Reviews

My sentiments regarding this show are pretty well summed up by most of the 1 to 3 star reviews. I used to think of Amazon as the potential No 2 after HBO Max - we still rewatch gems like Catastrophe & Red Oaks - there was a time 6-8 year ago where Amazon was doing really interesting projects with great people. That's changed.

Also, I should point out, not all, of the reviews echo my thoughts - I mean I don't think DEI had anything to do with this if you know the history of this project: Amazon just had Donald Glover on a 360 type development deal (same reason they put out his project 'Hive' not long before) along with Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who was originally meant to co-write and be Mrs. Smith opposite Glover, and both chose this project to work on together, but she dropped out due to "creative differences" lol.

This was a smart move by PWB if I've ever seen one, and it makes sense - I find PWB to be one of the most insufferable on-screen presences working right now, she is just nails on a chalkboard to us, but she's also, imo, one of the most brilliant young writers out there. Just look at what happened to Killing Eve soon as she left! I also didn't like Fleabag really, but can also recognize how good it was. So despite the paycheck, PWB still said "hell no I want no part of this garbage".

There enters, the actress whose charisma rates somewhere between a dead moth and a used Q-Tip. Should've known it was all downhill from there but because I have been a big fan of some of Glover's work - I find him VERY hit or miss, I love his soul/R&B music but hate his rapping (shout out to 'Palisades'), he was great on Community, and S1&2 of Atlanta was a revelation, before they got too high on their own supply and fell off a cliff - but he seems to be a little too into himself after the early success of Atlanta. Saying his show was 1B best of all time to Sopranos is just moronic and patently untrue (even as an NJ Italian I can't in good faith put Sopranos as a definitive without question No 1, but that's another topic) but it also showed where his head is at. I've found that when a writer or anyone involved in storytelling specifically starts talking that way, it usually doesn't end well. Criticism and editing are such a big part of the process, and thinking you're essentially the best ever just doesn't work.

Anyway I've rambled enough but now it's time to leave the bathroom so - yeah...don't watch this. I didn't finish the S1 but it was horrendous and I finish just about everything.

If you liked the Ted movies there's a 99% chance you'll like this series about the same, because it's really about as close to the movie as any series made after the fact has ever been. So often when a TV series is produced after a hit movie it's some watered down trash with limited involvement from the creatives that made it great. I think that's probably the big difference here, is that Seth is still heavily involved and also voicing Ted again. I personally found the movies just a little bit better, but they also didn't have to fill out 7 episodes, so with that taken into consideration I'd give them both a 7/10, which for me is a pretty high rating for a comedy TV series. Honestly for me this isn't a top tier comedy, it isn't even as funny as Family Guy which is somehow still hilarious, but it does capture a 90s type nostalgia in a way so many others try and fail, and that plus the fact that we actually have a good new comedy in 2024, when jokes are pretty much reserved for standup and podcasts, is pretty GD amazing. Hope it keeps running just like Family Guy.

Not because of the adult content, the pearl clutching in some of these reviews about how disgusting it is for a 32yr old & a 19yr old to hook up is ridiculous, they're two relatively young adults it's not like Woody Allen and his step daughter.

No, what's offensive to me is that this was billed as a throwback wild comedy in the vein of Superbad or The 40 Year Old Virgin, and other comedy classics of the 21st Century, when it's basically a badly directed and brand feature length version of an NBC sitcom. Maybe it's because of Stupnitsky's background in scripted sitcoms, but the entire movie just felt to me like it was a 90 min pilot for a bland new multi-cam sitcom. Declawed of anything truly funny or risky. This was the sterilized version of the "outrageous" comedy of its predecessors, all surface but not really saying anything funny or below the veneer like the aforementioned comps. Plus, the last 30 min is the worst part of the movie, which is a movie making sin that just can't be overlooked.

It's not ALL bad. Solid acting (although it's overshadowed by terrible directing often) and a good cast. There are a couple jokes that hit or are at least unique takes on a situation, but they stand out because they're so few and far between. Like when she implies the 2 bros at the party wanna screw each other to make fun of them and they turn it back on her in front of everyone that why would that be a bad thing - that was funny and a unique take on an old joke! There's like maybe one other instance like this but the rest is formulaic and neutered.

Anyway, it seems like some other reviewers with good taste like this movie so it does seemingly connect with some. I think what I would say re a recommendation would be - do you like those safe, simple NBC ensemble sitcoms that have the same look/feel, the ones that pop up every year and do the same kind of humor? If you do (and I'm not being insulting, I think it's like late night talk shows, some people find a comfort in simple, formulaic entertainment where they know what to expect and that's totally ok) then you'll probably enjoy it. Same if you like Hallmark movies. If you are hoping for a unique and fun comedy though similar to Superbad or any of that era, definitely skip it.

Especially for a fun guy whose dad is gay, this man just keeps getting better at standup. Most comedians I enjoy seem to hit a plateau when they get some fame, which is usually fine bc they're already very funny so as long as they stay at that level it's still great. Joe is a rarity though. I first saw him open for Louis CK back when Louis was doing arenas before the whole JO thing and he was solid enough where I remembered his name, which rarely happens for me with openers. I didn't think he had the potential to be great though, and I'm happy to say I was wrong. "I Hate Myself" popped up on my YouTube feed about 3 years ago and I couldn't believe this was the same guy I saw open for Louis a few years prior. "This Year's Material" was just as good, and "Enough for Everybody" is the best of the bunch. Even without a $15,000 sign behind his head, List delivers. It was one of those rare situations which I've only experienced with a few comics, where I kept checking to see how much time was left - not bc I was bored, but bc I was hoping there was still a lot of time left. I rarely write review for standup specials but this man isn't famous enough, so as a lover of great standup let me tell you - watch this special and become a fan, you won't be disappointed.

I knew that this was a complete fabrication coming in, so I'm sure that negatively affected my experience, but this was like if one of those bad ABC sitcoms was turned into a feature length movie. The general style it's directed in, the cuts and the way it's edited, the voiceover (which isn't actually bad in this case it's more in concert with everything else), some of the acting it's all just so hammed up and cheap.

Maybe this is a piece of high art and the team behind it is trying to say something about the high calorie, enjoyable, but unhealthy and ultimately empty snacks this movie deals with, but I doubt that haha.

This movie can also be weirdly a little racist at times in how it depicts just about every white character. I'm the furthest thing from a MAGA conservative there is and I usually roll my eyes when certain people complain about this stuff but I'm not gonna lie I really got a weird sense of it especially in the first half of this movie. Plus, I won't tolerate any cool ranch slander. The irony is the Mexicans and Peruvians in my family prefer cool ranch to Flamin hot we just had a whole thing last new years where we ran out of cool ranch Doritos 20 min into the party so that whole scene about how Latin people don't like those flavors was ironic.

On the positive side though this movie isn't all bad, despite feeling like a cancelled post-Young Sheldon extended pilot episode. The pacing, which imo is one of the most overlooked aspect of movie making the last few years (affected by limited constraints in the streaming era, I think) is excellent, and Jesse Garcia is absolutely fantastic. I wasn't very familiar with him but I do hope to see him in more. I thought at first he was just one more like a lot of the cast playing the he happy go lucky guy from a lost rough background who finds ambition but the scene with his father and the pastor and how quickly he switched between that and rage...to me that was one of the few highlights of this film. Jeez though the supporting cast won't be nominated for any Oscars anytime soon though, it gets rough sometimes.

Anyway, I'd say skip this unless you just want background noise while doing something at home, something you can check in and out of. If they stuck to the original story it would've had much more value as a movie even with the cheesy sitcom format but they didn't, so it doesn't...

I honestly would've given S3 a 5/10 overall up until this point, I thought it lost what made this show special, at least from my own personal POV. Strange pacing, social issues (almost all of which I agree with, mind you) stuffed into storylines in a way that came off as preachy, Nate redeeming some pretty horrible behavior by making a box with colored construction paper and writing an apology note to one guy, so much time spent away from the team/pitch and the setting that allows the characters to shine, etc etc

So I didn't have much hope for this finale, especially since we knew the ending already from news reports earlier in the season about Sudeikis and the show's future.

Well, they completely surprised me with what turned out to be one of the best episodes of Ted Lasso so far. A lot of the messy storylines were resolved quickly but they more importantly were resolved satisfyingly. Most of the episode spent with the team on the pitch or in the locker room or everyone else in the owners box and office. We got the Diamond dogs again, probably the funniest ongoing gag imo, and best of all the social issues included (which were fewer than S3 usual) all fit the plot perfectly and didn't stick out.

It's bittersweet, because it will make me miss the show yes, but also bittersweet because this episode showed the writers still had this in them, the ability to recapture what made the show special early on, and it's almost a cautionary tale of what not to do. Luckily though, just like Nate, we got a last minute redemption at the end.

I'm a big fan of Mark Rober, sure not all of his YouTube videos are great but a large percentage of them are and some of them are downright classics (squirrel obstacle courses, stolen package revenge, Indian scam caller revenge, etc.), and I don't know a ton about him but he does seem like a great guy who truly cares about getting young people to think like scientists and understand the world on a deeper level. Sure he makes money while doing it which another reviewer mentioned (as if that's a bad thing) but it's not like he's mining for Tungsten in a developing nation, he's doing something good, he deserves to make some cash!

Anyway, as for Revengineers, I was excited when I saw this on HBO Max (or whatever they've changed their name to this week). Mark Rober with an HBO budget? Sounds awesome, especially since his revenge videos are often his best.

Well, I watched a couple (the two most interesting sounding) and they were about 10x worse than his most boring YT video. Mark and his diversity crew (which would be cool if they actually hired great people from different backgrounds, but it seems like they were much more interested in checking boxes than anything else, besides Alan). It's clear these people aren't actually doing much and are more so glorified hosts. One of them is "an artist and welder", not sure what that has to do with engineering and science besides her being the "attractive" one.

All of that wouldn't really matter if the show was great though...but it's not, it's terrible!! They take about literally 2 minutes worth of actual content and stretch it to over 20. The production is grating and unwatchable essentially, with loud transitions, quick cutaways and editing, obnoxious graphics, and the dialogue and presentation which comes off completely fake and scripted (when they're, for example, supposed to be discussing someone's innovation or project - just talk about it! Who wants it to seem like the person is hiding their secret invention from Mark?! All of this just done to extend run time).

Just take the bike theft episode. We get 4 different bikes (including Mark's) with fun ways to deter theft. Each scene with the theft and the bike doing something to backfire on the thief takes about 15-20 seconds each. That's it! They only do it to one person each. Only Alan's really works as planned. They don't engage the person who tried to steal it (despite being right there), they don't try to get multiple people, they don't try to make a commentary or discuss one of the many POVs about why this is happening, and worst of all the pranks are just terrible. Other than Alan's (the bike separated into 2) the rest aren't even inconveniences. You steal a bike and the back tire locks...omg how will you recover?! Ofc the person just drops the bike and leaves.

Skip this unless they drastically improve and completely change it for S2.

I rounded up from a 7.5/10 but I think this is closer to an 8 than a 7 if I had to pick. I watch A LOT of movies and TV, I travel for work and also bring my iPad every time I hit the treadmill etc, if you look my background I'm def not a shill and I'm not someone who goes around giving out high ratings to everything (nothing annoys me on IMDb more than the overuse of 1s & 10s lately). I feel the need to say all of this because despite being critically acclaimed the IMDb score on this movie now sits at a 6.0/10 which is just absurd to me!

Sure this wasn't a perfect movie, but for someone who knew absolutely nothing about it going into it, I was pleasantly surprised in a way I hadn't been in a really long time. Part of that is probably bc 90%+ of the time I know what to expect, so there aren't a lot of opportunities for surprise, but regardless it was a really rewarding experience.

A few things I really enjoyed: -Sound & Score: someone else here complained about the score (some of it seemed like real techno music but it was mostly original from what I can tell via Shazam) which was really great in helping to create a lonely but something is kind of off feeling. My fav movie of all time is 1979 Alien, and while ofc this movie isn't close to that, one thing they do is use the score perfectly to create the mood and sounds to build tension and keep you off kilter. It's just something I love in a movie personally and you don't get a lot of it, it's very hard to pull off even if it might sound Easy.

-Setting: this movie is set in Thailand but they used it in a really unique way. I've seen movies and shows (especially travel non fiction) set in Thailand and it always feels the same for the most part - hectic Bangkok at night, food stalls, seedy bars with prostitution, etc. Here we see a different side of Thailand though - the high-end resorts and beaches in less populated areas, luxury, the way they shot some of of the tourists transport to make it feel more lonely/ominous..really cool stuff.

-Plot: since I watch a lot and read a lot I think I'm usually pretty good at predicting what's going to happen. I have to admit, I did predict the very last thing that happens in the movie, since the clues were laid out for that to happen. Just about everything else though I did not see coming. Kind of a genre bender at times between Horror, Thriller, and Travel which I thought the tonal shifts really worked, again something that usually doesn't.

-Acting: I personally thought most of the acting was ok nothing great or bas - except for the girl who played CW (birth mark face) I thought she was fantastic. Especially early on when we see her Modulate her personality with the second influencer she meets. I think we will see her again.

So what are the negatives then? I would say the one thing I could've used even a couple of more pieces of exposition about, and I think they easily could've been weaved in through us seeing something on the laptop screen or subtext from an out of context comment by CW to someone - is to know a little more about her backstory. Unless I missed it I really didn't feel like I knew anything about why she did what she did or how she started doing it or why she was in Thailand or if she had any hard lessons in the past etc. It seems like she had being doing this for a long time but then other clues make it seem like she hasn't while other other clues make it seem like she is super experienced and even just like 2-3 more min total run time in this movie, you could still maintain the mystery but with a couple of details to make the character more compelling. I think what some writers forget sometimes is that over explaining or too much exposition is bad and kills the viewers imagination and the mystery in a story like this - but not enough can make the character feel less compelling and a little more flat, generic, or archetypical but not in a good way - more like a cartoon bad than a real person forged from lived experience.

Anyway, I definitely recommend this to anyone who likes unsettling movies, movies shot in atypical locations, etc. Worth a watch

I would compare it to the movie Drive with Ryan Gosling in its feel. Drive is a better movie but they definitely share some DNA especially when it comes to the use of sound and music.

When I saw this show in an article about 2023's top 50 anticipated new series and the cast involved I was very excited for it. Not a huge Pete Davidson fan per se but I usually like him in just about everything he's done outside of SNL (and his stand-up, which is lukewarm at best), he seems to really have a self-effacing quality that, to me at least, makes him more endearing than cringeworthy.

I think the combo of his own writing though, combined with no stronger director or producer at the helm (like king of Staten Island, guided by Apatow, who regardless of what your opinion might be has a LONG track record of being able to get the best out of comedic actors) prevents this from reaching a place that's anywhere above mediocre, at best.

I was hoping for something akin to Dave, a show that is MUCH better than it has any business being because it combines the "bits of true life" storytelling with well-paced, well-shot, hit-all-the-dramatic-beats structure to really make it pop.

Bupkis (terrible name for a series, btw) doesn't really have any of that though, besides the true life nuggets, but instead of being dramatized to effect into compelling story and characters, it just slowly meanders without saying much of anything at all.

A great show can really benefit from tonal range, but when there's really no core or heart to go back to, opening up with a guy nutting on his mom's shirt just feels like one of those American Pie spin-offs with no name actors. Fine, if that's the show you wanna make, that could be funny, but to then shift to a storyline about his grandfather being his best friend and with a terminal illness, it takes skill to pull that off and the people involved here unfortunately just don't have it.

Joe Pesci is an American treasure, but his character here is so boring, he just drops a ton of F bombs and says inappropriate things, again feeling like a character from American Pie: Staten Island, not a prestige TV comedy drama. Like I mentioned I really wanted to like this show, it's about an area I live near and have family from, an all star cast, a lead actor I like, a premise that could be fun or interesting, but it's none of the above.

I made it to the end of episode 6 and I think I've slightly laughed maybe 4-5 times total. On the other hand, this show's drama hasn't made me feel anything, I don't particularly care about these characters or their fates bc it's played like such a cheesy comedy half the time without the dramatic beats to balance it.

I give it a 5 because it's not more recycled IP, but really closer to a 4 which I never would've expected coming into it...

This is more of a review of S3 up until this point but I can't believe how interesting this show has gotten. To me it's the total inverse of Atlanta, a show that Dave will inexorably be compared to for obvious reasons. I loved S1 and S2 of Atlanta but it was like they lost what made the show special (imo at least) and got too high on their own stuff, ultimately feeling disjointed and uneven with moments with some very high peaks but a lot of low troughs. That's how I would describe Dave S1 & S2, the Benny Blanco stuff for example, I found hard to watch at times it was just boring. Same with the Kareem episode which felt like Dave got Kareem to agree to work with him so he had to shoehorn something in.

S3 of Dave, however, has just been all highs, culminating with this strange but brilliant episode. The horror vibe of it and everything with Gata, I would say the only downside is that sometimes episodes like this seem like they could benefit from 15 min more runtime...but then again they did that with Ted Lasso S3 and it's been a pacing disaster so who knows. Either way, Dave S2 to S3 has been one of the biggest jumps in quality I've experienced with a show in a long time season to season, usually the change is what we saw with Atlanta when the stars get too big and the writers lose the thread of what made them special but here it's been just the opposite and I never thought I would say this but I like S3 of Dave MUCH more than S3 of Atlanta (1 & 2 are still sacred though).

When I first heard of We Are Lady Parts I thought it sounded interesting and fresh. I'm an American white guy but I also grew up in one of the most diverse areas of the world (outer suburbs of NYC) and I think that experience has always driven me towards seeking novelty and different perspectives. I thought this would be that, but honestly, it really feels like just about any other mainstream British sitcom/comedy with a slightly different hook. It's like they took the template, put it in an idea generator, and selected the female and Muslim options.

It's fine, it's absolutely not bad in any way shape or form, and there are some very talented people involved in this. Im also glad that some people really seem to enjoy this show, so I'm glad it exists (although the trend on IMDb of everything being a 1 or 10 is getting old fast) for the people that love it, but unfortunately I wasn't one of those people. There's so much great material to mine here from the crossover of music and Islam in a Western society and the female perspective, yet it all just ends up feeling so...bland.

To be honest when I first saw this movie I didn't love it. I thought it was a bit of a waste of a fantastic cast, and I expected something much more serious and much less goofy/farcical. With repeat viewings though I've grown to love this movie, the light tone of it makes for a great rewatchable, but everything about the confusion and misinformation and data leaks and obsession with physical appearance and using the internet to hide your intentions/who you are it all works orders of magnitude better in 2023 than it did in 2007 when this was filmed. Also, this cast was great at the time, but a lot of the lesser known cast members have gone on to do much more since, which really adds to the whole thing. There's a lot more I could say about this movie but I think it's just best to give it a watch, and just know that it's much more Fargo/A Serious Man than than No Country For Old Men. All 3 of those movies are in my top 25 so there's no good/bad, I just think knowing this going in will vastly improve your experience.

I kept seeing this advertised as being from those who created/brought us Westworld, but unless I'm misunderstanding, Lisa Joy & Jonathan Nolan are only co-exec producers of 2 episodes? Maybe that's a good thing though, because the first two episodes are great on paper, but for me they're just missing a little something. I feel the same way about Westworld after S1, on paper it should be one of my favorite things of all-time, it checks all the boxes, but Westworld just feels empty and like it's missing the mark often times.

But then again, I'm being extremely nitpicky, but only because I expect greatness from these shows. They have the budget, the source material (more so here than WW), the great casts, great VFX teams, etc. But there's just something a little flat about them at times. It's so rare that we get sci-fi that isn't fantasy masquerading as sci-fi (i.e. Star Wars, how are people not sick of Star Wars IP by now!? No matter how much you loved the originals) that I think I hold them to a much higher standard.

So long story short, I want to give this a 10, a vote with my Amazon account and my imdb rating (if that even matters) towards more original content like this, but to me it's an 8 because it doesn't quite live up to what it could be so far. I'm hoping I end up eating my words though and it just gets better and better as it goes.

On a side note wtf is with these horrible Southern accents? Regional accents decrease pretty drastically each generation as we get more connected and influenced by each other's speech patterns, especially in the US. Not sure a young woman who spends so much time online and gaming would talk like a cast member of Deliverance, but it is what it is lol.

****update, dropping this to a 5/10 and that's being generous, they took a great premise and ran it into the ground with convolution and an inability to handle the bigger themes.

Actually what I mean is watching these final few episodes of BCS just makes me very sad, not just because this all-time great writing, which has inspired me to feel actual connection and care about fictional characters whose lives are falling part...but because it just shows how bad 99.9 percent of TV and movies are in 2022

Sure BB/BCS would always be the elite of the elite in any era, but I felt like back with BB we had other classics in the making like Mad Men, the excitement of early seasons TWD (even though I stopped watching after S4, early on it was great), GoT in it's prime seasons, SO much more. Same goes for movies.

What do we have now though? Succession, although I would say even though I absolutely love that show it's not on the level of any of those I mentioned except TWD. A couple other smaller niche shows, and then just mountains of recycled IP garbage like all of this Marvel magic man in tights BS that I got the initial appeal of but if you're still excited about Marvel releases idk what to say to you. Same goes for the ever expanding DC, Star Wars, etc etc universes. Never mind the cultural messages that have been worked into almost everything, especially those on Netflix and other platforms...and to be fair I agree with a lot of the underlying goals of them, but I just don't want them in place of story and character.

Anyway, everyone else said a lot about the episode, so I just want to say I hope this inspires original creations and slow burn, classic storytelling to be created and green lit by studios because wow, when this is gone, we will be in a quality content Death Valley.

Not my fav episode of the show but easily top 10. I don't have much to add that hasn't been said.

What I did want to point out is just how funny some of these 1 and 2 star reviews are. Everyone is entitled to an opinion ofc, and I could definitely see how this isn't everyone's thing, but the manic incel energy from some of these reviews, I am almost shocked by the anger and the way some of them are written haha. Do yourself a favor, scroll down and read some for a few minutes of entertainment. I always find it very interesting too when some of these people's histories are 90%+ of 1 & 2 star reviews. Must be such a strange way to go through life.

Reading some of these reviews. It's really interesting to read some of the dissenting 1s or 2s on a show with a 9/10 average, it's funny how some people can just completely miss the concept. "This isn't a comedy!" as if there's only one way to do this. Everyone doesn't have to like the same things but there's no world in which this is a 1/10, just even considering the execution, originality, ambition, etc. Then again we live in a world where every moron has a voice now and 90% of new movies are people prancing around in costumes pretending to have magic powers so maybe I shouldn't be surprised. One of the low reviews hates the second half of Better Call Saul's final season, another loved The Gray Man but hated Sicario, another I assume is basically a real life version of The Simpsons Comic Book Man...so it's not like we are dealing with anyone you'd likely trust for recommendations but I still think it's really interesting, since I always wonder how some of the completely cheesey new shows on HBO Max or Netflix get picked up for second seasons and I forget how many mouth breathers are out there. At least the small audience who has watched this so far has loved it, and hopefully we get many more seasons. Along with Saul, Succession, Barry, a couple others, it's one of the few bright spots on TV at the moment.

...of several reasons. One of which is if you look back at the house 2015 reviews, 7+ years ago for many, they're about how Hill and Franco are so miscast as a serious writer and a charismatic creep. Well it's 2022 now and Jonah Hill, hate him or love him, has proven he is a very fine character actor and has aptitude for writing/directing as well, while Franco is basically a confirmed creep who is still somewhat charismatic. So, unlike many movies where it's the opposite, a lead's career or image has changed in a way that takes you out of it, I feel like this movie was maybe a 6.5 or so in 2015 (also just bc movies have gotten so much worse overall since) but bc of the context as well it's now a 7.5 or so imo

One other thing worth mentioning, and I'll say this without spoilers, but some mentioned the ending being unclear regarding Longo's actions. Please - any of you who said that please do not go outside without your special helmet and chaperone, bc I have no idea how the ending is unclear to anyone in any way.

Overall, this was a solid character study with some interesting elements and good performances by the leads. You could do worse with your movie choice, especially because of the relatively low run time.

No one is going to accuse this as being Oscar worthy, but I definitely recommend it.

In a more capable studio or directors hands this could've been a 9 but it's barely a 6. Great cast, massive budget, ok premise, amazing locations yet it somehow is just flat. Some of my fav movies are action (Heat, Aliens, T2, Sicario, etc) but this is just missing any of the weight or originality those have. That said it gets a 6 for not being more super hero garbage. They're like zombies, they were fun for a couple of years now they're played out like hammer pants, hopefully this is a trend back towards original concepts, even if they are super simple.

I see a lot of Shameless comparisons in the comments bc of the setting & lead but to me the comparisons end there. Shameless had a great cast and could be fun and engaging at times, but ultimately it was much more of a shock comedy with some dramatic elements. As it went on it really just became a cartoon about people with various issues and inter-generational problems.

The Bear on the other hand is much more prestige TV style storytelling and elite level directing with some comedy occasionally peppered in. I wouldn't even put it in the same league as Shameless. To me it's closer to Barry or even early Better Call Saul (ofc I mean where BCS was in S1, not the all time great it became). Let's see if like BCS, this can find itself and evolve into an all time great TV show.

The directing and production design and attention to detail which is part of what makes those shows great is already there, some very compelling characters and story as well, really they just need to continue to build and improve over time and this show could be near or in the pantheon. This show does something which is very difficult and not many do - which is why I say it can be an all time great. It slowly and effectively gives you crumbs of info, ratchets up the tension consistently, always leaves you wanting more, but most importantly - it delivers. There are so many shows that start off this way and then fly off the rails. The Bear is one of the rare few that in S1 already know how to walk this tight rope. That's why I say it can develop into something truly great.

If that's too wordy, then for any NBA fans this is how I would describe it - right now this show is like a raw rookie who just had an all-rookie season on a middling team. Let's see if he can develop into an MVP and take them deep into the playoffs over the next few seasons. It looks like it has the tools and support system to make that happen, and I can't wait to see more...

When I heard there was a new Beavis & Butt-Head movie my first thought was "why?". I was young during the initial early seasons and found some of it mildly amusing but never loved them like some others did. I thought B&BH Do America was not very good either.

This movie was genuinely hilarious though. Mike Judge has definitely improved as a writer, and I laughed out loud at least 10 times watching this next to a sleeping person alone at night. I would've rated it higher but it does drag at the end, but rating purely based on humor alone its more like an 8+. If you're skeptical like I was, definitely check it out!

I give this show a solid 8 maybe even a little better so I consider myself a big Barry fan but I am honestly shocked that this is the highest rated episode of the show. This might've been our least fav episode of S3. Had a few great scenes but just didn't really connect emotionally. The one thing that might have was NoHo Hank but the whole jungle cat thing just came off as a joke that didn't work.

I find myself not caring at all about the Jim Moss stuff either, even though I love the actor and Bunny was a top 5 Wire character for me. I do think he will be extremely good in S4 though so I'm very happy he's here, but I don't know this final did not do it for me at all as well as the people I've watched it with.

I'm looking forward to S4 bc this season was pretty amazing other than this ep and ep2 but I do hope it doesn't go full drama bc Barry is at its best when the dialogue is played more for comedy than drama, but the action scenes are played 100% seriously. Just one person's humble opinion though...

Also, I have to say it, comparing this show to Breaking Bad is heresy...please with the Ozymandiws/To'haijallee comps!

Moronic! I find it to be a ridiculous sentiment that if you don't like this show its because you need mindless action. I generally prefer slower series/movies you'll see from my rating history on iMDb, not to mention a HUGE Sci-Fi fan, yet this series didn't work for me or my wife at all.

The problem is that they took one of my fav character actors (JK Simmons) and several other excellent performers (Spacek, Adamczyk, etc.), plus a frankly brilliant premise, and somehow turned it into some thing that became so boring and convoluted it became a chore to finish the show. This wasn't Sci-Fi, it was a family drama mixed with some suspense/chase elements towards the end. What else was really Sci-Fi about this besides the Yorks' "bunker" which was basically out of play most of the series for reasons I won't spoil. By the 2nd half of the series I basically forgot that this was anything other than a show about grief and searching. That would be great if it was combined with unexpected plot development or the exploration of certain ideas via the Sci-Fi elements but no - none of this needed to be Sci-Fi, it was just tacked on to trick viewers into thinking its something more exciting than it is.

I will say that S02 was set-up to be quite interesting, but with all of the religious elements introduced, I'm not super excited about the direction of that either.

Oh well, at least it wasn't more Marvel or Star Wars IP. I'm happy it was a unique story outside of any existing franchise - and for that (plus some of the acting and locations) it deserves 5/10 stars.

I absolutely loved the first season of this as do the people I watched it with but we all found this to be ironically...hacky. Not the fact that Deborah's jokes were from her old hacky act but rather just how bland and broad this episode was. This season hasn't felt as fresh as last but this was the first episode where it felt like they were really faltering. Hopefully that changes soon bc S1 was fantastic.

Love this season overall so far at the half way point but this was the only one that I found to be just boring and at the time I was worried about the quality of the show after the break. Now I know it's better than ever but re watching this episode I stand by my stance that this was mediocre TV on a show that's typically dark, hilarious, and with writing as tight as you'll find. The Sally/Barry abuse stuff I just am not feeling, it just doesn't work for me. Barry is a psycho and I know he's having a breakdown but it just doesn't vibe with everything that happened before. Maybe this is a bad take and I'm wrong, but that's not how I feel right now. It just feels a bit unearned. Otherwise though, still one of the best show of the 2020s and I look fwd to it every week. They can't all be winners!

My opinion was a little unpopular, but I found ep1 & 2 to be a little off and just overall bland, not up to typical Barry standard, in my own humble opinion at least. I personally don't love the Barry/Sally abuse storyline, idk to me it just feels a bit forced when looked at in the context of Barry's previous behavior around her, even though I know the writing on this show is brilliant and they've been setting the groundwork for this to at least be a possibility since S2.

My point is though, besides that (which still isn't bad by any means) I feel like this show is now two weeks in a row, 10/10 firing on all cylinders. The writing and the comedy is as good as it's ever been and these last two episodes have been disappointingly short... at least that's how they felt. Can't wait to see where this all goes, the set-ups for where the story is going is just edge of your seat stuff...and Hader, just wow, I didn't know he had these performances in him!