What i expected: This show is about a terrorist attack, that wipes out the entire US government. So it will be mainly about hunting the (muslim) terrorists, like in 24. And a President, who does everything to stay in power, like House of Cards.
What it's actually about: How terrorist attacks affect Muslim-Americans, how a right-wing, islamophobic governor tries to establish a police state. About a naive, but lovable president, who takes time for his family, while his wife is kick-ass lawyer. About a president, who tries to find the terrorists, but doesn't want to attack someone without being 100% sure.
It's not a dystopian vision of the USA after a devastating attack. It's an utopia!
A strong season beginning. For many characters the hopes get up. I am very optimistic about Team Sansa-Brienne. But the most interesting plot-location for me is King's Landing, where Cersei is back in the game, with Jamie on her side. Key-quote: "Fuck prophecy, fuck fate, fuck everyone except us" This should be the new motto of house Lannister. The Dorn-Location had an interesting development. Furthermore i liked how Danni made a proverbial full circle and is now back with the Dothrakis, i thought she gotten too powerfull over the last seasons. Over all i am on my edge for the developments this season awaits us. I just fear they will make the same mistakes, like last season (rape-sences without further meaning etc.). But i think, from what i saw this episode, the writers and creators listend to the critics and are now back on track.
I wanted to write this in earlier comments: Does anyone think of Black Mesa while the Hawkins Lab scenes (the current time, not Eleven's flashbacks)? specially when they send in the one dude in the Upside-Down. That could've been Gordon Freeman.
Anyway, as a i expected the protagonists are shifting now in the offensive. But i cringed on Hopper's plan. What was his exit strategy? I know, he is more an intuition type, but that was seriously dumb. Another thing that felt out of place was the scene at the vigil with Mr. Clarke. Firstly it was an unusual amount of explanation for Stranger Things, secondly this punch-a-pencil-through-paper-explanation was very cliché. And not 80s cliché, i looked it up. It was first used in Event Horizon in 1997 (or has Mr. Clarke the ability to watch movies from the future, which would be awesome btw.), then recently in Interstellar.
I really enjoyed the duo Nancy-Jonathan. Nancy finally left her 80s-trope-shell and showed some soul. The confrontation developed both characters much further.
Speaking of Duos: Joyce was in combination with Lonnie also very good. She used her maniac energy, that she had built up in the last episodes in converted it into an emancipatory act.
One final thought, that i also wanted to write in earlier comments: I think they showed the monster too early. We saw already the head and parts of the body in episode 3 or so. I would've wished they wanted until the end of this episode to show anything of the monster directly. So the picture analysis in the dark room and everything else connected to finding the monster would have had so much more impact.
I will be writing about Episode 1 and 2.
This season premiere was perfectly paced and very atmospheric. I think the general theme of the episodes and also this season is illusion. Mr. Robot talks about how reality is just an illusion, Phillip Price talks about how the government creates an illusion and Elliot tries to build himself an illusion of a normal life. This illusion equals normalcy and routine. There is this IT-saying: "Never touch a running system". And i think Mr. Robot (the show) tries to transfer this proverb to the real world. You should never touch a running system, even if you can improve something, because it causes disruption. That is what government and the society is about in general (in the thinking of Mr. Robot). But what does a hacker? He/She touches a running system. Sometimes to cause harm and chaos, but often hackers hack something to improve it. Lifehacks become a whole new meaning in this context.
The second part of this illusion-theme is the connection to magicians. The show confirms this magic connection in the QR-Code Easteregg, which leads to http://www.conficturaindustries.com/. If you google Confictura, you get to a handbook for stage illusionists . I remembered what i learned about magic tricks from The Prestige: There are three stages. The Pledge, where you set up the trick ("Look at this bird. Just a normal bird!"), the Turn (Bird disappears) and finally the prestige (Bird reappears). I think you can see this three stages in the season one finales and the two episodes in season two. Tyrell Wellick meets Elliot in the season finale (The Pledge), Tyrell disappears (The Turn) and at the end of episode two he reappears (The prestige). . Maybe we see more magic tricks in this season.
Some other observations: I really liked the acting, specially of Rami Malek and Portia Doubleday (Angela). Angela turned full American Psycho, i was amazed by her powerplay in the PR department. I would like to see her rise to a corporate power woman (and then her eventual fall). Rami's pivot of acting was the scene where he started laughing at Mr. Robot. That was a Joker-worthy performance. It really frightened me. We are also introduced to FBI-Agent Grace Gummer. I think she will be the counterpart to Elliot and fsociety in general. I liked her performance (Anyone else thought of Elsbeth Tascioni from The Good Wife?) and i am looking forward to see more of her.
To sum it up, this season beginning was fantastic and shows how good Mr. Robot is. Pacing, Atmosphere, Acting: It all was on pint and although the series is often slow paced it never gets dull.
The end is nigh
It's exposition time in Westworld, y'all! So Bernard was created because Ford wasn't able to recreate true emotion. Only another host could do it. Maybe this is analoge to programming we have now. In the early days of computing coders needed to code in assembly, tell the computer every operation it had to do. Nowadays we have higher level programming, in some cases we can even talk in natural language to it. So i think the way Ford works is not so far away to the way we work with computers. For me it is totally logical, that just hosts can model their own emotions, fulfill such a complicated task. My current Arnold-Theory is, that he was a host, that Ford created to do a similar task. But it got out of hand. So Bernard is Arnold 2.0.
Ford also quotes Mary Shelly's Frankenstein: One man's life or death were but a small price to pay for the acquirement of the knowledge which I sought, for the dominion I should acquire and transmit over the elemental foes of our race.
It is a bit to on the nose for my taste, but i guess this late in the season they really to tell it to the last viewer, who didn't already understand.
One gripe i had with the episode was, that apparently you can photoshop people out of surveillance footage. Who thought this was a nice feature to have? "Oh, and make sure we can edit our security tapes. You know...just in case" "Of course, that is not at all creepy and suspicious"
It feels like the season misses a general narrative. The single story lines are nice, but the feel disconnected not only from each other, but also from episode to episode. I don't see yet how they will bind those vignettes together
The romance between Mike and Eleven was a bit unnecessary i think. I get that it should heighten the stakes and the finale but i like Millie Bobby Brown so much as Eleven that i didn't really need it. Anyway, now that we have it i am very pleased with the execution. It felt so innocent, so sweet. They are friends, but they feel that they feel more for each other without really knowing that.
The chase and the whole beginning before the intro were excellent. This is 80s-Spielberg at it's best. .
I have a question about the Lando-Theme that Dustin evoked: He said "That doesn't feel good" repteadly in this dialog. But wouldn't it make more sense if he would say: "I have a bad feeling about this", like Han Solo, who was betrayed by Lando? Did Disney or Lucas Film trademarked that sentence?
Also, is Mr. Clark a CIA sleeper? He knows about sensory deprivation tank and how to build one, about multiverse-theories but acts like a really average guy. That is very suspicious! Maybe we should open this curiosity door.
At the end of the episode, where the two henchman of the lab, the woman and the man appeared i had one thought: Anti-Mulder-and-Scully.
I really liked that intro. Although it wasn't necessary, it was a nice way to explore Elliot's state of mind. And it is another way to interpret his perspective of the world. For Elliot the world must look like a sitcom. On the top-layer it's intact, everyone acts happy and problems doesn't seem to be grave, but it's just an illusion, fake as the greenscreen. Problems and dysfunctional relationships are laughed away, which compares to the real world, where Elliot sees how people always try to overplay their personal and societal problems.
But the producers need to be careful to don't overplay this creative tidbits in future episodes, otherwise it tends to distract from the main plot and becomes just a gimmick. In general it seems to me that Elliot's plot is underdeveloped in this season, in this episode specially. He doesn't need to be the protagonist necessary, i can see him more as a commentator as well, but he was developed as a lead. Now he is more of a supporting character.
The strength of the episode lies with the women, as it was built up in the former episodes. Angela and Darlene have an intriguing dynamic and they focus on hands-on hacking, which made this series unique. It shows also, that, when they focus on just two story arcs instead on for or five like in the last episode, they have time to develop it better and make the whole thing coherent.
As i expected the wow-effect wore a bit of in the second episode. But still i enjoyed it a lot. After they set up their general nostalgia-flair and their very well written and acted characters, this episode showed us, what i think is the key element that makes and hopefully will make this series so lovable. It is a dichotomy of the protagonists between being an 80s cliché and a human being with a soul (although i am not sure that all protagonists are human beings...). There are some scenes in this episode that really stung right in my heart, for example at the beginning, when Eleven lies there and starts crying. It felt so true. I remembered all the times as a kid when i was sleeping somewhere besides my own bed and felt homesick. So well play by Millie Bobby Brown! And also when Chief Hopper says how in the city he only dealt with strangers and now it was his friend. Those scenes are maybe easy to write, but not easy to act without it feeling acted but real.
Furthermore the story is really interesting. I have absolutely no idea how it will unfold and that happens rarely these days. There are so many possibilities and Stranger Things makes not the mistake to explain anything. It's show, don't tell how i wished i would see more in the mystery and sci-fi genre.
I gave the episode 8 points because i want to keep some reserve for episodes that really overwhelmed me.
One of the Who-iest episodes in ages. The essence of Doctor Who is a show for kids, teaching them about history. This episode embodies it in its very heart. And they find the perfect balance between addressing race relations then and in the present through dialog between the two PoC companions. The white protagonists are not the heroes, but need to acknowledge that they can't change Rosas life. That's the sensitivity Moffat never had. This season is going to be glorious!
Pearl in a Tux!
Any other kids TV show would've gone for the cheap grab and made an episode about money corrupts people or something like that. But not so SU. If you follow the makers on twitter, you know that they were really excited for this episode and now i know why. This tension between Greg and Pearl finally resolved. And furthermore in a musical episode. I was moved to tears.
Thank god for Mary Elisabeth Winstead!
A good mix of the tried and trusted Fargo formula, multiple intertwined story lines, a police chief, bad and dumb people and death combined with new faces.
I've never been so relived seeing someone hit by a A/C-Unit
And I wonder if "Ehrmantraut" was a shout out to the other best TV-Show currently airing?
I hate the missunderstanding-trope! This whole thing with Steve and now this rejected lover thing is unbearable and doe not bring the plot forward. So annoying! But on the other hand i think we needed the tension between Nancy, Steven and Jonathan released. I felt really freed after the brawl because it strengthened the bond between Nancy and Jonathan and made things clear.
Furthermore this revelation of Elevens mother was a bit over the top. Yeah we get it, she is her mother, she has abilities. That was to on the nose, even more for this show. which was very coy with explanations, what i really like.
#shortysquad
After the excellent episode Mr. Greg this was a real classic one. One gem learns something about herself and reveals a fact about Homeworld. I became a real Peridot-Fan while her transformation from an antagonist to a protagonist. This is for me the quintessence of SU, don't fight your enemies but make them your friends. Peridot is a tragic figure, like the Crystal Gems she gave up her initial ideology to fight Homeworld and still struggles with her new life and her decisions. But we can see all this in "realtime". Furthermore i hunger for every tidbit about Homeworld. Now we know, why Homeworld has this expansion drive: They need resources because HW itself runs out of them. We know already that the farming of Gems needs a lot of planetary resources and maybe even Homeworld is used up in this process. This subtle world building is another aspect what makes SU great.
In the episode itself i think i see a commentary on millennials and their connection to technology: As we know now, Peridot is an Era 2 Gem, who, because of the lack of resources, has not the ability to shape shift and therefore uses technological advancements. In the real world, baby boomers depleted more or less the resources of planet earth, ruined the economy and the now emerging generation, the so called millennials, are relying on technology instead of the old ways. Despite this technology being an integral part of the society, both at Homeworld and here, the older generation looks down on the younger for the extended use of it (like Amethyst trying to convince Peridot, that she doesn't need their tablet). In the end Peridot shows that she developed her own abilities, which are connected to her reliance on technology. I would be very interested if someone has a similar theory or another one.
I see strong parallels in Centis Crayon drawings and children drawings of war. I think this is not a coincidence. Centi was not only a fighter but is also a victim of war. Maybe her corruption is the gem version of PTSD. Very touching episode. I also liked it how Pearl ask Amethyst to stop, when she makes fun of Centi. Even if Pearl doesn't trust Centi and Amethyst doesn't want to be mean for Pearl it is important that nobody is made fun of for his/her/their appearance.
Oh good. You didn't need me at all
I must admit, Amethyst is my least favorite Crystal Gem. It's not, that i don't like her, but i can't really connect with her goofy and irresponsible nature. (What does it say about me, that i am more in Pearl's side here? ;) )
But in this episode, Steven Universe delivers an emotional sucker punch, where i felt so sorry for Amethyst that i just wanted to hug her (thankfully Steven did that in the end).
In Mr. Greg we've dealt with Pearls problem to deal with the loss of Rose. We have a couple of episodes where we deal with Garnets emotional problems, but there are just a few episodes that deal with Amethysts emotions. I think she is constantly insecure for her imperfectness. We hear Jasper say, that Amethyst should have been as big as Jasper. Amethyst tries to mask her insecureness with goofiness but in this episode it really broke through. Jasper was made for fighting, and she does that not only on a physical level, but is also really good at making her opponents insecure. Without the support of Garnet and Pearl, i think it really got to Amethyst and we'll see that pan out in future episodes.
On a lighter note, we finally saw Stevonnie fight. I loved how they stood up to Jasper. Not only in an physical way, but also in an emotional way. They didn't let Jasper get to them on a psychological level like Amethyst did. Maybe Fusions are also stronger in a psychological way. Garnet barley shows emotions, because Ruby and Sapphire keep each other in check. Maybe it is the same with Connie and Steve and other fusions. The insecurities and inabilities of the fusionees are negated by each other and only or mostly their positive attitudes are prevalent.
S.S. Misery
It's obvious, that the whole Lapis-Jasper-Storyline is about toxic relationships. And they done it really well. People stay together not only for external reasons (for the kids etc.) but also for internal reasons. As Lapis say, she kind of misses Jasper. It is an unhealthy urge to surround oneself with people that drag you down. But i think the underlying motive of Lapis Lazuli is depression. First of all Lapis is blue, she is literally feeling blue all the time. Second she shows symptoms of depression (i am not a psychiatrist, though, so i could be wrong). No motivation to do anything, Steven has to urge her to come on the boat. Blaming herself for everything. Making herself miserable because she thinks she deserves it. Maybe, like Centi, she is corrupted in her own way. It isn't just fixed with repairing her gem.
It was a melancholic but also lovely episode. It was satisfying to see her stand up against Jasper. But i think that won't be the last of it. You can't overcome such unhealthy relationships with a bang, and i think the show runner know this.
I am not sure how i should interpret the title. Neither Steven nor Lapis nor Greg where alone in this episode. Maybe it's about Jasper, but i think it's more meta. Maybe Lapis is feeling alone at sea. She thinks nobody is there to help her, nobody can help her. But in reality she has a lot of people who like her (Steven, Greg, Peridot). She feels alone, but her friends are close, just behind the horizon.
Strange is the new Orange
Do you like one or more of the following movies: E.T., Nightmare on Elm Street, Poltergeist, The Shining, The Goonies.
If yes, Stranger Things will take you on a nostalgia filled joyride, that will bring you back to your childhood before the TV or in the cinema like never before (even if you wasn't a kid in the 80s). If not, you will watch one of the best Netflix-Shows ever.
Stranger Things is extremely atmospheric with an eye for detail like i never saw before. The show-runner Matt and Ross Duffer breath 80s nostalgia but don't make the mistake to use it as an end to itself. The pilot shows us engaging characters, from the four friends to the nervous wreck of a mother, played by Wynona Ryder, all inspired by the 80s but revitalised by 2016-Peak-TV-writing.
I really tried to find some negative aspects in this first episode, but the only thing i could say is, that it sometimes goes over the top with it's 80s clichés. For example the storyline with the sister and her boyfriend serves no real purpose in connection to the rest of the plot. Merely a trope. And maybe it cuts too fast from children-mystery to Drama, then to Romance and back again. But that is overshadowed by the general love that was put into making this series.
Let's see how it holds up in the next seven episodes. I am excited!
What if Frank Underwood would become Pope?
The Young Pope is one of the most remarkable series of 2016. Jude Law not only acts but lives the role of the egocentric, mystic and near maniac Pope Pius XIII. The camera uses every aspect of Vatican architecture to bring this series to life. The soundtrack underlines but also contradicts.
You need to give this series time. Like it's protagonist it doesn't like to tell you it's plan. It conveys the big enigma that is the roman catholic church like i've never seen before. Even if you are an atheist for a short time you need to buy into the narrative of catholic belief to feel the epicness of the story.
That speech on religion felt generic. Like some teenager read Marx and now thinks he is the great religion critic, but i don't think it was a real message they wanted to deliver, but instead show how mad Elliott has gone after the Advil and sleep deprivation.
What i really, really love in this episode, and also in the episodes before is how they show how the hack affects the people. Ray talks to his wife about an allowance, we see people searching the trash and an opera singer singing in the subway. Specially the opera singer i liked, because the actor is a real life singer at the metropolitan opera in NYC, so there is a whole story how nobody goes to the opera anymore, so they had to lay him off etc. (or, that is what i imagined.)
Angelas plotline is awesome because she has absolutely no empathy left, and you can see her transformation to a corporate overlord. I enjoyed seeing more of Dominique DiPierro, how she is as a person and overall i think this episode sets a lot of thinks nicely up. I want to see more
Duke of Edinburgh, but sexy
The Crown is the most expensive series Netflix produced to date and i really looks like it is. It can definitely parallel Peter Morgan's earlier imagination of Queen Elisabeth in "The Queen". But for me the real star is Matt Smith as Prince Philip. Often times he is just standing or sitting in the backround of a scene, but in the most elegant and at the same time chilled way i ever saw.
The Crown is an ambitous project, set out for six seasons (and a movie?), and it could become an epic telling of Queen Elisabeth II.'s life.
i think they bounced back very well from the plot mess that were the last couple episodes. I really hope they take Coleman down in a epic way. Shitgate was one of the moments, that are very UnReal-typical: You don't know if you want to laugh or cry, maybe both
What i noticed first in this episode was the color coding. Steven wears a light pink, puffy jacket while Connie wears a dark green hoodie (which made her look like Link, even more with the sword :D ). I like to think they consciously reversed the colors on them to contradict mainstream gender roles. This even more reflects in the dynamic of Connie and Steven, not only in this episode. When Steven got stuck in the snow after he rolled down the hill, Connie offers him help and he takes it. That is only a small gesture, but it isn't often in any show, even more in cartoons, that the male protagonist takes the help of his female sidekick. Connie is not only the girl, that is dragged along, she is a vital part of the team. She has the fighting and snowboarding skills. She is determined. In the end the whole story arc wasn't about Steven but about Connie and her relationship to Pearl. I really love to see her in episodes, because every time her story arc is as much important as Steven's.
I think the whole episode is about realizing you need and asking for help. Stevens accepts Connie's help to get out of the snow and in a bigger arc Connie realizes she needs help with the monster, and calls Pearl. In any other show it would play out like this: Connie overestimates her strength and ability and tries to take on the monster until in the last second she is saved by Pearl and then Pearl teaches her about taking help etc. But Pearl told them already they should call her when they are in danger. It really angers me, when plots are woven around the fact that a team doesn't hear on each other, but the in this case it is the opposite. Again SU tries to go new ways in terms of story telling and character building.
Also i really like Connie's relationship to her parents. In a lot of cartoons, parents are antagonists or at least hurdles that the kid protagonist has to overcome to advance in the plot. I think this is because kids often see their parents this way and so they can connect easily to it. But Connie has a strong bond to her parents, and naturally shows them all her pictures of her adventure. It doesn't come to her to have secrets before her parents. And why should she? They are her parents and only wish the best for her, even if the best is to fight monsters with a sword. I think it is okay to have secrets from parents but it is also important to show in such cartoons that healthy parent-kid-relationship is based on trust and truth.
First things first: MILLIE BOBBY BROWN IS A FRIGGIN' REVELATION AND SHE DESERVES AN EMMY!
The finale Episode showed once more how good the set-design was. You could see that the Upside Down was full of real props. Also the Byer's house had a real development. I told the story of the whole show in the background. It was like a focal point of the whole plot. Furthermore it showed the strength of the series storytelling: Chief Hoppers backstory was hinted in some previous episodes and one could already think, that his daughter is dead. So the flashback didn't feel forced but natural.
On the other hand the finale showed how bad the CGI was. It begun with the CGI flies in Episode 1 and continued through the whole show. It's sad, that they didn't try to make more with physical props. Like the portal. Did it have to repair it self and therefore needed CGI. I don't think so. It would be fine, even better without.
The last scenes in the Byer's house gave me last one kick in the gut. There are so many unanswered questions: What are those slugs. We saw them in Barb's corpse earlier. Why put Chief Hopper food in that box. It is obviously for Eleven. Where is she? Who and where are One to Ten?
Some thoughts on season 2: Now that the expectations are so high i fear that season 2 will feel worse, even it isn't. This show hit me from nowhere, this advantage will season 2 don't have. Maybe a time jump? (But i want to see the actors again). I really hope the Duffer Brothers will take their time and won't become the Wachowskis (Matrix --> Matrix 2+3).
Conclusion: Stranger Things showed us that you can build on existing themes and tropes and at the same time do something completely new. I think Netflix will learn something from this: Don't just continue an existing IP (Full House, Gilmore Girls). Nostalgia is prevalent in today's pop culture, but that doesn't mean viewers want to see old things with a fresh color. In building on a whole decade of cinema and Zeitgeist, the Duffer could develop new ideas. It's like: We like the 80s but we don't want to retell them. There are still new stories in this period that cinema and TV just hadn't time, money or motivation to tell. For that i am eternality grateful.
Good Night, readers, good night.
very strong season 3 (which is actually season 2 part 2). Missed the princess squad action, but I recoginze the need to sacrifice their screen time for the development of Catras and Adoras core story arc.
I am really astonished by the strong emphasis on Entraptas moral development. This is really a modern take on She-Ra, telling a story on the moral side of tech. Entrapta is the Silicion Valley tech genius, helping an imperialistic army, without questioning the end that justifies her means.
I wonder what it is, that enable animated tv series mainly aimed at kids to tell stories with diverse and morally ambiguous characters, making even the meanest adversairies relatable and the most empathetic protagonist showing their flaws in the end, while big, multibillion dollar production sturggle with even developing an interesiting villain.
"I get mad at my self and then it makes my suck at everything i do even more!"
I feel you Amethyst, i feel you.
It seems that hard sci-fi series are back in the game. Besides Black Matter and the Killjoys we have now the Expanse. Comparing the three pilot episodes, this one was the best. They did a decent job in building a large universe with clear rules and relationship (in Black Matter we know next to nothing about the bigger picture of the universe and in the Killjoys it is too complicated and bad explained). They had nice ideas with G-forces and general orbital mechanics, but in the end the whole physics in this episode is bogus. If they refine their character and really use their sci-fi setting it has the potential to become a really cool series. The risk is to do a story which could be told in any setting without science fiction, often caused by lazy writing.
Better Call Billy
Goliath starts interesting but needs a firm cutting. There is too much unnecessary fluff. I love Billy Bob Thornton though. He really holds this series together, the other actors are fine but not more.
Amazing lighting in this Episode. Overall the Part with Joyce was the best this time. One the one hand she is crazy, but has also good ideas, doesn't despair. The ending hit me right in the gut. I really hoped the season would end in some kind of daring rescue of Will. I was a tiny bit disappointed with the whole part in the library. One thing i liked the last two episode how nothing is explained. Now we have one very cliche scene with microfilm and news article. I didn't find that necessary. However, this are still peanuts compared to the rest, which is still very good.
The Master is the true Iron Fist!
