TV Shows Viewed in 2023

Viewed: Season 1

The first TV show led by the iconic Sylvester Stallone, and with the creative talent of Taylor Sheridan and Terrence Winter behind it, Tulsa King actually exceeded my modest expectations. Rather than something dour or too self-serious, this is actually quite a fun show with great characters and a bit of humour amid the gangster escapades. Halfway through the season, I was already wholly attached to the characters and I was invested in what happens next. Sly is a perfect anchor for the show, and it's fun watching him as a gangster fresh out of prison who sticks to what he knows from decades prior, including wanting to be part of a weed operation despite weed already being legal. The supporting cast is hugely colourful, and the show is slick and well-made, as to be expected from a 2022 show. I'm looking forward to the next season and I can't wait to watch the series again.

Viewed: Season 1

Based on the excellent video game of the same name, The Last of Us is a pretty good series which had the potential to be great. Firstly, the production values are just as impressive as you'd expect from a new HBO show, with impressive sets that lovingly recreate the game's designs. The sense of authenticity is striking, particularly with the infected being brought to life with makeup and prosthetics as opposed to out-and-out CGI. When the show hits its mark, it really hits hard - the first two episodes, in particular, are astonishing and chilling. Unfortunately, there are two episodes which seriously halt the pace and take away from the main focus of the series. Both episodes involve gay romances, and it leaves you thinking that the creators were only really interested in gay romance than the post-apocalyptic infected story - I mean, one of the creative team admitted to wanting to trick people into watching a gay romance story. The pacing is also hit-and-miss, and the threat of the infected is mostly forgotten about except for when an episode needs a quick scare or for a character to conveniently be killed. However, the final episode thoroughly sticks the landing, beautifully adapting the astonishing ending of the game and leaving you wanting more...except I know what happens in the second game, which immediately makes me want to skip any further seasons. I still liked this show overall, but I really wish it was better.

Viewed: Season 3

For the first time since this show began, I was able to watch this third and seemingly final season of Ted Lasso week by week. Unfortunately, this is a frustrating and hit-and-miss season overall; alarmingly unfocused, messy, and lacking the spark and magic which characterized the first two seasons. It's hard to pinpoint precisely what went wrong, but show creator Bill Lawrence was focusing more on his new show Shrinking, and his absence from the writer's room is palpable. Major ideas were introduced before being abruptly dropped before leading anywhere significant, huge moments in the season occur off-camera, and characterization is inconsistent and messy. The final part of the season feels rushed, in particular, which is odd given that all the episodes of the season ballooned to an unruly 65-75 minutes each. There are some truly poor episodes in this season, such as "Signs" and "We'll Never Have Paris" which took me more than one attempt to sit through as they didn't hold my interest. Ted also becomes a background character in the show, and the season expects us to simply forget the terrible things that Nate did in the previous season which turned him into a villain. The most egregious narrative digression for the season involves Keeley, with the show seemingly going out of its way to become a Keeley spinoff. Hell, she has more story material than the titular character. However, the show does come close to the magic of the earlier seasons with the last two episodes, which come close to perfect but still exclude too many key moments for my taste. Still, the finale does more right than wrong, and I was satisfied with where the show ended up. It's just a shame that after a two-year wait, this season is so hit-and-miss.

Viewed: Season 3

I don't recall ever being so unenthusiastic about a season of The Mandalorian - and, for that matter, it's surprising just how little the world seemed to care. The season season of this show, in particular, was when the show peaked; I was hooked, watching each episode as they dropped and watching as the internet dissected every detail. But too much time passed for this season to arrive, and, in the interim, we had Book of Boba Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi, both of which were hit and miss, while Andor was a great show that couldn't find its audience. This definitely drove Star Wars enthusiasm down, rather than building anticipation. Anyway, so how is this third season overall? It's fine, with moments of greatness, but it is spotty. It felt quite aimless and meandering for large sections of the season, and the "side missions" felt contrived as the characters kept doing little tasks to achieve their next objective. This leads to some horrific episodes such as the cameo-studded episode with Lizzo and Jack Black that feels closer to Thor: Love and Thunder. Additionally, pushing Bo-Katan to the forefront and making her extremely powerful doesn't sit right; it feels like agenda. You can have capable female characters alongside the heroes, but Bo-Katan is seemingly the only capable one in the show. Some stuff with Grogu is too goofy, too, especially when he pilots a starship and gets in on the action. But... there's still enough in this season to like, and the final two episodes are where it finally finds its groove. I do want more of this show, but hopefully we don't have to wait another 2.5 years.

Viewed: Season 1

Viewed: Season 5

Viewed: Season 1

Viewed: Season 1