The TV and Streaming thread renewed

[majestic]

1 hour ago, Zoraptor said:

I liked it more or less up until near the end where it imploded. Think GD was pretty similar to me too.

 I didn't hate the first episode (just the entire premise, but that's something else entirely) and it was all downhill from there, the lowest point being the ending, the second episode and that Borg Queen rescue teleporter. Nothing else in the show to clearly said "Look we don't know anything about Star Trek and we don't care" than that. Voyager's Borg transwarp conduit system was borderline insane, but at least they had the good grace to show that the Borg were plagued by internal and external issues that were hard to recover from.

1 hour ago, ShadySands said:

I think GD liked it as well but he also liked what they did to Luke in TLJ IIRC

Guard Dog just likes to see himself on the screen.

 

Edited May 14, 2020 by majestic

[ShadySands]

28 minutes ago, majestic said:

 I didn't hate the first episode (just the entire premise, but that's something else entirely) and it was all downhill from there...

"Look we don't know anything about Star Trek and we don't care"

After some more reflection this is pretty much how I feel as well as I never could get on board with entire premise because it was too inconsistent with previous Trek. Starting in such a hole meant that followed needed to be really good to dig itself out but that never happened for me as I thought it actually kept getting worse for the most part.

I felt that they could have fairly easily made the whole thing more consistent while telling basically the same story but instead they went with the second line I quoted 

[Zoraptor]

The odd thing was that a lot of the people involved clearly do care. Not like Stewart in particular is short of money and doing "By Grabthar's Hammer, what a savings!" type commercials to make ends meet. He's a rich guy in his 80s who could retire tomorrow and want for nothing, he pretty much has to be doing it because he wants to play Picard in particular. And Spiner at least cared enough to refuse to keep playing an increasingly ludicrous looking Data, even if he has the back up of playing yet another identikit android science prodigy Soong no one had apparently heard of previously.

(Stewart's Orange Man Bad comments were very ill advised though. Unlike, say, Sisko being involved in/ covering up a false flag that outright murdered neutral diplomats*- which theoretically is completely and utterly antithetical to what a Fed officer should do- you immediately think that the Fed turning their back on the refugees is there because Orange Man Bad, not because it makes sense. Obviously it doesn't make a lick of sense anyway when the Romulan power base seems to be almost completely unaffected and they have 180? warships available, but you're instantly primed to see that discrepancy by Stewart's comments)

*been a while, hope I've remembered the details right

[Lexx]

I just remembered that one scene in the first or second episode. Picard was standing in his room, but the camera didn't look at him, it was pointing at his old timey wooden clock and you'd see Picard's reflection in it. To me, this particular scene is the show boiled down. This scene made no damn sense, there was no reason for it to be there, it tried to look artsy but failed, and it was just uncomfortably long.

Oh, and what about all these lens flares?! There is no light source in front of the camera!! Why is there a lens flare right now?? WHY IS IT EVERYWHERE.

[ShadySands]

8 hours ago, Zoraptor said:

Unlike, say, Sisko being involved in/ covering up a false flag that outright murdered neutral diplomats

That's pretty much it, but speaking of that, it's what brought the Romulans into the Dominion War and saved the alpha quadrant. That's part of why it doesn't make a lot of sense that 14 (of over 150) planets threatened to leave the Federation if they continued to aid them. Not that it makes any sense that they needed any aid in the first place as an empire that rivals the Federation and the Klingons. Though if for some reason that is never explained they did need the Federation then why would the Romulan super secret bad girls club sabotage that? I mean, let's blow up our rescue armada and blame it on the "synths" as plan A for stopping artificial life research is pretty dumb. 

Sorry, I can pick nits on this show all day long because it's just that sloppy

Edited May 15, 2020 by ShadySands

[kirottu]

I'm still waiting for Red Letter Media to nitpick the last Picard episodes.

[majestic]

26 minutes ago, kirottu said:

I'm still waiting for Red Letter Media to nitpick the last Picard episodes.

Patience, Mr. Plinkett is an old codger, not to mention highly at risk right now.

[IndiraLightfoot]

I had no idea that y'all think of it as a big time turkey! 

I'm older etc, so I do identify with Picard and Troi and Riker, but I also like the old grumpy old fool tone of it all!

On top of that, it had all I like: Romulans, ancient myths, secrets, bloated egos, evil siblings, synths, a bit of Borg, some weird Romulan Ninja of Lost Causes (Does it get better?).

I found myself siding with that Romulan cult and the synths and even the Borg (minus Seven). If only those gargantuan tentacles had slipped out of the portal and carnage ensued...

Liked the photo, music and some of the effects as well.

Edited May 15, 2020 by IndiraLightfoot

[Zoraptor]

Looks like the proposed Captain Pike Star Trek show ("Strange New Worlds") is going ahead, covid19 permitting.

18 hours ago, ShadySands said:

Sorry, I can pick nits on this show all day long because it's just that sloppy

Yeah, it is. Sisko's actions work because they are the culmination of 5(?) prior seasons of plot and character development; and the other involved parties act entirely in character. They also work because Brooks wasn't telling everyone who'd listen that they were a commentary on [late 90s social/ political issue] instead of being plot driven.

Guess what I'd say overall is that it isn't a matter of care for Trek that made Picard's (or Discovery's) plot so shambolic, and it isn't absolutely inconsistent for the Fed either (bit like seemingly half the Fed's officers being Romulan spies, there is a precedent). The key problem is that they simply aren't very good writers, not good enough to make a coherent overarching plot woven from multiple threads, and certainly not good enough to weave a commentary on real world politics seamlessly into the tapestry. But that ultimate problem is the one many other programs have as well and which is a bane of most modern TV writing; that characters and factions have the motivations and capabilities demanded by what the plot needs at any given time, not what has been established by previous characterisation or motivation; ie simple bad writing is the problem- and they'd do (and have done in some cases) the same to any other franchise they were writing for.

Edited May 15, 2020 by Zoraptor

[ShadySands]

On 5/15/2020 at 4:53 PM, Zoraptor said:

Looks like the proposed Captain Pike Star Trek show ("Strange New Worlds") is going ahead, covid19 permitting.

Pike was a bright spot in Disco but I think they've said that it's going to be be some of the same Picard and STD writers so I can't say that I'm looking forward to it in any way.

I'm probably just done with Trek now or at least until it changes hands again, Fek'lhr willing.

 

[Maedhros]

All this talk of Star Trek made me think of this.

--

Started watching "What we do in the shadows" on HBO. Funniest thing I've watched so far this year. Apparently there's a film too, gotta check that out as well.

[Raithe]

 

[ShadySands]

On 5/15/2020 at 12:40 AM, majestic said:

Patience, Mr. Plinkett is an old codger, not to mention highly at risk right now.

It's out now

[Gfted1]

The Wrong Missy on Netflix.

Pretty funny!  

[majestic]

18 hours ago, ShadySands said:

It's out now

Galactic treaty!

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[rjshae]

I binge watched the first season of Motherland last weekend. Seems mainly to be targeted at a young adult audience. It wasn't horrible. Might make a decent PnP RPG setting.

[Lexx]

Started watching Devilman Crybaby on Netflix. I'm just like wtf half the time.

[majestic]

2 hours ago, Lexx said:

Started watching Devilman Crybaby on Netflix. I'm just like wtf half the time.

Wait until you get to the end...

[Zoraptor]

Caught up on The Expanse, hadn't seen 3B as well as S4. While 3B was clearly necessary to advance the plot it was a jarring shift from 3A and the gate stuff felt like a super extended Star Trek episode, of the type I'm not too keen on. I presume the seasons fell across a book boundary again like with Eros in S2, though that was way less jarring a transition. I liked S4 well enough, but it felt pretty disjointed at times with the action having so many peripheral plot lines (though it was obvious early they'd come together eventually). And elements of the Ilus plot again felt like an extended Star Trek episode of the type I'm not too keen on. Some more spoilerish observations...

 

On the Star Trekishness, I didn't have too much of a problem with it in 3B because you can easily assume the ring leads to a 'pocket universe' where futzing around with universal constants and the like more or less can be handwaved. Bit more difficult to do on Ilus and shutting down the fusion reactors there. It's also kind of contrived having a single big lithium deposit for people to fight over. The big problem I have is with the end, not the asteroid plot specifically since it was clearly coming if you were paying attention; more with why Ashford would try storming discount Che Sparrow's ship rather than shooting holes in it while it was disabled and mopping up afterwards- or since he stormed the ship why he would surrender instead of just trying to shoot his way out. Plot wise, it's obviously to introduce Naomi's son and because you need the asteroid plot next season; logic wise it doesn't make much sense and it was blatantly obvious that Philip was going to turn up with dad at some point. For that matter the ambush on Amos at the bottom of the grav shaft didn't make much sense either and made Murtry look like an out of character idiot for not just shooting Amos as soon as he was distracted.

Best line was probably Murtry saying he has a face that makes everyone assume he's a bad guy. Burn Gorman is certainly not fated to play many white hats.

 

Edited May 22, 2020 by Zoraptor

[majestic]

That reminds me I still need to watch S4. I also should finish watching Man in the High Castle. Oh, and Westworld.

[LadyCrimson]

I started to watch that Plinkett video (sounds like he's going to repeat a lot of stuff from the reg. review vids), then was distracted by something near the start.  

(Might've been '89, I really can't recall)
Yes, he wears other outfits, but I've seen lots of convention/comic-cons vids/imgaes where he's wearing white on top and jeans.  It's his comfy colors?     Also, while he definitely looks older (when pics aren't all blurry, that is) he's still aged remarkably well. His voice, maybe not quite as much.

Edited May 23, 2020 by LadyCrimson

[Raithe]

For those who enjoyed Tennant and Sheen's chemistry...

Independent - BBC production "Staged" with David Tennant and Michael Sheen

Michael Sheen and David Tennant are set to star in a new BBC comedy series filmed under lockdown restrictions.

In the six-part series, called Staged, the actors will play the stars of a West End theatre production, who have been furloughed during the coronavirus pandemic.

Episodes will follow the cast as they try and conduct rehearsals – with dysfunctional results.

The pair will be joined by as-yet-unnamed guest stars across the series. The confirmed supporting cast includes Tennant’s wife, Georgia Tennant (Merlin), Lucy Eaton and Anna Lundberg.

Each episode will last just 15 minutes; the entire series will be added to BBC iPlayer in June.

BBC’s director of content Charlotte Moore said: “It’s so important that the BBC provides moments of humour and light relief.

She added: “This mischievous idea shows what great sports Michael and David are.”

 

[uuuhhii]

first episode of snowpiercer are intriguing enough

though it would be more interesting as a casino cruise

[melkathi]

Haven't really watched anything since I finished She-Ra...

It was a bit obviously girlish, but when they finally wrap up the romance arc in season 5 and end the show, it all works. Probably the best romance in a cartoon.

Made the mistake of trying to catch up with The Flash after. God that show is bad. How did I manage to watch 6 seasons of it? If She-Ra's Catradora romance is well written, Flash's attempt at drama is *shudder* so bad it even overshadows Black Lightning's daughter.

[InsaneCommander]

Watched all three seasons of Future Man. I liked it a lot, despite some nonsense included for fun (the effects in some time travel jumps).

I wanted to recommend it to a few friends, but the last episodes might be offensive to some religious people.