Speak Up Saturday

[misbegotten]

Welcome to the weekly roundup post! What are you watching this week?

Comments

[jo]

I watched a couple of amazing documentary series this week. First up was Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland (BBC). It's a personal, soul-baring take on life in the country from 1969 to 1998, during The Troubles. It features paramilitaries on both sides sharing their truths, and is a journey into trauma, regret, redemption, the terrifying ease with which civil war can spring up, and how there is always hope for peace – even when it seems impossible.

I followed that with an older (2015) true crime documentary, The Jinx (HBO). The reason why I watched it is because there's a part two coming in 2024, and the Guardian referred to the original as having "one of the most extraordinary endings to any television programme in all history", which certainly piqued my interest. I'd never heard of it prior to reading about the upcoming Part Two.

I also finished season 1 of Reacher, season 2 of The X-Files and started in on season 3.

[china_shop]

First up was Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland (BBC).

Oh, that sounds fascinating.

[jo]

I can't recommend it enough. It's really moving/heartbreaking -- I found myself tearing up many times, wanting to hate some of the people they spoke to because of what they'd done, but not being able to, etc.

[feurioo]

Watching:
Analog Squad: I like it!

The Curse: Only two episodes left, and I hate the fact that I currently dislike Asher the least. It's just that he's so genuinely pathetic and oblivious. No idea how this interpersonal train wreck is supposed to end.

My Lovely Boxer: I'm trying to catch up on all the K-dramas I missed throughout the year. So far, a really cute show. I'm already spoiled re: some of the show's shortcomings, so not sure if I will finish it.

Love Me: Mainly started it because it was included in a Guardian article about the best Australian shows of 2023. Cannot say much at this point... but Hugo Weaving is in it!

Movies: Tout simplement noir (French satire about social justice, particularly intersectionality in the Black community in France), The Lost City (never finished it), No Hard Feelings (liked it)

Other thoughts:
- Rest in peace, Lee Sun-kyun. I will never forget the first time I saw your beautiful smile in Coffee Prince. <3
- Elsbeth release date: Feb. 29 (Source)

[yourlibrarian]

I've never seen Coffee Prince but sorry you lost a favorite this year

[china_shop]

We've been out of town for most of the week and haven't had time for TV, but last night we watched Jen Kirkman's Just Keep Livin'? stand-up special, and then started season 3 of Slow Horses. (No spoilers, please! I've read the book, but the TV version seems a little different... or maybe I've just forgotten.)

Still going on the same two Kdramas -- Welcome to Samdal-ri has introduced a slight mystery about why the main couple broke up in the past, which has improved it a fair bit imo.

[starfleetbrat]

I subbed to britbox through amazon recently so watched a bunch of british crime series: six four, redemption, the tower, chasing shadows, Crime S2, Sebastian Fitzek's Therapy, Wolf etc

Most of them were pretty good but short lived.

Watched the last three eps of Zom100, which I didn't enjoy as much as I had the earlier eps. I think because it got a bit serious.

Watched the Doctor Who Christmas special. I loved the new Doctor and Ruby and have so many theories about Mrs Flood and some other things, but otherwise I thought it was a lacklustre episode and that it wasn't very Christmassy for a christmas episode.

Otherwise there hasnt been much TV wish to watch, everything is on a break. I did watch the recent ep of The Curse which, sigh, I am not loving but continue to watch in the hopes there is a payoff somehow. I think my issue with it is that it isn't really escalating much in terms of story. Its just plodding along and every episode is kinda the same. I guess that might be the point somehow, since its a satire, but it's exhausting to watch imo. Also in case anyone missed it, the first ep of "fliplanthropy" (the show they are making in the show) is up on Nathan Fielder's youtube channel. I only came across it by accident, not sure if it was advertised anywhere.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbg8lZ5hGDk

[jo]

Most of them were pretty good but short lived.

By short-lived, are you referring to most having only 4-6 episodes? That's pretty normal for UK-produced shows.

[starfleetbrat]

no, I meant that there was only one season, and in some cases they ended with a set up for a S2 that never happened. :(

[jo]

They might still happen. British programs, particularly BBC productions, often have a gap of more than 1-2 years between the various series of a show. Look at Happy Valley -- series 1 aired in 2014, series 2 in 2016, and the final series only in 2023! I know there will be a series 3 of The Tower -- it's based on Kate London's Metropolitan trilogy. Wolf might be back -- it's also based on the novel "Wolf" by Mo Hayder -- and is the last in that series of novels (the Jack Caffery series), and Wolf is actually the last one in the series. I don't know if they've decided yet to adapt any of the other novels.

[yourlibrarian]

Ah I remember The Tower, I thought it was well done. Maybe by the time I get Britbox again there will be another season available.

[feurioo]

otherwise I thought it was a lacklustre episode and that it wasn't very Christmassy for a christmas episode.
Same. For me, the best parts were the characters and their interactions. Didn't care much about the big bad.

Re: it not being very Christmassy (spoiler warning)

I thought it was really weird how Ruby simply left her family behind at the end. No further thought about her mom, grandmother, or little sister, especially after the early scenes with them worked so well. Plus, Carla really broke my heart in that non-Ruby timeline.

If there had been some kind of happy reunion between all the family members first, that would have given me the Christmas vibe I wanted. Like that, it just felt pretty jarring and strange.

[yourlibrarian]

I tried out Lockwood & Co but skipped out halfway through the 1st season. I skipped through a lot of ST Prodigy but did finish S2. I've been trying out Locke & Key, and been watching some Blacklist.

[annavere]

My partner got into his yearly re-watch of The Wire and I got sucked into watching it with him, despite the pile of shows I haven't finished yet. It's just so excellent it's hard to say no to. Every time I pick up on some new detail I previously missed. Some incredibly minor character who reappears. A parallel image. A theme encapsulated. It's the gift that keeps on giving.