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Reviews
The Stand (2020)
Solid Adaptation
As someone who has not only read the book but also watched the other adaptation I have to say I felt this rendition was pretty solid. Casting for several characters was excellent and despite the cry baby screams of other reviewers the shift from linear storytelling serves this tale just fine. All the folks throwing a fit keep saying "whatever idiot writer did this" should probably know that the writer who did this is Stephen King. Pretty sure he knows better than y'all do how do adapt his own novel for tv.
The Challenge (1998)
Best Reality Competition Show on TV
I'll be honest - I don't watch a lot of reality TV. I don't exactly love screaming drunken fighting and drama. This show certainly has those elements, though they have toned down the drama in some more recent years.
The weekly challenges and elimination matches they do on this show are incredible, highly entertaining, and are hands down more intense and significantly better than any other reality competition show on TV. To add to it host TJ Lavin is awesome and whomever is responsible for the editing on the show is a hilarious genius. Great mixture of thrilling weekly events and comedic moments. I'm not kidding about how amazing the challenges are - they often require a mixture of cunning, strength, speed, endurance, and agility. Brawn certainly doesn't make a good Challenger, it also requires brains and a great deal of heart.
Another joy of this show that makes it unlike other reality competition shows is the repeat cast. If you watch enough seasons you will see the developing relationships between long time Challengers and see why the political and social aspects of the game work as they do. And, well, if your favorite gets eliminated there is a pretty good chance that you'll see them take another shot at it next season or the season after.
The game has evolved significantly over the years as viewership has aged and the contestants themselves have gotten better. Watching early seasons (1-15) seems like a completely different experience than the later seasons (16-36). The Challenges are significantly harder in the later seasons and the competitors are much more sly about their political and social games.
The 100: The Last War (2020)
A Perfect Ending to an Excellent Show
Once again The 100 does not fail to defy expectations. In doing so it not only fulfills the thrills we expect but also reaches to what has always been at the heart of this show. Frankly, I don't think they could have done better than this.
The only very minor flaw was that the orbs of light effects were a bit on the cheesy side. Certainly not worth deducting stars over, though.
The 100: A Sort of Homecoming (2020)
Nearing the End
All central thematics of the show are coming full circle and the underlying issues that once troubled Abie and Clarke have come to a head with Clarke and Madi. It is time for Clarke to truly evolve as Octavia and John have and I'm keenly interested to see if she'll do it. Another excellent episode that is poised to bring this story full circle.
Also, significant props for Gabriel's exit. "Death is life." Indeed. I enjoyed the character but it is valid that he doesn't get a free pass until the end, it undermines everything he's stood for throughout the show. He lived a long and good life and his end was exceptional and fitting.
The 100: Blood Giant (2020)
Excellent
There sure are a lot of butthurt feelings flying around here so I'll cut to the chase: in dystopian storytelling if a character fails to learn their ultimate lesson about whatever character flaws they may have they usually die for it. This is the case with Bellamy Blake. He never learned to stop making illogical emotional decisions and ultimately that put him on the path to his demise. I loved the character and was sad to see that he never got there but his ending made sense. I'm sure that cry babies will eagerly come here to throw shade at me because they didn't get their happily ever after that they've been having wet dreams about but frankly I can't help but wonder what the hell y'all are doing watching this show as you clearly don't understand the genre and are wishing this was the same as most of the other hot garbage the CW pumps out.
The only thing this excellent sci-fi drama is guilty of is being on the wrong channel.
Legacies (2018)
Not at all like its predecessors, but still entirely worth watching
Legacies takes a serious departure from the thematic narratives established in The Vampire Diaries and The Originals. If you're watching this in hopes of finding more of the same you will be woefully disappointed.
Instead of following in the well worn path of those series which came before, Legacies jumps the track onto an even older path: one worn in by Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Playing on puns, situational/timing humor, adolescent bonds, and a girl who could easily be defined as a "chosen" one with a knowledgable male role model who helps said girl with monster of the week lore and combat training all echo the footsteps of BTVS. While Legacies still has some growing up to do it holds promise for a new generation of young girls looking for a powerful female role model to look up to on the silver screen.
Haven (2010)
Unique, Elusive, Amusing, and Beautiful.
Haven breathes new life into the fantasy genre with its unique blend of investigative/cop drama, mystery/suspense, and sometimes even a touch of horror. Being inspired by Stephen King novel, this TV show lives up to the expectations associated with that description. Each "problem of the week" is always new and unique, the show never falls into being predictable on that front. Lead actors are all average at the very least and some play into their roles excellently, most notably Emily Rose and Eric Balfour. The overall plot arc is not only amazingly unique it is also very engaging. The characters, their relationships, and their overall development are interesting and add to the story without overwhelming it. This show also does not lack for comic relief, banter between characters is quick witted and funny without trying too hard, the often sarcastic under tones to the dialogue in the show seems to come naturally to the cast. The filming in the show is nice, the scenes are beautiful (filmed in Nova Scotia) and there are almost always gorgeous panoramic shots of the unique coast line and brightly colored little town) in every episode. I knocked off a star for some poorly written dialogue (especially in seasons one and two) and some bad/cheesy acting from some of the minor characters (usually single episode characters and very minor background characters). If you enjoy mystery/suspense/thriller type TV shows like Lost, Orphan Black, X-Files, or Fringe or you like supernatural/fantasy TV shows like Hemlock Grove, Supernatural, or Buffy the Vampire Slayer you'll probably enjoy this. Some people who enjoy cop dramas might like this as well, though this definitely does lean toward the supernatural/fantasy end of things it does involve a lot of problem solving via examination of crime scene evidence etc.
Supernatural (2005)
An Excellent Show Gone Down the Drain
If I could write a review of Supernatural for seasons 1-5 only I would give this show a 10 star rating. The first five seasons of the show are amazing, they're strongly driven by both characters and plot, the writing is spot on, the acting is fantastic. Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki live in their roles - the supporting cast is also great. Unfortunately after season 5 the show completely bombs on the writing front, the plot lines for seasons six, seven, and eight are terrible - so bad they border on being unwatchable. Seasons nine and ten are only average at best and while the acting continues to be good the lack of plot has taken all life out of the show and turned it into a supernatural soap opera. This show is a good example of a TV show that has been run into the ground by writers and directors and fans that don't understand that all stories have natural end points and there is no shame in that. It is sad that this has been done to a once awesome show.
The 100 (2014)
Seeks to rise above the standards of similar shows.
In the beginning The 100 is much like any other TV show that is directed at The CW's typical viewing audience (see: teens). The entire first season is for the most part much too early to make an accurate judgment on what the show will grow into. Through out season 1 we do see some minor holes, but nothing devastating to setting or plot line. Acting is not always perfect but it is good - especially for the first season of a TV show which has a cast of mostly untried young TV actors and actresses, but the cast is varied and the characters are at least somewhat interesting and so season 1 is overall entertaining though not riveting or compelling.
Season 2 is where The 100 begins to show its true colors and come into its full potential. As characters grow and the plot line advances it does become truly compelling, the characters are more than just interesting, they're diverse, dynamic, and fascinating. The actors and actresses have all settled solidly into their roles and they do more than just carry them off, they nail it. It has been a long while since the Fantasy and Science Fiction world has seen a TV show so heavily dominated by powerful female characters, Clarke is reminiscent of Buffy Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) in her strength, courage, compassion, and unyielding brilliance and will and she is only the beginning, Alexa, Octavia, Anya, Maya, Abby, Indra, and Raven are all excellent, powerful, compelling female characters - each unique. The men of the show are in no way out done by their female counterparts, Bellamy, Jaha, Kane, Murphy, Finn, Lincoln, Jasper, and Monty own their roles completely and their characters draw you in, make you think.
It will require patience to get past the initial, just starting out type stumbling blocks that most TV shows go through during their first season but The 100 is well worth the wait because once it picks up traction it is nearly impossible to wait between episodes each week. The amount of thought and detail that has been placed in the show is admirable, looking back over season 1 it is pretty clear that season 2 has been planned from the beginning. The smaller details like developing an entire, unique language for the Grounders are nice additives and the nods towards literature like Lord of the Flies is appreciated.