like a riot, like a riot, oh!
I've been writing this post for the past three days, and it's already too long, so. *posts*
Everyone! Go watch a bunch of fifth graders singing Lisztomania! It's the most adorable thing, EVER.
...
A few TV thoughts:
Caprica
I'm actually enjoying the family drama parts of it -- the Greystones and the Adamas are SO COMPLETELY FUCKED UP that I can't help but keep watching, like a trainwreck. I like the politics, and the fact that everyone's just a little bit dirty, and I like the crazy teen kids [especially Lacy], and yes, I've even warmed up to Zoe.
Plus, you give me some pretty great guest stars like Patton Oswalt and Teryl Rothery and Peter Wingfield and James Marsters and I'm happy.
My one big BUT is that there is a whole bunch of religious and racial allegory going on that I can't actually tell if it is indeed allegory, or just the plain old cultural appropriation and race fail of usual [more in-depth detail here -- spoilers, obviously]. For now I'm willing to wait and see where this is going, but if the facepalming becomes greater than my willingness to handwave this shit, I'm out.
[I mean: they made Tauron City look like Random Arab Ancient City. It freaking looked like Baghdad! That was CREEPY.]
...
How I Met Your Mother
I haven't seen a single post in my flist about this episode, which has lead me to believe everyone has quit watching, right? Well. This was the first episode since before the Barney/Robin break-up that I actually felt real empathy towards the characters. Also, IT'S ABOUT FUCKING TIME they dealt with Robin's feelings and her point of view of things. It does feel like too little too late, but this episode has given me a little bit of hope for the show.
What I really wish I knew is whether the decision to forget all that Barney development last season [and subsequent pretending that Barney/Robin never happened] was the writers/producers' or the network's. This episode made me think that it was the network freaking out, but it's really just a guess. But I would definitely respect the writers a little bit more if they did it because their bosses told them to, rather than the ridiculous explanations they've given on interviews about how Barney needs to be Barney or some other ridiculous shit.
Related: shipperx's great post on this subject [from a month ago, yes, I was AWOL and am still catching up with bookmarked links, sorry]. THIS. YES.
...
Smallville
So. I took the flist advice and watched Justice, then Siren, and then the entire S8 and current S9. Now I have random disjointed shallow thoughts:
- Sunday evening I was watching the Wonder Twins episode [Allison Scagliotti as Jayna! So much love!] and Marina walked in, and a) recognized the episode because she had randomly watched it on TV a few weeks ago, and b) then she told me her friends are all saying Smallville is really good these days. Ha. Sisterly validation!
- Smallville is by faaaar the prettiest show ever shot in Vancouver. I don't even wanna know how they manage all the obviously fake!sunny shots, but they're BEAUTIFUL and I love all of them. I especially ADORE the color palette for the Kent Farm, and the Watchtower. I keep getting distracted looking at the cinematography and art direction, even.
- Every time there's a more humorous episode, I keep grinning like a maniac at the score. I mean, I know Mark Snow isn't even there anymore, but whoever replaced him kept going in the same vein, and it's like having X-Files music in my life again after so many years.
- This show has given me one of the coolest portrayals of Batman -- as played by the Green Arrow -- EVER. I keep having to remind myself his name is Oliver and not, you know, Bruce.
- ALSO MADE OF AWESOMENESS: DOCTOR GAETA. I adore Doctor Gaeta and I want a spin-off sitcom of Doctor Gaeta being awesome and outsmarting Chloe every other week. Yes.
- Favorite character is definitely Chloe. But I am gonna be contrary and say I also really love Lois, and one of my favorite things so far is how much they clearly ADORE each other, despite all the secrets, and the MOST RIDICULOUS chair-hopping romancing I've ever seen in my life.
- 'Cause really. Oliver has something going on with Chloe who used to be in love with Clark who was in love with Lana who was with Lex who had something going on with Tess who used to date Oliver who used to date Lois who's now in love with Clark. WHEW.
- And I left poor Jimmy Olsen out of the merry-go-round. Poor Jimmy Olsen. It must be so SAD to be played by the ugly Ashmore Twin.
[And there was Davis as well, but uuuuuuuuugh worst actor in history and his face was so weird I mostly fast-forwarded through his scenes because I was afraid he was gonna come out of the TV and EAT ME.]
- In all seriousness, I knew what was gonna happen to Jimmy, and I managed to hold my tears through almost all of it. And then Oliver CRIED at the funeral and I was a blubbering mess and I wasn't even PMSing. Stupid Obligatory Psychotic Jackass.
- The Lana episodes when she became a superhero were like TORTURE to watch and I wish I could scrub my brain with acid. The only thing I like about Lana is Kristin Kreuk's voice. Everything else is so fucking FAKE I can't even. And then, you know, she got all infected with the kryptonite of plot-deviceness, and I about cracked a rib laughing. Also, I never thought Lana Lang and Logan Cale would have anything in common. Apparently, I was wrong. In short: OMFGLOLZ.
- I really like Lois/Clark, and the way it's going. There, I said it.
- I just like Chloe/Oliver about twelve tons more. Roulette pretty much KILLED ME DEAD, I've seen the coffee shop scene about three billion times by now, and I just can't stop it. Also: the Hex's birthday party scenes. Awkward Oliver is always adorable. And the ending. OMFG I love them too much.
- And yes, I'd rather be KILLED DEAD then use the ridiculous mashed-up 'ship names this fandom has.
Anyway. I'm stopping this now 'cause it's already about a mile longer than I planned. I'm probably gonna go back and watch a few selected older episodes, so no doubt I'll have more thoughts then.
...
. Last year I was unable to choose between Spike and Pacey, this year I COULDN'T choose between Bones and Lorelai. Sometimes, the EVILNESS of the bracket is too much to handle. Seriously.
. Corey Haim died, dammit, this is sad. :( [Also, listening to The Thrills' Whatever Happened to Corey Haim is gonna be kinda creepy from now on.]
Everyone! Go watch a bunch of fifth graders singing Lisztomania! It's the most adorable thing, EVER.
...
A few TV thoughts:
Caprica
I'm actually enjoying the family drama parts of it -- the Greystones and the Adamas are SO COMPLETELY FUCKED UP that I can't help but keep watching, like a trainwreck. I like the politics, and the fact that everyone's just a little bit dirty, and I like the crazy teen kids [especially Lacy], and yes, I've even warmed up to Zoe.
Plus, you give me some pretty great guest stars like Patton Oswalt and Teryl Rothery and Peter Wingfield and James Marsters and I'm happy.
My one big BUT is that there is a whole bunch of religious and racial allegory going on that I can't actually tell if it is indeed allegory, or just the plain old cultural appropriation and race fail of usual [more in-depth detail here -- spoilers, obviously]. For now I'm willing to wait and see where this is going, but if the facepalming becomes greater than my willingness to handwave this shit, I'm out.
[I mean: they made Tauron City look like Random Arab Ancient City. It freaking looked like Baghdad! That was CREEPY.]
...
How I Met Your Mother
I haven't seen a single post in my flist about this episode, which has lead me to believe everyone has quit watching, right? Well. This was the first episode since before the Barney/Robin break-up that I actually felt real empathy towards the characters. Also, IT'S ABOUT FUCKING TIME they dealt with Robin's feelings and her point of view of things. It does feel like too little too late, but this episode has given me a little bit of hope for the show.
What I really wish I knew is whether the decision to forget all that Barney development last season [and subsequent pretending that Barney/Robin never happened] was the writers/producers' or the network's. This episode made me think that it was the network freaking out, but it's really just a guess. But I would definitely respect the writers a little bit more if they did it because their bosses told them to, rather than the ridiculous explanations they've given on interviews about how Barney needs to be Barney or some other ridiculous shit.
Related: shipperx's great post on this subject [from a month ago, yes, I was AWOL and am still catching up with bookmarked links, sorry]. THIS. YES.
...
Smallville
So. I took the flist advice and watched Justice, then Siren, and then the entire S8 and current S9. Now I have random disjointed shallow thoughts:
- Sunday evening I was watching the Wonder Twins episode [Allison Scagliotti as Jayna! So much love!] and Marina walked in, and a) recognized the episode because she had randomly watched it on TV a few weeks ago, and b) then she told me her friends are all saying Smallville is really good these days. Ha. Sisterly validation!
- Smallville is by faaaar the prettiest show ever shot in Vancouver. I don't even wanna know how they manage all the obviously fake!sunny shots, but they're BEAUTIFUL and I love all of them. I especially ADORE the color palette for the Kent Farm, and the Watchtower. I keep getting distracted looking at the cinematography and art direction, even.
- Every time there's a more humorous episode, I keep grinning like a maniac at the score. I mean, I know Mark Snow isn't even there anymore, but whoever replaced him kept going in the same vein, and it's like having X-Files music in my life again after so many years.
- This show has given me one of the coolest portrayals of Batman -- as played by the Green Arrow -- EVER. I keep having to remind myself his name is Oliver and not, you know, Bruce.
- ALSO MADE OF AWESOMENESS: DOCTOR GAETA. I adore Doctor Gaeta and I want a spin-off sitcom of Doctor Gaeta being awesome and outsmarting Chloe every other week. Yes.
- Favorite character is definitely Chloe. But I am gonna be contrary and say I also really love Lois, and one of my favorite things so far is how much they clearly ADORE each other, despite all the secrets, and the MOST RIDICULOUS chair-hopping romancing I've ever seen in my life.
- 'Cause really. Oliver has something going on with Chloe who used to be in love with Clark who was in love with Lana who was with Lex who had something going on with Tess who used to date Oliver who used to date Lois who's now in love with Clark. WHEW.
- And I left poor Jimmy Olsen out of the merry-go-round. Poor Jimmy Olsen. It must be so SAD to be played by the ugly Ashmore Twin.
[And there was Davis as well, but uuuuuuuuugh worst actor in history and his face was so weird I mostly fast-forwarded through his scenes because I was afraid he was gonna come out of the TV and EAT ME.]
- In all seriousness, I knew what was gonna happen to Jimmy, and I managed to hold my tears through almost all of it. And then Oliver CRIED at the funeral and I was a blubbering mess and I wasn't even PMSing. Stupid Obligatory Psychotic Jackass.
- The Lana episodes when she became a superhero were like TORTURE to watch and I wish I could scrub my brain with acid. The only thing I like about Lana is Kristin Kreuk's voice. Everything else is so fucking FAKE I can't even. And then, you know, she got all infected with the kryptonite of plot-deviceness, and I about cracked a rib laughing. Also, I never thought Lana Lang and Logan Cale would have anything in common. Apparently, I was wrong. In short: OMFGLOLZ.
- I really like Lois/Clark, and the way it's going. There, I said it.
- I just like Chloe/Oliver about twelve tons more. Roulette pretty much KILLED ME DEAD, I've seen the coffee shop scene about three billion times by now, and I just can't stop it. Also: the Hex's birthday party scenes. Awkward Oliver is always adorable. And the ending. OMFG I love them too much.
- And yes, I'd rather be KILLED DEAD then use the ridiculous mashed-up 'ship names this fandom has.
Anyway. I'm stopping this now 'cause it's already about a mile longer than I planned. I'm probably gonna go back and watch a few selected older episodes, so no doubt I'll have more thoughts then.
...
. Last year I was unable to choose between Spike and Pacey, this year I COULDN'T choose between Bones and Lorelai. Sometimes, the EVILNESS of the bracket is too much to handle. Seriously.
. Corey Haim died, dammit, this is sad. :( [Also, listening to The Thrills' Whatever Happened to Corey Haim is gonna be kinda creepy from now on.]