Speak Up Saturday

[misbegotten]

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

Bonus question: If you could write fan fiction based on any of the TV you watched this week, which program would be your source material?

Comments

[jo]

Since last Saturday I have:

Binged all of True Detective, which I enjoyed, but felt it could have used a couple more episodes maybe? I don't think it was quite as good as season 1, but I also don't get all the hate for it either coming from some (mostly male) parts of the internet.

Binged a 3-part British mini series called Breathtaking, based on the book by Rachel Clarke, a palliative care doctor with the NHS. This adaptation from Jed Mercurio (Line of Duty) perfectly captures the chaos, the impossible decisions and the utterly shameful government failings during Covid (mostly focusing on 2020, before we had vaccines). I hadn't planned to watch all three episodes back to back but that's what I did. I highly recommend the series if it ends up on anything accessible to you. It's hard to watch, and I cried at times, but people need to remember and understand.

Finished the final season of Scott and Bailey, which wasn't difficult as it was only 3 episodes, sadly. Excellent series, highly recommend.

Started season 7 of my X-Files revisit.

Watched some returning weekly shows: CSI Vegas, FBI, Curse of Oak Island, Ambulance, Will Trent, the British and Canadian Pottery Throw Downs. And... the premiere episode of Law and Order Toronto: Criminal Intent. It's... OK. I really, really like one of the main actors and the character he plays, enough to keep watching just for him. The story was fine, but there were a couple of things that gave me pause. Like when the cops turned up to search a place, nobody mentioned a warrant? It is required, they can't just turn up and search your house. Also, when the suspect was arrested, they didn't read them their rights. I know many Canadians are very familiar with the US's Miranda rights because we get all the US cop shows, but we have our own version based on rights guaranteed by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It would have been good to include that so that viewers could hear the differences.

[wearing_tearing]

I agree with your True Detective thoughts! I keep seeing people comment online about how awful it was, but I had fun with it and what it set out to do.

[yourlibrarian]

I hadn't heard of Breathtaking but sounds like my recent watch of The Railway Men. Tough view but important.

[delphi]

Darn, I was really hoping that with the different production teams, Law & Order Toronto wouldn't be following its parent show's approach to (mis)representing legal rights. It would especially be a good opportunity to create a distinct sense of place by focusing on the specifics of our legal system with regard to things like Charter rights and the requirements of the Criminal Code.

[8hyenas]

Probably The Way or season 4 of True Detective.

I stupidly started The Way it bc I thought all the episodes had been released but no. I'm not good at waiting.
I've been thinking a lot about where I hope the show goes so I've already got the plot lol.

And season 4 of True Detective had some things I adored and a few I feel need some fic to fix.

[jo]

I stupidly started The Way it bc I thought all the episodes had been released but no.

I don't know where you're based so I don't know how you're accessing The Way, but all three eps are available on BBC iPlayer, and on various torrent sites if you're not geographically able to use iPlayer.

[executrix]

It sounds weird, but even though I haven't seen S2 of Schmigadoon and I wasn't crazy about the first season*, I enjoyed the hell out of Broadway By Ghostlight's S2 episode breakdowns and interviews with the amazing choreographer. I never got around to writing that S1 fix-it fic where Danny Bailey gave Mrs. Manlove some much-deserved ecstasy.

*It's a doughnut show--i.e., the leads and lead performers are less interesting and appealing than the supporting characters and cast.

[yourlibrarian]

I have never heard that term before but it makes sense!

[shadowkat]

Of this, I would agree. I watched most of S1 of Schmigadoon and I liked everyone but the leads, which I realized may be a problem?

[jenab]

I've mostly been binge watching the Dynasty reboot over the past few weeks and just finished it. It was such a fun and campy show and I enjoyed many of the characters and the antics they got up to.

[yourlibrarian]

Did this originally run on the CW? I remember hearing about the reboot but it also seemed like it was here and gone.

[bleodswean]

Finished True Detective. Working on fic now. I do think the show failed the main characters, but the outer edge was filled with archetypal symbolism and I'm here for it.

Watched the movie Life. It blew me away. It's good and it's depressing. Scary and frustrating.

Also, still thinking about the older show I stumbled upon week before last, and I think most everyone here would LOVE it! One season although it seems as though they wanted it to be a framework show. Anyway - The Lost Room!

[wearing_tearing]

Good luck with the fic writing!

[jo]

Also, still thinking about the older show I stumbled upon week before last, and I think most everyone here would LOVE it! One season although it seems as though they wanted it to be a framework show. Anyway - The Lost Room!

I managed to find an actually complete torrent for it (the first one I tried downloaded only 3 episodes), so I will give this a go at some point!

[yourlibrarian]

I've rotated onto Prime and sort of watched the latest season of The Boys. I don't see myself watching more -- too gory and unpleasant overall.

Have just started Daisy Jones and the Six. Plan to watch Lochwood this week, but also want to start on the new season of The Bad Batch.

Otherwise have been watching movies -- major thumbs up for The Marvels and Quiz Lady.

[misbegotten]

I stopped watching The Boys in the first season because it was too gory for me. Kripke at his worst. It's a pity, because the cast sure is good.

[shadowkat]

Is The Marvels on Disney + now? Been waiting for it.

Curious what you think of Daisy Jones and the Six? I keep coming in and out of it. I think I stopped at episode six or seven. I think there's ten in all?

Lochwood? Is this Lochwood & Co?

Agreed on The Boys - too gory and unpleasant for me as well. I gave up after two episodes in S1.

[shadowkat]

Right now, I'm obsessed with a story thread on General Hospital - which may or may not pan out. So I'd write fanfic about it - although no one would read it. That's a really frustrating fandom to be in. [It's a mystery thread about a killer targeting mobsters who is a literal ghost or dead man, that I've become convinced is the dead son of one of the lead characters (a mobster) and the ex-lover of the woman who is staying with and hooked up with said mobster. And damn, that story would be good. Fifty percent of the cast mourned him.

I finished True Detective - it stuck the ending. Very satisfying. Only 6 episodes. On HBO Max. Worth a watch.

Halfway through Ted Lasso S2.

Working my way through Fire Country - but may take a break and go back to 9-1-1 or try Will Trent.

I'm also flirting with Echo (which I couldn't get into a while back) or Loki S2.

Been watching All Creatures Great & Small on PBS. Losing interest in Miss Scarlet & the Duke. Can't quite get into Funny Woman.

Flirting with How to Sell a Haunted House, and getting back to Surreal Estate.

I may do a rewatch of Bridgerton. I'm in a mood for soapy snarky romance or a thriller.

[wearing_tearing]

Yay for also liking the ending to True Detective!

[wearing_tearing]

Finished True Detective: Night Country and very much enjoyed the ending! Sometimes there are just stories :D

Caught up with Masters of the Air episode 6 and it was interesting. There are some questions as to why they decided to shift some historical/real life things around and make other things up, but it was a good episode with some emotional impact.

Tried House of Ninjas and couldn't get into it :(

[feurioo]

Continued A Killer Paradox. I really liked the angle they seemed to be going for but somehow the plot's getting confusing and I'm slowly losing interest.

Did I mention that I started watching Mr. and Mrs. Smith a while ago? I think it's a perfectly okay show, only a little bland when it comes to the actual spy stuff. I wouldn't mind an excellent relationship drama with minimal spying involved but the writing is simply not good enough for that.

I also watched the first episode of Beasts Like Us on Prime. Terrible!

On my to-watch list:
- Long Time No Sex -- which has a terrible title but stars two cuties, Esom and Ahn Jae-hong.
- Fune wo Amu: Watashi, Jisho Tsukurimasu -- if the subbed episodes ever appear online. :'(
- Wedding Impossible.
- Men on Prime.

[shadowkat]

Thanks for the take on Mr and Mrs. Smith - I'd been flirting with it. That type of series is really dependent on good banter - if it's not there - it won't work. So far The Diplomat was the only one that had great banter.

Haven't heard of the rest of them - which goes to show you the sheer number of television series that are out.

[queer_scribbling]

All Creatures Great & Small - US airing of the Xmas special as S4E7. Not terribly surprising. (When someone says that something should 'be around Christmastime', it's clearly not surprising when that happens in the Xmas special.)

Fire Country - S2E2. Well, the 'tell Bode repeatedly that he just needs to put his head down and follow instructions' aspect feels a lot like season one.

Sharon related spoilers

The S1 finale had her going off to surgery to get the kidney transplant she'd been waiting for, and I could understand that the six month time jump in S2E1 meant we wouldn't need to get into the finer details of surgical recovery. However, I wasn't expecting this season to seem to do a "everything's fine" sort of route. Unless we're not going to see something until later this season, it's almost like there's no post-transplant differences in her life at all. I can understand not wanting to have surgery complications, organ rejection, or something serious, but like... Is she not taking any anti-rejection medications at the very least? (Last season included enough medical scenes at home that I don't think showing this character taking some pills or having a week-day pill organizer would be a stretch.)

Also: Tracker (S1E2), and Will Trent (S2E1).

[shadowkat]

So, in regards to Fire Country - I'm midway through S1, does it get better in S2? I was hoping Bode would move out of the prison/Three Rock camp?

Is the second episode of Tracker better than the first?

[lycomingst]

Will Trent, Resident Alien and I finally figured out how to watch Ghosts. It was a struggle.

I'm going to miss Monsieur Spade.

[yourlibrarian]

We just watched the first episode of Ghosts (US) new season. Is Resident Alien back as well? I noticed Netflix has picked up the series.

[delphi]

Around the World in 80 Days (2021): I watched episodes 2 and 3 this week and enjoyed them. The show is wobbly on its legs in a way that's hard to pin down. The acting is uniformly great, and the show is visually interesting, but there's just these little weaknesses with the writing, pacing, and especially the scoring in parts that keeps it from being an absorbing watch for me. That said, it's very shippy with regard to the central trio, and episode 3 in particular was incredibly conducive to a whole slate of iddy fannish interests of mine, so I have absolutely no enduring complaints. (watching on CBC Gem)

Very Important People: This is the improv show where the guest gets a surprise makeover into a ridiculous-looking character and then has to improvise who that character is over the course of a "just above public-access television" tier talk show. This week's guest was Zac Oyama, who hit the double whammy of creating a very funny character with the extra absurdity of not basing it on any of the character's most unusual physical attributes. I think my favourite episodes are still the one with Denzel the Alien and the one with host Vic's Ex-Stepgrandmother, but Tommy Shriggly was still a great addition to the season. (watching on Dropout)

[misbegotten]

I know what you mean about the shakiness of AtWo80D. I loved the cast and the trio's emotional logistics but I drifted away from finishing the series because something about the story wasn't grabbing me. I really should go back and finish it.

golden oldies

[egret]

I've been bingewatching the series Law and Order SVU and in season 8 there's a multiple episode guest appearance by Connie Nielsen, who played the emperor's sister in Gladiator. In L&O, she's a detective in a sex crimes unit. I wanted to write a fanfic where the aristocratic lady of Ancient Rome who was so abused and manipulated by men time travels to the modern day police force where she can hand out justice to abusive men and work out her issues. Not sure who the love interest would be; many directions are possible. Would be happier if someone else wrote it so I don't have to. LOL. I'm sure no one cares about this ancient media.

Re: golden oldies

[misbegotten]

Would be happier if someone else wrote it so I don't have to.

The lament of the fanfic writer! :D

[dwell_ondreams]

I just started rewatching The Clone Wars & Psych. Mom & I are watching Columbo.

I'd definitely be writing Clone Wars fic because I just watched the episode where R2 gets kidnapped by Grievous & Anakin rescues him & I want to write all about Anakin & R2's friendship.

Though, I could also write some Shawn Spencer/Lassiter fic, lol.