Shivoncarla

CLASS - SEASON ONE

Much like the Spanish original, there's lots of sex, drugs, and unexpected turns, which makes it come across as an adaptation of Elite; bogged down by its own ambitions.

UNDER THE BRIDGE - SEASON ONE

In a story like this, it’s frightfully easy to flatten a tragedy into entertainment. Under the Bridge didn’t let viewers forget about the human at the heart of the story and it was a radical approach that I hope we see more of in the future.

HIGH WATER - SEASON ONE

The melodramatic character subplots just feel too manipulative and trite. Strangely, there's hardly a drop of rain to be seen and yet this is the entire reason it happened. An incredible downpour lasting days soaked ever inch of soil and yet all we are aware of this is through scientific jargon. Perhaps the difficulty of shooting on a limited budget meant sacrificing technically challenging torrential rain. It left a strange and improbable calmness instead.

A GOOD GIRL'S GUIDE TO MURDER - SEASON ONE

If you’re looking for a little bite-sized mystery, helmed by a determined, clever girl on a quest for the truth, I definitely recommend A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.

TALES OF THE WALKING DEAD - SEASON ONE

Tales of the Walking Dead possesses the chance to explore and play with this world-gone-mad scenario, but mostly squanders it. Telling a self-contained story in each hour, think of it as a zombie-fied bonus effort that doesn't kill much more than time.

TOMB RAIDER: THE LEGEND OF LARA CROFT - SEASON ONE

Features some fun moments where the Powerhouse Animation team lets loose with some rousing sequences. However, it fails to enthrall audiences completely when paired with a flat story.

COLD CALL - SEASON ONE

I liked the economy of the dialogue and performances: natural, not spelling everything out, but leaving much unsaid. It's a timely drama, educating viewers on how the thieves operate without labouring the lessons.

THE CUCKOO - SEASON ONE

More than the occasional lapse into cliche, the show was far sillier than it was slick. AVOID.

HEARTSTOPPER - SEASON TWO

Heartstopper Season 2 is everything we wanted and then some. Although a bit darker as it touches on more sensitive issues, this new season doesn't stray too far from that light, romantic, and tender tone that was the heart that made the first season beat.

THE INHERITANCE - SEASON ONE

Worse "mystery": the twist the filmmakers are protecting isn’t all that revelatory. If we’d been given all the information at the onset, that would have provided the audience more reason to invest in what’s happening and enjoy what works about the show.