Tag Archives: review

Among Us (2026): Season 1 – TV Review

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TL;DR – This is an almost perfect adaptation of the original game, full of tasks, murder, and voting people to their doom.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Paramount+ service used to view this series.

The whole crew around a pizza party table.

Among Us Review Introduction

Back at the heart of COVID in 2020, there were a few things that helped get us through it. One of those was this weird little hidden role game where you set yourself a bunch of tasks to complete on a spaceship while one or more of you are aliens trying to kill you. Now, I played a lot of Among Us during this time, and my self-reports were legendary. Which means I am very interested to see how this animated adaptation turned out.   

So, to set the scene, deep in an asteroid field, a bunch of new employees, Green (Elijah Wood) and White (Patton Oswalt), for the MIRA Corporation, have begun the trip up to their new ship. Fun. Engagement. Fun-Gagement. These are the pillars of MIRA. All they have to do is take this new Ore+ from the asteroid to Industria, a simple trip. As Orange (Yvette Nicole Brown) gives them a tour of the ship and the crew, including the doctor Blue (Dan Stevens), we find a whole bunch of quirky characters for a trip like this. It all looks to be going swimmingly, well, you would hate it if there was a secret imposter on board wanting to take everyone else out one by one. Now, from here, we will be looking at the season as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.   

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Finding Emily – Movie Review

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TL;DR – An oddly charming film that transcends some of the potential limitations by grounding the characters in a clear sense of time and place.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

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

Disclosure – I was invited to a press screening of this film.

A poster with "Missing, A Digit of Emily's Number!, you gave me 10/11th's of your number on MONDAY you were a FAIRY I was the guy with no bottle opener who'd really like to see you again Meet ME Where you found me ANY NIGHT 7pm"

Finding Emily Review Introduction

When you have been writing reviews for a while, one of the issues that comes up is that you tend to have seen everything under the sun already. It is like that friend who always knows who the murderer is five minutes into a murder mystery. However, every now and again, a film will catch you off guard, and that is what we are looking at today.   

So, to set the scene, Owen (Spike Fearn) is a caring guy trying to make a life as a sound engineer when one night at a club he is working in, he runs into Emily (Sadie Soverall). They immediately hit it off with an almost electric chemistry. To the point he almost loses his job from having a good time. But late at night, before the clock struck 12, Emily had to run off with her friends to another party, but since they were having such fun, she put her number in Owen’s phone. The next morning, Owen’s brother, Matt (Jack Riddiford) and his partner, Freya (Isabella Laughland), did find a bit of glee when Owen discovered Emily had only given her 10 of the 11 digits of her phone number. But Owen was determined, and Manchester is a university town, so someone must know who she is, right? His first attempt was a failure, but Emily Raine (Angourie Rice) was nice enough to help him on his mission, but her motives might not be all that altruistic.

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Mixtape – Video Game Review

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TL;DR – A joyous exploration of that cliff in time when you transition from one stage of life to the next, full of its promises, dangers, and the desire to look back while you are hurtling forward.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for this game.

The characters flying through the air.
It is the details that matter. Image Credit: Annapurna Interactive.

Mixtape Review Introduction

Every form of art throughout history has explored that threshold on which a child becomes an adult. That moment when you become a complete being, more than just the sum of your family circumstances. In cinema, we are served a plethora of powerful examples: 10 Things I Hate About You, The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, The Edge of Seventeen, Booksmart, The Princess Diaries, & Clueless, to name just a few. But until today, I have not seen a video game really get into the weeds of that genre; well, this changes now.  

So, to set the scene, Stacey Rockford (Bella DeLong), Van Slater (Max Korman), and Cassandra Morino (Jessica Ma) are three best friends living in the mountainous north of California in the early 1990s. They are cruising through the streets of their town on skateboards, celebrating the end of High School. But this is also a crossroads; some are leaving their claustrophobic town, some are staying, with all three being pulled to different parts of the country. Stacey’s life revolves around music, and she has created the perfect playlist for their last full day together, but fate might have different ideas.    

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Scrubs: Season 10 – TV Review

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TL;DR – It found its charm at times, but whether it was the short episode order or the passage of time, I just came away feeling a bit hollow about it all.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that aired this episode.

The Hospital entrance.

Scrubs Review –

I came into the first episode of this new spin-off, My Return, with a touch of trepidation. Could a show like Scrubs find that same formula among the cast that worked for almost all its runtime? Can a show both reinvent itself for a modern audience without losing that pull of nostalgia and vibe that made it good in the first place? These are the questions I asked myself this season.  


So, to set the scene, it has been a long time since JD (Zach Braff) worked at Sacred Heart hospital [which was not torn down, I do not know how that rumour got started]. However, while he spends his days being a concierge doctor for the wealthy, it is not exactly a stimulating profession. But as fate would have it, today he is back at his old stomping grounds, because one of his patients got admitted. It is a place of joy with old friends, Turk (Donald Faison) and Carla (Judy Reyes), old mentors, Dr Cox (John C. McGinley), and more recent ex-wives, Elliot (Sarah Chalke). But when JD gets an offer he can’t refuse, his life is about to do a complete U-turn. Now, from here, we will be looking at the season, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Shrinking: Season 3 – TV Review

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TL;DR – Shrinking is the kind of show that has cornered the market in laugh-crying your way through an episode, and this final but not final season captured that beautifully

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the AppleTV service that I used to view this series.

Liz looking down from her balcony.

Shrinking Review introduction –

Today, we are looking at a very odd sort of ending. Because in one sense, we have reached the end of a story, three planned-out seasons careening towards a goal. However, because of the impact of the cast and characters, we know there will be another season with another story. It is like wondering if you are saying goodbye to characters you love or see you later. It is in that space that we explore the final season today.  

So, to set the scene, things are looking up for the group of friends working their way around life, love, and finding themselves. However, while everyone is growing and changing, life finds its way to throw curveballs everywhere. Jimmy (Jason Segel) wants Alice (Lukita Maxwell) to get into Wesleyan, but he is very much not ready for his daughter to move across the country for college in Connecticut. Paul’s (Harrison Ford) Parkinson’s is progressing, and he can’t hold a pencil anymore. But nothing prepares you for the reason someone says, “My bad”. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead. 

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Slay the Spire II – Video Game Review

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TL;DR – A profoundly absorbing game, each run crafts a different narrative, making you want to take another spin, over and over again.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I was gifted a copy of this game.

Disclosure – This game was in Early Access when reviewed.

Slay the Spire II title card.

Slay the Spire II Review Introduction

In the pre-times, a number of my friends got hooked on this deck-building turn-based roguelike game that sort of came out of nowhere. I often struggle with deck-builders, so it passed me by, but I was always advised that I had missed a gem. Well, fast-forward several years, and the next game in the series dropped at the same time that a bunch of birthdays happened in my friends’ circle, and funny enough, we all ended up with a copy, and it has absorbed our lives since. So, it is time to dive into the world of Slay the Spire II or Slay the Spire 2 if you prefer Arabic numerals.

So, to set the scene, in a far-off, distant land, there exists a Spire, full of wonders and dangers. At the bottom of the Spire lives Neow, the Mother of Resurrection, sending wave after wave of adventurers up its many floors to defeat the Architect. You play as one of the many characters fighting your way past Monsters, Elites, and Bosses using your deck of cards to apply actions. You have limited energy each turn, so you need to work out how best to use your blocks, attacks, and special cards to take down the enemies before they come for you.

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Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat – Onboarding [S2:E1] – TV Review

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TL;DR – This opening episode shows that lightning just might be able to strike twice.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Amazon Prime service that streamed this series.

Oak Canyon Ranch Retreat.

Company Retreat Review Introduction

Back in 2023, something very odd happened: television created a prank show that ended up uplifting its target rather than beating them down. Jury Duty was a wild experiment that frankly should not have worked. Seriously, when you think about all the different elements that needed to come together to make it work, it is astonishing. However, once you have pulled that off, there is no way you could go in for a second bite at the apple … right? …

So, to set the scene, Anthony Norman (Anthony Norman) is working as a temp when he applied for a position at Rockin’ Grandma’s Hot Sauce company. You see, hot sauce is having a glow up at the moment, and there is a celebratory feel to the company. Well, Anthony has been brought on by the head of HR, Kevin Gomez (Ryan Perez), to assist him in running the company retreat. The only weird thing is that there is a documentary crew following them around because the CEO of the company, Doug (Jerry Hauck), is retiring and is about to hand the reins to his son Dougy Jr. (Alex Bonifer). Oh, and did I mention that everyone in the show is an actor, except Anthony Norman. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.      

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Paradise: Mayday [S2:E2] – TV Review

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TL;DR – A fascinating look at survival in a world trying to kill you to survive.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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

A plane crash

Paradise Review –

Today, we dive into the second episode of Paradise’s second season. While the first episode was all worldbuilding, here we get stuck into the meat cube of things when we get to see how love first bloomed. But also see just why you never want to find yourself in Arkansas.  

So, to set the scene, after taking off in a light plane at the end of Season One towards Atlanta, Xavier Collins (Sterling K. Brown) was flying south when a sudden flashback and a surprise hailstorm forced the plane to come down in quite a crash. Xavier survives the crash, but little does he know that he came down in Arkansas, and the last place you ever want to find yourself is Arkansas. Especially when you have a dislocated knee, and you have to put it back in place by yourself… Crunch … Scream. Now, from here, we will be looking at the season as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Paradise: Graceland [S2:E1] – TV Review

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TL;DR – They take a gamble with this first episode of the new season, but I think they pulled it off.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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

Day 24.

Paradise Review –

Last year, there was one TV series that caught me off guard, because I was completely surprised that we were actually in a post-apocalyptic world. Season One of Paradise had its foibles, but it was also an electric romp all the way to the end. But that season was very self-contained, and I wonder if the show has the strength to branch out? Well, that is what we will start looking at today.  

So, to set the scene, Annie (Shailene Woodley) has not had the best of lives, looking after mother in trouble, who died young, bouncing out of medical school, and ending up as a tour guide at Graceland, which turned out to be a bunker when the world fell apart. But tragedy is everywhere in a world where summer never came, ash blots out the sky, and the simple things now kill. Now, from here, we will be looking at the season as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Fallout: The Strip [S2E8] & Full Season – TV Review

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TL;DR – While it did manage to pull most of the threads together, you can’t help but feel that they were too ambitious this season for what they were able to pull together in the end.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Amazon Prime subscription used to watch this series.

Post-Credit – There is a post-credit scene

The Dead Caesar.

Fallout: The Strip Review Introduction –

And so we have reached the end of the season, and I do have some feelings as we hit some real highs and then some head-scratching decisions. It’s a cavalcade of choices that show the creators love Fallout deeply, even if they don’t always have a firm grip on the world they’ve built. Honestly, it means that while the season had some high moments and a surprise Canada, I was left disappointed by the finale, and today we will dive in to see why that was.   

So, to set the scene, things are going down in the Wasteland as most of the characters in the show have convened in New Vegas. However, around the Wasteland, things are on the move. Caesar’s Legion has finally sorted out their civil war, Hank’s (Kyle MacLachlan) assortment of weaponised people is growing, and Lucy (Ella Purnell) just discovered what is powering them all. But while people are out there all trying to find their destinies, little do they know that there is another organisation out there more powerful than they can dream. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode and season as a whole, so there may be [SPOILERS] ahead.   

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