Share Thurfriday: Shows to binge via Geek and Sundry

If my excuses for not telling you what I think about television weren't enough for you, go to Geek and Sundry's blog for inspiration.

The article is titled:

YOU SHOULD BINGE-WATCH THESE 5 SHOWS THIS WEEKEND INSTEAD OF BEING PRODUCTIVE

and you probably should take their advice. It's pretty good. 

Updates: HoC, Dogs and Life

I clearly haven't written anything related to television in a little while, and this is my attempt at making excuses.

First, know that I'm "working" on it. House of Cards is being binged in most of my free time. The problem is I have less free time right now.

Last weekend I got back my dog. It's a confusing story, but basically, I had a dog for four years, moved and couldn't keep him where I was living, moved again, and got him back. It's a little like having a two year old child who freaks out at all the new things, and needs to go outside to poop.

Then daylight savings time happened and I was doomed. A result of all this (plus starting night classes again two times a night) is that I'm super tired. Way way way more tired than normal.

And then there are my neighbors.

Normally I don't notice them. The people in my building are pretty quiet and I don't ever hear loud music or talking from their apartments. However, the building next to mine is another story. Again, normally not a problem. There's this one guy that practices drums most nights. Not obnoxious, but it bothers my dog.

Another thing that bothers my dog (and causes him to jump on the bed and bark when I'm trying to sleep) is when the neighbors have a party on their roof, which happens to be almost level with my windows.


All night.

So, that's why I'm tired.

Life's not bad though. It just keeps going. Sometimes you catch up and get ahead of it, but most of the time you're letting it drag you on. Just don't let go all together. 

Broadchurch

And we're back to the doom and gloom. Crime and drama, depression, deep dark secrets--this show has it all.

--BUT--

Broadchurch is completely bingeworthy. Despite the weight of the content, it keeps you wanting to know what happens next.

My biggest complaint was the gap between the end of season one and season two being released. Many questions were left unanswered in the first season. The main plot of the series was well concluded, but some character development seemed to be lacking. All fears were allayed when season two came out, but boy was it a long wait.

Then there's this...

I don't even have to tell you, he said it himself.

But for real, David Tennant is fantastic. Many are familiar with him now because of Jessica Jones, Doctor Who, or Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Some may be surprised to find that he's also a Shakespearean actor... or maybe you're not surprised, because he's so freaking good. Regardless of whether you're familiar with him or have never heard of him before, he alone is worth sitting down and watching this show from beginning to end.

Olivia Colman plays the foil to David Tennant's character so that you can't imagine anyone else being in the part. Her character anchors the show to a kind of reality most anyone can relate to. 

And she's so darn likable!

The chemistry between the two characters is what keeps this show from being entirely too dark. There's humor in the doom, and it works perfectly. 

Coming up: House of Cards

The result of the poll of what show I should watch next is House of Cards. I started it, and I have to say, it's looking good.

He does have a way with words.....

Share Thursday: The Powerpuff Girls by Geek & Sundry

I clearly don't write a new post everyday, but sometimes I want to share and just don't have original thoughts. So here you go--someone else made a thing that I like, and I want the world* to know.

The article is called "5 Reasons We're Looking Forward to More Powerpuff Girls" and it's by Teri Litorco.

Click the picture or the link in the post above to see the original article.

*The tiny world that lives in my head. But the rest of the internet is free to see it as well.

The last season of America

Psych

In case you think I only watch heavy, emotional, dramatic, heartbreaking, therapy-requiring shows, I'm happy to say that's not true.

The thing about Snapchat is that anyone can, with very little effort, be very entertaining. Oh, wait, I was blogging about Psych, not my new favorite social media. I guess I'm easily distracted, like the main character, Shawn.

This is one more of those Sherlockian characters that it seems the world just can't get enough of. (See Elementary, or The Mentalist, or Sherlock, or maybe even Chuck.) One character, endowed somehow with supernormal* abilities of deduction and crime solving, joins up with law enforcement to do what they can't... catch bad guys. The concept doesn't have much bearing in the real world, but it makes a fascinating fictional study. What if there was that one person that could solve the unsolvable?

*Supernormal: a word I made up meaning more than normal, but lacking the connotation of something unexplainable by science.

Silliness aside, there's more than one reason to watch this show. For one--well, the silliness. The show is full of gags and jokes. The two main characters, Shawn and Gus, play off each other well in every circumstance, whether they're getting along or fighting. They depict a kind of friendship that is refreshing to see on a TV show. 

Two friends who are wholly committed to their friendship. They're not without their trials, of course, which leads to the next point. The show has subtle depths that are well illustrated in the relationship of the main characters and their relationships with others. It's almost a coming of age story for the millennial who has fought adulthood tooth and nail. 

So, to binge or not to binge? Binge, definitely. Maybe even watch a few episodes between episodes of one of those darker, heavier, depressing shows that I keep loving. 

Dollhouse

A lesser known Joss Whedon show, Dollhouse wasn't even on my radar until a friend of mine told me to watch it. And then this happened...

Remember her?

Firefly

Remember her?                                 Remember him?

Buffy and Angel...and Buffy again.

Firefly

And him and her?

Much Ado about Nothing and Cabin in the Woods

In case you're thinking I left anyone out, and I probably have, this post is already overwhelmed with gifs. Let it go. 

I wouldn't go so far as to call this a reunion cast. For one, they weren't all in the same shows or movies. But it's definitely a Whedon cast. As such, you know they were chosen for their roles carefully and expertly.

That being said, it's no surprise that this show is all about the characters. Each one has a vital piece in the story, and it is complex. But not too complex to follow. The episodes keep you on the edge of your seat and you don't even wait for Netflix to automatically start playing the next--you're hitting the button yourself, demanding more.

That being said, this is a show that messes with your mind. In the end it's something you're grateful for, like school, but the process is painful. 

In a good way.

Is this show bingeworthy? Yes, you'll binge it without even noticing. But, as with some of the previous shows I've talked about, binge with care. Take a walk every five episodes or so. Call your mom. Watch a flower grow. Take note of whether or not your technology seems to have taken over your life. 

Wallander

First of all, the fact that I googled "Wallander gifs" and there were only gifs of Tom Hiddleston is both sad and fantastic.

I know no one cares as much as I do.

In general, I don't expect that most people are aware of this show. It has a weird description -- a Swedish crime drama cast with British actors and produced by BBC.

What?

Here are a few fun facts about it.

1. It did the three one-and-a-half-hour-episodes-per-series thing before Sherlock. Because it worked for them, Stephen Moffat did it with Sherlock.
2. It was the second time Tom Hiddleston and Kenneth Branagh worked together before Hiddleston was cast in Thor, which skyrocketed his career. (Feel free to fact check that, I'm now questioning whether or not it's technically true.)
3. Nicholas Hoult guest starred on the show, also toward the beginning of his career. 

I'm going to give this show the same caveat I gave Luther. Binge with care! It's an emotionally wrecking show. 

In a good way. 

Similar to Luther, it follows the events in one Swedish law enforcement officer's life. (But Luther isn't Swedish. It's not similar in that way.) I keep throwing out that it's set in Sweden because I think that it's intriguing, but it's not a distracting factor of the show. Every once in a while a character will have a name I'm not used to hearing, but all in all, it's a wonderful, subtle aspect of the show. 

And last, but most definitely not least, there's great news! A fourth season will be released in May after being off the air for four years. If you're wondering where you can watch this, it will premiere on Masterpiece Mystery on PBS May 8. 

After that I'm sure it will be on Netflix at some point. 

Elementary

Fair warning: Some of this is going to be about Elementary, but most of it is going to be about Sherlock Holmes.

My early impression of the show was that it was predictable. Not a positive critique, I know. But it wasn't boring. The story was fun and moved along with good pace. Eventually I realized I had been sucked into the plot without even noticing. My official opinion: Binge it!

Now I'm going to address an issue that confused people at the very beginning of the show. Why did CBS decide to start a modern day Sherlock Holmes show, featuring a main character actually named Sherlock Holmes, when BBC was doing the same thing? (See Sherlock)

First of all, CBS and BBC are separate entities and are allowed to do what they want. Yikes! Back off!

Second, they really are different shows. While the BBC/Moffat/Gatiss took their show in a direction which replayed the original stories in a modern light, Elementary simply recast the character of Sherlock Holmes in New York City, and let the stories follow.

I want to clarify that when I say "simply" I don't mean to imply that they undertook an easier path than Sherlock. The story lines do incorporate some other classic characters, but they have their own, unique plot lines that have a lot to live up to with the plethora of Sherlock Holmes remakes and re-imaginings that are out there already. And I do believe that they stand their ground.

And that's no mean feat.

A Study in Scarlet was first published by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1887, and he continued publishing stories until 1927. Just so you don't have to do the math, that's 40 years. That's four novels and so many short stories that I didn't want to count them. (I'm sure someone else has and has published a tweet or something.)

Since then people have been writing stories with singular individuals who are the only one of their kind. They have enormous mental faculties and a disdain for emotions. Hopefully this doesn't blow your mind, but Spock (yes, that Spock) was patterned after Sherlock Holmes.

I've already listed several modern shows that use this character type, (see The Mentalist), and I would entertain suggestions that Batman himself isn't too far from it.

My final point about Elementary: they've managed to make three full seasons and are in the middle of a fourth. That's more than 70 episodes, whereas Sherlock has only managed 10 so far.

Yeah, I know, apples and oranges. Leave me alone.

Luther

Before I enter into the deserved adulation of the show, take heed. I do not recommend binging this one. The episodes are long and intense, and more than one or two, while tempting, can lead to a very warped view of humanity. And humanity is bad enough. 

Luther is amazing. It's not trying to be a police procedural, and it's not trying not to be. The character development throughout the three series currently online is detailed and completely believable. Within reasonable boundaries of character growth, they don't deviate from their established pattern. 

This show is dark, and gritty. It makes you root for the good guy, and wonder, maybe, who the bad guy really is? 

If you're concerned it might be too dark and scary, there are moments of levity and life that put a warm glow on everything. The take-away, for me: Life is worth it even if it's hard.

On top of all that, Idris Elba is a totally cool guy, and a phenomenal actor. Put him on your list of "anything this actor is in I will watch."

Too cool. Definitely cooler than me.

Chuck

I'm an optimist. I am more likely to enjoy something than not. I want to like things, and often genuinely do. But every once in a while I just can't fake it.

It's actually very strange, because I do love the actors in this show. And normally if I love the actors, I won't notice if I don't like the show. But alas... 

Chuck starts off great. It's funny, action packed, and interesting. But all too soon (by the end of season two, maybe the middle of season three) it took a serious turn that I couldn't handle. It's not that it became a serious drama and lost all humor. But the weight of the crises wasn't counterbalanced by that humor and the effect was boredom. I wanted to do anything other than keep watching. And a pretty good clue that something has reached its binge-worthy peak is that you don't want to keep watching. 

I won't say don't watch it at all. It's not the worst thing out there by any stretch (see my rant about Scandal in my How to Get Away with Murder post). You may even binge the first two seasons without issues. But be prepared for a sudden drop in velocity and a strange urge to start cleaning your kitchen, or bathroom, or dog, or neighbor's dog. 

Updates on season two of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Popsugar has posted a slideshow entitled "8 Things We Know About Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Season 2" and it's so exciting. 

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Created by Tina Fey and friends, Netflix original Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is one of the best new shows...

...

...well...

...ever, I guess.

Set in the ubiquitous NYC, it seems like it could be a little familiar. Small town girl moves to the big city, enamored with the glitz and glamour until suddenly real life kicks in.

But, no! It's--okay, it's very much like that, but wait--it's so much deeper than that.

so much deeper

So many topics are delved into that you might think it's too much, but the writers strike the perfect balance between depth and levity. Every character has time to grow and develop. No one person has all the answers, everyone is flawed, yet because it's fiction, justice prevails anyway. (And in this case, a little sugarcoating is not just okay, it's required. It is a comedy, after all.)

And another thing. There's nothing wrong with taking a cliche idea and doing it really well. At their bones, most every story is the same. It's the detail and definition that sets them apart.

and trust me.

The Mentalist

This is where we enter the gray area of binge-worthiness. Maybe the area of guilty pleasures. It's up to you to decide.

There are some fundamental things wrong with The Mentalist. For example, it's a very typical police procedural. The plot is formulaic and predictable. You don't have to be a mentalist to do most of what they do. You don't even need to be a trained police person.

By the way, why is it that police procedurals are all about police not following procedure?

You and me both, Simon.

Whatever. Here's the thing: I binged it anyway. 

The Mentalist is one of several new refreshing cop dramas with a consistent humorous twist. It's well funny. It's got an engaging villain, as well, which makes a show like this much more interesting. The arc of the story from beginning to when they catch kill discover lose reveal the bad guy follows consistent character traits as they are developed throughout. 

Another thing to note about The Mentalist is that it's one of several neo-Sherlock Holmes** stories. Among these are Psych, House, M.D., Elementary, and Castle. 

**Sherlock Holmes is one of the most copied characters in literature, for very good reasons. Not only has he impacted stories, but the original detective mysteries changed the way actual crime scenes were treated, leading to the meticulous way evidence is collected from crime scenes now.

 My final fun fact about the show is that more than one actor's native accent is not American. Can you guess whose?

No, he's not in it.

iZombie

Comic book movies aren't new. And actually, comic book TV shows aren't that new either. (See Heroes, again, maybe, if I get to it.) In recent years Netflix (pay me!) has put out a slew of new shows, mostly from the Marvel universe, and the CW and Fox have produced some DC universe shows. Those are the ones most of us are familiar with.

Supernatural has a gif for everything.

Anyway.

iZombie takes you into the comic book experience in a similar way. There are chapter headings throughout episodes, and they do that intro thing where the scene is illustrated and turns into live action. It's cool. My first instinct with a device like this is that it might slow down or distract from the action, but to the contrary, it helped move the action along seamlessly.

This show is another one you will want to allow to play next until it's 3 a.m. and you don't know where your life has gone. Every episode pushes you into the next one, but without exhausting you with drama. The writing and directing styles from show co-creator Rob Thomas (creator of Veronica Mars) lend the same wit and snappy pace a show like this needs.

Monsters as good guys, again, is not a new concept. But instead of doing the same old tortured hero bit, the show shines a fresh light on the idea. There's humor and drama and even a little terror.

Also, zombies are way cooler than you thought they were.

Sherlock

If anything ever took me by surprise, it was Sherlock. I expected to enjoy it, sure. I grew up on the original stories. But it's hard to take a story that everyone already knows, and present it in such a way that it's totally enthralling. Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, with their mutual love of the original Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and sundry other stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, have done just that.

The three seasons comprise only three episodes each. In case you think that's not much, each episode is about 90 minutes long, twice the length of the average American TV show. And the time just flies. If by some horrific oversight you haven't watched the show yet (and let's be honest, if you're reading this you probably haven't) count yourself lucky that you don't have to wait two years for season three. You will be frantically looking for the next episode when you get to the end.

The story telling follows a distinct thread throughout the series. It's subtle enough that it surprises you when you realize it, but it feels like nothing else could have happened. It's just right.

I would be amiss if I failed to mention the star cast. Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman were your average British actors before Sherlock. I was one of the few people I know who knew their names back then. But after season two their fame skyrocketed. Between blockbuster Star Trek Into Darkness and The Hobbit, and various other films, there's hardly a person on earth who doesn't know their names (even if they can't spell them).

Despite their rising fame, they have both expressed a commitment to the show, demonstrating one more reason it's good--everyone is invested in it.

Of all the numerous shows I've watched, I don't think I've ever seen one where the writers and producers were so in touch with their fans. This is particularly evident in the beginning of season three, and believe me, if you start at all, you will get there. There's just one tiny detail...something about selling your soul to the fandom.

In all seriousness, I'm almost okay with the giant gaps between seasons. The level of commitment and investment of everyone involved is such that they take their time, don't rush the story or production, and as a result turn out an excellent TV show.

Now, if only they would hurry up and finish the next season.

Babbington Crankypants and some guy.

How to Get Away with Murder

I was hesitant to start watching this show at all. It seemed obvious and cheesy, like one of those pseudo-news stories that end every headline with, "You'll never believe what happened next!"

But more than one person mentioned it, and the apparently omniscient Netflix thought I'd like it, so I took the plunge, and watched season one, the only season currently available on Netflix.

Netflix should pay me for how much I talk about Netflix.

I immediately noticed a few similarities with another show I had started, Scandal.**

**Let me talk about that for a minute. I hated that show. Nothing was believable. The conspiracy angle was ridiculous. I was shocked, in retrospect, that the two shows had so much in common. Sure, the show had a misfit band of lawyers, "non-lawyer" fixers, and lovable newbies, but interesting characters does not a good story make. For a show so founded in a real institution, the US Government, it fell so far short of the necessary suspension of disbelief that I couldn't watch more than one of the four seasons. 

Back to HTGAWM. Consciously, I noted the similarities. Mostly, I was too wrapped up in the excellent story to care. I watched all 15 episodes in two days. (It was a long weekend, guys, don't judge.) What the show lacks in character development, it makes up for in a riveting plot line that draws you from episode to episode. And don't worry, there's ample promise of character development in future seasons, despite the main male character having the emotional range of a ficus.

While there's a possibility that something could go catastrophically wrong, (see Heroes, if I ever get up the energy to finish watching it), I fully expect season two to follow up on many of the excellently posed questions that left me grasping for information.

Firefly

The year was 2003. Hearts were crushed, and heads were still spinning at the news that the show had been cancelled. Few knew what in the world had just happened.
But they knew that something had happened.
As the fan base of Firefly grew, the story took on a life of its own and more than a decade later throngs of Browncoats still amass at conventions to meet their heroes.

Click this to get a snippet of what being a fan is like.

But this story isn't about them. It's about me.

I came to the world of Joss Whedon later than most. Buffy the Vampire Slayer was barely a blip in my peripherals. Whedon didn't really catch my attention until The Avengers event of 2012. Friends who I had hitherto trusted to inform all of my opinions about entertainment were raving about this Joss character who had directed this movie, and about how great it was because of him.

I became interested.

Sitting down with IMDB, I discovered a great many more interesting things. Words like Toy Story, and Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog and The Cabin in the Woods started flying out at me. All of these things were so different in my mind that I never imagined them being connected. Then, on the list, I saw Firefly. A barrage of flashbacks hit me; a friend lamenting that it had been cancelled, a professor explaining that the characters spoke Chinese and English because it was set in the future where those were the two economic and cultural powers that survived. Most importantly, I remembered seeing it on a list of recommended shows on Netflix.

I sat down one day soon after and began to watch Firefly. I continued watching every spare moment I had. In no time at all I had finished the 14 episode show, and began to experience all the feelings of loss everyone else who had ever watched the show, come to the end, and realized it was just over. I had joined the Whedonverse.

It really does. The characters are fantastic. Questions are (mostly) answered. There are spaceships, cowboys, explosions, gunfights and people swearing in Chinese. The best part is that all these things fit together seamlessly. Whedon and his crew build a world from what seems like a grab bag of plot points and made it work. Of course, each of these things wasn't random in the least, because the writers were very good at their jobs. But the simulation of real-life type randomness pulls the viewer into the story wonderfully.

And don't despair! Should you watch it and come to the same world-ending realization that countless viewers before you have, that, well, the world has ended, do not fear. Serenity, the follow up movie, is also available on Netflix to soothe your aching soul.