MoneyMayo

As a massive fan of TLOU Part II, I was extremely hyped for this episode, but I didn't really feel anything after watching it. I give it points because of its accuracy to the game, but the episode does NOT do a good job of hooking you into the new season. It instantly sidelines Joel as the main character to focus on Ellie right off the bat, and while Part II is an Ellie game, the show needed to find a good way to "pass the lead baton." Joel feels like a nothing character here, and that's disappointing for those who know what's coming next. Obviously I'm very excited to see the next episode, but this one could have done a far better job actually setting up this season's story. Overall, it's solid, but I wanted way more.

It's a mostly compelling tetralogy of short films that's well shot with some nice visuals, but half of this film really didn't do it for me.

The first part, Sunfish, tells a story we've seen a thousand times. Moody teen has to stay with people she barely knows and slowly learns to enjoy the time she has. The problem with this one is that her character arc jumps from one end to the other in a matter of minutes, making the story had to relate to. Part 2, Summer Camp, was really well done and probably the best part of the film for me. The acting, story, and emotional beats were all done very well, leaving me satisfied when it ended. I heavily disliked part 3. It's a complete deviation from the previous coming of age shorts which tells an extremely goofy and poorly acted "tall tale" story that is helmed by some extremely cringeworthy characters and dialogue. Luckily, I enjoyed part 4. I didn't like it as much as 2, but it ended the film with a very sweet and compelling sisterly love story that was helmed by 2 very good actresses.

Overall, Sunfish & Other Stories at Green Lake offers a few nice individual stories, but fails as a thematically connective Anthology story.

What an absolutely wild conclusion to one of my favorite shows of all time! Twin Peaks: The Return is a marvel of suspense, horror, surrealism, and world-building. It's a show so confident in itself, that nothing is sugarcoated or predictable by modern writing standards. Watching this was such a thrill ride, but was it worth all that wait and that praise? In short, yes, but it took me a second to get to that conclusion. 95% of this show is near perfect. It takes all of the best parts of the original series and amplifies them 10 fold. It was so lovely to see returning characters, and I also loved the new ones too! The effects, sound, and music were all 10/10, but...there was about 5% of the show that I was a little mixed on, up until recently. Part of what made the first 2 seasons so special to me were the vibes. The original series was just so "warm and cozy," which is kinda funny given the nature of the show, and while The Return has its moments, it lacked that "cozy / sleepy feel" the original had. This was a minor nitpick for me though. The biggest "issue" I originally had with this season, was its ending. For 17 episodes, The Return was phenomenal, and I was so so SO intrigued by what this season could possibly build to. By the time the 17th episode ended, I was floored, but also curious as to what they could possibly do with another episode. Episode 17 had an incredible ending that I could not have imagined. Then I watched episode 18. I'm not gonna lie when I say that I finished the show a little disappointed. The finale was so jarring, and doesn't end like the majority of television shows do. While I wasn't expecting a concrete ending, cause what else would you expect from David Lynch, I was expecting some form of a solid ending. The episode ends in such a "cliffhanger" like way, that you don't really get the satisfaction of ending the show. You're left with even MORE questions, and while I expected to have questions, I wasn't expecting to be as confused and as lost as I was. With time though, my thoughts on the finale began to grow, and now, I think it's one of the best episodes in the series. It works perfectly as a conclusion, and fits far more into the original vision Lynch had for this series. Overall, The Return was an incredible season that offered some of my absolute favorite moments in the entire series. It's a crazy surreal experience that I don't think another show will replicate for a very long time, if ever. What a wonderful experience and a perfect conclusion to this masterpiece.