The TV and Streaming thread Series 4

[LadyCrimson]

On 3/6/2021 at 6:24 PM, Amentep said:

TNG Cause and Effect

Fun Time Loop story (think Groundhog Day before that movie came out.) Weird to see Kelsey Grammar in such a bit part, and the episode doesn't seem to have an end so much as just stops.

That's still one of my fond personal faves.  Others:

"Yesterday's Enterprise"
"Deja Q"
"Q Who"
"The Most Toys"  (cause Data, and Saul Rubinek)
"Lower Decks"
"Clues"

Looking back at it there's so many mediocre episodes but even many of those at least had nice character moments or funnies.  I remember the first time they put Troi in a regular Starfleet uniform and I was all "she looks fantastic/professional that way, she should wear that more often instead of the stupid leotard pants outfit" (which I didn't think even flattered her that much, outside of the low cut neckline I suppose). Eventually she did wear a uniform more often.

[Amentep]

I never really got her being out of uniform or being treated as a quasi-civilian, to be honest. TOS had already established Psychiatry as part of Life Sciences in "Where No Man Has Gone Before".

[ShadySands]

On 3/7/2021 at 9:08 AM, kanisatha said:

Anyone see the new TV show (NBC) Debris? What did you think?

I haven't yet. I'm waiting for like 80% of the season to be out before I start watching because Netflix has spoiled me and I like watching at my own pace.

Forgot to mention that since WandaVision is over I finished watching that. It's weird because I both enjoyed and was let down by the finally. I read that they actually filmed a Dr Strange scene and then decided to cut it which I don't understand at all.

Edited March 9, 2021 by ShadySands

[Raithe]

Highlander Remake May Be Held Back By Its Epic Ambition (gizmodo.com)

[kanisatha]

18 hours ago, ShadySands said:

I haven't yet. I'm waiting for like 80% of the season to be out before I start watching because Netflix has spoiled me and I like watching at my own pace.

Haha. I'm doing the same thing, so was hoping someone else is watching it and has some observations about it.

[Raithe]

... Buffy the Vampire Slayer premiered on WB 24 years ago today.

And Highlander (the 1st movie) turned 35 a couple of days ago.

It definitely kicks off that feeling...

[Bartimaeus]

Finished the final episode of The Queen's Gambit this morning. Bleh. Final thoughts on the series, some general but not particularly specific spoilers:

Spoiler

 

To have such a long and dark downward spiral for the main character and for it to just be washed away with "lol I'm just going to stop and it's all going to work out perfectly" was simply insulting, and huge tonal whiplash. I've had multiple family members struggle with addiction, including my dead father and older sister: this is not how this **** works. Even for people who are incredibly able to will themselves into quitting their addictions cold turkey, it is a harrowing experience that leaves some kind of scars (small and big) for the rest of their lives, so just smoothing over it like it wasn't even really a thing was frankly a little embarrassing, especially after the build-up of this particular issue since literally the very first episode.

And I might be crucified for saying this if I were posting it on social media...but I'm not: the whole nine yards about this show being empowering and validating for women also feels really icky to me...because it's completely fiction. I really wish it weren't - I'm always in favor of intelligent, hardworking, wonderful, and/or otherwise interesting women getting the spotlight when they've been so often ignored throughout history...but when history completely contradicts your nominally 'uplifting' 'pro-social' story, well...your story feels kind of fraudulent. Whether it's because of small inherent physical differences between men or women that unfortunately lead to advantages/disadvantages for one group over the other at the absolute highest levels of a profession (I sincerely hope that this one is not true for something that's all mental like Chess, but I just...logically cannot simply rule it out off-handedly given the other large physical differences between men and women, not when we're talking about the absolute peaks of talent), or simply because of different sociological environments and pressures that the two different groups grow up in affecting how the majority of them develop and the opportunities that they're given to be able to develop, or merely a matter of the different sizes of their respective talent pools as a result of one or both of the previous reasons...or something else I'm not thinking of - it really doesn't matter: there are better, more legitimate tales to tell about women whose basis do not rest entirely upon fiction.

Wish I'd liked this more - I really should've, especially seeing as the first couple of episodes were so good and I really like the lead actress...but I just didn't.

 

 

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

1 hour ago, Bartimaeus said:

Finished the final episode of The Queen's Gambit this morning. Bleh. Final thoughts on the series, some general but not particularly specific spoilers:

  Reveal hidden contents

 

To have such a long and dark downward spiral for the main character and for it to just be washed away with "lol I'm just going to stop and it's all going to work out perfectly" was simply insulting, and huge tonal whiplash. I've had multiple family members struggle with addiction, including my dead father and older sister: this is not how this **** works. Even for people who are incredibly able to will themselves into quitting their addictions cold turkey, it is a harrowing experience that leaves some kind of scars (small and big) for the rest of their lives, so just smoothing over it like it wasn't even really a thing was frankly a little embarrassing, especially after the build-up of this particular issue since literally the very first episode.

And I might be crucified for saying this if I were posting it on social media...but I'm not: the whole nine yards about this show being empowering and validating for women also feels really icky to me...because it's completely fiction. I really wish it weren't - I'm always in favor of intelligent, hardworking, wonderful, and/or otherwise interesting women getting the spotlight when they've been so often ignored throughout history...but when history completely contradicts your nominally 'uplifting' 'pro-social' story, well...your story feels kind of fraudulent. Whether it's because of small inherent physical differences between men or women that unfortunately lead to advantages/disadvantages for one group over the other at the absolute highest levels of a profession (I sincerely hope that this one is not true for something that's all mental like Chess, but I just...logically cannot simply rule it out off-handedly given the other large physical differences between men and women, not when we're talking about the absolute peaks of talent), or simply because of different sociological environments and pressures that the two different groups grow up in affecting how the majority of them develop and the opportunities that they're given to be able to develop, or merely a matter of the different sizes of their respective talent pools as a result of one or both of the previous reasons...or something else I'm not thinking of - it really doesn't matter: there are better, more legitimate tales to tell about women whose basis do not rest entirely upon fiction.

Wish I'd liked this more - I really should've, especially seeing as the first couple of episodes were so good and I really like the lead actress...but I just didn't.

 

 

I think in general women realize chess is pretty ****ing stupid and don't play it for that reason lmao.

I watched one episode of the Queens Gambit and thought it was just really boring. Waste of a great cast.

[Bartimaeus]

I wouldn't go that far - objectively speaking, most everything everyone does is a stupid waste of time, and I'm more inclined to believe the the main reason is sociological (after all, the idea of truly trying to achieve male-female equality becoming actually widespread throughout society is a relatively new one, and the effects of such inequality, same as in the case of e.g. institutional racism, are still heavily baked into and felt by our society, as they will be for decades and decades to come...and Chess, after all, has been a male-centric game for most of its existence).

The first episode was my favorite episode - I thought it had a right mix of some funner (albeit small) character stuff while offsetting the more serious themes it was hinting at to come. But then again, I don't hate Chess (in fact I was little annoyed that they didn't spend a little more time showing the actual games at times, at least for the most important ones - there's only so many hours of looking at Anya Taylor-Joy's expressions that I can take!), and I have a positive predisposition towards some of the premise elements of the show. Ah well.

Edited March 11, 2021 by Bartimaeus

[InsaneCommander]

I watched Truthseekers today. It was funny and interesting enough to keep my attention all the way through.

I hope the second season is about

Spoiler

aliens. The Smyle boss and the woman talking to him in the end seemed to know something about that.

 

[Lexx]

Watched Finding 'Ohana on Netflix yesterday. An island, a treasure, some pirates, ... Was not bad. Didn't see a single hula girl trope. Ending is a bit cheesy, but was to be expected, tbh. Kinda reminds me of these 90s adventure movies.

Also, dang, Hawaiians are hot. Truth told, I only watched the movie because of Lindsay Watson (and the hopes of some 90s adventure movie nostalgia).

Edited March 12, 2021 by Lexx

[Amentep]

The trailer for Finding Ohana made it seem like it would be a bit Goonies-esque.  Would you think that a fair assessment?

[Lexx]

Yeah, it goes into that direction. However, I haven't seen the Goonies in ages and my memories of it are faded.

[Amentep]

TNG The First Duty. Solid episode. I wish Wesley had stood up to not-Paris without, essentially, being blackmailed by Picard, but it was over-all a strong episode.

[rjshae]

Finally got caught up on Resident Alien. Alan Tudyk plays an alien in an alien land brilliantly; the comic timing is spot on. The rest of the drama is mostly conventional, but the town plays the straight man role perfectly. It's well worth a watch.

[majestic]

Look, the hack frauds have a new Star Trek video...

 

[Gorth]

Watched the first 3 episodes of 'Romulus' so far. Not sure what to think of it

On one hand, I'm sure there is a story in there. It just moves so slowly, you have to sit and stare carefully, hoping to spot it when it finally moves.

On the other hand, some quite picturesque scenes from Italy the people (the ancient Latin tribes before they became united) who lived there before Rome ever became a kingdom (and later an empire).

And the oddity of hearing everybody speaking ancient Latin.

[Amentep]

 

[Bartimaeus]

Won't ever match up to the legacy of Suburban Sasquatch, though.

[majestic]

10 hours ago, Bartimaeus said:

Won't ever match up to the legacy of Suburban Sasquatch, though.

[Amentep]

11 hours ago, Bartimaeus said:

Won't ever match up to the legacy of Suburban Sasquatch, though.

This is a documentary though...

[Bartimaeus]

27 minutes ago, Amentep said:

This is a documentary though...

I know: I stand by what I said, .

[Raithe]

When they just keep teasing small snippets...

 

[LadyCrimson]

Dolemite Is My Name, Netflix

It was nice to see Eddie Murphy in something that I actually found watchable and mostly entertaining/well done. 
I mean ok, Donkey was sorta amusing, but I haven't liked most of his live-action stuff in forever (it's the films/roles, not his abilities, if you know what I mean).  There was that Tower Heist film where I liked his character but that's about it for years. 

Edited March 18, 2021 by LadyCrimson

[majestic]

You just cast Summon Hurlshot. I'm surprised he hasn't replied yet.