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8/10
Fun and engaging
2 February 2024
This is a refreshingly funny, engaging action-drama. Ultimately it's about family and being yourself, but a couple of things set it apart from your run-of-the-mill action shows, the quirky characters, the fresh dialogue and the consistently amusing comedy.

It's well-shot and directed with some excellent performances.

There's nothing revolutionary here but it's a reminder that TV can be good after so many poor shows over the last few years (looking at you Disney, and Rings of Power and Wheel of Time).

In a fairly barren landscape shows like this seem even more impressive.

Overall it's fun, quite light-hearted despite all the violence and murder, and you can't help but warm to the main characters even when they're killing people.

Even though it's early days this is one of my favourite shows of the year so far, and I suspect that come the end of the year it will still be in my top ten best shows of 2024.
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Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2024– )
1/10
!st ep slow and boring
2 February 2024
This show is a bit of a mess from what I've seen so far. The pacing is too slow and boring to be entertaining. A slow build is fine, but this isn't that, it's a flat line for forty minutes and then a random explosion.

It can't be easy to make spy-craft dull and uninteresting but this show in this episode manages to do just that.

The characters aren't very likeable or engaging, and the acting feels a bit forced and manufactured rather than believable and naturalistic.

Their conversations up to this point are mundane and don't inspire me to want to know more about the characters or learn where the story is going.

Overall, it's a missed opportunity.
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Yellowstone (2018– )
6/10
Eh
26 January 2024
It's alright, engaging for the most part but ultimately lacking any real consequence for the characters.

That worked more effectively in the prequel 1883 where it is believable that people can get away with murder. But in this show it feels forced and gratuitous to make the Duttons seem cool.

Ultimately, it's not very believable which makes it difficult to care about any of the characters.

Beth is great, but otherwise I'm not really enamoured with any of the other main characters. The minor characters like Rip are more appealing and interesting and yet they're never given their due.

I can understand why this is popular but from a strictly story-telling point of view there is a lot that is lacking.

It wouldn't have take much more effort to make this show much better.
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The Creator (2023)
7/10
Pretty but vacuous
11 December 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This movie looks great, and the performances are good but it doesn't have anything to say.

It's essentially a series of events that rather than build to a climax just keep occurring until it ends.

The concept of conflict between AI and humanity isn't new and this film has zero interest in exploring it's central theme or adding anything fresh to the debate.

It's too obvious in everything it does, even in the names it gives its characters, such as Maya who, to nobody's surprise turns out to be the 'Mother'.

The film has pacing issues throughout which makes it feel longer than it is and as it doesn't build to a logical climax or really give us genuine character arcs makes the film feel a bit pointless once it concludes.

A decent effort but definitely needed a few more rewrites before they started filming.

Ultimately it's disappointing.
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Krapopolis (2023– )
1/10
Krappy
17 November 2023
Great cast, terrible writing, basic animation.

My previous review has been deleted for some reason, but my opinion hasn't changed even after having watched a few more episodes.

It's definitely not worth your time.

Dan Harmon has had some great moments, and I'm a big fan, but this is definitely a low point.

Apart from being the creator he didn't write too much of this but even what he did pen is not up to standard.

It's a bizarre 'comedy' in an odd setting where nothing really makes sense or is interesting or funny.

The only thing I'm compelled to do after watching an episode of this is write a negative review.

I'm not sure who this would appeal to but it certainly won't be a large enough number of people for it to continue - it is destined to be cancelled.
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Loki: Glorious Purpose (2023)
Season 2, Episode 6
1/10
Utterly meaningless drivel
10 November 2023
This season has been the definition of a waste of time.

Not only is it completely pointless, it's also boring and stupid.

It pretends to be deep yet contradicts its own lore at every turn making the entire thing risible.

There really is no story here, only the pretence of one, a silly exercise in empty and instantly forgettable futility.

In some ways I think this is the worst show I've ever seen.

You have a god of mischief who gets up to no mischief, and even though he's the titular character this show is not about him at all. He has zero character. Zero personality. Zero development.

I doubt I've ever suffered through anything this vacuous.

A genuinely awful project.
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1/10
It couldn't have been worse
6 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I thought I reviewed this when it came out but I guess that's how forgettable it is.

Jen is a pointlessly mean, self-absorbed narcissistic useless lawyer who wins female lawyer of the year.

Jen gets her powers by absorbing some of Hulk's blood. She instantly masters her abilities because she's been cat-called and mansplained her whole life and tells Bruce she doesn't want his help.

She can turn into She-Hulk at will because some men whistled at her in the past and this makes her much better at controlling her anger than Bruce who has saved the planet multiple times, who lost his best friend and love interest, who was chased by the government, who was enslaved and forced to fight on an alien planet - but he hasn't seen what she has seen.

This is a show that thinks the pinnacle of intelligence and good writing is pointing out how bad the writing is.

It's a bit like sequels Palpatine - somehow this show was made. Oh and it cost $25 million dollars per episode despite the fact that nothing happens and the CGI is so bad you can feel the weariness of the artists forced to pump out more of this crap.

Another boring chapter in this endless phase of nonsense from Disney.

So boring. So incredibly, predictably boring.

The worst aspect is the bitterness of the writers showing through, the pure entitlement dripping from every line of dialogue and seen through every gaping hole in the plot, every contrivance of convenience. There is a complete and fundamental lack of understanding of any aspect of the human condition or experience.

I hope I never get stuck in a lift with any of the writers.

This is a sour, petulant baby of a show that has no value whatsoever, no joy, no love, no aspiration.

It's another wasted opportunity.

This is why Marvel and Disney are fading into insignificance.
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Star Trek: Lower Decks: The Inner Fight (2023)
Season 4, Episode 9
1/10
Psychopaths
27 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Wow, this show opens with Mariner's reckless actions causing the gruesome death of a scientist and she jokes about it and faces absolutely no punishment or moral quandary whatsoever.

The next scene is an intervention from her mum and commanding officers with Mariner's friends and her question is 'Why is my daughter trying to kill herself?' not 'When did my daughter become a murderous psychopath?'

How am I supposed to care about characters who operate like this? These are Starfleet officers and I'm supposed to believe that they act like this? Also, how callous and inept an organisation is Starfleet that they allow their officers to act this way?

I know this is a comedy but it falls flat without stakes or any kind of moral compass to act as a baseline.

I quite enjoyed elements of the first few seasons but this one has been horrible.
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Loki: Heart of the TVA (2023)
Season 2, Episode 4
1/10
Tedious
27 October 2023
It's incredible that they've spent so much money to create something without a single virtue.

This show is so boring.

TVA in this show really stands for television atrocity.

It's crazy how unwatchable this show is. I don't care about any of the characters, except OB, I don't care about the plot, and I don't care about where it's all heading.

I just can't wrap my head around how leaden and pointless it all feels.

There are scenes where the music is trying to convey urgency yet it seems so out of place because this show drags its feet the whole journey so nothing feels important or even necessary.

I keep thinking that there will be at least one moment where I'm engaged. Surely there has to be?

Nope.
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9/10
Wow, something original
25 October 2023
It's absolutely fantastic to see something so bold and original.

This show is utterly compelling because it takes its concept seriously and follows through in exploring it without compromise.

The short Scavengers from 2016 was thrilling for its originality, flair and creativity and I think Scavengers Reign completely justifies expanding that original idea into this season (and hopefully more).

The animation reminds me a lot of Studio Ghibli.

My favourite thing about this show might be the ideas it stimulates for my imagination.

The story itself is fairly simple but is told in a very engaging manner.

Even after just three episodes this has instantly become one my favourites of the year if not potentially number one.

I wish I could watch the rest of it right now, and that is a great sign.
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Wolf Like Me (2022– )
6/10
Not enough happens
25 October 2023
It's not a terrible show.

Some of the jokes land and the main characters are generally quite likeable but the conflicts aren't very compelling.

There are musical interludes or montages that you can skip without missing anything, and sometimes it feels like neighbours or home and away with a werewolf.

I can't recommend this as its not good enough for that but I also wouldn't say it needs to be avoided.

Some of the dialogue is fun and the acting from Isla Fisher, Josh Gad and Ariel Donoghue is good, probably better than the scripts and the show deserve.

Overall it's a bit of an odd mix that works quite well some of the time and feels like a bit of a stretch at others.
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The Night Manager (2016–2025)
5/10
Unsure what the fuss is about
24 October 2023
Shockingly terrible accents and cor blimey guv'nor dialogue. Bloody rum plotting and a story that strings you along like a Soho nightwalker before you get jumped and robbed by some Dick Van Dyke cockney thugs.

That's what this show sounds like.

Even though it's based on a John Le Carre novel, the characters are all cardboard cut out impersonations of what the writers think these characters would sound and act like.

It's a bit embarrassing to be honest and I have no idea how these scripts were spoken aloud without someone suggesting they need a rewrite.

There are some great actors involved but they're made to look pretty average in this production.

The action scenes are clearly choreographed by someone who has never been punched or fired a weapon or taken part in any kind of hostile or violent altercation in their life.

No idea why this is well regarded.

Feel generous for giving it five stars.
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Gen V: Jumanji (2023)
Season 1, Episode 6
6/10
Didn't love this episode
20 October 2023
There are some good ideas in the concept of this episode but the execution made it feel a bit CWy.

The emotional moments didn't really land as they're never allowed to sit. Characters get really emotional whilst facing a huge moment from their past, and then instantly get over it.

Also, some of the acting felt a bit forced in this episode, and some of the dialogue was a bit trite.

The main story needs to pick up the pace to keep me invested.

The group dynamics aren't entirely believable and there's not much to distinguish the characters in terms of who they are and what they want.

After a fairly engaging start the story has started to lose me.

There's not much left of the season so I imagine we'll start hurtling towards the climax soon but I think the pacing could've been better throughout.

The revelation at the end is interesting but the show needs to do more and do it better.

It's definitely not as good as The Boys and I don't think it's even as good as Moving, though it generally looks better as it no doubt has a higher budget.
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Rick and Morty: How Poopy Got His Poop Back (2023)
Season 7, Episode 1
1/10
End of the road
16 October 2023
It's been coming for a while after peaking quite a long time ago but it feels as if it's all downhill from here.

I think it's over for Rick and Morty.

They had a good run, had some great episodes in the first few seasons, but this feels like a hollow imitation of what made the show so good.

I guess the world's moved on as well and now this just seems like a reminder of what has been lost.

The change in voices isn't too noticeable but it is there.

They probably should've ended the show but they still have a few more seasons to wade through.

Going by this episode I doubt they'll get there.

It is no longer original, and this episode wasn't funny or interesting or engaging.

They'll probably have better episodes later on in the season but I won't watch them.

So long R&M.
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3/10
Boring
15 October 2023
I watched the first episode and now, even though I had been looking forward to seeing this show, I have no intention of continuing.

It's slow and dull. It presents its 'mystery' in such a way that not only am I not engaged but I actively don't want to find out what happened.

The first episode is build up without any tension.

Feels like a CW show.

There's plenty of this kind of throwaway shows out there and it's disappointing that they'd take the work of a great author like Poe and think that this is the best representation of it.

I don't have much more to say about it as it doesn't really inspire conversation.
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Loki: Ouroboros (2023)
Season 2, Episode 1
1/10
Pointless
6 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Oh no, Loki's lost to time!

Except he isn't, and it also doesn't mean anything.

Get the feeling this season is going to be a lot of nonsensical waffle.

It felt like a bad episode of Lost.

So Loki 'time-slipping' looks cool but so what? One cool special effect is not the basis for a show.

What actually happened in this episode?

Nothing, really, other than a new character introduced. You had the breast-feeding mum from Game of Thrones being a bit mean, a brief argument between her and one of the cops, Loki skipping around and seeing different symbols of Kang and crashing a levitating mail-cart but to what end? What was the purpose of it all? Why should I care?

I haven't been given any solid reason to care except one half-decent joke in a life and the chemistry between Mobius and Loki.

That prevented me from giving the episode 1 star but I can't go any higher than two and even that seems generous after forty minutes of fluff.
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Ahsoka: Part Seven: Dreams and Madness (2023)
Season 1, Episode 7
1/10
Far too stupid to exist
28 September 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Opens with Hera in court unable and unwilling to provide evidence for Thrawn's return even though she's uncovered Imperials building a hyperspace drive in a Republic shipyard, for a spaceship so powerful it can can travel to another galaxy - something that hasn't been done for so long it's considered legend.

The guy who's questioning her, who is going to be revealed no doubt as working for the Empire, is absolutely right - she is a military officer who has provided no proof for her reasons to disobey orders, orders which led to the death of two pilots.

Why doesn't she show them the scans of the ship, or explain who killed those pilots and why?

The writers are so stupid this doesn't even occur to them. They don't even realise they should provide this evidence to make Hera look heroic and then it will also reinforce the ineptitude of the man questioning her if he still rejects her reasons, and her evidence, for disobeying orders.

He says her story sounds like a children's fairy tale but here he's mistaken because at least children's fairy tales are entertaining. They also have a moral lesson, something Ahsoka has never heard of.

Rather than justifying her actions a shiny convenience in the shape of C3PO appears to get her out of trouble, which not only takes away any agency from Hera but also makes the person questioning her correct in wanting to strip her of all authority.

Then Hera reveals to Mon Mothma that C3PO was lying and rather than doing her job Mon Mothma says 'how real is the danger that Thrawn will return?' Hera still does not provide any evidence, even to the leader of the Republic, the person who just broke the law to help her, that Thrawn is returning.

WTF is wrong with these writers? How unbelievably stupid do you have to be to get a job writing for Disney Star Wars?

None of these people should ever be allowed near a script ever again.

The we have Ahsoka practicing so slowly with her lightsabers, though to be fair she also fights at this speed, holding her lightsabers backwards because the writers think it looks cool when in fact it just means they know nothing about fighting and also makes Ahsoka incapable of fighting. It may work in animation but in live-action it renders her useless.

De-aged Anakin hologram appears, looking rubbish again.

Then on to Ahsoka's moronic plan.

Huyang raises the reasonable objection that they don't know where Sabine is and have no maps or star charts for the unknown galaxy so how are they supposed to find her.

Ahsoka says 'Sabine came here with the enemy, we find the enemy we find her.'

Maybe, but that still doesn't answer his question because you also have no idea where the enemy is so how are you going to find them? Answer the bloody question you ridiculous idiot.

'Direct and to the point, as always.' Huyang says. No she isn't. She didn't answer your question. That's the complete opposite of being direct and to the point.

I just have to pretend he's being sarcastic and is taking the piss out of her.

Moron Ahsoka takes it as a compliment, of course.

'You are assuming the whales have taken us to the correct galaxy.' Huyang says.

Yeah, and the correct planet, in fact to the exact spot where they arrived in this vast galaxy.

The Force in Disney Star Wars is just whatever the writers want it to be, a magic glue that seals shut every gaping plot hole.

The whales emerge from hyperspace into a minefield.

This is Thrawn's attempt, established in the previous episode, to destroy the whales with prejudice. Of course it doesn't destroy them. But it does seem to hurt them.

The whales don't stop but just plough through, getting repeatedly hit by exploding bombs.

How does Ahsoka, the character we're supposed to care about, feel about these poor whales which have brought her to another galaxy, to the precise spot she needed, getting hit by all of these exploding mines?

'At least the whales are providing some cover.' Huyang says.

The whales jump into hyperspace to escape, and Ahsoka says 'You had to say something.'

So Ahsoka, our hero, is upset that the living shields, the poor space whales getting hit by repeated explosions, have left to save their own lives because it potentially puts her life in danger.

Though of course it doesn't because nothing can hurt her, not even death.

On to a boring and pointless chase scene where her ship is shot hundreds of times without sustaining any damage, she flies into the bone graveyard of dead spacewhales which Huyang says is too dense to fly into and is instantly proven wrong as she flies into it.

Laptops should just explode when these writers sit in front of them.

The dreams in the title of this episode are the dreams of the writers imagining that one day they might actually write something that isn't complete drivel and the madness is the fact they believe it.

Dave Filoni needs to stick to cartoons or retire.

This show is awful.

Thrawn is an idiot with plans that make no sense, Ezra is a Jedi who doesn't want his lightsaber, Ahsoka is a dull bore, Hera is an irresponsible moron, Sabine is an insufferable twit, this show should never have seen the light of day.

Horrific.

Thrawn's dialogue is atrocious.

He says 'we need to control all variables.' without making a plan to do anything like that. In fact, as established in a previous episode, one of those variables is Sabine, who he had imprisoned and therefore 'controlled' before releasing her, doing the exact opposite of what he's suggesting in this episode.

My god, is there not a single living brain cell in the writers room?

Rather than controlling the variable of Sabine by either keeping her imprisoned or killing her when he had the chance, he armed her, gave her a mount and supplies and the last-known whereabouts of another one of those variables in the form of Ezra!

No wonder his eyes are red, his brain is bleeding out of his face to flee it's own stupidity.

Incredibly, it gets worse.

Sabine and Ezra and the crabs are moving across the planet surface in their levitating homes, and Ezra says 'so the Emperor is dead?' Sabine: 'That's what they say.' Why would she have any reason to doubt this?

He blew up in the middle of the Death Star in an explosion that turned that weapon into dust.

The only reason this line is in this episode is because of the sequels. But Sabine has no idea that the sequels exist. She is, an admittedly ludicrous, character that should absolutely believe that the Empire was defeated, and that Luke Skywalker and the Rebellion defeated and killed both the Emperor and Darth Vader.

That story would be the most famous story in this galaxy. Luke Skywalker would be a name that everyone would know and the Emperor's death, and the Empire's downfall, was an event celebrated around the galaxy.

This show is so stupid it hurts.

I can't be bothered to continue but it does actually get worse, with even more contrivances that drain the last drops of drama and suspense from this turgid show, not that there was any really, until it limps to a conclusion that absolutely nobody with a functioning mind would find interesting or captivating in any way.

Ahsoka from the beginning has been dull and boring, and has somehow managed to go downhill from there.

The second season will get cancelled and Filoni's movie will get cancelled because the only people who care about this are shills and shiteposters, and that is not an audience that can sustain a franchise.

Since the first Disney Star Wars movie I've been dismayed at the direction this once beloved franchise has taken but I never imagined we would get to this point.
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6/10
It's alright
9 September 2023
Not too much to say about this one.

Apart from seeming quite spoiled the main character is pretty decent and the performance is quite good so considering the nepotism it's not bad.

The story is pretty basic, formulaic and predictable but it does have some warmth, and joy in it.

My favourite character was the female rabbi, as she delivers most of the humour.

Adam Sandler's quite interesting as the majority of his movies are basic trash but then every now and again he puts in an incredible performance in a great movie like Uncut Gems.

This one fits neither of those categories, but it's not really an Adam Sandler movie as he's a supporting actor in this. It's more a vehicle for his daughters, especially the younger one Sunny.

I don't know if she'll go on to have a career but I found her performance quite likeable, if a little obnoxious. There is potential there for sure as a comedic actress in the future.

Anyway, it's an OK movie, nothing to get excited about but fairly entertaining.
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Ahsoka: Part Four: Fallen Jedi (2023)
Season 1, Episode 4
1/10
Best episode so far but still crap
7 September 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I just can't get my head around how dumb and boring everything is.

Why does Sabine trust the man she's just watched kill Ahsoka?

Why does she do a rolypoly on leaving the ship during the battle with the droids?

Why does Ahsoka use the Force to move one droid in front of another droid's fire rather than crumple the firing droids weapon or fling it against a tree? Why do Ahsoka and Sabine split up, leaving Sabine to fight someone who's already defeated her once (and who should've killed her)?

Why does the witch leave the the map with only Baylan defending it rather than helping him if the map is that important?

Why is Baylan stronger than Ahsoka except when he's in a position to kill her?

Why does Baylan unbalance Ahsoka on the edge of the cliff rather than strike her down?

Why does Shin turn her vulnerable back to Sabine and run away rather than using her lightsaber to deflect blaster bolts or use the Force and why does Sabine chase her rather than gun her down getting so close that she enables Shin to use her lightsaber? Why is Hera told she wont be allowed to leave and then is allowed to leave without anybody challenging her or trying to stop her?

Why does Hera take her child into battle?

Why does Hera try to block the path of the witch's ship to prevent it leaping to hyperspace and then act surprised when that ship powers up its engines to jump into hyperspace, even saying 'I think they're going to jump'? Why does Hera think she can block a ring-shaped ship's path by gathering her ships in the middle of that ring essentially blocking nothing but empty space?

Why does Anakin's deaging look so fake? He looks worse than Luke's first appearance in Mando.

The writers of this show shouldn't fear AI, they should be praying for it as it can't be any worse than this mindless drivel.

Somehow some people are apparently enjoying this and good for the, but for me it's too brainless to be entertaining.
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The Wheel of Time: What Might Be (2023)
Season 2, Episode 3
1/10
So boring
3 September 2023
This show is so unbelievably boring. The characters are so insipid and uninteresting and the acting is terrible.

It's as if the CW had an enormous budget. It's just so bad.

How awful of a writer must you be to pen this drivel?

I am embarrassed for everyone involved in this project.

It must've been so difficult to make it this woeful, I mean it must've been a concerted effort whenever there was even a glimmer of a chance for there to be a half-decent moment to ensure it was snuffed out.

Why would anybody think this is worth producing?

I think this may be the worst show of the year and that's impressive considering the candidates in 2023.
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What We Do in the Shadows: Exit Interview (2023)
Season 5, Episode 10
5/10
Underwhelming
2 September 2023
Warning: Spoilers
So, it seems like the intent is for the show to live as long as the main vampires in it.

This show is going to limp on until it gets cancelled without ever reaching a satisfying climax or conclusion.

After two really strong seasons the mojo was misplaced and now it's nowhere to be found.

It would've been far more interesting if they had maintained the momentum built up and reached the obvious and logical conclusion which is for Gizmo to decide either to become a vampire and face the consequences of turning against his heritage, or become the vampire-hunter he was meant to be, and for him to move on from his relationship with those in the house - whether by trying to kill his former master/s or join them as an equal.

This season was a pretty lame attempt to give him that - he becomes a vampire but it's pretty meaningless as he doesn't really do anything and only has about ten minutes as a fully fledged vampire.

It also doesn't cost him anything despite the show trying to manufacture some tension around turning against his master by allowing another vampire to make him one of them.

Becoming a vampire also doesn't affect his relationship with his family in any way, in fact they seem none the wiser despite having the same vampire-hunting heritage.

It would've be much better for him to lose his family, for his relationship with Nandor to have been damaged beyond repair and to face the consequences of committing to becoming a monster.

But no, this show no longer has consequences.

Nothing matters, and nothing means anything.

Just pump out more episodes and hope the public keep paying for it.

It's essentially a thinly-disguised cash-grab and this point and, considering what the show was originally, that's quite sad.

What We Do could've been a truly great show, instead it's become a fairly average show that had two great first seasons.

At least the writers are on strike so won't be able to churn out more of this dross too soon.
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Ahsoka: Part One: Master and Apprentice (2023)
Season 1, Episode 1
1/10
Oh dear, Dave
23 August 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I want to like this show.

I want Star Wars to become good again, but this episode suggests what I'd already suspected - that I probably won't enjoy Ahsoka, and it won't be very good.

How many characters are going to be stabbed by lightsabres (or even cut in half) and survive?

Why bother stabbing someone in the gut with a lightsabre if you know most people survive it? Stupid.

Did we really need more girlbosses girlbossing in Star Wars?

It's painful watching an industry that allowed the abuse of women for decades, and still does, lecturing me on what makes a strong, moral female character.

Drain the personality out, make her flawless and invincible but also obnoxious, arrogant and lacking the capacity for love, give her everything she wants without struggle, have everyone tell her how ace she is all the time and you have a Disney Star Wars female lead.

Nobody likes these characters because they don't work as characters. To be a character you need room for growth, you have to struggle to overcome obstacles and learn and change through that struggle.

Pretty basic stuff, Disno, and you should do better.

Nothing good about this episode really. It's better than anything from Mando Season 3 but that's because that season was trash not because this episode is good, which, once again, it isn't.

I just watched an hour of this show to learn what? Sabine's a bit of a knob, Ahsoka can't predict the obvious movements of her former padawan but can predict the attack of an unknown enemy. Sabine can't fight with a lightsabre to save her life, literally, and her opponent can't murder a defeated foe.

This episode is getting a lot of praise mainly because people are so desperate for something Disney Star Wars that isn't absolute drivel, but this episode doesn't really deserve it.

It's predictable and obvious, a bit slow, and not really that interesting.

Think this will be another Disno flop.
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What We Do in the Shadows: Hybrid Creatures (2023)
Season 5, Episode 7
1/10
Boring
18 August 2023
Warning: Spoilers
After a couple of decent episodes we're back to boring again. An empty, vacuous and entirely disposable episode. You may as well skip it.

It's called hybrid creatures but they're not really in it much and neither do they matter.

It might've been interesting to explore how Gizmo felt about essentially creating all these various forms of life, but no, rather than facing any kind of moral quandary, or any self-reflection about creating his own Frankenstein's monsters due to his desperate wish to become a vampire finally being realised, he instantly decides not to kill them, as he's instructed, and instead dumps them at a retirement home.

So, what was the point of them being in the show?

Why title this episode 'Hybrid Creatures' only to ignore them for an equally dull and pointless sidequest with nadjia and the supposed hex she's under, which is also entirely underwhelimg.

They're scraping the bottom of the barrel so much they must've chiselled all the way through it by now.

Wrap it up!
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The Afterparty: Danner's Fire (2023)
Season 2, Episode 6
2/10
The worst kind of filler
16 August 2023
Completely pointless episode. Danner's been dragged into this season as they must've felt like they needed a cop figure, and she hasn't been terrible but this was so unnecessary it stuck out.

Why stretch the season to ten episodes if it's only to include nonsense like this?

This has been a good season so far, but this was a definite low point, probably the worst episode of both seasons.

It wouldn't be so bad if it had any relevance whatsoever, but apart from the phrase about the arsonist it had zero affect on the season's plot.

If this had been an amusing diversion, or an interesting red herring I wouldn't have minded so much but it really has nothing to offer.

It's probably best to just skip this episode which surely can't be what they were going for?
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1/10
A bit flat
3 August 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I don't object to the idea of Star Trek making a musical, even though I'm not a fan of musicals - at least they're trying to be creative and have fun.

But, there's quite a few buts.

The actress who plays Uhura is the only real singer - the rest can hold a tune but probably shouldn't be singing.

The premise that characters only sing when they're so emotional that they can't do otherwise is a good idea, yet if that's the case then this season should've been a slow burn of emotions building and relationships fraying up to this point, and that has not happened, or at least not in a way that is the least bit satisfying or believable.

It would've been cool to reveal some secrets and resolve some issues in this way but the Spock romance is nothing really, and I don't care that Nurse chapel is off, or that Kirk has a pregnant girlfriend and so can't be with La'an, or that Pike is afraid to tell Batel how he really feels.

It's just froth, with no substance.

This season has been generally woeful, in fact I think there's only been one half-decent episode, and this was pretty bad, with the hip-hopping Klingons a definite nadir.

Also, Una's explanation that people sing when words won't suffice is utterly idiotic - if people are not using words when they sing then please explain to me what kind of alchemical communication is occurring.

The writers are pretty dumb. The word they meant to use is 'speech' not 'words'.

That's the real problem with this version of Trek. The writers are not intelligent enough to be able to make it engaging or for the most part entertaining.

The plot doesn't really make any sense - Pike tells Uhura she has to unite the crew to make them sing together, but instead they just start singing anyway without her connecting with them in any meaningful sense.

Star Trek is no stranger to mumbo-jumbo that sounds pseudo scientific but here it feels so out of place and is so half-hearted and throwaway that it just doesn't work. Rather than suspend my disbelief, I watch in disbelief.

The idea that during their experiment Uhura has to work the 'switchboard' alone for about a thousand people is also risible. Especially when she then abandons it to help Spock.

There is barely any thought put into any aspect of this show. I imagine the plot of Teletubbies made more sense and had more cohesion.

They could've used different styles of music to represent different characters, and whilst they did dip into a couple of different genres it was mostly generic musical fare with pretty boring melodies.

La'an probably had the best song and the actress is probably the second best singer but overall this episode was another missed opportunity.

The only good thing about this episode was that Ortegas wasn't in it all that much. And I guess we're one step closer to this season ending.
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