allipbay Reviews

Let the Right One In (2022)

Needs a 2nd season

[9/10 · 4 February 2023]

I'm upset to learn that this show has been cancelled. I looked forward to watching it each week and was looking forward to a second season. Now, I'll have to add it to the list of GOOD shows that are canceled without being given a real chance. Shows like Downward Dog, Harlots, Imposters, I Am Not Okay With This, and Good Girls, while much less quality tv gets season after season.

This show had a slow build, but it draws you in. Each character had dimension. Even the peripheral characters, like Isaiah's dad or Naomi's partner or Peter's caregiver, make you care about what happens to them. And for the most part, it's well acted. Eleanor needs a bit more practice, but the Isaiah kid is going places!

Some people complain about how the characters changed from the original source material. Well, it's a reboot, not a remake. I, for one, am happy that they didn't try to remake something so great. Instead, they added a different dimension to the story - one of a parent's love and sacrifice. I found this dimension intriguing.

This story has some scarier parts, but overall, it's not scary. It's the character development that gets you, and the grittiness of the real world and the decisions one has to face and make to survive in it.

The cliffhanger! For that reason alone, we deserve a second season. 😝 But truly, it's a good show, with great characters and good actors.

Wolf Pack (2023)

Entertaining. Ignore the bad reviews.

[7/10 · 4 February 2023]

There are obviously people posting on here who just enjoy giving bad reviews. No, this show won't win an Emmy anytime soon, but it's solidly entertaining. The special effects weren't bad, and while I won't give anything away, the plot line is promising if you're into the supernatural. For reference, I watched the first two episodes of the show.

I'm really not understanding the people coming on here to complain about the show featuring teenagers or about werewolf shows having been done before. Um, duh - these things were obvious from the previews and any write-ups of the show. If this isn't for you, why watch it?

My negatives are the super cheesy sex scenes and the actors - particularly Harlin and Blake - being a bit wooden. They're not acting Shakespeare, though, so it's not a huge deal.

AlRawabi School for Girls (2021–2024)

Awesome series

[8/10 · 18 August 2021]

This series was great. It touched on so much that women and girls go through - bullying, sexual assault, physical assault, slut shaming, body shaming, period shaming, sexuality policing - and more. Really well done, and those complaining about it are uncomfortable with some truths!

Legacies (2018–2022)

It's no Vampire Diaries, that's for sure

[4/10 · 14 February 2021]

Let me preface my comments by saying I watched all of Vampire Diaries but gave up on the Originals at some point during the fourth season, as I didn't like the storyline. For that reason, I never got to know Hope until Legacies. I'm not in love with her. I'm not really sure what it is. I liked the versions before her (Elena and Hayley), but Hope comes across as arrogant and a bit dead inside to me. She's really not likeable. I've stuck with the show because of the supporting characters, particularly Lizzie, MG, Kaleb, and Josie, and the fun storylines. However, it's hard to love a show when you dislike the main character (I also am not really feeling Landon). Last season, they started to lose me even more with dark magic Josie, Raf's many absences, and no Penelope. This season will likely be my last. Raf, like Penelope, is completely gone now, which is such a waste, and I didn't like how the show didn't even mention Bonnie in the musical episode. She was the backbone of VD, in my opinion. She was also constantly taken for granted, which I hated, and Legacies just did it again.

Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist: Zoey's Extraordinary Reckoning (2021) Season 2, Episode 6

A GREAT SHOW GETS REAL & STOPS PANDERING TO THE WILLFULLY, BLISSFULLY UNAWARE

[10/10 · 13 February 2021]

This was one of my favorite episodes of Zoey, so far. It was handled well and when Simon shared his experience with Zoey, I was brought to tears. I really liked how they didn't make Zoey come off as perfect, either, despite her being the protagonist. It was more of a realistic portrayal.

The negative comments about the episode are unsurprising. They are a demonstration of white fragility at its finest and ironically illustrate why racism is still being talked about and still continues to need to be talked about.

The Kissing Booth 2 (2020)

First one was better

[6/10 · 26 July 2020]

I know a lot of people will disagree with me, but I thought that the first one was better. It was bubbly and fun, but this time around, most of the characters/plot lines were annoying. Elle was beyond self-centered in a "I need you to go away immediately" sort of way that she wasn't in the first movie. Like how did she not get in the backseat when Lee picked up his girlfriend!?! Come on! No one's that clueless, and the fact that Lee didn't say anything then or any other time (costume change, standing his gf up for Elle, not standing up for Noah when Elle cheated on him, etc.) made me dislike him, as well. The girlfriend deserved better. They should've given it to her. Additionally, I found the whole 'give him his space' aspect of Noah and Elle's relationship really unrealistic and, hence, also annoying. This is her first boyfriend EVER, whom she had a crush on for YEARS, and they just spent a MAGICAL summer together, but we're supposed to believe that she was just like "whatever, bye" when he leaves and proceeds to ignore his calls? I don't know a single girl ever who would've acted like that, particularly when it was so obvious that he was struggling. It made me want them to break up, especially when he witnessed the kiss. It just seemed like a very one-sided relationship at that point, making me think that Noah deserved better. They should've given it to him (hello Chloe!). That means that I wanted both of the leading couples to split apart... not what I'm trying to feel in a rom-com. As a WOC, I also didn't like that both of the faux-potential alternate romantic interests were people of color. It was akin to the "black best friend" roles that have been a trope in teen films for so long. Their sole purpose was to support and highlight the white people's stories and feelings. In this case, to make Noah and Elle see that they're really meant to be together (insert eye roll here). Then, they added in a random extra couple that made absolutely NO sense. Seriously, if the other characters weren't still in their scenes, you would've thought that Netflix had experienced a glitch and started playing another movie. That's how little character development there was for these two. Correspondingly, that's how little I cared about them. It really seemed like they were there just to include a gay couple so the movie wasn't just about hetero, cys, white romances. However, since the gay couple was literally only in 3 2-minute scenes in the entire movie, they weren't authentically "included" at all! I could go on, but suffice it to say that I wish they'd stopped after Part 1 and I won't be tuning in for Part 3.

Mixed-ish (2019–2021)

Love this show!

[8/10 · 25 March 2020]

I don't understand all the negative reviews on here! This show is good. Aunt Denise and the grandfather are hilariously truthful and the show touches on issues in a palpable way. Young Bow and her brother aren't the greatest actors but they're tolerable. I wish we saw more of Bow's family on Blackish, as well, as the grownup versions of her siblings are hilarious (especially the brother). I love Blackish but actually look forward to Mixedish even more. It might be because I come from a multicultural family. It also could be because the main character is actually kind. Both Dre (Blackish) and Zoey (Grownish) are incredibly self- centered. Ignore the comments and check it out.

Motherland: Fort Salem (2020–2022)

Can't wait til next episode!

[9/10 · 20 March 2020]

I waited so long for this to premiere and it did NOT disappoint. The opening scene was riveting and the special effects were awesome! Can't wait to see the next episode.