MARIAH's THOUGHTS on Charmed (2018)

Genre:

Drama/Supernatural/Fantasy/Mystery

Rating:

TV-PG

Release Date:

2018-2022

Seasons:

1-4

Run Time:

43 minutes/episode

Social Media:

      

Cast:

Melonie Diaz, Sarah Jeffery, Lucy Barrett, Rupert Evans, Poppy Drayton, Jordan Donica

(For full cast and crew on IMDB)

Plot Summary:

After the tragic death of their mother, three sisters discover they are witches, and they must stand together to fight an onslaught of supernatural battles.

source

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*My Thoughts*

So, I decided to watch the entirety of the 2018 reboot of "Charmed” because I started watching the first episode, and I might as well finish it. As a huge fan of the original 1998 version, I must say that the 2018 reboot should not have been named “Charmed.” It could easily be its own series without using concepts from its 1998 predecessor. The 2018 reboot expands the magical world where in the 1998 version good and evil were simply split between demons and every other magical creature. “Charmed” 2018 changes the lore of the charmed ones and brings in modern twists to connect with a younger audience.

The series felt rushed and the sisters felt more like caricatures than people I could relate to. From the very first episode, the viewer is bombarded with socio-political topics without tact. Within the first fifteen minutes, Mel immediately goes on a hyper-feminist rant towards Harry, the charmed ones’ white lighter for this series. The strong feminist message is respectable, but it was forced and felt clunky. Macy is the eldest and most logical sister. Maggie is the empathetic and optimistic youngest sister. Moving further along, Mel, Maggie, and Macy’s sisterhood felt taped together by artists’ tape, it barely kept things together, even though they had three seasons to bond. They had their moments of unity but there wasn’t any onscreen chemistry. Even though the sisters from the 1998 version had drastically different personalities and interests, they could easily bond through magic or their experiences in romance.

While the original 1998 version allowed for growth over its eight seasons, the 2018 “Charmed” rushed everything. Macy, Maggie, and Mel’s sisterhood were introduced with Mel and Maggie as sisters attending the same college where their mother worked, and Macy is introduced as their half-sister after their mother’s death. These sisters were strangers to each other, which made their relationship empty. Each pivotal point thereafter, Harry and Macy getting together, Macy dying in the third season, and Mikaela replacing Macy, felt like goals that the writers needed to reach, but everything in between simply existed to fill up a time slot. I realized that I haven’t even spoken about most of the sisters’ love interests or even the antagonists of each season, but I would attribute that to just how forgettable they are, like empty caricatures. The only stable and almost tangible relationship in 2018 “Charmed” was between Maggie and Jordan.

While watching its four seasons, I held onto the hope that it would get better or live up to “Charmed” of 1998, but it did not rise to the occasion. To be fair, that first episode was already a red flag, but I’m stubborn. Since I started watching it, I might as well have finished it. The biggest remedy for the 2018 “Charmed” would have been better pacing and character development. In other words, if 2018 “Charmed” gave me more time or gave deeper meaning to the characters’ relationships, I would have earnestly cared about this universe and the storyline. With the ranting being said and done, 2018’s “Charmed” had its own merits. The lore behind these charmed ones and magics could have led the series into its own world of possibilities, different mythologies, types of magic, or magical creatures. The diversity of its cast gave me a sense of heart-warming visibility and inclusion. Their main hangout and the camouflage of their command center, Safe Space, had a welcoming and trendy college campus vibe to it which was nice. If I had to rate “Charmed” 2018 as a standalone series, I would give it a three out of five stars. It was entertaining for a full second, but because it is supposed to be a reboot of a beloved series, I will drop it down to one and a half out of five stars.

My rating:

MARIAH's THOUGHTS on Blood of Zeus 2020 Season 1

 

Genre:

Animation/Action/Fantasy

Anime

Series:

Blood of Zeus

Season:

1

Rating:

TV-MA

Episodes:

8

Run Time:

26-38 minutes per episode

Release Year:

2020

Series Directed by:

Shaunt Nigoghossian

Series Writing by:

Charley Parlapanides, Vlas Parlapanides

Plot Summary:

A commoner living in ancient Greece, Heron discovers his true heritage as a son of Zeus, and his purpose: to save the world from a demonic army.

source

Cast:

Derek Phillips, Jason O'Mara, Claudia Christian, Mamie Gummer, Jessica Henwick Elias Toufexis, Chris Diamantopoulos, Adetokumboh M'Cormack, Matthew Mercer, Melina Kanakaredes, Danny Jacobs, Matt Lowe, Adam Croasdell, Jennifer Hale, David Shaughnessy, Fred Tatasciore, Vanessa Marshall

See Full Cast & Crew on IMDB

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*My Thoughts*

Blood of Zeus (2020) is an original Netflix animated series. Taking from Greek mythology with gods, titans, giants, and particularly the union between a god and human to create a demigod, Blood of Zeus makes its own demigod in the form of Heron. He is a man raised as a commoner and ostracized by the polis in which he and his mother live. Heron is raised without the knowledge of his true parentage until it is too late. He loses the people that he lived with for years, his beloved mother, and essentially everything he owns. He is then thrown into the role of the hero who must save the world. Along with Heron’s side of the story, Blood of Zeus jumps around from different characters mainly Zeus, Hera, and Seraphim, one of the series’ antagonist. And in that short summary, the Blood of Zeus (2020) does everything right. The protagonist and the main antagonist are revealed with fluid storytelling along with the conflict of the gods and giants. But not only is Seraphim introduced as an antagonist, midway through Blood of Zeus, twists and turns bring Hera in, shining radiantly in all her jealous glory, as another antagonist. 

 

 Blood of Zeus had a perfectly executed story, albeit a bit rushed, nice artwork and animation, but it didn’t deliver something new that could get me hooked. With only eight episodes, the series put in every bit of exposition needed to build up to the final fight i.e. a lot of death, a training montage, Seraphim’s struggles that lead him into the man he is during the present storyline, and Heron’s emotional struggles which he overcomes to fight the final fight. There are some unanswered questions by the last episode that make me curious, like the final whereabouts of Hera or if Seraphim drops his pride and rage to save himself from suffering. I am also interested about how Heron will later advance his relationship with his half-siblings Apollo and Hermes, as they seem to be the only two who accept Heron before he became a hero. While I do enjoy Blood of Zeus, I will unfortunately drop it as a three-and-a-half-star worthy watch.

My rating:

JASMINE's THOUGHTS on Constantine Season 1 Episode 1 "Non Est Asylum"

About the Show

Based on the wildly popular comic book series Hellblazer from DC Comics, seasoned demon hunter and master of the occult John Constantine (Matt Ryan, "Criminal Minds") is armed with a ferocious knowledge of the dark arts and a wickedly naughty wit. He fights the good fight - or at least he did. With his soul already damned to hell, he's decided to abandon his campaign against evil until a series of events thrusts him back into the fray, and he'll do whatever it takes to protect the innocent. With the balance of good and evil on the line‎, Constantine will use his skills to travel the country, find the supernatural terrors that threaten our world and send them back where they belong. After that, who knows... maybe there's hope for him and his soul after all.

The cast also includes Harold Perrineau ("Lost") as Manny and Charles Halford ("True Detective") as Chas.

Writer Daniel Cerone ("The Mentalist," "Dexter") serves as executive producer with David S. Goyer ("Man of Steel," "The Dark Knight Rises"). "Constantine" is produced from Bonanza Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. The show is based upon characters published by DC Entertainment.

Stay connected with Constantine
Website

      

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Every since news that the DC's comic book series Hellblazer was going to get a television series, I was all too excited! And now... the pilot episode has premiered! Thank goodness for DVRs...I definitely didn't want to miss the premiere of this show that follows the life and occult activities of John Constantine as he seems to always finds himself battling with demons and other sorts. So, Friday night, on October 24, 2014, this exciting new TV adaptation of a comic book series premiered! Let's see if it lives up to all the hype and excitement.

Read the recap for Season 1 Episode 1 "Non Est Asylum"!

Photo Gallery of "Non Est Asylum"

*My Thoughts*

Well, let's see, first off, this TV adaptation is no way like the movie which I already had my mind set to NOT compare. However, there is a lot to take in in this pilot episode that sets audiences up in what to expect in this show. In this pilot episode, John Constantine (Matt Ryan) battles a demon to protect his friend's daughter. John seems to think he get escape it all at the asylum. Boy...was he wrong! Whether he likes it or not, John is back in the battle. From his first encounter with a demonic entity, and throughout the episode, you get that scare element that will make you "jump out of your seat." All the demon encounters gave that scary movie feel that I really liked.

As John sets out to protect Liv (Lucy Griffiths), his friend's daughter that he promised to protect, Liv is introduced to a mysterious world that only she can see. Well, there's a lot to take in...even I had to pay real close attention...haha! It's fascinating and scary at the same time. Angels and demons battling it out, and John in the middle of it all. I would be as overwhelmed as Liv was if I had to learn about the supernatural/paranormal like that...a demonic entity threatening to kill me...uh, yah! Moreover, it was pretty exciting as Liv was learning and uneasily accepting what was happening to her. By the end of the episode, Liv has survived and overcame a demonic ordeal that would make any sane person run. And...that she did. All the while, all the events that came to pass played heavily on John's conscience. A battle of wills....if you will. And that's how it plays out....that's what it all comes down to.

I loved the cast, Matt Ryan played the troubled John well, especially with the dry humor and wit...including his struggles with his inner demons. Lucy Griffiths was wonderfully naive as Liv, who just found out that her life isn't as normal and average as she thought. However brief, Liv was a likable character...sad to see that character leave. But, I thought it was interesting to see Chas (Charles Halford) die, then he's not dead...very curious. Not only that, Harold Perrineau as an angel...Manny!?! So yeah, there's a lot of mysteries behind these characters, not just with the demonic/angel activity; the characters alone have their own secrets...I am so curious to find out. And...who is Ritchie Simpson (Jeremie Davies)!!??!! Apparently, there is history between John and Ritchie. I am definitely intrigued! As one character leaves, another is introduced by the end of the episode...Zed Martin (Angélica Celaya). What's Zed's connection to the supernatural...what's her gift??? Hmmm...

Filled with mystery and suspense, Constantine is somewhat a dark and gritty supernatural drama that has its own touch of dry humor to keep it light. Like I said above, there is a lot to take in in this pilot episode...enough to keep me interested and curious. There's a lot of mystery and secrets to keep you guessing and wanting to find out more. I really enjoyed it, and I am definitely looking forward to watching more of John Constantine's supernatural "adventures" between demons, spirits, and angels...as well as his inner demons. Yeah, John just can't let it go or walk away. This TV adaptation of the Hellblazer comic book series has got me intrigued and excited. 

Until the next episode...get a preview of Episode 2 "The Darkness Beneath" - Meet Zed Martin

Watch Constantine on Fridays at 10/9c on NBC!