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Here we go! I’m going to rank each streaming show I watched in 2025 from worst to best. Most of these shows had a review post on my blog, but eventually I ran out of time for a few of them. 2025 had a big slate of new shows, although the quality wasn’t the best overall. Hollywood needs to learn quality is more important than quantity. It’s wasn’t all bad. A small number of shows stood out from the others. Let’s jump right in!
21) The Terminal List: Dark Wolf Platform: Amazon Prime This show goes all the way on the bottom of the list. I thought some shows weren’t very good last year. This spinoff to The Terminal List was guilty of the greatest sin for someone like me. It was completely and utterly boring, even though it had some action scenes and gratuitous violence. How can a show runner make an action show with armed Navy Seals so slow and dull? I’m sure many people are going to think I missed the point of the show. It doesn’t matter because the actual story isn’t very interesting, the pacing is bad, and the characters seem like really generic soldiers. I fell asleep multiple times trying to watch this show. It’s unfortunate because I really liked the original Terminal List. This one just didn’t work out. 20) Paradise Platform: Hulu I didn’t connect with this show either, which was surprising because it was both a murder mystery and a post-apocalyptic thriller. Maybe Paradise went a little bit too hard on the political intrigue. The script was actually the show’s biggest weakness. At first, the central idea was interesting. The last remaining humans were living inside a mountain with a false utopian image. We didn’t see many of the apocalyptic elements until the end and it was mostly an extensive flashback. I thought the mystery elements were handled poorly and the main twist came out of thin air. Nobody will be able to guess the killer’s identity. The script wasn’t written well enough to provide breadcrumbs. It also tried really hard to make the audience identify with the main antagonist. It felt a bit ham fisted in that regard. Paradise debuted very early in the year and it stayed on the bottom of my list for quite some time. 19) Untamed Platform: Netflix Here’s another boring thriller and murder mystery. Actually, I didn’t hate everything about this one. Some elements were written well and it occasionally caught my attention. With that said, I felt quite bored most of the time. It was also another show that helped me fall asleep multiple times. I wasn’t crazy about the characters or acting. It seemed like everyone was pretty monotone. I was under the impression several of the actors were only in this Netflix show because it was a pay check. I’ll give the show credit for having a different setting. Untamed was a thriller that took place in a National Park. I don’t see that type of setting for thrillers very often, if at all. Despite the setting, the show was largely forgettable. 18) Monster: The Ed Gein Story Platform: Netflix This show offended me significantly. Ed Gein was the murderer who inspired Pyscho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and The Silence of the Lambs. The script fabricated a ton of material. Gein committed some of the atrocities in this show, but additional content was included for dramatic flare, ranging from necrophilia, cannibalism, extra murders, and even a romance with one of the victims. I found these elements shameless. It was just a method to make The Ed Gein Story more interesting and shocking. I thought it wasn’t necessary to focus quite so hard on the gruesome death scenes and mutilations. Everybody has their own threshold for glory content. My threshold is very high, but this show crossed some lines. 17) Goosebumps: The Vanishing Platform: Disney+ I grew up reading the Goosebumps books and the original tv series. The Vanishing adapted several elements from the books, but it didn’t include those elements very well. Naturally, this show was created for the young adult viewers. That means the content couldn’t be too scary or violent. I still feel like the adaptation elements were poor. All of the books had much better stories and monsters. This show wasn’t remotely creepy and sometimes the pacing was a bit slow. I didn’t hate it by any means. The Vanishing was watchable, but it missed everything that made the book series special. Also, I’ve seen better content onscreen as well. The original Goosebumps series in the 1990s was excellent. In fact, it’s one of the best horror anthologies to date. Maybe my expectations were too high, but this show disappointed me. 16) Daredevil: Born Again Platform: Disney+ Surprisingly, this long awaited continuation for Daredevil was probably the most disappointing show for me in 2025. It wasn’t the worst by any means, but I thought it would be great. Born Again was a direct sequel or continuation of the Netflix show. It has the same actors and storyline. I don’t think Disney is capable of adapting mature superhero shows like Daredevil. The show was very sanitized for the sake of younger viewers, even though the content wasn’t appropriate for children. It had less action, violence, and everything that makes Daredevil gritty. More importantly, the story was disorganized and weak. The plot changed multiple times for no particular reason. I couldn’t tell you why Disney didn’t get better writers. Granted, many of their shows have been lackluster recently, so that might be part of the problem. 15) A Thousand Blows Platform: Hulu I’m ranking this historical fiction show on the bottom third of my list because it was neither good nor bad. It was acceptable and that’s all. Nothing more and nothing less. It was a gritty historical drama about the underground boxing scene in Victorian London. Occasionally, the show was interesting. It was also slow and forgettable much of the time as well. I thought the acting was pretty good. Their performances definitely led the show. It didn’t have a ton of episodes, but the length still felt long and padded. I couldn’t tell you if the content was historically accurate. Boxing isn’t my area of expertise. I suppose it accomplished what it needed on a basic level, but I usually expect my historical dramas to be more interesting. 14) Ironheart Platform: Disney+ The first several episodes were pretty good if you don’t mind a heist theme. It was far more of a heist show than a superhero adventure or a faithful Marvel adaptation. I was genuinely entertained for a period of time. Unfortunately, the show fell apart completely in the final two episodes. That was a big deal because it ended on a whimper and there was only six episodes. I’m not sure if it was a good idea to have magic, witchcraft, and mysticism in this show. Ironheart should be heavy on the science fiction and more in line with Iron Man. The show blended these elements together and it was a weird combination. I found most of the characters pretty forgettable. In fact, some of the supporting characters were pretty annoying and lame. I also thought the protagonist made really bad decisions in the end. The show started out with some good elements, but it couldn’t stick the landing. Notice how many Disney+ shows wound up in the lower half of my list. 13) MobLand Platform: Paramount+ This show had a simple premise. It was basically about Irish organized crime in London. I guess it was fine if you really like crime shows. There was nothing special about MobLand. The show was entirely watchable, especially one episode at a time. I wouldn’t recommend a full binge. However, the pacing was slow, some of the episodes just felt like filler content, and the actors were surprisingly out of place. MobLand had several high profile actors, such as Pierce Brosnan, Helen Mirren, and Tom Hardy. I’m not sure if any of them were suited for these roles. This show also devolved into a soap opera much of the time. Once in a while, the audience got to see action scenes or crime scenes. Most of the time the characters just bickered and complained. It was a lot of telling without showing anything. I found the show’s structure kind of weird. 12) Countdown Platform: Amazon Prime I’ll be frank. This show wasn’t very good, but it captured my attention multiple times. I think it was the longest show on my 2025 watch list. It was an espionage thriller with a special forces team from Homeland Security. Countdown was very inconsistent. Some of the episodes were exciting and well written. Others were little more than soap opera scenes. The cast also contributed to the issues. None of them were awful, but the cast wasn’t exactly comprised of leading men and women. The show also had an usual structure. Specifically, the main story concluded at the end of the tenth episode. Then it tacked on three more episodes, possibly trying to give a promo for a second season. By the way, Amazon cancelled this show, so we’re not going to see a second season anyway. Countdown had numerous problems, but it was also quite entertaining part of the time. 11) Alien: Earth Platform: Hulu Here’s another show that disappointed me. Alien: Earth was an ambitious show in some ways because it blended some of the original stylistic elements from the initial two Alien movies and brought it to planet Earth. It was one of my most anticipated shows from 2025. Sadly, I didn’t like this show very much. Alien: Earth drew many influences from Peter Pan and it was a strange choice. Nearly all of the characters ranged anywhere from stupid, annoying, and incompetent. The show had a number of interesting aliens that were new to the franchise. Maybe Disney will be able to make spinoff shows about these creatures. It seemed like the action and death scenes were relegated to a few episodes, probably in an effort to save money. I saw much worse in 2025, but this show did not impress me at all. 10) Butterfly Platform: Amazon Prime Last year featured a lot of espionage shows and crime thrillers. Butterfly was about a former mercenary who returned to South Korea and hoped his daughter would escape from the same career he left. Inherently, the writing wasn’t very good in my opinion. However, it was probably the first show on my list that was genuinely entertaining to watch half of the time. Butterfly had really good action scenes that were filmed well and felt cinematic. I can’t say the characters intrigued me very much and the pacing had issues. At least it fulfilled the word “thriller” in the espionage category. I wish the overall quality was better, but it was a decent way to kill time. 9) Harlan Coben’s Lazarus Platform: Amazon Prime I have mixed thoughts about this mystery show. Sometimes it was really interesting with a nice blend of psychological and supernatural elements. 2025 was packed with crime shows and thrillers, but Lazarus stood out because it wasn’t strictly a generic murder mystery. Despite these refreshing ideas, I was less impressed with certain elements. Even though the show was short with only 6 episodes, it still dragged a little bit. A couple of episodes didn’t seem to accomplish very much in terms of the story. It did have a twist at the end that I didn’t completely see coming. However, the twist didn’t feel particularly clever. Basically, Lazarus is fine for all intensive purposes, but it was not a fantastic mystery and I wouldn’t recommend it as a binge session. 8) The Lowdown Platform: Hulu Small town drama can be quite entertaining. The Lowdown was about a journalist who dug into the town’s dirty secrets and made a lot of enemies. I won’t give away spoilers, but the show had many twists and turns that subverted my expectations. It was witty and dramatic with a little bit of action. I would have ranked this show much higher, except it took time to move the plot along in a meaningful way. The first three or four episodes were a slog and they didn’t flesh out the story well. After a while, the pacing got a lot better and the show became far more fascinating with many clever elements. The characters were complex and written well. Unlike some of the shows on this post, The Lowdown kept getting better with each episode. If you feel bored or discouraged at the beginning, keep watching. You’ll feel the payoff later. 7) American Primeval Platform: Netflix Surprisingly, I didn’t watch many shows on Netflix. I’m not sure if Netflix released fewer shows last year or maybe their content just didn’t appeal to me. American Primeval was definitely their strongest show from the 2025 calendar. This show was absolutely brutal and a shockingly realistic dedication of the American frontier. The settlers were not prepared for the harsh conditions and violent encounters with other desperate people. It didn’t paint any particular culture in a positive or negative light. Instead, American Primeval showed every culture in America with endless shades of gray, ranging from the pioneers, the Native Americans, the military, etc. This show isn’t for the faint of heart. It was really violent and bloody, almost to the point of cruelty. My one complaint is just the pacing. Sometimes the episodes felt a bit long for no particular reason. Otherwise, I liked it a lot. 6) Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy Platform: Peacock I didn’t watch many shows on Peacock last year, but they were much better than most of the streaming fare. John Wayne Gacy was an infamous serial killer who murdered at least 33 young men and teenage boys. He was a true monster. Unlike The Ed Gein Story, this show was pretty accurate and it didn’t sensationalize the content. Many scenes showed who those young men were before he murdered them. Devil in Disguise was also a cautionary tale that illustrated high risk communities in the 1970s, such as gay men and prostitutes. Overall, the show was very good, although it was hard to follow sometimes. It had many flashbacks and a nonlinear structure, so I found some of the episodes a bit disorganized. Ultimately, if you want a solid monster story, Devil in Disguise is a good choice. Sometimes humans are the real monsters. 5) Revival Platform: Peacock This show might be a matter of personal preference. Revival was a science fiction show that focused on a small town with a bizarre phenomenon. Everyone who died within a specific period of time came back to life. No, it was not a zombie story. Basically, the show was a supernatural mystery and it was pretty weird. Some viewers aren’t going to connect it. With that said, Revival was one of the better shows last year and it had quite a few unpredictable twists. At first, the plot was very confusing, but it unfolded over time and the show provided enough answers. I’m not sure if hardly anyone watched this show. It didn’t get a lot media attention. Revival was rather fascinating and underrated. I think you should give it a chance. 4) The Bondsman Platform: Amazon Prime What a shocker. I didn’t watch many shows that kept me more entertained than The Bondsman. Let’s be frank. This show didn’t have a lot of substance. It was basically a supernatural comedy with gratuitous violence and the monster of the week formula. Actually, it worked surprisingly well. The story was simple and concise. Each episode had agency and moved along briskly. It took elements from Supernatural and Ash vs. Evil Dead, which I appreciated. The characters had a decent amount of development and they weren’t just stereotypes. Like I said, 2025 wasn’t the best year for streaming shows. The Bondsman was a nice palate cleanser in a crowded release schedule. 3) Duster Platform: HBO Max This show was definitely the best crime show of the year. I really liked Duster because it was fun, stylish, witty, and clever. It combined elements from multiple action genres, such as crime thrillers, heist films, buddy cop movies, etc. Duster had a robust cast of characters who could be a little irritating, but mostly entertaining. The cinematography was chef’s kiss. I’m not an expert in filmmaking by any means, but I could tell it was filmed very well. Some of the episodes in the middle dragged somewhat. Beyond that, the overall experience was great with strong quality. It had plenty of action, sass, story development, wit, and more. Duster wasn’t a perfect show, but it was one of my best watches last year. 2) IT: Welcome to Derry Platform: HBO Max HBO Max was on a role. They didn’t release a lot of shows in 2o25, but most of them were excellent. IT: Welcome to Derry was a prequel to the recent IT movies. Here’s my disclaimer. This show was absolutely brilliant in many ways. However, it won’t be an appropriate viewing for quite a few people. It depends on your threshold with violence against children and gore in general. HBO was always known for being edgy. All of the violence felt earned, conditional, and a major part of the story. It was not just about shock value. Welcome to Derry was a very strong example of horror with a unique monster, high stakes, and a convincing cast of characters. This show tied together many characters and references from the works of Stephen King. I’m sure this show will appeal greatly to Stephen King fans. Like the rest of the current IT universe, this show was flamboyant, weird, and gruesome. It works really well, although you may or may not be the target audience. Just keep that part in mind. 1) Washington Black Platform: Hulu This fantasy adventure and historical drama was based on the novel of the same name by Esi Edugyan. Washington Black was a nice blend of historical settings, drama, romance, and adventure. It had a big emphasis on the scientific innovations from the 19th century. The show also focused on the roles of minorities and women during this time period. All together, those elements came together as a great story instead of preaching about specific topics. Washington Black reminded me of other historical dramas, such as Downton Abbey and The Guilded Age. I think this show will also appeal to the steampunk crowds. Most of the visual effects had a definite blue screen effect, but it gave the show a nice fantasy vibe with spectacle and anachronisms. Washington Black wove every chapter together really well, including several flashbacks. If you’re looking for an adventure across the globe, check out this show. Those were all the streaming shows I watched in 2025. It was a dense list with only a small number of memorable shows, but they were worth my time. You’ll never know how something will turn out if you don’t give it a chance. Keep watching for more content. I will also discuss my favorite games of 2025 and provide some writing updates. Plus, there will be new streaming shows this year to review. 2026 is going to be really busy. Thank you for supporting my work. I hope the New Year is going well for you and have a good week.
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Welcome back, my fellow gamers! Let’s start the New Year with a round of game reviews. I still have a backlog from 2025, but I plan to keeping working on those games. It works out anyway because the nearest game release on my calendar is in February. I have the rest of this month to clear out my backlog. For now, we’ll start with 5 games. Are any of these games worth your valuable time and money? Let’s find out.  It seems like Vampire: The Masquerade- Bloodlines 2 was in development for a zillion years. Guess what? I actually like this game. The overall experience was very enjoyable. Bloodlines 2 is actually getting a lot negative reviews and criticism from both gaming journalists and players alike. Apparently, they expected something entirely different than I did. In short, this game is a fun adventure that gives you the option to explore various vampire clans and their powers. You can mix and match different abilities to suit your gameplay style. The story is pretty good, especially if you enjoy popular vampire literature in the form of Anne Rice and others. It has a good mystery and the voice casting is great. A lot of video footage and commentaries online are grossly misrepresented or taken out of context. It’s cathartic to be an Elder Vampire who can defeat legions of enemies. I also enjoyed strolling through Seattle and snacking on victims. It’s worth noting this game has flaws. The combat is a bit clunky and awkward. At first, the side quests are novel, but they become lame and repetitive in short order. Bloodlines 2 only has a few boss fights and the RPG system is pretty weak. The overall gameplay is really good, but it doesn’t have robust customization or a huge skill tree. Basically, this game is a strong adventure game, although it’s not much of an RPG. That might be a deal breaker for some players. Is this game a good choice for you? That depends what you want in this particular title. If you want a grand RPG, you’re going to be really disappointed. In contrast, this game might be an excellent choice if you want a decent story, fun gameplay, and interesting level design. I think the general clan representation pretty good, which means it could still appeal to fans of Vampire: The Masquerade. You can find the game on sale now, so it’s a great buy.  I can’t catch a break with this franchise. Double Dragon Revive might be the weakest entry to date. The developer’s attempt to make a 3D brawler didn’t succeed. I might be wrong, but it seems like this game was made is a really big hurry. The animation and level design looks cheap. Difficulty is very inconsistent with large groups of regular enemies who are quite weak while boss enemies can be nearly impossible to defeat. Many instant deaths are a matter of chance and luck instead of skill. For example, you can be killed by traps or bosses if you’re inconveniently in the wrong place. There’s no time to move, dodge, or escape. You’re just going to die. I heard the developer made several wrestling game and that makes a lot of sense. Double Dragon Revive feels more like a wrestling game than a true brawler. Combat is floaty and imprecise, which can be the kiss of death in this type of game. Overall, this game is short, but it’s a slog with minimal entertainment value. Double Dragon Revive is definitely going on my most disappointing list from 2025. I thought the combat looked really good in the trailers and video footage, but it’s one of the game’s biggest weaknesses. You can skip this one.  Tormented Souls II is a survival horror game and a major improvement over the first entry in the series. However, I still find the game unpolished. The combat is arguably the worst part of the game. It’s really awkward, the camera angles can make visibility difficult, most of the weapons are pretty weak, and the dodge mechanic only worked half the time for me. Enemies require a lot of effort to kill, which is fair in a survival horror game, except the clunky gameplay is enough to make the experience irritating. The story is almost laughably bad and it’s a rehash of the first game. You have the option of using tank controls or modern controls, but neither of them are great. There’s also backtracking ad nauseam. I will say, Tormented Souls II has some good elements. It has a dedicated map that’s vital to avoid getting lost. The visual elements and general traversal are a nice throwback to survival horror games from the 90s. Unlike the first game, this sequel has difficulty settings and players don’t need to worry about inventory management. Feel free to pick up anything you want, including health items, ammo, quest items, etc. Is this game actually scary? I didn’t find it scary, but everyone is different. Honestly, I found Tormented Souls II underwhelming. I thought it would be amazing, but the clunky gameplay ruined everything. Some players disagree with me. I’ve seen reviews about the game’s strong survival horror elements and challenging combat. Tormented Souls II is on sale through multiple retailers, so you can check it out if you want. Just maintain realistic expectations.  The Outer Worlds 2 is a deep space adventure and RPG with dystopian and satirical elements. This game is a good fit for me because it’s very similar to some of my favorite genres, such as steampunk and post-apocalypse. The Outer Worlds 2 fixed quite a few elements from the first game in the franchise. For example, the combat is excellent and fun with a variety of weapons, the option to pick first or third person perspective, and accurate shooting. Each planet is a completely different biome, ranging from lush tropics, mineral mountains, a desert wasteland, and a snowy landscape. I appreciated the humor and some of satirical elements were woven in the mission designs. This game has a solid variety of main missions and side quests that always remain engaging. Luckily, you don’t have to worry about inventory management. You can also sell unwanted items for money or break them down for crafting. Unlike some recent RPGs, your decisions truly matter in The Outer Worlds 2. Choose responsibly if you want one of the better endings. It’s easy to get immersed in this universe for many hours at a time. My one complaint is about the companions. Most of the companions are very generic and bland, plus they don’t engage in conversation very often. With that said, they help immensely during combat. Another highlight is the flaw and perk system. You can specialize is certain types of skills and flaws will give you buffs while taking on some type of hinderance. I know some players had fun with the flaw system, but I just went with the general perk system because I didn’t want to feel annoyed with too many issues. Ultimately, I have many good things to say about The Outer Worlds 2. It’s available on Xbox/PC Game Pass. If you’re mad at Microsoft for raising the subscription price, you can also buy it on your preferred platform. $70 is quite expensive, but at least it’s the type of game that can keep you entertained for multiple weeks.  2025 was a great year for roguelikes and brawlers, so what did I think of Hotel Barcelona? This one didn’t connect with me for some reason. Mostly, the combat and platforming was the problem. The premise is pretty cool with a US Marshall who’s possessed by the ghost of a serial killer. You’re hunting down various supernatural serial killers who were modeled from classic slasher villains. The story is interesting and the game has really good enemy variety. Every time the protagonist dies, she returns to the hotel where you can add permanent upgrades, such as new special moves, increased health, a parry mechanic, longer combos, increased damage, etc. Hotel Barcelona keeps the roguelike elements fresh by having alternate paths and procedural elements to each level. It’s also cool because the ghost of your previous run can assist in combat. Despite these positive elements, the combat feels really sluggish and unrefined. It’s important for games with a brawler structure to have fast, snappy, and accurate combat. I found it difficult to complete basic combos, parry, and dodge. Sometimes my character just walked off cliffs and died. Several times, she stopped fighting entirely, almost like my controller wasn’t working. For the record, I had fresh batteries in my controller. Unfortunately, I think Hotel Barcelona needed more time in development.
It’s a shame because this game has some really good elements and fascinating ideas. However, poor combat makes the game almost unplayable. Maybe the developer will add patches, but I wouldn’t count on it. Right now, I don’t think any price is worth it. If you’re ultra curious, I saw a $25 price tag on some retailers, like Steam. That’s the end of today’s post. I hope it will help you decide what to play and skip. 2025 was a very experimental year for the gaming industry and some experiments worked fabulously and others failed to impress me and the public at large. I’ll give developers plenty of credit. Sometimes you just need to take a risk and see what happens. I haven’t decided next week’s post yet, but it will be another fun and interesting topic. Take care of yourselves, stay out of trouble, and have a good week. |
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May 2019
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