Episode 1 Review: I am sorry for being honest. I find this pilot forgettable for the reasons that the challenges are repetitive. I love the oversized Gecko in Immunity Challenge. Yet, this challenge is simply the land version of the water challenge in Season 43.
The first challenge they did once they landed on the beach to meet Jeff Probst was not memorable. It was a test of how quick they were and how fast their spatial abilities were to solve a three-Storey puzzle. I did not feel a connection with it.
Nami (Orange Tribe) and Siga (Green Tribe) won the challenge, leaving Yanu (Purple Tribe) on the out. Yanu had no power but to do the Sweat Challenge the moment they arrived on their camp. Worst part was, Jelinsky and Q discontinued the challenge and quit.
Early alliances were made. Charlie sealed a deal with his three angels – Jem, Maria and Moriah. Randen almost partnered with Venus (my early favorites) as he caught her looking for a secret idol, but Randen was threatened by her presence.
Q, Kenzie and Tiffany were supposed to be in sync with Jelinsky, but as soon as they lost the Immunity Challenge and arrived at the Tribal Council, this alliance was broken. All voted against Jelinsky. 3 stars of 5! So-so
Lesson Learned: “People who play scared go home.” – TIFFANY
These moments felt like yesterday. I was on the top of the world but today, I am dragged back to the real world to listen to another story. I need to re-focus for a brand-new season with a new cast.
New cast. New names. New faces.
Just the first glance, I felt I was having a cognitive dissonance for the new players look unpromisingly diverse. Thank God, Rob Has A Podcast posted pre-season interviews on his YouTube Channel.
I have watched those, and I have a change of heart. These interviews proved my first impression was wrong.
There are those who stood-out from the crowd. One of these four who I have chosen can potentially outwit, outplay and outlast and will win the show after 26 days. Let’s dive in!
My Early Favorites
TIM
The people he knows call him Spice. At birth, he is Timothy Spicer. He is 31 college coach living in Virginia.
A strong believer of good education and individuality, Tim decides to join Survivor to challenge himself further. It is a good timing to play a mind-blowing game as challenging as Survivor when all his life he inspires students to push themselves to be better in everything they do.
Tim is consistently lively during his entire interview with Mike Bloom. He shows a degree of swag who is prepared to vibe with anyone. He knows his strengths (swimming is one) and he knows how to prepare for the game he is going to play.
He is going to play like he will lose, for to him, EQ plays a vital role in Survivor. He knows he needs to observe, build relationships and makes decisions when to risk it all.
JEM
Jem is 31 who is originally from Guyana. She appears to be a confident and a risk-taker person who works as a retail manager.
In her interview with Mike Bloom, I love how she plans the game she is going to play. She sounds like she has prepared herself for the unpredictability for she does not want to play mediocre.
She does want to play like Tony Vlachos who did not rely on others to drag him to the finish. Jem believes she can excel when she will use her intuition as the game progresses.
RANDEN
Randen is probably the most confident during the pre-season interview. He talks with passion and professionalism I cannot find with others.
He is 40 and is working as an aerospace tech consultant. Analytical by nature, Randen considers himself a dedicated family man and a determined person to be successful.
The truth is, it is his family who have encouraged him to join the show. This is a new adventure to him.
It appears he appreciates how Yam-yam won the 44th season even if he ain’t a fan. He rooted for Carolyn as their childhood experiences were similar. They both survived the toughest days of their lives.
He also adores how Maryann used her invisible social game to win. Maryann was not a threat, but the moment she was appearing visible and was winning, she was unstoppable.
VENUS
Born and raised in Canada, Venus is immediately a stand-out due to her beautiful face and beautiful job as a data analyst.
She identified herself as a logical, persistent and sassy Persian who is also a fan of the show. She adores Parvati among the circle of winners and Coutney among the non-winners.
Personally, trust is expensive. Her threshold to earn her trust is high, but her tendency to build walls and vulnerability might be her strengths coming to this game.
Once others see that she is vulnerable, she can gravitate them nearer to her.
I love how simple the stage is. Usher performs inside a huge circle that extends on both sides.
Usher is an artist who is not only known for his soulful vocals but also for his all-out performance while on the stage; therefore, the staging is ideally made for him.
It allows him to move freely while singing, dancing or skating.
Visually, this is one of the three Halftime Shows that made a permanent mark on me. I am saying this not because I am a fan but because it is the truth.
The lighting, the choice of musical instruments and the color of what he wears are consistently good. It makes want to watch every moment without blinking.
My personal favorite is on 6:21 mark when he performs Nice & Slow on the center of the circular stage wearing white while there is a clock special effect on the floor.
This moment is beyond words. It is not enough to describe it as great.
The visual of a burning stage on 6:52 is immaculate. The camera captures the entire stage covered in red light while the fans raise their lights up.
While watching this moment for the first time, it brought me goosebumps.
Burn is one of the biggest hits of Usher in history, and it makes me happy that he gives it an extraordinary performance on one of the biggest stages in the world.
Yet, Usher overpowers his Burn performance when he follows it up and goes shirtless with U Got It Bad.
It seems like the song becomes the Viral Performance of The Night every time Usher is shirtless, and all of a sudden, H.E.R. appears in her signature look, wearing glasses while playing her electric guitar.
I am deeply surprised by this appearance. Never I thought of seeing H.E.R on Super Bowl. She surprises me more when she transitions the song to Bad Girl.
The final three minutes of the show are spent on Usher’s signatures like OMG and Yeah!
These final moments do not disappoint. I love what colors Usher is wearing. The black and blue combination matches how electrifying and lively his movements are.
Usher skates while he performs OMG, and he sings and dances like a pro during Yeah!
There is no drop of nerves in him. He handles his vocals like this is the first song of the night.
No matter how over the top the Halftime Show ends, my top favorite performance of the night is the 3:50 – 5:40 mark.
This is the moment when Usher welcomes Alicia Keys, who looks majestic in all glittering red, to perform the chorus of If I Ain’t Got You.
Usher joins her as she finishes her signature. Then, they sing My Boo – the best duo of all time which strongly reminds me of my first love.
Who is she? That is another content, however.
Back to the review. The My Boo performance felt like they are singing a love song. But no. My Boo is a heartbroken song for which I am the one singing the Usher lines and she is Alicia Keys.
Usher: There’s always that one person that will always have your heart.
AK: You never see it coming ’cause you’re blinded from the start.
Usher: Know that you’re the one for me,
AK: It’s clear for everyone to see.
Usher, AK: Ooh, baby
AK: It started when we were younger, you were mine
Usher: My boo.
AK: Now another brother’s taken over, but it’s still in your eyes.
Usher: You can see it no matter how I try to hide.
AK: I can hide.
Usher: Even though there’s another man who’s in your life.
Usher, AK: You will always be my oh, my oh, my oh, my boo.
The way I see it, Usher and Alicia Keys play the roles of a former sweet friends going to be a couple, who hugs genuinely and happily for the very last time.
The Negatives
The live performance starts weak. I love Usher’s My Way and Caught Up, but it sounds to me that these songs do not have the Halftime Show caliber, especially for opening.
My Way and Caught Up are more appropriate for middle parts. It would have been stronger if Usher begins with the performance with Yeah!
Yeah! can either be the beginning or ending, and I have no problems by making it as the finale.
The way I observe it, the first three minutes are the appetizers of the entire performance.
It starts to distribute the main courses when Usher performs Love in The Club at 3:00. The dancing, the vocals and the featured artists level up from this moment on, giving a star-studded ambiance to the whole stadium.
The featured artists can make or break the show. The one thing that gone wrong is there are a lot of them.
Days before the show, I expected the presence of Ludacris and Lil’ Jon. The appearance of Alicia Keys surprises me genuinely.
Never I expected her to perform on a stage as big as Halftime Show. Alicia’s songs are mostly soulful and quiet; therefore, she might have a difficult time commanding the crowd.
I am surprised! Alicia Keys carries her If I Ain’t Got You well. She begins a bit off, but that is easily forgiven. No one is perfect.
My Boo is not a Halftime Show caliber too. This is a song without the upbeat feels of Yeah!, OMG or Burn.
Yet, miracles happen! Usher and Alicia find a way to perform it with zest. The color of what they wear, the quality of their live vocals and the smiles with a hug from behind in the end have elevated the song into a sweet special affair.
For this reason, the absence of U Make Me Wanna and There Goes My Baby is forgiven.
It is also better if Usher would have performed Standing Next To You (Remix) with Jungkook to promote COMING HOME.
I mean, Jung Kook is an iconic K-Popstar. His appearance would have tripled the number of streams on all services.
Personally though, I do not find it necessary. I am not a fan of BTS; therefore, I am satisfied with the outcome.
Usher permanently brands himself as the total performer with this show.
He commands the stage with his vocals, looks and smooth transitions. He wears the right striking colors. Thanks to Vogue!
Most importantly, as I have observed it, the angles of camera love every bit of it.
Comparative Review
Even with the imperfection, Usher’s Halftime Show is 5 stars of 5 to me.
Question is, where will I put it once I compare it to the previous Halftime Shows?
Beyonce’s performance in 2013 was memorable. She started stronger than Usher, but she ended a bit slow with Halo.
Beyonce’s performance was highly methodical too. She seemed to understand who the audience were, and she seemed to deliver the songs that would connect with them immediately.
She wasted no second. She knew every second counts; therefore, every bit of the performance had a kick.
She had featured artists, but only limited to Kelly and Michelle – her bandmates in Destiny’s Child.
Prince’s Halftime Show in 2007 was masterful. It was raining, but he still delivered a stupendous moment for the crowd to remember without featured artists.
Prince mainly relied on his vocals and electric guitar to wow the crowd. He and Usher had different styles in performance, but it was an added bonus to perform with variations.
Usher’s performance was anything but one dimensional.
He showed how good he was in upbeat songs, and he displayed soul when it mattered. The aesthetics and light effects of his performance improved a lot more than Prince.
Both performances of Beyonce and Prince began better. Usher aced his middle parts and the finale.
For these reasons, my new ranking for the best Super Bowl Halftime Shows is:
It is one brilliant concept to capture the immediate attention of the fans, myself included.
This cover looks like Usher is playing the role of Adam, who is believed to be the first man in the world.
Even if God Creator created Adam, he was still sinful. He gave in to an apple, which was the representation of fruit of life, and shared it to Eve later.
Back to the reviews, Coming Home is an album released by Mega /Gamma that contains 20 tracks – seven of which are collabs.
Track 1: Coming Home
This is a fine start to open a new album. I can sense a bit of MJ-vibe. It is upbeat, it is lively, and it is everything that a song to have.
Good Good is my Number 1 song in 2023 Year-End Countdown. The lyrics are flowing with sadness. Summer Walker brings more sadness to the story, but there is a jolt of hope that things will be fine.
The rap verses by 21 Savage makes this song the anthem of heartbroken men all over the world.
Track 3: A-Town Girl
This seems a surprise. I never expected an old school title like this that is turned into a lively sound for everyone to groove.
Thanks to Latto for the rap assistance!
Track 4: Cold Blooded
This is another song about regret. This is heavy R&B. It sounds like Usher is carrying a heavy load while singing with raw emotions.
It has rough edges that I seem to dislike. The instrumental background and the lyrics even get heavier and more depressing with the rap verses of The Dream.
Track 5: Kissing Strangers
After all the collabs, here comes a solo. I love how friendly this song to my ears. It can grow one me and can bring me to dream-like state filled with a story of longing and missing. Thumb-up to Usher’s vocals!
Track 6: Keep On Dancin’
Usher sounds like he is having fun with this song. It sounds easy to my ears. I got no choice to keep dancing with the imperfect flow of life.
Track 7: Risk It All
This extraordinary collab with H.E.R., which is included in The Color Purple OST, is the most emotional song of the album. Just the title itself, both artists are falling and risking it all for the name of love.
Track 8: Bop
What is a bop? This is the first question I have asked myself upon seeing this title in the tracklist.
Now I get it. Bop is good, but not sure if it is my favorite. Usher captures the emotions of a man who longs for the woman he loves dearly.
He only has one wish: Just don’t turn it into a bop.
Track 9: Stone Kold Freak
I love how lively this song is. Usher’s stupendous vocals soar like he is ready to do anything for the woman no matter how freaky the situation gets.
Track 10: Ruin
This is my Number 1 favorite song for February 2024. The Afro-vibe of the song is stupendous. It brings vulnerability to the song (with Pheelz) with a touch of class. Things are smooth as silk even if the whole point of the story ruins my happy heart.
Track 11: BIG
Salute how big and lit this song is. Usher needs no featured artist to express how he appreciates life with big surprises, big story and big experience. Awesome!
Track 12: On The Side
This smooth track brings me goosebumps every time. I love every bit of it, even if I have not been unfaithful.
It sounds to me Usher begins the song without an experimental technique. He is back to basics it seems.
For this reason, he hypnotizes me from the first few lines of the song. I am brought inside this love story filled with no guarantee to flourish.
It even brought me to tears for I have realized it is a risk to be in love, especially if the girl is a third wheel.
This is another masterful song by Usher that is about love triangle. I am immediately connected with the lyrics the first time I heard it.
Track 13: I Am The Party
An Usher’s new album is incomplete without some sizzling sex. This. is. that. sex. song.
Track 14: I Love U
Kudos to this song. It got my mind singing the chorus all the time. The lyrics are flowing smoothly. The title may sound generic, but this song makes me remember my high school crush.
The repetition of the term “I love you” sounds sweet, genuine and everlasting.
Track 15: Please U
This sounds hot. It is filled with begging and pleading. Usher almost cries his heart out to prove his intentions are good, and to make his request happen.
Track 16: Luckiest Man
Every man in the world feels like he is the luckiest for having the woman of his dreams. Usher is one of them.
No one cannot stop him from expressing his love whether he sings or raps it. This love song is unstoppable.
Track 17: Margiela
The story of this song intrigues me. This sounds like a song about a gold-digger woman who tempted Usher to get into a forbidden relationship but in truth, she only wants his money.
Track 18: Room In A Room
Every man needs a space even from someone he loves. A space is good for his mental health.
Track 19: One of Them Ones
This is another song that I love. It is easy to my ears. It is smooth. It is easy to vibe with.
Listening to the lyrics brings me to a time that I fell in love for the first time. I used to write all the songs I liked, search it online then put it all on a disc.
Then, we met and gave this disc to her before revealing my confessions.
I am not a fan of BTS, but I have to admit it, this remix version by Jungkook and Usher got me. Mister Entertainment sprinkles it with a dose of magic to make it the dance anthem of the Gen Z all around the world.
Usher finds better ways to stir these 20 songs in one album without losing its substance, quality and value.
The sequence of the songs is impressive. I love how it opens with the album title while Ruin belongs to the middle and his duo with Jung Kook closes it out.
This is his brand sound. These are his brand songs that I will listen over and over again, especially Track 12, Track 10 and Track 2.
Just the first listen, I make an instant connection with these songs. All of them are 5 stars of 5.
As for the entire album, I hate being biased. I train myself to be objective with the facts. In truth, the honest rating I can give is 5 stars of 5.
Coming Home is far from Confessions. It stands on his own even there are rough edges in Track 4.
Yet, this is the album that risks it all and is a total resurrection after Usher’s disappointment in “A.”
COMING HOME UPDATE:
An expanded version of the album is released as of this writing (23 February). It adds two new songs entitled Believe and Naked.
Track 21: Believe
I heard this song weeks before the official release of the album. The first time I heard it, I had goosebumps.
It is easy to love a song of this caliber. It starts amazingly and ends amazingly too. This is the kind of soulful beat that made Usher the superstar of R&B.
Believe is everything what true love is, especially if you are involved in a relationship that you believe will work out fine, but it won’t.
I love the lyrics no matter how hurtful the story is. The words and the transitions are flowing smoothly. My mind will potentially sing the chorus the moment I woke up in the morning.
Great decision for Usher and his marketing team to finally include Believe in the expanded tracklist. It makes this whole album a hotter one.
Believe me when I say the value of the entire album has instantly reached the roof.
Track 22: Naked
This is originally the bonus track of the non-expanded album exclusively release for Skims Mens, a line of lightweight clothing collection for men.
Kim Kardashian collaborates with Usher for this new campaign. The promotion includes shirtless photos of Usher like the one above and the release of Naked as the song that authentically connects the brand to its story behind the campaign.
The song might not be one of my strong favorites, but it sends a truthful message to all women who constantly find it hard to understand men.
We, as men, need to validate our masculinity through sexual activities. Sex does not make us a criminal if we want it regularly. It is what it is.
The great thing about this song is the vulnerability of Usher that is sprinkled all over. The story of the song is brave to confess the inevitable truth about being sexually active.
Coming Home Tier-Ranking
To be more objective, I decided to group the 22 songs into three tiers based on their instrumental quality, vocal performance and substance of its lyrics.
Top-tier:
Track 12: On the Side | Track 21: Believe | Track 2: Good Good | Track 10: Ruin | Track 7: Risk It All | Track 19: One of Them Ones
Middle-tier:
Track 1: Coming Home | Track 22: Naked | Track 5: Kissing Stranger | Track 13: I Am The Party | Track 9: Stone Kold Freak | Track 14: I Love U | Track 15: Please U | Track 16: Luckiest Man | Track 18: Room In A Room | Track 3: A-Town Girl | Track 6: Keep On Dancin’ | Track 8: Bop | Track 11: BIG
Below-tier:
Track 20: Standing Next To You | Track 17: Margiela | Track 4: Cold Blooded
It is the best decision for Disney+ to resurrect Percy Jackson And The Olympians.
The Positives
Converting Percy Jackson And The Olympians into a TV show exceeds my expectation.
First, eight episodes for a first season may sound too short, but when I get to re-stream it in one day without pause, it feels like a gigantic blockbuster movie that is not only 95% faithful to its original source but is filled with lessons for children, young adults and adults.
I have to admit. There are little changes, and these little changes are necessary. As a fan of the book series, these little changes are acceptable and expected.
Salute to the overall casting!
Walker Scobell is a better fit for Percy Jackson than Logan Lerman. I thought Walker was too young for the lead role, but I was wrong.
I realize Walker is the one inside my imagination the first time I read The Lightning Thief. Walker has the looks, the charisma and the mannerisms of Percy Jackson from the first scene to the finale scenes.
Kudos to Logan Lerman for being the original Percy Jackson, but he tends to be overqualified for the role.
The cast for Annabeth, Grover and the gods is diverse and highly memorable. I love the mix of all races in this one gigantic story.
It is the best decision to have an African-American as Annabeth. Alexandra Daddario is fairly good when she portrayed the role in 2010.
Leah Sava Jeffries breaks the stereotypes, however, and makes the role on her own.
I see the confidence and vulnerability of Annabeth Chase in her, especially in that scene in Episode 5 where she confronts Hephaestus as why Percy Jackson is unique than all the gods and goddesses.
Aryan Simhadri as Grover is as equally good as Brandon Timothy Jackson in 2010. They are both funny even if they are not making me laugh.
Among the gods and the goddesses, the portrayal of Dionysus is an ace. Jason Mantzoukas has mastered the sarcasm and immaturity of the wine god.
There is this scene in Episode 2 when Percy Jackson addresses him as Your Highness and he reacts with a sigh, implying to get rid of such boring formality.
Portrayal of Ares is fun too. Adam Copeland has clearly studied how to be someone with an active obsession for chaos and war.
Jay Duplass as Hades surprises me. He is young, he is not an ideal fit, but he is someone who has given Hades a new revolutionize look.
The other roles for gods are as not good as Dionysus. However, they are just fine.
The scene between Walker Scobell and Toby Stephens (Poseidon) in Episode 8 makes me remember how I was with my dad. This scene moves me to tears.
Among the unlikeable ones, the one who really stand out is Megan Mullally as Alecto (Quick insert here: Chimera!).
Megan looks and sounds different from her role as Karen in Will & Grace. She is not funny. She is serious, and I find her role to be annoying.
The Camp Half-Blood gives me a better and exact visual that I had in mind. While reading, I had this open-area remote land full of greens – almost like a forest but highly livable.
The Capture-The-Flag scenes satisfy the child in me. This is like the equivalent of Quidditch in Harry Potter films.
These amazing scenes are the peak of the first four episodes. It introduces how serene the location for Camp Half-Blood is.
The choice for half-blood extras is an impressive mix of American Caucasians, African-Americans, and Asian Americans. There is a disabled half-blood too who belongs in Camp Apollo.
I have to admit that I saw video reviews before I binge-watch the series. I know it has flashbacks.
Holy Cow! Those flashbacks are different when watching it than listening to reviews.
I make an instant connection with the scenes.
There is an added layer of higher understanding to know who Percy Jackson is and how his mother (Virginia Kull) tries too hard to give him the regular life Percy can never have.
The Negatives
The only missing thing is the ambrosia. Ambrosia is one of the many things I cannot forget while reading the book. I wanted it so much back then, that I imagined I was eating it whenever I had a meal. LOL.
The lighting tends to be darker than I expected. If my memory serves me right, Episodes 1, 3, 5 and 7 are the chapters that have to be filmed in dark settings.
Some scenes get the right amount of dark, but others are just too dark.
During the trio quest, I have failed to feel how hungry they are. In the book, my anxiety went high as they are starving during the journey.
They have money. They have bought food, but every time they are attacked with monsters, all these money and food are wasted.
Last but not least, the cabins in Half-Blood Camp are smaller than in my imagination. When Percy enters the Poseidon’s cabin for the first time, I imagined this big and spacious well-lit room filled with luxury.
Personal Rating
The first season of Percy Jackson And The Olympians is an easy 5 stars of 5 to me.
It is not perfect. There are little changes to the characters and narrative. There are technical challenges about the lighting too.
Yet, this is exactly what the fans like me wanted for the story is faithful to the book, the casting is diverse, and the writing tone is consistent with the book.
The next season will be a challenge. Expectations will be high considering the 2013 film was a major disappointment.
Hoping and praying that a good change will happen.
May the gods and goddesses of Olympian will shower more extraordinary ideas to Rick Riordan and the production team, making sure the level of production budget and tone of writing will stay as it is.
I AM SURVIVORDEAN 