Tag: scooby gang

Spoiler-Free Review of “The Hardy Boys” Season 2 on Hulu: A Mystery with Edge

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

“Find another mystery…”

The Hardy Boys (season 2) premiered on Hulu on April 6th 2022 with ten episodes available to stream now. The series stars Rohan Campbell, Alexander Elliot, Bea Santos, Keana Lyn, Riley O’Donnell, and James Tupper. Each episode runs for approximately 42-44 minutes. 

Based on the iconic book series, this new re-imagining of The Hardy Boys takes place in the 1980’s. Frank and Joe Hardy are back to solve a new mystery plaguing the town of Bridgeport, but are they in over their heads this time around?

Here is the trailer:

The Hardy Boys managed to omit a lot of the teen drama that can sometimes weigh down shows like Riverdale and Nancy Drew in season one, making it a welcomed addition to the amateur sleuth genre, but does season two do enough to bring the audience back for more? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Hulu

Darker mystery this time around…

I enjoyed season one, but the mystery was just kind of okay for me. Season two pulls us in right away with a darker mystery with supernatural elements which gave this series a more mature edge this time around. I think this worked in the show’s favor and I actually got through these episodes fairly quickly because I was so intrigued by what was really going on.

Loved it!

Images courtesy of Hulu

Supporting characters get more development.

Season one focused primarily on the Hardy brothers, but I appreciated that season two took the time to really develop some of the supporting characters. Everyone contributes to the “Scooby Gang,” but we actually got to give some other characters with potential a chance to shine, which was nice to see.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Hulu

Frank’s trippy visions…

I didn’t mind the visions, but I had an issue with the way they were portrayed to the audience. They were just really distracting and they took away from the nostalgic Hardy Boys feel just a little. I also felt like I needed to do a re-watch of season one to remember a lot of what was going on since it’s been some time since that aired. There was a lot to remember!

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Hulu

I’m in!

I actually enjoyed season two more than season one. The 80’s nostalgia and music soundtrack was fun once again and we got a chance to actually develop some of these interesting characters a lot more with a super creepy mystery!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on The Hardy Boys 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 new 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 “Chosen” on Netflix: Teen Sci-Fi Series with Angst

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

“What’s out there?”

Chosen premiered on January 27th 2022 on Netflix with six episodes available to stream now. The Danish sci-fi series stars Malaika Mosendane, Andrea Heick Gadeberg, Andreas Dittmer and Anders Heinrichsen. Each episode runs for approximately 40-45 minutes.

A young girl discovers a secret truth behind the meteor that hit her small town years ago, bringing her into a mystery surrounding its origin and her own destiny.

Here is the trailer:

Chosen feels very much like a teenage style Fringe as it attempts to balance out a sci-fi mystery with teen drama. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Strong main character.

I really liked the character of Emma and I thought that the actress did a great job with her portrayal. Whenever I watch a series centered around some kind of female “chosen one,” I want her to really stand out and I thought that Emma managed to do that in this series.

All of the other characters had layers as well which made it easier for me to connect to them all. We got a likable Scooby gang to give this show a Nancy Drew feel at times and I think that it worked for the most part.

Intriguing mystery at its core.

I really liked the mystery behind the show and I think that each episode did enough at the end to bring you back for more. There were a lot of secrets and reveals and I think that the show still has a lot of unanswered questions to address if it gets a season two.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Too much teen drama at times.

I appreciate that this series wanted to channel a Stranger Things vibe in a lot of ways, but it could have benefited from some more humor. The teen drama felt overwhelming at times and I tuned out at certain points because of this.

There were also some pacing issues in the beginning of the series. 

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in about 75 percent…

Perfect for fans of teen fantasy/sci-fi series. There is enough content here to keep viewers entertained. I have a lot of questions after watching the first season, but I think this show is a unique gem that a lot of fans will truly enjoy!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Chosen 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 “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” in Theaters: All Around Fun

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

“Who you gonna call?”

Ghostbusters: Afterlife released in theaters on November 19th 2021. The film stars McKenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard, Logan Kim, Celeste O’Connor, Carrie Coon and Paul Rudd. It runs for just over two hours.

After getting evicted from their home, a mom and her two kids move into their grandfather’s old farm house, as they soon unlock some secrets and connections to the original Ghostbusters.

Here is the trailer:

Ghostbusters: Afterlife attempts to continue the Ghostbusters story with some new characters while still sprinkling in some nostalgia for fans of the original film. Does it do enough to earn a watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Sony Pictures

The new characters do a great job.

I was slightly worried about this, but I really loved all of the new characters. Phoebe was my favorite and really stole the show. The kids had a Scooby gang charm and Paul Rudd brought some humor into the mix as well.

Images courtesy of Sony Pictures

Good balance of nostalgia and something new.

I thought this worked for the most part. Fans got plenty to be excited about and we also got a lot of entertaining and new elements added in. I didn’t think the cameos or the nods at the original were too forced. Everything just worked naturally and it was a lot of fun!

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Sony Pictures

The middle dragged…

I thought the film started off strong and the ending really brought it home, but I started to lose interest in the middle of the film. The pacing needed some work and I think that the film was slightly too long. I didn’t need something major happening at all times, but I think this could have been tightened up a little bit to make the film more seamless overall.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Sony Pictures

I’m in!

Overall, this was an entertaining watch. I loved all of the cameos and I think that the film did enough to keep fans happy. I think the pacing could have been a lot better and the plot didn’t do anything that extraordinary, but this was honestly a blast to watch and I had a lot of fun!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Ghostbusters: Afterlife 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!

Spoiler-Free Review of “The Girl in the Woods” on Peacock: Can another Chosen One make an impact?

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

“Deep in the woods lies a secret door…”

The Girl in the Woods released on October 21st 2021 on Peacock with all eight episodes available to stream now. The supernatural drama series stars Stefanie Scott, Sofia Bryant, Misha Osherovich, Will Yun Lee and Leonard Roberts. Each episode runs for approximately 25-30 minutes.

A young runaway flees a cult destined to protect the world from the monsters beyond the door when she crosses paths with two new friends in West Pine, Oregon, as their two worlds collide.

Here is the trailer:

The Girl in the Woods has a familiar formula that has worked for shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the more recent Warrior Nun, but does this show do enough to find its own identity? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

The Girl in the Woods spoiler free 1

Images courtesy of Peacock

Creepy flickers here and there.

The door that Carrie is sworn to protect can unleash monsters from our nightmares and some of the ones we see are actually kind of terrifying and creepy in a good way. I think that the premise is a decent one and the woods can be terrifying on their own, creating a supernatural mystery that has some potential.

The Cons:

The Girl in the Woods spoiler free 2

Images courtesy of Peacock

A chosen one without any edge.

Shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Stranger Things, and even Warrior Nun understood the importance of having an empowering chosen one to really light up the screen. Unfortunately I didn’t really connect with our chosen one in this series…at all.

The acting wasn’t horrible, but there was just no personality and even though we are supposed to understand that she grew up away from society, I needed more layers to truly care about her.

I actually connected more with the two friends who had some redeeming qualities. We form another type of Scooby gang (which had its moments), but it wasn’t enough to spark any real interest here.

Really predictable…

I really made a valiant effort to connect to the mystery even with the bland chosen one, but a lot of the reveals were just so predictable and uninspiring. There were moments meant to create some kind of emotional response in the audience and yet I found myself frustrated and really bored unfortunately.

There was no real humor in this show either and the lighting was so dreary. The episodes are only about twenty-five minutes each, which should make this easy to binge-watch, and yet I found myself checking the time, which is never a good sign in terms of pacing.

So am I in or out?

The Girl in the Woods spoiler free 3

Images courtesy of Peacock

Unfortunately I’m out on this one…

If you are going to use a popular formula, you need to really make sure it delivers and this one just felt extremely forgettable. I needed so much more from this show and even though there were some glimmers of potential sprinkled in, the creepy vibe was stifled by the uninspiring main character and the overall predictable and bland feel of the show.

I’d recommend re-watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer instead.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on The Girl in the Woods 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 Only 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!