Movie Review: Enola Holmes 3 (2026)

Enola Holmes 3 (2026) directed by Philip Barantini, based on the novel series by Nancy Springer

Enola Holmes (Millie Bobbie Brown) is finally getting married to her sweetheart Lord Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge) though the wedding is interrupted by the kidnapping of her brother Sherlock (Henry Cavill). He was a bit aloof about the marriage to begin with, a feeling Enola seems to share since she was late getting to the ceremony. The marriage is happening on Malta since Tewkesbury's parents were married there. The situation gets more complicated with murders, fires, and another kidnapping. The adventure moves all over Malta, from dusty highways to city streets to rugged coastlines. 

While the first two films were very charming, the formula is running a bit thin. The plot is not tight enough to sustain the mystery (I guessed a lot of twists long before Enola deduced them) or the romance. The film shifts back and forth between the love story and the investigation, not quite syncing up as nicely as they did in the previous films. As an example, Enola and Tewkesbury go off on a romantic evening, dropping the investigation for a midnight swim. It doesn't seem realistic even in the film's own world. Brown is charming as usual but the story doesn't give her enough to really shine. The marriage ceremony at the end is especially clunky in its execution. 

Barely recommended--the others were so fun, they make this look bland by comparison.

As I publish this (July 2026), it's only available on Netflix.

TV Review: The Burroughs (2026)

The Buroughs (2026) created for television by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, executive produced by the Duffer Brothers

Recently widowed Sam (Alfred Molina) moves into The Buroughs, a retirement community chosen by his wife for their twilight years. All their money is sunk into it, so he can't refuse to stay though he is very unhappy there. He initially rebuffs his neighbors but is convinced to try being friendly rather than lonely. His cul-de-sac has a bunch of eccentrics that he meets at a barbecue hosted by his neighbor Jack (Bill Pullman). Sam starts to blend in but the situation gets worse when he goes to Jack's house one night and discovers a monster feeding on Jack. Sam manages to chase the monster away but Jack dies from the injury. Sam's first reaction is doubt, especially since he keeps having visions and nightmares of his deceased wife. Is he mentally unwell or are monsters really creeping around all over the place?

The show follows a familiar story arc for Sam as he tries to sort things out, both with the threat and with his new friends and with his supportive daughter Clair (Jena Malone). The stellar cast includes Alfre Woodard and Geena Davis as neighbors. They all do a great job. The creepy town has all the amenities you'd expect (like the Mexican restaurant, pickleball, and fancy golf carts to get around) and has that menacingly far-too-innocent vibe about it. Not much of it feels original but the blend is nice and Sam is a very sympathetic character played masterfully by Molina.

Mildly recommended--I enjoyed watching this but probably won't watch it again unless some friends or family want to watch it together.

TV Review: Legends (2026)

Legends (2026) created by Neil Forsyth based on The Betrayer: How An Undercover Unit Infiltrated The Global Drug Trade by Guy Stanton and Peter Walsh

In the early 1990s, Margaret Thatcher's government wanted to step up drug enforcement, especially with the deaths of two young people that played prominently in news coverage. The job falls to Customs House, which keeps an eye on stuff and people coming into the United Kingdom. Specifically, the project is given to Don (Steve Coogan), a higher up who has had experience going undercover to expose criminal operations. His first problem is that no one in Customs has any training in undercover work. He puts out an internal advert and has to whittle down interested employees (who know no details about what they will be doing). He winds up with four agents. Guy (Tom Burke) is a family man who is bored with his regular job but doesn't want to endanger his family. He works alone, infiltrating a Turkish crime family bringing in heroin. Kate (Hayley Squires) and Bailey (Aml Ameen) work together to infiltrate the Liverpool distribution system. Erin (Jamine Blackborow) works behind the scenes supporting their cover stories (called "Legends" by Don) and tracking down license plates, companies, people, and any other information needed. The system is volatile since the field workers quite often make it up as they go along, leading to a lot of harrowing situations.

The show moves at a brisk pace but it also keeps things grounded and the characters' problems (professional and personal) in focus. The cast is very good, portraying bravado and vulnerability. Some bits at the end are "big speeches" about themselves and the importance of their work. By that point in the story, they feel justified. The complications that arise make for exciting drama. The show is very satisfying.

Highly recommended.

As I write this (June 2026), this is only available streaming from Netflix.

TV Review: Stranger Things: Tales from '85 Season 1

Stranger Things: Tales from '85 Season 1 created by Jennifer Muro and Eric Robles based on the series created by the Duffer Brothers

Set between the second and third seasons of Stranger Things, the story here introduces a new kid, Nikki (voiced by Odessa A'zion), who joins up with Eleven (voiced by Brooklyn Davey Norstedt) and her friends. Nikki's mom is a substitute teaching science at Hawkins Middle School while the regular teacher is on a short sabbatical. What isn't on sabbatical is a group of new terrors from the Upside Down who didn't get eliminated in the sealing of the rift. As the baddies attack various kids, Eleven and the gang fight them. Nikki witnesses one fight and joins up, since she's a misfit too. She's a tinkerer and has a garage full of inventions that happen to be helpful in fighting the monsters of Hawkins. But can she survive the meta-problem of being a character not in the regular continuity?

The show is animated which has strengths and weaknesses. The entire cast is replaced visually with drawings. None of the original actors have returned to reprise their roles, which is a bit jarring. The creature effects work well. The script is okay. It introduces new people and monsters and features a twist or two to keep the suspense going amidst the action. But it can't really change anything big or introduce anything really new without breaking the larger narrative it's nested into. I mostly enjoyed the show but wasn't wowed. They write the characters like they are in the live action show  but there's nothing amazing or breath-taking. 

Mildly recommended--you definitely need to see the show before watching but it's not as good as the show. I may watch Season 2 when it comes out, but it won't be a priority.

As I publish this (May 2026), this is only available streaming on Netflix.

TV Review: Untamed (2025)

Untamed (2025) created by Elle and Mark L. Smith

A young woman falls off of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, almost taking out two mountain climbers coming up the face. National Park rangers show up to investigate, including the Investigative Services Branch Agent Kyle Turner (Eric Bana). He's a bit of a prima dona and is clearly very competent but not very popular with the regular rangers. For help (and to keep tabs on Turner), he's assigned the relatively new Ranger Naya Vasquez (Lily Santiago), who came over from the Los Angeles police department. They have an uneasy but growing professional relationship as they work to discover who the girl is and why she ran off the cliff edge. The investigation involves an odd assortment of park employees and residents (including a hippie compound hiding out inside the park) and a lot of painful history for Turner. His young son died six years ago in the park under horrible circumstances, an event that did a lot of damage to him.

The story begins with interesting mystery and good character development. The cinematography is beautiful and the unfolding of the mystery is handled well if slowly. Turner's backstory is very moving and Bana gives a great performance that buoys up the slower moments of the show. Unfortunately, a lot of the elements become very familiar and the last two episodes of the six-episode arc look more like a soap opera than a mystery thriller. I was losing interest fast but they managed to finish out before I lost patience.

Barely recommended--watch for the scenery and the good acting.

Currently (March 2026) this is only streaming on Netflix.

TV Review: Death by Lightning (2025)

Death by Lightning (2025) created for television by Mike Makowsky based on Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard

James Garfield is one of the lesser-known Presidents of the United States. His nomination at the 1880 Republican Convention was a surprise to everyone, including himself. He eventually ran on a platform of civic reform (plenty of corruption in government to deal with) and minority rights (the American Civil War was still in living memory along with a lot of cultural assumptions from that period and before). Amazingly, he won the election but only served several months, being assassinated by Charles Guiteau, a mentally unwell admirer of Garfield who clearly changed his attitude about the man.

This story is told starting with the convention and with Guiteau's seedy background, leaving one con job after another. Guiteau (Matthew Macfadyen) winds up in Chicago at his sister's home where he tries some more schemes but gets swept up in the excitement of the presidential nomination and campaign. He tries to ingratiate himself with Garfield (Michael Shannon), with Garfield's running mate Chester Arthur (Nick Offerman), with his political advisor Blaine (Bradley Whitford), and assorted other people. Nobody takes Guiteau on, though he manages to build a slight relationship with Arthur. Arthur is a bit of a problem. He's the pal of corrupt New York Senator Conkling (Shea Whigham), a wheeler-dealer who wanted U.S. Grant to stay in office. Arthur's candidacy was a compromise deal to get support from New York and its political machine without getting Conkling on board the Garfield presidential campaign. Arthur's loyalty wavers since he's more a civil servant than a politician. Trouble brews for everyone as Garfield starts his administration hoping to weed out corruption (including a lot of what Conkling does) and Guiteau persistently tries to join the new administration.

The story is a fairly straightforward conflict of good and evil in 1880s politics. The dynamic character is Arthur, who has an outsized presence in what seems like it should just be about Garfield and Guiteau. The performances, especially by Macfadyen, are very good and give viewers a sense of the personalities involved. Whigham's Conkling is a bit of a mustache-twirler with no redeeming values. The other character have more depth. The resulting tragedy from the conflicts has some irony as it acknowledges that Garfield and Guiteau will be forgotten by history. 

This is the sort of production that makes me want to find out more. Fictionalized history always leaves out bits and oversimplifies things, making me curious for the whole truth. I might get the book from the library.

Recommended.

TV Review: Agatha Christie's Seven Dials (2026)

Agatha Christie's Seven Dials (2026) adapted for television by Chris Chibnall from Christie's novel

Hosting a swanky party at their dilapidating mansion in 1925, Lady Caterham (Helena Bonham-Carter) and her daughter Bundle (Mia McKenna-Bruce) wake up the next morning to discover one of the guests has died. Not just any guest, either, but Gerry (Cory Mylchreest), a bright young fellow working the Foreign Office and soon to propose to Bundle. Circumstances make it look like suicide to the bumbling junior detective called in. Bundle, who is clever and likes to ask questions, does not buy that interpretation and begins her own investigation. The clues are very mysterious, like the seven alarm clocks set up on the mantle in Gerry's bedroom (even though eight were planted throughout the room as a practical joke) and a mysterious half-written letter to his half-sister that mentions "Seven Dials" with no context. As Bundle follows the trail of clues and bodies, a grander conspiracy is exposed.

The story starts off very promising. Bundle is the sort of spunky young woman most parents hope their daughter grows into--she has enough self-will not to get steamrolled by anyone and she's smart enough not to be hoodwinked. Random clues are revealed and suspicion gets tossed around in the typical Christie way. Unfortunately, in the last half hour the explanation of what is going on comes and it is rather preposterous. The bigger conspiracy does not quite hang together and many bits of action at the end are very implausible. The story veers off from cozy mystery into international espionage, a transition that is very abrupt. The ending is a bit silly and opens up the possibility of sequels more in Ian Fleming's genre than Agatha Christie's.

Barely recommended--this is eight- or nine-tenths good, but failing at the end hurts a lot.

As I write this (January 2025), this is only available streaming on Netflix.

TV Review: Stranger Things Season 5 (2025)

Stranger Things Season 5 (2025) created by the Duffer Brothers

With the town of Hawkins under a military lock-down, all the factions are trying to accomplish something. The heroes are trying to hunt down Vecna in the Upsidedown, using technology and grit, even though Vecna supposedly was destroyed at the end of the last season. The military are looking for Eleven (Mille Bobbie Brown), who is trying to lay low but also participate in the hunt for Vecna. The Upsidedown baddies (maybe led be Vecna?) kidnap a seemingly random citizen of Hawkins, which brings on the confusion and shifting priorities for the good guys. Mayhem ensues from there.

The final season is exciting and pulls most everything together for a big blow-out ending. Some of the character bits feel too drawn out (like the "coming out of the closet" scene) but most are right on target. The action is fun and, for the most part, well thought out. Everyone gets a moment of heroism and their narratives end in satisfying ways. It's a good ending to the show which felt a little wobbly in the last season.

Recommended.

As I write this (January 2025), this is only available streaming on Netflix.

Movie Review: Wake Up Dead Man (2025)

Wake Up Dead Man (2025) written and directed by Rian Johnson

Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is called into the remote town in upstate New York. The pastor, Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin), has been killed during Good Friday Mass, seemingly in an impossible way. He was in a side room off the church sanctuary and was stabbed in the back with a demon-headed knife. But no one was in the room, which has three cement walls. Suspicion falls on the new associate pastor, Father Jud Duplenticy (Josh O'Connor), whose pastoral style is a sharp contrast to Wicks. Wicks likes to preach Hell and brimstone, mostly to send new parishioners away in disgust. He has a core set of followers who stay at the parish despite his acerbic style. Nine months earlier, Fr. Jud's arrival is an opportunity to shake things up but he makes no progress, in spite of his clearly authentic desire to heal wounds and divisions rather than create them. Fr. Jud knows he's innocent and initially cooperates with Blanc's investigation, despite Blanc's irrational disregard and disdain of religion. Blanc is only interested in solving the unsolvable mystery of the crime. A lot of skeletons come out of a lot of closets as the investigation proceeds.

Solving the mystery involves a lot of red herrings and some implausible moments, but is overall satisfactory. It's certainly not the ridiculous plot of the previous film. Johnson still has some ideological axe-grinding in this film but it's kept to a minimum and is balanced by other elements. Wicks is about as Christian as the warden in Shawshank Redemption, which is to say only on the surface. He's a selfish and manipulative man, something his parishioners come to realize in a key scene, thus making them likely suspects. By contrast, Father Jud is a broken man trying to find redemption through the priesthood by ministering to others in their need. He still lapses back into fighting but wants to leave that behind. He's genuinely Catholic, something that Blanc indirectly acknowledges by the end, leading to a very satisfying resolution that is more about redemption than about solving the unsolvable. 

The actors do a great job in their roles. Craig is enjoyable as always. O'Connor does a great job presenting a very complicated character who is the real center of the story. The rest of the cast deliver on their characters, even when some are a bit underwritten even though they become critical to resolving the mystery. 

The movie also has a nice sense of humor. The plot leans heavily on the works of mystery authors like John Dickson Carr (the master of the "locked room" murder) and Agatha Christie, a fact acknowledge in the narrative. It also pokes fun at itself, mentioning that a movie about the situation would turn the characters into superficial versions of themselves on a Netflix version of the story (where the movie is available!). 

Recommended.

As I publish this (December 2025), this is only available streaming on Netflix.

TV Review: A Man on the Inside Season 2 (2025)

A Man on the Inside Season 2 (2025) created by Michael Shur based on the Chilean documentary The Mole Agent

Charles (Ted Danson) is still working at Julie's (Lilah Richcreek Estrada) detective agency but they are doing the bread-and-butter jobs 0f private investigation--busting suspected cheating spouses. Charles wants something more substantial than following sleazy guys around. A job falls in their laps--Wheeler College is about to honor one of their graduates, but only to get a $400 million-dollar donation from him. Brad Vinick (Gary Cole) is an egotistical corporate sleazeball about to get his portrait in the gallery of great graduates from the college. College President Jack Beringer (Max Greenfield) gets an anonymous threat and his laptop is stolen. Anonymous threatens to reveal secrets unless the college refuses to give Vinick honors and take his money. Julie's agency is hired to find the laptop and who the anonymous person is. Charles pretends to be a visiting professor of engineering at the school, trying to sus out who among the faculty might be blackmailing the president.

The story spins out from there, ranging through a lot of suspects and a lot of personal dramas. Charles immediately falls romantically for Mona (Mary Steenburgen), a music professor who is a kooky free spirit and instantly off Charles's list of suspects (but not off Julie's). Pompous English professor Doctor Benjamin Cole (David Strathairn) despises Charles so naturally he's Charles's top suspect. Plenty of other characters are possible suspects too. If that's not enough, Charles goes back to the retirement home community for help, along with his daughter and their family. A lot of narrative strands are played out with most of them getting resolved sooner or later. The writers care maybe even more about the characters than the mystery.

I found the show enjoyable but not as tightly realized as the first season. The resolution of the mystery is not quite credible but the focus is more on comedy and personal situations. Quite a few in-jokes and easter eggs are thrown into the show too. I laughed plenty each episode and appreciated the occasional insightful commentaries on human relations.

Mildly recommended--this is a fine sequel but not as good as the first season.

As I write (December 2025), this is only available on Netflix. 

Movie Review: Shinkansen daibakuha (2025)

Shinkansen daibakuha (2025) directed by Shinji Higuchi

Provocatively called "Bullet Train Explosion" in English, Shinkansen daibakuha tells the story of a bullet train in Japan that has a few bombs planted on it, with the terrorists responsible demanding 100 billion yen (about 640 million American dollars). Also, if the train goes below 100 km/h the bombs will explode. While the Japanese government and the the Japanese Railway company dither about the situation, the employees on the train, including two conductors and the engineer, try to keep themselves and everyone else calm. The task is not easy since a large school group is on the train, along with a disgraced politician (who could spin some positive buzz out of the situation if she can get past the disdain of her fellow travellers), an eccentric online celebrity (who interferes a lot, in addition to posting live feeds from the train), and a former killer (who gets a lot suspicious looks from fellow passengers). 

The movie plays out a lot of different angles. The government is shown as ineffective in deciding what to do in the situation (this is the same director as Shin Godzilla, after all). The railway company tries a bunch of different plans to get people off the runaway train, adding dramatic action moments. The people on the train try to investigate who might be part of the blackmailers--several passengers seem suspicious. All of these elements work together nicely for the first half of the film. In the second half, as more detail of the blackmailers' situation is revealed, the movie gets less plausible in a distracting way. The movie is still fun but it is not as great as other similar flicks like Speed.

Mildly recommended.

As I write (December 2025), this is only available streaming on Netflix.

TV Review: Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (2023)

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (2023) created by BenDavid Grabinski based on the comics by Bryan Lee O'Malley

This animated version of Scott Pilgrim's life starts off like the movie and graphic novels, where he discovers the literal girl of his dreams Ramona at a party in his hometown of Toronto, Canada. Her seven evil exes mobilize to fight him before he can date her. In the first fight, Scott loses--a major plot twist in the very first episode and the exact opposite of what happens in the previous versions. The story then plays out as Ramona tries to figure out what happened. Their friend Young Neil mysteriously writes a screenplay for a Scott Pilgrim story where he beats all the evil exes, which goes into production and stars many of those evil exes. So at least they show up in Toronto and Ramona does not have to go far to interrogate them.

I was happy to see that this was not just another faithful adaptation into another format (i.e. a cash grab). The plot twists open up new possibilities, most of which work well, and are fun. The show has the same lighthearted tone and visual style. Toward the end I figured out what was going on before the characters did. The whole series is quite entertaining. All the cast from the movie came back to voice their characters and they do a great job. This is a labor of love and whimsy and will be very enjoyable for fans of the other Scott Pilgrim stuff.

Recommended, highly if you are a Scott Pilgrim fan.

As I write (November 2025), this is only available streaming on Netflix.

TV Review: Cassandra (2025)

Cassandra (2025) created for television by Benjamin Gutsche

A family moves in to a smart home built in the 1970s. The place is a bit run down but the son Fynn (Joshua Kantara) tinkers with the system and manages to get it back on line. Every room in the house has a monitor with a smiling female face. Also, a tall, slim, red robot has a TV for a head which also shows a seemingly benign Cassandra (Lavinia Wilson). It isn't long before the AI starts doing odd things, especially torturing Sam, the mom (Mina Tander), who is suffering from PTSD after her sister committed suicide in their previous home. Flashbacks show the original owners (and builders) of the house, a biomedical scientist (Franz Hartwig) and his manipulative and paranoid wife whose name is....Cassandra (yep, same actress). The horror drama builds out from there as pre-teen, modern-day daughter Juno (Mary Amber Oseremen Tolle) befriends the AI and father David (Michael Klammer) tries to keep things from getting blown out of proportion by the rest of the family.

The show does a good job slowly playing out the plot, revealing what happened in the 1970s and paralleling it with the present-day family's life. Some of the twists and horrors are a little far-fetched and hard to believe, even toward the end of the show. The series still has its moments of chill and is good at building cliffhangers for each episode. I'm not sure the premise of an evil-AI house holds up for six hours of narrative but this is a good effort.

Mildly recommended and not for the younger crowd. Also, this is a German production and I watched with Englis subtitles.

As I publish this (October 2025), this is only available streaming on Netflix.

TV Review: Wednesday Season 2 (2025)

Wednesday Season 2 (2025) created for television by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar based on characters created by Charles Addams

Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) returns to Nevermore Academy, a school for "outcasts" where she saved the day in the last season. Now she is a campus celebrity, a situation that does not sit well with her. She wants to develop her abilities, especially her psychic ones that helped her hunt down a serial killer over summer vacation. After an intense vision that included the death of her roommate Enid (Emma Myers), Wednesday loses her powers just as new murders start happening in Nevermore and the surrounding community of Jericho. If those were not enough problems, new Principal Dort (Steve Buscemi) finagles Wednesday's mom (Catherine Zeta-Jones) into organizing a fundraiser for the school. So mom is around to provide feedback and stress for young Wednesday. Also, her brother Pugsley (Isaac Ordonez) starts at Nevermore, creating more social and familial problems.

The show starts off a bit more gruesome than I wanted with Pugsley digging up a legendary corpse who is reanimated but very rotten physically. The gore scales back as the season progresses, more into what I was expecting. The plot moves along at a good pace, though I think it is probably impossible to guess where it is going since the mysterious reveals are pretty outlandish. Ortega and Myers make a good odd couple, especially when they get to play each other in a body-swap episode that is delightful. The acting in general covers the weaknesses in the plot or the wholesale borrowing from other horror classics like The Evil Dead II. It's an entertaining season that sets up the action for the next season.

Recommended if you are a fan of the previous season.

As I write (October 2025), this is only available streaming on Netflix. 

TV Review: Asterix & Obelix: The Big Fight (2025)

Asterix & Obelix: The Big Fight (2025) created by Alain Chabat based on the comics by Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo

This CGI-animated short series (5 episodes that are 30-40 minutes each) tells the tale of another attempt by Caesar's Romans to take over the last independent village in Gaul. The Romans haven't conquered it because the village druid, Panoramix, has invented a potion that temporarily gives the villagers superhuman strength. One villager, Obelix, fell into a pot of potion as a child and permanently has super-strength. He's a menhir merchant, selling large stones (like the ones at Stonehenge). The villagers are tough and regularly beat any legion that comes to conquer.

The Roman plan is two-fold. First, they kidnap Panoramix so the villagers won't have the potion. Second, they get one of the other Gaulish chiefs to challenge village chief Vitalstatistix. The Gauls have an ancient law that one chief can challenge another to combat and whoever is victorious becomes chief of both villages (the titular Big Fight). Without the potion, Vitalstatistix (a chubby little fellow) is sure to lose. Caesar himself comes from Rome to witness the ultimate triumph of the Romans.

The story is based on one of the original comics by Goscinny and Uderzo, but this version throws in a lot of other stuff. The flashback story of Obelix's accident is shown. The big fight at the end has the Romans building an arena and fun fair for the event, enabling them to make fun of sports commentators and Disneyland. The creators of the show throw in some new characters with punny names, like Tenmillionclix (whose name gets changed to Tenmillionviyus to be more Roman), Annabarbera, and Fastanefurius. The usual puns and comic interactions work really well with the animated style. This series captures the fun and entertaining spirit of the original comics.

The series was made in French and I watched with subtitles but there is an English-dubbed version. As I write (June 2025), this is only available streaming on Netflix.

Recommended, highly for Asterix fans.

TV Review: The Grimm Variations (2024)

The Grimm Variations (2024) based on the Grimm Fairy Tales

This anime retelling of various popular Grimm's Fairy Tales goes more for dramatic twists and reinterpretations of the characters. Each show opens with a water color-style segment with the Brothers Grimm talking to a younger sister about each tale and how the story might be different. This segues into the "Variations" which do provide a lot of variety of interpretation, especially the settings which are moved from medieval Europe to mostly Japan.

Cinderella--What if Cinderella was not the hero of her own story? Here, Kiyoko loves to play with dolls, including a special doll that she carries with her. She is very kind and defers to others, even when her father remarries a former geisha with two daughters who are a bit vulgar and a bit greedy. Kiyoko's kindness makes them look worse as she forgives them for any and every wrong they do or do not do to her. They suspect something is up. They claim Kiyoko doesn't tell the truth in some situations, though everybody from her father and step-mother to the household servants believe in Kiyoko. The episode builds a lot of suspense around whether Kiyoko is being manipulative or not--why would she kill them with kindness? It makes for an intriguing twist on the Cinderella story.

Little Red Riding Hood--In a VR dominated future, rich men have a "Wolf Club" where they hunt real women for the fun of the chase and the kill. Grey is an enthusiastic member who is especially sadistic and wants to have experiences of non-virtual reality. He sets up a hunt outside of the group in a rundown section of town, leading to bad consequences for him. The set-up of the episode has some gristly sexual violence that almost made me turn off the show. I stuck it out but it was not rewarding, just more wallowing in sadism. Skip this episode is my recommendation.

Hansel and Gretel--Hansel and Gretel are young students in a boarding school with a very set routine that they like to upset. They get in enough trouble to be sent outside the school grounds, into the woods. They discover a small cabin with fantastic decor inside and lots of sweet treats...and an old woman who gives mysterious advice. The story is quite different from the original in interesting ways while still holding to the theme of growing up and having to take care of yourself. It was a lot more interesting and restored my faith in watching the series.

The Elves and the Shoemaker--Writer N is having a rough time. He had a hit ten or twenty years ago but is struggling with a long bout of mediocrity. He drinks a bit and has a run-in with a young, red-headed girl who gives him some honest feedback about his latest work. She is interested in him doing well and wants him to improve the story. Recovering from his hangover the next morning, he finds a manuscript on his writing table in his handwriting. He doesn't remember writing it but sends it off to his publisher anyway. It turns into a big hit and revives his career. He has several more "morning surprises" that get published though he feels awkward about the situation. The story ends oddly, as if the filmmakers wanted the viewer to have that same disorientation that N has. I don't know quite what to think of it.

The Town Musicians of Bremen--Mad Dog is an ex-deputy who has a very strong sense of righteousness in a mildly-cyberpunk American Old West. She was fired because the sheriff is too complacent about criminal gangs, especially the Wade Brothers who are based in Bremen. Dog wanders the deserts, eventually picking up Donkey, a steel worker with a giant hammer, and Cat, a prostitute who wants more out of life. They wander around, winding up in Bremen where they stir up trouble with the Wades. This story made for an interesting blend of genres but Cat's excessively large breasts and a sudden surprising ability undercut an interesting, fanciful story. It's the epitome of anime's uncomfortable blend of female empowerment with female exploitation. 

Pied Piper of Hamelin--An isolated village is ruled over by Grand Code, a matriarch who keeps a tight control on everyone. Children go to school till at most 17, then they work in the fields or, in the case of Maria (Grand Code's granddaughter), married to the most eligible man in their town. Unfortunately, Code's idea of most eligible is a ruffian and bully. Maria is more of a dreamer and her school teacher is infatuated with her. A traveler bursts in on the teacher on a dark and stormy night, offering a glimpse of the outside world for some shelter. He reluctantly agrees, a decision that puts him on the path to declaring his desire for Maria, causing a lot of other mischief. 

Like any anthology series, some episodes are better than others. The Cinderella episode is my favorite, then Hansel and Gretel. The rest are just okay, except for the very unlikeable Little Red Riding Hood. The idea of varying the thematic content of fairy tales is interesting if overdone in contemporary entertainment media. If you are interested enough, start with Cinderella and Hansel and Gretel and you will know from there if you'd like more.

Mildly recommended.

As I write (May 2025), this is only available on Netflix.

TV Review: Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft Season 1 (2024)

Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft Season 1 (2024) produced by Tasha Huo based on the Tomb Raider video games by Crystal Dynamics

Lara Croft (voiced by Hayley Atwell) has a short and checkered past in archeology. She found an ancient box in Peru but in the process an ally died. Three years later, she's ready to give up her father's archeological legacy, selling everything at Croft Manor. During the auction, a mysterious assailant steals the Peruvian box, not so much to have the box as to have what's in it. Inside is one of the four stones crafted by ancient Chinese divinities to curb the chaos humans experience. Lara finds new purpose in hunting down the stones before the assailant, Charles Deveraux (voiced by Richard Armitage), can get them all for his own evil purposes.

The story is a familiar action set-up--find the set of items before the bad guy does, because he will use them either to conquer or to destroy the world (maybe both?). Lara initially wants to be a loner though she needs help from her various friends, including traveling/action companion Jonah (voiced by Earl Baylon) and tech support Zip (Allen Maldonado). The show is fun to watch with over-the-top action sequences only possible in an animated format. Lara's growth in trusting her friends is a nice theme to give some pathos and freshness to the overused set-up. The ending suggests more to come and a second season has been greenlit by Netflix (as of April 2025).

I have not played the videos games but have watched Angelina Jolie's first film and the Alicia Vikander reboot. This is closer in tone to the Vikander film, with a younger Lara slowly becoming the action star of the original game.

Mildly recommended--I feel like this is more for fans of the character--I am only mildly a fan, so my enjoyment was less than it could have been.

As of this writing (April 2025), the show is only available on Netflix.

TV Review: Skull Island (2023)

Skull Island (2023) created by Brian Duffield based on the King Kong franchise

Charlie and Mike are the sons of two sea explorers who are looking for cryptids, specifically a legendary island that is supposed to have a lot of them (obviously Skull Island, home of King Kong). Their boat picks up a teenage girl whose escaped another ship and is a bit of a wild child. They don't have long to talk to her when they are attacked by some men from the other ship. Those men don't have long to attack when a giant sea creature shows up and kills most of the crew and the baddies too. Charlie, Mike, and the girl (named Annie) wash up on a mysterious island full of giant, mutant animals. It's a hostile island with dangerous natives. The survivors of that other ship are there and want the girl back.

This animated series promises some King Kong action though the big ape does not show up till halfway through the eight-episode arc. The humans' adventures are the typical fight against a variety of giant, mutated animals. The action is fun if a bit gory (the show is rated TV-14). The creators want to appeal to a broader audience than the typical youthful cartoon watcher. Hints at a larger story are left unfulfilled as the show clearly sets up a second season which does not seem to be in production two years later. The story is enjoyable enough on its own if you are a Monsterverse fan, which I certainly am.

Mildly recommended--this is more for fans of the Universal Studios Monsterverse like me.

As I write (March 2025), this is only streaming on Netflix.

TV Review: The Diplomat Season One (2023)

The Diplomat Season One (2023) created by Debora Cahn

Kate Wyler (Keri Russell) is a mid-level officer in America's diplomatic service who looks forward to serving in the Middle East where her on-the-ground skills will be put to good use. She is sidelined into becoming the ambassador to Great Britain, a role that is supposed to be mostly ceremonial, with lots of parties and photo-ops (not a place for on-the-ground skills). The only problem is a British warship in the Persian Gulf has just been hit by an enemy. The initial assessment points the finger at Iran but a much more complicated situation arises as various assets provide intel on the incident. One asset is Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell), husband of Kate and a former ambassador who is now relegated to "wife-in-tow" status. He is much more politically savvy and uses it to his own advantage (not necessarily for the good of his country or his marriage). This on-going behavior of his has brought the couple to the brink of divorce. Now that the United Kingdom is on the brink of war (both the Prime Minister (Rory Kinnear) and the US President (Michael McKean) are looking to improve their domestic standings), she has to use all her skills to get to the bottom of the situation and stop war from breaking out.

While the show sounds like a political thriller, which to a large extent it is, there is a lot of comedy and interpersonal romantic drama (i.e. soap opera). I was a bit confused if they really wanted to be taken seriously, especially with a bunch of over-the-top plot twists and Kate's no-nonsense attitude constantly being undercut by her survival instinct, making her do things she otherwise would never do. For example, she does a cover story with British Vogue on what it's like to be a woman in a powerful position, a move that keeps her from getting fired from the position that she does not want. She also doesn't like dresses or being prim and proper. She does her best to fix or improve the political situation as it spirals into a more convoluted pretzel of unlikely interconnections. She constantly waffles on her desire for divorce from the completely manipulative Hal for no other reason than it makes the drama more dramatic. The show is very hard to take seriously even though it seems like it wants to be taken seriously.

Russell gives a fun performance, though Sewell's weaselly performance steals some of the scenes. The rest of the cast is good in their more or less plausible roles. The show looks like a star vehicle for Russell, after her great turn in The Americans. Even so, the tone is so uneven that I was not sure what the creators were really going for.

Just barely recommended--I was entertained and confused in equal measures.

As I write this (March 2025), the show is only available streaming on Netflix. 

TV Review: Kleo Season 2 (2024)

Kleo Season 2 (2024) created by Hanno Hackford, Bob Konrad, and Richard Kropf

See my review of the first season here.

Kleo (Jella Haase) is back in action pursuing a red case that has valuable documents in it. With German reunification imminent, a lot of the old-line communists in Germany and the Soviet Union want the deal to fail, something the contents of the case can facilitate. Kleo teams up again with the somewhat bumbling Sven Petzold (Dimitrij Schaad), a West German cop who is too focused on grand conspiracies and is a bit smitten with Kleo. Kleo's crazy roommate Thilo (Julius Feldmeier) has discovered his space princess (he thinks he was born on another planet), a relationship that somewhat mirrors Kleo's relationship with other characters while also going off on bizarre, drug-addled tangents. So the show still has a mix of revenge drama and oddball comedy, especially with the introduction of some ambitious, if not entirely competent, Russians and Americans.

The show is still entertaining. The plot is enjoyable yet implausible, but in a good way. The actors keep things fun and engaging even with some off-the-wall shenanigans. The ending definitely hints at more to come and I am willing to follow along for another season.

Recommended.

As I write (February 2025), this is only available streaming on Netflix.