Disappointments and new finds

[cornerofmadness]

I'm used to my nursing students disappointing me so I wasn't too surprised at the 74% class average on the easiest test they're getting. What DID disappoint me was my biology pre-meds. I'm going to cut the beginning chapters out next year and should have done it this year. That said I had two of them score at 50% for stuff they've had in three other classes and one slept thru the alarm and missed it. The class is at 11:30.

So everything premiered today. Let's see what's what

The Big Bang theory - Utterly disappointing.

Gotham
Ugh this didn't do it for me. Or should I say Gordon's storyline didn't. I was fine with most everything with one giant caveat. Gordon killing a mobster while robbing him for the Penguin? Really? Thanks. You don't come back from that. So thanks for ruining him.

Also What the hell is up with Barbara? I know Arkham is a pit but why is she the ONLY female inmate locked in with a bunch of men. Like this would ever happen. Gotham is starting on shaky ground.

Minority Report Just not a Tom Cruise fan. That said, I liked this. I liked it rather a lot. I liked the female lead and Dash though he looks too young to be who he is unless I misheard something. They were freed in their 20s and I got the impression the Pre-cogs ended years ago. He didn't look 30ish to me. I was annoyed she put her weapon down in that stand off. Why oh why do they always do that. On the flip side, she looks like she could be a real cop instead of a 90 lb model. I can see this getting a bit too soapy for me but right now I liked it.

I skipped Castle figuring i can see that online if I want to bother. I tuned into Blindspot instead. And yay for her looking like she could have been a SEAL. She needs more muscle for that really but again it doesn't look like you could snap her like a twig.

Even bigger yay for her having TROUBLE fighting those two men. I am SO tired of shows where this tiny, twig of woman lays out a huge man with one blow. This looked like a real, chaotic fight and I appreciated that. Also huzzah for NOT dropping your fucking gun in a stand off.

Now the idea that someone tattooed all this on her and it will solve crime IS a huge stretch to be honest but it harkens back to the Illustrated Man. I don't see how anyone could orchestra all those crimes and why in the world would he? But still I'm interested.

As for the neurological damage someone studied amnesia and talked about it in the proper terms so kudos.

ANd as I said I liked the new Who but man I have friends who hated it. They want it to be DARK. And I'm like was Dr. Who ever super dark? Not since I've been watching it. Serious yet but not dark. I'm like just go watch almost any other SF on tv right now for that and leave the Doctor with some levity.

Also I tried watching Breakfast with Baker and I still don't like the old Who....

Also wildrider this album I'm listening to by James and the Wild SPirit, Hearts+Knives might be up your alley. Not sure if it's actually Americana but it has that sort of feel to me

Comments

[rahirah]

Geez, how much darker do they want? The Doctor deliberately left an innocent (as of yet) child to die. Would they prefer he'd blown Davros up personally and danced on his grave?

(Let me guess: they're still pissed off about the Gallifrey retcon, too, because if the Doctor's not a mass murderer, things just aren't serious enough in the Whoniverse...)

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

I think the answer to this is one huge yes. I haven't said anything because I don't like it when people jump into MY posts to tell me how wrong I am but yeah, I'm not sure what show they think they're watching. I know I never watched the original Who back in the day but I'm pretty sure it was never that dark.

[rahirah]

It wasn't. How dark it was depended upon what Doctor it was -- Three was pretty ruthless, Seven was a manipulative bastard, Two and Eight were total sweethearts, etc. But none of them were grimdark anti-heroes.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

that's pretty much what I thought. Thanks for the clarification. Hmmm I know next to nothing about 7

[bay115.livejournal.com]

Concerning Gordon killing that mobster, I hope that'll bite him back soon though looks like he won't face the consequence of that, which is disappointing. I do agree the stuff with Barbara I'm not sure what's going on with her now haha.

I also watched Minority Report as I love the movie version and am a fan of Psycho Pass. First episode is pretty enjoyable for me so far! The main female lead reminds me of Abby.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

Yeah that was just...I didn't like it. I don't want my heroes to be as bad as the villains. I am unhappy.

Love Psycho Pass (poor Kagari, sobs) and I liked this. You're right she reminded me of Abby too (another show that took a hard right into a wall)

[mamculuna.livejournal.com]

Students. Bah.

And people don't think planning to kill a kid is dark? Don't want to see the shows they think are dark, then.

I watched Blindspot, too. Liked the same points you mention, but somehow didn't quite get hooked. It's well thought out, and her tats are gorgeous as well as intriguing--also liked that stairwell setting for the fight--very appropriately claustrophobic. Maybe I need to watch a little more to get a feel for the characters. I did add it to my Record list, which is going to require editing very soon.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

No kidding, right? I'm like OMG what do you want? And seriously go watch Defiance then. It's nothing but back stabbing, murder and sex. Maybe that'll be their tastes.

I can see Blindspot going off the rails quickly to be honest but at least it wasn't a premiere than had my eyes rolling like Bastard Executioner.

[mamculuna.livejournal.com]

The review I heard of Bastard Executioner was so bad I wasn't even tempted.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

really? I've seen nothing but great reviews. My parents liked it which shocked me since it was SO bloody. I thought it was a boring mess with only a passing nod to actual history.

Great costuming.

Also I'm learning my brain doesn't register bearded men. I have SO MUCH trouble telling them apart. That is strange and kind of awful of me

[mamculuna.livejournal.com]

What you're saying is exactly what the NPR reviewer said (briefly on the radio--can't find a link). The NYT thought maybe it had potential, but wasn't hopeful of it realizing that. (http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/15/arts/television/review-in-the-bastard-executioner-a-warrior-switches-blades.html)

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

yep that about sums it up

Big Bang

[idic-writer.livejournal.com]

I was sad it was over so quickly. What did you find disappointing?

Re: Big Bang

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

pretty much all of it. Sheldon's childishness which I suppose is understandable since he's hurting and he has NO reference for dealing with it but more Penny's reaction to Leonard and that kiss. He tried to tell her, she shut him up then acts like this. Nope, sorry. Doesn't work for me. I think I'm just finding the series tired out.

[scribesds.livejournal.com]

I know you said in a previous post you liked the Dr Who story but I wasn’t going to say anything until this follow up, because, well, I didn’t like it.

For me, it had nothing to do with the show being dark (or not) and I don’t think the show was intended to be ‘dark’ anyway. I thought the episode was muddly, silly, and had plot holes the size of Skaro in it. I want to see episodes with interesting storylines, I want to see the doctor –well, being all clever and doctor-y. I don’t want to see the same ideas rehashed into something else, or super-clever assistants taking the doctor’s role (what was Clara doing there, anyway?) or the doctor acting like an idiot. I like him to have a sense of humour, but I wish they wouldn’t keep dumbing him down.

I was talking to my brother recently, and he used to be a massive Dr Who fan – fifty years or so. He says he’s thinking of not watching any more because it just isn’t any good now. Shame…

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

Honestly I don't actually disagree with this. That said I still think it's the best thing they've done with Peter Capaldi. I hated last year. I mean absolutely HATED it. The stories were dumb or cruel or just plain WTF. About the only two I liked last year was the first appearance of Capaldi, the one with Missy and my favorite, the one on the Orient Express.

So far I think they're wasting Capaldi in this role. Clara has become ridiculous.

I think the reason I don't mind MIssy like some people do is I don't know the Master. My only exposure to him was when Jacobi was in the role and I forget the actor's name who played the younger regeneration. I know the Master was always important and I know people don't like Missy.

Actually maybe I like her because she reminds me of Drusilla. Hmmmm

[scribesds.livejournal.com]

Not sure about Capaldi yet, and I’m not entirely sure why I’m still watching – I suppose because there is bugger all else on right now. We don’t get half the programmes you have…

I agree with you about last year. Not so good at all. Missy is kind of like an older Dru, except that Dru had real menace, and Missy… does not. I don’t like her, though I never liked the Master, either. But at least he was, originally anyway, a proper villain and not the Doctor’s best friend. WTF? When did that happen?

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

That's okay we have a ton of programs and there's still not a damn thing on.

maybe the best friend bit is just in Missy's head? I have no idea. They started with that in the Master's second appearance when Tim Dalton was the head of the timelord's. Or at least the Doctor and the Master were childhood friends or something

[scribesds.livejournal.com]

I would agree that the friendship is in Missy’s head, but the doctor is supposed to have sent her that confession-box-thing. (The whole idea of such a thing doesn’t make any sense at all)

I think they did add the child friendship sometime after the Master was created back in the 70’s. Sadly Roger Delgado only lasted 2 years as he passed away. I liked John Simms’ version of the Master – before he went a bit odd, anyway…

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

i agree the confession box thing is completely WTF. I think it exists really to keep driving the wedge of mistrust they instilled in Clara last year.

They probably did. Like I said, I never saw the original Master and pretty much what I know of Who starts with Nine and whatever friends have told me about the original run

[scribesds.livejournal.com]

Well, it doesn’t really matter when you joined the show as it bears very little resemblance to how it started off…

The first doctor was a scary old man and I was a little girl when it started – I was more afraid of him than any of the monsters!

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

Yeah I've noticed that after the 50th anniversary stuff

hahaha that's funny and yes actually having seen him, i can see why

[dragonydreams.livejournal.com]

I dropped Gotham this year. Fish Mooney was my favorite character and with her gone, there's no one else I really care about.

I'll be trying out Blindspot. I DVRed it since I turn off my TV at 10pm and will watch it tomorrow.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

I didn't like Fish much (though she was well acted) I do like most everyone else...until last night

Blindspot was interesting

[wildrider.livejournal.com]

I'll have to check them out. I'm kind of looking for some new music. I don't find as much as I used to.

I'm going to say it, although it strains my Doctor Who fan-cred, but I'm not all that found of Tom Baker's Doctor myself. If they were showing Breakfast with Pertwee, or Troughton, now...

That said, I did like this season opener. It was more what I expect from my Doctor. I liked it better than nearly all of last season.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

I've been listening to spotify when my internet is up to it and it's been helpful in finding all sorts of new stuff without having to pay for it.

Hey I'm right there with you. I just didn't like Baker much.

I agree. I liked like two episodes last year, maybe three with the Orient Express being my favorite

[wildrider.livejournal.com]

The Orient Express was my favorite, too.

I'm glad Moffitt remembered there is supposed to be some HUMOR and lightness in Who. I don't CARE what the "all grim, all the time" fans want -- that's not Doctor Who. If that's what they want, there are PLENTY of shows for them.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

Yes, exactly, this 100%. Like almost everything on Sci-Fi Friday