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  1.  

    Re: ‘Game of Thrones’

    Holy shitbuckets, my hands are still shaking.

    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeJun 2nd 2014
     

    Mountain/Viper fight, right? (that’s not a spoiler, is it?)

  2.  

    No, it’s the episode title, so people are probably already aware of it.

    Yeah, that fight was pretty horribly brutal. I also thought that the way D+D switched things up in the Vale was ver-y interesting.

  3.  

    That scene was real real good.

    But not the best thing on HBO last night!

    •  
      CommentAuthorPuppet
    • CommentTimeJun 3rd 2014
     

    @sansa

    Is it bad that I’ve been thinking about how to make their system more efficient?

    • CommentAuthorNossus
    • CommentTimeJun 4th 2014
     

    Just watched GOT. They did good.

    •  
      CommentAuthorsansafro187
    • CommentTimeJun 4th 2014 edited
     

    Is it bad that I’ve been thinking about how to make their system more efficient?

    Well it means you can probably work at Pied Piper, at least.

    The scene in question[NSFW]

  4.  

    I changed my mind. Donnie + Alison forever!

  5.  

    Orange Is the New Black.

    • CommentAuthorWiseWillow
    • CommentTimeJun 18th 2014
     

    ..FUCKING ROCKS is how you were gonna finish that sentence, right?

  6.  

    Of course.

    I binge-watched the first two seasons, and now I have to wait a year for season three.

    • CommentAuthorWiseWillow
    • CommentTimeJun 19th 2014
     

    Saw season 1 like a month ago, already blasted through season 2.

    YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

    •  
      CommentAuthorResistance
    • CommentTimeJun 28th 2014
     

    I just started watching Orange is the New Black! It’s amazing. Almost done with Season 1. I wish they would’ve

  7.  

    It’s amazing.

    Isn’t it, though?

    •  
      CommentAuthorResistance
    • CommentTimeJun 29th 2014
     

    Just finished episode 1 of season 2 today. I just like how none of it feels “forced”. There’s no feeling that people are the way they are because the writers wanted them to be that way, for example, Sophia, the transgender woman. I liked Jenji Kohan’s Weeds, but this is a step above.

    •  
      CommentAuthorPuppet
    • CommentTimeJul 17th 2014
     

    I’m partway through season 2 of Downton Abbey and slowly getting more and more turned off. I won’t elaborate too much right now, but just some things that bother me off the top of my head:

    1) Penelope Wilton. I honestly can’t stand her as an actor. She’s obnoxious and always plays the same boring character.
    2) The entire show is like your classic 2/10 shitty summer romantic comedy drama where the main character falls in love with the beautiful girl only to have their love separated by the fact that they possess the communication skills of a toddler.
    Which brings me to 3) where “everything that could go wrong does go wrong because of one small miscommunication.” I pretty much threw up my arms at the season finale and everybody who’s watched it will know what I’m talking about.
    4) The character building is outright lazy sometimes. I get that the, “Person A is grieving, Person B comforts them and shares a deep dark secret therefore developing their character, too” is an age old technique, but when its all of the show uses over and over it just gets plain tedious.

    That said, Elizabeth McGovern and Maggie Smith are absolutely incredible and play their parts perfectly. I’m actually kind of in awe as to how good McGovern is in the role, and at this point she’s really the only reason I’m still watching the show.

    • CommentAuthorWiseWillow
    • CommentTimeJul 18th 2014
     

    MAGGIE SMITH <3 <3 <3

    Yeahhhhhhhhh. COMMUNICATION, PEOPLE. FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, THIS IS RIDICULOUS.

    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeSep 9th 2014 edited
     

    Soooo I started watching Outlander…

    EDIT: well, if nothing else I’ve ever said showed it, I think this post does an excellent job of proving I am, in fact, female.

    •  
      CommentAuthorTakuGifian
    • CommentTimeSep 10th 2014
     

    Not necessarily, swenson. I’ve known guys to react like that too.

    •  
      CommentAuthorApep
    • CommentTimeSep 15th 2014
     

    Just watched the latest episode of Doctor Who. For the most part, it was good.

    ... except for the ending. Details hidden for spoilers.

    •  
      CommentAuthorBlueMask
    • CommentTimeOct 6th 2014
     

    I’m getting more and more turned off by Season Eight of DW, to be honest. A lot of the episodes are just too…illogical? Or they don’t feel cohesive as a whole. Okay, I quite liked Time Heist, if just mostly for the world-building and costumes alone…

    Orange is the New Black!!! Orphan Black!!!!

  8.  

    ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK YES.

    Ok, ok. Favorite episode and/or character?

    •  
      CommentAuthororganiclead
    • CommentTimeOct 6th 2014 edited
     

    I’d be able to get past season 1 if they didn’t have Piper in the show. She really kills it for me.

    • CommentAuthorWiseWillow
    • CommentTimeOct 6th 2014 edited
     

    Piper does wayyyyyyy less in Season 2. Push forward! She’s the decoy hot blonde white-lady protagonist. Key word: decoy.

    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeOct 16th 2014 edited
     

    I’m watching Doctor Who again, you guys. Send help.

    As usual I didn’t think I’d like Peter Capaldi, and now I am turning out to adore him. You would think I would learn after awhile, but of course I do. Not going to say this season has the bestest ever episodes or anything, but I’ve genuinely enjoyed all of them so far.

    Regarding Listen:

    Anyway, I’ve run out of new episodes to watch, so I’ve started watching old episodes with Sarah Jane in them. Because Sarah Jane is the boss.

  9.  

    I’m watching Doctor Who out of obligation now more than anything tbh

  10.  

    I’m watching Doctor Who out of obligation now more than anything tbh

    This, though I think I like Twelve better than Eleven if only because no one is in love with him.

    @Willow

    I love that quote.

  11.  

    This, though I think I like Twelve better than Eleven if only because no one is in love with him.

    Yeah, same. I’m glad he’s not a pretty boy anymore.

    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeOct 18th 2014 edited
     

    You know who’s really great, though? The Fourth Doctor. I am very quickly coming to understand why he’s so popular. Dodgy special effects aside, his stuff is good!

    I just finished Genesis of the Daleks, and it’s really fascinating to see the beginning of all the stuff that comes into play later on. (chronologically for the Daleks, I mean—of course the Doctor had already run into the Daleks plenty of times)

    I’m seeing a lot of parallels between Twelve and Four, coincidentally. Four comes across as more cheerful, but honestly, they’re both pretty callous when it comes down to it. “So-and-so’s dead, oh well, let’s get on with our lives.” Or “So-and-so’s dead, oooh, that’s neat, wonder how?” I kinda like the Doctor when he’s like that.

    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeNov 2nd 2014 edited
     

    SO A LOT OF PEOPLE APPARENTLY SAW THE REVEAL FROM THE END OF THIS WEEK’S EPISODE OF DOCTOR WHO COMING

    I WAS NOT ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE

    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeJan 15th 2015
     

    I’m binging on Psych now… I don’t really know why. Why do I always get really into shows after they’re done?

    • CommentAuthorWiseWillow
    • CommentTimeJan 15th 2015
     

    Agent Carter.

    OH MY FUCKING GOD.

    •  
      CommentAuthorApep
    • CommentTimeJan 16th 2015
     

    I know, right?

    • CommentAuthorDave
    • CommentTimeJan 16th 2015
     

    OH MY FUCKING GOD.

    I can’t tell if that’s a positive or a negative reaction.

    • CommentAuthorWiseWillow
    • CommentTimeJan 16th 2015
     

    VERY positive.

    • CommentAuthorNossus
    • CommentTimeJan 17th 2015
     

    I’m pretty sure I’ve watched all the great TV shows. I can’t any more.

    • CommentAuthorDave
    • CommentTimeJan 17th 2015
     

    VERY positive.

    Likewise, I found it to be a very enjoyable show and I felt like that the special effects were well done considering the budgets TV shows usually have to work with. To me it seemed like the show’s creators did a good job capturing the feel of the period enough that it could stand own its as a straight spy story, but managed to blend all the elements of a Marvel ‘verse into the storyline without crippling it. Finally, even the minor characters are shown to have their own backgrounds and personalities, which allows people to get to know them, rather than those characters just being there to advance the story.

    That and the character is smoking hot :P

    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeFeb 4th 2015
     

    I got done with Psych—I was quite satisfied with the ending, although I’m sad I ran out of episodes. So… I started watching Blacklist. I’d watched several episodes before but didn’t really get hooked on it… now I think I’m hooked on it. James Spader, man. James Spader.

    •  
      CommentAuthorResistance
    • CommentTimeFeb 20th 2015
     

    True Blood – I started watching last night because I just finished another season of Top Model and there was nothing else to watch. I stayed up until about 3 in the morning watching the first few episodes and I absolutely love it.

    • CommentAuthorArcher
    • CommentTimeFeb 21st 2015
     

    You know what I love about Supernatural? It is so damn American. After watching Doctor Who, turning on Supernatural is like…I don’t know, coming home. Everyone speaks in American accents. There’s American music. American food. American folklore. They’re driving all around freakin’ America itself, visiting all these little podunk towns, and I love it. I hope British Supernatural fans appreciate the little pie slice of our culture the show gives them.

    And it’s apple pie, of course. Nothing more American than that.

  12.  

    Hey look, the plot is finally advancing on Gravity Falls.

    •  
      CommentAuthorSarahSyna
    • CommentTimeMar 20th 2015
     
    I've been watching Sleepy Hollow (nearly through season 2 now ) and I'm at the point where I can't tell if it's a bad show that's just really enjoyable anyway because of it's silliness, or a good show that's just kind of different in how it does things and lacks the polish I'm used to.

    Mild spoilers! One thing I do like is how mostly sensible almost everyone is. 'Damn, I have an emotional issue, I should talk this out with my friends' 'Hmm, the big bad is blackmailing me, better protect my loved ones' 'hey a guy I thought was dead, better better suspicious'.
    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeMar 20th 2015
     

    I keep hearing about that show, and it sounds like everyone else has the same feeling… they can’t quite tell if the show is really good but different, or really bad but entertaining enough they don’t care. I’m starting to think I need to just watch it to see for myself!

    •  
      CommentAuthorApep
    • CommentTimeMar 20th 2015
     

    I like the show – they’re willing to joke around with the scenario rather than being all doom and gloom, even if they’re trying to prevent the Apocalypse. And the first few episodes are up on Hulu for free, so you might as well give it a shot.

    •  
      CommentAuthorSarahSyna
    • CommentTimeMar 20th 2015
     
    I've described the show as 'trying to discuss the Bible with a very easily distracted history/mythology buff that is also a conspiracy theorist.'.
    You really have nothing to lose by checking it out though. Worst case scenario, you go 'what the what is this' and go no further. XD
    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeApr 7th 2015
     

    The Blacklist is so much fun, you guys.

    Also I have morphed into a monstrous Liz/Tom shipper, which I think indicates something is seriously wrong with me, because really now?

  13.  

    Daredevil good

    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeApr 19th 2015
     

    Daredevil very good.

    I ended up staying the night at my sister’s last night because we were watching so much Daredevil, it ended up being too late for me to want to drive home.

    In fact, I am currently waiting for her to finish some stuff up so we can go over to our friend’s and watch more Daredevil.

    •  
      CommentAuthorApep
    • CommentTimeApr 27th 2015
     

    Watching Game of Thrones. Good stuff. Tommen has pretty much become the luckiest SOB in Westeros.

  14.  

    Internet salty as fuck about GoT it seems. I haven’t been keeping up with this season so I don’t know how bad the scene in question was but it’s interesting that THIS is the bridge too far for a lot of people.

    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeMay 19th 2015
     

    Well, it involved a character with a fair amount of popularity—and it didn’t happen in the books. Guaranteed combination to get people upset.

    From the perspective of a book-only fan who occasionally checks in on the show, I was pretty shocked that they went there… but less upset over what happened (I didn’t actually watch the episode, after all, so I have no clue how it was presented), more just surprised at the divergence. I know they said they weren’t going to be following the books, but wow.

    •  
      CommentAuthorPryotra
    • CommentTimeMay 19th 2015 edited
     

    To my knowledge, wasn’t it just more of the same though? I mean, GoT flat had incest in the first season. It’s got its rating for a reason.

    • CommentAuthorNossus
    • CommentTimeMay 20th 2015 edited
     

    Daenerys got raped in like the first episode and nobody cared about that

    •  
      CommentAuthorSarahSyna
    • CommentTimeMay 20th 2015
     
    (I cared about that. It made me not want to watch the show, partly because of how the show handled it, partly because of my friends going 'but it's so romantic it's true love'.)

    If I understand correctly, it's because it's another main female character being raped, it had no point or reason for being there since told nothing new and added nothing new, actively damages Sansa's arc of becoming more independent and mature, and focused more on a male character's pain at seeing it than her pain at actually experiencing it. Those are the reasons I've seen anyways, though I can't say much either way, I don't watch the show.
    • CommentAuthorNossus
    • CommentTimeMay 20th 2015
     

    It’s pretty impossible to say that it hasn’t added anything new to the story since it was the last scene of the last episode. We haven’t seen the repercussions of it yet.

    Far worse shit happens to a minor character in the books, who has been replaced by Sansa in the show.

    •  
      CommentAuthorSarahSyna
    • CommentTimeMay 20th 2015
     
    To paraphase what I've read, 'Sansa's already been in an abusive relationship so this isn't new ground, we already know that this character is a bastard and that this other character is hurt by it so it hasn't told us anything new about any of these characters and actually damages Sansa's arc.'

    I'd suggest going to find articles about it, honestly. I can only say what I've read about it and it seems fair enough to me but I do lack context. I know The Mary Sue has one.
    •  
      CommentAuthorPryotra
    • CommentTimeMay 20th 2015
     

    I don’t know, my feeling about the whole thing (as someone who doesn’t watch the show or read the books and thus knows everything through pop cultural osmosis) is that this isn’t the first time that shock value things have been added. Even in the books, you’ve had things like the red wedding that basically just cut off a bunch of arcs that had a lot of time paid to them. I feel like it’s a bit of an overreaction. Again, I only know what happened, and not the context, and generally tend to be skeptical of the Mary Sue.

    But, again, this is from someone who hadn’t read the books or watched the show and has no interest in doing either, so yeah.

    •  
      CommentAuthorApep
    • CommentTimeMay 21st 2015
     

    Having now seen the episode and scene in question, I feel I can offer some commentary.

    Now, while Sansa has been in an abusive relationship before, the two situations are very different. With Joffrey, she was a Stark in King’s Landing – far from home, the daughter of one traitor and sister of another. She had no support. On top of that, she’d just begun to realize that life isn’t like the stories she’d grown up on. Now, she’s a Stark in Winterfell – Stannis Baratheon is on his way with an army, Brienne is near by (not that Sansa knows this), and most importantly, Sansa has the support of pretty much everyone in Winterfell. On top of all that, she’s also spent several months watching Littlefinger, the master manipulator, do his thing. I have no doubt that Ramsay will get payback.

    Also, pretty much none of the “shock value” stuff in either the books or the show come from nowhere. Eddard Stark was betrayed and executed because he made the mistake of assuming everyone was playing by the same rules he was. The Red Wedding happened because Robb Stark made the same mistake. Ramsay’s actions are entirely in keeping with his character – he’s a sadist and a psychopath, and that sort of thing is how he gets his rocks off. He was pretty much the only person who enjoyed that scene.

    Now, on to less depressing things – Myrcella and Trystane are absolutely adorable together. If that relationship somehow doesn’t get fucked up by either Jaime or Ellaria and the Sand Snakes, their union could be one of the most powerful in Westeros.

    • CommentAuthorNossus
    • CommentTimeMay 22nd 2015 edited
     

    I have issues with anyone who considers a poorly made character to be feminist expression.

    Almost none of the characters in the series are ‘poorly made,’ but you wouldn’t know that having neither read nor watched it. You know fuck all about it. Why do people who know fuck all about this series have to have opinions about it? It makes no sense.

    •  
      CommentAuthorSarahSyna
    • CommentTimeMay 22nd 2015
     
    Because we form opinions based on what we do know, and those opinions are why we don't watch or read it?
    • CommentAuthorNossus
    • CommentTimeMay 22nd 2015
     

    You form opinions based on secondhand information, in alignment with your confirmation bias.

    •  
      CommentAuthorTakuGifian
    • CommentTimeMay 22nd 2015
     

    I kind of have to agree, you can’t really talk about a thing you haven’t watched/read/experienced with any authority, unless you are specifically talking about the opinions of those who have.

    •  
      CommentAuthorlilyWhite
    • CommentTimeMay 22nd 2015
     

    I’m fairly certain Pryotra’s comment was in regards to The Mary Sue website (which is truly one of the crappiest rags on the net).

    •  
      CommentAuthorPryotra
    • CommentTimeMay 22nd 2015
     

    I’m fairly certain Pryotra’s comment was in regards to The Mary Sue website (which is truly one of the crappiest rags on the net).

    Yup, it was. Hence why I hid it, and the fact that it didn’t coincide with anything else I said.

    In regards to GoT, my only opinion is that it seems to revel in its grit, and I have no real interest in it for that reason.

    •  
      CommentAuthorSarahSyna
    • CommentTimeMay 22nd 2015 edited
     
    My opinion of it is 'eh, not for me'. I can see why some folks like it and others don't. Besides that, I pretty much don't care. XD
    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeJul 14th 2015 edited
     

    So I watched Dragon Ball, for some reason.

    I didn’t really know what to expect going in, seeing as my only exposure to DB/DBZ has been watching DBZ Abridged and the obvious stuff everyone knows (super saiyans, IT’S OVER 9000, etc., most of which was from DBZ anyway), but it was pretty fun! A lot more adorable than I expected. Little babby Goku is great. Tournaments always take forever, but I loved all of them anyway. Didn’t expect Yamcha’s uselessness to begin quite so quickly, but such is as it is. Korin is the best character and anyone who disagrees is wrong. Pretty much that sums it up. :)

    Anyway, I just finished so I’m probably going to watch DBZ Kai next, because I reeeeeally don’t think I’m so masochistic as to want to watch the full thing. I’ve just heard way too many horror stories about Namek. I’m honestly not sure if it’ll annoy me because the characters/voices aren’t the same as the abridged versions (especially, like, Ghost Nappa and Super Kami Guru and Nail living in Piccolo’s head and so on), but we’ll see how it goes.

    And yes, yes, I’m aware I’m probably the only American in their early 20s who hasn’t seen either DB or DBZ before this point. I didn’t watch a lot of TV as a kid…

    EDIT: oh yeah, this should probably go in the Anime thread. Welp, I can’t find it, and I’m too lazy to search for it. Whatever.

    •  
      CommentAuthorTakuGifian
    • CommentTimeJul 15th 2015
     

    You mean you watched the entire animated series, original and Z, “for some reason”?

    That… takes a lot of effort. Impressive effort. How long did it take you?

    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeJul 15th 2015
     

    Only DB, not Z. I’m doing Kai now, though. First few episodes are pretty good, although I keep thinking of the abridged lines in my head…

    Getting through DB alone took me… couple of months, I guess. I did skip a few episodes if they were just really obvious filler that I didn’t care about. It’s easier for me to watch something like DB on a whim than a more serious character-driven show, because it’s not like you have to watch the show super-intently to get what’s going on and what the characters are like.

    •  
      CommentAuthorResistance
    • CommentTimeOct 26th 2015
     

    I just finished Season 3 of OITNB. Wow. I was on episode 13 and so ready to see what happened next . . . and then I realized that was the last episode! Any thoughts.

  15.  

    Am I missing something about OITNB? I watched like four episodes and was bored out of my mind the whole time and didn’t really find it all that interesting.

    •  
      CommentAuthorResistance
    • CommentTimeNov 2nd 2015
     

    It doesn’t really get all that interesting until the second and third seasons. Then you get some backstory on the characters and it becomes more interesting. Even the first season is a lot more interesting in the second half.

    •  
      CommentAuthorApep
    • CommentTimeJan 9th 2016
     

    Watched the premier of MTV’s The Shannara Chronicles, and streamed through ep. 4 on their website. I like it. Really glad they skipped adapting the first book, since that would just lead to people complaining that they’re ripping off Lord of the Rings.

    If you’re interested (and have the time), the two-episode premier is available on MTV’s YouTube page here.

    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeJan 10th 2016
     

    Really glad they skipped adapting the first book, since that would just lead to people complaining that they’re ripping off Lord of the Rings.

    Which, let’s be honest, is not an unfair accusation. ;)

    I didn’t realize they were skipping it, though. I agree it’s a smart move. I’ll have to give it a watch later, I did read some of the books but definitely not all of them.

    •  
      CommentAuthorApep
    • CommentTimeJan 10th 2016
     

    I’m reading the first one right now, and for all its similarities to LotR, it’s not terrible.

    •  
      CommentAuthorTakuGifian
    • CommentTimeJan 11th 2016
     

    I remember Shannara. Not my favourite writing style, but still better than some I’ve seen. In Brook’s favour though, The Tangle-Box is one of the better fantasy stories I’ve read; compelling, original, and well written with complex characterisation and themes and plot.

    I remember one self-published author who had asked me for critique of his work, during which conversation he rewrote passages from Shannara, LOTR and a few other classics in his own terrible, amateur, inane style, to demonstrate his superiority over more popular (traditionally/actually published) authors. It was terrible.

    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeJan 14th 2016 edited
     

    Sooo… anybody watch Shadowhunters? (the Mortal Instruments TV series)

    I’ve been thinking about watching at least the first episode, given that I’ve spent enough time reading critiques of the books without ever actually reading any or watching the movie.

    •  
      CommentAuthorApep
    • CommentTimeJan 14th 2016
     

    As the resident expert on all things Mortal Instruments, I will say this:

    You’d have to go Clockwork Orange on my ass to make me watch that show. And anyone who tries will suffer for it.

    •  
      CommentAuthorSarahSyna
    • CommentTimeJan 15th 2016 edited
     

    I watched it with a friend who is doing her own rewrite!

    It’s… well, the pacing has gotten worse, if that even possible, and it completely forgoes any attempt to build any kind of doubt or suspense regarding demons existing and even things that were originally meant to be plot twists. Magnus wiping Clary’s memories is revealed in, like, the first twenty minutes even though he apparently won’t make a proper intro until episode 4. Before that, there was a flashback to a something in a lake attacking eight year old Clary, and before that, Clary puts a biscotti into a page and it becomes a drawing. With how many close-ups the last thing got, my friend and I starting calling it the Doomscotti.

    The characters are all a lot more likeable though, though the acting is a little clunky (on the part of the younger actors anyway). Clary and Simon seem like actual friends, Clary doesn’t make her mtoher cry, Alec interrupts his own complaining at Jace to tell Isabelle he loves her after she teases him about being always dialed up. Even Jace is more likeable since he doesn’t take risks with Clary’s life by putting a rune on her (he does put the rune on her, but he actually knows she’s a Shadowhunter, it’s not a ’90% sure’ thing), though he’s still a twat. I also just really like who they picked for Alec and Isabelle, and I hope they improve as the season goes on. Alec dude is a bit… monotoneish but still decent enough (he gives off such ‘oh my god I am so done with this’ big brothery vibes) and Isabelle lady doesn’t get as much screentime but seems so adorable and nice. The Lightwood siblings are also just both hot as fuck, oh my god. Clary and Jace have the chemistry of wallpaper paste so that’s an improvement. At least Jace’s face no longer looks like a pelvis? Magnus looks like a total tool first time we see him, and I’m irrationally bothered by his eyes being yellow and not green but I’m really petty about such shit. XD

    Also, the amount of IRRRONNNNYYYY moments are through the roof. Like Simon’s band singing Forever Young, or the lights going out on the Pandemonium sign so its just demon, or Clary being like ‘I can’t understand how someone like you wouldn’t realise someone’s in love with you! =D’ to Simon. I was just rolling my eyes.

    One big improvement is TECHNOLOGY AND ORGANISATION
    There’s like a big touchscreeny map thing that Jace was tracking the demon on, they have records of its last-known disguise, Isabelle mentions using blood samples for clues, there’s also tons of background people in the Institute (which looks more high-techy inside to boot), Alec references asking for mission approval, they actually had a plan of action going into the club, etc. It’s all small stuff but it makes the Shadowhunters look waaaay more organised and competent than the books, and in the fight scenes, they actually kick ass (Alec and Jace have some decent fight choreography that gives more support to the parabatai thing than the books ever did too) and no one gets knocked the fuck out. Jocelyn as well, she stonecold stabs a motherfucker later.

    All in all, they’ve switched around a few elements to make them less headessky and stuff (they also made Dorothea into a younger woman – still a PoC – and family friend called Dot who works for Jocelyn) and I’d say that overall it’s an improvement but I’m still not sure I’d call it good. In fact, it’s still pretty bad, but less so, or maybe just differently.

    I’m also not sure why Valentine’s base is now in Chernobyl.

    •  
      CommentAuthorSarahSyna
    • CommentTimeFeb 6th 2016 edited
     

    Shadowhunters continues to be both better and worse than the source material.

    Like, some parts are still improved (Jace is the closest to a decent human being that he’ll probably ever be in an official work, Clary is actually concerned for other people AND her mother, and the show is able to reference things from later in the books when CC hadn’t thought of them by the time of writing). But some parts are so much worse. Last episode (Episode 4) was both an improvement over the frankly abysmal third episode but then shit the bed entirely in the last ten minutes and went from actual plot progression to completely pointless filler that just made an until now competent character look like a twat and wasted the viewer’s time. Not that the books didn’t do the same, but the show just kind of blindsides you with that a lot more.

    If people are interested, I could actually write full reviews/snarks of the episodes?

    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeFeb 6th 2016
     

    I’d be interested! I read things about it in a cursory fashion from time to time, but mostly it seems to be either from people who loved the books (why) or haven’t read the books at all. Given that I have at least a passing familiarity with the books due to the sporks, I’m more interested in that perspective.

    •  
      CommentAuthorApep
    • CommentTimeFeb 6th 2016
     

    Go for it. I’ve said (repeatedly) that I won’t watch the show, but I’m still perversely interested in it.

  16.  

    Last year, I was really hyped for the next season of Game of Thrones even before the first trailer came out. Now with the sixth season looming, I’m just thinking “Okay, something to kill time for the next 10 weeks.”

    •  
      CommentAuthorTakuGifian
    • CommentTimeFeb 21st 2016
     
    • CommentAuthorWiseWillow
    • CommentTimeFeb 21st 2016
     

    No but seriously, Titus Andronicus is a fucking BLOODBATH.

  17.  

    ^ I have always been of the opinion that Titus Andronicus was Shakespeare’s Tarantino phase.

    • CommentAuthorWiseWillow
    • CommentTimeFeb 27th 2016 edited
     

    Also, my favorite, FAVORITE Shakespeare joke.

    “Villain, you have undone our mother”

    “Villain, I have done thy mother”

    OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

  18.  

    ^ I literally fist-punched the air when I first encountered that gem.

    •  
      CommentAuthorApep
    • CommentTimeMay 25th 2016
     

    This is only TV-related, but I’m posting here anyway.

    Okay, so I’ve been managing to sort-of keep up with Game of Thrones by streaming episodes. I’m okay with getting them a few days after everyone else. I’m even okay with the show going into territory that the books haven’t covered. That’s fine, there’s plenty of differences between the books and the show.

    But could the internet please put a hold on spoilers for the show? I mean, I didn’t say things like, “don’t get too attached to Ned/Renly/Oberyn/whoever.” I didn’t mention stuff like the Red or Purple Weddings, or what happened to Lysa Arryn (or what she did).

    So, now that the show is covering territory that hasn’t been covered elsewhere, could we maybe keep from posting spoilers online for at least a few days, rather than doing it minutes after the show ends? I mean, the day after the latest episode, I saw ads for “Hold the Door” shirts on Facebook, and videos joking about it today. Look, I get it – people want to get this stuff out while the memory is still fresh, but would it kill these people to wait just five days before getting this stuff out? I’m not asking for a complete blackout on spoilers, or until the DVD release – just a few days so that maybe people who aren’t watching the show live can actually watch the show.

    •  
      CommentAuthorApep
    • CommentTimeMay 31st 2016
     

    Okay, I’m fresh off the latest episode of Game of Thrones, and I have many thoughts I wish to share.

    •  
      CommentAuthorPuppet
    • CommentTimeJun 20th 2016
     

    Man, I just can’t stand Game of Thrones. It takes me hours to finish every episode because the directing, writing, and acting are so bad. At this point I’m only watching it because I know there’s just no way I can avoid spoilers on the internet with how popular it’s become.

    George please.

    • CommentAuthorDave
    • CommentTimeJun 20th 2016 edited
     

    Man, I just can’t stand Game of Thrones. It takes me hours to finish every episode because the directing, writing, and acting are so bad. At this point I’m only watching it because I know there’s just no way I can avoid spoilers on the internet with how popular it’s become.

    I was wondering if you might be so kind as to elaborate on your viewpoint, good Sir.

    I’m not trying to start anything, I honestly haven’t watched the show and I gave up on the books around the Feast for Crows one and I was just curious.

    •  
      CommentAuthorPuppet
    • CommentTimeJun 20th 2016
     

    Mainly it’s just the gross oversimplification of the characters. One of the best qualities of the books was that most of the characters are “morally gray.” They all have their own motives and ambitions and all of them want to live and survive, even if it means doing some pretty despicable things. The show, however, has a pretty distinct cast of “good guys” and “bad guys.” Sansa, Jaime, and Tyrion are three examples of characters that are morally gray. In the books they all had their faults and underwent some kind of transformation: Sansa was naïve and bigoted, Jaime is a murderer, and Tyrion betrayed his family. The TV series shows none of this, though. Sansa was abused and yet comes out exactly the same, Jaime doesn’t go through any change at all, and Tyrion is shoehorned into being the comic relief and automatically excused because “he’s a dwarf” (which is the exact opposite of what happens in the books). Of course people excuse the show saying, “Oh, but they couldn’t possibly fit in all of the character development into the show”, but they do. It’s just random and senseless development that’s completely out of character. I’ll give the examples in spoiler tags.

    • CommentAuthorDave
    • CommentTimeJun 20th 2016
     

    Well, not having watched the series or having read all the books, I can’t comment from a position of authority. Thank you for taking the time that went into that nuanced and well thought out reply, though.

    As far as directors and storylines and the like go, I do believe you raise a valid point. In fact, that’s kind of a pet peeve of mine, I feel like some of the series that I have enjoyed the most were ones that stuck with a certain director or a very small pool of creative talent that were on the same page. At least as far as their vision for their story went. That goes for the ones that were original ideas and not just adaptations of existing work too.

    I also have to agree with your comment regarding people trying to make their “mark,” so to speak, instead of staying true to the source material. Just because you’re switching an existing work over to a different medium does not necessarily mean that your idea is better. In fact, it seems to me that oversimplifying a given set of characters is missing a huge opportunity to attract an audience/expand an existing fanbase and you’re shooting yourself in the foot in the long run. All my friends who read A Song of Ice and Fire, tell that one of their biggest selling points are the characters, even the bastards, because the work that the author put into them is evident. I mean, I get that you can’t always capture everything on screen, especially with a work as long-running as George Martin’s, but something like characterization is not all that hard … or maybe it is. Certain writers certainly seem inclined to think so.

  19.  

    I agree with you, Puppet. There were some great moments in the beginning of the season (Sansa and Brienne’s vows, for example) that had some actual emotional resonance, but other than that…squelch. I’ve largely given up on the show.

    Although to be honest, I’ve also given up on the books. The character work is great, and the first three books are fantastic, but the plot has gotten bogged down in boring things I don’t care about, and there’s not enough plot or emotional pay-off. I know the epic scope is half of what makes ASOIAF great, but GRRM needs a hard-ass editor to cut down what has become a bloated behemoth to a more manageable size.

    • CommentAuthorWiseWillow
    • CommentTimeJun 26th 2016 edited
     

    Agreed. EDITORS ARE GOOD.

    •  
      CommentAuthorPuppet
    • CommentTimeJun 27th 2016
     

    Alright, tonight’s episode was pretty great, though. As someone who’s been a pretty big critic of the show from the beginning, even I have to admit that it was executed beautifully. I was honestly in awe watching it.

    •  
      CommentAuthorTakuGifian
    • CommentTimeJun 27th 2016
     

    I’m on to you, Willow. I saw that apostrophe. >___>

    •  
      CommentAuthorswenson
    • CommentTimeJun 27th 2016
     

    Same. :D

    • CommentAuthorDave
    • CommentTimeJun 27th 2016 edited
     

    So, is Arrow still worth watching or should I give it up? I dunno, I just feel like that after the end of season three, the show’s creators should have just let it be. These last few episodes just feel like a complete rehash.

    • CommentAuthorDave
    • CommentTimeJul 24th 2016
     

    Yay, another double post!

    So, I watched the new season of Vikings and The Last Kingdom. For those of you that don’t know, Vikings is (loosely) based off the exploits of the some historical figures from the time.

    My take on Vikings:

    It’s decent, I suppose. It’s just somewhat lacking in the visuals department. For example, the costumes lean heavily towards the D&D-looking, “this is supposed to be all leathery and dark ages and stuff, you guys.” When you look at some of the artifacts from the time, they’re pretty impressive-looking and I feel like this would have been a better aesthetic to go for and the show’s creators are doing themselves a disservice/missing out on an opportunity.

    Oh, and leather pants? Really? It’s supposed to be a historical documentary, not a fucking Judas Priest music video.

    I have the same issue with The Last Kingdom to a certain extent, but a lot of their costumes look more in keeping with the era. At least with the Saxons. The Viking’s stuff looks like it got looted from someone’s old LARP gear.

    Secondly, the characterization is off by quite a bit. In the books, the character of Uthred looks more like the actor who plays the big bad in the show, than he does the guy who plays him. He’s supposed to be an intimidating specimen and kind of a foul-tempered and brooding sort. In the show we get to see this guy who’s supposed to be the hot-headed youth, I guess. I suppose the struggles that his personality forces him to endure are supposed to elicit our sympathy, but in the books, he’s not supposed to be sympathetic.

    Cornwell wrote this guy as a product of his times and the way someone from that time, with that kind of background would think and act. He wrote him to be a violent and brutal sort of man, the only difference between him and the people he fought, was his employer. Even then, it’s made clear that he could give a fuck less about the people he ostensibly protects, he makes it clear throughout the series that he thinks they’re all some bitches. It’s evident that he’s doing this because he’s getting paid to and it’s a means to an end.

    I guess the show’s creators felt that the audience wouldn’t like that kind of person for a protagonist. I beg to differ, the character of Frank Underwood immediately comes to mind. As does Don Corleone, Walter White and a host of others.