I still really liked the second season of Oz but I think it suffers somewhat from a sophomore slump - it lacks some of the pointed critique of S1 and has aged worse in terms of its themes in many respects. With all that said, if I ignore or place less focus on the metatextual story, and instead just on the plot points as presented, Oz remains a very good show. The cast continues to impress and, again, there are so many big actors in here that I've seen in numerous other great TV shows and movies. The storylines are also complex and keep me well engaged with the show so I don't ever find myself bored. Lives up to its classic reputation so far.
Oz really lived up to the hype for me. I heard that it was a real influence on The Wire so my expectations were very high (as that's my fave show of all time); I have got to say it absolutely met them. I mean point one the cast is actually crazy, there's so many big names sharing the stage it's no suprise to me that it elevates the plot. It is also really timeless in the issues it explores that I would argue still influence America to this day. I did sometimes find the frequent monologues a little tiring but I can respect their role in the story and it in no way detracted from the message I felt the show was portraying. A real highlight and I'm so glad I finally got round to watching
I hadn't heard much about Welcome to Derry before I started watching it (and admitedly this is only cause the theme tune went viral). However, I definitely think it is is underdiscussed and underwatched compared to how good it is. It is kind of everything I wanted Stranger Things to be. It's not afarid to kill off characters, Bill Skarsgard is fantastic as Pennywise and the kids cast are so talented. The military are well-fleshed out in a way that Stranger Things wasn't and I was basically totally on-board with its plot. Very good and I like the anthology approach they appear to be taking to the seasons - it really is a strong creative choice. A horror series that I think deserves more buzz!
God, what a boring and insufferable show, it is just full of middle class whinging and angst. I liked s1 but my God, the show doesn't develop and I am so sick of its pretentious characters. Gave up on ep 12 as I just stopped caring about any of their journeys. Too formulaic and just made me bored out of my mind. Not worth the hype.
Despite my (very good) score, I have really mixed feelings about 3 Body Problem. At its best, it is an extremely thought-provoking sci-fi with themes and morals that really resonate with me. The acting, across the board, is very good and Ramin Djawadi's score really drives home the haunting atmosphere of the show. With all that said, I can't help but feel that sometimes it just lacked a certain something that makes me FEEL like it is a 10/10 show. Like all the elements are strong but they somehow add up to less than the sum of their parts. This has happened with other shows before and I always feel odd about giving a slightly more negative review when I don't even know what causes me to feel that way. Also I felt that the ending gave me House of the Dragon vibes where it didn't really feel like a season finale. Still very excited to check out S2 when it releases, I just have to hope they bring that special touch that would elevate the show to a higher score.
Not really heard much about Six Feet Under but, on my first watch, it seems pretty good. I really like the acting and the character development and it gives a real sense of beliavability. Some of the elements, especially related to Dave's sexuality are a little aged now but, at the same time, I imagine for a show released in 2001 it was very progressive. Feels like a less dramatic This is Us at times. Good viewing.
Before I start properly, I want to say that I didn't really know what score to give The Rehearsal. It's a very strange show (reminds me of Synecdoche, New York) and, for that reason, I feel like my score is not really that representative to how I feel about the show. Essentially, I am quite conflicted on it, it definitely intentionally blurs the lines of what's real and fake in these reality shows and that is the crux of my issue. I think it's fair to say that, if the events of the show occured verbatim then the show is fairly exploitative. Nathan himself acknowledges this in the final episode so it's not a reach to say imo. However, being aware that you are doing something exploitative is not a free pass to just do it, in fact that self-awareness almost makes it more uncomfortable as it suggests it was a concious choice to create that vibe. At the same time, if the show is 100% fake in its story in order to spark the exact thought process I'm having here then it's genius. I personally feel that the truth may be somewhat in the middle which then drags me to the awkward conclusion - is some degree of exploitation fine if that is to drive an artistic point home? I don't know the answer to this and, to be fair, neither does Nathan Fielder based on this season. That is why I find it hard to score - it doesn't easily yield itself to a personal rating system when, to be honest, it's almost making a broader point about the media we consume. What I will say is, it is well worth watching, it is so unique and 100% pushes the limits of art imo, properly thought-provoking TV and I like to think so, on that merit, it's good for me.
The Penguin is a fantastic miniseries with an incredibly strong story and some brilliant performances. It definitely wears its influence on its sleeve (I often thought of The Sopranos while watching it) but it still feels fresh. It reminds me of the vibe of the Christopher Nolan batman films in a good way. Cristin Milioti and Colin Farrell put in some great performances but I really liked Victor's actor too. The character design is real good and whoever made the outfits for this show is on a roll. A very good watch and continues my streak of watching some real great miniseries recently .
Dnf, I unfortunately found this season of Fargo a little too repetitive in its tone to previous seasons. Whilst the story is (obviously) different it just feels like its treading the same old steps. I do think that part of the reason I feel this is that Fargo is just not that great of a show to binge watch. The plots, themes and ideas start to merge together to form one big messy amalgamation. Add to that fact that the characters in this season are a far cry from the peak of S2 and you have a recipe for disappointment. I will probably get round to watching S5 at some point as I've heard its got high praise and the advantage of Fargo being an anthology is that I can hop right back in but, for now, I'll be giving the show a break.
Yeah, this is the season that I remember as being peak Fargo. The combination of a larger-than-life plot, strong acting and fantastic editing really bring the story to life in a really enjoyable way. I appreciated the decision to make the vast majority of the characters less knowingly stupid than in S1 and I feel this decision actually elevated the season in a way that I really like. I enjoy when character's make decisions that really fit their profile (I hope that makes sense) and S2 has this in spades. Very enjoyable.
I really enjoyed this season of Barry and I have to say that the show seems to get better and better as it goes on (which has me excited for the final season). I think there seems to have been an increase in the budget this season which definitely made some of the action stand out more and I really appreciated this. To me though, the real highlight of this season was the acting; it's not like Barry had bad acting previously but Bill Hader (Barry), Sarah Goldberg (Sally), Anthony Carrigan (NoHo Hank), Henry Winkler (Gene) and Michael Irby (Cristobal) all went HAM this season. Each one absolutely killed multiple emotionally complex and layered scenes and they really elevated the stakes of the show. I initially thought this show would fall into the Bojack Horseman category (which I always felt never quite fully realised its potential despite flashes of brilliance) but Barry has stuck the landing (so far) in a way that I have really liked.
This is my second time watching Fargo, although the first was so long ago I basically can't recall any details about it. It has impressed me all over again in this rewatch with a stellar cast that elevates an extremely strong script. I do think, at times, that certain characters are frustratingly dumb but I recognise that is the tone of the show so would be too harsh to hold that against it really. It's near perfect but just missing that vital feeling that would make me give a show a 10. Still, a fantastic debut season and the perfect show to continue the film's legacy!
I much preferred this season of Barry, I felt that the blend of comedy and drama was much more balanced than S1 and the performances of Bill Hader, Henry Winkler and Sarah Goldberg were more full-bodied than the previous outing. I am also quite enjoying the direction the story is going in, at times I felt S1 and early-s2 were a bit similar to Bojack Horseman and I felt like there was the risk that the show circles the drain too much with regards to its unsympathetic protagonist (this is a criticism I levelled at Bojack) but, thankfully, the show seems to being having a much quicker pace which prevents the plot becoming too repetitive. The ending shot is a masterclass of a cliffhanger so I'm sure s3 will be equal or surpass this season too (pun intended!).
A pretty solid but ultimately fairly by-the-book "prestige" comedy. I didn't find S1 to be mindblowing; Bill Hader does a good job leading the story but I don't find the writing to be so fantastic as to warrant a higher score. Enjoyable but not life-changing. Although I really did like ep7, that one reminded me of the best bits of Atlanta or Bojack Horseman.
Completetly rubbish and an utter waste of time. Whichever dumbass thought Squid Game needed a sequel should be fired. Not only do S2 and S3 go nowhere in terms of their plots (seriously there is literally no progress from S1), it also completely betrays the themes of the first season. Whereas that was functionally a critique of capitalism and how people get forced into debt, this season is frankly more concerned with cool sets and camera movements than with crafting a coherent story. Half or more of the plots stretch believability to the point of ridiculousness (seriously they actually had someone give birth in the space of a 30 min game). The acting is pretty poor and the dialogue nonsensical. Production value is the only boon of this show and it isn't enough to save it from how awful the whole package is. I literally feel a bit dumber from watching this. The gulf between this and The Wire S4 (the season that I watched prior to this) is lightyears. A big steaming turd of a cashgrab and one of the most pointless, banal and stupid things I've watched in years.
I'll start by getting the positives out the way first. There is lots that The Last of Us does right, it has amazing production value and the acting across the board is pretty good. I think Bella Ramsey gets unfairly maligned with the issues of this adaptation which, to my mind, entirely come down to the poor quality of the script. Gone is the subtext that made TLoU2 so strong and instead it is replaced by every character saying exactly what they feel at every possible moment. It's like Craig Mazin does not trust the audience to figure out themes so he feels he has to spell out the context behind every scene. Multiple changes (such as finding out Abby's reasoning for killing Joel, Ellie explictly saying that she knows what Joel did, Joel and Ellie's end of game discussion) are made in this adaptation and, by removing the mystery of many elements of the game, they weaken the narrative hugely. It's such a shame as I will standby TLoU2 being one of the best games ever, it's so complex and it's almost insulting that it has been dumbed down to this. I'm giving a 5 as everything apart from the script is so high tier that it feels mean to give a lower score based on one (huge) flaw.
Adolescene definitely lives up to the plaudits it's been getting, it is a well-crafted piece of art that I think really tells truth to power. I liked the fact it didn't aim to finish any conversations and how it did not attempt to wrap up Jamie's story in a neat little bow. The topic it covers is so big that to try and finish the show nicely would be doing its themes a disservice. I am glad that it has covered such a contentious issue in the detail it deserves. The one-shot decision is arguably a little gimmicky, it worked really well for ep 3 but overstated its welcome in some of the other eps. The acting is, across the board, fantastic and it has really pushed the envelope forward on masculinity and internet radicalisation which is the biggest compliment I can give it really.
Wow! I liked S2 a hell of a lot more than the first time I watched the Wire. In my initial watch, I remember s2 and s5 feeling a little like a letdown but, now I understand the overall direction of the show, S2 is soooo good. The themes of this season (post-industrial America) are, unfortunately, still extremely relevant today and the way David Simon pieces the ports, Stringer and the prostitute murders together is nothing short of extraordinary. Again, a definite 10/10, this is peak TV.
Invincible remains quite entertaining and it feels like a comfort show for me. I know that might sound odd given its graphic violence but it is fairly simple with characters filling familiar tropes so that it doesn't require extensive brainpower to watch. I did find some of the recurring villains a little trite this season (especially Angstrom Levy). I also find Omni-man's plot a little far-fetched and I'm not sure how I feel in terms of his redemption (in that it doesn't quite feel earned). Overall though, its still a very fun show to watch with great voice acting and generally good plots
Black mirror is back to its best this season, and it is the first season for a while where I can say that I enjoyed every episode. My standouts are definitely "Common People" and "USS Callister: Into Infinity" but, tbh, every ep was enjoyable. I do think it wasn't as innovative as the earlier seasons, but I don't think Black Mirror will ever reach those heights again. However, if this is the quality of Black Mirror from now on, then I can settle with that.
The wire is my favourite show of all time and there's one simple reason for that. It's so detailed and every single piece matters. It literally feels like every scene, every sentence drives home the themes of the show. This is my second time watching it and it is almost even better than the first. Greatest show of all time and greatest debut season of all time. One for the ages.
I'm not quite sure what it is about Severance but, after rewatching S1 and viewing S2, I just feel a bit exhausted by the whole concept. The show feels like has "Westworld" fever; where they try to make the plot so needlessly complex that it feels less like watching a TV show and instead hearing someone just rant about how smart they are. There's no doubts that it is a prestige show; the cast is very good and I love the cinematography and set design. It is 100% a high effort piece of art. However, from the perspective of purely the story, it has lost me quite a bit. I just don't feel personally engaged with many of the characters or their issues. Understand why it has its hype but just not quite my tempo.
An extremely well done and fantastic view of the challenges that face people in domestioc violence cases in America. Margareat Qualley, Nick Robinson and Andie MacDowell in particular raise the stakes in this through their amazing performances. I think sometimes, it pulled its punches slightly and maybe played their criticism of the system a bit too safe (as in certain scenes or story beats feel a bit hollywoodified) but, overall, it was a great watch. I particularly liked the ending especially in relation to Paula Langley and it made the show feel grounded in that it specifically did not try to tie up every loose end. I would recommend it definitely. It's a fantastic minseries up there with "Unorthodox" and "Three Girls" for me.
A little exhausting tbh. Not terrible but feels pretty cliched and stereotypical so that every plotline I feel like I have seen countless times before. Acting, by and large, is not good enough to make up for the pitfalls in the plot. Just a bit boring. Too soapy really, not enough time for certain plots to breathe and the suspension of disbelief required continues to be too high.
Extremely good and a definite stand-out debut in what is a slightly overpacked genre. I really enjoyed the overall storyline of this and the voice-acting lives up to the reputation of its cast. The only plot point I found tiresome was Mark hiding his secret from Amber. The animation is also really good and reminds me of Primal in its depiction of gore. Very excited to see where S2 goes!
Pretty good although it occasionally asks the audience to suspend their belief a bit too much. I like Queen of the South but I don't love it. It is pretty basic and whilst the core cast and plot are fun, it doesn't really do enough to make me think "Wow, this is a classic show!" In it'a defence, I'm not sure this was ever its goal but, nonetheless, I can't give it a crazy good score cause of that. Will probably keep watching as it's a bit like a comfort food and it feels the easy-watch portion of my entertainment that I normally fill with a comedy. Nothing special though.
Wow, I've not seen a show fail the ending as bad as Primal for a while. I basically felt every episode bar 5 (more on that later) and the finale were 10/10. However, these two eps were so poor they drag the whole season down. With regards to ep 5, it was just a massive waste of time and would have worked better as a standalone episode between seasons similar to what Euphoria did recently. But the finale, yikes! I thought the fight with the viking devil was rushed and not worthy of the build-up they did for it. Beyond this though, I dislike the finale for the themes it portrays. By Spear dying there is a sense that he "deserves" this ending and the Chieftan got his revenge. I dislike this as it betrays some of the morals of the show. Whilst primal is often brutal, I never got the sense that Spear was morally bad. However, the vikings own slaves and the Chieftan is literally transporting them when he comes across his village being burnt down. Whilst his family dying was sad, they did actually attack fang and spear first (to save their slaves no less) and subsequently died in the conflict (with the child dying by accident). By allowing the Chieftan to kill Spear, to me, it suggests that Spear's "crime" was worthy of his death. I am not sure I agree with this moral viewpoint. Due to this, the ending left a really sour taste in my mouth. It felt like the tale and themes I was interested in got tossed to the side. I could talk a lot more about this but, to provide an example, when the Egyptian Queen dies (the one in the last three episodes) it is shown as a pretty unequivocally good thing. Yet the Chieftan gets to have his revenge despite being guilty of basically the exact same action. It makes no sense and is themetically shallow. It makes the show feel hypocritical and not consitent in its themes. I expected better which only makes the ending worse. Plus it was weird how Mira essentially **** Spear on his deathbed too. Just a weird ending that lets down the story they had told so far.
Quite a strange show and I find it hard to say whether I really enjoyed it or not. It is quite unique and original and did not go in the direction I expected it to go. However, sometimes I just felt like there was no real point to the story, some of the scenes are so odd and the characters don't feel like real people to me (ironic considering the name). I generally like the approach to take a long-form approach to a story but it just made this show feel meandering unfortunately. It gets points for its orginality and some terrific performances especially from Paul Mescal but otherwise it's not a show I would recommend.
