The first season of Poker Face has finally wrapped up, and it was fine. If you are looking for a quirky and silly mystery of the week series to get into, this one should at least be on your list.
Charlie is a human lie detector who finds herself running from the mob. As she makes her way across the American landscape, she keeps finding herself in the middle of all these murders. Charlie is too kind to let things go unsolved, so for the first time in her life, she uses her gifts for good. Watch Charlie as she fumbles through a mystery to bring justice to crimes that would otherwise go unnoticed. But for every new friend she makes, she also leaves behind new enemies. Will Charlie ever find peace, or is she destined to be a runaway?
Natasha Lyonne’s role as Charlie is a gift, and you need to watch this series to enjoy her performance. Lyonne has the presence and charisma to make this series work. If you aren’t in love with Charlie by the end of the first episode, you weren’t paying attention. I love that Charlie isn’t the usual detective archetype that you get in shows like Law and Order. Charlie is a flawed character who will fumble through the investigation. Charlie is clever enough to make the connections, but her carefree demeanor makes her come to it at her own pace. A lot of the fun for this series comes from watching Charlie slowly put the pieces together.
The only issue I have with this series is that not every episode is good. I will be skipping a few episodes the next time I watch this season, but I see the value of watching the whole series at least once. Each episode will have important character moments for Charlie that come back in subtle ways in the future. These details aren’t so important that it affects the story significantly, but I appreciate the attention to detail. That said, the worst episode is still good enough, and the series is collectively solid.
If you haven’t seen this series and have a Peacock subscription because it is worth the trouble. At the very least, you will fall in love with a fictional character.
Series Review: The Last of Us (2023)
I didn’t want to get my hopes up for The Last of Us because historically, video game adaptations haven’t been good. I was pleasantly surprised by how well the series adapted the story, and I was deservingly hooked after the first couple of episodes. While not every episode is a masterpiece in storytelling, the series is solid and worth looking into if you haven’t done so already.
Civilization spins into chaos when a fungus starts turning people into zombies. Now the remaining survivors hold up in the ruins of the old world. Most survivors have gotten used to the hopeless routine of survival, but there are still those few who continue fighting for something better. In this hopeless world, a glimmer still exists. Ellie is the only known survivor immune to the infection, and it is up to Joel to get her to anyone who can use her to find a cure. The pair will travel over hostile lands in search of a better future, but is Ellie the cure humanity is waiting for?
This series is incredible. The acting is fantastic, the story is amazing, and the action is keeping you on the edge of your seat. The chemistry between the two leads is powerful, and what drives the story. Watching the relationship between Ellie and Joel evolve through the series will make you obsessed with this series.
I’ve seen people complain about the lack of zombies this season, but the zombies wouldn’t have added much to the narrative. This first season acts as a way to build the world and characters, and it does that spectacularly. If the lack of zombies bothers you, it has been confirmed that the next season will feature more.
The only issue I have with this series is that some of the episodes felt slow and drawn out. It wasn’t bad enough to quit the series, but inconsistency dulled some of my excitement. I was also a bit disappointed by the finale, but that is mostly due to having to wait for season two. The finale has some great character moments and does enough to set up season two, but I wanted more. I could play the games for instant gratification, but I need to find time to play them.
If you have HBO+ or can still get the free trial, you need to watch this series because it is one of the better shows on the platform. Go stream it now!
Series Review: Scissor Seven
I know I am a bit late in reviewing Scissor Seven, but I loved it so much that I needed to write something. If you haven’t seen this series yet, now is a great time because season four is on the horizon. If you are even remotely a fan of anime, this is a great series to get into.
Seven is a strange kid with no memory of his past who lives on Chicken island. With the help of a pair of scissors that he can control with his qi, Seven tries to make a living as a hired assassin. The problem with this plan is that Seven is too kind and ends up befriending the people he is supposed to kill. But Seven’s mysterious past comes to disrupt the peace he’s achieved during his time there. Can Seven unlock his full potential as an assassin in time to save his friends?
Scissor Seven is originally in Mandarin. While I always recommend consuming media in its original language, the English dub is fantastic. The animation is what sold this series to me. I love the blending of different art styles and animation. Sillyness aside, the narrative of this series is very well done. I was caught off guard by how cohesive and intricate the narrative can be. Sure it hits many of the traditional anime tropes, but it does it in such a way that it doesn’t matter. Watching Seven slowly regain his memories, make friends, and a life for himself is a delight to watch.
If you are a fan of anime or Asian dramas, you will love how it parodies the genres while maintaining its narrative. This series is full of bad puns, dad jokes, and physical humor, but it gets away with it. Once you get past the obvious parodies, the action is amazing. The epic choreography of the fights will keep you on the edge of your seat, even when it gets ridiculous. Package off this with one of the most amazing soundtracks I’ve ever sat through, and you have a series that should at least be on your watchlist.
Do yourself a favor and watch one of the most ridiculous and epic anime series on the Netflix catalog.
Hello Tomorrow! (2023)
The first four episodes of Hello Tomorrow! are available for streaming on Apple TV. So far, I am enjoying the series. I love the 50s retro aesthetic, and Billy Crudup’s performance is fantastic. I did find the story lacking in places, but it is good enough for what it is.
Jack Billings and the small team he leads sell timeshares on the moon. Jack is a successful businessman who can close his sales. But fate has other plans for Jack. A terrible accident puts his ex-wife in a coma and his estranged son back in his life. In a strange change of character, Jack chooses to take the opportunity to right some of the wrongs in his life. Will this sudden change in character destroy the enterprise Jack has worked so hard to build, or will it be the positive change he didn’t know he needed?
If you watch this series, it’s for the aesthetic and the performances. While the story isn’t bad, it is easy and predictable. There are a few weak and forgettable story threads, but the series isn’t bad. It seems that they traded story for style, but it’s not necessarily a bad trade. The retrofuturism in this series is so pretty. They get very creative with the technology without ever losing their 50s aesthetic.
The series will have ten episodes total, with the last episode airing on April 7. 2023. You can wait for April to binge it in one go or watch the new episodes on Friday. They’ve done a good enough job with the pacing that I don’t have a problem returning every Friday. While it is not a show I will be rushing to finish, I am curious enough to see how it ends.
If you have an Apple TV subscription and want something to watch, check out Hello Tomorrow! So far, it’s been a solid series.
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Series Review: Red Rose (2022)
I wanted to like Red Rose. It had a strong start with its terrific soundtrack, decent actors, and interesting concept. Unfortunately, the novelty wears off, and the series overstays its welcome. If you were interested in watching this series, I would hold off. It’s not as good and deep as it pretends to be.
After finishing High School, Roche, and her friends are excited for what should be the best summer of their lives. It was supposed to be a summer of partying, sex, and fun before they all split up for university. But fate has other plans for these teens. Roch’s life gets turned upside down when she downloads the mysterious app, Red Rose. At first, it seems like a benevolent force that promises Roch a better life. But the app has ulterior motives, and Roch finds that her life is out of her hands. Red Rose isolates her from her friends, stalks her, and terrorizes her relentlessly. There is no escape from Red Rose, and the virus is spreading. Will the teens be able to put an end to this sinister app?
The acting is fine for the most part, but I felt like some of the leads didn’t have the charisma to make the series work. The story was fine, but it gets more and more convoluted the deeper you get into the series. This series wastes too much time on filler, pointless plot hooks, and painfully obvious red herrings instead of getting to the point. This series wastes so much time on filler that I honestly forgot what it was supposed to be about. This could have been a better series if they didn’t drag it out so long.
The first few episodes had so much promise. The soundtrack was fantastic, the lead was great, and the story was solid. They still had issues with the pacing, but I was willing to forgive it because the rest was good enough. It was a decent thriller until the tonal shifts. Unfortunately, this series turns into a generic action thriller with no real direction.
I can’t recommend this series because it just becomes a generic jumbled mess of a series. It becomes so bland that I struggle to find more to say about this series. I would say hold off, but if you can’t, you can stream it on Netflix.
Image By Eleven Film & British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) – Screenshot of a frame in an episode, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=72846422
Series Review: Wolf Pack (2023)
I haven’t been too impressed with Paramount’s original content, and Wolf Pack did little to change that. This series is a poorly-written supernatural drama about werewolves that won’t leave much of an impression. While it may have moments that keep it from being terrible, it isn’t good enough to recommend.
Wildfires threaten the lives of a generic small town. As the smoke and flames creep ever closer, something sinister lurks in its shadows. Werewolves exist in our world, and while some may be harmless, some use the fires to come for blood. The series focuses on a pair of unremarkable teens who get turned into werewolves. As they struggle to control their powers, they seek answers. But where will they start?
This series isn’t great. The writing is terrible. The actors may be doing their best, but their best is mediocre. The only good thing about this series is its suspense. I loved the scenes where the teens are facing the unknown. There is a real sense of uncertainty about the fate of these teens as they attempt to hide from an unknown hunter. I know they will survive, but it was easy to get lost in the moment as the poorly rendered whatever stalked them from a distance. As bad as the acting got, I am impressed with how well the kids acted in these scenes. It wasn’t enough to earn a recommendation, but I would be curious to see how they do in better horror.
I don’t have much to say about this series because it didn’t leave an impression on me. It wasn’t bad enough to hate, but it isn’t good enough to recommend. Wolf Pack exists as a lazy attempt to rebuild the werewolf mythos. The characters are generic and flat, the story isn’t good, and everything looks ugly. I would be fine if this were some campy fun series about werewolves, but it isn’t. I got so bored that I had to fight the urge to fast forward. New episodes of this series come out weekly, but the first three episodes did little to make me want to finish. I might do so if curiosity strikes, but I doubt it will get any better.
You can stream Wolf Pack on Paramont+, but I wouldn’t bother. There are better shows about werewolves you could be watching instead. Oh and if you are thinking of watching this series for Sarah Michelle Gellar, she’s barely in it.
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Series Review: Poker Face (2023)
Poker Face is Peacock’s new quirky crime detective drama that you should be watching if you are a fan of the genre. This creative and fun take on the genre is sure to put a smile on your face. If you have Peacock, Poker Face should be on your watch list.
Charlie starts as a waitress at a Las Vegas Casino with no prospects, but she is content with where her life is. Charlie has the superhuman ability to sense when people are lying to her. Unfortunately, her gift gets her in a lot of trouble. Despite trying to lay low, her caring nature won’t let her leave things alone. Her life changes when her abilities help her uncover the casino’s dark secret. Follow Charlie as she runs for her life and solves more mysteries along the way.
Charlie is an amazing character, and I recommend this series just to experience Natasha Lyonn’e delightful performance. She is quirky, funny, and smart despite her looks. I dare you to hate Charlie after the first episode. I have no doubts that Lyonne has the charisma to make this series work.
What sets this series apart is its structure. Each episode starts by showing you the murder. The audience knows what happened, but the fun comes from watching Charlie put the pieces together. What makes Charlie such a great character is that she isn’t perfect. She fumbles and makes mistakes, but her instincts will eventually get her the answers she needs. It makes for a refreshing take on this classic genre that I have been enjoying thoroughly.
The series only has four episodes out at the moment, with a new episode releasing Thursdays. If you don’t have Peacock, I recommend you wait for the whole series to release so that you can binge it on the trial. So far, this series is worth the trial. The acting is solid, and the mysteries are well done. If you are looking for a fun, quirky crime drama that will make you laugh and keep you on the edge of your seat, go stream Poker Face on Peacock!
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Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre (2023) – Series Review
I haven’t been a fan of horror anthologies. I do not like the inconsistency, nor have I found one that can tell a decent horror story within its short format. Since watching Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre, this opinion has shifted. If you like creepy narratives and don’t mind it being in anime, you should give this series a try.
Each episode focuses on a single story or theme. Some of the stories do connect, but they exist pretty independently. If you return to this series after a break, you won’t be lost or need to rewatch episodes to understand what is happening. Some episodes are better than others, but they never got so bad that I was ready to skip them. You will want to finish this series at least once for the experience, then rewatch your favorites afterward. Although there are some inconsistencies in the quality of the narrative, they are small enough that they don’t matter.
There is a lot to like about this series. The voice acting is great, the animation fits the tone, and the stories are creepy. The animation may not be for everyone, but the stories are creepy enough that it won’t matter. A few of the episodes had my heart racing from how genuinely creepy they got. I doubt it will give you nightmares, but I can appreciate a good story when I see one. This series is a great collection of ghost stories, and I love how contained they are within this format.
If you are a fan of horror, anime, or both, add this series to your watchlist. There aren’t cheap jumpscares or overdone gore for a cheap fright, just well-told stories that you can stream on Netflix.
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Series Review: That 90s Show
I was a huge fan of That 70’s Show when it was out, and I’ve rewatched it a few times already. I was excited when That 90’s Show was announced because I thought we were getting a proper reboot. I spent a lot of effort avoiding all the news and rewatching the original series because I didn’t want this review to be affected by nostalgia. Unfortunately, this series makes it impossible to separate nostalgia from my critique because it is a carbon copy of the original. I don’t know who this series was made for, but it wasn’t for me.
The series is about Eric and Dona’s daughter, Leia, and her summer in Point Place, Wisconsin. Leia is an awkward nerd who on her latest visit to Wisconsin, has made her first group of friends. The series focuses on the adventures she has that summer.
The adventures Leia has are pretty much the same ones they had in the original, only slightly modernized to fit the 90’s aesthetic. You get the same story beats, jokes, and even characters but with a lot less of the charm. This series might have been better if I hadn’t watched the original.
I foolishly expected this to be a continuation of the narrative we got in That 70’s Show. I was expecting an adult gang that has grown from their experiences and has to deal with a more modern canvas of issues. The original cast does appear, but only for short cameos where they exist as jokes for a quick laugh. They have learned nothing and added nothing to the story.
The cast is great, and they give a fantastic performance, but the writing holds them back. You get the same group of characters, story beats, and even jokes that have only been slightly adapted to fight the 90s aesthetic. I would have preferred this to be its own show that didn’t have to constantly rely on the nostalgia of the original for it to be entertaining.
My biggest issue with this series is how overbearing the live audience tracks are. The constant laughter and reactions get old and distracting instantly. There are scenes where the audience laughs after every single line of dialogue. I get that it was a callback to the original series, but it just highlights how painfully unfunny this series can be.
That said, this series isn’t terrible. When it tried to do its own thing, it earned its laughs. There are even some nice character moments. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough of these moments to save this series for me. More often than not, I found myself bored by the characters, story lines, and jokes.
If you are a fan of the original series, I don’t think it’s worth it. It is okay, but it is trapped repeating the same thing in a lesser package. If you haven’t seen the original series, there are funnier sitcoms worth more of your time. I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch it, but it is on Netflix if you need it.
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Series Review: The Rig (2023)
It has been a while since I have been this bored with a series. The Rig is another example of a series that should have been a movie. While it has some good moments, there aren’t enough to earn a recommendation. Do yourself a favor, don’t watch this series.
Out somewhere in the ocean, a greedy corporation drills for oil at any cost. Tensions run high on the rig as burnout falls over the workers. With another season coming to a close, strange things start to occur. The rig loses communication with the outside world as a mysterious fog rolls over them. There is something in the fog making people sick and damaging the rig. Can the crew find a way off before it is too late?
The series has a solid cast, but the narrative and pacing aren’t. The plot unravels so slowly that I lost interest almost immediately. I didn’t care about any of the generic characters or their storylines, I just wanted this series to be over. There may have been some neat visuals and interesting ideas buried within all the nothing, but they aren’t cool or interesting enough to save this series from mediocrity.
What I liked least about this series is how preachy it gets about its messaging. This series wastes too much time on its explicit green and anti-corporate messaging that it loses its effectiveness. The writing is so bad that there are lines of dialogue where characters will explicitly complain about bad oil is for the environment and how evil corporations are. I tuned out a lot of this series because it is repetitive and lazy. Had this series been condensed, it would have been a forgettable B movie.
It’s hard to write too much about this series because it is mediocre. This series is boring, and I can’t recommend it. You can stream it on Amazon if you have a Prime membership, but don’t waste the data.
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