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Critic Reviews
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The storylines are darker, sexier. They also arc across episodes — I recommend watching at least the first two to get the full flavor. Also, Episode 2 is stronger, with the loss of intimacy explored through both comic and poignant storylines. It’s a network show, so don’t expect The Leftovers. But Fantasy Island is back and it’s in good hands.
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As each episode of Fantasy Island unfurls, it’s clear that the possibilities at this particular retreat are truly limitless, which makes the series a tantalizing watch just to see what the island will come up with next.
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It stuck close to the original formula, with some updates. And that makes for a much more entertaining show.
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Light and escapist, the new “Fantasy Island” is as unessential as TV viewing gets but for viewers seeking an anthology with close-ended, weekly stories, it’s not bad.
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There’s a certain first-pass quality to the writing here: Just a bit of polish would have benefited a show meant to evoke the best of everything. ... And yet “Fantasy Island” is nourished by occasional curiosity about what this franchise can do. Imaginative jags here can be rushed and easily resolved.
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The show’s creators haven’t quite figured out who they want this new Roarke to be — an opaque and all-knowing master of ceremonies or someone more accessible with her own stories to unfurl — which means the character is not quite defined enough to function as a much-needed anchor from one episode to the next.
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Frankly, this latest "Island" visit would be better off had HBO not recently premiered "The White Lotus," a much better, more complicated look at travelers to an island paradise and those who serve them.
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Through four episodes it’s nonstop half-baked high-concept storytelling made with clear COVID and budgetary limitations, but you know what? It’s OK, never memorable but with potential to be watched in roughly the same way the original probably should be watched.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 2 out of 9
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Mixed: 2 out of 9
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Negative: 5 out of 9
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Oct 23, 2021The show feels forced and the main characters on the island are a bit weak.
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Oct 14, 2021
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Sep 25, 2021