The TV and Streaming Thread: Summer Re-reruns (it's always summer somewhere)

[Sarex]

Sanctuary. A show about sumo wrestling. It's pretty good and a warm recommend from me.

[Zoraptor]

Finished The Diplomat. Pretty slick, and the second Netflix show I've more or less unreservedly enjoyed in two weeks. The main problem is... it just kind of randomly ends in media res, to coin a phrase. Literally nothing is resolved.

Secondary problem I've already mentioned: Rory Kinnear. Who is absolutely fine, but if you tell me he's the British PM I instantly think of him, well, porking a porker in Black Mirror's first episode.

end spoilers, be warned

Spoiler

He's also a bit difficult to believe as an evil mastermind willing to sacrifice an aircraft carrier for a poll boost and blow up his own MP. Same for Margaret wossname. Not really a problem with the acting or even writing per se, it's just... it's certainly not as if I like, say, Boris Johnson or Alistair Campbell, far from it; but if someone told me they'd done that I'd laugh and tell them to lay of the recreational drugs for a bit. Then again, I certainly wouldn't have the same objection if it hadn't established verisimilitude so well as it did.

Who knows though, maybe it'll turn out to be Shadowy Cabal or Israel or China instead.

 

[uuuhhii]

watching silo

first two episode are intriguing

hope it doesn't get worse

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

On 5/7/2023 at 7:00 AM, Zoraptor said:

Rory Kinnear. Who is absolutely fine, but if you tell me he's the British PM I instantly think of him, well, porking a porker in Black Mirror's first episode.

Didn't an irl former PM also pork a porker though?

[Zoraptor]

Well, more or less: he supposedly put the plums where the apple usually goes, shall we say, in some sort of totally not homoerotic initiation ritual (--> "piggate", because every political scandal needs a gate suffix). But I couldn't take David Cameron seriously as PM even before that revelation. You're meant to take Nicol Trowbridge fairly seriously in a Boris Johnson/ Donald Trump type sense- though I'd strongly suspect the choice of actor was made deliberately to play on expectations.

For anyone wondering the Black Mirror episode actually predates the (news of the) real life equivalent.

Edited May 10, 2023 by Zoraptor

[LadyCrimson]

I am happy that Kim Woo-Bin (Uncontrollably Fond, Heirs, Master, Twenty) has seemingly beaten his nasopharynx (throat/nasal areas) cancer after a few years and is back to filming. I already watched Alienoid (movie) - he was good, the film had a decent premise but was "eh." Now it's this series. Sadly the trailer, for me, doesn't build any hype. It looks like a cross between The Postman, Death Stranding, and k-drama dystopian conglomerate espionage. The overdone dramatic/grim music in the trailer isn't helping. Maybe it'll be decent. I'm just glad he's still around to keep taking new projects.

 

[LadyCrimson]

I skimmed thru the 1st episode of Cleopatra. This is not a "review." Around the 12-15 minute mark they talk about the color/race "can't be sure"/personalized identification debate a bit and then largely leave it. The format is a panel of historians talking about her life, with actor segments. The actors have dialogue so it's not just visual emphasis in that sense, there is more docu-drama then anything else.

I dunno...it felt more like some historians indulging in fan mode then anything else, panel credentials or not. But again, didn't watch all of it, not interested enough in the topic, and I don't know enough to point out numbers of any inaccuracies.

[Zoraptor]

I watched the preview of it, that actor would be absolutely fine for a native Egyptian. Guess Hatshepsut isn't as much of a household name as Cleopatra though (and would generate a lot less controversy and people checking it out due to that, too).

edit: mostly not going to watch it because Netflix's historical documentaries tend to drive me bonkers via nitpicking anyway. I did rather enjoy the cast of kiwi ex Shortland Streeters playing Caligula et al though. More ham per capita than Denmark.

Edited May 11, 2023 by Zoraptor

[InsaneCommander]

On 5/7/2023 at 9:00 AM, Zoraptor said:

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Who knows though, maybe it'll turn out to be Shadowy Cabal or Israel or China instead.

I'm expecting the same. Well, if this is not cancelled by Netflix.

 

On 5/10/2023 at 10:20 AM, PK htiw klaw eriF said:

Didn't an irl former PM also pork a porker though?

[Zoraptor]

35 minutes ago, InsaneCommander said:

I'm expecting the same. Well, if this is not cancelled by Netflix.

It's already renewed, so we should get some sort of answer.

(my prior viewing of us political thrillers suggests that, statistically, the answer is likely to be 'the vice president did it' as part of a plot to get the top job)

[LadyCrimson]

I watched Black Knight. At least it's not a long series - 6 episodes. It is...ok...in parts but overall pretty much the expected "nothing to write home about". Follows the more modern trend of more flash/visual and music then chr./world building with too frequent scene/chr-change edits. It may make you want even just a little bit more background how chrs. became the chrs. they are so you can feel more invested, but you never get it. That sort of thing. Maybe it was a bit more Mad Max then The Postman. Anyway, not the worst, but you're not missing anything, either.

[Raithe]

Caught some re-run stuff on Blake's 7.

Ah the reminders.  "We have no budget, we need to get a good actor and character to deflect everyone from the terrible sets..."

 

Avon, a character that elevated snide to a higher level.

[Zoraptor]

The Avon/ Vila/ ORAC 'partnership' is the best from any sci fi show bar none.

AVON: How much more weight must we lose before we can achieve escape velocity? ORAC: Seventy kilos, Avon. [..Vila leaves] ChatGPT ORAC: Vila weighs seventy-three kilos, Avon...

[Raithe]

41 minutes ago, Zoraptor said:

The Avon/ Vila/ ORAC 'partnership' is the best from any sci fi show bar none

It's definitely one of the top ones.  It's up there with the G'Kar / Londo build up across B5's seasons in my mind.

[LadyCrimson]

A recent comedy/sitcom/reality tv show on FreeVee/Prime, called Jury Duty.

It's eight 30 minute episodes. Premise: everyone during a "trial", from judge, lawyers, other jurors is an actor playing a role, except one juror named Roland. He's told someone is making a documentary, to explain the cameras and interviews. Scripted but I'm sure lots of improv while reacting to the one juror's responses. There's one famous person involved (James Marsden playing a douche version of himself). Shades of Truman Show maybe. One even starts to wonder how Roland didn't catch on, and/or is really another actor, but a quick google seems to say he isn't/wasn't. Anyway, it's very silly, lightweight  entertainment, but I liked it. 

[Sarex]

Been watching Unicorn: Warriors Eternal (Genndy Tartakovsky's new show) for a couple of episodes now. It wasn't off to a great start, but it's starting to pick up steam. Will see how it goes.

[Bartimaeus]

3 hours ago, Sarex said:

Been watching Unicorn: Warriors Eternal (Genndy Tartakovsky's new show) for a couple of episodes now. It wasn't off to a great start, but it's starting to pick up steam. Will see how it goes.

I've watched the first two episodes so far. It felt extremely off-kilter and not really in a good way, but I'll give it a few more to see if it can find its bearing. Between The Powerpuff Girls, Samurai Jack, and Primal (and if I ever get around to watching Symbionic Titan, probably that too), Genndy has earned my patience.

Edited May 20, 2023 by Bartimaeus

[Sarex]

31 minutes ago, Bartimaeus said:

I've watched the first two episodes so far. It felt extremely off-kilter and not really in a good way, but I'll give it a few more to see if it can find its bearing. Between The Powerpuff Girls, Samurai Jack, and Primal (and if I ever get around to watching Symbionic Titan, probably that too), Genndy has earned my patience.

Dexter's laboratory?

[Raithe]

'The Librarians' Spinoff 'The Next Chapter' Ordered at The CW (tvinsider.com)

 

[Raithe]

https://www.wotseries.com/2023/05/24/the-wheel-of-time-season-2-gets-a-first-look-release-date/

[Gfted1]

*sigh* I guess I have to give S1 another shot. I dont think I made it past the second episode.

[uuuhhii]

15 hours ago, Gfted1 said:

*sigh* I guess I have to give S1 another shot. I dont think I made it past the second episode.

season 1 are actually better than the distant memory of book 1

book 2 have a few very good part that is unlikely to ever be good enough in any tv show

[Sarex]

Tried Fubar, couldn't finish episode 1.

[Gfted1]

Same. I made it like 45 minutes, and had a few chuckles, but it didnt grab me. Ill try again.

[ShadySands]

We watched The Night Agent and Shadow and Bone season 2. I don't recommend either.