What are you watching?

[Elle]

I don't think he can be lawful because he was a fugitive who only turned himself in to accomplish purposes of his own, yes? He doesn't resist operating outside the usual procedures and authorities? Don't know whether he's evil, though.

[Cazmonster]

My most recent show is "In Search of Perfection" - A BBC food show with this guy Heston Blumenthal. It's almost therapeutic how nice British cooking shows are.

[Elle]

Ok, I had to know what was up so I started watching the Blacklist. I love James Spader - I mean, he's beautiful and hilarious and fascinating even when being a ridiculous ham - but the writing in the pilot episode was SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIT. I am going to keep watching because my husband thinks that sometimes pilots are mediocre and then once there's further investment in the show or some better writers thrown into the room, the subsequent episodes turn out better. The premise of his return and all sorts of mysteries in the past and his relationship to Clarice, um, excuse me, I mean whatshername - at least these are fertile with possibility. But the WRITING! I just cannot get past it. SO BAD. I try episode 2 tonight maybe with higher hopes because... James Spader! Love him.

[Bluedevyl]

[Elle]

The show's plots are completely stupid and filled with THE most disgusting, gratuitous violence, but I watch this show because... James Spader. He's awesome, and so very simply one has to watch. I'm kind of missing the thread - my husband likes this one so he watches it more than I do and I often conk out halfway through an episode or join it halfway through when some crazy loud event happens onscreen. But anyway, it's good in the overall experience even if I really wish I was writing it instead of whoever these chumps are. I could do better for ya, guy.

[Elle]

I HAVE ACHIEVED AN INSIGHT. This woman who plays the main female character on the Blacklist, whassername, Agent Keane, SHE SHOULD BE OUR WONDER WOMAN. This one. Google tells me her name is Megan Boone. She should be Wonder Woman. I have seen nothing of Gal Gadot as WW because everyone told me Batman v. Superman sucked and so it's very low priority for rental at the moment. I have nothing against Gadot, she might be fine, but this Megan Boone should be our WW. I realized that whenever I watch the Blacklist I think of her as WW already - I basically assume at any moment she might do a little spin, and suddenly, Wonder Wo-man! will bust out in boots.

[Elle]

So annoyed because I discovered that Justin Kirk is on the Blacklist in Season 1 and I never saw the episode, because it was one of the ones that was watched without me, or while I was sleeping or something! ARGH! Justin Kirk!!! I have also discovered that they have a large team of writers, and the episodes I consider really implausible and stupid in terms of writing are credited to certain people whose skills are lacking, and the reason there are some really bright spots among these badly written episodes might be that they occasionally allow others to lead the writing. The quality level among these writers is like a rollercoaster, honestly. Spader can deliver whatever they give him, but sometimes it's just jarring. I hate it when you are fully invested in imagining some fictional world and then completely implausible statements are made that break your mind out of the illusion. Or poor acting, whatever. I am capable of getting fully mentally invested in Hart of Dixie and Gossip Girl, people, my bar is set WAY low. I can spin gold out of any scraps whatsoever.

WHOA. These are NOT SCRAPS:



The world has given us this gift. I don't know why. Some woman is behind this, I bet. Yes: Amanda Kate Shuman. Thank you, Amanda. Thank you.

[Elle]

Pee Wee Herman was on the Blacklist and I was Soooooooo tired and fell asleep. I think he was playing one of the bad guys? I have to go back and dig it up again because that's too funny. The writing continues to be spotty as it veers from utterly gripping to illusion-shattering preposterousness, but the constant throughout is James Spader's thousand-suns heat of hotness. OMG that man is a thing of beauty, especially certain complicated, inscrutable expressions he gives us. It's like he's laughing, contemptuous, and sorrowful all at once. Magical.

[Cazmonster]

Megan Gale was going to be Wonder Woman when George Miller was going to give us The Justice League.

[Elle]

Ok, she was in Mad Max. Still haven't seen that btw, I know, I know. Eventually. I haven't yet seen Gal Gadot as WW but am keeping an open mind.

For those of you who watch The Blacklist, can I ask why the hell whatsername ends up kidnapped and nearly murdered in at least half the episodes? She is the least competent FBI agent that ever lived. And why we're supposed to believe that one man is connected to and intimately aware of every single form of evil presently perpetrated across the globe, including precisely when it's going to happen/where/how? I'm just to the point that the show is so fucking stupid it's no longer enjoyable, which is what happened with Longmire. And then I fall asleep instead, and that's been good for my life.

[Cazmonster]

I'm watching the ROGUE ONE trailer - you should be too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frdj1zb9sMY

[Elle]

You're right, I should have been. I like the idea of telling these stories that we know happened but never got to see. And perhaps they'll throw us a little bone of info, who knows.

[Elle]

Watching the Good Wife again, sort of - Ron watches and I tune in when present or awake. I watch it for the actors; I love Eli/Alan Cumming and Christine Baranski. I assume it must be on the last season because the husband is running for President now, and where else can they go from there? The show is also getting kind of played out, which is unfortunate because I really did not like Archie Panjabi's character and it was a big improvement for me when they moved past all that stuff. My reaction was always like, okay, this person is here ONLY to provide some kind of soft-porn-for-men-and-curious-women, which I found very tedious and insulting and, when the domestic violence plot happened, truly awful. However, it is amusing that where we are now in the season, Alicia is trying to decide whether new potential love interest "Jason" is a dangerous psychopath or just a hot guy. LOL. Glad that the show also gets we are rooting for Eli at all times and they've built a plotline around our being able to cheer on his scheming. And I am loving the Cary - Howard war (ageism!) with Diane as mediator. There was a really great sequence where they showed what it was like for a young black lawyer to be interviewed and subsequently rejected by the firm, and my sense is that could have been taken verbatim from a real person's experience. All the characters are flawed; that makes the show better.

[Mike]

Just finished Stranger Things and loved it.
Just rewatched Rick & Morty. Loved it again.
Saw season 2 of Steven Universe and I'm thinking I may have to steal season 3.
Up to episode 4 of Daredevil season 2.

[Ronster]

We started re-watching Horatio Hornblower. I put my foot down and until my daughter gets her room clean, she will not dominate the TV, even if it's Dr. Who.

[DMDarcs]

I am mere minutes away from starting Record of Lodoss War with my daughter. I've never actually seen the whole thing, stopped around episode 5 or 6.

[Bluedevyl]

I'm taking my wife on a journey through the best Star Trek series, Deep Space 9. We're roughly halfway through season 1. We've been watching it while we work out on our exercise bike in the living room.

[Elle]

The good wife got so much better in last episodes watched. And this IS the last season, ahhh. Too bad, but I hear they're going to build a new spinoff around Christine Baranski. If they bring in a few of the usual suspects as cast that will do it. Alicia is fine but not the be-all, end-all of the show.

[Cazmonster]

I started The (new) TICK and Stranger Things last night.

I love Stranger Things in a way I didn't expect at all. It punched me in the feels with amazing songs, great acting and a wicked good monster. I'm hooked.

[Mike]

Stranger Things is all good. But now I have to go find new Tick!