coles_notes Reviews

Cavendish (2019– )

Above Average

[6/10 · 21 May 2024]

Created by Garry Campbell (Kids in the Hall), Andrew Bush, and Mark Little, and starring the latter two as the leads we follow brothers Mark and Andy, returning home to Cavendish, PEI to reunite with their father and contend with the oddly supernatural on-goings around the small town. A charming, light hearted comedy, Mark Little holds the show together in a lot of ways, like a cheery glue, and from what I've seen elsewhere he plays largely an exaggerated version of himself, but of course that was enjoyable. Kathryn Greenwood joins as Ruth, the maybe-maybe not love interest of the two's father, very funny character and my personal favourite. Cut short at only a single season, from what I can gather due to covid pandemic reasons, the series had good legs and I would have loved to see the dynamics play out for at least another season or two. I'll still hold out hope for more, but until then, enjoyable quick watch.

Pluto (2023)

Good

[7/10 · 13 May 2024]

Based on the manga of the same name by Naoki Urasawa (Monster), and itself a loosely based on / alternative spin-off of Astro Boy, we follow Gesicht, an advanced Europol robot agent as he investigates a string of murders, and perhaps the first time a robot has killed a human in nearly a decade. That investigation quickly spirals, as he follows the trail back through is past, up to the current world powers, and to some of his closest friends: the seven great robots of the 39th Central Asian War. Again, a series that is somewhat built within the Astro Boy universe, for any fans of that series there will be plenty of familiar faces, but I would guess (myself included) most were not too aware. The story is very good, its not necessary to know any of the previous works, and I must say the animation was fantastic. I was quite impressed with its style, including the interesting use of 3D animation for certain effects / scenes. The plot has plenty of characters and a number of twists, most which I enjoyed, although some were a bit eye-rolling, especially towards the end, but most sci-fi tends that way. With premises like the invasion of a Persian country in search of "robots of mass destruction" only to not find any, and an angry, AI hating man who wants to exterminate all robots named Adolf, its a bit too on the nose, perhaps I'd have preferred a bit more nuance or subtlety. At only 8 episodes, although each longer at nearly an hour each, it felt complete without wasting time. I would have loved more, especially backstory, but I understand that's not what it was here to tell. For fans of sci-fi and / or anime would certainly recommend, good show.

Cleopatra 2525 (2000–2001)

Bad

[3/10 · 13 May 2024]

Created by R. J. Steward (Xena) and Rob Tapert, and produced by Tapert alongside Sam Raimi (also Xena, Hercules, Evil Dead), we follow Cleo (Jennifer Sky), a nightclub dancer who doesn't wake up after a breast augmentation surgery, only to be "thawed" 500 years later in the year 2525. Finding herself deep underground in "the shafts", humans last remaining civilizations, she must work with two other warriors Hel (Gina Torres) and Sarge (Victoria Pratt) to fight against the evil "Bailey" robots which have killed all on the surface. Extremely cheesy, with terrible writing and acting, the series really skirts the line between parody / satire and just being problematic, but its often played off more like a Xena or similar with the scantily ladies and sexuality turned up to eleven. Airing back to back with Jack of All Trades, also produced by the Tapert+Raimi duo and starring Bruce Campbell, I had previously watched that series so at the chance to view this one I took it. While I don't regret the viewing, its honestly pretty bad. The CGI isn't terrible, but it also isn't good, and everything practical looks like its made of rubber. All the stunts appear to be done by the actors themselves, so props to that, although the fights weren't exactly the craziest choreography; it mostly uses wires and fast moving cameras to feign action. Obviously the directing is extremely Raimi, so if you don't like a constantly moving camera you won't like this, I don't think there's a single two frames that stay still in the entire thing. All said, even as a fun campy background show, I'd certainly take Xena, M. A. N. T. I. S., or even the newer Ash Vs Evil Dead over this any day. That said if you've seen all the others and its just something to check off your list, it does exist.

La guêpe et l'orchidée (2023)

Good

[8/10 · 7 May 2024]

Covering rural Tunisia during the 1990s into present day, the introduction of electricity + television to its communities, and the impact it had on the future generations of Tunisians promised a better future in a far away land by the lights in the box. Quite slow in its methods, Saber Zammouri, the director and one of said immigrants to Paris, takes his time showing rather than telling, without any sort of long exposition or direct message. The first half of the film includes many steady camera, and quite gorgeous I must say, shots of the Tunisian village, its now aging inhabitants, and the dry, almost desolate world around them. The unmistakable sounds of a television fill the air, backed by the soft hum of a fan as we overlook barren dessert sands blowing against the ever growing cracks of a rammed earth building, window shutters long forgotten and broken. Inside, multiple men watch the single tv, now hooked up with internet calls, showing their friends and relatives in Paris, as they all chat and watch the local politics. In the later half of the film we're revealed the realities of the world promised them by the tv at a young age: the concrete jungle of Paris, where many in Tunisia were told of prosperity and a strong future. Again with few words, the film juxtaposes both this separation of rural Tunisia and the hearts of Paris, with much faster paced handicam footage of dark Paris alleyways, and we see many shots of dozens of megascreens displaying all sorts of advertisements at all hours of the night. Again, a slow watch, but one that was worth the patience, I left feeling quite depressed and directionless, which I'd say is perhaps exactly the goal. For those interested of the social impacts of technology and propaganda, would recommend if you can get your hands on it.

Baby Reindeer (2024)

Great

[8/10 · 7 May 2024]

A short miniseries of 7 episodes we follow the semi-autobiographical account of Richard Gadd, the star and creator of the series, through his troubled history, attempts in the world of stand-up comedy, and eventual spiral as becomes the latest victim of a serial stalker. Of course following a mostly true account the entire series has a much more significant weight to it, and the story is spoken through such raw honesty and vulnerability that many episodes will leave you weak. With that of course comes the warning of heavy themes of trauma, specifically sexual assault, but its such a powerful story to hear Gadd tell, even if difficult. He keeps things generally entertaining throughout, which is a massive feat in itself, coping with comedy comes through strong in this one. Jessica Gunning as Martha Scott, the said stalker of Gadd's character, honestly runs away with it, her performance is chilling. If you like these kinds of heavy series, this is the best I've seen in a while, but again it can be tough to watch. Would hesitantly recommend, great show.

Very Important People (2023– )

Above Average

[6/10 · 7 May 2024]

Not to be confused with the British sketch series of the same name, this V. I. P. Was created for Dropout streaming and is hosted by Vic Michaelis. Each episode a new comedian is given a blind complete makeover, after which they must make up a new personality on the spot and perform and interview. Including anything from otherworldly aliens to a struggling health specialist, the interviews can get pretty wilds and are always a good time watching these improvisational experts do their thing. Vic does a good job as the host, playing things quite straight to let the guests shine with goofiness. Obviously some episodes land more than others, but overall I had fun, if you already have dropout would recommend.

Parasyte: The Maxim (2014–2015)

Good

[7/10 · 29 April 2024]

Based on the manga of the same name we follow Shinichi Izumi, a teenage high schooler who suddenly becomes infected by a parasite in his arm; shape-shifting beings who only seems set on killing who have began appearing throughout Japan. Naming him Migi ("right" in Japanese), Izumi is then thrust into protecting himself and eventually the entirety of humanity in the fight against these invaders as he teams up with the unlikeliest of allies. Inspired by The Thing and others like it, Parasyte was a very fun ride, though short at only its single season 24 episode run. The main premise itself is a bit to be expected, although there are many twists and turns along the way that I can certainly say I never expected. A brutal show, there's of course significant gore and heavy themes of violence, but the interpersonal drama is done in a good enough way that those more horrific scenes have a much more tangible weight. The animation is done quite well, except during any of its (luckily few) 3D rendered scenes. I didn't love its conclusions, and it didn't answer near as much as I would have liked, but I'm honestly glad on how restrained it was given how crazy it could have gotten, and I'm glad I flipped it on. If you're a fan of these kinds of anime would certainly recommend.

Total Forgiveness (2019)

Above Average

[6/10 · 29 April 2024]

One of the earlier Dropout series, I believe I had caught this once before but not remembering much decided to give its short single season another go after re-subscribing to the platform. Two good friends, Ally Beardsley and Grant O'Brien, must slowly challenge each other to ever more difficult dares, with each subsequent challenge earning more cash to pay directly into both's crippling amassed college debt. With tens of thousands of dollars on the line, the challenges start tame but slowly ramp into the insane and the cringe, as the series tests the relationship of the two and how far they're willing to go to be financially unburdened. Each episode was fun in their own way, and of course I love Beardsley and enjoyed O'Brien, but production-wise the show felt a little too loose and I think could have benefitted with a bit more foresight (and scripting) for the unscripted format. That said things tie up well, and while we never got another follow up like it, I don't know if we could. If you already like College Humor or have Dropout, would recommend.

Make Some Noise (2022– )

Good

[7/10 · 22 April 2024]

Created by and hosted by Sam Reich as a spin-off "unchanged" from their previous Game Changer, episodes each take on three comedic guests as they take turns improvising to prompts given by the host. A fairly old format, the series is a fun enough spin, and has clever enough prompts, that it works. That's of course nothing to mention that guests themselves which are of course the talent and draw to the series (and Dropout in general), and everything you'd hope and expect from this is on show here. While there is the odd weaker episode, as a whole its a blast, and I was roaring with laughter on multiple occasions. Taking inspiration of course from many before it, from the original Whose Line is it Anyway to the newer @midnight, for fans of improv and the format would certainly recommend.

Slings and Arrows (2003–2006)

Perfect

[9/10 · 15 April 2024]

Created by Susan Coyne, Bob Martin, and Mark McKinney as well as starring Coyne and McKinney, we follow Geoffrey Tennant (played by Paul Gross), a troubled and struggling theatre director who's life drastically changes when he reunites with his old director Oliver Welles (played by Stephen Ouimette) and becomes involved with the New Burbage Theatre Festival. Each season follows Geoffrey as he puts on his latest Shakespearean production and all the antics that follow. Honestly the characters in this series were all phenomenal, I loved the cast. The writing was crisp and nuanced, there was a very clear love for theatre, acting, and of course Shakespeare put into the work, and with such a clear vision we end up with something consistently as powerful as it is entertaining. Lots of laughs, I genuinely found the series quite funny, and its drama is as equally nuanced; strong enough I teared up more than once over its run. Season one featured Rachel McAdams and the production of Hamlet which was a joy, and each season following was surprisingly equally strong in subtly different ways. In the end of its three seasons I can say was a treat. If you're a fan of Shakespeare, or you're not and want to be, would highly recommend.

Fallout (2024– )

Above Average

[6/10 · 15 April 2024]

Created by Geneva Roberts and Graham Wagner for Amazon Prime, we follow Lucy MacLean (Ella Purnell), an underground vault dweller hundreds of years after nuclear war has destroyed most the surface of the globe. A story familiar for fans of the games, Lucy must adventure to the surface to rescue her father and discover what kind of civilization is left intact in the irradiated, monster-ridden world above. As a show there are considerable shortcomings, but ultimately quite a good time. A franchise based around heavy world building the show hits the ground running introducing us to the lore and the backstory, through the lens of 4 or so characters in places and times. Again for those already familiar with the games this rapid catch-up may seem fine, however a series introduction the opening is considerably blocky, with strange pacing, and frankly weird dialogue. As someone who has played much of the games, there's a lot to be said on the production choices around which were to give that "video game" feel, however I don't like many of those choices, personally. Characters only interacts as if its a Bethesda engine, lots of standing and talking, sitting and talking, or walking and talking. Characters never have business, or things to practically do, in scenes. And the opposite, during any scenes of movement or action montages we get basically zero dialogue, sometimes for minutes at a time. If really does feel like watching a video game at points, in a subtle way the bad first-person scenes in the new Halo adaptation didn't even capture. However these choices may certainly appeal to some and they certainly seem to, totally fair. There are also tons of references to things across all the games, which was neat, although ascetically its of course continuing into the heavier saturation, Todd Howard version of the Fallout universe, most prominent now in the styles of the games 76 and Shelter, which again of course makes sense as he serves as a producer. Some practical props were hit and miss, as was the CGI. Things in scenes and backgrounds tended to look great, however hero props the characters actually held were often very cardboard / rubber looking. And I don't wanna talk about the de-aging CGI. Narratively as we progress the series improves although as story twist after story twist comes, especially towards the end, I didn't mind them, they just rarely felt justified by what lead up to it. That said the set pieces and wardrobe are all great, I was extremely impressed. Acting is all suitable, Purnell as Lucy was good, I of course loved Walton Goggins' performance. Ultimately a pretty fun story that does eventually come together once it gets going, although I expect may be a bit confusing or lacking for those completely unfamiliar with the lore from the games. I liked it, didn't love it, but will definitely check out the next season whenever that comes.

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (2023– )

Great

[8/10 · 8 April 2024]

Produced by Madhouse and based on the manga of the same name by Kanehito Yamada, we follow Frieren, a thousand+ year old elven mage, still wandering in search of rare magic and spells now nearly a century after she and her band of heroes already saved the world by defeating the Demon King. Sad she didn't get to know her companions well enough during those short but consequential decade of her life, she begins a new adventure to the ends of the earth to find the place where souls rest, so she can finally meet them once again. A lovely twist on the expected structure, Frieren is gorgeous in its animation and very strong in its characters and world building. While mostly focusing on Frieren herself as a backdrop with her past adventures saving the world, she slowly forms a new troupe of companions to travel with her on her new adventures. I honestly had a lot of fun with this one and am very much looking forward to more. While not doing anything unexpected with many of the tropes of the genre, the series is just consistently well done and well produced. Again the animation is stunning, more in the backdrops and still shots of the world around them, but also those few dynamic scenes that do happen are always done well. It's just fun, funny, good time. If adventure fantasy anime seems your type of thing this one is up there, would recommend.

The Starlost (1973–1974)

Above Average

[6/10 · 2 April 2024]

Created by writer Harlan Ellison for CTV, we follow the Earthship Ark, a massive spacecraft far flung into the universe hundreds of years after fleeing a dying Earth. Presumably inhabited with billions, the Ark is made of many biosphere domes, each their own isolated civilizations fostering some culture, technology, or industry to future generations once the Ark can find a new replacement for the lost Earth. We follow three leads, escapees from a more primitive religious dome as they wander the ship's halls and slowly discover its history and unpredictable future. The format follows a fairly expected framework, with the three generally moving from dome to dome per episode, with each then presenting some dilemma based on the precepts of that dome, a la Twilight Zone mixed with a bit of Star Trek. Harlan Ellison himself, the creator known for much darker sci-fi, namely I Have No Mouth But I Must Scream, would have likely hated that description of the final product. He quickly left the show prior to the first even airing due to the network "dumbing down his narrative", which does come through in what we get, but it also was 1973 network television, so what can you expect. The world building and overarching structure of the series was great, and while definitely cheesy and apparently not quite what they'd hoped, the costuming and special effects are all fun and honestly well enough done for the time. The acting isn't always the best, nor is the writing, but none of its necessarily bad. Slow paced, with a tendency to be a bit soapy and overdramatic, its short enough that for sci-fi lovers, especially of this era's sci-fi, would recommend. This show can certainly be... of assistance.

Judge Judy (1996–2021)

Good

[7/10 · 2 April 2024]

Created by the titular Judy Sheindlin presiding as judicator, Judge Judy takes on real cases, with real people, in small claims court televised for the world to see. Influenced heavily by the earlier The People's Court, the series quickly became a hit with Sheindlin's quick wit and stern but fair decision making. The cases are often just up to the point of ridiculous, with those chosen being the more dramatic of the applicants, a process in itself bringing into light the nature of the show's production. A "public" courtroom involving flying out to a Hollywood studio for filming, this often leaves waiting months for decision making (and presumably real court procedure) in order to be on the show. Which further goes into the technical legalities of it all, from my understanding while not acting as an official judge of any specific jurisdiction, with her instead acting as arbitrator with final decision making power, which could then be used in further court should one party not comply. All said, Sheindlin is so fun to watch, and takes nothing from anyone, in all the best day-time reality ways. I've watched a bad amount of episodes at this point, and more power to her for keeping it going so strong so long, with its many similar spin-offs and similarly styled clones over the years, it's clearly something to uphold. It's also my grandma's favourite show of all time, so I'd never dare say anything bad about it. Pure entertainment, would recommend.

The Gentlemen (2024)

Average

[5/10 · 25 March 2024]

Created and directed by Guy Ritchie (Snatch, Sherlock Holmes) and starring Theo James as the lead, we follow Edward Horniman, the second son of a wealthy English landowner who is given his estate upon his death, superseding his older brother, and unknowingly also inheriting the past black market criminal relationships of his father. I liked previous Guy Ritchie stuff, so a longer form series certainly peaked my interest. Unfortunately it follows many of my initial fears in that it ends up feeling more a 10 hour, 10-act movie, than it does a properly paced serial. Expecting Ritchies usually punchiness in style, we do get that, but its so drawn out that at times the show feels a crawl, I was surprised how bored I often was. The characters are all turned up to eleven, which was to be expected, but tonally its not quite as funny or satirical as I've felt his other works have landed, sometimes it does feel a bit too macho serious, at others just goofy. Production-wise its top notch. Definitely high budget, looks very pretty, all the suits and outfits are very cool, as of course are the sets. There were some of the post-production choices I didn't like, namely the directors notes writing over the top of some scenes (very Guy Ritchie), especially where it just felt like the writers thinking they were really clever and over-explaining plot. Ritchie is a great director, and if you like his style, you'll like his work in this. Every shot feels unique, he clearly spent a lot of his focus there. Unfortunately the writing, characters, dialogue, not my favourite. The main plot being the classic never ending fetch quests for macguffins, this time from crime boss to new crime boss. Very bland, surface level characters, all tropes. Again could be argued was for the sake of satire but I don't really buy it. In the end, it was competently made, but I don't think it was good, especially on a narrative level. All said I didn't even realize until more than half way through this that it was actually a spin-off of another 2019 Guy Ritchie film of the same name. Should I watch that? Will it re-contextualize everything for the better? I'd guess not, but as for this, if it seems like your kinda thing it probably is. Wasn't mine.

PEN15 (2019–2021)

Perfect

[9/10 · 25 March 2024]

Created by Maya Erskine, Anna Konkle, and Sam Zvibleman, and starring both Erskine and Konkle, we follow Maya and Anna, two 13 year old best friends experiencing their lives in middle school with all the comedy, drama, and chaos that brings. A fictitious comedy based on the creator's actual childhoods (although they actually met in college), we get a brutally honest, and genuinely funny comedy, one of the best I've seen in a while. I gut laughed hard nearly every episode, and more than once it had me in tears. Erskine's physical comedy (especially after first seeing her in the newer Mr and Mrs Smith) was absolutely hilarious, and her and Anna's friendship was a joy to watch. Often representing very genuine, difficult realities, the show doesn't shy away from tough concepts, but still somehow does so in a way thats enjoyable and earnest. Extremely well written, directed, and performed, the clear vision / voice of the creators comes through so strongly, it just couldn't be anything else. I loved it, it felt complete although short at only 2 seasons, I would highly recommend for a mostly good, but very real time.

Wartime Farm (2012)

Good

[7/10 · 18 March 2024]

Another follow up to the previous _ Farm series we're again joined by Ruth Goodman, Peter Ginn, and Alex Langlands, as we follow the trio of historians and archeologists as they live on a historical WWII era British farm throughout the seasons of a calendar year, as an explorations into daily life on the farm how it would have been during its height. Generally speaking the more modern the history the less I'm engaged, but I must say this was one of the most fascinating of the series so far because of it. Throughout we get many lived experience retellings of the troubled times, the might of those left in Britain during the raids, struggling to produce whatever goods they could. If you're a fan of history, particularly WWII history, this series shines some light on impacts of the war not as often told. Would certainly recommend.

Tudor Monastery Farm (2013)

Above Average

[6/10 · 18 March 2024]

The final of the _ Farm series (so far), this time joined by Ruth Goodman, Peter Ginn, and Tom Pinfold, the latter a newbie of the bunch. Sadly Alex Langlands from the previous series is missing, and is certainly missed. The farthest back in history gone yet at representing life ~500 years ago, I was immediately impressed and reminded of the dedication of staying in period clothing and dress throughout. This has been true for all the series, and is particularly a treat when there's larger gatherings or others of particular industry with specific garb, but it really honestly is impressive the detail they put into particulars. That all said, going back so far in time I imagine things get increasingly more difficult (and expensive) to reproduce in the modern era for television. At only again 6 episodes like the original series, we somewhat feel rushed through the period, and never get a true sense they were truly living there. Again understandable as living a true monastery lifestyle would be a whole different dedication required than even representing Victorian / Edwardian farming periods as some modern luxuries still made life generally livable (for middle / upper classes) without relying on mass communities for basic tasks. All said, was definitely interesting and informative, but the three hosts seemed the most tired and detached for this one. I still haven't checked out the Victorian Pharmacy series, itself a spin-off of Victorian Farm, so fingers crossed Tubi also adds it eventually. As for this one, if you've seen all the others, or are particularly interested in this time period, would recommend.

Pokémon Concierge (2023)

Great

[8/10 · 4 March 2024]

After re-getting Netflix for the new Avatar and needing something to sponge out my brain this recommendation immediately caught my eye. A big fan of Pokemon growing up, and an even bigger fan of animation now, Pokemon Concierge was a treat through and through. Fun in both its lighthearted stories of life on a serene Pokemon island resort as well as its stunning stop motion animation, seeing each new pokemon and how they'd been crafted was joy. Primarily following Haru, played by Non, the newest employee and concierge at the Pokemon resort as she helps visiting Pokemon make the most of their vacations. Equally impressive and adorable, and very short and sweet at only 4 sub 20 minute episodes, it made for a great afternoon watch. Would recommend to anyone and everyone, and especially fans of Pokemon to begin with. I look forward to hopefully seeing more.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (2018– )

Average

[5/10 · 4 March 2024]

Looking to branch out in my anime watching I was fascinated with this new-ish seeming satire based subgenre of isekai anime (anime where characters suddenly find themselves in some other world / life) which doubles down on both the main character being unreasonably powerful trope along with having some ridiculously long gimmicky name. This one continually coming up on lists as one of the "first" and highest ranked examples, we follow Rimuru, a middle aged Japanese man who suddenly died, being transported and transformed into a small blue androgynous slime. Somehow a magic being in their head is able to answer any question asked and they quickly set about powering up and making friends. The series is bizarre, and like most in the genre I assume escalates quickly beyond recognition. This series it quickly begins to feel more like watching someone speed run the good karma storyline in a video game than it does a narrative anime, but I get some people are looking for that. A show that's truly afraid of conflict, any tension or disagreements are just as quickly resolved as they arise, and the power scaling just goes exponential the longer it goes on. The animation is done well I must say, especially the fight scenes, which there are a decent amount of, and I understand some might just enjoy this "for the plot". It can get surprisingly brutal, and equally surprisingly tame and boring. Its never really a comedy, but it also never takes itself seriously; I'm not sure what tone its ultimately going for. Frankly I can't believe I watched nearly 50 episodes and with a new 3rd season soon on the way, it passed the time I guess, but surprises me that its so highly rated. There's a million and one characters, and a bunch more subplots, which I'm sure might go somewhere by episode 463 whenever that comes but I just don't have the patience to wait till then.

Edwardian Farm (2010–2011)

Good

[7/10 · 4 March 2024]

A follow up to the previous Victorian Farm we're again joined by Ruth Goodman, Peter Ginn, and Alex Langlands, as we follow the trio of historians and archeologists as they live on a historical Victorian Edwardian era British farm throughout the seasons of a calendar year, as an explorations into daily life on the farm how it would have been around a hundred years ago. I loved the original, and at double the length with 12 episodes and focusing at the cusp of the age of industrialization, so much has changed, the exploration of so many new technologies was constantly interesting and came with some depth that in hindsight feels missing from the original. From the novel (hand pumped) vacuum cleaner, to copper mining, or artificial trout hatcheries, they tackle them all and its a pleasure to watch. As before, this type of content is right up my alley, and I again have immediately started the next series Wartime Farm (though am most excited for Tudor). If you like history would highly recommend, informative and fun.

Avatar: The Last Airbender (2024– )

Below Average

[4/10 · 26 February 2024]

The latest Netflix live action adaptation and this time of one of my personal favourites, so warning probably went into this hypercritical. Following the Avatar, the last airbender in a world inhabited by four peoples each with the power of earth, wind, water, and fire respectively. Sealed in ice for 100 years after the Fire nation began its quest for world domination, the Avatar, sole master of all four elements, has returned as a child, hoping to bring peace and balance back to humanity. Covering the same scope as the original animated first season, this new series somehow feels very rushed, even though its total run time by my napkin math is only about an hour shorter in length. We spend each episode racing through plot, with favourite characters cherrypicked from throughout the original series and plopped in, and almost all dialogue is exposition. The CGI, especially on the elements themselves, is quite good, although notably fur on any animals looks awful. The acting is also quite bad, with really only the exception of Sokka, played by Ian Ousley, who nailed it, otherwise a lot left to be desired. There was a lot of mumbling through lines, to the point I had to turn on captions at points to know what was being said. It would be easy to rag on Aang, played by Gordon Cormier, but honestly I think its a difficulty of the character, you can't really have an MC child prodigy without casting a child prodigy to play him, so good luck with that. Aang is in many ways a live action role that's doomed to fail. That said, even many of the other castings were a let down, I was excited to see Paul Sun-Hyung Lee as Uncle Iroh, and while fine, I was disappointed. Kids will likely like it, but even for that demographic how it offers anything that the original series doesn't, I'm doubtful, which is still just as accessible, so just watch (or re-re-re-watch) that instead. Honestly my most controversial opinion is probably that while not terrible, its only a little bit worse than LoK.

Kevin Can F**k Himself (2021–2022)

Above Average

[6/10 · 26 February 2024]

Created, written, and produced by Valerie Armstrong (Lodge 49), we follow Allison McRoberts (Annie Murphy), a Massachusett's sitcom housewife struggling to cope with her manic toddler of a husband Kevin. Opening as a traditional multi-camera sitcom, bright lights, and canned laughter. Kevin and his friends are introduced until eventually we find Allison alone, and the series quickly switches formats completely to gritty, realistic drama. Moving into a single camera and ditching the laugh tracks, we're slowly revealed the darker side of life for this sitcom housewife as she learns how to deal with her idiotic partner. A masterclass in colour grading and lighting, the series sandwiches together the two styles in a very cool way. This is definitely a show for show people. This positive is unfortunately also the shows ultimate downside, at 44 minute episodes we essentially get a full 22 minute sitcom, with another 22 minute drama shuffled in filling in the behind-the-scenes of Kevin's show. It's something that works most times it's done, but as the series progresses, focuses on Allison as the lead, and gets continually darker, it means these sitcom sections feel more and more detached from reality. This could have worked very well on a meta-commentary, almost uncanny level, which the show hints at, however it ends up feeling more as if the writers thought of the gimmick first and the filled in the rest of the story later, as in it never feels like they agreed where they wanted to go with it. The writing is fairly good, and I though most of the leads did well, although didn't love many of the side character's performances. It was a show that had so much potential, but much like Armstrong's earlier work Lodge 49, it was always dipping its toe in surrealism without ever fully diving in the pool, something I would have liked to see. Also like Lodge 49 its a show increasingly difficult to get your hands on, the first season was on Prime but I needed AMC+ for the second. Cancelled after only those two seasons, it seems the writers got a heads-up as, while rushed, things do wrap up cleanly and satisfactorily more-or-less. More of a drama than a comedy, I did laugh a decent number of times still, so if any or all of this sounds like your kinda thing, sure, I'd recommend.

Victorian Farm (2009)

Good

[7/10 · 26 February 2024]

Hosted by Ruth Goodman, Peter Ginn, and Alex Langlands, we follow the trio of historians and archeologists as they live on a historical Victorian era British farm throughout the seasons of a calendar year, as an explorations into daily life on the farm how it would have been over a hundred years ago. Exactly the type of tv, I'm a bit biased in my love for it, but entertaining educational content is always welcome. The three hosts are great, especially Ruth, it was a pleasure each time to see what new challenge they'd be taking on that month on the farm. Only 6 short episodes followed by a Christmas special, the success of this first series lead to multiple more follow-ups, and I'm already the better part through the next Edwardian Farm, which (spoilers) is also great. If you like history, or just a relaxing informative watch, would definitely recommend.

Garth Marenghi's Darkplace (2004)

Good

[7/10 · 20 February 2024]

Created by Richard Ayoade and Matthew Holness and starring both, Garth Marenghi's Darkplace is a gag satire, a bit of a show within a show, parodying poorly made low-budget tv of the 80's, and is just my kind of comedy. With multiple gut laughs over its run and certainly chuckles each episode, we follow the titular Garth Marenghi (Holness), a best selling horror author providing commentary on old episodes of Darkplace, a show about a haunted hospital which he had produced and starred in decades before. Joined by Ayoade as his publisher and also actor in said fake tv show Dean Learner, we gets lots of rubber horrific monsters, copious fake blood, and gross stereotypes, its cheesy and meta in the best ways. Matt Berry appears as another of the hospitals doctors in probably my favourite performance of his after What We Do in the Shadows, and all the acting is so deliberately bad its good. Short and sweet at only 6 episodes though potentially difficult to get your hands on, if it sounds like your kinda thing I would highly recommend however you can watch it.