391. Web-series Reviews – 206

More web-series reviews…

Midsomer Murders – Running from 1997 till now😊!  The British detective drama revolves around Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby's efforts to solve numerous murders that take place in the fictional English county of Midsomer. The current lead character is Detective Chief Inspector John Barnaby (Neil Dudgeon), who is the younger cousin of former lead character Detective Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby (John Nettles). The Barnabys have worked with several different Sergeants throughout the run of the show, including Sergeant Gavin Troy (Daniel Casey), Sergeant Dan Scott (John Hopkins), Detective Sergeant Ben Jones (Jason Hughes), Detective Sergeant Charlie Nelson (Gwilym Lee), and Sergeant Jamie Winter (Nick Hendrix).

A review from IMDB...

I've been binge-watching (unintentionally--I accidentally got hooked) on N*tfl*x and am now on season 12. My appreciation for this show has only grown; which leads me to substantially increase my rating from the first season or two. FYI: yes, while thankfully not too hard to understand here, there is closed-captioning.

Why I've grown to like this show so much: While the initial season or two were rife with annoying stereotypes, as the show matured, so did the characters. Barnaby, the lead, is a nice change from the sometimes deranged, immature and annoying detectives so popular on American television today. He's a laid back intelligent fellow, with a stable marriage and a lovely grown daughter with ambitions of her own. It's also a nice change for a detective show to not rely on any ongoing marital or family strife as a prop for ramping up tension and drama. Any marital spats here are realistically mild and short-lived (except for the first season or so, when Joyce (his charmingly age-appropriate wife) too often complains about his frequent and justified absences during "family" moments--that was irritating, as any cop's spouse--or doctor's spouse, or fireman's spouse, would know that is part of the job; especially in a rural district with low staff numbers. I realize I'm over thinking this, but I'm glad they dropped that trope relatively early, regardless). As of season 12 Joyce is secure in her relationship with Barnaby and a woman with an active life outside of her marriage. This is a healthy relationship with mutual support and affection. Such a nice change from the usual. His "sidekicks" have also matured and grown more believable.

Even better, the show has improved the mysteries and interjected a bit more dry and appropriate humor. The Barnaby of season 12 is a confident and relaxed, seasoned detective. Sure of himself and his team(unlike many shows of this ilk); willing to let others do the heavy lifting--far more realistic than an older lead detective charging off after a younger suspect--and even let someone else take the lead. By season 12 Barnaby is secure in his position and has nothing to prove to his superiors; he's good at his job without being a rigid moralistic crusader, and everyone knows it. Despite the fact that he despises office politics, he's an active part of a functioning team, and the other characters are also allowed to change, grow and mature, with character arcs that realistically portray their growing knowledge and confidence--and promotions.

Another thing I really like about the program (and for me a major point of appreciation for British programming in general) is that many of the characters are middle aged or elderly. The cast is composed of actors and actresses that look age-appropriate and like real people. These are not Hollywood plasticized, Botoxed and sanitized versions of the middle-aged or elderly. Victims and villains, and even those having romantic affairs look like ordinary people-in some cases very attractive ordinary people, but people with prominent laugh lines and even (gasp) gray hair. People with character. Senior citizens are actively having love affairs and sexual encounters and no one is acting shocked at their age (except perhaps a spouse or two, or maybe their grandchildren); and the writers don't treat it like a joke.

This show rarely makes any note about how old anyone is when they are getting up to whatever they are doing--except perhaps in admiration. What a breathe of fresh air! You do not have to suspend disbelief to accept that actor as the father of that middle aged child, or that one as the middle aged parent of that teenager, or that those people are actually married to each other and have been for 30 or 40 years, or that person was active in WWII, etc. Given some of the mysteries go back to something that happened decades or even generations before, casting age-appropriate actors matters a great deal, even if it didn't seem like an obvious thing to do anyway. (On a social level, it also demonstrates a much greater acceptance of aging and flaws in appearance. You can be attractive even with wrinkles and a saggy bum. An attitude we'd do well to emulate). Midsomer's murder demographic definitely skews older than we would assume from similar American programming. I like that very much.

Overall a very enjoyable program with interesting and believable characters (if you can get past the first season or so) and great actors. Usually not the most challenging of mysteries, but entertaining. The quality or challenge of those mysteries can vary. In general the audience is given the same knowledge as the Detectives, so in that regard there are few "cheats" (I can't stand mystery shows that cheat their audiences; leaving out crucial information that only the sleuth knows). Most of the time the Detectives spell out their logic (sometimes as the show progresses, but usually at the end) in figuring out the murderer's identity and/or the murderer's motive. Once we know the facts and follow the Detective's logic, it makes sense--if you haven't already solved the mystery on your own.

My Take – An excellent series. Finally finished all the John Nettle episodes that ran from 1997 to 2011.  Did not like the next Tom Barnaby!

 

La Palma – Came in 2024.  A Norwegian family that checks into a hotel in La Palma. But when a young researcher discovers alarming signs from the volcano located in the center of the holiday paradise, the mood quickly turns chaotic when it is feared that a volcanic eruption will trigger the world's largest tsunami.

A review from IMDB...

I'm quite mad at all the people saying this movie/miniseries is bad because of different things. One example is the love story between Charlie and Sara.

Some say that it's completely irrelevant. I totally disagree-I found it to be one of the best things about the show. Without that part, this would be an extremely boring show, at least for me. I found it very realistic for Sara to do what she did at the airport: running off the plane/line to look for Charlie. This is the first time Sara has ever fallen in love and found her person. She didn't care about anything else, and I find that completely understandable (being in the early stages of a relationship, similar to Charlie and Sara).

This was her first love, somebody who actually liked her-a friend. So even though a smart person might not have done what she did, I would still have done the same if I were Sara. I also read another review where someone criticized her for leaving her family for a girl she had only kissed once. First of all, it was more than just one kiss. Second, they both found each other-two outcasts in a world where they felt alone. For someone who has been completely alone except for family, a new friend can feel like their best friend from the moment they meet. And honestly, what would the series be without their story? A boring, unemotional natural disaster movie with no connection to the younger characters at all. Let's be honest-who really had a strong connection to the boy?

Another thing everyone seems to be complaining about is how unrealistic the series is. While I understand what they mean (considering the plane being over a 100-meter tsunami at the end), I still find it fairly realistic otherwise. If I were Alvaro, for example, I would also choose to stand at the edge instead of trying to get off the island. And for those who think the movie is bad because of its "unrealistic" physics, go watch a documentary or something. I believe this movie was never meant to be a Christopher Nolan-style science film. It's more of a slightly unrealistic natural disaster movie for people who want to escape reality for a while.

In conclusion, I think this was a very good movie that's getting way too much criticism and bad reviews from people who expected it to be the next Interstellar. Come on, man-it's a Netflix film. I loved the relationship that Sara found in the end, finally having somebody in her life.

The only negative thing I noticed is that maybe one or two main characters should have died-like the dad or the scientist, for example. But I'm not a filmmaker, and most of those complaints are coming from people who aren't filmmakers either.

Overall, I give this movie a 9/10. I really felt a connection to most of the characters and was rooting for their survival.

My Take – Worth a watch!

 

Lioness – Second season came in 2024. CIA operative Joe attempts to balance her personal and professional lives as the tip of the spear in the agency's war on terror.

A review from IMDB...

Based on a true event...?! I have personally been part of a special forces unit, and it is important to point out that this portrayal does not accurately reflect reality.

Series like Special Ops: Lioness are a typical example of Hollywood's exaggerated and politically motivated representation of special forces. While the idea of using women to infiltrate certain cultural environments (for example, in the Middle East) has some basis in reality, the extreme and combat-focused roles portrayed by the main characters in the series are completely unrealistic.

Here are some of the biggest issues with the series:

Special forces require extreme physical capability. Women naturally have lower muscle mass, bone density, and endurance compared to men. Depicting a small, physically inferior operator effortlessly defeating physically superior male opponents is pure fiction.

Real combat situations often involve heavy lifting, long treks through harsh environments, and sustained high physical exertion-factors that, in principle, exclude most women from these roles.

Special forces recruit mentally exceptionally strong individuals, but they do not create superhuman action heroes. The idea that a female operator could perform at the same level as experienced male elite soldiers while also dealing with a range of emotional dilemmas and personal conflicts (as often portrayed in the series) is simply unrealistic.

Political Agenda Over Realism The series' emphasis on including strong female characters in traditionally male roles becomes problematic when it is done at the expense of credibility and realism.

Special forces select the best individuals, regardless of gender, but the notion that women can systematically perform at the same level as men in high-intensity combat situations is a myth that Hollywood eagerly promotes.

Incorrect Tactics and Combat Execution The series contains serious tactical errors and unprofessional execution of operations.

A real special forces team operates discreetly, strategically, and with meticulous precision-not like a group of action heroes in a movie where everyone fires recklessly.

Watching the characters act in ways that would make real operators shake their heads only highlights how far Hollywood is from reality.

Conclusion Special Ops: Lioness is pure entertainment and should not be taken seriously by anyone with insight into how real special forces operate. The series fails to portray the extreme selection process, the required physical and mental endurance, and the real challenges of having women in combat roles.

If the goal was to create an authentic story about women in operational roles, it would have been far more credible to depict realistic roles that women can hold in intelligence services, analysis teams, or as infiltrators in culturally sensitive operations-not as frontline combat soldiers in special forces.

Hollywood's attempt to create "strong female heroes" by ignoring biological, tactical, and operational realities results in an extremely exaggerated and unrealistic portrayal of the actual work performed by special forces.

My Take – Season 1 was good. 2nd not that good!

Adios till next time😊!!