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Reviews
For All Mankind: Every Little Thing (2021)
Good Acting, Great Visuals, Terrible Writing
I was a big fan of season one, even though the first two episodes were a bit of a drag. The show got better and better, and the second part of the season was fantastic.
So I had high hopes for season two - but sadly, the second season premiere had the writers deliver the worst episode of the series so far.
New characters are not introduced properly for us to care about them, known characters had a bunch of off-screen character development which is not depicted in a convincing way.
Story-wise, there's not much happening either, until a random solar flare is thrown into the mix to spice things up. The consequences of the solar flare however, are not shown in an emotionally convincing way - there is almost no suspense.
On Earth, people talk about how the solar flare might cause an atomic war, but since the side of the Soviet Union is never shown, the threat does not feel real. It's just a bunch of empty words and as a viewer, you already know that nothing is gonna happen.
On the Moon, astronauts need to take shelter from the radiation in time. But (almost) all astronauts reach shelter in time, no dramatic suspense is created by the time pressure.
Then, when it's already too late, Molly Cobb realizes that one of the new astronauts had an accident and did not reach shelter in time.
So she decides to step back into the radiation and sacrifice her health to save a character that we don't care about because we do not know him.
As a result, the rescue scene is simply frustrating to watch, especially since it never fit Molly's character to make such an emotional, foolish decision - unless there was some sort of character development for her that was never shown or explained to us viewers.
I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson (2019)
Hit or Miss
This show can be very good or very bad, depending on the individual sketch and also on the viewer. A lot of people hate it for valid reasons, while others love it for reasons which are also valid. I'm somewhere inbetween.
There were some sketches that really made me laugh for several reasons. Sometimes the concept was just absurd and hilarious, sometimes there were funny/unexpected twists, sometimes it was the acting that made the sketch so funny.
But at some sketches, I also found myself rolling my eyes, getting bored or even annoyed. The show leans heavily into repetition and a number of sketches just try to hammer the same joke down your throat again and again. Some sketches also rely too much on the "cringe" part or simply don't have a funny concept.
Overall, I had some good laughs though, and that's what matters the most. The bad sketches can be skipped, the good ones can be enjoyed. If you can't stand cringe comedy, you will hate the show and I would not recommend it to you. Everyone else should be able to find some joy in it.
Succession (2018)
Does not live up to the hype
On the technical aspects, Succession is a great show. Like, really great. The acting is extremely good, just like the directing and the editing. The dialogue also stands out: There are some hilarious/witty lines, especially in the earlier seasons.
But sadly, the story is very lackluster. Season 1 was good, but after that it's basically just the same formula repeated over and over again - and once you got that figured out, the show becomes quite predictable or even boring.
The main characters are mostly interesting, but I did not find myself rooting for anyone. Compared to other top tier dramas like Mad Men or Sopranos, there is just not enough variety in terms of stories and personalities and Succession absolutely lacks interesting secondary characters.
If I could go back in time, I would just watch the first season and then move on. The rest of the show is not outright bad, but it's not extremely interesting either. I do not agree with the people praising Succession as one of the best series of all time.
Succession: Austerlitz (2018)
Definitely my favourite episode so far
Succession is a show that needs some time to take off - even though from a technical standpoint, there's nothing to complain about: The acting, cinematography, score, etc. Have been great from the start.
But the entertainment factor wasn't quite there in the first few episodes - which has changed now. The previous episode was a huge step up already, but this one was even better in my opinion. I'm surprised to see it not being rated higher.
The main storyline takes a step back, which is absolutely fine - because we finally get to see more of the humour that was already sprinkled throughout the previous episodes.
"Austerlitz" is a hilarious trainwreck and each character gets to have their moments. There were several moments when I had to laugh out loud and I am finally beginning to see why so many people love this show so much.
The Righteous Gemstones (2019)
Some good parts, but overall it just doesn't work out
The good parts:
- This show has an interesting premise - megachurches are an absurd concept with a lot of comedic potetial.
- Most of the actors are very good. John Goodman (Eli), Cassidy Freeman (Amber) and Tony Cavalero (Keefe) stuck out to me, as well as Walton Goggins (Baby Billy).
- There are some pretty funny moments, especially in the first few episodes.
The bad parts:
- The show takes itself way too serious. Instead of embracing the absurdity and the narcissism of the Gemstones, it tries to get us to care about them with melodramatic storylines and flashbacks to their past.
- The plot is a mess. I think that the show would have been a lot better with more simplistic, self-contained episodes.
- The attempted balance between comedy and drama just did not work out for me. Many other shows have successfully done it before, but The Righteous Gemstones had neither the characters, nor the setup for me to care about the dramatic parts - and the comedic parts suffered from it.
Tschugger (2021)
A hidden gem
Tschugger is the best Swiss TV show that I have ever seen. Which might also be due to the fact that I have never seen any other Swiss shows before.
But seriously, it's a very good show.
A lovely mix of crime and comedy, shot and edited in a unique manner. It's not very complicated or deep, but it is a lot of fun.
The actors are all very good and there are some really great characters in this show. My personal favourite is "Smetterling" the nerdy police apprentice.
"Tschugger" is at it's best, whent it makes fun of itself and the characters, which is most of the time. The more serious parts can be a bit cliché, but it is definitely a show worth watching in my opinion.
The story is finished after season two, the episodes are about 25 minutes in length. I wouldn't mind seeing more from the creators of this show, I will definitely keep an eye out.
Kohlrabenschwarz (2023)
From Bavaria with love
In my opinion, this weird little show is definitely one of the best German productions from recent years. Mostly set in Bavaria, it follows a psychologist working for the police who stumbles upon an increasingly unsettling series of cases. The common nominator: All crimes are committed by people following old myths and fairytales.
While the show mainly consists of mystery/crime elements and the general tone is rather dark, it does not take itself too seriously. There are a lot of humorous moments as well. The characters are (mostly) charming and somewhat unusual.
The cast, led by Michael Kessler, is magnificent. Not that many "big" names, but it looks like they were born to play those roles.
Visually, I loved it. There are a lot of beautiful shots and locations and the calm camerawork fits the story very well.
The first season is a little short (only 6 episodes, around 40 minutes long), but it makes for a great binge watch. I hope we get to see more soon.