📺 ~ The Bear (Season 3)

rating: 7.95/10

definitely not my favorite season. sorry to say, it wasn't as tight. this one was more akin to a microscopic lens at the characters, with very long conversations. the major problem i saw was that the characters didn't exactly go through an arc this season, except for sydney. they kinda remained in the same place they were by the end of s2. and i did kind of watch the second half of episode 8 (or wtv the episode w nat going into labour was) on 2x speed coz the conversation was boring me. i can acknowledge that there were subtle changes in nat and donna's dynamic, but i can't get behind the way it was executed coz the 30 minute long conversation fuxxed w the usual chaotic pace of the show and felt like a lull. can definitely say this entire season had pacing issues. but i hope this was only a precursor for establishing events of s4 and that we don't see a repeat of its errors. ayo edibiri's directing in episode 6 was phenomenal tbh. i was surprised when i saw her name in the credits and actually, i'm glad that episode was there. i like to see mikey around. and the last episode was good too. i realised by the end that what the glasses asshole was for carmy (their confrontation/conversation was fuxxing brutal), carmy is that for syd in a way, as evidenced by her panic attack at the end and him disregarding all her input and choices like glasses asshole did to him. unfortunately, he's become what he hates. that's negative character development for sure. i want to see more development in carmy and syd's dynamic tho, and can only hope the toxic cycle is broken. i'm not rlly that big a fan of claire, only coz i want carmy and syd together. it's not even an unfounded want. there's so many moments where it can just be interpreted as them actually being into each other (unknowingly tho coz carmy is kinda a loser at feelings). and OHMYGOD, do i even need to mention THE scene this season where the one dish carmy makes authentically ends up going to sydney in new york and that's how she falls for his cooking? because carmy was carmy, his stupid gremlin vindictive self; there was a piece of him in that dish and she loved it. man, they're literally meant to be like soulmate culture bro. my jaw was on the floor. ok and olivia coleman saying "service bitxhes" in the finale was magnificent and literal music to my ears—i love her. anyways, definitely the weakest season by far by virtue of being disjointed. it felt like an introspection and a retrospective. first three episodes were strong, then we kinda fell for a lil, and last episode was good. luca and sydney would be good together surprisingly. i wouldn't mind that, actually. i liked the chemistry (imagine jealous carmy that's so funny). also trent reznor and atticuss ross in the first episode w the score uff. i was surprised. n e ways, yea, that's it.

📺 ~ The Bear (Season 2)

rating: 10/10

umm, gee fuxx, where do i even begin? it's beautiful. i loved it. can't think of a single bad thing here. fishes, forks, and the bear were definitely standout episodes: peak tv along with review from the last season. 

the very VERY long one-shot in the finale: ohmygod absolutely exquisite. the tension can literally be felt off the screen and the sound design when they enter and exit the kitchen UGH wonderfully executed. i loved carmy's arc with claire even tho i was lowkey rooting for sydney coz of that one post i accidentally saw that said "carmy falls in love with syd as she falls out of love with him" (but i was happy w the moments they got together this season i.e. that fixing the table one-shot coz i do see the connection between them. watch me read those fanfics when i'm done w s3). and forks? richie's episode? man, i completely understand why ppl loved that. it was refreshing and nice to see richie being richie but also better and happy, and when he takes over the expo in the finale and puts what he learned and observed from his staging to use? beautiful. and bro, that hour-long christmas episode—holy shi. best i've ever seen. the drama, the chaos, the tension: lord. michael still remains a mystery and i genuinely am curious to see what exactly it was that he struggled with. kudos to punisher guy for portraying him so well too. i'm glad his story wasn't a one and done with the first season and that he still haunts the narrative ykwim? sydney's struggle is also very relatable and yes, i would also crumble under the pressure and anxiety in a situation similar to what she was facing in the finale, but glad we all pulled through innit.

i like how the season embraces all the technicalities involved in going through such a big change and opening a business and also only 3 months to do all that? uff, they're superheroes indeed. phenomenal season, truly. chris storer really knows his vision and what he wants to do with it. great show made by great people. excited to see if s3 holds up coz it has more episodes than both seasons combined (edit 2025: misinformation baby u're blind). lessgoo.

🎬 ~ The Bikeriders

 rating: 7.75/10

i gave it a 4 stars on letterboxd coz 3.5 felt like a crime. i feel like this movie kinda went under the radar because aside from a singular reel and the letterboxd homepage, i ain't seen it talked about anywhere. it's a solid movie. dad would've probably loved watching it due to the sheer amount of harleys onscreen. meanwhile, i spent all my time giggling over mike faist and austin butler. how is he so majestic? tom hardy's fake midwest accent caught me off-guard because he sounds so uhh whiny w that voice? why's it so thin? but man, his character was something. that silent leader aura was great. i loved when they burned the bar down and the first responders didn't get in their way coz the vandals intimidated them. ahh the power trip. i predicted johnny getting shot 5-10 seconds before it happened. was kinda sad, but seeing benny cry over him w kathy comforting him was sadder—got a reaction outta me coz johnny was benny's father/mentor figure, and that hits my feels. seeing the last five minutes where kathy says what happened to all the original members made me kinda melancholic too. it's the thing with all great things—it has to end, or become worse. and become worse, it did. kathy almost getting r-worded was scary asf tho. i realised villanelle's actress plays kathy. she did great tbh. her midwest accent was the best out of all of em. n e ways yea, cool asf movie. was good seeing the actual photos of the club in the credits too. it's nice to know abt a lil moment in time.

📺 ~ The Boys (Season 2)

 rating: 6.25/10

i watched this over the course of these past 3 months so my memory regarding everything is a bit disjointed. i did not especially enjoy watching the first few episodes. i was immensely bored. i just felt like things kept happening but kinda going nowhere? i told abby that this season felt like it was just trying to wrap up loose ends from season 1 and trying to figure itself out to see what it would like to be going forward, and by the end, i think it definitely figured it out. it isn't as tight as the previous season, but it is still good. the fuxxed up shit i expected was definitely all there; the gore, the violence, the unhinged sexual bullshit. in that manner, this show feels like Invincible because you can never tell where the plot is going to go. the final episode is my favorite because kimiko, annie and maeve tagteaming stormfront was so gratifying to watch hehe. girls get it done fr. stormfront's racism was shocking, and moreso was her relationship with homelander coz it looked genuine. i still hate her ew. actress did her character so well. it was nice to see some frenchie backstory and i wanna read fics of his relationship with jay coz i see sumn and frenchie bisexual agenda is strong. mm getting strangled by an elongated dick was so funny lol. hughie and annie r obv cute asf (erin moriarty is so hot). i liked seeing hughie grow a little into himself. bro was really going through it this season. the mental toll must've been insane on him, like HOW can someone deal with all that? kudos to him for keeping his feet on the ground tho. and billy. man. that scene in the finale where he's trying to push away becca to go w her kid and going "i don't want him to be like me" or sumn like that: THAT was emotional. it's the most amount of vulnerability we've ever seen from billy in the entire show so far. and the way the entire gang is always smiling at becca coz they know how much billy loves her hehehe that was so cute of them they all love her. i want to see how becca's death will impact billy's character going forward because it's like she's died twice now, and permanently. i also want to see what becomes of ryan. i kinda hope he's in gen v. also SOLDIER BOY NAMEDROP? i wanna see jenson ackles in gen v so bad already.  also congresswoman victoria is hot but i kinda got spoiled about her being the head-blower (which i thought was a dream i had) so it wasn't an incredibly shocking reveal to me. i'm js curious about where her priorities lie coz she doesn't seem to be villainous, js morally grey. and mallory is a g i love her. aside from that i think the season had lots of slow points (the whole cult plotline bored me sm. it felt like deep's subplot was only there to lengthen the runtime. and wtf was up w the frescas bro) so it's not my favorite. but it still slapped (esp the last three episodes). it's a good sequel, js not great.

🎬 ~ Poor Things

 rating: 7.25/10

i expected this movie to be an absurdist character study about existentialism, which i suppose it is, but not in the manner that it was handled. for one, i did not expect sexuality to be such a central part of the narrative. poor things is a gothic comedy, that much i can gather. but to grasp the deeper meaning of it, i'll have to see video essays and breakdowns. let's get into what i loved about this movie—the cinematography is one of its kind. the odd fish lens shots which looked like peering into a fishbowl, the colors, the set design, the vintage camera work; brilliantly done. this was my first time seeing such an approach in a movie. it has a very specific look to it. the score with the melancholic violin will live in my head rent-free for a long time. it's iconic. and the performances—emma stone's oscar win was completely deserved. bella's speech, mannerisms, the smooth way they evolve throughout the course of the movie: it was all masterfully portrayed by mrs. stone. that brings me to mark ruffalo. at first i was immensely thrown off by an american actor putting on a british accent but ruffalo manages to have the best lines in the movie. his comedic timing is hilarious and he delivers the funniest dialogues of the movie, which made me laugh out loud multiple times. willem dafoe was also eccentric as well, as is his brand, so no surprises there. harry astley was an unbothered king, martha was a g, and bella's socialist gf (can't remember her name) was nice too. it was a terribly confusing experience, most of my thoughts were of horrified and morbid fascination, but i can't say it was a bad movie. i just don't possess the brain capacity or media literacy to process this properly. so yeah, that's the review.

📺 ~ Maxton Hall

rating: 7.95/10

don't let the shitty poster fool you, the show DEVOURS. i mean seriously, i thought it was a cringey wattpad show but damn did it feel good to watch it coz it's not a cringey teen show, it's actually a decent teen show. my academic validation seeking brain loved the vibe. and dear lawd—the cinematography and the editing was top notch. kudos to the director and the creative team. it was a fun timepass watch. i get why this show is so famous. the score wasn't very remarkable tho. i am looking forward to seeing how season 2 goes coz that dead mom cliffhanger was insane. a show hasn't given me this type of high since young royals in 2022. while this isn't QUITE the same as that, it did feel like that a bit. new fictional crush unlocked bye. kieran rutherford is an adorable loser. only downsides are that the plot didn't quite punch and while fmc was good, she was crying or on the verge of tears 90% of the time which gave me an ick. love how she reads james for filth tho lol. also the teacher-student romance was weird. justify it all you want but sir u had a relationship with a minor as an adult. that's grooming. anyways, good show. twas nice. wish the romance was more slowburn enemies to lovers tho. they got together way too fast. not a lot of emotional attachment present. it took less than 2 episodes for him to catch feelings. i liked the theme of being chained down by mental blocks tho. the elephant and the stake story has a good message.