Ranking the top 5 moments from “American Horror Story: 1984” season 9 episode 2: “A Fantasy of Revenge”

Happy Thursday TV fans! After watching the FX network’s American Horror Story: 1984 season 9 episode 2, we learned that you can “refuse to let fear dictate your life” and “if you imagine the worst, that’s all you see.” But what if everyone really is out to get you? Do you let the fear in or do you use everything in your power to fight it? Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch the latest episode yet.

In last night’s episode, “Mr. Jingles,” more secrets are unlocked, as we get a glimpse into Brooke’s past, while Xavier gets a disturbing visit in the present. Meanwhile, Margaret continues to do “God’s work,” as she meets the Night Stalker, but it seems like there are some supernatural forces present at Camp Redwood. My top 5 moments from the American Horror Story: 1984 season 9 episode 2 are:

“Mr. Jingles will not survive me.”

After receiving a warning about Mr. Jingles escaping the mental institution, Margaret does not seem to be fazed at all. In fact, she almost treats it like a challenge, explaining that she will not live her life in fear. While this seems commendable in some ways, you have to wonder why Margaret is willing to put the lives of others in danger by keeping Camp Redwood open?

I had a feeling that something was off with Margaret from last week’s episode, but it looks like we still have a lot left to discover about her. I guess the jingling will continue as scheduled.

“I just wanted everything to be perfect.”

We don’t have to wait too long to get a glimpse into Brooke’s past, as we learn that she was supposed to get married last summer, which isn’t much of a shock since we did see her looking at the engagement ring in her jewelry box in last week’s episode. However, Brooke’s fiance, Joey allowed his jealousy to rule his actions, as he decided to begin shooting people at the wedding, including himself.

It’s understandable why Brooke is beyond traumatized, but is there more to the story here? Brooke opens up to Montana during this revelation and Montana proceeds to kiss her, but Brooke breaks it up before anything can go too far. Fingers crossed that we get to see more of this!

“Gay for pay, baby.”

Xavier also seems to be hiding something and during this episode, he gets a visit from his pimp? I guess that’s what he is, as someone named Blake (but call him Daddy) shows up to blackmail Xavier. He claims that he found Xavier as a junky and cleaned him up to make him a star in gay porn, but Xavier has real dreams about being an actor. Xavier claims that he can find someone even better for his movies and poor Blake certainly gets an eyeful when he spies on the guys in the shower…oh and he gets stabbed in the eye too.

Xavier’s character comes into question here; however, as he seems more than willing to turn someone else in to get away. Will he do the same thing when he is faced with the killer? We’ll have to wait and see.

“How are you alive?”

After Brooke is on the run from the Night Stalker, he runs into a camp counselor, Jonas, and proceeds to kill him…more than once. The Night Stalker is beyond confused by this and so am I. The Night Stalker then has a really weird conversation with Margaret, who seems to be quite taken with him. We see a glimpse into the Night Stalker’s past and learn how he became a killer, but it looks like Brooke may be off the hook now, as the Night Stalker feels that Margaret truly sees him.

Margaret seems to be extremely sympathetic and understanding with the Night Stalker, which makes me question her motives even more. She comes face-to-face with Jonas, who died on the night Mr. Jingles killed everyone, but his spirit seems to be trapped in Camp Redwood somehow?

We’ll have to see how this plays out and while I’m thankful for some plot advancement, I’m not sure if it really fits in too well, but AHS has a way of seamlessly connecting all the dots for us, even if we don’t see it initially.

“He’s dead dead.”

So I actually really enjoyed the humor in this episode, as our group of characters all now realize that there is an actual killer on the loose after they stumble upon Blake’s corpse. Xavier hilariously screams out that they have to help him, but is told that he is “dead dead,” which had me laughing out loud.

I love that the show is truly paying homage to the 80’s slasher films we all know so well, while keeping things light with some campy horror fun. Now that the characters know that Mr. Jingles is there, what will they do next? I can’t wait to find out and it looks like we will be exploring Mr. Jingles’s past more next week. Stay tuned!

**Fun fact: Brooke sits on the dock and sees someone in the water underneath it, which is a fun throwback to Friday the 13th: Part III. Oddly enough, the character from the movie, Vera, is later shot through the eye by Jason and a one-eyed corpse is seen in Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter. Is this foreshadowing for what’s to come with Blake? Perhaps, but it was a fun throwback nonetheless.

American Horror Story: 1984 episode 2 Music Soundtrack Highlights:

Billy Idol – White Wedding

Greg Kihn Band – Jeopardy

The Pointer Sisters – Jump (For My Love)

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own theories and thoughts on American Horror Story: 1984 below in the comments section. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

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Ranking the top 5 moments from “Fear the Walking Dead” season 5 episode 15: “That’s a Bitter Sweet Thing”

Happy Monday TV fans! After watching AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead season 5 episode 15, I realized that life is short and “if there’s things to say…you should say them.” There’s never really a right time and we may regret it for the rest of our lives if we don’t share these feelings. However, if we do share these inner thoughts or feelings, does it just ultimately make things harder in the end? Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch the latest episode yet.

In last night’s episode, “Channel 5,” the group decides to challenge Virginia with…another documentary. Meanwhile, Grace’s health continues to deteriorate, John and June contemplate moving up their wedding date, and Wes seems interested in painting with Alicia. My top 5 moments from Fear the Walking Dead season 5 episode 15 are:

“This is the truth.”

In the beginning of the episode, we watch Virginia’s documentary, which seems a little bit too good to be true…even more so than our group’s initial documentary. We learn that members of Virginia’s group wear keys on their shirts because “each one of us holds the key to the future,” but it’s clear that Virginia is actually only interested in people who she considers to be “useful” to her cause, but where does that leave everyone else?

Al is infuriated by this and wants to get the real truth out there. Morgan reminds her that they are going about things the right way, but that doesn’t mean that the right way will win in the end.

“Everybody is useful.”

Tom is beyond thrilled to be reunited with his sister, Janice, who happens to be the girl Wes saved. What a small world! I need to give a shout out to my good friend, Luke on QuizUp, who predicted this last week. Nice job, Luke!

Tom is excited about the mission and really wants to get the story out there, as we are presented with another documentary style episode, which was kind of underwhelming for me. Luckily, we do get a little bit of action later in the episode, but we are at the end of the season and I’m starting to wonder what is going to happen to shake things up?

“That’s a bitter sweet thing…”

It looks like I’m not the only one shipping Morgan and Grace, as John decides to ask if anything is going on between them during the documentary. John recognizes that it will be difficult for Morgan and Grace either way and asks June how she feels about moving up their wedding date.

June seems to be on board and it looks like we will be able to put Rabbi Jacob to work as well. I love John and June together, but they may need to put things on hold now that Virginia is in the mix.

“I just want to be around long enough to see it.”

Grace is still holding on, but it doesn’t look like she is doing too well, as the group tries to go on a detour to get her more fluids. Morgan attempts to tell Grace how he feels, but she ultimately stops him and explains that it will be too difficult. While I want some kind of happiness for Morgan and Grace, I completely understand where she is coming from.

It just seems so unfair that Morgan has finally lifted the guard around his heart and now has to watch Grace die unless there is some miracle waiting for them in the near future. Fingers crossed!

“You call her, there’s no coming back.”

Toward the end of the episode, we deal with a bridge of our very own and Tom decides to do anything for the story, which includes going down with the bridge. Sorry Tom! Al is beyond upset, but somehow manages to have the tape? I’m not too sure about that, but the group decides to keep going.

Unfortunately Humbug’s Gulch is overrun by walkers and the group is forced to ultimately make that call over to Channel 5 to ask for Virginia’s help. It looks like Virginia got what she wanted, but what does this mean for our group now?

Overall, I was slightly disappointed and underwhelmed with the episode. We already tried out the documentary style in a previous episode and I’m not sure that we needed another one now. I’ve been waiting for some kind of substantial character death and instead, we get Tom losing his common sense on the bridge.

Alicia and Wes seem to be hitting it off, but she is so focused on painting and I want the beast within her to be unleashed again because once she gets going, she is unstoppable! Poor Luciana is off serving Virginia at the oil field and while Virginia seems like an interesting foe, I’m not sure that we can salvage things in one episode, but I’m remaining hopeful.

What would YOU like to see happen on the season finale? Stay tuned!

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own theories and thoughts on Fear the Walking Dead in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

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Spoiler-Free Review of “Marianne” on Netflix: Bone-Chilling Terror that will give you Nightmares and then some

**This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!**

Netflix has been bringing us some genuinely terrifying programming lately like The Ritual and The Haunting of Hill House, and it doesn’t look like they are stopping there, as they may have just released the scariest show I have seen in a while. If you enjoy films and shows about witches and demonic possession, you are in the right place.

Marianne is a French horror series that was released on Netflix on 9/13/19. The show features 8 episodes that are about 50-55 minutes in length each. It stars Victoire Du Bois, Lucie Boujenah, and Tiphaine Daviot. The series is in French, but you can watch it dubbed in English or in French with English subtitles. I watched it in English and was able to get through the whole show without needing to switch over to subtitles.

The show follows author, Emma, who has had much success with her horror novel series. The characters are based on nightmares Emma had when she was younger and when she finishes the book series, she begins to realize that the characters may actually exist in the real world, threatening her family and close friends, while desperately trying to release some kind of evil entity into the world.

Whatever you do, be careful about saying Marianne’s name three times…you have been warned!

The Pros:

Marianne 9 22 4 — Images courtesy of Netflix

This show will scare you enough to leave you with some serious nightmares.

I’m not talking about the typical jump scares we often see. I’m talking about truly frightening moments. There is a terrific build-up and suspense that seamlessly brings these moments to life. The soundtrack works perfectly with these moments and you may want to consider watching this show with the lights on if you are not a fan of horror. Seriously, I keep looking over my shoulder and I finished the show hours ago.

Terrifying characters and a well developed plot.

Before we even get to Marianne, you will notice a lot of discussion going on about the old woman she possesses. I have to hand it to this actress, who has just completely traumatized me for life!

The plot moves fairly quickly, but once you get past the first three episodes, the rest of the show flies by, as it introduces more pieces to the puzzle, luring you in so much, that you may want to ensure that Marianne is not nearby. The imagery is beautiful and I loved the concept of the pages from Emma’s book series appearing on screen.

The Cons:

Marianne 9 22 5 — Images courtesy of Netflix

The switching of genres is slightly jarring.

As Emma returns home, we get a lot of fluff involving some drama with her friends and family that I could have honestly done without. While some of the past flashbacks and revelations were necessary and interesting, other parts just kind of seemed forced and I almost felt like I started watching another show without realizing it.

I think part of the problem was that I didn’t really care that much about Emma’s group of friends. There were some redeeming moments here and there, but other moments just felt filler and boring.

There was also the introduction of some comedy thrown in that felt out of place. This sometimes made the show move slower and I’m still not really sure what the point of this was. Luckily, the terrifying moments and plot reveals were enough to overshadow this.

So am I in or out?

Marianne 9 22 6 — Images courtesy of Netflix

I am in! Sure, I may have nightmares for quite a while, but this show was genuinely frightening and unique. We are left with a cliffhanger ending, so hopefully we will get a second season, but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this show.

If you are a fan of horror, you will absolutely be entertained and the writer in me loved the idea of characters coming to life, really reminding us that words certainly have a lot of power and we can unleash anything we want. Although we may want to slam the book shut on Marianne…

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Marianne in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

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Ranking the top 5 moments from “The Affair” season 5 episode 5: “You Are Enough”

Happy Sunday TV fans! After watching Showtime’s The Affair season 5 episode 5, I realized that you can tell yourself over and over again that you are enough, but you need to truly believe it. Sometimes that means trusting our instincts and other times that means saying no, but it all comes down to how we view ourselves and perhaps how we want to be viewed. Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch the latest episode yet.

In tonight’s episode, “505,” Helen prepares to make her official debut as Sasha Mann’s girlfriend, but is constantly pressured by others around her. Meanwhile, Sierra desperately tries to adjust to motherhood, which becomes even more difficult when her own mother arrives in town. My top 5 moments from The Affair season 5 episode 5 are:

“I’m so sorry…”

Part one of the episode follows Sierra, as she adjusts to motherhood. Sierra has been raising baby Eddie by herself for four months and it is clearly taking a toll on her. Sierra desperately tries to find her balance and tells herself, “Everyday and in every way…today, I am enough.”

Even though the phrase certainly has a nice ring to it and I think I might try it out myself, Sierra has trouble keeping her cool, especially since baby Eddie will not stop crying. Sierra goes to an acting audition and initially thinks she did not do a good enough job, but I am more concerned that she decided to leave baby Eddie in the car during the audition…

“I just didn’t think men like you existed…except in the movies.”

During Helen’s part of the episode, Helen and Sasha appear to be getting closer and Sasha even tells Helen that he loves her. Helen is slightly hesitant, but it looks like she does have strong feelings for Sasha, but things get a little bit overwhelming when she learns that she will be basically making a public debut as Sasha Mann’s girlfriend at a party.

Everyone seems to comment on how “normal” Helen is, which makes me wonder if she is really cut out for the Hollywood lifestyle and we even get to run into an old friend…Noah’s book agent, Eden. Remember her? I have to admit, I was glad to see a little bit of jealousy running across her face when she saw who Helen was dating, especially since she did have a brief affair with Noah as well in the past.

“She’s been like a second mother to me.”

After Sierra lands the role, she is beyond excited, but she suddenly remembers she needs to find someone to watch baby Eddie. After her mother bails on her, she tries to ask Helen, but Helen tells her to figure it out and Stacey offers to watch him. Sierra makes another questionable call by leaving her baby with a 12-year-old, but does end up doing well at her first taping…once she gets out of her head.

Perhaps she should have left it there, but Sierra decides to have some time for herself and ends up doing drugs and sleeping with the director. After stumbling into Helen’s place at 2 am, she decides to take baby Eddie for a drive to calm him down and crashes the car. Luckily, she and Eddie are OK, but I’m hoping that this is a huge wake up call for Sierra.

“I don’t love you anymore.”

During the episode, we also get a brief moment between Noah and Helen. Noah comes to apologize to Helen for his behavior and tells her that he still loves her and wants her back. Helen stays strong; however, and tells Noah that she doesn’t love him anymore and that she’s not sure what the word “love” means to Noah.

While I’m not convinced that Sasha is the better choice for Helen, I was proud of her in this moment. Noah has had so many chances with Helen and he has continued to mess them up. While I appreciate his honesty with Helen, I think that she was right to turn him down here. Go Helen!

“You have everyone fooled.”

Helen tries out saying “no” in this episode, but she starts to have second thoughts about it later on. Vic’s mother, Priya, begs Helen to bring baby Eddie to meet her brother because she doesn’t want everyone in her family to know that Eddie is actually Sierra’s baby. After witnessing Sasha breaking his promise to one of his friends about a movie deal, Helen starts to realize that perhaps Sasha isn’t as perfect as he may seem.

Priya knocks on her door and tells Helen that she has everyone fooled and that Vic told her she was a selfless person. This encounter clearly impacts Helen and I think she is going to start really looking at her choices moving forward. While I want Helen to find happiness for herself, I also don’t want her to turn her back on who she is either.

Overall, I thought this was another revealing and moving episode, but I also want more Joanie screen time. It looks like we will be getting a Joanie-centric episode next week so I am super excited about that. There are still so many unanswered questions surrounding Cole’s death and Alison, so I’m hoping we will finally get to devote some time to that in episode 6. Stay tuned!

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own theories and thoughts on The Affair below in the comments section. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

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My performance of the week ending 9/21/19 on TV goes to…

Emma Roberts as Brooke on FX Network’s American Horror Story: 1984. So I was initially disappointed when I found out that both Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters would not be appearing in the ninth season of AHS, but after watching the premiere, I am confident that Emma Roberts can lead the way to another fantastic season.

I have always been a huge fan of hers and I am really excited that she is finally getting a chance to step out of the supporting role and into the lead. I loved her in Scream 4, she had me laughing hysterically in Scream Queens (please bring us that revival soon) and one of my favorite characters on television is Madison Montgomery from AHS: Coven/Apocalypse.

There are some big shoes to fill here, but I am already so invested in Brooke’s character and I believe that she has Final Girl potential…even though she may not be making the best decisions, but this is supposed to be channeling an 80’s slasher movie vibe after all. Please not some spoilers are ahead if you are not up-to-date on the series.

Brooke is already being targeted by the Night Stalker (AHS Hotel connection) and Mr. Jingles, but her camp counselor friends think that she needs to let loose and leave some of these hallucinations behind. Brooke desperately tries to get them to believe her, but I have a feeling that the bodies will need to start piling up before anyone will really listen to her.

We also see Brooke looking at an engagement ring in her jewelry box, which means we will probably get bits and pieces of her past sprinkled into the mix, but is there any connection here to either of the two killers?

I know that some fans were disappointed that we already learned about the killer’s identity in the season premiere, but that just means that there are some unexpected twists and turns heading our way and I wonder if perhaps Brooke isn’t as innocent as she may appear to be? It seems like a lot of the characters may have something to hide, but that just makes the show that much more entertaining, as we get to fill in the pieces together while the mystery unfolds.

What’s next for Brooke? We’ll have to wait and see, but I want to know more about her past and I want to find out why the killers seem to be targeting her specifically. Emma Roberts can play any character to perfection and I can’t wait to find out if she is my true Final Girl or if she is a villain in disguise. After all, she did surprise us all in Scream 4 so you never know!

Either way, I am already impressed with Emma Roberts and I am confident that she will continue to capture our undivided attention. I can’t wait to see what she does next!

Stay tuned for a recognized performance on TV each week!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

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Ranking the top 5 moments from “American Horror Story: 1984” season 9 episode 1 Season Premiere: “Welcome to Camp Redwood”

Happy Thursday TV fans! After watching the FX network’s American Horror Story: 1984 season 9 episode 1 last night, I remembered that perhaps we should listen to creepy gas attendants who tell us that there’s nowhere to run or hide. Or maybe we should go answer a payphone in the middle of the woods when a killer is on the loose. Let’s make some good choices and go back in time to enjoy some 80’s slasher fun with a killer soundtrack! Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch the latest episode yet.

In last night’s episode, “Camp Redwood,” Brooke, Montana, Xavier, Chet, and Ray all meet at Perfect 10 Aerobics and decide to take summer jobs as camp counselors at Camp Redwood. We hear the campfire chilling story of the infamous killer, Mr. Jingles and it seems like anyone with a half a brain would stay clear of this camp, but where would be the fun in that? My top 5 moments from the American Horror Story: 1984 season 9 episode 1 season premiere are:

“I heard serial killers become more active in the summer months when it’s hot.”

Meet Brooke, played by the brilliant and amazing Emma Roberts, who seems to hit it off right away with Montana, played by Billie Lourd, at an aerobics class. Brooke appears to be somewhat of a shy loner and clearly has a past since we witness her looking at an engagement ring in her jewelry box, but I’m already invested in her character and Emma Roberts can do no wrong for me.

“You’re a bad-ass!”

So maybe Brooke should have taken her own advice about leaving windows open in her apartment. After initially turning down Xavier’s offer to go to Camp Redwood with them, an intruder breaks into her apartment and takes her jewelry. The stranger claims to be the Night Stalker and seems to heavily worship Satan. Connection to Hotel and Apocalypse?

I’m not sure if this attack was random or not, but Brooke makes excellent use of my favorite weapon of choice…a frying pan, which definitely makes her a bad-ass in my book! And so it’s off to Camp Redwood, since Brooke clearly doesn’t want to stay by herself for the summer.

“I have been fighting the lord’s fight against filth around the world for years.”

After our group hits a stranger in front of Camp Redwood with their car, they meet the head of Camp Redwood, Margaret, played by the hilarious and enchanting Leslie Grossman. Seriously, I love this fierce trio of ladies and I’m hoping they can bring the fire again this season.

Margaret seems to be a big fan of following rules and we know what happens when you don’t follow the rules in a slasher film. Margaret reminds them that girls wear red and boys wear blue and that they shouldn’t even try to make purple, which was another fun connection to Apocalypse. Margaret has a vision of making Camp Redwood into a safe and pure place for children, but I’m not sure one can ever really lose the reputation of being the site of the “worst summer camp massacre of all time.”

“He liked to kill and he was good at it.”

The opening of the episode flashes back to 1970 and we witness serial killer, Benjamin Richter (aka Mr. Jingles) brutally attacking and killing some camp counselors who were having some late night extracurricular activities together. In 1984, the group gathers around a campfire and Rita, played by Angelica Ross, fills them in on the history and questions why they are all really there.

Mr. Jingles apparently has a thing for collecting ears, which is beyond disturbing and we discover that Margaret is the only survivor from his massacre, showing off her missing ear. We also learn that Mr. Jingles has escaped the asylum he was in during present day (1984), grabbing a new set of keys, as he heads off to Camp Redwood.

Is he looking to eliminate Margaret once and for all or is he just looking to kill as he goes? I’m not sure just yet, but there has to be a lot more to this if we are revealing the identity of the killer in episode 1. Perhaps Margaret is in on it now? It’s an early theory of mine, but we shall see.

“It was him! I am not imagining all of this!”

After discovering the stranger from the road hung up on the back of a door, Brooke freaks out and takes off. She is able to escape, but her friends think she is imagining things, especially when the body has mysteriously vanished and the rain coat killer seems to just be a rain coat. Brooke is convinced that what she saw is real and decides to throw all caution out the window by answering a ringing payphone outside.

I’m not really sure this is the best decision, but it does give us a chance to see that the Night Stalker is also lurking in the shadows. Are there two killers on the loose or is this all connected? I’m not sure, but it looks like Brooke is our potential final girl and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Overall, I thought the season 9 premiere was a lot of fun. It provided us with a lot of nostalgia and cleverly reminded us about the slasher movie trope, while keeping us invested in the main plot. It looks like I am planning on staying at Camp Redwood after all. How about you?

**Fun fact: Roy from “Roy’s Gas n Grab” warns our group of characters and tells them that they’re all going to die, which is a fun throwback to Crazy Ralph in Friday the 13^th telling the counselors they are all doomed.

American Horror Story: 1984 episode 1 Music Soundtrack Highlights:

Bananarama – Cruel Summer

Rockwell – Somebody’s Watching Me 1984

Daryl Hall & John Oates – Private Eyes

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own theories and thoughts on American Horror Story: 1984 below in the comments section. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

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Spoiler-Free Review of “The I-Land” on Netflix: “LOST” Fan Fiction Gone Wrong

**This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!**

So I casually turned on Netflix yesterday and a trailer popped up for The I-Land. I immediately felt like it was a cheesy LOST ripoff, but the LOST fan in me was beyond curious, so I gave it a whirl and I ended up watching the entire show in one day. At first I thought that the show was meant to be a spoof, but I quickly learned that the show was trying to find an identity for itself, although I’m not sure it ever quite found it.

The I-Land is coded as a limited series and it features 7 episodes that are about 40 minutes in length each. It stars Natalie Martinez, Kate Bosworth, Ronald Peet, and Sibylla Deen.

Several strangers wake up on a deserted island and don’t remember anything about who they are and how they got there. Tempers immediately flare and mysteries start to unlock, attempting to give us LOST meets The Matrix. The strangers quickly realize that the island is extremely dangerous, but perhaps the biggest threat lies among them.

The Pros:

I Land 9 16 1 — Images courtesy of Netflix

Lots of twists and sharks…did I mention sharks?

The show does provide us with a lot of unexpected twists and turns, bringing us along for the ride. I love shark movies so I’m always up for some toothy predators and the show continues to provide us with some twists until the very end. Not all of them are satisfying, but they did keep my attention.

The cast.

I’m a huge Kate Bosworth fan and Blue Crush is one of my go-to guilty pleasure movies. After all, it’s a cruel, cruel summer. I also enjoyed Natalie Martinez’s performance in Into the Dark’s “Down” episode on Hulu, so I was excited to see her on this show as well. The cast had a lot of potential, but a lot of that potential was stifled by some poor dialogue, but I liked their performances and characters enough to care about what happened to them…at least somewhat.

The flashbacks.

The flashback pieces were actually really interesting and I wish the show had spent more time on this rather than on some of their outrageous plot shifts. In particular, K.C.’s flashback (Bosworth) was probably the most interesting part of the show and I don’t understand why these flashbacks didn’t start occurring until the show was almost over. They could have been introduced and sprinkled throughout the show, which would have probably prevented so many viewers from tuning out after watching 1 or 2 episodes.

The Cons:

I Land 9 16 2 — Images courtesy of Netflix

A really poor imitation of LOST.

The first episode literally opens with the main character’s eye opening, as she takes in her surroundings and sees the island. Does this sound familiar? That’s the exact opening of LOST and the similarities don’t stop here. We get a failed attempt at some kind of love triangle and the fade-out music sounds a lot like the soundtrack behind LOST, which honestly just irritated me. The show is actually different from LOST, but these obnoxious ripoffs will not help viewers tune in more if that was the goal.

The dialogue is atrocious.

I mean really atrocious. “Hey, you seem like a bitch…no you do!” “How do you think we got here? I don’t know.” Seriously it was like pulling teeth during certain parts and I don’t know why the most animated conversation involved a character’s right to sunbathe. Good thing those sharks broke up the party. I was cheering for them at this point.

The show is all over the place.

Once we get to episode 3, we start learning about the secrets of the island and we get more of a sci-fi feel. The first two episodes were so bad that I almost didn’t care at this point. However, since there were only 7 episodes, I continued to watch and we did get some interesting moments. I just don’t understand why we waited until the very end of the series to bring in some of these more worthy elements.

So am I in or out?

I Land 9 16 3 — Images courtesy of Netflix

Unfortunately, I am out on this one. The LOST fan in me is extremely annoyed and angry, but I’m mostly out because this show actually had a real glimmer of potential. If the show had focused more on introducing us to the interesting flashbacks, they may have actually kept their audience. The talent of the actors was completely wasted on this and the twist at the end was not very satisfying.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on The I-Land in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

The Dreaming of Wonderland Book Series is available here!

Free Instant Preview of The Search for Alice is available here!

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Ranking the top 5 moments from “Fear the Walking Dead” season 5 episode 14: “I’d Like to See that Smile Again”

Happy Monday TV fans! After watching AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead season 5 episode 14, I realized that “the future’s a lot easier to get to if you’re not doing it on your own.” But what if you focus so much on the future that you sacrifice the present? And what about when we finally overcome what is troubling us from our past? Is it too late to cherish in some happiness during our present? Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch the latest episode yet.

In last night’s episode, “Today and Tomorrow,” we catch up with Morgan and Al, as they try to help a stranger named Tom. Meanwhile, Daniel and Grace open up to one another and put on a show-stopping number. My top 5 moments from Fear the Walking Dead season 5 episode 14 are:

“All they cared about was the future…”

In this episode, we check in with Morgan and Al, who come across a man named Tom in need of some help. The horseback riders are trying to find him and Morgan and Al hide out with him in a van until they can come up with a suitable game plan. We learn that Tom was with his sister at Paradise Ridge, a co-op complex, but a group came to take it over, claiming that they just wanted to help as well.

Tom explains that all they cared about was the future, which triggers something within Al, as she remembers Isabelle telling her the same thing: “It’s not about today, it’s about tomorrow.” Al explains to Morgan that it’s not about the story for her and it’s clear that she desperately wants to see Isabelle again, hoping that this is somehow a connection.

“I trusted you with a lot.”

Morgan recognizes that Al is keeping something from him and reminds her that he has trusted her with a lot. Al agrees, but also asks Morgan why he left the compound and tells him that he’s running from something. Morgan has been running away from his developing feelings for Grace and perhaps Al’s decision to run toward a chance at seeing Isabelle will spark something within him, but is it too late for both of them?

“For a long time, he was all I had.”

We also take some time to catch up with Daniel and Grace during this episode. Even though Skidmark spends most of his time in a crate, Daniel opens up to Grace and tells her that Skidmark was all he had for a long time. He tells her that Charlie changed everything for him, which was incredibly heartwarming. Daniel lost his daughter, but I think he sees himself as a father figure to Charlie and I thought it was so sweet that he wanted to bring back some records for her.

Grace also takes this opportunity to confide in Daniel and tells him that she tried so hard to help Morgan. Daniel reminds Grace that she did get Morgan to smile and says that he thinks she did make a difference with him.

“You two sure know how to make an entrance.”

Thankfully we get some action, as Morgan and Al run into some trouble at the co-op complex and wind up going for a dip in the pool with a persistent walker. They are able to eliminate the threat, but are then surrounded by Virginia and her gang. Virginia fills them in on what she is trying to accomplish without revealing too many details, but she does give us an interesting food analogy with spaghetti.

Al asks her about the helicopters and Virginia tells her that they don’t have any, which means that Isabelle and her group are not connected to Virginia, so there goes that theory. Surprisingly, Virginia lets them head off and even gives Morgan a new stick, but what is her end goal here? She says her door is always open, but what happens when they actually accept her offer? I’m interested to find out for sure.

“I’d like to see that smile again…”

At the end of the episode, Morgan comes to the realization that he doesn’t need to record the tapes anymore about his family. He wants to talk to Grace now and in the present, but Grace’s health takes a dramatic turn for the worse after she and Daniel perform on stage. Morgan tells Grace that he is going to get to her in time and Grace tries to hold on to the hope that she will see him again.

It looks like we will see Grace in next week’s episode, as her health continues to deteriorate, but is there any way to save her? Now that Morgan is finally willing to open his heart in the present, I will be completely devastated if these two don’t get a chance to be together, but I know someone has to die… Stay tuned!

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own theories and thoughts on Fear the Walking Dead in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

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The Dreaming of Wonderland Book Series is available here!

Free Instant Preview of The Search for Alice is available here!

**If you enjoyed this blog, I would love it if you would click the follow button on your way out to subscribe. Thanks for your support!

Ranking the top 5 moments from “The Affair” season 5 episode 4: “There You Are Noah”

Happy Sunday TV fans! After watching Showtime’s The Affair season 5 episode 4, I realized that sometimes one decision can set forth a course of events. If you are given the chance to have everything you ever wanted, would you take it? Sometimes the decision is not always clear cut, but once we get everything we thought we ever wanted, is it enough? Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch the latest episode yet.

In tonight’s episode, “504,” Noah shows us a glimmer of potential, but continues to be thrown off course by Sasha’s relationship with Helen. Meanwhile, Whitney crosses paths with an ex-boyfriend who could change everything for her and Joanie tries to make a clean start. My top 5 moments from The Affair season 5 episode 4 are:

“Well for once we want the same thing…”

Part one of the episode follows Noah and the kids seem excited about attending Sasha’s Halloween party, while Helen’s mother disapproves. Noah seems to really be putting forth an effort with both Trevor and Stacey, reminding Helen that he just wants to maintain a healthy and stable co-parenting environment/relationship. Let’s just hope he can keep this up because Noah has the tendency to get distracted and obsessed easily with other things, especially since Helen is still dating Sasha.

“You want her back.”

During Noah’s part of the episode, he runs into the new sheriff in town, Joel, who is just dressing the part for Halloween, but he does point out to Noah that perhaps he wants Helen back. Noah denies this, but then why is he so obsessed with Helen’s decisions? Is it more about Helen or does he feel like Sasha is replacing him?

Noah is upset to discover that Sasha will be credited as the co-writer of the movie based on his book, so I have to wonder where his frustration is really coming from? Helen is taking care of Helen and I wasn’t a fan of Noah trying to leave behind a bra so that she would get angry at Sasha. It just seemed selfish and childish and Noah needs to leave that part of his life behind him.

“Hi Dad.”

Part three of the episode follows Joanie and she decides to start cleaning out Cole’s house. Only she begins throwing out all of the pictures of Alison and Cole as well. She then finds the box of letters that Cole learned about on his trip to Morro Bay and tosses it, which instantly broke my heart and then she stumbles across the chest with Gabriel’s toys. Joanie pauses when she gets to this one, immediately recognizing and understanding the meaning behind it, but she throws it out as well and takes off on Alison’s old bicycle and heads to the cemetery to say hello to her dad.

It looks like Joanie is trying to erase every part of her past, but I’m not sure this is the right answer. I’m looking forward to finding out what actually prompts her to go and find Ben Cruz. She seems willing to part with these reminders of her family, but what makes her want to solve the mystery behind Alison’s death?

“I don’t want to be looked at anymore.”

Part two of the episode is from Whitney’s perspective, which was a nice change of pace. I mentioned in last week’s blog that I wanted to find out more about Whitney’s story so I was pleased to see this. Whitney has been struggling for a while now to get by and her rent is past due. Colin is putting a lot of stress on her since he can’t work and she begins to resent him for it. To make things more complicated, Whitney’s much older ex-boyfriend, Furkat, returns. Remember him from Paris? He begs Whitney for her forgiveness and invites her to a gallery opening, introducing her to some connections along the way.

Later on, Whitney has a conversation with Furkat’s new connection, who asks Whitney, “If you could have everything you ever wanted, what would it look like?” Whitney talks about wanting to open up her own gallery and ends up sleeping with Furkat. The man she spoke to comes in to watch and Furkat explains that he can give her the gallery she is dreaming of. Whitney has come so far as a character, but she gives in here and allows this to happen; wanting to get that much closer to her dreams, but everything has a price.

At the end of her part, she crawls back into bed with Colin and holds on to him, as the guilt of her actions washes over her. I thought this was a revealing and vulnerable moment for Whitney and I started to think about how similar she is to both her mother and father. Helen warned her daughter about not giving up her dreams for a man, while Noah has always put his dreams above all else in some regards, so you have to wonder which side of the scale Whitney will ultimately end up on?

“Because I’m her father.”

It’s been a while since I have given a Noah moment my number one spot, but I have to say that I was impressed by his loyalty to his daughter, Stacey. After Stacey gets her period for the first time, she locks herself in the bathroom. Noah asks Helen’s mother to help out and puts her in her place, reminding her that he is Stacey’s father and he is not going to leave her side. Helen’s mother is actually impressed by this and says, “There you are Noah…welcome back.”

Stacey is grateful that her father stands by her and they are absolutely adorable heading into Sasha’s Halloween party. Too bad Noah makes some bad decisions after this, but his moment with Stacey reminded us that perhaps Noah needs to put aside Noah, the writer…Noah, the director…Noah, the lover and just simply focus on being a good father. Can he stay on track? Stay tuned!

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own theories and thoughts on The Affair below in the comments section. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

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Have a performance on TV that you think is simply outstanding? Feel free to contact me with your nomination for the week by Friday at midnight!

The Dreaming of Wonderland Book Series is available here!

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My performance of the week ending 9/14/19 on TV goes to…

Mo Collins as Sarah Rabinowitz on AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead. So I mostly know Mo Collins from the days of MADtv and she was beyond hilarious on that comedy sketch show. If you have never watched it before, try looking up sketches with Stuart and his mom (played by Collins). They will make you cry from laughing so hard.

I was a little surprised when I saw Collins join the cast of Fear TWD, but I have to say that she immediately fit right in and she always keeps the laughs coming, which can really help break up some of the drama and heavy moments on the show. Please note some spoilers are ahead if you are not up-to-date on the series.

In season 5 episode 13, we get to see a different side of funny Sarah, as she actually shares some of her regrets about leaving Clayton to die on the side of the road. Sarah may typically laugh everything off, but she takes down her walls in this episode and attempts to redeem her past actions by going back for Logan.

Whether this is the right call or not, it just made me admire Sarah so much more as a character. It’s one thing to say you are sorry about something, but it takes a lot of courage and strength to actually channel that regret into action. Sarah’s decision to go back after Logan could have had some irreparable consequences, but she seemed willing to sacrifice it all to make things right and I think that is truly commendable.

Sarah’s bond with her adoptive brother, Wendell, is also something to be noted and it looks like she is getting closer with Dwight, as the two shared a beer and talked briefly about his quest to find Sherry in a prior episode. Sarah is clearly an integral part of the group, but it was nice to see her stand out in episode 13, truly getting some much deserved screen time.

What’s next for Sarah? We’ll have to wait and see, but she is definitely heading down the right path. Our group is focusing so much on helping others and Sarah is absolutely doing her part. I would personally like to see even more character development for Sarah because she has proven that she is much more than the comic relief.

We all have things we are not proud of, but Sarah is doing her best to live with her past mistakes and I hope she “keeps on trucking” because I think she still has a lot of untapped potential. I can’t wait to see what she does next!

Stay tuned for a recognized performance on TV each week!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

[twitter-follow screen_name=’TV_Fanatic_Girl’]

Have a performance on TV that you think is simply outstanding? Feel free to contact me with your nomination for the week by Friday at midnight!

The Dreaming of Wonderland Book Series is available here!

Free Instant Preview of The Search for Alice is available here!

**If you enjoyed this blog, I would love it if you would click the follow button on your way out to subscribe. Thanks for your support!

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