What Are You Watching

[DiapDealer]

I'm still getting at least one out-loud guffaw from something Alan Tudyk says/does in S3 of Resident Alien. But I'm missing being able to binge, so I may take a break from the weekly Thursday viewing on Peacock and let a few episodes pile up.

Same with the new season of Will Trent on Hulu. Still liking it, though.

I also started watching the new "Tracker" show (based on Jefferey Deaver's Colton Shaw character). Not bad, but there's just a little too much "magic" assistance going on for me to believe in the logistic/financial viability of Colton's chosen profession. The dribs and drabs we get of his overarching backstory are usually far more interesting than the individual episodic self-contained plots, but I'm not sure how long his family history can a) continue to be doled out, and/or b) make up for the unbelievable and lackluster "cases" each week.

[poohbear_nc]

I got bogged down in S2 of Resident Alien - lost its humor for me - or maybe the novelty of his reaction to Earth life - does it pick up later in the season? I stopped watching around episode 4.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I'm still getting at least one out-loud guffaw from something Alan Tudyk says/does in S3 of Resident Alien. But I'm missing being able to binge, so I may take a break from the weekly Thursday viewing on Peacock and let a few episodes pile up.

Same with the new season of Will Trent on Hulu. Still liking it, though.

I also started watching the new "Tracker" show (based on Jefferey Deaver's Colton Shaw character). Not bad, but there's just a little too much "magic" assistance going on for me to believe in the logistic/financial viability of Colton's chosen profession. The dribs and drabs we get of his overarching backstory are usually far more interesting than the individual episodic self-contained plots, but I'm not sure how long his family history can a) continue to be doled out, and/or b) make up for the unbelievable and lackluster "cases" each week.

Actually, you've just saved me a post. That's pretty much how I feel about all three. Trying/tried/watched all 3. I'm sleeping through Resident Alien, mostly. Other than the occasional guffaw, as you mention, it's just not that funny and it's getting very soapy.

I started out liking Will Trent but far less this season than last. Not sure what's missing but it too is a bit soapy, versus "crime" for my tastes.

And the Tracker thing...well, I can't say what I think is bogging it down. But it's a bit magical, yes. Like finding a thing in the woods because your magic hacker can find the wildlife cameras...yowzers.

Hitch

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

I got bogged down in S2 of Resident Alien - lost its humor for me - or maybe the novelty of his reaction to Earth life - does it pick up later in the season? I stopped watching around episode 4.

It's a been a bit, but I do seem to recall a bit of a slow stretch in season 2. A little too much focus on the D'Arcy character, if I'm remembering right. I was never really tempted to stop, though. So if you were, it might not pick up enough for you to continue slogging through.

I've got this thing with TV where I don't always have to be entirely focused on the show to enjoy them. Unless there's a ton of twisty-turny plot wrangling to keep straight, I'm happy to have them just running in the background until something captures my interest again.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Hitch

And the Tracker thing...well, I can't say what I think is bogging it down. But it's a bit magical, yes. Like finding a thing in the woods because your magic hacker can find the wildlife cameras...yowzers.

Not to mention magic handlers willing to drop whatever they're doing to take care of his every whim. He's able to pay his 2 handlers, the hacker wiz, and the lawyer, as well as keeping himself on the road in a huge truck/airstream with reward money? Then there's the part where he obviously cares enough about his clients to make an impact on them, yet hugging while handing over huge checks doesn't seem weird to anyone involved?

Anyone have any input on the novel version?

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Not to mention magic handlers willing to drop whatever they're doing to take care of his every whim. He's able to pay his 2 handlers, the hacker wiz, and the lawyer, as well as keeping himself on the road in a huge truck/airstream with reward money? Then there's the part where he obviously cares enough about his clients to make an impact on them, yet hugging while handing over huge checks doesn't seem weird to anyone involved?

Anyone have any input on the novel version?

Eggsactly. I mean, what's the what? Is he paying those broads or are they meant to be family-ish? Adoptive mums or the like who just sit around waiting for him to call all day? Hell, I *do* have minions that I pay to sit around all day waiting on my beck and call and even they won't be so...available. Sheesh.

And yes, the whole "ICareAboutYouSoMuchGimmeTheCheck" thing...enough. There's nothing ignoble about working for money. We ALL DO IT. That's why we do it--to eat. Not a damned thing wrong with it. He can be compassionate and all that and still want to earn his daily bread; it doesn't need to be hidden.

Blergh.

Hitch

[cc_in_oh]

Slogged through the David Tennant Around the World in 80 days. I HATE it when the try to turn a book into 1 episode of TV. This goes overboard in the opposite direction - a few decent mini-adventures and way too much filler. 5 or 6 eps would have been more than enough. Still, kind of fun to revisit a sanitized version of the Jules Verne era...

[ownedbycats]

Star Trek S2E08: The Doomsday Machine

While answering a distress signal, the Enterprise comes across a solar system with a bunch of smashed-up planets and the U.S.S. Constellation, which looks like it's seen some better days:



The only person still aboard is Commodore Matt Decker, the ship's captain. He's obviously traumatized, so Kirk decides the best thing to do is shake him around and yell at him. (McCoy sensibly tells him to knock it off.)



Anyways, they get the rest of the story from him (and the captain's logs): while also investigating the smashed-up planets, the Constellation came across a "devil" which trashed the ship pretty badly. Decker decided to evacuate the crew, staying behind till the last. Of course, in true Trek fashion, the transporter malfunctioned and stranded him on the ship.

And then, in what is a very obtuse moment from Captain Kirk

KIRK: Matt, where's your crew?
DECKER: On the third planet.
KIRK: There is no third planet!
DECKER: Don't you think I don't know that?

Anyways, McCoy and Decker go back to the Enterprise, while Kirk, Scotty, and a couple of techs stay behind on the Constellation.

But for some utterly baffling reason, McCoy decides to bring him to the bridge rather than to Sickbay.



Just in time for our new friend to show up:



(This was one of the first Trek episodes I ever watched. This scene where the titular Doomsday Machine first appears left a very profound impact upon me.)

During the attack, the Enterprise and the Constellation get separated and are unable to communicate with each other due to the weapon giving off huge amounts of subspace interference.

Decker is rather pissed that Spock doesn't want to just throw the Enterprise against the planet-killer that trashed his own ship. In true Trek fashion he pulls rank and takes command of the Enterprise.

He kicks McCoy off the bridge. (McCoy must regret not dragging him to Sickbay.) The other crew observe the power struggle.





Meanwhile, back on the Constellation, Kirk and Scotty are trying to fix things up. Kirk finally gets one of the viewscreens up and running... and sees the Enterprise just uselessly blasting away at the giant planet-killer with phasers. "What the devil's going on?"



This one screencap does not adequately express the "have you gone out of your Vuican mind, Spock???" expression on his face.

Meanwhile, Scotty the Miracle Worker has managed to not only get some maneuvering power out of the Constellation, but one of the phasers recharged — just in time to distract the planet-killer from dragging the Enterprise inside.

Oh, and once they get back into communication, Kirk is not happy to find out Decker's taken command:

KIRK: You mean you're the lunatic who's responsible for almost destroying my ship?!

He commands Spock to take command. Decker won't budge. Spock threatens to have him arrested. Decker accuses him of bluffing.

"Vulcans never bluff."



He has one of the guards escort Decker down to Sickbay. Decker instead attacks the guard and steals a shuttle, intending to "take this thing right down its throat." Kirk and Spock try to talk him out of it. They fail.



Godspeed, Matt Decker.

Anyways, this does do some damage to the planet-killer. It gives Kirk an idea:

KIRK: Am I correct in assuming that a fusion explosion of 97 megatons will result if a starship impulse engine is overloaded?
SPOCK: No, sir. 97.835 megatons.
KIRK: ... 97.835.

Yes, you can probably see where Kirk is going with this. He plans to have Scotty rig up a detonation device so that Kirk can ram the Constellation right down that thing's throat. Unlike Decker, he plans to beam out before getting blown up.

And... yup, in true Trek fashion:



There's something kind of funny about Kirk piloting a self-destructing spaceship into an ancient planet-eating superweapon and very calmly going "Gentlemen, I suggest you beam me aboard."



Fortunately, Scotty the Miracle Worker gets the transporter fixed in time to pull Kirk back to the Enterprise.



Godspeed, Constellation.

The planet-killer is dead. The galaxy is safe... well, until next episode. Spock wonders if there's more of them floating around. Kirk hopes not, because he found the one quite sufficient.

Also: The music on this one is awesome.

[Rumpelteazer]

Earlier this week my sister and I started with Shogun. Which we both really enjoyed.

After we caught up with that we watched the first episode of The Woman in the Wall, with Ruth Wilson. We're not continuing with it. It just didn't catch our interest in the first episode and it suffers from hard to hear dialogue.

Last night we watched Damsel on Netflix, with Millie Bobby Brown. It was an entertaining movie.

[Solitaire1]

Watched a recap of an anime about a young woman who wants to die because every time she makes skin-to-skin contact with someone they suffer horrible misfortune. As an example, her parents were getting ready to leave on a plane and she gave them a goodbye kiss. The plane exploded.

It's not just that one time but all though her life events like this keep happening so she decides to end her life to end the curse. But then she encounters a man who saves her life and it turns out that he can't die but wants to. No matter how severe the injury (including being crushed to a pulp, decapitation, loss of all limbs, severe blood loss) he can make a full recovery.

He hopes that with her curse she would be able to allow him to die. The two end up unlikely partners.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Rumpelteazer

Earlier this week my sister and I started with Shogun. Which we both really enjoyed.

After we caught up with that we watched the first episode of The Woman in the Wall, with Ruth Wilson. We're not continuing with it. It just didn't catch our interest in the first episode and it suffers from hard to hear dialogue.

Last night we watched Damsel on Netflix, with Millie Bobby Brown. It was an entertaining movie.

Yeah, the Woman in the Wall did not do it for us. We didn't even make it to the end of the first episode, sadly. And I mean that because, so far, the dearth of remotely decent stuff to watch this winter is appalling.

So far, I'm enjoying, to some extent (too many stupid people though) The Gentlemen, on NFLX.

Hitch

[poohbear_nc]

I too could not make it through episode 1 of The Woman in the Wall - even though I would watch Ruth Wilson in almost anything.

Indeed a dearth of winter viewing - I've returned to the Colin Dexter multiverse - Morse, Lewis, Endeavor - still enjoyable to watch.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

I too could not make it through episode 1 of The Woman in the Wall - even though I would watch Ruth Wilson in almost anything.

Indeed a dearth of winter viewing - I've returned to the Colin Dexter multiverse - Morse, Lewis, Endeavor - still enjoyable to watch.

Yup, it just...didn't work for us at all. Of course, the opening was a bit eye-rolling-ly theatrical.

(Dexter-verse): That might be an idea. The geezer has always been a huge fan of Morse, so...maybe that's a plan!

Hitch

[neil_swann80]

Shogun - so far it's living up to the hype.

[DiapDealer]

As much as I abhor trying to read TV, I've been watching the 2007 TV adaptation of the novel Three-Body Problem (simply called Three-Body). The captions fly by much too quickly to get a good glimpse of what's happening in the background (let alone get a good feel for various characters' appearances and mannerisms), but the humor of the novel still seems to shine through. I may switch to the new Netflix version when it soon debuts.