Reviews
The Walking Dead: Dead City: Old Acquaintances (2023)
Clunky... but I have faith it'll get better.
If I had to summarize this first episode it would be 'clunky'. Which shouldn't have been the case for such an established franchise, right? With such a short season, I can appreciate the writer's not wanting to waste any time getting the characters into the city... but the way they went about it felt off (to me). Fresh off where we last saw these characters... and the passage of time... a lot of choices came across as forced, goofy, awkwardly rushed, and sometimes unnecessary. I was looking forward to a power duo team up with Negan and Maggie, but some heavy handed moments forced us to once again stop and revisit old wounds that a lot of viewers (including myself) had moved on from. Anyone watching the show is familiar with the characters and their backstory, it would have made more sense to just have them already paired up and on their way... with some backstory flashbacks along the way if they must. I was happy with the way the original series ended with both characters... and now treading 4 steps back again for tension that felt more like a prequel than a forward progression of these characters. I'm tired of the tension that is only going to cause stupid situations to happen... and there are plenty in this episode. All that being said... with where the episode ended... now that they're in the city... things can only get better! There's a particularly great scene with bugs that made me genuinely squirm. That was well done and something we haven't seen much of in the series. I enjoyed it! Yes, it was a clunky rushed start... but I have faith it'll get better.
Here We Go (2020)
It feels good to laugh
This series has heart with plenty of laughs to remind us not to take life too seriously... and that every family has their quirks. I had only seen the pilot episode and enjoyed it a lot. In just one episode that flew by... it really captured 2020 well. I found myself relating to the stress, the chaos/challenges at the time, and was surprisingly therapeutic to view it from another family's perspective. I hadn't heard about the full series and only stumbled upon it. It was a great find to see 6 more episodes of this family navigating through the madness in the best ways they know how. The full series didn't disappoint, I enjoyed every episode... and look forward to more! The cast works very well together. The more I seek out Tom Basden's writing credits, the more I laugh and enjoy his talents. He shines when he writes scenarios and small details that include element of real life, especially the bits that nobody talks about. There's enough of the situation to make it relatable in some aspect... and you can look back at your own life experiences and laugh at yourself too.
Day of the Dead (2021)
Four episodes in... and growing on me
It is what it is... it's a romp with zombies and several goofy characters. There was some annoying cringe character development (?) early on.... but with that out of the way it's gotten better and the fun is there. From what I could tell... Romero isn't associated or mentioned anywhere in the actual aired credits... only in the early marketing or ads in places, which I found interesting. The "inspired by" is mostly a homage but legally I guess they can't attach his name to it. Surprised they got the rights to name it as they did. Maybe they changed their minds and they were able to keep the name but they had to remove the "inspired by" in the opening credits. Anyway... not to be taken seriously... some reviews are unrealistically harsh for the core purpose of this show. Just go with it.
American Horror Story: The Future Perfect (2021)
Just view it for what it is...
Basically a nod to the original Twilight Zone type stories. Not all were great, not all were bad. Take from it what you will. I liked the alternative takes on history behind the scenes... playing into all the conspiracy theories, etc. It was a change of pace and I enjoyed it.
Ending was abrupt... but there doesn't seem to be much choice for humanity. It basically ends like a Twilight Zone episode would have... just without the cigarette smoke.
Ghosts (2021)
Can't judge this with only 2 episodes
Even though I wish they had tried to change it up a bit more, the first two episodes are just an introduction to the show and I'm hoping with episode 3 it'll stand on its own. The potential is there because the ghosts and their histories will be different at least. Some of the charm of the main plot jokes fell flat (or just oddly done) with what they tried to capture or duplicate from the UK version, but other more tailored jokes (specific to these new ghosts) show potential. Hoping now that they've established the premise it'll take off with more original jokes and stories. Parts with this ensemble felt like they were really trying too hard... and at a rushed pace. Looking forward to ep3 though to get a better impression.