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Granite Harbour (2022)
WOW!
Well, where do I begin?
The acting: awful
Story: awful
Forced doric accents by actors from every part of Scotland apart from Aberdeen. The cliché storyline was awful and predictable.
I will take a punt that it was written by an American with lines like "homicide" and "first degree murder".
The story is slow and dragged out which is a shame, it could have been good. I feel really sorry for Romario Simpso who plays the main character, he was definitely sold a lemon with this 'drama'.
By all means watch if you want to be sent to sleep or comatose for days then crack on, it is mind numbingly boring.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Spock Amok (2022)
A light hearted fun episode
This was a great episode, plenty packed in. Negotiations, swapping bodies, living out missed opportunities. Not one person centred.
Light hearted and funny, laughed out loud a few times.
Gets better week on week.
The usual crowd of 'trekkies' will be along shortly whining about this not being star trek. Whatever! They clearly never were proper 'trekkies' because they are intent on tearing the franchise down. If you ain't happy, go watch TOS and keep watching it repeatedly.
More please.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Ghosts of Illyria (2022)
F@#%ING AWESOME EPISODE
A number 1 episode! With lots of social commentary packed in without being in your face, the main question is, who are we really?
I absolutely love Rebecca Romijn and how she played out her secret.
Hemmer! Hemmer is awesome! He and number 1 play off one another brilliantly.
I'm invested in SNW. Far superior to the very poor show that is Discovery.
More please!
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Children of the Comet (2022)
Absolute Delight
So glad we are back to single episodes instead of a whole series based around an irrelevance of plots.
Uhura based episode which gives so much more backstory.
Was never a fan of TOS and was more a TNG / VOY boy.
Strange New Worlds is definitely a favourite.
Just an absolute delight!
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Strange New Worlds (2022)
Star Trek has Returned! Finally
This is a great opening episode. A true return to Star Trek, I hope it continues.
The single episode story is the way to go, and we are getting to know the crew and I like it.................. a lot.
There is only gripe, the brother of James T Kirk, Samuel Kirk Why? I am hoping that SNW will stay away from being Kirk heavy.
Law & Order: Free Speech (2022)
So many holes that you could drive a bus through!
I am really pleased that L&O is back but thus episode was really, really weak. The good old right vs left is really pushed in this episode and it missed the mark.
The holes in the plot were massive! If I was on that jury I wouldn't have found him guilty. He said some stuff that some don't agree with and somebody acted on it. Is the guy responsible?
Time to stop using the right as a punching bag and start being a little fairer. Not everybody on the right is bad, they might hold views we don't agree with but stop making them total cranks. It doesn't do anybody any justice.
That's coming from somebody pretty Liberal.
The Equalizer: Legacy (2022)
Camp
It isn't the greatest episode ever, there are some serious points in it but they are outweighed by ridiculousness of the main plot and the level of camp brought by Jada Pinkett Smith brings. A light hearted fun episode.
Hoping Jada Pinkett Smith comes back.
FBI: International: One Kind of Madman (2022)
Full of Tired Tropes.
The writers need to learn about the EU and former USSR states. Bulgaria is a member of the EU, not the USSR. The idea that countries would use gas on citizens wouldn't happen.
The writers are keen to ensure Police in Europe are just carbon copies of USSR state police and is absolutely ridiculous.
Then again, the writers wouldn't get their Americans good, everybody else bad narrative.
The writers clearly believe that American morality is better than everything else another tired trope.
Seriously, retire the tropes because the basis of the storyline was actually good.
FBI: Most Wanted: Inherited (2021)
Another Excellent Episode
Definitely hit its stride with season 3, the issues are current, relevant and if you doubt it check the other comments crying about the awful awful stories and woke agenda.
If it upsets the butt hurt TFG disciples then it's a great episode.
FBI: Know Thyself (2021)
Great Episode
This episode was brilliant in every way, but the ending was beyond infuriating but thinking about it now its pretty realistic. Plenty white people have lied to the FBI in past episodes and managed to walk without repercussion. Yet, the black pastor is to be made an example of and charged with a felony in lying to an FBI agent.
It's so subtle but it's right there.
FBI: International: The Edge (2021)
It's OK, maybe less of the saviour trope
I'm still giving it some time, but it risks going downhill quick.
This show seems determined to show other countries as totally incompetent in regards to law enforcement and that only the Americans can sort it and get results.
Maybe less of the American saviour tropes because it could easily become an aggressive American agency forcing their law and morality upon others.
FBI: Most Wanted: Patriots (2021)
Spot the insurrectionists
Clearly this episode has upset the very people it is written about.
You'll easily spot the supporters of the insurrection in the name of TFG in the other comments. The truth is the episode shows how far terrorists, sorry 'patriots' might go. The FBI might actually want to trace a few of them.
Cry harder. Excellent episode.
The Equalizer: Judgment Day (2021)
Settling in Nicely
The Equalizer is settling into its stride. Thankfully story arcs are forming for the rest of the series which will add substance to the whole series alongside the standalone episodes.
WandaVision: Breaking the Fourth Wall (2021)
It was....
Agatha All Along!
Love the Agatha tune.
Don't want this series to end but it will. :(
The Equalizer: Glory (2021)
LOVE IT! Annoying the right people.
Second episode hits the ground running. Definitely liking this new incarnation of The Equalizer. Updated for the modern age.
Gave it a few extra stars because it is annoying the perpetually offended who whine about it not being Edward Woodwards Equalizer. Basically they despise anything that hasn't been whitewashed for their viewing pleasure. Haters will always hate.
Simple as this, if you don't like it, don't watch it! Take your whining ass away and watch something else that's more in tune with your viewing pleasure.
Star Trek: Discovery: That Hope Is You, Part 2 (2021)
A New Direction for Season 4? NOT A CHANCE!
As expected the finale was underwhelming, seriously episode 1 and episode 13 was all that was needed, episodes 2 - 12 were fillers of useless plot devices to bolster the Burnham centric story of whispers and tears. Well done if you worked out the cause of the Burn that was briefly mentioned weeks ago, but of course it needed to be dragged out.
The story was predictable, the bad guys die and their ship blows up. Burnham saves the day, the crew, the ship and Starfleet by not making logical decisions but decision based on emotion. The writers obviously forgot that Burnham was brought up on Vulcan. It is now commonplace that Discovery history is forgotten if it doesn't fit with the story of the episode.
Wilson Cruz (Dr Culber) and Doug Jones (Saru) are seriously under used and their acting is the only reason I gave it 3 stars - they need more screen time, but then they aren't Michael Burnham, that is an obstacle to all characters on Discovery, Michael Burnham. Only Burnham can be the saviour of the show and the universe which has become predictable and tiring.
Anthony Rapp as Stamets really needs to be in discussion with the producers and writers, his character is using some seriously outdated tropes, the emotional, bitter old queen is really outdated. I wouldn't give Stamets a role within Starfleet, unbecoming of a Starfleet Officer. Please for the love of god make him more upbeat and more professional. Although it could be argued that he is just as bad professionally as Burnham is. Then again, if the characters aren't Burnham then forget about any development of them or their backstory.
My biggest gripe is that Discovery seems to be in a perpetual loop of attempting to tie itself to other previous Star Trek Shows. End of Season 1 the Enterprise. Season 2, Enterprise, Spock and Pike. Season 3, they briefly mention Picard but mainly they attach themselves to Voyager (Voyager is mentioned a lot in this episode). I will not be surprised if Season 4 mentions the USS Defiant or Deep Space 9 - a lot. Do the writers realise that they are writing a show so bad they need to tie it to previous Star Trek shows so the fans come along with the Discovery journey of disaster, emotion and tears? Stop it! If the show was as strong as the production crew make out, they wouldn't need to lean so hard on previous incarnations of Star Trek.
The mistake is minor, but noticeable. Discovery crew detonate a bomb in the nacelle chamber, blowing the nacelle off the ship, but it is miraculously fixed while the ship is inside the Viridian.
At least the crew have new uniforms at the end of the episode matching the rest of Starfleet. Of course Burnham is promoted to Captain, which we already know is doomed because she has issue with authority and working with others. Maybe she can rely on her tears and whispers when a tough decision needs to be made by the Captain? Season 4 will be Burnham doing something wrong that she deems right and forfeiting her captaincy. Hopefully she might make the wrong decision (highly unlikely, she is never wrong) and Discovery is destroyed, bringing this god awful show to an undignified death.
Some advice, jump to the final 10 minutes, the rest is the usual tired plot devices that seem to be a habit in Star Trek Burnham, sorry, Discovery.
Star Trek: Discovery: There Is a Tide... (2020)
Normal Service Has Resumed! (Not in a good way)
I really thought Discovery was getting into its stride in episode 8 (I gave it 6 stars). Frakes couldn't even save this episode where it was back to normal Service of whispering, crying, Michael making all the decisions for everyone else with the expected whisper and tears.
There was one point where I actually thought that the episode was going to make a radical curveball for the better. Unfortunately, Burnham was only stabbed in the lef. Hoping septicaemia will finish the job.
I'm going to watch the last episode, but my expectations are set really low in the minus range.
Anyway, about the storyline! Have you heard about Michael Burnham? You haven't heard the story of Michael Burnham, well let me tell you about the saviour that is Michael Burnham. Michael Burnham, Captain of the USS whisperer, Admiral to the fleet of Cry class starships. The moral decider of everyone and everything because Michael Burnham has judged that she is right and everybody is wrong apart from Michael Burnham. Michael of Burnham the saviour who has to carry the whole decision making of a universe on her whispers and tears.............
Spoiler:
Whispers, tears, Burnham, everything else is purely filler around Burnham.
Did I mention the whispers and tears?
Star Trek: Discovery: There Is a Tide... (2020)
Normal Service Has Resumed! (Not in a good way)
I really thought Discovery was getting into its stride in episode 8 (I gave it 6 stars). Frakes couldn't even save this episode where it was back to normal Service of whispering, crying, Michael making all the decisions for everyone else with the expected whisper and tears.
There was one point where I actually thought that the episode was going to make a radical curveball for the better. Unfortunately, Burnham was only stabbed in the lef. Hoping septicaemia will finish the job.
I'm going to watch the last episode, but my expectations are set really low in the minus range.
Anyway, about the storyline! Have you heard about Michael Burnham? You haven't heard the story of Michael Burnham, well let me tell you about the saviour that is Michael Burnham. Michael Burnham, Captain of the USS whisperer, Admiral to the fleet of Cry class starships. The moral decider of everyone and everything because Michael Burnham has judged that she is right and everybody is wrong apart from Michael Burnham. Michael of Burnham the saviour who has to carry the whole decision making of a universe on her whispers and tears.............
Spoiler:
Whispers, tears, Burnham, everything else is purely filler around Burnham.
Did I mention the whispers and tears?
Star Trek: Discovery: The Sanctuary (2020)
A Welcome Change from the usual Drivel!
I usually write a negative review, but this is the first episode of season 3 that I have enjoyed. Jonathan Frakes might have saved the episode.
We start with Georgiou in sick bay about her recent blackouts and Burnham appears and says that she won't leave the ship until they have got to the bottom of what is happening to Georgiou. I had a bad feeling as soon as that line was spoken, because I knew, you knew that Burnham would end up going off the ship on her own mission and not be true to her word. Of course, Burnham went off the ship, but honestly, she wasn't needed.
The episode for a change, was not Burnham centric, there was no crying, no emotional speeches, no lip quivering. Was a good old-fashioned Star Trek episode where the crew were not a plot device or needed to be there to prove Burnham right. Instead it was a crew working together, supporting one another and fulfilling their mission with the Starfleet morals and principles - what a change to the normal rubbish Discovery churns out. We even got to see Kayla battle her demons to add even further depth to her radically underused character.
Wilson Cruz stands out in this episode, firm, compassionate and he seems to take his duty seriously, why do Discovery not have more Dr Culber on the screen? I think that we need more Dr Culber, no, scrub that, we need more crew scenes and not the usual spare pieces we normally get with Discovery episodes.
Tilly came across as mature and serious and any doubt I had about her being Acting First Officer faded quickly, it was a welcome character change.
The one-dimensional Stamets had some depth and substance to his character and no pointless, vindictive spikey bitter queen tribute act - how refreshing.
There were some idiotic minor story pieces that really were not needed. The first was Saru trying to find his catchphrase, it really diminished his character and standing as Captain. Here is an original idea, stay with "engage"! The second was around Adira, wanting to be known by their preferred pronouns, I didn't have a great deal of issue of it, but the year is 3188, not 2020, which I thought seemed out of place - who cares what pronouns someone goes by, it shouldn't be a big deal - Discovery made a deal of it. Just felt it was totally unnecessary.
Discovery really need to stick with this version of the show - away from Burnham being front and centre and giving space and time to the rest of the crew and continue with the no crying, no emotional speeches version.
Undoubtedly, normal service of crying, Burnham centric, emotional speeches, lip quivering, cast as spare parts will resume in next week's episode. I really hope not, but my expectations are low.
Star Trek: Discovery: Unification III (2020)
An Abomination
Please whisper as you read, it will give you an idea of whispering that is an arc through this series.
Michael Burnham is front and centre as usual, they even make the preposterous suggestion Burnham made Spock the man he is, of course they do! Again Discovery writers attempt to destroy the canon with their ideals. STOP IT!
Burnham as expected has deep emotional speeches and as per usual, crying, just to mix it up! self appointed selfishness and above all else, the saviour of the universe because it is all about Burnham. How utterly predictable.
The other story is Tilly becoming Acting First Officer, the problem isn't that she is an ensign but the initial reaction of Stamets, he is unbecoming of a Starfleet Officer. Ultimately, he makes it up to her at the end and of course Burnham is late, makes another emotional speech, because she needs to be front and centre! Can't have another character taking the limelight with their own story. Can you guess what comes next.................
Burnham and Tilly cry! The writers have never heard about other emotions.
The story is lost between crying, whispering, emotional speeches and Burnham being the saviour of the universe.
Do you know the story of Michael Burnham? You haven't heard about the saviour that is Michael Burnham? Let me tell you the story of Michael Burnham. Michael Burnham is the centre of the universe, because Michael Burnham is the saviour..........
For the love of God, stop the crying.
Star Trek: Discovery (2017)
Computer. Initiate The Self-Destruct Sequence, Authorisation...........
Discovery peaked in the second season and that was because Pike was in it, in some effort to tether Discovery to the Enterprise and the wider Star Trek universe.
I've watched each episode of Discovery and season 3 is a show in the final desperate breaths of life, but refusing to die.
The problems begun before Discovery ever aired, mainly because it would focus on one person and not the ship and its crew. Many were correct in seeing the red flags, but the writers and execs continued in some attempt to prove the doubters wrong. Each episode and story arc goes like this: the ship and crew face a problem, Burnham saw it coming and knows whatever choice the crew makes, it will be wrong, and she will be right. The crew at that point go through the motions, become extra and work out a resolution mostly off screen. The crew voice their resolution and Burnham, knowing they are wrong will default to her own self important morality that supersedes the crew to go on her own secret / rogue mission. Conclusion, crew wrong (even if they were right, they are wrong) Michael Burnham saves the day, usually with a lip tremble, deep emotional speech and / or cries. If Michael is partially wrong (she never is totally wrong), then the same lip tremble, deep emotional speech and / or crying. Repeat for season 1, 2, 3, 4................ episodes 1, 2, 3, 4........
Burnham is emotional and deeply flawed, self-important and selfish. She shows no signs of Star Trek characterisation of learning and growing and she is stuck in this perpetual loop of her own importance that make the storylines entirely predictable and unsurprising; remember Burnham is always right. I would not trust her with a house plant.
A brilliant supporting cast are seriously let down by poor stories and writing, the glimmers of brilliance in Doug Jones as Saru and Michelle Yeoh as Georgiou is not enough to save this show from catastrophic cardiac arrest. They should just get rid of the cast, because they are holding Michael Burnham back, but the writers need them there to be wrong all the time.
CBS and the writers must know that they created a rod for their own back by focussing on one person but using a star ship as the backdrop and in their never ending quest of making the Burnham centric story work which make the storylines and arcs utterly predictable with the same conclusion of Burnham with lip tremble, deep emotional speech and / or crying.
Comparing Discovery to Picard is a common argument of the 'good' discovery reviews. The difference is that Picard is focussed on one person, not hiding from that while giving enough back story, substance and arcs to other characters that Discovery basically fails to do with their show but seem to be trying to fix these niggles while making it much worse.
If Discovery wanted to focus on Michael Burnham, then they should have called it Star Trek: Burnham. To attempt to fool the viewers into thinking it is about a whole ship and it's crew by using the name of Discovery in the title is false marketing. The ship that is Discovery hasn't discovered much of anything that is significant and it's supposed to be a ship of discovery and science, to explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. If you want any of that, Discovery won't provide it. The crew haven't discovered much either, other than they go through the motions as a plot device to learn that they were wrong all along and unsurprisingly Burnham was right. Must be the most underused ship in the history of Starfleet.
Plenty reviewers think Discovery is being woke and I understand why they see that as a divergence from Star Trek. Star Trek is a show that realises our differences, whether that be those from a different planet, gender, sexuality, colour, race, language, and an understanding that these were part of a normal day and were normal. It seems now, that the writers of Discovery feel that they need to manipulate that very fabric for political and woke points. The cynical part of me says that they deliberately are choosing to manipulate it because they need to attract viewers and appealing to those very people who insist that differences should be highlighted, which flies in the face of the original idea of Star Trek.
The reality is this is nowhere near Star Trek, this is so far removed from the ideals of Starfleet that Roddenberry had. Season 1 should have been an indicator of the troubles that were coming because it trampled all over the canon and the idea was to move it so far into the future that it didn't affect the canon, but during that transition to attempt a true Star Trek show they got anything but. I'm of the opinion CBS bought the Star Trek brand, pinned some other story it had and put it in space.
The Star Trek universe is alien to Discovery, and it shows. As much as it tries; Discovery will never enter a true Star Trek universe. I wonder if Season 3 was deliberately sent so far into the future by the Discovery writers, that they know writers of Picard, Strange New Worlds and any new Star Trek series can alter the timeline to isolate the Discovery story to its own separate and individual timeline and removing Discovery and the awful show it is from the true Star Trek universe and timeline.
The writers need to seriously consider initiating the self-destruct sequence on the ship and make efforts to forget it was ever trying to be part of Star Trek.
Edit: I don't believe the 7.3 rating (Nov 2020). Read the written reviews, it paints a different story, but then again people can rate without a review, wonder if glowing written reviews cost extra?
Private Eyes (2016)
Love this show!
Been with it from the start and it's still fresh, funny, and with a new mystery to solve every episode. Yes it has cliches, but that is part of the charm.
Yes, the theme tune is pretty damn good, might even be better than the Hall & Oates version!
It's a gem of a series.
The Crown (2016)
Season 4
I love The Crown and was really excited for season 4. Gillian Anderson as Thatcher and Emma Corrin as Diana are excellent additions to the cast and it seems the cast are more settled than season 3. That excitement has somewhat subsided and the reality is the season is rushed. 11 years compacted down to 10 episodes and really interesting plots are ignored, Lord Mountbatten death happens but is then somewhat ignored as is the troubles with the IRA. We have to remember that the private lives of the royal family and Thatcher aren't publicly known and some liberty has to be taken with storytelling, as it has been done with other seasons.
The plotlines with Prince Andrew are really cleverly written and he comes across as ignorant and narcissistic as we expected.
The show is about the Crown and the Sovereign, but Olivia Colman is somewhat supporting cast along with Helena Bonham Carter and Tobias Menzies. Helena Bonham Carter shines in her stand alone episode but blink and you miss her in the rest of the season.
The nitty gritty is that this season is Charles & Diana heavy, almost too heavy, to the point that you see the rushed plotlines and other stories were expendable for the story of Charles & Diana. Plenty creative liberty has been taken and it could be seen as an attempt at character assassination of Charles & Camilla. The balance that is mainly missed is that Diana wasn't exactly an angel but that is played down considerably. I thought that the writers were deliberate in their bad Charles characterisation. But, reading the upset that the Palace and friends of Charles in the papers in response to the crown makes me believe that there is a lot of truth in what happened, but written somewhat differently to what really happened (creative licence).
Overall I expected much better that what was offered and left somewhat disappointed. Quite sad to see this cast go and it's a shame that the writers didn't give them a better send off.
9-1-1: Lone Star (2020)
Season 2
Delighted season 2 is coming. Haters gonna hate 🖕
Van der Valk (2020)
Don't Bother
If you are expecting Eye Level, the iconic theme tune then you're in for a huge disappointment. Honestly, Barry Foster will haunt the creators of this reboot. It is terrible.