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Reviews
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (2024)
Not worth your time
If done differently, this could have been a gripping and good series. But in reality, it was so bad at times that it was laughable. Like a parody of a scary show. Way too much time spent on the main character's face looking uncertain and idiotic. Even though she was a very intelligent girl, she often acted like a complete idiot. There were a number of times, I wondered if I should continue. But I persevered, taking this in small doses and saw the whole series over 10 days. Not something I normally do, but it was the only way I could continue to watch this. It's really too bad this wasn't done better, because the basic story line could have been really good if handled correctly.
Annika: Episode #1.4 (2021)
Just so-so
These episodes seem very low-key, as is Annika's personality. But for a murder mystery, the episodes don't create enough interest in either the murder victim or who did it.
The scenes with Annika and her love interest, her daughter's therapist, just seem painfully awkward and almost unwatchable. As does Annika's asides to us, the audience.
There are interesting characters and the acting is good, as well as the cinematography. I saw Nikola Walker talk about this character and how much she liked her, but I don't feel the same! The series is good enough so that I will probably watch the next 2 episodes to complete season one but unless it gets better, I won't watch season two, if there is one.
Midnight Mass (2021)
Started out well but got too over-the-top
I guess if you are a fan of slasher movies, this might be for you. It started out well, building suspense and a layered plot, but then deteriorated into blood-sucking gore.
The cinematography was good, as was the acting, with one exception: the main character of Erin played by Kate Siegel. When I am watching a show, I am ready to get into the moment, but every once in a while, it just seems like I am watching someone act rather than being able to just believe in what's happening. And that's what I felt like with Siegel, especially as the series progressed.
Love Hard (2021)
Unbelievable ending due to no chemistry between two main characters/actors
This movie MIGHT have worked if there was any real chemistry between the two main characters. But there wasn't. So it just seems like a complete lie at the end.
Since the whole movie was about lying and the negative consequences, it seems fitting the ending seemed to be a lie, too.
I would have rated this movie higher if the ending had been about the two main characters becoming good friends. But with the ending it had, it rates in the "don't bother" category.
The Big Family Cooking Showdown (2017)
Contestants' lack of skill or smarts is biggest problem
I liked the show format of Season 1 better than Season 2, but I liked the two hosts/judges better in Season 2 than the 2 hosts/2 judges in Season 1.
My biggest problem with this show is just the frequent stupidity of the contestants -- or their lack of skills. I'm sick of seeing contestants who decide to completely disregard the recipe when they are cooking something they have never made before, only to completely screw it up. (D'uh, what did you expect? That you, who had never made something before, could improve on the tried & true recipe that the judges gave you?!)
Also, sometimes the contestants would make something they had never made before in the part of the competition that they were supposed to have practiced ahead of time! Why come on the show if you can't even practice your dish before being on national television?
I am not a great cook or a great baker but I do all right. I have seen a lot of really basic mistakes that even I know better than to make, so why are some of these people on a national cooking competition?!!
(Note: I am a big fan of The Great British Baking Show, which has a great format, but also has a lot of really talented bakers. If this show was trying to create another winner like the GBBS, they really failed!)
Baptiste: Episode #2.3 (2021)
All the back and forth in time distracting & confusing
I watched season 1 of Baptiste and thought it was a good show with surprising plot twists which basically held together. So far this series, after 3 episodes, is not nearly as good.
For some reason, the decision was made to be constantly shifting between various times in the past and the present. If this was done once or twice, okay, but to have it being done continuously throughout the series so far really detracts from my enjoyment of the show.
I will reserve judgment until the sixth and final episode because maybe the writers will have brilliantly tied all the very loose ends together by then in a more compelling way than the series has begun.
Overspel (2011)
Overall, rather captivating with some annoyances
I have watched 8 of the 12 episodes of the first season and I look forward to watching the last 4. The plot line of the series, along with the excellent acting and set design & cinematography, all keep me interested in this show.
The family relationships and characters are interesting and generally believable. However, the character of Iris is annoying because she just seems unbelievably stupid! Having an affair with the lawyer of a shady businessman your prosecutor husband is investigating? Not understanding how that might influence a child custody arrangement? Going to an attorney and talking about "your friend" when you are obviously talking about yourself? Not understanding that your cheating on your husband might require some real contrition and attempts on your part to allay his suspicions if you want to save your marriage as you say you do?
The other annoying thing that often crops up in romantic relationships in movies or tv: The lovers just can't stop themselves from passionately kissing and ripping their clothes off within moments every time they see each other. You are conducting an illicit affair, but just go at it in public....... nothing else matters but your overwhelming passion for this person which you must display and act on, no matter where or when. In real life, people have affairs all the time, but that doesn't mean they make out in public every time they arrange to meet!
Kastanjemanden (2021)
Very engrossing but have they never heard of back-up?
I highly recommend this series. It definitely kept my interest, and I loved the way each one of the episodes really moved the story line forward. (It just seemed like a lot happened in every episode, a compliment that a lot of good series wouldn't receive.)
There were a couple things I didn't like. One was the way the graphic, disturbing crime scene photos were repeatedly shown. (Some people might be okay with this, but it just seemed a little gratuitous.)
The other thing I didn't like was because it seemed so unrealistic and hard to believe: The police are hunting down a vicious & very clever serial killer, yet our two lead detectives go blithely alone into what could be very dangerous situations without telling anyone where they are or calling for back up. I don't know: in U. S. crime shows, detectives are always calling for back-up but maybe it's not a thing in Denmark!
Interior Design Masters (2019)
Like the format and challenges, but the judging has failed
I really enjoyed watching this show, except for one thing: Cassie the winner absolutely should have been sent home in three previous episodes! The show's major flaw is having one judge, instead of a panel of three.
Times Cassie absolutely should have been sent home:
Episode 2: Her hotel room was the absolute worst, hands down! It was hideous and the only one I would have refused to stay in if I had a reservation at the hotel. The woman they sent home did have too many knickknacks in the room, but it was a pleasant and welcoming space that I would have enjoyed as a guest.
Episode 5: The wallpaper Cassie chose for the living area was a real negative for the setting: a vacation house in a rural, pastoral setting. It was the worst thing by far of the redecorated house, which was a huge loser to the one done by Ju and Nicky - who in my opinion hit it out of the park with their lovely & charming decor. I loved their two bedrooms! The house was the best of the series, along with the yarn shop designed by Nicky.
Episode 7: Each of the 3 finalists re-did a hair salon or barber shop. While none of them were perfect, I would have been happy to go as a customer to Frank's and Ju's. Cassie's was really hideous. The guest judge said he couldn't decide if the clashing green colors was pleasure or pain. In my mind, it was PAIN. The whole place from the yucky, depressing colors to the antlers covering one large space was a real downer!
THREE TIMES Cassie should have been sent home and wasn't! It's too bad that this show didn't have a better judge or a panel of judges to counteract the one bad one they did have!
Interior Design Masters: Episode #1.5 (2019)
Wrong person sent home!
This was a nice challenge. The house created by Nicky and Ju was really lovely. I would love to stay there! The one created by the other team was very so-so. One of the worst features was the wallpaper insisted on by Cassie. I actually would have liked the wallpaper in a different setting, but it detracted very much from the country, rural setting of the vacation home.
Cassie should have been sent home, not Kyle. Plus, Cassie has had other failures in her past, while Kyle's work has been exceptionally good.
This show needs a panel of judges, not one person who really seems to get it wrong! (Just read the general consensus of opinion in the reviews for the show overall.)
Interior Design Masters: Episode #1.2 (2019)
Wrong person chosen to leave
I like the basic format of this show, except that there should be a panel of judges, not just one person. The worst room was definitely the mess done by Cassie. It was completely inappropriate for a hotel, besides having depressing colors (in my opinion.) I would definitely not want to stay in that room!
The person sent home created a room that I would have been happy to stay in. True, it had too many knick knacks, which would be inappropriate for a hotel, and a few of them were too kitschy, but nevertheless, it was SO much better than Cassie's disaster.
Legacy List with Matt Paxton: Lenis Northmore (2019)
Interesting but unbelievable
The house being sold is from the late 1700s and filled with interesting artifacts. But what I do find unbelievable is that this woman, who has lived in this 6000 square foot, 20-room house for 30 years, has left the entire house as is so that 4 people can supposedly completely move everything out in 3 days! WHAT?!!
There appears to be a lot of valuable stuff and many rooms are crammed with stuff. So she just does absolutely nothing and lets 4 strangers come in and pack her up in 3 days. It seems like a much more reasonable course of action would be to work with a local estate sale or auction company months ahead of time, decide what you want to go in your new 2500 square foot house, and then sell what you don't want.
Maybe she wanted to be on tv.
Some of the historical background they give is interesting, but sometimes they go into too much detail.
Clickbait: The Answer (2021)
Okay but not a must-see
Overall, an interesting plot line. There was a mystery that held throughout the series until the end. However, there seemed to be a number of extraneous subplots that detracted more than added to the series.
One thing that seemed pretty ridiculous to me was that when Nick is almost killed and manages to get away, he doesn't go to the police or his family or friends; he goes to the one place that would be the most dangerous for him to go. Just seems ridiculous! If I was close to being murdered and lucky enough to get away, you can be sure that I would hightail it to safety - just like any normal person would!
Lost: Fire + Water (2006)
Series seems like a farce at times
I enjoyed Season One of Lost but as Season Two started and moves on, I have been struck at times with the feeling that I am watching some bad actors putting on a farce. Most of the acting has been good, but there are a number of characters who just seem to be acting; and I am just trying to enjoy a tv show, not be a critic! But the characters of Claire, Charlie, Michael, Shannon and Ana Lucia have just seemed like parodies of real people. Some of them seem too stupid and cringeworthy to be believable. The worst is Ana Lucia playing the badass, tough woman set to be the next Rambo.
I want to like this show and continue watching but I am finding too many episodes more cringeworthy than enjoyable....... I hope it gets better and not worse because I would enjoy the diversion of being "lost" on such a beautiful island.
Dead Before Dawn (1993)
Really seems so stupid many times throughout
I did watch the whole movie, but it was far from gripping. Mostly, I was incredulous how stupid either the main character Linda was or how stupid the story was presented. It really did strain credulity.
In the Dark: The Feels (2019)
So-so but very unlikable main character
This series has kept my interest enough so that I am still watching it after five episodes. But I find the main character so unlikable that I wonder how much longer I will keep watching. There are enough characters that are more engaging than the central one ----- which helps. Also, there is some mystery in the plot which also keeps me at least somewhat engaged. But overall, kind of a a meh.
Behind Her Eyes (2021)
Don't waste your time unless you love supernatural or fantasy media
This movie would have been so much better if it was reworked without the repetitive body-transporting and dream sequences, as well as the (in my mind) just stupid ending "twist."
I felt like I wasted my time. There is so much to watch between all that's available through streaming that I try to be choosy. This, unfortunately, didn't pass the cut!
Días de Navidad: Episodio 2 (2019)
Translators switched names of two sisters: Esther & Adela
I was watching this thinking that the two oldest of the three original sisters, Esther & Adela, seemed to have changed more than was believable. I even went back to check the names on the tree in the first episode to make sure I had the order correct - and I did. But then at some point, I realized that the TRANSLATION must have screwed up. From the time that she stepped out of the car with her daughter Lorena, she was called Esther -- but she was really Adela, as later scenes would attest to.
Once that mistake became clear, the episode was much better and made a lot more sense. The personality of Esther, the oldest, from the first episode to the next was believable, as was Adela (although not as believable as the other three sisters.)
In any event, this name-switching error is a serious negative error for this production.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: A Jewish Girl Walks Into the Apollo... (2019)
Still wonderful, but some things are starting to annoy me.....
This show is fabulous in so many ways: creating a captivating ambience wherever the story takes it: really well-shot, fabulous sets, great costumes, outstanding acting.
However, some of the plot lines are kind of unbelievable. The Weissmans moving in with the Maisels? Abe Weissman, who has been shown to be very OCD, okay with almost complete strangers messing up his home?
Also, if I was supposed to feel sympathy for Susie because she actually cried, I didn't. Not only does she gamble away her own money, but Midge's, too? To borrow one of her lines, "What are you, five?" And then, we're supposed to believe that the incredibly bright Midge is stupid enough to leave all of her money with Susie, who barely has enough money to keep a roof over her head - and who she has observed being really into gambling? Give me a break!
Also, I'm not thinking Mrs. Maisel is so wonderful. She breaks off her engagement with a really nice guy in a letter? Can't even do it in person! She thinks her precious children, who she can't spare much time for, absolutely have to be in an elite, private school, even though neither she nor Joel can afford it and she won't even be around to help provide transportation to and from? Then of course she doesn't even get that maybe it isn't the nicest thing to "out" the man who gave her the biggest break ever by asking her to open for him?
No, definitely not always a fan of the self-centered Mrs. M, but I will continue to watch what is a really well-done show (with a few failings in the plot lines.)
The Kacey Musgraves Christmas Show (2019)
Underwhelmed
There were a lot of talented people in the show. Too bad the script didn't make better use of them. The initial song with James Corden & Kasey is so corny & predictable (the snow keeps bursting through the French doors every time they sing "let it snow" - wow, now that's funny - NOT) that I am really surprised that they pull the same trick out again not very much later when every time Kasey & another guest star start to sing Silent Night, a carpenter starts a new noisy project. (HA HA)
The idea of repeatedly showing the "behind the scenes" working of the show doesn't add much; it's not exactly bad, but why do it when it seems to do nothing positive for the show?
I like Dan Levy and he was amusing as the narrator. Of course there were Christmas carols and lots of nice voices, which was to be expected. I particularly enjoyed Zoey Deschanel because she was just so darned cute singing the Hawaiian Christmas song - which ended with an adorable tiny puppy.
A real downer: some of Kacey's outfits were just plain unattractive or weird for a young, pretty woman like Kacey.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: It's the Sixties, Man! (2019)
This episode is a let-down
This is a wonderful series. Fresh, original, fabulous writing, acting, costumes, sets, ambience, cinematography - or whatever you call it for tv!
But during this episode, I began to wonder if perhaps, like so many tv shows that start out gangbusters, if this one was beginning to go downhill. The whole set-up with Abe Weismann, the professor, who has been fabulously meticulous about his study at home, his scientific projects, his vacation in the Catskills, is now perfectly okay with near strangers making a mess of his house and bossing his long-time maid around?
That part of the story just didn't ring true and seemed like the writers were really trying too hard to both (a) come up with something plot-wise, and (b) be funny.
Also, I am getting a little sick of how completely wrapped up in herself the fabulous Mrs. Maisel is. She seems to care more about her wardrobe than her two children, and she seems to have no consideration for the fact that Susie barely is earning enough money to keep a roof over head. Apparently Susie (and everyone else in her orbit) is just supposed to be happy that she can be there for Midge, because that should be enough for her. Forget about Susie having other clients if it should be a distraction from the all-important career of Mrs. Maisel.
And what self-respecting woman, married with two kids, expects Mommy & Daddy to keep shelling out the big bucks so that their grown-up daughter can look like a million bucks in at least 3 different outfits a day? (Could Midge even buy ONE of those outfits from the salary she earns in a week at her make-up counter job, telephone operator job, or stand-up comic job?). I was at least glad to hear about the mom's trust fund, because otherwise the expensive clothes & lifestyle did seem beyond the reach of a college professor's salary.
The Tunnel: Episode #3.6 (2018)
Season 3: a real step down from first two
The first two seasons were good; this third one: not so much.
The acting was excellent, the dialog was fine, the production in general was good: this was consistent through all three seasons.
The big problem with season 3 was the plot just didn't make sense. It wasn't believable that those two losers could mastermind their crimes and not get caught. They just seemed not very bright.
Also the ongoing child kidnapping was totally unrelated to the other crimes which just seemed unnecessary.
My problem wasn't with how things ended up with the main characters. It was just with an unbelievable plot that strained credulity.
p.s. Just one annoying instance of unbelievable plot actions: When Elise & her partner English guy go into a cave following a lead without at least calling in their whereabouts to their station. People are getting drugged, branded, maybe even killed - so just go into a remote cave where no one even knows where you are. Uhhhh, no.
NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service: Date with Destiny (2018)
Maybe the worst NCIS episode I've ever seen
The main reason this is the worst episode I've ever seen has to do with Maria Bello's portrayal of Jack Sloane. The character has never seemed believable or likable to me. She seems to overact the part. So instead of enjoying the episode, it's more like watching a bad play.
The other negative thing is the new forensic scientist, Casey, who mainly just makes me cringe.
The show ended with a character I actually do care about, which was probably the main redeeming feature of the episode. The interaction between McGee, as an admiral's son, and the commander of the ship was also good.
NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service: Homefront (2016)
Good but some details just unbelievable...
NCIS is overall a well-written, well-acted, and well-executed series. But sometimes the details of the plot just seem too incredibly unbelievable. For instance, why would any thinking person choose a safe house in which the door is always left unlocked? I'm referring of course to Gibbs house which has been used as a safe house repeatedly throughout the series. Not only is it unlocked, but it is a house Gibbs has lived in for many years, so not exactly a secret location!
Also, having Gibbs sleep on the couch for a couple decades after he lost his wife & daughter and after he's been married THREE MORE TIMES because the memories are too special in that bedroom also just kind of insults the audience's intelligence.
This episode's plot where a middle-school aged kid is out walking alone after dark and witnesses a drug-related murder also strains incredulity. The family wasn't living in the middle of a ghetto.
Touching Evil: Deadly Web: Part 2 (1997)
Too implausible a plot.....
Overall, this is a good show. But this episode was not credible. The police know that a man they have in custody has killed multiple people and they let him go and let him kill a few more. Plus a friend of the killer is told all about his killing yet she helps him get away and secretly meets with him, even when her house is under police guard. Naturally she is killed by him, too. The acting and everything else was fine ...... but the storyline was poor.