Change Your Image
bobcobb301
Reviews
American Idol: The Search for a Superstar: 705 (Auditions) (2024)
Auditions
This is the final audition round and final audition show for this group of judges. Katy Perry does not always offer the most insightful commentary, but she is entertaining and I think she will be missed.
I don't see a variety of elite talent here in this roster, but there are a few potential winners which is good. I look forward to the lives and seeing who steps up and who falls behind.
A decent season thus far, but this episode did seem to drag a bit. Too many long backstories and not many that felt compelling either. I also want someone to do a truly shocking song for their audition and none of that so far.
Miles from Nowhere: Courtesy Call (2024)
Episode 1
While US comedy has sort of been in a downward spiral recently, UK comedy is still good, Australian comedy has been improving and I've even been watching more and more NZ TV. This was certainly a shaky start, the opening scene was a little too cartoonish for my liking, but there is something intriguing about this.
I think we need more diversity in TV, not forcing people onto a show, but giving us the kind of concepts and families we don't always get. This certainly fits that bill. But it needs to be funnier as this only made me laugh a couple of times and that is not good enough for a half hour comedy.
Miles from Nowhere: Ask a Muslim (2024)
Episode 2
Certainly some differences in US and NZ culture when watching this as an American as you would not really be able to laugh off the idea of calling for jihad in a video where I come from.
This show does have me intrigued as a fan. It is good to see the authentic lifestyle of Muslims, especially in a country like this, and not just the kind of good and bad stereotypes we get on most programs.
It is not the funniest show I have ever seen and it is certainly not the best acted show I have ever seen, but I like enough of what I have seen so far to stick with this and see if it can turn into something good.
Miles from Nowhere: Thanks for Calling (2024)
Episode 3
If we get Said doing and failing a new job each and every week i would be fine with that. This wasn't exactly groundbreaking comedy, but it was amusing and simple enough. That is all we ask for as fans. Try something that works, try to make us laugh and him shouting at the guy on the phone and going crazy to the point that "they will probably use that in a training video" is good comedy.
This show has been okay. There's better New Zealand comedies I've seen over the last few years, but this is fun and engaging enough. Looking forward to the back half of episodes and seeing how it all does wrap up.
Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Colostomy Bag (2024)
Episode 8
Well, we are almost at the end of Curb Your Enthusiasm's run. I hated the idea of that day for so many years, but the way this season has gone it is definitely time.
Steve Buscemi is one of the best character actors of all time, but on a show like this he should have played himself. The Conan O'Brien appearance was just weird too.
At least we are getting a proper farewell for Richard Lewis.
I just don't know what to do. I hope they have a plan for the finale that makes this all work, but this has been a really bad season and tonight we had yet another really bad episode with no laugh out loud moments.
Manhunt: Let the Sheep Flee (2024)
Episode 3
I feel like this should have been a total binge release drop and not weekly, but what can you do? This has inspired me and a lot of others to do some research on the Lincoln Assasination and everything around that time period.
This was a little shaky for me, it did drag at points, but it still remains a much easier watch for me than a lot of other shows that are less long right now.
It just seemed like they glossed over a lot of things too quickly including the former enslaved family getting land. This should have been a slow build to make that payoff mean even that much more when we saw it.
Miles from Nowhere: Democracy (2024)
Episode 4
You won't get too many shows in America that would have someone shouting (even as a joke) about 9/11 being a cover-up, so I guess it is edgy for that, but this was a wild episode in all of the best ways. Some funny parts, some good political commentary, and then some storyline development across the board.
This is far from an elite show, and I feel like Kid Sister did a much better job of tackling a focus on one religious group and their plight, but this has become a fun watch for me. I think we could all benefit from being exposed to more cultures and learning about things we typically do not see on TV.
Miles from Nowhere: Night of Revelation (2024)
Episode 5
You can't go wrong with adults fighting with kids, and the idea of the young ones being proud of their dominance in laser tag and destroying the grown ups is a simple, but enjoyable premise.
This was an okay episode, but some of these individuals are clearly not equipped for the serious kind of acting they tried to go for. They tried to have Said simply flip a switch and go into the emotional heartpouring male lead, but he can't do that, and it did not come off as believable at all here.
But anxious for the finale. A surprisingly solid show Miles From Nowhere has ended up being in my opinion.
Manhunt: Pilot (2024)
Pilot
The time jumps may have been a bit much, but I think it was good to continually label things so viewers weren't confused, a problem that a lot of shows seem to include.
There were some moments that I felt dragged on, but when it was an action-packed scene they seemed to include the right amount of violence and intensity.
This subject has seemingly been covered to death, but if they have a new take on President Abraham Lincoln's assassination being tied to trying to keep the Confederacy and the Civil War going, I would be intrigued to hear what that point of view and that argument could actually be.
Manhunt: Post-mortem (2024)
Episode 2
This was a bit of an increase in pace from the premiere, but does highlight a lot of the logic concerns around this program, and I guess the time period in general. How quickly were people actually able to relay messages when they were traveling by horseback? For the Confederacy to be laundering money with The Bank of Montreal it would be weeks between each visit.
But this show does have me hooked in. They've eliminated a lot of the boring aspects of the time period and the usual traps that period dramas fall into and just focused on some of the more juicy topics, a wise choice for this Apple TV+ program.
Girls5eva: Clarksville (2024)
Clarksville
Wickie has been the standout character on the show all three seasons and it is a shame that Renee has not gotten any award recognition for the role yet. But this was more superb comedy work from twisting the words she used to not lie in the beginning, to being upset that she had a privileged upbringing.
I wish we had a more expansive episode than essentially all of this taking place at the childhood home, but it was good to take a break from music for awhile and just focus on making the fans laugh. This was enjoyable and a step up from the first two episodes this season, so a positive move for sure.
Girls5eva: Orlando (2024)
Orlando
Getting Rebecca Lobo was perfect casting for a nostalgia-themed party, but I was hoping they could have gotten 1 or 2 other people from the time period. You would think with this show being on Netflix and all of the people associated with it that maybe they could bag a bigger name, but I guess not.
The premise was a little stupid and I kind of wish they had them perform for an evil dictator like Wickie Roy had talked about.
Some amusing bits for sure, but I think this was overwhelming as a whole and that in a nutshell is probably the best way I can describe this third season of Girls5Eva on Netflix.
Girls5eva: Cleveland (2024)
Cleveland
This was probably the best episode of the show this season and one that will certainly be memorable for sure.
It was funny, but it also focused on the highs and lows of the music industry. Poking fun at an actor like Jon Hamm who will take any role by having him lead the way on Instagram memoriums was great too.
I am not crazy about the storyline that has been the focal point for this season, but this episode finally explained who Gray Holland was and why we should care about everything that is going on.
This made me excited for the finale coming up next after I was kind of souring on the show.
Girls5eva: New York (2024)
New York
I am really hoping this isn't the series finale, but it feels that way with the shortened order and the lack of build and promotion by Netflix around the show.
If it is the end it was a good payoff as Girls5Eva finally got the spotlight one last time, albeit in front of almost no one.
This show throws in dozens of pop culture references every episode, just like sister show 30 Rock. Not all of them are hits, but the way they described Richard Kind as "the guy from everything" was perfect.
A solid finale to an uneven third season. I hope this isn't the last time we see the great Wickie Roy though.
AEW Collision: AEW Revolution 2024 Fallout (2024)
March 9
I was surprised Shane Taylor returned to ROH, I was surprised he got booked on AEW TV, but if he doesn't start getting some quality wins then what is the point? Wrestling Bryan Danielson is probably a career highlight, but he needs a quality win to become credible.
I don't know why AEW Collision became The House of Black's show, but it is not the right move. They need some strong faces to compete against and they need some mixes in the feud department. These violent matches and this never-ending feud with Mark Briscoe is just boring at this point and it seems like nothing is going to change ever.
AEW Collision: Hard Hitting (2024)
March 16
Bryan Danielson and Katsuyori Shibata had a solid match to kick off the show. I like the long match opening the show as opposed to just closing it. People online criticized the seated slap fight, and I get it, but I think that is just part of the strong style.
Trish Adora finally getting on AEW TV is a good move. I wish she would have won, but we knew that was not going to happen.
The Infantry have deserved a breakout win for a long time. I don't think this was the right way to do it. The cheating and the distraction with Mark Briscoe just felt too reminiscent of bad WWE Raw booking than anything else.
Constellation: Paul Is Dead (2024)
Episode 6
"Paul Is Dead" took this show and completely flipped it on its head. We now know exactly what is going on, or at least we think we know what is going on and that is that worlds collided someone thanks to what went on in space. Quantum physics, as it was described by Henry/Bud, but who knows.
This was an entertaining episode, the show has been good as a whole, but it still just seems a little off. I can't really put my finger on what it is, but the show is just not action-packed enough, not thrilling enough, but it is worth watching and maybe the payoff in the end will make it all worth it. We can only hope.
All Elite Wrestling: Dynamite: I Quit (2024)
March 20
It was a pretty solid episode of Dynamite here tonight, but they just can't seem to string together a strong show from top to bottom. The Continental Title match felt random and rushed, but at least Eddie Kingston's reign of horror is over. Now with Okada having the belt we are guaranteed good matches every time.
The I Quit match was okay, but we have seen Adam Copeland do this exact same match for the last 5 years with WWE. You would think he would want to try and bring something different to the table with AEW, but so far he is not really invested in doing that from the footage I have seen.
All Elite Wrestling: Rampage: Toronto Street Fight (2024)
March 20
I see a lot of peopel suggesting that they make this move permanent and make Rampage follow Dynamite on Wednesdays. I could certainly see the case for it as it moves the program and the feuds along better.
The women had a solid street fight, but it just hurt it a little bit that we had another match with weapons not even an hour ago.
Rocky Romero and Takeshita both deserve wins, but it was clear who was going to get it here. It is a shame Kyle Fletcher and Powerhouse Hobbs have fallen off so quickly.
A really solid episode of Rampage though and maybe this can kickstart that program mattering again.
Curb Your Enthusiasm: Fish Stuck (2024)
Fish Stuck
The only funny bit in the whole episode was the banter between Larry and the guy at the Chinese restaurant over the fish, and you could argue we shouldn't be laughing at it as it was just making fun of his accent.
But Sean Hayes and Dan Levy are the absolute worse, and casting both of them as a couple here was horrible. Painful to watch.
This show seems to have absolutely no direction this season. I get that the finale will involve a trial, coming full circle for Larry on his other show, but this is just not funny. And why are these episodes so long? I don't get it when half of these scenes could easily be cut.
Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Gettysburg Address (2024)
The Gettysburg Address
If they just stuck with the buffet concept this would have been an okay episode. We have all been there and while debating whether or not all you can eat actually means that is not exactly original, this could have been funny. But they had too many other things going on here.
Larry would not read the same Gettysburg Address every time he goes to the bathroom. I thought the point was to learn something? He already knew that?
And a bunch of older people laughing about drawings of pee pees and wee wees on a billboard in the year 2024 is not exactly HBO kind of comedy. Larry is above this, or at least I thought he was.
Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Dream Scheme (2024)
The Dream Scheme
I don't know why these episodes run so long for such a weak payoff. The nuances of the old Curb where you could actually debate who was right and who was wrong are gone.
This is just Larry and Freddy acting like children, and Leon coming in for some smut comments.
There is no story here, and they conveniently "borrow" many scenes and concepts that were done on his other show Seinfeld every week, but especially here.
There were a few moments that made me laugh, but this continues to be a really bad final season of the show and ruining the legacy of Curb Your Enthusiasm in the entire process.
Law & Order: Balance of Power (2024)
Balance of Power
No one is going to ever replace Jack McCoy and while this show is probably over in a few years, it was necessary to try and do such a feat.
Tony Goldwyn had his own take on the role and while I need a little more character depth, this was not the worst introduction. I like the idea of some tension with Nolan. We should have arguments between the DA and the ADA and not just moral debates. There are always going to be differences in strategy and tactics and we should get that on TV.
Looking forward to the rest of the season, but this was a promising start to a new era many of us thought might never happen.
Law & Order: On the Ledge (2024)
On the Ledge
If we view this episode through the lense of just being an action movie or an action show it is fine. It was not really Law and Order though. Not many trial scenes that made sense, and a lot of political mumbo jumbo. You do not get the right to kill the doctor who worked with your wife no matter what.
But we don't have to agree with their political take, and I did not, for the record, to enjoy the episode. I enjoyed it because it was an intriguing case and we got some vintage Law and Order chases. Asking this show to not be political is not in the cards, but at least they made the episode fun.
The Voice: The Blind Auditions Premiere (2024)
Blinds 1
The double chair has been used on some versions of The Voice around the world, but I suspect it will take some getting used to for fans in The US.
I am not sure if Dan and Shay are the right duo to introduce it. I am not really a fan of them, but I know a lot of people are.
This coaching lineup does not really feel like it is current or the right mix, but I will give it time. I feel like they need a true popstar in the mix, but I guess booking an act like Justin Bieber is not going to be easy.
The Voice is still watchable to me all of these years in, but this lineup was kind of average, to be blunt.