rileyxbell Reviews

Squid Game: The Challenge (2023– )

My Review

[7/10 · 24 November 2023]

This show is savage. I had my doubts, but from an entertainment perspective, it's impressive. I'm not usually into reality TV, but this one truly stands out. The ruthlessness of people in pursuit of a life-changing sum of money is a fascinating aspect. It unfolds like a human experiment, shedding light on various social aspects of society. I binge-watched the entire first part of season one in a day. For a reality show that takes inspiration from the original Squid Game series, I'd say it lives up to expectations. Looking forward to the rest of the first season. Great potential here for future seasons!

The Bear (2022– )

My Review

[6/10 · 10 July 2023]

After finishing the first two seasons my final thoughts are that "The Bear" is an okay show. It's more of a sob story and a depressing family drama than anything. I think they could have toned it down on the constant yelling and bickering. This show tries really hard to manipulate your emotions in an effort to somehow make it seem more impactful than it really is. By the end of the second season I was losing interest and the annoying drama between characters was starting to get on my nerves. That being said, I loved the fact that Matty Matheson had a strong presence in this show. The guy is an all around fun character and great chef. Turns out he's also a great actor!

Wednesday (2022– )

My Review

[8/10 · 14 June 2023]

After watching a few episodes I learned the show is a bit silly at times and shouldn't be taken very seriously. I liked the spooky and isolated atmosphere of the school. There was a good mix of friendly banter and light hearted shenanigans to bring up the mood. The story was intriguing and kept me guessing who the villains were.

At first I was put off by the over top cringey dialogue from the main character. It got less annoying the more I watched but it was still laughably cringey at times. I'm also not into teen dramas but this one was suprisingly enjoyable.

The show reminded me of a mix between Stranger Things and Harry Potter. Not sure if that's a good thing. I lost interest in stranger things after the 1st/2nd season. But to my surprise I found myself bingeing all 8 episodes of Wednesday in only a few days.

The Righteous Gemstones (2019– )

My Review

[6/10 · 3 June 2023]

It's not really that funny most of the time and some of the stuff that's happening is really dumb and pointless. Some good acting, although the southern accent thing feels overdone and a little cringy sometimes. Judy Gemstone (Edi Patterson) in particular pulls of some stellar acting as the spoiled brat girl of the family. The head of the family (John Goodman) doesn't really fit the macho dad thing they're trying to pull off and that alone kinda ruins the vibe of this show for me atleast. Regardless, it was entertaining enough to sit through and the cast does make up for some of its shortfalls. It's a decent show to watch when you have nothing else lined up.

Black Knight (2023– )

My Review

[5/10 · 25 May 2023]

Meh, it wasn't that impressive. The low budget CGI was painfully obvious. Felt pretty cheap at times. I thought the whole macho delivery man thing was a little corny. They probably could have thought that one through a little better. The plot was somewhat interesting. These Korean shows can be fun sometimes. Although, if it was any longer I probably wouldn't have bothered. This show would have greatly benefited from a bigger budget. Considering it released on Netflix, I'll be surprised if they renew it for a second season. If you got some time to burn go for it, otherwise you're not missing much.

Hello Tomorrow! (2023)

Little slow but better than it looks

[6/10 · 14 April 2023]

Had low expectations for this show and it turned out to be a little better than I was expecting. It's basically alternative retro-futuristic universe and with a bunch of really oblivious and goofy people. A group of sales people who are selling real estate to the moon. But things are not all exactly what they seem. A lot of things didn't really make sense but it turned out to be what made this show interesting. Kinda reminded me of that futuristic horror/fantasy show Big Bug. The show ended on a cliff hanger which was pretty anti-climatic. But the ending suggests there will be a second season and I'll definitely be checking it out.

1923 (2022–2023)

So far the first 3 episodes are a disappointment

[6/10 · 15 January 2023]

The romance story with Spencer and his fiance in Africa is cringe worthy. I got so tired of it I just started skipping through most of it which just so happens to be about 90% of the first 3 episodes. The way they tried to glorify killing a fully grown elephant and half a pride of lions without a care in the world in episode 3 didn't sit right with me. So far the "good parts" of this show are almost non existent. I thought this show was about cowboying in Montana? 3 episodes in and the only thing keeping me interested are the scenes in Montana which seem to he few and far between. This show is a disgrace in comparison to 1883 and Yellowstone.

Pressure Cooker (2023– )

If 'Jersey Shore' were a cooking show, this would be it.

[6/10 · 11 January 2023]

This show is somewhere between a drama and a cooking show. The lack of of a show host and external judges felt more like cost cutting than creative plot writing. The production quality is high, but the sets and locations could have been more imaginative. This new take on a culinary competition was somewhat refreshing from an entertainment perspective and I enjoyed watching them cook delicious food.. But I felt the whole premise of the competition left too much room for foul play which led to talented chefs leaving early in the competition. This show seems more focused on backstabbing and personal alliances than determining the best chef but in the end it turned out to be pretty enjoyable. I think if they get a bigger budget in future seasons improve on a few things it could be a great show.