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Reviews
Dark Winds: Antigonish (2023)
Way too slow
With the 3rd episode, we advance the story in basically one way. We have now learned that there is a connection between the drill site and the Charlie family. So after 45 minutes of admittedly, beautiful, New Mexico, scenery, watching Emma and Joe continue to agonize over the loss of their son, overly dramatic music, and being lectured about the plight and the treatment of Native Americans, we are no closer to understanding what is going on, let alone how it's going to end up.
When you add the slow pace, to the destruction of these stories, as they were originally told, there is not much left here.
Under the Vines: Episode #1.4 (2021)
A single egregious error pretty much spoiled this episode for me
Not that this is great television, but it is enjoyable, and the scenery is pretty. However, there was an error in this episode that not only is a goof, but it's such a significant goof as to suggest that the people who are writing in the show have no idea what they're writing about.
A great wine maker, must be capable of tasting and recognizing greatness in his or her own wines, and cannot allow themselves to completely influenced by a single opinion. Such a person as no business making wine whatsoever. A wine maker's, taste buds and nose are the key to success. If a wine maker only knows if their wine is good or bad, based upon what other people tell them, then, how can they hope to succeed in making a good bottle of wine.
Also, they refer to this great wine as "the special blend." However, the epitome of a great wine is when it is not a blend. It comes from a single vineyard, perhaps a single row in a vineyard. The fact that the wine in this episode has been blended at all, means that while it might achieve good market share, and be very enjoyable, and certainly not fail, it can also never attain the greatness that it could if it came from a very narrow source of grapes.
Under the Vines (2021)
English tripe
Fortunately, the characters are interesting enough that you can waste 45 minutes watching this thing without feeling like you've been too badly abused. However, any idea that this is a kiwi series should be suspended immediately this series is no more about New Zealand than French Fields was about France. This is an English sitcom, or maybe romantic comedy who knows. But it is very much a TV show in the English vein. Shallow characters, hackneyed situations, loads of clichés, and predictable outcomes. On the other hand, the scenery is beautiful and the cinematography well done. So, while this show may insult your brain, at least it won't insult your eyes.
Endeavour: Uniform (2023)
Beyond absurd
Waaaaay too many "coincidences. The "Clockwork Orange" gang somehow attacks Jolly's brother and the illustrator of the Jolly books, who just happens to also have secret information about the Blenheim "whatever." Sorry, this on has now totally snapped my willing suspension of disbelief. Whatever is being covered up her is as believable as Sydney Powell and her Kraken.
Time to pull the plug in this series. What started as half decent mysteries has descended into an X-Files anthology abyss. I am expecting to see smoking man show up next. We are left with implausible events, far too many critical characters, and Mores's inability to express his feelings.
Ted Lasso: Sunflowers (2023)
Just missing Meg Ryan
Come on... this episode seemed like they found a bunch of rejected Hollywood Rom/Com scripts and decided to use them.
As a sitcom, it was just ok. But, if this is a sign of where this show is going, or has gone, sad, very sad.
We are now at the point where they just find interesting things to do with the characters. There is no development, Ted doesn't even know what a friendly is. Keely keeps showing up everywhere, the entire management team is Lindsay and Rebecca, one equipment manager. Really? This has become the WKRP or Mary Tyler Moore show of soccer. And, for what they were, those 2 shows did a much better job of the genre.
The Peripheral: The Creation of a Thousand Forests (2022)
Season 1 was just a pilot for future seasons.
Rubbish. Other than the name and characters, this had nothing to do with the book. And now we are all setup for the future "adventures of Flynne and Lowbeer fighting villains past, present and future. Not much more than Batman (before he became "the" Batman) and Robin unglued in time... To quote Kurt Vonnegut, "so it goes."
It is saddening to think that William Gibson would allow his name to be used with such drivel. Does he really need the money that badly? The worst part is this isn't even science fiction any longer It has devolved into something with less chops than Captain Kirk. The "vast wasteland" has escaped the airwaves and entered the cyber world.
The Peripheral: What About Bob? (2022)
Not as advertised
Rather than saying "based on the book by William Gibson," it would have been far more honest to say, "based on characters and situations created by William Gibson." This show has now drifted so far from the story in the book as to no longer be recognizable. At that is a pity. The basic story in the book, even trimmed down to it's core was for more interesting and engaging than this crude Matrix like sci-fi mystery. Where the book was intellectually deep, this film uses violence and the suspense of an ongoing chase scene to hold the viewer's attention. All they seem to be missing is Bruce Willis.
The Peripheral: Haptic Drift (2022)
Many reviewers are missing a key point
This is not a recently written teledrama, it is a rather faithful dramatization of a novel started in 2012 and published in 2014. It is easy to criticize the story from a 2022 timeframe. But, that misses the whole point. If this story had been "updated" it would have been different story. I suspect the more positive reviews are from Gibson fans who are enjoying seeing the story come to life in a manner fairly close to what they might have imagined when they read the book. As for those who haven't read the book, and who may not even be Gibson fans, yes it makes sense why you might not engage with this.
As for episode 3, am I the only one who found the dialogue rather muted?
Murder in Provence: Episode #1.2 (2022)
This was embarrassingly bad
This show is little more than Midsomer placed in Provence. Some nice establishing shots followed by wine guzzling and eating does not make this even remotely French. And, what in the world is a Judges wife, let alone a Judge, doing investigating crimes? Where are the police? Where is the procurer (DA)? A total waste of good actors.
Murder in Provence (2022)
Not "Meurtres à..."
Trying to copy a French policier with an English speaking, and acting, cast just doesn't work. It is not the accent that is off-putting, or even the quintessentially English expressions. The problem is these are very English characters who think and act like les Anglais not Les Francais.
Lupin: Chapter 8 (2021)
Fun to watch, but...
The second series is fun to watch, but can't hold a candle to the first five episodes. Part 2, episode 3 is a good example. Assane is able to pull off a brilliant ruse, and then walks right into a trap like a total idiot.
L.A.'s Finest (2019)
Horrible
I was hoping for an L.A. version on "Murder in Suburbia." But this show doesn't have a shred of credibility. Instead, it is a cliché ridden example of a business that seeks profit over even meager quality.
Agatha Raisin: The Haunted House (2019)
a comic strip version of the original show
Early in the show Agatha comments that this isn't Scooby Doo. Amazingly ironic since the entire episode was just like a Scooby Doo mystery.