thomaspike-85498 Reviews

Two Doors Down (2016– )

Was great at first, still a chance to save it!

[6/10 · 8 February 2024]

I started binge watching this show from season one, and really enjoyed it a lot. The humour was funny and relatable, and the characters have a few great one liners, especially the Christine character.

Cathy was very entertaining, seemed a bit like my sister at times, although my sister wasn't thrilled at the comparison. However, after season three Cath, who had to be the centre of attention, became more of a scary bully and I actually began to get really annoyed by her antics and that of the neighbours, who just let her walk over them all the time. I was very pleased when Michelle's friend finally clocked Cathy at the end of season four then Gordon did the same to Colin the next season. They got their comeuppance.

Then the Cathy character ran off with a time share rep, was out for season six with the introduction of Ann Marie, a zany but funny addition. The neighbours liked her, she fitted in and Colin was becoming less self centred.

Just as it seemed there were possibilities for development with Ann Marie's son for example, having been talked about during season six, season seven starts by bringing Cathy back in a horribly awkward situation, it was cringy and awful and certainly not funny.

If the producers want to keep the audience engaged they need to get the scriptwriters to have the Cathy character getting less of her own way and more wins for the neighbours, and to keep it funny. Otherwise I just can't watch the Cathy character bully everyone every week, that's just not humorous.

Outlander (2014– )

Maybe losing its way

[8/10 · 21 September 2022]

I have enjoyed outlander from the start, as it has had such gripping storylines. But season 6 has been a disappointment. Only 8 episodes, are the script writers running short on content?

Previously there had been a lot of detail given to every event, and plots could span several episodes or a whole season. Season 6 didn't follow in that pattern, instead it flitted around very quickly, even jumping ahead, 'three months later' for example. The only interesting bit was Ian's backstory as to what happened when he was with the Mohawk.

Haven't enjoyed Clare relying on ether to deal with her demons. In every season she has been a determined fighter, yet in this last season they have her feeble and unable to cope. She has been through a horrendous time, but she has overcome many obstacles in the past without resorting to latest course of action.

Then there's all the new folk that have arrived at Frasers Ridge, who are hostile to the Frasers. In previous seasons Frasers Ridge was bustling with folk all around their house, working the land. When they were needed to rescue Clare there were loads of them. In the new season there's no one around their house, and they've even got rid of Fergus and Marsali. When they need help, no one is there, except the hostile new folk. That just wouldn't happen. Their friends of many years would not just disappear to be replaced by hostile newcomers like that.

I'm disappointed and can only hope this gets back to the carefully written story that we've enjoyed over these years. It almost looks to have gone the way of Game of Thrones final season that was rushed and didn't fit with previous seasons or characters' personas.

This Is Us (2016–2022)

Fantastically creative series

[10/10 · 21 September 2022]

From the very beginning this series was so well constructed in how it brought things together. Each episode would contain clues to future twists and turns, which at the time made little sense, but we're key to understanding future storylines.

I am an older person, who can be quite emotional when watching films as, if the script is believable, I get immersed. This was this case here and with so many episodes throughout the seasons having such real emotional content, I cried so much. I could relate so much to the characters and their situations, I knew their pain.

I have finally watched season 6 penultimate episode (I had to leave gaps in my viewing as I found the emotional connection both comforting and sad) and for me that was the conclusion to Rebecca's story and I don't need to watch the last episode.

A thoroughly well written story line, amazingly threaded together with fantastic actors. If you watch make sure to have plenty of hankies.

The Chi (2018– )

Lost direction now in season 3

[3/10 · 28 June 2020]

I really enjoyed seasons 1 and 2 of The Chi, good story lines, great acting and was looking forward to season 3. Have only seen first episode, but was so confused. Starts with wedding Of Kevin's mothers and he goes off to a funeral. We see casket then camera pans over to photo of Brandon, the central character. He was getting set to bring Douda down, and now is mysteriously killed off. Have since read he was sacked. So now there is no real story. Ronnie's grandma seems to have disappeared too with here house locked up and furniture lying out front. An attempt is being made to start a new story with introduction of Reg's older brother, but it's not really convincing. Reg and Jerrica were also dropped last season. The Brandon character was the glue, the main guy that everything And everybody seemed to connect to in some way. Now he's gone there's just lots of loose ends struggling to remain relevant. It's very disappointing as it was a great show. I'll give it a couple more episodes, but not really hopeful.

The Favourite (2018)

Not funny at all

[1/10 · 8 February 2020]

Thought I'd watch this film as it had great reviews and was billed as a comedy and I wanted a laugh. It was so disappointing. I watched the entire movie and found none of it funny. It's based on real characters from the period of Queen Anne but that's it. Story was not interesting, certainly isn't a comedy, and whoever labelled it so, maybe needs to look at their idea of humour as this was a big yawn for me.

1917 (2019)

It was okay but...

[5/10 · 8 February 2020]

I wasn't sure what to expect with this film, but was surprised to see it was focused on two soldiers in particular, and they remained the main focus throughout. I felt the the film captured some of the horrors of world war 1 in the trenches with dead bodies of soldiers, rotting horses and rats. I believe conditions to have been even worse than depicted in this film, but they handled it well giving an idea of the horrors that soldiers encountered. Bits that I didn't like about this film were things like the single cow alive, with a pail of milk nearby, while everything else has been killed and fruit trees cut down. I can't believe that the German pilot that they rescued would have just pulled a knife and killed his rescuer. In the first war pilots were very honourable with a sense of fair play, so this underhand attack doesn't sit well with me. The soldier that is left then becomes invincible, when he later ends up with no rifle, helmet or anything, but still manages to evade bullets and bombs. At one point in the dark when discovered by the Germans they shout Englander. How on earth would they know this one guy is English and not French or Belgian? Then he stumbles on a battalion of soldiers in the woods just listening to a soldier singing, with no regard for any possible attacks from Germans as he just wanders in and sits down with them. It was all too English flag waving and how they won the war, it needed more balance. Well done on the scenes, but the superhero brits didn't work for me.

Vikings (2013–2020)

What's happening?

[5/10 · 8 February 2020]

I've followed Vikings series from the beginning and it's alway been graphic, full of detail and events have happened over many episodes, even a whole season. But season 6 episode 10 wraps up spring, has the Rus making a massive attack, Ivar climbing cliffs and somehow getting from King Harald's village back to the beach and emerges to kill Bjorn. This must be some kind of dream or fantasy as the seer predicted that Bjorn would be even greater than Ragnar and that hasn't happened yet. The whole battle scene is too rushed, makes no sense, and our heroes are all being killed off. Also there's Rus Prince Dir, what would the point of saving him be? When Oleg and Ivar are going up the river in their wooden ships, I'm saying fire burning arrows at them, but no what do they do, fire burning arrows at their own dam. They have made Bjorn's army look completely inept, and Bjorn's plans look bad. The beach scenes with Ivar and Bjorn make me think this is Ivar's reality, and in the next ten episodes we will get Bjorn's reality, with hopefully have more plausible battle scenes, with less rushing to the end. Scriptwriters up until now have done a great job, but this could ruin everything if they don't pull it back in the next episodes. Game of Thrones was ruined in this way, can't believe they've ruined Vikings too.

Schitt's Creek (2015–2020)

Love it

[10/10 · 8 February 2020]

I just love this show. The characters, the humour, are all so enjoyable. Can't get enough of it, and each episode is way too short.