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Today was unseasonably warm (88-90F or 31-40 C), unlike last weekend which was unseasonably cold (54-13C). No wonder I've been getting headaches, right? Oh well supposed to be back to the 70s next week.
Been marathoning tv series all day.
This morning watched the season finale of Elementary (yes, I know, FINALLY), and the series finale of Merlin. Which my mother and I discussed for an hour over the phone, hence the reason I feel no need to discuss Merlin online. She liked it better than I did. She cried at the end, while I was unmoved. Don't get me wrong, I like Merlin, but I was disappointed in the finale. I wanted the reveal of who Merlin was to come a tad earlier.
It's odd but I thought the reveal on Elementary was a tad more rewarding than it was on Merlin, maybe because Elementary didn't feel the need to drag it out for five seasons?
Merlin Series Finale
Interesting series. Will miss it. Rather adored the three actors portraying Merlin, Arthur and Gwen. Also the relationship between Arthur and Merlin, along with the banter. In some respects I liked the relationships conveyed here and the characters of Merlin, Gwen, and Arthur portrayed in this series far better than in all the other versions I've read and seen of the myth. Arthur often comes across as a bit of a doofus in the other versions, and Gwen a niave romantic fool. With Merlin as a bit on the calculating side of the fence. Here, they went a different route. Which was refreshing.
Unfortunately the drawn-out plot and Wile E. Coyote depiction of Morgana in regards to both Arthur (Road-Runner) and Merlin( Bugs Bunny) began to get on my nerves and cause a sort of emotional distance. How many times did Merlin have to either save Arthur's life or almost kill Morgana, but not quite succeed?
( spoilers )
* Elementary
The season finale was better than I expected and even though I was partially spoiled, it did not ruin the episode. The reveal on Moriarty's identity wasn't the main point of the episode.
( spoilers )
* Been marathoning Falling Skies - which is better than expected and compelling. It's actually the best of the dystopian apocalyptic dramas to date, well with the exception of the brutally violent "Walking Dead". Actually I think Falling Skies is easier to watch than Dead, and less misanthropic, also has less torture scenes. Actually, I haven't seen any that I can think of - well they sort of tried to torture a gross spider/lizard alien (only to get killed in the attempt) but I consider that quite the same thing. I don't know about anyone else but if I can definitely go without having to see another torture sequence on tv. Seen far too many as it is. Seems 80% of the tv shows on have it. This is why I'm not watching Hannibal and The Americans, by the way.
I like the characters in the series - even if some of them are a tad on the cliche side of the fence. Some people get annoyed at soap cliches, I can spot at ten paces sci-fi cliches.
We have the hard-bitten military guy, whose older than everyone else and weathered, he's even called Weavers. The wet-behind the ears 16 year old kid who wants to kill aliens.
The tough gals with an attitude. But...the actors are decent and rather interesting.
Also there's some good monologues in there. I rather adored a conversation between a outlaw leader and the protagonist, the Prof of History, regarding whether an alien invasion is more like the Revolutionary War or the Eurpeaon Conquest of the Americas (or the invasion of Europe into the Colonies and how they dealt with the aboriginal natives). We're not revolutionaries, he tells the Professor, we're the Indians. I think he may be right.
And the series has some interesting things to say about what warfare, militarism, and constant fighting does to people. Revolution attempted the same thing but not as well and is written all over the place. This series is tighter - six episodes in.
The main goal at the start is to save the middle son of Noah Wylie's character (Tom). His middle son (Ben) was taken by the invaders, put in a harnass, and is a slave. Tom is rushing to save him before the harnass becomes part of him and he becomes part of the aliens. The first six episodes deal with various attempts to rescue and remove the harnass from Ben, with various distractions taking them away from their task. The fact that the Ben arc is resolved at the end of the six episodes is an accomplishment. And it a satisfying one.
Also, we get bits on all the other characters. While it is a bit emotionally manipulative in places (hello, Spielberg) and cliche in others, not overtly so.
At any rate I think I'll stick with it for a while longer...see where it goes. If it goes overboard with the alien F/X and gets gross or too violent, I'll jump away.
Speaking of uber-violence? I love HBO's description of this Sunday's Game of Thrones.
( spoilers )
Been marathoning tv series all day.
This morning watched the season finale of Elementary (yes, I know, FINALLY), and the series finale of Merlin. Which my mother and I discussed for an hour over the phone, hence the reason I feel no need to discuss Merlin online. She liked it better than I did. She cried at the end, while I was unmoved. Don't get me wrong, I like Merlin, but I was disappointed in the finale. I wanted the reveal of who Merlin was to come a tad earlier.
It's odd but I thought the reveal on Elementary was a tad more rewarding than it was on Merlin, maybe because Elementary didn't feel the need to drag it out for five seasons?
Merlin Series Finale
Interesting series. Will miss it. Rather adored the three actors portraying Merlin, Arthur and Gwen. Also the relationship between Arthur and Merlin, along with the banter. In some respects I liked the relationships conveyed here and the characters of Merlin, Gwen, and Arthur portrayed in this series far better than in all the other versions I've read and seen of the myth. Arthur often comes across as a bit of a doofus in the other versions, and Gwen a niave romantic fool. With Merlin as a bit on the calculating side of the fence. Here, they went a different route. Which was refreshing.
Unfortunately the drawn-out plot and Wile E. Coyote depiction of Morgana in regards to both Arthur (Road-Runner) and Merlin( Bugs Bunny) began to get on my nerves and cause a sort of emotional distance. How many times did Merlin have to either save Arthur's life or almost kill Morgana, but not quite succeed?
( spoilers )
* Elementary
The season finale was better than I expected and even though I was partially spoiled, it did not ruin the episode. The reveal on Moriarty's identity wasn't the main point of the episode.
( spoilers )
* Been marathoning Falling Skies - which is better than expected and compelling. It's actually the best of the dystopian apocalyptic dramas to date, well with the exception of the brutally violent "Walking Dead". Actually I think Falling Skies is easier to watch than Dead, and less misanthropic, also has less torture scenes. Actually, I haven't seen any that I can think of - well they sort of tried to torture a gross spider/lizard alien (only to get killed in the attempt) but I consider that quite the same thing. I don't know about anyone else but if I can definitely go without having to see another torture sequence on tv. Seen far too many as it is. Seems 80% of the tv shows on have it. This is why I'm not watching Hannibal and The Americans, by the way.
I like the characters in the series - even if some of them are a tad on the cliche side of the fence. Some people get annoyed at soap cliches, I can spot at ten paces sci-fi cliches.
We have the hard-bitten military guy, whose older than everyone else and weathered, he's even called Weavers. The wet-behind the ears 16 year old kid who wants to kill aliens.
The tough gals with an attitude. But...the actors are decent and rather interesting.
Also there's some good monologues in there. I rather adored a conversation between a outlaw leader and the protagonist, the Prof of History, regarding whether an alien invasion is more like the Revolutionary War or the Eurpeaon Conquest of the Americas (or the invasion of Europe into the Colonies and how they dealt with the aboriginal natives). We're not revolutionaries, he tells the Professor, we're the Indians. I think he may be right.
And the series has some interesting things to say about what warfare, militarism, and constant fighting does to people. Revolution attempted the same thing but not as well and is written all over the place. This series is tighter - six episodes in.
The main goal at the start is to save the middle son of Noah Wylie's character (Tom). His middle son (Ben) was taken by the invaders, put in a harnass, and is a slave. Tom is rushing to save him before the harnass becomes part of him and he becomes part of the aliens. The first six episodes deal with various attempts to rescue and remove the harnass from Ben, with various distractions taking them away from their task. The fact that the Ben arc is resolved at the end of the six episodes is an accomplishment. And it a satisfying one.
Also, we get bits on all the other characters. While it is a bit emotionally manipulative in places (hello, Spielberg) and cliche in others, not overtly so.
At any rate I think I'll stick with it for a while longer...see where it goes. If it goes overboard with the alien F/X and gets gross or too violent, I'll jump away.
Speaking of uber-violence? I love HBO's description of this Sunday's Game of Thrones.
( spoilers )