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Reviews
Maryland (2023)
Something major is missing
I had high hopes for this show after seeing a trailer for it but I was so disappointed by the series. The first episode showed extreme promise with a mysterious death and two sisters with some unfinished, unsaid drama going on between them. But the show really went sideways by the second episode as it was clear that the writers had too many side characters and too many plots. Ros has a brief relationship with a cab driver, for no reason. Bec randomly kisses a stranger in a pub after a drunk karaoke session. The sisters' mother is adopted, unbeknownst to her children, and lived in her biological mother's home on the Isle of Wright. Absolutely no backstory is given to explain any of this. Stockyard Channing's role is confusing and pointless. It looked like there was a potential crime thriller link with her character, but again, nothing came of it. Most puzzling of all is the show's title. There is no connection to Maryland, no character from Maryland, and nothing to explain anything about the title.
Den som dræber - Fanget af mørket (2019)
Eventually it got better past the first season
I recommend starting with season two (labelled Blind: Those Who Kill) and completely skipping the first season. There is no relationship between the two other than the lead character, Louise Bernstein (expertly played by Natalie Madueño). Season one had a lot of promise with the first episode but it was disturbing, badly written, and basically a torture fest to watch by the 2nd episode. The ending was so badly acted and unrealistic.
Season two is a much better example of Danish crime dramas with good character development and a plausible plot. There is ample time for the plot to play out and for backstories to develop between the lead characters and the villain. For Madueño, she is given more to work with and is persuasive in her role as a police psychologist. Unlike season one where there is hardly any chance to learn about her background, we learn several important details in season two, which help humanize her character. Season two is a solid 9 and season 1 was a 2.
Le meilleur d'entre nous (2022)
Dull and slower than molasses
The first few minutes of the first episode showed promise as we learn that Inspector Awa is struggling with the aftermath of her brother's unsolved death as she gets called to a ski resort to investigate the death of a popular athlete. But the writing became dull and slow as the plot progressed. There was a list of possible suspects, each with their own motivations but very little character development. The reveal of the killer felt clunky and unoriginal. The last 5 minutes of the show wrap up the main plot before we're dashed into a completely different and rushed finale to a plot involving the lead's relative. In short, the writers cramped with should have been at least 2 more episodes into 4 clunky, confusing and frustrating episodes. The acting was subpar but the production does gain a few points for the gorgeous French alpine scenery. This series was a big disappointment.
Blood (2018)
Great first season, shaky second season
I instantly found myself intrigued with this show from its opening scenes in season 1. The character development throughout the season is incredibly detailed and the writing is very good. Carolina Main (Cat) really holds her ground as the show's lead and captures the emotional depth of her character. The final episode felt a bit rushed but I didn't mind so much.
Season 2, however, is a completely different, disjointed animal. The writing lacks the attention to detail of the first season and unfortunately the cast of characters don't make much sense as the season progressed. I found myself confused and then bored at its conclusion. Still, the show is fairly solid, particularly for a European production.
Seven Seconds (2018)
This won an Emmy? You wouldn't know it after watching
Firstly, Regina King is immensely talented. That goes without saying. But I'm struggling to figure out what about this show was deemed Emmy worthy. Her performance as the grieving mother was flat and underwhelming but she can't be blamed when the script is so wildly unrealistic that you'd never see it in real life. The lead actor is actually the assistant prosecutor who is more like a bumbling law student than one of the most experienced lawyers in the city. She spends most of the show hungover, drunk, or chasing down leads with her wisecracking sidekick who is somehow the lead detective despite being a transfer from New York City. No top lawyer would be employed when they are a barely functioning alcoholic who beds colleagues. The side story about the kid being involved in drugs is just another insulting stereotype about black boys. The show unfolds with a disappointing conclusion that made me wish I'd stopped watching sooner. Ten episodes is far too generous for a show that fumbles its plot in the first episode. The writers couldn't decide what to do with the story.
Deo geullori (2022)
Well-written but confusing
This show has an outstanding cast and plot and is one of the better foreign shows on Netflix. The plot follows an adult woman as she carefully plans revenge against her former bullies. There is a lot of time spent on building up the main character's backstory so the actual show doesn't gain traction until about episode 4. Unfortunately, this is where the plot runs into a bit of confusion with multiple characters, intersecting plots, and although the main character narrates some scenes, as a viewer I had to rely on plot summaries to explain everything else in scenes she wasn't in. Even with English subtitles, I still had to rewind to properly catch reactions to certain scenes. It's a good show that requires careful focus on its finer details.
Stay Close (2021)
Promising but went downhill
This show reads like the plot of a paperback novel you'd find in the grocery store in the bargain bin. The plot starting out interesting with the fiancée hiding secrets from her former life as an exotic dancer. But the plot takes a strange turn when it is revealed that her daughter and fiancé may be involved in a missing person's case at a nightclub. But all of these plots are still more believable than the stage school murderous Barbie and Ken prancing around to show tunes. Ryan Murphy could have made this show work but the directing and script choices are too odd and disjointed to make this show watchable. If you need background noise for a few hours, watch it.
The Good Nurse (2022)
Good main performances but long winded
Eddie Redmayne is very good in this and that's about it. Jessica Chastain is creditable in her performance but the movie is about 30 minutes too long and the script is bloated. It's a mediocre movie that is only partly interesting due to the lead performances. None of the story really flows past the first 30 minutes. It's boring for about 70% before the conclusion. The movie does a poor job of continuity because it jumps around too much and can be difficult to follow at times. But I would not recommend this movie for any major awards. I don't really understand the high praise but to each his own.
Passing (2021)
Stiff acting ruined the movie
I found the premise of this movie extremely interesting but the execution was unfortunately terrible. Both Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga are miscasted with neither being able to dig into the film's more emotional material. Neither could pass for white so it immediately took me out of the movie. The acting, particularly from Thompson, is stiff and emotionless. It is as if the actors all read the script like they'd read from the phone book. While I think Hall's directing is fine, the script and low budget quality doesn't work with the poor choice of actors. Skip the film and read the book instead.