Brooklyn Nine-Nine chugs along at a steady pace with a Gina episode. B
Author: N. L. Chater
Writer, musician, village jester.
PEN15: A Juvenile, Humdrum Comedy That Just About Holds It Together.
PEN15 is an awkward disappointment, telling jokes that have been heard many times before. Even the jokes that are fresh soon wear out their welcome. C
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Season 1: Vivid, Gorgeous, Funny, & Intelligent
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is a delightful, lovable show that strikes a good balance between humour and drama, with a dose of fantastic dialogue to make it extra marvelous. A-
The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind (2019): A Polite, Predictable Crowd-Pleaser
The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind tells well the story of William Kamkwamba, serving as an entertaining crowd-pleaser. B
Captain Marvel (2019): Marvel’s Latest Is Bland, Unimaginative, and Unaspiring
Captain Marvel is so-so summer fare that settles for bland storytelling and cinematography, with no intentions of being anything more than summer fluff. C+
Heather Morris, The Tattooist of Auschwitz (2018): A True(ish) Tale Told From A Unique Perspective
The Tattooist of Auschwitz tells the tale of Lali Sokolov, a man who survived three years in Auschwitz as a Tätowierer, and his quest for survival and love. B+
Delia Owens, Where The Crawdads Sing (2018): Never Doubt The Power of A Simple Story & Exquisite Prose
Where The Crawdads Sing tells the haunting, melancholic, and hopeful tale of Kya, the Marsh Girl. A-
John Grisham, The Reckoning (2018): A Three-Part Tale That Could’ve Finished In One
The Reckoning starts strong, fumbles around like a college boy at a frat party halfway through, and ends in disappointment, much like a college boy at a frat party. C
Apex Legends: Not Just Another Battle Royale
A spectacular effort from Respawn Entertainment and a worthy contender to other battle royale titles, Apex Legends is a fun, energetic battle royale that has excellent gameplay, but needs to work on its issues with connectivity and loot boxes that will hopefully lead to a balanced game in the coming months.
B+
Russian Doll, Season 1 (2019): Brilliant Writing & Top-Notch Acting Make This Comedy A Must Watch
Russian Doll takes an old plot device and runs with it in new and interesting ways, creating a show that’s rife with comedy and rich, nuanced characters, pushing the boundaries for what such shows, and the ideas they represent, can portray. It is a fascinating and well-written show that wastes no time in telling the story it wants to tell. It tells little stories within stories, allowing for both hilarity and poignance, and is a show I wholeheartedly recommend, even if the conclusion isn’t as satisfying as it could’ve been. A
The Average Viewer 