Television Round-up
Jun. 16th, 2012 06:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkat1. Incident in or at Belgrave - Sherlock S2, Episode 1 - well finally got around to watching this one. Thought during it - okay someone has been reading a lot of Raymond Chandler mysteries. Also incredibly convoluted plot - I think Moffat gets bored easily like I do and feels a need to complicate his plots just to amuse himself. Other than that? I rather liked the Sherlock/Irene Adler storyline and banter. Also loved the ending.
Sherlock was rather hot in this episode - or hot when he was being brainy and devilish.
Woobie Sherlock does zip for me. Benedict Cumberbatch has too weak a jaw to pull woobie off well. Character wise? I liked the development. Sherlock actually apologizes. Blows Watson away. I don't think I ever read the Conan Doyle tale upon which this one was based.
2. Bunheads - Pilot, by Amy Pallindino-Sherman, starring Kelly Bishop and Sutton Foster (who won the tony in Anything Goes and was really the only reason to see it - she's obviously not in it now). Bunheads is what Smash should have been. The writing is wickedly on target, quippy and a mile-a-minute. Great one-liners. Reminiscient of Gilmore Girls. And the set-up is similar too - it's about women of various generations attempting to get along. Sutton Foster plays Michelle, and Kelly Bishop plays her new mother-in-law, who runs a ballet school out of her house. Michelle's an ex-chorus girl/Vegas show-girl, dancer. She marries Bishop's son, Hubble, after the man literally romances her to death.
He's no looker and she's not in love with him. But he breaks down her will-power during a weak moment, when she just lost a part in Chicago. So she marries him...and finds herself in the sleepy one-horse town of Paradise, which doesn't have a movie theater, and only real form of entertainment is a local bar and the view of the beach. I'd say more...but spoilers.
3. True Blood - I'm still enjoying it. It was rather funny in places. Sookie and Lafayette's attempts to deal with last year's scenarios made me laugh. Black humor true.
But funny all the same. I felt sorry for Pam, although not that sorry - my guess is Pam will get the better part of this deal. And Eric/Bill as the buddy act...was enjoyable.
I think I ship Eric/Bill over everyone. Sam's story is still boring. Jason's ditto.
Not sure what to make of Terry. And Alcide is at least pretty. Oh, and Tara is still in the show...so not all is lost. Albeit, not exactly in the way ...that we'd expect.
* So, for some absurd reason LaFayette and Sookie decide to beg Pam to turn Tara into a vampire. Pam tries to talk them out of it. It feels all very Monkey's Paw to me - so I know this is not going to go well. Seriously, did they learn nothing from the Maenad incident, and the witch incident. Let poor Tara rest in peace. Sookie sees reason for fives seconds and reminds Lafayette that Tara hates vampires and did not want to be one.
But Lafayette insists this gives Tara a chance to live. (I'm guessing Bill and Eric, if they could have helped and weren't up to their necks with the Authority business, would have talked both out of it.) Pam wonders if she's the only one who has noticed half of Tara's brain is splattered against the wall.
But Pam does help. And Tara by the end of the episode rises from the dead and heads straight for Sookie's throat. Hee. Talk about karmic justice! Maybe she regrets sacrificing herself for the Sookester after all? Oh well, give Sookie credit for killing Debbie Pelt. Sookie regrets it. I don't know why, neither does Lafayette...Debbie had it coming.
* Meanwhile Eric and Bill are having all sorts of problems avoiding silver nets. The authority nets them, then Eric's sis helps them escape. Apparently Alan Ball has been watching Game of Thrones and thought if George RR Martin can have incestuous siblings on a high fantasy show, why can't he do it in a Southern Gothic? Particularly with vampires and
in an area that has a stereotypical reputation for being ridiculously inbreed anyhow?
Although, Eric and his sister are actually 1000 year old Vikings...but who's counting?
Either that or he thought Eric was a lot like Jamie on GoT and needed a sister as his true love to explain his snarky attitude. (I don't remember this bit being in the books, but I don't really remember the books at all and True Blood veered way north of the books some time ago.) Anyhow, Eric is having an incestuous fling with his darker and much shorter sister. Odd, Pam looks more like his sister. This girl does not look like a Viking. Maybe it's a vampire sister?? She looks more like Bill's sister. At least Jamie and Cersei look a like.
They make it as far as a storage container, where Eric and Laura fuck each other's brains out. And Bill rolls his eyes. Then quibble. Eric finds out from Alcide that Russell is on the loose. Alicide also warned Sookie. I don't know if Eric told Bill. And they get new names...really stupid new names. Before they can whine too loudly about the names or do anything about Rusell or feel guilty for not doing anything about Russell...the authority catches up to them again and off they go. But we have hope, there's a faction in the Authority that was helping Laura and is not happy with the current regime.
* Sam's story is not interesting me at all. Nor is Alicide's. It's just gross. Marcus' Pack catches up to Sam, forces him to find Marcus' body for them, so that Marcus' mother and the pack can devour Marcus' remains. And we get to watch. Yes, ewww. This is after they torture Sam who refuses to give up Alicide and find the body. Turns out they could have saved themselves some time and just threatened Luna. Werewolves not the brightest animals on the planet. Sam comes clean about the body but not the rest. Not to worry, Luna finds Alicid and convinces him to come clean - because let's face it, Alicide has a better chance of surviving Marcus' packs wrath than Sam does.
* Jason is caught between the newly vamped and newly gay Reverend Newlin and Jessica.
Two adolescent vampires are hot for Jason. Poor Jason. Jason for his part is attempting evolve and stop being a jerk. Apparently losing Bodie's friendship has given him an epithany. Well that and Jessica's tendency to run hot and cold.
*Terry's friend from Iraq (which is the new 'Nam in these tv shows), has shown up because all of Terry's pals have lost homes, families, their own lives in house fires in the last few years. The friend wanted to know if Terry is responsible. Finds out, clearly not, since his home was destroyed in a fire. But Terry says that had to do with a confused ghost not whatever happened in Iraq. Plus there's one member of the team that no one can find...maybe he is doing it. Terry doesn't want to focus on this and askes the new guy to leave. This storyline is oddly more interesting than Jason and Sam's.
*Meanwhile Lafayette can't figure out what happened to Jesus (he's boyfriend, not JC).
He was in Lafeyette's apartment, near the kitchen. Now he's disappeared and Layfayette can't figure out what happened to him. Sookie suggests Bill and Eric found the body and disaposed of it. Lafayette asks why on earth they'd do that??? Considering they didn't even know about it...I have to agree. This bit was rather funny. Poor Lafayette and Sookie they are having issues with bodies today.
It's hard to take this show seriously when the writer clearly isn't. It's such an obvious satire at times. The problem with Satire is it doesn't engage emotion well, you are always held at arms length laughing at not with characters. I find it very cold to read and watch.
Brutally funny at times, but cold. That said, True Blood does have some things that rise above the satire...one of which is Eric's arc
4. On the romance novel front...lately I've come to realize I tend to like dominant or strong male characters in these novels. Men who know what they want and will do just about anything to get it. Who pursue the woman. And fight for her. I find the weak milktoast types who need to be pursued, who aren't fighters, and in the role of side-kick (think Xander Harris, Dr. Watson, Rory, or Andrew in Buffy) rather dull and boring in these books. They don't work for me in the books. Note - in books and fantasy. I did not say real life. Two different things, folks. I don't get along with domineering/controlling/arrogant men in real life. I run in the opposite direction in real life or kick them verbally, it's one or the other. And they don't go for women like me anyhow. I'm too tough and fiercely independent for them. But in romance novels - it's interesting to see how various women deal with the trope. How they fight them in the gender wars - often usually sexual desire as a weapon of choice - which may explain all the rape, come to think of it. If you are using sex or the removal of sex as a weapon...then rape or sexual violence sort of comes into play.
Sherlock was rather hot in this episode - or hot when he was being brainy and devilish.
Woobie Sherlock does zip for me. Benedict Cumberbatch has too weak a jaw to pull woobie off well. Character wise? I liked the development. Sherlock actually apologizes. Blows Watson away. I don't think I ever read the Conan Doyle tale upon which this one was based.
2. Bunheads - Pilot, by Amy Pallindino-Sherman, starring Kelly Bishop and Sutton Foster (who won the tony in Anything Goes and was really the only reason to see it - she's obviously not in it now). Bunheads is what Smash should have been. The writing is wickedly on target, quippy and a mile-a-minute. Great one-liners. Reminiscient of Gilmore Girls. And the set-up is similar too - it's about women of various generations attempting to get along. Sutton Foster plays Michelle, and Kelly Bishop plays her new mother-in-law, who runs a ballet school out of her house. Michelle's an ex-chorus girl/Vegas show-girl, dancer. She marries Bishop's son, Hubble, after the man literally romances her to death.
He's no looker and she's not in love with him. But he breaks down her will-power during a weak moment, when she just lost a part in Chicago. So she marries him...and finds herself in the sleepy one-horse town of Paradise, which doesn't have a movie theater, and only real form of entertainment is a local bar and the view of the beach. I'd say more...but spoilers.
3. True Blood - I'm still enjoying it. It was rather funny in places. Sookie and Lafayette's attempts to deal with last year's scenarios made me laugh. Black humor true.
But funny all the same. I felt sorry for Pam, although not that sorry - my guess is Pam will get the better part of this deal. And Eric/Bill as the buddy act...was enjoyable.
I think I ship Eric/Bill over everyone. Sam's story is still boring. Jason's ditto.
Not sure what to make of Terry. And Alcide is at least pretty. Oh, and Tara is still in the show...so not all is lost. Albeit, not exactly in the way ...that we'd expect.
* So, for some absurd reason LaFayette and Sookie decide to beg Pam to turn Tara into a vampire. Pam tries to talk them out of it. It feels all very Monkey's Paw to me - so I know this is not going to go well. Seriously, did they learn nothing from the Maenad incident, and the witch incident. Let poor Tara rest in peace. Sookie sees reason for fives seconds and reminds Lafayette that Tara hates vampires and did not want to be one.
But Lafayette insists this gives Tara a chance to live. (I'm guessing Bill and Eric, if they could have helped and weren't up to their necks with the Authority business, would have talked both out of it.) Pam wonders if she's the only one who has noticed half of Tara's brain is splattered against the wall.
But Pam does help. And Tara by the end of the episode rises from the dead and heads straight for Sookie's throat. Hee. Talk about karmic justice! Maybe she regrets sacrificing herself for the Sookester after all? Oh well, give Sookie credit for killing Debbie Pelt. Sookie regrets it. I don't know why, neither does Lafayette...Debbie had it coming.
* Meanwhile Eric and Bill are having all sorts of problems avoiding silver nets. The authority nets them, then Eric's sis helps them escape. Apparently Alan Ball has been watching Game of Thrones and thought if George RR Martin can have incestuous siblings on a high fantasy show, why can't he do it in a Southern Gothic? Particularly with vampires and
in an area that has a stereotypical reputation for being ridiculously inbreed anyhow?
Although, Eric and his sister are actually 1000 year old Vikings...but who's counting?
Either that or he thought Eric was a lot like Jamie on GoT and needed a sister as his true love to explain his snarky attitude. (I don't remember this bit being in the books, but I don't really remember the books at all and True Blood veered way north of the books some time ago.) Anyhow, Eric is having an incestuous fling with his darker and much shorter sister. Odd, Pam looks more like his sister. This girl does not look like a Viking. Maybe it's a vampire sister?? She looks more like Bill's sister. At least Jamie and Cersei look a like.
They make it as far as a storage container, where Eric and Laura fuck each other's brains out. And Bill rolls his eyes. Then quibble. Eric finds out from Alcide that Russell is on the loose. Alicide also warned Sookie. I don't know if Eric told Bill. And they get new names...really stupid new names. Before they can whine too loudly about the names or do anything about Rusell or feel guilty for not doing anything about Russell...the authority catches up to them again and off they go. But we have hope, there's a faction in the Authority that was helping Laura and is not happy with the current regime.
* Sam's story is not interesting me at all. Nor is Alicide's. It's just gross. Marcus' Pack catches up to Sam, forces him to find Marcus' body for them, so that Marcus' mother and the pack can devour Marcus' remains. And we get to watch. Yes, ewww. This is after they torture Sam who refuses to give up Alicide and find the body. Turns out they could have saved themselves some time and just threatened Luna. Werewolves not the brightest animals on the planet. Sam comes clean about the body but not the rest. Not to worry, Luna finds Alicid and convinces him to come clean - because let's face it, Alicide has a better chance of surviving Marcus' packs wrath than Sam does.
* Jason is caught between the newly vamped and newly gay Reverend Newlin and Jessica.
Two adolescent vampires are hot for Jason. Poor Jason. Jason for his part is attempting evolve and stop being a jerk. Apparently losing Bodie's friendship has given him an epithany. Well that and Jessica's tendency to run hot and cold.
*Terry's friend from Iraq (which is the new 'Nam in these tv shows), has shown up because all of Terry's pals have lost homes, families, their own lives in house fires in the last few years. The friend wanted to know if Terry is responsible. Finds out, clearly not, since his home was destroyed in a fire. But Terry says that had to do with a confused ghost not whatever happened in Iraq. Plus there's one member of the team that no one can find...maybe he is doing it. Terry doesn't want to focus on this and askes the new guy to leave. This storyline is oddly more interesting than Jason and Sam's.
*Meanwhile Lafayette can't figure out what happened to Jesus (he's boyfriend, not JC).
He was in Lafeyette's apartment, near the kitchen. Now he's disappeared and Layfayette can't figure out what happened to him. Sookie suggests Bill and Eric found the body and disaposed of it. Lafayette asks why on earth they'd do that??? Considering they didn't even know about it...I have to agree. This bit was rather funny. Poor Lafayette and Sookie they are having issues with bodies today.
It's hard to take this show seriously when the writer clearly isn't. It's such an obvious satire at times. The problem with Satire is it doesn't engage emotion well, you are always held at arms length laughing at not with characters. I find it very cold to read and watch.
Brutally funny at times, but cold. That said, True Blood does have some things that rise above the satire...one of which is Eric's arc
4. On the romance novel front...lately I've come to realize I tend to like dominant or strong male characters in these novels. Men who know what they want and will do just about anything to get it. Who pursue the woman. And fight for her. I find the weak milktoast types who need to be pursued, who aren't fighters, and in the role of side-kick (think Xander Harris, Dr. Watson, Rory, or Andrew in Buffy) rather dull and boring in these books. They don't work for me in the books. Note - in books and fantasy. I did not say real life. Two different things, folks. I don't get along with domineering/controlling/arrogant men in real life. I run in the opposite direction in real life or kick them verbally, it's one or the other. And they don't go for women like me anyhow. I'm too tough and fiercely independent for them. But in romance novels - it's interesting to see how various women deal with the trope. How they fight them in the gender wars - often usually sexual desire as a weapon of choice - which may explain all the rape, come to think of it. If you are using sex or the removal of sex as a weapon...then rape or sexual violence sort of comes into play.
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no subject
Date: 2012-06-16 11:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-06-17 02:07 am (UTC)Why is Sam's story always unwatchable???
no subject
Date: 2012-06-17 02:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-06-17 02:20 am (UTC)Oh well at least we got past the creepy and gross werepanther story with Jason.
no subject
Date: 2012-06-16 11:39 pm (UTC)I understand Lafayette's desperation, but Sookie really should have known better than to try and turn Tara. Besides totally disregarding Tara's wishes, as Pam points out, resurrecting someone who's lost half their brain just can't turn out well. But I do always enjoy Pam's dry humor.
Bill and Eric's buddy adventures are much more interesting than their constant annoying rivalry over Sookie. And I'm pretty sure Laura was Eric's "sister"-- a vampire thing and not any actual blood relation. (All of Eric's human family were killed, weren't they? By whatshisface, the King of Louisiana or something.)
no subject
Date: 2012-06-17 02:13 am (UTC)More or less where I am. The writers seem to be merely invested in how far over-the-top they can take it or how crazy they can go. So, I'm watching it to see how far they do go more than anything else. That and...I like Eric and Pam. Actually the books are even worse and I put up with them for Eric and Pam too.
And I'm pretty sure Laura was Eric's "sister"-- a vampire thing and not any actual blood relation. (All of Eric's human family were killed, weren't they? By whatshisface, the King of Louisiana or something.)
That makes the most sense. And was confirmed by one of the posts below.
I couldn't make out what they were saying. So appreciate the clarification, thanks!
I love the by-play between Eric and Bill, clearly the actors get along beautifully.
Sookie? I don't like the character. I didn't like her in the books. I don't care what happens to her. Tara? I cared about. Lafayette - I cared about.
Eric - I cared about. Sookie? not so much. Anna Paquin makes her half-way likable...so it's not the actress, it's the character.
no subject
Date: 2012-06-17 02:49 am (UTC)I, too, really don't like Sookie. Nearly the rest of the cast are interesting in one way or another, but I was probably most invested in Lafayette and Jesus, because they were adorable together. (But of course it was doomed.) I also really liked the slight progress Tara was making in putting her life back together after three seasons of awful... but of course it didn't last. Poor Tara. She should have stayed in New Orleans with her girlfriend. Or better yet, moved to somewhere far, faaaar away from Bon Temps. I'm somewhat invested in Sam, although I got a little weirded out by all his crazy family drama.
The problem is becoming that they had a lot of fun side characters that lightened up the really awful drama that everyone else (mostly Sookie) was going through... but now all the side characters have their own drama and everyone is so emotionally damaged that they can't really lighten the mood anymore. I don't know if I'll end up making it through S5, or if I do, whether I'll continue onto S6 after, because, well... I can only sit through so much before you destroy all the characters I like and thus my reason for watching.
no subject
Date: 2012-06-17 01:43 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-06-17 02:05 am (UTC)I mean why not? If you can make-up vampires, why not make dating a vampire work?
Honestly I'd rather date a vampire than a werewolf. At least the vamp is aware. LOL!
no subject
Date: 2012-06-17 02:43 am (UTC)And like I said, depends on the type of werewolf and the type of story. Nowadays there are a lot of stories that feature werewolves as voluntary shapeshifters that only become vicious killers during the full moon. Lock them up in nice silver-barred dungeons and you're a-okay. Now, obviously if you're in a horror story like The Wolf Man it's still going to end poorly. But there are stories like Mercy Thompson and the Parasol Protectorate books where relationships with werewolves turn out generally okay.
no subject
Date: 2012-06-17 02:18 am (UTC)OTOH - at least Sookie and Eric had interesting banter. She doesn't have good banter with anyone else. She had good banter with Eric and they were hilarious together. So, I ship Sookie with Eric just for the humor. It was funny. I don't care if she's happy, depressed or sad - she's a fictional character that I'm not emotionally invested in - I just want to be entertained. LOL!
Alicide and Sookie ...hmmm, it could be funny for a while, Alicide is actually dumber than Sookie - which I didn't think was possible. So blind leading the blind, plus he's pretty. So better sex scenes than with Bill who isn't pretty and sort of scrawny. But ultimately boring.