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Reviews
The Last of Us: Please Hold to My Hand (2023)
I'm glad the story has returned to Joel and Ellie.
As much of a nice surprise the last episode was, I'm glad we had an episode refocused on Joel and Ellie's journey together. Obviously, like any other piece of media, there's pros and cons. More pros than cons, to be sure. So, because I like to end on a positive note, I'll save the pros for last.
Cons:
- Kathleen.
This character just doesn't sell me on the story. And it's nothing against the actress. I've seen her in other films and enjoyed her performances. She's good at her job. But, for some reason, it just doesn't successively take off here. I don't understand why she's the leader of this group. She doesn't seem like someone others would follow. Instead, she looks and sounds like a whiny "Karen" stereotype that somehow got put in charge("I'm the manager now! Muahahaha!). If it were someone like Tess, I'd buy that. Tess' character was someone I could see being a leader of a group of survivors. But Kathleen? Just not seeing it.
- Unclear motivations for the city survivors.
These people set up traps for unsuspecting strangers, and get mad when they fight back and kill them in self defense? Oh yeah, THAT makes lots of sense, (uggghhh).
Pros:
- Refocusing the story on Joel and Ellie.
As I said before, I'm happy to see the story going back to Joel and Ellie. I'm ok with taking some time for side characters, but not almost an entire episode of time.
- The development of Joel and Ellie's relationship.
They're slowly warming up to each other and have both started to display father/daughter dynamics in their relationship without even realizing it. And the trust is building between them. I love seeing their bond get stronger as time goes on.
So, yeah. It was a good episode. And I can't wait for the next one! 😁
Love Is Blind: After the Altar: The Future Looks Bright (2022)
"The future looks bright"...yeah right.
Apparently, love is not so blind. Why? Because none of the original couples are still together. And I swear, after watch this season, and the previous one, these shows have to be scripted to some degree. Because both seasons have followed familiar beats. Not the stuff that naturally happens because of the "experiment". But the other things. Like yet another love triangle. And once again, there's a flirty blonde involved in the love triangle who's in love with the engaged man and she causes drama for him and his fiancé. And then, after the initial "experiment" is over, they all just happen to get together with each other for a big party and once again, all of the ex's come together and stir the drama pot. Some of the similarities that this season shares with the previous season just make me skeptical about how real this "reality" show is.
But hey, most of us know these reality shows are never 100% realistic or honestly depicted. We come to be entertained, and most of the time, that's exactly what we get.
But as for the future looking bright, is it really that bright? Well, as far as the original couples go, no. It's not bright at all. There's some promising chemistry between Kyle and Deepti, and Shaina is engaged. But things are over for Shame and Natalie, Shake is completely out of the picture, (which is not a disappointment, to be honest), and the two strongest couples both breakup after the show ended. Things look like they're gonna go well for the both of them, and then, we're told that they all broke up! So much for that "bright" future.
As I sit here and contemplate what I've seen in this season, I wonder why I've voluntarily taken the time to watch two whole seasons of this show. It's destined to fail the majority of the time. They only give these people somewhere around a week or two to get to know each other and then GET ENGAGED! And then get married in a couple weeks. A recipe for success, right? (SMH.)
I think love can be blind sometimes. But what love can't be is rushed. And that's exactly what this show does. It has to happen in its own due time. Whether it's years from when you first meet the love of your life, or the very next day, love between two people needs to happen at an appropriate pace for that couple. And the rigid parameters of a reality tv show, do not a lasting marriage, make.
So, here's hoping that the future will be a bit brighter for all of this season's contestants someday. Until then, I may or may not choose to endure another season of this show.
The Walking Dead: Outpost 22 (2022)
Just waiting for the end.
I was so excited to see the last season of this show. And I was anxiously waiting for the last section of this season to come out just so I could finish this show. Now, it just feels like a chore to get through these last few episodes. And it doesn't even feel like a final season. The way it's going right now, this could have been a middle season. Somehow it just feels lackluster and un-energetic.
The danger level is also inconsistent. One minute our beloved heroes are unstoppable tanks that now down all who dare to get in their path, and then the next minute they're getting punked by a bunch of Commonwealth stormtrooper wannabes. And it only happens that way once in a while to make the story go forward. I know that most of our main heroes are highly skilled, battle-hardened warriors, but they succeed against the Commonwealth's military way too often. Are those guys just plucked off of the street and given armor and weapons? So, in short, plot armor is very present in this final season in a show where that didn't use to matter.
With how dumb this last section of the final season feels, it's left me feeling less and less hopeful that Rick will make a comeback. It would just ruin him at this point, most likely.
So, now it's just an endurance race, so to speak. Just hold out long enough to make it to the finish line. Hopefully the last few are better.
For All Mankind: New Eden (2022)
Can the story be at least 50% about space/planetary exploration, and the other half personal drama, please?
Why is it that every time the sci-fi aspect of this show gets really interesting, it suddenly jumps back to unnecessary melodrama?
I don't care about seeing national politics more than the survival of the astronauts on Mars. I know that if we should care about the astronauts, we need to get to know at least a few of them personally. But now it's about stupid relationship drama. Kelly can't tell her dad she's falling for a cosmonaut because he might flip out. Danny still has the weird cougar attraction to Karen. Oh, and speaking of Danny, what an awful character. First, he sleeps with his best friend's mom, then still wants to be with her, but then he starts cheating on his wife? I guess the apple didn't fall far from the tree. But then again, Gordo never slept with his best friend's mom.
And it's funny to me that this show pretends that we would somehow be so intolerant to gay and lesbian people in this alternate version of the 90's. I was just a kid back then, but I remember never seeing heaps of hatred and bigotry towards people who are gay and lesbian. They were very much a common part of life and everyone got along for the most part. People only distanced themselves from others if they seemed insane and likely to hurt someone. You just had those fringe groups and individuals that treated people who were "different", in horrible ways. But then it becomes a focal part of the episode's storyline. Can we please leave all of the soap opera drama behind and get back to life on Mars?
I want to see more of the water storyline. Not that that's peak entertainment, but at least it's not more drama that distracts from the sci-fi elements of the story. I think I'm gonna go watch a good sci-fi movie or show that mostly sticks to the cool astronaut stuff.
For All Mankind: Seven Minutes of Terror (2022)
What a ripoff.
It was a pretty good episode. The only thing that spoiled it for me was the ending. After all of that buildup, after coming so close to making that character arc for Ed and giving him the chance to make up for the Apollo 10 decision, they rob him of the chance to land first and finally have his moment.
What a shame, and what a ripoff.
What If...?: What If... T'Challa Became a Star-Lord? (2021)
Two words: Gary Stew.
If there's one thing I, and many other people don't like in a story, is a character who is too good at things. I.e., a Mary Sue, or a Gary Stew. Someone who has unreasonable amounts of power and makes everyone around them, whether they be friend or foe, instantly like them for no good reason other than their mere presence.
Others have already said it, but I'll add my two cents as well. And that is the fact that T'Challa somehow manages to convince Thanos to actually change his mind about wiping out half of all life in the universe. Seriously? Not even Thanos' own family and friends, the people he trusts the most in the entire universe, could talk him out of it. But suddenly, all it takes is one random Earthling? Yeah, right.
I realize that this overcompensation might have been a well-intentioned way of sending off Chadwick Boseman in his last performance. But I think it actually does a disservice to him and his character by not letting the story and characters around him interact with, and react to T'Challa as himself. He wasn't some God's gift to humanity in Black Panther. So why is he so perfect here? He was just fine the way he was. A strong-willed, confident, caring, brave man and leader. In other words, they should have just portrayed him as they did in Civil War and Black Panther.
I like the concept of this show a lot. I love seeing different versions of our favorite characters and heroes in a different setting. But so far, this series has just handled the performance of it badly. But, to each their own. If you like it, that's fine. I personally didn't and feel like Marvel can, and should do better.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021)
The "woke-ness" is killing it.
The first episode was actually decent. It felt like the show had potential. But I did have some issues with it too.
I didn't like that Falcon gave away the shield. I know that his character was coming from a place of uncertainty and humility. Feeling as if he wouldn't measure up to Steve's legacy. But I still think it was the wrong choice. But I still like Sam/Falcon. He's likable and funny. I'd like to see more of him in the future.
Bucky is my favorite part of the show so far. It's interesting to see where he is on his journey to becoming more of the man he used to be. But, from the first two episodes, it seems as if he's gone soft and not the badass fighter/killer he used to be. For instance, he loses a fight against a bunch of other super soldiers. Sure they had the odds, but Bucky is a highly trained super soldier. Whereas his enemies seem to only utilize their super strength. So I'd still give him the advantage on the fight. But, nevertheless, he still lost. And that pisses me off and it doesn't make sense.
And then, there's the "woke-ness". It first began to rear it's ugly head in the first episode when Sam and his sister go to a bank to take out a loan, but the bank denies them. And the so-called writing alludes to possible racial profiling. With the sister even saying, "it's funny how doors always seem to close when we're involved." Guys, can we PLEASE just have our escapist tv shows and movies actually be a form of escapism again?
And then, it happens again in the second episode. With the revelation of there being, *SPOILER ALERT*.....are you ready, gang?....there was once, a black Captain America. *GASP!* His name is Isaiah. And the world has known nothing of him. Now I actually feel bad for the guy. Because he reveals that he was put in prison for 30 years and continually experimented upon. But the fact that we're still going on about racism, and exaggerating it is getting very annoying. Why is this real world issue in a superhero tv show?
And after that; it gets even better! Sam is upset about the whole situation with Isaiah. And as far as the whole situation with the wrongful imprisonment and government coverup is concerned, I can understand why. And because of this Sam and Buck start to have a bit of an argument in the street. It seems like they're just gonna hash things out like friends and colleagues should. But then a confrontation between Sam, Bucky and the police is forcefully shoehorned into the next scene just seconds after Sam and Bucky leave Isaiah's house.
It's a bit understandable as first that the police get involved just because the two men are having their argument in the middle of the street. But then the police, for some baffling reason, fixate on Sam and get nervous around him and start telling him to calm down. Sam tries to assure the officers that he is calm and declines to show them his ID when asked for it. But we're still not done. The cops then proceed to place their hands on their weapons as if fearing an attack from Sam at any moment. They even treat Bucky as if he's the victim of the argument. But then the whole situation is diffused once one of the officers tells his partner that they're dealing with the Falcon. Then they treat him with the utmost respect.
Disney, please, I ask you to stop this over the top, in-your-face, brow beating about racism pandering that you are putting into more and more forms of your media. The more you focus on the negativity, the more it becomes a problem. Plus, you never present a solution, so why bother complaining about it? Just please, let your fans have the more lighthearted and fun side of the superhero story and leave out to overt "woke-ness". Because the audience that you're pandering to with that is the loud minority of your audience. Not the vast majority who already treats each other with respect and dignity. And if you continue to push away that majority, you'll only be left with the loud, disrespectful and truly bigoted minority who will not be enough to pay for all of your products.
TL;TR
The usual Marvel tropes that fans of the MCU are present and enjoyable. But the in-your-face "woke-ness" just ruins it all.
Future Man: Pilot (2017)
Really?
I didn't even make it past the first episode. I thought it had potential after seeing the trailer and the beginning of the pilot. Even if there were a couple of awkward moments that I could have done without. But then that fateful moment came where Josh Hutcherson's character actually came, accidentally, on the video game guy when he and the girl just showed up out of nowhere, and that was it for me. I mean, really? What kind of adult thinks that's actually funny?
I usually don't consider myself a prude, but that was just too much for me. There are other things I could be watching instead of this tripe that seems to mostly consist of "humor" that you might find funny if you're 13 and still don't get this whole "sex" thing.