Sure it isn’t “The I’m Sure I Left Them Around Here Somewhere”?
I watched the first episode of a new UK drama called I, Jack Wright about a nasty rich family who squabble over a will. I probably won’t watch the rest, it is not a premise that interests me, but it did remind me very much of some other show I have seen before, I just can’t place where. It all felt so deja vu.
I’ve started on Warrior, a silly and violent show revolving around Tong wars in 1878 San Francisco. Lots of martial arts, lots of sex. If you watched Black Sails, there are very similar vibes.
We’re eagerly waiting for the next seasons of Rick and Morty and Slow Horses. In the interim, we’ve started the Righteous Gemstones and The Studio, both of which are goofy fun.
Finished Daredevil and working my way through Abbott Elementary. Started the new season of The Last of Us but it’s just depressing me.
On the anime side I’m still watching all sorts but the surprise hit is Assassination Classroom, which is a lot more heartwarming than the title and premise would suggest. I have about 5 episodes to go. I’m going to assume that the Earth doesn’t explode in the end but there’s still a lot to resolve before then.
Also recommended: The Apothecary Diaries (science-based mysteries in the concubine houses of the Chinese Imperial Palace, more or less), Solo Levelling (for all you high-action monster-stabbing fans), Shangri-La Frontier (more monster-stabbing but in a faux-VR context), and ZENSHU (anime director and illustrator ends up in her favorite anime movie which is not a very nice one, and sad things happen).
And speaking of The Last of Us, now-simulcasting Apocalypse Hotel is about a humanity-destroying virus and a robot-operated hotel where they keep the place running in readiness for the return of the humans from their retreats in space and under the sea. Assuming there are any humans left. Three episodes in and it’s been 150 years already, so… could be tragic, could be triumphant, it’s hard to tell at this point.
I think I am ready to give up on Foundation (AppleTV) We are 4 episodes in and there isn’t enough there for me to care. I remember reading the series in High School and always thought the idea was far cooler than any particular character, in fact the premise of the novels is to show even extreme outlier actions were factored in and everything is going according to plan (i.e. rebuilding galactic civilization over centuries). That puts the breaks on any Free Will of our protagonists, they can choose but from the novel’s or show’s perspective it doesn’t matter.
That’s a bummer for viewing a series more intent on character development and interaction, which a television show should be about. It reminds me of seeing Transformers on screen, be careful what you wish for.
Love on the Spectrum
My wife and I are watching this on and off. You can’t help but to root for the people highlighted in these episodes.
We bailed on The Last of Us after watching just one episode of season 2. Really getting tired of the whole “zombie apocalypse where the real enemy is us” genre.
I watched one or two episodes when AppleTV had the free weekend and was not impressed. Maybe it’s just me, but I couldn’t see how the show had anything to do with the books except that it used some of the character names.
I like the Cleons in concept and execution. The Foundation part is pretty much filler.
Yep. “We are the REAL monsters!”
I bailed on it partway into season one.
I have watched more Castle and watching either good actors or true friendship between the leads makes what is to come all the more difficult. Certainly it could be both.
We are looking forward to Murderbot, having read and enjoyed the books.
We have the new Daredevil on our list.
I am waiting to hear some reviews on Andor s2. I still haven’t watched Skeleton Crew.
Thanks for the discussion!
Me also, it’s one of the few things a viewer can comprehend in this fantastic world because it’s one of the few things they explain in depth. But they are fucked when the book begins and the story isn’t about him/them at all.
It’s like producing a television series called The Bible and using the air time to dive into this Pontius Pilate character more. That’s cool, that’s just a different story.
But please, anyone, fight my ignorance. There are 20 episodes out now spread over 2 seasons, does this show change significantly in focus? Is it more like the novels later?
I’d like to hear from anyone who has seen this.
As I was reading the first book, I thought it was pretty dumb and almost gave up on it. But it finally turned around well into the book. Ended up reading and enjoying the rest of the series.
The writers had to do this when the initial shock and pretty CGI wore off and they were left with an ‘antagonist’ that was essentially a force of nature that could only be endured not solved. Imagine a show called The Blizzard, it would be about season 2 when the writers start diving into Cabin Fever in depth and wondering if they can keep the show running with interpersonal drama because otherwise there is no story.
Kinda like comic book heroes and villains, they work in a graphic novel format but there isn’t enough story or drama for film so we keep rehashing origin plots of the same popular few with different actors every couple of years.
Scuttlebutt is that Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic really did not get along in real life. But I have no way of knowing how true that is, particularly as different sources blame different parties for the alleged rancor.
Yes I’ve seen that but both of them have been very professional and never said anything negative about the other in public. I’ve also seen that Stana was unhappy with her pay. She was seen expendable and Fillion was not. He continued to get raises and she didn’t. IIRC they were originally going to do another season without her and then changed their minds and cancelled the show. Probably a good choice. The last season was pretty goofy.
I wonder when they didn’t get along? I imagine it had to be several seasons into the show because if they didn’t work out early, it could have been changed. If it is money or perceived value to the show, that would seem to be on the creators/producers?
My understanding is that if they had done another season, no Stana, no Tamara (Lanie), and Castle would have become a PI. I know they did that in the last seasons, with his daughter and mother helping, so that would leave Ryan and Esposito as their police contacts?
I agree, both have been professional about it and never said anything in public. We watched BTS videos up to season three or four. It was usually done by Nathan. (I think he does them for the Rookie but so do a few others.) When he would go to someone on a Castle set, there was this playful “oh no!” that the person would say, as they saw Nathan coming. I took that as Nathan being the fun but exhausting extrovert. I will never know the truth and that’s probably for the best.
Thanks for the conversation!
IIRC according to the Walking Dead showrunners, the “We are the real monsters” was the idea from the start.
Yeah, Hollywood gossip is pretty worthless. But come to think of it- isnt it Castle, and Bones and Moonlighting all just a guy stalking a woman, who- at least to start, is definitely NOT interested in him?
Yep, worthless gossip.
It is only cheap unsubstantiated gossip that they didnt, but yeah, as
said here, she was unhappy with the pay arrangements.