formotog Reviews

Euphoria: Fuck Anyone Who's Not a Sea Blob (2021) Season Unknown, Episode Unknown

**** Anyone Who's Not a Sea Blob

[9/10 · 10 March 2021]

Goodness me man. This was just outstanding. Both of the specials have been so so so good, better than any of the normal run episodes. Just like Rue's episode, this delivered such a deep insight into Jules' very complex character. Not only was the dialogue superb and the pacing excellent, but the camerawork is impeccable and the cinematography is just sumptuous. Literally everything about this episode was crazy good. The sex scene that went a bit crazy near the end was ridiculously good. Honestly I hope season two is on the level that these specials are because these are really fantastic. Or else just keep making specials lmao

Watchmen: It's Summer and We're Running Out of Ice (2019) Season 1, Episode 1

1x01

[7/10 · 17 January 2021]

Promising start. Very well shot and with a unique, bold style. The premise seems pretty cool and relevant so far, but I suppose all the setup of the world and its dynamics meant that a lot happened, and the episode was broad in scope rather than focused on depth. I'm sure the depth will come later on, but for now, there were no real standout characters with the exception of Angela. Looking forward to how the show pans out

Mid 7

The Walking Dead: A Certain Doom (2020) Season 10, Episode 16

10x16

[6/10 · 14 January 2021]

Hmmmm. I don't think there was really anything special about this episode at all. It was pretty anticlimactic and it was full of the not very good stuff the show has been doing for years ie death fakeouts, predictable, boring writing, cringey dialogue etc. I get the impression that the show is clinging on for dear life by this point, and it just ended a major villain arc so yeah good luck to them trying to figure out what to do next. I know about the next arc in the comics but it's not exactly the best, and idk I'm just not all that hopeful. This episode did have very good music and it was well shot but at the end of the day it was nothing special

Mid 6

The Eric Andre Show: The 50th Episode! (2020) Season 5, Episode 10

5x10

[7/10 · 25 December 2020]

Ok honestly it was kinda underwhelming. Given previous finales have included bird up and whatever the hell else there's been, this fell kinda short sorry. The whole pageants bit wasn't really funny ngl. HOWEVER, Blake Griffin was a laugh, and the return of Hannibal just for him to turn out to be a mirage was like the ripcord being pulled out. I cannot believe my king was an illusion this whole time. Might not recover

Ps. Why would you be an Everton fan if you live in America??? Is your brain broken??? 1995

The Eric Andre Show: Is Your Wife Still Depressed? (2020) Season 5, Episode 9

5x09

[8/10 · 25 December 2020]

Mike penis is quickly moving into top tier sketch territory. Is your wife still depressed bit also great, rapper ninja warrior is great, stolen baby bit also great. How does this guy fit so many sketches into 10 minutes I don't get it

The Eric Andre Show: Bone TV (2020) Season 5, Episode 8

5x08

[8/10 · 25 December 2020]

Bone tv was great, dumb cop was great, man who got pushed down the stairs was hilarious. I love how Lakeith Stanfield and Felipe Esparza just turn up when they feel like it. Also can I say that genuinely, this show has the best sound design of anything I've ever seen. It is truly masterful

The Eric Andre Show: Named After My Dad's Penis (2020) Season 5, Episode 7

5x07

[8/10 · 24 December 2020]

Luis Guzman how on earth do you not know what you're signing up for at this point. I would've thought Eric would be notorious amongst managers by now. The undercover homeless guy sketch was brilliant and the avocado bit was also great. Tia Carrere was cool. Mike Penis is the man

The Eric Andre Show: The A$AP Ferg Show (2020) Season 5, Episode 5

5x05

[8/10 · 24 December 2020]

Big up Brenda Song for basically just being a champ. I would also like some of that h2o sequel. Good to see John Cena and Kraft Punk dunking Grimes in cheese. Also really liked the tube and tarot bits

Raised by Wolves (2020–2022)

Raised by Wolves

[23 December 2020]

Season 1: Mid 7 Despite the questionable ending, I still very much liked this season. It features a plot that, though fairly formulaic and structural, is thought-provoking in its portrayals of religion and atheism, as well as the thin line between android and human. I do tend to not enjoy children in film and tv, so naturally, I did find many of the characters quite irritating; particularly Campion. The show was also by no means perfectly written. Most of the season suffered from clunky writing at the best of times. There were forced plot events, illogical sequences, and just some annoying occurrences. Many of them were fairly inconsequential, but they do add up. Of course, the finale took that over the line and included some really quite stupid writing decisions. Nonetheless, formally its excellence is matched by the adventurousness of the show's delve into the sci-fantasy realm. Many of the ideas the show has produced are intriguing, and the influences from the Alien series are particularly evident.

At its best, the show can produce some really arresting moments that ponder on and even challenge existing and new ideas of the limits of AI. I very much enjoyed following Mother and Father, who are perhaps the most interesting and unorthodox portrayals of androids I've encountered. They seem to experience emotions, and seem to do so quite powerfully. The concept of the Necromancer, her reprogrammer, and the show's overall world building are all quite captivating, even if they aren't all explored in massive depth. In fact, I prefer that they haven't been unpacked too much, because it means the story stays rooted in the here and now. The show's pacing and direction never really faltered. Overall, there is a lot of potential in this show, but one of the main things holding it back is its refusal to give answers. Many things have been left obscure, and it meant that certain plot threads began to get quite lethargic towards the end. It also meant that the questions keep piling on and on, so there's no kind of catharsis; just ramping uncertainty. The worst of that came to fruition in the finale, which in its failure to provide any answers, and instead establish even more mysteries, became quite the convoluted mess. It's not too deep a hole, but season two needs to ensure that it answers some questions toutsuite.

The Promised Neverland (2019–2021)

The Promised Neverland

[23 December 2020]

Season 1: Mid 5 I didn't like it at all, long story short. Extremely, and I mean extremely, irritating characters. Infants who are probably smarter than 97% of the population. Uninspired visuals. Annoying music. Terrible, terrible dialogue. Truly among the worst I've ever heard. There is zero nuance and zero subtext. Characters will flat out say out loud their plans, feelings, as well as plot exposition. Even little, inconsequential things were often done in an irksome manner, and such occurrences accumulated. I could probably go on, but I won't because I've made my point clear, and neither can I be bothered to continue. Actually one more thing, the constant weird sighing and whimpering, and occasional outright scream-crying, was so off putting and so so mortifyingly irritating. I cannot stress enough how much I despise those little noises that happen every few seconds.

Admittedly, the season got better towards the end. I even kinda liked a couple of episodes. They toned down on the annoying aspects, and actually had some inventive and interesting plot developments, and character moments. The plot throughout the season always had drive, and on the surface I think it's a great idea. The execution was just horrible for the most part. Essentially, those last few episodes which were at least bearable still didn't change my mind that this is a bad show. It was my first anime tv show so I understand that a lot of these things I've found irritating may be present in most anime tv shows, and perhaps it's the genre itself that isn't for me. I've watched several anime films and haven't found this issue, and I've also since started Attack on Titan, and such aspects that I found repulsive in this show, have at worst been monumentally toned down in that show, which leads me to believe that my issues are localised to this show, and likely others too (perhaps by the same studio, which I will likely avoid), and cannot be generalised to anime tv shows as a whole. If you're new to anime, and are particularly big on realism (relatively speaking) and have a general appeal towards cinema, I'd advise you probably give this one a miss. As someone who cares massively about character, dialogue, and score, this really really did not do it for me

Raised by Wolves: The Beginning (2020) Season 1, Episode 10

1x10

[6/10 · 23 December 2020]

Ok I believe this is what you call jumping the shark. I actually was fine with most of what happened up until the end. The flying serpent was a cool feature, something new and unexpected. It made for a somewhat variant of Ridley Scott's chestbursting trope. Basically he seems to now just be content with having some rapidly growing phallic creature vacate the host's body in some gruesome manner. Another Prometheus allusion was the humanoid that Mother killed, which seemed to look a lot like the Engineers. Part of me wouldn't mind at all if this turned out to be linked to the Alien universe, but that's obvs wishful thinking. Besides, after that ending, I think it's best they stay separate. Now while I don't mind what they're doing with Marcus, the execution is kinda cringe. He's the complete hard atheist turned religious nut cliché. I just wish there was something to make him not so bog standard. Paul shooting Mary (I suppose I may as well start calling her that) was a bit forced I think. Like come on man I understand she's evil for what she did but think it through. Plus, no one even attempted to stop him. But that's not my main gripe with that scene. The real crime was having "Sol" or whatever voice is in Paul's head explicitly reveal the nature of Marcus and Sue. At best it's a cop out, and they may change this detail next season depending on the reception. At worst, they completely shattered the obscurity between religion and science/logic. If the explanation really does turn out to be that Sol told him this, there can be no scientific explanation, which is what has thus far made the battle between atheism and religion so intriguing. You could explain pretty much every event from either a scientific or a religious angle. Removing the ability to do that destroys the dynamic, and makes the show completely pointless, given that its main investigation is this very conflict. It would essentially be picking a side.

As for the disposing of the serpent, that's when the episode entered stupid territory. Why fly down a pit without knowing where it leads? Why even go to that entirely excessive extent in the first place? Why give up trying to control the aircraft once it emerges at the centre? How is that centre even physically possible? How can they just pass through a molten core unscathed??? There were so many things wrong with that sequence, and it made for an utterly stupefying cliffhanger. It was a woeful idea from the start. Even if there is a fantastical explanation to this, it's too late, which brings me onto my next main gripe: we didn't get any answers. In fact, we just got more questions. Who are the humanoids? Who planted the serpent? What are those cave drawings? Who spoke to Paul? I was hoping we'd at least get something of substance this episode, but it didn't come. I understand they need to get the audience to come back, but I think they really got their priorities in a massive twist. It's a shame because I was really enjoying the episode up to the last 10 or so minutes, which just tarnished it. I'll be tuning back in for sure, and I've still very much enjoyed this first season, but the writing could really use some polishing

Low 6

Raised by Wolves: Umbilical (2020) Season 1, Episode 9

1x09

[7/10 · 23 December 2020]

Idk why people are bashing the show so much. They're not even giving it a chance to explain itself or being open to its ideas. Yes they're pretty out there; a pregnant android, whatever that forest full of cloaked beings and strange monuments etc. But why not at least play along with it until it gets explained? I wouldn't class anything the show has done up to this point as jumping the shark. Am I going to sit here and say the writing has been perfect? Absolutely not. There have been plenty of times where it's been rather sloppy and/or lazy. This episode alone, Marcus became rather cringe and annoying. There are often instances of convenience, and of improbability. Nonetheless, I think for the most part, the writing has been pretty solid. The plot has direction, it has mysteries, it has good characters, a respectable plight at its heart between atheism and religion. I do not believe the show to be favouring one side of the argument at all, as others have said. I don't know how people can even make that claim when we don't know the whole story yet. Overall, while relatively formulaic, the show manages to consistently deliver an engaging and intriguing plot, and that's not to mention its formal qualities. This episode was no different

Mid 7

Raised by Wolves: Mass (2020) Season 1, Episode 8

1x08

[7/10 · 22 December 2020]

I liked this episode a lot, and I don't understand why other people don't seem to like it that much. We've only just discovered that Mother is pregnant, we haven't even had time for an explanation yet like chill. I personally think it's a cool concept and I'm looking forward to seeing how they handle it. As for the rest of the episode, the visuals and music continue to be brilliant. I think the direction Marcus has gone is great, and so long as it doesn't go overboard, which so far it hasn't, it's definitely a logical and interesting intersection between atheism and religion. We also got a bit more insight into what earth was like under mythraicism, and it gave some Handmaid's Tale vibes. I'm more interested in the current story, but the use of flashbacks like that in the show are always engaging. There was some really great tension at the end with the pregnancy reveal and Sue and the kids fleeing, and Marcus has pretty much lost the plot. Looking forward to the rest

High 7

Raised by Wolves: Faces (2020) Season 1, Episode 7

1x07

[7/10 · 21 December 2020]

Good episode. A bit slower but I'm interested in all the fantastical stuff that seems to be happening. I do hope there is a good explanation for what happened with Marcus at the end because that was particularly strange. There were a couple of moments that stuck out like a sore thumb, as seems to be the case with most episodes, but I enjoyed the dynamic between Marcus and Mother, and the whole religion vs atheism that has taken place on Kepler-22b is very engaging. I just hope that it doesn't veer into stupid territory because that would be all too easy with the way the plot is structured right now

Mid 7

The Eric Andre Show: Blannibal Quits (2020) Season 5, Episode 6

5x06

[7/10 · 21 December 2020]

Yanno just ya standard episode of Eric Andre, I hope Lakeith Stanfield stays. Adios Blannibal i guess

Raised by Wolves: Lost Paradise (2020) Season 1, Episode 6

1x06

[7/10 · 18 December 2020]

This was a strange episode. It had some really excellent sequences, but it also had some really shoddy writing. Throughout the season, the writing hasn't exactly always been amazing, but it's usually one of two small things here and there. This episode showed that the frequency of questionable writing decisions is increasing, and the severity of such decisions is also getting worse. For example, Marcus not killing Mother because of some unexplained voice in his head? And Sue not even attempting to dispute that? Yeah it was just one instance of the writers writing themselves into unnecessary corners. It kinda ruined what until that point would've been a really great ending. There were other moments as well, like Campion reacting in such a forced, unbelievable manner when Paul uses his fungus, and Mother's ability to use the force apparently??? That said, the cinematography continues to be really really good and there are still good elements to the writing, notably the investigation of Mother and just how much an android can be like a human. I did like it but the shoddy writing has to stop

Mid 7

Raised by Wolves: Infected Memory (2020) Season 1, Episode 5

1x05

[8/10 · 16 December 2020]

Really liked this episode, in no small part due to Mother's simulation sequence. The whole segment where her creator turns her from a Necromancer into a caregiver was just absolutely brilliant. It was so so well done, profound and thought provoking. It simultaneously provides a lot of context for Mother, has significance going forward, and also allows the audience to question the nature of creation, AI, emotions, and just all manner of things. It was by far the most striking scene of the show so far. Some other scenes were also very good, such as that very weird sex scene. It seems like the show might be taking the logical, if not slightly predictable route, of having a non-believer have some religious experiences. I like how the Mythraic plot has progressed this episode, and things are generally just looking very promising after that cliffhanger. I should also mention, seeing as I haven't already up until now, that the show's cinematography is beautiful, and it makes use of some really great music

Mid 8

Raised by Wolves: Nature's Course (2020) Season 1, Episode 4

1x04

[7/10 · 16 December 2020]

Pretty good episode despite a very silly and pointless opening scene after last episode's cheesy, forced cliffhanger. We got some good scenes with Father and the trapped creature, and Mother's journey into that simulation was intriguing. It made me wonder whether the Androids are being portrayed too much like humans, but I suppose ultra-advanced AI like that would be pretty inconceivable to us. The ending was kinda strange, and I think in general the episode suffered from moments of odd writing and repeated moments that were beginning to get a bit tedious, like the constant conflict between Campion, Father and Mother over fairly inconsequential matters, and the whole deal with the Mythraic power structure. The latter issue seems to have resolved itself at least, and the discovery of that rock was definitely interesting. I just hope all these things can tie in together nicely later on

Low 7

Raised by Wolves: Virtual Faith (2020) Season 1, Episode 3

1x03

[6/10 · 13 December 2020]

Not quite as good as the previous episodes. The flashbacks didn't really do it for me because what's the need? We got that Marcus and Sue are impostors from the last episode, so idk what the need is to flesh out that backstory/humanise them more, especially when Paul doesn't really seem to be like much of a focus so far. Humanising them at this point is a bit of a futile endeavour when we know that they're not exactly good people, although I suppose based on how the real parents were before they were replaced, they seem to be doing a better job in that regard. So far I, just not really feeling the flashbacks. The plot was also a bit slower, and I do hope we're done with the constant back and forth of trust relations now between Campion, Father and Mother. It still wasn't a bad episode, and there does admittedly seem like there's a lot of lore to be explored, but I'd prefer that the story stay grounded in the present for the most part

High 6

Raised by Wolves: Pentagram (2020) Season 1, Episode 2

1x02

[7/10 · 12 December 2020]

A bit of a slower episode than the pilot, but I still quite liked it. Any scene where Mother weaponises herself just slaps. I do feel like the new arrivals kinda don't really feel all that authentic. They've acclimatised to the situation far too quickly and just haven't really reacted how I'd expect people whose home and most people they know along with it have just been destroyed by a homicidal android who has now de facto kidnapped them. I think that needs work. Nonetheless it was good to see Father back which I wasn't expecting, and the Mythraic guy actually being an impostor also is very intriguing. A lot of good set up this episode

Low 7

Attack on Titan: That Day: The Fall of Shiganshina, Part 2 (2013) Season 1, Episode 2

1x02

[6/10 · 11 December 2020]

Another good episode. It was basically an extension on the pilot, and nicely set up the trajectory of the series after the very well done cliffhanger of the first episode. The dialogue is alright, the visuals are detailed and creative. The pacing is perhaps a bit fast but that's not too much of a big deal. Overall it is looking very promising so far

Mid 7

Raised by Wolves: Raised by Wolves (2020) Season 1, Episode 1

1x01

[7/10 · 11 December 2020]

Not a bad start. You can definitely see the Alien influence in this, and I'm a big fan of Alien so that's a plus. It wasn't an amazing pilot. I do feel like the pacing and flow just felt off; things moved a bit too quickly for my liking. I know how hard it is to make exposition seem natural and this episode did a fairly good job of it but not the best. Either way, it's set up the conflicts and themes of the series. I'm sure the Mithraics will be on their way when they learn that one of their arks just blew up. Mother is a very cold character and I'm looking forward to seeing more of her. The sequence where she became hovering metal was very cool. There's definitely a lot of potential here

Low 7

Euphoria: Trouble Don't Last Always (2020) Season Unknown, Episode Unknown

Trouble Don't Last Always

[9/10 · 10 December 2020]

Ok this was absolutely brilliant. Most of this special was just a conversation between Ali and Rue, and yet it was so captivating. The writing was actually impeccable. I have to believe that Sam Levinson has some history with the themes at hand here, because the writing is so passionate, heartfelt, genuine and striking that I'd find it almost incomprehensible if he didn't. The performances from both Zendaya and Colman Domingo were absolutely terrific and imbued the episode with so much depth and emotion. I was getting chills right through this. I can't personally relate to most of what's discussed in the episode, but I'm sure it's going to help myriads of people out there who are dealing with such issues. It does not hold back its punches; it sheds light on a lot of truths that so often get shoved under the rug. It's spellbinding, and honestly something everyone should watch even if you haven't seen the rest of the show. It stands on its own and it stands firm.

Low 9

Attack on Titan: To You, in 2000 Years: The Fall of Shiganshina, Part 1 (2013) Season 1, Episode 1

1x01

[6/10 · 8 December 2020]

Good start. I like the style, and the episode got straight into establishing the world and its characters effectively. Having just finished The Promised Neverland, and being new to anime (tv shows), I was anxious that a lot of what I found so irritating in that show might've been a general problem of anime shows, but based on this pilot, that doesn't seem to be the case. Dialogue was pretty good for the most part (there are still a couple bits where the character says what's already happened/is clearly happening, which as a pompous film student irks me to no end) and there doesn't really seem to be much melodrama. There's still exaggeration but I'm fine with that considering cartoons will never be as detailed as live action. The ending to the episode was pretty gruesome and it has me instantly gripped. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing whether this show can live up to its monumental hype

Mid 7

The Promised Neverland: 150146 (2019) Season 1, Episode 12

1x12

[6/10 · 7 December 2020]

Uhhhh honestly I thought it was quite an underwhelming finish. I did find myself really rooting for the escape and I'm glad it went smoothly, but really nothing was revolutionary about it. It just happened. Also, they tried to humanise Mother the same way they did with Sister Krone; random flashbacks. They even completely changed up her speech after Emma escaped, making her say words of encouragement like what??? You were begging her to stay so you could hand her over to your overlords literally 20 seconds ago. This show doesn't seem to understand that you don't make a villain complex by throwing in flashbacks and character inconsistencies. You cannot humanise or evoke sympathy for a character who has already been established as pure evil. It just doesn't work, and it certainly didn't here. And let's be real, what did the reveal of Ray being Mother's biological son actually add to the story? Literally nothing. It was already established that she's a mother figure, what difference does making her biological have? In fact, it probably makes it even harder to have sympathy for her seeing as she was very ready to turn her biological son into dinner. And it's not like Ray ever seemed to care about her either. Yeah ngl it was a tame ending

Edit: for seezar95 and anyone else who feels the need to insult my intelligence because they're clearly compensating for their lack of it, I'm sorry that my opinion on this extremely mid show has upset you so much. Crazy that you felt the need to write an entire review just to attack me. No matter how you wanna cut it, the writing in this show is shoddy at best and if you think it's good then cool, I don't care. But the fact that you get so annoyed at me not liking it speaks volumes. Having looked through your reviews, you gave the hangover part 3 a 9/10 so that tells me everything I need to know. It's not my fault that I've previously watched and enjoyed shows with ACTUAL good writing. I suggest you give it a try.

Mid 6.