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shadowkat1. First, The Good Place - Pandemonium -- I just realized this morning that this is the season finale. (EW told me. I did not know it was the season finale. Although that explains a few things.)
I liked the last thing they say in the episode...about meaning is obtained through moments, and love. The show has a comforting way of asking deep moral ethical questions then answering them in either a comical or comforting manner. But I'm on the fence about them hitting the reset button, again.
While I more or less guessed Eleanor would have to become the architect with Michael being behind the scenes -- sort of the dynamic that was occurring in S1 and 2, except Eleanor was helping Michael behind the scenes -- I'm on the fence about whether it works for me or not. I did not however predict that they'd grabbed ex's or irritating people from the main characters pasts to challenge them. (The Bad Place is rather cleverer than we'd thought. We thought they'd switch Michaels, but no, that would be cheating and easily detected -- far better loophole to throw people at them that they'd known in life. Clever twist. I liked that. I did not like the fact that the show made it so Chidi had to be rebooted or wiped, because he couldn't help Simone otherwise -- since she's his ex. Which means he forgets what Eleanor means to him again. Besides the below mini-rant about the break them up put them together trope, rinse and repeat, I felt it was a bit lazy. It had become increasingly obvious from the past few episodes that the writers didn't know what to do with Chidi. And had written him into a corner. Mindwiping him, gives them more to do. The character works better for the writers when he's clueless.
Mini-Rant:
(Rinse and repeat. They break them up, put them together, break them up, put them together...trope is situational comedy suicide. Please stop. It doesn't work long-term. The audience begins to get whip-lash and for self-protection stops caring. I actually never cared, because I knew the writers would do that. So I'm just irritated by it, because we're going to waste even more time with Chidi/Eleanor...and really can we move already. At this point, I'm sort of rooting for Eleanor/Janet or Eleanor/Simone or Eleanor/Michael and just let Chidi be single for a bit, until he gets his act together.] Also, the memory wipe thing is getting old -- it's too easy. Writer's? You can do better.
Other than that, I enjoyed the episode and I'll probably stick around for S4. Mainly because the dynamic has changed a bit. Instead of Michael, Vicky and the demons running the place, we have Eleanor, Michael, Janet, Tahani and Jason running the place, with Chidi, Simon, and that annoying guy who appears to be a stereotype of the gay male gossip...being among the four humans they have to save, although I'm not quite sure Chidi should count?
On the fence about the reset.
2. To meme or not to meme...therein lies the question. Not aided by the fact that I have a feeling I've done this before. The questions seem really similar. So I may change a few of them, just to spice things up? Although I'm beginning to think meme's are like plots...it's impossible to come up with a new one.
How old are you?
Clues: Generation X
I was around during Watergate but have no memory of it. But I do remember Carter and Ford. Saw Star Wars two weeks after it first premiered in theaters, the first time it premiered.
The Monkees and Star Trek were in reruns. And I had a childhood that was free of cell phones, ipods, and for the most part computers -- until Apple II came out when I was in the 6th grade. Video games were Atari. Tom Baker was Doctor Who.
My favorite teen comedy flick in the theaters was Pretty in Pink.
I remember when HBO first came out. And my first television set was black and white.
We owned an 8 track player.
Saw Peter Gabriel in Concert at Wembley Stadium with Kate Bush. He had hair and was pretty.
DVDs didn't exist until my 30s.
Actors who I grew up with...watching...Brad Pitt, Jennifer Anniston, Molly Ringwald, Rob Lowe, Tom Cruise, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Mark Hamil, Meg Ryan, Dennis Quiad, Mel Gibson
Actors close to my age? Hugh Jackman, Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, James Marsters, Jennifer Aniston, Meg Ryan, Kate Hudson, Molly Ringwald, Jodi Foster
How old am I?
Tattoos?
How about piercings? I've done my ears. But considering I rarely wear jewerly and only earrings if that...and only on occasion, they get in my way while talking on the phone -- not into them.
I hate needles. I don't like pain. If it were up to me, I wouldn't wear makeup. Did meet a professional makeup artist once who has a tattoo of a tree with a bird in it up and down the "Side" of her body and along her arm. She also had tattooed eyeliner around her eyes -- so it was permanent. I asked her how she bore it.
Makeup artist: it's no more painful than having a baby.
Okay, there's a big difference there.
Mother: Yep. Babies grow up, talk to you, and move away. A tattoo is ink under your skin that gets wrinkled with age. Really not seeing the comparison.
Also, met a guy once who was a professional body piercing and tattoo artist -- had tattoos over every inch of his body.
I honestly don't get the appeal. Some are attractive. Some ugly. But why would you want to have someone take a needle and put ink under under your skin?
Ever hit adeer? (obviously this was done by someone who lives in the country) anything?
No. Maybe ran over roadkill, but haven't we all?
Ridden in an ambulance?
At least once -- but not for me. I witnessed a hit and run, first on the scene. The young woman was by herself and scared. I did not know her. We'd never met. But she had her choice of me, and a bunch of guys...and I asked if she wanted me to ride in the ambulance with her? She nodded. So I did. (Once I was in it -- it occurred to me that I had no way to get back and how this could be an issue. But not to worry, the Vice Principle of the College or Vice Dean took me home.) Years later, I found out she was a close friend of Wales (another college pal) and had told Wales all about how I'd gone out of my way to help her -- without having a clue who she was.
Sang karaoke?
Yes. And rather badly. In law school. We did it a lot. I was horrible. I am tone death -- I sing, people plug their ears and run in the opposite direction.
Ice skated? (how about roller skated? It's more fun, cheesy, but a lot more fun.)
Yes. I went ice skating a lot as a kid and roller skating. It was something we did. Also did it in college. I was okay, not great. My balance has never been stellar. I could skate backwards, but that was it.
Ridden a Motorcycle?
I wish.
Stayed in hospital?
Sort of. If you count six-eight hours. The person who took me to the hospital and stayed with me all night long, checking up on me and advocating for me -- I owe for life. Honestly, if you read this and you do know who you are -- anything you need, give me a call. I will be there. I mean it is no little thing to stay all night with a friend in a hospital and have to go to work the next morning. That's not something I'll ever forget. That's just amazing. Particularly since city hospitals are hell on earth. I ran out of one, screaming. Then wrote about it in my book -- describing the place in detail, right down to the graffiti on the bathroom walls, and urine on the floor. It's closed now. Fun fact? I get to go back to the same building, refurbished as a doctor's office and ambulatory care unit next week for a physical. The irony is not lost on me.
Lando also did that for me -- he walked me to a hospital, that was unfortunately going bankrupt. And stayed with me, then walked me to the train station afterwards, when I seriously injured myself.
Skipped school?
Yes, in college for a Regan Rally. I kid you not. I was curious. I'd done a sleep-over with a bunch of friends, at one of the gal's family home up in Denver. She lived on a horse ranch and we watched horror flicks all night. Everyone else went home early, while I hung out with her and helped her do chores, and she drove me back to the Springs. On the way she talked me into skipping class and going to a Regan Rally. She was conservative politically, I was not. But I thought, what the hell.
So we went.
Lucy: We went to the Regan Rally.
Marron: With S'kat? She hates Regan. I love Regan. Why didn't you take me??
Lucy: Yeah, I know...Regan got up on stage and I have tears in my eyes, while S'Kat is eyeing the protestors trying to decide if she should get up and join them.
Me: Eh...you noticed that??
Lucy: Yep.
Me: Oh.
Last phone call?
Mother. Call her every night.
Last text from?
J about a movie and having to miss for his son's Pinebox Derby Competition. (No, I don't know what it is either. But I'm completely okay about it. I didn't want to do anything tomorrow but veg and work on book.)
Watched someone die?
Do cat's count?
Pepsi or Coke?
Neither. Let's do something else.
Coffee or Tea? Tea
Soda or Kombuchi? Kombuchi. I hate soda. Can't drink it. Do you know what is in it? If you did, you wouldn't drink it either...
Favourite pie?
Don't really have one. Can't really eat it -- unless gluten free. And the best gluten-free pies tend to be custards like Pumpkin.
How about Favorite Ice Cream?
Peppermint.
Favourite pizza?
Only eat Against the Grain -- it's completely cheese with no grains. So how about something more interesting? Like Favorite Cocktail?
Dark and Stormy.
Favourite season?
Spring
Broken bones?
Foot, and possibly finger
Received a ticket?
Yes.
Favorite color?
Purple.
How about Favorite Sci-Fi Television Series?
Farscape.
Or Favorite Supernatural Series?
Buffy.
Sunset or sunrise?
Sunset, because I am not a morning person.
I liked the last thing they say in the episode...about meaning is obtained through moments, and love. The show has a comforting way of asking deep moral ethical questions then answering them in either a comical or comforting manner. But I'm on the fence about them hitting the reset button, again.
While I more or less guessed Eleanor would have to become the architect with Michael being behind the scenes -- sort of the dynamic that was occurring in S1 and 2, except Eleanor was helping Michael behind the scenes -- I'm on the fence about whether it works for me or not. I did not however predict that they'd grabbed ex's or irritating people from the main characters pasts to challenge them. (The Bad Place is rather cleverer than we'd thought. We thought they'd switch Michaels, but no, that would be cheating and easily detected -- far better loophole to throw people at them that they'd known in life. Clever twist. I liked that. I did not like the fact that the show made it so Chidi had to be rebooted or wiped, because he couldn't help Simone otherwise -- since she's his ex. Which means he forgets what Eleanor means to him again. Besides the below mini-rant about the break them up put them together trope, rinse and repeat, I felt it was a bit lazy. It had become increasingly obvious from the past few episodes that the writers didn't know what to do with Chidi. And had written him into a corner. Mindwiping him, gives them more to do. The character works better for the writers when he's clueless.
Mini-Rant:
(Rinse and repeat. They break them up, put them together, break them up, put them together...trope is situational comedy suicide. Please stop. It doesn't work long-term. The audience begins to get whip-lash and for self-protection stops caring. I actually never cared, because I knew the writers would do that. So I'm just irritated by it, because we're going to waste even more time with Chidi/Eleanor...and really can we move already. At this point, I'm sort of rooting for Eleanor/Janet or Eleanor/Simone or Eleanor/Michael and just let Chidi be single for a bit, until he gets his act together.] Also, the memory wipe thing is getting old -- it's too easy. Writer's? You can do better.
Other than that, I enjoyed the episode and I'll probably stick around for S4. Mainly because the dynamic has changed a bit. Instead of Michael, Vicky and the demons running the place, we have Eleanor, Michael, Janet, Tahani and Jason running the place, with Chidi, Simon, and that annoying guy who appears to be a stereotype of the gay male gossip...being among the four humans they have to save, although I'm not quite sure Chidi should count?
On the fence about the reset.
2. To meme or not to meme...therein lies the question. Not aided by the fact that I have a feeling I've done this before. The questions seem really similar. So I may change a few of them, just to spice things up? Although I'm beginning to think meme's are like plots...it's impossible to come up with a new one.
How old are you?
Clues: Generation X
I was around during Watergate but have no memory of it. But I do remember Carter and Ford. Saw Star Wars two weeks after it first premiered in theaters, the first time it premiered.
The Monkees and Star Trek were in reruns. And I had a childhood that was free of cell phones, ipods, and for the most part computers -- until Apple II came out when I was in the 6th grade. Video games were Atari. Tom Baker was Doctor Who.
My favorite teen comedy flick in the theaters was Pretty in Pink.
I remember when HBO first came out. And my first television set was black and white.
We owned an 8 track player.
Saw Peter Gabriel in Concert at Wembley Stadium with Kate Bush. He had hair and was pretty.
DVDs didn't exist until my 30s.
Actors who I grew up with...watching...Brad Pitt, Jennifer Anniston, Molly Ringwald, Rob Lowe, Tom Cruise, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Mark Hamil, Meg Ryan, Dennis Quiad, Mel Gibson
Actors close to my age? Hugh Jackman, Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, James Marsters, Jennifer Aniston, Meg Ryan, Kate Hudson, Molly Ringwald, Jodi Foster
How old am I?
Tattoos?
How about piercings? I've done my ears. But considering I rarely wear jewerly and only earrings if that...and only on occasion, they get in my way while talking on the phone -- not into them.
I hate needles. I don't like pain. If it were up to me, I wouldn't wear makeup. Did meet a professional makeup artist once who has a tattoo of a tree with a bird in it up and down the "Side" of her body and along her arm. She also had tattooed eyeliner around her eyes -- so it was permanent. I asked her how she bore it.
Makeup artist: it's no more painful than having a baby.
Okay, there's a big difference there.
Mother: Yep. Babies grow up, talk to you, and move away. A tattoo is ink under your skin that gets wrinkled with age. Really not seeing the comparison.
Also, met a guy once who was a professional body piercing and tattoo artist -- had tattoos over every inch of his body.
I honestly don't get the appeal. Some are attractive. Some ugly. But why would you want to have someone take a needle and put ink under under your skin?
Ever hit a
No. Maybe ran over roadkill, but haven't we all?
Ridden in an ambulance?
At least once -- but not for me. I witnessed a hit and run, first on the scene. The young woman was by herself and scared. I did not know her. We'd never met. But she had her choice of me, and a bunch of guys...and I asked if she wanted me to ride in the ambulance with her? She nodded. So I did. (Once I was in it -- it occurred to me that I had no way to get back and how this could be an issue. But not to worry, the Vice Principle of the College or Vice Dean took me home.) Years later, I found out she was a close friend of Wales (another college pal) and had told Wales all about how I'd gone out of my way to help her -- without having a clue who she was.
Sang karaoke?
Yes. And rather badly. In law school. We did it a lot. I was horrible. I am tone death -- I sing, people plug their ears and run in the opposite direction.
Ice skated? (how about roller skated? It's more fun, cheesy, but a lot more fun.)
Yes. I went ice skating a lot as a kid and roller skating. It was something we did. Also did it in college. I was okay, not great. My balance has never been stellar. I could skate backwards, but that was it.
Ridden a Motorcycle?
I wish.
Stayed in hospital?
Sort of. If you count six-eight hours. The person who took me to the hospital and stayed with me all night long, checking up on me and advocating for me -- I owe for life. Honestly, if you read this and you do know who you are -- anything you need, give me a call. I will be there. I mean it is no little thing to stay all night with a friend in a hospital and have to go to work the next morning. That's not something I'll ever forget. That's just amazing. Particularly since city hospitals are hell on earth. I ran out of one, screaming. Then wrote about it in my book -- describing the place in detail, right down to the graffiti on the bathroom walls, and urine on the floor. It's closed now. Fun fact? I get to go back to the same building, refurbished as a doctor's office and ambulatory care unit next week for a physical. The irony is not lost on me.
Lando also did that for me -- he walked me to a hospital, that was unfortunately going bankrupt. And stayed with me, then walked me to the train station afterwards, when I seriously injured myself.
Skipped school?
Yes, in college for a Regan Rally. I kid you not. I was curious. I'd done a sleep-over with a bunch of friends, at one of the gal's family home up in Denver. She lived on a horse ranch and we watched horror flicks all night. Everyone else went home early, while I hung out with her and helped her do chores, and she drove me back to the Springs. On the way she talked me into skipping class and going to a Regan Rally. She was conservative politically, I was not. But I thought, what the hell.
So we went.
Lucy: We went to the Regan Rally.
Marron: With S'kat? She hates Regan. I love Regan. Why didn't you take me??
Lucy: Yeah, I know...Regan got up on stage and I have tears in my eyes, while S'Kat is eyeing the protestors trying to decide if she should get up and join them.
Me: Eh...you noticed that??
Lucy: Yep.
Me: Oh.
Last phone call?
Mother. Call her every night.
Last text from?
J about a movie and having to miss for his son's Pinebox Derby Competition. (No, I don't know what it is either. But I'm completely okay about it. I didn't want to do anything tomorrow but veg and work on book.)
Watched someone die?
Do cat's count?
Pepsi or Coke?
Neither. Let's do something else.
Coffee or Tea? Tea
Soda or Kombuchi? Kombuchi. I hate soda. Can't drink it. Do you know what is in it? If you did, you wouldn't drink it either...
Don't really have one. Can't really eat it -- unless gluten free. And the best gluten-free pies tend to be custards like Pumpkin.
How about Favorite Ice Cream?
Peppermint.
Only eat Against the Grain -- it's completely cheese with no grains. So how about something more interesting? Like Favorite Cocktail?
Dark and Stormy.
Favourite season?
Spring
Broken bones?
Foot, and possibly finger
Received a ticket?
Yes.
Favorite color?
Purple.
How about Favorite Sci-Fi Television Series?
Farscape.
Or Favorite Supernatural Series?
Buffy.
Sunset or sunrise?
Sunset, because I am not a morning person.
no subject
Date: 2019-01-27 06:24 pm (UTC)It didn’t feel much like a series finale to me either, I was surprised it didn’t end with any kind of major twist like the first two seasons did, but I suppose that they were going more with emotion this time instead with the Eleanor and Chidi relationship
All of the resets are getting a bit old for me as well, at this point I’m wondering how much longer they’re planning to go on for. I’m starting to see more and more people say that they love the show and the cast, but it’s not really the kind of show that can go on indefinitely, not when they keep going around in circles with the reboots and Eleanor learning how to be good over and over again. Also I definitely feel like they’re trying way too hard to write Eleanor and Chidi as this epic romance for the audience to root for, when the reality is that their romantic chemistry is pretty tepid at best. They’re more what I’d describe as a cute couple with some nice moments together, but nothing really epic about them to me
no subject
Date: 2019-01-27 08:07 pm (UTC)I mean, it helps if the characters have an arc, a story, and definitive outcome.
Otherwise the audience's attention may wander off.
The series works really well for anyone who is only interested in the whimisical philosophical and moral ethics, enjoys/identifies with the characters, but if you want more than that, it's going to get frustrating really fast.
Also, I'm not sure how long they can stretch out the premise of this sort of pocket dimension between heaven and hell where humans struggle to reach Nirvana (heaven) yet constantly find themselves falling into hell. Particulary since the glimpses we've received of Nirvana...seem to be well another more comfortable level of hell.
I wish they'd jump away from the romantic pairings though -- they aren't working for me -- and show Eleanor and Chidi can become good without that being a goal or issue.