Television round-up

[dbskyler]

Hello everyone, and happy new year!

I haven't posted for awhile, mostly because I haven't had much to say. I am not currently feeling very fannish about anything. But right now, I am in the mood to talk about how I am not in the mood to be fannish. So here, have a post. ;)

First off, Doctor Who. It was the fandom that brought me to Teaspoon, and then to LJ, and then here. (It hasn't yet brought me to Tumblr, though, which is a problem since that seems to be the place where most people are hanging out now. Oh well, I shall remain here with my charmingly old-fashioned typing words and expecting people to read them method of communication.) I was so incredibly excited to have a female Doctor, and I couldn't wait to see what they did with Thirteen. And then we got last season, and I really didn't enjoy it. Then I saw part one of "Spyfall," and don't even think I want to bother with part two. I am just not enjoying Doctor Who. It's a very sad feeling. The only thing that makes it somewhat okay is the knowledge that eventually I am likely to enjoy it again. After all, I stopped watching Classic Who in the Sixth Doctor era for pretty much the same reason, and look what's happened since. Also I did go back and watch "The Pandorica Opens" today to remind myself of what a great Doctor Who episode is like, and I can happily report that I still loved it to absolute bits. So it's not the show itself that I no longer enjoy, just the current era.

In other TV news, I am watching The Good Place, and they are winding down the series and I am finding it very disappointing. The show was great in season 1, and mind-blowingly fantastic in season 2, but it's been a lot more Medium Place ever since. So I'm not really caring now about how they decide to end it.

Also, I just started watching The Orville, which is an interesting show, but I doubt that I will become fannish about it. The latest episode I saw, "Majority Rule," was pretty heavy-handed social commentary, although it did make me feel nostalgic for Sliders, which is an old TV show that perhaps no one on my flist has seen. But the "Majority Rule" planet would have been an excellent alternate Earth in a Sliders episode.

But I did just hear about some new TV show coming out with Hugh Laurie in it called Avenue 5. Does anyone know anything about this? Apparently Hugh Laurie is again using an American accent, which I find amusing. It also looks like it might be something that I would really enjoy. It is, alas, on HBO, which I do not have, but maybe I should look into finally getting it? Here, have a trailer and judge for yourself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8Zr3f-_Ft8

Comments

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

Wrote too much. Part 1/2

Hiya! Oh what a year this has been. I always wanted to reply to this post but then with everything happening it did not seem important anymore.

How are you? Still out there kicking I hope?

I am not much on LJ either anymore. I still have like 5 dedicated friends who comment on the figure pictures but otherwise this is a desert. If I look back what wonderful conversations we used to have. Shame. I am mostly on Twitter these days, having fallen into the Star Trek Voyager World now, deeply, and making new friends. And buying new figures and writing new fanfictions. It has helped me coping with the epidemic and I will be forever grateful for that.

So, Orville. I have a friend who in general always reads episode or movie synopses before watching to avoid bad surprises. I did warn her of this scene in advance so it would not shock her. I wonder if that would be a way for you as well? Because honestly, you stopped right before it got good. I mean, really really good. Middle to end season 2 Orville is on fire, one episode better than the previous, culminating in a wonderful finale. We are still waiting for season 3 (soon, hopefully) so this would be the perfect time to get back into it and be ready for that.

As for Alara, don't worry, she is still out there, even made a guest appearance later. She just went home to live with her parents. If you never saw the ending of "Home", it is a beautiful scene of them all hugging her good-bye, with lots of tears in their eyes, and I think they did not have to act much there. And then Ed returns to his desk and finds a jar of pickles and smiles. I love that scene.

The actress wanted to move on to other things and had a big role in "Prodigal Son".

Episode 4, the one where Teleya returns, is actually one of my favorite. You did not like it? The way she kidnapped Ed but he still was a gentleman with her and even saved her life on the planet when they were stranded? I loved that. And the scene in the end, when he returns to the bridge, his eyes, so sad. Nobody shall ever say again Seth is a bad actor. He blew me away there. That is the episode that made me from a casual watcher into a fan with repeated watchings (because I went back to season 1 where we first met Teleya) and writing fanfictions and watching countless Seth videos, interviews and his wonderful singing I had no idea of.

Everyone agrees that episode 5 (the one with the astrology planet) is the only one bad episode of the whole series. Not very well written, does not make much sense and also has some odd violence at the end with Kelly and Bortus shooting the soldiers.

If you don't want to watch much more, watch at least episode 6 and also episode 11. I beg you. Both are considered probably the best. Both deal with relationships, love, definitely no torture in those, I promise. Just great relationship stuff that touches your heart. Even the guys admit they had some tears in their eyes at the end of episode 11 In episode 6 we even get to see the orchestra that plays the Orville soundtrack music, I love that. Such a great episode from start till finish. I bet you will love it too. It is just round and complete.

To be continued in part 2/2

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

And part 2/2

There are those that say that season 2 concentrates a bit too much on relationship stuff and not enough on space exploration, but I really love this part of the series. Also the humor got much better, compared to season 2. Better blended in and not as offensive.

Episode 7 has a great theme, like Star Trek used to do, makes you think about current things in the world. I don't want to spoiler too much, I'm sure you can find episode synopsises if you like. But this one also blew me away in the end. It also shows the new Xeleyan girl Talla. I did love Alara very much and I was very apprehensive if I would like the new girl as well, but it did not take long for us to fall in love with her. She is very different, more mature and a big mouth at times, but also really great in her way.

Episodes 8 and 9 is a two parter with a big space battle that the boys enjoyed a lot and say it was well done, but I don't really care for that CGI stuff. Then, I am a girl ;)

Episode 12 made us all into Dolly Buster fans. I did not really know her beforehand to be honest, other than the name, but one of her songs features quite heavily, it is a great woman power episode and I then went to see the musical while I was in London. I never have seen the movie but I had great fun, and almost the whole audience were women, old and young. We had a blast.

Episodes 13 and 14 kinda belong together as well, with a time travel story and its implications of slight change, huge impact. No cliffhanger thankfully, but a great ending.

So I really hope you'll give it another chance, I want to take a bet that you will love it after finishing. So far all my friends who I told to watch ended up loving it. Will you try? For me?