deirdrechalmersdc Reviews

Invasion (2021–2024)

Ignore the IMDB description

[6/10 · 4 December 2023]

To begin with, the five main characters are not ordinary. The series does not take place in real time.

The set-up/arrival of the aliens has more originality than many similar human vs. Alien plots.

However as many have said the series starts slowly. The relationships do not always ring true. Events are overly clouded and mysterious as if this is the way the writers intend to maintain tension. By the end of the second season we should know a bit more (something?) about the aliens and their intentions.

The acting is good overall, the only problem being the situations and dialogue provided by the writers.

LOL: Last One Laughing Canada (2022)

Awful

[4/10 · 20 February 2022]

The opening seemed to take about 20 minutes before we got to the "fun".

I expected to be laughing - a lot. No such luck. It's amazing how quickly a joke falls flat when no one's laughing. Jay Baruchel running in to card the contestants doesn't help.

A huge waste of talent.

Without Remorse (II) (2021)

Awful

[4/10 · 14 May 2021]

Jodie Turner-Smith is badly cast as a military officer. She has none of the presence or confidence that one would assume a commander would. And I've got to say it - her mouth is open even when she's not speaking and it doesn't help. I wanted to like this for the obvious reasons - Tom Clancy and Michael B. Jordan. Not worth it.

Midsomer Murders: The Night of the Stag (2011) Season 14, Episode 6

Yuck

[1/10 · 18 February 2021]

Lovely tale of inter-village rape night. Avoid. Midsomer seems to want to "modernize" the quaint village tales of jealousy, lust and financial wrong-doing with psychos and serial killers. This is a new low.

War of the Worlds (2019– )

No tripods!

[6/10 · 19 January 2021]

The "bad bots" were stupidly noisy and ungainly. Really stupid. There were no tripods... an essential. I didn't mind the plot or pacing, but I'm not happy I have to wait another year to find out what happens. Eight episodes should have been enough, although it must take a long time to walk from France to England.

Aquaman (2018)

Clunky, awkward, awful

[3/10 · 23 November 2020]

Embarrassing, awkward dialogue. Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren and Willem Dafoe should be embarrassed. Jason Mamoa has charm and charisma as usual, but not enough to save this movie. The fight scenes are completely CGI. The much-maligned Amber Heard acquits herself reasonably. And by the way, Johnny Depp recently lost a law suit he brought against the Sun newspaper for calling him a wife beater, because he is a wife beater.

Taggart (1983–2010)

Good stories, great accents

[6/10 · 22 August 2020]

Stories are good, entertaining and engrossing. Taggart himself is a bad boss and a horrible husband. The show improves when he leaves.

Sanditon (2019–2023)

A let down

[8/10 · 24 February 2020]

Jane Austen's unfinished novel becomes an unfinished television show. Jane would never have left us hanging. This is in aid of pushing for a second season, in which presumably the romance will be resolved. But a second season may not happen.

Silent Witness: Bloodlines: Part 1 (2011) Season 14, Episode 7

Harry Cunningham strikes again

[5/10 · 11 February 2020]

I'm tired of watching Harry physically restrain and dominate women to impose his will. A lawyer, his lover Rebecca and co-worker and fellow pathologist Nikki Alexander. Let these women make their own decisions Harry.

The Outsider (2020)

Not a Stephen King or horror fan but I love this show.

[9/10 · 9 February 2020]

I never watch horror and I'm no big Stephen King fan, but the tension and suspense in this show are excruciating. I can't wait for each new episode. The slow and careful piecing together of the clues pulls you deeper into the story each week. Great cast. Ben Mendelsohn and Cynthia Erivo are outstanding. If you are a fan of supernatural/horror and detective shows don't miss this.

Dracula (2020)

Don't listen to them - It's great

[9/10 · 8 January 2020]

This is a fresh and amusing update of the Dracula tale. That you can expect it to be irreverent is clearly foretold in the opening scenes between Sister Agatha and Jonathon Harker. It is not, however, mocking. Great acting from Claes Bang, Dolly Wells and John Hefernan. The second and third episodes do not disappoint as I was led to believe they would by reviews here.

The Witcher (2019– )

Makes no sense

[4/10 · 26 December 2019]

Henry Cavill is the whole show. There is no one else with any charisma. Too much flash-back, flash-forward. We see the Witcher meet a character and then many years in flashback interact with this person with whom he is obviously well-acquainted. I'll be surprised if this gets another season.

The Mandalorian: Chapter 1: The Mandalorian (2019) Season 1, Episode 1

Werner Herzog!

[7/10 · 13 November 2019]

Great to see Carl Weathers and Werner Herzog. Not great not to see Pedro Pascal. He better be taking that helmet off in future episodes. Nice little explorations of Mandalorian culture. But hey, a man needs a name.

Case Histories (2011–2013)

Too many songs

[8/10 · 1 November 2019]

Great show. Far too many scenes of our hero driving or montages of victims/suspects underscored by some woman singing a dreary melancholy song.