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Reviews
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: The Broken Circle (2023)
Spock becomes Jack Sparrow
Spock decides (after most of his officers warn him against it) to commit mutiny, steal the best ship in the fleet and tear off to the other side of the universe for a very vague SOS from a former crewman.
This goes against everything we know about Spock. The crew would believe that he has been possessed or has been taken over by another organism (didn't that happen once in Star Trek?). Instead, Spock becomes Jack Sparrow and swashbuckles across the universe. And the crew loves it! They seem to have no regrets, second thoughts or stress about, oh I don't know, committing career suicide. Not even one line of dialogue like: hmmm, Nurse Chapel, or insert a character name, was this a good idea?
Who writes this crap? There was no reason for it either - the whole plot could unfold organically as a part of a normal week in the 5 year mission.
Stupid. Everything else is good, but can you survive bad writing and characters who act inconsistent with the canon that was established for them over countless storylines?
The Imperfects (2022)
So close to good
Almost a good show. It's different enough from the onslaught of super hero shows to be kind of original. The cheeky Canadian production hurts it with B actors and below average special effects. I can live with that - The Magicians was good enough in other ways to keep you onboard (until the final season). Quick hits:
Casting was good except for Tilda. She's a good actress but wrong for the role, which really is the most important role.
Good music
For a comedy, I really didn't laugh until Owen came in. More Owen would be ok.
There is no single bad guy to focus your hate on. The Boys has that right. There has to be a bad guy!
Finally, the script: it just wondered too much. Everyone should tell a story like they've only got one season to use. If you don't, you may only get one season.
See: I See You (2022)
Plot issues but good conclusion
Plot issues:
No one in the history of the human race would voluntarily go blind. Ok, maybe a few troubled people, but no one sane.
They stacked hundreds of bombs on top of each other and Haniwa had a bow and sight. Was there no other option here?
The sighted all converge in New York. That would be a death trap. Check out your neighborhood library!
The villagers are in the tunnel for several minutes. They'd be half a mile away from the city when the bombs hit.
After they leave the tunnel, the villagers know the bombs are coming. Why loiter about the yard?
If two guys can kill 60 people why not take out the ones at the gate and escape? Or better yet, circle around and ambush the enemy.
Outside of that: good show!
Positives: Great premise. There were many times an actor appeared to see where they were going, but the main 3 blind characters were outstanding. The fact that I hated Silba so much means that the acting and the character were great.
Negatives: see plot holes above. There were several in every episode. But, how many shows are perfect? If you can have fewer than Lost I guess you are good.
The Brokenwood Mysteries: Dead and Buried (2019)
Depressing but good
This was the most depressing of the episodes to-date. But then prison as a backdrop is never uplifting. As with all episodes there are unlikely or even inconceivable scenarios. In this case it's the legal deals that the police make to get info. That's Brokenwood. You have to accept that suspects talk back to the police, are constantly withholding information, and from time to time there's an unlikely legal maneuver. Get past that, and it's fun.
Positives: a) We get to see more of what makes Mike tick, b) we see more of peripheral characters like the coffee girl and Mike' boss, and c) I really liked seeing the characters from previous episodes. Brokenwood brings back characters and I love that.
The Brokenwood Mysteries (2014)
The NZ Monk
The show basically reminds me of Monk. There's a few chuckles in each episode, some quirky characters, and a plot formula whereby they will keep you in the dark but then solve the murder in a satisfying way.
What makes the show unique is its setting. As a Texan I see many familiar things about the setting (rural issues, small town gossip and country music) and some things that are super interesting in their differences from the US heartland (slang terms, vehicles and Maori culture).
Love the three primary actors. Fred Flintstone conveys so much with his face. The ginger is good too. But the actress Fern makes the team whole. I don't think the show would work without her.
If there's a drawback, it's the way all the citizens talk back / get very sassy with the police. I wonder if that's normal in NZ?