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WESTWORLD, 1.7 – ‘Trompe L’Oeil’
The downside of being inordinately interested in TV is that you’re more susceptible to having surprises ruined; either because you invest enough time into thinking about something to predict it, or frequent enough places online to read a fan-theory that proves accurate. Therefore, “Trompe L’Oeil” was slightly undermined by the fact I’ve suspected Bernard (Jeffrey…
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MAID MARIAN AND HER MERRY MEN (BBC, 1989-1994)
The true story of Sherwood Forest is finally revealed: Robin was a cowardly tailor from Kensington, and Marian was the brains behind the Merry Men.
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BLACK MIRROR, 3.5 – ‘Men Against Fire’
The fifth episode of Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror takes us on a journey through a dystopian version of Call of Duty, by way of 1984. We see soldier “Stripe” (Malachi Kirby) undertaking his inaugural mission in the army, together with fierce female squaddie Raimond (Madeline Brewer), to fight the scourge of “roaches” (a disfigured, dehumanised…
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BLACK MIRROR, 3.4 – ‘San Junipero’
How you feel about “San Junipero” will ultimately come down to what you think about the ending. Do Yorkie (Mackenzie Davis) and Kelly (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) end up happy ever after in a Belinda Carlisle-soundtracked ‘heaven on earth’, or is the truth more complicated that that? More importantly, is it believable that Kelly would make that…
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THE INITIATION (1984)
While trying to understand a reoccurring nightmare, a pledge is coaxed into breaking into her father’s department store by her sorority sisters, where a deranged killer targets the girls and their boyfriends.
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HUMANS – series two, episode two
Humans series 2 continued in confident fashion with episode 2, developing all of its plots in compelling ways and highlighting how the reduced episode order of British shows can often be a boon compared to more traditional and lengthier American models. Where many US series (even the 13-episode Netflix model, let alone the traditional network…
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WESTWORLD, 1.6 — ’The Adversary’
Entering the second half of this first season, and “The Adversary” was an instalment that moved things forward in surprising ways. In some respects, it now feels like the preceding hours have been baby steps for the audience (easing us into this world, laying down the rules, and giving us a good foundation to build…
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KES (1969)
A working class boy spends his free time caring for and training his pet falcon, Kes.
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JAMAICA INN (1939)
In Cornwall in 1819, a young woman discovers she’s living near a gang of criminals who arrange shipwrecks for profit.
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BLACK MIRROR, 3.3 – ‘Shut Up and Dance’
There’s no trace of futuristic devices, iris implants, or dystopian societies in Shut Up And Dance; without a doubt the darkest, bleakest episode of Black Mirror’s third series. Set in the UK, this is a gritty look at middle-to-working-class England, where the most sophisticated piece of technology is your average smartphone and the threat posed…
