Big Mouth Season 2 Review

It wasn’t really surprising that this show got picked up for a second season. I gave the first season of this show a 4 out of 5, you can read my review of it here, after binge watching it one weekend last year. I have to say though, the bad thing about binge watching is that you’re more likely to forget about a show or what the show was about by the time the next season comes out and that completely happened with this show. I even forgot that the second season was released. So, I took this season a little slower and finally just recently finished it. Keep reading to see what I thought about the second season.

Picking up right where season 1 left off, Nick, voiced by Nick Kroll, has just started puberty and got his own hormone monster. Unlike his best friend’s hormone monster, Maury, also voiced by Nick Kroll, Nick’s hormone monster is a little bit slower. Nick just wants to be like his best friend Andrew, voiced by John Mulaney, who is steadily going through puberty. Also this season, you’ll see more into the lives of the girls in this show who have their own hormone monster, Connie, voiced by Maya Rudolph. All new obstacles will be thrown into the boys lives as well as the girls as they continue to go through puberty.

While this season was a little bit slower than last season, I did like the edition of the shame monster. The shame monster plays a big part this season as it teachers all of the characters about some of the “shameful” things that they do and makes them start to feel guilty about their sexual acts. This definitely livened the season up a bit because it was kind of going downhill with the same jokes and same storyline as last year which was a bunch of horny teenagers learning their bodies and exploring their sexuality. I don’t know how this is even possible, but I have to say that this season also pushed the limits when it came to each episode and was even more adult-orientated than last season. This isn’t a bad thing if you aren’t easily offended and actually turned out to be both cringe worthy at times as well as laugh out loud funny at other times.

Just like the first season, the second season depends heavily on the cast of actors that voice these characters. They make the characters, make them relatable, make them funny, and make them memorable. Without the voices of Nick Kroll, John Mulaney, Maya Rudolph, Jessli Klein, Jason Mantzoukas, Jenny Slate, Fred Armisen, Jordan Peele, and a bunch of other actors who voice this huge cast of characters, this show would never work.

Overall I give season 2 a 3 out of 5.

While not as great and groundbreaking as the first season, this was still a decent season even if at times it did slow down a bit. The introduction of the shame monster was one that picked up this season which was a little flat to start off with. If you enjoyed the first season, you’ll probably want to see this season and see how the story of these teenagers continue. If you haven’t watched the first season and you were basically waiting for the show to end so that you can binge watch the whole series, that’s not going to happen any time soon since this show was just picked up for season 3 so you can either wait a little longer or start watching now. If you have no interest in watching teenagers go through puberty in a cartoon, then stay away from this one and as last time, keep the kiddies away from this season as well.

Kiss Me First – Season 1 Review

This popped onto the Netflix feature screen one day and I just had to take a look at the trailer for it because the concept of the show intrigued me. After watching the trailer, I knew that this was a series that I had to watch. Now usually I don’t watch new series that are just starting and could possibly have more seasons to follow because my TV schedule is completely booked, but I decided to throw all of that into the wind because there were only 6 episodes and this show looked too good to pass up. Keep reading to see if this show turned out to be a hit or a flop.

Kiss Me First is about ShadowFax/Layla, played by Tallulah Rose Haddon. Her mother just died and she’s returned to an empty home. Her only escape from the real world is this VR world called Azana. Azana is basically like Fornite, but in VR. Everything is going great for Layla who is an expert at this game until she meets with the mysterious Mania/Tess, played by Simona Brown, who leads her to discover a whole new realm of the game called Red Pill. After becoming a member of Red Pill she’ll meet and have confrontations with Adrian, played by Matthew Beard, as little by little the members of Red Pill start dying in real life.

I really enjoyed this show from start to finish. I have to say that while it starts out a little slow and it has this Matrix reference in it that I didn’t understand because I never watched The Matrix, yes go ahead and rant on me for not watching the Matrix down in the comments section, but then it really picks up and you just want to keep watching it. It’s definitely one of those binge worthy shows. After a few episodes of fun and games, things suddenly turn serious and the show takes on a whole new life. I really liked how the show did this and first introduced you to Layla and her situation. It showed her struggling to find out what to do about money after her mother died and then jumping into this world of Red Pill that she had no idea what she was getting into. Things go from light to really dark and ends on a note that makes you just hope there’s another season because if not it’s a huge cliffhanger.

So the cast is what makes this show and it wouldn’t be much of a show without them. That being said, they are kind of amateurs and it shows. The acting isn’t horrible, but it’s not that great either. Sometimes this breaks the immersion of the show and sometimes it’s just ignorable. I’m hoping that if this show continues for another season that the acting at least gets better. The cast worked well together, but not as well as I would have hoped for. It was just a weird combination of people and I’m not sure how to react about this.

While the show is trying to be an ensemble show that revolves around all of these people in Red Pill, the show is basically about Layla and this secret that she’s keeping which makes her the perfect candidate for Red Pill because everyone has a secret. While the show does delve into the other members of Red Pill, it only does so to forward Layla’s story and not to serve any other purpose. For next season, I would like to see some characters stand on their own even though it doesn’t look that way, but it would be a nice change up to see the show not without Layla, but from a different perspective.

Overall I give this season of Kiss Me First a 4 out of 5.

If you are a gamer then you’ll want to watch this show. It kind of has everything, including video games and the new VR craze. Not in that corny game turned into a movie type thing either. It’s a good show that has a good plot. Yes the acting is weird and awkward at times, but I would say that after episode 3 you’ll be hooked and do like I did and binge watch the final three episodes just to see how it ends. If you aren’t a gamer, you can still appreciate this show as it has this huge mystery to it, but it might not be as interesting. I still give this show a strong recommendation and hope that it’ll be back for another season.

GLOW: Season 2 Review

I have to say that I wasn’t even sure I was going to watch the second season of this show after watching the first season. You could read my review of the first season here. Anyway, I decided to give this show a second chance and see what season two had to offer. Would it make improvements to the overall story of the show or would it still be the Ruth and Debbie show? Keep reading to find out.

Picking up where season one left off, the first episode of GLOW was just taped and was picked up by a big TV network. With a lot of promise, there’s also a lot of pressure for the wrestlers as well as the producers of the show. Will they get this show to work or will it just crash and burn. The whole cast returns for the second season along with the addition of a few new characters, but everything basically remained the same character wise. While the overall plot is about getting the first season of GLOW to go off without a hitch so that it can continue past the first season, it’s still basically the Ruth and Debbie show as most of the episodes concentrated on them and their ever going saga of if they can ever be friends again. You’ll see Ruth struggle with past decisions while trying to move forward and you’ll see Debbie enter into a world that’s basically foreign to her as she’s going through a divorce while still trying to be a part of the show. You’ll get some time with the other characters this season, but not enough that anything really comes from it.

I have to say that after the second episode of this season, I was seriously hooked and could not stop watching. Every chance that I had to grab a couple of episodes I took because I had to see where this show was going. Even though it didn’t go in the direction that I wanted it to and fleshed out everyone’s back story, it was still more interesting than the previous season and it kind of left off with a cliffhanger of an ending so hopefully this gets picked up for another season so that it can continue to progress. I will say that even though it was still the Ruth and Debbie story, a few more characters were able to break out from the pack this season and get a little time for themselves and that was an interesting turn of events, but I think if they would have cut out some Ruth and Debbie time this could have been done for a lot more characters. I think that with a little more work this show can really be something great and something truly worth gushing about. Right now it’s on that border and with a push in the right direction it could become a really great show. I want to see more than just Ruth and Debbie out of the ring. I want to see more of Sam and his struggles, like the episodes this season that showed Sam, the forever bachelor, adjusting to have a daughter in his life. I want to see more episodes revolving around Bash and his struggles with coming to terms with his sexuality. I want more of this and less of this Ruth and Debbie thing. It’s obvious they can never be friends with each other again and just seeing Ruth try and Debbie being a bitch is getting a little played out.

This is still an ensemble show that wouldn’t work without the full cast of this show. I bring my point back to Orange is the New Black. If that show was just the Alex and Piper show it wouldn’t work, just like as much as this show wants to concentrate on Ruth and Debbie it’s not going to work. If they continue to go on this route then the shows not going to last that long. There are a whole cast of other characters who are interesting and have stories to tell. They just need to be told! Like I said before, they kind of worked on this aspect of the show this season, but there needs to be more of it next season for the show to actually work.

The acting this time around got a lot better I have to say and everyone felt more comfortable in their roles. This was a good thing because it made the show more interesting. I will say that this time around I was able to pick out a few characters that were interesting unlike last season where I couldn’t find anyone to relate to. This season there were a bunch of characters to be able to relate to and mostly it was, as much as I hate saying this, Ruth. Yes, I can relate to Ruth. If you’ve already watched you were probably thinking that I could relate to Yolana, but just because she’s a lesbian and so am I doesn’t mean that I can relate to her. I can relate to Ruth because Ruth is a people pleaser and she tries her hardest to please everyone even if that means sacrificing her own ambitions to do so. This was relatable to me, and I hate that, but Alison Brie just really pulled that off this season and she was not only this super people pleaser but also still super awkward. Overall the acting really improved this season and it payed off.

Overall I give this season of GLOW a 4 out of 5.

While this show still isn’t for everyone, if you were a fan of the first season of course you’re going to want to watch the second season. If you didn’t watch the first season, but were kind of interested in this show I would say now is the time to start watching. You could easily binge watch both seasons in the matter of two days since there’s only 10 episodes and they’re 30-40 minutes long. While there were some improvements this show is still lacking just a little bit. Hopefully with time this show will continue to grow and continue to get better. So here’s hoping that this show gets picked up for another season.

Big Mouth Season 1 Review

There’s something about binge watching a show on Netflix that makes being on bed rest so much more pleasant. Instead of having a pity party for yourself, you can just watch one episode after the other. While I was on bed rest, I decided to watch Big Mouth. I had seen the previews for it a few times and figured I could use some comedy and watched it basically non-stop. Keep reading to see what I thought about it.

This adult orientated cartoon, Big Mouth is about two friends Nick, voiced by Nick Kroll, and Andrew, voiced by John Mulaney. Andrew is currently going through puberty and basically being controlled by the Hormone Monster, also voiced by Nick Kroll. While Andrew is going through this wild and crazy ride called puberty, Nick is basically sitting on the sidelines because his Hormone Monster hasn’t come to him yet to help him along on his journey. Both boys will experience the ups and downs of falling in and out of love in their school setting with the rest of their friends who are also experiencing the same thing as they are.

If anyone has ever watched BoJack Horseman or F is for Family, you know that the Netflix adult orientated cartoons push the limits a little, but this show just blows them away. This is really for adults only, even though it’s about teenagers going through puberty. Seriously, if you have kids do not let them watch this. Moving on though, even with its adult orientated theme it’s hard not to laugh out loud during an episode. I don’t know why, but I think if this was in regular movie form and not a cartoon I wouldn’t be so blasé about it. I would probably tell you that it was overly crude and way over the top, but I think that because it’s a cartoon it’s ok for it to be like that and is actually really funny. I enjoyed watching Nick and Andrew go through the normal stuff that teenagers go through as well as seeing their friends go through the same thing. It was just a funny show that adults can basically relate to because we’ve all been through that stage once in our lives.

The cast really brings this show together because they are just extremely funny. Not only do you have Nick Kroll and John Mulaney, but you also have other talented actors that play a variety of parts including Fred Armisen, Jessie Klein, Jason Mantzoukas, Jordan Peele, Maya Rudolph, Jenny Slate, and the list continues. Working together they just click and make the characters that they play that much more funny. The cast really takes this show and makes it as funny as it is, without them it would be this weird little cartoon.

Overall I give season one a 4 out of 5.

If you want a show that you can just binge watch in an afternoon and laugh at stupid jokes, then this is the show for you. It’s way over the top and I can’t stress enough how adult orientated it is, but it works. Like I said before mostly because this is a cartoon so it can get away with a lot more than what a live-action show can. If you’re on the fence about this show, I would say to watch at least one episode, if you don’t like it you can always shut it off halfway, but like me you might also be sucked into watching the rest of the season. Just remember to keep this one away from the kiddies.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles – Season 1 Review

I’ve been wanting to see this series for a while. I totally missed it when it was on TV for some reason and never got the chance to see it. Not being able to find it where I wanted to find it, like on Netflix, I went in search of the DVD’s. Who knew that this complete series would cost as much as it does which is over the $50 mark. Giving up all hope that I would ever see this series, I finally found the complete series for a surprising $19.99 and scooped it up. It took me one whole weekend, but I binge watched the entire first season, which was only 9 episodes. Keep reading to see if the series was worth the wait.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles revolves around Sarah Connor, played by Lena Headey, as she tries to protect her son John, played by Thomas Dekker, who is being hunted by machines sent from the future who are trying to kill him. Why are they trying to kill him? Because in the future, when the world goes to shit and is basically run by these machines, it’s John who leads the resistance. In order for the humans to win, John has to survive. Sarah can’t do this on her own though because she’s only one woman and future John knows this so he sends back in time a friendly machine, Cameron, played by Summer Glau, who he trusts in order to help his mother keep him safe and maybe even stop the uprising of the machines and the evil Skynet.

I really enjoyed the first season and couldn’t get enough of it as both Sarah and Cameron try to save John every episode while trying to stop Skynet and trying to live a somewhat normal life. As normal as you can get for someone living on the run. You’ll get a look into what Sarah has gone through and see why as a mother she’s so determined to help John. I have to say though that I watched the Terminator movies, the original ones, a long long time ago, like when I was really young and haven’t watched them since so at times the show was a little confusing since it does play off of the movie a little bit, or so I’m told. Other than that though, the story is pretty easy to follow, has a bunch of action and adventure, and even some funny parts thrown in there for the hell of it. The end of the season though did get a bit confusing, which was kind of a downer.

Time travel and the Space Time Continuum. According to Einstein, time is nothing but an illusion. Now while I can go into the what the Space Time Continuum is and all of this other stuff, you didn’t come here for that, you came here for a review of the first season of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Here’s the thing though, the show relies heavily on all of this stuff because, MINOR SPOILER,future John sends his father back in time to impregnate his mother. This is where things get a little confusing for the show. As much as I try to roll along with it and be like, “Ok, what’s next,” it’s really hard to. I don’t know if this happened for anyone else watching, but if it did let me know in the comments section below.

The cast of characters for this show works really well together and it’s one of the things that makes this show work. On a lot of shows it’s how the cast interacts with each other that can make or break a show. This is one of those shows where the cast really makes the show and it was casted to perfection. If anyone else had been used, I don’t think it would have been the same show. Thomas Dekker plays a great rebellious teenager who just wants to live a normal life while Lena Heady plays the overprotective mother who is trying to keep her son safe so that he can be the big hero he is in the future. Summer Glau plays the perfect robot trying to act like a human as she tries to learn different things and not kill everything in sight. The cast works great together and it really shows.

Overall I give this season a 4 out of 5.

I really enjoyed watching this show all the way up to the end with the introduction of a new character that made things extremely confusing. The story line at the end just threw me for a loop and I really couldn’t get over it. Other than that it’s a really great show, but I will say that if you’re planning on watching if you should probably have some knowledge of the whole Terminator universe or you’ll be completely lost. If you’re not interested in Terminator or never liked Terminator, I would say that you would want to skip this one. If you’re a mega fan of Terminator, this is a show that can’t be missed.

Penny Dreadful Season 3 Review

There are some pretty big spoilers coming up from season 2, so if you didn’t watch season 2 I would suggest not reading this blog.

As much as I’ve grown to love this show, knowing that this was the final season was a little hard to believe. It felt like there were so many more stories to tell and more things to explore, but I guess all good things must come to an end and the producers felt like this was a good time to end the show. Keep reading to see if I was pleased with the final season of this show.

Picking up right where last season had left off, Ethan left Vanessa basically breaking not only her heart but her soul. This can be seen in the final episode of last season as she pulls her cross down from her wall and tosses it into the fire. Lilly and Dorian are leading their weird immortal life and Sir Malcom has gone back to Africa to give a proper burial to Sembene. Dr. Frankenstein is barely living his life as a morphine addict as he tries to come to terms with the fact that Lilly will never love him, while John Claire has recovered some of his memory and is looking for the family he lost. Not wanting to see Vanessa the way she is, broken and alone, Mr. Lyle recommends her to see a therapist. Her therapist turns out to be no other than Patti LuPone, who isn’t Vanessa’s mentor from season 2, but an ancestor who looks exactly like Vanessa’s friend. With the help of the good doctor, Vanessa will try to mend herself only to find out that she’s being hunted by Dracula again as the battle over her soul has never really ended. Ethan on the hand will be taken off to America to pay for his crimes when his father intervenes and Sir Malcom is also convinced to journey to America in order to find Ethan and lead him on the right path. Lilly and Dorian will gather up a group of women, the used and abused prostitutes of London, and turn them into killing machines as they take back from the men that broke them. Dr. Frankenstein on the other hand will work with his old college buddy Dr. Jekyll as he tries to find the perfect serum to make Lilly love him again. Having recovered his memory, John Claire will be on the search for his family and for the love that he so desperately seeks.

Another Strong Vanessa-centic Episode These have become a staple of sorts for this series as it delves into Vanessa’s psyche and tells you more about her. This time she’s hypnotized by her therapist in order to relive a time when she was in the mental hospital. This was when Dracula and the Devil himself both approached her each one wanting her for different reasons. It also shows the kindness of a certain someone before he became who he was.

I really enjoyed this last season, but it did feel a little rushed as everyone’s story line was wrapped up into a nice and not so nice package. While I wasn’t expecting happy endings for everyone, there were some things I expected but didn’t see happen. While this was a little disappointing it wasn’t hard to understand why things had to be done the way they were. I really do believe though that out of all of the seasons this was the weakest and could have done with at least another 3-4 episodes in order for it to not feel as rushed as it was. Other than that I thought it was a decent ending to a show that had me on the edge of my seat most of the time while watching.

Once again the cast works together amazingly and this was one of the best part of the series. Patti LuPone becoming a main character this time around instead of just a guest appearance just felt right and by the end of the show it felt like she belonged with the rest of the company. I have to say that throughout the series the acting was consistent and it really made the show. Without the extraordinary cast, this should wouldn’t have been as good as it was.

Overall I give this season a 4 out of 5.

While this was a good season and a decent way to send off the show, it just felt a little rushed. Knowing that everyone’s story had to be tidied up into a nice little package made them concentrate on some characters less and let other characters story just drag on for way too long. This was the only down point of the series and while I didn’t like how the main plot of the show end, I understand why it had to end that way and I can respect that. Overall this was the most tamest of the three seasons for this show and that was surprising, but it also shows that the whole series didn’t need to go overboard with the nudity and sex scenes would have still been good. If you watched the first two seasons, this one can’t be missed as you just have to see how it ends. If you haven’t watched any of the other seasons, why the hell are you reading this blog in the first place! Anyway, overall I was really pleased with this show overall and would definitely give it my recommendation.

Penny Dreadful Season 2 Review

There are some pretty big spoilers coming up from season 1, so if you didn’t watch season 1 I would suggest not reading this blog.

After the events of the first season, it was hard to not start the next season of this show. Eager to see how things would tie together since the first season wrapped up it’s story but then ended on somewhat of a cliff hanger, it made me wonder what this season’s mystery would be and how this group of people would handle whatever was thrown their way.

Picking up where season 1 left off, Ethan wants to flee London after turning into a werewolf and basically ripping apart the little inn, if you could call it that, that he was living in. After the death of Brona he basically has nothing to lose anymore and wants to get out of dodge. He’ll pay one last visit to Vanessa who went through hell last season as her faith was challenged. During this visit they’ll be attacked by this group of witches who work for the devil. They want Vanessa and will stop at nothing to have her. This will propel the events of this season as it’s another fight for Vanessa’s soul as the witches will stop at nothing to bring the devil what he desires most. During this time, Dr. Frankenstein will bring back Brona from the dead and turn her into Lilly. Her sole purpose is as a mate for his first creation, now going by the name of John Clare. Things won’t work out all that well for John and Lilly as the doctor finds himself falling for her, which is weird because he pushes her off as his cousin from the country. Ew. Moving on, Sir Malcom comes into play as a tool this season as the witches see that he’s the only way that they can actually get to Vanessa. They had tried in the past to get to her, but know that she’s vulnerable when it comes to Sir Malcom because of the bond they share. You’ll see more of Dorian this season and see what makes him immortal. While the main story never focuses on Dorian, he still plays an important role and you’ll find out why by the end of the season.

Vanessa Only Episodes I’m really enjoying these episodes that are thrown into each season that concentrate on only Vanessa. She’s a complicated character and is deserving of an episode that delves into her past showing the viewers what made her the way she is and why she is the way she is. These are some of my favorite episodes of each season and this season had a spectacular episode that guest stared Patti LuPone. These episodes have another purpose though that are referenced later on in the season and this episode was a very powerful one that had strong performances from both Eva Green and Patti LuPone.

I really enjoyed this season as it brought Vanessa and Ethan closer together. Even though they’re being hunted, they try to live this semi-normal life and realize that they can’t. Vanessa longs for the normal as she’s been not so normal for her whole life. She knows this can’t be and Ethan hides the secret of being a werewolf from her for most of the season. They’re both dark characters and you really root for them to somehow overcome everything that’s happening to them and be together. I found their relationship and their stories to be the most interesting this season where the other stories were interesting, but not as interesting as these two. Although I have to say that I enjoyed the way that Vanessa and John Clare found each other and interacted with each other through the season. John never seems to get what he wants, but he finds compassion and friendship in Vanessa who doesn’t care that he isn’t normal…or alive. Saying all of that, I have to say that the whole Dr. Frankenstein thing is becoming a little boring now. His naïve ways were once intriguing but have become stale this season and although Dorian is also intriguing, the oh-so charming way of him also become stale. Everyone knows that at this point Dorian moves from person to person, but this time you think that he’s finally found someone when he meets Angelique, a transgender prostitute. The story is a sweet one until it ends.

This cast basically made the show in season 1 and that continues onto season 2. These actors/actress’s really know how to interact with each other and make their relationships with each other seem believable. If the cast was different this show wouldn’t work and it seems like they had the perfect cast as each character is played to perfection. This only enhances the already dynamic show.

Overall I give this season a 5 out of 5.

Once again another stellar season from this show that ends the current story, but also introduces and sets up the next and final season. I’m kind of upset that there’s only 3 seasons to this show, but even now only having only watched 2 I can see why it had to end. Anyway, if you enjoyed season 1 then I would highly recommend watching this season. Why wouldn’t you? You’re probably already hooked anyway. If you’re not sure about continuing with another season, I would say to go for it. The story this season is intriguing and you’ll find it hard to stop watching episode after episode. I do have to say though that once again this is a show that was on Showtime so be prepared for some episodes that are overly gratuitous with the sex scenes. I have to say that I find this as the show’s only downfall because it really doesn’t need it, but that’s what happens with cable shows. Anyway, I really look forward to the third and final season of this show.

Friends from College Season 1 Review

To tell you the truth, I had seen some of the previews for this show and really thought about passing it up. I wasn’t a huge fan of most of the actors in it or the premise, probably because I couldn’t relate, but apparently my mind was changed. I have no idea why, no that’s a lie. I do know why and it’s because I really wanted to see Cobie Smulders in a new role since playing Robin on How I Met Your Mother. Anyway, there weren’t a lot of episodes so this called for a binge watch.

The first 8 episodes of this show introduce you to six people who have been friends from college which was 20 years ago when they were in Harvard. You’ll be introduced to Lisa and Ethan Turner, played by Cobie Smulders and Keegan Michael-Key, who have been married since shortly after college. They’re on their way back to New York where the rest of their “friend group” currently lives. While there, neither of them have jobs so they’ll be living on their friend Marianne’s, played by Jae W. Suh, couch. Not much is told about Marianne other than she lives this bohemian life style because the main story focus’s on Ethan ad Lisa. Ethan has been having an affair with Sam, played by Annie Parisse, for the past 20 years. Sam is married and has kids with another guy and is quickly approaching the big 40. Ethan in the meantime will be trying to write his next novel only to find out that the best thing for him to write at the moment is something for teenagers where he could then sell the rights and have a movie made. He’ll get some help in this department from his friend Max, played by Fred Savage, who is basically his publisher. Meanwhile Lisa will be on the search for a job and a purpose as she tries to unsuccessfully conceive a child. During this time she’ll meet up with her ex Nick, played by Nat Faxon, who is also part of this whole friend group. Nick does nothing but pick up younger women because he’s a trust fund baby and basically doesn’t have to do a damn thing.

I found none of these characters to be relatable or even redeemable. They’re all pretty horrible people, maybe that’s what drew them to each other in the first place, and throughout the 8 episodes of this show it shows how horrible they are. Personally I don’t understand how these people are friends in the first place as they all seem to have nothing in common really other than the fact that they went to college together and are horrible people. They’ll lie to each other, treat each other like utter crap, and do things that aren’t acceptable, yet they somehow remain friends. This I can’t understand. Maybe because I don’t know people like this or never had this type of experience. I’m not sure a lot of people can say that they’ve been friends with someone for 20 years and have acted the way these characters act in the show. It just doesn’t seem real and this made the show less enjoyable.

This ensemble of a cast works OK together. They’re kind of mismatched and don’t seem like they would be the type of people that would be friends in the first place. This kind of shows as there are a lot of awkward moments and the show just seems off because of it. In their own right I’m sure a lot of these actors/actress’s are great, but together it just seems like they don’t work because there isn’t a lot of chemistry between them.

Overall I give this season a 2 out of 5.

Don’t get me wrong this show is genuinely funny at times, but those bursts don’t of funny don’t last throughout the season. There are parts during the season that are boring or just plain unrealistic making this show even harder to relate to. I really feel like this show had a huge missed opportunity because it could have been something good. Instead it was just a show of people who really can’t let go. College was 20 years ago. Sometimes it’s best to just move on and you aren’t always friends with people for that long because they change or whatever. Anyway, if you don’t mind watching people do horrible things to other people who are supposed to be their friends, feel free to watch. If you’re looking for something that you’re going to relate to then look somewhere else.

Penny Dreadful Season 1 Review

I decided to watch this show because it’s the summer and nothing good is ever on in the summer, plus I totally missed this show when it was actually on. At least this gave me the chance to binge watch it on Netflix. Keep reading to see what I thought about the first season of this show.

Penny Dreadful basically tells the origin stories of Frankenstein, Dracula, and Dorian Gray in a new and different light. Season one follows Vanessa, played by Eva Green, and Sir Malcom, played by Timothy Dalton, as they search for Mina, Sir Malcolm’s daughter. Having the psychic ability, Vanessa can sense that Mina is trapped between the living and dead world and has teamed up with Sir Malcom, a seasoned explorer, to find her. They’re going to need help though and that comes from cowboy Ethan Chandler, played by Josh Hartnett. Ethan has some deep dark secrets of his own just like the rest of this crew of misfits. There’s also Dr. Victor Frankenstein, played by Harry Treadaway, to level out the group and perform anything scientific that needs to be done. Each character has their own motivations this season and their own reasons for being part of this little company. Will they find Mina? What will happen when they do? All of that plus more is revealed throughout the season.

I have to admit that after the first two episodes I was going to give up on this show because they made me think “what the fuck did I just watch.” I told myself to watch one more episode of this show before giving up and lucky I did because I was hooked. The story throughout the season develops deeper with each episode and has different twists and turns that make you want to keep watching. I really enjoyed the different telling of stories that have been told before in the past. Everyone knows Frankenstein’s story, but not like the one that Penny Dreadful tells. It’s hard not to get sucked into wanting to know more about each and every character because they’re well developed flawed characters that make you want to dig deeper. This season basically concentrates on Vanessa and Sir Malcom most of the time with their complicated relationship, but you also get an inside look at Dr. Frankenstein and his first monster. There’s also the mystery of Dorian Gray that gets little attention this season along with a whole bunch of mystery surrounding Ethan. The season wraps itself up nicely and sets up the stage for the second season by answering the questions that season one asks before presenting new ones.

How Amazing is Eva Green? Simple answer. Pretty damn amazing. I first seen her in the movie Cracks and then later on in 300: Rise of an Empire. Each character that she plays, including the one in Penny Dreadful is unique and different and she owns each and everyone of those roles. Her strong point is playing those bat shit crazy characters and she plays them to perfection.

Even though Eva Green stands out as the star of this show, it is an ensemble show and it wouldn’t work if these actors didn’t have chemistry. These actors were picked out perfectly and play each role perfectly that it just makes the show work. Each actor works off of each other and it shows on screen making the show work.

Overall I give this season a 5 out of 5.

This show is simply amazing. It’s intelligent and intriguing all at the same time that you don’t want to stop watching. Saying that, I will say that there are a lot of WTF moments that will make you question why you’re watching the show to begin with as well as a lot of gratuitous sex and nude scenes that are a bit much at times. Remember this was on Showtime. That’s not an excuse, but it’s the truth. Cable channels thrive off of that type of thing. If you can handle that then I would say that this is a show that shouldn’t be missed. If you’re sensitive to that type of thing and want to stay away from the weird I would say to give this show a pass and watch something a little more tame.

GLOW: Season 1 Review

Not only do I game, watch a lot of movies, read a good book from time to time, but I also watch a hell of a lot of TV. While it’s really difficult for me to write a review on every single show that I watch, I really don’t have the time to be honest, I figured I could write a review on shows that I’ve binge watched since they’re fresh in my head. Let’s start with something that I binged watched in a day. Yes one whole day dedicated to one show and that show was GLOW.

Taking place in the 80’s, GLOW revolves around the creation of a new wrestling show. It’s not about the men this time and instead it’s about the ladies, to be specific it’s about the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling. Anyway, in season one’s first ten episodes you’ll follow the main character Ruth, played by Alison Brie, who is an out of work actress because she basically can’t find what she’s looking for in Hollywood. This is a time when all the good parts are given to men and women are still the secretaries. Anyway, she’ll show up to an audition with a bunch of other misfits and social outcasts in order to form GLOW. What she doesn’t expect is that her former best friend, former because she did something that she shouldn’t have, Debbie, played by Betty Gilpin, will also be a part of this. Not only will Ruth struggle to prove herself, but she’ll also struggle to repair her relationship with Debbie. Throughout all of this, struggling B movie film director Sam Sylvia, played by Marc Maron, will try to reclaim his former glory as he tries to produce this new show.

The start to this show and the season starts off completely slow and really doesn’t pick up until the end. I think that if I didn’t binge watch it, then I would have probably given up on it around the 3rd or 4th episode. I at times found myself scrolling through my phone every now and again during an episode and realized that I didn’t miss anything at all when I looked up again. I like the plot of the show, I just think that it had way too much build up to the final pivotal ending which basically says now you have to watch next season. If the show didn’t end like that and picked up the pace a little bit more I would have watched the second season without feeling obligated to do so because now I have to see what happens.

While it’s obvious who the main characters are, this is still an ensemble show like Orange is the New Black. It doesn’t work without the other ladies and I would have like to see more of their stories instead of the show going back and forth between Ruth and Debbie. While some stuff was shown on the other women, it wasn’t enough to make them count. I wanted to see their back stories and I wanted to see why they had decided to come to the audition for GLOW. I didn’t get that and it was kind of a mistake because the show doesn’t work without them. I hope for season two, they get more into why the other ladies are there and show some backstory on them instead of hoping on the Ruth and Debbie going from friends to enemies to frenemies and then to friends again train.

I thought the overall acting for this show and this season was overall just eh. There was no one who really stood out and made me say “Ooo this is my new favorite character.” There was no one to relate to and really no one to root for. While this show has some familiar faces and voices, everyone is basically new and it kind of shows. While this isn’t a bad thing, not all shows have to have these huge stars in them, I just hope that they can improve in the upcoming seasons. Just because the show is kind of campy, doesn’t mean the acting has to be too.

Overall I give this season of GLOW a 3 out of 5.

This show definitely isn’t for everyone and will only attract a certain type of audience. If you’re a wrestling fan, you’ll probably want to take a look at this show especially if you watched the original GLOW, which was an actual thing that I totally used to watch when I was really really young. If you’re looking for an Orange is the New Black type of feel to this show since it’s been toted that it’s from the same creators then you’ll be sadly disappointed. I would say that if you’re willing to watch a show that has no real direction until just about the end and you don’t mind having to wait for another season to actually see the story advance then take a chance on this show. If you’re one of those people who get easily bored and don’t plan on binge watching, I would say to give this one a pass since at times it can be extremely slow and boring.