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Reviews
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: A Quality of Mercy (2022)
Classic Trek!
The quality of the writing and the quality of acting et al is superb in this series and even more in this episode.
It's a superb homage to the origins, and such a fun take on "what if?" I love the complexity of depth that is being developed in the characters. Some of them we've known for decades, yet they are presented in new and fresh ways. It's clear that the writers know their stuff.
Anson Mount is a pleasure to watch. His Pike is such a different Captain to Kirk and their two different styles are presented beautifully in this episode.
SNW is the very best of Trek and long May it continue.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Ad Astra Per Aspera (2023)
What Trek Is All About!
What an absolutely amazing episode! After the action-packed first episode of Season 2, this slow-burn one was exactly what we needed
Not only did it show what makes Trek so amazing, it showed what true diversity and friendship can do.
So many of the main cast turned in a stellar performance and made fictional issues blend in and be relevant to so many things the planet is going through today.
And what about Yetide Badaki's performance... she was fantastic. She took what could so easily have been a "stuffy lawyer" type character, and made it one of the most memorable guest star roles ever. I really hope we see her again.
10/10.
Yellowstone: Watch 'Em Ride Away (2022)
Why The Hate?
First of all, I don't get the hate for this one. Not one bit.
After all the plotting, killing, and politics of late this episode is refreshing. Bang in the centre of it is a gentle (too gentle for some?) reminder of what the show is about: Family & the Montana way of life.
The fight I thought was a brilliant metaphor for change vs tradition. Beth talking of eating meat etc and Summer's admittance that her parents were vegetarian and she had never tasted meat. Again, a gentle dig/reminder that a lot of our values are merely hand-me-downs from our parents - that applies to Beth too. All she's known is ranch life = meat etc. I know that's a generalisation, but it serves as an example of what my interpretation of this episode is about.
This episode basically stops the whole season in its tracks and makes us remember the roots of the show - ranch traditions.
All in all a great episode and as always, the acting, writing, and production is stellar.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: Part VI (2022)
Just... Wow!
It's difficult to know who to praise most. The writing, acting, directing are all too notch.
Character arcs are explored and handled with care in this episode - especially difficult given that we're merging 1977 stuff with present day.
Acting wise, Ewan McGregor delivered with his usual brilliant flair; Hayden Christiansen delivers a wonderful and obviously very personally cathartic performance, but to me, the stand-out in the acting is most definitely Moses Ingram. Her cold and calculating character of the first few episodes is completely gone by this one and there is a moment between her and Obi Wan that I doubt any true SW fans will be able to watch dry-eyed. She is a veritable tour-de-force in this.
6 episodes what you wish were 12 at least. If only SW could deliver the same quality to the Big Screen as it's doing on TV.
S.W.A.T.: Madrugada (2021)
Family!
I can go on about plot, scenery, action, but what this show comes down to is people and what they mean.
Sure the plot for this episode was hardly unique: drug Lord demands and people die, but beyond that was a real look at humanity.
The team are are faced with reassignment and all that it represents, while Hondo is dealing with actions caused by choices - his and others.
I'm the end, when he walks back in... well that is what this show all about.
Amid the whole Covid madness, this show is the one to escape into.
The Blacklist: The Wellstone Agency (No. 127) (2021)
Such A Beautiful Thing
I've never seen a show blur the lines of fiction and reality more than in this episode.
It's poignant, sad, funny, and a truly wonderful tribute to brilliant Clark Middleton. His interactions with Red over the years always brought some welcome comic relief to the sometimes stuffy and seriousness of the plot.
At one point I wasn't watching Reddington talk about Jellybean, I was watching James Spader eulogise Clark and it's clear to see how much love and respect he had from cast and crew. He will be missed.
Whatever the failings have been in the show of late, this one cannot be faulted.
Homeland: Chalk Two Down (2020)
It's A TV Show!
I love this programme! I love the twists and turns and the crazy plots. That's why most people watch these shows.
Then there are those who sit down with a note pad and pen to start writing down a list of "this wildness happen in real life!"
Ok. Thanks.
This isn't real life! And if a (fictitious) president goes with only a few soldiers, then that's fine. I'm sure from a security stand point the real Secret Service or whoever would not be entirely happy with 100% accuracy on real life procedures.
This show is on the air side by side with Superman flying into space, X-Men mutants running around and the Millenium Falcon doing the Kessel run in an unbelievably short time (Han fired first!!)
Anyway, I'm going back to rewatch that episode as I don't think the third agent from the left had his middle finger positioned correctly on his gun and the tyres on the black hawk were 2003 models which were discontinued in 2009 after the full moon of the last Thursday of April.