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Reviews
The Blacklist: The Skinner (No. 45) (2021)
Airplane mode
Come on Aram. If you have an important meeting like that use airplane mode for crying out loud. That scene wasn't very convincing to me.
Apart from that. Bit dull episode. After the opening with Dembe it takes almost half of it's runtime before the tempo picks up again and then still.
But Aram (apart from the phone thing), Dembe en Red were solid as always.
Good scene with Ressler and Red at the end made it a 6/10.
And yeah, unlike the other characters, I really hope Ressler will keep this haircut with beard. But I highly doubt it. It gives him somehow a bit more character than being some pretty one dimensional smooth boy. Never really liked his character, but the beard was good for a change.
The Last of Us: Endure and Survive (2023)
Bit too Hollywoodesque, otherwise perfect
I'm not familair with the game so the ending was a big shock for me. Overall the story of Sam and Henry was as perfect at is could be, just like Bill and Frank.
So why is it 'just' an 8? Well, because of the Kathleen story which could have worked out well, but wasn't convincing at all. Also the part with the fungizombies was a bit too contrived, too much deus ex-machina, just overdone as a Hollywood-production. Too bad, cause like I said, the story of Sam & Henri is told beautifully.
Also, I hope this doesn't mean that every nice character that Joel and Ellie run into will die. Cause we've seen Tess, Bill, Frank, Sam and Henri die now. Would be nice if some of the next compagnons lasts more than 1 or 2 episodes. Or that they leave the duo without dying.
House of the Dragon: Second of His Name (2022)
An enemy that doesn't speak
So, we had GoT a couple of years ago as some of you will remember, where one of the big critiques was that by the end we didn't know anything about the motivations of the Night King because he didn't speak at all during the series.
And now episode 3 of its prequel HotD there is a leader/enemy that doesn't speak and so we don't know his real motivations. Come on, you can do better. Give them a voice, let them tell their stories. Otherwise I tend to care less.
Episode started a bit slow. It got better towards the end. The battle on itself was great, although plot armor was present on the battlefield as well.
The Umbrella Academy: Auf Wiedersehen (2022)
Finally
This show has been mediocre at best. I just couldn't feel invested in the show. The characters are pretty blend. I don't like the way 5 and Klaus are portrayed (overacted). Luther is ok but they make him stupid for - bad - jokes and Diego is just... well empty...
Vanja/Victor and Ben have some nice mystery and Alisson is the only really interesting one for me. She's more layered, more real, more a person than all the others.
But my biggest problem with the show is: the problem is so badly defined, so hollow. 'The end of the world' and
'the apocalyps'. And that's pretty much all we have to deal with. That is so generic, so uninspired and so for me as a viewer so meaningless. Because of that I miss depth in this show. But I kept watching because... well I don't know.
Anyway, I liked this episode and especially because of the Alisson-Victor-conflict. I think the scene in the beginning of the episode has been the first one in two seasons that really got me on the edge of my seat. That was tension, emotion. More of that please
Bit disappointing though that Victor just came back down after Ben came looking for him. That took a bit away from the.gravity of the fight.
Also the rest of the episode wasn't that bad, they're finally working together, so yeah 8/10.
Broadchurch: Episode #3.8 (2017)
Just a horny dude
For me it was a bit of a let down that there was no real reason for the rape of Trish or any of the others.
I had a scenario in my mind that I was really, really hoping for. That Cath found out who Jim was cheating on her with and she raped all those women with a strap-on or something as a sort of revenge act.
But no, it was just a horny dude, who wanted to feel power every once in a while.
The 100: The Last War (2020)
Where did that come from?
It's always a bit of a downer when the climax of a show is 'battle' with someone/something that wasn't ever mentioned before the last season. I like it in a way, that it comes down to some of the keyphrases of the show: We try to do better, I'll bear it so they don't have to and some others. It gave a nice overview of all the choices Clarke and the others had to make.
But why is that test with some mystic not really explained judger of human kind that wasn't even mentioned until halfway season 7? Had a bit of Dexter-vibes, when in season 8 out of nowhere Dr. Evelyn Vogel shows up to explain everything about him. I'm not a fan of those out of nowhere of take-overs. I loved the fact that the Second Dawn/Cadogan was introduced this season after they were mentioned just a couple of times in season 3 or 4 or something. I like those kind of subtle foreshadowing, but not this. Also, the transcending magic of whatever it may be felt not like it belonged in this show.
A part from that I liked the ending scene I loved the fact that they brought (a fake) Lexa back for this episode and that they end up in a setting exactly the way Clarke imagined it in the very first episode.
Still have the feeling they could have done so much more with s7. There was so much going on that wasn't really interesting. Also this episode wasn't really excecuted to perfection. It felt rushed, especially the Sheidheda plot. I never was a fan of his storyline - and I think I'm not the only one - but if you make it an important storyline, at least give some more weight to ending it. Now it was just: Bang! Zoof! Dead! What's next?
FYI: English is not my first language.
Ratched (2020)
Instand love
No a bad show, not the best either. But why do multipe couples fall in instead for-ever love in just a couple of weeks. That's just not how life works. There is almost no built-up in their love stories, which makes it hard for me to care for them as a couple.
The 100: A Sort of Homecoming (2020)
Weird
This was a weird episode. It felt off brand. Maybe the worst episode of the hole series just saved by the invisible Sheiheda scenes.
The 100: Blood Giant (2020)
The 100 at it's finest
Was it written to perfection? No, not at all. But Clarke killing Bellamy is in a way The 100 it's finest. The impossible choices she had to make along the road it has been more dramatic. From Mount Weather, to killing her 'own mother' and now the grand finale chosing between Madi en Bellamy. An impossible choice.
I didn't expect Clarke to shoot, cause somehow in my mind since season 3-4 Clarke, Bellamy, Raven and Murphy were safe to make it to the end. In a weird way I hoped one of them wouldn't survive season 7. And then when Nikki was about to kill Raven, she decided to let her live with her sins. Leaving me thinking it wasn't going to happen anymore this season, and then just 15 minutes later... bang! They caught my off-guard. In a way I think that is brilliant.
The excecution could have been way better though. I mean, why are the sketches that important? It would give this scene so much more meaning if knew what was going on with the book. I mean, Clarke knows, but we don't. So somehow you miss the emotional connection and tension to this scene to realy make it count. Even if they explain in the next epsiode(s), it would have been better for us to already knew about it's meaning. That would have made the scene so much more emotional and understandable to watch. I think that is the biggest problem with the last scene.
*English is not my first langague, hope you understand.
The 100: A Little Sacrifice (2020)
What's up with all the slomo's?
Suddenly there were dramatic slomo's everywhere in the last 15 minutes. What was that all about. Also the fight scene between Indra and Sheiheda was filmed like the cameraman was drunk.
Apart from that a good episode, although the dialogue in the last scene could have been better.
The Umbrella Academy (2019)
Not as good as I hoped.
Maybe there will be explained a lot in the second season, but so far...
I think it's weird that Pogo was killed. Could have been a way more interesting character, than he was. For me the death characters Pogo, Reginald Hargreaves, Ben are more interesting than most of the ones alive. So I hope they give Klaus a lot of 'talking with the dead' time next season.
The other thing, question, that I'm having is: how did they know the first time that they had to fight the apocalypse? Assuming that the first time Five couldn't have helped them and couldn't have hand them the name of Jenkins, how would they even know that there was an apocalypse on the way?
That might be question that the second season will answer, but the main thing that I was frowned by, is that Reginald Hargreaves didn't even bother to listen to Harold Jenkins. At the start of the series the voice-over says that Hargreaves did: 'locate and adopt as MANY of the children as possible.' For me that implies that all the children born on that date could have special powers. So why wouldn't he even listen if a boy came up to him to tell him he was born on te same day? That felt quite strange.
Oh yeah, and I think 7 out 43 is a bit low. Assuming that all the women didn't plan to have a child, were pregnant for not even a day - so got no time to prepare anything financially or whatever - sometimes even were teenagers (as you can see in the first scene) and were offered pretty much all the money they could wish for if they would give up their unwanted, unexpected child. I think 7 out of 43 is a bit unrealistic. I hope the second season (I don't know the books) tells us something about the other 36 (or 35, cause we've seen Jenkins already).
The good: definitely episode 8 with the Vanya/Alisson-interaction. That Alisson told the rumour to Vanya was pretty damn great, with an amazing twist, and stands out for me. Character development of Klaus and Luther has also been pretty good. Diego was a bit more like you would expect, Five... I don't know what to think about him. But he has some funny elements in him. Nice how the season started and ended with Vanya playing the violin.
Not a major fan of the end: go back and try to save the world again - for the third time from exactly the same thing. But if it is done properly can turn out great. Altough, all they pretty much have to do is just go back in time a bit. Talk to Vanya before see meets Jenkins (or even before their father dies), admit that see is special, that she is one of them, and embrace here. Then it should be solved. Can't be that hard. Right?
One last thing: the fighting scenes could have been better. Acting is also not outstanding. But in these kind of series I mind a little less about that.
24: Day 8: 3:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. (2010)
Weird character development messed up season 8 for me
Season 8 had some good parts, but I also got some problems with it. Mainly the storylines of Renee and Jack don't add up for me.
First Renee. In s7 we learn that she at first is loathed by the way Jack sometimes tortures his suspects. She is horrified by most of his actions. This season it is told that years before s7 she was undercover with some Russian mobsters. She was abused herself and I guess based on what we get to learn about Laitanan I think that see has seen some terrible things during that undercover period. Ofcourse, there is a difference between seeing a criminal or an agent using violence like that. But it still feels weird that she - of all the agents Jack ran into during his years - had the most problems with his actions. I was a big fan of Jack and Renee their arguments in s7, but after s8 they somehow feel less believeable.
The bigger problem for me is Jack's storyline in the second part of s8. We start the season with a genuine happy Jack. He is with his daughter and granddaughter. He finally has a normal life. He gets sucked into one last task, just before they leave for LA.
Then, when he and Renee are pretty much done with everything in NYC, Renee gets killed. Ok, I get that Jack had growing feelings for her and therefore is upset and angry. But let's look at the facts. Renee had been ignoring his messages between s7 and s8, so this was only the second time they were ever together. Literally all the interactions they've ever had, we've seen them on screen. I just don't buy it that Jack then just goes on a suicide mission like this, knowing that he jeopardize his happy future with Kim and Teri, just to revenge a girl he didn't even really know; he couldn't even answer basic questions from the doctor about Renee. Even more important: He even endangered Kim and Teri by his actions - as he seems to realize himself in the last scene - that's some outrageous spudity from the character Jack, since keeping Kim safe and happy always had been his number 1 priority. And that shouldn't have been reduced after she kinda saved his live at the end of s7. He even seemed to be more reckless and ruthless than Tony in s7. And Tony literally had lost everything: the love of his live, the woman he was married to and had known for years, and let's not forget his unborn son.
They made a mess out of it and for me that is a huge dissapointment.
Nice end scene with Chloe though, some nice politics and Logan is someone you love to hate. Great work on that part.
24: Day 8: 6:00 a.m.-7:00 a.m. (2010)
Good episode, but that last escape... No, I don't buy it.
Sorry, but I don't buy it that the terrorists got Hassan to switch cars.
1. How did the other car get in that garage? I mean I get that they have back-up plans, but this seemed to be pretty improvised as Tarin seemed totally suprised that CTU was ambushing him. So how did that car get there in like a minute? Everything needed to be timed and organized perfectly.
2. When did they make the switch? There was just no time for it. Don't forget that Hassan was handcuffed to the dashboard. There is no way they could have done that.
It's something that 24 has a bit to often: scences that are just to unrealistic when it's not even necessary.
24: Day 7: 5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. (2009)
Stupid mistake
Come on Jack... you knew the FBI had been compromised and you gave the most important drive of the world to a random FBI-agent.
Chloe, Larry... they knew they where watched and they went on with it anyway. Apart from that, great episode. Especially the Renee-Jack-scene at the end.
Once Upon a Time (2011)
Season 7 would be better as a spin-off
The show could have been a lot better when it comes to CGI and sometimes the acting isn't brilliant, but that's all forgiven because it's just a very entertaining concept with some brilliant writing. The best were the first few seasons, but 5 & 6 weren't bad either.
But then season 7 came along and I instantly felt... no... this isn't for me. It would've been better if they just ended OUAT there. Enjoy the succes and maybe try to make a spin-off with a different title, but not like this. This reflects badly on the first 6 seasons, which were not perfect, but definitely entertaining enough for 8 stars.
24: 11:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m. (2002)
Great final
Great final with an amazing twist at the end.
Though I have one complaint.
Kim's escape (also episode 1.23). Is she an amazing swim talent or anything, that she can stay that long under water while untying her wrists and then make sure that she's out of sight when she comes up? Would be better if she 'just' escaped while running. Probably added as a bit of action to make it more dramatic, even more, but not at all believable.
Also in hindsight I have a bit of questions about Nina earlier in the season. Like informing her supiriors that Jack was heading to the compound.
But still, amazing first season. Hope there will be more like this. (Yeah I'm late to the party).
Breaking Bad (2008)
Don't feel the need to keep watching
Can't say that it's bad or anything, but somehow it doesn't get me. I gave it multiple attempts because everyone keeps telling me that it is an amazing show, but it's doesn't take over my mind. It doesn't make me wanna watch te show for hours straight and do nothing else, so I'm still somewhere in the beginning of season 2. I think I just missed the trigger for this one.
The 100: Nakara (2020)
Claven anyone?
Good episode, I especially liked the parts on Nakara and Bardo.
But most important: anyone else got the idea that Clarke and Raven might end up together?
Outlander: Man of Worth (2019)
Good finale - but some doubts over this season
Good finale, but overal the season was a bit 'boring'.
Don't get me wrong, I liked every episode and I don't mind a more quite season once in a while. But it were all like 'smaller' problems. I missed like a bigger purpose of it. Ofcourse, it were all small problems preventing the same thing (them being together as a happy family), but still...
Also I've got some problems with the time. During the season like a-year-and-a-half has passed - I think - but is somehow doesn't feel like that.
And I don't wanna sound yealous or anything. But for a woman halfway here fifties her hair should be way more grayish. Apart from those few grey hairs, they don't seem to bother that she has aged a lot since season 1. Jamie more of the same.
The 100: Memento Mori (2019)
Crazy episode, amazing reference
That reference to the very first scene/shot of the series when you see Clarke painting on the floor of her cell on the ring... Just amazing.
Futhermore this season keeps introducing new problems and elements in such a tempo it is almost hard to keep up. But I love it. Make it crazy, complicated, weird and everything else. Please!
Game of Thrones: The Iron Throne (2019)
After all the dragon was the smartest
First the likes:
Well Drogon obviously. Burning down the iron throne somehow knowing, feeling that it wasn't Jon who killed his mother but her urge for power. I found it a very satisfying scene, seeing the throne melt down.
In general the scenes up to Dani's death were pretty good. I liked the forshadowing in Maester Aemon's conversation with Jon back in season 1(?).
The second half of the episode. I didn't like that much.
First: how do they know Jon killed Dani? Did he hand himself in and just admit it? No one else was there, so he could just flee. There was no dead body to be found, so they wouldn't question him immediately. He had all the time to go outside the walls of Kingslanding. Also if Grey Worm and his army went back to Essos how would they check if Jon remained at the Nights Watch? It's not like he would go there every now and then. And I don't expect him to have any Whispers there.
The scene in the dragon pit was a bit lame as well with Edmure and Sam. Instead of some deep and good politics what the series is (or was) famous for, they just fill it with awkwardness and a suggestion that was laughed away (I hope this is an English expression as well ;)).
Chosing Bran as a king. Mwah...? I guess? A bit weak. Knowledge doesn't make you a good king. Although it is symbolicaly nice, cause there is no Iron Throne anymore, but because Bran always sits in his wheelchair he doesn't really care for that. (If he emotially cares for anything at this moment).
Not the best episode. Not the best season. Not the best ending to one of the best. Altough I think the last two episodes were way better then the start of the season with the Long Night and stuff.
I hope we get a spin-off with Arya (still played by Maisie) exploring the west to make up for it.
The 100: Sanctum (2019)
A lot to work with
Had the impression that it was a bit rushed at times. Especially the first dialogues. And they somehow looked a bit weird, but maybe that is just my television.
Typical opening episode for The 100. Their emotions from earth are still very much there - they are more relevant then I expected - and there are already a lot of new elements. And that's even before they meet someone new.
Shaw's death was quite sudden, but in a way that's why I love The 100 as wel.
Game of Thrones: The Last of the Starks (2019)
Where are the tactical masterminds?
Liked the 'comedy' part in this episode, although maybe it took a bit look. (+)
Also a big big big plus is the building tension between Sansa and Dani and the role Jon is forced into. I think at least one of them dies in the last episode in some rivalry after beating Cersei. (++)
Jamie showed that after all he is still a dick, by denying Thormund a chance with Brienne and then leaving her for Cersei. (+)
But apart from that I was a bit dissapointed that there weren't any tactical suprises or anything. I didn't expect a big fight yet, but some tactical mastermoves. It wasn't really there. No element of suprise. (-)
Also no further explanation about the White Walkers or the Night King. Not a word. (--)
And if Sam just leaves, without doing or saying anything, why the unrealistic survival in the previous episode(s). Too precious to kill? That's not GoT-like. (-)
So a bit of both. As I said, I really like the tension that is builing between Sansa and Dani. That is something to look forward to in the last two episodes.
Game of Thrones: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (2019)
Speed 0
Altough I like GoT I often think the show is going pretty slow. With sometimes so little events during one (or more episodes). This one stands out for me for that matter. Especially with the previous one in mind it feels like one episode spread out over two.
Wouldn't be that big a deal, if there were like 10 more episodes. But there are only four!!! And there is still so much to unpack. Feels like a bit of a waste.
The Umbrella Academy (2019)
Not as good as I hoped.
Maybe there will be explained a lot in the second season, but so far...
I think it's weird that Pogo was killed. Could have been a way more interesting character, than he was. For me the death characters Pogo, Reginald Hargreaves, Ben are more interesting than most of the ones alive. So I hope they give Klaus a lot of 'talking with the dead' time next season.
The other thing, question, that I'm having is: how did they know the first time that they had to fight the apocalypse? Assuming that the first time Five couldn't have helped them and couldn't have hand them the name of Jenkins, how would they even know that there was an apocalypse on the way?
That might be question that the second season will answer, but the main thing that I was frowned by, is that Reginald Hargreaves didn't even bother to listen to Harold Jenkins. At the start of the series the voice-over says that Hargreaves did: 'locate and adopt as MANY of the children as possible.' For me that implies that all the children born on that date could have special powers. So why wouldn't he even listen if a boy came up to him to tell him he was born on te same day? That felt quite strange.
Oh yeah, and I think 7 out 43 is a bit low. Assuming that all the women didn't plan to have a child, were pregnant for not even a day - so got no time to prepare anything financially or whatever - sometimes even were teenagers (as you can see in the first scene) and were offered pretty much all the money they could wish for if they would give up their unwanted, unexpected child. I think 7 out of 43 is a bit unrealistic. I hope the second season (I don't know the books) tells us something about the other 36 (or 35, cause we've seen Jenkins already).
The good: definitely episode 8 with the Vanya/Alisson-interaction. That Alisson told the rumour to Vanya was pretty damn great, with an amazing twist, and stands out for me. Character development of Klaus and Luther has also been pretty good. Diego was a bit more like you would expect, Five... I don't know what to think about him. But he has some funny elements in him. Nice how the season started and ended with Vanya playing the violin.
Not a major fan of the end: go back and try to save the world again - for the third time from exactly the same thing. But if it is done properly can turn out great. Altough, all they pretty much have to do is just go back in time a bit. Talk to Vanya before see meets Jenkins (or even before their father dies), admit that see is special, that she is one of them, and embrace here. Then it should be solved. Can't be that hard. Right?
One last thing: the fighting scenes could have been better. Acting is also not outstanding. But in these kind of series I mind a little less about that.