meddow

I haven't made a substantive post in ages. So here is one which I have decided shall contain good news and awesome things:

1.Heroes got cancelled! I view this as a good thing because I believe with no more canon being created it'll make it easier for me to believe that season two onwards never happened and Heroes was a one-season wonder.

2. I can't believe they cast Allison Janney on Lost. Allison freaking Janney. That is both a) awesome and b) a enormous pain in the ass because that means I may have to actually go and watch the entirety Lost even though she's only in one episode (thus is the power of Allison Janney)

3. In random stuff on Youtube that's amusing me this week, somebody made a compilation of nicknames characters call each other on The Thick of It. No nickname is used twice and it clocks in at over nine and half minutes.

4. Armando Iannucci's got funding for a new movie (a lot of funding when compared to the budget of In the Loop), one written by him and Will Smith (not that Will Smith, the other one who plays Phil in TTOI). Yay!

(And I'm going to nag you all once again to watch In the Loop because with it having being released on DVD everywhere now, there is no excuse of not having seen the movie anymore and you all should because it's one of the funniest comedies of all freaking time and it may even change the way you view politics).

5. Oh, my goodness do I love Ashes to Ashes at the moment. I do have a couple of criticisms (which are ongoing), but generally, I am so in love with this season. Nobody I know IRL watches the show (I know a few people who tried the first series but decided it was inferior to Life on Mars and stopped watching) and they tend to give me quizzical looks when I rave on about it. But this season is amazing.

But my particular love of the season comes from my new-found OT3: Ray, Shaz and Chris.

( Cut for raving which includes spoilers for 3x07 and speculation )

And now I'm off to watch Star Trek: Generations because I realised the other day that I haven't watched the movie in ages and I fell like watching Kirk die.

Since I said I would give it another chance at the end of last season, I’m still watching Heroes. And surprisingly enough, it seems to have gotten itself back together for the most part. It's still got lots and lots of flaws (boring and seemingly pointless side-plots, the dialogue clunkers, reusing old plots etc), but for the most part it's done away with the major flaws of Villains. Mainly, the characters seem to be acting in character and its more character driven than batshit plot driven. Oh, and they're working together a lot more, which I like.

Anyway, it's my sad television addiction and if it keeps on going way at the current level of quality (kind of good most of the time), I shall probably keep on watching it to the bitter end. (If it takes another Villains turn, I'll quit. Really. No really). It's just terrible that I feel have to justify watching the show to both myself and the world in general these days because it's not that bad anymore.

( Floorpolcalypse II: The Explosion takes Washington )

Anyway, not bad and episode. Actually quite good. Could have been a lot more though, so loses points for being disappointing.

Not it's time to repeat the mantra: Bryan Fuller will save the show. Bryan Fuller will save the show.

(Of course, the big question is, if Bryan Fuller can save the show from its quality problems, can he bring back enough viewers to save it from cancellation? I will be sad if it gets cancelled.)

Being that my travel plans have been postponed, for the first time in what feels like forever, I've actually had free time.

In recent television, the SJA finale was wonderful. The Brigadier was underutilised I thought, I was expecting something a little more School Reunion-ish. But Mrs. Wormwood was the magic. Heroes managed to shock me and come out with an episode which I would actually describe as 'good'. Meanwhile the latest Sanctuary episode was so god-awful I cringed all the way through. At least it was laughably awful rather than offensively awful. Hopefully, Sanctuary's sudden drop in quality is an anomaly and Heroes's sudden rise is not.

I was given by my wonderful flatmates a copy of The Dark Knight for Christmas and I've been checking out the special features today, of which it's pretty light on. However, I really kind of love those little Gotham Tonight fake news segments. I'm a big fan of fake non-fiction. Instead of watching that universe, it takes you inside it. I always thought back when The West Wing was my major fandom, how wonderful it would be to pick up a news magazine and see Bartlet on the front.

Also watched the 200th episode of Stargate SG-1 again (aptly named 200), which is quite possible one of the greatest episodes of television ever since it's pretty much a fourth wall bending prodigy of itself (and nothing escapes the lampooning), and also Star Trek, Farscape, Thunderbirds, The Wizard of Oz, Ewoks, the recent plethora of zombie movies, 'younger and sexier' television, shipper pandering and batshit paternity revelations. Best bit in my opinion is not one of the skits, but simply the bit where Teal'c calmly says "I do not understand why everything in this script must inevitably explode."

And finally, watched a wonderful little docudrama, The Worst Journey in the World, about Aspley Cherry-Gerrard written by and staring Mark Gatiss. Cherry-Gerrard's another Antarctic explorer, blamed by some at the time for failing to save Scott, Bowers and Wilson. He was eleven miles from where they died, but didn't press on, instead obeying Scott's order not to risk the dogs. Anyway, the winder before the ill-fated pole expedition he went the journey with Bowers and Wilson to retrieve an Emperor Penguin egg. It was horrific, but they all survived, Bowers and Wilson to die later and Gerrard to be psychologically scared for life. More interestingly is that Cherry-Gerrard is a bit more meta about his experience than most if not all other polar explorers, posing the question of whether the suffering was worth anything. I really need to get a hold of and read his book.

I found out that news very shortly after it was announced, but RL has caused this reaction to be a bit delayed. I'm sad. I'm excited. I'm pretty much how one would hope to be about it.

( Read more... )

Anyway, moving on from the announcement to the truly-mind blowing thing of the NTAs. I clicked on a photo of CT yesterday and there was Sylar and my brain imploded just a little bit. I find myself very rarely truly surprised these days, but that did it. Unexpected fandom crossovers are awesome.

This season shouldn't be called 'Villains'. It should be called 'Crack.'

( You drink decaf, right Noah? )

Heroes tomorrow! I'm excited!

I've decided that I've actually been a bit harsh on Heroes in recent months, because it struck me that in one respect it is the best show on TV. Of all the things I have watched and read in the past year and a bit which have killed off favourite characters, Heroes has done it the best. Cautionary Tales is the death to beat, and it would be even without the last minute resurrection and fanservice. There was quite a bit wrong with season two, but it was Bennet's Greek tragedy that gives me hope for the third series, because when the show is good, it can be brilliant.

And, stolen from artic_fox
( The Television Meme )

Now, if you will excuse me, I think I may go and watch Company Man for the 1347th time.

After much terrible weather the sun has finally come out and some inconsiderate neighbour has decided to make sure everyone cannot leave their homes or open their windows since the street stinks like rotting fish.

I finally caught House's Head/Wilson's Heart and it was very sad. I think I found it far sadder than my flatmates since I adored Amber and House/Amber/Wilson is my House OT3whereas everyone I know seemed to hate her. I have no idea why.

I can't wait so see how House tries to fix his relationship with Wilson this time, it seems like they may have broken up for good, and well, it wasn't entirely his fault, but it was enough of his fault for Wilson to be justified in holding it against him until the end of time.

I seem to be all about OT3s these days what with Bruce/Rachel/Harvey as well.

Meanwhile I'm starting to find myself getting all excited about season three of Heroes, even though I'm quite sure it's going to be as bad if not worse than season two. Was it the spoilers that’s got me interested in the show again? The trailers? Nope. It was the cast photo that really drove home why I like the show:

( The insane levels of prettiness (casting spoilers) )

I think it's official that Heroes is the show I just cannot quit.

My excitement about SJA series two should go without saying. I'm loving nearly every one of the spoilers that has leaked out about it. The big challenge is for it to be as good or even better than the first series, since it set a pretty high standard.

I've just been watching The American President. I haven't watched it in a while and it is my absolute favourite romcom.

"I didn’t send 466 to the floor to win you back."
"And I didn't come back because you sent 466 to the floor."

I am such a dork.

Anyway. There is a need for me to post today. Today is the one year anniversary of the release of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, which means it is the one year anniversary of the death of James Norrington, which means it is the beginning of the trend of every single favourite character of mine always having to die.

Seriously: ( Spoilers for Harry Potter, Heroes, Rome, Ashes to Ashes and House )

Will the needless slaying of adored characters please end.

I'm still going on with the Torchwood watching. I think I'm managing about two a week.

How on earth do you take Jack Harkness – a character I loved when he first appeared in Doctor Who – and after a few episodes have me rooting for his team to kick his arse?

I have no idea, but that was what I was pondering while watching End of Days.

The Jack characterisation is my general bother with this episode. On the on hand we have Jack One, with his very heroic good guy Doctor Who characterisation. Yes, he had a past, but that was all over with after the Doctor Dances. He doesn’t fire his gun, he falls in line behind the Doctor and never suggests any action even close to being morally dodgy.

Then we have Jack Two, the Torchwood characterisation, in which it is pointed out by Owen that he has been erasing people’s memories, shooting people dead and generally being a grey mysterious figure.

I know why there are two Jack characterisations. Jack One has to cater for a general audience. However, Jack One and Jack Two just don’t mesh. You don’t see Jack Two at all when Jack One’s in action which makes you sit there and wonder where the hell Jack One is when watching Jack Two since he seems to have had a personality transfer. Which just makes me pissed at Jack Two.

And End of Days managed to prove that just because something has a giant monster in it, does not necessarily mean I will enjoy it.

On the other hand Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang was jam packed with cracktastic goodness. Torchwood should always be like that.

So the Torchwood crew spent a bit of time in the episode moaning about Jack had just abandoned them, so I thought, instead of a review, I could make a few suggestions of potential Jack replacements should ever to swan off with the Doctor again. And every new boss needs to first of all motivate the team with a speech don't they?

( Donna Noble )

( The SJA Trio )

( Gene Hunt )

( Noah Bennet )