Tv Slut Report
Apr. 7th, 2013 09:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatBeen watching a lot of television off and on this weekend.
Saw Smash - which continues to be uneven. Last season was actually more fun, but I like Julia's story better this season - and find her interaction with the Public Theater director interesting. Jimmy and Karen unfortunately are riding too much on their singing talent, but don't have chemistry and neither actor seems to know how to act for the camera. Whenever they are on-screen, I'm bored. Ivy, the Diva, Julie/Public Theater Guy, Sam and Tom are the best bits. That said, the Liza/Tom sequence was cringe-worthy. Tom sang better than Liza, I think she is getting too old for this. And Angeliqua Huston is a bit too stiff.
Grey's Anatomy was also uneven, with bits that worked and other bits that did not.
April Kepner's storyline being amongst the one's that don't work. Do however like Baily, Alex Kirev and Cristina Yang's story lines, but I always like their story lines.
Doctor Who S7, Episode 2 - The Rings of Achteunge (I don't know how to spell it.)
The meta-narrative theme - was basically: We feed the angry god, the audience, stories, to keep them happy. Did this episode remind anyone else of Whedon's horror flick Cabin in the Woods? The idea of an angry/hungry god being feed stories...in Cabin it was horror tales, and same story over and over, with different monsters selected. The people find a sacrifice and feed it to the god. The god isn't really a god but a vampire, a monster, who once unleashed devours the world - unless you can keep it sated.
Here the Doctor and Clara, which the Doctor pronounces Klara not Clara (this always throws me off - mainly because I'm used to pronouncing it Clair-ah, not Klar-aw), join forces with the people at the festival and feed the angry sun god their stories...but it isn't until Clara tells the sun-god the lost potential of her mother's story that the god is full. Her mother's story was stopped abruptly, so the possibilities, the unknown, is indefinite. As the Doctor States that is who we are, that is our soul, our story, what is both written and unwritten. What is unwritten or never gets to be written - a life halted too soon - is indefinite in its possibilities. We can write fanfic about them forever...no wonder people adored the episode.
Nice message, but the execution and plot schematics were rather clumsy. I like the new companion, she's spunky. But the writing felt off and clumsy. With cheesy aliens and monsters - although that tends to go with the territory on Doctor Who, but lately they've had better monsters and far more innovative plotting. This week's was just predictable and silly. I remember thinking ...okay the little girl is obviously supposed to be the sacrifice. Usually there's more twists and turns.
As an aside, apparently the Doctor changed and up-graded the interior of the Tardis in between episodes? It's now blue and more post-modern/art deco as opposed to steam-punk/Victorian. What's up with that? Not that I mind, sort of ambivalent, actually. But it was odd.
Nashville - is better than Smash and appears to be finding its feet. It continues to surprise not falling into easy cliches. Also the music is stellar, T Bone Burnett does not disappoint, nor does his wife Callie Khouri who continues to create multi-faceated characters. The only weak link may be Deacon's niece Scarlette. Jonathan Jackson's Avery Brooks storyline continues to be compelling and not quite what one would expect, a realistic depiction of the ups and downs of the music biz and why there are no short-cuts into it.
Dancing with the Stars - eh, I always miss the dance episode and DVR the boring results episode - so get all the bits I hate. End up fast-forwarding through the whole thing and wonder why I bothered. I like the performances, but not the judging, interviews or competitive aspect. I had the same problem with American Idol and Project Runway. Sort of miss Trading Spaces.
Best thing I've seen all weekend though was easily The Walking Dead - it was also the most compelling. I've admittedly not seen the first episode of Game of Thrones yet. And I think I'm back to reading Dance of Dragons, even though it's not exactly fitting my mood, can't quite find anything else. Maybe it will pick up the pace once I get past Quentin.
Saw Smash - which continues to be uneven. Last season was actually more fun, but I like Julia's story better this season - and find her interaction with the Public Theater director interesting. Jimmy and Karen unfortunately are riding too much on their singing talent, but don't have chemistry and neither actor seems to know how to act for the camera. Whenever they are on-screen, I'm bored. Ivy, the Diva, Julie/Public Theater Guy, Sam and Tom are the best bits. That said, the Liza/Tom sequence was cringe-worthy. Tom sang better than Liza, I think she is getting too old for this. And Angeliqua Huston is a bit too stiff.
Grey's Anatomy was also uneven, with bits that worked and other bits that did not.
April Kepner's storyline being amongst the one's that don't work. Do however like Baily, Alex Kirev and Cristina Yang's story lines, but I always like their story lines.
Doctor Who S7, Episode 2 - The Rings of Achteunge (I don't know how to spell it.)
The meta-narrative theme - was basically: We feed the angry god, the audience, stories, to keep them happy. Did this episode remind anyone else of Whedon's horror flick Cabin in the Woods? The idea of an angry/hungry god being feed stories...in Cabin it was horror tales, and same story over and over, with different monsters selected. The people find a sacrifice and feed it to the god. The god isn't really a god but a vampire, a monster, who once unleashed devours the world - unless you can keep it sated.
Here the Doctor and Clara, which the Doctor pronounces Klara not Clara (this always throws me off - mainly because I'm used to pronouncing it Clair-ah, not Klar-aw), join forces with the people at the festival and feed the angry sun god their stories...but it isn't until Clara tells the sun-god the lost potential of her mother's story that the god is full. Her mother's story was stopped abruptly, so the possibilities, the unknown, is indefinite. As the Doctor States that is who we are, that is our soul, our story, what is both written and unwritten. What is unwritten or never gets to be written - a life halted too soon - is indefinite in its possibilities. We can write fanfic about them forever...no wonder people adored the episode.
Nice message, but the execution and plot schematics were rather clumsy. I like the new companion, she's spunky. But the writing felt off and clumsy. With cheesy aliens and monsters - although that tends to go with the territory on Doctor Who, but lately they've had better monsters and far more innovative plotting. This week's was just predictable and silly. I remember thinking ...okay the little girl is obviously supposed to be the sacrifice. Usually there's more twists and turns.
As an aside, apparently the Doctor changed and up-graded the interior of the Tardis in between episodes? It's now blue and more post-modern/art deco as opposed to steam-punk/Victorian. What's up with that? Not that I mind, sort of ambivalent, actually. But it was odd.
Nashville - is better than Smash and appears to be finding its feet. It continues to surprise not falling into easy cliches. Also the music is stellar, T Bone Burnett does not disappoint, nor does his wife Callie Khouri who continues to create multi-faceated characters. The only weak link may be Deacon's niece Scarlette. Jonathan Jackson's Avery Brooks storyline continues to be compelling and not quite what one would expect, a realistic depiction of the ups and downs of the music biz and why there are no short-cuts into it.
Dancing with the Stars - eh, I always miss the dance episode and DVR the boring results episode - so get all the bits I hate. End up fast-forwarding through the whole thing and wonder why I bothered. I like the performances, but not the judging, interviews or competitive aspect. I had the same problem with American Idol and Project Runway. Sort of miss Trading Spaces.
Best thing I've seen all weekend though was easily The Walking Dead - it was also the most compelling. I've admittedly not seen the first episode of Game of Thrones yet. And I think I'm back to reading Dance of Dragons, even though it's not exactly fitting my mood, can't quite find anything else. Maybe it will pick up the pace once I get past Quentin.
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no subject
Date: 2013-04-08 05:39 am (UTC)It is too bad that Katharine McPhee is such a terrible actress, but I haven't even been enjoying her singing in the last couple of episodes (I'm sure the show will be cancelled soon).
The Walking Dead finale was easily the winner for me in the last week, but I enjoyed Doctor Who a lot and I'm finding Game of Thrones even more fascinating now that I've read the books! When I watched the first two seasons I had no idea of plot and/or characters... but now I can see where the TV show is departing from the novel, and I actually enjoy the choices they are making.
no subject
Date: 2013-04-08 10:37 pm (UTC)It is too bad that Katharine McPhee is such a terrible actress, but I haven't even been enjoying her singing in the last couple of episodes (I'm sure the show will be cancelled soon).
It truly is. I keep wondering what would have happened if they cast someone else in that part? Same with Jimmy and Eileen (Angelica Huston). Those are the three links this season.
Already been cancelled. They are burning off the remaining episodes on Sat nights - thank god for that. At least we'll get to see the remainder of this season. While I understand why they moved it and why it is going to be cancelled, I despise what they replaced it with - another Bachelor style series, which continues to promote negative stereotypes about people. Really? NBC? The people who make these shows should be locked in a room with their contestants for five months.
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Date: 2013-04-08 12:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-04-08 03:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-04-08 03:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-04-08 10:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-04-08 10:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-04-09 09:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-04-08 03:10 pm (UTC)the BBC can afford new setsthe Doctor (or the TARDIS) feels like redecorating.