Tag: TV Reviews

Review: Chicago Justice, Season 1

Posted June 7, 2017 by Rowena in Reviews | 6 Comments

TV Shows have wrapped for the season and I wanted to write down my thoughts on the shows that I’m watching. You’ll be seeing a lot of that in the coming weeks as I watch a lot of shows. You’ve been warned. 🙂

Starring: Philip Winchester, Jon Seda, Joelle Carter, Monica Barbaro, Mark Jefferies
Creators: Michael Brandt, Derek Haas, Matt Olmstead, Dick Wolf
Release Date: March 1, 2017
Run Time: 1hour
TV Type: Crime, Drama

The State’s Attorney’s dedicated team of prosecutors and investigators navigates heated city politics and controversy head-on, while fearlessly pursuing justice. As they take on the city’s high-stakes and often media-frenzied cases, they must balance public opinion, power struggles within the system, and their unwavering passion for the law.

Chicago Justice is the fourth installment in the One Chicago franchise and since I watch all of the other shows, I knew that I was going to watch this one. The first season kicked off a little later in the fall season than the other shows but I thought that the show really hit the ground, running.

So this show follows the State’s Attorney’s team as they go to battle day in and day out in the courtroom. The lead prosecutors are Peter Stone and Anna Valdez and they work with a familiar Chicago PD face, Antonio Dawson and his new partner, Laura Nagel to battle the bad guys in court. Every week, there’s a different case and the case’s that they’re working are really ripped from real life stories and I really enjoyed the entire season. This is one of the shows that I watched faithfully every week and I don’t see that stopping next season. The cases they worked this season were interesting to me. There was a case where an innocent girl was killed in a war that started on social media. There was another case where a developer is killed in a crane accident that was actually intentional and his wife had a part in planning the “accident”. Lots and lots of interesting cases were worked.

If I had a gripe, it would be the way that the season ended. There’s no cliff hanger that leaves us wondering what’s going to happen next season. The finale was just another regular episode with one case that was worked and then solved. I’m sure that was done because it hasn’t been picked up for another season but dude…whoever is in charge of making those decisions, RENEW THIS SHOW ALREADY!! I want to see these characters get another season.

Favorite Ship: Peter, Anna, Antonio and Laura make a great team and the romantic in me is trying to figure out who is going to start pairing up. The only couple that I’m shipping is Peter and Anna. I enjoy seeing them on camera together and like the chemistry between them. Sorry Nagel, I’m still low key shipping Antonio with Sylvie Brett from Chicago Fire.

Favorite Episode: I don’t really have a favorite episode because I enjoyed them all. The episode where Anna’s integrity is called into question was an interesting one. I still have loads of questions about that one. Are we going to find out what Anna’s real connection with the judge was? Was he her lover or her father?

Favorite Character: I don’t have one. I like them all. I like that they’re all flawed and yet, trying to do right by the people in their cases. I have a big ol’ crush on Peter though. He’s hot.

Overall, this is an interesting show with a great cast that I want to see more of. I want to see these characters grow and interact more with the folks from the other Chicago shows. I want to see more Gabby Dawson on this show. She should be more involved in his life and he in hers. I also want to see more of the different characters backgrounds. I want to meet Laura’s daughter, see what’s going on with Dawson and his kids, meet Peter’s friends and Anna’s family. I want all of that.

ETA: So I just found out that NBC cancelled Chicago Justice. I’m so mad that I just might stop watching any new NBC shows from now on. I hate getting hooked on a show and they cancel them. It’s happened too many times. Grrrr.

Season 1 Trailer

My Rating


4 out of 5

6 Comments
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Review: Sense8, Season 2

Posted May 17, 2017 by Rowena in Reviews | 6 Comments

Starring: Doona Bae, Jamie Clayton, Tina Desai, Tuppence Middleton, Max Riemelt, Miguel Angel Silvestre, Brian J. Smith, Freema Agyeman, Alfonso Herrera, Erendira Ibarra, Toby Onwumere
Creators: J. Michael Straczynski, Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski
Release Date: May 5, 2017
Rating: TV-MA
TV Show Type: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi

Sense8 tells the story of eight strangers: Will (Smith), Riley (Middleton), Capheus (Toby), Sun (Bae), Lito (Silvestre), Kala (Desai), Wolfgang (Riemelt), and Nomi (Clayton). Each individual is from a different culture and part of the world. In the aftermath of a tragic death they all experience through what they perceive as dreams or visions, they suddenly find themselves growing mentally and emotionally connected. While trying to figure how and why this connection happened and what it means, a mysterious man named Jonas tries to help the eight.

Meanwhile, another stranger called Whispers attempts to hunt them down, using the same sensate power to gain full access to a sensate’s mind (thoughts/sight) after looking into their eyes. Each episode reflects the views of the characters interacting with each other while delving deeper into their backgrounds and what sets them apart and brings them together with the others.

I spent the weekend binge-watching the second season of Sense8 and while it took me a while to catch up (it’s been a while between seasons), I’m glad that I stuck with the show because this season really packed a punch that hit me all over the place. In the end, I was an emotional wreck but I’m so pumped for the third season that better be forthcoming.

So the first season left us on edge because Whispers (the bad guy) is now in Will’s head and the only way that our cluster knows how to keep Whispers from finding and capturing Will is to drug him up so for a huge chunk of the season, Will is drugged out of his mind. So the main focus of the show is trying to evade Whispers and BPO, the company trying to capture Will and his cluster mates for experiments. Will and Riley are in hiding while the others are still living their lives and are available to help when needed.

Individually, each sensate is going through something. Nomi is still on the run from all of her shenanigans from last season, Lito is dealing with the aftermath of being outed as gay in his acting world, Sun is plotting her revenge on her brother, Kala is dealing with being married to a man when she’s in love with another, Capheus is dealing with his rising status in his small town and Wolfgang, he’s dealing with a whole bunch of stuff.

I really enjoyed being in this world again. The first season set the tone for this show and I think the second season kept the party going. I thought the second season was excellent and the pacing was well done. You get a lot of face time from each sensate and each sensate’s story adds to the overall arc of the show in a way that was interesting and just flat out good. I love seeing the bond between each sensate grow over the course of the season and I love how they help each other out. There’s a balance in their cluster where everyone is equal in their worth and I think the writers did a fabulous job of letting the viewers see each sensate learn and grow throughout the season. They’re a lot stronger than they were last season. You can see how much they’ve grown into their abilities and their bond. They’re not strangers anymore but a unit and they work incredibly well together.

The dynamic in the cluster is pretty interesting too. Some are dealing with being alone in the world and the cluster is there to remind them that they’re not alone. Others are dealing with so many different people in their minds and the cluster is there to remind them that they don’t have to do everything on their own. It’s okay to ask for help…and they all need help from time to time. Their cluster is a family and nobody gets left behind.

When Will decides to stop hiding, I about stood up and applauded because, for me, that was a long time coming. I loved seeing each of the sensates grow in their determination to fight the good fight together. I’m pretty anxious for the next season so I’m seriously hoping that there is one coming. I’ve got my fingers, my toes, my eyes all crossed because another season needs to happen. I’m so thirsty for more.

The acting was fantastic, I even liked the new Capheus. If I had to pick a favorite, I think my favorite this season would be Sun. She’s freaking awesome and I love, love, love her. Everyone is pretty great. I’m glad to see that Riley has really come full circle from her woe is me crap from last season. I will rejoice when Kala finally gets her head out of her ass and divorces her husband then goes to get her man Wolfgang. Lito is still the bomb and cracks me up at every turn and Nomi is still a boss lady with her hacking genius self. Capheus is really growing into a full character that I’m taking notice of and seriously, the cast is so wonderfully refreshing and diverse that I’m just a huge fan of all of it.

If you haven’t watched this show, you should fix that. This is one of the best shows that I’m watching and I can’t wait for more.

Season 2 Trailer

My Rating


5 out of 5

6 Comments
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