Pimilli Reviews

True Detective: Night Country: Part 4 (2024) Season 4, Episode 4

I consider myself of average intelligence but...

[5/10 · 5 February 2024]

I find it hard to follow what's happening and even when I do I find it increasingly difficult to care. Why is that? While I liked the atmosphere of the season I found myself getting up frequently.

Is it the supernatural weirdness mixed with a detective story?

Is it the clunky dialog?

Is it just that it's not moving in any visible direction?

Why does everybody in that town hate everybody? Who thought that was compelling to watch?

Is it that I can't follow when LITERALLY EVERYBODY hates somebody or has an issue with somebody or is generally miserable about something or someone? Hey writers here's a thought. Try to just have at least ONE fairly content or cheerful person. Does EVERYONE have to have angst and hate?

I also couldn't keep track of the miserable sister who was unhappy with something and I got her mixed up with Jodie Foster's miserable "daughter" who was miserable about a few things.

I really liked the set up in the first episode and I liked all the characters and the subtley.

Does everyone in the town need to hate Jodie Foster? It's. Just. Too. Much. Guys.

It was an uncomfortable mix of detective story and supernatural whatnot. It wasn't a detective story and it wasn't Xfiles.

I began checking out when people began seeing people and polar bears in the snow.

Acting: Fairly decent acting. I especially liked Kali Reis, Finn Bennett and John Hawkes. Kali Reis was a boxer?? Wow. I felt she was convincing in the role.

Too Much car stuff: I felt people were in cars constantly driving around.

It just wasn't well written.

Fargo: Bisquik (2024) Season 5, Episode 10

So I started counting every time....

[6/10 · 28 January 2024]

I started counting the amount of times Dot escapes. Lost count. These are professional killers. With guns. Skills. And this one woman CONSISTENLY gets cornered. Escapes. Captured. Escapes. Trapped. Escapes. Tired up. Escapes. At gunpoint. Escapes.

This was the first Fargo season I felt irritated by. It was 6 episodes of story, mercilessly, dragged over 10.

I usually rate Fargo in the 8 or 9s. All Fargo is good Fargo generally. This just took forever to get anywhere.

I was hoping Witt Farr would have done something. NOTHING he did made any difference to the show. Zero.

1. He sees Dot and chases her into a gas station. He gets shot. Dot has to save him. Nothing.

2. He sees the Sheriff's son take something. He asks him about it. Nothing.

3. He sees Dot with the Sheriff and henchmen. He talks to them. She leaves with them. Nothing.

4. He goes to the ranch to try to get her. BY HIMSELF....he says he wants to see her. They shoot at him. He leaves. Nothing.

5. He doesn't tell the cops or troopers that Dot is on the ranch. Nothing.

6. He tells the lawyer Dot is on the ranch. Lawyer goes by himself. To a violent killer's ranch. By HIMSELF. Tells. No. One. Gets killed. Nothing.

7. He goes into the underground tunnel. BY HIMSELF AS ALWAYS. With a gun pointed at him. The guy has a knife. He tells him not to come at him or he shoots. He doesn't shoot. He gets stabbed. Inane! He dies. NOTHING.

Nothing. This character did in the ENTIRE SEASON amounted to anything. It was so incredibly badly written.

Dot has a gun on Jon Hamm. Shoots him. AND FOR THE SECOND TIME after knocking out or shooting someone...she turns her back and THEY ESCAPE.

This was a disastrously weak season. It's a 5 or 6. All the other seasons were 8 or 9s

Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jon Hamm's characters were the shinning stars of this season.

It did hold my interest however.

The "it was all a dream" episode was the worst imaginable thing. The worst.

Fargo: The Tragedy of the Commons (2023) Season 5, Episode 1

Ok, here's what you wanna do...

[8/10 · 1 December 2023]

Disliked

1. What you wanna do when escaping from kidnappers and running past police is not tell them a single thing about what's happening and the men in the car who are about to shoot everyone. No: "They have guns! They kidnapped me!" "They're killers!" "Call for back up," "Help me!" No. What you want to do is run by police with guns who can help you and say, completely, and absolutely, nothing.

2. What you wanna do when running away from criminals who are in your house, is Completely turn your head around to look back at them for a good long while, and trip on a clothesbasket at the top of the stairs and tumble down the stairs, completely, unharmed.

3. What you wanna do when you're a cop running from criminals with guns at night, is run to a gas station, not run inside, but stand in the BRIGHT light, where all can see you, and have them shoot you in the dark.

4. What you wanna do when you have a killer unconscious on the ground is not shoot him in the leg, tie him up, call the cop over, no sir. What you wanna do is LEAVE him knocked out on the floor or pretending to be knocked out, go to the aisle, and place your weapon on the ground, away from you, and turn your back on him. So that when you return to him that he's, sigh, gone.

In all the seasons, I've never felt angry at the characters for idiotic decisions like this. Incredible.

THAT SAID,

Liked:

I was completely enthralled. And I'll be watching the season. It's a great show. :)

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (2023– )

1973, 2015, 1959, 2013, 2014, 1952....

[7/10 · 27 November 2023]

One of my top three pet peeves in movies and shows are a ridiculous and completely unnecessary jumping around to time zones. It deflates the momentum. Do we really need one year before and 2 years before when it could have been summed up with a line of dialogue and a quick flashback of the event.

2. There is 63 years apart. Between when we first see Lee Shaw and the 2015 Lee Shaw.

63 years.

Between when we see Wyatt Russel in 1952 and Kurt Russell, the same character, in 2015. Does anyone know how aging works?

Wyatt Russell is 37 years old.

Kurt Russell is 72 years old.

But but but for arguments sake let's say Wyatt is, I don't know, 27 when we first see him.

The old Lee Shaw would have to be at least 90 years old. It's fun to get Dad and son in the same show. But make it make sense.

Start in 1965?

The Pluses!

I love the character development. I'm genuinely intrigued by the characters in Japan, and what is happening with Lee Shaw. I love the balance between monsters breaking things and characters growing.

Less is more as Jaws and Jurassic Park showed us.

The cinematography is beautiful. The sound. And I want to see what happens next. We're all in.

Secret Invasion: Resurrection (2023) Season 1, Episode 1

People walking, running, and cars driving The Movie

[5/10 · 8 October 2023]

If boredom called you up and said:

"hey I would like you to make a television series on my life."

"What's it about?

"People with face masks who want their homeland when some are good and some are bad."

" Do we care about really anything or anyone in it?"

"Not so much. Also do you remember when somebody stands over someone with a gun pointed at them and they take like an hour to shoot? We're going to do that thing."

I wanted to like this. I had the comic book of this and it was good. I'm going to try another episode to see what we get.

Sam Jackson's acting is wooden. I always feel I'm watching Sam Jackson as opposed to say Denzil Washington. Both actors. Both action stars. Both seniors. Unfortunately Sam Jackson could have done this better at 56 and not 74. He plays himself just like Charles Bronson or Jason Statham does. That's ok.

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon: La Dame de Fer (2023) Season 1, Episode 4

I can....and I can't....what I love and dislike

[5/10 · 8 October 2023]

What I love Love this show begins in France Loved the first two episodes Daryl by himself. Stranger in a new world Walkers burn First two episodes were 8 to 8.5. I was excited

What I don't

That scene at the Eiffel Tower was so incredibly badly executed. Kid shows up. Walks pour out. He stands watching. Daryl abs woman who keeps acting like she's never seen a walker, mostly stands there. At ANY point all three could have easily walked out of there. They grab the kid, just at that moment, and there's a dumb tug of war.

Kids in these kinds of shows Kids who stand around looking as zombies are slowly encircling them People running around yelling the kid's name "Laurent Laurent!" The moll with the "heart of gold" A kid who walks to the Eiffel Tower by himself with monsters everywhere I can't anymore with the post apocalyptic factions. The knockoff mad max villains and decor.

. The grungy underground underworld bar with Greedo and Jabba and Boba Fetts. With the singers and the "there's a guy here who can make things happen." I can't anymore with the tough guy and the innocent kid trying to escape the bad guys: man on fire, Logan, mad max, last of us, everything. I can't anymore I loathe this Christ-child, saviour, the One to save us all nonsense.

I lost interest at episode 4 and signed because it just feels like they're dropping the ball. The shootout section at the end was so incredibly boring. Shoot outs Never generate tension in this show. Never. It's the small things in the quiet moments that are genuinely terrifying and thrilling. Bang bang bang! Less so

I hate this kid.

No One Will Save You (2023)

I mostly enjoyed this film. But here's my take on the no dialogue.

[7/10 · 27 September 2023]

The Good. This felt fresh. Tense. I was hooked.

I appreciated the genuine build up. This director knows how to build tension. The lack of speaking was also unnerving when they were along ala A Quiet Place. It also served the story. I liked the minimal camera movement. Minimal music. Terrific sound design. The aliens contorting was creepy. What were they doing? I love that it wasn't explained. The thing about loss and going through a thing like Signs or a ton of other films, felt unnecessary.

This was a Quiet Place meets Nope. Only one of those I liked a lot.

NO SPEAKING

Neighbors: Ok she goes to her neighbors and they are taken over. But she may have said, naturally, "help. There is something happening. Help me." Something. But ok. Maybe she didn't because she saw he turned. Ok.

The Town:

She walks into town. Speaks to nobody. Nobody is speaking to anyone. The police station. Nobody is speaking at all. A woman spits on a young girl. No cops. NONE. Say or do anything. At this point. Ok. I mean maybe....?

The Bus: I don't believe for one solitary second that no one on a bus would speak when people start jumping on seats and contorting like zombies. They would say something. And without them saying anything it significantly erodes believability. This is where I said it was utterly ludicrous. "Oh MY GOD!. What is that??!" What's happening?! The bus driver: "What's all that noise back there? Please sit down mister" Literally. Anything. Would have felt natural and logical.

Here's how the no speaking could have worked. If she was isolated in a cabin in the hills or some very remote area. However that could beg the question, "why would she be?" What woman or even young woman, would want to be completely isolated in the middle of nowhere.

The end.

I didn't care for the end at all. Is she dead? I means he did get stabbed. Did she dream it? Did the aliens like her and send her back to dance with people? Is she a poodle?

There is a clone or something of her at the end. I didn't know the aliens could do that. And I think I groaned when they did. Why would the aliens? To what end? When the whole town is taken over? Why would the filmmakers make that choice?

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

Headline: Slowest Rocket Ever

[5/10 · 17 September 2023]

I'm going to start with Rocket escaping from the prison and trying to free others from the prisons: HE TAKES FOREVER!! Watch again when he opens his cage. He looks around slowly. Then looks around some more. And finally frees one creature and just hugs her in front of the prison cell he's trying to escape from. You know what anyone would do they would open the cages and RUN. The deaths were obviously imminent. Then he's about to free the animals at the end. AND again slow looks around until the villain shows up. BOTH TIMES.

And the Adam Warlock thing? I don't know what that was about.

I tell you how I feel about Guardians series. I've never ever liked it. It's nostalgic songs which makes people think they like it, wrapped up in jokes that feel stale and unfunny. Like the kid in junior high who still makes fart noises at the work office. Yeah it was kinda funny at 12?

I don't like the screaming, the bickering, the Dax being dumb, the fetch quest stuff.

I watched with a bunch of people and we didn't feel much except for the cute animals in cages.

The villain wasn't menacing enough. Became silly.

Peter Quill in space? He has an auto helmet no?

Dancing scenes in movies: I Hate them. It is an easy attempt to make the audience think they had a good time. Dax dancing, She Hulk twerking, the women Ghostbusters dancing, unless dancing is part of the movie like Dirty Dancing or Black Swan or something please stop doing it.

It's really sad that the only characters I cared about were Rocket, his animal friends, and the talking dog. Everything else was just repetitive noise and explosions and goofy "humour" about door handles. I can't try anymore with Guardians. I either don't really know what's going on or don't care much. I will say that after watching at my friends house I'm definitely going to get Disney plus.

The Bear: The Bear (2023) Season 2, Episode 10

Here's a thought or two...Pluses and Minuses

[5/10 · 12 August 2023]

Firstly, this is the best show I've seen in several years, however.

Season 2. I felt the Fishes episode was the most incredible example of home for the holidays and family dysfunction and mental illness I've ever seen. In fact I have held off on writing a review for that one as it's so incredible and I still need to digest it.

This episode: I loved the Jamie Lee Curtis scene outside the restaurant. It broke my heart. It really did. I loved the doubt. The stress.

Compared to every moment of this show before then, I didn't love this episode. I thought it was good but not great like the others.

Anything with Claire and him was a mistake in this episode. It was off and unlikely.

I HATED that Claire was by the door as he's talking about her. The thing I praised this show about was that it stayed away from clichés in dialouge, scenarios, all of it. HERE...the minute that he's complaining about his relationship, is the minute that Claire just happens to turn back and be standing by the door. I felt nothing but anger at the writers for such a cheap and DUMB rom-com cliché. "Oh you weren't meant to hear that." They even did that in Shrek...come on people. I loved how he and Claire got together. I thought that felt honest and real and the emotions and dialouge were wonderful. Don't do something so utterly cheap. Having Claire call THE MOMENT that he's about to call the Fridge Guy? Could you drive home the decision he has to make anymore? Just hit us with a sledgehammer obvious.

Hijack (2023)

Started off great. Then logic vanished.

[5/10 · 4 August 2023]

There was once a copilot...and other stories

Why is the kid in the house moving around? Unnecessarily?

Why did he come out of that closet when he did not need to?

Why is he banging around the house making noises?

Why did they allow that prisoner clown to keep threatening to kill passengers? Why not INSTANTLY pull him over. TAKE his phone. And ARREST him?

Why are they following him in one car? ONE car. And doing the following badly.

Why did the pilot take FOREVER to get in the cockpit?

You're giving a woman a container that she doesn't want to take. And then you're practically yelling for her to take it. Why? Not. Give it to someone else?

Why. Is. NOBODY helping Idris as he's fighting in the gallery? Noone. The flight attendant who is sitting in his seat is doing nothing. Gets shot in his leg. A plane of some 200 people after 911 and NOBODY helps anyone?

This is TERRIBLE. Nonsensical. Have the writers ever met human beings?

Lastly this began as a good story. We were hooked. But it would have worked as a 3 episode show. 7 or 8 is jusstt prolonging with far too much filler and redundant material. I don't care as much now.

The Good

I was surprised they shot the villain. Well done. Unexpected. But I was then confused as to what happened with those other two guys after?

I'm glad they didn't kill the stepfather cop just to get Idris back with his ex-wife. Would have been unbearably obvious. Thank you for that. Well done.

I love how he got the "cleaners" out of the house without any heroics and theatrics. Just smarts. Well done.

The Bad

Why would the woman flying the plane ask for Idris? I mean why? What happened to her daughter?

Where was the copilot...You know, the copilot WHO FLYS THAT MODEL PLANE EVERY SINGLE DAY? WHY DO WE NEVER SEE HER AGAIN FOR THE ENTIRE SECOND HALF OF THE EPISODE....? Did she jump out in midair? Why wouldn't the copilot be flying and landing the plane?

A plane crashes. Wouldn't you instantly rush to get off the plane? In the event that who knows, it catches fire? Explodes? (granted they were out of fuel, but you never know), Idris stands on the top step.....taking in the view....and we all know it's going to have a Die Hard knock off ending. The guy with the gun (ugh). Wouldn't the police say "Hey, get off the plane NOW."

Wouldn't there be a slide after an emergency landing?

Wouldn't the police BOARD THE PLANE AND CLEAR IT?? Wouldn't they y'know go and check to see if there are weapons on board or issues or whatever? No they just let Idris waltz back onto the plane to get what? Reading material? Lunacy.

Idris is talking to air traffic control. AND HANGS UP ON THEM to call someone else. You know there is a WHOLE BAG FULL OF PHONES RIGHT? Don't hang up on air traffic control. Call from any one of the million other phones next to you.

Why would that hijacker try to kill Idris? For WHAT PURPOSE NOW? What does he gain from this? It's over. He's surrounded by police....and what you want to do is chase and try to kill Idris in a trapped space on a crashed plane? Idiotic writing. So what, kill him and then walk off the plane surrounded by police with guns pointed? Is that the plane? No they just wanted a hero ending. Even if it makes no sense at all. Also why Idris?

What was the point of Idris's son in the house? How would anything have changed in the entire show? Why did he get out of the closet? Why was he walking around the house? When the cops came why didn't he say something? Run upstairs? Yell something. No...what you want to do is walk slowly like with no agency....

Man just think before you write this. THINK. Ask yourself if any human being would make these decisions?

The "cleaners" at Idris's home. What was the plan? Shoot the cops if they came in and just run away?

Idris tells his wife and kid to "CALL ME" What if they didn't get the message? What if they go it 30 minutes later? What if they were sitting on the loo? And then he what just pushes the guy?

There was no fight. If this was real life there would be fighting tooth and nail. Just a lot of standing around. And game boy.

Also wouldn't the cops HAVE to enter the house to check to see if there was a real emergency or someone was being held against their will?

Plot holes a mile wide.

This is poorly written.

Hijack: Brace Brace Brace (2023) Season 1, Episode 7

There was once a copilot...and other stories

[5/10 · 4 August 2023]

The Good

I was surprised they shot the villain. Well done. Unexpected. But I was then confused as to what happened with those other two guys after?

I'm glad they didn't kill the stepfather cop just to get Idris back with his ex-wife. Would have been unbearably obvious. Thank you for that. Well done.

I love how he got the "cleaners" out of the house without any heroics and theatrics. Just smarts. Well done.

The Bad

Why would the woman flying the plane ask for Idris? I mean why? What happened to her daughter?

Where was the copilot...You know, the copilot WHO FLYS THAT MODEL PLANE EVERY SINGLE DAY? WHY DO WE NEVER SEE HER AGAIN FOR THE ENTIRE SECOND HALF OF THE EPISODE....? Did she jump out in midair? Why wouldn't the copilot be flying and landing the plane?

A plane crashes. Wouldn't you instantly rush to get off the plane? In the event that who knows, it catches fire? Explodes? (granted they were out of fuel, but you never know), Idris stands on the top step.....taking in the view....and we all know it's going to have a Die Hard knock off ending. The guy with the gun (ugh). Wouldn't the police say "Hey, get off the plane NOW."

Wouldn't there be a slide after an emergency landing?

Wouldn't the police BOARD THE PLANE AND CLEAR IT?? Wouldn't they y'know go and check to see if there are weapons on board or issues or whatever? No they just let Idris waltz back onto the plane to get what? Reading material? Lunacy.

Idris is talking to air traffic control. AND HANGS UP ON THEM to call someone else. You know there is a WHOLE BAG FULL OF PHONES RIGHT? Don't hang up on air traffic control. Call from any one of the million other phones next to you.

Why would that hijacker try to kill Idris? For WHAT PURPOSE NOW? What does he gain from this? It's over. He's surrounded by police....and what you want to do is chase and try to kill Idris in a trapped space on a crashed plane? Idiotic writing. So what, kill him and then walk off the plane surrounded by police with guns pointed? Is that the plane? No they just wanted a hero ending. Even if it makes no sense at all. Also why Idris?

What was the point of Idris's son in the house? How would anything have changed in the entire show? Why did he get out of the closet? Why was he walking around the house? When the cops came why didn't he say something? Run upstairs? Yell something. No...what you want to do is walk slowly like with no agency....

Man just think before you write this. THINK. Ask yourself if any human being would make these decisions?

The "cleaners" at Idris's home. What was the plan? Shoot the cops if they came in and just run away?

Idris tells his wife and kid to "CALL ME" What if they didn't get the message? What if they go it 30 minutes later? What if they were sitting on the loo? And then he what just pushes the guy?

There was no fight. If this was real life there would be fighting tooth and nail. Just a lot of standing around. And game boy.

Also wouldn't the cops HAVE to enter the house to check to see if there was a real emergency or someone was being held against their will?

Plot holes a mile wide.

This is written poorly.

Hijack: Comply Slowly (2023) Season 1, Episode 6

Why?

[4/10 · 30 July 2023]

Why is the kid in the house moving around? Unnecessarily?

Why did he come out of that closet when he did not need to?

Why is he banging around the house making noises?

Why did they allow that prisoner clown to keep threatening to kill passengers? Why not INSTANTLY pull him over. TAKE his phone. And ARREST him?

Why are they following him in one car? ONE car. And doing the following badly.

Why did the pilot take FOREVER to get in the cockpit?

You're giving a woman a container that she doesn't want to take. And then you're practically yelling for her to take it. Why? Not. Give it to someone else?

Why. Is. NOBODY helping Idris as he's fighting in the gallery? Noone. The flight attendant who is sitting in his seat is doing nothing. Gets shot in his leg. A plane of some 200 people after 911 and NOBODY helps anyone?

This is TERRIBLE. Nonsensical. Have the writers ever met human beings?

Lastly this began as a good story. We were hooked. But it would have worked as a 3 episode show. 7 or 8 is jusstt prolonging with far too much filler and redundant material. I don't care as much now.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Lost in Translation (2023) Season 2, Episode 6

Stun. It's called a stun gun. I mean. It actually has a stun setting.

[5/10 · 22 July 2023]

Uhura tells the crew person to back away from the console....like a trillion times. He does not. He's about to blow up the ship. But she doesn't stun him.

You see him about to damage the ship in a major way. SHOOT. It's just stun.

Instead she tells him this long story about she used to have a cat and that she remembers her father play the piano? Why? You do that if you want someone to know that it's really you if you know them.

BUT HE DOESN'T KNOW HER

If some random woman at your office building told you she once had a cat and that she remembered her father's hands, and that she was from Kenya....you would have no way whatsoever of verifying that and you would wonder why she was telling you this.

I didn't care for this episode. My LEAST favourite trope in any kind of show is people seeing and hearing things that aren't there. I. Just. Can't. Stand. That. And you have to prove it to people? How? How do you do that? No voices or ghosts or visions please.

The Diplomat (II) (2023– )

The Princess Diaries, King Ralph, My Fair Lady, for Diplomats

[4/10 · 13 July 2023]

I stopped at episode 4 and I'll tell you why.

It was a line: "so why is the government doing the things you do before you go to war?" A diplomat. A diplomat experienced in statecraft. With multiple degrees and exposure to world affairs wouldn't speak like that.

Is this Nickelodeon?

An HBO show or Amazon Prime show would write: "why does the administration appear to be taking a hostile stance toward...?"

This feels like it was written for children.

Simpleton children.

Simpleton children whose first language isn't English.

How will we get Eliza Doolittle to be a real woman?

Constant unnecessary childish internal conflicts about dresses and horses and hubby. Things about hair. Bickering. Battle of the sexes nonsense. And her husband is irritating.

Things about just rubbish that manufactures conflicts where non exists. Just garbage that makes it appear like this high school prom is what people who are engaged in diplomacy at the highest level do.

I don't wanna be vice president. Ok maybe I do. No I don't wanna. This is nonsense. Complete nonsense.

There is a much better show buried in here and this show, with the same concept, would feel much better on HBO, Prime, (Jack Ryan)

I feel a bit stupid for having watched it. Maybe it's too much good HBO, FX, Prime and BBC.

Highway to Heaven: Back to Oakland (1988) Season 4, Episode 16

Well in my humble opinion

[5/10 · 15 June 2023]

I like that it showed some of the nuance of hatred. How circular it is.

I didn't like how over the top the racist cop was. It's too much. It makes it cartoonish.

It's the kind of episode that white viewers will think is glorious, while Black people will roll their eyes at.

You...you're Black...and I'm White....and wait...we're all the same. Let's meet on a pier and gaze into each other's eyes.

Simplistic and cringeworthy at times. But for the 1980s I allowed for that and let it go.

What was the deal with the woman and her snake sub plot?

I remember my Mom watching this show and occasionally I would catch it with her. Look I love Michael Landon, so it's alright with me. There are better episodes of Highway to Heaven.

Lightyear (2022)

How I feel about it

[9/10 · 11 June 2023]

There's only one reason people really hate this: the LGBT relationship. And the diversity.

This is sci-fi, compelling, engaging. The only issue really? Is this shouldn't have been connected to Toy Story. It's such a loose connection it doesn't matter. Just make it about an astronaut and a colony. The story is good. I just haven't been interested in any Pixar movies in about 5 years: The Incredibles 2 was the last. Either I'm getting too old for Pixar or they aren't as good as the UP, Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc. Ratatouille days. I like it and I would watch again. One issue is he spent too much time alone. It's a world I bought.

The Simpsons: Homer's Adventures Through the Windshield Glass (2023) Season 34, Episode 22

Rubbish. Unbridled. Catastrophic. Rubbish

[2/10 · 22 May 2023]

The whole episode is angry homer crashing through the windshield in slow motion after learning Marge kept an inheritance from her father from him.

Because we know altruistic selfless marge the ending is as predictable as they come. She was using the money to clean up homer's messes.

There is a stupid talking doll like the alien from Flintstones. Homer sort of talks to it, manifestations of his kids and the devil and whatnot.

This is Deeply unfunny. It's miraculous how terrible this is from a writing and directing standpoint. I sat there and watched this torture. I can't imagine who would fine this clever or funny or creative. I just can't imagine.

The Simpsons has declined we know that. And I've been forgiving of that because hey not everything can be season 2 to 7. But there have been a couple highlights over the last 3 years. But this? Is embarrassing. The only joke I laughed at was who goes to heaven and hell now. And that was just a smile. It wasn't edgy enough. Please stop this. This Is beyond the pale. Please try harder or stop this.

Slow Horses: Visiting Hours (2022) Season 1, Episode 4

Mixed bag episode. Here's the good and the meh

[7/10 · 9 May 2023]

THE GOOD

I love that I have no idea what will happen next and I appreciate that the show is one step ahead. I like jargon in a show as they don't need to spoon feed us. I appreciate seeing these second class citizen "losers" rise to the challenge of getting their second chances.

THE BAD

Why in Pete's name was River driving like a maniac. It makes little no sense. My partner and I looked at each other in disbelief. You steal a car. And the way to remain conspicuous is to drive like a maniac through every street and break stop lights? Hang on. Is this stealth? If you want every cop in the world coming after you then that's the way to do it. Why?!

The fart jokes are a bit much. I laughed the first couple episodes, but come on. "I hope she has a room with a window?" "I want to birth a s...."

I don't love excessive car chased in British shows. Nor the excessive Tom Cruise running. It doesn't fit. It screams American TV show, which is fine, but it feels odd here. These are stealthy spies. There can't be car chases every episodes or running constantly in ever episode. In US shows they seem to think running and shooting is thrilling and action. It isn't. It's cheap. Built up real tension and real suspense without the obvious car chases and running down stairwells. Not necessary. He saw the CCTV and still kept going to the hospital. Why? Also why are you going to the hospital? I mean like...right...now...Why? Shouldn't you save the kid? Shouldn't you clear your name? Why the hospital?

CONCLUSION

I'll keep watching.

Unforgotten: Episode #5.6 (2023) Season 5, Episode 6

I enjoy this series however here's my concern with this season

[7/10 · 26 April 2023]

....Too many characters that we don't see.

I found myself scratching my head.

Hume. Raped the grandmother? Who had a daughter for him. Then that daughter had a daughter. Who had a son. Wait. Two sons. One died. The mother had a child. Had alcohol poured down her throat try to get an abortion. Didn't work. Her daughter gets Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. So the one who got the alchol poured down her throat is violent and punches her boyfriend.

I'm fine with DCI James, I don't like her as much as DCI Cassie, but it's ok. She's a different person with other concerns.

I was watching with my partner and we LOVE that there are no mad dash gun fights, street chases, car chases. It feels like proper investigation. The minutia of making the calls and doing the digging. It's a good show. Love it. Just this season was hit and miss. I also could have done ENTIRELY without the story with the guy in France and adopting and the bigger place and all of that nonsense.

My one complaint is they stuff too many absolutely unnecessary subplots into this show. Far far too many tangents.

Star Trek: Picard: The Last Generation (2023) Season 3, Episode 10

This wasn't good.

[4/10 · 21 April 2023]

I couldn't understand why I kept starting this episode over and over and over. I loved this season but this episode just wasn't good. It was all over the place. In fact it actually irritated me. It was a step down from the rest of the season with one too many endings.

Ponderous dialogue.

Monologuing.

Obvious. Obvious. Obvious.

Jack is unbearable with his head movements and bouncing around and his looking at the tops of his eyes. It's like watching a cartoon caricature. Jack is not great.

On board the Borg cube. Picard is having these maudlin extended conversations with Riker and Worf.

Picard and the Borg queen have these endless stagnant conversations in pitch black lighting. WHY? Use light!

Beverley drops bombs and everyone on the bridge turns around to stare at her for comic relief. You are killing the urgency when this is a high stakes end of the world scenario. It weakens it.

The Borg have targeted the cities of the Earth. 10 minutes LATER THEY STILL Haven't FIRED.

The borg queen dies with an "AHHHHHH" Man. At least it wasn't a "NOOO'

The action is poorly directed.

Why couldn't the borg queen move around?

Why didn't drones come to stop Picard and Jack?

Like George Lucas Matalas is wonderful at concepts and the overall idea, but he has virtually no experience directing actors. It was a mistake for him to direct the finale.

Why did I feel nothing when I saw the Enterprise G? Why did it feel like I was just getting more and more and more sugar?

The end is more fan service to All Good Things with the poker and overhead shot.

Barbarian (2022)

Let me tell you where I stopped watching....

[2/10 · 9 April 2023]

This movie was riddled with lunatic decisions by the lead character:

1. She shows up at an Air BnB in a town she hasn't visited. In an area she doesn't know. Alone. She doesn't bring a friend, a family member for the night, a cousin. Nobody. A young woman. By herself. Brings noone.

2. She gets to the Air BnB. It's late. She sees a man inside. A man. A man taller than her. She rings the doorbell. Chats with him. Says the place is hers. She doesn't immediately get out of there. She doesn't park in a Wal-Mart parking lot and sleep the night in her vehicle as everyone does. She doesn't look for a hostel, a dorm, a police station parking lot. No. SHE GOES INSIDE.

3. She goes inside. Sure she's a little cautious, but so what? He can knock you out, tie you up, lock you in his basement? What if he placed the ad? What if that's what he does?

4. STAYS THE NIGHT. Locks her door. But if that was a killer? A little old door lock won't save you if he has a key or if he kicks the door in.

5. During the night her locked door is now opened. Not enough for you pal? You locked your door. And now it is open. Still no red flags? She hears the guy sleeping on the couch have nightmares. She goes over to wake him?

6. She leaves for her job interview. She notices that every house in the area is abandoned, burnt, falling apart, except for the one Air BnB.

7. The woman at the job interview tells her not to stay in that area. She doesn't listen. She goes back. A man runs at her. Instead of jumping in her car. She runs into the house. Not into her car which she knows. But into the house which she doesn't.

8. She goes into the basement. Yes. She gets locked in. Then she pulls a rope. Finds a grungy creepy door into a dark room. SHE WALKS INTO THE DARK ROOM. She finds a bed and it looks like something heinous happened down there. She is helped escape. She sees the guy. Tells him what happened.

9. The guy tries to stop her from leaving and blocks her entrance to the front door.

10. THEN SHE GOES BACK INTO THAT BASEMENT AFTER HIM. AND FURTHER INTO THE DARKNESS. Would you do that? Would anybody you know do that? Wouldn't you solo or both IMMEDIATELY LEAVE TO A POLICE STATION?? No what you want to do is go straight away into a dark strange blood filled basement with videocamera and torture. That's what we all want, no?

I was watching with people and we turned it off because it is sooo desperately stupid. Not a single decision this lead character does makes any, sense, at, all.

It's competently directed, but man oh man is it badly written.

NOTHING the lead protagonist does is what a sane human being would do. Take 10 Cloverfield Lane. The lead character makes smart decisions almost the entirety of the movie. So we are on side with her. We want her to get free and escape. In this movie we in fact WANT this idiot to be caught, however we wish it was the writer.

Star Trek: Picard: Dominion (2023) Season 3, Episode 7

The Minuses and the Pluses. Still Great.

[7/10 · 31 March 2023]

This was a dip in quality, but still better than anything in the first two seasons. Look all the series had less than great eps, so it's not big deal. I'm still on board.

I like that Data is a mix of all these personalities. It gives him range of performance as an actor and it keeps it unpredictable.

Hey when a bunch of villains invade your ship. Just beam them into the cold vacuum of space or the heart of a dying star.

Am I getting old or has my patience with arch villains with endlessly droning speeches reached a saturation point?

I can't stand Vadic. I thought Raffi was a poor character and performance but I just can't take Vadic. Look at No Win Scenario a couple episodes ago when she sees the Titan: "blah blah blah...when the prey....blah blah....runs.....blah something about the hunter....opens it's jaws....and blah blah....runs into....blah." Nobody speaks like this. Please stop writing this character like this. I literally skip over everything she says now because only about 10% of it is relevant. The rest is posturing, ACTING, arch villainy moustache twirling, cartoon ....scooby doo..."meddling kids" stuff.

I've had it with Jack's visions and red eyes. GET ON WITH IT. What is it so we can get on with the story.

Star Trek: Picard: The Bounty (2023) Season 3, Episode 6

What I LOVE. What I could do with less of.

[9/10 · 26 March 2023]

Love:

Love the band getting back together Love the pacing The knowledge and deep history of 60 years of Star Trek and organically incorporating it with depth and not just fan service. Everything we see from TOS, the movies, DS9, Voyager, and TNG, even possible Enterprise, has a purpose here that never makes us feel like it's just unearned sugar.

Love the hiding behind the moon like Trek 2 Love the believable relationship between LaForge and his daughters Love the composer.

Love that any 3 or 4 episodes feels like a TNG feature Love that Picard feels closer to who he is as a character Love the Moriarty "Pop Goes The Weasel" scene.

Love Riker's character. Love his callback to meeting Data.

Love the genetically modified tribble. Because yeah that's about what Section 31 would do. Imagine dropping a bunch of those things on an enemy planet. Wow.

Love Data being in semi-human form. Yeah just let him age. No more trying to make an actor look like an android from the mid-90s.

Love, love the ship museum.

LOVE that I suspect Geordi is restoring the Enterprise D. Likely got the saucer section, also remember Picard says send Geordi the painting of the Enterprise D. Hanger Bay 12? That will likely be the payoff.

Love the creative use of The Bounty's cloaking device.

Love the Kirk scans and what it may mean.

This is all smart. Smart. And well researched. It is a deep dive into everything Trek of the last 60 years. Finally we have something that feels like respect for the audience. I haven't felt this in 20 years.

Love the scenes with Jack and Seven looking at the ships.

Don't Love: The scenes with Picard and his son. Ugh. The angst. The hurt the whatever. I'm just not sold and don't care as much. He'll be fine. Let's move on.

Really don't love the villain played by Amanda Plummer. The moustache twirling, the "I'll get you my pretty" stuff. I just try to skip over all her "I'll hunt you down blah blah" parts. Nobody cares.

Seven and Raffi. Don't care. But only because I just don't believe in Raffi as a character and the actor has something to do with that. It's distracting. Less distracting than last season, but better.

Why are they standing around talking to a hologram with a gun? Move.

Overall, I love this season. Love it.

Sharks of the Corn (2021)

Criminal. An abomination.

[1/10 · 24 March 2023]

From what I saw. It's not Sharknado. It's not so bad it's good. It's not good tongue in cheek, It's someone with a video camera, who simply decided to......I'm sorry I just can't speak anymore.... I need to sit down. Videocameras, editors, and viewers were harmed in the making of this. I think of the poor editor who had to sit for hours and hours on end and likely had to go alone to a bar and drown his sorrows. That's who I'm sad for. Think of him ladies and gentlemen. Think of this poor poor man who had to edit this.

Look I welcome the ridiculous. Shark in a cornfield could be silly fun. But it wasn't even silly, nor fun.

Star Trek: Picard: The Next Generation (2023) Season 3, Episode 1

The Really Great (Thank you) and the Not So Great. A bit of eps 2 spoiler

[8/10 · 25 February 2023]

THE PLUSES:

I love the speed and pacing of this show. I love that there is less navel gazing. This is the Picard season to beginning with. The other two seasons were really off the rails.

What these new producers don't get with Star Trek and Star Wars is virtually noone cares about the new younger characters. When the original Star Trek movies returned after years off the air they were huge hits. WHY? Because the original characters that MADE the show and made us love Star Trek were FRONT and CENTRE. The new producers of the 21st century think stuffing uninteresting characters we don't care about in the lead role is the way to go. It isn't. We wanted PICARD, LUKE, RIKER, HAN SOLO, DATA, CHEWIE, LAFORGE, R2D2, etc etc. They made those shows. So why do you think you should shove them to the background? Picard season 3 gets it. It's the music. It's centres the characters we love. It's not the inane characters of season 1 and 2. This is what we want. Thank you.

The music is a welcome change. It's rousing. It's James Horner, Jerry Goldsmith, it's soaked in the stuff that made those shows huge hits.

It's going back to the Star Trek movies and Next Generation. It's lovingly celebration of the Star Trek we love. It's obviously by a new team that loves and respects and knows Next Gen and the previous movies without just resorting to cheap fan service. This feels like it comes right after All Good Things or First Contact or yikes even Insurrection.

No more ponderous dialogue

I love the callback to Star Trek: Generations with Kirk recognizing Sulus daughter and in this case Picard (not my fav of the movies but I loved the beginning with Kirk, Chekov and Scotty)

Man I would also watch a show called RIKER. He has so much potential and he's got a lot of fire in him. I would totally watch that show. After Picard someone either make a: RIKER, WORF, or LAFORGE show.

Wow I love the docking to the Titan. It feels like the awe and wonder of seeing a ship in Star Trek 1, 2, and 3 movies.

MINUS: I only have three negatives:

1. I am sick to DEATH of people disrespecting Admiral Picard. He's saved the planet countless times. Highly decorated. Can you imagine someone speaking to General Patton like that or Douglas MacArthur? It would NEVER happen. EVEN after they are retired. Has anyone seen how these senior soldiers are respected? So WHY the need to constantly talk down to Picard, dismiss him, disrespect him. My God. Please stop it. Not only is it irritating. It is also highly UNREALISTIC. Within Starfleet show the man some respect.

2. Enough with the corruption 'trust no one' in Starfleet. Unless they are doing a follow up to that great season 1 ep 25 of Next Generation. The idea of star trek was yes they are some issues with Starfleet but the Enemy is out there. I don't love the Starfleet is corrupt idea, even with the second of the JJ Abrams movies Into Darkness, because it's just ugh. It becomes like any other corruption in a corruption or government etc. I don't love it.

3. Raffi is a terrible character. Her acting is unconvincing and distracting and terrible. I actually have to turn away when she's onscreen as anyone who knows acting knows this is terrible acting. Her sideline story just stops the show dead in its tracks. It's so uninteresting.

4. Captain Shaw wouldn't be serving in Starfleet with that ludicrous attitude of disrespect veteran officers. However I do like that he first and foremost cares about his crew and ship.

5. Please enough with the "You have a son/daughter I never told you about" garbage. How many times have we seen that tired, tired, trope. Bond? Picard? Black Panther? Hundreds movie. With utterly no reason for not telling anyone.