Category: Directed by Daina Reid

  • Upload (2020) s01e10 – Freeyond

    After ignoring the initial A plot but actually the B plot because Robbie Amell and Andy Allo are cute for eight episodes, this episode’s almost entirely about the mystery behind Amell’s death. And his missing memories. The ones he didn’t find out about until halfway through the season but didn’t care about because… bad writing?…

  • Upload (2020) s01e09 – Update Eve

    Turns out “Upload” is able to surprise me. This episode reveals the Horizon app where all the dead people live is getting an upgrade. Including having more than two seasonings, which is a heck of a long time into the show to reveal none of the digital dead people eating are tasting anything the viewer…

  • Space Force (2020)

    Unloved and Misunderstood “Space Force” | Season one, 10 episodes | Netflix, 2020 While comedic sitcoms usually take a while to find their footing on the way to a successful vehicle, the creators of “Space Force” seem to be striding the fence here in their pursuit of a balance between comedy and darker social satire.…

  • Space Force (2020) s01

    Unloved and Misunderstood “Space Force” | Season one, 10 episodes | Netflix, 2020 While comedic sitcoms usually take a while to find their footing on the way to a successful vehicle, the creators of “Space Force” seem to be striding the fence here in their pursuit of a balance between comedy and darker social satire.…

  • Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries (2012) s03e08 – Death Do Us Part

    I didn’t realize until five episodes into Season Three there were only eight episodes this season. I knew it was the final season, but I didn’t realize it was a short final season. Director Daina Reid handles the series finale with aplomb; there’s a list of things the show seems like it’s going to get…

  • Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries (2012) s03e07 – Game, Set & Murder

    Given it’s the penultimate episode, I don’t feel too bad about generally picking the murder from the opening scenes. There are just certain “Miss Fisher’s” tropes in play—it’s episode thirty-three overall—and there are certain things the show’s never done and if it’s going to do them, now’s the time. And I didn’t have any predictions…

  • Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries (2012) s01e13 – King Memses’ Curse

    I’m a fan of this season finale—and season resolver—and would be even if it didn’t (unintentionally?) follow a bunch of the same narrative beats as Halloween H20. No spoilers. But… it’s H20. After the pre-title murder—a gruesome but not gory one—the action picks up the next morning after last episode. Phryne (Essie Davis) is freaking…

  • Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries (2012) s01e12 – Murder in the Dark

    It’s truly amazing what they’re able to get away with this episode in terms of red herrings, shoehorned subplots, shock tactics, exploitative tension, and so on. Director Daina Reid and writer Ysabelle Dean put everyone through the ringer—with a couple really obvious questions left open at the end—and grinds them flat. The main plot itself…

  • Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries (2012) s01e10 – Death by Miss Adventure

    It’s hard to know where this episode goes “wrong.” It’s not a bad episode, but it’s not a great one either. It’s nowhere near as good as the last, whatever, five. And it’s co-written by Liz Doran, who adapted one of those previous excellent ones. So maybe it’s the source novel not just being that…