Back in the ’90s, a sitcom called That ’70s Show appeared on TV screens worldwide. At that time, I didn’t watch the show regularly, but rather sporadically. I found it amusing, yet not entirely convincing. It wasn’t until the 2000s that I eventually started watching the show in English, and it was so much better than in German. Don’t get me wrong—the German voice actors usually do an outstanding job, but when it comes to sitcoms, where there are plenty of puns and wordplay, it’s difficult to find suitable translations. I loved the first few seasons, but I’m not sure if I even finished the last one. The quality dropped over time. However, a funny constant throughout the seasons was Red and Kitty. Also, the ’90s were the golden age of sitcoms, and over time, I grew to become a fan of the show.

I was really skeptical when Netflix announced a sequel set in the ’90s, logically named That ’90s Show. Of course, the first episode brought back the familiar faces from the original show to get it off to a good start. That helped a lot in warming up to the new characters. However, there was no long transition from old to new, and the new cast had to prove they could carry the legacy on their own and evolve into something fresh. After watching the 10 episodes of the first season, I wasn’t entirely convinced, but I was curious to see how the story would continue.

So, I was happy when the second and third seasons were announced, with 8 episodes each. Although That ’90s Show will never reach the quality of That ’70s Show, it manages to create its own world, which I can relate to as a ’90s kid. I wonder if ’70s kids felt the same way about That ’70s Show in the ’90s?

Red and Kitty still have their spirit, but of course, the actors have aged—going from old to even older. It’s been almost 20 years between the last episode of the original and the first episode of the sequel. As a fan of the original show, I struggle with the new cast, but I think that’s for two reasons:

1. The new cast is young, as all the characters are meant to be teenagers. Maybe I’m just too old to relate to the “dumbasses,” as Red would say.
2. The new cast isn’t just targeting people like me; it also has to reach a younger audience, which I’m no longer part of.

Nevertheless, That ’90s Show isn’t a must-watch, but rather a nice-to-watch. The 20-minute episodes are easy-to-digest, entertaining snacks. If you liked That ’70s Show and are a ’90s kid like me, you might enjoy this one too.

When “Obliterated” showed up in my Netflix recommended content, I was highly skeptical. The cover shot gave me Adam Sandler vibes: it looked so incredibly stupid, it’s something I didn’t want to watch. Now, it’s been a few weeks since I finished watching the show, and I still feel well-entertained when I look back. And yes, if you like Adam Sandler movies, you’re most likely to like this series, too. For me, as I really hate Adam Sandler movies, this was a huge hurdle I had to overcome. But after watching the trailer, I was like, yeah, let’s give it a try. And I wasn’t disappointed.

The first episode sets the frame for the plot, which is as generic as it could be – Russians bad, Americans good, a hidden bomb, and a limited amount of time to save millions of people. This could be straight from any 1980s action movie, but with a funny little twist: the squad is absolutely hungover. Unfortunately, the show can’t maintain that condition throughout, but that was to be expected. When comparing the 1980s to the 2020s in a sociocultural and geopolitical context, some parallels come to mind:

• The world is fucked.
• It’s a gun-rattling standoff between the USA and Russia.
• The world of mass media is expanding.
• New technologies, such as home computers, have entered people’s lives.
• Life seems more complicated and complex than ever, and people crave simple solutions (that don’t exist).
• The necessity of environmental protection measures is significant.
• Sexuality is breaking free – it’s the age of coming out and recognizing transsexuality.

But what does all this have to do with an entertaining TV show? A lot. These factors shaped the art, culture, and society of the 1980s and early 1990s. And it’s happening again. As mentioned above, the plot is not new. Also, the characters are nothing more than a bunch of stereotypical clichés. But there are some things that were changed to meet a contemporary audience:

• Diversity is real.
• The leader of the pack is female.
• Nerds can be naughty and badass too.
• Homosexuality (and LGBTQ+ in general) is normal.
• The super-soldiers are people like you and me, with strengths, weaknesses, and families.
• Pretty women can make good villains.

And as much as I appreciate these contemporary additions, there’s a downside to almost each one of them:

• Although the team is diverse, in the end, they are still just a bunch of stereotypes. Diversity feels like a must-have.
• The leader is always questioned or even attacked by men who seem to have a problem with a female boss. This reflects reality, yes, but I think filmmakers should rather show the way it should be, depicting a reality where men don’t behave like assholes and accept stepping back behind a woman.
• The Nerd is an Asian girl. Well, at least it’s a female. Of course, someone has to take that role, but a less stereotypical approach would be nice. Why not the black or white full-body muscle?
• LGBTQ+ is normal. So why still make a fuss about it when one friend finds out about another? Even worse, when a man finds out about his best friend, there needs to be a talk. But it’s totally normal when a woman “accidentally” turns a bride on her bachelorette party.

Yet, I found the series highly entertaining. It has all the stuff I liked in the movies I grew up with in the 80s/90s. I know I might be way too critical for such a no-brainer entertaining show, but the subtext defines a frame. However, I really enjoyed watching it. If you don’t overthink it, it’s fun. The world’s not only black and white, right or wrong. There are a lot of assholes in the USA, and not only assholes in Russia. And so this series is neither good nor bad but very entertaining.

And yet, I found the series highly entertaining. It has all of the stuff I liked in the movies I grew up with in the 80s/90s. I know, I am maybe way too critical for such an no-brainer entertaining show, but the subtext defines a frame. However, I really enjoyed watching it. If you don‘t overthink it, it‘s fun. The World‘s not only black and white, right or wrong. There are a lot of assholes in the USA, and not only assholes in Russia. And so this series is neither good nor bad, but very entertaining.

To be honest, I never read the books, but it’s impossible to have never heard of them if you read (crime) books. I always wanted to read them, but there are so many books and so little time. I even bought the books, but they’re still unread on my e-reader. However, I think we can all agree that reading books and buying books are two different hobbies. Ideally, you have both of these hobbies. However, I think Simon Beckett’s books about Dr. David Hunter, a forensic anthropologist with a tragic past, wouldn’t be such worldwide bestsellers if they were as boring as the TV series. So yeah, spoilers ahead. Here’s the first one: read the book, don’t waste your time watching this pathetic attempt of a film adaption.

After I started watching the epilogue of episode 1 and the intro, I stopped watching because I wanted to watch it with my wife. It gave me some True Detective vibes, and we both loved the first season of that show. With that, my expectations grew, but it only got worse from there. The entire series (6 episodes) is the definition of a mediocre TV production. It’s like an early 90s TV production in the glossy (or in this case gloomy) HD look of today’s zeitgeist. I really hoped to eventually learn some interesting chemistry things, but no, all I got were lousy flashbacks of a family tragedy.

But where to start? Well, maybe with the misleading name of the series “Chemistry of Death,” which is the name of the first book. To my surprise, that was settled in the first two episodes. The following four episodes are an adaptation of the second book, “Written in Bone.”

I could go on about the acting, the special effects, the storyboard, the annoying flashbacks, the pacing, the direction—you name it, everything is just meh. And as this show wasted 6 hours of my time, I won’t waste any more of your time reading about (another) film adaptation gone terribly wrong. Go read the books!

But to finish with a highlight: the title track Aftermath by Mogli is really sweet.

The long-awaited video game adaptation hit Amazon Prime a day earlier than announced! I don’t know why, but I don’t care either way. It’s only fair to start the “Watch” section of my blog with that hell of a series.

I have to admit I never played Fallout, but I am well aware of its world. The setting of the story, the atmosphere, the sarcastic humor, and, of course, the criticism of capitalism. As far as I can say, all of that is perfectly matched in the show. Maybe that’s why I like the world of Portal so much and vice versa the Fallout series; I see a lot of parallels here. Maybe I should give the Fallout game a try after all. And what I heard is, there’s a big run on Fallout 76. Or to say it with a quote from the show: “There’s a lot of earning potential with the end of the world.” But I am a chronological kind of guy and will start with the very first Fallout game.

Also, the soundtrack, the cast, and the special effects are very aligned with the overall quality of the writing and the story. Now I can’t wait for season two. But that takes time. And time brings me back to Fallout (Spoiler ahead), because “time is the ultimate Weapon. That is how we will win the great game of capitalism. Not by outfighting anyone, but by outliving them.”

I just loved these 8 episodes, and the more subtle message of the show: After all, the Ghoul is the most human of them all.