Tag Archives: Fantasy Television

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: We Board the Princess Andromeda [S2E3] – TV Review

Posted on by
Reply

TL;DR – It is time for a quest proper, or maybe two, and I am glad we have taken up the chalice and run with it.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that viewed this series.

Post-Credit Scene – There is a mid-credit scene.

An Ironclad.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Review –

There are many things that you can expect when you sit down to watch or read Percy Jackson. But the one thing you can always count on is a quest. Well, we are officially on said quest, and all the monsters and gods that come with it.  

So, to set the scene, while there were several manipulations to try and stop Percy (Walker Scobell) from going on a quest, nothing stops Percy from going on a quest, which is how he, Annabeth (Leah Sava Jeffries), and Tyson (Daniel Diemer) find themselves on an inflatable boat heading towards the cruise ship Princess Andromeda. A totally normal whip …. Totally normal. Meanwhile, at the source of the official quest, Clarisse (Dior Goodjohn) finds herself face-to-face with The Oracle (Heather Feeney). This can be both a source of great wonder or danger; just maybe don’t chop off her head. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

Continue reading →

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Demon Pigeons Attack [S2E2] – TV Review

Posted on by
Reply

TL;DR – Despite some forced tension, the episode shines with a thrilling chariot race and heartfelt godly moments.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that viewed this series.

Post-Credit Scene – There is a mid-credit scene.

A swarm of Stymphalian Birds.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Review –

A couple of days ago, we looked at the first part of this opening introduction to Percy Jackson’s second season: I Play Dodgeball with Cannibals. We talked about how it felt like the first part of an opening episode. Well, today we take a look at that second part where things ratchet up in tension as the real threat comes into view.  

So, to set the scene, Tantalus (Timothy Simons) is ruling Camp Half-Blood like his own fiefdom, which is getting in the way of everyone wanting to go save Grover (Aryan Simhadri) and secure the Golden Fleece. But Percy (Walker Scobell) and Annabeth (Leah Sava Jeffries) think they have found a loophole in the rules, thanks to the chariot race, that should let them go on an official quest. Well, that was the idea, but a cryptic warning from Chiron (Glynn Turman) and the sudden swarm of Stymphalian Birds put a wrench in their plans. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

Continue reading →

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: I Play Dodgeball with Cannibals [S2E1] – TV Review

Posted on by
1

TL;DR – Our first episode is very much a ‘get all our ducks in a row’ kind of narrative, but I didn’t mind because the cast take it in their stride.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that viewed this series.

Post-Credit Scene – There is a mid-credit scene.

Clarisse La Rue arrives.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Review –

Well, it is good to say that it is time for some more Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I was honestly delighted with everything that Season 1 had to offer, as it showed just how important casting is for a show. Well, now we are back for round two, and I, for one, can’t wait to see what the Sea of Monsters has going on. I mean, I know because I have read the books, but the sentiment still stands.  

So, to set the scene, it has been a year since Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell) and his friends Annabeth Chase (Leah Sava Jeffries) & Grover Underwood (Aryan Simhadri) stopped a brewing war between the Gods by discovering that one of their fellow campers, Luke Castellan (Charlie Bushnell), was a thief and was manipulating Olympus into open warfare. While Percy has been away from camp, he has tried to keep up with his friends, but when he dreams that something has gone terribly wrong on Grover’s hunt for the lost god Pan, he must get back to camp right away. Only, is he able to take Tyson (Daniel Diemer), the cyclops his mother, Sally (Virginia Kull), befriended through the barrier that stops monsters? Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

Continue reading →

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Shadow and Flame & Season 2 – TV Review

Posted on by
6

TL;DR – The season ends on a high note as war comes to Middle Earth

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Amazon Prime service that viewed this episode.

Durin’s Bane

The Rings of Power Review –

Well, we have flown by, and before we knew it, we hit the end of the second season of Rings of Power. There have been highs and lows along the way this season, and some stories have triumphed while others have tried to tread water and failed. Today, we will take the time to see if the finale stuck the landing and then reflect on the season as a whole.  

So, to set the scene, things are dire for the good people of Middle Earth. The Orcs have entered Eregion, as Adar (Sam Hazeldine) has subdued Elrond (Robert Aramayo) and captured one of the Elven Rings of Power. Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) might have escaped with the Ring for Men, but it still seems like Sauron (Charlie Vickers) is controlling everything as one of the great elven cities burns. The dwarves could not come to help because they were dealing with a King who was so focused on greed that he might unleash an untold horror. Even out in the East, The Stranger (Daniel Weyman) is faced with growing darkness and a choice that could lead to the death of those he loves. Is there any hope for Middle Earth? Only time will tell. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode and season as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

Continue reading →

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Doomed to Die – TV Review

Posted on by
1

TL;DR – From the opening deceptions to the closing metal romp, this was one of the strongest episodes of the season so far.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Amazon Prime service that viewed this episode.

Celebrimbor stuck in an illusion.

The Rings of Power Review –

We are getting to the pointy part of the season, and things are starting to go down because all things must end. Indeed, there are a lot of characters and storylines floating around, and we know at least some of them do not survive the end of this story. Well, when you are doomed to die, can you really complain? But when you have nothing but action, it can get exhausting, and it is that challenge that we will examine today.   

So, to set the scene, we open with Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) quietly working away by himself in his forge, crafting the nine rings of man. He found quiet solitude in those days after all his apprentices had been sent away, with only Sauron/Annatar (Charlie Vickers) as a companion. However, just on the edge of his perception, he gets glimpses of something not quite right. A missing jewel suddenly reappears, and a gaunt visage in a mirror fixes itself when he looks back. Something is just not quite right, but he can’t put his finger on it. Meanwhile, outside of his delusions/illusions, the land of Eregion is under attack by an Orc force that may be its downfall. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

Continue reading →

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Where Is He? – TV Review

Posted on by
1

TL;DR – While frustrations remain, you can feel the momentum of the series shift as we start getting to the pointy end.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Amazon Prime service that viewed this episode.

Sauron smirks.

The Rings of Power Review –

We are getting to the pointy end of the season, which means things need to start rolling towards the conclusion. Orcs are on the move, evil beings are manipulating, and calamities abound. But as we rush to the end, manipulations get stronger, allies become odder, and fractures become profound.

So, to set the scene, Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova) is hot on the heels of the orc band that cut their way through the forest, angering the Ents in Eldest, but when he catches up to some deserters, he is shocked to see that they march on the Elven city of forges. Meanwhile, in that very city, Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) is showing more signs of instability as he cannot get the rings for man to work, and he has started forgetting things. This alarms his smiths, but what they don’t know is much of his current disposition has been influenced by Annatar/Sauron (Charlie Vickers), who has slowly twisted the grand forger’s mind. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

Continue reading →

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Halls of Stone – TV Review

Posted on by
2

TL;DR – A Tail of Two Narratives, one compelling, one fraught with simplicity.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Amazon Prime service that viewed this episode.

A pouting high king.

The Rings of Power Review –

Hmmm, we are now five episodes in and after last week’s Eldest and this week’s outing, it is clear that some fracture lines are appearing this season. On the one hand, we have story points that are engaging and bringing me into this world. And on the other hand, there are narratives that I might want to fast forward through if I give in to the whispers.

So, to set the scene in the halls of Khazad-dûm, food is starting to get scarce as the miners continue to struggle to build new light shafts after the previous shafts were destroyed in the aftermath of Mt Doom erupting. However, while there has been little headway made, Durin III (Peter Mullan) has a new tool, a ring from Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) that whispers in his ear and tells him where to dig. Durin IV is not sure of it, but when they strike light, it is surely proof that it is real? I mean, it is not like there is a sinister undertone going on here at all. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

Continue reading →

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Eldest – TV Review

Posted on by
3

TL;DR – It does still feel like we are spinning our wheels a little bit, but this episode did work a bit better, if for no other reason than the return of old friends.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Amazon Prime service that viewed this episode.

Lindon on a map of Middle Earth.

The Rings of Power Review –

For most of the start of the second season of The Rings of Power, I was riding on a high. It was just such a joy to be back in this world and exploring Middle Earth again. However, last week’s The Eagle and the Sceptre put a slight pause on the festivities as it bogged down in storylines that didn’t help push it forward. The question we look at this week is: Was that just a blip in the road, or was it the start of a trend?

So, to set the scene, after hearing worrying silence from Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards), a party of elves has been sent south from Lindon to see what might have happened and to make sure Sauron (Charlie Vickers) has not established influence there. Spoiler alert: he already has. However, it is not Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) who leads this expedition; it is Elrond (Robert Aramayo) who is profoundly suspicious of the ring that now lives on Galadriel’s finger. He fears that it will be a source of evil, but it might just be saving their lives. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

Continue reading →

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: The Eagle and the Sceptre – TV Review

Posted on by
2

TL;DR – After blasting through our first couple of episodes with flying colours, we reach our first pause as we explore the last of the opening trilogy.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Amazon Prime service that viewed this episode.

Durin and Disa connect.

The Rings of Power Review –

In our jump back into the world of The Rings of Power, we have visited dwarves, elves, harfoots, magicians and orcs. However, there has been one major play from last season that has been surprisingly absent from the proceedings, Númenor. Well, today, in the last of the opening trilogy, we fix that as we spend time in the island kingdom on the cusp of a significant change.

So, to set the scene, after Elendil (Lloyd Owen) was forced to leave his son Isildur (Maxim Baldry) in the blight left by Mt Doom to get Queen Regent Míriel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) back to Númenor, he thought all was lost. However, never bet against survival in The Lord of the Rings when you have a horse on your side. But as they arrive back in Númenor, they discover that the High King has died, and Pharazôn (Trystan Gravelle) might be coveting a new, more important job. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.       

Continue reading →

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Where the Stars are Strange – TV Review

Posted on by
2

TL;DR – We delve deeper into the dwarves, and see the manipulation afoot.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Amazon Prime service that viewed this episode.

The elven city of Ost-in-Edhil.

The Rings of Power Review –

It is time to dive into the second part of the opening trilogy for The Rings of Power’s second season after Elven Kings Under the Sky. While last week was all about setting the scene, this week feels more like setting the mood for the season as we return to the Dwarves and see the dangers on the horizon.

So, to set the scene, after being banished and his prince hood removed, Durin IV (Owain Arthur) and his wife Disa (Sophia Nomvete) have shifted to a life away from power and riches. But before they can adapt to that life, Khazad-dûm is struck with a devastating earthquake that shatters the intricate mirrors that give the city light. Meanwhile, the elves of London are trying to work out how best to confront the growing threat of the orcs of Mordor now that Mt Doom has erupted. Still, while Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) can see the real danger might be closer to home, Gil-galad (Benjamin Walker) cannot, which is a problem because ‘Halbrand’ (Charlie Vickers) has arrived at the gates of Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards). Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.    

Continue reading →