TV show review: Lost Girl

Sunday, December 20, 2015 Permalink

The culprit is yet to be identified… but I swear someone in one of my social media networks suggested I watch a TV show called Lost Girl. And if I ever find out who’s responsible I’m gonna kill them. Well… at least rant a little.

Though I don’t read fantasy / science fiction / dystopian fiction I enjoy watching it and some of my favourite shows fall firmly into that genre.

However, I’m now reminded that—like my reading fodder—my enjoyment boils down to a number of factors. And #spoileralert… Lost Girl fails on several fronts.

The backstory

I’d been waiting for season 3 of The Newsroom and season 4 of Continuum to come on sale before spending the last of a gift voucher I received last year. Alas, during my store visit last week, neither were on offer so I picked up seasons 1 and 2 of Lost Girl. Like I said I’m SURE someone recommended it to me.

I knew little about it, but had enjoyed the likes of DeadwoodOrphan Black and The 100 based on the suggestion of others so figured this would pan out the same.

However…

The blurb

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Bo is a small-town girl on the run after a disastrous sexual encounter with her boyfriend ends with his death. Bo learns that she is not human, but a succubus, who feeds on the sexual energy of humans. She and her kind are members of the Fae, creatures of legend, who walk among humans and feed off them in different ways.

As she searches for the truth about her origins and runs from her inhuman urges, she vows to help those she meets along the way — human or Fae — who need to right a wrong.

My thoughts

The show seems to be a cross between Buffy (The Vampire Slayer) and Grimm. Bo, like Buffy is a quirky, occasionally inept but empowered female hero. Which is great, but without Buffy’s support cast and freakin’ amazing scripts Bo and her show struggle.

I might struggle to suspend disbelief when I’m reading but as a fan of Buffy, Jessica Jones and the like I can obviously eventually get past the whole superheroes-aren’t-real thing. However…. the problem with Lost Girl is that the lack of believability in the plot (ie. the whole Fae thing!) and characters is exacerbated by other factors.

Anna Silk as Bo is stunning and I LOVE that she’s not-young. Indeed I was horrified at those on the IMDb message board complaining that she’s too old for the role. I do agree however suggestions the role itself could be evolved up a gear. She’s been around the block so really doesn’t need to be such an ingénue!

Kris Holden-Ried (yes, that is apparently how you spell it) is kinda ruggedly handsome as the werewolf-slash-detective and one of Bo’s love interests but the character’s somewhat predictable and one-dimensional. And Zoe Palmer as Laura—Bo’s other love interest—I find even less inspiring.

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In fact none of the characters are particularly convincing and it’s hard to tell whether it’s the cheesy scripts or the acting that’s the issue. Possibly both. My favourite character without a doubt is Ksenia Solo’s Kenzi—who seems to get the best lines and is able to deliver them with deadpan sarcasm.

There’s a stack of regular cast members and I’m sure others will come and go but I’m only 1/3 of the way through season one and am REALLY gonna have to force myself to keep going.

I’ve struggled with a few shows this year: Limitless, Arrow, Madam Secretary and Falling Skies; to name but a few and it’s usually a combination of factors.

Occasionally there’s a redeeming feature and, for example, I’m hanging in there with Quantico because the plot’s strong enough to keep me vaguely intrigued.

Lost Girl, on the other hand, lost me in episode one. But I’m not a quitter (if you don’t count dieting, exercise, freelancing or writing 😉 ) so I’m determined to keep going as I know the show has a lot of fans and perhaps I’ll regret my harsh words (and returning season two unopened). The show’s now finished up after five (yes FIVE!) seasons so there must be SOME redeeming features!

Any Lost Girl fans out there? What am I missing? 
Other than the acting (and characters), scripts and plot… what do you look for in a TV show?

16 Comments
  • Michelle Weaver (@pinkypoinker)
    December 20, 2015

    There’s a big difference between being a quitter and knowing when to cut your losses Deb. I look for good acting and an interesting plot with not too much gore (even though I love GOT).

    • Debbish
      December 20, 2015

      Oh yes I only watched s1 of GOT and found it a bit too gory!

  • danielaark
    December 20, 2015

    I didn’t even know about this show! (I know Debbie, I know.. Have I been under a rock? LOL yes! buried underneath a super busy life lately!) Well… I think you know by now I love all supernatural crap! 🙂 BUT I trust your judgement! so not going there! thanks for this great review 🙂 Glad you are back 🙂

    • Debbish
      December 20, 2015

      Ha Daniela… I’m not officially back, just dropping in! 😉

      I’m really just blogging when I want rather than sticking to any timetable until the New Year. I am a few book reviews behind however. I read a few books last week I just reviewed in Goodreads but already had 2 books awaiting proper commentary. (And now there’s another!) Perhaps a reading break is called for!

  • Book Birdy
    December 20, 2015

    It sounds dreadful! You lost me at ‘succubus’…

    • Debbish
      December 20, 2015

      Oh I know Cassie… SO obvious.

  • Char
    December 21, 2015

    I’ve never heard of this one and I feel like I’ve missed nothing. My method of choosing whether to persist with a series is based on the answer to one question. Would I rather watch the program or cricket? And if the answer is cricket then the series is relegated. It’s harder, though, when Iven decides to watch with me. We have to play this game of feigning interest if the other seems to be enjoying watching. Then at some stage, usually the third episode, someone breaks down and confesses that they think the show is absolute crap then the other breathes a huge sigh of relief.

    • Debbish
      December 21, 2015

      Hee hee.. I like the cricket thing as I can so relate. (Though once upon a time I LOVED watching any sport. And cricket especially. Back when I had a Kim Hughes fascination as a youngster. Then later a Hansie Cronje fetish!)

  • Kooky Chic
    December 21, 2015

    We watch Madam Secretary with our 14 year old. I was a fan of Tea Leoni but find myself groaning out loud at the absurdity of it all. The plots, the acting and if the starring before breaks continues to elongate they might as well audition for Bold and The Beautiful.

    • Debbish
      December 23, 2015

      I stopped watching this current series when the whole thing with the new security chief started and then the tiff with Russia and I find ‘her’ kids really uninteresting so the focus on the older daughter just didn’t interest me at all. At the time there were two other things on opposite it and I chose them over Tea et al!

  • CARLA
    December 21, 2015

    OH
    I hadnt heard of it before either!!!!
    (((skips off to check out the TV DVR GUIDE THING to see if we can get it)))
    xoxo

    • Debbish
      December 23, 2015

      You might enjoy it a bit more than I did Carla cos for me it just didn’t (doesn’t) work at all!

  • Jo
    December 22, 2015

    I’ve done the same with GOT- persisted because everyone says I should, but (shakes head) I’ve now given up on that. I’m persisting with Madam Secretary because I love the lead characters, but season 2 is just pushing it all a tad much.

    • Debbish
      December 23, 2015

      I just mentioned below Jo that I like Tea Leoni and the guy who plays her husband but this season’s just lost me. (Jumped the shark BIG TIME!)

      I only watched s1 of GOT (which I perservered with) and attempted s2 but too long had passed and I didn’t remember who anyone was!

  • Angelized1st
    January 11, 2016

    I actually liked this show because it’ so cheesy. However, it’s always been a Netflix thing for me, and never a must-see tv show. It kind of reminds me of cheesy sic-fi shows from the 80’s and 90’s that I grew up on like Forever Knight.

    • Debbish
      January 11, 2016

      I think I’m a decade older so grew up with similar cheesy shows like the original Star Trek and early Dr Who etc… 🙂

      I haven’t watched any eps since I wrote that post but we’re in a summer ratings break here in Oz so I’m almost desperate enough to finish the season!

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