Random TV Show Thoughts

[Totenkindly]

Blew through Season 1 of Alice in Borderland so I could push into Season 2. Started that late last night and I'm already 3 episodes in, it's pretty engrossing although I found the opener a little disturbing. (Too much graphic gun violence, not as much nuance.)

Episodes 2&3 were back on track, and Episode 3 is really the emotional kicker so far this season, as Episode 3 in Season 1 also was.

I'm not quite sure why, but I keep being reminded of Lost in some ways. Puzzle box mysteries (on figuring out the games), regular leaps into flashbackstories although not spending nearly as much time as Lost did on them, but there's an emotional core/catharsis based on backstories for characters buttresses by music that reminds me of Giacchino's approach -- beautiful swelling music (lots of strings) to emphasize emotional depth leading to almost overwhelming emotion at certain climaxes of plot... because these most powerful plot points are not necessarily plot resolutions but character growth resolutions. It's also reminding me a lot of Mac Quayle's music for Mr. Robot -- at times riveting, other times excruciatingly poignant and bittersweet, so your heart almost bursts when hearing it. One can never downplay the contribution of music to a show or film, it can complete change the context of a scene especially when it plays against what might be the expected reading.

As someone who watches foreign shows and films, I would say to never watch English dubs, which are hit and miss -- it's original dialogue + subtitles all the way. In this case, the dubs might also not be trustworthy. Back in S1E3 for example, there's an example of where they dubbed a line differently in order to avoid offense to the English audience, but it totally changes the context of the scene; if you read the subtitles, you actually better understand the character talking. It in fact screws up the morality of the other characters a bit too. Totally horrible line dub.

The show is also interesting if you can draw counterparts between the cast and Alice in Wonderland characters. I think the most obvious are these ones, although there could be others... and of course, I know the Queen of Hearts / Red Queen plays a big role at the end of Season 2:

• Arisu - He is Alice, kind of daydreamy and floating along, and the show seems bent on teaching him how to engage reality and actually being a leader of some kind, not just a smart guy.
• Usagi - This literally means rabbit or hare in Japanese, she is clearly the White Rabbit -- small and fast and a runner/escaper type (and very smart on how to evade people) in her role. She's also the closest to Arisu as the plot develops.
• Chishiya - The Cheshire Cat, obviously. He's smart, a laconic observer who sits back to get a sense of what is unfolding, and uses his brain (along with occasional deliberate actions) to survive. he usually seems above everything, keeps his own counsel, and you can tell he's piecing it altogether. He's morally neutral, vs Arisu who would be a "good" character, and remains pretty detached -- and often will throw something chaotic into the mix just to trigger people revealing their intentions so he better understands a situation.
• Kuina - To break her smoking habit, she's been chewing on lollipops a lot of the time, similar to the hookah pipe used by the Caterpillar. But more importantly, she is a character with a major transformation in her past, with the symbol of the butterfly/caterpillar attached to such things. So I think that latter bit even more cements her in that role.
• Mad Hatter - One of the antagonists in Season 1, who is in charge of the Beach but has slowly been growing paranoid/mad.

 

[Totenkindly]

Finished Alice in Borderland today. They gave a decent chunk of the finale to actually digging into the aftermath. I so much appreciate that. The story was more than just plot, it also deals with character arc resolution. The Queen of Hearts game was riveting. One thing I really enjoy about this second season is their attempt to expand the "villains" (aka face cards) to more than just enemies. We often find out just enough to give them a bit of backstory or offering additional understanding of their character, and giving them some humanity in the process. Some, no; others yes. (Thinking primarily of King of Clubs, King of Diamonds, and then the King of Spades and the Queen of Hearts.) I like how they are so different. It's also about more than overcoming obstacles but the people the characters are becoming by the solutions they embrace.

 

[Saturnal Snowqueen]

I compare myself to a lot of characters, but Punky Brewster is basically the same person as me but with a 2 fix, and when I'm actually in a better state of mental health

 

[Saturnal Snowqueen]

Why I am Punky Brewster:
-1w9 dad
-Denim jackets/bizarre clothing
-Dog companion
-Strong morals
-Secretly sad inside
-Bizarre dreams
-Alcoholic birth mom
-Funky hair

Why I am also Cherie Johnson:
-Always thinking about food
-Headband obsession
-Literal anxiety

 

[Totenkindly]

I finished Derry Girls yesterday. Only 19 episodes long (for three seasons), pretty much all but the finale is only about 25 minutes.

This show always made me happy. I had to watch a lot of it with subtitles because the banter was so quick and the accents so heavy, but it always made me laugh throughout each episode, I cared about the characters, and it just was so enjoyable. In addition, it was a show that tried to also tackle some meaningful topics without being treacly about it. I know so little about the IRA mess that existed through my youth and adulthood, as a US person, so it was interesting to see maybe how it impacted daily life over there, especially the youth.

it's one of those shows I'd still probably laugh as hard on a second or third viewing through.

What's hilarious is that they all pass for high school kids in the show but ages in this picture are 29, 35, 29, 30, & 35. Sick. But that age experience pays off, their comic timings are impeccable.

Sister Michael is also totally a riot with her dry, acerbic wit.

I also have to give Ian McElhinney kudos -- the only place I knew him from was Game of Thrones, as the noble Ser Barristan Selmy, and this is like the total opposite, he's just a total cantankerous disparaging asshat who of course is utterly hilarious in how badly he treats his poor set-upon son in law.

Two of the five (plus the showrunner) were actually born in [London]derry, and the English guy is actually from England. So that's nice.

 

[Tomb1]

I saw Rocky 1. Of all the Rocky movies I thought Rocky 1 made the most sense. A nobody catches the opportunity of a lifetime and exceeds expectations. I could have done without him yelling for Adrian at the end.

Rocky 2 starts to get carried away but Rocky 2 still made sense..... Rocky 3, 4 and 5 never needed to be made imo....especially Rocky 3....you know a franchise has turned into an irrelevant cliche of itself when its time to write hulk hogan and mr. t into the script.

But Rocky 1 was and will always be a different beast from its sequels. Stallone and Weathers gave mostly one-dimensional performances but were more rangey than where the 80s would find them.

Rather what makes Rocky 1 strong in my opinion were the performances by the supporting cast. Burgess Meredith, Talia Shire, Burt Young and Tony Burton were unbelievable....all method actors who infused the film with a largeness through their own very raw and intense performances.

 

[Saturnal Snowqueen]

I still want the flower cart bed from Punky Brewster, would seriously consider getting one if it was the right size.

 

[Totenkindly]

Well, at least BCS and Bob Odenkirk pulled in a Critics Choice win. (Giancarlo Esposito did too, but I was less concerned about that.)

 

[The Cat]

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

Wait, is the Last Of Us just the Mandalorian on post-apocalyptic Earth? With Lady Mormont instead of Baby Yoda?

I can't decide if that's a selling point. Generally I prefer the Star Wars galaxy as a backdrop to the post-apocalyptic stuff which can feel insufficiently escapist.

 

[The Cat]

Wait, is the Last Of Us just the Mandalorian on post-apocalyptic Earth? With Lady Mormont instead of Baby Yoda?

I can't decide if that's a selling point. Generally I prefer the Star Wars stuff to the post-apocalyptic stuff which can feel insufficiently escapist.

Pay no attention to the sameness but different aesthetics behind the curtain. Get back to work and praise the machine.

 

[Totenkindly]

Finally started my push through Yellowjackets. Rewatched the first two episodes, pushed through the third.

Decent series. Decent acting. Melanie Lynskey is a gem, she's so unique, quirky, amusing, real. Juliette Lewis plays basically an older version of who you'd expect, just a somewhat darkened/bitter version. But maybe the largest find is Christina Ricci, who normally plays quirky characters -- but this one feels a bit different for her, it's just unexpected and yet pitch-perfect. There's a kind of glowy psychopathic energy around her, under which something really edgy is lurking. It's kinda worth watching just for this performance.

Also, the teen performances are really lining up nicely with the adult performances. They capture the same energy. I'm really impressed with the casting.

 

[Totenkindly]

Season 2 episodes 1-3 of Vox Machina just dropped on Amazon.

Only watched s2e1 but it was absolutely nuts... I usually don't talk while watching alone, but this had a whole bunch of "Holy shit" exclamations throughout. Most shows are predictable, i enjoy being surprised. Between this and The Boys, I think Amazon has that ground covered.

 

[Luminous]

Finally started my push through Yellowjackets. Rewatched the first two episodes, pushed through the third.

Decent series. Decent acting. Melanie Lynskey is a gem, she's so unique, quirky, amusing, real. Juliette Lewis plays basically an older version of who you'd expect, just a somewhat darkened/bitter version. But maybe the largest find is Christina Ricci, who normally plays quirky characters -- but this one feels a bit different for her, it's just unexpected and yet pitch-perfect. There's a kind of glowy psychopathic energy around her, under which something really edgy is lurking. It's kinda worth watching just for this performance.

Also, the teen performances are really lining up nicely with the adult performances. They capture the same energy. I'm really impressed with the casting.

I only made it partway through the first episode before I decided to stop.

 

[The Cat]

Season 2 episodes 1-3 of Vox Machina just dropped on Amazon.

Only watched s2e1 but it was absolutely nuts... I usually don't talk while watching alone, but this had a whole bunch of "Holy shit" exclamations throughout. Most shows are predictable, i enjoy being surprised. Between this and The Boys, I think Amazon has that ground covered.

I binged all three. It was really cool getting to see the differences between the actual campaign and the series.

 

[Totenkindly]

I binged all three. It was really cool getting to see the differences between the actual campaign and the series.

I'm not really familiar with the campaign. I'm pretty much Team Veyleth though as far as the character I like the most, and I like Pike. Scanlan is amusing though kind of a walking bard cliche. Percy is probably the most unique although I don't care that much about him. Grog is really dumb, I hate his voice, but he still does make me laugh repeatedly because he's so dumb. I'm not really into the twins either.

So it is kind of interesting I like the series so much despite only actually liking two of the group. I think it's because it actually feels like an actual DnD group, and it doesn't pull punches, and I can recognize things from the game when I watch. It's pretty interesting and funny.

I was pleased to see a Tiefling show up.

Another bit of interest is how many of these folks show up doing characters in World of Warcraft expacs. I mean, it's a viable job opportunity considering their skills, but there's a lot of crossover. Laura Bailey (Vex) might be the most obvious, as she does Jaina Proudmore, one of the 3-4 highest profile Alliance NPCs in the game for many expacs.

 

[The Cat]

I'm not really familiar with the campaign. I'm pretty much Team Veyleth though as far as the character I like the most, and I like Pike. Scanlan is amusing though kind of a walking bard cliche. Percy is probably the most unique although I don't care that much about him. Grog is really dumb, I hate his voice, but he still does make me laugh repeatedly because he's so dumb. I'm not really into the twins either.

So it is kind of interesting I like the series so much despite only actually liking two of the group. I think it's because it actually feels like an actual DnD group, and it doesn't pull punches, and I can recognize things from the game when I watch. It's pretty interesting and funny.

I was pleased to see a Tiefling show up.

Another bit of interest is how many of these folks show up doing characters in World of Warcraft expacs. I mean, it's a viable job opportunity considering their skills, but there's a lot of crossover. Laura Bailey (Vex) might be the most obvious, as she does Jaina Proudmore, one of the 3-4 highest profile Alliance NPCs in the game for many expacs.

Vox MAchina was Travis's(Grog's) first campaign, he'd never played D&D in the latest campaign, he's out for a few weeks, and the group really misses something, but watching the streams on youtube, watching Travis ADHD outside of his turn is just priceless visual comedy lol,

 

[Totenkindly]

"It must be so unfortunate to be... filled with so much leprosy."
"On a scale of 1 or.... 2..... how do you think it went?"
"What about the uardsgay... oh, whoops, I don't think I thought that through."

I like his Grog voice better in the stream, he sounds weirder on the show like he's swallowing his voice.

 

[The Cat]

"It must be so unfortunate to be... filled with so much leprosy."
"On a scale of 1 or.... 2..... how do you think it went?"
"What about the uardsgay... oh, whoops, I don't think I thought that through."

I like his Grog voice better in the podcast, he sounds weirder on the show like he's swallowing his voice.

His willingness to just lean into the rp with the bad rolls and Sam just being down for it... "I dont know they make bad life choices!" rofl

this is a fun little one shot if you like meta goodness

 

[Totenkindly]

Reality Competition Shows Are More Interesting When Everyone Is Getting Along

The new HBO Max climbing show, produced by Jason Momoa, is proof that these competitions are more fun as a team effort.

www.indiewire.com

Been watching The Climb -- I forgot it was on for a week or two, so I'm on episode 4 while there are 6 episodes out right now.

Climbing is one of those things if I was in my 20's I would be out there doing, and especially alpine -- for many years I just didn't feel like I had the option and now my body is a wreck. But I have a number of books, tracked the annual events on Chomolungma (aka Everest), and just have read a ton. Climbers are always my heroes, it's like the most awesome solo sport out there, and it's as much a mental game as a purely physical one, in terms of both figuring out your approach as well as pushing forward through sheer determination (or knowing how to mitigate risk if weather isn't acting right).

Kinda cool to learn Jason Momoa is a rock climber as well, which shouldn't surprise me I suppose.

In E3, I discovered one of the contestants is a transguy, which I didn't really see coming. And he's pretty great, esp considering he is short and just doesn't have the reach -- I am so stoked to keep watching him tackle these challenges!

I like that they have a mix of climber types, genders, race, etc. It's too bad the oldest washed on the first episode (she was 53). She was great, she just finished last.