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Reviews
Inside No. 9: Love's Great Adventure (2020)
A great episode
Like the title says.
One of the rare recent Inside No. 9 episodes that does not rely on unnecessary twists or meta narration, and does not try to take the easy way out with its story.
This is a character-driven episode that is thankfully not cheapened by an Inside No. 9 "stock shock" ending. It, along with the previous episode (albeit in slighter regard) is slowly restoring my faith in the show.
Twin Peaks (1990)
10/10 but for Season 1 only
It is difficult to rate the entire series fairly because, well, it's almost like Season 1 and Season 2 (and 3) were made by completely different people.
When I was eight years old (this was 1994), our TV programme aired Twin Peaks reruns. I can't really remember the first season much (it was the only one aired), but I remember having liked it and finding it interesting, in a way that a child can see the value in something without completely understanding it. I remember my mother saying to me how the first season of the show was amazing, but I shouldn't be bothered with the rest.
Fast forward some two decades (about 8-10 years ago from now), I remember the show and decide to finally watch it as an adult, being a big film and TV buff. Season 1 and 2, respectively. My conclusion:
Season 1 is awesome. It's funny, charming, mad and mysterious at the same time. It has a real story, a real murder in a real town populated by real people who were just oh so slightly insane and over the top. The town itself is a living thing, a character of its own. The season is grounded in reality, but sparkled with a touch of crazy, and full of fun and innocence. 99% of what people remember fondly and lovingly about Twin Peaks today, comes from this season. Because it really is that good.
Season 2 is bad. Immediately (and I do mean in the first five minutes) you realize the tone of the show is changed. There is no quirkiness anymore, there is no emotion. The characters don't live their own lives anymore, instead they have become caricatures of themselves, living only to be quirky because the writers demand it so. Everything is more serious and dark and broody. There is no actual mystery anymore, just plot devices. Innocence lost, and nowhere to be seen again. Yes, this season revealed Laura's murderer, but that felt forced - season 1 used Laura Palmer only as a focus, a catalyst; it never needed to actually reveal the killer. And when this one did... meh.
Season 3 is... well, see for your self. I gave up three episodes in.
In short, please watch at least the first season. It really is wonderful
Mindhorn (2016)
Lighthearted and fun!
The title says it all; this movie wants to make you laugh and leave you with a smile on your face afterwards. No nonsense, no melodrama.
The characters are real people (although exaggerated slightly), so it's not a parody - just a feel-good movie that's a little on the silly side.
Recommended!
Dimension 404 (2017)
Apart from one standout episode, mostly uninspired
The show is OK. Most episodes - except one standout - fall between uninspired and passable.
It's packaged in a Twilight zone format (even has a narrator) and it tricks you into thinking you are in for a real interesting story. But then, you realize - it doesn't want to be a genre show; it wants to be a "social commentary" show just like Black Mirror.
The one episode that does stand out (and it truly is a wonderful episode) is the only one that embraces its sci-fi roots and plays it straight all the way. It's inventive, it's refreshing and it's FUN. Give me a show like that every week, and I'll always be back for more. Just... lose all the extra baggage.
In short, Dimension 404 has potential but is barking up the wrong tree. If it ever stops trying to be "relevant" and finds its own voice (Chrono Teens, unite!) then I expect it to become a real cult hit.
Farscape (1999)
Wonderful show
I've really been thinking about this show a lot these past few weeks, and about all the cool things, the funny and emotional moments it had.
There really are no other shows like it. It's a mixture of episodic and serialized narrative that can take itself seriously one episode, then go in a completely insane direction the next, without ever having it feel out of place or tonally jarring.
It's epic, and then it's personal, then hilarious, then epic again. It just feels that so much love and so much creative energy has been poured into the show that, at its high point, Farscape could do anything and do it wonderfully and keep it up forever.
And, thankfully, the show ended on a high note, with seasons only getting stronger as they got along, and the storyline concluding with the Peacekeeper Wars miniseries.
All in all, it is a fantastic show and, if you give it a chance (the first 9-10 episodes are a bit hit and miss), you will be thankful you did.