malignifier

I really loved the idea of a series inspired by the troubled teen industry in the 90s. The story was very steeped in 90s/early 00s vibes and made for great nostalgia, mystery suspense/thriller content for the first 3/4 of the series. Around episode 6 it loses that lingering suspense and hurries to get to a finish line in a 2 or 3 episode arc that feels hurried and a bit unpolished.

I see complaints on the acting and chemistry of the main couple. I thought Mae's acting was perfectly fine, even if not award worthy. Their chemistry on screen a little less so, but that bothered me less than the finale.

First season was the best in my opinion because of the novelty of the characters. And yes, the hybrids you see more and more of as the series progresses are somewhat Jim Hensonesque and can make the show a bit cringe at times. But honestly given the premise and light heartedness of a lot of those scenes, I wouldn't knock the creators or art department too hard for how the hybrid moments turned out.

Season three wraps up the series quite well and in the end, the story is heavy when it needs to be, light when it doesn't, and captivating and paced well all the way through. More importantly, it is incredibly touching and emotionally rich storytelling. We need more of that in this day and age.