Speak Up Saturday

[misbegotten]

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

Comments

[jo]

I finished Day of the Jackal, which I enjoyed, for the most part. I thought it was going to be a one-off, but based on the ending, I guess there will be another series? I also watched the second series of Showtrial and I think I liked this one more than the first series. The actor playing the accused was great -- I'd never come across him before, to the best of my knowledge.

I also managed a few more episodes of Black Doves, and started in on series 2 of Shrinking. Haven't made much progress with Babylon 5 -- not even a third of the way through season 1. Apparently there's a movie that is a prequel or something? That has me wondering if I should watch that first before continuing, or just not bother, etc.

My husband and I watched a film -- The Substance with Demi Moore. It leaned more towards the horror genre than I was expecting -- I thought it would be more speculative fiction, but I still enjoyed it. But I can see how many would definitely not.

And I watched the few new episodes of weekly things that aired this past week -- FBI, Curse of Oak Island and Outlander -- that last one being the best by far. I am loving the second half of season 7 as it includes a lot from book 8, which I think remains my fave book of the Outlander series.

Not really excited about anything in particular for this coming week as it's xmas week so likely will be just be xmas specials and sports that don't interest me (hockey, US football, etc.). Plus I will be away spending xmas with my family, so TV time will be limited, and likely dictated by others.

[dickinsons]

Re: Babylon 5, the same thing happened to me when I first started watching the show! The pilot is called Babylon 5: The Gathering, and I'd recommend you watch it. I'd already watched at least one episode when I realised I had missed that one and it was fine, so I think it's okay if you watch it now. For example, there's a character who shows up in later seasons after appearing in the pilot, so maybe it'd be interesting for you to have seen them or otherwise it might be confusing? Maybe it'd be fine, but if you can watch it, I recommend you do :)

[yourlibrarian]

That surprises me about Jackal as well. I didn't realize Shrinking's new season was out already. Don't know if I'm that interested in it but there are characters I like in it. Also maybe S2 will presumably have changed Segel's storyline.

[violateraindrop]

I finally got around to (start) re-watching The Diplomat. I couldn't remember a thing from S1 and I kinda feel like I'm watching it for the first time lol

Ghosts's Christmas special was awesome! I might go as far as saying these are my favorite episodes of the show.

[yourlibrarian]

Have not seen the latest Ghosts yet so am looking forward to it!

[dirty_diana]

Survivor season 47 finale. I'm not as attached to this show as I used to be, but I liked this winner.

The Traitors New Zealand S2. Very fun ending, though not the person or people that I was rooting for. I don't think I ever reported finishing The Traitors Canada S2, but that was also fun. Next, maybe France? If I can fit some in before US and UK Seasons 3 start.

Starting the Hawkeye Christmas rewatch.

[yourlibrarian]

I was just telling someone this week that I think Hawkeye has been my favorite of the MCU TV series.

[wearing_tearing]

Heretic (2024): incredible performance by Hugh Grant! I very much enjoyed the commentary on organized religion and how absolute bonkers Grant was. The horror elements and tension was also very well done.

Queer Eye Season 9: more of a background show, but I'm liking Jeremiah Brent's addition to the group. None of the episodes have really touched my heart yet, though.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2: finally got around to watching the first 2 episodes! I'm not sure how I feel about it... Visuals: gorgeous. Plot: eeeehhh.

[feurioo]

Glad to hear that about Heretic! I'm really curious about that movie.

[wearing_tearing]

I definitely recommend it! There's also this video from Alyssa Grenfell (former Mormon) where she talks about the movies and its themes from the perspective of someone who used to do missionary work like the women in the movie.

[starfleetbrat]

I felt the same re Queer Eye. I remember the first seasons there were some really heart warming moments and it felt like the people getting help needed it a lot more than they do in the more recent seasons. Its still a good show though and I also liked the new addition to the cast.

[wearing_tearing]

I finished the season yesterday and yes! They are still good episodes, but not like they used to be...

[dirty_diana]

I thought I was quite excited about Rings of Power S2 until I actually started it, so I feel you. (Still haven't gotten very far.)

[wearing_tearing]

I'm going to try and binge the rest of the season in the next few days... I'm still meh about it :/

[feurioo]

I finally started Somebody Somewhere's third season! When The Phone Rings remains the GOAT simply because I love it when contract marriage couples have to confront their feelings. I'm amazed at how these two work through their communication issues. It makes a lot of emotional sense for a show that's supposed to be utterly bonkers. Maybe it helps that I'm already spoiled for the most makjang aspects of the plot.

[tinny]

When The Phone Rings remains the GOAT simply because I love it when contract marriage couples have to confront their feelings.

Oooh, that made me perk up. (How much death and revenge in this one, I wonder?)

[feurioo]

Vague spoilers below.

No death as far as I have watched except for one in a flashback which is tied to how things changed in one of the leads' lives. There's a big bad with a revenge motive that has to do with both leads' makjang family background. However, I see him more as a necessary narrative tool for our two leads to finally start communicating and working on their marriage.

The real draw, for me, is the OTP. There are plenty of sexy and/or sweet moments between them and the development from a cold, lifeless contract marriage to more is very swoon-worthy and satisfying. That said, the overall plot is totally bonkers and stupid, but it's easy to ignore simply because of the OTP cuteness.

[tinny]

Oh, thank you! This definitely goes on my list then, I'm a romance fiend.

[china_shop]

Ooh, your description of When The Phone Rings sounds amazing! *adds to mental list* :DDD

[volkameria]

Hubby and I just finished watching Season 3 of Barry, which can be best summed up by the two of us screaming at the TV with how on edge we were. It's so good, though I have no clue how they're going to end it, much less get a 4th season out of it!

Excitedly waiting for Season 2 of My Happy Marriage in the meantime.

[ecto_one_spengler]

Same here, I watched the My Happy Marriage OVA a while back and it was adorable. I still can't believe My Happy Marriage is getting a Season 2!!

[starfleetbrat]

What We Do In The Shadows - the series finale was so good! I loved that there were alternate scenes during the moment Nadia hypnotises the viewers. My favourite was the Newheart version. And the whole ep was just generally funny. It was a good ending imo.

Star Trek Lower Decks - Finale, this was also pretty good. I loved all the bits from other treks.

Ghosts - Christmas eps, these were pretty funny, the actress who plays sam did an amazing job of that possession. Loved the moments with Jays parents, and the moment Pete has towards the end.

Earth Abides - ep 2 and 3. I like this show but feel its moving too fast. I know its based on the book and the book moves across a large period of time but it feels a bit rushed.

Dexter: Original Sin - I am both enjoying and not enjoying this. I know its early days and they need to set things up, but it feels like there are too many "here's a callback to the original show!" moments. And we know no-one except Harry knows what Dexter does, so these little moments of "ooh he might get caught" aren't working imo. I am enjoying seeing more of Deb though.

Outlander - I think I am tiring of Claire and Jamie, especially since Claire hasn't time travelled in forever. (I haven't read the books, so am curious if she ever returns to the present again) It just seems to be the same story over and over. They get separated somehow, they get reunited, Jamie goes off to fight, Claire does medicine, they reunite, rinse repeat etc. I find myself much more interested in Roger and Brianna right now, especially the storyline with Roger finding who he did in the past, although I wish they had a bit longer together.

Homeland - doing a rewatch of this. I only saw the first few seasons last time and I'm almost caught up to where I left off so looking forward to seeing the eps I missed previously.

This week I'm anticipating the final ep of Bad Sisters which I am waiting to binge all once. Also Squid Game S2.

[yourlibrarian]

Good to know Squid Game's season will be available when I next get Netflix. I rather agree about Outlander even though I haven't seen the latest episodes.

[jo]

(I haven't read the books, so am curious if she ever returns to the present again)

Do you really want to know? Because I can certainly answer that question for you.

[starfleetbrat]

yeah hit me with it, I'll still watch it, but it will help me not think about it to know that she never does or will give me something to look forward to if she does

I'm hoping she does, but I expect I am going to be disappointed lol

[jo]

Spoilers for non-book readers! (sorry -- don't know how to hide things in comments)



So unless she goes back in the yet to be published final 10th book, as of book 9, Claire does not engage in any further time travel. What isn't made clear on the show is that travelling through the stones takes a serious physical toll on the body. In the books, it's more clearly described that each trip through the stones is increasingly dangerous. In one book (3 or 4 maybe?), Claire talks about how she doesn't think she'll survive another trip through. As of book 9, Brianna can’t time travel anymore. Well, she can try, but she shouldn’t. She has pretty significant heart damage from it and Claire thinks she’d die if she tries again. Her heart has an atypical rhythm now and just stops sometimes. She’s been through the stones five times if you count while Claire was pregnant, and we should since travelling does physical damage on your insides, and the only reason she and Roger made it through the last time was because Mandy is so strong she pulled them with her. There are also multiple examples of people coming out dead on the other side, and it's hinted that it's possible to be "stuck" in the stones as well.

[starfleetbrat]

damn! oh well, kinda what I expected re claire not travelling lol

thats really interesting about the travelling being dangerous though, I can't remember them even mentioning that in show but maybe I missed it or forgot. Thats a really good reason to not travel much! And explains I guess why they don't just pop back and forth to look things up or bring things back (historical outcomes, medicine, etc)

thanks for the info, I appreciate you taking the time to let me know :D

[ecto_one_spengler]

Yeah, I do kinda agree on the Dexter Original Sin front here. I am enjoying seeing 1991 Dexter and Deb a lot, but it feels hollow in some parts when it is not filling in missing context to newer material.

[yourlibrarian]

Watched several new (to me) shows this week. I saw all of S1 of High Potential. It was alright, not a must view for me but decent background viewing. What I really liked about it was the potential relationship with the janitor which I feel one would normally never see in a procedural.

Saw Camden, a 4 part documentary on its influence in music of the 80s and 90s.

My exciting discover of the week was Class of '09, which is what I'd expected Quantico to be. It had a number of similarities, including its present and past timelines, though it also had a future one. It had quite a good plot, I thought.

I also watched several movies and particularly liked Sleeping Dogs with Russell Crowe.

Mostly I've been watching the Celebrity Bake Offs and I like how the early ones were for charity and involved a bake sale fundraiser. What's more they were encouraging the public to bake for fundraisers also. I wonder how well they did.

[tinny]

Watched several new (to me) shows this week. I saw all of S1 of High Potential.

Ah, fun! I came across that through an article in some tv magazine and realized it was based on a French show, so I started both. I can never resist an adaptation. I've only seen three eps of the US one so far, though.

[tinny]

Through a weird coincidence, I was made aware of High Potential, a US remake of the French show HPI - Haut Potentiel Intelectuel, which is about a mother of three with an IQ of 160+, who struggles to hold a job or maintain any relationship, because her brain is always running a mile a minute. She gets hired as a consultant to the police (Pas-de-Calais and L.A. respectively), much to the chagrin of the detective in charge of her.

I can never resist an adaptation, so I started both those shows, and am enjoying comparing them. The French one has (imho) much better direction, the character beats are given time to develop, and I like both lead actors a lot. I don't hate the US versions, either, but they feel more bland. Her family life is much more chaotic in the French version, to the point that I almost dropped it twice so far, e.g. when she let her kids do as they please in the police station. She's not a bad mother, she cares, but it's like she doesn't realize or mind how disruptive they are. She's used to the chaos. I do like her character, though, and as long as the kids aren't getting on people's nerves, I really like the show. It has a bit of a Sherlock vibe, and a bit of a Monk vibe, and if you like other "consultant to the police" procedural shows, I think you'll like this one, too.

I've gotten five eps into the French version, and three into the US one, of which two were exact remakes, down to the set layouts and camera angles. Maybe the third one will at some point also turn up, I'll wait and see. It's a lot of fun to compare them, in any case. I also like to see the differences in the background family cold case that she wants to solve.

Other than that, I didn't watch much. Another ep of First Note of Love, the Taiwanese BL, which is still wonderful. Although ep 9 was a bit of a filler ep, with some unnecessary jealousy thrown in, it got much better again in ep 10. Two to go. \o/

[yourlibrarian]

She's used to the chaos

I guess I could see that -- you don't realize how others see your life. Interesting that they followed the other show so exactly! I noticed that it was an adaptation but as I tend to forward past credits I didn't realize it came from a French show. I imagine it's rather revealing of both cultures when there are differences.

[tinny]

I haven't found any very crass differences yet, they're mostly smaller things like the LAPD paying for childcare while the French police didn't, and several other small differences in police procedure. They made sure to keep Karadec non-white in both versions (although that hasn't influenced anything so far as I can see yet), and Morgane's ex as well.