Random stuff, mostly TV
Cake Wrecks: Today's the day for the non-wrecks, and there's a lot of sci fi themed ones. Firefly, Stargate, Star Trek: TOS, and Buffy are in the mix, and the commentary about Firefly and Stargate amused me, especially the Stargate one. I'm 12. There's also a Kermit the Frog one that's adorable.
I did manage to get some TV watching done while conscious:
I'm glad this was more Doctor focused than the previous season, because I don't care much for Amy, but I'm still not entirely sold on Eleven. Too many times it seems like they're trying to emulate the wacky parts of Ten and skip the over-the-top emo moments. I'll totally admit the emo got so bad in Ten's swan song, I was ready for him to just die already. It's just seems that too many times I feel like I could just cut and paste Tennant into a scene because Smith hasn't (or hasn't been able to) put his own distinctive mark on the role. Maybe next season will improve upon that, since it doesn't have to deal with a new Doctor, a new companion, as well as a new production team.
I know I'm in the minority opinion, but I was one who loved Donna after we got past her first appearance, and I know some fans never got into the character because they either didn't like the actress, didn't like her first time out, whatever. They skipped the season or used the fast-forward button a lot. I'm sort of in that space now, because I'm not find anyone in the show to like, other than maybe Rory, but he's been just as steamrolled as the Doctor by Amy's personality. And mercy, don't get me started on my difference of fannish opinion on the subject of River Song.
So now Torchwood: The New World has been changed to Torchwood: Miracle Day? The man who loved saying that "everybody dies" is writing ten episodes where the main plot point is nobody dies? And apparently he thinks it's a fresh idea? Really? Bwah. Sorry, but even if I didn't have issues over The Ianto Incident, I still wouldn't want to watch a show where one of the protagonists (or at least semi-protagonist) is an unrepentant child killer who survived execution on Miracle Day. Ick.
Ah, a little riff on the urban legend of alligators/crocodiles flushed down the toilet. Though even as a baby reptile, I can't figure out how the woman managed to pick it up and carry it to the bathroom. Little critters often have sharper claws than adults and are very squirmy mean sumbitches when disturbed.
I like that they went back to earlier storylines by bringing back Duncan. Poor guy has probably been in a conspiracy theory freak out for a long time, and it might actually help him to know he's not crazy. Not completely anyway. I'm wondering if they'll do further callbacks by having Duncan report other sightings in to Connor? That could put a wrinkle in the idea of the ARC being military-based. I was also glad to see Rex again, but not terribly thrilled with him being in the menagerie. I don't know why, but I get this vibe there will be a split amongst the ARC between the "old" and the "new" and maybe Rex will get out of jail that way.
I'm wondering if the annoying Jess is meant to balance out the rather bland Matt? I know part of his mysterious ways is the build up whatever Big Plot (my bet's on a conspiracy thing, yet again) they've got in the works, but give him a personality in the meantime. And preferably an accent I can understand better. I usually don't have a problem with accents, but I feel it's more that the actor is mumbling some (I can't throw stones, I have a drawl, but at least I can kill most of it when necessary) and it's blurring with the accent so I can't pick out his words as easily. UK folk, does he sound like he's mumbling to you?
But back to Jess... not only is she annoying me in general, but she seems awfully nosy, doesn't she? Despite having access to personnel records, she makes a big deal out of not reading the personal bits of Becker's record to get a flirt in. It also felt like she invited Connor and Abby to stay with her just because she wants someone to gossip with, possibly about Becker. And what the hell is so hard about finding a place to live for those two?
But at least we got this exchange of slash potential due to Jess:
JESS: I read everyone's file, that's my job. Not that I've read your file. The personal bits, I mean. Nothing about wives or girlfriends, or boyfriends, anything like that.
BECKER: [...]
JESS: And if you did have one of those things, it would probably be a girlfriend, would it? Rather than the other options, I mean.
BECKER: [...]
Yes, he did bring her a chocolate bar later, but he did not respond to her little fishing expedition at all, except for a rather interesting facial expression that could be read any way you want, but you know how I want to read it. ;-) I'm starting to wonder if the writers are chumming the slash waters for Becker since Connor's off-the-market, at least in canon?
My amusement over Joe once again a member of the USAF on TV continues, even though he wasn't an active pilot like I thought he would be. Would have been an interesting in-joke to have him reduced to a teaching position due to "black marks" on his record for going back to rescue someone during battle.
I know it's supposed to be a simple "family movie" thing, but I got hit it in the head by The Foreshadowing Hammer multiple times. It was almost like the writers felt they had to foreshadow things at least once, preferably multiple times, or else the audience wouldn't get the point. There's been talk the movie was a potential pilot, and I could see it working as a family comedy, but it would definitely have to lighten up on the writing and the product placement angle. With the movie's major sponsors being Wal-Mart and Procter & Gamble and the movie chock full of product placements, did anyone find the Jack in the Box commercial about "subtle" product placement hysterically funny?
I did manage to get some TV watching done while conscious:
I'm glad this was more Doctor focused than the previous season, because I don't care much for Amy, but I'm still not entirely sold on Eleven. Too many times it seems like they're trying to emulate the wacky parts of Ten and skip the over-the-top emo moments. I'll totally admit the emo got so bad in Ten's swan song, I was ready for him to just die already. It's just seems that too many times I feel like I could just cut and paste Tennant into a scene because Smith hasn't (or hasn't been able to) put his own distinctive mark on the role. Maybe next season will improve upon that, since it doesn't have to deal with a new Doctor, a new companion, as well as a new production team.
I know I'm in the minority opinion, but I was one who loved Donna after we got past her first appearance, and I know some fans never got into the character because they either didn't like the actress, didn't like her first time out, whatever. They skipped the season or used the fast-forward button a lot. I'm sort of in that space now, because I'm not find anyone in the show to like, other than maybe Rory, but he's been just as steamrolled as the Doctor by Amy's personality. And mercy, don't get me started on my difference of fannish opinion on the subject of River Song.
So now Torchwood: The New World has been changed to Torchwood: Miracle Day? The man who loved saying that "everybody dies" is writing ten episodes where the main plot point is nobody dies? And apparently he thinks it's a fresh idea? Really? Bwah. Sorry, but even if I didn't have issues over The Ianto Incident, I still wouldn't want to watch a show where one of the protagonists (or at least semi-protagonist) is an unrepentant child killer who survived execution on Miracle Day. Ick.
Ah, a little riff on the urban legend of alligators/crocodiles flushed down the toilet. Though even as a baby reptile, I can't figure out how the woman managed to pick it up and carry it to the bathroom. Little critters often have sharper claws than adults and are very squirmy mean sumbitches when disturbed.
I like that they went back to earlier storylines by bringing back Duncan. Poor guy has probably been in a conspiracy theory freak out for a long time, and it might actually help him to know he's not crazy. Not completely anyway. I'm wondering if they'll do further callbacks by having Duncan report other sightings in to Connor? That could put a wrinkle in the idea of the ARC being military-based. I was also glad to see Rex again, but not terribly thrilled with him being in the menagerie. I don't know why, but I get this vibe there will be a split amongst the ARC between the "old" and the "new" and maybe Rex will get out of jail that way.
I'm wondering if the annoying Jess is meant to balance out the rather bland Matt? I know part of his mysterious ways is the build up whatever Big Plot (my bet's on a conspiracy thing, yet again) they've got in the works, but give him a personality in the meantime. And preferably an accent I can understand better. I usually don't have a problem with accents, but I feel it's more that the actor is mumbling some (I can't throw stones, I have a drawl, but at least I can kill most of it when necessary) and it's blurring with the accent so I can't pick out his words as easily. UK folk, does he sound like he's mumbling to you?
But back to Jess... not only is she annoying me in general, but she seems awfully nosy, doesn't she? Despite having access to personnel records, she makes a big deal out of not reading the personal bits of Becker's record to get a flirt in. It also felt like she invited Connor and Abby to stay with her just because she wants someone to gossip with, possibly about Becker. And what the hell is so hard about finding a place to live for those two?
But at least we got this exchange of slash potential due to Jess:
JESS: I read everyone's file, that's my job. Not that I've read your file. The personal bits, I mean. Nothing about wives or girlfriends, or boyfriends, anything like that.
BECKER: [...]
JESS: And if you did have one of those things, it would probably be a girlfriend, would it? Rather than the other options, I mean.
BECKER: [...]
Yes, he did bring her a chocolate bar later, but he did not respond to her little fishing expedition at all, except for a rather interesting facial expression that could be read any way you want, but you know how I want to read it. ;-) I'm starting to wonder if the writers are chumming the slash waters for Becker since Connor's off-the-market, at least in canon?
My amusement over Joe once again a member of the USAF on TV continues, even though he wasn't an active pilot like I thought he would be. Would have been an interesting in-joke to have him reduced to a teaching position due to "black marks" on his record for going back to rescue someone during battle.
I know it's supposed to be a simple "family movie" thing, but I got hit it in the head by The Foreshadowing Hammer multiple times. It was almost like the writers felt they had to foreshadow things at least once, preferably multiple times, or else the audience wouldn't get the point. There's been talk the movie was a potential pilot, and I could see it working as a family comedy, but it would definitely have to lighten up on the writing and the product placement angle. With the movie's major sponsors being Wal-Mart and Procter & Gamble and the movie chock full of product placements, did anyone find the Jack in the Box commercial about "subtle" product placement hysterically funny?