User Profile
Lucy
Lucy - UK I like to watch shows that have intricate plots and great characters including dramas, thrillers, mysteries, crime dramas, superhero capers & those with sci-fi/fantasy settings. I love reviewing shows and discussing lists on sidereel too!
Reviews
It's a great show to watch with friends - we have a Eurovision party every year and get behind all the most ridiculous, entertaining, catchy music Europe has to offer. In recent years, the songs have improved considerably, and it's always a joy to hear such a range of music from other countries and cultures. Graham Norton also does the BEST commentary of the event, which is easily the highlight of the live final.
Fabulous cinematography and exquisite underwater camerawork make for a breathtaking underwater spectacle of a series. Considering our planet is mostly made up of water and oceans, it's amazing how little we see of them on tv, but Blue Planet captures every part of the waterways in glorious definition and celebrates the diversity beneath the waves.
Hugely enjoyable series exploring a wide range of influential artists and designers. Each episode is dedicated to one designer and their field of study, giving a great insight into their work, design process and personal approach to producing different pieces of work.
Each designer was very open about their work and influences and all managed to put their thoughts clearly into words and could all describe how they get from concept to final piece really well. It felt more like I was sitting down with a cup of tea having a chat with all 8 designers rather than watching a documentary! The passion and drive from all the individuals featured was extraordinary - they all had impressive portfolios of work and in sharing their work it felt like I was going on a very personal journey with them (totally teared up when the shoe designer and the car designer were sharing some deep stories).
I loved the mixture of documentary storytelling, following the journey of each designer and their many successful jobs, seeing current projects they were working on and a brief history of each field of design. I certainly have learnt lots about the world of design! Hopefull a second series will introduce us to even more brilliant artists and designers and explore their art of design too.
I've just finished season 8 and I can safely see why the series is known as “season gr8″, it had TONS of Destiel moments, better pacing than series 7 and interesting story arcs, new mythology and plenty of brotherly bonding and case fic hilarity we know and love.
So we start off the series with THE GLORIOUSNESS OF PURGATORY. Oh my gosh, I love how Dean is so much more himself and sure of his actions in purgatory. His friendship with Benny is fantastic and so different from his relationships with Sam, Cas and Bobby. Benny has a nice amount of screen time in the series, forming a rift between Sam and Dean (as it wouldn’t be Supernatural without the boys arguing over something….) and also provinding them with some different cases, and moral issues of whether ‘monsters’ should be helped. I loved how down to Earth Benny was and how Dean could overlook his vampirism because of his friendship and actions in purgatory to save both Dean and Cas.
Speaking of Dean and Cas, this season has been FANTASTIC for Destiel moments, many of them in purgatory THAT HUG and “I NEED YOU” being amongst my favourite bits of the entire show so far!! I love how close the boys got this series and how even when Dean had his doubts about Cas throughout the series, he still was worried about where he disappeared to and tried to protect Cas even when he didn’t know entirely what Cas was up to for most of the season. Cas in turn showed true loyalty to Dean by saying “I won’t hurt Dean” and refusing to betray the Winchesters. Such amazing eye sex and touching moments between Cas and Dean this season, all the feels ♥
Meanwhile, the whole Sam/Amelia subplot plays out in parallel to Dean/Cas. I liked the sass of Amelia and her stubborn and straight talking attitude. But Overall I feel she was more of a hook up for Sam than a partner. She had too many of Dean’s qualities that he needed when there was a Dean shaped hole in his life.
Other characters of mention should include my faves KEVIN TRAN AND CHARLIE BRADBURY returning this season! They were two of the best parts of season 7 (and definitely made it stronger) and I’m very pleased they returned for several episodes this season :D Kevin Tran and his mother played a large role in the angel tablet plot line and Kevin’s status as a prophet was fully utilised and appropriately incorporated into the storyline. Some of the emotions Kevin experiences in the season reflected what Sam and Dean faced early on in their hunting career and it was interesting to see how Dean and Sam reacted to Kevin’s anger, hurt and complete dedication to hunting/lore. Charlie brought some much appreciated geekery to her two episodes this season. LARPING AND PACMAN FEVER where some of the series highlights with Dean letting out his geek side and some great comic/more light hearted episodes :)
Lots of new plot lines and additions were included this season, most of which were very exciting! The introduction of the angel and demon tablets were a great mythology story arc and gave more layers to the angel storyline, strengthening Cas’s role in the season and also giving rise to more doubts about the nature of angels. Naomi was a very grey character and her agenda was very dark for an angelic being, showcasing the continuing discontent and chaos in heaven.
The tablet trials themselves were a great way to add drama to Dean and Sam’s relationship, and it ultimately brought them closer together over the course of the season, ending on a high note where they were perhaps closer than ever before. I did feel like the second and third trials were squeezed into the later stages of the season though and more time spent on this part of the season 8 story arc would have been appreciated!
The Men of Letters storyline and the history of hunting and lore was a lovely history/family style element and I greatly enjoyed the brief appearance of Henry Winchester and how the Winchesters fitted into the history of hunting the supernatural. The Men of Letters bunker is literally THE COOLEST PLACE EVER and I am so glad that after Bobby’s house and Rufus’s cabin the boys have a ‘home’ and a place which they can call their own.
In relation to the Men of Letters, Abbadon was introduced as a “knight of hell” and a fearsome adversary to the Winchesters and well everyone else too. She has power perhaps even greater than Crowley and her true motives aren’t yet clear so I am eager to see where this strong female villain goes next season!
Crowley also had a larger presence this season, becoming the Winchesters main enemy throughout with their battles with the prophet, and the angel and demon tablets. His sarcasm and sass really aids the momentum of episodes and his varying relationships with Dean, Sam, Cas and Kevin all make him one of the most developed characters on the show - he even showed his emotional side in the finale when Sam had the power to cure/kill him and that spoke volumes about his character development over the course of the season.
Interestingly, Metatron seems to be gearing up to be the next season’s ‘big bad’ after appearing friendly (but it was too friendly, so I never trusted him) he seems to be a power hungry evil bastard and I am NOT fond of what he is doing to Cas AT ALL >:( Again, he was a latecomer to the season, and it would have been nice to hear about him previously a little more so his introduction didn’t feel squashed in.
All in all, season 8 competently introduced a whole new world of exciting possibilities and characters to flesh out many seasons to come. I wish they’d paced all these new ideas out a little bit better but overall the season had a great mythology arc, super character development for all main characters and TONS OF DESTIEL MOMENTS so its a winning season in my eyes :D
Fast paced, tense and grounded in everyday realism, Hunted is a dynamic cat-and-mouse part documentary part game show thriller that really is engrossing viewing. Emotionally draining and full of poignant "to camera" moments from the contestants, Hunted breaks the 4th wall and then some.
Merlin's been a staple part of my Saturday night tv for years and although the historical inaccuracies and plot lines make me cringe on a very regular basis, it's a bromance between Merlin and Arthur along with a solid supporting cast that really make it essential viewing.
The character development with Arthur and Merlin is done very well over the 5 series and it's in part to the fantastic portrayal by the actors and partly the surprisingly accurate responses to the almighty events thrown at the two of them. And the on screen oh-my-gosh-just-kiss-already romance certainly helps things along! The camaraderie between the knights, Arthur and Merlin in the later series make the show feel very easy going and relatable (for a historical drama anyway!) and the beautiful soundtrack reminds you that it's a fantasy drama you're watching! All in all, enjoyable watching, if not the most developed or original series out there.
So I can finally claim my geek card as I have got round to watching the cult classic tv series FIREFLY! My sister and I watched all 14 episodes in just over a week :O
I can safely say that the show deserves it’s cult status. The crew of Serenity are basically scavengers and tradesmen trying to survive on the edge of space, bonded by war, love, loyalty and even desperation - which creates a great dynamic in the group and kind of a family feel.
The futuristic backdrop is well thought out, and ultimately timeless too; the mix of western and sci-fi worked really well (I was a bit worried it wouldn’t, but they pulled it off superbly). The story lines were captivating and different each time (I discovered that spn’s Ben Edlund wrote some of my favourite episodes!)
But for me what makes Firefly such a good show is it’s CHARACTERS. The show has 9 actors in it’s main cast, but each is developed, with their own back story and distinct personalities which reflect their background something which we are seeing less of these days…
By about episode 3, I was shouting at the tv "yes, that’s exactly what *insert character name here* would do!” and when your audience can understand your characters so quickly and really GET them, then you’ve got a winning show right there. Personal favourite character is probably a close tie between Zoe, Kaylee, Jayne, Mal… okay basically I loved everyone
It is such a shame the show was cancelled, I can see that it didn’t have the ‘umph’ and action packed feel that seems to be the norm these days, which is probably why the viewing figures weren’t spectacular. BUT YOU DON’T NEED ACTION PACKED TO HAVE A GOOD SHOW! As Firefly has undoubtedly proven here. In the meantime, I look forward to watching the follow-up film “Serenity” and applaud Joss Whedon on his fantastic efforts in creating the show.
I’D DEFINITELY RECOMMEND WATCHING IT!
At only 8 episodes, I’m amazed at how much plot and character development they got through, not to mention good attention to period details and a superb representation of women!
I did have some doubts about Agent Carter; was it going to be entirely focused on Peggy? Would it adhere to the 40’s period? Would it get lost in single episode ‘case fics’? I need have worried as the show got a really good balance going! Peggy Carter is first and foremost a complex main character, working as an agent, in what is almost entirely a men’s world, having to cover up her real job from anyone in the outside world and sort through her feelings about the war/Steve Rogers. It’s a great mix of emotions/conflicts to thread throughout the series and the show did a great job of balancing Peggy’s skill at her job with her more emotional reactions to what she sees and what she’s been through.
It’s a premise that works rather well, in 7 episodes (minus 1 for setting the scene, plot and characters up) Agent Carter manages to create a well thought out mystery/thriller with some unpredictable and gripping elements, it also includes a ton of character development for Peggy, Jarvis and also many of the recurring cast members. Thompson, one of Peggy’s fellow Agents, experiences severe PTSD during a mission, and once Peggy helps him through it, he develops into a much more rounded character - still with flaws - but we see how much he has grown over the course of the series. Sousa is another character who develops, and by the end of the series doesn’t let his disability define him.
The best part of season 2 was of course Peggy Carter herself. She’s still an excellent character with more intelligence, drive and guts than the rest of her work collegues, who this series respect her a lot more (hooray). Peggy also has a sensitivity and vulnerability, demonstrated this series through flashbacks of her life before the SSR and her developing relationships between the other characters. Her bantering/comedic friendship between herself and Mr Jarvis is still what holds the show together and I can easily see those two getting a spin off based on their super chemistry.
The other characters of Sousa, Thompson, Rose, Wilkes, Samberly and Ana Jarvis were all great. I loved Ana and her relationship with Jarvis and Peggy was fantastic. Not all characters had quite enough development this season, but they still all played their parts well and each had their own distinct personalities and diffferent reasons for wanting to help Peggy. Villian from season 1 Dottie Underwood returns briefly and combined with season 2′s villian Whitney Frost, there was anough danger and suspense to keep all the characters moving forwards to the end goal of keeping the city safe.
The plot was where this season fell down on, there was a secret council of old white men and a substance called ‘zero matter’ (a contradiction in itself) controlled by a physisit /actress Whitney Frost who wanted power because no one listened to her etc... it was a bit flimsy at times, and ‘invention ex machina’ was used to solve most problems. The entire season was set in LA/Hollywood but aside a few very direct references, it could have been any city in the US - some areas of the show felt a little under utilised, but considering it was only 10 episodes long, I’ll make some allowances.
Overall Agent Carter was a fun watch, but nearly as dazzling as it could have been. A bit of script tightening, and a little more plot and more of a focus on Peggy’s overall story (and that of her friends) might have just clinched a third season for the show. Either way I shall certainly miss having such a dynamic and interesting female character on the screen. Peggy Carter I am a huge fan of you ♥
This review contains spoilers. Click the text to reveal.
This is a fantastically creative show. Visually stunning, ingeniously written and acted well with mesmerising special effects, Legion was a wild ride that kept me guessing all the way through. The best way I can describe it is a cross between Inception, Stranger Things and X-Men, with Hannibal like visuals and a timeless 60's retro look.
Although it's technically set in the X-men universe, it makes no references to this, apart from using the word "mutant". It's definitely not a traditional superhero story, closer to a character exploration piece, combined with a mystery and a love story?! Either way, it's a refreshing change to watch a show that breaks out of narrative norms and executes itself so creatively.
I would go into more detail about the plot, characters etc, but I think Dan Stevens (David Haller) summed it up best at Comicon when he said that whilst watching Legion we should "enjoy the confusion". So just go watch this magical piece of art, and enjoy being confused and entertained immensely.
Wolfblood is a fantastic drama series, mainly made for teens but as an adult I greatly enjoyed it too! Seasons 1-3 revolve around fitting into school and home life as a tennager (or Wolfblood teenager in some cases!), whereas seasons 4-5 feature almost an entirely new cast and are more about the wider Wolfblood world, mythology and discusses real world events such as minority groups and uprisings.
The writing is excellent for a 'childrens' show and the storylines have good depth that allows all the main characters to have their own story arcs and substantial character development. The early seasons focus on fitting in and school life, a common subject matter for teen shows, but they also look at growing up, developing an identity, trusting friends and keeping the Wolfblood secret. Lots of great acting and often emotional scenes giving a good look at growing up in the UK today, as well as navigating being secretly different. The wonderful cinematography of northern England and the forests is a particular joy of the early seasons.
Seasons 4-5 are definitely more grown up and deal with the wider world of Wolfbloods, the science behind the transformations and how being a Wolfblood fits into the modern life. Jana is a great character to bring these storylines to the forefront and her own struggles with her identity (being 'wild' or 'tame') are tested and explored along with a great cast of characters. Sadly a lot fo themes from the seasons are relevant to the real world, and these powerful themes of identity, trust, nationalism, race and conspiracy are all dealt with senstively and powerfully - the main message being don't change who you are for others, keep true to yourself.
I really can't recommend this show highly enough, great acting, writing and discussion of poignant points, yes it's aimed at kids so its very predictable at times, but it's well rounded and produced highly so all can enjoy it. Also major kudos to CBBC for having a muslim character who's a Tae Kwon Do champion, Romanian children who are adopted and two characters in a same sex relationship - yay for representation!