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brightknightie) wrote2022-10-09 06:46 pm
brightknightie) wrote2022-10-09 06:46 pm
Entry tags:
Current media roundup #1 (possible spoilers)
This is my first try at a new kind of recurring post, where I list and comment lightly on some media that I'm currently consuming, and maybe we can chat about it, if it appeals?
Now, this post and its successors may be full of spoilers, depending on your watch schedule. I'll cut-tag; I'll clearly identify each title; and of course the post is timestamped. It's up to you to pull back if you're ducking spoilers about that thing at that time, okay?
Let's do a little television this post:
Sitcoms aren't really my thing, so while I hugely admire what She-Hulk (Disney+) is doing, it's been mainly a reminder to me that one doesn't have to glom onto every story in the MCU. Follow what's for you and let others enjoy the rest. That's how it's always worked in the MU (how many comics can anyone afford per month, after all?). Many people adored The Falcon and the Winter Soldier while I adored WandaVision, and everyone was very happy. That said, this past week's episode, "Ribbit and Rip It," was... wow! Everything clicked. The humor, action, characters, stakes, and social commentary. Spot on! 10/10. Fingers crossed for the finale.
I'm watching Avatar: The Last Airbender for the first time (Paramont+), 3-5 episodes per week, and just hit the middle of season three, where Zuko has just now stood up to his dad and declared that he understands his destiny and he plans to join Team Avatar. I understand that this is a plotted, single story with a beginning, middle, and end, but oh! the end is close and I don't want it to end! I want it to keep going for ages. (In so many ways, under the hood, this is what my beloved '80s D&DC wanted to be, but television wasn't anywhere near ready for it yet.)
The new Quantum Leap (NBC) is three episodes in. I appreciate that it's a sequel, not a reboot; that seems respectful. I appreciate that today's kind of TV storytelling requires the ~50/50 present/past split with an ongoing, continuity-driven present-day plot; that seems promising. I worry that it doesn't understand the original as well as I like to feel that I understand the original, but it's too early to tell. I don't enjoy that my choice is between being in front of my TV at 10pm on Monday nights and subscribing to yet another streaming service for exactly one show: ouch! I did very much enjoy that in "Somebody Up There Likes Ben," the historical plot and Addison's plot converged thematically on the need to take care of yourself for those who love you and depend on you, even if you wouldn't do it for yourself. Yay, convergent, reinforcing themes! But the Beth and Janis plot, I dunno; was it a reversal of the theme, or did it not click with the theme at all? (And is "Janis" supposed to evoke the myth of "Janus"? I'm increasingly suspecting yes.)
The latest new episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 (Gizmoplex), "The Shape of Things to Come," is of course a terrible, terrible movie, but, goodness, it really does convey that the '70s had good hair. Apparently, everyone spent all their time brushing their hair, and it paid off. Gorgeous hair. I've never read the real The Shape of Things to Come by H.G. Wells, but I looked it up on Wikipedia, and yes, I can now guess how appalled the author might have been, eeek, by this movie, and frankly I am a little appalled by his novel (his story predicts that what eventually brings peace on earth and human thriving is the forced elimination of religion and imposition of a meritocratic dictatorship, um, no), so fair is fair. (Yep, I'm a Kickstarter backer with a season pass. I will always be every time they ask that I can afford to. MST3K is something I can share with my sister; that means a lot.)
Now, this post and its successors may be full of spoilers, depending on your watch schedule. I'll cut-tag; I'll clearly identify each title; and of course the post is timestamped. It's up to you to pull back if you're ducking spoilers about that thing at that time, okay?
Let's do a little television this post:
Sitcoms aren't really my thing, so while I hugely admire what She-Hulk (Disney+) is doing, it's been mainly a reminder to me that one doesn't have to glom onto every story in the MCU. Follow what's for you and let others enjoy the rest. That's how it's always worked in the MU (how many comics can anyone afford per month, after all?). Many people adored The Falcon and the Winter Soldier while I adored WandaVision, and everyone was very happy. That said, this past week's episode, "Ribbit and Rip It," was... wow! Everything clicked. The humor, action, characters, stakes, and social commentary. Spot on! 10/10. Fingers crossed for the finale.
I'm watching Avatar: The Last Airbender for the first time (Paramont+), 3-5 episodes per week, and just hit the middle of season three, where Zuko has just now stood up to his dad and declared that he understands his destiny and he plans to join Team Avatar. I understand that this is a plotted, single story with a beginning, middle, and end, but oh! the end is close and I don't want it to end! I want it to keep going for ages. (In so many ways, under the hood, this is what my beloved '80s D&DC wanted to be, but television wasn't anywhere near ready for it yet.)
The new Quantum Leap (NBC) is three episodes in. I appreciate that it's a sequel, not a reboot; that seems respectful. I appreciate that today's kind of TV storytelling requires the ~50/50 present/past split with an ongoing, continuity-driven present-day plot; that seems promising. I worry that it doesn't understand the original as well as I like to feel that I understand the original, but it's too early to tell. I don't enjoy that my choice is between being in front of my TV at 10pm on Monday nights and subscribing to yet another streaming service for exactly one show: ouch! I did very much enjoy that in "Somebody Up There Likes Ben," the historical plot and Addison's plot converged thematically on the need to take care of yourself for those who love you and depend on you, even if you wouldn't do it for yourself. Yay, convergent, reinforcing themes! But the Beth and Janis plot, I dunno; was it a reversal of the theme, or did it not click with the theme at all? (And is "Janis" supposed to evoke the myth of "Janus"? I'm increasingly suspecting yes.)
The latest new episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 (Gizmoplex), "The Shape of Things to Come," is of course a terrible, terrible movie, but, goodness, it really does convey that the '70s had good hair. Apparently, everyone spent all their time brushing their hair, and it paid off. Gorgeous hair. I've never read the real The Shape of Things to Come by H.G. Wells, but I looked it up on Wikipedia, and yes, I can now guess how appalled the author might have been, eeek, by this movie, and frankly I am a little appalled by his novel (his story predicts that what eventually brings peace on earth and human thriving is the forced elimination of religion and imposition of a meritocratic dictatorship, um, no), so fair is fair. (Yep, I'm a Kickstarter backer with a season pass. I will always be every time they ask that I can afford to. MST3K is something I can share with my sister; that means a lot.)
no subject
I'm glad you're enjoying AtLA. It really was a well-written, well-crafted show.
I've been enjoying She-Hulk. It's nothing earth-shattering, but it's entertaining and fun. I haven't seen the Ribbit and Rip It episode yet -- was going to watch it back to back with the finale this Thursday -- but it sounds like maybe it starts to change things up a bit. Tatiana Maslany is such a terrific actress, and it's always a joy to watch her, but watching this, I've been wishing she had more to work with.
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The "Ribbit and Rip It" episode of She-Hulk seemed to me a significant step up from the previous episodes. Granted that we needed the previous episodes to establish the stakes and context of this episode, and it wouldn't have meant anything without them, still, if the series had always been as polished and integrated as this episode... Fingers crossed for the finale!
Have you been able to dip into the new Quantum Leap?
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FWIW, I'm watching it on Paramount+, which I have for Star Trek. Happily, AtLA -- and maybe all the kids stuff? -- has no commercials in it, even though I'm in the must-watch-commercials subscription tier and get them in the adult programming.
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