Leverage (Season 4)

Coming after the pretty amazing Season 3, Leverage's fourth season had a lot to live up to. While I can't say it didn't try, I also can't really say it managed to reach its predecessor's heights.

Similarly to Season 3, the fourth season of Leverage had an overarching storyline that was introduced in the premiere, brought up every once in a while, and resolved in the finale. By concept alone, I like the idea that one of the Leverage team's past enemies has been spying on them, especially it being the first person they ever conned. However, I think they could have done a lot more with the concept. We learn who's been bugging the team so early on in the season, and it doesn't have that same kind of urgency that the Moreau arc did. Thankfully, the last two episodes are incredibly awesome and one of the best endings Leverage has ever had. I've also really enjoyed the character work this season. After Nate and Sophie slept together last season, we really get to seem their relationship slowly develop to the point where they can finally confess their feelings in the finale. Similarly, Parker and Hardison are growing closer than ever before, to the point that in the second half of the season, it basically feels like they're already dating. Something I like about this show is that each season gives a certain character a lot of screen time. Season 1 has Nate, Season 2 has Sophie, Season 3 has Elliot, and this season ended up giving Hardison a ton of focus, leading to some of Aldis Hodge's best performances in the whole show. There's only one character left, I seriously hope Parker gets a ton of screentime in Season 5!

Right from the start of its fourth season, Leverage seemed somewhat different, it was darker. While the premiere was mostly just another con, the case was far more dramatic and the characters were put in far more danger. And it wasn't just this episode, it was the entire first half of the season! Hardison getting buried alive, Eliot trying to stop a child abduction, and especially the heartbreaking World War flashback in The Van Gogh Job. Don't get me wrong, this darker tone isn't inherently bad, but it just felt off to me, as those aforementioned episodes just ended up not being as fun to watch as I had come to expect from the show. The second half of the season, starting with The Queen's Gambit Job was a massive boost of quality, as Leverage was bringing back old characters and experimenting with its formula more than ever before. There were still some dark moments including an honest-to-god death scene in the penultimate episode, but it really felt like Leverage was back and better than ever. This leaves Season 4 is a bit of an odd spot, with an incredibly weak first half and an amazing second half. The season felt a bit disjointed as a result, even with its numerous high points.

There were a bunch of really strong episodes this season, especially in the second half:

The Queen's Gambit Job: Sterling's back! This episode was just so entertaining, the DDR scene, Nate faking his way through a chess tournament, Parker jumping off the Burj Khalifa, Sterling's killer betrayal, that final confrontation between Nate and Sterling. After such a grim first half to the season, this episode felt like Leverage as its most exciting, compelling, and just plain fun.

The Office Job: This was one of those high concept episodes that managed to get by on sheer premise alone. Seeing the show pretty much ape The Office was a ton of fun and packed with hilariously awkward moments, even if the execution was a bit clunky at times.

The Girls/Boys Night Out Job: This two-parter has a pretty cute concept. Two episodes taking place on the same night, each focusing on a different section of the group. I personally preferred "Girl's Night Out" since we got the return of Tara, but both episodes were packed with fun character interactions, charming humor, and a ton of fanservice.

The Radio Job: I adore this episode's premise. The team faking a hostage situation is an insanely fun twist on a pretty rote storyline that Leverage itself played straight back in Season 1. And just like all of Leverage's other penultimate episodes, this one packs a wallop with the big reveal of who the villain is, along with the show's first death in the form of Nate's father.

The Last Dam Job: Easily the show's best finale, The Last Dam Job is a satisfying end to the season that brings back a whole bunch of minor characters for one of the most intricate and exciting cons to date. It's a ton of fun to see what everyone has been up to since their debut episodes, while Nate's storyline adds some great emotional heft to the proceedings.

Overall, in spite of an oddly grim first half and an underdeveloped story arc, Leverage's fourth season has some of the show's highest points, along with some top-notch character work.

4/5 Stars

Parks And Rec (Season 2)

The first season of Parks And Recreation didn't work. It tried to be too similar to The Office but it just felt wrong, so Season 2 served as an extended course correction for the series. Not only did this pay off in spades, but it put the changes into motion that would make Parks & Rec one of TV's best comedies.

Season 2 of Parks and Rec made a bunch of important changes to the series that made it more enjoyable to watch, but the biggest change was that it allowed the characters to enjoy each other's company. In the first season, most of the cast didn't really like each other. They were reluctant co-workers just like in The Office and Leslie Knope was just an obnoxious boss. In Season 2, it actually feels like the cast are friends. Leslie Knope is generally well-liked among her coworkers and most of the office tension comes from the characters just being endearing goofballs. This single shift in the dynamics of the cast made Parks & Rec so much more enjoyable to watch because it wasn't about internal tension within the department anymore, rather it was about external conflict like an art contest, corporate sponsorship, and holding a telethon. Another thing that this season did well compared to its predecessor was make Pawnee seem more like a real town. It had recurring minor characters, annoying residents, and running gags that help you understand why Leslie cares about it so much. Even with all of its faults, Pawnee has all of the charm of a small town, and when the government gets shut down in the last two episodes, you actually care.

While the general tone shifted for the better pretty early on in the season, with fairly iconic episodes right from the get-go, it's hard not to feel like Season 2 was one long transition season at times. The first six episodes were an elaborate way to finally fill in The Pit, ending a joke that had gotten pretty old by the end of Season 1. While the writing was generally funnier pretty early on, it still took quite a few episodes for the "cringe comedy" stylings of Season 1 to truly go away. There was still an awkwardness to a bunch of Season 2's episodes. In addition, the cast suffered from a member who stuck out like a pretty massive sore thumb, that being Mark. While all of the other characters gained their own quirks and charms, Mark was meant to be the average straight-man and ended up being kind of a bore that dragged the show down. He ended up staying around all season until the finale, and I think Parks & Rec became permanently better once he left. In addition, Ben and Chris, two of the show's best characters, didn't debut until the last two episodes of the season. These last two episodes kickstart the show's first story arc, a structure that Parks & Rec would continue to follow and excel at for the rest of its run. As a result, while the general level of quality had definitely increased, it still wasn't until the last two (maybe three if you include Telethon) episodes of the season when Parks and Rec truly and finally came into its own.

Still, there were a lot of strong episodes in Season 2, far more than I could say about the first:

Greg Pikitis: This was the episode that truly won me over once and for all. Leslie frantically trying to arrest the titular teenager is a ton of fun to watch, and the final reveal of how Pikitis managed to get away with his crimes was pretty great. This is also the episode that introduced Burt Macklin, a sequence that instantly made Andy that much more likable.

Ron And Tammy: Tammy II is such a hilarious side character. She does an amazing job of bringing Ron outside of his comfort zone, and the real-life chemistry between both of their actors make their dynamic hilarious. Also, Leslie's hatred for the library is one of the show's funnier running gags.

The Camel: This episode is an underrated gem and not enough people talk about it. It takes a simple concept about an art contest and uses it to give everyone in the cast a chance to shine, whether it's Tom breaking down at an abstract painting or Jerry's "murinal". The titular hodgepodge of paintings is so ridiculous, it's hilarious, and the heartwarming ending perfect sets the tone for the rest of the show.

Telethon: This is still one of the show's absolute funniest episodes. It's a 24-hour rapid-fire series of hilarious comedic setpieces and moments as Leslie tries to pull off a telethon. Once again, the whole cast gets a chance to shine, with highlights being Leslie's attempts at buying time, drunk Tom, Ron's sleep fighting, and especially Perd doing the worm.

The Master Plan: This is one of the most important episodes of the series. Ben and Chris finally arrive to the show, completing the cast, and shutting down the government. It's a massive twist that shifts the show to a more serialized tone, and while that's probably what the episode is more known for, we also have some fun romantic drama and hijinks at the Snakehole Lounge. 

Freddy Spaghetti: Parks And Recreation has some of the best season finales I've ever seen from a sitcom and Freddy Spaghetti feels like a perfect end to the season. Not everything is resolved here, the government is still shut down, and Andy ruined his chance at getting together with April, but I love the thematic resolution as Leslie holds a children's concert in spite of the shutdown. Ben shows that he might have a heart, Mark finally leaves, and the twist about Ron dating Tom's ex-wife is both a surprising and hilarious to end the season.

Overall, Season 2 feels like one long transition season for the show, but it finally feels like Parks & Rec has figured out what it wants to be. It's a season packed with fun episodes, and an incredibly strong ending.

3/5 Stars

Seinfeld (Season 9)

This is it, the final season of one of the most ground-breaking and influential seasons of all time, this was its chance to stick the landing. And for a while, it seemed like it would... but then the finale happened...  

The first two-thirds of this season was pretty great all around. I think the fact that this is the final season means that a lot of people tend to forget just how amazing the first half of the season is, but Season 9 got off to a phenomenal start! It felt like it was keeping up the same level of quality of Season 8, packing in tons of iconic moments, scenes, and vernacular. Can you believe that Festivus wasn't introduced until this season? And neither was Serenity Now! We got an episode that pioneered the concept of an episode taking place in reverse. At its best, Season 9 is Seinfeld at its most creative and hilarious. Around the second half, Seinfeld was started to drop off in quality a bit, but even then, there were some solid episodes like The Frogger. Even with several weaker episodes near the end, including the divisive The Puerto Rican Day and the lazy clip show episode The Chronicle, as long as they stuck the landing, this could still have been one of Seinfeld's best seasons.

ButSadly, not only did they not stick this landing, Seinfeld ended up having probably my least favorite series finale of all time. It's genuinely stunning just how much of a disappointment The Finale is. While the concept of the main cast finally being called out for being jerks by a bunch of returning characters is definitely a good way to end the season, this was absolutely not the way to handle it. I've already voiced my complaints about Seinfeld's bizarre turns, but having the main cast arrested for breaking a law that was never implemented before this episode after a long, drawn-out trial that brought back a bunch of side characters who live in completely different locations just felt fantastical. Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer are incredibly flawed, petty and arrogant individuals who have done some pretty bad things (The Invitations, anyone?), but they're still not much different from any other average person. Why do they need to get arrested? They get punished every single episode anyway, it just doesn't make sense. Maybe this wouldn't be as bad if the episode was funny, but it wasn't. It was a glorified clip show, packed with flashbacks, and all of the returning characters did nothing outside of spouting their catchphrases. If any show deserved a "and life goes on" ending, it's Seinfeld, but instead we have something far more dramatic, unrealistic, and cynical than anything the show has ever done.

Despite my issues with the finale, the first two-thirds of the season did still give us some great episodes:

The Serenity Now: I don't think I mentioned this much but Frank Costanza is a genuinely hilarious side character and he had a ton of great episodes this season. The Festivus episode is great and all, but I love how Frank implants this "Serenity Now" phrase in everyone's minds resulting in most of the episode's storylines.

The Merv Griffin Show: So the concept of Kramer getting a Merv Griffin set and installing it in his apartment is a bit out there, but it's just so funny. I love how the other characters use it as an excuse to voice their issues, while Kramer spends the whole episode acting out the show. And the plot about George trying to play with his girlfriend's toys is great too.

The Betrayal: The Betrayal is the last of my Top 3 Seinfeld episodes, probably for being the absolute best usage of reverse chronology of all time. Not only did this episode introduce the concept, but the way it utilized this technique to tell its jokes is nothing short of phenomenal, particularly the sneeze gag. Not to mention the main storyline of the group going to India for a wedding being incredibly fun in its own right. Not to mention the fact that it coined yet another iconic quote "Stuff your sorries in a sack" (I also used this phrase a ton before knowing where it came from).

Overall, Seinfeld's ninth season had a stellar start with some of the show's best episodes, but the quality slowly dipped throughout, ending on one of the worst series finales ever.

2/5 Stars

My ranking of the Seinfeld seasons is:

8 > 4 > 5 > 7 > 3 > 6 > 9 > 2 > 1

My ranking of the Seinfeld finales is:

5 > 7 > 4 > 8 > 3 > 6 > 1 > 2 > 9

Favorite Episode: The Chinese Restaurant

Seinfeld (Season 8)

Usually when the main showrunner or writer leaves, it marks the point at which the show begins to decline (Community, Frasier). However, Seinfeld didn't actually have that issue. As a matter of fact, despite Larry David's absence, Season 8 is my favorite season of the show.

After the slightly overwhelming wedding arc, Season 8 doesn't really have a story arc. The closest thing would be George dealing with the fallout of Susan's death, pretty much experiencing a conga line of embarrassment throughout the course of the season. You'd think this would be depressing or repetitive, but let's face it, this is George. From being forced to start a foundation in Susan's name to being fired from the Yankees to breaking his leg, George's series of unfortunate mishaps managed to be hilarious throughout the season. With the exception of that plot thread, however, most of Season 8 was standalone episodes, meaning that its quality pretty much depended on its humor. Thankfully, Season 8 is easily one of the funniest seasons of the show. It takes a more absurdist turn compared to the Larry David seasons, while still blending it with the social commentary that Seinfeld is well-known for, resulting in iconic episodes like The Yada Yada and The English Patient. I think this formula works pretty much perfectly for Seinfeld, allowing for some of the show's funniest episodes.

Just like Season 7, Seinfeld's eighth season manages to maintain an exceptional level of quality from start to finish. Looking back through the season, the only episode I didn't love was The Susie, and even that wasn't all that bad. Pretty much every single episode here was solid, packed with great jokes and funny character moments. The only thing that I really feel is missing here is Seinfeld's edge. Larry David took so many gutsy risks throughout his run that were pretty much non-existent here. When you compare Season 8 to its predecessors, it really does feel more like an average sitcom than its own thing. And while there were a ton of great episodes, none of them really reached the heights of the show's best. However, I think the sheer quality on show manages to make up for this issue. As mentioned before, Season 8 is one of the funniest seasons in Seinfeld. So many of the jokes managed to land for me, and the writers still managed to coin a ton of iconic terms such as "man-hands" and "yada yada". 

There were a ton of really strong episodes in Season 8, but my favorites include:

The Bizarro Jerry: This episode was just a ton of fun. I love the concept of a show's cast meeting their dopplegangers (HIMYM made a whole storyline out of it), and it was really funny to see Jerry go crazy over Elaine dating is a bizarre version of him. The scene where Jerry, George, and Kramer meet their bizarre counterparts is one of the most striking and memorable scenes in the show.

The Little Kicks: Coming right after The Bizarro Jerry is another really funny episode which has Jerry accidentally master the art of movie bootlegs. The whole concept is hilarious, but the way it ties together with the other storylines is even better. George trying and failing to bootleg is amazing, but it's Elaine accidentally recording her dance over the bootleg which is even better!

The Chicken Roaster: Kramer's storyline over fighting with a Kenny Rogers Roasters restaurant is easily the highlight of this episode, especially when Kramer and Jerry switch apartments and suddenly take on each other's mannerisms. Michael Richards and Seinfeld absolutely kill it with their performances here, making for one of the show's funniest episodes.

The Abstinence: I thought it was really funny to see George become a better and smarter person by not having sex, but it was once again Kramer's storyline that really shines. Kramer's storyline about trying to sue a tobacco company is great, and probably has Jackie Chiles' funniest appearance in the show. 

The English Patient: This episode isn't anything amazing or anything, but it has easily one of the most timeless premises in the whole show. Elaine doesn't like a movie that everyone else loves, I'm sure every single person has experienced something like this. I know I definitely feel that way about Infinity War. Because of this episode, my family and I tend to use "The English Patient" as shorthand for a movie that's a box office success that everyone's gonna forget about eventually.

The Yada Yada: I mean, this is a genuinely funny episode on its own merits, but nothing holds a candle to the iconic "yada yada" subplot. I'm not gonna lie, this might be one of the most influential TV episodes ever made. "Yada yada" was a phrase I heard ever since I was born. Who knew that it was coined by a sitcom only a few years prior?

The Muffin Tops/Summer Of George: I like how most of this season depicted George's decline after his few years of relative success. The end of the season nails it by having George fired from the Yankees, then having the worst summer ever, and I love the parody of that hospital scene from last season where the gang doesn't even seem to care about George breaking his leg. It was a memorable way to poke fun at those who thought that episode "went too far".

Overall, Season 8 is my favorite season of the bunch. It may be a bit bizarre and lacking in bite, but it's just too funny to hate. Pretty much every episode here is solid at least, and the best episodes are some of the funniest in the show.

5/5 Stars

Seinfeld (Season 7)

Coming after the fairly lackluster Season 6, Seinfeld managed to come back swinging with easily its best season in a while as it attempts to bring together everything that made the show great.

Season 7 is Larry David's last season before he left the show, so it seems like he wanted to go out on a good note. Thankfully, Seinfeld's seventh season is easily one of the most consistently solid seasons of the show. It's also the only other season (along with Season 4) to have a story arc, this time being about George planning to get married to his girlfriend Susan. I don't love it as much as the "pilot arc", but it's a solid throughline for the season with an amazing ending. I really like how the premiere and finale parallel each other, and some of the wedding hijinks are genuinely entertaining. However, I'm not a massive fan of Susan. She gets a lot of focus here, but she doesn't really fit in with the rest of the group. Even more, unlike Season 4, I do feel like this "wedding arc" takes up a bit too much of the season, with plenty of episodes feeling like they're just spinning their wheels until the finale. It really feels like Season 7 has less standalone episodes than most of the other seasons because of this story arc, which is a massive shame, especially since those mark some of the highest points in Season 7. Episodes like The Soup Nazi and The Caddy don't involve the wedding at all, and they're awesome! It really makes me wish that this "wedding arc" stayed a bit more in the backdrop for most of the season.

Generally, Season 7 is a much funnier season than its predecessor. It's probably not as funny as Season 5 or as shocking as Season 4, but I think it strikes a pretty strong balance for the most part. It really does have some of the most iconic episodes in the show, particularly The Soup Nazi and The Invitations. I also think Season 7 is probably the most consistent season, maybe second to Season 8 (I'll get there soon). Even the worst episodes of the season are just kind of dull, while the best episode is one of my favorites in the whole show. I mentioned before that the best Seinfeld seasons have the best selection of episodes, and while Season 7 doesn't have as many high points as the show's best, most of the episode are at least pretty solid. The character work this season is also pretty good. I already mentioned George getting married, but there's also plot threads like Elaine's new job and Jerry falling in love with someone exactly like him, both of which are entertaining places for the characters to go.

There are a bunch of highlights scattered throughout Season 7, such as:

The Soup Nazi: The Chinese Restaurant is my favorite episode, but this is easily the funniest. I keep coming back to The Soup Nazi, thinking it should get old but it just doesn't! The titular chef is a hilarious and memorable side character, I love Elaine's reactions to the whole thing, and that payoff where Elaine gets her revenge is too good. And the fact that it's all based on a real person just makes the thing even funnier.

The Caddy: This episode was really funny. I love the fact that everyone thinks George is dead just because he went on vacation, and the way the show managed to move all of its pieces into place for this misunderstanding to occur is just genius.

The Bottle Deposit: The best double-length Seinfeld episodes pretty much just pad out the length with hilarious jokes, and The Bottle Deposit is no exception. Kramer's plan to make money off of recyclables by driving them to Michigan is hysterical and is packed with great moments, while Jerry's car is stolen with Elaine's golf clubs inside. Once the two storylines intersect, it results in a hilarious pursuit throughout the second half of the episode. The Bottle Deposit is pure Seinfeld zaniness and I love it.

The Invitations: We knew Susan had to go, George couldn't get married and Larry David knew that, so for his last episode, he killed her off in the most ridiculous way possible: Toxic stamps. I could write an essay on how genius this finale is. Jerry's engagement that parallels the premiere, the shocking twist about Susan, the gang's hilariously underwhelming reaction to Susan's death. Was it overly cruel? Perhaps. But it was also brilliant, surprising, and hysterical resolution that absolutely made this season.

Overall, Season 7 is one of the show's better seasons. It's consistently strong throughout and it has a pretty solid story arc with a strong ending, even if it overwhelms the season at times.

4/5 Stars

Seinfeld (Season 6)

Coming after what's generally considered to be the peak of Seinfeld, Season 6 was a bit of an underwhelming followup, not because it's bad, but because it's kinda boring.

Season 6 of Seinfeld strikes a pretty solid balance between Season 4's heavy arc-driven nature and Season 5's standalone nature, pretty much revolving around the fallout of The Opposite. George is trying to adjust to his new job at the Yankees, while Elaine is struggling to pick her life back up after losing pretty much everything. I think this works pretty well for the show, as it can keep a standalone formula while also having a solid amount of plot progression culminating in a rewarding finale. This season also contains the show's 100th episode, so what would Seinfeld do for such a massive occasion? Well, they'd do an hour-long clip show, of course. I'd mark this as one of the show's worst episodes, but I'm not even sure if it counts. But despite this massive low point in the middle of the season, Season 6 doesn't really have any high points to even it out.

My biggest problem with Seinfeld's sixth season is that it's boring. There are solid episodes, and several funny jokes, but there wasn't a single episode that I genuinely loved. I think the lack of experimentation definitely holds this season back, I don't think there was a single episode that really tried to break new ground in the way that episodes like The Chinese Restaurant, The Contest, and The Mango did. It felt like the people behind the show were so confident in their formula that they lost the willingness to experiment, resulting in a season that just felt like it was going through the motions. Don't get me wrong, Season 6 was still fun, but by Seinfeld standards, it's just so average. 

There aren't many highlights this season, but there are a few episodes of note:

The Chinese Woman: This episode was generally pretty average, but I want to give particular mention to "The Cape", who this episode should really be named after. It's one of my favorite jokes in the series, if anything because seeing Larry David pose in a cape is so hilariously dumb, I can't help but love it.

The Race: I adore this episode's main storyline about Jerry participating in a race. The Superman references, the hilarious ending, the fact that Jerry actually wins for once. The subplots aren't as amazing, but it's hard to really care with a main storyline this much fun.

The Switch: Cosmo! This episode is legendary for the sole reason that we finally learn Kramer's first name. But even aside from that moment, I love the subplot about Jerry's "non-laughter" girlfriend, along with his attempt to scare her off by proposing a threesome. This was just a generally entertaining episode and formed the high point of the season along with The Race.

The Jimmy: Jimmy is one of my favorite side characters of the show. I love his attitude, and I love the confusion he causes by referring to himself in the third person. We also get some great guest stars in the form of Bryan Cranston and Mel Torme, it's a great time all around.

Overall, Season 6 of Seinfeld wasn't necessarily a bad season, but it was fairly dull and unmemorable compared to the rest of the show.

3/5 Stars

Seinfeld (Season 5)

Coming after the insanely ambitious fourth season, Seinfeld dialed things down a bit for its fifth outing, focusing on the humor instead. While this did lead to the funniest season yet, it definitely wasn't as cohesive as Season 4.

With the exception of the season finale, Season 5 of Seinfeld didn't really have much of a story arc like Season 4 did. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it is a bit of a shame given just how well done the pilot arc was, especially given how well it managed to tie the whole season together. It doesn't help that the first half of the season, while having some great episodes of its own (The Puppy Shirt, The Lip Reader), just wasn't as consistently strong as Season 4. At first, it was hard not to see this fifth season as a step down in a lot of aspects. However, starting from The Dinner Party, the second half of the season marked one of the greatest stretches of episodes Seinfeld had ever seen. From here to the finale, there wasn't a single weak episode, and it was packed with some of the best and most iconic moments in the whole show.

While this season was light on any sort of plot, Season 5 did make up for it in its humor. This is easily the funniest season yet, and most of the episodes at the very least mastered Seinfeld's usual formula of bringing together all of its disparate threads into one hilarious punchline. Season 5 has some of Seinfeld's best and most iconic punchlines, whether it's George burning his "perfect" hands, Kramer being a ball man, and of course, the legendary Marine Biologist speech. I also think this season struck the perfect balance between grounded and caricatured, which previous seasons had sometimes struggled to really nail. Most of the episodes in Season 5, even the weaker ones, did a good job of fixating around a simple, relatable concept and slowly escalating it throughout the episode.

There were a bunch of highlights this season, including:

The Puffy Shirt: I know opinion on this episode is generally split, but I've always loved it. The Puffy Shirt could have been a dumb concept, but it led to one of Seinfeld's best performances, and the whole fiasco at the Today Show that ended off the episode is still one of the funniest scenes in the show.

The Dinner Party: Also known as what I like to call the babka episode, The Dinner Party is entirely based on the conflict that stems from bringing wine and cake to a friend's dinner party. Most of the set pieces here are relatable, from double parkers to waiting on a long line. I also think this episode is noteworthy for having one of the few vomit jokes that actually made me laugh, so kudos for that.

The Marine Biologist: The first twenty minutes or so of this episode is pretty above average Seinfeld fare, but it all works into setting up easily the greatest Seinfeld payoff of all time, rivaling that of The Parking Garage. George's now iconic speech is easily one of the funniest moments in the series, Jason Alexander's best performance, and a phenomenal punchline that ties together the entire episode.

The Hamptons: This whole episode is just a nonstop streak of iconic moments. The coining of the term "shrinkage", the ugly baby situation, the lobster. None of it really has anything to do with the titular location, but it's just a relentlessly paced series of phenomenal jokes, nearly all of them landing.

The Opposite: After an entire season of standalone episodes, The Opposite stood out as a surprisingly massive shift to the status quo. It starts out as a goofy commentary on how Elaine always succeeds, George always fails, and Jerry's kind of even, but it ends with Elaine and George completely switching places. George becomes a success and gets a great job while Elaine loses pretty much everything, and it sticks! The events of this episode affect the next three seasons of the show! But even aside from the huge ramifications, this is easily one of the series's funniest episodes. A phenomenal way to end the season.

Overall, Season 5 had a bit of a slow start, but its comedy was some of the best in the whole show, and the second half was easily Seinfeld's best streak of episodes.

4/5 Stars

Leverage (Season 3)

After Leverage's second season didn't do much to improve on the first season, I went in Season 3 a bit more wary. Thankfully, my concerns quickly vanished, this season is absolutely amazing!

Leverage starts its third season by establish an actual story arc for the season, with the introduction of a villain named Moreau and the Leverage team being blackmailed by a mysterious individual into defeating him. It's such a relief to see a storyline that doesn't entirely revolve around Nate, and later on the season, we learn that Eliot of all people plays a very important role. The season returns to the first's excellent balance between episodic and serial. Each episode is its own standalone heist, but there's always either a bit of character development or some fleshing out of the mystery about this enigmatic Moreau. It all culminates in another strong two-parter at the end of the season which ties together the whole season in a spectacular fashion. But even the standalone episodes are strong this season, with Leverage's signature creativity still on show. As a matter of fact, Season 3 might have the best and most inventive episode of the whole show to date, The Rashomon Job (more on that down below).

Even more, this season manages to give the more neglected characters so much more screen time. As the season goes on, I was pleasantly surprised to find that pretty much every single character got a ton of focus rather than just Nate and Sophie. Rather than just having one episode each, Parker, Hardison, and Eliot have multiple episodes that focus on them. Even Parker and Hardison's romantic subplot gets more focus, which I've always found more compelling than Nate and Sophie's. This whole season made me realize that Nate is, by far, the least likable and interesting character in the show, which is why I'm so glad this season gave so much focus to the others. And the great character development from the first two seasons just continues here, with many episodes showing just how well this team works together. There are so many heartwarming bonding moments between the team this season, and they're some of the best scenes of the bunch.

There were a ton of strong episodes this season, but these were some of the best:

The Inside Job: Have I mentioned how awesome Parker is? Some of the show's best episodes are the ones that explore her backstory, and in this one, we meet her mentor/father figure who is revealed to have taught her how to become a thief. The whole episode is a tense situation but it all just goes to show how much Parker has developed these past few seasons. Great stuff.

The Studio Job: This episode was just perfect, literally perfect. That cliche country music video, Parker's pickpocket dance, Christian Kane getting to show off his musical chops, Eliot being chased by fans, the "pitchy" scene, Parker's Bjork parody, the soundproof fight, Eliot's romance with Kaye, that finale! Every time I thought it couldn't have gotten any better, it does, and shows how focusing on the power trio of Eliot, Hardison, and Parker leads to the show's best episode so far.

The Rashomon Job: And then, somehow, this show manages to top The Studio Job with easily the best episode of the series, probably out of them all. The premise of everyone arguing over who stole the dagger is simple but brilliantly executed, with sharp writing and a ton of hilarious gags, especially once more and more of the characters start telling their stories. This episode gives us five different cons, screen time for the whole cast, and ends with a cute message of how the team completes each other, pretty much making it the definitive episode of the series. 

The Morning After Job: I'm not the biggest fan of what fans call "gaslighting" episodes, where the team tries to make their victim believe in something false, but this one was a massive exception. Parker playing dead was such a fun premise, Hardison and Eliot's buddy cop subplot is predictably entertaining, and the ramifications for the Moreau arc do a good job of kicking the final stretch of the season into high gear.

The Big Bang Job: This show's penultimate episodes tend to be pretty shocking and explosive, but this one was particularly special. We finally meet Moreau, Eliot is revealed to have worked with him, the Italian gets shot, and Eliot uses a gun in one of the most spectacular sequences in the show. It's fast-paced, action-packed, and brilliantly sets up the season finale.

The San Lorenzo Job: This wasn't as good of a finale as the last two seasons as it was pretty light on character moments, but I can't deny this episode's sheer ambition of having the Leverage team essentially steal a country. The presidential hijinks were fun and Moreau's defeat was definitely satisfying, and the cliffhanger of Nate and Sophie sleeping together is a pretty exciting hook for Season 4.

Overall, I absolutely loved this season. It utilized the whole cast to their absolute fullest and was packed with fun and creative episodes, while also maintaining a satisfying arc throughout to tie it all together. With this season, it feels like Leverage has finally achieved its full potential.

5/5 Stars

Seinfeld (Season 4)

After three seasons of a slow increase in quality, Season 4 is the first massive boost of quality that Seinfeld has had, resulting in easily the best season yet.

Right from the start, Seinfeld's fourth season establishes itself as something different by actually giving us a seasonal arc. Season 3 hinted at it by ending on a bit of a cliffhanger, but this season really leans into it, with a story arc about Jerry and George trying to shoot a pilot. I love this arc, the meta commentary on the tv industry is absolutely up my alley, and it appears just often enough throughout the season that it doesn't detract from Seinfeld's iconic standalones. Speaking of which, Season 4 has one of the best collections of standalone episodes out of any season. There's a sense of ambition here, where it feels like the writers are trying to do something new every single episode. It's like an entire season's worth of The Chinese Restaraunts. And even though I don't love every episode here, I can't deny the sheer cultural impact so many of them ended up having. 

For the first time in the series, Seinfeld's general level of quality feels consistent and strong. Even in Season 3, it felt like for every solid episode, there was one that was pretty bad. But this season, nearly every episode was at the very least solid. Even episodes that I didn't enjoy myself have a ton of merit. The Trip may have been goofy and bizarre, but it's easily the show's most ambitious two-parter and there's a novelty to seeing the cast goof around in California. And I may not have loved The Contest, but it's cultural impact can not be understated (more on that later). One of my favorite aspects of Seinfeld's fourth season is how it solidifies the show's formula of having fairly disparate subplots all tie themselves together in the end, more than any other season prior. The comedic payoffs in some of these episodes is downright masterful, and the way in which this season manages to tie every single episode together in the finale is just phenomenal. 

At its best, Season 4 has some of the strongest episodes in the whole series:

The Pitch: While The Trip was technically the season premiere, this episode introduced the season's storyline and characters proper. Susan, Russell, and Crazy Joe all made their debuts here, and the pitch storyline is pretty much entirely introduced. And I love the fact that Jerry is trying to pitch a "show about nothing", it's the perfect parody of the skepticism that has been shown towards Seinfeld for a large portion of its run.

The Ticket: This follow-up for The Pitch doesn't have the same amazing meta humor as its predecessor, but it makes up for just being so darn hilarious. Jerry and George being scared of Crazy Joe Davola, Kramer's concussion, Newman's speeding ticket, the payoff at the end, it's all so well-written. And it continues to set up plot points for this season like the watch and Jerry and George getting the go ahead for their pilot.

The Opera: Crazy Joe Davola is easily one of my favorite side characters in the series but he peaks in this episode, perfectly toeing the line between hilarious and genuinely terrifying. The constant selling and swapping of tickets on the line to the opera is just so much fun, and the comedy is absolutely relentless. While I'm usually a bit mixed on Seinfeld's more bizarre episodes, The Opera does a good job of keeping it in check enough to be thoroughly hilarious.

The Airport: Similarly to The Subway, The Airport focuses on mining as much humor out of a single vehicle as possible. Jerry and Elaine once again get most of the relatable comedy, from rescheduling your flight to trying to sneak into first class, but George and Kramer's more goofy subplot is still incredibly funny in its own right. It's just a really solid episode of the series.

The Outing: First, here's some context. This was an episode about gay people that aired in the early 90s, and yet somehow, it managed to age pretty remarkably. The running thread about Jerry and George's attempts at not being perceived as gay or homophobic is still absolutely hilarious, and the line "Not that there's anything wrong with that" is just plain iconic. And of course, like all of Seinfeld's best episodes, the individual exchanges and bits of dialogue are just top-notch too. Easily one of my favorites in the series.

The Pilot: What an amazing finale. Seinfeld ends its fourth season by having Jerry and George finally air their pilot, only for it to be predictably shot down at the last season. I already loved the pilot story arc, but what really made this finale rewarding was the fact that it brings back all of the side characters from the season, and I mean everyone. Seeing them react to the pilot was a lot of fun and easily the highlight of the episode.

But before I end this review, you may be noticing that I'm missing a particularly iconic episodes. Well...

The Contest: At the time, The Contest was one of the most influential TV episodes ever made. It's a showcase of just how far this show will go, and the lengths to which is goes to avoid saying the s-word (sex) is still impressive today. And I'm not gonna lie, "master of my domain" is a brilliant pun and Larry David should be patting himself on the back daily for coming up with that. This episode is absolutely worth noting for its cultural impact alone. However... 

I'm going to be perfectly honest here when I say that I didn't enjoy it. I didn't find the writing that much better than any average Seinfeld episode, I didn't find myself laughing all that much, and the main premise of the titular contest just doesn't appeal to me at all. As a matter of fact, I doubt most people would even understand what made the episode so beloved if you didn't know its cultural impact. I also think "the virgin" character is one of the few parts of Seinfeld that aged terribly. The fact that the cast would only refer to her as "the virgin", as if that was her only personality trait, doesn't sit well with me at all. For me, The Contest is a culturally important episode, but it's not one I enjoy watching.

Overall, Season 4 is easily the most ambitious season of Seinfeld through and through. It had a strong central arc, tons of iconic episodes, and a massive cultural impact, even if not all of it aged the most gracefully.

5/5 Stars

Seinfeld (Season 3)

With its third season, Seinfeld manages to continue its slow and steady increase in quality, pretty much perfecting the formula that makes the show so iconic.

As a whole, Seinfeld's third season is the first full-length season of the show, and the first season that really seems to have establish the show's formula. With The Chinese Restaurant having already been released, Seinfeld's reputation as "the show about nothing" has been pretty much set in stone, so Season 3 really starts to amp up the relatability factor. The Chinese Restaurant wasn't the exception anymore, pretty much half of the season had episodes like this. We got an episode about trying to find your car in a parking lot, riding home on the subway, and the problems that stem from giving your friend keys to your house. But despite this, Seinfeld would also begin to develop some of its signature bizarreness that becomes more and more prevalent as the show goes on. However, given the incredibly low-key and grounded nature of most of the season, events like the cast being trapped in a limo with Neo Nazis and Kramer going to California and becoming an actor just felt out of place. While the relatable humor is probably at its best yet, the writers of Seinfeld still haven't seemed to figure out how to pull off the show's more goofy side.

Even more, Seinfeld's general quality episode-by-episode still isn't the most consistent yet. While Season 3 does have far more high points than Seasons 1 & 2 combined, it wasn't even close to reaching the heights of The Chinese Restaurant, with the best episode of the season falling short of anything amazing. And at its worst, Season 3 has some of the worst storylines in the entire series, with The Dog being my absolute least favorite episode to not be a clip show or the series finale (I'll get to that in a later review). Despite my gripes, however, Season 3 still pretty much nails the characters, with the main cast continuing to give out amazing comedic performances. And the moment-by-moment dialogue is still pretty funny even if some of the storylines fall a bit short. Unlike the second season, I can definitively say that there were a whole bunch of episodes I really enjoyed, even if Seinfeld still has a ton of room to grow.

Here are some of the high points of this third season:

The Parking Garage: Easily my favorite episode of the season, this episode pretty much entirely revolves around the cast losing their car in a massive parking garage. I think it suffers a bit from trying to emulate what made The Chinese Restaurant so great, but it's still a hilarious and well-written episode with one of the greatest punchlines in television history (which was actually a complete accident!)

The Subway: This entire episode was about the four main characters taking their own separate subway rides home, and while not all of the subplots were great (or very realistic), it perfectly captures the vibe of taking one of the NYC subways. As a New Yorker myself, Elaine's subplot about dealing with a series of train delays is easily one of the most relatable storylines in the whole show.

The Boyfriend: This is one of the few double-length episodes in Seinfeld, and I'd be lying if I said it didn't deserve the extra length. The Boyfriend isn't really noteworthy for any one specific subplot, it's just a general funny episode with a ton of memorable moments and plot threads. Keith Hernandez playing himself, the "spitting incident" monologue that expertly parodies JFK (the movie), Vandelay Industries, it all just forms a genuinely enjoyable episode of the show.

The Parking Space: Not to be confused with the other parking-related episode, The Parking Space focuses around George and Elaine fighting over a parking space with Jerry's friend, which is always a fun storyline to base your sitcom episode around. It's hilarious how the conflict slowly escalates over time, but it's the two police officers getting involved that really got me.

Overall, Season 3 is definitely an improvement on the first two with a great increase in the relatability factor, even if its high points aren't super high and its low points are still pretty low.

3/5 Stars

Best Games of 2020

With one of the worst years I've ever lived through finally over, I decided to take a look back to list out the best games from 2020 that I've played. This list will only be for games that originally came out in 2020 (sorry Luna Nights), that I've actually gotten around to playing (sorry Hades):

Omori: This was nearly a 2021 game, but it actually came out six days before the end of the year, so I guess it just stole Game Of The Year at the last second? This is an amazing indie RPG whose massive development time absolutely shows. Beautiful and unique visuals, an involving battle system, a compelling and emotional story, and some of the best side quests I've seen in a game make this one of the best RPGs I've played in quite a while. If you're okay with a bit of horror and some heavy themes, Omori is an absolute must-play that deserves every bit of praise it can get.

One Step From Eden: One Step From Eden did have a stretch of early access, but it officially came out in March of 2020 so it counts. This game kept me engrossed more than any roguelike I've played, with its fast-paced Battle Network-style gameplay, massive amount of movesets and cards, and phenomenal soundtrack encouraging me to keep learning and mastering the game until I made it to the final boss. Even more, the game's developer has been continuously balancing and updating the game, with the most recent update implementing a great assist mode, one that doesn't block out any of the game while allowing you to slow the pace if it's too overwhelming. I absolutely fell in love with One Step From Eden and it has quickly become one of my favorite Indies period.

Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Pikmin 3 Deluxe is one of the, if not the best ports Nintendo has ever made. The original game was pretty good, but this remake fixed pretty much all of its issues. The quality of life improvements, from the improved charge, to the amazing gyro controls, to the better map screen, made the game much more enjoyable for me. The minimal content of the original was pretty much resolved with a new achievement system, the side campaigns, the difficulty modes, and the Piklopedia. The graphics and music are just as great as the original, and the DLC being packed in for free is a great bonus. Most of Nintendo's ports make an already great game just a little bit better, but Pikmin 3 Deluxe feels like the complete version this game deserved.

Paper Mario: The Origami King: These last few games, Nintendo had been trying to turn Paper Mario into more of an adventure game, to somewhat mixed results. Origami King, however, feels like they finally perfected the formula. The exploration is fun and compelling, the locations are interesting, the writing is top-notch, the battle system is unique, the soundtrack is one of the best ever, and the story is surprisingly emotional. Despite its long length, Origami King barely felt like it had any fat or slow moments in it, I was just completely hooked from start to finish. We'll see how well it ages, but right now, Origami King is up there with my favorite Mario RPGs.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons: I'm not the biggest Animal Crossing fan out there, but I can't deny the fact that New Horizons was the game of 2020. Coming out at pretty much the perfect time, right after the quarantine began, this game was pure escapism as you get to move onto a desert island and make your own little town with its own residents, stores, and landmarks. The real-time gameplay, massive amount of things to do, and charmingly adorable cast of villagers keeps you coming back day after day until... oh wait, it's already June?!

Leverage (Season 2)

Leverage's first season was a perfectly self-contained story. They could have ended it all right there, but why would they? The concept has so much potential left to be explored. But with the main storyline of the series resolved, what is there for a Season 2 to accomplish? Well...

Unlike the first season, Season 2 of Leverage doesn't have that much of an overarching storyline, at least not until the last four episodes of the season. This is a bit of a double-edged sword for the season, as on one hand, it can focus more on characters who aren't Nate. Sophia gets an entire character arc in the first half before she leaves for the second half, and Eliot, Parker, and Hardison have their own episodes throughout the season. However, the lack of a driving force for most of the season means that it lacks the same satisfying buildup as the first. It also makes most of the first half of the season a bit dull, as it's not until The Two Live Crew Job where the quality really starts to be great and the show starts to experiment a bit more, with parallel teams, a bottle episode, and a trip to Kiev being among the highlights. And while there are a ton of strong episodes in the second half, it's just not as consistently entertaining as the first.

The final five episodes, however, are definitely the highlight of the season. Sterling's role as a partner who quickly turns into the season's antagonist is excellent. He's so deliciously cruel, but you can't help but love him. Nate's storyline about slowly falling back into drinking also finally starts to progress, adding a strong sense of dread to this final stretch. And while Sophie's replacement Tara was a solid addition to the team, I'm so glad that she's back as of the finale. Speaking of which, the season finale was once again great, tying together all of the disparate character arcs and generally making the season feel more consistent. As a whole, Leverage's second season isn't as consistent and satisfying as the first, but there is still a lot to like about it. If you're like me and you love seeing the team interact and pull of heists, then this season is still a good time throughout.

There are a lot of strong episodes this season, especially in the second half:

The Two Live Crew Job: As mentioned above, this is the point where the season becomes really great, it's probably the best episode so far! The concept of the Leverage team facing off against an evil parallel version of them is so much fun, and it's brilliantly executed. The subplot about Sophia faking her death is also great, and sets up her departure next episode really well.

The Bottle Job: First of all, I love the pun in the title. It's a bottle episode that takes place in a bar! Second, I don't know if I've made this clear yet, but I adore bottle episodes. Limitation breads creativity, and seeing the team race against time to pull a heist in a single enclosed location is so just entertaining to watch. It also finally deals with the looming threat of Nate drinking again that has been building up all season.

The Zanzibar Marketplace Job: I liked how this episode revisited the events of Season 1. We finally get to catch up with Maggie and Sterling (who reappears soon after), along with a fun con in Russia. Sterling teaming up with Nate was awesome, and I especially loved the final act which had Nate kidnapped and the team stuck with Sterling.

The Maltese Falcon Job: While not as satisfying as last season's finale, this was far more intense, with the stakes raised to an insane degree. This finale has easily some of the coolest scenes in the whole show so far, from the fun antics in the hotel to the climactic showdown on the titular ship. And that final scene with Nate turning himself in and collapsing after getting shot is a tense cliffhanger.

Overall, Season 2 isn't quite as well-done as the first, but it has a strong second half, some great character arcs, and the same sense of fun that made the first season so entertaining.

3/5 Stars

Seinfeld (Season 2)

It's hard to review a Seinfeld season, since they don't tend to have running seasonal storylines (with a few exceptions). The best Seinfeld season has the best lineup of episodes, plain and simple, and while the second season is a massive improvement on the first, it's still not anything amazing.

Seinfeld is infamously a show about nothing. The whole show is build around relatable humor, so each episode has its characters put in situations that many people tend to experience. Season 2 still seems unsure if this is the route it wants to take, however, as it still contains a whole bunch of generic sitcom plots like the first. For every episode like The Chinese Restaurant, we get something like The Duel that focuses almost entirely on Jerry and Elaine figuring out if they want to end up together. Speaking of which, something odd that I noticed about Seinfeld's second season is that it has the worst continuity in the whole show. Seinfeld tends to have a light continuity in that events from previous episodes are at least referenced, so there is something to gain from watching the show in order. That is not the case in Season 2, however. George made a ton of money from stocks back in Season 1, but that wasn't brought up at all. And the aforementioned The Duel ends with Jerry and Elaine starting a relationship together. Next episode, they're both single again.

This isn't to say Season 2 of Seinfeld is bad. Generally, the writing is far sharper and more funny, and the penultimate episode of the season, The Chinese Restaurant, is easily the funniest and most confident episode yet. Even better is the characters, who are far more dynamic and enjoyable to watch. Seinfeld's cast is iconic, and for good reason. Jerry, George, Kramer, and Elaine have an amazing dynamic, and all have their own little character quirks that make them memorable. Kramer, in particular, is pretty much perfect already. Michael Richards found a way to make the character his own, and you just can't imagine him being played by anyone else.

Despite the short length of the season, there are still a few good episodes:

The Revenge: This episode pretty much solidifies the Kramer that we know today. His laundromat subplot is really funny, and showcases Michael Richard's amazing penchant for physical comedy. Also, Newman makes his first appearance, albeit an offscreen one.

The Chinese Restaurant: For such a generally average season, it's astonishing that it manages to have my favorite episode in the whole show. The Chinese Restaurant is genius. It perfectly captures the pain of waiting for an table while also just being a genuinely hilarious bottle episode. Easily one of the finest comedic episodes of all time.

Overall,

2/5 Stars

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury

Mario's 3D entries have always been split between the more nonlinear entries like 64 and Odyssey, and the more linear entries like Galaxy and 3D Land. Personally, I've always preferred the linear Mario games, with 3D World being one of my absolute favorites in the series. However, for its long-awaited port, Nintendo tried to appease both sides of the debate. Did it work?

Super Mario 3D World: This is still one of the finest Mario games that Nintendo has ever crafted. Even without the addition of Bowser's Fury, this game is absolutely worth it on its own merits. The sheer creativity in every level continues to impress me no matter how many times I play it.

3D World's structure is simple. You play as Mario, Luigi, Peach, or Toad, and you have to get to the end of every level. Each level has three green stars, a stamp, and a flag pole to reach, but otherwise it's just a straight line to the finish. Despite the linear stage layout, Mario and his friends are still insanely fun to play as, especially after this port. The addition of the dive move and a faster running speed makes zooming around every level an absolute blast. I love how each character has their own strengths and weaknesses, fitting pretty much every kind of play style. My personal favorite is Rosalina, who's not super fast but she can jump high and has a spin attack move. There are also a ton of fun items, such as the Tanooki Suit that can help you glide and land jumps, the cat suit that lets you climb up walls, and the Boomerang Flower which lets you throw boomerangs.

The real star of the show in 3D World, however, is the level design. Each level in this game focuses around a gimmick, from something as simple as rolling hills, to platforms that appear to the beat of the music, to platforms that flip when you jump. Every one of these gimmicks are fleshed out and then tossed into the trash, keeping the game feeling fresh. If you've never played 3D World before, you're going to be constantly guessing at what the game throws at you next. There's also a ton of variety outside of the levels, including an explorable world map, rapid-fire challenge levels, Captain Toad's puzzle platformer stages, a casino mini game, and short enemy gauntlets, yet it all manages to seamlessly weave its way into the game. The post-game is also a ton of fun as well, with tough extra stages that range from difficult recreations of older levels, to homages to past Mario games, to one of the most notoriously tough final gauntlets in the series (Hot take: Champion's Road isn't that hard). 

The additions made for Super Mario 3D World in this port aren't many, but it's just enough to help the game feel fresh. I already mentioned the new moves and increased running speed, and obviously the graphical fidelity has increased, but the game also manages to include online multiplayer. This is a first for a Mario game, and while it's not necessarily my thing, I'm very glad Nintendo finally included it. My personal favorite addition, however, is the Photo Mode, which packs in so many cute options and filters to take snapshots. With Miiverse gone, I was worried about what the Stamps would be used for, but this is a very fun alternative.

Bowser's Fury: However, one of the best Mario games ever made just isn't enough for Nintendo, as they managed to include an entirely new campaign called Bowser's Fury. Despite using the same game engine, this is a whole new beast, and while it's not long enough to qualify as a Mario game on par with games like 64 and Galaxy, it's surprisingly sizable for an addition to a port.

Unlike 3D World, Bowser's Fury goes full open-world, as you have to run around a large archipelago of islands searching for Cat Shines. While you explore, you also have to combat a giant ink-covered Fury Bowser, who appears every once in a while to ruin your day. The core gameplay loop of Bowser's Fury might be the best any Mario collectathon has been. Each island is a fairly linear path focused on a single gimmick like any 3D World level, but it's stuffed with a whole bunch of missions, hidden secrets, and secret shines. Even more, the archipelago as a whole has tons of secret shines scattered around. Unlike Odyssey which had so many moons that barely any of them had value, Bowser's Fury is fast-paced and packed with shines that require work and tough platforming. There's even a solid postgame, which a bunch of shines and islands that you can't unlock after the final boss. The biggest gripe is just that Bowser's Fury is short, far shorter than any 3D Mario game. It's just so damn fun, I really wish there was more of it.

Having Bowser appear every once in a while may seem annoying at first, but there are a whole ton of shines that you need him for, so it rarely feels like the pace of the game is being halted. Even more, the kaiju fights with him are insanely fun, and the final battle is probably one of the coolest in the whole series. The only issue with the Fury Bowser concept is that you can't control when Fury Bowser appears, but since there's a sizable amount of shines you need him for, getting everything in the game might require quite a bit of waiting. Despite my few gripes, however, Bowser's Fury is an outstanding experience that pretty much perfects the balance between linear and non-linear 3D Mario, and is packed with tons of unique ideas, inventive level design (especially in the second half), and a fast-pace where it never feels like there's a dull moment. Even if you've played 3D World, if you're a fan of 3D Mario Games, I highly recommend you give this one a shot.

Overall, 3D World and Bowser's Fury are both phenomenal games on their own, but together, they form one of the greatest packages Mario has ever seen.

5/5 Stars

Steam Sale Mini Reviews (Lunar New Year 2021)

Whenever a Steam sale comes out, I tend to get a whole bunch of indie games. Here's a list of the indie games I got during the Lunar New Year Sale this year:

CROSSINQ+: 

As a fan of arcade puzzlers like Tetris Attack and Petal Crash, CROSSINQ+ is the type of game that's right up my alley. CROSSINQ+ is built off of the premise of shifting squares around a board to form crosses. As the game progresses, locks start being added to the board that force you to be more thoughtful about how you arrange these crosses. Unlike most arcade puzzle games I've played, CROSSINQ+ is an oddly calming experience. Eventually, you just get into this trance, helped by the slick UI and absolutely bopping Drum and Bass OST. I'm sure this was intended given the fact that there is literally a "Chillout" mode.

My biggest gripe with CROSSINQ+ is the lack of different gameplay modes, along with Versus Mode being only for two players. However, but there's a solid amount of customization and the core gameplay loop is addicting enough that I can see myself coming back every once in a while. The whole game has this Y2K-ish presentation to it that somehow manages to capture that late-90s/early-00s nostalgic vibe that I can't put into words. The cast of characters is colorful, quirky, and diverse, and as mentioned before, the music absolutely slaps. Overall, CROSSINQ+ is a solid puzzle game with a great presentation that I recommend checking out if you're into that sort of thing.

3/5 Stars

One Step From Eden:

Easily the most fun game on this list, One Step From Eden quickly rose up the ranks to becoming one of my favorite roguelikes just because of how fast-paced, unpredictable, and replayable it is. It's what you'd get if you turned Mega Man Battle Network's really cool battle system into a full-fledged game, while also being polished to an insane degree. Movement is fast and fluid, and the card system encourages you to pay attention to what's in your deck rather than just spamming attacks until you win. There are tons of branching paths and choices that make every playthrough feel completely fresh, and an XP bar that unlocks cards, characters, costumes, and modes helps you feel like you've accomplished something every time you play while still making the core game fully focused on skill.

The bosses are incredibly hard but once you learn their patterns, they can be the most fun parts of the game. Even better, pretty much every boss becomes a playable character later down the line and discovering that I could play through the game using their attacks opened up so many exciting new options. The pixelated graphics are incredibly lush, bright, and well-animated, and that soundtrack is absolutely spectacular. While I tend to get bored of roguelikes fairly quickly, I never quite had that same issue with One Step From Eden. The core gameplay loop is just so much fun and the sheer amount of options and unpredictability just makes me feel like I could never get bored of it. An absolute must play as long as you don't like tough games.

5/5 Stars

Omori:

I'm don't play many RPG maker games, but Omori has so much effort put into it that I couldn't help but give it a go. This game was in development for nearly seven years and it absolutely shows. There's so much love and care put into the story, dialogue, world, artstyle, and music. The battle system seems like it's fairly based on Earthbound's, but I feel it surpasses it with its unique emotion-based gimmick that adds an extra level of strategy to the game, along with its beautiful visual presentation. The overworld is the highlight, though, as it's packed with detail and quirky imagery. The game is absolutely jam-packed with unnecessary side quests, all of which are a ton of fun and add so much life to the game.

But obviously it's Omori's story that's the most praised aspect of the game, and for good reason. It manages to deal with dark themes about depression and even lean into psychological horror at times while still having a super likable and charming cast of characters, along with some really funny Earthbound-esque dialogue. There's also tons of care put into the artstyle and general presentation. While the normal pixelated overworld is pretty standard RPG maker fare, though with an incredibly unique look, the creator of the game uses this beautiful sketchy artstyle for pretty much the rest of the game, from the character icons to the battle system to the cutscenes. And once again, the soundtrack is great, especially the quirky battle themes. While RPG maker games tend to mostly gel together, Omori is that rare exception that truly feels like it's transcending the engine's limit and ended up becoming something great. Highly recommend.

5/5 Stars

Ikenfell:

Ikenfell is also an RPG, though one that's built from the ground up rather than with a preexisting engine. This allows for Ikenfell to have a whole bunch of fun and unique environmental puzzles, along with an incredibly inventive battle system that feels like a blend between Disgaea and Mario & Luigi. You can move your characters around a board to attack enemies, but you used timed actions to pull off attacks and dodges. I've always liked timed attacks as it makes the turn-based battles far more engaging, even if in this game, it can be a bit tricky to work out the timing at first. 

The story isn't anything groundbreaking, it's mostly just about a magic school which isn't a new concept. However, the characters are all incredibly charming and likable, along with being surprisingly diverse. There's a ton of representation in Ikenfell, and it's all handled incredibly well. The graphics are also really clean and well-animated, and the soundtrack is a unique blend of chiptune and western that fits the game surprisingly well. It's not a masterpiece or anything, but Ikenfell is an incredibly solid and polished RPG with fun and unique gameplay and a very strong cast of characters.

4/5 Stars 

My ranking of the games I got is:

1. Omori

2. One Step From Eden

3. Ikenfell

4. CROSSINQ+

All of these games are incredibly fun and unique, though, and I highly recommend checking them out.

Seinfeld (Season 1)

Okay, seriously, how am I supposed to review this season? It's four episodes long, and all of the episodes are frankly kind of generic. *sigh* I guess I'll try my best...

Seinfeld is a show about nothing. Jerry, Elaine, Kramer, and George are friends who go through life, and every single episode is essentially just a slice of life sketch about the four. As the show goes on, Seinfeld starts to lean into commentary on society and relatable humor but these first four episodes are just an average sitcom. Some of the jokes are funny, some of the jokes fall flat, but none of the episodes truly stick out to me in any way. The cast is great and there is a ton of potential for the show that obviously gets achieved later on, but this first season is too short and generic to really make much of an impact.

Overall, Seinfeld's first season is short and lacks any high points for the show. It's a solid foundation, but there's a reason most people seem to forget it exists.

1/5 Stars

Leverage (Season 1)

There's just something so universally appealing about heist films. They're slick and fun, and it's always fascinating to watch a Rube Goldberg-esque heist plan come to fruition. And then there's Leverage, an entire show about heists, and it's just as fun as you'd expect.

Leverage has a simple but effective premise. It's about an insurance investigator named Nate Ford, who form a team with four thieves, Parker, Eliot, Sophie, and Hardison, each with their own skillsets. Together, they perform heists and cons on the corrupt, not too dissimilar from Robin Hood. It's a fun premise, one that offers a good reason for the cast to pull off heists episode after episode. Even more, right from the first season, Leverage is already playing around with its premise, with the team faking a wedding, stopping a plane crash, and saving their teammates from a bank robbery. It lends the season a sense of unpredictability that feels incredibly fun to watch, even if not every episode is a slam dunk. But despite this episodic nature, each episode makes a point off introducing hidden depths to most of its characters, especially Nate, all culminating in an excellent two-part finale that brings the whole season full circle. My only major gripe is that the overarching story mostly just focuses on Nate and not much of the other characters, though I'm sure that's what the later seasons are for.

But while the story is enjoyable, it's the excellent cast of characters that really elevates this show. It's genuinely impressive just how strong the chemistry is within the team from the very first episode, and each character has something to enjoy. Eliot is the heart of the group and his refusal to use guns leads to some inventive fights, Parker's insanity makes her easily the funniest character of the bunch, Sophie's disguises are fun to watch and her mysterious nature is compelling, and Hardison's snark is always top-notch. The thieves are so colorful that it actually makes Nate the most boring character of the bunch, probably because he's so serious and heads most of the dramatic stuff. Generally, though, the cast is so much fun, I enjoy watching them regardless of what the episode is about. Leverage is fun to watch just to see these characters interact and pull off heists together, which means it has pretty much accomplished its goal. I also have to give props to the editing, which captures of the slickness of the best heists films, and helps with one of the most effortless pilot episodes I've ever seen from a show, more on that down below. 

Disclaimer: Season 1 of Leverage wasn't aired in the intended order, reportedly to maintain a "tonal consistency". I don't really get this, since the character development and continuity works way better in the intended DVD order. For example, I wouldn't buy the heartwarming ending of The Bank Shot Job, and The Stork Job would have left less of an impact. I watched Leverage in its intended order, and I highly recommend you look up the DVD order so you can do the same if you haven't seen the show.

While most of the season's episodes are solid at worst, these are the highlights:

The Nigerian Job: Easily one of the finest pilot episodes ever made, The Nigerian Job's first twenty minutes is pretty much perfect in the way it masterfully introduces the five major players, gives us our first heists and getaways, and establishes the chemistry between the cast right from the get-go. It feels effortless in the way that most pilot episodes rarely do, and serves as a case study on how to start your series.

The Bank Shot Job: At first, this sort of bank robbery storyline isn't super creative (Psych did it too!), but it manages to play around with the show's premise, from splitting up the cast to having the ultimate goal be to pull off a bank robbery inside another bank robbery. It's incredibly intricate while still being tense as things slowly start to fall apart for the cast.

The Stork Job: The core premise of the team faking a movie production is the type of storyline that's right up my alley, resulting in easily one of the season's funniest episodes. Nate playing the angry director, Sophie's acting, the bizarre plot, it's all just so entertaining. And yet, The Stork Job maintains an emotional hook as we learn about Parker's past, helping her become my favorite character in the whole cast.

The First David Job: The excellent final two-parter starts with one of the most fun heists of the season. It brings everything back to the conflict that started the series, while also including some fun Hardison and Parker moments and one of the most inventive laser grid scenes I've ever seen. And not to mention that crazy cliffhanger that blows up the Leverage offices and splits up the team.

The Second David Job: A satisfying finale that resolves the main storyline of revenge with a clever heist that's not actually much of a heist at all. Blackpoole's defeat and Sterling changing sides is a satisfying end to the conflict, and the final scene where the team is a very emotional cliffhanger. The episode might be a bit too neat and tidy for my taste, but it does a good job at tying everything together well enough.

Overall, the first season of Leverage is a strong start to the show with an entertaining premise, well-done overarching story, and a phenomenal cast. However, there's a bit more room for improvement if they focus less on Nate and widen the scope a bit.

4/5 Stars

Side note: Woo! 100th blog post!

Seasons I Gave Five Stars To

Just for fun, here's a list of all the TV seasons I have currently given five out of five stars to. These seasons are the best of the best, which I highly recommend watching. Subject to being updated as I post more reviews:

• 24
• Season 3
• Live Another Day
• 30 Rock
• Season 2
• Season 7
• Agents Of Shield
• Season 4
• The Americans
• Season 4
• Angel
• Season 5
• Arcane
• Season 1
• Arrested Development
• Season 2
• Arrowverse
• Arrow: Season 2
• The Flash: Season 1
• Avatar: The Last Airbender
• Book 2
• Book 3
• Babylon 5
• Season 4
• Batman: The Animated Series
• Season 2
• Better Call Saul
• Season 3
• Season 5
• Bocchi The Rock
• Season 1
  
• Bojack Horseman
• Seasons 3, 5, and 6
  
• Breaking Bad
• Season 4
• Season 5
• Brooklyn Nine-Nine
• Season 5
• Season 7
• Buffy The Vampire Slayer
• Season 3
• Season 5
• Chuck
• Season 3
• Community
• Season 2
• Season 3 (I actually gave this one 6 stars!)
• Curb Your Enthusiasm
• Season 7
• Daredevil
• Season 3
• Dexter
• Season 2
• Season 4
• Farscape
• Season 3
• The Peacekeeper Wars
• FLCL
• Season 1 (I jokingly gave this a FLCL/5 stars, but this is legitimately a 5 star show)
• Frasier
• Season 4
• Season 6
• Friends
• Season 4
• Season 5
• Fringe
• Season 4
• Garth Marenghi's Darkplace
• Season 1
• The Good Place
• Season 2
• Infinity Train
• Book 2
• Book 3
• Justified
• Season 2
• Season 4
• Season 6
• K-On
• Season 2 + Movie
• Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War
• Season 2
• Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken
• Season 1
• Konosuba
• Season 2
• The Leftovers
• Season 2
• Legend Of Korra
• Book 3
• Book 4
• Leverage
• Season 3
• Lost
• Season 5
• Lucifer
• Season 4
• Mad Men
• Season 3
  
• Master Of None
• Season 2
• Mr Robot
• Season 1
• Season 3
• Nathan For You
• Season 3
• Neon Genesis Evangelion
• Season 1
• Nichijou
• Season 1
• The Office
• Season 2
• Season 3
• Parks And Recreation
• Season 3
  
• Season 4
• Person Of Interest
• Season 3
• Season 5
• Precure
• Splash Star Precure
  
• Fresh Precure
  
• Heartcatch Precure (eventually got promoted to a 5/5)
  
• Suite Precure
  
• Go Princess Precure
  
• Kira Kira Precure A La Mode
  
• Tropical Rouge Precure
  
• Psych
• Season 4
• Season 6
• Puella Magi Madoka Magica
• Season 1
• Red Vs Blue
• Season 5
• Seasons 6 & 8
• Seasons 9 & 10
• Season 13
• RWBY
• Season 3
• Season 6
• Sailor Moon
• Sailor Moon S
• Schitt's Creek
• Season 6
• Scrubs
• Season 5
• Seinfeld
• Season 4
• Season 8
• She-Ra: The Princess Of Power
• Season 5
• The Shield
• Season 5
• The Sopranos
• Season 1
• Season 6B (Just the second half!)
• Spaced
• Season 2
• Star Trek
• The Next Generation: Season 6
• Deep Space Nine: Season 4
• Deep Space Nine: Season 6
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars
• Season 4
• Siege Of Mandalore (Season 7) - If this is about seasons that are worth watching, then the Siege Of Mandalore arc is pretty much mandatory viewing if you're a Star Wars fan
• Steven Universe
• Season 5
• Stranger Things
• Season 1
• Succession
• Season 4
• Teen Titans
• Season 4
• Toradora
• Season 1
• Veep
• Season 4
• Vivy: Flourite Eye's Song
• Season 1
• The West Wing
• Season 3
• The X-Files
• Season 5

Also, here's my ranking of my personal favorite seasons of TV all time:

1. Season 3 (Community) - Packed with hilarious episodes and boasts an amazing final story arc
2. Season 5 (Angel) - A unique and fun season with an absolutely transcendent second half
3. Season 3 (Avatar: The Last Airbender) - A perfect end to a nearly perfect series
4. Season 1 (Puella Magi Madoka Magica) - A nearly flawless series and my favorite anime of all time
5. Season 3 (Buffy The Vampire Slayer) - Perfect blend of drama, comedy, and character work 
6. Season 4 (Breaking Bad) - Has an amazing conflict with Gus that slowly builds to an incredible ending
7. Season 3 (Person Of Interest) - Tons of shocking and gutsy episodes and an impressive genre shift
8. Season 5 (Lost) - A tight and exciting time travel tale with a perfect ending
9. Season 7 (30 Rock) - The perfect ending to the show that makes it better in retrospect
10. Season 2 (K-On) - Heartwarming and melancholic, the only season to make me cry
11. Season 10 (Red Vs Blue) - Action-packed and emotional resolution to the Freelancer arc
12. Season 3 (24) - One of the most tense and gripping seasons of TV I've ever seen
13. Season 1 (Nichijou) - Such a joyful and funny series, an absolute treasure
14. Book 2 (Infinity Train) - Lake's journey this season really resonates with me, and the second half goes hard
15. Season 3 (The Office) - One of the funniest collections of episodes a sitcom season could have

Legend Of Korra (Book 4)

Book 4 of Legend Of Korra came out two months after Book 3. It shouldn't have turned out as well as it did. It's a goddamn miracle that Book 4 manages to not only hold its own coming off the heights of Book 3, letting alone just being a great season in its own right.

Book 4 of Korra is heavily built off of the fallout of the third book. Three years after the Red Lotus attacked, the Earth Kingdom is in disarray, Korra has PTSD from her poisoning, and the group is pretty much split up. When Suyin's adopted daughter Kuvira tries to pick up the pieces and reunite the Earth Kingdom under her rule, Korra has to get over her trauma and stop her. Kuvira is my personal favorite villain of the whole show. I love that she's not as powerful as Ozai or Zaheer aside from being adept at metal-building, so she manages to excel through political maneuvering and her own wits. Even more, having a more smaller scale villain allows the cast to deal with their own conflicts, which is great for a final season. Book 4 is far more character-driven than any of the Korra seasons, and is the point in which I truly began to love the cast. However, my biggest gripe with this season involves the pacing. Book 4 is 13 episodes but given how little time they had to make it, they didn't need to add a clip show episode right in the middle, one that wasn't nearly as well-done as Avatar's. However, since this season feels like less of a build-up than Book 3, it feels a lot more consistently strong, with its best episodes being scattered throughout the season.

Obviously, Korra is the star of the show here. Her storyline about overcoming PTSD is absolutely beautiful and insanely well-done throughout, culminating in a triumphant sequence where she confronts Zaheer only for him to help her out. The Beifongs also get a lot of great material given their relationship to Kuvira, and best character Toph returns with a surprisingly large role. Mako is actually likable and interesting this time around, as he has to take care of the Earth Queen's sleazy replacement Wu. It's great to see Mako warm up a bit (pun intended) and Wu take his job more seriously, as the two slowly form a strong friendship with each other. And then there's Varrick and his assistant Zhu Li who get a phenomenal arc where they firmly join the good side and realize they love each other. Varrick was already an amazing character in Book 2 but his development here was excellently done, and his proposal to Zhu Li might just have been one of the best executed scenes in the whole series. Speaking of love, there's also Korra and Asami ending up together in the end. While it may be a bit too subtle nowadays (especially with shows like She-Ra and Adventure Time), it was a groundbreaking moment in children's entertainment that deservers praise.

Book 4 has a lot of my personal favorite episodes that help elevate it for me:

Korra Alone: This episode is an absolutely devastating and affecting depiction of dealing with trauma that feels more subtle and genuine than any other episode of the whole show. The way Korra slowly alienates herself from her friends and loses her drive to fight is just heartbreaking. But hey, at least Toph's back!

Operation Beifong: This episode was just plain fun. Bolin, Lin, and Opal saving the Beifong family from Kuvira is amazing, mostly just because everything goes right. There are so many badass moments from all of the earth benders, especially Toph, and the reveal that Zhu Li isn't actually evil is a big relief.

Day Of The Colossus: The first half of the series finale could have been goofy given that the final battle was against a mech, but it really works. This episode has a strong sense of dread as the whole cast tries to tie up loose ends (leading to that amazing proposal scene), and the ending with Hiroshi's sacrifice does a good job at resolving Asami's storyline.

The Last Stand: A phenomenal and satisfying finale for the show, even if it's not as built up to as Avatar's finale. The final battle with Kuvira started off as an intricate showcase of metal-bending and ended on an emotional note, Mako's sacrifice was great (even though he should've died), Varrick marrying Zhu Li is adorable, and of course, Korrasami continues to be one of the biggest moments in animated TV history.

Overall, I have a soft spot for Book 4. Even with its pacing issues, it's easily the most consistently strong and character-driven season of the bunch, with a great villain, phenomenal character arcs, and a strong finale that help end Korra on a strong note.

5/5 Stars

My ranking of the Avatar/Korra seasons is:

Avatar 3 > Avatar 2 > Korra 3 = Korra 4 > Avatar 1 > Korra 1 > Korra 2

And my ranking of the Avatar/Korra finales is:

Avatar 2 > Korra 3 > Avatar 3 > Korra 4 > Avatar 1 > Korra 1 > Korra 2 

Favorite Avatar Episode: Into The Inferno

Favorite Korra Episode: Beginnings