byablue Reviews

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1984–1985)

What did he say?

[7/10 · 1 June 2023]

I enjoyed the series except for Jeremy Brett's apparent inability too open his mouth and enunciate clearly, as though he were afraid someone might understand what he is saying. I can't count the times I had to rewind to figure out what he was saying. Very frustrating. I've seen this with other actors who mumble, stumble, run their words together, and practically whisper. Have enough respect for the writers to enunciate the dialogue they've written for you to present. When the volume is increased to allow for the mumbly, bumbly speech of the actor, the music and sound effects are painful to the ears and head. Maybe the problem is with the sound technicians. I've had to end movies 10 minutes in because it simply became intolerable to try and decipher the dialogue.

The episodes I struggled through were good stories, once I was finally able to complete them.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Did You Believe in Miracles? (2022) Season 23, Episode 20

Dumb & Dumber

[1/10 · 4 August 2022]

Writers' Meeting: "Let's have an episode about the biggest airhead parents on the planet."

Every time the mother opened her mouth, I wanted to smack her. This review won't be accepted unless I use at least 150 words. I can't think of 150 words to express the level of dumbness in this episode. Idiotic, moronic, asinine, stupid, ditzy, dim-witted, obtuse, dense. Okay that's enough.

Bleh. 1 star because zero is not an option.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Surrendering Noah (2015) Season 16, Episode 23

Stupid

[1/10 · 26 July 2022]

The idea of Benson feeling compelled to reveal that Johnny D is the biological father of Noah is straight stupid. Prior to season 13 Benson was an intelligent person. How could she not predict the possibility that Johnny D would use that info to his benefit and the possibility of court-ordered visitation? "Oh, woe is me, now I might have to do something horrible that will have a devastating effect on my child's life because I couldn't keep my mouth shut." Ridiculous out-of-character writing to create drama. Surely the writers can create some better storylines. If not, maybe the show needs new writers. The stories have pretty much gone downhill since season 12, anyway. I'm struggling to continue the series in hope of better things.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Official Story (2012) Season 13, Episode 12

Better but still lacks that spark

[8/10 · 21 July 2022]

This is my first time watching season 12. So far, this has been a better episode than the previous episodes. There's a different air without Chris Meloni. He and Mariska Hargitay worked well together, and their interaction added intensity to the story. It was refreshing to see a caring, professional relationship that didn't fall into the trite trap of romantic involvement. The stories and interactions between all the characters were much richer and deeper with Stabler in the mix. This season seems a little flat and formulaic without Stabler in the mix, like everyone is just going through the motions. A lot of the Munch/Fin banter is missing, and the new detectives haven't sparked much interest. Maybe it's the writing, I don't know. I rated it 8 simply because, so far, it's the best of this season, but ir doesn't compare at all to the first 12 seasons.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: 911 (2005) Season 7, Episode 3

Great but Questions

[10/10 · 14 July 2022]

I loved the episode and Mariska was great. I just didn't understand why Olivia waited so long to ask the girl for a description of the man, why it took so long for them to think about the cell phone bouncing towers, and why they didn't consider checking the area around the burger place. But the way they la it built suspense, so I guess that's why.

The Long Hot Summer (1985)

Disappointed with IMDB

[10/10 · 9 July 2022]

I've loved this show since it first aired in the '80 and was thrilled that I finally found a streaming option. DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME. It streams on FreeTv, formerly known as IMDB TV, but an hour of it has been CUT OUT - scenes that are IMPORTANT to the storyline. VERY disappointed.

Law & Order: Black and Blue (2022) Season 21, Episode 10

This L&O can't make the case for quality entertainment.

[1/10 · 4 July 2022]

I watched this season after binging early seasons of the series and was very disappointed. These episodes are like Cliff Notes versions compared with previous seasons and the forced political slant is annoying. The storylines of the earlier seasons are much richer, as are those of L&O: SVU. I'm not interested in any future seasons of this L&O. One star because 0 is not an option.

Laramie: Queen of Diamonds (1960) Season 2, Episode 1

Andy & Jonesy

[5/10 · 26 June 2021]

I don't like the show as much without Andy & Jonesy.