Hey!!
So I just watched episode 11 of the Shadowhunters TV show on Netflix, and thought it would be fun to discuss what I'm thinking of the show so far, and see if you guys agree or have other opinions!
For non-spoilery people, as a broad overview I'll say that I am finding the show very entertaining and am enjoying watching it (Matthew Daddario in particular!). However, don't go into it expecting accuracy to the book series because it is COMPLETELY different. This bothered me initially, but as the show's gone on I've decided to just look at it as a complete different entity to the book series, and enjoy it for what it is on it's own. The show definitely had a rough start in regards to acting and script writing, and has since had it's ups and downs but for sure has improved. That's about all I can say that isn't spoiler, so for sure go check the show out, then come back and read the rest of this post and comment what you think!!
SPOILERY SECTION:
Okay, so since there's quite a lot for me to discuss in regards to what has occurred in the show so far, I'm going to split it up into rough categories.
Characters:
I'm pretty divided with my opinion on how the characters are being represented in the show, as I adore some of them, and am really disappointed by others. Initially I wasn't sure about Clary, however as the show's gone on I feel like she's settled into her role much more, and the problem is now more to do with the script writing than the acting.
Jace, on the other hand, I am super disappointed in! I know I shouldn't judge the show too much in relation to the book, as they're so different, but this Jace is unrecognisable!! He is literally nothing like the book Jace that we know and love. Of course, this is pretty much entirely due to the awful script that Dom has been given - it is missing Jace's snarkiness and confidence, and at the moment he is feeling pretty two-dimensional.
Some of the characters I'm loving, however, are Simon, Alec, Izzy and Magnus. Starting with Simon, I'm pretty confident in saying he is my favourite character in the show. He is exactly as I imagine Simon in the books, although his personality did seem to shift super fast after he was changed to a vampire.
Alec I also adore, of course partly because I'm in love with Matthew Daddario, but mostly because of the wonderful acting, and semi-wonderful script. Alec is just so sarcastic and funny, and has been extremely well fleshed out I feel, particularly surrounding his sexuality, and his issues with always being second best to Jace.
Certain aspects of Izzy I'm loving - her acting and most of the script, however I do have a major problem with how sexualised she's been. Yes, in the books Izzy in very confident in her sexuality, but in the show she is transformed into a sexual object, sleeping with Meliorn to get information... not cool.
Valentine I feel is absolutely fantastic. He is super scary, but complex at the some time when we see his almost obsessive love for Jocelyn. I'm really excited to start seeing him appear more in the episodes!
And finally, Magnus! I love Magnus so much!! He's hilarious, and has that air about him that reminds you that he's actually hundreds of years old. Great representation of his character.
Relationships:
As you can probably guess from my discussion about the characters of Clary and Jace, I am not enjoying their romance. They seem to have zero chemistry, and I'm finding it makes no sense in the show why they are in love all of a sudden. Hopefully it will improve as their relationship develops, but at the moment I'm not enjoying it.
The relationship between Jace and Alec I also have massive issues with. They are PARABATAI for goodness sake!! They would not be treating each other like this. Alec legit said in the show that Jace is dead to him....WHAT. NO. That is so not okay. This relationship had better fix itself soon or I'm going to be super upset.
On a more positive note, I love the sibling relationship between Alec and Izzy. They seem extremely close and open with one another, so great!
Similarly, Clary and Simon truly feel like best friends, their chemistry is great. It's been obvious from the beginning that Simon is in love with Clary and she doesn't realise it, so will be interesting to see if anything else is done with this...
And finally, my favourite relationship from the books...Malec!! I'm loving all of the Malec action going on in the show, the writers obviously know that the fans love Malec so they're giving us a load of it!! I feel like it's being done very well, their chemistry is obvious and super adorable, I literally get so excited whenever Alec and Magnus are in a scene together!
Plot:
I don't even know where to start with the plot. So many random things seem to be going on that have serious plot holes and make zero sense, I have no idea how they are going to be resolved. I'll refer to episode 11 as it is the most fresh in my brain - random things like going to get blood from the vampires when Jace gets bitten by a demon... when they have runes for things like that. There are so many little plot holes that prevent the story from having any continuity.
Also, in episode 11, I feel like the whole Jace and Clary brother-sister drama wasn't really played out to it's full potential. It seemed very forced and rushed, and Clary did not seem surprised or upset when she found out. Anyways, we'll see where it goes from here, I'm always hoping for improvement!
Overall, I am for sure enjoying the show entertainment-wise, however am not overly impressed with the quality of writing or acting, and definitely not accuracy to the books!
Let me know in the comments what your opinion is on the Shadowhunters TV show, I'd love to know!!
Love always,
Ari
Showing posts with label tv series. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tv series. Show all posts
Friday, 25 March 2016
Monday, 25 January 2016
Outlander Book/TV Show Review!
Hey all,
Today I want to talk about a recent obsession of mine, inspired by the wonderful Sasha from abookutopia. OUTLANDER!!
NON-SPOILER REVIEW:
Words cannot express how much I loved this book, and the first season of the tv show came pretty close. For those of you who are yet to experience the wonders that is Outlander, this novel (previously called Cross Stitch) by Diana Gabaldon, follows the adventures of Claire Randall. Claire is a nurse during WWII, during which time she was unable to see her husband Frank very often. After the war, Frank and Claire take a trip to the Scottish Highlands to reconnect. Whilst exploring some ancient standing stones near Inverness, Claire is transported back in time to 1743. This is where the real excitement starts, and she comes across Jamie Fraser (sigh!). Diana Gabaldon's writing truly fleshes out both the characters and their surroundings, creating such a vivid story.
In short, if you have not read Outlander yet, READ IT!
Similarly, season one of Outlander was incredible. It stuck extremely close to the book for the most part, and further enhanced my new-found love of the Scottish Highlands. I would recommend reading the book first, of course, as I found this really enriched my viewing experience. However, if you find that massive novel a tad daunting, the show is a great way to start!
Book rating: 5/5
TV series rating: 4.75/5
Now for the SPOILERY SECTION:
Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ, what a read! Despite the amount of action bundled up in this book, due to it's size, Gabaldon managed to ensure that it never felt rushed, or as though too much was happening at once. I absolutely adored every single character in this book. And, I mean, Jamie. What more can I say. The only time I was concerned about the nature of Jamie's character was when he whipped Claire in punishment. At first I was like nooooo Jamie what are you doing you terrible man. However, as I considered it, I reminded myself that we were in 1743, and despite Jamie's actions still being awful, he was extremely kind for that time period.
The story really ended in an unexpected way. I cannot even comprehend what happened to Jamie, and was in absolute agony reading the ordeal of their arrival in France. But now I am super duper excited for a little baby Jamie-Claire in the next book!!!
In regards to the book-tv show comparison, I was extremely impressed. I found it very accurate in the significant aspects of the plot, and nearly every character was as I imagined them when reading (especially Jamie ;)).
The only minor criticism I would give the show was some of the portrayal of Claire. I was watching the series with my parents, neither of whom had read the book before. Whilst I didn't have the need to explain much to them as the story went, they did say that they found Claire a very annoying character. Initially I didn't understand this, mostly due to my bias for the book. But as I considered their points I did begin to notice that Claire was more annoying in the show that in the book. At no point whilst reading Outlander did I find myself frustrated at Claire, however in the show she seemed slightly over-dramatised. This is evidently due to the nature of tv series - they need drama for people to engage entirely. So this small fault I can easily forgive.
Let me know in the comments your thoughts on the Outlander book and tv series! Also feel free to suggest any reviews you'd like me to write, or any book recommendations you may have.
Love always,
Ari
Today I want to talk about a recent obsession of mine, inspired by the wonderful Sasha from abookutopia. OUTLANDER!!
NON-SPOILER REVIEW:
Words cannot express how much I loved this book, and the first season of the tv show came pretty close. For those of you who are yet to experience the wonders that is Outlander, this novel (previously called Cross Stitch) by Diana Gabaldon, follows the adventures of Claire Randall. Claire is a nurse during WWII, during which time she was unable to see her husband Frank very often. After the war, Frank and Claire take a trip to the Scottish Highlands to reconnect. Whilst exploring some ancient standing stones near Inverness, Claire is transported back in time to 1743. This is where the real excitement starts, and she comes across Jamie Fraser (sigh!). Diana Gabaldon's writing truly fleshes out both the characters and their surroundings, creating such a vivid story.
In short, if you have not read Outlander yet, READ IT!
Similarly, season one of Outlander was incredible. It stuck extremely close to the book for the most part, and further enhanced my new-found love of the Scottish Highlands. I would recommend reading the book first, of course, as I found this really enriched my viewing experience. However, if you find that massive novel a tad daunting, the show is a great way to start!
Book rating: 5/5
TV series rating: 4.75/5
Now for the SPOILERY SECTION:
Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ, what a read! Despite the amount of action bundled up in this book, due to it's size, Gabaldon managed to ensure that it never felt rushed, or as though too much was happening at once. I absolutely adored every single character in this book. And, I mean, Jamie. What more can I say. The only time I was concerned about the nature of Jamie's character was when he whipped Claire in punishment. At first I was like nooooo Jamie what are you doing you terrible man. However, as I considered it, I reminded myself that we were in 1743, and despite Jamie's actions still being awful, he was extremely kind for that time period.
The story really ended in an unexpected way. I cannot even comprehend what happened to Jamie, and was in absolute agony reading the ordeal of their arrival in France. But now I am super duper excited for a little baby Jamie-Claire in the next book!!!
In regards to the book-tv show comparison, I was extremely impressed. I found it very accurate in the significant aspects of the plot, and nearly every character was as I imagined them when reading (especially Jamie ;)).
The only minor criticism I would give the show was some of the portrayal of Claire. I was watching the series with my parents, neither of whom had read the book before. Whilst I didn't have the need to explain much to them as the story went, they did say that they found Claire a very annoying character. Initially I didn't understand this, mostly due to my bias for the book. But as I considered their points I did begin to notice that Claire was more annoying in the show that in the book. At no point whilst reading Outlander did I find myself frustrated at Claire, however in the show she seemed slightly over-dramatised. This is evidently due to the nature of tv series - they need drama for people to engage entirely. So this small fault I can easily forgive.
Let me know in the comments your thoughts on the Outlander book and tv series! Also feel free to suggest any reviews you'd like me to write, or any book recommendations you may have.
Love always,
Ari
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