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christopher_roth
Reviews
Daisy Jones & the Six: Track 10: Rock 'n' Roll Suicide (2023)
Horrible ending to a pretty good show
The first half is excellent. Daisy and Billy have some drunk intimate moments together and realize that this isn't what they want. They decide to get away from the addiction and get their lives in order. It makes total sense that the band breaks up.
The second half is completely unbearable. Every scene is
cheesy and over the top and obvious points are explained in painstaking detail.
Of course this all culminates with Camilla dying so that Billy and Daisy can get together. Now that Camilla's dead Billy can be with his true love, and their totally toxic relationship will be just fine. In fact Camilla even gave her blessing.
I know it's only one scene, but it undoes everything the show was trying to build. The main thing (and this is well studied) is that sometimes the most stimulating exciting relationships are not the ones you should stay in.
Beef: Figures of Light (2023)
I didn't think the romance was believeable
I think some of the techniques this show has been using backfired in this episode. Every episode has been all-killer-no-filler, you only see what you need to see.
The downside of this approach is that I don't feel like I understand the characters that well, partially because this show skips over the mundane. Amy and Danny are soul mates why? They both have Korean heritage?
When I hear Amy and Danny talk in this episode, I don't feel like I'm witnessing an intimate moment but instead I'm in the writers room, watching each person trying to one-up the rest with an even wittier one-liner.
This show is creative and fun, but it hasn't yet found it's authenticity.
Silo (2023)
First Two Episodes are Good
The premise is pretty interesting and I was engaged for the first two episodes. The third episode was absolutely terrible. It was like a cheesy marvel movie complete with a one of those scenes where they describe what everybody is going to do in gory detail. Of course, the suspense is completely fake and eventually the plan comes through.
Another reviewer said this reminds them of TLOS which admittedly is also slow but TLOS has some amazing zombie scenes. Also the apocalyptic landscapes are pretty cool. This reminds me a bit more of the Handmaid's tale although I think that show is better as well.
Succession: With Open Eyes (2023)
Great Finale to a Solid Show
Honestly the ending made a ton of sense. If you think about things from Shiv's perspective it really is about besting Kendall. She'd rather lose out herself if it means Kendall loses out more.
Also it's absolutely fitting that the kids need to cooperate one last time, but they just can't do it.
The only unfortunate thing is that Mattson comes out on top after basically admitting to Tom that he views Shiv as a sex object.
Overall season 4 was okay. I'm happy they ended it because the show had absolutely run it's course. It's honestly crazy the show was solid for that long considering there was basically no new characters and the whole thing was dialogue based.
The Last of Us (2023)
Zombie Scenes are great, characters not so much
I was so excited about this show because of how visceral and scary it was early on. The zombie scene where they come flying out of the ground was absolutely captivating.
The problem is that the show focuses on the characters and they are ultimately boring and full of tropes. Joel is a man with a hard exterior who's vulnerable on the inside? That's a trope, not a character. An unlikely duo bonds over unfortunate circumstances? Only the 1000th time I've seen that plot.
The last 3-4 episodes aren't believable at all. Elle fighting off all of the cannibal attackers and then Joel somehow killing everyone in the hospital to save Elle? If you're going to have boring characters at least give the fight scenes a whiff of plausibility.
Glass Onion (2022)
Doesn't lean into the parody enough
I feel like this movie should be an absurdist parody but it tries to have it both ways. You see elements of parody (i.e. The ridiculous plan written on the napkin) but the movie doesn't really embrace the silliness. Instead the movie puts up a facsimile of a real plot in order to have more of a broad appeal.
I feel like the reveal that it was easily the most obvious person should have been great satire but it didn't really hit. Maybe it was because I was taking the film at face value, or maybe Daniel Craigs whodunit monologue just wasn't that good.
The scene where Janelle Monae breaks the glass and blows up the place is just so bad. Of course the scene is going to be implausible , but you expect the character's behavior to make sense on some base level. Everyone is going to stand around and let her do what she wants? Really?
I think ultimately if you're going to write a plot this haphazardly, you have to make it satire.
Fleishman Is in Trouble (2022)
Interesting Show but A Bit Laboring
The show focuses almost entirely on Dr. Fleishman, a Jew from NY whose wife divorces him and disappears suddenly. The show follows him around during his recovery process where he reconnects with old friends, and gets back into the dating world.
The show is completely ruined by a narration style that explains everything that's happening in excruciating detail. This kind of thing can be useful if the show is hard to follow, but in this case it turns a plot that's already a little slow into a complete slog.
Although, it was a bit difficult to get through, I ultimately felt like the show told a compelling story that was worth a watch.
The Good Nurse (2022)
Engaging Movie but Dialogue Scenes are Two Slow
The movie was generally well done and the dialogue and acting are on point. Nnamdi is definitely a compelling actor. They did a good job portraying the tension Amy was feeling about ratting on her good friend. All that said, it did seem like the direction took some creative liberties with how close Amy and Charlie were.
All that said, some of the scenes felt like Oscar bait. The interrogation scene took about an hour because they needed to zoom in on every person in the room for 5 seconds. Like yeah Eddie Redmayne is acting well but we don't need to watch him writhe for 30 minutes we get the point.
The White Lotus: Arrivederci (2022)
Don't Misunderstand the Show
A lot of the complaints about the finale boil down to people behaving "stupidly", i.e. Portia getting in the car or Tanya hitting her head.
For me, this realism is what makes the show so satisfying.
Nothing that happened in the finale particularly shocked me, but it was still an engaging and exciting watch. A lot of the themes were tied up nicely and most of the outcomes made sense.
I really liked how they explored the dynamic of honesty in relationships. Should relationships be 100% honest or should there be some games to spice it up. (Obviously there's healthier ways to do this than Cam and Daphne)
I also liked how Albie didn't end up being toxic. Maybe he isn't totally the white knight he pretends to be, but he's learned from the mistakes of his parents and he's a pretty decent guy.
Better Call Saul (2015)
Great show but ultimately suffers as a spinoff
I love Breaking Bad but I think Jimmy turning into Saul hurt the show.
Early on we see this contrast between Chuck, the rule-abiding lawyer who helps the rich get richer, and Jimmy (+ his girlfriend Kim) who don't follow rules but try to help the underdog. This is the old philosophical debate between deontology and utilitarianism.
Later this nuance is abandoned so that Jimmy can become Saul. Now we learn that Jimmy has been doing things the wrong way and Chuck has been doing things the right way. And Jimmy just decides to voluntarily submit himself to 86 years in prison because he has so much respect for authority.
Better Call Saul: Waterworks (2022)
Best Episode in Gene Timeline Yet
I think this episode was significantly stronger than the last two. You can see Kim and Jimmy have chosen how they processed the guilt of Howard; Jimmy by doubling down and Kim by running away and doing all she can to prevent herself from reoffending. Rhea does an amazing job in this episode.
I think I will be satisfied with the finale if they write a happy ending for Kim. Not intense and exciting like breaking bad, but satisfying in it's own way.
The Rehearsal: Orange Juice, No Pulp (2022)
Struck a Nerve With Me
I know this is a prank show but there's something unsettling about this episode. This wholesome and kind man is confronting and making amends for a minor lie that he told, and the whole thing is made into a farce.
There's a fine line between pranking people and being a dick and I think this episode crossed it.