Kaka

Preparing for the final battle four episodes before the season finale is not the most fortunate decision, and no alternative side plots can save it, especially not the one with the Buddha. The ending, on the other hand, is superb. Once again, inspired by GoT and equally shocking and authentic.

A nice battle involving siege weapons as a bonus. A bit poorly edited again, full of flashbacks, lacking the masterfully handled GoT-style warfare, but the workmanship is still high. It's hard to say what happened to Lagertha, the Bishop went crazy and that's how it all turned out. A strangely developed character.

It’s a shame the direction they are taking with Ivar’s character. He’s too psychopathic and forced, and the attempt to shock the viewer this way is not the best idea.

The blatant boredom and the final sacrifice scene is so absurd that it actually evokes today's hypocritical times full of lies and untruths very well. As a semi-documentary, the final few minutes are pretty okay. Otherwise, this is the weakest episode so far.

The main line moves to England, with the Bishop assuming the role of saviour and liberator. Well, at least for some time. Only the unfolding love story between him and Lagertha can't be trusted, or doesn't feel authentic. Two good murders at the end hopefully foreshadow that there will be some blood in this otherwise sterile fifth season, which has been unnecessarily long and drawn out.

An impressive reunion with Rollo, who has hopefully come to the rescue of the occasionally somewhat hapless writers. Finally, there's less Floki on screen.

Too bad Motherless Brooklyn isn't as solid and dense technically as it is in terms of story, acting, and narrative value. Norton plays the outsider well, but Alec Baldwin is superb as an ambiguous character who fits the parameters of an exceptional villain who isn't really a villain. It is remarkably easy to identify with his views, attitudes and motivations. Thus, Norton avoids a one-dimensional retro style gangster tale of good guys and bad guys, and systematically and coherently puts together a conspiratorial little gangster, little drama, little dense procedural about a battle for the future of a big city. It's a great shame that he can't manage a better visual aesthetic, because the film looks like a terrible TV movie at times.

A film that pulsates thanks to the charisma and sex appeal of Jennifer Lopez, who completely dominates not only in the dance scenes, but also with her riveting drive and pull in virtually any situation. You can feel her immeasurable vitality, zest for life and joy in what she does, the triple threat of music, film and dance. It is easy to argue about the juiciness of the script and some unnecessary passages (the Asian grandmother, Cardi B), but at the same time, apart from the main star, Hustlers describes the operation of a strip club in a very unobtrusive without any of the basic clichés, and at times flies past the main characters with an almost documentary-like camera. It doesn't have much of a narrative value, except for the working slogan "you mustn't steal", but it's hard not to root for these quite likeable cats and a trip to the bar with them is actually quite nice. And with the credit car safe at home by the TV, it’s very watchable.

The promised battle for Norway didn’t work out, it was cluttered, stilted and unnecessarily full of annoying, sometimes surreal flashbacks. The creators, incapable of putting together a proper battle, limit themselves to mindlessly hacking infantrymen with the swords and axes of the main characters. Boring to watch, though of course solidly crafted, it's highlighted a bit by juicy details like a hand being amputated in the shot when Lagertha walks past the wounded, etc. The question remains, when will the grand finale really happen and will the cards be shuffled?

Another trip in time. Having many weeks, if not several months, passing in two successive cuts is not exactly a good idea to speed up the saga, when it's thrice the crap it should be.