale and that I had been done with the show for a while. Season 1 was good, but it wasn't mindblowing. At the end of the season I remember thinking that it had reached a satisfying-enough conclusion for me to bow out, but I decided to carry on. Season 2 just repeated a lot of the same storylines, the characters weren't going anywhere new, and I realised I'd made a mistake. This rarely happens to me with shows. Weird one, Season 1 just wasn't enough to justify a continuation.

Having only seen the Punisher show up in the Spider-Man animated show and then Daredevil, I've never really known anything about his lore, other than the death of his wife and child. The show that we did get didn't disappoint. Castle's need for vengeance and the loss he suffered is always compelling, and I like how it justifies this character being just straight up more brutal with villains. The Punisher has an edge not seen in many Marvel characters, and Bernthal's portrayal really sells it. Jigsaw as the villain for season 2 did feel a little boring, and I think the show would have gone on to outlive itself with sequel seasons had the relationship between Marvel and Netflix not gone sour. Either way, a great show with much more mature and depressing subjects explored compared to the rest of Marvel. The army flashback scene where Wish It Was True is playing is still a GOAT Marvel scene.

Extremely disappointing for the hype that I had for it. I've never gone back to rewatch it, but I'm sure I'd find it wasn't quite as bad as I remember. Sigourney Weaver as a villain was cool and I was so excited for the entire group to meet each other, and from what I remember the first couple episodes started strong. The middle and final episodes focused a little too much on Elektra and, again, purely from years old memory, just didn't really provide a satisfying fight or struggle to justify the entire group meeting like this.

By the time I'd originally gotten around to watching Iron Fist, it had already developed a bad reputation. However, I kind of liked it episode-to-episode. The ending was laughably bad, and the show in general felt a bit more airy and filler-y than others like Daredevil and Punisher, but I had a good time watching from what I can remember. Despite this, the casting is just off, and I remember the dialogue not being great. Random episodes with Luke obviously slapped.

A great show that was criminally cancelled before its time. As a huge hip hop fan I appreciate how the music is used not just in the soundtrack but in the storylines. Luke is a solid protagonist and one with interesting powers while still being street-level stuff. The politicking amongst the criminals and Luke's increasing involvement with them was subtle but well-done, and I was interested to see where it went. Great show that had more to offer.

A superhero I'd never heard of until the show, but one I ended up really liking. Jones is much more street-level and grounded than most heroes, with just enough powers to bring her trouble with enough threat level. Kilgrave played by David Tennant was always going to win me over as a Doctor Who fan, and I thought he was a much more adult-oriented villain than I expected an MCU affiliated project to have, but I found it very compelling as a result. Unfortunately, Series 2 and 3 have blurred into one for me as time has gone on, and I did think in general that the show began to get a little silly when Jones' mum was a superstrength villain. Season 1 is a must-watch but I wouldn't recommend Seasons 2 or 3 to people.

The Daredevil show I always wanted growing up. Daredevil's always been my number 2 superhero after Spider-Man, with my earliest memories of the character being his appearance in the 1994 Spider Man show. After that, the Affleck movie with Garner as Elektra, and I remember wishing they'd do a show about it instead of a new film, unfortunately we got neither. Either way, Charlie Cox embodies the role of Murdock and Daredevil in a way that is comparable to Jackman as Wolverine. So so so perfect in the role. Each season develops the character and his feud with Fisk in a satisfying way, with strong supporting characters in Foggy and Karen. The inclusion of other Defenders' characters is kept minor, with the Punisher having a backdoor pilot for a spin-off show in a compelling way. Fisk, Nobu, and Bullseye are fantastic enemies, and I enjoyed this take on Elektra. Plus, this show is iconic for creating the craze for hallway fights. True story.

An off-the-wall great show that jumps the shark big time. Killing Eve had been on my radar for a couple years by the time I got around to watching it, but I had no idea what to expect, only that friends had enjoyed it and it got some buzz online. When I watched it, I was instantly hooked, and burned through the 4 series in probably just under a week. The first two series' are phenomenal, but the show just seems to lose its way during Series 3 and 4. It introduces the Twelve as the big group of villains, but from what I can recall just doesn't really do anything with them until the final episode or couple episodes where they're dealt with very quickly and with not much fuss. The earlier seasons with Eve and Villanelle exploring their relationship with each other, how drawn they were and how entwined their motives became were where the show shined. I also seem to remember them upping the comedy in Series 3 and 4, which I felt ventured on being a little too on-the-nose for the show's earlier style. A good watch, but didn't leave me feeling satisfied.

Probably the last coming-of-age show I'll ever watch, but what a corker. Asa Butterfield from Merlin and Ncuti Gatwa of Doctor Who **** (though I watched before the announcement). Sex Education is set in a kind-of-80s. While it's not quite English and not quite American, the show's atmosphere and environment just kind of works, making it widely accessible. There's decent love/sex storylines, but where the show shines is in its representation of subjects like homophobia, trans issues, consent, and much more. Sex Education is bold and backed up by a superb cast, many of which seemed to be newer actors, to me at least. I was hooked on Otis and Maeve's will they won't they in a way I hadn't been since Rachel and Ross, and while I feel that Otis' character is an irritating one, it kind of just makes him more real. Good show, which gets points for knowing when to call it quits.

A school drama where everybody cares about their school way too much, Waterloo Road is peak British TV for the people who grew up in late 00s, early 2010s. With an ensemble cast that grew and shrunk and switched a lot over the years, this serialized soap drama took on some bold storylines. Mostly, Waterloo Road did a good job of tying up different plotlines while exploring issues faced in real UK schools, but sometimes there was an overfocus on series arcs about the school and a neglect of showing different student needs/school issues. Realism is also a problem after the first few series, ironically when the show most starts finding its footing around Series 3-4 onwards. The move from Rochdale to Scotland of students and staff is ridiculous but the show continued cranking out good-enough series. Ultimately, I'd never rewatch and the show had its dips, but remains the best show-in-a-school I've seen, and is probably my generation's successor to Grange Hill. I hope that's good comparison for both parties.

The Boys before The Boys, Misfits is a great, underrated show about unlikely superheroes who gain their powers while doing community service together. Over quite a few series, the show manages to expand upon and explore all of the main characters, introducing new ones as time goes on that take over the mantle smoothly. Nathan was a huge loss to the show, but Rudi does a great job in taking that character 'slot' in a new direction. The motif of the group being involved in the death of their worker is funny and gives it a reoccurring joke as well as distinct lore all in one. While the 'second' main cast did a good job of keeping the show going for a few more series, it's hard to deny that there was a dip in quality from the original three series. Despite that, Misfits holds its own to the very end, and is well worth a watch to fans of alt-superhero.

A distasteful, in-your-face comedy even by the standards of its own release, but a guilty pleasure nonetheless. Lucas and Walliams perform a range of skits that, while often funny, certainly go over the line on what is considered 'decent' subject matter. My concern mostly is how the number of new skits slow down over the series. There's definitely some skits whose funniness is dampened by the overreliance on them in later seasons. Not a comedy I'd really revisit nowadays as my humour has, I'd like to think, evolved past the slapstick prejudice style of Little Britain, but WAS funny to me and my family as a kid. Nowadays, Walliams creeps me out, and Lucas seems like an edgelord at the time but actually - pretty decent bloke.

Truly a generational show that I'd had on my watchlist for years, it didn't disappoint. Full of interesting characters, beautiful scenery, and crazy plotlines that continue to go off-the-wall throughout the entire show, Lost is a story all about the journey and the mysteries. I was hesitant to venture into the experience, as I'm someone who typically wants all plotlines wrapped up. I think if I'd watched Lost as it was coming out, I'd have grew to be resentful for it. Being able to experience it as a binge watch, especially with knowing that the ending is controversial and that a lot of the plot elements don't get wrapped up, allowed me to just enjoy it for what it was - a damn good mystery with crazy plots and a beautiful island. Its ensemble cast is generally solid and I felt satisfied by most of the show, as well as its conclusion. There's parts where it starts to drag, and I definitely felt a sense of being eager to finish towards the end. I don't know if I'd have the patience to watch it again, there are way too many episodes, but I thoroughly enjoyed the time I did spend watching it. Generational show.

A gritty police drama with a distinct Liverpool feel and a bigger focus on corruption, The Responder makes for good viewing without being anything groundbreaking. As a big fan of Sherlock, I'm happy to see Martin Freeman top billing a show, and he puts on a great performance as flawed copper Chris Carson. As with other recent British dramas, I was surprised to see a second series for The Responder, but it provided another interesting storyline. Worth a viewing for anyone into British police dramas, but it's no Line of Duty.

A gritty, emotional look at the lives of British prisoners, Time is a thoughtful take on the experience of criminals that doesn't shy away from showing the relationship between prison and poor mental health, regardless of which came first. The first season with Sean Bean and Stephen Graham was genuinely one of the best prison dramas I'd seen and stood out amongst the many alternatives. The second season with Jodie Whittaker was still enjoyable, but no where near the same level. Regardless, I like the format of a new story/main character played by a famous name they've got going on. I'd be open to more, but so far I'm 50/50 based on the first two series.

Agents of SHIELD still remains a solid show and some of the best MCU content. Starting off with a good use of MCU elements and threat levels, never reaching Avengers level but getting pretty intense as time goes on. In the earlier seasons, there's a lot more focus on Coulson and SHIELD's infiltration by Hydra. Over time, the show goes in its own direction timeline-wise from MCU, which I thought was a welcome enough addition to the show that helped to give it its own place outside of the shadow of the main continuity. The use of Sif, Ghost Rider, and the Skrulls keeps it connected to the wider universe and gives expansion to these B-characters/villains that there wouldn't be time for in the main movies. The AoS-created characters of Fitz and Simmons also have a great arc. Great show that took a bit of time to get out of its villain-of-the-week action with thin plots era, and eventually went in its own distinct direction while feeling like it belonged in the MCU nonetheless.

A feel-good spy action show with enjoyable characters and a strong lead in Atwell. I appreciate that the show doesn't rely too heavily on MCU elements, instead creating it's own new storylines and making them much more grounded in terms of threat level. There's surprisingly adult dialogue throughout as well, a stark difference to what you'd see on a Disney Plus era MCU show. Agent Carter is nothing groundbreaking, but it's a nice addition to Peggy Carter content that offers something a bit different for MCU fans.

Unique British comedy that does a great job of portraying the inner workings of day-to-day politics with a hectic, dialogue-heavy pace. There's some obvious theatre with Malcom Tucker, but as a huge Doctor Who fan that's no problem for me. I like how the show slowly introduced the opposition characters and moved towards, eventually, switching between the storylines of each party. I feel like it ended at a decent time too, and didn't go on with itself and risk repeating jokes. Great writing, great delivery from the cast, with a perfectly downbeat energy around UK politics, served with dry humour.

As someone 'not into anime', Death Note is a welcome exception to the rule. A dialogue-heavy psychological thriller with compelling characters, a side of Japanese folklore, and detective investigation, the show is a great cat-and-mouse detective show that feels very itself. Watching Light and L intellectually wrestle, gaining small conversational advantages over each other with every new meet was addictive, and I couldn't help but burn through a lot of the show in a single sitting. Death Note takes its time to establish the rules in the early episodes, before building to an explosive middle as the investigation into Light reaches a peak. I felt that Death Note loses a bit of steam after L's death, when his family of detectives take over the case. While it was interesting to see Light take over the role of L within the police, the stakes never truly felt as high again. Light's downfall felt less impactful due to a sluggish second half, but it didn't take away from the impression the show made on me. Super compelling concept, solid dialogue and execution of the concept, but suffers from too many episodes and 1-2 unsuccessful B-plots.

In its heyday, the best show around. At its worst, a generational disappointment. Game of Thrones has got to be one of the most compelling, riveting, and iconic shows of the 21st century. Full of politicking, sword fights, dragons, zombies, with dashes of magic and comedy, GoT perfectly balances a dozen different storylines that all interconnect at various points of the narrative. While the show begins to phone it in during Season 7 and certainly Season 8, the show cannot be completely panned when 75 % of it is still revered TV. Watching the stories of all of these characters and picking my favourites, giving predictions as to what would happen next, talking about the show with friends. GoT was a standout title and one that I'm still grateful for discovering years later. The final season may frustrate me, but this show was truly special to me for much of its air time, and I'll always look back on it as one of the GOATs.

A sequel show I wasn't sure about ended up becoming better than the main show that spawned it. Better Call Saul is a fantastic experience that provides an interesting backstory to one of the best Breaking Bad characters. Watching Jimmy as he still tries to do the right thing, before the days of him meeting Walt and Jesse, is captivating enough in the early seasons when the stakes are lower. Throughout the show, the stakes rise higher and higher, until it results in big hitters like Lalo and Mike being the type of characters Jimmy has to contend with. Season 5 was such a good season, that I watched the entire thing in one sitting in one day, it is extremely rare that happens for me. Unlike most other shows, Better Call Saul, just like it's predecessor, manages to stick the landing with a satisfying conclusion. A GOAT of 21st century TV and one that will only continue to be praised as time goes on.

Indisputably one of the best shows of the 21st century. A distinct premise that blurred realism and escapism, Breaking Bad offers compelling characters, an intricate plotline, and an iconic experience in general. Both the writing and the cast put on consistent, high-quality efforts that results in nearly all episodes feeling important not just to the overarching narrative but to the characters you can't help but root for. While it is a brilliant show, I think it's early seasons can be a little overrated. Season 1 was great, Season 2 was mid, Season 3 and 4 were good or great in parts, it's really Season 5 that is phenomenal. The show is a rare case of actually getting better as time goes on rather than worse. Either way, one of the top shows even though I think it's weaker parts tend to be brushed over.