Narce Reviews

Justified (2010–2015)

Justifiably Worth Watching

[14 April 2024]

What can I say about this show, that I am now watching for the third time? It is never boring. The characters are well-rounded and interesting. The writing is crisp and laced with humour, worthy of Elmore Leonard's source material. The villains (the TRUE villains) are loathsome, cruel and deserve their bad ends. And the actors, led by the fabulous Timothy Olyphant, don't put a foot wrong. Cinematography and direction are well-done - no "black cat in a coal mine" scenes that seem so common today.

In short (despite IMDB's insistence that NOTHING should be short) I recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a good tale, well-presented.

Dark Winds (2022– )

Breaking Winds?

[2/10 · 14 April 2024]

I an a long-time fan of Hillerman's Navajo Mysteries, so I was enthused that they had been made into a TV series. On seeing the series, however, I have to say I was disappointed.

Hillerman's characters were intriguing and likeable. There was almost no preaching about how badly the native Americans had been treated in the past (after all, these were mystery stories, not history texts). He threw in a lot of insights into Navajo customs and backgrounds, which was both entertaining and informative.

The series has played fast and loose with pretty much everything that Hillerman created. As others have noted, the only things that seem to have been preserved are the locations and the character names. Everyone is now hyper-critical of the White Man's history. While this may be justified and true, it is NOT entertaining, and isn't entertainment the primary reason for creating a TV series from great source material? If I wanted to get a lecture, I have plenty of people who are willing to do that, without my having to turn on the TV.

The Walking Dead: Dead City (2023– )

Very Dark, In More Ways Than One

[3/10 · 9 April 2024]

As the title line implies, the theme of this is quite dark - Manhattan in ruins and isolated, with a madman in charge. Corpses piled up everywhere you look.

But wait - is there light at the end of this tunnel? Well, if there is, it's one of the few sources of light in this show. A big BOO to those directors and cinematographers who think they should shoot everything in the DARK! In many scenes, it was too dark to see what was happening! (Were those cockroaches? Or were they maggots? I couldn't tell in the dark.) The images I could make out looked like they were done in grey pastel on black paper. I almost cheered when we came out in the daylight on occasion - unfortunately, all too infrequently.

Frankly, I take all this darkness as an indication that the special effects were just too amateurish and klutzy to show clearly, in full light.

Did no-one learn anything from the Game of Thrones "Long Night" episode that engendered so many complaints? Honestly, just because you CAN shoot by candlelight doesn't mean you SHOULD. Come out into the light - the spirit of Greg Toland compels you!

Colin from Accounts (2022– )

Colin Accounts for a lot of potty jokes

[3/10 · 6 April 2024]

I cannot fathom whether a fascination with human bodily functions is a part of Australian humour, or if it is just applicable to the writers of this series.

First Ashley has problems with the toilet, so she (gag) picks her poop out of the toilet and (gag) throws it out on the sidewalk. Then Gordon, rather than express Colin's poop manually (gag, gag) finds Ashley's poop and assumes it is Colin's. Yuk, yuk, yecch.

Then Ashley comes into Gordon's room, apparently sleepwalking, and pees on his bedside table (gag). Her mother implies that this is a holdover from her childhood.

Not sure if this show wants me to laugh or retch!

Bosch: Legacy (2022– )

A welcome return to the Boschiverse

[8/10 · 31 March 2024]

I am a long time fan of Michael Connelly's novels, particularly the Bosch series. For those who don't like the changes from the Bosch series, the novels also depict him leaving LAPD for the life of a private investigator, so it's not a radical departure.

The cast, acting, direction and writing are strong, maybe in part due to the influence of Connelly in the consulting and producing roles.

Yes, I would like to see more episodes in the original series, but "you can't always get what you want", I'm told. Personally, I'd watch a spinoff of Crate and Barrel. Or maybe some new series based on other Connelly characters: Renee Ballard, Jack McEvoy or Terry McCaleb.

Ted Lasso (2020–2023)

Now all I can hope for is a spinoff

[10/10 · 31 March 2024]

I really enjoyed Ted Lasso, for many of the reasons already expressed by others. Ted's positivity and generosity exemplify the kind of person I want to be, myself. And his supporting cast are all strong and capable.

The only downside is that this show only lasted for three seasons (interrupted by Covid and the Hollywood strikes) and now it's over. I would have happily watched at least three more seasons, if they had made them! There has been some talk about spin-offs for some of the characters, although without Ted's levelling influence, I'm not sure if they will be able to capture the same "lightning in a bottle". I can only hope.

Sweet Tooth (2021– )

I have a yen for more!

[8/10 · 31 March 2024]

There have been a lot of reviews decrying the second season, but I disagree. The second season provides a lot of back-story about the hybrids and their genesis. The story moves along briskly, with enough action to keep it from becoming boring.

Parts of it reminded me of the Mad Max series, with grungy-looking people brandishing home-made weapons. But instead of gasoline, these characters are looking for water and mayhem.

Special recognition should go to Christian Convery for his portrayal of Gus. This could have been bizarre in less capable hands.

The only character I got annoyed with was Dr, Singh, who seems unable to understand that General Abbot's proffered paradise is not going to include people like him.

All in all, this series is definitely worth a look - BOTH seasons.

Schmigadoon! (2021–2023)

I Liked It!

[9/10 · 31 March 2024]

Yes, it has a lot of elements of the schmaltzy musicals of the 40s and 50s, but it really is well done. Special kudos to the composer and the choreographer, the dance scenes are amazing! Season 1 seemed to be mainly based on Brigadoon, but Season 2 combined Pippin, Hair, Sweeny Todd, Cabaret and (of course) Chicago. This kept things moving along as you swept from one homage to the next. The songs are, of course, all original and generally funny. The cast are capable and likeable. All in all, a very worthwhile, watchable and entertaining series.

And now the required minimum character count....

Extended Family (2023–2024)

Off Track

[2/10 · 25 December 2023]

I had high hopes for this show. I liked all of the principal actors in other shows, and the premise seemed original. But, as with he new "Frasier", the laugh track is tired and trite.

Someone, somewhere thinks that if they throw in a bunch of laughs, giggles and gasps, it will make their bad show worth watching. I have a tip: if it's not funny in the first place, a laugh track won't change anyone's perception of the show.

And now, to make up the required character count, I will create the IMDB "character track" for your amusement. Try not to laugh! Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.

Father Brown: The Sands of Time (2023) Season 10, Episode 8

Father Brown's Time Machine

[3/10 · 26 July 2023]

Evidently the good Father Brown has found access to a time machine, so that he can change attitudes and morals in retrospect.

Not for the first time, he not only accepts but gives his (tacit if not overt) blessing to a homosexual relationship. This would probably have been grounds for excommunication in the 1950s. It certainly was not part of church dogma.

And was it so acceptable for Brenda to have a White boyfriend in those days? Again, the good Father just dusts his hands of any social opposition to this relationship. He has taken similar positions in other episodes as well. But when you have the comfort of a time machine, it all becomes easy.

FBI (2018– )

Japanese Taiko Drummers Invade the FBI!

[3/10 · 6 April 2023]

I have to say that, in general, I like the FBI /Most Wanted /International shows, but I find the sound track to be ANNOYING.

It seems that no scene of these shows should proceed without a thrumming, percussion-laden "music" track. "Listen! This is building up suspense! Something IMPORTANT must be happening! PAY ATTENTION!" It doesn't matter if we're watching a chase sequence, or just two people walking down a hall, the same background noise must prevail.

Someone, somewhere has decided that this is the kind of sound track that viewers should be subjected to in any kind of action/adventure show, and I'm getting sick of it. Nobody is going to win an Emmy for this kind of repetitive, annoying clangour.

The Rookie: Feds (2022–2023)

Rookie Season - No Renewal!

[1/10 · 26 January 2023]

I have been a fan of "The Rookie" since it started, and have kept with it because Nathan Filion is basically a likeable character.

But I am giving up on "The Rookie: Feds" for pretty much the same reason, in reverse: Niecy Nash is basically an annoying and unlikeable character.

Others have mentioned her choice of clothing as being inappropriate for ANY office. Beyond this, she is loud and has a grating voice that she feels the need to exercise at inopportune times (like briefing sessions).

I found the rest of the cast to be OK, and if Simone's character were removed from the show, I might find it worth watching. But as it is now, this rookie isn't worth a full-time position.

Alert: Missing Persons Unit (2023– )

Alert: Missing SOMETHING!

[1/10 · 21 January 2023]

I have now gone through three episodes of silliness that comprise this show, and have decided that that's enough to consign it to the trash heap.

Many of the characters seem to be incompetent when it comes to doing their jobs as police officers. I was especially annoyed that this force would employ someone who practices voodoo or some such spiritual belief, not just on their own, but in the presence of other officers, and even victims' families! "Take these eggs, they will give you hope" WTF?

And then there are the parents whose son was kidnapped, who latch desperately onto the hope that he has been found, ignoring clues to the contrary. Really foolish police work, there!

I'm not sure who is at fault here. Probably not the actors, they just perform the roles they are given. But their managers/ agents need to be taken to task for associating them with this dreck. The writers are probably most responsible, as are the producers and directors who accept and approve their work.

Sorry, folks, but as the voodoo cop might say, "I see no Emmys in your future"

The Terminal List (2022– )

Terminally Dim and Garbled

[6/10 · 2 January 2023]

Some DPs (Directors of Photography) have discovered that new solid-state cameras are able to take video in lower light conditions than film would allow. This means that they shoot long sequences under conditions that classical Hollywood would never have allowed - basically, in the dark, or with VERY little light. Others have mentioned this here, and in other productions. Just because the technology allows you to film under low-light conditions doesn't mean you SHOULD. Please stop!

And then there is the mumblecore dialog, where everyone seems to whisper, even if there is no-one else around. Or if they don't whisper, they mumble, so that it becomes difficult to follow what's happening without turning on subtitles. The situation is made worse by sprinkling in a lot of military jargon, terms that we civilians don't recognize or understand. For example, from early in Episode 1: "...we got Rangers ten mikes out on QRF." Mumbles aren't the only thing that makes dialog incomprehensible to the average non-military viewer. Yes, the military advisors on the production probably felt that this was typical military dialog that added realism to the story, but some of us didn't get training as SEALS, and want to know what they are saying. I could get almost the same experience from the Muppets Swedish Chef.

Film-makers, producers and directors, you CAN do better. Please try!

Big Sky (2020–2023)

Big Sky, Little Interest

[2/10 · 9 December 2022]

I REALLY liked the first season of this show - gripping villains, spunky victims, unexpected twists. But since then it has descended like a rollercoaster, Season 3 is (I hope) the low point.

Sorry, Reba, but I wish you had stuck to the music studio. I don't find you capable or likeable as an actor. Mind you, the plot doesn't help any. Take a bunch of "campers" out in the countryside, make a couple of them disappear, and yet people still insist on going off into the woods? No-one has the sense of a 5-year-old? Gimme a break!

Well, that's all I needed to say, but IMDB wants some more characters - STUPID!

Law & Order: Organized Crime (2021– )

Sorry, but I just don't like Meloni

[2/10 · 9 December 2022]

I am generally a fan of the Wolf Pack - Law & Order, SVU, Criminal Intent - but I have to confess that I never really took to Chris Meloni's character of Stabler - an interesting name, as he seems more and more to be UNstable. I have seen him appear to go out of control on several occasions, and like the wife-beaters on SVU, he always promises to get it under control and not do it again. Well, enough is enough, so like the abused wives on SVU, i'm booting him out the door.

Now I have said what I wanted to say but IMDB requires me to type 600 characters, so I will just reiterate that this is a STUPID policy.

The Lazarus Project (2022–2023)

Lazarus or Methuselah?

[4/10 · 9 December 2022]

Was this series raised from the dead, or is it just taking forever?

The concept is interesting, reset time to keep the world from ending. But the constant zap-back and re-do makes the show seem slow. The action/fight scenes are really quite good, but this just seems to make the zap-back look more repetitive.

And the fixed date for re-starting - this leads to a lot of timing questions that start to approach Schrodinger's Cat in their complexity. Yet the people involved, despite their knowledge of the situation, seem to want to try and challenge the process for their own (personal and selfish) reasons. "My wife died - restart time!" or "My baby will die, - don't restart time!"

And then, in addition to the zap-backs, we also get to see other times (or time loops) in flashback scenes. My head was spinning with "when is this?" questions.

Sorry, but there are too many time puzzles here. I'm going to stop, and watch something a little more linear.

Agent Game (2022)

Agent Con Game

[4/10 · 4 December 2022]

To explain my title: the talent agents who represented those who featured in this movie must have been duped into thinking that this movie would be an appropriate vehicle for their clients.

As has been mentioned elsewhere, the ending makes it look like it is begging for a sequel. PLEASE DON'T! The actors are capable enough - I've seen them in other, better shows - but the director/ producer/ cinematographer have made something almost unwatchable. I say this because I tried to watch it, and yet was partly unable to see what was going on. Between the over-used hand-held camera work with its nausea-inducing wobble and the overall darkness (physical, not emotional) it is almost impossible to watch. This is further complicated by jumps back and forth through time in an effort to make the action make some sort of sense.

I may have made a mistake by watching this movie on an LCD display, in daytime, without closing the blinds. Still, when a gun battle is mainly illuminated by muzzle flashes and ricochets, maybe someone went a little overboard? Maybe they were trying to make a "green" movie by not employing any electric lights? Sorry, but the Green has faded to Black.

SEAL Team (2017–2024)

Off mission...

[3/10 · 23 October 2022]

When this started out on network TV, it was an interesting and engaging look at the life and tasks of a Navy SEAL Team. There was plenty of nail-biting action, and the characters seemed to me to be realistic, considering the milieu.

But when they transitioned to streaming, the show seemed to change. Everyone was becoming more insular, denying their weaknesses and failings despite an abundance of evidence that they were not keeping up their part in the Team. And yes, this is where the language got saltier.

I still like some of the characters, and the action scenes are still gripping, but I'm getting tired of the constant whining and the failure to acknowledge any kind of weakness. This show is now on the edge of failure, where I'll stop watching it.

Severance (2022– )

Severed from Severance

[4/10 · 17 August 2022]

Sorry, but I have managed to get through 6 episodes and it STILL is not grabbing me. The purpose of entertainment is to entertain, and while I can admire the cast, cinematography and other aspects lauded by other reviewers, I don't find this show "entertaining".

No, I'm not a "hater" or trying to give the series a lower rating, I'm just a normal viewer who found the whole thing a little on the slow side, and maybe too esoteric for my tastes. The concept seems like it should grab me and hold my attention, but that was not my experience.

Human Resources (2022–2023)

Unfunny, Potty-mouth, Infantile

[1/10 · 12 July 2022]

Well, those three words pretty well sum up my feelings about this show. What Netflix genius decided this show would have a wide audience? The animation is flat, the characters uninteresting or annoying, the action puerile.

How I Met Your Father (2022–2023)

Coming up next: How I Met Your Brother?

[2/10 · 11 July 2022]

Took a title and "inspiration" from a good show and pounded it until it begged for mercy.

Sorry, but one of the things I look for in a comedy is laughs - and I don't mean the "audience" reactions from the canned viewers. This show just doesn't seem funny. It almost seems that casting was done on the basis of diversity and/or name recognition rather than comedic acting ability or experience. They just don't seem to click, individually or ensemble.

There are so many characters with so much baggage that I have problems remembering who is who and does what.

Life & Beth (2022– )

Beth or Death?

[2/10 · 11 July 2022]

I have to confess that I came to this show after watching old episodes of Cheers and Friends. Maybe that's why this "comedy" struck me as just unfunny.

The dialog was slow and uninteresting, and Beth was just... blah. She was generally unlikeable, but not in a funny way - and that's the kiss of death for a comedy show.

Thanks, but no, thanks.

The Fear Index (2022)

2021: A Financial Idiocy

[3/10 · 8 June 2022]

A lot of cliches are trotted out here in the hope that viewers will be caught by one of the many common themes enough to watch all 4 episodes.

• Financial wizards and market manipulation - check.

• Supercomputers and AI - check.

• Work-obsessed husband has wife trouble - check.

• Man with a past finds it catching up with him - check
• Hallucination or reality - check
• Who's the bad guy lurking in the background - check

My dad always said "Don't let your mouth write a check that your ass can't cash", but all these checks are basically worthless.

And some effects people think that a server farm is just a vast building filled with blinking lights and multiple screens - do some research. Visit a server farm and see what it REALLY looks like.

Add to that characters who are generally unlikeable and a lot of dialog in French that requires subtitles and you have a pile of merde. This could have been better if it weren't trying to go in so many different directions at the same time.

The Responder (2022– )

Respond? Grrrr!

[3/10 · 6 June 2022]

I like and admire the work of Martin Freeman, but this one left me cold.

It's not freeman, or the writing, or direction, but the accents. I couldn't get anywhere without the captions on to see what the characters were saying - especially the Liverpool druggies.

Then just to complicate things, they started using slang and abbreviations that I did not understand. That was when I stopped watching.