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Reviews
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Subspace Rhapsody (2023)
Liked it, with reservations
When I first watched this, I hated it - it just all felt contrived, non-sensical and, as Spock would say, highly illogical. But I found myself going back to it and it kind of won me over.
Star Trek - and especially Strange New Worlds - can feel a bit transparent. You can watch an episode and literally imagine them in the writers room saying 'let's do a fairy tale episode', 'let's do a musical episode' etc etc. Kinda feels a bit too easy.
But yeah, I was drawn back to this ep and it really has got some brilliant songs with lots of cheeky winks from the writers in the deliberately cheesy and cliched moments. But I'd say that even the best songs do feel a bit long with not much visually going on, and the lip-syncing (we called it miming in my day) is terrible!
Yes, Buffy has done this kind of episode already and it was better in many ways, but I love the daft Star Trek-isms that creep into the lyrics - plus the Klingon bit (impossible to dislike) and the moment when La'an grumpily cuts a song short.
It's a shame this ep is getting a lot of low scores because, yes, it's very very flawed and silly but it's still somehow a gem. There's an argument to be made that it's too early for eps like this, as we don't know the characters well enough - plus is La'an really that much in love with Kirk after such a short amount of time? But if you can just 'go with it' all, it's entertaining.
So anyway, full disclosure, I ended up buying 3 tracks off iTunes plus the full ep too!
The Fall of the House of Usher (2023)
Grim
It's the Edgar Allen Poe homage we never asked for. I mean, bravo to the writers, but most of it will be lost on around 80% of the audience (including me).
It all looks slick and nicely made, but sadly it's really dull for a lot of the time. Just so much talking.
I binge-watched it in a day - bad mistake. It's just relentlessly grim. You're just watching unlikeable people being killed in sadistic ways. There's nothing nice about this show.
Great cast - and I love how Flanagan reuses his actors- but they're kinda wasted. Feels like the stories could have taken a different path - like, we know there's a dangerous woman out there, maybe we could work together to fight against her. Instead we just get grim offings in contrived ways, one by one.
It seems like Flanagan peaked with Hill House and it's been downhill ever since - and I'd really like him to produce something just as good again.
Who Is Erin Carter? (2023)
Very Erin-tertaining!
I watched this purely because of the supermarket teaser I saw, and because I was fascinated as to how/why it's number 1 on Netflix.
I'm so glad I did! What a gem. It's like all of the best Netflix shows - it's like a mini movie, very well made and with a very likeable cast. I was never bored and I didn't want it to end.
A lot of reviews are saying it's ridiculous, and I think they're missing the point. I think it's supposed to be ridiculous. Just completely over the top and silly in places, but very entertaining.
I loved the main actress - it's just so nice to see someone fresh and different. I'd love to see alternate reality Erins - a sci-fi Erin, a cowboy/western Erin - we need more Erin.
So with no major stars or anything, I still don't know how the show got to #1, but I'm glad it did.
Making the Cut (2020)
Mixed results
It's a good show. The format isn't quite as perfect as Project Runway but it works.
Season 1 is excellent - great judges, great contestants, great locations. Naomi Campbell is a fantastic judge.
Season 2 is poor - we have some weaker judges and the contestants are terrible. Poor final 3 in the finale.
Season 3 gets back on track with some really fantastic contestants (it's hard to pick the final 4 apart). There is some contrived tension though - a judge having a ridiculous tantrum, a silly sewing machine clash and a very stroppy model (I would have liked to have seen some kind of resolution to that brief incident).
Heidi and Tim have undeniably watchable chemistry, but the format could do with tweaks to make it work. Why not address all the contestants in the judging session? Some just sit there. At least call them all up and say some are safe, so we don't forget about them.
Also, the judges have already made their minds up and they vote on whether contestants are in or out - it's up to contestants to change their minds. However, we have no idea how the judges voted - why not let the viewer know? Show the decisions on screen or even show red/green lights on the backs of the judges' chairs? That could really work and might be more exciting. There's just no tension really - the judge might say "I've changed my mind" but it's kinda meaningless to us.
Titans: Souls (2021)
Dumb
Unbelievably dumb.
This show had already disappeared up its own grim, nonsensical ass, but now we get this ridiculousness.
The worst part is that I thought this was the final episode, but there are 4 more left.
Dix pour cent: Jean (2020)
Something's not quite working
An odd final episode - it just doesn't quite feel right. Very downbeat too.
But all the awards go to Camille Cotin who - even more than usual - breathes life into her character. She literally embodies her character and her character's feelings - which are pretty heavy in this episode. What an actress.
Dix pour cent: Sigourney (2020)
Learning the lingo
I can imagine the meeting. "But of course, my dear producers," said Sigourney, "I speak amazing French." Sadly, she doesn't. It's a brave attempt but it surely must be grating to any French person's ears. She gets the vocab right but scores zero points for the lack of any accent or inflection. It's like listening to a school French tutorial.
At least the regular cast save this episode - especially Camille in her showdown.
Day of Reckoning (2016)
D'oh of Reckoning
As everyone says, mostly shameful CGI. You can literally see CGI errors happening on the screen.
Tbh, I've seen worse acting, but the characters themselves are incredibly poor. You just don't care about any of them.
The best parts are the goofs:
- The cities have been destroyed but in several night-time scenes you can see a perfectly normal city in the distance from the hills.
- One character is shot in the shoulder and in incredible pain - and then completely forgets about it for the rest of the film.
If the creators can't be bothered to even try making a decent film, what's the point of watching it?
Dix pour cent: Sandrine (2020)
A great ep for the main characters
Some of the guest actors' stories work better than others. So the Monica Bellucci episode was incredible (if a little far-fetched) while Sandrine's story here sags a little and she comes across a bit annoying (although cute at the end).
On the other hand, the main characters' stories are superb in this ep, with huge developments for Mathias, Camille and Noemie.
Dix pour cent: Charlotte (2020)
So funny
After a slow start, this is one of the funniest episodes of the series - literally a farce in places.
Some of the real actors' stories work better than others, but this is one of the best. Charlotte Gainsborough is so funny! The brief moment where she meets a Nymphomaniac fan is priceless.
Yet more weirdly out-of-place nudity at the end of the ep. It just seems so unnecessary.
Dix pour cent: ASK (2018)
Great performances
The 'Isabelle 2' story drags slightly and is a bit contrived but in the end it's actually quite moving - some great performances from Isabelle 2 and Camille C.
A lovely moment at the end for Sofia.
Dix pour cent: Fabrice (2017)
Incredible acting
The scenes between Andrea and Hicham - my god, the acting! Camille Cottin is a fantastic actress - she lives and breathes her character.
Dix pour cent: Isabelle (2017)
Amazing ending
The ending of this episode is sheer perfection - what a scene. Cinematic. It's criminal that Netflix tries to shuffle you onto the next episode while things are still happening in the credits - you want to savour every moment.
Dix pour cent: Isabelle (2018)
Out-of-place nudity
I love this show so much. The acting is superb and the stories are fantastic.
This episode does feel slightly contrived and it's not one of my favourites, but it's still really good.
I just wanted to address the nudity in this episode - I was shocked! I just don't understand why they did it. We've grown to love Noemie over the last few seasons and she's proven herself to be an intelligent, excellent problem-solver, and suddenly she appears stark naked (and I know she shows even more in the final season)! It just doesn't feel consistent. As the only character who gets nude on the show it just seems so odd and out of place. It's like your best friend turns up to meet you in a cafe and they're stark naked.
Fair play to the actress if that's what she wanted (and I'm not aware of her previous movies and if she often appears nude), but it does really feel like a weird thing to happen.
The Heights (2019)
Subtle but brilliant
This show really took me by surprise. It quietly moves along and then suddenly you find yourself shocked or with a tear in your eye or utterly heart-warmed. The near-documentary style slowly builds into great drama. The characters slowly work their way into your heart and the actors are mostly superb (just one or two weak links - you'll know who they are).
Special shout-out to Bridie McKim - gorgeous chemistry with her mother and heart-breaking vulnerability.
Love it!
The Old Guard (2020)
Dull
This could have been so good but it's just so dull. The characters have no personality, the cast have no chemistry and it's way too long. Probably would have made a good tv show. The ending sets up something cool which we'll probably never see resolved now.
Dark (2017)
Excellent... but...
Season one is perfection... Excellent story, great characters, wonderful mood...
Season two is great but starts to get a little too convoluted and hard to follow...
Season three is good but, for me, it fell apart. I completely lost track of who was who and who was where. Interesting characters were completely forgotten about as the story got more and more complex.
Whereas Lost didn't try hard enough at the end, I think Dark tries a little too hard. I just wanted to see the characters I liked but we were left with a core group - some of who were fairly unlikeable - such as Eva, and a surprisingly one-note story.
Still, an ambitious, admirable and mostly enjoyable show.
47 Meters Down: Uncaged (2019)
Bloody good!
I was expecting the worst but this really isn't bad! Great effects, good characters - it looks superb. A hidden gem.
Mr. Robot: 406 Not Acceptable (2019)
Intense and powerful
This episode doesn't contain any of the 'biggest moments' of the series, but my god it's intense, powerful and emotional. Wow. Great writing, great acting - just great.
Tales of the City (2019)
Entertaining!
A very entertaining, slightly flawed, series. Jake and Margot (trans/lesbian couple) are wonderful and should get their own series. Ellen Page's character is very annoying! Michael and Ben are great to watch. The rooftop millennials are excruciatingly bad and should have been left on the cutting room floor. It's great to see Bob the Drag Queen but he could have had much better/funnier dialogue.
The stories sometimes get a bit silly and sometimes a little bit Scooby Doo, but overall it's worth sticking with it for the pure warmth and emotion.