Change Your Image
thecunn
Lists
An error has ocurred. Please try againReviews
The Americans (2013)
Best TV thriller series ever
Yes better even than Breaking Bad. Well that's not quite fair. They are apples and oranges. Breaking Bad takes a license to deviate from realistic with over the top shock and awe. The Americans is extremely realistic and yet every bit as suspenseful and much more thought provoking. The pilot is brilliant. It grabs your interest at the start and leaves you begging for more at the end. The music played accurately takes us back to the time for those old enough to remember. The details of the sets are impeccably accurate to the eighties. The acting is excellent. Writing is amazing. Characters are rich and well developed. The two main characters, the "illegals", are extremely well developed from their upbringing in the Soviet Union to their different personalities and inner conflicts as well as the evolution of their relationship and their changing attitudes about their work. The tension created by the relationship between the illegals and their FBI agent friend and neighbor is brilliant. The look at the inside of cold war spy craft is fascinating. This series is a total winner in every category.
Homeland: Casus Belli (2017)
Suspense returns
The spy genre is my favorite genre. Homeland debuted with a couple of awesome seasons of suspense and intrigue along with developing the fascinating character of Carrie Mathison. That is what made Homeland one of my very favorite shows. After some less than spectacular seasons this season 6 has recaptured the suspense and intrigue and is broadening another element for which I applaud it even more. In this season they are developing the theme of corruption internal conflict and treason within the US intelligence agencies. They are exposing the shadow government. This takes great courage. It is a breath of fresh air amidst all the lying propaganda we get from the MSM. Hopefully it will alert some to start looking for the truth in alternative sources. This episode exposes intelligence involvement in terrorism albeit as fiction. This fiction is a mirror of truth. Without exposing any spoilers suffice it to say this is one of their best episodes to date. We'll see if IMDb or it's owner Amazon censors me here.
StartUp (2016)
great suspense crime
I just binge watched season one the first ten episodes. I am extremely impressed. Can't wait for season two. Great direction keeps it easy to follow unlike some suspense crime. Great writing suspenseful story lines keep you eager to see the next episode. Very interesting and real characters. Excellent acting. The main characters grow and bond during the intense ordeals they endure together as a brilliant young Stanford woman coder from Little Havana attempts to start up a legitimate digital currency business. Chance connects the coder with street wise natural leader from little Haiti and an idealistic young banker from Brickell who join her as partners in getting the business started. They run into extreme difficulties created by a corrupt FBI agent, a criminal banker and a legendary hacker. Then when they finally get connected with the "legitimate" business world, well let's just say it gets even more interesting.
The Good Place (2016)
pretty dumb
I love Kristen Bell. They need to find her a good role in something decent. She can carry a series. She's that good. Both Kristen Bell and Ted Danson obviously have what it takes for great comedy. The premise for the series is a bit goofy, but it's not terrible. Kristen Bell accidentally ends up in heaven where she does not belong. She is not a "good" person. And Ted Danson is a sort of cruise director who oversees a village in heaven on his first solo assignment in the Good Place. I watched three and a half episodes. The writing is just lousy. It's not funny. Plots are dull. This one is guaranteed to flop. I'm surprised they made 13 episodes. Kristen Bell is the only draw. She is excellent even with the lousy script.
Allegiance (2015)
weak
Initially I was very excited about this series because I love the spy genre. This series however is a loser. Writing is very bad. It often doesn't make logical sense or is sometimes just absurd. Some compare this to The Americans because it is also about Russian spies in the US. Allegiance is not in the same class as The Americans. Some of the actors, like Gavin Stenhouse are not ready for prime time, but even the better actors here are made to look bad by the bad writing. The central character Alex played by Gavin Stenhouse is a socially awkward naïve genius CIA analyst who doesn't come off at all as believable and is painful to watch. In a recent episode a romantic relation began with Alex and an attractive colleague. There is zero chemistry between the two. One minute Alex is so naïve and awkward that everyone would bet he's a virgin. The next minute he's James Bond going down on the girl. The whole production is amateurish.
Elementary: The Illustrious Client (2015)
greatly improved
I started watching simply because the show starred the drop dead beautiful Lucy Liu. The show was entertaining in the first two seasons, but not exceptional. Lucy Liu is not only a pretty face. She does an excellent job as Watson. The Holmes character that Jonny Lee Miller created has depth and is uniquely engaging. The writing seems to have improved by an order of magnitude in this the third season. The new character Kitty Winter has added a new level of interest to the series. Ophelia Lovibond is extraordinary in her role. I hope the series continues and that Ophelia remains a part. I say, "bravo well done for season 3."
Six Feet Under: Everyone's Waiting (2005)
Best Finale to a Series Ever
Everyone's Waiting maybe the best finale to a TV series ever. I very nearly passed up watching this series. I had no idea that a show about a family mortuary business could teach so much about love and life. Most of the main characters are extremely dysfunctional. At times the behaviors of all the Chenowiths and all the Fishers were like finger nails on a chalk board...enough to make you scream. The series shows how imperfect we all are, how difficult living is and in the end what love really is. If you have watched this series but missed the ending you absolutely MUST SEE IT. It ties the entire series together in an extremely moving manner. In fact most of the main characters grow in life changing ways. Unless you have a heart of stone you will not watch with dry eyes.
The Bridge (2013)
dark but well written
Diane Kruger's character seems bizarre at first. She is somewhat autistic and clueless about social norms. She seems very cold and at times uncaring. You wonder how she keeps a job on a police force until you start to see her in action. She is perhaps a savant. She is brilliant and extremely intuitive at understanding evidence and criminals. When push comes to shove you see that she cares very deeply for others. The character is somewhat reminiscent of Tony Hill from Wire in the Blood. Anyway I fell in love with her by end of season 1. The story lines are very dark. It is after all about killers. Writing is very good. It doesn't rely on gimmickry or stupidity of the characters like The Following