TV SHOW SCI-FI, MYSTERY, & SUPERNATURAL REVIEW! #3

Part 3 (Castle Rock, Undone, Maniac, Channel Zero)

Again, having fun ride with me!! Let’s go

Castle Rock 

Castle Rock adapted from Stephen King’s novels. Castle Rock's popularity was rising after It, a movie that adapted also from Stephen King's novel . Castle Rock season one is my favorite than the second because the story is more scary and layered. It combines horror, mystery, and a little bit of science fiction so well. At first, it was more horror and mystery. A police found a strange man in a cage. The strange man gives several unlucky events to the people in Castle Rock. He called as the devil. But, who is he actually? The performance of Bill Skarsgard is never disappointed. He shows one of his best performances besides his performance as Pennywise in It. At the end of season one, the twist unfolds. This was when the story become more into science-fiction and supernatural. The second season is much different than the first; there are dead people becoming zombies and the horrifying past story of the main character. The end of the second season conveys a twist, but I am not satisfied with the ending.

Season 1

Season 2

Counterpart

I had reviewed this show on this website, you can read it here: https://selfreviewer.blogspot.com/2020/01/counterpart.html

Maniac

Maniac is a story about a dream experiment. Two main characters become the subject of the experiment. They can think, act, and feel in their dream; it was more like a Lucid Dream but at a higher level. When they doing the experiment, they felt the experiment going wrong and they were being lied about the purpose of the experiment. 

The experiment

Maniac is a crazy show. It was bizarre, almost similar to Legion but different in many ways. The plot is actually simple, but it is entertaining! Because I like anything about the weird experiment, I like this show.

The dreams

Undone

Undone is a semi-cartoon style for adults. It is a cartoon but it is more suitable for adult viewers. The plot and the topic are heavy and explore mental illness. Undone has a similar plot as Legion season one. Alma got injured because of a car accident. After that, she began to see her dead father. In sudden, she has the power to time-travel and solve the mystery of her father's death. Besides that, Alma’s mother believed that Alma has Schizophrenia, a mental illness with hallucinations and delusion. The plot is lingering on that question; Does Alma has a mental illness or she actually has the power for time travel?

Undone is an introspective drama. Alma as the main character taught that human always has layered and complex emotion, motif, and thoughts. Until the end, we do not know that Alma has the power of the illness. Although it has an open ending, Undone is a perfect story to portray how complex human is. It combines mental health issue, humans relationship, and supernatural aspects very well.

Several scenes are so dreamy!

Channel Zero

Channel Zero is an anthology horror. The story is different between the seasons. For disclaimer, I only watched three seasons, so I just reviewed those three. 

Season one titled Candle Cove is the confused one, I think. The story started simpler, it is about a weird TV show in the 1980s that correlated to the disappearance of children. The main character, Mike tried to uncover the mystery about the disappearance of those children, including his brother. Not only that but also the TV show that aired in the 1980s come back again along with the disappearance of new kids. I do not think season one is the best, but it has a good ending that made me feel uncanny as hell.

Season two is titled The No-End House. This is my favorite season. It is about four college students entering No-End House, an uncanny and infamous house that appeared suddenly in their neighborhood. The house has six different rooms that give different attractions. Each room has a different level, starting from easier. The house was like a horror show, two college students were trapped in the house and tried to get out. The second season is magnificent and horrifying at the same time. Although the plot is slow-burn, it is better than the first season and the cinematography is well-done for a horror show.

Inside No-End House, room six

 Season three is titled Butcher Blocks. Similar to season two, this season started simple. It is about a weird staircase that Alice found in the middle of a forest near her house. Alice and her sister, Zoe had been moved to the new city, but she also found a strange staircase that was directed to a door. After that, Alice met some strange people and it affected her relationship with Zoe. They are involved in Peach Family, a strange and mysterious family that we will know later as a cult family. Season three is my favorite after the second. This is more a bizarre and fantasy story than the second, also more gruesome. If you do not like gore, blood, and disgusting scenes, this season will not work for you.

No, this is not Stairway to Heaven..

In conclusion, Channel Zero is one of the horror TV show with more uncanny elements than horror. It made me more uncomfortable than scared. Fortunately, the plot is unique and I actually like the uncomfortable feeling. It offers an original and different kind of taste than the other horror TV show. 

pic source: imdb.com, indiewire.com. google.com