What I have been watching
Jan. 22nd, 2015 06:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shapinglightDunno why anyone would be interested, but what the hell. Better to post something, isn't it?
Anyway, what have I been watching? Well, not Agent Carter, for a start, as there was no new episode this week. Booh! Hope it's back next week?
I did watch the first episode of Wolf Hall last night, though.
Spoilers for that behind cut, plu-us mention of the second Hobbit movie (long version), and of BtVS season 1.
I loved Wolf Hall. Found it completely gripping from beginning to end, with perhaps the only false note for me being that I thought the actress playing Liz Cromwell was too young and pretty. But never mind, it was only a small thing, and the scene where Liz and the Cromwell girls die (their deaths are spread over two years in the book, but it obviously works better to smoosh them into one terrible tragedy) was quite heart-rending - mainly due to Mark Rylance being such a bloody good actor. In fact, the actors were all brilliant - wonderful cast, though I'm not quite sure so far of the performance of Claire Foy, who playes Anne Boleyn. In episode one, Anne came across to me as a rather ghastly Tudor version of someone from Made in Chelsea. It'll be interesting to see how she develops.
It all looked wonderful too.
Otherwise, I've now watched the long version of The Hobbit: the Desolation of Smaug, and am beginning to wonder if my critical faculty has given up the ghost completely. Because I enjoyed it - really, really enjoyed it. Enough to snag and upload a nice Thorin icon when I saw it over on Dreamwidth. Unlike in the first movie, where I thought the extra scenes in the long version actually detracted from it, in the second they really do add something. I especially appreciated getting the Beorn scene more like the one in the book, and the revelation of what happened to Thrain. Also, the dragon scenes are just really, really good. So there.
Finally, having access to Netflix is like having the best new toy in the world. For one thing, I can watch BtVS whenever I want, without having to go and root around in storage for my DVDs.![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
quinara was saying she fancied doing a complete re-watch, and I'm up for that, but I'm afraid I've jumped the gun slightly and already watched Welcome to the Hellmouth and The Harvest. My opinion of the episodes hasn't changed much from when I watched them in 2008 (reviews here) but have to add firstly, that though I still find Xander annoying, I'm more inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt now and think that, okay, he comes across as whiny and self-absorbed in The Harvest when Buffy doesn't want him to come with her to rescue Jesse, but then again, he's a sixteen year old boy. Being whiny and self-absorbed is practically a given.
In other words, there are certain characters where I'm aware of rushing to judgement on them far too easily, and I'm going to try and not do it any more.
That said, early season 1 Angel actually annoys me more this time around than he did back in 2008. I can't help thinking that Joss was muttering to himself, "I do not want this character in my show! I do not want this character in my show!" when he was filming the first Buffy/Angel scene in WttH, and determined to make Angel as useful to Buffy as a bump on a log - which is about how useful he is in this two-parter. Not to mention his needless cryptic-ness (that is a word, so there!) is very irritating. Why can't he just tell Buffy what's going on? Is it some kind of test?
Highlight of both episodes IMO is the Buffy/Giles confrontation in the library in WttH, after the first dead body has turned up in the locker. Right from the start, SMG and ASH have their characters absolutely nailed and the chemistry between them is wonderful. And Buffy/Giles really is the make or break relationship in season 1. Yes, Xander and Willow are important, but Buffy and Giles and their father/daughter relationship are the centre around which this season of the show revolves.
That's how I felt anyway.
Anyway, what have I been watching? Well, not Agent Carter, for a start, as there was no new episode this week. Booh! Hope it's back next week?
I did watch the first episode of Wolf Hall last night, though.
Spoilers for that behind cut, plu-us mention of the second Hobbit movie (long version), and of BtVS season 1.
I loved Wolf Hall. Found it completely gripping from beginning to end, with perhaps the only false note for me being that I thought the actress playing Liz Cromwell was too young and pretty. But never mind, it was only a small thing, and the scene where Liz and the Cromwell girls die (their deaths are spread over two years in the book, but it obviously works better to smoosh them into one terrible tragedy) was quite heart-rending - mainly due to Mark Rylance being such a bloody good actor. In fact, the actors were all brilliant - wonderful cast, though I'm not quite sure so far of the performance of Claire Foy, who playes Anne Boleyn. In episode one, Anne came across to me as a rather ghastly Tudor version of someone from Made in Chelsea. It'll be interesting to see how she develops.
It all looked wonderful too.
Otherwise, I've now watched the long version of The Hobbit: the Desolation of Smaug, and am beginning to wonder if my critical faculty has given up the ghost completely. Because I enjoyed it - really, really enjoyed it. Enough to snag and upload a nice Thorin icon when I saw it over on Dreamwidth. Unlike in the first movie, where I thought the extra scenes in the long version actually detracted from it, in the second they really do add something. I especially appreciated getting the Beorn scene more like the one in the book, and the revelation of what happened to Thrain. Also, the dragon scenes are just really, really good. So there.
Finally, having access to Netflix is like having the best new toy in the world. For one thing, I can watch BtVS whenever I want, without having to go and root around in storage for my DVDs.
quinara was saying she fancied doing a complete re-watch, and I'm up for that, but I'm afraid I've jumped the gun slightly and already watched Welcome to the Hellmouth and The Harvest. My opinion of the episodes hasn't changed much from when I watched them in 2008 (reviews here) but have to add firstly, that though I still find Xander annoying, I'm more inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt now and think that, okay, he comes across as whiny and self-absorbed in The Harvest when Buffy doesn't want him to come with her to rescue Jesse, but then again, he's a sixteen year old boy. Being whiny and self-absorbed is practically a given. In other words, there are certain characters where I'm aware of rushing to judgement on them far too easily, and I'm going to try and not do it any more.
That said, early season 1 Angel actually annoys me more this time around than he did back in 2008. I can't help thinking that Joss was muttering to himself, "I do not want this character in my show! I do not want this character in my show!" when he was filming the first Buffy/Angel scene in WttH, and determined to make Angel as useful to Buffy as a bump on a log - which is about how useful he is in this two-parter. Not to mention his needless cryptic-ness (that is a word, so there!) is very irritating. Why can't he just tell Buffy what's going on? Is it some kind of test?
Highlight of both episodes IMO is the Buffy/Giles confrontation in the library in WttH, after the first dead body has turned up in the locker. Right from the start, SMG and ASH have their characters absolutely nailed and the chemistry between them is wonderful. And Buffy/Giles really is the make or break relationship in season 1. Yes, Xander and Willow are important, but Buffy and Giles and their father/daughter relationship are the centre around which this season of the show revolves.
That's how I felt anyway.