Things Wot I Have Watched
May. 14th, 2013 05:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
annwfynSo, this weekend was a weekend of watching TV. Primarily, Game of Thrones, where I had a marathon session and went from not having watched any of Season 3 to being entirely up to date. And lo! It was good. As tends to be the way with Game of Thrones, it started slowly, with a lot of little catch up scenes for the characters scattered about the world, but it's really built up nicely, and by the end of 'The Bear and the Maiden Fair' it felt to me like it was properly rollicking along.
I think I've come down to approving of the fact that the show has got the courage to deviate from the book a lot of the time. I'm coming to the conclusion that it's probably the best way to make really great TV; what works on the page might not work on screen and vice versa. Plus it's nice to get some surprises back. Ros, for example, isn't a book character (I don't think). I didn't know what would happen to her. Her nasty encounter with the wrong end of Joffrey's crossbow was, while not entirely unexpected, nice in that I only suspected something like it might be coming, as opposed to knowing for sure.
I'm even coming to terms with Dr Talisa, Medicine Woman, who I initially didn't like (I didn't like Jeyne Westerling either, but she's not really meant to be a very likeable character, I don't think) but who has grown on me. I'm also agog to find out what happens with her pregnancy. Is this a sign that GRRM does have plans for a BabyWolf in the book as well? Or is she going to come to a messy end and is this pregnancy happening to heighten the angst factor? My money is on the latter, by the way, but you never can entirely tell.
I also watched the end of Once Upon a Time: Season Two.
It was a disappointing end to the season, especially compared to the glory that was the Season One finale. This time it relied heavily on deus ex machine, and featured villains who's motivation seemed to change randomly and arbitrarily whenever the plot demanded it and had no very coherent or consistent personalities beyond 'a bit evil'. I also loathed the Blue Fairy's Magic Potion of Restoring Memory, which entirely came from nowhere with no real build up and solved the Rumple and Belle plot with an annoying wave of a wand (but then the Blue Fairy does that. And her magic never seems to have a sodding price).
However, for all that, it had evil Peter Pan, which is kinda cool, Hook was on fine form, and at last it showed Mulan and Aurora again. Overall, I don't think Season Two has been as strong as Season One, but then I'm not sure it could be. There weren't many places they could go whilst keeping the show the same show it started off as, and I think they've spent a lot of time this season playing some kind of weird character development snakes and ladders as a result. But I'm hoping they are being a bit braver in Season Three with the cast jaunting off to Neverland and I'll keep watching nonetheless.
After all, it's still better than the rapidly sinking ship of Glee.
Oh, and that reminds me. I also watched the Season Finale of Glee, and ended up rather wanting to despair. I used to love this show. What went wrong?
So, what about you guys? What are you watching at the moment? And, considering two of the shows I am following have just reached their season finale, where should I go from here?
I think I've come down to approving of the fact that the show has got the courage to deviate from the book a lot of the time. I'm coming to the conclusion that it's probably the best way to make really great TV; what works on the page might not work on screen and vice versa. Plus it's nice to get some surprises back. Ros, for example, isn't a book character (I don't think). I didn't know what would happen to her. Her nasty encounter with the wrong end of Joffrey's crossbow was, while not entirely unexpected, nice in that I only suspected something like it might be coming, as opposed to knowing for sure.
I'm even coming to terms with Dr Talisa, Medicine Woman, who I initially didn't like (I didn't like Jeyne Westerling either, but she's not really meant to be a very likeable character, I don't think) but who has grown on me. I'm also agog to find out what happens with her pregnancy. Is this a sign that GRRM does have plans for a BabyWolf in the book as well? Or is she going to come to a messy end and is this pregnancy happening to heighten the angst factor? My money is on the latter, by the way, but you never can entirely tell.
I also watched the end of Once Upon a Time: Season Two.
It was a disappointing end to the season, especially compared to the glory that was the Season One finale. This time it relied heavily on deus ex machine, and featured villains who's motivation seemed to change randomly and arbitrarily whenever the plot demanded it and had no very coherent or consistent personalities beyond 'a bit evil'. I also loathed the Blue Fairy's Magic Potion of Restoring Memory, which entirely came from nowhere with no real build up and solved the Rumple and Belle plot with an annoying wave of a wand (but then the Blue Fairy does that. And her magic never seems to have a sodding price).
However, for all that, it had evil Peter Pan, which is kinda cool, Hook was on fine form, and at last it showed Mulan and Aurora again. Overall, I don't think Season Two has been as strong as Season One, but then I'm not sure it could be. There weren't many places they could go whilst keeping the show the same show it started off as, and I think they've spent a lot of time this season playing some kind of weird character development snakes and ladders as a result. But I'm hoping they are being a bit braver in Season Three with the cast jaunting off to Neverland and I'll keep watching nonetheless.
After all, it's still better than the rapidly sinking ship of Glee.
Oh, and that reminds me. I also watched the Season Finale of Glee, and ended up rather wanting to despair. I used to love this show. What went wrong?
So, what about you guys? What are you watching at the moment? And, considering two of the shows I am following have just reached their season finale, where should I go from here?
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no subject
Date: 2013-05-14 04:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-05-15 06:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-05-17 03:47 am (UTC)The Following. FBI dealing with a cult of serial killers!
Elementary. Modern Day Sherlock Holmes (although I am told by those who watch Sherlock that Sherlock is superior. Not sold on the Benedict Cumberbund).
Arrow. Green Arrow gets a TV show... woo!
Dr Who.
Revolution. Post "all the power went off" apocalypse, and only pretty people were left (except for token fat geeky guy).
no subject
Date: 2013-05-18 08:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-29 08:48 pm (UTC)