Episode Guide
The Plot – | Review Score – 3.5/5 Animal for Sale – | Review Score – 3/5 Itchy – | Review Score – 3/5 Rogue Drywall Guys – | Review Score – 3.5/5 A New Song Jimmy and Gianni – | Review Score – 3/5 No Hospital – | Review Score – 2.5/5 Prank Call – | Review Score – 2/5 Night Shift Crossroads – | Review Score – 3.5/5 The Specimen Collector – | Review Score – 3.5/5 Room 104 has always a mixed bag of quality. Across the previous two seasons this anthology has produced some of the best, worst and outright bizarre slices of drama, all of which taking place in a single motel room. It’s one of those rare shows that has such sporadic quality from week to week that you can’t help but be drawn back in to see what it’ll cook up next. This third season is no exception, delivering another 12 episodes; some good and some not so much. This year Room 104 sets the scene nicely with an origin story labeled “The Plot”. From here, the series depicts all manner of weird and wonderful ideas, from a contagious infection causing a man to itch uncontrollably through to a lush Eco-system growing inside the room, all of which creatively ensembled together within the confines of Room 104. Props to the writers here though and with a fourth season already green-lit, Room 104 is one of those shows that manages to consistently deliver a creative batch of episodes, using the hotel room in a variety of different ways. More so than the previous two seasons, that creativity really feels like it’s pushed to the maximum. The usual musical episode of the season returns of course (unfortunately ending up as the weakest of the bunch), while a literal deal with the devil, the aforementioned jungle-room and even a story around an intelligent gorilla end up as some of the strongest. I’ve said it before but this is an anthology show that’s very easy to jump in and out of, making it one of the more accessible shows on TV right now. With different Directors and writers across the season, there’s a great showcase of talent and this absolutely comes across in the visual styles that differ between episodes. Whether it be the creative use of edits and rotating cameras through to more straight forward static shots for face to face interviews, Room 104 feels wholly unique, even if the writing doesn’t always match that same level. Room 104 is a light, breezy anthology series, one well worth taking some time to dip in and out of. Each person will inevitably have different favourites of course, such is the beauty of a show like this, and all of that leads to some stand-out episodes among the 12 on offer this season – there’s also some pretty poor ones too. With each clocking in at around 25 minutes or so, this long-running HBO show continues to deliver the goods in short bursts, but it’s far from the strongest anthology on TV right now.
