Between CBS and Hulu I have more TV than I can watch in any given week, but I still miss shows I enjoy on Syfy, BBC America, and some other shows on some other stations. So I looked at the list of shows on the right side of this blog and found that I was able to check out a bunch of the ones on the various check these out lists and haven't taken the time to update those lists but at least I can mention the shows I've been able to check out here. Showing me that it has been a while since I updated, these shows were last year: Wayward Pines (FOX), Primeval: New World (BBC), Last Man on Earth (FOX), Dominion, Almost Human (FOX), Under the Dome (CBS), The Last Ship, The Crazy Ones (CBS), Halt and Catch Fire.
These shows were caught up with recently: 11.22.63, BrainDead (CBS), Chance (Hulu), McGyver (CBS), The Librarians (TNT), Timeless (NBC). All the shows listed in this entry are done or on hiatus or not interesting to me so the current ones I am watching are Chance, McGyver, and Timeless. I think The Last Ship and Halt and Catch Fire will be back.
I'll list the rest of what I am watching and maybe even babble about them another time...
BACK GROUND TV
Sunday, October 30, 2016
Saturday, September 24, 2016
Misfits
While there are some in the establishment who propose that the British Sci-Fi Comediy TV Show Misfits was just as good all five seasons, but after watching the first three seasons I agree with those who say the show sucked and really went bad after the second season. Even during the first two seasons I found it challenging to consider it Science Fiction. The science is basically absent and if logic was a smile, this show would be missing most of it's teeth. The story lines stretched the limits of logic to the point of annoyance at times. I mean, they don't even follow the proper rules of killing zombies.
The sophomoric humor provided a juvenile amusement mainly because you can tell the main character was enjoying being an obnoxious stereotype of a teenage sex-hound so much. Then, he suddenly disappeared without any reference and and was never mentioned again. His replacement seemed to try to follow in his footsteps, but several rather unpleasantries kept him from being enjoyable. First, he was a lot older so he presented must less forgivable for his misogynistic sexual hungers. He definitely did not appear to be enjoying life or himself so he was more pitiful than amusing. What started as a group of teenagers doing community service (shades of Breakfast Club blended with Heroes without as much eye candy, with less character building and bonding, and without much (if any) of the intelligence of either story line. Mix some Idiocracy or Dumb and Dumber, with less clever humor, in and we may have Misfits.
Sheer boredom and a desperate need for distraction and that often ridiculous hope for some redemption for anything as well as a few very good reviews of season five kept me sort of watching through the third season. Mostly I was typing, playing chess, reading, or falling asleep while the show was on. One annoying aspect of the show is that while it is rated MA, it is so variable in sound volume that watching it late at night is only ok if you have no one sleeping anywhere within earshot.
The first two seasons are silly fun with an amusing and potentially fascinating premise if you can get past the gratuitous sex (complete with the unrealistic Victorian practice of leaving underwear on that TV shows seem to continue) and womanizing. Season three introduces a main character way too old to be in a teenage community service group hanging out with and flashing his penis at teenagers, no less children. The missing ridiculously irresponsible teenager humor is replaced with an uncomfortable feeling way too serious for illogical soap opera the show turned into. The acting went downhill as well, not just in quality, but in the sense of fun and character development that gave the first two seasons as sense of novelty and amusement.
The sophomoric humor provided a juvenile amusement mainly because you can tell the main character was enjoying being an obnoxious stereotype of a teenage sex-hound so much. Then, he suddenly disappeared without any reference and and was never mentioned again. His replacement seemed to try to follow in his footsteps, but several rather unpleasantries kept him from being enjoyable. First, he was a lot older so he presented must less forgivable for his misogynistic sexual hungers. He definitely did not appear to be enjoying life or himself so he was more pitiful than amusing. What started as a group of teenagers doing community service (shades of Breakfast Club blended with Heroes without as much eye candy, with less character building and bonding, and without much (if any) of the intelligence of either story line. Mix some Idiocracy or Dumb and Dumber, with less clever humor, in and we may have Misfits.
Sheer boredom and a desperate need for distraction and that often ridiculous hope for some redemption for anything as well as a few very good reviews of season five kept me sort of watching through the third season. Mostly I was typing, playing chess, reading, or falling asleep while the show was on. One annoying aspect of the show is that while it is rated MA, it is so variable in sound volume that watching it late at night is only ok if you have no one sleeping anywhere within earshot.
The first two seasons are silly fun with an amusing and potentially fascinating premise if you can get past the gratuitous sex (complete with the unrealistic Victorian practice of leaving underwear on that TV shows seem to continue) and womanizing. Season three introduces a main character way too old to be in a teenage community service group hanging out with and flashing his penis at teenagers, no less children. The missing ridiculously irresponsible teenager humor is replaced with an uncomfortable feeling way too serious for illogical soap opera the show turned into. The acting went downhill as well, not just in quality, but in the sense of fun and character development that gave the first two seasons as sense of novelty and amusement.
Saturday, September 17, 2016
CBS All Access
I turned to CBS because I wanted to watch NCIS and it seemed to be either the only or maybe the best way to watch current CBS shows. CBS has a lot to learn from other TV streaming sites. It is slow and when watching with commercials, it cuts the show up poorly. Hulu has a much cleaner interface that plays much more smoothly and remembers shows watched and where viewing left off. CBS does not provide a very convenient or enjoyable user experience.
So far I have not found a way to identify shows I have watched on CBS All Access. That adds a very annoying waste of time when returning to a series because it forces the need to guess and watch through the first commercial and some of an episode before realizing I already watched that episode, then repeating that until I find the episode at which i left off. The slowness of loading adds waiting time and further diminishes the user experience. I suppose one solution is to keep track in a spreadsheet or some other document I maintain, but that is just another inconvenience.
Another flaw in the site is their choice to put only selected episodes of some shows on the site. This destroys the continuity of a show and diminishes the desire to watch a series. I've found that I will put up with these things for a series that was true long time favorite, but that shortens the list of shows and ultimately, makes paying each month less likely. More likely I will sign up once or maybe twice a year for one month each time and catch up on the top favorites, not watching shows that do not have full seasons available and not checking out much of anything new.
CBS needs to understand the online viewing audience they seek. I'd rate the user experience fair at best and poor much of the time. It is worth the annoyances for specific shows but I will let go of most shows I used to watch and might have watched on CBS.
So far I have not found a way to identify shows I have watched on CBS All Access. That adds a very annoying waste of time when returning to a series because it forces the need to guess and watch through the first commercial and some of an episode before realizing I already watched that episode, then repeating that until I find the episode at which i left off. The slowness of loading adds waiting time and further diminishes the user experience. I suppose one solution is to keep track in a spreadsheet or some other document I maintain, but that is just another inconvenience.
Another flaw in the site is their choice to put only selected episodes of some shows on the site. This destroys the continuity of a show and diminishes the desire to watch a series. I've found that I will put up with these things for a series that was true long time favorite, but that shortens the list of shows and ultimately, makes paying each month less likely. More likely I will sign up once or maybe twice a year for one month each time and catch up on the top favorites, not watching shows that do not have full seasons available and not checking out much of anything new.
CBS needs to understand the online viewing audience they seek. I'd rate the user experience fair at best and poor much of the time. It is worth the annoyances for specific shows but I will let go of most shows I used to watch and might have watched on CBS.
Monday, September 12, 2016
Hulu
The primary inadequacy at Hulu is lack of current season programs. So the choice is go pay somewhere that provides current seasons or wait until a few months (or longer) after the season ends to watch the shows. Unfortunately, word gets out about shows to most anyone who goes online or talks to people and I don[t want to live under a rock. In fact, one of the major reasons I watch TV is to share the experience and even when I watch by myself I want to talk to others about shows and characters and stories and waiting months or a year to talk to people about what happens in fictional entertainment is often a let down.
The second flaw is the selection. A lot of shows I would like to watch are just not there.
The user experience is good, especially without commercials. The free month was the reason I tried without commercials. .
I am a newbie to online TV watching so I may update this as I learn more. For now, I like the user experience of Hulu but wish there were more shows as well as more current shows available.
The second flaw is the selection. A lot of shows I would like to watch are just not there.
The user experience is good, especially without commercials. The free month was the reason I tried without commercials. .
I am a newbie to online TV watching so I may update this as I learn more. For now, I like the user experience of Hulu but wish there were more shows as well as more current shows available.
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
NCIS 13
Ok, with a fair amount of resentment for the usual corporate greed, I signed up for a free week of CBS so I can watch the latest episodes of some of my favorite shows. While Elementary is one of them, I am starting with NCIS. $6.99 a month with a ton of commercials and just one week for free. $11.99 without the commercials. So I need to decide if it's worth it and that is what I will be doing this week. The commercials are already annoying enough to be worth it, unless I get used to them and find that writing during the commercials can work for me. Thing is, watching will take a lot longer with commercials than without. Pondering the possibilities. No forward or reverse control on the video doesn't help.
NOTE: If you have not watched season 13, there will be spoilers in this entry.
I don't remember where I left off with this show. I started with episode 1 for season 13, but decided that I am pretty sure I saw that one so I skipped ahead to episode 12 and 13. It does not look familiar, so I will watch. The typing above happened during the first commercial break. Eating (chocolate and dried papaya) happened during the second commercial. This typing is happeneing during the third commercial. Too many commercials, definitely too many commmercials. Worse, the commercial buffer poorly so they take even longer than they would take on TV. I will be writing to CBS and checking their message boards (if they have any) to see if that can be fixed. It sucks.
The show, however, is NCIS. I let the characters become part of my imaginary family a few years ago when I started watching regularly because it was a shared experience with Jackson we both enjoyed. I miss Jackson while watching, as I would expect I would. We watched most during the Ziva years and for me, it was Ziva and Abby who drew me in but the rest of the characters and their interactions provided just the right mix to seduce my imagination. They overcame the police-state arrogance and flag-waving blindness and military self-righteousness that turns me off in the real world and in most fiction. Even overcame the programmed plot advancement as the cast "reports" to each other systematically that is way too scripted. Some of the stories show imaginative twists, but most follow the same old format.
The characters bring me back, but without Jackson and given some time away and the buffer-delayed commercials diminish the vitality and my interest in the show. Could be that the second half of this episode is an NCIS New Orleans episode and I am realizing why I don't watch that show religiously. Also, Abby's brother is obnoxiously stupid, though the nature of the show would point to his naive spirit not being completely broken so some sort of hard-to-believe plot twist is likely coming. The leeway they are allowing the brother is pathetic and unreal. I half expect him to drug his babysitter and escape. Redeeming him with even a modicum of respect or validity will not be easy. Then there are the commercials, also obnoxiously stupid. Then there is the Russian enemy cliche which is getting really old, in real life too.
Hopefully the next episode of NCIS will overcome all these challenges. I enjoyed Elementary much more than I am watching this. I suppose this has become another background TV commercial even though I am genuinely trying to give the show my full attention. It is apparently not doing a good job of holding it. Red Lobster endless shrimp is really annoying my wallet lol but at least I laughed for the first time in the past two hours. I should noy be hungry, but the commercials are doing their job working on my weak spot.
I love shrimp. That is a big reason I go to Chinese buffets so often.
So this first episode back to NCIS is a huge disappointment. I don't remember seeing it before, but then, I have a way of forgetting episodes so I can enjoy them again. I suppose I ought to watch the episode before this one to double check whether I caught up on all the NCIS episodes we DVRed or whether I waited for Jackson to watch them with me and never got to see them because she never did.
And then the episodes flow (in spite of the excruciatingly repetitive commercials). The characters draw me in. The emotional endings that are so attractive for anyone appreciating family (or longing for family, as I do) do their thing. Every season there are some killer emotional endings... Ducky and his brother. McGee looking at wedding rings. Gibbs laying on his bed. Dinozzo's father adopting a homeless girl. The occasional sad one, Bishop's divorce, a death, potential death of main characters, and of course the build-up to the departure of one of the main characters (way too anti-climactic for me as I could not avoid the spoilers). Not to mention the surprisingly surprising surprise guest star. Will old charcters return? Will she?
I am trying to be obscure with my spoilers when it comes to the biggest change. lol.
The highlight of the season is the main stars leaving the show. Ignoring the double standard of the good guys mentality of seeking revenge first and justice second (of course, they're only human... and we wonder why the world is the way it is... at least it reflects reality... it would be nice if it reflected an evolutionary leap in conscious awareness, but then, the show is not targeted to intelligence which is why it is so popular for so long). Ok, so ignoring human stupidity is not as easy for me as it is for many other humans. Blame it on the reflective time commercials provide.
The new FBI character fits in almost perfectly. Yes, we are into the next to last episode of the 13th season now. Casting would be fools not to keep her, no matter what they do with Furnell's character. The new MI6 guy fits great as well. It might take two great new characters to replace him. They again, Bishop needs to move up the chain and not be the probee and the FBI woman is another Gibbs, so keep her as a love interest for him? And of course, she is mentioned. Had to be there for his exit. Jackson used to say I should write these shows. I just say I can see the optimal emotional impact and this show seems to find that more often than most.
So she come back and does he and she sail off into the sunset with his dad in the final episode? Creating a new family? Is there already a love child he never knew about? Does dad die? Is the new FBI agent a new love interest for Gibbs? This is why many people do not like to watch TV or movies with me. My mind is writing the potential scripts as the show goes on. If she doesn't want to come back even for a cameo, will they finally kill her off? Or will the think she's dead and bring her back like they have with others? Will the show really be that sexist to kill off only the female leads? That would suck to know there is that much misogyny in the most popular show on TV for many years? I will hope the death was faked so the romantic ending can happen.
Ok, enough speculation. I've seen this twist before. The guy everyone almost unanimously wants dead walks into the room with his hands up. Moral dilemma. I wonder if the writers actually consider that and deliberately set it up. Then the ultimate confrontation, the power of Gibbs against the master criminal and doubling down on that, the Gibbs gut vs everyone else. Then the usual good guy turns bad guy turns good guy turns bad guy spinning wheel spins even further in a seemingly out of control ever-widening loop.
Potential new characters... Tess Monroe, Clayton Reeves, Gibb's new doctor. All approved (because they would not do anything without my approval, right?... oh, come on, we've got to laugh sometimes). Hopefully they keep all three around. Even formula says it is time to introduce a non-white main character other than Vance. They found perfect fits, especially in the FBI woman, but... they could go Hispanic (cynical, I am).
The end of season 13 was ok. Maybe excellent. Not perfect. It could have been perfect. At least closer to it. :)
NOTE: If you have not watched season 13, there will be spoilers in this entry.
I don't remember where I left off with this show. I started with episode 1 for season 13, but decided that I am pretty sure I saw that one so I skipped ahead to episode 12 and 13. It does not look familiar, so I will watch. The typing above happened during the first commercial break. Eating (chocolate and dried papaya) happened during the second commercial. This typing is happeneing during the third commercial. Too many commercials, definitely too many commmercials. Worse, the commercial buffer poorly so they take even longer than they would take on TV. I will be writing to CBS and checking their message boards (if they have any) to see if that can be fixed. It sucks.
The show, however, is NCIS. I let the characters become part of my imaginary family a few years ago when I started watching regularly because it was a shared experience with Jackson we both enjoyed. I miss Jackson while watching, as I would expect I would. We watched most during the Ziva years and for me, it was Ziva and Abby who drew me in but the rest of the characters and their interactions provided just the right mix to seduce my imagination. They overcame the police-state arrogance and flag-waving blindness and military self-righteousness that turns me off in the real world and in most fiction. Even overcame the programmed plot advancement as the cast "reports" to each other systematically that is way too scripted. Some of the stories show imaginative twists, but most follow the same old format.
The characters bring me back, but without Jackson and given some time away and the buffer-delayed commercials diminish the vitality and my interest in the show. Could be that the second half of this episode is an NCIS New Orleans episode and I am realizing why I don't watch that show religiously. Also, Abby's brother is obnoxiously stupid, though the nature of the show would point to his naive spirit not being completely broken so some sort of hard-to-believe plot twist is likely coming. The leeway they are allowing the brother is pathetic and unreal. I half expect him to drug his babysitter and escape. Redeeming him with even a modicum of respect or validity will not be easy. Then there are the commercials, also obnoxiously stupid. Then there is the Russian enemy cliche which is getting really old, in real life too.
Hopefully the next episode of NCIS will overcome all these challenges. I enjoyed Elementary much more than I am watching this. I suppose this has become another background TV commercial even though I am genuinely trying to give the show my full attention. It is apparently not doing a good job of holding it. Red Lobster endless shrimp is really annoying my wallet lol but at least I laughed for the first time in the past two hours. I should noy be hungry, but the commercials are doing their job working on my weak spot.
I love shrimp. That is a big reason I go to Chinese buffets so often.
So this first episode back to NCIS is a huge disappointment. I don't remember seeing it before, but then, I have a way of forgetting episodes so I can enjoy them again. I suppose I ought to watch the episode before this one to double check whether I caught up on all the NCIS episodes we DVRed or whether I waited for Jackson to watch them with me and never got to see them because she never did.
And then the episodes flow (in spite of the excruciatingly repetitive commercials). The characters draw me in. The emotional endings that are so attractive for anyone appreciating family (or longing for family, as I do) do their thing. Every season there are some killer emotional endings... Ducky and his brother. McGee looking at wedding rings. Gibbs laying on his bed. Dinozzo's father adopting a homeless girl. The occasional sad one, Bishop's divorce, a death, potential death of main characters, and of course the build-up to the departure of one of the main characters (way too anti-climactic for me as I could not avoid the spoilers). Not to mention the surprisingly surprising surprise guest star. Will old charcters return? Will she?
I am trying to be obscure with my spoilers when it comes to the biggest change. lol.
The highlight of the season is the main stars leaving the show. Ignoring the double standard of the good guys mentality of seeking revenge first and justice second (of course, they're only human... and we wonder why the world is the way it is... at least it reflects reality... it would be nice if it reflected an evolutionary leap in conscious awareness, but then, the show is not targeted to intelligence which is why it is so popular for so long). Ok, so ignoring human stupidity is not as easy for me as it is for many other humans. Blame it on the reflective time commercials provide.
The new FBI character fits in almost perfectly. Yes, we are into the next to last episode of the 13th season now. Casting would be fools not to keep her, no matter what they do with Furnell's character. The new MI6 guy fits great as well. It might take two great new characters to replace him. They again, Bishop needs to move up the chain and not be the probee and the FBI woman is another Gibbs, so keep her as a love interest for him? And of course, she is mentioned. Had to be there for his exit. Jackson used to say I should write these shows. I just say I can see the optimal emotional impact and this show seems to find that more often than most.
So she come back and does he and she sail off into the sunset with his dad in the final episode? Creating a new family? Is there already a love child he never knew about? Does dad die? Is the new FBI agent a new love interest for Gibbs? This is why many people do not like to watch TV or movies with me. My mind is writing the potential scripts as the show goes on. If she doesn't want to come back even for a cameo, will they finally kill her off? Or will the think she's dead and bring her back like they have with others? Will the show really be that sexist to kill off only the female leads? That would suck to know there is that much misogyny in the most popular show on TV for many years? I will hope the death was faked so the romantic ending can happen.
Ok, enough speculation. I've seen this twist before. The guy everyone almost unanimously wants dead walks into the room with his hands up. Moral dilemma. I wonder if the writers actually consider that and deliberately set it up. Then the ultimate confrontation, the power of Gibbs against the master criminal and doubling down on that, the Gibbs gut vs everyone else. Then the usual good guy turns bad guy turns good guy turns bad guy spinning wheel spins even further in a seemingly out of control ever-widening loop.
Potential new characters... Tess Monroe, Clayton Reeves, Gibb's new doctor. All approved (because they would not do anything without my approval, right?... oh, come on, we've got to laugh sometimes). Hopefully they keep all three around. Even formula says it is time to introduce a non-white main character other than Vance. They found perfect fits, especially in the FBI woman, but... they could go Hispanic (cynical, I am).
The end of season 13 was ok. Maybe excellent. Not perfect. It could have been perfect. At least closer to it. :)
Sunday, August 28, 2016
Elementary
Yes, the TV show based on Holmes and Watson. Yes, I watch it (when I had a TV it you recall). Yes, I started watching it again from the first episode (I am halfway through season two) when I signed up for a month of free Hulu. Yes, it absorbs me and offers a wonderful distraction (and can be addictive). When I watch shows (or read books or listen to songs or experience any fiction, I can relate to the characters as if they were real people, especially when the characters are developed well and connect with aspects of my real life. Fiction and storytelling is just ideas, after all, and what is life anyway, if not ideas we make real through our actions). I can do that with Elementary because I have a lot of Holmes and Watson (and Moriarty, for that matter) in me (no wonder people keep their distance, aye?). The show also strives to be more than just a procedural crime drama and often succeeds in that due to the character development.
So for most of at least two days and nights I've watched a lot of Elementary and it has energized my brain on many levels. The affects are not all positive, however. It does little for the body except provide potential masturbatory fantasy, though the potential for increasing exercise in order to feel more fit can come from the experience (has in the past) of even imaginary interaction with fictional characters. More viscerally, whenever I surface from the fantasy world the show and characters take me to, I feel lonelier than ever (cuz imaginary lives and delusions, much like drugs, are not really satisfying beyond the momentary experiences. They are just temporary distractions and emotional roller coasters, but we don't have the energy for such philosophical ramblings tonight as I am starting to nod off. I wish someone shared watching shows (and sharing all sorts of creative play) with me, but then, who really wants to feed and rebuild a starving child?
Shift gears out of there, fast! lol sigh.
Going with the distraction for now, the character would probably say those who write about him (yes, there are people who write about TV shows, a lot, even... no really, a whole lot, just none in the life I live day to day... excuse the grinding gears, hiccup) don't have a clue as to who he is or what makes him tic (sound familiar?).
Watson's heart, even if driven by guilt, is inspiring and sometimes too close to home (as is Sherlock's insensitive arrogance, among other things). I admire Lucy Liu for many reasons (not just because she has libido's favorite body type and flaunts it well or even because she plays the accordian... hey, I'm not just all about sex and self-mockery, ya know? lol) so her playing Watson helps me enjoy her character. I love that she directs some episodes and takes her roles as seriously as she does. I'm not a blind fan, but she seems as fun as her wry smile on the show.
Then there's the occasional appearance by Natalie (who teases really well so I'll follow her lead a bit... maybe she has a good sense of humor? {the crappy sound obscures a clear conclusion}. She doesn't seem to mind nude scenes, though I have not seen a shot I'd save {yes, I am a very picky pornophile, if you must judge lol... really, you don't judge? lol... oh alright, enough teasing for now... I mean, you're not even here at the moment, are you? :) }... to me, she does not look like she takes working out seriously). C+ (maybe it's teasing, aye?).
to be continued...
So for most of at least two days and nights I've watched a lot of Elementary and it has energized my brain on many levels. The affects are not all positive, however. It does little for the body except provide potential masturbatory fantasy, though the potential for increasing exercise in order to feel more fit can come from the experience (has in the past) of even imaginary interaction with fictional characters. More viscerally, whenever I surface from the fantasy world the show and characters take me to, I feel lonelier than ever (cuz imaginary lives and delusions, much like drugs, are not really satisfying beyond the momentary experiences. They are just temporary distractions and emotional roller coasters, but we don't have the energy for such philosophical ramblings tonight as I am starting to nod off. I wish someone shared watching shows (and sharing all sorts of creative play) with me, but then, who really wants to feed and rebuild a starving child?
Shift gears out of there, fast! lol sigh.
Going with the distraction for now, the character would probably say those who write about him (yes, there are people who write about TV shows, a lot, even... no really, a whole lot, just none in the life I live day to day... excuse the grinding gears, hiccup) don't have a clue as to who he is or what makes him tic (sound familiar?).
Watson's heart, even if driven by guilt, is inspiring and sometimes too close to home (as is Sherlock's insensitive arrogance, among other things). I admire Lucy Liu for many reasons (not just because she has libido's favorite body type and flaunts it well or even because she plays the accordian... hey, I'm not just all about sex and self-mockery, ya know? lol) so her playing Watson helps me enjoy her character. I love that she directs some episodes and takes her roles as seriously as she does. I'm not a blind fan, but she seems as fun as her wry smile on the show.
Then there's the occasional appearance by Natalie (who teases really well so I'll follow her lead a bit... maybe she has a good sense of humor? {the crappy sound obscures a clear conclusion}. She doesn't seem to mind nude scenes, though I have not seen a shot I'd save {yes, I am a very picky pornophile, if you must judge lol... really, you don't judge? lol... oh alright, enough teasing for now... I mean, you're not even here at the moment, are you? :) }... to me, she does not look like she takes working out seriously). C+ (maybe it's teasing, aye?).
to be continued...
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Scorpion
I definitely love looking at Katherine McFee's face and body from a variety of angles and I relate to the alienation and unique perspective that genius can present in this world and Scorpion provides both. That may be enough to keep me watching in spite of the stupidity of the writers. The obvious, contrived plot movements are ridiculous and sometimes challenging to listen to in spite of the visual candy. The episode ar Chernobyl may have crossed that line of contrived stupidity I can tolerate. Even McGyver had more credibility with his make-shift escapes that pushed the limits of physics beyond logic amd there was not a whole lot of science in that show. This has become The A-Team with big words.
I guess I could take watching this show week to week because the contrived plot movements and scientific stupidity did not pile up as much as it is piling up watching more than a few episodes in a row. I know it is partly because of the way these supposed geniuses are portrayed as emotional inepts without using any logical explanations (like savant autism, for instance). That is just one of the flaws in the writing that leads to so little character development in spite of the dramatic-effect discussions that delay action at critical times. In almost every scene, the stupidity just gets worse.
The emotional stupidity and immaturity is bad enough, but the flawed logic of supposed geniuses points to the writers and producers and cast ignorance or assumption and acceptance that their audience is as ignorant and illogical as they are. Like just one example, why couldn't Walter knock Collins out instead of listening to him for almost a minute and letting him go? To push the emotional development of Walter and then fix that by pushing even further to catch him? Stupid.
So little intelligence or logic in a story about geniuses.
Eye candy. Is it worth it?
I guess I could take watching this show week to week because the contrived plot movements and scientific stupidity did not pile up as much as it is piling up watching more than a few episodes in a row. I know it is partly because of the way these supposed geniuses are portrayed as emotional inepts without using any logical explanations (like savant autism, for instance). That is just one of the flaws in the writing that leads to so little character development in spite of the dramatic-effect discussions that delay action at critical times. In almost every scene, the stupidity just gets worse.
The emotional stupidity and immaturity is bad enough, but the flawed logic of supposed geniuses points to the writers and producers and cast ignorance or assumption and acceptance that their audience is as ignorant and illogical as they are. Like just one example, why couldn't Walter knock Collins out instead of listening to him for almost a minute and letting him go? To push the emotional development of Walter and then fix that by pushing even further to catch him? Stupid.
So little intelligence or logic in a story about geniuses.
Eye candy. Is it worth it?
Sunday, July 31, 2016
The Continuing Saga of Life Without TV
Yes, the TV is still not plugged in. Being too heavy to be a functional paperweight, it remains a 55 inch, 70+ pound table decoration and occasional clothes rack. I appreciate those of you who have sympathized and even more, appreciate the recommendations for new shows. I also appreciate your valiant attempts at keeping spoilers out of my view, though some knowledge of favorite shows has trickled in and while I have not seen the episodes, I am aware of the departure of characters and a couple of show cancellations that would be rocking my world had I had the TV plugged in this season. I can still read, after all.
I know I am missing shows I really want to watch. NCIS, Bones, Castle, Elementary, Rizzoli & Isles, Dr. Who, Orphan Black, The Big Bang Theory, Criminal Minds, Scorpion, Mr. Robot, The Expanse, The X-Files, Humans, Blindspot, Quantico, 12 Monkeys, Halt and Catch Fire, Zoo, Dark Matter, Supergirl, Killjoys, Rosewood, The Shannara Chronicles, Colony, The Last Ship, The Magicians, Lucifer, Stephen Colbert, . . . and many many others on the list of "being DVR'ed" shows. Then there is this list to check out, remember, or mourn. Are you out there?
Since my TV-watching partner, Jackson, moved out (she's still in love, so yay for that), it would be quite lonely to watch major changes in shows we've come to love without her (or anyone), so maybe not having a TV is for the best. I am interacting much more than ever with actually people who are not on TV, after all.
As you may have noticed, I added another list to the lists on the right sidebar. This one will list the shows I read about that I am curious about. I suppose I could have used an existing list further down the bar of lists, but hey, I'm not as organized as I might be if I took all this seriously. Feel free to organize all this somewhere if you like. Collaborate, even.
I don't think this blog has actually come up with any formal "spoiler" identifier as the writing here is not meant to be structured or anything more than my rambling distractions afforded or inspired by glancing up at the TV that provided background audio and visual simulation for me. I mean, I am not an AV Geek (though there might have been a time I might have been a wanna-be... is being a wanna-be AV Geek something beneath being an AV Geek in the hierarchy of cool? lol lam... of course it was a rhetorical question and you'd have known that had you prepared for this entry by reading all of the previous entries and the rest of the written gardens, or at least the blogs), after all. Perhaps the whole blog is a spoiler, but not in the usual sense, aye? (self-deprecating humor or some other obscure reference?... I'll leave that for you to decide as I wander on somewhere between a smirk and a smile).
Life has become quite monotonous of late, actually. I would not necessarily attribute that to lack of TV, but who knows. Not seeing Dinozzo's departure or missing the Castle's finale might have contributed to the dulling of the events and activities offline, though the lack of funds due to long term goofing off (as in not working and not really looking for a job) probably has more to do with the lack of diverse activities. Living alone helps, no doubt. It is a minor tragedy that I've had all this time to take TV watching seriously and unplugged the TV. What new shows have I missed? What old favorites have had traumatic changes? How can the world go on without me? I suppose I miss the fictional drama I used to watch, aye?
So seriously (maybe), where is all the motivation to get back into the world of fictional reality?
I'll be right here when you want to share. :)
Actually, that is a lie. I last checked into this blog a couple of months ago, or longer. For all I know, you may have stopped by and left a thousand messages only to delete them when I did not respond. Are you that capricious? Am I that teasing taunting or irreverent? Are we ever going to find a common bed for unbridled thralls of passion? Just imagine what questions we might pose if we watched TV together.
Mockery, especially self-mockery, is strong in this one.
Loneliness too.
Narf :)
I know I am missing shows I really want to watch. NCIS, Bones, Castle, Elementary, Rizzoli & Isles, Dr. Who, Orphan Black, The Big Bang Theory, Criminal Minds, Scorpion, Mr. Robot, The Expanse, The X-Files, Humans, Blindspot, Quantico, 12 Monkeys, Halt and Catch Fire, Zoo, Dark Matter, Supergirl, Killjoys, Rosewood, The Shannara Chronicles, Colony, The Last Ship, The Magicians, Lucifer, Stephen Colbert, . . . and many many others on the list of "being DVR'ed" shows. Then there is this list to check out, remember, or mourn. Are you out there?
Since my TV-watching partner, Jackson, moved out (she's still in love, so yay for that), it would be quite lonely to watch major changes in shows we've come to love without her (or anyone), so maybe not having a TV is for the best. I am interacting much more than ever with actually people who are not on TV, after all.
As you may have noticed, I added another list to the lists on the right sidebar. This one will list the shows I read about that I am curious about. I suppose I could have used an existing list further down the bar of lists, but hey, I'm not as organized as I might be if I took all this seriously. Feel free to organize all this somewhere if you like. Collaborate, even.
I don't think this blog has actually come up with any formal "spoiler" identifier as the writing here is not meant to be structured or anything more than my rambling distractions afforded or inspired by glancing up at the TV that provided background audio and visual simulation for me. I mean, I am not an AV Geek (though there might have been a time I might have been a wanna-be... is being a wanna-be AV Geek something beneath being an AV Geek in the hierarchy of cool? lol lam... of course it was a rhetorical question and you'd have known that had you prepared for this entry by reading all of the previous entries and the rest of the written gardens, or at least the blogs), after all. Perhaps the whole blog is a spoiler, but not in the usual sense, aye? (self-deprecating humor or some other obscure reference?... I'll leave that for you to decide as I wander on somewhere between a smirk and a smile).
Life has become quite monotonous of late, actually. I would not necessarily attribute that to lack of TV, but who knows. Not seeing Dinozzo's departure or missing the Castle's finale might have contributed to the dulling of the events and activities offline, though the lack of funds due to long term goofing off (as in not working and not really looking for a job) probably has more to do with the lack of diverse activities. Living alone helps, no doubt. It is a minor tragedy that I've had all this time to take TV watching seriously and unplugged the TV. What new shows have I missed? What old favorites have had traumatic changes? How can the world go on without me? I suppose I miss the fictional drama I used to watch, aye?
So seriously (maybe), where is all the motivation to get back into the world of fictional reality?
I'll be right here when you want to share. :)
Actually, that is a lie. I last checked into this blog a couple of months ago, or longer. For all I know, you may have stopped by and left a thousand messages only to delete them when I did not respond. Are you that capricious? Am I that teasing taunting or irreverent? Are we ever going to find a common bed for unbridled thralls of passion? Just imagine what questions we might pose if we watched TV together.
Mockery, especially self-mockery, is strong in this one.
Loneliness too.
Narf :)
Thursday, April 14, 2016
Life Without TV
It has been just over a month now since I moved and I have survived without TV. I miss the imaginary friends on many of the shows and sometimes feel really sad that I do not know what is going on. I don't know if I have the discipline to sit and watch online (I don't have two computers and my phone is too ancient {not enough memory} to effectively use for the web). I read about some shows and I don't know if what I read already aired or if it is a spoiler. Sad.
I am loving music again. Music always has been my favorite form of audio-visual entertainment. Still, I want a TV-partner again. A connected TV might help lol. I guess I should explore the alternatives that will work with my "Smart" TV. Some friends have boxes that provide a whole lot. Then there are services a whole lot cheaper than cable. But which one will provide my shows? Sci-Fi and BBC America are the most important to me. USA, TNT, TBS, AMC, and a few others and the networks (especially CBS) would be enough, though ESPN and a few others would be missed.
If you happen to be an alternative to cable TV expert (or just know anything that can help), I'd appreciated it. Thanks. :)
I am loving music again. Music always has been my favorite form of audio-visual entertainment. Still, I want a TV-partner again. A connected TV might help lol. I guess I should explore the alternatives that will work with my "Smart" TV. Some friends have boxes that provide a whole lot. Then there are services a whole lot cheaper than cable. But which one will provide my shows? Sci-Fi and BBC America are the most important to me. USA, TNT, TBS, AMC, and a few others and the networks (especially CBS) would be enough, though ESPN and a few others would be missed.
If you happen to be an alternative to cable TV expert (or just know anything that can help), I'd appreciated it. Thanks. :)
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