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The main focus of this season was to deepen the relationships of the main characters, providing a more in-depth representation of their emotions. The plot resumes exactly where we left off, with Ellie speaking with Joel after his attack on the Fireflies. The show is displaying the evolution of their relationship since the arrival to Jackson City from being more united, until we see them drifting apart due to very deep divergences. Bella Ramsey delivered a good performance, but Pedro Pascal this time was the real deal, providing many struggling moments, where you could see in his eyes all the love and the affection that his character has for Ellie. The last few minutes of the 6th episode are truly heartbreaking.

This season finds its own balance by showing Dina and Ellie going to Seattle seeking revenge. There are many intense fighting sequences. We can see them facing many dangerous situations, where surviving was not that obvious. The battle against the infected in the second episode was absolutely stunning and it is a reminder of how deadly this narrative universe can be. Overall I think that the second season received quite a few improvements: the pacing was better, the dialogues were more engaging, the new characters enriched the story.

The second season ends with an incredible cliffhanger and it will be curious to see how the show will progress, as there are several plotlines converging together: Seattle, the confrontation between Abby and Ellie and the Seraphites. There is a lot on the plate. A couple of years ago I gave a rating of 6 to the show. This year all things considered, it deserves a 7.5 out of 10.

If you are seeking for a movie that represents the essence of the 80s action movies, "Love Lies Bleeding" might fill that nostalgia. The film takes place in a rural town of New Mexico. From the start we understand that we are in a poor, redneck context where life is pretty though. The production design nails this aspect by showing run-down landscapes and by displaying criminals bribing the local authorities and operating their shady businesses with no disturbance. The plot reveals little by little all the disturbing lives of the main characters, by keeping some mysteries until the very end, holding my interest. The couple Jackie-Lou is phenomenal, Kristen Stewart and Katy O'Brian delivered good performances, interpreting the part of two unhinged women, balancing themselves: Jackie is very impulsive and she commits many different acts that will bring to a hefty escalation, while Lou is more analytical and she always think two-steps ahead in order to solve the issues caused by her partner. It is a pretty interesting dynamic that will bring many compelling turns. Ed Harris was a good villain that thanks to his tactics manages to trick and bend people to his will. He is smart and clever, basically he owns the town. His stereotypical traits merge well with the 80s vibe of the film.

The story is not original and to be honest something that I watched many times in different movies. The director portrayed the homosexual couple in a fairly likely way, finding a good balance on their representation: in most of the scenes we get to know these characters a bit better, even when they have intimate moments. I think it was a smart choice that did not let this production fall on the usual tropes just to fill the film with some sex sequences for the sake of it. Moreover, Rose Glass created a neat and clean photography, with smooth and simple camera movements. In this mix we also have amazing action sequences, filled with gruesome and graphic details. All things considered, I give this production a rate of 6.8 out of 10 and I definitely recommend a watch.

"Grotesquerie" is a thriller that follows the detective Lois Tryon, solving some vicious serial killer murders. I liked the overall production design: the ambience is mysterious with dimmed lights and dark tones. The music highlights really well the predatory nature of these crimes, generating an uncomfortable ambience. The practical effects are well done and some scenes are truly gruesome. The creators carefully built up this surreal environment, where I constantly wondered what would happen next. There are many strange and weird occurrences that eventually will make sense with the big plot twist, that was quite surprising.

The acting is solid and competent: Niecy Nash delivered a wonderful performance, by portraying a complex and problematic character, with plenty of trauma. She was able to convey really well different kinds of emotions and her dialogues were captivating. Lois is some sort of anti-hero, that holds a lot of hate and she is not scared to say what she thinks. She commits many actions that deeply hurt her family. But on the flip side, she is a talented and restless investigator that aims in solving her cases. Hence, she constantly redeems herself, and this creates interesting dynamics. Micaela Diamond interpreted the nun Duval; thanks to her religious knowledge and attraction for the occult, she is a good side-kick. Overall the cast was great, my personal favourite members were Courtney B. Vance and Raven Goodwin.

Everything seems good on paper, but practically speaking, the show has several flaws that made me give it a rating of just 5 out of 10. First of all, we encounter the usual issues that are in most Ryan Murphy shows: great concept, but poor execution, with many pointless dialogues about topics that the screenwriters know way too little, in order to develop a cohesive direction, generating at times confusing interactions that make no sense. As always, there are edgy characters that add almost no value to the show such as Nurse Redd. Obviously there are the usual strange and deviated sex scenes. In this case I think that things were balanced a bit better, but still, I think that Murphy has some kind of fixation about this, because these are present to some degree on all his productions.

All the tension that was carefully built over the course of the season, was completely wasted on the very last episode, which is rushed, displaying a messy cliffhanger: I did not understand exactly what happened to the main character and a lot of questions remain unanswered. Obviously, the finale hints at a future second season, but was it really necessary? This is a series that could be already over in just 1 season, I personally do not think that there is much more material to develop the story further. My fear is that the story will just keep dragging, without bringing anything to the plate. With all the projects that Murphy constantly works on, I wonder when and if we are actually going to see a continuation, or if "Grotesquerie" will never have a proper conclusion, as Ryan always promises, but he does not consistently deliver.