Hemlock Grove

Sleek and surreal, this new installment from Netflix (produced and directed by fright-man Eli Roth) breathes of noir-style films of yesteryear - if only it were in black and white. About halfway through the first episode I admit I was drifting, having serious doubts of the substantial play of the series. A fan of Netflix's hit 'House of Cards' I was eager to see what was up their sleeves and didn't want to give up too early. The show will pique your interest. It will dabble in sex and bloody-good fun. But this feels like an HBO version of Nickelodeon's Degrassi, with two parts Twilight and a dash of True Blood. Pretty people in over-saturated roles being seen through an over-exposed lens (it's kind of like watching it through a foggy beer glass). But hey, if you can't find a character in this show you wouldn't want to have sex with, then you don't have a pulse. In all seriousness, it will be interesting to see if the characters develop past their inherent sex appeal and find traction in a show that has a lot of potential. It's like riding in the slow lane on a Sunday afternoon in your daddy's Ferrari - when all in takes is an exit and an open road to come alive. Give it the gas and quit toying with us Netflix! A large part of why 'House of Cards' was so great is it hit the ground running and within 10-minutes of the pilot - I'm three episodes in and still waiting for it to make the turn. (Update to come)

The only thing I've expected starting to watch this show, is couple of episodes-boredom, distaste , quit , forget. Unexpectedly ,I've gotten so engrossed in it ,that didn't even notice, that the first season ended and I've started on the second!!! It is not for everybody , it is somewhat strange show , but it is masterfully takes over your mind and time ,without you even being aware of it! Definitely recommended!

I'm not really in to making comparisons but this show sort of feels like Carnivale the way it's unfolding and telling you it's visual tale. There is some carnage, but it isn't as brutal as you would expect coming from Roth. Mostly it feels wonderfully strange, like a world you can't help but feel drawn in to. I've only watched the pilot so far, but I love that all the episodes are right there, one right after the next for immediate consumption! That is awesome. There is much going on below the surface and I can't wait to see how it unfolds. It's definitely a show worth watching. I'm looking forward to hopefully a second season, and more Netflix originals!

Teenagers in the small Pennsylvania town of Hemlock Grove are being murdered by a strange beast. The townsfolk believe it is a werewolf. To them, this makes the prime suspects the local gypsies, and Peter Rumancek in particular. He steadfastly denies that he is the murderer but he harbours a dark secret...he is a werewolf.

Mediocre. Had some potential to be a edgy supernatural thriller, Stranger Things or True Blood-like (the fact that Alexander Skarsgard's brother, Bill, has a leading role in Hemlock Grove helps the True Blood comparison). The murders provide for intrigue but this is substantially diluted by the fact that very little happens in the way of solving the mystery for the first 10 episodes. During that time the series is really just a teen soap-opera, with very limited character engagement.

Things do kick up several notches in the final three episodes of Season 1, making the Season worthwhile in the end. With a bit more closure on that season it would have been a decent mini-series.

After Season 1 there was nothing new to do, except invent other nasties to terrorise the town, and that's what happens. Add in more soap-opera like sub-plots and it's pretty boring stuff.

I lasted until Episode 4 of Season 2 before giving up.

I can't help but find it funny that everyone that has written a review has been comparing it to other shows. If you go into this show expecting it to be like House of Cards, you are not going to like it. Same with comparing it to other Sci-fi TV series'. It's comparing Apples and Oranges.

You have to give credit where credit is due, Hemlock Grove is unique, it isn't a generic or cliché TV show likes we've all seen one hundred times. The writing may not be the best and at times it can be quite confusing.

Give the show a chance, it's not as much of a "horror" as IMDb and other sites peg it to be. It's really not that scary. It's an interesting show to say the least.