Revenge and Big Bang Theory
Oct. 27th, 2011 11:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatSort of in a bad mood and a tad depressed, I blame it on the weather. And other things..but to say more would be whiny and not good for either of us.
Watched Revenge this week - which was fun. Machniations upon machinations, manipulations upon manipulations. We basically have two con artists circling each other and the Graystone's at the moment. Meet Talent Mr. Ripley vs. Countess of Monte Cristo. The writers have literally merged two literary tropes, Patricia Highsmith and Alexander Dumas.
Kudos.
It's building at the moment, so no nifty revenge of the week wrapped up. Was oddly disappointed, I like the nifty revenges of the week - it's a fun, if unintentional satire, on the save person of the week trope.
Nolan tells Emily-Amanda aka Countess of Monte Cristo that Conrad's Security Guard Frank has killed Lydia. They think Conrad had him do it. Or that he did it for Conrad. Not so much.
Also turns out Frank is, as Nolan notes later, much better at this than they are. They may not have met their match in Tyler, but they certainly have in Frank.
Frank to Victoria, who refuses to listen to him after discovering that he intentionally tried to kill Lydia. (Who despite appearances to the contrary, managed to survive her ill-fated fall from the balcony onto the top of the car. Apparently falling from a great height onto the top of the car and crushing it is not fatal after all, and just induces a coma...which you can wake up, somewhat inconvientently from at any moment, good to know. Although I'm guessing we should not try this at home?)
Can't say I blame Victoria. Regardless of his intentions or how the surveillance video was obtained, he did try to kill Lydia. May not have succeeded...but hey, he tried. And I guess I owe Conrad an apology, I was convinced he authorized it.
Conrad and Victoria are understandably furious with Frank. Frank tries to tell Victoria, that a) he only did it for her, just like he planted the evidence against Em-Amanda's father, to get Victoria and Conrad off the hook (so apparently Frank has the hots for Victoria) b) they are being set-up, all of them. (True. But by more than one person, and two different agendas.)
Nolan having gotten a bit too close for comfort to a killer (Frank) who was beating him up, before Emily and Tyler accidentally popped in on them, scaring Frank off before they could see him, has told Emily-Amanda that she's on her own from here-on out. Frank's better at this than they are.
Frank didn't do all that much - except stop by Lydia's place and ask for the surveillance tapes, hunting Conrad Graystone - thinking Conrad was the one who planted the video camera.
Nope. Nolan.
Then later, he sees Nolan talking hush-hush to Emily - which sparks his curiousity.
Emily meanwhile is after Tyler, who is busy scamming the Graystone's and doing a smashing job of it. How dumb is Daniel? I mean seriously - first he finds out that Tyler lied to him about Emily, that he magically lost his phone around Tyler, then Tyler has plied him with drinks, and now Tyler persuades him to drink a bit of Bourbon with him - which he drugs and makes Daniel immediately drunk? And runs himself into a post to look injured? Plus Tyler has just taken on Daniel's internship with Daddy and is buddy buddy with his parents? If I were Daniel - I'd be mighty suspicious of Tyler. Victoria you did not raise bright children. It's hard to care about Daniel, sort of glad he's getting killed off - bit one dimensional.Tyler on the other hand is interesting, if grating, but he's supposed to be.
While Jack, poor sap, fancies himself in love with Emily and has declared his passion for her. Moved and regretful, Emily says no cigar, I'm involved with Daniel. Sorry Nolan, this gal will not be budged from her Revenge plot. Nolan is right - she'd be better off if she blew off the Graystones and bought a boat and escaped off into the sunset with Jack. But the story would be over and/or sort of dull. So good thing for us, Emily is more into Revenge.
She's certainly on to Tyler, who is not quite as an accomplished liar as Emily. Nor does he have as tight a cover. Although...Tyler doesn't have Frank on his tail. Just Emily and Nolan. Curious what would happen if Tyler, Nolan and Emily teamed up?
Nothing much happened...just the build-up to next week's episode. We'll probably end with the murder in December, and next year we'll get the trial.
Overall, fun episode. And possibly the best new fall tv show to date. (I have only seen one episode of Once, which isn't enough to go on. American Horror Story? Two episodes and ditto.) And no, I have not seen any of the new tv shows on Showtime, so it doesn't count. Are people oversees watching Homeland on Showtime for free via internet download? If so, whoa, what a deal. That costs $14.95 a month in the States.
Also watched Big Bang Theory tonight - which again managed to make me laugh. Need a bit of laughter - it dispels anger. I've come to the conclusion that anger is not a productive or useful emotion. And hurts mainly the person feeling it. If allowed to fester, it will eat you alive. Rage is even worse. I've been struggling with anger...pushing it away from myself. Letting it go. Because I've seen first hand what it does to people who haven't been able to do this. It's turned them bitter. But that's easier said than done. My least favorite emotions? Anger/Rage, Jealousy/Envy. Two of the Seven Deadlies per the David Fincher film Seven, not the Bible, it's sad but I remember the film better - blame it on a visual memory. Hence my difficulty with horror films. The film that I won't see, but the description haunts my imagination is theJapanese Dutch 2010 film The Human Centipede which is described as the grossest and most horrific sci-fi horror film out there amongst horror film geeks. I won't describe it to you - just that it's about a mad scientist who decides it would be a great idea to create...well a human centipede. [ETA: not to be confused with the infamous and hilarious South Park parody.] Now, that does not take the mind to the most pleasant place on the planet, does it?
Big Bang Theory - has two plot-lines tonight. One about Sheldon vs. Leonard, Howard, and Raj regarding out-punking or scaring each other. This is truly hilarious. Usually this sort of thing does not make me laugh, but it is so creatively and well-done, and so perfectly in character, that it is well brilliant. Also on the absurd and unpredictable side. The other storyline is Leonard falling into lust with a female comic book artist/writer. But he can't sleep with her, because he must stay loyal to Pria. (God knows why, I prefer the comic book artist/writer, Pria is a bit of a snob.) But...well, the ending is classic. This show is one of the few sitcom's that consistently delivers laughs for me. I think because I know and identify with the characters on some level. I hung out with people like this. They seem real to me. Also the humor has an honest intelligence behind it, without the usual sadism that plagues most American sitcoms, that makes me laugh. But honestly? I really have no idea why I laugh at Big Bang and not other sitcoms...I'm just speculating. Probably wrong. Wouldn't be the first time.
Rather loved Neil Gaiman's comment about taste several months ago and how it's good thing everyone has different tastes because otherwise he wouldn't be able to make a living as writer. While I'm ambivalent on Gaiman's writing, it's hit or miss most of the time, I adore his blog. I have a few writers and actors that I still admire, partly because they've been very careful about what they reveal - wise, very wise. Ben Browder, Claudia Black, Anthony Stewart Head, Neil Gaiman...are amongst the few.
Watched Revenge this week - which was fun. Machniations upon machinations, manipulations upon manipulations. We basically have two con artists circling each other and the Graystone's at the moment. Meet Talent Mr. Ripley vs. Countess of Monte Cristo. The writers have literally merged two literary tropes, Patricia Highsmith and Alexander Dumas.
Kudos.
It's building at the moment, so no nifty revenge of the week wrapped up. Was oddly disappointed, I like the nifty revenges of the week - it's a fun, if unintentional satire, on the save person of the week trope.
Nolan tells Emily-Amanda aka Countess of Monte Cristo that Conrad's Security Guard Frank has killed Lydia. They think Conrad had him do it. Or that he did it for Conrad. Not so much.
Also turns out Frank is, as Nolan notes later, much better at this than they are. They may not have met their match in Tyler, but they certainly have in Frank.
Frank to Victoria, who refuses to listen to him after discovering that he intentionally tried to kill Lydia. (Who despite appearances to the contrary, managed to survive her ill-fated fall from the balcony onto the top of the car. Apparently falling from a great height onto the top of the car and crushing it is not fatal after all, and just induces a coma...which you can wake up, somewhat inconvientently from at any moment, good to know. Although I'm guessing we should not try this at home?)
Can't say I blame Victoria. Regardless of his intentions or how the surveillance video was obtained, he did try to kill Lydia. May not have succeeded...but hey, he tried. And I guess I owe Conrad an apology, I was convinced he authorized it.
Conrad and Victoria are understandably furious with Frank. Frank tries to tell Victoria, that a) he only did it for her, just like he planted the evidence against Em-Amanda's father, to get Victoria and Conrad off the hook (so apparently Frank has the hots for Victoria) b) they are being set-up, all of them. (True. But by more than one person, and two different agendas.)
Nolan having gotten a bit too close for comfort to a killer (Frank) who was beating him up, before Emily and Tyler accidentally popped in on them, scaring Frank off before they could see him, has told Emily-Amanda that she's on her own from here-on out. Frank's better at this than they are.
Frank didn't do all that much - except stop by Lydia's place and ask for the surveillance tapes, hunting Conrad Graystone - thinking Conrad was the one who planted the video camera.
Nope. Nolan.
Then later, he sees Nolan talking hush-hush to Emily - which sparks his curiousity.
Emily meanwhile is after Tyler, who is busy scamming the Graystone's and doing a smashing job of it. How dumb is Daniel? I mean seriously - first he finds out that Tyler lied to him about Emily, that he magically lost his phone around Tyler, then Tyler has plied him with drinks, and now Tyler persuades him to drink a bit of Bourbon with him - which he drugs and makes Daniel immediately drunk? And runs himself into a post to look injured? Plus Tyler has just taken on Daniel's internship with Daddy and is buddy buddy with his parents? If I were Daniel - I'd be mighty suspicious of Tyler. Victoria you did not raise bright children. It's hard to care about Daniel, sort of glad he's getting killed off - bit one dimensional.Tyler on the other hand is interesting, if grating, but he's supposed to be.
While Jack, poor sap, fancies himself in love with Emily and has declared his passion for her. Moved and regretful, Emily says no cigar, I'm involved with Daniel. Sorry Nolan, this gal will not be budged from her Revenge plot. Nolan is right - she'd be better off if she blew off the Graystones and bought a boat and escaped off into the sunset with Jack. But the story would be over and/or sort of dull. So good thing for us, Emily is more into Revenge.
She's certainly on to Tyler, who is not quite as an accomplished liar as Emily. Nor does he have as tight a cover. Although...Tyler doesn't have Frank on his tail. Just Emily and Nolan. Curious what would happen if Tyler, Nolan and Emily teamed up?
Nothing much happened...just the build-up to next week's episode. We'll probably end with the murder in December, and next year we'll get the trial.
Overall, fun episode. And possibly the best new fall tv show to date. (I have only seen one episode of Once, which isn't enough to go on. American Horror Story? Two episodes and ditto.) And no, I have not seen any of the new tv shows on Showtime, so it doesn't count. Are people oversees watching Homeland on Showtime for free via internet download? If so, whoa, what a deal. That costs $14.95 a month in the States.
Also watched Big Bang Theory tonight - which again managed to make me laugh. Need a bit of laughter - it dispels anger. I've come to the conclusion that anger is not a productive or useful emotion. And hurts mainly the person feeling it. If allowed to fester, it will eat you alive. Rage is even worse. I've been struggling with anger...pushing it away from myself. Letting it go. Because I've seen first hand what it does to people who haven't been able to do this. It's turned them bitter. But that's easier said than done. My least favorite emotions? Anger/Rage, Jealousy/Envy. Two of the Seven Deadlies per the David Fincher film Seven, not the Bible, it's sad but I remember the film better - blame it on a visual memory. Hence my difficulty with horror films. The film that I won't see, but the description haunts my imagination is the
Big Bang Theory - has two plot-lines tonight. One about Sheldon vs. Leonard, Howard, and Raj regarding out-punking or scaring each other. This is truly hilarious. Usually this sort of thing does not make me laugh, but it is so creatively and well-done, and so perfectly in character, that it is well brilliant. Also on the absurd and unpredictable side. The other storyline is Leonard falling into lust with a female comic book artist/writer. But he can't sleep with her, because he must stay loyal to Pria. (God knows why, I prefer the comic book artist/writer, Pria is a bit of a snob.) But...well, the ending is classic. This show is one of the few sitcom's that consistently delivers laughs for me. I think because I know and identify with the characters on some level. I hung out with people like this. They seem real to me. Also the humor has an honest intelligence behind it, without the usual sadism that plagues most American sitcoms, that makes me laugh. But honestly? I really have no idea why I laugh at Big Bang and not other sitcoms...I'm just speculating. Probably wrong. Wouldn't be the first time.
Rather loved Neil Gaiman's comment about taste several months ago and how it's good thing everyone has different tastes because otherwise he wouldn't be able to make a living as writer. While I'm ambivalent on Gaiman's writing, it's hit or miss most of the time, I adore his blog. I have a few writers and actors that I still admire, partly because they've been very careful about what they reveal - wise, very wise. Ben Browder, Claudia Black, Anthony Stewart Head, Neil Gaiman...are amongst the few.
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no subject
Date: 2011-10-28 03:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-10-28 04:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-10-28 06:40 pm (UTC)and misanthropthic film style known.
Ugh. How can people watch this stuff?
Heck, how can they make film about it? More disturbing still - it's apparently based on real-life experiments by Josef Mengel during WWII in Nazi Germany, which makes the Nazis the most deranged, disgusting and sadistic human scum on the planet, lower than cockroaches.
no subject
Date: 2011-10-28 06:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-10-28 12:15 pm (UTC)It's a 2010 Dutch Horror film.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Human_Centipede_(First_Sequence)
no subject
Date: 2011-10-28 10:14 am (UTC)South Park did a horrific (and kind of hilarious) take on The Human Centipede: they had it that online users who automatically hit 'agree' without reading what they've agreed to (when downloading or updating stuff online) have accidently agreed to participate in the human centipede project... gross and very silly). There moral was to always read the fine print (which no one ever does).
no subject
Date: 2011-10-28 10:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-10-28 11:33 pm (UTC)Big Bang is surprisingly witty and well done. Very different than typical sitcoms. But, I have issues with Community - which 90% of lj seems to be a huge fan of. I don't know why Community doesn't quite work for me.
no subject
Date: 2011-10-29 12:48 am (UTC)I've been watching Community... I don't love it, but I like Joel McHale (I actually love his show 'The Soup'). Most of Community seems contrived, like it is trying too hard to be funny and it just ends up being goofy. Big Bang Theory is just a smarter show (in my opinion).
no subject
Date: 2011-10-29 02:22 am (UTC)I only watch "horror" on television, and as tv series.
Walking Dead and American Horror Story - is about as far as I'm going down that road. And those at least have a sense of humor. I need humor in my horror. Also prefer gothic tongue in check.
Regarding Community. Hee, when I watch at all, I watch for Joel McHale and possibly Abed. But yeah, it's very contrived and is trying too hard - too over the top. It's a sitcom style that's never worked well for me - Three's Company, Laverne and Shirley,
Mork and Mindy, all of those sort of fit in it. Too canned and exaggerated. I prefer subtle.
I only watch in reruns. Or when Big Bang/Vamp Diaries is a rerun (find both to be more entertaining and a lot funnier).
no subject
Date: 2011-10-28 11:14 am (UTC)This. I know people who watch this just to make fun of smart people. Personally, I like seeing smart people on tv. They are as flawed as any other characters, the show isn't perfect, but their intelligence is respected by the writers. That doesn't happen many other places on tv.
no subject
Date: 2011-10-29 02:26 am (UTC)And to have the humor...not at their expense, but organic to the situation and from them. I feel like I'm laughing with not at. And you're right, the show isn't perfect - there's been quite a few episodes that did not work - too over the top. And I could not stand the first season. But it is one of those rare shows that gets better as it goes. Often they start out great and slide down hill. I prefer it when they start out okay or so-so, then just get better and better.
no subject
Date: 2011-10-28 05:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-10-28 11:25 pm (UTC)So their source of info is a friend of Daniels, from a good family, who as far as they know is a great guy and helped Daniel in the past.
Daniel, on the other hand, I'm wondering about.