suzpomz Reviews

Red Eye (2024– )

NO SURPRISES...

[21 April 2024]

If you have followed anything about CHINA (aka the CCP) over the past several years, you will NOT be surprised at this "put up job".

I am only halfway through episode 1, and it's all soooo obvious, I hope I can, at least, get to the end (episode 6) to see the exoneration of the obviously innocent accused, unless he's falsely found guilting and thrown in the (Chinese) slammer to rot!

Nope - can't trust the CCP (or, it seems, MI5) to give a guy a break and believe that he just might be innocent, and... wait for it... HE IS!

At the very least, maybe we'll have some interesting interaction among a few on the flight - the guy with the pistol sitting alone; the suspicious-acting big guy down in the luggage area; the flight attendant who changed luggage in the bathroom before boarding (late); the other British citizens known to the accused; and "DC Hana Li" (who might or might not survive the flight)! And what of "Director General Delaney" (played by the amazing actress Lesley Sharp)???

I suppose that SIX episodes later, we'll know...

Windy City Rehab (2019– )

GREAT RESTART!

[10/10 · 26 May 2023]

I just saw Season 4 Episode 1, and want to commend you, Alison Victoria, and your team on a GREAT RESTART! After all the problems over the last few years, YOU have come through like your name - victorious!

The house you did for your friends including your furniture builds and placement and special "finds" along with Ari's amazing work is absolutely beautiful. You have the ability to, as you said, change people's lives for the better. Do not let any negative reviews or comments get to you; many people are just jealous that you do such an amazing job. You are on the right track, so as I have said to myself over many years in a totally different profession, I say to you now - NEVER EVER GIVE UP! Keep going, and I look forward to more in Season 4 and beyond...

Ghosts of Beirut (2023)

It's not a matter of "getting better"...

[10/10 · 21 May 2023]

The only review on the page so far is titled "Maybe it gets better, maybe"... Believe me when I say, it does NOT "get better". This is NOT a made-up drama - this is REAL LIFE and real life often does NOT "get better".

I have lived in Israel for most of the past 42 years (29 as a citizen) and was in Israel in 1981 & 1982 when what you saw in Episode 1 actually happened. While I was in Canada when the US Embassy was bombed and Robert Ames was killed and in the USA when the US Marine Barracks in Beirut was bombed, I remember it all like it was yesterday, since so much of "it" continues.

The production is an interesting concept - with actors playing the parts of what are, for me, well-known, recognizable people, such as Imad Mughniyeh and Robert Ames - but also with real experts who were either there or involved in some way describing the situation and the people involved.

I am looking forward to the other three episodes to see if they match my memories... And by the way, with all the hatred directed towards Israel and the almost constant attacks on our population (I have lived in Jerusalem through the First and Second "Intifadas" and still today), I still feel safer here than anywhere else I have lived, including several locations in the United States!

Blue Bloods: Family Matters (2023) Season 13, Episode 18

Not the best...

[4/10 · 22 April 2023]

Just watched Season 13, Episode 18 "Family Matters" and feel compelled to say, NOT the best episode in this long series.

I've been watching Blue Bloods since it started, basically because it stars Tom Selleck, but once into it, I was impressed with the whole cast... NOT THIS TIME.

Maybe it was the writing, the disjointed feeling of it, the lack of interest in the characters and their jobs... but SOMETHING was NOT right with this one.

I'm guessing we are coming to the end of the whole thing and people are tired and ready to move on. Still, that's no excuse for making a bad episode.

Hopefully, the next one will be better??? Wish I could be sure. Will I miss the program when it's fully over? I thought so, until Season 13, Episode 18...

The Diplomat (I) (2023)

I noticed a few negative reviews, but...

[10/10 · 7 April 2023]

I thought it was great! Nice twists and turns to keep us guessing. GREAT views of Barcelona, of course, and the first time I ever hear Catalan spoken (yes, I had to read the subtitles to know what was being said).

Hope there's a second season...

Meanwhile, just a note that the TRAILER on the IMDb page is NOT the right one for this series... It's for a Netflix Series that is scheduled to being April 20th!

The confusion is that TWO TV series with the SAME title were/are released about a month apart... by two different production companies.

I suppose that neither had a look around to see if another series had the same title?

By the way, from what I've read on the page of "User Reviews", this one sounds way better than the Netflix offering! Just sayin'........

Restaurants at the End of the World: Panama's Cloud Forest Kitchen (2023) Season 1, Episode 1

Very interesting!

[10/10 · 25 March 2023]

I really enjoyed learning about Rolando and Gabriella and their Panamanian farm and restaurant up in the clouds! The food they prepared for three different groups of customers looked delicious...

One thing that does worry me, though, is the lack of a good oven. Maybe they have been able to fix the one that was broken (or buy a new one), but in Israel where I live, way back in the early days of the development of the modern State of Israel, not many people had an oven in their home. When I first lived in Jerusalem in 1982, I did NOT have one either.

But - there is a wonderful Israeli creation called "The Wonder Pot", which is like a "tube cake pan" but with a lid that has handles and small openings around the edge (to release any steam). The idea is to place a heavy piece of metal (that comes with it when it's bought in a shop) on the gas burner. The center of the metal is a hole with sides to direct the heat up into the center of the pot. I used to make cakes in it, but also baked chicken and other things... anything I would bake in the oven, I could bake in "The Wonder Pot"! Of course, you have to make sure the heat going up through the middle is the right amount and watch it carefully, timing the baking as you would if it was in an oven.

Watching the program, I began to wonder if there was some way I could send a Wonder Pot to them or perhaps someone in Panama who has been to Israel might have one or be able to get one on their next visit. Any ideas about this would be appreciated!

I have never been to Panama but would love to visit one day AND, I am sure, would very much enjoy eating at Hacienda Mamecillo...

Alaska Daily (2022–2023)

BEST NEW SHOW ON TV

[10/10 · 25 March 2023]

Kudos to the creators, writers, producers, etc. Etc. Etc. AND, of course, the entire cast of this amazing program. Special applause to Hilary Swank and Grace Dove... I know it's a TV program, but the issue those two follow and uncover is NOT just a story on TV.

From a report published in 2021:

"Alaska Native women experience disproportionate levels of violence, but it's difficult to know exactly how bad the problem is. Mistrust of the legal system means assaults too often go unreported, or maybe misclassified for various reasons. The numbers reflect the lives affected by violence, and the data collected is crucial." Type "New report shines light on Alaska's missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls" in your preferred search engine and then, click on the video embedded there.

I can only hope that the murder of one such young Alaskan woman (in the story) with the murderer about to be uncovered, this program has shone a light on a HUGE problem that ALL Americans should take seriously.

This program should continue, pick up other important issues and do the job that too many small-town newspapers are NOT reporting, while preferring to use wire services rather than doing the hard work to bring injustices in their communities to light.

Hidden Assets (2021– )

So REAL, so CURRENT...

[10/10 · 8 February 2023]

Just finished watching Season 1 of "HIDDEN ASSETS" and HOPING for a Season 2... Why? Because IT'S NOT OVER TILL IT'S OVER... and there is so much more to learn about this situation, not only in the EU but all over the world!

The writing, the directing, the acting, the scenery all worked well together to create a story which is part of TODAY in so many ways. It's always hard for me to understand how anyone, especially those who already have a LOT of money, can make MONEY into their god and want more and more, doing whatever it takes to amass more than a fortune while hurting those they say they love in the process. Sad... and dangerous.

PLEASE RTE, make another season of "HIDDEN ASSETS" and then another and another, until more people get the message...

Recipes for Love and Murder (2022– )

Wonderful Series - hope there's a Season 2 & 3 & .............

[10/10 · 2 February 2023]

I have not seen programs that are based in South Africa, so I was very happy to try this one when I stumbled upon it!

A murder mystery with a cooking show mixed up together? What could be better!!

Loved the whole series, especially the interaction between the citizens of that small community. Secrets? Always! But good friends helping each other? Even better...

I really hope there's a Season Two - after all, we have to find out several things: 1) Will Jessie move to Cape Town to become a big city journalist or will she settle down with Regardt (or maybe he'll move with her)?

2) Will Tannie Maria and Khaya get together or was that nice warm scene a "one-off"? I hope it's the former, as I think they are "made for each other"!

3) Will Hattie become president of the Forum, changing the "Face" of the business scene there? Good on ya, Hattie, for putting Marius in his place!

4) And what about those two from Maria's past in Scotland? What are they doing in South Africa and what do they expect from her?

So many questions that can only be answered in Season 2... which will, undoubtedly bring us more questions and more great recipes, and, maybe, a Season 3!

Jack Ryan (2018–2023)

JACK IS BACK in Season 3... and I want more more MORE!

[10/10 · 23 December 2022]

Just finished watching Season 3... GREAT STUFF!

The "theme" is current and easy to follow. It's probably best to binge-watch the whole series, though that will mean it's all finished too quickly.

Whole thing - from the story to the writing to the staging to the scenery to the directing TO THE ACTING is, IMHO, first rate. I really don't have much more to say, except I'd be very grateful if Jack, Jim, and Mike could take out that coup in DC for us, whatever that might mean!

Okay - so WHEN will we get more of Jack, Jim & Mike, i.e., a Season 4??? And please don't make us wait another year!

Yes, John Krasinski is perfect as Jack Ryan, but we also need Wendell Pierce and Michael Kelly to keep it "real"!

THANKS GUYS!

Hanukkah on Rye (2022 TV Movie)

Toooooo cliche.........

[4/10 · 22 December 2022]

It was "just okay", but so many cliches - ugh.

Meanwhile, a question: how did the two deli owners made their "Ranch Dressing" that they both raved about? I ask, because if they made it the traditional way (with milk or buttermilk), both delis would NOT be kosher. But maybe they don't care?

Now, I have to write out 281 more characters to post this. Yes, it was cute; yes, it was mostly Jewish; yes, it was soooo "Hallmark" I could plotz.

The best character was the "matchmaker" (I tried to write the word in Hebew, but your system wouldn't allow it)... though they really didn't need her, since we all knew at the beginning what the ending wold be.

If you are going to make a REAL Jewish movie, make a real Jewish movie without all the cliches and Yiddishkeit!

Nadia's Farm (2022– )

GREAT Series!

[10/10 · 3 December 2022]

I have really enjoyed watching "Nadia's Farm" and learning about farming in New Zealand. I commend Nadia and Carlos for taking on such an iconic farm and making a go of it! Hearing the positive comments from their banker was a huge relief...

My only wish now is that there will be a Season 2, so we can continue to follow Nadia & Carlos and their crew with all they do to make their farm successful.

AND, I want to know if she has a boy or a girl and how having three children now is impacting her work on the farm!

I only wish I could visit the farm, shop in the Farm Shop, maybe help collect the eggs on occasion and enjoy some of that yummy lamb bacon...

Good Bones: Risky Business (2022– )

Mina is GREAT and I'll bet Indianapolis is grateful to have her!

[10/10 · 27 September 2022]

I've just started watching Episode 2 but there is no doubt that the biggest problem is that THOMAS guy. I felt that in the first episode. What a jerk - imagine asking Mina if she knows anything about HVAC... As if she's never renovated or built a home! I'm glad he's gone and hope he stays gone. The project will be better without him.

Meanwhile, it's a massive project, but I have no doubt it will be done well. Like the previous reviewer, though, I wish she had brought in, at least, her demo group and Corey as project manager. There would have been no problem with the concrete problem or the windows or the HVAC or anything!

Good Bones (2016–2023)

GREAT HQ - Season 7, Episode 8

[10/10 · 1 September 2022]

Mazel Tov to Mina and Karen and the whole team of "Two Chicks and a Hammer" for that amazing HQ building! I have so enjoyed watching your renovation program "Good Bones" as you do fabulous work.

The whole idea of taking run-down, dilapidated, on-the-verge-of-being-condemned houses and turning them into, as the opening says, "the best homes in the neighborhood" is a GREAT idea...

And now that you are moving more into client renovations, I'm sure we'll see some interesting designs, such as that HUGE mansion renovation you did recently.

Indianapolis MUST be proud of you all... Keep going, as I'm sure there are a lot more houses there that need your creative touch and a lot of fans and supporters who enjoy watching it all come together.

Congrats to you all - Mina, Karen, Tad, Corey, Austin, MJ and all the rest... Now, get back to work!

Virgin River (2019– )

UGH!

[3/10 · 17 August 2022]

Halfway through Season 4... TOO MUCH ANGST!

I know it's a "soap opera" but couldn't Mel actually be happy and smile once in a while? Without her, I think it could be a good series. And Jack would be a lot happier...

Harry Wild (2022– )

FUN, FUN, FUN......

[10/10 · 30 May 2022]

All of the reviewers who don't like this series are just tooooo serious about it. It's for FUN, and I, for one, am having a ball watching it!

It is so great to see Jane Seymour in a series again, and her "partner-in-solving-crimes", Rohan Need, is, IMHO, brilliant.

PLEASE, there MUST be a second season and a third and and and...

By the way, I'm also a "grammar nerd", so I totally understand Harry! She's not "arrogant". She just knows how to perfectly use the English language!

Grantchester (2014–2025)

Terrific Series - LOVED every moment...

[10/10 · 16 April 2022]

Just saw what I'm guessing is the final episode of this wonderful series. Yes, it would be nice for it to go on and on and on... but ending in such a positive, uplifting way brought forth lots of smiles and a few tears...

Beautiful surroundings, great characters, good writing and directing... If you haven't seen it, start back at the beginning to get the full effect. You won't be sorry!

Fixer to Fabulous: Welcome Inn (2022– )

So far, so good... looking forward to the rest!

[8/10 · 23 March 2022]

I'm finally watching episode 1 (having already seen episode 2), and while I'm sure the project must already be finished, I have an idea and suggestion:

There is a garage on the left side of the house. Why not turn that into the required commercial kitchen and building in at the back a "staff room" with lockers, a table & chairs, coffee machine, etc., along with a bathroom for the staff.

THEN, turn the kitchen in the house into another bedroom with the "Butler's Pantry" as a receiving room for the food (putting in a door on the left side of it) and closing off the interior part of it to make the bedroom a bit larger with the same entrance to the full bathroom that goes with the new bedroom).

Doing this will give create FOUR en-suite bedrooms PLUS the required commercial kitchen.

Yes, it will take more money and more time, but once it's all done, it will, IMHO, make a truly beautiful, DESTINATION, B&B!

Meddling (2022– )

WOW!

[8/10 · 13 January 2022]

I don't remember this scandal, but the story is more than "interesting"... it's, well, scandalous!

But when will Episodes 3 and 4 be shown so we can find out the "rest of the story"? Inquiring minds want to know...

Midsomer Murders: The Witches Of Angel's Rise (2021) Season 22, Episode 6

2 of 10 is being very generous

[2/10 · 9 January 2022]

I have watched Midsomer Murders since the beginning. Yes, a long time, and have (almost) always enjoyed it.

But this episode, especially the result of the investigation and discovery of the murderer, goes into the dust bin.

So very very very weak and silly.

The downhill slide began, I'm sorry to say, with the exit of John Nettles and the entrance of Neil Dudgeon or at least his character (I blame the writers, not so much the actor). I've stuck with it anyway, but it just gets worse and worse and worse...

IF there is a Season 23, I might take a look just to see if the writers, directors, producers finally came to their senses. I hope so, but somehow, in the way the world has been going lately, I doubt it.

Under the Vines (2021– )

Exactly what I've been needing...

[10/10 · 9 January 2022]

Some have written nasty, unfriendly reviews - that's THEIR opinion. But I found it fun, interesting, light-hearted, with some interesting twists and turns, and exactly what I have been needing for the past two years of no work, no income, no fun!

Besides Rebecca Gibney is one of my favorite Aussie actors... so how could I say no?

Bring on Season 2 and soon, please.......

A Very British Scandal (2021)

After seeing all three episodes...

[2 January 2022]

I'd like to know two things:

1) why didn't her father (or she) sue the Duke for all the money?

2) how many affairs did the Judge have before and after the trial?

Property Brothers: Forever Home (2019– )

SIX Seasons, but some problems...

[4/10 · 31 December 2021]

In Season 6, Episode 9, during the visit to the "inspiration home", the woman was very explicit that she did NOT like the dark (brown in that case) island color and preferred something BLUE.

When they made the island - it's dark GRAY (not blue) with a GRAY countertop - exactly what she did NOT want!

I've noticed on MANY episodes that the guys do what THEY want, especially in the kitchens, rather than what the home owners say they want. If it was my home, I would use different renovators who, strangely enough, would use MY color choices, not theirs.

Also, the mantel on the fireplace in the family room is just toooo shallow and, IMHO, not interesting at all - just bland wood. And when they said they wanted "built-in storage", I'm sure, with three active children, they didn't mean some cute floating shelves, but some REAL built in cupboards.

I gave it a rating of 4 out of 10, but really, I'm not sure it's worth even that.

I've been watching this problem for a long time, I suppose hoping the two guys would finally actually LISTEN to the home owners and do what THEY want, for a change. I guess not.

There are better such programs and much better renovators on TV... Think I'll go with those instead.

Outgrown (2021– )

Outgrown is done...

[3/10 · 6 December 2021]

I really liked Boise Boys, but on Outgrown, Clint has a nasty edge that is NOT pleasant and Luke is just silly most of the time.

This must be the end of their collaboration - the friendly feeling between them is GONE and now, it's all too contrived and not interesting or enjoyable to watch.

And all that BLACK paint everywhere - ugh. Luke has totally lost the design plot with that.

HGTV - cancel this one and replace it with people who actually enjoy working together. These two obviously don't anymore.

Shetland (2013– )

NOT FAIR!!!

[10/10 · 27 November 2021]

Not fair to end Season 6 like that and make us wait a whole year to find out what happens!!!

LOVE this show. Douglas Henshall is brilliant as are all the rest of the regular cast. Love the little smile on Tosh's face when she read the results of the test...

Please don't make me wait a whole year! And how's about making more than six episodes in each season? It seems it just gets started and then, it's over.