ranchi Reviews

How to with John Wilson: How to Cover Your Furniture (2020) Season 1, Episode 4

This episode is nuts

[10/10 · 15 November 2020]

This show is one of the most unique pieces of TV I have ever seen, and lately I've been wondering why. I've come to the conclusion that it feels unique because it shows how unique every individual is, how everyone is living their life as truthful to themselves as they can.

I did think "WTF" when the circumcision guy did *that* for like three straight minutes, but I didn't judge him. At all. I thought "That's one of the weirdest things I've ever seen, but... good for him".

And besides entertainment, that's the one thing I think we can all take from this show: if you find yourself in a situation where judging is the easy thing to do, choose instead to think "good for them".

Stranger Things: Chapter Three: The Case of the Missing Lifeguard (2019) Season 3, Episode 3

Now that's more like it.

[10/10 · 4 July 2019]

Even though the first two episodes are fine, they were slightly slow paced, with romance taking a big part of the episodes' running time. This one picks up the pace and delivers a fantastic episode in which sci-fi takes over romance. I hope the following episodes follow this path. I can't wait to find out!

BoJack Horseman: The Dog Days Are Over (2018) Season 5, Episode 2

Sad and hopeful.

[10/10 · 14 September 2018]

What a fantastic and emotional episode. This was such a well-crafted 30 minutes of TV. I love Diane and how this episode portrayed her emotional journey after divorcing Mr. Peanutbutter was remarkable. I also loved the episode because it's both sad and hopeful, which has been the dynamic of the show since day one.

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018)

I felt everything.

[10/10 · 20 July 2018]

What an incredible experience this movie was. I had goosebumps during every song, which I sang along whispering, tapping my feet.

The young Donna storyline works incredibly and sheds some light upon her arrival to the island, her three affairs and the decision to stay there. Lily James was fabulous.

The songs, ah... My heart just kept getting broken and glued back. ABBA's music will forever be timeless. I loved that they didn't only go with the mainstream songs, but also went with some lesser know but still superb ones. I'm not one for big parties, but boy could I dance to ABBA all night long.

I'm pretty sure that if we were to time the movie, most of it would be scenes where people sing. That's at least what I was expecting from this sequel. And I'm so happy that that's exactly what I got. I can't wait to get back to the theatre for a second round of the musical experience of the year.

The Handmaid's Tale: Holly (2018) Season 2, Episode 11

A good bottle episode

[9/10 · 28 June 2018]

Having in mind this was a filler episode that sets us up for the last two, this was a quite impressive 45 minutes of television, largely due to Moss' talent. She carries the whole episode, even though there wasn't much to work with until the last 15 minutes. Also, the cinematography was above average (even to the show's standards).

To sum up: this is an episode where nothing happens until everything happens.

The bottle episode delivered (see what I did there).

Sense8: Amor Vincit Omnia (2018) Season 2, Episode 12

Feel; don't think.

[10/10 · 8 June 2018]

If this was any other show, I'd be outraged. The plot has holes all along, and everything BPO-wise feels rushed, poor written and with deus ex machina everywhere.

But, then again, this isn't just any other show. And, to be fair, I don't care about BPO, its evil plan or whatever, and how the sensates fight it. I really didn't follow most of it, and missed many of the logistics behind stopping the bad guys. But I didn't rewind to understand, because I couldn't care less about the good guys-bad guys relationship. The only relationships I care about are the good guys-good guys ones.

The emotion, the love, the connection they all have are the core of the show. That's what I cared about. The emotional, not the rational. The last 25 minutes are amazing. They summed up what the series has been about: inclusion, acceptance and togetherness. And the creators' knew that. And they gave us what they knew we wanted, why we loved it. The 151 (151!) minute finale delivered.

Thank you for making bold shows that give visibility to minorities. Representation matters more than I can say. Thank you. Gracias. Danke. (IMDb won't allow me to use Hindi and Korean characters, but you see where I'm going with this).

13 Reasons Why: The First Polaroid (2018) Season 2, Episode 1

Why?

[2/10 · 18 May 2018]

I didn't like the first season very much and I ended up hate watching it. But it was okay. Now, however, I've watched 2 episodes of Season 2 and I'm actually recording 13 tapes and sending them to Netflix's HQ.

Why are there new flashbacks that randomly appear to magically create new storylines? Why is the writing so poor that makes me feel bad for the actors who have to deliver the lines but still somehow got the approval to make it into the episode? Why am I cringing over virtually every scene and so many of them feel unneeded? Why do the creators of the show think that audiences are stupid and will buy everything that is thrown at them? Why is there a second season when everything had been wrapped in the first one?

Because money.

In the golden age of television, when there is too many shows to choose from, I thank the creators of 13RW for making such an implausible and bad show. That's why I give it a 2 instead of a 1, because 13RW is one less decision to worry about.

A Quiet Place (2018)

Instant classic.

[10/10 · 1 May 2018]

The best: literally everything.

The worst: John Krasinski not staring at the camera.

Homeland: All In (2018) Season 7, Episode 11

Good old Homeland

[10/10 · 23 April 2018]

This season has been a little bit more slow paced due to the events that unfold. It's been more House of Cards than Homeland, and in my opinion it has lacked the international terrorism and espionage the show has always been about. This doesn't mean I've not been enjoying it, but I've definitely not been enjoying it in the way I expect Homeland to bring me joy.

But holy, this episode. It has everything that made me fall in love with the show in the first place: action, international relations, tension, little twists, wigs... What I loved the most is how Carrie is at her best and knows how to adapt whenever they lose control of the situation. Good old Carrie. Good old Homeland.

This really was like falling in love all over again with someone you've been with for 6 years!!! Can't wait for the finale and the different storylines to finally meet.

Homeland: Rebel Rebel (2018) Season 7, Episode 2

The subplot works.

[8/10 · 19 February 2018]

This is a review only about the 4chan subplot. And, yes, I am here to defend it.

In my opinion, it showcases perfectly Carrie's situation. She's at her lowest point: after what happened in the premiere, her sister believes she's off her meds; Saul is "joining them"; and we get our first reference to Quinn's death. Being one of the best CIA officer's of all time, having saved countless lives all around the globe and fighting terrorism season after season, Carrie now finds herself useless, on her own. And what I believe is most terrifying to her is that she feels that when at home, in America, not when in Islamabad, Tehran or Beirut.

Not downloading a random file in a posting page is Internet 101. But she falls for it. Not because she doesn't know better. But because she doesn't know better NOW. Her foolishness falling for a ransomware in 4chan would be stupid, poor written and a wasted hour of TV had it been in any other season, but I think it fits perfectly in Carrie's situation.

On the other hand, I'm pretty sure this season won't be about international terrorism at all but about national corruption of power. I am not the biggest fan of this House of Cardesque shift of the series, because for me terrorism and espionage are core to the show, but I guess it works ok as a parallelism with the actual US administration. As a non-US fan of the show, though, this season is going to lack the aforementioned topic.

If you disagree with everything I just said, at least you have to agree with the following statement: the 4chan portrayal in the show has to be the best in the history of TV.

This Is Us: Super Bowl Sunday (2018) Season 2, Episode 14

This is Us crying.

[10/10 · 5 February 2018]

What a masterpiece this episode and the whole series is. Such a touching show that just keeps on breaking and putting back together my heart. And this episode did just that. I'm not going to give any more details because I want this review to be spoiler free, but everything about this episode was top tier. And although everyone was flawless, I have to address the next level performance Mandy Moore gave. Thank you to everyone involved in the show. From now on, Super Sick Monday isn't about your team winning or losing the Superbowl. It's about you watching This is Us.

Black Mirror: Hang the DJ (2017) Season 4, Episode 4

I cried. I laughed. I gasped. I loved (it)!

[10/10 · 30 December 2017]

I'm not even going to review the episode as I am still shocked -in the most beautiful way imaginable- about it. I guess I will edit this in a few hours when I've calmed down, because what an hour of television. I am so happy we get to have at least one hopeful, heartwarming and touching approach to how techonology can help us. There's many things I'd like to point out about the episode, but I want this review to be spoiler-free, so I'll just wrap it up with one last thought.

I've read people say this is S4's San Junipero, but I think each one of them is its very own thing and should not be compared but understood as two different ways technology could give us a hand improving what's at the very core of human relationships: love.

EDIT: I was going to edit it like I said I was going to do but I love my genuine reaction so I'm not going to change a word I said.

The Deuce: Pilot (2017) Season 1, Episode 1

I loved it.

[10/10 · 28 August 2017]

I truly did. It caught me by surprise that HBO decided to release the pilot early. I guess they wanted to use the boom of the GoT season finale to boost one of their new shows. But "The Deuce" is its own thing. We don't need no dragons.

I am not from New York, but you can tell the series team put a lot of effort on creating the right environment and it really pays off. Maggie Gyllenhaal is terrific on this role, I loved her. The storyline is great, too, and I really enjoyed the different people and how they end up interacting with each other. I can't wait to see how they all end up connecting. I am usually quite skeptical when it comes to hour and a half episodes, but this one was phenomenal. It didn't feel long in any moment and the 70s prostitution theme has so much potential it could become literally anything.

The one bad thing about the pilot is that, by releasing it early, now we have to wait three weeks for a new episode. Damn it you HBO.

The Leftovers: The Book of Nora (2017) Season 3, Episode 8

I refuse to believe The Leftovers is gone.

[10/10 · 4 June 2017]

"The Leftovers" is a human approach to loss and grief. "The Leftovers" is a human approach to friendship and love. It explores the characters' relationships and how they connect after a "tragedy". And that's why the finale was perfect to me. It was loyal to what the show has been about. It was all about Kevin and Nora. What could the finale possibly have been but about them?

Many people will probably be mad because "We didn't get the answers we expected". If you were expecting answers I admire your faith, but it was made clear since the show first aired that it wasn't going to be about the ones who left but about the ones who stayed. And we actually got to know something about the ones who left. Or maybe we didn't. It really isn't about whether Nora was or wasn't telling the truth. I loved that this was left to interpretation. If you decide to believe her or not says more about you than it does about Nora.

The one other thing I loved was the references to other episodes with lines like "Same time next week" from the heartbreaking scene at 3x06 or the iconic "Don't waste your breath". Carrie Coon is outstanding as usual. The finale delivered. If any of the creators of the series were to read this I want them to know I'm grateful for this kind of show. Meaningful and touching television is rare nowadays and I couldn't be any happier about what the show has become. Time for the show to departure. But as grandpa Kevin told rider Nora, "I refused to believe you were gone". The Leftovers isn't gone. It has just become a television classic.

The Leftovers: The Most Powerful Man in the World (and His Identical Twin Brother) (2017) Season 3, Episode 7

We f*cked up with The Leftovers.

[10/10 · 29 May 2017]

"International Assassin" was one of the most iconic episodes of the second season and I'm pretty sure everyone was thrilled to know we were going to get another episode like that. But who would've ever thought it would be THIS? I loved this episode because it sums up The Leftovers: it shows the faith of those who believe in something greater than themselves; it has the recurrent search of identity everyone in the series has been through –in every different way–; and it ends up being a sad, tragic, beautifully told love story. I can't stop but thinking in HBO's bosses and how they must be feeling now they already made the show depart early. In the climax of the episode I'm sure they changed Kevins' words and thought "We f*cked up with The Leftovers". That's it. One more week until the hidden gem that is The Leftovers ends. One more week until the best show no one is watching departures.

The Leftovers (2014–2017)

The best show no one is watching.

[10/10 · 27 May 2017]

Don't watch this show expecting to know why did 2% of the population suddenly disappear. This is not what the show is about. The show is a touching, meaningful, human approach to loss and yearn. It's about how each character overcomes the "Sudden Departure". From killing dogs, to join a cult, to try and rebuild your family. As viewers we are used to be fed as babies. Most of the shows make sure we understand every bit of it. They treat the audience as if we were 3. The Leftovers doesn't do that. It has an ambiguous halo throughout the whole series in the most Lindelofesque way possible. It believes in a smart audience that isn't expecting a very good "Why did they disappear?" but a very good "How do people deal with this?". It's not about the ones who left but about the ones who didn't. And that's why it's so good. And that's why no one has watched it. Not only is the script top tier but the acting is superb and the soundtrack is beautiful. I'm pretty sure in a few years people will discover this show and it will become a TV cult. And everyone will be mad because it only has three seasons. If they come and read IMDb reviews about it and you come across this one, know that it's OK: I've been mad about it for both of us for years. When writing this review there's only two episodes left. Two episodes until the hidden gem that is The Leftovers ends. Two episodes until the best show no one is watching departures.

Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959)

The poem that wanted to be a film.

[10/10 · 27 May 2017]

This movie isn't a movie. It's a poem. When poetry becomes film you get this kind of masterpieces. It's a slow-paced, beautifully shot, heartbreaking love story. It's a touching, human, meaningful film about oblivion. Duras' prose is just unbelievably poetic and Riva's performance as an independent –yet so attached to her lost lover– woman brings the film to a new level of groundbreaking way of storytelling. The dialogues between her and Okada are about things we've all thought and felt every now and then. It takes place in Hiroshima fifteen years after the bomb and I find it brilliant how the movie talks about the global tragedy that was the dropping of an atomic bomb and the personal tragedy that is to lose and try not to forget the man you loved. As it is the script what struck me the most, I personally don't think this is as much as a Resnais' film as it is Duras'. Almost 60 years already. Everyone with a major role in the movie is gone. But they are not dead. They just became "Hiroshima Mon Amour". Might we not forget them.

The Leftovers: Certified (2017) Season 3, Episode 6

The best show no one is watching.

[10/10 · 22 May 2017]

I have been a devotee of this show since the beginning. I have watched it every Sunday for the past three years and I couldn't be any happier with its evolution. The Leftovers is human, touching, meaningful television. And this episode isn't any less. Laurie isn't the character I like the most but this was one of the best episodes of the whole series. The delivery by Amy and the rest of the cast was top tier and the writing and music was on point as usual. I tend to be quite skeptical when it comes to character-centred episodes, but this one made me sympathize with her so much I cried and didn't want the episode to go. But as Laurie said, "We're all gone". So is the show. Two more weeks until the hidden gem that is The Leftovers leaves. Two more weeks until the best show no one is watching departures.