On Counter Play Season 1 Episode 6, Lord and Lady Morgan's annual Arts Gala is an event not to be missed. However, the artwork isn't the only thing that will be revealed! Jess Haynesworth is arrested for the murder of Aaron Robertson; a mysterious woman re-enters South Point and the resurrection of Mason answers and creates more questions.

It was an episode the felt like a lot of firsts have happened.

For the first time on the show, an event actually feels like an event. But the Arts Gala wasn’t the focus of this installment but the entangled lives of our adored South Point residents.

“Play or be played,” as the show’s tagline says. This is the first time that the tagline felt true to its promise.

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And, it doesn’t happen usually that I feel for Jess Haynesworth. The moment that he was arrested, he said that line that melted my heart.

Logan: Jess Haynesworth, you’re under arrest for the murder of Aaron Robertson. Please come to the station.

Chelsea: What are you doing? Leave him alone! He hasn’t done anything! Jess, dad… someone!

Jess: Don’t worry about me, sis. You’re the only one who believes in me.

_{🔗 permalink: You’re the only one who believes in me.}

That line broke my heart the way he said it. He didn’t utter those words to look for pity. The manner of his speaking, he believed it.

For him, nobody had faith in him. No one would think he was innocent. It was one of those moments wherein you didn’t need to hear an explanation. It was all in the manner of saying it. It was everything.

Of course, as a parent, it was hard for the patriarch of the Haynesworths to let his son rot in jail. He probably might not be the best dad in the world, but he would do everything for his cub… no matter how small you think of your child as a person.

Mr. Haynesworth: I know my son’s a fool, but even he’s not able to plan a murder.

_{🔗 permalink: I know my son’s a fool, but even he’s not able to plan a murder.}

On the other hand, Easton Saunders had proven to me that no one’s that virtuous on television.

It wasn’t too long before Easton showed his true motif. He wasn’t just a random guy who got hitched with the beloved Emily Loui. He was talking to someone named Mason over the phone, and it felt like they are both bigger forces to be reckoned with than Jake Spector.

I knew he was too good to be true.

Related: Counter Play Season 1 Episode 5 Review: The Old And The New

Also, it was implied that Logan and Easton had a thing in the past.

What is Emily’s beau’s real relationship with Logan other than a possible fling? It’s surprising to see a connection between these two characters, but why are they really in South Point?

Logan: I am no one’s side dish, Easton Saunders.

Easton: Touché.

_{🔗 permalink: I am no one’s side dish, Easton Saunders.}

Another first? Seeing Jake Spector really get angry at Jess’ arrest.

It was nice to feel that anger from him. Whenever we see of Jake Spector, he was always planning something for his grander plan, but his anger really didn’t feel executed seamlessly. It always felt like the rage wasn’t enough, until this time.

Does Jake really think that it was Jess who planned to murder him? Abandoning a friend is one thing but them planning your murder is another.

Jake: How can I make Jess suffer if he’s locked up in a jail? He deserves the punishment I had planned for him.

_{🔗 permalink: He deserves the punishment I had planned for him.}

Moreover, Faith has had enough. She wanted to know who the guy she was planning to marry really was. It was a good chance to redeem the character because Faith had been taking all in without questions until the previous installment and it was nice that it had extended to this episode.

Honestly, it wasn’t exactly a question that needed to be asked. However, with the kind of relationship she has with Jake, she wanted to give the benefit of the doubt. So, instead of speculating and assuming, she asked straight to the source about the hospital note talking about Aaron Robertson’s plastic surgery.

While it wasn’t the most brilliant idea, it was reasonable. She wanted to make it work between the two of them, but she wanted to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth. That’s how much she wanted to trust him.

Related: Counter Play Season 1 Episode 4 Review: Someone's Gotta Pay!

That said, if I was Faith, once she learned the truth, I would call everything off between the two of us.

Jake blatantly lied on her face instead of trusting her. And he was so sleek about the lying as well that it would be scary to even think of building a future with him.

Traumatizing events would change anyone as a human being, but it didn’t change Aaron Robertson for the better.

It was just a great thing Faith knew how to lie. She wasn’t all that sweet and kind, after all. She kept the hospital letter with her. Basing on her actions, it wouldn’t be far into the future that we’d see her learn the truth.

Overall, the installment was a success. It was a great way to end the first season. It leaves you hanging but it leaves you wanting.

The production team didn’t hide the truth that it is an independent production, and the honesty’s appreciated. Anyway, it would be hard to hide that for a fact.

But, with the news breaking out that the second season will have a commercial release, contrasting this season’s, it would be a great change as the production itself would be benefiting if it has a bigger budget.

The show has a grand promise to it, but the budget had proven a restriction to achieve a certain vision. Being commercial rather than independent, the parties would feel bigger. The glamorous lives would feel even more dazzling. The overall vibe to the show would improve.

Here’s hoping for a better second season!

Counter Play is available for streaming at Amazon Prime.

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The post Counter Play Season 1 Episode 6 Review: A Gala To Remember appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Counter Play Season 1 Episode 5 revolved around someone finding out about Jake Spector’s transition from being Aaron Robertson. It was none other than Faith Morgan!

It was nice to see Faith Morgan finally being a character that moves instead of a character that is being dragged along. She was Jake’s way back into the life in South Point, literally! It was her connections that Jake was able to reintroduce himself to lives of the town’s residents. For once, she was not a pawn.

The disappointment here was how Faith discovered the truth about Jake Robertson.

Of all the places, why did Jake hid a hospital letter from his plastic surgery inside a drawer? A drawer that is in the place he was staying in with Faith? Couldn’t he just burn it? Or, didn’t he have a vault to hide it in?

It was a poor way of revealing to Faith that Jake could actually be Aaron Robertson. She didn’t even try to find it!

This could have been used as a way to further develop a character’s goal, but it was instead used to further advance the story. It was a waste.

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This is what happens when you spend more time running rather than spending time with your girlfriend, Jake.

Of course, the Morgans are not exactly innocents. It’s still unclear whether or not Faith is in on the family secrets, but Wes and Lord Morgan seemed to be the people Ian Ferguson is working for.

Wes seemed to be a good guy with a positive outlook on life. Having him become a part of a suspicious secret was a welcome revelation.

And, speaking of lack of innocence, there’s always the Haynesworths.

Orson and Jess are not too close as siblings, aren’t they? It was evident that Jess feels the weight of being seen as a black sheep of the family, and Orson feels responsible. Not because he really cared about his little brother, but because they shared the same last name.

On the other hand, Orson dating Amber, the reporter, is a disaster in the making.

One would think a Haynesworth would bring trouble to a relationship, but Amber is getting more questionable by the second. Who did she send that text to? Who is she working with?

Amber’s time seems to be decreasing by the minute. She’s getting too involved. As a reporter, it’s her job. But dating a Haynesworth to do her job—that’s a hazard on its own and it doesn’t cover her insurance.

Related: Counter Play Season 1 Episode 2 Review: Undisclosed Truths

And, it would be hard to talk about the Haynesworth patriarch now that we are delving into the lives of the Haynesworths.

Mr. Haynesworth has severe trust issues, and he’s not shy about it.

When he was talking about the note Adriana had gotten within the office, he was quick to accuse Adriana that it could have been her. But he needed her services still so he still chose to give orders to Adriana after that accusation. That was hilarious!

Adriana’s at a toxic workplace environment. If any, she should be finding a job vacancy and signing a resignation letter already.

We are also given a flashback scene wherein Aaron and Jess were still the best of friends.

Yes, they weren’t just part of the same circle. They were actually best friends! So, what was it that led to Jess abandoning Aaron in the boat when he needed him the most? Why did he let him suffer?

Related: Counter Play Season 1 Episode 3 Review: Dial ‘M’ for Masquerade

With regards to the Aaron Robertson murder case, we are yet again given an additional suspect: Mr. Cornwall.

That was how it was presented in the flashback scene wherein he was talking to Heather, of course. However, it was hard to believe he would do it.

It felt like the writing directed for it to be headed towards that direction, and that was too easy! I wouldn’t really count this one in as a suspect. But who knows at this point, really?

This episode, overall, is good. There weren’t any moments that would wow an audience. It was typical and ordinary. It almost felt like a filler episode as the revelations in this one could have been added in the previous installments.

It was a letdown because one of the biggest reveals is wasted in the way it was executed.

What about you? Did you love this episode? Let’s discuss it in the comment section below!

Counter Play is available at Amazon Prime.

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The post Counter Play Season 1 Episode 5 Review: The Old And The New appeared first on TV Fanatic.

On Counter Play Season 1 Episode 4, people are on edge because of the ongoing murder investigation. Jake and Faith are going through a rocky slope with their relationship, and Jake’s secret is already beginning to come out.

Before we go to that, let’s talk about Kyle.

In the previous episode, it was joyous to see a character that is new and could actually deliver lines better than most of the characters. That was Kyle Waters, the murder victim’s brother.

He can act, that’s for sure, and I’ll be happy to see more of him in the future.

The only sad thing here is that the death was random. Kyle was introduced on Counter Play Season 1 Episode 3 to make sure that the death will have some sort of impact, but it wasn’t enough. It would have been more interesting if the character who died was a big part of the show.

Related: Counter Play Season 1 Episode 1 Review: Aaron Robertson is Dead!

An important character's death would make waves into the lives of the main characters, and a beautiful second half of the season could be created out of it. But this one made noise enough, thankfully.

Of course, there are other things to talk about from this episode as well that truly deserves a nod.

Firstly, Emily got married to Easton Saunders! Booze, party, masks … just enough reason for Emily to finally start acting out on Ethan dumping her just before they got married. It’s been long due.

While this was a nice surprise, it’s hard to see it working out on a longer run. If it would, I hope it would be a bumpy road. Easton seemed to be a romantic and Emily would be what one would call self-centered, and this is a dynamic that would be hard to work out, especially on TV.

Emily is sweet as a friend, and there’s a fire in her, but she regards herself highly, and she doesn’t want people to look ahead of that. She wants everyone to remember her as the high society girl, and I like that as a variation she has over Faith and Riley.

From being asked, “What’s your poison?” by a rich guy one night, and exchanging I dos right after that — Emily needs to be careful. Yes, Easton would seem to be someone who you’d gladly welcome into your life with open arms, but sociopaths are just the same.

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While it is nice to see a multidimensional character, it would also be nice to see people authentically respond to things.

That said, let’s head on to Faith Morgan.

Finally!

It was nice to see Faith not smiling for a change. There isn’t a problem with her smile, but she had been smiling for the past three episodes that it’s hard to get a grip on her personality. I almost thought of her as a one-layered character.

Thank you, writers, for changing my mind before it happened.

Faith and Jake are having problems because of Jake’s secrets. How true could it be that Faith would be willing to support Jake if he chose to tell her the truth?

That’s doubtful, especially, if Faith knew the truth that Jake Spector is Aaron Robertson.

Matt: I’m not going to give you any private information. We don’t want the media on this story. We want to catch the killer, not sensationalize it.

_{🔗 permalink: We want to catch the killer, not sensationalize it.}

And can we also talk about Matt?

Character development! Matt is the son of a former South Point resident. Shady! What happened? And what brought him back?

Related: Counter Play Season 1 Episode 2 Review: Undisclosed Truths

Who would have guessed, right?

However, it was an ironic moment when Matt was investigating Jess Haynesworth, and he called Jess out for being out of line with his accusations when he was doing exactly that to him. Do not let Confucius hear this, or you’ll never hear the end of it, Matt!

Additional notes:

• Amber, the reporter from Counter Play Season 1 Episode 1, is back and is becoming more and more involved in the development of the storyline.
   
• Slone, one of the three witnesses on the Pilot episode, is back with a scene. While it’s comprehensible why she’s suffering from PTSD, I still don’t see a reason why she’s being given a share of the spotlight. What is her importance to the overall story?

Sloane: I desperately need you to fix me. Please.

_{🔗 permalink: I desperately need you to fix me}

It was not a perfect episode, and it isn’t what I’m looking for from the show anymore, but the improvement is apparent from the previous episodes.

What are your thoughts about this installment?

Hit the comments below.

Counter Play is available at Amazon Prime.

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The post Counter Play Season 1 Episode 4 Review: Someone’s Gotta Pay! appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Let’s start off with Faith and Riley. It seemed like the two were off to a friendly start. They are both women of class, and it would be nice to see how a friendship could blossom out of two people who share a common thing: their love for Jake/Aaron.

Of course, neither knows the truth so far, but it would be fun to see where that friendship would end up once they learned the truth about Jake Spector.

We were also introduced to a new character, Logan, a security consultant hired by Jake and who used to date our local private investigator, Matt, who was also working for the same man as security for the Masquerade Ball.

The way she was introduced was great. It seemed like she would be entangled pretty well with the storyline, having a past with Matt and her family holds a grudge towards the Haynesworths.

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Then, we have been given another glimpse to the three murder witnesses from Counter Play Season 1 Episode 1. Being familiar faces, there's this desire to care about them, but they felt more like people from outside the circle rather than an integral part of the show.

Back in the previous episodes, Mrs. Cornwall was the redeemer. This time, it was hard to see it that way.

It was such a sad thing to see her blabbing about her fake OD to a friend who now has leverage on her. But that one wasn’t a poor choice of decision for the creative team.

Heather Cornwall as a loose-mouthed woman seemed not so out of character. She tends to be impulsive with her actions, and this one proved it. She would do or say whatever it is she wished to. It was just saddening to see a favorite character make a poor decision.

But it would be an interesting spin now that Victoria has the upper hand on Heather. What could Virginia ask Heather for in exchange for her silence? Now, that’s juicy.

The same can be said for Jess Haynesworth, but it wasn't hard to enjoy that scene. Jess is a blabbermouth, and he enjoys bullying people to his advantage. Seeing him become the victim of his own game was well-deserved!

One of the few scenes from the last quarter of the episode that was enjoyable was the dance/talk scene Riley and Jake shared. It would be nice to see how Riley’s confession to Jake that she still hasn’t moved on from Aaron, his previous identity, will play out.

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Kudos to Aaron. To have someone love you still even after all the years that passed? You did something right, for sure.

But, will it be a hindrance to the Faith-Jake relationship? Will there be a second chance for Riley and Aaron? How did affect Jake after hearing that from the mouth of the woman he loved?

It would be nice to see a soft spot from Jake that isn’t fake, honestly.

This was a marked improvement over previous outings, and while there was still a lot of dialogue, it suited the situation. Well done!

Additional notes:

• Faith Morgan is still yet to be explored as a character. She can’t be just a supporting girlfriend to Jake, can she?
   
• Some characters feel like they’re unnecessary additions to the storyline. There are too many characters already and too little time to invest and explore on them.
   
• Also, Kyle, the waiter and Riley’s classmate in South Point High back in the days, had a great line delivery. It didn’t feel forced and felt very natural to the ears. Will we get to see him again?

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Now, we can all head on to Amazon Prime to watch Counter Play Season 1 Episode 4, because there are questions that are yet to be answered. Who was holding the gun? Who was shot? Why were they shot? Lastly, who planned the murder?

Related: Get HBO via Prime Video Channels for Addictive Dramas, Hilarious Comedies & Hit Movies!

Have you decided to join us on this journey of finding out what is going on in this Australian town full of glitz, glamour, lies, and murder? 

Tell us why or why not, and what shows you enjoy watching on Amazon Prime.

Hit the comment section below so we can discuss further!

The post Counter Play Season 1 Episode 3 Review: Dial ‘M’ for Masquerade appeared first on TV Fanatic.

As said in my review for Counter Play Season 1 Episode 1, I am giving this show a chance. However, that very first scene made me scratch my head. Do I regret giving it a chance? I hope not.

The dialogue they had in there was both funny and sad. The worst thing: they didn’t mean for it to either be funny or sad.

Jake asked Riley if she was okay. Riley said she was just a bit shaken, but she didn’t look shaken at all. Riley didn't even get to see the face of the stranger who touched her because Jake immediately punched him in the face!

Every single emotion counts, people. The transition from whatever to something else is important to be able to get a feel about a character’s emotional journey.

Sadly, we were robbed of that, and we were again told of how they were feeling instead of showing it to us.

Soon after that, they introduced themselves to each other, and they were already friendly towards one another.

Now, being sociable towards someone who saved my life is acceptable. But the stranger didn’t do anything at all! He didn’t attack her. He didn’t even say a single word!

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If I were Riley, I would be puzzled. What if it was just a lost man, about to ask for directions? That wouldn’t make Jake a hero. It would make him a guy with anger management and severe trust issues.

Then, she immediately accepted the offer to be taken home by a driver of a man she’d just met? What if it was an orchestrated act, Riley? And, guess what? It is!

As the plot wanted it to happen, Riley wouldn’t know that it indeed is a show.

Plot-driven. I’ve called this show that too many times now, and we’re only on the second episode.

Needless to say, naïve Riley Cornwall just agreed and hopped in the vehicle.

Someone needs to watch over this girl. Seriously.

Because of what happened, private investigator Matt was finally able to start his investigation of the Aaron Robertson murder case by using the incident Jake arranged as a way in.

It's hard to like this character. Sure, he was just doing his job, but there are right moments to do the proper tasks of your job. There are things you can just ask people, and there are others which have to be done at the right moments.

Everyone was aware that Matt reopened the Aaron Robertson case, but to open that up when a victim of an attack called you to report an incident—that’s out of place.

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Also, telling a victim to pick better friends and asking where Jess was when all this happened and why he didn’t accompany Riley home? That was a dialogue meant for Mrs. Cornwall, the victim’s mother.

This would have been forgiven if the show had given a little background on Matt. Maybe he had a sister who had gone the same thing as Riley and his sister ended up in a worse situation than Riley did?

That’s called trying to make a point out of an action. The show needs to have more of that.

Faith: I met the famous Jess Haynesworth the other evening. He’s a character.

Emily: That’s not the word I’d use for him.

Faith: Really? What do you mean?

Emily: I’m just saying—you don’t get close to the Haynesworths.

_{🔗 permalink: You Don’t Get Close To The Haynesworths}

For the second time, Mrs. Cornwall proved that she is the show’s true hero. She came to the rescue and interrupted Matt with his pressure-throwing. Thank goodness for this character.

Now, yes, Mrs. Cornwall isn’t the saint of all saints. She’s a flawed character, and that’s why it's easy to identify with her.

She loves her kids. That much is evident in this episode. She loves them as much as she loves being part of the elite society. But she isn’t a one-layered character, that’s for sure. To say it simply: she's human.

We were brought to a scene wherein Heather Cornwall is talking to her son, Chad. She lied to him about Riley being brutally attacked so she could have him back in South Point with her.

After that talk over the phone, she orchestrated an overdose. Having her daughter see her lying down on the floor, faking unconsciousness — it was a layer to the character that was unexpected.

Another unexpected thing? That terrible scene wherein Riley finally saw Mrs. Cornwall’s show. Just when you think things are elevating for the better…

Riley was talking to Emily, and the moment she turned around, it felt like she already knew her mom would be there on the floor. There was no gap in between to see why she had to be shocked.

This time, it isn't nitpicking. This is when a single second of emotional shift matters a lot to a scene.

It was like she knew her mom was already on the floor but she had to finish telling a joke first. The proper sequencing of that is: you laugh with your friend, you turn around, you look down, and you act surprised to see her there.

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That being said, let’s talk about something good — Emily Loui.

She seemed like a character who’s only supposed to play ‘the best friend’ all throughout the season, but she proved to be way more than that.

She’s in on the secret about Aaron Robertson being abandoned in the boat the day of the accident, and she’d been keeping it a secret since her fiancé Ethan is a part of that incident.

Emily faced Jess, the man his fiancé Ethan was so scared of and told him to his face how she would expose the truth if Jess didn’t straighten his acts up.

Emily Loui (to Jess Haynesworth): That’s the problem. You always have an excuse. And, you’re still getting drunk and not acting your age. Ethan may be scared of you, but I’m not!

_{🔗 permalink: You always have an excuse.}

But the improvement was cut short.

Speaking of Ethan, I understand that he was scared of the congratulatory note he got from "Aaron Robertson" that he felt like he had to run away, but what’s up with Emily seeming to be okay with it? How did Emily, of all people, just let it go?

They were engaged! On the pilot, it was shown that she would keep any secret for this man and would back him up on everything. How is this a conversation over a text message?

Authenticity is important, and this show lacks it. And, true, this is a soap opera, so everything’s going to be absurd than it will ever be in real life. That said, tell me an absurd story with an acceptable line of action. A proper sequencing and course of the act. That’ll suffice.

Counter Play, as a show, isn’t that bad. Honestly, if it was that terrible, it would be difficult to continue watching. There’s a promise to improve, and they have improved from the pilot episode. But we need more.

Additional notes:

• For a lead character, we don't get to see a lot of Jake Spector. It would be nice to see him plot with people or show what kind of evil revenge he has in store for us. Rather than explaining to us what he is doing, show us what he can do.
   
• Do people still buy DVDs nowadays? Color me surprised. I really don't buy them anymore.
   
• Riley Cornwall needs to show me some real tears since she's the most broken one out of all.
   
• Thank you, Emily, for giving me better quotes for this episode!

That's all for this time folks. We have a Masquerade Ball waiting for us in Counter Play Season 1 Episode 3. If you're watching along, hit the comment section and let's discuss further!

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The post Counter Play Season 1 Episode 2 Review: Undisclosed Truths appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Well, worry not, because you can dive into Amazon Prime’s offering, Counter Play! Promised with luxury, scandal, romance, greed, and mystery—who wouldn’t dare love it, right?

Were they able to give what they promised? Well, before going into the verdict, let's go into details.

Counter Play Season 1 Episode 1 immediately introduced the people of the affluent and scenic town of South Point. It takes place four years after a fellow named Aaron's traumatic near-death accident. He returns home with a new identity and vengeful game-play that begins to unravel the lives of his old school friends.

The story begins with three girls discovering an unidentified dead body with no records of him to be found by the police at all. While it immediately raises a lot of questions, it also offers confusion.

Because, along with the murder scene, they also say, "Aaron Robertson is dead." It's easy to assume that the Aaron Robertson everyone is referring to is the same guy, but not necessarily. 

If it wasn't for the confusion, the mystery might have been a good one.

Along comes Aaron’s friend, Jess Haynesworth, a very entitled rich guy and a bully who would do anything just because he wanted to do it. It's very easy to hate the character, not because he's entitled, but because he's a brat without reason.

Right off the bat, it's evident that Jess is being prepped to be the show's antihero.

With a flashback scene, we learn that Jess has something to do with Aaron’s murder, along with another friend Ethan, on a night that they left Aaron alone in a boat. Ethan wanted to go back and help, but Jess stopped him from doing so, resorting to blackmail.

Even with the flashback scene, it's impossible to tell why Jess had to blackmail Ethan to leave Aaron alone in the boat.

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Sure, he doesn’t like Aaron, but is it an anger that could lead him to abandon someone from his own circle?

If it was explained what had gotten him so angry at Aaron, maybe it would be easier to give Jess a chance. But the storytelling went a different way.

It was like being told to take a medication without knowing about your illness.

A good antagonist is someone you can understand. Someone to whom you can relate. It was hard to find a single connection with Jess.

Until it is explained why Jess was able to do what he did, it will be difficult to connect with the character. That said, I'm very open to a surprise. If any, I'd like to see Aaron not be a name of a victim but be an identity of hate.

While it's no feat to feel bad for a murder victim, it's always a nice welcome to see a layer to a character.

Jake Spector came in with a physique of a fighter. Here, we learn that he had already commenced with his plan on taking back what he lost from the people who had taken them.

The transition to Jake Spector was anti-climactic, sad to say.

It didn't feel like he was the lead. If it wasn't for the dialogue, it would be hard to figure out he wanted revenge. And if that wasn't enough, the actor didn't emote anger—that kind of anger that would want to exact revenge.

Then, there were Riley Cornwall, Aaron’s ex-girlfriend who was already trying to move on from his death, and her mother, Mrs. Heather Cornwall.

On a side note, there is a scene when they are talking to each other over the phone that is the least believable of all.

There was no way anyone could tell they were in different places. It was like she was in the house with her mom, in her bedroom, while her mom was in the living room, and they were pretending to be far away from one another.

Other characters have been introduced, also, to little fanfare.

Faith Morgan, the show’s female lead and Jake Spector’s girlfriend who still has a lot of room for improvement; Emily Loui, Riley’s best friend and Ethan, s fiancé, who hates Jess’ guts; and Matt, a private investigator, reopening the Aaron Robertson case.

Too many characters, and too little time to introduce them properly.

Pilot episodes are written as introductions, and Counter Play has a lot of missed opportunities.

It would be easy to nitpick because it felt like everything was rushed. However, the story itself has a promise to become a better show.

Related: Enjoy UNLIMITED access to thousands of Movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video. WATCH ANYWHERE. CANCEL ANYTIME!

The scene cuts and transitions made it hard to connect to the characters. The approach made it seem like the viewers are outsiders looking into the lives of the wealthy, but who would want that?

Diving into the storyline, it would be best to make viewers feel as if they are part of the show and not people who salivate to be a part of their glamorous lives.

While this is called nitpicking, it is also a chance to get better. Here's hoping the producers and editors will do something about it to make sure that the quality of the show won't suffer going on.

Was it a personal preference that hindered me? Absolutely. As a medium that connects viewers through optical and auditory means, it's easy to say that little effort has been given to hide the fact that the show is on a shaky start. Even the songs just popped in and out to signify that the scene had been changed.

Hypercriticism is not a hard feat to do here. And, since we're already here, let's remember a rule of storytelling: show, don’t tell. Most of the time, instead of seeing things in action, things are a part of the dialogue and it's unrealistic. The schemes, the description of their lives? It was like listening to an audiobook.

Heck, they even included a dialogue when Jake Spector admitted that he was, in fact, Aaron Robertson instead of allowing us gradually discover this juicy piece of information.

It was understandable, though. Unlike most series, Counter Play has shorter episodes and the budget isn't the same as other mainstream TV shows so the appreciation is still there.

Jake Spector: My story isn’t purely about revenge. It’s about taking back my life.

_{🔗 permalink: My story isn’t purely about revenge. It’s about taking back my life.}

If they really needed to tell that immediately, they could have taken inspiration out of Revenge to see how it should be done.

Relating to the characters was so difficult that it failed to give a better feel to these people and the episode in general.

Watching this episode alone certainly wouldn't make someone a fan. However, recognition should be given to Mrs. Heather Cornwall, played by Australian actress Michelle Rowley.

Cornwall showed that promise of becoming a great character. Actually, investing in her character felt easier than it was with Jake Spector.

Yes, they really need to do something about that.

Related: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Season 2: First Look!!

While it's understandable that the production is on a budget, there are always efficient and effective ways to use the budget wisely without having to make it feel forced. The vision and the end result are likely quite different.

As TV Fanatics, we deserve to see a better show, and Counter Play has the promise of becoming better.

Given a tagline as Australia’s answer to Gossip Girl, the expectation was higher. Since they promised to give luxury, romance, greed, and mystery, there was anticipation for something more. However, the episode fell short with its grand promises.

Of course, this is just the first episode so I’m not giving up on the series just yet. After all, there are questions that are yet to be answered.

Who attempted to kill Aaron Robertson? Why did they try to kill him? How did Aaron become Jake Spector, and who was the real Jake Spector? Where did that identity come from?

How about you? Do you agree or disagree with the overall impression I had of Counter Play Episode 1 Season 1? Who are your favorite characters in the show? What are your thoughts about the episode? Would you stick to it? Let us know in the comment section!

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The post Counter Play Season 1 Episode 1 Review: Aaron Robertson is Dead! appeared first on TV Fanatic.