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taniacudmore
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Arcane: League of Legends (2021)
Amazing
I'm not a LoL player and don't get into anime at all - but having said that I love this series!
It is so beautiful to watch! I love the mix of steampunk, fantasy, and art nouveau. There are so many gorgeous little details, and even the movements of the characters is art. The fight scenes are stunning, and the music supports them so well.
I love the majority of characters, their evolution, darkness, style, and originality. The 2 sisters Vi and Powder are perfect, down to their styling and movement. The action is amazing, plot can be a bit predictable but still holds my interest at all times, the pacing is great, the dialogue is punchy, and I'm dying to see season 2.
The one fatal flaw that means I can't give it a 10 is the cringe-worthy character of Heimerdinger (and his dog). He's straight out of a show for little children and is ludicrous set against the rest of the characters. His inclusion grates my nerves in every scene. I really hope he's written out of it in season 2.
Murder Mountain (2018)
Interesting, but a dog's breakfast
Pros:
- interesting history of Humbolt county and how the area was before/after the War Against Drugs added it to the list of places ruined by it's efforts.
- Prime example case of a missing/murdered person was chosen which showed the layers of issues with investigating in such an outlaw area, with underfunded and lack-lustre policing.
- Interesting insights into the outlaw community, weed farmers, and the issues of going from a black to white market.
Cons:
- The basics of numbers missing/murdered on Murder Mountain, especially compared to elsewhere, was never established at the beginning. Lots of facts that would have been good as a starting place to orientate the story, especially because of the multiple times and story-lines, just floated in over the episodes.
- The Editor needed an Editor.
- Should have been 3 episodes maximum.
- Way too many story-lines tried to be incorporated which made it a dogs breakfast.
- Too many people and too much time given to the stories of the farmers who are trying to make the move from black to white market. And with the tax-free cash they were making over the years, and the amount the black market farmer was shown burying, their stories about not having the money to pay the fees don't ring entirely true.
- The missing persons story of Asher was entirely superfluous.
- The constant moves back and forth between years was more confusing than anything.
It's definitely a worthy set of stories but unfortunately the makers weren't able to pull it off very well. I still would recommend it - just with a finger on the skip button to push things along especially for the last 2-3 episodes.
Three Pines (2022)
Obvious cliches, clunky, and painful
I wanted to like this series but it's just painful. The paint-by-numbers cliche characters, boring dialogue, and entirely predictable plot is tedious.
Did a computer, based on the worst American shows, write this show? The peppering of French language and local references did absolutely nothing to save this stinker. So disappointing seeing the subject matter of indigenous people going missing is such an important topic.
Alfred Molina is a good actor and has been in some amazing productions. This is not one of them. Please don't waste your time unless you like American-style productions that insult your intelligence.
I'll Be Gone in the Dark (2020)
Excellent
An in-depth look at Michelle's hunt for the GSK. Highlights the community of people including true crime enthusiasts, citizen investigators, current/retired law enforcement, and bloggers/writers who come together to work on cold cases. It's amazing how they share their information and work obsessively to catch offenders.
Having Michelle rename the EARONS rapist/killer to the Golden State Killer, and lift the profile of the investigation with her work, imo then plays a part in it being solved.
I love the way Michelle highlights the lives of every person, especially the survivors. And that mantle is taken up with the work of many people to finish her book. It is a testament to the drive and enthusiasm they all share.
Ignore the haters who had no idea what the show was about, so then proceeded to bag it because of their confusion. The title itself says it's about Michelle hunting this guy - so back off, and get a grip.
This is one of my favourite true crime shows because of the unique deep-dive into the world of citizen detectives and (often retired) law enforcement - the myriad of people involved in working for years piecing a case together.
Bridgerton (2020)
Season 1 is fun, Season 2 is cringeworthy
Bridgerton is a romantic fantasy that some will find a bit of fun and good for escapism (including me). The leads of Season 1 had chemistry and overall the ensemble puts in a good performance. The sets and costumes are amazing. So the 7/10 is for season 1 alone.
Unfortunately the leads in season 2 have no chemistry and their limited acting skills, esp of the male, are glaringly bad at times. I skipped parts because the cringe factor was too much. The side-line stories are okay, but that's it.
Unfortunately the actors chosen for the Bridgerton family are not lead actor material, so it is difficult to have each season focus on one and make any sort of real substance. They're fine as supporting characters only. It's left up to the other actors to really hold it together, and that doesn't work in season 2.
Mr. Mercedes (2017)
Season 1 is okay, but Season 2 is ludicrous
Season 1 was fairly enjoyable - I watched it all and would give it a 6/10. Though it was drawn out too far with a lot of superfluous stuff that added nothing to the story. Maybe 6 episodes max instead of the 10 would have been better. And the choice of music really jarred a lot of the time because it didn't match the mood of the scene or the characters themselves. Further, the dialogue for particular characters was over the top and threw out the realism at times, which again jarred me from immersing in the story. But even with those flaws I still enjoyed the season, hence giving it a 6.
BUT Season 2 is flat out bad - with ludicrous story-lines, direction, and dialogue. It's really 1/10 level of bad. Try to ignore they made S02 and just watch S01.
3/10 overall for both seasons.
True Detective (2014)
10 for first season only
Season 1 of TD is a masterpiece. Definitely in my top 10 of all crime dramas.
I have not watched season 2 because of the reviews.
Outlander (2014)
Even the beauty of Scotland can't save this
I have never bothered to leave a review before but the high score and gushing fans have drawn me out.
Overall - tedious, riddled with holes, ludicrous caricatures and accents, obvious bodice--ripper romance silliness, gratuitous violence and sex, annoying and shrill "heroine", and annoying voice over.
The good things that earned the 3 stars - some excellent supporting actors, beautiful Scotland, costuming, sets and a general premise that had promise.
Basically don't bother unless you're a diehard romance lover who doesn't mind the gratuitous stuff.
Scott & Bailey (2011)
What happened after Season 1??
The score of 5 is to take into account how good Season 1 is. It's worth zero after that. I'm not sure what happened but the production went up, and the writing completely bottomed out. They ruined a great drama and I am really annoyed and disappointed.
What started out as gritty and interesting, was then turned into a ludicrous caricature. The characters became 2D, their accents were amped up and they whipped out every stupid British quip they could come up with. The supporting actors (mostly the men) became idiots, and the main characters just as unoriginal as any American mainstream tripe.
Watch Season 1 - and then pretend it got cancelled like many other original and great shows have done. It would have been better that way.