TV Shows

The Santa Clauses🎅🏽 Season 2

The Santa Clauses has returned for its second season, with Santa looking to make his son Cal an official Santa-in-Training but Cal is torn between making his Dad proud and keeping his girlfriend happy. Both prove to be difficult when a nefarious Santa from years past is dead set on reclaiming what was once his - the North Pole.

Now this is what I’m talking about!

The first season felt like it was trying too hard to be a meta take on commercialism, while also adding in elements from movies (time travel/multiverse) that had become trendy, lacking any of the heart from the original (1994) movie.

This season chose to go in a more festive-feeling direction, that built on the lore of the North Pole, while adding in some fun wrinkles to the many origin stories of Santa. It also has one of the most enjoyable antagonists The Santa Clause series has had, in Magnus Antas. He’s like a cross between Donald Trump and Santa Clause, and that only works because of the gravitas Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family) is able to provide to the character.

The only annoying part of the show is how dopey the son is in comparison to every other character around him. I’d much rather see his sisters story play out, which I hope they go into more if they have another season. I think it would be a cool way to spin-off into something Halloween related.

I also loved what they did with the elves and gnomes. It was such a great layer to add to a history we don’t hear much about.

The only thing that could’ve made this season better is if it had Bernard - but I digress.

This season chose to go back to the basics, providing us with a fun North Pole centred adventure, that will be a perfect way to kickstart your Christmas spirit.

Enjoy! 7.1/10 🍿 🎥

Runtime: 30mins
Episodes: 6
Where: New Episodes Streaming Wednesdays on Disney+

The Santa Clauses Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer.
The Santa Clauses Season 2 Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer.

#SantaClaus #Santa #Christmas #MovieReview #Movie #DisneyPlus #TheSantaClauses

Invincible ☄️ Season 2 (Episodes 1-4)

The superhero smash hit Invincible has returned for its second season, where Mark Grayson, who after being beaten to near death by his father, tries his best to reintegrate into society but finds he’s now fighting an internal battle of not wanting to turn into the man that raised him - the psychotic superhero murderer, Omni-Man.

This is one of the best running superhero stories going right now and if you’re not watching it, you’re missing out. Mark is set graduate from high school, attend college with his girlfriend, and become roommates with his best friend, all things an 18 year old should be enjoying but all he can think about is how if he needed to, he wouldn’t be able to protect the ones he loves - or himself.

Going through the kind of trauma he had to face, realizing his whole life was essentially a lie is hard to come back from, especially when the person you idolized, trusted, and raised you was willing to beat you to living a pulp.

Anyone who has grown up around abusive fathers will be able to understand Marks struggle.
Sometimes you get told how much you resemble or act like them, that you fear you’re going to turn into the very thing you hate but you get so caught up in trying not to be them that you forget to be yourself.

I thought the show did a tremendous job of balancing Marks struggle with his willingness to jump back into life, rather than letting this traumatic experience be used a crutch he is dead set on redefining what it means to be a Grayson.

The first season was your prototypical origin story, teenage kid innocently hanging with his friends when he’s abruptly meant to understand the new power he posses but this season is diving more into what I’m into which is the intergalactic war, and the ethics/philosophy behind what makes a superhero “good”.

This is first of a two-part season, and if episode 4 is any indication of how good this season will be - we are in for a treat.

Enjoy! 7.9/10 🍿 🎥

Runtime: 50mins
Episodes: 4
Seasons: 2

Invincible Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer.
Invincible Season 2 Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer.

#Superhero #ComicBooks #Comics #TVShow #MovieReview #Movie #PrimeVideo #Invincible 

Blue Eye Samurai 🗡️ 

From the writer of Blade Runner 2049 and Logan comes a new animated series (#BlueEyeSamurai) that follows a young warrior named Mizu, who is driven by a dream of revenge against those who made her an outcast in Edo-period Japan.

Mizu is a mixed blood Japanese girl, during a time when any resemblance of a foreigner was immediately vilified. She had to hide who she was, and become someone that could endure the pain of being outcast by people who deemed her an other, alienating her from being a part of the society she so badly wanted to be a part of. Her only way to mend the invisible wounds that came from the years of torment is to find the man that did this to her and her mother, seeking justice by way of a blood soaked blade. 

I don’t remember the last time I was left speechless after watching something. I’m blown away at how good this was. 

It has political strife amongst different factions vying for power, a new age of technology set to put an entire country into a vice gripe, and characters that aren’t just meant to be placeholders for the main character to go about her journey, but who have their own goals and motivations - and are driven enough to carry them through. 

This is Game of Thrones, John Wick, and Kurosawa jam packed into one.

The world building is a kin to Game of Thrones, where no character feels wasted, each representing a fully realized piece on a chess board ready to take make their life altering move.
And in a year with John Wick, where I saw some of the most ambitious fight choreography I’ve ever seen, somehow Blue Eye Samurai is able to one up it all and take the cake for best action sequences of the year.

Side-note: When it paid homage to Rock Lee I was fist pumping the air like no tomorrow. Such a nice touch.

It also has an undeniable cinematic quality about it, where each scene sits like a patiently crafted tapestry, waiting for its chance to bite into whatever event is set to unfold next. 

This also does a masterful job of breaking down the dichotomy between men and women in this male dominated world. They really drove him that power isn’t just ruling with an iron first, but can also be as simple as stroking a fickle man’s ego. 

Then we have the fine line women must walk of not being womanly enough for a man, and being too “manly” to be treated like a woman, that’s contrasted by the journey of a princess who is the traditional beauty, and Mizu - who has had to be someone she’s not for her own safety. 

I’m a huge advocate for animation in storytelling, and this tore the ceiling off of what a mature story could be if given the care and attention. Let’s put it this way, if this was live-action it would be running away with all the Emmys. 

It reminded me a lot of Arcane, and how it felt like it was a revolutionary to the world of animated storytelling. 

I have a preference when given the option to watch any animation in Japanese (which I did for this), but for context you know the quality is there when you’re able to convince stars like Kenneth Branagh, Randall Park, and Brenda Song to be a part of the voice acting cast. 

At first glance this feels like a story that would take on the traditional trope of a brooding protagonists that’s followed by a dopey sidekick, but with each passing episode it becomes a breathtaking, bloodthirsty tale of revenge - that sweeps us into this beautiful world, with ugly truths - where we get to see what Mulan would’ve been if she got the John Wick treatment. 

Enjoy! 

9/10 🍿 🎥 

Runtime: 55mins

Episodes: 8

Where: Streaming on Netflix.

Blue Eye Samurai Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer.

#Animation #Anime #Samurai #MovieReview #Movie #BlueEyeSamurai #Netflix

Loki 🔱 Season 2 (Series Review)

Loki Season 2 brings us immediately back into the world of the TVA, as Loki tries to figure out where on the timeline he is, why no one remembers him, and how to let everyone know that He Who Remains is the main orchestrator puppeteering everything.

I may not have loved the series as a whole but that end was as perfect as it gets. 

This is nowhere near the scale of the ambitious first season (that I felt was disjointed) but it gave us more of an emotional reason to care about the characters rather than just stick them in death defying situations, and hope they make it out alive. 

It made a lot of what Loki did mean more. He had time to worry about the relationships he’s built, and we see the growth he’s able to have with a healthy support system around him. Sometimes all you need is people in your life that believe you can be better, and he was. 

It’s also a beautifully ironic place to leave Loki after everything he’s done, in a “you reap what you sow.” kind of way. 

My only gripe would be that as a weekly watch the unravelling of time wasn’t enough, and because it played with the idea of time travel in relation to the multiverse things were on a loop for an entire episode, which would’ve felt more tolerable if the next episode was a button away - rather than a week. I wish studios would play around with release structures, because the first 5 episodes of this would’ve been a great binge and the last could’ve used, deserved a theatre experience with how cinematic everything felt. 

From beginning to end, this may be the best of the MCU shows to date. Some of the shows have speed run through origin stories, others have been used to catapult new storylines but this made Loki one of the most well rounded, fleshed out characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

It’s a story I believe will end up having even more meaning as we get closer to the Secret Wars “End Game” of it all, and one that provides a tragically heroic meaning to Loki’s burden of a glorious purpose. 

Enjoy!

7.6/10 🍿 🎥 

Runtime: 45mins

Episodes: 6

Seasons: 2

Where: Disney+

Loki Season 2 Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer.

#Marvel #MCU #DisneyPlus #Review #Movie #MovieReview #MarvelStudios #Loki

Loki 🔱 Season 2 (Episodes 1-4)

Loki Season 2 brings us immediately back into the world of the TVA, as Loki tries to figure out where on the timeline he is, why no one remembers him, and how to let everyone know that He Who Remains is the main orchestrator puppeteering everything.

I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to watch the first four episodes of Season 2 of Loki and I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

It might’ve helped that I was allowed to binge the episodes because let’s face it, the week between episodes allows for reckless speculation about what could happen, and not letting the story unfold as the creative team intended. I found the flow and cohesiveness of this story to be much better than Season 1, which felt like a highlight reel of moments unlike Season 2, which had a clear through line to a more honed in tale of exploration and mystery.

There’s also this post-pandemic richness of a packed screen with people that made this feel alive, in a way the that made the previous series seem hollow.

Ke Huy Quan is the perfect addition to any cast, though the surprising standout is Rafael Casal. I’ve never seen him in anything before this but will definitely remember his name after some incredible scene stealing performances, when up against Owen Wilson and Tom Hidleston.

My only gripe would be the MacGuffin used midway through the story that takes away from the best part of this season which were the performances. Everything comes to a screeching halt and becomes this exposition filled rift that doesn’t scream danger the way I believe it’s meant to, that’s until the final cliffhanger.

This is nowhere near the scale of the ambitious first season (which I felt was disjointed) so for some it may feel like too much of a departure from the high stakes that came before it, which I would totally understand.

All of these Marvel shows start off with a ton of intrigue but slowly lose steam and fizzle out, so as much as I enjoyed the first four episodes, the last two will be the major deciding factor on whether Loki breaks Marvels series finale curse.

Loki begins Streaming October 5th on Disney+.🍿

Enjoy!

7.5/10 🍿 🎥 

Runtime: 45mins

Episodes: 4/6

Where: Streaming Weekly beginning October 5th on Disney+

Loki Season 2 Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer.

#Marvel #MCU #DisneyPlus #Review #Movie #MovieReview #MarvelStudios #Loki

The Devils Plan 😈 데블스 플랜

The Devils Plan is a reality show that follows twelve contestants over seven days as they compete in collaborative and competitive games, of wit and strategy - for a cash prize. 

I’ll watch some trash reality shows every so often to reset my brain when it’s become overstimulated from whatever movie or tv show I’ve been watching, but like they say “one man’s trash, is another man’s treasure.” and this was gold! 

I absolutely loved Devils Plan!

To me it was the perfect combination of personalities, strategy based cooperative games, and social psychology. They casted this show really well, giving us a varied group of contestants who had a wide range of interests and hobbies outside of anything related to the games, which made for some interesting dynamics between the cast members. 

The games themselves at times would make you want to bash your head into a wall, not because they were boring but because of the amount of math that’s involved and how quickly your meant to pick it up. I’m sure like most audiences for reality shows, the whole “what would I do in this situation?” is a main part of the viewing experience, so watching as these brilliant minds quickly picked up whatever game was asked of them was fascinating yet frustrating, when your own math wasn’t adding up. 😅

But the real fun begins as a number of alliances form, shift, and evolve with each passing game. Some stuck to their guns the entire way through, others would see the lay of the land and make well executed in-game adjustments, and a few may have shown their hand a little too soon. 

My favorite contestants were Orbit - a science YouTuber from Korea, Seo Dong-joo - a lawyer from the US, and Ha Seok-Jon - an actor who happened to be in the acclaimed Korean Drama, Crash Landing on You. 

I want to dive deeper but it’s best if you go into this knowing as little as possible. 

If you’re a fan of board games, and yelling at your TV as if you’d do better than the people on screen - then this is a must watch. 

Enjoy! 

8.3/10 

Runtime: 50mins

Episodes: 12

Seasons: 1

The Devils Plan Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer.
데블스 플랜 Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer.

#MovieReview #Movie #RealityTV #RealityShow #Korean #KDrama #Netflix #DevilsPlan

The Fall of the House of Usher 🏡 

The Fall of the House of Usher follows siblings Roderick and Madeline Usher, who must face the sins of their past as a haunting curse is set on the next generation of Ushers,  vying for their fathers approval - and the highly coveted family inheritance. 

This is a compelling story of a man forced to reflect on the atrocities of his actions, and the impact that had on his children, who unwillingly had to pay for the sins of their father. That being said - it may be because I binge watched the entirety of Succession this year so it’s fresh on my mind, but this felt like a horror knock off of something I felt I had already seen. 

I thought the writing was phenomenal, the reinvention of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven into this family drama demonizing the pharmaceutical industry was genius, but the acting was tough to watch. 

I’m sure the characters were meant to be over the top stereotypes but a lot of the performances fell completely flat when up against the rich source material, not delivering on what could’ve become a must watch entry in Michael Flanagan’s horror anthology series.
I think I’ll be on the minority on this one as I’ve never been the biggest fan of any of Michael Flanagan’s series. I’m curious to hear from those who are, and how this stacks up against his other work. 

This is a decade spanning pursuit for power, a sort of pharma-karma that leaves a family in shambles, as a ghost from a families past deconstructs the very foundation that made them. 

Enjoy! 

6/10 🍿 🎥 

Runtime: 50mins

Episodes: 8

Seasons: 1

The Fall of the House of Usher Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer.

#MovieReview #Movie #TVSeries #Netflix #FalloftheHouseofUsher

Star Wars: Ahsoka ✨ 

Ahsoka follows former Jedi Ahsoka Tano, as she reunites with her former Padawan on a quest to stop remnants of the empire from bringing back a formidable Warlord - and hopefully reunite them with an old friend along the way.

For marketing purposes I get calling this series Ahsoka but in reality this was Season 5 of the Star Wars animated series, Rebels. 

If you never watched Rebels this season may be a lot to take in, but for those that have - this season provided some much needed closure to the cliffhangers we were left with when Rebels ended. 

The story itself orbits around the master/apprentice relationship between Ahsoka and Sabine, Ahsoka’s robot companion Huyang capturing it best when he says “the relationship between a master and an apprentice is as challenging as it meaningful.” Those words echo throughout the season with all of the characters, as the hint of an evil set to rise from the shadows requires everyone to assess how they want to move forward from the war torn past that continues to haunt them.

I have been haunted by the constant swashbuckling, less space/more western approach in most of the recent Star Wars series, so it was a triumphant feeling to FINALLY get a story that’s steeped heavily in the fantasy side of the lore. We got to see the World between Worlds (which I wish they used to retcon the Sequel trilogy but I digress), the Nightsisters, and teases of the Mortis Gods! 

Again, none of those things will mean much if you haven’t watched Rebels or the animated Clone Wars animated series but I hope this story will spark you curiosity enough to check them out because they have some of the best storylines Star Wars has to offer.

Speaking of the best Star Wars has to offer, Thrawn has arrived.

Casting Lars Mikkelson proved to be right decision, the voice perfectly carry’s over from the animated series - helping bolster the menacing nature in which he operates. I was hoping we would learn more about what his ultimate plan is because knowing what's up his sleeve is half the fun of Thrawn as a character, and them neutering his strategic side for the sake of story already does him a disservice - but power scaling in Star Wars is all over the place so that's not even worth mentioning anymore.  

It’s unfortunate he passed away because Ray Stevenson was set for a grand beginning with the way they teased him heading towards the Mortis Gods. 

I’m also very curious what Anakins place in all of this will be. The watchful eye over Ahsokas shoulder definitely hit me in the feels, but I feel like he has so much room to work with now - unlike Obi-Wan, and the connection to the Mortis Gods seems to hint at that as well.

From a production standpoint, Star Wars in general is known for telling stories “from a certain point of view.” but I do think it’s become an issue when watching a season and noticing the different directing styles taking away from certain characters. I don’t know if they have a roster of directors because of backlash Rian Johnson and JJ Abrams received after the sequel trilogy, and maybe use it as a mean of making it hard for people to target one person for the flaws of creative - but I think it hurts the overall storytelling aspect of the product. 

Also, I have no idea what they are doing with The Mandalorian but this season felt like a much better launching pad post-Sequel trilogy than the mess that series has become. 

A part of that mess reared its ugly head in this. 

I will never understand the need to supe up the Mandalorian characters. Sabine is a fantastic character but giving her and every other Mandalorian force abilities takes away from the ability itself. I’m yelling into a void at this point, I know it’s a personal gripe I need to get over. 

As enjoyable as the season was I have to concede that the we don’t learn much about any of the characters, specifically there motivations. It doesn’t take away from the iconic three episode run we get in episodes 4-6 but it does take away from the overall consequence of the story. 

The highs of the season were so monumental that I was able to quickly get over the fact the story lacked the development and nuance it needed to take it over the top.

Ahsoka crafts a fun force filled tale that captures the darker fantasy elements of Star Wars lore, taking us on adventure beyond the galaxy we have come to know, and gets us ready for a new war that is set to come. 

Enjoy! 

7.3/10 🍿 🎥

Ahsoka Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer.

Runtime: 45mins

Episodes: 8

Where: Disney+

#Lucasfilm #Ahsoka #StarWars

One Piece 🏴‍☠️ Live Action

One Piece follows Luffy D. Monkey, an aspiring young pirate who looks to set sail to the seas, taking on grand adventures with his new friends Zoro, Usopp, Sanji and Nami - who’ve all come together to conquer their dreams, in the dawn of a new pirate era.

Anime live action adaptions have had a tortured history, so Netflix attempting to reimagine one of the most iconic anime stories in Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece, is a massive undertaking.

I’m still in the early stages of my One Piece anime journey but I have to say, watching this fresh off of finishing the East Blue saga - I was impressed!

First things first, Iñaki Godoy makes for an INCREDIBLE Luffy.

This might be a hot take but I actually prefer this version of the character over the anime. He has all the qualities of Luffy but with a more muted take on his over the top reactions, and an appreciated meaner streak when it comes to protecting his friends.

I think the biggest surprise is how good the CGI looked, minus one scene with Arlongs teeth, they were able to bring the rubber aspect of Luffy to life in a way that will please fans of the series.

They made some of the things I didn’t like in the anime better like:

- Arlong I thought was way more menacing

- Jacob Gibson brought Usopp to life in a more endearing way

- They made Sanji less of a comedic perv and more of a failed romantic

- The fight choreography is kick ass! 

The things I didn’t like as much:

- Zoro looks the part and physically acts the part well but the rest is tough to watch. 

- The “Luffy, Help Me” scene doesn’t hit as hard.

- The score in the anime was definitely missed, especially Overtaken.

- I don’t know what Hollywoods wig problem is but Wheel of Time, Rings of Power, all need some serious work. 

I know a lot of you have been keeping up with this story for 20+ years but in my opinion this is a commendable adaption that captures the heart and soul of the series, loses the fluff, and though it may take a different path then the source material - it all ends up where it’s supposed to.

It’s a campy yet heartfelt reimagining, that will usher in a new generation of pirate lovers, and remind us that maybe the real treasure is the friends we made along the way.

Enjoy!

7.2/10 🍿 🎥 

Runtime: 50mins

Episodes: 8

Seasons: 1

 
Netflix One Piece Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer.

#Movie #MovieReview #Anime #Manga #Luffy #Nami #Zoro #Usopp #Netflix #OnePiece

Star Wars: Ahsoka ✨ (Series Premiere Review) 

Star Wars: Clone Wars and Rebels have brought me some of my favourite stories from a Galaxy Far, Far Away and in those stories we got introduced to an iconic ‘Jedi’ by the name of Ahsoka Tano.

So for them to continue the Rebels part of her story in a live action universe that includes The Mandalorian, and The Book of Boba Fett (two series I did not enjoy)  it was hard not to go in feeling skeptical. 

The first five minutes grabbed my attention and was unapologetic in its force use, which I freaking loved! 

My biggest gripe with the Star Wars universe is that they’ve tried to ground stories with a more earth-like human element, but those mission of the week, Bounty Hunter stories are just your basic space westerns and the appeal of Star Wars to me is the world so far removed from our own, that has samurai like men and women living by their own code of honour - duking it out. 

This gives that. 

From the Witches of Dathomir to the mural of the Rebels crew, I appreciate the fact they aren’t doing what Star Wars and Marvel has recently done by dumbing down the lore for a general audience, but instead doubling down on it so that people will instead find intrigue and want to learn more rather than being spoon fed every bit of canon. 

I didn’t feel like we learned anything new about the Ahsoka and Sabine story (worth noting Natasha Liu Bordizzo was a phenomenal casting choice) but the Baylan Skoll/Nightsister dynamic has me hooked.

Andor was playing on a different playing field so I don’t want to compare any Star War story to that but I’m glad we’ve rerouted back to tales of the force, lightsabers, and Jedi/Sith. 

I’ll definitely be keeping up with this weekly, and I’m hoping some of the stiffness in the first two episodes will be ironed out by the time we get to the finale. 

Enjoy! 🍿

Episodes: 2

Seasons: 1

Where: Disney+

Ahsoka Episode 1 Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer.
Ahsoka Episode 2 Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer.

#StarWars #AhsokaTano #TVSeriesReview #Disney

Sanctuary 🥋 サンクチュアリ-聖域-

Sanctuary follows Kiyoshi Oze (Eno), a local delinquent from Fukuoka who is struggling to help his divorced mother and father make ends meet, but that may all change when he gets scouted by a local sumo stable - that promise him fame, money, and glory. 

I never thought I’d be interested in Sumo Wrestling, but here I am taking breaks in between episodes, hyped up between matches - practicing my own Shiko. 

In its own roundabout way, this was like an in-depth docuseries about the day to day life in a dohyō, and that of the sumo wrestlers within it.

The amount you naturally learn through the story taking place really drives home that Sumo is a lot more than a shoving match, requiring a lot of technique and rigorous training that I’m sure would be taken for granted by the untrained eye. 

What I loved most about this story was how they paralleled the journeys of the rookie ‘bad boy’ of sumo with the young reporter tasked with covering the Ensho stable, both who were naive, yet hungry and driven to remove the shackles placed by the gatekeeping elders in their respective professions.

I will say it does take some wild turns for the sake of character motivation, that in my opinion felt too over the top, but those moments are far and few between and become a bit more tolerable as the story progresses. 

If you’re like me and enjoy stories about young whipper snappers that get humbled through sport, that then get their Rocky training montage moment so that they can face the adversity head on, then I highly recommend giving this a shot. 

At its core, Sanctuary is about finding peace within the chaos around you, and realizing what’s considered tough in the streets, is nothing compared to the dohyō.

Enjoy! 

7.5/10 🍿 🎥 

Runtime: 60mins

Episodes: 8

Seasons: 1

Sanctuary Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer.
サンクチュアリ-聖域- Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer. 

#Sumo #Movie #MovieReview #TV #TVShow  #Netflix  #Sanctuary

Marvels Secret Invasion 🔰

Secret Invasion reunites us with the one and only Nick Fury, who after years out in space finally returns to earth to find a war waging in the shadows, a war that began after a broken promise, and a war that only he can end.

It’s an amazing achievement to have the best cast of any Marvel Disney+ era show to date, yet still manage to waste all of that potential on one of the most half baked ideas I’ve ever watched.

This was a half baked idea that makes it seem like Marvel no longer cares about long term storytelling, or what’s been canon, but would rather have what feels like misfired ‘OMG’ moments, moments I assume they thought would be iconic - that instead fell completely flat.

You’re meant to feel the absence of Nick Furry, which wasn’t felt, and be invested in this love interest they just threw in out of nowhere - that even Fury seems disinterested in.

Give them a romantic flashback episode in Europe or something, after a dozen movies and shows with no hint of this character we’re just supposed to buy into this story arc?

This is an epic idea of a story, where Skrulls have infiltrated society’s highest governing bodies and some of the heroes we’ve become familiar with, and face-swapped them for some of their own. It might’ve been too ambitious to fit into a 3 hour show without any foreshadowing to give it the build up it needed to flesh out its story.

I still enjoy the MCU movies but the shows have felt hollow and heartless, and I have no idea how they come back from making G’iah one of the most powerful heroes in all of the MCU. That whole moment made absolutely no sense, and fractured any power structure this universe had.

I’m not one of those losers who complains about strong female leads, I’m just confused at why they’d make any character (male or female) seemingly invincible!

& Olivia Colman, Kingsley Ben Adir, and Emilia Clarke honestly feel wasted in underdeveloped roles, that were only made better by their performance.

Sorry, this was more of a rant than a review but it’s all I got.

Enjoy!

3/10 🍿 🎥

Episodes: 6
Runtime: 30 mins
Where: Disney+

Marvels Secret Invasion Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer.

#Marvel #MCU #MovieReview #Movie  #EmiliaClarke #KingsleyBenAdir #SamuelLJackson #MarvelStudios #SecretInvasion

The Bear 🐻 Season 2 

The Bear brings us back to Chicago as Carmy and the gang prepare to open up the new restaurant, but when the reality of the task at hand kicks in, the team comes to the begrudging realization that they may have bitten off - more than they can chew. 

It’s rare to get a second season that’s just as good as the first, or in this case - even better. 

Last season each character had their time to shine and showcase their value, where this season they had the chance to grow beyond the world they had boxed themselves into. 

That’s what I loved most about Season 2.

For some characters it was subtle, and others more drastic - where the initial resistance to change turns into reluctance, until they have that euphoric light bulb moment where they finally understand that the change was never because they weren’t good enough - it’s because the team believed their was an even better version of that person, stuck behind their self-imposed limitations. 

It’s also this learned lesson of ‘failure not being a destination’, just a stop along the way to success - that’s if you’re patient enough with yourself to journey that far.

Which leads into the constant of this season, the idea of time - how to maximize it, appreciate it, and understand what value it holds in the lives being lived - which I think will resonate with a lot of people. 

This season also had two of my favourite episodes of the series, with a trip to Denmark that will have you ready to book your next food-centred vacation, and a surprisingly star-studded Christmas episode - with incredible performances across the board, and tension you could cut with a ‘fork’ - it was TV at its absolute best. 

It’s crazy to think that it’ll be going into its third season, and it feels like they’ve only scratched the surface. The possibilities are honestly endless, and I for one can’t wait to see where they decide to take us next. 

The Bear chooses to let this slow burn of a story cook its way through to the perfect temperature, that will have you drooling for your next meal, craving the next episode, and act as a chaotic reminder - that every second counts.

Enjoy! 

8.9/10 🍿 🎥

Runtime: 30 mins
Episodes: 10
Seasons: 2

The Bear Season 2 Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer.

#JeremyAllenWhite #AyoEdebiri #Movie #MovieReview #TVSeries #TVShow #FX #The Bear

 The Idol  (Series Premiere Review)

The Idol follows Jocelyn, a pop star who is trying to juggle the many aspects of being in the music industry.

As her team tries to manage her continuously evolving reputation, she seeks asylum with a club owner - who may be the spark she needs to reinvigorate her passion for music - and life. 

“Would you let people enjoy sex, drugs, and hot girls. Stop trying to cock block America.”

That’s one of the opening lines from the show, that perfectly captures exactly what this series premiere was. 

The Idol was pulled from the mind of The Weeknd, in tandem with the creator of Euphoria - and if you’ve watched anything they’ve created, you’ll know exactly what you’re in for. It’s like a Miami Vice villain, meets a 50 Shades of Grey Pop Star, both who have ambiguous intentions for their relations with one another - which makes it hard to really judge any of what goes on in this series premiere. 

The Idol wants to be erotic, seductive, and play as a middle finger to those who judge before knowing - and though it brings the style, it lacked the substance to make this a continuous watch for myself.

I think this will hit the right chord for those who miss Euphoria, or those who have ever wondered what a Weeknd music video would play out like if it were an hour long. 

Enjoy!   🎥 🍿 

Episodes: 1

Seasons: 1

Where: Crave TV or HBO

The Idol Episode 1 Review (Series Premiere) (2023) The Richmond Reviewer.

#LilyRoseDepp #JennieKim #TheWeeknd  #RachelSennot #HBO #MovieReview #Movie #AbelTesfaye 

Ted Lasso  (Series Review)

Don’t fight back, fight forward.

Sadly, we have reached the conclusion of one of the most beloved/iconic characters ever to grace the small screen, #TedLasso.

It’s a story that began with a goofball of an American, who moved to the UK to take on a job as a football head coach, that he was originally hired to fail at - yet somehow he managed to exceed all expectations - even his own.

But with Lasso it was never about the soccer, it was about leaving a place better than you left it.

This show did such a great job of pulling the characters in for hugs when they needed it, while cheering on the ones who had had been cast aside, and giving others a good kick in the pants as a humble reminder of the bigger picture at play. 

The best example of the above is it’s willingness to not shy away but instead showcase the varying degrees of weakness and vulnerability in men, in a way we don’t normally see in Movies and TV.

Even with the first season being one of the greatest first seasons of any show I’ve seen, it ended up losing it’s heart and soul - and was diminishing returns from that point forward.

It tried to be everything for every character, which worked for ones like Roy Kent and Nathan Shelley - but trying to build everyone else up as main storylines deviated too far from the core - which to me was the team. 

I’m sad that we won’t get to see these cast of characters together again, but the direction this story was heading - it was probably for the best.

The story does come full circle, in a very convenient way, but the fan service nature of it worked for me - and sometimes it’s nice to just get the happily ever after.

This show tries to be everything for everyone, and though it may not always hit the mark, the well intentioned belief it might is the charm - that will have you coming back for more.

& Always remember - “Football is Life!”

Enjoy!

7.2/10  

Runtime: 50mins

Episodes: 30

Seasons: 3

Ted Lasso Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer.

#JasonSudeikis #HannahWaddingham #BrettGoldstein #JunoTemple #PhilDunster #BrendanHunt #NickMohammed #Soccer #Football #England  #MovieReview #Movie #TV #TVSeries #AppleTV 

Succession 🏦 (Series Review)

Family and Business, is like Oil and Water - they just don’t mix. 

Succession follows the Roy family of Kendall, Shiv, and Roman as they seek their fathers approval in the hopes of gaining the title of CEO for the family business, once he passes. This will be easier said than done, as people from outside the company try to lure Logan, and other members of the family into selling to them - causing plenty of rifts and burned bridges along the way. 

From an accidental murder, to getting caught in a hostage situation, and then shaping the future of the United State of America by swaying the election - Succession had it all. 

Initially I was underwhelmed by this show I’ve been recommended more times than I can count, but by the end it won me over. 

The story in my opinion wasn’t great, it’s the writing and performances that made this show what it was. 

What changed my opinion was the onslaught of wildly obnoxious banter between friends, family, and foes that created enough palpable tension where you just had to know what happens next. 

It was like an overly-Americanized version of what Game of Thrones was - but instead of war, its hostile boardroom takeovers by imposing your wallet, and ability to manipulate the narrative in your favour - which catapulted this series into a different stratosphere through performances that will be remembered more than I think the show will be.

Those performances are led by the three Roy children Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Shiv (Sarah Snook), and Roman (Kieran Culkin).

Choosing between them was like choosing between the lesser of 3 evils, which is why I couldn't get invested into the show at first.

Roman was always the most undeserving but played the role of “baby of the family” to perfection. Never doing enough to get caught up in a problem, but always walking the fine line of his past transgressions. If Logan was still alive I think he would have probably chosen Roman to succeed him because he was willing to do anything to get his fathers attention, and I think Logan knew that and would've used him as a puppet and front man to control the business from the shadows.

In the end, he seemed like someone who was happy that if he wasn’t allowed to play with the toys (the role of CEO) no one else should either.

Shiv to me had the most promise but was the only one of the kids not self-aware enough to acknowledge her own flaws. Mentally she was the strongest, and most assertive, which is why I think most fans of the show held her to a higher standard. She also had the most honest attempt at a moral compass, but her inability to full grab control of any situation always led her down a path of being the product of her environment - reverting back to the flawed ways of the Roy children. 

When it came down to it, she decided not to go after the decision making power she’s wanted this whole time, but instead took her ball and went home to play house wife with Tom - which to me went against everything her character had been and stood for this entire series. I wasn't a fan of that decision.

Then there’s Kendall. 

 
A man that believed he was the Michael Corleone, but he was Sunny all along.

He had this larger-than-life complex, where he was convinced he was the main character in everyone’s story, never being able to grasp he was just a byproduct of his father - and nothing more. His fathers shadow hindered him as much as it helped him, trying to always get the respect and admiration he saw his father get - but he just didn't have the chutzpah to fill the big shoes Logan left behind.

His whole identity relied so much on the business his father created, which showed with his erratic behavior and addict tendencies of acting on impulse, which ended up being too much to overcome. He would get to play ball but scared money don't make money, and his inability to make the right decision end up being his inevitable downfall.  

Then we have the one that outlasted them all, Tom Wambsgans.

I felt so bad for him. Even though he moved through the business to make sure he got ahead, I fully believed in his love for Shiv.

Which is what made his story so tragic, it’s that he was broken by the end and the only thing he had going for him was continuing to be a pawn in this game he married into.

The way I look at Succession is that this whole story was a convoluted way of a man who didn’t know how to show love, so  instead of the gold ol’ fashion playing catch - his love language was trying to groom all, or one of them - into being his successor.

--------------------------------------

The amazing performances aside, you’re only as good as your ending, and though I felt they nailed who ended up in the position of CEO - the execution lacked the punch, playing more like a fan service farewell that exhausted with the overuse of misdirection.

That was one of the issue I had with the series is the repetitive storylines, and the abrupt change in character behavior, that I guess you could chalk up to the cyclical nature of doing the same thing over again, expecting different results. 

I’m bringing up these issues I had with the show when in all honesty, the issue might’ve been me.

Binging the series before the finale didn’t allow for the intended patient weekly viewing experience, that would’ve probably made what seemed like an abrupt and drastic change in character behavior feel more organic.

Even with all of that I enjoyed the totality of my viewing experience, and its worth noting that Episodes 8 of Season 4 helped aid my enjoyability by being was one of the best episodes of television I've ever seen. So though I had my issues with the overall story, the amazing performances made this show undeniably entertaining.

HBO does drama so well, and this slow burn family succession story is no exception - a worthy fine wine that gets better overtime.

Enjoy! 

7.7/10 🎥 🍿 

Runtime: 60mins

Episodes: 40 (10 episodes per season)

Seasons: 4 

Where: Crave TV and HBO Max

Succession Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer.

#JeremyStrong #SarahSnook #BrianCox #KieranCulkin #NicholasBraun #MatthewMacfayden #TV #TVSeries #TVShow #MovieReview #Movie #HBO

BEEF 🥩

It’s always something. 

BEEF follows two strangers in artist Amy Lau, and handyman Danny Cho, as their lives get forcibly intertwined - after an aggressive incident of road rage. 

This is Netflix’s best show to date. 

The way this contrasts the people who mean well and still screw up, against those with subconsciously ill intentions - that try to push the negative energy that comes there way onto others - is delivered through a rollercoaster of epic emotion. 

Coming out of this I felt like I lived another persons life for five hours, and I’ve never appreciated what I had more. If you have any ounce of hope in humanity, this will destroy all of that. 

It feels less like a TV show, and more like a five hour movie - which is A24 at its f*cking best. 

This isn’t your normal setup with good or bad characters, everyone has some sort of flaw or unredeemable quality about them, that’s heightened through this confirmation complex - as the people you’d least expect constantly seek validation, or reassurance from those around them. 

It just gets worse as the story goes on, like a car crash you can’t look away from. 

& I loved every second of it. 

I promise you’ve never seen a revenge story like this. 

This story would be almost impossible to pull off if it wasn’t for Ali Wong and Steven Yeun delivering career-best performances, while Dave Choe comes in exceptionally rare form. 

BEEF delivers in every way imaginable, but the most as a story that reflects on the societal and cultural pressures to be the you, you may never have been (or wanted to be) in the first place - that has been internalized because “western medicine doesn’t work on eastern minds.” 

This is a must watch, so go push play - now! 

Enjoy! 

9/10 🎥 🍿 

Runtime: 30mins

Episodes: 10

Seasons: 1

Where: Netflix

BEEF Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer
A24 + Netflix

#StevenYeun #AliWong #DaveChoe #YoungMazino

#AndrewSantino #Drama #Comedy #MovieReview #Movie #TVSeries #TV #TVShow 

The Mandalorian  (Season 3) ✨ 

“We are stronger together, than we are apart.”

The Mandalorian Season 3 follows Djin and Grogu as they reunite with Bo-Katan Kryze with the hope that they can bring together the fractured people of Mandalore, and reclaim the land that was once theirs.

This is NOT the way.

I was never a huge fan of this series to begin with, the adventure of the week style of storytelling just doesn’t work for me - but I can admit that the previous seasons had way more heart than whatever this roughly patched together season was. 

I’m going into spoiler territory so if you haven’t watched it, or don’t want to know key moments, then I’d stop reading right now.

My main issue was the shows inability to hone in on any one story enough to allow the viewer to care about what was going on. We had five (or more) different stories going on at once, with no real direction on what any of it meant until the second last episode.

The season finale was supposed to be this big battle moment that ended up feeling hollow because they rushed a story that deserved so much more time than the boring formula of bridging stories with a monster battles, which they’ve used at nauseam. 

As someone who adores the Clone Wars, and enjoyed a lot of Rebels - it feels like they tried to retread on the reclaiming of Mandalore story, which to me devalues what came before it. Bo-Katan is the Kendall Roy of the Star Wars universe. She’s had so many opportunities but always ends up messing it up, not sure what makes this time different.

On top of that, they built up the perfect lore for the Darksaber to be crushed by Moff Gideons hand… why?

& Grogu being a puppet at this point makes zero sense. I get it for those that just think he’s cute, but watching a puppet do back flips makes it hard to suspend disbelief.

Lastly, you can tell this is heading towards trying to tie in to the sequel trilogy. The impossible task of trying to make those movies make sense may be why the story went the direction it wnt, who knows?

The hints at the bigger story developing, with some hype worthy name drops - wasn't enough to save this directionless season.

Andor was great, Bad Batch was fine, Book of Boba Fett was a huge miss - and it seems The Manalorian is going down the wrong path.

Like comic books, I think every Star Wars fan will have a story that’s tailored to fit what they enjoy out of Star Wars. Though this wasn’t for me, it may be for someone who doesn’t care as much about the lore - which at times I wish I didn’t.  

Enjoy!

5.5/10  🎥 🍿 

Runtime: 40mins

Episodes: 24 (8 per season)

Seasons: 3

The Mandalorian Season 3 Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer

#StarWars #Sith #Jedi #Skywalker #Grogu #Yoda #BabyYoda #TVSeries #TV #Movie #MovieReview #PedroPascal 

Abbott Elementary  

Moulding the minds of the next generation, while trying to wrap your mind around your own. 

Abbott Elementary is a mockumentary styled sitcom that follows a group of teachers from Philadelphia, who are documenting their journey at an underfunded public school. 

As someone who used to work as a youth program lead, the amount of chaotic situations you’ll find yourself in having to take care of (and educate) kids - will drive you nuts - but that pay off when they finally put the pieces together, is what this show is all about. 

Not comparing the two, but this is probably the most fun I’ve had watching a sitcom since Community. 

I’m normally not a fan of the mockumentary style of storytelling, but maybe because this felt so relatable - I bought in almost instantly. 

The hilarious dynamics between the teachers, some being the experienced old heads and the others being eager newcomers, perfectly showcased that learning never truly ends - and that humbling life lessons know no age. I have to mention one of the best modern day brewing romances between Gregory and Janine, that has real potential to be an all-time TV couple - if things end up working out the way I hope they do! 

As simple as this show seems, it effectively communicates so much about adulting, work place relations, and how a lot of life is just trial and error. 

I now understand why this show gets praised the way it does, and though sitcoms are subjective - I think this is one everyone should give a shot. 

Enjoy! 

8.6/10   

Runtime: 20mins

Episodes: 24

Seasons: 2

Where: ABC, Hulu & Disney+

Abbott Elementary Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer.

#TVShow #TVSeries #TV #Movie #MovieReview 

#QuintaBrunson #TylerJamesWilliams #SherylLeeRalph #LisaAnnWalter #JanelleJames #ChrisPerfetti 

Swarm 🐝 

“Who’s your favourite artist?”

Swarm follows Dre, a socially awkward twenty-something year old from Houston who is an obsessed fan of the world renowned pop star, Ni’jah. As her obsession grows, so does her willingness to take on the role of judge, jury and executioner - on anyone who dares to put disrespect on her favourite artists name. 

This story truly depicts the fine line between fan, and fanatic. 

 
Imagine American Psycho if it were an angry Taylor Swift fan, who just had the Joker moment of having one bad day - That’s Swarm.

If you’re online enough you’ll notice certain fans who will wild out and attack people for speaking negatively about their favourite celebrity. 

In Dre’s case, she created her whole identity around her fascination with Ni’jah, so much so that she begins to lose touch with reality, and who she was before all of this began. 

This is essentially a dark take, and in a way a parody - around the idea of fanatics, and the delusional line that’s crossed when someone believes they’re closer to a celebrity than they actually are. 

Watching Dre move through life like shes the only one in the know, acting on the impulse of her deranged fascination - was a trip to watch. 

I understand for some theres an overwhelming feeling of being isolated and lonely that when you finally meet likeminded people, you want to hold onto that communal experience with all you have - but this is the unhealthy side of that attachment.

This is from the mind of Donald Glover (and Janine Nabers), who create a hazy nightmare type feel that you get more and more entrenched in as each episode passes. In its own way it feels like it’s a side story within the Atlanta-universe. 

It continuously impresses with its delivery of its more outside of the box episodes (episode six was genius), more than anything I felt the character of Dre brought to the table - that will still manage to hold your attention to the very end.

Enjoy! 

7.3/10 🎥 🍿 

Runtime: 30mins

Episodes: 7 

Seasons: 1

Where: Prime Video

Prime Video Swarm Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer

#DominiqueFishback #ChloeBailey #DamsonIdris #BillieEilish #DonaldGlover #ChildishGambino #Atlanta #Houston #TV #TVShow #TVSeries #MovieReview #Movie 

Succession 🏦 (Season 1)

Money, Power & Fathers Respect.

Succession follows Kendall Roy, who is aiming to be the successor to his fathers multi-million dollar company, but when his father suddenly becomes ill, his family must fast track the succession plan - causing rifts and burned bridges along the way. 

I’ve been recommended this more times than I can count, and I’ve never gotten past episode one - until now. 

I know A LOT of you LOVE this show, and after finishing season one I get it. 

That’s not to say I personally loved it, but the ball busting one liners that turn into a dick measuring contest between siblings definitely has a charm about it. My only issue is I couldn’t find a character I liked enough root for, especially when it feels like picking between the lesser of five evils. 

I’m giving this the benefit of the doubt, as it felt like a prologue that is trying to set the table to let the viewer know the dynamics between everyone - before the real story begins. 

Every time that theme song hits in the midst of the story, you’re curiosity naturally begins to build and speculate what’s to come next (and mine did), which means I’ll be continuing on with the series - so stay tuned for my thoughts on season two. 

Enjoy! 

7/10 🎥 🍿 

Runtime: 60mins

Episodes: 40 (10 episodes per season)

Seasons: 4 

Where: Crave TV and HBO Max

Succession Season One Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer.

#JeremyStrong #SarahSnook #BrianCox #KieranCulkin #NicholasBraun #MatthewMacfayden #TV #TVSeries #TVShow #MovieReview #Movie 

Star Wars: Bad Batch ✨ 

No clone left behind. 

#StarWarsBadBatch reunites us with Clone Force 99, who must now move cautiously through the galaxy after being exiled by the empire, but when they notice their clone brothers being vilified - they must fight back against the tyranny that birthed their existence. 

For reference, I adored the Clone Wars series but wasn’t the biggest fan of Season 1 of Bad Batch, so I was hesitant to pick the series back up for its second season. 

Unfortunately it was much of the same, but a few tweaks and solely clone focused episodes made this season more enjoyable.

I understand that Disney animated shows are going to lean towards being less mature, but I feel like if they gave this series, or the clones - the Andor treatment -  we could get some fascinating stories about the forced extinction of an entire race of people. 

That’s where Bad Batch thrives, creating back stories for seemingly nameless clones that would normally act as NPCs in the background, and give them these tragic tales of desperation where they try to regain, or continue on - with the what they’ve been programmed to be all this time. 

Aside from that, the rest of the season felt like filler until Season 3 - just running the boring model of storytelling Star Wars has relied so heavily on - being a mission of the week show, with little to no development of the main cast. 

If you’re a fan of the first season I highly recommend this, but if you’re more on my side - then pick out episodes 7/11/12/14 - you won’t regret it. 

Enjoy!

6.3/10 🎥 🍿 

Runtime: 20mins

Episodes: 16 (per season)

Seasons: 2

Where: Disney+

Star Wars Bad Batch Season 2 Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer

#StarWars #BadBatch #CloneWars #Jedi #Sith #Skywalker #MovieReview #Movie #TVShow #Animation #DisneyPlus 

Shrinking 🍎 

Trying to help others, when you cant even help yourself. 

Shrinking follows therapist Jimmy Laird (Jason Segel) who after many failed attempts with his patients begins to trial out unconventional therapy methods, that inevitably trickle into his private life - forcing him to navigate their problems - on top of the many he has of his own. 

You know when someone gives you advice that they should probably take themselves? 

That’s this show. 

I enjoyed bits and pieces of Shrinking, but the constant onslaught of complaining and mismanagement of relationships grew tiresome by the end. 

The saving grace for my personal enjoyment was definitely Gaby, played by Jessica Williams. 

 Her character was the perfect blend of lighthearted silliness, mixed with a dose of reality - that this show was in dire need of. 

At its core, this dram-edy is about the different stages of grief, and friends being the family you choose. This will have an audience that eats this story up, but for me I think the one season was enough. 

Enjoy! 

6.95/10 🎥 🍿 

Runtime: 30mins

Episodes: 10

Seasons: 1

Where: Apple TV

Shrinking Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer 

#HarrisonFord #JasonSegel #JessicaWilliams #LukiaMaxwell #LukeTennie #ChristaMiller #Apple #Therapy #MovieReview #Movie #TV #TVShow #TVSeries 

The Last of Us

Fighting, even when you have nothing left to fight for.

The Last of Us follows Joel and Ellie, who are travelling across America - through terrorists groups, makeshift communities and the infested population - with the hope they can get Ellie to where she needs to be. 

This show just wasn’t for me. 

Whether it be a debate about Fungi vs Virus, two men in love, or brothers burdened by the world they were born into - if you notice a pattern, it’s that none of these storylines involved the main characters - and they were the best parts of this show. 

My interest was more directed towards seeing how humans reacted once the constructs of civilization were ripped apart. Watching as these little pocket communities would form, the self-governing that was involved, and how those dynamics all played out was riveting. 

It’s a story that plays like a video game, with each week acting like side mission on the way to your end goal. 

The video game this is based off of is revered, so if you played and watched the show let me know what you thought - because I’m curious if the same enjoyability level was achieved. 

How I rate my enjoyability has to do with personal preference, and not quality. The script, acting and cinematography was all exceptional - I just personally never felt connected to the overarching story, or the main characters enough to feel the need to dig any deeper, past this season. 

Regardless, I still think it’s a show that is worthy of your time for its strong premiere episode, and its best to decide from there whether you want to continue on with it, or not. 

Enjoy! 

6.95/10 

Runtime: 55mins

Episodes: 9

Seasons: 1

Where: Crave TV or HBO Max

HBO The Last of Us (2023) Review | The Richmond Reviewer

#TheLastofUs #VideoGames #Games #Movie #TVSeries #MovieReview  #PedroPascal 

Perfect Match 

This is Netflix’s Reality TV equivalent of a Multiverse of Madness. 

#PerfectMatch follows contestants of Love is Blind, Too Hot to  Handle, TheCircle and other Netflix Reality TV series, who are still single as can be - and try to mix & match them on dates until they find a partner they are “truly” compatible with. 

As someone who only watched Too Hot to Handle, and whatever viral clips of the other shows made there way onto my twitter feed, I had no idea what to expect going into this. 

Initially I was just going to watch a few episodes and leave it at that, but one turns into two, which turned into me staying up at midnight for the finale…

This will be my spoiler filled thoughts on the show so come back after you’ve watched it, or trash my page for even watching this - either/or is reasonable. 😅

Throughout my watch my favorites were Savanah, Dom, Georgia and Ines.

Savannah was obviously attractive but I appreciated how she was in there to play a game, knowing damn well no one was finding their perfect match on this show. Her mistake was forgetting to play to the camera which ruined her game plan, and though I respect her fighting back against Francesca - by the end it became a bit much.

 
Dom was a lover boy, his heart was always in the right place, good looking dude and he mentioned he liked anime so obviously I was rooting for him and Georgia.

Ines was the eternal optimist, and a romantic philosopher who was sweet but at times felt out of place on this show. 

Everyone else just felt like they were there to get their online clout up, so a lot of the show felt disingenuous.

I hate to say I enjoyed it but I did. The tribal counsel Survivor type ending worked well, but needed a bit more suspense to put it over the top. 

 I’m happy Georgia and Dom won because Joey and Kariselle definitely tried to finesse a win by doing the whole engagement thing. 

Will I watch Season 2? I don’t know… but if you watch any of the Netflix Reality TV and haven’t watched this yet then get on it! 

Enjoy! 

7/10 🎥 🍿 

Runtime: 58mins

Episodes: 12

Seasons: 1

 
Perfect Match Review (2023) The Richmond Reviewer
Reality Show TV Review