Spoiler-Free Review of “Chambers” on Netflix: Trippy Horror Identity Crisis

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

“It’s the unseen energy that surrounds your body. It tells you who you really are inside.” But what happens when your aura is shared with someone else? A good question for sure and Sasha Yazzie is about to experience this first hand after she survives a heart transplant and begins to feel more than connected to her dead donor, Becky Lefevre. Sasha is welcomed into Becky’s former home, as Becky’s family desperately tries to make a connection with her, still coping with the death of their teenage daughter.

Sasha learns that Becky’s death may not have been an accident after all, as she starts to put the pieces together after experiencing some hallucinations and distant memories. But are they actually hallucinations or has Sasha tapped into Becky’s spirit somehow? I’m ready to find out, as Sasha tries to unravel the mystery behind Becky’s death, but will she lose her own soul in the process?

Chambers currently features 10 episodes, all streaming on Netflix as of April 26^th 2019. It stars Sivan Alyra Rose, Marcus LaVoi, Uma Thurman, Tony Goldwyn and Lili Taylor. The show sort of has an indie horror supernatural vibe mixed with 13 Reasons Why, as we get some teenage drama sprinkled in along with some Native American culture. Throughout the series, we are presented with different suspects and new twists and turns, as we try to piece together the mystery surrounding Sasha and her dangerous passenger.

The Pros:

The premise of the show and the opening episodes are really intriguing.

The show actually starts off brilliantly. It captured my attention right away and I was immediately drawn to Sasha’s character and I felt a connection to her. The first three episodes of the series are haunting, eerie, and unique. They present us with some legitimately scary moments of horror, while introducing us to the other elements of the show, which immediately drew me in to the mystery.

The performances are believable and the characters are unique.

I have an issue with shows that give me an awesome story and plot, but characters who are underdeveloped and acting that is lacking. However, I almost felt the opposite with this show. The performances were incredible and moving. Stand-out performances go to Sivan Alyra Rose as Sasha and Uma Thurman as Nancy. All of the characters had interesting qualities and I even believed the friendships and relationships going on around them. I almost felt like these performances were too good for this series and they deserved better, but they did keep me invested in the show.

The music soundtrack and setting.

I don’t always pay attention to a music soundtrack, but this show has an amazing one. Throughout the series, we get an excellent mix of soulful R&B, subtle techno, and mesmerizing moody rock. The kind of moody rock that makes you want to lie down on your floor and listen to it again and again, while staring up at the ceiling and contemplating the world around you. And this worked perfectly with this show. The music mirrored the indie trippy vibe I was getting and I loved it.

The song that stuck out the most for me, and probably for you too, is “I Wanna Be Adored” by The Stone Roses, which you can listen to below.

Sasha begins hearing this song in Becky’s car and we later hear it again and again, as we learn that it has a connection to Becky’s mysterious death. Seriously, I loved it so much that I have been jamming out to it myself and dancing around, but I have yet to come in contact with another soul so far, so I guess my aura is clear for now. One of the lyrics in the song is, “I don’t have to sell my soul. He’s already in me,” which is clever and spot on, as Sasha deals with her own soul sharing.

The imagery through the setting of the show is beautiful and intriguing as well. The show takes place in Arizona, but was mostly filmed in New Mexico and gave me a Breaking Bad nostalgia. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking and the fade-ins and camera angles worked well with it, which was a pro for me. This show had so many beautiful and mysterious elements and this was complimented by the setting for sure.

The Cons:

This show drags in so many parts.

While the first three episodes moved rather quickly for me, the remaining episodes felt slow and I think it’s mostly because there were too many filler moments that just didn’t work. Each episode runs about 40-45 minutes, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but if it feels like an episode is taking forever, that’s not so great. There were just too many moments of fluff in-between that didn’t really do anything for the show and it just slowed down the tempo too much for me, while only giving me small pieces of the mystery I invested so much time into.

This show doesn’t really know what it wants to be.

So, my title for today’s blog included identity crisis and I think that’s probably this show’s main problem. It just felt like it didn’t know which way to go. While it is perfectly acceptable for genres to overlap with one another, this show seemed like it was zigzagging all over the place. Many of the plots started to branch out on their own with no real set-up or explanation. I was along for the ride, but I often felt like I was hallucinating myself, as I tried to grab hold of what this show was truly trying to be, which was kind of exhausting and disappointing.

So am I in or out?

Overall, I was actually really frustrated with this show because I felt like it had the potential to be absolutely brilliant. The first three episodes were different and unique and the pros that I mentioned earlier really held my attention. Even the ending of the show is really great and it left us with a major cliffhanger that will need to be explored if this gets picked up for a season two. I feel like a few tweaks could have made this show so much better. For example, we get 10 episodes, but I think this show could have been done in 6-8 episodes max. More episodes isn’t always better and this actually caused the show to drag and spiral out into too many directions.

The premise and the mystery will keep you guessing and is enough to hold your attention, but I guess I was just so upset that this could have easily become one of my new favorite shows if it just tried a little bit harder. Overall, I’d say it was OK to pretty good and I’d give it a B minus-B range. I wouldn’t say that you need to stop what you are doing to watch this, but it does have enough going on to provide you with some entertainment and some creepy horror elements, so I’d say to add it to your future watch list, once your other favorite shows stop airing new episodes.

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

**Book Two of the Dreaming of Wonderland series is scheduled to come out in June 2019 so stay tuned on that!!!!!

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Spoiler-Free Review of “Black Summer” on Netflix: More than a Prequel to “Z Nation”

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

“You can’t be immortal if you ain’t alive.” A valid point for sure, but how is one actually defined as a member of the undead these days? While we are all used to the slow moving walkers in The Walking Dead universe, the infected we see in Black Summer sort of have a 28 Days Later vibe, as they move much quicker, which may have you contemplating your own cardio workout to stay prepared.

So are they actually zombies or are they something else? Either way, if you are craving some zombie apocalypse fun, you’re in the right place. Black Summer has been advertised as a prequel to Z Nation, but the show actually can stand on its own and that’s how I plan on reviewing it.

The show currently features 8 episodes, all streaming on Netflix as of April 11^th 2019. It stars Jaime King, Justin Chu Cary, Christine Lee, Sal Velez Jr. and Kelsey Flower. We follow these survivors and witness what occurs after the zombie apocalypse first takes place, as they all desperately try to make it to the stadium to find missing loved ones and some kind of sanctuary.

However, the threats keep coming, as our characters are tested again and again while the undead continues to threaten their survival. But we also find that these characters have to watch out for each other as well, as it’s difficult to earn one’s trust during the zombie apocalypse.

The Pros:

Black Summer Sun — Image courtesy of Netflix

The episodes are the perfect length.

The beginning episodes start out at about 40-45 minutes and as we move through the show, they actually shorten to 30 minutes and even 20 minutes, which makes binge-watching this show very feasible. I watched the first episode on Thursday night and I finished up the show the following night with very little effort.

The transitions between characters are clever and well done.

Another viewer mentioned to me that these transitions sort of reminded them of Pulp Fiction and I tend to agree. Credit on that goes to @NerdswithFriend on Twitter. We have seen so many shows and movies that feature a zombie apocalypse and it’s difficult to stand out and truly make a story unique. However, the clever fade-ins and transitions allow us to easily see things from different perspectives and it also helps quicken the pace of the show.

Some of the characters are absolutely fantastic.

While I was annoyed by some characters on the show, there are some standout performances. Christine Lee as Sun is truly amazing and you will root for her even more than the main billed cast. You may find yourself trying to determine who is going to make it and who will bite the dust, so to speak, but I will say that I was pleasantly surprised that so many of the characters did not just mold themselves into the stereotypical roles we sometimes see.

Some characters that you assume will make it, don’t, and others that seem so incompetent actually manage to scrape by, but I think that makes the show that much more entertaining.

Bone-chilling and terrifying moments.

There are some genuinely scary moments on this show and I found myself on the edge of my seat, not knowing what to expect. Sometimes the moments come out of nowhere, but I think that makes them even more brilliant. Maybe you will see some of the moments coming, but I think that they deliver and I still have been replaying some of them in my mind, as I have just created a whole new set of nightmares for myself.

The Cons:

Black Summer — Image courtesy of Netflix

The moments following the zombies around.

So I appreciate that the show is doing something different with these zombies, as they sprint after you as soon as they are turned, grunting and moaning. However, the noises are kind of jarring and distracting, as I found myself actually laughing several times when we followed around a zombie who was looking for their kill.

The show is meant to be serious so I know that this was not intended, but I just couldn’t take some of these zombies seriously. I don’t know if it was the acting or if was the amount of time we spent actually following them, which made me focus on this so much more, but it was slightly underwhelming and it took away from some of the initial scares.

The fluff in between the terrifying moments.

I’m all for character development and I’m not saying that the show needs to be jam-packed with zombies attacking, but I often found myself bored in between these moments. Some episodes are much better than others, but I think that the lack of background music during these moments really made this worse.

Don’t get me wrong, I thought that the lack of background music was brilliant during the moments where the characters were under attack, but how long do we need to follow someone walking in silence?

There are major plot holes.

I know that this a prequel, but I found several plot holes throughout the show and I was hoping to get some answers, but I realized that this was not going to happen once I got to episode 6, which was slightly disappointing.

So am I in or out?

Black summer 6 — Image courtesy of Netflix

I was initially very excited to watch this show because I absolutely love anything with zombies. However, after watching the first episode, I was slightly disappointed. Fear not, as I give all shows three episodes to start making a real assessment and the show did get better with each episode. However, I think that the show had a lot of potential to be absolutely brilliant, but it decided to settle comfortably as a standard zombie apocalypse show instead.

I’m not really sure if this show truly separated itself or provided us with anything new about the apocalypse, but it definitely had some terrifying and compelling moments.

If you love shows about zombies, I definitely recommend it and even if you don’t, you may find yourself intrigued for a quick binge-watch. However, I wouldn’t say that you need to move it to the top of your watch list, but the show had a lot of redeeming qualities and captured enough of my attention to make it an entertaining watch for sure.

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

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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:

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

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Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

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5 Spoiler Free Reasons why you should watch “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” Part Two on Netflix: Dancing with the Devil

“My soul is who I am and I signed it away willingly.” So what happens when we make that Faustian deal? Are we destined for darkness or can we still choose a path of light? For Sabrina Spellman, finding a balance between her mortal life and her witch one becomes that much more complicated in Part Two. Part Two features 9 episodes and they are all currently streaming on Netflix as of April 5^th 2019.

After watching all of the episodes in one weekend, I can tell you that I am even more hooked than I was before. While Part One subtly dipped us into darkness, we have now submerged ourselves in it completely, as the gates of hell threaten everyone in Greendale. However, sometimes the most dangerous threat is staring back at us in the mirror. Do we embrace the darkness or do we continue to fight for good to prevail? 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 Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Part Two are:

Part Two is darker.

The spells are darker, the threats are darker, and even the romance is. Sabrina embraces her life as a witch, but quickly realizes that she may no longer be able to balance it with her mortal life. We learn about dark prophecies and fears, as Part Two does not hold back. It gives us the perfect amount of horror and has quickly become one of my favorite shows about witches of all time.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer nostalgia.

Some fans of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina mentioned that they thought the show was similar to Buffy back in Part One. While I did see some similarities with certain episode plots, it still seemed far away from Buffy, which is one of my favorite series of all time and it’s difficult for a show to even come close to this for me. However, Part Two was a different story. We discover a lot about the gates of hell in Part Two, which will have you thinking about the hellmouth in Sunnydale. Also, Sabrina’s mortal friends come together and start helping out a lot more this season, reminding me a lot of the Scoobies in Buffy. Alexis Denisof (Wesley from Buffy and Angel) is a fun guest star and we also see a darker romance for Sabrina, which gave me a lot of Bangel feels. The end of Part Two will have you making some comparisons to “Becoming Part II” of Buffy, which is my favorite episode of all time. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is unique and can stand on its own, but I thoroughly enjoyed some of these parallels, which made me like the show even more.

All hail the Villainess, Ms. Wardwell.

One of my favorite characters on the show is Ms. Wardwell, better known as Lilith. In Part Two, her character is explored a lot more and she becomes even more entertaining, if that is possible. I always love a worthy villainess and while some of the Weird Sisters continue with their antics in Part Two, Ms. Wardwell takes the cake as a villainess you do not want to mess with. We get to understand a little bit more about her motives as well and her dynamic with Alexis Denisof’s character, Adam, is very entertaining.

Kiernan Shipka.

I devoted a previous blog to Kiernan Shipka’s performance as Sabrina Spellman and even gave her my performance of the week. Kiernan elevates Sabrina’s character to something greater in Part Two. She is so convincing and she constantly challenges authority, proving to be a female role model one can look up to. Sabrina never shies away from a challenge and always speaks her mind and tries to do what she can to make a difference. She is so believable and strong, but she makes mistakes too, allowing us to relate to her that much more. I absolutely love seeing Sabrina’s character enter into more layers, as we get to peel back each one to discover more and more about who she is and who she is destined to be.

New and dangerous threats.

Part Two gives us so many new threats and a lot of twists and turns as well. Sabrina continues to be tested and we get a huge reveal later in the season, which will have you glued to your television. Even with all of the dangerous threats thrown Sabrina’s way, she continues to persevere. However, we quickly realize that Sabrina’s biggest threat may be herself, but are we ever truly able to separate our darkness from our humanity? Just when you think you have witnessed the Big Bad of Part Two, a new threat emerges, keeping us entertained and guessing until the very end. I fell in love with this series in Part One, but my love has now quickly become an obsession, which is a good thing. I hope you enjoy Part Two 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 Chilling Adventures of Sabrina in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

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Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

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Spoiler-Free Review of “The Twilight Zone” Reboot

“You’ll have to decide how much you are willing to give to the Twilight Zone” and I think this pretty much sums up my thoughts on the series so far. Welcome to The Twilight Zone 2019 reboot, hosted by Jordan Peele. The original Twilight Zone series ran from 1959-1964 with five seasons and 156 episodes. The show was created by Rod Serling and it has been rebooted several times now as a 1983 film, a 1985 TV series, a 2002 TV series, and now with the latest addition in 2019.

The new series is airing on CBS All Access and you can currently watch the first two episodes as of April 1^st 2019. I did a free week subscription to check them out if you don’t already have CBS All Access. The season will feature 10 episodes. Starting April 11^th, the episodes will air weekly (On Thursdays) from my understanding. The show has a lot going on and it definitely tries to pay tribute to the original series, but I wasn’t really blown away by the plot for the first two episodes. The episodes run about 55 minutes in length and I constantly found myself checking the time, as it felt like it was dragging. I think that the episodes could have given us the same impact and mystery within 30-40 minutes.

The performances are believable and well done and we will get to see an amazing cast featured, which is definitely a positive. I also thoroughly enjoyed Jordan Peele’s narration, as I found myself ready to embrace the Twilight Zone. However, the story-lines for the first two episodes were somewhat predictable. I invested myself into the mystery, but I quickly found myself guessing the outcome. I appreciate that the show is trying to make its mark within our own society to stand out, but it failed to capture my undivided attention. Both episodes were slow moving, but they did have some redeeming moments. This was slightly underwhelming; however, as I typically make my determination of a show within 3 episodes.

From my understanding, the third episode (releasing April 11^th) featuring Sanaa Lathan, is the best one so far and is actually really well done and unique. I will definitely circle back and give this episode a chance, as I am a big fan of Sanaa and I would like to see her performance. However, I’m wondering why the series did not lead with this episode if it is so outstanding? I think that many viewers may tune out after watching the first two episodes, which really didn’t do much, especially since you need to continue with some kind of subscription to keep watching.

I appreciate that the show is trying to do something unique within our own society and time, but I found myself wanting to check out old episodes of The Twilight Zone instead. Overall, I still think that you should give the show a chance to make your own determination and check out the first two episodes, which did have some redeeming qualities, but I’m not sure that the series will truly stand out on its own the way it was intended to.

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

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Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

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Spoiler-Free Review of “What We Do In The Shadows” FX Series Premiere: Fangtastically Funny

Happy Friday TV Fans! The wait is over and What We Do In The Shadows is finally here! The show is based on the film of the same name from 2014 and it is brought to us by Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement. If you are not familiar with the movie, it is a mockumentary following a group of vampires living together in New Zealand. FX was awesome enough to actually play the movie the day before the series premiered, which gave me time to re-watch it and enjoy the campy horror fun. I mean, seriously there were so many bloody dishes to clean…

If you are a fan of the film, you will absolutely fall in love with the series as well, which now takes place in Staten Island, New York. Love that! Even if you have never seen the film before, you will enjoy the series, which is kind of like The Office if it followed vampires. In the series, we follow a different group of vampires, but it is set in the same universe as the movie, which means a crossover is not out of the question. Fingers crossed! The series introduces us to Nandor, Laszlo, Nadja, and their human familiar, Guillermo. However, my personal favorite was an energy sucking vampire named Colin, who can bore everyone to death with dull conversation starters, which is probably the funniest part of the show so far.

Overall, I thought that the series premiere had a lot of potential and provided us with some really funny moments, especially the grocery store scene, which was laugh out loud hilarious. Not all of the jokes landed for me, but I had the same issue with the film, so I think it comes down to comedy preference, which is not necessarily a bad thing. However, there is a void right now in horror comedies, as shows like Ash vs Evil Dead, Stan Against Evil, and Scream Queens have all been canceled. I still don’t get why, but that means that there is definitely room for What We Do In The Shadows to provide us with some much needed horror comedy. We will get 10 episodes of the first season and I’m looking forward to some bloody brilliant comedy for sure!

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

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Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

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Spoiler-Free Review of “The Order” season 1: Secret Societies, Werewolves, and Magic

“Magic isn’t good or evil. It just is.” Welcome to The Hermetic Order of the Blue Rose, a secret society filled with magic practitioners, but this is no Hogwarts, as we dive into a dark war between werewolves and The Order. Our main character, Jack Morton, finds himself in the middle of it, uncovering secrets about himself and his family, but what side will he end up choosing?

Love the premise? Me too, which is why I was initially very excited to binge-watch this show. The Order premiered on March 7^th 2019 and is available to stream all 10 episodes on Netflix.

After watching the entire season within two days, I have a lot of mixed feelings on it. I absolutely love that the show takes place on a college campus, rather than the typical high school setting we see with these types of series that are filled with teen drama with some light horror around the edges.

The show has a feel of The Covenant mixed with The Secret Circle, which should give you a good indication of whether you will like it or not. I was also excited to see some familiar faces like Sam Trammell from True Blood, Max Martini from Revenge, and Jewel Staite from Firefly.

The show has a lot going on, but I wasn’t really pulled in until the third episode. This was slightly underwhelming, as there are only 10 episodes in season one, but the plot was intriguing enough to keep me invested. The spells gone wrong are fun and the show is not afraid to kill off main characters, keeping our attention.

Even the main love story is not nauseating and it doesn’t take away from the plot, which was a plus. However, I wasn’t overly impressed with the acting from the majority of the cast and some of the humor did not land the way it was intended to.

I also felt like the show started to go in a few different directions, but ended up having a solid ending, leaving us with a major cliffhanger that will have you wanting a second season. It has been confirmed that The Order has been renewed for season 2 so it looks like we will get some answers after all.

Overall, I enjoyed the series, but I wouldn’t say that I had to stop what I was doing to watch it. If you like these types of shows, you will be entertained enough, but I recommend first watching shows like Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Light as a Feather, which did a better job of holding my attention.

However, if you are finding yourself in need of a quick show to binge-watch, this might be the perfect option for you, as it does have a lot of redeeming qualities.

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

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Spoiler-Free Review of “Mia Morris’ Diary” Series: A Vampire Mystery Sprinkled with some Campy Horror Fun on Top

“I want you to believe…to believe in things you cannot.” A modern retelling of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Mia Morris’ Diary is a web series released by Black Cat Film Productions currently streaming on YouTube. It is inspired by The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, Notes by Christine, and The Cate Morland Chronicles. The series follows Mia Morris, who has been leaving video diary messages for her boyfriend, who is currently studying abroad. However, a lot of spooky things begin to happen, as a vampire becomes drawn to Mia and her close friends, luring them into danger and darkness. Mia reacts to everything that is happening and tries to make sense of it as best she can, but there are some things that simply cannot be explained. As she continues to uncover the mystery surrounding her, Mia’s world is turned upside down, as she starts to question everything and everyone around her. Do vampires really exist and what do they want with her?

I was very excited to watch this show, which is now available to stream all 22 episodes on YouTube. If you love binge-watching like me, then this series is the perfect option for you. Each episode is only a few minutes in length, which is actually really great. You can pick up right where you left off without missing anything, which is sometimes difficult to do during most television series. I love being drawn into a series immediately and the pilot episode allowed me to do so, providing us with some setup, but also introducing us to the mystery right away so that we crave instant answers. While some episodes contain welcomed fluff, others are eerie and hypnotizing, inviting us into the story. I found myself playing Nancy Drew along with Mia to uncover the mystery and unmask the villain.

The lead actress provided us with a believable performance and I thoroughly enjoyed when all of her friends came together to make sense of the madness. Think the Scoobies from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. There was just the right amount of campy horror fun mixed in to balance out the drama behind the vampire seduction. When I started the web series, I felt that it had a lot of potential. However, the series can be somewhat slow moving at times in the middle. I would have liked to have seen more scenes involving the group coming together to solve the mystery, but that’s just because I really enjoyed that dynamic. Overall, I think that the show is worth a stream if you find yourself craving some vampire mystery fun. I mean, who doesn’t love a good vampire story?

Ready to check out the series?

Watch Mia Morris’ Diary Now!

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

@TV_Fanatic_Girl

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Spoiler-Free Review of “A Discovery of Witches” season 1: To Stream or not to Stream

“It begins with absence and desire. It begins with blood and fear. It begins with A Discovery of Witches.” Based on the All Souls trilogy by Deborah Harkness, the television series follows Diana Bishop, played by Teresa Palmer, an alchemist and a reluctant witch, who comes across “Ashmole 782,” which is a mysterious text that has been missing for quite some time and is desired by many witches, vampires, and demons. After discovering the text, Diana crosses paths with a vampire named Matthew Clairmont, played by Matthew Goode. Can you guess what comes next? Of course there is a love story, which makes things complicated, as witches and vampires are forbidden from being together.

So am I in or out? I was initially very excited to watch this show, which is now available to stream all 8 episodes on Sundance Now and Shudder. I have read the trilogy and I absolutely adored the first book in particular. When I started the television series, I felt that it had a lot of potential. However, the series can be slow moving at times and other characters are introduced a little bit too much, which caused me to continue to go back to see who everyone was and why they were there. So to stream or not to stream? If you are a fan of Twilight or The Originals, you will enjoy the series.

There are only 8 episodes, but I felt like things didn’t really get going until episode 6. The love story is moving enough, the acting was impressive despite some empty conversation starters, and there were even some formidable villains. You will most likely connect more with Matthew than Diana. Think Mr. Darcy if he were a vampire. I was also very impressed with Satu played by Malin Buska, who was absolutely brilliant.

I very much enjoyed the history of the witches and Diana discovering her powers along with the introduction of dark magic, but I would have liked to see a better balance here. I understand the need to focus around the love story, but I think this might actually turn some fans away, as it is somewhat similar to Twilight, which could be off-putting, even though I ship Diana and Matthew a lot more than Bella and Edward. When I read the book series, I fell in love with the creepy library atmosphere and the mystery behind discovering the text, which was glossed over very quickly on the show. The series has gotten a lot of attention in the UK and has already been renewed for seasons 2 and 3, which opens the door to more time walking and more magic. If you are a fan of the book series, I think you will enjoy the show and appreciate how much they try to incorporate everything, but if you are a casual fan, it may miss the mark for you. Overall, I think that the show is worth a stream if you find yourself craving a good supernatural love story. However, if you are looking for something dark and disturbing, this may not be your cup of tea.

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

**I would love it if you would take a moment to check out my Whizbuzz Book page via the link below for everything you need to know about my new book, The Search for Alice, including my author bio page and links to my website and social media sites! Thank you!

My Whizbuzz Book Page

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

@TV_Fanatic_Girl

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!

I am so excited to announce that my book, The Search for Alice, is now available! If you enjoy 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!

When Kallie Bennett, a jaded teenage girl plagued by her alcoholic mother and her peers molded out of sheer bubble gum perfection, chases after Alice in Wonderland herself, she ends up lost in her own version of Wonderland, which forces her to face her utmost fears and introduces her to familiar characters with a dark twist. Among these characters is Ches, a gorgeous vampire with a conflicted conscience, who becomes Kallie’s guide and blossoming love interest. She also crosses paths with Queen Hartley, a manipulative witch who has the power to strip away one’s memories and imagination, which brings a bone chilling new meaning to “off with their heads.” In The Search for Alice, Kallie starts to realize that her Wonderland is just as frightening as her own reality and that she cannot always run away from her problems. She must figure out a way to defeat Queen Hartley and return home before it is too late, but she soon learns that escaping Wonderland means leaving Ches behind forever.

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

The Search for Alice is available here!

5 Spoiler Free Reasons why you should watch “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” on Netflix: A Binge-Worthy Treat That Is Everything You Crave”

“What’s the point of being a witch if I can’t help the ones I love?” An excellent question for sure, as half-mortal Sabrina Spellman learns that being a witch is not all fun and games. If you had the choice to be a witch or a mortal, what would you choose? Would you continue on your normal path or would you choose the path of night? The Netflix series is based on the Archie Comics series, which was also the inspiration for the sitcom, Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996-2003). While the sitcom was a fun and lighter take on Sabrina’s adventures, the Netflix series is a much darker approach. The show features 10 episodes and they are all currently streaming on Netflix as of October 26th 2018. After watching all of the episodes in one weekend, I can tell you that I absolutely adored this series. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is the perfect portion of Riverdale bubble gum pop dipped in delicious darkness. It is absolutely enchanting and I highly recommend it. Please note that major spoilers have been left out for your convenience. My top 5 reasons to check out Chilling Adventures of Sabrina are:

This show tackles real issues.

Welcome to Greendale. While the town is known for its spooky and Halloween-like atmosphere, it is also near Riverdale and it should be noted that these two series do connect. If you are a Riverdale fan like me, you will be pleasantly surprised with a few mentions and connections along the way. Even though the town has a lot of dark and mystical things going on, the series also sheds some light on some important issues. Sabrina and her friends witness and deal with sexual harassment and bullying, reminding us that there are some real life horrors happening along with the supernatural ones. The show does a good job of making us aware of these important issues and promoting female empowerment, while seamlessly continuing on with the plot.

The supporting characters.

It is sometimes difficult for the supporting cast to step into the spotlight, especially when there is a strong lead capturing our attention. However, I was delighted by a lot of the supporting cast. I give standout performances to Lucy Davis (Hilda Spellman), Chance Perdomo (Ambrose Spellman), Tati Gabrielle (Prudence), Michelle Gomez (Miss Wardwell), and Miranda Otto (Zelda Spellman). These characters all complimented Sabrina so well and I could really see a true connection among the Spellman family. You will be delighted by all of them.

Episodes 5, 8, and 9.

While all of the episodes were fast paced and fun, these three were on a completely different level. I will not spoil anything for you, but I would definitely recommend giving these three episodes your undivided attention. Episode 5 provided me with some Buffy the Vampire Slayer nostalgia and episodes 8 and 9 were shocking and dark, pulling the story in a twisted direction and further developing the character of Sabrina. These episodes are not predictable and they will have you on the edge of your seat. Enjoy the ride!

Sabrina Spellman.

Played by Kiernan Shipka, Sabrina is a strong female protagonist who you can truly root for. Kiernan is absolutely enchanting and she really captured the essence of the character. Sabrina makes mistakes along the way, but that is part of her charm. She’s flawed, but she has so much inner strength and loyalty to her friends and family. Sabrina always tries to do what is right to protect the ones she loves. She sort of reminds me of a mix between Riverdale’s Betty Cooper and Harry Potter’s Hermione Granger. She is a fast learner and is willing to go against authority to try and keep her moral compass intact. Sabrina is not afraid to stand up for what she believes in and she is constantly challenging everyone, reminding us that she is not just a powerful witch, but a powerful and amazing woman.

A worthy series about witches.

It’s not always easy to provide the audience with a true representation of witchcraft. There is always the allure of having magical powers and casting spells, but there needs to be a balance as well. Shows like Charmed and American Horror Story: Coven were able to capture this along with movies like The Craft. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina tackles everything from truth spells to resurrection ones and reminds us about “personal gain” and real consequences. While it may seem glamorous to be a witch, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina reminds us that it’s not always this simple. Sabrina is trying to find her own identity as a person, but also has to deal with making a choice between her mortal life and her destiny to become a witch. It’s a decision that weighs on Sabrina for quite some time and she begins to understand that magic cannot always solve everything. While the show will provide you with some fun magical moments, it also reveals the darkness and sacrifice that comes with it. Overall, I was truly impressed with this show and I cannot wait until season 2. I absolutely recommend this spellbinding series to everyone. Ready to watch?

My Whizbuzz Book Page

Stay up to date on upcoming premieres of horror TV series @ 12nightsofhorror.com/horror-series-coming-soon

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

@TV_Fanatic_Girl

[twitter-follow screen_name=’TV_Fanatic_Girl’]

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!

Want to read more? You can click the link directly below for a free preview. Thanks for your support!

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

The Search for Alice is available here!