Khaw Hock Lye

Penthouse held much promise at the beginning with its thrills and spills, but mid way through Season 2, one can't help but feel a little jaded and somewhat tired of the convoluted plot and overall premise. Almost everything is so intense, extreme and exaggerated, from the storyline to the acting, the props to the sets. Imagine dragon-shaped faucets in a restaurant washroom, or a full buffet spread right in the midst of a shooting gallery. A giant-sized TV screen that covers the whole living room wall. Opulence working overtime. Or the villains' frequent crazed outbursts where they would inevitably sweep things off desk/table tops in a fit of rage. The screaming and gnashing of teeth when they are frustrated in almost every episode. Granted, the actors are highly-skilled but their over-acting gets in the way of their credibility and likeability. The scene where one of them swallowed a cellphone SIM/storage card to hide evidence could almost be the straw that broke the camel's back for many viewers. Apparently, restraint is not in the vocabulary of the producers, script writers nor director. I used to dread missing any new episode but not anymore. Indeed, it's quite exhausting trying to keep up with this overdone and overblown drama. Makjang to the max.