Tag: blackmail

Spoiler-Free Review of “Two Summers” on Netflix: Blackmail and Friendship

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

“To friendship…”

Two Summers (Twee Zomers) premiered on Netflix on June 3rd 2022. The Belgian drama thriller series features six episodes available to stream now. It stars An Miller, Koen De Bouw, Ruth Becquart, Kevin Janssens, and Inge Paulussen. Each episode runs for approximately 44-48 minutes minutes.

A group of friends reunite on a private island after thirty years, as past secrets are revealed that could destroy them forever.

Here is the trailer:

Two Summers channels Who Killed Sara? by weaving the past and present together in an addicting mystery thriller. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

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Images courtesy of Netflix

An addicting whodunit plot.

Much like Who Killed Sara, this series had an addicting mystery that connected from the past to the present. I was trying to piece everything together as the episodes continued, which made it an engaging and compelling watch. There was a core mystery centered around a horrific crime, but there were also other secrets revealed throughout the series that kept me on the edge of my seat.

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Images courtesy of Netflix

Gorgeous setting.

I don’t know what it is, but I just love thriller series that take place on an island. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking. I also thought the choice of setting really showed how things can appear to be beautiful and peaceful on a superficial level, but the darkest parts of someone can be kept hidden. 

The Cons:

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Images courtesy of Netflix

Dark and heavy content…

The crime in question was very difficult to watch and viewers should pay attention to the warning messages at the beginning of certain episodes. Some of the content in this particular series was emotionally draining at times, so be prepared for that.

So am I in or out?

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Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in!

Two Summers is a decent mystery thriller that will keep you guessing.

This was an addicting watch from start to finish, but be prepared for some dark and heavy content.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Two Summers 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!

**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 “Riverdale” season 2 episode 13: “Norman Bates made it look so easy.”

Happy Thursday TV fans!  After watching the CW’s Riverdale season 2 episode 13 last night, I have to admit that even I did not see some of these twists and turns unraveling.  While we will need to wait until early March for a new episode to air, let’s focus on what we know and what we still don’t know for today.  Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch yet.  In last night’s episode, “Chapter Twenty-Six:  The Tell-Tale Heart,” Betty goes down a dangerous path and makes the decision to help her mother and Chic clean up a mess that won’t make her guilt disappear along with it.  Archie makes the brave decision to stand up to Agent Adams and Veronica chooses to do the right thing, weighing it above her family loyalty.  Meanwhile, Cheryl refuses to let her mother ruin another family and Jughead decides to take on the big boss, Mr. Lodge to strike up a deal.  My top 5 moments from Riverdale season 2 episode 13 are:

5

Jughead has a meeting with Mr. Lodge.

Jughead refuses to sit by quietly and enlists the help of his father, FP to sit down for negotiations with Mr. Lodge.  Veronica happily mediates the discussion which seems to be full of all of the niceties one would expect at a legitimate business meeting.  Mr. Lodge and the Jones family agree that they want peace in the land.  After Mr. Lodge offers to meet them half-way, Jughead refuses to keep his name out of the expose he is writing and tells him “no deal.”  FP is proud of his son and supports him completely.  It’s good to see the Jones family making the right decisions.  After all, making a deal with the devil deserves some much needed contemplation.

4

Cheryl does the right thing.

When Cheryl learns that her mother is having an affair with Hal Cooper, she argues that she is “destroying families with her courtesan ways.”  Her mother shocks her by telling her that it’s the real deal with Hal and she doesn’t even blink an eye at the thought of shattering Alice Cooper’s family.  Cheryl refuses to accept this especially after witnessing Betty sick to her stomach at school.  Assuming it must be directly related to her family breaking apart; Cheryl confronts Hal and warns him to stay away from her “harlot mother.”  Even though she offers to keep things quiet from Betty, Cheryl makes the decision to tell her what’s going on anyway because she feels it is the right thing to do.  It looks like Cheryl is finally going down the right path.  There doesn’t seem to be any ulterior motives here, but will her mother cross her once she finds out about her betrayal?

3

Veronica visits Mayor McCoy.

Even though Veronica has accepted her new role in the family business with open arms, it’s clear that she is not about to let her conscience be corrupted in the process.  When she finds out that her parents intend to blackmail Mayor McCoy with information on the affair she is having with Kevin’s dad, Veronica makes the brave the decision to tell the Mayor what is going on.  In an effort to protect her reputation, she admits to her what her parents know and Mayor McCoy asks “how much time do I have?”  She steps down from her position as Mayor and Veronica reminds her parents that she is no longer a threat and exposing her now would only be cruel.  Will her parents find out that she has put the Mayor over her responsibility to her family?  Will Veronica be able to get out of this with a clean conscience?  Time will tell but it’s great to see that she still has her morals intact.

2

Betty comes clean to Jughead.

While still withholding some very pertinent information from her on-again-off-again boyfriend, Jughead, Betty cannot keep her latest secret to herself.  In the beginning of the episode, “the lives of the Cooper women were forever changed,” as Betty decides to help her mother cover up the murder of the shady man who came to see Chic.  When Betty comes down for breakfast the next day, she is appalled that Chic and her mother are sitting there bright eyed and bushy tailed without any hint of remorse.  Her anger leaks out when she says “I don’t like chocolate chip pancakes” in disgust.  The doorbell rings and Betty shatters the plate in her hand, revealing her own guilt and nerves about what took place the night before.  She is unable to let her guilt go as she goes back to the body and takes the man’s phone, going through each number to provide her with some sense of truth or closure.  Betty learns that Chic is lying to the family as his info appears in the shady man’s phone, but Alice refuses to let Betty start a fight and divide the family.  Not knowing where else to turn, Betty confides in Jughead about what has taken place and they sink the shady man’s car that has been parked on Betty’s block for two days.  Not wanting for Betty to make the same mistake his family has, they bring in FP who helps dispose of the body and keeps their secret, understanding full well what a cover up can do to a family.  Even though everything seems to be safely hidden under the surface, we know that things don’t always stay buried for long.  Will someone come looking for the shady man?  What else is Chic keeping from the family?  How will Betty and Jughead cope with such a dark secret?

1

Archie meets “the boss.”

Archie is facing quite the dilemma when he has second thoughts about spying on the Lodge family.  He loves Veronica very much and feels awful about what Agent Adams is asking him to do.  Agent Adams pays his father a visit, reminding Archie what’s at stake here, but Archie holds his ground, risking everything to protect the Lodge family.  He goes to Mr. Lodge and tells him everything, putting all his cards on the table.  Later in the episode, Archie is escorted off to see “the boss.”  Not knowing what to expect, the car pulls up to a secluded spot to reveal Veronica’s mother, Hermione Lodge as the HBIC. She reveals to Archie that Agent Adams isn’t real and this was all a test.  Archie is completely shocked by this revelation.  Luckily for Archie, he made the right decision, but what else is the Lodge family capable of?  Now that he has been accepted into their family, what will they expect from him in return?  We will need to wait until March 7th 2018 for new episodes to air, but there are still a lot of mysteries to be solved.  Stay tuned to find out!

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Riverdale below.  Happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

Ranking the top 5 moments from “Riverdale” season 2 episode 10 mid-season premiere: Dangerous Liaisons

Happy Thursday TV fans!  After watching the CW’s Riverdale season 2 episode 10 last night, I am so beyond thrilled that one of my favorite shows on television is back with new episodes.  The episode did a great job of tying up some of the loose ends and unanswered questions from the mid-season finale.  Worlds collided and new characters and agendas were introduced, proving that the drama is nowhere near over for Riverdale.  Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch yet.  In last night’s episode, “Chapter Twenty-Three:  The Blackboard Jungle,” Veronica happily embraces her new productive role within the Lodge family business.  Archie is approached by an FBI agent and Cheryl learns that her mother is happy being a “woman of the night.”  Meanwhile, South Side High is officially closed; bringing everyone together for a happy reunion at Riverdale High, but Jughead is not ready to conform just yet.  Betty decides to track down her last chance at family after a disappointing visit from Polly, which could be the most dangerous decision of all.  My top 5 moments from Riverdale season 2 episode 10 are:

5

South Side & Riverdale High Schools collide.

In the beginning of the episode, it is revealed that the mayor is shutting down South Side High School because of dangerous fumes from a meth lab in the basement along with other issues involving drug trafficking.  Where will Jughead and the Serpents go to school?  You guessed it…Riverdale High School.  While some students don’t seem to care very much about the change, others take a stand on both sides, refusing to share their space with their enemies.  While this decision to bring all the students together created its own sense of drama and chaos, the real question still remains as to what the Lodge family has to gain from this?  Mr. and Mrs. Lodge clearly desire the land underneath South Side High School but why?  Are they making a play to take over the entire town?  Who will get stepped on in the process?

4

Cheryl crashes the Welcoming Committee.

Veronica eagerly steps up to lead the Welcoming Committee, hoping to make a good impression on her parents and the entire student body.  She even convinces Archie to help with it as well to keep the peace.  Everything seems to be going well until Cheryl and some other angry students storm in, refusing to welcome the South Side students with open arms.  Veronica comically refers to Cheryl as “Facist Barbie,” but Cheryl is unaffected by this, labeling the South Side students as “ragamuffins.”  She tells Archie that he is on the wrong side and even attempts to black-mail him, revealing that she witnessed the secret kiss he shared with Betty.  Cheryl proves once again to be the classic mean girl we adore, refusing to sit by on the sidelines.

3

“A Serpent never sheds his skin.”

You would think that Jughead would be excited to return to Riverdale High School.  Even though he and Betty broke up, all of his friends are there and it’s not like he has been gone that long.  When the Serpents cross paths with Cheryl and the jocks, Jughead is beyond frustrated.  After a student paints graffiti on the school emblem, the principal makes the quick and rash decision to ban the Serpent jackets from school.  Toni and some of the others are fine with the decision, happy to have new computer labs and a legitimate chance at a good education, but Jughead becomes more and more angry, refusing to comply.  After he refuses to take off his jacket, he gets in a fight and is suspended.  Jughead eventually comes around and decides to form a club so that they can still get together on campus, without revealing that they are a gang.  He explains that it will be their “safe haven” and that they will be “lying low in the tall grass.”  What exactly is Jughead planning?  Has he gotten in too deep with the Serpents?

2

Betty finds her brother.

Betty is surprised to find Polly in her bedroom, picking up a few things and nonchalantly sharing the news that she had the twins already.  When Polly goes back to the farm without even staying to say hello to their parents, Betty is feeling hurt and abandoned by her sister, causing her to put her Nancy Drew skills to the test once more.  Betty is not good at sitting still, always diving into a new mystery to solve, refusing to take a minute to actually deal with her feelings.  She tracks down the address of her brother, Charles Smith and lets her parents know that she wants to go and meet him.  While Betty’s father wants no part of this, Mrs. Cooper visits Betty later that night and confides to her that she does want to meet her son.  When they walk through the seedy motel to find him, Mrs. Cooper latches onto Betty’s arm, as if the infestation and filth will seep through their bubble of perfection.  After meeting Charles or “Chic” as he likes to be called, Betty and Mrs. Cooper are horrified by his lifestyle and surroundings, feeling somewhat responsible for his current conditions.  After Betty returns to check in on Chic, she finds him being attacked and stabbed.  Betty saves the day with Pepper Spray, proving once again that she is not one to mess with.  After taking Chic home, the Cooper family helps stitch him up and gives him a place to stay, but did they just “let another monster in?”  Clearly there is something not right with Chic, especially after we see him standing over Betty’s bed in a beyond creepy way.  Archie is not so sure they got the right bad guy…so is it possible that Chic is the real Black Hood?  I’m thinking yes, but we will have to wait and see what this new character has in store for Riverdale.

1

Archie begins spying for the FBI.

At the end of the mid-season finale, Archie was clearly being watched, as someone took secret photos of him.  We now learn that this was Agent Adams who works for the FBI and is seeking Archie’s help to be the inside man spying on the Lodge family.  While Archie is hesitant about this at first, he soon realizes the importance of protecting his father and his girlfriend, Veronica.  His first mission is to find out what really happened to Nick St. Clair, as the FBI has reason to believe that Mr. Lodge is responsible for his “accident” and is heavily involved in “organized crime.”  After Archie learns that Nick also tried to attack Veronica, he is beyond angry.  Archie proves to be the white knight coming to the rescue of both Veronica and Cheryl, paying Nick a surprise visit to get the check that Cheryl deserved.  Archie lets his emotions get in the way, however; punching and attacking the already injured Nick several times before leaving.  Archie is warned about this and realizes that he cannot let his emotions get in the way again if he is going to be successful with his mission.  He now feels ready to do what needs to be done:  to take down the Lodge family and assist the FBI.  Archie even comes clean with Veronica and tells her about the kiss he shared with Betty, truly wanting a fresh and honest start with his girlfriend and reminding himself that he will do anything to protect her…even if means bringing down her own family in the process.  Is Archie in over his head?  Most likely, but I’m rooting for him just the same.

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Riverdale below.  Happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl