Tv Show Review - Blog Posts

I finished Trese from Netflix and I adore it. The concept of using Filipino culture and mythology alongside supernatural/murder mystery. I love learning new mythology through a compelling story. The characters are great- Alexandra is a badass and the twins are lovable jokesters. I can’t say whether the Filipino representation was great or not, but I like that most of the cast was of Asian descent. 

I really hope this series gets a second season because I need more content. Maybe I’ll get into the source material soon. 

I watched the first three episodes of Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season 5.

I…Eh…

First of all, where is the Gaslight? We haven’t seen it in so long.

Second, I’m sad to see that there’s still a lack of long stand-up performances…in this show about a comedienne. This was a problem in season 4, and I hope they fix it as S5 goes on.

I’m so glad season 4 Midge is mostly gone. I hated how insufferable she was in Season 4 and that Susie was never able to get through to her. That’s the core of their relationship, and I don’t like that it took so long for her to get over herself.

The flash forward openings were…weird. On one hand, Miriam being kind of an absentee mother makes some sort of sense, but seeing her as another version of Rose is kind of disappointing.

As is the reveal that she’s apparently been married four more times. Like, why can’t she find happiness? I never liked the arc about ending up alone, but I was willing to accept it as Midge putting romantic relationships on hold for a bit after putting it ahead of everything for so long.

But apparently she no longer speaks to Susie either? I HATE the explanation they give too. Their whole “we’re not friends, we’re coworkers” finished midway through the second season, and was a huge and endearing bit of Susie’s growth. I’m sure they’ll expand on it, but it’s just sad. And they showed the inverse of it mostly effectively in Season 3.

I hate that this show seems to really be doubling down on its message of “you have to be alone and distant from literally anyone to achieve your dreams.”

Season 1 and Season 2 (barring the finale) were about finding personal growth by pursuing your own ambitions.

Season 3, which I didn’t enjoy as much, is where the “ending up alone to succeed” stuff really started after being seeded in the Season 2 finale. Yeah, it’s hinted at in the S2 premiere, but it’s more about the final end of Midge and Joel specifically. The plot line with Ben is also more about Midge opening up with a potential romantic partner, and how perhaps she isn’t ready or compatible with someone in that moment enough to settle down.

She’s only about a year out from her divorce, so it makes sense that she realizes that she isn’t ready to settle down again.

I don’t really get why she decided that one failed relationship automatically equals alone forever. I guess it’s because she’s also super influenced by Lenny’s performance, but…that’s another problem. Her idolization of him is just such a weird step in the wrong direction for her character.

She’s putting him on a pedestal the same way she did with Joel, and it’s him that is the one to get her out of her self-destructive phase.

Susie once told her “You do not need a … man at your side to do this”. Except she does.

I hate some of the messaging in this show, but hopefully the final episodes will make up for the stuff I didn’t like just like the Lenny and Midge blue room scene did last season.

ranking hsmtmts characters bc i’ve got nothing more important to do

14. lily

she’s just plain annoying and i want her to get off my screen every time she’s on it.

hope she’s not in season three and if she is she’s not redeemed (make her even more evil, then maybe she’ll be interesting).

[this is just about the character of course, nothing against the actress]

13. miss jen

i was finally starting to like her in the beginning of season 2 but the last few episodes reminded me how infuriating she is. i don’t like how she treats her students and the fact that she doesn’t have teaching credentials doesn’t help.

12. ricky

it’s not that i hate him i actually like him sometimes, but he’s so oblivious and gullible. give this boy some therapy then maybe we’ll talk.

11. nini

she’s alright. but we see so much of her and yet so little of the important stuff that would actually make her interesting. i support and respect her and all, i just don’t really care about her.

10. natalie

hello where’s her screen time? episodes 10&11 proved she deserves it.

9. big red

he’s just kinda there. i like the actor but i’m not that invested in the character’s storyline.

8. carlos

respect him a lot. but the show doesn’t give him enough plot line for me to care.

7. seb

love him bc he’s a sweetheart but him and carlos are in the same boat (or should i say ship) when it comes to screen time. the show remembers they exist once every 5 episodes, so they’re just kinda there in the background.

6. howie

he’s so high up bc he intrigues me. i’m certain that he’s a good guy but i guess the finale will settle it for me.

5. kourtney

i’m glad that this season she’s not just a supportive black friend and gets her own storyline. although i wish we’d seen more of her at work & pursuing her dreams instead of only witnessing the howie drama (and even that mostly in the background).

4. ashlyn

ash was consistently great from the beginning. love her bond with gina and need more of it.

in some ways she reminds me of phoebe from friends because she’s a multitasking queen and apparently likes to stir up drama (bc wth was that deal with the chocolates).

3. mr mazzara

even though he was sort of an antagonist in season one (for like 4 episodes) and he said a few nasty things, since his first scene, i liked his presence and comedic timing. in season two he completely won me over. he’s just someone who can do no wrong at this point. and his relationship with ej is amazing. so yes he’s in the top 3.

2. ej

ej could’ve be an unlikable character but matt cornett is portraying him so well it’s impossible not to like him. he was definitely one of the most surprising character development wise. although he was my second favorite since day one, regardless. his story arc was one of the best. he is the best male character. now, i’m kinda scared to lose him next season. and also, portwell for life <3

1. gina

do i even have to say it? she’s a queen and everyone should bow down to her. should’ve been the main character idc.

sofia wylie was the reason i started the show and gina became my number one the second i saw her in the background. finally this season has been giving her all the screen time she deserves and i couldn’t be happier. gina is one of my all time favorite comfort characters.

Emily in Paris is tres terrible

If for some reason you decided to check out the new Netflix show Emily In Paris, DON’T. Go watch The Devil Wears Prada instead. It’s practically the same thing, only in the latter you actually get good performances and character depth.

Coming into this show I was expecting a cute heart-warming story. 10 minutes in I thought how great it would be to watch a show about a woman figuring out herself and her work life in a new country. And then all my hopes went down the steaming bidet once Gabriel opened his door.

Emily in Paris truly tested my gag reflex, and here’s why.

First of all, the premise of somebody going to Paris – “a perfect romantic city” – is so overused and unrealistic. Paris sure is pretty but it’s also dirty, polluted, and has more than 29 thousand people sleeping in the streets. But of course Emily lives in some parallel universe where Paris is apparently Paradise. Idolization of anything, even a city is harmful. So this “perfect” Paris is not apreciated.

The Instagram followers ridiculousness. There’re actual people whose job is to promote Instagram accounts, you don’t become an influencer overnight by posting a pic of you eating un pain au chocolat (which is just bread with chocolate, stop creaming your pants, Emily).

On top of that, the abundance of French stereotypes is exhausting. Too hard to write complex characters and present actual reasoning for their actions? Don’t bother, just put every French cliche you’ve ever heard of.

And that chambre de bonne is just ridiculous. Who knew that maids used to have such big apartments? (By the way, you can see a more realistic room that you could get in Paris in the movie Monte Carlo. Ah, such a good movie.) The creators were going for an aesthetic, thus missed an opportunity to show Emily struggling to adjust to her new life. It’s quite impossible to believe that Emily’s going through a rough time when her life is seemingly perfect, and any inconvenience doesn’t affect her at all.

The ex. It’s very typical to introduce a romantic partner of the protagonist at the start of your story and not give them enough depth, so that the audience doesn’t get attached to them and the inevitable break up brings relief. Now they can root for the protagonist to get together with the planned love interest. Yay. 

However, this structure might work for a movie, but when you have 10 episodes to flash out your story and therefore the protagonist, wouldn’t it be better to use this opportunity to develop the secondary characters? Not for their own sake but to develop the main character through them. 

Every character you spend some time on should play some important role, right? Otherwise why should we  bother watching their scenes. Shouldn’t the current boyfriend of the main lead tell us something about the protagonist? Like, why did the main character choose to be in this relationship, what do they see in their partner and therefore what qualities do they value in people? How do they act in personal relationships? What role does their partner play in their life?

The main character is dull and unrelatable with zero character development. A conventionally attractive privileged white woman whose biggest struggle to overcome is her coworkers not being nice to her straight away. We’re constantly told that it’s hard for Emily to adjust but it’s never shown. In fact everything solves itself rather smoothly, carrying no repercussions for her.

With such an unlikable selfish protagonist you find yourself more interested in secondary characters. It actually feels like we get to know Mindy and Camille more. Compared to them, we know nothing about Emily’s family relationships or literally any backstory on her. Who is Emily? Why are we following her? Why should we care? What is her inner conflict? Oh right, she has none. Because by the end of the show she stays the same exact character that we met in the beginning. If Emily’s experience does not influence her at all, why should it matter to the audience? And what is the point of telling this story?

Feminism: the lost potential [episode 3]. “Non, Antoine. Sexism isn’t sexy. Shut the f*ck up.” That’d be enough for me from such a bland show. But no, we’re left with an ambiguous conclusion, when Emily doesn’t disagree with Antoine’s perception that women enjoy men’s unsolicited attention. And then this topic is not discussed again. Thanks for that, Emily in Paris. How about next time (which will hopefully never happen) you either have the bravery to actually speak on the issue and educate people or at least do not cause more damage.

Finally, the most annoying plotline that decidedly ruined the show. Did you ever watch a movie, and there’s a couple that you love, but you feel like something’s missing? So, you just think “I wish some cheating was involved”. If you actually do think that sometimes, media content has tricked you into thinking that cheating is sexy and exciting, when it’s actually destructive and disgusting. THE CHEATING. Stop normalizing it!!! Enough. It always takes away from a relationship. And we’re tired of seeing it. Give us some healthy couples. And if you think they’re boring, you just don’t know how to write them. If you get rid of the cheating plotline, the show becomes slightly bearable. It’s still boring and irritating, but at least it’s not as problematic.

Anyway. Similarly, to how “Enola Holmes” should’ve been a series, this show should’ve been a movie. There was no point of dragging out this – I want to say – story. Because nothing happened. Was there a big revelation in the finale, that we were led up to? No. Did Emily learn anything thanks to her “journey”? Nope. Was it just 5 hours of her hooking up with unremarkable men who all look the same, while being a terribly arrogant person? You decide.

Control Z: shows you should watch instead

Control Z was an entertaining watch /at times/. However, I wouldn’t go around recommending it to people. The characters and the storyline lacked depth, and too many questions were left unanswered. While watching it I couldn’t stop thinking how much the plot, the characters and some directorial choices reminded me of other better shows. So here’s the list of those that I would rather watch instead. However, it can also be considered as a list of shows that you might like if you enjoyed Control Z.

GOSSIP GIRL [2007-2012]

Gossip Girl revolves around the lives of privileged white teenagers and their “problems”. Lots of sex, love triangles, mind games and secrets. Oh, and of course there’s a mystery blog that publishes all the secrets of Manhattan’s elite (that being basically four people). The secret identity of gossip girl isn’t that big of a plot point, at least early on. The main characters are probably too busy partying, hooking up and dealing with their terrible parents to care about somebody documenting their lives.

Gossip Girl has a lot of similar elements to Control Z, but it’s way more messier, dramatic, over the top and fast paced. Although its problematic moments and lack of representation definitely make it a guilty pleasure, it’s still one of the most iconic teen dramas to this day.

ELITE [2018-...]

If you want to watch another show in Spanish, this one’s for you.

Rich teenagers in a private school. Check. Mystery drama. Check. A LOT of secrets. Check. And on top of that, sex, drugs, parties and MURDER.

The most appealing thing about the show must be the striking set of characters with different backgrounds, struggles, fears and desires. Although, just like in Control Z you can’t really trust anybody as you set forth on this murderous journey.

PRETTY LITTLE LIARS [2010-2017]

A story about four estranged friends, whose lives are turned upside down by an anonymous threatening their lives and unraveling their secrets.

This is honestly a mess of a show. Too convoluted, with many plot holes, and questionable storylines. What kept the attention of the audience throughout the years were the characters and the romantic pairings. Nonetheless, the show’s entertaining and suspenseful. With higher stakes if we compare it to Control Z.

T@GGED [2016-2018]

T@gged is a psychological thriller. We follow three girls who try to find out who’s tagging them in violent videos.

The production is low-budget, yet there’s beautiful scenery and camera work. It isn’t a typical glossy teen show. The characters and their struggles are realistic and relatable. It tackles such topics as drug abuse, suicide, depression, self harm, cyber bullying. It is darker and scarier that Control Z, and it is the only underrated show on this list.

SPOILERS FOR CONTROL Z BELOW

YOU [2018-...]

If you enjoyed Raul’s villain origin story in episode 7 and/or would like a more realistic and in depth glimpse into the psyche of an obsessive stalker, YOU is for you. It takes the stalker plot to another level, actually exposing it for what it is in real life, creepy and unhealthy. Watching a girl through her windows, following her at the park and kidnapping everyone who stands in your way is not cute. Joe is no Raul, but he is what Raul failed to be, a well-written villain.

SHERLOCK [2010-2017]

So, Sofia being able to read everyone’s secrets just because she’s introverted and observant was far-fetched. Moreover, it wasn’t original. The idea of cutting frames, flashing clues and close-ups was taken straight from Sherlock. It was the first show Control Z reminded me of. And if you want a detective show of higher quality, here you go.

Thanks for reading❤️ Hope you found something new to watch!