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TV Tuesdays Free Talk
Have you watched any TV shows recently you want to discuss? Any shows you want to recommend or are hyped about? Feel free to discuss anything here.
Please just try to provide fair warning of spoilers if you can.
I've been watching She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and am finding it entertaining after the first two episodes. The complaints it gets seem to be undeserved, from the wokeness (her issues that she vents about are, unfortunately, standard women's professional issues) to the CG (6'7" green women simply won't look real). I don't mean to frame it against its complainants, it deserves better.
The show is entertaining and the weird stuff, like the goofy vibe and 4th wall breaks, are apparently standard She-Hulk fare and are entertaining, without being overdone. It's more like Malcolm in the Middle where they're relating her thoughts on the given situation, which in turn benefits the story, than Blade Runner where you're hearing what you just saw. 10/10 for being a Marvel spinoff show, I think it's worth the time.
EDIT: Watching Episode 3, it feels a lot like Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law (obvious similar name and premise), just less... adult, but similarly absurd.
It really is a very entertaining show. Not excellent, not spectacular, but most certainly way better than many reactions make it seem. It is hard to imagine that there is not at least some misogyny and male insecurities at the root of the disproportional negative response. I also imagine that, for many people, the idea of a She-Hulk may seem like an MCU cash-grab, ignoring the long history of the character in the comics.
I just want more of it. Not counting the credits, the second episode was actually 21 minutes. Barely anything happened and it felt like a vignette. The sitcom runtime is definitely not enough and I am very unsatisfied.
The CGI is okay, but the facial expressions do not make justice to the wonderful acting of Tatiana Maslany. I think I'd prefer a very good mix of make-up and computer graphics instead.
Still like the show, but I want more. So much more. I think I'll just wait for the season to finish and watch it all at once like a movie. This is frustrating.
Oh, and just so you know, in the comics the wacky 4th wall breaking is WAY more insane. The show's pretty tame in comparison.
THE RINGS OF POWER, baby! Seems good so far. It'll be neat to see what a billion dollar gets us.
Between this and House of the Dragon, my inner fantasy nerd is very satisfied.
I just can't believe that they're both pretty good.
The CGI with RoP is great.
I watched more of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. I didn't change my opinions from last week but I have some things to add.
First, even though I still think Vulcans are overused in the franchise, I really like the new Spock. Ethan Peck's take on the character feels both new and remarkably old-school. That is a feature of the screenplay as well. This is probably the first Vulcan since Leonard Nimoy to be actually logical and largely unemotional (which to me is a very strong plus), but Peck's performance conveys that with warmth and nuance.
Anson Mount does a superb job as Captain Cristopher Pike. I still think the character needs adjustment, but the actor is not the one responsible for its shortcomings.
Rebecca Romijn fails to impress me as number one and it's almost as if the character makes no difference at all, which is quite a feat for a number one.
Dr. M'Benga is a very uninteresting character because they forgot to give him flaws. He is handsome, serious (absolutely no jokes), heroic, stoic, and virtuous. His only "flaw" is being too much of a loving and caring father. I really hope they give more density to the character in upcoming episodes.
I'd say the same about Uhura... she's okay, and Celia Rose Gooding is brimming with charisma, but the character, as it is written, is neither interesting nor engaging.
Contrary to the doctor, the nurse Christine Chappel has a peculiar face and a quirky disposition that I wish to see more of.
Spock Amock (Star Trek Freaky Friday) deserves to be among the best Star Trek episodes of all time, and Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach surprised me with its depth, darkness, and brilliant enactment of ethics paradigms.
Overall, my sentiments towards the show are now more positive. I still think that, largely due to covid restrictions, it is missing that essential Starfleet experience, and away missions are basically half a dozen extras and a lot of CGI. I don't get that wonderful feeling of being fully immersed in rich new worlds and cultures. But I'm confident that all of that will be tremendously improved in the following season.