Lucifer (Season 5)

Season 4 was easily the best Lucifer season to date, and while this season isn't quite as tight, it continues the momentum and justifies that the shift to Netflix was a good idea.

Season 5 has a lot of great things going for it. The main storyline about Lucifer's rivalry with his twin brother Michael is fantastic, mostly because he's the most outwardly antagonistic villain we've had in Lucifer to date. Tom Ellis does a great job of making Michael feel squirmy and hatable. And once God shows up, this season becomes even better! The decision to have President David Palmer play God was a stroke of genius, and getting to finally see the culmination of all the family drama in the series thus far was fantastic. Some of the subplots were also great too. Dan learning about Lucifer's true nature is heartbreaking, as is Ella learning her boyfriend is a serial murderer. Eve's brief return is great and her relationship with Maze is adorable, and I really liked seeing Amenadiel have to deal with learning his kid is a mortal. The season's pacing is also really brisk, never lingering on storylines for too long and drawing them out, showing how much the series has grown past Season 3. Season 5a did feel like more of a buildup and can seem a bit directionless since Michael hadn't revealed his goal of taking over God's position, but Season 5b was absolutely bonkers, especially once we get to meet every single angel, and I just loved it!

However, I do have some pretty big issues with Season 5 as well that prevents it from really surpassing Season 4 for me. While It's great that Lucifer and Chloe finally get together, they still have so many problems throughout the season that it's gotten completely ridiculous. First, Chloe learns she's a gift from God, then they can't have sex, then Lucifer can't say "I love you", and then I stopped caring. Some of the cliffhangers also got some pretty lame copouts this season, like hell suddenly not needing a warden anymore, and Lucifer suddenly getting his mojo back after the titular episode. Finally, Maze's character arc this season was incredibly frustrating. While her abandonment issues at least make her empathetic compared to Season 3, it still doesn't excuse Maze from turning coat again. There were also some episodes I found weaker than usual like the poorly-acted noir parody episode, and the incredibly uncomfortable pranking Dan episode. Seriously, can't Dan just get a break for once?

Still, overall I liked this season, and there were a lot of strong episodes:

Spoiler Alert: After the slow buildup that was Season 5a, all of the tensions between the characters come to an explosive head that's stuffed to the brim with twists and cliffhangers. Charlie is mortal! Pete is the Whisper Killer! Amenadiel froze time! Maze switched sides again! And biggest of all, God finally makes his first appearance. This is a massive and fast-paced midseason finale that also manages to shove in one of the coolest fights in the series (that one in the frozen precinct).

Bloody Celestial Karaoke Jam: I went into this episode fully expecting to despise it. Not only is it a musical episode, but one that couldn't even write its own songs. However, I actually enjoyed it a lot. Sure, most of the cast can't sing, but it seems like they were having a great time, and some of the performances kinda slapped (Dan singing "Hell" especially surprised me). The musical aspect was at least fun and entertaining, the script was easily one of the funniest in the series, and the emotional hook with Lucifer and his father was still really compelling. 

Is This Really How It's Going To End?: This episode was just painful. The first half was fairly standard (if to a fault), but Dan's death completely changed the trajectory and tone of the episode. I like that it wasn't saved for the final scene like most death scenes in TV, rather the entire second half of the episode was focused on the characters dealing with his death, the heartbreaking reveal that he went to hell, and Lucifer declaring why he wants to become God. Easily the show's heaviest episode.

A Chance At A Happy Ending: As a final battle, this episode was kinda lackluster. You can tell COVID took its toll with the open empty location, large stretches of nothing happening, and the fact that we don't even get to see most of the fighting. However, on an emotional level, this finale works great. Lucifer saving Chloe from heaven, Maze and Eve starting to date again, Michael losing his wings, Lucifer becoming god, it's a fantastic end to the main conflict of the whole show, and left me wondering just how Season 6 would follow it up.

Overall, Season 5 was a really good season, if a bit uneven. The main God/Michael storyline was fantastic, and some of the subplots were too, but the season had a bit of a slow start and some character arcs just weren't as strong as they should have been.

Season 5a: 3/5

Season 5b: 4/5

4/5 Stars

Star Trek: The Original Series (Season 2)

Season 1 of Star Trek: The Original Series was remarkably solid for the first season in the entire franchise. I don't think Season 2 is quite as good, but it makes up for having some of the show's most iconic episodes.

Season 2 of Star Trek has some really fantastic episodes in it. As a matter of fact, its best episodes are even better than the high points of Season 1. I think it helps that the overall character writing is an improvement this season. The banter between Kirk, Spock, and McCoy is witty and fun in even the weaker episodes, and the season does a good job of splitting the screentime between the main trio and some of the more minor characters. However, Season 2 also has some big issues. You can really tell that the show is started to run out of ideas, since storylines start to get reused constantly, particularly ones involving godlike aliens, AIs, and planets modeled after Earth history. Even more, I think there are far more episodes this season that just aged poorly, with some being sexist and others dealing with serious topics in the worst ways possible. I'll elaborate more in the individual reviews, but keep in mind that I'll be getting a bit more serious and political than I usually do with some of these episodes.

Once again, I'll be reviewing each episode individually:

Amok Time: After all of those hints in Season 1, I think the decision to finally show off Vulcan makes for a strong season premiere. The main plot of "Spock is in heat" wasn't anything amazing, but Leonard Nimoy acts his heart out all episode, the fight between Kirk and Spock is fantastic and compelling (and oddly well-done for a Star Trek fight), and the extra Vulcan lore is just fantastic. I definitely get why Amok Time is a well-liked episode, it was a lot of fun! It also happens to be incredibly gay and I have no idea if that was intended or not.

Who Mourns For Adonais: Also known as The Squire Of Gothos: Greek Edition. The main storyline has pretty much already been done before, beat for beat: A godlike figure traps the Enterprise on his planet and plays around with them. But while Trelane was interesting for practically being a child, Apollo was kind of formal and dull. I don't mean to spend this entire review comparing, but this really just felt like Gothos but with stitled writing, weak effects, and nowhere near as much tension.

The Changeling: This episode was pretty cool. The evil AI Nomad looked kind of derpy, but that was all part of the charm, and its cold attitude and cruel actions still made it a really threatening villain for the Enterprise to take down. I like that Scotty and especially Uhura got a bit more screentime than usual, and Kirk using logical loopholes to shut down Nomad was a clever end to the episode. It's not too original nowadays and it has a lot of holes, but The Changeling was a pretty fun one.

Mirror, Mirror: This was another really iconic episode, and it definitely lived up to the hype! It takes a simple high-concept premise and mines it for all its worth, spending a lot of time developing and fleshing-out the mirror universe. Seeing Kirk, Uhura, Scotty, and Bones try and blend into the ship is tense and compelling, and I liked how Kirk is forced to make decisions he normally wouldn't have because of it. Uhura and Scotty once again get some nice screentime, Spock's goatee is magnificent, and the sheer cruelty of the mirror universe is a great contrast from Star Trek's usual idealism. You can tell from the length of this review that Mirror, Mirror is one of my favorite episodes of the show so far.

The Apple: I heard this episode was awful, but I have to say, it was almost really good! The evil plants at the start were pretty inventive, I really liked the subplot about Kirk dealing with the loss of some red shirts, and the moral dilemma at the heart of The Apple is an interesting one. However, for an episode about colonialism, I'm not all that sure how I feel about the colonists (Kirk) being depicted as in the right. There's a lot of potential here and some great ideas, but I think the general message just hasn't aged well at all.

The Doomsday Machine: This is easily one of the best episodes of The Original Series, it really does have everything. There's mystery, action, character work, horror, dark themes, and an amazing ending. The planet killer is such a terrifying antagonist, made even scarier with the absolutely fantastic remastered effects. It just looks so alien, and that giant magma-filled maw is absolutely nightmarish! But the real star of the show is Decker, whose storyline about dealing with PTSD is both well-executed and well-acted. If it weren't for an episode coming up soon, this would be my favorite episode.

Catspaw: This was yet another Gothos clone, but unlike the first one this season, I think the decision to make Catspaw Halloween-themed made it kinda entertaining. It threw so many fun ideas at the wall that it never once felt boring, even if not all of those ideas ended up working. Catspaw wasn't all that scary, but it was that charming kind of "spooky" that I love so much about Halloween. I also thought the banter between Kirk, Spock, and Bones were especially good this episode. This was a very silly and cheesy episode, but I had a fun time with it.

I, Mudd: Ugh, of all the characters to bring back, it had to be Mudd. Even in this episode, he remains sexist and unfunny. The main conflict was also just not all that tense and compelling, especially compared to fellow AI episode The Changeling. However, I didn't hate this one nearly as much as Mudd's Women, because I could tell the cast was having the time of their lives. The enthusiasm and energy from everyone involved, especially in the final ten minutes, was infectious and made generally weak comedic writing land just a bit more reliably.

Metamorphosis: Similarly to The Apple, I think this episode was so unbelievably close to greatness if its age didn't show. The concept of a human-alien love story just feels so perfectly Star Trek, the sets are colorful and pretty, and apparently Cochrane is a reoccuring character. But... remember my big complaint about Wonder Woman 1984? Because this episode had the exact same problem. There's a similar consent problem with the alien taking over Hedford's body at the end, and it just left such a bad taste in my mouth by the end of the episode.

Journey To Babel: This episode had a lot of really good worldbuilding and character development. I really liked the concept of the Enterprise having to transport a bunch of alien ambassadors, and seeing the different species was really cool. I wish the political stuff wasn't relegated to the subplot, but getting to meet Spock's family and learning more about his origins still managed to be really interesting as well. Spock had always been the show's most fleshed-out character, but exploring his split between his human and Vulcan half really solidified that.

Friday's Child: I feel like I should have loved this episode more than I did. We got the Klingons back, and my favorite character Bones got a ton of screentime to himself. However, this episode just ended up boring me. The pregnancy storyline doesn't really have any urgency or tension that made it memorable, and as much as I wanted to enjoy the Capellan stuff, I was so unbelievably distracted by their costumes. Normally, goofy alien costumes in Trek don't bother me, but this was definitely an exception.

The Deadly Years: I'm not a fan of "rapid aging" stories, and Star Trek didn't do much to win me over on the concept. It definitely stuck with that pretty regressive mindset of old people being useless (which is odd given that the 60-year-old Picard is a captain), and suffers from an extended court sequence that restates scenes that we already saw. However, the banter between Spock, Kirk, and McCoy managed to save this one for me, and was generally really entertaining for most of the episode.

Obsession: Sparkly vampire Twilight jokes aside, this was a pretty good episode. I love when otherwise moral characters are pushed to the brink, so while the plot was a bit similar to Decker's arc from The Doomsday Machine, the fact that it's Kirk of all characters still made it pretty impactful. Seeing Kirk let his confident captain act down for an episode was really refreshing, and it was nice to be able to learn a bit more about his past. It all made me overlook the fact that the villain is just a cloud.

Wolf In The Fold: While there is already quite a bit of sexism in Star Trek, this episode was especially sexist, to the point that it ruined what could have been a really cool episode. We had a murder mystery, a fun focus on Scotty, Jack The Ripper, but then we also got stuff like Spock claiming women get terrified easily, the "pleasure planet", lots of female deaths, and Scotty's general attitude throughout the episode that just ruined the episode for me. It wasn't just a single plot point like Metamorphosis or The Enemy Within, this was the whole episode, and I couldn't stand to watch it.

The Trouble With Tribbles: Like many others, I was first exposed to Star Trek through the reboot films, and I remember spotting the Tribble in Into Darkness. My dad pointed it out and said I had to watch the episode with the Tribbles in it, and I'm so glad I did. The Trouble With Tribbles was the first Star Trek episode I ever watched, and it's still my favorite episode in The Original Series. Upon rewatching it, there were just so many scenes that I remember from my first viewing years ago. The bar fight, Kirk losing his mind, the Tribble music, Scotty's confession, and of course, that iconic shot of Kirk covered in Tribbles. But even more, the writing is impressively sharp and witty, and I was surprised at how quotable it is. It's a fantastic entry point to the series too, offering fun action, strong humor, an intriguing mystery, some iconic species, 60s charm, and a role for pretty much every single character. An absolute classic.

The Gamesters Of Triskellion: It's kinda depressing that my favorite episode is surrounded by two of the worst. Similarly to Wolf In The Fold, I don't think the core concept of the characters fighting as gladiators isn't all that bad, and I always love seeing characters not in the main trio get screentime. However, there were some really rough scenes here, particularly Uhura's attempted rape and the transphobic Tamoon jokes. The Spock/McCoy scenes make this one slightly more tolerable than Wolf In The Fold, but they're both very low points in the series.

A Piece Of The Action: This episode was just so stupid, but I loved it so much. The sheer existence of this episode is hysterical, just seeing Kirk, Spock, and McCoy in their sci-fi suits playing pool with 1920s gangsters is just a sight to behold. Thankfully, I'm pretty sure the people who made this episode were very aware of how silly the concept is, because they went all out with the humor. The gangster clichés, Spock saying "Youse", Fizzbin, Kirk driving, the fact that the episode had a punchline. Not unlike the X-Files, I'm happy to see Trek has a hidden talent in comedy.

The Immunity Syndrome: Similarly to Corbomite and Doomsday, this was one of those episodes about the Enterprise crew confronting a seemingly unstoppable floating object in space. While not as good as those two episodes, this was still a tense outing due to just how crippling the space amoeba was to the Enterprise crew. The highlight, though, was the character work, culminating in that fantastic argument between the main trio over who would go on a suicide mission to save the ship.

A Private Little War: This was a pretty alright episode with a lot of depth. The actual storyline on Neural, Klingons aside, wasn't anything amazing, but it dealt with the subjects of pacifism and intervention pretty well. I especially liked how Kirk makes the decision to supply the hill people with guns at the end of the episode, yet it's not framed as Kirk making the "right decision". The ending leaves you conflicted over Kirk's decision, which is a bit of a bold move given how neatly tied most Star Trek episodes are.

Return To Tomorrow: This episode was actually a really neat usage of the body swap trope. Shatner and Nimoy did a good job of playing completely different characters, especially since we got to see Spock act like a mustache-twirling villain, and the escalation throughout the episode into sheer chaos in the last few minutes was incredibly well-done. I also really liked how it dealt with the ethical nature of using someone's body, as most of the characters consented to it and the main antagonist was the only one who refused to give their body back. 

Patterns Of Force: Patterns Of Force tries to be a comedic romp not unlike A Piece Of The Action... but in a planet resembling Nazi Germany. Look, I like seeing Nazis getting beat up as much as the next person, but this episode also tried to say something, and horribly fails. It not only tries to deal with Nazism with the subtlety of a sledgehammer ("Zeon"? Really?), but even made the claim that they were efficient? That's not true! The ending felt off too. If current day is any indication, you can't just get rid of the leader of a movement and expect it to die out. And why was Spock shushed for pointing that out? This happens multiple times in Trek. Spock rightfully doubts the episode's message and Kirk and McCoy just laugh him off! Patterns Of Force just left a bad taste in my mouth, and felt far too lackadaisical for an episode about Nazism.

By Any Other Name: This one had a bit of a slow start, but it became really entertaining in the second half. I'm a big fan of aliens that have a fundamental misunderstanding of humanity, so seeing them take over the Enterprise is really tense and compelling. However, the best part was actually the last fifteen minutes, where the remaining members of the Enterprise crew trick the aliens into experiencing human emotions, at which point the episode becomes oddly fun and upbeat.

The Omega Glory: And I thought Patterns Of Force was bad, this episode was horrendous! It's such an unbelievable mess that I can't even figure out its message. On one hand, the America surrogates (Yangs) are savages, and overly patriotic to a fault, implying that TOG is a criticism of blind nationalism. But on the other hand, there's definitely a big "yellow peril" message here, and Kirk's final speech that America is right and every other country is wrong is so shamelessly patriotic that it doubles back over to utterly hilarious. I think you can get a lot of unintentional hilarity out of this one, but there are also a lot of unfortunate implications here that solidify The Omega Glory a truly awful episode.

The Ultimate Computer: Coming after The Omega Glory, an obvious product of the Cold War, this episode surprisingly aged like fine wine. The fear of AI taking over our jobs isn't only still here, it's probably even greater than ever as technology progresses. I love how this episode actually lingers on the subject, with Kirk spending the entire first half of the episode dealing with losing his role and wondering what it even means to be captain. M-5 becomes a really scary villain near the end, and Dr Daystrom is a fleshed-out character given his one-off role. Good stuff!

Bread And Circuses: Those Earth surrogate episodes tend to have a really bad track record, which is why I was surprised that the one about Space Gladiators wasn't all that bad. The gladiator fights were fun, the planet being based on Earth history was actually justified, Spock and McCoy have some truly fantastic scenes together, and there wasn't really too much poorly aged stuff in it. However, I did think the overall story was a bit confusing, and Uhura's religious speech at the end was just... ugh.

Assignment: Earth: What an odd finale. It's pretty obvious that it was meant to be the backdoor pilot of a spinoff we never got, meaning that the Enterprise crew we know and love doesn't actually appear all that much. I just can't bring myself to really care about any of the new characters this episode focuses on, and for an episode about stopping WWIII, it doesn't feel like there's much urgency here. I was honestly focusing on Gary Seven's adorable black cat more than the actual plot.

Overall, this season was far more uneven than the first one. Its high points are incredibly high, containing some of my favorite episodes in the entire series, but its low points were far more frequent, with some really poorly-aged and tone-deaf storylines and many more reused ideas. Still, I can't be too mad with the Tribble season, so...

3/5 Stars

Lucifer (Season 4)

At the end of Season 3, Chloe finally learns that Lucifer is, in fact, the real devil, only for the show to get canceled on FOX and moved to Netflix. I think both of these changes were for the better, because this was easily the best season yet.

Season 4 continues Lucifer's self-perception struggle from last season, and Chloe's reaction to learning he's the devil leaves him feeling more and more like that's the case. Early on in the season, his ex-girlfriend Eve (yes, that Eve) appears and gets back together with him, since she embraces his devil side, and subtly manipulates him into embracing it as well. I really liked Eve as an antagonist. She manages to still be likable in spite of her manipulation due to her sheer naivety (and realization she messed up in the finale). Meanwhile, Chloe's grief about Lucifer causes her to contact a priest who intended to send Lucifer to hell to stop a prophecy where he gets together with his "first love". I'm glad that Chloe got more to do in the celestial stuff, even if I still think she's a bit of a stick in the mud at times. The season does a great job of tying all of its storylines together, and everything thing feels so well-crafted. Lucifer's own character arc fits in the series perfectly, and I'm glad Season 4 finally gets to explore his devilish side, which leads to one of the best things about this season.

While Lucifer still isn't a "TV-MA" show, the shift to Netflix means that the show can now get away with things it couldn't have on FOX. Season 4 as a whole has a much darker tone, even aside from the increased sex, violence, and cursing, but rather than feeling forced or edgy, it fits the show like a glove. Lucifer was already a slickly production show, but the increased budget also means it looks so much nicer. The special effects have improved, and even the fight scenes are the best yet (especially that bar fight scene in Episode 4). The shift to Netflix also led to a much shorter season with only ten episodes, which led to easily the tightest pacing in the series. Unlike Season 3, not a single storyline was drawn out, and the cases of the week were given a much smaller focus to all of the more character-heavy subplots. Speaking of which, the character work is much better than last season as well. Aside from Lucifer's fantastic arc, it feels like a lot of the cast are exploring their darker sides, with Dan's grief over Charlotte causing him to go back to being a dirty cop, Ella losing her faith in God, and Chloe initially trying to exorcise Lucifer. I also really like the subplot of Linda and Amenadiel having a child (especially once Remiel appears), and Maze is pretty much back to her likable state in Season 2. The only plot point I didn't like was Dan/Ella, but thankfully it didn't get much screentime.

While this season was really consistent, there were a few episodes that really stuck out to me:

Expire Erect: Continuing the trend of hostage situation episodes being absolute bangers, Expire Erect was just a ton of fun. It managed to be both hilarious and tense at the same time, between that bizarre In Medias Res opening, the great twists, and Eve and a drugged Ella being friends, all grounded by the emotional hook of Lucifer fearing a last case with Chloe. 

Devil Is As Devil Does: While most of the episode was solid, what really made it for me was the fantastic twist at the end. The reveal of the true nature of the prophecy intercut with Lucifer realizing he has devil wings was just so well-executed and kicked the tension into overdrive.

Save Lucifer: This was the point at which the plots were starting to converge, and it did so expertly. Lucifer's transformation was a tense time bomb that finally forced him to confront his self-hatred, and I like that Chloe was the one who brought him back. Eve trying to make Lucifer jealous was entertaining, and I especially liked seeing her and Maze spend time together. Linda giving birth didn't waste too much time, and the ending sets up a massive cliffhanger for the finale.

Who's Da New King Of Hell?: Lucifer always knew how to end a season, but this was one of the best finales yet! The cast uniting to stop a bunch of rampaging demons was exactly the type of high stakes fantasy plot I'd wanted from the show this whole time, and everyone manages to get a moment to complete their character arcs, even Dan and Ella who weren't involved in the demon stuff. There was Ella's apology, the fantastic opening dance sequence, the crazy demon fight, and an emotional ending that brings Lucifer and Chloe together only to tear them apart. 

Overall, Season 4 was easily the best season of Lucifer yet. It was edgy, slick, briskly-paced, well-plotted, and took some of the characters to their darkest places to date.

5/5 Stars

Lucifer (Season 3)

Lucifer had been undergoing a steady climb for its first two seasons, slowly ironing out all of its flaws and living up to its potential. Season 3, however, completely reverses all of that progress, resulting in a regressive and drawn-out season with some high points but a lot of low points as well.

The main storyline of Season 3 was incredibly uneven, with just as many good points as there were bad. The first half of the season involves a mystery about Lucifer trying to find the "Sinnerman" who gave him his wings back. While the payoff is great, the mystery was dragged for twelve episodes, while also not being addressed in about half of them. Eventually, we learn that the one responsible is the biblical Cain, who took the form of Chloe's new police chief, Pierce. Once again, this storyline has potential. I like the stretch of episodes where Lucifer tries to remove Pierce's immortality and kill him. However, that storyline eventually devolves into a silly love triangle between him, Lucifer, and Chloe which is, once again, padded out for half of the season. Look, I've never been one to complain about "filler episodes", but I really don't think Cain's storyline could be sustained over an entire 24-episode-long season, and it shows. We got a flashback episode, an episode focused on a one-off character, and plenty of dull cases of the week. (side note: Lucifer's cases of the week could be more interesting if they were fantasy-driven like Buffy's monsters or The Flash's metahumans, but the fact that they're average crimes is why I'm so bored with them). Thankfully, the final two episodes manage to be a fantastic end to the season that actually changes the status quo for once, if only it wasn't so late.

The character arcs are also pretty hit or miss this time around as well. Lucifer and Chloe's relationship has completely lost me. Their "Will They Won't They" got annoying last season, but I just don't even care anymore this season. Once Pierce entered the fray creating a love triangle, it all just became frustrating melodrama for me. It doesn't help that Pierce is just not an interesting character. He was briefly cool when he wanted to find a way to die, but I've mostly found him dull more often than not. Maze probably fared the worst of the bunch, completely going back on her character development last season and turning into a complete brat. She was one of my favorite characters, but when she forced Linda and Amenadiel to break up, I completely lost any sympathy towards her. It's not all bad, though. Charlotte Richards was a serious highlight for her arc about dealing with her possession last season and trying to become a better person, Ella and Dan are still as likable as ever, and I actually really liked seeing Linda and Amenadiel together while it lasted. It's just a shame that, for most of this season, I generally preferred watching the side characters rather than the main cast.

Despite my misgivings with Season 3, its best episodes were some of the best in the whole show:

Off The Record: Given how drawn-out this season is, you'd think I wouldn't like such an inconsequential episode. However, Off The Record did the one thing this season struggled to do: take risks. Reese is a fleshed-out and well-acted character, and the sudden shift to a really dark tone in the second half is fantastic. I also really liked the twist that this was all a hell loop, which ties the episode together, explains its idiosyncrasies, and indirectly shows us more of hell, a location that should appear far more often.

Quintessential Deckerstar: This penultimate episode was so good, I couldn't believe I was still watching Season 3. The show finally cut the BS and got Lucifer and Chloe together, in a fantastic manner to boot. I also liked seeing how Amenadiel got his powers back, and the implication that the loss of powers comes down to self-actualization. Pierce actually feels like a genuinely threatening antagonist, and shows it when he kills Charlotte, a heartbreaking death that completes her character arc and solidifies her as the best thing this season.

A Devil Of My Word: The finale that was so well-received, it managed to get renewed for three more seasons. This is a fantastic ending as easily the show's best episode to date. Everyone gets a chance to deal with the grief from Charlotte's death, and the cat-and-mouse game to prove Pierce as the murderer is a ton of fun and gives the whole cast something to do. Lucifer tearing through mooks with his wings was super badass, and finally, Chloe learns the truth about Lucifer! It's about damn time...

Overall, Lucifer's third season was really rough. It took a storyline with potential and stretched it out to the point where it became boring, messed up quite a few of the characters, and doubles down on all of Season 2's worst problems. While it had some really high points like the ending, Charlotte's arc, and Lucifer trying to kill Pierce, this was by far the worst season yet.

2/5 Stars

Star Trek: The Original Series (Season 1)

As a massive fan of Star Wars, Galaxy Quest, and sci-fi in general, it might be surprising to hear that I haven't really seen all that much Star Trek. I saw the reboot films, parts of Wrath Of Khan, a few episodes here and there, and Galaxy Quest. That was pretty much it. But with all the Star Trek shows slowly heading to Paramount+, a streaming service I don't intend to get, I thought this is a better time than any to get through at least the big ones (TOS, TNG, and DS9). And thus begins the biggest undertaking on this entire website:

Even to this day, I think Star Trek's core premise is really novel for a science fiction show. There's no big villain to stop or goal to achieve, it's just a team going on a cosmic exploration for five years and then returning home to report their findings. The original series uses a pretty episodic structure, but I think it really works with this premise. Every episode feels entirely different in terms of genre, feel, aliens, planets, it's like you never know what you're going to get. However, this also means that the quality of this original series can be pretty hit or miss at times. While there are plenty of fantastic episodes that still hold up really well, there are also quite a bunch of stinkers, as well as episodes that are good but with a big poorly-aged element. I think this first season actually has more great episodes than bad, especially in its nearly consistently strong second half,  but even it struggles with some pretty blatant sexism despite how groundbreaking it was for its time. 

Still, for a show made in the 60s, Star Trek generally ages better than it has any right to. The practical effects can look pretty good at times, the lighting and cinematography can be downright stunning, the sets and costumes are colorful and distinct, and the diversity of the cast has been talked about ad nauseam. The space sequences got remastered in the early 2000s with CGI and they really do look fantastic, with highlights being Balok's ship, Murasaki 312, and Trelane's planet. Even for 2000s CGI, I think it looks consistently great. Even more, unlike Star Wars's attempt at a remaster, the CGI is only used to touch up effects that may have looked pretty bad in the original version and nothing more. There are no massive story changes or scene replacements, just the general CGI touchups. And even then, all of the non-space effects remain purely practical, meaning that there are plenty of bad and cheesy effects to laugh at.

While the episodes can be incredibly varied, what does stay pretty consistently strong are the characters. Obviously, the main trio of Kirk, Spock, and Bones is the highlight here. Their dynamic is fantastic and the heart of the show. But even individually these characters are great. Kirk is a really likable captain and while Shatner's acting can be a bit goofy at times, he plays the character with such charisma and earnestness that I still really enjoy watching him. Spock is definitely the most interesting character in the cast, with his struggle between his human and Vulcan half, and I think Nimoy's acting is easily the best of the whole cast. Bones... Outside of the main trio, though, the show does a good job of letting everyone on the Enterprise get chances to shine, with Sulu and Uhura also being highlights. However, I do think some of the female characters get some pretty bad material, particularly the nurse Chapel and especially Yeoman Rand. Rand's actor left halfway through the season and given the episodes she stars in, I totally understand. 

Since The Original Series feels like more of an anthology, consisting of entirely standalone episodes with a range of quality, I wanted to review each one individually, and give them a score from 1-5:

The Man Trap: This was the first Star Trek episode to air, and I don't think it works really well as a pilot. It doesn't spend much time introducing the characters and world, instead throwing you right into this episode's main conflict. Even as someone who knew this cast, I spent most of this episode incredibly confused. However, as its own episode, The Man Trap is solid. It's tense, contains some fun interactions between the cast, and has some really good effects, especially in regards to "Nancy".

Charlie X: An improvement over the premiere, Charlie X does a really good job at exploring its themes on adolescence and isolation. Charlie's actor does a really good job of feeling like a realistic teenager, and the downbeat ending definitely caught me off-guard. I think the effects can be a bit cheesy when it comes to Charlie's powers, but otherwise, I thought this one was alright.

Where No Man Has Gone Before: Originally intended to be the actual pilot of Star Trek, this episode definitely looks a lot different than all the others. The costumes, Spock's eyebrows, the absent characters, it makes this episode feel a bit cheap. It's a shame, though, since the rest of WNMHGB is pretty fun. It's a nice balance of thoughtful commentary, sci-fi action, and escalating tension.

The Naked Time: Funny, sharp, and character-driven, The Naked Time is easily the best episode yet. There are just so many good moments here, like Sulu with a rapier, "Sorry, neither", Spock crying, literally everything about Riley, the first Vulcan neck pinch, and the crew accidentally inventing time travel?! Even presentation-wise, the soft lighting gave this episode a comfy feel, and Spock's scenes were really well-shot and acted. After this episode, I knew I was in it for the long haul.

The Enemy Within: This is an episode with high highs and low lows. Shatner does a good job at making his two counterparts feel distinct, the message about balancing passiveness and aggressiveness is a good one, and the big confrontation on the bridge is fantastic. However, Rand's attempted rape by evil Kirk isn't well-handled in the slightest, and the simplification of the two Kirks as "good" and "evil" loses a lot of potentially interesting nuance.

Mudd's Women: Something that I will bring up a lot in these reviews is that the worst kind of media isn't bad, it's boring. Mudd's Women is already a bad episode. It's sexist, convoluted, and is focused around a character who is way less likable than the show thinks he is. But worst of all, it's not even entertainingly bad. Mudd's Women is a dull episode with no tension, stakes, or excitement. I wasn't hooked at all, rather it nearly put me to sleep.

What Are Little Girls Made Of?: I'm not a big fan of those Kirk-centric episodes, since the interactions between the cast is one of this show's biggest strengths. While this episode's main storyline about replacing people with androids isn't super original nowadays, it was still fairly tense, with scenes like Kirk-android on the Enterprise and Korby killing both himself and Andrea really sticking out to me.

Miri: This episode was really just unremarkable. It had an interesting concept of this civilization of immortal kids, yet focused nearly entirely on a pretty unoriginal infection plot. I also thought Kirk's interactions with the titular character was a bit uncomfortable to watch due to the pretty obvious age difference. Otherwise, this was another boring one. 

Dagger Of The Mind: This episode has a lot of similarities to What Are Little Girls Made Of? in structure, but I think this episode was an improvement because of its Spock and Bones subplot. Not only did it give the two characters a chance to interact and do something, but it led to the really cool "mind-meld" scene. The Kirk stuff was alright too, with the tension increasing as you learned more info about Adams.

The Corbomite Maneuver: This episode was so intense and gripping that it made me forget how most of it just took place in a single room. Given the premise of exploring unknown worlds and alien life, I really liked seeing the Enterprise crew being stumped by tech they had absolutely no knowledge of. The themes on the cold war were obvious but effective, Kirk got some badass moments, and the remastered effects were fantastic, making even a spinning cube in space feel threatening. I will say, though, the alien at the end being a child with an adult voice was very creepy.

The Menagerie: In addition to Where No Man Has Gone Before and The Man Trap, Star Trek had an unaired pilot called "The Cage" which had a mostly different cast, and it was pretty good. The Menagerie manages to include that entire unaired pilot within a mystery plot about Spock acting out of character, and it mostly works. However, watching The Menagerie feels like watching two episodes at the same exact time, and while I thought both of them were great, jumping between the two felt jarring.

The Conscience Of The King: This was another fairly unmemorable episode. I like the contrast between the actual events of the episode with the Shakespearean plays, the mystery about Kodos was interesting, and it was great to see Riley again after The Naked Time, but there were also a lot of pretty dull stretches, and the romantic subplot between Kirk and Lenore was a bit of a bore.

Balance Of Terror: There's a lot to love in this episode. We got the first appearance of the Romulans, some pretty well-done commentary on bigotry, the show's first full-on space battles, and an impactful and bittersweet ending. While I still probably prefer Corbomite for how bizarre Balok's tech is, I think Balance Of Terror works as a strong followup since the Enterprise crew isn't being played with this time. The Romulans intend to kill, and that adds a lot of tension and stakes to the episode.

Shore Leave: Similarly to The Naked Time, this episode explored the cast a bit, albeit in really comedic fashion. Shore Leave went an extra step in the surreal direction, resulting in an episode with the White Rabbit, samurai, knights, World War II fighters, and a crazy fist fight. While it lacks the emotional hook or thoughtfulness of the TNT, the sheer unadulterated 60s camp made this one a joy to watch. 

The Galileo Seven: Another solid episode, The Galileo Seven gave Spock, McCoy, and Scotty the bulk of the screentime rather than Kirk as usual. It's a tense episode as things slowly get worse and worse for the titular crew, and Spock's rigidity is taken apart fairly well. However, the rest of the crew did seem a bit harsh towards Spock at times, and it didn't really handle its theme of logic vs emotion all too well. I also think the remastered Murasaki 312 looks absolutely stunning.

The Squire Of Gothos: Similarly to Shore Leave, this was another bizarre episode. The concept of the crew being played with by a reality warper is a cool one, and it leaves you wondering how they'd be able to escape. There were tons of neat effects and strange sequences, with my favorite being a planet chasing down the Enterprise, but the best part is the antagonist Trelane. William Campbell did a great job with making him immature and childlike to the point where he becomes scarily unpredictable.

Arena: This was one of those episodes I was aware about prior to this watch, and I'm surprised at how much more it has to offer than just the infamous Gorn fight. Yes, the Gorn fight is pretty cheesy, though I think it's really fun. And even with all the goofy action, there's a bunch of really solid themes about violence. This isn't one of my favorite episodes since the first half is probably more intense than the actual "arena fight", but I still enjoyed it. At the very least, I can see why Arena is a classic.

Tomorrow Is Yesterday: I'm not a massive fan of time travel. It's so common yet so rarely done well, not everything can be as airtight as Steins;Gate or Lost Season 5. This episode is filled to the brim with plotholes and paradoxes, but it makes up for being incredibly cute. Kirk's dynamic with Christopher is really enjoyable, the one-liners and interactions were funny, and there's something so charming about watching the Enterprise crew face off against the real life military. 

Court Martial: After a whopping six really solid episodes in a row, this was the first one in the while that just didn't grip me all that much. It's the second "courtroom drama" episode after The Menagerie, and unlike that episode where Spock's motivations leave you intrigued, it's obvious that Kirk didn't intend to kill anyone. Even more, the courtroom scenes just weren't all that interesting. This wasn't a bad episode, it was watchable, I just couldn't bring myself to care about it much.

Return Of The Archons: "The Purge" is my least favorite movie of all time. I'm not gonna ramble about why here, but a big sticking point is its flawed premise. So color me surprised when I learned that The Purge was inspired by this very episode, and even more, I actually enjoyed it! It's a legitimately creepy episode with a strong opening and a lot of substance. It helps that "Festival" is once a day rather than once a year, the episode isn't just a glorified home invasion plot, and the themes are more based around conformity and indoctrination rather than human psychology.

Space Seed: I can say I definitely wasn't expecting Khan to show up. I thought he was just in the movie! He's still a fantastic villain, though, probably the best in the series yet. He's charismatic and cruel, coming the closest to completely taking over the Enterprise. I think some of the characters like McGivers and Kirk make some dumb decisions in their glorification of Khan, but in terms of its overall plot, this was a very fun and tense thriller.

A Taste Of Armageddon: In terms of the actual story, this episode was alright. The computer-generated war made some of the plot points a bit confusing, but overall, it was a fun watch with a strong conflict and some great Scotty moments. Thematically, though, A Taste Of Armaggedon is fantastic, and probably one of the best aged in the whole show. The anti-war message is incredibly well done, and the themes of how death can be normalized through statistics to the point where no one questions it anymore is still relevant today!

This Side Of Paradise: I didn't love this one all that much. The main plot about the spores wasn't all that interesting, so the highlight really just ended up being Spock. Spock showing emotions and falling in love is such a strange premise, but Nimoy manages to do wonders with the material, nailing the comedic and dramatic elements of the story. I also liked the pretty downbeat ending, as Spock reveals that was the only time he was ever happy.

The Devil In The Dark: This episode was cute, though not entirely creative nowadays. The main storyline of trying to kill a creature only to learn it was kind has been repeated to death by now, but it's executed pretty well here. There's a nice focus on the core trio of Spock, Kirk, and Bones that lets the three shine, the Horta monster has a charmingly silly design, and the message of compassion is optimistic and heartwarming. For such a subterranean episode, The Devil In The Dark was surprisingly comfy.

Errand Of Mercy: Klingons! The coolest thing about Errand Of Mercy for me outside of the debut of one of Trek's most well-known species is that the Enterprise crew isn't actually correct for a lot of the episode. Kirk keeps trying to fight a war for the Organians, ultimately making things far more complicated for them. The twist that they're actually godlike beings that are too evolved for violence was well-foreshadowed, and it really put into perspective just how needless the Human-Klingon fighting has been.

The Alternative Factor: The other really bad episode of this season, unlike Mudd's Women, this one was at the very least entertaining, even if it was still awful. The concept of alternate universes could have worked really well in Star Trek, but Lazarus's actor wasn't good, the effects were painfully bright, and the script was incredibly repetitive due to rewrites. For all intents and purposes, this was a truly awful episode, but it was at least fun to watch at times. 

The City On The Edge Of Forever: This is easily the most iconic episode of the series, and I totally get why. It holds up so well in so many ways! Seeing Kirk and Spock try to live in 1930s New York City is compelling, the main conflict of a drugged Bones nearly destroying history is both hilarious and tense, Edith is a very well-realized character, the fact that the episode takes place on Earth means the set design and effects still hold up, and of course, that tragic ending between Kirk and Edith is fantastic, and shows some of Shatner's best acting in the whole show. It all adds up to the season's most well-crafted episode, and a definite high point in the series.

Operation: Annihilate!: Coming after the best episode in the season, Operation Annihilate feels like an odd note to end the series's first season on. It's not bad, per se, but it's a fairly standard episode about the crew fighting insanity-inducing parasites. There are some finale-ish elements here, though. Kirk goes through the winger, losing some family members, but the episode rarely spends time on this subplot and let him mourn. Spock's subplot fares a bit better, as we at least get to learn a bit more about Vulcans. But otherwise, this is just such an unambitious note to end the season on.

Overall, the first season of Star Trek's first series was a lot better than I expected, as I ended up enjoying way more episodes than I expected. It has a bit of a slow start and definitely aged poorly at points, but the characters, creativity, and second half are all great.

4/5 Stars

Star Wars Visions

Star Wars Visions is a collection of animated shorts by six Japanese animated studios, some of which I actually recognize from past reviews! With only nine short films, I thought I'd quickly review each of them and give my thoughts:

The Duel: Star Wars had always taken heavy inspiration from Kurosawa films, to the point where multiple TV episodes paid homage to the Seven Samurai (Clone Wars's Bounty Hunters, The Mandalorian's The Jedi). Knowing this, The Duel feels like the perfect short to start the collection, as quintessentially Star Wars as it gets: A mysterious force-wielder defending a small village from the Sith. The animation by Kamikaze Douga (Pop Team Epic) is obviously the most notable aspect here, with a mostly black and white color scheme and a sketchy art direction not unlike Japanese scrolls. It looks fantastic, especially once the titular duel begins. The infamous umbrella lightsaber from the trailers looks just as silly and over the top in action, but it led to some really brutal scenes. Outside of the visuals, the story is simple but pretty effective and satisfying. I like how mysterious the main protagonist, Ronin, is, and how we're never explicitly told why he uses a red lightsaber. The ending where the town initially thinks he's a Sith after seeing his lightsaber was really great. Overall, a strong start. (4/5 Stars)

Tatooine Rhapsody: This one was adorable, and it looked really nice too! In a complete parallel to The Duel, Studio Colorido (Penguin Highway, Pokemon Twilight Wings) went for a much more colorful, cutesy style that really popped. We rarely get these kinds of low stakes stories in Star Wars, and the concept of an intergalactic band is just too cute. Once again, the main story of save a band member from being executed by Jabba is simple, but it ends on a very heartwarming note. There are also a lot of really cute cameos from Star Wars films, like Jabba and Boba Fett. However, I think those cameos are there to hide from the fact that Tatooine Rhapsody isn't quite a Star Wars story. As a matter of fact, I feel like this story could take place completely outside of Star Wars and it would feel exactly the same, which I definitely can't say about some of these other shorts. Still, the optimistic spirit definitely fits in with Star Wars, and a basic plot doesn't stop Tatooine Rhapsody from being easily the most heartwarming short in the pack. (3/5 Stars)

The Twins: I love Studio Trigger so much. The Twins is definitely one of my favorite shorts in the bunch, feeling like a perfect combination of Hiruyoki Imaishi's shows (TTGL, Kill La Kill) with Star Wars, and it works so damn well. The short is about two twins, Karre and Am, born from the dark side. Am doubles down on the darkness, while Karre tries to free himself from the dark side of the force, resulting in a bombastic fight over a Kyber crystal. It's nowhere near as simple of a story as the last two shorts, with Imaishi's usual ridiculous ass pulls and convoluted exposition, but when you boil it down to its core, The Twins is about Star Wars's iconic duality, showing parallels to pairings like Luke/Leia and Rey/Kylo. Karre and Am both have understandable motivations, and I managed to care about both of them by the end of the short, to the point where I would love to see a full-on series about the two. But of course, this is Studio Trigger, so the real highlight was the action. Karre and Am's fight scene was absolutely bonkers, quickly escalating to a Kyber crystal-fueled lightsaber battle atop a star destroyer and ending with Karre slicing a star destroyer in half in a homage to the Holdo maneuever! The animation was just as colorful, dynamic, and expressive as Trigger/Gainax's past work, and the sheer bombast of the entire fight was so much fun to watch. I can imagine if this is too over the top for some Star Wars fans, but for me, this was exactly what I was hoping for from a Trigger short. (5/5 Stars)

The Village Bride: I was expected The Twins to be my favorite, but then this short came in and completely blew me away. Unlike most of the other shorts, this one was a bit of a slow burn, giving the characters a chance to talk with each other and be fleshed out and slowly doling out information throughout the short. The dialogue is minimal and reliant on "showing not telling", but I felt like I learned something new about the characters in every single scene. It all builds up to a phenomenal third arc that brings all the cast together and completing the protagonist F's character arc in an emotionally resonant way. The ending was so satisfying in fact that it legitimately made me tear up, something that could have never happened if there wasn't all that buildup. I loved just how well The Village Bride epitomizes Star Wars. There's the lone warrior defending a village, compelling love story, acts of rebellion, coming of age from a padawan to a jedi, exploration of the force and the connection with nature, it really has everything! The animation was fantastic too. I'm not familiar with Kinema Citrus's work, but they did a good job here. The animation was fluid and colorful, the character designs were fantastic, and music was really good at times. Not to mention, getting to see a lightsaber katana slash in  Star Wars made me absolutely geek. The Village Bride was a fantastic, emotional love letter to Star Wars, not just the best out of all of the shorts but one of the best pieces of Star Wars media I have ever seen. Given that most shows and movies don't make me tear up, I think it says a lot that this twenty-minute-long short managed to do so. (5/5 Stars)

The Ninth Jedi: Out of all of the shorts, this one felt like the most standard Star Wars adventure, not that it's a bad thing. Being the longest short of the bunch, it felt like a full-on Star Wars film, with twists, action scenes, and a plucky protagonist becoming a Jedi. I really liked the worldbuilding in The Ninth Jedi, it creates a fascinating point in the Star Wars timeline that I would genuinely like to see more of. I also like those color-changing lightsabers a lot. They get a lot of great mileage between the big sith reveal and Kara's lightsaber slowly becoming green throughout the short. As a whole, I think this short strikes the perfect balance between old and new. We got speeder chases and lightsaber fights, but the short manages to toss in a ton of fun twists and subversions to make these elements feel fresh again. The animation from Production IG (Psycho Pass) isn't as inventive as in some of the other shorts, but it still looks really good at times. The backgrounds are fantastic, and the action sequences are all a ton of fun. Overall, The Ninth Jedi was as classic of a Star Wars story as it gets, and definitely became to one of my favorites in the collection. (5/5 Stars)

T0-B1: This short reminded me of The Rise Of Skywalker, in that its pacing was the absolute worst. T0-B1 raced through so much plot so quickly, and the cuts between shots and scenes just felt so abrupt. I definitely think the short could have afforded to be longer. It's a shame, because the core premise of "What if Astro Boy became a Jedi?" is actually really cute. It definitely hits all of the notes of what a Star Wars story should be, but it's just so rushed and clumsy in its execution that it doesn't feel as impactful as it should have been. On the other hand, the animation was pretty great. Science SARU made Eizouken, one of my favorite anime of all time, and I could definitely see the similarities. T0-B1 went for a pretty unconventional style that wasn't afraid to shift art directions entirely. Not every shot looked amazing, but the creativity really shows. If T0-B1 let itself breath a bit more, I think it could have been one of the best ones. (2/5 Stars)

The Elder: The second Studio Trigger short definitely didn't feel quite as "Trigger-y" as The Twins, and I also don't think it was nearly as good. This short was slow-paced, with realistic muted animation, and a fairly basic and grounded plot. I'm going to be honest, this one really bored me. The main storyline of a padawan and master fighting a sith felt like the type of thing I've seen over and over again, with no twists or clever story directions making it stand out on its own. The animation was also oddly stiff for Studio Trigger, and the fight was probably one of the weaker ones in the collection. Not to be too negative, the pacing was pretty solid, and the Jedi master does get some great lines in, but The Elder just lacks the fantastic creativity I've seen from all the other shorts. (1/5 Stars)

Lop & Ochō: While there are plenty of shorts that could easily get a continuation (The Twins and The Ninth Jedi, in particular), Lop And Ochō straight-up feels like a pilot short of a TV show. So much ambition went into this particular short, which manages to pack in a backstory for Lop, a moral conflict about the empire, a big final battle, and a fully fleshed-out planet to add to the Star Wars universe. And despite all of this, the pacing is really good. However, I can tell that the people working on this short wanted to do more. Lop & Ochō feels like it should have been a full-length film, and ends on a fairly abrupt and unsatisfying note as a result. On the other hand, the animation is pretty good, especially when it comes to the fight scenes. Seriously, that final battle at the end of the short was absolutely stunning. The character designs were really great too, especially for Lop. I didn't think you could make a Klonoa-esque anthropomorphic rabbit work in Star Wars, but Lop ended up becoming one of my favorite characters in the collection. Overall, Lop & Ochō shows a lot of potential, but I just wish there was more of it. (4/5 Stars)

Akakiri: The second Science SARU short is definitely the better of the two, and a shockingly bleak one at that! There isn't much of a story here, we're really just watching a Jedi lose control of his powers and fall to the dark side. It's something we never quite see in Star Wars outside of Anakin, so this was a really fresh change of pace. However, what I'm really confused about is why this particular short was saved for last? It's the only one with a downer ending, and is also a lot smaller in scale than some of the others. Something like The Village Bride or The Ninth Jedi would have probably fit better. As far as the animation goes, Science SARU once again did a fantastic job. The animation really immerses you in Tsubaki's mental state and there are some really striking shots scattered throughout the episode. Overall, Akakiri was pretty good. It's fairly short and lacking in much story, but as a visual depiction of the fall of a Jedi, it does its job fairly well. (3/5 Stars)

Overall, Star Wars Visions was an incredibly pleasant surprise. While I didn't love every single short and the first half is easily better than the second for me, the sheer variety in this collection is fantastic, and I can tell that everyone involved is truly passionate about the franchise. It has been fascinating to see Star Wars interpreted through the eyes of some truly fantastic anime studios, and some shorts in particularly ended up becoming some of my favorite pieces of Star Wars media since the Siege Of Mandalore. I wouldn't say Visions "rekindled my love for Star Wars" since I never really stopped being a fan, but the creativity on shown and passion in every frame of every short definitely reaffirmed why I love Star Wars so much. I think everyone can find something to love here even if you're not a fan of anime like I am, and it's definitely much more worth watching than Marvel's attempt at an anthology series.

4/5 Stars

My ranking of the Star Wars Visions shorts is:

1. The Village Bride
2. The Twins
3. The Ninth Jedi
4. The Duel
5. Lop & Ochō
6. Akakiri
7. Tatooine Rhapsody
   
8. T0-B1
9. The Elder

Dark (revisited)

I tend to be really positive with these reviews of mine, because I like to try and find qualities to enjoy about every piece of media I consume, even when it comes to stuff I don't like. However, in the case of Dark, I feel like I was positive to the point of sugercoating my own complaints. Probably because of how popular and well-received the show was, I felt like I had to put a disclaimer every time I criticized the show. Since then, it seemed like my Dark review just didn't reflect my true opinions on the show, so I want to revisit it one last time, to finally give my true, uncensored opinions: I don't like Dark at all. As a matter of fact, out of all the shows I have reviewed on this site, it's probably my least favorite.

First, I just want to get the positives out of the way really quickly. The production and cinematography is really good. The whole series has this eerie, chilling atmosphere that really makes it stand out. I also have to praise its approach to time travel. I've written multiple times about how easy it is to use time travel the wrong way and make a convoluted, plot-hole-ridden, mess of a story. And while Dark is definitely complex, its insane Gordian knot of timelines actually holds together shockingly well. This is an airtight show, one that definitely lives up to its claim that "everything is connected". While I don't like the show, I will always use it as an example of time travel done right. And probably my biggest compliment, I actually enjoyed Season 1. At that point, there was an actual novelty to the mystery and not knowing what was going on, and the show wasn't too overly complicated to the point where it became nearly impossible to follow. There are definitely aspects to Dark that I did really like, and I still agree with not giving the show a full-on 1 or 0 stars. However, don't get me wrong, I have a lot of gripes about this show.

Getting the most important complaint out of the way, I think Dark is too complicated. As mentioned above, the first season was fine, but as the show began adding timelines and alternate universes, it just became too overwhelming to keep track of. All the characters, storylines, subplots, and the insanity that is the show's family tree is too much for one person to handle. It all made watching the show a slog, since I pretty much had to spend around half an hour after every episode doing research to make sure I picked up on everything. I'm sure some people enjoy doing this, but I sure as hell don't. I shouldn't need to do homework to understand what's even going on in a TV show. The exposition definitely doesn't help with this. Dark is stuffed to the brim with dull exposition dumps that don't explain things in a clear manner, with many of the expositors delivering their information through vague metaphors. Even worse, these exposition dumps tend to end really abruptly, with the expositor withholding information that they obviously know from the other characters for no real reason other than to be enigmatic and mysterious. And I didn't even talk about how the exposition is delivered. For some reason, the showrunners thought it made sense for each line of dialogue to have 15-or-so seconds of silence spaced between them. Maybe it's to maintain a serious tone, but it just comes off as awkward. 

Speaking of a serious tone, Dark is so unbelievably lacking in any self-awareness or levity whatsoever that it just made the show even harder to watch. Look, I love me some angst and dramatic arguments, but every single facet of the show took itself incredibly seriously, to the point where the only times I laughed were completely on accident. The awkward silence and clunky exposition mentioned above definitely elicited a few laughs, but I think the sheer repetition of Dark also contributed to a lot of that unintentional humor. The fact that nearly every episode starts with a sex scene and ends with a musical number, the absolutely ridiculous incest storyline, the bizarre twists that only get more and more insane, all of it was played entirely seriously. However, the repetitive aspects of Dark also probably contributed to why none of the later seasons stacked up to the first. Those vague expository conversations were intriguing at first, but eventually, they just became frustrating. The initially chilling and unconventional soundtrack was reused so frequently that it lost its luster. And the more crazy mind screw twists the show would throw at me, the less I could bring myself to care.

And that leads to my biggest problem with the show, which is the characters. Dark boasts a massive cast of characters, made even larger due to their variants from the other timelines and realities. However, I can't remember a single one other than Jonas, who's arguably the main protagonist. There's the obvious problem that such a massive cast can be spread pretty thin, but I think even worse is the fact that none of them really get any development. Eventually, most of these characters end up serving one of two roles: delivering exposition or receiving exposition. They're all assholes who keep secrets from each other and screw over their family members, with nothing differentiating them in terms of personality. If you've seen my reviews, you know how much I put stock in a strong cast of characters that I can empathize with. They don't even need to be good people as long as I can understand their motivations. None of Dark's characters have clear motivations, so I don't care about any of them. I've heard this argument that you're not supposed to care about the characters, that your role as a viewer of Dark is just to observe this town and the events that happen there. That leads a big problem, though. How am I supposed to care what happens in this town if I don't care about any of the people who live in it? And even more, why would I want to watch this town if I don't care about anything that happens in it?

I felt like I had to force myself to finish this show, just because I wanted to write a review about it. I was as positive as I could possibly be, just knowing that maybe I was missing something and that it really was the near masterpiece the internet said it was, and I was wrong. I shouldn't have forced myself to finish a show I didn't like, and I shouldn't have watered down my own opinions just because I was in the minority. I didn't like Dark, and that's perfectly fine. It has its good points, like all media does, but the forgettable characters, clunky and frequent exposition, overly complicated plotting, hilarious lack of self-awareness, and repetitive story elements all added up for an incredibly unenjoyable experience for me. I don't mean to take away from anyone who did like the show, I just wanted to fully explain why it didn't work for me. And with this, I hope I can close the book on Dark once and for all.

2/5 Stars

Lucifer (Season 2)

While I really liked the first season of Lucifer, I did have a lot of issues with it. Season 2 is definitely an improvement, but it still isn't able to fix everything.

Lucifer's second season focuses on Lucifer's mother (who I'll just called Goddess) showing up on Earth. As obsessed with justice as he is, Lucifer wants to keep Goddess on Earth to serve her sentence, while Goddess wants to go home and stick it to her husband. It's a solid storyline to base the season around, giving more of a focus to the celestial family dynamics at the core of the show. There is definitely a lot more fantastical aspects this season, between the introduction of Lucifer's brother Uriel, the stuff around the blade of Azrael, and that whole episode where Lucifer purposefully goes to hell. However, the real highlight of the season was actually the subplots. The whole cast gets interesting storylines that develop them so much more, like Amenadiel dealing with being a fallen angel, Maze adjusting to Earth and getting a job as a bounty hunter, Linda learning Lucifer's the devil and dealing with it, and Chloe trying to put the man who killed her father in jail. We even get a new character in the perky Ella, and while she doesn't get too much to do, she's a really likable addition to the cast who plays off the other characters really well. 

However, I actually have quite a few issues with the season. First of all, while I definitely enjoy her character, the Goddess isn't quite as threatening of a villain as Malcolm was back in Season 1. Sure, I hated Malcolm, but I was also incredibly tense any time he showed up on screen. The Goddess feels like more of a mustache-twirling villain, constantly plotting to get Lucifer to return home. Don't get me wrong, she's hilarious, but she's not a very good villain. The same issue applies to Lucifer and Amenadiel too. The whole family is plotting against each other, but their motivations are so inconsistent that it just doesn't work as a major conflict for me. Another problem I had was with how strictly Lucifer tries to stick to the status quo a lot of the time. Chloe and Lucifer's romantic subplot started to drag on, as the show resorted to some pretty cheap tricks to prevent them from ending up together, Dan gets no noticable consequences for turning himself in last season, and the season ends with Lucifer just about to tell Chloe the truth only for the obligatory cliffhanger to stop him from doing so. And even with the added celestial stuff, pretty much every episode also had a (rather forgettable) case of the week regardless of whether or not it fit.

Still, this is generally a better season than the first, and it had even more great episodes than it:

Weaponizer: Uriel is easily the best one-off villain in the series to date, because he's actually a celestial. His powers (not unlike Domino's from Deadpool 2) are pretty visually stunning, and more importantly, intimidating. He's a serious danger to Chloe, and the tension slowly builds until the devastating ending where Lucifer has to kill him.

A Good Day To Die: I want more episodes like this one! Instead of a big case of the week, the main conflict of the whole episode was the cast working together to save Chloe's life. Lucifer going to hell was fantastic since we got to see more of the place and how it works, and while I'm not a massive fan of "Unsteady", that final sequence utilized the song perfectly.

God Johnson: I love the concept of this episode. As obvious as it was that "God Johnson" wasn't really God, it did lead to a lot of fantastic scenes. Aside from the dramatic tension between Lucifer and his father, there's the attempt to parent trap him and Goddess, the distraction in the mental hospital, and Linda being there to witness the whole thing. It's both funny and character-driven, so I liked it a lot.

The Good, The Bad, And The Crispy: This was a pretty solid season finale, if not quite as satisfying as last season's. Amenadiel and Charlotte both get really strong resolutions to their storylines, with the former getting his powers back and the latter getting sent away to make her own world. The cliffhanger was also really intriguing, even if it meant Chloe is still completely in the dark about everything.

Overall, Season 2 of Lucifer is an improvement on the first with better character work, more celestial elements, and some fun new characters. However, the show's refusal to evolve lead to plenty of really frustrating plot directions.

4/5 Stars

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Season 8)

Brooklyn Nine-Nine had a lot to do for its final season. Not only did it have to bring the characters to a satisfying resolution, but it also had to deal with the events of 2020 which drastically shifted public perception of the police. Even more, it only had ten episodes to do all of that...

The main plot of B99's eighth season is about the titular precinct trying to pass a police reform policy, while combating the NYPD's union president O'Sullivan. I actually thought this storyline was... okay. It tries to tackle the corruption in the NYPD without losing the show's optimism by proposing reform. I seriously doubt any of the 99's policies would work in reality, but in the case of a fairly idealistic sitcom, I think it works fine enough. I also really like O'Sullivan as an antagonist. He's so detestable and awful that he crosses the line into downright hilarious, only bolstered by the strong performance from John McGinley (aka Dr Cox). The season also builds up to Jake leaving the NYPD by the finale, though it's pretty obvious all the way back in the first episode. However, I feel like this season in particular relied on plot twists over its characters, like Holt and Kevin suddenly breaking up even though we know they won't stay apart, or Doug Judy losing all of his character development in PB&J, or the reveal that Charles isn't actually a Boyle. These twists work really well in the heist episodes (like the finale), but it felt like this season was focusing too much on shock value.

The biggest issue with B99's final season, though, is the pacing. With only ten episodes, it's hard not to feel like the season is far too crammed, with the season premiere "The Good Ones" being the most glaring instance of this. That episode dealt with the coronavirus and the George Floyd protests while also setting the new status quo for the season and being a funny B99 episode, resulting in a premiere that just felt like it couldn't really do any of those things all that well. There also just isn't really a chance for the show to experiment in any way this season due to the short length. Compared to last season which was filled to the brim with creative episodes like "Dillman", "Ransom", and "Pimemento", the only one that stuck out as experimental was the slightly 'Knives Out'-esque "Game Of Boyles". I also just thought the show wasn't as manic and uproariously funny as past seasons, and there were plenty of jokes that not only didn't land, but genuinely fell flat on their face. Whoever thought that a subplot about Charles thinking he was going to die would be funny was wrong.

While this was definitely one of the weaker seasons, there were two episodes I think were really great:

The Lake House: Easily the funniest episode in the season, The Lake House did a good job of selling me on the Holt and Kevin plotline (even though it still felt kind of unnecessary). But even though the Parent Trap storyline is fun, the subplots are the real highlights here, with high Rosa, Terry's weird "hedges and ledges" line, and Charles locking Amy's kid in a room. It's a fast-paced and manic episode that represents B99 at its best.

The Last Day: This series finale pretty much saved the season for me, you can tell it's where the writers saved all their best jokes and setpieces. It's also one of the most fanservice-y finales I've ever seen, packed with references to past jokes, gags aimed towards classic sitcom finales, tons of guest appearances, and a 45-minute-long heist that might be one of the best in the whole series. There were so many good moments, like Rosa calling out the trope that everyone needs a love interest by the end of a TV show to be happy, or Hitchcock somehow winning the heist, or Terry screaming "Nine-Nine!", it was just a perfect ending to the series. 

Overall, this season was rough. While it had a solid main storyline, it suffered from weak humor, rushed pacing, and some really bizarre plot twists. Thankfully, by putting all of its experience points in the finale, B99 managed to end the series on the best possible note.

3/5 Stars

My ranking of the B99 seasons are:

1. Season 7: Season 7 is my personal favorite because it's almost entirely lacking in fluff. Every episode is either really funny and creative, important to the story, or both, and the level of quality remained consistently strong throughout. 
2. Season 5: Season 5 really just a fantastic collection of some of the show's most iconic episodes and moments. I totally understand if you think this season is the best, it's an easy peak for B99's Fox run.
3. Season 6: Season 6 is definitely the most polarizing season, but it has a whole bunch of some of the show's best episodes, and I actually like some of the more divisive ones like Four Movements.
4. Season 3: The first three seasons are pretty close in quality but Season 3 is the most consistently strong for me, and the final Pimento storyline is easily my favorite of these "end of season arcs".
5. Season 1: Season 1 of B99 is a really solid season. Nothing amazing, but there's plenty of iconic moments and the initial character dynamics are (aside from Charles and Rosa) fun to look back on.
6. Season 2: While Season 2 probably has the most high points out of the first three seasons, it also has the lowest lows, since I think Jake suffered a bit too much especially in the later episodes.
7. Season 8: The finale was fantastic, but otherwise, Season 8 suffers from horrid pacing where it tries to do way too much in way too little time. I admire the attempt, B99 just couldn't pull it off.
8. Season 4: There are some great episodes here but Season 4 also has the most duds as well as easily the weakest ending story arc in the whole series. Also, the Coral Palms storyline drags hard.

My ranking of the B99 finales are:

1. The Last Day: I love sitcom finales. The Last Day is the ultimate Halloween episode, a love letter to the show, and a relentless series of all of B99's biggest running gags paying off. And it's pretty emotional too.
2. Jake And Amy: The titular couple's wedding was fun on its own, but I also really like how subdued the cliffhanger was this time.
3. Johnny And Rosa: Jake and Amy ending up together already brought this finale near the top, but Holt being transferred and that rage-inducing cliffhanger only solidified it.
4. Lights Out: Though the only finale to not have a cliffhanger, Lights Out is just a fantastic episode on its own merits. Everyone gets moments to shine and Jake's chase through NYC is great fun.
5. Charges And Specs: Though the pacing is kind of all over the place, I like the unpredictability of the cliffhanger and Charles and Rosa's subplot is finally put to rest.
6. The Suicide Squad: The concept of bringing back series antagonists was really cool, but the cliffhanger was just a carbon copy of the one from Season 2's finale.
7. Greg And Larry: On its own, this is a frantic and fun episode with some surprisingly great action. As a finale, it leaves a lot to be desired in terms of telling a cohesive story.
8. Crime And Punishment: I already hate false accusation storylines so this was already very frustrating to watch, but it also didn't help that none of this finale was even that funny. 

Favorite Episode: HalloVeen

Lucifer (Season 1)

Lucifer is an odd show. It's an adaptation of a comic that completely changes its genre to a procedural crime drama. A strange choice, for sure, but this first season shows that it has a lot of potential. 

Lucifer is about the titular angel escaping hell and running a club in Los Angeles, during which he meets a detective named Chloe Decker who he starts to solve cases with. At least in this season, Lucifer is basically a procedural crime drama, though it does have some running storylines throughout the season. There's Lucifer's brother Amenadiel who wants to bring him back to hell, and there's Chloe investigating the Palmetto case even if it puts her at odds with the entire station. Both storylines weave together halfway through the season when Amenadiel resurrects a cop involved in the case, but even then, one of these plots is far more interesting than the others. Amenadiel is an interesting character and strong antagonist for the season, and pretty much everything having to do with hell and the fantastical topics is really interesting. The more procedural elements, however, can be a bit rote at times, and the Palmetto case never really gripped me. It's not even that a show being procedural is bad, it's just odd that a show with such a fantastical premise settles for crimes that could easily be in any other show. I hope later seasons can put a bit more emphasis on the fantasy stuff because it's by far the most fascinating part of the series, and having Lucifer be a grounded procedural feels like a bit of a waste of potential.

Thankfully, even in the weaker elements, I did find myself really liking the characters. Obviously, the highlight is Lucifer himself. Tom Ellis does a fantastic job of making the character his own. He's just as charismatic and egotistical as you'd expect the devil to be, but the best moments are whenever he drops his guard and shows his vulnerability a bit. I also really liked Amenadiel, partly because he's pretty much the most fantastical character in the season, and partly because his banter and conflict with Lucifer is genuinely entertaining. The rest of the cast all gets chances to gain a bit more depth throughout the season as well, with characters I didn't love in the pilot (Dan and Linda in particular) winning me over by the finale. Lucifer's production values are also stellar for a TV show, with the soundtrack alone probably being incredibly expensive (unless Ellis happens to be performing the music himself). The action was particularly surprising. There isn't too much of it, but all the fight scenes in Lucifer are shot really clearly compared to many other series that just settle for fast-cutting-shaky-cam. A particular highlight was a Maze fight that was partially depicted through shadows on the wall.

In spite of the growing pains, there were a few particularly good episodes:

A Priest Walks Into A Bar: While I didn't love most of the "Cases Of The Week" this season, this was the main exception for how it was used to further Lucifer's development. This was an emotional rollercoaster of an episode, starting pretty funny as Lucifer tries to prove Father Frank is a criminal, then goes to wholesome as he befriends the priest, and ends on a tearjerker as Frank sacrifices himself and leaves Lucifer heartbroken. I also like the hints given about Lucifer's father, along with the fact that it took Lucifer meeting a father (priest) to start dealing with his actual father. 

#TeamLucifer: This was just a nonstop train of suffering and betrayal for poor Lucifer. I really like the concept of Lucifer dealing with misguided satanists, and the episode does a good job of exploring how everyone seems to blame him for the evil in the world. The final few minutes are especially fantastic, from the final fight between Lucifer and Amenadiel and the gutpunch of Chloe falsely arresting Lucifer.

Take Me Back To Hell: With all its problems, Lucifer's first season ended on a fantastic note. Lucifer working with Amenadiel, Chloe working with Maze, and Malcolm finally being taken down for good. The action is great, the whole cast gets moments to shine, and all the setups in play like the feather, the dagger, and the coin are paid off. The twists are fantastic too, like Dan turning himself in, and the cliffhanger of Lucifer's mom escaping hell. This is how you do a finale!

Overall, this was a solid first season for Lucifer, with slick production, likable characters, and a strong ending. However, it suffers from relying too heavily on the crime drama aspect of the series when the fantastical aspects are far more interesting.

3/5 Stars

WarioWare: Get It Together

With so many big Nintendo games coming out this fall, WarioWare: Get It Together wasn't one of the higher games on my list. I was expecting to get it, enjoy it, and just forget about it a few weeks after. I was seriously underestimating this game's ability to win me over, however, as having played it, I thought it was absolutely fantastic.

Similarly to many other games in the series, WarioWare: Get It Together tasks you with playing a rapid-fire series of five-ish-second-long microgames, forcing you to adapt to the different tasks and settings. Get It Together's main gimmick is that you play these microgames as characters from the WarioWare series, each with their own different abilities. I was originally worried that keeping the control scheme consistent between the microgames would make them feel less unpredictable and fun, but I was surprised to find that was not the case. As a matter of fact, this gimmick actually added more freedom to how you approach the different microgames. Each character will force you to tackle each game in a different way, and the game rarely has you stick with the same character for an entire session, forcing you to swap out with other characters to maintain that sense of unpredictability. It helps that most of the characters are pretty fun to play as, all of them having simple control schemes that are easy to grasp. However, this leads to my biggest issue with the game. As impressively large as the roster of characters is, the balancing is way off in Get It Together. Some characters (Ashley, Orbulon) are leagues better than the rest, and other characters (9-Volt, Kat/Ana) are so bad that there's no reason to play as them. Not to mention some characters (Master Mantis, Mike) are just flat-out better versions of other characters (Young Cricket and 9-Volt respectively). 

Get It Together's microgames have a few big differences from others in the franchise that I think make them mostly more fun to play. First of all, many of the objects in these microgames have physics and rigidbodies at play, meaning that you actually have to physically push them around and interact with them to win the microgame. This may not sound all that game-changing, but I think the emphasis on physics puzzles makes the microgames a lot more satisfying to figure out and solve. Get It Together can feel like a full-on physics playground at times, and it can be a lot of fun to play around in. But even better, many of these microgames now have multiple solutions, bolstered by the more freeform physics and multiple characters. For example, there's a microgame where you have to turn off a water nozzle. You could turn the handle as intended, or you could fly up to the nozzle and clog your head in it. Both solutions work, and the addition of these alternate solutions actually adds a lot of replay value and depth to these microgames. Now, microgames aren't just one and done affairs, I actively want to go back to minigames and try different strategies with different characters. The attention to detail in this game is absolutely insane, and it gives these microgames far more longevity. Not to mention swapping between characters make perfecting these microgames far more engaging and difficult.

WarioWare: Get It Together also has a lot of content. With 222 microgames, this game has the third most in the series, right before Twisted and the compilation game Gold. The Story Mode is the biggest in the series as well, with ten character stages, multiple remix stages, and a bunch of hidden stages at the end of the game. There are over 20 characters to play as, 10 cute sidegames in the Variety Pack, and a ton of missions that encourage you to see everything the game has to offer. I actually really like the missions since they give you a reason to get high scores in the Story Mode stages and microgames, as well as hint you towards those aforementioned alternate solutions. However, there are a few game modes that I think could have been better. The Toy Box from previous games is completely gone and replaced with a mode called The Crew. The Crew has you use the game's currency to buy gifts called Prezzies and give them to your characters, leveling them up and letting you unlock alternate costumes, colors, and art. While trying to figure out which Prezzie to give each character is a fun puzzle and the artwork looks fantastic, the fact that you can't actually interact with and play around with the Prezzies like in previous games was a bit disappointing. As a matter of fact, there really aren't any original minigames at all, which is a bit of a shame considering past titles. There's also an online leaderboards mode called Wario Cup, which offers weekly challenges to try and get the highest score on. While it's another neat addition not unlike the Ninji Speedruns from Mario Maker 2, the game doesn't have a way to play online with people. This wouldn't normally be a massive issue, but Get It Together has a massive multiplayer focus, with nearly the entirely game playable with two people. It can make for a really fun party game, which is why it sucks that there's no option for online play.

Presentation-wise, Get It Together is probably the strongest game in the entire series. The playable characters all get cute Chibi designs, and their 3D-esque models manage to mesh well with pretty much any direction the microgames take art-wise. The transition screens have a cool polygonal look, the menu is colorful and well-organized, and the whole game just looks so whimsical. The only time when the graphics don't look super impressive are the 3D microgames from 9-Volt's stage, which use pretty obvious prerendered sprites. However, given how quirky the art direction for WarioWare typically is, I wouldn't be surprised if that was intentional. I was also absolutely blown away by how catchy this game's music is. As a matter of fact, Get It Together now has my favorite WarioWare soundtrack out of them all. The obvious highlight is Penny's theme, the first vocal track in the series after twelve years, but I also really liked the Character Select, Main Menu themes, transition themes, Bonus Stage, Cast Roll, and Orbulon's shockingly beautiful boss theme. Takeru Kanazaki (who also made music for Paper Mario Color Splash and Fire Emblem Three Houses) did a fantastic job of capturing that quirky Nintendo-ish vibe that really brought me back to the days of the Wii.

I don't think Get It Together is the best WarioWare game, as it does suffer from balancing issues and some modes that aren't quite as fleshed out as they should be, but I was still very pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed it. The fantastic presentation, fun microgames, impressive amount of freedom and attention to detail, large roster, and enjoyable multiplayer make for an incredibly strong party game for both one or two players that I highly recommend checking out.

4/5 Stars

2024 Update: It's been three years sine I wrote this review and Get It Together is now my third favorite WarioWare game behind Inc and Gold. I've played a lot more WarioWare since and I think GiT kinda spoiled me with just how replayable it is. Between the missions, the crew grinding, the Wario Cup, and just how fun it is to get a flower in every microgame, I've sunk the most amount of hours into this game than any other entry in the series.

Revised Score: 4.5/5 Stars

Kill La Kill

Having watched (and loved) the three big Gainax shows, it was about time that I finally started watching some Studio Trigger anime. And what's a better place to start than the next show from the creators of Gurren Lagann: Kill La Kill?

Kill La Kill starts with protagonist Ryuko Matoi appearing at Honnuji Academy, a school ruled by its student council, with the goal of finding the one who killed her father. The first half of the show is a fairly episodic battle anime as Ryuko faces off against the academy's clubs and work her way up to the student council president Satsuki. However, halfway through the series, the real villain Ragyo (aka Satsuki's mom) reveals herself and the story changes to a much larger-scale war. I think the core story is pretty good, with a lot of really effective twists that frequently changes things up. And unlike TTGL, I actually think the second half of Kill La Kill is far better than the first. However, the sheer amount of twists means the series can be pretty manic and ridiculous at times, to the point where it's a bit tough to follow what's going on. The ever increasing Life Fibers lore is particularly convoluted and messy. While I was definitely compelled by the story and twists, Kill La Kill isn't the best-crafted anime out there. Thankfully, that's not much of a problem, as Kill La Kill always makes sure to never take things too seriously. This series can be downright hilarious, especially when it comes to Mako's antics. The comedic timing is top-notch, and the cartoonish animation and bonkers plot means the series is always entertaining.

Despite the pretty insane plot, the characters mostly manage to be pretty memorable. Ryuko is the biggest highlight for me, having become one of my favorite anime characters ever. Aside from her motivation falling in line with my love of revenge storylines, she's also incredibly badass and confident, gets some great character development as she slowly makes friends throughout the series, and is surprisingly fleshed out. I also really liked her friend, Mako. Most of her scenes were absolutely hilarious due to her frequently locking herself out of the loop, but she's also a genuinely kind person and the heart of the team. Ryuko and Mako's relationship was one of the show's highlights, they naturally become closer as the series goes on culminating in the two going on a date in the finale. The student council is a really eclectic group of characters who start off as entertaining villains and end the series as badass and fantastic friends to Ryuko, especially the fleshed-out Satsuki. And then there's the villains. While Ragyo is definitely detestable as a good villain should be, I think the show went a bit too far with her. She's a special kind of awful, especially in how she treats Satsuki. Nui, on the other hand, was absolutely fantastic. Her innocent design and voice contrast her trollish and cruel personality perfectly, and the moment she storms onto the scene and reveals she killed Ryuko's father was such a massive boost of quality for the series. If it wasn't for Ryuko, she'd absolutely be my favorite character.

However, when taking about Kill La Kill, I have to bring up the elephant in the room: Fanservice. I don't bring this up in reviews too much, but I don't like fanservice in anime. Aside from the sexist male gaze aspect, it rarely ever suits the story. That's why it's called fanservice, it's just for the people who want to see big boobs. Kill La Kill, on the other hand, is in a whole different ballpark. There is a lot of (albeit censored) nudity in this series, from both genders. Characters take off and lose their clothes constantly, to the point where it kinda borders around to being funny again, there's just something so cartoonish about all of it. Despite this, I can't quite say there isn't a purpose to all of it. The show is pretty heavily build on its themes on individuality and how clothing can be used as a source of power (like in the case of school uniforms), not to mention themes of coming of age, sexuality, and fashion. Don't get me wrong, though, there are definitely some instances of fanservice just for the sake of it, plenty of jokes that really rubbed me the wrong way, and the fact that a whole bunch of these characters are teens. This series can be pretty problematic at times, for sure. However, with the fact that a lot of the nudity is there to progress the story and its themes, I was pretty surprised by how little of it actually phased me, especially near the end.  Frankly, I think I had a bigger problem with the sheer amount of needles and stitches, those just grossed me out. While I don't think I'll ever change my mind of anime fanservice, I admire the attempt to use such an awful trope as a tool to tell a story.

Back to the positives, I love the animation in Kill La Kill. I get that on an objective level, it's probably not very good. The FPS is low, plenty of scenes use tweening and stiff motion, and the CGI can look pretty bad at times. However, the animation is so ridiculously cartoonish, stylistic, and expressive. The anime makes great use of smear frames and inventive visuals to make it look better animated than it is, and for the most part, I think it remains an absolute joy to look at. The action is particularly fantastic, it's dynamic, bombastic, and incredibly fun. Much of the fight scenes blend 2D animation with CGI pretty well, resulting in a bunch of really cool-looking long take sequences. Similarity to TTGL, I think a lot of the designs are inconsistent. The characters look great and I love the design of the scissor blades, but the decision to base everything off of clothing (or the lack thereof) make things like the Kamui, Nudist Beach suits, and COVERs look kinda silly. On the other hand, I love the music in Kill La Kill. This is my first Sawano soundtrack, but he made a hell of an impression. The intense background music, the random appearances of classical music, the mix of genres, the vocal tracks, all of it was top-notch. Highlights include Nui and Ragyo's themes, Before My Body Is Dry, the first ending theme, and the final boss theme, but the whole soundtrack ranks as one of my favorites in anime.

The entire second half of Kill La Kill is nearly perfect, but these episodes are a particular highlight:

I'm Not Your Cute Woman: Nui's first appearance was a hell of an impactful one, as she bursts into the scene, takes out Uzu with a single stroke, and casually reveals she killed Ryuko's father, hijacking the entire tournament. The last six minutes or so were all incredibly well-executed, but even the rest of the episode had some pretty strong action.

Spit Your Sadness Away: While Kill La Kill definitely had blood in it, this entire episode was a literal bloodbath, as in the entire school was flat-out bathed in it. This episode was just intense, from the backstory of how Ryuko's father died, to Senketsu getting provoked into turning Ryuko into a monster, to the reveal that Satsuki is partially responsible. But at least Mako was there to add some levity and heartfelt moments as she was the one to turn Ryuko back.

Tell Me Why: Similarly to I'm Not Your Cute Woman, this is a great episode made even better by its ending, as Satsuki literally stabbing Ragyo in the back was such a shocking twist that completely recontextualizes her actions from the first two thirds of the series. Not to mention that this episode kicks off the near flawless streak up until the finale.

Into The Night: The first big battle with Ragyo definitely lived up to the buildup. We learn the truth about Satsuki's plans, the Elite Four gets to fight Nui, Ryuko and Satsuki both fight Ragyo, and the episode ends with the massive reveal that Ryuko is made of Life Fibers and that she's Ragyo's daughter (and by extension Satsuki's sister).

Far From The Madding Crowd/Incomplete: These two episodes fit more as a two-parter, but they're both excellent. Ryuko's grief and anger after learning she's Ragyo's daughter is incredibly compelling, and having Satsuki use Senketsu to try and save Ryuko is a fun way to switch up the dynamics for their final battle together.

Tell Me How You Feel: Probably my favorite episode of the series, this was just nonstop payoffs and fanservice (the good type). Ryuko gets Senketsu back, Nui loses her arms, Mako gets her fight club uniform back, Ryuko dual wields scissor blades, Satsuki finally apologizes, the main cast gets a cute celebratory dinner together, and the episode ends with a badass dual transformation with Satsuki and Ryuko.  

Imitation Gold: The first part of the final battle with Ragyo is stuffed to the brim with fantastic aerial action, with most of the cast getting the chance to get some hits in, and I love that Nui has gotten so unhinged that she straight-up hijacks the credits. 

Past The Infinite Darkness: Ending the series on an incredibly strong note, the big final battle was incredibly satisfying. The action was great, the character moments was impactful, and aside from Senketsu's death, the series ended on a categorically happy note. And I already wrote about how happy Ryuko and Mako going on a date makes me.

Overall, Kill La Kill is kind of a mess. It's not super well-plotted and can be pretty problematic at points, but it's also one of the most bonkers and fun anime I've ever seen. The characters, the twists, the animation, the action, the comedy, and the music are all fantastic, and it made for a series that I don't think I'll be forgetting anytime soon.

4.5/5 Stars

Favorite Episode: Tell Me How You Feel