joehug Reviews

The Orville (2017–2022)

What happened to season 3?

[6/10 · 2 May 2024]

This was hands down one of the best shows ever on TV. Then Hulu scooped it up... season 3 is dark, serious, and ridiculously political. Why does it have to jump the shark so prematurely?

I would have preferred to see the show stay true to the wit and whimsy the first two seasons had. Too bad the production value went up and the writing went down the toilet. Then, to put a cherry on top, Disney steps in and does what they do best; ruin it or cancel it. Disney is wonderful at ruining great entertainment.

Shows like this come along once in a blue moon. Very sad to see it fall apart so soon. Fairwell, Orville.

House M.D.: Skin Deep (2006) Season 2, Episode 13

Phoned in and moronic

[2/10 · 3 October 2022]

Easily the dumbest and most disturbing episode I've seen so far. I'm surprised to see the show dip so early on.

There should be at least some minimum level of medical believability to make it to air. Here there is none -though it attempts to pander to goofy fringe agendas apparently.

If House can't pull itself out of the gutter and attempt to create reasonable and realistic crises the show, we're going have to plug on it. People with the slightest medical backgrounds are groaning over this type of trash.

It takes so very little these days to make it on a scripted show. TV is becoming a mindless format if this episode is any indication.

Leverage: Redemption (2021– )

Cheap copy of the original

[3/10 · 7 July 2022]

The original was fun and quirky. This version is a sad sequel with less production quality and completely artificial story lines. The best characters are gone and it shows. I wish they did a revival rather than just a cheap spin-off.

Rather than investing in good storytelling they just seem to be pushing social justice topics.

The Masked Singer: Don't Mask, Don't Tell-- the Good, the Bad and the Cuddly-- Round 3 (2022) Season 7, Episode 7

Ken is such a sad individual

[1/10 · 22 April 2022]

What a pathetic show of adolescence and unprofessionalism. I hope Ken can grow up and act like big boy. The episode was enjoyable apart from his little tantrum.

Suspicion (2022)

Great build up to a stupid conclusion

[2/10 · 19 March 2022]

What a ridiculous end to an interesting story line. We enjoyed the build up, the acting, and the writing. The end and the ultimate plot were drivel at best. This a good propaganda piece, at best. Too bad.

The Circle (I) (2017)

Fell short for sure

[6/10 · 2 March 2021]

Intriguing premise and well produced flick that had a stupid and lackluster ending. Instead of rejecting the system, we learn communism could work with the right people in charge. What?!? Very thought provoking but ultimately didn't deliver with any real intelligence. Very surprised Tom Hanks was involved.

Space Force (2020–2022)

I want my time back

[5/10 · 27 June 2020]

What a fabulously sad and vulgar attempt at humor. I love Steve Carell normally. This was a high-budget waste of time. There were real names involved, too. I feel sorry for them.

Shazam! (2019)

Is the steady stream of crud from DC finally tapering off?

[8/10 · 29 July 2019]

Not the best storytelling or characters but it's best attempt from DC in years. Wish they would stop with the dark, brooding characatures and do something family-friendly for a change. I was impressed. The language was still too much, but at least the story was something not solely focused at the college crowd. Hoping that DC will use this experience to learn before Marvel puts them squarely out of business. The lead was absolutely PERFECT for the role. Kuddos galore for him. As adoptive parents, we appreciated the underdog tone (much like Percy Jackson) that made Billy so relatable. Maybe this is a precurser of things to come.

Captain Marvel (2019)

What a huge disappointment!

[4/10 · 24 June 2019]

The movie was entirely predictable, but anyone familiar with the comics wasn't going to be suprised by anything anyhow. Sadly it went from formulaic to downright absurd before it was all over. Now that the MCU has its own "Superman" I guess we're all done, right? I've never seen a more patronizing "girl-power" movie in my life. It was all phoned-in but everyone has to clap and be impressed or you'll be labeled a sexist... My daughters found it revolting as well. Please tell me we aren't going to have to see another one in sequel form. Some good actors. Some not so good. The story was weak and the character is intensely disappointing. Where did they find Brie Larson anyhow? She's a train-wreck looking for an opportunity to happen... Too bad her mouth doesn't have an off switch.

Steve Martin and Martin Short: An Evening You Will Forget for the Rest of Your Life (2018 TV Special)

So hopeful... so disappointed.

[3/10 · 29 May 2018]

I have tremendous respect for the talents of Steve Martin. However, this show demonstrated why Martin Short is no longer relevant - if he ever was. Much of the material had promise. The problem was that Short appears to only find humor in insults, fowl language, and politial jabs. He intentionally parked himself at the line and danced across it several times. It seemed like a 5-year old in a raisin's body. Man, Martin is one talented banjo player. I would have been upset if I had paid for that experience. As a Netflix subscriber, I only feel robbed of a couple of hours.

Arrow: Crisis on Earth-X, Part 2 (2017) Season 6, Episode 8

Awful is accurate

[2/10 · 29 November 2017]

DC needs to grow up. This is phoned in drivel. Now only are the stories getting bad, the social agendas demonstrate a disconnect with the audience. Even my kids are turned off by this crap. One would hope that a company with such history and long-loved characters would attempt to be good stewards of the legacy. These folks appear to be morons desperately trying to over-sexualize their characters to lure in basement dwellers.

Supergirl: Crisis on Earth-X, Part 1 (2017) Season 3, Episode 8

DC keeps on disappointing

[2/10 · 29 November 2017]

Wow. What a dumb story... I have a house full of superhero nuts and the crap that flows from DC is really awful. This whole story line is pathetic; Nazis? Really? And what's with the fixation on homosexuals? One by one, these DC shows swirl right down the toilet. Too bad. When your shows are phoned in and driven by social agendas, the CW gets a hit, right?

The Seventies (2015)

Disappointed by the intense bias

[2/10 · 21 April 2017]

If you're looking for a fact-filled, historical romp; this ain't it. The material is certainly interesting but the perspective is so drenched with agenda it leaves you sickened. There's no balance or even voices from the right end of the spectrum - unless there's mocking to be done. There's only enough present-day commentary to perpetuate a sad version of revisionist history. Progressives will love it. Unfortunately, there's a twisted and cynical perspective woven throughout. I thought my kids would enjoy learning a little about my younger years, but this documentary only glorified and legitimized the social decay that furthered its narrative. People were conspicuously misrepresented, events contextualized poorly, and uplifting stories completely omitted. I expect trash from CNN. I didn't know Tom Hanks was a trash peddler, too.

Timeless (2016–2018)

Potential squandered

[4/10 · 27 February 2017]

Sadly, like most TV these days, this is just another propaganda hack-job. The history is biased, skewed, and used to drive a sad leftist narrative. They use the show to promote ideology rather than a strong sci-fi story. The steady decline of the quality of the show is staggering. The awkward and unnecessary social commentary is entirely unwelcome. When will these types realize that TV should reflect culture rather than attempt to correct it? I'm particularly disturbed by the inaccurate depiction of historical events. It's no surprise that patriots and conservatives are eventually exposed as the real threats to civilization. This COULD have been a breakout hit, full of gripping science fiction and intriguing time-line head-scratchers, but it isn't. It's too difficult to watch now. No doubt they'll try to add more sex and tripe to boost it going forward. What ever happened to compelling TV?

Sherlock: The Final Problem (2017) Season 4, Episode 3

What a profound disappointment

[3/10 · 18 January 2017]

I have to admit that I'm enamored with the show overall. Cumberbatch is probably the most delightful Holmes I've ever seen. Also the writing and cinematography are arguably second to none on TV. However, this episode blows chunks. My wife and I were equally disappointed in how contrived and unbelievable this story line was. I hope this isn't the final installment in the series because it would be difficult to get the aftertaste out of my mouth. I won't devolve into spoilers. Suffice it to say, however, that one would have to suspend reality on an incredible scale to believe any of the elements could ever happen. If "the game's afoot", I think someone needs to scrape something off the bottom of their shoes on this one.

Supergirl (2015–2021)

Sadly, another Super-disappointment

[4/10 · 8 November 2016]

As a father of young girls, I have a hard time finding TV programming that is empowering, responsible, and entertaining with any shred of morality in it. I was hopeful Supergirl would strike a balance, particularly for young women. Unfortunately, it's ridiculously campy, poorly written, and chocked full of any political agenda you can think of. It isn't good vs evil anymore. It's full of typical Hollywood-centric leftism and characters without any true convictions or compass. The villains are caricatures, the heroes are confused. The level of writing makes one believe the intended audience is 8 to 14 year old girls, but the unnecessary sexuality, language and imagery demonstrates otherwise. It had promise. Sadly, it's just another crappy TV show...

The Muppets. (2015–2016)

Embarrassingly bland

[2/10 · 30 September 2015]

The magic that was Jim Hensen was that he wove wit and playfulness together in a way that kids and adults could enjoy together. This show is crap. Not only was it NOT family-friendly, there wasn't one chuckle to be found in the entire show. Mind-numbing entertainment - sure, but not comedy. It was a rip-off in so many ways. Hensen would be ashamed. It seemed completely phoned-in and without any soul. Granted this is par for ABC programs, but beneath Jim Hensen's legacy. I hope his son is glad he sold out his father's creation... Is it salvageable? Doubtfully. Would I let my own children watch it? No. It's time we stood up and demanded programming that has merit. ABC and the other networks owe us more than this.

Person of Interest (2011–2016)

Started very strong, but on the decline

[6/10 · 3 January 2014]

In Season 1 I rated the show an 8. It had the right mixture of wit, intrigue, and governmental paranoia. The relationships were simple and antagonistic. The periodic (but infrequent) backstories were interesting. Unfortunately, as the seasons wore on, the quality of the writing deteriorated, like most shows. The cast keeps growing (for no good reason), the plots become more predictable and less plausible, and the silly relationships become the centerpieces as opposed to the isolated stories. Too bad. Like all the great series arcs that have come before and faded, it appears POI is plotting a course to mind-numbing mediocrity. I really like Jim C. as an actor, however they play his character up too much with the growling whisper as though he's a vigilante Jack Bauer too much. Tone it down a little. Besides the diminished writing, I'm getting turned off with the superfluous Root character. She's obnoxious and too far-fetched. Please, either kill her off or wrap up the sidebar arc. She's a real impediment to believability of the show to date. There's real potential in more of the origin story and the death of the "machine's" original benefactor. That portion of the story is ripe for exploration.

Community (2009– )

Harmon's departure is evident

[7/10 · 2 April 2013]

The show's appeal is its quick-paced surrealism. It literally smacks you out of left field time and time again. Whatever Harmon brought to the table with wit or mania (you choose) is missing in the later episodes. The show is becoming too paced, too deep, and too ordinary. It's shifting gears into a silly "Scrubs"-type show when the fun of "Community" was its defiance of any conventional genre. It HAD A style all its own, an that seems to be slipping away. Maybe it's just getting long in the tooth, but I'd love to see it return to its roots. The paint-ball episodes, for example, were extraordinary! Regardless of the show's ability live up to its roots of being unbelievably random, there's also the problem of making some of the characters too farcical; primarily the dean and Chang. The dean's character has become too incredibly 1-dimensional for the show, with his cross-dressing and Winger-lust, and frankly, nothing else. While Chang is the token fringe character that is wholly under-utilized and so periphery that it begs the question "why is he even in the show at all?" I think Chang needs more connection and more screen time, or cut the poor guy loose.

2016: Obama's America (2012)

Sobering content

[9/10 · 4 September 2012]

Contrary to the hype, this is not a purely politial hack job. There is a sincere and compelling hypothesis contained in this movie that should be taken seriously. We are all too quick to condemn the messenger before hearing the message. Obama's own words are his greatest enemy. He essentially exposed his own demons and it took a man like D'souza to put the pieces together.

If Obama is truly a tormented soul haunted by the ghost of a socialist absentee father, and sincerely trying to undo the achievements of the US because of his perception of an imperialistic legacy, then we have every right to be terrified. He appears to intend to dismantle the American way of life and our very national identity to even the world-wide playing field. Americans will suffer as a result.

Like it hate it, this film appears to have high credibility and I applaud the endeavor.

The Vow (2012)

Sweet but very disappointing

[2/10 · 20 July 2012]

I was reasonably familiar with the "true story" side of this movie so my wife and I were excited to get to see this when we'd heard it was being made into a movie. Unfortunately, beyond the A-class acting (from all but Channing) and excellent production quality, it bears little resemblance to the incredible and compelling actual events. Sony seemed to go to great lengths to wildly embellish this story, even so far as to note the "inspired by actual events" rather than being "based on a true story" as usually seen. The movie was frankly an hour and a half of tribulation and agony with a glimmer of hope right before the end credits. There was no encouraging balance or climactic triumph to be inspired by at the end. The most disappointing aspect of the movie was the fact the faith of the couple - which drove and sustained them through the actual events - was completely absent in the film. The promescuity and infidelity of the film weren't even factual and I find it disturbing that the original couple's integrity is tarnished by this mildly scandelous account. I was intrigued by the original story. This movie was interesting, but not compelling or even inspirational with its completely worldly framework. You'll walk away thinking, "Why didn't he just give up earlier?" His tenacity makes little sense without the religious framework. Her motivations are contrived and formulaic in the film as well. It could have been so much better.

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (2008)

Intriguing material to say the least...

[8/10 · 30 December 2009]

I'm often amazed at the speed in which criticisms can turn venomous and personal when people feel that their long-held assumptions might be challenged. Reading many of these remarks illustrates Stein's points every bit as well as the documentary does. I'm an engineer and scientist and have witnessed first-hand the mindless persecution and systematic repression of ideas Expelled is trying to bring to light. I've met people fired from NASA, ridiculed and marginalized from MIT (my alma mater) and from Texas A&M (where I once worked). To say it isn't happening is ridiculous. So say Stein is some kind of fanatic Christian (he's Jewish, by the way) and that these credible men and women of science are raving lunatics is a childish means of dismissing the entire serious question. I applaud Stein for standing up for people who are being persecuted for trying to find truth. Academic science in America has seemingly divorced itself from true scientific pursuit and exchanged it for profitable pursuit with a heavy dose of political correctness. It's a shame and certainly not rubbish, as this documentary clearly illustrates. While "Expelled" won't win any Academy Awards, I find it thought provoking and candid. I also appreciate the effort to not these workplace travesties go unsung. These people (and many more) deserve better than this.