So as COVID quarantine reaches the year mark, I’m convinced of two things: sweatpants are the missing part of my life (sorry my one and only son), and that there is so much content on streaming services that I can’t tell what’s good anymore. I’ve gone through so much of it, I’m numb and jaded.
It’s kinda like excessive masturbation and/or porn. You consume too much that the “normal” stuff doesn’t do it for you anymore. A critique I’ve ascribed to people who leave extra-crappy reviews of my books. One quick Goodreads check of how much said reviewer consumes of a certain genre later and I’m convinced they have the literary equivalent of crotch-callouses. But anyway . . .
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So knowing nothing about it, I recently watched Fate The Winx Saga on Netflix. And to be honest I watched 10 minutes of the first ep, met the main character, and turned it off saying “nope.” But a buddy of mine told me to give it a second chance. Sigh. Well, I made a NY resolution to be less critical, so why not? Lord knows I don’t want to be accused of acting like the crotch-calloused angry reviewers of my books who gave up early and never got to the actual characters or story. So since I love the fantasy genre, a Winx’ing I went. And I’m glad I did.
Fate The Winx Saga is freaking ridiculous. But a fun ride nonetheless. It lifts from so many other properties you can literally separate the vertical slices and see the borrowed story architecture.
Academy for magic beings - Harry Potter, Worst Witch, X-Men, Umbrella Academy, etc.
Non-Magical warriors who protect Fairies - Warders from Wheel of Time/Aes Sedai
Elemental powers based on region - Avatar The Last Airbender/Pokemon
A chosen one who doesn’t know who/how powerful they are - literally every 3rd book, movie, or TV show
A teaching staff hiding a dark secret - See above
In spite of these criticisms, I loved the show. But it had nothing to do with the main character. Bloom, the fire fairy (God I feel dumb saying that), was my least favorite part of the show. It was her friends, Aisha, Terra, and Musa that made it for me. Even Headmistresses Dowling, who had a draconian-yet-maternal nature, enhanced the show. Maybe it’s that everyone except Bloom had an English accent, thus making her seem like a whining dimwit? (British people are better than us.) Even Stella, the rich byotch-turned-ally of the show was a better character in my opinion. No fault of the actress, Abigail Cowen of Sabrina fame, it was just that the character that was written to be an angsty, darkly-troubled, audience surrogate.
“I’m so different, but angry, but unique, but…wait, am i repeating myself? Meh. I go full phoenix!
Image from Netflix - quote made up by me :)
While I don’t consider myself to be a great writer, it doesn’t take a great one to spot bad story structure. So, when you make your MC a hard pill to swallow, but use them as the window for the audience, you run the risk of losing the audience. What really hooked me, and kept me watching, was the tremendous amount of incredible world-building that was done in the season’s six episodes. That in itself will bring me back for a season 2.
So when thinking about this show, and the litany of fantasy TV on right now, I decided to rank/micro-review the shows I’ve binged during the quarantine.
Note: this is not an all-inclusive list. I’m limiting myself to “recent” releases and/or things I’ve watched (re-watched) during the COVID quarantine. So no Game of Thrones, Supernatural, or anything like that. As well, the following list is based on my enjoyment, and not overall quality, production, or critical acclaim. So without further ado, here we go. I’ve broken them into the bottom five, middle eight, and the top ten.
The Bottom Five!
The first 5 minutes were solid and weird. The rest was a waste of decent comic source material. No S2 for this very generic Urban Fantasy show that forgot to make characters worth knowing.
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I’m told the anime-style comic was about an early crusade pagan warrior Aurelia, turned Templar. Wish we had gotten that story instead of the Beautifully-Shot But Boring Adventures of Snarky Khaleesie Granger. Shout out to Toya Turner as Shotgun Mary, who was one of the few bright stars in this “show.”
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Cursed was…okay? Reframing Arthurian myths through a feminist lens isn’t new. But I think they tried to cram in too much too soon and the result was a Nimue who was never fully realized. If you think that’s harsh, check out The Guardian’s review on metacritic. Woof.
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Well, I applaud the BBC’s Sherlock team for the attempt. It was interesting, but I couldn’t tell if Drac was supposed to be scary or an 80s gameshow host and/or weatherman. The Van Helsing angle was kinda cool
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What?! L&K in the bottom five? Yeah. The comic by Joe Hill was amazing. This show was a tonal mess that didn’t know if it was horror, teen drama, or dark whimsy. Some cool elements, but ultimately a binge-and-forget show.
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The Middle Eight!
Holy crap! Scary murder-mermaids? Yes! If you have Hulu, check this one out. Little predictable, but a solid show about an underappreciated myth.
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This show is dumb. Full stop. But, it knows it’s dumb. So when you have a self-aware show where the magic academy of witches is in a war with werewolves, you get 2 seasons of fun. Vapid characters and all!
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This R-rated animated show was a solid “original” Greek Myth. While not as good as its Castlevania cousin, Blood of Zeus reframes the villain in amazing ways. The end felt a little rushed, but I hope for a 2nd season.
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Oh Magicians. High highs and LOW lows. But, I can’t quit you. If you’ve made it as far as S5, then you know what you’re in for. And for me, it is Elliot and Margo. Their arcs, and loves, is why I will always have a special place in my heart for Magicians.
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This is going to sound negative, but I’m glad the show is over. S1 and 2 were great. 3 was…okay. 4 was about Cthulhu-like eldritch beings, but never went hard on the subject. (The team defeats a monster an ep.) That’s a long way from the Satanic Riverdale murder show it started as. Nonetheless, a solid end to a solid show
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Canceled by Fox, Saved by Netflix. Lucifer is what it is, a devilishly fun (sorry) vehicle for a Tom Ellis to ham it up. I wish I liked Chloe better, but the Devil and the Detective always entertains.
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Did you skip this because you thought it was video game/anime fighting? It is…but isn’t. This is a story about loss, broken characters, each dealing with the fear/reality of being alone. Yeah, weren’t expecting that, were you? Plus…anime monster fights. :)
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You don’t need to be a huge fan of Stephen King to enjoy this twisted tale of creeping horror in Maine. The characters are great, the setting is practical, and the dread is real. Massive shout out to veteran King actors coming back to add to this Hulu original.
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The Top Ten!!
Fate The Winx Saga. I already gave my thoughts. Loved these ladies, their story, and look forward to more.
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This one was rough to rank. #9 and #8 are almost interchangeable. But, The Umbrella Academy is a solid show, with interesting characters. Massive shout-out to Klauss! If only S1 hand’t been a Dark Phoenix retelling it mighta been bumped up.
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Doom Patrol is a “superhero” show about broken people. But as a family, they hold their broken parts together. The show embraces it’s “insanity” and just goes for it. I respect that. The musical number in the Danny the Street ep always makes me misty. Super props to the cast, especially Matt Bomer as Larry Trainor and Diane Guerrero as Crazy Jane.
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No the show isn’t over yet (as of writing this, 1 ep remains). But a character study about a woman suffering tremendous loss/mental struggles backdropped against TV sitcoms was an incredible gamble by the MCU. And for me, it worked.
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This animated masterpiece is everything I didn’t know I wanted. Reframing the DCU as an R-rated comedy that explores love, self-identity, and the need for family resulted in something I want more of now! As Kite-Man says, Hell Yeah!
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This one is contentious, as some people love the book so much they can’t get behind the show. I’m not one of them. This show is pure beauty. Flaws, wrinkles, and all. At least S1 and S2 were. Haven’t seen S3 yet, and Orlando Jones Mr. nancy will be missed.
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This is not just a kid’s cartoon. It’s a gateway to imagination that you should watch with your kids, or if you’re a kid at heart. The adventures, losses, wins, and bonds between Callum, Rayla, and Ezran will linger in your heart. Shout out to the animation team for making this fantasy piece so stunning to watch.
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What can I say that hasn’t been said? The Witcher, its cast, music, style, imagery, and non-sequential storytelling is in a class by itself.
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Over the top. Vulgar. Gory. Excessive.
Yup.
This deconstruction of superheroes was a groundbreaking comic and a profanity-laden breath of “fresh air” we all needed.
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The Victorian blend of the mythical with the very real issues of race, oppression, class warfare, and immigrants/refugees is something I eagerly await more of. Cara Delevinge and Orlando Bloom shine as Vignette and Philo while the amazing supporting cast brings the Row’s to life. This show, as well as all in the top 10, exemplify the rule “character first.”
Image from IMDB