Sunday, March 27, 2022

Watchlist, spring edition

 And this is what I've done since December 5, 2021:

  • Finished S1 of Wheel of Time.  I think it finished stronger than it started - I actually wanted more when I wrapped up the last episode - but I very much take issue with what they're doing with Mat Cauthon's character.  I've been sporadically rereading the book series (midway through Book Four) and Mat is not evil and not a coward.  He's a charming troublemaker, and a reluctant hero, who does the right thing in spite of himself, with a big part to play.  This is not what the series is doing and I'm not happy about it.  I'll be waiting for S2 to see if they course-correct.
  • I stalled out on Cowboy Bebop and am halfway through S6 of The Expanse.  I am just not interested in the Philip storyline and it's taking up too much time away from the core characters so I am having difficulty rallying to the finish.
  • I watched Hellbound and while I very much enjoyed it while I was watching it, I can barely remember it now.  Pretty gnarly violence (CGI blood and burning).
  • If you're a fan of stop-motion animation (I am), The House is fun.  Three tangentially connected stories, the first is very creepy and the next two are more charming and clever than eerie.  
  • Loved Only Murders in the Building (Hulu).  Selena Gomez holds her own against legends Steve Martin and Martin Short.  Mr. Mouse actually wants to watch it so I'll watch it again with him.
  • Got through WandaVision and Loki; started but fizzled out on The Falcon and the Winter SoldierWandaVision was fantastic and heart-breaking - kudos to Elizabeth Olsen.  I enjoyed Loki too but wanted much much more time with all the multiverse Lokis.  AlligatorLoki!
  • Speaking of watching things with Mr. Mouse: we powered through all eleven (?) seasons of the live action Trailer Park Boys.  The first half of the series is very, very funny (being from Maine, we could recognize a lot of the Nova Scotia stereotypes and tropes); the last few seasons were a little too shouty but we needed to complete it.  Will not be continuing with the movie or the animated series.
  • We also completed Money Heist.  The first heist was terrific.  The second heist had diminishing returns but we were vested in the characters at that point.
  • I don't know where I stand on The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window.  I adore Kristen Bell and I liked the show ... but the tone was odd, swinging from tongue-in-cheek to playing it straight.  I would have been happy if it was all satire (I mean, the title alone) but also it was an actual thriller.  Just pick a side.
  • I did a rewatch of the original 2001 Wet Hot American Summer movie (last day of camp) and also the revival series for the first day of camp.  Absolutely brilliant, so fun to see how young that massive cast was for the movie, before they all got famous.  Paul Rudd.
  • Is It Cake?  Yes, I binged it.  Doesn't hold a candle to the Great British Baking Show/Bake-Off but isn't really trying to.  It is a silly, silly show and yet I got sucked in because all the contestants were supportive of each other and the host seemed to be enjoying himself and them.
Next up: finish The Expanse, plus Archive 81 and Wentworth, Moon Knight and The Mandalorian.  I've also been sucked into Happy Endings, which found a rerun home on Netflix.  That is an underrated sitcom that got better as it went along - laugh out loud funny.