The 100 - Season 2

Title: The 100

Season: 2

Broadcasting Station: The CW

Official Synopsis: Season Two kicks off with Clarke and her friends trapped inside Mount Weather, a nuclear-hardened underground city where no one is safe, especially The 100. When Clarke escapes alone, it sets off a chain of events for our trapped heroes, the adults on the ground and even the Grounders. Alliances will be made, friendships will be broken and justice will be served. With everyone fighting for their right to survive, our heroes will have to ask themselves a very important question: How far will you go to save the people you love? Many will fight, some will die, all will be changed forever in 16 earth-shattering, action-packed episodes.

Official Page

STEPH SAID

Rating:

Review:

I came to this season with high expectations. The first season of The 100 was amazing, immediately turning the series into one of my favorites ever. I was afraid that this second season would drop the ball, that it would be able to maintain its intensity, suspense and wonder. I’m happy to say it didn’t.

What is most amazing about The 100, as a series, and that it’s perfectly exemplified in this second season, is the ease with which it portrays raw human nature. They reduce every character to their most basic instinct: survival. It is a series about war, after all. Everyone is trying to save themselves and their people. And for that, they are willing to make tough decisions; they will do whatever it takes. To the point where they all become warriors, and the only thing they know is survival.

I can’t believe that the characters I disliked the most in the first season are now very likable. Octavia is now one of my favorite characters. She has shown uncanny strength. In a surprise twist she became a kick-ass Grounder warrior, leaving the whiny, capricious girl behind. Clarke is still not my favorite, but she behaved better this time around. Her choices were the perfect balance between heart and mind. And, even though not everything went according to her plans, I don’t believe it was her fault. 

There was only one storyline that I didn’t enjoy. When Finn killed many Grounder innocents, old people and kids, he was sentenced to be tortured until he died. For a while Clarke and her gang tried to save him from his fate, endangering the new alliance with the Grounders. In this kill-or-be-killed world they now live in, Finn deserved to die. I know they love him or whatever, but seeing Clarke trying to save him was exasperating. However, the storyline had an acceptable resolution and I overlooked the less appealing parts.

The ending of the war against the mountain people was beautiful and fitting. It was tough and heartbreaking, but hopeful. It seems like a closed chapter that might be revisited at will, but that could be left unattended for a while. The season’s ending gave us a taste of what’s to come and it seems the series is going to take a new turn; it’s going to focus on a different story. Yet, apparently, the war is not over. What I’m hoping for is a different setting, but the same core human struggles.

Doctor Who (2005) – Series 5

Title: Doctor Who

Series Number: 5

Broadcasting Station: BBC One

Number of Episodes: 13

Original Release: 3 April 2010 – 26 June 2010

Official Site








Official Trailer

STEPH SAID

Rating: 

Review:

With a new Doctor, a new companion, a new Tardis, a new sonic screwdriver, as well as a new showrunner (Steven Moffat), this season feels like another reboot of the series. And let me tell you, I like Doctor Who a lot more now. Moffat is doing wonders for this show. It is young and fresh, and its fast pace makes you feel like you are living an adventure yourself. As opposed to Davies’ series which were more slow and dramatic.

After watching the first episode of the season, “The Eleventh Hour”, Matt Smith’s Doctor became my favorite Doctor yet. This feeling was only strengthen after each episode. He is energetic, smart, witty and super crazy. I love how Matt Smith has made a more physical Doctor. With his constant hand gestures and his moving about you get a glimpse of the craziness inside his head.

Amy is also a really good character, worthy companion for The Doctor. I don’t like the sense of ownership she has over The Doctor, but I can deal with that. She is strong, decided, and unafraid. She leads The Doctor more than he leads her. Their friendship is a story for the ages.

The other traveler in the Tardis this season, Rory, caught me by surprise. He seemed like an ordinary scrawny doofus in the first episode and I didn’t give him much thought. Until the very end of the series. His love and loyalty towards Amy left me speechless. The sacrifice he made for her brought tears to my eyes. I will not look at him the same way again, no matter how dorky he still looks.

It was also super fun to see River Song again. That one-off Moffat character that knows The Doctor’s name. Her flirtations with this younger, super awkward Doctor are hilariously cheeky but cute. She is a sexier female version of The Doctor and I love it. Still, the mystery continues. We don’t know who she is or how she knows The Doctor. We know that she likes to order him around and that she flies the Tardis like a pro, better than The Doctor himself. But that’s not much.

Moffat has changed Doctor Who for good. This whole season was amazing, full of remarkable character, laughs, and feels. It has many extraordinary episodes like the one where you meet The Doctor: “The Eleventh Hour”; the laugh-out-loud funny: “The Lodger”; and the one that makes me cry every time I watch it: “Vincent and The Doctor”. Not every episode in this series is grandiose, but they are all really good. And even the ones that I consider a bit slow, (like “The Vampires of Venice”) are way better than most of the episodes of previous series. Moffat is definitely off to a great start.

Marvel's Jessica Jones

Title: Marvel's Jessica Jones

Season: 1

Broadcasting Station: Netflix

Official Page and Netflix's Page

Official Synopsis: After a tragic ending to her short-lived super hero stint, Jessica Jones is rebuilding her personal life and career as a detective who gets pulled into cases involving people with extraordinary abilities in New York City.

STEPH SAID
Rating:

Review:

Stupid is too little a word to describe Jessica Jones, both the character and the TV series. I’ve used stupid so many times that it has lost all its meaning  I changed to rubbish in honor of David Tennant’s British English, but I still feel like a need a stronger word to describe this series.

Yes, the acting is really good, still Jessica Jones has many problems, and the biggest one is Jessica herself. I can’t believe that the most annoying character in the series was the one to express the simplest yet most powerful truth of the whole series. “Would this Kilgrave cat have hurt any of you if Jessica Jones hadn't pissed him off? […] Each of his atrocities can be traced back to her.”

Every problem in this season could have been prevented if Jessica were smart enough. For example, she knew that Kilgrave’s effect lasted 12 hours, so she should have left Hope in her house for 12 hours until the effects wore off. Just like she did with Luke later on. She was free from Kilgrave’s influence ever since she killed Reva and she hadn’t noticed. She needed a big reveal, ten episodes in, to know it. Jessica had Kilgrave unconscious after he had proven that Hope was to be released. She could’ve killed him, but instead decided to tie him up and make a call. She was also knocked unconscious by the weakest character in the series, which meant that Kilgrave got to Hope first, after her release from prison. Jessica had Kilgrave eating from the palm of her hand and decided to screw that and torture him into confessing, something that was obviously never going to happen. And so on and so on.

Jessica is just so idiotic and ignorant! Kilgrave’s parents said he was going to die so they injected him with an experimental virus that could prologue his life and all she thought to say was “So you infected him?” in an accusatory tone. She’s supposed to be resourceful yet she lets Kilgrave deceive her in every turn. And she is followed everywhere she goes. She’s resourceful but she can’t even get an address right or a doctor to stich her up when her ribs are broken. She’s resourceful but she can’t get herself locked up in maximum security even after delivering a human head to a police officer. She’s resourceful yet Kilgrave escapes due to a cut wire.

Kilgrave and Jessica’s relationship is also questionable. She hates him because he made her kill someone (even though, as he mentioned, all he said was take care of her, not kill her). I believe this made Jessica romanticize their relationship. And she turned all her guilt for Reva into hate for Kilgrave. He gave her the opportunity to escape, the opportunity she had, apparently, been waiting for since the first day. She had it and decided to contemplate the street and do nothing. Thus, I believe Kilgrave is not as evil as Jessica tries to make him. At least at first he isn’t. I’m not saying he’s good. I’m just saying he’s not evil either. He is in the gray area. It was Jessica who turned him into the monster he was at the end. 

The “plot” was so thin that the writers had to recur to lots and lots of fillers to make 13 50-minutes episodes. However, they didn’t even create full blown plots. They only managed to introduce characters that talked enough to consume time. Like the drug addict that turned out to be the spy, (I saw that one coming). Like the annoying twins that served no purpose. Ruben’s death could’ve been replace by an unnamed character and the effect would’ve been the same. And Robyn does nothing but complain about her brother through the whole series. Hope did nothing but kill her parents in the first episode. Hope was actually Jessica’s frustrations personified. She was an ideal. Therefore, she was not needed. Luke, was kind of cool, I admit. But again, did nothing for the plot of the series. Hogarth and her story was the only proper subplot, yet it was unrelated and unnecessary to the story. I know Simpsons will turn out to be important, but so far nothing. The only sub-story I enjoyed was Jessica and Trish’ origin story. That was a worthy subplot. That should’ve been the primary story: Jessica as a teenager, living with Trish and being kidnaped by Kilgrave. Yet, they reduced that plot to a couple of scenes.

People probably like Jessica Jones because is different, but different doesn’t mean good. She drinks hard and has powerful sex, but that’s all she really does. Well, that and whine about her crappy life. She’s considered good because she wants to help people but people without superpowers do more every day than she ever did in this TV series. Think of cops, firemen, caregivers. The only persons Jessica helps is Trish, because they are sisters, and Hope, because Jessica sees herself in Hope. And no Daredevil cameo? Come on! This series turn out to be so bad, that not even David Tennant’s performance could save it.

how i met your mother - Season 2

how i met your mother - Second Season

Number of Episodes: 22

Broadcasting Station: CBS

Original release: September 18, 2006 - May 14, 2007

Official Synopsis: How I Met Your Mother Season 2 depicts the next steps in Ted's hilarious quest to find the perfect romance. His friends Marshall and Lily are getting married, Barney is still happily single and Ted is looking for Ms. Right. (cbsstore.com)

STEPH SAID

Rating: 

Review:

I can't believe this season is better than the previous one! I thought the first season of how i met your mother was great and flawless, yet, this season is even more hilarious, more dramatic and more story-rich than its predecessor.

The best part of this whole season is, without a doubt, Barney Stinson. He was at the center of some of the season's funniest moments like: the “Slap Bet”, when everybody started calling him Swarley, or the time he had a “relationship” with Lily. At the same time, he was the author of the season's most heartwarming moments like his encounter with his “father”, and when we discover the real reason for Lily's return to New York.  I love how he has taken a more central role; his personality has been evolving and every few episodes we see a new layer of him.

This series has something that I had never seen before on TV or movies, and love: the ability to revisit old stories and develop them. On the pilot episode of this series Ted said that he was present during Marshall and Lily's first time. He said that he was on the top bunker, and that was that. More than a season later, we revisit that story and what Ted said is put into context. Many instances of this phenomenon occurred during the season and every time I was left happily impressed. 

how i met your mother has given us two unbelievably amazing seasons in a row. Let’s see if it continues to deliver.

Doctor Who (2005) Special - The End of Time, Part 1 & 2

Doctor Who (2005)

Episode Title: The End of Time Part 1 and Part 2

Broadcasting Station: BBC One

Official Synopsis: It is Christmas Eve, and the Doctor is reunited with Wilf [… He] faces the end of his life, as the Master's victory unleashes the greatest terror of all.

Official Page



Trailer

ELL SAID

Rating: 

Review:

This is a two-part farewell for David Tennant so, as expected, it ended with a bang. Sadly, the journey to that 'bang' isn't what you'd expect. The first part sucked, while the second part was actually pretty epic. There's not much to say, honestly. There's a lot of plot devices, useless moments, as well as far too much taken for granted. The overall plot (humankind being replaced) isn't quite original, since that's the basics of all Cybermen episodes up until now. There was, however, a lot of redeeming points, specially David Tennant's performance of the Doctor. He was, without a doubt, amazing. His ability to transmit the Doctor's emotions is just fantastic, and that's without even saying anything. Wilfred was both heartbreaking and heartwarming, and his love for the Doctor just makes him all the more adorable.

The 100 - Season 1

The 100 (2014)

Broadcasting Station: The CW

Number of Episodes: 13

Official Synopsis: Ninety-seven years after nuclear Armageddon destroyed our planet, humanity’s sole survivors live on the Ark, an aging space station experiencing overpopulation and inadequate resources. When faced with difficult choices, the Ark leaders [...] decide to send 100 juvenile prisoners back to Earth to test its living conditions.

With the survival of all in their inexperienced hands, The 100 young people must learn to rise above their differences and forge a new path on a wild and dangerous landscape that teems with radioactive waste, turbulent weather and unimaginable predators…or face the ultimate extinction of the human race!

Official Page

Official Trailer

STEPH SAID

Rating:

Review:

I did not expect that! At all. This is a CW series, so I thought this will be a Hunger Games/ Pretty Little Liars mash-up. And while it still has some of the CW's traits like forced love triangles and such, it isn't a soap opera catering to teenagers. This series is actually really dark, gruesome, and gory. In fact, some scenes were so brutally graphic, they made me feel uncomfortable. However, that didn't dampen my enjoyment of the series.

One of the things that I first liked about this series is the raw humanity of it and in it. Even though the story takes place more than a hundred years into our future, and people are living on space, the thematic of this series cannot be further from our reality. Many philosophical and psychological topics were undertaken: questions of right or wrong, life or death, anarchy or order. When The 100 reach the ground, a state of anarchy, where they thought they did “whatever the hell [they] want”, was instated. But, things started to get complicated when they found themselves under attack from a unknown group. A makeshift government was created and decisions about who lives or dies, or whether to torture a prisoner or not emerged. This series presents human with only the most basic instinct in their mind: survival. They'll do whatever it takes. They don't take time to moralize or think about the repercussions; they only wanted to survive. That, I believe, is why this series is so alluring.

Another interesting fact about this series is the lack of a proper, main antagonist. Most characters are a shade of gray. Some are darker, some are lighter. We see “good guys” doing questionable things, and “bad guys” saving people. Most characters are just moving in this pool of gray throughout the series. Some of them even surprise you with their decisions. In the end, you care about the characters you hated in the first episode and vice versa. But, I'd say only one character is completely good, and one completely bad. One sacrifices himself for the greater good, the other stabs everyone on the back. So, the series has a pretty good balance there.

Unfortunately, not every character is good, or interesting, or even likable. The men are really good, and they get better with every episode. The women, on the other hand, leave much to be desired. Not one of them was consistent. Octavia seems like a badass chick. The “I'll do whatever the hell I want” type. Until her big brother tells her to stay put, and she does. Raven, even though a little too egotistic for my taste, could've taken any guy in a fight or in an intelligence match. Yet, she pines for one guy for most of her onscreen time. And, the main character, Clarke, is insufferable. She is way too uptight. She is the type of person who makes decisions against everyone's counsel, and then complains because it went wrong. In all fairness, she started showing signs of improvement near the end of the season.

But, none of this matters, because two-thirds into the story, each remaining episode greatly conveyed the drama and the thrills concerning the impending war. That was all I cared about in the end.

So, give it a chance. If you let it, this series will surprise you as well.

Marvel's Daredevil (2015) - Season 1

Marvel's Daredevil (2015) - Season 1

*This series is rated TV-MA*

Broadcasting Station: Netflix

Number of Episodes: 13

Official Synopsis: "Marvel's Daredevil" is a live action series that follows the journey of attorney Matt Murdock, who in a tragic accident was blinded as a boy but imbued with extraordinary senses. Murdock sets up practice in his old neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen, New York where he now fights against injustice as a respected lawyer by day and masked vigilante at night.

For more information you can visit the Official Marvel Page. To watch the whole first Season of Marvel's Daredevil head to Netflix.


Official Trailer




STEPH SAID

Rating:

Review:

Daredevil is definitely good. But, is it the best superhero series out there? Not really. 

First of all, the exposition of the first two episodes is terrible. If I hadn't been able to binge watch the series, I woudn't have watch it until the end. The first two episide have Matt and Foggy forcibly talking, and explaining their situation, to many different people in order set the scene. Also, we get to see scenes from Matt's past that help set the scene: his relationship with his father, how was his life without his mother, and how he adjusted to his knew blind life. However, in the first two episodes, and most of the third one, we don't have any clue about how Matt does what he does. If the audience doesn't know anything about Daredevil the character, they can think Matt can actually see and is just deceiving everybody. That makes it a little harder to relate to him as a person. Likewise, we don't know why he decided to become a vigilante, how he learned martial arts (his father is a boxer), what happened to Matt after his father died, or what happened to his mother. We don't even know who the villain is. So, in the beginning it is really hard to follow and enjoy the story due to all the unanswered questions.

On top of that, Karen is unbearable throughout all the series. She has this savior/spy complex. She believes she can take down an ubber rich/drug dealing/ trigger happy/ police controlling unknown mafia overlord all by herself. He controls the media, the police, the justice system, but she still believes she can write a pice of news and his whole kingdom will come crumbling down. In the end, I was even happy when one of the characters died because of her contant pestering. I thought she will finally understand who she is up against.

The series took off after the third episode, and the story began to unravel. We met all the villains, and find out about their collective plan. We, too, learned enough about Matt to relate to him. That's when the series draws the audience in, when it becomes very interesting. I appreciated how the main villain seem to be one step ahead of Matt all the time, yet he is the one damaging himself. He is the one that narrows the circle of villains and the circle of people who trust him. Though, that means that Daredevil didn't do as much to take down Kingpin as Kingpin did to himself. I also enjoyed the character Kingpin, his background story, and how he belives he is doing the right thing. In fact, in the beginning of the series Kingpin and Daredevil both stood on the same ground, for the same goal: to make Hell's Ktchen better. It wasn't until more than halfway through the series that Kingpin actually become the villain. That made it a little harder to see Daredevil as the “hero” and Kingpin as the “villain”.

If that weren't enough, the ending was anticlimatic; I didn't like it at all. It wastes two-thirds of its time in a legal battle, trying to teach the message that in the end legal justice is the best course of action, which contradicts Daredevil's core beliefs. Then, the series does yet another 180 degrees flip when Matt decides that the enforcement of the law is not enough, just as he already believed up to episode nine. On top of that, some personal relationships get a rushed make-up, so we could have a small scene of everyone happily drinking on the same table. And that is not all, because, in addition, the scene is not set for the next season. I don't know what to expect for season two of Daredevil.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the overall story quite a lot, mostly because of Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock and Toby Leonard Moore's Wesley. Both actors carry the weight of the series and move it forward, specially during the first half of the season. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't have continued watching the series. Additionally, the fights! We definitelly need more three-minute-one-shot fights! The only thing that dampened my enjoyement of the series as a whole is Karen. Everything else on this review I can overlook. If I were to rationally and mathematically rate this season, the outcome would have been definitelly lower. But, I love Matt Murdock/Daredevil, and this darker take, along with Cox's performance (not the production of the series) makes him justice. Thus, the four stars.

how i met your mother - Season 1

how i met your mother 

Number of Episodes: 22

Broadcasting Station: CBS

Original release: September 19, 2005 – May 15, 2006

Official Synopsis: How I Met Your Mother Season 1 tells a love story in reverse. Egged on by his best friend's upcoming nuptials, Ted believes he finds the woman of his dreams in Robin - though destiny might have something different in mind.

STEPH SAID

Rating:

Review:

I'm not a sit-com savvy, but the first season of how i met your mother has some of the best comedy I've seen. It had me laughing out loud from beginning to end. What I loved most about it, and what I think is the reason for its success, is its unconventional characters. The characters of himym are practically the opposite of the usual, stereotypical characters found in comedy. We have Ted, a guy who is in search of his true love; Robin, a woman who doesn't want to get married or have kids; and Marshall and Lily, a couple that has been together for nine years.

However, what takes this series from really good to wonderful is, most definitely, Barney Stinson. Neil Patrick Harris' portrayal of the suit-loving gigolo was hysterical and somehow touching. When I saw the reason he was a suit, I was moved. At the same time, I could almost hear him sing “Evil inside of me, is on the riiise”.

Something else that make this series quite different from others is its seamless weaving of good drama with comedy. There were scenes in this series that literally brought tears to my eyes. The final scene was particularly sad. During those moments I would make a double take, and suddenly realize I was watching a comedy. And then, loved the series even more.

The only thing that worries me is the fact that from the beginning of the series we already know the ending: Ted founds the woman of his dreams and has two kids with her. Robin ends up as the kids' aunt. Knowing that the series is nine seasons long, I fear that the writers are just going to beat around the bush for most of the series.

The Flash (2014) - Season 1

The Flash

Number of episodes: 23

Broadcasting Station: The CW

Official Page











Trailer


STEPH SAID

Rating:

Review:

I don't know what I expected coming to this series. Everything I thought I knew about The Flash came from Smallville – I found out later that Smallville's Impulse is not Barry Allen, but Bart Allen. However, I was excited due to Barry's appearances in Arrow.

As opposed to Arrow, The Flash is an upbeat, heroic show; it has cheerful characters that only care about saving people. In each episode Team Flash confronts a human with super powers – a  Metahuman – that has gone rogue and is endangering life in Central City. Flash's team give each “Rogue” a funny nickname and do their best to incarcerate them in a special prison. Tension builds up as the season progresses, though. The rogue of the week takes a more secondary place in storytelling, and Barry starts dealing with the man who killed his mother: an enigmatic antagonist, known as Reverse-Flash, who always seems to be one step ahead of Barry. The “rogue of the week” storylines are fun, but they feel like fillers, unimportant. The Reverse-Flash storyline, on the other hand, is more compelling, interesting, and full of unexpected plot twists.

Many other things improve Flash’s, already good, standing. I personally love their ongoing jokes about the Metahumans’ prison. I mean, how do they eat? How do they go to the bathroom? Also, having Wentworth Miller playing Captain Cold is a plus, no matter how you look at it. The introduction of time traveling so early in the series could lead to a catastrophe, but I have decided to give it the benefit of the doubt. Nevertheless, the Arrow/Flash Crossovers are the best part. The Flash vs. The Arrow fight, and Cisco betting on it, was everything I could’ve hoped for.

Barry, Joe, and Harrison Wells are amazing characters. The latter was especially intriguing, mysterious, and alluring. Most of the other characters were difficult to like at first, especially Cisco. When I met Cisco in Arrow, he felt cheesy and purposely nerdy. Like, nerdy viewers will like him just because of his shirts. But, let me tell you, he grows on you. I have come to like him quite a lot. Eddie went through the same trial, and also came out victorious. I didn’t even know how much I had come to like him until I saw the choice he made in the finale. 

Unfortunately, I can’t say the same thing about Caitlin, Ronnie or Iris. Ronnie and Caitlin suffer from the same lack of development. You can expect that lack of depth when it comes to Ronnie because he is only in the series for a couple of episode. But, Caitlin was in the series since the story started in Arrow. Yet, Caitlin doesn’t evolve through the season. She is a blank, I-lost-the-love-of-my-life, genius, pretty scientist; that is all there is to know about her. And, Iris… well, she is an entirely different case. Her constant whining and nagging is just annoying, and it distances her from the audience and from the Flash’s mood. Not one of her actions in this season moved me or compelled me to like her. She was in a completely different universe from every other Flash character. However, that is the only negative thing I can say about the Flash as a series. Is not a small part, but everything else in the series makes up for it.

Doctor Who (2005) Special - The Waters of Mars

Doctor Who (2005)

Episode Title: The Waters of Mars

Broadcasting Station: BBC One

Official Page

Official Synopsis: Mars, 2059. Bowie Base One. Last recorded message: 'Don't drink the water. Not one drop.'.

ELL SAID

Rating:

Review:

This episode is great, in some ways. Oddly sad, in others. And, slightly terrifying in others. Lets just say this episode increased my fears of water to all new heights. Anyway, though it is terrifing, I have some interesting issues with this. For starters, the fact that it's a fixed point in time, it effectively means that, no matter what happens in the episode, these people will die. And the Doctor's actions shouldn't have been able to do anything to change that. 

Furthermore, the deadly virus, or germ, was able to transmit, or implant, itself into the humans on Mars. But, these people got that virus from using the Martian water. Why didn't they bring their own water, if they were becoming a colony? They're the first colony out on Mars, and they know nothing of it. Wouldn't they bring as much as they could from Earth, in order to avoid just this type of catastrophy?

Another point, probably the main reason why I dislike this episode, is the 'villains.' They are, basically, visually, water-possessed humans. The first impression of these baddies is impressive, definitely scary. But, after that first impression passes, they just feel kinda silly. Even though, sure, the power of water is great, these bad guys get really old, really fast. 

Finally, I find it impossible to believe that the Doctor can barely pilot the Tardis on his own, but could somehow make the 'funny robot' control it perfectly enough for it to matterialize around them. However, even though this episode is not great, it is basically the best of the specials between Series 5 and Series 6, mostly because the ending of the episode is flawless.

Arrow - Season 3

Title: Arrow

Season: 3

Number of Episodes: 23

Broadcasting Station: The CW

Official Page











Official Trailer

Ell Said:

Rating:

Review:

With the excitement of the first season of The Flash, and the epicness of the previous season, our expectations were sky high when this season started. Alas, from the get-go, it was a disappointment. From Sarah's death in the second episode, the series was filled to the brim with terrible writing. First, Malcom's plan in the beginning. From what I can tell, Malcom's plan was to kill Sarah by means of Thea, to draw Nyssa out, which in turn would eventually lead to a confrontation between Rah's and Oliver. So, basically, he brainwashed his daughter, killed a pottential ally, and drew his biggest enemy to Starling City. Thing is, it worked. But, somehow, Thea managed to give Malcom to the League of Assassins in her stead, clearing herself of the 'charges' placed on her head by Sarah's murder. This would have been a great conclusion, but no, this wasn't even the mid-season episode. Because, for some reason, Oliver thought it was a bad idea, and decided to save Malcom from the League, and put himself in the path of it by protecting Malcom. You know, the enemy of a distant, non-enemy league is definitely your ally, or something. This brought about one of the worse group of episodes since Smallville season 10. The episodes after Oliver 'dies' at the hand of Rah's are the most boring episodes I've ever seen, but the worst thing is, it gets worse. Because, when Oliver comes back, Rah's wants to make Oliver the next Rah's Al Ghul, and won't take no for an answer. As the righteous vigilante that he's not supposed to be, Oliver declines, slowly forcing Rah's to use worse and worse tactics to force Oliver to obey. But, here's the thing: If Oliver had just said yes in the beginning, he'd have been able to do everything earlier, and no one, at all, would have had to die. The end itself was, without a doubt, anticlimatic, with it ending on a inconvincing high note of Oliver and Felicity driving into the sunset. Which, you know, would totally bum Ray Parker out. This, with the inclusion of Deathshot's death and the mere existance of Cupid, this season is the worst one of the three we've seen so far. (And don't get me started on the Felicity and Oliver scene in Rah's temple.)

On the other hand, this season also has some of the best moments in the series, and yes, they belong to the one and only Barry Allen. In his first official appearance as the Flash in Arrow, the two duke it out in an amazing fight. The interactions between Oliver and Barry were cool and fresh. Deadshot's few moments were pure gold. And, in all honesty, even Ray seemed more likable to me than other characters, like Felicity or Laurel, that have become something the writers want to ram down your throat. That one episode, were Thea and Oliver go back to the infamous Island to train, during which Deathstroke gets loose, is quite fantastic. But, I wish it would've had a bigger impact on the story and not been a one-time thing. Katana was a happy surprise (no, I didn't know it was her until I saw the ridiculous mask), and that's about it. So, in conclusion, literally everything good about this season comes from somewhere else: The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, or better Arrow seasons.

The Walking Dead - Season 4

Title: The Walking Dead

Year: 2010

Broadcasting Station: AMC

Official Page

Official Synopsis: Rick and the survivors foster a thriving community in the safe haven of the prison. In this brutal world, however, walkers and outside threats are no match for danger brewing inside the fences. The group's home and new way of life is thoroughly tested, and their struggle to survive becomes more perilous than ever.

ELL SAID

Rating: 

Reviews:

The Walking Dead season four was flawless. It starts off a little slow, but it doesn't take from the story. Instead, it actually helps make the middle and finale be a thousand times better. I found myself constantly having to pause for a rest, because the emotions of the episodes I was watching were enormous, to say the least.

Rick, Daryl, Carol, and the rest of the characters just keep getting better and better, and the tragedy of their lives becomes the centerpiece of the season, showcasing the struggles these characters go through on a level far beyond that of other zombie-related stories. Furthermore, even on the less exciting  episodes, one has the constant desire to learn about what happens next, and keeps you constantly worrying about what happened to the characters.

The last couple of episodes were, in my opinion, among the best episodes of the series. The branching stories, the constant threat to the character's lives, and the final episode are the complete opposites of the beginning, toping the season with the proof that The Walking Dead deserves plenty of seasons more.

Orphan Black - Season 2

Title: Orphan Black

Broadcasting Station: BBC America

Official Synopsis: Season two of BBC AMERICA’s dramatic conspiracy thriller, Orphan Black, hits the ground running with Sarah (Golden Globe® nominee Tatiana Maslany, Parks and Recreation) in a desperate race to find her missing daughter Kira (Skyler Wexler) – a wild pursuit that brings her head-to-head with ruthless pro-clone, Rachel (Maslany). This season also rejoins Sarah’s clone sisters Alison (Maslany) and Cosima (Maslany) as they struggle to keep their clone world a secret and pick up the pieces of their broken lives – all while dealing with the harsh reality that no one around them can be trusted. 

Official Page

Official Trailer

  *This TV series has been rated TV-MA, for mature audiences.*


STEPH SAID

Rating: 

Review:

Politics and power plays are at the center of this season. This season is all about trust; the main clones, along with the viewers, won't be able to decide who to trust. Everyone seem to have a hidden agenda, which leads to many scams, betrayals and lots of suspense. The episodes were so packed, that many times the development of the story was implied through one line. For example, why waste time telling a new character the clone story when the viewer already knows it? Better skip ahead to when the character is fully informed and is O.K. with the idea of clones. This leaves more time for plot development. This is how TV should be: quick, resourceful, and rich in drama.

I still cannot believe that Tatiana Maslany hasn't received an Emmy nomination. She is so wonderful, that I regularly forget that it is her, the same actress, who portrays all of the clones. Maslany is so great, that you can tell when she is acting as a character who is acting as another. She can act as Sarah acting as Alison or Cosima, and you can tell. Maslany is also full of surprises. Just when you begin to believe you have seen it all, she goes on to act as a man. I was speechless. She even looked more “manly” Jordan Gavaris, than who plays her foster brother.

Thoughts about recurrent/minor characters are as follow. A) Angie is getting on my nerves. She is the character that I disliked the most. I dislike her even more that I dislike Rachel. B) I don't know what to think of Cal yet, since I barely know him. C) I was glad to see Helena again. I know she is evil, but, to me, she is only misguided. That is why she is so crazy, and yet so gullible and naive at the same time. D) Scott's personality added a nice touch to the story. The scene where he is playing a board game with his friends, and Cosima joins them was pretty funny. E) It was so nice to see Death – I mean Ben, as a minor character. F) Last, but not least, is Donnie. He surprised me this season. He went from an annoying idiot to a budding bad-ass in one episode.

The ending was both surprising and promising. I didn't see it coming. I was a bit lost during the final minutes of the finale. It had too much coded talk too fast, at least for me. Still, the big message came across easily enough. And, once I knew what is was, I was left craving more Orphan Black.

Doctor Who (2005) Special - Planet of the Dead

Doctor Who (2005)

Episode Title: Planet of the Dead

Broadcasting Station: BBC One

Official Page

Official Synopsis: A London bus takes a detour to an alien world, but can the Doctor defeat the Swarm?

STEPH SAID

Rating: 

Review:

This episode was mostly a waste of my time. I didn't enjoyed it; and that's coming from a Doctor Who fan. The story dragged on forever without anything actually happening. It wasn't funny, thrilling or dramatic. Most characters were dull and added nothing to the story. Not even the Doctor was that good, and Christina was just annoying. I can't understand how the Doctor actually thinks that they are a perfect team. Yes, they are both adrenaline junkies, but the Doctor can't be with someone that is trying to one-up him all the time. The only character I actually enjoyed was Malcom; he was just adorable. The alien enemies were actually cool too. Unfortunately, having cool enemies and one good character is not enough to sustain a whole hour of Doctor Who.

Arrow - Season 2

Title: Arrow

Broadcasting Station: The CW

Season: 2

Number of episodes: 23

Official Synopsis: Starling City has been torn apart by the Undertaking, so the need for the hooded vigilante archer – now known as The Arrow – is more urgent than ever in the explosive second season of the hit action series based on the DC comics character. After retreating to the island where he was once stranded, Oliver Queen returns to protect his mother, sister and besieged corporation – but comes to realize that allies and enemies have switched sides, and the stranglehold of evil on family, friends and city is diabolically linked to his fateful shipwreck. A comrade-at-arms from the island and a mind-warping, strength-enhancing serum developed there may prove to be the mightiest adversaries The Arrow has ever encountered. [...] 

Official Page



STEPH SAID

Rating:

Review:

There's not much to say about the second season of Arrow, and in this case, that is a good thing. Almost everything about this season is great.

The new characters, and the further development of old minor ones, are this season's best presentation card. For starters, Thea gave a turn for the best. She stopped whining, became all mature, and started being understandably reasonable.  In the end of the season, everyone betrays her, and she rebels again. Though this time, instead of whining and doing drugs, she actually stood up for herself, talked straight and demanded the truth. When none of those worked she took the only route she saw as possible. At this moment I realized I cared for her. And, of course, shooting Merlin was just the cherry on top. 

Sara Lance as “The Canary” was simply badass. (I apologize if you find this word vulgar.) She always had the right mind-set and attitude. It is really sad that she is not the real “Black Canary”. Her sidekick Sin, was adorable. Sin's attachment to Sara, and subsequently to Roy was endearing. I only wish I would have seen more of her.

Another character I would have love to see more of is Deadshot. I found about Deadshot through Smallville, and immediately became a fan. I was glad to see him in the first season of Arrow, and to see him return to the second season. Still, he deserves more.

Some that did appear more this season were Roy and Slade. Their evolution through the season was a sweet surprise, and their respective endings were unexpected. Slade's ending is amazing because it leaves the door open for him to appear again on the show. Roy's ending, on the other hand, left a bit to be desired. After struggling for more than half a season with the effects of Mirakuru, Roy ended up Mirakuru-free. This, along with the fact that Roy didn't achieve much tanks to it, makes the storyline seem useless. It takes a turn for the worst when you realize that if Roy hadn't have the Mirakuru Thea would still be with him. Fortunately, something good came out of it, and now we will see Roy join Team Arrow officially.

On top of all of this is the Special Appearance that stole everyone's heart: Barry Allen, as the future Flash. Grant Gustin was excellent as the awkward, nerdy scientist. I'm definitely looking forward to his own spin-off series.

The overall writing of the season is better than the first season's. This time every episode was good. And the background story as good, if not better, than the present-day story. Although you could guess how the Island story was going to end for Slade and Oliver, it was never boring, it always kept me at the edge of my seat.

Two things I didn't enjoy about this season. Firstly, Laurel. During this season she behaved as Thea did on season one. Even though Laurel went through an ordeal, she made it really hard for me to understand her or feel sorry for her. Secondly, I didn't like Oliver's decision to not kill. I understand why he did it, but I don't support it. Take Slade for example. Oliver left him alive, that means he could escape at anytime and finish what he started. It's not an easy decision to make, but he knew he had to kill ever since he decided to “clean” Starling City. Also, his end-justifies-the-means attitude is one of his traits, otherwise he'd be another mild-manner Superman.

Despite these unsavory situations, that did put a bit of a damper on the story, the season was thrilling, dramatic and intense. It had many plot twists and touching moments. In the end it was all worth it.

New Girl - Season 3

Title: New Girl

Season: 3

Broadcasting Station: Fox

Number of Episodes: 23

Official Page











STEPH SAID

Rating:


Review:

*This review contains spoilers.*

The beginning and the ending of this season was terrible; I was even tempted to give it a one-star rating. Although, upon looking back at the episodes in the middle of the season, I was reminded they are good. Unfortunately, not New-Girl-season-1 good, just good. Like I said in the review of New Girl's first season, with this series is not about the “what”, is about the “how”. The question is why does a TV series that was amazing and new and innovative, now sucks big time? Because even though the series, and Jess herself, were described as offbeat, they now march to the same beat as everyone else.

The first few episodes made no sense, and didn't go along with the offbeat, regular New Girl we are used to. Schmidt playing with the feelings of two girls was not funny and completely out of character. Schmidt is a guy with self-esteem problems that comes off as a d-bag, but is, in fact, sensitive and caring. He is not the type of guy that would go out with two girls at the same time. I reminisce the first episode when Schmidt decided to not hook up with a girl so he could go console a friend. That is was Schmidt is.

Along that line follows Jess. She has turn (or is she just now showing her true colors?) into a selfish, sex crazed teenager. (“'Cause I'm going through a sexual awakening. It's like I'm tapping into this raw sexual energy [...] And it's kind of like I'm a young nun and Nick is my sexy monseigneur.”) The series' producers are wasting Zoey's unique and charming quirkiness and goofiness to focus on something that anyone else can do.

The selfish part of Jess is more evident near the end of the season, especially in the episode “Big News”. I know a breakup may involve a long and painful process where each person needs time to heal. However, for that to happen Jess and Nick needed to let everyone know about their breakup; that way they could have received some time and space to figure things out. Instead they decided to not tell anyone and focus on celebrating Winston's big news. Nick was succeeding in his attempts to focus on Winston. On the other hand, Jess was all about herself and ended up ruining Winston big night. I understand what she is going through, but she made a decision and she should have gone through with it. 

This gets worse when you realize that this breakup is, almost in its entirety, Jess' fault. She knows how Nick is from the beginning, and decides to go into a relationship with him anyway. And then, she can't be with him because he is not the way she wants him to be. (“I just want you to take a little more responsibility.” Also,  “Nick... if I was always honest with you then we would never stop fighting.”) In the breakup episode Nick tells Jess that he is not the type of guy to assemble a toy before giving it as a present. Jess says that's O.K.; she wants him to be himself. Yet, a few minutes before she was pestering him about not assembling the toy. I mean, a relationship in which both partners know they need to get literally away from everything and everyone they know, in order for the relationship to work, is an obviously doomed relationship from the very beginning. 

Unfortunately, she is not the only one that has changed for the worst. Every character's age has apparently been downgraded from 30-ish to 15-ish. The characters are behaving so immature that it's annoying. There were some episodes that actually felt like a burden when I was watching them. The actors just make a fool of themselves, say some crazy lines and that's it.

A clear example that will summarize my feelings is Coach. He was the only character I liked this season. He wasn't great, but he was definitely better and funnier than the rest. Yet, in the last episode I lost the last shred of respect for the character and the whole series. Coach, along with the whole group, went on a cruise. The thing is, coach is afraid of boats, apparently. He could have stayed behind, but let's say that the peer pressure got to him and he decided to go. Next thing I know he is in a small boat on the deck of the cruise, "rowing" for his life and screaming, completely out of touch with reality. It was so ridiculously exaggerated that it wasn't even funny. Less is more with this sort of thing. Why didn't they just made him cry? Or suffer from paralyzing fear? That could have been hilarious. Then again, fake crying to make people laugh has been a constant in this season, so maybe the writers were bored of their own work. 

Then there's Miller as a lawyer. I understand that he can forget about procedures and regulations, but a five year old could have behaved better than Miller did as a lawyer. Heck, even Winston behave brilliantly and he didn't even knew what he was doing. You only need to watch one episode of law drama to know how to behave in a court or an official meeting, like the one they attended.

Like I said earlier, the episodes in the middle of the season were good. Unfortunately, they weren't good enough to overshadow the decline in this series' quality.