Spoiler-Free Review of “Saint X” on Hulu: Alycia Debnam-Carey Stars in a Layered Murder Mystery

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

“Sometimes it feels like the whole world knows more than I do…”

Saint X premiered on Hulu on April 26th 2023 with the first three episodes available to stream now. There will be eight episodes in total. The mystery-drama series stars Alycia Debnam-Carey, West Duchovny, Josh Bonzie, and Betsy Brandt. Each episode is approximately 44-48 minutes.

Emily searches for answers about her sister’s death years later when she comes face-to-face with a person of interest from the crime.

Here is the trailer:

Saint X has an intriguing premise told through different perspectives and timelines, but does it do enough to hold our attention? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

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Images courtesy of Hulu

Alycia Debnam-Carey gives it her all.

Alycia Debnam-Carey stepped into this role after Victoria Pedretti left the project, but I have to admit that she is the main reason why I am watching this series. I am a big fan of hers and I think she is really putting forth a lot of emotions, but I’m hoping her character gets a chance to grow with more screen time in the remainder of the episodes. She’s very talented and has elevated a lot of flat moments so far.

A solid mystery at its core.

This is one of those series where we’ll have to wait until the end to understand what truly happened to Emily’s sister and I’m hoping it pays off. I love the resort setting and I appreciate that this series is trying to step away from the typical murder mystery formula to focus on aspects of class, race, and relationships. It may be taking on a bit too much, but the effort is there.

The Cons:

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Images courtesy of Hulu

Slow and exhausting at times…

The premise is so interesting to me, but I haven’t been hooked just yet and I’ve already watched three episodes, which is usually my limit. I’m going to give the series a chance because I’m hopeful that the payoff will be rewarding enough, but the pacing needs a lot of improvement. The constant jumps between timelines are really confusing at times and the transitions are choppy.

Doing way too much.

I know that this series is trying to step away from the typical mystery-crime series we see airing nearly every week, but I personally feel that it needs to take a step back and just focus on the main story, which is interesting enough. I’m all for developing characters and learning more about them, but it’s not translating well yet and a lot of the content has been dull and uninspiring, which is disappointing.

So am I in or out?

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Images courtesy of Hulu

I’m 50/50 on this one…

I’m going to give it a few more episodes for Alycia, but the pacing really needs to pick up drastically to keep me invested.

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

A VACATION TO DIE FOR…

Blood Rose Island Ad

When sisters, Nina and Gemma are vacationing in Hawaii with their friends, they get invited to an exclusive party on a private island that seems too good to be true. There’s only one rulethey can’t miss their ferry at midnight or they’ll have to wait until morning to leave the island. Only they didn’t realize that breaking this rule meant they would be hunted down on the island one by one.

Who will make it off the island alive?

I hope you enjoy my new island thriller!

Blood Rose Island is available here!

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Spoiler-Free Review of “You” Season 3 on Netflix: Best Season Yet!

**This is a spoiler-free review of season 3 so feel free to read on!**

“We are the best team…”

You is back for a third season as we follow Joe to the suburbs. Season 3 premiered on October 15th 2021, featuring ten episodes available to stream now on Netflix (approximately 45-50 minutes in length). The show stars Penn Badgley, Victoria Pedretti, Dylan Arnold, Shalita Grant, Scott Speedman and Tati Gabrielle.

You season 3 continues the relationship of Joe and Love in their new home as they welcome their new child into the world, but some old habits are hard to break when it comes to jealousy and obsession…

Here is the trailer:

You has always been a binge-watcher’s dream but season 3 was beyond addicting. It transformed the show into something even greater, giving us plenty to talk about. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

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Images courtesy of Netflix

Dream duo!

I really enjoyed the first two seasons of You, but season 3 was a game changer for me and part of that was thanks to the dynamic between Joe and Love. Joe is off his game in a lot of ways and Love keeps him on his toes. They are both dangerous and deadly and I loved the Bonnie and Clyde/Mr. and Mrs. Smith vibe going on throughout the season. 

If you think your marriage has issues, watch these two!

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Images courtesy of Netflix

Great new characters.

I loved all of the new characters introduced. They really added to the whole suburban environment. We know that people wind up in serious trouble when they cross paths with Joe and Love, but I thought that some of the interactions were really outrageous in a good way and they kept me invested throughout my watch.

The Cons:

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Images courtesy of Netflix

Where do we go from here?

There will be no spoilers in this review but A LOT happened in season 3 and now I’m left wondering what’s next for Joe? I really liked the new direction of the show so we’ll have to see if it can keep that momentum going since season 4 has already been confirmed. This isn’t necessarily a con, but I hope that the next season can keep the level of intensity going because this show is really addicting!

So am I in or out?

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Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in!

This was my favorite season so far! I loved the dynamic between Joe and Love and I could not stop watching this show. I finished all ten episodes in just over a day because it was that addicting!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on You season 3 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…

Rule number 3

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 “The Haunting of Bly Manor” on Netflix: Perfectly Splendid

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

“Everything yields to time…even the soul.”

The Haunting of Bly Manor is the second season of The Haunting of Hill House horror anthology series. Based on The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, the second season takes a fresh take on the classic ghost story. The Haunting of Bly Manor stars Victoria Pedretti, T’Nia Miller, Tahirah Sharif, Amelia Eve, Oliver Jackson-Cohen and Carla Gugino. The second season premiered on October 9th 2020 with nine episodes (approximately 55 minutes in length).

Dani is looking for a fresh start in London and comes across an ad for a live-in governess position at Bly Manor. Upon her arrival, she quickly discovers that there is a mystery surrounding the property, endangering the lives of the children as well as her own.

Here is the trailer:

The Haunting of Bly Manor has the potential to take this ghost story to the next level, but after the disappointing 2020 film, The Turning, it may need to do a lot more to keep its audience invested. Does The Haunting of Bly Manor live up to the welcomed scares of the first season? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

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Images courtesy of Netflix

Chilling and intense scares.

I wouldn’t say that the second season scared me as much as the first one, but it was a different kind of fear building throughout the episodes. It was more of an unrelenting chill that wedged itself deep within my bones. While it was a different approach, the fear was real and there were some genuinely scary moments sprinkled in that will have you on the edge of your seat.

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Images courtesy of Netflix

Incredible characters.

You will recognize some familiar faces in season two as many of the actors from the first season returned to reprise different roles, which was a lot of fun. Some of the newcomers were absolutely brilliant as well and I have to say that the characters all had so much depth.

I think that the women really stood out for me in the second season. Each character flashback or reveal was so powerful and it really helped me connect even more to the characters.

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Images courtesy of Netflix

Reveals that are worth the wait.

Each puzzle piece was threaded together with perfect execution. As soon as I thought I had something figured out, I was thrown for a loop. The slow burn build was extremely rewarding and well worth the wait. Even though the episodes were on the long side, I was completely mesmerized by every single scene.

The Cons:

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Images courtesy of Netflix

I really don’t have one con to list. The only thing I will mention is that this may be more of a beautiful piece of gothic romance rather than a true ghost story. However, I thought that worked perfectly. What I witnessed transcended the need to classify this show to a specific genre. The presence of a storyteller really allowed the classic words to come alive across the screen while bringing in new elements to the story.

So am I in or out?

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Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in 1000 percent!!!!!!

This may be the best show I have watched all year. I thought that everything was executed perfectly. This show struck me to my core. I laughed, I cried, and I found myself beyond connected to all of these characters. There is something to be said about a piece of work that can resonate with you that much even after it’s over.

Perfectly splendid and then some!!!!!

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

If you have time, I would love it if you would check out my book, Dash and Seek in the link below. Thank you and I hope you enjoy!

PLAY BY THE RULES…STAY ALIVE…

Main promo smaller

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!

**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 “You” Season 2 on Netflix: Lifetime Dexter Does It Again

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

Obsession looks good on Joe Goldberg, played brilliantly by Penn Badgley.  After season one became a streaming sensation on Netflix, I was slightly worried that season two would not be able to deliver, but starting over in a new town gave us plenty of opportunities to witness Joe’s dark narrative come alive once again.

You (season two) began streaming new episodes on December 26th 2019 on Netflix.  Season two features ten episodes (about 50 minutes in length).  It stars Penn Badgley, Victoria Pedretti, James Scully, Ambyr Childers, Carmela Zumbado, and Jenna Ortega.

In season two, Joe moves from New York to L.A. and is determined to get a fresh start as “Will,” but things get complicated when he falls in love with his new romantic interest, Love.  He quickly becomes entangled in her family drama, which mostly involves her twin brother, Forty.  Joe tries to be a better person, but the darkness within him continues to stir, as he starts to lose self-control once again.

If you loved season one, you are probably wondering if season two lives up to it?  Let’s find out!

The Pros:

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Images courtesy of Netflix

Strong supporting characters that steal the show.

As much as I love listening to Joe’s moody narrative, it can get a bit stale if we don’t shake things up with some interesting characters.  My biggest issue with season one was that I actually really didn’t like Beck as a character.  In season two, I really thought that Love had a lot of potential, but I was also intrigued by her twin brother, Forty, who is absolutely hilarious.

Joe’s new neighbors, Delilah and Ellie, are also both fantastic.  You care about their stories and they really allowed us to see Joe/Will’s struggle to be a hero you can count on.  Being a serial killer can get in the way of this; however, but these characters spark a lot of goodness within him, which really helps him grow as a person despite all of his past inner demons.

Joe’s backstory is revealed and seamless connections to season one questions.

We get a lot of flashbacks sprinkled in during the episodes about Joe’s childhood, which help us understand him a bit more.  Even though we get a new setting and characters for season two, I thought the connections to season one worked perfectly.  They weren’t forced or excessive and they really answered a lot of questions that I had without hitting us over the head with unnecessary cameos.

Really great twists.

I did not see the ultimate twist coming and I was very impressed with it, bringing me in that much more.  This show is addicting and I tend to watch it all in one sitting because I don’t want anyone to spoil it for me.  Each reveal was well timed and I actually thought this season was even better than the first.

The Cons:

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Images courtesy of Netflix

Less kills than season one.

I mean, I guess that shows growth in Joe’s character, but I kind of missed seeing all of the Dexter-like kills from season one, but the ones we do get are rewarding enough.  That being said, it’s hard to continue listening to Joe’s conflicted narrative when we don’t get some surprising kills thrown into the mix to balance that out.

Can’t escape that Lifetime feel.

The show actually did originally air on Lifetime and Netflix ended up picking it up, but there are a lot of scenes that just scream Lifetime with so many over dramatic moments.  But to be honest, that’s why we are watching this.  I can’t say that this surprised me and we witness so many real and honest performances to balance this out, but there were some scenes that were just a little bit too outrageous.

So am I in or out?

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Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in 100 percent!  I really enjoyed season one of the show, but I loved season two even more. “I wolf you season two!”

This show is beyond addicting.  It’s dark and obsessive, but it also has so many genuine moments of compassion and humor. 

Stand out character:  Forty, who basically stole the show for me. 

Season two was also not afraid to make fun of itself, even having one of the characters comparing Joe’s actions to Dexter, which I appreciated.

The twists were so great and the pacing worked so well, making this show the perfect one to binge-watch.  I hope that we get a season three because this show is fantastic!

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

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

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**Do you love television shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Once Upon a Time, Lost, Charmed, The Vampire Diaries, and Supernatural?  Do you enjoy dark fantasy, fairy-tale retellings, paranormal romance, horror, and mystery?  Then you may like my book series, Dreaming of Wonderland…available on Amazon!  Thank you for taking the time to check it out and I appreciate any feedback as well.  I really hope you enjoy!

The Dreaming of Wonderland Book Series is available here!

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