WordsworthStone Reviews

Shōgun: Crimson Sky (2024) Season 1, Episode 9

If anyone speaks ill of this episode

[10/10 · 16 April 2024]

Liar! You are wrong!

Wonderfully crafted episode of television. Even if you have experience with the earlier show or the novel, it still subverts and exceeds expectations, which is just peak storytelling.

This has been one of the best well crafted series, ever. FX is really having a renaissance in serials similar to HBO and AMC in the early aughts. Each episode has it creeping close to 'Chernobyl' on my top 10 limited series of all time. The attention to details. EVERYTHING. GOAT.

Let this define what penultimate episodes should look like. Praise. More praise. Why bother with other words? Good night, and good luck.

Furies (2024– )

An Underworld Hero Origin Story

[6/10 · 4 March 2024]

That sums it up. It's got hype action. A hero's journey. Underworld lore. Crime Families. Hippity Hop style. And it's French. Like the creator went to the Luc Besson school of storytelling. All style, some story, over-the-top amped fun.

I wouldn't downgrade it 'Fast and Furious' style, but there is definite camp. Maybe if this show does gets multiple seasons, they will end up stealing tanks to take up to space.

It's not that real, grime spot that sells tasty cheese by the slice. It's not dressed up like it's a sit-down with courses. It's Pizza Hut and we're hungry. Thank you, may I have another?

Avatar: The Last Airbender (2024– )

it doesn't take much

[8/10 · 22 February 2024]

It doesn't take much to be better than M. Night Shamalot; faithfully represent the original material, pick some substance over style and leave the foolish gimmicks back in 1999 where they belong.

It also doesn't take much to disappoint a bunch of stans, bunch of folks' childhoods encapsulated in each precious episode, looking for that 1:1 recreation of their memories. And everyone wishes television (streaming) had the same resources as WB Discovery and can hire award winning directors like Craig Mazin working with the original creators like Neil Druckmann--every change meticulously chosen to add more depth to 'The Last of Us.' But Avatar's original creators bailed on Netflix's vision, you know, creative differences. Netflix isn't exactly known to incubate great talent into the world, they're highly successful if they can put out a third season or series in the highly competitive numbers game of subscription services.

So appreciate what good we got, it's better than the film adaptation, although not what the original creators would've made live action but still better than what they did to our precious 'Cowboy Bepop.' Just remember, lower expectatioins, Netflix is a hybrid technology company pretending to be a media company, unless you forgot they got started with trading DVDs.

The Walking Dead: On the Inside (2021) Season 11, Episode 6

This Is It!

[10/10 · 13 November 2023]

This is probably the best episode of TWD in several, several seasons. I freaking loved it. It's like this show runner decided for them to stop messing around and do a character driven horror show again.

It works in several ways, both as a standalone episode and one still driving the overall story plot forward. TWD has been just running with a small group of characters per episode and continuing with another group with the following but this episode did well with juggling a couple storylines together--far more engaging than waiting a month to catch up with a beloved character.

If TWD had more episodes like this I wouldn't have waited until half a year after this show ended to catch up. 10/10 no doubt.

The Curse: Land of Enchantment (2023) Season 1, Episode 1

the cold open is so awkward

[9/10 · 12 November 2023]

I freaking love it. The awkwardness of the documentarians and the couple with the Espanola residents translates well to the audience.

Each scene after the other is like watching a dentist work, one tooth decay at a time. The switching of perspectives in cuts, the clean sharpness of handicam digital they use for television switches with static grainy film shots and random intimate peep shots like an unnatural observer.

The satire is over-the-top, almost absurd, everything starts at a peek of normalcy and rages to 100 right away, I can't wait to see where this show goes. It's so painful to watch and I guess that makes me a sort of sadomasochist.

Lawmen: Bass Reeves (2023)

so far so good, nitpick some pet peeves

[8/10 · 12 November 2023]

The show is going well for its first few episodes. The flow is smooth and we pick up the premise and characters quite effortlessly. My pet peeve is the lack of common sense for a man like Bass Reeves, famous lawman and detective. It's not like historical inaccuracies but more like, why would you do that? Beat your master, runaway forget shoes, kill some men don't steal shoes, and runaway, in a Confederate uniform, down South, making you either a deserter or a looter, either way, you hang. All could be overlooked, eventually.

Besides that, the cast is perfect, can't go wrong with David Oyelowo. Shea Whigham as George Reeves works well because he's a good bit villain. Barry Pepper did a great job subverting my expectations, played with intelligence and understanding but pure ruthless. OG Westerns actors with the likes of Dennis Quaid and Donald Sutherland expectedly shine in their roles.

The pedigree of the producers pretty much guarantee a entertaining show. Chad Feehan whose stoic tough men with complex backstories have shined on cable television (Banshee), with Taylor Sheridan as the money man, Paramount connect and experience with the 'Yellowstone' universe (1883).

Added together, I look forward to the upcoming season.

Fear the Walking Dead: Sanctuary (2023) Season 8, Episode 9

Oh Snaps, You Got Me AMC ...Plus

[6/10 · 6 November 2023]

You nearly got me AMC, almost made me forget, the fan service last week, re-aliving dead characters, not zomb re-animation but like SAG-AFTRA card speaking role, alive. Sort of. RIP Charlie. I spent all this time lamenting about the absurd direction this final season has gone, distracted.

This episode reminds me of what really bothers me about the whole TWD universe recently. I'm not sure if you've noticed and I can't let it go, you can't unsee it. Every show in-universe has embraced the theme of....wait for it....bad parenting. Because in the zombie apocalypse, if the zombs don't get you, neglect will. In FTWD case, it'd be, bad parenting after the nuclear apocalypse during the zombie apocalypse.

You don't believe? **MILD SPOILERS**?

TWD: Alpha, Whisperers, Lydia and the toxicity of co-dependency. Michonne abandons Judith and RJ with Daryl to look for Rick who, if alive, did not return to his children.

TWD:Daryl Dixon: Abandons the Alexandria kids in search the cause of the zombie outbreak, meets a child savior character in France, tries to abandon them too.

TWD:World Beyond: This whole show, it's a coming of age story of children of bad parents who themselves were sheltered from the zombie apocalypse.

TWD:Dead City: Story of generational trauma and forgiving the murderer of the father of the family. Also the redemption arc of the murderer and his own personal struggle with being a father figure after he ended families including his own.

FTWD: Virginia and Dakota storyline (so much there), then Teddy's doomsday cult nuclear apocalypse and finding the mythical paradise where the children can shelter. Starting the new season with a time jump and a complete reversal of any parental values we previously followed--ALL the parents abandoned their children to PADRE. Brings back motherly Madison, like the others, turned into a terrible person and KIDNAPS CHILDREN FOR PADRE. And the eventual FALLOUT, not just nuclear kind, there's also the ending of the nuclear family.

Gen V (2023– )

A Good Intro to the Next Gen of 'The Boys'

[9/10 · 5 November 2023]

I think this show is on par with all the other seasons of the 'The Boys' (TB), especially, as an introduction of the spin-off for the next generation. It's another amazing superhero action adventure satirizing modern pop culture. They do a complete super-heroes journey this season, a call to action at God U, entering the world of the unknown, conflict that turns their worldview upside-down and coming out it changed for the better, all raising the stakes of future conflicts. Let's all give the producers a slow-clap, the cast a whistle, Maddie Phillips and London Thor my heart.

I like how they gave all the supe characters a tragic backstory so they can be sympathetic heroes or villains, most of the time on TB supers are just selfish jerks--it's a good subversion of expectations as we approached TB as a homo-sapien audience and in 'Gen V' we're supposed to be with the homo-superiors.

It's a brilliant move on Amazon Prime, introducing a spin-off IP with a younger cast that invigorates the original and extends its legacy. TB storyline is coming to a head, if we're basing it on the comics, we're looking at maybe two seasons left, three if they stray far from the original timeline. So it's good to have started their own thing. It's probably because this is their sophmore venture into the universe, the new lore and development diverges but stays relevant, social commentary more poignant and feels free from the constraints to the original comics.

See you all in season two.

Fear the Walking Dead: Iron Tiger (2023) Season 8, Episode 8

No One's Gonna Like This...

[6/10 · 2 November 2023]

This review is probably going to get negative feedback. Knowing this, just like this show, I'm going to go through with it anyways.

Anybody remember? Like a over a decade ago, when 'TWD' was golden age television and every week was suspenseful stakes because it could be your favorite character's last. But then the show ran too long and they could raise the stakes only so much every new season. Season 6 stakes raise--a penultimate episode with a fake out death of a fan favorite character--then actually killing him off in the following season premiere. How many viewers did you lose, AMC? Me, I stuck it through, I gave benefit of the doubt.

I even stuck with 'FTWD' when even the cast wanted out and we saw Madison go the way of the Dodo, then Nick, then so on...And they kept raising the stakes until it got to a ridiculously absurd proportion--THEY INTRODUCED A NUCLEAR APOCALYPSE DURING THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE! Then they killed off my two favorites, Charlie and Alicia. Like, that's it, FIN, the end. They've killed off the main FTWD family, thus the storyline.

But some producer over at AMC believed they could staunch the bleeding, revive the show with television magic deus ex machina CPR, and bring back to life, Kim Dickens, like another Andrew Lincoln survival fantasy. Now they're just having fun. "Let's do the reverse!" Bring back our friends for one last go. Budget a few to come back, not in flashback, not zombie back to life, but like alive back to life, then unalive them right away because...no one actually pays for AMC+. Poor Charlie. Alexa Nisenson, I love to see your beautiful face, but on another show, please. AND, if I see, Alycia Debnam-Carey, any time this season, I swear.... I swear I will petition the writers guild and get the writing staffs' memberships revoked.

Loki (2021–2023)

does anyone remember

[8/10 · 20 October 2023]

If owen wilson always whispered his lines like a poorman's batman? I would like to praise the show but i get distracted by the delivery. How often do we whisper speak conversations? Sounds like mobious doing pillow-talk with loki the whole dang show.

But this is one of the better mcu shows, though i did like the marvel television shows like punisher (AND ray stevenson's) and daredevil. And it's one of the few shows that actually feels consequential to the overall universe.

Seriously, someone tell me how to submit reviews under the required character limit. I see so many posts that are obviously below but i can't do it.

Lessons in Chemistry (2023)

I can't ignore the parallels

[8/10 · 13 October 2023]

This story resembles 'The Queen's Gambit,' you can't unsee it. For me, it's not a bad thing, especially with excellent deadpan delivery from Brie Larson added with production and writing from Lee Eisenberg (he's having an incredible 2023, see 'Jury Duty').

The similarities include a tragic woman with a quirky personality that is singularly focused in an academic institution that is predominately populated with white men, especially within the backdrop of "idyllic" mid-century America. I'm only on the premiere two episodes so I can't say where the story will go, but I assume it will go the same as the other story, following the lifelong trials and tribulations of smart women overcoming the traditions of a bygone misogynistic world.

You can't say it's formulaic if it's true to life, unless you're a history denier, gender discriminator and/or probably a space fascist. I won't spoil the story but I look forward to seeing if the next episode will pass the Bechdel test. What, I'm a guy with nothing better to do but write armchair reviews on the Interweb.

The Continental (2023)

Everyone Loves the John Wick Universe

[6/10 · 7 October 2023]

We come for the action-adventure but we stay for the deep, developed lore, the Thieves World and the High Table, with professional hitmen, cutthroats and deviants that learned nothing but the double tap.

But...The only thing I learned from this show; Mel Gibson can't even play a caricature of himself. O'Conner is basically every bad press clip Gibson has exposed himself to in the past 20 years, channeled into a bad impression of an Irishman with a severe, inexplicable inferiority complex. Everything explored in this show has already been addressed in the previous chapters of films--except character motivations--that's barely addressed. Absolutely nothing new comes into play, except maybe, is that the Bowery King's mom or sister or did he kill Lou for the title?

This has to be the reason the show got the demotion to Peacock exploitation. I really hope the team working on the 'Ballerina' spin-off with Ana de Armas provides more, um, MORE? I will give credit to the fight choreography and flashy gunplays and lots of BOOM explosions, so I redeemed it to an average score for the dope Girl-Boss Fight(s).

Let me put this into a metaphor this story understands. This show is like the MacGuffin High-Table gold-press, in the wrong hands, although the methods remain the same, still produce inferior counterfeits, devaluing the whole economy.

Arthdal Chronicles (2019–2023)

Show, Don't Tell

[8/10 · 19 September 2023]

It's actually more of a 7.5 than 8 just because of all the internal monologue narration in the first couple seasons/12 episodes. It's already bad if you have to waste minutes on exposition but if your characters have to announce their motivations and personality and thought processes in tv thought-bubbles, probably reconsider the format of your writing.

And If you have the patience to overlook past them double-crosses every 10 minutes for the first half of the series, it does get interesting. Like I didn't think a double negative double-cross was possible but give the dads a chance, it'll fruit. After all that, the writers figure out what they want to write about and craft a more exciting narrative to go with the unique world-building (anyone else notice all the mesoamerican references and lack of fertile crescent with the fictional korean creation myth).

MuBaek is my man. I ship the main couple but really, "you know nothing, EunSom." I'm a couple episodes into 2023 season release, a little bit mad at the twists but that shows you I'm a bit committed to the show. Oh, is it better CGI or production value. Cause you can see a huge difference.

Moving (2023– )

If Heroes (2006) were a K-Drama

[9/10 · 7 September 2023]

And produced by Disney and not hindered by a writers strike and a budget with better production value and a better ensemble cast and written with pathos and strong world building and provenance away from typical superhero tropes.

It'd still be a hard comparison to this webtoon TV adaptation.

This is a great vehicle for Disney's first foray into S. Korean television production. It's a genre spanning, fantastical, coming-of-any-age heroes journey for the whole family. So many feels. Disney definitely took some tips from recent experiences and understood the new assignment.

When you tire of the Marvel multiverse on Disney+, hop on this bandwagon, far better watch.

Lioness (2023– )

Just here for the comments

[8/10 · 4 September 2023]

Let's lay it out, Taylor Sheridan is the go-to guy for that all-American propaganda in contemporary cinema and television. There's no Paramount-Showtime without him. He does it too well. He humanizes multiple perspectives (even opposing) that just pours sympathy from an audience--makes Jerry Bruckheimer look like a monkey just discovered a typewriter.

The wind blowing over the last of the American West. A changing of the guard in American crime. The withdrawal of American interests in global terror. The failure of the American war on drugs. All the changes in America recently.

No credit to the production value, nor the acting of the star studded cast, not the incredible depth of research... everyone becomes divisive over a seemingly unrealistic portrayal of military operators by women--like an insult to your personal livelihoods. There's so much military in this show, do you think it would've made it past pre-production without DoD approval? They rubber stamped this show. Bet. They ain't mad. But the keyboard warriors being like, NAHHH my military operators should have so much testosterone they started balding at 18 yrs old.

If you can't handle change, you still got Top Gun and Black Hawk Down and M. A. S. H.

Me, I'm waiting for Ana de Armas as Jane Wick in Ballerina.

Twisted Metal: SHNGRLA (2023) Season 1, Episode 10

it's slow on the uptake

[8/10 · 28 July 2023]

Like real slow but once you get the premise and take it as what it is, then it gets pretty good. You don't have to have played the games to enjoy it either, though it helps ALOT. But you'd have to have owned an original Playstation, now I've gone and revealed my age. Well, I started with the PS2 but that's because I bought my own consoles. NO WAY my parents would buy this for me straight out. Speaking of which, probably not for kids content, they won't get the jokes, and you need that for any of this to work.

My only qualm is--they should've gone for 45 minute episodes and the season finale should've been like second act turning point and started the actual race and leave it on a cliff-hanger on the first leg. You know, to DRIVE HYPE to next season. I mean it's okay but I don't feel that much of an investment into the big reveal. I'll watch it if it does happen, can't threaten me with a good time.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Those Old Scientists (2023) Season 2, Episode 7

Funniest Episode of Any Trek-verse

[10/10 · 24 July 2023]

I've ever watched and I'm a millennial, I've watched a fair share. Ensign Boimler is the perfect protagonist for this episode because he is what we all are, Trekkies, actually the stan of all fanboys.

Give it up to the writers of this episode, I had several LOL moments, even caught myself smiling like Spock in this episode. I really like how they're mixing all these genres and tropes, refreshing content that hails from the 60 years of history but still surprises old and new. And that Quaid/Ryan kid just natural comedy chops. *thumbs up* Someone petition this episode for an Emmy.

I guess the only thing left is the musical dance number episode, that's clearly labeled on this season's episodes list, okay? No spoiler. Boldly go where no Trek has gone before, right?

The Walking Dead: Dead City (2023– )

Be Better Zombies

[9/10 · 21 July 2023]

You remember the time they did bad parenting in the nuclear apocalypse during the zombie apocalypse? A definite sign of franchise fatigue in the writers room--plot armor for the cast while they double down on a secondary apocalypse. I bet there was a writer in there who just wrote, "BOOOM."

I like how they took elements of all the things audiences loved in the first few seasons of TWD and brought it back for expansion. They've brought back the survivalist plots, away from the rebuild of social infrastructure at world ends, a zombie show with real zombie stakes. No episodes on the ramifications of mere low crop yields AND they're back in the city, once bastions of the populous, now the riskiest places from the same population.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan's Negan had, by far, the most colorful character and story out of the very VERY large cast of characters in TWD universe. A Negan's post-redemption arc with Lauren Cohan's Maggie as a foil really works. Also, the history of intrigue from before, seeing the dance between characters who can't trust anyone because everyone just trying to survive to tomorrow.

I look forward to season two as they setup a bigger smarter villain behind our reckless antagonist from the first. I like this buildup. That's raising the stakes, hoping they don't make the same mistakes from past and inflate it with fluff again, like the CRM debacle...

BOOM.

The Walking Dead: Dead City: Doma Smo (2023) Season 1, Episode 6

a return to form

[9/10 · 21 July 2023]

Thoroughly enjoyed this episode, the characters and drama reflect all that came before. People lose track that TWD universe isn't just the zombie apocalypse thing but a character study of human nature when things seem bleek and social institutions are a disarray, if not forgotten in the zombie apocalypse thing.

It's basically zombie opera.

'Dead City' takes two of the most fleshed out and unique characters in universe and puts them together to raise the dramatic stakes and leave the puff behind the old TWD. We see Negan post-redemption arc still haunted by Maggie (Glen) and Maggie acting on (motherly) instinct and survival, a reflection of what Negan started with. Juxtaposition. Dichotomy. So on.

This season finale definitely raises the stakes for a potential second season, I look forward to it. One of the major problems with the later seasons of TWD and FTWD was the amount of main characters we had to follow. If you have shows that span decades and character studies for all of them, you can't explore anything without new situations or players. How could we keep up? Especially if they start a storyline with one character but don't go back to that particular viewpoint and story until a month later. You want to invest in that? I prefer the course correction in this show.

Harley Quinn (2019– )

What I'd Give to Be in the Writers Room

[9/10 · 10 July 2023]

The whole production feels like it's real fun to work with. It's smart, witty and absurd, in all the right ways. The best is when they pull some deep callbacks to previous DC media. Bane's ridiculous dramatic voice from the Nolan films but like always. Batman's shark repellent spray from the original television show. Harley's personality finally embracing the 21st century, subverting literal toxic relations. LOVE IT.

And the character development and relationships and jokes and feels and drama, good stories are driven by drama even in comedies. The voice acting and manifesting of the heart of DC characters. Praise. Praise. Praise. No other way to put it, give it up for the team and guests working on this show.

Watch it and you will know.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow (2023) Season 2, Episode 3

Great Episodic Television

[9/10 · 30 June 2023]

Boomers saw Shatner and always went straight to James T. Kirk. For millennials like me, seeing Paul Wesley on screen is Stephen Salvatore ....on Halloween dressed like Shatner. Ha.

I love this particular episode for its writing. I'll lament like a boomer and remind people what television was like when tv seasons had 22 or so episodes and released weekly--story structures were just different. Almost like sitcoms, every new episode reset to the status quo, you didn't have to watch all the episodes to flip to the channel and have an idea of how the story is going. The payout for being a dedicated fan was the subtle serialization of the drama and lore--basically the birth of easter eggs for geeks galore.

It's a little hard to ship Kirk and La'an with just one episode but in context of how they setup her story arc excuses it away. A very complete story encompassed in a singular episode, beginning middle and end. And the themes and tones and genre and tropes differ from the previous. Then it addresses a core history of La'an, something we've seen her struggle with throughout the show, tied up with a neat little bow, restricting this whole adventure into just La'an's personal journey. Time paradox that has no serious impact unless you invest and ingrain yourself into the characters and personalities of the crew, GREAT! *chef's kiss*

If only 'Discovery' learned and didn't jump universes and commit to new timelines like every half season, we'd still be watching that show.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Ad Astra Per Aspera (2023) Season 2, Episode 2

A Procedural With A Heart

[9/10 · 22 June 2023]

The feels--clearly, the writers and crew understood the assignment. I know episodes of Star Trek yore also experimented with mixing genres and tropes, but the injection of modernity presents as refreshing and captivating.

I especially liked the end of the 2nd act, with the twist and dramatic pause--a commercial break like the traditions of television past. I might be giving extra credit to standard story structure but Welcome Back to episodic television. Now, if only, they can bring back 24 episode seasons to sustain the livelihoods of artists that bring all this together.

The binge model is just not sustainable, it makes me feel like I'm cramming for exams again. 8 hour sessions, information information, information osmosis.

OH. ALSO. The episode's PSA message for the marginalized, disenfranchised and checking on governments falling to a path of hegemonic exceptionalism. Space wars, say no to Space-Fascists.

Fear the Walking Dead: All I See Is Red (2023) Season 8, Episode 6

Mid-season Finale, Is That Still a Thing?

[7/10 · 16 June 2023]

I'll put it out there, I appreciate the Walking Dead family taking the time and effort to close out storylines for beloved characters that we literally grew up with. Silent claps like we're at a poetry reading with SDH.

And thank you, for returning to serial episodes and linear storytelling. Following one or two characters per episode and having to wait weeks for the other characters was NOT the business.

But really, this final season is like radiation therapy for a zombie bite, no one should feel this pain trying to delay the inevitable. Why couldn't they leave it with Alicia's vague departure and finally finding PADRE?

(TLDR; RANT)

If you need to do a time jump, it means you want to reset the status quo, but not a blank slate, it just gives the audience the call to adventure--like--ooh, what happened? And the transition from the past to present always haunts them or there would be no story. Okay...so...

YES, the past should haunt characters who do a complete 180 of story arcs and personalities they spent 7 seasons building. This was the FTWD family, they don't abandon anybody, no matter what... But somehow Palpatine returned--nix that--they abandoned their children to a low-level indecisive villainess. WHAT?!

And I thought this was The Walking Dead, where even beloved characters are not safe, everyone is always at risk. Unless they need a break but now it's crunch time for ratings, then there's super plot armor, ghosts return from the dead. Hey I got an idea, the next show, let's go with.....

RETURN TO THE WALKING DEAD.

The dead rise again, not Walking Dead dead but like Jesus dead. Or we should go with time-loops, that genre is sort of like the new zombie. It's still got traction.

Don't mind me, I'm just skipping along, cringe-watching every new episode, taking notes on how to survive bad parents in the nuclear apocalypse during the zombie apocalypse.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022– )

With About 60 Years of Content

[9/10 · 15 June 2023]

You can imagine how hard it must be to bring fresh or refreshing new material to an established IP like the Trek-verse. It must be so hard to boldly go where no story has... But it does that, combining elements of its complete media history into a more expansive take on the prequel to the original lore (a trans-media library of shows, films, games, books and other science fictions).

It's nostalgic, bringing back familiar characters, tropes and episodic television we rarely see anymore in the times of streaming. And the stories still maintain a challenging serial drama that blends genres and captivate audiences to anticipate each week.

It's also new, since they literally retcon'd history of the Original (Captain Pike survives Discovery Season 2 to the spin-off prequel to TOS pilot), it gives free reign on tabula rasa to inject modern culture and aesthetics into familiar space fiction and all.

And the casting. Impressive. New interpretations of well known characters, histories and lore. Pike. Spock. Uhura. *chefs kiss*

The grand experiment of 'Star Trek: Discovery,' ran its course, rewriting the histories into a completely new beast was amusing but it didn't hold the elements that gives the IP longevity.

So, let's just say the whole team learned from previous franchise success and failures, it's a win on effort AND execution.

FUBAR (2023– )

Boomer. Nostalgia. Bait.

[7/10 · 27 May 2023]

Nah. Gotcha. More like, millennial bait. We're that target demographic now, we pay the streamer bills. And it's streaming chic now, 80s action movie stars breaking into television and onto your computer monitors. Stallone breaks bread with Taylor Sheridan and his Paramount goons and works on dramatic-comedies (the dramedie?) and .....reality television?!?!

Stallone crafted and tested the original formula with "The Expendables" but it's become quite refined at this point. Good enough that Netflix saw fit to take 'inspiration' from. I'll admit, I broke out in LOLs like I was 10 again and watching "Kindergarten Cop." Though, I don't know if I can handle a Schwarzenegger reality tv show but maybe Chris Pratt is always 'ON' and we can IRL laughs. With the writers' strike, wouldn't be the worst of ideas.

Back to the show review, it's very very ....nostalgic. It brings the whole mise en scene of K. COP with the 80s over the top action sequences against bona fide live action super villains but with a modern lens (none of that 80s vaseline) and modern sensibilities of...."Last Action Hero" humor.

Some times, Netflix makes the right investment on original content, but you know what they say, a broken clock is still right twice a day.