Visual Delights – What Are We Watching?

[Judy__Subscriber]

I’ve been working through the Psych seasons on Netflix. It’s a relief from Battlestar knockoffs. LOL

I also watch Medium now that it is back on the air. Sad to see Ariel leave.

[gavSubscriber]

Judy__ said:
Sanctuary is back – that seems a good thing. I like Amanda and the special effects on this season’s Kali finale were cool.

I’ve watched all of the first two seasons when I was ill and I have to say that it just lacks bite. It’s ok but it… just lacks something for me. Not sure what it is.

Caprica‘s new season is a disappointment so far. They seem so bent on heading towards Battlestar and it was going in far more interesting directions towards the end of last season. The Battlestar ruts are so predictable and uninteresting. Turning everybody into a villain is also dull.

Not sure where you expect it to be heading. The whole premise is the generation of the cylons – and I suppose the lead up to the first war. I have to say that the show has grown on me now that I am up to Retribution (episode 3 of Season 1 [part 2]). Bear with it.

Fringe has been interesting lately…

Where are you up to? No one I know seems to be watching. I think season 3 is really good so far. I’ve enjoyed the last couple of episodes in particular.

Haven is improving.

I’ve stopped watching this. It’s too limp. siffy should make it a comedy or make it a full-on horrow and stop pussy footing around.

SGU is suffering from some of the same ills as Caprica… so much war and missing the chances of exploring utopian as well as dystopian futures, colonizing new planets and so on. One gets tired of dark and gloomy all the time and it gets sooooo predictable. The military types are such dolts as written.

I have to admit that the first couple of episodes (the first episode of season 2 in particular) produced a serious amount of “for god’s sake – this is terrible” out of me. But the last ep was actually pretty ok. And the aliens have potential.

I haven’t seen Agora yet — it goes on DVD in November. The story of Hypatia should be interesting unless it gets Hollywoodized.

I thought it was quite meh. Your mileage may vary!

Is anyone watching No Ordinary Family? The pilot had me drowning in schmalatz… but it’ s really picked up. I sort-of wish they would get more of the comedy stuff going – and develop the story more. And leave off the lovey dovey husband wife stuff. It’s so apple pie it’s annoying and it gets in the way of potentially good story lines.

And the biggest disappointment in my telly has to be The Event. It’s so stupid I don’t know where to begin. I was listening to a podcast which summed it up succinctly by calling the plot twists (which the writers seem to have confused with plot development) as “a series of **** yous to the viewers”. I don’t think I’ve felt more patronised and annoyed in a long time. What gets me is that there’s a good story in there somewhere – I just want them to tell it.

And the only other show I am watching is Merlin. Which I actually enjoy. Though in the latest series there’s been too much of the “possessed person” stories. But I like the show for what it is… silly.

[gavSubscriber]

the english assassin said:
Not films or drama, but I’m making my way through Adam Curtis’ documentary series, starting with Pandora’s Box… I can’t think of better doc maker!

oo oo oo!

I think he’s great. I’ve got all of his stuff on my HD. Brilliant documentary maker. If you haven’t done so you should read his blog – it’s great (if you like essays).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/adamcurtis/

[Judy__Subscriber]

Fringe and Eureka both gained a new life by shifting the character assumptions around – a spatial shift or a time shift. So that has given the characters more freedom in what they can do.

As for Caprica, I know the premise is to get to Battlestar, cylons, war,etc. but one could wish they would delay getting to cylons anytime soon. The other issues were far more interesting – life after death, virtual realities, what dying in a virtual world might mean… the interaction of Zoe with her father, with the lab assistant, etc. Even the little butler was of more interest.

I like the Eric Balfour character in Haven. And as Nick Campbell plays more of a role it is getting more interesting. But no more episodes till 2011 so we’ll see where it goes from there.

[gavSubscriber]

I don’t know where you are in Caprica… and I want to avoid spoilers…. I hope people don’t mind if I just say that the religion, and life after death makes a comeback and [thankfully] there appears to be less moody teen goths in virtuality… which can only be a good thing. I’m curious to know where they are going with a lot of plot – and I really hope they don’t stuff it up (like a certain other big show…).

[Judy__Subscriber]

I’ve seen the latest episode of Caprica… I guess officially it is still season 1 but there was a break so it feels like a second season.

I’m not fond of the OT religious aspect which I guess is what bugs me about the Adama/Cylon crowd. I much prefer the AI aspects and it doesn’t have to be so dreary.

[gavSubscriber]

Well, religion was a major factor in BSG (and BSG TOS). After all the cylons were religious fundies. I get what you’re saying though. It would have been a more straightforward plot if they’d gone down the emergent self aware AI discovering god but I think that’s something that’s been done before – to death. I think it would be quite interesting if the Zoe AI and the dead adama kid were to somehow infect other computers. There’s possibilities there. And they’ve (so far) not touched on the fact that as they’re now software they should be able to copy themselves as much as they like.

And yes I do agree that it could do with lightening up occasionally.

[Judy__Subscriber]

Ah well, there is always Ted Chiang and some other good authors if we hit the books. One excellent reason to not get used to visual delights but to use one’s imagination in textual ones.

[divadianeSubscriber]

Judy__ said:

I also watch Medium now that it is back on the air. Sad to see Ariel leave.

Aw, Judy! I’m only on Season 5 – you spoiled it. I’m not sure what exactly, but that Ariel leaves is significant!

[Judy__Subscriber]

She may visit from time to time.

A big part of the show used to be seeing what Ariel’s hairdresser would do with that beautiful long blonde hair.

[Judy__Subscriber]

And the biggest disappointment in my telly has to be The Event. It’s so stupid I don’t know where to begin. I was listening to a podcast which summed it up succinctly by calling the plot twists (which the writers seem to have confused with plot development) as “a series of **** yous to the viewers”. I don’t think I’ve felt more patronised and annoyed in a long time. What gets me is that there’s a good story in there somewhere – I just want them to tell it.

I agree.

I hope the fad of using flashbacks doesn’t catch on too much. It is used with some skill for comedic effect in The Good Guys but in The Event it is just annoying.

[gavSubscriber]

It’s not the flashbacks that bother me. To be honest, it would be work really well – in the conspiracy theory format – so long as those flashbacks occur only within the story. I can honestly see how it would work. I don’t think it works because they are trying to tell us the backstory of the characters which I don’t think we need to be so blatantly told. And then there’s the fact that the characters are not real. They don’t feel fleshed out (despite the flashbacks) and they don’t ask the questions that any sane person would ask. That’s where 99% of the frustration comes from. I wish I could just shake the screenwriter and shout “Just tell the fricking story”.

rant over.

I feel better.

Everyone may continue with the rest of their day.

[Judy__Subscriber]

That’s kind of what I meant – flashbacks need to be skillfully used.

And yes, …just tell the f****** story.

[Judy__Subscriber]

I haven’t seen Agora yet — it goes on DVD in November. The story of Hypatia should be interesting unless it gets Hollywoodized.

I thought it was quite meh. Your mileage may vary![/quote]

Agora came to my mailbox a bit earlier than expected. You are far too kind in your comment. It was dreadful — I managed to watch 15 minutes of it before giving up in disgust. Not only Hollywoodized but done so badly even at that. Cliched beyond belief. Anyone who knows even a bit of the history of science would have been totally revulsed by such a depiction.

So very glad to have missed it at the theaters! Alejandro Amenábar obviously believes us all to be dolts. He isn’t worth the price of popcorn.

[the english assassinSubscriber]

gav said:
oo oo oo!

I think he’s great. I’ve got all of his stuff on my HD. Brilliant documentary maker. If you haven’t done so you should read his blog – it’s great (if you like essays).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/adamcurtis/

Aye, I’ve only dipped in and out of his blog, but I shall have to give it a proper read some day. He is indeed a brilliant documentary maker. I’ve watched many of them several times over now and it has been interesting to watch them all again in order. It makes it possible to view them almost in terms of a ‘story arc’ – each series is actually part of a greater whole, culminating in his fantastic summing up of the 20th century in The Trap. However, while I do largely agree with Curtis on many subjects, I do think its always worth remembering that he himself obviously has a very distinct leftish agenda (if non-party political) and isn’t above using some fairly aggressive rhetoric to make his points. Certainly his highly negative interpretation on game theory is one which is open to debate – indeed it could almost be called a misrepresentation of game theory, especially as it is used today… also his understanding of Dawkins selfish gene seems entirely wrong, just as the social Darwinists misunderstood Darwinism… However I’m more than prepared to put up with these minor faults to view such passionate journalism.

[Author]

Posts