but i won't follow you into the rabbit hole
SHIELD: The Asset
So that...was an episode of television. So they've stepped up from awful to boring? I guess that's a step up? I didn't hate it? It was obvious, predictable, and cliched but it had some moments that were amusing? Still looks like a cut-rate version of Burn Notice or a lesser version of Chuck, but with few of the charms of either of those.
It only took three weeks for us to get Skye wet and barefoot like a typical Whedon waif, except she's a fast talker instead of a fighter.
I still don't care about Ward (except in the way that I want him to GO AWAY and NEVER COME BACK), and I honestly don't know if I believe his backstory or if that was just his attempt to be a person with Skye after Coulson told him he had to. (and if so, oh my god, Ward, there is a way to be a person. Leo McGarry would school you so hard.) I did enjoy that she started to tell that story to the bad guy, got tangled up in it, and gave up. I am also enjoying the recitation of nicknames for Ward in the AV Club comments, though I would give him up in a heartbeat for Agent "Mack" Truckdriver. At least he would bring a different skillset to the group. And he could drive now that Melinda May wants back in on the fighting. Or, as another commentator over there suggested, they should add SAM AXE to this show. YES PLEASE. Or John Casey.
I feel like Ward, and the continued forced attempts to push Skye and Ward together, are a charisma void this show needs to back away from as quickly as possible, before they end up getting sucked into it and unable to get out, much as happened to Graviton in this episode. Or, realistically, I wouldn't mind Ward getting sucked into it, but I do like Skye, and don't want that to happen to her.
Also, really, Coulson? I'm not sure the ending was so much a dumb decision as a nefarious one. Because if it's not the latter, it's the former (I would prefer that it be the latter, because SHIELD as an organization is shady as fuck and we should always remember that; though apparently unwilling to tangle with the Maltese authorities? idek.). Also, I thought calling out the "rusty" thing twice was too heavy-handed. We get it! Trust the audience a little. Though I did like May's "and it got you killed" line. And also Ward did one thing I enjoyed when he tossed the gun into the force field. I was also amused at Coulson's wardrobe of identical suits, and how when he suits up for a mission, he is wearing one of them. Oh, Son of Coul, you are amusing sometimes.
I loved both Burn Notice and Chuck for a significant portion of their runs, and it feels like that is the genre and level where this show wants to live, but it still needs quite a bit of work to get there. Or, as I said last week, it should aspire to be as good as The Middleman, which was also very similar and yet so much better than SHIELD is right now.
***
What I'm reading Wednesday:
What I've just finished
Well, I've finished rereading Heir to the Empire and Dark Force Rising, both of which I enjoyed, though the writing is... yeoman-like at best, and I still find Mara Jade kind of a yawner. I'm trying to figure out why, all things considered (um, do I really need to be vague about spoilers for a book that's 20 years old?), but we'll see how I feel after I finish the third book. Is it just because she doesn't have a robot arm?
Also, the whole Katana fleet thing is (heh, my phone rang and I got totally distracted in the middle of writing this sentence) kind of a weirdly large macguffin.
Is it wrong that I think my favorite parts are still the whole Leia + the Noghri thing? LADY VADER. I just. It's so absurd and yet I feel like it does address the lack of attention the movies paid to Leia's relationship with Vader (I feel like next week I will be reviewing Vader's Little Princess because I have A LOT OF FEELINGS about Princess Leia, okay?) and also highlights her skills as a leader and diplomat. Which also got short shrift in the movies - I rewatched them this weekend for the first time in ages, and enjoyed them, even though I couldn't find a copy of the theatrical version of Star Wars (no, I am not calling it A New Hope because fuck you George Lucas, that's why), so I just pretended Han shot first.
Anyway! I didn't start The Last Command because I have other things to read first.
What am I reading now?
House of Hades by Rick Riordan. I'm almost 2/3 of the way through and I can't believe in a book named HOUSE OF HADES, WE STILL DON'T GET A NICO POV. WHAT THE HELL?
I did like that he finally revealed his love for Percy, though. I'm sure it means he's the one who's going to die (while Hazel will live), which ... yay for finally having a gay character in these books! (I don't think we've seen one yet; at least, not among the main kids. I didn't get a chance to do a reread, though, so I could be wrong.) but boo for giving him the tragic gay death story. (I could be wrong! I want to be wrong! But right now I'm not optimistic for Nico's chances.) I also could have done without the self-loathing about it, because come the fuck on! The GREEKS AND ROMANS are not going to judge you for liking boys, Nico! Otoh, I guess being from the 1930s makes it a lot harder to reconcile those feelings, especially as a kid without any sympathetic adults around. And there's still time for him to come around.
I also liked revisiting Calypso. I hope she and Leo get a happy ending.
I'm amused at how Riordan is setting up the switch of Jason and Percy between the Greeks and the Romans. I'm going to guess that has something to do with whatever truce they end up setting up at the end.
Next, he needs to bring in Carter and Sadie and the Egyptians. I would enjoy that a lot, I think.
What I'm reading next
Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch. JEAN! LOCKE!
and then probably The Last Command, though I might save that for after Rose Under Fire, if it ends up making me cry the way Code Name: Verity did.
I guess we'll see.
***
This entry at DW: http://musesfool.dreamwidth.org/606775.html.
people have commented there.
So that...was an episode of television. So they've stepped up from awful to boring? I guess that's a step up? I didn't hate it? It was obvious, predictable, and cliched but it had some moments that were amusing? Still looks like a cut-rate version of Burn Notice or a lesser version of Chuck, but with few of the charms of either of those.
It only took three weeks for us to get Skye wet and barefoot like a typical Whedon waif, except she's a fast talker instead of a fighter.
I still don't care about Ward (except in the way that I want him to GO AWAY and NEVER COME BACK), and I honestly don't know if I believe his backstory or if that was just his attempt to be a person with Skye after Coulson told him he had to. (and if so, oh my god, Ward, there is a way to be a person. Leo McGarry would school you so hard.) I did enjoy that she started to tell that story to the bad guy, got tangled up in it, and gave up. I am also enjoying the recitation of nicknames for Ward in the AV Club comments, though I would give him up in a heartbeat for Agent "Mack" Truckdriver. At least he would bring a different skillset to the group. And he could drive now that Melinda May wants back in on the fighting. Or, as another commentator over there suggested, they should add SAM AXE to this show. YES PLEASE. Or John Casey.
I feel like Ward, and the continued forced attempts to push Skye and Ward together, are a charisma void this show needs to back away from as quickly as possible, before they end up getting sucked into it and unable to get out, much as happened to Graviton in this episode. Or, realistically, I wouldn't mind Ward getting sucked into it, but I do like Skye, and don't want that to happen to her.
Also, really, Coulson? I'm not sure the ending was so much a dumb decision as a nefarious one. Because if it's not the latter, it's the former (I would prefer that it be the latter, because SHIELD as an organization is shady as fuck and we should always remember that; though apparently unwilling to tangle with the Maltese authorities? idek.). Also, I thought calling out the "rusty" thing twice was too heavy-handed. We get it! Trust the audience a little. Though I did like May's "and it got you killed" line. And also Ward did one thing I enjoyed when he tossed the gun into the force field. I was also amused at Coulson's wardrobe of identical suits, and how when he suits up for a mission, he is wearing one of them. Oh, Son of Coul, you are amusing sometimes.
I loved both Burn Notice and Chuck for a significant portion of their runs, and it feels like that is the genre and level where this show wants to live, but it still needs quite a bit of work to get there. Or, as I said last week, it should aspire to be as good as The Middleman, which was also very similar and yet so much better than SHIELD is right now.
***
What I'm reading Wednesday:
What I've just finished
Well, I've finished rereading Heir to the Empire and Dark Force Rising, both of which I enjoyed, though the writing is... yeoman-like at best, and I still find Mara Jade kind of a yawner. I'm trying to figure out why, all things considered (um, do I really need to be vague about spoilers for a book that's 20 years old?), but we'll see how I feel after I finish the third book. Is it just because she doesn't have a robot arm?
Also, the whole Katana fleet thing is (heh, my phone rang and I got totally distracted in the middle of writing this sentence) kind of a weirdly large macguffin.
Is it wrong that I think my favorite parts are still the whole Leia + the Noghri thing? LADY VADER. I just. It's so absurd and yet I feel like it does address the lack of attention the movies paid to Leia's relationship with Vader (I feel like next week I will be reviewing Vader's Little Princess because I have A LOT OF FEELINGS about Princess Leia, okay?) and also highlights her skills as a leader and diplomat. Which also got short shrift in the movies - I rewatched them this weekend for the first time in ages, and enjoyed them, even though I couldn't find a copy of the theatrical version of Star Wars (no, I am not calling it A New Hope because fuck you George Lucas, that's why), so I just pretended Han shot first.
Anyway! I didn't start The Last Command because I have other things to read first.
What am I reading now?
House of Hades by Rick Riordan. I'm almost 2/3 of the way through and I can't believe in a book named HOUSE OF HADES, WE STILL DON'T GET A NICO POV. WHAT THE HELL?
I did like that he finally revealed his love for Percy, though. I'm sure it means he's the one who's going to die (while Hazel will live), which ... yay for finally having a gay character in these books! (I don't think we've seen one yet; at least, not among the main kids. I didn't get a chance to do a reread, though, so I could be wrong.) but boo for giving him the tragic gay death story. (I could be wrong! I want to be wrong! But right now I'm not optimistic for Nico's chances.) I also could have done without the self-loathing about it, because come the fuck on! The GREEKS AND ROMANS are not going to judge you for liking boys, Nico! Otoh, I guess being from the 1930s makes it a lot harder to reconcile those feelings, especially as a kid without any sympathetic adults around. And there's still time for him to come around.
I also liked revisiting Calypso. I hope she and Leo get a happy ending.
I'm amused at how Riordan is setting up the switch of Jason and Percy between the Greeks and the Romans. I'm going to guess that has something to do with whatever truce they end up setting up at the end.
Next, he needs to bring in Carter and Sadie and the Egyptians. I would enjoy that a lot, I think.
What I'm reading next
Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch. JEAN! LOCKE!
and then probably The Last Command, though I might save that for after Rose Under Fire, if it ends up making me cry the way Code Name: Verity did.
I guess we'll see.
***
This entry at DW: http://musesfool.dreamwidth.org/606775.html.
people have commented there.