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Reviews
The Onedin Line: Pound and Pint (1972)
GOOD FOR THE 1970s
James Onedin is a selfish self serving moneygrubber and his wife Anne was right to leave him. He is an ugly man with no lips and his rotten unchariyable disposition makes him all the uglier. No woman should be treated the way he treats her, but it was all too common back then. This episode does a fine job giving glimpses into the true House of Humanity. The poor working themselves into early graves while the landed gentry rake in profits hand over fist. This period drama is well done and quite surely it lasted 8 seasons due to all the centuries of rich history of British Navy and seafaring wealth. Good passtime if you're bored with modern drivel.
Heartland: Somewhere in Between (2018)
CHRIS POTTER THE SHAOLIN COWBOY
Grasshoppers in audience notice Mongolian shaman Altan gave Tim shadowman the tools he needed but could not ask for to heal himself with. He finally came clean with Casey and let love in instead of pushing it away. He sat at the grave of the mother of his children and let the darkness go. He found the bravery to let the light in to balance the shadow, and in doing so the DIS-EASE in his body balanced itself as well. Whoever wrote this episode knew what they were doing. The falcon, the string of Tibetan prayer flags in the shaman's van for travel protection, the whole premise of Atilla the wild horse they healed helping in turn to rescue Ty for Amy was magical. The opportunity of learning about horse lore of another culture was not lost. Too bad it was not used more often with Native American horse medicine as well. Chris Potter is a talented actor and director. Grasshoppers can see true-to-life dialogue more often in episodes he directs. Nice to hear things being spoken that dearly need to be heard. Namaste.
Heartland: Eclipse of the Heart (2015)
LOU'S GREATEST HITS... NOT !!!
If you're a fan of neurotic anal retentive obsessive control freak Lou Fleming-Morris, then this episode is for you. Frankly, some of us were forced to fast forward through the flashbacks that were already so distasteful the first time around. How could anyone pay money for a parenting book written by a woman who hands her kids to 27 other people to look after while she pretends to run two businesses badly and cook meals for 8 in a kitchen the size of a shoebox? Her own marriage is circling the drain -Peter is already cheating on her with Sylvia - yet she is compelled to barge boldly ahead insanely micromanaging every last detail and sucking the joy out of everything and everyone else. She cannot help herself, but she has no redeeming qualities at all. The show functioned much better when she was gone for her personal maternity leave. Writers need to use her character very sparingly in future or risk losing viewers altogether with overdose like this one.
Heartland: Wild Horses (2012)
WHY NO TRIBAL ELDER WISDOM ??
Whoever wrote this episode missed a golden opportunity to introduce white audience members to Native American lore about the Horse. Instead of Scott returning to the vacant shack of his grandfather that Amy's mom rescued him from years ago, there should have been some tribal elder like Graham Greene or Tantoo Cardinal or even Victor Whitetail to gift the Native wisdom of Horse Medicine to Amy and Ty and the viewers. Horses have meant power and wealth and freedom to many tribes for centuries, so having some angry native idiot shooting at them was just plain stupid on top of being illegal. Mustangs are to be treasured, not for target practice. Shame on the writing staff for not delving deeper into Scott's heritage or the herd's true meaning or why the damn reservation exists in the first place. Amy should have been given a gift of thanks by the tribe.
Heartland: The Haunting of Hanley Barn (2009)
ALWAYS LISTEN CLOSELY TO YOUR ELDERS
Wow what a great episode! Braided storytelling at its best, which is mostly true of any episode with Mark Haroun's name in the writing credits. Scary bits, funny bits, interlaced with the hope and promise of new love and the heartbreak of unrequited love. Past, present and future... all touchstones in the same garden. Mrs Bell shares her story for those who wish to listen, and it's not just about award-winning jam recipes. Amy solves a mystery and earns a treasured glimpse into the past. Ty bonds once again with Badger and steers him away from harm as a runaway street urchin. Jack loosens the reins on both his granddaughters a little trusting that they will return back to the core of their Heartland roots. We love these stories, and we dearly love this series.
Heartland: Diamond in the Rough (2019)
GREAT WRITING AND GOOD HUMOR
Whenecer Mark Haroun's name appears in the writing credits the audience can be assured of splendid entertainment. This episode is chock full of hilarious segments like the steak cook-off and the inevitable dad speech to daughter's first boyfriend. Peter's speeding tickets and reaction to Lou's diamond necklace are both comical and believable. Amy and Ty were BOTH RIGHT in their little tiff. Even the reason for the client's horse going crazy was really well done. This is not good TV, it's GREAT TV and it's a real privilege for me as an American viewer to stay enchanted with the story of lives of the Bartlett family of Heartland for just as long as it continues.
Heartland: Past Imperfect (2018)
OMG LOU'S GREATEST HITS ???
Lou's incessant self-absorbed obsessing was bad enough the first time around. Why would we want to watch it AGAIN??? She is a control freak who has lost control and is therefore tring to control everyone else's lives. She has horse teeth in her closeups quite often appears on the show with nasal congestion which quite frankly sounds better with the volume off. She was stupid enough to give her wedding rings back to a cheating jerk husband and then even more pathetic to ask for them back. She jerks chains and pushes buttons and then complains about the fallout. I used to like her, but 11 seasons is wearing thin. The writers better do something soon or she's gonna micromanage herself right off my TV. And for God's sake get rid of Ty's filthy greaseball stringy hair.
Heartland: Leap of Faith (2011)
GET RID OF ALL THE JERKS !!!
Chase Powers needs to leave the show. Don't know how he can fit through doorways with the size of that pumped up inflated fathead ego of his. He lies, two-times woman, nearly killed Mrs Bell and enjoys causing more problems than he solves. His last episode can't come soon enough. Peter comes in a close second for lying, and shutting his business savvy spouse out of a massive financial crisis. Thirty million dollars in debt overnight and he says everything is fine. Someone needs to slap that boy upside the head. And now this Forrest guy has gone berserk and thinks he MADE Amy into the miracle girl ?? Who died and made him God of the internet? Val Stanton's character makes a much better villain. At least her knee jerk overreactions are predictable. So take note, writers, send the jerks packing. It's time for the girls to rock and roll.
Heartland: Where the Truth Lies (2010)
BRAIDED STORYTELLING
In a seamless almost magical way, the writers of this episode have interwoven several elements into a very effective episode. Amy's kindness helps the hermit who knew her mother. The lonely hermit helps Lou. The hermit's donkey helps the abused horse, who finds a forever home with the hermit whose horse had to stay in the hospital with a bleak prognosis which in turn helped Amy dig deeper into her mother's journals of herbal remedies. Mallory and Badger's discovery in the adandoned well leads to the hermit lady finding the remains of the husband she mistakenly thought had abandoned her long ago. All are about levels of abandonment and abuse. And the connections we humans rely on so much, even when we don't realize it. This episode is a shining example of why this show has remained an international hit series on TV for so many years.
McLeod's Daughters: Once Were Heroes (2005)
FANTASTIC EPISODE !!!
As an American, I had never heard of Walers before this episode. The show was so well done, it even prompted me to do a but of research about them. Kudos to the folks who put it together. The story was compelling and the writing was superb. Dave's emotional backstory made the abused horse rescue even more poignant. And for Alex to use clout and righteous indignation against a politician in order to save the horses and make possible criminal charges dropped really added some gold stars to my review rating. Far worse things are done to wild Mustangs here in America but thank god there are some dedicated rescuers here also. Add this episode to your top ten of Mcleods Daughters.
McLeod's Daughters: Desperate and Dateless (2004)
HUNKY HILARITY AND BABES WITH BALLS
The other reviewer on here is so negative they should just stop watching the show. The episode is absolutely hilarious good fun entertainment. Anal retentive Kate gets her car stolen. All the girls in party frocks have to hitch a ride in the back of a cabbage truck. Gorgeous guys in tuxedos get into a drunken brawl with bikers. Stevie nearly loses her black opals but has to come clean about her secrets. Dave has finally found someone to laugh at his horrible jokes. Kate the eveready girl scout helps the gang deliver a calf that's already 3 days old. Nick and Tess finally share a lovely slow dance under the stars after a day of nonstop calamities. Well worth watching for all fans.
McLeod's Daughters: The Wedding (2003)
SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED
What a waste of an episode and an entire storyline. Alberto was not handsome. He looked like a thin-lipped hamster. And the more he opened his moufh, the more he sounded like a typical boorish male chauvenisf pig who wanted Jody chained to the stove barefoot and pregnant. She had serious misgivings right when she got off the plane. She was just too immature and spoiled to be honest with herself or anyone else. Meg spent a small fortune and no one even got to have a halfway decent meal out of the ordeal. Alberto was Catholic so in reality he and Jody would have had to undergo premarital classes beforehand but that was totally omitted. And no selfish princess is ever in a million years going to BURY a diamond ring. What the hell were the writers thinking?
McLeod's Daughters: Future Perfect (2002)
EVERYONE'S GONE STUPID
I know this was designed to be some cliffhanger season finale to keep viewers hooked and to boost ratings. But every single main character on this show has lost their minds. Alberto tells Jody to go see the world alone. Nick jumps into a full tilt relationship with another woman after drooling over Tess for months. Tess calls Mrs Ryan a beyatch to her face. Nick and Alex get testosterone poisoning and pummel each other over Tess. Becky takes a bus out of town without telling anyone. Peter Johnson turns into the beast from the black lagoon. And Claire finds out she's pregnant and sets out to kick her ex's arse in a cross country steeplechase on someone else's horse, nearly killing all 3 of them. HAVE ANY OF THESE WRITERS EVER WATCHED THE SHOW BEFORE???
Wycliffe: Bad Blood (1997)
MISOGYNISTIC BALDERDASH
Whoever wrote and directed this episode did nothing to promote tourism for Americans seeking a taste of English country life. All the women are either simpering idiots who kill babies or inept idiots who can't find their way out of a paper bag. Lucy Lane screwed up so badly she should be demoted to toilet scrubber. Wycliffe put the wrong person in charge, according to this episode. She never even yelled back at the bully spewing threats in her face. Is harrassment not a crime in the UK? The stupidity of this story is a damning statement about the lack of human kindness and compassion in general. Paints a very bleak and depressing picture of Britain and mankind in general.
Touched by an Angel: Full Moon (1997)
Should Be Used as Class in Overacting
Come on! Who is gonna believe Chris Noth, Mr Big from Sex in the City is a serial rapist and stalker? Never seen such horrible acting in my life. The rape victim would rather bake cookies than take a stupid fuzzy security blanket away from her 7 year old daughter. Most rape victims would jump at the chance of putting their attacker back behind bars for violating parole. Nope not her. Let the deranged husband buy a gun. America's solution for everything. The bad scriptwriting shows that this crew did not comprehend their subject matter and didn't have enough time to research it beforehand. If you are a fan of this show, please avoid this episode at all costs.
Promised Land: Amazing Grace: Part 2 (1997)
No Clear Message
Deary me, why did I bother watching this part two of a Touched by an Angel episode? Mr Greene doesn't trust Tess, yells a women for humming in a hospital, and hates the man who saved his life in Vietnam 25 years earlier. The new landlord wants to run away faster than the bullets being fired into his grandaddy's property. Tess and Monica are sidelined completely. Della Reese doesn't even sing with the choir at the funeral. The little girl with hearing damaged isn't helped, and Josh never got his sight restored. No police charges were filed againat the murderer. And a good woman died in a senseless driveby for no reason. We don't even see Andrew take her home. No happy ending. No change in hateful conditions. Total waste of an hour of my time.
Lark Rise to Candleford: Episode #2.7 (2009)
Chiaroscuro of Life
The other reviewer here must have the depth of a 12 year old who hasn't watched the series. This episode is gorgeously written and expertly filmed, juxtaposing humor and pain, love and loss, sunlight and shadow. The wisdom of age intertwined with the innocence of youth. Seeing more than two sides to an issue and communicating what matters without crushing souls. Timmons' wife and son sold their new shoes to feed the family in a crisis. Beautiful act of loving sacrifice. Timmons causes Laura's pain but cushions the blow. The clockmaker who shared her path for a time will never be forgotten. First loves never are for any of us.
Highway to Heaven: Love at Second Sight (1986)
A Sorry Misfire
When this show works, it's absolutely magical. But when it doesn't, it stinks to high heaven. The storyline in this episode makes no sense, and from the way the old veteran actors are reciting their lines so poorly, they think the same. If God sends dead spouses back to Earth and into their surviving spouses' lives I sure hope it works out better than the two episodes of this series dealing with the topic. Michael Landon did not write this crapola and it shows. Raining on a backyard bbq and a bunch of jealous old bitties gossipping round the bridge table. Seriously!! Give this episode a miss...
Highway to Heaven: Thoroughbreds: Part 2 (1985)
Best of the Season !!!
This two-part episode is by far the best of season one. It was nice to see Richard Bull again after all his work on Little House on the Prairie. The storyline was contemporary, believable, and laced with just the right amount of humor. Veteran cast made it very easy for viewers to get care about the characters and get swept away in the storytelling. Michael Landon was magical on horseback as always. The horses laughing was also a nice touch and lightened the heavy topic of dealing with cancer on top of a pregnancy. Victor French's horse dumping him in a pond and Landon's racecar driving past the highway patrol made me laugh out loud. Extremely enjoyable and highly recommended. Who doesn't love a happy ending ?!
Drovers' Gold (1997)
Brilliantly Good Entertainment
Stumbled upon this on a Roku search and was gobsmacked. Just the right mix of great cast, good writing, romance, adventure and all-around good storytelling. Bingeworthy especially if you like period pieces or westerns with a twist. Keith Barron shines and his line about the peacocks made me laugh out loud. Ray Stevenson provides the beefcake by looking like a Muskeeteer again. Emma's costumes were magnificent. I can't believe only 50 people have given this a rating at all. It's the best TV I've watched in 15 years. Right now I'm gonna watch all 6 episodes again and make my husband watch them with me. He's pretty picky, but he'll love this!
Everwood: Free Fall (2005)
This Show is Freefalling...
Dunno who wrote this episode but they obviously have no clue who the characters have been for the last 3 years. At least 10 times during this episode it was actually VISIBLE that even the actors are uncomfortable saying their own lines. Ephram seems to have stopped playing Keanu Reaves Matrix wannabe, but Amy is channeling Grace Kelly instead. If Ephram can teach Kyle how to make 50 bucks in an hour plunking on a lobby piano then how did he run out of money on his European walkabout? The soap opera storylines are one thing but the continual 180s and pretend trauma drama are quite another. If it weren't for the tragic death of lead actors Treat Williams and Stephanie Niznik, I would just stop watching this series cold turkey.
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: His Father's Son (1997)
Chris Abbott Strikes Again UGH
Chris Abbott wrote the absolute WORST episode of Little House on the Prairie years ago... No continuity of characters or dialogue. Viewers left scratching their heads wondering what the hell show they were watching. Well, this episode sadly is another humdinger of a misfire. Brian becomes an arsonist twice, screams at his parents, turns into a juvenile delinquent over some stupid letter from his lying loser dad he's barely spent 5 minutes with in 15 years. Colleen looks like a 12 year old playing dress up. Dr Mike doesn't speak up about Andrew selling bottles of snake oil. He and Brian need their ears boxed. And Sully impersonates Charles Ingalls...badly. If you're a diehard DQMW fan, go ahead and watch with a 50 lb bag of salt. If you want great, stay very very close to the fast forward button.
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: Dead or Alive: Part 2 (1996)
Preston Haters Unite
Jason Leland Adams' portrayal of banker Preston Lodge III is even more despicable than his General Custer. Every hateful word out of his mouth needed to be punched back in. Sully should have let him die and saved the town a world of grief. The writers of this show have no idea who Michaela is, or they would never have had her stupidly endanger her own pregancy twice. Colleen allowed herself to be turned into a floor scrubbing skivvy. Where was Sully's wolf companion on that ludicrous trek into the wilderness with crystal goblets and silver candlesticks? Hank packed more cigars than sense, Robert E tolerated put downs, and Matthew should not try to impersonate a marshall Matt Dillon wannabe until he needs to shave. Good story, good acting, but not completely true to DQMW.
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: Washita: Part 2 (1995)
The Four Stages of Grief...
This marvelous two-part episode is in my opinion the best and most unforgettable of the series. Never in my entire life have I seen a portrayal of the Four Stages of Grief spun so seamlessly in such a short period of time. Jane Seymour will make you FEEL every second of her denial, anger, guilt, and final acceptance of the massacre of her Native American friends and elders. Cloud Dancing's healing sweatlodge and the naming of the orphan baby brought smiles through the tears. Larry Sellars is a wise Grandfather indeed. Sully knew that both his deeply wounded loved ones had to heal each other as only gifted healers can. Shared knowledge and shared pain. The horrors that Custer and his ilk did to indigenous Native Americans makes me want to hang my head in shame for being white. Maybe in the next Dr Quinn reboot movie we will see the future return of Cheyenne Chief Lives in Hope whose life was saved by No Harm and several special friends who were white and brown and black...
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: Orphan Train (1994)
Love the Series, HATE This Episode
Someone please tell Reverend Johnson that there are some men who should never shave off their beard. Everything is wrong with this episode. Loren Bray made a little thieving punk smoke 15 cigars till he puked. Hank tried to coax a teenage virgin into letting him be her pimp. Dr Mike puts Sully on the backburner and toys with the idea of becoming Mother Teresa. What were these writers smoking? Robert E can make a jointed prosthetic leg without ever taking the first measurement. Colleen gets scolded for being upset one of the orphan brats broke her silver heirloom hand mirror from Grandma Quinn. Dorothy prints gossip as front page news. And Sully watches his relationship go down in flames, the does a 180 and opts for a day of picnicking. The orphans werent on the show long enough for viewers to give a hoot about their future. And everyone else was acting so badly out of character that I kept watching the timer to see when this lousy episode would end.