shadowkat | (no subject)

1. Texted my brother today, we're at least in agreement on most television shows. We both loved The Bear to little bitty pieces, and agree with The Atlantic Review which states as it's heading, Thank God for The Bear, this is the television show we all needed. "I can forgive The Bear almost anything, because it’s one of the few shows on television now still willing to wrangle with the mess of being human—with what it means to try to live differently."

The Bear was renewed for a fifth season. Yay.

I'm admittedly in the minority? (not on the Bear, it's very popular). As apparently is my brother. Perhaps we're related after all? Neither of us could get into or liked Severance (which is insanely popular with thirty and twenty-somethings), we're on the fence with Murderbot, and so-so on Foundation, it's pretty overwrought, although very pretty overall.

He asked about the Buffy Reboot, and I regaled him with my knowledge on it - then realized, damn, I'm like a frigging info-dump on some things, aren't I? Hope it's not too annoying?

2. Crazy Org is being amusingly and charmingly passive aggressive towards our current political situation, and in some ways aggressive when it needs to be. (It took the DOJ to court and won.) As I told my brother, say what you will about Crazy Org - it's a tough old agency, and much like the city it resides in - it can stand up in a fight, and mostly win.

This was how it ended an email regarding the upcoming fourth of July holiday:

"A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.”
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), The Declaration of Independence

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I tried to get into The Bear, and we found it hard going. Maybe it's a cultural thing, and it resonates more with you than it did with us Brits. I'll have to have another look at it.

It depends on what you like and are in the mood for? The Bear is hyper-realism and character centric. It's main plot is to keep a restaurant going, and focuses mainly on the emotional arcs of the characters. It's kind of like reading a series of slice of life character stories and tied up in one series?

It's not plot driven, but character driven. And if you prefer plot over character? It most likely won't appeal. And it's main focus is relationship drama and the messiness of being human, not solving a puzzle or a case, or fixing a problem. Running the restaurant is the problem or focal point, but it's more about each of the people involved in the restaurant, then it is about the restaurant itself?

And that doesn't work for everyone.

I love The Bear, it walks a tricky line between stressing me out and providing moments of true beauty and warmth. We also love Severance, but I can see how it would be divisive. I'm one of those who watched all of Lost when it aired, and greatly enjoy analyzing and theorizing about the strangeness of events in a narrative like that (also, the music & cinematography is magnificent).

We gave the pilot of Murderbot a go, and couldn't get into it. Once I realized what it's really "about" I was more intrigued, but even the concept wasn't enough to convince my wife to make a return trip. I think part of where we struggled was that it's tonally all over the place--not laugh-out-loud funny, but seems like it's meant to be humorous, but also dramatic, but also trying to be serious science fiction? That's a lot to bounce around. I'm sure like most series, it gets better by the end of the first season, but we didn't get hooked.

I love The Bear, it walks a tricky line between stressing me out and providing moments of true beauty and warmth.

Exactly. Have the same reaction to it.

I think part of where we struggled was that it's tonally all over the place--not laugh-out-loud funny, but seems like it's meant to be humorous, but also dramatic, but also trying to be serious science fiction?

It helps if you read the books first, I think? It's closely adapted from a group of novellas by Martha Wells, entitled The Murderbot Diaries, which became a cult hit.

The series is from the perspective of the Bot, and its take on humanity. It's meant to be a bit of a satire/parody of various sci-fi books, series, films. In some respects, I think it works better on the page than on-screen, mainly because they spend too much time parodying space opera with the Murderbot's fannish devotion to a space opera. This is funnier on the page, not as funny on screen for some reason or other? I think maybe the writing is more subtle, while the television show is a bit more blatant? It's not really serious science fiction, so much as satirical speculative sci-fi. It's meant to a be a black comedy.

I'm on the fence about it. It's not as funny as the books - and I can't quite decide if that's because I read them (although only vaguely remember them) or if it's because this worked better in the books?
I find it slow in places, and I don't really care that much about any of the characters outside of the Murderbot - who feel a bit boilerplate and not like real characters, which is a problem for me. Part of this may be because all we know about the other characters is what the Muderbot knows, and honestly first person narration works better in book form than visual form, or in television, I think?

I'm one of those who watched all of Lost when it aired, and greatly enjoy analyzing and theorizing about the strangeness of events in a narrative like that (also, the music & cinematography is magnificent)

cinematography and music of LOST not Severance, right?

I agree on Lost, I enjoyed it.

I may be too logical and analytical for Severance? Don't know. I can't get past the third episode, it keeps putting me to sleep. (shrugs). Also, the appeal of the lead is lost on me.

Edited 2025-07-03 14:23 (UTC)

Foundation is indeed pretty and overwrought. (-: It's nice to see something in a different universe from Star Wars, etc. though.

I'm enjoying Murderbot's opinions on things but R. is annoyed by the humans' stupidity.

I agree - I like Foundation for two reasons - the cast, and it's nice to have something other than Trek and Star Wars. I miss BSG and Farscape. May wander back to Farscape.

I agree with both you and R on Muderbot. Although the humans were stupid in the books too - it was part of the satire. I'm not entirely sure satire works well for me in long form. I think I like it better if it's more abbreviated.