Outlander, Forever, and Fall TV Schedule
Thanks to a free marathon promotion on my cable rn, I have spent the last few days marathoning the fantastic Outlander (in honor of Scotland's vote against independence, oop)! It is definitely my new favorite show. I had been hearing great things about it, and wanted to watch it even more once I learned that RDM and Bear McCreary of BSG were involved, so I am thankful I had the chance to catch up right before it tragically goes on hiatus. I cannot recommend this show highly enough if you aren't watching it yet. More detailed thoughts on episodes 1x01-1x07:
This show has it all--strong writing and acting, a female protagonist, dedication to developing characters and relationships (and taking the time to do so), beautiful cinematography and production values, gorgeous music (just like in BSG--I especially love the theme/opening credits), and an engrossing/compelling storyline. It's also just so well crafted--you can see Ron D. Moore's hand in that. Like the wedding episode--I was watching the "Inside" segment and RDM noted that since Jamie/Claire's relationship really gets into full gear after they have to marry, he deliberately began with their wedding night and did flashbacks, so that by the time you saw the actual wedding scene towards the end there was more emotional payoff. In another example, I loved the way the flashback of her first wedding abruptly cut to the present of her second one:
Jamie/Claire, of course, is another major thing I love about this show--one of those ADKSJK! ships where you get excited about every little scene between them, they have so much chemistry and such an adorable, lovely friendship dynamic. ♥
I loved that buildup, and while this wedding might have happened a little fast for me in that I wanted perhaps more UST, I think it's good that they didn't do anything until then--it speaks well for both their characters given the situation. Also love love loved that Jamie was a virgin on their wedding night--such a cute scene, he always has the best facial expressions! :p <333
As much as I am into Jamie/Claire, however, I ALSO REALLY REALLY LIKE AND SHIP CLAIRE/FRANK! (See: icon). That is something else that I really appreciate about this show--a lesser show would have skimped over her relationship with her husband to focus on her ~steamy Scottish romance~ (and indeed one review I read implied it would be like that), but in his case they really do take the time to invest the audience in that pairing as well, and to show how torn she is over the two of them. For example, I was initially surprised that she didn't travel back in time until 3/4 of the first epp, but it's good that they spent so much time setting things up first--like how adorable they can be:
(Source)
And then the flashbacks have been really poignant as well--I particularly loved the one where he is sending HER off to the front lines in WWI and he kisses her from the platform before her train leaves:
(Source)
The fact that they begin in 1945 was another pleasant surprise for me--I thought she was traveling from like today, aka the 2000s. I love me some WWII.
Frank/Claire is also made all the more interesting with his doppelganger ancestor Black Jack Randall thrown into the mix. That one episode when we had that prolonged encounter between them was all the more tense and gripping given the likeness--you can just see her in that first scene when he walked in drinking in the sight of his face...even as that face wears such a different expression. Tobias Menzias has been fantastic at playing these two distinct roles--and in both cases he has been a far cry from the floppy fish on GoT I knew him as! ;) (Sad that they will probably never include him on that show again, blech--but he has found better things). It's wonderful that RDM actually took the time to examine Jack Randall's perspective and motivations in that central flogging scene--even the villains on this show get excellent development and fleshing out. On another note, just think if Jamie or one of the others is ever poised to kill Captain Randall she would have to stop them, lest they prevent her Frank from ever being born! (Time Travel problems). It's also interesting how she has to go by her maiden name...loved the tension when Black Jack asked for her name! I wonder if and when she reencounters Frank, whether her encounters with Captain Randall will affect things. Speaking of, I was excited to see in the trailer for the mid-season finale that we are finally going to check in with Frank and what he has been up to all this time!
Speaking of familiar actors, I was also delighted to see Lotte Verbeek/Giulia Farnese from The Borgias again, now with a lovely Scottish accent!!! :D (I admit in my mind I refer to her rn as Giulia McFarnese).
Lol at her playing a very similar character, in terms of a clever woman being with an older, powerful man to have a comfortable life. She is certainly a very interesting character! I have been enjoying her friendship with Claire, and wonder if she will discover the truth with all her questions and inquisitiveness.
Finally, I love the sense of tragic inevitability hanging over everything once they revealed that the main Scottish characters are involved in Jacobite intrigue and that the battle of Culloden is in 3 years--after which the way of life we are seeing here will end and most of them will probably be dead.
In short, I hate that the show is going to go on long hiatus so soon, right after I discovered it--I have been enjoying it so much, and will really miss it! :( Who else is watching it?
+ Also now that Fall has officially arrived, I thought I might as well poat my Fall TV schedule:
Monday
Sleepy Hollow, 9 pm
Tuesday
Supernatural, 9 pm
The Mindy Project, 9:30 pm
Forever, 10 pm
Wednesday
Thursday
Bones, 8 pm
The Vampire Diaries, 8 pm
Reign, 9 pm
Scandal, 10 pm
Friday
Saturday
Doctor Who, 9 pm
Sunday
Once Upon a Time, 8 pm
Brooklyn Nine Nine, 8:30 pm
Revenge, 9 pm
Boardwalk Empire, 9 pm*
*Am not actually keeping up with it this fall--I'm still not even halfway through season 4!
It's kind of funny how my shows have moved around and clumped on only 3 different nights, for the most part--when SPN first moved to Tuesdays it was my only show that night, and now look at it! Nothing now on Wednesdays or Fridays either, now that my beloved Dracula is gone (I don't know if I will check out its replacement, Constantine, yet). Although come early next year I suppose those days will be filled with The Americans and Hannibal. Not that I ever watch any of these live 90% of the time anyway, lol--how that has changed too.
As you can see, the only show I am adding to my schedule is Forever, because IOAN GRUFFUDD! <33 I first fell for him while watching Ringer, and subsequently realized he was the "Is there anyone alive out there?! Can anyone hear me?!" officer in Titanic who went back for the survivors in the water (and whom I delight in imitating always--"Right, noooobody panic!" /strong Welsh accent). I have been missing his face on my TV screen since Ringer's cancelation, which would have been reason enough to check it out, but the supernatural-esque premise is somewhat intriguing as well. I've watched the first two epps now:
It's not the most original and best written show (it borrows too heavily from "Sherlock" in terms of the constant annoying deductions about other people's lives), and I am not the biggest fan of the crime procedural, but so far it is working for me well enough that I plan to continue--mainly because Ioan's character is as delightful and Ioan Gruffudd-y as I was hoping for! <33
LOOK At THAT FACE, HOW CAN I NOT WATCH?! :D And I have been enjoying his dry wit/sardonic humor:
I have also been enjoying his unique dynamic with Abraham (it was a neat twist when they revealed that Henry had adopted/raised him--and now he is taking care of Henry!) and his interactions with Detective Jo Martinez are also enjoyable. I am still not sold on his big ~past love~ but whatever. Oh, and I also find it hilarious that the death-obsessed intern on Bones is now working in a morgue for a death-obsessed ME! :p What range this actor has, still talking about "cause of death" as he examines the body, etc. ;) (Hopefully this means he never shows up on Bones again!).
Anyone else watching this one?
This show has it all--strong writing and acting, a female protagonist, dedication to developing characters and relationships (and taking the time to do so), beautiful cinematography and production values, gorgeous music (just like in BSG--I especially love the theme/opening credits), and an engrossing/compelling storyline. It's also just so well crafted--you can see Ron D. Moore's hand in that. Like the wedding episode--I was watching the "Inside" segment and RDM noted that since Jamie/Claire's relationship really gets into full gear after they have to marry, he deliberately began with their wedding night and did flashbacks, so that by the time you saw the actual wedding scene towards the end there was more emotional payoff. In another example, I loved the way the flashback of her first wedding abruptly cut to the present of her second one:
Jamie/Claire, of course, is another major thing I love about this show--one of those ADKSJK! ships where you get excited about every little scene between them, they have so much chemistry and such an adorable, lovely friendship dynamic. ♥
I loved that buildup, and while this wedding might have happened a little fast for me in that I wanted perhaps more UST, I think it's good that they didn't do anything until then--it speaks well for both their characters given the situation. Also love love loved that Jamie was a virgin on their wedding night--such a cute scene, he always has the best facial expressions! :p <333
As much as I am into Jamie/Claire, however, I ALSO REALLY REALLY LIKE AND SHIP CLAIRE/FRANK! (See: icon). That is something else that I really appreciate about this show--a lesser show would have skimped over her relationship with her husband to focus on her ~steamy Scottish romance~ (and indeed one review I read implied it would be like that), but in his case they really do take the time to invest the audience in that pairing as well, and to show how torn she is over the two of them. For example, I was initially surprised that she didn't travel back in time until 3/4 of the first epp, but it's good that they spent so much time setting things up first--like how adorable they can be:
(Source)
And then the flashbacks have been really poignant as well--I particularly loved the one where he is sending HER off to the front lines in WWI and he kisses her from the platform before her train leaves:
(Source)
The fact that they begin in 1945 was another pleasant surprise for me--I thought she was traveling from like today, aka the 2000s. I love me some WWII.
Frank/Claire is also made all the more interesting with his doppelganger ancestor Black Jack Randall thrown into the mix. That one episode when we had that prolonged encounter between them was all the more tense and gripping given the likeness--you can just see her in that first scene when he walked in drinking in the sight of his face...even as that face wears such a different expression. Tobias Menzias has been fantastic at playing these two distinct roles--and in both cases he has been a far cry from the floppy fish on GoT I knew him as! ;) (Sad that they will probably never include him on that show again, blech--but he has found better things). It's wonderful that RDM actually took the time to examine Jack Randall's perspective and motivations in that central flogging scene--even the villains on this show get excellent development and fleshing out. On another note, just think if Jamie or one of the others is ever poised to kill Captain Randall she would have to stop them, lest they prevent her Frank from ever being born! (Time Travel problems). It's also interesting how she has to go by her maiden name...loved the tension when Black Jack asked for her name! I wonder if and when she reencounters Frank, whether her encounters with Captain Randall will affect things. Speaking of, I was excited to see in the trailer for the mid-season finale that we are finally going to check in with Frank and what he has been up to all this time!
Speaking of familiar actors, I was also delighted to see Lotte Verbeek/Giulia Farnese from The Borgias again, now with a lovely Scottish accent!!! :D (I admit in my mind I refer to her rn as Giulia McFarnese).
Lol at her playing a very similar character, in terms of a clever woman being with an older, powerful man to have a comfortable life. She is certainly a very interesting character! I have been enjoying her friendship with Claire, and wonder if she will discover the truth with all her questions and inquisitiveness.
Finally, I love the sense of tragic inevitability hanging over everything once they revealed that the main Scottish characters are involved in Jacobite intrigue and that the battle of Culloden is in 3 years--after which the way of life we are seeing here will end and most of them will probably be dead.
In short, I hate that the show is going to go on long hiatus so soon, right after I discovered it--I have been enjoying it so much, and will really miss it! :( Who else is watching it?
+ Also now that Fall has officially arrived, I thought I might as well poat my Fall TV schedule:
Monday
Sleepy Hollow, 9 pm
Tuesday
Supernatural, 9 pm
The Mindy Project, 9:30 pm
Forever, 10 pm
Wednesday
Thursday
Bones, 8 pm
The Vampire Diaries, 8 pm
Reign, 9 pm
Scandal, 10 pm
Friday
Saturday
Doctor Who, 9 pm
Sunday
Once Upon a Time, 8 pm
Brooklyn Nine Nine, 8:30 pm
Revenge, 9 pm
Boardwalk Empire, 9 pm*
*Am not actually keeping up with it this fall--I'm still not even halfway through season 4!
It's kind of funny how my shows have moved around and clumped on only 3 different nights, for the most part--when SPN first moved to Tuesdays it was my only show that night, and now look at it! Nothing now on Wednesdays or Fridays either, now that my beloved Dracula is gone (I don't know if I will check out its replacement, Constantine, yet). Although come early next year I suppose those days will be filled with The Americans and Hannibal. Not that I ever watch any of these live 90% of the time anyway, lol--how that has changed too.
As you can see, the only show I am adding to my schedule is Forever, because IOAN GRUFFUDD! <33 I first fell for him while watching Ringer, and subsequently realized he was the "Is there anyone alive out there?! Can anyone hear me?!" officer in Titanic who went back for the survivors in the water (and whom I delight in imitating always--"Right, noooobody panic!" /strong Welsh accent). I have been missing his face on my TV screen since Ringer's cancelation, which would have been reason enough to check it out, but the supernatural-esque premise is somewhat intriguing as well. I've watched the first two epps now:
It's not the most original and best written show (it borrows too heavily from "Sherlock" in terms of the constant annoying deductions about other people's lives), and I am not the biggest fan of the crime procedural, but so far it is working for me well enough that I plan to continue--mainly because Ioan's character is as delightful and Ioan Gruffudd-y as I was hoping for! <33
LOOK At THAT FACE, HOW CAN I NOT WATCH?! :D And I have been enjoying his dry wit/sardonic humor:
I have also been enjoying his unique dynamic with Abraham (it was a neat twist when they revealed that Henry had adopted/raised him--and now he is taking care of Henry!) and his interactions with Detective Jo Martinez are also enjoyable. I am still not sold on his big ~past love~ but whatever. Oh, and I also find it hilarious that the death-obsessed intern on Bones is now working in a morgue for a death-obsessed ME! :p What range this actor has, still talking about "cause of death" as he examines the body, etc. ;) (Hopefully this means he never shows up on Bones again!).
Anyone else watching this one?