jennifer626

The costumes, settings, music are all beautiful, but we've seen them before. This season lacks the substance and intrigue that led so many to bingewatch the first. A gaping hole is left with the resolution of Simon and Daphne's romance. The love triangle between Anthony, Kate and Edwina feels forced, with none of the actors particularly charismatic. The heightened focus on Eloise is detrimental, with the actress' eyerolls, overreaction, and unrealistic conduct reminiscent of Anna Chlumsky as Vivian in Inventing Anna. The other subplots are so redundant that they could have been crafted from film left on the editing floor in Season 1 and weren't enthralling on the first go-round (e.g., Penelope's unrequited infatuation with Colin).

My rating of 6 is the average of a 7 for Season 1 and a 5 for Season 2.

Watching the series was as entertaining as leafing through a gossip magazine in a dentist's office. It's something to do to pass the time, and once in a while you spot something intriguing, but most of the time you're rolling your eyes and checking the clock.

Shonda Rhimes' primary error was deconstructing a genuinely engaging story and replacing it with "completely true, except for totally made up" patchwork. Her characters often behave illogically and lack motivation because the events that led to their real-life decisions are misrepresented or omitted altogether.

The creation and depiction of "Vivian" is particularly irritating and unnecessary. Vivian's behavior was unrealistically unprofessional (particularly when interacting with her managers), her communication skills were terrible, and she appeared to be a rookie journalist rather than a seasoned reporter. Anna Chlumsky's insistence on an endless series of exaggerated facial expressions was a constant reminder that Vivian was an invention herself, because no one that incompetent could have successfully wrested an interview from "the" Anna. The show would have been much better if it simply described IRL reporter Jessica's work and relationship with Anna.

When the series ends, you still won't understand how and why the elite New Yorkers fell for the long con. If you have a spark of curiosity remaining, check out the Vanity Fair article by the "real" Rachel (and ponder over Rachel's likely reaction to how she is portrayed by Rhimes).

The plotline was promising and novel: a dysfunctional bachelor must find his soulmate after he's already died. Production values were surprisingly high for this low-budget film. The biggest problem was an amateurish script that was intermittently predictable, redundant and woefully inadequate. The movie would also have benefitted from a male lead with more charisma and authenticity. Christina Ricci was fine.