The End Of The F***ing World: Season 2 Review

TEOTFW: Season 2 takes two years after the first, which focuses on a new character Bonnie; a psychopath with a vendetta against Alyssa and James, hoping to avenge the death of her boyfriend.

Season two had potential, and generally it was decent, though it could have been better. Usually, I disagree with those who say certain shows should've ended with 'Season one' or X amount of seasons, but in this case, The End Of The F***king World would've been better off without a season two.

Even though I have to admit the hype was becoming tiresome when it premiered internationally on Netflix, TEOTFW: Season 1 was incredible, despite it being so short. The storyline was easy to engage with - so simple yet enjoyable. Of course James and Alyssa's relationship was not perfect, but it was hard not to root for them to get together at times. Season 1 does have its flaws, but unlike season two, it had a solid plot, and wasn't so anti-climatic.

Until episode 4 or 5, it didn't seem like this current season was going anywhere. Although I have to credit the acting and decent plot this season, I'm wondering why the writers didn't decide to explore more on how the outside world perceives James and Alyssa - they're (or were) technically young murderers on the loose, in the middle of nowhere. Surely in the space of two years, someone may've recognised their faces on newspapers and/or the news, like Bonnie did? To be fair, since the events of the first season were two years ago, perhaps people just stopped caring about that? Perhaps I'm looking into this too deeply, though it seemed very quickly swept under the carpet.

Bonnie's character stood out the most this season and hopefully there's more to learn about her (if the show is renewed for a third season). The first episode gave a solid introduction to her which made links to how her story connects to that of Alyssa and James'. Though it seems as like for the sake of time, her background was pushed into one episode... which is understandable to an extent, to prepare us for what this season will generally be about, but it also contributed to what made this season lacklustre. It was made quite obvious what Bonnie's intentions were, so I was essentially waiting for her to do it... just for her not to. In short, her character was anti-climatic, making her slightly disappointing, considering her potential. Bonnie barely made an appearance in the final episode, which has me thinking; is this the end of her character? Will we ever even see her again? As an antagonist, it was (again) obvious that Alyssa and James were going to survive and Bonnie's plans were going to fail in some way or another. The show could not end so abruptly by killing its main characters when it's only been out for three-ish years, especially in that way. Bonnie has potential, but it was felt so wasted.

There seems to be a trend with this seasons characters falling short, and/or being disappointing. Somehow, Alyssa in season one was more bearable than she is now. Her behaviour can be somewhat justified by her circumstances, but there are moments now where she acts rude so unnecessarily and is thoughtless. Alyssa thinks because her parents were "shit", she is naturally like that because it's 'in her blood', which is a total excuse. It's not obviously fair to compare her and James' personal lives, but she was quite insensitive to James - fair enough she was upset at him dumping her, but he's essentially an orphan now. She atleast became somewhat decent in the final episode, and despite everything she clearly does care for him.




In the space of 20 minutes, there's alot that happens, yet at the same time nothing at all. There's enough that happens to become engaged in, and being on the edge of your seat figuring out what will happen to James and Alyssa and when they will realise they are more involved with Bonnie than they thought, but when the season ended, I was left thinking, "Is that it?". The final episode felt very final, in that sense. Now that I'm thinking about this more, season two concluded the story in a very tight knot without any cliffhangers to keep people wondering what could happen next. Will The End Of The F***ing World even be renewed for a third season? Who knows.

***
Happy New Year! 
I'm aiming to definitely post more regularly on here, so please look out for that! - Edna 

Euphoria: Season 1 Review

Euphoria follows fictional high school students' experiences of drug addiction, relationships, and trauma. Season one begins from the first day of junior year and we first meet 17 year old Rue, a drug addict who has no plans to stay clean. She befriends Jules, a carefree transgender girl who has just moved into town, and through Rue's narration we encounter others in her year; Nate, a jock whose anger issues mask sexual insecurities, McKay, a college football player, Cassie, who's sexual history continue's to follow her, Maddy, who experiences physical and emotional troubles in her relationship, and Kat, a self-conscious teen exploring her sexuality. As the teens struggle to make sense of their futures, the series tackles the teenage landscape from partying to anxiety-ridden day-to-day life.

The series has a prominent theme of sexuality, which was handled with a realistic approach. Rue (Zendaya) and Jules (Hunter Schafer) are, although not confirmed, thought to be atleast bisexual or pansexual by the majority of viewers. The presentation of LGBTQ+ characters are much more realistic in this series than in other shows in the sense that teenagers who question their sexual identities probably won't be able to identify with a label straight away - which makes sense; people grow constantly - and change their interests, which would make it hard to stick with one label and think that they would stay with that label for the rest of their life. In this show however, it's obvious that these characters aren't straight but the ambiguity of their sexual identities makes the representation better as we're really seeing the journey of these characters, and perhaps later on in the show they will figure out what they identify as. 

As been constantly pointed out on social media; the makeup, cinematography and editing (my personal favourite part) of Euphoria is really only a few of it's unique selling points (along with the hard-hitting storylines). The makeup is quite out there and elaborate, but it's hard not to appreciate it when watching - it's just so aesthetically pleasing, especially in party scenes or even at scenes set at dawn or in broad daylight. The lighting is really flattering on the girls.

Speaking of the girls, Kat's (Barbie Ferreira) storyline was the most engaging; she's a curvy teenage girl who is very different from other "fat friend" tropes found in other shows and films. There just isn't any other curvy girls on screen right now that has her complexity and unapologetic personality. Out of her friends, she is the central focus and isn't just defined by her appearance, which is more than what mainstream media needs right now. As Kat said in episode five, "there's nothing more powerful than a fat girl who doesn't give a f***", which shows Kat's start to growing more confidence within herself, and the idea that what is powerful is being yourself and not caring about what others think. Though in a way she uses her sexuality as a tool to hide who she truly is deep inside - she behaves in the way she thinks boys want her to be. This only seems to work for her temporarily as it stems from her insecurities that still evidently exist, showing that even those who try to appear confident aren't always. Though Kat is definitely heading towards the person she wants to be, which we see a glimpse of in the season finale.

Whilst watching I found myself to feel indifferent towards Rue as character and also her relationship with Jules. Her bluntness towards her family and that one odd-hypocritical moment she had (she only ever talked with Lexi when in need by didn't want her around when Lexi asked if she was okay) made her personality unlikeable and uninteresting, and was hardly even necessary. That being said though, her story of experiences of depression and as a drug addict were explored quite well and were definitely thought-provoking. It's important that character and story are discussed separately as they are obviously very different, and Rue's situation and background are unfortunate. Although as a main character (and narrator) Rue's character isn't perhaps the most interesting, her experiences should not be disregarded as representation (not glamorisation!) of drug abuse and mental illnesses in POC's are rare in mainstream television. 

As for Rue and Jules' relationship, I'm even more unsure of how I feel towards them; on the one hand, they have incredible chemistry and it's clear they care for each other, though regardless neither are mentally ready for a genuine relationship, let alone a relationship with each other. As we see towards the end of season one, Rue is heavily dependant upon Jules, which could be a reason as to why Jules started to distance herself. It's unhealthy for a single person to be the source of your happiness, and given that Jules never showed that she was genuinely serious about the relationship, it isn't fair on either of them. Being with Jules would actually be damaging for Rue rather than benefitting. They fell in 'love' with each other immediately, but their relationship (if you could even call it that) would (and is starting to) fall apart already.  Toxic seems like such a strong word to use that is thrown around constantly over fictional ships, but Rue and Jules at this point should really take time to themselves before they start a proper relationship.

Overall, Euphoria definitely starts important conversations needed to be had and doesn't oversimplify characters or their stories, making them more enjoyable for mature audiences. Though the finale, personally felt underwhelming - not necessary because of the strange scene with Rue in the final minutes, but because there's not really a concrete plot of the show. There's obviously a story.. but eight or so of them are being shown at once, and they don't all necessarily link, or just had a very (again) underwhelming end. Also, (perhaps this is controversial) besides Nate, Jules, Kat, Fezco and Cassie i feel as though the other characters' personalities are unlikable and/or underwhelming such as Rue and Maddy. Of course, no one on Euphoria is perfect and that is also what makes this show realistic - the writers aren't trying to sell us Mary-Sue-esque teen characters because they don't exist in real life - however there comes a point where a character becomes so unlikable that their way of thinking or acting is barely understandable or justified.

For a short series, Euphoria has more strengths than weaknesses given that it is the first season, such as how mental illnesses, body insecurities and other mature themes were explored and the phenomenal acting, though personally I can't see the longevity of the show if season two (expected release is Spring/Summer 2020) does not have many sustainable characters or an over-arching plot line.

Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below; did you like Euphoria? Who were your favourite characters/storylines?

- Edna

The Good Place: 4.01-2 Review *includes spoilers*

Replacing Michael, New architect Eleanor Shellstrop struggles at managing the neighbourhood that introduces four new subjects all under her supervision for an experiment. The group finds it difficult to manage the new residents when they begin to show their true colours. Janet reveals some upsetting news for Jason.

Season 4 starts very smoothly as it wastes no time establishing the emotional consequences from Chidi's memory wipe; while Chidi obsesses over his books and reading lights, Eleanor's expressions in close-ups reveal her emotional pain and loss. This season so far definitely has to be credited on how it keeps in focus to the storyline, though for a premiering episode it felt quite tedious.

The new residents (besides Simone, though we'll get to her later) weren't impressive in the slightest. Linda was obviously intended to be, though her unexpected scenes (i.e near the end of episode 1 when she started attacking other residents, including Eleanor) were more strange than comical which I'd assume the creators were going for (though later it is revealed that 'Linda' was actually an undercover actor sent from the Bad Place, which somewhat explains the random acts). Brent however atleast managed at being funny; his characterisation plays into explicit ironic behaviour as he claims he isn't 'racist' but couldn't even get "Chad" (Chidi)'s name correct. (Not to say that alone makes somebody racist, but claiming not to be something is a popular way of defence...).
That bring said though, his character is still incredibly one dimensional and plain. Maybe these residents have more to offer in future episodes, but who knows?

Simone truly captured my interest in this episode - despite her completely obnoxious behaviour, she seems so embody the thoughts of an atheist.

Here me out; she calls everyone 'figments' of her imagination, emphasizing how she doesn't believe the afterlife is real, but rather a fabrication of an alternate reality made by her subconscious mind. Essentially, she totally dismisses the reality of the afterlife, so continues to walk around in random costumes (as seen in the second episode), and label everything as 'not real'. Perhaps this theory was elaborate, but it struck me as an interesting thought while watching.
Though Simone's behaviour is actually quite amplified - as Chidi said in the second episode, she has a rather solipsistic view of the Good Place  ('the view or theory that the self is all that can be known to exist') - though really, it wouldn't cost her anything to be a decent human being to others. Simone has been acting out of character so far. Even though we're technically we're seeing different versions of her (after death: present season, alive: season 3), her personality has...changed? this doesn't feel like the same character who was cheerful and upbeat, which is quite disappointing, to be honest.

The rest of the group (aka; Tahani and Jason) are starting to bore me. Sadly it seems as though their purpose so far this season has dwindled into not being that proactive as main characters. There's not even an issue with the amount of screentime they receive (it's a fair amount), but rather how they use it; how their time is used in an interesting way. Fair enough Janet and Jason had their break up, though their relationship was hardly fascinating initially for me personally to be engaged or even emotionally moved. Atleast there's subplots involving him though; less can be said for Tahani. Perhaps she'll be involved with a stimulating plot later in the season, but as of now it's difficult to comment on her as she doesn't seem to be involved much in terms of the main, or even subplot. Michael and Janet though still never fail to entertain me with their dry humour, nonetheless.

(Also, has anyone else noticed that Jason has worn the same monk outfit since season 1?! I'm not sure if this is meant to be a running gag or if it's to present the idea that (compared to everyone else) he hasn't grown, or changed as a person. He's still the same old Jason from Jacksonville).

I personally couldn't understand how and why in the premiere, everyone supported Eleanor as the architect, yet after only small errors in Eleanors plan to guide the new residents everyone was suddenly against her as leader - no one (besides Michael, much) was helping Eleanor at all; supervising four humans simultaneously does not sound like an easy job, especially for someone who had to take on the role unexpectedly. It just didn't seem reasonable to suddenly call her out on how she's doing a supposedly 'bad' job.

So far, The Good Place; Season 4 isn't delivering the quality it usually does; time passes by so quickly when watching the show normally, yet nothing much (or rather, nothing that can bring thoughtful discussion) is happening. Though truthfully, beginnings never seem to be the shows strongpoint, yet more shocking and thought-provoking stories are usually revealed later in the season, so I guess that is something to look forward to in the following weeks.

Did you enjoy the new episodes? What do/don't you like so far? What would you like to see happen later? Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below! I'm interested in hearing what you think.

-
Edna

13 Reasons Why: Season 3 Review

13 Reasons Why: Season 3 takes place 7 months after Tyler nearly commits an unimaginable act at Spring Fling. Clay, Jessica, Tony, Justin, Alex and Zach help Tyler in his recovery whilst finding ways to deal with the burden of the cover up. Though there are serious repercussions from Homecoming - suddenly turned into a grave situation. Everyone finds themselves as suspects under the police's inspection. With the addition of a newcomer, they are steered towards revealing their own secrets, leading up to the shows most shocking reveal.

Season 3 tackles sensitive topics; rape culture, gun violence, drug use and sexual abuse. Thankfully, it's managed to make an enjoyable season without any incredibly nauseating, yet still meaningful scenes to get its point across.

Though the small occasional flashbacks to Tyler and Jessica's sexual abuse weren't necessary; watching those scenes for the first time was scarring enough. The audience already knows what happened, and seeing their rapists in the school hallway would obviously remind them of that - which is more than enough. Speaking of, I really appreciated this season's strong emphasis to sexual abuse survivors that they should only speak up when they are ready - definitely an improvement from season 2 as Clay constantly pressured Jessica to speak up in court, to the point where she felt, quote on quote "hunted". It was done in a way that felt natural and real instead of overbearing. When Jessica made a speech about being a survivor in school assembly, then members of the audience stood up and called themselves 'survivors' (Episode 12) was beautifully done - I genuinely loved that. Seeing Tyler speak up was amazing.

Surprisingly, the narration from newcomer Ani Achola (played by Grace Saif) made little to no difference to the overall storyline, and felt slightly odd. For someone who's new to the school, she acted as though she knew everything about the entire situation, when really all she did was accuse people of doing things based on false assumptions - like when she suggested Jessica slept with Bryce to 'take back control' in episode 5. That clearly shows her poor judgement of her own friends, and those kind of assumptions make it harder to trust her. Ani was always a questionable character to me, but it was a shock and a disappointment to see that she quickly became a rape apologist...? Of all people to be defending Bryce, it was a real shock. It was so hard for me to like her at all initially, but her comments in that scene made her one of my least favourites this season. Whilst watching, I noticed that the episode titles were quotes from Ani taken in the episodes. Plus, her as the narrator (talking to the police) made me think that perhaps she killed Bryce (I know, sounds like a crazy theory) or had a big part to play in his death. My point is, these small additions to the season made Ani appear as an important- maybe even a central character. But was she, really? The only way Ani related to the story was that she lived with Bryce. Thats it. No other relation to the story. I'm sure if Ani was taken out, only a small part of the plot would be different/altered. I was expecting so much more from her character, to be completely honest.

I can't be the only person who was confused by this seasons timeline and the constant change from present day to past within the first 2-3 episodes. I didn't realise at first how dull the lighting this season had into the scene changed into bright, normal saturation you'd see on any show (though that was obviously deliberate to set a tone for the season). Sometimes, flashbacks would have characters talk about situations that I didn't know about, or had forgotten. In the season 2 finale, Jessica and Justin kissed in a locker room, so I assumed they would be dating from that point (even though Jess cheated...). Though instead, in the first episode Jessica kissed Alex, meaning she never told Alex about what happened and strung him along, essentially. That should've been addressed somehow; it was confusing to try understand what was happening back then and now. Though it became easier to differentiate between past and present as the season went on as it was made clearer.

Theres obviously no doubt about Bryce being a vile person, but it's important to also understand from a writers perspective how important it is to show Bryce is a different light (somehow). Characters - just as real people - are complex, obviously. It was actually surprising to see Bryce so differently - such as him genuinely wanting to help Tyler, apologise to Jess and Mrs Baker. It made Bryce more dimensional as a character. Though the writers were over-doing it. The entire purpose of seeing Bryce from a different perspective was to make the audience understand him more as a character, but not to the point of feeling sympathy. Ultimately, Bryce is meant to be the antagonist of the show. Not to discredit his want to change, but sometimes an apology and a different act just doesn't cut it. As much as I hate Bryce, him being bullied at Hillcrest and his death doesn't equal as 'payback'. It would've been better to see him get actual, fair and justified punishment. Honestly, if he didn't move schools or get bullied, he would be exactly the same as he was two seasons ago.

That being said though, his death and the way it happened was not justified. At all.

The reveal of Bryce's killer(s) was shocking, though personally I thought other characters had stronger, and more believable motives to kill Bryce - specifically Clay. There was a certain amount and kind of evidence against him to the point where I was very much convinced. It baffles me how everyone can live with the fact that one (actually two) of them were involved in Bryce's death, and feel somehow free because the situation managed to sort itself out, thanks to Ani. The ending thankfully had no shock value, but in figurative sense, it did have shock value - because of how insane and unpredictable it was (which essentially, is the whole point, but still). The situation was so convenient in everyones favour which was so wrong. Those physically responsible for Bryce's death should honestly be in jail, no matter who it was. It's anti-climatic and unsatisfying that lies were told to keep everyone together. It would've made the finale much better if those involved were caught, as opposed to being saved by friends. Bryce should not have died the way he did.

Another season has been confirmed - the fourth and final one. No date has been confirmed, though it should be released mid 2020. Overall, I was really engaged in this season, though it'd be better with less episodes as the plot felt stretched out and if they kept Bryce being dead a major plot twist instead of spoiling it in trailers. I'd rather have the show end here; what more can be added and stretched out for another 13 episodes?

Did you enjoy this season or not? Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below! I'm interested in hearing what you think!!

- Edna

Blog Intro

Hi, I'm Edna - the creator behind Small Screen Cents. 

For as long as I can remember, I've always loved writing and learning. It's easy for me to express myself the way I'd like, and having a good understanding of something is always important. More specifically, I'm passionate about having a good understanding about shows I like so then I can discuss with others who are also interested. I also like watching and critiquing shows/movies, so I decided to put both of my interests together and have my own corner of the internet where I can freely share my thoughts.

Anyway, enough about me. Now onto the actual blog itself - I will mainly be reviewing popular TV shows (drama and anything else that falls under that genre). I'm hoping to reach to a fairly young audience, though anyone is welcome to read and get involved.

I'm a beginner to blogging but I've been interested in creating one for a long time so I'm interested to see where this page goes.

Although I'm here to review shows, I'm also interested in your opinions too! Feel free to comment what you thought of a show/episode that I review whether you agree or disagree. I'd really appreciate it.

I hope you enjoy reading the rest of my blog.

- Edna