I'm really looking forward to House of Cards which Netflix will be putting up (all 13 episodes at once - binge alert!) on 1st Feb. I was a huge fan of the original UK series (I was 13 when it came out which in retrospect looks like slack parenting that I even saw it then but ... hooray for slack parenting) and all reviews of this have been very good.
I was just informed by my wife that Cumberbatch was the voice of, shit, did she call his character "Smog"? Some sort of big magician, and it was probably only his voice.
Mine, too. Was excited to see Kevin Bacon in a series. Tivo'd the pilot. Left it on and heard the screaming but really, those first violent images were enough for one night, so when I could tell more stabbing was on its way I looked at the laptop. Not sure if I will watch any more episodes. Hubby said, "He must be trying to one-up Kiefer Sutherland."
After a couple down seasons 30 Rock really went out with a bang this year. The last episode was both fun and sweet - yet another show to best Seinfeld. It had run its course, but I'll still miss it.
Just finished the first season of Downton Abbey. Both of us are very happy that we stuck with it. Looking forward to more episodes when they become available on Netflix.
Three weeks ago, CBS Sunday Morning did a story on The Real Downton Abbey (Highclere Castle). Interesting story that helps put the show in the context of actual events of the time.
@Doofy - All is right with the world. I love Fred Willard and would be happy with the switch, but that was just a gag even though Chevy Chase's character will not be around for all episodes and definitely won't make it to another season if the show does. The first episode was a blast - it's a shame the creator was booted, but without the Internet no one would have even noticed.
I tried to like Galactica based on near blood-oath recs by friends but I just couldn't get into it, and Blood and Chrome got squeezed out by other viewing.
Still hooked on The Following based on the first three episodes (only saw #3 yesterday) - shall see if it holds up.
Ripper Street (not as gory as the title might suggest) on BBC America is very good - Edit: got called away there. Matthew McFayden stars (the friar in Pillars of the Earth, first seasons of MI-5) as detective trying to hold it together in the squalid Eastchapel section after the time of the Ripper murders with the spector of Saucy Jack hanging over all. The guy who plays Bron in GOT (Tyrion's scarfaced associate) is his sidekick. Have quite enjoyed it so far.
I've been watching Galactica a bit on Netflix. The Portlandia episode about Galactica fans rekindled my interest after it had flagged, and it's gradually growing on me. I watch the old ones from time to time too; I recall it as something that was on, but I never got to watch it back in the day - I just thought it was cool because it was like Star Wars.
When I first started watching it, I thought it was a continuation of the old series; I thought Adama was the old Appollo, and the Colonel was the old Starbuck, and the new Starbuck was the new kid with his callsign and that's why he was so hard on her. I mean you just know that 1970's Starbuck would have ended up exactly like the Colonel after 30 years or so... I was a bit disappointed when I figured out it was just a reboot.
Apparently I've been sucked into The Following. It's a train wreck I can't stop watching for some reason.
I also can't help but think that in several years, the news is going to be full of similar real-life murders where it will turn out that the killers were 'inspired" by this show.
A chilling thought.
mommio, I've put CBS Sunday Morning on my Tivo. I'd heard about that Downton Abbey piece & meant to do it then.
Katrina, hubby is still watching The Following, but he assures me that it isn't my kind of show. CBS Sunday Morning, however, is definitely my kind of show. Hope it has something of interest for you.
Galactica had a number of flaws (especially that one season when it was like nonstop orgies) but overall it was really well done. The writing was very good, and they had no problem following through with some ideas that just had to be unpopular. And I, for one, really loved the ending.
We were disappointed by the BSG ending - in any case the Starbuck part of it. Seemed like they wrote themselves into a hole with that character that they just couldn't get out of.
I was disappointed in the "angels" aspect of the ending: that Starbuck had a special destiny and that the head people were real (or could see each other), and there was not attempt to explain either of them. I was okay with the Deus ex machina, if only because it was what was minimally necessary for sentient life to continue. I thought it was appropriate for a series that explored the realities and faults of religion and spiritual that divine intervention only came to save man from the brink.
The last episode I watched was a part one, where they found Cobol, and Starbuck flew the captured raider back to Caprica. I think it's awesome that the Raiders are alive, but wonder how they kept it from rotting.
I really don't get how the ending of BSG gets called a DEM. Just because something that may or may not be what we reference as God is involved? For 4 freakin' seasons the show talked about religion, faith, destiny, etc. and in the last episode we discover that it was all about... religion, faith, destiny, etc. I mean, if there had been almost no references to the "Gods" or the constant questioning of whether their paths were pre-determined then yeah, call deus ex machina on them. It's like how every quirky character in movies played by an attractive female gets labeled with that stupid "manic pixie dream girl" crap.
Sorry, this wasn't so much directed at you guys, but once I saw the term my white hot nerd rage boiled over...
I'm not sure that the DEM was entirely expected. From conversations with friends and online, some people were invested in the show being an aggressive discrediting of religion (to be understood in terms of Christian monotheism) that ought to end with the characters realizing that their conflicts were driven almost exclusively by religion.
Although some (or even most) people may not have expected that ending, it fit in with the themes and plot lines of the entire series. The issue that many of these people seem to have with the ending is that they wanted/expected it to take one particular path, but it took another. That doesn't make it a Deus ex Machina, it simply makes it a different show than they expected. I didn't exactly expect the ending, but it made sense that the "higher power" had been guiding them down a particular path and (perhaps due to resistance) had become more and more... forceful with directing them.
In the end they still use all of the technology familiar to us from the series to get where their going and don't just "poof" there. Even things like Starbuck being there but not really being there are not out of the norm considering the inner Six that was around from episode 1 and called herself an angel.
I guess my main point is that just because people didn't like the ending didn't mean that it was a cop-out or DEM. I didn't like the end of Lost because it sucked and they ignored 5 years of mysteries that they continually claimed were important, but it was at least still consistent within the realm of the show.
Okay, a BSG question that is also, perhaps, A SPOILER...
***
That scene when they first discover the human cylon dude (the one that's supposed to be with Starbuck. Leoben?). At the very end, before he's blasted out into space, he whispers into president rosalyn's ear that Adama is a Cylon, though without mentioning which of them is a cylon... father or son. Is that ever resolved? Or was it just some thing about the show ending with all of this has happened before stuff, and the assumption is that, yes, Adama is a cylon... so is everybody. Everybody has cylon in them. Was that it? I can't remember if that ever got answered. It's been about a year since I wrapped the final season up.
No, neither Bill nor Lee proves to be a Cylon. In Caprica, the prequel series, the consciousness of Bill's dead sister is reconstructed into a virtual entity, and her experiences of mistreatment (and those of Zoe Greystone, daughter of the inventor of Cylons) may have contributed to Cylon psychology, particularly their ideas about human aggression.
it fit in with the themes and plot lines of the entire series. The issue that many of these people seem to have with the ending is that they wanted/expected it to take one particular path, but it took another.
Generally, I agree. However, my own interpretation was more ignostic: neither the Colonials' Cycle nor the Cylons' Plan adequately explained divine will. Instead, there was some cosmic reset button that prevented sentience from being wiped out. Otherwise, history unfolded according to the actions of the people involved. If there was anything that directed history towards this reset, it was the propensity for discrimination and enslavement.
In fact I think that Deus ex machina is Latin for "wrote ourselves into a hole"! Really is so good in the early seasons, though.
It's amazing how much more satisfying the resolution would have been if Starbuck simply hadn't died.
I might need to start playing John Wesley Harding.
Comments
I was just informed by my wife that Cumberbatch was the voice of, shit, did she call his character "Smog"? Some sort of big magician, and it was probably only his voice.
After a couple down seasons 30 Rock really went out with a bang this year. The last episode was both fun and sweet - yet another show to best Seinfeld. It had run its course, but I'll still miss it.
I look forward to the new episodes of Arrested Development.
It appears that The Riches is next on our list.
Still hooked on The Following based on the first three episodes (only saw #3 yesterday) - shall see if it holds up.
Ripper Street (not as gory as the title might suggest) on BBC America is very good - Edit: got called away there. Matthew McFayden stars (the friar in Pillars of the Earth, first seasons of MI-5) as detective trying to hold it together in the squalid Eastchapel section after the time of the Ripper murders with the spector of Saucy Jack hanging over all. The guy who plays Bron in GOT (Tyrion's scarfaced associate) is his sidekick. Have quite enjoyed it so far.
When I first started watching it, I thought it was a continuation of the old series; I thought Adama was the old Appollo, and the Colonel was the old Starbuck, and the new Starbuck was the new kid with his callsign and that's why he was so hard on her. I mean you just know that 1970's Starbuck would have ended up exactly like the Colonel after 30 years or so... I was a bit disappointed when I figured out it was just a reboot.
I also can't help but think that in several years, the news is going to be full of similar real-life murders where it will turn out that the killers were 'inspired" by this show.
A chilling thought.
mommio, I've put CBS Sunday Morning on my Tivo. I'd heard about that Downton Abbey piece & meant to do it then.
Galactica had a number of flaws (especially that one season when it was like nonstop orgies) but overall it was really well done. The writing was very good, and they had no problem following through with some ideas that just had to be unpopular. And I, for one, really loved the ending.
I really don't get how the ending of BSG gets called a DEM. Just because something that may or may not be what we reference as God is involved? For 4 freakin' seasons the show talked about religion, faith, destiny, etc. and in the last episode we discover that it was all about... religion, faith, destiny, etc. I mean, if there had been almost no references to the "Gods" or the constant questioning of whether their paths were pre-determined then yeah, call deus ex machina on them. It's like how every quirky character in movies played by an attractive female gets labeled with that stupid "manic pixie dream girl" crap.
Sorry, this wasn't so much directed at you guys, but once I saw the term my white hot nerd rage boiled over...
I'm not sure that the DEM was entirely expected. From conversations with friends and online, some people were invested in the show being an aggressive discrediting of religion (to be understood in terms of Christian monotheism) that ought to end with the characters realizing that their conflicts were driven almost exclusively by religion.
Although some (or even most) people may not have expected that ending, it fit in with the themes and plot lines of the entire series. The issue that many of these people seem to have with the ending is that they wanted/expected it to take one particular path, but it took another. That doesn't make it a Deus ex Machina, it simply makes it a different show than they expected. I didn't exactly expect the ending, but it made sense that the "higher power" had been guiding them down a particular path and (perhaps due to resistance) had become more and more... forceful with directing them.
In the end they still use all of the technology familiar to us from the series to get where their going and don't just "poof" there. Even things like Starbuck being there but not really being there are not out of the norm considering the inner Six that was around from episode 1 and called herself an angel.
I guess my main point is that just because people didn't like the ending didn't mean that it was a cop-out or DEM. I didn't like the end of Lost because it sucked and they ignored 5 years of mysteries that they continually claimed were important, but it was at least still consistent within the realm of the show.
***
That scene when they first discover the human cylon dude (the one that's supposed to be with Starbuck. Leoben?). At the very end, before he's blasted out into space, he whispers into president rosalyn's ear that Adama is a Cylon, though without mentioning which of them is a cylon... father or son. Is that ever resolved? Or was it just some thing about the show ending with all of this has happened before stuff, and the assumption is that, yes, Adama is a cylon... so is everybody. Everybody has cylon in them. Was that it? I can't remember if that ever got answered. It's been about a year since I wrapped the final season up.
Cheers.
No, neither Bill nor Lee proves to be a Cylon. In Caprica, the prequel series, the consciousness of Bill's dead sister is reconstructed into a virtual entity, and her experiences of mistreatment (and those of Zoe Greystone, daughter of the inventor of Cylons) may have contributed to Cylon psychology, particularly their ideas about human aggression.
Generally, I agree. However, my own interpretation was more ignostic: neither the Colonials' Cycle nor the Cylons' Plan adequately explained divine will. Instead, there was some cosmic reset button that prevented sentience from being wiped out. Otherwise, history unfolded according to the actions of the people involved. If there was anything that directed history towards this reset, it was the propensity for discrimination and enslavement.
It's amazing how much more satisfying the resolution would have been if Starbuck simply hadn't died.
I might need to start playing John Wesley Harding.