Hotel Babylon Season 4 Review

Howdy people of the internet, time for another TV review and today I am return with my review of the 4th and final season of Hotel Babylon. Now as I stated before, I loved season 1, really liked season 2 and wasn’t so keen on season 3, and now I’m returning to the final season which I never saw the whole way through back 2009. So how does this season fare? Well read on and find out.

So what is the show about? Well, Hotel Babylon is a fabulous five-star hotel in the heart of London, it is a fairly expensive establishment, however, if you have the money to afford a visit you will find your stay very comfortable in a lavish, beautiful and well-organized hotel where you can have anything you want, for the right price. This show introduces you to the world of how a hotel works and shows you the stories from not only the perspective of the staff but of the guests as well.

The show’s premise primarily focuses on the lives of the hotel staff, however, an equal amount of time is given to the guests of the hotel as well. The stories in this show are mainly episodic, however, there are arching storylines over the course of the 8-episode season and some ties to past seasons. Each episode features one or more storylines to do with the staff and/or guests of the hotel and sometimes they crossover into each other too.

Story-wise season 4 starts off with a bang and it definitely has some interesting ideas, but overall the plot elements are a far cry from what’s come before, with everything feeling a bit over-the-top, silly and delve into the realm of fiction. This season deals with geek culture, family domestics, gambling, both a fake wedding and funeral, the fallout and reforming of relationships and a few other issues. It’s at this point that Hotel Babylon starts to show signs of fatigue, it was noticeable in season 3 but here it’s much worse. At several points, the stories felt repetitious and tired thanks to the dialogue or scenarios that have been played out in previous seasons. And some of the key repeated themes were:

1. The “Will they or won’t they?” scenario: That permeated around Sam and Juliet, however, it was done before with Charlie and Rebecca, and Charlie and Anna in previous seasons.
2. People impersonating other people: That’s been done many times by now.
3. The hotel is in trouble: Whether the hotel’s having inspection issues, financial problems or being bought out, it’s all been done by now.
4. Main characters meeting outdoors: And is it me or has the moment where the two main characters spilt, one goes after the other and later meet in an exterior part of London happened before? I swear that’s become a thing since Charlie did it with Rebecca at the end of season 2.

Now I did love episode 3 because (SPOILERS) it brings back Max Beesley as Charlie, a character who besides Rebecca was a quintessential member of this show. Even though the episode’s a little cheesy and unrealistic, it was sweet seeing Anna and Charlie reunited, the birth of Anna’s child and her fairytale exit from the show. Unfortunately, this also marks the last spark greatness for this show as it’s mainly downhill afterwards. And while there are certainly positive moments of drama, humour and intrigue, it just felt like the writers gave up and created a soap-like drama with none of the care and panache this show was known for in the past. Oh and after seeing this show straight through to the end, I can say that the ending was one of the laziest and unsatisfactory conclusions I have ever seen. Sure the show got cancelled, but to leave open-ended and not even conclude one of the major storylines, I felt robbed.

When it comes to the cast they are good, however, some do better jobs than others. So start with Nigel Harman and Anna Wilson-Jones as Sam Franklin and Juliet Miller. These two are the new hotel owner and general manager and honestly, they’re no Charlie and Rebecca that’s for sure. It took me a while to warm to them, but I grew to tolerate them. Sam’s the more interesting of the two as he’s ambitious and risk-taker even if his actions can be troublesome to the hotel. And even though Harman’s good in the role, it’s hard not to see Dennis from Eastenders (yeah I remember stuff like that). And Juliet was fine, she doesn’t have any notable character traits, all I recall is that she wasn’t a team player and was a bit bland.

As for the returning cast, Dexter Fletcher is still as charming as Tony and I liked the material Fletcher was given this season. Emma Pierson is the same as ever as Anna, though this season gave her some nice and funny moments. Martin Marquez and Ray Coulthard once again do well as Gino and James, both of them have really interesting and strong individual moments (Gino and his short-term lover and James with his old intern), and together they’re the same bickering pair that they’ve been beforehand which was both humourous and tiring. Alexandra Moen as Emily unlike last season when I found Emily annoying, she was actually quite engaging. Also, I don’t know why didn’t notice before, but Emily was absurdly gorgeous and just oozed hotness all season. Michael Obiora had some interesting moments as Ben, and Danira Gović had some funny moments as Tanja, but I didn’t really care for her character becoming part of the main cast. Oh and finally Amy Nuttall as Melanie Hughes was an interesting late addition as the new receptionist, but I don’t feel like she fit into the show properly.

And the guest appearances are pretty good. Like I said before it was great to see Max Beesley as Charlie, but it was also cool to see Kelly Osbourne, Michael Winner, Honor Blackman, Tony Robinson, Frances Barber, Denise van Outen, the awesome Hugh Dennis and Ruby Turner.

The presentation for the show is still quite nice. The visual style, cinematography and shots of exterior shots of London at day and night continue to look lovely, and the soundtrack by Jim Williams and John Lunn is still smooth, sleek and wonderful on the ears, however, like last season some of the better themes and jazz-focused elements from previous seasons aren’t around and that still sucks.

In conclusion season 4 of Hotel Babylon had some nice moments, the cast is still fun and there’s enough in this season to make it watchable. However when compared to what’s come before it is a massive step down. This was the point when my beautiful show well and truly died and became painfully average and dull. There is a reason why I only refer to season’s 1 & 2 of Hotel Babylon, and that is because the next two don’t measure up, especially not this one. Nuff said.

Rating: 5/10 (A tragic conclusion to this show)

So have you seen Hotel Babylon and if so what did you think of it? Also thank you for checking out my reviews on this show and if I inspired you to give a watch I’d love to hear from you in the comments below. So until the next time, I’ll see ya whenever I do my next TV review, laters! 😀

 

Hotel Babylon Season 3 Review

Howdy people of the internet, time for another TV review and today after a long break I am returning to Hotel Babylon with my review of season 3! Now I loved season 1 and season 2 was just as good if not better, now I am returning to the third season for the first time in 7 years! And I’m curious to see if my thoughts have changed or remained the same. So how does this season fare? Well read on and find out.

So what is the show about? Well, Hotel Babylon is a fabulous five-star hotel in the heart of London, it is a fairly expensive establishment, however, if you have the money to afford a visit you will find your stay very comfortable in a lavish, beautiful and well-organized hotel where you can have anything you want, for the right price. This show introduces you to the world of how a hotel works and shows you the stories from not only the perspective of the staff but of the guests as well.

The show’s premise primarily focuses on the lives of the hotel staff, however an equal amount of time is given to the guests of the hotel as well. The stories are mainly episodic, however there are arching storylines over the course of the 8-episode season and there are also some ties to the previous two seasons. Each episode features one or more storylines to do with the staff and/or guests of the hotel and sometimes they crossover too.

Story-wise with season 3, you get a feeling of familiarity with the characters, setting and plot format, but also because of the passing of time and new situations presented with the guests and hotel staff. Some of the strong themes of season 3 are love and relationships, change, trust and loyalty. The show doesn’t hold any punches when it comes to issues relating to fashion and child labour, deceit within the hotel staff, a guest dying of cancer, prostitution, and a man struggling with weight loss. HB is still sleek, sexy and dramatic, and not only presents the characters and audience with ethical and moral dilemmas, but it’s also incredibly fun, humourous and engaging…

That being said, one of the issues I have with storylines in season 3 is that they don’t seem as well thought out as before and some of the new scenarios feel a little haphazard just for the sake of change rather than feeling like a natural progression of the series. It’s hard to describe without giving you an example, but you can tell that there’s a dip in quality as this season goes on and while it still has its moments the show doesn’t feel as compelling and fun as it was before. There is a moment where the show peeks at episode 5 and it is at that point where you see the talent of the writers at work as they are able to create some really tension-filled, dramatic and heart-breaking material for you to watch. It is awesome and yet so sad at the same time… Unfortunately it is that point the season takes a huge loss and it never seems to recover from it and those who have seen the show will know exactly what I mean. Another aspect not as strong as before was the season finale, while the last two were brilliant, this one felt a little over-the-top, crowded and not as satisfying as it could have been, and I think it was primarily due to the impact of episode 5 which was much stronger.

When it comes to the cast they are all pretty good, the returning cast do a good job while the new additions add to the show in an interesting way. So start with Max Beesley who was solid as Charlie Edwards. I wasn’t keen on the way Charlie was handled, he’s more Rebecca (the former manager) than himself and while that comes with the job title, I feel like he lost a little charm and humanity. This season focuses a lot at first on Charlie taking on the role as general manager and changing up his attitude towards his coworkers/friends as he starts making choices that aren’t ethical or moral for the sake of business over the more humane decisions he used to make. That being said when push comes to shove Charlie comes through. Dexter Fletcher is still good as Tony Casemore. As head concierge and most senior form of staff he knows his coworkers and the hotel pretty well, but also has to get with times and change things up, he had plenty of moments to standout whether it was because of personal issues or aspects that related to his coworkers/friends. Emma Pierson once again does well as Anna Thornton-Wilton, while her character traits are familiar, she has a lot more dramatic moments and time is dedicated to her relationship material as well.

Natalie Mendoza comes back and does well as Jackie Clunes. Here she’s just as sassy, fun and gorgeous as ever, but she doesn’t have as big of a presence as before. Martin Marquez is good as Gino Primirola and this season we get more dramatic moments for him which was welcome. Ray Coulthard again does well as James Schofield and has some time to shine with scenarios relating to his restaurant and wine collection, and while there’s no proper development for his character he is still fun to watch. Michael Obiora is good as Ben Trueman, but he’s not nearly as noticeable as his coworkers. New members to the main staff include Emily James played by Alexandra Moen and Jack Harrison played by Lee Williams. When it comes to Emily at first she’s quite annoying and mischievous, and doesn’t really fit into the main staff’s dynamic, however she eventually started to show loyalty and humour that made her more relatable and likeable, and Moen does well in her role. And when it comes to Jack he comes in as a bit of a know-it-all, has no sense of flexibility and totally lacks the human touch at first, but eventually he becomes a tolerable character. And finally there are some great appearances from Jon Culshaw, Kwame Kwei-Armah, Paula Abdul and John Barrowman (who was looking very much like Tom Cruise for some reason).

When it comes to the presentation it is still very nice. Visually the show still has good cinematography and camera work used throughout the hotel and across London too. The soundtrack by Jim Williams and John Lunn is once again one of the best aspects of the show, however the music wasn’t as strong as before and had less of a jazz focus which was a real shame for me.

In conclusion by the time season 3 of Hotel Babylon is over you feel like there’s certainly been bumps in the road, but overall it is still pretty good. There is still a lot of heart and fun to this show, it is just unfortunate that it lost some key characters and had lacklustre stories. I’d like to say that things get better in season 4, but alas that’s not true.

Rating: 7/10 (Good, but a substantial step down from previous seasons)

So have you seen Hotel Babylon and if so what did you think of it? Whatever your thoughts are drop them in the comments below and I’ll see ya next time for the review of season 4. 😀

 

Hotel Babylon Season 2 Review

Howdy people of the internet, time for another TV review and today I am returning to Hotel Babylon with my review of season 2. Now I loved season 1, it was just an addictive bit of telly and introduces you to the sexy, extravagant and crazy world of hotel life, and as soon as season 1 ended, I jumped on season 2 immediately (especially because of the gripping season finale). So how does season 2 compare to the last? Well read on and find out.

So what is the show about? Well, in the heart of London is the fictional five-star hotel; Hotel Babylon. It’s an expensive establishment, however, upon your visit, you will find your stay very comfortable in a lavish, beautiful and well-organized hotel where you can have anything you want, for the right price.

Story-wise the show primarily focuses on the lives of the staff, however, an equal amount of time is given to the guests of the hotel. The stories are mainly episodic, though there are overarching stories that cover the course of the 8. Each episode features multiple storylines with the staff and hotel guests and sometimes they crossover into each other which is also interesting.

Story-wise season 2 gives you everything you loved about season 1, but ups the stakes and shakes a few things up to keep things fresh and unexpected. This season focuses heavily on change and transitions.and themes relating to love, friendship, loyalty, uncertainty and trust. The writing is very strong resulting is some great dialogue from character narrations to the specific stories of the season whether they involve rude footballers, politicians, angry bell boys or cults, there’s always something new to see and it’s with just the right amount of realism and fiction. While some of the stories aren’t as strong as last season, this season still has so much heart and drama that it’s hard to not get addicted. While the format of the show does lead to some familiar plot elements being rehashed, the writers behind the show find interesting ways to present these stories which still retain their balance of dramatic and light-hearted material along with the fun, exciting and captivating aspects that made you fall in love with season 1. There definitely feels like there’s a greater sense of danger and urgency with some of the stories this time around and at several points, I found myself completely swept up in the drama and feeling all sorts of emotions, especially with the last few episodes.

When it comes to the cast they are amazing. All of the returning cast members are back in full effect and some deliver even better performances than before. They were already a great bunch of characters in the first season, but because of these new scenarios, we get to get know them better, peel away the layers and build on their bonds and dynamics while also exploring new ones.

Let’s start with Max Beesley as Charlie Edwards who is still awesome. This season Charlie has to deal with a lot, balancing his responsibilities as deputy manager and his bond with his friends/co-workers which leads to some difficult moments. Outside of that, he has to tackle some new scenarios with certain guests and staff and it makes for great character development for him. Next up is Tamzin Outhwaite as Rebecca Mitchell is who is simply incredible in this season. As general manager, she’s always been a bit ruthless, tough and unfair, however, at the end of the day she’s doing her job. Behind closed doors, we see that she cares for her staff and has their backs whenever possible. In a lot of ways Rebecca has the biggest story arc of all, we see more of her successes and struggles, learn more about her past and personal connections and see how her career has affected her in the long term. Dexter Fletcher turns in another great performance as Tony Casemore. He’s still as charming, wise and cool as before, but this time we get more specific material that allows him to be front and center whether it be sharing his knowledge with others or second-guessing his skills.

Emma Pierson is also great as Anna Thornton-Wilton. She’s still self-centred, cheeky and a bit rude, but she’s also very cute, bubbly and has a kind heart on the inside, and this season we get to see her grow a little more too. Natalie Mendoza’s return as Jackie Clunes is a welcome one as she’s wonderful. While she isn’t as prominent as last season, she definitely has her moments to shine in specific episodes when it comes to dealing with certain guests, co-workers and her housekeeping staff. Martin Marquez as Gino Primirola is just super fun, while he’s still the best source of humour for the show, we learn more about him and his emotional side. Ray Coulthard is really good as James Schofield. Last season I couldn’t stand James, he was just a snobby prick with the occasional fun moment. But this season he joins the main cast and we discover much more about his personality, failings and redeeming qualities individually and as part of the team. And Michael Obiora as Ben Trueman is also impressive. While Ben’s pairing with Anna is still entertaining and humourous, he has some great moments center around him and really fleshes out his character. One new member to this crew is Paul Telfer as Luke Marwood, he’s the junior concierge working under Tony and certainly has fun moments of being charming, smooth and cracking jokes, he can also be incredibly crafty, cocky and likes to get ahead for his own gain. There are also some great appearances from Danny Dyer, David Walliams, Mark Heap, Jennifer Ellison and Kelly Brook.

As for the presentation, it’s still fabulous and one of the best aspects of this show. Visually the show looks great with good editing and cinematography that highlights the beauty of London. On top of that, there are more locations used in this season. Beyond the interior of the hotel, we get exterior shots of the hotel balconies and see the streets of London too which makes the scale of the show feel larger and more connected. Also the show moves at a good pace thanks to the swift editing and scene transitions too. And then there’s the music, that gorgeous music!. The soundtrack composed by Jim Williams and John Lunn continues to be one of the shows’ highlights as it implements that gorgeous jazzy sound you’re used to with newer upbeat and dance-inspired sounds that adds a new, yet welcome flavour. Oh and the new version of the theme song sounds great and makes me feel like dancing every time it comes on.

In conclusion, Hotel Babylon season 2 is great. Even after having seen it a few times beforehand, it still holds up incredibly well. You get more of what you liked in the first season, but with new scenarios that take you on an emotional rollercoaster which will leave you satisfied once it’s over. And while I believe season 1 does have the edge due to it being the first and having some better stories, season 2 definitely stands strongly alongside the previous season thanks to great writing and fantastic performances from the cast.

Rating: 8.5/10 (Still on fire)

So have you seen Hotel Babylon‘s second season and if so what did you think of it? Please leave your thoughts in the comments below and I’ll see ya next time for the review of season 3. 😀

 

Hotel Babylon Season 1 Review

Howdy people of the internet, hope you had a good New Year’s adventure. Today is my first post of 2015 and so I thought why not give you a TV review and today’s show is one I’ve been meaning to review for AGES. I am of course talking about Hotel Babylon. It’s not even a joke how long I have been meaning to do this review, we’re talking like back in January/February 2013 and then I was meant to have it done by this time last year. However, now the time has come, after re-watching this first season for the third time, I think it’s about time I shared my thoughts on one of my favourite TV shows from the late 2000s. So let’s talk about season 1.

So what is the show about? Well, in the heart of London is the fictional five-star hotel; Hotel Babylon. It’s an expensive establishment, however, upon your visit, you will find your stay very comfortable in a lavish, beautiful and well-organized hotel where you can have anything you want, for the right price.

Story-wise the show primarily focuses on the lives of the staff, however, an equal amount of time is given to the guests of the hotel. The stories are mainly episodic, though there are overarching stories that cover the course of the 8-episode season. Each episode features multiple storylines with the staff and hotel guests and sometimes they crossover into each other which is also interesting.

I love the stories in the show mainly because they are the perfect balance of fun, dramatic and relatable. I believe what separates this show from other British dramas is the setting and the stories that get told. We’ve all been to a hotel at some point in our lives, right? However, there aren’t many shows that have depicted what happens in and around a hotel in such a stylish, complex and interesting manner. The show is handled with a great deal of care as there are a lot of moving parts with the plot, themes and characters, yet it all comes together in a beautiful and cohesive way thanks to solid direction and writing. The variety of the stories is also impressive as they can be serious or light-hearted, humourous or weird, close to real-life or a little over-the-top. With the guests, whether they are rock stars, adulterers, millionaires, hotel inspectors or have weird habits or suicidal tendencies, it’s just fascinating to see their stories unfold. In addition to the guests, the staff are pretty compelling too as they’re not only doing their jobs to the best of their abilities but also have their own issues to deal with. And because of the amount of content you get, you’ll always be compelled to see how the stories will get wrapped up in a 1-hour episode. If I have any complaints I would say that some stories aren’t as compelling as others and some of the scenarios can get a bit over-the-top, but otherwise, it is fine.

When it comes to the cast they are amazing and their wonderful performances hold everything together. When it comes to main characters; the hotel staff, I like how they’re introduced. From the first episode, we see all of the main characters, but rather than giving detailed introductions to everyone, the plot focuses on the necessary characters. And from there future episodes give us insight to the various staff members individually but also how they operate together. We see them develop and form connections and interesting character dynamics.

Let’s start with Max Beesley as Charlie Edwards. Now, this is primarily Charlie’s show. He narrates each episode and a good few episodes focus on him. He’s the deputy manager and former head receptionist. He’s attentive, handsome, determined and knows how to get things done. However, he can also be a bit dense, naive, too ambitious, and secretive because of his past. Beesley is great in this role, he’s likeable, cool and every time he’s on-screen I feel a sense of ease and happiness. The next major character Rebecca Mitchell, the general manager. played by Tamzin Outhwaite Rebecca is an efficient, aggressive and beautiful lady who loves success and hates excuses. However, though she is a good manager, she isn’t infallible. She has a messed up personal life that sometimes affects how she treats her staff. And while she can be a little unlikeable, she comes through for her staff when it counts, and Outhwaite is a perfect blend of beautiful, commanding and engaging. Next up is the wonderful Emma Pierson as Anna Thornton-Wilton, the head receptionist. She’s is a gorgeous and can be good at her job when she wants to be, however, she’s also snobby, lazy, self-centered and a high maintenance kind of woman. And though her negatives can sometimes outweigh her positives, deep down she has a heart and cares about more than just material things.

Oh and Natalie Mendoza is great as Jackie Clunes. Jackie is the head of housekeeping, she’s kind, perceptive and cares a lot for her housekeeping staff, but also has some personal problems as well. Also, Jackie is one sexy seductress. From the time she’s introduced, the hotness coming from her is impossible to ignore and Mendoza is not only great her role but is also one of the most gorgeous women I have ever seen. Dexter Fletcher is awesome as Tony Casemore, the head concierge. He’s super chilled out, cool, observant and can get anyone anything because that’s part of his job. Fletcher has a great screen presence and adds a lot of fun, charm and humour to his scenes. Martin Marquez is fun as Gino Primirola, the head barman. He’s the source of most of the comic relief. Ray Coulthard is also good as James Schofield, the food and beverage manager. James is good at his job but he’s also quite unlikeable because of his snobbish and condescending attitude, and his bickering with Gino while humourous, can also be annoying. And finally, there’s Michael Obiora as Ben Trueman, the other main receptionist. He’s fun, charming and is at his best when he’s paired up with Anna. Oh and shout out to Anthony Stewart Head who played Mr Machin, I did not even notice him the first few times but after watching so much Buffy recently I noticed him instantly and was so happy! 😀

As for the presentation, it is great. Visually the show is shot very well, has some stylish scene transitions and editing that keeps the pace going swiftly. And the cinematography is lovely especially for the exterior shots of London during the day and night scenes, it makes the city of London look very beautiful and distinguished, and it feels like a character along with the hotel staff. And then there’s the music, my god I love the music. The soundtrack composed by Jim Williams and John Lunn is gorgeous, it’s primarily jazz-inspired and while there are other genres sprinkled in, jazz is the main genre and together is the lady backing vocals in certain tracks it adds to the cool, exciting and sexy vibe of the show. I also adore the show’s opening as it’s one of my favourites of any TV show ever which is in part thanks to the theme music which creates a sense of fun and magic that’s ear-melting.

In conclusion, the first season of Hotel Babylon is fabulous. With plenty of interesting stories, a great cast of characters and beautiful presentation in both the visual and audio department, Hotel Babylon is truly one of the most intriguing and engaging shows I’ve encountered from the UK and I highly recommend it.

Rating: 9/10 (Some of the slickest, sexiest and coolest TV I’ve ever seen)

So have you ever seen Hotel Babylon and if so what did you think of it? Whatever your thoughts drop them in the comments below and I’ll see ya next time for the review of season 2! 😀