Change Your Image
aadhi444
Lists
An error has ocurred. Please try againReviews
Better Call Saul: Nippy (2022)
This is a solid NINE. Let me explain.
Fun and Games ending was a surprise. I didn't expect sudden cut to Jimmy becoming 100% Saul we know from BB. But that made me think, does this mean we are done with the prequel timeline?
So my expectations for this episode was definitely more of Gene timeline and that's exactly what we got. And we got a lot more than expected.
In the previous Gene scenes we saw him as a meek and scared person. But we never saw Gene for more than few minutes in each of the previous season to get an understanding of what he is upto. And on top of that he was being confronted by Jeff.
This episode starts exactly from there. And this episode felt more like a PILOT for Gene timeline. He meticulously plans and schemes channeling his inner Saul/Slippin Jimmy. The previous Gene scenes almost gave an impression that he didn't have it in him anymore. But as he plans and executes his scheme, we see him gain his confidence back, almost to the level of prime Saul. This is evident from the scene where he says "we are done". Also, it was a nice call back to a similar scene involving Walt and Saul from BB.
The entire heist in itself is nothing new to BCS. But Gene pulling it off was a surprise. When Jeff fell down, it was nail biting. I almost thought Gene would crack and give in. But oh boy, he pulled off another last minute trick to engage the security guard for a couple more minutes.
Again it made me think. Gene talking about dead parents, brother, no wife, etc - where these just words or were these the true hidden emotions of Gene? I think the answer would come up in the next few episodes for sure.
Jeff's mother mentions something about Jeff mingling with bad crowd back in Abq. I was wondering why this dialogue was necessary. Does it mean, we would see more of Jeff and his mother in the next few episodes? Or the things Gene did in this episode would end up hurting him lot more than we think? We are going to find out soon.
Also, Gene is now full of confidence from pulling off the heist. That could definitely tip him over to embrace the Saul persona more.
I think we are going to get lot more of Gene timeline in the next 3 episodes and definitely expecting to see Kim somewhere down the line. Not to mention, the anticipated appearance of Walt and Jessy is still pending. But I think it would come in a flash back scene from the Gene timeline.
This episode is definitely not the "FLY" of BCS. I feel this could be the "Dead Fright" of BCS if not more. And with so much going on, this is definitely not a filler. I feel people had different expectations going into this episode and that disappointment made them give all these negative reviews.
See you soon with the next BCS episode review.
Better Call Saul: Rock and Hard Place (2022)
Getting the BB feel of season - 5
I'm not going to spoil anything. But this episode hits all the right notes. We are able to get a better understanding of the relationship between the characters we see in BB, also see it in a new light.
Dexter: New Blood: Sins of the Father (2022)
A poignant ending to this saga.
Dexter is not the same person whom we saw in the old show. It's been almost 10 years and we saw that he has become sloppy at killing without leaving a trial. He has grown to have real emotions now. Especially for his son. But what would he do at the moment of crisis. Will he lie his way through it? Or find a logical loop hole to escape? Or realise that the evidence is too much for his BS to work? I think he chose the latter. This is the only explanation I can come up with for the way in which things unfolded between Logan and him.
I'm really glad that the writers didn't take the lazy path they chose over and over again in the previous seasons. This time it's Dexter who kills Logan and not his sister or someone close to him. This means he has broken the code. And that raises an intriguing question. Has he broken the code off screen in the previous seasons? He didn't bat an eye to justify this kill to his son. So probably he has and we didn't know.
Whether or not this is true, Dexter is a cold blooded killer who deserves either jail time or death. He kills for a selfish reason. He kills because he has the unquenchable thirst to kill. He is a dangerous and bad person, period. We have seen Dexter get away for some reason or another, sometimes really for dumb reasons in the past, it was really frustrating to watch. Him getting away this time would have been a crime that writers rightly didn't commit.
I have loved this episode and the ending. You may perhaps disagree and I respect that. However, I'm glad the show is coming to an end in this way.
Only thing I missed in this episode is that we didn't get to see the reaction to Dexter's death from the people who have been affected by him, like Miami police department, Doakes' family and others who have been affected by him either positively or adversely. Also, did the evidence collected by Angela would hold in court? We would never really know. And we have to live with it.
Thanks for reading!
Dexter: New Blood: Unfair Game (2021)
An edge of the seat episode
We have been here before. In the earlier seasons of dexter we have been in similar situations, where dexter was so close to getting caught. But the stakes have never been higher. Earlier there was no emotional quotient to dexter. But now he has, in the form of his son.
Overall this episode again plays the build up game by raising the stakes. As a fan I really wish they provide a satisfying ending in the next two episodes.
Dexter: New Blood: H Is for Hero (2021)
We are getting there!
Dexter's last season ending was disliked by almost everyone unanimously. We're all here for catharsis. We all want one good season, with an ending this show deserves. This episode is slowly building up to that ending, fingers crossed.
Game of Thrones: No One (2016)
And the fan theories came crashing down
Seriously, all the theories that were going around in the internet has totally spoiled this episode. Only if I had been an oblivious fan I would have enjoyed this episode and given it a decent rating of 8. Alas, I was sucked into all the fan theories and I'm left with disappointment.
There were too many fan theories going around these days. Arya is Jaquen in disguise... No, Waif if actually Arya's alter ego..... Lady Stone Heart is finally making an appearance this week.... Cleaganebowl....
And the writers have unceremoniously squashed all these theories in this one episode. Good job writers.....Good job.. (slow hand clap)
I'm going back to becoming an oblivious fan. Even if fan theories pan out I can genuinely enjoy that moment on screen rather than being disappointed like this.
Game of Thrones: The Broken Man (2016)
'Gods aren't done with you yet'
It is one of those episodes that has high value drama without any of the special effects and unnecessary violence that Game of Thrones has recently resorted to maintain viewership. And of course, this was how things used to be back during the initial seasons when they didn't have sky rocketing production budgets.
We rarely get a scene before the opening credits and today's opening scene surprised me and it was totally worth it. Each log of wood is being carried by at least three men and there is this guy carrying a huge log of wood all by himself. Who else could it be other than the Hound. He is the REVENANT.
Ian McShane's cameo was perfect as a Septon. His discussions with the Hound, showing him the ways of the pacifist and asking him to explore the reason for living is all but foreshadowing for the Cleganebowl. It's been two years since the hound has been saved, for all we know he might be nearer to Kings Landing than we expect and another Septon might find him at the right time.
For the first time this season Kings Landing story arc is refreshingly good. Margaery has learnt a great deal about deception from her grandmother. She is playing the High-Septon like a violin. That rose she gives her grandma is to show her she is still Margaery of House Tyrell behind this facade.
Cersei is going out and out in the path of violence like a cascading snow ball. Too bad neither Tyrion nor Tywin is around to control her. It is time for things to come crashing down.
Lady Lyanna Mormont steals the show during the recruiting spree. She is so adorable. She reminds of the time 10-year-old Bran was heading Winterfell in the absence of his brother. Even though as expected the wildlings support Snow most of the Northern houses remember the Starks for all the wrong reasons. Out of desperation Sansa writes a letter. Is it to Littlefinger?
Blackfish is a total bad ass. He is my new favourite character in the show. His confrontation with Jamie was an awesome scene. When Brienne reaches him next week what will his move be? Wil he hold the castle or fight for the Starks?
Moving on to Volantis, Theon hasn't moved on from his castration. It was kind of comical to see him in a brothel. Anyway when he reaches Meeren he will have a lot of company. For the first time we get to know the sexual preference of his sister. Who knows what will happen when she meets Daenerys.
It looks like Arya's plot lacks some logic. The Waif is supposed to be a seasoned professional assassin and how did she let Arya escape? And where was Arya's needle when she most needed it. She was supposed to be on guard for attack from the Waif and yet she was not. Wait, unless.. unless.. the new theory about Arya is totally true. Can the Waif really be a figment of Arya's imagination like Brad Pitt from the Fight Club? Even though I'm not buying this theory we have to wait till next episode to get the answers. The writers of GoT usually don't miss their logic.
+ Solid episode reminiscent of earlier seasons
+ Adorable little Lady Mormont
+ Badass Blackfish
- Another conspicuous absence of Tyrion.
Game of Thrones: Blood of My Blood (2016)
The dead don't rest
When GRRM was plotting the outline of 'The song of Ice and Fire' back in 1993 he mentioned three big threats to Westeros, every threat greater than the previous one.
The first threat is the internal civil war among the kingdoms which has subdued but still lingers to this day. The second threat is the conquest of Westeros from the Narrow Sea by Dany and her army along with her dragons. The third is the invasion of Westeros by the White Walkers from beyond the Wall.
This episode is significant in the sense that it sets up the second and third threats in a direct collision course. Finally, Danny seems to be all set to sail over the Narrow sea. She has had enough at Essos. We have waited for this moment from the time Kahl Drogo made this announcement back in Season 1. Will Yara provide the ships necessary to set sail?
Overall 'Blood of my blood' is a subdued episode compared to the previous one. It once again sets the pieces up for the reminder of the season. Just four more episodes to go. And you have to slow down a little bit to accelerate later to finish the season on a high.
We start off where we left things in 'Door'. Bran is still downloading all the stuff. If you pause and see there is too much happening in those few seconds. The one thing that is predictable in GoT is that someone always comes at the right movement to save the day. Be it Brienne saving Sansa a few weeks back to Benjin (Cold Hands) saving Bran now. Benjin's return was predicted by almost all the fans and it's high time all the mysteries get resolved one by one. Is Benjin a hybrid of wight and human?
Sam is getting braver day by day. His dad is like Twyin 2.0. His brother chuckling at the idea of White Walkers shows that how much people believe at its existence. It kind of tells that apart from the people who were at Hardhome no one still believes White Walkers are back. In a moment of bravado Sam takes Heart's bane with him. I believe this is a foreshadowing for Sam to learn how to make a Valyrian steel at the old town.
Arya's story arc is gaining momentum. It is utterly clear she will never become a no one. A girl still has a list of people to kill. It looks like she knows what she is up to. A showdown between the Waif and Arya is on the cards. That parody of drama shows how much history can be twisted. Nevertheless, Arya enjoyed the death of Jeofery.
The showdown at Kings Landing took a U turn. From the time the trailer was released everybody were looking forward to that moment. It was such a disappointment. Margery looked like she knew what was going to happen. She is just abiding her time to save her brother. Tommen is like a ping-pong ball going back and forth between his mother and High Sparrow. This entire season the story at Kings Landing is going at snail's pace. Walder Frey is back after the infamous Red Wedding. He looks lot healthier than he used to be? Now Jamie coming to his cause we can expect a showdown between Jamie and Brienne at the Riverrun. The duo hold the twin Valyrian swords made from Ned's Ice.
Now back across the Narrow sea, Dany is all set to sail. The speech she gave was a bit tedious. However, her dragon Drogon looks impressive. All the story arc looks all set to converge now. I kind of have a feeling it will all end where it began – back at Winterfell.
+ Benjin is back
+ Bran downloads history
+ Sam's bravado
+ Cunning High Sparrow
- A bit slow-paced
- Conspicuous absence of Tyrion and Jon Snow
Game of Thrones: The Door (2016)
Hold the door, Holeedooor, Ho'door, HODOR
This was bloody awesome. This episode has everything in it. 'The Door' seems to answer some questions but in the process raises more. Does the present affect the past? It seems so in a convoluted way.
I'm still in the excitement of watching the episode. Once again we start off at the wall. But now Jon takes a backseat and it is all Sansa. She has grown up so much. We can see a sense of fear in LittleFinger's eyes as he is intimidated by her.
Arya's fight with the waif was brilliant. The play she watches brings back troubled memories and it shows that for Arya it is very hard to let go of her former self to become a faceless man.
The Kingsmoot at the Iron Islands was exciting as well. Euron Greyjoy sure is ambitious. It would be exciting to watch what his character does in the future. However, things have gone south for Yara. It leaves us wondering where Yara and Theon are heading, with the entire fleet of Iron Islands.
The conversation between Dany and Jorah was emotional. It kind of brings closure to his unrequited love and also to his grey-scale. It is more likely that he would vanish off in the next few episodes, cure himself and return later at the exact right time.
Meeren has bought the peace for the time being thanks to the pact between the Masters and Tyrion. However it is the second red priestess who steals the show. It would be interesting to have a conversation between the two red priestess, one who believes that Jon is the prince who is promised and other who believes that it is Dany. In a way she bring the balance between Jon's ice with Dany's fire. There you go - A song of Ice and Fire.
The episode up to this point was as good as it has always been. But the part with Bran transcends it to a new level. First we learn that White Walkers are the making of the Children to bring balance to Westeros. It is implied they have gone rogue after a while. If you think this is mind blowing, than wait for it, there is more in store.
The ending that shows the transformation of Wilys into Hodor made me shed a tear or two. It was such an intense seen and it was brilliantly made. Now let me end my review with a question to ponder.
Hodor has always been Hodor. Even before Bran knew he is a warg, before he broke his leg, and even before Bran was even born. Now seeing that Hodor becomes Hodor because of Bran, does it really mean future is written and it is all fate??
+ Brilliant screenplay
+ Sansa has grown
+ Kingsmoot at Iron Islands
+ Whitewalker's origin
+ Heart breaking origin of Hodor
- RIP Hodor and not to forget Summer :(
- So does it mean the future is written??
Game of Thrones: Book of the Stranger (2016)
Another excellent episode to an excellent season.
When I first started watching GoT it is the conversations and the characters that made it such a good show. Then the budget increased from the second season and we got some spectacular action sequences as well. No that I'm complaining. This episode reaffirms that it is the conversations and the characters that make GoT great.
Once again we start the story at the Wall. I thought Jon left the Castle Black in the last episode and I was expecting him to miss the arrival of Sansa. However, for once writers weren't cruel enough to do that. Their meeting was nostalgic and yet poignant to watch. The Starks have been through a lot!!
The resurrection has transformed Jon Snow. He is still the man who does the right thing but his overall faith on humanity has diminished. It did come down to Sansa and the letter from the other bastard to convince him to wield his sword and march for a war. Now that the Lord of Arryn is planning to give his army to help Sansa, it should bolster the wildling army of Jon.
The catching up among Davos, Brienne, and Melisandre was excellent. There was an underling tension among them and that should continue to the rest of the season as well.
The highlight of this episode is Tyrion. He is back at his witty best after a sour episode. In OathBreaker his conversation with Missandei and Grey Worm was cringe worthy and did not add anything valuable to the plot. It was good to see him wield his keen sense of acumen to strike a deal with the Masters.
The entire 11 minutes at Kings Landing was kind of boring. Nothing much happening there. The editors could have trimmed down at least a solid 4 minutes. It appears that the only take away from KingsLanding is Cersie and the Tyrells have buried the hatchet for the time being.
I don't know why people were criticizing the logic of Theon arriving safely to the Pyke. He was armed, he knows the route and he is a big boy. There are many ports in Westreros where he could have got a ticket to sail to the Iron Islands. Anyway what surprised me is the lack of Euron Greyjoy in this episode.
I'm still thinking there is a conspiracy between Osha/Rickon and the Umbers to destroy the Boltons. Sadly Osha had to die trying her best to bring down Ramsay.
Moving on, all the action in this episode were confined to Vaes Dothrak. Age and GreyScale have taken a toll on the physical ability of Ser Jorah Mormont. He and Daario played the role of side-kick to Danny. However the twist is Danny is no longer the damsel in distress. She took the matters in her own hand and used her strength/power/magic to remind us that wait for it.....'FIRE CAN'T KILL HER'. Even though it was reminiscent of the episode 'Fire and Blood' it still had the logical consistency and of course moves the story forward.
Overall, another excellent episode to an excellent season.
+ Jon meets Sansa.
+ Danny gets a bigger army now.
+ Reek to Theon in progress.
+ Tyrion wields his mind again.
- Boring sub-plot at Kings Landing.
- I still don't know what 'Book of the Stranger' is
My rating 9.5/10, so rounding it off to a solid TEN.
Game of Thrones: Oathbreaker (2016)
Redemption time is near - 'My watch is ended'
In the last episode Home, finally the dominoes fell down and now in Oath- breaker the pieces are being set up for the remaining seven episodes. This is kind of episode that takes the story forward, a typical Game of Thrones episode. We had excellent conversations, gripping action sequence and shocking deaths.
It is nice to see the story starts off with Jon Snow, his reaction to the resurrection was captured perfectly. With Davos and Melisandrae beside him, it is time for retribution. Although we wont be getting the Battle of Winterfell any time soon. Ser Allister Throne's final words captures his character perfectly. Although I was looking for some kind of interaction between Olly and Jon Snow.
The Tower of Joy fight sequence casts some shadow on the Honor of Ned Stark, making him look more human. The fight sequence could have been better though. It was no where close to the Mountain vs Oberyn Martell sequence in season 4. The writers will probably skip Bran's story line (Notice that both Bran and FlashBack are missing in the episode 4 preview) in the next episode so we have to wait 2 more weeks for R+L=J.
It was good to see Sam again. He will have a bigger role to play once he learns from the books in the library.
Many people believe that Dany's story arc has nose dived in Season 6. But I believe she is going to find something important at Vaes Dothrak that is going to define her future. And hopefully to find her way back to Westeros. Back at Mareen her story was going no where.
I have always wondered how Varys works with his little birds. Now we know he uses children, mostly orphans for spying. It would be interesting whether his little birds in Kings Landing work as double agents now that they are under Qyburn who has taken charge of the post of Master of Whispers.
Tommen is not a cruel king like his brother. He is not a mad king like Aerys II Targaryen. He is not an irresponsible king like Robert Baratheon. To sum up he is no kind of King. Just a puppet. Most likely his death is imminent. However his life is all that is holding back a full fledged civil war is Westeros.
The best part of today's episode is Arya's progress to become a no-one. She is nearly there. The montage of her training was excellent. But just when you think the Starks are safe Rickon runs into Ramsey. The death of Shaggydog was shocking. We can safely say that there is no harm to Rickon's life. He is more like a bargaining chip for the future.
+Jon is free from his oath
+Arya gets her sight back
+Death of Allister Throne and Olly
+Character development for Khaleesi
-The fight sequence at Tower of Joy could have been better.
-Two more weeks till R+L=J.
Overall a typical Game of Thrones episode 9/10
24 (2016)
A time travel movie that works like a game of chess.
I want to keep this review honest, spoiler free and as short as possible.
Usually when dealing with complicated screenplay in Tamil movies the director will dumb down the story so that average Tamil audience can understand. However, doing so it reduces the raw intensity and takes the charm out of the movie.
This is where 24 dares to think different. Director Vikram Kumar treats the audience as an intelligent person and sticks to the complicated screenplay that moves back and forth in time like a game of chess. This is probably the reason you see some of the negative reviews for this film.
Suriya's portrayal of Athreya reminds me of Light Yagami (L) from the famous Japanese Anime Death Note. Well, there are two more Suriyas too and he has done a tremendous job of differentiating all the three roles. Sadly, Samantha is portrayed as the clichéd romantic interest and she is bearable at best and tedious at worst. Mani's (Suriya) antics to woo her shows us the kind of nerd director Vikram Kumar is.
AR Rahman is the Best in the industry and this comes with a mountain of expectations from him. The songs are not up to the mark of ARR level even though he compensates for this with good BGM.
The entire cast has done an above average job in the acting department. Editing is sleek, cinematography suits the genre well and it is a plus. Suriya's on screen presence holds the movie together and Vikram's screenplay keeps you engaged till the end with some twists, surprises and pleasant scenes.
To conclude, this movie is so good that it could have been made into a standalone Hollywood movie. You can watch it once for Suriya and once more for Vikram Kumar.
Game of Thrones: Home (2016)
The action begins and may I say it's SPECTACULAR!!
After a dull season premiere this episode wastes no time in setting the pieces up. First up we get to see the young Ned Stark and the much talked about character, the young and beautiful Lyanna Stark. However the most surprising thing is Hodor was once a normal boy and he can talk!! Bran's visions are going to be vital in the forthcoming episodes as it takes us back to the past and there are so many fan theories that are waiting for redemption.
Castle Black story progresses quite well too. The wild-lings come to the rescue of Ser Davos and co and the scene cuts just as we begin to wonder 'is this the episode where John comes back?' The melodrama continues at the Kings Landing. The anticipated High Sparrow vs Jamie Lannister ends as a stale mate as they delay the 'spilling of blood'. Tyrion is at his witty best and brings some laughs as well as he begins his Dance with the Dragons. "Don't eat the HELP". Interestingly Danny doesn't have screen time in this episode.
In the north Ramsey gives a run for money to Joffrey as the most hated character in GoT. His rise as the Lord of the North is cruel, but believe me his fall would be beautiful. Euron Greyjoy returns with vengeance. And we'll have a new head at Pyke.
And now finally to the worst kept secret in the history of television shows. We all knew this was coming, or at least hoped this'll happen. JOHN SNOW IS BACK and I can't hide my happiness :)
Game of Thrones: The Red Woman (2016)
Continues from where it left off
OK, so far this has been the most anticipated episode in GOT history. We have got this episode after 10 months of wait. After watching this I couldn't help but have a sense of disappointment. The episode fails to match the anticipation and the excitement. Technically this episode is as brilliant as it has always been. However none of the story progresses. We just see the aftermath of the countless cliffhangers from the season five finale. Other than the ending scene there are no surprises in the story development. Overall this episode sets the stage for the entire season. I hope the story picks up from here and reaches the heights that it is capable of.