Blood & Water- Season 4, A Review

New year, new mystery.

Season 1 2 3 Review.

The fourth season of Blood & Water follows Puleng (Ama Qamata) and the rest of Parkhurst High as they attempt to move on from their recent trauma and the events of the baby-napping ring, with the crime having gone to trial and all those involved arrested. The group hope that a new year at Parkhurst will be a fresh start for everyone but soon enough an anonymous texter begin causing drama, hoping to shine light on a past crime and bring those responsible to justice. Both Puleng and Fiks (Khosi Ngema) find themselves targets after a sex tape featuring Puleng and Iván (André Lamoglia, Elite) (side note: I really loved this character crossover) is leaked and Fiks herself is forced to look back on her actions.

Meanwhile KB’s (Thabang Molaba) music career takes off with Chris (Arno Greeff, Recipes for Love and Murder) as his manager but a sampling error puts the pair in danger once more with the wrong sort of people. Wendy (Natasha Thahane) also returns from Spain but finds her relationship with Chris difficult to maintain, especially with her own grades failing. Tahira (Mekaila Mathys) faces similar issues and chooses to take drastic measures to improve her scholarship chances, putting her entire future in jeopardy. With so much going on in their lives will the students even make it to graduation or will secrets and lies threaten them once more and make this a last year they’re sure to never forget?

Season four saw us going down the classic teen drama route of anonymous texting, with ‘Pool Boy’ targeting both Puleng and Fiks and blackmailing them over a previous incident at Parkhurst. Whilst the mystery within the rest of the narrative felt a bit weird (more on that later) I did enjoy the actual execution and getting to see this new form of danger for the students through blackmail. Anonymous texting is pretty much a teen drama staple at this point (PLL, One of us is Lying) and I do always enjoy the mystery of it all. It was a bit annoying that the culprit was somebody we’d never even met (how very PLL) but in terms of entertainment I did enjoy from this perspective.

I liked how season four addressed the severe trauma several of the characters have went through these past four years and how they aren’t going to just magically move on from everything, especially considering how so many family members were involved in the baby-napping ring. We saw both Puleng and Fiks seeking therapy as well as Sam’s (Leroy Siyafa) own PTSD after his kidnaping and later intimacy issues as a result. So many of these teen dramas have their character’s involved in daring and dangerous activities but so rarely do we actually see the aftermath and here especially it can’t have been easy to realise that your parents/friend’s parents aren’t necessarily good people.

Whilst I definitely enjoyed this fourth season of Blood & Water it also felt kind of random and honestly the show could have ended at season three and nothing really would have changed. The overall storyline here had little to do with the baby kidnapping ring, moving on completely and focussing on a whole new mystery that just did not feel as genuine. So much of the backstory was pre Puleng even joining Parkhurst and so I don’t really know why she became involved other than trying to save Fik’s life. It just felt weird being introduced to these completely new characters who were apparently hellbent on revenge, all for an incident we’d never even hear of in the three years the show had been running. After such a well built up arc across the first three seasons this final mystery just felt a bit too random and it’s definitely one of the show’s weaker seasons in this regard.

Although there’s been no official news yet I am going to assume that this was the final season of Blood & Water, especially since we saw the main cast all graduate and leave the school. Unless the show tries to introduce us to a whole new set of characters I do think this is the last time we’re going to see Puleng, Fiks and the others and on the whole I have really enjoyed this show for the past four years. On the surface this was just another teen mystery drama but I think that the missing sibling and baby-napping angle gave it a really unique perspective and I really loved following Puleng on her journey to get to the truth. The show’s side characters have also all been really enjoyable and this is definitely one of those rare shows where even the comedic side plots can be just as engaging as the main mystery.

Overall I enjoyed this fourth (and potentially final?) season of Blood & Water and whilst the main mystery felt a little bit random I still liked seeing the characters again and getting to say a final goodbye to Parkhurst as a whole. Blood & Water as a show had been massively entertaining and I really loved the private school setting and the initial baby-napping setup, it felt fresh and different from your other teen dramas. Puleng, Fiks, Chris and more have all been so great over the years and this is definitely one of my higher ranking teen dramas, it never got too crazy and I think it also ended right when it needed to.

Mean Girls (2024), A Review

Plastic is Forever.

The 2024 Musical adaptation of Mean Girls follows the previously home-schooled Cady Heron (Angourie Rice, The Last Thing He Told Me) as she moves from Kenya to the US, attending high school for the first time in her life. On her first day Cady struggles with fitting in, befriending fellow outcasts Janis (Auliʻi Cravalho) and Damien (Jaquel Spivey) and also developing a crush on fellow classmate Aaron Samuels (Christopher Briney). Cady also meets ‘The Plastics’- Karen Shetty (Avantika, Senior Year), Gretchen Wieners (Bebe Wood) and Regina George (Reneé Rapp, The Sex Lives of College Girls)– a trio of uber popular girls who run the school with an iron first and generate fear and envy wherever they step.

Intrigued by Cady the trio invite her to eat lunch with them, with Janis urging Cady to get dirt and report back. Soon enough this turns into a full-on sabotage mission and Cady is tasked with going undercover and destroying Regina from within. Popularity can be seductive however and Cady begins to love her seat at the popular table, spending less and less time with Janis and Damien as a result. Will Cady go full plastic in her mission or will she stop and find herself before all hell breaks lose and she becomes the worst version of herself?

It seems to have been trending recently that many people didn’t actually know this remake of Mean Girls was based off the Broadway musical and would therefore have songs in it, leading to some pretty dramatic reactions online and even some cinema walk-outs. I don’t know if it’s just because I’m vaguely into theatre and knew of the musical beforehand (haven’t seen it but desperately want to) but I thought it was pretty obvious it was a musical? Granted the film didn’t exactly advertise it as such, which is a whole other discussion, but the songs in the trailer, pretty musical cast and the musical note in the poster all seemed like dead giveaways to me. Moving on though I did really enjoy the songs here and even though I haven’t seen the original production in person I did listen to the soundtrack beforehand to catch myself up. Now I will admit there’s a definite difference between the original and this movie remake but theatre and film are two very different mediums and so you’re never going to have the same kind of experience, especially since not all of the cast are trained musical performers (more on that later…). For what it is though I think this film did a decent job at both retelling the original story and putting their own spin on the songs, Mean Girls the remake isn’t perfect but I did still have a lot of fun whilst watching.

It’s been 20 years since the release of the original Mean Girls and as iconic and timeless as the film is I also think it’s interesting to set the characters against a more modern timeframe and see how much they’ve changed and adapted in the two decades past. For one thing we’ve come a long way since 2004 in terms of sexual and race representation on screen as well as the mass rise of social media. The remake features a lot more diversity in its casting, outwardly open LGBT characters and some more socially acceptable insults, which did unfortunately mean a lot of the iconic lines from the original had to be cut or changed. We also saw the plastics going up against the terrors of social media and I did like the media montages throughout and how this was played in to Regina’s downfall and Cady’s uprising. Mean Girls was a film that didn’t necessarily have to be remade but all the same I did enjoy this more modern spin and seeing how things have changed from the original and how they’ve also stayed the same.

Angourie Rice as Cady has definitely been trending as of late and not particularly for the right reasons, it does have to be said that her casting is a little bit questionable. Now don’t get me wrong I really do love Rice, I loved her in Mare of Easttown, Spiderman and The Last Thing He Told Me and acting wise I thought she was a pretty great Cady. She really nailed the socially awkward side of the character in a way that was different from Lohan’s original portrayal and you could definitely tell this Cady had been home-schooled all of her life. All of this stopped however when she had to sing. Again, don’t get me wrong Rice isn’t a terrible singer by any means but when you put her next to the likes of Reneé Rapp and Auliʻi Cravalho then she always going to sound not as good. The comparisons between the movie singing and the musical singing have already been trending online and when you do put them side by side there is such a difference, which really does bring the casting into question. I just think the film should have cast a stronger singer, especially in the lead role because it is a musical after all and the singing should and does take precedent over the acting.

Janis and Damian completely stole the show here, both in terms of singing and performance and I really enjoyed their updated spin on the iconic duo. Like I said above this remake was a lot more sexually diverse so the pair were allowed to be openly gay and a lot more iconic unlike the original were it was just hinted at. Both also gave brilliant singing performances and I loved all of their songs, it only makes me want to see the original musical more and more. Acting as almost the narrators, the pair lead both Cady as us as the audience through the film and I really loved their duo chemistry and general vibe and appearance, this was very much a modernised Janis and Damien.

I think when the trailers/promotional images for this remake were first released a lot of people were concerned about the new appearances of The Plastics, particularly their clothing, and how they gave a very different vibe to the original 2004 trio. Of course with twenty years having passed clothing and fashion have changed and people don’t necessarily dress in high class labels anymore. I for one wasn’t really too bothered about what they were wearing, more with how they’d work within the story but performance wise I did really enjoy this main trio. Obviously I was already familiar with and obsessed with Rapp and she make for a killer Regina, I think her and McAdams played the character in their own styles and we got to see how popularity and meanness has changed from then to now, it was quite interesting. As for Bebe Wood and Avantika as Gretchen and Karen respectively I was similarly impressed and think that they played the sidekick roles well. Karen’s song was definitely one of my favourites and I liked her comedic timing and I also loved Gretchen’s

Overall this musical remake of Mean Girls definitely had its ups and downs and whilst it wasn’t perfect I still had a hell of a good time watching. The original film is always going to be iconic but I did enjoy some of the songs here as well as seeing the characters in a more updated setting. Rice’s singing abilities did come into question but aside from this the rest of the performances were all great and I especially loved Janis and Damian. It was never going to beat the og Mean Girls but as a musical adaptation this was a lot of fun as long as you knew it was a musical in the first place!

Elite- Season 7, A Review

Family can screw up your life.

Elite Seasons 1 2 3 4 5 6 Review. Class Review.

The seventh season of Elite follows on from the previous season and the aftermath of the school shooting, revealed to have been caused by Dídac’s (Álvaro de Juana) criminal family. As a result many parents petition to have him expelled, putting Isadora () in a difficult position who chooses to distance herself. Iván (André Lamoglia) also attempts to piece together his own accident, with many believing the since vanished Patrick to be responsible, when it was in fact Sara (Carmen Arrufat) whose abusive boyfriend Raúl (Alex Pastrana) uses this to blackmail into staying with her.

Feeling miserable, Iván offers money and scholarship to pizza delivery boy Joel (Fernando Líndez) who is then revealed to be former student Omar’s (Omar Ayuso) new boyfriend, bringing him back to Las Encinas whether he likes it or not. Meanwhile Nico’s (Ander Puig) Cousin Eric (Gleb Abrosimov) comes back home and begins causing trouble and new student Chloe (Mirela Balic) gets off to a rocky start when a sex tape of her begins leaking around the school. As usual the drama in plentiful and Las Encinas and soon enough somebody else will be dead. But who will it be this time and how far will those responsible go to cover up their crimes?

For me season seven felt a bit lost, with most of the storylines sort of floating around each other but never interacting, having little to do with each other or the school itself. Everybody kind of had their own thing going on and in some cases two or three episodes would go by before we circled back again, meaning there didn’t really feel like there was a central character or conflict. Not to mention this was the first season of Elite without any flashforwards, which I found strange especially because this was the first season in a while to have an actual murder and the body found in the courtyard would have been perfect flashforward material. Instead we got seven episodes of kind of nothing and then a murder jammed into the finale, which albeit made for a great episode, but still could have been utilised a lot more.

Each new season of Elite comes with the arrivals and departures of new cast members and I will say season seven had some of the best new characters we’ve seen in a while. I really loved Chloe and her Mother Carmen (Maribel Verdú) and the somewhat messy relationship between them, with Chloe potentially acting out for attention and Carmen hellbent on reconnecting with her long lost son Ivan. The pair were massively entertaining and ended up having quite a lot to do with this season’s mystery, making for a potentially interesting season eight for the pair of them. Joel was also a nice addition to the cast, bringing Omar back into the fold and then in typical Elite messiness becoming involved in several school scandals. Eric was probably the weakest of the new cast, probably because his storyline didn’t really effect the show as a whole but I did still like his relationships with Nico and Rocío (Ana Bokesa) and I’ll be interested to see what happens next with him. We also seemingly said goodbye to Ivan this season (with him apparently moving to South Africa with Blood & Water’s Fiks- an unexpected cameo which I loved) and I’ll definitely be said to see him go, his storyline this past three seasons and relationship with Father Cruz have both been series highs.

One of the biggest draws of season seven (and perhaps the reason I did decide to tune in) was Omar’s return after a year away from Las Encinas and seeing him back definitely made me miss the show’s original days. As one of the og cast members it was obviously great to see him again, and whilst Omar was never my favourite character I will admit I liked what they did with his storyline. Traumatised by Samuel’s murder and the school in general, we now see Omar in therapy and attempting to rectify his past and move forward. His relationship with Joel however send him right back to the one place he never wanted to go back to and in doing so we finally address Omar’s own issues, particularly with relationships. Season seven really addresses Omar’s co-dependency issues and how his relationships aren’t always healthy for him, something which I have always disliked about Oma as a character. Something I’ll discuss more down below but Omar never seems to get a happy ending romance wise and I’m glad the show finally is taking a step in the right direction and finally putting him in therapy!

Like I said above Omar never exactly has the best luck romance wise and I this this can extend to most if not all of the characters in Elite as a whole. Watching seven seasons of this show has made me realise that these kids never seem to get a happy ending and as a whole the situation really kind of sucks for them. All of the couples on the show- from Omar and Ander to Guzman and Nadia- have ended up breaking up and I can’t think of a single relationship past or present that has actually ended happily. Even the characters who have left the show got dumped when new love interests were introduced and it’s all just made me realise how depressing it must be to live in the world, especially if you’re dating.

Despite my initial reluctance to watch this season and carry on with the show overall I will admit I did enjoy season seven despite its issues and am obviously going to watch the upcoming final season. I think it’s obvious Elite’s glory days were in its first three years and I have been constantly comparing when I should have just accepted the show had moved on past those characters and there was no going back. Season seven was enjoyable for what it was and I definitely have to see the show through to the end, I’ve come too far to stop watching now. Season eight already promises the return of Nadia and Lu (apparently confirmed by both actors) and I’d easily watch for that reason alone, whatever Elite cooks up for its ending I’m sure it’s going to be great.

Overall I enjoyed this seventh season of Elite and despite some floating storylines I will admit that these new set of characters have probably been the best since maybe season three. The show is never going to be as good as the original three seasons but the continued high drama and constant messiness of the show remains strong and despite a somewhat decline in quality I am excited for the final season and some potential returning faces. I do wish we’d gotten some typical Elite flashforwards this season (I’m still confused why we didn’t), especially since the actual murder felt so rushed but overall this was a pretty solid season and I’m interested to see what happens next.

The Hardy Boys- Season 3, A Review

Get ready for one last mystery.

The Hardy Boys Season 1 Review. Season 2 Review.

The third and final season of The Hardy Boys follows Frank (Rohan Campbell, Halloween Ends), Joe (Alexander Elliot) and the rest of the group as they face their toughest mystery yet and attempt to destroy the society of the eye once and for all and finally go back to normal after so many weeks of chaos. With Frank still being possessed by George however and Callie (Keana Lyn Bastidas) deciding to move away for the summer to Rosegrave, the group is more fractured than ever and Joe struggles to keep everyone together. Belinda (Krista Nazaire) and Chet (Adam Swain) continue to work alongside Belinda’s Father studying the eye whereas Biff (Riley O’Donnell) and Phil (Cristian Perri) work to contact Biff’s birth family after the phone call last season.

Meanwhile Callie discovers that her new school roommate Drew (Bailee Madison, PLL Original Sin) has more to her than meets the eye and she too is at Rosegrave for her own agenda. Soon enough the whole group become embroiled in another mystery, this time involving virtual reality, mind-control and most shockingly Frank and Joe’s own Mother Laura (Janet Porter). Can these amateur detectives get to the bottom of everything before it’s too late or will they remain trapped in a reality far different from their own?

I think going into this final season and then for the first two or three episodes I was slightly worried as to how everything would come together and finally be tied up. Frank was still possessed by George and then Callie moved away to Rosegrave, separating the group and making everything seem a bit disorganised which is never a good sign when everything is supposed to be finishing. In the end though season three did feel very final and I think that whilst not a complete ending for the Hardy Boys or their friends it felt like the end of a chapter where everyone got to say their goodbyes and make their peace. I’m glad that the whole ‘FrankinGeorge’ storyline only lasted a few episodes because whilst possession storylines are always good fun I also didn’t want Frank to not be himself for the whole of the last season, in the same way Callie’s separation only lasted the same amount of time and soon enough everybody was back together, ready to fight crime and save the day one last time.

Season three also gave us a much darker storyline when compared to the previous two and this time around there were real stakes and far-reaching consequences. Not to say the show previously has been a walk in the park or anything but we really stepped things up for the final run with actual deaths (which I was genuinely surprised at) and the reappearance of Laura Hardy, which complicated things massively for Frank, Joe and Fenton (Anthony Lemke). At first it was made out like she’d been alive all this time but held captive but the actual truth was far more upsetting, meaning the Hardy Boys had to make a very difficult decision. For a final season we really got some impressive writing this time around and it felt like the perfect way to end things.

The main friendship group has always been the glue that holds this show together and I’ve loved to see the kids grow individually and also together these past three years. I think especially when it comes to the younger members it’s plain to see how much everybody has grown up and what once felt like a bunch of kids playing detective now feels like a genuinely well-working team with individual strengths and weaknesses. I really like how everybody branches out to do their own thing but then comes together to solve the bigger picture, exploring different perspectives and ways to solve a mystery through each member. The chemistry and dynamic between this group is incredible and this adaptation of The Hardy Boys definitely has the best group of characters as far as I’m concerned, I really love how all of these characters are able to fit and work together.

Drew was an interesting addition to this season, especially since she was clearly meant to be a Nancy Drew like character even if the show wasn’t allowed to specifically say so. I assume similar to the 2019 Nancy Drew series not having the legal rights to use the Hardy Boys it was the same in reverse here, resulting in a character who was Nancy in all but name. Admittedly the show did go in an unexpected direction with Drew’s character and I was really surprised she ended up being the villain, I think because I basically saw her as Nancy throughout it just didn’t seem possible. Still, Drew was a great character and I loved her chemistry with the gang before and after the villain reveal as well as her almost snarky genius, it was a lot of fun to watch.

Three seasons in and I have finally read some of the original Hardy Boys books as well as several more of the older TV adaptations. I think overall I’m still more of a Nancy Drew fan but it’s been fun to explore the many different incarnations of Frank and Joe, finally able to compare and contrast them all against this show. This version definitely modernises the characters (despite being set in the 80s) and I really love the more racially and sexually diverse cast! This is also the only version with such an age gap between Frank and Joe and whilst it might have been a bigger deal in season one I think Alexander Elliot has grown up a lot since then and no longer seems as young, meaning they seem a lot more like the original Hardy Boys.

Overall I really loved this third and final season of The Hardy Boys and will always hold a special place for this show because it was my first introduction to the titular brothers. Similar to the 2019 Nancy Drew, this adaptation of The Hardy Boys opened up a whole new world for me and I’ve really loved these versions of Frank and Joe these past three years. Season three really took the show down some unexpected routes and I loved how dark some of the storylines got, really changing this show from its earlier kid like image. Season three really finished things with a bang and I’m only sad that it’s all over so quickly, the old school charm and intriguing mystery of the show will always be a hilight for me.

School Spirits, A Review

Solving her own murder from beyond the grave.

School Spirits follows Maddie Nears (Peyton List), a recently murdered young teen who is forced to spend her afterlife roaming her high school halls, unable to communicate with her former friends and desperate to work out who really killed her. Maddie has little to no memory of her actual death and can only remember fragments of her final hours, including fighting with her boyfriend Xavier (Spencer MacPherson, Reign) and having an embarrassing run-in with her alcoholic Mother (Maria Dizzia). Now stuck in constant limbo with only the other murdered students for company, Maddie begins desperate to recapture her missing hours and get to the truth, one way or another. Things then take a turn when her former best friend Simon (Kristian Flores) is able to suddenly see and hear her, something which has apparently never happened before in ghost world.

Together the pair attempt to crack the case and solve Maddie’s murder, all the while attempting to keep the other hidden from their respective dead/living friends. The case proves difficult however for Maddie was a relatively quiet and lonely girl and the pair struggle to come up with any genuine motives. Being a ghost however has its advantages and Maddie begins spying on her former friends to see who really wanted her dead. Together can Maddie and Simon get to the truth or will the killer remain at large and Maddie remain forever stuck in high school limbo?

To be completely honest School Spirits had a very slow start for me and I really did not like the first two or three episodes; the writing, tone and characters all felt very childish and it felt like I was watching something intended for a much younger audience. I don’t know if it was a specific writer or just the actors not used to the roles yet but I have to say I did struggle to get past the first chunk of this series and I very nearly did stop watching. Around the halfway point however I do think the show found its groove and really began to excel, running with the murder mystery storyline and really taking a turn for the better. By the finale I was completely hooked and that ending really changed everything, I will definitely be tuning in for season two and honestly I don’t think a show has flipped my opinion so quickly.

Like I said above the main mystery of who killed Maddie really drove this series and I had a great time following the investigation and trying to work out what was going on. Being a ghost, Maddie had certain advantages above your average teen detective and she was able to spy on her suspect list whilst remaining unseen. Being dead also meant Maddie could not leave the school however and so I liked also following her still alive friends as they simultaneously tried to uncover the truth, with both sides uncovering multiple clues as the series progressed. Like I said above Maddie was a relatively quiet and mostly invisible student and so this wasn’t exactly a mystery with an endless suspect list, meaning finally getting to the truth was all the more satisfying with such a twist at the end.

I do think that the show’s one weak point (and potentially why it took me so long to get invested) is unfortunately the ghosts and for me they just take so much away from the murder storyline which is easily where I was the most invested. Don’t get me wrong it’s not any specific character and individually I did really like the undead trio but at the same time I didn’t really see the point in them? For most of the series Maddie is only really focussed on solving her own murder (as she should be) but then every single episode the ghosts would try and distract her with some stupid activity or weird bonding exercise and it just took my interest away? Obviously the twist at the end (which I will talk about below) does change things but I just didn’t understand why the ghosts would have the daily meetings and go about their lives like they were still in school? They’re ghosts, they can literally do whatever they want and still they choose to act like they’re still bound by the rules of high school.

The season finale had some real jaw-dropping reveals and I already cannot wait for season two, there’s just so many questions I need answering! I really loved the reveal that Maddie was still alive and Janet was in fact inhabiting her body, meaning that her physical body and mind were now essentially split in two, setting up a very interesting premise for season two. Janet as a character was basically dangled infront of our faces all of this time and in the last few episodes especially the other ghosts really began to notice that things weren’t right. The finale definitely left me with some massive questions- how could Maddie even see Janet and Mr Martin (Josh Zuckerman) in the first place? What the hell is Mr Martin’s deal and how did he lock the other ghosts up if he can’t touch the doors? Is Janet really going to run away?- but if anything I’m now more excited than ever to watch and I truly can’t wait to see what happens next.

Overall I really enjoyed School Spirits and despite a very slow start I did come to love this show and eagerly await the second season. The main mystery of Maddie’s murder was brilliantly done and really built up well across the 8 episodes, I definitely became very invested. I will say that the ghosts did take a lot away from the main storyline for me and whilst I did enjoy them as characters I did struggle to see the point in them but I do think a lot of the end reveals are going to bring them back into play in a much bigger way. I may be going into season two with more questions than answers but I’m definitely excited and can’t wait to see what happens next!

Class, A Review

A whole different breed of wealth.

Not to be confused with the Doctor Who spinoff of the same name.

Elite Review

Class follows the students of Hampton International, an elite private school in New Delhi, whose lives are forever changed by the arrival of three scholarship students who threaten to upset the status quo and send things in a new and dangerous direction. Students Saba (Madhyama Segal), Dheeraj (Piyush Khati) and Balli (Cwaayal Singh) are all awarded places at Hampton after their school is caught on fire, sponsored by Ahuja Properties, who were at fault for the accident. The three friends attempt to integrate into school life but are all bullied for their lack of wealth and seen as inferior to the other students.

Dheeraj eventually manages to befriend Suhani (Anjali Sivaraman), a wealthy girl who is bored with her privileged life however her brother Veer (Zeyn Shaw) is fiercely protective of her and doubles down on his treatment of Dheeraj, also arranging a bet with his girlfriend Yashika (Ayesha Kanga) that he can ‘bed’ Saba’. Balli meanwhile attempts to impress his classmates with his carefree ways and soon becomes the plaything of student Koel (Naina Bhan) and her boyfriend Sharan (Moses Koul). Flash-forwards then reveal that Suhani has been murdered and somebody at the school is guilty. Naturally everybody begins blaming the transfer students, particularly Dheeraj who had a relationship with her, but are things really so simple? Who really killed Suhani and why, and how far are they willing to go to cover up for their crimes?

Despite being labelled as a direct remake of Elite I was unaware how exactly the same the two shows would be, almost down to the smallest of details. Like seriously the characters were the same, their relationships with each other were the same, the mystery was the same, the killer was the same- apart from the changes in name and location it was like I was watching a shot for shot remake of Elite all over again. Now don’t get me wrong I’m aware of what a remake is and I wasn’t expecting anything major but even in previous remakes that have changed the location (Ghosts, The Girl on the Train) there have been at least some different choices or characters added to at least tell the two apart. Here I was watching a direct copy and if I’m being honest I struggled to even do that- when you’re watching a mystery and you know exactly what’s going to happen next it’s hard to stay interested.

I think that the only obvious difference between Elite and Class was the location change, with Spain and India being two very different locations. Here in Class I think that the difference between the richer and poorer characters were a lot more pronounced, with Veer and his friends going to high class parties as social media influencers whereas the three scholarship students lived in squalor. India also seemed to have much harsher living conditions, especially when it came to the police and attitudes to LGBT characters, creating a few key plot deviations. In Elite Ander’s only issues with coming out was fear of how his friends and family would react but Dhruv (Chayan Chopra) and Faruq (Chintan Rachchh) came under major fire from those around them and their entire relationship garnered a much stronger reaction.

I think because of how similar Elite and Class have turned out to be I am in two minds whether I actually want to watch season two or not, which has already been confirmed. If the show goes down the exact same route that Elite did it’s just going to be like re-watching all over again and I don’t really see a point. I will admit that season two of Elite was my favourite of the show’s so far but I don’t think I’m willing to sit through another eight hours, considering how bored I got during Class. Class did technically end on a slightly different note, with Sharan and Koel seemingly being blackmailed over the murders by Balli which admittedly could be interesting since Balli’s counterpart Christian was written out in season two since the actor wanted to leave. Here though we could see Balli taking on a bigger role and if anything I’d be glad of the show going in a different direction. I can’t say season two of Class will be a high priority for me but maybe if we get to see the two shows breaking away from each other I could be convinced to tune back in.

Overall I think I went into Class with too high expectations and instead of a fresh, new take on a much loved story I got what was pretty much a shot for shot remake and I suppose I only have myself to blame because that’s exactly what it was advertised as. Class does what it says on the poster, it remakes Elite and as exciting as this is for new audiences I wasn’t a new audience and I went in expecting something different. None of my dislike of the show has anything to do with the actors, writing or performances because I’m sure on a first time watch I would have loved it, just like I did the original Elite. If you haven’t watched the Spanish original I’d probably say give this one a go but if you have maybe give it a miss because honestly it’s the exact same storyline told in the exact same way.

Gossip Girl- Season 2, A Review

Crash the Party.

Gossip Girl Season 1 Review.

The second season of Gossip Girl continues to follow the Upper East Side Manhattan elite as they are constantly watched and observed by the titular Gossip Girl (AKA English Teacher Kate Keller (Tavi Gevinson)). Since Season one Kate has teamed up with social influencer Julien (Jordan Alexander) in exchange for information but she becomes dissatisfied when Julien fails to deliver any meaningful gossip. Still on her mission to make the kids better through fear, Kate hopes to scare her students into submission and begins searching for bigger and better scoops. Things get complicated however when multiple sources begin their quest to unmask her, putting Kate is more and more danger every time she posts. Now in a race against time can Kate use her powers for good or how she gone fully corrupt and let the power go completely to her head?

Meanwhile Julien attempts to cleanse herself after the events of last season with her Father (Luke Kirby, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel) and finds herself now living with Zoya (Whitney Peak) and Nick (Johnathan Fernandez). Trouble seems to follow her however and despite her best efforts she finds herself at war with Monet (Savannah Lee Smith), who wants to be the new Queen B and even begins an affair with a married man with has its own share of issues. Throuple Max (Thomas Doherty), Audrey (Emily Alyn Lind) and Aki (Evan Movj) continue to try and make their relationship work but struggle with the new dynamics of their relationship, especially when they have to ‘come out’ to those around them. Obie (Eli Brown, The Perfectionists) continues to date Grace (Anna Van Patten) but a shocking reveal sends him spinning and he soon becomes involved in some family drama with his Mother (Lyne Renée) and Sister (Kathryn Gallagher, You). Under the watchful eye of GG the group try and keep their scandals to a minimum but this is the Upper East Side after all and nothing stays hidden for long, especially with their every move being constantly scrutinised.

Season two really turned up the chaos and drama, returning in a way to the show’s original roots. Gossip Girl has always followed the lives of the filthy rich, emphasising the extreme parties and wealth these people have and most of the show’s entertainment comes from how extreme said situations are. Season one of the reboot did tone this down slightly and we didn’t get to see these episodic parties, often just for the sake of it. Here though we returned to form and got weddings, dinner parties, fundraisers and even political events, really any chance to throw an event and these people did. I loved how chaotic this season was and it felt a lot closer to the og show than ever before, it’s such a shame it got canxelled just as it was returning to form.

It was definitely a controversial choice to make a teacher Gossip Girl and whilst it may still have its issues Kate remains my favourite character of the show and I really loved what they did with her in season two. One of the biggest recurring complaints of the original Gossip Girl was Dan being GG and how he could have possibly known everything he did as well as him reacting to posts when he was clearly alone. Here all the mystery is dropped and instead we get to follow Kate as she receives tips, fake reacts to posts when in public (which I found hilarious) and even as she communicates with the other students through the GG account. Revealing GG’s identity in the very first episode was always going to be a risky move but it definitely paid off and I really loved getting to see Kate as Gossip Girl this season and I for one think it makes a lot more sense Kate being GG than it ever did Dan (something Georgina Sparks herself points out) and the only think I didn’t like was how easily she ended up being uncovered.

Audrey, Max and Aki in their throuple was a bit of a disappointment this season and for all the set up we got in season one it just felt wasted here, especially with how it all ended. It just felt like every single episode the trio were arguing about something and we got very few happy moments for them. What made it even worse was that every argument was basically the same thing, were one member felt unhappy about something and the other two would have to fix in, going on and on in various combinations for the entire season. Despite being in a so called committed relationship the trio never actually seemed happy with one another and in the end I just felt sorry for Max because he was the one with the most to lose when everything blew up. The storyline was definitely something new for Gossip Girl (and television in general) but it just never really clicked and I just wish we’d gotten some actually happy moments instead of constant arguing and heartbreak.

One of my biggest problems with this reboot of Gossip Girl is that for me it’s always focused on the characters I have the least interest in whereas the ones I actually like get barely any screen time. Obviously who you like and don’t like is always going to be down to personal opinion but in this case my favourites (Kate, Luna (Zión Moreno) and Monet) are repeatedly ignored and instead I have to sit through hours and hours of the Julien and Zoya show. Again, this is just my own opinion but it is hard to enjoy a show when the characters you click with the least are getting the most screen time and honestly I really struggle with a good half of this cast. Even in the last episode Luna and Monet were completely side-tracked (to be honest Luna was pretty much side-tracked the whole season) and left out of that final group holiday, it was pretty annoying.

Before the season finale had even aired it was announced that Gossip Girl had been cancelled after two seasons and despite my mixed feelings towards this reboot I am still disappointed. The show isn’t perfect by any means and it can still barely hold a candle to the original but season two was a definite improvement and I feel like we were just getting to properly know this characters (especially since the reboot had much shorter seasons than the original). Saying all of this though I don’t know where season three would have actually gone, especially since Gossip Girl was unmasked and presumably imprisoned. Unless we were getting Kate blogging from behind bars I assume we would have seen someone else take up the mantle but honestly I loved Kate as GG so I don’t know how I would have felt about this. A change in GG’s identity would have definitely been interesting but at the same time I can’t see any of the current characters willingly taking on the role so I do think season three would have gone in a very different direction either way?

Overall I enjoyed this second season of Gossip Girl and it definitely felt a lot better than season one. The show embraced its chaotic and messy nature and stopped taking itself too seriously, really playing around with the over the top richness of these characters and the situations they find themselves in. We got some great event scenes similar to that of the OG Gossip Girl and the storylines in general just felt a lot better this time around. It is obviously a disappointment the show was cancelled and whilst this reboot will never match up to the original, certain characters were beginning to grow on me and I will miss aspects of the show. It may not have always focused on the most interesting of its cast but I have enjoyed seeing Gossip Girl return in the age of social media and I will miss this continuation, it easily could have lasted a few more seasons.

Elite- Season 6, A review

Don’t Look Away.

Elite Season 1 Review. Elite Season 2 Review. Elite Season 3 Review. Elite Season 4 Review. Elite Season 5 Review.

The sixth season of Elite follows the students of Las Encinas as they enter another school year and face yet another tragedy after the near death of a student. Ari (Carla Díaz), Patrick (Manu Ríos) and Mencia (Martina Cariddi) are all repeating their final year after Samuel’s death, having left after their Father’s (Diego Martín) arrest in the previous season. Now that they’re back the siblings settle back into student life, with Patrick continuing to date boyfriend Iván (André Lamoglia) and Ari becoming interested in trans student Nico (Ander Puig).

The friends also all gather to support Isadora (Valentina Zenere) after her assualt case is thrown out due to lack of evidence, with the three perpetrators returning to school and acting like nothing happened. Popular influencer couple Sara (Carmen Arrufat) and Raúl (Álex Pastrana) also begin attending school, intriuging Mencia who takes a shine to Sara. Flashforwards then show a hit and run gone wrong, where Iván is left for dead by an unknown driver, prompting yet another whodunnit. What events lead up to Iván’s attack and why did the driver not stop to check on him? In Las Encinas one thing’s for sure, the drama runs deep and the smallest of arguments can turn fatal.

Honestly going into the sixth season of Elite, I was pretty nervous and did not know what to expect. Samuel, Rebe and Omar’s departures in the previous season meant that we now had no original cast members left and it did feel like the spark that the show once had was now gone. It’s not that I don’t like this new group of characters but this ‘second generation’ so to speak doesn’t have half the charm the original once had and there has been a real decline in quality since season 3 (in my opinion). I do this part of this is down to the storytelling and how the main mysteries of seasons four, five and six have been a lot less exciting when compared to the first trilogy but I also think the characters have taken a bit of a nosedive as well. Characters like Carla, Lu and Nadia are always going to be my favourites and these new students just don’t match up, even the originals who did stick around had a real decline in likeability (Guzman took an absolute nosedive in season four). It also doesn’t help that I really don’t like Ari, Mencia or Patrick who were the defacto leads of this new generation and were supposed to be the bridge between the old and new, so it was a struggle to continue rooting for such a unlikeable family. Don’t get me wrong season six had some great new characters but I just think when you compare the first trilogy to the second it’s almost like you’re watching a completely different show.

Isa’s assualt storyline and her quest for justice was definitely my favourite storyline of the series and I reslly liked how Elite presented this realistic approach to assualt and its aftermath. Despite everything that happened there was no solid proof of the attack, leading Isa and her friends to take other measures, really blurring the line between justice and revenge. I liked how everyone gathered around Isa (the friendship group was definitelty solid this season) anf I also liked how we followed the three perpetrators as well. Javier’s (Ignacio Carrascal) growing remorse was definitely the linchpin for the eventual arrest and whilst I felt little sympathy for him I liked his friendship with Didac and how these changed post everything that happened.

The storyline surrounding Patrick, Ivan and Cruz (Carloto Cotta) was definitely one of Elite’s most emotional to date and Cruz’s murder really took me by surprise, especially considering it was Ivan’s ‘death’ that had been teased up until this point. Across its six seasons Elite has had plenty of LGBT cast and characters but Cruz was definitely the first with such a public standing in society as a star football player. The homophobia and rage against him made for a emotional and compelling episode and despite some of the problems of this season, episode 4 really was one of the best we’ve seen so far. Post Cruz’s death Patrick and Ivan then struggled with their grief, with Patrick becoming overly clingy and Ivan taking out his anger on Patrick, eventually leading to the pair splitting up. We’ve never really had a parent in Elite as such a central character and so we as the audience could almost share in the couple’s grief and I think sympathise with what was going on, it made for a tough watch.

With a new season of Elite also comes a new set of characters and we definitely got a real mixed group this time around. Like I said above I really loved Dídac (Álvaro de Juana) (with him probably being my favourite current male character) and I liked Rocío (Ana Bokesa), Sonia (Nadia Al Saidi) and Nico too (although Rocío seemeed to just appear out of nowhere with no official introduction?). This new friendship group seems reasonably solid and I enjoyed the dynamics and chemistry within, moving forward I’m excited to get to know them a lot more. I wasn’t a fan however of Sara and Raúl and I really hated the whole influencer couple storyline. The exploration of the absusive relationship albiet did make for some dramatic watching but I just wasn’t the biggest fan of either character and especially considering that ending I can’t see myself rooting for either one of them anytime soon.

Overall this sixth season of Elite was an interesting watch and a nice conclusion to the second trilogy. Like I said above these past three seasons have paled in comparison to the first three but there were still some enjoyable moments and I probably will still watch season seven. Isa’s sexual assault storyline and her blurring of justice and revenge made for a compulsive watch and I did love the new dynamic between her and Didac and I think overall she was so much more likeable this season. I also enjoyed Cruz’s death and the after effect it had on Ivan and Patrick, admittedly we got some great character moments this season. Elite may not be the show it once was but I still find myself enjoying watching and I am excited to see what season seven has to offer and the new characters it will introduce, bring on next year.

Blood & Water- Season 3, A Review

There is no escape from the truth.

Blood & Water Season 1 Review. Blood & Water Season 2 Review.

The third season of Blood & Water follows Puleng (Ama Qamata) and Phiks (Khosi Ngema), now attempting to live as sisters and come to terms with what really happened to baby Phume all those years ago. With Phik’s Mother still missing, the police continue with their investigation and begin probing into each girls life, convinced they are still hiding one last secret. It is KB (Thabang Molaba) however who has something to hide, as his Mother Lisbeth (Sonia Mbele) is revealed to be the one behind the baby-ring, putting him in a difficult situation with his friends.

Despite being warned to stay away, Puleng continues her investigating, putting herself in more danger than ever before as she attempts to save a new group of girls from being kidnapped. With so much at stake this time Puleng will need all the help she can get to risk her life and get to the truth, promising and all explosive season with lots of twists, turns and major reveals. Despite finally being reunited the danger is far from over for Puleng and Phiks and despite what they might have thought, this is just the beginning.

Whenever I return to Blood & Water for a new season I always seem to forgot how good the show actually is and it seems a shame that it gets so little recognition or praise. So many other teen dramas start off strong but end up veering in strange and often weird directions (eg Riverdale, PLL) but across its three seasons Blood & Water has remained strong, really demonstrating a how to masterclass in writing the teen mystery. Since its pilot, Blood & Water has remained on point, focussing on the missing sister mystery and building up the suspense whilst still also including the everyday high school drama that makes the teen drama genre so iconic. The show perfectly blends together Puleng’s quest for justice with her entering this new world of the rich and elite and I really like how we continue to get both sides of the story, equally balancing the mystery with the relationship drama. Unlike other shows Blood & Water has also remained completely based in reality and completely on track, following this very serious, real life crime and never becoming silly or overdramatised, it’s really commendable how this show has built up its story up these past three years.

Now that Phikele’s identity was out in the open I liked seeing her finally sit down with her birth family and begin to come to terms with who she really was. This is something we’ve been waiting for since the very first episode and even amongst all the drama of season 3 we still got some really nice family moments and scenes with the Khumalo family. Finding out you were kidnapped as a baby isn’t exactly your very day situation and I loved how we got to really dive into Phik’s feelings on such a massive situation as she wanted to get to know her ‘new family’ whilst also grieving the loss of her ‘original family’ so to speak. I also liked seeing Phiks track down her birth Father and despite his limited appearances I would like to see more from this relationship moving forward, it’s definitely going to be interesting to see Phiks exploring this aspect of her life.

Season 3 definitely stepped it up in terms of story writing and the stakes just felt so much higher here compared to the previous two seasons. Because the kidnapping ring had now been outed to the police and the media the story had moved past its previous high school setting, now entering the very real world where people could and did get hurt. Now that it was common knowledge Phikele was in fact the missing Phume the police were actively working on this case and it wasn’t just Puleng and Wade amatuer sluething. This time around some very dangerous people had come to play and everything just felt a lot more scary, it made for a real high tension watch.

As well as the raised stakes via the kidnapping ring we also got plenty of old fashion teen drama messiness through characters like Chris (Arno Greef, Recipes for Love and Murder) and Reece (Greteli Fincham) and I continue to love their storylines just as much as I do the main mystery. Reese’s continued drug dealing to support her mentally ill Mother was further complicated by Tahira’s (Mekaila Mathys) investigation into the missing money and I liked how the two eventually came together to try and unmask ‘side chick chronicles’, a storyline I really hope continues next season. Chris also had his usual romance problems, this time stuck in a love triangle with Wendy (Natasha Thahane) and new flame Lunga (Mpho Sibeko)– who I really loved as a character! Storylines like this may not measure up to the full on kidnapping ring but I feel like the guilty pleasureless of it all balances out Blood & Water so we get equal parts mystery and teen drama, resulting in an all around enjoyable watch.

Overall I really loved this third season of Blood & Water and always forget how much I love this show. This time around the stakes felt a lot higher, putting Puleng and her friends in some very real danger with long-lasting consequences for all. Blood & Water really is the leading example of how to do a teen drama well and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

One of us is Lying- Season 2, A Review

Keep your friends close. Keep your secrets closer.

One of us is Lying Season 1 Review (Top 10 2021).

The second season of One of us is Lying follows the ‘Murder Club’ as they now begin receiving anonymous texts from someone calling themselves ‘Simon Says’, instructing each of them to carry out certain tasks or risk being arrested for Jake’s (Barrett Carnahan, Cruel Summer) murder. At first the group attempt to ignore the texts but ‘Simon’ proves persistent and once again the five are thrust into another investigation as they scramble to unmask ‘Simon’ before it’s too late.

Things are far from easy however, especially with Vanessa (Sara Thompson) launching a full on media campaign into the group, convinced that they murdered Jake. Jake’s Brother Cole (Joe Witkowski) also shows up in town, desperate for answers. Now in a race against time the five must continue to carry out Simon Says’ deadly deeds whilst also maintaining their own innocence and keeping up the charade that Jake fled to Mexico. With their lives literally on the line here can the group unmask another killer and come out of the other side or will this deadly game go too far and leave Murder Club no more?

When season two of One of us is Lying was first announced it was also revealed that the storyline wouldn’t be a direct adaptation of the second book in the trilogy (One of us is Next) but instead its own thing, continuing to follow the original Murder Club now also including Janae (Jessica McLeod). Whilst season two definitely is its own thing it does also borrow the anonymous texting elements from the original second book, sort of merging together the original cast with the new mystery- which I actually really liked. Obviously One of us is Next did have some great characters that we sadly didn’t set to see make it over to the TV show but I do like how we got to further develop the characters we already had, well past anything that happened within the original novel. It’s so rare that a TV adaptation goes further with its characters than the book did but in this case I definitely feel like the TV versions of Nate (Cooper van Grootel), Addy (Annalisa Cochrane), Bronwyn (Marianly Tejada) and Cooper (Chibuikem Uche) are more fleshed out and likeable than their book counterparts. This obviously isn’t a criticism of the original books but an extended television series means you’re going to be able to explore more with the story and characters and I’ve really liked the directions the show has gone in, it’s been really interesting to see what happens next or the Bayview Four.

The Simon Says storyline made for an interesting mystery and whilst anonymous text threats aren’t anything ground-breaking for the teen drama genre it’s definitely a classic for a reason. Here The Murder Club were blackmailed over their involvement in Jake’s death, instantly giving us that sense of urgency as the group scrambled to avoid jail time. Whilst also carrying out ‘Simon’s’ dares there was also the added mystery of who was threatening them in the first place and why they were so determined to avenge Jake’s death. A lot of ‘Simon’s’ threats put the group in serious danger and I really loved the rising tension throughout. Season two definitely borrowed a lot of aspects from the original second novel and even if we didn’t get to carry the characters over I’m glad we got to keep the ‘truth or dare’ aspect with a slight twist because I really did love his aspect of the book, it was a lot of fun.

I was really surprised by how much I ended up loving Vanessa this season, but her 2×06 central episode really put her in a new light and made her an essential part of the group. Up until this point she’d been using social media to ‘investigate’ Jake’s disappearance by using her popularity to draw in tips and generally harass the Murder Club but after being laughed off too many times she actually sat down and did some honest to god investigating, proving to be a real asset in solving Simon Says’ identity. It was genuinely uplifting to see a previously self-centred character actually prove herself and work to be taken seriously and I just loved the plotline of Vanessa, Keely (Zenia Marshall) and Evan (Martin Bobb-Semple) carrying out their own investigation and actually stumbling on some valuable evidence, it was nice to focus on some of the smaller character for once.

Additionally I loved Maeve (Melissa Collazo) and Janae’s bigger roles this season, both are easily my favourite characters of the series. The two played relatively minor roles in the original book (although Maeve does have a starring role in book 2) and so I like how the show has elevated them to be part of the main group, again showcasing how the series allows its characters to develop further than the original novel. Aside from being an adorable couple (another book to TV change I really liked), the pair are great assets to The Murder Club, with Maeve having an extraordinary brain and Janae having the connection to Simon and also being a quick thinker when needed. Season two did shockingly end with Maeve betraying the rest of the group in order to save them and so I’m interested to see how this effects the group dynamic moving forward and how (or if) Murder Club can ever forgive her.

After the cliff-hanger that we ended on I am absolutely desperate for a third season and really hope that we hear some renewal news soon! The last few minutes of the finale suggested that somebody else in Bayview had been murdered and judging from the locket left at the scene it’s either Bronwyn or someone close to her (at this point I can only assume). As I said above the TV show has moved past the events of the book now with its main cast but with a third One of us is Lying book due to be released later next year I do wonder whether the two are going to coincide and whether McManus (who is involved in the show’s production) is going to use the book for inspiration for season three or even vice versa.

Overall I absolutely loved this second season of One of us is Lying! I like how the show build on the original premise whilst also incorporating details from the second book in the trilogy, meaning we got a brand new mystery but got to stick with the original cast and flesh out their characters even more. Maeve, Janae and Vanessa made great additions to the Murder Club and I really loved their development this season. Overall I continue to love this show and really hope we get to see more- especially after that cliff-hanger, I’m desperate to see what happens next!