patloria Reviews

Happy! (2017–2019)

Not so happy with Season 2

[5/10 · 5 June 2023]

Season 1 is a great example of American post-modern surrealistic shock- television. Loved the balance between the main character, Nick Sax, his interesting, crazy, post-traumatic perspective on life, his imaginary friend, Happy, and the other somewhat more normal characters. Our enjoyment of the show is anchored in Nick's POV. But this balance is all lost in Season 2. If everyone goes nuts, our appreciation of seeing the world differently through Nick's eyes is lost, and with it, the anchor point for the audience. Also, the escalation of graphic violence, which doesn't add anything to the story, actually distracts us from the story and reminds us we are watching a show.

If I was only rating Seaon 1, I would give it an 8.

Marcella (2016–2021)

Great series with a chip on its shoulder

[6/10 · 15 May 2023]

Marcella's production qualities are excellent, and the acting is pretty good. The plot, which threads its way through the three seasons, is quite interesting. But the self-righteousness of the main character is very annoying, given she's just as bad as any of the perps she's chasing.

Also, acting tough doesn't make you look tough. It makes you look weak, and that you're acting tough. But maybe that was the intention of the director, a police woman with good intuition, but a bit out of her depth, her intuition often getting her into trouble as much as it helps her solve crimes. And she often acts like judge, jury and executioner, even in the absence of hard evidence that would actually convict someone.

Good viewing, but often annoying.

Warrior Nun (2020–2022)

Should be called Murderer Nun

[5/10 · 5 December 2022]

Really liked the first season, which was a charming religious fantasy with stylised violence, but hated Season 2, which belongs more to the horror genre with graphic (unnecessary) violence. In Season 1 the nuns fight demons and save people from demon possession. In Season 2 they just kill the demon possessed. And they have also inserted a sexual undertone between two of the nuns in Season 2 that seems out of character with their characters in Season 1. Did the writers think the story wasn't violent enough or sexy enough to maintain our interest? Whatever the case, they have lost at least one fan.

Wolfblood (2012–2017)

What happens to their clothes?

[6/10 · 10 April 2022]

Enjoyable series, but what happens to their clothes when they transform? Otherwise, nice placement of the supernatural in the normal world of high school. Characters are believable and the special effects subtly done. Plot is interesting enough to keep you engaged.

Travelers (2016–2018)

Missed opportunity

[4/10 · 25 February 2022]

Season 1 was a promising start to the series, but for future travellers who are supposed to be improving things through their interventions, the series continues getting darker and relying more on violent plot lines, rather than exploring the development of the characters of these future folk in the 21st century, which would have maintained the audience's interest.

Manifest (2018–2023)

Slow burn supernatural binge

[7/10 · 2 February 2022]

I like this Netflix series. Great mix of the supernatural with enjoyable characters, except for Grace Stone, who seems to have no purpose in driving the plot. The supernatural elements have been directed in such a way as to make their possibility plausible. That the characters are situated in normal jobs and relationships balances out the crazy stuff that happens. Establishing the premise of the story in episode 1, the characters' understanding about what has happened to them unfolds slowly enough to take you as the viewer on the journey of discovery with them, with each episode usually ending in a cliff hanger to be resolved at the start of the next episode.