Reviews

I really want to like this show. The characters are interesting, the atmosphere is fun and intriguing, and on the surface a show with mystery, murders, and treasure hunting sounds like a great adventure. That said, the pacing is inconsistent, the plot seems primarily to move forward due to a combination of literally every character at some point behaving in ways that destroy any shred of character development and makes them seem like a moron and the characters' collective unwillingness to even try to use direct communication or listening skills, and an utter detachment from any sense of realism except for when realism too is forcibly inserted to cause drama. An example is that social services looking to ensure minors have appropriate care are part of the drama in season 1, only to be notably absent later on despite there being public acknowledgment that a bunch of minors who have been missing are "safe and home"- but more than one is literally homeless and without any sort of guardian? Because the characters behave so very out of character in order to drive the plot forward and add drama, by the time season 3 rolled around hardly anyone was likeable, and season 3 is only further damaging their likeability. The acting is overall good and it's not the worst thing airing, but it's at best a sporadically entertaining lazy mess. I think it's a solid 6- it's a bit above average but not "good".

I'm surprised by the negative reviews. I think both seasons are good, though I personally enjoyed the first season more. To me season 1 was more creepy, suspenseful, and disturbing in vibe while season 2 is more gory horror. Both seasons had great acting, interesting characters, and intriguing commentary on humanity, society, and morality. I think the show was able to really explore the core concept and repercussions of what a purge would mean for the world in a way that the movies couldn't- I think it's an interesting idea, so to me that would have been worth trying regardless. But I think the acting, personal journeys of the characters, suspense, and acting delivered far more than I'd expected going into the experience. I definitely recommend.

I loved Vikings. It was really stellar the first few seasons, and quite good or average through season 4 and a lot of season 5. I don't know if it's the sheer number of characters or the showrunners trying to do too much, but after season 4 they began relying more and more on taking viewers things rather than showing them. The biggest and most egregious examples of this, unfortunately, have to do with character development- people act out of character all the time without evidence of why they would do certain things, but in a lot of the worst examples there's a bit of exposition attempting to explain it after the fact. That, or the show relies on magic and handwaves the nonsense it's shoving in between epic fight scenes and attempts at intrigue. It's really a shame since it started so strong and the acting is excellent.

I loved Vikings. It was really stellar the first few seasons, and quite good or average through season 4 and a lot of season 5. I don't know if it's the sheer number of characters or the showrunners trying to do too much, but after season 4 they began relying more and more on taking viewers things rather than showing them. The biggest and most egregious examples of this, unfortunately, have to do with character development- people act out of character all the time without evidence of why they would do certain things, but in a lot of the worst examples there's a bit of exposition attempting to explain it after the fact. This episode really has a lot of random dramatic events that don't make sense for the characters or within the context of what's going on, but it's cool and exciting at least. That, or the show relies on magic and handwaves the nonsense it's shoving in between epic fight scenes and attempts at intrigue. It's really a shame.

MenuSearch Your Contribution 27 June 2020 #200627-180546-303004

Pilot (15 January 2019) Series: Roswell, New Mexico ( It seems a ton of people watched the pilot or the first few episodes of the first season and wrote the show off. I loved the original and was excited to give this a try. Personally, I liked the pilot alright, but on my first watch of it was still skeptical. It certainly wasn't perfect, 9 some of the writing was underwhelming and cheesy, though the same can be said for the original series. I was open to changes to the characters- the fact that the show is about young adults rather than high school students, that the cast is more diverse than in the original show- and I was tentatively optimistic that sticking with the show would pay off. It did.

This is a really fresh take on the basic story of the original show, and I am loving it. I won't say that the two shows can't be compared, but I will instead argue that they should be considered for what they are. Roswell, New Mexico is a reboot of the ideas about the original, not a copy. They're both great, but they're not meant to be the same. The characters are complex and dynamic, as with 9 original. The alien lore is just as intriguing. I appreciate that the creators of the reboot aren't allowing themselves to be boxed in and limited to merely following the course of the original. They've created something unique and worthwhile in its own right that still captures a lot of the spirit of the original and offers a lot of fun nostalgic moments with its 90s music and easter eggs. It was great seeing Jason Behr in the second season, and I hope we'll have more nods to the original in the future.I've watched the entirety of seasons one and two- it's a solid 8.

It seems a ton of people watched the pilot or the first few episodes of the first season and wrote the show off. I loved the original and was excited to give this a try. Personally, I liked the pilot alright, but on my first watch of it was still skeptical. It certainly wasn't perfect, 9 some of the writing was underwhelming and cheesy, though the same can be said for the original series. I was open to changes to the characters- the fact that the show is about young adults rather than high school students, that the cast is more diverse than in the original show- and I was tentatively optimistic that sticking with the show would pay off. It did.

This is a really fresh take on the basic story of the original show, and I am loving it. I won't say that the two shows can't be compared, but I will instead argue that they should be considered for what they are. Roswell, New Mexico is a reboot of the ideas about the original, not a copy. They're both great, but they're not meant to be the same. The characters are complex and dynamic, as with 9 original. The alien lore is just as intriguing. I appreciate that the creators of the reboot aren't allowing themselves to be boxed in and limited to merely following the course of the original. They've created something unique and worthwhile in its own right that still captures a lot of the spirit of the original and offers a lot of fun nostalgic moments with its 90s music and easter eggs. It was great seeing Jason Behr in the second season, and I hope we'll have more nods to the original in the future.

To be fair, Cinderella is not the most complex or interesting in terms of plot or character development. This version is cute, beautifully created, and very family friendly. However, it was disappointing that the music of the animated version was not included, and it was an utter waste of Lily James as Cinderella that they only had her sing a song during the end credits. Take note, Disney- the iconic music of your films is a major draw, and not including it really diminishes the quality of your adaptations. Beauty and the Beast was way better, in part because of the music.

I'm not sure if this is true for others, but the first review that comes up for me describes the show as unrealistic and promoting sleeping around, lying, and other debauchery- the main complaints I've seen about this show seem to be that it promotes sex, lying, sleeping around etc. or is ageist and sexist. What these reviewers seem to believe is that the show is either a guide to life that must teach morals directly, or that it is apparently not a tongue-in- cheek comedy using stereotypes to make social commentary in a humorous way. It is not a how-to guide on being a woman in today's world, and since it isn't a children's show, I don't see why anyone would be concerned that the characters are not all traditionally moral, conservative individuals. I, personally, prefer characters that make mistakes, grow, learn, and change, and have diverse viewpoints. This show has that, and for what it's worth, the main protagonist is neither 'slutty' nor wildly amoral and evil, but is instead rather 'normal' and sympathetic.

I would say that the show is witty, humorous, and at times thought- provoking. The characters are, in fact, more complex than the stereotypes they portray, and anything seemingly sexist or ageist is done deliberately and self-deprecatingly. Yes, it IS unrealistic that a woman over 40 would have to pretend to be in her 20s to get a job. That's the point. Would anyone really go into watching a show with the premise that a 40 year old divorcée is successfully passing as a 25 year old college grad in order to get a job and expect realism?

The show takes little kernels of reality and makes them more absurd, extreme, and unrealistic in order to present a charming, funny show that still provides some insight into social perceptions.

Also note that I managed to watch and enjoy the entire season without feeling the need to sleep around, lie pathologically, or mock anyone over the age of 40.