Summerwater

After the disaster that was Iris, I didn't expect much from this series but I was pleasantly surprised and absolutely devoured each episode. It was so engrossing that I ended up binge-watching the whole six episodes. The first episode was a bit slow and confusing, but stick with it. It kept me guessing, constantly shifting, making me wonder where it was going and pulling me deeper into the story. The timeline does jump, which can feel confusing, but it was handled brilliantly to weave the tapestry to the end. The back-and-forth between past and present, and the different characters stories added real depth, slowly revealing the tragic and surprising finale.

By the time I reached the finale, everything had clicked into place, and the journey getting there was gripping, clever, and incredibly satisfying. This is one of those rare series where you tell yourself "just one more episode"... and suddenly it's 3am. Well done to the production team and of course the writers for a unique and engrossing story that pulled me in to the end.

I mean, when you watch the first episode and really couldn't care less what happens next, it's not a good start, is it? The thought of going through five more episodes with each disjointed bunch of characters was really off-putting, so I didn't. The time-bouncing is confusing and the character angst is poorly bedded. It's too difficult to comprehend and so you don't and the drama becomes meaningless. If only some of the characters were believable it might have helped, but sadly.......

This was OK, but lacked depth. Some of the characters could have been much better developed, as it came across as superficial at times with some of the interactions between characters not really believable. Nice scenery helped to offset some of the weaknesses in the series. Not particularly bad, but not particularly good either.

This isn't your run of the mill drama, veering from poignant to dark and desolate while mesmerising in detail. There's a constant sense of the supernatural that lingers in the mind and weaves the characters and their stories together.

Beautifully shot and directed, I didn't know what to expect when I started watching with my partner but we ended up bingeing the whole series over two nights. A real gem.

I really wanted to like this show, but unfortunately, it's so bleak and has very little going for it. You don't end up caring about any of the characters. A lot of the acting is so over-the-top and melodramatic that it's hard to believe the director allowed it. I'm not even sure who's to blame - the casting team, the director, or the actors themselves.

The constant time jumps between past and present are confusing and poorly executed, leaving you wondering, "Where are we now?" The Eastern characters couldn't have been written in a more stereotypical way. Can we please have more interesting, nuanced depictions of foreigners? Even the costumes leaned into tired clichés. It's honestly a joke.

Unfortunately, I have to agree with all the bad reviews of this show. Avoid it. Watch something else.