wmboos Reviews

The Winter King (2023– )

Boring

[2/10 · 28 August 2023]

I've never heard of this particular title. Neither book nor movie/video game or television show, so I have nothing to compare it to for an adaptation. Now, while I don't have a problem with casting Merlin as a Black man, the fact that they cast him as an extremely well groomed, clean man with perfectly fitting clothing straight out of a 21st century luxury catalog is rather odd and completely out of character and time itself. It makes no sense. He should be portrayed just as grubby as the rest of them, just as the kings were. That said, This show was frickin' BORING!!!!!! My GOD!!!!!! There must have been an awful lot of money dumped into it. The action, the clothing, the sets and makeup, ALL must have cost a fortune to produce, and judging from the first episode may very well be nominated for some awards here and there. But the people, the acting, the story telling is so far beyond boring that I couldn't finish the first episode. NOTHING that I managed to watch makes me feel in any way that I'm going to miss something. For those of you that liked it; good for you. I'm happy for you. But for me, no thanks.

Who Is Erin Carter? (2023)

Very Difficult to Review

[6/10 · 25 August 2023]

As I stated in the description, this show is very difficult to review. I gave it six stars because it's worth more than 5. This is one of those shows that some will like and others won't. Hollywood has already gotten me accustomed to tiny little women beating up everybody after getting slammed around and then knocking them out. Unrealistic, yes, but par for the course for the last 20 years or so. For me though, the story started out a little too slow for my taste. It wasn't until halfway through the fourth episode that it finally got interesting, which is why I rated it so low. It's a loooooong slow buildup to the finale, which is rather anti climactic. Not as bad as the Game of Thrones finale, but pretty danged close. I'll watch a second season if they film one, just to see where they take it.

North Shore (2023– )

7 star quality show

[7/10 · 7 July 2023]

I liked it. It's not the best show out there, but it's also not the worst. It was obvious who the killer was about halfway through, but the twist they used to show it was probably the best 5 seconds of acting in the series. It's a police procedural that you can watch with your kids. No intense shoot-outs, no car chases through the city with multiple wrecks, no sex scenes etc. Watching this reminded me of watching the last Crocodile Dundee; It definitely won't win any awards, but you can do far worse. It's a very pleasant 4 hour evening binge. I'm looking forward to a second season if they make one because the ending of this one could go either way.

Quantum Leap (2022–2024)

I quit.

[4/10 · 1 February 2023]

OK. How do I put this? I watched the first 9 episodes. I gave it a chance. This show, like many others, started slow. The problem is twofold though: First is the story itself. It's like it's written by a Sophomore screenwriter pretending to be better than he is. The way the story is being told is rather pretentious and treats the audience like idiots that need their guidance. Second is the total lack of chemistry. Ernie Hudson is the only actor so far that I have no complaints about. Ramon and Caitlin are just reading lines on a script, while Mason and Nanrisa are serving no purpose. They're just filling a WOKE quota. If, and I mean IF this show makes it to a season 3 premier, I'll give it another shot. That would mean they got the bugs worked out. But as it stands now, even if it was not Woke, it would still suck.

Manifest (2018–2023)

Not too bad.

[7/10 · 12 November 2022]

IF and ONLY if you can suspend reality for the duration of the show, it's really not too bad. I finished watching everything up to the end of season 04 part 1 yesterday, and now I give my "Opinion" (as if that really matters). For the most part, it's exciting with a good pace and little cliffhangers to keep you coming back. The characters are likeable for the most part, and the actors skills get better as the show progresses. That is, except for Josh Dallas, who plays Ben. I don't know how to explain it other than I don't believe him, and it gets worse season by season. Everyone else gets better and better and more believable. It's like he's memorized his lines and the emotional state to play, and that's how it comes out of him. As something memorized and not real. Other than that, even though I only gave it a 7, I'm still looking forward to part 2.

Edited: Josh Allen to Josh Dallas.

The Commander: Blackdog (2005 TV Movie)

An American's (very different) view

[6/10 · 1 October 2022]

Although I realize that Great Britain does not have a Constitution, for some reason, I've always believed that the British Legal System was still similar to its American counterpart when it comes to the rights of its citizens pertaining to the procurement of evidence by various police forces. What I mean is, none of the evidence the "Blackdog" character has come up with would be admissible in any American court. All of it (through part one, anyway) was obtained without any sort of warrant and most from breaking and entering. He would actually be investigated, prosecuted, and probably jailed, especially after stealing the gun. Yet, all the investigatees (sic) simply accept this as par for the course.

That said, even if his behavior is legal there, I feel his character went so far over the top, that he became unbelievable, or one can say that it's obvious he was following a script as presented. I think that if his character was better directed he may have been more watchable, but as it stands, he has to this point behaved far worse than those he's investigating. I find it very strange that these characters have allowed it to happen without repercussion. It's very strange from an American perspective.

Well, off to part two. I can only hope he gets what's coming to him.

EDIT: It looks like maybe this episode may have gotten a lot of flak from your own people. Every movie (episode) that followed had constant instances of warrants being required, requested and served. Thank God!!!!!!!!!

NCIS: Hawai'i (2021–2024)

Has potential

[7/10 · 19 April 2022]

For now, it's better than a six. The only real problem with the characters is the total lack of direction and editing for Vanessa Lachey's character. Her acting is getting better as the show goes on, and it seems like she's getting comfortable in her role, but her movements in her scenes are poorly coordinated, making them stiff and jumpy. Other than that, the show seems to have potential. The acting, like any other new 1 hour television show, is coming along, along with the chemistry. Good network television usually takes at least a full season and sometimes two to find its feet. Except for the caveat, it seems to be on its way. They just need to direct and edit Vanessa Lachey a little better.

Newhart (1982–1990)

Still holds up.

[8/10 · 1 April 2022]

Of course, inclusionists will come up with all kinds of reasons why the show is bad, but none of their arguments will have anything to do with the writing and actors. I remember looking forward to this show every week back in the 80s. It was always good clean fun, never trying to push an agenda. I've been rewatching the show with fresh eyes for the last few weeks and surprisingly, the comedy still holds up. It's self deprecatingly funny. Still.

That said, the first 2 seasons were difficult to watch every time Steven Kampmann's character showed up. Talk about a bad casting choice. Dude that hired him must have been on LSD or something because they obviously saw something that wasn't there. The best thing the show ever did was dump that hack. Dude was seriously bad. His character deserved so much more than what he made him. Lousy actor and deservedly fired. It should have been done halfway through the first season. I think Hillary Duff was fabulous, but I sometimes wonder if they fired the wrong person after season one. Was Jennifer Holmes being held back by that bum? Personally, I think she should have gotten a shot at a second season instead. Of course, her character wasn't as shallow and funny as Hillarys, but they may have been able to do something more with her, without him. We'll never know though.

Anyway, I'm far enough beyond season two to write about it, so enjoy the show. It's fantastic, and you can even start at season three if you want.

1883 (2021–2022)

Still can't watch the season 1 finale.

[9/10 · 18 March 2022]

Knowing that Isabel May was going to be killed off made it impossible for me to watch the last episode. To me, it's like if they had killed off Maisie Williams in Game of Thrones. Thankfully they didn't but they did Isabelle. I'll watch it only if there's a season 2, and then only just before it starts.

That said, this is a great show. It gives a good look at life that wasn't very long ago. All the teenagers and younger could have realistically still been alive when all the baby boomers were born, and even some of GenX. I am looking forward to a season 2 but not the season 1 finale. While I believe that the show was well cast, acted and directed, IMHO Isabelle made the show. Everything about the character she played was simply fantastic. I would be astonished if she didn't receive nominations for all 3 major awards (Emmy, Golden Globe, SAG e.g.). 2022 is still young though, so we'll see. She set the bar pretty high.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999– )

Good, but not realistic in todays world.

[27 January 2022]

This show is the latest in a long line of television shows that I've watched from the beginning. I just started season 4 and while I like the show so far, I have a serious problem with the "Scorched Earth" policy they use to solve their cases. They show absolutely no concern whatsoever to the rights or the ramifications of their tactics. They don't care who they hurt or who's rights get abused. And to me, so far, they seem to hurt far more people than they help in order to satisfy their moral imperative. Of course, they always "Get the perp", but at what cost? In real life, they would all have already been transferred out by now. I'm hoping that the attitudes change, like they changed the Gibbs character in NCIS. As it stands right now, shows like this and the behavior of the leads as they are being written and portrayed is why we have so many issues right now. People actually believe that this behavior from the police is normal, when it's not.

Dexter: The Getaway (2009) Season 4, Episode 12

Annoying, needy and pathetic yes, but........

[2/10 · 16 November 2021]

I kind of liked Rita in the beginning, but as time went on, not so much. Once they got married though she turned into a demanding, whiny, needy, always right, nightmare that can't even comprehend the need of compromise in a relationship. She became a stereotype. The way I understand the writing, direction and editing of the show, the actors were always forced to play the characters exactly as written. Word for word, so it wasn't so much that Julie Benz was playing her character the way she saw her, but as she was told to. Problem is, she played it too well and a change was needed. I'm certain that I wasn't the only one that literally cringed every time she forced her demanding, whiny, needy, always right self onto Dexter, and a change was absolutely necessary. But to kill her off was a bit overboard and an obvious cliché. It was the easy way out. I did not like it. Like the title of this review says: She was Annoying, needy and pathetic yes, but........ 2 stars for a total lack of imagination.

Homeland (2011–2020)

Powerful. Intense.

[9/10 · 9 November 2021]

I really liked this show. A lot. I'm looking forward to next year when I've forgotten most of the smaller story lines so I can binge it again with a fresh outlook. There are however two aspects of the show that I feel should have been expanded on. The first is more of a "why" kind of thing, as in, why was the entire Brody family completely written out in the middle of its story line without any explanation? His daughter had a scene which felt rather forced, but that was it. The second is Claire Danes herself, or rather how she portrayed her character. She was portrayed as a filthy, unwashed woman from the very first scene until the end. Her character rarely bathed, and she (her character) wore the same clothing for days at a time. How in the world would anyone stand to get anywhere near her, let alone have intimate relations with her? Yes, she was clean at first in Berlin and at the end in Russia as a double agent, but other than that she was disgusting. You have to give Claire Danes credit for not only the ability, but also the courage to play this character the way she played her. She was brilliant, but that is the one aspect of the show that while she played it convincingly, I found it unrealistic. Not the unwashed part, many people are unwashed regardless of whether they have bipolar or not. The unrealistic part is that no one would want to be within 100 feet of her, and it would have been mentioned more than once.

Other than that, what a great show. Fantastic acting, direction and casting. Claire was excellent.

Nine Perfect Strangers (2021)

Great acting but.........

[6/10 · 6 November 2021]

I don't know if it was the direction or the fact that everyone was an executive director placing too many cooks in the kitchen. It could have been so much more because the story was actually a pretty cool concept. Its problem was that it was poorly told. It was slow to evolve, and it caused my mind to wonder into the various ways it could go. Instead of making us wait until the last couple of episodes to inform us of the direction it was taking, it should have done so at the beginning. I am quite certain that many people found it boring and dropped out after the third or fourth episode. The only reason I stayed with it was because I had nothing better to do, and the acting was actually quite good. I rate the skills of the acting at 9 out of ten stars and the story an eight. The way the story was presented though is only worth a one. If that. So, eighteen divided by three gives a total of six stars.

The Walking Dead (2010–2022)

Guess I should try again.

[8/10 · 31 August 2021]

I remember loving this show for about the first 4 or 5 seasons. What happened was the new spinoff(s) made me realize that Grimes wasn't going to wake up from his coma to find out it had all been a dream. To me, it seemed that for however long the show ran, that would be the logical conclusion and to enjoy watching what I thought was his coma induced dream was pretty cool. But with the spinoffs, that was gone, and I simply could not suspend enough of reality to continue as if it were real. It was never believable in the sense of a break from reality, but thinking it was Grimes' dream changed that for me. I gave it 8 stars because that was how I felt it should be rated when I was watching it. I really did like it. Until...........

Jeff Lynne's ELO at Hyde Park (2014)

Baby Boomer Memories

[9/10 · 30 April 2021]

For us Baby Boomers, January 1st, 1980 was "THE FUTURE". ELO was one of the very few bands from that time to have exemplified that emotion; that feeling that our flying cars and space travel were just around the corner. 40 years later we still haven't got them, but at the time, they gave us that feeling of possibility. What I like most about them and this show is that nobody sounds like them (which was normal in the Rock-n-Roll era). Everybody had their own sound. Jeff Lynne is another in a long line of fantastic musicians that are better live than on their records.

That said, this was a wonderful, well played trip down memory lane. I highly recommend a trip over to youtube to watch this absolute joy of a performance.

Firefly Lane (2021–2023)

Confusing at times

[7/10 · 22 April 2021]

I understand the time jumps and there's nothing wrong with them in general. It's basically the premise of the story. But it seems like the editors were a little stoned during the process of doing their jobs. It's jumpy and sporadic more often than it should be. The acting and the story are both excellent though and the 2 girls that played the 14 year old versions of the protagonists literally stole the show. They were fantastic. I would love to give the show a higher rating, but the editing simply doesn't allow for it. If they get a second season and improve on that, then the sky's the limit for this show.

Magnum P.I. (2018–2024)

Still finding its feet

[7/10 · 20 April 2021]

I have been watching this show since the beginning, and at first, like everyone else, I couldn't get over the actors who dared to replace the original Magnum and Higgie Baby. But, except for the first show, not a single episode is rated less than a 7. More than a third of the episodes are rated 8 and above and another full third are rated in the high sevens and the rest are low sevens. Very few shows are that consistent. The only thing I don't like is what I despise about most Hollywood shows over the past 20 years or so: They regularly take small skinny women, teach them a few fighting skills, then they film them beating the crap out of much more skilled, bigger and stronger men. Other than that, it's a fun show for a new generation.

Times must and always do change my friend.

The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee (2020)

It's actually not bad.

[7/10 · 2 January 2021]

I think more than anything else, it was a well deserved stab at the media. Both regular and social. About how something so simple, a simple mistake can be taken well out of context for a headline and engaging in schadenfreude with the outcome.

That said, it was fun. I enjoyed it. It was pretty funny at times, a bit corny at times, all too real at times. There are many more higher budgeted movies that aren't half as good. The movie is a pleasant way to spend an hour and a half with the family of an evening.

I give it 7 stars because it's not awards material. It's just good family fun.

The Morning Show (I) (2019– )

High quality and intelligent entertainment.

[9/10 · 25 June 2020]

Jennifer Aniston has proved once and for all that she can do serious. She does serious extremely well in this series. Watching her and Reese Witherspoon ( 2 of "America's Sweethearts") Makes me feel sad for Meg Ryan. She ached for a roll like this but couldn't pull one off. Anyway, this show is basically a nod to the #metoomovement and its ramifications for everyone: The good and the bad. It goes into depth but I never once thought that I was being force fed diatribe by a Left Wing Progressive studio trying to shut me up. I have never had any sort of physical relations with an underling in my life but I have witnessed promotions to female soldiers in the 80's who kept quiet about such things happening to them and they went on as if nothing happened.

Enough of that. This is a great show and I only gave it a 9 because in IMHO there were faaaaaaaaaar too many "F" bombs dropped during its run. But what I liked best was how everything was wrapped up to end as a great mini series; but yet, it can just as easily continue for a second season. The show was very well developed and was produced to perfection which, when you consider how many different producers this show has, is an accomplishment in and of itself.

Bull (2016–2022)

Stopped watching.

[7/10 · 5 May 2020]

I watched and somewhat enjoyed this show for the first 3 and a half seasons. The individual episodes are fine. They tell a story, Bull always wins for whichever side hires him, and the following week they start all over again. That's the problem. That and the utter lack of character development. I need the latter to enjoy any show I watch. However, if the former is all you need to enjoy a show, then by all means, enjoy this one. Each episode is a one off and taken individually, they're pretty much 7 star good. It's just not my thing.

Bull: The Flying Carpet (2019) Season 4, Episode 9

Major Spoiler Alert!!! Disappointing Episode.

[2/10 · 26 November 2019]

MAJOR SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!! I really enjoy watching this show ( I gave it 7 stars which for me is a lot). I've seen every episode so far and will continue to look forward to watching new episodes. HOWEVER, this particular episode basically allowed a 14 years old boy make a boat load of money for committing perjury. While it's true he got hurt badly while performing a boneheaded stunt, he lied under oath. Everyone on Bull's team knew it but forced the insurance company to pay this liar double the original settlement offered by the plaintiff or face being sued by them. To say I was disappointed by this plot twist would be the understatement of the year. So, c'mon writers and execs, try to keep it real as you have been. Thank you.

BH90210 (2019)

Quite good for a pilot.

[8/10 · 9 August 2019]

I remember reading about this show and its premise a few months ago. It sounded a lot like Matt LeBlanc's "Episodes" and I really enjoyed that show so I was looking forward to this reboot of sorts. I am quite happy with it. However, if I hadn't known in advance what the show was going to be like I would have probably said something along the lines of WTF at first, but still understand what they were doing. I loved Beverly Hills 90210. I loved Episodes. From the pilot at least, it looks like they married the two shows quite well. It's quite good if you know what to expect.

The Conners (2018–2025)

Pure Diatribe.

[2/10 · 27 November 2018]

I gave this show 3 stars instead of one for the simple reason that each show has at least one or two laugh out loud instances and I can watch it whenever I want. But the problem is, this show is nothing more than a power play by the minority(ies) that forces the hatreds, arrogance and ignorant misconceptions of their own beliefs down the throats of the majority consumer. Of course the actors have to say how great it is because they saw what happened to an icon. This show, as it stands right now, will not survive. It is far to politically correct and pure diatribe.

The Dark Tower (2017)

Better than the Battlefield Earth fiasco

[5/10 · 18 October 2017]

What a strange adaptation. First of all, I don't see how this movie could make sense to anyone who hasn't read the books. Having said that, there is absolutely nothing in the story lines that even remotely has anything to do with the original story but, if you've read it then you can make sense of the movie. I give it 5 stars for that reason. It was watchable even if it was a total destruction of a fantastic epic of a story. I don't understand why Steven King signed off on this though. I mean, he obviously doesn't need the money so I don't think it was a sell out; but what other reason could he have had for going through with this? It makes no sense.

Two and a Half Men: The Two Finger Rule (2009) Season 6, Episode 19

Funny! Funny! Funny!..........

[9/10 · 4 April 2009]

This episode has got to be the funniest and most gut wrenchingly hilarious episode of the entire series. Every once in a while in series television everything just seems to come together for one episode and winds up being their best show. In my opinion this was their show. I haven't laughed like I laughed watching this show for many years. If you like this series, you'll love this episode.

I checked the spoiler box because of the Alan character. It's not really a spoiler but........It seems like they're chilling him out some, which I think is good. There's none of his whiny "I'm" broke but demand equal rights" crap in the show nor the past couple of few shows for that matter.

So, Best episode in a fantastic series. Guaranteed gut wrenching.

Enjoy.