Telly/Book-related grousing

[shapinglight]

I persisted with the Daredevil series on Netflix, though I'm really not sure why. It's very violent and I don't like any of the characters.

Plus...

Spoilers behind cut



...I realised when watching episode 9 last night - the one written by Christos Gage (the current Buffy comic writer) and his wife - that Gage's tendency to repeat himself and bang the same message home over and over again isn't just a problem with his comics writing.

Yes, I get it. Foggy and Karen (who I'm sure I'm supposed to think are a cute couple, but who are just getting on my nerves now) are upset over the death of the old lady, stop going on about it. Also, I couldn't care less what the Kingpin's childhood trauma is, or that, after the death of his father, Matt was 'brought up' by a raging psychopath (a completely insufferable raging psychopath). Can we get to the big showdown, or whatever, and get it over with, please?

You're probably wondering, if you hate it that much, why the hell are you watching it, aren't you? I know I would be.

All I can say is it's probably for the same reason that, when I start a book, I feel impelled to go on and finish it, even if I hate it. Case in point: the first Game of Thrones book, which took me six months to read and which I wanted to throw in the bin long before the end. But I'd started it, so I had to finish it. Same is true of the book I just finished the other night, Heresy by SJ Parris, the first in a series of historical detective novels (very popular at the moment, as I'm sure you all know) featuring the Renaissance philosopher and proto-scientist (if that's the right description) Giordano Bruno.

With such a fascinating historical character as the hero it should have been interesting, shouldn't it? Instead, I found it clunky and irritating, with some wince-inducing anachronisms, and the number of adverbs the author packed into almost every sentence was really irritating (see icon).

Shan't read any more of them - not even to find out if the story (who knows how many books down the line) will end the way Bruno's story actually ended, with him being burned at the stake by the Inquisition.

Shan't watch the next series of Daredevil either (because there's bound to be another, everyone seems to love it except me).

Best of all would be if I could just give myself permission to stop watching/reading stuff mid-read/watch if I decide I don't like it. :(

One day, maybe.

On a less grumpy note, I've galloped through my rewatch of The Americans season 1 and am now on season 2. It's so, so good! I hope season 3 will come out on DVD eventually, but who knows? Amazon Prime have the two earlier seasons on demand. Season 3 will probably go that way too. And anyway, the days of the box set are probably numbered, which is sad.

Oh well.

Comments

[tx-cronopio.livejournal.com]

Hee! Gotta love LJ. Among my flisters who watch TV, half are agreeing with you and half are saying it's the bestest thing ever. I'm pretty behind on series, so my decision as to whether to watch is not immiment.

With books, I got to the point where I realized that I had a finite number of books left to read. If I don't love it within about 50 pages? I'm done. (I used to be like you, had to finish a book i started! Not any more.)

[shapinglight]

I'm glad I only bought one book in the series, both of GoT and of this Giordano Bruno thing. Better not to have bought any of course, but too late now. ;)

Lots of people think Daredevil is wonderful, I know. I did think the first five or so eps were good, even if I didn't like them very much. Now, I'm just getting bored with it all. Still, I've got this far and there are only four episodes left, so I suppose I might as well watch to the bitter end.

[liliaeth]

I'm surprised you didn't like it. Especially since it was one of the best written shows I've seen since 'In the Flesh'.

But then I loved every single character on it, even the bad guys.

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

Ugh, I didn't even make it through the whole of the first episode. It was pointlessly violent. I didn't like any characters and every 5 minutes another woman was pointlessly victimized, preferably by a POC.

The visuals were not half bad and the credits are very pretty but that is not nearly enough to watch on.

I'll stick with IZombie and Jonathan Strange instead. Those shows are really enjoyable.

[kathyh]

I knew there was a reason why my inner book radar told me not to try Heresy :) I'll follow your advice and avoid it!

[chasingdemons.livejournal.com]

Glad you're still enjoying the Americans. I'm not much of a reader, but I know there have been shows where I was pretty meh about it and then halfway through the series, I suddenly got into it. Maybe you're thinking that will happen? Still, it would be nice to be able to just call it a day sometimes. Think of the opportunity cost.

[kazzy-cee.livejournal.com]

Interesting comments - I like Daredevil, but my favourite character gets killed off which is annoying.

I didn't get along with The Americans and Mr Cee and I gave up on it about half way through Series 1. Not sure why really, only that we got tired of it for some reason. Maybe I should give it another go.

I hated the first Game of Thrones book and finished it, but have not gone further with the books. I haven't seen the series either as we don't get Sky Atlantic but it doesn't appeal to me much. My youngest son loves it, and I expect that's because it's aimed at his demographic of 20-30 something males.

[shapinglight]

Horse for courses, I guess. There's not a single character in it I like or want to know more about.

[shapinglight]

I agree the level of violence is gross. I don't see why it has to be. The Wire, which dealt with some similar themes of crime and corruption in a way, managed to do so with a lot less gratuitous violence. And it is gratuitous, just like so much of the violence in GoT. I grit my teeth and get through that because I'm invested in the characters. I'm not invested in these.

I did read the original comics story a lot of it's based on - Frank Miller's run on the Daredevil title - and was very impressed with it then. I don't think I would like it now, though.

[shapinglight]

Well, it's possible you might like it. ;) I just...didn't.

[shapinglight]

Glad you're still enjoying the Americans.

Do you watch it? I forget. I love it, have to say - and yes, there are occasional violent scenes, including one that I couldn't watch, but it never feels gratuitous to me.

[shapinglight]

I like Daredevil, but my favourite character gets killed off which is annoying.

I'm afraid I don't like any of them enough to care if they get killed off. Well, maybe Clare, but even then I don't think I'd be heartbroken.

My youngest son loves it, and I expect that's because it's aimed at his demographic of 20-30 something males.

Pretty much. 'Course, so is Daredevil.

[chasingdemons.livejournal.com]

Yes, I am watching the Americans. Really enjoyed season three. I just didn't feel it was necessary in this case to say I really liked it since you have to wait. But on the other hand, it sounds like you've got a much bigger list of reading/watching than I do anyway. You could count the shows I watch on one hand. I enjoyed the first two seasons of Netflix House of Cards, and I have season three on the back burner. Annoyed that there are so few episodes of Game of Thrones left. It felt to me like they spent at least the first five episodes setting the scene.

[shapinglight]

Yes, I am watching the Americans. Really enjoyed season three. I just didn't feel it was necessary in this case to say I really liked it since you have to wait.

I have actually seen season 3, by 'other' means, which I justify using to myself by saying that I'll buy the DVD set when it comes out. That said, maybe there won't be one? Maybe streaming it from Amazon Prime (which I don't have) will be the only way?

If that is the case, there'll be no way for me to watch it legally beyond getting a Prime account (which is bloody expensive compared to Netflix) because the terrestrial TV channel over here that used to show it isn't doing so any more. :(

Anyway, I thought it was great, and boy, did it end on a cliffhanger!

Annoyed that there are so few episodes of Game of Thrones left. It felt to me like they spent at least the first five episodes setting the scene.

I agree. It definitely felt like that. I wonder if it could have anything to do with the fact that the show was given seasons 5&6 when season 4 was still airing? They may have complacently thought they can spread all the storylines over both seasons.

[sibilant.livejournal.com]

Yes, this season of GoT feels like it's only just getting started, although it's halfway through. Not impressed; compared with the speed and action of the other seasons this has been slow and, dare I say, a bit uninvolving?

I want to watch Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, but not until I've read the book. However, as I've had the book years and not read it yet, that might not happen anytime soon! Maybe the series would spur me on to read the book? Though that didn't happen with GoT - couldn't even finish the first book.

As for other TV, I loved 'Orange is the New Black' and look forward to its return. Quite fancy 'the Americans' too...

[shapinglight]

The Americans is great. And I highly recommend the book of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norell. It really is wonderful.