Succession

 Why do I like to watch this show? It a horrible show

Season 4: The final season. A show about rich people being abusive and mean to each other. But I can't stop watching. 

After episode 3: One of the best characters dies. I'm like what the heck

Everyone talks funny: Everyone talks like either they can't talk properly or they have adhd or something. It's not a clear cut and everyone just talks in riddles

The ending: I say it a good enough in my book. In the end money isn't everything I guess.  

Boston Strangler

Inspired by true events 

What is it about?
Based on the 60s cases of the Boston Strangler. 2 journalist are determined to get to the bottom of the case

The Good
The story starts off slow but then it ramps up. This is quite an interesting premise 
In a time where woman are not meant to hold actual jobs it is interesting to see 2 of them beating the system
The characters are real but the story is 60% true

The Bad
This should be made more like a short 4 episode TV show than a movie. The pacing is not so great 
They wrap the case in neat bowtie but in reality the cases where never solve 

The Ugly 
In a time without phones, everyone is glued to their houses until the phone rings. I find that facinating  

After Credits: No

Verdict: If you like true crime. You should watch this. 

FBI International

Another day, another police procedural 

Why is this better than the FBI: I am going to say due to it being international. The locales and the cases are unique to that specific country 

Character arcs: Okay, but I do notice that some of the main characters are "conveniently" missing from the episodes. My guess is to not pay them a full 22 episodes 

This show is not real: Yes there is a international team of FBI agents. But they are not based aboard. The do fly aboard though. Good to know 

Cliffhanger: Freaking yes... It ends in a massive cliffhanger and depending on when the strike is going to end. We either see this early 2024 or end of 2024. 

Venba

 A mother's love transcends everything 

Game no: 512
Genre: Other (Narrative, point and click)  
Platform: PC
Release Date: 2023

I heard about this game and I had to try it. In this game you play as Venba, a high school teacher from India who migrated to Cana da for a better life. There she and her husband Pavalaan try to build a future for themselves but it turns out that is not easy being someone foreign in a country that doesn't seem to know what you are about. Things change when they have a son Kavin (Kevin as his friends call) and the meld of cultures (from east to west) Venba tries to install upon her son

So this game is part narrative story, part cooking simulator. You just need a mouse to play this game and there are dialogue options to choose from which will not effect the main story but there are different responses when you click the branching text. What make this game great in my book is the cooking. Halfway through the story (which is separated in chapters) you'll have to cook a traditional Tamil dish. The dishes ranges from an easy Putu, Maruku and complex such as Mutton Briyani and chicken soup. You'll have a cookbook that was left by your mom but the pages and text are missing due to wear and tear and it is up to you to figure out the recipe based on your past memories and logic I guess.

The game is forgiving in the cooking. IF you mess it up you can start over again. So this game is a lot of trial and error. The sound effects of the cooking is divine and makes you want to actually try the food (which we actually did today... we ate some Briyani) The other thing that makes this game great is the story. The story is heartwarming and sad at the same time. It shows that no matter how much you try to run away from you roots, it will always be a part of you.

In the end this game a short and sweet adventure. You can finish it off in one sitting since its only around 2 hours and once you are done there is nothing else to do unless you want to play it again. This is one of a game of the year contender for me. It short and sweet and hits all the right points. In the end I give this game an S-Rank.  

Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart

I tried so hard and got so far 

Genre: Action
Platform: PS5
Release Date: 2021

Ok, don't get me wrong. This is a great game by Insomniac games but I don't know why it took me forever to try to beat it. Probably this game is not for me. Let's dive in and see what was missing in my book. So this game is after the last Ratchet and Clank game which I thoroughly enjoyed (review here) where you start the game off as our dynamic duo. Halfway throughout the story, some bad guys came around and then the you are off to another adventure.

The game plays like a standard Ratchet and Clank. You get weapons, you shoot bad guys, you navigate terrains. Rinse and repeat. During the game there are some puzzle sections involving Clank and a spider robot. What makes this game apart from the previous iterations is that the power of the PS5 SSD drive. This time you are dealing with dimensional travel where you can be transported into another different dimension in a split second when you jump inside a portal. The different dimension means that the story is trying a different take on the bad guys, even heroes. You have another Lombax (apparently Ratchet is Lombax, and here I thought he was a cartoon fox type creature) named Rivet. Both of them control the same only with different story beats.

From what I heard that this game is short at 6 hours in. But after 3 hours in, I think I saw enough to make an honest opinion on the game. It is the same thing repeated over and over again. Head to an area, fight the bad guys, rinse and repeat. After a while I find that game play a bit tedious and boring. The game however is a masterpiece to look at. It basically a visual vomit of particle effects and colors flying around. You can actually lose your bearing since there are so many things happening on screen that you forget that there are actually people are trying to short at you

In the end, this game is for the hardcore fans of the series. I am sadly am not one of them. Good thing this game was free from the PS plus extra catalogue. So no gripes there. So after all in all, I give this game a B-Rank. Good enough I guess. Now let's play a different game 

The Mother

J-LO is 54 Years old.... 

What is it about: A ex special forces sniper (Lopez) had a baby and had to give it up. But she never stop looking after her. Until one day the bad guys found out 

The Good
Action is solid in my book. A lot of shooting 
J-Lo doesn't look her age. I need to know her secret 
The kid is acted the part

The Bad
The story is more like 5 parts into one. The pacing is a bit off. It's like watching a miniseries 
Like every show like these, the cops are really non existent 

The Ugly
So the kid seems fine in the end after all the trauma she watched? Probably they skip the therapy part

After Credits: No 

Verdict: A great Netflix movie if you are bored 

Mrs Davis

 A nun, a cowboy and an AI walk in to a bar

What is it about: Well in the near future, an AI controls the whole word and there is world peace. Everyone follow the algorithm except Simone, a nun. So the AI send her on a mission

This show wasn't what expected: Basically this is a show about faith. How long you are willing to go for your own faith. And here I thought it was a story about AI 

Characters: Simone and Wiley make a great team. The story make sense to certain extend but by episode 5 I just want to know the ending

So... should you watch it?: A big fat no... This story is not for everyone and I didn't quite enjoy it either. But you know me, once you watch. you can stop I guess 

X70

So it has been one month plus since I sold my old car for 15 years (2009 Honda Accord) That car has a lot of memories, I will probably write on it one day. But in the meantime I just want to say that I am enjoying the new car that my mom got for me (love yo ma). It is a Proton X70 and after a month plus driving it I can say that this car has it's pros and cons. Let's start with the cons. The fuel tank is too small sot hat means that I have to refill it up every 4-5 days. Which I don't mind since the cost is not as much as the old car. But it is really a hassle. Secondly.. There are just too many buttons. I think that is a me issue rather than the problem with the car itself. My old car is pure analogue, but this car everything is digital to the point I stopped using the NAV system that is provided in the car and just use my phone because it's easier. The Pros however outweigh the cons, It has a bigger boot, tall people can ride at the back, it has more horsepower than my old car so driving on it is a breeze plus I do like being taller where I can see everything down there. Overall it is a lovely car and I can't wait to make more new memories with it. Here is to another 15 years. 

Paint

I thought this was a movie about Bob Ross

What is it about?
A old and jaded painter that looks like Bob Ross but it isn't tries to see what is important in his life 

The Good
I like the paintings. That is something I guess
The story about how arts is something deep. I can relate to that
The ending  

The Bad
I thought this was autobiography. It turns out it a dark comedy. I didn't quite enjoy it

The Ugly
They say anybody can paint. But I think I have to left hands. 

After Credits: No 

Verdict: Skip it, not worth your time 

FUBAR

 Two of my favorite actors

What is it about: Arnold is a spy but after he retires he finds out his daughter (played by monica barbaro) is also spy

50/50: This is 50 percent comedy and 50 percent action. So it is a good mi

Missions: The missions have lift and death stakes but they usually win 

Cliffhanger: Finally they use the title screen. Everything went FUBAR 

Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan Season 4

If I can say one thing is all 4 seasons are perfect

This season: It's not a big as last season but the stakes are always high 

Here come a new challenger: There is a new friend in the form of Luiz 

Best parts: There is a bank heist episode, Mike November and the theme song 

The end: It turns there is going to be a Jack Ryan-less spinoff.. Can't wait for them to come to fruition