tam-42 Reviews

Sex/Life (2021–2023)

Worst thing I've seen in years

[1/10 · 24 August 2021]

The storyline, the acting, the "idea of dept"...everything is simply worthless. I can't believe there is funding to put something this bad on television. It's a waste of time. And the worst part is that, if this idea had been executed well, it could have been a good series.

How to Get Away with Murder: Stay (2020) Season 6, Episode 15

How to write the perfect finale.

[10/10 · 1 August 2021]

This is how you do it. A perfect ending to an excellent show, with brilliant actors, true emotion and a great, sometimes complex, storyline. Hats off.

Homeland: Prisoners of War (2020) Season 8, Episode 12

Nicely done but based on a huge error in the foundation

[9/10 · 19 February 2021]

This ending is nicely fit together, and I like the last "vibe" it shows between the always troubled relationship between Carrie and Saul. That smile said it all. But it's all based on a fundamental error in my view. Yes, Carrie always went her own way and "never lost sight of what's important". But not like this. I just don't believe her character would a) give up an asset without any further discussion, b) not try to find another way (which they always found), and most importantly c) endanger and betray Saul so deeply, in a way that is in no way comparable to anything ever before.

This last season was excellent again, in every way. But as soon as this part of the plot got in motion, it lost some credibility for me.

And then ironically, they did tie it up nicely at the very end. If you forget the fundamental problem, it's a good ending to one of my all time favourite series, with Carrie as the highlight of every minute of it; she is the main reason I watched.

Overall, Homeland is a big 10 out of 10, one of the best ever, but the last few episodes stained it slightly.

Holidate (2020)

Perfect for what it is...Xmas feel good romcom

[6/10 · 29 October 2020]

I see people writing things like "why does stuff like this still get made", and it makes me wonder...what on earth did you expect? Wat do you compare it with?

And to answer that question; they get made because some people enjoy this kind of lovey dovey feel good movies around the holidays. See it for what it is and you'll enjoy it.

As far as feel good Xmas movies go, this one is better than many.

Never Have I Ever (2020–2023)

You'll get sucked in; be prepared to care, laugh and cry

[7/10 · 6 May 2020]

I just loved these first 10 episodes! It grasped me from the first second and I binged it within a day. It's funny, fast and just perfect (note: probably only if you like high school dramas). For some reason I could really relate to the characters, which is crazy since I have nothing in common with them. I'm not Indian so I have no clue on how accurate the story is but it felt authentic and I cared a lot about every character. I hope we get new seasons, to explore them deeper. And to enjoy this. :)

It's only been one season so I'm careful in my rating; keeping up quality for many seasons is difficult and we can't see that just yet.

Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019)

Opportunity lost in slowness.

[5/10 · 3 May 2020]

Awesome cast, excellent acting and I loved the Tarantino feel of the shooting. But there is no story. Sure, I get the irony. I get the hommage. But it's all over the place, and so long and too slow. And lacking any kind of real plot that would justify a film longer than half an hour. And then there were 15 minutes of pure crazy at the end. That felt like the sway in style in From Dusk till Dawn (but I always thought Robert Rodriquez was in charge of that piece of crazy). Maybe Tarantino was too close to it; I read he spent years on this. I can imagine a story that's being worked on for that long and changed so often to lose its focus and to end up with too many perspectives. The only thing that saddens me; you have an opportunity with Brad Pitt and Leo in one movie...I wish it had been better.

The Stranger (I) (2020)

Not as good as the book

[7/10 · 5 February 2020]

Nicely done, but where Harlan Cobens books are favorites of mine due the the excellent plot twisting, this series made that seem a little messy. It was executed too vaguely, whereas in the book it made perfect sense. Also, the music is a bit too present and dramatic; that got on my nerves somewhere in the middle. Not great but a nice watch overall. I do hope they'll bring more Harlan Coben books to live; they are brilliant.

El Camino (2019)

Simply boring.

[2/10 · 19 October 2019]

This movie should never have been released. It's one thing to have a bad episode in an otherwise epic series but these 2 hours were a disgrace to the good name of BB. The pace is ridiculously slow and absolutely nothing happens.

I'm only giving it a 2 instead of a zero because Aaron Pauls portrayal of the haunted and intense Jesse was good as always.

Apart from that, a pure waste of time.

Weeds (2005–2012)

Fun but that's it.

[7/10 · 1 September 2019]

Spoiler alerts. Started off awesome, but when downhill in season 4/5. The juice is just gone. There was a moment when everything became a bit too crazy, and since then nothing real happens anymore. The drugs scene is just messy now and it's turned into a boring soap opera.

Also, I miss Guillermo and Conrad, who made scenes interesting. And Doug started as a lovable yet capable idiot but is now nothing but a caricature; too dumb, too blunt and simply ridiculous. Same for Celia; I'm just not buying it.

Andy and Silas develop better as the series progresses and I like the rough edge around Shane; very well done.

Good acting overall, all the way through.

I'll finish the series as I want to see how it plays out, but I'm no longer invested in the future of the characters. It's now more a "playing on your phone while it's on"- series than one where you just can't stop watching.

Stranger Things: Chapter Eight: The Battle of Starcourt (2019) Season 3, Episode 8

Downhill from greatness to just gore

[1/10 · 13 August 2019]

Spoiler alert: The deaths made no sense. It felt like they just "had to happen to make a point" but they were not needed in the actual storyline. This whole season went downhill quickly until nothing remained but disgusting gore and crappy writing. At the end, I didn't even care anymore; only very sad to lose Hopper, the absolute best character for me. Such a shame, it was a wonderfully nostalgic and smart series while it lasted.

Designated Survivor (2016–2019)

Bad writing, cliches and stupidity

[5/10 · 11 May 2018]

So much potential killed off by bad writing. Thats unfortunate because the idea is excellent, and in my view the actors are doing a good job as well. It's filled with cliches, which actually didn't bother me that much; what irritated me most was how dumb many of the characters are. That's what made me stop watching.