This story is ice hot! It's fun, it's camp, it has interesting concepts and great costuming - everything I could want in a story! It was the first time I actually enjoyed a serial in full in, oh, eight seasons? Not a dull moment. I'm not even sure where to start with this review.

At the beginning, I suppose. From the first moment we see Paradise Towers we're clued in on the kind of story it's going to be. The corridors are eery and provoke and instant sense of unease, especially as we see the last yellow Kang running for her life. There's a quick tone shift, but that sense of unease remains for the rest of the story as it becomes clearer and clearer that there's something wrong with every single part of the Tower.

I love the Kangs. I really like the colour-coded costuming and their fun names. I think the slang is realistic and natural (hell, people today have started using unalive!), and considering we see older people use the same terms I suspect it was a general shift of language between the 1980's and the 21st century, when this is set. I think it's perfectly reasonable.

I also really like the old ladies. It's made clear that they're all cannibals, and while that does make me question where the Kangs get their food if they don't know how to work a vending machine and the Rezzies have resorted to cannibalism, I think it's an interesting touch. It adds to the general uneasiness but as it leans pretty heavily on the fairytale image of a witch fattening up children to eat, it remains lighthearted.

The Caretakers are also an interesting concept. You'd think that sticklers for the rules who follow them to a T would be dull and no fun to watch, but somehow they make it work. The Chief Deputy's change of heart towards the end is great.

Then there's the weak link, and the reason I couldn't rate this story 5/5. I don't like Pex. I find him grating for most of the story. Neither his false bravery nor his cowardice is endearing, and for the most part the only thing I could think when he died was "Good riddance."

The villain is also a bit of a weak point. The machine the Great Architect is trapped is doesn't have a particular interesting design and mostly feels like a knock-off Audry II the first time we see it. Once he takes over the Chief's body there's a bit more personality, but for the most part he feels like a generic villain with a side of zombie.

But that doesn't take away from the rest of the story for me. The sets are jam-packed with details and the whole place feels lived in. The atmosphere is expertly crafted. I would happily recommend this serial to all my friends. Maybe I could get a Kang cosplay group going....