Despite the abused source material, "Hannibal" manages to create its own peculiar atmosphere and surprise its audience with a whole new approach to the same old story. The first season is entirely focused on the ambiguous relationship between Hannibal and Will Graham before the events in Thomas Harris' novels. I liked how the show attempts to take us inside the minds of the killers and capture the twisted beauty that lies in the grotesque. Mads Mikkelsen's portrayal of Hannibal Lecter is sober, elegant, and charming, even though his superior intellect tends to be overemphasized at times.
Season 3 felt a little tired, even though I appreciated that they tried to shake things up a little. The cynical ending seems to be unpopular, but it is actually the only good idea they had here. The rest is pretty old jokes and uninspired situations. Medical Dimension was not even that good to begin with.
(Apprezzo il tentativo di variare un minimo la formula, ma purtroppo la terza stagione soffre di spossatezza acuta. Il finale cinico e rassegnato mi sta benissimo, anche perché si riconnette alle premesse fatte all’inizio della serie, ma le situazioni divertenti o vagamente intelligenti sono veramente poche. Tra l’altro non è che Medical Dimension fosse tutta sta qualità, eh. )
La seconda stagione è decisamente migliore tecnicamente, ma in certe cose sa un po’ più di stantio. Inizia ad esserci la sensazione che stessero campando un po’ troppo sui vari tormentoni e sulla gente che strilla in romanaccio. I drammi di Biascica e in particolare l’insipida storia d’amore tra Arianna e Alessandro ammazzano un po’ il ritmo generale, per non parlare del Machiavelli di cui onestamente non ho esattamente colto il senso. Tra le new entry abbiamo un Guzzanti un po’ sprecato e due cagnacce niente male.
Season two is a big upgrade technically, but tends to rely a bit too much on jokes and situations we have already seen multiple times. The side stories that span over multiple episodes like Alessandro’s love interests, the nonsense Machiavelli quest, and in particular, Biascica’s panic attacks, dragged the pacing down a little.
Has everything already been said about "Neon Genesis Evangelion"? Sure, but it's always good to remind how groundbreaking it was for its time and still is after 25 years. Netflix gave me the chance to finally re-watch it as an adult and connect with the material on an even deeper level.
The action and comedy bits didn't age too well, but that has never been the main focus of the series anyway. The classic anime tropes are there only to make you feel comfortable before Hideki Anno starts scraping off the facade and dig deeper and deeper into his characters' psyche and expose their complexity and ambiguity. It faces critical issues of Japanese society like depression, loneliness, suicide, sexual taboos, repressed emotions, fear of human contact, all without any kind of sugar-coating or whatsoever. It's a journey through personal demons as much as it is a (fucked-up) coming-to-age story, but it sometimes insists a bit too much upon silly sexual overtones that felt just like fanservice and end up being detrimental to the moments where sexuality is being used for a purpose.
The controversial ending, which totally gives up the pretense of being a straightforward robot anime to solely focus on the character introspection, is one of the most creative and innovative ways to deal with budget cuts and still deliver the important message, yet I still understand all the backlash it generated. I have a weak spot for dreamy films and psychological tragedies, but that felt like a too easy way out rather than a serious attempt to properly close story arcs and [unfold the various mysteries behind Adam, Eve, Lilith, the Angels, and the Human Instrumentality Project.
Overall, I got the impression that after taking their time for the first dozen of episodes, they ended up without budget halfway and rushed the rest, with compressed story arcs and lots of recycled or still footage. The development of Kaworu and Shinji's relationship is the thing that suffered the most from the cut. The little time they spent together hardly justifies the impact his death had on Shinji's psyche. A few more episodes or a more balanced distribution of events would have definitely helped.
The feature film "The End of Evangelion", which goes alongside the last two episodes of the series, luckily provides a more satisfying explanation of the events, accompanied by lots of fucked-up yet equally astonishing visuals, and of course some boobs and robot brawls for the nerds. It's a mandatory watch to the point that it should be considered as an integral part of series rather than a related work, and that should be avoided at all costs if you haven't watched the series first.
Despite the passing of time "Boris" is still a pleasant, yet not exhilarating, sitcom. Despite the lighthearted tone, it even manages to make some sharp satire of the rotten Italian showbusiness, where purposely making shitty TV shows truly became a specialized job. The writing could be sharper, but we are still above the level of similar shows. A little like "The Office" did in the US, "Boris" generated countless quotes and memes all over the internet, most of which are untranslatable to other languages.
The first season is a little rough on the edges but still the most genuine. Each episode has its own self-contained plot and things don't drag on for too long. The only problem is, horrible music aside, the protagonist. Alessandro's mediocrity is a perfect counterpoint to the madness of the other characters, but it's almost as if he is just witnessing the events without being involved too much.
(Rivista in luce dell’annuncio della quarta stagione. Nonostante gli anni rimane una sitcom piacevole ma non esilarante, che tra un sorriso e l’altro riesce pure a introdurre un po’ di satira e problematiche vere dello showbiz. Quanto a quantità di tormentoni introdotti nel web, possiamo definirla la "The Office" italiana. La scrittura scricchiola di tanto in tanto, ma ci possiamo accontentare. Del resto, da amante del trash televisivo sarebbe impossibile non amare una serie consacrata a chi fa la merda di professione. Tra le tre la prima stagione è la più scorrevole, con episodi generalmente autoconclusivi e che non fanno ancora troppa insistenza sui vari tormentoni. L’unica vera pecca è, oltre alle musiche orrende, il personaggio di Alessandro: perfetto a bilanciare la follia del resto della troupe ma un po’ troppo anonimo come protagonista.)
The production and cinematography are quite slick compared to the terrible average of mainstream Japanese shows. I'm watching it in Japanese, and the acting and dialogue are stilted as hell despite involving a relatively famous cast. The overall writing is as contrived as a manga adaptation can get, and it's never to be taken too seriously. Despite the problems, it was fun to see the games messing up the characters' interpersonal relationships and hinting at how their past might be influencing their actions in the present, in a "Lost" kind of way.
The second season goes along with what we’ve witnessed in the first, with the exact same strengths and weaknesses on a bigger scale. Although not a grandpa I might be a little too old for these shows. The first half tries to dig into the psychological impact of the death games, while the last few episodes go for a more conventional, action-packed approach. A more emotional approach comes back for the finale. There are some bombastic action sequences to spice things up, but suspension of disbelief is continuously challenged by plot armor and the same ludicrous writing you would expect from a manga adaptation. The show constantly hints at complexity, but the writers always find convenient and contrived ways out of each struggle.
This season apparently closes the main storyline and answers most of our questions. Although I liked that they kept things vague without trying to find explanations for every little thing, I have a feeling the author had no clue on how to close the story and just improvised on the go, as if he had a compelling premise in mind but never thought about a decent cause for the characters to be in that situation. The ludicrous theories that get explored in the last episode seem to be a hint at that. Then, I would have preferred for the whole thing to remain a mystery without worrying about connections to the real world anymore.
I thought the first season was fairly entertaining and had the right tone for a superhero series (I am always in for dysfunctional families). However, the second season already saw a significant shift in tone. Just like most popular shows, they went full throttle with shameless meme material, fart jokes, and phoned in writing to stretch the plot for as long as possible. The plot is almost carbon copy (the world will end, but we have to find out how), just without any kind of subtlety or tension. The problematic relationships between the Hargreeves made the first season interesting, but the writers decided to use amnesias and new love stories to reset the situation conveniently. People we thought were dead have survived, and people who didn’t make it still manage to appear again as we can always move back to the past….pretty much it’s all as if the whole first season never happened. I think it took me over half a year to get to the season finale.
The Commission felt inexistent, and the Swedish dudes are so forgettable that it was almost like there was no real threat for most of the season. It gets slightly better in the last few episodes, though.
I watched the whole series and had a hard time finishing it. Not that I had many expectations to begin with, but that’s definitely too long for such a pointless plot and lack of ideas. The gratuitous B-movie horror gore and gaudy setting are quite entertaining at first, but as things keep endlessly repeating themselves you grow tired pretty soon. The action is all condensed into the first and seventh episode and leads to the most anticlimactic ending ever. The rest is cheap human drama and blabber about vampire factions.
It looks like there is a condensed theatrical version that might be better, as Sion Sono’s visual delirium is the only thing to appreciate here. Just not for 8 hours.
Neil Gaiman’s “Good Omens” is clearly channeling Douglas Adams and Monty Python, and even though the results might not be as funny or visionary, it’s still a pretty solid show. It’s not the first time irreverent comedy is used to debunk religion and mankind’s warmongering tendencies, but it’s hardly as sharp and inventive as it is here.
The only problem might be the plot, which didn’t make much sense and felt a little underwhelming if considered the premise. The continuous digressions might have made the pacing a little off, but it’s probably the first time the digressions are actually more entertaining than the main thing. The chemistry between Michael Sheen and David Tennant is so good that you just want to watch them interact the whole time. I particularly liked the bits that retell moments in history and episodes from the Bible in the show’s own cheeky and sarcastic way. In the end, who really cared about the Antichrist and his “Stranger Things” friends?
The series has been renewed in 2023 for a second season that focuses exclusively on the relationship between the two protagonists, diluting a modest storyline in a rather confusing way. Although there is no novel to adapt, original writer Gaiman is still writing all the episodes. Once again, the show emphasizes the inability of religion to understand both the physiological needs and the emotional mechanisms of human beings, revealing a kind of bureaucracy that is contradictory and disconnected from reality both in Heaven and Hell. Despite the uncertainties and the slightly repetitive humor, the viewing experience remains overall enjoyable.
Just when I started to feel the show was beginning to become stale, we get what is probably the darkest and most eventful season so far. I liked all the new characters introduced, and it was great to finally see some serious power struggle arise. Tony and Carmela’s separation was supposed to be a major plot point, but I thought they got back together a bit too easily. There is really no positive character and everyone messed up at least once along the way, but I am seriously getting tired of Christopher. I just hope he gets whacked at some point.
Season 4 has a slightly gloomier atmosphere which I enjoyed, but it was a bit dull overall. It feels like everything is going to happen, but eventually nothing happens. The only big event is Ralph’s sudden death, which however results in the rest of the season dragging a little. I also didn’t like to see Furio simply disappear after all those episodes to put him together with Carmela.
I appreciate how “Westworld” always tries to reinvent itself and get bigger in scale each time, but the new setting and characters failed to grab my attention. It’s impossible not to notice that the writers kept changing every season, it almost feels like watching a whole different show.
The setting was what made Westworld feel different, but after getting out of the park and replacing most characters with host copies, it almost feels like watching a whole different show. Sure they couldn't stick to the park setting for longer than a couple of seasons without getting repetitive, but at the same time I thought they could have handled the transition a little better.
I didn't like Maeve's story arc in season two, but here she is simply unbearable to watch. She's just a waste of time and fanservice. Dolores turning into a positive character again felt incredibly forced too. It just doesn't match all the things she had been saying up to that point. Hale was surprisingly the most interesting character this season.
After a critically acclaimed first season, “Westworld” changed its writing approach and took a huge step back with this second season. It's all right until episode four (one of the best so far), then it all falls apart from episode five onwards. All important questions have already been answered at the end of the previous season, leaving the characters without a clear purpose or a consistent goal. There are just too many cheap tricks, too many convoluted plot points and multiple timelines for their own sake, too many endless shootouts that end up in nothing, too many pointless flashbacks to bring back dead characters, and too much unexplainable plot armor. The non-linear storytelling in season one had the purpose of hiding a couple of major plot twists, but this time it's just to mislead and confuse the viewer so that we can forget the plot holes. It felt like they ran out of things to write and improvised on the go for some characters. In particular, Maeve's story arc has been the most painful to watch. Her adventures don't add anything to the plot, and they even ask us to elect her as the new hero and forget all the things she did last season. Wasn't it obvious that another host has been placed to play the child's mother's role? What purpose did Lee's sacrifice have? No one ever thought of shooting him as he is a human and a trusted Delos employee. He could have gained way more time by simply surrendering himself. Why didn't Maeve join the others past the door? (They need her in Season 3 with the others who got killed, obviously).
Except for Akecheta, there are no good guys this time, but William is still the only character to be somehow fascinating. The big secret behind his wife's death was kind of underwhelming, but Emily's addition to the cast was appreciated. I just wonder how William could have forgotten about the card he received from Ford though. Not to mention that it took like ten minutes for his wife to find it, read the whole data, fill the bathtub, and kill herself, all while William and Emily were chatting downstairs. I hope he is not a host, though, as the "I was secretly a host" trick is starting to wear a little thin.
Dolores went from one extreme to the other, but her character is still as thin. Teddy is completely useless, but that's not news either.
The season has its moments, and production value is still excellent. However, the above-mentioned "little problems" with the writing and characterization are so many that honestly, I am not sure if I want to keep watching anymore.
They tried to change things a little and focus on the kids a little more for this season, but overall, the result is consistent as it is low-key. It was fun to watch but didn’t leave me too impressed. There is no villain in the strict sense of the word, but Ralph gave me some interesting Tonny Devito (Goodfellas) vibes. It’s still too early to tell if he will shine in later seasons, though. It was sad to see Livia go, as I enjoyed her troubled relationship with Tony and how she used to mess up things in the family. Janice is back already, but unfortunately has a more positive role this time.
There is a difference between unique and influential products. While unique works tend to keep their edge and traits for years after release, influential works are strongly related to the time they were created. What was felt as fresh and innovative back then tends to become stale and trivial over time as it gets endlessly imitated by later products. "Twin Peaks" has a little bit of both. I got a chance to rewatch the series after decades and could feel both its unique and influential elements. It felt a bit old and trite at times, but after getting back into the mood I thought the show still holds pretty well. The exaggerated soap opera elements are hilarious, but are well-balanced by the crime fiction storyline and uncanny, surreal elements. The first season has very little action and takes its time to introduce Twin Peaks and its inhabitants. Quality is not so uniform as different directors and writers took part in the project, but overall everything is well-balanced and, despite the slow pace, hooky enough. Attention lowers a bit towards the end, but the intense and over-the-top season finale manages to effectively bring us back on board. Donna and James' story was the only thing that felt a bit tired, sometimes even painful to watch though. Did anyone really care about them?
The second season starts strong and offers some of the best episodes ever ("Lonely Souls", above all), but it gets completely lost after Laura's killer is revealed. The cheap soap opera elements are the only things left and it doesn't even feel like a parody anymore. Characters have completely different personalities and do silly things all the time. Ben Horne's descent into senile dementia and James new cringe-worthy love interest could be counted among the worst moments in television history. Windom Earle had some potential as the new threat, but he ends up just fooling around and acting like a weirdo with no real consequences. The last episode "Beyond Life and Death" makes little sense but is at least visually interesting. It might be what David Lynch's wanted to do but made me feel the previous 10 episodes even more useless.
Almost thirty years later, Lynch finally gets a chance to revamp the show and have full creative control. For the first time, he co-wrote and directed all episodes himself. However, the final product is closer to "Fire Walk With Me" than it is to the original series. As the characters also keep saying, it doesn't even feel like the same place anymore. America changed, television changed, we changed. A lot of the events do not even happen in Twin Peaks, and most of the historical characters just got minor roles. While the original series was fairly linear and self-explicative, there is no-one helping us figure out what is going on. There will be some challenges even if you are familiar with Lynch's recurrent themes and symbolism, especially in the ending. It's one hell of self-indulgent, purely Lynchian 20+ hour movie, but I personally enjoyed it. Despite some cheap-ass CGI here and there (God, that Bob ball and glove dude scene), there are a lot of visually and atmospherically striking shots and a lot of cult moments. I would recommend it to hardcore fans only though.
"Westworld" sets a new standard for primetime shows. As with all big productions, it had to make more than one compromise to please everybody, but it has the potential to become one of the most balanced and intriguing mainstream shows of the decade. It's eye-candy enough for popcorn entertainment, yet thought-provoking enough for those who want something more engaging. The dark, gritty tone mixed with extreme violence and sex continues the HBO trend set by Game of Thrones, but still pulls it off quite elegantly. I didn't like how they had to throw in a random shoot-out in every single episode, but I guess you can't keep people interested if a gun doesn't fire every 30 minutes.
Artificial intelligence has been an abused theme in sci-fi entertainment, and Westworld limits itself to making the same textbook philosophical considerations on free will and identity without adding much new. However, I thought the writing shined when exploring the darkest sides of its human characters. Ford, William, and (implicitly) Arnold are the three primary forces around which the whole show and its mysteries revolve. On the other hand, I found it pretty hard to empathize with the hosts except for Bernard ., as they are programmed to stick to the clichés of their narrative. It’s more than understandable, but as the writers insist on getting them killed or raped to make us humans feel sorry, I ended up caring very little about them. However, as the hosts are now finally free from their loops, I expect them to develop different personalities next.
Maeve's storyline is the one that requires the most significant amount of suspension of disbelief (how could she get away with all of that with no-one noticing?), but the mystery behind the maze and the genesis of the park kept me hooked until the end. Surprisingly enough, most questions find a coherent, satisfying answer by the end of the season (I expected them to keep dragging for years). The ending is precisely what we all knew would happen at some point, but who knows what's coming next.
Quality-wise, it's pretty much on the same level as the first season, but it felt like things were dragging on a bit too long to save the best for later. The tension that was built up between Tony and his relatives gets suddenly put apart to offer the same structure, mostly the same situations of season one repeating themselves with different characters (Richie replacing Mike, Pussy replacing Jimmy). Richie Aprile is still regarded as one of the most memorable villains of the whole show, but I never liked him that much. Janice has been a far more promising addition to the cast.
Probably the best-written TV show of the '90s and the perfect mix of family drama and mob story. The realistic, unvarnished approach to the mafia lifestyle is clearly inspired by "GoodFellas", with which it shares a few cast members. It's almost a sitcom, but there is a horizontal plotline that slowly proceeds through the season and builds up the tension until the last couple of episodes. Everything starts off as some kind of offbeat comedy, but you can notice that things are getting more and more serious as time goes by. The characters are sometimes too many to keep in mind, but the ones who stick are lovable. Tony is such an asshole, yet we can't help loving him. Being able to join his therapy sessions helps to build affection and grasp the depth of the character.
I know it feels terrible to have wasted 13 precious hours of your life on this, but I can’t believe there are actually people defending this show. It felt just like yet another provocation from NWR. Most episodes are almost 90 minutes long, yet they have 15 minutes worth of footage. The rest is long silences, static shots with slow pullbacks, endless dollies across the landscapes as people walk around, semi-disjointed conversations, fuck, drive, eat pie, masturbate, or kill someone we don’t even know. The photography is gorgeous as usual, but as it always looks kind of the same, you get tired of it pretty fast. Sometimes shots are so dark and saturated that I couldn’t understand what was going on. There is a lot of gruesome violence, but as with the rest, habituation kicks in pretty fast.
I guess that at least up to a certain point the “plot” was alright, even though there is no narrative structure whatsoever. It’s like cinematic diarrhea: what comes out comes out, in no particular order. There are two main storylines happening simultaneously, but instead of alternating scenes from each character as most TV shows, Refn had this insane idea of dedicating full episodes to either storyline and amplifying this awful sense of having spent hours to get nowhere (remember, each episode is as long as a feature film and less content than a Youtube prank video). It gets a little better after the first couple of episodes, mainly due to the consistently hypnotic atmosphere that sucks you in, and especially that one absurd scene in each episode that wakes you up from the nihilist numbness, the most memorable ones being: 1) A random Korean dude goes to borrow money from the Japanese mafia and gets his finger chipped off with a katana by Hideo Kojima: 2) A guy’s severed hands left in the middle of the room as we listen to reggae; 3) William Baldwin making tiger noises and masturbating in his own movie theater: 4) The bad guys unable to find the right song to listen on the radio during a car chase; 5) The fascist police department performing the Passion of Christ with a broom and the Eucharist with potato chips.
By the way, even though a few characters’ arcs got inevitably closed, there is no ending and there won’t be a second season. Too bad because I was at least looking forward to seeing everyone die.
"Grace and Frankie" are definitely getting "too old for this shit". The writing is even more tired and uninspired than season 5, but still, I can't help loving Fonda and Tomlin's characters and chemistry. They are starting to become like family, you don't necessarily need to have fun. It's enough to check in every year and make sure they are still doing well. The kids and supporting characters are rather disposable, in the last episode they even get rid of Nick with one of the most random excuses ever. The main problem is that there is very little character development going on, and whatever happens usually gets reset at the end of each season to repeat itself for the following one. Grace and Frankie start a new business again, but it's something we have already seen done better before. Then they are going to randomly start fighting for some silly reason and get back together a couple of episodes later.
I still wish "Better Call Saul" was a show on its own, completely unrelated to Gustavo's war with the cartel and other "Breaking Bad" stuff. However, at the same time I can't deny that this is hands down the best season so far. As always, top-notch production with neat cinematography, smart writing, and great characters. I was not a big fan of Lalo's at first, but he is a good addition to the cast now that he is finally starting to get real loco. Especially now that we know that there is not much time left for Kim, I am starting to fear the worst for her. I didn't expect her character to get such a fully developed arc throughout the show and hope she will survive.
We had to wait for five years but we finally got to see more Saul than Jimmy, even though there is a little bit of everything in this season. The pacing is still on the slower side but never gets boring, unless you were thinking about binge-watching the whole thing.
Despite the imminent risk of seeing the same formula of the first two seasons growing stale, “Attack on Titan: Season 3” actually represents an unexpected leap in quality in terms of pacing and storytelling. The first part of this season initially forgets the titan threat to focus on humans and the political subterfuge of the Capital. A lot of mysteries find clear answers, even though we had so many clues that nothing came as unexpected. The second part has the most epic battle so far and we even offers a particular moment that could have irremediably divided our heros and raise some controversy (unfortunately, the writers chose the easy way out).
"Attack on Titan: Season 2" manages to keep the show as fresh and entertaining as its opening seasons, even though it pretty much follows the same structure with different villains and a couple of more mysteries thrown in. It feels like the purpose of these episodes is to prepare the ground for what's coming next rather than adding something new. We are starting to stop seeing our favorite characters dying, but as the stakes involved are getting exponentially bigger, the fights are getting to epic proportions.
I totally understand the hype created by "Attack on Titan". It's a layered yet not overcomplicated adventure for all ages, full of mysteries and compelling characters. It does not change the rules of "shonen" narrative, but at least avoids bumping into the most annoying stereotypes of the genre.
The real hook of the series is definitely the depth and ambiguity of the characters. On a first look, they all fit into the usual anime stereotypes, but the slow-burning progression of the story allows plenty of time for introspection and character development. Despite the stylized traits, characters feel "human" in their contradictions, with no-one being utterly right about anything.
In the long run, the plot mostly follows conventional paths without any real surprise, but there are times when events take unpredictable turns for the worst. Choices that are suggested as the obviously right thing to do end up leading to tragedies to the point that (almost) none of the characters is truly safe. Other times, the limited understanding of the characters can even change the way certain decisions are being perceived.
The only problem is that after an intense first episode, we have too many fillers and never-ending inner monologues that serve no purpose other than explaining what is obviously happening in front of our eyes. It's not so obvious if you binge-watched the whole season, but there are too many episodes with literally nothing going on. I watched the recap films a few years ago, and it looks like they could smartly sum up the series without missing anything.
Another thing that bothered me is how long characters spend arguing if people died in vain or not. Sure, sacrifice and the value of human life are central themes, but did they really need to digress about it every other episode? Like the continuous inner dialogues: I understand that they can help younger viewers to understand the ambiguity of certain issues, but it can be frustrating at times. They looked more like tricks to buy time and make as many episodes as possible and at the same time stay within the budget and deadlines.
Nevertheless, a good show even for people who are not anime and manga habitués. I just hope it won't develop into a mecha anime with flesh and bone robots.
Again a lightheartedly fun, but not hilarious, season. Not a big fan of the twin brother gimmick and its predictable outcome, but it never gets so bad it becomes a turn-off.
I finally had time to rewatch "Breaking Bad", and it has been just as fun as the first time. Definitely one of the best TV series ever made in terms of writing, direction, and acting. Popular series tend to grow stale over time, but the quality is uniform throughout the five seasons here. Everything is crafted so carefully that even the subplots and fillers are worth it. It's basically a crime drama with a lot of focus on exploring the depths of all characters. It's not a new formula but has the perfect balance between action, black comedy, introspection and tragedy. The cast is what makes this series so unique: even though the spot is on Walter and Jesse, the side characters are just as iconic and meticulously written that even potentially boring daily life sequences and family drama events are entertaining. Gus is one of the best villains in television history, but does he really count as a villain? I understand that he could not stay around forever, but after he is gone I couldn't help feeling the void that he left. Hank didn't get the same recognition, but I personally thought that in the end he was one of the most likable and multifaceted characters, and the one with the most realistic development.
Even though I enjoyed the whole series, the first two seasons are by far the best in terms of pacing, development and realism. It's impossible not to binge-watch mid-season one to early season three. Things get bigger and more complicated in later seasons, but basically rely on the same structure and situations of the first two. Season three and four introduce great characters like Gus and Mike, but season finales apart the pacing significantly slows down. A lot of situations also start to repeat themselves: Walter and Skyler have the same conversations every single time, Jesse gets manipulated by Walter and turns against him when finding out, Jesse loses himself and gets saved by Walter in some unorthodox way, etc. Season five tries to change the game a little and mostly succeeds, the second part in particular offers a lot of great moments as all storylines start to close. The ending was maybe a bit low-key, but it felt like the right thing to do without getting too unrealistic and leaving loose ends.
The original "Money Heist" series was written and planned as a one-time thing, with each characters' story arc perfectly closed by the end of part two. The writing and pacing have always been shaky, but at least the show hardly held back with its choices. As the events developed, you could feel the tension and danger because there was no need to keep anyone clean and alive for future seasons. This new heist forcefully brings the original gang together and a couple of new additions, and it's clear that they are trying to milk the cow for as long as possible. Situations are stretched out till they become ridiculous, characters like Arturo and Andres have been brought back for no particular reason, and the mandatory soap opera nonsense gets bigger and bigger.
It's not clear if the show is still taking itself seriously. It feels more self-aware and entertainment-oriented than the previous season, but at the same time, Tokyo's "deep" aphorisms in the narration suggest differently.
It's absolutely ridiculous that the writers are doing the impossible to make the authorities look bad so that they can justify a gang of terrorists getting recognized as teenager idols. New characters Sierra and Palermo were fairly interesting though, boom boom ciao bullshit aside. I hate Rio and Tokyo, so whoever hurts them bad gets my respect.
"Apocalypse" has a quite interesting premise, with the weirdest assortment of metrosexual human beings stuck in a high society bunker ruled by a mysterious and sadistic mason organization. But this only takes about one-third of the season. The rest is just a long series of flashbacks revealing that the Apocalypse was actually brought by an alliance between the Illuminating and the Antichrist (and let's not forget his milk-fed robot assistant!!) in a war against the witches. The show brings back fan-favorite characters from previous seasons, but their appearances are wasted or have little purpose in terms of plot. As it happened with "Coven", the deaths of any of the characters have zero emotional impact, as we know that literally anyone can be resurrected. The Antichrist can erase people's souls forever, but of course, why don't we try time travel to fix everything? Calling this season out of focus would be giving a compliment, it looks like they decided to re-write the show half-season and thought about the weirdest way to make everything fit by episode 10. Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters play a billion characters and need to be in all episodes at any cost. Literally nothing happens until the last episode, and so much time is wasted on events that have close to no impact on the plot, like the feud between the Coven and the Hogwarts Boys' School of Magic or characters like Misty and Queenie being brought to life just to disappear a few moments later.
The first American Horror Story season without supernatural entities has a lot of hard-to-believe moments but was enjoyable nonetheless. This show always starts mildly interesting, gets addicting mid-season with the mysteries unfolding, and then drags on for five/six more episodes taking weird turns and questionable outcomes. This season kind of follows the same structure but manages to keep well-balanced until the end. The pacing falls a bit once most of the questions get answered, but unnecessary historical digressions aside, I was quite satisfied. The political moral sounded a bit cheap, but I wasn't expecting anything profound anyway. Getting a bit sick of Evan Peters and Sarah Paulson getting the same kind of roles every time, but I guess that's what people want?
No wonder this show got canceled. The chemistry between Ruby and AJ kind of worked, but the writing is just too awfully dated for this to be remotely enjoyable. Situations and stereotypes we saw billions of times with sprinkles of weak LGBT propaganda and RuPaul self-celebration. Everything is so comfortably predictable that unless you are a Drag Face fanboy there is really little to enjoy. It's doesn't even fall under "so bad it's good". No way I could have watched the whole thing if someone hadn't forced me.
