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Jan. 20th, 2019 05:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkat1. Rosewell, New Mexico -- starring Nathan Parsons, and the gal who used to be on Grey's Anatomy as De Luca's love interest, before she was about to be deported -- and escaped to Switzerland to work with Cristina. Now she's playing biological scientist who got laid off and has returned to her home town of Rosewell, where her father (who is an undocumented immigrant) runs a small diner. She left right after high school, and her sister, who died in a fatal car crash -- killing two other girls, which her sister was blamed for. First person she runs into is her old high school flame and childhood true love -- Max (Parsons) who is currently working for the Sheriff's Department. Except Max has a secret -- he's an actual alien from outer space, who crash-landed here in the 1940s, and woke up 50 years later with his two siblings, Isabelle, and Michael. All three look like normal, highly attractive thirty-somethings. But Max can magically heal people, Isabelle is a telepath, and Michael skilled with telekinesis. And the town is even more paranoid now about aliens than it was previously.
Fun fact, both Rosewell's had actors from Grey's Anatomy in it at different points. Katherine Heigel who played Isabelle (and went on to play Izzy on Grey's -- obviously the writers watched it), and the new actress who plays the lead, Liz.
I like this new version better for a lot of reasons. Casting, setting, characterization. I was not a fan of the high school setting. And Liz is a bit brighter here, less damsel in distress. Also, it's edgier and more topical. I gave up on the first version rather quickly (didn't like the cast at all, and the high school setting turned me off.)
2. Deadly Class
Eh. Violent. It's based on a violent comic about a high school for assassins, as if high school wasn't bad enough on its own. Let's make a school for assassins and have it run by a crazed ninja. (It's run by a guy who reminds me of the Asian Butler in Green Lantern, or an old version of Jackie Chan. And yes, he falls into all the Asian Ninja stereotypes.)
The story is about a homeless kid who allegedly burned down a school, killing everyone inside, took off, and is now on the run from the authorities. His parents were killed in front of him by a crazy mental patient. The series takes place in the 1980s. I'm not sure why it takes place in the 1980s, unless it's just to stay true to the comic book.
After running from a crazy knife wielding homeless man, whom he got into a fight with, he finds himself spotted by the cops, and runs from them as well -- and decides to grab a smoke of weed to make life a touch more bearable. It's laced with acid, he has a freaky trip and runs into a bunch of kid assassins who help him escape the cops -- leading him to the Asian Guy, who runs the Assassin School. They offer him a place in the school -- as long as he follows four key rules: 1) Don't tell anyone where it is, 2) Don't do drugs, 3) Obey, 4.)Don't have sex. They tell him that rule one will get him eviscerated if he breaks it, the other's they find ways around (and they do).
He tries it for a bit, because honestly he has nothing better to do -- and a pretty Asian Ninja Gal kissed him to stop him from committing suicide. Then -- in the first day, he receives a death threat and realizes okay, maybe he'd rather live on the streets. Everyone is an asshole, but a deadly one or a bit a goofy.
He leaves but not before psyching out the local bully. The headmaster sends someone out to retrieve him. The black guy, who is actually the most interesting of the group -- he looks tough, but he's actually a pacifist who doesn't want to kill anyone, ends up cornered by the crazy homeless guy. So our hero or the protagonist kills the crazy homeless guy. He doesn't have to kill him, but does it anyhow. And goes back to the school, buddy's now with the black guy.
It's not bad -- just very tropey and a little stereotypical in places. Also reminds me a lot of various Japanese Anime films that I've seen.
3. The Passage
I'm watching for the kid. Don't really like any of the adults. And the story is crack-fic.
A pair of well-intentioned but exceedingly stupid scientists decide to explore a dark cave for a man who is immune to all disease but everyone is terrified of, and they need an armed guard to seek out. [Why are they always stupid?] Seeing an old man in a cage, naked, being feed by his keeper, one of the stupid scientists decides to approach the guy and ask why he's in the cage, instead of staying back a ways and watching or asking from a safe distance. No, he approaches the cage, which is open, and the monster inside attacks him.
The people around exclaim "Vampire". The other stupid scientist, played by the guy from Lost and The 100 (guessing he got killed off on the 100? If so, dang it. Not that I was still watching, but still), exclaims, "Don't be silly, there's no such things as vampires. He's just diseased."
So...they take his friend whose been bitten to the hospital. The guy dies, then magically revives, feels even better then before. Except his mouth is bleeding and his teeth come out, replaced by fangs and his eyes turn yellow. But hey, he's immune to disease! Win-Win?
Not so fast, there's serious side-effects. He's immune to all disease, but a blood sucking monster. Then again he's in his fifties...so that might have been the problem. The scientists decide to do a special experiment, which they sell as a drug trial and test it on various homicidial maniacs on death row. Because no one will miss anyone on death row. Death row inmates have no rights. They go to them and pretty much state -- "hey, you can either participate in our special drug test or die?"
Some agree, some are like, forget that, and they are like, "well, dude, come on, not exactly any options here." Also, if we're going to experiment with a drug that makes you invulnerable to disease and basically everything...but has the negative side-effect of turning you into a blood-sucking monster (aka Vampire), wouldn't it make sense to experiment on homicidial maniacs with no conscience to speak of...because no good people will be turned into super-powered monsters??? I mean let's pick serial killers and murders to turn into vampires, to save the human race.
Apparently the side-effects get better the younger the subject. The last one who is in her late 20s, looks fine, no deteroiation -- but she's still a blood-sucking monster, and doesn't appear to be a human in there anymore. (Are we certain there was one to begin with?)
Meanwhile there's this horrible Asian Alien Flu Strain going around that kills people within 24 hours of getting the bug -- it's hours away from reaching the US. And this drug they are working on is their only hope of saving millions of lives. All they need is to find a candidate young enough to test it on. But oops there aren't any candidates who are death row or in prison...so they go to the foster care system instead, and decide to take a little African-American Girl who just lost her mother to crack.
To do this horrible assignment -- they assign an ex-vet of Iraq, who is a badass, and a wet-behind the ears nasty security guy, who keeps calling the girl cargo. The vet, played by Mark-Paul Gossler, has a soft spot for little girls (he has one of his own), mainly because she may well be the smartest character in the story to date. She figures out real quick these guys are up to no good and tries to escape, they grab her. Mark-Paul decides the heck with this, kicks his partner to the curb, and takes off with the kid -- deciding not to take her to Colorado and the nasty drug trial.
Meanwhile the monsters have found ways to play with the scientists brains.
It's sort of unintentionally funny in places.
Scientist: Outside of the need for blood, fangs, and other associated side effects, there is complete immunity --
Security guy: You mean outside of being a vampire.
Scientist: Don't be silly, there's no such thing as vampires. We don't call them that.
The scientists are really stupid.
Scientist: I need to save a million lives!
Researcher: I know we can get a kid, test it on her, if it works it will save millions.
Security Guy: Yes, but what if it doesn't work...
Scientist: Yes, but it could save millions. What's one life to millions!
Security Guy: Will you be able to live with yourself if you do this?
Scientist: Probably not well, but yes, I'll do what I must to save millions! Because I'll be know for saving millions!
The series makes you want to kick scientists. Although this may not be much of an issue for long.. since I have a feeling the vampires will eventually kill them anyhow...because the scientists are that stupid. I'm amazed they've survived the first episode.
But the kid, and the actress playing the kid is worth it. She's amazing. I adore her to pieces.
4. The Big Family Cooking Show Down on Netflix -- is actually pretty good. I enjoyed it.
Binged all of it yesterday while cleaning out my pantry and medicine cabinet. [Long arduous process that resulted in the sinus headache from hell. Too much frigging dust in that pantry and cabinet. Also had to make seven trips to the basement. But hey, the pantry and medicine cabinets look great -- I also discovered that I do not need to buy shampoo, sunscreen or lotion for the next 12 months.
I appear to have acquired quite the collection of shampoos, conditioners, sunscreen and after burn solutions. In addition, don't need to buy toothpaste, band-aids, air freshner, sponges, wipes, batteries, over the counter allergy and headache meds, and kleenex. Nice to know these things.]
The Cooking Show was very similar to the Great British Baking Show...except, well the BBC caught on to foreign copyright issues on the brand name and they only do two contestants at a time, and the cooking is mainly meals, not desserts. Which I sort of prefer -- less tempting. Every time I watch GBBS -- I get an insane craving for cake.
Very comforting show. I just want to hug it.
5. A Million Little Things -- is a weird show. Not sure what to make of it. But it's sort of compelling.
Fun fact, both Rosewell's had actors from Grey's Anatomy in it at different points. Katherine Heigel who played Isabelle (and went on to play Izzy on Grey's -- obviously the writers watched it), and the new actress who plays the lead, Liz.
I like this new version better for a lot of reasons. Casting, setting, characterization. I was not a fan of the high school setting. And Liz is a bit brighter here, less damsel in distress. Also, it's edgier and more topical. I gave up on the first version rather quickly (didn't like the cast at all, and the high school setting turned me off.)
2. Deadly Class
Eh. Violent. It's based on a violent comic about a high school for assassins, as if high school wasn't bad enough on its own. Let's make a school for assassins and have it run by a crazed ninja. (It's run by a guy who reminds me of the Asian Butler in Green Lantern, or an old version of Jackie Chan. And yes, he falls into all the Asian Ninja stereotypes.)
The story is about a homeless kid who allegedly burned down a school, killing everyone inside, took off, and is now on the run from the authorities. His parents were killed in front of him by a crazy mental patient. The series takes place in the 1980s. I'm not sure why it takes place in the 1980s, unless it's just to stay true to the comic book.
After running from a crazy knife wielding homeless man, whom he got into a fight with, he finds himself spotted by the cops, and runs from them as well -- and decides to grab a smoke of weed to make life a touch more bearable. It's laced with acid, he has a freaky trip and runs into a bunch of kid assassins who help him escape the cops -- leading him to the Asian Guy, who runs the Assassin School. They offer him a place in the school -- as long as he follows four key rules: 1) Don't tell anyone where it is, 2) Don't do drugs, 3) Obey, 4.)Don't have sex. They tell him that rule one will get him eviscerated if he breaks it, the other's they find ways around (and they do).
He tries it for a bit, because honestly he has nothing better to do -- and a pretty Asian Ninja Gal kissed him to stop him from committing suicide. Then -- in the first day, he receives a death threat and realizes okay, maybe he'd rather live on the streets. Everyone is an asshole, but a deadly one or a bit a goofy.
He leaves but not before psyching out the local bully. The headmaster sends someone out to retrieve him. The black guy, who is actually the most interesting of the group -- he looks tough, but he's actually a pacifist who doesn't want to kill anyone, ends up cornered by the crazy homeless guy. So our hero or the protagonist kills the crazy homeless guy. He doesn't have to kill him, but does it anyhow. And goes back to the school, buddy's now with the black guy.
It's not bad -- just very tropey and a little stereotypical in places. Also reminds me a lot of various Japanese Anime films that I've seen.
3. The Passage
I'm watching for the kid. Don't really like any of the adults. And the story is crack-fic.
A pair of well-intentioned but exceedingly stupid scientists decide to explore a dark cave for a man who is immune to all disease but everyone is terrified of, and they need an armed guard to seek out. [Why are they always stupid?] Seeing an old man in a cage, naked, being feed by his keeper, one of the stupid scientists decides to approach the guy and ask why he's in the cage, instead of staying back a ways and watching or asking from a safe distance. No, he approaches the cage, which is open, and the monster inside attacks him.
The people around exclaim "Vampire". The other stupid scientist, played by the guy from Lost and The 100 (guessing he got killed off on the 100? If so, dang it. Not that I was still watching, but still), exclaims, "Don't be silly, there's no such things as vampires. He's just diseased."
So...they take his friend whose been bitten to the hospital. The guy dies, then magically revives, feels even better then before. Except his mouth is bleeding and his teeth come out, replaced by fangs and his eyes turn yellow. But hey, he's immune to disease! Win-Win?
Not so fast, there's serious side-effects. He's immune to all disease, but a blood sucking monster. Then again he's in his fifties...so that might have been the problem. The scientists decide to do a special experiment, which they sell as a drug trial and test it on various homicidial maniacs on death row. Because no one will miss anyone on death row. Death row inmates have no rights. They go to them and pretty much state -- "hey, you can either participate in our special drug test or die?"
Some agree, some are like, forget that, and they are like, "well, dude, come on, not exactly any options here." Also, if we're going to experiment with a drug that makes you invulnerable to disease and basically everything...but has the negative side-effect of turning you into a blood-sucking monster (aka Vampire), wouldn't it make sense to experiment on homicidial maniacs with no conscience to speak of...because no good people will be turned into super-powered monsters??? I mean let's pick serial killers and murders to turn into vampires, to save the human race.
Apparently the side-effects get better the younger the subject. The last one who is in her late 20s, looks fine, no deteroiation -- but she's still a blood-sucking monster, and doesn't appear to be a human in there anymore. (Are we certain there was one to begin with?)
Meanwhile there's this horrible Asian Alien Flu Strain going around that kills people within 24 hours of getting the bug -- it's hours away from reaching the US. And this drug they are working on is their only hope of saving millions of lives. All they need is to find a candidate young enough to test it on. But oops there aren't any candidates who are death row or in prison...so they go to the foster care system instead, and decide to take a little African-American Girl who just lost her mother to crack.
To do this horrible assignment -- they assign an ex-vet of Iraq, who is a badass, and a wet-behind the ears nasty security guy, who keeps calling the girl cargo. The vet, played by Mark-Paul Gossler, has a soft spot for little girls (he has one of his own), mainly because she may well be the smartest character in the story to date. She figures out real quick these guys are up to no good and tries to escape, they grab her. Mark-Paul decides the heck with this, kicks his partner to the curb, and takes off with the kid -- deciding not to take her to Colorado and the nasty drug trial.
Meanwhile the monsters have found ways to play with the scientists brains.
It's sort of unintentionally funny in places.
Scientist: Outside of the need for blood, fangs, and other associated side effects, there is complete immunity --
Security guy: You mean outside of being a vampire.
Scientist: Don't be silly, there's no such thing as vampires. We don't call them that.
The scientists are really stupid.
Scientist: I need to save a million lives!
Researcher: I know we can get a kid, test it on her, if it works it will save millions.
Security Guy: Yes, but what if it doesn't work...
Scientist: Yes, but it could save millions. What's one life to millions!
Security Guy: Will you be able to live with yourself if you do this?
Scientist: Probably not well, but yes, I'll do what I must to save millions! Because I'll be know for saving millions!
The series makes you want to kick scientists. Although this may not be much of an issue for long.. since I have a feeling the vampires will eventually kill them anyhow...because the scientists are that stupid. I'm amazed they've survived the first episode.
But the kid, and the actress playing the kid is worth it. She's amazing. I adore her to pieces.
4. The Big Family Cooking Show Down on Netflix -- is actually pretty good. I enjoyed it.
Binged all of it yesterday while cleaning out my pantry and medicine cabinet. [Long arduous process that resulted in the sinus headache from hell. Too much frigging dust in that pantry and cabinet. Also had to make seven trips to the basement. But hey, the pantry and medicine cabinets look great -- I also discovered that I do not need to buy shampoo, sunscreen or lotion for the next 12 months.
I appear to have acquired quite the collection of shampoos, conditioners, sunscreen and after burn solutions. In addition, don't need to buy toothpaste, band-aids, air freshner, sponges, wipes, batteries, over the counter allergy and headache meds, and kleenex. Nice to know these things.]
The Cooking Show was very similar to the Great British Baking Show...except, well the BBC caught on to foreign copyright issues on the brand name and they only do two contestants at a time, and the cooking is mainly meals, not desserts. Which I sort of prefer -- less tempting. Every time I watch GBBS -- I get an insane craving for cake.
Very comforting show. I just want to hug it.
5. A Million Little Things -- is a weird show. Not sure what to make of it. But it's sort of compelling.
no subject
Date: 2019-01-21 01:51 am (UTC)I feel the same way about Charmed. I'm glad that the writers stayed true to the basic premise of three sister witches coming into their power after the death of their grandma/mom, but it's fun that the trio are their own characters and that I don't know where the story's heading since it's not simply a retread.
I also watched the pilot of The Passage, and yeah, some of the writing is super bad. The parts that made me cringe most involved infodumping where the scientists summarized what had happened recently to other scientists who like, had the same info as them and didn't need to be lectured so that we, the audience, were aware of the situation. It was just really clumsily handled. But I love the little girl in it and after seeing Mark-Paul Gosselaar in Pitch, I've warmed to him, too, so their storyline is why I'll stick around for another few eps.
no subject
Date: 2019-01-21 03:02 am (UTC)Haven't stuck with Charmed, through no fault of the show, just too many other television shows and no time. Also my DVR started deleting episodes without telling me. So unless I can catch it at some point on streaming..it's just not happening.
But I love the little girl in it and after seeing Mark-Paul Gosselaar in Pitch, I've warmed to him, too, so their storyline is why I'll stick around for another few eps.
Yep, right there with you on The Passage that kid really makes the show. I adore her. And Mark-Paul Gosselaar actually has good chemistry with the kid. He's not bad in it. I'm trying to place his friend, I've seen that actor somewhere before.
It is exposition heavy and they keep repeating it. I mean it's not complicated, it just well doesn't make any sense, which is probably why the scientists keep repeating it -- because the writers think, oh if we explain this enough times, the audience won't think the plot is absurd? I'm sorry -- who is going to turn evil mass murderers into vampires in order to avoid the possibility of millions dying of the flu? Not only that, but keep in them an insecure facility up in Colorado? The flu would be far easier to beat than a plague of vampires unleashed without warning in the Western United States. Don't these scientists watch monster movies? LOL!
no subject
Date: 2019-01-22 04:37 am (UTC)Footnote: the actress who plays Isobel in this version is Lily Cowles. She's the daughter of Christine Baranski.
no subject
Date: 2019-01-22 02:24 pm (UTC)I barely remember the first one as well, outside of the fact that the male lead played the villain in S2 Buffy episode Lie to Me (not the best actor on the planet), and that Katherine Heigel played Isobel. But that's basically it.
Ah...interesting, didn't know CB had a daughter in the business.
no subject
Date: 2019-01-22 10:35 pm (UTC)Yeah. The Previously.tv folks joked "Just like the original show, Max is played by a wooden actor"
I don't know that I agree, but this Max isn't as interesting as he should be, at least not yet.
I didn't know Baranski had an actor daughter either, until I looked up the show to see what the cast had done.
no subject
Date: 2019-01-23 01:16 pm (UTC)The Previously.tv folks joked "Just like the original show, Max is played by a wooden actor" I don't know that I agree, but this Max isn't as interesting as he should be, at least not yet.
Too soon to tell. But I've liked the actor in other things I've seen him in and I didn't find him to be that wooden. Although wooden is in the eye of the beholder? Since I consider Henry Cavil, who is VERY popular to be rather wooden.(shrugs)