So I've kind of been neglecting my blog these last few weeks. I've been reading some, but I've also been easily distracted by DVDs (doesn't help that I kept getting irritated with a character in one novel, and then another book was good but really needs to start moving along).
I finally got Dollhouse recently and the last half of the season was amazing. The first half focused more on the story of the week kind of stuff while the last half really started building the overall story arch and the conspiracy theories that Whedon is so good at (I still think that given a chance to continue with Firefly, the Guild would have turned out to be much darker and more sinister than at first glance - just look at how the Watchers' Council on Buffy went from being a distant presence to incredibly controlling and patronizing to the descendants of men who had forced these powers upon a young girl). I also really enjoyed the final episode that didn't air on FOX which takes places ten years after the events of the first season. So cool. Plus, I really like Amy Acker. (SPOILER: I loved the fact that her character ended up being a doll and how during the flashbacks towards the end of the season, they showed her in a few different roles rather than the strict, reserved doctor she played most of the season, or the sweet nerd from Angel).
This is a little bit old, but apparently this played during the Emmy's and because there is no such thing as too much Joss Whedon, I'm going to post it:
Showing posts with label Television. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Television. Show all posts
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
At Least They Don't Glitter
The last few weeks have been kind of busy - London for Labor Day, last weekend my parents visited and I took them to Prague, and I also finally caught up with Season 4.5 of Battlestar Galactica (awesome!).
I also watched True Blood to see what all the hype was about. Not quite sure how I feel about that one - I like how much more of a role Lafayette had in comparison to the first novel, I thought Sam came off as a bit of a jerk, Jason was definitely shown as more of an idiot. I liked the Tara story line which wasn't in the novel, though. I'm not sure how I feel about Sookie - honestly, in the novels, they address the fact that some of her friends, such as Arlene and Tara, have a tendency to slightly use her (well, a lot in Arlene's case). However, I didn't think Sookie was that good of a friend to Tara in the show - it seemed like Tara was always there for Sookie, even if she was judgmental of Bill. When Tara needed Sookie, she didn't seem to care/was annoyed because she had other issues at that time (which granted she was dealing with Bill's possible death, but Tara didn't know that). Of course, most of the raving about the show has been more recently, so I guess it picks up in the second season. Kind of makes sense since Eric should start playing a larger role, and he was always a lot more interesting and exciting than Bill.
I also liked how they already started setting up things that would happen in later novels, such as Eric referring to an edict when with Bill. Easy comment to forget about while watching the show but if you've read the novels, it's a nice set up for later.
I also watched True Blood to see what all the hype was about. Not quite sure how I feel about that one - I like how much more of a role Lafayette had in comparison to the first novel, I thought Sam came off as a bit of a jerk, Jason was definitely shown as more of an idiot. I liked the Tara story line which wasn't in the novel, though. I'm not sure how I feel about Sookie - honestly, in the novels, they address the fact that some of her friends, such as Arlene and Tara, have a tendency to slightly use her (well, a lot in Arlene's case). However, I didn't think Sookie was that good of a friend to Tara in the show - it seemed like Tara was always there for Sookie, even if she was judgmental of Bill. When Tara needed Sookie, she didn't seem to care/was annoyed because she had other issues at that time (which granted she was dealing with Bill's possible death, but Tara didn't know that). Of course, most of the raving about the show has been more recently, so I guess it picks up in the second season. Kind of makes sense since Eric should start playing a larger role, and he was always a lot more interesting and exciting than Bill.
I also liked how they already started setting up things that would happen in later novels, such as Eric referring to an edict when with Bill. Easy comment to forget about while watching the show but if you've read the novels, it's a nice set up for later.
Monday, June 29, 2009
I Love Buffy
I believe when I first reviewed Twilight, I made a comment about how Buffy would kick Edward's ass - well, here's my proof:
I really enjoyed this - saw it over at The Film Experience a few days ago, and have been meaning to post it ever since.
I really enjoyed this - saw it over at The Film Experience a few days ago, and have been meaning to post it ever since.
Friday, January 02, 2009
Old Favorite Revisited: Felicity
When I was in junior high and high school, I watched most of the WB's evening line up - Buffy, Dawson's Creek, Felicity, Roswell, Angel, Smallville (only the first two or three seasons), Charmed (consistently for the first three or four). Since then I have bought the entire collection of Buffy and Angel as well as the first season of Roswell, which wasn't quite as good as I remembered. While I always wanted to buy Felicity, I could never bring myself to do it because I wasn't willing to spend $50 per season, and they never seemed to go on sale. Well, they finally did, so I ordered the first two seasons (when I went back to order the third, I saw that it was available for preorder so I guess the reason they finally went on sale is because they're rereleasing them, kind of like My So-Called Life).
I've been watching Felicity every night for the past week or two (it takes so much longer to watch a whole season of television when I have a normal work schedule!), and it was just as good as I remembered. It's not quite as quotable as Buffy but it is intelligent, and interesting, and while some of the things the characters do seem completely age-inappropriate, other things are actually rather fitting. Also, Felicity is just such a relatable character in ways: she overanalyzes everything, and feels the need to discuss everything. As soon as she gets an idea in her head, she will head over to the person's room/apartment to discuss it, even if it might seem completely out of the blue, and they don't understand where she's coming from. In the very first episode, she ends up at Ben's and stands in the doorway yelling at him and arguing with him. The scene seemed quite familiar.
In other ways, it's almost depressing to watch because while it is well-written and it all makes sense within the context of the show, it's just not like real life at all. Guys don't break up with you and then five or six months later realize what a huge mistake it all was and make a grand romantic gesture to win you back. While there is so much more to the show, in simplest terms, it's almost just the love story of Ben and Felicity despite all the other men and women they date over the years. Somehow, they always end up back together after growing apart or separating for whatever reasons. And it's sweet and romantic, but it's not like there really is such a thing as soul mates, or meant to be. I can definitely see where watching this while younger could have somehow screwed up my ideas and perceptions about relationships. I wonder if this has anything to do with why it takes me so long to let go of things. Or did I simply like the show because it confirmed preconceived notions I already had way before then? Oh joy, it's like the chicken and the egg. Eh.
I've been watching Felicity every night for the past week or two (it takes so much longer to watch a whole season of television when I have a normal work schedule!), and it was just as good as I remembered. It's not quite as quotable as Buffy but it is intelligent, and interesting, and while some of the things the characters do seem completely age-inappropriate, other things are actually rather fitting. Also, Felicity is just such a relatable character in ways: she overanalyzes everything, and feels the need to discuss everything. As soon as she gets an idea in her head, she will head over to the person's room/apartment to discuss it, even if it might seem completely out of the blue, and they don't understand where she's coming from. In the very first episode, she ends up at Ben's and stands in the doorway yelling at him and arguing with him. The scene seemed quite familiar.
In other ways, it's almost depressing to watch because while it is well-written and it all makes sense within the context of the show, it's just not like real life at all. Guys don't break up with you and then five or six months later realize what a huge mistake it all was and make a grand romantic gesture to win you back. While there is so much more to the show, in simplest terms, it's almost just the love story of Ben and Felicity despite all the other men and women they date over the years. Somehow, they always end up back together after growing apart or separating for whatever reasons. And it's sweet and romantic, but it's not like there really is such a thing as soul mates, or meant to be. I can definitely see where watching this while younger could have somehow screwed up my ideas and perceptions about relationships. I wonder if this has anything to do with why it takes me so long to let go of things. Or did I simply like the show because it confirmed preconceived notions I already had way before then? Oh joy, it's like the chicken and the egg. Eh.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Stupid Peter
I just finished watching the second season of Heroes - I know I'm a little late in the game, but I'd heard it wasn't nearly as good as the first season, and as a result, wasn't in a huge hurry. Since I wasn't expecting much, it was definitely better than I expected. The main reason I was even halfway interested in the second season was due to the addition of Kristen Bell to the cast. So my main thing now is, could we please get someone whose superpower is intelligence and have him hang out with Peter for a while? Because, seriously, that guy lets himself get played way too easily. And every season when he's trying to go and save the world, it's his actions that would have actually led to the end of the world.
Another check in the stupidity column for Peter is the fact that one of his main concerns and reasons for wanting to stop the virus is because he stranded the woman he loved in the future - okay, well here's the problem with that - you left her in that version of the future - if you now change it, wouldn't you just either leave her in an alternate universe or destroy the future she's in, thus destroying her existence? The only way to save her was to go back to the future, bring her back to the present, and then prevent the future from occuring. She couldn't come back without you, and since you can only travel to the future and not parallel universes, you can't find her anymore, either.
From what I hear the third season is even more obnoxious. The problem is that they've chosen to make Peter the main guy for the most part, or the superhero, and he is rather boring. And easy to manipulate. I'm not saying a superhero can't be human, but how about displaying some damn common sense? There are a few characters that are much more interesting, and they barely get air time, or get really crappy, almost pointless story lines. For example, I liked Mica's cousin Monica (who got so much air time I barely remembered her name), but she didn't have much of a story.
Another check in the stupidity column for Peter is the fact that one of his main concerns and reasons for wanting to stop the virus is because he stranded the woman he loved in the future - okay, well here's the problem with that - you left her in that version of the future - if you now change it, wouldn't you just either leave her in an alternate universe or destroy the future she's in, thus destroying her existence? The only way to save her was to go back to the future, bring her back to the present, and then prevent the future from occuring. She couldn't come back without you, and since you can only travel to the future and not parallel universes, you can't find her anymore, either.
From what I hear the third season is even more obnoxious. The problem is that they've chosen to make Peter the main guy for the most part, or the superhero, and he is rather boring. And easy to manipulate. I'm not saying a superhero can't be human, but how about displaying some damn common sense? There are a few characters that are much more interesting, and they barely get air time, or get really crappy, almost pointless story lines. For example, I liked Mica's cousin Monica (who got so much air time I barely remembered her name), but she didn't have much of a story.
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Heroes
I finally ordered Heroes a few weeks ago. I’d wanted to get it because I’d heard good things on both Television Without Pity and Pajiba but then when it was actually released, I waited to get it because I didn’t want to jump on the bandwagon, and I’d heard the second season wasn’t quite as good. Once I heard that Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars!) was in the second season, though, I had to check the show out.
It was as good as everyone says; a bit corny at first, but that’s probably due to the fact that it’s very much like a comic book. In and of itself, it wasn’t exactly original and followed many of the formulas – the villain that had at one point been friendly with the good guys before turning to the dark side, a conspiracy theory with a sinister organization, etc. Like X-Men (I’m only familiar with the movies; actually I’m only familiar with the movie adaptations of any comic), the powers were a result of genetic mutations and the next step in evolution, and there’s a large slew of superheroes with different powers. When it comes down to it, it’s probably nearly impossible to be creative when it comes to superheroes and superpowers. After so many years and different creations, it’s not easy to come up with a new superpower, especially when series like X-Men or The 4400 have such a large variety of characters, and they all have to have slightly different abilities. The characters in Heroes had most of the usual powers: flight, telekinesis, ability to see the future, telepathy, super-strength, etc. Nothing too original, but it’s not like any of these ideas have been new recently. The Greeks had Icarus and Daedalus for flight (even if one of them failed), Hercules for extra human strength, and Teiresias, the seer, to tell the future as well as the Oracle. I can’t remember the Epic of Gilgamesh that well but I’m sure it, too, had some of those powers, and whatever stories and folklore preceded The Gilgamesh probably also contained those types of characters. I guess those ideas have always fascinated human kind, and the only new powers are a result and a reflection of changing cultures and new scientific discoveries (as an example, the kid in Heroes that can “talk” to machines and the man who was basically a walking nuclear bomb).
It was as good as everyone says; a bit corny at first, but that’s probably due to the fact that it’s very much like a comic book. In and of itself, it wasn’t exactly original and followed many of the formulas – the villain that had at one point been friendly with the good guys before turning to the dark side, a conspiracy theory with a sinister organization, etc. Like X-Men (I’m only familiar with the movies; actually I’m only familiar with the movie adaptations of any comic), the powers were a result of genetic mutations and the next step in evolution, and there’s a large slew of superheroes with different powers. When it comes down to it, it’s probably nearly impossible to be creative when it comes to superheroes and superpowers. After so many years and different creations, it’s not easy to come up with a new superpower, especially when series like X-Men or The 4400 have such a large variety of characters, and they all have to have slightly different abilities. The characters in Heroes had most of the usual powers: flight, telekinesis, ability to see the future, telepathy, super-strength, etc. Nothing too original, but it’s not like any of these ideas have been new recently. The Greeks had Icarus and Daedalus for flight (even if one of them failed), Hercules for extra human strength, and Teiresias, the seer, to tell the future as well as the Oracle. I can’t remember the Epic of Gilgamesh that well but I’m sure it, too, had some of those powers, and whatever stories and folklore preceded The Gilgamesh probably also contained those types of characters. I guess those ideas have always fascinated human kind, and the only new powers are a result and a reflection of changing cultures and new scientific discoveries (as an example, the kid in Heroes that can “talk” to machines and the man who was basically a walking nuclear bomb).
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