Change Your Image
fabsjellis
Reviews
Doctor Who: The Curse of the Black Spot (2011)
Another slightly pointless Dr Who Review one person might read that I wrote out of pure passion and love!!
After Episode 1 and 2 of Series 6, I shrugged. For as cleverly Moffat wrote them- for whatever reason the camera is just placed weirdly and it's randomly edited in a fake-JJ-Abrams-Joss-Whedon-cinematic style that I honestly found a bit distracting, idk why (I really like JJ's Star Trek and The Force Awakens) but I didn't connect to the episodes more. I do like that they shot it on location in America and the general idea they were going for with the two parter.
However, this episode was much simpler- not trying to be a complex Netflix show and is just this awesome genre episode written by Steve Thompson (who also did the brilliant Time Heist episode from Capaldi's run) that feels akin to Russel T Davies' Midnight (standalone adventure set on a train). Like I always say, Doctor Who is at it's best when it's character focused and experimenting with genre and that's exactly what this is!!! The team on this episode said: "what if we just became Gore Verbinski and made Pirates of the Carribean except Doctor Who??" Such a brilliant, brilliant decision- it works so well. The Verbinski Pirate movies are pieces of the most epic adventure cinema ever and Matt Smith's Doctor performance and aesthetic fits so well into the style. The rainy sequence and use of visual effects almost has you forget this is just a boat set with no actual sea haha.
All the character work and visual storytelling in this thing is fire. This episode is what all television should be imo. It's also a masterclass in revealing exposition and holding it for the most possible emotional effect. My favourite performances from the cast in a while (I love, love, love Matt Smith, Karen Gillen and Arthur Darvill) and my favourite episode for the relationships with Amy and Rory and all the characters so far. This great character work is paralleled really well with the episodic story of the pirate crew too. It also turns a bit Alien (1979) at the end and is genuinely unpredictable and tense. Finally, my younger brother has actually been scared from a Matt Smith episode even if it was only a brief moment that was just there for maximum effectiveness not because the episode is a proper Horror one. Highly recommend this!! The black spot concept works so well. And the ending is a perfect set up for the rest of the series. I'm hyped for the Doctor's Wife! The way the Doctor runs to the TARDIS with desperate love at the same time Amy runs to Rory in this episode at the end made me laugh so hard- so well timed. A DAMN CLASSIC. Also need to mention Murray Gold's score is perfection for this episode.
The Afterparty: Danner (2022)
An absolute masterpiece.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE ALL THE CHARACTERS IN THIS THING THEY'RE SO DETAILED AND FLESHED OUT WHILST ALSO BEING OVER-THE-TOP AND HILARIOUS BROUGHT TO LIFE BY THE AMAZING CAST. Let's talk about the people who created this show, Phil Lord and Chris Miller. These people are brilliant filmmakers in my opinion- they tell stories in extremely effective ways using the tools of the cinematic medium and/or a diverse range of genre conventions/animation(or in this case all of the above plus the art form of television).
What I really want to talk about is how this episode (and every episode) is a masterclass in dialogue and writing- and telling the story on the television screen in a visual way... There's nothing I hate in TV shows more than bland filmmaking that distracts from a good script. Flashy camera moves that are flashy for the sake of it, don't tell the story and don't focus on the actors' performances when they need to because of awkward random framing and shaky cam that's cheaply pretending to be cinematic or something, you get the idea. The other thing I hate is bad dialogue- stuff that lacks subtext and visual storytelling is what's sometimes bad about certain Star Wars prequels for me (I love George Lucas' vision and there are some great scenes and world building in the prequel trilogy but too often the whole story comes to a stop simply because the dialogue is pointless and halting George's cinematic ideas). The Afterparty exists in a world where the characters spew their thoughts all the time in a totally obnoxious way- that isn't how anyone speaks in the real world. Firstly, this decision is genius because it's consistently used for comedic effect (like the musical episode) and it also works naturally for simply the way the characters are. However, Lord and Miller and the filmmakers also use these brilliant narrations to transition between flashbacks and visually shows us what's going on- in a perfect way for TV that doesn't at all rely on auditory exposition. The dialogue does not distract it adds to the story that is being told perfectly. The characters just naturally say the lines of dialogue but really the story is told from their facial expressions. I'm so excited for the finale of this thing- I kept going back and forth on who I think the killer is but now it's getting really interesting. CANNOT RECOMMEND THIS THING ENOUGH!!! The finale's most likely gonna bang there's no too ways about it- I can't believe how seamlessly this thing is coming together.
The Book of Boba Fett: Chapter 3: The Streets of Mos Espa (2022)
Best episode yet!!!
Robert Rodriguez doing more Alita: Battle Angel stuff! BRILLIANT action scenes.
I wish there was more completely new, innovative SW stuff in here. At times the exposition heavy dialogue is mid.
LOVE the colourful bikes tho! Best BOB episode yet (other than the Robert Rodriguez Mando episode with Boba).
Lost in Space: Final Transmission (2021)
One of the better episodes!
Season 3 got off to a bit of a mixed start in my opinion. Lost in Space is a very well written science fiction show but the direction felt quite bland and generic Netflix-y with little artistic presence in S3E1 and S3E2. There's also an egregious use of a three little birds cover song that does not fit AT ALL in S3E1.
Luckily, Julian Holmes steps in as the director for this as well as S3E4 and brings back proper pacing to the show as well as cleverly composed cinematic shots.
S3E5 is also fantastically directed by Leslie Hope who adds mist, slime, goo and worms. There's outrageously over the top scenes of Don West chasing around his chicken. It's one of the funniest and dumbest episodes (in a good way) and basically does a really nice Empire Strikes Back homage leading into this episode S3E6.
In this episode the characters finally feel real. The last episode fleshed them out giving them emotional, cathartic bonding sessions and adding flashbacks to fill in gaps. This episode is full of visual storytelling, scenes with great subtext and a chance to let the actors properly continue to shine. This episode is also way more story focused, with the characters being much more prominent rather than sci-fi clichés. Each individual character, even the robots, make active decisions and push forward the narrative. The episode is also all about choice and excellently withholds exposition for great twists towards the end. The episode immediately sets a much darker, more cinematic tone and opens with shots drifting around the ship, building tension in a way similar to Ridley Scott's Alien. There's also musical homages to Alien used throughout the episode which work perfectly!!
So, while this season could go either way by the actual ending, I stand by that Lost in Space is a pretty good show. Season 1 was extremely tense and exciting with a standout episode directed by Deborah Chow (the director of brilliant episodes of The Mandalorian and Mr Robot).
Whether or not Season 3 has a good ending doesn't matter, this episode would make a great conclusion/cliffhanger to the show either way which is why I give it a 9/10- potentially could be argued for a 10.
Samurai Jack: Episode II - The Samurai Called Jack (2001)
Epic
Star Wars, Blade Runner, Evil Dead 2, action adventure samurai sci-fi fantasy television crafted by Genndy Tartakovsky! Perfection. The music, the visuals and constantly changing cinematic/comic book-esque aspect ratios- it's all so coooooool.
Doctor Who: Partners in Crime (2008)
Why I love this episode and how you can too:
Immediately, I noticed a step up in the production value from Series 1,2 and 3. It just seems to have aged better visually, it doesn't look as 2000sy. We get shallow depths of field, whip pans, a dolly zoom, it's a step up from the sometimes clumsy low-budget filmmaking and production of previous series. The episode was directed by James Strong who produces by far his best work on the show up to this point!
They clearly have more money from the BBC after the success of Russel T Davies' epic Series 3 story and the famous 'Blink' weeping angels episode! There was no weird music/sound editing glitches/mistakes like in certain two parters from Series 2 and 3. That weird, dated glowing effect/filter that was all over Series 1 is completely gone!
But let me get to the real reasons I'm compelled to write a review for this. Fro here on, minor details will be revealed but nothing there's nothing big to spoil so feel free to read if you haven't seen the episode yet... I loved the episode on a story and character level! Just like why the past 3 series worked so well is because of the great cast and Russsel T Davies' entertaining stories and grounded characters.
Donna is a perfect companion for the Doctor because she's a bit different to what we've come to expect but she still totally works. The episode tricks you into liking her even more by creating irony that she wants to find the Doctor and keeps coming close but missing. You just come to really understand and empathise with her.
The saying goes that films are empathy machines, in this case 45 minutes of television is too and if anything happens to Donna later in this series, I don't know what I will do. We spend much of the episode really getting to know her and there are satisfying set-ups, pay-offs, subversions and hilarious comedic beats! I laughed too many times, the jokes all serve multiple purposes, to enhance characters, create ridiculous situations, play with irony, serve the story.
The episode is damn entertaining and paced just right, some scenes are slow but it's because, we need to spend time with these characters for it all to work and for them to become real and transport us into this escapist, crazy universe that makes no sense but feels so real to us Whovians around the world and through time.
Russel T Davies' script works and comes together so well thanks to the brilliant performances from all the actors involved. I really empathised with the Doctor thanks to Tennant and Catherine Tate is too funny.
The plot of the episode is to do with a bunch of little babies made out of fat and a woman with a sonic pen which is fun. Some CGI that doesn't quite look photo real is used to show these fat blob babies but it doesn't matter because ultimately it's only a small part of the episode and there's no other way they could have done it practically.
This episode reminded me of Spielberg's close encounters visually at times with a spaceship shining down blue light and silhouetting alien figures.
Mainly, it's a beautiful character piece about Donna and the beginning of her friendship with the poor lonely
Doctor who just wants a mate (not "to mate") that just so happens to use the conventions of Dr Who. Not sure what genre that falls into but it also has fun twists on the typical Doctor Who episode conventions if Dr Who counts as a genre. Like most of Dr Who, it's a sci-fi, comedy, drama, thriller, adventure thing.
I had a fantastic experience, empathising with the characters and laughing a lot in a tightly woven, perfect 45 minute experience. I hope you do too!
That's why I loved this episode and now you can too! Dr Who is so good and I just need to appreciate it.
Doctor Who: Blink (2007)
Blink shows how versatile and experimental Doctor Who can be!
Blink shows how versatile and experimental Doctor Who can be! Genre mixing, exciting, risky. Doctor Who has a fascinating catalogue of stuff like Heaven Sent, Deep breath, The Eleventh Hour, Love and Monsters, The End of the World. When Who manages to pull off crazy or gonzo or political or scary stuff like this and it works, nothing beats it. Sometimes Doctor Who fails drastically but that adds to the charm and rich history.
No one...... ABSOLUTELY NOT A SINGLE SOUL.... can give exposition to a camera like David Tennant and make it seem ultra epic and extremely important.
I love it when things are slowly revealed to the viewer. That's the best kind of exposition ever because it creates mystery, suspense and twists.
Unfortunately, I dislike how Series 11 and 12 handle exposition, by just saying everything at the most random, boring times possible.
My favourite reveal in Blink is when we are shown (NOT TOLD) that the Angels have the ability to turn off the lights, creates such a sudden rush and intensity, immediately raising the stakes and creating a climax. This is just such confident filmmaking and writing. You rarely get such risky, subversive stuff like this in any other popular franchise. The weeping angels really did cross over into public consciousness purely because of this one brilliant, ICONIC episode that barely even has the Doctor.
Side note: Series 3 and 4 of Doctor Who literally have Andrew Garfield, Carey Mulligan, Gugu Mbatha Raw, Peter Capaldi before they became famous.
There's so much talent behind the scenes of Doctor Who! I love this show so much, and this episode.
I also love how the time travel blatantly makes no sense, but everyone watching loves the concept so much that we just roll with it cos it's cool!
Star Wars: The Bad Batch: Common Ground (2021)
By far the best episode
It's simple, doesn't rely on fan service and the characters actually have character arcs, this and episode 1 are the best. Doesn't put a foot wrong for me other than it could have been more interesting. The rest of the episodes so far are mostly skippable and at the bare minimum of storytelling, there's a few good moments. This was much less contrived, had great world building and the bad batch feel like actual characters rather than generic action clones. It also introduces NEW PEOPLE and a stand-alone story that works by itself! If every episode was like this I'd like the bad batch much more but for now, I vastly prefer Clone Wars and Rebels.