Spoiler-Free Review of “Anatomy of a Scandal” on Netflix: A Guilty Pleasure Binge-Watch with a Twist

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

“It meant nothing…”

Anatomy of a Scandal is a new limited series drama from Big Little Lies creator, David E. Kelley. It released on April 15th 2022 on Netflix with all six episodes available to watch now. The series stars Sienna Miller, Rupert Friend, Naomi Scott, and Michelle Dockery. Each episode runs for approximately 44-48 minutes.

When a scandalous secret comes to light, Parliamentary Minister, James Whitehouse is put on trial, as he risks losing his job, his family, and the respect of the people.

Here is the trailer:

Anatomy of a Scandal will remind you of shows like The Undoing and Big Little Lies, but it manages to tell a new story of its own with powerful performances. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Addicting with a twist I did not see coming!

I love David E. Kelley shows, but I didn’t know if I would like this one based on the premise. I started the series Saturday morning and quickly finished it within one day because it was very easy to binge-watch and I had to know what happened next with each episode.

We also got this twist that I did not see coming. If you’re looking for your next guilty-pleasure binge-watch, you’re in the right place.

Fantastic cast.

I thought that everyone really played their part well. I liked all of the actors in this series and I was drawn in more because of their performances. Some of the scenes were a little over-the-top but I sort of expected that with this type of series. Plus, Sienna Miller’s wardrobe was incredible!

The Cons:

Weird slow-motion camera views and silly dialogue at times…

I didn’t really get the slow-motion falls throughout this series. I think that they almost glossed over the real reactions and emotions we were seeing, which wasn’t really necessary in my opinion. Some of the dialogue was painful to get through (especially in the earlier episodes) but I think this improved over the episodes or perhaps I just got used to it. The flashbacks were also done in a chaotic way and I would have liked a more seamless transition during certain ones.

So am I in or out?

I’m in!

Addicting with an insane twist worth sticking around for!

If you enjoy David E. Kelley and Harlan Coben-esque series, you’ll enjoy this one as well.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Anatomy of a Scandal 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 new supernatural thriller Girl Number Thirteen releases on November 12th 2020! Available for pre-order! I hope you enjoy!

Girl Number Thirteen is available here!

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Spoiler-Free Review of “Nine Perfect Strangers” on Hulu: Is Wellness truly worth it?

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

“Wellness here I come!”

Nine Perfect Strangers is a new mini-series from David E. Kelley (Big Little Lies, Big Sky) based on the bestselling novel by Liane Moriarty. The show premiered on August 18th 2021, featuring three episodes available to stream now on Hulu (approximately 45-50 minutes in length). The remaining five episodes will air weekly. The show stars Nicole Kidman, Melissa McCarthy, Samara Weaving, Luke Evans, Regina Hall, and Bobby Canavale.

Nine Perfect Strangers introduces us to nine people who have been invited to an exclusive wellness retreat with extreme measures. As they all come searching for “transformation” and a wellness of sorts, they quickly learn that they are signing up for a lot more with their eccentric guru, Masha (Kidman), who may be hiding a few secrets as well.

Here is the trailer:

Nine Perfect Strangers has an amazing cast and an interesting premise, but does it do enough to hold our attention? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

A cast to be excited about.

I’m always thrilled to see Nicole Kidman in pretty much anything, but wow this cast is truly fantastic. I am a huge fan of Samara Weaving and I love how she always immerses herself completely in whatever role comes her way. While I have mostly seen her in horror films, she has quite a bit of range and I almost didn’t recognize her at first because this character was so different.

Melissa McCarthy is so funny and while her films are usually hit or miss for me, I am finding her to be the best part of the show right now and she is helping balance out a lot of the heavy emotional parts.

The rest of the cast is very talented and I’m interested to explore each character more (including the staff at the Wellness retreat).

A plot that draws you in.

There is a lot left to be revealed here, but I already have so many questions and theories and that’s usually what happens whenever I watch a David E. Kelley show. There are a lot of secrets embedded within the walls of this wellness retreat and I want to know more about Nicole Kidman’s character and what her true motivation is.

The show is doing a good job at bringing me back for more and I’m excited to find out where it’s going to lead us.

The Cons:

Not my favorite role for Nicole Kidman.

Nicole Kidman is so talented, but I’m not really feeling this new role for her. Some of the other characters are a lot more interesting, but she does have a lot of mystery surrounding her own character.

I think my biggest issue is her Russian accent. I’m not really buying it and it’s throwing me off a little. I think her character is serving as more of a plot device right now, which is slightly disappointing but I’m hoping that we can explore some more layers soon.

Wavering in its identity.

After watching the first three episodes, I’m not really sure what this show wants to be. Is it an emotional drama? Is it a show about self-discovery? Is it a mystery? I’m not really sure and it’s starting to go off in many directions.

That being said, it’s still reeling me in enough with each episode to keep me coming back for more and I tend to always feel slightly unsure of David E. Kelley’s shows initially, but once all of the reveals begin to unravel, things get a lot more interesting.

I’m hoping that happens here too because I would hate to see this show get lost in the void especially since it has such an amazing cast.

So am I in or out?

I’m in about 75 percent…

I’m intrigued by this show and I think that it has a lot of potential. I’m already reading a lot of comparisons to The White Lotus (I still have to watch this) which makes the timing of this release seem slightly problematic.

That being said, I think that the cast is really wonderful and there is a great dynamic between all of the characters. There is a lot left to discover and I think the show has done enough to keep me invested. I’m confident that the reveals will be worth it, but I hope we start to learn more about the mystery behind everything in the next few episodes.

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

PLAY BY THE RULES…STAY ALIVE…

A harmless night of fun turns deadly for six college friends but the game has only just begun. Take a mystery thrill ride right from your own living room. Dash and Seek is out now! I hope you enjoy!

READ IF YOU DARE…

Dash and Seek is available here!

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Spoiler-Free Review of “Big Sky” on ABC: Highway Thrills and Spills

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

Beware the open road…

Big Sky premiered on ABC on November 17th 2020. The series will feature 10 weekly episodes. It stars Katheryn Winnick, Kylie Bunbury, Ryan Phillippe, and Brian Geraghty.

Based on the novel, “The Highway,” this new David E. Kelley series follows a small town kidnapping mystery, revealing character connections along the way.

Here is the trailer:

Big Sky may be the new roadside thriller we need, but does it do enough to keep us invested? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of ABC

Enough twists to keep you coming back for more.

I wouldn’t say that this thriller is delivering anything new, but it’s just what I need right now. I want to know more and the twists grabbed my attention. That will at least have me coming back for two more episodes to see what is going on here.

There are some creepy and intense moments sprinkled in as well, but we need more!

Images courtesy of ABC

Supporting characters steal the show.

There are plenty of familiar faces in this series and I was excited to see Ryan Phillippe back on the small screen. I’m a huge fan of Cruel Intentions and I Know What You Did Last Summer, but I really enjoyed his performance in the suspense series, Secrets and Lies that came out a few years ago.

However, I have to give props to some of the minor characters who managed to keep this show alive in the midst of some lacking performances. The potential victims are a lot more interesting than some of the obvious stars and I want to know more about them.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of ABC

The sub-plot is lacking…

I mean, really lacking. We jump into these soap-opera-esque cat fights filled with bad dialogue and acting. I was honestly ready to turn the show off during several points because of this. The mystery is enough to keep me invested for now, but that can quickly change.

Weird mentions of the pandemic.

I don’t know if this was meant to be intentional because of the timing of this release, but we get a few misplaced mentions of the pandemic. Only we don’t see anyone wearing masks and there is little context here.

I’m not sure that this was really necessary and it didn’t do the show any favors.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of ABC

I’m about 50/50 on this one.

The acting and writing is lacking in a lot of areas and it may be enough to make you tune out on this one for good, but if you enjoy guilty-pleasure thrillers, there is enough happening to keep you coming back for more.

I have to admit that the twist at the end of the pilot episode changed my tune and now I want to see what happens next. Either way, I’m in for a little bit more, but I’ve definitely lowered my expectations.

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

DON’T TAKE THE JOB…

My new 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 “The Undoing” on HBO: Nicole Kidman returns to the small screen

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

The Undoing is a new mystery drama limited series from Big Little Lies creator, David E. Kelley. It premiered on HBO on October 25th 2020. The series will air six weekly episodes on HBO and HBO max. It stars Nicole Kidman, Hugh Grant, Donald Sutherland, Lily Rabe, and Matilda De Angelis.

Based on the novel, You Should Have Known, The Undoing follows Grace Fraser, (Kidman) who is a successful therapist living in New York City with her husband and son. After meeting a new mom at a school auction group, a mystery emerges and secrets begin to unravel.

Here is the trailer:

Those of us missing Big Little Lies may be extremely excited about the team-up between Kelley and Kidman once again, but comparisons are not always the best thing for a new show. Does The Undoing do enough to earn its own merit? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of HBO

Incredible cast!

Much like Big Little Lies, The Undoing has an amazing cast. The acting is incredible and Nicole Kidman really shines as Grace. I am also really intrigued by Elena’s character. There is this magnetic mystery radiating from her and I want to know more!

I can’t say enough good things about Nicole Kidman, but I need to take a moment to fully appreciate how stunning she is in that dress at the auction…wow! I have a feeling we will see elegant and timeless fashion from her over the episodes.

I want to know more! Mission accomplished.

Images courtesy of HBO

There is this slow burn approach to the series, as we immerse ourselves in Grace’s life and the drama that surrounds it. The acting is so good and I was never really bored.

As soon as we got to some of the reveals later on in the pilot episode, I was hooked. I have so many questions and I need to watch the next five episodes immediately.

The mystery is a good one and I’m invested for sure.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of HBO

Comparisons to Big Little Lies.

It’s hard not to make comparisons when you have the same creator and the same lead actress, but comparing this show to Big Little Lies is not doing it any favors. Rather, I think that if you take a step back from that and treat this show as something completely separate, you will enjoy it more.

This is supposed to be a psychological thriller with drama and it is succeeding so far. While I do see the similarities between the two shows, I am going to give this show the proper chance it deserves.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of HBO

I’m in!

This show is exactly what I need right now. It presents us with a compelling mystery that hooks you right away. Nicole Kidman is incredible and I can’t wait to watch more episodes!

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

DON’T TAKE THE JOB…

My new supernatural thriller Girl Number Thirteen releases on November 12th 2020! Available for pre-order! 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!

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