ThemBakerBoys

This show is going to need a ton of fixing if it's going to survive. The plot is generic and stale. The screenplay relies very heavily on repetitious flashback sequences and first person narration from the main character, which is just lazy, lazy writing. A main villain who appears bored with her own character. Ho Hum action sequences where people are more intent on throwing people across the room than punching them.

This dialogue is horrible! I have taken creative writing classes where the teacher would have roasted us for writing this bad. What a shame. Good cast and fairly good visuals wasted on a show where I want to mute the volume. There are also problems with the pacing and energy. They go to such great lengths to build up some little bit of momentum and then lose it when they cut to the Klingon scenes. Who knew Klingons were such chatterboxes? Like watching paint dry. "Something something, honor. Something something, torch." Snore! I guess Twin Peaks had me expecting something new and fresh and this is just stale cookie cutter "TV show" with the ubiquitous music rising to dramatic crescendo before the cut to commercial. To top it all off, the opening title sequence looks like a Chrysler car commercial from 2005. We have seen that "drawing comes to life" animation trick a thousand times. Watch the title sequence from True Detective season 1 if you want to see an opening that pulls you into the story and characters. And watch Green on any episode of Walking Dead to see what she is capable of in the hands of a competent director with a script that doesn't make you want to kick your sofa.

This was much better when it we saw it as Batman Begins. Heir to a billion dollar company is missing for years, trained by warrior monks and returns to the big city to fight the corruption that has taken over in his absence. The two origin stories are identical with the exception that Christian Bale played Bruce Wayne as emotionally broken and tortured with great rage just under the surface. Finn Jones as Iron Fist is an annoyingly smug, irritating little millennial snowflake that embodies the worst of that generation. He has this sneer like he is always the smartest guy in the room and he has some inside joke with himself that everyone else is an idiot. He is also a hypocrite--repeatedly denouncing material wealth while at the same time hiring legal aide to get his share of the family fortune restored to his name. Which is it? Money bad or money good? Even the hokey fight scenes are lackluster when compared to the likes of Daredevil and Luke Cage. The glowing fist is a gimmick and allows our curly blonde surfer hero to end every fight with one SUPER PUNCH. Which begs the question, why didn't you lead with that? Because it ends fights too quickly and none of the hapless punching bag henchmen have any way to counter it. I will probably continue to watch because it's Marvel and Marvel is like sex--even when it's bad it's still pretty good. But the casting of Finn Jones was a mistake and the writing is limp and lazy. This a big missed opportunity for Netflix. I hope they can turn it around and mature Iron Fist into something less arrogant and snotty.

I found myself really enjoying the return of X Files. What worked before, works again. The two leads haven't lost a step and still have a charged energy between them that flips between positive and negative but is always there. The new faces add interest and the duplicity of the new characters means we never quite know who is lying to whom and we suspect that Mulder is not the expert everyone claims but possibly the most gullible to new theories. Can't wait to see more episodes and truly hope that this is the beginning of a larger effort to put the show back into semi-regular production. As Captain America:Winter Soldier proved, this is a great time for stories about paranoia and distrust of our governments. We have been lied to by the current administration on so many levels that we don't know who to trust. This ****, but it's also fertile ground for series like X-Files to have some fun with.

Wow, this show has matured! After a shaky season one and and a season two that steadily gained momentum, season three seems to finally see the show hitting it's stride. The actors now seem well settled into likable characters with chemistry and backstory. The look and feel of the show has a lot more polish. Special effects sequences finally look like they aren't bargain versions of the movie effects houses. Overall, the season three opener had a lot going for it. I have had high expectations for the show since the beginning and I have stuck with it even when it seemed to get lost in the woods occasionally. But after seeing the season three premiere I am very excited about where this season is headed. And now that season 1 and 2 are on Netflix its fun to go back and catch up on old episodes to fill in some reference gaps in my memory. There is still room for improvement here but it looks like some good decisions are being made about the future of the show and that is encouraging for Marvel fans who have stayed loyal.

I am hesitant to review a show before seeing the ending but I think I have seen enough to lodge a complaint or two. There is something about the pace of season 2 that makes it feel like we are still on the salad course and waiting for the steak to arrive. I'm all for a little teasing and anticipation but precious episodes are ticking by. Where season 1 felt like each episode could be watched and rewatched, savored and enjoyed on it's own merits, season 2 has yet to make that impact. I liked season one so much that my wife bought the series on blu ray so I could share it with non HBO friends of ours. As it stands I will continue to watch and enjoy Season two but I don't see any reason to own the series. However, we have not seen the end of the series and there may be a conclusion coming that elevates the entire story line and makes us want to revisit from Ep. 1. I sure hope so.

Big improvements over season 1, that is easy to see. But still has quite a ways to go. There is no denying that this show has become very watchable and entertaining, but I think a lot of us Marvel fans want to see something on par with Walking Dead where the writing is so strong, the characters are well defined and the directors take big chances like dedicating and entire episode to just one set of characters. When SHIELD is able to move more confidently like we are beginning to see in season 2, it makes me optimistic for the future of the show as a solid piece of stand alone entertainment not just a vehicle for Marvel universe cameos for the fanboys.

Two rules that I go by when judging new TV shows: A) Is there any other show on right now that is similar to it? B) Is it unpredictable or is it a familiar formula with new HBO paint. The answer to A is that while there are many end-of-the-world show on right now, (all with world ending badly), none other seem to be tackling a possible biblical rapture. Yet this isn't some Left Behind story with Christian overtones. And B, it IS unpredictable and the characters are crazily off balance, careering from one crisis to the next. The writing and dialogue are sharp, there is a palpable atmosphere of uncertainty in the show as characters try to come to grip with what has happened and what could possibly come next. Local government and news media are just pretending to be in control when it's clear to everyone that there is no real control. I started watching The Leftovers and the final season of True Blood at the same time and True Blood looks like it should be on Nickelodeon with once interesting characters playing stereotypes of themselves. The Leftovers is far superior in every way and it's one of the new shows that I actually look forward to each week. I hope it has a long and successful run.