verdantnightingale Reviews

Shadowhunters (2016–2019)

Haters are unimaginitive & don't understand "genre."

[7/10 · 27 January 2016]

So far all of these poor reviews are from people who don't understand what genre this show is. Comparing it to Twilight is pretty ridiculous. The books are Young Adult, aka for teens. The show is directed at teens. Get over it.

The show seems to have budding actors and possibly an intermediate production team. I feel like the writing and directing could use some polishing, since a few things felt rushed. In 3 episodes the lead character goes from freaking out to suddenly gung-ho once she throws on some pleather. How is she able to accept things so quickly? Let's keep in mind that it still seems to be just under 2 days. Was it even 1 full day? One flaw is that time passage didn't feel obvious enough.

I'd compare this to both Charmed and The Covenant. Both were favorites of mine when I was younger, but both had a campy feel. However, this is nostalgic for me. In spite any flaws Charmed had, I loved it. (minus Milano. I mean, lol). So far we don't have demons bleeding green or purple, constantly consulting their book of shadows, nor writing punny spells. However, we do have warlocks dressed like Criss Angel and teens running around in pleather. Maybe they're channeling vampires from Buffy? It does seem like we'll be developing a new scooby gang, so why not? In spite of any flaws in Shadowhunters as a show, I see no reason to hate on it. I may chuckle a bit at times, but it's still entertaining. No one's dry-humping anyone so far, and the most skimpy they get still doesn't compare to Disney Ariel's shell bra. If it stays that way, I'd find it refreshing to see a TV show where we're not worried about who's sleeping with who, nor needing to call for Maury.

My verdict: Screw the haters, just enjoy it.

Supergirl (2015–2021)

Recapturing our youth

[7 November 2015]

After all the harsh reviews I've seen, I decided to actually sign up for this site just to give a more balanced review.

First, I won't lie. I'm a big time superhero lover. Truth be told, Wonder Woman was my true inspiration when I was younger. I could relate to her and admired her strength and courage. I felt like if she could do anything, so could I. Sure, I was just a kid, but that kind of thing is great for kids.

With that said, I feel like this will bring up a new generation of superhero lovers. Everyone basically keeps saying this show is too tropey. But who started those tropes? The classics, of course. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman. These were our go-to since comics existed. Supergirl was later created so that girls could have a feminine figure to admire as well.

I feel like so many people are missing the point of this show because they think it's too silly, the writing is too immature, or the plot seems too on-the-nose. But look at it from a new perspective: Can parents see themselves watching this with their children? Arrow shows some rather steamy scenes when that sweet lovin' is going on. What are parents doing? "No, sorry kids, can't watch this." But Kara is cute, dorky, and the Everygirl. She wants her boss to be more understanding, she wants to help people, and she always has an encouraging word to say. The most important thing -- she values her friends. What better lesson to teach your kids in a modern age? And for those who are kids at heart, it's still an enjoyable show. There's a great cast with lots of people we recognize (at least I recognize several). It reminds me of my youth and why I loved superheroes to begin with. She's a *clothed* feminine figure who isn't relying on the size of her chest or butt to show how capable she is. Wasn't that the biggest complaint of all scifi and fantasy? Now, anyone who remembers the classic Disney movie, Hercules, and loved it regardless of what age they are, I feel like that's the movie that best describes this show. I was young enough to appreciate it, and I've even re-watched it out of nostalgia a few times. The more I think of a dorky person who didn't know their own abilities, including that inner heroic capability, the more I see a parallel between that movie and Supergirl 2015. Both wanted to be more. Both wanted to find a purpose in life. Both found it by being a hero and saving others.

For people who missed that 90s happy campy nature, I feel like this show brings it back, but without feeling like an entire "camping" trip. Having also seen Arrow, Flash, and Gotham, Supergirl show is worthy of all ages. I just believe people need to give Supergirl a chance. Like any show, it will find that "groove" and improve. We've barley even started.