Reviews

Completely agree with others who have commented that this is trying too hard: from the scenes that are inexplicably both over and under acted, to the too obvious soundtrack, this is all a bit desperate.

I am a big fan of films and TV shows that deal in deceit or a juicy affair, so ignored the lacklustre reviews and hoped this would give me something. Alas, all it gave was not much.

I think the audience is meant to be rooting for (or at least meant to relate to) the downtrodden wife, but the poorly executed and long winded revenge made me exasperated with her - I mean, just leave him? Liv simply wasn't compelling, and I did not believe she was so aggrieved she would want to murder her husband. She was limply portrayed, I also found the 'shaking off the shackles' dance scenes incredibly corny.

Trying way too hard to be Gone Girl: the TV series, but not enough background was given and nor was a complete scene set. Everything felt a bit under done, and I kept waiting for the big moment to happen. It was all a bit nothing.

It's watchable I guess, and I enjoyed rolling my eyes, particularly at the lead who I found immensely irritating and wanted incarcerated. That's about it.

Finished season 2, crying and unashamed. This is such a brilliant and heartfelt series, with incredible acting from the two leads - particularly Katherine Heigl who embodies Tully so wholeheartedly.

The series has ended with season 2, and it felt like yhe end, not rushed or unfinished. It's so strange, but I will miss following their story as I truly felt like I got to know the girls (who became women) and understood their motivations and many of their decisions. It was great to feel a part of their lives.

Will try Virgin River and Sweet Magnolias at some point, as they seem to be dramas in a similar vein. Will be hard to live up to though, Firefly Lane was a hard show to say goodbye to.

Started watching this show before I was pregnant, watched a season during pregnancy and rewatched the entire thing after becoming a mum - and loved it each and every time.

I have read a few of the other reviews, and I understand we all consume and perceive content in different ways, but I struggle to understand some of the arguments made for a few of the low ratings. If the show isn't for you, fair enough, but this is a comedy and some of the hand wringing complaints seems undeserved.

I personally enjoyed that the women of colour characters are just as flawed and funny as the rest of them. Netflix showss have a tendency to CONSTANTLY draw upon the race of a non-white character, as if it is the only facet of that person that bears any relevance, and it often feels like it is being done to continually remind the audience that the show in question has a POC in it. Workin' Moms is, honestly, some of the best representation of POCs being whole and multifaceted people, and not hastily edged in for superficial box ticking. I particularly liked the episode where Sloane mentioned why she couldn't do something that Kate could (I think it was being fiery at work?), it was such an honest moment without being overwrought.

Moreover, complaints about the mums in the show leaving their kids to go and work...it is literally called Workin' Moms. And, hello - life! I say this as someone who gets to stay at home with their baby. If you have a problem with a show hilariously depicting mothers who have to go back to work, then blame capitalism.

Anyway, this show is absolutely brilliant. Love it.

Walmart Get Out. Can we lay the 'racism is the real horror, gasp!' social commentary films and TV series' to rest now? The frequent abysmal attempts are offensive, and this foray is no exception.

Not sure where to start, but the hackneyed bringing to attention of certain characters blackness, or their attempt to explore that side of themselves, was just odd and offensive. The basketball. Hair. The say nuttin'. The passing of an afro comb.

The fish out of water trope too, with orced, fake "posh" accent. A school with 'private school' in the title (we get it, her new life is markedly different. I mean, come on). A wig being emblematic of mum's attempt to fit in.

This was weird, full of clichés and stereotypes. An interesting attempt could have been made to examine why a mum would leave her two children, and the possibly internalised racist connotations that could have played a part in the new family she chose, if it was more craftily segued in. However, this attempt was clumsily hammered home to the point it was uncomfortable to watch.

Moreover, the main actress didn't read as mum: barely looks older than the first set of children, and didn't give a vibe of a private school, headmistress mum to the others.

Too much going on. Odd.

I have endured 15 episodes of this series, waiting for the 7.5/10 rating to kick in...and yet it still hasn't for me.

Ginny and Georgia would be much more deserving of its rating if it leant more into Georgia. She is interesting, complex and a character you care about - even if you don't like her. The fact that this show is so heavy on the Ginny is one of its failings. I am partial to a teen drama, so I am used to the bratty teen stereotype, but Ginny is deeply deeply annoying. This could have worked well (I mean, she's meant to be a brat, right?), but she is mind numbingly boring and I have zero interest in following her story.

I don't care about her friends. I don't care about her love triangle. I don't care about her navigating school life. I don't care about her opinions. In the beginning of season 2 there was a dream sequence where Georgia suffocated Ginny and I breathed a sigh relief and actually muttered a "finally". Only to be bitterly disappointed.

Maybe we are meant to dislike Ginny, she is perhaps a reflection of our teen selves and I try to remind myself how interesting I *thought* I was at 15. But she is so aggressively unlikeable. The actress who plays her is either the deserved winner of a Best Actress of All Time Award, or failing miserably at evoking empathy for Ginny.

It is nice to see Bracia featured more in season 2, because in season 1 it felt as if she existed as just a prop to remind the audience of Ginny's mixed heritage, or even a maternal black figure who comforted emotional leech Ginny as and when required - which is disturbing considering the fact they are the same age.

That is another area where the series fails, it should be a 24 episode series, there isn't enough time to devote to all the themes that exist in the show. I initially appreciated the fact that issues were peripherally referenced, but not elaborated on, as I thought it was highlighting that many of us carry huge issues as little more than routine once they become our norm. Then I realised - nope, it's just this show spreading itself too thin over 10 episodes per season.

I am also perturbed by the sex scenes involving teenagers. I get that the actors aren't 15/16 and that teenagers have sex, but leave it implied as opposed to almost graphically drawn attention to. Essentially, many of us are adults watching teens have sex, feels gross (I fast forward through).

It's a shame, as I really enjoyed the first 2 or 3 episodes. I do enjoy watching present and past Georgia, and I like Austin.

I probably will finish the last five episodes, just to see how Georgia is doing and in hope that it could get better nearer the end.

If a person approaches you with news that there is a thunderstorm raging outside and then shortly afterwards another person approaches you and refutes the earlier news as a lie insisting that the weather is actually dry and sunny, then your job as a journalist isn't to quote one or both of them - your job is to stick your head outside and report who is lying.

With that said, this "documentary" was completely one sided and not well researched. No mention of Robson and Safechuck's ongoing legal wrangling with the Jackson Estate and no commentary on why a lawsuit was filed (the filmmaker shouldn't assume that the audience would come to their own conclusion or do their own research after watching). The emotive end scene where Robson burns memorabilia Jackson gave to him was also inaccurately presented - the items he burnt were replicas, which isn't clearly indicated in the film. The timeline of abuse was also proven inaccurate and the personal accounts were contradictory, which made the story difficult to follow. Fact checking was not rigourous, which is confusing as it would not be at all difficult to check; all that is required is a quick google seach of 'Michael Jackson FBI vault file'.

Moreover, I can not overstate how incredibly boring this film is. The accounts were so mind numbingly presented that I often found myself checking my phone at key moments where I was supposed to be moved. And it is clear where the audience is being directed to move - to horror. Details are extremely graphic in order to emotionally manipulate the viewer into being so disgusted they can't help but believe these stories - because what is being described is so terrible no one could lie about it, right...?

I would not be surprised if some 'truth will out' regarding this film and I only hope that when it does that advocacy for abuse victims will not be severely impacted. They deserve better than this.

If my role when watching this film was to be jury, then Michael is not guilty and hopefully will be vindicated.