TV Series Review: Snowdrop (Disney +, 2021)

 

***SPOILERS***

Snowdrop is a Korean espionage drama that aired on Disney + in 2021. 

The show takes place in 1987, one week before the South Korean presidential election. Eun Yeong-ro (Jisoo), a university student, meets Lim Soo-ho (Jung Hae-in) on a group blind date with their roommates. Both meet again that same day at a music/record store where Lim Soo-ho is hiding from the police. The same night, when Eun Yeong-ro is going back to her dorm room, Soo-ho is chased by the ANSP, a national security division of the police, and hides out in her dorm. Yeong-ro and her roommates hide him and keep him until he is able to go out again. When Soo-ho is better, he sneaks out but comes back to see Yeong-ro. Only when he sees her again, the ANSP follows him, creating a hostage situation in the dorm. The next 12 episodes take place in the dorm and hostage crisis.

This show is nothing like what I expected and I honestly did not enjoy it. Originally when I watched the trailer, I assumed it was about 2 old university students meeting again to help the other when he is accused of tampering with the presidential election. I was so wrong. 

This show was so depressing with one bad thing happening after another. 12 episodes in a hostage situation where nothing changes is so uncomfortable. The dynamics changed a lot between the hostages and the spies. One of the girls (I think) felt Stockholm syndrome for one of the spies. I hated that. And that same girl was so infuriating throughout the episodes. I think this whole show is just Stockholm syndrome. How could you like someone that got your brother killed, your dad shot, and held you hostage?

I would like to say the last episode is phenomenal. But that's just because it is the last episode. They needed to wrap everything up in a good way, and they did. Or maybe my expectations were low. We saw the key characters and how they are after the hostage situation. Most of them are happy, except for Yeong-ro. She definitely carries the most survivor's guilt after her family and friends are gone. I did enjoy the last episode and the sad conclusion.

Acting in this show must've been difficult. But the actors were great. This was like a high-stakes drama which required the actors to cry constantly and be in fear. Like Jisoo from Blackpink can act. She cried in every single episode.

Overall, I would not recommend this show. It was a headache to watch and continue. This might be my worst kdrama watch. 

Rating: 4/10

Movie Review: Spirited (Apple TV +, 2022)

Spirited is a Christmas movie based on A Christmas Carol. The story follows a department of workers, changing people's lives by showing them their past, present, and future on Christmas night. Spirited takes place in New York. The movie stars Ryan Reynolds, Will Ferrell, Octavia Spencer, and Tracy Morgan. 

The movie begins with the team finishing off the season, helping a woman change her ways. They celebrate the success until The ghost of Christmas present (Ferrell) strays away into a different room where he wonders if they did a good job. After the celebration, in the New Year, they start to sort and pick the next person to help. When scouting and visiting candidates, The ghost of Christmas present sees Clint Briggs (Reynolds), and convinces the team to pick him for this year. The team finds that Briggs is an "Unredeemable". Nevertheless, The ghost persists and the team picks Briggs and gets to work to make him a nicer, better person.

The movie had a lot going on, visually and musically. I think it started to give me a headache. The plot was really fun. Sure it may be overdone, but I think the musical numbers really helped make it more unique. Would I watch this movie again? I don’t think so. While the movie is entertaining and thoughtful, the end of the movie is a shocking, yet fantastic, twist that makes it unwatchable again in the future. Maybe if I did want to rewatch it, I would look for the foreshadowing, hinting towards the end. 

Some of my favorite things from the movie are obviously the soundtrack and songs, cinematography, and set design. The scene where we first met Briggs is so fun and amazing to watch. It was like a whole Christmas music video. Also, it was so exciting to hear Tracy Morgan's voice in The ghost of Yet to Come. Absolutely my favorite part of the movie. 

Overall, Spirited is a enjoyable Christmas movie with lots of jokes and love. I think it was a fun 2-hour watch for the Christmas season. The twists were also fun to see. I would recommend Spirited this holiday season.

Rating: 8/10

TV Series Review: Archer Season 13 (FXX, 2022)

***SPOILERS***

Archer is a TV series on FXX. It follows a spy agency and their thrilling day-to-day lives. The show first aired in 2009. Season 13 aired on August 24, 2022, till October 12, 2022. Season 13 has 8 episodes, 30 minutes long each. The cast includes H Jon Benjamin (Bob's Burgers), Aisha Tyler (Criminal Minds), Chris Parnell (Rick and Morty, 30 Rock, SNL), and Judy Greer (Reboot, 13 Going on 30).

Season 13 follows Archer and the gang partnering up with another spy agency from last season, the IIA. The team is given new, outrageous, assignments each episode by Fabian Kingsworth, head of the IIA. While dealing with those assignments, each character has an arc in that episode, changing the way they act for the rest of the season. 

The season ends with the team learning that through the assignments, they involuntarily collapsed a government in Manatina, and Fabian Kingsworth is holding the President hostage. They solve the situation with the help of a CIA agent from previous seasons, Agent Slater, played by Christian Slater (Inside Job, Mr. Robot). 

I loved the reappearance of some old characters in the finale. They were so much fun to catch up with and see what they'd been up to. My favorite would have to be Agent Slater, especially his last line in the last episode. The guest stars this season were also really well cast. Kenan Thompson (SNL, Kenan, Good Burger) was in the third episode, Saturday, playing a negotiator that needed to be rescued by Archer and Lana Kane. 

This season is the first season without Jessica Walter, who played Benjamin's character's mother. The show definitely felt very different and like it was missing something. It did mention very often since her departure at the end of last season. The characters in the show did have an intervention for her son, Sterling Archer, for his behavior over her departure, leading to the new plot of the following episode, where Archer goes to therapy. 

Lately, I've noticed Judy Greer's character, Cheryl isn't the same as she was in the older seasons. I think her character just isn't fun anymore. Cheryl in the older seasons was a strong character, with memorable moments. Now she's been reduced to one-liners and weird storylines. I do hope she becomes a stronger character in the next season when it's renewed. 

I feel like every season of Archer is a really good season, and the same goes for this season. While I didn't enjoy the first 5 episodes, the episodes do show each character's development really nicely. That is one of my favorite things about Archer. They're not afraid of changing the characters. They love shaking things up and putting the team in a new situation or setting. 

Archer Season 13 completes the new era of the characters evolving and becoming better than before. (Though I still adore the older, unevolved characters, seasons)

Rating: 8/10