Actually, I got sidetracked with OA. I came back to this thread to say that we are now watching the Last Kingdom. On episode 6(?) and not too bad, so far. Because these sort of things bother me I have to mention the hero’s method of carrying his sword - on an angle across his back with the handle above his shoulder. It looks cool, which is the point I guess, and I think I’ve seen him draw it from there once or twice but I’d have to slow it down to see what they did. If the sword is longer than your arm, it would be impossible without using two hands on the blade. What they don’t show is him returning it to it’s scabbard. It would be very difficult to do without help from someone else. There was a scene that showed him stowing it but when they cut to it, the sword was almost all the way in the scabbard. Nitpick, to be sure. Too many years as a detective, I guess.
We’re watching the last season of The Expanse. I’m sorry to see it go. I’m guessing that Amazon wanted to spend the budget on other shows (2 big budget efforts come to mind). It’s a pity.
I haven’ started that one yet, but this is a commonly adapted fantasy trope because, yes, it looks cool. It is also just about 100% ahistoric, because as you noted it is mechanically awkward. No one ever carried a personal sword across the back into combat.
The only exception I’ve ever run across were some truly massive zweihanders designed to be used almost more like polearms to sweep away pike points. But they were unlimbered prior to a fight and leaned against your shoulder while fighting. Even when not fighting they were more often carried in a sling over the shoulder rather than an actual back scabbard.
I’ve been seeing Emergency! on DVD (that 1972-77 NBC medical/action series), from last year’s version of the all-in-one (complete series) DVD (I got it two or three months ago), and I started with the second go (season). From there, it got ever better, and I finished the sixth and final go of it; I just recently went back to the first partial go from 1972, and just earlier finished that one. I think it started to be a better show starting in the second season (although the first one wasn’t all that badly acted).
I think also that the blend of paramedic and fire rescue, and medical drama (all well-acted) has made the all-in-one DVD well worth the money (despite the fourth and fifth seasons having fair to middling picture quality).
Just finished episode 5 of Our Flag Means Death on HBO Max. The humor in the first couple of episodes was so broad and silly that I almost tapped out, but as soon as Blackbeard (Taika Waititi) shows up and we get a little more of Captain Stede’s (Rhys Darby) backstory the humor gets a little more sophisticated and I’m starting to care about some of the characters. There’s also a lot of funny one-off characters by fairly renowned comic actors.
I am thoroughly enjoying season 3 of My Brilliant Friend on HBO. It’s a bit dense (and subtitled, even in Italy) and I wouldn’t recommend jumping into this season without watching seasons 1 and 2, but if you’ve seen those seasons, this season is as good as 2, but not quite up to the superb first season.
A major problem with drawing a sword slung that way is that you’re likely to cut off your ear.
Emergency! is great. It was on MeTV or AntennaeTV a few years ago. I’d record it and watch it when I got home from work every day. Loved it. I think it’s well-acted and very realistic. I remember it from when I was a kid, but of course, 50 years later it was all new to me. I had a crush on Randolph Mantooth. He was always in Tiger Beat and other teen magazines back in the day.
In one of the early episodes of Chicago Fire, one of the firemen talked about how as a kid he’d watch Emergency! after school and dream of being a fireman. The Emergency! and Chicago Fire fire engines have the same number - 51. I thought that was kind of a cool homage to a great show.
My grandkids were hooked on it too. I gave them a DVD of one of the seasons for Christmas.
I just noticed in S5:E6 that as Uhtred is charging into battle with sword in hand, the sheath is on the wrong (left) side. Now I’ll be watching for this all the time, damn it.
“I want an official Ulfberht shoulder scabbard action double-edged model with the compass in the pommel!”
“You’ll cut your ear off, kid!”
You might try Dark Matter (Netflix) It’s been awhile but I remember liking it and that’s where my wife and I found refuge after finishing The Expanse.
Ended on a major cliff-hanger, though.
The Mrs. and I hung in there for a while with The Sopranos but finally lost interest about where Tony started sleeping with the horse.
This has such good ratings (7.7 IMDB) and I have it on my list, but everyone I know that has seen it says don’t bother. I may just drop it, not like I don’t have other things to watch.
I just accidentally found out that there was a series of three Murdoch movies with a totally different cast from 2004. They are on Acorn if you have that.
We watched the first season, kind of weird, but we got thru it. By the time season 2 rolled around we couldn’t remember anyone that was in the first episode so we called it quits.
Finally! I was beginning to think it was never going to show.
ETA: I thought you meant on Netflix, where I watch it, but they still only have 4 seasons there. 
I may have to pay for a month of AMC to watch season five.
Popping back into the thread with an update. Finished all the existing live-action Marvel shows on Disney+. My rankings from best to worst: Hawkeye, Wandavision, Falcon & Winter Soldier, Loki. The trailer for Ms. Marvel just dropped today, but I haven’t had a chance to see it. Local (Toronto) girl in the lead, I think, hoping it’s great.
Also watched the three (so far) seasons of Star Wars shows. Absolutely loved The Mandalorian unequivocally, start to finish. Book of Boba Fett was…kinda meh. Loved Ming-Na Wen, but had a hard time comparing a middle-aged Temuera Morrison with a young Jeremy Bulloch in the title role.
Been watching Cougar Town, which somehow I missed first time around, despite loving Scrubs. It’s absolutely killing me, one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen, though I still recognize just how horrible almost all the characters are.
Midway through season 13 of Supernatural. Going to finish this show by the summer, one episode a night, if it kills me.
April 18th.
Make sure that you catch the British original, Cougarton Abbey.
We’ve started watching Barry on HBO. Good cast, but how does this premise continue to hold up over time?
My favorite episode was deep in season 2.
I loved Orphan Black! Some seasons more than others (the one with the Castors was my least favorite). But Tatiana Maslany does an awesome job, as the number of clones multiply you really forget they’re all the same person.
That was awesome! I was laughing and gasping at the same time. I heard they’re making season 3. Yay!