Posts tagged with “⭐⭐”

I finished watching Billions (2016–2023) last month. I tore through all the seasons in what felt like record time— though maybe not quite as fast as my Game of Thrones binge last year.

Billions is one of the better shows I’ve seen in recent memory. I really enjoy financial dramas and thrillers, and I’d definitely recommend this one to others.

That said, I have two main criticisms:

  1. Repetitive Storylines: The season-to-season plot arcs felt a bit too formulaic. While some characters evolved and the targets shifted, I couldn’t shake the feeling of déjà vu by each finale.
  2. Overuse of Celebrity Cameos: The show leans heavily on cameos. While I understand the intent— to add cachet and plot relevance, they rarely impressed me. In fact, I think the show would have benefitted more if some of those roles (e.g., Mark Cuban, Seth Godin) had been filled by strong character actors instead.

Good Neighbors (2021) →

by Sarah Langan 

Good Neighbors (2021) by Sarah Langan has a bit of everything— neighborly drama, child abuse, potential sexual misconduct with a minor, guns, homicide, spelunking, and even… a SINKHOLE.

I’m not convinced the sinkhole was necessary. If anything, it pulls focus from the core themes of neighbor relations and interpersonal conflict, distracting from the character development that drives the story. That said, it wasn’t a bad read.

Another element I could have done without? The random inclusion of news articles, academic papers, and media clippings from the future. I assume they were meant to add dramatic foreshadowing and extend the story beyond the final pages, but they felt out of place. Instead of enhancing the narrative, they pulled me out of the present-day events. Thankfully, I learned to ignore them early on in