foamythefearsome Reviews

Black Mirror: Be Right Back (2013) Season 2, Episode 1

Dead men tell no tales... right?

[10/10 · 7 July 2023]

Quite the contrary in this episode, and it has turned into an emotional rollercoaster that makes me pray something like this will never happen to me.

What I like in particular about this one is that the characters are 'flawed' and therefore believable as actual people. If they had portrayed Ash as a saint, this would probably have much less impact. It perfectly visualizes the difference in mimicking someone's likeness, and being the same person. Its just holding on to something familiar that you're not ready to let go of, and the acting performances added greatly to that sensation.

Definitely not a feel-good or happy story, but a deep one that touched me.

Black Mirror: The Entire History of You (2011) Season 1, Episode 3

The history of the entire you, I guess

[10/10 · 7 July 2023]

This is a wonderful example of a piece of technology that would have many upsides and perks, but comes with obvious flaws that are displayed perfectly here. It's something I would consider useful/beneficial, but of which I know it'd be so bad for me if I were to use it as its going to make me paranoid.

You can feel the tension rise as they arrive at the party, and the nuances brought forth in replaying one's memories or changing viewpoints of the same situation gives it a very interesting dynamic. Add a creepy, slightly overexplicit guy to the mix and you have the perfect fuel for a paranoia nightmare.

What I also liked is the real-life parallel, as the 'grain' seems to be something so essential in life that it has become nigh impossible to live without; used in security, background checks etc.; and the decision not to have one seems to be met with resistance. Unrealistic, one might say, as it is just a gadget. But that's what they said about smartphones 20 years ago, so who knows...

All in all a fantastic digital concept that hits on many levels; its emotionally relatable and a somewhat frightening view of the future.

Black Mirror: Fifteen Million Merits (2011) Season 1, Episode 2

Imprisonment by daily routine

[8/10 · 7 July 2023]

This was a really interesting take on society and how we're all becoming slaves to our jobs in a futuristic, exaggerated way where it feels like you are literally in a prison.

The concept was great and the nods to/parallels with our current way of life, focusing more on our digital selves and not having anything real anymore, and having to perform somewhere doing something exceptional to get out of your daily slump - its what Black Mirror does best.

I do however feel like a little more explanation would've suited the story here and would've made it stronger. In most other Black Mirror episodes I've seen, it was really easy to accept the 'status quo' as is, or it was explained clear enough/introduced properly. I feel that this lacked here; why do these people have to ride these bikes? Is it to generate energy for something large? Does everyone have to do this, or is this a specific layer of society that has to fulfill this puprose? There seems to be an age restriction (hinted at as someone went there once turning 21), but then where is everyone else? Obviously the talent show is how to get out of there, but is there not also a way to not have to get in there?

I think most of these don't have a direct answer as I feel like it's meant a as a parallel to the regular 'working class' with the people in yellow cleaning as a class even beneath that, but I think some explanation or introduction to that would have been nice.

I also think a little more character building would've suited the story here. Again, I think its meant to reflect how shallow we can be (i.e. Interaction with Swift who clearly likes him but who doesnt get a response, and then using what she taught him to woo someone else). Id have liked a little more romance building between Abi and Bing; with what we saw here, the ticket-donating feels kinda simp-like.

All in all this was a great story drawing a creepy, yet somewhat believable future parallel to society, that could've been a little better defined/explained.

Black Mirror: The National Anthem (2011) Season 1, Episode 1

Glad I did not see this one first

[6/10 · 4 July 2023]

With the recent release of a new season of Black Mirror, Ive watched a few episodes whilst visiting a friend, and they got me intrigued with the series. Curious to see what this show has in store for me, I wanted to start it from the beginning; due to the standalone nature of the episodes I think it does not really matter that Ive seen everything so far out of order.

Let me start off by saying that I don't think this episode was bad, but it was by far my least favorite so far. Ive gotten used to the absurdity of the plots, and think they played it out very well in every one of them I've seen so far. Even in this one I think the storyline wasn't necessarily done poorly. It did however feel a bit dragged, and the premise of this episode was kinda sick and twisted. While I don't necessarily mind, I don't think this episode would have reeled me into the show the way the other episodes I've seen did.

All in all I thought this was an alright episode with a couple of unnecessary elements in it that dragged it out a bit. It did fit the thematics of the show and was still engaging enough to keep watching, but that was mainly because I was already into the series. With that in mind, I'm glad I did not see this one first.

Black Mirror: Nosedive (2016) Season 3, Episode 1

I won't ever feel the same about rating anything anywhere

[10/10 · 4 July 2023]

This was the second episode of this show I've watched after seeing Demon 79, and curious to see more I asked the friends I was watching this with "which one do you recommend?". They described this as "social media on steroids gone wrong", and that is exactly what it was.

I'm not a big social media user, but I do definitely feel the pressure to deliver something people would 'like' whenever I upload or post something somewhere. Especially when I was younger, Ive been really concerned with posting stuff and not getting likes, but have never gone out of my way to get people to like me.

And seeing this, I am ever so grateful that I never did. It was already relatable enough for me without that; around me Ive seen many that are consumed by all the social media platforms, and usually they respond with "who cares, what's the harm?", and I kinda wanna recommend this episode to all of them.

The story itself was great; the build-up was done well and it flowed nicely into the climax of the episode. It became apparent what would happen halfway through the episode at the airport, but it was still nice to see how things played out, and the entire turnaround was displayed very well by the lead actress.

Rating this now with the message of the episode in mind feels weird. I'll sit here, calmly waiting until it rates me back...

Black Mirror: Demon 79 (2023) Season 6, Episode 5

First episode I saw; got me into the series

[10/10 · 4 July 2023]

I have since read the premise and have seen a couple of other episodes, and have seen enough now to know that this was a rather exceptional episode in the series. It made me understand the (relatively) low rating this got, since I absolutely loved it!

Everything, from the story to the acting - even the music they used was great. It was eerie and serious enough, with an appropriate amount of comic relief. Up until this I had never heard of the series, and I must say I was hyped to be able to submerge myself in another great show.

Not knowing that the thematics generally revolve around technology and its risks, I really enjoyed Demon 79, and learning it afterwards has not made it any worse for me, so I guess I'm just lucky I saw this one first. I can't wait to see what more the series has to offer!

2 Broke Girls (2011–2017)

Entertaining sitcom, I like it

[7/10 · 2 February 2023]

I saw the trailers in commercials announcing this show would be broadcast in my country, and they did not really appeal to me, but when I started to have it on in the background while making dinner, it actually started to grow on me. I've followed the story since (minus a few episodes in seasons 1 and 2). I'm almost at the end of season 4, and so far, Im not disappointed.

The beauty is that it is just a simple sitcom - it's no great production and its not spectacular, but it does not need to be. Its power is in its simplicity. The premise is good for a sitcom, the stories are entertaining, and while some of the jokes may be a bit forced or cheesy, they generally work. I don't mind the sex jokes, I don't mind that they're crass. Hell, that's actually why I like it so much. I saw people called it out for being racist or sexist, but they just make fun of everyone and everything, and they do so in the most harmless and innocent way I've seen in a while.

I'm very fond of Max; I like her snarky attitude, and it combines very well with Caroline's innocent rich-girl vibe. Their dynamic carries the show and manages to do so for much longer than I had thought when I saw the first few episodes. Most supporting characters do what they need to do successfully; Oleg's accent took some getting used to, but its a fun 'pervy' character.

The only one I really don't like is Sophie, but then again, I'm not a fan of the actress. She's just too obnoxious for me and unlike Oleg, her accent is unbearably annoying. I guess the character was designed to do specifically that, but that's just not my cup of tea. The episodes that are centered around her (which luckly are very few in number) are my least favorite ones.

All in all its a sitcom that does exactly what it need to do - entertain you. Nothing more, nothing less.

The Blacklist: Anna McMahon (No. 60) (2019) Season 6, Episode 21

Love to hate

[10/10 · 8 December 2022]

I must say, I was worried that the season finale would fall flat after having the thematic conclusion in Rassvet, leaving only the storyline about the undefined, unspecified, vague conspiracy against the States. I would have loved if that had been a little more fleshed out, but the way they executed this episode and the next more than made up for this.

Of course it was not without flaws, but it serves the story and allows for a great amount of action that keeps your focus. Anna McMahon is awful; I hated her from the moment she was introduced. Its great when villains have this, and you just can't wait for their stories to play out and watch them get what they deserve. In these series, I just love to hate the antagonists!

The Blacklist: Rassvet (2019) Season 6, Episode 19

Amazing

[10/10 · 8 December 2022]

The individual stories from the Blacklist are great, but its true power has always lied within its ability to hold mysteries in its overarching story. The revealing episodes are therefore almost always masterpieces. This one gaves us huge insights in the otherwise extremely convoluted background story of Katarina Rostova, and the roles that several key characters played, including Reddington himself. Even though it will simply be 'a' truth instead of the whole truth, it really brings some closure in the form of answers to questions we've been longing to see.

Being able to do so logically during the main storyline of the season makes this a great cornerstone episode.

The Blacklist: Lady Luck (No. 69) (2019) Season 6, Episode 16

On a rampage

[8/10 · 7 December 2022]

The blacklister itself was not very captivating per say - it wasn't bad, but we've seen much better. It's Reddington's storyline that makes the episode solid, proving once again that he is not to be trifled with. The fear in poor Smokey's eyes during the plane ride was precious, as was Red's tone, and its change during his monologue.

I do wish the episodes become more intertwined again; I miss that from earlier seasons. Besides the minor tie-in of reddington to the Blacklister story at the start, the stories felt separated. It's not awful, and there was still a connection, but it generally makes the episodes more streamlined and powerful if they're actually parallel storylines, and not just ones that happen to take place at the same time.

The Blacklist: The Osterman Umbrella Company (No. 6) (2019) Season 6, Episode 14

A real tearjerker

[10/10 · 7 December 2022]

Im not necessarily a viewer that easily gets emotional during movies or series, but this one did it for me. I'm very sad to see Samar go, I loved her as a character. I'm also very sad for Aram; their chemistry will be missed.

The interaction that carries this episode is the one between Aram and Reddington, though. The way Reddington knows the only way to help both Samar and Aram is to do the worst possible thing in Aram's eyes; the way he does it out of respect for the two of them..

Aram's reaction is also understandable even though it is clear that Reddingon had the best intentions. I'm also glad they dealt with Shur properly; what he did - or rather what he did not do - was unforgivable.

Bring out your tissues, you're gonna need them.

The Blacklist: The Cryptobanker (No. 160) (2019) Season 6, Episode 10

Karma is a .....

[10/10 · 7 December 2022]

I loved this episode primarily because of Reddingtons escape plan, and how in the end it failed because Liz tried to help. Seeing Liz preach about Reddington in the courtroom when it was her doing that put him there was kind of adding insult to injury, but then again now that Jennifer is no longer in the picture, I guess her sanity can restore (Im quite sure it wont, but it'd be an explanation to her erratic behavior).

Red's resourcefulness granted him the ability to escape, which he had to in order not to screw Liz and the Taskforce, which is ironic on its own. Him not wanting Liz to interfere is a standard, but then Liz interfering and accidentally triggering their response team to capture red right before the end? That's just Karmic retribution. Pushing the fact that you need to think before you act right in her face.

In general it's good to see the crazy, daring plans - that usually succeed, no matter how improbable - can actually fail too. Shows sometimes forget that having all these on-the-edge, timer-to-0 perfect solutions only hold your attention when they can also show that sometimes, the stars do not align. This made the episode surprising and puts Raymond back on the clock.

This probably sounds more negative than intended - I don't like how Liz' character is developing, but actually think the show deals with her character change properly in this season. The 10 stars are serious, it's a great episode.

The Blacklist: Marko Jankowics (No. 58) (2019) Season 6, Episode 8

She just doesn't function without his help

[9/10 · 29 November 2022]

These past few episodes (or actually already since Tom Keen passed), the series dabbled in making Liz a sort of Red 2.0 where they have tried to portray her as a person of equal skill and cunning. Save for a few exceptions, though, it quickly turns out that she is not, because she is unable to think ahead, to imagine the consequences of her actions. Nor is she willing to live with these consequences, as shows from her apparent change of heart after putting Red in jail.

This episode perfectly points this out as her actions immediately put someone she cares about at risk. She tries to do things the Reddington way, and just cannot pull it off at the first try, resulting in attempts to rectify her mistake for which she has to get help.

Many people seem to hate her for it, but I actually think its well portrayed by the series - it adds to the appreciation of Reddington: who he is and what he's capable of, and to how unique his skillset is. Granted the back and forth in her personality and allegiance is getting a bit annoying, it does not really hurt the series yet.

The Blacklist: Alter Ego (No. 131) (2019) Season 6, Episode 5

Hilarious

[9/10 · 29 November 2022]

Works for both the blacklister story and the scenes with Red. I love how Spader portrays Reddington in the courtroom, his interaction with the policeman, with the judge - its pure gold. His character excels in eloquence and it shines in this context.

The story about Alter Ego had a decent tie in with Reddingtons storyline, and the premise of it is just funny to me - a company that provides dates for hire, and even more. It's even more hilarious that Liz advises Ressler to make use of this service - poor guy.

It kinda took the sting out of the 'criminal of the week' theme where they generally provide fearsome foes that need to be dealt with, but it was a very entertaining episode.

The Blacklist: The Corsican (No. 20) (2019) Season 6, Episode 2

Unexpected, curious to see how this will play out

[9/10 · 29 November 2022]

I'm not really feeling the Jennifer character they've put out there as their interaction changes constantly. They did not get along, then Jen's guardian gets killed and shes mad, and now since the finale of the last season they're in it together, which just feels like an odd change in allegiance.

For the same reason I'm very surpised by what they did in this episode, especially since it feels very poorly thought out by the two gals - as if they have no sense of consequence at all.

The upside is that it provides a very interesting new dynamic where Reddington appears helpless, and Im curious how he will manage to get out of this mess; perhaps even more curious if he'll find out liz is responsible, and what he'd do if he does.

The Blacklist: Sutton Ross (No. 17) (2018) Season 5, Episode 22

Good conclusion of the season

[10/10 · 21 November 2022]

After Ian Garvey's conclusion, I assumed the season would be over. That episode felt very finale-ish, even though obviously they had not concluded what had been hanging over the entire season - the bag of bones. The conclusion was shocking and brings a ton of new questions for the series to build on, which was done well.

The only loose end for me here is the sister, who pops up in this episode again. I feel like everything was done so that she could find out Red's secret, but I don't really see why or when that became a pressing matter. Knowing the secret shouldn't really affect her life, but it ends up doing so. She's kind of a loose cannon, though; wonder what they're gonna do with that.

The Blacklist: Nicholas T. Moore (No. 110) (2018) Season 5, Episode 20

I get where they're going, but this was a weaker episode

[7/10 · 21 November 2022]

Throughout the series Ive noticed that I dont really like the cult-themed episodes about villages with weird people. The concept of the story was good and the revelation was clever (be it not original, but I dont mind them taking inspiration from other work), but it just felt uninteresting compared to the rest of the series.

There's plot progress, and they're putting Samar in jeopardy, which is not an issue per se (it's good to see that the antagonists sometimes manage to beat the taskforce), but the way this happened felt a bit cheap - it should never have been that easy for him to get the kid and to then get Samar.

Not bad, but a bit of a letdown after the preceding power-packed episode (and I guess just not really my thing)

The Blacklist: Ian Garvey (No. 13): Conclusion (2018) Season 5, Episode 19

They did it again

[10/10 · 21 November 2022]

I'm surprised this was not the season finale - I was expecting it to build up to this episode. It did what some other finales did as well - bring all stories from the previous season together. Or well, most of them anyway. It gave me a little more appreciation for some of the episodes we've seen since the first Garvey episode.

This episode perfectly demonstrates why fiction is so great. The plan they have here is quite absurd and would in reality very likely be impossible, but within its universe it works. I also like how they gave a spin to it, where you instantly think you know what they're up to, but it turns out to be something else.

The Blacklist: Zarak Mosadek (No. 23) (2018) Season 5, Episode 18

Back on track

[10/10 · 15 November 2022]

After Abraham Stern (which was a filler too, but an amazing one), most episodes felt a bit filler-like. Some were straight up mediocre, most were good, but not great (except for Raleigh Sinclair which actually was great).

But this episode had everything I wanted. It brings Reddington in the way he is at his best, with his own agenda and his witty attitude towards the FBI. Navabi shines, the story was great, it was funny, and it provides a great setup for what I actually thought would be the season finale. It isn't, but it definitely felt that way.

The scene at the end in the church alone was enough to make this a great episode.

The Blacklist: Pattie Sue Edwards (No. 68) (2018) Season 5, Episode 15

Weak filler episode

[6/10 · 15 November 2022]

I feel like after the powerhouse episodes surrounding Tom Keen, the series has added a lot of fluff. Most of it was very entertaining, but this one felt out of place in many ways.

The blacklister for one wasn't really a dreaded criminal, but an individual with a very specific revenge plan. It felt weird that they went after this person when compared to so many of the great criminals we've seen portrayed in this show.

Then there's the fact that the two storylines felt very disconnected. It felt like two individual stories, which is fine, but as a result, the blacklister storyline weakened significantly. The other storyline was kinda funny, but didn't really achieve much either.

And I suppose there's the political agenda pushing that people have mentioned I guess, which I also dont really like. I'm fine with political issues incorporated in episodes, but this one seems to have been made specifically to this end, rather than to entertain.

The Blacklist: Abraham Stern (No. 100) (2018) Season 5, Episode 11

A penny for my thoughts

[10/10 · 5 October 2022]

The penny returns and moves from criminal to criminal in a memorable 100th episode of the series, which is anything but serious and ever so entertaining because of it.

Lane and Spader worked very well together as their characters are similar in many ways, and both actors excel at portraying criminals of this sort. I won't give anything away, but I love how Red's own agenda and the interest of the bureau align once again, even though they want different things.

I was also impressed by Keen in this episode. Her confrontation at the end of the last episode was clumsy, and the way she masked it showed why they need Kaplan, but she has shown to be resourceful in rectifying her mistake in multiple ways. I like her darker side as we've seen it since the passing of Tom.

The Blacklist: The Kilgannon Corporation (No. 48) (2017) Season 5, Episode 7

Ten stars for Dembe alone

[10/10 · 4 October 2022]

I have grown very fond of Dembe, and this is one of those episodes where he shines. I like how he gets more involved with the rest of the team after we first saw this happening with Aram in Dembe's titular episode. He's smart, caring and calm at the same time, and is willing to go through great lengths to get stuff done.

But perhaps the most beautiful thing in this episode was Reddington's description of Dembe; to see him panicking even more than when his own head is on the line. That part gave me chills and tears in my eyes.

Also what's up with the geography nuts? At the time this was made, the country in question was globally known as Macedonia. They don't always get their stuff right, but this is not a goof, this is just irking over namesake from your end.

The Blacklist: Miss Rebecca Thrall (No. 76) (2017) Season 5, Episode 3

Rebuilding

[9/10 · 4 October 2022]

While deviating quite a bit from the original concept, this string of episodes in which Reddington is rebuilding is oddly satisfying. The way he gets things done is very entertaining to watch; I like how even in small details such as the way Red dresses (which changes from super casual to fancy like we've gotten used to) over the course of the season's start perfectly match how well he is doing.

The blacklister itself was not necessarily very interesting (not bad per say but we've seen so much better), and the only downside here is that the case seemed disconnected from Red's actual business, things that have been more intertwined in the past. I do like how Red and Tom are getting more involved, even though they hate each other.

The Blacklist: Greyson Blaise (No. 37) (2017) Season 5, Episode 2

Not a penny in his pocket, yet ever so persuasive

[10/10 · 4 October 2022]

I just love this episode. Things have calmed down after the extreme action and tension we've seen in the last season, which is fitting, as it is what Reddington needs to do in this situation.

This episode displays perfectly that Reddington does not need actual wealth to acquire some. I liked how he had to get creative; how he just faked his way through, successfully I might add. Everything was ridiculous and it required a tremendous amount of luck for this to work, but its fun to see how much of it was actually planned, and how he just winged some actions with the best result.

In a way, this is probably a filler episode (although I think the 'fillers' here are useful story-wise so as to follow Red's rebuild), but it was humorous and just a lot of fun to watch; a refreshing change of pace before the next action sequences commence.

The Blacklist: Mr. Kaplan (No. 4): Conclusion (2017) Season 4, Episode 22

Closure on many levels

[10/10 · 3 October 2022]

The story arc with Mr Kaplan has been an emotional rollercoaster because it was easy to sympathize with her despite being the antagonist. It has felt bitter for these past few episodes, but it made them all the more powerful.

This finale gives us a lot of details about a variety of events that have been the topic of this season, as well as info we've been waiting for for multiple seasons already; answers we've wanted for so long. We lose characters, some of which I loved having around, some of which I 'loved to hate'. We get closure for other characters' story arcs.

But it also poses new questions and makes a transition into the next season with a new mystery to unravel. Definitely not out of steam yet.