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State of the Union: Recent Television
Sep. 27th, 2013 01:36 amIt 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. ( Spoiler cut. )
Castle
( Spoilers for the premiere. )
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.
( Mild spoilers for all of season one. )
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.
( Spoilers as far as the end of episode two. )
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. ( Spoiler cut. )
Castle
( Spoilers for the premiere. )
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.
( Mild spoilers for all of season one. )
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.
( Spoilers as far as the end of episode two. )
