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Onder Vuur (2021)
A decent watch
No idea why the other reviews are so negative, because I liked it. The acting was generally good, the characters have interesting storylines going for them, though in my opinion they did put in a bit too much at once at times.
I was invested enough in the storyline, acting and characters to blaze right through it. I will say that the characters do go too far in forgiving some of each other's wrongdoings, like being part of the crew means all your sins will be forgiven, no matter how grave.
Big Shot (2021)
Not your stereotypical high school drama
This show is set up to be filled with stereotypes of bad parenthood and teenage drama, but somehow manages to circumvent most of it and make it an actually enjoyable experience. It is a bit weird though that the supposed teenagers have more emotional maturity than the main character, but it makes for a refreshing watch to see teens deal with situations in a nice way, without entirely forgetting that they're teenagers and do live in their own world of jealousy, insecurity, bullying, and needing to belong somewhere.
It's a story about a coach who learns the hard way that what's good for him isn't necessarily good for the people around him, and if he loves those people, he needs to make different choices. He's not there yet without some heavy prodding/steering from his environment, but he has potential.
I could do without the love story between the main character and theatre teacher (?), but even there they choose to go the mature way when obstacles arise and it's not tiring to watch thanks to it.
Overall this has me excited for a second season, with hopefully a new dynamic between Marvin and Holly as they become rival coaches. I do hope Holly continues to get sufficient (if not more) screen time, as I really enjoyed her character.
Devs (2020)
Lacking
This show ended up a bit unsatisfactory to me.
I did like the beginning: the main character's partner was murdered for trying to sneak out code from the devs department, but what the code stands for is unknown. And while they could've kept the meaning behind the code a secret until the very last episode, I'm very glad that they didn't and showed the audience early on what the big deal was. Kudos to the creators/writers for not letting this plot point be the big thing that everyone keeps waiting for.
I grew tired of the montone/emotionless acting, however, from pretty much all characters except Jamie. There were a few exceptions to that, during which the emotions were acted out very well, but had the effect of leaving me wanting more of that and less of the stoic act. Seeing as the actors can pull off more than they could show, it was part of the disappointment.
The biggest disappointment to me was the ending of the series, where all of a sudden people can be put into "the system" and be aware of it (Forest was aware of it even before 'he' was put into one of the many different realities), without the audience ever receiving any kind of explanation about it. We never knew it was an option until the very end, which makes the 'twist' of the ending less impactful to me.
There are other bits and pieces that, after mulling the series over, bother me. Such as why Lily's friend who backed her up without hesitation in her whole 'manic episode' and fake diagnosis disappears after helping Lily out. Seems a bit strange that they're never in touch again after that.
Overall it was an interesting premise, but it could've been better had the acting been better/more expressive, and the story itself better developed.
It was nice to watch people with different connections to each other interact in a pretty insane situation, and it did make me wonder about how easily people are portrayed as either good or bad, while things are usually not that black and white. For that, and the fact that I like the exploration of time-related plots, it was a pretty good watch. I wouldn't do it over again, though, knowing the story.
Bo Burnham: Inside (2021)
Comedy?
This is not for people looking to lay back, relax, and laugh the night away. I honestly didn't expect this to get as real, dark and depressing as it sometimes did, and it made me worry for Bo, to be honest. I've never worried for any type of celebrity, but the way he expressed himself, be it through song or monologue, resonated with me a lot. Probably because I recognize a lot of my own depressive episodes in it, which was an uncomfortable confrontation at the very least, and it made me wish no one else felt that way.. But he clearly did, at some points.
I cried more than I laughed, but not because it wasn't funny or it was too sad. Sometimes it was sad, yes, and sometimes it was so witty, unexpected, and/or creative, that it moved me to tears. Coming up with many ways to make one room look different, and make each piece its own individual thing, while keeping your wit about you and singing well, was a lot to take in all at once sometimes. But in a very good way. A way that made me think: why can't I do that? Why can't I do more than what I'm doing now, because look at what he's done in one room, one year.
My score is not as high as my review might make it seem, because the confrontation with my own stuff did make the experience less enjoyable to me. But I do think it was a very good watch, it just hit too close to home for me at some points for me to rewatch it again any time soon. And while it's good to face your negative aspects in life or in yourself, it's not what I hoped to gain from this show. In that aspect, it was too heavy for me.
How I Met Your Mother (2005)
Just don't -- the funny moments aren't worth the poorly written romances/characters
This show has a lot of issues, with the main character Ted just barely being the worst. He's obsessive when it comes to Robin, in an unhealthy way, and every other relationship he's had since meeting her have ended because of this obsession. It's hard to meet 'the right one' when he won't allow himself to forget Robin. Luckily the writers had a solution for that when it came to the actual mother: kill her off. In a 15 second scene where they don't bother to explain what's going on (because, let's face it, Tracy actually looks healthy lying in that hospital bed), they completely destroy everything they've worked up to for years just so Ted can finally be awarded for continously screwing up everything in his life for a woman whom he finds too independent and who's never wanted kids. Guys, just because she comes to visit him & his kids to have dinner, does not equal wanting kids. If she wanted kids, she would've had them with whatever guy came after Barney.
Now that we're at Barney: Whatever the writers were thinking, it wasn't anything good. They wanted a womanizer and instead created a monster with daddy issues so deeply disturbing that not even marrying Robin could get rid of it. Because of course there was a divorce and he's lost all his hope in love because of that. Like, dude, go see a shrink you don't bang in the end. The many conquests achieved through ridiculous lies may seem funny if you look at it superficially, but even then it's just a way to portray how stupid women can be and how easily they're seduced if there's a 'hot guy' involved. To anyone who thinks that Barney is the way to treat the other sex: don't ever talk to the other sex.
Honestly I could go on and on about the problems with each individual character, but I'll leave you to rewatch the episode where Robin's ex-psychiatrist shares what he thinks of the group and leave it at that.
If you believe in true love and romance, I highly suggest you don't watch this show. Unless you want to get an idea of how to turn love into a disturbing obsession, then go for it of course.