Television updates
Oct. 14th, 2007 06:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bop_radarThis weekend I baked cupcakes, hit myself on the head with a plank of wood (it hurts!) and spent way too much time sorting out other people's problems. It's one week until my holiday (two weeks off to vid--woot! SHUDDUP!) and I don't know how I'm going to crawl through five more work days.
I'm definitely falling for Pushing Daisies. I know some people are finding it 'too much' and it certainly is cutesy, but the quirks really work for me and I'm finding Ned rather scrumptiously irresistible. I am really glad we're still getting backstory on his childhood--I had thought that was simply for the Pilot.
The chemistry between Ned and Chuck is just adorable. I love the way they have to signal their movements to each other so they don't bump! I bump things all the time--I'd be dead again in a day!
More love: for the writing and, particularly, Ned's delivery on his lines. 'Did I say 'can' because I swallow my consonants sometimes?' made me ADORE him. Something about his posture in that scene made me want to squish him.
And I started to enjoy Chuck a lot more in this episode. Her quirky nature is really starting to shine and some of the details really tickled me: the 'cheesebox' (heaven!) and the language-learning (omgthatissome *dies*). I'm also loving her clothes and general sense of style. :) She's cutely old-fashioned but that's balanced by her level-headedness, her sunny disposition and the way she take everything in her stride.
Loving Emerson Cod too! The knitting is too adorable. And I loved his frustration with Chuck and her confidence that she'll bend him to her charm.
I thought the guest star (the dandelion) was really cute and quirky too. Her pie obsession was somehow adorable, even though also tragic. One thing though: when Chuck said 'that girl's got a whole secret life in the bathroom and I know how she feels' it was hard for me not to conclude that she too had bulimia--after all, she's JUST as skinny!
One character I really don't like: Olive. You could cut her out completely as far as I'm concerned. She's pointless and annoying, and she sings too?! Kill me now!
Bionic Woman is paaaaaiiiining me. I'm now at the stage of fast forwarding to Katee's scenes and I never ever do that with shows. I hate all characters except her's and that's probably not a good thing given that she's psychopathic. *facepalm* I just can't stomach the show though--the misogyny, the bad writing, the poor acting, the boring support cast, the nonsensical world details (don't get me started on the martial arts!), it's just too much bad for me to swallow. I'm kind of looking forward to vids just so that I don't have to put up with the peripheral annoyances, because Katee IS great.
Chuck, however, is tickling me. (Is it weird that the three shows I like this season ALL have a character called Chuck? Yes, I think so.) It's just so easy and entertaining to watch. And the fight sequences are well-choreographed and they play with the conventions to great comic effect. I'm really enjoying Casey--he's fantastically scary and sarcastic. It definitely gives me a giggle every week.
I'm suckered to Gossip Girl and I don't even care! \o/ Serena and Blair totally pwned me this week, and I was so glad they made up at the end. Blair's really grown on me--I love that we got to see just why she's so jealous of Serena. Because Serena is far more natural and there's no question that Blair was too uptight to sell the clothes well. The casting on this show is impeccable. Also, the Nate-Chuck relationship seems to be taking a turn for the slashy, and that can only be a good thing.
I'm definitely falling for Pushing Daisies. I know some people are finding it 'too much' and it certainly is cutesy, but the quirks really work for me and I'm finding Ned rather scrumptiously irresistible. I am really glad we're still getting backstory on his childhood--I had thought that was simply for the Pilot.
The chemistry between Ned and Chuck is just adorable. I love the way they have to signal their movements to each other so they don't bump! I bump things all the time--I'd be dead again in a day!
More love: for the writing and, particularly, Ned's delivery on his lines. 'Did I say 'can' because I swallow my consonants sometimes?' made me ADORE him. Something about his posture in that scene made me want to squish him.
And I started to enjoy Chuck a lot more in this episode. Her quirky nature is really starting to shine and some of the details really tickled me: the 'cheesebox' (heaven!) and the language-learning (omgthatissome *dies*). I'm also loving her clothes and general sense of style. :) She's cutely old-fashioned but that's balanced by her level-headedness, her sunny disposition and the way she take everything in her stride.
Loving Emerson Cod too! The knitting is too adorable. And I loved his frustration with Chuck and her confidence that she'll bend him to her charm.
I thought the guest star (the dandelion) was really cute and quirky too. Her pie obsession was somehow adorable, even though also tragic. One thing though: when Chuck said 'that girl's got a whole secret life in the bathroom and I know how she feels' it was hard for me not to conclude that she too had bulimia--after all, she's JUST as skinny!
One character I really don't like: Olive. You could cut her out completely as far as I'm concerned. She's pointless and annoying, and she sings too?! Kill me now!
Bionic Woman is paaaaaiiiining me. I'm now at the stage of fast forwarding to Katee's scenes and I never ever do that with shows. I hate all characters except her's and that's probably not a good thing given that she's psychopathic. *facepalm* I just can't stomach the show though--the misogyny, the bad writing, the poor acting, the boring support cast, the nonsensical world details (don't get me started on the martial arts!), it's just too much bad for me to swallow. I'm kind of looking forward to vids just so that I don't have to put up with the peripheral annoyances, because Katee IS great.
Chuck, however, is tickling me. (Is it weird that the three shows I like this season ALL have a character called Chuck? Yes, I think so.) It's just so easy and entertaining to watch. And the fight sequences are well-choreographed and they play with the conventions to great comic effect. I'm really enjoying Casey--he's fantastically scary and sarcastic. It definitely gives me a giggle every week.
I'm suckered to Gossip Girl and I don't even care! \o/ Serena and Blair totally pwned me this week, and I was so glad they made up at the end. Blair's really grown on me--I love that we got to see just why she's so jealous of Serena. Because Serena is far more natural and there's no question that Blair was too uptight to sell the clothes well. The casting on this show is impeccable. Also, the Nate-Chuck relationship seems to be taking a turn for the slashy, and that can only be a good thing.
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Date: 2007-10-14 01:00 pm (UTC)Oh God, that explains so much.
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Date: 2007-10-15 12:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-14 02:38 pm (UTC)One thing though: when Chuck said 'that girl's got a whole secret life in the bathroom and I know how she feels' it was hard for me not to conclude that she too had bulimia--after all, she's JUST as skinny!
Oh, I haven't thought of it that way. I just assumed that she was talking about secrets, as she's pretending to be dead and can't talk to her aunts.
One character I really don't like: Olive. You could cut her out completely as far as I'm concerned. She's pointless and annoying, and she sings too?! Kill me now!
I think they're thrilled that they have Kristin Chenoweth on the show so there will probably be more singing. :)
As for Chuck, I'm cracking up so much every week. His "Gee thanks, that made me feel so much better" voice last week, and tango and trying to stay cool while tied to that chair - too funny. He's awesome. ♥
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Date: 2007-10-15 12:26 am (UTC)I just assumed that she was talking about secrets, as she's pretending to be dead and can't talk to her aunts
Oh that's definitely the way the show INTENDED you to understand that line. I just thought the writing was conveniently blind to the irony.
I think they're thrilled that they have Kristin Chenoweth on the show so there will probably be more singing. :)
Oh GAWD. Who the frak is she, anyway? I've never seen her before.
As for Chuck, I'm cracking up so much every week. His "Gee thanks, that made me feel so much better" voice last week, and tango and trying to stay cool while tied to that chair - too funny. He's awesome. ♥
He really is! I loved the tango! I love the snark from Casey, it was all good! :)
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Date: 2007-10-15 01:46 am (UTC)Oh GAWD. Who the frak is she, anyway? I've never seen her before.
Don't let any of the theatre lovers hear you, they might throw rotten fruit at you. ;)
She's a Tony Award winning actress. She had roles on stage (she was in Wicked among other shows :D ), in movies and on television.
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Date: 2007-10-15 05:11 am (UTC)She had roles on stage (she was in Wicked among other shows :D ), in movies and on television.
Hmm. I'm obviously not up with US theatre. She seems squawky and annoying to me. ;) I guess if she's got a following though, they hoped she'd bring some attention to the show.
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Date: 2007-10-14 02:47 pm (UTC)I'm not watching the other shows that you watch except Bionic Woman and Gossip Girl. I'm glad that Katee's goodness on BW is virtually undisputed. The woman is going to go places, it's pretty clear.
As for Gossip Girl, I'm suckered in too! But I was suckered into the books way before the TV series. I don't know if I liked that they made up! But I actually liked the scene with Dan and Blair. (The girl who portrays Serena ever so slightly annoys me.) I think Dan/Blair would totally be a way of getting back at Serena! This show makes me so terrible. ;-)
And Nate/Chuck. How can one miss the slash possibilities? I've only seen Nate sleep in Chuck's room. On the couch but still. And Chuck was definitely jealous this week. Seriously, one day Nate will join Chuck with his lovely ladies. Or one can hope!
Use TV to get through the week. (Always worked for me.) By the time you reach GG you're half-way there and by the time you get to SV, you're home free!
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Date: 2007-10-15 12:49 am (UTC)Hee! Without the background of the books I was definitely on Serena's side to begin with, but this episode made me more sympathetic to Blair and I did wonder about Blair/Dan. Hee! I liked their corridor scene and it would be a nice twist.
On the couch but still
Yuh, but didn't he invite Nate to join him and the two chickies? *blinks* They are very amusingly debauched.
By the time you reach GG you're half-way there and by the time you get to SV, you're home free!
That's a GREAT way to think about it, yes. :D
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Date: 2007-10-15 02:40 am (UTC)But one day . . . Nate is a teenage boy after all . . .
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Date: 2007-10-14 02:57 pm (UTC)Tell me about the martial arts in BW. I read that Will Yun Lee's dad was a Tae Kwan Do master, he at least should know what he's doing? No? I don't know a thing about fighting styles, but it strikes me that they have some rather bad editing in the fight scenes, perhaps to conceal poor form?
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Date: 2007-10-15 12:46 am (UTC)Then there's the whole issue of apparently she has programmed attack and defense responses. I can run with that but where then does Will Yun Lee expect her to suddenly pull some new moves from? She has never been trained in martial arts. She's not just going to suddenly do a flying back kick that she's not programmed to do if he doesn't a) teach her some basic principles of attack and defense and b) get her to drill it. Attacking her over and over again is just dumb. And the argument that it 'makes good tv though' doesn't wash with me--it would make far better tv to have her fighting skills be internally consistent within the world and to show the limitations and possibilities clearly. Instead they're just kind of fudging it and hoping no-one will really care... which is sort of how I feel they're approaching the entire show.
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Date: 2007-10-14 04:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-15 12:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-15 12:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-15 10:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-14 10:23 pm (UTC)I definitely need some icons now . . .
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Date: 2007-10-15 12:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-14 11:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-15 12:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-15 12:46 am (UTC)Now, I wouldn't go that far. It's a v. v. close call, yes, but I still think SPN wins. *g*
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Date: 2007-10-15 12:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-14 11:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-15 12:29 am (UTC)BW is borderline with me also.
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Date: 2007-10-15 12:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-15 12:53 am (UTC)I must acquire icons of the adorable!
And I agree about the case files so far--not necessarily usually my thing, but they're making the whole world quirky and whimsical, so I like so far.
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Date: 2007-10-15 12:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-15 12:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-15 04:01 am (UTC)I haven't seen any of the other programs that you mentioned, but Bionic woman isn't my cup of tea at all...I thought it was pretty lame (except for Katee's bits - she owns that character, and is much more captivating on screen).
I think that I will just monitor and enjoy the Katee exerpts via my sasa friends.
I miss Jamie Bamber!! Did you happen to read his forward to the bsg season 3 companion?
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Date: 2007-10-15 11:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-15 10:31 pm (UTC)Me too. Which is unfortunate, because this could have been such a good show!
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Date: 2007-10-15 11:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-18 07:40 am (UTC)My brothers keep telling me Chuck is great, but I don't have access to it, so I'm going to wait until the DVD boxset is released. It sounds like I'd enjoy it, but not enough that I'm ready to go to extreme measures (for me, at least) to get it - especially with so much Smallville to watch :D
I'm still holding back from watching BW. I'm not entirely sure why - a mix of things, I suspect. I know that I worry a little - I remember what the new BSG was like when it started; Katee was getting hate mail and a regular slating for not being able to act, being ugly and so on, in comparison to all sorts of other people - the sort of thing that makes me seriously ranty. Things have mellowed out, and lots and lots more people now squee over Katee in BSG, because she is a genuinely good actress in a role that's perfect for her. Well, now it's Bionic Woman, and people are squeeing over how great Katee is, and Michelle Ryan is getting an incredibly slating on a range of fronts from her acting to her appearance. I've not watched the series, and I've got no idea if any criticism is warranted or not... but I just know I don't want to put myself in a position where I'm in any way involved with a fandom where people (including people I sort of know) are tearing an actress down. I know, the idea of me watching a show making me feel like I'm involved in fandom is completely screwed up, but... well, you know how it is. I've got enough windmills already.
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Date: 2007-10-18 08:36 am (UTC)Heh, no. They're more likely to be aiming a plank of wood at ME. I just got out of meeting. *shakes* Apparently I didn't get the memo that says you're not meant to tell the truth in those things... *shakes more* It's a good thing I've got two weeks off--they can bitch about me in peace.
I remember what the new BSG was like when it started; Katee was getting hate mail and a regular slating for not being able to act, being ugly and so on
Really?! God, that's so hard to imagine! Because I wasn't around at the start, I thought she was great right from the word go. And as for being ugly, um, by whose standards? *baffled*
I don't know. I sort of understand your reluctance to get involved but I trust my own opinion--I know bad acting when I see it and Michelle's struggling imho. She may well improve and I hear she was much stronger on other shows. If she improves I'm more than happy to change my tune. But right now her performance falls flat with a thunk for me. But honestly that's almost the LEAST of that show's problems, imho. It starts with the writing and universe construction...
But I don't enjoy slagging a show (or an actor), so I'm likely to just drop out of the habit of commenting on it. Unless there's a change of course, this is likely to be my last comment on the matter and was more in the way of note to my friends that I'm unlikely to engage about the show any more. Because I'm not one of those people that likes raining on other people's parade and also there are far better shows to spend my time on... :D I know plenty of people are enjoying BW and I wish I was too but if something doesn't work for you, it doesn't work for you. *shrugs*