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Television Report...
Slowly making my way through the week's television shows. Keep getting distracted by the internet.
Should write. I'm basically being a chair potato. I'd say couch, but don't own one at the moment and never really liked them that much. I like arm chairs and putting my feet up on coffee tables.
1. Crazy Ex-Girl Friend -- continues to be a biting satire on romantic love, gender politics, and the view that having a romantic partner makes you happy.
Also the songs are rather good in places. This weeks gen was Joss Chen's song and dance number in church about being free.
2. The Good Place -- The writers take on Kierkregard and the Ethical Trolly Dilemma. The theme of the episode is well how the characters self-importance and self-interest gets in their way. And it examines in part, why Chidi is in the Bad Place -- his colossal ego, which got in the way of him...making decisions. He thinks he knows it all.
Michael is an ingenious character, and brilliantly played by Ted Danson.
Rather enjoyed this episode. The repetition of the Trolly Dilemma, until Eleanor figures out Michael is just torturing Chidi was rather funny.
Also the Good Place is having glitches because a few of its denizens are going against their essential programming, Janet and to a degree Michael.
I visited Metafilter, where people had figured out, somewhat inadvertently, that Michael stood for the archangel Michael, who chose which souls entered hell and which entered heaven. And the show was poking ironic fun at the idea.
This show pokes fun at both philosophy and religious theory.
But I adore the fact that it shows people can change their behavior over time and become better people. We aren't stuck and we aren't irredeemable. Just requires a little self-awareness.
3. The Gifted -- this is still triggering me for some reason. I think it hits too close to home -- in regards to how the US is currently treating the Muslim and immigrant population. (I feel frustrated and angry about it, but there's not a lot I can do that I haven't done already.)
The story seems to take place in X-Men Days of Future Past verse. Where Sentinels are keeping the mutants in line, and placing them in deportment camps. It does not appear to be in the same verse as MAOS, Marvel Avengers films, or the Inhumans. But in the same verse as Legion and the X-men films.
Which is a much darker verse.
In it, mutants are rounded up as threats to national security. The organization that is helping them escape is considered a terrorist organization. And neighbors, etc are turning against them, treating the mutants as monsters to be put down. This week's episode reminded me a little of Rod Serling's The Monsters Arrive on Maple Street.
It's actually fairly well written, and the acting for the most part is on target. Stephen Meyer and Amy Acker do a good job as the two normal humans, with no powers, who prior to discovering their kids had the "x" gene had actually been anti-mutant and on board with the government programs. Reed Strucker was a federal prosecutor, who tried mutants as terrorists that is until his kids become the mutants he would have tried. When he discovers that his son, while being bullied, in a fit of fear and rage, destroyed his school, and his daughter managed to get him out using her talents...he takes his family on the run. His wife, a nurse, naively thinks for a while that the laws of their country can protect them. She worries about leaving their house behind, their things, their nice life. They basically leave with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Reed strikes a deal with the Mutant Underground to get his family to safety, in exchange for rescuing one of the leader's girlfriends, Polaris, who is pregnant with said leader's child. Unfortunately something goes wrong, and Reed gets taken by the Sentinel Security Team.
In this episode, Amy Acker's character contacts her brother to hopefully aid them through traditional legal channels. But there's little he can do. He's already being ostracized for being related to her.
And when she visits him, they barely escape with their lives. The other storyline going on is Reed is asked to betray the Mutant Underground and at first he goes along with it, until he meets a mother and daughter who are kind to him and guilt begins to seep in. So, he breaks off the deal and ensures they aren't captured. Which results in his deportation along with Polaris.
In the background there's a corporate scientist who wants the Strucker kids for his own nefarious research purposes, but so far the government refuses to assist him.
I'm liking the themes and stories for the most part. But, it is triggering me a little. The characters are more engaging and relateable than most of these shows to me. And it feels a bit deeper, less campy. The special effects are certainly better and in line with Legion, making me wonder if Fox has a better budget for this stuff than ABC? Their comic book adaptations certainly seem more polished and professional. You'd think it would be the opposite.
4. Once Upon a Time --- I'm rapidly losing interest. I surfed the net during this episode.
Henry, unfortunately, is not interesting or compelling. Cinderella is, but that's about it.
And it's not enough to hold my interest.
I never thought I'd say this but I miss the Charmings.
5. Dynasty -- also rapidly losing interest. The second episode was boring. I don't care about any of the characters and spent most of the episode wondering about different ways to improve it.
If I were doing this as a reboot? I'd have cast Blake as female, the Crystal character as male, and have him and Fallon have chemistry. Or, cast Fallon as a lesbian turned on by Crystal. That would at least put a bit of spark into it.
Right now, it's rather bland. Gossip Girl had more oomph.
Also it takes itself too seriously.
When the best line was used in the preview, you know you have issues.
I sort of wish they could have done with Dynasty what they did with Dallas...but Dynasty admittedly didn't lend itself to that.
Anyhow, it made me miss the Dynasty of the 1980s...with the big shoulder pads, and cheesy dialogue.
Should write. I'm basically being a chair potato. I'd say couch, but don't own one at the moment and never really liked them that much. I like arm chairs and putting my feet up on coffee tables.
1. Crazy Ex-Girl Friend -- continues to be a biting satire on romantic love, gender politics, and the view that having a romantic partner makes you happy.
Also the songs are rather good in places. This weeks gen was Joss Chen's song and dance number in church about being free.
2. The Good Place -- The writers take on Kierkregard and the Ethical Trolly Dilemma. The theme of the episode is well how the characters self-importance and self-interest gets in their way. And it examines in part, why Chidi is in the Bad Place -- his colossal ego, which got in the way of him...making decisions. He thinks he knows it all.
Michael is an ingenious character, and brilliantly played by Ted Danson.
Rather enjoyed this episode. The repetition of the Trolly Dilemma, until Eleanor figures out Michael is just torturing Chidi was rather funny.
Also the Good Place is having glitches because a few of its denizens are going against their essential programming, Janet and to a degree Michael.
I visited Metafilter, where people had figured out, somewhat inadvertently, that Michael stood for the archangel Michael, who chose which souls entered hell and which entered heaven. And the show was poking ironic fun at the idea.
This show pokes fun at both philosophy and religious theory.
But I adore the fact that it shows people can change their behavior over time and become better people. We aren't stuck and we aren't irredeemable. Just requires a little self-awareness.
3. The Gifted -- this is still triggering me for some reason. I think it hits too close to home -- in regards to how the US is currently treating the Muslim and immigrant population. (I feel frustrated and angry about it, but there's not a lot I can do that I haven't done already.)
The story seems to take place in X-Men Days of Future Past verse. Where Sentinels are keeping the mutants in line, and placing them in deportment camps. It does not appear to be in the same verse as MAOS, Marvel Avengers films, or the Inhumans. But in the same verse as Legion and the X-men films.
Which is a much darker verse.
In it, mutants are rounded up as threats to national security. The organization that is helping them escape is considered a terrorist organization. And neighbors, etc are turning against them, treating the mutants as monsters to be put down. This week's episode reminded me a little of Rod Serling's The Monsters Arrive on Maple Street.
It's actually fairly well written, and the acting for the most part is on target. Stephen Meyer and Amy Acker do a good job as the two normal humans, with no powers, who prior to discovering their kids had the "x" gene had actually been anti-mutant and on board with the government programs. Reed Strucker was a federal prosecutor, who tried mutants as terrorists that is until his kids become the mutants he would have tried. When he discovers that his son, while being bullied, in a fit of fear and rage, destroyed his school, and his daughter managed to get him out using her talents...he takes his family on the run. His wife, a nurse, naively thinks for a while that the laws of their country can protect them. She worries about leaving their house behind, their things, their nice life. They basically leave with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Reed strikes a deal with the Mutant Underground to get his family to safety, in exchange for rescuing one of the leader's girlfriends, Polaris, who is pregnant with said leader's child. Unfortunately something goes wrong, and Reed gets taken by the Sentinel Security Team.
In this episode, Amy Acker's character contacts her brother to hopefully aid them through traditional legal channels. But there's little he can do. He's already being ostracized for being related to her.
And when she visits him, they barely escape with their lives. The other storyline going on is Reed is asked to betray the Mutant Underground and at first he goes along with it, until he meets a mother and daughter who are kind to him and guilt begins to seep in. So, he breaks off the deal and ensures they aren't captured. Which results in his deportation along with Polaris.
In the background there's a corporate scientist who wants the Strucker kids for his own nefarious research purposes, but so far the government refuses to assist him.
I'm liking the themes and stories for the most part. But, it is triggering me a little. The characters are more engaging and relateable than most of these shows to me. And it feels a bit deeper, less campy. The special effects are certainly better and in line with Legion, making me wonder if Fox has a better budget for this stuff than ABC? Their comic book adaptations certainly seem more polished and professional. You'd think it would be the opposite.
4. Once Upon a Time --- I'm rapidly losing interest. I surfed the net during this episode.
Henry, unfortunately, is not interesting or compelling. Cinderella is, but that's about it.
And it's not enough to hold my interest.
I never thought I'd say this but I miss the Charmings.
5. Dynasty -- also rapidly losing interest. The second episode was boring. I don't care about any of the characters and spent most of the episode wondering about different ways to improve it.
If I were doing this as a reboot? I'd have cast Blake as female, the Crystal character as male, and have him and Fallon have chemistry. Or, cast Fallon as a lesbian turned on by Crystal. That would at least put a bit of spark into it.
Right now, it's rather bland. Gossip Girl had more oomph.
Also it takes itself too seriously.
When the best line was used in the preview, you know you have issues.
I sort of wish they could have done with Dynasty what they did with Dallas...but Dynasty admittedly didn't lend itself to that.
Anyhow, it made me miss the Dynasty of the 1980s...with the big shoulder pads, and cheesy dialogue.
no subject
The Good Place was once again enjoyable. Although as it happens last night we watched the film Eye in the Sky which is informative but also, I told Mike, Chidi's absolute nightmare -- a frustrating moral argument from beginning to end. It was almost like watching a dramatic take on the same issues from the last episode.
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Also: was there an episode of Grey's last week? It didn't show up in my Hulu feed, so either it didn't happen, or I just haven't watched it yet, and that's probably sacrilege.
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