chelseasmith-61551

Generally not into YA shows or fiction; this one sucked me into it despite myself because I was interested in the sibling rivalry between the moms (like 35% of the show).

I was pretty invested in the show for the first 75% of it. I guessed the twist at that point but talked myself out of it. There are some fun classic literary parallels with King Lear and Wuthering Heights. This is the part where I admit I never liked Wuthering Heights.

The last episode felt so implausible/forced that it completely ruined whatever goodwill I had. Gimmicky twist for a twist's sake. The show also suffers from the moms' rivalry being way more interesting than the grandkids even though the moms are the B plot and the grandkids are the A plot.

What a fascinating watch. There are parts of this show I loved, and I think I would have liked it a lot if I'd seen it when it first came out. (I'm about George's age, and I can definitely see a lot of my teen self in her character.) But something about the show's tonal mishmash really did not work for me in 2025: I never thought I'd find a dark comedy that's too cynical for me, but this one might be it.

The biggest problem is the way the show handles George's parents and sister. Leaning into the slapstick of the many Rube Goldbergian deaths the Reapers attend is one thing, but it's hard to fully appreciate the humor when we're constantly switching back to George's family, falling irreparably apart in the throes of grief. It wants to Say Something about the importance of making room for grief in our everyday lives, but It was downright depressing watching Joy overlook and belittle surviving daughter Reggie's feelings over and over again. Similar issues occur with the other Reapers, who are mostly there for comic relief: every time it looks like a character is about the experience genuine growth, it's reversed somehow. The sitcom format and George's voiceovers about learning from one's mistakes are largely at cross-purposes.

The show also features some aughts-era cultural and economic baggage that plays differently in 2025. Dead Like Me certainly wasn't the only piece of pop culture to paint suburban life as uniquely soul crushing, but the whole idea that dead-end office jobs are a dime a dozen and pay well enough to cover your "living" experiences seems almost as fantastic as the Reapers and Gravelings these days. Similarly, some of the humor around sex and relationships has not aged well.

Showtime canceled the show right as it was starting to find its groove, which is a shame. But I can't say that the showrunners would have found the right mix of comedy/drama at the rate they were going. And given how much I came to care about the characters--Reggie, George, and Rube especially--that's a real shame.

I know I'm about to get a lot of "unhelpful" ratings, but I was convinced to watch Andor despite not really caring for any Star Wars IP beyond the original trilogy due to the extensive praise. I'm writing this review for others who may be in a similar position.

The hype for Andor is that it's better, darker, and more complex than other entries in the Star Wars extended universe, and that's what convinced me to give it a try. I enjoyed the show, but it didn't live up to the glowing reviews for me. My biggest issue was that most of the characters felt more like archetypes than individuals: this is a common complaint about Star Wars properties, but the sheer volume of faces, names, and imaginary languages/cultures made it hard for me to feel fully invested in most of the show's characters. Most of the time, it just felt like a bunch of a tropes recycled from WWII stories.

This is a real issue in a show organized around the theme of personal sacrifice. For example, we're supposed to be moved that Bix and Cassian give up their budding romance for the rebellion, but we see very little of their relationship. They're exes who still care in season one and then they get back together (married, even?) somewhere between seasons. Why? What attracted them to each other in the first place? Similarly, we never get much insight into what motivates the imperial couple beyond a desperate desire for approval they were denied as children.

There were some action sequences that stood out: I really enjoyed the final three episodes of season two and the season one episode set in prison. I was also impressed with Alex Lawther, Ebon Moss-Barach, Fiona Shaw, and Kathryn Harn's performances: they gave their characters some real personality despite not having much screentime. Genevieve Reilly and Stellan Skarsgard did the same in the main cast.

In the end, it's a solid show--I think my rating reflects that--and I'm not sorry I watched. But I'd never in a million years call it the best show of 2025, and I'm honestly baffled by all of the people who say they love it despite not being big Star Wars fans. I guess epic space operas just aren't for me.