Telly Stuff

[shapinglight]

More personal post to follow.

Behind cut, telly thoughts, with spoilers for the season finale of Agents of SHIELD, slight spoilers for the Daredevil series on Netflix, also, more griping about Marvel comics.

So, only of interest to me, probably. ;)



I finished my BtVS re-watch. Found the last five episodes a disappointing way to end the series in many ways. That said, I for the most part enjoyed it enormously. I'm even considering starting again from the beginning quite soon.

So that tells you something, and could well explain why I periodically delete my icons to do with other dead TV shows but can't bring myself to delete the BtVS ones.

Agents of SHIELD isn't a dead TV show but I've deleted my icons anyway. I thought the first part of season 2 was a vast improvement on season 1, but the second half has been a complete let down. The plot of the show is so obviously in thrall to the whole Marvel Cinematic Universe bid for world domination that it hardly matters what happens in it. Also, I ended up yet again not caring about any of the characters (well, Hunter and Bobbi are okay, though only because Hunter's a Brit and the actress who plays Bobbi looks (almost) tough enough to do the things she does), and finding SHIELD as an organisation a bit Fascist.

I mean, don't your hackles automatically rise when people start wanting to 'index' other people? I know mine do. I don't care how 'noble' their motivations are, or if the leader of the people they want to index turns out to be a homicidal nutcase.

But it's not just that, of course. Frankly, after the way the comics arm of Marvel has shown themselves so willing to throw twenty years of comics universe continuity down the toilet to bring the comics more in line with the movies, I just don't care what they do any more. Also, all that eye-rolling by Marvel big cheeses about paranoid X-Men fans who're worried their favourite characters might get shafted because of the whole Marvel/Fox snarling at each other over the fence about character rights business is well and good, but it looks to me like the paranoia is not ill-founded.

For a start, the final scene in the AoS finale showed exactly how Marvel plan to replace the X-Men with the Inhumans.

So, yeah, I'm not sure I'll bother with another series of AoS for all sorts of reasons, from sour grapes about what Marvel are doing/have done to characters/relationships I've loved for decades, to not finding the AoS characters/situations at all compelling, to finding some of them quite repugnant.

Chief among the repugnant situations was the drawn-out Ward/Agent 33 torture of Bobbi Morse. I hate torture scenes anyway (is there anyone who actually likes them?). Didn't need something like that to be reminded that Ward is a rabid dog and the world would be better off is he was put down like one. Yes, he's more interesting now he's evil - definite Angel/Angelus parallels there - but he still isn't that interesting. I'm glad that at least Bobbi called him on his whining self-pity. About time someone did.

Meh!

Actually, speaking of Marvel and violence, I'm finding the Daredevil series on Netflix tough-going because of how violent it is. I know that probably sounds weird coming from a GoT fan, but the thing is, I've become invested in the characters in GoT (well, some of them), enough to grit my teeth and endure the violence (usually by shutting my eyes and not watching it). With this show, I've no incentive to do that so far. Okay, it's well written etc, but Daredevil was never one of my favourite Marvel characters (Frank Miller's run on the book is a classic, of course, but apart from that I'm not much interested).

I probably will keep watching, though. For the moment anyway, though more because the in-put of various Joss-related alums (Petrie, DeKnight, Goddard - even Christos Gage, though he hardly counts) means that the scripts have some zing to them.

I am invested enough in the characters from The Americans, though, to keep watching no matter what happens, and despite the violence. I'd kept my DVDs of season 1 out of storage (actually thought I'd have time to watch DVDs last year. Silly me) so since the BtVS rewatch ended I've started watching them. It is such a good show. It really is. And I can't help rooting for Philip and Elizabeth despite the awful things they do.

Only other thing of note TV-wise is that the BBC adaptation of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell starts on Sunday. Can't wait. It's a long time since I read the book - long enough, I hope, that I can treat the TV series as a whole different animal.

Anyone else read the book, or planning on watching the series?

Comments

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

Anyone else read the book, or planning on watching the series?

Me! I loved the books! And I didn't know, they were doing a series. Thank you so much for telling me! I'm absolutely going to watch!

It's been a while for me too but it was a truly brilliant read and I wish Susannah Clarke had written another novel. I really liked the brand of crazy Mr. Norrell was. It was just like Jane Austen in that respect, because you felt, like you knew the people she was talking about. I laughed my ass off, when Strange complains to his wife, how Norrell always hides things from him, and then forgets and references them, while Strange has to pretend he didn't notice.

[shapinglight]

Me! I loved the books! And I didn't know, they were doing a series. Thank you so much for telling me! I'm absolutely going to watch!

It's seven parts long as well, so hopefully they will be able to do the book justice (though sadly they probably won't have filmed any of the footnotes).

I wish Susannah Clarke would write something else too. Maybe she'll produce something else eventually. It did take her 10 years to write this, after all.

Have you read her book of short stories, The Ladies of Grace Adieu?

Also, did you get my pm saying I'll be away next week until Thursday?

[tx-cronopio.livejournal.com]

Thinking about Daredevil, although your report of the violence does give me pause. GoT violence is awful, too, but like you, I'm attached to the characters, and also having it set in such an imaginary universe makes it a little easier for me to take.

Might watch JS&MN -- I am one of the only people in the world who could not stand the book. Tried it three times, never got further than 150 pp or so. Still, the series could be quite different.

I always come back to Buffy! Although, as you know, I generally skip most of S7 :).

[shapinglight]

Thinking about Daredevil, although your report of the violence does give me pause.

I've watched two more episodes now but almost didn't get through the second one. The level of violence is actually quite awful. And it's not comic book style violence, as in the Marvel super hero movies. It's done in a gritty, realistic style. More like the latest Batman movies, only even more so.

Sorry to hear you didn't like Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. I loved it. I only wish my copy wasn't in storage because I'd like to read it again.

I always come back to Buffy! Although, as you know, I generally skip most of S7 :).

Having just watched season 7 I don't really understand that, have to say, except for the last two episodes. Which ones do you watch, then, or do you always stop your rewatch at the end of season 6?

[tx-cronopio.livejournal.com]

I will watch Selfless, Storyteller, Conversations with Dead People, and Chosen. And that's only if I'm really, really bored :).

What can I say? People differ.

[shapinglight]

That they do. Those are all good episodes bar the last one, which is a bit crap, IMO.

When I rewatch again I'll probably just leave out the last two episodes altogether.

[spikereader.livejournal.com]

I'm planning on watching Jonathan Strange - though it might have to be on catch up as I'm not sure it's Chris's cup of tea. I am also reading the book though - had meant to some years ago but for one reason or another never got started with it. I wasn't sure to start with but am getting into it now and will be interested to see how it translates to TV.

[shapinglight]

I love the book so can only say persevere. It gets better and better.

IMO anyway.

[slaymesoftly.livejournal.com]

I could have done very nicely without the torture scene - Although I was happy to see Bobby get a bit of her own back, at least for a while. I'm still watching it, just don't necessarily consider it "must see TV".

[shapinglight]

Same here. I didn't care about what happened in the cliffhanger either. I think I may just not bother with the next season.

[thismaz.livejournal.com]

We have sort of lost interest in AoS. We watched the first episode of season 2, but the rest have just built up. I suspect we will end up deleting them without watching them.

Am looking forward to Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, though.

[shapinglight]

We have sort of lost interest in AoS. We watched the first episode of season 2, but the rest have just built up. I suspect we will end up deleting them without watching them.

It's pretty forgettable. Plus its' storylines and character development are all in thrall to the Marvel Cinematic Universe masterplan. It makes it very hard to get invested.

Am looking forward to Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, though.

Me too. Even though I have deep, deep dislike of Mark Warren. I hope they slap enough makeup on him that he's unrecognisable.

[yourlibrarian]

I've been seeing ads for Jonathan Strange on BBC America and was wondering about the series. I'm not sure if it's starting here at the same time but as a bunch of shows have just ended we've got some space on the schedule.

I figured I'd check out Daredevil at some point but it seems to be doing well and in any case, the whole season is available so I didn't feel any urgency about it.

I wasn't all that thrilled about S2 as a whole but I know I'll check out S3. It's still one of those shows I don't feel really compelled to see but also don't dislike enough to stop watching. In fact, I can't say there are any shows on right now I feel really fannish about -- and my favorites, strangely, are comedies. But you never can tell from one season to another or with new ones popping up faster than ever.

I'm glad to hear your Buffy love is still going strong though :) Good shows hold up, it's as simple as that.

[shapinglight]

I'm glad to hear your Buffy love is still going strong though :) Good shows hold up, it's as simple as that.

That they do. I'm loving The Americans second time around as well.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell started last Sunday over here. I loved it. Wonderful stuff.