jennfinn Reviews

9-1-1: Lone Star: The New Hotness (2023) Season 4, Episode 1

Carlos & Iris ?? Go Back & Watch S1.

[1/10 · 6 May 2024]

This show has had some crazy things happen over three seasons but I call BS on the storyline that was revealed in S4 episode one. Carlos was best friends with Iris and they got married ??

People who've watched this show weekly over a few years time may not remember S1 when Michelle was looking for Iris but I binged the series so it's only been a few days since I saw it. Carlos and Michelle interacted several times while she was searching for her sister and he barely acknowledged Iris and gave no hints of even knowing her let alone being married to her.

The writers must think viewers are idiots who aren't capable of remembering anything over the course of three seasons.

Four Lives (2022)

Homophobic Investigators

[9/10 · 1 April 2024]

As an American it's nice to know that we aren't the only ones with police officers who drop the ball and screw up investigations. Four Lives is a 3 episode miniseries about the murders of four men in Barking, London by Stephen Port.

Not only were these men killed but the police completely ignored the suspicious nature of their deaths by saying it was an accidental overdose even though none of the men were drug users. They ignored the pleas of family and friends who knew these men and knew there was something suspicious about their deaths.

It wasn't until the fourth man was killed that they finally got their heads outta their a**es and realized all the men were murdered by the same man they had met online. Why were the police so callous while "investigating" the deaths ? Because the four men were gay and they had a lethal dose of GHB in their systems which according to police is a drug frequently used by gay men.

The Killing (2011–2014)

After 26 Episodes Who Cares Who Killed Rosie !!

[4/10 · 25 March 2024]

It's 2024 and I've finally watched The Killing, well at least the first two seasons anyway. It took me about a month to finish the first episode, I stopped and started it several times before finishing the pilot. It wasn't until episode nine of the first season that I realized we don't find out who killed Rosie Larsen until the end of season two. I'm sorry but it's completely ridiculous to have to wait for 26 episodes to find out who killed someone we never even get to know because she's dead when the show began.

Mirelle Enos plays Detective Linden who always seems to be weirdly chewing nicotine gum, wears very itchy looking sweaters, and is a crappy mother to her son Jack. Joel Kinnaman is Detective Holder who looks like many of the meth/heroin/crack addicts I've arrested over the years and probably smells like them too. Smoking fake weed to get close to teenage girls so he can get information from them about the murdered teenage girl. He looks like a homeless man and he talks like a 14yr old white boy who is trying to sound black.

Those two annoying main characters aside like I said previously we have to watch 26 episodes to find out who killed 16yr old Rosie Larsen. We are BOMBARDED with scenes of her mother hysterically crying or staring into space as she completely ignores her other two sons who are much younger than Rosie.

By the end I was hate watching the show just to find out who killed Rosie even though at that point I really didn't care. I was even more annoyed when I read an article saying that the actor/s who played the killer wasn't told until a few weeks before the ending because the writers didn't want it to change their approach to the role. I'm sorry but that sounds like a load of BS, like they themselves didn't know until the end and picked a name out of a hat.

As I've said many times before I love a good twist ending but it has to make sense. Jamie was a t**t and a moron but he definitely wasn't the type to beat a teenager and lock her in the trunk of a car. But even still that could've been the end of it but no they had to make it that Terry who's been nothing but loving and caring suddenly has no problem driving the car containing the still alive teenager into the lake. She does it to help her scumbag married boyfriend even though she overheard him saying he didn't plan on leaving his wife ?? And then it turns out that the teenager was her niece, Rosie ?? Give me a break !!

Mare of Easttown (2021)

Stupid Twist

[5/10 · 25 March 2024]

First let me say that I absolutely love Kate Winslet, I have been a huge fan of her for years and I'm pretty sure I've watched everything she's appeared in. Everyone is always raving about Mare of Easttown, I love Kate and I'm from Philly which is very close to where this was filmed and takes place so I figured I'd try watching it again because the first time I couldn't get through the first episode.

I love a good twist ending but it not only has to be logical but it also has to be possible and this "twist" feels like it was thrown in just for the wow factor. We see the priest dumping her bike after knowing he was the last person Erin spoke to and then Dylan breaking into her house to burn all her journals and sneaking out the night she was killed. Both of these were just red herrings to make viewers believe one of them was the killer. Then there's the other "obvious" suspect, Guy Pearce, the new guy in town who happens to bed our lead detective several times.

How many shows have there been where the female detective has no clue that her husband/boyfriend/whatever is really the killer and she had no clue the whole time. What was the point of the other kidnapper/murderer ? Also what was the point of making it look like John was molesting his own son and that Lori knew about it? Letting it end with John being the killer was good enough so why throw in Ryan at the last minute ?? That was overkill as far as I'm concerned and very hard to believe that a 12yr old is that involved in his dad's life. At 10 he knew he was cheating on the mom, he was checking his phone and was able to sneak out of the house and ride his bike miles away not to mention pulling the trigger on a gun ??

True Detective: Night Country: Part 6 (2024) Season 4, Episode 6

A Joke.

[4/10 · 23 February 2024]

I stuck with it and watched the entire fourth season of True Detective so I could review it honestly. I honestly believe all of the people who are raving about this season must've been paid off by HBO.

If you know anything about True Detective then you know that Nic Pizzolatto created it, he wrote the first three seasons and was showrunner also. Some people don't like season two but I actually enjoyed it. Issa Lopez approached HBO with her idea for a show called "Night Country" instead of letting her have her own thing they convinced (bullied) her into making it a part of the True Detective world.

So they threw in some references to season one (Spiral Symbol, Last name Cohle, Tuttle Inc) which made absolutely no sense whatsoever and slapped the TD name on it to get fans of the original excited. Then they made it seem like things were going the supernatural route up until the very end in which we get a logical explanation for the strange occurrences.

Anyone who criticizes S4 online is immediately called a misogynist because the two main characters were women. I'm a woman and personally I thought that Navarro and Danvers were practically interchangeable except for age and ethnicity. Neither of them were likable until the very end and instead of playing off one another they were basically the same character.

London Kills (2019– )

It's Been Done Before.

[6/10 · 12 February 2024]

DI David Bradford (Hugo Speer) has just returned to work after taking some time off because his wife went missing three months ago. DS Vivienne Cole (Sharon Small) who's been in charge while he was gone doesn't think he's ready to be back on the job.

David's stepdaughter is convinced that he had something to do with her mother's disappearance but he's been cleared by the investigators. His missing wife is always in the background but each episode deals with a new person who's been murdered.

The show isn't great and it's not horrible but it's basically all been done before with better writing and better actors. The actor who plays DC Rob Brady is really hard to watch sometimes and I don't think he's capable of opening his eyes all the way which is annoying because he always looks high.

The Loch (2017)

Very Entertaining !!

[8/10 · 12 February 2024]

DS Annie Redford (Laura Fraser) lives in the small town of Lochnafoy Scotland with her teenage daughter and husband who gives boat tours of Loch Ness. When the local music teacher is found murdered at the bottom of a cliff with a piece of his brain missing the town is turned upside down.

The town is full of secrets and the residents will do whatever it takes to keep their secrets. Siobhan Finneran plays DCI Laura Quigley who arrives in town to take charge of the investigation. To help with the case she brings famous author and psychological profiler, Blake Albrighton. When a human heart is discovered without a body to go with it things really start to happen.

The Victim: Episode 1 (2019) Season 1, Episode 1

Entertaining !

[7/10 · 12 February 2024]

The Victim was an entertaining miniseries with a very unique storyline. Kelly Macdonald plays Anna, a mother whose nine year old son was brutally murdered by a thirteen year old boy fifteen years ago. The murderer was only sentenced to seven years and when he was released he had his name changed and he was relocated. His new name and location is a secret that only a few law enforcement officials are aware of but Anna has become completely obsessed with finding him.

Her friend who is also a private investigator gives Anna a name and address of a man she thinks is the murderer. Anna makes an anonymous post online outing the man as her son's killer and someone takes justice into their own hands and attacks him.

I feel bad saying this but it was really hard having sympathy for Anna because she was such a horrible person. She was obnoxious, stubborn, and completely neglected her other child because of her obsession.

Happy Valley (2014–2023)

S1 Was Really Good. S2 & S3 Far Fetched & OTT

[7/10 · 12 February 2024]

Every time someone mentions a good British police procedural to watch everyone raves about Happy Valley. I started and stopped the first episode like four times because I thought it was boring and couldn't get through it. Finally I binged all three seasons at once and honestly I don't get all the hype.

I'm not saying it's bad but it's not as great as everyone seems to think it is. Season one is solid and if they would've stopped there I would say it was really good but season two and three were far fetched. Sarah Lancashire is a really good actress but Catherine Cawood is a horrible character. She's insufferable, arrogant, and obnoxious most of the time and treats strangers better than her own family.

I love James Norton and I have to admit I didn't think he had it in him to play such an evil monster but he nailed it as Tommy Lee Royce. Siobhan Finneran is such a versatile actress capable of playing any character whether it's a loving sister or a detective.

Death and Other Details (2024)

Entertaining !!

[9/10 · 5 February 2024]

I don't care what other reviewers are saying but I am really enjoying Death & Other Details so far. Also I must be oblivious to accents because I don't think Mandy Patinkin's British accent is bad at all. If I were going to complain about an accent it would be Linda Emond over the top accent but even that isn't enough to bother me.

I don't particularly like the actress playing Imogene but she works well with Mandy and I like that. The setting costumes are beautiful but it's also really fun to watch and I'm really curious where they're going with the story. I've only seen the first four episodes but so far I'm loving it.

Sherwood (II) (2022– )

So Good !!

[9/10 · 5 February 2024]

I absolutely loved Sherwood and I'm so happy to hear there's going to be a second season.

Lesley Manville (Julie Jackson) is an amazing actress who can play any role from the wife of a coal miner to Princess Margaret. I've been on a role lately watching a lot of British police procedurals and true crime shows and Sherwood and Deadwater Fell are my two favorites. The entire cast was so good and they worked so well together to tell an amazing story based on an actual murder. I'm curious if the second season will be an entirely different cast or not but either way I'll be anxiously awaiting it. !!!

Karen Pirie (2022– )

Can't Wait For S2 !

[9/10 · 5 February 2024]

Karen Pirie was such a delightful series and I don't know why more people aren't talking about it. I was so happy to hear there will be a second season coming out soon. Lauren Lyle was so good as DS Karen Pirie, she's a very talented actress who's new to me but I found her to be delightful.

Karen Pirie was such a delightful series and I don't know why more people aren't talking about it. I was so happy to hear there will be a second season coming out spon. Lauren Lyle was so good as DS Karen Pirie, she's a very talented actress who's new to me but I found her to be delightful.

Karen Pirie was such a delightful series and I don't know why more people aren't talking about it. I was so happy to hear there will be a second season coming out spon. Lauren Lyle was so good as DS Karen Pirie, she's a very talented actress who's new to me but I found her to be delightful.

No Offence (I) (2015–2018)

Better Than Line of Duty !

[9/10 · 5 February 2024]

I loved Joanna Scanlon in The Thick of It which is one of my favorite shows that I've watched many times over the years. It was so good seeing her in No Offence as DI Viv Deering as she was really able to shine. I binged all three seasons over the weekend and I'm sorry it had to end so quickly. Paul Ritter (Miller) is such an amazing actor and it's such a shame that he's dead now.

My only complaint about the show is Elaine Cassidy as DC Dinah Kowalska. I don't think she's as good an actress as the others on the show and her character is annoying. The supporting cast were all amazing most of them I had never seen before but I look forward to seeing them again especially Alexandra Roach (Joy) and Saira Choudhry (Tegan). I also absolutely loved Kate O'Flynn as Doctor Peep, she stole the scene every time she was onscreen.

Blue Lights (2023– )

Loved It ! Better Than Line of Duty !!

[9/10 · 5 February 2024]

I constantly see people gushing over Line of Duty and Happy Valley as if they are the only two British police procedural shows worth watching. I just finished season one of Blue Lights which was finally made available to watch in the US on BritBox and it was so much better than the first two shows I mentioned.

I loved and cared about all the main characters in the show including Jen as she definitely redeemed herself in the end. The writing and acting is so much better than Line of Duty that it's not even close. I also love a show that isn't afraid to kill off a main character even if it's heartbreaking for the viewers which seems to be popular with UK police shows. I've seen a few police procedural shows that take place in London but this is the first one I've seen set in Ireland and I'll definitely be looking for more of them to watch.

Line of Duty (2012–2021)

Not Britain's Best

[6/10 · 5 February 2024]

Line of Duty seems to be the number one answer whenever I see someone asking for British police procedural show suggestions. I'm not saying it's a bad show because it's not but it's definitely not the best Britain has to offer either.

Some of the things that Adrian Dunbar says are so ridiculous and out of place and it's embarrassing to watch. I constantly see people gushing over Martin Compston (Steve Arnott) and I don't understand why as he is not a very good actor. He is only capable of two expressions, scowl and dead-eyed. Vicky McClure (Kate Fleming) is a slightly better actor but there's something about her that I find really annoying and I haven't figured out what it is yet. Personally I think the side characters in every season were better than the three main characters. Line of Duty is basically the UK version of Law & Order both of them are mediocre but seem to have very loyal fans.

Slow Horses (2022– )

Really Good !

[9/10 · 2 January 2024]

I just watched all 3 seasons of Slow Horses this past weekend because everyone has been talking about it. There's only 6 episodes per season so it's easy to binge in a day or two. I have always loved Gary Oldman since the first time I saw him in The Firm. I haven't read any of the books in the Slow Horses series by Mick Herron so I don't know how the show compares.

I really enjoyed all three seasons equally which is surprising because usually the quality starts to drop after the first one. I guess that's a testament to the books because I believe each season is based off of the first three books in the series. My only complaint is the character Roddy, I love sarcasm and arrogance but it has to be justified. He just comes off as a creepy incel who calls women degrading names because they refuse to date him. He has absolutely no redeeming qualities and he's shown no growth as a character whatsoever.

I get what they're going for with Jackson Lamb but his whole gross shtick is beginning to be a bit over the top. We get it. He doesn't bathe regularly and he likes to fart in front of everyone and anyone. By the end of season three it's like beating a dead horse (see what I did there) and it's become overkill.

Unforgotten (2015– )

I Love Nicola Walker !

[9/10 · 8 December 2023]

The first time I tried watching Unforgotten I thought it was a little boring but then I gave it another try and ended up binging all 5 seasons. Nicola Walker is an absolute treasure as DCI Cassie Stuart who is determined to find justice for cold case victims.

Each season pretty much plays out the same way, they find the remains of someone who has been dead for several years and they identify them. As the investigation proceeds we get glimpses of four or five people who could've possibly killed the victim. All five seasons have this exact same premise which sounds like it wouldn't work but it actually does.

I had absolutely no clue what was going to happen at the end of S4 and I cried my eyes out.

Deadwater Fell (2020)

I Loved It !!

[9/10 · 4 November 2023]

I cannot believe that Deadwater Fell only has a rating of 6.5 on IMBD. I've been on a roll lately of watching British miniseries and this was one of my favorites. David Tennant (Tom) is such an amazing actor and I think he's severely underrated. He's charismatic and adorable as hell, he can be funny but he can also be absolutely sinister too.

It's also nice to hear him using his natural Scottish accent because it seems like he's always playing an Englishman. He was mesmerizing as Dr Tom Kendrick, a small town doctor with a beautiful wife and three daughters. He's best friends with Steve (Matthew McNulty) a local police officer who's married to a teacher.

Tragedy strikes the small town when a house fire kills Tom's wife and daughters leaving him the only survivor. It's soon discovered that someone set the fire after injecting the whole family with insulin. Fingers are being pointed at Tom's dead wife but Steve isn't so sure about that.

Innocent (2018–2021)

Neither Killer Makes Sense

[7/10 · 1 November 2023]

SEASON ONE :

I was on the edge of my seat while watching season one of Innocent. With David being innocent there was three likely suspects who had motive and opportunity to kill Tara. I think the writers tried way too hard to give viewers a surprise ending but in order for that to work the twist has to make sense. Alice or Tom being the killer would've been perfect and it would've made sense. Viewers see Phil as nothing but a loving and supportive older brother who's lost everything after standing by David.

It makes no sense whatsoever that suddenly he's always been jealous and because of that he killed Tara. What a coincidence that both Tara and David had older siblings who were jealous of them because they had kids and were wealthy. It's too convenient.

SEASON TWO :

Sally is a teacher who's just been released from prison after serving five years for killing her 16yr old student. A time stamped photo came to light that proves she couldn't have killed Matthew. Another student testified that Sally was having an affair with Matthew at the time of his death.

Sally lost her job, her pregnancy, and her husband when she was wrongly convicted. Her husband Sam is now engaged to someone else.

Again viewers are given four suspects who actually could've killed Matthew and all of them would've been a good pick. Instead of going with a killer that actually makes sense the writers again try to throw in a surprise killer that no one would suspect.

The Bay (2019– )

Good Series Except for the Two Lead Characters.

[7/10 · 27 October 2023]

The Bay was entertaining, I watched all four seasons at once. My biggest complaint is the two lead characters are basically a**holes to everyone but the families they're dealing with. I didn't even know that a FLO (Family Liaison Officer) was a thing as we don't have them in the US.

Lisa (Morven Christie) is the FLO in seasons one and two, she's a single mom with two teenage children. She does something incredibly stupid in the first episode that impacts her career and family for two seasons. She does something stupid and takes it out on everyone else including her mom who does nothing but help her.

Jenn (Marsha Thomason) replaces Lisa in S3, she's new to the area and has two kids. She's just moved in with her boyfriend and his daughter which her son isn't too happy about. She doesn't listen to her son and she's a d*ck to her boyfriend.

The Guilty (2013)

Hot Garbage

[4/10 · 18 October 2023]

Seriously ??

The series goes out of its way from the very first episode to make it seem as if the older brother killed Callum and that the dad was covering up for him. What 4yr old is allowed to ride his scooter alone around the neighborhood ?? The same 4yr old also asks his 6yr old brother to "drown" him in the bathtub. When the dad stops it from happening the kid is laughing and asking to be held under water again.

What kind of teenager shows a four and six year old how to choke themselves out with a belt ?? I'm supposed to believe a 4yr old choked himself to death with a karate belt?? That has got to be the most ridiculous ending I've seen in a long time.

Also the female detective finds out her son has autism and acts like it's the worst diagnosis possible.

The Newsroom (2012–2014)

LOVED IT !!

[9/10 · 3 October 2023]

I don't know why I put off watching The Newsroom for so long but here it is 2023 and I've just completed the series.

I've loved Jeff Daniels since Terms of Endearment, I think he's a hugely underrated actor. He's dashing and charismatic as anchorman Will McAvoy and I loved watching his character grow throughout the series. The entire cast is amazing, they all come together nicely to make a great show.

Sam Waterston (Charlie) and Olivia Munn (Sloan) steal each and every scene they're in and are absolutely delightful to watch. It's been a long time since I've enjoyed a show as much as I have this one.

Wilderness (2023)

Good.

[6/10 · 22 September 2023]

Wilderness stars Jenna Coleman (Liv) as a happily married woman whose been uprooted by her husband, forced to abandon her journalism career, and leave England. Her husband Will (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) has gotten a new job for a fancy hotel in NYC and her new job is to support him.

Not long after moving Liv discovers that Will has been having an affair, he swears it was one night only but she finds out it's been going on for a while. She doesn't tell Will she knows the truth and agrees to go on vacation with him. While on vacation they bump into Cara (Ashley Benson) a coworker of Will's who also happens to be the woman he's having the affair with.

It's not horrible but it would've been better if there was a little more backstory on Liv and Will. What led to Will having an affair ? Why did he cheat ? How did Liv meet Ash ? She seemed to come out of nowhere.

Anatomy of a Scandal (2022)

Okay

[6/10 · 22 September 2023]

Anatomy of a Scandal isn't a bad mini series but it's also not some great masterpiece either. It's almost immediately obvious who Kate (Michelle Dockery) really is and I'm pretty sure everyone was able to figure that out.

Anatomy of a Scandal isn't a bad mini series but it's also not some great masterpiece either. It's almost immediately obvious who Kate (Michelle Dockery) really is and I'm pretty sure everyone was able to figure that out.

Anatomy of a Scandal isn't a bad mini series but it's also not some great masterpiece either. It's almost immediately obvious who Kate (Michelle Dockery) really is and I'm pretty sure everyone was able to figure that out.

The Night Manager (2016–2025)

Very Entertaining !

[9/10 · 22 September 2023]

I've watched The Night Manager several times and I enjoy it every single time. Tom Hiddleston (Jonathan Pine) plays a loner who doesn't seem to stay in one place for long. He's a good person and he gets guilted into helping the British government catch a very man.

As far as the world is concerned Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie) is a legit businessman but in reality he's a dangerous arms dealer who sells to the highest bidder. Olivia Coleman (Angela Burr) is always a pleasure to watch no matter what the role is.

Elizabeth Debicki is absolutely gorgeous and she's a really good actress but it's becoming a pattern that she plays the girlfriend of dangerous men (Man From Uncle, Tenet).