Category Archives: TV Reviews

The Expanse: Down and Out – TV Review

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TL;DR – For every disaster, there is an aftermath, and we start to see some of that this week

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Amazon Prime subscription that viewed this series.

The Expanse: Down and Out. Image Credit: Amazon Studios.

Down and Out Review –

Last week’s episode Gaugamela was the culmination of three build-up episodes (well more than that if you count Season 4). An episode where you spent the whole time holding your breath not wanting to see what would happen next. But there has to be an aftermath, and this week’s episode is all of that and more.

So to set the scene, we open with the aftermath of the asteroid impacts on Earth as Amos (Wes Chatham) and Peaches (Nadine Nicole) wake up in a damaged and failing room. They were at the bottom of The Pit when the Pennsylvania asteroid hit. Which meant that Amos stayed on the planet one day too late, but it probably saved their lives. But surviving the impact was one thing. Getting out of a fortified prison when the prison guards don’t know the world has changed is an entirely different matter. Now from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead. 

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Letterkenny Season 9 – TV Review

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TL;DR – This was a season of transition taking a moment to ground everyone for what is about to come

Rating: 4 out of 5.
Letterkenny. Image Credit: SBS.

Letterkenny Review –

There are some days when you stumble upon something that is just pure gold, a show that knows exactly what it wants to be, and one that is ready to shout it to the rooftops. Growing up in Australia we got a lot of Canadian shows, also as a fan of Sci-fi I got to see Canada on the TV screen quite often even if it was just playing P3X-984. However, I had never seen a show that was genuinely Canadian, well until now.

So to set the scene, there are 5000 people in Letterkenny, and these are their problems. Letterkenny is a small town in rural Ontario, Canada, and like all small towns, it has its clicks and groups. Our main crew is brother and sister Wayne (Jared Keeso) and Katy (Michelle Mylett) along with their two friends Daryl (Nathan Dales) and Squirrelly Dan (K. Trevor Wilson). They make up the group known as the hicks, those folks that live off the farms and spend their days choring and nights drinking a Gus N’ Bru or maybe a couple of Puppers down at the bar MoDean’s run by Gail (Lisa Codrington). Then there are the hockey bros Reilly (Dylan Playfair) and Jonesy (Andrew Herr) who while not being the smartest tools in the shed know how to chirp and get gains. The final main group in town are the Skids, led by their leader Stewart (Tyler Johnston) they are reclusive and spend more time on chemical substances than off it and have a habit of causing all sorts of trouble. Also not far out of town on the Res are The Natives led by Tanis (Tiio Horn) who are such formidable hockey players that the opposition usually comes down with a case of ‘native flu’ rather than make the trip over. Everything is fine, well that is until something throws off the balance of the town, like stealing cigarettes or degens from up-country, or what happened last season when Dierks (Tyler Hynes) cheated on Katy, and the whole town went around to hand him a new one. Now we are going to be looking at the season as a whole, and this means there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Star Trek Discovery: Su’Kal – TV Review

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TL;DR – After a season we start getting answers while things fall apart

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Netflix subscription that viewed this series.

Star Trek Discovery: Su’Kal. Image Credit: CBS Studios.

Su’Kal Review –

There have been several on-going questions through this season of Star Trek Discovery, and at the core of them is what caused The Burn. Today, after a season of questions, we finally get some answers, before things start falling apart.  

So to set the scene, we start this week’s episode right where last week’s Terra Firma Part 2 finished with a memorial service. While this is happening Stamets (Anthony Rapp) gets a notification from the ship that they are watching that there is a life form on board, which given it has been 125 years, and the amount of radiation seems unlikely, but here we are. Now from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead. 

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The Expanse: Gaugamela – TV Review

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TL;DR – Everything so far this season has led to here, and it did not disappoint.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Amazon Prime subscription that viewed this series.

The Expanse: Gaugamela. Image Credit: Amazon Studios.

Gaugamela Review –

When you have set up a narrative to hit an inevitable crescendo, it can be dangerous because it becomes make or break. If you fall flat, all that hard work was for naught, and you can sink your whole narrative. This meant that I came into this episode with a little trepidation as everything from Exodus, Churn, and Mother led to this moment, and well,  I am glad to say that it did not disappoint.  

So to set the scene, during last week’s episode, Amos (Wes Chatham) decided that this was the last time he was ever going to come back down the well, which meant if he had any unfinished business now was the time to fix it. A couple of favours later and he found himself in The Pit, the place where the UN keeps its most dangerous criminals. He is here to meet Clarissa Mao (Nadine Nicole) or as he calls her Peaches. However, as Amos is down The Pit, everything gets put into lockdown, and the room begins to shake. Now from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead. 

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The Expanse: Mother – TV Review

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TL;DR – An episode where we delve into Amos’ past, and my heart breaks a little

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Amazon Prime subscription that viewed this series.

The Expanse: Season 5. image Credit: Amazon Studios.

Mother Review –

This season the show has done something a little different compared to the last season. Instead of dropping all the episodes at once, the show is giving us the first three episodes and then doing a weekly release after that, much like the last season of The Boys. Which means this is the last of the three opening episodes that we will look at today.

So to set the scene, everything is coming to ahead as forces move throughout the Solar System with carnage on their minds. Here there becomes a race to find out the information in time and get it to the right people. But none of that matters to one person because Naomi Nagata (Dominique Tipper) just wants to save one person, her son Filip (Jasai Chase Owens). Now from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead. 

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The Mandalorian: Chapter 16 (The Rescue) and Season 2 – TV Review

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TL;DR – It does what a season finale has to do, and broke my heart a little along the way

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is a post-credit scene

The Mandalorian: Chapter 16 (The Rescue). Image Credit: Disney+.

The Mandalorian: The Rescue Review –

In today’s episode, Season Two draws to a close as we find ourselves on the cusp of a great battle. This has been an exciting season with highs and lows as we have deepened both the story and the mythos of the universe of this time. In this review, we will first cover the final episode and then take some time to explore the season as a whole.

So to set the scene, ever since The Tragedy, Mando (Pedro Pascal) has had one thing on his mind, to get Grogu back. To do this, he had to raise allies, get information about locations, and basically prepare to go to war with the Imperial Remnant. Well, he has done all that and now it is time to bring a world of hate to those who would take Grogu away from him. Now from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole as well as the season, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead. 

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TV Review – Star Trek Discovery: Terra Firma Part 2

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TL;DR – A beginning and an end all wound up into one

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Netflix subscription that viewed this series.

Star Trek Discovery: Terra Firma Part 2. Image Credit: CBS Studios.

Terra Firma Part 1 Review –

Today we continue our walk through the looking glass as we make our mark on the Mirror Universe. But it is also an exciting episode with regards to relationships and even the past as it comes full force into the future.

So to set the scene, we are still on the ISS Discovery as Emperor Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) has decided not to kill her daughter Michael (Sonequa Martin-Green) but instead reach out to her in the only language she understands … pain. But the question is – is that enough? Now from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead. 

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The Expanse: Churn – TV Review

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TL;DR – An episode where we delve into Amos’ past, and my heart breaks a little

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Amazon Prime subscription that viewed this series.

The Expanse: Churn. Image Credit: Amazon Studios.

Churn Review –

We dive straight back into the second episode of the season which continues to build the tension for the potential coming disaster. However, this episode is more of a character piece as we get to see what motivates many of our cast of characters.

So to set the scene, in the first episode Exodus we focused on all the crew going their separate ways as they flew to different parts of the Solar System. Amos (Wes Chatham) landed on Luna and after chitchat with Chrisjen (Shohreh Aghdashloo) made the trip back to his home on Baltimore. Alex (Cas Anvar) arrived on Mars and faced a frosty reception from everyone including Bobbie (Frankie Adams), and Naomi (Dominique Tipper) made her way to Pallas Station. This departure left James (Steven Strait) all alone on Tyco Station, which was the perfect time for Monica Stuart (Anna Hopkins) to arrive with tales of intrigue. Now from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead. 

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The Expanse: Exodus – TV Review

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TL;DR – An episode that moves everybody and more importantly everything into place

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Amazon Prime subscription that viewed this series.

The Expanse: Exodus. Image Credit: Amazon Studios.

Exodus Review –

To be honest, 2020 has not been the best of years, and that might be an understatement. However, there was one ray of light on the horizon for me, and that was a new season of The Expanse, and well now it is here, it has so far not disappointed.

So to set the scene, it has been about 100+ days since the end of Season 4 and all the drama that happened on Ilus. In that time the crew of the Rocinante, James Holden (Steven Strait), Naomi Nagata (Dominique Tipper), Amos Burton (Wes Chatham), and Alex Kamal (Cas Anvar) have made their way to Tyco Station for refit and repair. Only it is time for reflection, and for many, it is time to close some personal demons. Now from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead. 

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The Expanse: Season 5 Primer

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TL;DR – With the new season of The Expanse coming out in less than a week, we will catch you up on where all the characters are before the show explodes back onto our screens.  

The Expanse: Season 5. image Credit: Amazon Studios.

The Expanse: Season 5 Primer –

With the next season of The Expanse coming out in under a week, I thought I would stop fretting and counting down the time until release and put that energy into something productive. With that in mind, below you will find a primer for the new season to catch you up on everything you need to know before Friday. For the sake of spoilers, we will be covering everything that has been released in the show so far, and the couple of early clips that have been released from the season but no more. To make this easy, we’ll first give a general overview before explore where each of the main characters are at the start of the season.

Overview:

The general overview is that the new season of The Expanse will drop on Amazon Prime this Friday/Saturday depending on your particular timezone. However, this season, not all the episodes will go live at the same time. The Expanse will be following the lead of The Boys earlier this year that released the first three episodes at once and then weekly from thereon. Personally, I found this to combine the best features of both binging and weekly release, and it worked great with The Boys, so I am looking forward to it here.

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