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MazeMadnessWriter
Reviews
Arcane: League of Legends: The Monster You Created (2021)
What a conclusion - give me more
This final episode left me feeling so much. A tv show has never left me so desperate for more. This is, without a doubt, the best show I have ever seen. The creators, owners, and Netflix must treat it and whatever it does with it next like the most precious element on earth. It is a masterpiece.
Arcane: League of Legends (2021)
Incredible
I absolutely love this. I was unfamiliar with League of Legends before watching it but I don't think it mattered really. The animation is incredible, storyline incredible, music incredible...it's literally art. I've never watched anything quite like it before.
Supergirl: Kara (2021)
Supergirl - an end?
This episode closes out Supergirls six year run, bringing an end to Kara Danvers/Kara Zor El's story - except it kind of doesn't. For a finale, the episode actually provides little closure for audiences regarding the titular character, despite the shows other characters having nicely wrapped up arcs. In some ways this is in fitting with the last two seasons of the show, and particularly the final season, where Kara often felt like a secondary character within her own show. The final 30 seconds leave us asking, "what next?", and needing more despite the show ending.
Kara's identity has been a core conflict throughout the entire show. It has manifested itself as both an internal battle, has created strife within her personal life and relationships, and has resulted in consequences and sacrifices for Kara herself. So in the balance of fairness, her decision to no longer live with a secret identity, to "out" herself to the world, seems both logical and significant.
The problem however lies in the execution - Kara making this choice with 30 seconds left of the show ever means the consequences of such a monumental decision go unexplored. For a season that has been largely bland (albeit with some special moments), uninteresting, full of illogical storylines, and has allowed the main characters arc to stagnate, this would have been a much better story to explore; the story of Kara, and this is why it sort of feels like a final kick in the teeth from creative decision makers.
That being said, Melissa Benoist is just fantastic. I could write endlessly about how talented she is, but suffice to say the show just couldn't be what it is without her. Calista Flockhart's return was one of the few things done very well, and it felt absolutely right that Cat Grant would be the one to set "Kira" on a new path. We also see the return of Winn, James and Mon-El, which was a nice touch for a finale episode, especially the scenes that James shares with Kelly and Esme. The last 20 minutes or so take place at Alex and Kelly's wedding, and this was another thing the episode absolutely got right. It was a beautiful conclusion to their story, but it also felt like a celebration of the wider extended Super family.
And now to the elephant in the room - Kara and Lena. Going into the episode I felt largely unsure how they would leave the relationship between the two. I definitely wasn't expecting a brave decision from the writers/showrunners here, and I think had they intended to explore the pairing this would have happed in season 5 after the big rift between them (often a plot device used to develop romance), and once they had resolved their trust issues. Since Lena was introduced in season 2, there have been undercurrents of romantic tension between the two characters and the pair undoubtedly parallel other canon pairings, however up until season 5 nothing had been particularly overt between them. Throughout season 6 however, there was a change in how the two characters interacted and how their storylines interweaved that made it pretty undeniable they were being coded as romantic. This made their final exchange even more bizarre.
It's clear those responsible for creative decisions of the show know the popularity of the pairing and have absolutely utilised and capitalised on it without delivering. Kara's final one on one exchange with any character is reserved for Lena, marking the significance of their relationship. A relationship she has made clear over and over again is the most important to her second only to her relationship with her sister. Yet their final conversation is utterly bizarre. Framed as a romantic declaration and a thinly veiled reference to coming out, the words scripted don't quite match up; almost an embodiment of the way the show has managed their entire relationship. I can only imagine the frustration, disappointment, and genuine sadness that young LGBTQ fans must have felt at watching it. It is no longer enough to just feel "seen", or to have a space to interpret something how you want.
And yes it is everybody's show, and for the most part it has been brilliantly fantastic (season 1-4 especially), but it is also not fair to use an audience base in the way I think this show has. At implications of queerbaiting several years ago, the show should have made decisions to not frame these two characters in certain ways. Instead they upped the suggestiveness in the final season, which is irresponsible at best and damaging at worst, and I think all involved should be pretty ashamed of themselves. For a show that is meant to be about Hope, it sure left a lot of people without it.
Mare of Easttown (2021)
Simply an Outstanding Masterpiece
Truly this is one of the best pieces of TV in recent times. Everyone associated with the show should feel immensely proud.
At no point does the show fall into any tropes or traditions of the tried and tested drama/crime category. It exists in a way where Mare's investigation into crime is somewhat secondary to the interweaving lives of everyone in Easttown. Never before have I felt fully transported into the lives of those on the screen, yet somehow when watching this show it's as if all of these people are real. Everyone is phenomenal, but I cannot speak highly enough of Winslet's portrayal of Mare.
Happiest Season (2020)
Really good Christmas movie
I really loved this movie; I wasn't expecting that much if I'm honest and was worried it would fall into a whole load of cliches, but surprisingly both the story and characters felt original and believable.
There are funny moments whilst the movie still takes on the seriousness of coming out, and the complexities of family.
My Octopus Teacher (2020)
Amazing, Beautiful, Must Watch.
I could talk at length about the absolutely beautiful cinematography. This documentary is without a doubt visually stunning, however it's both Craigs growth, learning and understanding along with the wisdom of a new found world, and the emotions that new world evokes in the viewer, that makes this a 10/10.
Some are less in favour of the personal, narrative types of nature/environmental documentaries, arguing against their lack of 'science' and overreach into sentimentality. But this is different. As we learn, the world of the Octopus, and that of the oceans, are so unknown to us. So much of what Craig discovered and provided a glimpse into was completely new. To connect, on an individual, sentient level is perhaps what we as humans have been missing out on.
Fantastic work.
Upload (2020)
So good
I wasn't expecting much here - but I watched the entire season in one day. It managed to explore themes such as the afterlife in a much more mature, less stupid and goofy way than The Good Place, and isn't quite so cynical and serious about tech as Black Mirror. I absolutely loved it; it wasn't too complicated, was hilarious at times and really took time to build and layer the AI world. Would definitely recommend.
Supergirl: Reality Bytes (2020)
One of the most exciting episodes of Season 5!
After struggling with direction and floundering aimlessly for most of this half of season 5, Reality Bytes finally felt like the season we were promised. Season 5 has been a general train-wreck in terms of plot/storyline, but this episode stands out as an absolute gem amongst season 5s general disappointment.
Nicole Maines performance is standout, and not enough credit can be given to her for how utterly believable and heart-wrenching she made such a difficult topic. This story was important to tell and I for one have been left with a lesson learned about being a good trans ally.
This episode had so much quality content. Dansen screen time, insight (finally) into this VR/tech storyline, and Leviathans arc being pushed forward. Kara as ever is the paragon of hope, but interestingly the show allowed her, a close friend of Nias, to have her reality/privilege checked and ended up learning a lesson herself. I think this was powerful; Kara is human too and it really made Nias experience and hurt so much more relevant (for me at least).
Overall this was my second favourite episode of the season (the 100th being my first). I enjoyed Williams role as a friend/bro to Kara, and I think for the show to develop his character this is the correct way to portray him. The ridiculousness of Kara/William as an actual relationship is just not it; their date was so awkward and laughable that I cannot actually take it seriously and so was not even remotely bothered by it. For all the SC stans out there, it may be worth considering that this is being done on purpose. Just something to consider...
This episode showed that the writers CAN do a fantastic job (I think Nicole probably had some influence with this too). I'm left excited for the next!
Supergirl: The Bodyguard (2020)
Supergirl is not sending a super message to young girls
Reviewing this episode in the context of International Women's Day, this episode is disappointing at best, and irresponsible at worst. The writers and creators of this show have conveyed a message that despite saying no to a potential love interest, and expressing doubts to friends and family, this does not matter. This concept is quite concerning, especially being portrayed via their main character.
Over two episodes, Kara has discussed her uncertainty regarding William with her friends and family and instead of listening and offering advice, the writers have had her support network push her into saying yes, and in a highly OOC way particularly for Alex. Even worse, despite being told no, William did not accept rejection, and not only did the writers not even try to hide this, it was flat out celebrated as a good thing at the end of the episode with laughters of 'were my texts too much'.
This was very uncomfortable to watch. Too often women are put into uncomfortable situations and do not feel they can reject their male counterparts. Watching Kara being reduced to this too-kind, she-must-mean-yes character, particularly on International Women's Day is quite frankly abysmal and the show should feel less than proud.
In the context of season 5, this episode FINALLY felt like the only one that was moving the plot along. This season has been slow and all over the place. Too many times we've seen Supergirl, the 'Girl of Steel' being powerless against whatever villain the writers pluck out next and frankly it's boring. She is Supergirl for a reason.
Supergirl: It's a Super Life (2020)
So good! A must watch.
This episode is SO good!
I've not rated the last few episodes highly at all, I've felt like since Crisis the writing has been all over the place, but THIS episode was so good.
I was initially sad they were not bringing back Peter Gadiot to play Mxyzptlk because he was fantastic, but the characters redemption storyline in this episode makes sense for his character to be played by someone else and appear in a different form (still charming, but lighter). Not only that, but Thomas Lennon's take on Mxyzptlk is simply excellent. Supergirl really got it on point by casting him. As he guides Kara through key moments of the SG timeline in an attempt to fix her relationship with Lena, despite other characters caution, and at times even Karas own hesitance, his portrayal never once leaves you questioning his motives. His humorous and entertaining dialogue throughout helps keep light at times what are dark and intimate moments of Kara's life.
I was absolutely thrilled at the return of Sam, she is one of my favourite characters and I wish they could have kept Odette on the show for longer (though Sam/Reigns character Arc had served its purpose so realistically I understand this wasn't possible). Seeing her as both Sam and Reign was great. Returning as well was Mon-El and Winn, and whilst I did appreciate their cameos I'm glad they didn't give Winn too much screen time because he's had far too much of it lately.
My only criticism is one that is relevant to the whole of season five, and that is a lack of screen time and credible story lines with substance for Nia, Kelly and Alex. This is felt significantly for Alex in this episode given it is the 100th episode. Quite frankly these characters deserve better, but that is a more general statement for the show overall and something I hope Supergirl will fix, and quickly.
Finally, the performances of Melissa and Katie, as per usual, cannot be overstated enough. It is widely acknowledged that both are fantastic in their roles, and when combined are electrifying, but this episode really showcases both of their abilities. The chemistry between them (and I'm not talking about the commonly used ship 'supercorp'), is an absolute gift and at times I'm not sure the show even knows what to do with it. In the 100th, we see an unreal range of heartbreaking and exciting scenarios of Kara attempting to repair her friendship with Lena that only these two could honestly pull off.