tv_talk | Speak Up Saturday

I feel as if I've mostly watched tennis, tennis and more tennis, what with the US Open in full swing. And also some baseball. But after thinking about it, I did watch some non-sports:

Three Body Problem -- my husband and I FINALLY finished watching this -- the last two episodes. Really enjoyed it.

Homicide: Life on the Street: still on season 1, also very much enjoying it.

The Ark: I was a couple of episodes behind with season 2, but I'm caught up now.

Who Do You Think You Are?: I love genealogy shows, and there's a new series of the UK one, so caught up with that.

KAOS: I didn't really want to start this one right away because I have other shows I need to finish first, but I did watch the first episode and enjoyed it very much.

I need to finish Vikings Valhalla, The Jetty, and Bad Monkey (don't think all the eps have dropped yet for this one).

I am looking forward to series 2 of Sherwood (waiting until I have all the eps). And was quite intrigued by the news that there might indeed be a season 4 of Ted Lasso at some point in the future...

Edited 2024-08-31 15:40 (UTC)

I watched lots of good stuff this week!

DNA Lover: After they introduced a priest as a character and kept talking about pregnancy being something between a husband and a wife, it just struck me as more conservative than I'd like. Dropping this for now.

The Frog: Very stylish and atmospheric. I guess, you really have to appreciate the vibe of this show. Otherwise, you'll think they could've told the same story in five or six episodes. My main disappointment: I wish Lee Jung-eun's character could've been brilliant when it mattered. Throughout the show, she was characterized as a person with a keen investigative sense but I never really saw that brilliance properly realized on-screen.

Love Next Door: Cute first episode. I'm not a friends-to-lovers fan but I dig the antagonistic vibe between the leads. So far, I also like the ML more than the FL lead -- which rarely happens. Just loved his introductory scene with the funeral director!

No Gain, No Love: Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes and I cannot wait to see how this show does it. I liked everything about the first two episodes: A calculating, cold FL, a goody-two-shoes ML who likes to bicker with our FL, the foster family relationship between FL and her two sisters (one of them the 2FL, who is a romance web novel writer), and the 2ML, a chaebol heir, who is in an odd office war with his male secretary.

Only Murders in the Building S4: Dropped the last season because I couldn't stand it. However, the new season started on a super funny note and I finally remember what I loved about this show in the first place.

Sidenote: I'm so sad that Renegade Nell (see icon) was canceled. The news has been out for a while but when I looked it up a couple of weeks ago, the producers still sounded excited about a second season. It had so much potential! And even if it hadn't developed into a sapphic direction (see icon, but there's also another lady who could excite Katie McGrath!Morgana lovers), I still would have cheered for the potential F/M couple simply because I adored the actors and their chemistry. Hell, if there hadn't been any romantic storyline, I would have been fine with it for the strong family relationship between the three sisters. All in all, it is a huge waste. I'm sure this show would have found its audience if properly advertised.

On my to-watch list: Represent, Kaos, Cinderella's Curse (2024 horror movie)

I'm really excited about Cinderella's Curse because the trailer makes it look like a perfectly trashy B movie. There's another 2024 Cinderella horror movie, Cinderella's Revenge, which I will check out later.

Edited 2024-08-31 15:42 (UTC)

Ooh, excited to see Roh Yoon-Seo in the trailer for The Frog. It is very violent?

And No Gain, No Love sounds great. I love Shin Min-A. (Where are you watching it? It's not on Netflix, is it?)

Also, that's great to hear about Only Murders. I've been putting off season 4 because season 3 was not really my thing.

It is very violent?

I wouldn't recommend it if you are sensitive to violence.

Where are you watching it? It's not on Netflix, is it?

It's on Prime!

I've been putting off season 4 because season 3 was not really my thing.

Same. I thought they would get another case and that I would understand everything major that's changed from context clues. The one thing I hated the most about s3, the "project", seems to be completely over and forgotten in the s4 premiere.

Good to know, thanks!

Oh, are there a lot of Kdramas on Prime? I notice there's hardly any on Apple TV (that I can find, anyway), but Apple TV seems to lean prestige-drama-ward, rather than being broadly indiscriminate like Netflix. ;-)

I can't even remember what the "project" was. I must have blanked it out. ;-p

Oh, are there a lot of Kdramas on Prime?

No idea, to be honest. The only K-dramas I ever watched on there were No Gain, No Love, Marry My Husband, and My Man Is Cupid. They seem to have a couple of K-dramas but nothing that stands out to me, and it is hard to search for them (even if you search "k-drama prime", they show you tons of unrelated titles with several K-dramas missing that I know they have).

The best way is to figure out the genre code and search on the web, then add titles you're interested to your queue. Try:

https://www.netflix.com/browse/genre/2638104 - K-Dramas (2638104)
https://www.netflix.com/browse/genre/67879 - Korean TV Shows (67879)
https://www.netflix.com/browse/genre/81594537 - K-Dramas Dubbed in English (81594537)

Is there something similar for Prime?

Oh good lord -- I don't know why my brain "helpfully" supplied Netflix instead of Prime. Let me check if I can find cheat codes for Prime.

Amazon URLs are a mess, but I still think it's easier to search for things in a web browser and add stuff to your queue. If you go to a title you already know, you can find the "International" subgenre. I think that's the best way to find all their Asian dramas, rather than trying to do so via Amazon's "Drama" category. From International you can choose a regional subcategory.

Try this: https://tinyurl.com/99b436f4

Thank you! That helps a lot! :D

The best way is to figure out the genre code and search on the web, then add titles you're interested to your queue. Try:

https://www.netflix.com/browse/genre/2638104 - K-Dramas (2638104)
https://www.netflix.com/browse/genre/67879 - Korean TV Shows (67879)
https://www.netflix.com/browse/genre/81594537 - K-Dramas Dubbed in English (81594537)

ETA: This is what happens when I try to do comments without coffee. You were asking about Prime not Netflix. Sorry!

Edited 2024-09-01 12:24 (UTC)

Thanks for that! ♥ Netflix is relentlessly upfront with its Kdramas, but that doesn't mean I'm seeing them all.

Finished "The Magicians" yesterday. That turned out to be a good series. The first two seasons are somewhat problematic, but Seasons 3-5 are playful and rather innovative, also they really subvert some die-hard fantasy tropes here, including ones that are apparently in the books. Hint? Quentin the protagonist in the books isn't the lead protagonist in the series, that's kind of split between an ensemble. I was surprised by it.

Now, flirting with Into the Bad Lands. I'm kind of in between series at the moment. There's a few I need to finish, 3 Body Problem, Scavenger's Reign, the Ark...but I'm not sure if I will. Also Only Murders in the Building - still haven't made it through S3, and I think we're on S4 now? It keeps threatening to end, but gets stretched out for another season, while other shows I like better get cancelled. Television remains as ever unpredictable.

I saw E3 of Quirke, as Colin Morgan guested on it. It was sufficient to clue me into the overall plot, which was somewhat interesting but not enough for me to watch the whole thing.

I did see all the episodes of Catch me a killer. It was about the first police profiler in South Africa, all true stories apparently. The show noted at the end that South Africa was the country with the second highest rate of serial killers. It didn't mention the first, and my first instinct was to suspect it was the U.S. However it was astonishing how many concurrent serial killers they had there and the ghastly amount of deaths (usually dozens). I don't think mass shootings count as serial killings, though if they do I imagine the U.S. would be first.

Saw all of Good ship Murder which I watched mostly because I enjoy cruises and thought there would be a lot about the boat and travel. And to be fair there was a good bit of this, with each episode taking place in a different port. However the show just didn't grab me. If it comes back for a S2 I don't think I'll watch it.

Saw all of Jamaica Inn which had some twists in the story but ultimately just came off as dreary and depressing.

Have started The Commander and will give it a go as it seems each season is just 2 episodes.

Have also been watching Inspector Lynley. I made a post this week about the issue of adaptations. While so far I have preferred the TV episodes to the books, there was one episode in S3 where I felt there was a lot missing from the book and a 2 episode treatment would have been better. Also, I could have sworn the book had a different killer and I wondered if it was changed to make the TV series more palatable to viewers.

Still watching For All Mankind, which continues to be good, but we got slightly diverted into Bad Monkey, which is a black comedy crime drama based on a Carl Hiaasen novel. It's set in Florida and the Bahamas, full of weirdness. I'm enjoying it.

Finished Strange Planet, which was sweet and observational, and have watched one episode of the Australian dark comedy drama, Totally Completely Fine -- not sure yet whether we'll continue with that.

And in Kdramas, I'm still watching Love Next Door and a little more Romance in the House.

I am slowly making my way through Outlander , and I am surprised by how much I enjoy the latter seasons (I'm halfway through season four right now), considering that the fannish discourse on Reddit made it sound like they are the worst thing ever (but then again, the discourse I have seen for that fandom so far has weirded me out a lot). Sure, sometimes the romance tropes get a bit much for this "not really into romance novels" person, but I knew the genre going in, and it helps me get a better picture of what tropes I do like in what form.

I have also very casually begun watching 9-1-1 (I'm on episode four of the first series), and so far I like all the characters, though Hen is my favourite so far.

And although it has already been two months since I watched it, Turn: Washington's Spies has completely eaten my brain and shocked my writing muses awake. I'm hip-deep in historical research for it, and for the first time in a decade a pairing grabbed me round the throat and forced me to write them. So I'm sitting here, basically plotting out an alt!history series set in the Early American Republic *sighs* Help?

Aaah! It's been a while since I saw anybody mentioning Turn: Washington's Spies. I got into it for Burn Gorman (Hewlett) and I remember reading so much fic about him. I wish you lots of fun in this fandom! :D

Aaah! It's been a while since I saw anybody mentioning Turn: Washington's Spies. I got into it for Burn Gorman (Hewlett) and I remember reading so much fic about him. I wish you lots of fun in this fandom! :D

Right now, it feels kinda like a fandom of one because no-one in my circle is in there and the fandom seems dominated by self-insert fics, which I don't go for, really. So I'm basically writing by myself right now, and just bothering the poor, unsuspecting peeps in my circle once a week :D

And yes, Burn Gorman was great in this (let's be fair - the whole cast is just phenomenal and what sells the show), though I remember thinking that he seemed a bit wasted in season one. But I really enjoyed it once Hewlett's arc kicked off and ended up with Anna/Hewlett as my primary canon and het ship of choice.

So I'm basically writing by myself right now, and just bothering the poor, unsuspecting peeps in my circle once a week :D

Haha, I know this type of suffering very well. :)

Oh, has it gotten that bad with the reader fics? I think I got into the fandom shortly before season 3 came out and the Anna/Hewlett hype was at its height. While I loved the show as a whole, my main attention was always on Hewlett, Anna, and Mary.

let's be fair - the whole cast is just phenomenal and what sells the show

Definitely! Such a talented cast and so much chemistry.

and ended up with Anna/Hewlett as my primary canon and het ship of choice.

They will always have a place in my heart. (Having said this, I just discovered a Hewlett/Abe fic and though I sincerely disliked Abe throughout the entire series -- except for those moments where I thought he was being genuinely clever --, I now absolutely have to read it.)

Haha, I know this type of suffering very well. :)

I tell myself it's not that bad because I always take care to also post about other fandoms, to lessen the blow.

Oh, has it gotten that bad with the reader fics? I think I got into the fandom shortly before season 3 came out and the Anna/Hewlett hype was at its height. While I loved the show as a whole, my main attention was always on Hewlett, Anna, and Mary.

Potentially, things are worse for me because I'm in the weird position where Ben is my favourite character, but I'm not a Ben/Caleb shipper, and the pairing that actually hit me over the head (Ben/André) is all of seven fics and no WiPs strong *sighs* But yes, there are a lot of reader fics and modern AUs and whatnot, though Anna/Hewlett is still going strong.

And oh yes, Mary was phenomenal, wasn't she? I love the fact that she nearly offed Simcoe when none of the boys could *heh*

They will always have a place in my heart. (Having said this, I just discovered a Hewlett/Abe fic and though I sincerely disliked Abe throughout the entire series -- except for those moments where I thought he was being genuinely clever --, I now absolutely have to read it.)

I felt much the same way about Abe: I like him the best when he is being clever and sneaky and a lot less when he's petulant and angry and jealous. By the end, I was thoroughly bored of Abe/Anna, and the epilogue can go die in a ditch, if you ask me.

Oh yes, I have that fic bookmarked as well, and I'm looking forward to reading it a lot. For the most part, I'm quietly shipping Abe/Mary and Abe/Mary/Robert because I think that Abe could grow wiser if canon had just let him.

Sorry for getting my geekery all over you there! :)

I always take care to also post about other fandoms, to lessen the blow.

AHAHAHA! Yeah, I'm babbling nonstop about my current blorbo show to a friend on Discord because nobody wants to read my ultra-focused squee.

AHAHAHA! Yeah, I'm babbling nonstop about my current blorbo show to a friend on Discord because nobody wants to read my ultra-focused squee.

Yep, that sounds very familiar *g* Except that I don't have a Discord friend, so my circle has to suffer through it, whether they like it or not *bwahaha*

Ha! I can't say that I can talk intelligently about characterizations since I haven't finished the series, but if you are on Discord and need someone to babble at I'm misbegottenly. I'm always happy to listen to squee or beta read.

Ha! I can't say that I can talk intelligently about characterizations since I haven't finished the series, but if you are on Discord and need someone to babble at I'm misbegottenly. I'm always happy to listen to squee or beta read.

Oh, that's very kind of you. And as I'm about to start a rewatch (to make very sure of the canon bits I want to diverge from before I start writing) I think I can tailor my squee to the state of your canon knowledge and watch it evolve. Stay tuned for a message :)

Sorry for getting my geekery all over you there! :)

No need to feel sorry! I wish I could geek out with you and comment more on your opinions/taste but, unfortunately, I remember very little from the show apart from the stuff I was obsessed with. Fanfic-wise, I liked a couple of the modern AUs (Law & Order & Authori[tea] was a big one) but that largely depended on the characterization. Reader stuff was never really my thing. I get into fandoms because I am obsessed with the characters -- not because I'm looking for a stand-in for myself.

Honestly, I'm not even against Abe/Mary as long as he treats her like she deserves to be treated. Cannot imagine Robert in that mix right now but there's no reason to assume that he would do worse than Abe already did. ;)

Fanfic-wise, I liked a couple of the modern AUs (Law & Order & Authori[tea] was a big one) but that largely depended on the characterization.

Oh, I'm not categorically against Modern AUs either (and thanks for the rec; I immediately checked it out!). I think I just don't like them when the modern setting is an excuse for lazy worldbuilding, is all.

I get into fandoms because I am obsessed with the characters -- not because I'm looking for a stand-in for myself.

Amen and louder for the people in the back! *g*

Honestly, I'm not even against Abe/Mary as long as he treats her like she deserves to be treated. Cannot imagine Robert in that mix right now but there's no reason to assume that he would do worse than Abe already did. ;)

See. the thing I immediately liked about Robert is that he took none of Abe's bullshit and called him out on it, so I don't think he'd stand for Mary being treated like shit, either. And since Anna is pretty consistently off Abe from my take of season two onwards, he learns to be better - sometimes by a lesson or two from the school of hard knocks, but that's true for all the characters in my version of events, so *heh*

I am loving Turn! Unfortunately our watch (my first time, his second) got interrupted by our move. But we are going to get back to it! I'm in the middle of season 2.

I am loving Turn! Unfortunately our watch (my first time, his second) got interrupted by our move. But we are going to get back to it! I'm in the middle of season 2.

Eek, then please let me know when you get back to it if you like. Maybe we can time rewatches then. And season two is already very good, even though I think season 3 might be my absolute favourite...

I'm almost done with a rewatch of 9-1-1. Hen is awesome, though I wish her first season arc hadn't been based on one of my thematic squicks. Chimney will always and forever be a fave, though, and I love him in every season.

Edited 2024-09-01 12:43 (UTC)

Yeah, Chimney is awesome so far, and it looks like I have a lot to look forward to *heh*

The friendship between Hen and Chimney is sorely underappreciated in the fandom, I think. <333

The friendship between Hen and Chimney is sorely underappreciated in the fandom, I think. <333

I'm still staying on the fringes of the fandom for now, until I have at least a season of canon under my belt, but I look forward to seeing more of their friendship.

I really enjoyed Turn: Washington's Spies back in the day when it first aired, except for one thing -- the portrayal of Lt. John Graves Simcoe. They made him out to be a real POS, but he totally wasn't that. He was the first Lt. Governor of Upper Canada (now Ontario) and was instrumental in introducing institutions such as courts of law, trial by jury, English common law, freehold land tenure, and also in the abolition of slavery in Upper Canada.

I too was surprised by how much I've enjoyed Outlander, as I am not into romance stuff at all. I'm also not into fandom stuff, but inevitably ran into some Outlander fandom online and yeah, they're... special, let's just put it that way.

I really enjoyed Turn: Washington's Spies back in the day when it first aired, except for one thing -- the portrayal of Lt. John Graves Simcoe. They made him out to be a real POS, but he totally wasn't that. He was the first Lt. Governor of Upper Canada (now Ontario) and was instrumental in introducing institutions such as courts of law, trial by jury, English common law, freehold land tenure, and also in the abolition of slavery in Upper Canada.

Yes, I noticed that too when I started doing some reading on the historical personages behind the characters. The only way I can explain it to myself is that the writers felt they needed a villanous antagonist in the mix (as a foil for Abe's darker and more destructive tendencies, I suppose), and Simcoe drew the short straw.

Which now leaves me with the task of getting some of the nuance back into the show's characterisation for my post-canon fic.

I too was surprised by how much I've enjoyed Outlander, as I am not into romance stuff at all.

Glad to hear I'm not the only person in that boat :)

I'm also not into fandom stuff, but inevitably ran into some Outlander fandom online and yeah, they're... special, let's just put it that way.

Yes, they are, and I'll just quietly write my stuff without any overt fannish interaction, rather than be confronted with... *gesticulates* that.

The Umbrella Academy - In my bingy rewatch I've finished season 3. It's interesting how many little details I'd forgotten, including one that hints at something important in season 4.

Time Bandits - I finished it, but the ending felt a bit flat.

Sunny - One advantage of series that drop one episode a week is they are easy to keep up with. I'm still enjoying this.

Rick and Morty: the Anime - It's strange, I had been so looking forward to seeing the franchise through the lens of Japanese writers/directors/animators. But they've created something that feels slow and serious, two things the original series absolutely was not. I'll probably finish it, but it's totally not what I expected.

And I've squeezed in a few episodes of Pointless and Star Trek: Voyager.

Another week of vacation, and I didn't have time to watch much. I watched two eps of 4 Minutes (now on ep 6 of 8 and the reveal of the main conceit). I love it! Also great (although quite a bit embarrassment-squicky) are the cast episode reaction videos (on youtube). The first three have now been subtitled. The fourth one actually takes place in a movie theatre, with a bunch (100? 200?) of all-female fans watching the episode with them and afterwards asking questions. Omg I wouldn't even want to be one of those fans, let alone stand before them on a stage and answer embarrassing questions about my sex scenes (I don't know what they're asking yet, I have to wait for the subs, but eeeeeek).

I also watched two more eps of Meet You At The Blossom, now on ep 9 of 12, and it's looking good. I also still like that.

I rewatched the episodes of To Ship Someone I saw without sound last week, as planned - and one more, so I'm now around 21 of 24. Also hopeful for a good ending there.

I just read today that there's a new Bai Yu show out (called "Bank On Me" - it's about banking...), and I'm planning on watching that.

I also read today (here) that there's a third season of Someone Somewhere out, and the rec intrigued me, so I watched the first episode and I like it so far. I'm likely going to keep watching that.

I'm likely going to keep watching that.

I'm looking forward to reading your opinion in the Speakup Sunday posts! While I liked the first season, the season was what made me truly fall in love with this show. :')

Speak Up Saturday

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