AYSMITH Reviews

NCIS: False Start (2021) Season 19, Episode 6

A full 18 years but

[1/10 · 3 November 2021]

At last an episode so unutterably boring that I started to fast forward through it to see if it would improve?

It didn't.

A yawnfest from start to finish with not one redeeming feature.

Only the bean counters can possibly want to keep this travesty going because I can't imagine the fans of a once great show will.

Sad, Sad, Sad.

NCIS: Great Wide Open (2021) Season 19, Episode 4

End of an era

[9/10 · 16 October 2021]

OK, so that happened!!!

Unfortunate final curtain for a great character.

Sadly, I really can't see the show carrying on after this series. Expecially since the "bomb" dropped so early in the series.

Yes, we've had other characters come and go but this show pivotted totally on Mark Harmon's "Gibbs" and without him, the show dies!!

Other than David McCallum, there are now no original characters left and he certain'y won't keep going much longer.

My assumption is that the "grizzled" FBI agent will end up part of the team with McGee's nose being put severely out of joint in the process.

I've watched every singly episode of NCIS but I suspect that is now over.

So sad!!!

Evil (2019–2024)

Rings out the changes

[9/10 · 6 September 2021]

I don't understand some of the lower ratings for this show as I find it engaging and extremely imaginative.

It rings out the changes, every week with complex storylines that test the viewers imagination constantly.

The main characters struggle with their beliefs and prejudices but gel together as a group very well.

The leading lady has a "Dana Scully" from the "X-Files" vibe and once a total sceptic is now realising that Evil is all around.

Some reviewers have spoken out about the four daughters but they are what they are and I can't imagine a scenario where 4 girls wouldn't be screaming the place down at every possible minute.

For me, this is a great show and I hope it has a decent run.

Professor T (2021– )

Richard Poole is alive and NOT so well

[8/10 · 18 July 2021]

Ben Millar basically reprising his role in Death in Paradise but with an extra dollop of "crazy"

I usually base my liking for TV shows on "Real" versus "Apparent" time passing. Like most good things, this show zipped past at great speed.

Quite surprising as "main brain" found the storylines fairly measured but obviously, "subconscious brain" was much more impressed.

Professor T makes Gregory House look like a choir boy and he is such a Germaphobe that you'd believe Sheldon Cooper would lick the inside of a sewer in comparison.

Coupled with a large dose of OCD, he has hallucination episodes that are both horrifying and hilarious in turn.

I didn't like that his former student, now a DS, first saught him out but thereafter treated him with thinly veiled contempt.

Frances de la Tour as usual, is brilliantly over the top as his "eccentric" mother.

I certainly hope there will be a 2nd series and that Professor T doesn't go the same way as Richard Poole.

Leverage: Redemption (2021– )

Beyond ridiculous!!!

[2/10 · 18 July 2021]

I didn't think it was possible that any TV show could be more ludicrous than the "A" Team but this show mnanages it in "Spades".

The ability(?) to conjour up robberies at the drop of a hat AND execute them ranks right down there with the "A" Team firing 1000's of gunshot rounds and never hitting anyone. The "suspension of disbelief" is one thing but this is way over the top.

They even managed to get "woke" enough to have a female "Howlin' Mad Murdoch".

The thing that really gets me is that simply because I thought this show "sucked" so badly, they'll probably get another series.

So many great American TV shows dumped by the "bean counters" and this trash might continue.

Well, I won't be wasting any TV time over it.

Loki (2021–2023)

Childish rubbish

[2/10 · 30 June 2021]

OK, so the first episode was puerile drivel, obviously meant for 5 year olds.

Episode two was a total bore-fest with next to nothing happening and episode three was barely better.

The God of mischief is basically being treated with contempt (deservedly so) in this Universe

The main problem is that it's made by Disney and will be sanitized, as are ALL Disney productions, to within an inch of it's life.

Sorry, thre episodes are enough for me. I'm out.

Shadow and Bone (2021–2023)

As near a snoozefest as possible!!!

[4/10 · 26 April 2021]

This seemingly wanted to be a "fantasy" tale but most of that was contained in "the Fold" where weird oversized "bats" preyed on those wanting to get through it, to the other side.

Other than that, most of the "fantasy" centered on the "Grisha", magic enabled folk that seemed to be EVERWHERE. You couldn't turn round without bumping into one, waving theier arms around in "Eldridge" fashion to generate "powers".

Then the central character, Alina and Mal who are lifelong friends have various adventures. Given they are in a shooting war situation, poor little Alina gets all upset when she "thinks" mal hasn't tried to get in touch an nearly gives "the prize" to "tall dark and broody" instead.

Poor Mal ends up shot and maimed in various ways but the sad shmuck doesn't even get a snog out of m"Ms petulant."

They managed to drag this out into 8 episodes of near tedium and to add insult, took almost 20 minutes of the last episode setting up a possible second series.

Think about a hugely sanitized Game of Thrones and this doesn't even come close to being that good.

I normally don't like complete series streamed in one but this was an exception as it ensures it's be at least a year before any more arrives.

The Irregulars (2021)

Very Penny Dreadful

[9/10 · 28 March 2021]

Lots of negative reviews here that are totally undeserved.

Someone commented that a black Doctor wouldn't be possible at the time but the first one, with whom I share a birthday, got his Doctorate at Glasgow University in mid 1800's. Well in time to perhaps be Dr. Watson.

Chinese people arrived in London in mid 1600's, so absolutely no reason to be opposed to their presence.

Other comments about the modern music in the series might be reasonable but this was little and far between. I guess some people are just "haters" that write bad reviews for the Hell of it.

An excellent show and I certainly hope there will be a 2nd series.

Christmas in the Air (2017 TV Movie)

Astronomically incorrect

[8/10 · 15 July 2020]

Love Catherine Bell to bits, especially in Good Witch but seriously, how difficult would it have been to get the brightest star in the night sky located correctly?

Yes they showed Orion but Sirius must have strangly shifted position from down and left of Orion's belt to above and right.

Artemis Fowl (2020)

Epic FAIL!

[4/10 · 12 June 2020]

Hi Disney, pretty please have a look for a barn, a BIG barn, ney an enormous barn!

Now find the biggest and baddest shotgun you can get. Never mind a 12 guage, get a Goose gun (8 guage)

Point shotgun at barn and pull trigger.

Trust me, like this movie, you will miss.

The main problem you have is that there is a definite target audience for this film and that comprises the millions of people like me who have avidly read all the books.

Unfortunately, this film bears little resemblance to the first, presumably, two or three books in the series it tries and fails to cover.

Who stole Artemis' Mother? Why did Butlers Sister Juliet turn into his Niece? Why did Julius Root turn into Judy Dench (Love her to bits but really)? Why in Gods name is Mulch Diggums suddenly 5 or 6 feet tall? Carrot Ironfoundson on Discworld is at least a human brought up by Drarves.

Seriously Disney, you had a great chance to kick off a potential franchise but have so messed up the storyline that I am doubtful that it will happen.

I think you were unbelievably lucky theat Eoin Colfer sold the film rights BEFORE the first book came out because I doubt very much he would have signed it off if he new what an utter hatchet job you were intending.

I gave it a 4 rating only because as a stand alone movie it wasn't bad but that was allowing my imagination to wipe out my knowledge of the books.

Treadstone (2019)

Great start. Hope the quality is maintained.

[8/10 · 21 October 2019]

Watched this last night and was seriously impressed.

I'm definitely looking forward to the 2nd episode.

However, I do have to agree with one reviewer who made the point about 100lb women kicking the c**p out off a 180lb man. OK if she surprises the guy with a sucker punch but one on one, brute strength will win every time.

I'm not a great fan of Time Shifting movies but this worked pretty well.

Oddly enough, my main gripe might be something trivial but it's the positioning of English subtitles. They're all over the screen and sometimes unreadable.

Still want to see the 2nd episode.

Lucifer: Everything's Okay (2019) Season 4, Episode 1

Disappointed

[6/10 · 9 May 2019]

I have been looking forward to series 4 for some time now and was highly anticipating Chloe's reaction to Lucifer's "Devil face" reveal.

Unbelievable disappointment on a cop out time jump to avoid what should have been a great TV moment.

Much has been said about an improvement in quality by the Netflix takeover in terms of effects, etc.

Sorry but I'm just not seeing it. Same old "switch" camera angle and return to an "SFx" shot.

Even worse is that they've turned Amenediel into a total wimp.

About the only promise that Netflix has managed to keep is a gratuitous flash of Tom Ellis' butt in all it's glory.

It seems that Lucifer and Chloe are going to keep up the same old boring dance around each other., while Detective "douche" has come back even worse than before.

Thank God for Maze and Dr. Linda, who both retained their greatly likeable characters.

This series is going to need to improve big time, or they can kiss a series 5 goodbye.