michellesharpe-16943 Reviews

Our Flag Means Death: Red Flags (2023) Season 2, Episode 2

Less Izzy, LESS STARS!

[9/10 · 7 October 2023]

Not only was Izzy physically not in this episode as much as last episode, but he loses a limb. My boy didn't deserve to lose a leg and then have people making out over the limb!

With lack of Izzy to discuss, I will talk about the other things this episode had to offer.

1. Zheng is an amazing addition to this story. Was she around during this time period in real life? Lol no! Am I mad about it? Absolutely not. That said, my boy L. A. Meyer already had a story where she was portrayed as a queer pirate queen in one of the later Bloody Jack books. So having her be portrayed as straight here is weird to me, but I'm not mad at it. Olu is great and he deserves all the love.

2. Rhys Darby has really come into his own as a leading man this season and he continues to be a delight to watch. This is one of those rare shows where everyone has amazing chemistry with everyone else and Rhys Darby's Stede continues to be the heart of this extremely wholesome show.

3. Joel Fry is really shining this year. He is really funny yet he conveys discomfort and fear so well that you're genuinely on edge whenever he has scenes with... 4. TAIKA WAITITI! Edward Teach is a mess and Taika Waititi is pretty masterful at balancing humor and darker elements in his performance. His scenes with Con O'Neill in particular are really effective.

5. Can we talk about the hair and makeup for this show? It continues to be by far and away some of the best on television. The wigs are AMAZING.

Our Flag Means Death: Impossible Birds (2023) Season 2, Episode 1

Justice for Izzy!!!

[10/10 · 7 October 2023]

Listen, did Izzy Hands basically bring all of the misfortune and pain that he endured this episode onto himself? Yes. Admittedly, if he had just been a supportive friend in the first season and had not shamed Ed into being a hypermasculine dick, all of this could've been avoided. That said! As someone who supports Izzy Hands' rights as well as his wrongs, I found the amount of violence that my boy endured in this episode to be excessive and rude. Con O'Neill continues to kill it and I'm glad he's being given more to do. I guess I should probably talk about other aspects of this episode.

All of the other characters continue to be good also.

Crime Scene Kitchen (2021– )

Original and FUN!

[8/10 · 18 July 2023]

As someone who loves cooking shows, I thought that it there were no more new ideas for cooking and baking shows. Then this show premiered and as soon as I saw the title, I thought, "That's a fantastic idea. Omg. You're gonna get every single millennial and Gen-X True Crime and Cooking Show fiend!"

I was nervous this show would not be good at first, but then the show was explained and it's, to be honest, genius. Bakers have two minutes in a Crime Scene Kitchen to find clues and put the clues together to figure out what to bake. Viewers at home who like to bake get to sit and go, "Oh. They obviously have to make an Upside down cake." It's fun!

Joel McHale is a great host as always and he has effortless banter with the contestants. None of his interactions seem forced or awkward, which can be a huge problem with baking shows.

The chef judges (Yolanda and Curtis) don't really do much. They taste the food and say, "If the mystery bake was... you might be safe." But they're not THAT important in the grand scheme of things.

Love that this show got a second season. I hope it continues to gain momentum. This is a great concept and it's super fun to watch.

The Little Mermaid (I) (2023)

Halle Bailey is a Star.

[7/10 · 3 June 2023]

Is this a 7 star movie? Probably not. It's probably closer to a 6.5 star movie. That said, Halle Bailey blew me away. Not just because her singing was chill inducing (I got goosebumps during the Part of That World song), but her acting as Ariel was sublime. She was youthful, spirited, innocent, and just nailed the Disney Princess vibe. Halle IS Ariel and is the best casting I've ever seen in a live action remake.

That said, I do not think that the rest of the movie lived up to the standard that Bailey set. Melissa McCarthy was fine as Ursula, but seemed like she had a difficult time making the role her own and struggled with the song. I wish she would've actually sang the song, and if she didn't feel comfortable singing, she shouldn't have accepted the role.

The actor who played Eric did a good job, but his song that he sang was terrible. Which isn't his fault. That scene should've been taken out.

Daveed Diggs and Awkwafina were fun as Sebastian and Scuttle. The new material given to them is where they actually got to shine. I thought that Awkwafina did a better job with the original dialogue than Diggs did, but when Diggs was given new/fresh dialogue, he stole the show. Diggs also did a great job vocally.

I didn't have an issue with the VFX. The movie was more colorful than the trailers were, so Disney obviously listened to the criticism.

Overall, this wasn't a terrible movie. But I don't think it did enough to warrant existing. I hope Halle Bailey takes off after this because she's a wonderful actress and was a revelation.

RRR (2022)

Instant Classic!

[10/10 · 26 December 2022]

So, I'd heard people mention RRR. I saw the little Netflix reel with the tiger and thought, "That's kind of awesome, but I don't think that movie is for me." But then this movie gets nominated for best foreign language film at the golden globes and I hear there's outrage that India would've won the Oscar if they'd submitted this as their submission. Then I see that this movie is mentioned on almost every single "Best of 2022" list of the year. Then the Critics Choice nominate it for best picture. It's pretty rare when normal internet movie folks and critics alike share a mutual love for a movie. Let alone an action movie. So I finally decided to watch it.

It took me about 20-30 minutes to turn the logical part of my brain off and enjoy the spectacle. Once "Naatu Naatu" hit, it was over. I was on board and in love with this movie.

I pitch this movie to people by saying, "It's like a mix of golden age Hollywood/musical movies, 80's action movies, 90's war movies, and classic buddy movies into one gigantic film." By the sounds of it, you'd think this movie would be a tonal disaster. It is not. In fact, I think this is one of the most tonally balanced movies of the year. It also juggles the time nicely. I never once got bored watching this movie, and I watched it AT HOME! It is so hard to keep my attention at home, but this movie somehow achieved that.

Definitely recommend this movie. It's a fun time and it will leave you smiling.

Werewolf by Night (2022 TV Movie)

Take Note Disney

[8/10 · 9 October 2022]

Disney/Marvel NEEDS to start doing more one-offs like this. This was great. It was short but packed a punch. It was also weirdly violent/bloody, which was a welcome surprise!

I would really like to see more of Man-Thing (Ted) and Frank. Gael Garcia Bernal is always a treat to watch, and this is the second time his cooperation with Disney has resulted in gold.

I really loved the lighting and camera work in this. Marvel is not generally known for its cinematography beyond a few cool shots here and there. This gave me some hope that the new Daredevil series might actually work and won't be like all of the other series.

More stuff like this Marvel!

This Fool (2022–2023)

Cute show!

[8/10 · 13 August 2022]

My dad turned this on and it's cute! There's no overarching storyline through the episodes. Each episode has its own problem that the characters handle terribly with hilarity. I think the birthday episode is the standout so far.

The Boys: Herogasm (2022) Season 3, Episode 6

Better than expected.

[10/10 · 25 June 2022]

We were expecting an insane orgy, what we got was a great episode with characters getting fleshed out (no pun intended), backstories/motivations are explored, insecurities from multiple characters surface, and it all culminates in a satisfying climax (I'm so sorry, no pun intended).

A wonderful episode of television.

The OA (2016–2019)

I don't understand the hype

[5/10 · 7 June 2022]

I am not sure what it is that is not clicking with me about this series, but it is sloooooow. I don't find any of the characters engaging or interesting. I find Prairie/OA's character extremely insufferable. This is probably a me thing though, because I HATE people who speak softly and act like they're smarter or more enlightened than everyone around them. So this just isn't my cup of tea.

If you're into things like the afterlife or alternate dimensions, etc. You might like this. This just isn't my thing.

Barry: candy asses (2022) Season 3, Episode 7

Bill and Alec are evil geniuses

[9/10 · 6 June 2022]

This episode did not have an ounce of comedy or levity. It was suspense and sadness, but SO GOOD. The next episode has a lot riding on it to tie everything in this season together.

Obi-Wan Kenobi: Part III (2022) Season 1, Episode 3

This show is losing me:

[6/10 · 4 June 2022]

If a show is good, it's really easy to ignore silly things, but when the dialogue or the plot is not engaging, nit-picky things become really egregious. Here are a few things that drove me crazy that should not have:

• The storm trooper saying, "We have a long way to go", and then promptly getting off the transport 2 minutes later.

• Obi Wan treating the laser gate as an obstacle when they could've easily walked around it.

• Darth Vader using the force to drag obi wan all over the place, then he force pushes him away, tells a storm trooper to go get him, and then is promptly blocked by fire?.... Like, just lift him over the fire Vader.

Also, Princess Leia should have her name changed to Princess Peach because she gets kidnapped A LOT.

Obi-Wan Kenobi: Part II (2022) Season 1, Episode 2

I really wish I liked this more:

[6/10 · 4 June 2022]

The tone of this show is so uneven. It's like the show runner wanted to go dark but producers said, "No, 3 year olds will be watching this too, so we need a weird chase scene with Leia."

Wrecked (2016–2018)

It's a cute show.

[7/10 · 8 April 2022]

I remember wanting to check this series out when it first aired because I'm a massive Rhys Darby fan. I finally decided to binge watch it on HBO Max and as expected, Rhys Darby as Steve is pretty hysterical.

All in all, this was a really cute show. It wasn't perfect by any means and probably could've been wrapped up neater than what it was. I laughed a ton, and overall recommend this show.

Our Flag Means Death: Act of Grace (2022) Season 1, Episode 9

David Jenkins, Why?!

[9/10 · 24 March 2022]

I literally fan girl screamed when the Ed and Stede kissed. It was a beautiful moment. Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby have insanely good chemistry.

But there's an episode left and you know things cannot be wrapped up in a bow that easily. So of course things go bad.

I think Rhys Darby really stood out in this episode. He really acted his heart out and it was extremely effective.

Our Flag Means Death: Wherever You Go, There You Are (2022) Season 1, Episode 10

Wasn't expecting to be Devastated!

[10/10 · 24 March 2022]

What the hell David Jenkins? This entire show has been so wholesome and lighthearted. It ended on such a dark yet hopeful note.

This is an incredible show and I think if it gets renewed, it could be big. The chemistry between the actors is very rare and fun to watch onscreen.

Definitely give this show a try. The rewatchability is crazy and the final episodes will rip your heart out.

Our Flag Means Death (2022–2023)

You need to binge it.

[9/10 · 24 March 2022]

I spent the first two weeks watching this show not knowing where it was going. Now that I've watched the entire season, I am more emotionally invested in this show than I've been for a long time. Every character shines onscreen and the chemistry between them all is a delight to watch.

Rhys Darby and Taika Waititi acted their hearts out in those final episodes.

I need a second season right now. HBO cannot leave it there.

Our Flag Means Death: Pilot (2022) Season 1, Episode 1

Don't Judge a Show on its Pilot

[7/10 · 19 March 2022]

I was a little concerned when I watched the first episode that this show would be a dud. Some of the humor felt forced, and I honestly didn't know where the show was going.

8 episodes in, I'm really glad I continued watching this show. It's a delight. It really gets better with each episode and covers some pretty dark themes. I think if this show keeps going, it could turn into something similar to Community.

Our Flag Means Death: We Gull Way Back (2022) Season 1, Episode 8

I can't handle the cuteness!

[9/10 · 18 March 2022]

Y'know. I've spent this entire series going, "I can't tell if Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby just have really good onscreen chemistry or if they're playing this gay." Well, this episode we got our answer folks! Our Flag Means Death = Rainbow flag.

Our Flag Means Death: The Best Revenge Is Dressing Well (2022) Season 1, Episode 5

Absolutely adorable!

[9/10 · 11 March 2022]

Rhys Darby and Taika Waititi's chemistry continues to be amazing. The scene at the end of the dinner party absolutely sent me. I was cackling.

Also, that mini-Flight of Conchords reunion? A+.

Saturday Night Live: Jonathan Majors/Taylor Swift (2021) Season 47, Episode 6

Not Very Memorable

[6/10 · 14 November 2021]

Apart for the Please Don't Destroy sketch, nothing really stuck out about this episode. I hope Jonathan Majors comes back for another episode because he's very talented. The writing just wasn't the best tonight.

I am looking forward to Simu Liu's episode.

Saturday Night Live: Kim Kardashian West/Halsey (2021) Season 47, Episode 2

Good episode

[6/10 · 10 October 2021]

I'm not a fan of the kardashians but this was a funny episode! You got the return of Terry Fink, you got a funny music video about clubbing, and the dog spanx sketch was cute.

I think the writing helped Kim out a lot here and it was a lot stronger than last week. Elon Musk's episode remains the worst episode in SNL history.

Saturday Night Live: Owen Wilson/Kacey Musgraves (2021) Season 47, Episode 1

Not Terrible

[5/10 · 4 October 2021]

The new cast member who played Biden is incredible and I have a feeling he's gonna be a force of nature with his impressions.

Bowan Yang didn't have much to do but when he was there he was hilarious as always.

Ego Nwodim, Alex Moffat and Kyle Mooney continue to be underutilized.

The sketches were okay, but the Cars 4 sketch is the only one I really remember a few days after the fact.

All in all, not bad. Beck is definitely going to be missed though.

Fargo (2014–2024)

The Best show of the decade?

[10/10 · 2 August 2020]

This is the only show where it doesn't matter how old you are or what side of the political spectrum you fall on, you will love this show. I have never met a single person who doesn't like this show. Here's why.

The actors are playing outside their normal typecasting. Ted Danson as a seasoned police officer? Bookeem Woodbine as a Shakespearean kind of gangster who can instill fear with mere words? Don't even get me started on Billy Bob Thornton and Kirsten Dunst! They're amazing!

The majority of the characters are amazing and memorable. Lorne Malvo, Dodd, Peggy, Mr. Wrench! They're all complex and will make you laugh, will make you sit on the edge of your seat and might even pull at your heart strings.

Every season is different but they all tie together somehow, either with characters or exploring different generations of the same family. It doesn't feel forced with the inner-season connections like other shows (American Horror Story).

It stays true to the Coen Brother's style of blending bleakness with comedy and action. However, Noah Hawley adds his own flavor, which makes it refreshing yet also familiar.

Game of Thrones: The Iron Throne (2019) Season 8, Episode 6

The entire cast flipping off the audience for 90 minutes would've been less offensive.

[1/10 · 25 June 2020]

The creators of the show hate GOT fans and I'm pretty sure they hate Game of Thrones in general. This season took 2 years to prepare. Can you imagine taking 2 years on something and then going, "Meh, who cares?" and presenting the world with the laziest product of all time?

Game of Thrones (2011–2019)

Do NOT watch beyond season 4.

[6/10 · 25 June 2020]

This is a show where the ending will destroy your memory of the rest of the show. Just stop watching when Arya sails off to Braavos. It goes downhill and never regains quality from the first 4 seasons.