State of the Union: Recent Television
Sep. 27th, 2013 01:36 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
andrasteIt is spring, that season when a fangirl's mind turns toward thoughts of new and returning TV shows. At least if she lives in the southern hemisphere. Things that I have been watching lately, in alphabetical order:
Agents of SHIELD
The first episode was pretty fun. I didn't warm to Ward or Skye, which could be a problem if they end up being the focus, but it's early days and anything could happen. Mostly I just want to trade Agent Ward for J. August Richards in the main cast. Can we keep him, Joss? Pretty please? Mike Peterson needs a job!
Castle
I have mixed feelings about this episode - on the one hand, I'm glad that Beckett took the job and that she and Castle are still trying to make it work. Her co-workers seem interesting, especially McCord. (Yay for Lisa Edelstein back on my ... uh, computer monitor, actually.) On the other, it seems like the rules of television inertia mean that she'll have to end up back at the NYPD within a few episodes. (Having her new employers let Castle hang around would strain credibility even for this show, and we can hardly abandon Ryan, Esposito, Lanie and Gates.) So that means Kate has to either get fired or quit, and I'm not thrilled with either option - she obviously likes her new job and is good at it. The cliff-hanger was delightfully melodramatic, though. Since Castle obviously won't die next week, I'm looking forward to seeing how he reacts to the news. I bet he has one hell of a bucket list.
Elementary
I've finally caught up on the first season, but I'm not sure if I'm going to keep going with it. I feel bad about this since my entire flist seems to love it, but despite the excellent cast and the engaging relationship between Holmes and Watson, I'm only half-attached. I have two problems with it, one of which is a 'it's not you, it's me' thing.
My first problem is that I'm just not that interested in stories about recovering addicts in serialised TV. It's not that the show handles this badly. On the contrary, it's determined to treat Watson's (former) profession and Holmes' addiction with respect and care. (I'm even impressed with how little of the pseudo-science and thinly-veiled religion that's endemic in recovery programs gets parroted.) Despite that, it doesn't overcome my fundamental problem with this kind of storyline in this kind of show, which is that it always feels cheap and predictable to me when they tease the former addict going back to drugs. I spent that part of the finale rolling my eyes heavenwards, which rather spoiled the drama. (I was always happier with House when he was tossing back Vicodin like it was approaching its expiry date than I was when they tried to make us think he would quit.) I can see why the show picked that angle, since Holmes' drug addiction is a subject that hasn't been seriously explored by many of the hundreds of other adaptations and pastiches, but it's not an angle that I personally want to see more of.
My other problem is that I was able to summarise the show to a friend as 'fascinating people fight boring crime.' The central characters and the supporting cast are multi-dimensional and engaging, but the cases are dull more often than not. And I can't enjoy a procedural where the procedures bore me. Unless the writers suddenly become as good at setting up a plot and unravelling it as they are at writing Holmes and Watson talking about bees, that's probably going to make me stop watching. I shouldn't spend half an hour out of every forty minutes fighting the urge to wander off and make another cup of tea while hoping for another appearance from Clyde the tortoise. (Who seems to have more personality than most of the villains and victims of the week.)
Free!
I have not watched the final episode, as I am waiting for Sunday to share it with my friends. (We might then hug and eat squid together, but we will be keeping all our clothes on. As far as I know.)
Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Reasons I love Phryne:
1. When the plot requires that she flash her breasts in front of (almost) her entire supporting cast and a room full of strangers, she doesn't bat an eyelid. Everyone else does, though.
2. She has a fetching hat for every occasion, including committing burglaries.
3. Having arranged for two policemen to put on their bathing suits to go diving for evidence, she also arranges for herself and Dot to be on the beach with sunhats and icecream to properly appreciate the show. (The show does not disappoint. I have almost forgiven the writers for interrupting Jack with plot before he could put on that Roman Legionary outfit last series. Almost.)
(Also: dear Tumblr, how is it that you are all squealing over the twenties-bathing-suits-containing-dripping-wet-police-officers, but nobody seems to have posted screencaps? I am disappoint.)
And, awwwww, Phryne and Jack are even more adorable this series. I'm not sure if my favourite part of Dead Man's Chest was him sneaking into her room to drink champagne out of a tea cup or their stake-out fish and chips under the pier.
The Mysterious Cities of Gold
This is actually a thing I am not watching, because TFOU1 doesn't let Australians watch its episode uploads and my unofficial source has dried up :(. The translator got busy and nobody seems to be putting the raws anywhere that I can get them :(. Which means there are now five whole episodes that I haven't seen. I know weren't getting a dub next year, but I can't wait that long for my fix!
Sleepy Hollow
While the pilot episode contained enough exposition to stuff an elephant, the leads are charming and the mythology is interesting. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes horror that manages to be delightfully cheesy and genuinely creepy at the same time. And/or men with ridiculously pretty hair.
I'm delighted that I guessed right about Clancy Brown and John Cho not letting their deaths in the pilot prevent them from returning. I think Zombie!Brooks awakening was one of the most disturbing things I've ever seen on TV. And I love Jenny Mills already.
Also, I love that Ichabod adjusts to the existence of black female police officers instantly after his initial confusion, but is horrified by the 10% tax on donuts. Truly, here is a man with his priorities in order.
Agents of SHIELD
The first episode was pretty fun. I didn't warm to Ward or Skye, which could be a problem if they end up being the focus, but it's early days and anything could happen. Mostly I just want to trade Agent Ward for J. August Richards in the main cast. Can we keep him, Joss? Pretty please? Mike Peterson needs a job!
Castle
I have mixed feelings about this episode - on the one hand, I'm glad that Beckett took the job and that she and Castle are still trying to make it work. Her co-workers seem interesting, especially McCord. (Yay for Lisa Edelstein back on my ... uh, computer monitor, actually.) On the other, it seems like the rules of television inertia mean that she'll have to end up back at the NYPD within a few episodes. (Having her new employers let Castle hang around would strain credibility even for this show, and we can hardly abandon Ryan, Esposito, Lanie and Gates.) So that means Kate has to either get fired or quit, and I'm not thrilled with either option - she obviously likes her new job and is good at it. The cliff-hanger was delightfully melodramatic, though. Since Castle obviously won't die next week, I'm looking forward to seeing how he reacts to the news. I bet he has one hell of a bucket list.
Elementary
I've finally caught up on the first season, but I'm not sure if I'm going to keep going with it. I feel bad about this since my entire flist seems to love it, but despite the excellent cast and the engaging relationship between Holmes and Watson, I'm only half-attached. I have two problems with it, one of which is a 'it's not you, it's me' thing.
My first problem is that I'm just not that interested in stories about recovering addicts in serialised TV. It's not that the show handles this badly. On the contrary, it's determined to treat Watson's (former) profession and Holmes' addiction with respect and care. (I'm even impressed with how little of the pseudo-science and thinly-veiled religion that's endemic in recovery programs gets parroted.) Despite that, it doesn't overcome my fundamental problem with this kind of storyline in this kind of show, which is that it always feels cheap and predictable to me when they tease the former addict going back to drugs. I spent that part of the finale rolling my eyes heavenwards, which rather spoiled the drama. (I was always happier with House when he was tossing back Vicodin like it was approaching its expiry date than I was when they tried to make us think he would quit.) I can see why the show picked that angle, since Holmes' drug addiction is a subject that hasn't been seriously explored by many of the hundreds of other adaptations and pastiches, but it's not an angle that I personally want to see more of.
My other problem is that I was able to summarise the show to a friend as 'fascinating people fight boring crime.' The central characters and the supporting cast are multi-dimensional and engaging, but the cases are dull more often than not. And I can't enjoy a procedural where the procedures bore me. Unless the writers suddenly become as good at setting up a plot and unravelling it as they are at writing Holmes and Watson talking about bees, that's probably going to make me stop watching. I shouldn't spend half an hour out of every forty minutes fighting the urge to wander off and make another cup of tea while hoping for another appearance from Clyde the tortoise. (Who seems to have more personality than most of the villains and victims of the week.)
Free!
I have not watched the final episode, as I am waiting for Sunday to share it with my friends. (We might then hug and eat squid together, but we will be keeping all our clothes on. As far as I know.)
Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Reasons I love Phryne:
1. When the plot requires that she flash her breasts in front of (almost) her entire supporting cast and a room full of strangers, she doesn't bat an eyelid. Everyone else does, though.
2. She has a fetching hat for every occasion, including committing burglaries.
3. Having arranged for two policemen to put on their bathing suits to go diving for evidence, she also arranges for herself and Dot to be on the beach with sunhats and icecream to properly appreciate the show. (The show does not disappoint. I have almost forgiven the writers for interrupting Jack with plot before he could put on that Roman Legionary outfit last series. Almost.)
(Also: dear Tumblr, how is it that you are all squealing over the twenties-bathing-suits-containing-dripping-wet-police-officers, but nobody seems to have posted screencaps? I am disappoint.)
And, awwwww, Phryne and Jack are even more adorable this series. I'm not sure if my favourite part of Dead Man's Chest was him sneaking into her room to drink champagne out of a tea cup or their stake-out fish and chips under the pier.
The Mysterious Cities of Gold
This is actually a thing I am not watching, because TFOU1 doesn't let Australians watch its episode uploads and my unofficial source has dried up :(. The translator got busy and nobody seems to be putting the raws anywhere that I can get them :(. Which means there are now five whole episodes that I haven't seen. I know weren't getting a dub next year, but I can't wait that long for my fix!
Sleepy Hollow
While the pilot episode contained enough exposition to stuff an elephant, the leads are charming and the mythology is interesting. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes horror that manages to be delightfully cheesy and genuinely creepy at the same time. And/or men with ridiculously pretty hair.
I'm delighted that I guessed right about Clancy Brown and John Cho not letting their deaths in the pilot prevent them from returning. I think Zombie!Brooks awakening was one of the most disturbing things I've ever seen on TV. And I love Jenny Mills already.
Also, I love that Ichabod adjusts to the existence of black female police officers instantly after his initial confusion, but is horrified by the 10% tax on donuts. Truly, here is a man with his priorities in order.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-09-26 08:03 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-09-28 06:06 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-09-29 02:21 pm (UTC)Episode 15 : Le ventre de Bouddha
Episode 16 : Le labyrinthe
Episode 17 : Le jardin endormi
(no subject)
Date: 2013-10-03 05:19 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-10-03 07:21 pm (UTC)Episode 18 : Le fils du soleil
(no subject)
Date: 2013-10-05 12:31 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-09-27 12:50 am (UTC)Indeed. :P
(no subject)
Date: 2013-09-28 06:11 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-10-01 02:00 am (UTC)...idk, I may end up hanging around long enough to see how they handle Mycroft, maybe he'll be better than Sherlock is?
It's strange, I kept hearing such good things about Elementary.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-10-03 05:23 pm (UTC)Apparently Mycroft has turned up in Season Two, but I haven't watched the première yet. I'm waiting to hear if the plots get better before I go on with it.
I think a lot of people just really love Joan, which is fair enough. Alas, I'm not sure she's going to be enough to counter-balance the things that aren't working for me :(.