Reviews
This show is actually pretty terrible. The writing is weak and shows a fundamental lack of knowledge and understanding of wealth, power, and international diplomacy. Every episode offers at least one moment that leaves the view shaking their head at what the writers think a royal life could be like.
Yet, I can't wait to watch every week.
Elizabeth Hurley (Queen Helena) is absolutely channeling Joan Collins at her Dynasty best, chewing up every bit of the beautiful sets. Joan Collins herself made an appearance as the Grand Duchess, Helena's mother, and I await with baited breath further interaction between the two.
William Moseley drives out any memory of Narnia's High King Peter with his portrayal of the charming playboy Prince Liam. Moseley's Liam is very much a man you would like to have a beer with ... but would never leave alone with your sister.
I wasn't expecting to like Alexandra Park as Princess Eleanor but she has imbued her character with a backbone not found in the script. I hope she gets better storylines in the future.
Merritt Patterson has done a fine job as Ophelia, love interest of Prince Liam and daughter of the head of royal security, unfortunately for Patterson the poor writing leaves the feeling her character is unnecessary. Ophelia is intended as an audience surrogate, friends with the Princess, sleeping with the Prince, a capable foil for the Queen. We don't need Ophelia to humanize the royals when they are written like they are the coolest, wealthiest family in a city of 50,000 people rather than the rulers of a nation, the latest iteration of an ancient tradition.
I love this terrible show and hope it lasts long enough to get better.
WOW.
Don't let some of the goofiness of some of the advertising dissuade you. This show is absolutely the successor to Weeds, but with a much more empathetic protagonist.
I have a new summer show and I can't wait to tell everyone I know to watch.
There really isn't much to say. Daria is an icon. The character and show are the perfect encapsulation of 90's youth culture.
Episode synopses for Brassic read like the craziest stories you and your friends tell of nights of shenanigans and poor decision-making. That is the magic of the world creator Joe Gilgun (of This Is England and Preacher fame) has made. Wild tales of petty crimes are grounded by relatable human frailties and familial love. You can feel the love between the characters and it is their desire to take care of each other that makes the stories seem reasonable enough at the time.
I love this show. It is sweet, smart, engaging. GG reminds me of the best parts of shows like The Adventures of Pete and Pete.
It deals with childhood's triumphs and losses (and losses too big for childhood) without being saccrine or condescending.
Watch it.
This is absolutely THE show of the summer. Mr. Robot was that last show to grab me this hard and before that was probably Sherlock.
Yes this is a "horror" show and it is a bit scary and very disturbing but it is so much more. All credit to Kirkman, much like The Walking Dead, the things that go bump in the night are just the backdrop for the real horror that is humanity.
I watched the first six episodes in rapid succession and I can't wait for more. This show has ruined me for much of the mindless garbage I have running for background noise.
I appreciate how life in a small southern town is handled as well. The show is populated with people, not caricatures. Worn out tropes about "dumb rednecks and hillbillies" are largely avoided as characters make choices based on the information available to them and within the framework of their culture. (An extra tip of the hat to Patrick Fugit for a deftly handled accent. Too often Southern Accents are handled with the delicacy of Dick Van Dyke's Cockney accent in Marry Poppins.)
One of the best shows I've seen in a long time. Fight Club with a cyberpunk twist.
Visually it is different from most anything else you will see on TV. It is shot more like a movie than a tv show.
The Tribe is one of those shows best watched with nostalgia.
A post-apocalyptic teen drama from New Zealand, the acting is uneven and the world construction is inconsistent. I think the patchy acting can be forgiven in a show with a massive ensemble cast of actual teens, almost no Dawson casting here, pulled from a relatively small population. The inconsistent world construction is probably related to the show being an unexpected worldwide hit pre-social media.
All that said, it is a hard show to jump into for a contemporary audience who doesn't already hold a fondness for the characters. In the show the world ended in the late 90's ... and that makes the whole thing very dated.