[TV] 13 Reasons Why.

Ok, done!

After reading the 13 Reasons Why, I definitely had to watch it. It’s a Netflix Original Series and all 13 episodes can be watched on NETFLIX right now.

I’m gonna say it now at the very beginning. I actually liked this better than the book. It’s quite rare for me to prefer a movie/tv adaptation over the book because normally the adaptations lose important details that are present on the books. In this series, however, they’ve actually added details that were missing on the book and it made everything more interesting and more alive.

In the book, the readers only read about Hannah’s and Clay’s perspectives. We only hear their versions of the truth. I’m not saying that Hannah was lying, only that her perception of the events is different from how another person might see it. It’s interesting to also see the reactions and consequences of Hannah’s tapes on the lives of the other people mentioned on the tapes and not just Clay’s. Also, each character mentioned by Hannah on her tape was given a backstory in the series. We get a glimpse of their lives and it helps us understand why they are the way they are. In a way, the series was able to humanize the characters and create a sense of empathy for them; no matter how bad they might have been to Hannah, their actions do not define who they are.

There are definitely changes in the story so it’s not a complete adaptation from the book.

1. In the book, Clay was able to listen to the tapes in a day. In the series, however, Clay finishes listening to the tapes in several days. This is actually the mildest difference I noticed.
2. There were additional characters in the series like Jeff Atkins (Clay’s friend whom he tutors), the parents (played a more active role in the series), and Sheri (originally Jenny in the book).
3. A large part of the series also focuses on Hannah Baker’s parents who are also looking for answers. In the book, they were hardly mentioned but in the series, they played a much bigger role which makes a lot of sense since what kind of parents would not want to seek justice for their child’s death especially since they believe that Hannah was bullied or treated badly in school which pushed her to her decision.
4. The sequence of the tapes are different. Clay was 11th in the series. In the book, he was 9th.
5. Hannah’s suicide was more gory in the series where she decided to slit her wrists whilst in the bathtub. The book was more mild with Hannah overdosing on pills (which actually makes more sense since her parents own a pharmacy store).

There are other changes I’m sure but I wasn’t able to note them all down.

For entertainment value, 13 Reasons Why is a very good show. It shows the harsh reality  of life. It puts into spotlight the effects of suicide, bullying, spreading of rumors, sexual assault, emotional assault and many other topics that are difficult to discuss. The show, however, requires strict parental guidance as it does portray such topics that may be misconstrued or misunderstood by troubled audiences as a glamorization of suicide. I’m sure that is not the intent of the series but rather the opposite however, to the sensitive minds of audiences who may be playing with the idea of suicide, I worry that there might be a misinterpretation of the idea which is why STRONG PARENTAL GUIDANCE is advised. 

All in all, a good series and I wouldn’t mind getting a Season 2. It would be nice to have a definite closure for every puzzle piece. It sure did leave us hanging even more so than the book did.

NinthMelody rating: 9/10

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[TV] Revenge.

After 4 seasons, the series has finally come to an end.

If you don’t know the premise, it’s about a girl Amanda Clarke who avenges her father who was set up by a group of people he had worked with to take the blame for a terrorist attack that killed a number of people. Knowing that her father was killed in prison, Amanda Clarke decides to take on a new persona – Emily Thorne and devise a plan for revenge against the people his dad considered friends and colleagues. The main people whom Amanda/Emily found to be the masterminds behind his dad’s arrest was the Graysons – Conrad and Victoria Grayson.

It would be difficult to summarize everything that has happened in the series because well, A LOT has happened. The main reason I kept watching this show is because of the twists and turns. One revenge plan turning to another due to unforeseen circumstances is what it’s all about. I loved it! The Emily Thorne/Nolan Ross dynamic duo was just crazy good, it’s unbelievable. Sometimes their plans are a tad unrealistic but I think that’s where the excitement lies.

I will surely miss this show but it’s also a good thing it’s over. One less series for me to follow. Time to move on. I’m sure I will manage. ;p

[TV] iZombie.

I have decided to start watching and following this new CW series called iZombie. No, it is nothing like Walking Dead (or so I think because I do not watch The Walking Dead). I simply saw that it came from the creators of “Veronica Mars” and I was sold. I looooove Veronica Mars. It’s unfortunate though that I only started watching it yearsss after it ended. Nevertheless, it was a good experience and to add to that, I only needed to wait a year after I finished the series for the movie. Sweet!

Anyway, the story of iZombie so far is about Liv (the zombie in the poster) who was formerly a successful medical resident with a gorgeous fiancé until her whole life changed one fateful night at a boat party. She wakes up inside a body bag, with a “zombie scratch.” Forward to months later where she lives as an assistant at a precinct morgue where she ingests victims’ brains for survival as a semi-normal being. She retains her humanity by consuming brains at least once a month where in the process, she gets “visions” of the lives of the person whose brain she just ate. She then helps her detective friend, Clive Babineaux solve the crimes the victims are involved in.

Just by looking at the characters and the premise, it already gives off a Veronica Mars feeling. I hope it does well in the ratings game because it’s the nearest thing we have to the VMars dose we’ve been longing for.

[TV] SELFIE.

As I have said in my previous post, I found out about the TV series, SELFIE, after Googling about Karen Gillan. I just started watching it a couple of days ago and only then did I find out that the series was cancelled after the 6th episode. They are still, however, continuing to release the remaining episodes every week via hulu.

I must admit I was hooked starting from the first episode. The shallowness made it likable for me. It didn’t need much overthinking and analysis. The show just is what it is. It was simple and easy to accept. Also probably why other people didn’t like it.

It’s sad that this series got cancelled just as it was starting to get better and show promise. It did not even get the chance to gain the following it deserves. Why ABC, WHY?? The show has a typical storyline, that’s for sure. What makes it different though is that it’s not your typical couple match, race-wise. It’s refreshing to see an Asian leading man which is not typical in Hollywood TV shows.

Karen Gillan and John Cho show pretty good chemistry onscreen. They have a cute, awkward friendship that slowly turns into something more. RomCom recipe at its finest. Pardon me but I’m a sucker for those kinds of love stories.

I would’ve been a follower of this show. If only it weren’t cancelled. 😦 How can reality shows extend for so many seasons yet shows like this get cut after just a few episodes? Argh.