Talking 'bout TV: Old shows getting bad, new shows being good.
Let's talk about TV. After the snoozer that was The Hour and the failure of that tv recommendation thing to recommend anything I'd actually watch, I just did what people have been doing for ages. I watched something that someone else said, 'Hey, why don't you watch _____?" Sometimes it's best to stick with the classics. (It's the reason why the only phone I own is the kind connected to the wall by a cord.)
True Blood:
It looks like we are at the part of the season where I kind of get bored with it and am like, "Is this over yet?" I'm sad because that usually happens early on, and then things pick up at the end. This season seems to be running backwards, in that I was really into the start of things and now am kind of like... "Oh". Things started out good, but now that it's time for everything to come together and get down to the business of whatever the business of this season is, I'm sitting here like, "And the point of this is?" It's all just kind of disjointed and weird.
I'm still down with my main man King Bill. He's finally got his own story going, and I could not be happier. The infrastructure of Vampire society is pretty interesting, so to finally get a better look at how things run (just like how regular human things run, apparently) is cool. It's like last season when he was in Jackson and everything was better because we got to see what he was like as an individual. Even even my sister, who is not a fan (of Bill, not the show) and sneered when I explained how I find the show needs more Bill and less things I find terrible, admited that while she is not a fan, he is more interesting than he was before.
We have also entered the part of the season where Sam's storyline takes a turn for the boring. He had a good run. I am not sure if getting rid of Tommy, no matter how annoying he was, was the best move. The one bright light in the Whatever It Is Sam Is Doing storyline is that involves that new pack leader. I don't know his name, but I like him.
Speaking of taking a terrible turn... Andy. He needs to get off that V because he's really off his game. You know you are in a bad way when the angel sitting on your shoulder telling you that what you're doing is stupid and dangerous is Jason Stackhouse.
Jason, who has never been a character I have cared that much about, is actually becoming interesting. That Hotshot mess was just that... a mess. But now that he is back out and acting a bit more like an actual person than a horndog goofball, I'm digging it. Of course, when you have the benefit of an off-screen time jump you can do that. I still kind of worry about that werepanther business though. I mean, they did all of that and spent all of that time on it and nothing is going to come out of it? If we make it to the final episode of the season and he had not turned, I will be very, very surprised.
I can't back Jason and Jessica, but not because it means the demise of Jessica and Hoyt. Jessica and Hoyt is so two seasons ago. Like they both said in different ways, they are not in the same place on anything and when it gets to that point, sometimes the only thing you can do is just let it go. A relationship's gotta be based on something and I don't know, but if the only thing you have in common is that you love each other, that's not good. They both have a lot of growing up to do and maybe now they can do it. Credit to Jason for rescinding Jessica's invitation.
What is Lafayette mixed up in? Poor thing. He does continue to bring the funny though. It must suck to think you are the only (relative) normal person in a town of crazies only to find out, surprise, you're a medium and now a kidnapper. Either way, one thing remains the same. He really does get all of the best lines.
Here's where I switch subjects with absolutely no subtlety.
On the advice of eevilalice, I decided to give Breaking Bad a shot. All I knew of the show beforehand was that it had Hal from Malcolm in the Middle and he sold drugs with Aaron Paul. That is it. Sometimes I think it's better to go in not knowing that much, because that way when interesting things happen (for instance, the thing that motivated Hal Walt to get into the drug game) you go, "Oh" and not "I already knew that. Get on with it already!".
I am about to start the first episode of season 3, so I don't know where things stand as of now, but I am hoping to be caught up before too long. I see that there are 7 episodes left this season. I won't be ready to watch in real-time this weekend, but by next Sunday I should be ready to jump in with the rest of the people who already know how great this show is.
Characters I like: Walt. Yeah, it took me a while to remember his name, but I think I've finally got it down. I like that he's a dude with a big problem whose not just sitting around doing nothing, which would make for boring tv, but he's out there taking risks and doing things we all know he shouldn't... big problem or not. For a while I was not sure if I thought he could make it on the streets, but he's grown into the job and I think that now that he's gotten over the first few (admittedly terrible) hurdles, it should be a smoother ride. As smooth a ride as one can have while being a science teacher-slash-meth kingpin. He needs to look into upgrading his staff, I know that.. I hope he's over that cough. That was actually the thing in the show I found the most unnerving.
Walter Jr Flynn. It took me a minute to warm to this kid, but I like him now.
Characters that are slightly annoying, in order from least to most annoying:
Hank. (I think that's his name.) the DEA brother-in-law. Sometimes he does something off-the-wall and I go, "Oh, he's just being the crazy bald DEA brother-in-law!" (Because I don't know his name) and sometimes I have no idea what he is doing? Is he unstable? He seems unstable. Something about that time down in Mexico with Tuco really messed him up. That Turtle thing didn't help much either. He strikes me as a dude just trying to do his job and get through his life with as little hassle and as many laughs as possible. I can relate to that. He's alright. Of course when he finally faces off with my boy Heisenberg, I will root for his downfall.
Jesse. Or, as I called him for about a season and a half, "Walt's partner". Jesse is annoying. And it's not really Jesse himself, but the way he talks. I get it, you're a cool white boy meth dealer, and you have to make sure everyone knows you're "down" and whatnot, but man does it get on my nerves. "Yo" this and "Yo that. Stop. Plus, he is a junky. It's probably not nice, but I don't really have any sympathy for junkies. The rare occasion where he acts like a person and not a cartoon character, I like him. More often than not I can do without him.
People who could never appear again and I'd be alright with it:
Skylar: I was kind of hoping she'd hook up with that slightly skeevy boss and just disappear forever. I hated her. Then I liker her for a while. Then she got all mad and stormed off and I hated her again. And I know I should sympathize with her, she's got a lot on her plate and she doesn't know everything I know, so she has a right to be suspicious, but then I remember... I hate her. Plus, that whole taking the kids and running off without even giving Walt (I almost typed "Hal) the chance to explain himself... low. Sometimes I wish he'd just tell her the truth, but I'm sure she'd just rat him out, so maybe that's not the best idea. I also dislike her sister, but she does not deserve her own paragraph, so she gets lumped in here.
You know who else was here? Was her name Tina? (I'm not gonna look it up.) Jesse's neighbor/girlfriend. Luckily, she is now a non-issue She was cool at first, but the moment she decided to join in instead of trying to help Jesse not take the next step on the road to junky loserdom, I was done. And the entire episode with the two of them insisting on getting his money, made me like them both less. Not because I didn't think he had a right to it, but because I knew where it was all going. I was kind of hoping they'd get it and blow through it and then realize there was nothing left.
Tuco. No one likes a dude just being crazy for craziness' sake.
True Blood:
It looks like we are at the part of the season where I kind of get bored with it and am like, "Is this over yet?" I'm sad because that usually happens early on, and then things pick up at the end. This season seems to be running backwards, in that I was really into the start of things and now am kind of like... "Oh". Things started out good, but now that it's time for everything to come together and get down to the business of whatever the business of this season is, I'm sitting here like, "And the point of this is?" It's all just kind of disjointed and weird.
I'm still down with my main man King Bill. He's finally got his own story going, and I could not be happier. The infrastructure of Vampire society is pretty interesting, so to finally get a better look at how things run (just like how regular human things run, apparently) is cool. It's like last season when he was in Jackson and everything was better because we got to see what he was like as an individual. Even even my sister, who is not a fan (of Bill, not the show) and sneered when I explained how I find the show needs more Bill and less things I find terrible, admited that while she is not a fan, he is more interesting than he was before.
We have also entered the part of the season where Sam's storyline takes a turn for the boring. He had a good run. I am not sure if getting rid of Tommy, no matter how annoying he was, was the best move. The one bright light in the Whatever It Is Sam Is Doing storyline is that involves that new pack leader. I don't know his name, but I like him.
Speaking of taking a terrible turn... Andy. He needs to get off that V because he's really off his game. You know you are in a bad way when the angel sitting on your shoulder telling you that what you're doing is stupid and dangerous is Jason Stackhouse.
Jason, who has never been a character I have cared that much about, is actually becoming interesting. That Hotshot mess was just that... a mess. But now that he is back out and acting a bit more like an actual person than a horndog goofball, I'm digging it. Of course, when you have the benefit of an off-screen time jump you can do that. I still kind of worry about that werepanther business though. I mean, they did all of that and spent all of that time on it and nothing is going to come out of it? If we make it to the final episode of the season and he had not turned, I will be very, very surprised.
I can't back Jason and Jessica, but not because it means the demise of Jessica and Hoyt. Jessica and Hoyt is so two seasons ago. Like they both said in different ways, they are not in the same place on anything and when it gets to that point, sometimes the only thing you can do is just let it go. A relationship's gotta be based on something and I don't know, but if the only thing you have in common is that you love each other, that's not good. They both have a lot of growing up to do and maybe now they can do it. Credit to Jason for rescinding Jessica's invitation.
What is Lafayette mixed up in? Poor thing. He does continue to bring the funny though. It must suck to think you are the only (relative) normal person in a town of crazies only to find out, surprise, you're a medium and now a kidnapper. Either way, one thing remains the same. He really does get all of the best lines.
Here's where I switch subjects with absolutely no subtlety.
On the advice of eevilalice, I decided to give Breaking Bad a shot. All I knew of the show beforehand was that it had Hal from Malcolm in the Middle and he sold drugs with Aaron Paul. That is it. Sometimes I think it's better to go in not knowing that much, because that way when interesting things happen (for instance, the thing that motivated Hal Walt to get into the drug game) you go, "Oh" and not "I already knew that. Get on with it already!".
I am about to start the first episode of season 3, so I don't know where things stand as of now, but I am hoping to be caught up before too long. I see that there are 7 episodes left this season. I won't be ready to watch in real-time this weekend, but by next Sunday I should be ready to jump in with the rest of the people who already know how great this show is.
Characters I like: Walt. Yeah, it took me a while to remember his name, but I think I've finally got it down. I like that he's a dude with a big problem whose not just sitting around doing nothing, which would make for boring tv, but he's out there taking risks and doing things we all know he shouldn't... big problem or not. For a while I was not sure if I thought he could make it on the streets, but he's grown into the job and I think that now that he's gotten over the first few (admittedly terrible) hurdles, it should be a smoother ride. As smooth a ride as one can have while being a science teacher-slash-meth kingpin. He needs to look into upgrading his staff, I know that.. I hope he's over that cough. That was actually the thing in the show I found the most unnerving.
Walter Jr Flynn. It took me a minute to warm to this kid, but I like him now.
Characters that are slightly annoying, in order from least to most annoying:
Hank. (I think that's his name.) the DEA brother-in-law. Sometimes he does something off-the-wall and I go, "Oh, he's just being the crazy bald DEA brother-in-law!" (Because I don't know his name) and sometimes I have no idea what he is doing? Is he unstable? He seems unstable. Something about that time down in Mexico with Tuco really messed him up. That Turtle thing didn't help much either. He strikes me as a dude just trying to do his job and get through his life with as little hassle and as many laughs as possible. I can relate to that. He's alright. Of course when he finally faces off with my boy Heisenberg, I will root for his downfall.
Jesse. Or, as I called him for about a season and a half, "Walt's partner". Jesse is annoying. And it's not really Jesse himself, but the way he talks. I get it, you're a cool white boy meth dealer, and you have to make sure everyone knows you're "down" and whatnot, but man does it get on my nerves. "Yo" this and "Yo that. Stop. Plus, he is a junky. It's probably not nice, but I don't really have any sympathy for junkies. The rare occasion where he acts like a person and not a cartoon character, I like him. More often than not I can do without him.
People who could never appear again and I'd be alright with it:
Skylar: I was kind of hoping she'd hook up with that slightly skeevy boss and just disappear forever. I hated her. Then I liker her for a while. Then she got all mad and stormed off and I hated her again. And I know I should sympathize with her, she's got a lot on her plate and she doesn't know everything I know, so she has a right to be suspicious, but then I remember... I hate her. Plus, that whole taking the kids and running off without even giving Walt (I almost typed "Hal) the chance to explain himself... low. Sometimes I wish he'd just tell her the truth, but I'm sure she'd just rat him out, so maybe that's not the best idea. I also dislike her sister, but she does not deserve her own paragraph, so she gets lumped in here.
You know who else was here? Was her name Tina? (I'm not gonna look it up.) Jesse's neighbor/girlfriend. Luckily, she is now a non-issue She was cool at first, but the moment she decided to join in instead of trying to help Jesse not take the next step on the road to junky loserdom, I was done. And the entire episode with the two of them insisting on getting his money, made me like them both less. Not because I didn't think he had a right to it, but because I knew where it was all going. I was kind of hoping they'd get it and blow through it and then realize there was nothing left.
Tuco. No one likes a dude just being crazy for craziness' sake.