Postby Dragaros » November 27th, 2022, 10:02 pm
Finally finished Andor, and yeah, that was a damn good show. Glad to hear it's getting at least another season. I appreciated the slower, more methodical pacing, the world-building, and the grittier tone. Loved seeing the ISB, the careful planning and level of ruthlessness that went into those early rebel actions, Mon Mothma having to navigate the tricky balance of supporting the early rebels without giving herself away, and how even small actions can ripple across the galaxy. Stellan Skarsgård and Andy Serkis in particular deserve major kudos for their acting performances here. Wish there were more aliens, but I'm sure they don't have the same budget from Disney that the projects like Mandalorian gets, so I don't hold it against them. A shame that it seems like a lot of people are sleeping on this.
Werewolf by Night was a love letter to old classic horror movies, complete with the campy cheese factor and a black-and-white color filter. An amusing little MCU addition, if predictable and nothing groundbreaking. I wish they had done a more nuanced take on the whole "monster hunters vs monsters, who the real monster?" thing, really flesh out these characters and motivations, but what can you do, eh? I did appreciate the higher than normal level of violence, and exploring the more supernatural side of things. A nice surprise after several Phase 4 disappointments. Now we just need these characters to team up with the likes of Blade and Ghost Rider and Moon Night and we got a mystical team with some cool potential.
I went into House of the Dragon with lowered expectations, but this series blew them out of the water. HotD captures that feeling you had when Game of Thrones was at its peak and the hype train was at maximum. It's not perfect, there's a few story changes from the source material that are a little questionable or odd, but they're mostly minor issues in the grand scheme of things, and it doesn't ruin the enjoyment. Most of the changes they made were designed to made the Blacks and the Greens more sympathetic and understandable, and the whole conflict more tragic, which does make for a more nuanced narrative, if changed from the source material. It's a tighter, more focused story compared to GoT. The time skips can be a little jarring, but you get used to it. I'm almost tempted to say Matt Smith's Daemon Targaryen is the show stealer, but the real MVP is without a doubt Paddy Considine's Viserys Targaryen, who plays the character with such soul and gusto, especially as the show goes on. There's a scene with him in particular towards the end that was easily one of the most poignant moments on television I've seen in a LONG time. Most of the cast is great, and the other major players hold their own as well. If you liked the politicking and scheming of early GoT but wanted more dragons and to mostly stay in King's Landing than be sure to check this out, even if GoT's final season left you burned.
Last edited by
Dragaros on November 27th, 2022, 11:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Drive me closer! I want to hit them with my sword!"