Random TV Show Thoughts

[Totenkindly]

The Jupiter's Legacy adaptation feels pretty shoddy, like it is just recycling ideas from other superhero shows without really digging into anything. The action sequences also feel shoddy, like trying to elevate action from "Hercules" TV show or something. There's a lot that isn't explained, it's not really clear what the focus of the show is, and characters doesn't really feel that real. It should be more thoughtful than the transition to the screen is showing.

Kampouris (Chloe Sampson) and Ben Daniels (Walter Sampson) seem to be the best actors on the show, but Chloe's plotline is a jumble. Walter's not an interesting character but Daniels is an old veteran from some decent shows and just seems to make himself interesting to watch.

Also, Kurtwood Smith gets a short cameo and he blows everyone away. It's like, why couldn't we get more Kurtwood? He's an accomplished veteran actor who knows how to elevate the stories he's in.

There is so much that isn't explained, the two plotlines makes it hard to determine the gist of the show or what should be happening, it's not clear where younger people got their powers, and so on.

I think there is a core story here -- you get a hero from the 20-30's who is still alive, but the world has changed and yet he doesn't want to change with it. In the process, he's kind of an asshole to the younger generation (much as my generation and younger are disillusioned by Boomer behavior and expectations), in the way that a paladin can be an asshole in an AD&D game. He's got rules he judges everyone by when they don't follow them, but can't accept maybe his rules don't make sense. He has two kids who respond to this in two ways -- one tries to please him and mediate the family interactions, while at the same time it's clear he's not going to be able to follow his dad's rules forever, and the other just cuts loose from the family and goes her own way. How do the kids reach a place where they feel fulfilled and happy, contributing to the world in some way?

But the show isn't really honing in on this and has lots of superfluous crap. The writing also just isn't that sharp.

So I thought of this again because I just picked up a few of the released graphic books for cheaper and started looking through them. (I'm a fan of Frank Quitely's art, mainly.)

Really interesting how the first two issues change core elements of the show. Like, majorly. Talk about a slow burn for the TV version!

The villain in the show, you don't really get until the last few moments of the season. In the comic, it's clear by the end of issue #2.

Also, it looks like the parents (i.e., the two major characters of the show!) are kinda wiped out by the end of that issue, and it's all truly about the Legacy. But it's not clear whether they will get brought back later.)

The show didn't really succeed with the showrunner leaving. How many times does that have to happen before a distributor catches on that it's BAD for the show? But it also feels like the translation wasn't as good. A lot of money, not great effects; things not working well on screen, they needed to be adapted different, a lot of whiny writing, etc.

Millar tends to be a brutal writer and sometimes not really that great, he needs a lot of adjustment to make a workable film for the general audience. His Kick-Ass comic is pretty mean-spirited and I couldn't read much of it, so it's remarkable that the first Kick-Ass movie actually found a heart and made you care about the characters. (Unfortunately, the second film did not translate nearly as well and was missing a heart and/or was toothless.)

---

Finished the main Jupiter's Legacy arc (although there are Jupiter's Circle golden age prequels and Jupiter's Legacy: Requiem sequels as well).

The comic book in this case was actually BETTER than S1 of the show. I see what they were trying to do, and expand/drag out the storyline, and they ended up rearranging/reassembling the hell out of it but completely killing the pace and throughline in the process, as well as blunting some of the edge. Millar could done more with the middle of his story in the comic -- it feels like it's all beginning and all ending, little middle. But the show just meanderings all around and feels far more convoluted and less justifiable.

 

[Totenkindly]

MCU's Werewolf by Night -- actually a great little piece that does not overstay its welcome! They finally released something decent + it showcases a property they've generally been neglecting, I was really really happy with the inclusion of this character I remember seeing starting back when I was a kid.

Also interesting that Giacchino directed this. I have to say that things fit together musically and visually and he's basically just reapplying his talents across more of the film.

 

[Totenkindly]

Well, She-Hulk is over now. Here's my Letterbox review:

Well, let's not do that again.

Titania Maslany is GREAT and deserved a far better show.

But the writing and pacing is pretty terrible; aside from the acceptable pilot episode (thanks to chemistry between Maslany/Ruffalo), the brief wedding sequence, a decent chunk of the Daredevil episode (thanks to chemistry between Maslany/Cox), and a few brief moments of the finale [see where this is going -- experienced actors doing heavy lifting?], this show has just been a disappointment.

It thinks it's funny when it's being flat.

It thinks it's being cute when it's being banal.

It thinks it's being original when it's ripping off better stories.

It thinks it's being free-ranging when it's being disorganized and lacking impetus.

She-Hulk had the potential to try some crazy things (fourth wall breaking) but barely makes an effort until maybe the finale -- but the pacing and plotting there was terrible enough that it didn't really accomplish much.

I feel like this show was put together by a committee comprised of people who fit certain checkboxes, with the life then either squeezed out of it or was never there in the first place.

I hope Marvel gets some A-list writers and showrunners soon, because much of Phase 4 feels like a college-entry "Storytelling 101 for Non-Storytellers" class. Phases 1-3 felt like seasoned professionals, but once they all left the franchise, the MCU had no one really trained to take over the reins. It all just feels like throwing stories and resumes at the wall and seeing if anything sticks.

Dipping into the incel wars also really did not do the show any favors, it should have avoided playing that game and done its own thing. So much of this show feels like a repudiation against social criticism. Don't even waste your time with them, Jennifer Walters! You're better than that!

Just really disappointed. This show could have been something. Instead, it's been like almost every other Phase 4 offering and isn't really rewatchable. At least DC must be relieved at the opportunity they've gotten to get back into the game.

 

[The Cat]

Well, She-Hulk is over now. Here's my Letterbox review:

Well, let's not do that again.

Titania Maslany is GREAT and deserved a far better show.

But the writing and pacing is pretty terrible; aside from the acceptable pilot episode (thanks to chemistry between Maslany/Ruffalo), the brief wedding sequence, a decent chunk of the Daredevil episode (thanks to chemistry between Maslany/Cox), and a few brief moments of the finale [see where this is going -- experienced actors doing heavy lifting?], this show has just been a disappointment.

It thinks it's funny when it's being flat.

It thinks it's being cute when it's being banal.

It thinks it's being original when it's ripping off better stories.

It thinks it's being free-ranging when it's being disorganized and lacking impetus.

She-Hulk had the potential to try some crazy things (fourth wall breaking) but barely makes an effort until maybe the finale -- but the pacing and plotting there was terrible enough that it didn't really accomplish much.

I feel like this show was put together by a committee comprised of people who fit certain checkboxes, with the life then either squeezed out of it or was never there in the first place.

I hope Marvel gets some A-list writers and showrunners soon, because much of Phase 4 feels like a college-entry "Storytelling 101 for Non-Storytellers" class. Phases 1-3 felt like seasoned professionals, but once they all left the franchise, the MCU had no one really trained to take over the reins. It all just feels like throwing stories and resumes at the wall and seeing if anything sticks.

Dipping into the incel wars also really did not do the show any favors, it should have avoided playing that game and done its own thing. So much of this show feels like a repudiation against social criticism. Don't even waste your time with them, Jennifer Walters! You're better than that!

Just really disappointed. This show could have been something. Instead, it's been like almost every other Phase 4 offering and isn't really rewatchable. At least DC must be relieved at the opportunity they've gotten to get back into the game.

Pretty spot on review of a few shows rn imo. You and CeeCee have become my go to reviewers.

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

the Dahmer show was good. At first, I was thinking, "it is just like every Dahmer movie before." There was that really low budget straight to video 90s film The Secret Life of Jeffrey Dahmer featuring laughably bad acting, then there was that Jeremy Renner movie which was basically a slightly higher budget, better acted version of the same exact film. I seem to remember a third film, but maybe I am mistaken. They all took a similar approach, focusing on the macabre nature of the crimes, and typically relegating the victims to the status of props. I'd seen some documentaries and was aware of the police incompetence and the complaints from his neighbors, but none of the adaptation movies ever gave a ton of attention to the suffering of the victims, their families, and Dahmer's neighbors.

 

[Totenkindly]

the Dahmer show was good. At first, I was thinking, "it is just like every Dahmer movie before." There was that really low budget straight to video 90s film The Secret Life of Jeffrey Dahmer featuring laughably bad acting, then there was that Jeremy Renner movie which was basically a slightly higher budget, better acted version of the same exact film. I seem to remember a third film, but maybe I am mistaken. They all took a similar approach, focusing on the macabre nature of the crimes, and typically relegating the victims to the status of props. I'd seen some documentaries and was aware of the police incompetence and the complaints from his neighbors, but none of the adaptation movies ever gave a ton of attention to the suffering of the victims, their families, and Dahmer's neighbors.

One of my kids blitzed through it. I still only have watched that first episode, and it's all been diluted with all the articles about victim's families complaining... but I was thinking the acting and the angle of the first episode would present something more interested in the victims beyond being such. So it is sounding like they actually DID try to do more justice to that. I also feel that's why a lot of people were also more disturbed by the show than other Dahmer things -- because they are actually driving home the reality of the victims.

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

One of my kids blitzed through it. I still only have watched that first episode, and it's all been diluted with all the articles about victim's families complaining... but I was thinking the acting and the angle of the first episode would present something more interested in the victims beyond being such. So it is sounding like they actually DID try to do more justice to that. I also feel that's why a lot of people were also more disturbed by the show than other Dahmer things -- because they are actually driving home the reality of the victims.

The victim Tony (the deaf guy) probably got the bulk of the focus. I don't want to spoil too much, but the show goes to lengths to show the perspective of the victims, so you might see a scene of a victim and their friends and Jeffrey appears out of the background, as more of a side character or mysterious stranger than as the main character of the story.

In the other portrayals, I don't even think Tony's name is ever mentioned and he didn't take more than 5 minutes. Here he gets a whole episode, and there's also a focus on his mother and sister after his death.

I also like that the show was gruesome without having to show everything--if someone wants the gore, there's at least 2 existing films that did that aspect well enough. I like that most of the killing is off screen (for instance, you get his next door neighbor's reaction to hearing screams and power tools through the vents and thin walls. I found that more disturbing and effective than anything I'd seen in the previous Dahmer adaptations. One of the films showed him stuffing a still conscious man into a barrel of acid, whereas this series just shows us an ominous blue barrel sitting in the corner.

I just love anything serial killer related and was happy to get a different take on this story. I learned a lot I hadn't learned, even with all of the media focus back in the 90s, because even the media really glossed over the victims and highlighted the details of the killings more than anything else.

 

[Lexicon]

The victim Tony (the deaf guy) probably got the bulk of the focus. I don't want to spoil too much, but the show goes to lengths to show the perspective of the victims, so you might see a scene of a victim and their friends and Jeffrey appears out of the background, as more of a side character or mysterious stranger than as the main character of the story.

In the other portrayals, I don't even think Tony's name is ever mentioned and he didn't take more than 5 minutes. Here he gets a whole episode, and there's also a focus on his mother and sister after his death.

I also like that the show was gruesome without having to show everything--if someone wants the gore, there's at least 2 existing films that did that aspect well enough. I like that most of the killing is off screen (for instance, you get his next door neighbor's reaction to hearing screams and power tools through the vents and thin walls. I found that more disturbing and effective than anything I'd seen in the previous Dahmer adaptations. One of the films showed him stuffing a still conscious man into a barrel of acid, whereas this series just shows us an ominous blue barrel sitting in the corner.

I just love anything serial killer related and was happy to get a different take on this story. I learned a lot I hadn't learned, even with all of the media focus back in the 90s, because even the media really glossed over the victims and highlighted the details of the killings more than anything else.

I had some gripes about some historic inaccuracies—

like, Glenda Cleveland lived in the apt building adjacent to Dahmer’s, & they had her living in the unit directly beside his in the show. I don’t think the victim Dean Vaughn near the end (who also lived in the building) was ever a confirmed victim of Jeffrey Dahmer. Considering he admitted the rest, I’m skeptical he’d leave that guy out, but, who knows.

And, I get what they were trying to do with Glenda’s character, despite my complaint. She was a concentrated amalgam of the people around him at the time, who experienced confusion, fear, suspicion, and the repeated dismissal by law enforcement & the building management. It’s easier to tell a story onscreen with things happening to one person to represent the many, I suppose. Makes it more personal.

I think overall they tried to be respectful of the victims, and really did an excellent job depicting the gross negligence on the part of the police, stemming from ignorance & prejudice.

Some of the victims’ families have spoken out against the show. Iirc they weren’t consulted at all before or during production. If that’s the case, Murphy dropped the ball on that one.

I hope they do eventually make that vacant lot into a memorial. Perhaps the show will inspire viewers to donate.


I’m big on serial killer stuff too.. as soon as there was even a hint of reference to Ed Gein, I called it out (I’m not sure if this is something to be proud of, actually....)
Same with seeing Gacy invite a victim into his house— I knew who it was within the 1st few seconds of the scene, before they even stepped inside.

I do wonder if Murphy plans to do a Gacy series next, since he’s already got the guy pretty well-cast.

 

[Totenkindly]

YAAASSSSS

Maybe the only ray of Marvel light in 2022? (unless Wakanda is good)

 

[The Cat]

@Totenkindly saw this and thought of you

 

[Totenkindly]

Totenkindly saw this and thought of you

twerk a derk a derk

I'll watch it later; weirdly the twerk wasn't a big deal, it fit the context of the episode/moment, and if the show had been good, it would have just been laughed off. Instead a post-credit joke became an obsession for show haters while forgetting to criticize the actual bad stuff.

---

Christina Applegate can't walk without a cane and gained 40 pounds after MS diagnosis: 'I want people to know that I am very aware of all of that'

With the final season of "Dead to Me" dropping on Netflix on Nov. 17, Applegate said, "This is the first time anyone’s going to see me the way I am. I put on 40 pounds; I can’t walk without a cane. I want people to know that I am very aware of all of that."

www.yahoo.com

Good for her for finishing the show on her own terms. I remember when she received so much notoriety for "Married with Children" but managed to springboard a viable acting career from that role, and she has worked her ass off over the years and just pushes forward.

 

[The Cat]

This really is one of the best jokes on Community, nice homage to a few different other things here too...Very Professional easter eggs.​

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

Kevin Conroy died. Bummer. To me, he WAS Batman. Captured the essence better than any other actor and entirely with that great voice

 

[The Cat]

Kevin Conroy died. Bummer. To me, he WAS Batman. Captured the essence better than any other actor and entirely with that great voice

RIP​

 

[The Cat]

 

[ceecee]

So I watched Season 1 of White Lotus. Entertaining and I wanted to punch several people in the face as hard as possible. All that said, the most irritating thing by far was the music that played through all the episodes. On to Season 2.

 

[Saturnal Snowqueen]

They finally put Punky Brewster on Roku, always wondered why there was never reruns of it when Punky's fairly famous. Punky was one of my idols as a kid, but growing up and looking back the writing was actually kinda awful(even by 80s standards). I still have a soft spot for it, but it's not something you can really deny.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

They finally put Punky Brewster on Roku, always wondered why there was never reruns of it when Punky's fairly famous. Punky was one of my idols as a kid, but growing up tand looking back the writing was actually kinda awful(even by 80s standards). I still have a soft spot for it, but it's not something you can really deny.

What about Small Wonder?

 

[Saturnal Snowqueen]

What about Small Wonder?

I've only seen a little of it, it seems like a good watch but I don't think it's winning anything in the writing department. Of course-I didn't grow up in the 80s, I know Punky so well because my mom got me DVDs of her. I think she tried to turn me into Punky a bit, but I have some of her in me no matter how you look at it. I haven't found it on Roku, if that's what you meant-

Couldn't help but think Vicki was Soleil Moon Frye at first glace.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

I've only seen a little of it, it seems like a good watch but I don't think it's winning anything in the writing department. Of course-I didn't grow up in the 80s, I know Punky so well because my mom got me DVDs of her. I think she tried to turn me into Punky a bit, but I have some of her in me no matter how you look at it. I haven't found it on Roku, if that's what you meant-

Couldn't help but think Vicki was Soleil Moon Frye at first glace.

I'm sure Small Wonder isn't winning any awards. By all accounts it is supposed to be a terrible show. Nevertheless my sister and I loved it.