While 'Serengeti' started off on a rocky and very mixed bag note, it did show marginal improvement in its third episode "Invasion", the series' halfway point. Despite having some of the series' worst editing and having the same drawbacks that brought down the previous two episodes, it was elevated to a higher level by two particularly brilliant sequences and series highlights. It would have been more of the same mostly without those two scenes.
It is sad to say that the improvement doesn't continue or get even better with "Misfortune". If anything, for me it was a return to disappointment, though it is a long way from being unwatchable (none of 'Serengeti' got to that level). Though marginally better than "Destiny" and "Conflict", as it contains more conflict than those two. The good things seen before in the previous three instalments are here in "Misfortune" still, but sadly so are the drawbacks and as just as badly as before.
"Misfortune's" flaws are not small and they are more than just a couple. The two biggest faults for the episode and of the entirety of 'Serengeti' are the narration and the music, sorry about going on about them but the way they were executed in the series was very distracting and really took away from enjoying the series further. The reasons are the same, meaning that the music is over-bearing and like it was trying to imitate contemporary Disney or something and the narration doesn't educate or intrigue all that much and lacks subtlety. John Boyega's delivery falls completely flat. All three things subtract from the maximum rating by one star each.
The subject could have been executed in a bolder manner and not been as careful or aware of appealing to whole families (which made it not always easy to tell who it was specifically aiming at). A general problem with most of the series. Again, the editing is a bit disorganised at times.
For all the episode's flaws though, there is still quite a bit to praise it for. It does have a little more conflict than the previous three episodes, though not as much as the next two. And it does have moments of tension where one really does care for the younger animals and the jeopardy they have to endure, showing how fragile life can be.
Particularly apparent in the very memorable part with the zebra foal and the crocodile. Once again, some flawed editing aside "Misfortune" is incredibly well made and it is this that significantly redeems the episode. It is beautifully filmed, intimate in all the appropriate places without being claustrophobic and expansive enough to cinematic effect without trying to do too much or be too gimmicky. Some did not like the animals being humanised, that wasn't a problem for me. Actually liked the realism and humanity brought to them and it helped make them and their situations easy to root for, especially in the aforementioned part.
Disappointing in overall standard, but still not bad with wonderful production values, relatable animals and one great moment. 5/10
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