jkeenanchandler Reviews

Secret Invasion (2023)

What was this?

[3/10 · 26 July 2023]

I don't know where to start, but I just watched the final episode and feel...nothing.

This show set up so much potential: espionage-like twists and turns, not knowing who people really are, and a semi-interesting conflict between characters that wanted to peacefully hide on Earth, characters that wanted to loudly fight/invade, and Emilia Clarke/others in the middle seemingly wanting to live freely on Earth without hiding or without violence.

The final episode muddies the water on what characters wanted and who these characters are. Fury's character arc wasn't about finding a place for everyone to live - it was about kissing his wife in her Skrull form! G'iah's arc (don't care if I'm misspelling) isn't about teaching her people to live without hiding or fear, it's about becoming a superpowered version of Talos! And the ending of the series takes this thrilling, compelling premise of not knowing who's who and "yadda yadda"s it away with a phone call between Fury and the (suddenly evil?) President.

I can't even adequately put into words why this was all such a waste because the show itself couldn't adequately communicate the story it was trying to tell. Instead of an interesting and unique series with something to say, this was just a mess. I think I kept watching out of a misplaced hope that the key themes and story would become clear eventually, but it only got worse.

I know everyone's complained about the AI art in the title credits, but I don't think I'd blink if you told me the scripts were AI generated, too: the show attempts to tick all the right boxes without ever understanding what those boxes actually mean. Who are the characters, what are their goals, and what is this show *about*?

The Last of Us: Long, Long Time (2023) Season 1, Episode 3

Not a "filler episode" - sets up our main cast better than the game did

[10/10 · 4 February 2023]

(more spoilers for the game series than anything else, but I do spoil the end of this episode - be advised)

In the original game, you run into Bill in a booby-trapped town and get to know him as a cynical, paranoid man just surviving in the apocalypse. Thematically, he's there to warn Joel that caring about others (like he cared for Frank) will only get you killed. The Bill we meet is hardened, angry, and content to be alone. This warning isn't really fully realised until the second game, but it still fits with the first game's story and helps us see that Joel and Ellie's love for one another defies the cold-hearted world they live in. It works, it makes sense, and Bill's town gives us some fun action set pieces to play with.

In this episode, the Bill we meet is still cynical, still paranoid, but we see his loving side and - most importantly - his story is concluded by the time Joel and Ellie arrive.

Every other review here has spoken to the beauty and care to which this romance is told, but I'd like to address those who claim this episode was "filler" or was unrelated to Joel and Ellie's story: you weren't paying attention.

Ellie reads Bill's final letter, in which Bill tells Joel that the two of them are meant to be the hardened protectors of this new world. So: 1. Bill encourages Joel to stay strong and protect those he loves 2. Bill unknowingly/accidentally reminds Joel of a loved one he as already "failed" to protect 3. All of these words are read by Ellie, a character that (if we're true to the source material) Joel will initially keep at an emotional distance before swinging wildly in the opposite direction and sacrificing everything for.

The camera knows it, too: it lingers on Joel's face as Ellie reads, and - for those of us who know what's to come - Bill's words become less a heartfelt summary of his love for Frank and more dangerous for Joel to hear and believe in.

I love the change, it was such a fresh surprise, and I can tell already that the showrunners are prepping for an impactful end to season 1.

Furry Little Christmas (2021 TV Movie)

Yikes

[13 December 2022]

So much going wrong for it to be enjoyable - and I have no issue with low-budget movies.

• the music was so loud you couldn't hear most of the dialogue
• there were bizarre editing choices during conversations (the scene where they meet the grandfather made me feel unwell)
• there's a "small town" setting with the largest, most garish cabins I've seen and people pretending they're "rural"
• the male lead kept squinting like he was either high on set or told to do his best Zoolander impression
• the plot a) tells instead of shows and b) has the female lead to succumb to the pressure of her father and new boyfriend

We enjoy wholesome, cheesy movies, but this was actually just bad in too many ways to excuse.