I might as well break the Internet by arguing that it is better than Watchmen. Yes, I finally saw 2019’s most hyped comic book adaptation. Did I like it? Definitely. Should you watch it? Of course.
I can see fans of Alan Moore’s work enjoying HBO’s Watchmen. The political themes were not quite as clunky and overbearing as I expected. However, I can’t see anyone enjoying the show unless they read the original comic or watched the Zack Snyder adaptation – which I loved.
And speaking subjectively, The Witcher was more entertaining. But I can’t blame that opinion on Watchmen. I expected mind-blowing entertainment, but Watchmen was just good; not great.
Let us move on to The Last Kingdom, the show I love to hate. Someone told me The Last Kingdom is basically Vikings taking place in the exact same period and following the same historical events.
I never watched Vikings, so I cannot say whether that description is accurate. The show follows Uhtred of Bebbanburg, a barbaric Dane that must fulfill an oath he made to Alfred, the Saxxon King that will stop at nothing to unite England, banishing the Pagan beliefs of the Danes in the process.
Here’s the truth. The Last Kingdom is a great show. And if you miss the political intrigue for which Game of Thrones was known, The Last Kingdom will scratch that itch. It finds a way of walking that fine line between historical drama and English soap opera. And I hate it because Uhtred is just horrible. So is Alfred. So are Ragnar and Guthrum and everyone else in 9th century England.
I can’t keep watching a show that infuriates me by turning every protagonist I’m rooting for into a selfish pig that deserves nothing less than a violent death. And yet I need to know what happens next. Damn you, The Last Kingdom.
At least I have Avenue 5 to soothe my soul during those moments of uncontrollable rage. This is one show that never disappoints. To tell you the synopsis is to ruin the surprise. But if you need a hint, it is a sci-fi comedy and it is ridiculously enjoyable.
Hugh Laurie (House) plays a talentless captain on a ship that Josh Gad’s buffoonish billionaire owns. I implore you to watch Avenue 5. It has to be one of my favorite shows of 2020. And yes, this one came out in 2020, whereas The Last Kingdom is approaching its fourth season.
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