MONTH OF TV SHOWS - 2021!

Finally getting caught up on some of my writings for the end of 2021!  As has been the case with most people, I was too busy dealing with the holidays but also most importantly with the growing concerns over the pandemic and the latest variant.  This did not stop me from my watching habits as October was my Month of TV Shows!  Just to put everything into perspective, I was only able to view nine series during the month, but they were a mixed bag indeed.

 

Let’s start off with the animated series that I viewed.  I was finally able to catch up with the Pacific Rim spin-off series Pacific Rim: The Black (Season 1), which was better than I expected.  The series managed to bring the fun and adventure of the live action films to an animated series that is post the events of the films.  This series opens the world that was only hinted at in the films and will appease both fans of the films and fans of more mature animation. 

Next up was my viewing of the final season of the amazing Castlevannia (Season 4), which is one of my favorite animated series from Netflix.  I’m glad this series was able to be given a proper send off and able to close out the story.  I’m not a fan of vampire stories and I haven’t played the original game in decades, but this series was directed and executed like a live action film with some of the best cinematography I’ve ever seen.  I’m sad to see the series come to an end but I’m glad that the series was able to see a proper finish.  The next series on my list was the first chapter in the Transformers: War for Cybertron trilogy “Siege” which was a blind watch as I had never heard of the series and knew nothing about it before I watched it.  (Again) Based on a video game (one in which I have never played) I really enjoyed this series and thought it was immensely better than the live action films and had a better (and more cohesive) story.  The final series that I watched was Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal (Season 1), which I learned quickly was not for young audiences but nevertheless is one of the best animated series I’ve seen in the last decade.  It was a brave and innovative series in terms of story and animation style.  This month ended up being a very good month for me to view animated series!

 

In terms of live action series let’s start off with Black Summer (Season 2).  I loved the first season of the show and there is a lot to enjoy with this show especially with the winter setting but for the most part it still has the same flaws of the initial season which are the characters do too many dumb actions and decisions and the jumping back and forth in time does not benefit this zombie themed show.  The best episodes were those that focused on a small selection of characters.  The other thing that might deter some viewers is that The Walking Dead has done a lot of the things in this show better despite the fact that this show has fast moving zombies.  Next up is the limited series The Five based on the novel by Harlan Coben.  Coben’s work is a hot commodity with Netflix and this is one of the better adaptations.  Although I think they could have cut an episode or two this was still an enjoyable mystery thriller that will delight and appease Coben fans.  Last up is the dramatic period show Downton Abbey (Season 6).  I’ve come to this series late and have binge watching the entire series as it is truly a phenomenal ensemble series with a diverse group of characters.  It is also having some amazing writing and directing but most importantly the cast is one of the very best in an ensemble series. 

 

The last two series that I managed to view were of the comic book variety (as there seems to be plenty of these on offer from generally everywhere).  Since I’m not particularly a fan of MCU shows, I look to the DCEU for inspiration through Doom Patrol (Season 2).  I was trying to catch up with the series since the third season was just released.  This is one of the very based comic book series currently produced as it is made up of a diverse group of characters that don’t even want to be heroes; they are just trying to survive from day to day, which is one of the best aspects of this series.  Unlike the MCU shows (where every character seems to have to have a need to be a hero) these characters are misfits and a dysfunctional family.  The last show I will mention and was part of this month’s viewing is the exceptional Amazon series The Boys (Season 1), which I started on a whim, and which became another instant favorite.  This show features the very worst in super powered characters where the vigilante humans are the real heroes.  This show displays a different type of world where being a superhero is nothing more than profit points and popularity.

 

Since October, I’ve finished all of Downton Abbey and The Boys and Part 2 of the War for Cybertron series.  I’m hoping to see future seasons of Primal and Doom Patrol and even Black Summer, since I did like the way, this season ended and am looking forward where they will take the series from where it ended (if the series is given that chance).  Unfortunately, there are just so many series on offer out there, and I hope to catch up with a lot more that I managed to miss this year in 2022!