Lockwood & Co.

I am quickly binging just about everything on netflix lately and this popped up after finishing Wednesday. Wow, I might like it more then Wednesday. It was so disappointing when all the episodes were over that I re-watched the whole season. Sharp writing, amazing sets and strong performances all around. The fight scenes are intricate and the camera does not cut away to fake movement but stays directly on the actors. Hopefully, this show will have enough views to get a second season because nothing production wise was spared. It would be a shame if viewership weren't high enough to warrant the cost of another season.

Came in blind to this show. I only knew it was some sort of supernatural mystery thriller with ghosts.

For a YA show, the characters here aren't as "annoying"? Well they still feel like teenagers to me with their "End justifies the means" way of taking action. Just enough recklessness that you question what the f they are doing. Especially from Lockwood. But somehow it's not overbearing? They still do the "Not talking to each other until the plot requires it" trope but I feel it was addressed and utilized in the show quite well. The characters do have some backstory to them not extensive but you can see different personalities pop up. Anthony reminded me of Five from Umbrella Academy, George reminded me of Simon from Shadow Hunters, and Lucy reminded me of Wednesday but without the love for morbidity.

For the World building... We don't get introduced into it like usual where in it's a montage of someone's monologue in the 1st episode. It's honestly sparse of that which I really like. We get some scenes here and there with terms they use in their world but not all of it is given any descriptive meaning but it was easy to immerse myself in it. From context clues it wasn't hard to match what they meant. It just felt natural.

For the plot delivery, I liked it. It had good action sequences. CGI is believable. The sets were creepy af paired with tense music. I was honestly expecting something more like a Hardy Boys-Nancy Drew-Scooby Doo type... they did give the vibe of it but it was more like Ghostbusters lol. The mystery solving isn't complex, it's not like Glass Onion with clues etc, fairly straight forward but it's still a good supernatural thriller so I think it's more like Wednesday but with a more serious tone?

Overall, I don't know how it is as an adaptation but I thought it was fun and a good series to watch. Ending is sort of a cliffhanger as they did finish the "major plot line of the current season" but ended with an opening to another plotline. I really liked the bantering of the trio as they felt natural though it felt a bit rushed with how chummy they were already by ep 2. Bonus points because there's no unnecessary sex scenes in it like some YA shows... I'm looking forward to watching the plot unravel more. Here's to hoping for a 2nd season.

Having no knowledge of the source novels, I enjoyed that the world building was steadily paced and not spoon fed like so many adaptations. The.directing is inspired. This ghostly alternate London is moody and eerie, full of human and ex-human intrigue. The principal cast perhaps build up to chemistry rather than instantly fizz, yet you still get the sense of their personalities amongst the whiplash adventures. I disagree with claims that this is kids' drama. They may be young, but their abilities weigh them down with harsh responsibilities. I hope this show gets backing to develop over a number of seasons so we can really get to know these characters and the world they inhabit.

This show surprised me. It was familiar and unique at the same time. There were times where I tried predicting what would happen or how the characters would act and was pleasantly proved wrong in some instances. Also, this was the right way to implement a strong female lead. Even though we know her potential exceeds the rest of the characters, she isn't the "saviour with plot armor" who's strong for no reason that seems to be the trend with these recent shows. I appreciate how each character fits into their roles and aren't sidelined by the lead. My only complaint is that some of the effects seemed out of place like the sword trails, but that's it. The setting? Brilliant. The alternate version of the U. K. is too cool. Overall, excellent job by everyone.

Big fan of the books, watched the whole season in one day. I think they've captured the characters really well. It was fun to watch and you didn't get bored and want to do something else. The CGI works well enough not to distract you.

It for sure has a target audience in mind, kind of like Netflix's answer to Wednesday (but imo better). A dark edgy but also a bit comical series for teens. I don't remember them talking as much about death, or the romantic tension being as noticeable in the books. They're clearly trying to capture those who feel left out, classic escapism, like Harry Potter... a selling concept.

Another difference is the lack of time. There isn't really a sense of enough time passing between scenes. The fast phased nature keeps you engaged but doesn't really let you settle in to the characters or get a sense that they've really had the time to get to know each other as well as they say. However due to the medium change it is however maybe impossible to get to know the characters on the same level. I can appreciate both versions for their strengths.