Category: Santa Clarita Diet

Spoiler-Free Review of “The Horror of Dolores Roach” on Prime Video: A Tasty and Twisted Treat!

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

“I’m just like you if everything went wrong…”

The Horror of Dolores Roach released on Prime Video on July 7th 2023 with all eight episodes available to stream now. The horror dramedy series stars Justina Machado, Alejandro Hernandez, Kita Updike, Jessica Pimentel, and Cyndi Lauper. Each episode runs for approximately 26-30 minutes.

After getting out of prison, Dolores discovers that the home she knew and loved has changed drastically. She tries to turn her life around by becoming a masseuse, but things go horribly wrong when she resorts to extreme measures to keep her new life going.

Here is the trailer:

The Horror of Dolores Roach is loosely inspired by Sweeney Todd, bringing us plenty of shocking and disturbing moments and featuring an out of this world performance by Justina Machado. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Prime Video

Justina Machado is bloody fantastic!!!

I absolutely LOVED her in this and think it was her best performance to date. She was funny, extreme, relatable, and so incredible to watch in each episode. I normally don’t like voice-over narrations, but hers were actually spot on and perfect in this. She is flawless and I am a fan for life now!

I enjoyed the other characters as well and I really thought there was a strong dynamic between her and Luis.

Images courtesy of Prime Video

Bite-sized binge-worthy episodes.

I watched this series in one day. The shorter episodes worked and the pacing was spot on. This show was so addicting! I haven’t been this excited about a series in a long time. If you enjoy shows like Santa Clarita Diet, Shining Vale, and Based on a True Story, you’ll fall in love with this series.

I appreciated that it was not afraid to take us down a darker route. The balance of comedy/dramedy and horror worked seamlessly here. The series never took itself too seriously and that’s why it was so entertaining. It could have been a lot heavier (especially with some of the content), but I don’t think that would have translated as well.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Prime Video

I want more!

As soon as I finished this series, I wanted more. We were left with an insane cliffhanger and I truly hope that this series gets picked up for another season because I adored it.

As a note of warning, there were some stomach-turning moments sprinkled in here so be aware of that if that’s not your jam.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Prime Video

I’m in 100 percent!!!

The Horror of Dolores Roach is fresh, addicting, and muy loco!

The best new show you need to watch right now and certainly one of my favorites of the year already.

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

DON’T TAKE THE JOB…

It was only supposed to be temporary…but when Olivia Crewe accepts a new position that seems too good to be true, she soon discovers that twelve other girls previously had the same job as her. Only none of them lasted for more than thirty days. No notice. Nothing…right before they mysteriously disappeared without a trace.

My supernatural thriller Girl Number Thirteen is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Girl Number Thirteen is available here!

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Spoiler-Free Review of “Based on a True Story” on Peacock: A Real Treat!

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

“Do we have to wake up to murder every morning?”

Based on a True Story premiered on Peacock on June 8th 2023 with all eight episodes available to stream now. The comedy crime thriller stars Kaley Cuoco, Chris Messina, Tom Bateman, Priscilla Quintana, Liana Liberato, and Natalia Dyer. Each episode runs for approximately 25-35 minutes.

Ava and Nathan are expecting a baby and feel like their marriage is becoming very mundane, but when Ava realizes that their plumber may be the Westside Ripper serial killer, she teams up with her husband to blackmail him into creating a true crime podcast with them from the killer’s perspective.

Here is the trailer:

Based On a True Story is the perfect mix of The Flight Attendant and Only Murders in the Building with a unique voice of its own. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Peacock

Great chemistry between characters!

I honestly haven’t seen such good chemistry between a married couple on TV since Santa Clarita Diet. Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina are hilarious on screen, but also very believable as a couple. They are very relatable and the real moments between them give this series an edge.

I was worried that this series would feel like a rip-off of The Flight Attendant and Only Murders in the Building, but it channeled the quirky take on the true crime craze flawlessly while branching off into something truly exceptional of its own. 

Stand-out performance goes to Tom Bateman as Matt. Think Joe Goldberg from You without all of the whiny psychobabble. He is charming and entertaining and he absolutely steals the show!

Images courtesy of Peacock

Short episodes make it easy to binge-watch.

I got through this series very quickly. The episodes are super short and it’s so addicting! If you’re looking for a quick and easy binge-watch for the weekend, this is the show for you.

There are also some really fantastic blood-soaked moments for slasher fans. The series is more of a comedic thriller, but I personally liked that it wasn’t afraid to get a little bit messy here. After all, they are dealing with a serial killer…

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Peacock

Forced crude dialogue at times…

The opening episode felt a little awkward at times because of the forced and explicit dialogue. I don’t know if the series was trying to be extra shocking, but people in real life don’t talk like this and it just felt unnatural. This calmed down as the episodes continued, however. The show was a lot more entertaining when it wasn’t trying so hard.

I also wasn’t a fan of some of the trippy daydreams/hallucinations. They felt mostly filler to me.

What happened in episode 6 (no spoilers) was completely unnecessary. It almost ruined the entire show for me, but I tried to move past it…

I also wanted more of a pop from the ending. Sure, it left things open for a new season if it gets picked up, but I guess I was looking for something a little more jaw-dropping to seal the deal.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Peacock

I’m in!

Based on a True Story is a lot of fun and very easy to binge-watch. The chemistry between our three main leads is bloody magic and well worth your time.

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

DON’T TAKE THE JOB…

Girl Number Thirteen Lurking Promo

It was only supposed to be temporary…but when Olivia Crewe accepts a new position that seems too good to be true, she soon discovers that twelve other girls previously had the same job as her. Only none of them lasted for more than thirty days. No notice. Nothing…right before they mysteriously disappeared without a trace.

My supernatural thriller Girl Number Thirteen is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Girl Number Thirteen 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!

 

Spoiler-Free Review of “Shining Vale” on Starz: Courteney Cox Moves into a Haunted House

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

“Women are also twice as likely to be possessed by a demon…”

Shining Vale premiered on Starz on March 6th 2022 with the first two episodes. There will be eight episodes in total that will air weekly. The horror comedy series stars Courteney Cox, Greg Kinnear, Mira Sorvino, Gus Birney and Judith Light. Each episode runs for approximately 30 minutes.

To save her marriage, a writer moves into a house in Connecticut with her family, but soon discovers that it may actually be haunted.

Here is the trailer:

Shining Vale is a delightful mashup between Santa Clarita Diet and Ghosts, creating its own story along the way with lots of ghostly potential. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Starz

Courteney Cox shines!

It’s fantastic seeing Courteney Cox back on television and after just watching her in the latest Scream movie, I’m all for a series centered around her moving into a haunted house. So far she is a lot of fun to watch and I think that once the show really kicks into high gear, she will really embrace this role with flair.

The rest of the cast are likable enough and so far I’m most intrigued by the potential spirits roaming around the property.

Plus, the dog is a scene stealer!

Clever use of female authors…

Courteney Cox plays a writer but there are also several nods at Sylvia Plath and Charlotte Perkins Gilman. These female authors wrote stories surrounding women suffering from some kind of mental illness while being driven mad by the walls surrounding them so I’m curious to see this theme portrayed in the modern world. I think that this will be way more than your typical ghost story. It looks like it will also be taking on the female role in society, which gives this story a unique edge already.

The episodes are also super short which makes this easy to binge-watch and the dry dark humor is a nice touch.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Starz

Slow start…

The opening episode felt a little unsure of itself. I was intrigued, but not really sold until the very end. Episode two was a big improvement and I thought the humor landed better as well. I think that once we get to episode three or four, this show will really find its way. I’m remaining positive that we’ll get there.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Starz

I’m in!

I think this show already has a lot of potential and I’m curious to see some of the other themes really take off because I think we could witness pure magic!

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

THIS COMPETITION IS KILLER…

When former friends, Shay and Adriana team up to participate in a Halloween scavenger hunt with a cash prize, they temporarily put their differences aside to outsmart their opponents. However, they soon start to realize that a dangerous threat is playing their own version of the game, stalking them during each hunt.

Winning is now a necessity as their lives are at stake. As old wounds and memories re-surface, Shay and Adriana attempt to unmask the threat before the night is over, but soon learn that Scream Hunt is not done with them just yet…

My young adult horror thriller is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Scream Hunt 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!

Spoiler-Free Review of “Wolf Like Me” on Peacock: Quirky Dramedy with Heart

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

“I haven’t been out in a really long time…”

Wolf Like Me released on January 13th 2022 on Peacock. The supernatural dramedy series stars Isla Fisher and Josh Gad. There are six episodes in total that run for approximately 22-26 minutes.

Set in Australia, a single father tries to connect with his eleven-year-old daughter when a woman named Mary crashes into his car. After their first date, she runs out the door, revealing that she has a supernatural secret.

Here is the trailer:

Wolf Like Me has a Santa Clarita Diet vibe with fantastic characters, but does it find its balance between drama and comedy? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Peacock

Great chemistry between Gad and Fisher.

Both actors did a fantastic job with this series. I thought they had really terrific chemistry together. Both characters had a lot of layers and there was pure magic when they were together, which really elevated this series for me.

Short episodes.

This show was extremely easy to binge-watch. Each episode is just under a half hour and there are only six in total. Even though this series is a slow-burn one in a lot of ways, I thought the length of the episodes helped the pacing. Each episode did just enough at the end to bring you back for more.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Peacock

Really heavy at times…

It’s not easy finding a balance between comedy and drama. I thought that the moments of comedy were actually spot on and I enjoyed them. There were also some really heartfelt moments too that just worked. This is one of those shows where it’s really more about the characters than the plot surrounding them.

However, some of the more emotional moments were really heavy and depressing at times, which made it difficult to jump right back into the moments of comedy without feeling slightly unhinged.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Peacock

I’m in about 75 percent…

Overall, I really enjoyed this series. I thought that it had a quirky charm to it and the characters were easy to connect to. At times the plot fell slightly flat, but the interactions and moments between the characters made up for it in a lot of ways.

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

This competition is killer…

When former friends, Shay and Adriana team up to participate in a Halloween scavenger hunt with a cash prize, they temporarily put their differences aside to outsmart their opponents. However, they soon start to realize that a dangerous threat is playing their own version of the game, stalking them during each hunt.

Winning is now a necessity as their lives are at stake. As old wounds and memories re-surface, Shay and Adriana attempt to unmask the threat before the night is over, but soon learn that Scream Hunt is not done with them just yet…

My new young adult horror thriller is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Scream Hunt 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!

5 Spoiler Free Reasons why you should watch “Santa Clarita Diet” Season 3 on Netflix: ‘Til Death and then some”

“We’re like a cult…but without uniforms.”  So what happens when your wife dies and then comes back to life as a zombie?  Do you run away screaming or are you all in to support your family until the very end?  Joel Hammond has to deal with this very important dilemma in Netflix’s Santa Clarita Diet, but lucky for us, this adventure comes with a lot of laughs.  Please note that major spoilers have been left out for your convenience so feel free to read away!  My top 5 reasons to check out Santa Clarita Diet Season 3 are: 

5

This show is just laugh out loud funny.

When I first started binge-watching this show, I didn’t really laugh that much in the beginning of season one.  Maybe I was trying to get used to the premise or maybe the jokes weren’t really landing, but something magical happened in the second half of the first season and for seasons two and three as well.  The dark horror comedy just works.  Maybe it’s the dynamic between the characters or maybe they just started being a little bit more comfortable with the humor, but I found myself constantly laughing out loud while watching this show.  Horror comedies are hard to come by now and I have to say that I absolutely love this show and hope that it continues to be picked up because it is really something fun and light to watch in between other series.

4

Abby has become a bad-ass character.

In season one, I didn’t really connect with Joel and Sheila’s teenage daughter, Abby, played by Liv Hewson.  However, I started to like her more and more in season two and she is absolutely fantastic in season three.  I love how she is the voice of reason and it often seems like she is the one playing parent to her own parents, which is funny on its own.  In season three, more of Abby’s potential is unlocked, as she starts to help out a lot more, proving to be someone you don’t want to mess with.  I also enjoyed more of the chemistry between her and Eric, played by Skyler Gisondo, which was actually adorable and not at all nauseating.  I hope that her character continues to grow more in future seasons if we get them and I would love to see her become some kind of slayer of the undead.

3

The guest stars are absolutely fantastic.

I love seeing unlikely guest stars on a show and Santa Clarita Diet continues to deliver on this.  I had so much fun seeing Joel McHale in season two as a competitive realtor, but this season we get a lot of fun from Ron, played by Jonathan Slavin, Tommy, played by Ethan Suplee, and of course Gary continues to be a standout character, played previously by Nathan Fillion and now by the amazing Alan Tudyk.  The list goes on and on, as the supporting cast does an amazing job of keeping the humor going and giving us some really interesting character dynamics.  It looks like we might even get our own team of evil fighters, now complete with uniforms.  The show doesn’t take itself that seriously, but that’s what makes it so incredibly amazing.  These characters just elevate the show that much more and provide us with a lot of entertainment along the way.

2

A major cliffhanger.

Season three allowed us to advance the Knights of Serbia plot, which was fun for sure, but we are left with a huge cliffhanger at the end of the season so we better get a season four to explore this more.  Each season gave us something more to look forward to and season three is no exception.  If you thought Joel and Sheila’s adventures were crazy and dangerous before, it looks like it is only going to get more complicated now.  I honestly can’t wait to see what happens next!

1

Joel and Sheila Hammond’s chemistry.

I dedicated a previous blog to Joel and Sheila Hammond’s relationship, but it really is the core of the show.  Timothy Olyphant and Drew Barrymore are absolutely fantastic together.  Their relationship is so real and sweet and you can’t help falling in love with them.  I mentioned in my previous blog that they may be my new favorite couple on television, as they are there for one another every step of the way.  Their love is beautiful and passionate, but they also have a strong friendship going and I love how they truly know each other.  They have inside jokes and they bounce ideas off one another that truly make you smile if you have someone like that in your life who just simply gets you.  These two are absolutely amazing and the show would not be as entertaining without them.  It looks like their marriage is going to be tested once again, but I am confident that these two will come out even stronger.  They make me really believe that true love does exist even if you have to deal with some messy drama along the way.  And it’s really, really messy!  I hope you enjoy season three as much as I did and I absolutely recommend it.  Ready to watch?

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

**I am so excited to announce that my book, The Search for Alice, is now available!  If you enjoy dark fantasy, fairy-tale retellings, paranormal romance, horror, and mystery, then this might be the book for you or someone you know!  Thank you for taking the time to check it out and I appreciate any feedback as well.  I hope you enjoy!

The Search for Alice is available here!

The Search for Alice Feb 2019

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

@TV_Fanatic_Girl

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**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!

Do you love horror series?  Of course you do!  Please also check out 12 Nights of Horror Series Coming Soon.  It’s your home for everything you need to know about new and returning horror television series including new trailers, premiere dates, reviews, recaps, and renewals! 

My Ship of the week ending 4/6/19 on TV goes to…

Joel and Sheila Hammond on Santa Clarita Diet.  So I recently binge-watched the first two seasons of this show on Netflix and I’m about to finish up the third season and I fell in love with Joel and Sheila.  They may be the cutest couple I have seen on television in a while.  Their chemistry is amazing and they are absolutely hilarious together.  I almost feel like they could be married in real life because they are so in sync with one another.  Their marriage is far from perfect, but it becomes so much more complicated when Sheila becomes undead.  You would think that Joel would take his daughter and run for the hills, but he is there for Sheila every step of the way.  They are the perfect partners in crime and they keep the laughs and passion going.

I constantly root for these two and I think that they represent what a true marriage or partnership is all about.  They are willing to take the fall for one another and they even take their vows to the next level.  I mean, until death do us part could get Joel out of this contract, but he’s not going anywhere.  His love for Sheila is beautiful and unconditional and I absolutely love watching these two go on crazy adventures together.  They balance each other out perfectly and they further their friendship as well.  Their relationship continues to be tested over and over, but they stay strong and keep their family together.

What’s next for Joel and Sheila?  We’ll have to stay tuned to find out, but it looks like Joel has a very important decision to make about his future.  Even though it seems like new threats are being thrown their way constantly, I know that Joel and Sheila’s love will never burn out, as they truly represent an epic ship for me, proving that anything is possible when you have the person you love beside you.

Stay tuned for a recognized Ship on TV each week!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

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Have a Ship that you think is absolutely swoon-worthy? Feel free to contact me with your nomination for the week by Friday at midnight! 

**I am so excited to announce that my book, The Search for Alice, is now available!  If you enjoy dark fantasy, fairy-tale retellings, paranormal romance, horror, and mystery, then this might be the book for you or someone you know!  Thank you for taking the time to check it out and I appreciate any feedback as well.  I hope you enjoy!

The Search for Alice is available here!

The Search for Alice Feb 2019

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!