Necrotongue

My first four-star rating of the second season. That's cause for celebration.  The creators nailed it with the Halloween party, infusing humor and a zombie infection into the sixth episode. This episode certainly stands out and feels almost out of place. Abed deserves props for the best costume, but gotta give credit to the creators...Shirley and Chang hooking up, not even I would have come up with that! :-) / Lesson learned: Zombies are dangerous, but they can't compare to the tax office.

Even in this case, the creators failed to do a good job. This episode was completely off. The only star goes to the great Abed, and I'm finally clear on who the most annoying character is. The gang of uncontrollable retirees was shamelessly ripped off from Monty Python, except instead of grandmothers, they mostly used grandfathers. / Lesson learned: Anything but religion!

After giving it another go today, this movie struck me as one of those where Americans try to make an effort at self-reflection, but the notes of this tune sound false when you put them in the context of real politics. Setting the theme aside, I'll review the movie as some sort of detective story. As such, it felt mediocre because it lacked tension and a well-developed atmosphere. However, I did appreciate the character of Sergeant Deerfield, who showcased the skills of a Native American tracker. Detective Emily Sanders, played by Charlize Theron, didn't disappoint either, even though she masochistically pressed her injured nose against her palm and touched the victim's body without gloves. So, the characters were decent, but the story left something to be desired. I had the feeling that the creators geared up for a big drama, but then lost their courage, exhaled, and did a very sloppy job. / Lesson learned: Even an experienced investigator can be betrayed by intuition. 3*-

I can't imagine giving a lower rating. The seventh episode really hit the spot. It doesn't happen very often, but every now and then, a series comes along that I just can't fault because it seems downright perfect to me. With each new episode, The Offer solidifies its spot as exactly that kind of gem. Once again, I reveled in the finely crafted atmosphere and a world where the film industry and organized crime seamlessly intertwine. It's still blowing my mind how I can feel the suspense, even with the knowledge of how it all plays out. The creators really know their stuff. / Lesson learned: Every supper can be the last.

It looks like the creators of the series have settled into their groove in the second season, and my rating seems to be stuck at a steady level. The only issue is that the standard they've settled into is pretty darn low. This episode initially got me excited with its parody of big-budget space movies, and I started to feel hopeful. But alas, that annoying preachy tone came back. / Lesson learned: Claustrophobia is not a desired accessory for a stay in a spaceship or a submarine.

Oh well, the pace of the second season feels even slower than the first one. The third episode didn't deviate from the established pattern, where the creators make a decent effort to be funny but fall a bit short. After three episodes, they've only managed to squeeze a few uncertain smiles from me. It lacks that light touch and feels a bit forced. / Lesson learned: Judicial power can bestow upon you a Power that no Jedi has ever dreamt of.

While I found the previous episode to be very poor, this one managed to step up and get to the level of just poor. It failed to deliver a fresh dose of entertainment, awkwardly following up on previous events. The only reason I could muster a second star was for Annie and her perfectly mastered enchanting. / Lesson learned: Think on your feet.

After the first season finale, the start of the second season couldn't unpleasantly surprise me anymore. The first episode smoothly continued the previous story, delivering exactly what I anticipated – more relationship troubles paired with minimum weak humor. Then came the bonus: it looks like annoying Chang is set to be even more annoying, as he'll be present in a larger dose than before. The only positive aspect of the episode was the anthropology professor with her blowgun and energy drink. / Lesson learned: Now that's what I call a sustainable resource.

The first season had some serious ups and downs. The episodes were all over the place in terms of quality. Thankfully, none of them hit straight-up garbage. For me, the real deal-breaker was how they handled humor. I was disappointed all too often. / Lesson learned: When it comes to comedy, skip the moral lectures, just give me the laughs.

What a weird finale for the first season. The vibes from this episode were on the same wavelength as the one before it. Thank goodness for those sporadic moments of humor, or it would've gone from what I thought was gonna be a sitcom to this odd romantic drama I was dreading. It couldn't compare with the paintball episode. / Lesson learned: When faced with two choices, go for the third one.