The Office

Adapted from the British series of the same name, The Office was an American comedy show that portrayed the everyday lives of employees of a fictional paper company, Dunder Mifflin. To be honest, this was a show that I had heard so much about but hadn't gotten around to watching it until recently. My main motivation to finally give it a shot was the amazing cast and the style of filming, which was like a documentary. 

Though the first season consisted of just six episodes, the humour was brilliant from the start. And the characters, even better. Their different personalities helped bring in varying styles of humour and each was set apart from the other. But hands down, two of the most funniest characters were Michael Scott and Dwight Schrute, portrayed by Steve Carell and Rainn Wilson respectively. Scott was the kind of boss that a worker might both want and hate at the same time, whilst Dwight was basically the whack job, yet highly intuitive and smart in terms of his professional work. 

While the show kept getting better with each season, the major drawback was the absence of Steve Carell in the last two seasons. Sure, the episodes were fine for the most part, but it felt like a huge chunk of the humour was gone. I agree with many critics in their views that the the series should have ended after Carell's departure, because the quality just wasn't the same. Having said that, there were several episodes in the later seasons that were creative and funny. 

For those who are in dire need of an awesome sitcom, look no further; The Office is it. 

Happy binge-watching! 

Orphan Black

I will not deny the fact that sci-fi shows have always been of interest to me, which is one of the main reasons why I had decided to give this show a try. And of course, the brilliant trailer helped too. This particular series' main focus is on human cloning and the experimentation that led to the success of this often called 'immoral and unethical' act. The intriguing part that caught my attention was the fact that the actress, Tatiana Maslany, portrays multiple identical people (clones) at the same time. 

The show begins with Sarah Manning, having witnessed the suicide of one the women who appears to have been her doppelgänger and so, Manning takes on her identity. It is this sole act that leads to a chain of events and she finds out that she is a clone and there are several others out there, who are being assassinated one by one. The concept of this show is simply fascinating and it certainly is quite an angle on the personal identity issues that tend to be faced by people. 

But hands down, my favourite thing about the series is the way Maslany plays the roles of all the clones, with such talent. Each clone is characteristically so unique and different from each other and it is quite a delight to watch one actress pull that off with such brilliance. Even if you are a not a fan of sci-fi thrillers, I would recommend this series nonetheless, just to be exposed to this kind of talent. 

I suppose a turn-off about Orphan Black would be the complications that keep arising, some of which are clearly just for the sake of having the plot running. There is good buildup however, and the suspense is thrown in there in generous amounts. 

The series consists of three seasons, ten episodes each and has been renewed for a fourth season to be aired in 2016. 

Happy binge-watching! 

Game of Thrones

As someone who is an avid reader of books, I suppose I am a little ashamed to admit that I haven't read the Game of Thrones series and instead opted to watch the television adaptation. Although, in my defence, I was so impatient to become a part of the fandom that has got the whole world reeling, and I did not possess enough time to read the books. Even still, no regrets and I am so glad to have finally indulged in this amazing show. 

Game of Thrones is a fantasy drama show based on George R.R. Martin's series of novels, 'A Song of Ice and Fire'. It takes place in the fictional lands of Westeros and Essos and multiple intervening plots and characters with a primary action; playing the game of thrones. To quote Cersei of House Lannister, 'When you play the game of thrones, you either win or die.' It may sound ridiculously dramatic right now, but I can honestly say that she is not joking around. This show had me hooked on from the very start, with episodes ending with all sorts of cliffhangers that left me wanting more.

Apart from House Lannister, other major Houses include Stark, Targaryen (a House that was completely eradicated during the war, leaving behind only two survivors, Daernerys and her brother, Viscerys), Baratheon and many more. I'm sure that the series aren't all that detailed as the books and there are changes, but nonetheless, all five seasons have been nothing but captivating. The shooting locations are absolutely beautiful, the action scenes are intense, and the creators have done an excellent job with giving the whole show the authenticity and feel of the culture of the people of Westeros and Essos. 

One of the only negatives about the show that affects me is the unnecessary nudity that is frequently portrayed. Of course, it's understandable that few of the scenes are integral to the story but personally, I think it goes beyond the line many times. Furthermore, it's even worth noting that it is only the women who are subjected to this sort of objectivity and sexual violence in the show, which makes it all the more discriminative. The use of violence and torture are a bit too much at times as well, not to mention, the portrayal of rape which are in obvious ways, unnecessary. 

On the whole, it is a brilliant and amazing series and I highly recommend viewers to give it a shot. Please note that it is not for the fainthearted and scenes of gruesome violence and death are very much prevalent. 

Happy binge-watching! 

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

This anime is based on the Fullmetal Alchemist manga by Hiromu Arakawa and revolves around two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric. Due to their father being a very gifted alchemist, the boys themselves began to show signs of having the same capabilities , at a young age. The main plot is driven by the boys' quest for the famous, Philosopher's Stone, but along the way, they discover a deep government conspiracy aimed at keeping the properties of the Philosopher's Stone, a secret. 

Let me begin by saying that even if you are not a fan of anime, this is one that you should definitely check out. Not only does it have strong, amazing characters but the action sequences are done brilliantly as well. The series also does a good job of portraying moral conflicts of various characters, both the good and the bad, and is very interesting to watch them overcome obstacles. The viewer may find themselves invested in the characters before they even realise it and with each episode, become more curious as to what's going to happen. 

It is a really fun show, but at the same, possess the right amount of suspense and thrill, in terms of the plot and the characters. The series aims for the depth of human emotion and will have the viewer hooked from the start. Even more so was the perfect ending; the finale felt like closure to this 64-episode series and nothing was left unanswered. 

I know I did not mention any negative points, but that is simply I did not find one big enough that was worth mentioning. Of course, each viewer may have thoughts as to what they thought were drawbacks of the show but I can't come up with anything major. 

Happy binge-watching! 

The Legend of Korra

This show is a sequel to 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' and the unique factor remains to be the same; some people can 'bend' certain elements and only one person, the Avatar, can master and bend all the elements in order to maintain balance in the world. The series' protagonist is Avatar Korra, who is the reincarnation of Avatar Aang from the previous series and follows her journey as she attempts to help overcome the unrests that terrorise the world. 

Although the first season's plot line was not something mind-blowing, it was certainly a good start to get people hooked on to the show. The show does not introduce Korra as someone who has mastered all the elements with ease. Rather, they show her struggles not only as an Avatar, but simply with the fact that she wants to leave her home at the Water Tribe in order to see the world outside and pursue her training at Republic City. Apart from that, the first season also does a great job of introducing us to other great characters and exposes the viewer to the sport of 'pro-bending'. The second season was one of my absolute favourites. The main reason is due to the origin story that is portrayed in this season, wherein it is explained through Korra's experience, how the very first Avatar came to be made. 
The art style and animation throughout the episodes were brilliant as well. Additionally, the entrance of dark spirits was captivating as well, much like the plot line. 

Whilst the third season was not as great as the previous two, it does possess a strong and capable villain and that helped to keep the pace going. This season also focusses a lot on the Earth Kingdom, which was a nice change from the other two seasons. Lastly, the fourth season is where I must express my disappointment. Compares to it's three predecessors, the fourth was a let down and even though the plot took a different direction, it did not match up to the pace and intensity of the previous three. 

Overall, this show remains to be one of my favourites and is definitely a must-watch, especially for those who have seen the prequel. 

Happy binge-watching! 

Avatar: The Last Airbender

For those who have already watched this show, you might be a bit surprised as to why it's on my review list, considering it's a series that was targeted at kids. However, it was only recently that I had been exposed to Avatar: The Last Airbender, and I just cannot help but write a review on it. 

Set in a world wherein the population is able to manipulate the four elements (Earth, Fire, Air & Water) with an ability known as 'bending', the story follows the journey of Avatar Aang and his friends, who must save the world by defeating the Fire Lord. Whilst the four nations had lived in harmony years before, it was the Fire nation that declared war and dominance and according to legend, only the Avatar can bring world peace. The unique characteristic about the Avatar is his/her's ability to master all the four elements with the utmost power, thereby managing a balance in the world. 

Since the first season mostly just sets the stage for the show, it is not as exciting as the second and third seasons. Nonetheless, it most certainly helped in getting me familiarised with the characters and their integral role in the whole story. Whilst it may have been seemed like everything was black and white for the twelve year Aang, as the show progressed, I watched him battle his inner conflicts and demons, which was at times worse than him being indulged in physical combat. After all, it cannot be all that easy for someone as young as him to shoulder the fact that the fate of the world really does depend on him. But the character that turned out to be my absolute favourite was Zuko, prince of the Fire Nation, whose complexity and transition was unmatched. Initially seen as the Avatar's primary enemy, he was not an easily liked character but as the episodes and seasons proceeded, he began to question his actions, and ultimately his destiny. 

The graphics of the show was pretty amazing as well and though the target audience may have been kids, the series' storyline and characters make it worth a watch even now. It consisted of three seasons, aired on Nickelodean and ended in 2008. 

Happy binge-watching! 

Death Note

Allow me to begin this particular review by stating that this show is one of the first anime I have watched, so I do not have much basis to compare it with any other show of the same genre. However, this was one I thoroughly enjoyed and hence, feel the need to share my opinion about it. 

The theme is that of the supernatural concept and revolves around a high school protagonist, Light Yagami. By pure chance, he gets his hands on a notebook that can be used to kill anyone, when the owner writes down the name of the person in the book, whilst keeping in mind that person's face. According to the rules of the notebook, this is in order to avoid confusion between two people possessing the same name. This peculiar notebook, called the 'Death Note' are originally owned by shinigami or in other words, a 'God of Death', who occasionally drop their notebooks into the human world. 

One of the very intriguing things about the show is the complexities of the characters involved, including the protagonist and the one trying to catch him; a brilliant world-famous detective, who goes by the name 'L'. The intellectual battle of wits between the two characters is very gripping and often kept me wondering who was going to be one step ahead. Whilst it may be initially believed that Light is not really 'evil' and has his own sense of justice, that thread soon spins out of control when it is portrayed that he possess a God complex and believes that what he is doing is creating a world of peace, by killing all criminals. 

The introduction of more individuals and their integration into the plot-line as the season progresses, keeps the show interesting and does not give it a sensation of being dragged.  For those who want to get sucked into the world of anime, I would definitely suggest this as a starting point. The show is composed of 37 episodes, each with a duration of about 20 minutes. 

Happy binge-watching!