GOOD GIRLS

Good Girls, aired on NBC, helps us look deeper into the life of three mothers; Beth (played by Christina Hendricks) who struggles to fix her financial situation that her husband so carelessly ruined, her sister Annie (played by Mae Whitman) who attempts to win over her daughter from her ex while juggling her job at a supermarket, and finally, their best friend Ruby (played by Retta) who wishes to provide her ill daughter with a happy life, but fails to do so because of her inability to afford the medical bills.

Their problems spiral down to one conclusion; robbing the market Annie works at. Although the robbery was supposed to make ends meet for the trio, which it kind of did, the whole case just turned out to be a plethora of new problems starting with mobsters and ending with their families questioning them at the surprising amount of money.

The series has definitely proven itself to be capable, covering ground both plot-wise, generally. Its humour, mostly generated by Ruby’s one liners which are enough to erupt laughter, is spectacular as well. Her references vary from Deadpool to The Bachelorette and many more. 

Each episode deals with different issues, adding nail biting suspense and tummy aching laughter for the viewers. The show, however, seems to be more comedy based than on criminality or anything of that sort. At some points it seems obvious that the series has no idea on which road it should take.

It’s enjoyable nonetheless, mainly due to the characters that divert your attention from the unsustainable plot with their outstanding performances. Would recommend it to anyone looking for good-gone-bad and humorous mixed with crime type of shows!

Rating: 3.5Stars

SIREN

I’m no stranger to mermaids or any other creature of imagination. But still, fantasy is one of the genres I have not yet explored properly, so to take a look into that, I chose Siren to be my guide.

It circles around a town which is known for its folktales regarding mermaids, that the settlement bordering the coast was a home to these fictional creatures. A suspicious looking woman, Ryn (played by Eline Powell), wreaks havoc within Bristol Cove in search of her sister who had been seized by a fisherman by mistake.

Unfortunately for her, she gains the interest of marine biologist Ben (played by Alex Roe) who further leads his girlfriend, Maddie (Fola Evans) into the case. Soon enough, it becomes the goal of fisherman Xander and the strange woman of town Helen (played by Ian Verdun and Rena Owen respectively) to uncover the truth behind the mermaid’s visit to land.

Turns out, choosing Siren to lead me into the fantastical world wasn’t a good idea, since the show itself isn’t quite sure of what it wants to be; drama, horror or fantasy? We may never find out. It lacks humour and when a show lacks wit, it’s already halfway through to destruction.

The series isn’t entirely bad, not at all. It’s entertaining to some extent, and I have to give props to the makeup artists for making everything so believable. There’s a handful amount of brutality in it, led by the main character Ryn. Although, I am tired of seeing the generic evil-government-evil-everything storyline over and over again. Hope to see improvisations in the next season related to the acting – it seriously needs help.

Rating: 2.5Stars

SPLITTING UP TOGETHER

The show mainly goes on about an unhappy couple, Lena (Jenna Fischer) and Martin (Oliver Hudson), who finalise their despondent relationship with a divorce. Amidst the chaos, they decide to split up the house that seemed too good to be true for them amongst themselves and their kids.

And as expected, the occurrence meant to separate them, just brings them closer. The sitcom itself is quite counselling, more than just the story of a couple trying to get back together; the story of two people trying to identify themselves while juggling these responsibilities.

Splitting Up Together was a hard pill to swallow, not actually seeming to be a sitcom since they’re mostly known for the warmth of family and the comedic relief they bring whereas this one in particular does the complete opposite of that. It would’ve been much more appealing had it not been forcing its way down the family-sitcom road. Not only that but sometimes the chemistry between the Lena and Martin disappeared into thin air, leaving awkward glances and heavy silences. Even though Jenna had held tight onto her charisma shown in The Office, she left behind the attraction she had with John Krasinski.

The producers had aimed for loud laughs but ended up receiving a few snorts here and there. Some episodes dropped hints saying “oh! They might end up together!” but after coming face to face with more hurdles in their lives, the viewers deflated to a less energetic, mumbled “never mind.” 

It was pleasing at the least, the characters and their dynamics drawing in enough attention to keep me going.

Rating: 3Stars