Under Salt Marsh (2026) Review

At the end of January, Sky released a new tv show and decided to put it under a weekly release and I have now watched all of the episodes of Under Salt Marsh and here is my review for it. The premise of the show sees a detective and his former partner trying to uncover a tragedy, while the weather is causing massive problems. 

Main Character

Rafe Spall plays Eric Bull and he is at best okay here. He is a character that is at least trying to do his job and try and solve the investigation. The issue is that he is a pretty boring character and has little presence on screen. 

Kelly Reilly plays Jackie Ellis and her character is just terrible. She is one of the most unlikeable characters that I have seen on screen in a while an the show wants us to root for her. Reilly offers incredibly little to the role and her characterisation falls flat on its face. 

Supporting Characters

Jonathan Pryce is clearly the best actor here in his role as Soloman Bevan. He is the head of a family who comes under accusations and he does the best out of everybody here and adds his star quality to this project. 

Mark Stanley plays Danny Hill and he is pretty good in the show, he has some pretty powerful scenes that are fluttered across the 6 episodes but he isn't really in the show long enough. 

Honestly, the rest of the cast are pretty drab, they aren't particularly bad it is just we are introduced to so many people that it is hard to keep track of them and none of them stand out in any way. 

Story

The story is probably the worst part of the show. It is a pretty basic murder mystery, that usually takes 2-3 episodes max on good shows but this one decides to really drag it out. There are no interesting twists and turns throughout the show and the ending really made me question why I bothered watching this and what the whole point was. 

Script

The script is just confusing and baffling. The content isn't particularly clear and it doesn't have any real scenes that I felt like the writing was particularly good. Also, this is one of the bleakest shows I have ever seen and it really made me force myself through this. 

Style

The show looks great, it has beautiful cinematography and definitely uses this to its advantage. But the pacing of this show is painfully slow, it moves at a snails pace and it makes it something that feels way longer then it actually is. 

Overall

Overall, Under Salt Marsh is a bad show that is incredibly dull. I found this show really hard to finish and the thing I can recommend is to not start it. 

Rating - 3/10

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1 (2026) Review

After Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, we have a new GOT show in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and I have watched all of the 6 episodes, so here is my review for the new show. The premise of the show sees a Hedge Knight, on a quest to truly become a knight when he meets a young squire that will change his life. 

Main Character

Peter Claffey plays Ser Duncan and he is fantastic in this show. This is the first time I have seen him and he truly encapsulated this role and made me really care about Duncan. He is an interesting character with great development and I really found myself rooting for Duncan, maybe more then any character in this universe. 

Supporting Characters

Dexter Sol Ansell plays Egg and he is brilliant. He has an extremely bright future and I think this is going to be the start of a great career. Egg is snarky but has plenty of characterisation and the relationship between Duncan & Egg is easily the best part of this show. 

Daniel Ings plays Lyonel Baratheon and he provides real energy to this show. Especially over the first few episodes that are a bit slower, he injects life into them and his character is a lot of fun and a real show stealer. 

Shaun Thomas plays Raymun Fossoway and he is a great character. He is the ultimate friend for Duncan and he was just a nice character who supported our lead character no matter the circumstances. 

Bertie Carvel plays Baelor Targaryen and he is just such a presence on screen. He isn't on the show too much but he owns the show with his presence and is one of the best characters. 

Story

The story is good, it is much lower stakes then other shows in this franchise but it just works and makes you really care about the characters. The relationship between Duncan and Egg is really well done and the whole concept of the show is really well handled with a pretty satisfying ending. 

Script

The script is pretty good. It has some really great drama in it that ramps up the issues between some of the characters. There are also some decent humorous scenes which helped Duncan's character. But there is also some humour that really felt out of place and took away from the overall feeling of the show. 

Style

The style is good, there are some really strong action scenes and it does have the overall feel of Game of Thrones, I just liked the overall vibe of the show. However, the episodes are just too short and to me we could have just got more here and had stronger pacing. 

Overall

Overall, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a Great show which sets up the stage well for future entries. A few tweaks and it could become just as good as some of the best seasons of Game of Thrones.

Rating - 8/10

Ranked - Spartacus Shows/Seasons

Over the last couple of months I have watched all the seasons/shows of the Spartacus franchise. The show first came out in 2010 and has had a cult following with plenty of views and plenty of great content. So I have now decided to rank these seasons/shows from worst to best in my opinion. Obviously, this is only my opinion and everyone can disagree or agree as much as they like. 

5. Spartacus: House of Ashur

It took 12 years for this show to come out after the end of Spartacus and it was a pretty big waste of time. The reason for the show existing is nonsensical and it feels totally unnecessary. Nick E. Tarabay tires his best but Ashur is meant to be a villain and it is hard to root for him. It still has some decent action scenes but overall it is a poor imitation of the main show. 

4. Spartacus: Vengeance

After the tragic death of Andy Whitfield, Liam McIntyre was cast as Spartacus and he does a great job and really adds a lot to the character. The show continues really well off of the end of the previous seasons and it is really cool seeing the characters trying to take down the Romans. I just feel like this series doesn't quite have as much excitement in the first half of the series and thats what holds it back from the entries that are above. 

3. Spartacus: Blood and Sand

The show that started it all is next on the list and Blood and Sand is a great show. Andy Whitfield is great in the role as are the rest of the cast. The action is a lot of fun and it just embraces its tone and feels like a real spectacle to watch at times. It just has a slightly rushed finale and lack of budget which does hold it back but it is great. 

2. Spartacus: Gods of The Arena

With the showrunners not sure on the status of Andy Whitfield. They decided to make a spinoff prequel show focusing on a new Gladiator in Gannicus and it really works. Dustin Clare steps into the lead really well and it was really cool to see the origins of characters that we saw in the original series. It does suffer from similar issues as Blood and Sand but I just slightly preferred Gods of The Arena. 

1. Spartacus: War of the Damned

For me the best of this list so far is the final series of Spartacus: War of the Damned. It was a fantastic finale to this show and I really feel like it nailed it in pretty much every way. The characters were great, the action is pretty great and it is nice to see a finale of a show actually really delivering. It was so close to a 10/10 but I just didn't quite do it but it a fantastic show to watch. 

Spartacus: House of Ashur (2025/2026) Review

I am a huge fan of The Spartacus show that came out back in 2010 and actually rewatched the whole of it in preparation of watching the new spinoff show Spartacus: House of Ashur. After many weeks, the finale of the show came to the UK today and I have watched it, so here is my review for the show. The premise shows an alternate universe where Ashur survived the events of Spartacus and was gifted his own Ludus. He has to navigate the world of politics, while leading his Gladiators to victory. 

Main Character

Nick E. Tarabay reprises his role as Ashur and he clearly loves playing this role and I love seeing him play this role when he is evil and sneaky like he was in the original show. He still has some of that here and those are my favourite parts of the show. However, because he is the lead here, they try and make us care and sympathise for him and I really just couldn't and I just think that is because it goes against everything that is the character.

Supporting Characters

Graham McTavish plays the new Doctore Korris and he is probably the best character in the show. He has the honour of a gladiator but there is more to him and he is a good character that would have fit in well with the original show. 

Dan Hamill as Celadus is probably the best of the Gladiators. He is one of the older Gladiators and has honour and respect for the ways of the role. I mean he isn't the most ground breaking character but he does well here. 

Tenika Davis plays Achillia as the new main character and honestly, I thought she was pretty bad. She is incredibly wooden and there wasn't much done here to make me care about her character, despite the fact the show really wants you too. 

The rest of the cast offer very little. There are plenty of political characters and I didn't care about any of them and the majority of the gladiators either had limited characterisation or they were just down right annoying. 

Story

The story is the part of the show that I found the most nonsensical. First of all the show, has no reason to exist and actually disrespects quite a lot of the original show. There aren't really any characters that I particularly liked and it just made little sense to me why they went the directions that they did. Also the Gladiators feel like a pretty big afterthought at times which is a shame for a show in this franchise. 

Script

The script is okay, there are some decent dramatic moments in there and some chuckle worthy moments. But it is nothing compared to the original Spartacus and I just think the writing doesn't do enough to make these characters interesting enough. 

Style 

Spartacus is well known for its violent action scenes and its over the top romantic scenes and this show still has all of that and in that way it does a decent job of keeping with this tone. Though, I sometimes think it comes across as a parody of the original show. Also the pacing isn't always great and I think 10 episodes was probably a few too many. 

Overall

Overall, Spartacus: House of Ashur is a below average massive disappointment for fans of the franchise. I don't really know who it is for as it isn't good enough for new fans and does things that will upset lifelong fans, I wouldn't spend your time on this one. 

Rating - 4/10

The Night Manager Season 2 (2026) Review

I binged the first season of The Night Manager in preparation of watching the second season and I very quickly watched the second season in all of its glory now it is full released and here is my review of the show. The premise of the shows sees 9 years after the events of season 1, Jonathan Pine has started fresh, but when a figure from the past arrives he is forced into bad habits. 

Main Character

Tom Hiddleston reprises his role as Jonathan Pine and he is once again fantastic. He is so charismatic in the role and I just love the complexity of his character. Hiddleston adds a lot of star power to the role and it makes Pine a great protagonist for the show. 

Supporting Characters

Olivia Colman also reprises her role as Angela Burr and she is once again great and is clearly relishing being back in this role. However, don't expect to see her as much as she is only her fleetingly which I assume is because of her busy schedule. 

Diego Calva plays Teddy and is the arms dealer that Pine is after this season. He took a while for me to be interested but when the show really delved into his character, I realised that this was an interesting character that just took some time to get used too. 

Camila Morrone plays Roxana and she is really good. She is probably the strongest female character that Pine has had to deal with while on mission. But the acting is really good here and it is actually cool to see a more ruthless character alongside Pine. 

Indira Varma plays Mayra and she is the main character from the MI6 plot line and she is good. She has become a regular on our screens over recent years and she gives another solid performance in this show. 

Story

The story, once it gets going is great. It shows the problems that Pine is going through and further fleshes out some of the supporting characters. The final episode is a truly great finale and does a great job of making me want more. However, this season was a bit slow for its first few episodes and I just felt the overall quality of the plot wasn't quite there for the first few episodes. 

Script

The script is really good. It has strong narrative threads throughout and has some truly shocking moments throughout. It still has that good balance between humour and drama, though it definitely leans more towards the serious nature of the show. 

Style

The style is great in terms of the visuals. It is a beautiful looking show and I loved how some of the grittier scenes were filmed and made it feel darker then the previous season. Though, I did enjoy the international feel of the first season, I mean Columbia is lovely, but it does feel a bit repetitive. The main issue, is the pacing which leaves the show feeling a bit slow over the first few episodes. 

Overall

Overall, The Night Manager Season 2 is a great show and a worthy follow up to the first season. It has a few more issues but is definitely worth a watch, especially for people who enjoyed the first season. 

Rating - 8/10

The Night Manager Season 1 (2016) Review

One of the biggest releases of 2026 is the new season of the acclaimed show, The Night Manager. I am a bit late to the party, so I thought I would finally watch the first season of the show before catching up on the new season. I have now done this and here is my review for thee first season of The Night Manager. The premise of the show sees a Hotel Manager, recruited by MI6 to infiltrate an arms dealers operations. 

Main Character

Tom Hiddleston plays Jonathan Pine and he is fantastic. He is so smooth and has so much charisma in this show, he has real depth and you aren't quite sure what side he is on and Hiddleston is great at making the audience care about this character. 

Supporting Characters

Hugh Laurie plays Richard Roper and he is also amazing in this show. He plays this evil weapons dealer and he revels in it, oozing charisma and cockiness. The chemistry between him and Hiddleston is excellent and for me was the best part of the show. 

Olivia Colman plays Angela Burr and she is the handler of Pine's mission and she is just great as Colman usually is. She is giving it her all and she just fits the role really well, she really nails it and is a great addition. 

Elizabeth Debicki plays Jed Marshall and she is really good. She is the younger wife of Roper and she adds plenty of mystery and intrigue to her role. You can tell she was going to be a big deal after this show. 

Tom Hollander plays Lance Corkoran and he is full of great moments and intense scenes. He has the biggest rivalry with Jonathan Pine and their scenes together are really good and adds some real intensity to the show. 

There are some other great performances and the whole cast really knock it out of the park here. 

Story

The story is really interesting, we see Jonathan Pine making friends with all of these arms dealers and whether he is enjoying it and what exactly his plan is. There is plenty of espionage and some great character moments to keep you invested throughout. However, I did think the storyline involving MI6 wasn't as interesting and came across as pretty generic. Also the ending felt a bit too clean and a bit abrupt. 

Script

The script is great, there is a lot of quick off the cuff dialogue that made these feel like real people. It is clearly meant to be sending a message and I thought it did it pretty well, there is a great blend of drama and dark humour that just really worked for me. 

Style 

This show is a very international affair and it is very cool to see this show travel all over the world and the characters getting into these situations under different backdrops. The show is paced really well and it certainly had me gripped throughout and wanting to watch the next episode. 

Overall

Overall, The Night Manager Season 1 is a Fantastic Show that really stands out from other crime shows. A great cast, great writing and great visuals make it a show that should be watched. 

Rating - 9/10

Wonder Man (2026) Review

Amongst all these massive projects that Marvel Studios are releasing, I think that this show fell a bit under the radar. But today, I got the chance to watch all of the episodes of Wonder Man and here is my review for the show. The premise of the show sees two down on their luck actors faced with the chance to get the roles of a lifetime. 

Main Character

Yahya Abdul-Mateen plays Simon Williams and he is fantastic in his performance. This is probably the best I have ever seen him, there is a real depth and nuance to this character. He isn't perfect and has plenty of flaws but you do root for him and you really want to see him succeed and this is one of the great television performances you will see all year. 

Supporting Characters

Not to be overshadowed is the great Sir Ben Kingsley who reprises his role as Trevor Slattery and he gives so much humanity and development to this character. He is amazing and the relationship between Simon and Trevor is what carries the show and Kingsley really commits to giving a wonderful performance. 

To be honest, the rest of the cast aren't as important and feel like afterthoughts compared to our two main characters. But the main ones are X Mayo who plays their agent and is a lot of energy on screen that works well with them. The other being Arian Moayed who reprises his role as Agent Cleary, he is probably a bit more sinister but he fits the character well. 

Story

The story of Trevor and Simon is so well handled that it is one of the best stories amongst the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole. The relationship between the two of them is so well done and feels like something that you really want to root for. The only slight issue with the show is that the other elements of the story don't work quite as well, especially the stuff to do with Damage Control. Also the ending is pretty abrupt and seems to be setting up future seasons of the show. 

Script

The show is really well written. There is a fantastic balance between humour and drama and it just makes these characters feel well written and well realised. The writing is quick when it needs to be and slows it down when it needs to and it is just so good. 

Style

The style of this show is interesting, there are barely any superhero moments or action scenes but I was never bored and was fully engaged with what was going on and that is down to the shorter episodes having great pacing. 

Overall

Overall, Wonder Man is a Fantastic Show and a true success for Marvel Studios. This isn't your typical superhero show and if you love Hollywood then this is a must watch. Give it a go and I am sure you will love it like I did. 

Rating - 9/10