Reviews

The first two seasons of the show were wonderful. The cast and stories were often funny and entertaining. Once the cat was out of the bag for Lois, the writers were struggling to keep it going: Supe proposes, she says no, then she is cool with the relationship and then he says no. Then there are clones, Luthor and all other obstacles, the writers were attempting to find ways to continue to drag it out.

The plots seemed to get sillier. Maybe they could have gone in directions that were more interesting plot-wise, than just villain versus Supe. It is not easy to write when you have a hero that has only one life-threatening weakness... Kryptonite. So some stories have it and some do not. The good episodes were fewer in the later seasons. The ideas ran out for the most part but the show is still really fun to watch 30 years later.

In the first episodes the costume looked like it was made from a sofa--awful (I don't know why they made his cape so huge for the first two seasons!). It did finally improve.

The special effects were awful in the first season but they did get better. They strayed from the canon by having his father not die... and the mother made his Superman costumes not from blankets from his infant spaceship, but just from ordinary earth sourced material. Early on in the series the costume would often rip...then that seemed to stop suddenly.

They kicked out the heartthrob type Jimmy Olson after the first season and brought in more of a contrast to Dean Cain, a sweet, cute kid Jimmy. After the first season, they got rid of the somewhat "loose" Cat Grant and had much less sexual innuendo in the dialog. They were aiming at a family audience.

Fans of the George Reeves series will notice salutes to the original series. Jack Larson and Phyllis Coates show up and there is an Inspector Henderson early on but then after a few episodes he is gone. Also, every now and then you would see the name Bessolo used (Reeves real last name). They also had the Supe slams into an asteroid and loses his memory story. Let's not forgot when they go to Echo Canyon!

Kudos to Lane Smith for being the best Perry White ever!, no insult to John Hamilton but Lane was given a much more versatile and interesting character. Unfortunately, and maybe the supporting cast felt neglected, but Perry and Jimmy being more minor characters in the last couple of seasons.

Dean and Terry were amazing. Their chemistry is unmatched by every other Superman show or movie. The new Superman and Lois show is fantastic but it is a much more dark and serious version of the character where this show is very light, but never campy.

The show was contracted for 5 years after the second season, but by Season 4, the ratings were so bad that the network broke the contract and dropped it.

Some sad notes:

Lane Smith succumbed to ALS in 2005 at the age of 69.

Farrah Forke who played Mayson Drake died from cancer likely caused years after she had undergone plastic surgery in 1989 when she was 21, to receive silicone breast implants. However, the implants later ruptured and caused her health complications. She consequently had them removed four years later in February 1993. She passed away in 2022 at the age of 54.

After watching about a dozen K-Dramas/Comedies, there are a few things to know:

1. They all spend a lot of time on flashbacks. Actually, this show did not do that for the first dozen episodes, then it really used them. Korean flashbacks have two forms, it can be just because the character is thinking of the past, or it reveals an action or dialogue that was not seen originally. People in the reviews here complained about this but that is a K-Drama thing. It's a bit of a gimmick.

2. All major characters cry and also scream at others at some point in the series. Another K thing.

Yes, there are plot holes. The rules of what those who are not in the game can see are not consistent. Sometimes the non-gamers react to things that they are not supposed to have seen (example: people screaming at the shooting in the train, when they should have seen just Mr. Yoo running around and pointing his hand at nothing, looking like a crazy person).

The battles with Mr. Yoo and others probably could have been cut 25%. They were monotonous at times.

Just a note, after hardly being able to walk and limping all over the place...how is he running at super speed in Episode 14?

His treatment of the leading lady is primarily awful. He is constantly disappearing, hiding things, lying, making her wait and worry and needlessly torturing her in many instances. This is true particularly in the ending where he makes no effort to help her not live in misery. He's selfish and he often acts like a jerk. She accepts crumbs and her devotion almost makes her seem like a loser at the end of the series.

The majority of viewers hated the ending. We were all hoping for a reunion of the leads but to just imply that she can only visit him inside of the game is poorly written as it offers no explanation. All of the scenes showing the game getting out of control when released was a drag and a waste of minutes in that last episode. It kind of hinted that we were going to get ripped off as time in the finale was running out.

It would have been better if he kills Marco (or maybe the creator had to do that) or kills Emma after the reset. Why is Yoo a bug, he isn't dead coming back to fight anyone. He could have returned to make the game better and provide happiness for grandma and the little sister as well as his tortured girlfriend.

So, if you aren't going to write a happy ending, then define the events that led to his being trapped in the game? Or was he trapped? Or just addicted and cannot stop playing the game? If the game creator was in a hiding place, how did he get out? Is that where Mr. Yoo is? They should have made a two hour movie later to fix this all up.

I am not sure why everyone is clamoring for a second season. The show was released in early 2019. Netflix doesn't even put money into renewing most of their current shows. If they planned on a second season to continue, maybe the ending could later make sense...but they called the last episode "Finale"...so a second season was not planned. The show was nearly $1 million per episode then...so It is not happening! It's now an old show, going on six years. It is done.

The writers have created an interesting framework and it kind of plays like a Tim Burton story. The performances are great but you can't just write to show something you want to have happen without making the characters act like real people. The series is very padded. So much of the first half is repetitive. Moon Gang Tae struggles, shows affection to Young and then when she responds, he pushes her hand away and rejects her, maybe a dozen times. It becomes so tedious. After a while it seems like a writer's crutch. Yes, we learn why everyone is traumatized the way they are but that just continues to be repeated, as though the writers are stuck.

Gang Tae is such an emotional cripple, you wonder why Young cannot do better and does not tire of him. However, then in the later episodes, we see the great devotion of Young to Gang Tae and everything seems to be moving towards a climactic end. The are a family.

But in Episode 15, Gang Tae walks in on nut job mommy, sees that Young is not there and that his brother is alive. Gang Tae's character should have and would have tackled her right away and subdued her, that is the only response that makes sense. Instead he stands there and the writers have them do a question and answer session so we can learn about the broken bird story. I sat there just thinking as a viewer...go get her now before she can do something to you, the fact that he did not do that is not believable, especially for a guy who has that much anger in him.

Then, so they can go to a Chapter 16 (they are usually required to shoot 16 episodes), suddenly Young is telling him for the 10th time...."run away, run away, we cannot have a life together." It seems silly at this point. Even though she has vowed to stay and made HIM seen ridiculous for being the one that always runs away, the writers have her say they are doomed...even though through the whole show she talks about them being together as destiny!! Oh come on writers...geez!

They could have easily made it a twelve episode series and cut out all the repetition.

They all work at a psych clinic that doesn't seem to function very well and mixes dangerous patients with harmless ones. You think somebody would have suggested couples or group therapy and perhaps some medication for this dysfunctional bunch. Only the mentally challenged autistic brother behaves like a real person. That is a great performance. You can see that actor in Hot Stove League playing a totally a totally different character. Wonderful.

A story of time travel to 18th century Scotland is so potentially exciting and interesting, The show does have some wonderful moments, particularly when the journey unfolds around the world and goes back and forth in time. But alas, it has to pander to today's streaming audience tastes. The pattern of get captured, raped, tortured and escape-- that repeats endlessly and is mired in violence mixed with sadism and sex seems to bring it down to a gratuitous level that soon becomes laughable. The obligatory Jamie and Claire 10 minute sex scenes in almost every episode ultimately becomes corny. So many of my friends spend a lot of time on the fast forward button because the story is very appealing but the rape of a boy and an absurdly graphic Randall and Jamie violent sex scene plus endless fart, co*ck and di*ck talk takes away from the wonderful battle and rescue scenes that make the show less painful. It doesn't seem to be written for a mature in mind audience but is on some lower level. It is too bad the producers couldn't trust the story. It is all so gratuitous that there is no sense of reality ever. Claire is too selfish and for a brilliant woman makes dumb choices throughout the show. Jamie has a few looks and stares that he does well. His character is basically Errol Flynn which is fine. Some reviews say you can't stop watching it, but believe me, you can.

The romance of the main couple combined with the suspense of the psycho killer were perfectly blended. We aren't sure who are the real monsters of the story. But we later find out that it is the mothers and their ability to steam roll, sabotage and destroy other students' lives to further their own kids' pursuit of education, who are the true monsters of this story.

The professor's assistant being the true killer was predictable as soon as you saw the first moment of his jealousy of Ms. Nam. At first, his character seemed like he had a gay crush on Choi. So, we are given a "red herring" which makes one of the students appear to be the psycho killer....very typical in Korean drama. Another thing in Korean drama is how characters hold back in making a simple decision that can so easily avert danger or scandal. In general, it was tolerable here.

However, having all the families have a happy ending is a bit much, even for Korean drama. Two things that were hard to believe in the writing:

1. When the mother shows up, the daughter is repulsed by her. Her decision to go to Japan and destroy her aunt's feelings was sudden and made no sense. I kept wondering if her behavior was caused by a bump on her head. If she truly wanted to try living with her mother, why do it in a way that was so hurtful and mean? It wasn't realistic.

2. In addition, the mother, who was an incredibly stupid, arrogant, shallow, sneaky, lying character, suddenly becomes, thoughtful, caring and selfless? ...so quickly??

It would have been better if the daughter PRETENDED to want to go with her mother because she knew that if she pushed it, her mother was too selfish and did not want her daughter actually going back to Japan to live with her. So, the mother would then just leave on her own. That would have been better writing than the mother having this out-of-character noble redemption.

I also wondered why after the mother does leave in the story, there was no conversation about why the daughter behaved so mean and hurtful. There should have been a talk and confrontation between auntie and niece. Anyway, I recommend the show. It is totally worth your attention.

The weirdest part of the show was Uncle winding up with Nam's friend and employee.

Korean Drama is often a bigger budget Hallmark with violence :)

Where to start? Romance movie? You have to be kidding. The people in this movie are so dysfunctional that it is hard to believe that any romance, even if allowed, could blossom from any of these people? Jin is a product of an extremely abusive mother, who obviously has mental illness. So, Jin grows up with no confidence, makes terrible choices and can't be assertive because she grew up being constantly beaten down. Everyone enables the mother's illness. She's allowed to always be nasty, angry and hit people and they just take it. When the father says to Jin, "your mother only wants the best for you". That's the scary part. The mother only cares about what other people think and is ultra controlling. Jin is rather immature for someone approaching 40 but that is understandable coming from a mother like that. So of course when a nice looking boy comes along and soothes are broken ego...well, a romance ensues. So what about Seo. Well, he has his own issues, maturity is one of them. He is 27 going on 17. The joint lying that the couple continues without thinking ahead is an example of their childlike behavior. His cockiness sometimes comes off as obnoxious. In this romance, he is clingy, needy and quite controlling. He can't give Jin her space. He always has to run after her even when she is doing things that need not include him. He just shows up. When someone is that clingy and can't be alone, that's never a good indication of a healthy relationship. Jin comes from a controlling mother, right? So, this behavior is not foreign to her. Jin's continuous attempts at connecting with her ex is one of her many poor choices. This movie is annoying, the characters are mostly dislikable. The best scenes are the office scenes which seem to make sense. En so I'm guessing they hadn't seen many good ones!.

Heartfelt story of 3 young woman, longtime friends facing leaving their 30s. They find love, deal with family issues and tragedy. The last episode can leave you sobbing. The depiction of the closeness in the women's relationship is very well written. Son-Yi-Jin proved she was an incredible actress in Crash Landing on You and here she confirms her talent and ability. You do get the expected over abundance of sentimentality that is common in Korean Drama, but here it all just really seems to work. I had to laugh, the three actresses look much younger than American woman usually look at forty-ish, but hey, it's Korea, the land of the plastic surgeon and flattering photography. Jeon Mi-do looks all of 25, so adorable and pretty. I totally recommend this film. My only complaint would be that in reality the last couple of weeks (at least) of someone dying from Pancreatic Cancer is not being home, eating porridge and then you pass one night. Having seen it myself, it's a couple of weeks of the most excruciating pain as your organs start to shut down, accompanied by the mental withdrawal from reality and the people around you, This is what happens when one's body prepares to die from cancer, even with the morphine.

Not on the level of Attorney Woo but a fun story and you admire the talent...you are never bored. The performances are excellent by all. You have music, romance, a psycho killer that creates suspense...who can ask for anything more. If you can believe she was on an island for 15 years without needing tons of psychotherapy and that no one easily recognizes anyone from their past...ok. Some other things to note:

1. She learned how to swim on the island? How did she fall from the boat and wind up on an island 40km away...no way she floated...most people who can't swim would panic anyway.

2. They kind of throw you a red herring making you think that the Woo Hak is Ki-ho....but it never could have been him. You see Ki-ho in the military still going to the spot where she was supposed to show up in Seoul. But, if Woo Hak has no memory before the beating then he would not be able to remember and would never be the one showing up in Seoul.

3. Wouldn't the father have been arrested immediately when he was found guilty of planning the car murder with the hornets/bees. He would not have been able to slash the adoptive father.

So, if you think about things as you watch, you just have to accept it all.

So, even from the beginning you have to swallow the unrealistic situation of a freshly killed car accident victim going directly to a private funeral parlor. In real life, the body would sit in a morgue as a customary investigation would need to be done. No corpse to a funeral parlor in 8 hours. The funeral parlor also would not have any of the victim's possessions. That would be at the morgue or at the police station.

The movie wants to be something but we are not sure what. Is she alive or dead. Well, she was embalmed, we saw this...so not alive. Was Liam Neesom crazy? Evidently. Is she seen moving in the prep room and in the coffin by anyone when she is alone, other than us? No, so she is alive.

But wait, the boyfriend is setup for murder by the mortician at the end. Why? The mortician somehow finds a boy to hang with who also sees the dead girl.

What a coincidence! Who takes care of that boy since he appears to be living with someone who is comatose or dead? The fact that Ricci clouds up a mirror is proof for the girl that she is alive? She already knows she is breathing and moving around....right? The movie is contrived silliness. But as bad as this film is, the treat is to see Ricci mostly in a red nightie and often nude. That is worth the price of admission.

Good movie, sexy alien...great rapport...lots of action. I look forward to Star Trek 4 if it ever happens. It's been delayed for a long time. OK. The entire ending solution hinges on blasting rock music in space to destroy the alien ships. Everything catches fire. Using the song rather than a frequency like in the old Earth Vs. Flying Saucers is more believable. However, almost everyone knows...SOUND DOES NOT TRAVEL THROUGH SPACE. THERE IS NO SOUND IN SPACE. There may be some sound around the gas near a black hole but that is it. Sound needs a medium later a solid, liquid or gas. Jeez..Really???

Promiscuous, abused clinical psych student meets delusional schizo. The performances are powerful, the ending ambiguous. The psychological jargon is rather simple-minded and it feels as though the entire faculty are actually not much ahead of the students. Real Yan is the head professor's favorite but it is difficult to know why. She doesn't seem to be particularly insightful.

I didn't believe the ending. Did Real Yan show up as Yan Yan? Was he dreaming the final minute? Was the ending her delusion? Was he choosing Yan Yan over reality? Who was the most self-destructive and co-dependent? They were made for each other evidently. I think the ending needed more clarity to finish the loop.