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Reviews
Fargo: Bisquik (2024)
An answer to the others
I read the other "reviews" of this season finale, and it appears clear that these viewers felt confused by what went on in this season of Fargo in general and in this episode 10 in particular.
In my humble opinion, a season finale is a tricky thing to pull off because the story must be brought to a satisfying end and all the characters must have something to show for their development arc.
For me this episode delivered on all fronts.
It was clear from the first minutes that the point wouldn't be about action sequences in the context of the ranch fight.
But before I dive in, I feel like I should clarify the themes that I have identified in this season :
- marital violence (especially husband on wife violence)
- girl power and female solidarity
- cowardice and weapons
- weaponisation of debts
I love how Dot was written and she fit into all of these themes.
She was able to confront her ex husband and give him a taste of this medicine (marital violence). As a courageous woman, she escaped and humiliated Roy (girl power), who then fled like an evil slug and killed the trooper (cowardice and weapons). I was shocked at the way Roy slaughtered his step-father like an animal (also cowardice and weapons) after he told him to get up and fight him.
Then Dot, in her own sweet way, redeemed the debt of Mr Munch by offering him a seat at her table and a piece of food cooked with love and joy. For those who forgot, Mr Munch lived a painful experience where he "ate" the sins of the rich and has been living since under the weight of other people's "moral debt" (weaponisation of debt).
But the best weaponisation of debt in this finale was how Mrs Lorraine Lyon explained to Roy how she was buying off the debts of all the inmates in order to make his life as painful as he made it for his wives. This really got to Roy and I feel satisfied by the fact the he didn't die in the fight, was wounded by his ex wife and will suffer at the hands of a system set in motion by a woman, whom he despises. A man like Roy, who says he's an emissary of the Lord, thinks himself above the law. It is but appropriate retribution that this man should suffer the consequences of his actions in the penitentiary system.
Finally one of the best moments came when Lorraine and Dot hugged (female solidarity) after distrusting each other for a long time, and now recognising each other's value and qualities.
Everyone grew during the course of these 10 episodes, even Gator, who finally saw who his father was after he became blind. He asks Dot to forgive him and to visit him in prison which shows growth and that he doesn't wish to escape the consequences of his own actions anymore.
I appreciated this season deeply, and was amazed by the many references to the Nightmare Before Christmas. I wonder if I can understand why there were so many easter eggs of this animated classic in this season.
Blue Eye Samurai: The Tale of the Ronin and the Bride (2023)
Top tier episode of a top tier series
This episode was truly amazing. There are flashbacks intertwined with the present action, that give a whole new perspective to the harsh battle that Mizu is facing.
Some elements reminded me of the Bride in Kill Bill, of which I'm very fond.
The music elegantly illustrates the beats of the story.
What an emotional rollercoaster neatly packed in a single episode ! A true beauty filled with old school puppets, romance, sadness, sweetness, betrayal, combat, bravery and cowardice. This episode was like a noodle soup where the writer/cook uses only the best ingredients for the broth, noodles and toppings : each bite makes you long for more while being exactly satisfying.
It's rare that I'm afraid to discover the next episodes of a series because I'm enjoying the story so very much.
Blue Eye Samurai is so well written, the action is so visceral, the characters so endearing and true to themselves, that I'm torn between the need to know what is going to happen and the sadness of consuming each episode because it's the last time that I'll be able to discover its beautiful contents for the first time. I guess if Schoppenhauer was alive, he would come up with the accurate german term to express this state of inner turmoil which I feel when finishing an episode and asking myself if I should wait at least 24 hours before watching the next one. Something like Schadenfreudebingewatchoderwarten.
Ragnarok: Ragnarok (2023)
Horribly rushed
I feel betrayed by this 3rd season that I've been waiting for since I discovered the excellent 1st season in 2020.
During Covid, this cool series kept me in good company.
Unfortunately this 3rd season felt extremely rushed.
The only interesting thing about this season is Magne losing himself to the power of the Hammer.
The writing felt very poor in comparison with earlier seasons.
Even the soundtrack wasn't good, like the 2 first seasons.
It feels a lot like there was trouble with the production.
I feel betrayed, like someone I loved deeply was secretely making a fool of me.
We were robbed of meaning and of a decent ending.
Spin Me Round (2022)
I did want to love it more, like Alison Brie's character
First of all the cast was so promising : Fred Armisen, Ego Nwodim, Alison Brie, Ben Sinclair, Aubrey Plaza and Zach Woods. Instant interest only by reading the cast.
The story is written in a way that toys with tropes such as rom-com and thriller. You don't understand quite well where the story is headed.
I feel kind like it could have been a much better movie, especially because it starts off so strong and funny. Every character finds his place well and quickly within the group dynamic, only for the dynamic to radically shift, leaving us a bit confused and maybe frustrated.
I love when a movie criticizes corporate culture in an intelligent way.
I think the goal the writers wanted to achieve was a more personal and intimate exploration of feelings. I don't feel like the second part's writing is achieved as well as the first.
The ending is satisfying because it wraps the storyline in a neat way, but leaves us with a weird feeling.
I empathised a lot with Alison Brie's character, who is the most relatable, but too many scenaristic choices left me frustrated.
In the end, I think it's a story about self-confidence and especially the courage to look at your life and appreciate what you have, versus what you dream you could have. Being unwell with yourself will make you fall prey to toxic people. Screw them and learn to be happy with the person you are and the life you've built for yourself.
Atlanta: Trini 2 De Bone (2022)
Exemplary episode
What Donald Glover did for this episode is making me feel very grateful right now.
As per usual I write a review right after watching the show, so I apologize in advance for any lack of structure due to my emotions.
This episode follows a classic family of 3 : the mom, the dad and the son. They get a phone call : their nany just died.
Do they tell their son ? Do they bring him to her funeral ? Does the funeral end up being a glorious mess ? Is the cringe so real you can touch it ? Well I guess you'll just have to watch "Trini to da none" to know.
I can understand this show being so controversial that it gets bombed by 1star votes, but people who review this episode as boring or void puzzle me the most.
I guess some people can't really appreciate the depth of understanding and feeling in this show. I'm truly thankful for Atlanta, because at last we have some accuracy and nuance about how black and white people behave amongst themselves and each other.
This show explores with bold intelligence and every day simple truths a lot of interesting biaises.
I particularly enjoyed this S02E07 because of how masterfully all this was encapsulated in the black MC saying "STOP IT ! We're scaring the white people away !!" and the camera cuts to the white family frozen in their tracks and the dad like "amm... no... we just.. have to go" so funny and brilliant.
Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses (2021)
Too scripted but if you like to test your knowledge...
Good points :
- Helen Mirren is a very solid a skilled game show host. Se seems invested in the HP Universe.
- The Questions : some are very difficult, most are challenging, a few are easy, all are fun. I love quizzes.
- Nostalgia : I can't spoil but there are cool cameos
Points to improve on :
- Scripted to death : an actor asks a question via TV screen to the contestants. Obviously the actor was recorded and isn't present during the filming of the show.
After the contestants answer, the actor in the RECORDED message will comment that "it's the correct answer" or "wrong answer". That's more than magical. Even the best wizards can't see the future :) So basically nothing is left to skill or chance, since the outcome is already known by a recorded video.
All in all I skipped through the nonsense and just watched the questions because I like to test my knowledge.
I give it a 4 because I learned several things, the stage was nicely built, and participating actors all play along gracefully.
Wu-Tang: An American Saga: Protect Ya Neck (2021)
Thank you kindly
Wow. I'm so glad that this episode included so many recording sessions! It felt like a gift ! Thank you hahha The involvement of the actors and the efforts of imaginative production have clearly payed off.
This episode is a prism that let the light shine on the great work that is being done in this series through the cristallized achievements of the Wu members.
The shaolin warriors being included during a recording session made me see the whole wu-verse become so much alive, agile and coherent.
The beats were very dank and the visualisation of composing / decomposing music felt truly exhilarating :)
My heart is still pounding from those recording sessions- wow.
Love and Monsters (2020)
An unexpected delight
This movie felt like a really good surprise, the quest is simple and very well structured, making it agreably easy and fun to tag along as this young dude makes his way through a hostile world, meeting interesting and challenging people.
The character arc of the protagonist is very enjoyable, although the runtime is under 1h40.
The not Marvel grade digital effects give "Monster Problems" a B-Movie quality that makes it kind of even cooler, because it shows that the production had its heart in the right place and spent the money on quality actors, light, sound and of course story.
I give this movie a very well deserved 9 stars for the excellent unexpected surprise it delivers as a whole.
The Boys: What I Know (2020)
Thank you @ The Boys Team
Wow ! What. a. Finale !
I admit I seldom take the time to write a review even when I've been properly entertained.
But this Season 2 Finale delivered exhilarating meaningful payoff from start to finish.
Butcher's character's arc truly blossomed into something beautifully unexpected when an unforseen responsibility is thrust upon him at the very last moment...
QUEEN MAEVE is so badass I was chearing loudly for her in my flat, like a proud Viking, appreciating every second of her appearance on screen.
This woman is so distressed with her frustration towards quietly oppressive
Homelander and the writers truly brought justice to her scenes and justness to her tone and choice of words, especially when she says : "Hey Krout !"
(By the way I'm so rewatching this scene as soon as I'm finished writing this 10 star review !) (hehehe)
This Deus ex Machina is one the best I could wish for and the ass kicking that follows is even magnified with a punk song and a well deserved girls-kick-ass theme, only topped by the little cherry of nazi bashing ! Yay ! Sweetness and violence can indeed coexist, if it's in the name of coolness, punk music and the delight of disrespecting intolerant ultraviolent ultra insecure psychopathic Stormfront. Isn't she like a metaphor for a president or something ? who loves Homelander's military industrial complex, hmm.. Makes sense...
I secretely wish there could be a commitee somewhere that would vote this episode into becoming a structural guideline for the coherence and payoff delivery of all the other series out there.
This for me represents a new quality standard to respect and aim for.
One of the biggest payoffs was the kid-revealing-his-potential-in-a-dire-moment and the price that had to be paid was maybe too huge compared to the good it brought.
I couldn't help feeling like the mom's responsibility was involved in her own death for overshielding her son from his own powers. Of course it's gonna be messy when the power cherry's gonna pop, so best do it in a controled environment with another trusted super, but that implies having a stance towards powers that she clearly didn't. Also I'm very comfy on my lazy chair right now analyzing calmly a very stressful situation, so it's easier for me, no ?
Anyhow these 65' of TV kept on my toes from the first images until the music accompanying the big reveal of the 2nd season's mystery : who was blowing people's head's ? Now we know. But why ? Is it for Vault ? So it would imply that her whole quest against Vault is another front ? Was she placed by Edgar in her office ? Does she pour the milk before the cereal ? Who even does that ?
So many questions to ponder in a quiet and hopeful excitement, also wishing the pandemic won't impact production too severely.
I'm grateful for The Boys' excellent overall teamwork and congratulations on your beautiful show and well earned success !
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)
What did I just see ?
Let me begin by humbly saying : I loved the 1st POTC. Really fun and new. Savvy ? Now to our review :
- Re-use of old tropes and jokes from previous films of the saga : CHECK - Boobs uplifted by heavy breathing : CHECK - Re-re-use of same old jokes in the same 3 minutes : CHECK - Re-use of same music score :CHECK - Boobs : CHECK - Jack is a mess and a drunk jokes : CHECK - Celebrity cameo : CHECK - Absence of rhythm : CHECK - Story holds on torn post-it note : CHECK - Boobs generally bouncing : CHECK - Not really improv just people who act half-heartedly : CHECK - Unappealing new characters : CHECK - Not caring for the outcome : CHECK - Stupid mindless gore : CHECK - Boobs standing still : CHECK - Trying to cram in every joke that worked in other Disney's : CHECK - Jokes with animals because it's Disney so shut up : CHECK - Dragging out scenes because we don't have any sense of purpose : CHECK
- Whore jokes : CHECK - Boobs bouncing from corsets : CHECK - Pseudo-feminist discourse : CHECK - The feminist is a pain in the ass discourse : CHECK - The feminist is a pain but she's a scientist so OK : CHECK - She's a scientist so she's a witch jokes : CHECK - She's a witch because all men are dumb jokes : CHECK - Pirates are even dumber than men jokes : CHECK - The guy is too soft for the girl : CHECK - The older guy was the girl's lost dad all along : CHECK
- Happy ending : CHECK - Ridiculously happy ending (because we're all stupid kids who can't take a hint of realism in the art we consume) : CHECK - Throwing all of the above in a blender and serving it as a "film" : CHECK
- A great villain that's interpreted by a great actor and served by great CGI that lets you think "hey why is this the only good thing in a multi-million dollar production ?" : CHECK - Feeling relief when the lights come back on in the theater : CHECK