Change Your Image
sfbayqt
Reviews
Hope Street (2020)
Watchable....but barely
I'm on Season 3, epi 12 (of 15 episodes) right now, and the *only* reason I returned to watch the remainder of Season 3 is bcz many of my regular shows are on hiatus.
That said, now that I'm back, I'm reminded of how excruciatingly annoying the Nicole character (bar/resto owner of the Commodore) is. And, then there's the injection of Finn's birth-mother (Assumpta), who makes my head hurt. As a previous reviewer mentioned, she really is like a 'walking stick of dynamite' with a match in her hand. Seriously?!
So, I'm almost at the end. I will definitely watch to the final episode, but that will be it for me. Returning for Season 4 would just be self-imposed torture.
Agatha Raisin (2014)
Series 1 & 2, watchable; then it 'jumped the shark'
Ok...here it goes.
First, I haven't read the books this is/was based on. Second, my intro to Ashley Jensen was in the new Series 8 of Shetland, as she replaced the fantastic Doug Henshall.
That said, I'm a HUGE fan of British mysteries, including those w/a bit of comedy: My Life is Murder, Madame Blanc Mysteries, et al. But, THIS one....well, it goes from 'ok I can watch this' to 'why in the hell? What happened to the show?' Clearly I prefer the Ashley Jensen acting on Shetland.
And, let me throw this in: If Agatha is retiring to a quaint, idyllic English village, wearing garish clothes and 5" heels isn't the way to blend in & make friends. I'm just saying. As others have said, the antics got completely ridiculous & really unnecessary. Couldn't Agatha have stood out without the in-your-face color palette that she wore &, seriously, walking in those heels on grassy lawns??
I'll finish up Series 4, then on to better things. Thankfully, a few of my favs are premiering tonight: Miss Scarlet & the Duke, and All Creatures Great and Small.
Rebus (2000)
I was not moved...
I'm struggling. I watched S1 (John Hannah), S2 (Ken Stott), & beginning the first epi of S3. But, I'm gonna be honest...I'm not sure if I will spend time grinding thru Series 4. Yes, it's that tough.
Mind you, I LOVE UK tv, & other international shows, very much! (I'm in the US) but, this one did/does nothing for me.
That said, John Hannah drew me in to watch it. However, IMO, it was a bad choice for him. Stott? I LIKE him! But, not in this series. It's just not working fo me. Character/actor chgs did nothing to help it along, slow as molasses, like watching paint dry. Not sure how it got such an overall high review. I'm baffled.
Paratiisi (2020)
Good storyline, needs subtitle improvement
I completely agree with review entitled 'A Mixed Bag'. It was a good story but subtitles shld have been available for ALL the languages, not just for Finnish & Spanish.
Why? Well, as mentioned by previous reviewer, many of the actors have very heavy accents & flipped back and forth btwn languages throughout. For ex, in the same scene, a Spanish dialogue (w/subtitles) will change quickly to English (no subtitles) but w/heavy accents it's still hard to follow, thus frustration.
Aside from that, acting was fair but watchable. I will see how series 2 presents itself. Hopefully, someone paid attention to reviews & made changes.
A Place to Call Home (2013)
Exhausting
Finally! I know I'm late to the party but I discovered 'A Place To Call Home' just a few weeks ago. What started out as very intriguing became exhausting near the end. By the time I was done with series 4, I was ready for it to be over. Found it was originally cancelled at series 2, but revived.
Without giving away anything, I'll just say that my fav character was Roy. He had his own issues but he wasn't over-the-top or over-bearing. Many other characters (IMO) were unnecessarily intense in one way or another, & made my eyes roll back. Cruella de Vil, anyone?
Side Note: There were too many repeats of cross-over scene to Sydney that showed the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the double-decker bus, & blue car passing in opposing lane. It was really too obvious.
Anyway...glad that's done. On to the next.
The Chelsea Detective (2022)
What a shame...
Thumbs up on Series 1...it was enjoyable to watch. In anticipation for Series 2, I watched the last 2 epis of Series 1 to remind me of the characters in the show & where they left off.
That said, in comparison, Series 2 Episode 1 was really a disappointment. To start, Sonita Henry's (Priya) replacement seemed to be trying way too hard at...everything!!: conversations, interrogations, etc. Her interactions just didn't flow well, & she had too much screen time. Hoping that the rest of the team gets mixed in better in upcoming episodes bcz she took the shine off the show. My fingers are crossed.
The Rig (2023)
So disappointing....not much else to say
The hype trailer for this series, as well as a few actors who I like, plus those I was familiar with, is what drew me in. However, even though there were only 6 episodes, it was difficult to get to the end.
Why watch until the end then? Well, I was trying to be hopeful. But, unfortunately, I was woefully let down. Will there be Season 2? If so, I won't be watching. I really don't have enough interest to go for a second season.
Oh...and Emily Hampshire? IMO, she didn't add *any* value...at...all. There are a number of people who would have been a much better fit, and who can actually act.
So, with all of that said, if you value your time, don't use it to watch this series. If you have to jump in, I guarantee you'll be looking for something else to watch after the 2nd episode.
The Sounds (2020)
Good mystery; Lead Actress was disappointing
So far, I've watched 7 of the 8 episodes. I will watch #8 but only to finish it. I must say, though, that Rachelle Lefevre (lead actress) is not making this easy for me.
Most of the other actors do a good job over the entire season. But, RL made it difficult to watch. I've seen her in a long ago series, Under the Dome, and even then she didn't impress me -at-all. However, I decided to give her another go with The Sounds. For me, she didn't cut it. But, a different lead could have most definitely lifted that role.
That said, I love a good mystery, and this one had a lot of twists and turns. Just when you thought a puzzle was about to be solved, another pops up. LOL! And, on and on. I'm really loving the filming locations in NZ. Makes me want to visit.
As mentioned, I'm at the beginning of episode 8. Will watch to the end. Then I'm done. I could only eke out 5 stars, and that was for the story and NZ scenery. Hope you have a better experience.