I know that some/most of y’all have binged the entire series, but I’m watching a single episode at a time, so I haven’t read thru the thread yet (so I don’t see any spoilers).
I watched E2 last night and again, mostly enjoyed it. The bad parts are becoming glaringly obvious and distracting, but the acting and production values and overall story are still good and intriguing.
The good: Number Five is awesome. I like the character and I like the actor’s portrayal. By far the most interesting and fully-realized character in the show. The others range from good to great, but Number Five stands out to me.
Even most of the one-appearance type guest actors have been very good (the waitress, the tow truck driver, etc.).
The production value is excellent. Particularly like how they’ve gone for more of a classic film feel instead of a current HD look. Love the chimp (I never do catch his name). Love #5’s portals and how he leans into them. Love the knife-cam when Diego throws a blade.
The mixed: I’m very happy with the narrative structure but at times certain scenes are poorly timed and they drag the show. In this episode, the whole “Vanya teaches a grown man how to play violin” was way too slow, way too overacted and way too long, for instance.
The music: whoever is in charge of of the music is a fucking idiot. In the first two episodes, the only song I thought was decent AND was decently used was Adam Ant’s Goody Two Shoes, and even that was not used well. Sometimes the lyrics match the action onscreen, but the music does not. Sometimes nothing matches anything, but hey, there’s a pop song! Most of the time, IMO, the music selection and the timing of its use is just awful. If it continues this way for the series, it’s going to be REALLY annoying to me.
So far I’d rate this about the same as I’d rate the first 6 or 7 episodes of The Magicians, a show I enjoyed but grew bored with quickly. I think I finished S1 but I don’t recall ever going back for S2 despite S1 ending with a fairly dramatic cliffhanger (IIRC). Hopefully TUA can polish this up and get stronger as I get to know the characters and the story develops more.
No need to coach or instruct me on what to expect, eh: as I said I’m not reading the thread so as to avoid spoilers.