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Sep. 15th, 2024 10:00 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatTelevision Round-up
Haven't really been watching much outside of the soap, which I watch for various reasons. People who don't watch soap operas are weirdly judgemental of those that do. Or so, I've discovered.
Former Friend (yet they remain immortal on FB): I can't believe you watch soaps, they are so pedestrian!
Me: Says someone who watches Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, and Sharknado. [Caveat? I've watched both. Preferred Xenia personally. And after the first Sharknado...there was no point. The joke had worn itself out.]
[*We're no longer friends for mainly external reasons, not that discussion, which happened when we were still close, and co-workers.]
I've never understood it. I also find it highly hypocritical and snooty. I shouldn't have to defend my love of something that is completely harmless to anyone. It's not like I'm watching a reality series - which does harm people. Why would you condemn someone for what they enjoy?
It's okay not to like everything. But we do, I think, need to be careful not to condemn people for liking or loving things we don't? (Granted with the overall caveat that the thing we love doesn't hurt other people.) No matter how frustrating that may be? Watching television, reading books, playing video games, watching movies or playing an RPG - the last time I checked, doesn't hurt anyone. (Well, RPGs might - it most likely depends on the RPG??)
1. KAOS (Netflix series) - stars Jeff Goldblum, and so far is boring as all get out. It's a satire, actually a political satire about the Greek Gods. And unfortunately the Greek Gods have been a tad overdone? There's more focus on the satire and the world-building/sight gags than on the characters and plot. Which is always problematic for me. I need the focus to be on the characters, the plot, then the world, not the opposite way around. And it helps if I'm curious about the characters. Or intrigued.
This isn't doing that. I think the Good Place handled philosophical satire in this regard far better, as did, for that matter, The Magicians.
It probably doesn't help that I'm not much of a Jeff Goldblume fan?
At any rate, I gave it four episodes - and gave up, when I realized it was mainly just background noise and I wasn't paying attention to it. I was playing ReDecor on my phone, or surfing the net, or discussing characters on FB fan page. This happens a lot with Netflix. It will jump to the next episode without so much as a how-de-do. To stop it - I have to jump out of Netflix or switch my settings for everything.
2. Hacks - S3 - episode 1. HACKS like The Bear is that rare situation comedy that works for me. Mainly because it's more of a dramedy than a sitcom. It's also more a work place comedy/drama that focuses on the actual work. Not just the work environment. In other words, it puts character, plot, then world building. The humor comes from the relatable and often absurd situations, and we laugh with NOT at the characters.
The Good Wife had a similar dynamic.
The first episode of S3 has an excellent sight gag - and it is set up beautifully. Deborah is hunting for her presenter's outfit. Her personal stylist (which is three people) shows up with about twenty outfits on a rack. Deborah is not impressed. "None of this is grabbing me."
Stylist: Uhm okay, I'll see what else I can -
Deborah: Actually there might be something more suitable in my closet.
They drive to some warehouse in the middle of the desert. The stylists, Deborah and her personal assistant leave the car. Deborah matter of factly raises the warehouse metal rolling/overhead door. And we see rows upon rows floor to ceiling of garments, shoes, outfits galore.
Stylist's jaw is hanging open. "Holy fuck".
I'm laughing my head off. Brilliant sight gag. And it just gets better from that point on.
The best thing though about HACKS is the frenemy relationship between Deborah and her former head-writer (in S3), Ava. Their relationship starts out as Ava becoming Deborah's writer (a job no one wants), to Deborah regaining her popularity and Ava being responsible for that - and Deborah magnanimously firing Ava so Ava can climb her own mountains and have a life outside of Deborah. Now, we're back to their complicated relationship.
3. The Perfect Couple (Netflix) - this is a fairly mainstream by the numbers thriller/mystery on Netflix (which has hundreds of them, this one at least is not by Harlan Corben). It also stars Nicole Kidman (with a wee bit too much botox done), Liev Shrieber, and Isabelle Adjani (in a smaller role, also too much botox done - I barely recognized her). The setup is someone is murdered at the wedding of the son of a rich and influential/famous British Mystery/Thriller novelist at her Nantucket home. Who did it?
We find out who was killed at the end of the first episode. It's told in a kind of omnipresent perspective, but mainly from the point of views of the down to earth police detectives on the case. The focus is on class, and it is a borderline satire in places.
It's okay. I've seen two episodes so far. Per a friend, who also read the book - it's adapted from the book of the same name and is fairly close to it, except for the point of view. In the book - the Bride narrates the novel.
4. Rings of Power - sticking with it. But unless you've watched the previous season fairly recently, you can get confused. I watched it about eight months ago - so not too bad. But I admittedly got a bit confused at firt.
It's also really violent, and looks like it will be more so. This is about what happened prior to The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings. Ironically these stories were released in reverse order. Lord of the Rings came first, then the Hobbit, then Rings of Power.
Rings of Power in other words is the back story on Lord of the Rings. How the Rings came about, how Modor came into existence, what happened to Dwarf stronghold, and to the other places that were ruins in the Lord of the Rings and long abandoned.
It kind makes me want to watch everything else again.
5. Six Feet Under (NETFLIX) - it has the look taste and feel of a 1990s television series. I forgot a lot of folks were in it. And damn, they looked great in the 1990s. Peter Krause was kind of hot back then. But I didn't make it past the first episode. It's a dysfunctional family drama about death, with everyone screaming at each other. My tolerance for dysfunctional family drama is receding with time. My family isn't that dysfunctional or it is? But not in that way. I just want to slap the people in it and tell them to get their shit together and grow up.
******
Flirting with?
Outlander, The Witcher, finishing Scavenger's Reign, Brothers of the Sun, (all Netflix), Succession, The Boy and the Heron (now on HBO Max), Furiosa (also Max), The Civil War (Max), and the Watchers (Max). And oh, Agatha All Along.
I've kind of given up on the Star Wars franchise. Of everything I've seen to date - the only two shows I liked were Andor and The Mandalorian, and really just Andor stood out.
Haven't really been watching much outside of the soap, which I watch for various reasons. People who don't watch soap operas are weirdly judgemental of those that do. Or so, I've discovered.
Former Friend (yet they remain immortal on FB): I can't believe you watch soaps, they are so pedestrian!
Me: Says someone who watches Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, and Sharknado. [Caveat? I've watched both. Preferred Xenia personally. And after the first Sharknado...there was no point. The joke had worn itself out.]
[*We're no longer friends for mainly external reasons, not that discussion, which happened when we were still close, and co-workers.]
I've never understood it. I also find it highly hypocritical and snooty. I shouldn't have to defend my love of something that is completely harmless to anyone. It's not like I'm watching a reality series - which does harm people. Why would you condemn someone for what they enjoy?
It's okay not to like everything. But we do, I think, need to be careful not to condemn people for liking or loving things we don't? (Granted with the overall caveat that the thing we love doesn't hurt other people.) No matter how frustrating that may be? Watching television, reading books, playing video games, watching movies or playing an RPG - the last time I checked, doesn't hurt anyone. (Well, RPGs might - it most likely depends on the RPG??)
1. KAOS (Netflix series) - stars Jeff Goldblum, and so far is boring as all get out. It's a satire, actually a political satire about the Greek Gods. And unfortunately the Greek Gods have been a tad overdone? There's more focus on the satire and the world-building/sight gags than on the characters and plot. Which is always problematic for me. I need the focus to be on the characters, the plot, then the world, not the opposite way around. And it helps if I'm curious about the characters. Or intrigued.
This isn't doing that. I think the Good Place handled philosophical satire in this regard far better, as did, for that matter, The Magicians.
It probably doesn't help that I'm not much of a Jeff Goldblume fan?
At any rate, I gave it four episodes - and gave up, when I realized it was mainly just background noise and I wasn't paying attention to it. I was playing ReDecor on my phone, or surfing the net, or discussing characters on FB fan page. This happens a lot with Netflix. It will jump to the next episode without so much as a how-de-do. To stop it - I have to jump out of Netflix or switch my settings for everything.
2. Hacks - S3 - episode 1. HACKS like The Bear is that rare situation comedy that works for me. Mainly because it's more of a dramedy than a sitcom. It's also more a work place comedy/drama that focuses on the actual work. Not just the work environment. In other words, it puts character, plot, then world building. The humor comes from the relatable and often absurd situations, and we laugh with NOT at the characters.
The Good Wife had a similar dynamic.
The first episode of S3 has an excellent sight gag - and it is set up beautifully. Deborah is hunting for her presenter's outfit. Her personal stylist (which is three people) shows up with about twenty outfits on a rack. Deborah is not impressed. "None of this is grabbing me."
Stylist: Uhm okay, I'll see what else I can -
Deborah: Actually there might be something more suitable in my closet.
They drive to some warehouse in the middle of the desert. The stylists, Deborah and her personal assistant leave the car. Deborah matter of factly raises the warehouse metal rolling/overhead door. And we see rows upon rows floor to ceiling of garments, shoes, outfits galore.
Stylist's jaw is hanging open. "Holy fuck".
I'm laughing my head off. Brilliant sight gag. And it just gets better from that point on.
The best thing though about HACKS is the frenemy relationship between Deborah and her former head-writer (in S3), Ava. Their relationship starts out as Ava becoming Deborah's writer (a job no one wants), to Deborah regaining her popularity and Ava being responsible for that - and Deborah magnanimously firing Ava so Ava can climb her own mountains and have a life outside of Deborah. Now, we're back to their complicated relationship.
3. The Perfect Couple (Netflix) - this is a fairly mainstream by the numbers thriller/mystery on Netflix (which has hundreds of them, this one at least is not by Harlan Corben). It also stars Nicole Kidman (with a wee bit too much botox done), Liev Shrieber, and Isabelle Adjani (in a smaller role, also too much botox done - I barely recognized her). The setup is someone is murdered at the wedding of the son of a rich and influential/famous British Mystery/Thriller novelist at her Nantucket home. Who did it?
We find out who was killed at the end of the first episode. It's told in a kind of omnipresent perspective, but mainly from the point of views of the down to earth police detectives on the case. The focus is on class, and it is a borderline satire in places.
It's okay. I've seen two episodes so far. Per a friend, who also read the book - it's adapted from the book of the same name and is fairly close to it, except for the point of view. In the book - the Bride narrates the novel.
4. Rings of Power - sticking with it. But unless you've watched the previous season fairly recently, you can get confused. I watched it about eight months ago - so not too bad. But I admittedly got a bit confused at firt.
It's also really violent, and looks like it will be more so. This is about what happened prior to The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings. Ironically these stories were released in reverse order. Lord of the Rings came first, then the Hobbit, then Rings of Power.
Rings of Power in other words is the back story on Lord of the Rings. How the Rings came about, how Modor came into existence, what happened to Dwarf stronghold, and to the other places that were ruins in the Lord of the Rings and long abandoned.
It kind makes me want to watch everything else again.
5. Six Feet Under (NETFLIX) - it has the look taste and feel of a 1990s television series. I forgot a lot of folks were in it. And damn, they looked great in the 1990s. Peter Krause was kind of hot back then. But I didn't make it past the first episode. It's a dysfunctional family drama about death, with everyone screaming at each other. My tolerance for dysfunctional family drama is receding with time. My family isn't that dysfunctional or it is? But not in that way. I just want to slap the people in it and tell them to get their shit together and grow up.
******
Flirting with?
Outlander, The Witcher, finishing Scavenger's Reign, Brothers of the Sun, (all Netflix), Succession, The Boy and the Heron (now on HBO Max), Furiosa (also Max), The Civil War (Max), and the Watchers (Max). And oh, Agatha All Along.
I've kind of given up on the Star Wars franchise. Of everything I've seen to date - the only two shows I liked were Andor and The Mandalorian, and really just Andor stood out.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-15 08:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-09-15 09:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-09-15 11:37 pm (UTC)I'm watching Scavenger's Reign right now and it's so weird (in a good way - creative!). I liked The Acolyte (recent Star Wars show) and feel it tried to do something different with the non-linear noir-style sort of story. It was also set in a time outside of anything familiar, so was freed from a lot of what gets bogged down. I know you said you've passed on the franchise lately, but wanted to call out that it definitely has a different vibe going on in case you were considering.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-16 01:57 am (UTC)Thanks for the shout-out for Acolyte. I'll give it a second chance.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-16 12:15 pm (UTC)I'm taking Scavenger's Reign one episode at a time with frequent breaks because it does get so horrific and bizarre, but agree it's delightfully weird and creative so I can't look away. :)
Speaking of mood, several things from AMC just dropped on Netflix, so I'm thinking of getting back to Dark Winds as I left off after season 1. Didn't you also watch that show? Or am I misremembering?
no subject
Date: 2024-09-17 01:31 am (UTC)The lead is adorable.
I've seen the first two seasons, still waiting for S3.
Same on Scavenger's Reign - I do about two episodes at a time. It's the sort of thing that could give me nightmares. There's a lot of ...body horror in this - which makes me glad it's animated. I wouldn't be able to watch a live version. But, like you said - it's delightfully creative and bizarre, also compelling. I've noticed a thematic pattern - the individuals who are "curious" seem to be spared and make their way with less adversity, than those who aren't curious and just want to use whatever they find to escape or get back to the ship.