Sara_Tor Reviews

Three Pines (2022)

Enjoyable

[7/10 · 3 December 2022]

After the first two episodes, we are definitely looking forward to the next few. It's enjoyable and unique to see a series like this set in wintery Quebec. Alfred Molina does a good job playing the caring and insightful Armand Gamache, the lead investigator. I'm intrigued to see what happens with the suspicious villagers. The subplot about missing and murdered Indigenous women enhances the feeling of immediacy and relevance of the series beyond a Christie style of village murder mystery. (Disappointing to see people complaining about this topic in the reviews, since it's handled with nuance and is a *real* and relevant issue to the time and place).

The victim is a bit of a caricature villain and some of the acting is uneven but overall this is starting out as a very enjoyable series.

The Secrets She Keeps (2020– )

Addictive

[6/10 · 23 July 2022]

This is good for a weekend binge. It's a creepy, soapy thriller and Laura Carmichael completely embodies Agatha, humanizing her as the villain. Like other people said, the show is predictable, which is one reason I gave it a 6. I think the show had more potential with the wider cast to be involved.

Cobra (2020–2023)

Uneven But Entertaining

[6/10 · 30 June 2022]

Parts of this show are very entertaining. The premise- a massive solar flare shutting down the country- is unique. Robert Carlyle is excellent as PM. The playout of political intrigue as things fall apart after the emergency is an interesting take on the "disaster" genre.

On the other hand, there are some major flaws. Firstly, the subplots involving the personal lives of the PM and his daughter - accused of supplying drugs at a graduation party, and his Chief of Staff, who is embarking on an affair as the disaster hits, are just an improbable distraction. The media, and the public, and the police, just wouldn't be wasting time on these topics. They would keep their powder dry for later.

Secondly, the disaster response itself is just silly at times. Like how they initially respond to the looting of water and fuel trucks trying to supply areas that have been devastated. Instead of using the military to protect the deliveries from the first, the government flails around trying to find solutions.

Finally, the reaction of ordinary people in this story is to riot, loot, and lynch people of colour instead of pulling together. No-one seems to pull together to help each other, which just isn't the case when you look at how ordinary citizens actually respond to catastrophes. On the other hand, we have seen situations, like after Hurricane Katrina or the humanitarian response to refugees fleeing Ukraine or Syria, that marginalized communities, especially Black or Brown people, are denied resources by authorities and illegally detained, ostracized by white neighbours, or villified by politicians. Britain isn't exempt from the kind of impulse, that resources should be given to "real" Brits (aka white Brits). However, lynch mobs attacking Brown folks after going 2s without power just doen't seem probable to me, and is a crude narrative device to stand in for the more nuanced ways that racism actually operates, which could have been better explored, like resource allocation during scarcity, who the police protect, blaming refugees for getting "privileged treatment" at the expense of white people or causing all social problems etc.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022– )

Engaging

[7/10 · 24 June 2022]

This is an enjoyable show, with engaging characters and interesting adventures, if you're open to it. Each episode is a self-contained plot, although relationships and themes continue through the season (I'm up to EP 8). The primary cast is quite good. I really like Spock and the various dilemmas he faces balancing his hybrid nature, and the sort of reflections that leads the audience to. There's a refreshing sense of humour that runs through the series; it doesn't have the painful earnestness of Discovery.

If you want to re-create the experience of watching the original, you will inevitably be disappointed. Take it for what it is instead of comparing it to what was.

....... For the odd reviewer griping about seeing a diverse cast, honestly, this show is not a preachy woke sermon. Have you forgotten the original Star Trek was groundbreaking for the diversity of its characters, like Uhuru and Sulu? If you have a problem just seeing the humans around you represented on tv, then just don't watch. Or better, go kick rocks.

Slow Horses (2022– )

Great Concept, Stupid Ending

[6/10 · 29 May 2022]

We really enjoyed the premise of the show, a bunch of failed agents relegated to an MI5 dump trying to rescue a kidnapped boy, while being hunted by their own. It has a dark, cringey humour that we found funny, although it went past the line to just cringey and unpleasant sometimes. Unfortunately the ending involved such boneheaded, implausible stupidity (and not in a funny way) on the part of the bad guys, the reject agents and MI5 that it really disrupted the viewing experience. There is also a disjointed subplot about one of the agent's husband that distracted from the main plot and made for a weird ending. This shouldn't put anyone off watching the show, it's original and funny, but just be forewarned not to expect a clever twist or funny reveal.

Yellowstone (2018– )

Gorgeous setting, Pointless drama

[6/10 · 18 April 2022]

Initially, there's a lot to like about this show. It's gorgeous, promises an interesting set of conflicts between a ranch owner, developer, and chief of a nearby reservation who wants to use casino proceeds to fund buying back land for his nation. The series focuses on the dysfunctional breakdown of the ranch family, and his brood of self-sabotaging offspring.

Unfortunately, the plot gets lost somewhere and the series meanders into Pointless Drama and Shock Violence. Unlike Succession or something similar where you dislike the entire family, the sibling relationships aren't well developed, and don't represent the broader themes. But if you're looking for something soapy or dramatic in a beautiful setting you'll enjoy it.

Treadstone (2019)

A Sprawling Poorly Executed Show

[4/10 · 14 February 2022]

The good: some of the actors were compelling and you feel invested in their personal storyline. Fine if you want to turn your brain off and watch an action show.

The bad: Unbelievably terrible plot, sprawling and often irrational. Bad dialogue. Super spies forget to throw away their phones when they are being tracked, or initiate random fight sequences that guarantee they lose their quarry.

The Wheel of Time (2021– )

Recommended

[8/10 · 6 January 2022]

Imaginative, and adventurous.

The world building in this series was wonderful, it looks and feels like an epic saga. Rosamund Pike and Daniel Henney were particularly good. Sure, the acting of some of the younger cast isn't going to win an Oscar, and some of the conflicts between them felt a bit soapy. But the pluses far outweighed the negatives, so I recommend it if you're looking for a binge-worthy and fun series to try. I get that fans of the book will be sensitive to changes, but I read the series way back when and I still liked this! (Sometimes you have to be able to separate the two).

Rocco Schiavone (2016– )

Couldn't get into it

[4/10 · 29 November 2021]

I really wanted to like this series, but I just couldn't get into it. The mysteries were easy to figure out and the acting was so-so. I found it funny until it wasn't... Rocco can be a miserable jerk who really dislikes the women he sleeps with.

The Great Canadian Baking Show (2017– )

Contestants make the show worthwhile

[8/10 · 27 November 2021]

We enjoyed season 1, 2 and 4, meeting contestants from across the country, and bring impressed by the creations they bake. The hosts in season 3 are so cringe-y though, and season 4 isn't much better. I miss Dan Levy!

The Long Call (2021)

Muddled

[6/10 · 7 November 2021]

This was a bit muddled all around. The lead detectives were decent, the scenery was lovely and the cult was intriguing. But the plot started to drag by the end, the dialogue was clunky and the emotional arcs for the characters were not believable. It had potential to be better. But you could find a worse show to pass an evening or two.

The Chestnut Man (2021– )

Blundering cops Try to Solve Creepy Plot

[7/10 · 2 October 2021]

It starts off well, good creepy and with an interesting plot. But repeated stupid mistakes by the cops marr the ending. I recommend a drinking game where you take a gulp every time a cop goes into a dangerous situation without calling back-up and gets hit in the head by someone in the shadows.

El Candidato (2020– )

Very watchable

[7/10 · 29 September 2021]

This is basically a straight, solid action type show, although it's not going to win any awards. It's a narco soap opera, with a little bit of something for everyone. CIA spy missions, narco gangland wars, and romantic entanglements, check check check. The acting is decent and the storyline is fine, albeit a bit convoluted and with some frustratingly stupid decision making.

The Victim (2019)

Ok

[6/10 · 18 September 2021]

For me this show got lost somewhere in the middle, and came to an unsatisfying end. The acting was good.

The themes it tried to hit, about rehabilitation, justice, and trauma, started to get in the way of a plot or a storyline...like being hit over the head by The Point.

Power (2014–2020)

Uneven

[6/10 · 5 September 2021]

I really enjoy Omari Hardwick in this, he has a lot of presence on the screen. The female characters seem like they were created by horny teen boys. It would be nice, for example, to have women who discuss something other than men together. Overall, really uneven.

The Vault (2021)

Watchable mediocrity

[5/10 · 3 September 2021]

Good for a night when you want to switch your mind off. Also...It seems pretty nuts to me that it's 2021 and we still have all-white casts?! It doesn't represent the diversity of people and talent in the UK, or Spain for that matter.

The Machinery (2020– )

Ridiculously hilarious

[4/10 · 15 August 2021]

This isn't a 1 purely because it got so bad it became hilarious in a d movie kind of way. There are a lot of manhunts carried out by the world's worst cops, and more unlikely coincidences, bad shots, and obvious suspects than you can possibly imagine. They lost the plot early on, if they ever had one, but an interesting premise and twist halfway along kept us going. The ending is like a satire of action movies.

Hierro (2019–2022)

A Gem

[10/10 · 11 August 2021]

I'm so glad I came across this gem of a mystery. It has everything you could want- a dramatic landscape beautifully captured, an intriguing mystery with an original storytelling arc, and well developed characters. Highly recommended!

Vincenzo (2021)

Fun

[8/10 · 11 July 2021]

This was really fun to watch, and a surprising and enjoyable blend of thriller and comedy. Parts of it are very funny. I haven't seen a K drama like this before. The two leads are great, and Song Joong Ki plays a consigliere with a range of emotions, not just a flat revenge robot like in some of the anti-hero shows.

The Gentlemen (2019)

Retread

[6/10 · 6 June 2021]

This was mostly a retread. It was no Lock, Stock or Snatch, but it was an ok way to spend a Saturday evening. The actors enjoyed their roles, which was amusing. It was super cringey at times though, and that took the fun out of parts of it.

Antidisturbios (2020)

Fantastic

[8/10 · 27 May 2021]

I wasn't sure at first but this ended up being a great series. Thought-provoking, original, great acting, highly recommend!

Grace (2021– )

Watchable

[6/10 · 10 May 2021]

If you are looking for a watchable police procedural then this is a good option. This show is very uneven. The first episode was below average generic crime procedural and the ending extremely predictable. The second one was decent ...but creepy!

Pros and Cons (2018– )

Great

[7/10 · 9 May 2021]

This show was so fun to watch, and I highly recommend it if you are looking for something light and quirky. The capers if this dysfunctional family of con artists are a new, and amusing, twist on the heist genre.

Les Honorables (2019–2022)

Great

[7/10 · 5 May 2021]

We really enjoyed this show. It has an original plot and surprising twists. Definitely worth watching.

The Minister (2020– )

Recommended

[8/10 · 3 May 2021]

I'd definitely recommend this if you are trying to find the next bingeable show. I came to watch Ólafur Darri Ólafsson and stayed because it's a poignant portrait of mental illness blended with political intrigue. There were a few too much cringey over the top scenes, but that's my only criticism.