atmegh Reviews

Slow Horses: Footprints (2023) Season 3, Episode 6

Retconned to Dirt

[1 May 2024]

The writers have gone rogue and taken pieces from the book, sliced them to bits, and made this season with just a few of the original details. It's almost a completely different story and convoluted.

Season 3 is for the Dogs, literally.

The book is very good; but watching this is unpleasant, with so many changes that it doesn't make sense.

The first season was so good, dialogue was straight from the book, but they did change the ending.

The books are great reads, but the screenwriters need to stay true to the material.

Some violent scenes are gratuitous and take time away from the actual story.

The last ten minutes of S3 EP5 all of EP6 are ridiculous. Sort of like the book but boring and not clever. Worst episodes of the series.

Handguns against tactical? Right! Ridiculous.

They also retconned Slough House's location. So many details changed, but not in service of the show's storyline. They should have covered this intricate and well written material over two seasons. It would have made better shows and episodes with continuity.

Bad Sisters (2022– )

Not Very Good

[31 December 2022]

I wanted to like this show so much, but I just don't buy it. Why would the sisters just realize all of a sudden what a bad situation Grace is in. Abusers like JP show themselves early on, not when their daughter is 12. They would have seen it for years. Also, I'm not sure insurance agents behave like that. Not in the US anyway. So everyone is actually really creepy. Too unrealistic to get into. The sisters seem kind of dumb overall, too. Not going to watch more, It might be a black comedy but it's incredibly unpleasant to watch. Too bad since I love the cast.

Good grief, can you really not publish a brief review? Of course not, everything you touch turns to crap.

Beast (I) (2022)

Off, this hurts!

[15 August 2022]

Why isn't Idris Elba getting better roles? He's better than this nonsense!

I adore him and don't want to see him on crappy roles; I don't want to waste time watching him in these silly films.

Does anyone know why he's not getting better parts or a good star vehicle? I need to know!

The Staircase (2022)

Wanted to Like It More

[16 May 2022]

Watched four episodes and am done. Too slow and just boring. I really love Toni Collette and Colin Firth, but it's all over the place. I'm just sick of the entire family. I watched the docu-drama on Netflix years ago. Bad situation. He probably did it.

Not So Pretty (2022)

Don't Waste Your Time

[20 April 2022]

This falls into the correlation/causation trap.

Anecdotal stories are not evidence. If you believe everything on the shelf is safe, you're horribly naive. Most things are made in China or somewhere else with fewer regulations than the US. It's a major reason corporations moved manufacturing overseas (and to get cheap labor).

So everything in moderation is a good rule of thunb.

Law & Order: The Right Thing (2022) Season 21, Episode 1

Not feeling it

[26 February 2022]

Been a fan since the first season. And have watched every episode of the original L&O more than twice.

The acting in this episode was weird, not seeming to approximate anything realistic. The gaps in a response while the camera just sat on one character made it SLOW.

The writing seemed amateur as well. Not one interesting scene in it. Completely watered down.

Spoilers:

Plot holes In the episode take you out of the flow, too.

Why would detectives/prosecutors not use any DNA found in 2022?? That made zero sense. The cigarette butt would have strengthened their case.

On the defense side, the suspect was clearly NOT mirandized. The story would have been more interesting if they went with the actual facts as opposed to whims of drama.

Just not worthy of the L&O brand.

It seems like the advanced technology available makes detective work boring for a show like this. Find the surveillance videos everywhere and more critical info available found in minutes online. Much less pounding the pavement. Part of what made the show so great was seeing NYC as a character. Where was the stop at a pretzel or hot dog stand?

But the biggest killer was the absence of any shred of humor. Won't be worth watching if it keeps up this way.

I'll give it another episode or two.

Big fan of Jeffery Donovan, but he seemed one dimensional--he's perfect for making some clever humor possible.

I think Linus Roach would have been better as the DA. I adore Sam Waterston, but having him as a judge might have been a better use of his character.

Yellowjackets (2021– )

Plot Holes the Size of an Olympic Pool

[27 January 2022]

I wanted to like this so much--loved the idea that the survivors reorganized into a cult. But wow, they don't even try to make it a bit realistic. For escapism it doesn't even come close to being engrossing enough.

After the crash, one character has his leg amputated (where does that tool even come from? And then cauterized somehow?) and weeks later is tooling around on crutches as it he has a sprained ankle. In reality he would have been dead in days from sepsis. Also the wolf attack is hilarious--the mauled girl somehow ends up with just two red lines on her face that look painted on. No way could it have been stitched up.

Then there's a cabin in the middle of nowhere that looks decrepit but later is clean and organized with tools hanging around. And somehow weeks into this life in the forest, they have clean clothes--a lot them--from pristine shirts, sweaters, and dresses, even formal wear, clean hair, etc.

Somehow they have the time, energy, and tools to make a pristine runway for the prop plane.

And at the start, how have they buried the dead into perfect matching graves with markers?

Someone is always complaining about winter coming, but what are they doing to prepare for it? And apparently this dense, green foliage never gets any rain.

There's zero explanation about how they're getting water and drinking it without contracting giardia. It seems to purport that they're boiling it, but no one is ever seen chopping enough wood or hauling enough water to do that. Somehow they have roaring fires everywhere. They never look like they're starving or suffering in any way except for some teen psychological drama. Jackie freezes six feet from the cabin. Inside the cabin everyone has padding and blankets for beds.

And good grief, if there were enough berries to make gallons of hooch why weren't they eating the berries for food? As another reviewer noted, there is a lake but they don't try to fish.

Ugh, too many of these details to list here, but they take the viewer out of the story.

I was ready to suspend belief for the sake of the premise and moving the plot along, but it's too ridiculous--in the flashbacks and present day, too. Other reviewers commented on the sex, but it's quite restrained for a premium service so I'm not sure why anyone's mentioning it--there's nothing explicit and you probably see worse on basic network shows.

So it is then ruined because it's one ten-hour long teaser for Season 2 and beyond, I guess. Not even tempted to look at another minute.

Too bad, the premise is great. But if 10 hours answers nothing why would we wait for the next? So freaking dumb.

Don't waste your time.

Star 80 (1983)

Very Good

[17 November 2021]

This movie is so much better than I expected. I thought it would be too long, but it flew on by. Worth a watch to see the 70s and 80s portrayed in the film. Some things can change, but emotions never will.

Ironically I thought Eric Roberts was a ringer for James Franco. He also has the same creepy ways. It's quite a coincidence.

Like another reviewer wrote--Dorothy was still being exploited but by someone more sophisticated than Paul.

Dorothy's story is such a sad one. It would be so much better if this was not true.

Animal Kingdom: Trust the Process (2021) Season 5, Episode 11

Useless-High Ratings Are Lying

[22 September 2021]

The flashbacks are the worst. There's no way that is how Smurf would have behaved.

And when did Deran get a place?

Why are Craig and Deran losing time by not bleaching? I mean I'm no expert, but I don't think that's how you clean up.

I'm hate-watching it at this point. The bent cop should have just shot all of them. Put this lame horse down.

Do still love Shawn Hatsoy.

LuLaRich (2021)

WTF: How did anyone ever buy those ugly, ugly clothes?

[13 September 2021]

While it's great to expose these scammers, this documentary does not delve below the surface. Jumping around from clip to clip with a few lines from people with experience makes this "series" completely superficial. It goes nowhere after the first episode. It's more like a music video. We don't get anyone's actual story or experience.

You basically see everything in the trailers.

Would have liked to see more of those depositions.

I hope it will at least open some eyes and save some women from this stupid cult of a pyramid schemes.

Plus, Deanne apparently gained all that weight back! These people are endangering their lives by going to Mexico for surgery.

Also, we clearly need to teach better math skills!

Animal Kingdom: Gladiators (2021) Season 5, Episode 8

Worst Episode Yet of Season 5

[1 September 2021]

I didn't think it could get worse but it did. Flashbacks are the absolute worst, so dumb.

Pope's storyline is ridiculous.

Everyone except J seems ready to self-destruct.

The plot doesn't progress at all.

Animal Kingdom: Splinter (2021) Season 5, Episode 7

Welp

[24 August 2021]

"Young Billy" did seem to have that Dennis Leary vibe.

But the entire episode was useless.

Apparently the writers had zero ideas for this season.

Too bad; I loved this series.

Animal Kingdom (2016–2022)

Really???

[18 August 2021]

I have loved this show from the get-go.

Season 5 is the biggest disappointment. Ending the series would have been better than this schlock. The flashbacks are completely inconsistent with Smurf's previous origin story and flashbacks prior to Season 5.

The flashbacks in S5 are useless and dumb; they just seem to be padding for the writers who clearly couldn't figure out what to do after killing off Smurf. The Pope storyline is off the rails and not in a good way.

The job in Ep. 6 is beyond ridiculous. The family would have been better off if they had gone out in a blaze of glory.

Most of their "jobs" were barely believable to begin with, but this one strains all credulity.

J is acting like a zombie (or more of a zombie). This season just keeps repeating with zero forward movement.

The introduction of Pam is goofy.

Each episode so far in S5 just goes further downhill.

Bottom line: it's not fun to watch anymore.