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American Horror Story: The Auteur (2024)
Another let down of a season
Really not sure why I keep tuning in each year, but the promise of a new story always makes me think "Well maybe this one will be good"
Unfortunately, not the case for the 3rd year in a row (arguably since 2016).
I felt this season started off well, in both the acting, story, and the mysteriousness. However, each episode was (intentionally) confusing and there was never really much answered up until the last few episodes. This sort of style sorta makes the finale the be all and end all of the season as it needs to explain everything and wrap up the story in a good way that makes it worth not knowing what was going on for 8 episodes.
This episode doesn't do a very good job at that unfortunately, and instead adds more unexplained/weird things while answering a few plot points. Yet, the reveals aren't very satisfying, and still lead to more questions than answers. The very short runtime (31 mins!) doesn't help much as it all felt very rushed.
I also found the acting (besides Emma Roberts) just horrible this episode. Yet, I don't think that was the fault of the actors, as I'm pretty sure they were told to act that way for some reason. It was all over the top and sorta silly, which didn't match the tone at all with the rest of the season.
The one thing that really didn't make much sense to me was the last 5 minutes where the ghost(?) of the other sister showing up which lead to a chant from Emma Roberts, which somehow easily killed Sibohan (a very ancient and powerful being) and somehow maybe (don't know for sure) the other witches and made Emma Roberts character have a seemingly(?) happy ending...
I've read an explanation from someone who read the book and sure, that makes sense I guess with the added context, but in the context of what we've been shown on the screen, it doesn't make sense at all as none of it is explained. The open ending doesn't really work as it was not deserved as again, the whole season has been somewhat open ended on everything. Everyone I watched it with audibly said "What?" As the credits rolled.
The good here however, is some of the shock value (gore) and the CGI. Emma Roberts I thought was a good actress this episode as well and I thought the directing/cinematography was well done.
Overall, a very rushed season finale that doesn't really answer the questions we wanted and instead adds more mystery which annoys and makes you wonder why you wasted all those hours watching this season.
The Mandalorian: Chapter 21: The Pirate (2023)
Fun action sequences but...
This episode was definitely entertaining and had some of the best action yet this season with some very long overdue scenes, however, I just can't help but find this episode and the whole season just a little too silly...
Some of the dialogue, character decisions, plot points, and acting just seems off and not of high quality or at the quality it should and has been previously. Almost like this show (which is a family show I get it) is made specifically for children. It all seems so safe and at times sloppy.
I'm still enjoying this season so far but there's definitely something 'off' this season and it's very hard to explain but it definitely became apparent this episode and the last.
For example, the city has zero defences and a population of ~30 people? The group of people at the end don't try to run or hide as the ship is firing closer and closer to them. The mandalorians have been in 3ish planets so far but have never been seen flying or even having access to ships (besides Bo Katan and Din) and need to book a ride with Bo Katan to get here so how did they all get to that desert planet? Small things, but with many small things that just don't really make sense in multiple episodes this season, they start to become apparent and distracting...
However, I do appreciate the direction they're going with Bo Katan. Hopefully this season gets back on track and starts taking itself a little more seriously.
The Last of Us: Long, Long Time (2023)
A little slow....
Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I didn't really find myself enjoying this episode.
The acting, set design, and so on are all great once again but (especially comparing to last weeks episode) it just wasn't very exciting or captivating.
The story between Bill & Frank was nicely written, and amazingly acted by both Offerman and Bartlett, yet I felt like we spent way too much time with them. I feel like the entirety of their story could have been told in half the time and still would have had the same emotional impact. It also sorta makes you wonder why we spent all that time learning their story, just for both of them to be dead at the end. Essential for context and world building I suppose, but the overall story barely progresses.
Just an odd change of pace from what we've seen so far, almost felt like a different show. Maybe once the series is finished I'll appreciate it more, but for now it's my least favourite episode.
Hesitant to give it a bad rating, as in itself it was a nicely written story just yeah... a little on the slow side.
The Last of Us: Infected (2023)
Wow!
Just an awesome episode of television from the acting, the set design, the makeup, the action and even the humour!
I played the game many years ago and don't really remember much except the major plot points, but even then this show is so accurate to the game I can suddenly remember playing those exact scenes almost as if I'm 14 again.
This episode starts off with another bleak and hopeless prologue (which I hope it continues to do for each episode) that is honestly so terrifying in its execution as it feels way too real. I actually took a course that was about the biology of fungi in university which has given me some good context and probably makes me appreciate the mycologist scene even more. The fact that it is so accurate to how fungi behave definitely adds the the realness and scary factor. The addition of the zombies being connected to one another just like how real life fungi are connected via their mycelium and also how they alert the other zombies to food sources just like a normal fungal body would is so cool! Even Tess 'making out' with that one zombie was a neat addition to see as that's her and his hyphae trying to connect!
Acting here was amazing on all ends and clickers have never looked so cool. Ellie provided some much needed humour in an otherwise heart wrenchingly depressing episode. This episode and the last were so good that I can almost forgive HBO for cancelling Westworld.
Believe the hype! Excited for next week!
Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities: Lot 36 (2022)
Lacklustre
Sorta disappointed by this episode.
The atmosphere and setup was all there, but the ending just felt so rushed and empty that ultimately the whole episode falls flat.
I also didn't find the acting here very convincing, but perhaps it was just the writing/dialogue that made it come off that way. Some actions here don't really make any sense ("oh there's a dead body in a satanic circle in this creepy tunnel behind my storage locker but let me just walk over that right away and grab a book") and the main character is unlikeable to the point that it's hard to believe someone would act that way and feels very forced-but maybe that's part of the lesson this episode is trying to convey.
However, it's all fine as surely we're building to a shocking and satisfying conclusion where the bad guy gets what's coming.... Not really. This episode just ends so abruptly that both the person I was watching it with and myself audibly asked "is that it?". We get like maybe 2 minutes with the creature and then the guy gets eaten and that's it. Pulled the plug way too soon and you're left with the thought of what exactly was the point of this episode.
However, the set design is there, the cinematography and directing is all good as well. It definitely has that creepy feel and the storage locker setting works well for the scary factor. Even the monster/demon design is very well done and the CGI is very good. Unfortunately it's just not taken advantage of enough in this episode.
I'll try the other episodes as each one is different and the production design is there, so hopefully we can get some better written episodes that don't end just as soon as it starts getting good.
House of the Dragon: The Princess and the Queen (2022)
Saved by the ending
The time jump here was a bit jarring this episode, even though it was well known it was gonna happen. It took me quite a while to sorta figure out who was who, and what exactly happened in the 10 years and at parts I'll admit I was a bit confused. It really does feel like an entirely different show to what we've been watching at the beginning, but quickly refinds it's footing in the later half of the episode where the characters become more familiar and the plot begins to unfold.
It seems like we could have used some more scenes/time to better lay up certain characters relationships (Laena vand Daemon, Rhaenyra and Ser Harwim) as even though there were some hints to those relationships in previous episodes, they didn't really feel like anything significant. And both characters unfortunately met their demise this episode so there's no chance to further demonstrate how/why exactly we got there. Leanna's death is sad, but we've spent only a few minutes with the actress who plays her and likewise only a few minutes across the previous 5 episodes with the character so her death, and Ser Harwins are somewhat undermined in their impact by the lack of time we've spent with them.
Emma D'arcy and Olivia Cooke are welcome replacements for the older versions of their characters and definitely show their acting chops here, but you can't help but miss the younger actresses, specifically Milly Alcock, just because we've spent the last 5 episodes with them and up until now, we're the face of the entire show. However, due to the casting department being spot on likeness between the actresses and their talent, this is quickly forgotten as the episode goes on. I somewhat wonder if having the 10 year time jump occur within an episode instead of between episodes would have provided a smoother transition and made the different actresses more connected to the same character. That way we could "see" Milly Alcock turn into Emma D'arcy and so forth. But who knows.
This episode is definitely the weakest yet for me this season, just because of the awkwardness of the time jump and the undeveloped characters/relationships as a result, so I'd probably give it an 8.5/10. It would have been an 8 if it weren't for the later half of the episode which really brought the 'Game of Thrones' level chess playing to the fore front.
As always, dialogue and acting is all on point. Not a lot of action here, but what is there is done well. The dragon scenes were my favourite part, specifically the introduction of Vhagar, but I still can't seem to get over the apparent downgrade in the CGI of the dragons on this show compared to the dragons in GOT. Drogon looked practically real in the later seasons of GOT, but the dragons here you can tell are CGI (I know, I know, dragons don't exist but they just don't look as real as GOT and it somewhat distracts me). I assume this is more of a budget thing as it is season 1 after all, so I'm sure they'll improve as the show progresses. Either way, not really anything major to complain about, but it is noticeable.
Still very much excited for what's to come!
Raised by Wolves: Happiness (2022)
Crazy good
Others may not agree, but I appreciate how we don't necessarily know what's going. We get the information as the characters figure it out and it makes it very fun to look forward to and theorize. Crazy things happen that you could never guess which always keeps it interesting.
You can tell that everything has significance and they've been planning this out from the beginning. Lots of scenes from season 1 now make a lot more sense! I look forward to rewatching season 1 with the context of what we've learned this season. I like that we get some long awaited answers, but I'm also glad we get some even more crazy plot points to look forward to/unravel.
Some very awesome scenes this episode, and I think they saved the budget for this episode as the CGI (specifically in that one scene) was top notch after being a little inconsistent this season. Very good cinematography as well. Overall good season finale, and season as a whole.
I don't mind cliff hangers at the end of seasons, as the show isn't over, but that only pertains to if it gets renewed.
There's absolutely nothing else like it on TV and its world building is amazing. Probably my favourite sci fi show I've watched. I look forward to season three and hope that this show is given its planned 5 season arc as we need answers!
The Wheel of Time (2021)
Promising Fantasy series
I've never heard of The Wheel of Time before this show and just happens to come across its Twitter account one day a few years ago. From there I became intrigued and excited for the premiere.
6 episodes in and I am enjoying it quite a lot!
Most of the negative reviews seem to be coming from fans of the books, who are angry/confused at changes that show has made. I don't think that is necessarily fair, as the book and the show should exist as two separate entities. Though, I admit it is annoying when movies/tv adaptations change things for no reason.
Having never read the books, I feel like I can offer an unbiased opinion on how the show, and only the show, is.
I love fantasy shows and have been missing them on my TV. So I was very excited to get into this!
The cinematography, directing, acting (mostly), and locations have been top notch. Some have said there's bad special effects, but I don't know what they are talking about. I've found them to be quite good. Rosamund Pike does a tremendous job and showcases such a wide range of emotions just by using her face. I'm really appreciating her work here. The other actors are quite good as well, but unfortunately some of their characters just aren't that interesting yet, so it is hard to feel the same connection as you do to Moraine.
The lore and the story are all very interesting and it is very easy to delve deep into this mysterious and beautiful world they have created. There's lots to unfold and really emerge yourself in. It's also a very nice show just to look at! I'm not sure where they filmed it, but I want to go there.
The show does seem to have a little problem with pacing as some episodes have 30 things happening at once, while others seem to not really do much at all. Yet, it's still an easy watch. I haven't yet disliked an episode, but there are definitely weaker episodes.
I got into the show quite easily and I'm sure fans of fantasy genres will enjoy it as well. There's lots to love here, and not a lot to hate. Time will tell how well the show will carry on, but for now it's definitely a show I wait for every week and one that I hope I can watch for several seasons.
I'm also a big fan of opening credits, and I'm glad they spent the time and money to make one as awesome as they did.
Give it a try!
A Boy Called Christmas (2021)
Had potential
Now I wasn't expecting this movie to be Oscar worthy or anything so I'm not holding it to that standard at all, but this is nothing but a big budget film that tries to distract you from its poor story line with special effects and outlandish set pieces.
It starts off fine, but around the halfway mark it quickly turns into a big mess that doesn't make any sense at all.
I found the premise of the story interesting and unique. It's a take on the origin of Santa/Christmas that I never heard before so it was refreshing to see something new and a more down to earth or rather a somewhat more believable origin story than other Santa/Christmas origin stories we've seen on the past.
Yet, unfortunately a good premise doesn't necessarily make for a good movie.
I prefer to enjoy movies instead of disliking them, so I try to let little things slide now and then and judge it on if it was enjoyable. I know that most Christmas movies like these are more or less 'turn off your brain and enjoy' movies and there's nothing wrong with that. This movie is definitely a 'turn off your brain' movie, yet even with my brain turned off it still wasn't enjoyable. The acting is bad at times, the majority of the characters motives and actions don't necessarily make any sense at times, and then major parts of the story just don't make much sense at all if you give them any sort of thought.
All of these were just far too apparent to me that they couldn't be ignored and thus it wasn't enjoyable.
It definitely had potential to be so much more (again it had a great premise) but the story they decided to tell us was just sloppy and lazy. Which seems to be a theme for Netflix's movies. They invest in big names and big budgets but serve us a half cooked plot because they know we'll watch it anyway...In comparison to another Santa themed Netflix movie, The Christmas Chronicles was a far better offering than whatever this was.
Which sorta begs the question, who was this made for? Far too boring and mature for little kids, but at the same time far too childish and stupid for older kids/adults to enjoy.
Either way, this is definitely a movie you can scroll right on by to something better.
American Horror Story: The Future Perfect (2021)
Good episode, bad finale
I've been definitely giving the episodes of this season since episode 6 way higher ratings than they deserve, because I've been in denial.
I still think I'm in denial. Hard to believe that this show once was critically acclaimed....
This episode wasn't bad at all really I was actually enjoying it very much until it just ended and I realized that was it. I actually had the recording recording with an extended 30 mins on the end, so it really was a slap in the face when suddenly I was watching the credits roll.
However, here's where I get mad.
This episode proved that there was almost zero need for the present day scenes. The whole college kids plot line (if you could call it that) could have easily been fit into one episode and the whole season would have been better off for it. No awkward time jumps, no (or less) bad acting and cringey dialogue. Like, they all suddenly just died this episode very quickly. Why'd they kill the one girl (Jamie?) right away but let that other guy walk away after giving birth? Yet, I'm still glad they all died that's for sure!
Then for some reason, lizard people are just introduced.... Hm? What was the reason for that? I honestly think it was just for a jab at politicians, but it really served no purpose and wasn't even explained that well.
I enjoyed the idea of the aliens corrupting various presidents and feel like we could have just followed those scenarios through the years instead of ending with Nixon and introducing the college people....
Was Theta ever explained? She's obviously a human-hybrid but why is she alive and not culled like the others? I don't think we truly ever got a chance to understand her character at all.
Then there was that ending... I'm not against an open ended ending, but come on. Like yes, I get that I'm supposed to infer that they breed all those babies and take over the world, but like... they could have given us a little more. Or really anything. Off the top of my head they could have flashed forward a few years, showed the aliens causing a nuclear war that kills everyone on earth and then show Theta and Calico in an underground bunker talking about the 'future' and then it pans out showing thousands and thousands of kid aliens or something. Just anything to provide some closure please!
Anyways,
This season as a whole I think was one of the most disappointing. Most definitely because Red tide started off so damn good just to fall apart in the finale. Then we're treated with 'Death Valley' where we have amazing black and white scenes followed by some of the worst acting and dialogue to ever appear on American horror story.
Looking back, if Red tide would have been given an extra 30 mins or even a whole episode I think it would have helped immensely.
Death Valley also definitely needed at least one more episode (or 4 less). It was far too convoluted, and was full of so many ideas that it all just turned into one big mess. Mix that with some terrible actors and you get bad television!
I really do hope that new writers are brought on for the next seasons as it is getting really hard to enjoy this show year after year. I won't be surprised if this is the year that the overall show rating finally falls below an 8/10. I remember a time when it was an 8.4/10.
I do hope that Sarah Paulson and Lily Rabe get some form of award recognition as they were fantastic this season. Though, it seems like they're performances will most likely get overshadowed by just how messy this instalment was.
There's again, probably 100 more things to complain and talk about, but I'll wrap this review up.
This season had the highest potential in years, so it is really a shame how it ended (both times).
Here's to hoping next season goes back to the shows roots and stays there (putting on my clown suit as I type this)
American Horror Story: Blue Moon (2021)
So hard trying to rate these episodes
I find it really hard to give an accurate score to these latest episodes as it's like there is two episodes in one, but one is by far better than the other.
The Black any white scenes have been totally triumphing over the present day scenes since the premiere and once again are far superior this round. The story is far more interesting and consistent, it's far more eerie and the acting is always on point.
Once again, my favourite part of this episode. I definitely liked all the historical tie ins they made.
Then, we flash forward. Now, the present day scenes are not as bad as what we saw in the first episode, but it is still like a slap in the face coming from the black and white scenes to that. Last weeks present day scenes are well done and quite interesting, but I feel like this episode sorta back tracked on that by being a little too goofy....
Everyone just seems far to 'huh whatever' to their whole situation. Did we even get a scene at all of them freaking out? They all just look so bored.
The whole tease last week was how the baby was gonna get out of him and they literally just preformed a c-section and that was it. Honestly, as soon as I realized that his character was not going to die I was immediately disappointed. The whole scene/idea surrounding the birth was pretty cool and interesting, but the character is so bland and unlikeable that he sorta ruined it by just being alive....
Calicos flashback scene was also a little silly. The astronauts are just chilling in a bar when they're supposed to be in space? I don't think so....
And then by far the worst part (and why I'm bitter) of the episode is: "I don't want my random ALIEN baby to die, we always wanted a family" "Here, I'll take you away from everyone else in AREA 51 and literally cut your stomach open with no prior medical knowledge so that our ALIEN baby will live, because they killed mine :'(" "Hahah that sounds great, can't wait to get cut open and see our ALIEN baby"
The whole premise was just so stupid. Like I get what they were trying to do, but why execute it like that? Why not have the boyfriend be in the operating room and knock out Theta or something before she slits the babies throat... I was almost gonna give this episode a 9 or a 10 (entirely because of the Black and white) but this stupid scenario makes me feel like an 8 is even too much.
I think I was supposed to feel some sort of emotion (maybe sadness?) towards these characters during this scene but all I felt was disappointment in the writing. These characters are all just so insufferable I don't understand it. (Not talking about Calico and Theta of course, they're carrying the present day on their backs)
Thank god for the alien octopus baby saving the day and hopefully killing one or both of them! Such a cool scene, but totally ruined by the whole premise...
And then we have one episode to go. Hopefully it wraps up somehow but, honestly this has been such a stressful part 2 of this season. I don't know if I can handle another amazing ~30 minutes of black and white scenes being completely ruined by a few present day scenes....
8/10 only because I quite enjoyed the majority of this episode (black and white), and the ideas they had at the end were cool/interesting, but unfortunately poorly executed.
American Horror Story: Inside (2021)
Big improvement
I enjoyed this episode!
We got more of the black and white and less of the present day, which I'm sure helped with the overall quality. That saying, even the present day scenes were a lot better and interesting. Wasn't bored and cringing the whole time like last episode.
Loving Angelica Ross' character and Leslies as well.
It's going in a cool direction that I'm excited to see, but having only 2 more episodes has me a bit worried of how this is gonna end... especially with how Red Tide ended with 6 episodes.
However, I'm a bit disappointed that Lily Rabes Amelia Aerhart is already gone as well as Rebecca Dayans character. Wish we would have had a bit more time with both those characters.
Anyways, this was refreshing to say the least from last weeks misstep (talking about the present day scenes of course, the B&W scenes in that episode were amazing). There are still some minor issues, but I'm happy to overlook them this time.
American Horror Story: Take Me to Your Leader (2021)
Cautiously optimistic
The scenes set in the 50s were amazing and creepy. Definitely the best part of the episode. Got me really excited for this half... then we had a time jump.
The present day scenes are okay, but there was so much unnecessary dialogue. Some very vulgar dialogue (really cringey) to, which is a big jump in tone from the first part of this season 'Red Tide' and the first half of this episode.
Makes me worried about how the rest of this season is gonna go.
Interesting premise however, and only one episode in so I'm cautiously optimistic. Some really cool scenes, and I really like how it was filmed in black and white there for a bit.
Kaia Gerber has definitely improved from AHS stories, but part of me feels like one of the AHS veterans (Emma, Taissa, Billie, etc) could have been a better choice acting wise. Though, she's doing a good job.
Sarah Paulson, Lily Rabe and Rebecca Dayan really do steal the show this episode despite minimal screen time, so I'm excited to see their characters get more fleshed out.
Overall it was a good episode and very entertaining. Just got me a bit worried with how they're treating the 'present day'. I already feel like this half would be much better if they stuck in the 1950s, but I'll hold my judgement until the end.
I probably would have given this a 9/10, but I really did have to deduct a whole star for the dialogue near the end when the two guys are in bed wondering why they are sick. Wtf was that? Also not a fan of how they introduced the characters with the freeze frames... They've never done something like that before so not sure why they did it now. Sorta took away from the 'realness' of the episode, was totally out of place.
Excited to see what comes next, but also a bit scared (but not in an 'ahhhh' way, more in a 'please don't ruin yet another season with 'campy' dialogue)
American Horror Story: Winter Kills (2021)
Okay
Not exactly sure how I feel about this episode. Everything was going great until the time jump to Hollywood where things got a little messy.
I'm not sure why they decided to make this episode one of the shortest of the series at 37 minutes, as it suffers from a rather rushed storyline.
I feel like we needed to stay more in P-town to wrap up some loose ends and get some minor explanations. Would have much preferred it if the Hollywood storyline was cut to just a 'mention' at the end for the episode instead of eating up ~15 minutes of screen time. Maybe they ominously drive away to Hollywood as P-town gets thrown into utter chaos or something.
Billie Lourds character who's been MIA for the majority of this season doesn't even get a mention. Mickey and TB Karen also don't get mentioned (though I don't think they really needed to be, as they were always viewed as disposable to the other characters). And really we don't exactly know what happens to Alma.
Just a little jarring compared to last weeks episode to say the least. I guess I was expecting more, and that seems to be the general consensus.
Great acting however, and visuals. Just such a weird last 15 minutes that I just don't understand why they chose to go in that direction. I get the message they tried to convey, but it felt out of place based on what this season has given us.
Unfortunately the weakest episode of the season for me. Part 1 was almost near perfect, so it's a bit of a shame. However, this episode was still enjoyable and had some redeeming qualities.
7/10 for me. Rounding up one to counter act all the
'1's' as this definitely wasn't that bad, I honestly don't think any show or movie deserves a 1/10.
Part 2 looks very interesting so I'm excited for next week! Perhaps it will even tie into this episode, so maybe it will make more sense in the grand scheme of thing, but we'll see.
A little disappointed, but I'm sure I'll get over it.
American Horror Story: Gaslight (2021)
Wow.
This episode, for me, really stands out. Definitely the best of the season and probably one of best of the series.
The tone, acting, music, cinematography, and directing were just outstanding.
John Gray has always been one of my favourite AHS directors and he did an outstanding job. Still cant get over how beautifully it was shot and the transitions from scene to scene. Even the music just mad this whole episode just so much better. Honestly I cant get over it.
Overall, a very sad and morbid episode, but full of emotion. Despite only knowing the characters for a few episodes, you really do feel a connection to them. Especially TB Karen and Doris. Lily Rabe really shines once again with a tragic take on Doris, but honestly every actor was on their A game this episode. Sarah Paulson probably had less than 30 minutes of screen time this whole season, but man did she ever make me feel bad for TB Karen!
This whole episode was a total 180 from last weeks episode, but definitely in the right direction! Totally stressful and thrilling, heart was pounding several times. I actually jumped at one point, something that's only ever happened once before with AHS!
Some may say that it was predictable with what happened to Doris, but I honestly don't see why that would be classified as a bad thing. They foreshadowed it from the beginning and to me, that's just good story telling as it makes sense. If you're wanting a 'twist' or the 'unpredictable' you might end up with something along the lines of S8 of Game of thrones-- where the twist makes no sense whatsoever and betrays what the story has been leading towards.
It's gonna be exciting to see how this part of the season wraps up next week. The shorter episode count so far is working in AHS's favour as this story has been so consistent it's almost shocking.
Anyways, this episode definitely reminded me of why I first feel in love with AHS. I so prefer this type of tone over the campier seasons we've had in recent years.
I do hope this season gets some award recognition in some form as we need to see more seasons like this in future.
This episode was such a masterpiece, honestly hard to put into words.
I just hope they can stick the landing!
American Horror Story: Blood Buffet (2021)
Entertaining, yet just more of what we know
American Horror Story really does know how to do flashbacks, it has always been one of the series strong suits.
However, this episode was missing something for me. We don't necessarily learn anything new of substance (a few minor explanations ie: coat choices, side effects of the pill), and the plot doesn't move forward as this episode is set entirely 3-5 years prior to the previous ones. The episode rather dives into more of what we already know.
Regardless, it is still an entertaining episode and it was fun to see how certain characters got to where they are now.
Frances Conroy really steals this episode, with the best scenes being the ones she is in. Even though Kathy Bates was originally set for her role, I'm glad Frances was able to take over as she does it wonderfully.
I feel like Evan Peters character (Austin Sommers) could have had more of a backstory, but perhaps it wasn't necessary as it would have probably gotten repetitive (another starving artist).
I'm hoping Billie Lourd's Lark has some more significance in the last two episodes as for now her talent does seem a bit wasted in this role.
I do agree that some of the acting was a bit off this episode, though not from anyone in the main cast. The singer who turns into the pale person, I'm pretty sure was hired for his ability to contort his body and behave like a 'pale person' as I think he's the guy in the audition tape that Ryan Murphy shared on social media a while back. Thus, his line delivery is a bit 'meh' at points, but overall was still believable.
I think the low 8s is a fair rating for this episode. Just wish it would have taught or shown us something new and exciting instead of showing us the pieces that most of us had already put together in by now.
American Horror Story: Thirst (2021)
Hide yo wife, hide yo kids
Another great and entertaining episode, but perhaps not as good as the first two.
It's nice we get to focus more on characters who were more or less in the background on the first two episodes. Leslie Grossman plays her character extremely well and is quite funny, but I do just wish we would see her in a different type of role. She seems to have been typecast as the stick up b-word character. Yet, much like Emma Roberts, she absolutely nails it every time.
Much like the first two, the directing and acting are superb which is quite refreshing to see. This episode has quite a bit more humour than what we've seen so far, but for me, it wasn't too much or too exaggerated where it took away from the overall theme/tone.
One could view this episode as a set up for the next couple, but it was thoroughly entertaining and the 50 minutes flew by. It does have one giant WTF scene near the beginning in typical AHS fashion which was a little out there, but it definitely was unexpected that's for sure. A few odd decisions were made as well, but I guess we could chalk that up to the pill effecting their thought process, as we have already seen it changes their personality.
Looks like this is gearing up to be an absolute blood bath (not that it hasn't been forever) and can't wait for more. An AHS season hasn't had this much promise in such a long time, so I hope they continue being consistent.
8.5/10 (rounded up).
American Horror Stories: Rubber (Wo)man: Part Two (2021)
Shame
Living outside the US, this series didn't become available to me until a few days ago. Through waiting for it to become available, I kept seeing all the negative reviews and the IMDB score dwindle down day by day.
"Surely it must not be that bad!" I'd say to myself.
Boy was I wrong.
As others have mentioned, this episode (and the previous one, but to a lesser extent) is ridiculed with bad acting, bad writing, and bad plot. Almost as if this should be streaming on the W network. I cringed several times.
Sierra McCormick is alright and so is Paris Jackson, but the other 'actors' either don't know how to act or are just bored to be there. Yet, I can't blame them entirely, as this episode has such a weak script. I don't think even Meryl Streep would be able to be convincing with some of the dialogue in this episode. The murder house being used as a setting doesn't really serve any purpose at all, except for creating plot holes when compared to AHS canon, and making everyone disappointed that none of the original characters show up. Which I don't necessarily find bad, as it would just be too many characters and plots for 2 episodes to handle at once, but then again begs the question; Why even be at the murder house in the first place? They easily could have made a completely new haunted house and applied the same 'rules' that apply to the Murder house as they've done for other seasons of AHS (hotel Cortez, etc). It also doesn't add anything at all to the 'murder house' lore/plot/what have you. I really just don't get it.
This episode really lost me when~~~on Halloween~~~the 2 dads realize they're dead because they can't leave the house--on Halloween. Then a few minutes later, Ruby literally says (which every AHS fan already knows) that Halloween is the one day the dead can leave the house. Which they do.
Overall, these were some very cheap episodes. It actually put me in a bad mood after because I couldn't believe that the reviews were right. This is coming from someone who thought S8 of Game of Thrones wasn't that bad! I could easily write a multi-page essay on everything that was wrong with it, but I'll let it go. Here's hoping the other episodes are better.
One more thing:
"Grrr we're mad you killed us so we're gonna spend the last 20 minutes of the episode trying to kill you"
"Wait, can you guys not kill me so I can say by to my dads and leave? I'm sorry"
"Hmm okay, guess I was a bit mean and now I get to be pretty for ever"
......
Penny Dreadful: City of Angels: Josefina and the Holy Spirit (2020)
Finally picks up the pace
After a couple of slow (But still entertaining) episodes, this episode finally has some exciting stuff happen that also move the plot forward!
This series seems to be building for a big final showdown and finally we get to see some of those conflicts directly interfere with each other which I can only assume is a mere glance at what is about to go down.
Added some more much needed horror elements this episode as well as a ton of gore.
Yet, even more new plot lines/characters are introduced which adds to the already overpacked plot, but I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing (yet at least)
The series is finally gaining some momentum so hopefully it can continue doing so for the remainder of the series. Excited to see what the next episode has in store
However, still feeling like Santa Muerte is being underused. Hopefully that changes.
Penny Dreadful: City of Angels: Dead People Lie Down (2020)
A little slow...but still good
This episode definitely feels a little slow compared to the premiere as not much really happens except in the last 10 or so minutes.
This episode does feel like more of a setup for the next episode as a few plot lines are introduced but not much happens to move them, or the previous plots forward. I can see myself in the future when I rewatch the series as having to "get through" this episode, instead of looking forward to it.
That being said I still enjoyed this episode and am excited to see the story unravel. This show seems to be getting darker which I enjoy and I must say the last scene was probably the best of the episode. The tension is definitely building for something big to happen....we just have to wait a bit longer to see what exactly what that will be.
The actors are still doing a tremendous job and the German accents are pretty impressive.
My main complaint is where is the main title sequence?
Penny Dreadful: City of Angels (2020)
Over all it was OK
After seeing the whole season, I can't help but feel slightly disappointed in how underwhelming this series turned out to be.
Being tied to the Penny Dreadful of the past, hopes were high as was expectations. Unfortunately, this show bearing the name "Penny Dreadful" has seemed to work against its favour. Even though this show is a new incarnation set in the universe of Penny Dreadful (2014) and is in itself it's entirely own separate show, one would still think it would contain the same elements that made Penny Dreadful the amazing show that it was.
The acting was always on point, the characters were interesting, it was shot beautifully, and it had many plots that had the potential to be great. Yet, in the end, this series seemed like it was just a giant set up for season 2, which I'm not sure we'll even get based on the ratings.
I felt as if though it just kept building and building to something to happen but nothing ever really did. My family members soon lost interest and quit early on because it was 'Boring'. Which in a sense I agree with. There were maybe a few episodes (<50%) where 'exciting' things happened that made you glue your eyes to the TV screen.
At its best however, City of Angels was pretty good. There were a couple episodes that I thought were amazing, but overall it seems like a missed opportunity.
This show hasn't yet figured out what the actual plot is or the point of its existence... with some many plots there's no central focus. I'm not sure exactly what I'm watching or what it's about. It seems more like a love story than anything else. It's also funny (for a lack of a better word) that this show is set in the 1930s yet mirrors exactly what's happening in the world right now. Yet, before people were calling to "too political".
I still found it watchable, but just can't help but think I wanted it to be so much more. I'm hoping there's a season 2 as I like the characters and would like to know what happens next as again it seems to be building to something good. Though, I said that this whole season.
Also, if there is a season 2, let's have the supernatural more prominent please! That's what made Penny Dreadful so interesting in the first place. Even though Natalie Dormer (who was amazing) was in practically every scene as the demon Magda, it's not the same as seeing say Vampires, or the Witches as she's just playing a human character. And Santa Meurte maybe had 5 minutes of screen time the whole series?
Here's to hoping a renewal from Showtime will allow this show to fully blossom and be a worthy successor to the always phenomenal Penny Dreadful.
American Horror Story: Final Girl (2019)
A few issues
Wasn't a bad finale though I wouldn't say it was very good either.
Can't help but feel this episode is what you call an 'anticlimax'. For a couple episodes now they've been building up all kinds of revenge and a huge amount of murders happening at this festival, but instead we get all of that in some goofy flashbacks.... The festival doesn't even happen and the only people to die this episode are Margaret (which was awesome and gruesome), the comic relief character of Leslie Jordan, Trevor, and I guess Richard Ramirez... Even the revenge plot of Brooke / Donna was shown for maybe a whole 10 seconds? They spent 2 episodes plotting their revenge and the best they do is hide behind some doors and......I don't know... it just felt odd.
In some instances the flash forward worked to tell the history of what happens, but again I would have much liked to not have seen the whole plot of what everything we have been building towards this seasons told in a few scattered flashback scenes.....
Also, if we're to believe that this season is canon to the 'rules' established over the years of AHS, then why couldn't any of the ghosts leave the property. This episode takes place on Halloween, and We have learned in several seasons that the dead can walk free on Halloween. Maybe they just never tried to leave as they didn't know? But it just seems odd that we'd have ghosts trapped to the location and have the specific date that we've established releases then from the land, yet the rule never seems to get applied. And also the hiker Jonas didn't die on the property, but was a ghost, but then was brought to the property and is now trapped there? Um?
Richard Ramirez I'm sure everyone knows was a real person who died in jail in 2013 and also appeared in season 5 'hotel' as a Dinner guest (Who is able to walk freely on Halloween :\). Since it's been established that this season is connected to every other season, that also doesn't make sense canonically. Since 'young' rameirz has been trapped in Camp Redwood since 1989 and actually doesn't die. Which also doesn't make much sense as what is his purpose exactly? Why is Satan bringing him back all these times? Yet, let's the Antichrist get run over by a car..... Idk. If they weren't so eager to make the seasons connected then easily these problems could subside, but the creators decided to do that, and now it doesn't make any sense.
Yet, again this episode wasn't bad. Wasn't what I was expecting, that's for sure. Nice to see Finn Wittrock back. And in some way I guess you could say it got wrapped up nicely.... at least for the Jingles Family, Brooke, and Donna. The rest are trapped for eternity with story arcs that I guess didn't really matter as they mostly all became background characters these last episodes and never got any sort of redemption/meaning besides maybe Montana
Dylan McDermott's character also proved further how unnecessary that character was.... Should have just finished that Arc after Brooke cut off his thumbs.
I realize a lot of this is negative, but I guess I'm just mad at the Halloween and Richard thing...
Overall this season was good. I enjoyed every episode. It was a fun ride, that mostly paid off. I'm sure I'll grow to like it more on rewatch..... Or less. I find the best way to judge a season of TV is based on your ability to rewatch it and enjoy it a second time around... so we'll see. This definitely is not in my top 3 seasons, or even top 5, but doesn't mean it was bad. Just not as good as what we've already been served.
American Horror Story: The Lady in White (2019)
Best yet
By far the best episode of the season for me. Don't want to say it's because of Lily Rabe, but if the shoe fits.....
This episode just seemed better directed, written, and acted than it's predecessors. Dialogue between the characters was meaningful and actually had strong emotions attached to it. This episode was more 'serious' in tone as well which was a big plus for me as I want to be able to believe what's happening on screen no matter how bizarre it is.
Lily Rabe really showed off her talent this episode and the emotion/realness behind it is something I think this season has been lacking. Not to put any of the other actors down as they've all been fine, but I honestly can't imagine any of them being able to pull off a performance like Lily Rabe did this episode. Rumour has it that this was the role Sarah Paulson was supposed to play and she would have been perfect as well, but I'm glad we get to see Lily Rabe whose been more on the back burner for the last couple seasons.
I really enjoyed the scenes between John CL and Lily Rabe and Angelica Ross & Emma Roberts.
Was also nice to see Dylan McDermott return, though was it really necessary? I don't think so, but I'm glad it was there as those scenes were very well done too.
It's odd to think there's only two episodes left, so it'll be interesting to see what new twists they manage to pack in as clearly, if this episode is any indication, they're not stopping any time soon.
Overall, I enjoyed every second so a 10/10 for me.
American Horror Story: Episode 100 (2019)
100 down, 3 more to go
Another fun episode with lots of twists and turns and the unexpected.
However, did feel kinda of a let down in terms of the 100th episode as I think everyone was expecting something major or connections to other seasons or whatever. Yet, it stuck to itself (probably for the better) and quickly moved along the plot to the next arc. Though, we can't really blame them for not having anything 'special' happen for the 100th as there is no real reason/need to.
The tie in to Asylum was a great Easter egg.
The time jumps seemed a bit jarring at times... would have liked to see at least a few moments between this episode and immediately after the last scene(s) in the last episode. Something to show what went down and how we got to 1985/1989. Yet, it still managed to fill in the missing Pieces well enough, just would have liked to see some of the aftermath.
I thought the acting this episode was really good as well.
The end scenes were well done to build suspense and I was honestly surprised by what happened, or at least who was involved.
Till next week where it seems like it going to be packed full of carnage and mayhem.
American Horror Story: Red Dawn (2019)
Hmm....
Not exactly sure on how I feel about this episode.
Loved how pretty much every character was trying to kill each other at the same time. Especially the fight scenes between Emma Roberts and Billie Lourd. And pretty funny how the kids on the bus pull up just in time to see Brooke killing Montana. Also loved Montana's "Only Zuul" line. Thought that was hilarious.
Yet, it felt a bit too 'silly' in parts for me. The ghosts didn't really act at all surprised that they were in fact ghosts.... But perhaps it all happened off screen? Ray I guess knew he was dead the whole time... or I'm not really sure. Would have liked to have at least one character act like how Violet Harmon acted when she found out she was actually dead/ a ghost.
Speaking of Murder house, this is definitely turning into what seems to be Murder house 4.0. I was all for the ghost hiker and Satan bringing back Richard Ramirez as AHS does the super natural very good. But for whatever reason this episode made me feel tired of it all. We have had ghosts in S1, S3, S4, S5, S6, S8 and now Season 9.... S1, S5, S6 all had the ghost story as the main theme and we've already learned the tricks that ghosts are bound to the land they died on and etc etc.
Having pretty much all the characters die and turn into ghosts don't get me wrong is interesting and I'm all for it, but it's just that we've seen it before so many times. Even Montana in this episode and the others in the preview for the next episode are shown indulging in killing random people just because they can... We've seen this in S1 and in S5.... This doesn't really bother me but I just can't help but wish that we were given something new........but Only half way through so I'm sure something will change.
A few lines here were a bit cringey.... Margaret yelling "To Kill you" was just odd... some other ones to that I can't remember.
After spending 4 1/2 episodes in the dark, the sun rose up very fast near the end of the episode. Seemed odd that the whole police force would be there collecting bodies and such yet Margret and Ray are still stumbling around and Richard and Jingles can sit and wait unseen the whole time before stealing a cops car.... It just felt like a quick transition.
This episode was definitely Billie Lourds episode and she nailed every part of it.
It's going to be very interesting to see what happens next as honestly I have not a clue where this is going. Which I suppose is a good thing. Excited for episode 100, should be a wild ride.
Overall it was enjoyable, just I didn't find it as good as previous episodes.