Reviews

I haven't played any of the Castlevania games by Konami, so this rating is from the perspective of someone viewing this show with no prior bias.

I would definitely recommend Castlevania to anyone, specially the first 2 seasons. The action sequences, ambience, worldbuilding, characters all have high intrigue, albeit the story is quite typical. But the voice acting, and overall the general "feel" of the show is great.

Season 3 is a completely different story. It feels like some major side plot, and the main links to the storyline of the first 2 seasons barely progress, probably 1 episode's worth or even less, which is extremely disappointing considering the increased 10 episode format. I am not against slowing down the pace, giving more time to character development and world building, but this was just disappointing. And the pacing was totally off, the last 2 episodes had more happening than the first 8!

And yet, overall I liked the show. The dynamic trio of the main characters, as well as the compelling perspective of the antagonists make it a very interesting watch. But please Netflix, more of season 1 and 2 🤞

I don't think I need to stress much about season 1 of Stranger Things. By now we all know that the show had an amazing pilot season, fueled by the 80s nostalgia and an overall sound casting, writing and direction.

The problem with season 2 was that the show writers weren't willing to diverge much from their already established formula of success. And this led to a season, which albeit, some great character development, was ultimately a loosely based copy of season 1.

The show writers clearly realised the problem, and tried to make amends in season 3. I'm just not sure if "evil Russians" are the way to go. Season 3 saw the writers take too much privilege to do too many wierd things. Firstly, puberty is always a rough patch in any show, then the needless banter on politics, making Erica a main character in spite of her being extremely annoying, separating the central group into two parts, and many others. And yet, I enjoyed it for some reason!

I mean, yes, the show has always had some glaring loopholes, and many conveniences, but these factors aren't really what one looks out for in Stranger Things. I feel the show was a success (at least for me) because the characters are fun, the dialogues are smart and edgy, the story beautifully balances suspense and comic relief. Stranger Things is more of a fun-to-watch show for me, than an amazing-story show. For this very reason, season 3 was an equally enjoyable binge for me, if not more enjoyable. The Mall was a great idea, the awkwardness in their relationships warrants a good laugh or two, and notwithstanding some of the weird decisions, the story is also pretty fun. Although I feel, another season of more humour than suspense would probably make the show grow stale. But from what I hear, season 4 will be more intense, so fingers crossed...

Seldom has a show this convoluted and complex turned out to be one of such intrigue and not just complicated for the sake of complication or confusing the audience.

Dark is set in an offbeat town in Germany, called Winden. What starts out with the simple case of a missing child, ultimately culminates into a heavily interdependent and intertwined set of events, connecting multiple families across multiple generations, in a time period spanning over a century.

Watching Dark is nothing short of a journey. The narrative will keep on confusing you, creating more complications, but the moments of clarification, rare as they are, are some of the most satisfying television moments ever. When all the loosely connected events start lining up and making sense, one is left awestruck and marvelling at the genius of the writers. In fact, the writing is so sound, that in the end, there are barely (if any) loopholes, which is a rarity when it comes to media which deals with a topic such as time travel. The show sets down its rules early on, and follows it religiously with little exception.

Apart from this, Dark also has a very enticing colour pallette, very aesthetic direction, a grand opening sequence, and an amazing soundtrack. I cannot adequately describe how great this show was and how much I enjoyed it, so much so that, even at a whopping 8.8/10 I think it still remains underrated. This is a show I would recommend to anyone and everyone who has the will to stay committed and follow religiously all that is happening.

It is clear amazon invested a lot in this show, the production values are huge, and the CGI is also semi-decent. We also have Orlando Bloom, who did a killer job as the lead role (probably the only reason I kept going).

But here's the thing - the show becomes very dreary very soon. There's too many seemingly unrelated things happening simultaneously, and most of the characters lack that personal touch which keeps you interested. E01 - E03 was good, laid a solid base, explored the world well, but the first time I was actually piqued was at the end of E06. After that, Carnival Row put on a grand show, and the culmination of all arcs in the finale was grand.

I am not one to enjoy textbook societal norms of the Victorian Era, but thanks to the alternate noir crime setting led by Orlando Bloom himself, I enjoyed the show. And like I said, in the end, they sort of made up for that drab beginning.

I will probably be coming back for season 2, again thanks to finale which showed us what this show could grow to be. Carnival Row explores a world with vast possibilities, has a strong protagonist (maybe two depending on where they take the story), a sharp antagonist, and I liked it. Calling it a "great" show would be a stretch, but it's worth a watch, I'd day.

Last Kingdom takes a long time to find it's footing, but once it, has, the show never looks back.

I started watching TLK because it had good ratings. The first time, I, quit after watching the pilot. Nothing was happening to intrigue me, and the narrative had given me no reason to sympathise with the protagonist.

4 months later, season 3 came out and ratings went up even more. This piqued my interest. How could something so bland get so good ratings? So I decided to give it another go. 3 episodes in, I still had no idea why anyone would give this anything more than a 4 or 5.

It's safe to say now that it didn't turn out as I expected. Some way into episode 4 or 5, the show had final hit a good stretch. By episode 6 I was hooked, and the episode guide will tell you that the show only went up from there on. However, judging season 1 by itself it's a 7 at best, more likely a 6.

But once I'd gotten the wind, the show was very easy to binge. Season 2 continued the great tempo it had struck towards the end of season 1. A pretty decent 8 for me.

My biggest complaint so far was that the show looked cheap, which it was. Thankfully Netflix increased the budget in season 3. As soon as a show gets more visually pleasing, it becomes more fun to watch. Coupled with that, season 3 saw the culmination of a major arc of the source material. The creators did solid justice to it. It was simply amazing. At this point, I concluded that the show deserved all the praise it was getting, and much more.

Season 4 had a different pacing. It had a semi-climax as early as episode 4 or 5, and after 3 episodes of floundering, it again picked up towards the end. In the end, it was a slight step down from season 3, but still a pretty darn good season.

I can however, understand some of the negative reviews. Majority of the lower ratings say that they left the show 10 minutes in, or 2 episodes in, and what can I say, so did I! Luckily I came back. If you can wither a disastrous first 4 or 5 hours, you will get a show which will hold your interest for 30+ episodes. But do not go into this show expecting it to be the next vikings. It's thoroughly different and tells a much distinct story. Watch this show as it's own thing, and I believe you should like it.

I really wanted to like this show, because I love these characters, but the show makes it really hard for you to do so.

The pilot of S01 had me hooked. It was dark, edgy, and showed tremendous promise. As it progressed, the show gave out mixed messages - some characters were great, others not so great, but the story just wasn't strong enough to sustain 11 episodes. Then there's the extremely controversial season finale. The show tried to take a very unconventional path, and that's what kept my interest.

S02 was an absolute s***show. The first episode should have been the finale of S01, but that was the least of our problems. The show seemed to have no direction. It was haphazard, and felt like the writers were improvising (unsuccessfully ofc) while they progressed. After 12 episodes of extreme boredom, with only momentary sparks of greatness, we were the smacked in the face by one of THE WORST season finales I have EVER seen.

S01 was a 7.5 for me, because in spite of a poor story, we had pretty good acting, great costumes, well choreographed fights and the lure of one of my favourite superhero groups. Plus their unconventional take on some of the characters was also pretty admirable.

S02 is a 5 or 6, because almost everything is wrong in this season. I don't know why they keep failing to get a good story, because the comics offer a ton of great content. Besides more than 50% of the episodes were filler, and their narrative really leaves you quite uninterested with the fate of the characters, even when they are in danger.

Perhaps if the show shifted to an 8-episodes-per-season format, it would be better. I really want to like this show, because the idea of a darker, adult-er titans is quite enthralling, but alas, the writers seem to have no idea what they are doing. But I still have my fingers crossed for a better S03, although S02 gave no signs of any possible improvement.

Alex Rider was a major part of my childhood, so I had high hopes and expectations going into this show. Safe to say, I wasn't disappointed.

Salient Features:

1. Otto Farrant - Otto Farrant does an incredible job as Alex, and he is everything the books made you believe. His physique and that superb run is just what you imagined Alex would have.

2. Casting - The casting for this show is great. Everyone does a very good job, especially Miss Jones, Jack Starbright and of course Tom.

3. Adaption - While they didn't meddle with the source story, significantly changes were made to fit times and make the show less childish. And they were mostly great choices.

Downsides:

1. Takes time to kick off - The show doesn't find it's pace immediately, and takes a good 3 or 4 episodes before it becomes intriguing. So PLEASE just watch the whole season before leaving behind a negative review, cause it really does get better.

2. Lazy writing - At times it feels like things happen too conveniently for Alex. There are a couple plotholes and inconsistencies, but nothing glaring.

3. Smithers - Not having Smithers is one thing, but calling someone Smithers and making his traits completely different is just unacceptable.

Conclusion:

Most of the bad reviews I've seen are people complaining about the show not getting you hooked and them leaving it after the first 2 episodes. Someone even gave a 3 stars for a poor synopsis. The show despite a rocky start finds its footing into episodes 4 and from there it's exactly the Alex Rider action the novels always promised us.

Tl;Dr - It's a great show. Just don't get discouraged by the first few episodes cause it really gets better. And if we get more seasons, the following books have some really great content so buckle up.

Here is a full analysis of the show season by season.

Season 1: Extremely underwhelming start for a show I've heard so much about. The animation is pretty good for a TV show, but that's about it. The episodes are very straightforward, have no real consequences, and more often than not seem to be like moral anecdotes for kids. Very disappointing. Rating: 5.0/10

Season 2: Definitely some improvement but still a long way from anything "good". It is still standalone episodes, very repetitive, and apart from a little better world exploration, the show seems to be headed nowhere. Rating: 6.5/10

Season 3: All of a sudden, the show entirely changes its tone. This is no longer a kids show, more like PG-13. The animation also improves greatly. From episode 1, we are given a much more compelling narrative. It's no longer standalone episodes, we now have story arcs. Longer arcs means more time to develop the story, added depth to characters, and much more in-depth world building. This show finally seems to be going somewhere. Rating: 8.0/10

Season 4: This is where the show becomes just amazing. We feel The Revenge of The Sith gradually being set up. The stories are getting darker and grittier. What's best is the narrative is no longer black and white. We are shown the war from the perspectives of those we have so far only called "villains". Rating: 9.0/10

Season 5: Another amazing season. Like I said, after season 4 the show reaches a very high standard and stays there. Although there are some boring arcs, the main story fully compensates for it. I will not go into too much detail, in fear of spoilers. Rating: 9.5/10

Season 6: Slightly, only slightly, worse than season 5, which for me is the absolute peak of this show. It still has its fair share of good story arcs and sets up many events of Episode 3. Rating: 9.0/10

Season 7: Season 7 has 3 story arcs, of which the first is pretty decent, and the second is catastrophic. However, the final arc of 4 episodes is something in itself. It is deserving of all the great reviews that it is receiving and more. By playing into episodes 3, it in a sense redeems the prequels, but I will not say much about it to avoid spoilers. Besides, Disney's graphics overhaul is simply amazing, and makes the show so much more fun to watch. A perfect season and show ending for me. Rating: 10.0/10

Thoughts: An amazing show which I would recommend everyone to watch. However, if you have less time/patience, I'd suggest skipping the first 2 seasons, and soke arcs of the coming seasons (just check the episode ratings to know). This show is a great filler that takes place between the events of episode 2 and episode 3 of the prequel films. It adds so much more relevance to the events of episode 3. Viewers' biggest problem with episode 3 was how it felt rushed. Just watch Clone Wars and it will all seem to fit in place.

Salient Features: 1. Humanising the Clones: The films did little justice to the clones, who were treated quite like droids with the exception of Obi Wan and Anakin. This show shows their human side, their psychology during the war, and adds uniqueness to each clone.

2. Ahsoka: I will not say much to keep this review free of spoilers. All I can say is, Ahsoka's character development is at par with some of the best I've ever seen. It's a real pleasure seeing her grow from a unbalanced padawan to a well trained Jedi Commander.

3. Dark side: This show also portrays the war from the perspective of the siths, somewhat humanising them, and giving us more clarity as to their decisions.

4. Bounty Hunting: Even the bounty hunters aren't two dimensional characters who only care for their bounty. The show portrays bounty hunting as a respectable job, and displays the code of honour which exists between them.

TL;DR: The show is a solid 10/10 for me, and a worthy addition to the Star Wars Saga. A must watch for all Star Wars fans.

DISCLAIMER: I have neither played the witcher games nor have I read the books. So I may have misinterpreted parts of the story.

When the trailers and teasers were doing their rounds, the only thing I remember is people trolling Netflix and arguing about how bad it was going to be. Maybe Netflix does have a history of messing things up, but God, give them a chance!

First off, the portrayal of the witcher from a layman's point of view is amazing! Henry Cavill does a good job with the role, it suits him well. However, I sometimes find him forgetting his rugged and hoarse tone during emotional speeches. That gets kind of weird. Still, top marks for that.

The pilot is amazing - gritty, dark, and intense. Don't worry if there are too many characters or kingdoms mentioned, it gets simpler to understand over time. Episode 1 was a 10/10 for me. It really urged me to keep going.

However, a few episodes in, the show bleakens a bit. Every episode has a different tone, and while it does have its perks, the show feels somewhat random.

The main plot however holds your curiosity for the entirety of 8 hours. While the show does get bland midway, the finale and pre-finale are amazing. It does give you high hopes for season 2.

In conclusion, I'll say the show is much more than people expected. The tone is Dark, Gritty and Intense, and fantasy lovers will surely find it entertaining.

To be honest, Dragon Prince started off pretty weak, with a not-so-strong storyline, shallow characters and a not-so-intriguing world.

Season 1 couldn't really capture the essence of the show, and overall wasn't much enjoyable.

However, Season 2 was an absolute blast. They slowed down the story a couple notches, better developed the world, enriching its history and expanding the world. Even the characters got lot more time to develop. Overall, I was really excited for Season 3.

I'll say this much - season 3 is exactly what you expect and MUCH more! I'll keep this spoiler free and just say that it was amazing. They improved the animation and the story, and the emotions. However, Rayllum seemed a little excessive, but apparently that's what the fans asked for.

In conclusion, I'll recommend everyone to give this show a try. Just be patient with the first season, and believe me, the journey will be worth it.

FOR THE AVATAR FANS: Yepp, this show is just what you were looking for. Amazing animation, great adventure, and of course Sokka's actor 😍. However, I'll say this - dragon Prince is much less episodic and more story based (kinda like season 3 of ATLA). Look out for Avatar references, there's quite a few 😉