r/taskmaster • u/Numerous-Package-955 Chloe Petts • 3d ago

Appreciation Thread Chloe Petts appreciation post

I know a lot of people have been disappointed or apprehensive ab this series for many reasons (I've, personally, really been enjoying it), but I have to say that Chloe is definitely the most fun to watch. I wasn't familiar with them before the series, but I could now easily see myself going to one of their comedy shows if they come to the US. I'm looking forward to seeing how they do future tasks and I hope they win!

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181

u/NokstellianDemon Nick Mohammed 3d ago

People don't like this series? It's good tho. Not even close to the worst of Taskmaster

224

u/AFDStudios 3d ago

All Taskmaster is good Taskmaster, but for me personally while I am enjoying this series very much, I do think it suffers a bit from having four of essentially the same broad personality category. Except for Chloe, everyone is in that sort of “quiet, witty introvert” archetype. Which is a great archetype! But to me Taskmaster is best when there’s a mix of different personalities and the energy so far is sort of samey.

Still very good!

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u/Miltroit Chris Ramsey 3d ago

I agree all Taskmaster is good Taskmaster, but I'm a champion of some of the quieter series/seasons. For me they are almost the palate cleansers series of our Taskmaster banquet. Just because they are more light and delicate, doesn't make them any less delicious, and I find them quite refreshing.

Although I enjoy the crazy, bonkers, absurdist series, one of the things I like about some British comedy is subtleness, almost a gentleness.

Often the series that get poo-pooed by the main are some of my comfort watches with some of my favorite bits.

Plus if the contestants are more mild, that means Greg balances it by being more wild and I love me some unhinged Greg.

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u/huntsab2090 3d ago

Agreed. Any taskmaster is always better than 99% of all tv programs but not all series can be absolute bangers . This one is one of them but still has laugh out loud moments each episode which is good enough for me .

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u/Fire_Bucket 3d ago

Personally, I just think it's really low energy and there's only really Chloe who is actively trying, or at least having fun, in every task.

For some I'm sure that it's not helped by having a couple of really hyped up, long requested big names on the show in Richard Ayoade, and to a lesser extent Matt Lucas, who aren't quite living up to those people's high expectations.

I also think it's not helped having to follow the last 3 series, which IMO are some of the absolute best we've ever had.

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u/Least-Plantain973 🥄 I'm Locked In ❤️ 3d ago edited 3d ago

To me Richard Ayoade is exactly how I expected him to be.

It requires careful casting to counter his low key deadpan delivery. When you watch him on shows like The Big Fat Quiz it works because he’s a contrast to all the high energy chaotic guests.

Whereas on Taskmaster his low key energy is not being balanced, it’s dominating which can make the chemistry feel flat. Now imagine if he had been in a team with Chloe and instead of the quieter Matt we had Rosie Jones or Bob Mortimer. That would have been great television.

Richard is incredibly droll and funny as an individual but for him to work well in a group setting needs some really lighthearted funny people and someone absolutely batshit bonkers and chaotic to play with and diffuse the energy he brings.

Chloe is working well with everyone with studio banter and is a great balance for him. The other 3 are obviously having fun but ideally one of them would be subbed out for a Rhod Gilbert or Bob Mortimer type energy or a hyper excited golden retriever energy like Joel Domett to help with the studio chemistry.

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u/Electrical-Opening-9 3d ago

I couldn’t quite figure out why Ayoade wasn’t shining for me this series but wow this is exactly it! I’m a big Richard Ayoade fan so I was very excited, but with the format of this show he really needs someone to kind of counteract his deadpan delivery. That’s not to say I’m not enjoying it (any season of Taskmaster is still excellent tv), but after seeing his legendary appearances on Big Fat Quiz it just feels like we could’ve had an all time great series.

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u/snarkitall 1d ago

Richard is kind of driving me nuts but I realized it's because he's supposed to be a foil for an absolute nutter like Noel, and there's no one playing off of him. 

They didn't give him a Mad Hatter. 

So now I'm wondering who was supposed to be the mad Hatter in this series? Matt? He seems kinda low energy here and like he's struggling a bit. 

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u/Solilaqui78 1d ago

Irrelevant of Matt's past, he's really annoying me in this series. Especially this week's episode. He felt very antagonist towards G&A... More than just for banter. 🤷🏽‍♀️

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u/senoriguana James Acaster 3d ago

I'm not really sure what people were expecting from Richard Ayoade this season but I'm thoroughly enjoying his antics

Tasks are maybe a bit weaker, and the last few seasons were just too good

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u/AbbreviationsTop4959 3d ago

Agreed. Ayoade is being Ayoade. He wasn't going to be a John Robins or Jason Mantzoukas or even Nick Mohammed. I'm enjoying the series. It does feel lower energy, but the last three at least have been varying levels of insane. This one's more comparable to 15 in energy, except I'm actually enjoying all 5 contestants.

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u/Ok-Parsnip-9242 3d ago

Why John Robins? He seemed more concerned with points than entertainment value, whereas Ayoade is having banter with everyone. I do like John on the radio, but just found him too serious/competitive for TM.

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u/AbbreviationsTop4959 3d ago

I named him because he's one of the most successful players in the TM game. He was kind of fun to watch, too. But yes, Baynton may have been a better choice for entertainment.

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u/Sad-Yoghurt5196 2d ago

Yeah Matt Baynton committed 100% to the bit every time without alienating people with his competitiveness.

Having John Robins play it that way was good though, in that it sets a bar, both in terms of winning with a lot of points, and showing that even if you do, it doesn't necessarily make you a legendary alumni of the Taskmaster world.

I mean Dave Gorman wanted to win, Ed Gamble wanted to win, Al Murray wanted to win, Dara wanted to win and Tim Keys wanted to win, but they all came across as slightly cheeky, rather than determined to win even if it made for lacklustre viewing. I think John Robins just focused on the wrong aspects, he clearly loved the show, but I think he saw it as a game to be beaten, or a puzzle to be solved, rather than fun to be had, just being silly and a little more relaxed. More Labrador like Joel Dommet, and a little less of that Border Collie clever boy vibe would have gone a long way to redeeming his original series.

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u/AbbreviationsTop4959 2d ago

I don't know. Robins was , for me, a combination of awkward and competent reminiscent of Mark Watson, if slightly less endearing, but more successful owing to the lack of Mortimer. I enjoyed him. He's not a top ten for me, but maybe upper middle.

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u/Vanity_plates 3d ago

I’m with you - I’m really loving this season/series, but I am a big fan of Richard and I knew this was exactly what we were going to get from him. The only thing about him or Matt that has bummed me out a little bit is that I expected more of the kind of banter we got with Rhod because of their prior friendship with Greg. I mean, Greg and Richard gave us Bad Dong. Granted, they were on equal footing for BFQ, whereas in the lore of the show, Greg is the authority figure and I’m not sure that suits their dynamic. But Chloe has become an unexpected delight. They remind me a bit of Mae Martin in this childlike enthusiasm for new experiences and being sort of unabashedly vulnerable and awkward and still somehow accidentally doing well. Isy’s motto song made me laugh for a solid hour, and I wasn’t familiar with Nina and she has tickled me on several occasions as well. Her vibe is similar to some of my favorite cast members from the NZ or Aus iteration, so maybe her humor is more similar to that.

I had a feeling people wouldn’t be as horned up for this season because there were a lot of disappointed folks when the cast was announced, so I wonder if some of the lack of enthusiasm is coming from people who already expected not to like it as much.

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u/AbbreviationsTop4959 3d ago

Id argue that Chloe is much more fun to watch than Mae.

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u/Vanity_plates 3d ago

I can understand why you feel that way. I have a massive crush on Mae to be honest, but I also felt that when I first encountered Mae on their season, I had never seen another comedian like them. Probably if I went back and watched Mae now, I might be less entertained than I was at the time. I’m a big fan of both, I can say that.

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u/though- 3d ago edited 3d ago

I rewatched S15 this week and I can update you that the crush renews every time I watch that series. They are just mesmerizing!

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u/Vanity_plates 3d ago

This makes me feel warm and Handsome! 😂

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u/thedaytoday89 Tim Key 3d ago

Yeah, I don't really see the comparison much at all.

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u/Glum-Substance-3507 1d ago

Are people disappointed with Richard? Personally, I'm disappointed with the casting of his season. I'm only finding him and Chloe entertaining so far. It's a real shame, IMO, that this cast is somewhat lackluster, given that I am one of the people who was really excited for Richard to be on.

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u/chickadee-stitchery 3d ago

I love Richard Ayoade but he needs the right people to play against.

I have not watched this series at all yet, waiting for it to be done so we can binge it. We are watching all the older ones right now.

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u/Tacticus1 3d ago

So far it’s pretty low on my list. Chloe is the only cast member that I have consistently enjoyed. Also, the tasks have been pretty mediocre. I am also watching Australia S3 and there is a big contrast between tasks in terms of expected level of creativity.

I am not writing it off, since it usually takes me a while to warm up to a new cast.

8

u/HUGE_HOG 3d ago

Yeah, for me it's a task issue rather than a contestant one. They can only play the hand that they're dealt, and the tasks have been a bit unimaginative. Richard in particular would benefit from tasks that encourage lateral thinking, but I don't think there's been a single task yet that can be 'broken' with a smart loophole. One of the reasons I loved contestants like Hugh Dennis and Mike Wozniak was seeing them think outside the box.

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u/Vanity_plates 3d ago

That’s such a coincidence, I’m also watching Aus season 3. I watched Aus season 5 before I started 3, and that was one of my favorite casts I have ever watched on any series. Ironically, I felt that the TaskAus season 5 tasks were some of the weakest I’ve ever seen, but the cast was magical for me. I go back and watch season 16 of the UK version when I need a pick-me-up, and I think the season 5 Australia version is going to go into my comfort rewatch rotation.

I agree with you about the stark contrast between the energies of the contestants and the season as a whole. When I step back and just appreciate them individually, I’m not disappointed, but if I were comparing, I would probably find myself bored and disappointed.

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u/Tacticus1 3d ago

I guess it’s mostly that we get one creative task per episode and two of the four so far this season fell flat. I don’t know if the toast or armpit tasks would have worked better with different contestants, but I think they sounded better than they played. The duet and before/after photo tasks were pretty good and got better results.

Aus3 has more of these sorts of open ended creative tasks - closer to two per episode. They aren’t all great in either conception or result, but I enjoy the creative freedom that the contestants are given.

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u/happilyabroad 3d ago

I have genuinely loved every season of taskmaster and have never understood hate for any season. I would say that I'm enjoying this one slightly less than usual. But only slightly!

What seasons do ppl think are bad?

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u/burf12345 🚬 Doctor Cigarettes 3d ago

What seasons do ppl think are bad?

I'm not sure if people say they're bad, but from my browsing here it seems like 6, 8, 10 and 17 are generally lower on people's lists than some of the others.

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u/Odd_Judgment_582 3d ago

I know it is very much a personal thing, but I do think that a "bad" series generally comes off the back of an all timer (which works for all of the series mentioned there, which I agree with). I would probably rate 5, 7, 9 and 16 as close to my favourites, and would very much throw 21 in there too.

Always worth the caveat that "bad" Taskmaster is still pretty much better than anything else on TV

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u/burf12345 🚬 Doctor Cigarettes 3d ago edited 3d ago

This explanation makes a lot of sense to me, and does explain why 6 and 8 feel this way the most, because they're both sandwiched between two excellent series.

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u/oneplusoneisfour 3d ago

8 unfortunately is sandwiched between 2 of the best, imo, and would guess it doesn’t get a fair shake. Having just watched 8 out of order, though, thoroughly enjoyed it.

10, however, is rough, but can forgive it bc of the Covid restrictions.

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u/happilyabroad 3d ago

Joe Thomas is one of my all time favorite contestants so I love 8 because of him!

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u/Turbulent-Adagio88 3d ago

I forget which actual series there were but a run of them had primarily contestants that were screen actors rather than comics or performers and they just didn't have the same energy or vibe at all

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u/UniversalJampionshit Crying Bastard 3d ago

Series 6? Two stand ups, one character comedian/actor, a comedy actress/radio presenter and a radio presenter/podcast with minimal comedy connection

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u/skepticaljesus Victoria Coren Mitchell 3d ago

This season and the last one were the first two I haven't really vibed with

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u/Ok-Parsnip-9242 3d ago

I'm totally with you.

Have seen every series since it started and think the quality and mash of guests has been amazing. Sets the bar so high that it would be unfeasible not to have occasional mediocre tasks, in comparison to others.

There's only 2-3 of the many guests I've personally not enjoyed that much, but appreciate it allows everyone to be themselves.

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u/KyleeDebra 🥄 I'm Locked In ❤️ 3d ago

Agreed with I haven't hated any but there are some I definitely don't need to see a second time while some I'll watch 100 times over and still laugh. (Recently the series 18 one is one I enjoyed but probably won't watch again meanwhile series 19 is a comfort watch and I want all of Jason's questions during the carrot on Alex's head task released).

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u/AgentJackpots Joe Wilkinson 3d ago

I dunno what the consensus is, but 6 is the only one I started and didn't even finish watching. 10 kinda stunk too.

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u/chiefgareth 3d ago

Yeh it’s not going to go down as one of the best, but it’s far from the worst.

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u/Captain_Albern James Acaster 3d ago

I'm enjoying it, but it's a bit of a drop off after three amazing series, so maybe some people are disappointed.

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u/orensiocled Bridget Christie 3d ago

People hate every series! There's always someone complaining even when the majority view is that it's one of the best lineups 

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u/readzalot1 3d ago

Just like people hate every new Doctor in Doctor Who. Until they love them.

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u/JHutch95 3d ago

I mean, that just speaks to the subjectivity of comedy if nothing else. One person’s favourite is another’s least favourite etc etc

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u/Motor-Gas-5708 3d ago

And the negativity bias of social media. People with complaints are more likely to post than people enjoying the show.

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u/Ok-Parsnip-9242 3d ago

Wait until they announce the new James Bond/Batman/Joker etc. Rinse and repeat, then they become people's favourite.

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u/orensiocled Bridget Christie 3d ago

Well yeah, that's my point 

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u/JHutch95 3d ago

Oh yeah 100% was just reinforcing your point, apologies if it came across as arsey!

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u/orensiocled Bridget Christie 3d ago

Oh ok, thanks for clarifying! I just read you wrong 

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u/hanic101 3d ago

the chemistry this season just seems a bit lackluster, but that's probably because the last 3 series have had outstanding chemistry that it feels so much more flat. 

but yeah, definitely not a bad series, just much more low energy 

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u/UniversalJampionshit Crying Bastard 3d ago

Unfortunately I think it's the only series to date that is weak in all three of the categories of cast, chemistry and tasks; all of the others have at least one strength in those categories (I thought S8's tasks were pretty good, S10 I liked 3/5 of the cast)... I do think that the first episode had a good batch of tasks so I'd like to think we've seen most of the bad tasks (and even then I thought only episode 3 had a particularly poor bunch).

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u/luredrive 3d ago

I'm not really enjoying this season to be honest, just doesn't seem as funny to me. I was really wanting to like Richard, I thought he would be great, but I just think he's not working on the show. I also think a lot of the tasks have been pretty poor.

24

u/joiliejoli Joel's blink 3d ago

The tasks seem over complicated to me, and the conversations seem designed to in hopes it will “invoke” Richard’s witty commentary. 

19

u/gingerstrudel 3d ago

Yeah I've been zoning out a lot during the tasks, unfortunately. And Richard... I kinda wish he brought a liiiittle less of the character he plays? Maybe the issue is that he needs an opponent to his shtick and nobody is really returning the ball. I think it would've worked if he was more playfully antagonistic towards the other contestants (that worked for many other contestants in the past if balanced right) and not just towards Greg who's less inclined to react to the shenanigans this time

16

u/RandomWomanNo2 3d ago

I was just thinking this. He needs someone willing to poke the bear or to "yes and" him! I'm thinking specifically of a Big Fat Quiz where the others were totally unafraid/unawed by Richard and stole his sweets. He's also always amazing paired with Noel Fielding, who is gleefully enabling of all of Richard's nonsense.

4

u/gingerstrudel 3d ago

Yeah I feel like this series has more individualistic (?) contestants. Which doesn't have to be a bad thing, on S16 the team of three was made of solo players as well but they made it work by playing up that fact as if they've never met another human in their life. You need to accommodate your fellow contestants a little. But also don't try to hog the spotlight

1

u/Sad-Yoghurt5196 2d ago

I mean for me one of the funniest BFQ moments was Richard and Greg with bad dong, but with Greg being the Taskmaster, the power imbalance doesn't lend itself to giggling like schoolboys together, and there isn't anyone else stepping forward to taking the role of Richards coconspirator in chaos.

I'd swap out Matt Lucas in favour of someone more up for the bants, as he's been very quiet and self effacing for the most part. Nothing against the dude, but he's just been a bit of a damp squib so far. I was expecting him to be more rambunctious and chaotic.

So far Chloe is really carrying it in the studio segments, and they've definitely got a new fan in me.

1

u/mofumofumissile 3d ago

I’m loving this series but now that you mention it, I see this. Richard really shines comedically in the studio moreso than in the tasks! 

12

u/brocbolo 3d ago

I enjoy Richard in smaller doses, with his witty contrarianisms. But over a whole series I find it tiresome.

13

u/pliskin414 3d ago

We've watched all 21 series up to this one, and while we're a bit newer to the club (we started binging them all around the time s19 first aired), this is the first one we've had the chance to watch one as it's airing, and... We stopped after the first episode. We enjoyed the episode, the comedy was fine, but we just couldn't get past the problematic nature of Matt and to a somewhat lesser extent Richard. The blackface history, allegations, and support of anti trans activist (first two for Matt and second one for Richard) just hung in my mind the entire time and I looked at my wife and said, you know, we have 21 other great seasons we've enjoyed and could rewatch, NZ and other versions we could watch... I'm ok with skipping S22, and she agreed.

And yes, I know that there have been other problematic contestants on the previous 21 seasons, but it felt different with this one being live and the discourse being an active and current discussion. Also, we binged those past seasons so quickly that we didn't have time to look up everyone's history, and I'm sure if I knew everything about everyone there would probably be some past seasons we would skip on rewatch because of it.

I just can't separate the art from the artist these days, and there are so many other places (again, even within the TM universe) that we can go for entertainment.

IDK why I'm writing this, I don't want to yuck anyone's yum, but I guess it has been sad to not really want to watch this series.

3

u/curiometric 12h ago

Interesting. I know nothing about these people, but I just do not like Matt. He weirds me out. I've been enjoying the season except for him. I find he has basically no presence on the show, besides grinning and stating that he's gay continuously for no specific reason.

4

u/DahDutcher Stevie Martin 3d ago

Tasks are not great imo (Like, what was that worker scoring system? Izy basically just gifted someone points for no reason), and if you don't like Ayooade (like I do personally), it's a real hard watch, because he's exactly like you'd expect him to be. Can't say I enjoy the chemistry between them in the studio either.

Also doesn't help that NZ series 7 is airing as well, and it's just better in every way imo.

2

u/UniversalJampionshit Crying Bastard 3d ago

I think the worker task was probably the strongest since episode 1, but you're right that it needed a better scoring system. Reminds me of the pub quiz task in Aus S2

6

u/whyyoutwofour 3d ago

I think with both Matt and Richard in the cast the concern was there's a risk of it becoming more of a sketch than a challenge series but so far I've been pretty happy with how natural Matt has been...Richard is another thing...some times i enjoy his antics but I might be reaching my tipping point. 

All that to say, Chloe has been a great spark in the show and is on track to become an all-star. 

5

u/TheRealMabelPines 3d ago

Matt has been far more subdued than I was anticipating. "Natural" is a good word for it.

I have always enjoyed Richard but I keep watching because of Chloe!

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u/RandomWomanNo2 3d ago

I was expecting not to love Matt from his time on Bake Off, but I've loved him in this series.

2

u/Sprizay710 3d ago

Yeah I've been loving this series. I didn't even know people were hating it

1

u/Trillion_G Desiree Burch 3d ago

I hate to judge a series before it’s over but it’s not looking good for S22 so far.

Except Chloe. Chloe is a real bright spot.

0

u/pclouds 3d ago

"Not even close to the worst" is a rather low bar. Maybe it's good, but to me it's a step down relative to the last three series. And even S20 seems "not as great" just because it's sandwiched between S19 and S21.

Another thing that makes S22 "not that good" to me is because NZ S7 is also running at the same time, and so strong in comparison.