The End of the F***ing World: Season 1, Episode 8 (B+)
This was a great end to what I would call one of the best new shows of the season, and it’s just a shame that it’s already over. It’s been two months since the show premiered on Netflix and more than six months since its initial run on Channel 4 in the UK, yet we have no news about the possibility of a second season just yet. Things escalated pretty quickly in this finale, with Alyssa’s father excitedly asking the two of them who they killed before dialing the police to turn them in. Eunice being outside the trailer enabled her to burst in at just the right moment offering to help them after Alyssa stabbed her father in the leg and James picked up the phone and confessed to being entirely responsible. I love that the flow of the conversation was interrupted by Alyssa wishing that she could have gotten James something for his birthday, and it was great to hear her say to herself how much she loved James. All she needed was confirmation from Eunice that there was no way they were going to the same place, prompting them to run away and for James to pull the same thing on her. I had thought this show would end with a murder but instead it reformed James and made him fall in love with Alyssa, who’s in love with him too. I’d love to see these characters again since they were both superb, and I’m a big fan of Alex Lawther’s now, who was terrific opposite Jessica Barden, who I already knew was great. What a fantastic show that really knew what it wanted to be – bring on season two, please!
Season grade: A-
Season MVP: Lawther and Barden
Showing posts with label The End of the F***ing World. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The End of the F***ing World. Show all posts
Thursday, March 29, 2018
Saturday, March 24, 2018
What I’m Watching: The End of the F***ing World
The End of the F***ing World: Season 1, Episode 7 (B+)
Alyssa definitely switched into a whole new mode of dependence that we haven’t seen from her at all as soon as she arrived at her father’s home. I was worried that her being enamored with him would prompt James to revive his killer instinct, but instead it seems to have done the opposite, as he couldn’t even kill the dog that her father ran over at the end of the episode. James throwing knives with Alyssa’s dad was about the most normal thing that they did together, and his description of him as not quite an adult was very spot-on. Things went downhill very fast when he got confronted at the bar by the mother of his other child, whose existence was enough to burst the bubble completely for Alyssa, and his immediate running-over of the dog irreversibly sealed the deal. James’ father was in continued denial about what his son could be capable of, and Alyssa’s mother just wanted to blame James for corrupting her little girl. Eunice did not appreciate Teri’s joke about dragging the investigation out for a few days so that James could turn eighteen, and the roles have really reversed in that dynamic. Eunice has become completely sympathetic to the plight of Alyssa and James, giving them more credit than their rebellious retreat deserves, and Teri’s eagerness to send them to prison made Eunice not want to be around her, even when she suggested they share a hotel room. Now that Alyssa and James’ faces are out there on the news for all to see, I’m very curious to see what happens in the season finale.
Alyssa definitely switched into a whole new mode of dependence that we haven’t seen from her at all as soon as she arrived at her father’s home. I was worried that her being enamored with him would prompt James to revive his killer instinct, but instead it seems to have done the opposite, as he couldn’t even kill the dog that her father ran over at the end of the episode. James throwing knives with Alyssa’s dad was about the most normal thing that they did together, and his description of him as not quite an adult was very spot-on. Things went downhill very fast when he got confronted at the bar by the mother of his other child, whose existence was enough to burst the bubble completely for Alyssa, and his immediate running-over of the dog irreversibly sealed the deal. James’ father was in continued denial about what his son could be capable of, and Alyssa’s mother just wanted to blame James for corrupting her little girl. Eunice did not appreciate Teri’s joke about dragging the investigation out for a few days so that James could turn eighteen, and the roles have really reversed in that dynamic. Eunice has become completely sympathetic to the plight of Alyssa and James, giving them more credit than their rebellious retreat deserves, and Teri’s eagerness to send them to prison made Eunice not want to be around her, even when she suggested they share a hotel room. Now that Alyssa and James’ faces are out there on the news for all to see, I’m very curious to see what happens in the season finale.
Wednesday, March 14, 2018
What I’m Watching: The End of the F***ing World
The End of the F***ing World: Season 1, Episode 6 (B+)
After being physically and emotionally divided before this, Alyssa and James are now firmly united, showing their strength as budding criminals while leaving a spectacular amount of evidence behind at every turn. Stopping at the gas station went predictably poorly, but luckily Frodo was angry enough at his boss to want to rebel on his own, and he was taken with Alyssa from the first moment he saw her. That smile on Alyssa’s face when James described in detail the gun that he clearly wasn’t holding was wonderful, and it shows just how much she really likes him. He, in turn, was happy that she was referring to the murder as the one they committed rather than just him, and even though he didn’t hotwire the car quite quickly enough, they made it out in time, leaving Frodo in the dust. Alyssa thinking “I’m really scared” and then saying it moments later prompted James to step forward in a show of protectiveness, and I’m curious to see how her dad will react. Teri was not happy that Eunice crashed her date to show her the video that Stella decided to turn in, but it does definitely shed some light on the fact that these two kids aren’t menaces to society but rather a bit out of control and so far in that they don’t think they can come back. We only have two episodes to go, and I don’t have the first clue how things are going to end for these two young troublemaking lovebirds.
After being physically and emotionally divided before this, Alyssa and James are now firmly united, showing their strength as budding criminals while leaving a spectacular amount of evidence behind at every turn. Stopping at the gas station went predictably poorly, but luckily Frodo was angry enough at his boss to want to rebel on his own, and he was taken with Alyssa from the first moment he saw her. That smile on Alyssa’s face when James described in detail the gun that he clearly wasn’t holding was wonderful, and it shows just how much she really likes him. He, in turn, was happy that she was referring to the murder as the one they committed rather than just him, and even though he didn’t hotwire the car quite quickly enough, they made it out in time, leaving Frodo in the dust. Alyssa thinking “I’m really scared” and then saying it moments later prompted James to step forward in a show of protectiveness, and I’m curious to see how her dad will react. Teri was not happy that Eunice crashed her date to show her the video that Stella decided to turn in, but it does definitely shed some light on the fact that these two kids aren’t menaces to society but rather a bit out of control and so far in that they don’t think they can come back. We only have two episodes to go, and I don’t have the first clue how things are going to end for these two young troublemaking lovebirds.
Monday, March 5, 2018
What I’m Watching: The End of the F***ing World
The End of the F***ing World: Season 1, Episode 5 (B+)
I’m glad to know that Alyssa and James found their way back to each other very quickly, with Alyssa apologizing for leaving him and James apologizing for killing Clive, then the two holdings hands but only with James’ left hand since the other one is weird. We did learn some important things about both of them while they were apart, especially when it came to seeing how their parents reacted to their disappearances. Alyssa’s mom didn’t even think to report her missing and had no idea that she had a boyfriend, and her stepdad definitely didn’t seem interested in investing any energy in worrying about her at all. James’ dad was concerned, but didn’t seem too frantic because he’s always had trouble being a single parent. Encouraging his wife to take James to feed the ducks led to her telling James she loved him and then driving straight into the pond, a miserable end to her life that helps explain why James acts the way he does. Trying to turn his murder confession into a report about his mother’s suicide so many years earlier didn’t work that well, and therefore he had to make a run for it when the DC wasn’t looking. Alyssa coming back with the little girl who was missing when she had the chance to get away seemed to show that she understood that she shouldn’t shoplift again, and her parting act of taking something after the security guard let her go was fitting revenge. The supporting relationship between Teri and Eunice doesn’t seem to be getting anywhere since both parties are not on the same page romantically, and one really wants to talk about it while the other doesn’t.
I’m glad to know that Alyssa and James found their way back to each other very quickly, with Alyssa apologizing for leaving him and James apologizing for killing Clive, then the two holdings hands but only with James’ left hand since the other one is weird. We did learn some important things about both of them while they were apart, especially when it came to seeing how their parents reacted to their disappearances. Alyssa’s mom didn’t even think to report her missing and had no idea that she had a boyfriend, and her stepdad definitely didn’t seem interested in investing any energy in worrying about her at all. James’ dad was concerned, but didn’t seem too frantic because he’s always had trouble being a single parent. Encouraging his wife to take James to feed the ducks led to her telling James she loved him and then driving straight into the pond, a miserable end to her life that helps explain why James acts the way he does. Trying to turn his murder confession into a report about his mother’s suicide so many years earlier didn’t work that well, and therefore he had to make a run for it when the DC wasn’t looking. Alyssa coming back with the little girl who was missing when she had the chance to get away seemed to show that she understood that she shouldn’t shoplift again, and her parting act of taking something after the security guard let her go was fitting revenge. The supporting relationship between Teri and Eunice doesn’t seem to be getting anywhere since both parties are not on the same page romantically, and one really wants to talk about it while the other doesn’t.
Sunday, February 25, 2018
What I’m Watching: The End of the F***ing World
The End of the F***ing World: Season 1, Episode 4 (B+)
James finally got the chance to kill a real person, and Alyssa turned out to be the one who was able to be cool under pressure, suggesting that James really isn’t the serial killer he always thought he was. They had a great plan to make sure that whoever discovered Clive’s body knew that he was a terrible person, but leaving Topher’s wallet there meant that the investigators on the case immediately found out that two kids named Alyssa and James were squatting in the house and likely responsible for his murder. I did not recognize Eunice as Gemma Whelan, best known as Yara Greyjoy on “Game of Thrones,” whose investigator clearly thinks there’s much more of a relationship with her colleague than Teri believes. I’m not sure if Alyssa and James being apart rather than together gives them a better shot at not being found, but it’s definitely not a good development for either of them since they’re going to be experiencing misery alone. Alyssa seemed most upset about the knife while James was looking at himself and considering whether he was actually the person he thought he was, and his idea to take an off-peak train in the height of all this chaos hardly seemed helpful. I don’t know how they’ll reach or find each other, but I have to assume that they’ll soon be reunited. James calling the police to report a murder was an intriguing move, one that is unlikely to have positive consequences for either of them.
James finally got the chance to kill a real person, and Alyssa turned out to be the one who was able to be cool under pressure, suggesting that James really isn’t the serial killer he always thought he was. They had a great plan to make sure that whoever discovered Clive’s body knew that he was a terrible person, but leaving Topher’s wallet there meant that the investigators on the case immediately found out that two kids named Alyssa and James were squatting in the house and likely responsible for his murder. I did not recognize Eunice as Gemma Whelan, best known as Yara Greyjoy on “Game of Thrones,” whose investigator clearly thinks there’s much more of a relationship with her colleague than Teri believes. I’m not sure if Alyssa and James being apart rather than together gives them a better shot at not being found, but it’s definitely not a good development for either of them since they’re going to be experiencing misery alone. Alyssa seemed most upset about the knife while James was looking at himself and considering whether he was actually the person he thought he was, and his idea to take an off-peak train in the height of all this chaos hardly seemed helpful. I don’t know how they’ll reach or find each other, but I have to assume that they’ll soon be reunited. James calling the police to report a murder was an intriguing move, one that is unlikely to have positive consequences for either of them.
Sunday, February 18, 2018
Take Three: The End of the F***ing World
The End of the F***ing World: Season 1, Episode 3 (B+)
I really love the dueling narration on this show, with Alyssa and James having a conversation with the audience as if they’re speaking to each other, which they do only occasionally. Alyssa was quite skilled at figuring out which home was going to be safe to enter due to the lack of an obvious burglar alarm and the pile of mail sitting outside, though unfortunately that didn’t account for when the owner would return home. While they had the house to themselves, Alyssa wanted to do the adult thing and have a glass of wine, though unfortunately she took the fact that he was distracted during what should have bene an intimate sexual act by a picture as a sign that he wasn’t into her. She wasted no time at all finding Topher, whose name she didn’t respect, and then paraded him back inside before deciding that she wasn’t actually interested in sleeping with him. James developed a bit of emotion and was just standing there with the flowers in his hands when she walked in, a monumental choice given the plethora of duct tape and other material that could have been used in the murder he’s so hoping to execute that were in the closet. He did get to stab someone to death, and that was the predatory homeowner who wanted to take advantage of Alyssa, and now they’re going to be able to get close doing something James actually loves doing, which should prove to be very interesting to watch.
I really love the dueling narration on this show, with Alyssa and James having a conversation with the audience as if they’re speaking to each other, which they do only occasionally. Alyssa was quite skilled at figuring out which home was going to be safe to enter due to the lack of an obvious burglar alarm and the pile of mail sitting outside, though unfortunately that didn’t account for when the owner would return home. While they had the house to themselves, Alyssa wanted to do the adult thing and have a glass of wine, though unfortunately she took the fact that he was distracted during what should have bene an intimate sexual act by a picture as a sign that he wasn’t into her. She wasted no time at all finding Topher, whose name she didn’t respect, and then paraded him back inside before deciding that she wasn’t actually interested in sleeping with him. James developed a bit of emotion and was just standing there with the flowers in his hands when she walked in, a monumental choice given the plethora of duct tape and other material that could have been used in the murder he’s so hoping to execute that were in the closet. He did get to stab someone to death, and that was the predatory homeowner who wanted to take advantage of Alyssa, and now they’re going to be able to get close doing something James actually loves doing, which should prove to be very interesting to watch.
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
Round Two: The End of the F***ing World
The End of the F***ing World: Season 1, Episode 2 (B+)
Episode two of this new Netflix series didn’t disappoint at all, and I’m glad to see that this show has maintained its signature weirdness. That means that along with teenage rebellion and murderous impulses, there are also going to be some odd, disturbing moments, like James not doing anything to stop the man who gave them a ride from touching his penis while they were in the bathroom. Alyssa seemed most concerned with the fact that James should be honest with her about whether or not he was gay, and she was more than ready to threaten to tell the guy’s family if he didn’t leave right away. He was awfully chatty, and neither of his hitchhiker passengers had much interest in talking to him. I’ glad we get to hear Alyssa’s voice too, like “Sometimes I look at him and think you are a bit dead,” as she talks about how they’d be American if this were a film and loves making trouble wherever they go. James humorously admitted that he ironically wasn’t in his element at laser tag, and he wasn’t too prepared for some sex in the car which resulted in a relatively low-key crash into the tree. After Alyssa tried to call her dad and they had a lackluster evening watching porn, she asked him to cuddle her and he looked at the camera nervously as if to suggest that he’s starting to care about her. We saw that his father did call the police to report the car stolen – I’m eager to see what comes next!
Episode two of this new Netflix series didn’t disappoint at all, and I’m glad to see that this show has maintained its signature weirdness. That means that along with teenage rebellion and murderous impulses, there are also going to be some odd, disturbing moments, like James not doing anything to stop the man who gave them a ride from touching his penis while they were in the bathroom. Alyssa seemed most concerned with the fact that James should be honest with her about whether or not he was gay, and she was more than ready to threaten to tell the guy’s family if he didn’t leave right away. He was awfully chatty, and neither of his hitchhiker passengers had much interest in talking to him. I’ glad we get to hear Alyssa’s voice too, like “Sometimes I look at him and think you are a bit dead,” as she talks about how they’d be American if this were a film and loves making trouble wherever they go. James humorously admitted that he ironically wasn’t in his element at laser tag, and he wasn’t too prepared for some sex in the car which resulted in a relatively low-key crash into the tree. After Alyssa tried to call her dad and they had a lackluster evening watching porn, she asked him to cuddle her and he looked at the camera nervously as if to suggest that he’s starting to care about her. We saw that his father did call the police to report the car stolen – I’m eager to see what comes next!
Friday, January 12, 2018
Pilot Review: The End of the F***ing World
The End of the F***ing World (Netflix)
Premiered January 5
I’m not sure this is the time that the world needs a show about a teenager who wants to murder his classmate, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a great idea. I had no idea what to expect from this show, and I was pleased to find a highly original, highly entertaining, and very British show about two misfits who actually are perfect for each other, even though one of them wants to kill the other. While I’m sure Alyssa wants to stay alive, something tells me that, should she discover her newfound amour’s true intentions, she wouldn’t mind all that much since it at least means he wants to spend time with her and she’s more than ready to run off to experience the world with someone who will pay her attention. I’m not familiar with lead actor Alex Lawther, who plays James, but I was tremendously excited to immediately recognize Jessica Barden as Alyssa. I first saw her in “Tamara Drewe” and then again in “Hanna” and “The Lobster,” and I think she’s a formidable choice to play this talkative, eager rebel who’s just gone on a wild ride with a new friend that is constantly daydreaming about ways to murder her. I’m looking forward to seeing where this show goes, and though the meaning behind its title isn’t completely clear to me just yet, I think it’s off to a tremendous start and has some great ground to cover next as it gets to know these two already memorable protagonists.
How will it work as a series? It’s based on a comic book series, so there’s obviously some reliable source material from which to draw. James just punching his dad in the face and taking his car shows that he doesn’t have a plan anymore, he just knows that he needs to be alone with Alyssa, because she’s going to keep him going, alive or dead. Where things go from here, who knows, but I’m thrilled to stick around and find out.
How long will it last? Reviews have been terrific both in the UK where this show premiered in October and in the United States after its Netflix debut last week. I don’t know if there’s more of a story to tell, but my assumption is that this show will be back if the creative forces behind it decide they want to continue.
Pilot grade: B+
Premiered January 5
I’m not sure this is the time that the world needs a show about a teenager who wants to murder his classmate, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a great idea. I had no idea what to expect from this show, and I was pleased to find a highly original, highly entertaining, and very British show about two misfits who actually are perfect for each other, even though one of them wants to kill the other. While I’m sure Alyssa wants to stay alive, something tells me that, should she discover her newfound amour’s true intentions, she wouldn’t mind all that much since it at least means he wants to spend time with her and she’s more than ready to run off to experience the world with someone who will pay her attention. I’m not familiar with lead actor Alex Lawther, who plays James, but I was tremendously excited to immediately recognize Jessica Barden as Alyssa. I first saw her in “Tamara Drewe” and then again in “Hanna” and “The Lobster,” and I think she’s a formidable choice to play this talkative, eager rebel who’s just gone on a wild ride with a new friend that is constantly daydreaming about ways to murder her. I’m looking forward to seeing where this show goes, and though the meaning behind its title isn’t completely clear to me just yet, I think it’s off to a tremendous start and has some great ground to cover next as it gets to know these two already memorable protagonists.
How will it work as a series? It’s based on a comic book series, so there’s obviously some reliable source material from which to draw. James just punching his dad in the face and taking his car shows that he doesn’t have a plan anymore, he just knows that he needs to be alone with Alyssa, because she’s going to keep him going, alive or dead. Where things go from here, who knows, but I’m thrilled to stick around and find out.
How long will it last? Reviews have been terrific both in the UK where this show premiered in October and in the United States after its Netflix debut last week. I don’t know if there’s more of a story to tell, but my assumption is that this show will be back if the creative forces behind it decide they want to continue.
Pilot grade: B+
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