Episode 1

Emblematic of the new direction for the show, they introduced Hannah Gadsby as a new character. This should tell you almost everything you need to know. The other new characters are equally insufferable. The hard turn into culture war insanity is jarring, to say the least. The show used to be about fun and interesting slice of life situations with charismatic characters. No more. Now you can enjoy that powerful sense of condescension which is the hallmark of each and every Hannah Gadsby lecture.

It's lamentable to see another, great show sacrificed at the alter of The Message. The reviews corroborate the marked shift in tone and directorial competence. It looks like they hired a new director for season four. Is he to blame? Hard to tell. I just know I won't be watching last episode one. Judging by the reviews, I am not alone.

I find it such a pity that so many things happened out of screen and plenty of characters I was stoked to see again won't be here to see.

I always loved the series for it's inclusivity, but the fictive college they created feels almost like a parody. The dialogues and the new characters represent plenty of important minorities, but it still feels like as if they wrote them in to have a tick on a list.

I am still curious where the stories of main characters develop over the season, but I hope to hear that signature "mischief music" with intriguing scenes a bit more instead of boring discourse.

I love the show. My sole complaint always has been that it was hard, at times, to keep up with the suspension of disbelief. There's this group of teenagers, and almost everybody turns out to be the poster boy/girl/being of being sexually special.

Also, it takes away a huge part of the reality of being special - having to deal with the fact that most others are NOT.

But hey, it's fiction, I loved the characters and the stories. No problem...

And then THIS episode happened.

Everything I described above, amped up to 20.000.

The scene with the "specials" - as the dominant group(!) - excluding the "normal" girl... feels, aside from the blatant irony, like a revenge fantasy. And it seems like they only have "positive energy" for those who "are like them".

That's not inclusive, that's just reversing the power balance.

Oh, and I didn't really like how Otis handled the competition. What's worse: he made himself look very bad, and not mature enough for the job - being awkward about (verbal) sexual misunderstandings...

Lastly: Being a counselor is not about giving "good" advice. It's about asking the right questions. Which was exactly what his "enemy" did.

I liked her way more than I liked him, in that episode.

I don't hate it. It's nice seeing these characters again but it all feels kinda ridiculous. Especially the "Cavendish College" scenes. It's like the absurdity is turned up to 11 and it just feels out of place. Almost like it's all a dream. I'm trying to be vague so not to spoil anything but I'm very curious where it does end up going and if the tone will change at all. I really wish Otis and Maeve were together because that relationship is the heart of the show, and I guess the heart feels broken at the moment. Based on the ending of this episode, that may be where it's headed for good. I will keep watching because I want to see how these character storylines play out.

Seasons 1-3 had moments of real charm and incorporated some well rounded characters who assisted in playing out the, at times, extremely progressive narrative. This season debut is on a whole other level of nauseating. Newly introduced cast members are some of most irritating folk ever put on screen. If you were ever unlucky enough to end up in the Cavendish College you'd think you were being punished for some hideous crime. I'd rather do time in a Super-Max jail than endure the horrors of this 'educational' institute. The charm from the first three seasons is well and truly dead and buried. What's left is an episode void of all humour and relatability. Unfortunately, I've been pre-warned that this is the narrative throughout the rest of this season. Thank goodness it's the last one!