TristanHemlock

What can I say, except that this is easily the worst season of The Witcher. Am I surprised? Nah. But seriously, even I couldn't have predicted how deep this show would sink. First up, Geralt. Look, Liam Hemsworth is no Geralt. You can tell he tried, but the guy just couldn't land it. Being on this show is going to do zero for his career, mark my words. Sure, the paycheck was probably fat, but he's not getting any better roles off this flop. Still, he was the least offensive thing this season threw at us. Now, let's talk about the real season-killers—the ones that, for all intents and purposes, torched this show out of existence. And you can sum that mess up with two names: Ciri and Yennefer. Ciri didn't just walk down the path I saw coming; she took a hard left into the valley of wokeness. She's not just irrelevant; her actions are a total disaster. It's like she flushed her entire sense of morality and her life goals down the toilet, all because she joined the most uninteresting band of misfits I've ever had the misfortune of watching. They're not just basic ruffians; they're genuinely petty criminals. No Robin Hoods in that pathetic crew, I promise you that. And Ciri? She's so arrogant and naive that this season actually made me despise the character. Who writes this stuff? As for Yennefer, she's the biggest proof this thing can't be called The Witcher anymore. This character is everything she shouldn't be. Not only is she suddenly flashing fighting skills she's never had or displayed before, but the way everyone—even the people who supposedly hate her guts—just blindly does whatever she tells them is straight up laughable. Honestly, it's more ridiculous than watching the mages try to cosplay as Witchers. I bet if Andrzej Sapkowski had the executive power, he would've nuked this season before it ever hit production. Because this isn't the world he created. It's not even a pale imitation. Nah, this is just The Stitcher, with the writing team just frankensteining all sorts of nonsense from other equally terrible shows. Two episodes in, and I was already going through each one like it was some kind of sick endurance challenge. I had to force myself to keep watching, even though every bone in my body was screaming to stop. I wanted to see how far they'd truly fall, and let me tell you, it fell so deep that even the light gave up looking for it.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

I was honestly hoping that this show would bring back the Star Wars that was so loved, before Disney started to ruin it. Especially seeing Dave Filoni would be leading this project. Well, lesson learned. This show has started out very weak and I seriously doubt it will get any better. The story is so weak it's disturbing, with characters doing the dumbest mistakes or requiring the help of other characters when the answers are staring them in the face. I was hoping that given the time she had Rosario Dawson would settle in into the Ahsoka that is so loved as a character. But she hasn't at all. For the most time Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka she's mostly expressionless and or she uses the same facial expressions in almost every situation. And what's up with she always crossing her arms Obi-Wan style?! Ahsoka in The Clone Wars and Rebels had a lot more fire, and she was definitely more aware of what she needed to do and how to go about doing it. But this Ahsoka is seeking advice from Hera when she doesn't even need to. Natasha Bordizzo as Sabine Wren at first seemed like a great choice. That is until we start to she's little like the Sabine Wren of Rebels. Honestly, what did she learn from Ahsoka?! To unlearn how to fight. Because she in Rebels with the little training she received from Kanan, she was a much better fighter. Now her moves are sluggish and predictable. There's none of the beauty of lightsaber combat seen in the Prequels, TCW and sometimes even in Rebels. Speaking of lightsabers. Apparently the deadliest portable weapon in the galaxy is now less lethal than a blaster. Seeing that at least those that take a blaster fire they usually go down and stay that way for good. Lightsabers ever since Obi-Wan, you can get impaled in one episode and you'll be fine the next. Also speaking of galaxy the story is desperately trying to make itself more interesting by shifting the action to very far away, as if that galaxy doesn't have a part of it named The Unknown Regions. And the villains. Don't even get me started on those. It's easy being a villain when the other characters are all more or less IQ deficient. There might be some actual good story there about their background, but it seems clear that as soon as the show gets the chance they're going to get rid of them like they never even mattered at all. Like I already pointed out the story is very weak. Almost feels like a lame videogame story, where characters have to go from checkpoint to checkpoint completing some challenges along the way, and of course so the story can move forward other characters need to leave breadcrumbs along the way or else this show would've ended in the first episode. Very disappointed with the Ahsoka show. If it keeps going like this I might drop completely. This is definitely not Lucas Star Wars, and I should've known better than to expect it to be. Face it, this show is just Disney milking this franchise of anything it still has, until there's nothing left. A real shame. Truly. Love the character but this show is not about the actual Ahsoka Tano.

So here we are. At the third and in my case last season of the Witcher. Season 3 was predictable in the least seeing episode one already spills some beans, that become clearer and clearer with each episode. Until you arrive at episode 5 and you can only laugh at how wrong the characters are, despite having already seen all the evidence necessary to know they were completely wrong about who had been behind it all thus far. As expected Henry Cavill owns every scene he's in, not only because he feels like Geralt, sounds like Geralt, but even his presence feels like Geralt. Cavill clearly gave it all, as he usually does despite knowing he was leaving. Can't say the same for many of the other characters, including Anya (Yen) and Freya (Ciri). Anya seems emotionally detached from everything, and the smarter her character tries to be the worse she looks when she finds out she was in the wrong. But if Anya was mostly emotionless Freya either tried too hard to seem angry when she shouldn't be, and despite everything Geralt and Yen try to teach her of course she always thinks she knows best. Ending up making mistakes after mistakes. So far considering most episodes are out and the more than predictable outcome of episode 5, can't really say much about this season was worth the time watching. And I seriously doubt the last three episodes will bring anything better. If anything the last three episodes are entirely foreseeable. Geralt is going to have to again slay a bunch of enemies to try and save Ciri, that of course will be taken. Yen will of course aid with her magic. Basically the last three episodes will thrown in all their chips in action scenes, special effects, and trying to get emotional moments where allies will be revealed to have always been traitors. It isn't even that hard to know who will betray who seeing the five episodes have already given that away as well. Either way. This season only shows why someone so source material advocate as Cavill left the show, and why he made the right call to leave. Seeing this is no longer the Witcher, but something else borrowing the name but selling a completely different story that can't even grace us with a compelling, intriguing, surprising and thrilling story. So… Good luck to Netflix trying to keep whatever this is alive past season 3. Either way I'm done with this show, that could've been monumental and instead chose mediocrity.

To think that MTV could fail this badly after already doing in 2011 the show Teen Wolf. Teen Wolf was well written, well acted, well paced, well made, and well balanced. The Wolf Pack is none of those things. The only good things about this show is they're betting more on the mystery side of the story, and that they're trying to approach the werewolf genre in a different way. Besides that, there's really nothing good to say. Characters like Everett, Blake and Harlan are just painful to watch. They're so emotional about everything, but at the same time so ignorant and dumb. That the only characters saving this wreck are Kristen, Garrett, Prisha, and Luna. So of the new generation of actors only one actress is salvage, with the show so far riding on the backs of the most experienced actors and actresses. Almost every aspect of The Wolf Pack is the show trying to make it itself more interesting than it really is, smarter than it really is, and with more potential than it actually has. Considering this show was made by the same network that made Teen Wolf, either MTV was unrealistic lucky with Teen Wolf or the writers team of Wolf Pack just don't know what they're doing. Three episodes in and I am already ready to forget about this show. Only going to give them two to three more episodes to get their act together or I'm dropping it.

So unlike a lot of people I wanted to get a few episodes in, before making any reckless and inaccurate evaluation of this show. The Last of Us tricks you in the first episode as something that will have story quality, consistency, and smarts. But as you move from one episode to the other, you start to realize what kind of a show you really have on your hands. Joel although played by Pedro Pascal who I don't like at all as an actor, he's been doing the best of what he's allowed to do. You won't get the Joel of the first TLOU game, but the one from the second game. This Joel although a former soldier, he handles guns with the skill of someone that just watched people using guns on TV. This Joel lets Ellie boss him around and even control how every conversation goes. First game Joel was a hardened man that had closed his heart to feelings, and wasn't about doing reckless dumb things. Although flawed Ellie needed him, and eventually she learns from him and he learns from her. That's what made The Last of Us special. It was the story that made the first game special. Ellie is just insufferable. Who thought that Bella Ramsey had the acting skills to be Ellie, really missed the mark by miles. Ellie is arrogant, emotionless, reckless to the point she completely ignores Joel solid and wise advices, and she acts as if she doesn't really needs Joel. Nico Parker that played Sarah should've been Ellie. Seeing Parker at least showed great father daughter chemistry with Pascal, and they seemed to click better in the kind of relationship that Joel and Ellie need to develop. Visually its clear that they spared no expenses to show that world as it should he showed. But that's about the only good thing the show really has. The second game was a disaster of a story and character development, and this show is obviously following that path. This show will never be what The Walking Dead was. So if you're waiting for that to happen, save yourself a lot of time and move on to another show. The Last of Us is a sinking ship, and with each episode it just sinks deeper and deeper.

The Witcher: Blood Origin was Netflix way of ending the year on the most negative of notes. Never seen a network more determine to destroy itself. And if Blood Origin is any indication of what is being planned for Season 4, then it's a good thing Season 3 is perhaps the last one I'll see more out of respect for Henry Cavill than the quality of the show itself. Blood Origin was the biggest insult to Andrzej Sapkowski that could possibly be made. To call it an "expansion on The Witcher lore" is to prove no one at Netflix has even bothered reading the source material at all. The story is ordinary, completely predictable, and prosaic. The characters were all one dimensional, bland and forgettable, to the point I didn't even bother to remember the name of any of them. And watching Michelle Yeoh was just torture. It was as if she never left her role as Philippa Georgiou of Star Trek Discovery. Same mannerisms, only this time her character was even worse. It's no wonder that the members of the cast had nothing substantial to say about the story, seeing there isn't one. The Witcher prequel... More like expensive impromptu roleplaying.

Reacher not only follows the core of the source material it's based on, but it presents us with a compelling, interesting and well written story. As for Jack Reacher himself, played by Alan Ritchson, I have to say I was very much positively surprised. Not only does he captures the essence of Jack Reacher, but from beginning to end he's the arm holding the show up. With actors like Malcolm Goodwin and Willa Fitzgerald helping to peel away at the complex character that is Jack Reacher. This show takes itself and its story very seriously, with no time for political agendas. It's an unapologetic story that gives you all that you can want. It has action, mystery, drama, humor, romance, friendship, betrayal, crime, and challenging decisions. If you lose Jack Reacher, you'll lose what will definitely be one of best shows of 2022.

Yellowstone is an incredible journey, like those you don't see anymore. This show that started out in 2018, is still one of the best if not the best TV series even as 2022 is coming to an end. But the heart and soul of this show are its characters, that feel as real as it can get. They make mistakes, they have their priorities, they teach us things good and bad, but above all it's the interaction between those characters and the lessons they learn and give to one another, that really defeat anything else currently on TV. John Dutton, a man that only wishes to live his final days doing what he does best, has to be the main force stopping corporate or just vengeful interests from destroying his family and legacy. Kevin Costner shows why he's one of the best actors of his and even the current generation. Beth Dutton is an amazing character. She's the true example of what a strong female character looks like. She's both the Sigourney Weaver and the Sarah Connor of Yellowstone. She's strong but vulnerable, she's smart but makes several mistakes in her personal life, she can take on anyone but she needs those she loves. Rip Wheeler is in some ways the son John Dutton wanted, but no less loyal and caring than a real son. He'll do what it takes to defend what is his world, and those he loves. He'll not only fight fire with fire, but he'll bring napalm just to make sure once the enemies are down they don't get back up. He's not heartless, far from it. In many ways he's the wisest, seeing what others cannot see or refuse to see. Kayce is perhaps the weakest link. From beginning until now he has still not figured out who he is, and where he stands. He's a good man in a world becoming darker and crueler. His intentions are always the best but he keeps getting pushed into situations that should've already eliminated all his doubts. And together in a similar line is Monica Dutton, Kayce wife. She at least has learned from her lessons, and set aside her doubts. She's the rock that keeps Kayce from falling apart. And where Beth is fire Monica is water. Jamie at this point shouldn't be part of the show at all. If not for what he has done, at least because he knows nothing of loyalty or family. And he's always being used even by those he thinks he's using. Join to memorable characters amazing filming, utilizing to their max the landscapes of Montana, and there's almost nothing in this show that fails in terms of quality. Yellowstone is one of those shows that will be remembered for generations to come.

I'll admit, when I first heard about the Tulsa King my immediate thought was that it would be a weak cousin of the Sopranos, or some woke take on the world of the mafia. But was I wrong. This show slowly but gradually grows on you right from the first episode, and as it continues it only gets better. This role fits Sylvester Stallone like a glove, and Sly is really showing that he should've been doing TV series earlier in his career, because he for sure is carrying this show all by himself. There are other characters for sure that also interesting, but none carries himself like Stallone does. And Stallone is bringing his A+ game on every episode, even going to the point of proving he can be very emotional and believable while doing it. The shows knows when to be serious, funny, dark, and hopeful. Even when Sly addresses the current problem of wokeness, he does so logically explaining exactly how the current Gen Z has no idea what the previous generations had to go through. His character doesn't insult in any way those that are woke, he just asks the very reasonable question of when will enough be enough. I for one am loving Tulsa King, and I strongly recommend it to anyone that just wants to watch a great show, without any politics, wokeness, allowing the viewer to just relax and have a good time.

Finally Netflix presents us with a TV show that is actually good and sometimes great, which is amazing considering the line of bad TV shows of the past few years. Although Wednesday has some woke content in its content, that can easily be ignored seeing it doesn't really matter in face of the actual story. The story although good and interesting enough, if the viewer is already used to crime solving mysteries then you like me by episode 5 you'll already have guessed who are the real villains and what their end goal is. With episode 7 just confirming what you had already figured out. So the story of this show will only surprise those new or not accustomed to solving crime mysteries. As for the characters themselves, Jenna Ortega was definitely the perfect choice to portray Wednesday. Although she has to keep a stoic look, she still manages to convey the right emotions through her eyes alone. Something that only shows how Jenna Ortega has a brilliant future as an actress. But Jenna Ortega doesn't carry the movie all by herself. Wednesday is basically a black wall, and without characters like Enid, Xavier, Tyler, Weems, and even Bianca that wall would have little to show. It's those characters that give Wednesday the necessary color variety to make her as interesting as she is. Jenna Ortega is brilliant at her role but so is Emma Myers. Seeing it mostly falls upon Enid to show the challenges, trials and tribulations of adolescence transitioning into adulthood. Although Wednesday also evolves, adapts and learns, the true emotional load was placed on Enid and she carried with perfection. Overall Wednesday is a good show with some great moments. It's not without flaws, and it gets too much predictable. But it's fun to watch and it does have enough pros to counter the cons.

When I watched the trailer I knew this could happen, but I was hoping I would be wrong. And unfortunately I was not. This "sequel" doesn't feel like a sequel at all. If you watched the original 1989 show then you know all the problems in that time, more than less exist in what the show says is 2022. So basically technology apparently didn't progressed at all in 33 years. The character is still sent through time into the body of another person, and has to complete a series of tasks before he can come back. Which he doesn't because he'll keep leaping from several periods in time to others. Essentially the same story of 1989. The series is trying to make itself more interesting than what it is, by already showing a possible cabal that might also have ties to the project the main character was involved in, and quite possibly another group also time traveling. They were so sloppy in the way they brought things up, that they basically already revealed what the show will be all about. Maybe it will get better with time. All I know is that for a first episode it left several things wanting. The show should've at least improved on the original concept, and started from a point where the main character was attempting to correct the timeline. That had been messed around by someone else, before the effects hit the present.

Andor... We're again exploring the time span between movies. Fortunately unlike with Obi-Wan, Andor seems to be heading somewhere. In this show we're seeing how the Rebellion began, and I got to say that I'm amazed the Rebellion ever got anything done. Seeing its own members are more in it for their own personal reasons, than for the liberation of the galaxy from the rule of the Empire. Cassian Andor is an interesting character, but he isn't that interesting. If the show was carried only by him, then we would have another flop on our hands. Fortunately we've Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) and Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly), giving the show more than Cassian can offer. Although not exactly playing by the same rules Rael and Mothma are clearly crucial pieces of hopefully will become a far more efficient Rebellion than the one shown thus far. The inner dynamics of the agents of the Empire are also very interesting to observe. Seeing that they show that the Empire only sustained their grip on the galaxy, because of certain key individuals. Without them, Vader and Sidious wouldn't matter for the Empire would've fallen even to a very inefficient Rebellion. The best Imperial characters thus far are Dedra Meero and Major Partagaz. All the other Imperial characters are mainly to give contrast to those two characters. Andor has enough room to become better, and if it does I'll increase the score I gave it. But if it does not, then I'll have no problem stop seeing it. Andor so far is only interesting and worth watching because it has lots of potential. If the show will live to that potential, that's another matter altogether

n The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker we had Jake Skywalker, now we got Jake Kenobi. This show is almost a slap in the face of the character Obi-Wan Kenobi. If you thought Kenobi had failed Anakin, then prepare yourself to see him fail as Luke's protector as well. But also prepare yourself to understand why Vader was right when he said in A New Hope "Your powers are weak old man". This Kenobi doesn't feel like a Jedi. He doesn't even act as a Jedi. And ten years since Revenge of the Sith he has really let himself go. You even get to understand, but at the same time be shocked, by the revelation as to why neither Luke or Leia were trained earlier as soon as they started to show signs of their Force abilities. Kenobi doesn't feel like a Jedi and the Inquisitors... Those definitely do not feel like anything. I honestly couldn't care less about Reva, or whatever is the axe she has to grind with Kenobi. If anything Reva serves no real purpose except to make Kenobi look bad at everything he does. There's nothing salvageable about this show. Nothing worth watching. No cameo appearance of Vader will save this disaster. If anything it will only ruin the lore and story of the original trilogy. If you have followed Star Wars from the beginning. If you have read or played most of the material. If you're a hardcore fan of Star Wars then the first thing you'll notice, if you don't let the hype blind you, is that this is not Star Wars. It may try to look like it, it may use the same names, but it's definitely not Star Wars. And to think that Disney/Lucasfilm could fail so miserably with a character that has so much potential. Was I surprised that the show was not good? No. Was I surprised that the show was this bad? A little. Yes. This is something only for those that are just blind followers of the character, that don't care at all what they're being given as long as they're being given something.

What we got here is a very predictable and in some ways corny mix of the Vampire Diaries and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The acting is mediocre at best, the story is so predictable that by episode 2 I had already guessed important parts of the ending. This had potential, if they had instead created something like Vampire the Masquerade Swansong, but obviously target for the teen element. Instead they went for the hype train, so the show gets rated not because of its real quality but because for who it's targeted for. Everyone knows this is pride month for the LGBTQ+ community, and interestingly enough you got something clearly made to take advantage of that. It's not a bad show, but it's also nothing outstanding or groundbreaking. If you're really evaluating the show for what it's and does, then you can see elements of several other previous shows all mixed together. And I guess it could've worked if those elements had been mixed correctly, and the story carried with it a much deeper world to be discovered. As it's, the over simplicity of it all makes it something you can see to pass the time, but it will not be something that's going to stay in people's list of recommended choices. This show literally adds nothing to the vampire genre. And in some moments it becomes more cheesey than even Twilight.

Whoever thought of this show and how things were going to be done in it, wasn't really thinking of making something worthwhile watching. Instead it was aimed at a very specific audience. The wokes! Because everything in the show is woke, from the dialogues to the scenes. And let's not even talk about the atrocious not so special effects. Tatiana Maslany, would've definitely not have been my choice for this role. And to see her character so easily lose control over the same anger she says she manages thousands of times better than men, already tells you what you're gonna get. Mark Ruffalo is basically furniture at this point, and doesn't really serves to be Bruce Banner anymore. He's made a joke off in this show, mainly because he acts so contrary to what is Bruce Banner actual personality. Even the way Jennifer Walters just judges other characters, thinking she could've done better would've some merit had she actually done anything in the movies. She's like that bar coach that thinks knows better than everyone else, and of course they gave her a lineup of actresses that mostly fallen off the map to tell her how good at everything she is, and how she's right about everything. Watched as many episodes as possible before completely losing my patience with it. At no point does the show gets any better. It's a forest fire and it can only get worse. Save your time and patience, and choose something else to see. Because She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is itself a felony.

I'm a great fan of the books of Jack Carr, and when I heard about an upcoming tv show, I was really looking forward to see who was going to land the lead role. I got to say when I saw it was Chris Pratt I was a little worried, because I didn't think he would be able to deliver the emotional depth to portray James Reece. And I couldn't have been more wrong. Chris Pratt delivers the performance of his career thus far. He easily carries the show, and is the glue that holds everything together. The flashbacks and visions are crucial moments where we feel the pain and determination of the character. It was great to see Pratt take on this role and prove that he's wasting his time on movies like Jurassic Park. The show is truly amazing and a must see. It perfectly shows the reality that the military live with. Not just how much it's sacrificed so people can enjoy and sometimes abuse the freedom they take for granted, but also the problems those same military face coming home. The PTSD and the suicide rate. This show not only salutes the men and women that give their lives for their nation, but it's also a critic to the corruption that can be found in basically almost every branch of the government. It also serves to remind people that the narrative in the news is not necessarily the truth. It shows how easily heroes are made into villains and the villains get away at being heroes, because many of those that call themselves journalists no longer do their job and search for the truth. And how seeking for the truth can many times demand everything a person has. This is a show that anyone that isn't **** on political ideologies can enjoy from beginning to end. It's correctly paced, it has the necessary dose of everything to keep the viewer fully immersed, with some twists that only those paying a lot of attention to every detail will see them coming. The Terminal List is a lesson on what people want to see and how a show is correctly made. Which given the number of shows that this year alone have fail completely to deliver, or are an utter disappointment, it's always refreshing to see that there are a few exceptions.

Read all Sandman comics, and because of that I already knew more than less everything that was going to happen. However try as they might they couldn't revitalize something that is not exactly made for everyone. Sandman stories are already not for everyone, and The Sandman will seem like a bad acid trip to some. Some choices were spot on like Tom Sturridge as Dream, or Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Death. However David Thewlis as Doctor Destiny, was a big let down, not being able to capture at all the essence of the character. But no bigger disappointment like the one of the choice to play Lucifer. Gwendoline Christie didn't nailed the part at all, because Lucifer of Neil Gaiman is not at all as she tried to make it seem. She showed neither the charisma, personality, or presence of Lucifer. Also the show quickly loses whatever drive it has after episode 5. By episode 6 any viewer can be forgiven to ask why are they even watching the show anymore. Although the interaction of Dream with Death is like it should be, after that point each episode seems like a filler. The show isn't bad but it also isn't good. And for those that already knew what was going to happen, it felt even less. Because it was like watching someone else retell a story, that one already knows, but in an inferior way. It's watchable and it even has some good moments, but not enough to make it anything even worth recommending. Like the sands of Dream, this show will also go down like that. A dream long forgotten.

Forget about Rings of Power, this is the show you want to see. I'll be honest. I had some reservations about how well would House of the Dragon be capable to deliver the world of George R. R. Martin. And deliver it does. Not only does it feel like Game of Thrones, but the cast is for the most part very well chosen. With most actors and actresses, delivering solid performances and being capable of pulling us into their world, their lives, their intrigues, their agendas. But above all making the viewer care about those characters. Not that many shows can claim to be able to do that. But this one can. And it's good because after season 8 of Game of Thrones, the story needed to be focused on something else that makes us forget about that season. And although the fall of House Targaryen is something we know it's going to happen no matter what, at least the show is being done well enough that even knowing that, doesn't really matter. It's a show that has proven to have what it takes to be seen and appreciated. My only hope right now is that the success doesn't go to their heads, and they start making rookie mistakes. Game of Thrones lost the race in the last meters of the race, so I really hope that House of the Dragon doesn't make the same mistake. Other than that three episodes in, and this show has come out strong and with enough fire to burn long and wide, instead of burning bright and fading just as fast. This show is definitely a must see. And those that don't watch it will only lose.